Nitel's Ongoing Strike Bites Harder

In this report, Efem Nkanga, examines the recent strike action embarked upon by employees of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), the negative impact the strike has had on the economy and the need for the Federal Government to declare telecommunication a critical sector of the economy.

The ongoing industrial action of employees of NITEL has continued to take its toll on the economy almost two weeks after the commencement of the strike, which was attributed to disagreements between Transnational Corporation, owners of NITEL and NITEL employees over the payment of salaries and emoluments.

The strike action, which has led to the shut down of SAT-3, the underwater communication cable link connecting Nigeria and many African countries to the rest of the world through Europe, has led to communication challenges that has continued to take its toll on the economy. Affected by the strike action are critical sectors of the economy spanning oil and gas, banking, the seat of government, security service, media houses, private telecoms operators (PTOs) and telecoms companies etc. Major conglomerates like Total and Shell are said to have been seriously affected by the strike action. Though NITEL is known for rendering epileptic services, it has a golden asset - SAT-3, which delivers capacity that links Nigeria and other participatory members of the project to major internet backbones across Europe, Asia and the Americas. The SAT 3 cable project connects Africa with Europe and is projected to be a major revenue earner for NITEL. THISDAY gathered that NITEL, which spent about $45 million in 2002 to co-own the facility, which runs through the Atlantic Ocean linking countries along the route, makes only about N100million as revenue every month while its salary structure on a monthly basis is about 500 million. It is this shortfall between the revenue it earns and its liabilities that has been its albatross.

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Has the Food Crisis Spread to Nigeria?

The food crisis which has ravaged some countries across the globe may not be too far from Nigeria, given the rate at which prices of staple foods have been on the rise daily.

Rising food prices have already sparked off huge crisis in Haiti, Egypt, Senegal and Ivory Coast, among others.

THISDAY investigation across the states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, revealed that prices of staple food stuffs have witnessed swift increases in the last couple of weeks.

It was learnt that the food prices shot up in the country early March and have continued to be on the rise.

The reason for the rising prices is not too clear yet but food experts said climatic change, drought in some parts of the North, fuel scarcity experienced recently in some states and what they called government's "inconsistent policies" were partly responsible for the price surge.

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Yar'Adua Orders Probe of British Airways Incident

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed the Minister of State for Transportation (Aviation), Mr Felix Hyatt, to begin an urgent investigation into a March 27, 2008 incident in which British Airways (BA) allegedly ordered more than 100 Nigerians off its London to Lagos flight "for protesting against the brutal treatment of a deportee aboard."

Yar'Adua, who is in Germany for a medical review, asked Hyatt to take all necessary measures and protect "the travelling public from the humiliation they face daily from foreign airlines."

A source told The Guardian that the President had seen reports of the incident from the British media, expressing "disgust" at the "seeming non-chalant attitude of BA officials."

He, therefore, directed that since the minister has not forwarded any report of the incident to his office, he should be formally written to investigate the incident and report back to him.

The source added: "The President is said to be concerned by the recent resurgence of complaints about the poor treatment, discrimination and downright abuse meted out to Nigerians by some foreign airlines operating in the country.

Read the full story...

Last month over 100 Nigerian passengers attempted to board a plane in London on a British Airways flight to Lagos, but were ordered off the flight for protesting the heinous treatment of a deportee on the flight. Yar'Adua has vowed not to stand for this kind of treatment. Though he is currently in Germany receiving some sort of medical treatment, he is investigating the situation to determine what course of action to take. This action shows that the president will no longer stand for second-class treatment of Nigerian citizens.

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Police kill six robbery suspects

Four suspected armed robbers were shot dead by the police while robbing a passenger bus on the Iwo-Ejigbo road on Monday.

Also, two out of a three-man suspected robbery gang were killed on Monday by a police inspector at Obalende of Lagos.

The bus, which was on its way from Lagos to Ogbomoso, was forced to stop by the robbers, who had taken over the Iwo-Ejigbo road.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent killing of six robbery suspects by Nigerian police. A passenger bus was robbed at gunpoint, but the robbers were shot dead at the scene by police officers. According to the article, the police responded extremely quickly which prevented to robbers from escaping. This shows the the Nigerian government is doing something right in this aspect of governing because the police responded so quickly. This also shows the crime that has been ever present in Nigeria.

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Nigerian oil sector being probed

Members of Nigeria's parliament have launched an investigation into the country's oil and gas business.

The probe aims to shed light on the impenetrable corruption that dogs the industry in the country.

It follows a similar probe into the power sector which revealed corrupt deals that have left Nigeria without reliable electricity supply.

Nigeria is currently the eighth biggest exporter of oil in the world, but most of its population remain poor.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent probing of Nigeria's oil sector in an attempt to discover any corruption that has manifested itself. This search is designed to reveal anyone that has made corrupt deals in Nigeria's oil industry, and if they are found out Nigeria's legitimacy will most likely be lowered considering most government officials are involved in the oil sector. If they are found to be corrupt, the citizens of Nigeria may question whether or not they have a right to lead their country.

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Senate Will Protect Iyabo From EFCC, Senate Claims

The Senate yesterday stood its grounds, insisting that the chairperson of its Committee on Health, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, is innocent of the corruption charges brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Consequently, the Senate promised to protect her from unnecessary harassment and intimidation by the anti-financial crimes commission.

The Senate had, through Obasanjo-Bello's lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola, requested Senate president David Mark to prevail on the EFCC not to arrest her over the N10 million her committee collected from the Ministry of Health.

The committee had agreed to have participated in the sharing of the money.
Addressing Senate reporters yesterday, Senator Eze insisted that their colleague Iyabo was not found wanting in any way.

He noted that when the Senate listened to her, they came to the conclusion that she was neither culpable nor found wanting of any misconduct and that if due process was followed she would have no questions to answer.

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Obasanjo has now garnered the support of the senate in hiding from the EFCC. It seems, though, that if she is truly innocent, she would not be hiding. If she was not involved with the corruption, she should go before the EFCC, and they should bring a legal end to this.

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Nigeria's 'slow' election reform

Even reforming elections in Nigeria will not fix democracy.

That is the opinion of pro-democracy activists in Nigeria's capital Abuja.

A year ago, Umaru Yar'Adua was elected in a poll that was condemned by international observers as being the worst Africa's most populous nation had held.

He immediately promised reform and set up a committee to recommend what should be done to ensure improvements.

Public hearings for the committee begin in May and it is expected to publish a report in August.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the continued attempts in Nigeria to reform democracy. Nigerians have made numerous changes to their election process, but many believe that election reforms will not fix the democracy in Nigeria. This article addresses the concern about previous elections in Nigeria, including President Umaru Yar'Adua's election last year. The reliability of the results of his election was questionable because of the assumed corruption that was present. This article also refers to Yar'Adua's vow to stamp out the corruption in Nigeria by making necessary changes which is evident because he immediately created a committee to discuss what should be done to reform the elections after he was elected. This shows the corruption that has consumed Nigeria for so long, and if nothing is done about this corruption, then the nation's legitimacy will soon be lessened if it has not already been.

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N300m Scam: Why I won't Submit to EFCC — Iyabo

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, explained yesterday why she would not submit herself new to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for arrest and prosecution in connection with the N10 million received by the Committee from the Federal Ministry of Health.

She said her decision did not mean that she was above the law. She said the EFCC should let her be since she was already challenging the competence of the two-count charge slammed against her in court.

She said from all indications, EFCC was not really interested in prosecuting her over whatever offence she was alleged to have committed but simply interested in disgracing her.

It was also gathered yesterday that the Presidency might have frustrated EFCC’s initial moves to detain the Senator.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja through her counsel, Mr Bankole Akomolafe of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) Chambers, Senator Obasanjo-Bello said: “The Ministry of Health paid N10 millionto the Senate and not to Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello. The sum of N10 million was paid to the Senate Committee on Health by the Senate to cover the retreat for the study of a bill. Apparently the EFCC utilizes the same sort of funding for similar retreats, so Obasanjo-Bella is confused as to why they are accusing her of stealing money.

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Senator Obasanjo-Bella has been accused of embezzling ten million naira and is being convicted by the EFCC. She feels that she is being unjustly accused and denies the claim; she says that the money went towards a retreat the the Senate took to discuss a new bill. She is convinced that she is being singled out amongst all of the other senators because the EFCC is trying to disgrace her.

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Lagos to Issue Own Driver's Licence

The Lagos State government yesterday announced plans to re-certify all drivers within the metropolis.

Under the arrangement, the government advised motorists with driver's licence produced by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to come forward with the document for re-certification.

The State Commissioner for Transportation, Prof. Bamidele Badejo, told journalists in Lagos that the problem of fake licences would also be eliminated following the state government's decision. Badejo, who spoke at a media briefing to mark the one year anniversary of the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola said the state government, through its drivers' institute, issues licences to people who are physically fit, mentally alert and emotionally stable.

Speaking with The Guardian recently, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (LSMVAA), Mr. Akin Hanson, said the state would start the production and issuance of driver's licence to ensure safe motoring.

Read the full story...

Lagos, one of Nigeria's most populous cities, is now issueing their own separate driver's licenses in order to decrease the number of people driving with fake licenses. There are many traffic accidents associated with bad drivers who use a fake license. The new licenses are supposedly impossible, or at least very difficult, to create. This new legislation should decrease the number of bad drivers on the road in Lagos.

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Five Feared Killed in Lagos Robberies

No fewer than five persons were feared killed and about 12 others seriously injured when armed robbers unleashed terror on various parts of the Lagos metropolis between 10p.m. on Tuesday and the early hours of yesterday.

Sources informed The Guardian that in one of the incidents, a seven-member robbery gang attacked a businessman at the Ejigbo area of the metropolis and carted away millions of naira from his vehicles.

It was not clear as at press time whether the man survived the attack or not. However, no fewer than three persons were killed by the robbers, as they shot sporadically into different directions in order to make good their escape. Some other people were also reported injured in the shooting spree.

The bursts of gunfire from the daring gang attracted the attention of the men of the State Rapid Response Squad who then joined forces with the regular policemen in the area to give the hoodlums a hot chase.

But it was learnt that the robbers eventually fled to their hideout through Igando Road, another crime prone area of the metropolis.

Read the full story...

A band of robbers terrorized Lagos Tuesday and killed at least three and injured twelve innocent bystanders in the process. They left the crime scene with millions of naira and have not been caught yet. Police must make every attempt to catch these criminals and punish them in order to discourage this behavior. The social conditions in Nigeria aren't exactly stable, so they certainly need help putting a stop to crime.

I’m Afraid for My Life, Says Iyabo Obasanjo

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, has said she fears for her life. Obasanjo-Bello is implicated in the N300 million Health Ministry scam and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) now wants her to be prosecuted for the alleged offence.

Her comments came after the anti-corruption agents raided her home in Abuja in an attempt to bring her to face prosecution. She told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) yesterday that EFCC agents slapped her personal assistant during their visit to her house two days ago. "I am afraid of the EFCC... they slapped my PA when they got to the house," she said "I'm not on the run but I feel as if I'm a victim of harassment... I'm afraid for my life," she added.

Obasanjo-Bello, who chairs the Senate's Health Committee, was charged along with ten other top officials of the Health Ministry, including two former Ministers – Prof. Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku - for sharing the proceeds of corruption. After charges against Obasanjo-Bello were read in court last week, the EFCC said she had to turn herself in as soon as possible.

She was said to have bolted out of the house through the back door when the men of EFCC came to her house uninvited on Tuesday. She told the BBC she could not understand why her home was raided when she had visited the EFCC offices twice in the past week and made herself available through her lawyer.

Read the full story...

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of the former president, fears for her life after the EFCC ransacked her house on Tuesday. There are rumors that she benefitted financially from her father's less than moral practices while in office. She feels the the EFCC crossed a few lines by actually slapping one of her employees in the face while they tore apart her house. If the EFCC really wants to put an end to corruption in Nigeria, they are going to have to do a better job of proving to citizens that they are a legitimate government agency that wants what is best for the country.

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Contractors May Refund Government's Money with Interest

Contractors who handled the controversial power plants initiated by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo's but failed to perform satisfactorily may be forced to refund the money and pay interest on them.

This is among punitive measures the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel probing the alleged $16 billion spent on the energy sector between 1999 and 2007 may recommend to the Federal Government.

Aside the representatives' probe, the Federal Government has intensified its efforts to bail out the energy sector from its near moribund state.

Its current focus is on the controversial National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), where a global firm hired by the government to assess seven of the power plants and recommend ways to make functional has submitted its report.

After inspecting the Papalanto Power Plant in Ogun State yesterday, the panel's chairman, Mr. Godwin Ndudi Elumelu, said the contractors who performed poorly would be made to refund the money and pay interest on them.

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After many problems, much payment, and little results, the power sector of Nigeria did not do very well last year. Hopefully, the contracters will follow through and refund money, which might mitigate some of the damage and lack of progress in the power sector.

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Johnson, Omoyeni Give Conflicting Figures in Aso Rock Bribery Scandal

THE $200,000 bribery scandal over which a presidential aide and a former managing director of WEMA Bank are being questioned continued its reverberations through Aso Rock yesterday with both men reportedly confessing to conflicting sums.

While Femi Johnson, the presidential aide now under arrest for receiving the bribe has reportedly confessed to collecting only $100,000, the alleged giver, Adebisi Omoyeni, former chief executive of WEMA Bank, is said to have insisted that he gave $200,000.

The arrest of Femi Johnson, who works in the office of the President, was occasioned by his alleged collection of the bribe in return for leaking a document on the lingering Wema Bank crisis to its suspended managing director Mr. Adebisi Omoyeni.

Read the full story.


This article addresses the recent bribery scandal that was made public in Nigeria. The two men accussed in this case have given officers different figures as to how much money was involved. This scandal has caused many "calls for the sack of many staff holdovers from the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in the Villa." This shows that Nigerian citizens are aware of the corrupt nature of past administrations, but many still question the exact nature of the current administration revolving around President Yar'Adua.

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Bribery At Tribunals

In a season of scandals, the judiciary appears unwilling to be exempted from the rot that has hit the system. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi says there are allegations of corruption against some judges at the election tribunals. This again brings to the fore the apprehensions about the rulings of these tribunals, as well as their ability to serve their purpose - dispensation of justice.

These allegations are not new. The House of Representatives Committee on Justice gave vent to them following petitions it got, in which there were allegations that as much as N2.1 billion has been spent in bribing judges at tribunals.

Some things are new about the latest allegations.

They are capable of pitting the judiciary against the legislature. The House of Representatives Committee on Justice is asking for the rulings of the tribunals. Its intentions are not clear.

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This article typifies the constant allegations that are always present in Nigeria and the current popular trend of news about tribunals. Even long after the tribunals are over, people are still disputing the results with the most popular form of accusations in Nigeria: Bribery, because even if the allegations are false, the stink of it stays, forever tarnishing the accused party's reputation. 

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Nigerian Soldier Killed in Haiti

A Nigerian United Nations (UN) peacekeeper has been killed by rioters in Haiti protesting high food price in the Caribbean country.

The yet-to-be-identified soldier was shot dead on Saturday in Port-au-Prince where the protest forced the country's parliament to sack its Prime Minister, Mr Jacques-Edouard Alexis.

Witnesses say the Nigerian peacekeeper was dragged from his marked car and shot as he was taking food to colleagues at a police station in the capital.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the recent murder of a peacekeeper serving in Haiti. According to the article, the man was dragged from his car and shot. This murder happened at a protest of high food prices; the protesters were eventually dispersed by tear gas and warning shots fired by other Nigerian police officers so that they could get the murdered man's body. Just last year seven other Nigerian soldiers were killed in Darfur by rebel forces. This article refers to Nigeria as a "peacekeeper" which shows the great influence and positive impact Nigeria has and is attempting to have on other parts of the world.

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Yar'Adua Signs N2.748 Trillion Budget 2008

After several months of disagreement between the executive and the legislative arms of government on the 2008 Appropriation Bill, President Umaru Yar'Adua, yesterday, signed the Bill into law with a charge to all government agencies to implement it with "the highest sense of responsibility and with total deference to due process."

The total amount budgeted for the 2008 fiscal year is N2.748 trillion, comprising N860 billion for capital and N1.888 trillion for recurrent.

Although the signing ceremony was billed for 10 o'clock in the morning, it was not until 3:00 p.m that it finally took place following what a source described as the state of the president's health. Reporters were not allowed to witness the event as has been the tradition.

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The compromise that was offered last week was signed into action, so this is just confirmation of what was expected to happen. It is good that Nigeria is attempting to build capital, but it is hard to tell how much will actually buy the capital. The banning of reporters during the event shows the strong presence of tradition in Nigeria.

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Yar’Adua Ill, Flown to Germany

President Umaru Yar’Adua was on Monday flown to Germany following an undisclosed ailment.

His Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja, linked the sickness to an allergic reaction.

“The President will leave for Wiesbaden, Germany later today (Monday)
to see his private physicians for a medical review of an indisposition believed to be due to an allergic reaction,” Adeniyi said.

Read the full story here.



This article addresses Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua's recent visit to Germany to receive medical treatment, and this is not the first time that the President has left Nigeria to receive treatment elsewhere in the past year. According to the article, Yar'Adua was visiting a hospital in Germany to receive treatment for an allergic reaction. The article then discusses Yar'Adua's passing of the 2008 budget for Nigeria which was done in a less than extravagant manner which is much different than in the past. This could cause some worry among Nigerians, but according to the article, Yar'Adua essentially just had to sign the bill and pass it on without any sort of ceremony. The true question here is whether or not the Nigerian people see this as a weakness in their leader because he is having to leave the country to receive medical treatment.

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Assessment Complete

Parents Abandon Baby Without Anus at UCH

A three-month-old baby without anus has been abandoned at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The Head of Department, Medical Social Service, Dr. Jane Adebusuyi, said the baby boy was born with a perforated anus.

Baby Yusuf, as he is called, was abandoned by his parents two months ago.

Adebusuyi told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Ibadan that the father, Mr. Muyideen Yusuf, disappeared with his wife under the guise of looking for money.

She said, “The baby was just two weeks old when they brought him to the hospital with a perforated anus.

“The father told the nurses that they did not have money and that they were going in search of money for the boy‘s treatment.”

Read the full story...

A baby born with a perforated anus was admitted into the hospital last week at the age of about 3 months. His parents brought him into the hospital and left saying that they were going to try to get money to pay for his treatment. They never returned. The hospital has attempted to call their emergency contact numbers, but they are disconnected, and go to their house, but it does not exist. Two parents literally abandoned their disabled son because they could not fathom how they would be able to pay for his surgeries. Hopefully very few other parents in the world would ever do that to their completely dependent child.

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Nigeria‘s Biggest Drug Baron Arrested in Scotland

A Nigerian smuggler who brought $500,000 of cocaine to Scotland was jailed for six years some weeks back thanks to a language expert. A trial judge heard a six-kilo consignment was hidden in wooden slats in packing cases flown to Edinburgh Airport from South America.

Nigerian-born Edmond Okoli, 43, turned up to collect the crates of cheap crockeryfrom Peru. He was heard singing a song in his native dialect as he drove from the airport, with the words ‘He who’s got the drug is going...'

Okoli denied smuggling cocaine in November 2005 along with others. He told an earlier trial he was offered $500 to pick Peruvian artifact.

But a jury rejected his story and found him guilty.

The High court in Edinburgh heard how the police and customs officers searched the
pottery on their arrival but drew a blank until they turned their attention to the packaging. Some of the slats making up the crates revealed a suspicious shadow when X-rayed.

A hole was bored into one piece of wood, followed by a probe, which flicked out traces of powder. Searchers noticed three lengths of wood were a different colour and all had been hollowed out to take packages of cocaine.

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One of Nigeria's most prominent cocaine dealers has been caught, arrested, and convicted after years of smuggling. He was suspected after he picked up Peruvian pottery from an airport in Scotland while singing a song about drugs. The pottery was searched extensively, but the police could find no drugs. Okoli actually hid the cocaine in the wood the composed the crates that the Peruvian pottery was shipped in. Though this plan does sound pretty masterful, Okoli was caught in the end and will suffer as a result. The police are currently working on determining who else was involved in the cocaine smuggle.

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Arik Air to Commence Commercial Flights to US

Air travellers between Nigeria and the United States of America, now have a choice as another Nigerian carrier, Arik Air, has been given approval to commence direct commercial flights to America thus becoming the third Nigerian carrier to get such approval.

The U.S. Department of Transport (DOT), in a letter to the airline dated April 4, 2008 and signed by the Director, Office of International Aviation, Paul L. Gretch, said the Nigerian flag carrier had satisfied all requirements and thus qualified to fly direct into any part of the United States.

According to the approval letter, Arik Air has been found to be operationally and financially qualified to conduct its proposed operations and is substantially owned and effectively controlled by citizens of Nigeria .

Read the full story...


Nigeria is attempting to widen the tourist industry of the country by increasing the places that commercial flights can travel in and out of. The U.S. is obviously a huge market, so this should be good for their economy. However, one of the foreseeable issues with this new approval is that pilots with substandard training could be operating these aircrafts and endangering hundreds of lives. This new change affects our community fairly directly because one of the three cities that Arik Air is allowed to fly into is Atlanta. If anyone is up for a trip to Nigeria, new legislation has made it much more possible.


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N300m scam: How we shared N10m – Iyabo Obasanjo

Embattled Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has said that N500,000 was disbursed to each member of the Senate Committee on Health from the controversial N300m scam in the Federal Ministry of Health.

The Senator, who the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission claimed on Tuesday was at large because of her alleged involvement in the scam, said the money was given to the senators to cover parts of their expenses during a four-day seminar and retreat in Ghana.

She said in a statement to EFCC that the retreat and seminar was to facilitate the passage of the Health Policy Bill.

In the statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday, Obasanjo-Bello, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, said it was not unusual for a ministry to sponsor an executive bill.

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This thinly veiled, terrible excuse for the corrupt use of the health department's use of its greatly needed money is a poor reflection of the justice system in Nigeria. Just because she is the daughter of the former president, this criminal is still free to give excuses.

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N300m Scam - Grange, Aduku, 11 Others Charged

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned former Health Minister, Prof Adenike Grange; former Minister of State for Health, Gabriel Yakubu Aduku, an architect; and 11 others on a 56-count charge of graft involving about N300 million.

But the name of the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Iyabo, which was mentioned as having partaken in the graft, was missing on the list of the accused persons charged to court yesterday.

The EFCC told the court that Iyabo was currently at large and could not be arrested for prosecution but would be arrested and brought to justice once found.

Iyabo, according to count 56 of the charges between December 2007 and March 2008 in Abuja while serving as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, dishonestly received the sum of N10 million belonging to the Federal Government having reason to believe that same was stolen. Her action is said to have constituted an offence punishable under Section 317 of the Penal Code Act Cap 352, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) Abuja.

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Corruption remains rampant in Nigeria, as 300 million Naira have been swindled from the government. What is somewhat different is the exclusion of the president's daughter from an accused list, despite proof of her involvement. Officials do assure that even these ties do not exclude Iyabo Obasanjo from justice, which is hopefully true.

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President and Assembly agree on budget

After the protracted bickering over the delay in the passage of the 2008 Appropriation Bill, the Presidency and the National Assembly have reached an agreement on how to address the points of disagreement in the budget.

According to [Ayogu Eze], the President would compile his reservations on the budget and send them to the National Assembly in form of an amended bill to the budget with the Assembly pledging to give them positive consideration.

Adeniyi said in Abuja yesterday that "it was an amicable meeting. It was very cordial. And an agreement was reached. And under it, the President will assent to the budget. He will then send an amendment bill to the National Assembly on the areas there were consensus on review.

"Both parties resolved their differences on the budget and decided to reach a compromise. The budget document will be signed the way it is now but an amendment would be sent to the NASS in another two weeks."

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As posted earlier, the budget delay has been very detrimental to Nigeria's economy. It's a good thing that the disagreement is getting closer to being resolved. Contrary to the somewhat misleading news headline, however, the budget is not yet finalized or written.

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Foreigners Import Fake Syringes into Nigeria Duty-free, says NAFDAC

FOR over two years, substandard syringes have been imported into the country duty-free, says the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili, who disclosed yesterday noted that neither the Presidency nor the minister of health knew about the duty-free policy which, according to her, used to be 15 per cent.

Akunyili, who spoke during a visit to First Medical and Sterile Products (Firstmed) in the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTE), Calabar accused Indian and Chinese businessmen of being behind the importation.

Read the full story here.

This article addresses the duty-free import of syringes into Nigeria which has reportedly cost the government billions of naira in revenue, and it has discouraged the production of syringes locally in Nigeria. The fact that the Nigerian government is taking steps to protect its citizens and is encouraging local production shows that they are trying to better Nigeria and stimulate the economy.

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HIV/AIDS Spread: Varsity Women Grow Goose Pimples

Dreaded HIV/AIDS disease is feared spreading through university campuses due to sexual exploitation of female students.

A cure has not yet been found for the infection that slowly destroys the body’s immune system which can only be transmitted through blood and sex.

At a seminar for students organised by Nigerian Association of University Women (NAUW) Lagos branch, presentations by invited guest speakers pointed to the effects of campus prostitution on higher education system and the spread of HIV/AIDS among female students.

Read the full story here.


This article addresses the fear that HIV/AIDS is spreading on university campuses because of the exploitation of women. This article refers to a recent seminar that made students aware of the harms and risks of sexual activity associated with HIV/AIDS. This shows that certain organizations are taking necessary means to educate the Nigerian citizens so that they are aware of risks that certain behavior may entail. The Nigerian Association of University Women is aimed to educate females and be sure that they are protected and treated fairly.

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Another Oil Dealer Shot Dead in Ibadan

Another private petroleum dealer, Mr. Gbenga Taiwo, has been shot dead in Ibadan by two suspected assassins operating on motorcycle.

The killing came barely one month after the yet-to-be-solved murder of Mr. Demola Oyadeyi, also an oil dealer.

Sources told journalists that Taiwo, the Managing Director of Samalis Oil was shot dead around 10pm on Tuesday night at his residence in Oluyole Estate Extension, Aba Aladiye, Ibadan.

Read the full story here.


This article addresses the recent murder of yet another oil dealer in Nigeria. Mr. Gbenga Taiwo was shot dead by two assassins; this murder comes follows the recent murder of Mr. Demola Oyadeyi, which has yet to be solved. Mr. Taiwo reportedly begged the assassins to spare his life and take everything he owned, but the assassins informed him his life had already been paid for. The assassins were reportedly being closely trailed by the police. This event shows the violent nature of many Nigerian people; also, the fact that these men would so quickly murder someone displays the corrupt nature of many of the Nigerian people which is reflected in the government.

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