Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is pissed the Finnish cellphone maker relinquished their market dominance to Apple and Google. Real pissed. Fearing the company has reached a point of no return, Elop issued a no-holds-barred 1,300-word memo to employees, and seems primed to make some bold moves in the next week to help Nokia regain some of its former glory.

Bluntly stating that they've failed to compete with any of the major smartphone players, Elop, a former Microsoft executive, minced no words in the memo, which included the following bit:

    "The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don't have a product that is close to their experience. Android came on the scene just over 2 years ago, and this week they took our leadership position in smartphone volumes. Unbelievable."

Elop not only called out Nokia's lack of innovation in recent years, he even suggested that latching onto another smartphone platform was a possibility. Doom and gloom as this scenario may seem, it's actually a good thing for Nokia. We've been saying for a long time now that Nokia was traveling down a path of suck when it comes to their software. And finally, they realize change is necessary...radical change...

Elop compared Nokia's situation to a man on a burning oil rig who jumped from the rig's platform into freezing waters to save himself. He said Nokia is on a burning platform (which they poured gasoline all over) and it's time for them to jump.

Praising Apple's commitment to user experience, and Android's ability to attract the masses through innovation, Elop evaluated the current state of Nokia as well. While indicating that the MeeGo platform is promising, he worried MeeGo would be obsolete by the time a device hit the market, and conceded that Symbian's time has come and gone. Ultimately, he says a single product alone can't save Nokia, and that they need a unified ecosystem across all devices, whether it's one they create, or one they adopt.

While Nokia has tried to woo developers with Symbian's openness, the truth is that they've had an ambivalent attitude towards their smartphone OSes, and it shows. In fact, the main problem with Nokia smartphones is not the hardware. It's the software. The N8 and N97 phones were both well-constructed disasters, even by Nokia's standards.

When using their smartphones, rarely do the hardware and software feel like they're working together to deliver a quality user experience. It seems like if the internal hardware is up to speed, the OS is a mess. And when Nokia introduces something innovative on the software side, the phone lacks the proper hardware to make proper use of that innovation.

In the past, it was easy for Nokia to fall back on profits from international dumbphone sales. After all, they had the best-selling phone in the world. But now that the dumbphone market is drying up and smartphones are increasingly viewed as just phones by the average consumer, Nokia no longer has that security blanket. And in that spirit, Elop attributed Nokia's decline on a lack of leadership, a lack of internal collaboration and, most importantly, a lack of innovation.

Ah, innovation. Once upon a time, Nokia used to innovate. What Apple did for smartphones in 2007 with the iPhone, Nokia did for dumbphones in 1996 with the introduction of the 2160, which was lightyears ahead of most other phones. Even in the '00s they had some imaginative products; for example, the 6800, which featured one of the first foldout QWERTY keyboards on a phone, or even the N95, which made tech geeks swoon prior to the iPhone's release. But when the industry focus shifted to software, Nokia fell behind, because their strength had always been hardware.

Nokia says they'll start talking about the future on Friday. But where should they go from here? The possibility of Nokia functioning strictly as a hardware company sounds amazing. They make AWESOME hardware. They always pack great cameras in their phones. The build quality is always top notch. And when was the last time Nokia suffered anything resembling an Antennagate scandal? The only thing missing from their devices is a good mobile OS. If they adopt the Android platform (which would force them to conform to a set of required specifications) and put all their effort into hardware R&D, Nokia could really churn out some quality phones and tablets. Maybe then, they could become relevant in the tech world once again. [The Register via Engadget]

Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, the former governor of Edo State, who was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Benin City by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over an alleged N25billion scam was absent from the court sitting on

Dependable sources disclosed that Igbinedion, who refused to show up in court, was sighted in the company of friends and aides while paying a condolence visit to the family of late Dr. Abel Guobadia who died last weekend. He later drove away in a black Mercedez Benz 4matic jeep with registration AZ 200 USL.

The court sitting, presided over by Justice Adamu Hobon however adjourned hearing in the suit till March 26, 2011, urging the ex-governor to appear in court on the said date, after counsel to Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, Mr. Ricky Tarfa, SAN objected to the prayer of the EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN that a bench warrant be issued for Igbinedion’s arrest. Justice Adamu Hobon noted that it was not proper in law for the accused persons not to be in court while their application is being decided. He ordered that they appeared in court on the 22nd of March when next the case will be heard in court. ..

According to the judge, “On the whole, having considered all the circumstances in the charge and the application opposing it coming for the first time for mention and counsel to both sides present in court, I order that the accused persons shall put up appearance at the next sitting and the application in opposition of the charge be heard in time without any further delay, pending which bench warrant will have to be invoked to compel accused appearance,” Justice ordered. Counsel to the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) had told the court that the preliminary objection filed by the accused counsel could only be heard in the presence of the accused persons and applied to the court to issue a bench warrant against the accused.

But Counsel to the accused, Rickey Tarfa (SAN) argued that their preliminary objection filed on February 4, 2011 was predicated on the fact that the fresh charges against their client was an abuse of court process since the accused person had earlier been charged. He argued that “no person should face trial twice for the same offence, since their application is already before the court; they did not need to be present in court. The issues at hand are constitutional and not procedural.

“The presence of the accused in court is not mandatory because the motion in court has been taken. It is after the court dismisses their motion that the accused persons can be made to appear in court, and then they can come forward and take their appeal. They have reported to the authorities.” Meanwhile, shortly after the sitting, at the Federal High Court, Benin, counsel to the EfCC,Rotimi Jacob, said the anti-graft agency has option to have arrested the accused persons and bring them to court, but expressed disappointed at his fellow counsel who had pledged an undertaking to the effect that they were going to bring them to court.

“What else do they want from Lucky Igbinedion, we are saying enough is enough, he cannot continue to be castigated for his political belief and that is why he is in the court, we will never run away from trial”. At the court premises, a crowd, allegedly said to have been hired by Igbinedion’s loyalists displayed placards with various inscriptions, “Temper Justice with Mercy”, “Double Trial is Injustice”, “After Enugu, Let Lucky Igbinedion Have his Peace”, “Stop this Manhunt” to protesting against the continued trail of the former governor.

Charges:

A middle-aged Islamic scholar has been shot dead by armed robbers who invaded Aleke Village in Imota area of Ikorodu, Lagos, South West Nigeria.

•The late Mallam Abubakar Gbagba.

The body of the victim, Mallam Abubakar Gbagba, was riddled with bullets by three armed robbers who rode a motorcycle and carried out the attack in the early hours.

The robbers, who escaped on the motorcycle after the operation, were apprehended at the next village called Isiwu by a vigilance group in their hideout. They were handed over to the Police at Imota Division.

The first wife of the deceased, Hajia Kuburat, who was with the deceased during the attack allegedly identified a member of the gang at the Imota Police Station.

The man, popularly called ‘Bebo’ was fingered by the woman as the person that shot her husband with a dane gun.

Narrating her ordeal in the hands of robbers, Kuburat said that the bandits mistook the polythene bag stocked with foodstuff bought on Lagos Island, as money and shot her husband in the chest when he told them he had no money.

“The three armed robbers broke into our house around 2.10 a.m. and shot my husband after they broke the doors. They later demanded for money and pointed their gun at my little daughter’s head before they took all the money in my husband’s pocket.

“When they were going, I pursued them to where the three of them climbed the Okada and I started shouting for help to assist my shot husband,” she stated.

Some of the vigilance group members who made statements at Imota Police Station disclosed that “all of us heard the gun shots since it was dead in the night and one of us who saw them returning with a bike to our village, Isiwu trailed them to their hideout and alerted us. We, along with other residents, surrounded their house and threatened to burn down the house if they did not come out.

“It was a big surprise to us that some of our members that were sent to Imota police station have not yet returned, but we saw a team of policemen from Shagamu police station, Ikorodu who accused us of beating the robbers and threatened to shoot us if we don’t give them medical treatment immediately,” a member of the vigilance group lamented.

“We were also surprised when one of the armed robbers, called Bebo, called the policemen to see what they have done to him while a policeman called Yemi threatened to deal with us if we failed to give him medical treatment immediately despite the fact that we told him that the robbers have just shot somebody dead.”

According to them, “it was the arrival of the police team from Imota Police station, led by the Chief Security Officer, Ibrahim that saved us from Yemi and his team who hurriedly left the place and disappeared.”

Confirming the arrest of the bandits, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Imota Police Station, Mr. David Etim said the police had been on the gang’s trail for sometime and was happy that they were apprehended, adding that other victims of the gang’s recent attacks had started coming to the station to identify them.

It was also gathered that the gang recently invaded a church (name withheld) where they made away with N500,000, raped some female members of the church and later went to another house in the village to rob an old woman and raped her.

Meanwhile, the remains of the slain scholar has been released to the family by the police and buried near his house at Aleke according to Islamic rites. The robbery suspects would soon be transferred to the State Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

Star actress Funke Akindele has lost money and valuables after she was attacked by a gang of armed robbers.

Funke Akindele

P.M.NEWS learnt that Akindele, her marketer and other stars namely Eniola Badmus, Bimbo Thomas and others were at a film location when the incident occurred.

Investigations revealed that the Glo ambassador, her colleagues and some members of her family lodged at Imperial Hotel, located around Ebute Metta, Lagos when robbers who had early raided a two-storey building near the hotel shot several times into the air before they gained access into where they were.

A source close to the location revealed that the robbers raided the hotel and made away with mobile phones, jewelry and other belongings....

Apart from losing money and valuables to the robbers, Akindeles’ car a Nissan Xtrail, her mom’s Honda SUV and a Range Rover belonging to her marketer were smashed by the gang.

All attempts by P.M.NEWS to either speak with the star actress or her marketer proved abortive as their mobile phones were switched off.

A source close to her told P.M.NEWS that it was a terrible experience, but she has put it behind her and she is back on location for the shooting of the part 2 of her latest movie, Omo Getto.

Report from Nigeria following the recent coup in Nigeria which was an army revolt against the corrupt Federal government. New head of government, General Ironsi, says he intends "to restore law and order" and not change Nigeria's external policy. The report contrasts the intelligence and idealism of the young officers with the corruption and nepotism of the old brigade of politicians.

Some questions, though.

1. Why, in your view, did Ironsi abolish the regions and centralize all government?


2. Was the Sardauna or NNDP in fact planning to crush opposition in the West militarily and was the officer that was murdered in the hotel referenced in the first video Largema? Was he sent with troops to crush protesters or was that a rumor?

3. Was Festus Okotie-Eboh as corrupt as he is made out to be (as in that first video, where they said he raised taxes on imports of shoes to help his own shoe business)? I read elsewhere that he was one of the richest men in Nigeria (worth 800,000 pounds) before government, i.e. that he made his fortune legitimately, but I don't know how true that is either....

4. In that second video, how do they know the people aren't celebrating only that Awolowo and Enahoro were released rather than the coup?

5. Where is the footage of Nzeogwu?

Is there supposed to be sound on the 2nd and 3rd videos?

The new salary structure for civil servants in Lagos State, South West Nigeria, promised by Governor Babatunde Fashola in his budget speech, has been unveiled, with the minimum wage pegged at N18,780.48.

Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola

According to the details available to P.M. News this morning, Governor Fashola did not just keep his promise, he has offered government workers in the state, more money than the Federal Government has offered its own workers. For starters, Lagos has pegged its minimum wage some hundreds of Naira above the Federal minimum of N18,000, which many indigent states will not be able to afford.

With the new jumbo wage increase, a full director in the civil service on level 17 will now earn N4.17 million minimum and N4.5 million maximum annually. The director level is the highest for career civil servants. The salary of permanent secretaries, who are political appointees is not revealed in the new structure. But informed sources said they are already earning far above the maximum being offered to the directors.

The state government said last week that it would make the new package known to civil servants and the public this week.

It is now confirmed that the state government will pay N18,780.48 monthly as the new minimum wage for the lowest cadre in the civil service and a maximum of N19,599.80 monthly when the lower staff reaches the fourth step instead of the N7,500 previously being earned by the lowest cadre.

The new minimum wage is over 100 per cent increase in the salaries of civil servants.

The new package takes effect from last month. Since the old package was what was paid civil servants last month, the balance would be paid along with this month’s salaries.

The new wage increase has triggered joy among civil servants who had for long been groaning under the burden of poor salaries, with the attendant consequence of corruption and poor attitude to work.

Mrs. Ulelu Smart, a staff of the Ministry of Rural Development said she was happy about the new salary structure for workers, adding that she came to the civil service at the right time.

Another staff who worked with the Radio Lagos, Eko FM, who craved anonymity, told P.M.NEWS that Fashola had done well for increasing their take home pay, adding that it was a step in the right direction.

Also, a staffer of the Ministry of Information and Strategy was very happy that his salary had been increased and commended the state governor for the gesture.

A female secretary attached to the Office of the Chief of staff said at level 6, her monthly take home pay was N16,000, but with the new increase, she would now enjoy working in the civil service.Under the new scale, her new salary will be between N27,000 and N30,000..

For university graduates, the entry point has now been increased, from about N20-22,000 to N54-58,000.

In the current budget, Lagos plans to spend N120 billion on overhead costs. It is not clear whether the new structure will jack up the entire recurrent expenditure estimate of N198 billion. The Fashola government plans to spend N252 billion on capital expenditure and raise a bond of N60 billion to finance some of its capital projects....

At least eight people have died at the .University of Bening Teaching Hospital following kerosene explosions that rocked communities in Delta and Edo states in the past two weeks. The deaths were as a result of the severe burns sustained by the victims from the explosion.

The kerosene explosions occurred in Oghara, Delta state and Benin city, the Edo state capital. Six children of a police officer, Hope Adeleke, who lived in Oghara, the headquarters of the Ethiope West local government area of Delta state all died as a result of the explosion while cooking with with their mother in the kitchen with a kerosene stove. The children died at the hospital due to the severe burns they sustained when a fire sparked by the explosion ravaged their home.

The mother of the six deceased children, Edna Adeleke, who was also a victim, is still receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Accident and Emergency Ward of UBTH.

Another woman whose identity could not be ascertained also died last week at the same hospital as a result of a kerosene explosion. The woman and one of her children were rushed to UBTH from Ekehuan village near Benin city following injuries they sustained from an explosion. The child was said to have survived after receiving treatment and has since been discharged.

Over the weekend, a 12-year-old girl from Kwale, Ndokwa West local government area of Delta state also died when a kerosene explosion reportedly occurred at her home. She was rushed to UBTH where she died.

According to the director-general of Save Accident Victims of Nigeria, Eddy Ehikhamenor, the 12-year-old received 93 degrees of burns on her body. Mr. Ehikhamenor called on the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation to warn all dealers and retailers against the adulteration of kerosene.

He queried the high cost of kerosene presently selling at between N130 and N150 per litre, just as he requested the NNPC to embark on an analysis of the kerosene currently on sale to ensure that the product does not have a mixture of petrol. Kerosene, the nation's main source of cooking for most families across the nation has been scarce, leading to a price hike.

2face To Appear On Mo’nique Show