Social Media This Week: Sanchez Joins United, Obasanjo Drops ‘Bomb Letter’, Instagram, Snapchat Add New Features

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For the fourth week of the New Year, our Social Media review takes a new dimension with the coverage of technology related activities. A lot happened within the week and, as usual, we’ve got you covered. Do enjoy your reading.

1. Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan Swap Deal

Manchester United completed the signing of Alexis Sanchez in a swap deal with Arsenal that sees Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to the Emirates.

Sky news reports that Sanchez has signed a four-and-half-year deal with Jose Mourinho’s side, while Mkhitaryan has agreed to a three-and-a-half-year contract in North London.

 

Sanchez and Mkhitaryan finalised their respective work permits on Monday after previously completing medicals.

See reactions below:

https://twitter.com/mikesanz19/status/955833283744542720

2. Obasanjo’s letter to President Buhari

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019 because he has failed Nigerians.

In a 13-page statement titled “The way out, a clarion call for coalition for Nigeria movement”, Obasanjo asked Buhari not to listen to the advisers urging him to seek re-election. He also blamed the incumbent for his handling of the herdsmen crises in the north of Nigeria. In addition to calling out the presidency, Obasanjo also took his old political party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the cleaners.

Nigerians took to social media to express their views. See their reactions below:

https://twitter.com/Onos147/status/956496140144431104

https://twitter.com/ELBINAWI/status/956590366928592896

 

3. Instagram enables online status, Snapchat adds sharing outside

Popular social media app Instagram has now added online status in direct messages. This means that all your friends would know the last time you were active if you access the direct message area of the app.

 

According to Thenextweb, this feature was released as part of new updates for Android and iOS and it displays the user’s online status directly below the username. The app, however, included an option to opt out of displaying your online status. It can be turned off by toggling the ‘Show Activity Status’ option in the app’s settings. Turning off the feature means you won’t be able to see the online status of other users too.

Instagram Online Status Update

In a related development, Snapchat has announced that it is launching a new feature on Tuesday. The app will allow its users to share their stories with friends and family outside of the app. Snap, its parent company, is hoping this new feature would help to grow its low user base.

Snapchat is bringing its hugely popular Stories feature to the PC. In a few weeks, the app will introduce a share option to its Stories tile in its Discover section. From here, users will be able to share public Stories onto platforms like Facebook, Twitter and email. This feature is already available to users in Australia and Canada.

It will, however, not be available to all varieties of public Stories. Stories eligible for sharing according to the company include Official Stories, Our Stories, and Search Stories. Unlike the app, Stories shared on the web would disappear after 30 days while Official Stories would disappear after 24 hours.

New Snapchat Update
4. Keshi gets Google Doodle honour on his 56th posthumous birthday

Nigerian football icon Stephen “Big Boss” Keshi was honoured by Google on what would have been his 56th birthday. The search engine changed its logo in Nigeria on Tuesday to an illustration of the legendary sports star.

Keshi was one of only two men to win the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and coach, but the later part of his career was described as turbulent by some after he quit coaching duties over unpaid wages.

See comments and reactions:

https://twitter.com/GodspowerWorld/status/955895765188169729

https://twitter.com/Ruud_bishop/status/955694391724781568

https://twitter.com/alpha_male/status/955721738217803776

 

5. EFCC VS ex-SGF Babachir Lawal

Following the open letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerian Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir Lawal was arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over fraud allegations relating to grass cutting contracts.

Mr. Lawal is detained in the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC where he will face investigators over his role in the controversial contracts.

Babachir was relieved of his duties by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 following allegations that he diverted aid funds intended for the humanitarian crisis in the North-East.

Below are reactions and comments:


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