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Tag: phones

  • Why pupils shouldn’t use phones, by teachers

    Why pupils shouldn’t use phones, by teachers

    The advent of the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) in Nigeria in 2000 revolutionised every facet of societal life – affecting how people communicate, conduct businesses and even socialise.

    The effect of GSM and advancement in mobile and Information Communication Technology (ICT) have also impacted on the education sector.

    Today, schools have invested in ICT equipment to access the many benefits of the Internet.  They have also introduced e-learning to enrich curriculum in their effort to groom pupils to compete on the global stage.

    The average teacher is expected to be computer literate and know how to use the internet to enrich his teaching.  Pupils are also given projects to complete which require them to have access to internet through computers or smart phones.

    However, schools have also had to deal with the negative impact of mobile technology.  As beneficial as it may be, mobile phones have been identified as a huge source of distraction for pupils at primary and secondary levels, and even for undergraduates.

    As a result, many schools, especially primary and secondary, have put in place policies on the use of mobile phones while school is in session.  The majority of schools  visited do not allow mobile phones at all; while some allow limited use for specific situations.

    Though they can be veritable tools for learning, many teachers and school owners said pupils use phones for the wrong things. Dr. Maggie Ibru, founder of ST&T Regency International School, GRA, Ikeja, said pupils are more likely to use the phones for the wrong things.

    “Mobile phones are not allowed because it distracts them and they do all kinds of things with mobile phones these days. Technology has advanced. It is true they can take their notes on their phones but they are not sensitised well enough to use them to take notes; so, they receive calls, send text messages or even tweet during school hours. I think these are distractions. My students comply with the school rules because they know we are strict. At the initial stage, there were times we had issues with them using their phones so we seized them. The parents are happy about it; they know it is not important and no parent wants their child to be distracted,” she said.

    At the primary school level, teachers complain that children caught with mobile phones usually use them for games.

    Assistant Head Teacher, Papa Ajao Primary School, Ladipo, Mushin, Mrs. Roseline Oyewole, said teachers cannot afford the distraction mobile phones create.

    “I do not buy the idea of pupils using phones, because they would not pay attention in class anymore. Even without phones now, primary school children are very prone to distraction, so phones would only make it worse. For secondary school children, it is even worse. They are at the prime of peer group influence and they can get carried away with these gadgets. I saw a boy of about secondary school age get crushed by a vehicle because he had plugged his ears with earphones and did not hear the horn of the vehicle as he was trying to cross the road. So, no, I cannot accept that secondary school children should be using phones.”

    At secondary level, though older, the pupils are not necessarily wiser.  They go beyond playing games on their mobile phones to being distracted by pornography, movies and excessive chatting.

    Mr. Akorede Kehinde, a teacher at Great Anchor Schools, Agbede Ikorodu, said his school disallowed phones because pupils lose focus during lessons.

    “Mobile phones are not allowed in this school due to various reasons which include the abuse of the privilege. Some of them get distracted in class; some will be using their phones under their desks while teaching is going on, chatting on social media or watching movies,” he said.

    But, despite not being allowed, a teacher in a public school in Ojo area of Lagos (names withheld) said pupils still bring them.

    “If you go to the principal, he would tell you that in each term, we seize an average of 18 to 20 phones. Unfortunately, most of these phones are the sophisticated ones and the contents are sometimes very obscene.

    “I once caught a boy and a girl seated at the rear during one of my lessons watching pornography on the boy’s handset. I reported them to the principal who seized the phones and asked them to bring their parents. The female one brought her father but the male boy disappeared from school for weeks and later reappeared few days to third term exam.  Of course, he was prevented from writing the examination,” he said.

     

    Bridging the communication gap

    Mobile phones make it easier for parents to easily communicate with their wards.  But teachers say it is not enough reason to allow them in schools.  Many schools prefer parents to call the teachers instead, who would in turn reach the pupil.

    Mrs. Temitope Osibosi, proprietor of Santoi Nursery and Primary School, Lagos, said the school coordinates this communication process.

    “We do not have problems with the parents because we have their contacts so, if there are any emergencies we call their parents. The school is the middleman between both parties,” she said.

    Many schools that run boarding houses have mobile phone policies in place.  Dr. Ibru said for day pupils, phones are kept with teachers; but for boarders, they are not allowed at all.

    “When they bring their mobile phones to school, they are advised to drop it with their teachers for safe keeping and they get them back after school. Of course, we understand their mothers are worried and for safety reasons they will want to be in touch. So, it is important, sometimes, that they are allowed to communicate with them. But after school, boarders are not allowed phones because we have phones in their hostels and those they can use during school if need be,” she said.

     

    Home use

    Though schools are unanimous on disallowing mobile phones in schools, many teachers agree that pupils can use them at home.

    “They can use the phones at home, but they cannot bring it to school. They can improve on their skills in terms of research and technology with the phones when they are at home,” said Acting Principal, African Church Model College, Ifako-Ijaiye, Mr Abimbola Olawoye.

    However, even at home, phone use, especially by teenagers, can be excessive.  Using the phone at home should not be without supervision, says Mr. Yomi Otubela, proprietor of Lagooz Private School and Lagooz College, in Orile-Agege area of Lagos. Otubela said phones are necessary in this age.  Nevertheless, he warned that parents must know what their wards do on the phone (and internet) to protect them from online predators.

    “Well we all realise that with the applications available on mobile phones it has become important that we monitor how they are being used when they (children) are at home. In mobile phones there are applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook, 2go and others. Most discussions there lead them towards social life and not really academics.  It is an open entry for them to login in logout at anytime which affect children that are not matured enough to face issues of life.  They are exposed to pornography, meet with strangers that pretend to be teenagers in other to gain their attentions into homosexuality, sexuality, drinking, smoking.

    “We advise parents to guide against such dangers whenever they are at home. And we encourage them to get software which could be used at home to limit where they can go on the internet.  Internet cannot be taken away from the children but we can only guide them,” he said.

    Mr Sunday Eboigbe, a parent, has been unable to control his son’s phone and internet usage.  Though barely educated, the panel beater who resides in Volkswagen area of Ojo Lagos, is worried that one of his son’s addiction to phone is not healthy.

    Eboigbe said Samson (not real name) does not study but is glued to his phone most times – even at midnight.

    “I know I did not go to school like you.  But I believe you can use your knowledge in education to help me out. I have flogged this boy and abused him on countless occasions to no avail. I and the mother are always watching out for him. Once we discover he has a new phone, we seize it and destroy it in his presence. But within two weeks, he will get another one,” he lamented.

    However, Mr Bolanle Omotoso, an ICT expert, does not allow his three children to own phones.  He also has a firm hold on what they do on the internet at home.

    He said: “To protect yourself, you need to be conscious of the fact that there is a threat attached to the internet and that is why you take conscious effort to protect your family.  For instance, my daughter is going to be 16 and she does not have a phone.  The internet is like a country of its own; once you go there you can get corrupted, especially at their tender age.

    “To protect them, ensure the environments they go to are well protected and controlled, especially the type of school they will go to. You can also protect them by using some tools that are used to monitor and control what they do – just like the type used in offices. We have intrusion detection. This is to see that when your system has virus it can easily be detected and you will be alerted even though there won’t be 100% security, you’ll still be alerted if there is any breach in security. I also monitor what my children on the internet because it is not always on for them so they do not misuse it and I do not expose them to devices that can corrupt them.”

    The need for parents to be sure of what their children do on their phones is an international concern.  In the UK, over 50 per cent of children own smart phones in some places.  Groups like Internet Matters, an NGO focused on providing safe internet for children, is urging parents to hold their wards more accountable about phone usage.

    Caroyln Bunting, General Manager, Internet Matters, urged parents to start early to inculcate a culture of healthy phone and internet phone usage in their wards.

    “We would urge parents to ensure they have the conversation with their children about how to be responsible on their phones and ensure that the safety settings are in place across all their devices and search engines,” she said.

     

  • ‘How police nabbed me with 27 phones’

    A 19-year-old man, Saliu Oladunni, has narrated how he was caught by the police with 27 phones burgled from a shop at Wole Ajeboriogbon Street, Sabo, Ikorodu, property of one Mrs Wasiu Omolabake.

    Oladunni, who was arraigned before an Ikorodu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos yesterday, told The Nation that he wasn’t part of the gang that stole the phones, but he helped the thieves to deliver them to phone sellers.

    He said: “I was taking my broken phone to a Mallam for repair when the guys asked me to take the 27 phones to the same Mallam.

    “The Mallam repairs and sells phones, but I didn’t know he was working for the police too. It was when the police came and arrested me there that I knew the phones were stolen,” Oladunni said.

    The Prosecutor, Corporal Mary Ajiteru, told the court that on August 31, Oladunni and several others at large at about 3:30am burgled Mrs Omolabake’s shop and made off with 44 different phones and accessories worth N180,000.

    When the three-count charge was read to him in Yoruba, Oladunni pleaded guilty to conspiracy and stealing punishable under Sections 409 and 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    He denied the second charge of burglary.

    Magistrate O. O. Olatunji ordered the accused be remanded in prison and adjourned the matter till October 22.

  • Man ‘steals’ phones, cash

    A 24-year-old man, Hassan Balogunk, was yesterday arraigned before an Ogba Magistrate’s Court in Ikeja, Lagos, for alleged stealing.

    Balogun was alleged to have stolen a Nokia phone worth N5,000;  Blackberry Q5 worth N35,000, Techno phone worth N70,000  and a N30, 000 cash all belonging to Kehinde Omokhilo.

    The defendant was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    According to the prosecutor, Superintendent of police Lugard Ahole, the defendant and others at large stole the items at Balogun junction in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, on August 26.

    Ahole said the offence is punishable under Sections 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state 2011.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate T. Akani granted him N100, 000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    Akani adjourned the case till September 16.

  • Fake phones, laptops: Dealers blame SON, Customs, others

    Fake phones, laptops: Dealers blame SON, Customs, others

    Information technology dealers at Computer Village, Ikeja have decried the inadequacies of regulatory government agencies and greed of dubious importers making sub-standard IT products to thrive in the market.

    According to the Secretary General of Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria, CAPDAN, Mr. John Oboro, the government is the only agency that has the instrument of enforcement as the association can do just  a little to curb the menace.

    He said: ‘’The man who imported counterfeit smartphones and laptops want to make profit. But it is the duty of the government to checkmate it. The Federal Government has moved a step forward to evolve the MANCAP and the SONCAP certificates. For you to import a product into Nigeria, you have to get the SONCAP certificate. These are not regulations by the ordinary men but by the government’.

    Mr. Oboro further added, ‘’Sub-standard phones and laptops do not fly into the country. They pass through the border and we have the custom officials there who are supposed to monitor and regulate importation’.

    He however, made a clarion call that all hands must be on deck to ensure that computer village is free from all sub- standard products. In his words: Everyone in Nigeria has a contribution to make. We must put our hands together to drive the process together’.

    Corroborating this was Mr. Emeka, a dealer in laptops and electronic accessories who said, ‘’we all know that these products are not produced in Nigeria but they are imported. It is the duty of the custom officials to monitor what comes into the country but some of these officials are very corrupt, they collect bribes and allow counterfeit products into the country’’.

    He added that though some dealers intentionally import fake products, there are also instances of factory error; where original Smartphone develop technical faults a couple of weeks after purchase and customers blames the dealers instead of the manufacturer.

    Speaking on the increase of sub-standard products at Computer Village, a customer who claimed anonymity said, ‘Computer Village is a market where deceit thrives. I bought a smartphone from one of the shops two days ago, but when I got home, I discovered that the phone cannot access the internet. I have been to the shop twice but the issue is yet to be resolved.

    When asked if he would make a report to the police he said, ‘I would rather let sleeping dog lie, because taking the case to the police does not mean I will get an internet enabled phone at the end. I would not want to lose at both ends.

    A computer Engineer who introduced himself as Olaniyi Sodiq described Computer Village, Ikeja as an IT Village where everything goes regardless of the standard. According to him the market offers products of different qualities to suit the varied taste of its customers.

    He said, ‘if you want to get a new branded phone, a used phone, or even swap your used phone for another, it all depends on the choice of the consumer, I go for the original accessories but sub-standard accessories are also available too’. nformation technology dealers at Computer Village, Ikeja have decried the inadequacies of regulatory government agencies and greed of dubious importers making sub-standard IT products to thrive in the market.

    According to the Secretary General of Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria, CAPDAN, Mr. John Oboro, the government is the only agency that has the instrument of enforcement as the association can do just  a little to curb the menace.

    He said: ‘’The man who imported counterfeit smartphones and laptops want to make profit. But it is the duty of the government to checkmate it. The Federal Government has moved a step forward to evolve the MANCAP and the SONCAP certificates. For you to import a product into Nigeria, you have to get the SONCAP certificate. These are not regulations by the ordinary men but by the government’.

    Mr. Oboro further added, ‘’Sub-standard phones and laptops do not fly into the country. They pass through the border and we have the custom officials there who are supposed to monitor and regulate importation’.

    He however, made a clarion call that all hands must be on deck to ensure that computer village is free from all sub- standard products. In his words: Everyone in Nigeria has a contribution to make. We must put our hands together to drive the process together’.

    Corroborating this was Mr. Emeka, a dealer in laptops and electronic accessories who said, ‘’we all know that these products are not produced in Nigeria but they are imported. It is the duty of the custom officials to monitor what comes into the country but some of these officials are very corrupt, they collect bribes and allow counterfeit products into the country’’.

    He added that though some dealers intentionally import fake products, there are also instances of factory error; where original Smartphone develop technical faults a couple of weeks after purchase and customers blames the dealers instead of the manufacturer.

    Speaking on the increase of sub-standard products at Computer Village, a customer who claimed anonymity said, ‘Computer Village is a market where deceit thrives. I bought a smartphone from one of the shops two days ago, but when I got home, I discovered that the phone cannot access the internet. I have been to the shop twice but the issue is yet to be resolved.

    When asked if he would make a report to the police he said, ‘I would rather let sleeping dog lie, because taking the case to the police does not mean I will get an internet enabled phone at the end. I would not want to lose at both ends.

    A computer Engineer who introduced himself as Olaniyi Sodiq described Computer Village, Ikeja as an IT Village where everything goes regardless of the standard. According to him the market offers products of different qualities to suit the varied taste of its customers.

    He said, ‘if you want to get a new branded phone, a used phone, or even swap your used phone for another, it all depends on the choice of the consumer, I go for the original accessories but sub-standard accessories are also available too’.

  • Why the phones no longer ring

    Why the phones no longer ring

    I read with interest the article written by the former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati titled “The phones no longer ring”. The article which generated mixed reactions was a reality of what becomes of a public office holder when he is out of office. As a matter of fact, the frustrations of a very prolific Abati that we used to read in The Guardian newspaper in those days to improve our writing prowess are well understood. For an Abati, the phones will no longer ring as before, at least for now. As a matter of fact, the votes of Nigerians silenced the phones of his former boss Goodluck Jonathan from the moment INEC declared Muhammadu Buhari winner of that memorable election.

    I have never been bothered about any staff or appointee of former President Goodluck Jonathan because they have ‘Buhariphobia’ which is more than enough to cope with if found wanting and needing to do some ‘transaction refunds’ to Nigeria as it may be.

    However, I must say that I observed clearly an attempt by Abati to make his literary prowess a pedestal for which he needs to launch back into public space which he has hitherto missed during his sojourn to Aso Villa where his phone was ringing for four years but in which the only voice he could hear was that order like a ‘Zombie’ to react in defence of the government he worked for. Of course the truism that “he who pays the pauper dictates the tune” cannot be left out of the situation the former spokesperson found himself. My reaction was orchestrated by my observation in what has become the personality of Reuben Abati in the last few years, even as he wrote his first article to regain back fans in the literary space.

    The narration of Reuben Abati was a description of a service in a destabilised, defensive, disorganised and unwilling system. Think of this for a moment, from day one in office, Abati got a clear picture of what he was hired to do and was willing to play the card either for the glory of his esteemed office as a spokesperson for Mr President and/or any additional reason(s) best known to the former columnist himself. In reality, considering the cluelessness of Goodluck Jonathan’s government, all professionals hired to serve in that government were required to make up for the weakness of their boss which was lack of capacity to deliver on the designated tasks. “Attack them back” was the first command given to all media and communication team on the list. Even while out of office, Abati still referred to the then opposition as “desperate and hyper negative”. But today, the class Abati referred to as hyper negative elements are making clear difference to school the former columnist and his former principal how to run a government with adequate consideration to the feelings of everyone.

    In Abati’s submission, I am worried that it is still not clear to him that you can speak for a government without recourse to insulting the people who have dissenting opinions about the policies of same government you work for. In most civilised world like America and Europe, spokespersons to the President or Prime Minister of the country speak for the government but not speak against the people as there is clear cut difference between the two. But it is obvious that because Abati is used to defence and aggression as conflicting strategies he has lived with for few years back, his very first article was premised on making an expose of the kind of pressure he went through in the hands of Nigerians begging for money or for favour. This is a sharp defence mechanism to attract pity and sway emotions on his side as a helpless former public office holder.

    In sharp reaction to his tantrum to those who patronised him for favour while in office and with an attempt to paint himself innocent, I read on Abati’s personal website a ‘sharper’ response by an anonymous reader who wrote: “Bros you do well but as a very exposed Nigerian, you know better that power is transient and that you are as relevant to our society as your most recent office. For those calling for financial assistance which you referred to in the last paragraph, abeg make you no call dog as monkey for them because na for their very eyes some people allege say you erect one magnificent structure for Lekki Phase-1 between 2011-2015.”

    To Abati, a very friendly memoir of his account in office suitable for everyone’s consumption, possibly humorous and fun would have been a very good way to launch back to public space. There is no gain launching a missile. Well, Abati has become used to verbal missile over the time. There is truly something missing in the public relation skill expected of a former spokesperson to the President of a country. The people win no matter how you look at it.

    Clearly, Reuben Abati is coping with loneliness of his time, more so when the glamour of celebrating people who served with a bad government is gradually being detached from our system with on-going seriousness of the present government. Save for ‘Buhariphobia’, Abati would have bagged several post service awards of excellence weeks after he left office. Simply, Abati missed those invitations for awards and accolades that would immediately follow exit from office whereby people were still celebrated even after serving very badly.

    Why no one bothered about Abati after leaving office, he thought the strategy for being in the news is to release controversial literary piece into the public like ‘hip-op wrappers in conflict’. Otherwise, his piece ordinarily should have been better as a response to an allegation or a pressure. Why no one is ready to fight our former spokesperson, Abati still has his fighting glove ready on his fist. But the pressure is clear, it is a pressure emanating from neglect, frustration and loneliness, yet our literary icon friend has forgotten that Nigerians read him widely as a ferocious critic of government while he wrote for The Guardian. Abati could not make us to follow whatever suits him…‘criticise successive governments, serve with another government and criticise people during the time, out of that government and criticise anther government and the people’. Whether he likes it or not, his phone can no longer ring continuously under a very wasteful government that has put Nigeria in its current state of economic shamble.

    In more developed societies, when government officials leave office, they focus on the line of their career and make more landmark achievements capable of putting them on spotlight again whereby they don’t struggle to get noticed.A busy and forward looking ex-politician or political aide sees a greater time ahead for achieving new cause. He sees the past as what was gone; he rolls out activities for making the future more meaningful and interesting to himself rather than looking back and lamenting. In any case, throughout that submission, Abati never told us what was good in the villa that he enjoyed.

    For an Abati, he can still choose the path of honour. Unleashing his frustrations is a big error too early. We would love to read his memoir because no one doubts the literary ability of Abati. For now, he should understand that Nigeria and indeed Nigerians are still trying to cope with reformation of the bad legacies of immediate past administration and we are keen at the crusade going on in favour of the masses. I doubt if it interests anyone to know what Abati went through while serving with former President Goodluck Jonathan for four year. In the period, Abati never spoke to the people rather his job was to find who criticised GEJ so he could fire back. We did not see a Presidential spokesperson that was talking to us for four years. At the moment, he has to live with the reality that his phones will no longer ring as usual. If he is in doubt, he should check with other ‘shooters’ like Femi Fani Kayode and Doyin Okupe, truly am sure their phones also ring less at the moment. And now, he should know the reason why his phones no longer ring. The people are simply not interested in talking with him.

    Olulade is a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Epe Constituency II

     

  • The phones no longer ring

    The phones no longer ring

    As spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan, my phones rang endlessly and became more than personal navigators within the social space. They defined my entire life; dusk to dawn, all year-round. The phones buzzed non-stop, my email was permanently active; my twitter account received tons of messages per second. The worst moments were those days when there was a Boko Haram attack virtually every Sunday.

    Theintrusion into my private life was total as my wife complained about her sleep being disrupted by phones that never seemed to stop ringing. Besides, whenever I was not checking or responding to the phones, I was busy online trying to find out if the APC had said something contrarian or some other fellow was up to any mischief. A media manager in the 21st century is a slave of the Breaking News, a slave particularly of the 24-hour news cycle, and a potential nervous breakdown case. DeboAdesina, my colleague at The Guardian once said I was running a “one week, one trouble schedule”. There were actually moments when trouble knocked on the door every hour, and duty required my team and I to respond to as many issues that came up.

    Top of the task list was the management of phone calls related to the principal.In my first week on the job, for example, one of my phones ran out of battery and I had taken the liberty to charge it. While it was still in the off mode, the “Control Room”: the all-powerful communications centre at the State House tried to reach me. They had only just that phone number, so I couldn’t be reached. When eventually they did, the fellow at the other end was livid.

    “SA Media, where are you? We have been trying to reach you. Mr President wants to speak with you”

    “Sorry, I was charging my phone.  The phone was off.”

    “Sir, you can’t switch off your phone now. Mr President must be able to reach you at any time. You must always be available.”  I was like: “really? Which kin job be dis?”

    The Control Room eventually collected all my phone numbers. If I did not pick up a call on time, they called my wife. Sometimes the calls came directly from the Residence, as we referred to the President’s official quarters.

    “Abati, Ogadey call you!”

    If I still could not be reached, every phone that was ever connected to me would ring non-stop. Busy bodies who had just picked up the information that Abati was needed also often took it upon themselves to track me down. My wife soon got used to her being asked to produce me, or a car showing up to take me straight to the Residence. I eventually got used to it too, and learnt to remain on duty round-the-clock.  In due course, President Jonathan himself would call directly. My wife used to joke that each time there was a call from him, even if I was sleeping, I would spring to my feet andwithout listening to what he had to say, I would start with a barrage of “Yes sirs”! Other calls that could not be joked with were calls from my own office. Something could come up that would require coverage, or there could be a breaking story, or it could be something as harmless as office gossip, except that in the corridors of power, nothing is ever harmless.Looking back now, I still can’t figure out how I survived that onslaught of the terror of the telephone.

         Of equal significance were the calls from journalists who wanted clarifications on issues of the moment, or the President’s opinion. I don’t need to remind anyone who lived in Nigeria during the period, that we had a particularly interesting time. The Jonathan government had to deal from the very first day with a desperate and hyper-negative opposition, which gained help from a crowd of naysayers who bought into their narrative. I was required to respond to issues. Bad news sells newspapers and attracts listeners/viewers. Everything had to be managed.  You knew something had happened as the phones rang, and the text messages, emails, twitter comments poured in. The media could not be ignored. Interfacing with every kind of journalist was my main task.  I learnt many lessons,  a subject for another day.  And the busy bodies didn’t make things easy.

    If in 1980, the media manager had to deal with print and broadcast journalists, today, the big task is the dilemma of the over-democratization of media practice in the age of information. The question used to be asked in Nigerian media circles: who is a journalist? Attempts were subsequently made to produce a register of professionals but that is now clearly an illusion. The media of the 21st Century is the strongest evidence we have for the triumph of democracy. Everybody is a journalist now, once you can purchase a phone or a laptop, or an ipad and you can take pictures, set up a blog, or go on instagram, linked-in, viber etc.

         All kinds of persons have earned great reputation as editors andopinion influencers on social media where you don’t have to make sense to attract followers. The new stars and celebrities are not necessarily the most educated or knowledgeable, but those who, with 140 words or less, or with a picture or a borrowed quote, can produce fast-food type public intellectualism, or can excite with a little display of the exotic -Kadarshian, Nicki Minaj style.  But I was obligated to attend to all calls. The ones who didn’t receive an answer complained about Abati not picking their calls.

    My defence was that most editors in Nigeria have correspondents in the State House. Every correspondent had access to me. There was no way I could be accused of not picking calls, and in any case, there were other channels: instagram, twitter direct message, email, and media assistantswho could interface with me. But this was the main challenge: while in public office, people treat you as if you are at their mercy, they threaten to sabotage you and get you sacked, every phone call was a request with a price attached,you get clobbered; you are treated like you had committed a crime to serve your nation. Relatives and privileged kinsmen struggled with you to do the job – media management is that one assignment in which everyone is an expert even if their only claim to relevance is that they once had an uncle who was a newspaper vendor!

    The thinking that anyone who opts to serve is there to make money in that famous arena for primitive accumulation partly accounts for this. And that takes me to those phone calls from persons who solicited for financial help as if there was a tree at the Villa that produced money. Such people would never believe that government officials don’t necessarily have access to money. They wanted to be assisted: to pay school fees, to settle medical bills, to build a house, purchase a car, complete an uncompleted building, or link them up with the President. Everybody wanted a part of the national cake and they thought a phone call was all they needed.  If you offered any explanation, they reminded you that you’d be better off on the lecture circuit. Businessmen also hovered around the system like bees around nectar.

    But what to do? “Volenti non fit injuria,” the principle says.  There were also calls from the unkind lot. “I have called you repeatedly, you did not pick my calls. I hope you know that you will leave government one day!”.  Or those who told you point blank that they were calling because you were in the position as their representative and that you owed them a living.  Or that other crowd who said, “it is our brother that has given you that opportunity, you must give us our share!”

    The Presidential election went as it did, and everything changed. Days after,  State House became Ghost House. The Residence, which used to receive visitors as early as 6 am, (regular early morning devotion attendees) became quiet. The throng of visitors stopped. The number of phone calls began to drop. By May 29, my phones had stopped ringing as they used to. They more or less became museum pieces; their silence reminding me of the four years of my life that proved so momentous. On one occasion, after a whole day of silence, I had to check if the phones were damaged! As it were, a cynical public relates to you not as a person, but as the office you occupy; the moment you leave office, the people move on; erasing every memory, they throw you into yesterday’s dustbin.  Opportunism is the driver of the public’s relationship with public officials.

     Today, the phones remain loudly silent, with the exception of calls from those friends who are not gloating, who have been offering words of commendation and support. They include childhood friends, former colleagues,elderly associates, fans, and family members. And those who want interviews with President Jonathan, both local and international – they want his reaction on every development, so many of them from every part of the planet. But he is resting and he has asked me to say he is not ready yet to say anything. It is truly, a different moment, and indeed, “no condition is permanent.”

    The ones who won’t give up with the stream of phone calls and text messages are those who keep pestering me with requests for financial assistance. I am made to understand that there is something called “special handshake” and that everyone who goes into government is supposed to exit with carton loads of cash. I am in no position to assist such people, because no explanation will make sense to them. Here I am, at the crossroads; I am glad to be here.

    • Abati was Special Adviser Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan
  • Firm launches Innjoo brand of phones

    Firm launches Innjoo brand of phones

    InnJoo has unveiled its flagship Smartphone called “the ONE” at the Lagos Sheraton hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. And for the firm, the phone remains the biggest advancement in its product lineup, featuring a stunning 5.0-inch HD IPS display, and packed with an all-new dramatically thin and light design. The ONE has a glass surface, a 5.0’’ 720p HD IPS display, an Octa-core and InnUI.

    The managing director of the firm, Robert Liang, said: “We believe that emphasis on openness and participation is a big, big part of our journey, therefore, we listen to every word from our end users; we do the localisation and improve on every detail from hardware to software, working with the consumers ‘feedback.”

    He added: “Creating a flagship killer product is driven by the inner motivation and at Innjoo; we insist that users deserve the best device without a high price tag. And here we are today, just like our brand new slogan ‘Be You’, follow your heart and intuition and be you, you can go anywhere you want with the new Innjoo ONE smartphone,” he said, adding that  the phone finds network everywhere.

    He further state that “Until now, we have launched a series of software. Our InnCloud active users reached 2.2 million, InnBrowser active users reached up to 250,000 per week and two million InnStore apps were downloaded. It’s a superb progress in a short period. The growth of InnBrowser is about 20,000 per week. In addition, InnJoo launched the InnForum three months ago, which is the exclusive community for sharing latest news and collect feedbacks and voices from all InnJoo fans and it is committed to create an open and happy platform.”

    The Nation Shopping observed at the launch that the phone comes in brand new designs; entirely new in every way, with beautifully crafted metal frame and glass shield matching the 5.0-inch HD display perfectly. The compact internal component design ensures it dramatically thin, light yet powerful feature.It is sold for N27,999 only.

  • ‘Our phones are certified by NCC, others’

    ‘Our phones are certified by NCC, others’

    French phone brand, Wiko Mobile, said its range of 11 mobile phones launched in the Nigerian market are certified not only by the Nigerian Communications Communication Commission (NCC) but also by international regulators.

    The firm said it obtained “Type Approval” for the various ranges of phones to operate as terminal equipment in the Nigerian telecoms network.

    Wiko said NCC’s Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Engr. Haru Alhassan, signed the approvals on behalf of the NCC executive vice chairman since September last year ahead of the formal introduction of the phones into the Nigerian market.

    Wiko products approved by NCC include Highway, Highways-Signs, Bloom, Rainbow, Lenny, Goa and Sunset. Others are Riff, Luib3, Kar3 and Fizz.

    Its Channel Marketing Manager, Mr Adebayo Abodunde Adams, said in a statement that Wiko is proud of its quality standards as attested to by Nigerian and global bodies, contrary to a mistaken report in a national daily alleging non-accreditation of Wiko phones by NCC.

    He said: “Quality and style have been the basis for the wide and rapid acceptance of Wiko phone range in both the Nigerian and other markets across Europe, Middle East and Africa. We at Wiko are conscious of our heritage and comply with regulatory standards as well as corporate governance codes in our operations.”

    All Wiko phones have the CE marking.

  • How students use their phones – Research

    How students use their phones – Research

    A recent research has revealed that students in Nigeria spend at least 10 per cent of their allowances on mobile internet data.

    The research was conducted by Co-Creation Hub’s (CcHub) Mobile Experience Centre in the ‘How I use my phone’ series, a series which seeks to understand the pattern of mobile phone usage among different Nigerian demographics.

    According to CcHub, the purpose of the research, which is to understand the pattern of mobile phone usage among different demographics of Nigeria, will generate information that would be useful to researchers and other stakeholders who build mobile services and products targeted at the Nigerian student market.

    The firm added, “the long-term goal for this project is to contribute to a better understanding of mobile phone end-users in Nigeria to enable decision making guided by empirical data”.

    “It also plans to release more editions in order to identify similarities and disparities in the way mobile phones are used by users in different demographics.”

    While previous editions of ‘How I Use My Phone’ focused on market traders and working professionals in Nigeria, this segment for students, which is yet the largest in the series, featured over 5000 student participants.

    The research population, according to the firm, was drawn from across various Nigerian institutions with a larger percentage of them coming from University of Lagos and Yaba College of Technology.

    “Key findings of the survey revealed that students use their phones mainly to interact on the various social media platforms ranging from WhatsApp, Blackberry messenger (BBM) to Facebook, to mention but few since these are the top three most used platforms.

    “Furthermore, it was revealed that 89.6 percent of students subscribe regularly to internet bundles in order to stay in touch on social media, while about 49.1 percent of them however acknowledged browsing on the web to be the most common use of their internet data.

    “The results of the survey reflected that students constitute a high percentage of multiple mobile phone users.  44 percent of the students own two or more mobile phones, attributing network issues, multiple SIM cards and extra battery life as the three top reasons for multiple phone ownership. In addition, the average monthly allowance of students between the age of 17 and 24 is N5000 – 10,000 with 79 percent of students spending at least 10 percent of these monthly allowances on purchasing internet data,” CcHub explained.

     

  • Proliferation of fake phones worries Samsung

    Proliferation of fake phones worries Samsung

    Samsung Electronics West Africa has expressed dismay at the rate which mobile phones are being counterfeited in the country, lamenting that it has robbed many of their money and caused them trauma.

    Its Director, Information Technology & Mobile Division, Emmanouil Revmatas, said the firm is taking a multi-pronged approach to address the problem.

    Revmatas, who spoke on the sideline during the launch of Samsung biometric scanner enabled Galaxy Tab S in Lagos, said the firm was working with trade associations to find ways to protect the customers by way of “legitimising the business on the one hand and also working with the dealers to buy legitimate products.”

    He said: “We will also intensify our campaigns to get the customers educated that there are ways of checking their mobile phones before paying for them through checking the IMEI number. We are also working with the various agencies of government. It is a multi-faceted approach. The people engaged in this illicit business continue to be relentless.”

    He said the new flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab S, is available in the country, adding that the Galaxy Tab S combines an advanced high definition display technology with a full range of premium content, aimed at providing consumers with an unrivalled entertainment experience.

    He explained that the Galaxy Tab S is Samsung’s thinnest and lightest tablet which features a 10.5-inch screen alongside the most advanced super-AMOLED display with a resolution that is twice the high-definition standard associated with other devices in its category. It is also powered with enhanced productivity features for effortless multitasking, all elegantly housed in a beautifully crafted premium design.

    Its Managing Director, Mr. Brovo Kim, said the device will redefine how technology innovation enhances the quality of life.