Adamu Garba Absent In Court During Case Against Twitter CEO

Garba had dragged Dorsey to court for endorsing and supporting the recent #endsars protest in Nigeria.

Former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, has absented himself from court in a suit against Twitter Chief Executive Officer, Jack Dorsey.

Garba had dragged Dorsey to court for endorsing and supporting the recent #endsars protest in Nigeria.

Tope Akinyode, a lawyer, who joined the suit to defend Twitter, revealed that both Garba and his lawyer were not in court, forcing the judge to adjourn the case.

Announcing his joining of the suit against Twitter and its CEO, Akinyode said,

I've filed court processes to challenge @adamugarba's lawsuit against @jack and @Twitter. Jack's support for Nigeria's cause is commendable. We'll protect our freedom of expression and resist the move to ban Twitter in Nigeria.


https://twitter.com/TopeAkinyo....de/status/1331545436

In the notice of joinder filed in the case, Adamu Garba v. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and nine others, Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1391/2020 and sighted by SaharaReporters, Akinyode said he was an avid user of the online microblogging platform, Twitter, adding that it had been a significant avenue for him and other Nigerians to air their opinions and exercise their freedom of expression. 

The lawyer said his tweets and that of many other Nigerians have formed a bedrock of public discourses, which have shaped and are still shaping government decisions. 

Garba had instituted a $1bn lawsuit against Twitter and its founder, Dorsey, at the Federal High Court Abuja, over his role in the #endsars protests, which had led to violence across the country, resulting in the destruction of properties and loss of lives.

Jack was accused of actively supporting the funding of the #endsars protests across the nation as disclosed by Adamu Garba through a series of tweet posted on his official Twitter handle on Tuesday, October 20, 2020.

The motion on notice was brought pursuant to order II Rules 1, 2, 3 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009 and Sections 34(1), 35(1) and 41(1), and 43 of the 1999 constitution.

EndSARS: CACOVID To Rebuild 44 Police Stations, Donates ₦100 Billion For Arms 

… to spend N150 bn on youth devt

The Central Bank Governor , Godwin Emefiele, has said the Coalition Alliance Against COVID- 19 will rehabilitate all the police stations that were damaged in the country as a result of wanton destruction and lootings that followed the recent #endsars protests .
Emefiele spoke during a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday at the office of the CBN.
He also disclosed that CACOVID had so far spent N43 .27bn on the acquisition of medical equipment and supplies, and food palliatives for the vulnerable, among others.

The CBN governor said the alliance planned to spend N 150bn on youth empowerment.
He said , “ CACOVID has committed to fully rehabilitate all 44 damaged and destroyed police stations nationwide in a bid to restore provision of security in affected locations .

“ To further strengthen the security apparatus in the country , CACOVID has committed to provide over N100 bn to procure equipment and gadgets for the Nigerian Police Force over the next two years; as our contribution to fully modernise the Nigerian Police .”
He said its preliminary analysis indicated that unemployment , particularly among the youth, was a critical factor behind the unrest.

As a result , he said , CACOVID had committed to create a high impact youth development programme that would provide technical and vocational education to over four million Nigerian youths over the next five years.
“ Over N150 bn is expected to be deployed towards the set up and implementation of the youth development programme , which will be available at select training centers across the country ,” he said .

Emefiele said selected students on conclusion of the programme would be certified by the appropriate standards board and would be eligible to receive loans to support their entrepreneurial pursuits .

So far , he said , over N25 bn would be domiciled in a fund to support these entrepreneurial pursuits , which would also include acquisition of related equipment to conduct business activities.

According to him , these efforts represent some of the essential steps that were important in rebuilding trust and preventing future unrest within the communities.

#nairaland

TCN: Nigeria Requires ₦1 Trillion For Efficient Electricity Transmission 

The Transmission Company of Nigeria has said Nigeria requires nothing less than N1tn to effectively wheel electricity through the national grid.

The Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider, TCN, Victor Adewumi, said this at the 52nd Power Dialogue of the Nigeria Electricity Hub on which held online in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said TCN would require the sum to make the country’s power grid stable, adding that the $1.6bn which the transmission company was getting from international agencies would not be enough to stablilise the grid.

When asked to state how much would be needed to get the grid to transmit electricity effectively, Adewumi replied, “Simply put, TCN requires nothing less than N1tn to make the grid to be very stable.

“For the project that TCN is financing internally, relying on our IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) and the Federal Government budget system, TCN requires nothing less than N600bn.

“So when you look at the total, you will be talking about N1tn. This is a huge sum of money and if you look at it critically, there is no way that even the Federal Government can provide this kind of fund.”

He said investors were invited to come and fund some of the projects in TCN, as they would recoup their investments over time.

Adewumi said, “So the alternative way is to look at project financing, where those who have the money can come to TCN and finance probably the transmission lines and then look at the cost of energy to be wheeled on that line, spread it over a period of time and then get their money back.

He said, “But with the current kind of fund that is entering TCN, there is no way TCN can embark on that.

“This is because the Discos are not giving us the required money; we are getting less than 60 per cent of TCN tariff.0

He added, “That is even after the Nigerian Electricity a Regulatory Commission forced them to do it.”

He, however, stated that the Discos would not receive all the blame as many power users were involved in electricity theft.

This came as senior officials of the African Development Bank and the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company stated that the Nigerian power sector was not bankable.


#punchng

Atiku Dazzles In New Photos As He Celebrates 74th Birthday 

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is today celebrating his74th birthday.

Atiku Abubakar GCON (born 25 November 1946) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 during the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo. 

Since the return to democracy, Abubakar has contested in all the elections.

In 1993, he contested the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. 

He twice ran as Governor of Adamawa State in 1990 and later, in 1998, being elected before becoming Olusegun Obasanjo's running mate during the 1999 presidential election and re-elected in 2003. 

He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election.

He contested the presidential primaries of the People's Democratic Party for the 2011 presidential election losing to President Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries losing to Muhammadu Buhari. 

In 2017, he returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and was the party presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election, again losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

Atiku who is currently in Dubai steps out dazzling to celebrate his 74th birthday.

He rocked a T-shirt and a jean. We wish Atiku long life and prosperity. 

#nairaland

Tolani Baj Visits Kabiru Adewale Shotobu Of Ikorodu

Bbnaija Tolani Baj Visit Royal Majesty, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobu of Ikorodu

Tolani Baj is a brand beyond entertainment
The goal is to be a woman of power, influence and inspiration

She wrote;

I feel honoured to be granted the opportunity to be in the presence of Royal Majesty, Oba Adewale Shotobu of Ikorodu to share my plans on how I intend to make an impact in the community

I've always been passionate about helping the less privileged and now that God has placed me in this position, I am ready to ACT on it.

#nairaland

Governor Emefiele And His Parallel Foreign Exchange Universe 

At today’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the MPC communicated its decision to keep all monetary parameters unchanged from its previous meeting.

It appears to be a tacit admission by the monetary authorities that the CBN is at its wits end and out of monetary tools to stimulate an economy which is in its second recession in 4 years, an abysmal record for the country.

In every country, monetary authorities alone are not to be held responsible for economic outcomes as there is a fiscal side to every economic equation. However, the willingness to dabble in alternate facts by the CBN lately has succeeded in eroding trust in what was otherwise one of the remaining few respected Nigerian institutions.

Nothing reflects that more succinctly than today’s mandatory post-MPC press conference where the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele mentioned that analysts who should know better are quoting 480 naira to the US dollar as the exchange rate compared to the CBN rate of 379 naira to the US dollar. The Governor went further to state that the parallel market is a shallow market and accounts for no more than 5% of the total FX demand. While the Governor might state that the parallel market consists of retail itinerant FX hawkers, the reality reflects that Bureau De Change (BDCs) have become the parallel market.

It is interesting the Governor will make such an assertion as the facts from the CBN which he heads confirms that through all of 2019, disbursements to BDCs amounted to $12.65 billion compared to $5.55 billion for the legally recognized Importers and Exporters (I&E) window.

These statistics makes it clear that more than double the amount of dollar sales by the CBN were to this parallel market and accounts for 37% of the $34.32 billion the CBN sold last year. It is clear that the CBN is challenged with meeting FX obligations as there are loud claims that there is a backlog of FX demand hovering around $2 billion (exclusive of swaps and foreign portfolio investments). The CBN is using the same playbook from 2016/2017 of denying a reality of the markets, which it will be forced to accept no matter how long it takes.

With yields low, FPIs wary amidst low oil prices and more importantly, production caps by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Nigeria, Nigeria’s FX liquidity will remain challenged and a devaluation will be inadequate to solve FX shortages. The earlier Governor Emefiele embraces the new normal of the Naira’s realities and stop living in a parallel universe, the quicker the economy might be able to begin to stutter back to life.

Deji Adeyanju: Atiku Has Nothing To Offer In The New Political Reality Of 2023 

I have nothing against Atiku & like I said during the 2019 election, he’s better than Buhari. In fact, anyone is better than Buhari. Atiku has nothing to offer in the new political reality of 2023 because the game has drastically changed.

https://twitter.com/adeyanjude....ji/status/1331321980

PDP must present a new face in 2023 to stand any chance because APC will be presenting a YOUNG PERSON & it will be easier to deceive Nigerians again.

https://twitter.com/adeyanjude....ji/status/1331315148

I tell you sis. If they allow Atiku to emerge, they will be in opposition for 8 more years. He should rest. The nation is tired of their set.

Door Attendant At An Eatery Dances At Door While Doing His Job 

A private security officer tasked with opening the door for customers at an eatery is seen dancing and making himself happy while performing his duty. He actually did some Michael Jackson 360 degrees and crotch grabbing moves. 

#nairaland