The Coalition of Civil Rights Organizations, otherwise known as Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), on Wednesday demanded the immediate probe of suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara following the weighty allegations levelled against him by Dr. George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service of the State.

Highlighting some of allegations during a press briefing in Abuja, the Director General of CCLCA, Dr Gabriel Nwambu called on the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to carry out an in-depth investigation of the allegations against the Governor.

Dr. Nwambu emphasized that these allegations, if substantiated, highlight a serious crisis in governance and pose significant threats to the stability and integrity of our democratic institutions.

According to him, Dr. Nwaeke had made several alarming claims that the CSOs believe warrant immediate investigation by the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

He noted the CSOs, numbering 30 are standing in solidarity with Dr. Nwaeke who has offered to share evidence of corruption and other constitutional infractions perpetrated by Governor Fubara and Mr. Edison.

“We collectively urge the relevant authorities to act swiftly and transparently. It is imperative that these allegations are addressed to restore public confidence in the institutions of governance in Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”, he added.

The DG commended President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his decisive intervention in declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, which he said has helped to stabilize the region during this tumultuous period.

Dr. Nwambu explained that the President’s action, confirmed by the National Assembly, was a critical step toward upholding democracy and ensuring the welfare of the people of Rivers State.

He recalled the former Head of Service allegations against Governor Fubara as follows,

“Directives for Arson: Dr. Nwaeke alleged that suspended Governor Sim Fubara instructed his Chief of Staff to burn down the Rivers State House of Assembly to derail his suspected impeachment. This act, if proven, represents a direct violation of Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, which mandates that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“Corruption and Financial Improprieties: It was stated that a bag of money was handed over for the purpose of executing this alleged arson. He also alleged the disbursement of large sums of money for personal interest of the suspended Governor Fubara implicating high-level corruption under Section 15(5) of the same Constitution, which emphasizes the duty of the state to combat corruption in all its forms.

“Threats to Public Safety and Security: Dr. Nwaeke expressed concern regarding planned sabotage of state infrastructure, which aims to incite public disorder. This falls under the purview of Section 1 of the Terrorism Prevention Act (2011), reinforcing the need for immediate intervention to safeguard the lives and property of citizens.

“Collusion with Militant Groups: Allegations of meetings between the governor, his Chief of Staff, and militant leaders pose a serious threat to national security and violate the provisions under Section 43 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended concerning the right to property, as these actions endanger public and private assets, including critical infrastructure.

“Subversion of Labour Rights: Dr. Nwaeke also revealed attempts to compromise Labour leaders in the state to quell dissent. This breaches Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association, fundamental pillars of democracy.

“In light of these allegations, we strongly urge immediate action by the relevant agencies of Government”.

Hammering on developments from last week opening of suspended Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s underbelly by his HoS, Dr George Nwaeke.

Dr Nwaeke had over the weekend narrated all the hidden atrocities of Fubara and his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie.

Watch clip below:

By Francesca Hangeior

Over the next decade, advances in artificial intelligence will mean that humans will no longer be needed “for most things” in the world, says Bill Gates.

That’s what the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist told comedian Jimmy Fallon during an interview on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” in February.

At the moment, expertise remains “rare,” Gates explained, pointing to human specialists we still rely on in many fields, including “a great doctor” or “a great teacher.”

But “with AI, over the next decade, that will become free, commonplace — great medical advice, great tutoring,” Gates said.

In other words, the world is entering a new era of what Gates called “free intelligence” in an interview last month with Harvard University professor and happiness expert Arthur Brooks. The result will be rapid advances in AI-powered technologies that are accessible and touch nearly every aspect of our lives, Gates has said, from improved medicines and diagnoses to widely available AI tutors and virtual assistants.

“It’s very profound and even a little bit scary — because it’s happening very quickly, and there is no upper bound,” Gates told Brooks.

The debate over how, exactly, most humans will fit into this AI-powered future is ongoing. Some experts say AI will help humans work more efficiently — rather than replacing them altogether — and spur economic growth that leads to more jobs being created.

Others, like Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, counter that continued technological advancements over the next several years will change what most jobs look like across nearly every industry, and have a “hugely destabilizing” impact on the workforce.

“These tools will only temporarily augment human intelligence,” Suleyman wrote in his book “The Coming Wave,” which was published in 2023. “They will make us smarter and more efficient for a time, and will unlock enormous amounts of economic growth, but they are fundamentally labor replacing.”

AI is both concerning and a ‘fantastic opportunity’

Gates is optimistic about the overall benefits AI can provide to humanity, like “breakthrough treatments for deadly diseases, innovative solutions for climate change, and high-quality education for everyone,” he wrote last year.

Talking to Fallon, Gates reaffirmed his belief that certain types of jobs will likely never be replaced by AI, noting that people probably don’t want to see machines playing baseball, for example.

“There will be some things we reserve for ourselves. But in terms of making things and moving things and growing food, over time those will be basically solved problems,” Gates said.

AI’s development does come with “understandable and valid” concerns, Gates wrote in a 2023 blog post. Today’s top-of-the-line AI programs are rife with errors and prone to enabling the spread of falsehoods online, for example.

But if he had to start a new business from scratch, he’d launch an “AI-centric” startup, Gates told CNBC Make It in September 2024.

“Today, somebody could raise billions of dollars for a new AI company [that’s just] a few sketch ideas,” he said, adding: “I’m encouraging young people at Microsoft, OpenAI, wherever I find them: ‘Hey, here’s the frontier.’ Because you’re taking a fresher look at this than I am, and that’s your fantastic opportunity.”

Gates predicted AI’s potential years ago

Gates saw the AI revolution coming nearly a decade ago: When asked which industry he’d focus on if he had to start over from scratch, he quickly chose AI.

“The work in artificial intelligence today is at a really profound level,” Gates said at a 2017 event at Columbia University alongside Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. He pointed to the “profound milestone” of Google’s DeepMind AI lab creating a computer program that could defeat humans at the board game Go.

At the time, the technology was years away from ChatGPT-style generative text, powered by large language models. Yet by 2023, even Gates was surprised by the speed of AI’s development. He’d challenged OpenAI to create a model that could get a top score on a high school AP Biology exam, expecting the task to take two or three years, he wrote in his blog post.

“They finished it in just a few months,” wrote Gates. He called the achievement “the most important advance in technology since the graphical user interface [in 1980].”