Facebook buys WhatsApp for N3.1 trillion ‬

WhatsApp Co-founder becomes a member of Facebook’s board.
‪Social networking giant, Facebook, has bought messaging app, WhatsApp, in a deal worth a total of N3.1 trillion in cash and shares.
It is Facebook’s biggest acquisition to date and will see WhatsApp’s Co-founder, Jan Koum, become a member of Facebook’s board of directors.
The deal includes N656 billion in cash and approximately N1.9 trillion worth of Facebook shares, plus an additional N492 billion in stock to WhatsApp’s founders and employees at a later date.
“We’re excited and honoured to partner with Mark and Facebook as we continue to bring our product to more people around the world,” Mr. Koum said in a statement.
Mr. Koum said he plans to operate the firm “independently and autonomously”.
In a statement announcing the deal, Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, described WhatsApp’s services as “incredibly valuable”,  but insisted he had no plans to place advertising on WhatsApp’s interface, saying he did not think ads were the best way to make money from instant messaging systems.
Mr. Zuckerberg said the quest to buy WhatsApp was started only 11 days ago.
WhatsApp offers alternative to BlackBerry chat and text messaging. It allows users to send messages over internet connections, avoiding text messaging fees.  WhatsApp claims it is currently registering one million new users a day and  has over 450 million monthly active users. Facebook believes WhatsApp will hit a billion users in no time.
It makes money by charging users a subscription fee of N160 or the equivalent of $1 per year, after offering the first year for free.
Once the deal is finalised, Mr. Koum and co-founder Brian Acton will become Silicon Valley’s newest billionaires.
WhatsApp started five years ago and has 55 employees in total.

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Ukraine President sacks army chief as 26 die in violent protest

At least 26 people have died in two days of escalation of violence.
Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, has sacked the country’s chief of armed forces after 26 people were killed in two days of violent protests.
Colonel General Volodymyr Zamana’s sack was announced on President Yanukovych’s website on Wednesday.
Col Gen Zamana has been replaced by the commander of Ukraine’s navy, Admiral Yuriy Ilyin, by presidential decree.
The move came after at least 26 people were killed in the country’s most violent demonstrations in decades, which has seen protesters fighting security police.
More than 250 people, including police and journalists, have been hospitalized.
As violence continued Wednesday, the country’s armed forces signalled it may take over the effort to restore order.
Many Ukrainians are angry at the government’s decision to agree to closer ties with Russia in favour of the European Union.
The protest began November 2013 with protesters demanding the resignation of the president. The prime minister resigned in January.
Mr. Yanukovych’s government refers to the protesters as “terrorists and criminals”.
The latest violence began Tuesday when protesters attacked police lines and set fires outside the parliament.

Armed with water cannons, stun grenades and rubber bullets, police responded by attacking the protest camp, and dismantling some barricades.

But the protesters held their ground through the night, encircling the protest camp with new burning barricades of tires, furniture and debris, the Associated Press reported.
The state security agency accused protesters Wednesday of seizing firearms from its offices and announced a nationwide anti-terrorist operation to restore order. The Defense Ministry said the army could take part in the operation.

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s President Suspends Central Bank Governor, Lamido Sanusi

 
Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the country’s Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, from office.
Mr. Jonathan Thursday morning ordered Mr. Sanusi to hand over to the most senior Deputy Governor of the bank, Sarah Alade, who will serve as Acting Governor until the conclusion of ongoing investigations into alleged breaches of enabling laws, due process and mandate of  the Central Bank, Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, has said.
Mr. Abati, who broke the news on twitter less than an hour ago, gave a link to an official statement which the reason the president purportedly took the action.
The statement said, “Having taken special notice of reports of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and other investigating bodies, which indicate clearly that Mallam Sanusi Lamido  Sanusi’s tenure has been characterized by various acts of financial recklessness and misconduct which are inconsistent with the administration’s vision of a Central Bank propelled by the core values of focused economic management, prudence, transparency and financial discipline;
“Being also deeply concerned about far-reaching irregularities  under Mallam Sanusi’s watch which have distracted the Central Bank away from the pursuit and achievement of its statutory mandate; and
“Being determined to urgently re-position the Central Bank of Nigeria for greater efficiency, respect for due process and accountability, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has ordered the immediate suspension of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from the Office of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria”.
Mr. Abati said the President expects that as Acting Governor of the Central Bank, Mrs Alade will focus on the core mandate of the Bank and conduct its affairs with greater professionalism, prudence and propriety to restore domestic and international confidence in the country’s apex bank.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria reassures all stakeholders in Nigeria’s financial and monetary system that this decision has been taken in absolute good faith, in the overall interest of the Nigerian economy and in accordance with our laws and due process” he said, in the statement signed February 20, 2014,” the statement added.

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Olubadan attacks Jonathan, Governor Ajimobi, over visit to Alaafin

President Goodluck Jonathan

The visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to the Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi, has angered a leading Yoruba monarch, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Samuel Odulana Odugade, who has now issued a strongly-worded statement, describing the trip as an affront and a ridicule of the Ibadan chieftaincy institution.

President Jonathan had on February 15 embarked on a royalty shuttle to Kano, Oyo, Ile-Ife and Lagos during which he visited the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero; the Alafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi III; the Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuade; and the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu.

The reasons for the visits are unclear. But there are speculations that they were part of the president’s political consultations ahead of the forthcoming National Conference and the 2015 presidential election.

During his visit to Oyo state, the presidential plane carrying Mr. Jonathan landed in Ibadan airport before he took a chopper to Ife in Osun State to visit the Ooni of Ife, and then to Oyo town, to visit the Alaafin of Oyo.

That the president passed through Ibadan without stopping by his palace has now irked the Ibadan monarch.

Mr. Odugade on Wednesday expressed anger that after landing in Ibadan, Mr. Jonathan disregarded him, the current Chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, and proceeded to visit Mr. Adeyemi.

In a statement, the secretary of the Olubadan-in-council, Kamoru Liasu, described the President’s itinerary that day as an ‘affront.’


He accused the President and the State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who accompanied him on the visit, of committing an act capable of jeopardizing the peace of the state and bringing the Ibadan chieftaincy institution into disrepute.

The Olubadan described the visit as selective and said he and other members of his council waited for the President without realizing the latter was going to breach protocol by ignoring the Ibadan monarch.

He said rather than visit him first; the president went straight to the state governor, who went with him to the Alaafin’s palace in Oyo.

The Olubadan said the actions indicate that Governor Ajimobi still recognises the Alaafin of Oyo as the permanent chairman of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs, contrary to the state’s existing chieftaincy law, as amended in 2011, where it is stated that the chairmanship position should be rotated between the Alaafin, the Olubadan, and Soun of Ogbomosoland every two years.

The Ibadan monarch appealed to Messrs Jonathan and Ajimobi to desist from carrying out misleading acts capable of jeopardizing the peace of the state and bringing the Ibadan chieftaincy institution into disrepute.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, the presidency said President Jonathan holds the Olubadan and the people of Ibadan in high esteem and would continue to do so.

Saying the concerns expressed by the palace was probably due to lack of adequate information, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Reuben Abati, said the president had already lined up two different visits to Ibadan within this first quarter of the year.

Mr. Abati explained that President Jonathan is billed to attend the South-West zonal rally of the Peoples Democratic Party holding in the city as well as the centenary birthday celebration of the Olubadan. He said the two trips are planned to include visits to the palace of the Olubadan.

The presidential spokesperson added, “The President appreciates the overwhelming supports he enjoys from the Olubadan, the people of Oyo state and the South-West in general.

“The Olubadan is a father and since the president assumed office, he has visited him twice. He enjoys an excellent relationship with the Olubadan and his palace and that’s something he cherishes.

“Therefore, he has no reason whatsoever to treat the palace and the people of Ibadan in anyway that will damage that excellent relationship.”

In its reaction, the Oyo state Government said it played no role in drawing up the president’s itinerary and should not be blamed for how the presidency handled the visit to the Alaafin.

A spokesperson to the administration, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter, told PREMIUM TIMES Governor Ajimobi only received the letter informing him of the president’s movement on Friday evening, and that the only role the governor played on Saturday was to accompany Mr. Jonathan to his destinations while in the state.

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First Lady not hospitalised, pays condolence visit to FCT Minister

Sahara Reporters reported a few days ago that First Lady Patience Jonathan had fallen ill and had been flown abroad for treatment. No presidential aide denied the report online but in what appears to be a move to dispel the report, Mama Peace made a public appearance yesterday Sunday Feb. 16th at the Abuja residence of the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, where she commiserated with him over the death of his elder brother, Mallam Yusuf Mohammed. See more pics after the cut..

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Photo: President Jonathan Wishes Nigerians Happy Valentine's Day

Through his media aide Reuben Abati, the President and his family has wished Nigerians a happy Valentine's day.

Also, to commemorate this special day, President Jonathan and his wife released the 'photo of love' above

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U.S. Never Predicts Nigeria’s Break Up In 2015, Says Envoy

Mr James Entwistle, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, said there was no official of his country that said Nigeria would break up in 2015.
Entwistle made this known in Sokoto on Tuesday during a media roundtable.
According to him, no official of the U.S. has ever said that. Nobody has said that Nigeria will break up in 2015.
“What I see is a country that will steadily match forward with the U.S. by her side,’’ he said.
The envoy said that the U.S. had no intention to cut its health programmes or other funding to Nigeria due to the recent signing of the anti same sex marriage law.
He said that the U.S. government would not sanction Nigeria in this direction, adding: “I was hitherto misquoted”.
Entwistle said that all Nigerians must be free to move without any restrictions or fear of violence.
“But what legally constitutes same sex marriage in Nigeria is not our concern,” he said.
On 2015 general elections, Entwistle said that the U.S. wanted transparent, credible, and non violence elections which the Nigerian people deserve.
“We should begin now to commit ourselves to non violence before, during, and after the 2015 polls.
The envoy said that the forthcoming elections should be something that Nigerian people should embrace with enthusiasm and not with fears.
“The right to vote is very precious and it always bothers me when people don’t vote,” he said.
On HIV and AIDs, the U.S. ambassador said that his country had committed about 3.6 billion dollars to fight the disease in the last 10 years in Nigeria.

NAN

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