ASUU Strike: Transporters, Traders Lament Losses, Seek Solution

Some transporters, traders and others who provide services on university campuses have lamented the
negative impact of the strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities three months
ago.

They said the strike was not favourable to their businesses, adding that the strike had reduced their
sales and income.

Newsmen, who visited the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, University of Lagos, Lagos
State, and the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, observed that activities in the universities had
been paralysed.

Shops, where photocopies and printing works were made, were closed. Few shops that were open
operated their services at a high cost.

When Newsmen visited OAU on Friday, it was gathered that traders at the Awolowo, Angola, Moremi and
Mozambique Halls of the university had not been opening for business since the strike started.
A motorist, identified simply as Baba Gbayi, told newsmen that some of them were forced to stop
operating few weeks after the strike began because of low patronage.

He said, "This strike period is tough for us. Most people who own buses are no longer coming. Only
those of us that got our buses on hire purchase are forced to come to work because we have to
complete our payment. There is nothing more killing than this strike because since it has started we no
longer see passengers as before."

Another motorist, Chinedu Akpan, said even the few students on the campus were not willing to board
commercial buses because they lacked cash.

Akpan said, "I am praying that the strike ends soon. I have three children and two of my siblings are
also living with me. We have been struggling to eat. By the time schools resume from holidays, it will be
worse. My prayer is that the strike would be called off before they resume.

"Another thing is that the students are also broke so they prefer to trek. Some of them will even be
negotiating the transport fare because they know that we have no choice."

A trader, identified simply as Iya Sanjo, said, "You can see that none of us opened. The strike is really
disastrous as the school management has sent some of the students home. If we must open, we have
to use the generator which is more expensive especially when customers are not many."

At UNILAG, traders at the car park opposite the Mass Communication Department and Jaja Hall opened
shops but lamented losses.

A motorist, who drives UNILAG shuttle bus, described the strike as a punishment for the operators.
"I urge the Federal Government and ASUU to meet and find a lasting solution to this strike. They are only
punishing us because they collect their salaries while we cannot live without our daily earnings. Now
that there are no passengers, how do they want us to survive? The Federal Government and ASUU
should reach a compromise," he said.

'Nigeria Should Be Careful Against Ethiopia' - Akpoborie

Former international Jonathan Akpoborie has stated that the Super Eagles will beat Ethiopia to qualify
for the World Cup, but sounded a note of warming that Nigeria should not be over confident.

He said that the Super Eagles should prepare for the game against Ethiopia like they will do against the
top footballing countries in the World.

"Yes I will say that it is a good draw for Nigeria. We have the team and players to beat Ethiopia, home
and away. Our boys are presently playing very well," Akpoborie told Goal.

"I want to say we should be careful against the Ethiopians. They may not have the quality of our players,
but we should not underrate them in anyway.

"We should take it easy. Prepare hard. Play hard and get the result from the first game in Addis Ababa.
We should respect them and give them their due.

"We have the advantage and we must use it well," Akpoborie sounded off.

The first leg comes up between 11-15 October 2013, while the second leg in Nigeria will be played
between 15- 19 November 2013.

MTV Base Official Naija Top 10 Chart: D’Banj on Top with 'Don’t Tell Me Nonsense'

Multiple award winning singer, D'Banj, is now the leader of the MTV Base Official Naija
Top 10 with his hit video, "Don't Tell Me Nonsense."

D'Banj displaced Chidinma's "E Mi Ni Baller", video from the number one spot to number two after the
latter stayed two weeks as number one.

Popular Tattoo-faced DJ Sose will join VJ Ehis in the studio this week to go through the charts as well
as carefully analyse some of the biggest names rocking the Nigeria music scene.
Olamide and Skuki have both jumped two places, with the former's "Duro Soke" moving to number 6
and "Voom Va" at number 7.

Timaya also moves to number 5 after two weeks stuck at number 6 with "Ekoloma Demba", while DJ
Xclusive moves up one place to number 4 with "No Time".

Dammy Krane and Dr Sid have made it to the charts this week with Dammy Krane's"Xteristics" making
an appearance at number 9 and "Talented" by Dr Sid coming in at number 10 while former number
one's- P-Square, Flavour and Wande Coal - have dropped out of the chart.

The complete MTV chart for 13 September - 19 September 2013 is given below:
1. D'Banj - Don't Tell Me Nonsense

2. Chidinma - E Mi Ni Baller

3. Burna Boy - Run My Race

4. DJ Xclusive - No Time

5. Timaya - Ekoloma Demba

6. Olamide - Duro Soke

7. Skuki - Voom Va

8. Wande Coal - The Kick

9. Dammy Krane - Xteristics

10. Dr Sid - Talented

The Clarence Peters Effect

It is either there is a monopoly in the video directing section of the entertainment industry or other
music producers are asleep and Clarence Peters seems to be the only one awake.

This year has seen the rise of artistes who never believed they could be as famous as they
are now.

It has seen comedians and comediennes rise from the bottom to the top. Music producers
are not left out as some underdogs in the game became recognised names. But when it comes to music
video directing, it seems not much has changed.

Most of the videos enjoying massive airplays are directed by Clarence Peters. No doubt the young chap
has learnt the ropes and deserves kudos for his good and professional jobs so far but other music video
directors in the game should wake up!

Richest African Woman Lost Her Position In Forbes List Of 21 Richest Nigerians

Forbes magazine has released a ranking of the 21 richest Nigerians. Surprisingly, the
richest woman in Africa, Folorunsho Alakija, who possesses $600 million (N97 billion)
is missing from the list.

According to journal, the value of shares held in quoted companies, size and market share of their
companies, number of companies they own and its assumed value and the impact of the companies on
the Nigerian economy were the yardstick used in compiling the list.

Folorunsho Alakija, Forbes magazine reports, started her career in the mid 1970s as a secretary at the
now-defunct International Merchant Bank of Nigeria but in the 1980s she moved to the fashion industry.
However, Alakija's biggest break came in oil. In 1993 former Nigerian President Ibrahim Babangida
awarded her company, Famfa Oil, an oil prospecting license which went on to become OML 127/ Famfa
Oil owned a 60% stake in the block until 2000 when the Nigerian government acquired a 50% interest in
the block without duly compensating the company. Famfa Oil challenged the acquisition in court, and
this year, the Nigerian Supreme Court reinstated the 50% stake to Famfa Oil.

Full list of the 'lucky 21':

1. Aliko Dangote - Founder of Dangote Group, Richest man in Africa and Richest black man in the world
2. Mike Adenuga - Conoil, Equatorial Trust Bank, Globacom
3. Femi Otedola - ZENON Oil and Gas
4. Orji Uzor Kalu - Slok Group
5. Cosmos Maduka - Coscharis Group
6. Jimoh Ibrahim - Nicon Insurance, Global Flee
7. Jim Ovia - Zenith Bank, Visafone
8. Pascal Dozie - MTN Nigeria, Diamond Bank
9. Oba Otudeko - Honeywell Group Nigeria
10. Sayyu Dantata - MRS Group
11. Umaru Abdul Mutallab - Former Chairman First Bank Plc, Mutallab Group
12. Samuel Adedoyin - Doyin Group
13. Dele Fajemirokun - Chaiman Aiico Insurance, Xerox Nigeria, Chicken Republic, Kings Guards etc.
14. Cletus Ibeto - Ibeto Group
15. Raymond Dokpesi - Daar Communication, AIT,
16. Tony Ezenna - Orange Group
17. Molade Okoya Thomas - Chairman CFAO Nig and other six french companies
18. Ifeanyi Ubah - Capital oil and gas
19. Leo Stan Ekeh - Zinox Computer
20. Fola Adeola - GTBank
21. Ade Ojo - Elizade Motors Nig LTD, Distributor of Toyota cars

Tukur Loses As Court Rejects Bid To Stop Baraje-led PDP Faction

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday rejected the request by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led
by Bamanga Tukur to stop the "New" PDP led by Kawu Baraje, from operating.

Justice Elvis Chukwu refused to grant a restraining order against the Baraje faction saying he did not
find any fault with the faction in filing its processes and entering its appearance.

The judge said he would hear the suit by the Tukur faction alongside the preliminary objection raised by
the Baraje faction.

Mr Tukur had approached the court on Thursday asking it to grant an order of status quo pending when
the suit he brought seeking to restrain the Baraje faction from parading itself as the recognized faction of
the party was decided. Mr Chukwu adjourned the suit till September 20 to hear the substantive suit.

Last week, Mr Tukur and 11 members of the National Working Committee of the PDP had, through an ex
parte motion, asked the court to stop Mr Baraje, his deputy, Sam Jaja, National Secretary, Olagunsoye
Oyinlola and others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

The court ordered that the Baraje faction should be put on notice by the Tukur faction and subsequently
fixed the hearing for September 13.

The Baraje faction objected saying the issue was a domestic affair of the ruling party. It also said that
the suit should not have been brought before the Federal High Court but a state or Federal Capital
Territory High Court.

Agbani To Host International Fashion Week

It comes as no surprise as Agbani Darego, a former world beauty queen and international super model
has been headlined as the host of the 2013 Port Harcourt International Fashion Week tagged, Native &
Vogue.

Agbani won the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant and Miss World pageant
respectively in 2001. She said her nomination as the hostess of the maiden edition of the
Port Harcourt International Fashion Week was a privilege and an honour.

"It was on the platform of Rivers State that I came to win the MBGN title and thereafter the Miss World
pageant in 2001. So, an initiative of the state government that seeks to promote, encourage young and
aspiring designers and models into the professional world is one that I would gladly support and, in fact,
I see it as an honour to have been considered for the role," she said.

The three-day event is a Private-Public Partnership initiative of the state government and it is aimed at
bringing together professional fashion designers from Nigeria and around the world. It would also be a
wonderful opportunity for upcoming designers to undergo tutelage under the mentorship of
professionals.

Young designers would showcase their works in a competition that would have the winner go home with
a cash prize of N500, 000 and an all-expenses paid six months scholarship to the reputable Capecon
Fashion School, South Africa.

Nigerian Rapper/Singer, Skales, denies dating his Girlfriend because of her fathers wealth

Nigerian singer, Skales, has been accused of dating his girlfriend, Kondja Aveii because her parents are
really wealthy.

He recently decided to set the records straight when talking to HipTV about their relationship.

Here is what he says:

"I've gotten a lot of comments and all that saying I'm dating her because her parents are wealthy and
that she bought me a car like that. The truth is, I really love her because her family are nice people and
we have been together for a long time."

Samsung Continues Promoting BBM For Android

We know that BBM for iOS and Android will be arriving and not too long ago the app was
demonstrated live during the Toronto International Film Festival, and according to BlackBerry, the app
has been submitted at least to Apples iTunes App Store about two weeks ago, suggesting that it
won't be long before we see its actual release. In the meantime it looks like Samsung has decided to
keep up their advertising efforts of BlackBerrys BBM app that will be arriving on Android (and thus
Galaxy smartphone) devices as you can see in the screenshot above.

This is actually not the first time that we've seen Samsung advertise the app and it is probably due to
their partnership where BBM will come preloaded on Android phones, although in the past Samsung
Ghana did take down their ads , presumably because it might have been a little premature. In any
case there is still no specific release date for BBM, but BlackBerry did state in the past that they
planned to release it by the end of summer. We are not sure how successful the app will be given that
there are a ton of other messaging apps out there that already allow for cross-platform messaging,
such as WhatsApp, Skype, LINE, Viber, and etc. just to name a few. We will keep our eyes peeled sock
check back with us at a later date for the details.

Zimbabwe Plans 'Disneyland' In Africa

Zimbabwe plans to build a "Disneyland in Africa" at the world famous Victoria Falls to boost tourism,
a government minister has said. Walter Mzembi, Minister of Hospitality and Tourism said the
government would spend more than $300m [£193m] on the theme park to be located in Victoria
Falls.

Zimbabwe is not leveraging the Victoria Falls enough, Mzembi said on Tuesday, describing it as a
"sleeping giant".

"It's a wake-up call for us...we must build a new tourism facility with an impact," he said.
"We think it should be modelled along the size and the kind of vision that is on Disneyland, including
hotels, entertainment parks, restaurants, conferencing facilities. This is the vision and we need people
who can run with it."

The minister earlier told Zimbabwe's official news agency New Ziana that the government wanted to
create a free zone with a banking centre "where even people who do not necessarily live in Zimbabwe
can open bank accounts".

He announced the plans at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation [UNWTO] on-going
general assembly meeting, which Zimbabwe is co-hosting with Zambia.
The decision to award the conference to Zimbabwe was condemned by UN Watch, an independent
human rights group based in Geneva, citing reports of human rights abuses and election rigging.
"The notion that the UN should spin this country as a lovely tourist destination is, frankly, sickening,"
UN Watch head Hillel Neuer said.

The government already has plans to expand the Victoria Falls airport, saying it will invest about
$150m in the project.

In the first quarter of this year, Zimbabwe's tourism authority said the country registered a 17%
increase in visitors.

If the country remains stable, it says, tourism is set to contribute 15% to the country's GDP.
Over the past decade, Zimbabwe recorded the world's highest inflation with its economy in virtual
collapse. However, a power-sharing deal reached after an acrimonious election in 2008 helped to
stabilise the economy

iPhone 5S: fingertip scanner is key to new direction

It used to be the ultimate crime scene clue. Now Apple has transformed the fingerprint into a key to unlock the wealth of personal information that is stored on the iPhone. The company's new flagship 5S model, the more expensive of two 4G handsets unveiled at its headquarters on Tuesday night, goes on sale on 20 September, and will be able to identify its owner by scanning a fingertip.

The fingerprint scanner is built into the home button, protected by a sapphire crystal coating, and uses a low radio frequency signal to map the unique lines of its owner's index finger or thumb. It is able to scan the dermis layer underneath the surface of the skin, avoiding problems caused by damaged or dry fingertips. Without pressing, the owner will be able to unlock their phone with one touch, and once inside the device, a fingerprint will suffice as proof of identity to purchase music, films, books and applications from Apple's stores.

The 5S will cost $649 (£549) without a contract, and also comes with a 10cm (4in) screen and an 8 megapixel camera – the same as the iPhone 5 – with double the processing heft of its predecessor. As more services move online, and customers collect long lists of passwords to access everything from bank accounts to office files, fingerprint technology could prove a big step in making access to phones and the sensitive information they contain simpler and more secure. But in an attempt to allay privacy fears, Apple was forced to deny it was creating an archive of biometric information. "All fingerprint information is encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Enclave inside the A7 chip on the iPhone 5s," Apple said in a statement. "It's never stored on Apple servers".

After five years in black and white, the iPhone has burst into colour. With an eye on the lucrative Chinese market, the 5S will now come in a muted gold, as well as silver and grey. The cheaper 5C, the other device unveiled, was described by Apple's chief designer Sir Jonathan Ive as "beautifully, unapologetically plastic", and will cost $549 (£469) without a contract. The 5C comes with a choice of six back cases in a spectrum ranging from coral pink to yellow. It will have the same screen size as its more expensive stablemate, and will function on most 4G networks. But there was a surprise at the cost of the 5C. "This is not the cheap product that many expected," said Carolina Milanesi, research vice-president at Gartner.

In front of an audience which included Yahoo's chief executive, Marissa Meyer – who has issued staff with iPhones to ensure they are developing with mobility in mind – Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, set out to demonstrate the company retains the creative mojo that flourished under Steve Jobs. The inventions of the Jobs era transformed the music and mobile industries, and are threatening companies such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard as tablets and smartphones begin to replace traditional PCs. But critics have questioned whether under Cook Apple has the ability to repeat the trick. "The competition has caught up and it's now purely about how quickly it can innovate and drive its own experience forward," said Benedict Evans of research firm Enders Analysis.

Apple is expected to sell 170m smartphones in 2013, second only to Samsung. Cook has set his sights on gaining ground in China, where Apple languishes in seventh place behind South Korea's Samsung and five domestic phone makers, some of them little known outside Asia.Crucial to the iPhone's success in Asia its distribution deal with Japan's NTT DoCoMo, but a much rumoured deal with China Mobile was not mentioned during the showcase.

Unusually for a relatively new model, the iPhone 5 has been discontinued; those looking for a more budget handset will have to make do with the 4S, which was first released more than two years ago.