whitedrum.com independent review; Celebrating Progress Africa

By Albert Njoku, Technuzu

www.whitedrum.com is a new entrant to the highly competitive classified adverts market in Nigeria. There are already a few big players in this area ... Initially focused on the Nigerian and UK markets, Whitedrum.com is a product of Deltek Solutions UK and Deltek Solutions Nigeria (two different companies). The motivation for the launch could be summarised in this quote from an email I received from the CEO, Dele Oluwole:

The company recently said:

Nigeria is highly populated and we think the good people of Nigeria deserve much more than the classified advert websites we are seeing around today, so we have put in the best of our resources to come out with whitedrum. There are still many more web applications for the Nigerian online market in the pipeline. Our plan for the future is to become a globally preferred classified website as we have long-term plans for countries like Ireland, Canada, Ghana, Australia, etc.

Users can either log on to the Nigerian or UK version of the website via a menu option at the top left corner of the site. Adverts are then filtered accordingly. The Nigerian version groups adverts by the States and it is easy to locate information. Advert posting is free and users can upload up to 4 photos. Youtube videos are also allowed. Users have a private dashboard from where they can manage their adverts. At the moment, there are not much adverts since the site just launched.

Did I find any major problems on the site? Not really. There was no functional error as I was able to register, search for and find adverts easily. The only problem facing Deltek Solutions is how to raise awareness about the existence of the website. To this end, I saw they have implemented sharing options for facebook, twitter etc. The sites focus on the UK market as well means contending against industry giants like Loot, Gumtree and a myriad other small sites occupying smaller percentages of the market.

I was a bit overwhelmed by the many colours and graphics though. I kept wondering how this would affect speed. Given that adverts already would contain pictures, additional graphics decoration could come at the expense of speed of execution. I thought this but the site seemed to run pretty fast. (Why does every Nigerian website have to have massive shades of green everywhere?)

Another impressive addition was a geo-location feature for each advert showing the ad posters location on a map. I have not seen this on any other of the Nigerian advert websites. Additional reassurance for would be buyers of advertised goods maybe

About Technuzu

Technuzu is a technology blog focused on covering African web startups

The name "Technuzu" is a new age term in Igbo language meaning technology. UZU in Igbo means "technical" or "Technician". For more startup news, visit Technuzu online at Technuzu.com

How Gusau helped make Obasanjo President, by Atiku

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said it was the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, who championed the emergence of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as President in 1999.

Atiku, who is fighting for a northern presidential candidate to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has also admitted that there was no zoning in the party in 1999.

He said the first tenure of Obasanjo was not based on zoning but as a compensation to the southern part of the country over the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to be won by the late business mogul, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.

The election was annulled by former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, whose bid to return to the Presidency in 2011, was frustrated by the Adamu Ciroma-led northern leaders’ group under a consensus arrangement.

At the Government House, Gusau, Zamfara State during the weekend when Atiku visited Governor Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi, he said the zoning issue was discussed and sealed when Obasanjo declared his interest to contest for second term.

Narrating how Obasanjo emerged the country’s President in 1999, Atiku said it was Gusau, who met him in 1998 with the idea of nominating a southerner and Obasanjo in particular to be the PDP presidential candidate.

The presidential hopeful, who described himself as being among Nigerians who formed the party, expressed concern over the way Obasanjo attempted to disrupt the whole arrangement through his third term agenda, which was vehemently kicked against by Nigerians.

‘’When we formed the PDP in 1998, it was Gen. Aliyu Gusau, who met me and said ‘my brother, you know we are your elders and we know this country better than you. I want to suggest to you people while nominating your presidential candidate you should consider the South, because of what happened to the annulment of June 12 election. By doing this, you will carry the support of all Nigerians. Let us compensate them.”

Atiku said zoning was aimed at providing equal opportunity to the regions in the country and not for any selfish or regional inclination, insisting that the North must be given its chance to produce the next president of the country by the PDP.

While fielding questions from reporters, the presidential aspirant said the incumbency factor would not favour President Goodluck Jonathan, describing the recent endorsement of the President by 22 governors as unrealistic.

He said the outcome of the forthcoming party’s presidential primary election would confirm his statement and called on all stakeholders to elect credible people that have the nation’s interest at heart.

Shinkafi described Atiku as a hero who saved the Fourth Republic from collapse following the third term agenda interest of Obasanjo.

“We are proud of you. You saved our democracy from collapse and if not because of you and other citizens that fought the third term agenda, we woundn’t have been here. It was because of that the 2007 election transition became successful and led to our emergence as the leaders of our state,’’ Shinkafi stated.

The governor appealed to Nigerians to participate actively in the forthcoming voters’ registration with a view to ensuring the 2011 polls record high turnout of electorates.

Shinkafi also described the emergence of Atiku among the four PDP northern presidential aspirants as unique in the political development of the country, pointing out that after due consultations among the state coordinators of the four former presidential aspirants in the state, Babangida’s coordinator in Katsina emerged to be the Atiku’s state co-ordinator, Alhaji Aminu Ahmad Nahuche.

Atiku said he was not intimidated by the verbal endorsement by the PDP governors and delegates across the country as such were not capable of stopping him from emerging as the party’s candidate.

He said recent happenings around West Africa and around the world have shown that incumbency is never a factor to winning election but acceptance and performance, saying his achievement as a seasoned politician would facilitate his getting the PDP ticket in January 2011 and subsequently win the presidential elections in April, 2011.

Meanwhile, Nigerians in the United States and Canada, at the weekend rose from a meeting, passing a vote of confidence on the administration of Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Head of the group who is also the Vice President (Africa) of Joe Trippi and Associates, Reno Omokri, also called on all PDP delegates to vote for the Jonathan/Sambo ticket in the coming PDP primaries.

Expressing confidence that Jonathan would sail through the primaries, Omokri urged Nigerians to vote for President Jonathan in the general elections.

The group’s resolution made available to The Guardian in Kano, gave an insight as to why Jonathan deserved to stay on in power.

“In coming to this decision, the association took cognisance of the major strides of the administration which include amongst others, allocating the highest amount in the proposed 2011 budget to education at N933 billion, which is three times what was allocated to the next highest sector (Defence) at N313 billion, making modest improvements to the power sector with the implementation of the road-map on Power Sector Reforms.”

Also, traditional rulers from Ebonyi South Senatorial District has endorsed Jonathan and Governor Martin Elechi, or next year’s presidential and governorship elections.

The monarchs, who held their end of year meeting at the palace of the ruler of Nkpoghoro autonomous community, Afikpo North Local Council, Ezeogo Cletus Ekuma, said their decision was informed by the track records of the two leaders, pointing out that all that was needed was patience and support of the people for them to stabilize the polity.

In a resolution read by the monarch of Ugwulangwu autonomous community, Eze Romanus Iyioku, the rulers noted with happiness that within the short period of his stay in office, Jonathan had endeared himself to Nigerians by his humility, sense of responsibility and drive for super structural reforms.

In their remarks after the meeting, Ebonyi State Commissioners for Information and Orientation Hyacinth Ikpor and his Education counterpart, Egwu Chima commended the rulers for their patriotism and efforts at engendering peace at the grassroots.

Minimum wage: N18,000 too small – Nyako

Yola — Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa has described the N18,000 minimum wage as too small.
Speaking with newsmen in an interactive session on Christmas day in Yola, Nyako said the amount was to meagre to cater for a family man.

Nyako was, however, quick to point out that in spite of the small amount, many state governments would find it difficult to implement.

He said this was because of the states’ sole dependence on the monthly federation account allocation.

Nyako said there was need for states to source for alternatives to oil money if they were to meet the growing developmental needs of their people.

He said it was the zeal to wean Adamawa from over dependence on oil money that his administration engaged in projects such as transforming agriculture by introducing commercial farming.

Other projects, Nayako said, included the technical skills acquisition centres as well as independent power plants for steady electricity to fast_tract industrialisation that would bring more revenue.

The governor explained that the World Bank would be assisting the state with over N7 billion which he described as “almost free interest loan” payable in 40 years including 10 years moratorium.

The governor also said that Islamic Development Bank would also assist the state in establishing three science schools for the training of personnel

According to Nyako, with steady electricity supply, industries would troop to Adamawa where there would be not only available power, but trained manpower to meet industrial demands.

Jos: Fresh crisis aborts VP’s visit

The crises that rocked Jos, Plateau State, after the Christmas Eve multiple bombings, escalated on Sunday with no fewer than eight more people killed and scores of others injured in Angwan Rukuba area of the city.

The development forced Vice-President Namadi Sambo (Pic above) to shelve his scheduled visit to the city on Sunday.

Our correspondent in Jos reported that Sunday’s crisis began when some Muslim youths in Nasarawa Gwong tried to cross a road through the Cele Bridge near Tina Junction, but were resisted by Christian youths.

An exchange of gunfire between the youths was said to have resulted in the death of some of residents while others were said to have been matcheted and thereafter set ablaze.

Also in Gadabiu, where casualties of the Friday night bomb blasts were heavier, youths continued with their violent protests on Sunday morning by attacking people suspected to be members of other religious groups.

Corpses of victims of the renewed violence were seen on the streets, particularly in Agwa Rukuba, Tina, Dogon Dutse, Rikkos, Gadabiu, Abattior and Dogon Karfe. 

As at noon on Sunday, smoke still billowed from bonfires made by the irate youths on the streets in the areas. 

Some houses, including churches and mosques, were also set ablaze in Abattoir and Dogon Dutse. 

There were also reports that some areas in Angulu Jos, Kaduna Vom and Rikkos village also witnessed some levels of violence.

Sambo’s visit to Jos was said to have been called off following security reports that the crisis had escalated.

Sambo, according to the Director of Press Affairs to Governor Jonah Jang, Mr. James Mannok, would have visited the scenes of the blasts, the injured and the families of the dead.

However, the Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, has dispatched the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of operations, Mr. Abubakar Audu, to the crisis-torn city.

Audu, in company with the Police Commissioner, Mr. Abdulrahman Akano, went round the trouble spots in Angwan Rukuba, Gada Biu and Rikkos.

Audu, who later addressed a news conference, said that four more units of riot policemen had been deployed in the city from Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Kano states.

He expressed confidence in the ability of the police to end the crisis, but disclosed that he had yet to be briefed about casualty rate by the state police command.

Also in Jos, the STF accused residents of the city of hoarding information on the bomb blasts. 

The STF spokesman, Capt. Charles Nweocha, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, said that “information flow is very poor among residents.”

He added, “The perpetrators are living among the people and we have always asked for information, but we do not get it. People hoard information and this certainly will make it difficult for us to record much success.”

Nweocha disclosed that the STF had continuously solicited information from the public to assist it to deal with situations as they arose.

“We have always advised that people should report any strange movements around them, but no one is doing that. There is a gap and we must work together to bridge it,” Nweocha lamented.

In Abuja, the Senate condemned the bomb explosions in Jos and enjoined security agencies not to allow any plot against the country to go unchallenged.

It said in a statement by its President, Senator David Mark, that the time had come for security agencies to step up their investigation into the bombings in order to quickly bring the perpetrators to book.

“There should be no sacred cows. No life is more important than the other. This is an act of terrorism. This is unacceptable. Something must be done to save Plateau State,” it added.

The Senate, however, assured that the threats of bomb blasts across the country would not stop the conduct of elections in 2011.