In my opinion the most important change with WordPress 3.0 (aka Theolonius) is the merge of the individual and multiple-user (MU) versions. The new functionality, called multi-site, will allow blog administrators to manage one or any number of blogs from one install.
On the admin side, the look is brighter than the old version and a new theme API will allow developers to, “easily implement custom backgrounds, headers, shortlinks, menus (no more file editing), post types, and taxonomies.” The new administration section also allows blog administrators the ability to update WordPress core files and plugins at the same time. You can create a short URL for new blog posts using your favorite URL shortener. The short URL can be shared on social networking services.
A new default blog template named Twenty Ten comes standard with WordPress 3.0. The new template replaces the old default template and features a refined look along with more customization options than before.

Read the whole new feature list here.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, the logo on Google.com.ng depicts a child’s day at home…to school. So…it’s May 27, but it is great to note that only Nigeria celebrates Children’s day on May 27 (confirm on Wikipedia). It’s a great localization move by Google.

And while I’m sure our independence day might be greeted with this…as I predicted and as Kayode Makinde concurred.

By the way, will Jun12 and May 29 be recognized by Bro. Google? I bet not.

fring™ is a mobile internet community and communication service that allows friends to connect, share experiences and enhance their online communities together.

Using your handset?s internet connection, you can interact with friends on all your favourite social networks including Skype®, MSN Messenger®, Google Talk™, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo!™ and AIM®. You can listen to music with your Last.fm friends, check out what each other are up to on Facebook, receive alerts of new Google Mail™ and tailor make your very own fring by adding more cool experiences from fringAdd-ons™.

fring puts all your online friends into one, dynamic fringFriends™ buddy list, which is always connected so you can enjoy free calls and instant messaging with all your online friends, see their real-time status, and even find each other’s actual location.

fring combines your multiple IM contacts into one dynamic profile, which shows each friend’s current availability at a quick glance and enables interaction, all directly from this combined mobile profile.

Yola.com

Now my mum can design websites. Thanks to Yola.com

Welcome web design made simple. 

Yola brings website building to the rest of us(rather you). Small businesses. Groups and organizations. Non-profits. My Mum. The guy in the next cube. Everyone. 

Yola is the world’s leading easy-to-use, browser based, website development software for SME’s and groups, and currently has over 2m users worldwide.

Their website builder lets you easily take what’s in your head and turn it into webpages in front of your eyes. Yola lets you make great-looking sites with webpages that work beautifully together.  And, they do it without imposing banner ads or throwing up pop-up ad windows everywhere.

Check out Yola.com‘s exciting features.

Sneak peek: Yola.com was formally Synthasite.com. The startup was founded by South Africa’s Vinny Lingham . Vinny is the recipient of numerous awards, including Top Young ICT Entrepreneur in Africa (2006) & was also a finalist for Men’s Health Best Man (2009) & ICT Personality of the Year in South Africa (2008). He also previously founded Clicks2Customers, which also won the Top Technology Company award in South Africa in 2006, for it’s revolutionary search engine marketing software and services – servicing world class clients such as Walmart.

Ning is the social platform for the world’s interests and passions online. Ning offers an easy-to-use service that allows people to join and create Ning Networks. With more than 1.5 million Ning Networks created and 33 million registered users, millions of people every day are coming together across Ning to explore and express their interests, discover new passions, and meet new people around shared pursuits. Nigerians are not left out either.

Notable nigerian sites powered by ning .com include

1. naijaclimatecool.ning.com
2. lagosians.com
    
3. kickoffnigeria.com
4. naijabook.ning.com
    

Ning was founded in October 2004 by Gina Bianchini and Marc Andreessen.

Go to ning.com and build yours. However an extreme makeover like KickOff’s requires the expertise of a web designer.

gani in black maria

He was said to had died last night. Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi was born in April, 1938, he dedicated his whole life to the defence of human rights and condemnation  of all ill government polices, fought the military junta with all that he had.

Here are 20 facts about Gani’s life, background, and travails as an activist.

1. Gani was forced by financial circumstance to drop out of the Holborn College as a full time student while studying Law. He then took a full time job as a Toilet Cleaner in Russell Square Hotel in Southampton Row, London. 
2. Gani Fawehinmi has 14 children from 2 wives. 
3. Gani’s biography is the most voluminous for any Nigerian dead or alive with over 4,300 pages. 
4.  A site has been dedicated to Gani. http://www.ganifawehinmi.com/. This site was built while he was alive.
5.  During Abacha’s regime, Gani was deported from PortHarcourt back to Lagos. This is the first of its kind when someone was deported from a state back to his home state.
6. His international passport has been siezed 7 times by security agents.
7. Gani has been detained 40 times by security agents.
8. Gani was an only son of out of six children born to his mum. He was the first child.
9. Gani Fawehinmi was the only person who on sympathizing with President Olusegun Obasanjo on Stella’s death,  blamed him and Nigeria’s health system for her demise. He said 

“The events of Saturday and Sunday the 22nd and 23rd October, 2005 which have thrown the country into mourning should never be allowed to repeat themselves. We do not want another plane crash and if you bring in another wife before you constitutionally quit office on 29th May, 2007, please do not allow her to go for a cosmetic surgery for beautification again. We cannot afford another death of the President’s wife in Aso Rock”.  Read full letter.

10. Gani was famous worldwide for his blunt and sharp words. Some of his memorable quotes are:

 “The disappearance of Charles Taylor from Nigerian soil is a humiliating disgrace to Nigeria. Obasanjo must explain why this happened.” – Gani Fawehinmi

“There is nothing new in the speech. It is the same old wine in new bottles. It’s a disappointing statement. In fact it is a disastrous speech.” – Gani Fawehinmi 

“I’m not surprised at this result, I’m saddened, not surprised. This government will do anything to keep its power by deceiving the people.” – Gani Fawehinmi 

 “This is incredible. This is fantastic. This gives us hope that something good will begin to happen soon.” – Gani Fawehinmi 

Since the English Premier League began, www.Gamen11.com has been  provide breaking news,scores and fixtures by SMS to football fans who
have already registered on Gamen11.com and the service is absolutely free.

Friends and family can get the most up-to-the-minute news,fixtures and
scores on their favourite clubs, but only if they sign up, not before.

As a user, you may send a Yab,Did You Know, or Fan Shout to anybody, whetherthey are registered on Gamen11 or not: friends, family,enemy,by using Gamen11′s Free SMS service. All you have to do is choose the message that best says what you wish to communicate, enter the recipient’s phone number and then click send.

So what were you waiting for? Or what are you still waiting for?

The List of Major Debtors of Non-Performing Loans in Five Banks

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released the details of major and largest debtors of non-performing loans of the five banks whose managements were sacked recently. The debtors include government agencies, corporate organisations and individuals in their personal capacities. Most of the directors are popular billionaires, politicians, retired military Generals among others.

The defaulting customers of the affected banks have been directed to pay the amounts without further delay their indebtedness, failing which the central bank would take all appropriate legal actions to ensure payment.

Out of the N210bn of the non-performing loan of the Intercontinental Bank Plc, the major and largest debtors as at May 2009 include Ascot Offshore Nigeria Limited which has as its directors Joey Chuma Obue and Samuel Aikhionbare owing N44bn, Rockson Engineering Limited that belongs to Engr. J.I.A. Arumemikhide having N36bn to offset, United Alliance Company of Mr. Aig-Imoukhede and Herbert Wigwe to refund N16bn, Rahamaniya Oil and Gas of Abdulrahaman Bashir with N12bn, Dansa Oil and Gas of Aliko Dangote and his brother, Sani Dangote with N8bn, Transcorp of Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke and others with N6bn, Lister Oil Limited of Alhaji Arisekola Alao to refund N5bn and Accountant General Special Project N14,5bn among others.

The major debtors of Afribank’s N141bn non-performing loans are Suleman Ibrahim of Kolvey Company that has Suleiman Ibrahim and Aisha Usman as director and owing the bank N16bn, Rehoboth Assets Limited of Chudi Ajaegbu to refund N15bn, Resolution Trust and Invest of Patience Orighommesan and Sarah Oritse to repay N12bn, Petosan Property and Dev of the same Patience and Sarah to pay another 10bn, Larix Nig Ltd of Alhaji idah to pay N6bn, Bro Works of Alhaji Ibrahim N5bn, Falcon Securities Limited that has Peter Ololo as MD to offset N29bn and African Petroleum of Femi Otedola to refund N12bn among others.

The major debtors in Union Bank nonperforming loans of N73bn are Transnational Corp where Dr. Ndi Okereke Onyiuke as prominent director to settle the indebtedeness of N30bn, MTS FIRST WIRELESS LTD of Chief Lulu Briggs with N9bn, Zenon of Femi Otedola N6bn, IRS Airlines of Khalifa Isiaka Rabiu N3bn, Avian Spec Ltd N1.7bn, Communication Trends Ltd of Engr. Uzo Udemba to offset N1.1bn, DJONES of Sir J. O. Eze N524mn. Others include Chanchangi airlines N423mn, Ikeja Hotels Plc N1,2bn, Bao Yao Huan N3,1bn, MINAJ Holdings N1,6bn, Ibeto Industries N2,4bn among others.

The major debtors in Oceanic Bank’s nonperforming loan of N278bn are Notore Chemical Industries Ltd and African Finance Corporation N32bn, Rahamaniya Global Services of Abulrahman Musa Bashir N28bn, LV Development of Michael Onasanya N2.7bn, Dangote Industries of Aliko Dangote N2.5bn, Falcon Securities of Peter Ukoritsemofe Ololo N22bn, Spark-West Steel Industries of Niyi Oyedele N18bn, Mid-Western Oil and Gas of Onajite Okoloko and engr. Adams Okoene N23bn, Oando of General Magoro and others N7bn, Honeywell Group of Oba Otudeko N1.6bn, BFCL Assets and Securities Of Okoro and Ibru N4bn, Global Fleet of Jimoh Ibrahim N14bn, Zarm Poultry of Muftau Gbadamosi N8.3bn, Imad Oil and Gas of Bashir and Abba Dasuki N10bn, Delta State N6.4bn, NITEL N7bn, Obat Oil and Petroleum of Prince Fedrick Akinrutan among others.

The major debtors in FINBANK’s nonperforming loans of N42bn are Aquitane Oil and gas Limited of Ike Okolo and Dahiru Wada N3.6bn, Falcon Securities of peter Ololo and Senator Jonathan Tunde N3bn, Spring Trust 1,9bn, Jevkon Oil and Gas N1.6bn, Reliance telecommunication N800m, Ebonyi State 587mn, Intercellular Nig N157mn and Ararume Godwin Ifeanyi N158mn among others.

The Tables of Defaulters

Major Debtors of Intercontinental Bank Plc

Major Debtors of Union Bank

Major Debtors of Afribank

Major Debtors of Oceanic Banks

Major Debtors of Finbank.

Source: ECONOMIC CONFIDENTIAL| | Factual, Authoritative & Accessible.

Here is it….

I went to the club as usual on friday night to hangout with the guys and on this particular night,i saw toksy dre,one of the “unruly bunch” who hardly visited the club at this kind of time,tie askew,no blazer,ruffled hair ,a week of stubble on his chin and a furrowed look,this wasn’t the young CEO of hexy oil that i knew,something was amiss and it was amiss seriously! after a couple of drinks(no margaritas),i decided to find out what was wrong.

Mista Mann: toks,kilon sele,how u dey!
Toks: norin mushh o!your guy just dey
Mista mann: no seriously,you look like PDP governor wey dey await result from election petition tribunal!
Toks: no be so(with a smile…)

Last week was my birthday and I didn’t feel very well waking up on that morning. I went downstairs for breakfast hoping my wife would be pleasant and say, ‘Happy Birthday!’, and possibly have a small present for me.

As it turned out, she barely said good morning, let alone ‘ Happy Birthday.’ I thought, Well, that’s marriage for you, but the kids, They will remember.

My kids came bounding down stairs to breakfast and didn’t say a word. So when I left for the office, I felt pretty low and somewhat
despondent.
As I walked into my office, my secretary Jane said, ‘Good Morning Boss, and by the way Happy Birthday ! ‘
It felt a little better that at least someone had remembered. I worked until one o’clock , when Jane knocked on my door and said, ‘You know,
It’s such a beautiful day outside, and it is your Birthday, what do you say we go out to lunch, just you and me.’

I said, ‘Thanks, Jane, that’s the greatest thing I’ve heard all day. Let’s go !’ We went to lunch. But we didn’t go where we normally would go.

She chose instead at a quiet bistro with a private table. We had two martinis each and I enjoyed the meal tremendously.

On the way back to the office, Jane said, ‘You know, It’s such a beautiful day, We don’t need to go straight back to the office, Do We
?’

I responded, ‘I guess not. What do you have in mind ?’

She said, ‘Let’s drop by my apartment, it’s just around the corner.’

After arriving at her apartment, Jane turned to me and said, ‘ Boss, if you don’t mind, I’m going to step into the bedroom for just a
moment.

I’ll be right back.’ ‘Ok.’ I nervously replied.She went into the bedroom and, after a couple of minutes, she came out carrying a huge
birthday cake , Followed by my wife, my kids, and dozens of my friends and co-workers, all singing ‘Happy Birthday’.

And I just sat there, On the couch,Naked.

Credits: www.seriouslytalking.com.