Action Congress Asks Nigeria to 'Sack Iwu Now"

Action Congress (USA) has again called for the removal of Maurice Iwu as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement made available to leadershipnigeria.com it said that again the verdict in Edo State proves that he had failed to deliver as promised free and fair elections at every level of government throughout Nigeria.

We have and continue to witness the election tribunal void election after election and ask for re-runs. He is a disgrace to progress and democracy, his denial of his failure is shameful and should be prevented from making further statements publicly regarding it.

They thanked President Yar'Adua in his belief in the rule of law, but strongly opposed his statement which includes "do-or-die" in any re-elections throughout the country. However, we expect that we will do free and fair elections, whereby each registered voter is given the opportunity to cast their vote without fear, that those votes are counted without bias and that the true count is given declaring only the individual who rightfully wins regardless of who does.

The statement said, "As a man who has tried to convince the country and the outside world of his sincerity to provide safety for the people of Nigeria, it becomes highly embarrassing to hear the word 'die' coming from him (Yar'Adua) in reference to any election, when he should be guaranteeing protecting the lives of all its citizens and not a select few".

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In a delayed response to the elections, Action Congress called for a reform of the election commission of Nigeria in the form of firing its chairman. Although this approach may or may not be effective in reforming the elections, it is good to see that some action is being suggested. The only way to improve a flawed system is to change something, and Nigeria, or at least some parts, is trying to reform.

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Nigeria Inaugurates International Scientific Committee

Nigeria has inaugurated anInternational Scientific Committeeto fast track the contributions ofscience to national development.

A statement signed by the Spokesman of the National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Njoku Onyekachi said that the body inaugurated bythe Minister of Education, Dr IgweAja-Nwachukwu, would be anadvisory body to the Centre.

Aja-Nwachukwu was quoted by the statement, issued yesterday in Abuja,
as saying that successive governments were responsible for the brain drain syndrome affecting the country following their failure toinvest in science and research.

The minister said that the committee was part of a strategy adopted by the present government to correct the mistakes of the past and position the country to attain the vision 2020.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses Nigeria's decision to implement an International Scientific Committee that will "fast track the contributions of science to national development." This Committee is going to serve as an "advisory body" to the National Mathematical Centre (NMC). This investment is expected to reverse the "brain drain syndrome" that occurred because of previous governments inability to invest in science and research. This investment is considered necessary for Nigeria to obtain economic growth and development. This shows that the present administration is attempting to do anything it takes to better the economy in Nigeria.

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Nigeria May Ban Flight Operations to Obudu

Following the disappearance of Beechcraft 1900D aircraft belonging to Wings Aviation, flight operations to Bebi Airstrip in Obudu Cattle Ranch may be put on hold.

The Wings Aviation turboprop plane was headed for the ranch to convey the Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, to Abuja when it was discovered missing along with the three crew members on board.

Sources said the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) had last month warned aviation authorities about Bebi airstrip, saying it was not safe. NAMA was said to have advised that flight operations into the airstrip should be stopped until there are air traffic services at the field.

The military aircraft that crashed in Benue State close to Obudu Ranch on August 17, 2006, killing about 14 military officers and the March 15 disappearance of Wings Aviation aircraft, sources said, had confirmed the fears raised in March 2005 by former minister of Aviation, Mallam Isa Yuguda, who is now the Governor of Bauchi State, that flying to the area was dangerous with the absence of air traffic services.

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Nigeria's Wings Aviation recently lost an entire airplane, similar to an event earlier, although not as severe, in which an oil tanker was reported missing. This time, however, there is an explanation given. The destination of the plane was "not safe," for some unknown reason. The idea of an airport being hijacked may seem implausible to citezens of the US, but we must remember that the airports in Nigeria are nowhere near as devloped or frequented as thos in the US. This unsafe airport is a very understandable event, but it is still a bad sign of Nigeria's security.

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Nearly Two-Thirds of Africans Have No Toilets

The vast majority of Africans have no access to a toilet, according to preliminary data from a World Health Organization report to be published later this year.

The WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation said the data shows 62 percent of Africans and 2.6 billion people worldwide have no toilet at home "and thus are vulnerable to a range of health risks."

"Sanitation is a cornerstone of public health" said WHO's Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. "Improved sanitation contributes enormously to human health and well-being, especially for girls and women. We know that simple, achievable interventions can reduce the risk of contracting diarrheal disease by a third."

The use of toilets and hand-washing with soap prevents the transfer of bacteria, viruses and parasites that might otherwise contaminate water supplies, soil and food.

"Nearly 40 percent of the world's population lacks access to toilets, and the dignity and safety that they provide," said Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF executive director. "The absence of adequate sanitation has a serious impact on health and social development, especially for children."

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It is ridiculous that, at this point in time, 2.6 billion people worldwide do not have access to a modern toilet. There are many health concerns associated with a lack of modern plumbing caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It is also very possible for water supplies to be contaminated by human excrement. Nigeria should take care of this sanitation problem for their country, and perhaps the rest of Africa will follow in suit.

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Payment of Disengaged Workers’ Benefits Begins April

The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) will from next month begin the payment of benefits to 15, 227 disengaged workers of parastatals and agencies, a senior official has said.

The official told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja that N19billion had been set aside for the payment, which would cover 11 federal parastatal and agencies.

The workers were disengaged last year with a promise that they would get their cheques after a training workshop on entrepreneurship in April, but a year later that had not been paid.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) deciding that next month they will begin paying benefits to disengaged workers that were promised to be paid last year. These payments are set aside to cover eleven federal parastatal and agencies. These payments were promised to these individuals if they attended a training workshop on entrepreneurship, but a year after this they had still not been paid. This could have caused these individuals to question the government's ability to keep the promises that are made, thus affecting legitimacy. The official blamed the delay in payment on faults in the records. The Accountant General of the Federation said that they "are now in the process of releasing funds to the twelve banks that will be involved in the process." So despite the delay in payment of these funds, the government and its agencies have kept their promise to pay benefits to disengaged workers. This is an example of the government keeping their word although it did take an extended period of time.

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Budget Delay Cripples Economy

Experts have expressed their views on the possible effects the delay in the passage of the 2008 Appropriation Bill into law may have on the economy and its constituent sectors, agreeing that such effects are undesirable.

Despite expectations late last year that the budget would be passed early following the cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government, the passage of the Appropriation Bill into law has experienced an impasse between the two arms of government in recent times.

Commenting on the issue, the spokesman of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Festus Odoko, in a telephone interview on Sunday, said that an early passage of the budget would normally make things work out smoothly.

He pointed out that in the event of a delay in passing the Appropriation Bill into law like it is now, a provision existed that permitted the President to spend up to a certain proportion of the previous year’s budgetary allocation.

He added that though the fact that the President could continue spending to a certain limit to meet essential expenditures might reduce the undesirable effects of the delay, some contractors might resort to borrowing heavily from banks to meet their obligations, thus causing the various banks to be increasingly exposed in terms of credit given.

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The tax appropriation bill for this year has been yet again postponed. Economic experts agreed that postponing the tax appropriation bill is harmful for Nigeria's already fragile economy. The current law in place allows the president to spend up to a certain percentage of last year's budget, but that may not be enough to cover the necessary expenses. One of the projected outcomes of the postponement is that, as a result of the government not having money to pay contractors, the contractors will have to borrow exorbitant amounts of money from banks. The banks would then be subject to the terms of credit that they agreed upon with their borrowers.

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Security Experts from Britain, U.S, and Nigeria Meet Today

The Niger Delta oil fields, a major point of conflict in Africa

Top American intelligence and military officers as well as their British counterparts will, today, in Abuja, engage top Nigerian security chiefs under the Gulf of Guinea Energy Security Strategy (GGESS) to explore fresh initiatives towards ending militancy in the Niger Delta region, in particular, and a secured business environment in the entire Gulf of Guinea.

GGESS was initiated by the Federal Government in 2005 as a collaborative effort with key foreign governments to find a lasting solution to the security of oil and gas supply from the Niger Delta. It is also to promote sustainable development of the region in a climate of peace.

If successfully implemented, the GGESS initiative is expected to be replicated in other countries in the sub-region. The strategy seeks to build strong partnerships between the Nigerian Government and foreign governments interesteds in the co-ordinated effort to stamp out oil theft, illegal small arms dealings and money laundering with particular emphasis on the Niger Delta.

At inception, the US Government collaborated with Nigeria in establishing the GGESS. The United Kingdom which initially attended meetings as an observer eventually joined the group as a full member. Nigerian representation to the GGESS is drawn from the NNPC, the Nigerian military and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The GGESS has four work groups to facilitate the achievement of set objective: the Small Arms Control, Maritime Security, Money Laundering and Sustainable Development.

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Another sign of attempts to improve stability and security in Nigeria, this article shows that some officials are trying to battle the seemingly endless flow of corruption and violence. Although this step forward will be met with almost as much movement backwards, hopefully the overall trend in Nigeria is progressive.

US Port Seeks Partnership with Nigeria

The Port of Houston in Texas, United States is seeking partnership with Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) to facilitate international trade. One of its commissioners and US-based Nigerian entrepreneur, Mr Kase Lawal, made this known at the weekend in Houston, after he conducted Nigeria's First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar'Adua on a boatride of the port. Lawal, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said "We are the largest sea port in America with a cargo volume of 95 billion dollars annually, so we have the capacity to assist Nigerian ports.''

Read the full story here.

This article addresses Nigeria Ports Authority's recent decision to partner with the Port of Houston in Texas. Mr. Kase Lawal, US based Nigerian entrepreneur, believes the the Port of Houston has the ability and capacity to help Nigeria by "giving technical expertise and equipment to improve the performance of the Nigerian ports" so that these ports can "meet up with current international challenges." The Port of Houston handles most of the crude oil imports from Nigeria and even some exports to Nigeria. The goal in this partnership is to enhance international trade relations thus boosting the Nigerian economy. This partnership shows that the Nigerian government is making attempts to do anything it takes to better the economy.

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Japan to Promote Africa's Growth at Tokyo Confab

Africa's promising economic prospects and the pursuit of progress in consolidating peace and democratisation processes through self-efforts are the credentials the Government of Japan hopes to build upon as African leaders gather to discuss contemporary issues of development concerning the continent next month.

They will be meeting at the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in the port city of Yokohama, Japan, in May.

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has also been invited to the event.

The TICAD was launched in 1993 to promote high-level policy dialogue among African leaders and development partners. It has since evolved into a major global forum to promote development on the continent under the principles of African "ownership" and international "partnership."

The two concepts had a great influence on the launch of the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), a strategy for development designed by Africans themselves.

The hosts believe Africa would be fully represented at the five-yearly summit, hopefully at the highest levels, describing the responses to the invitation so far as "very encouraging."

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The Tokyo Internation Conference on African Development will be held this May to aid African countries in their economic development. Hopefully the interference of more developed countries in African affairs will help Nigeria to make changes for the betterment of the country as a whole. President Yar'Adua was invited and plans to attend. The conference aims to help African ownerships and partnerships.

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U.S. report questions voting rights abuses in Nigeria

For the first time this year, the United States government is commenting openly about its disappointment with how certain 2007 election petitions are being settled in Nigeria without attention being paid to what it described as criminal activity during the polls.

In its current World Annual Report of Human Rights for 2007 released yesterday in Washington DC, the U.S. government submitted that in Nigeria "the government's human rights record remained poor, and government officials at all levels continued to commit serious abuses."

The greatest threat to liberty is "the abridgement of citizens' right to change their government, " according to the report presented to the press by Jonathan Farrar, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour at the State Department, the equivalent of Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

According to the U.S. report: "Although it was widely accepted that the 2007 elections were fraudulent, most of the tribunals overturned elections based on technicalities such as not having the party logo on the ballot or not having the party name listed, rather than for criminal activity related to the elections."

The report noted that after the flawed 2007 polls, tribunals received over 1,250 legal motions filed across the country to overturn the results of individual elections for all levels of government posts, including the Presidency.

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Even over a week after the tribunals, people are still complaining over the results of the tribunal. The article, unlike some other ones, cites legitimate reasons for complaint, particularly in the full article. The elections were mainly overturned because of technicalies rather than large problems, denoting the desensitization of nigerian towards these large problems.

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Nigeria Tracing Militant Pipeline

Nigerian oil officials are to start digging up an oil pipeline found at a militant's abandoned hideout to see if it runs to a refinery about 2km away.

The army claims the pipeline was used by Ateke Tom, the head of the Niger Delta Vigilantes, to steal oil.

A BBC reporter says the pipeline, found earlier this week, is visible for about 500m before disappearing underground.

Mr Tom is accused of being behind much of the lawless money-making schemes causing havoc in the oil-rich region.

He is wanted by the authorities for a string of bank robberies, incidents of piracy, stealing crude oil and kidnappings.

His present whereabouts is unclear, but contacted by the BBC by phone Mr Tom denied laying the pipeline to his former base near Okochiri about 20km-30km from the regional capital, Port Harcourt.

Instability and violence in the Niger Delta region over the past few years have led to a significant drop in Nigeria's oil exports.

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Ateke Tom, the head of the Niger Delta Vigilantes, has been stealing oil from a pipeline that runs near his former hideout. His group is the major cause of violence and terrorism in the Niger Delta region. He is wanted for stealing oil, kidnapping, and several bank robberies. His present whereabouts are unknown, but the government is searching for him. Capturing Ateke Tom for good could help put an end to some of the unrest in the Niger Delta region for good.

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World Warned on Food Price Spiral

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said he is deeply concerned about the sharp rise in global food prices.

Mr Ban said the trend would hinder progress towards the millennium development goals (MDGs), which aim to halve extreme poverty by 2015.

The UN World Food Program (WFP) and other agencies may be forced to ration food aid, he said in a BBC interview.

He said shortages might be eased by a "green revolution" to transform farming methods in Africa.

Global food prices have risen by 40% in nine months and food reserves are at their lowest for 30 years.

The WFP is facing a $500m (£248m) shortfall in its attempts to feed 73 million people this year.

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The UN secretary has declared that Africa must enter a "green revolution" to transform farming methods in order to provide for the millions of impoverished and starving citizens. Food prices are on the rise, so the UN is struggling to provide food to all of the 73 million people in need. The rise in food prices will lead to worsened malnutrition and starvation in all of Africa. The entire continent must revolutionize farming methods in order to counteract the rise in food prices.

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Government Introduces New Rural Development Plan

The Federal Government yesterday presented to stakeholders for inputs a three-year draft rural development plan for the country called the, "Community Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (CEEDS)".

Minister and Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Senator Sanusi Dagash, who presented the documents to the stakeholders in Abuja yesterday, said CEEDS is estimated to cost about N248.64 billion.

"CEEDS conceptual framework is premised on the dire need for restoration of the human dignity and hope for poor communities in rural areas.

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Although some may say the US has a poverty problem, it is nothing compared to that of Nigeria. To say that even N248.64 billion could make a dent in the poverty situation of Nigeria is absurd. Even if the money was used without corruption or other problems, the amount of people below any poverty line in Nigeria is to enormous for billions of Naira to alleviate.

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Yar'Adua Insists on Refund Clause in Contracts

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed the Ministry of Justice not to approve any federal contract agreement which does not have an indemnity clause to refund to the government any amount spent if the contractor fails to fulfil his or her contractual obligations.

This is one of the ways the government is pursuing its quest to halt the problem of contractors collecting mobilisation fees and absconding without executing jobs according to signed agreements.

Government, a source told The Guardian yesterday, wants to end the abandoned projects syndrome and the collection of mobilisation fees without execution as a way of siphoning funds from government's coffers.

Under the new policy, any contractor that collects mobilisation fees and fails to execute the contract would be prosecuted for the recovery of the fund paid.

The source stated that Yar'Adua was shocked that until now, government contracts have no indemnity clause, which protects funds paid to contractors.

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The president is cracking down on a major source of corruption within the country. Many government officials and contractors were receiving government money for various projects, but then never completing the task that they were paid to do. This is one of the more creative ways that people have been stealing money from their government. When Yar'Adua found out about this embezzlement scheme, he was outraged. It is now government policy to prosecute anyone who is allotted government money for a project and does not complete it. This is an example of how the Nigerian government is cracking down on corruption within the country.

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How Obasanjo Spent $13bn on Power

Clearer picture of how the Obasanjo administration spent $13 billion on the power sector emerged yesterday with the Minister of State for Energy (Power), Mrs. Fatima Ibrahim, giving a breakdown of the expenditure over a period of eight years.

And following the failure of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) to materialise, the 36 states and the 774 councils are now demanding the refund of the $3.2 billion they contributed for its implementation, according to Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.

She said the sum of N235 billion; $6.5 billion and 330 million Euro were used to finance the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).

She said another $4.6 billion sourced from the international creditors and $1.6 billion from Joint Venture Calls (JVCs) were also used to finance the sector during the period.

Ibrahim said although there was no evidence of misappropriation of the funds, some contracts that were paid for were abandoned by the contractors after payment.

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Following up on this story, the government has finally responded to the question of the people and the questions of the state government. The money was reportedly all allocated to certain projects, but that does not rule out the possibility of massive corruption or faulty allocation. The government's explanation was that many contrators who were hired for the job did not complete their tasks. This money that was not returned upon will be sought out from the contractors, and hopefully the government can come closer to their ambitious power supply goals.

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Nigeria Rebel 'is alive and well'

A leading member of a Niger Delta oil rebel group has been confirmed as alive and well by members of his family.

The news comes over a week after Henry Okah's rebel group threatened "anarchy" in the Delta region unless his family and lawyers were given access to him.

Mr Okah, of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), was arrested in September.

The government last week revealed charges of treason against Mr Okah, who faces a death sentence.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the confirmation that a leading member of a Niger Delta oil rebel group is "alive and well." This comes after many feared that Okah had been killed, possibly by the government. Okah is being charged with treason and faces a death sentence. Okah has felt betrayed by the government because of agreements they had made previously. According to Okah's brother Charles, Mr. Okah did not seem to have been physically harmed while he was detained. The location of Okah and his friend, Edward Atatah, has remained unknown for the length of their detainment. Atatah is suffering from hallucinations and "acute hypertension" because of his detainment. The fact that this man has become mentally ill since he has been detained by the government alludes to the ill treatment that these men have been receiving.

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Nigerian Party Picks New Leader

The governing People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria has elected Vincent Ogbulafor as its new leader at a convention in the capital, Abuja.

Mr Ogbulafor is the party's former general secretary and is considered a compromise candidate, able to unite different factions of the party.

His election is seen as a setback for ex-leader Olusegun Obasanjo who was backing his own candidate.

The PDP won heavily in disputed 2007 polls and dominates national politics.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent election of Vincent Ogbulafor to serve as the People's Democratic Party's leader in Nigeria. Ogbulafor is the former general secretary; he is viewed as a "compromise candidate" because he connects the different groups of the party. This "compromise" shows that the leaders of the dominant party in Nigeria are seeking to do what would be best for the nation which would be to put aside differences and find a common ground. The election of Ogbulafor was seen as a test of former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo's influence on the activities of the nation and its political parties. Obasanjo was backing one of his "allies," Sam Egwu, for this position, but Mr. Edwu was not selected. Many people in the People's Democratic Party are seeking to lower Obasanjo's influence on the goings-on in Nigeria. This shows that many of them are trying to move ahead, rather than staying in the same place they were the entire time Obasanjo was president. Alex Last believes that there was "a lot of backroom dealing before the result was announced" because of the corrupt nature of many of Nigerian leaders.

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Nigeria Trains Terrorism Police

Nigeria is training its first group of specialist anti-terrorism police.

The 308 officers will be deployed to the northern city of Kano, the Niger Delta city of Port Harcourt and the commercial capital, Lagos.

Last year, the US embassy issued a warning that al-Qaeda was planning to attack US and UK interests in the country.

Six people are currently in jail facing terrorism charges, but lawyers say the evidence against them is weak.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the training that Nigeria has been doing for 308 officers who will be sent to Kano which is the Niger Delta city of Port Harcourt and to lagos which is the commercial capital. According to the US embassy, al Qaeda had plans to make terrorist attacks against US and UK interests in the country. The Nigerian government has initiated the training of officers in the country to combat these possible attacks, and thier training is said to be "world-class." Some of these officers will even come to the United States or go to the United Kingdom for training which shows the international relations Nigeria has with some nations. The fear of terrorist attacks is with oil interests; many fear that people will come across the northern border from Nigeria to attack. The training of these officers and the steps being taken to prevent attacks show that the Nigerian government is concerned with what would be best for the Nigerian citizens.

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Assessment Complete

INEC Pays N21m Life Insurance Claims

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday issued cheques worth N21 million to 10 families of their deceased staff as payment for their Group Life Assurance Claim.

He said the policy to pay the life issurance was borne out of the fact that the process of electoral democracy "remains a very stressful and risky assignment in Nigeria and Africa as a whole," adding that election management agencies should ordinarily not be a life endangering matter.

"It is a sad commentary on our state of being as a society that various staff of the Commission have had to face extreme exposure to strains, pressure, threats and physical assault leading to temporal and at times permanent disability. In some unfortunate cases, death has resulted in the course of what ought to be a civic duty of carrying out electoral duties," Iwu lamented.

"This insurance will also cover the total permanent or temporary disability resulting from accident and natural causes as well as taking care of the medical expenses for career public servants arising from accident," he added.

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Life insurance must be paid to electoral workers for disabilities and even death. The significance pretty much explains itself. Electoral workers shouldn't have a life threatening job in any democracy.

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MEND Chief Charged With Treason, Gun Running

About one month after they were extradited to Nigeria from Angola over gun-running charges, the Federal Government yesterday filed treason charges against the detained leaders of Movement for the Emancipa-tion of Niger Delta (MEND), Henry Okah and Edward Atatah.They were accused of terrorism, illegal importation of firearms and gun running.

At the Federal High Court, Abuja where the charges were filed, it was revealed that Okah was charged in absentia last year with treason and other offences. The defence was handed a copy of the 14 charges made against Okah in December, after his arrest in Angola before he was extradited to the country. If found guilty, Okah faces death penalty.

According to the charge, Okah and Atatah who are 42 and 43 respectively in September 2007 travelled from Nigeria to Luanda, Angola to buy shipping vessel worth USD670,000 to be used to transport arms to militants in the oil rich Niger Delta. Federal Government argued that the offences contravened section 41 © of the Criminal Code Act (CPA) Cap 77 laws of the federation of Nigeria 1999 and punishable under Section 41.

The accused were said to have sold and provided 250,000 assault riffles, general-purpose machine guns, rocket propelled launchers /canisters, bazookas and assorted ammunitions to armed groups such as the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Icelandic Cult and the MEND to levy war against the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Yenegoa, Port Harcourt, Delta and other places contrary to section 37(1) of the CPA.

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Nigeria has many illigitamate militant and non-militant groups representing the large number of minorities present in the country. Some groups that may seem somewhat non-confrontational are actually aiding the violent nature of other groups without endagering themselves as much. These militant groups are a bad sign for a newly democratic, country, because militants in true democracies seem to be ineffective, and from the sheer number of militant groups in Nigeria, we can conclude that they are somewhat effective.

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Ali, Ciroma Clash over PDP Aspirants

THE controversy over the national convention of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fixed this Saturday is yet to abate as the National Chairman of the party, Ahmadu Ali and the chairman of the Electoral Panel of the Convention, Malam Adamu Ciroma are divided over the control of screening of aspirants for national offices of the party.

Unrelated though, is the clash of supporters of the Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime and his predecessor, Chimaroke Nnamani yesterday at the PDP secretariat, Abuja. The clash sent workers of the secretariat and national officers of the PDP, including Ali, scampering for safety.

Ciroma had written to Ali that the panel raised an eight-man committee to handle the screening of aspirants after consultation among members. He further said that the essence of the exercise was to add value and to restore confidence of party faithful in the process.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent controversy that has arisen between two key leaders of the People's Democratic Party of Nigeria. According to the article, National Chairman of the party Ahmadu Ali and chairman of the Electoral Panel of the Convention Malam Adamu Ciroma have disagreed about the process that should be taken to screen potential candidates for the national offices of the party. This shows the dissent that can arise between a single political party; the steps taken to resolve this disagreement will show the power that the government and its leaders have especially in resolving conflict. According to Ciroma, the screening of potential leaders is necessary to insure that the best job will be done. This article also addresses the recent disagreement that arose between supporters of Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime and his predecessor, Chimaroke Nnamani. This "clash" sent many individuals running for safety as many people were held hostage. This shows the violence that consumes many people in Nigeria including the leaders of the country.

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Nigeria's Buhari Renews Challenge

Muhammadu Buhari says the tribunal was wrong. A Nigerian opposition candidate is appealing to the Supreme Court over the election of President Umaru Yar'Adua.

Defeated All Nigeria People's Party candidate Muhammadu Buhari wants last year's widely criticised poll annulled.

Last week, the election tribunal said Mr Buhari had failed to prove the result of the election had been affected by rigging.

Mr Buhari's lawyers said the burden of proof should be on the government.

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Buhari was Yar'Adua's competition in the last presidential election. Last week there was a tribunal held to determine whether the presidential election should be annuled due to the recent evidence found that makes it appear that the election was rigged. Though Buhari lost the tribunal last week, he has not given up. He had plenty of evidence proving the Yar'Adua was not the fair winner, including ballots that did not have serial numbers. Buhari has not given up yet, even though Yar'Adua was declared innocent. Considering all of the evidence that Buhari presented, it is surprising that he did not win. Perhaps Yar'Adua had to resort to corrupt practices in order to hide how he won the presidential election.

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Nigeria 'Denies Access to Rebel'

Militant attacks have hit Nigeria's oil outputThe Nigerian government is preventing lawyers from seeing a detained oil militant leader, a rebel group says. Lawyers acting for Henry Okah have asked a judge to try again to compel the government to bring him to court.

Mr Okah and a colleague Edward Atatah were arrested in Angola in September and deported back to Nigeria in February, charged with gun-running.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said it was afraid for Mr Okah's safety.

The group previously said he had been killed - claims denied by the government.

"The Nigerian government has blatantly refused to comply with a High Court order granting the lawyers and families of Henry Okah and Edward Atatah immediate access to see him," Mend said in a statement e-mailed to journalists.

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The Nigerian government is failing to comply with their own laws. They are denying an alleged gun runner access to a lawyer, or access to anyone for that matter. There were rumors that Mr. Okah has already died, but the government denies these claims. Mr. Okah is an important member of the group that seeks independence of the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta is an oil-rich region that has been the site of many problems recently with oil pipelines breaking and citizens stealing the oil. The government's incompliance makes it seem possible that Mr. Okah is indeed dead, or that he is a threat in some way to the stablility of the government. It would be in the Nigerian government's best interest to allow access to Mr. Okah in order to falsify all claims that he is dead.

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Four Airports for Concessioning

THE greenlight has been given by the Federal Government for the concessioning of four international airports.

The nod, according to the Minister of State for Transportation (Aviation), Mr. Felix Hassan Hyatt, is to ensure that their facilities are updated to international standards.

To be concessioned are Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Port Harcourt International Airport and Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

But Hyatt who announced the approval yesterday said the planned concessioning would only involve the upgrading and use of facilities while "security remains in the hands of government".

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent decision to concession four of Nigeria's airports. These airports include Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Port Harcourt International Airport and Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. The government has made the decision to make attempts to upgrade the facilities; however, the government plans to maintain control of the security aspects of airports. President Yar'Adua is planning on making the Nigerian airports equivalent to many international airports with the hopes that this will be accomplished within five years. Yar'Adua plans to get approval from many different facets of the government before any action is taken. This shows that the President is attempting to make sure that everyone is informed and behind what is occurring in the nation. This idea could be considered an attempt to maintain or gain legitimacy in the nation by insuring that the people are aware of what is occurring within their own country. Yar'Adua is aiming for "transparency" in the government which will enable the citizens of Nigeria to be informed to the greatest extent.

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Good "Friends"

We have made many posts about the rampant corruption in Nigeria, but this comic adds a little humor to the subject. With all of the corruption in other areas, it seems that the only way to complete this project is by promising more corruption. It is a vicious cycle with no easy end in sight.

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Cross-Dresser Jailed in Nigeria

Uche Ndubuisi was arrested loitering around Lagos international airport. He pleaded guilty after women's clothes and makeup that belonged to him were brought in evidence.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and was not given the option of a fine, an official at the court in the Lagos suburb of Ikeja told AFP.

Another 18 men face charges of vagrancy and indecent behaviour in the sharia-run northern state of Bauchi after they were arrested in a hotel allegedly dressed as women.

Lagos is not a sharia state, but has recently seen police arrest women for wearing revealing clothes.

Cross dressing in Nigeria is linked by authorities to homosexuality, which is illegal in the country.

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Homosexuality is a crime punishable by law in Nigeria. Cross-dressers are being sentenced to jail time because dressing like women is linked to homosexual tendencies. Women are also being punished for dressing in clothing that is deemed too revealing. These laws are examples of the government's attempts to control its citizens. To be honest, the government has more important issues to be concerned about. Perhaps the law enforcement should be more concerned with stopping and preventing crime and the government should be more concerned about reducing corruption rather than worrying about people's clothing choices.

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Yar’Adua Moves Against Health Minister

The Health Minister, Prof. Adenike Grange, who was arrested last Thursday on the orders of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua over the handling of unspent funds in the 2007 budget and award of contracts, has been released.

Grange was released at the weekend by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after she was interrogated over the allegation.

THISDAY learnt that the health minister claimed she was misadvised by her directors.

Operatives of EFCC are now moving against the directors following the minister’s claim but Grange may be invited again for further interrogation as more details are unveiled.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent release of Nigerian Health Minister Adenike Grange who was arrested on the orders of President Umaru Yar'Adua because of how remaining funds in the federal budget were handled. Grange said that she was "misadvised by her directors." According to the article, Grange was found to distribute funds without following due process; this shows the corruption that has filled the government because the leaders do not necessarily follow the necessary or required procedures to accomplish the things that they desire. The arrest of Grange is expected to reveal more leaders who have done the same or similar things as she. President Yar'Adua has been angry over the inflation of the money that he believes is partially due to the sporadic spending of the governmental ministers. The actions that the government takes, furthering Yar'Adua's vow to stamp out corruption, will show the power and influence the Nigerian government has.

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Yar'Adua Orders Minister's Arrest

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest a serving Minister for allegedly flouting a presidential directive on returning unspent funds in the last days of 2007 to the public treasury and for partaking in sharing in the proceeds of contracts awarded illegally.


Sources also told The Guardian that the female Minister might be among those to be shown the way out in the "looming sweeping changes in several areas of the Executive, including top officials of the administration."


The sources also added that the President, buoyed by recent court reprieve, has made it known to some of his aides that many of the Ministers, who emerged through unavoidable political process, "do not have the requisite capacity for their assignments."


The Minister, currently facing interrogation by the EFCC, is accused of awarding contracts without following due process in the last few days of 2007 and sharing in the proceeds of the contracts.

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President Yar'Adua has ordered that the now former minister of the EFCC be arrested for not returning unspent funds back to the treasury at the end of the year. This punishment seems a little hypocritical considering that Yar'Adua allegedly also uses government funds for his own personal use. However, despite Yar'Adua's hypocrisy, this story shows that the government is making an attempt to punish criminals and thereby decrease the corruption that plagues the government. Possibly the most interesting thing about this story is that editors of a competing newspaper were payed earlier this year to not report this story. However, the story leaked out and now the government looks even more corrupt.

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