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Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday abided by the ruling of the State Court to stay action on the probe of the former Governor of the State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. (more…)

(FLOWERBUDNEWS)  Twitter Inc will ban political advertising on its platform next month, the company’s chief executive said on Wednesday, a move that won praise from Democrats and scorn from Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

“We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally,” said Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in a statement here “We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought.”

Analysts do not expect the ban, which takes effect on Nov. 22, to significantly reduce Twitter’s business. Its shares fell 1.9% in after-hours trading.

Social media companies, including Twitter rival Facebook Inc face growing pressure to stop carrying ads that spread false information that could steer elections.

Facebook has pledged efforts to deal with misinformation after Russian propaganda on the platform was seen to affect the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, which was won by Trump, a Republican.

But Facebook made a decision to not fact-check ads run by politicians, drawing ire from Democratic candidates running in the 2020 presidential election such as former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“We appreciate that Twitter recognizes that they should not permit disproven smears, like those from the Trump campaign, to appear in advertisements on their platform,” said Bill Russo, deputy communications director for the Biden campaign, in an emailed statement.

Biden has faced attacks from Trump, offered without evidence, about the foreign business dealings of his son Hunter.

“It would be unfortunate to suggest that the only option available to social media companies to do so is the full withdrawal of political advertising, but when faced with a choice between ad dollars and the integrity of our democracy, it is encouraging that, for once, revenue did not win out,” said Russo.

Brad Parscale, who is running Trump’s re-election campaign, described Twitter’s move as an “attempt to silence conservatives” and “a very dumb decision” for the company’s shareholders.

“Will Twitter also be stopping ads from biased liberal media outlets who will now run unchecked as they buy obvious political content meant to attack Republicans,” Parscale said in a statement. “This is yet another attempt to silence conservatives, since Twitter knows President Trump has the most sophisticated online program ever known.”

A Twitter spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the company’s policy, saying it did not want to stifle political speech.

Dorsey wrote on Twitter that paying for ads forces “targeted political messages on people” with a power that “brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions.”

He added that it was not credible for Twitter to say it was trying to stop the spread of misleading information “but if someone pays us to target and force people to see their political ad…well…they can say whatever they want!”

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(FLOWERBUDNEWS)The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on Wednesday says all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have shared responsibility to build resilience, trust and confidence in the Information Technology system of the country.

Mr Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of NITDA, said this during a two-day Information Assurance Workshop organised for MDAs in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Dr Usman Gambo, the Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions (ITIS), represented the Inuwa at the occasion.

He said the urged became necessary because activities of government and industries were done majorly online to reach a good number of citizens and the need to protect IT system.

According to him, data is a critical asset to the digital economy thus making it a critical target for cyber criminals.

He also noted that the increasing use of digital technologies was constantly exposing sensitive information and critical systems to risks and threats in the cyberspace.

“We all have shared responsibility to build resilience, trust and confidence into our systems.

“We all have a shared responsibility to ensure that we keep government information, services, networks and infrastructure secured, this standard is a very bold step toward achieving that goal.

“We have to work together if we are to increase our resilience against malicious cyber risks and threats,” Inuwa said.

He said that cyber threats which infiltrate individual, public systems, were usually unnoticed yet crippling the global economy, adding that the development needed mitigation.

“The growth and potential of the digital economy depends on the trust on the internet and in cyberspace.

“The digital economy is estimated at 22.5 per cent of the world’s economy and yet has not been fully exploited while the Nigerian digital economy is known to account for up to 13.8 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.“

He, however, disclosed that NITDA had commenced implementation of new regulations, inspecting, evaluating regulated institutions to provide support and guidance on trending cyber security issues and ways to combat them.

The director-general also said the agency had created awareness to enable MDAs and security agencies to sensitise citizens on the dangers of cyber threats.

He recalled that the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), created by the agency and National Information Systems and Network Security Standards (NISNSS) under revisw were meant to keep the public abreast with evolving technology trends.

Inuwa urged the participating MDAs to ensure compliance with the circular the OSGF issued on the NISNSS to secure data and technology systems in line with best global practices for digital economy.

According to him, trust in the systems that support Nigerian digital economy remain the key to future innovation, adding that MDAs need to work together to harness benefits and opportunities of the digital revolution.(NAN)

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) A powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Thursday, crushing a man under falling debris and sparking searches of seriously damaged buildings that had already been rattled by two previous deadly tremors.

The 6.5 magnitude quake hit the island of Mindanao, the US Geological Survey said, causing locals to run to safety in the same area where a strong tremor killed eight people on Tuesday.

The powerful shaking caused serious damage to a condominium building in the major southern city of Davao, which was about 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the epicentre.

At least eight people were hurt at the building, and rescuers had launched a search to determine if residents might be trapped inside, police told AFP.

A collapsed structure in another town crushed and killed a local official who was inside to help with an improvised medical treatment centre set up after the previous quakes.

A hotel partially collapsed in another area, but a disaster official told AFP the building had already been evacuated.

Locals have been left terrified by a string of powerful quakes, and hundreds of aftershocks since the first powerful tremor struck on October 16.

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(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, proposed a toast for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The vice president’s toast was proposed at a dinner organised in honour of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Prof. Vuong Hue.

Osinbajo, had earlier, at the Presidential Villa, received Hue and his team and witnessed the signing and exchange of the Memorandum of Understanding on waiver of visa requirements for holders of Valid Diplomatic and Official Passports.

The vice president, during the toast on a lighter note, said that Hue was his long lost brother as both of them were born on same year and same month– March, 1957.

Osinbajo said more so, that he and Hue were both lecturers and professors.

He said that Nigeria and Vietnam had maintained long standing diplomatic relations since 1976 but there were no high level engagements.

“So, this visit is very significant because we will be looking at the possibility of setting up a bilateral commission between Vietnam and Nigeria so that we can concretise the existing areas of cooperation that we discussed earlier today.

“ I am confident that we can build on the successes recorded in the past while we work on boosting cooperation in business, trade and investment and social and cultural relationship between both countries.

“We agreed on promoting a friendly football match between Vietnam and Nigeria.

“The Super Eagles and the Vietnamese National Team and as well the Female National Team of Vietnam and our Super Falcons.

“First toast to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Long live the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; the next will be the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ he said.

In his response, Hue said that Nigeria and Vietnam had a lot of things in common.

He said that aside boosting economic and trade ties, there was need to enhance cultural relationship.

Hue said that the Vietnamese national team was a strong side in Asia as he was looking forward for a friendly match between both male and female national teams of both countries.

In his welcome address at the dinner, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, said that the Vietnamese delegation, led by Hue, had demonstrated willingness to strengthen relationship between Nigeria and Vietnam.

He said that the delegation had the opportunity of meeting people that matter in Nigeria, especially on the area of trade, commerce and investment.

“Indications are that their engagements are very fruitful and they are willing to take the relationship to the next level.

“On our part, we are, ready and willing to reciprocate; to pick up the challenge they have thrown to us.

“This evening, we, signed an agreement on waiving Visa for people carrying diplomatic passport,” he said.

Dada said that the dinner was put together by the vice president to introduce the Vietnamese delegation to Nigerian cuisine.(NAN)

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its proposed strike over Federal Government’s directive to enroll its members into the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that when President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2020 budget proposal before lawmakers on Oct. 8, 2019, he vowed that Federal Government Employees not captured on the IPPIS platform by 31st Oct. 2019 would no longer be receiving their salaries.

ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, in a phone interview, noted that the union had decided to maintain status quo, pending further meetings.

ASUU had at different fora rejected the deadline, stating that universities operated differently from the civil service and should, therefore, not be seen as appendages of ministries, departments and agencies of government.

“What we have been saying is that the reaction of our members will depend on what happens in the government. Our members will meet at the appropriate time to take appropriate decision.

“The Senate has intervened in the matter and we are engaging the Senate, the Senate has appealed to us for now, When they pay other workers, they pay them also.”

According to him, the union is proposing another template which would factor in the peculiarities of the universities and promote their interest.

“The point we are making is that we have visited the Senate President, told him that there is an alternative to IPPIS, the IPPIS as we see it, will not promote the interest of the university, there is no university or country in the world where the payment of university workers is centralised with the government.”

On the World University ranking, Ogunyemi stressed that enrolling its members would affect Nigeria’s status, and discourage visiting lecturers come into the system.

“IPPIS will affect our ranking, because now scholars from different parts of the world will not be encouraged to come to Nigeria.

“Imagine somebody come for short six months and because of IPPIS he is not paid from three to four months, whereas, if they are domesticated in the universities, ASUU will pay them.

“Any university can attract scholars from any part of the world and you do not expect scholars to come from India, China, Australia, America or UK and be coming into Abuja to enroll in IPPIS.

“It is ridiculous, and that is what the autonomy means, that universities should govern their personnel, and their pay role system.

“We are saying it is not safe, we are going to become a laughing stock among committee of universities.

“In Ghana, there is something like IPPIS, but universities are not part of it. There is nowhere in the world that payroll is centralised and managed by consultants.”

He, however, noted that what the union wanted was a “Governing Council’ that would govern and manage the payroll of ASUU members.

“If government does that, it is the council that the government will hold responsible, that is what the law says, and where a council is found to be corrupt, or incompetent, that council should be dissolved and another council should be put in place.

“Our proposal is that there should be a mechanism that will enable the government to monitor the payroll system and the personnel. At the appropriate time, we will release it to the Nigerian public.

“The mechanism, when we centralise the payroll system of academics in Nigeria, you are taking a risk, cyber criminals can break into it at any time.

“There is nothing you put on the internet that cannot be hacked and that is not accessible in any part of the world.”

He stressed that the IPPIS will erode autonomy of the union, noting that the universities are unique environment, and are called “universal cities, because they are universal market places of ideas.” (NAN)

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) Facebook will pay a £500,000 fine imposed by the UK’s data protection watchdog for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. As part of the deal, Facebook will make no admission of liability.

The US firm said it “wished it had done more to investigate Cambridge Analytica” earlier. Facebook’s legal team underscored that the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has not discovered evidence EU user data was transferred to Cambridge Analytica but committed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation on the use of data analytics for political purposes.

Cambridge researcher Dr Aleksandr Kogan and his company GSR used a personality quiz to harvest the Facebook data of up to 87 million people, a database later shared with the London-based Cambridge Analytica. The latter was linked both with the Leave campaign in the UK and the 2016 Donald Trump Presidential campaign.