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By Ositadimma Ejelike - Years after graduation they are still roaming the street of Tunis, Abuja, Johannesburg, Casablanca, Nairobi and other African countries. Unable to find employment some join criminal gangs, others opted for menial jobs and street vending while some resort to hand their fate to God. 26 year old Mohamed Bouazizi was one of them, a college graduate in Tunisia who was unable to find job years after graduation opted to selling vegetables on the street in Sidi Bouzid to support himself and his family.
The Fall Of A Dictator- A Mohamed Bouazizi Revolution (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/fall-dictator-mohamed-bouazizi-revolution)
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SaharaReporters, New York - LAGOS State: Three days into registration, technical hitches persist Daniel Fayemi, Lagos
Three days into the ongoing voters' registration exercise in the country, eligible voters have continued to be frustrated as the delay in registration has persisted.
Photonews: Voters Registration In Nigeria-Day 3 (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/photonews-voters-registration-nigeria-day-3)
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SaharaReporters, New York - Tension has risen in various northern states by youths protesting against state governors who helped Goodluck Jonathan secure the People's Democratic Party's (PDP) nomination that saw an overwhelming defeat of his rival, the Northern Elders consensus candidate, former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku.
A diplomatic source informed the rising tension has led major Western embassies to issue travel restrictions to their staff and citizens for the next two weeks while they monitor the situation in the area. Public demonstrations began last week in Jigawa, Katsina and Adamawa States, following the PDP primaries. In the past few days, they have spread to Bauchi and Kaduna.
"Uprising" Against Pro-Jonathan Northern Governors (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/%E2%80%9Cuprising%E2%80%9D-against-pro-jonathan-northern-governors)
Idowu Ohioze - For well informed Yorubas and ardent students of history, the name "Tinubu" should readily call to mind the commendable exploits of one of West Africa's greatest women liberators: Madam Efunroye Tinubu.
Though she set out as a trader in domestic slavery, she eventually fought for the liberation of slaves when she encountered the great human tragedy that slavery is. She fought European slave traders for the freedom of slaves sold and bought in Lagos and environs. An Egba by birth, Madam Tinubu sacrificed for a better Lagos. And banishment to Abeokuta from Lagos was her punishment.
The House Tinubu Built (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/house-tinubu-built)
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The decision of the Federal Government to close down all private and public primary and secondary schools in Nigeria for the registration of voters has been challenged by the National Conscience Party at the Federal High Court through its lawyer, Femi Falana.
The Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/27/2011 was filed at the Federal High Court on Monday, January 17, 2011 by the Chairman of the Lagos State Branch of the National Conscience Party, Mr. Tunde Agunbiade on behalf of two of his children – Akintunde and Oreoluwa who are students of Omole Grammar School, Ikeja.
NCP Drags Federal Government To Court Over Closure Of Schools (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/ncp-drags-federal-government-court-over-closure-schools)
Olaitan Ladipo - Promoters of the Northern Political Leaders Forum must be kicking themselves now for choosing Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as their consensus candidate, given the results of the just concluded People's Democratic Party primaries. In reality, President Jonathan won in 32 states and Abuja, Atiku in none, and General Babangida in four!
Nigeria's Nations And Politics: Has Jonathan Become A Beached Whale? (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/nigeria%E2%80%99s-nations-and-politics-has-jonathan-become-beached-whale)
Emmanuel Onwubiko - Following the reported killing this week of unspecified number of Nigerians in Ivory Coast, a call has gone to President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately put machinery in motion to air lift all Nigerians from that crisis – prone country before the anticipated military action by the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union to unseat the intransigent Laurent Gbagbo.
Air lift Nigerians from Ivory Coast, HURIWA Urges F.G (http://www.saharareporters.com/press-release/air-lift-nigerians-ivory-coast-huriwa-urges-fg)
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Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has called on Nigerians to be optimistic about the recovery of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumwgwu Ojukwu, who, he said yesterday, is "doing very well" and will return to Nigeria when his doctors determine.
Ojukwu "Doing Very Well," Says Governor Obi (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/ojukwu-%E2%80%9Cdoing-very-well%E2%80%9D-says-governor-obi-2)
'Tunji Ariyomo - I have just read a statement credited to Chief Bisi Akande, the national chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the Vanguard newspaper of 20th January 2011 about the process for the selection of Candidates obtainable in the ACN and his justification of this and "the supreme 'power' of his party" to decide who becomes its flag-bearer as well as his citing of the British model to justify his argument.
Getting The Nigerian Democracy Right, A Response To Chief Bisi Akande On The Imposition Of Candidates (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/getting-nigerian-democracy-right-response-chief-bisi-akande-imposition-candidates)
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Sahararteporters just learned a short while ago that columnist and literature professor, Okey Ndibe was stopped and taken to the offices of the state SSS at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport as he tried to board a flight tonight back to US.
Ndibe Stopped Again At Lagos Airport; His Name Still On Nigeria's 'Enemy List' (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/ndibe-stopped-again-lagos-airport-his-name-still-nigerias-enemy-list)
Folake Oritsejetemenu Olanrewaju - Though a lot of progressives and lovers of Nigeria, especially Western Nigeria have expressed outrage and disgust over the fraud in the primaries of the ACN, I want to confess I expected it.
The Fraud In ACN (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/fraud-acn)
Dr. Anthony Fernandez - It is difficult not to be concerned about the topsy-turvy alliance talk between Nigeria's main opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
This concern stems from the realization that the 2011 election is the opposition's to lose. But whether the opposition, particularly the ACN, will secure victory will depend on how it approaches the election.
There is a feeling that the ACN is not interested in winning power at the national level. For a party that has made so much inroad in the last six months, you would think that by now, considering the implosion going on in the PDP, that it would have started the process of positioning itself as a national political party and the credible alternative to the PDP.
Source: ACN, CPC-An Unholy Alliance (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/acn-cpc-unholy-alliance)
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Talks of possible merger and adoption of a single presidential candidate by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have collapsed, at least for now.
One of the gladiators on the ACN side said in Lagos that the so-called merger was no more than hype by the Muhammadu Buhari side in the first place.
Source: The Inside Story Of The ACN/CPC Alliance Talks Collapse (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/inside-story-acncpc-alliance-talks-collapse)
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This wikileaks cable reveals how powerful Kwara state governor, Bukola Saraki thinks about Yar'adua's health and the startling discovery that the "Governors Forum was trying to put the EFCC back on track". SaharaReporters had revealed earlier that Saraki and some former governors recruited and staffed the EFCC and took total control ever since.
Source: Wikileaks Reveal Governor Saraki's Position On Yar'adua's Health And How Nigerian Governors Took Control Of EFCC (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/wikileaks-reveal-governor-sarakis-position-yaraduas-health-and-how-nigerian-governors-took)
- Zulfikar Aliyu Adamu
Ha, NIGERIA!
We Nigerians tend to be unique in everything we manage to lay our hands on, be it good or bad. Even in our misfortunes and misadventures, we are quite exceptional. Mathematically, the best way to describe Nigeria now is Yakubu Aiyegbeni, the footballer. The equation is given as follows: If {(Huge) + (Strong) x (Popular) + (Wealthy) + (Talented + Nonchalance)} ÷ {(WorldCup) x (CrucialMatch) + (AverageOpponent) + (SimplePass) x (EmptyNetSquared)} = (MissedGoal) x (KnockOut) + (Y); then find Y.
And if you still don't know why (Y) because the above formula is too complex for you to understand our country; then simply calculate the SquareRoot of (NuhuRibadu ÷ AmosAdamu). Hopefully the denominator is not large enough to nullify the numerator. Meanwhile, I digress, because this essay is not exactly about football so bear with me. I love analogies.
Source: Nigeria's Energy Cry-Seas (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/nigeria%E2%80%99s-energy-cry-seas)
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Adetokunbo Mumuni - Following a petition by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay has disclosed that she has asked the Federal Government to ensure full justice to victims by bringing to account those responsible for the persistent violence in Jos, and the associated human rights violations.
Source: UN Human Rights Chief Demands Justice For Victims Of Jos Violence (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/un-human-rights-chief-demands-justice-victims-jos-violence)
Pierre SANE - Mr President, On the 7th of August 2010 in Abidjan, the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire commemorated the 50th anniversary of its independence with the reserve appropriate to a nation destabilized by the crisis born out of the failed coup and armed rebellion of 2002.
President Laurent Gbagbo did reach out to the rebels to initiate a process of reconciliation and engage the country on the road to peace and development. A presidential election organized by the political parties under the supervision of the United Nations was expected to seal this reconciliation, reunite the country and put it back to work. Unfortunately, the meticulously prepared election ended in an impasse, which will have to be one day investigated dispassionately in order to provide unbiased information to the african and international public opinions. But for now the country is threatened with military intervention to "dislodge" Laurent Gbagbo from office. And so, for the first time ever in Africa, one would resort to external forces to "restore democracy" following a polling dispute!
Source: Re: "Surgical Operation" In Cote d'Ivoire: The Worst-case Scenario?- Open Letter To The African Heads Of State (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/re-%E2%80%9Csurgical-operation%E2%80%9D-cote-d%E2%80%99ivoire-worst-case-scenario-open-letter-african-heads-state)
Gomiluk Otokwala - January 1, 2014 – about three years from today – will mark one hundred years since the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria were amalgamated to form what is today the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Sadly, almost a century after that merger, Nigeria still remains essentially two separate countries welded precariously into one. In this short piece, I argue that unless steps are taken to perfect that amalgamation, the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as currently configured) can hardly make any meaningful progress.
To be sure, there are at least three hundred ethnic nationalities in Nigeria almost evenly spread across the landmass of the country. In the old Northern Region dominated by the Hausa/Fulani, very many ethnic minorities exist, many of whom do not as much as understand the Hausa language. The same is true of the old Eastern and Western regions, both of which constitute the former Southern Protectorate. Across the country, many of these ethnic groups are as similar to each other as the French are to the Chinese. However, as divided as Nigeria is by virtue of its breathtaking plurality, there is no other dimension of division as strong as the North-South dichotomy.
Source: Time To Amalgamate Northern And Southern Nigeria (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/time-amalgamate-northern-and-southern-nigeria)
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Tom Mackey and Geert Ritsema - Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth International today filed an official complaint against oil giant Shell for breaches of basic standards for responsible business set out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The organisations claim that Shell's use of discredited and misleading information to blame the majority of oil pollution on saboteurs in its Niger Delta operations has breached the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The complaint was filed with UK and Netherlands government contact points for the OECD.
Tomorrow (Wednesday 26 January) Shell will be under scrutiny for its environmental and human rights impacts during a hearing in the Dutch Parliament on the company's activities in Nigeria.
In the mid 1990s Shell accepted that much of the oil pollution in the Niger Delta was due to the company's own failures. However, the company now blames sabotage by communities and criminals for most of the problem, citing misleading figures that purport to show as much as 98% of oil spills being caused by sabotage.
Source: Shell Accused Over Misleading Figures On Nigeria Oil Spills (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/shell-accused-over-misleading-figures-nigeria-oil-spills)
Emmanuel Onwubiko - In my previous article titled 'Jega and the fading optimism', I dealt with the excruciating experiences of Nigerians trying to register their names as voters in the ongoing registration of voters by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headed by the erstwhile vice Chancellor of the Bayero University Kano, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega who incidentally came to national limelight during the military regimes when he headed the reputable Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
I raised a number of issues which cropped up at the announcement last June by President Goodluck Jonathan that he has approved the appointment of Professor Jega to head the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Source: How Not To Register Voters (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/how-not-register-voters)
By Opoze Mark - One person's account of the fated deportation flight to Nigeria and the questions which remain to be answered.
Some came in their pyjamas, a woman was handcuffed, a handful of men in silence, confused children who never stopped asking their mothers endless questions and a boy with his 25 x 12 size cardboard Santa Claus picture in hand. Tears dropped from my eyes. He held onto that as his most prized possession. When I asked his mum why he was guarding the picture, she said that since he was told we were going to Africa he cried, said that he wanted to take his picture to Africa.
He was born and raised for 5 years in Ireland in a direct provision centre and yet the Irish immigration people in their infinite wisdom picked him up from school that afternoon alongside his two brothers to be deported on the night flight.
Some children were woken up from sleep as early as 4 o'clock that morning, not allowed to have a shower nor brush their teeth. These children were not given any explanation other than that they were going to Africa. For most of them it was their first ride in an airplane. Sure enough, they are going to make that trip because the Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, believes they deserve this because they happen to be called Nigerians.
Source: A Ride On The Deportation Plane (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/ride-deportation-plane)
Osi Okponobi - The recent performance of INEC in the recently concluded Delta State Elections and the Voters Registration exercise has caused me to review how appointments are made in Nigeria.
Time and time again, I have always emphasised on the need for Experience and Competence over any other consideration, when considering appointing people into offices or positions. My view, and take on the problem with/of INEC, and to a large extent, most Nigerian INSTITUTIONS, is that their heads, or those appointed to head them, are usually appointed based on FAULTY PREMISES.
Nigerians wrongly believe that as long as the person or appointee is honest, a man of integrity, incorrigible or a SAINT, he must do a perfect job. They believe honesty alone is the sine qua non for good performance. Sometimes, being honest, incorrigible, having integrity or being uncompromising is not usually enough to do well in a job. The most important elements or factors, for me, are EXPERIENCE, SKILLS and KNOWLEDGE. This is why the UK and many other advanced societies usually place emphasis on KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS OR ABILITIES AND EXPERIENCE when making appointments into positions.
Source: The Problem With Our Appointment Systems In Nigeria (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/problem-our-appointment-systems-nigeria)
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Despite the continue hyping of the Abuja-based Daily Trust newspaper of an "impending deal" between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress of Progressive Change (CPC), it was a tumult-free political day in the country today, and reliable sources within the ACN reiterated to SaharaReporters that no such deal is in the works.
Source: ACN/CPC Merger Talks: No Deal (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/acncpc-merger-talks-no-deal)
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Daniel Fayemi - Presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to resign.
The call for his resignation came following findings of the Presidential Advisory Committee headed by retired General Theophilus Danjuma that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is engrossed in massive corruption and high level debt profile.
Source: Resign Now! Ribadu Tells Jonathan (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/resign-now-ribadu-tells-jonathan)
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Citizen Reports - As the nation reels from the news of the EFCC's arrest of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr Adeseyi Sijuwade, following his indictment by the State Security Service (SSS), questions are being asked as to whether he could have acted alone or in concert with others.
As the nation reels from the news of the EFCC's arrest of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr Adeseyi Sijuwade, following his indictment by the State Security Service (SSS), questions are being asked as to whether he could have acted alone or in concert with others.
THE DAMNING INDICTMENT
"The efforts by the Federal Government in revamping the moribund rail sector, to complement road transportation has been marred by controversies and allegations of corruption in the NRC. The current administration in NRC under Sijuwade has not shown any sign of seriousness, to revamp the system as it has allowed personal interest to override its duties." – SSS Report
THE CHARGE
"Investigation has revealed that the process for the award of the contract for the rehabilitation of NRC Eastern line, Port Harcourt – Kaduna Junction and that of the other NRC Eastern line, Kafanchan – Maiduguri, is fraught with corruption and irregularities, masterminded by Sijuwade. He has been accused of manipulating the contract procedures to favour predetermined contractors and recommending unqualified contractors for specified jobs" - SSS Report
THE BACKGROUND
The project involves major rehabilitation of Nigerian Railway Corporation's existing narrow gauge single line rail track, including the bridges and culverts, from Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri. The estimated total length of track work to be covered is 1,654km. In order to enable quick delivery of the work within the expected time frame, the work is divided into two contracts.
Contract (3) covers the rehabilitation work from Port-Harcourt to Kaduna Junction through Kafanchan - approximately 916km. Consultant's Estimate: N47.9 billion.
Contract (4) covers the rehabilitation work from Kafanchan to Maiduguri, including the branch line from Kuru to Jos, totaling approximately 738 km. Consultant's Estimate: N30.7 billion.
Bids were invited in February 2010 by publications in the Nigerian press. Thirty-five companies expressed interest, and 13 of them were prequalified to submit technical and financial proposals. Twelve companies submitted bids in May 2010 and were evaluated by a team led by Sijuwade. Two of the companies were recommended to the Ministry of Transportation for award of the contracts. In the end, Contract 3 went to Eser Nigeria Contracting Company Limited at N35.59 billion, while Contract 4 went to Symdicate Construction and Commercial Company Limited at N29.96 billion.
Complaints however followed the awards, and the Chairman of the NRC, Alhaji Bello Haliru, initiated an investigation which was later expanded to involve the SSS.
Source: The Great Nigerian Railway 100 Billion Naira Robbery And The Ooni Of Ife's Connection (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/great-nigerian-railway-100-billion-naira-robbery-and-ooni-ifes-connection)
Ambassador John Campbell has written an important book on Nigeria which demands the attention of every Nigerian and every American interested in Nigerian politics and Nigeria's place in African and global affairs.
Source: Nigeria: Dancing On The Brink: A Critical Book Review (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/nigeria-dancing-brink-critical-book-review)
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Six people, including the anointed gubernatorial candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Borno State, Alhaji Modu Fannami Gubio and a younger brother of Governor Sheriff, were shot dead yesterday in Maiduguri.
Alhaji Gubio was the cousin of current governor, Ali Modu Sheriff. He was also the Commissioner for Finance in the state. It is unclear if Alhaji Gubio, who was shot in front of his house, was assassinated by the Boko Haram militants in the state who have vowed to kill the governor.
Source: ANPP Governorship Candidate, Brother Of Governor, Among Six Shot Dead In Borno (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/anpp-governorship-candidate-brother-governor-among-six-shot-dead-borno)
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A 33-year old Nigerian lawyer, Akeem Ajimotokan, who works with Columbia University in New York as a procurement officer, was found in a coma yesterday in the trunk of his car, his hands bound behind him with tapes and a part of his ear chopped off.
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The New York Police Department found Mr. Ajimotokan after the would-be robber of his BMW car ditched the car after an accident and fled the scene.
NYPD officials said that Akeem's assailant, an ex-convict, Barion Blake, specializes in stealing BMW cars and had spent time in various jails in the area before his latest crime. Mr. Blake is still on the run.
Police sources said evidence found at the back seat of Akeem's car shows that Blake was trying to steal his fully loaded BMW M3 coupe which he'd pretended he wanted to buy for $46,000 according to a bill of sale found in the car.
Akeem is listed in critical condition in Harlem Hospital in New York.
Source: Sahara Reporters.
Whilst Rome burns my people, Nigerians, are waiting for another failed election come April this year after which my people will moan, whine and procrastinate ...and then settle down; we always do after wasted and spent energy. At the end of this election process the 'selected' govt will work out how the loudest and most stubborn agitators whining about the recently concluded unscrupulous '(s)elections' can be pacified.
Juicy contracts and government appointments have a way of 'calming' frayed nerves. We might even delude ourselves into celebrating (sic) the dividends of democracy by proclaiming the 'successful' and continued democratic experience and development in Nigeria. The foreign media might even refer to it as a successful "hand over from one democratically (s)elected government to another" albeit it will be PDP hierarchy handing over to themselves; note the operative phrase here is " successful hand over".
Source: A Pessimistic Look At The Forth Coming Elections In Nigeria This Year (http://www.saharareporters.com/letter/pessimistic-look-forth-coming-elections-nigeria-year)
Philips Akpoviri - "Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there." ~ Dr John P. Kotter.
I have been deeply immersed in some kind of wandering thoughts all evening in this land that is gradually becoming home to me. Just as I continued, my Korean friend and colleague came by, and as if he knew what I have been thinking about, he retorted with his distinct Korean accent, "I would love to visit Nigeria.
Your country must be very beautiful, and all of you very rich...", I looked at him dazed, and quickly asked what informed his conclusion. His response further left me startled when he defended his supposition by telling me this words "In Korea we are not lucky. We do not have petrol (meaning oil and gas) but you have so much of it...if we that are not lucky to enjoy that blessing could still get all we get, and live comfortably as we do, then certainly, Nigeria with all your enormous oil wealth would all be living as kings and queens" To shorten the rather lengthy story, I would sincerely submit that by the time he finished with his adulation of my sorry country, a deep well of tears had been dug up in my heart.
Source: The New Nigeria Project: South Korea As A Veritable Model (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/new-nigeria-project-south-korea-veritable-model)
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Joint Army/Police units routinely kill Nigerian protesters
By Ahmed Saka (CP)
JOS, Nigeria — Soldiers in a central Nigerian city opened fire Saturday on university students protesting continuing violence between Christians and Muslims, witnesses said, with at least five people killed in the ensuing violence.
The shooting came as gas stations and a farmer's market smouldered after late Friday violence that sparked when Christian students attacked Muslims trying to bury a corpse in Jos, a city at the epicenter of tensions between Nigeria's two dominant faiths. One Muslim died in that attack, which sparked retaliatory assaults on Christian churches in the region Saturday morning.
This is the latest violence in Jos and its surrounding villages, a region once known as a vacation spot for British colonialists and as a tin mining town. Human Rights Watch said at least 1,000 people died in 2010 and another 200 more have died within the last month in violence largely fueled by ethnic, economic and political disputes.
Source: Shoot-At-Sight Order In Jos: Nigerian Soldiers Shoot At Protesting Students-Canadian Press (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/shoot-sight-order-jos-nigerian-soldiers-shoot-protesting-students-canadian-press)
Dr. Wumi Akintide - A serious renewal of pledge for good Government worthy of emulation by Nigeria
President Obama correctly defined October 4, 1957 as the "Sputnik" moment that challenged Americans to actively get involved in the race to conquer space which the defunct Soviet Union was clearly winning at the time. It was a moment of truth American scientists and researchers needed to hear loud and clear from John F. Kennedy. The situation was reversed when American became the first country on Earth to land the first man on the Moon in less than 10 years thereby beating the Soviet Union to second place. America became the world's number one super power and later on the ultimate winner of the cold war with the Soviet Union. I submit that there is nothing wrong in Nigeria taking a script from America if the move can help to strengthen our own country.
Source: The Annual State Of The Union Ritual In America (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/annual-state-union-ritual-america)
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Pastor Tunde Bakare
Barring last minute cancellation and in less than two hours from now, fiery Lagos priest, Pastor Tunde Bakare is set to become the vice presidential candidate to retired army general and former Nigeria head of state, Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
Philips Akpoviri - I saw it coming much earlier. Yes, as early as the time he reeled out the timetable and surprisingly apportioned a miserably insufficient two - week duration for the registration of the scores of millions of eligible voters. Every sincere Nigerian who is truly true to himself given today's palpable realities cannot expect such a normally monstrous exercise to consume anything less than two months even if the Christian Association of Nigeria were to organize it in collaboration with the Supreme Islamic Council of Nigeria on behalf of INEC.
This two months is even without prejudice to the daily execution of the exercise at INEC offices across the country for persons who might have been out of the country, or sick in hospital beds while the registration exercise lasted, and of course those who only just got due for suffrage in reasonable time before the elections.
Source: Jega Needs Help, Not Sticks - By Philips Akpoviri (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/jega-needs-help-not-sticks-philips-akpoviri)
Uche Igwe - The passage of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Act in May 2007, sent very positive signals about Nigeria's desire to sustain her leadership in the global initiative to the world. The Nigerian oil and gas industry, like in many resource rich countries, has been largely seen as an avenue to fuel corruption and enrich a few privileged, parasitic elite at the expense of ordinary citizens.
The blessings that theorists predict will befall a natural resource rich country has not managed to happen in Nigerian even after more than forty years of the flow of petrodollars. . The decision of the Nigerian government to implement wide ranging reforms and openness in payments and receipts, back in 2003, in line with the global multi-stakeholder Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) paved a way to enthrone a more open, transparent extractive (oil, gas and mining) industry and to hold governments accountable for public revenue. Indeed the comprehensive financial, physical and process audits conducted by NEITI on the Nigerian oil and gas sector between 1999 and 2004 clearly exceeded the global focus of EITI and have been often referred to as EITI plus plus.
Source: Periscoping The Nigeria's NEITI Act 2007 (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/periscoping-nigeria%E2%80%99s-neiti-act-2007)
By Tondu Aonduna Professor Jega’s reported denial that he threatened to resign if the PDP-led federal government of President Jonathan were to put undue pressure on him and the INEC cannot be reassuring to Nigerians. The INEC chairman’s statement that he will remain in his position and bear the consequences of any failure on his part is no consolation at all if, at the end of the day, the INEC really inflicts yet another electoral debacle on the nation.
Source: Professor Jega: To Resign Or Not To Resign? (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/professor-jega-resign-or-not-resign-0)
By Churchill Okonkwo One of the few things you learn quickly as Onyeigbo commenting on national issues is never to open your mouth wide against Ndigbo even when that appears to be the only sensible thing to do. As 2011 election draws near, the high level of scavenging and hypocrisy from politician in the Southeastern Nigeria have once more exposed the political naivety in Igbo nation.
Source: Southeast Governors, Dora Akunyili And Ohaneze: The Scavengers That Will Destroy Ndigbo (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/southeast-governors-dora-akunyili-and-ohaneze-scavengers-will-destroy-ndigbo)
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Adetokunbo Mumuni - The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to "urgently rescind the recent decision by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke (SAN) to withdraw the case file of Minister of State for Health Sulaiman Bello, who is accused by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of N11.2million fraud."
Source: SERAP Urges Pres. Jonathan To Rescind AGF's Withdrawal Of Minister's 'Corruption' Case File (http://www.saharareporters.com/press-release/serap-urges-pres-jonathan-rescind-agf%E2%80%99s-withdrawal-minister%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98corruption%E2%80%99-case-file)
One thing that one cannot take away from our politicians is their insatiable penchant for grandiose solutions to problems and this is clearly evident in the power sector. After spending over $10b in the last 10 years to fix this problem, the outcome was actually a net loss in the amount of power generated!
One would think that the so-called technocrats in government would have learnt one or two lessons from the failures of the past. However, it is quite obvious that no lessons have been learned. I say this because President Jonathan's plan for the sector is a continuation of the strategy that has failed twice already since 1999.
Source: A Practical Solution To Nigeria's Power Problem (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/practical-solution-nigeria%E2%80%99s-power-problem)
Farouk Martins Aresa - Kai! Nobody said democracy is cheap; all these billions for election hurt our heads. Some of us kept mute for fear of anti-democracy label. We dare not ask why any contract of substance in Nigeria has to be foreign in implementation or manufacture.
The billions approved for INEC Attahiru Jega is so huge but because it is for democracy, we accepted it. On top of that is the salary of those elected. Demon-crazy can't be practiced in poor countries, we tell you. One man one vote is so difficult to implement because of our indigenous dexterity that can defeat any oyinbo-made product and that include their voters registration machines.
Source: Jega Election 2011 May Be A Lavish Wedding At Any Price (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/jega-election-2011-may-be-lavish-wedding-any-price)
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Nigeria Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke (SAN) wrote to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to withdraw the case file of Minister of State for Health Sulaiman Bello, who is accused of N11.2million fraud.
Mazi Uzo Obi - About eleven years ago precisely in 1999 when the military ceded power to the civilians, I had lamented the wrong choices that Ndigbo were making in a widely publicized article " The Igbo and their Bad Choices: Cause of Igbo Marginalization"-http://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/obi/igbo.html.Today, nothing has changed and the southeast Ndigbo have totally lost out and lack any political strategy.
No Igbo of Southeast origin heads any of the branches of Government at the Federal level. The House of Representatives has Speaker Bankole from the Southwest while Ike Ekweremadu of the Southeast is the deputy Senate President. I respectfully submit that the failed leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo and Southeast Governors will make Ndigbo politically irrelevant in Nigeria. I am not making a claim to superior knowledge of anything but I will outline the facts as they are today for the reader to make the judgment.
Source: Ohaneze Ndigbo And Southeast Governors: Making Bad Choices For The Southeast Zone (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/ohaneze-ndigbo-and-southeast-governors-making-bad-choices-southeast-zone)
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A Nigerian citizen, Moukhtari Ibrahim Aminu, has been arrested and detained for 10 days allegedly for "insulting" Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State on facebook. In addition, Mustapha Saad, a magistrate in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, has further remanded the accused in prison until February 7th 2011.
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Citizen Reports - The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday accused the Congress for Progressive change CPC as not demonstrating "sufficient seriousness and political will to forge a workable electoral cooperation" and has thus called off any alliance between it and the Congress for progressive change (CPC).
In a letter dated 28th of January 2010, written by the party's National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, and addressed to the National Chairman of the CPC, the ACN gave other reasons for calling off the alliance to include the fact that "it (ACN) no longer considers a merger feasible."
Chief Akande explained in the letter that his party which preferred a merger commenced discussions with General Buhari in 2005.
"As proof of our willingness and sincerity, we even decided to adopt his party's name and logo. This was when he was in ANPP. This dream never materialized," the party chairman stated.
Dr. Wumi Akintide - President Jonathan must truly believe that Nigerians have very short memories. If you believe this crap statement you will believe anything. It's campaign season in Nigeria and politicians are desperate and will not hesitate to promise the impossible. Their credibility should only be determined by their track record. If you go by that prism alone, you will understand that President Jonathan is only trying to play the Hosni Mubarak on Nigerians because he plans to win the next election by all means.
Whoever believes that Mubarak can now deliver in 8 months what he has woefully failed to deliver in 30 years of his authoritarian rule in Egypt. If the Egyptians believe that, I have an island to sell them in the Pacific.
I am sure they don't. By the same token, Nigerians should not believe Jonathan.
Source: Super Man Jonathan To Deliver In 4 Years What His Party Could Not Deliver In 12 (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/super-man-jonathan-deliver-4-years-what-his-party-could-not-deliver-12)
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The Nigerian Judicial Commission has offered a surprise promotion to the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, the "troublesome" judge behind the recent rash of electoral rulings that involved the sacking of some People's Democratic Party (PDP) governors in the Southwest.
Justice Salami's promotion is being undertaken despite the lack of a vacancy for a North Central zone at the Supreme Court, but to make Salami's elevation politically possible, President Goodluck Jonathan will be increasing the number of Supreme Court justices to 21, thereby creating the spot needed for Justice Salami.
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Stella Lebbi - Much as we do not wish to engage in polemics with Chief Bisi Akande, the national chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, we feel a sense of obligation to millions of our supporters and Nigerians in general to set the records straight.
Though Chief Akande has chosen to air brush the impossible demands of the ACN during the merger talks, we wish to set the records straight for posterity.
Source: CPC/ACN Merger Talks: Response To Chief Bisi Akande (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/cpcacn-merger-talks-response-chief-bisi-akande)
Ibraheem Dooba - I've just read the pathetic and gut wrenching story of how Mr. Dayo Modupe suffered in the hands of Nigerian Customs officers. Seeing that Sahara Reporters is always willing to stand by the little guy, I expected to see the story on SR; but Mr. Modupe probably didn't send it here.
Source: Let's Take the Next Fight To The Nigerian Customs Service (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/let%E2%80%99s-take-next-fight-nigerian-customs-service)
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Former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission between 2000 to 2005, Abel Goubadia has died. The former public servant died this morning at the age of 79 in Benin City, Nigeria.
An entry on Wikipedia stated that Sir Abel Guobadia, was Officer of the Federal Republic(OFR) who was born on June 28, 1932 in Benin City, Nigeria. Goubadia according to the entry is an educationist, administrator, diplomat and retired public servant.
"In 2000, the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Guobadia Nigeria's Chief Electoral Officer. Dr. Guobadia was confirmed as the Chairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission by the Nigerian Senate in May 2000. Guobada retired from this position in May 2005 becoming the first, and so far, only Chairman of the Electoral Commission since Nigeria's independence in 1960, to complete his tenure"
Idowu Ohioze - A disturbing trend has emerged from certain Nigerian online news media enthusiasts. When next you read a commentary on Sahareporters, Nigeriavillagesquare or any other news site you usually frequent, take time to read through comments posted by nameless Nigerians.
These fellows target, for the most part, political commentaries not favourable to their political idols. There are those who view commentaries on Goodluck Jonathan, Nuhu Ribadu and Atiku Abubakar as insults to their ancestry gods.
These Nigerians- who have perfected the art of hurling insults at or shouting others down- have stormed cyberspace to advertise their artistry!
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/news/2011/ibori_thersa_church.jpg?1296837115) By Heidi Blake The Nigerian government refused to discuss a prisoner transfer agreement with Britain unless the Crown Prosecution Service dropped corruption charges against a favoured member of the ruling party, leaked documents disclose.
Source: WikiLeaks Cables: How Former AGF Michael Aondoakaa Pressured UK To Drop Charges Against James Ibori-Telegraph, UK (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/wikileaks-cables-how-former-agf-michael-aondoakaa-pressured-uk-drop-charges-against-james-)
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FIFA has rejected appeals brought to it by Amos Adamu, Nigeria's representative on FIFA executive committee recently suspended for three years for demanding bribes from undercover reporters from the Sunday Times in London.
Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii were banned by FIFA Ethics Committee in November 2010 after both were caught on tape demanding bribes to influence FIFA voting procedure for FIFA World cup venue choices.
The duo appealed their suspension claiming they had not been given fair hearing, but the FIFA appeals committee sealed their fate by rejecting the appeals today.
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The stage is set for a dramatic showdown between Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, Chief Justice of Nigeria, and Justice Ayo Isa Salami, president of the Court of Appeal, as the latter has written a letter rejecting the CJN's plan to promote him to the Supreme Court.
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Osita Okechukwu - Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP} condemns the unsolicited appointment of Honourable Justice Ayo Salami, President of the Appeal Court, to Supreme Court, by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Aloysius Kastina- Alu and accordingly stands by Justice Salami's instant rejection of the unholy offer.
Source: Justice Ayo Salami's Offer Of Appointment To Supreme Court : Orchestra Of Rigging-CNPP (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/justice-ayo-salami%E2%80%99s-offer-appointment-supreme-court-orchestra-rigging-cnpp)
Saul Saidykhan - I will always remember the moment I realized a true African-American brother name Barack Obama had changed time. I was watching the 2008 US election returns with my two older children at home in our basement.
Source: President Obama Clocks Two – Part One (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/president-obama-clocks-two-%E2%80%93-part-one)
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Dele Alade - The United States Chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria will on February 12, 2011 play host to many Action Congress of Nigeria leaders at its 1st National Convention holding at Crown Plaza Hotel, Atlanta Airport in Atlanta Georgia.
Source: Akande, Tinubu, Ribadu, Ngige And ACN Governors To Attend ACN-USA National Convention In Atlanta (http://www.saharareporters.com/press-release/akande-tinubu-ribadu-ngige-and-acn-governors-attend-acn-usa-national-convention-atlant)
Obong Okon Emerson - It was first reported in the Sunday Champion newspapers of 30th January 2011 that Governor Akpabio's aides have been mopping up voters cards from ignorant registered voters. Giving credence to this was another report in the immediate last edition (February 6 - page 4) of the same newspaper and news item posted on the same date by the online publication, www.thewillnigeria.com (http://www.thewillnigeria.com) (THEWILL) - both quoted the INEC Resident Commissioner, Mrs. Maria Owi.
Source: Akwa Ibom And Buying Of Voters' Cards (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/akwa-ibom-and-buying-voters%E2%80%99-cards)
Oludare Ogunlana - Once again, Nigerians bother with present drama upholding in the judicial arm of Government in Nigeria. The recent promotion of Justice Ayo Salami, the President of the Nigeria Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court is not only a deception but a grand strategy by the PDP to rig the 2011 election.
Source: Justice Salami Promotion Is Politically Motivated: A Grand Strategy To Rig 2011 Election (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/justice-salami-promotion-politically-motivated-grand-strategy-rig-2011-election)
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The Nigerian Bar Association has weighed in on the on-going controversy regarding the propose elevation of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami. A statement issued by the president of the NBA, JB Daudu, urged both parties to maintain the status quo while an "in-house" resolution is brought to the controversy.
Debo Onifade - The President (through his VP) recently said during the opening ceremony of a Nestle manufacturing plant that Nigeria was going to add 5,000MW to the grid supply. He didn't tell us how! I also recently read on President Jonathan's facebook page that Nigeria has hit 4,000MW for the first time in 10 years and a few of my friends called to tell me they were excited about this.
Source: Power Supply: We Need The Facts (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/power-supply-we-need-facts)
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SaharaReporters, New York - Plans by the Goodluck Jonathan campaign to "de-ethnicize" the commencement of the presidential campaigns hit a major snag yesterday as youth in Lafia, the capital of Nassarawa State, pelted Mr. Jonathan's convoy with stones. Our sources said the rampaging youths were supporters of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change.
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PM News, Abuja - The President of the Court of Appeal [PCA], Justice Ayo Isa Salami yesterday dragged the Chief Justice of Nigeria [CJN], Justice Aloysius Iyorgher Katsina-Alu before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division over his unsolicited elevation to the bench of the Supreme Court.
Named in the originating summons filed by Lateef Fagbemi [SAN] on Salami's behalf as co-defendants are the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the National Judicial Council and the Attorney General of Federation [AGF] as 2nd to 4th Defendants Respondents.
In an affidavit deposed to personally by Salami, he alleged that Katsina-Alu asked him to compromise the Court of Appeal's verdict on the protracted Sokoto Governorhip legal tussle by either disbanding the original panel, which he [Katsina-Alu] believed was about to give a verdict adverse to the governor's interest or direct the panel to give judgment in the governor's favour.
He also seeks an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants jointly and/or severally, by themselves, and all officers, servants and functionaries of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or otherwise howsoever, from recognizing, acting on, doing anything in recognition of or putting into effect any decision of the defendants purporting to appoint the plaintiff to the Supreme Court as a Justice of the Court pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons.
Source: "Katsina-Alu Asked Me To Compromise Sokoto Gubernatorial Petition"-Ayo Salami (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/katsina-alu-asked-me-compromise-sokoto-gubernatorial-petition-ayo-salami)
A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned Ms. Gabriela KNAUL, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers over alleged "attacks by the Nigerian government on the independence and impartiality of judges, and the consequent denial of the internationally recognized right of the citizens to an effective remedy."
In a petition dated 8 February 2011 and signed by SERAP Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group said that, "We note that Justice Salami has been an activist judge who has consistently stood for justice and fair play in his position as President of the Court of Appeal. It would seem that the law is being used in this case as an instrument of political manipulation to perpetuate injustice against Justice Salami apparently for future political and election gains of the Nigerian government."
Source: UN Petitioned Over Alleged Harassment Of Justice Salami (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/un-petitioned-over-alleged-harassment-justice-salami)
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Kashim Shettima has emerged as the new gubernatorial candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Shettima is the favored replacement for Alhaji Fannami Gubio, the party candidate who was assassinated two weeks ago by Islamic militants, Boko Haram in Maiduguri, Borno state.
Prior to his nomination by the party Alhaji Shettima was the health commissioner in the state.
Emeka Umeagbalasi - The news about the crisis trailing the recent alleged elevation or planned elevation of the President of the Court of Appeal, Honourable Justice Isa Ayo Salami, PCA, to the Supreme Court of Nigeria is not surprising. What is, rather, surprised is that politicians of various interests with their foot-soldiers in the media, NBA, civil society community, etc now have a field day, demonizing one party and canonizing the other.
Regrettably, the almighty Constitution of Nigeria 1999, is now lowered and displaced, and personal interests and unsolicited interpretation of the purely administrative issue now rent the air and got elevated to the status of our Constitution. What is now the order of the day is the promotion of personal interests and counter-personal interests above the spirit and letters of our Constitution, and most importantly, the collective interests of the Nigerian public. It is near accurate to say that the current public comments and debates over the issue are being masterminded by the rightist and the leftist political divides, courtesies of their sympathetic media and other opinions. It may not be wrong, after all, to say that Honourable Justice Salami's alleged elevation or planned elevation has an unhealthy political coloration, but the critical question is: what is his performance ratio since he took over from the distinguished Honourable Justice Umaru Abdullahi, as the Appellate Court head?
Source: Judicial Elevation Crisis: The CJN And The Appeal Court President's Headship Of Nigeria's Apex Judiciary Worst Since 1999 (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/judicial-elevation-crisis-cjn-and-appeal-court-president%E2%80%99s-headship-nigeria%E2%80%99s-apex-judiciary)
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The 24-member National Judicial council (NJC) of Nigeria has just risen from its emergency meeting today with a decision siding with the President of The court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, over the controversy surrounding the prooposed "promotion" to the Supreme Court as plotted by the Chief Justice Of Nigeria and elements in Goodluck Jonathan's government.
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Citizen Reports/PM, News, Lagos - The Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation has described the statements credited to President Goodluck Jonathan as "unbecoming of a President" and "one that smacks of desperation."
President Jonathan while flagging off his south west presidential campaign in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital claimed that his party, the PDP "must" win the south west and salvage the region from "rascals."
Source: Apologise To The South West People Now- Ribadu Tells Jonathan (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/apologise-south-west-people-now-ribadu-tells-jonathan)
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SaharaReporters, New York - The 24-member National Judicial Council (NJC) of Nigeria rose from its emergency meeting today with a decision siding with the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, on the controversy over his planned "promotion" to the Supreme Court.
Source: Justice Salami's "Promotion" To Supreme Court Shelved By NJC (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/justice-salami%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cpromotion%E2%80%9D-supreme-court-shelved-njc)
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SaharaReporters, New York - Justice Mary Odili, the wife of the former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, has been elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Mrs. Odili, who was originally appointed to the Court of Appeal on the South South slot, is being elevated to the court to fill the space left by Justice Nikki Tobi. Also elevated to the Supreme court are Justices Sylvanus Ngwali Ngwuta and Olu Ariwoola.
Judicial sources told Saharareporters that Justice Ngwuta will take up the slot formerly occupied by Justice Ikechi Francis Ogbuagu from Abia State, who retired from the Supreme Court in September 2010 while Justice Olu Ariwoola takes the South west slot formerly occupied by Justice Peter Aderemi.
Mary's husband, Peter Odili, ruled Rivers State between 1999 and 2007 and notoriously looted it throughout the period. He has since then hidden from the law behind a perpetual of injunction by Justice Ibrahim N Buba, who currently serves at the federal high court in Asaba.
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SaharaReporters, New York - US Marshals today shot and killed Barion A. Blake at 989 Monument Road in Jacksonville, Florida after a gunfight. with United States Marshalls and other law enforcement.
According to police sources, US Marshals were acting on a tip that Blake was hiding out at the apartment complex in Jacksonville, Florida. When he saw the marshals and other security agents approaching a gunfight ensued. Blake was shot dead.
The victim in this case, Akeem Ajimotokan, a Nigerian national, remains hospitalized and is still in a coma, according to his family, but his condition has improved and family said he is able to breathe on his own without the aid of a ventilator.
Medical sources told SaharaReporters that Akeem has been moved from Harlem hospital in New York to another hospital in Long Island.
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Olusegun Adeniyi - In 2003 and 2007, I covered for THISDAY the general elections in Kano, one of a few states in Nigeria where the wish of the electorate always count because the people are ever ready to defend their votes, even with their lives.
And by gauging public mood, I could predict at every point who would win the governorship election. In 2003, for instance, after witnessing the National Assembly elections where then House of Representatives Speaker, Ghali Umar Na'Abba, was defeated by ANPP's Mohammed el Yakub (son of former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Senator Kofoworola Akerele Bucknor), I made projection for the governorship race. I called it for Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, the little-known retired school principal with a rickety Peugeot 504 to his name and about N280,000 in his bank account who was running against then incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor Rabiu Musa Kwanwanso. My summation was based on the simple fact that with the mood in Kano, Shekarau of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) would ride on the back of General Muhammadu Buhari's cult following in the state to the government house.
When I went back to Kano during the April 2007 elections, I saw that not much had changed and again predicted that Shekarau would emerge the first Governor in the history of the state to secure a second term, also because of his association with Buhari even though their relationship was then a bit strained.
Source: Before Mohammed Abacha Becomes Kano Governor (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/mohammed-abacha-becomes-kano-governor)
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At $585million, Nigeria's voter registration exercise is being considered the world's most expensive. For a register of about 60 million voters, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is spending about $10.00 to register each voter.
Clement Chigbo - Egypt, a prominent North African Arab country and a key Middle East country witnessed an unprecedented and monumental change today being the 9th of February 2011 after nearly 32 years of autocratic dictatorship under ex -President Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt is a country of over 80 million people. The country is an epicentre of Arab world religio-politics. Egypt was previously governed by successive monarchs until about 160 years ago when Muhammad Ali dynasty came to power and ruled until 1951-52 when the last monarch, His Majesty King Farouk 1, King of Egypt, Sudan and Sovereign of Nubia, Kordafan and Dafur – as he was then referred to – was overthrown by in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Such was the greatness of the then Egypt that at some point in time, what was the Kingdom of Egypt encompassed modern day Egypt even stretching to modern day Sudan.
Source: The Egyptian Revolution And Its Lessons (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/egyptian-revolution-and-its-lessons)
Joe Igbokwe - The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has alerted Lagosians and indeed other Nigerians of the plan by the PDP to foment trouble in Lagos under the guise of holding a presidential rally. The party says that the top echelon of the PDP has perfected plans to import thugs from Oyo and some other states to cause trouble in Lagos during its presidential campaign rallies on March 1st and that President Jonathan wants to stay three days in Lagos during which imported thugs will be used to cause mayhem and violence in Lagos.
In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Joe Igbokwe, the party warns PDP that it risks sparking up the kind of social upheaval that is presently taking place in North Africa should it think it would be allowed to run roughshod over others on its way to an undeserved mandate in April. It therefore warns Lagosians to be on alert and prevent plunging the state unto social anarchy just to satisfy the bestial interests of the PDP.
Source: Lagos ACN Alerts On PDP's Plan To Cause Mayhem In Lagos (http://www.saharareporters.com/press-release/lagos-acn-alerts-pdp%E2%80%99s-plan-cause-mayhem-lagos)
Few weeks ago when I visited Kaduna, a friend asked me whether it is worth for the opposition in Nigeria to continue challenging the PDP status quo given the power of incumbency in blocking any attempt to dislodge it from its dominant position on the Nigerian political landscape. This is the third time my friend noticed my involvement in opposition politics whenever national elections are around.
I told him that though it will continue to be difficult for the opposition to overthrow PDP through the ballot box, it is, nonetheless, important that it continue trying. And I did not hesitate to give him the theoretical foundations of my thought.
Source: A Message From Egypt For Nigeria (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/message-egypt-nigeria)
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Olisa Agbakoba, SAN - Background of the Crisis: Recent happenings in the judiciary concerning the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Court of Appeal have obviously brought the judiciary and the institutions of the legal profession
into serious disrepute.
The media has not helped because it has taken sides without
understanding the issues and they have tended to overdramatize the
crisis. I am taking this unusual step, even though I may break some ethical boundaries, to comment on this rather sensitive issue. There is a need to put the records straight. I will be guided by the truth and nothing else. I don't owe anybody anything.
Source: Need to Reengineer Our Judicial Institutions By Olisa Agbakoba (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/need-reengineer-our-judicial-institutions-olisa-agbakoba)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/news/Ngige31.jpg?1297709567)Presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, has chosen former Anambra governor, Chris Ngige, as his running mate.
Okey Ndibe - Ask many a Nigerian what it would take to turn her country around, and you're likely to get this answer: "Only God can solve the problems of this country." The evidence so far is that God isn't impressed. A people with the extraordinary natural resources and variety of human talent that Nigeria boasts has no reason to bother God for anything else.
This is apart from the fact that Nigeria's crises are man-made, manufactured by the greed and criminal acts of those who pass themselves off as leaders – and often with the tacit connivance or permission of the rest of us. As I stated elsewhere, God is not going to build our roads, sweep Nigerian streets strewn with "pure water" plastic, provide funds for our schools, produce a sound healthcare system, prosecute the "stakeholders" whose specialty is to pocket public funds, restrain electoral officials who aide and abet the stealing of votes by politicians, rewrite the judgments of corrupt judges, edit the reports and opinions of suborned journalists, or stop the police from shooting motorists slow to produce that N20 collection at checkpoints.
Source: Nigerians Dream Of Egypt (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/nigerians-dream-egypt)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/news/ribadu_exec1.jpg?1297735715) Hours after announcing that the former governor of the Anambra state, Chris Ngige, has been selected to be Nuhu Ribadu's running mate in next April's presidential elections, the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria has reversed that decision, according to Mr. Ribadu's campaign office.
Ngige became more interested in running for the Senate against former Minister of Information, Dora Akunyili, and therefore opted out of the vice-presidential slot this evening.
Source: Ribadu Says Running Mate Yet To Be Chosen; Former Governor Ngige Running for Senate (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/ribadu-says-running-mate-yet-be-chosen-former-governor-ngige-running-senate)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/news/Adamu_ciroma.jpg?1297781208)The Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) yesterday in Abuja warned that Nigeria's forthcoming general election could be so bad as to make the terrible 2007 election seem credible, free and fair.
"After thorough appraisal, the Forum has arrived at the sad conclusion that Nigeria's politicians have not learned any lesson from our past and are about to repeat the same mistakes which brought political instability to the nation and stunted its political development," it said in a press statement.
Source: April Elections: NPLF Warns Of Disaster Ahead; Accuses PDP Of Sham Elections And Excessive Corruption (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/april-elections-nplf-warns-disaster-ahead-accuses-pdp-sham-elections-and-excessive-corrupt)
Attention has been drawn to the article captioned: "Nigeria: My Fear for the Country, by Obasanjo" published in the Daily Independent (Lagos) of February 12 2011 ( Daily Independent (http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=28764)) where in typical, shameless hypocrisy, Obasanjo continues to mock peoples in Nigeria with his pontifications and patronizing preachments.
Lucky for him, Nigeria operates like a limp matchstick in a wet matchbox; otherwise, Obasanjo's duplicitous comments and attitude in that article could be just the right trigger to "bring Egypt to Nigeria" where in fact, a revolution is needed most.
Obasanjo's assertion that "This country, Nigeria has been created to be great by God" is of course, historically, factually and operationally, unproven. Nigeria was created by colonial Britain, period. That's the fact. As for "greatness," that remains to be seen. What is clear is that it is "leaders" such as Obasanjo who have robbed the peoples of every opportunity to rise, while at the same time enriching themselves with money and power. In any case, prudence dictates that one separate "aspiration for greatness," "idle dreams of greatness," "striving for greatness," and "destined for greatness." "Greatness" is never an assertion: it is self-evident. There is no evidence of it in Nigeria.
Source: Obasanjo's "Fears for the country [Nigeria]: A Reality Check" By Oguchi Nkwocha, MD. (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/obasanjo%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cfears-country-nigeria-reality-check%E2%80%9D-oguchi-nkwocha-md)
Ifeanyi Izeze - With due respect to the souls of the departed innocent, economically deprived rented ordinary women and unemployed young men of Niger Delta that lost their lives during the stampede at the venue of the South –South launch of President Goodluck Jonathan's presidential campaign in Port Harcourt on Saturday February 12th 2011, there are serious matters that are being swallowed by the politics of this ugly incident.
This was the gist: Thousands of the ruling party supporters crowded into a sports stadium to hear Jonathan speak and present the governorship flags to the six aspirants in the south -south. Hundreds more people gathered outside around the gates. As soon as the governors finished receiving their flags, and the President was about to make his speech, some of the people, who had come to celebrate with the president and their governors began to leave.
Source: Human Sacrifice At PDP Port Harcourt Rally: Matters Arising (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/human-sacrifice-pdp-port-harcourt-rally-matters-arising)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/news/ugwuonye2.jpg?1297908811)The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained US-based lawyer, Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye, for fraud-related issues. Agents of the State Security Services (SSS) arrested Mr. Ugwuonye last Saturday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Mr. Ugwuonye was later moved to Abuja where he was handed over to the EFCC for further action.
EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, told SaharaReporters today that Mr. Ugwuonye had been "watch listed" at the port of entry a few months ago after Nigeria's Attorney General and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded that he defrauded the Nigerian authorities in a series of real estate transactions where he acted as an attorney to the Nigerian government.
Source: EFCC Arrests US-Based Lawyer, Ugwuonye, For Defrauding Nigerian Government (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/efcc-arrests-us-based-lawyer-ugwuonye-defrauding-nigerian-government)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/articles/2011/katsina_alu.jpeg?1297898875) Owunari Hopkins-Amachree - "Take all the robes of all the good judges that have ever lived on the face of the earth, and they would not be large enough to cover the iniquity of one corrupt judge." - Henry Ward Beecher
Please join the rebuilding process of Nigeria for the common good, sign the petition for the resignation of the CJN... click on resignaloysiuskastinaalu.com (http://www.resignaloysiuskastinaalu.com/) , it takes about 4 minutes of your time-- It only needs your name, profession, location and email (your email will not be made public).
Demand for the immediate Resignation of Justice Kastina-Alu Group
Email:info@resignaloysiuskastinaalu.com
Source: Sahara Reporters.
Ezrah Aharone - As we celebrate another Black History Month during these political times of world turmoil and uprise, it's important for Americato project a world image that it has "turned the page" of racism in its own blood-stained history. And while the relevance of this month has even been called into question since the advent of a Black president, I'm reminded of the African proverb that: "Until the lion has his historian, the hunter will always be the hero."
As such, when it comes to slavery and what is popularly categorized as "Black History," Americapractices the seductive allure of what I call "Historical Vindicationalism," where the harsh realities of events and narratives are masked and sterilized, while the end-product of Americanization gets epitomized as being lofty-enough to excuse and acquit the otherwise flagrant inhumanities of its means. Thus, we as African Americans are psychologically expected to deem the inflicted pains of our history as well worth the ascribed value of the prize of Americanization.
Source: Black History and Vindicationalism (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/black-history-and-vindicationalism)
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AGF, Mohammed Bello Adoke
Civil society groups working in the anti-corruption field in Nigeria have called for the prosecution of the Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Mr. Bello Adoke (SAN), for "aiding and abetting" corruption in the country.
They also called on him to resign his office immediately, and for President Goodluck Jonathan to categorically dissociate himself from his AGF's pro-corruption position.
The allied groups include: ZERO-CORRUPTION COALITION; CIVIL SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CENTRE (CISLAC); WEST AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM; CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT; WOMEN IN NIGERIA; PUBLISH WHAT YOU PAY; TRANSPARENCY IN NIGERIA; Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD); Centre for the Development of Civil Society (CDCS); and NATIONAL PROCUREMENT WATCH PLATFORM (NPWP).
Source: Anti-Corruption Coalition Call For Prosecution Of AGF Bello Adoke; He Has A "Level Of Wealth Comparable Only To Oil Czars" (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/anti-corruption-coalition-call-prosecution-agf-bello-adoke-he-has-%E2%80%9Clevel-wealth-comparable)
Jideofor Adibe - The word 'hypocrisy' will cry out loud if hung on the neck of Muhammadu Buhari. Even his most ardent critics concede that he is honest, disciplined and non-corrupt. As military Head of State, he was credited with one of the most patriotic sentiments ever uttered by any Nigerian leader, when, on coming to power on December 31, 1983, via a military coup, he declared that "this generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no other country than Nigeria. We shall remain here and salvage it together." Buhari's sentimental invocation of nationalism was later captured in a biopic in which the character Andrew was caricatured for cowardly seeking to 'check out' of the country instead of staying behind to help salvage it from its numerous challenges.
Source: Buhari's Choice Of Bakare As Running Mate (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/buhari%E2%80%99s-choice-bakare-running-mate)
Ademola Olarewaju - As all students of history know that any struggle that occurs usually has the strategic planning arm and the tactical implementation arm. Only few men in history have been able to balance ideology with revolutionary tactics. The 18-day struggle in Egypt has ended with the exit of Hosni Mubarak after close to thirty years in power since the overthrow of Anwar Sadat.
I'm sure analysts will play back the events and tell us why it succeeded just as the historians will document how the events occurred. My major preoccupation in this write-up therefore is not to duplicate their efforts but to draw lessons from the revolution for our country – Nigeria – and also to show why a revolution of the same nature will not succeed as is being called for by certain people.
Source: Reflections On The Egyptian Revolution: Lessons For Nigeria (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/reflections-egyptian-revolution-lessons-nigeria)
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Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (Rtd) - Our attention has been drawn to a very bizarre story of an innocent Nigerian 22 year old Abdullahi Suleiman Ahman who is being held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against his will.
His plight defies all logic and his ordeal is without a parallel in its cruelty, impunity and discrimination. It behoves the Nigerian Government and all people of goodwill everywhere to act quickly to secure his immediate release.
Source: Persecution Of A Nigerian Citizen Abdullahi Suleiman Ahman By The Authorities Of Saudi Arabia (http://www.saharareporters.com/report/persecution-nigerian-citizen-abdullahi-suleiman-ahman-authorities-saudi-arabia)
Francis Ojo - I know why you are inconsolable over Justice Salami's salacious suit against Chief Justice of Nigeria Katsina Alu. If we can behold the revealing details in his angry suit, how in a loud whisper, the Chief Priest of Justice tried to force a smelly deal down the throat of Ayo Salami.
" The Sultan's office is at stake if you clear the road of Justice." He must have croaked like a college bully staring down the old feeble looking Salami. "So block it!" Salami alleged that because he refused to erect the check point of Injustice, Katsina Alu, a judicial bully, hijacked the road personally and erected the road block. So was constrained to the dustbin, the entire wishes of the ordinary people of Sokoto State to elect the leader of their choice as democracy had promised when they lined up orderly to cast their ballot.
Source: Crooked Judges, A Cracked Judiciary And Corrupt Settlement (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/crooked-judges-cracked-judiciary-and-corrupt-settlement)
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When last year SaharaReporters broke the news that attorney Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye had unlawfully retained $1.55 million of the tax refund accruing to the Nigerian Embassy from a series of real estate transactions, Mr. Ugwuonye reacted by filing a series of lawsuits against some Nigerians he accused of libel for their involvement in publishing or commenting on the story.
He sued then Ambassador Oluwole Rotimi as well as SaharaReporters and Mobolaji Aluko, a professor of engineering, in the US District Court for Maryland. In the lawsuits, he alleged defamation, claiming that the defendants conspired to defame him because he was "Igbo." In his complaint, he also claimed that the Nigerian authorities gave him a "lien" authorizing him to withhold the $1.55 million tax return in lieu of payment for unrelated legal services rendered to the Nigerian authorities.
The US District Court soon dismissed Mr. Ugwuonye's suit against Mr. Aluko for lack of jurisdiction, a fact that Mr. Ugwuonye should have known as a lawyer. In dismissing the case, the court awarded Mr. Aluko $750, a fine which Mr. Ugwuonye paid. Ugwuonye's lawsuit against Mr. Rotimi was similarly dismissed for lack of service, because the suit could not be served on the former ambassador, another aspect Emeka Ugwuonye was supposed to know as a lawyer.
Source: Nigerian Embassy Real Estate $1.55 Million Tax Refund: The Travails of US-Based Nigerian Lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/nigerian-embassy-real-estate-155-million-tax-refund-travails-us-based-nigerian-lawyer-emek)
Tayo Soyemi - Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has dragged the African Union to the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights in Arusha Tanzania over alleged denial of access to the court.
In the suit filed 17 February 2011 at the court, Falana is challenging violations of his "rights to freedom from discrimination, fair hearing and equal treatment contrary to Articles 1,2,7 and 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights."
Source: Falana Sues AU Over Denial Of Access To African Human Rights Court (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/falana-sues-au-over-denial-access-african-human-rights-court)
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Jide Ajani, Editor, Northern Operations - Buhari... Without a strong and clean leadership, Nigeria cannot be stabilised
In this second part of General Muhammadu Buhari's interview, he touches on the very essence of his challenge against the elite in the country.
Just check out this exchange:
General, that is why I asked about the lessons you've learnt in politics. ANPP was your party that time and see how they treated you.
Do you know what? The decision to withdraw the case from court was not taken by the appropriate organs of the party saddled with that responsibility.
Source: Buhari: Those Who Want To Flee When I Take Over Are Free – Vanguard Newspaper Interview (http://www.saharareporters.com/interview/buhari-those-who-want-flee-when-i-take-over-are-free-%E2%80%93-vanguard-newspaper-interview)
Rufus Kayode Oteniya – Some say he is Godsent to be the man for the moment who would change the status quo, others say he is not; some call him the lucky man with the Midas touch while others say his good luck, like the biblical Jabez's, brings ill-luck to the nation and others around him; some call him the messiah that Nigeria needs and others say Nigeria would better without him.
President Goodluck Ebele Azikwe Jonathan (GEAJ) is man certainly drawn between uncritical sympathisers and unsympathetic critics. He sure means different things to different folks
Source: Is President Goodluck Jonathan Different From Others? - Part 1 (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/president-goodluck-jonathan-different-others-part-1)
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Lauren Frayer (Contributor) - With unrest sweeping his country, where is Africa's longest-serving leader?
Libya's Moammar Gadhafi briefly plunged into crowds of his countrymen near Tripoli's Green Square last Friday, riding atop a truck surrounded by supporters.
It was likely an attempt to portray the hoards taking to the streets as his own backers, rather than anti-government demonstrators, as is now overwhelmingly the case. He didn't speak publicly and hasn't
Just three days later, it's unlikely he'd survive crowd-surfing the larger, angrier crowds that have swept westward after claiming control of Libya's second-largest city, Benghazi, to the capital Tripoli today. Snipers opened fire on protesters trying to seize Green Square before dawn, and demonstrators broke into the offices of state-run TV channels. Violent crackdowns by plainclothes security forces have killed at least 233, according to Human Rights Watch.
Source: With Libya in Turmoil, Where Is Gadhafi?-AolNews (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/libya-turmoil-where-gadhafi-aolnews)
I was in Odo Awukam's car a few hours into the New Year one frigid mid-morning in Calabar where I was attending the State's annual Calabar carnival. Behind us sat Ubi, Ken Nsan and Isaac. I was almost dozing as we drove round town to no where in particular, the serenity and sheer ambience of one of Nigeria's finest cities soothing my jangled Lagos nerves in the harmattan. Odo pulled out a few cans of Soda drinks from his glove compartment; tossed them around and inserted 'Terry Tha Rapman's' 'Boys are not smiling' CD into the car player.
- Jude Egbas
Source: This Year, 'Boys' Are Not Smiling (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/year-%E2%80%98boys%E2%80%99-are-not-smiling)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/articles/2011/bankole.jpg?1298308281) Since the political and constitutional upheaval in Tunisia, then followed by Egypt and now Libya, Jordan, Bahrain, Yemen and so on, some Nigerians have publicly commented that Nigerians can only dream of Egyptian and Tunisian style revolutions and political uprising.
Some Nigerians have even gone to the unreasonable extent of actually saying such will not, and could NEVER happen in Nigeria! And we must ask, REALLY?
Dimeji Bankole, Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives drove the last nail into this revolution-is-impossible-in-Nigeria argument several days ago, through his address to parliamentarians from Germany who were visiting Nigeria. Speaker Bankole, whose only claim to fame, infamy, are series of scandalous dealings and revelations against him thinks Nigerians have no reasons to revolt?
By Paul I. Aduji
Source: Is Revolution Impossible In Nigeria? (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/revolution-impossible-nigeria)
No I totally believe Justice Ayo Salami period...I believe and see this in the prism of an ordinary Nigerian. The sin of Justice Salami in the eye of the opponents is simple "Justice Salami has broken decades old code of silence, never to speak up against the powers that be in the Judiciary even if it is a matter that questions integrity and misconduct of Judges and leadership of the judiciary, as such he must be dealt with appropriately as a deterrent to others who might do the same or follow his lead."
In Adolf Hitler's Germany, Josef Goebbels was the megaphone and the propaganda machine of the Nazi Germany; he disseminates information from the third Reich, to the German people. He is the spokes man of the evil regime that planned and killed over 6 million people. In that Nazi Germany, discontent voices were shouted down and stifled and so it was until Nazi Germany was overrun by the allied forces and did away with Hitler's third
By Owunari Hopkins-Amachree
Source: Response To Atsar Terver's "Why Salami Should Not Be believed." (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/response-atsar-terver%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cwhy-salami-should-not-be-believed%E2%80%9D)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/news/2011/ayo_salami_civ.jpg?1298379072) The Osun and Ekiti state chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) earlier today submitted two petitions containing phone call logs that the party claimed it retrieved pertaining to calls made between operatives of rival Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the president of the court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, during the last gubernatorial appeal tribunal sittings that upstaged two of its governors.
One of the petitions was sent directly to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the second one sent to the office of Nigeria's president, Goodluck Jonathan.
Source: Judicial Crisis Escalates As PDP Submits Two Petitions Against Court Of Appeal President, Justice Ayo Salami (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/judicial-crisis-escalates-pdp-submits-two-petitions-against-court-appeal-president-justice)
Scott A Morgan - The Year 2011 has the chance to be a watershed year for the African Diamond Trade. For the first time since the implementation of the Kimberley Process an African State the Democratic Republic of the Congo has the rotating Chair of this Process. So the question that needs to be asked is" What Agenda will the DRC Promote while in charge of the KP?
Before the Agenda is discussed lets take a walk down memory or in the case of Countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone, Nightmare Lane. In the 1990s both West African States suffered Civil Strife that had control of the Diamond Fields as one of the goals of both Government Forces and Insurgents. As a result of these conflicts and the exploitation of Natural Resources in the region the Kimberley Process was developed.
So last month the DRC took over the chair of the KP that was relinquished by Israel. By most accounts the DRC is proposing a Strong and Vigorous Agenda for the rest of the year. Key components of their strategy are: A Plan to boost internal controls by developing a system for artisanal miners and tracking these gems from the point where they are extracted to export; Combat smuggling by focusing on the controls currently used in trading centers, beefing up the capacity of local customs officials where necessary and banning the use of post boxes by importers.
Source: Other Countries That have Issues Regarding Blood Diamonds (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/other-countries-have-issues-regarding-blood-diamonds)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/reports/2011/chimaroke_nnamani_1.jpg?1298480866) Enugu State is one of the states with least federal allocation in Nigeria irrespective of the fact that Coal remains largely deposited under its soils. The idea of utilizing the coal deposit may remain a pipe dream so long the Nigerian Government continues to lay national claim to all deposits in the country.
This ugly claim was conceived and enshrined by the Northern Nigeria political oligarchy that held Nigeria to the jugulars for over 40 years of the national life.
However, in all these shortcomings, Enugu State continued to survive believing monthly on the meager stipend that comes from Abuja. Other means of its survival is through agriculture which would be said to be receiving some level of attention presently. Other than agriculture, the state cannot boast of any other means to sustain her livelihood.
By Vitus Onaga
Source: How Chimaroke And Dan Shere Stole US$552m Belonging To Enugu State (http://www.saharareporters.com/report/how-chimaroke-and-dan-shere-stole-us552m-belonging-enugu-state)
(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2618253/ForumPhotos/Col%20Muammar%20Gaddafi.jpg) Gadhafi, be careful what you pray for, Nigeria is still intact and you are in shambles. We can understand some Nigerians that still see Gadhafi in rebellious light against colonial and oppressive powers.
But if everyone calls you a mad dog and then bark at everyone including using foreign mercenaries to kill your own people, help must come your way. If we take into consideration that the population of Libya is just six million and earns more from oil than Nigeria with a population of 150 million; Gadhafi's praise based on better infrastructure than Nigeria is justified. Gov. Fashola is also praised, despite low world livability ranking of Lagos with 18m people to cater for, compared to Libya's only 6m.
However, Gadhafi is a mad dog looking for ways to destabilize African countries so that he could install his own colonial puppets. He was a strong backer of Charles Taylor but could not offer him asylum he requested, yet Gadhafi had the nerve to criticize Nigeria on betrayal. Taylor not only killed Nigerian soldiers, he undermined Nigeria's peace effort in his Country, Sierra Leone and Central Africa. It was an international agreement that got him asylum in Nigeria that betrayed him; and Gadhafi refused to take him in.
By Farouk Martins Aresa
Source: Gadhafi: Ask Nigeria For Mercy And Asylum (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/gadhafi-ask-nigeria-mercy-and-asylum)
By BARR. OLASUPO OJO We, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); The Trade Union Congress (TUC); the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and the Centre for Environment Human Rights Development (CEHRD) are national organizations committed to the realization of a credible, free and fair elections in Nigeria pursuant to which we have formed a Domestic Election Observers Partnership (DEOP and have agreed to work together as Domestic Observers of the Voters Registration exercise and the coming general elections.
Source: Avert Threat To The Credibility Of Voters Register Now-NLC, CDHR And CEHRD Warn (http://www.saharareporters.com/press-release/avert-threat-credibility-voters-register-now-nlc-cdhr-and-cehrd-warn)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/news/ezimora_maximillian.jpg?1298650306) A Nigerian man, Maximillian Ezimora, has been arrested in Atlanta after shooting his wife, Uchenna Ezimora, five times. The wife, described by a source as a hard working registered nurse in the Atlanta area, survived the shooting and is currently hospitalized. SaharaReporters was unable to ascertain her condition.
Mr. Ezimora, who reportedly hails from Adazi, Anambra State, is being held in Fulton County jail in Atlanta. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of firearms while committing a felony.
The couple owns a business, Maxing Groceries, on Fletcher Street in Atlanta. SaharaReporters learnt that the business license is in Mrs. Ezimora's name.
Source: Nigerian Man Shoots Wife In Atlanta (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/nigerian-man-shoots-wife-atlanta)
By Hakeem Babalola Brother Leader Gaddafi. That is how I heard Libyans calling him – throughout my three days in Tripoli for a Historical African Migrants Conference in Europe which took place in Tripoli on January 15.
Source: Gaddafi: A System Of His Own (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/gaddafi-system-his-own)
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Chairperson of the African Union, urging him to use his leadership to ensure that the AU Assembly "urgently exercise its right under Article 4 of the Constitutive Act to intervene to stop the ongoing massive and outrageous human rights abuses in Libya."
By Adetokunbo Mumuni
Source: AU Must Intervene Militarily To Stop Massive Rights Abuses In Libya---SERAP (http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/au-must-intervene-militarily-stop-massive-rights-abuses-libya-serap)
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/news/2011/ba-dirty-nose.jpg?1298807690) A British Airways flight from Lagos Nigeria made an emergency landing at 2:30 am in Algiers after experiencing engine problems.
"Flight BA 74 from Lagos was diverted to Algiers after a minor technical fault at 2:30 AM GMT" according to BA spokesperson contacted by SaharaReporters.
Sources on board told SaharaReporters that the BA pilot shut down the affected engine and sought emergency landing at an airport in Algieria.
The jet,a Boeing 747 with 301 passengers on board landed without incident and BA officials said a replacement jet is on its way to pick up stranded passengers to London.
BA Comment:
We apologise to customers on the BA74 from Lagos to London for the diversion.
The aircraft has experienced a minor technical fault and we are sending a replacement out as quickly as possible to bring all the customers on the flight to London.
(http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/page_images/articles/2011/ibori_freeman.jpg?1298808195) Democracy does not begin and end on election day. Democracy is not periodic-episodic actions. Democracy and elections have consequences. Democracy in Nigeria must not mean motions without movement.
Democracy must have bearing upon and must have positive impact on public policies. Due Process and The Rule of Law are key elements which forms the essential core democracies. Democratic process must promote and advance, due process and the rule of law
Nigeria in the 51st year post political independence operates a parlous national economy, in which steady electricity is still a promise, a dream and a fantasy. Nigeria after 50 years of flag independence from Britain is still in fits and starts. Nigeria is still a nation in which the majority cannot enjoy clean water supply. Too many Nigerians still die from avoidable, preventable and curable diseases, including malaria
By Paul I. Adujie
Source: Revolution? Nigeria Is Ripe & Ready You Can Say That Again! (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/revolution-nigeria-ripe-ready-you-can-say-again)
In view of the forthcoming April 2011 elections, Nigeria commenced the voter's registration exercise on the 15th of January, 2011, with an estimated timeline of about 2 weeks. Owing to various issues, unprecedented and otherwise, the duration of the exercise was extended to enable a greater majority of citizens register.
By Kunle Durojaiye and Idiare Atimomo
Source: 2011 Presidential Election: The Major Candidates And Critical Issue of Selection (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/2011-presidential-election-major-candidates-and-critical-issue-selection)
By Oguchi Nkwocha, MD After studying President Obama’s New York Times Op Ed of January 8 2011 (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/opinion/09obama.html), regarding the South Sudan / Sudan process before the Referendum was even conducted, one came away with the impression that the US had hit on a new foreign policy “formula” for Africa: Self Determination.
Source: Self Determination: New US Africa Foreign Policy Basis: "Hiding In Plain Sight"? (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/self-determination-new-us-africa-foreign-policy-basis-%E2%80%9Chiding-plain-sight%E2%80%9D)
By Senior Fyneface Before our eyes, politicians and the so called technocrats are fast turning Nigeria into a country of blackmails. Must they blackmail the government or rather all of us to get funding for their indecent proposals? We saw it in the budgeting for the just concluded shabbily done registration of voters by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Source: Gas- To- Power: Another Indecent Proposal From NNPC (http://www.saharareporters.com/article/gas-power-another-indecent-proposal-nnpc)