The three men vying to lead German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party go head-to-head in an online debate Saturday in a bid to revive a race that has been knocked off course by the coronavirus pandemic.
The chief of the Christian Democratic Union, who will be chosen at a party conference in December, traditionally leads it and its smaller Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union to the polls.
The chosen candidate would have a claim on the post of chancellor and be in pole position to replace Merkel should the conservative bloc win next year’s election.
Armin Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, corporate lawyer Friedrich Merz and foreign affairs expert Norbert Roettgen are eyeing the post.
The race to become head of the CDU was thrown wide open earlier this year when Merkel’s protegee Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer resigned after just months in the job over her handling of a regional election scandal.
But a meeting originally planned for April to elect a new leader was postponed due to Covid-19.
Back then, the party that has dominated German politics for 70 years was facing plummeting ratings and a deep identity crisis over how to position itself against the resurging extreme right.
But since then, its fortunes have been reversed as the German public widely applaud Merkel’s handling of the pandemic.
Yet ironically, the three pretenders for her throne have lost visibility in the media spotlight as Germany has grappled with the outbreak.
Instead, a fourth potential replacement for Merkel has emerged — not from the CDU itself, but from the CSU.
Bavarian state premier and CSU leader Markus Soeder has repeatedly stressed that his place is in Bavaria.
But his tough attitude on halting virus transmission has won him plaudits.
Seeking To Close The Gap
The latest opinion poll on who Germans would like to see as their next leader has Soeder topping the charts far ahead at 52 percent — more than 20 points ahead any of the three CDU contenders.
All three will be seeking to close the gap as the clock ticks down to the December vote.
Former favourite Laschet, 59, has taken a different approach to Soeder’s hardline clampdown in Bavaria over the coronavirus pandemic.
Dubbed “laissez-faire Laschet” by the topselling Bild daily, he has fought against a controversial ban on hotel and stays for domestic travellers from areas with high infection rates.
But he has popular Health Minister Jens Spahn as his running mate, who has been lauded over his calm handling of the crisis.
Merz, a 64-year-old millionaire and old Merkel rival, was narrowly beaten to the party top job in December 2018 by Kramp-Karrenbauer and has been waiting in the wings ever since.
He is popular with the CDU’s more conservative factions but has found little support for his ultra-liberal positions during the pandemic, which has led to unprecedented state intervention to prop up the economy.
Centrist Roettgen, 55, is a former environment minister dismissed by Merkel in 2012 who is now the head of the German parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
Both Merz and Roettgen have struggled to get any attention during the health crisis.
With the race wide open, Merkel, 66, has been forced time and again to rule out running for a fifth term, telling journalists she will “really not” be putting herself forward again.
The CDU has meanwhile not ruled out nominating Soeder, rather than one of their own, to lead it into the election battle next year.
A midnight tanker explosion has again rocked the Otedola Bridge area of Lagos State.
Concourse News learnt that the incident happened around 3am.
No casualty has been confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Nosa Okunbor, confirmed the incident but said he would revert as soon as he got details.
Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne will miss today’s home Premier League game against Arsenal because of injury.
The Belgium midfielder, 29, was substituted in his country’s Nations League match against England on Sunday.
Belgium manager Roberto Martinez said the move was a ‘precaution,’ but City boss Pep Guardiola said he is not available for the 17:30 BST kick-off.
“I don’t think it is serious, but the next games I think he will be out. We will see,” he said.
De Bruyne returned to City after leaving the Belgium squad before their game against Iceland on Wednesday.
City are 14th in the Premier League table with four points from their first three games.
“I never complain about the international break,” added former Spain midfielder Guardiola.
“I know how important it is for players. It is an honour and a privilege. Always we want the players to come back fit, with no injuries. Sometimes you can’t control it.”
There has been better news for Guardiola on the injury front this week, with the return of Sergio Aguero from a long-term knee injury.
The 32-year-old Argentina striker suffered the injury against Burnley on 22 June, missing City’s Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League run-in, as well as their opening fixtures this season.
“He’s been training for three or four days. He has been training well. I am happy to see him on the pitch after so long. Every team needs a striker,” said Guardiola.
Guardiola is yet to make a decision on whether Aguero will feature, but Portugal internationals Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva are both fit for the visit of the Gunners.
Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus is still out after he was injured in City’s win at Wolves on 21 September.
Indications emerged on Friday that the faceoff between the Federal Government and the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities may not end soon.
Despite the ongoing discussions between the two, ASUU said the government had sent officials from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to commence enrolment of lecturers on the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.
It was reported that despite offers of N20bn to cater for the revitalisation of public universities and another commitment of N40bn for Earned Academic Allowances, ASUU had remained adamant that they would not enlist in the IPPIS scheme.
On March 23, ASUU declared a “total and indefinite strike” over the failure of the Federal Government to keep to the 2019 Memorandum of Action and over the lingering crisis on the IPPIS.
The union had brought forward five contentious issues in the 2019 MoA which are; revitalisation fund for universities, outstanding earned academic allowances, renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, proliferation of universities, particularly by state governments and establishment of visitation panels to universities.
The IPPIS crisis had joined in around October 2019, after the union accused some vice-chancellors of forcing its members to enrol on the IPPIS platform.
The union also in November 2019 berated the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for threatening to withhold the salaries of its members over IPPIS, adding that it would not be moved by such threats. ASUU has also insisted on having an alternative model to IPPIS, called the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, which it urged the Federal Government to adopt for the universities.
The ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, in a memo sent to the zone coordinators and members of the union on Friday titled, “Update on engagement with government”, advised members of the union to “stay away from anything related to IPPIS.”
He said, “We have received information that IPPIS officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation will be visiting campuses as from Monday, October 19, 2020, for biometric data capture of academics.
“All ASUU members should have nothing to do with them. Fact-check by ASUU with the figures from the OAGF has proven the claim that our members are trooping to enrol in the IPPIS in Abuja as false.
“The enrolled number is inconsequential. On Monday, October 12, 2020, UTAS was presented to the President and other leaders of the Nigerian Senate.
“Discussions on the withheld salaries, Earned Academic Allowance, renegotiation of 2009 agreement, visitation to federal Universities and proliferation of state universities started at the meeting.
“On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Senate Leader, Chairman of Senate Committee on Tertiary Education, Minister of Education, Minister of Labour and Employment, Accountant-General of the Federation, among other government officials, met with the ASUU leadership on UTAS and other matters.” Ogunyemi added that members must therefore “stay away” from the IPPIS so as not to jeopardise the ongoing engagement with the Federal Government.
He said, “On October 14, 2020, the UTAS was also demonstrated to the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chairman of Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Executive Secretary of NUC and other stakeholders.
“The first stage of UTAS testing has been completed. What is left is the technical testing, which is commencing immediately. All stakeholders applauded the innovation that UTAS represents. IPPIS is a World Bank creation imposed on Nigeria. UTAS is a creation of Nigerian scholars to secure our data, ensure autonomy of Nigerian Universities and reposition our university system for global competitiveness.
“The leadership of our great union is fully aware of the hardship the non-payment of salaries by the Accountant-General and other forms of intimidation by overzealous vice-chancellors have unleashed on our membership and we are leaving no stone unturned to redress the situation.
“Therefore, all members of ASUU should stay away from anything related to IPPIS; so as not to jeopardise the ongoing critical engagement with the Federal Government. The struggle continues.”
Meanwhile, the ongoing dialogue between the Federal Government and the ASUU will continue on Wednesday to enable the leadership to consult their organs on the conclusions reached at Thursday’s meeting.
The parley was convened to resolve the lingering issues that led to the strike by the university lecturers.
Presenting the outcome of the meeting, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said that the government had pledged to pay N40bn, being the pending Earned Academic Allowance of the university teachers.
He explained that out of that amount, N30bn would be paid on or before November 6, while the remaining N10bn would be spread equally over two tranches to be paid on May 2021 and February 2022.
A statement on Friday by the Ministry of Labour and Employment spokesman, Mr Charles Akpan quoted Ngige to have said that the government’s commitment to pay was in response to “the demand by ASUU for the payment of two tranches of EEA which cumulate to N40bn that has become overdue since November 2019.”
The websites of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, and Amuwo Odofin Local Government in Lagos State, were attacked on Friday.
The hacker, who tweets from @LiteMods, claimed responsibilities for the attack on the three websites in support of protests against police brutality in Nigeria.
The latest cyberattacks were a part of coordinated attacks by hacktivists on Nigerian government-owned websites and social media accounts.
Hours earlier, the website of Nigeria’s central bank was hacked.
“Nigerian government, we will not allow this corruption,” the hacker tweeted late on Friday. “We will not allow this police brutality. Your websites of @officialEFCC have been taken-down so far by my attacks and more will be next.”
Protests broke out in Nigeria last week against police brutality, with thousands of young people calling for the scrapping of a Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a police unit that has been accused of committing crimes including murder.
The protests have drawn thousands of mainly young demonstrators onto the streets and online in the most concerted show of people power in Nigeria in years.
Crowd-sourced donations have poured in for the largely leaderless #EndSARS movement, supporters said.
One group, the Feminist Coalition, said it had received contributions worth more than $175,000 (150,000 euros).
The collective said it had paid legal fees and medical bills for injured protesters, donated to families of victims, and bought food, water and face masks for people at demonstrations.
No fewer than three persons were feared killed in Edo and Ondo states when hoodlums attacked #EndSARS protesters demonstrating against police brutality in the country.
In Edo State, apart from the two persons killed when hoodlums attacked the protesters at Ring Road in Benin City, some others sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
One of the deceased persons, identified as Ikpomwosa, sustained several machete cuts before he eventually died. The other person was said to have been taken away from the scene of the attack by friends.
The hoodlums, clad in red T-shirts, were said to have suddenly appeared with guns, cutlasses and other weapons to attack them.
Some of those who had gunshot injuries in the attack were rushed to the nearby Central Hospital, while the body of Ikpomwosa was conveyed in an ambulance and taken to the Government House.
However, the protesters later regrouped after the hoodlums had been chased away.
A 60-year-old protester, Victoria Nkechi, said she came out to support the youths in their protest for good governance.
In Ondo State, tragedy hit the protest in Akure, the state capital, on Thursday evening when a car rammed into the protesters, killing one person and injuring three others.
It was gathered that the incident, which happened in front of the governor’s office, involved a Toyota Camry with number plate, LND 778 GL, and two commercial motorcycles.
An eyewitness said the driver of the vehicle lost control of the car and hit the two motorcycles which hit the protesters. One of the victims was said to have died on the spot while others were rushed to the hospital.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, confirmed that the deceased was one of the #EndSARS protesters, noting that the driver was immediately arrested.
He added, “The family of the deceased have agreed to accept their fate and they have requested for the body for burial. So, they have settled the matter.”
Obaseki Condemns Attack on #EndSARS Protesters
Meanwhile, the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, who had earlier called for the protection of the protesters by the police, condemned the attack on the protesters by the hoodlums, noting that a thorough investigation would commence immediately to bring the culprits to justice.
The governor, in a statement, added, “I hereby call on the Edo State Police Command to provide adequate security for the protesters and ensure that no one is harassed in the course of exercising their rights.”
Also, the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, charged security agencies to fish out the killers of the #EndSARS protesters in the state within 24 hours.
Addressing the protesters at the Kings Square in Benin City, he said the government would not fold its arms and watch harm come the way of young people exercising their rights.
He added, “We are going to give him a state burial because the martyrs of this struggle must be remembered. He will be remembered for being part of this struggle. He is a martyr already and by the grace of God, he will never be forgotten.”
The Peoples Democratic Party in the state, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, also condemned the attack, saying the behaviour of the attackers was disheartening given that the protest was for their benefit. “Their ignorance is frightening and should be an embarrassment to their sponsors.”
In a peaceful procession to the Government House in Benin, some of the protesters carried a coffin with EndSARS written on it.
There were however fears that the protest might be hijacked by cultists with rival gangs threatening to descend on one another.
Protesters Block Airport Road In Abuja
The #EndSARS protesters on Friday defied the Federal Capital Territory minister’s directive banning protests in the FCT as they shut down the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road, Abuja.
The mammoth crowd massed at the city gate causing a serious traffic gridlock on the busy highway, which was said to have prevented some travelers from accessing the airport on time to board their flights.
The FCT Security Committee chaired by the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, had stopped street rallies which he said violated the COVID-19 protocols. He also directed the security agencies to enforce the directive on the protests, which he said was affecting commercial and economic activities in the nation’s capital.
But the protesters ignored the directive, stating that the FCT Administration had no constitutional power to halt protests in the city.
The protesters were seen moving from the city gate towards the Central Business District where they continued the protest.
Motorists, Commuters Stranded In Ogun, FCT, Others
Meanwhile, motorists and commuters in different parts of the country were stranded on Friday as the protesters blocked major roads.
At the Arepo-Magboro end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the protesters, in their hundreds, carried various placards as they blocked the movement of vehicles on both sides of the busy expressway. Many motorists were stranded for hours.
Some of the placards read, ‘Carrying iPhone, laptop, and wearing dreadlocks is not a crime,’ ‘iPhone no be gun (meaning iPhone is not a gun,’ ‘End police brutality, stop killing our youths,’ and ‘Stop killing our dreams.’
Apart from seeking an end to brutality by the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police, the demonstrators also demanded good governance from the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).
Lamenting the gridlock, a commercial driver, Bashir Olola, said, “I have been stuck between Ibafo and Magboro for more than four hours. I have wasted the day already.”
Many other commuters lamented that they spent hours in traffic and that they might arrive at their destinations late.
Also, on the Abeokuta-Sagamu Road in Abeokuta, the protesters’ action brought vehicular movements to a standstill as motorists and commuters were trapped in the gridlock. Many motorists, commuters and workers were stuck in the traffic.
The protesters were armed with placards bearing different inscriptions like ‘Say No to Police Brutality’.
The protesting youths, who started gathering as early as 6am, took over some other parts of Abeokuta, the state capital, singing solidarity songs. Hip hop artist, Kizz Daniel and Yemi Shodimu, were among the celebrities that participated in the protest. Other locations affected by the protests were Sagamu, Sango-Ota and Ijebu-Ode.
The traffic situation compelled the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps to release a traffic advisory to motorists and commuters.
In Delta State, hundreds of protesters again stormed the streets of Ughelli, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state on Friday, barely one week after a policeman and an unidentified civilian were killed in their earlier protest that turned violent in the metropolis.
The protesters, who returned to the streets in a larger number, declared that their renewed action was in solidarity with other protesters across the country. Private security personnel were seen monitoring the gathering to prevent hoodlums from hijacking it.
In Calabar, the Cross River State capital, the protest continued for the fifth day on Friday with youths carrying various placards condemning police brutality.
The protesters, who had placards with various inscriptions, marched through major streets of Calabar such as Marian Road and Mary Slessor Avenue. The protest disrupted traffic on the roads as motorists had to look for alternative routes.
In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, protesters observed Jumaat service at the popular Olaiya Junction, Osogbo as the protest paralysed business activities across the state capital.
The protesters had blocked Olaiya Junction around 10am and prevented vehicular movement for several hours. Many commuters had to look for alternative routes to avoid the traffic jam. Gunshots were also heard among the protesters, as one of them holding a Dane gun shot into the air.
The leader of the protesters, Olawale Bakare, told Saturday PUNCH that all officers and men of the defunct SARS should be made to declare their assets, urging government to also investigate assets linked to them.
In Oyo State, activities were paralysed in parts of Ibadan, the state capital as the protesters continued with their clamour for better governance and end to police brutality.
The protesters, comprising youths, gathered at the Challenge Roundabout chanting anti-SARS songs. Vehicular movements were paralysed for several hours as parts of the roads were blocked. The protesting youths were seen with drinks and refreshments.
It was learnt that participants would be entertained on Saturday while special church services would be held at different rallying points on Sunday.
The PDP, led by its National Chairman, Uche Secondus, who was on a condolence visit to Governor Seyi Makinde, described the agitation by the youths as a “right step in the right direction.”
The state Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, also called for a proper reform of the police.
In Enugu State, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra called on Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to set up a fresh panel of inquiry on the Ezu River killings allegedly committed by personnel of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
The group said the victims were its members and that they were willing to testify and even expose other atrocious acts of SARS and the police in the South-East.
A statement by the group’s National Director of Information, Edeson Samuel, alleged that the murderous acts were carried out under the alleged supervision of ASP James Nwafor (retd.), a former aide of Governor Obiano.
In Kaduna State, organisers of the #EndInsecurityNow, the Coalition of Northern Group, has asked the #EndSARS protesters to relocate to the North.
The CNG said the #EndSARS protesters should join them in protesting against the unending killings, kidnapping and armed robbery in the region.
Addressing journalists, the CNG led by Yusuf Amoke, asked the Federal Government to also deploy the same energy used in the disbandment of SARS to end insecurity in the North.
In Sapele, Delta State, the protesters also called on the government to “give solace to Nigerians and uphold their rights to be free from police brutality”. The protest started from Okirighrwe as early as 8.30 am and was still on as at the time of filing this report at about 4.00 pm.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Youth Organisation has called for constructive engagement with the Federal Government and the police on the way forward on policing the country.
Presenting a communiqué of the group at a press conference in Abuja, NYO President, Amb Abdullahi Wali, urged the protesters to suspend their rallies as he called for the establishment of National Youth Development Commission where all issues of major concern affecting the youths shall be jointly addressed by all tiers of government.
Also, the Kaduna State Government has announced the establishment of a judicial panel of inquiry into acts of police brutality in the state, following the resolution of the National Economic Council.
A statement by Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, said on Friday. The statement added that the commission would be inaugurated on Monday, October 19, 2020.
In Adamawa State, reports emerged on Friday that the security personnel attached to a top government official in the state fired at the vehicle conveying protesters.
One of our correspondents who witnessed the incident reported that some of the angry protesters regrouped after the smoke from the gunshot had faded out.
Wike Advocates Amendment Of Police Laws, Says FG Trivialising Protesters’ Demands
Meanwhile, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Friday called for an amendment of the laws establishing the Nigeria Police Force in order to tackle current security challenges facing the country. He also accused the Federal Government of trivialising the demands of the protesters.
Wike, who stated these while speaking on a television programme in Port Harcourt, said, “We are in a federal system; issues cannot be addressed by the Federal Government giving directives to state governors. There is need for all stakeholders to look at the various laws establishing the police to determine the roles of councils, states and the Federal Government.
The governor later tweeted, “The Federal Government is trivialising the demands by #EndSARS protesters by directing state governors to take charge of Tactical Commands of the police. State governors cannot take charge of Tactical Commands because they cannot employ or discipline anyone who errs.”
He lamented that the state once set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry that indicted some SARS officers but that instead of punishing the indicted officers, the police authorities shielded them and even promoted one to the rank of an Assistant Inspector-General.
In Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi told the protesters who assembled at Fajuyi Park in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that his administration was taking steps to ensure justice for victims of police brutality in the state through the setting up a Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS and related abuses in the state. He spoke as #EndSARS protesters on Friday stormed major streets of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, which disrupted the flow of traffic.
Also, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), called on the Federal Government to dialogue with the protesting youths.
Speaking at ABUAD Farm while addressing farmers across 16 local government areas of the state in commemoration of the World Food Day, Babalola said, “It’s sad that our police authorities could stoop so low to have attacked Nigerians protesting against brutality, extortion and harassment by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.”
UK Lawmaker Questions Agency Over Financial Support For SARS
A member of the British parliament, Kate Osamor, representing Edmonton, has written to seek clarification on the nature of aid the government of United Kingdom, through the office of the Secretary of State, Foreign Affairs, gave to SARS.
The letter, which was circulating in the social media, was written by the British lawmaker on October 15, 2020.
Osamor warned that further assistance should be withheld and called for an audit of what the initial aids were expended on so that the UK government agency would not be unwittingly supporting actions of an agency notorious for human rights violations.
Lagos Protesters Reject Oluomo’s Food, Drinks
Meanwhile, protesters at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Friday rejected food and soft drinks sent by the Chairman of the National Union of the Road Transport Workers in the state, Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo.
The rejection was in reaction to an attack unleashed on the protesters by thugs at Ikeja, the state capital, on Thursday, which some people tied to him.
The Twitter account of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has been hacked.
The hackers put up a message threatening to reveal secrets of Nigerian authorities.
“We #Anonymous are out to expose government’s secret and dirty files”, it read.
“Put an #ENDTOPOLICEBRUTALITY #Twitterdown #NBChacked”, the message added.
The website was also not opening as at 9:25 am.
NBC regulates the Nigerian broadcast industry.
The commission says it adopts scientific research methods to gather data, analyze trends in line with the dynamism of the industry and advise government.
NBC receives, processes and considers applications for the establishment, ownership or operation of radio and television stations including cable television service, direct satellite broadcast and others.
Ilhan Omar, a United States Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota, on Friday, Thursday showed support for Nigerians protesting police brutality in the country.
“I stand in solidarity with the protesters in Nigeria’s #EndSARS campaign. The Nigerian government must allow peaceful assembly and free expression, and should not be satisfied by simply renaming the old police,” Omar tweeted.
Omar, one of the first of two Muslim women to serve in Congress, said although “police brutality is a global problem” she insisted that “true reform” is expected from the Nigerian government.
Omar is joining several other people across the world to lead their voices against police impunity in the country.
In the last 10 days, young Nigerians have been protesting against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian Police Force, after a video emerged of officers allegedly killing a man.
Soon the hashtag #EndSARS, began trending internationally. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announced that SARS will be disbanded, but that promise has not been enough to quell the anger. Nigerians continue to protest in major cities across the country.
Over the last three years, Amnesty International has documented 82 cases of torture, abuse, and extrajudicial executions conducted by SARS officers.
In 2016, Amnesty International documented 143 complaints made against SARS officers in less than six months. According to their most recent report, survivors of run-ins with the unit, usually youths, have experienced “mock execution, beating, punching and kicking, burning with cigarettes, waterboarding, near-asphyxiation with plastic bags, forcing detainees to assume stressful bodily positions and sexual violence.”
Protesters say they won’t stop marching until the government takes action on reforming the police rather than promise a reform.
After a minor set back, social media app, Twitter, has created an emoji for the #EndSARS protest ongoing across Nigerian states.
There was an uneasy calm late hours of Thursday when social media app, Twitter reportedly crashed as many could not refresh and get updates.
It was however noticed that an emoji of a tight fist now accompanies the EndSARS hashtag, of course, Nigerian youths are ecstatic about the development showering unreserved praises on the Twitter manager led by CEO Jack.
