World Cocoa Foundation and Leading Chocolate Industry Companies Partner with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Significantly Improve Cocoa Farmer Liv

19 Feb 2009 07:00 Africa/Lagos

World Cocoa Foundation and Leading Chocolate Industry Companies Partner with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Significantly Improve Cocoa Farmer Livelihoods in West Africa

Five-Year, $40 Million Investment to Focus on Increasing Cocoa Farmer Knowledge, Marketing Efficiency and Incomes

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Cocoa Foundation today announced a new, $40 million program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and chocolate industry companies to significantly improve the livelihoods of approximately 200,000 cocoa farmers in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Liberia. The innovative, five-year West Africa Cocoa Livelihoods Program will focus on enhancing farmer knowledge and competitiveness, improving productivity and quality, promoting crop diversification and improving supply chain efficiency. These initiatives will help increase farmers' incomes and significantly improve cocoa community well-being.


The program will be managed by the World Cocoa Foundation and be implemented through a consortium of five organizations including ACDI/VOCA, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)/Sustainable Tree Crops Program, SOCODEVI and TechnoServe. In addition to the $23 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, over $17 million in financial support and in-kind contributions come from the private sector: major branded manufacturers The Hershey Company, Kraft Foods and Mars, Incorporated; cocoa processors Archer Daniels Midland Company, Barry Callebaut, Blommer Chocolate Company and Cargill; and supply chain managers and allied industries Armajaro, Ecom-Agrocacao, Olam International Ltd. and Starbucks Coffee Company. The governments of the participating West African countries will support and be full partners in the program's implementation.


"We know from experience that cocoa can play a significant, positive role in improving farm family incomes in the developing world," said Bill Guyton, President, World Cocoa Foundation. "However, many cocoa farmers today lack the practical knowledge and organizational support needed to grow this unique crop profitably and sustainably. Thanks to our new partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we will be able to dramatically expand our efforts to reach these farmers in West Africa and to promote economic and social development as well as environmental conservation in cocoa-growing communities."


Implementation plans and site selection for the West Africa Cocoa Livelihoods Program will be finalized over the coming months. On-the-ground program activities are expected to begin in late 2009 and early 2010. Once underway, the program will train farmers in better production techniques, quality improvement and business skills; professionalize farmer organizations to better meet member needs; and improve farmer access to agricultural inputs and improved-quality seedlings. The project will also improve farmers' access to market information and opportunities for diversification into alternative food and cash crops to maximize farmer income and security.


"Cocoa is West Africa's largest agricultural export, providing a living for nearly two million smallholder farmers and their families in the region," said Madame Amouan Acquah Assouan, Vice President, Coffee-Cocoa Sector Management Committee, Republic of Cote d'Ivoire. "Too many of them grow cocoa on a subsistence basis, failing to realize the economic benefit this important crop can provide. The new West Africa Cocoa Livelihoods Program can change this situation for the better, lifting thousands of these farm families out of poverty."


"Agriculture offers powerful pathways out of poverty, but without access to knowledge, tools, and markets, millions of smallholder farmers - most of whom are women - aren't able to prosper from their land and labor," said Dr. Rajiv Shah, Director of Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We're excited to support this partnership, which will create opportunities for these farmers to sustainably boost their incomes and lift themselves and their families out of hunger and poverty." To date, the foundation has committed more than $1 billion in agricultural development efforts to increase opportunities for small farmers to succeed at every step of the way--from seed to sale.


About the World Cocoa Foundation


Established in 2000, the World Cocoa Foundation is a leader in promoting economic and social development and environmental stewardship in 15 cocoa-producing countries around the world. With nearly 70 member companies from the Americas, Europe and Asia, the Foundation actively supports a range of farm-level programs harnessing sustainable agriculture practices to improve the quality of life for the millions of smallholder farmers growing this unique crop. For more information about the World Cocoa Foundation, visit: www.worldcocoafoundation.org


About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation


Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people - especially those with the fewest resources -- have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-Chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Learn more at www.gatesfoundation.org.


About ACDI/VOCA


ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that delivers technical and management assistance in agribusiness, financial services, enterprise development, community development and food security in order to promote broad-based economic growth and vibrant civil society. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy for 45 years and in 145 countries. ACDI/VOCA currently has approximately 80 projects in 40 countries and revenues of approximately $100 million.


About GTZ


As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. It provides viable, forward-looking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. Working under difficult conditions, GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people's living conditions on a sustainable basis. The company works on public benefit.


About the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture


Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people's lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization since 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.


About SOCODEVI


SOCODEVI is a network of Canadian cooperatives and mutuals that cooperate and share technical expertise and know-how with partners in developing countries in order to create, protect and distribute wealth. Since 1985, SOCODEVI has supported over 500 cooperative and mutual enterprises and organizations in 30 countries. SOCODEVI measures its success by the extent to which the enterprises supported become models for their sustainability and the benefits their activities provide. The ultimate goal of SOCODEVI: improved living conditions for the communities.


About TechnoServe


TechnoServe is leading a movement that empowers people in the developing world to build businesses that break the cycle of poverty. Growing enterprises generate jobs and other income opportunities for poor people, enabling them to improve their lives and secure a better future for their families. Since its founding in 1968, the U.S.-based nonprofit has helped to create or expand thousands of businesses, benefiting millions of people in more than 30 countries. The Financial Times has rated TechnoServe one of the top five NGOs for corporate partnerships. Charity Navigator has also awarded its highest Four Star ranking to TechnoServe.


Source: World Cocoa Foundation

CONTACT: Bill Guyton of World Cocoa Foundation, +1-202-737-7870,
bill.guyton@worldcocoa.org


Web Site: http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/

National Daily Awards for "Excellence" or Pretence

Awards events in Nigeria are mere publicity stunts by many newspapers and NGOs who have been giving awards to many so called worthy Nigerians who should rather be prosecuted for fraudulent activities and arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and not collecting fake awards like the strange bed fellows I saw at the last National Daily Awards for “excellence” or pretence on Thursday February 12, 2009.
Does the fake Senate President deserve an award?
For what? Rigging election?
How was he elected?

The venue of the awards ceremony, the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel on the Victoria Island was a gathering of wolves in sheep clothing and many pretenders.
It was a comedy of errors.
Why should you give an award to a public official for simply doing his job?
A governor building a road with tax payers money is given a standing ovation?

A forgotten singer Mandy Ojugbana suddenly resurfaced to strangulate the National Anthem and got a lashing from Prof. Dora Akunyili, the new Minister of Information and Communication who was a fearless crusader against fake drugs whilst she was the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

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17 Feb 2009
14:40	'AL-KIAMA: The Life After': Sequence Leading to Armageddon Battle and Commencement of Judgment Day
14:35	'HAMZA: Strive for a Wiser Life': Author Offers Accessible Introduction to Druze Faith in Story of Faith and Tradition

Postilion Showcases New Customer Administration Portal at Africa's Premier Banking Technologies Conference

16 Feb 2009 13:00 Africa/Lagos

Postilion Showcases New Customer Administration Portal at Africa's Premier Banking Technologies Conference

Postilion co-sponsors East Africa 2009 Banking & Payment Technologies Conference

JOHANNESBURG and NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Postilion, a leading provider of software solutions for self-service banking and payments and a division of S1 Corporation (NASDAQ:SONE) , today announced that they will be participating at the annual AITEC event in Nairobi from 17 to 19 February. This year's event will focus on the customer's experience of technology implementation and services, challenging suppliers and bankers alike to evaluate their systems in light of customer needs and preferences.


The latest enhancements to Postilion's market leading payments solutions, a new customer administration portal, will be on show at stand E1. Payments experts will be on hand to demonstrate the Postilion Portal, which gives a unified view of customers, accounts, transactions, and activity across various payments channels via a web browser.


Four speakers will showcase Postilion's customer-centric payments solutions at the conference:


* Case Study: The Umoja Switch in Tanzania, by Paul Nilsen, GM of
Business Connexion, a Postilion client based in Tanzania (Session 3)
* Innovating for EFT Success, by Andre Niemand, Sales Manager, Postilion
Africa (Session 3)
* Point of Sale Value-Added Services, by Ophias Sherewa, MD of Transaction
Payment Systems, a Postilion reseller in Africa (Session 6)
* Facilitating Prepaid with Electronic Voucher Distribution, Jim Baird, MD
of ATM Africa, a Postilion reseller in Africa (Session 7)



More than 90 organizations in Africa now use Postilion to enhance their customers' experience of electronic payments. Internationally, more than 300 clients have successfully implemented various Postilion solutions. Postilion drives major transaction switches and processors in numerous African countries, including the continent's largest economies: South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. Smaller regional switches, such as those in Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda, also run on Postilion platforms. Africa's top three banks and top three retailers use Postilion to drive their electronic payments. Postilion has a presence in 15 countries across the African continent.


About Postilion


Postilion, a division of S1 Corporation (NASDAQ:SONE) , is a leading provider of integrated solutions for self-service banking and payment processing. Our offices, on five continents, serve over 1,500 customers in more than 50 countries. Postilion solutions drive self-service financial transactions and payments, including advanced transactions such as prepay, through Internet access points, ATMs, POS terminals, and phones.


More than 100,000 ATMs and 500,000 POS terminals worldwide run on Postilion solutions. In the United States, over 1,250 credit unions and community financial institutions use Postilion solutions. Built on open systems, Postilion solutions provide consolidated management information, card management, 3DES and EMV enablement, and loyalty management. At the forefront of compliance with new regulations and security enhancements, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and Visa's Payment Application Best Practices (PABP), Postilion can help customers achieve compliance with the latest data security standards developed by the payment card industry. More information is available at www.postilion.com.


About S1 Corporation


S1 Corporation (NASDAQ:SONE) delivers customer interaction software for financial and payment services and offers unique solution sets for financial institutions, retailers, and processors under three brand names: Postilion, S1 Enterprise and FSB Solutions. Additional information about S1 solutions is available at www.s1.com, www.postilion.com, www.S1enterprise.com, and www.fsb-solutions.com.


Forward-Looking Statements


This press release contains forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These statements include statements with respect to our financial condition, results of operations and business. The words "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "projects," "contemplates," "anticipates," "forecasts," "intends" or similar terminology identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made using information currently available to us. Because these statements reflect our current views concerning future events, they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Therefore, actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. The risk factors included in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (and available on our web site at www.s1.com or the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov) provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in our forward-looking statements. Except as provided by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.


Source: S1 Corporation

CONTACT: Eduan Swanepoel, + 27 21 525 5000,
eduan.swanepoel@postilion.com


Web site: http://www.s1.com/
http://www.postilion.com/


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17 Feb 2009
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Coartem(R) Dispersible, le premier ACT* Dispersible pour enfants, est lancé cette semaine en Afrique par Novartis et par Medicines for Malaria Venture
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KBB.Com Names the Best 2009 New Family Cars

KBB.COM NAMES 2009 BEST NEW FAMILY CARS

Editors Focus on Top 10 Fuel-Friendly Family Haulers, Feature Wide Variety of Vehicle Segments

IRVINE, Calif., February 17, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — - Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new- and used-car information, today announces its picks for the honor of being named one of 2009's Best New Family Vehicles. The American family has never had so many choices when it comes to safe, roomy and affordable family cars. While a sea of vehicles is ultimately a good thing, it can also make it more difficult for families to pick a winner. To help consumers determine which new cars should be on their family's consideration list, the editors of Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com compiled a list of the top 10 Best New Family Vehicles, evaluating an ever-lengthening list of eligible vehicles on such factors as resale value, fuel efficiency, capability and kid-friendliness.

This year, the kbb.com editors chose to put extra emphasis fuel economy when choosing their list of the top 10 best cars for families. Gas prices have dropped sharply from their record highs, but the sluggish economy is now dictating smart spending with a focus on overall value. Comprising a wide range of vehicles that includes a compact sedan, a full-size SUV, hybrids, non-hybrids and a clean diesel, kbb.com's list of the 10 Best New Family Vehicles for 2009 features something for everyone.

Kbb.com's 2009 Best New Family Vehicles

Chevy Malibu Honda Odyssey
Chevy Tahoe Hybrid Toyota Camry Hybrid
Chevy Traverse Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Ford Escape Hybrid Toyota RAV4
Honda Civic VW Jetta SportWagen TDI

Vehicles above listed in alphabetical order by brand

"Given the current state of the economy, parents want to get even greater value for their money while buying a new vehicle that will also accommodate their family's lifestyle and needs," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. "Fuel-friendly family cars come in so many shapes and forms these days that, no matter the segment or powertrain, there is an efficient – both economically and environmentally – choice out there to suit everyone's needs."

Kbb.com Editorial Comments on the 2009 Best New Family Vehicles
(Vehicles below listed in order of overall passenger/cargo roominess)

2009 Honda Civic
29 mpg (25 city, 36 highway)
For families that pride themselves on thinking small, the Honda Civic is a perennial all-star. Combining impressive fuel economy, unrivaled reliability and class-leading resale values, the winner of our 2009 Small Sedan Comparison is one of those special vehicles by which all its competitors are measured.

2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
34 mpg (33 city, 34 highway)
The hybrid version of the best-selling car in the country delivers an average of 135 more miles from a 15-gallon fill-up than its gas-only counterpart. On long family road trips, you'll have even less of a chance of making it through a full tank between restroom breaks.

2009 Chevy Malibu
26 mpg (22 city, 33 highway)
As a fuel-friendly family sedan, the newest Chevy Malibu has some seriously strong credentials. Not only does it offer class-leading fuel economy topping out at an impressive 33 highway miles per gallon, it also edged out the Honda Accord to win our 2008 Family Sedan Comparison Test.

2009 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI
34 mpg (30 city, 41 highway)
Thanks to the new technology and new clean diesel fuel that make it emissions-legal in all 50 states, the Jetta TDI's cult-like following is at risk of being absorbed by the mainstream. For some, the Jetta SportWagen TDI is the gold standard of responsible family transportation.

2009 Ford Escape Hybrid
32 mpg (34 city, 31 highway)
After undergoing a major overhaul for the 2008 model year, the Ford Escape Hybrid is improved again for 2009 with a more powerful and more efficient gas-electric powertrain. Its city fuel-economy rating of 34 miles per gallon is one better, even, than that of the Toyota Camry Hybrid's.

2009 Toyota RAV4
24 mpg (22 city, 28 highway)
In addition to class-leading fuel economy, the Toyota RAV4 offers one especially family-friendly feature uncommon in the category: a third row of seats. It's a tight squeeze back there for some, but we ran into a family who shuttled seven people from Northern Utah to Southern California – and back – in a RAV4.

2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
26 mpg (27 city, 25 highway)
The three-row crossover continues to fortify its recently acquired status as the quintessential family car. This gas-electric version of Toyota's Camry-based crossover has the distinct advantage of being the most fuel-efficient three-row vehicle on the road.

2009 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid
21 mpg (21 city, 22 highway)
Car-based crossovers continue to displace traditional SUVs in suburban driveways, but for big families with big passenger/cargo/towing needs, the full-size SUV remains indispensible. The Chevy Tahoe Hybrid is as green as it gets in this arena, and still offers towing capacity of up to 6,200 pounds.

2009 Chevy Traverse
19 mpg (17 city, 24 highway)
Boasting more cargo volume than even its Chevy Tahoe stablemate, the Traverse is the biggest crossover on the road — yet it beats the fuel economy of many smaller three-row vehicles. We like all the Traverse's siblings – Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook – but the Chevrolet has the lowest starting price, which makes it our family pick.

2009 Honda Odyssey
20 mpg (17 city, 25 highway)
20 mpg (17 city, 25 highway) We've always thought an Acura badge would look right at home on the sharply styled, thoroughly refined Honda Odyssey. The most premium-like minivan on the market is also the most fuel efficient, thanks in part to its (optional) ability to cruise on three of six cylinders.

Family Vehicle Research Tools Available on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com
Full expert car reviews of 2009 model year vehicles, including written and video reviews
2009 model-year car safety information
Crash test data
Rollover ratings
Air bag information
Specifications and information on optional features, including:
Child door locks
Rear entertainment systems
Cup-holders
Optional third-row seating
Perfect Car Finder® Tool
Side-by-Side Car Comparison Tool
Consumer car reviews
Car incentives and rebates information
New car pricing, including MSRP, dealer invoice price, New Car Blue Book® Values and projected resale value information
Used car values, including trade-in, retail and private party values
Environmental information on KBB® Green
For more information about the 2009 Best New Family Vehicles, visit www.kbb.com/family09.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, has provided vehicle buyers and sellers with the new and used vehicle information they need to accomplish their goals with confidence. The company's top-rated Web site, www.kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the New Car Blue Book® Value, which reveals what people actually are paying for new cars. The company also reports vehicle pricing and values via products and services, including software products and the famous Blue Book® Official Guide. According to the C.A. Walker Research Solutions, Inc. – 2008 Spring Automotive Web Site Usefulness Study, kbb.com is the most useful automotive information Web site among new and used vehicle shoppers, and half of online vehicle shoppers visit kbb.com. kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, car reviews and news, used car blue book values, auto classifieds and car dealer locations. No other medium reaches more in-market vehicle shoppers than kbb.com.

Media Contacts:
Robyn Eckard
949-268-3049
reckard@kbb.com
Joanna McNally
949-268-3079
jmcnally@kbb.com
Brenna Robinson
949-267-4781
berobinson@kbb.com

'The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same'

'The more things change, the more they remain the same':

Ajayi Crowther on the Challenge of Education in the Niger Delta



"On these days [holidays] every one appeared in his or her best dress, the males in long shirts like nightshirts, but made of the best Manchester goods they could obtain, such as rich silks, silk velvets, damasks, etc., their under wrappings being of the same materials. The head coverings are black or straw hats or caps, decorated with coral beads of the best quality obtainable. The females appeared in the same rich drapery, but their dresses are cut into lengths of cloths about the size of a moderate table cover. Many such are passed round in layers on the waists and bent in the front until they become a large pile of goods, which make their gait awkward. In addition to all this rich drapery, strings of large, expensive, real coral beads are suspended on the necks of both males and females, at the lowest rate to the amount of ₤50 or ₤60 on the body of an individual. The necks of some females are quite weighed down with them. These coral beads are of very large grains, which are much preferred to small grains, mostly long pipe, round, or drum shape. During the late amusements a new ornament has been introduced in addition to corals as jewels, viz. coins. Gold sovereigns, silver dollars, florins, shillings, and sixpenny pieces are bored through and strung up with coral beads for the neck, wrists, or ankles to the amount of as many pounds as each one was able to purchase. These are exhibitions of greatness and the test of superiority in riches. In consequence of this English gold sovereigns and silver coins have become articles of great demand in the palm oil trade, for ornamental dresses as above stated. One of the native chiefs at New Calabar was said to have purchased coins for his own ornaments, wives', and children's to the amount of ₤500, paid for in palm oil. It was estimated by gentlemen competent to judge that the hat of another chief was valued at forty puncheons of palm oil, which at ₤12 per puncheon, as oil was rated in the river, was equal to the value of ₤480, of coral beads, gold and silver coins, with which the hat was decorated.

This being one of the chief objects of their emulation, one may guess how eager each one much be to make as much by trade as possible, and even to increase their accumulated stores by enormous overcharges on their native produce or materials, and how wasteful it must appear to some of these ignorant people to pay ₤2 a year school fee for the education of a child, because education is not a visible appendage for exhibition as an ornament, as two sovereigns, twenty florins, forty shillings, or eighty sixpenny pieces would have been on their persons."

Ajayi Crowther, quoted in "The Black Bishop" by Jesse Page, 1908


--
It's the Bicentenary - 200th birthyear- of Samuel Ajayi Crowther! Let's celebrate the life and work of the legendary African educator, pioneer linguist and visionary leader in books, comics, films and other media to benefit generations yet unborn.
For details, check out http://apps.facebook.com/causes/177074?m=3124eff7

Continental Airlines Offers Support to Colgan Air in Providing Assistance to Families of Flight 3407 Passengers and Crew

13 Feb 2009 08:18 Africa/Lagos

Continental Airlines Offers Support to Colgan Air in Providing Assistance to Families of Flight 3407 Passengers and Crew

HOUSTON, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL) this morning expressed its profound sadness concerning the accident involving flight 3407, operated by Colgan Air, that occurred Thursday night near Buffalo .


"Continental extends its deepest sympathy to the family members and loved ones of those involved in this accident," said Larry Kellner, chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines. "We are providing our full assistance to Colgan Air so that together we can provide as much support as possible for all concerned."


Continental representatives are traveling to Buffalo to provide assistance to Colgan in its response to the accident. A family assistance center is being established in the area.


"Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the family members and loved ones of those involved in the flight 3407 tragedy," Kellner added.


Family members of flight 3407 passengers and crew should contact the airline at 1-800-621-3263.


Source: Continental Airlines

CONTACT: Corporate Communications, +1-713-324-5080, corpcomm@coair.com


Web site: http://www.continental.com/

Breaking News: Theodore Orji Wins At the Court of Appeal

Theodore Orji

Appeal Court in Port Harcourt has declared Theodore Orji of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) as the bona fide Governor of Abia State.

The court dismissed the petitions filed by Onyema Ugochukwu, of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and other contenders who challenged the inauguration of Orji on May 29, 2007, because of the cases of electoral fraud reported during the gubernatorial elections of April 14, 2007.

Orji who returned to Umuahia on Tuesday after a three-day working visit to Abuja said he knew that he would win the court case. Most people in Abia State hailed the verdict.

More Breaking News!
Tsvangirai becomes Zimbabwe's PM
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as prime minister by his bitter political rival President Mugabe.

Virtualization Saves Microsoft Customers Nearly a Half-Million Dollars Per Year

Virtualization Saves Microsoft Customers Nearly a Half-Million Dollars Per Year

Businesses gain value via server consolidation, integrated management tools and application management.

REDMOND, Wash. - Feb. 9, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — Microsoft Corp. today announced that some business customers around the world have saved on average $470,000 (U.S.) per year through IT projects using Microsoft virtualization software. Microsoft's business customers have been able to use virtualization to help reduce operations and capital expenses via reduced electrical power consumption and cooling within datacenters, reduced hardware acquisition costs, automation of desktop and server management, and centralized application deployment.

The cost of running IT systems has increased as electrical power, cooling and physical space has become constrained. In his 2008 refereed journal article, "Worldwide electricity used in data centers," Jonathan Koomey, Ph.D., of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Stanford University concluded that total datacenter power was about 1.5 percent of all U.S. electricity use in 2005, with 80 percent of that amount going toward powering and cooling servers.

A separate report, by Gartner Inc., stated that "the effective use of virtualization can reduce server energy consumption by up to 82 percent and floor space by 85 percent" (Gartner: "Energy Savings via Virtualization: Green IT on a Budget"; Nov. 12, 2008).

"Businesses are looking to reduce and manage computing costs in datacenters and across server and client computing devices," said David Greschler, director of integrated virtualization at Microsoft. "Virtualization software allows businesses to pool computing resources to drive down IT costs, increase IT efficiency and be more responsive to business needs. Customers are getting a better bang for their buck with the Microsoft platform and virtualization solutions because virtualization is in both the operating system and in the holistic management tools. Customers can manage IT services and a broad set of applications across the datacenter and desktops. There is less of a learning curve for customers, and it eases interoperability with existing systems."

Savings Through Available Built-In Virtualization and Management Automation
Microsoft's approach to virtualization, which incorporates server and presentation virtualization into Windows Server 2008 and unlimited virtual machine management with Microsoft System Center suite license, is helping break down barriers to broad virtualization adoption.

"The VMware ESX solution would have cost $30,000 (U.S.) for four servers. With Microsoft, we have a service provider agreement that allows for monthly payments with no capital costs — costing us less than $1,000 over the life of the contract," said David Straede, president and chief operating officer for Santa Barbara Web Hosting. "Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V has the core features businesses need. It's the Windows people know, is installed just like other Windows-based applications, and works in a management console that IT staff are already using. The ESX feature set simply doesn't justify its additional expense."

If making it easy for customers to implement virtualization is important, making it easy to manage the environment is just as critical for saving time and money. With Microsoft System Center, customers have a single solution for managing the entire IT life cycle, from deployment and provisioning to monitoring and backup. Equally important, customers can manage both server and desktop resources, both virtual and physical assets, and both Microsoft and VMware hypervisors, all with the same platform.

These capabilities helped Banverket ICT choose Microsoft for its virtualization strategy. "We knew we wanted to build a compatible virtualization platform that would encompass server consolidation, Terminal Services and application virtualization that we could manage with a single set of tools," said Pontus Blomkvist, service design manager, Banverket ICT. "With Microsoft Application Virtualization for Terminal Services, we have been able to reduce the number of terminal servers because we can run many applications on any server at any time, without worrying about conflicts. With Hyper-V, we are now running 50 virtual machines in production, with a utilization rate of 80 percent for some of the servers as opposed to 15 percent before we deployed Hyper-V."

Savings Through Consolidation, Reductions in Power
By running multiple virtual machines on fewer physical servers, Microsoft customers are drastically cutting hardware requirements and easing server management. For example, Indiana University's Auxiliary IT Department went from 152 to just 32 servers, which it expects will save $85,000 (U.S.) annually. Saxo Bank had an average physical server utilization of just 20 percent and was deploying nearly 200 new servers per year before using server virtualization. Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V allowed the bank to reduce the number of servers needed by 36 percent and realize savings equivalent to $1 million (U.S.), because of lower server hardware costs and associated reductions in space, power and cooling costs.

Many customers have realized similarly dramatic electrical savings as a result of server consolidation, which is a particularly important benefit in today's climate of volatile power prices. TALX expects to save approximately 50 percent in annual power and cooling costs by consolidating its server environment with Hyper-V. HotSchedules, which noted that its No. 1 cost in the datacenter is power, spent about $11,000 (U.S.) a month on datacenter power costs, but with Hyper-V it anticipates that this monthly figure will go down to $2,500. Santa Barbara Web Hosting uses Hyper-V to reduce its power consumption costs by $5,220 (U.S.) per month, helping the company provide more cost-effective services to its customers. And Slough Borough Council took advantage of the savings from eliminating 10 physical servers to preserve the electrical power needed to turn on a new storage area network.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see us virtualize 60 servers once our physical-to-virtual analysis is complete, which represents nearly half our server holdings," said Chris Wintermute, technical infrastructure manager for Slough Borough Council. "We've achieved hardware savings of $148,000 (U.S.), and we expect to reduce server deployment costs by $23,700 (U.S.) annually, based on rolling out 20 servers a year."

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2009 Kia Optima #1 on Forbes.com 'Best Vehicles for Carpooling List'

2009 KIA OPTIMA #1 ON FORBES.COM "BEST VEHICLES FOR CARPOOLING LIST"

Kia Motors' Midsize Sedan Noted for Safety, Roominess and Fuel Efficiency
Vehicles ranked based on safety ratings, interior volume and fuel efficiency
A recipient of a five-star crash safety rating from NHTSA, Optima earns yet another accolade

IRVINE, Calif. Feb. 9, 2009 /PRNewswire/— - Recently named a "Best Bet" by The Car Book 2009, Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced that the Optima sedan also has topped the recently released "Best Vehicles for Carpooling" list by Forbes, available on Forbes.com. Refreshed for the 2009 model year, Optima was lauded for combining excellent class-leading safety features, a spacious interior and impressive fuel efficiency - all for excellent value, starting at less than $18,000.

"It's great to see our vehicles winning more and more industry accolades, and it's an honor for Kia Motors to sit atop the Forbes 'Best Vehicles for Carpooling' list," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of KMA. "The 2009 Optima demonstrates the brand's commitment to offering consumers dynamic vehicles designed with an emphasis on quality, safety, comfort and affordability."

Using data from Kelley Blue Book, Forbes considered only 2009 vehicles that have received five out of five stars on all crash tests and at least four out of five stars on rollover results. The group was then pared down by awarding each vehicle points based on seating capacity, fuel efficiency, amount of front and rear headroom and legroom, and the presence of standard or optional navigation and entertainment systems.

The 2009 Optima is the recipient of a five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)1. As with the rest of the Kia line-up, Optima is equipped with many standard safety features, including six airbags (dual advanced front and front-seat mounted side as well as full-length side curtain), front active headrests, side-impact door beams, height-adjustable front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Electronic stability control (ESC), a traction control system (TCS), brake assist system (BAS) and four-wheel antilock brakes (ABS) also are standard.

2009 Product Line
Kia Motors America offers a dynamic and diverse product line of 11 vehicles to meet the needs of all lifestyles. The 2009 vehicle line features the functional Rondo CUV and award-winning Sedona minivan along with a wide variety of popular passenger cars, including the refined Amanti full-size sedan, purposeful Optima midsize sedan, versatile and compact Spectra and Spectra5, and sporty yet fuel-efficient Rio and Rio5 subcompacts. The vehicle line also features the affordably luxurious Borrego, rugged Sorento and value-packed Sportage SUVs. The 2010 Soul will further complement the lineup when it arrives in dealerships this spring.

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2008, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline "The Power to Surprise."

Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site, www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

1 Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov).


Contact Information
Alex Fedorak
Kia Motors America
(949) 468-4813
AFedorak@Kiausa.com
Shelby Hunt
Zeno Group for Kia Motors America
310.566.3985
Shelby.hunt@zenogroup.com

The Workable Bailout Option for the Nigerian Capital Market

The Workable Bailout Option for the Nigerian Capital Market



By A.G. Olisaemeka

It goes without resentment that only physical injection of funds, which will shore up prices, can lift the capital market from its present very low depth. Responding to the financial meltdown afflicting every facet of business in Nigeria, the Presidential Steering Committee on the Global Economic Meltdown has proposed short, medium and long term palliative measures to address these concerns. The committee recently observed:

"What is being worked out is a package of incentives that will ginger production, increase the purchasing power of the ordinary man on the street, and help generate employment opportunities"
"In the medium and long term strategies, aside infrastructural development, the government is looking in the direction of agriculture, through commercial farming clusters and value chain, not only for food security, but for employment generation."

While specific actions were to be taken in the areas of power and oil, it also noted that:

"While the economic outcome does not look promising given the price of oil, the President remains optimistic that Nigeria can seize the moment to redirect our economy and begin on the road to prosperity."

It has warned that the palliative measures will not include a salary increase. The issue for determination at this juncture is whether these short, medium and long term palliative measures are sufficient to uplift the Nigerian capital market. One has no difficulty in coming to a conclusion of an emphatic "No!"
It is clearly understandable that the focal point of the committee is on the general economy encompassing power, oil and gas, agriculture, the money and capital markets and the emphasis is on increased production, employment generation, higher purchasing power, infrastructural development and food security.

It is one's repeated conviction that although these measures are noble and promising, they do not provide urgent answers to the question of the Nigerian capital market meltdown. The answers they provide are both indirect and tangential to the needs of the capital market.

Only a direct government intervention, characterized by physical funds injection can salvage the descent of the Nigerian capital market.

This can be achieved through any of the following ways:

1. Government Bailout of Banks, Stockbrokers and Investors

Investors in the Nigerian capital market as at end of January have lost more than N9 trillion. Much of these funds came from banks that lent heavily to investors and stock broking firms. This has increased banks non-performing assets on one hand and has foisted the hangman's noose on investors and stock broking firms who have now become "slaves" of banks. The Federal Government can intervene by acquiring these toxic assets at cost, paying off the banks. This will stem the tide of possible bank failures arising from their present capital market over-exposure. It will also relieve the investors and stock broking firms of high debt burden in which they are entrapped and made incapable of making further investments. The government can gradually dispose off these acquired shares in the distant future in a way that will not overheat the market.
This position will align with the statement credited to the Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Remi Babalola:

"…but if for instance, the regulator of the banking system came out to say this is the make up for each of the banks and this is the exposure they have, then we can agree. It is not only in the capital market, there is significant exposure in the downstream. There are so many areas that people might have recorded significant downside. What we need to do is to quantify all these and try to see how we can take it out and give them fresh air to continue their business."

(The Punch, February 5, 2009. Page 15)



Indeed this fresh air, this relief, for banks, stock broking firms and investors is all we need to revive the capital market.



2. Direct Purchase of Shares by the Government on the Nigerian Stock Exchange



The Federal Government may also wish to utilize a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) or use the Ministry of Finance Incorporated to commence buying of shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). When these shares are purchased, they will serve twin purposes – being investment for the government which it can hold, earn returns and later resell on one hand and increase the demand segment of the capital market leading to market recovery, on the other hand, it is estimated that the sum of N800 billion will suffice as the chain effect will trigger other purchase mandates as investors confidence heightens, following the upward movement of both the market capitalization and the ALL-Share-Index.



Finally, the market seems to be gaining some points in both the index and capitalization, following the government announcement of palliative measures highlighted above. It is one's opinion that this appearance of market recovery is only the natural reaction of investors to new information which cannot be sustained.

On 4th February, 2009, the All-Share-Index gained 2.2% to close at 22, 838.32 points and on the 5th February, 2009, it again gained 2.26% to close at 23, 356.03 points. The market capitalization also gained the same percentage movement to close at N5.108 trillion and N5.2 trillion respectively. This is a far cry of all-time high figures of about 66000 points for the Index and about N13.5 trillion for the capitalization less than a year ago.



The euphoria of this announcement of palliative measures that triggered the current bullish trend in the market is not expected to last for the next five working days unless physical capital injection of funds is articulated and implemented. The government should be in a hurry to do this if it wishes to save the capital market.



President Umaru Yar'Adua has directed the the CBN and Finance Ministry to liaise with other agencies and do more work on some short-term palliative measures being proposed so that they could be implemented soon.

Let physical injection of funds into the capital market be part of these measures if they must succeed in changing the direction of the capital market for good, otherwise the Nigerian Capital Market is still sitting on a keg of gunpowder.



By A.G. Olisaemeka

~ A.G. Olisaemeka is a chartered stock broker and consultant on financial matters on doing business in Nigeria. He is the Author/Editor of Scientists Discover Hell: As Astronauts Find Heaven distributed by Amazon.