Capcom eyeing acquisition of Zoom, Intercellular networks

By Robert Obi

Following the smooth acquisition of Starcomms, Multi-links and MTS First Wireless, there are strong indications that Capcom Limited is also considering the acquisition of Zoom Mobile and Intercellular.
While Capcom awaits SEC’s approval to enable it merge the acquired three Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators into one, it may have decided to add Zoom and Intercellular to its acquisition, which if successful, would make Capcom’s acquired CDMA operators, a total of five.
Industry sources confirmed to THISDAY that the company was particularly interested in increasing the size of it spectrums, which when combined to that of the already existing three operators will help solidify its grip on the CDMA segment of the telecommunications industry, enabling it become the first national LTE broadband operator.
However, they added that Capcom’s acquisition of Zoom and Intercellular would largely depend on the debt on their books, as it would not want to take on liabilities that could hamper the operations of the emerging entity.
For a one time struggling segment nearly wrestled away by the GSM companies, CDMA stakeholders were gladdened when the news came that a financially foreign and Nigerian investors were intent on rescuing the staggering CDMA segment.
Before going after Starcomms, the group began by acquiring 100 per cent of Multi-Links and MTS, thus giving it full ownership of the two CDMA operators. For Zoom Mobile and Intercellular, which have both suspended their operations, the interest shown by Capcom is good news for both networks.

Intercellular and Zoom were some of the early entrants into the CDMA segment of the mobile telephony market, but have been hamstrung by lack of adequate capital, mismanagement by their owners, and massive debts owed local and regional banks such as Afrexim Bank.
One major last hurdle to cross for Capcom still remains the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) approval for the merger of the CDMA networks it has already acquired.
In an earlier report by THISDAY, it was revealed that all the necessary documentation had been submitted to the SEC, which is required by law to grant approval to the merger within 30 days.
Capcom CEO, Demola Elesho, had also revealed that without the approval of the proposed merger of Starcomms, Multi-Links and MTS by the SEC, the new company would not be able to advance into the final operational stage.
In the interim, Elesho said Capcom would continue to render services to the already existing Starcomms, Multi-Links and MTS customers, while it keeps working on rolling out new services as soon as it gets SEC’s approval.
BusinessNews

Senate summons Shell on Ogoni clean up

By Wale Odunsi 

The Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology had met on Thursday with Shell Nigeria over the lingering oil spills and environmental degradation of Ogoni.
The meeting, which was attended by the Managing Director/Country Chairman of Shell Mutiu O A Sunmonu and a team of shell officials had asked the committee to take immediate steps to remediate the oil spill affected areas of Ejema Ebubu and Bomu Manifold communities before the end of 2013.
It would be recalled that the Committee chaired by Sen. (Dr.) Bukola Saraki had on October 1st 2012 paid an unscheduled visit to several oil spill sites in Ogoniland as part of its oversight visit. During the visit the Committee was appalled by the deplorable condition of most of the sites visited with the attendant suffering it has brought to the people in those communities with some of the sites still oozing crude oil after several years of neglect.
At the meeting, which was held at the National Assembly Complex, the Committee expressed its displeasure over the delays in cleanup and remediation exercise of the oil spill sites and the ineffectiveness of many remediation methods so far adopted in the country. The Committee reiterated its discontent over Shell handling of Ejema ebubu, Bomu Manifold, Goi and Bodo spills sites among others and requested Shell to commit to full clean-up and remediate the sites before the end of the year.

In its response, Shell complained that they were willing to remediate the impacted sites within its right of way but where the spills are out of its right of way, their biggest challenge has been that of the communities not allowing access to such sites.
This it maintained is the reason why it may not give definite commitment to the Committee on the remediation of Goi and Bodo oil spill sites within the year, but committed to the remediation of the Ejema Ebubu and Bomu Manifold Communities as earlier stated.
The Committee on its part promised to liaise with state governments, relevant government agencies and the communities to ensure that Shell gets the necessary access to enable it start effective remediation of the areas where it has been denied access in the past.
Many consider the outcome of the meeting as a remarkable development and a step in the right direction in the management of oil spills and degradation of the Niger Delta. It will be recalled that the committee is pushing through the National Assembly, a bill initiated by the chairman of the Committee to set penalties for oil spills and ensure that responsible parties clean up and remediate impacted sites promptly.
DailyPost

“He is under contract and must focus on West Brom” – Club slams Odemwingie after QPR move flops

By Ifreke Inyang 

West Brom have expressed their anger at how Nigerian striker, Osaze Odemwingie, tried to force a transfer deadline day move to Queens Park Rangers.
The 31-year-old turned up at Loftus Road, without both clubs agreeing a fee and was refused entry into the stadium by QPR officials.
The deal eventually did not see the light of day and Odemwingie must now face life at the Hawthorns till the summer, where the club’s chiefs are unhappy with his behaviour.
“This evening’s developments have brought a conclusion to what has been an unsavoury affair,” Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace told the club’s official website on Thursday.
“As our sporting & technical director Richard Garlick has repeatedly said in recent days, we had no need or desire to sell our core players.

“The only way we would have considered letting Peter leave was if an acceptable offer was forthcoming and if we had found a suitable replacement at relatively short notice.
“Neither materialised and, in the end, the matter became a point of principle as much as anything.
“Peter has acted wholly unprofessionally. He must now accept the fact he remains under contract for a further 18 months and has to focus on his Albion commitments.”

Civil servant sacked over Facebook comment sues Bauchi State Government, three others

By Feyi Afisunlu 

Mallam Isa Yuguda

Bauchi State government and three others have been sued by a staff of the State Ministry of Finance, Mallam Abbas Ahmed Faggo who was sacked over his facebook comment on the elaborate government spending on the wedding of the Governor’s son.
A copy of the suit filed by his counsel, Mr Usman Baffa Darazo, which was distributed to newsmen on Thursday at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Bauchi revealed that Fago filed a suit before National Industrial Court, sitting in Jos and faulted the termination of his appointment by the state government on the grounds that he was not given fair hearing or the opportunity to defend himself.

Fago said: “After I answered the query given to me by the Head of Service, I was discharged from duty by the magistrate court and considering the
allegation levelled against me which is criminal in nature, I was supposed to have been given adequate time and facilities to defend myself in relation to the said allegation before my appointment was terminated.”
He however urged the court to declare the termination of his appointment as null and void and order government to reinstate him with all his emoluments
from the date of his termination.
Faggo’s Counsel,Mr. Darazo said the case was before the Chief Judge of the Industrial Court for reassigning and mentioning.
DailyPost

Osun State demolish 3,000 dilapidated public schools

By Feyi Afisunlu 

No fewer than 3,000 dilapidated school buildings out of the 4,000 identified across the 30 local government areas in Osun state have been demolished by the state government.
This was disclosed by the Chairman, Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Committee (O’ schools), Chief Lai Oyeduntan in Osogbo, on Thursday.
He stated that his committee had spotted schools with dangerous dilapidated structures in the state and will replace them with new ones.
He hinted that 100 model elementary schools would be built in the state, while 50 middle schools and 20 high schools would also be built in the nine federal constituencies of the state before the end of the year.
He explained that most of the school buildings in the state were constructed by the administration of
former Premier of the old Western region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and that of the former Governor of the old Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige, which his committee observed were weak and could no longer stand the test of time.

Oyeduntan added that some of the school buildings erected during the administration of the immediate
past Governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola were either located close to highways or of low quality standard, a development which compelled the government to demolish them also.
He further explained that the buildings that were demolished were not only those built by the government of Oyinlola as insinuated by some people, stressing that the present government in the state does not put political sentiments into its actions and deeds.
Oyeduntan concluded by affirming that arrangements had already been concluded to ensure that the planned merger of schools succeeds, assuring that all envisaged challenges that may affect the new government policy have been considered, such that the policy
DailyPost

Governor Shettima turns down NGO Award over Boko Haram ceasefire

Borno state governor Kashim Shaettima has turned down an award from an Europe based non-governmental organisation, International Advocacy for Peace Negotiation & None-violence after being nominated for the award on Wednesday following his success of achieving ceasefire via dialogue with Boko Haram.
The Governor humbly rejected the offer, which the NGO said in a letter dated 30th January, 2013 and addressed to Shettima that his ‘resilient and determined role in brokering a cease fire deal with Boko Haram as well as his pioneering and consistent calls for dialogue’ merited him the award’.
Governor Shettima said such award may be a welcome idea, even as he described it as ‘hasty, biased and unnecessary’.
In the award letter signed by one Mr. Russell Donvito, who is the Coordinator of the NGO, Governor Shettima was supposed to be presented with the award in far away Brussels by March, 2013.
Russel’s letter reads in part; ‘we remember you making that proposal to the media in April, 2011, as the Governor of Borno State, being the centre of the insurgency. We have been closely monitoring your (Shettima) actions and statements about peaceful resolution, we have also confirmed from our local based partners how you have been committed and meeting different people including detained insurgents, courting and persuading them to give links for negotiations…We belief that negotiations must start from somewhere, you cannot have all armed guys to turn in overnight, you must start from someone however low or big so long as he is of that group. It is for these and much more, including your bold submission in Washington in 2011 before the US military, calling for dialogue with the Boko Haram when most other speakers couldn’t say, that we think you should be singled out for honouring at no cost whatsoever, by the advocacy.

Justifying his boss’ action in an interview, Governor Shettima’s spokesman Isa Umar Gusau, said the Governor did not reject the award but ‘humbly and politely feels that the award is to , “hasty, biased, diversionary and extremely selective because so many people, key security chiefs, establishments and groups at the national and state levels are actually involved in whatever successes gradually being achieved and these people and groups are still working day and night to achieve peace for Borno and Nigeria”’.
Gusau added that Governor Shettima feels that the award recipients should be those who lost their lives to the violence, those who have become orphans and widows, those who have lost breadwinners and everyone that stood or continuously work for the return of peace in Borno and the rest of the country’.
DailyPost

My Master's Wasn't Worth It

Be careful what you study. Going to grad school isn't always worth the time, effort and money.

MBAs: A dime a dozen?

Courtesy: Aaron FraserName: Aaron Fraser, 42
Place: Virgin Islands

I once looked at the MBA as the crème de la crème of business degrees, but now I realize I'm a dime a dozen.

I have an MBA in media management from Metropolitan College of New York and a master's in organizational leadership from Mercy College. I am in debt to the tune of $120,000, and for me, it just wasn't worth it.

After graduating, I applied for jobs in New York for at least a year. In interviews, I was either overqualified, or high risk.

I am high risk, so I'm told, because I have multiple degrees, which means it's more likely that I would pursue other means of employment if I am offered a higher salary.

I'm 42 years old, and I'm competing with 25-year-olds who have MBAs from Harvard. There are so many young people with MBAs from exclusive schools, it's very difficult for somebody like me to compete. Employers don't expect middle aged people to be innovators.

My master's is a joke

Courtesy: Jen SmialekName: Jen Smialek, 31
Place: Boston, Mass.

I work in such a completely different industry, it's a joke amongst co-workers that I have a master's in education.

I completed that degree -- which was my second master's -- in 2010, and taught for a year in Boston. It was the hardest work I've ever done, but I loved it.

A year later, it was first in, first out in terms of layoffs. I didn't have any seniority and I was unfortunately laid off.

I couldn't find another teaching job, so I returned to marketing. I had about $26,000 in student debt from that master's, and I've since paid off most of it (I completed my first master's for less than $500).

If I could go back, I wouldn't earn the education degree again. It was a good personal enrichment activity, but for someone like me who does Internet marketing, my career would benefit more from an MBA.

I work 3 part-time jobs

Courtesy: Nick HintzName: Nick Hintz, 28
Place: Kansas City, Mo.

When I graduated from my undergraduate program in 2008, I had a bachelor's degree in psychology, which was too general to get me a job. I wanted to go into business, so I decided to earn a master's degree in human resources at the University of Minnesota.

At the time, it was rated as the number two HR school in the nation, and it cost a lot to go there. I took out $120,000 in student loans. The economy was unraveling at the time, but I hoped that over a couple years, the job market would improve.

Instead, things got worst. I graduated in 2010 at the bottom of the U.S. job market. At the time, only about half our class found jobs.

Now it's been more than two years, and I'm competing against fresh grads for entry-level positions and leadership training programs. A career counselor told me I missed the boat on getting a solid return on investment for my master's.

I have three part-time jobs. I am an unpaid volunteer in a local hospital's HR department, I'm a content manager for a video game website, and I clean typewriters... yes, typewriters.

I'm stuck with a large amount of debt, I have this fancy master's no one cares about, and I can't get the experience I need. I'm really at a loss of what to do.
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