Agodi News

Vision 2020 down the drain

2009-07-02T09:51:00.002+03:00

Yar'Adua's vision in logjam.

Apapa - Oshodi road in disgraceful condition

Lesson on Oath taking

2009-07-01T16:26:00.004+03:00

Political Quote

2009-04-27T14:00:00.003+03:00

In the way (African) politics is being conducted today there is little, if any, room for empathy and self-reflection. Criticism is perceived as personal rather than institutional. Blame is laid on circumstances beyond one's own control or on an enemy -real or perceived- that is responsible for anything gone wrong. Much political energy is devoted to defeating opponents. Politics, therefore, is typically a zero-sum game and conflicts abound.

- Goran Hyden, African Politics in Comparative Perspestive, pg 233.

Sunday

2009-04-26T22:16:00.003+03:00

Excellent report about how Nobody knows how much oil we sell.

Sunday School

2008-01-13T09:39:00.000+02:00

Reuben Abati on When Will Nigeria Ever Make It?

There is nothing more exasperating, living in Nigeria, studying Nigeria, and analysing Nigeria, and being Nigerian, than the realization that our lives have become one long piece of monotonous repetition of failures and uncertainties. We celebrate our capacity to manage the crisis in our lives, the optimism that is derived from our religiousity and our capacity like tragic heroes, to suffer and endure, but for a nation that seeks to make progress, the biggest challenge remains the development challenge. We seem rooted in one spot, gyrating on our axis, and nothing, absolutely nothing appears to work.

Abati is best when he is not writing platonic dialogues.

Meanwhile Nigerian pilgrimages to arabland discovered that no place holy like home.

OF the 181 countries that participated in the 2007 Hajj operations that ended a few days ago in Saudi Arabia, only Nigeria had a separate camp, as departure point for airlifting of pilgrims back home.

Disbelief and disappointment etched boldly on the faces of the third batch of pilgrims from Lagos State as they arrived at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah on Tuesday night.

They discovered that only Nigerians were being attended to at what looked like an abandoned place hurriedly prepared for the operation.

However, investigation, especially from the regular guests to the Holy Land, revealed that the port of arrival used to be the same spot for departure for all pilgrims.

In fact, nationals from other countries such as Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana and Senegal departed from where they arrived for the hajj operations. But not so for the Nigerians.

Continuing, the irrelevant and incompetent Oyo state government wasted N17.5 million building statue of an unknown soldier in place of Awolowo's statue destroyed by Ladoja and Adedibu's thugs back in 2003. No one is amused. From the News editorial:

The revelation that the statue was constructed at a whopping cost of N17.5 million is quite ridiculous, annoying and leaves much to be desired. It is an eloquent testimony to the fact that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a party given to wastefulness and corrupt tendencies. Alao-Akala’s action has been condemned by prominent citizens. Lam Adesina described it as sacrilegious and regretted that anti-democratic forces had taken over the reins of the Oyo State government. His predecessor, Alhaji Ladoja, said the step taken by the governor showed his low level of reasoning and mentality regarding democratic norms.

And Rivers state government take over Ateke Tom’s properties here

RIVERS State government yesterday moved to cut Tom Ateke to size when Governor Rotimi Amaechi said that the militant leader’s properties would be converted to government’s use.

And to give effect to the move, the governor directed the state ministry of health to move into the Evil Forest, an area considered to be Ateke’s base in Okochiri, Okrika, and build a health centre for the use of the people there.

Amaechi, who spoke, yesterday, in Port-Harcourt, pointed out that his administration would not relent on its onslaught against militants and cultists in Rivers State.

Explaining that his administration had a responsibility to protect lives and properties, he urged residents of the state to ignore text messages and newspaper reports of plan to invade the state by unknown gunmen.

Ambiguity And Illegality : The Ribadu Case

2008-01-01T10:28:00.000+02:00

We Nigerians are ambiguous lots. Our leaders far more. They have mastered the language of ambiguity. This gives flexibility to their manipulations. Their illegal manipulations. These in turns absolve them of responsibility. In Nigeria with our leaders the bulk stop everywhere and at nowhere. This vagueness is the bane of governance in our dear nation when no one, even the president, is not responsible for anything.

The case of Mr. Nuhu Ribadu's illegal removal as head of EFCC is typical. Isn't Mr. Ribadu on fixed tenure? Can the Inspector General of police send people on course at random, subject to his whims and caprices, or is it based on rule and procedure already set out? Is this course a requisite to head EFCC? Isn't the President the only one legally capable of removing Mr. Ribadu from office? And even he (the President) must have judicious justification to do so? There are many many questions of these nature which no one is answering and the press with their sensational reportings that warp reality are not to be rely on.

Ordinarily, removing Mr. Ribadu should not become a controversial issue if that is what the government decide. However the removal is cloaked and ambiguous. Lacking straightforwardness. This leads to speculations, distrust and suspicion which undermine the political process. Ambiguity is so much embedded in our governance that it is used even when it serve no purpose other than cloud more the already clouded political perspective. Mr. Yar'Adua should know that as the president he is perfectly within the law to remove any appointed public officer he deemed fit but he need not hide behind his finger when doing so.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T10:14:00.000+02:00

Happy new year to all. Wishing all the best in 2008.

I hope there will be more blogging this year.

obasanjo tell story

2007-03-11T21:05:00.000+02:00

"A Blot on the Conscience of the World" -- Soyinka

2006-04-30T17:07:00.000+03:00

Soyinka appeal on the Darfur crisis and comment on vast ranging issues in Nigeria as well as on his recently published memoir, You Must Set Forth at Dawn: A Memoir in a 2 parts interview on Democracy Now

Part 1 and Part 2

Excerpt:

AMY GOODMAN: So what do you think has to happen right now?

WOLE SOYINKA: Well, first of all, there is another dimension. There’s another zone of responsibility, which nobody has said much about. Now, these crimes which are being committed, there’s a direct stated, quite overt and boastful purpose to it. The Janjaweed, when they kill, when they murder, burn and rape, they say clearly that they want to Arab-ize Darfur, that part of Africa. In other words, they’re acting on behalf of some very distorted notion of Arabism. Therefore, those on behalf of whom these crimes are being committed, I mean, in their name, so to speak, the Arab world, the Arab League, in particular, also has a primary responsibility to call their erring member to order.

Sudan, after all, wears two identities. It’s a member of the Africa Union, it’s a member of the Arab League. And it’s not enough to leave this task to the Africa Union. The Arab League has a clear responsibility, and I think that if a family member of the Arab world, you know, if a family member errs, then the entire family has a responsibility to say, “You cannot do this in our name. And if you do this, we expel you, we cut you off, we denounce you, and we proscribe you from our community.” I expect that kind of action of deep and profound moral integrity from the Arab world.

AMY GOODMAN: Wole Soyinka joined us in our studio yesterday. I began by asking him about the title of his book.

WOLE SOYINKA: Alright, I'll tell you the history of the title. My first working title was “Beyond the Word,” which is a literal explication of the contents of the book, of the nature of the events which are described in the book. But then one of my editors -- I went through three editors, by the way. All of them were on a very positive kind of direction. One of the editors ran into that poem of mine, which contains the lines “Traveler, you must set forth at dawn.” Title is “Death in the Dawn.” And she became very enamored of that title. When she proposed it, I said, “No, no, no.” And then I tried it out on some of my friends, and they said, “No, that's more lyrical, more poetic.” I said, “Yes, I know it is, but, you know, why? Why must –” So, I actually took a straw vote on that with some of my colleagues and so on -- “Beyond the Word,” “You Must Set Forth at Dawn.” And it came -- the voting came to about 60-40. And since I'm a true democrat, I decided to go with "You Must Set Forth at Dawn.

Nigeria, News, Soyinka, Democracy

Gluttons

2006-04-16T03:33:00.000+03:00

The miser and the glutton are two facetious buzzards: one hides his store, and the other stores his hide.

Nigeria is never in short supply of professional underminers. Those whose sole duty as citizens is simply to retard the nation's progress. The likes of Arthur Nzeribe quickly come to mind. Nzeribe remains Nigeria's quintessential underminer-in-chief. His Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) played protagonist role in the prompt annulment of the freest and fairest election back in 1993 and served as the lunchpad for the nation's journey, with Abacha as ship captain, to the back of the beyond as one observer would later termed that whole period. Nzeribe nowadays, due to strength, is restricting his handiwork to local politics where he recently irked the temper of his constituents. As Nzeribe fade to background people like Chris Uba are coming out of internship to duly step into their undermining role lest the country begin to quickly find stability. But Uba still have lots undermining to do in the future.

In the meantime, gluttons like Ken Nnamani, Ibrahim Mantu and Ahmadu Ali swaddle the landscape. The first two are, respectively, the President and the Deputy President of the Senate while the third is the chairman of that political gang/party called PDP. While Nnamani has decided to keep his activity to stuffing his face and nothing else for now, the last two are "belle fools" looking for trouble. They are in the vanguard of the tenure elongation imbroglio threatning the nation's nascent democratic dispensation. Gluttons of course are known to consume immoderately to the point of waste and thereby dig their own graves with their teeth according to a french proverb.

Nigeria, News, Africa

Quick Sunday Postscript

2006-04-09T16:28:00.000+03:00

From the Republic of Benin, there are a few things Obasanjo could learn about democracy. Also, Ghana's democracy is described as "strong" while Obasanjo's government is considers as "increasingly repressive". And from Jamaica a columnist from that little carribean nation thinks even Jamaicans would feel better about the state of their nation if they see Obasanjo's gigantic Nigeria.

Nigeria, News, Ghana, Jamaica, Africa

Nigeria's Stunted Democracy

2006-04-09T08:58:00.000+03:00

According to democracy scholar Larry Diamond's maximalist criterion for democratic consolidation, democracy should "become so broadly and profoundly legitimate, and so habitually practiced and observed, that it is unlikely to break down." Needless to say Obasanjo has failed this criterion. Seven full years after the return to democracy we are still unsure how it work, if it work or when it work. Nigerians are being required in a democracy to get police permit before they can be allow to hold public meetings or demonstrations. Laws are being proposed without regard or consultations with those to be affected by their possible outcomes. Oppositions are being stiffled at every corner and is recently approaching the Abacha level. Courts' rulings are selectively and opportunistically executed. The list is endless.

Democracy entail adherence to the rule of law to work minimally and definitely tolerance of oppositions to maximally survive without fear of it breaking down. When oppositions are unsure of ballot box as the only effective route to power they become despair and won't care if democracy crashes or survive. At present Obasanjo is the number one threat to the survival of democracy in Nigeria poking hot rod at its very heart.

Nigeria, News, Africa, Democracy

Obasanjo's Score Card

2006-04-02T10:32:00.000+03:00

The following graphic show the pains and gains of Obasanjo's regime over the past 6-7 years he is in office. As it clearly show we have more poor people, more unemployed, products cost more and the stress all these bring takes their toll first with the higher infant mortality and death rates and second with the general life expectancy declination. As for the gains more people can communicate on their mobiles, increase in literacy and of course the partial reduction/write-off of the country's external debt.

Nigeria, News, Democracy

Taylor's vacation is over

2006-03-26T10:19:00.000+03:00

Now this is a good news. The warlord can now account for all the distress he caused the subregion throughout the 90s.

40 million in Nigerian polio immunization drive

2006-03-22T22:02:00.000+02:00

By Christine Jaulmes

Nigeria is the last polio-endemic country in Africa, with the world’s highest number of reported cases in 2005. Now the National Programme on Immunization (NPI), supported by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and other partners, aims to immunize every child in Nigeria against polio.

The country’s second round of National Immunization Days concluded last week, using a unique approach to vaccinate more than 40 million children under the age of five. Teams of workers went directly to homes, stood in market stalls and even boarded boats to rural islands in order to ensure that no child would be missed.

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/nigeria_31797.html

Zimbabwean Farmers Find a New Life in Nigeria

2006-03-22T21:41:00.000+02:00

Forced out of Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe's infamous land-reform program, a small group of white farmers is taking advantage of a second chance in Nigeria.

Bukola Saraki, the governor of Kwara State, wooed the white commercial farmers despite some local opposition. He hopes to harness the expertise of the farmers from Zimbabwe to jump-start Nigeria's commercial agricultural sector. Nigeria spends billions annually on food imports.

Farmer Dan Swart says teaching people "the finer points of farming and finance" could "make Nigeria the breadbasket of West Africa."

A first-year yield of 4,000 tons of corn may be "the biggest single yield in Nigeria for the last 40 years," says farmer Alan Jack. He coordinated the move to Kwara state and he's recruiting an additional 40 farmers to join the initial band of 13.

As he prepared to fly to Zimbabwe to recruit more white farmers, Alan Jack said he looked forward to coming back to Nigeria, his new home.

"We're very happy here," he says. "We're back doing what we do best, which is farm... Africa needs more success stories."

Un-informed Experts At It Again

2006-03-19T09:15:00.000+02:00

The recent articles on Nigeria by Jeffrey Tayler, Worse Than Iraq? for the Atlantic Monthly and G. Pascal Zachary, Nigeria: The Next Quagmire? for Alertnet.org attenuated both writers', and to larger extent western experts' analyses of events in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general as lacking. Both authors wrote on Nigeria because they believed it is the next Iraq. Their un-informed knowledge of Nigeria led them to supposed the recent militancy in the Niger Delta region as evidence of bigger implosion to come. We might be reminded that that road was paved for them by the impertinent and subversive U.S intelligence report "warning" that Nigeria might break up in 15 years with no new evidence other than the Nigeria's ever recurring ethnic afflictions. And since all the recent oil price increases are blamed on the unrest in Nigeria it is natural for the experts to dust up their expertise cap and don it. Now suddenly Nigeria's oil has become so influential as to cause ripples around the world. This is suspect and this is where the ruling politicians must be very very careful on security. Under the military rule dangers like this were minimum not because the military juntas cared more about the national security than their gullible civillian counterparts but rather for fear of usurpation. And so during all the destructive military years it was impossible neither for U.S intelligence warning about Nigeria disintegrating in no time nor experts comparing it to Iraq. They all generally kept their "expertise" opinion to human right violations by the juntas and could go no further. But now democracy has changed that.

Now while both writers' recordings of the Nigeria crisis are basically correct, these however were nothing new as the country has grappled with them since 1914's amalgamation and even fought a destructive civil war because of them and so their conclusion: that Nigeria is on the verge of civil war and implosion and might be the next Iraq betrayed ignorant. That both writers suffixed their titles with question mark merely confirmed this fact.

But of course the Nigerian lukeworm politicians and their policies on national security hasn't helped matter. Atiku's recent call for U.S assistance on the Niger Delta crisis is one example. Why would Nigeria need Americans to maintain security within its own border? The Nigerian Army send troops for peace-keeping to troubled spots around the world but cannot maintain same at home? Also retired Gen. Victor Malu, the former COAS had warned Obasanjo against giving the Americans too much leeway at the Defence Headquaters. He was not heard but instead removed. All these are risky national security policies. Outside of subversive outside elements Nigeria's chances of implosion are as slim as America making Iraq peaceful again.

Nigeria, News

Notes On Niger Delta Crisis

2006-03-18T09:12:00.000+02:00

Stealing, fighting, seeking power
From Africa Confidential

Some of the militant leaders linked to the attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta earn tens of thousands of dollars from contracts with the oil majors. The FNDIC leaders Kingsley Otuaro and Messio German run contracting companies working with the oil majors. In Okerenkoko, Messio’s Integrate Production System Surveillance (IPSS) signed a second annual contract with Shell in November to provide security for the company’s huge Jones Creek flow station, where Okerenkoko is one of five ‘host communities’. Messio says the first contract was worth 24 million naira (US$164,000). The second, running from 1 November to 31 October, was for an initial N18 mn. ($123,000), including ‘incident-free bonuses’ of N3.6 mn. ($24,700) a quarter.
IPSS is not officially registered and its contracts look like disguised protection payments. ‘I sincerely believe MEND will not blow up any pipeline [in Okerenkoko] because the security boys would not allow it’, says Messio. He adds that pipeline vandalisation used to be common until a memorandum from him and Otuaro prompted Shell to hire IPSS.
Messio says Shell has since hired local contracting firms all over Delta state. Similar arrangements in Bayelsa are a source of friction between rival Ijaw communities. Shell admits it faces ‘pressure for cash payments for non-legitimate reasons’, but ruled in 2003 that it would no longer pay communities except for legitimate business reasons. Chevron’s similar clean-up last year involved a Global Memorandum of Understanding, designed to end practices such as the hiring of ‘ghost workers’ to pacify local youths. It also said it was ending the designation of ‘host communities’ for its flow stations (oil rigs have ‘impacted communities’) but the message does not seem to have reached the creeks.
An outfit called The Host Communities of Nigeria wants a constitutional amendment to ensure that 13 per cent of government oil revenues go directly to them, rather than to the state governments which, they say, steal most of the money. Leaders in this move are FNDIC’s Messio and the Gbaramatu chiefs.
Shell has been targeted by MEND in the latest violence but not Chevron, the opposite of what happened in 2003. Then, Chevron facilities were attacked in both Ijaw and Itsekiri areas. Ijaws felt that Itsekiris were getting a disproportionate number of oil jobs (Ijaws call that ‘differentials’).
Otuaro denies any link with MEND and says that Shell is targetted because it is less responsive to ‘opinion leaders’ such as himself, especially in paying for trips to the creeks to calm down angry youths or give jobs to local people. complains that Shell refused work to one of his contracting companies, Bruz-Otus, when drilling new wells around Jones Creek last year. Shadro Services Limited, which is owned by Otuaro and his brother Shadrack Otuaro, has lucrative contracts with Shell at Jones Creek and the Egwa oilfield. This pattern of business and militancy is repeated across the region.

Nigeria, News, Niger Delta

Extradite Charles Taylor Now!

2006-03-18T08:41:00.000+02:00

Now that the Liberian government has done what the Nigerian government was asking but never really wanted, an extradition request for Taylor, Obasanjo should finally give in and let justice prevail. The man who caused over ten years of carnage in his country and de-established the subregion shouldn't be walking free. Extradite Taylor Now!

How third term campaigners hijacked hearing in South West

2006-02-27T16:14:00.000+02:00

By Loremikan, Campaign for Democracy, CD

IT will not be strange to you that we in the UAD and the CDHR for years, have been deliberating on the need to have a people’s participatory constitutional and democratic government. As a matter of fact we intensified our work on the concept of constitutionalism immediately we had a civilian administration in 1999, despite our reservation on the persons and parties that found themselves in our various public offices.

Between that 1999 and 2003, we had promoted, hosted, organized seminars, workshops, and lectures across the six geo-political zones of the country. While CDHR as an organisation, has promoted and floated over 40 Constitutional Clubs in the higher institutions of the country. Till date, some of these clubs still operate and promote our interest in certain universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in the country and UAD has drafted a model Constitution for Nigeria as a reference point for Constitutional amendments. Essentially, our concern on the issue of constitutionalism that is significant to human development and progress, encouraged our presence at Osogbo on February 22 and 23, 2006.

However, we got to Osogbo only to find out that the gathering there is a pre-determined one. We were confronted with a group of persons, including public officers who have made up their minds, on who to admit to the venue, who to recognize, and who to allow to make speech. As if that was all, the gathering have also agreed somewhere, somehow on who and what the speakers should say. Namely extension of the present administration or call for a third term for the offices of the president, vice president, governors and deputy governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

You will only appreciate what we went through if you were with us at Osogbo. Right at the main gate of the Osun State House of Assembly Complex, were fully armed security operatives, made up of regular police, mobile police and operatives of State Security Services. Our experience with this law enforcement officers suggested they have instruction not to allow certain persons, groups or organisations into the complex.

Aside these, people who came with different opinions as to the third term agenda for the President and Governors were shouted down, intimidated and insulted in manners liable to insinuating public disorder. While this was going on, members of the Panel could not caution the over zealous pro-third term agents lurking around the hearing premises.

A glaring example was that of Mr. Bamidele Aturu who was not allowed to express the position of his organization based on an untenable excuse that he refused to apologise for or withdraw a statement he made earlier concerning the South-west Governors’ dilemma on the third term issue. After series of bullying, intimidation, witch-hunting and untold insults from the pro-third term people, Mr. Bamidele Aturu was ushered out by security operatives at the instance of the panel leadership. We view this as a flagrant violation of our fundamental human rights to expression of opinions and fair hearing as entrenched in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Africa Peoples’’ Charter on Human and Political Rights and even the subsisting much faulted 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Moreso, we berate in strong terms, the conduct of the hearing exercise which was made an exclusive reserve of PDP office holders and gladiators only. Contrary opinions were supplanted to give way to the self-serving third term agenda of President Olusegun Obasanjo. While the stage-managed close door hearing exercise was going on inside the Assembly Complex, the armed mobile policemen at the gate of the Complex have already descended on persons who have also being alleged to have come with contrary positions, as opposed to the conspiratorial third term agenda. Mr. Abiodun Aremu, the Convener of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), Mr. Muyiwa Jimoh, the President of Apapa Youth Movement, Lagos and several student activists from higher institutions in the South-west were molested, brutalized, assaulted, stripped half-naked; their two hands were callously tied backwards with their wears after which they were bundled into the Mobile Police truck with Registration Number PF 5645 SPY and then taken to an unknown destination.

On the second day of the panel’s hearing which was Thursday, 23rd February, 2006, the panel’s disposition towards many organizations that attended the hearing showed that the entire process was masterminded and pre-programmed to uphold the selfish vendetta of the PDP-led Administration most especially the much touted third term agenda.

Several civil society organizations like the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights represented by Mr. Shina Loremikan, Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) represented by Dr. Bamgbose (UNAAB), Electoral network Reform represented by Mr. Eze, Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN) which Barrister Biola Akiode came to represent were all barred from expressing their positions.

In a swift turn of events and abject disservice to public conscience, some imaginary Non-governmental organizations that were not in existence up to the last six months were assembled by the pro-third term PDP gladiators and the panel subsequently granted them the opportunity to present their memoranda thereby lending credence to their treacherous third term phenomenon while organizations like CDHR, CFCR, GECORN, ASUU, ERN, CF, JODAR and NADL all of which have made serious contributions to Constitution-making since the year 1999 were disallowed from ventilating their views in the just concluded exercise. An organization like CDHR organized a Conference on the 1999 Constitution, Constitutionalism, Democracy and the Rule of Law in the year 2000 and subsequently published a book which was a compendium of the series of contributions made at the conference.

The book “Path to Peoples’’ Constitution\” was the memorandum intended for presentation by CDHR at the public hearing but the panel and its staff frustrated all efforts at expressing the popular opinions of Nigerians on the 1999 Constitutions as contained in the book.

The hearing exercise was abruptly brought to an end before noon on Thursday, 23rd February, 2006 with the panel not adducing any reason for closing so early an event which should reasonably last till 6.00 pm in the evening. All the organizations mentioned, despite being registered after much persuasion were denied the opportunity of expressing their positions. The entire exercise was therefore a close door meeting for the ratification of the third term agenda of Obasanjo. We strongly detest this development and view it as a serious threat to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria for it is in itself a gross misrepresentation of the popular interest and aspirations of the Nigerian people. On a last note, we demand for an unconditional release of the Convener of UAD and the twenty-three activists that are presently detained at Ayetoro Police Station, Osogbo, Osun State.

The names of the organizations prevented from airing their views at the South-West public hearing on the review of 1999 Constitution at Osogbo, Osun State on Wednesday, 22nd February, 2006 (1) Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) (2) Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER) (3) United Action for Democracy (UAD) (4) Apapa Youth Movement (5) Citizens Forum for Constitutional Reform (CFCR) (6) Children’’s Rights (7) Women Advocacy, Research and Documentation Dentre (WARD C) (8) National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADL) (9) Campaign for Democracy (CD) (10) Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) (11) Citizens’ Forum (CF) (12) National Association of Labour and Civil Society Organisation (NALACSO) (13) All-Nigeria Autobike Owners and Workers Association (ANACOWA) (14) The Grassroots Initiative (GI)

A Ray of Hope

2006-02-26T19:53:00.000+02:00

Of the saddening and glooming news emanating from Nigeria these days was this report that Shell on Friday was slapped with $1.5billion fine for environmental pollution by a federal high court in Port Harcourt. Just last year another court in Benin city had ordered Shell to stop its pollution and gas flaring. This development happilly points to a new direction on solving the myriad problems plaquing the Niger Delta region and Nigeria in general. The federal government of Obasanjo has continously shown its disinterest in helping its own people this leaves the courts as the only hopeful alternative and the Nigerian courts in all honesty despite having to carry out their operations in a non conducive environment still remain the only hope of the less priviledged in such a predatory society as ours outside of an hobbesian solution. The problem is Nigerians rarely appeal to legal authorities to right wrongs against them. Either they complicitly try to bribe their way around or simply suffer the injustice with grunt and the government with its continous flagrant disobedience of court rulings hasn't help matter but still if we want our democracy to work we must learn to use courts as means of redress.

Obasanjo is irresponsibly dangerous

2006-02-16T13:10:00.000+02:00

WARRI— EIGHT persons were feared dead yesterday while about 10 houses were burnt after a military helicopter gunship fired on several barges being used by illegal oil bunkerers at Perezouweikore-gbere, an Ijaw community in the Warri South local government area of Delta State.

Obasanjo's using helicopter gunship to fight illegal bunkering in Warri shows once again the total state of aphasia this administration is in. The lack of idea plagueing the ruling elites. Why use bomb on your own community when you can simply shut down whatever illegal operation was going on peacefully and positively? Is the Nigerian army at war?

“The gunship, on a routine patrol this morning, spotted some barges used by the bunkerers. Accordingly, the barges were destroyed,” said Major Said Hammed, spokesman for the joint military task force based in the Delta.
Hammed said it was not clear whether anyone had been killed in the attack. Around eight barges were destroyed on a river near the scene of the attack.

It spotted the barges and threw bomb on it? These were barges with petrol in them and the possibility of explosion didn't even cautioned these military dimwits, or of human beings getting injured or killed. This is preposterious!!!

Hammed said the task force commander, Brig. Gen Elias Zamani, in turn reported to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alexander Ogomudia, who ordered the air strike.
Accordingly, he said, the Air Force was ordered to destroy the barges. “The bombardment of the barges caused an explosion, which community leaders now refer to as the bombardment of the entire community.”

When you bombed oil barges within the community vicinity, what do you expect?

“They attacked our people with rocket launchers and so many people are right now missing. Somebody’s hand was cut off by bullet, while several people were inflicted with bullet wounds. We are calling on the Federal Government to come to our rescue. War has been declared on us. Those who were fishing when the attack was launched sustained several injuries and we are looking for over eight persons and we do not know if they are dead now.

So this is how government's operation restore hope is to be carry out then? To annihilate a whole community so that oil business can be secure?

The military operation, which reportedly took place around 1pm yesterday, left the oil city of Warri swarming with victims of the bombardment who claimed the military aircraft took off from Osubi Airstrip, owned by Shell, to rain bombs on their community. The victims most of whom were brought in by speed boats had series of wounds as soldiers guarding the Miller Waterside Jetty prevented newsmen from speaking to them as they were being evacuated.

Lots of catching up to do in communication for Africa

2006-02-07T04:30:00.000+02:00

The image below show how much is still needed in communication technology in Africa

Money Miss Road And Why We're Poor

2006-02-07T04:01:00.000+02:00

Lles Leba On why the govt may be a money miss road

In order to restrain unbridled credit expansion without commensurate productivity and inadvertently cause inflation, the CBN, according to Professor Soludo, will be forced to intervene in the market and borrow back part of the cash it earlier injected, with the instrument of Treasury bills at a cost of tens of billions of naira!

Taiwo Akerele-Oziametu on Pat Utomi at 50

SUDDENLY, Pat Utomi is 50 years old today! How time flies? This is a man that some few years back was regarded as the Nigerian "whizkid" having bagged a P.hd at the "unripe" age of 26, becoming a Special Assistant to the Nigerian President at 27, still becoming unemployable at 32 having risen to the position of Acting Managing Director of a conglomerate at 29 years of age!

And Utomi on Why Nations Are poor

The point of these profiles in poverty is that the poor have varied characteristics. They are not only lumpen-proletariat. It is also about fact that invariably most of us are made poor because there are far many poor people among us. A collective will to drastically reduce poverty is therefore in the collective best interest.

Looking for Tolerance in the Muslim World

2006-02-05T09:22:00.000+02:00

The muslim world will have to wake up to the fact that Mohammed as a historical and religious figure is subject to be worshipped, ridiculed, insulted, glorified, satirized, studied and whole lots of other passive verb one can think of. It comes with the territory. It neither remove from his importance as a religious founder nor tarnish his image in anyway. The conveniency however with which the muslim world always get offended over issues relating to Islam denotes insecurity of which I deemed unwarranted. This underlies how much changes the muslim world will have to undergo; changes however which the arch-conservative and feudalist leaders in power over there seem not ready for. After over 1000 years of practise, islam still can't be as closed as to be offended by cartoon caricatures and issueing fatwas at the ready. If islam is to really be a peaceful religion it has to be a tolerant religion.

Tags: Nigeria,News,Islam, Religion

Fascism In Law and Democracy

2006-02-01T21:48:00.000+02:00

The proposed law by the Obasanjo administration to ban outright homosexuality in the country is unconstitutional at best and fascistic at worst. According to Obasanjo's minister of justice Bayo Ojo, the proposed law is in response to Obasanjo's concern over homosexual relations and marriage encroaching on the Nigerian nation. Arguing further Bayo Ojo a lawyer, versed in critical legal studies believes that homosexual is basically "un-African", and to drive home his point he refered us to the "holy books", the Bible and the Quran. Of course the minister missed the irony here. Is there anything more un-African than those "holy books"? And since when regional characteristics become a criteria for making law?

Justification for proposing law cannot be its geographical non-identity. This amount to intellectual bankruptcy on the part of the law giver. Law neither hinges on paternalistic whim nor on moral nor on religious world views. Law's authority is to force social integration and enable justice and in democracy the price we pay for our freedom is that equal freedom must be accord dissenting views and morals. Our morality cannot be the basis for law making otherwise law as a means of social integration fails and merely becomes a strategy of social domination.

Nigeria, News, Homosexual, Law, Democracy

'How to write about Africa' by Binyavanga Wainaina

2006-01-29T21:28:00.000+02:00

Kenyan Binyavanga Wainaina's sarcastically written excellent essay How To Write About Africa makes for good read in the current Granta magazine which is a special on Africa.

In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don't get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn't care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular.

Nigeria, News, Africa, Wainaina

Odd Facts : The Land Of Twins

2006-01-15T21:40:00.000+02:00

Nigeria holds the World Record in Multiple Births.

Twins info about Nigeria:
Most of the multiple births, comes from the women of the Yoruba Ethnic group in the Western part of the Country who have the highest number of multiple births in the world.
Nigeria has more of Identical twins than Fraternal twins.
The tribe of birth determines the names of twins in Nigeria. Among the Hausas Northern tribe of Nigeria, the first is called Hassan, while the second is called Hussien. In the Yoruba tribe of Western Nigeria, they are called Taiwo and Kehinde. While in Mid-western of Nigeria (Edo State) It is Odion and Akhere.

Source: Twinsworld

In Igbo-Ora, residents have no explanation of why their own town should be more twin prone than any other. Some attribute the phenomenon to providence, others to lineage and still others to diet, specifically the reputed high oestrogen content of agida, a local variant of the popular yam root tuber used as a staple.

"Agida grows in clusters and anybody who eats it is bound to have babies in multiples" said Mojisola Adeniyi, whose father had four sets of twins, of
which she was one. Robert Asiedu, a yam specialist at the internationally-funded International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, 60km east of Igbo-Ora, is sceptical of a yam lin

Source: Science In Africa

It's a curious, but little-known fact that the rate of twin births in West Africa is about four times higher than in the rest of the world. The centre of this twin zone is Igbo-Ora, a sleepy southwest town in Nigeria.

Source: BBC World Service

Nigeria, News, Twins, Fact

Demonstration Of Craze

2006-01-15T21:04:00.000+02:00

This Sunday Punch front page is just to serve as a reminder that we still have a long way to go with our "demonstration of craze." A really long way.

Nigeria, News

Infamous 'Nigerian scam' gets Russian spin

2006-01-15T20:08:00.000+02:00

What is Abacha and the jailed Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky have in common? Yes thats right they both inspire scammers. Baiting guillible foreigners in the name of the despot has been Nigerian scammers classic template since the dictator kicked the bucket in 1998 (who hasn't recieved one email from Mariam Abacha or his son Mohammed?) but now the Russians have put a new spin on it and don't be surprise if you recieve a email from Leila Khodorkovsky or Larissa Sosnitskaya requesting your help to transfer/invest US$45 million (euro37 million) of the tycoon's money.

"Dear friend, I got your reliable contact from my husband's business diary ..." begins one letter from "Leila Khodorkovsky," claiming to be the billionaire's wife — whose actual name is Inna. The letter requests assistance investing US$45 million (euro37 million) of the tycoon's money and promises compensation.

More...
Nigeria, News, Russia, Scam

Assessing America's behaviour Towards Nigeria

2006-01-11T21:24:00.000+02:00

Paul I. Adujie asks:
Why else would the United States, a supposedly friendly nation with Nigeria, always find itself frequently engaged in the throwing of verbal and undiplomatic projectiles and cudgels at Nigeria?

Real Talk

2006-01-11T21:16:00.000+02:00

A very interesting interview with Sowore.

People who can't sleep can't dream, I would like to see a Nigeria the day after a revolution. Seriously, the world of dreams smacks of certain laziness that makes me think we are still on our knees waiting for answered prayers; it depicts a surreal life of something out of space. Dreams make me think of complacency, you don't really need to go to sleep to know how you want Nigeria to be!

Alert on the going on in Aviation

2006-01-08T17:01:00.000+02:00

Kola Animasaun's Voice of Reason this Sunday called attention to the supposed reorganisation going on in the beleagured Nigerian aviation. He particularly made mention of Babalola's appointment of Harold Olusegun Demuren, as the director-general of NCAA. Demuren was a senior officer of the scraped FCAA and and also the owner of Afrijet Airlines, a mostly air cargo company. This obvious conflict of interest mysteriously escaped Babalola and so now we have this.

"The NCAA boss, who was until his appointment the managing director of Afrijet Airlines, reportedly grounded the aircraft on grounds of safety.But Mr. Ibidapo alleged that the grounding was borne out of the need to favour Afrijet Airlines for continuation of the airlift.According to him, the grounded aircraft had successfully airlifted pilgrims shortly before the new NCAA boss assumed duty."

I couldn't agree more with Animasaun that Obasanjo should seek second opinion. Demuren with his three directorate solution is definitely wrong for the job. This impending tragedy must be rectify before its too late.

Nigeria, News, World, Africa, Aviation

Site of the Week: Nigerian Blogs Aggregator

2006-01-08T16:06:00.000+02:00

The featured site this week is Nigerianbloggers.com, a parking lot for naija bloggers. Its a very novel and timely site for us Nigerians writing about our thoughts and opinion of daily events in the country and around the world. The site is pristine enough which allowed it to focus on its stated goal with the featured blogs listed alphabetically accompany by the RSS feeds of the recently updated blogs and their summary direct from Technorati.com.

From the site:
Nigerian Blogs aggregator was founded by Kayode Muyibi on the 24th of August 2005 as a move to establish a home for live feeds for all Nigerian written blogs arround the globe and also blogs of Nigerian interests especially by expatriates based in Nigeria.

Their future plans:
1. Blogging Awards. (Team ready but waiting for my feedback)
2. Blog entry of the week.
3. A Chat room ,Still looking for a good server.
4. A sourvenier Shop, selling shirts and sourveneirs with beautiful logos of "I AM A NIGERIAN BLOGGER" etc.
5 A section for freebies. Still contemplating on whether it is necessary. Stay tuned.

Blogs, Nigeria, News

The Persistent Praise On Muazu Can't Be Ignore

2006-01-07T20:15:00.000+02:00

I first heard of Gov. Ahmed Muazu of Bauchi state's good work on Nairaland and ordinarily I didn't paid much attention to it because Bauchi is one of the shariah state in the country which make it uninteresting, at least to me, in term of what one might expect from a community adhering to such barbaric tenet. However the more recent news and analysis about the performing Muazu can't be ignore inspite of his sharia introduction into Bauchi state. I am not witnessed to his performance but lots of people has and so I'm ready to take their word for it. If the praise accruing on him are justified, then the Nigerian democratic option can't be jeopadized any more. All we need is time and we shall get there. kudos.

Debt {Return} Skewed Argument

2006-01-07T19:52:00.000+02:00

US Lawmakers Call Nigerian Debt "Odious"

"We feel that the U.S. should not accept the payment of debt from Nigeria given that it is one of the world's most impoverished countries," said the letter. It added that a write-off would cost the United States, the world's largest economy, "a relatively small amount in terms of the U.S. budget, but large in terms of the potential impact in Nigeria".

The lawmakers, led by Rep. Donald Payne, a New Jersey Democrat, and Rep. Maxine Waters, a Democrat of California, noted that 20 percent of Nigerian children do not live to the age of five. In the impoverished West African nation, 2,500 children die every day from preventable diseases, while more than 300,000 Nigerians die each year from HIV/AIDS.

A fool's argument

2006-01-07T06:07:00.000+02:00

Read him here

The Coming Census

2006-01-06T16:10:00.000+02:00

There has never been a conducted Nigerian census without controversy and contradictions which make this year's planned head count all the more interesting. The volatility of the planned census is underlined by the fact that religion and ethnicity data will not feature on the census questionaire. This means that Nigerians are not mature enough to accept whatever results those excluded data might bring. This is telling indeed. According to the chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Samu'ila Danko Makama, "the stakeholders brainstormed over two days and agreed on every variable except two, religion and ethnicity. There were two schools of thought. One held that the two variables should be included, the other felt it should be excluded, because they have a potential to generate a lot of controversy, and in the end, we will not have acceptable census.

"So the stakeholders decided that the National Population Commission should submit a paper to the Federal Government outlining the merits and demerits of inclusion or otherwise of the two variables from the 2006 census," (This Day, December 18, 2005 ). This is indeed immmature. The cut the limb to heal the wound classical approach to solving problem in Nigeria. Lets recall that the planned census was to have taken placed in 2003 but was postponed to 2005 due to the general elections of 2003 and then again postponed till this year. Meaning government could have avoided conducting it if it could. Statistics like religion and ethnicity are not necessarily have to be included on census form but the evading approach by the government point toward inability to face the problem head on. One day we would still want to know how many muslims, christians and others we have in Nigeria and how many Ijaw, Nupe, Efik, Igalas and others we are. Lets hope we will be mature enough in the future and confident enough to include those data without them having to generate controversy.

So after this cutting and chopping, it is expected that NPC will not have excuse to a)try to postpone it again and b) to let the exercise fail or embroil in controversy when finally conducted. The EU is supporting the exercise with about 20 billion naira, which cover more than half of the estimated total cost of the exercise so the best enumeration tools and officers are expected. The importance of well conducted census cannot be overemphasised. Indeed 2006 will show how far we have gone in this post military journey called democracy.

Nigeria, News

Marwa's Ordeal

2006-01-03T21:16:00.000+02:00

It was as a surprise, the end of year news about Marwa's ordeal with EFCC. Marwa was among the more popular gov. of erstwhile Abacha's administration and a probable presidential hopeful. The guardian newspaper had considered him a rising star for 2007. Of course I don't buy into the nonsense of his travail having to do with his presidential ambition and Obasanjo's third term but he must have really pissed someone off high on up to get in trouble like that. His site is currently down and no word from his supporter's site as yet who considered him "the Nigerian Option"; but his unrequested name analysis from kabalarian philosophy produced this:

Though the name Marwa creates the urge to understand and help others, we emphasize that it causes procrastination, lack of confidence, and the inability to realize your goals and ambitions. This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the fluid systems.

Nonsense of course but it does underline the present bad luck plaquing him.Anyway corruption free loving society can't be bother on what underlying reason a thief is caught but that he is caught.

More:
From AgainstBabangida site
Marwa finally opens up
The Marwa Movement

In The News

2006-01-03T20:47:00.000+02:00

First woman police commissioner appointed in Ekiti state.

419 is still biting....incredulously

Child labour in cocoa
farms????

More evidence of lack of self organization as NFA can't properly elect its president.

Also Chidi Anselm Odinkalu discussed why the disgraced Balogun should be disbarred and CBN Gives New Conditions for Foreign Reserve Management

Happy New Year 2006

2006-01-01T12:04:00.000+02:00

This is wishing every one out there happy new year and best of lucks in all your endeavour. We hope for good news in 2006.

On Tyrants

2005-12-18T18:47:00.000+02:00

With reasonable men, I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.
-William Lloyd Garrison

Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them.
-Voltaire

More loans????

2005-12-18T18:19:00.000+02:00

If the government is trying hard to pay outstanding debts why the hell are they getting new loans and why the hell is the world bank giving it?

World Bank has provided $110 million for financial and technical assistance to Nigeria for the development of the urban sector. The States which will benefit from the fund are Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ogun, Bauchi, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Ebonyi and Ondo states.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Olusegun Mimiko stated this yesterday during the ministry's 2005 ministerial press briefing held in Abuja.

Hooligans in Ibadan

2005-12-16T05:37:00.000+02:00

The brutal and violent nature of Ibadan politics is again rearing its head this days. Law makers are locked in God knows what but it seem serious enough for them to be stabbing each other for it. Hooligan politicians are the lots of that otherwise quiet city. My city. Which unfortunately still remain the puke of a (tuberculosis? polio?) patient as saro wiwa once characterised it. shame.

Site of the week

2005-12-15T22:49:00.000+02:00

Site of the week is Aworan.net for its innovative and refreshing angle. Check it out. The site is maintain by Akin Falope and according to him:

"what really fascinates me about photography is taking pictures of people being themselves and in their element. I see a story being told in every visual instance. That's a good enough reason why I'm enticed by Photojournalism and Street Photography. Don McCullen, Larry Burrows, Rene Burri, Henri Cartier-Bresson are just a few of the many photographers that inspire me."

Good job and keep it on.

Nigeria photo

Al-Mustafa and Stg. Rogers bonafied army men

2005-12-14T12:22:00.000+02:00

So says the country's chief of army staff Lt-Gen. Martins Agwai. The army which this man lead obviously do not see any reason to do away with those 2 hoodlums. Martin Agwai's army still believe that Al mustafa and rogers are innocent and so he still keep them on the payroll. With leaders like Agwai no wonder Nigeria is that backward and still sinking.
“They will be paid their full salaries if they are found guiltless but if found guilty, they will be dismissed. They are still in the army.”

The $100 Laptop: computer or toy

2005-12-13T23:11:00.000+02:00

The $100 laptop for the poor that Negroponte's MIT labs dreamed up for the poor is nothing but a gadget according to Intel Corp. Chairman Craig Barrett. I will agree with this assesment. Apart from that it also betrayed possible lack of knowledge about the poor countries MIT is aiming to help. Instead of making and selling hand cranking toy why not lend hands with legions of indigenous computer manufacturers in these poor countries to produce affordable regular computers?

"It turns out what people are looking for is something that has the full functionality of a PC," he said. "Reprogrammable to run all the applications of a grown-up PC ... not dependent on servers in the sky to deliver content and capability to them, not dependent for hand cranks for power."

Exactly.

Nigeria Laptop Africa intel

George of the Jungle

2005-12-13T10:25:00.000+02:00

Bloggers are beginning to worry that George Weah might not be honourable enough to conceed the elections he narrowly lost and give peace a chance. That is interesting knowing that Liberia is still recovering from over ten years of destructive war that brought that small west african country to her kneels throughout the 90s. Weah is claiming that the elections were rigged. If indeed it were so then he would do well to make his appeal to the proper mediating channels to voice his grievances or better to the appropriate court of law. Vowing not to allow Sirleaf to be inaugurated amount to subversion of democracy and promotion of instability in that still recovering country. Weah is hero to many African lovers of football and so should behave appropriately.

nigeria

Transcorp in Trance dreamland

2005-12-12T22:46:00.000+02:00

Have you all hear about this supposedly mega company that is to transform Nigeria from industrial backwater to another Japan in no time.

Speaking at sensitization forum of the company held in Kano, Okeye, who is also a technical adviser of the nation' stock exchange pointed out that Nigeria has always remained behind because of the absence of mega indigenous company with necessary expertise and skill to compete globally.

By the way that was a quote from This Day by one Nik Okoye one of the director of the mega company. So I ask what is this mega company producing exactly?

Sosoliso aircraft was more than 32 yrs old

2005-12-12T22:18:00.000+02:00

According to news report the sosoliso's crashed aircraft was more than 32 yrs old having being with the Serbian Airline before Sosoliso purchased it in 2000 because it no longer meet with European standard. Apparently the Nigerian company cared little about standard so the got the mediocre plane and here we are with the result.

I believe there is a clear case of negligence and irresponsibility on the part of the management of the company and should be charge to court without delay. They are criminals playing russian roulette with Nigerian lives.

Effect of Incompetency

2005-12-11T14:57:00.000+02:00

Years and years of neglect and incompetency of the rogues in power in Nigeria is finally showing beyond the mere poverty raging the land. Slums and decay are not just our lots. No not anymore.We also have to contend with death and loss of limbs at any moment in any circumstances now. Road, sea and air travel are now a risk. Before people could simply turn a blind eye to their leaders as they cannibalise the land away taking consolation in the mere fact that they can manage the hopelessness. Its not safe anymore.

Plane crash in Port Harcourt

2005-12-10T18:39:00.000+02:00

LAGOS, Nigeria - A Nigerian passenger jet crashed Saturday in the southern city of Port Harcourt, and a radio station said at least 56 people were killed.
The Sosoliso Airlines flight from Abuja was carrying 110 people when it "crash landed and burst into flames," radio station Rhythm FM reported. Fifty-six bodies have been recovered, and seven people were taken to the hospital, the report said.

Sam Adurogboye, spokesman for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed that a plane had crashed but said he had no further details.

more....

Onitsha Market Literature

2005-12-10T11:56:00.000+02:00

The University of Kansas has archived 21 pamphlets from the famed Onitsha Market Literature of yesteryear to digital library. I stumbled on the site the other day and its being an adventure in reading I must say. From self help little books to mini novellas. Among the titles archived are "How to write and reply letters for marriage, engagement letters, love letters, and how to know a girl to marry" by one J.C Abiakam. Also you can learn that "Woman’s pride is her husband" from Mrs. Chinwe Akaosa. Also on the list archived is the inaugural address of late Nnamdi Azikwe, Respect for human dignity given sometime around 1960.

The Onitsha market literature proliferated from around early 1960 to sometimes around 1970s and was badly affected by the civil war.

Atiku going going going...........

2005-12-10T03:02:00.000+02:00

The vice President seem to be heading into hot water. It is being rumoured that the reason Obasanjo is bent on have him begone is because there is possibility of his indictment by the U.S govt investigating his possible involvement in bribery. In fact according to Elendureports.com Atiku might not survive beyond Dec. 31st 2005 as the VP. So we can guess the what Obasanjo's new year resolution will be!

Alam on his way to losing weight

2005-12-10T02:51:00.000+02:00

The fat baboon with the mouthful name is finally done in. Before you could say Alameise.... security agents swooped on the thief and carried him away minutes after he was impeached and the immunity garb stripped off him. He should take heart and see it as opportunity to lose weight, a free tummy tuck.

Finance minister interview

2005-11-26T09:34:00.000+02:00

Her interesting interview to Jamaican Financial Gleaner ran in 3 parts

part1 part2

Criminals At The Helm

2005-11-26T09:22:00.000+02:00

Just when you thought a governor getting arrested for money laundering is the low of low the same governor went and jumped bail all the while claiming others as the bane of his troubles. What a shame! That he even lacked the intergrity to resign made u wonder what these ruling criminals take people for.

Bomb In London

2005-07-07T20:21:00.000+03:00

The irony did not get lost on me with the report this morning of several bomb explosions in London about the western govts closing some weeks ago of their embassies in Lagos for fear of terror attack. Nothing happened of course in Lagos but the supposedly safe London is being rocked with bombs. Experts.

Treason Charges Dropped

2005-07-07T20:17:00.000+03:00

Treason charges have been dropped against 53 Nigerian footballers for belonging to a banned secessionist group who played in a youth tournament.
The judge said 25 had no case to answer and 28 would face the lesser charge of membership of an illegal organisation.

The competition was organised by the banned group Massob, which campaigns for a separate eastern state of Biafra.

Biafran secessionist calls led to a three-year war in the 1960s in which more than one million people died.

Nearly all the men have been in custody since September, because of stringent bail conditions imposed.

Massob - Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra - was banned three years ago. It says it is pursuing its objectives for the Ibo people in eastern Nigerian peacefully.

Several Massob members have died in the last three years in clashes with the police in south-eastern Nigeria, where it draws the bulk of its support.

The government is intolerant of its existence because it revives memories of the horrors of the civil war against Biafra in 1967, says the BBC's Sola Odunfa in Nigeria.

Stray News

2005-07-07T20:09:00.000+03:00

A busy body report from Australia on how Nigeria spend her money.

Nigeria earns 200 billion naira from GSM, says Minister. Lagos, Nigeria, 07/07 - Nigeria`s federal government has earned more than 200 billion naira (slightly over $1.5 billion) from the global system of mobile telecommunications (GSM) since its introduction in the country in 2001, according to Communications Minister Cornelius Adebayo.
Adebayo, who was speaking at a forum in Abuja Tuesday, said the earnings came from taxes, levies and duties.

Horrible Lagos Skyline

2005-06-13T18:32:00.000+03:00

What up with those phone towers? Thats horrible. Govt need to get some organisation going on there.

Technorati tags:Nigeria, Lagos

Wolfowitz In Nigeria....touring Africa

2005-06-12T14:35:00.000+03:00

"His first assignment of visiting the poor cattle rearers near Abuja city is an indication that under his tenure at the World Bank, the poor in Africa and the developing world can enjoy a new lease of life," an African member in Wolfowitz's entourage said.

This is interesting. Let us see what this former war monger now heading World Bank will bring the poor.

Experts Dancing on 419 tune

2005-06-12T09:59:00.000+03:00

Experts often posses more data than judgement says Colin Powel.

I read this article on Nigerian Scam in Global Politician by one Sam Vaknin with interest. One of the many of such that equate scam with Nigeria. Definitely scam must exist in other places too other than in Nigeria. But experts likes to dance together and as long as the Nigerian Scam tune is playing all experts might as well dance to it all at once. Just well.

I don't have beef with the Nigerian Scam dancing as such but with the statistics. He wrote that:

"Every year, there are 5 (such) murders as well as 8-10 snatchings of American citizens alone. The usual ransom demanded is half a million to a milliondollars."

8-10 snatchings of American citizens? In Scamland Nigeria? From where that data comes from he didn't say. Not just that there is a hint that other nationalities are being snatched as well but he couldn't be bothered to give detail.

Though scam had existed from time immemorial, it seem though that the world's scam experts had resolved to lay the toxic waste of scam at the Nigerian door step. While large American corporations are being brought down because of huge financial scams and presently the country hosting the most phishing (scamming) websites in the world is USA, the world's scam experts continue their choreographed dancing on the Nigeria Scam tune. Just well.

No Debt Relief

2005-06-11T16:26:00.000+03:00

Obasanjo and Blair might have discussed about some relief on the African debt, Germany however is categorical there can't be any deal. "In my view we won't get any final decisions on multilateral debt relief but positions will narrow because we all want to do more," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

LOL @ Obasanjo carrying cup to his massas for hand out.

Anglican Church 2

2005-06-11T15:46:00.000+03:00

Akinola maintaining his strong stance with his criticism of the bishops of America's Episcopal Church for some of their recent actions in the ongoing dispute over gay ordinations and same-sex blessings. The issue has created a deep rift in worldwide Anglicanism.

Nigeria should distribute free AIDS drugs - NGOs

2005-06-11T15:42:00.000+03:00

LAGOS, June 10 (Reuters) - Nigerian AIDS campaigners called on the government on Friday to provide free life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs to stem growing resistance among infected Nigerians.
Nigeria provides ARVs to 10,000 adults and 5,000 children at a subsidised monthly cost of 1,000 naira ($7) per patient, but many poor patients interrupt their therapy due to poverty, causing drug resistance.
"We ask you to make anti-retroviral therapy ... completely free in the Nigerian public health care sector," said a coalition of AIDS lobby groups in a letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
"If people living with HIV have to pay for their treatment, they will have to sell their property and cut down on education, food and other essential needs to be able to afford it."
The campaigners said many of the 3.5 million Nigerians infected with the deadly virus who interrupted their treatment were now resistant to the ARV pills.
"The 1,000 naira charge is seriously affecting the adherence of many infected people to their drug regime," Pat Matemilola, the coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, told Reuters.
"It is not as if the drugs are not available, but government lacks the political will to make treatment free, that is what we are trying to reverse," said Matemilola, a medical doctor and retired army officer.
Nigeria is the world's eighth largest oil exporter, but around 70 percent of its 140 million people live on less than a dollar a day and healthcare has been in decline for decades.
Nigeria is drawing $20 million from a global AIDS fund over three years, and plans to expand the programme to cover 100,000 patients this year once more international donations become available.
The top African oil producer has said it was looking to the United States and donor agencies to provide $248 million to expand the programme further to include 200,000 sufferers.

Stray News

2005-06-11T15:30:00.000+03:00

CNN's Greasing the wheels of business another ignorant and one sided report on Nigeria's corruption issue, as if there is the only place it exist.

What is this nonsense report about defense collaboration with Iran. If the Defence minister Rabiu Kwankaso has nothing to announce he should just shut up. What possible defence collaboration can Nigeria have with Iran? Nonsense.......

An interesting report on (nigerian) Asylum seekers........

Another idiotic report claiming jihadists insurgent in Nigeria.......

The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Ibrahim Agboola Gambari of Nigeria as the new Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, succeeding Kieran Prendergast, effective 1 July 2005. He will serve until the end of the Secretary-General’s term....

Myanmar, Nigeria and Nauru need to make more efforts if they are to be taken off the dirty money blacklist, the inter-governmental body to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing said on Friday.
The three nations are in the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) list of non-cooperative countries and their status was reviewed at a meeting of the organisation's 33 members this week in Singapore.

"The FATF welcomes the substantial progress made by Myanmar, Nauru and Nigeria in enacting legislation and regulations addressing the main identified deficiencies. However, the countries will remain on the NCCT list until the reforms have been adequately implemented," it said in statement, referring to its list of Non-cooperative Countries and Territories.......

MTN Nigeria Communi-cations Limited (MTN) has announced a pre-tax earning of N65 billion on revenue of N199 billion for the period April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005. Over the same period, the mobile telecommunication company said its subscriber base also increased by 123 per cent while a capital investment of over N118 billion was completed..........

International Labour Organisation has expressed concern with the increasing unemplyment in Nigeria. It expects the country to provide a detailed information on the impact of the implementation of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies on employment as well as activities of employment services............

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) should stop acting silly about including ethnicity and religion on the census data. Akinola should take his conservatism somewhere else. If he wants to know how many christians are in Nigeria well let him do his own count and found out. National Population Commission's job is to count people. CAN shouldn't stand in the way as they announced they'll do.........

Shameless Senators Fight For Right To Recieve GIFTS

2005-06-05T14:21:00.000+03:00

The honourable Senators can't be bothered about stamping out corruption as I can see. They lay more value on their "gifts" than helping usher the Nation forward.Inspite of all the allowances they are recieving. I guess kleptomania is a hard habit to kick. How unfortunate.

Thiefing Balogun

2005-06-05T02:13:00.000+03:00

So what's going on with Tafa Balogun's thiefing case? I know he made bail. The thief that got a street named after him in Ila-Orangun was well educated indeed as I discovered but what did he do with all that education? Thieving! A thief policing thieves. The former Thiefing-General of Police is now claiming that EFCC have no jurisdiction to prosecute him. Its seem the charges against him are so daunting that he is resulting to obfuscation.

Meanwhile the popularity of the Nigerian Police is as low as its former boss.

According to BBC report, although the men in black describe themselves as "the people's friend", very few people have fond memories of encounters they have with armed policemen manning Nigeria's motorways.
True tales of extortion for "phantom offences" are rife, contributing to the contempt that most Nigerians have for the police.

Also in another report similarly indicting of the police we read, "we see instances of police abuse and brutality in Nigeria every day," Carina Tertsakian, a Nigeria specialist for Human Rights Watch, told IRIN on Tuesday. "It's a pattern of behaviour that's left over from the military era. But we've had six years of civilian rule now."
"There has been a certain amount of cosmetic change. For example, the government has at least been making the right noises about cleaning up corruption, but we've seen no changes as far as other human rights abuses are concerned," the London-based researcher said.......more

This Obasanjo

2005-06-05T01:19:00.000+03:00

So it was true that Obasanjo sent representatives to Benny Hinn to come for revival in Nigeria 'to bring the message of salvation and miracles to help heal that precious country' according to Hinn's Church website

"Now you must come to Nigeria and pray a healing, anointing prayer over the entire constituency of Nigeria" Obasanjo reportedly wrote Hinn.

Alas, 'unbeknownst to the representatives, exactly at 6 PM of that very day as they arrived in Georgia to deliver the invitation, Pastor Benny was preparing for the Atlanta service and the Holy Spirit said, “Go to Nigeria!”'

Well he came and got his ass scammed good time. 419ed the holy sprit way.

Go to Nigeria Benny!!!! Go to Nigeria!!!!

Anglican Church

2005-06-05T00:12:00.000+03:00

I am tracking development over there. It seem as if Akinola will not let matter lie easily. And his antagonists too are not ready to lay down their weapons easily. It made for interesting argument.

This Naija

2005-06-04T20:02:00.000+03:00

As I write this there are reports of carnage in Northern Nigeria. Some Sunnis are clashing it seems with their fellow Shiites. At least this time they are not killing Christians. Maybe it will teach them some religious tolerance for a change.
"The government will deal with anyone caught breaking the peace, and already some arrests were made. Adequate measures were taken to protect people, lives and property," Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, said in a state-wide broadcast before the arson attack........

.....Meanwhile the telecom boom keep the smart foreign companies smiling all the way to the bank as MTN is expected next week to report a huge profit according to Citicorp as its Nigeria market is worth $5 billion an estimated 43% of the market. The report also anticipate the return of Vodacom back into Nigeria.

And I finally have an image of murderer Charles Taylor's house in Calabar.

Taylor's Residence In Calabar

Got A Blogspot Property

2005-05-21T17:09:00.000+03:00

I am now a proud owner of a piece of blogspot blog property.