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  • BBC: No evidence of certificate forgery by President

    BBC: No evidence of certificate forgery by President

    The BBC said there was no  evidence that the diploma the President submitted to INEC  was forged.

     Noting that allegations that his certificates were faked went viral on social media, following its release by CSU, BBC said the widely circulated claims could not be validated.

     In its report, the corporation said after contacting CSU and verifying Atiku claims, it found out that Tinubu never submitted a forged certificate to the electoral commission. 

    The BBC report: “The release of the president’s academic documents is the culmination of a judicial case filed in August by one of his main rivals in February’s presidential election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “Mr Abubakar was hoping to have the victor disqualified after accusing him of falsifying the CSU diploma of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration awarded in 1979 that he submitted to the electoral authority (Inec).

     ”To obtain evidence for his case in Nigeria, Mr Abubakar approached a US court in August, requesting it to compel CSU to release Mr Tinubu’s academic records through a process called discovery, where the parties exchange information including documents ahead of a trial.

     ”Mr Tinubu’s lawyers opposed the discovery application, citing privacy concerns, but the US court decided it should proceed.

    Read Also; We lose N3billion to electricity thefts monthly – IBEDC

     ”The documents requested by Mr Abubakar were:

     ”Copies of diplomas with the same font, seal, signatures, and wording awarded to other students that are similar to what CSU awarded to Mr Tinubu in 1979

     ”Documents from CSU that were certified by Jamar Orr, who was then a staff member of CSU, in the 12 months from 1 August 2022

     ”In response to request one, CSU submitted seven diplomas covering different disciplines with the names of the students redacted. According to the university’s registrar, these diplomas had not been collected by the students.

     ”In response to request two, CSU stated that it could not find the diploma they issued to Mr Tinubu in 1979, because they do not keep copies of diplomas already collected by students.

     ”In response to request three, CSU stated that it produced for Mr Tinubu a replacement diploma dated 27 June 1979. It also released diplomas awarded to other students that bore similar font, seal, signatures and wordings as Mr Tinubu’s diplomas.

     ”In response to request four, CSU submitted other academic documents initially attested to and released by Mr Orr.

     ”Atiku Abubakar is challenging Bola Tinubu’s election as president after coming second in the February 2023 polls

     ”In line with the judge’s ruling, Mr Abubakar’s lawyer Angela Liu last week questioned Caleb Westberg, CSU’s current registrar, in a deposition.

     ”The BBC was given access to the deposition transcript by Mr Abubakar’s spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu.

     ”Some social media users in Nigeria allege that the deposition and the diplomas released by CSU confirm that the diploma submitted to Inec by Mr Tinubu was forged. This claim was also repeated by one of Mr Abubakar’s lawyers, Kalu Kalu, at a press conference last week.

     ”We found there was no evidence to support this claim.

     ”Many social media users in Nigeria have been sharing false or misleading posts about the deposition of Caleb Westberg, the current CSU Registrar

     ”The CSU released several diplomas issued between 1979 and 2003. We analysed all of them.

     ”There are three different diplomas for Mr Tinubu that we refer to throughout our analysis:

     ”The original one, from 1979, which he has said in the past was lost when he went into exile in the 1990s

     ”The second one, that he submitted to Inec – supposedly a replacement diploma from CSU (it is similar to diplomas issued by CSU in the 1990s)

     ”Additionally, CSU holds another replacement diploma for Mr Tinubu that they say is probably from the early 2000s that he never collected

     ”The allegations on social media are based on a comparison between the document Mr Tinubu submitted to Inec and the 1979 diplomas released by CSU.

     ”During Mr Westberg’s deposition, Mr Atiku’s lawyer focused on the copy of the diploma President Tinubu handed to the electoral commission and suggested that it was unlike any of the diplomas released by CSU.”

     ”However, while Mr Westberg agreed with Ms Liu that the diploma in question does not look like the samples from 1979, he stated that the certificate actually looks like three of the diplomas CSU released to Mr Abubakar. Our analysis confirms this.

     ”It turns out that the discrepancy in the appearance of the diploma is down to it having been re-issued in the 1990s.

     ”Mr Westberg said the template of CSU’s diploma has changed several times over the years. He said any request for a new diploma would resemble the current template at that time, no matter when the student graduated.

     ”As such, if Mr Tinubu had reordered his diploma in the late 1990s, what he would have been given would look like what was obtainable then.

     ”Diplomas CSU issued to students in 1998 and 1999. The one from 1998 appears identical to the diploma Mr Tinubu submitted to Inec

     ”Three of the diplomas dating from the 1990s that CSU submitted were similar to Mr Tinubu’s.

     ”One of them, which bears the date 18 December 1998, is identical (aside from the names, class of degree, and dates) to the diploma Mr Tinubu handed over to Inec.

     ”Mr Westberg also stated that CSU does not keep notes of when a graduate asks for the reissuing of a diploma and therefore Mr Tinubu’s request for a copy of the diploma was not recorded.

     ”The copy he gave to the election commission had part of the university logo missing, which Mr Westberg said in his deposition was possibly “cut off” when it was photocopied.

     ”We analysed the diploma. It appears in fact that its bottom part was not included during the photocopy process.

     ”Diploma Mr Tinubu summitted to Inec with the red circle highlighting the missing portion.

     ”Mr Tinubu summitted this diploma to Inec – the red circle highlights the missing portion.

     ”The BBC reached out to Mr Tinubu’s team to get a copy of the diploma in question. They sent what they said was the only existing copy of the diploma. It is a black and white photocopy identical to what was submitted to Inec.

     ”Another claim, made by a fact-checking organisation in Nigeria, was that the diploma Mr Tinubu submitted was not from CSU as its diplomas do not include the phrase “with honors” under the degree name.

     ”But the BBC found that while this was not reflected in the other diplomas released by CSU, it does appears in Mr Tinubu’s diploma issued in the early 2000s, which was authenticated by Mr Westberg during his deposition.

     ”It has the words “with honors” – a match with the diploma with the same detail submitted by the president to INEC.

     ”Mr Tinubu’s diploma that was reordered in the 1990s that CSU still has in its possession as he did not collect it

    “Mr Westberg said that the school could authenticate this particular diploma because it was still in its possession as it was never picked up.

     ”Not every student graduates from university with honours. Mr Tinubu, as attested to by CSU in several court documents seen by the BBC, did graduate from CSU with honours.

     ”The BBC contacted CSU with questions about its diplomas and it referred us to a statement that read in part: “We are confident and always have been in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s attendance and completion of graduation requirements”.

     ”Another allegation making the rounds on social media is that the person who attended CSU with the name Bola A Tinubu is female.

     ”Mr Tinubu attended Southwest College (now known as Richard J. Daley College) before transferring to CSU in 1976. In Southwest’s transcript, there is an “F” (for “female”) in the column where gender is indicated, leading to claims that it was a woman who attended the school and Mr Tinubu “stole her identity”. Mr Atiku’s lawyer, Mr Kalu, alluded to this in a press conference last week.

     ”However, in his deposition, Mr Westberg stressed that there was no confusion about the gender of the person who attended CSU as he was a male named Bola A Tinubu. He said the university used other factors other than the name to authenticate the student’s identity.

     ”According to him, the Social Security Number (SSN) in the transcript from Southwest College matches what it has in other documents in which the student’s gender is clearly marked as male.

     ”However, the released documents did raise questions about Mr Tinubu’s birth date and the secondary school he attended.

     ”One of the documents stated that Mr Tinubu attended Government College Lagos in 1970. However, information available on the school website stated that it was only founded in 1974.

     ”Aside from the gender discrepancy, the birth dates in some of the released documents differ from the official birth date of President Tinubu, which is 29 March 1952.

     ”His transcript from CSU has his date of birth as 29 March 1954. His undergraduate admissions application form has his date of birth as 29 March 1955.

     ”Mr Atiku’s lawyer said during Mr Westberg’s deposition that on the forms submitted to Inec, Mr Tinubu had given his date of birth as 29 March 1952.

     ”Mr Westberg, during cross-examination, responded that the discrepancies could have been due to human error.

     ”We contacted Mr Tinubu’s team for comment about these discrepancies and a spokesperson directed us instead to his party – the All Progressives Congress. We then contacted Mr Tinubu’s presidential campaign spokesperson Festus Keyamo, who is also a minister in the government. He did not take our calls or respond to our text and WhatsApp messages.

     ”We also sent questions to Mr Abubakar’s team. They did not respond.”

  • Tinubu’s CSU certificate not forged, BBC clarifies

    Tinubu’s CSU certificate not forged, BBC clarifies

    The Global Disinformation Team of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Wednesday published a report on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s certificate.

    The authors of the report titled: ‘Bola Tinubu diploma: No evidence Nigeria’s president forged college record’ concluded that President Tinubu did not forge his certificate.

    Read Also: CSU certificate saga and Atiku’s voyage of vanity

    The BBC made its conclusion after contacting CSU with questions about its diplomas.

    Quotes from BBC read: “It turns out that the discrepancy in the appearance of the diploma is down to it having been re-issued in the 1990s.

    “Mr Westberg said the template of CSU’s diploma has changed several times over the years.

    “He said any request for a new diploma would resemble the current template at that time, no matter when the student graduated…”

  • Burundi bans BBC after critical coverage

    Burundi has banned the BBC from the country and taken its radio off the airwaves, after what the government said was the broadcaster’s “false’’ reporting on secret torture centres.

    “The licence to operate the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Radio Station is withdrawn,’’ Nestor Bankumukunzi, the head of the National Communication Council, said in a statement on Friday.

    “It is strictly forbidden for any Burundian or foreign journalist located in the national territory of Burundi to directly or indirectly provide information that can be broadcasted by BBC Radio,’’ he added.

    The government said the decision was taken in light of an investigation published by the BBC in December, which alleged Burundi’s security services were running secret torture and detention sites to silence dissent.

    Bankumukunzi said the documentary had violated the law governing the press in the country.

    Voice of America is already temporarily banned in Burundi, which rights groups accused of having a repressive government under President Pierre Nkurunziza.

    Burundi has been seized by civil unrest since 2015, when Nkurunziza announced his decision to seek a third term in office despite a two-term limit.

    His subsequent election victory unleashed a crisis that led to hundreds of people being killed.

    In 2018 changes to the constitution were approved that allowed him to potentially remain in power until 2034; he has, however, said he’ll step down in 2020.

    In 2018, the government also ordered the UN human rights office to close its bureau in the country, after it published negative reports on the situation in the country.

  • Osinbajo, Soyinka, BBC, others move against fake news

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and others yesterday called for criminalisation of fake news.

    They spoke in Abuja yesterday at the BBC Conference, on Nigeria 2019: Countering Fake News.

    Osinbajo painted a picture of the destructive power of fake news, which he said has the capacity to cause personal harm and lead to violence. Besides, he said fake news can also cause damage to credibility and integrity of public information.

    He added that the capacity of fake news to cause great harm is not in doubt as it has the ability to mislead without realising it.

    Osinbajo, who narrated his personal experience in the hands of fake news peddlers, said a line must be drawn so as not to infringe on the rights of the people.

    He said: “I have also been a victim. Fake news may also cause you marital peace. About three weeks ago I got a call from my wife in the office and she said, Yemi what are you doing with strippers. There is this story on a very famous blog that said, ‘Osinbajo caught with strippers.’ And there was also a photograph of me standing in between the perfectly clothed ladies and under the photograph, the same ladies now not wearing much. It turned out that I have taken photograph with the ladies at an entertainment event when they were perfectly clothed.

    “The capacity of fake news to cause great arm is not in doubt at all. It has been the realisation that it may even mislead. I think it was Wilson Churchill that said a lie gets half way round the world before the truth has a chance to get his pants on. But why fake news is now news, is obviously because of the greater dimension of content of harm that it can do and then the scope.

    “A lot of these are as a result of the advancement in technology, especially in the past few decades or so. But I think as for the damage done to the credibility and integrity of public information, the capacity of fake news to cause alarm, fear and even violence has been demonstrated again and again.”

    He warned that greater damage would be done if nothing was done about it.

    “One of the great worries for us should be what harm it has done to public information. I think that a time may come if nothing is done, when nothing will be believed or nothing will be believable because as technology improves in its capacity to manipulate and disseminate, after a while there will be perfect videos raising artificial intelligence and all of the other tools of digital technology,” he added.

    He went on: “A perfect video of people speaking or somebody making a speech that he never made at events that never happened. It will become more and more difficult to differentiate between what is truth and what is not.

    “I think if we discredit public information, it is a massive danger for society itself aside from the capacity of it to cause physical arm. Ones it destroys the believability of public information, then the means of communicating with each other have been soiled forever.”

    While raising concern of human rights in an attempt to address fake news, Osinbajo said it would be impossible to regulate social media without infringing on fundamental rights.

    He said: “Today there are three issues we have to look at. The first is to which extent can we hold local media owners to account. A lot of the disinformation obviously is from social media. It is easier to sue the traditional media because they are bound by local laws and it is much easier to hold them to account. But social media is under multi-jurisdictional regulation if there is any threat. But I think there is opportunity here for more jurisdictional collaboration. There should be some kind of agreement between countries that should help us regulate social media much more effectively.

    “The second concern is how to deal with the consequence without infringing on the Freedom of Information and also the freedom of the press. Everybody is a press now, so freedom of the press means my freedom to own a blog, my freedom to determinate information, but the the question is how do we regulate now without infringing on these fundamental freedoms.

    “Really it will be impossible to regulate social media without infringing on fundamental rights. There is no way we are going to leave that in the hands of government or in the hands of the legislature without refining some activity on the part of government of the legislature. How do you create that balance?”

    Commending the organiser for coming up with the conference, Osinbajo said: “This conversation is overdue and I hope that we are able to provide some direction for the way we should handle this problem on fake news.”

    Prof. Soynka and other panelists unanimously agreed that fake news be criminalised as a way of curbing the menace.

    Other panelists include: BBC World Service Group Director Jamie Angus, Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) President Funke Egbemode and Bella Naija founder Uchechukwu Pedro.

    Soyinka said fake news has the capacity to cause the Third World War, adding that it might come from Nigeria. The Nobel laurel, therefore, asserted that fake news be treated as a crime.

    He said: “People do not understand what is like to have things attributed to you which you know nothing about. Apart from the fact that I have been killed on social media several times, this last year I had telephone calls asking me ‘where are you?’ and I said ‘I am in hall’. And I said ‘I know why you are calling because you thought I was dead’. Emerging waking up one day and finding a statement attributed to you and in a kind of language which you never used. For example during former President Goodluck Jonathan, there were statements that I said that why did Jonathan marry an illiterate. I never made comments like that whatsoever. Those who share fake news are sick.

    “And I made a statement that if people are not careful World War 3 may be quickly started by fake news and that fake news probably will be generated by a Nigerian. We have a system where fake news can multiply in a second. Many of the fake news carriers use it for business. I have someone whom we have tracked down in Poland, using a fake Facebook page of my name and my picture. And I give him a deadline to pull down the page. He lives in the Unites States of America but lives in Poland. He is a member of an organisation called some AIESEC which actually encourages young business men and women.

    “The first thing is to accept the fact that fake news is real and people should stop rushing to the fake sites. Individuals who have no voice before have been empowered suddenly. Every individual is now a journalist, editor, promoter and most of all a publisher. There is competition to be the first to comment. So the ‘419’ individuals sleep in cafes doing all sorts of things. Fake news should be treated as a crime. When you pin down one of such criminals, it should be a case of INTERPOL because they move all over the place. They should be advertised as criminals and get the police to arrest them.

    “I had complained about this to a former inspector general of police that this has to do with personal security, community security. I had expected him to reply but there was no response. Not even acknowledgment. This should be a collective responsibility. Above all we should treat it like a crime.”

    The representative of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, a National Commissioner, argued that fake news constituted a danger to the forthcoming general elections.

    Okoye, who also pointed out that the country has an army of angry people with different agenda, urged the security operatives to be watchful so as to arrest any threat.

    The INEC commissioner also challenged Nigerians on the need to be able to draw the line on what they want to believe.

    The commission, Okoye said, will be undertaking regular briefing as the elections draw near as part of the measures to curb fake news.

    Okoye said: “It is important that we should pay attention to fake news, it is an issue in the forthcoming 2019 general election.

    “Fake news is misinformation; it has no basis in fact and no basis in reality. But it is generated for a particular purpose. The issues of fake news is of utmost importance in an election period where the stakes are high and where the gladiators wants to win and some of them want to win by all means. So, there are people who just sit down, mix fiction in other to generate a certain reaction. And when they generate such reaction, you can never tell how it will go. In a country like Nigeria, sometime people receive information saying forwarded as received without you looking at the dynamics of what they are forwarding. So for me if you forward as received that means you believe in what they are forwarding or you can attest to what you are forwarding. It is a very serious issue and we are also paying close attention to fake news.

    “The truth of the matter is that during an election period people want to guild their thoughts. As the chairman of the information on voter education committee of INEC, we have had to battle with a situation where it was reported that we have established polling unites in Chad, Niger and other neighboring countries for purposes of having the Internally Displaced persons to vote.

    “Nobody wanted to believe us when we said that there is nothing like that. One of the things that generate fake news is our inability to put out information in the public. When we put out information and you give it a different narrative then it is not our fault. I believe that if governments, agencies are proactive in putting out information on public space. In Nigeria you keep on hearing that there is no smoke without fire. That give people the opportunity to believe something even if they know that the chances of that news to be real in not possible. ”

    Egbemode warned INEC to be ready for fake news, saying politicians would use fake news to gain advantage. He stressed that fake news is dangerous, posited that some people are paid to spread it.

    She said: “Fake news is sophisticated. And some people wants to use that to set the country on fire. They want to see the effect. They know that there are some people who believe in sensation and they just take a full advantage of that. In the newsroom, we also know that fake news infringes on professionalism, it compromises integrity. Names that is built, brand that is build over decades.

    “So we make sure that as an editors we cross check. If you cannot prove it then it cannot even be called a news item. That is what we do and that is what we have been doing. This is the season for more fake news. It is because of the advent and strength of the social media that we are having fake news and there are a lot of people who are paid to spread fake news. These people who post or Carry fake news are not journalists. The fake news issue did not originate from the newsroom. We know what we will lose if we peddle the smallest news item that is fake. We will lose ground, credibility. INEC should be ready for more fake news as the election approaches. There is news and there is gossip. When you want what is real you know where to go to. And when you want gossip and sensationalism you know where to go. When you want to listen to a sermon you do not go to a bar.”

    Pedro noted that ” A lot of the fake news website mimic real news website, so they have they have similar template, it even contains lot of real information alongside the fake information. Fake news go viral than the real news. Many of these people that are posting fake news employs different methods by putting prominent figures to make it real. This is a political period we should be careful and vigilant. The traditional media is not creating fake news. Newspapers do not do that. The people who are posting fake news are not those who will benefit from it. When we have no official news people are going to take the unofficial one.”

  • BBC commissions wall mural at Unilag

    In continuation of its campaign for a better consumption of news, BBC World News has commissioned a huge art installation to support their Make More Of Your World campaign at the University of Lagos. The on-ground marketing event held last Tuesday was witnessed by some renowned faces –  rising celebrity photographer Amazing Klef and top comedian  Omo Baba – as well as the director of World Service, Jamie Angus.

    The campaign was developed in-house by BBC Creative, who worked in partnership with the renowned graffiti writer turned artist INSA. INSA is at his very best when on location, creating bright and beautiful artworks straight into the environment.

    INSA split the wall into different frames to beautifully illustrate the story of tech and business growth. The narrative is brought to life, using an image that changes ever-so-slightly each time, a labour-intensive and meticulous task. The end result is completely mesmerising, creating a looping ‘Gif’ that blurs the offline and online worlds. At either side of the wall, people can scan QR codes taking them to YouTube pages where the audience can view the 30-second TV ad.

    This brand campaign highlights new BBC World Service local languages that are now available to the audience in Nigeria. The main objective is to drive, reach and position the BBC as a news provider that offers something unique for the audience.

    Speaking on the idea behind the art installation, Kate Jacobson of BBC World Service said:  “We are doing it at the university because it is the place where all the youths get information and it’s a place where people start honing themselves with knowledge.

    “This brand campaign highlights new BBC World Service local languages that are now available to audiences in Nigeria. The main objective is to drive, reach and position the BBC as a news provider that offers something unique for audiences.”

    The artist, INSA, also revealed the message behind his painting stating that ‘it means you can inform yourself with the news to have a greater perspective taking it to a university like this with knowledge you have great opportunity’.

    Head of BBC Marketing, World Service, Lisa Santoro, said: “This was an extremely ambitious campaign from the outset. The extensive market research, developing a creative proposition that would work across an entire country and launching in four languages was an amazing achievement. We delivered an integrated marketing campaign that allowed us to be innovative and creative. “

     

  • BBC launches new company for content creation

    The BBC has launched a new company named BBC Studios heralding what it called “a new chapter” for the its content creation.

    The newly created studio, the merger of BBC Worldwide and the old BBC Studios, brings the BBC Group into line with the rest of the industry to ensure the creative and commercial success of the organisation in face of increasing competition for viewers.

    According to a statement, the new studio, officially, will see content through the full life cycle of development, commissioning, production and co-production, sales and distribution and will underpin the creation of new BBC-owned intellectual property.

    Following the March announcement to set up a production office in Sydney, Australia, the new company is developing new production opportunities in Beijing, China.

    The move follows a series of productions such as “The Blue Planet II” which went viral in China last year.

    Award-winning executive producer Matthew Springford, who has over 20 years’ experience in factual program-making, will be based at its office in Beijing alongside the company’s distribution team.

    It will be working with Chinese TV stations and digital platforms to co-develop and co-produce original content and new formats across all factual genres.

    Leading a staff of around 3,000 and overseeing an annual turnover of 1.4 billion pounds (1.96 billion U.S. dollars), CEO Tim Davie said: “BBC Studios has what it takes to create and export quality British programs in this new age of content.”

    Xinhua/NAN

  • BBC task Nigerians on detecting, curbing spread of fake news

    James Angus, the Director, BBC World Service Group has urged Nigerians and mass media audiences to fight against fake news.

    The director made the call on Thursday while speaking at the Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos (UNILAG), on ways of curbing the onslaught of fake news.

    Like journalists, mass media audiences have important roles to play in order to put the incidence of fake news in check Angus said.

    According to him, media message consumers are also an integral part of the fight against fake news because they are the direct consumers of false information.

    Angus explained that mass media audiences needed to “be discriminating” in the news content they are exposed to as such contents could be offensive, dangerous and used to promote political violence.

    He said, “I think people should just think before they click on stories. Audiences also have responsibilities too as well as journalists.

    “People shouldn’t share materials they don’t know to be true. And I think a lot of problem with fake news today is people sharing dubious contents, and with that it gets circulating.

    Angus, stated that fake news ‘is incredibly toxic because it undermines trusting the actual news.’

    He also explained that fake news also comes in multimedia formats such as pictures.

    “Fake news is not always just about the substance of the story, it can be about visual journalism.

    “And you have to remember what a powerful tool visual journalism is. It’s not just the words you write and the words you broadcast; it’s the pictures that you use… and they can be literally dangerous than a thousand words.”

    Angus also stressed on the need for journalists to investigate seemingly fake news stories in order to accurately certify them as false.

    He encouraged journalists to expose to the public stories identified as fake.

    Meanwhile, the newly-appointed BBC director has also enjoined mass media establishments to maintain professional standards alongside their efforts to make profit.

    “I really sympathize, because I know how difficult it can be to make money out of the news business, but we do know that there are successful operations out there that do both things—they maintain high professional standards for treatment for accuracy, but they are also successful commercial operations,” he said.

    Angus also called on the Nigerian government to partner with the media in finding solutions to the issue of fake news circulating in the society.

    Highlighting BBC’s roles in dealing with the problem, he said “The BBC is supporting the fight against fake news, through its own international journalism, by investing in original journalism here in Nigeria.”

  • YVONNE NELSON speaks on BBC

    YVONNE NELSON speaks on BBC

    GHANAIAN actress, Yvonne Nelson has fielded questions from BBC Africa’s audience, at her home in Ghana, where one of the reporters paid her a visit.

    The actress, who has been repeatedly criticised for bearing a child out of wedlock, revealed that she has always been a positive person who did not let all the negativity and bad talk get to her during and after her pregnancy.

    “I was staying positive; I had loved ones around me. Plus I had this beautiful blessing in my arms. It was all joy for me; I was not listening to all the negativity outside. It didn’t really affect me,” she stated.

    The journey of her pregnancy can be described as a not-too-rosy experience especially with criticisms from fans and some concerned citizens who believed that such should not have come forth from her as a celebrity and also role model to youths.

    The new mother in one of her interviews also revealed that marriage is a personal decision and shouldn’t be rushed.

    Reacting to the recent outburst from controversial Ghanaian marriage counsellor, Rev. George Lutterodt, who condemned Yvonne Nelson’s decision to give birth out of wedlock, the new mother explained that marriage involves much more than accepting a ring and going to the altar. She opines that it’s about the individual’s happiness.

    In an interview with Wow Magazine, Nelson disclosed she wasn’t ready to change her whole life because of marriage.

  • Boko Haram, Chibok girls swap was political not military – Buratai

    Boko Haram, Chibok girls swap was political not military – Buratai

    Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai said that his family invested in property in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2013, long before his appointment.

    He was featured yesterday in a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interview programme Hard Talk.

    Substantial property is just an investment; my family do their own private business. They should afford to have such property in Dubai,”

    “The type of property you are talking about is not the ones people are talking about.

    “The property I invested was far back as 2013 before I became the chief of army staff, I never dreamt of becoming the chief of army staff and people are accusing me as if it is today.”

    The army chief described the swap of Boko Haram prisoners with abducted 82 Chibok girls as “a political decision” by the authorities.

    “As far as I am concerned, we performed our own role for the safe passage of the abducted Chibok girls.

    The Boko Haram terrorists’ swap for the Chibok Schoolgirls was a political decision, not a military decision. It is in the best interest of the nation and based on circumstances, the government felt it was the best course.

    “Personally, I think it has its own advantages; the message is to rescue the Chibok girls,” Mr. Buratai said.

    He denied using kid soldiers and said the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari in the country as a result of his ailment did not breach any constitutional rule.

     

  • CNN, New York Times, NBC, others fake News – Trump

    CNN, New York Times, NBC, others fake News – Trump

    The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump on Tuesday took to the social media during a Twitter spat with CNN to lambast popular media houses in the country of publishing fake News.

    Trump attacked the CNN first for its recently retracted story about a congressional Russia investigation, which led to three editorial resignations.

    The President said: “Fake News CNN is looking at big management changes now that they got caught falsely pushing their phony Russian stories. Ratings way down!” Trump tweeted, following a series of retweets for “Fox & Friends” on the rival Fox News network.

     

    In its reply, the CNN Communications account tweeted to Trump “CNN just posted it’s most-watched second quarter in history. Those are the facts”.

    The latest squabble is centred on a CNN story from last week that said the Senate Intelligence Committee was investigating Trump campaign adviser Anthony Scaramucci for allegedly meeting with a Russian investor days before Trump’s inauguration.No fan of CNN.

    CNN published the story, which was attributed to one anonymous source, on Thursday and took it down a day later, saying it did not meet editorial standards. Reporter Thomas Frank, editor Eric Lichtblau and investigative head Lex Haris resigned.

    President Donald Trump also accused the BBC, New York Times, NBC, CBS and ABC of being fake news media houses.

    The latest dispute is centred on a CNN story from last week that said the Senate Intelligence Committee was investigating Trump campaign adviser Anthony Scaramucci for allegedly meeting with a Russian investor days before Trump’s inauguration.