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Trump Announces His Own Social Media

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File: Former U.S President, Donald Trump.

Former United States of America President, Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he’s launching Trump Media & Technology Group, TMTG, and a “Truth Social” app as a rival to the Big Tech companies that have shut him out and denied him the megaphone that was paramount to his national rise.

The announcement came nine months after Trump was expelled from social media for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

Experts were split on how strong a competitor Trump Media & Technology Group can be, but the stock market reacted with exuberance.

TMTG’s plan is to become a publicly listed company through a merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp., a type of company whose sole purpose is to acquire a private company and take it public.

Shares of Digital World Acquisition quadrupled Thursday in what some might see as validation for Trump, even though there’s a ways to go before the merger is completed.

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“I’m personally not a Trump supporter, but this could lead to giant media presence,” said investor Ryan Joshua Keenan, who put $2,000 into the stock early Thursday morning and had already tripled the money by the early afternoon. “It’s been going up ridiculously.”

Trump has spoken about launching his own social media site ever since he was barred from Twitter and Facebook. An earlier effort to launch a blog on his existing website was abandoned after the page drew dismal views.

“We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced,” he said in a statement Wednesday. “This is unacceptable.”

Conservative voices actually do well on traditional social media. On Wednesday, half of Facebook’s 10 top performing link posts were from conservative media, commentators or politicians, according to a daily list compiled by a New York Times technology columnist and an internet studies professor using Facebook’s own data.

TMTG has not set its sights low. In addition to the Truth Social app, which is expected to soft-launch next month with a nationwide rollout early next year, the company says it is planning a video-on-demand service dubbed TMTG+ that will feature entertainment programming, news and podcasts.

One slide in a TMTG presentation on its website includes a graphic of its potential competitors, which range from Facebook and Twitter to Netflix and Disney+ to CNN. The same slide suggests that over the long term TMTG will also become a power in cloud computing and payments and suggests it will go head-to-head with Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Stripe.

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A Trump-branded social media portal would join a crowded space dominated by Big Tech-run portals like Facebook and Twitter. Still, everyday social media users tend to be on multiple platforms at once, so TMTG’s offering doesn’t have to necessarily peel users from other portals to thrive.

“This network will most likely be most successful in targeting far-right users, the same that left Facebook for ‘alternative’ social networks like Gab or Parler,” said Alexandra Cirone, assistant professor in government at Cornell University.

Trump’s new media outlet could also compete for viewers on conservative networks such as OANN, Newsmax and Fox News, she said.

Ali Mogharabi, senior equity analyst at Morningstar, who covers Twitter, Facebook and other social media companies, said Trump’s brand could initially give TMTG a leg up relative to other new social media sites going up against Facebook and other big players.

“Whether that’s going to be sustainable in the long run, that’s very uncertain.”

Mogharabi said next year’s mid-term elections could be pivotal in whether the social media platform succeeds.

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“A lot of Trump supporters would probably go on there. Even more so in 2024, if Trump actually decides to run for president. Those types of future events could actually attract more users.”

For now, the deal is attracting stock traders. Shares of Digital World Acquisition soared $35.34, or 357%, to $45.50, and changed hands more than 475 million times. That compares with average trading volume of about 11 million shares for Twitter, which trade at around $65.

Digital World Acquisition, based in Miami, is a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. Such publicly traded companies are designed to list the shares of a private company more quickly than a traditional initial public offering. In practice, that means the SPAC acquires a private firm and then changes its name and other details to those of the acquired firm.

“It’s been many, many months since there’s been a SPAC merger greeted with this amount of enthusiasm,” said Jay Ritter, a professor at the University of Florida who specializes in initial public offerings.

A SPAC pays for an acquisition with cash from its own initial public offering. DWA completed its initial public offering on Sept. 8. DWA said it has raised roughly $293 million in cash, which it will use to grow TMTG’s ventures.

The enthusiasm from investors came even though the SPAC deal was unusual in several ways. Announcements of such deals typically are accompanied by the actual merger agreement and a presentation to investors full of numbers and data.

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In this one, the merger agreement was not there. And the “Company Overview” of TMTG on its website is light on details about its structure and finances.

“I don’t know enough to say it’s unprecedented, but it’s weird. Given a lot of things that happen with Trump are not great with details and formalities, it’s perhaps not surprising, but it’s not the norm in SPACs,” said Michael Ohlrogge, an assistant professor of law at New York University who researches SPACs.

Until the deal is completed, TMTG would not have access to the cash raised by the SPAC. And without additional details from the companies, it’s unclear what Trump’s role will be and how much he’ll be compensated.

The deal has an initial enterprise value, which measures total debts and assets, of $875 million, according to Wednesday’s announcement. Experts say it could take up to six months for the deal to close.

Digital World Acqusition is currently run by CEO Patrick Orlando, a Miami-based founder of the Benessere Investment Group. He owns 18% of Digital World’s stock, according to a recent regulatory filing.

Orlando has experience taking at least three SPACs public. One company, Yunhong International, had planned to buy a marketer of “carbon neutral” fuel cells and batteries, but a press release issued last month said the deal had been canceled without giving a reason.

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Orlando declined to comment about Trump’s potential role in the new company to The Associated Press on Thursday, pointing the public statements, which provide no detail.

The last time Trump ran a publicly traded company, it didn’t end up well for investors. His casino company, Trump Entertainment Resorts, lost hundreds of millions of dollars over more than a dozen years and filed for bankruptcy several times, socking shareholders with big losses. Trump fared better. He took in $82 million in fees, salary and bonuses over the same period, according to Fortune magazine.

(AP)

 

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MDCN Inducts 25 Graduating Medical Doctors In Bauchi

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The Medicine and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on Thursday inducted 25 graduating medical doctors of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.

Speaking during the induction ceremony, Dr Fatima Kyari, the Registrar, MDCN informed the doctors that they were not celebrating an arrival to their destination, but a commencement of the journey into their medical practice.

She said that the Council would register them after the induction ceremony and provide them with the Provisional Registration (PR).

“You are required to utilise the PR to create accounts individually on the MDCN Centralised Housemanship Placement portal and subsequently return there to select the available Hospitals of your choices for your mandatory housemanship training of two years,” she said.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: MDCN Suspends Four Doctors From Medical Practice

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Also speaking, Prof. Mohammed Shehu, the Guest Lecturer at the ceremony, urged the young doctors to respect human dignity and rights of their patients.

Shehu, who further called on them to always uphold professionalism and honesty, admonished the graduands to shun self advertisement unless if permitted by law and ethics codes of the profession.

In his speech, Alh. Yakubu Abdullahi, Senior Special Adviser on Unlocking Healthcare Value Chain to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare said that the federal government is working tirelessly to provide a conducive environment in the health sector.

According to him, the federal government is leaving no stone unturned in its effort to provide an enabling environment in the health sector for practitioners in the country and eradicate the ‘Japa’ syndrome.

He said when these efforts began to yield results, it would encourage even those who had left the country to come back home to practice and further enhance the sector.

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“There are two core areas of this initiative and the first one is the provision of an enabling environment in tackling every hurdle that is making it difficult for the medical and healthcare services in Nigeria less affordable and accessible.

“The second one is encouraging medical professionals that are even in diaspora to begin to see the reasons why they should come back home and put their talents, expertise, experience and knowledge in the healthcare service delivery.

“Thousands of them are out there in the UK, US, and other parts of the world for reasons being that the environment in Nigeria is not conducive and in this regard, we are trying to make some changes so that they are being attracted back home,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Muhammad AbdulAziz, commended the cumulative effort of both the Bauchi State Government, the Governing Council of the University and other stakeholders in ensuring that the College of Medical Sciences took off and was today getting its first set of students inducted by MDCN.

Represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor , Academics, Prof. Sani Kunya, the VC assured all the stakeholders that the College of Medical Sciences, just like the other Faculties in various other fields of study in the institution, would continue to provide the nation with quality trained graduates in both character and learning.

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FAAN Shuts KFC For Discriminating Against Physically-challenged Ex-gov’s Son

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has shut down a branch of a popular food outlet, KFC, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos  State.

FAAN stated this on Thursday in a statement signed by its Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah.

The statement, titled, ‘FAAN shuts down KFC outlet at MMIA,’ noted that the food outlet violated the Lagos State law on People with Special Needs, Part C, Section 55 of General Provisions on Discrimination.

The statement added that the directive followed a social media report by a Passenger with Reduced Mobility who alleged discriminatory treatment he received at the airport.

It read, “In line with Lagos State law on People with Special Needs, Part C, section 55 of General Provisions on Discrimination which states that “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person”, the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has closed the KFC facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos with effect from March 28, 2024.

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“This is as a result of a social media report by a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM), alleging discriminatory treatment he received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

“The MD/CE of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi, Kuku intervened swiftly by deploying a management team comprising the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah; the Regional Manager South West, Mr. Sunday Ayodele; Ag. General Manager Public Affairs, Mrs Ijeoma Nwosu-Igbo and the International Terminal Manager, Mr. Kerri, to investigate the allegation.”

FAAN said, “It is based on the findings of the team that FAAN has shut down the KFC facility at the MMA, where the incident occurred.

“The authority has instructed that the KFC Management should tender an unreserved apology, in writing, to the affected PRM and a policy statement of non-discrimination be written and pasted conspicuously at the door post of their facility at MMIA before it resumes operation.

“FAAN uses this medium to express our unreserved apology to the affected Passenger with Reduced Mobility and assures all airport users that we shall continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the rights of every passenger are not infringed upon.”

READ ALSO: Iran Sentences Police Officer To Death For Killing Protester

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The victim of the maltreatment, Adebola Daniel, son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, recounted his experience at the KFC outlet of the airport in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday via his X handle, @DebolaDaniel.

Daniel, a wheelchair user, described his ordeal as “the worst sort of public humiliation” he ever had.

The Ogun State-born noted that it all started during his planned trip to  London from Lagos via a Virgin Atlantic airline.

He stated that in years past, while he was quite familiar with security and immigration processes, being a frequent traveller, he would visit the Oasis lounge of the airport to wait for his flight.

However, because “the lift to the lounge has been out of service,” for the past three years, he decided to find “solace” at the KFC outlet in the airport, alongside his wife and his three brothers, whom they were travelling together.

“Today I chose KFC – what a colossal mistake,” he bemoaned.

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His tweets partly read, “Being disabled often rolls over my spirit, leaving behind a trail of shattered dignity and forgotten humanity. Nowhere more so than in Nigeria.

“I have never been the type of person to make a fuss or complain about my disability. My approach has always been ‘laissez-faire.’ Ultimately, it is what it is. It is a part of my identity and like everyone else, I have my days of self-doubt and confusion as to how/if I fit in society.

“To be disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome and unaccepted. As I’ve said before, it’s a lonely, scary and isolated place.

“Never has this been more true than it has ever been today when I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand @kfc @kfcnigeria at an international airport – Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – is unthinkable.”

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Daniel stated that he “arrived at the airport as normal for my Virgin Atlantic flight to London. I’m a frequent flyer and I’m extremely familiar with all due processes at Murtala Muhammed Airport. Years ago, after all security and immigration formalities had been completed, I would normally go to the Oasis lounge to wait for my flight.

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“For the past three years, the lift to the lounge has been out of service so I’ve often found solace in other establishments, sometimes lounges, sometimes restaurants such as @kfc @kfcnigeria.”

Daniel stated that as they were about to sit, a lady who is “apparently the manager” called out loudly, “No wheelchairs allowed.”

He added that upon hearing what she said, one of his brothers, Taiwo, asked what the lady meant, but “she refused to listen to reason and stood her ground that at @kfc @kfcnigeria Murtala Muhammed branch, wheelchairs and wheelchair users of all shapes and sizes were not permitted in the premises and we should leave immediately.

“My siblings and wife became instantly irate and proceeded to debate her position with her, ultimately cumulating in raised voices and strong verbal protests. If there’s one thing I hate more than anything in this life is to create a scene. I detest it. I do not like to draw attention to myself and as such I began pleading with my people that we should just leave.

“My wife took some video footage and my brothers took some pictures. There were at least five other witnesses at the scene, who tried to intervene as things unfolded. Eventually, our party departed to another lounge upset and quite frankly pissed off.”

Daniel stated that he wouldn’t let such an incident slide, adding that as another of his brothers alongside his wife met the lady at another time, she stressed “that the business does not allow wheelchairs into their premises,” while they took an audio record of her statement.

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He recalled the lady saying that “she recently just transferred to that branch, it is something that has been drummed into them.

It harkens back to dark periods in recent history… No wheelchairs allowed… No coloureds allowed…. No blacks allowed…,” saying, “Today, I felt less than human, like a guard dog not allowed into the house. Lonely and isolated.”

Daniel noted that he would “continue to escalate the matter “until I get a reasonable resolution and there’s no stopping me. You cannot treat people this way.

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“There are approximately 27 million Nigerians living with some form of disability. That’s over 13% of the country. One in six people on the planet are disabled. You must not treat people this way.

“So my question to @kfc @kfcnigeria is simple. Does this represent your approach to disabled customers or will you be looking into this? Am I not human enough for KFC?”

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He added an audio record of the conversation between his wife and the lady.

“Audio clip from my wife. I’m trying to get all the evidence up on here,” he wrote.

In response to the allegation before the outlet’s shutdown by the FAAN, KFC tweeted via its official X handle on Thursday morning, stating, “KFC is unwavering in our stance against bias or discrimination in any form, with inclusivity and respect as non-negotiable pillars of our values.

“However, this recent incident has underscored the pressing need for immediate action. We have embarked on efforts to address the situation and extend apologies and deeply regret the frustration and distress experienced by our guest.”

The food outlet added that it’s “urgently implementing sensitivity training for all our employees. This incident is not reflective of our standards, and we will act swiftly to rectify it.

“We are actively exploring solutions to equip our team members and establishments better to ensure that every guest feels genuinely welcomed and that we deliver empathetic customer service that proactively addresses the diverse needs of each guest.”

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On Thursday, the General Manager, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, Mrs Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, stated in a statement that the attention of her office “has been drawn to a viral story about the discrimination against Mr. Debola Daniel, a person with a disability in a wheelchair. This incident happened on 27th of March 2024, at a KFC restaurant located at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.”

The LASODA GM noted that “it frowns upon any form of discrimination, particularly against persons with disabilities. Every individual, regardless of their disability, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

“The agency is committed to ensuring that the rights of persons with disabilities are protected and upheld in Lagos State. Discriminatory actions, such as those alleged in this incident, are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“LASODA, therefore, encouraged anyone who has experienced discrimination based on their disability to report such incidents to lasoda@lagosstate.gov.ng We are committed to working towards a society that is inclusive and accessible to all.”
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Detained Binance Executive Drags EFCC, NSA To Court

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The detained Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, has accused the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission of violating his fundamental human rights.

Gambaryan, in an originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24 sought a declaration that his detention and seizure of his international travel passport, contravened Section 35 (1) and (4) of 1999 Constitution.

He urged the court to order the NSA and the EFCC to release him from their custody and return his international travel passport with immediate effect.

Gambaryan also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further detaining him in relation to any investigation into or demands from Binance.

READ ALSO: Soldiers’ Killing: Wanted Delta King Surrenders To Police

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He also urged the court to order the respondents to issue a public apology to him.

Gambaryan averred that he was in Nigeria alongside fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla to honour the invitation of the ONSA and EFCC to discuss issues relating to Binance in Nigeria.

Anjarwalla escaped from the guest house where he and Gambaryan were being held

He argued that he had not committed any offence during the meeting, and neither was he informed in writing of any offence he personally committed in Nigeria at any other time.

The only reason for his detention is because the government is requesting information from Binance and making demands on the company,” he added.

READ ALSO: Shaibu Impeachment: Panel Fixes Date For Commencement Of Sitting

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The fleeing Anjarwalla also filed a similar suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24.

At the proceedings on Thursday, T.J. Krukrubo (SAN) appeared for the plaintiffs, while the respondents had no representation.

Krukrubo informed the court that the respondents were served two days ago.

Shortly after that, he announced to the court that he was withdrawing from the matter as counsel for the fleeing Anjarwalla.

He did not give reasons for his withdrawal.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the matter till April 8.

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