ABSU Senate Revokes Kalu’s Degree Certificate

The first degree certificate obtained by Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu when he was the Abia State governor has been revoked  by the Senate of Abia State university Uturu (ABSU) following its findings that the certificate was fraudulently awarded.

The sad news for the former Abia governor was made public in statement issued at the weekend by the registrar/secretary to Senate, O.E Onuoha, saying  the decision was taken at the resumed 69th extra-ordinary meeting of the Senate held on Friday, March 1.

With the “cancellation and withdrawal of the degree result and certificate awarded to him” the former presidential candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) would no longer regard himself as a graduate of Government and Public Administration.

The ABSU registrar explained that the revocation of Kalu’s degree certificate was carried out “on the strength of the findings and recommendations of an investigative panel into allegations of breach of the extant academic regulations of Abia State University , in the admission process and graduation of Kalu , Orji Uzor in the discipline of Government and Public Administration “.
However the decision to render Kalu’s certificate valueless did not enjoy unanimity of opinion by the members of Senate as 88 voted in favour while three dissenting voices opposed the motion.

Kalu had enrolled for the degree programme by transfer from eh University of Maiduguri where his initial quest to obtain a first degree certificate was truncated only for him rekindle his desire for university educate when he became Abia governor. He enrolled at ABSU with matriculation number 00/42226.

The statement reads in part: “The decision of senate was based on the following grounds among others: *The violation of the Academic Regulations of the university on Admission – by –Transfer, which rendered the offer irregular , ab initio.

Kenyan Politicians Battle Like 'Transformers' in 3D animation

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• A 3D animated film depicts Kenya's politicians as Transformer-style robots
• The short film, "Wageuzi, is the work of Kenyan animator Andrew Kaggia
• Kaggia says the film aims to make Kenyans vote wisely
• Kenya holds key elections on March 4

(CNN) -- They arrive in souped-up sports cars, boasting a potent arsenal of sci-fi weaponry and shape-shifting powers, lining up side by side for the ultimate race to the finish line. In the end, there can only be one winner.

Welcome to the battle for Kenya's presidency -- as imagined by a talented young Kenyan animator.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, "Wageuzi" is a short 3D animated film showing Kenya's main political leaders fighting for supremacy ahead of the country's critical elections on March 4.

The futuristic film sets Kenya's presidential hopefuls against each other in a thrilling, high-octane battle inspired by the Transformers blockbuster franchise.

Over the course of some 12 minutes, viewers are treated to a range of industrial cityscapes and gloomy-looking backdrops. Five presidential hopefuls roar through the urban settings as they switch between forms in their bid to outfox each other. Machine guns blazing, they turn from speeding vehicles into mighty robots, before engaging in aerial combat as they try to finish the race first.

Andrew Kaggia, animator.

"Wageuzi is Swahili, it means 'transformers,'" explains creator Andrew Kaggia, 25. "It can also mean 'the changemakers,' because our leaders are the tools for change."

Kaggia, a Nairobi-based 3D animator working on commercials and TV shows, decided to make the film in the hope that it would inspire people in his country to cast their ballots responsibly. Kenya was engulfed in chaos after its last election in 2007, when post-election violence left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

"When we had an election in 2007 there really was a lot of violence," says Kaggia. "A lot of bad things happened and basically we needed to see our leaders in their true light. So I thought of doing something sort of controversial using our leaders and creating them in the form of 'Transformers,' seeing how they basically fight for power at whatever cost.

"I wanted people to basically think twice before choosing their leaders," he adds. "To see their leaders as who they are and to vote more wisely."

Throughout the fast-paced film Kaggia has included satirical references to what he sees as the candidates' real-life personalities.

"When people they watch the film, they're able to relate the characters to the actual politicians," adds Kaggia, who first released Wageuzi in December 2011 (Kenya's elections were initially scheduled to take place in 2012). "I think people who watch it are able to actually read between the lines and say 'OK, this is actually how it is.'"

Kaggia says it took him about six months to complete the whole film, working up to 14-15 hours a day. He had to quit his regular job to focus on all aspects of Wageuzi -- from 3D modeling and animation to compositing and lighting.

And when Wageuzi did finally come out, it created a splash. "The first day I released the film [online] I think it got 1,000 views," says Kaggia. "People were really spreading it around."

I wanted people to basically think twice before choosing their leaders.
Andrew Kaggia, "Wageuzi" creator

Kaggia first discovered the art of animation through the Disney cartoons he was watching while growing up, and his style was inspired by the classic beat em' up video game "Tekken."

"It blew my mind the first time I saw it," he says of the game. "I started playing around with it and that's how it began."

Today, Wageuzi's success has helped put the spotlight on Kenya's burgeoning animation scene. It's also acted as an example of what can be achieved when talent meets hard work; Kaggia was born with a deformed hand, but that never got in the way of his dreams.

"I refused to let it stop me," says Kaggia. "I decided not to let that be the case I can do this and I won't let anything stop me.

With Kenya's critical election fast-approaching, Kaggia says he is hopeful that the violence that rocked his country last time around will not be repeated.

"I think people have learned since 2007," he says. "People are smarter now because they saw that they were actually used by their leaders ... so I don't think there will be such violence."

culled from www.cnn.com

Judge Orders new Samsung , Apple Face-off; Strikes $450m in Damages

Samsung and Apple were ordered Friday to stand off in court once again after a federal judge struck more than $450 million that a jury last August ordered Samsung to pay Apple.

"Some of the awards rested on impermissible legal theories," U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh wrote in her ruling.

The jury had awarded Apple more than $1 billion in damages total after finding Samsung had copied both the design and software features of the iPhone.

The new "trial on damages" affects the formula, and thus the amount, that Samsung must pay to Apple. It will focus on several Samsung products specifically, after Koh questioned the damages ordered because of them. They are the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Galaxy SII AT&T, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Tab, Nexus S 4G, Replenish and Transform.

Just under $600 million of the earlier award to Apple involving other Samsung products still stands, according to Koh.

Samsung, which recently logged record-breaking sales of its latest Galaxy phone, is locked in a tight race with Apple to see who will dominate the U.S. smartphone market.

That rivalry has spilled out into court on multiple occasions.

Last summer, a South Korean court found that both parties had infringed on each other's patents, banning the sale of the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, two iPad models and Samsung's Galaxy S2. Yet the damages ordered in that case paled compared to those at stake when the two tech giants faced off last year in a U.S. federal court in Northern California.

Apple accused Samsung of copying the design of the iPhone and iPad, suing Samsung for $2.5 billion. Samsung countersued Apple for $519 million, also for patent infringement.

After sifting through 109 pages of jury instructions and their notes and memories from weeks of testimony, a nine-person jury found Samsung was guilty of "willful" violations of a number of Apple's patents and recommended that Apple get more than $1 billion in compensation.

The jury did not recommend awarding Samsung any money in its counterclaims.

"This is a huge win for Apple," Mark Lemley, a Stanford law professor, said then. The award "is just large enough to make it the largest surviving patent verdict in history."

In December, Judge Koh issued a ruling denying Samsung's request for a new trial based on the company's claim the jury foreman, Velvin Hogan, was prejudiced against the company because he had been sued by Seagate, his former employer. Samsung became the largest investor in Seagate after selling a division to the hard-drive maker in 2011.

Governor Liyel Imoke Returns.

After about four months of absence from the country to receiving treatment in the United States on health issues, we are glad to announce that the Governor of our darling state, Liyel Imoke is now back in the country. He came into the country around 6:50pm yesterday 1st March 2013 via a British Airways flight.

He is expected to resume office next week

Jonathan, First Lady Receive Ivorien National Honours

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

By Muhammad Bello

President Alassane Ouattara late Friday in Abidjan conferred Cote d’Ivoire’s highest honour, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Nation on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in appreciation of Nigeria’s contributions to peace, stability and progress in his country. 

President Ouattara also conferred the honour of Commander of the Order of the Nation on the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan at a State Banquet in the Ivorian seat of government.
Speaking at the occasion, President Jonathan, who began a state visit to the country on Friday, said that Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire must continue to strengthen their bilateral cooperation for the benefit of their citizens and others in the West African sub-region.

More to follow

SOUTH AFRICA ARRESTS OFFICERS LINKED TO MAN DRAGGING DEATH

S. African police violence sparks outrage

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: The officers, who had been disarmed and suspended, are now arrested
• Video shows a man dragged from the back of a police van
• The man later died of head injuries
• "We want stern action" taken against those involved, police minister says

-- South African authorities Friday arrested eight police officers accused of being involved in dragging a man down a road while he was handcuffed to the back of a police van.

Crowds chased after the van as the man kicked and writhed. He later died.

The incident was captured on video, sparking outrage in a nation that has seen a series of police brutality incidents recently.

The country's Independent Police Investigation Directorate on Friday arrested the officers, who earlier had been disarmed and suspended, said Zweli Mnisi, spokesman for police ministry.

Tough action will be taken against those involved, the nation's acting police minister said, calling for a speedy independent investigation.

"We view this incident in serious light. We want stern action so that it may send a message to other officers that any untoward conduct will not be tolerated," State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele said.

Man dragged by police dies in custody

Man dragged by police dies in custody

It was unclear how many officers are involved in the incident. The commander of the local police station was also suspended pending an investigation, the South African Police Service said in a statement.

The video was captured by cell phone in Daveyton, near Johannesburg, shocking the world for its brazen cruelty.

Shaky but clear, it shows a man in a red T-shirt and white sneakers talking animatedly with police officers.

The officers then handcuff him to the back of a police van, which pulls away, dragging his feet along the road. Officers and bystanders run alongside.

Some in the crowd scream as the van drives away slowly, then picks up speed.

The man, identified as a Mozambican taxi driver, died Tuesday night, a few hours after the incident, in a police cell from his head injuries, according to Amnesty International.

"We are shocked by this incident," said Moses Dlamini, a spokesman for the Police Investigative Directorate, an independent government agency that looks into possible crimes by police.

Violent crime is common in South Africa, but the incident was a harsh reminder of police brutality rampant in the nation.

The directorate received 720 new cases for investigation of suspicious deaths in custody or in other policing contexts between April 2011 and March 2012, Amnesty said.

"This appalling incident involving excessive force is the latest in an increasingly disturbing pattern of brutal police conduct in South Africa," said Noel Kututwa, Amnesty International's southern Africa director.

Police who carry out crimes do not reflect the police service as a whole, Dlamini said.

"There are many other officers who are dedicated, who uphold the law and arrest criminals all the time," he said.

Under apartheid rule in South Africa, white police officers subjected the nation's black majority to inhumane treatment. But in this case, the man and police in the video, as well as those in the crowd, are black.

Apartheid rule ended in the 1990s, and the government reformed the police departments and made them more diverse.

Despite the changes, the nation grapples with a high crime rate, including rapes, armed robberies and police brutality, analysts say.

South Africa's history of violence "is part and parcel of daily life," said Johan Burger, a senior researcher with the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria.

Some police officers believe that they "are above the law" and that there won't be consequences for their actions, he said.

South Africa's police force has been plagued by a series of scandals recently.

In August, officers opened fire on striking platinum miners in Marikana, killing 34 in one of the most deadly police shootings since the end of apartheid.

Last month, one of its officers -- Hilton Botha -- was booted from a high-profile murder case after prosecutors reinstated attempted murder charges against him.

Botha is accused of chasing and firing on a minibus full of people while drunk in 2011. He is charged with seven counts of attempted murder.

He was testifying in the trial of Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with killing his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.

In the case of the taxi driver, the independent investigative agency pledged to be transparent in its findings.

CULLED FROM www.cnn.com