5 Ways to Step Up Your Social Selling Game

Selling on social media is no longer the big mystery it used to be. In fact, it’s one of the “rising stars” in the sales industry. If you’ve cracked the code of social selling, you’re off to the races, experiencing big sales wins and better customer retention.
But even for the most expert sales teams, there still remains one big hurdle: how to track the ROI of your social selling efforts. If you don’t have a process in place to track how social conversations turn into revenue, you’re not alone.
Our blog today—the second installment in our social strategy series with Microsoft—offers simple ways to nail down your social selling process, including basic steps on how to track your sales with the Dynamics for Hootsuite integration.

1. Document leads according to social conversations

Social selling is a relatively new concept, so it’s not always clear what to do with a lead that you find on social media. You may have a great conversation with a potential customer on social, but what do you do when that conversation is over?
It’s important that you connect your social selling outreach to your existing sales process. Make sure that you document your social conversations and segment customers based on their needs. That way you can track your relationship with them.
Using Dynamics for Hootsuite? You can flag, and create a profile for, leads and opportunities based on posts and conversations that happen on social media.

2. Gather customer data based on social profiles

When you get context around your customers, you can make better decisions about how to build a meaningful relationship.
As a starting point, check out your potential customers’ social profiles to gather information. Look at things like their bio, how active they are on social media, and what types of content they enjoy sharing. Document key points for future conversations.
Using Dynamics for Hootsuite? Fill out the personal details section or activity history for leads, contacts, or customers in Dynamics Online for Hootsuite. When you have a recurring conversation with a potential customer, you can pull up their profile for reference.

3. Identify where customers are in the sales funnel

By tracking customers’ social engagement with your company, you can get a better understanding of where they are in the buying process.
Keep tabs on what your leads are up to on social media. How often do they reach out? What kinds of questions are they asking? What level of awareness do they have about your product or services? Answering these questions will help you define your customers’ needs and how you can help.
Using Dynamics for Hootsuite? Capture customers’ social activities from Hootsuite. You can view all activities and conversations in Dynamics Online lead and contact records.

4. Provide targeted customer content

Once you understand where your customers are in the sales funnel, you should provide useful content that will educate them and help them make decisions.
Content is an essential part of the social selling process. According to a recent DemandGen study, 82 percent of B2B buyers viewed five or more pieces of content during the decision-making process. Work in coordination with your marketing team to deliver content that addresses different stages in the buyer journey.
Using Dynamics for Hootsuite? Use customer activity records to answer customer questions and provide the right content to your customers.

5. Provide awesome social customer service

When companies respond to customer service requests over social media, those customers end up spending 20 to 40 percent more with the company. Unfortunately, many companies don’t take advantage of this sales opportunity. Over 289 million complaints on social go unanswered every year in the United States.
Monitor your professional and company accounts so that you can respond to customers quickly and effectively (the average response time on Twitter is around two hours). Keep tabs on customers and follow up to make sure problems have been resolved.

Dog missing 10 years found in Alabama, returning to owner

Tracy Dove assumed the worst after her 1-year-old dog named Charlie disappeared in 2006. Days without the animal turned into years, and Dove figured the brown-and-white pointer was dead.

Then, last week, Dove's phone rang: Charlie had been found alive near the south Alabama town of Brewton. A veterinary clinic tracked her down using a microchip that Dove had implanted in the dog when it was young.

"I was shocked, overwhelmed. I cried," Dove said in an interview Thursday. "It's amazing."

No one knows where the dog has been for the last decade, but Charlie has a gray muzzle now and a cancerous tumor in his chest. Charlie will undergo surgery at a veterinary clinic in Mobile as soon as next week, and Dove plans to bring him home as soon as possible afterward.

"It will be a lengthy road for him, but he'll be home," said Dove, who lives near Birmingham in Corner and works as a dental assistant.

Dove was living in Cullman with her then 8-year-old son when Charlie disappeared a decade ago. Charlie is a German Shorthaired Pointer, a breed favored by hunters, and Dove believes someone stole him from an enclosure outside the house.

"It's an expensive hunting dog. We just kept him as a pet," said Dove. "He was a spoiled rotten pet."

After Charlie disappeared, Dove kept updating her contact information in an online database used to match animal owners with pets that are implanted with microchips for identification, but she never thought she'd see the dog again.

Charlie's road back began when a neighbor told animal rescuer Renee Jones about a dog that was lying on the steps of a church near Brewton, about 250 miles from the dog's last known home. Volunteers took the dog to Spring Hill Animal Clinic in Mobile, where a worker found the microchip.

"We often get dogs with microchips, but often the information hasn't been updated and the phone numbers don't work," said Jones, director of Souls on Board Rescue Ride, a nonprofit organization. "When the number worked, it was pretty wild."

Dove didn't know what to think when the call came.

"I was shocked and at first I thought 'This has got to be a scam' because it's been 10 years," she said. "They sent me a picture and I talked with them, and it's my Charlie."

Donations from an online fundraiser will cover the cost of the dog's surgery, and Dove plans to be there when it's done.

"He's too weak and sick to make the trip home, so I am going to stay down there with him until he's well enough to come home," she said. "And then he'll be my dog again."

Nigeria and pro-Biafra campaigners step up war of words

Nigeria's government and pro-Biafra activists are increasingly trading accusations of deadly violence, threatening to aggravate a tense stand-off prompted by the detention of the group's leader.

Earlier this month, Nigerian intelligence accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement of abducting and killing five ethnic Fulani people and burying them shallow graves.

The Department of State Services (DSS) claimed the murders were proof of the group's "true divisive colour and objectives", as it sought to "ignite ethnic terrorism and mistrust".

The escalating rhetoric has fanned animosity between the predominantly-Christian Igbo people of the southeast and the Fulani that dates back decades.

Igbos have long accused ethnic Fulani political leaders in federal government posts of marginalising them by denying them senior positions and funding for infrastructure and development.

Many in the region see it as a "punishment" for declaring independence in May 1967, which sparked a brutal civil war that lasted until 1970.

The significance of the DSS accusation is not lost on Nigerians because of violence before secession against Igbos living in the mainly Muslim north, where Hausa-speaking Fulani are dominant.

Igbo resentment towards the federal government has not abated since the end of the conflict but is growing because of President Muhammadu Buhari's tough response to IPOB.

Feelings of alienation have been exacerbated at a desperate time when Nigeria is experiencing its slowest growth in more than a decade, inflation is at a four-year high, and chronic fuel shortages.

Now, it is feared alleged Fulani attacks in the southeast -- common in the religiously-mixed central states -- are stoking ethnic grievances and drawing people to the separatist cause.

- 'Incessant killings' -

For weeks, Fulani herdsmen -- nomadic Muslim cattle raisers -- have been accused of killing farmers in Nigeria's agricultural heartland, according to local media.

But on Tuesday, police said at least seven farmers in the southeast state of Enugu were killed in a Fulani raid that IPOB said could spark a "second genocide".

"I can assure you more people are coming to Indigenous People of Biafra," said Prince Emmanuel Kanu, whose brother Nnamdi is the group's leader and is facing treason charges for "propagating a secessionist agenda".

"IPOB is conducting serious meetings all over Biafraland to find a solution," he told AFP. "For how long to you want to continue killing us and for how long do you want us to remain quiet?"

Despite being jailed since October, Nnamdi Kanu's trial has yet to get under way, a delay his lawyers attribute to the state's inability to bring a strong case against him.

Meanwhile, mass protests calling for his release in the southeast cities of Aba and Owerri have been halted as a result of what Prince said were "the incessant killings" by security forces.

According to human rights lawyer Onkere Kingdom Nnamdi, the police and military have killed more than 50 protesters between October and February this year.

He is filing a lawsuit against the government for damages on behalf of the injured protestors and families of the deceased.

"There are over 200 people in detention," the lawyer said, adding: "Do you know the worst aspect of it? There are those that are missing, their whereabouts cannot be traced."

- 'Need for empathy' -

Kanu's detention and the fate of his supporters echo that of Shiite Muslim cleric Ibrahim Zakzaky, who has been in custody since December after his followers clashed with the military.

Amnesty International has accused the army of "unlawfully" and "deliberately" killing more than 350 of Zakzaky's followers and has criticised Buhari, who is ethnic Hausa-Fulani and a Sunni Muslim.

Buhari, elected last year on a pledge to tackle internal security threats, has seen successes against Boko Haram Islamists, whose insurgency has left some 20,000 people dead since 2009.

But the more amorphous threats emerging across the country demand more diplomacy than force, suggested Nnamdi Obasi, Nigeria analyst for the International Crisis Group.

"The continued detention of Kanu doesn't serve the purpose it was intended to serve, if the purpose was to put down the agitation," he said.

"The heavy-handed response is totally unnecessary, it risks radicalising the group.

"There is a desperate need for dialogue, there is a great need for empathy but the government is not showing that at the moment, so things are getting worse."

Ranieri to get 5 mln pound bonus if Leicester win title: report

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri will earn a five million pound ($7.33 million) bonus if his team win the Premier League title, the Times reported on Friday.

Italian Ranieri also has a separate clause in his contract that guarantees him 100,000 pounds for every place that his team finish above 18th, which will see him earn 1.7 million pounds if the Foxes come first.

When Ranieri took charge of Leicester in the close season, he was tasked with keeping the team in the Premier League. Leicester's owners wrote a number of clauses into his contract to make a parting of ways easier if he failed.

Ranieri asked for clauses of his own, granting him incentives if the club qualified for the Europa League, the Champions League or won the Premier League.

He currently earns about 1.5 million pounds a year, according to the report, and is in discussions with the club over a new contract.

Leicester need three points from their last three games to win their first top-flight title and will be crowned champions if they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday or if second-placed Tottenham Hotspur lose to Chelsea on Monday night.

When asked earlier in the season if Leicester's players would also be entitled to a bonus if the team won the title, Ranieri said: "I don't know if there is a clause (for players) and I don't tell you. They made a mistake if they didn't arrange it. I considered if I win the league."

($1 = 0.6823 pounds)

How to Write Scan-Friendly Content:Digital Marketing

Some 63% of small businesses invest 6% or less of their revenue on marketing efforts, according to our 2016 State of Small Business Report.

They can't afford to lose potential customers because of bad online content.
What's bad content?
Anything that a reader cannot easily scan and understand.
Here are a seven tips that will help make your online text scannable and easy-to-understand, and boost engagement.
1. Keep your sentences short; aim for roughly 16 words
Long sentences make you sound long-winded, not professional. But even we succumb... This 45-word sentence was found in one of our company blog posts:

2. Write in a conversational style
Write like people talk, just use better grammar. Your Web content should sound like a conversation, not like an IRS tax form.
Create a relationship with your readers by using personal words such as you, we, us.
3. Take your readers' perspective and ask, 'Why should this matter to me?'
Those six little words will help you focus your content on what your audience wants and needs to know, rather than on what your business wants to tell them.
Don't use content if it doesn't rank high on the readers' "this matters to me" scale.
4. Use one main idea per paragraph
Figure out what that main idea is, and highlight it in 1-5 brief sentences. (Yes, a one-sentence paragraph is OK.)
Break a long, complicated paragraph into a few smaller ones.
5. Use the active voice
"We provide free shipping" is easy to read and direct, because the sentence subject does the action. This is active voice.
"Free shipping is provided by us" is cumbersome because the subject passively receives the action rather than actively doing the action. It's passive—therefore, this is passive voice.
6. Check the readability level of your content
Scannable writing is clear and easy to understand. Check your content by running it through a readability test. These tests evaluate your copy to see what level of education a potential reader would need to comprehend it.
Microsoft Word has a built-in readability test under the Review tab's Spelling and Grammar option. This article came in at a 7.8 grade level:

On average, US adults struggle with reading a book written for 8th grade students. That's roughly the reading level of Reader's Digest.
Aim for content that has a 6-10th grade reading level.
7. Visually break things up with white space and microcontent
White space prevents the screen from looking crowded and makes it easier for the eye to follow the content.
Microcontent is the bite-sized content that hooks the reader and helps the eye scan your Web material. It includes...

• Headlines: A 4-10-word summary of your content. Goes at the top.
• Brief summary: Follows the headline. Should be a 14-20-word overview of your main points.
• Subheads: Descriptive words or brief sentences that break up sections of text.
• Boldface text: Use it for headlines and subheads, and also to highlight key words, ideas, deadlines, and critical steps.
• Bullet points: Use them for lists rather than for many lines of text.

Where is President Buhari:Bloodbath in Enugu as Fulani herdsmen kill 40

The only crime we committed is that we don't allow Fulani herdsmen to use their cows destroy our farmlands. See what Hausa/Fulani did to my people. The casualties recorded so far are up to twenty even a corps member, Mr Patrick Eze who came home to see his parents was murdered and yet no single arrest has be made.. The people of Nimbo community in Uzo Uwani LGA of Enugu state is experiencing second civil war now. May God save us from this country called Nigeria....or is it because President Buhari is a Fulani man and he is making no comments, no action to curtail the activities of his kinsmen.
The Fulani herdsmen are greater threats to Nigerian sovereignty if care is not taking. The presidency should see to there activities quickly until it degenerates to something else...And if the government seems to careless ...it will make other people to take the laws into their hands by protecting themselves with whatever the want.
Catholic church,11 houses burnt It’s a national issue, not ethnic —OKOROCHA Cattle owners, not herdsmen, should be questioned—OHANAEZE By Emeka Mamah, Clifford Ndujihe, Chidi Nkwopara & Chinenyeh Ozor NSUKKA—About 40 persons have so far been reportedly killed by some Fulani herdsmen at Nimbo in Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, sources told Vanguard at Nsukka Police Area Command, near the area yesterday. The incident took place barely 24 hours after stories filtered out that no fewer than 500 heavily-armed Fulani herdsmen sneaked into the community preparatory to launch an attack. About seven villages in Nimbo (Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara) were among the areas attacked. Ten residential houses and a church, Christ Holy Church International, aka Odozi Obodo, were also said to have been burnt by the herdsmen just as vehicles and motorcycles were destroed and domestic animals killed. A young man, whose name was yet to be ascertained, was burnt inside a commuter bus belonging to one Ejima, son of a prominent man popularly called ‘Are you there’ near the Christ Holy Church, Nimbo. A victim’s story Kingsley Ezugwu, former Councillor, Nimbo Ward 2, was one of the victims of the attack. Speaking from his hospital bed in Nsukka, Ezugwu said: “I was coming out from the house when I heard the community bell ringing. I was going with a friend to know what the bell was all about, only to see about 40 Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated guns and machetes. “They pursued us, killed my friend and shot at me several times but missed. They caught up with me and used machetes on me until I lost consciousness.” He said one of them later discovered that he was alive and called on the others to finish him off. They ignored him. He said he crawled until a good samaritan helped him to the hospital. Dead bodies litter hospitals Refugees: Some residents fleeing the community. Refugees: Some residents fleeing the community. So far, six dead bodies have been recovered and deposited at Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, while others, who sustained injuries were rushed to Royal Cross Hospital and Enugu State District Hospital, Nsukka. Meanwhile, villagers and other residents of the area were fleeing the town. It’s a national issue—OKOROCHA In its reaction to the development, the South-East Governors Forum, said what happened at Ukpabi-Nimbo is like any other national issue that deserves the understanding and cooperation of all Nigerians of goodwill to tackle. Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chairman of the Forum, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “It is a national issue that also requires national approach to resolve. “Our problem in this country is that whatever happens is given an ethnic colouration and that makes the solution to such problem somewhat difficult.” It’s failure of governance—Ohanaeze To the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, the continuous killing of people across the country by herdsmen without any response from the Federal Government is a failure of governance. He said: “We are very sad and very disappointed that all over the country, not just the South-East, these killings by Fulani herdsmen have continued unabated and nothing concrete is being done by the Federal Government. “The first act of governance is protection of lives and property. It is complete failure of governance. There has been no response from the Federal Government and this is allowing the Fulani herdsmen to continue the killing spree. “Everybody is worried about the poor attitude of the Federal Government to this massacre across the country. Boko Haram is operating in the North-East and Fulani herdsmen are killing people all over the country. It is not the herdsmen that should be held responsible, but owners of the cattle. “The herdsmen are under the instruction of highly-placed Fulani people who own the cattle. They are heavily armed. How many cows can the herdsmen buy? Federal Government should stop this nonsense before it causes a catastrophe.” Meanwhile, police sources said it would be difficult to say the actual number of those killed, even as the killing is spreading to other parts of the local government. Similarly, member representing Uzo-Uwani constituency at the Enugu State House of Assembly, John Ukuta, said: “I am shocked that this has happened to my people. It is disturbing to learn that security men that were earlier assigned to ward off the rampaging herdsmen disappeared few minutes before they struck only to re-appear after they completed their horrifying assignment. “This situation has become a national epidemic. People are leaving their communities in droves. Security agencies should move in now.” Victims The bodies of those recovered included that of an old man of about 85, and another young man whose throat was slit. One of the victims, who was simply identified as Mr. Ajogwu, father of the former Councillor for Nimbo Ward 1, Sunday Ajogwu, had his left hand severed. Another one had his stomach ripped open, spilling his intestines. Traditional rulers lament The traditional ruler of Nimbo, Igwe John Akor, told Vanguard on telephone that the attackers struck at about 7a.m. when they had left for their farms. He said: “Most of those who were killed died in the early hours of the morning. We are still counting our losses. We have not started going into the farms and bushes to look for our dead brothers and sisters. “When the situation becomes very calm, we will start looking for the rest of the victims. For now, our prayer is that the Federal Government sends security men to restore peace.” Also reacting, the traditional ruler of Abbi community, Eze Fidelis Igwe, complained that his community had over the years suffered untold hardship in the hands of Fulani herdsmen, who he accused of maiming and gang-raping “our women at farmlands” in addition to robbing and kidnapping his people or stealing and destroying cash crops in the community. He said: “This is the fourth time Fulani herdsmen have invaded our community in three years. The losses are too much for us to bear. “The remaining people of the community have now taken refuge in neighbouring communities due to fear of another invasion by the herdsmen who do not give signs before striking. “We have made several appeal to the Police, Uzo-Uwani Local Government and Enugu State government demanding for the Fulani herdsmen to leave our community, but nothing has happened.” In his reaction, Igwe Herbert Ukuta of Igga in Uzo Uwani said: “I am appealing to the state government and the Commissioner of Police to send some detachment of police and military personnel to secure the lives of Igga community where I come from. “The Fulani herdsmen had earlier threatened that Igga community is among the areas they will attack. “They have now attacked Nimbo, which is among the areas they vowed to attack. Others are Echenwo and Abbi. Already, the people of other communities are fleeing their homes over fear of the herdsmen attack.” Already, the Enugu State Police Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, had visited the troubled community with the Area Commander for Nsukka, Monday Kuryasi, among other top police officers. ‘They evacuated their cattle’ The Fulani herdsmen had vacated the area with their cattle in the early hours of Saturday, before the attackers, who reportedly came from Nasarawa State, struck. There had been anxiety in Nimbo following reports that about 500 Fulani herdsmen were assembling to attack the area. It was gathered that fellow Fulani herdsmen at Adani had, at the weekend, imported about 500 others from Nasarawa State to help them invade Nimbo community on the grounds that some of their cattle were missing in the area. Stakeholders’ wasted efforts However, as a result of the development, stakeholders from the local government met, weekend, in Enugu to find solution to the incessant attacks, kidnap and rape by herdsmen on communities in the local government. According to sources, Chairman of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Cornell Onwubuya, had alerted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the state Commissioner of Police, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, of the threat. Onwubuya was said to have further alerted other stakeholders who met leaders of the Fulani community in Enugu State on the impending attack. Speaking at the emergency meeting held on Saturday, Onwubuya said the local leaders of the Fulani community also confirmed that there were attempts to bring in mercenaries to attack some communities in Uzo-Uwani, adding that the Fulani leaders in Enugu had complained that some of their people were killed within the axis of Nimbo and Abbi communities in the recent past. Fulani leader’s failed assurance At the meeting, Enugu State leader of the Fulani community, Alhaji Haldo Saidu Baso, said he had lived in Enugu State for over 33 years and would not be alive to witness the type of crisis they were talking about. The Fulani leader said he would talk to his people not to take laws into their hands but to report disturbing issues to the traditional rulers of the communities. Vanguard learned from a native, who witnessed the gory scene that the herdsmen were armed with AK-47 rifles, and came with two buses fully loaded with arms and ammunition at about 7.13a.m. Police, Army move in Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said: “The Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, is in the area with a combined team of Army and Police. I can confirm there were casualties but the exact number is still what I do not know.” At press time, efforts to speak with the Local Government Chairman failed as he claimed to be at the scene of the crisis with Nwodibo and other police officers.

Catholic church,11 houses burnt It’s a national issue, not ethnic —OKOROCHA Cattle owners, not herdsmen, should be questioned—OHANAEZE By Emeka Mamah, Clifford Ndujihe, Chidi Nkwopara & Chinenyeh Ozor NSUKKA—About 40 persons have so far been reportedly killed by some Fulani herdsmen at Nimbo in Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, sources told Vanguard at Nsukka Police Area Command, near the area yesterday. The incident took place barely 24 hours after stories filtered out that no fewer than 500 heavily-armed Fulani herdsmen sneaked into the community preparatory to launch an attack. About seven villages in Nimbo (Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara) were among the areas attacked. Ten residential houses and a church, Christ Holy Church International, aka Odozi Obodo, were also said to have been burnt by the herdsmen just as vehicles and motorcycles were destroed and domestic animals killed. A young man, whose name was yet to be ascertained, was burnt inside a commuter bus belonging to one Ejima, son of a prominent man popularly called ‘Are you there’ near the Christ Holy Church, Nimbo. A victim’s story Kingsley Ezugwu, former Councillor, Nimbo Ward 2, was one of the victims of the attack. Speaking from his hospital bed in Nsukka, Ezugwu said: “I was coming out from the house when I heard the community bell ringing. I was going with a friend to know what the bell was all about, only to see about 40 Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated guns and machetes. “They pursued us, killed my friend and shot at me several times but missed. They caught up with me and used machetes on me until I lost consciousness.” He said one of them later discovered that he was alive and called on the others to finish him off. They ignored him. He said he crawled until a good samaritan helped him to the hospital. Dead bodies litter hospitals Refugees: Some residents fleeing the community. Refugees: Some residents fleeing the community. So far, six dead bodies have been recovered and deposited at Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, while others, who sustained injuries were rushed to Royal Cross Hospital and Enugu State District Hospital, Nsukka. Meanwhile, villagers and other residents of the area were fleeing the town. It’s a national issue—OKOROCHA In its reaction to the development, the South-East Governors Forum, said what happened at Ukpabi-Nimbo is like any other national issue that deserves the understanding and cooperation of all Nigerians of goodwill to tackle. Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chairman of the Forum, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “It is a national issue that also requires national approach to resolve. “Our problem in this country is that whatever happens is given an ethnic colouration and that makes the solution to such problem somewhat difficult.” It’s failure of governance—Ohanaeze To the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, the continuous killing of people across the country by herdsmen without any response from the Federal Government is a failure of governance. He said: “We are very sad and very disappointed that all over the country, not just the South-East, these killings by Fulani herdsmen have continued unabated and nothing concrete is being done by the Federal Government. “The first act of governance is protection of lives and property. It is complete failure of governance. There has been no response from the Federal Government and this is allowing the Fulani herdsmen to continue the killing spree. “Everybody is worried about the poor attitude of the Federal Government to this massacre across the country. Boko Haram is operating in the North-East and Fulani herdsmen are killing people all over the country. It is not the herdsmen that should be held responsible, but owners of the cattle. “The herdsmen are under the instruction of highly-placed Fulani people who own the cattle. They are heavily armed. How many cows can the herdsmen buy? Federal Government should stop this nonsense before it causes a catastrophe.” Meanwhile, police sources said it would be difficult to say the actual number of those killed, even as the killing is spreading to other parts of the local government. Similarly, member representing Uzo-Uwani constituency at the Enugu State House of Assembly, John Ukuta, said: “I am shocked that this has happened to my people. It is disturbing to learn that security men that were earlier assigned to ward off the rampaging herdsmen disappeared few minutes before they struck only to re-appear after they completed their horrifying assignment. “This situation has become a national epidemic. People are leaving their communities in droves. Security agencies should move in now.” Victims The bodies of those recovered included that of an old man of about 85, and another young man whose throat was slit. One of the victims, who was simply identified as Mr. Ajogwu, father of the former Councillor for Nimbo Ward 1, Sunday Ajogwu, had his left hand severed. Another one had his stomach ripped open, spilling his intestines. Traditional rulers lament The traditional ruler of Nimbo, Igwe John Akor, told Vanguard on telephone that the attackers struck at about 7a.m. when they had left for their farms. He said: “Most of those who were killed died in the early hours of the morning. We are still counting our losses. We have not started going into the farms and bushes to look for our dead brothers and sisters. “When the situation becomes very calm, we will start looking for the rest of the victims. For now, our prayer is that the Federal Government sends security men to restore peace.” Also reacting, the traditional ruler of Abbi community, Eze Fidelis Igwe, complained that his community had over the years suffered untold hardship in the hands of Fulani herdsmen, who he accused of maiming and gang-raping “our women at farmlands” in addition to robbing and kidnapping his people or stealing and destroying cash crops in the community. He said: “This is the fourth time Fulani herdsmen have invaded our community in three years. The losses are too much for us to bear. “The remaining people of the community have now taken refuge in neighbouring communities due to fear of another invasion by the herdsmen who do not give signs before striking. “We have made several appeal to the Police, Uzo-Uwani Local Government and Enugu State government demanding for the Fulani herdsmen to leave our community, but nothing has happened.” In his reaction, Igwe Herbert Ukuta of Igga in Uzo Uwani said: “I am appealing to the state government and the Commissioner of Police to send some detachment of police and military personnel to secure the lives of Igga community where I come from. “The Fulani herdsmen had earlier threatened that Igga community is among the areas they will attack. “They have now attacked Nimbo, which is among the areas they vowed to attack. Others are Echenwo and Abbi. Already, the people of other communities are fleeing their homes over fear of the herdsmen attack.” Already, the Enugu State Police Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, had visited the troubled community with the Area Commander for Nsukka, Monday Kuryasi, among other top police officers. ‘They evacuated their cattle’ The Fulani herdsmen had vacated the area with their cattle in the early hours of Saturday, before the attackers, who reportedly came from Nasarawa State, struck. There had been anxiety in Nimbo following reports that about 500 Fulani herdsmen were assembling to attack the area. It was gathered that fellow Fulani herdsmen at Adani had, at the weekend, imported about 500 others from Nasarawa State to help them invade Nimbo community on the grounds that some of their cattle were missing in the area. Stakeholders’ wasted efforts However, as a result of the development, stakeholders from the local government met, weekend, in Enugu to find solution to the incessant attacks, kidnap and rape by herdsmen on communities in the local government. According to sources, Chairman of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Cornell Onwubuya, had alerted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the state Commissioner of Police, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, of the threat. Onwubuya was said to have further alerted other stakeholders who met leaders of the Fulani community in Enugu State on the impending attack. Speaking at the emergency meeting held on Saturday, Onwubuya said the local leaders of the Fulani community also confirmed that there were attempts to bring in mercenaries to attack some communities in Uzo-Uwani, adding that the Fulani leaders in Enugu had complained that some of their people were killed within the axis of Nimbo and Abbi communities in the recent past. Fulani leader’s failed assurance At the meeting, Enugu State leader of the Fulani community, Alhaji Haldo Saidu Baso, said he had lived in Enugu State for over 33 years and would not be alive to witness the type of crisis they were talking about. The Fulani leader said he would talk to his people not to take laws into their hands but to report disturbing issues to the traditional rulers of the communities. Vanguard learned from a native, who witnessed the gory scene that the herdsmen were armed with AK-47 rifles, and came with two buses fully loaded with arms and ammunition at about 7.13a.m. Police, Army move in Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said: “The Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, is in the area with a combined team of Army and Police. I can confirm there were casualties but the exact number is still what I do not know.” At press time, efforts to speak with the Local Government Chairman failed as he claimed to be at the scene of the crisis with Nwodibo and other police officers.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/bloodbath-enugu-fulani-herdsmen-kill-40/

Hero dog dies of exhaustion after rescuing 7 from earthquake in Ecuador

People the world over were touched by the heartbreaking story of a rescue dog that died after reportedly saving seven people in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Ecuador last week.

The news quickly went viral after the fire department for the northern city of Ibarra announced the death of 4-year-old Labrador retriever Dayko, who had been with its K-9 unit for three and a half years.

“The Fire Department of Ibarra would like to express a brotherly thanks to all the people who gave us their support, and not only in regards to the death of our beloved canine Dayko,” the department said in a Facebook post.

According to Spanish-language news, such as ABC, Dayko suffered from heat stroke and injuries while braving the flames to find more victims, ultimately succumbing to a heart attack — despite resuscitation attempts by veterinarians and firefighters.The fire department posted a series of pictures in honor of Dayko that show him searching through the rubble left behind by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on April 16.

Some lambasted the fire department for working the Labrador to the point of exhaustion. In a subsequent Facebook post, the department defended the handling of its canines.

The earthquake, which has been called the worst in the country’s history, has left more than 600 dead and over 12,000 injured. The United Nations announced Monday that its World Food Programme will distribute food to 260,000 people who are hungry after surviving the chaos.

Goodluck Jonathan Lists Some Of His Legacies In A Speech In New Jersey, USA

Former president, Goodluck Jonathan yesterday touched on some of the legacies of his administration while speaking to Friends of Africa Coalition on “Strengthening Democracy and Elections” at the mayor’s office in Newark, New Jersey, United States.
Speaking to the elite group, Jonathan said the 2015 general elections in Nigeria had potential for major crisis and that the campaigns leading to the elections almost polarised the country into Christian v Muslims and North v South divide.
The former president said that most world leaders were worried that the elections would result into major crisis.
“Some pundits even from here in the United States said that those elections would spell the end of Nigeria and that we would cease to exist as a nation because of the polls. That is where the leadership question comes into play.
“As a leader that was duly elected by the people, I considered the people’s interest first. How do I manage my people to avoid killings and destruction of properties? With the interest of the people propelling all the decisions I took, we were able to sail through. Indeed, we sailed through because I refused to interfere with the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, having appointed a man I had never met in my life to run it.
“My philosophy was simple. For elections to be credible, I as a leader, must value the process more than the product of the process. And the citizens must have confidence in the electoral body,” he said.
Jonathan said his strict adherence to the rule of the law ensured that Nigeria’s peace, prosperity and progress were not derailed by the conduct and results of the 2015 elections.
Speaking on the other legacies of his administration, he said: “I am proud to say that while I took over a Nigeria that was the second largest economy in Africa with a GDP of $270.5 billion in 2009, I handed over a Nigeria that had grown to become the largest economy in Africa and the 24th largest economy in the World with a GDP of $574 billion.
“I inherited a Nigeria in which the trains were not working, and handed over a Nigeria in which citizens can safely travel by trains again. I inherited a Nigeria that was a net importer of cement, and handed over a Nigeria that is a net exporter of cement. In 2009 the richest Nigerian was the 5th richest man in Africa, but I handed over a Nigeria that produced the richest man in Africa.
“These are but a few of the parameters that illustrate some of the economic transformations we engineered during my term in office.”
The former president said this success was made possible by the fact that there was a stable political leadership in Nigeria that did not have to pander to any other constituency except the electorate who brought him to power.
Jonathan also argued that if the process that brought leaders to power “did not flow through the people, they naturally administered their governments to first and foremost serve the constituencies that brought them to power.”
Jonathan also met with the CEO of Moskeeto Armor, Robin R. Crespo and his team as part of events leading up to the World Malaria Day on April 25th, 2016.
Moskeeto Armor manufactures clothing to protect against malaria, the zika virus, Denue and other vector-borne diseases.
It was successfully clinically field-tested in Nigeria in 2014.
When worn by children as a standalone product, Moskeeto Armor was 90% effective at reducing the malaria infection rate, and when combined with a bed net, the Moskeeto Armor combination was 97% effective at stopping the spread of malaria.
The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation is partnering with Moskeeto Armor to protect African children against malaria and other vector-borne diseases.
“The simple principle of ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’ lays a foundation of commitment to protecting nations,” said Jonathan during the meeting with Moskeeto Armor.
Continuing, he said “these crises caused by such small insects, transmitting these deadly diseases, have devastated so many lives across Africa and the world, but with one just as small idea, there is hope for a better tomorrow.”

APC Crisis Deepens: 'Don't Recognise Me As Senate President,' Saraki Dares Tinubu Ten Months After

In the mood of reacting to letters and making stands known on several burning issues revolving round the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the Senate President, mainly on a comment made by the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in June 2015, that he won't recognise Saraki as the Senate President, Sen. Saraki had given Tinubu the go-ahead to satisfy himself.
Saraki, who has refuted claims that he masterminded and formed alliance with senators from the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to emerge as Senate President, maintained that, after ten months of persecution from "enemies within" and unlimited intraparty leadership crisis, he owes nobody an apology over his emergence as the president of the senate.
Speaking on Saturday in Ilorin, his homestead and Kwara State capital, Sen. Saraki explained that the emergence of Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President was never a deal between him and the PDP as being speculated by his persecutors who were fond of demanding his (Saraki) resignation.
He said the DSP victory which swung in the direction of the opposition (PDP), was as a result of negligence on the part of senators from the APC who chose to abscond and attend a meeting elsewhere with unknown forces under the guise of party leadership on the inauguration day.
It will be recalled that the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu made an open statement on June 10, 2015 that he won't recognise Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President, and that has escalated to plethora intraparty crisis within the last ten months.
Tinubu, in his reaction to the arrangement that produced Saraki as the President of the Senate last year said, "I will never recognise such a kangaroo arrangement that produced Bukola as the Senate President."
He added that, "Or how do you want me to recognise a man who deliberately defied his own party because of his personal interest? It is not done anywhere."
Reacting to these claims, Sen. Saraki said he had exercised much patience and tolerance to let the aspersions and opprobrium from Asiwaju Bola Tinubu go down to dustbin of history and channel better ways of reconciliation, but seemed Tinubu was up to something.
"Nigerians can bear me witness if I've ever reacted on these series of cheap blackmails and severe destructive criticisms for the past ten months of being in the public domain. I chose not to be disrespectful.
"Based on that among others, I've gone through hell of persecution called prosecution. I migrate from one case to another on daily basis courtesy of the political party I'm representing as the Senate President," Saraki lamented.
He said his emergence as the president of the senate suppose to be appreciated by everyone within the party and not to be regarded as unworthy and undeserved by some selected few.
Saraki later admonished the national leader of the party, Tinubu, to allow peace to reign in the party, saying he sees Tinubu's interests and signals in the overall crisis rocking the APC since his (Saraki) emergence as the senate president.
"No one gains anything meaningful in self- destruction; not even where you've invested much in politics. But if Asiwaju Bola Tinubu chooses to press harder on my emergence, I give him the pass to disregard my leadership of the house," Saraki dared the lion of the bourdillon.