The Labour Party’s 2023 Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi has said Nigeria comes first.
He called on every Nigerian irrespective of social or political standing to focus on navigating the prevailing economic hardships rather than obsessing over the next electoral cycle.
While addressing his supporters at the Labour Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, Mr Obi criticized the tendency of some politicians to shift focus to elections immediately after one ends, neglecting the more pressing issues of welfare and security of the citizens.
“Political parties have no purpose without the nation. Our primary concern should be the well-being of our people and the security of our nation,” Obi told a large gathering of party faithful.
He stressed that Nigeria’s survival and prosperity must be the paramount concern because “Nigeria is the only country we have.”
This statement comes at a time when many Nigerians are grappling with significant economic challenges, including rising prices and unemployment, which have been exacerbated by global economic pressures and local policy decisions.
The event’s high turnout underscores the deep support for Mr Obi’s message of prioritizing governance over politics.
This stance has defined his political career and continues to attract a diverse following across the country.
As Nigeria navigates these challenging times, the voices advocating for a shift in political priorities are becoming louder.
Many citizens are calling for leaders who prioritize their welfare over political ambitions
Governor Similanayi Fubara of Rivers State has said he started taking decision as a governor in February, 2024.
Fubara, who spoke on Tuesday at Egbeda Community Secondary School field, venue of the inauguration of some internal roads project in Emohua Local Government Area, inaugurated by Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, reiterated that the projects people were seeing were accomplishments of four months.
He said good governance, service and projects were being delivered at a cost-effective rate.
He said, “We are just starting but I assure you of more attention. If in four months, we can do this, and we are getting this level of applause, you can imagine what will happen when we do one year of our record time, two years of our own record time, Rivers State would have experienced something different from the regular governance.
“I know why I said four months. We started full governance in February, 2024. That was when we started taking decisions, when we started confronting governance. And I am proud to say that our people are happy with what we have done.
“What we want to do is to bring governance to our people, service delivery at record time, and in a cost effective way.
“Everything that we are doing is in my white paper. I carry it along, so, there is no issue of any manipulation. Call me any day, anytime, it is there. Even the ones I did before this time, I still have all the records.
“If you call me any day, I will bring the records of all my activities in government, because I know that as a civil servant, what is most important is record keeping; so that if you are not there, and something happens, it is just for somebody to pick up the file and he will see the history.
“That is how I am trained, and I have that in my mind before I do anything. So, I am not scared of anything. Anybody who calls me any day, anytime, I have my records to show. I have all the approvals to show that I acted based on approval and not personal decision.”
The governor assured that his administration would continue to deliver projects that impact positively on the people directly while also empowering them to live better lives.
He stated that the Egbeda Internal Roads Project had been accomplished to both satisfy the needs of the people by making them happy and solving the perennial flooding problems experienced in the area.
The Governor acknowledged the support of the people before, during and after the elections, saying what his administration owes them is the dividends of democracy that included projects and social service delivery.
Performing the inauguration of the project,Oborevwori said he drove with Fubara on the road while accessing the venue of the event, and can testify of the commitment of his brother governor to sustain infrastructure development in the State.
He said, “This road project at Egbeda bears true testimony of the commitment of the Rivers State Government towards fulfilling its promise of sustainable infrastructure development of the State.
“It is reassuring that these all-season roads will economically empower, not only the people of Egbeda, but the entire Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.”
The Kano State House of Assembly has commenced the process of amending the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law amidst call for the return of the deposed 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi.
The House resolved to amend the law after the Majority Leader and member representing Dala constituency, Hussien Dala, moved the motion during plenary on Tuesday.
Daily Trust reports that the law was first amended in 2019 during the rift between then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the deposed Emir.
The first amendment had broken the Kano emirate into five different emirates with the creation of Rano, Karaye, Gaya and Bichi Emirates, and the appointment of First Class Emirs for the new emirates, eventually culminating in the deposition of then Emir of Kano.
But following the electoral victory of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who had campaigned with the restoration of the old Kano Emirate system, several groups renew the call for the reinstatement of Emir Sanusi.
One month before Governor Yusuf assumed office, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), the ruling party in Kano, had said issue of the emirates would be reviewed.
“We campaigned and we are well-known in Nigeria, especially in Kano. What we showed the people is by God’s grace all the good projects we started when we were in government. This governor (Abba Kabir Yusuf) and his team will pick up from where we left off,” Kwankwaso had said.
“We as elders in the movement will continue to advice them to do things that are proper. We tried not to talk about whether the Emir would be removed or not, but now you see, the opportunity is there.
“Those who God made leaders will now decide on the next step and decision to take. They will review it and determine what is the right thing to be done.
“Apart from the issue of changing the emir, the emirates have now been divided into five. All of that will be reviewed too. When a leader comes into power whether in a country, state or local government area, he inherits things that are good and things that are difficult and challenging.
“We are confident God will give the governor (Abba Kabir Yusuf) the wisdom to come and resolve the challenges planted in Kano state so that everyone will leave peacefully in Kano state.”
The Nigerian Army has broken its silence on the shutting down of Banex Plaza in Abuja.
The plaza has been under lock and key since hoodlums attacked some soldiers un uniform on Saturday.
The soldiers who accompanied a complainant to the plaza were assaulted by a mob which broke into groups.
Although the police waded in to restore normalcy, soldiers later stormed the venue in vans and laid siege to the place.
In a statement on Tuesday, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Army spokesman, said the plaza was temporarily shut so as to take time to fish out the hoodlums behind Saturday’s incident.
“Following the recent unrest at Banex Plaza in Wuse, Abuja, on Saturday 18 May 2024, by yet to be identified hoodlums who launched a brutal attack on some Nigerian Army personnel, a swift intervention by soldiers and policemen on internal security duties salvaged the situation and rescued the attacked personnel from being lynched by the hoodlums.”
“It is important to note that the soldiers attacked were unarmed, did not engage in any form of aggression, and posed no threat to anyone. Therefore, the cruel treatment meted out to them was entirely unwarranted and unjustifiable.
“In response to this unfortunate incident, a meeting was convened with the management of Banex Plaza to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous act by temporarily shutting down activities in the plaza to ensure that the hoodlums who have been using the Banex neighborhood as a sanctuary to pose a security threat to the Federal Capital Territory were apprehended.
“This, is in furtherance of the need for extensive investigation to be conducted at the scene to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of this mayhem. This investigation ultimately aims at ensuring the security of the Federal Capital Territory and to prevent such unwarranted attacks on own personnel and other security operatives, as has been observed in other areas, such as the unfortunate attack in Okuama.
“The Nigerian Army will equally ensure that it diligently investigates the circumstances surrounding the presence of the personnel at the plaza and the attack that ensued.
Nonetheless, such acts of violence against personnel are not only condemnable, but could degenerate to a breakdown of law and order, orchestrating threats to national security.
“Accordingly, the NA enjoins members of the public to exercise caution and restraint in dealing with military personnel and other security operatives, especially when they are in uniform. There are established channels through which grievances or misconduct by personnel could be reported to the appropriate authorities. It is imperative that these channels are utilized to maintain order and respect for those who serve and protect our nation.”
[DailyTrust]
Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State on Tuesday said he’s ready to answer queries, stressing that he took his time to document all his activities as a civil servant.
Fubara said he had records to show that all he did during his time as a civil servant was based on approval.
The governor, who spoke during the inauguration of Egbeda internal roads, was reacting to those questioning his decision to probe the previous administration.
Under the past administration of Nyesom Wike, Fubara was the Accountant-General.
Amid his face-off with the now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Fubara had vowed to probe Wike and previous administrations.
However, Fubara said his records demonstrate that all his actions in the last administration were based on proper approvals.
[DailyPost]
Meeting on the ongoing negotiations on new minimum wage has been adjourned till Wednesday after the organised labour rejected the new N54,000 minimum wage proposal by the Federal Government, a highly reliable source who attended the meeting told our correspondent on Wednesday.
The PUNCH had exclusively reported that the Federal Government upped its offer from its earlier proposed N48,000 to N54,000.
Tuesday’s meeting came as a result of the walkout staged by members of the organised labour following the proposal of N48,000 as minimum wage by the Federal Government during last week’s meeting.
During that meeting, the OPS had also proposed N54,000 while labour insisted on its N615,000 living wage demand.
Our correspondent who spoke to sources who attended the follow-up meeting on Tuesday learnt that the Federal Government upped its offer from N48,000 to N54,000.
“Well, during the meeting, the government increased its offer from N48,000 to N54,000. However, labour rejected that offer and the meeting has been adjourned till Wednesday,” a source who asked not to be named said.
When asked if the government’s side was showing any sign of seriousness, the labour leader said, “No seriousness at all. Even state governors did not show up. Those who represented them, like Bauchi and Niger states, did not have the mandates to speak on their behalf.
“As regards the private sector, we did not get to them before the meeting was adjourned but we hope they also increase their initial offer.”
Organised labour on Monday reiterated its May 31, 2024 deadline for the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, insisted on N615,000 minimum wage, arguing that the amount was arrived at after an analysis of the current economic situation and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.
He blamed the government and the OPS for the breakdown in negotiation, saying, “Despite earnest efforts to reach an equitable agreement, the less than reasonable action of the Government and the Organised Private Sector has led to a breakdown in negotiations.”
In a statement released at the end of the jointly held NEC meeting by the NLC and TUC which was signed by Joe Ajaero, NLC president and Festus Osifo, TUC president, the unions said they acknowledge the ongoing negotiations between the NLC/TUC, the Organised Private Sector and the Federal Government regarding the new national minimum wage.
While appreciating what they described as the efforts made thus far, the NLC and TUC emphasized the urgency of reaching a fair and equitable agreement that reflects the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the nation’s development and the current crisis of survival facing Nigerians as a result of government’s policies.
They also affirmed commitment to ensuring that the interests and welfare of workers are adequately protected in the negotiation process.
President Bola Tinubu through Vice President Kashim Shettima, on January 30, 2024, inaugurated the 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage to come up with a new minimum wage ahead of the expiration of the current N30,000 wage on April 18.
With its membership cutting across federal and state governments, the private sector and organised labour, the panel is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.
During the inauguration of the panel, Shettima urged the members to “speedily” arrive at a resolution and submit their reports early.
“This timely submission is crucial to ensure the emergence of a new minimum wage,” Shettima said.
In furtherance of its assignment, a zonal public hearing was held simultaneously on March 7 in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, and Abuja.
The NLC and the TUC in different states proposed various figures as a living wage, referencing the current economic crunch and the high costs of living.
In their different proposals on the minimum wage, the NLC members in the South-West states demanded N794,000 as the TUC suggested N447,000.
At the North-Central zonal hearing in Abuja, the workers demanded N709,000 as the new national minimum wage, while their counterparts in the South-South clamoured for N850,000.
In the North-West, N485,000 was proposed, while the South-East stakeholders demanded N540,000 minimum wage.
But organised labour settled for N615,000 as a living wage.
[Punch]
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday inaugurated the 6th National Stakeholders Working Group, NSWG, of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, with a charge on members to stay away from the day-to-day activities of the agency.
The President said that since the appointment was on a part time basis, the daily management of NEITI lies with the management team led by the Executive Secretary, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume who inaugurated the board on behalf of President Tinubu reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to the implementation of the principles and standard of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Nigeria.
“Our faith in the EITI process is not just because it is central to our key government agendas, but also because, over the years, NEITI has demonstrated a high degree of competence, integrity and commitment to the values that the country requires to achieve economic growth and development in the sector through availability of reliable information and data required for national planning and reforms.
“NEITI has supported phenomenal revenue growth in the sector through meticulous application of EITI principles. Our national and global focus is on energy security, efficiency and justice in energy financing, renewable and control of emissions. The work of NEITI is so important to our country and particularly this administration in helping us to define our country’s engagement strategy on the energy transition debate through consultations, constructive engagement driven by reliable information and data”, the President added.
He charged the members: “Your appointment as a member of the NSWG is not a full time job and as members, please note this very carefully to avoid getting involved into issues of day to day management which is the work of NEITI management under the leadership of the Executive Secretary. You are therefore advised to conduct yourselves in accordance with this requirement”.
Addressing the board in his capacity as the NSWG Chairman, Senator George Akume stated that his appointment demonstrates the Federal Government’s prompt and timely response to the recent global EITI assessment of Nigeria’s implementation of the Initiative which among other observations stressed the urgent need to reconstitute NEITI’s Board to avoid sanctions.
Other members of the board are: Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), representing the government, the Group CEO, NNPC Limited is representing the National Oil and Gas Company. The Board also has a representative of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and the President of Miners Association of Nigeria representing Extractive Companies (Oil, gas and mining companies). The civil society organisations have Dr Erisa Danladi representing them while the Presidents of Nigeria Mining & Geosciences Society (NMGS) and the President National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) are representing Extractive Industries Professional Unions on the Board.
[vanguard]
The Central of Nigeria Monetary Policy Committee has raised interest rates by 150 basis points to 26.25 per cent from 24.75 per cent in March to tackle rising inflation.
CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso disclosed this on Tuesday at the 295th MPC press briefing in Abuja.
The apex boss said the decision to raise the interest rate was to tame the country’s soaring headline inflation which increased to 33.69 per cent in April.
CBN had continued tightening of monetary instruments to bring down inflation.
The 295th MPC meeting is the third since the appointment of Cardoso in September last year.
In May 2023, Nigeria’s interest rate stood at 18.75 per cent.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has said that the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party is working to get new state governors come 2027.
Ganduje made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at a policy roundtable titled, ‘The Asiwaju Scorecard Series’, organised by APC Professionals Forum.
He said the leadership of the APC was gradually restructuring the party into a truly grassroots progressive party.
The chairman said the NWC has directed the state chapters of the party to liaise with their respective governors and other stakeholders to ensure that they have full-fledged, functional offices in every political ward and state to enable members across the country to have symbolic representation in their neighborhood.
He said the NWC has also constituted a reconciliation committee that would reconcile all aggrieved party members, and such committees would be established at the state, local government and ward levels.
Ganduje noted: “Even though it is not yet an election period, we are reinvigorating that party to ensure that come 2027, we will retain and get new state governors, as well as Mr President to secure another mandate to continue with his government’s policies and programmes.
“We are gradually restructuring our party into a truly grassroots progressive party. We have directed our State Chapters to liaise with their respective Governors and other stakeholders to ensure that we have full-fledged, functional offices in every political ward and state to enable our members across the country to have symbolic representation in their neighborhood.
“This measure will ensure that party activities are rolled out all year round not during political campaigning and elections only.”
The Rivers State High Court has invalidated the amended Local Government Law proposed by the Martins Amaewhule faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The ruling was delivered in a suit numbered PHC/1320/CS/2024, which challenged the extension of tenure for LG chairmen for six months after the expiration of their term.
Justice D.G. Kio, presiding over the case, declared the amendment invalid, citing its inconsistency with the 1999 Constitution and Section 9(1) of the Rivers State Local Government law No. 5 of 2018.
The court emphasized that the applicable law governing the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors is the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018, which stipulates a three-year tenure.
The attempt to extend their tenure through the enactment of the Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024 was deemed unlawful and contrary to their oath of office.
The ruling marks a victory for Enyiada Cookey-Gam and six others who challenged the extension, asserting the primacy of constitutional principles in governance.
More...
A former National Vice Chairman, North-West, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Salihu Lukman, has said that contrary to the expectation that President Bola Tinubu will replicate his earlier success as Lagos governor, his administration has succeeded in creating more doubts in the minds of Nigerians.
Lukman, in a statement issued Tuesday titled, ‘Illusive Politics: What is to be Done’, saud Tinubu’s administration had been characterized by policy missteps and reversals.
The APC chieftain lamented that after 25 years of democratic rule, Nigeria was yet to produce leaders that are predisposed to accommodating the interests of citizens.
He said: “Painfully, against every expectation that President Asiwaju Tinubu will reignite the Lagos success story at national level, his government is more and more creating doubts in the minds of Nigerians about the prospect of resolving the country’s challenges with incidences of policy missteps and reversals.
“As a result, crisis of insecurity has remained. Problems of inflation, unemployment and poverty are on the increase.
“If the hallmark of the tenure of former President Buhari is the trauma of dashed hopes for citizens, we must, as Nigerian citizens and as committed progressive politicians, wake up and remedy the ugly and despicable experience of illusive politics.
“After one year in office, the unmistaken message must be conveyed to President Asiwaju Tinubu and by extension all APC leaders that the democratic future of Nigeria is not negotiable.”
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has been locked out of the ministry by workers belonging to the National Union of Electricity Employees, and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, on Monday.
The protesting workers stopped business activities at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Power in Abuja.
Members of NUEE and SSAEAC also locked out other workers of the ministry, stopping accessing the Power House building in the Maitama District of Abuja.
This was as the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, on Monday, gave the Federal Government a deadline of May 31, 2024 to reverse the hike in electricity tariff.
The unions took the decision at the end of a jointly held National Executive Council meeting.
“The NEC once again vehemently condemns the unilateral increase in electricity tariff by the authorities. This action, taken without due consideration for the economic hardships faced by the masses and the provisions of the law, is deemed unjust and burdensome. The NEC reaffirms its demands for an immediate reversal of the tariff hike and the vexatious apartheid categorisation into bands to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian workers and citizens and gives the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Federal Government until the last day of May, 2024 to meet these demands,” the unions said in a statement issued at the end of their meeting.
The acting General Secretary of NUEE, Igwebike Dominic, told our correspondent that the shutdown of the power ministry would continue until the government listens to the demands of the union or calls for a meeting to address the issues.
“The shutdown of Power House is going to continue until they hold a meeting with the unions or meet the demands written in our letter to the minister,” he stated.
In the letter to Adelabu, jointly signed by both unions and dated May 20, 2024, the associations stated that the government took a unilateral and detrimental decision to liquidate TCN without consulting stakeholders.
They said, “We are taken aback by the utmost disregard for the critical stakeholders in the power sector by you and your agency’s unilateral and detrimental decisions in the sector.
“We believe that all agencies, under your ministry, should key into your agenda and set goals by extension to the vision of this administration in seeing to a regular and sustainable power supply in the country. So, the disruption being engineered by NERC in the sector is not surprising, as there is no known agenda or vision for the power sector by your administration one year after the resumption of office.
“The unfortunate scenario playing out in the power sector points to the fact that you administer the sector like a personal estate with no consideration for the welfare and survival of the workers and the sector in general.”
They accused the minister that since he assumed office a year ago, “your ministry and NERC have been running the sector without recourse to critical stakeholders in the power industry”.
The unions stated that the unilateral tariff increase to about 300 per cent was done without stakeholders’ dialogue, adding that the proposed review of workers’ salaries does not receive the desired considerations.
According to the unions, this is provocative and unacceptable.
“The mischievous deduction of eight per cent of the revenue generated as technical losses from TCN is a political calculation to blackmail the company and its management to make it look inefficient is disheartening and would, in the long term, hurt the entire electricity value chain. This is highly unacceptable and cannot be sustained.
“The vexatious order from NERC on a monthly deduction of N2bn from the account of TCN is unrealistic and an attempt to run TCN down, portray the management as incompetent and take advantage of the failures for selfish political gains. We want a justified reason for such a humongous and unrealistic deduction.
“The illegal deduction of 46.7 per cent from TCN revenue (not even profit) for project execution for Discos; are the privatised companies not owned by private entities? What system of privatisation are we adopting? Our findings revealed that all these obnoxious orders from NERC are a conspiracy to grind the operations of TCN and then liquidate it. These are to prepare enough ground to unbundle it for selfish political gains by a few people,” they expounded.
The unions vowed to vehemently resist any attempt to cede those infrastructures to cronies for political patronage.
“NERC must reverse the unilateral tariff increase implemented without consulting with critical stakeholders in the sector. The salaries of the workers in the sector must be reviewed.
“All obnoxious deductions from TCN must stop forthwith and all deducted funds remitted back to TCN with immediate effect. Why these deductions, when revenue is required to strengthen the already aged and weak network that will guarantee stable and reliable energy supply?
“Henceforth, all staff in the sector will have electricity rebates (units) allocated to them as a standard practice. Gencos must not be given revenue generated from TCN and Discos until they allow the unionisation of their companies as provided by the Labour Act,” they noted.
Responding to this, the media aide to the power minister, Bolaji Tunji, told our correspondent that the ministry was handling the issue and that the permanent secretary would meet with unions to address their concerns.
Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara will today, Tuesday, screen eight commissioner-nominees presented to them by the governor.
The assembly’s Clerk, Dr. G, N Gillis-West, in a letter on Monday, invited the nominees to appear before the House.
Our correspondent obtained a copy of the letter on Tuesday.
According to the letter, the House, led by factional Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, is expected to screen the nominees by 10 a.m.
Did you know a tribe that digs up corpses, dresses them for celebration?
The letter, titled ‘Public Announcement,’ read, ‘The Rivers State House of Assembly hereby invites the following commissioner-nominees for screening and confirmation as members of the Rivers State Executive Council.”
It listed the nominees as Charles Beke, Collins Onunwo, Solomon Eke, Dr. Peter Medee, Eloka Amadi, Basoene Benibo, Tambari Gbara, and Dr. Ovy Chukwuma.
The clerk further said the nominees are to appear before the House at the State House of Assembly auditorium, Admin Block, Government House, Port Harcourt, the state capital.
“The nominees are expected to come along with 12 sets of their Curriculum Vitae and the originals and photocopies of their credentials,” the letter added.
Our correspondent reports that this is the second time the House of Assembly loyal to Fubara will be screening commissioner-nominees since it emerged as a parallel legislative house.
Last week, the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led assembly screened and confirmed Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as a member of the State Executive Council, and he was consequently assigned a portfolio as the new Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
Last week, an appointee, Prof. Zaccaeus Adangor, SAN, who is loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, resigned from Fubara’s cabinet as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, following the deepened disagreement between Fubara and Wike.
[Punch]
Hollywood actress, Scarlett Johannsson, “angered” at OpenAI’s alleged voice imitation without consent
Admin
Hollywood actress and Oscar nominee, Scarlett Johannsson, has lamented how her voice was allegedly used without her consent by tech giant OpenAI.
The actress noted that she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” that the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman, would go to such length to have her voice used in the current ChatGPT 4.0 system.
According to Sky News on Tuesday, the actress explained how she had turned down Altman’s request for personal reasons, only to find out that the voice “sounded so eerily similar to mine.”
In a 2013 romantic sci-fi movie titled, ‘Her,’ Johannsson’s voice was used to imitate an AI female voice called ‘Samantha,’ who formed an intimate relationship with a human.
The actress, in her statement, said, “Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. He told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and AI.
“He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people. After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer. Nine months later, my friends, family and the general public all noted how much the newest system named “Sky” sounded like me.”
The actress expressed her frustration, saying, “When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference,” adding that Altman had “insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word “her” – a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human.”
The 39-year-old actress said that before the release of the ChatGPT 4.0 demo, the OpenAI boss “contacted my agent, asking me to reconsider. Before we could connect, the system was out there.
“As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAI, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the “Sky” voice. Consequently, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to take down the “Sky” voice.”
In recent times, tech users have begun using the AI model to imitate people’s voices and pictures without prior consent in most cases – a situation which negates the ethical standards of AI use.
“In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity.
“I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected,” Johannsson wrote.
However, OpenAI, in a tweet on Monday, stated that it had “paused” the use of Sky while it addresses the process with which it used to create the AI voice.
“We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky. We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them,” it stated.
A check by our PUNCH Online revealed that the company, in a statement titled, ‘How the voices for ChatGPT were chosen,’ on Sunday, May 19, 2024, read partly, “Each of the voices—Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper and Sky—are sampled from voice actors we partnered with to create them.”
Sky News reports that in 2023, the New York Times “sued OpenAI over allegations it, and its biggest investor Microsoft, unlawfully used the newspaper’s articles to train and create ChatGPT.”
[Punch]