VENTURES AFRICA – Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan will launch crude oil production in Onitsha, Anambra State on Thursday in a move that will kick-start inland basin crude production in oil-rich West African nation.

Crude production will be controlled by Orient Petroleum Resource Plc, a private/public sector company established by the Anambra State Government for the exploration and refining of crude oil and gas in the Anambra Basin. The company has license for two oil blocks, OPL 915 and 916, covering an area of 2158 square kilometres.

In preparation for the crude oil production, Orient Petroleum (OPR) said it has completed a well, a 10km access road leading to the well location and an installed production facility for the production and evacuation of crude oil.

The company plans to drill some high capacity wells to guarantee crude oil feedback for the refinery.

Meanwhile to maintain an enhanced and harmonious relationship with the host communities, Orient Petroleum said it has devised a five point community relation strategy. These include well-paid jobs, entrepreneurship and investment opportunities, execution of development projects that would be chosen by the communities, enhancement of traditional occupation, board representation and regular communication.

“OPR had visited and continues to brief the governors of the states, the local government chairmen and the host communities on its activities, explaining how the project would impact positively on the states, LGAs and communities within the area of its operation,” a statement released for the inauguration stated.

President Jonathan will also be commissioning private industries at the Harbour Industrial Estate and the River Port in Onitsha. The industries include SABMiller Brewery, the second biggest brewery in Africa; Orange Drugs factory; and Krisoral Industry for the production of pilfer-proof caps and bottle corks owned by the indigenous firm, Krisoral Company Limited.

According to the MD of Krisoral Company Limited, Chief Oranu Chidume the inauguration of the company would translate to saving from huge foreign exchange spent on imported corks and bottle caps, an area which he said was hardly regulated by the government.

<img alt="" src="http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/thumbnail.php?file=sambo_dasuki_2_316742292.jpg&size=article_medium" class="alignnone" width="360" height="271" />

Govt states its stand as sect dismisses peace moves as false

The Presidency is insisting that it is in talks with the fundamentalist Islamic sect Boko Haram, contrary to the reports of the group’s denial of such moves.

Besides, the Presidency argued yesterday that the refutal might be coming from one of the goup’s factions.

Abu Muhammad, who claimed to be the second in-command to the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, alerted Nigerians to ongoing talks between the government and the sect.

But, Boko Haram spokesman Abu Qaqa, in an e-mail statement last week, denied that the group had been meeting with government officials as widely reported in the media.

“We believe that the purported Abu Mohammed - who was quoted to have blown the lid over the alleged talks from Saudi Arabia - is the creation of the Nigerian government in order to mislead Nigerians on the crusade we are waging and that by the grace of Allah, they will not succeed.”

Qaqa added: “The media should know that as far as we are concerned, there is no difference between those that are fighting us with weapons (security forces) and those that are fighting us with their tongues and pens.”

However, the Presidency said there is nothing to worry about over the issue.

Reacting to the controversy, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Dr. Reuben Abati, assured that President Goodluck Jonathan is tackling the matter through multi-faceted levels.

The presidential spokesman revealed that the said dialogue is not the conventional talks.

He noted that the government has adopted the back room channels to reach the Boko Haram sect.

“When government says it is already talking to Boko Haram, the form of that dialogue must be properly understood. I think a lot of people are under the impression that the dialogue involves a situation whereby government officials are sitting on one side, Boko Haram persons are sitting on the other side in an air-conditioned room and there are negotiations across the table.

“That is not the form of the dialogue. The form of the dialogue is that back room channels are being used to reach across with the sole objective of understanding what exactly the grievances of these persons are, what exactly can be done to resolve the crises, in the overall best interest of ensuring peace and stability in Nigeria and the security of life and property.

“And all of this is consistent with the position of Mr. President. So what is called dialogue is at many levels: through back room channels and through multi-level, constructive interventions to address a difficult issue that is multifarious.”

Abati added: “One thing that is noteworthy is that the Boko Haram spokesperson made it clear that they were prepared to go a step further to ensure that persons who are using the name of Boko Haram for political and criminal purposes are identified and checked.

“What that original statement indicated was that indeed Boko Haram has many faces. It confirms that this thing called Boko Haram is such a multifaceted phenomenon.

“The true situation has already been stated by the Minister of Information on two different occasions. First in an interview, second through a press release, namely that the Federal Government is involved in dialogue with Boko Haram.

“You will recall that what led to this is that a spokesperson for Boko Haram issued a statement confirming that government and some leaders of Boko Haram were already discussing; in that particular statement the issues being looked at were clearly identified.

“You will recall that in one instance, during a Presidential Media Chat, President Jonathan had made it clear that the Boko Haram phenomenon, the terror phenomenon in Nigeria, is quite a novel phenomenon and that many of the persons involved in the low level insurgency are not known, they have not come forward. However if such persons should come forward, government will grant them a listening ear to know what it is that they are after. Again the President is on record, as having made it clear that government’s approach to checking the Boko Haram insurgency is at many levels.

“The available option, according to Mr President, is not solely one of military action or police action and it is on the basis of this that he had reached out to leaders of political thoughts in the parts of the country that are affected.

“It is on this basis that President Jonathan held a lot of meetings with politicians from the Northern states. Because his position is that look, this people, yes they may not come forward but they are not ghosts, they live in communities. They are members of the Nigerian community, there would be persons who know them. There would be leaders in these communities, in these villages, in these towns who may have an idea and such persons needed to be carried along to assist in addressing the Boko Haram issue. When government adopts this approach, it does not mean government is abdicating its responsibility to ensure that persons who go against the law are sanctioned.

“There is even a third level of intervention, the economic and social level of intervention. In this regard, President Jonathan has made it clear that many of the efforts being directed towards the affected parts of the country are meant, in fact, to redirect the energies of the youths and this is the whole point of using the agricultural sector to transform lives, to create wealth, to create a value chain, the end of which is to create jobs and to engage young people more effectively. This government has a robust agricultural transformation programme that has been justly praised by IFAD and the World Bank.”

Abati also said: “The Jonathan administration has been providing wider opportunities for many of the youths in the affected parts of the country to be able to go to school. No other government before now has done as much. Get them off the streets, engage them meaningfully and then, of course, you know that the government introduced the You Win programme, and several other pro-people initiatives and policies.

“So, this is the issue at this stage, but one thing you should also note is that the Boko Haram, as has been admitted, even by its spokespersons, is a phenomenon that has mutated. So it is not unusual that you will find a situation whereby a variant of the mutation may express a view that sounds like it’s contradicting the other. What is certain is that government is considering all of this, government is taking on the issue frontally and through back room channels, with the assistance of a number of persons who have an understanding of the sociology and the character of the problem.

“You must admit of course that a lot is being achieved. Within the last one year and more, you can see that a lot has changed in terms of the knowledge that has been gained about the nature and character of the problem. A lot has been done, and a lot has been achieved in terms of the capacity of the state to deal with the problem. What President Jonathan is asking for as his government tackles this issue from the various dimensions that we have identified, the political, the economic, the social and also, law enforcement, what he calls for, what he demands from Nigerians is support.”

Source. thenationonlineng.net

Thousands of opposition supporters marched through Lome on Saturday but faced no resistance from security services, after two days of rallies earlier this week when protesters and officers clashed.

The opposition coalition Let's Save Togo, which has organised several recent protests, said more than 100 people were wounded and 125 arrested during the rallies on Tuesday and Wednesday that the authorities dispersed with tear gas.

Coalition supporters began their Saturday march in the capital's Be Kpota neighbourhood and were watched over by the security services as they moved towards a city beach.

The march ended without incident, an AFP reporter said.

Officials had previously instructed Let's Save Togo to give notice ahead of any protest, but a coalition member said no formal warning was given before the Saturday rally.

"Through this march, we want to show the illegitimate authorities that we no longer respect the law," coalition member Pedro Amuzu said.

The group's coordinator, Zeus Ajavon, on Thursday called for an end to President Faure Gnassingbe's government and urged Togolese to "disobey and organise".

Amuzu said the coalition would continue its campaign of civil disobedience because Togo was experiencing a "permanent takeover by force".

"In the coming days, we will not inform anybody before organising our marches," he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwzXXAlsGQg

The Lagos State Government have banned members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) from motor parks across the state.

The government has also stopped the collection of tolls on roads and highways by touts.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, Commissioner for Transport, Kayode Opeifa and the Commissioner for Information, Aderemi Ibirogba, made this known at a press confrence on Friday.

The new order restricts road transport workers’ union to operate from their registered offices, for an effective transport system in Lagos.

The ban comes imediately after the state governor, Babatunde Fashola,signed into law the Road Traffic Bill.

Mr Opeifa told journalists that the ban was in accordance with the provisions of the new Road Traffic Law.

“They are meant to be in their offices; we recognise the right for them to associate but we believe that the motor parks should be made conducive to those who want to carry out their business of commuting in the state.

Opeifa said the government would re-register motor parks in the state so as to get rid of unauthorised vehicles and illegal parks.

Nollywood actor, Emeka Ike is at war with the Nigerian film industry, saying it is decayed and has therefore withdrawn movies related to his label from the market.

The renowned actor who shot into the movie limelight in 1984 is reported to have told Encomium weekly magazine on Sunday, July 22 that considering the decay in the industry it will be wise to dissociate himself from it.

For sometime now, the Mechanical Engineer turn actor has been absent from the screen prompting questions as to whether he has quit acting.

Touching on his absence, Emeka Ike said “I have not quit Nollywood in the real sense of the word. What I did was to withdraw all my movies from the market, and I mean all the movies that are related with Emeka Ike…and the reason is not farfetched.”

“I am angry with what is going on in the industry,” he fumed, explaining, “My conscience would not allow me to go on with the decay in the industry. So, I feel that was the best thing to do, to dissociate myself from the problem and stand out! So, henceforth, any Nollywood movie would not involve Emeka Ike.”

The owner of Emeka Ike Production said he wants “to market all my movies on the label of Emeka Ike Production. If you want to deal with me as an actor, you have to work with me under the label. That clearly separates me from Nollywood.”

Emeka Ike has featured in over 160 movies notable among them are: Careless Soul, Strength of a Woman, Passions, For Better for Worse, Not Man Enough and Disguise.

http://entertainment.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201207/91126.php

The Liberian Senate on Friday voted unanimously to approve a constitutional amendment prohibiting marriage between gay couples.

While homosexuality is considered taboo in Liberia, and 'voluntary sodomy' considered a criminal offence, the question of gay marriage had not been expressly addressed in law.

The amendment was made to section 2.3 of the constitution, which bans marriage between people who are already wedded to others and between close family members.

It adds "or persons of the same sex" to the text, as read by the chairman of the judiciary committee Joseph Nagbe.

However, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has the final say and has previously said she would veto any bill on homosexuality, whether to legalise it or to toughen laws.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Jewell Taylor, ex-wife of former president Charles Taylor, who in May was sentenced to 50 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"My bill seeks to ensure that the fact that people of the same sex under our law should not be allowed to get married," Taylor said.

A second bill which seeks to make sexual relations between two people of the same sex a first-degree felony is currently before the House of Representatives.

The legislation comes after an acrimonious public debate on gay rights after a group of activists earlier this year began lobbying for a bill legalising same-sex marriage.

The leaders of the Movement in Defence of Gay and Lesbian Rights -- none of them gay themselves -- were mobbed and had to be rescued by police when they tried to campaign at a university campus.

This created a furore in the country and posed a thorny issue for Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who has approached the issue of gay rights uncomfortably.

She defended her country's stance in an interview with Britain's Guardian newspaper in March saying: "We like ourselves the way we are."

"We've got certain traditional values in our society that we would like to preserve," she says.

Liberia's main economic partner the United States said in December it would consider gay rights when handing out aid, which infuriated deeply traditional African countries, many of whom consider homosexuality "un-African".

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday: "I think if there were major pieces of legislation that discriminated against any group, we would have to take that into account in our relationship, and it would be a cause for concern."

In a letter to the Guardian, the Liberian government said there were no anti-gay laws "and as such the president could not be defending a law on homosexuality."

"What the president is on record as saying is that any law brought before her regarding homosexuality will be vetoed. This statement also applies to an initial attempt by two members of the Liberian legislature to introduce tougher laws targeting homosexuality," the letter said.

It added that the government believed current legislation was sufficient.

"The reality is that the status quo in Liberia has been one of tolerance and no one has ever been prosecuted under that law.

"The president also thinks that, with the unprecedented freedom of speech and expression Liberia enjoys today, our budding democracy will be strong enough to accommodate new ideas and debate both their value and Liberia's laws with openness, respect and independence."

afp.com

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's former spy chief Omar Suleiman, deposed president Hosni Mubarak's top lieutenant and keeper of secrets, died Thursday, the country's official news agency reported. He was 76.

Suleiman, who said little but had a finger in virtually every vital security issue confronting Egypt, was dubbed by the media as the "the black box." Like Mubarak, he was a fierce enemy of Islamists in Egypt and throughout the region, and a friend to the United States and Israel.

The official Middle East News Agency said that Suleiman had suffered from lung and heart problems for months and that his health condition had sharply deteriorated over the past three weeks. He was treated at a hospital in Cleveland and died early Thursday. His three daughters will accompany the body to be buried in Egypt, according to MENA.

Suleiman was appointed vice president on Jan. 29, 2011, at the peak of last year's revolution, a last-gasp attempt by Mubarak to save his political life as hundreds of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets demanding his ouster. But this and other desperate measures, including talks between Suleiman and the formerly outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, were unable to stave off Mubarak's overthrow.

It was Suleiman who grimly appeared on telelvision on Feb. 11, 2011, to announce that Egypt's leader of nearly three decades was stepping down and handing power to a military council.

This marked the end of the 18-day uprising but opened up a new chapter of tumultuous transition under the rule of the generals.

After the revolution, Suleiman disappeared from public view only to return earlier this year as a presidential candidate, sparking fears of a Mubarak regime comeback. However, the election commission in a surprise move disqualified him along with two Islamist front-runners.

His sudden emergence and disqualification at a time two heavyweight Islamists were also running and disqualified raised suspicions that his candidacy was orchestrated by the military generals to get rid of Islamists.

In April, Suleiman said he decided to run to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood from coming to power. "If the Brotherhood's candidate wins the presidential election, Egypt will be turned into a religious state. All state institutions will be controlled by the Brotherhood," he said in April.

Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Brotherhood, won the presidency last month.

Suleiman, a tall man who was frequently photographed wearing dark sunglass, rarely spoke to the media. He served as intelligence chief for nearly two decades.

For most of that time he played a behind-the-scenes role as the top official in charge of some of the most important issues facing the Egyptian state, including relations with the U.S., Israel and talks with the Palestinians.

He was widely believed to be the military leadership's preferred successor to Mubarak. This created silent tension between Suleiman and the president's younger son, Gamal, who was seen as being groomed by his father as a rival successor.

The uncertainty over the succession, and the fear that Mubarak was trying to set up a family dynasty through his son, helped spark the uprising.

U.S. diplomatic cables posted by WikiLeaks as well as declassified CIA files have identified Suleiman as the point man in U.S.-Egyptian cooperation on counterterrorism. He is believed to have played a direct role in the U.S. rendition program, in which suspected terrorists were sent to Egypt and other countries for interrogation, sometimes involving torture.

Suleiman was born in Qena in southern Egypt and graduated from the country's military academy as an infantry officer in 1955. He rose through the ranks and was appointed deputy head of military intelligence in 1987. He became military intelligence chief in 1991 during the Gulf War, when Egyptians fought alongside other Arab forces in the U.S.-led coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's military out of Kuwait.

Suleiman also indirectly saved Mubarak's life when he advised the former president to take an armored Mercedes with him on a state visit to Ethiopia in 1995. Mubarak survived an Islamist ambush of his convoy.

But in post-2011 Egypt, Suleiman was seen as tainted by his connections to a president who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for failing to stop the killing of protesters during the uprising. Many other key regime figures are now imprisoned pending trials over a catalogue of corruption charges, or have fled the country and sought exile in Arab countries, Europe or the United States.

By MAGGIE MICHAEL | Associated Press

United Bank for Africa Plc, Nigeria’s fourth-biggest lender by market value, will seek a local banking license in Zambia to meet the country’s new capital requirements, Managing Director Phillips Oduoza said.

“We intend to convert our license from that of an international bank,” Oduoza told a conference call today from Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. “What we have done is to engage the regulators.”

The southern African country in January raised the minimum capital requirement for international banks to $100 million from $2.5 million and to $20 million for local banks.

UBA expects its African operations outside Nigeria to contribute about 25 percent of earnings by end of the year, up from 19 percent in the first quarter and 22 percent in the second three months, Oduoza said.

UBA closed 3.2 percent lower at 4.60 naira in Lagos, paring its gains this year to 81 percent. The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index has risen 12 percent over the same period.

To contact the reporter on this story: Vincent Nwanma in Lagos at vnwanma@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dulue Mbachu at dmbachu@bloomberg.net

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA)’s Nigerian unit said it will fight a $5 billlion fine for spill at the company’s offshore Bonga field.

“Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Co. will challenge any attempt to impose such a penalty,” Managing Director Chike Onyejekwe said today in an emailed statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Elisha Bala-Gbogbo in Abuja at ebalagbogbo@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Will Kennedy at wkennedy3@bloomberg.net

http://africagist.com/business/shell-to-challenge-nigerias-$5-billion-oil-spill-fine/new/#new

Fifty members of a northern Nigerian church were burned to death in their pastor’s house.

The attack by armed gunmen was only the first in a 12-village spree of violence that left over 100 dead in northern Nigeria’s Plateau State, a region that had previously been outside Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram’s operational area and is the largely Muslim Fulani tribesmen’s homeland.

Yet Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attacks and threatened even more violence.

Open Doors, USA spokesman Jerry Dykstra says the recent wave of attacks is rapidly turning Nigeria into a deadly religious battlefield, where Boko Haram is declaring Christians must convert … or die.

“Nigeria is truly becoming the new killing field for Christians. Hundreds of Christians have already been brutally murdered – including women and children – by the Boko Haram,” Dykstra said. “The Boko Haram earlier this week said that all Christians need to turn to Islam or ‘they would never know peace again.’ Their goal is make all of Nigeria a country run and dominated by Shariah law.”

Church of Christ of Nigeria officials report that all of their denomination’s church buildings were burned to the ground in the 12-town rampage.

Plateau State is home to the nomadic and largely Muslim Fulani tribesmen, the group that some Nigerian security officials say was originally blamed for the attack.

Nigerian criminal justice consultant Innocent Chukwuma is reported as saying the logistics suggest that Boko Haram could not have acted alone.

“I don’t think that Boko Haram could, out of nowhere, have raided these villages. They couldn’t do that without local support and collaboration,” Chukwoma said according to the report.

Fulani spokesmen denied responsibility and had no response to a potential alliance with Boko Haram.

Heritage Foundation Africa analyst Morgan Roach leans against Boko Haram’s involvement because of the Fulani tribe’s violent track record.

“Attacks on Christian villages are not new in Plateau State, as Fulani tribesmen are known to have raided Christian communities in the past,” Roach said.

Roach says because Plateau State is out of Boko Haram’s normal territory, she tends to agree with Nigeria’s security officials. She also says these church burnings are a deviation from the terrorist group’s typically advanced methods.

“Should Boko Haram be responsible, this would deviate from its past tactics, which have tended to be more sophisticated,” Roach said.

“Two questions I think would be fair to ask: Is Boko Haram trying to capitalize on the instability in plateau and partner with Fulani tribesmen? Maybe, but I need more evidence,” Roach said. “If this incident is confirmed to be Boko Haram-related, it would be a worrying development for the country’s security.”

American Enterprise Institute Middle East and Terrorism analyst Michael Rubin, however, says he believes Boko Haram is responsible.

“No one should be surprised that Boko Haram’s range of actions is growing broader. Jihadists cannot be appeased; they are expansionists,” Rubin said.

Roach worries about the consequences if Boko Haram really is moving into the Plateau State and Fulani territory.

“Is Boko Haram looking to expand its influence throughout other parts of the country? It’s likely,” Roach said. “It would certainly jive with its ultimate objective to create an Islamic state.”

Dykstra believes Nigeria’s biggest need is to protect its Christian citizens and work on increased national security.

“The Nigerian government needs to step up and protect Christian worshippers,” Dykstra said. “Our State Department needs to recognize what is happening in Nigeria is not just from poverty and injustice.”

Dykstra was referring to a July 11 Reuters story on a World Council of Churches’ report on Nigeria.

“Poverty, inequality and injustice are threatening to trigger a broad sectarian conflict in Nigeria, an international Christian-Muslim task force said on Wednesday,” Reuters said, quoting from the report. “The report identified dozens of separate problems whose resolution could contribute to overall peace.”

Citing the WCC report, the Reuters story continued: “The wealth gap between the oil-producing states in the south and the resource-poor north was a leading factor in regional tensions, as were land disputes such as the lack of recognized grazing land for nomadic Fulani cattle herders.”

The report also quotes former Nigerian Justice Minister Prince Bola Ajibola saying, “In Nigeria, three things are intertwined – religion, politics and ethnicity – and the three are beclouded with corruption, poverty and insecurity.”

Dykstra disputes the report’s conclusions, including the statement blaming, “well-funded missionaries from both Islam and Christianity” for increasing tensions.

“How ridiculous,” Dykstra said.

Dykstra also says that Christians need to pray for their persecuted brothers and sisters.

Rubin warns that dire consequences will result if Nigeria’s government doesn’t put an end to Boko Haram’s self-announced civil war.

“If Boko Haram isn’t countered and defeated, they could transform Nigeria into the world’s largest failed state,” Rubin said.

http://africagist.com/religion/50-christians-burned-to-death-in-pastor%27s-home/msg330/?topicseen#new

Explosions and gunfire rocked Nigeria's restive northeastern city of Damaturu on Friday, police said, in an area plagued by repeated attacks by Boko Haram Islamists.

"There have been huge explosions and sporadic gunfire around (the) Shagari Low Cost area of the city," said Gbadegesin Toyin, police spokesman in Yobe state of which Damaturu is the capital.

"We still don't have details of what is going on but we have alerted our men to confront any eventuality," he said.

Damaturu, which is near Boko Haram's base of Maiduguri, is under curfew, with residents forced to be in their homes from dusk to dawn following running clashes between troops and Islamists last month.

A resident of the affected area, Babagana Abdullahi, told AFP earlier that his neighbourhood had been "besieged by loud explosions and shootings," and that he could not tell what was happening because he was confined to his home due to the curfew.

Contacted again, he said, "the explosions and shootings have stopped in the last twenty minutes but they lasted two hours."

Nigeria's radical Islamists have repeatedly attacked the city, typically targeting the security services, while a specialised army unit has initiated raids on suspected Boko Haram hideouts.

One such raid occurred last Saturday, when the Joint Task Force (unit) said it received intelligence about an impending Boko Haram attack and launched a pre-emptive offensive that left three of the sect members dead.

The group rents residential homes in the city, converts them into arms depots and then uses the buildings to plan raids, according to security sources.

Boko Haram's attacks in the area have previously hit police stations as well as prisons, where the Islamists say their leaders are being illegally detained.

The group has said it wants to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, although its demands have varied widely since it renewed its insurgency in 2010.

The city was shut down by fierce fighting last month after suspected Boko Haram gunmen launched coordinated gun assaults on several targets after learning that one of their senior operatives had been arrested.

The resulting clashes killed at least 40 people, led the Yobe state government to impose a city-wide ban on movement, which temporarily stranded residents unable to return home or access food.

Nigeria has been criticised for what some term the heavy-handed raids on alleged Boko Haram targets, while doing little to temper the Islamist threat.

Three of Boko Haram's leaders were last month designated global terrorists by the US State Department, which said the group was responsible for more than 1,000 deaths since the start of last year.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and the world's eighth largest oil producer, is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a southern, wealthier half, where most are Christian.

President Goodluck Jonathan has given the new National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), the go-ahead to commence dialogue with members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

The NSA has also got the President’s backing on the steps he has so far taken to end the violence the sect unleashed on some states in the north and the Federal Capital Territory.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, told The PUNCH exclusively on Thursday in Abuja that Jonathan was favourably disposed to all lawful steps that might be taken by the new NSA to bring about peace in the country.

Following his appointment as a replacement for the ex-NSA, Gen. Andrew Azazi (retd.), Dasuki has been visiting the troubled states and holding talks with leaders in the affected areas.

He was on Thursday quoted as saying that he had obtained the contact details of some leaders of the sect with the aim of reaching out to them.

In the interview with one of our correspondents, Abati said, “The man (Dasuki) is only doing the job given him by the President. His assignment is to restore peace to the country. The President will support whatever lawful steps he may be taking to perform his assignment.

“By establishing contact with members of the sect and holding talks with leaders of the troubled areas, the NSA is only doing his job.”

On whether the steps being taken by Dasuki were indications that the Federal Government was ready to enter into dialogue with the sect, Abati said, “The position of President Jonathan is clear on this issue.

“He has said it many times that once members of the sect come out openly, his government will talk with them.

“That of course does not mean that the government will support or encourage impunity.

“He made it clear during a recent visit of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mrs. Fatou Bensounda, that his administration would not condone impunity.

“The President promised Bensounda that his administration would support the ICC in its efforts to check impunity.”

Dasuki, meanwhile, on Thursday accused the media of sensational reporting, saying his experience with journalists since his appointment has not been pleasant.

He said this in Kano during a visit to the state governor, Rabiu Kwankwanso.

The NSA told journalists after the visit that, “My experience with the media has so far not been a very good one. Normally, what happens is that some people record what I have said and once they are out, everybody tries to translate what I said and somehow in the process of translation the meaning is lost.

“And some of the things I said were not reflected and those that I didn’t say were somehow stated as having been said. I would like to caution you that you should be very careful with what you report. In most of the places I visit, the media have been one of the problems and it is all this idea of sensational journalism that everybody wants to publish a story, that is not necessarily a story, to make good headlines.”

Dasuki said he was in Kano as part of his tour of states to impart experiences about how to handle the security challenges in the country at the moment.

He urged the Kano State Government to ensure that it intensified efforts in securing the state due to its status as a commercial nerve centre in the country and the West African sub-region.

Dasuki assured that the Federal Government would equally do its best to secure Kano and the country as a whole.

“Considering the importance of Kano, a major economic hub, the last place anybody would want any disruption is Kano. The effect of anything in Kano is like say when Nigeria sneezes, the sub-region catches cold,” he said.

The NSA, also in Kaduna, held talks with political, religious and traditional leaders in the state and reiterated the Federal Government’s readiness to work with state governments in the north to solve the problem of insecurity in the region.

According to his media aide, Kunle Karounwi, the NSA told the leaders to check their wards from acts capable of putting the country’s peace in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, the northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, on Thursday gave its nod to the NSA’s peace moves toward resolving the Boko Haram problem.

The spokesman for the ACF, Anthony Sani, said the use of military might had never contained violent acts anywhere in the world.

“Since President Umaru Yar’Adua used force and killed about 700 members and their leader, yet failed to subdue them and instead stoked their violent activities, it is in order to bring the leaders of the sect to the negotiation table for the common good,” Sani told The PUNCH.

The Nigeria Labour Congress said that the Federal Government must take necessary actions to prevent the disintegration of the country.

Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Chris Uyot, said all efforts geared towards ending the activities of the violent sect should be encouraged.

“Dialogue is just one of the options. If there is a window to do that, it should be exploited to the fullest. We should not forget the fact that some of our leaders have said that the situation can lead to the disintegration of the country. Anything that can affect the unity of the country should be taken seriously and dealt with,” he said.

Also, the Congress for Progressive Change said that the Boko Haram problem was political and should be solved politically.

The CPC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said the new NSA’s move was indicative of the fact that Boko Haram was political.

“We have heard it over and over that there are three variants of Boko Haram, with the most lethal or vicious being the political Boko Haram,” he said.

Another Mandela is set to enter the public eye in South Africa as the daughter of the country's anti-apartheid icon and first black president is chosen as ambassador to Argentina.

Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, 53, is also a Swazi princess and will use her pedigree to foster deeper ties with emerging Latin American economies, one of the priorities of South African diplomacy, experts said.

Her appointment has not yet been made official in South Africa but her niece Ndelani Mandela told AFP Thursday that she had informed the family and was due to take up the position in Buenos Aires "somewhere in September".

Known as "Zeni" by her family, Mandela-Dlamini has built a career in business and is expected to use that experience to boost trade between South Africa and Argentina, currently pegged at $1.3 billion a year.

She is the eldest of the 93-year-old Mandela's three surviving children and the first of two daughters he had Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Zenani has little formal experience in politics besides occasionally representing her father at some events of his African National Congress party.

At Mandela's historic inauguration in 1994, she stood next to her father dressed in a chic red jacket and a black formal hat -- a taste for striking sartorial statements she inherited from Winnie.

Part of the Xhosa royal family through her father, Mandela-Dlamini is also a Swazi princess through her marriage to Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini of Swaziland, who is a son of late King Sobhuza II and brother to current King Mswati III. The two are now divorced.

She was born in Soweto in 1959, three months after her mother was imprisoned for two weeks with 2,000 other women for protesting against laws that forced non-whites to carry in-country passes under white minority rule.

Her posting is a compliment to Argentina, according to Tom Wheeler, a former South African ambassador and the foreign service's former chief director for Latin America.

"Presumably Argentina will be quite flattered to have a Mandela on the diplomatic list."

The country is also a key ally in Latin America, said Wheeler, who is a researcher with the South African Institute for International Affairs think tank.

"There are issues in common. We're southern hemisphere, emerging economy, all those things, and it becomes an important country, probably the second most important country in Latin America."

The last two diplomats had worked on some trade deals. "I think the new ambassador will continue along those lines and move the relation forward."

Brazil however stays the paramount ally in the region.

The family decided to name her Zenani, Mandela wrote in his autobiography, "which means 'what have you brought to the world?' - a poetic name that embodies a challenge, suggesting that one must contribute something to society."

Her father was imprisoned when she was six. They would only touch each other again 10 years later.

She was schooled in South Africa, Swaziland and the United States, where she studied science at Boston University. She lived in the United States from 1982 to 1990 with her family.

The businesswoman heads several communications, entertainment and consultancy outfits.

Local media have criticised Mandela-Dlamini's appointment as "political cadre deployment" by the ANC government -- giving key positions to party loyalists.

Wheeler agreed.

"As an ex-career diplomat myself I regard it as a bad thing, because career diplomats who have devoted their lives to their career and towards serving their country are being denied opportunities of being promoted to ambassadors."

Mandela-Dlamini will replace Tony Leon, who reportedly requested an early end to his four-year term that started in 2009. Leon had been a political appointment too, having headed South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance.

When I clicked on the Ghanaweb news headlines on June 28, the first thing that caught my attention was the caption about 70 Nigerian ex-militants in police grips. Honestly, I was stunned by this nauseating revelation. A number of questions raced through my mind among which were - why accommodate these ex-militants in this country for purposes of "reintegration?" Is the Nigerian government not responsible for the rehabilitation of these rebels? What kind of deal was struck between these two countries regarding the rehabilitation of these ex-militants? Lastly, what does the Ghana government stand to benefit from any such arrangement or deal? After racking my brain for a while, nothing regarding this issue made any sense.

On the one hand, the government is asking Nigerians who do business in Ghana to deposit $300,000 or face imminent deportation. On the other hand, the government appears to have welcomed Nigerian rebels with open arms and is apparently in the process of assisting them to reintegrate. Are these two scenarios reconcilable? Why try to frustrate law-abiding Nigerian citizens in Ghana who are only trying to earn a living whilst we turn around to hypocritically accommodate the hardened riff-raff of that country. It's very hard to change the disposition of rebels; whatever the Mills-led government is trying to achieve with these dangerous people is inevitably an exercise in futility. By accommodating these rebels, the government is treading on extremely dangerous grounds. Ultimately, they are likely to vanish into thin air only to re-emerge as ruthless armed robbers.

According to the publication, these ex-militias had the temerity to mount road blocks in the area where they resided - if that is not an attribute of armed robbers, then God help us all. Only in Mills' Ghana! Where else would such absurdities be tolerated in the world. Another instance in the publication that I found both puzzling and irritating was the report that the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana rushed to the area to calm tempers and negotiate for the release of his countrymen. If the Nigerian government is that concerned about the fate of their "countrymen," why ship them to Ghana? In any case, the joke is on us for accepting Nigeria's social misfits. I thought the Ghana security agencies had their hands full with increasing reports of armed robbery nationwide. Apparently, President Mills and his lieutenants don't see things that way; why else would these dangerous Nigerians be given a free pass by the government?

As is typical of them, I expect the country's leadership to downplay this disturbing development and subsequently attempt to sweep it under the carpet. What they don't realize is, this modus operandi is likely to catch up with them at some point. They cannot keep on glossing over such disturbing issues as if they had no bearing on the well-being of Ghanaians. When this very issue came up a few years ago, some of us jumped to the President's defense and argued that he was incapable of making such a move. Presently, not only has this government made nonsense of the optimism that some of were filled with initially, their persistent refusal to accept constructive criticism (but rather have it their own way) can be likened to a runaway train that is virtually impossible to stop.

From my perspective, the government should immediately halt whatever dealings they have with these dangerous rebels and send them back to Nigeria without delay before they run amok. Ghana is no dumping grounds for hardened criminals and ex-militias! Ideally, they should be kept under heavy guard before being processed and sent back to their country. Something tells me most of these rebels don't intend to go back to Nigeria; so, if Egya Atta and his lieutenants dilly-dally with this situation, this would enable the militants to buy time and thus, like I indicated earlier, vanish into thin air. This is not an anti-Nigerian article or anything of that nature; in fact, going back to the $300,000 deposit, I still believe that this amount should be reduced to a more affordable rate to enable peaceful law-abiding Nigerians to do business in Ghana. We should not forget that there are Ghanaians who live and work in Nigeria and that is why we have to approach the Nigerian traders' situation diligently.

However, that does not give Nigerians the right to dump their rebellious citizens in our country! Ghanaians, regardless of their political affiliations should learn to come together to resist any attempt to compromise our security and safety. Whether you are an NDC sympathizer or not, you cannot stand idly by whilst the gevernment plays games with your safety. This is essentially about the safety of Ghanaians. In spite of political wranglings and the recent ethnic clashes in Ghana, the situation is still relatively better. The Nigerian government is having to deal with two potentially disastrous situations; the Boko Haram terrorists in the North and the rebels in southern delta area - shipping these militants to Ghana is not the solution to these problems. The Nigerian government should look for better options. We do not want our country to be overrun by lawless Nigerian militants, nor do we want to live in a state of fear and uncertainty. Violence has never been part-and-parcel of our lives, so why import it from Nigeria? These prople have to be sent back to their country without delay before all hell breaks loose! God bless mother Ghana!

Prince Akyeampong, Washington D.C. email:desavagist@gmail.com

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=243576

Some retail business enterprises owned by non-Ghanaians have started folding up in compliance to a directive from the Ghana Union Traders Association to foreign retailers.

GUTA is seeking to enforce Act 478 of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC)that bars foreigners from petty trading, hawking or selling from a kiosk at any place reserved as a market. The law stipulates that any foreigner who wants to engage in retailing must first invest an initial $300,000.

According to GUTA's President, George Ofori the directive is not targeted at any particular nationality but it is seeking to smoke out all non-Ghanaians who are dealing in the retail business in areas such as Makola, Okaishie, Nkrumah Circle and so on.

As a 3-month ultimatum given to the non-Ghanaians in the retail business elapses on Thursday, the Chairman of the Inter-Agency Task Force on non-Ghanaians in Retail Business, Kofi Larbie has revealed that they would start clamping down on those businesses on Monday, June 24.

The task force comprise of institutions such as Registrar General's Department, Ghana Investment Promotions Center, Ghana Revenue Authority, Immigration Service, Police Service, Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile checks by Joy FM’s Francis Abban at the Tip Toe Lane, Nkrumah Circle, Accra revealed that some of the shops owned by non-Ghanaians have been closed.

He added that some locals have advised the non-Ghanaians to adopt a “wait and see” approach to see whether the task force would carry out its threat.

He reported that some local traders have welcomed the news urging the task force to enforce the law to the letter.

According to Francis Abban, some non-Ghanaians however called on the task force to extend the ultimatum to ensure that they get enough time to fully shut down their enterprises.

http://africagist.com/newsforum/featured-news/nigeria-must-go-retailers-close-shops-in-ghana-as-deadline-expires/msg120/?topicseen#new

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood claimed victory in historic presidential polls on Monday, hours after the ruling military council issued a constitutional document claiming sweeping power, including legislative control.

"Doctor Mohammed Mursi is the first Egyptian president of the republic elected by the people," read a tweet from the official Twitter account of the Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood's political arm.

The party made the announcement after votes from nearly all Egypt's 13,000 polling stations had been counted. If confirmed, it will be the culmination of a long political struggle for the once-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

There was no immediate comment from the campaign of Mursi's opponent, Ahmed Shafiq, and official results are not expected until June 21.

The process was overshadowed by the amended constitutional declaration issued by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces late Sunday, which replaces an original document issued in March 2011 after Egypt's uprising.

The document grants SCAF legislative powers, after a top court on Thursday ordered the elected parliament dissolved, and gives it veto power over the text of a new permanent constitution.

It keeps SCAF head Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi on as minister of defence for now, and says a new parliamentary vote will come only after a permanent constitution is drafted.

The Muslim Brotherhood immediately denounced the declaration, calling it "null and unconstitutional."

With votes from nearly 11,000 of Egypt's over 13,000 polling stations counted, the Muslim Brotherhood said tallies showed Mursi with 52.49 percent of the vote to Shafiq's 47.5 percent.

Shafiq's campaign had no immediate comment on figures. Official results are not expected until June 21, but a final unofficial tally is expected within hours.

Electoral commission officials extended voting for two hours on Sunday in part to allow people to cast their ballots in the relative cool of the evening, but they said turnout appeared lower than during the May 23-24 first round.

The SCAF declaration puts the military on a collision course with the Muslim Brotherhood, whose political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, dominated the parliament effectively dissolved by a constitutional court ruling on Thursday.

After that ruling, which said a third of the body's members had been elected illegally, the military informed parliament it considered it dissolved, and Sunday's declaration confirmed its retaking of the legislative power it handed to the People's Assembly in January, after a drawn-out election process.

"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces shall exercise the powers referred to under the first clause of article 56 (on legislative power)... until the election of a new People's Assembly," the document reads.

Such an election cannot be held until a new permanent constitution is written and adopted by a referendum, it adds.

The writing of the new constitution will be carried out by a "constitutional commission representing all segments of the society" that will have three months to complete its work, the document says.

It also grants SCAF a veto right over any article of a draft constitution it considers "contrary to the supreme interests of the country."

Egypt's parliament has already appointed a constituent panel to replace an initial group that was dissolved over allegations it was Islamist-dominated.

But the declaration leaves it unclear whether that panel will be able to continue its work, and gives SCAF the right to form a new panel if the current body "is prevented from doing its work."

It also stipulates that SCAF "as currently constituted, has the power to decide on all matters related to the armed forces, the nomination of its commanders and the extension of their service."

The Muslim Brotherhood and revolutionary youth movements denounced the declaration as a "coup" and the Freedom and Justice Party said it rejected any bid by the military to retake legislative power.

And parliamentary speaker Saad al-Katatni, an FJP member, said the constituent assembly appointed by the parliament would continue its work.

The new political uncertainty comes after an electoral race that polarised the nation, dividing those who fear a return to the old regime under Shafiq from others who want to keep religion out of politics.

The new president will inherit a struggling economy, deteriorating security and the challenge of uniting a nation divided by the 18-day uprising that toppled Mubarak in February 2011.

The steps that have consolidated the power of the ruling SCAF have infuriated activists, who point to the court's annulment of parliament, as well as a justice ministry decision granting the army the right to arrest civilians, as proof of the military's plans to cement its power.

But the military says it does not want to stay in charge and has promised to hand power to the newly elected president by the end of the month.

www.africagist.com

The United States plans to work with the Nigerian army to help it combat the threat of the Islamist group Boko Haram which is spreading violence in the west African nation, officials said Tuesday.

But Washington has still not decided whether to put the group on a blacklist of terrorist organizations -- even as gunfire and explosions erupted in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Tuesday.

"This is an issue of ongoing internal deliberations within the United States government," Assistant Secretary of African Affairs Johnnie Carson said after two days of high-level talks with Nigerian officials in the US capital.

The administration was "trying to make a decision which is both appropriate, rational and useful" while "taking into account the significance of any decision that we might make on Nigeria and the Nigerian government."

Maiduguri is at the center of Boko Haram's insurgency, which has claimed more than 1,000 lives since mid-2009.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing of UN headquarters in Abuja in August which killed at least 25 people.

Its deadliest attack yet occurred in January in the northern city of Kano, when coordinated bombings and shootings left at least 185 people dead.

But its attacks have grown increasingly sophisticated and have affected a wider geographical area, spreading from their base in the extreme northeast across the wider north and down to the capital Abuja.

The talks -- held as part of the US-Nigeria Binational Commission -- focused on governance, security cooperation, energy and investment and food security.

Opening the talks on Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns said the US was "ready to explore a potential partnership with the Nigerian army to build its civil affairs capacity."

"We are all disturbed by the repeated scenes of violence in various parts of Nigeria which threaten to undercut the gains Nigeria has made," he said.

"Violent extremist militants like those associated with Boko Haram offer no practical program to improve the lives on Nigerians. They depend on resentment and neglect."

Without providing concrete details of what such a partnership with the Nigerian military could look like, Carson said the US experience in other areas of conflict could help in combating the situation in Nigeria.

"We have some degree of knowledge of experience or expertise as a result of the concerns that we have faced over the past decade in both Iraq and Afghanistan dealing with symmetrical warfare, dealing with IEDs, dealing with assassination, dealing with urban conflict and dealing with groups that have broken down into small cells," he said.

"And we are prepared to share with the government some of the lessons that we have learned in our own experience."

Nigerian permanent secretary Martin Uhomoibhi told the gathering that "the implications of Boko Haram are not tied down to just Nigeria, but to terrorism globally and what terrorism means to democratic nations.

"So the United States will work with Nigeria to address this security challenge because once it is done for Nigeria, it will also have very positive implications for the entire west African region."

http://africagist.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=26#p34

US rapper and G.O.O.D Music boss Kanye West has released the video to the first single ‘Mercy‘ off the group’s compilation album titled ‘Cruel Summer‘.
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Nigeria: D’banj features in Kanye West’s new video ‘Mercy
June 7, 2012
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US rapper and G.O.O.D Music boss Kanye West has released the video to the first single ‘Mercy‘ off the group’s compilation album titled ‘Cruel Summer‘.



The song which features 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Pusha-T shows the rappers dancing and rapping in a monochromatic parking garage. The video also features other G.O.O.D Music acts Kid Cudi, Teyana Taylor and a cameo from African pop star D’banj (jump to 2:53 and 5:03 time stamp ).

D’banj also features in Kanye’s upcoming movie ‘Cruel Summer‘ which will usher in the album scheduled to drop a few weeks from now.

www.africagist.com

Since the Dana plane crash of Sunday, June 3, domestic operators have experienced a reduction customer turnout. When Daily Sun visited the MMA 2, Lagos, it was not as bubbling, as it used to be on a typical day. Airline officials had few passengers to process for boarding.

Some turned back after inquiring about tickets and learnt it was on the high side A passenger, Peter Kalu who spoke with Daily Sun said: “Imagine Lagos-Abuja-Lagos is about N55,000 when I made enquiry. I am afraid to fly especially when one reads that the crashed airplane had fault and it was still operated. Am really scared to fly right now. I could have been encouraged by cheap ticket, but now, it’s even high. So, I can’t use my money to buy death. I de go enter ABC transport to Abuja jejely,” he said.

Another traveller, Mrs Caroline Maduka said she is flying to Abuja in the afternoon because of an impromptu and important official assignment. “Am going. My heart is in my mouth. I’ve prayed over 50 times since I came to MMA 2. I just pray nothing happens. This crash thing is serious. Am still in shock over the Sunday accident. Though I have no one there, but I can imagine what the families are going through. When will this crash fear end? What is really happening to Nigeria,” she stated.

For Wale Oke, he was in MMA2 to get refund for a ticket he hitherto purchased from Dana Air. “My brother, I come collect my money o. I no fit shout, I fit travel by road sef. E pay me well well than to go die for air,” he said.

A septuagenarian who was going to Abuja for appointment said, two of his friends died in the crash but he had no option than to fly since road transport is not any safer. “Can we really do without flying? Aviation remains the connector of the world and all we need to do in Nigeria is make it safer”, he stated.

Most people in and around the terminal wore sullen faces and could be seen in clusters talking in hushed tone about Sunday’s unfortunate incident. Even the food court that was always full except weekends was also almost empty, as the sales girls who hitherto had a field day with intending passengers were left hovering around the many empty seats, scrambling for the few people that intended to fly.

An airline official who confided in Daily Sun said the passenger volume has reduced by 25 percent. “Our flights are not full but we just have to operate. It’s not about profit always, but a call to service,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dana Air continued ticket refund yesterday morning meaning that the airline was not intended to fly, as it said on Monday after the crash.

Director of Ground Operations, Amos Olajide had Monday said that it would look inhuman for an airline to record such casualties and yet carry on as if nothing happened. According to him, the decision to suspend operations was taken by the management.

www.africagist.com

Gunfire and explosions erupted in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Tuesday as soldiers moved into an area where members of Islamist group Boko Haram were believed to be hiding, residents said.

“There have been at least eight explosions in these neighbourhoods and soldiers have moved in with tanks and have taken over the whole area,” one resident said.

Another said the area was largely deserted of residents after earlier signs that soldiers were preparing a crackdown. Alleyways had been sealed off ahead of Tuesday evening’s violence, they said.

The explosions and gunfire began rocking the city at around 4:30 pm and stopped at around 9:00 pm. It was unclear if there were any casualties, with the area still cordoned off and a curfew in place.

Residents said the area affected included the neighbourhoods known as Shehuri, Abbaganaram, Budum and Hausari. Military officials were not responding to phone calls.

“Since yesterday, residents of these areas have been deserting their homes,” one of the residents said. “Explosions erupted in these neighbourhoods and soldiers cordoned off these areas.”

The northeastern city of Maiduguri is at the centre of Boko Haram’s insurgency, which has claimed more than 1,000 lives since mid-2009. The group’s mosque and headquarters were located there until they were destroyed in a 2009 military assault.

Nigerian troops have also been accused of abuses in Maiduguri, including burning homes and killing civilians in the wake of bomb attacks.

Thousands of residents have fled the city amid the spiralling violence.

On Monday, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a weekend suicide attack on a church in the country’s northeast which killed 15 people and wounded 40 others.

In the emailed statement to journalists, Boko Haram also threatened renewed attacks on journalists and media houses.

In Sunday’s attack, a suicide bomber tried to drive an explosives-packed car into a church.

The attacker approached a checkpoint near the church in Bauchi State, which has previously been hit by Boko Haram and where tension between Muslim and Christian ethnic groups has led to violence in the past.


He was stopped at the checkpoint and instead rammed his car into the security gate around the church and set off his explosive device.

Boko Haram’s attacks have grown increasingly sophisticated and have affected a wider geographical area, spreading from their base in the extreme northeast across the wider north and down to the capital Abuja, in the centre of the country.

It claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing of UN headquarters in Abuja in August which killed at least 25 people.

Its deadliest attack yet occurred in January in the northern city of Kano, when coordinated bombings and shootings left at least 185 people dead.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer, is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

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Koko Master and G.O.O.D music/Mecury Records artiste – D’banj made his Cannes Film Festival debut at the star studded premiere of Kanye West’s short film “Cruel Summer” in France.

The Oliver Twist music act partied with the multi-talented rapper and fashion designer along side US rap stars Jay-Z and Kid Cudi and Kanye’s girlfriend/reality star Kim Kardashian who dazzled in a Balmain frock at Belvedere Vodka’s after party for the movie.

www.africagist.com

US traded, Nigerian owned oil and gas firm, CAMAC Energy is expanding its business in Africa signing two new exploration deals in Kenya and Gambia witnin two weeks this month, Empowered Newswire reports.

According to the Nigerian born Chairman of the US company, Dr. Kase Lawal, CAMAC will also be offering training and skill development for African nationals in the countries, including creating fully funded scholarships for some of the nationals to study Petroleum Engineering in the University of Houston, Texas State, US.

International news wires also reported that the two African countries expressed their pride that an African-owned oil company would be exploring and producing from its shores,

Earlier this week The Gambian government signed a production agreement with CAMAC Energy for two offshore blocks in the west African nation, the first such deal Gambia is signing with a foreign oil company.

Less than two weeks ago, CAMAC had announced a similar deal with the Kenyan government with whom the company also signed production sharing contracts, PSC- on two newly created deepwater blocks off Kenya in addition to two Lamu basin land blocks previously awarded.

In the Kenya deal, CAMAC will be the operator with 90% interest in all four PSCs and the Kenyan government has a 10% carried interest prior to designation of any commercial discovery. CAMAC expects an indigenous company to take a minority interest later in that deal.

Also in the Gambian deal, CAMAC carries 100% in each of the two oil blocks, but the Gambia National Petroleum Company, GNPC has the right to elect to participate up to a 15% interest, following approval of a development and production plan.

CAMAC Energy is also responsible for all expenditures prior to such approval even if the GNPC elects to participate. During the initial four year exploration phase, CAMAC Energy will conduct surveys, acquire and interpret 2D and 3D seismic data, identify prospects for future drilling and drill one exploration well on each of the Blocks.

Commenting on the Gambian deal with CAMAC, the Gambian President Yahya Jammeh commended CAMAC for choosing to invest in his country, assuring CAMAC of a conducive working environment.

Jammeh said the government wants “a mutually rewarding partnership,” while also saying there is the need for trust, honesty and transparency between the two sides, according to wire reports from both PANA and Bloomberg.

President Jammeh explained the important relationship between energy and development, saying “For us to ensure development, we should have reliable and affordable energy. In eradicating poverty, reliable and affordable energy is indispensable.”

Responding, Nigerian -born Dr. Kase Lawal, the Chairman/CEO of CAMAC Energy praised the Gambian leader for his sense of vision and support, hinting that CAMAC might expand its investment in Gambia to power sector areas.

Besides, Lawal said under the partnership with the Gambia, CAMAC would explore skill development and training of local Gambians.

According to Lawal “we will train Gambians as we have confidence, expertise and knowledge in training the people of African countries where we do businesses.

He added that ‘ doing well and doing good business is being a good steward, a good neighbour and a good partner.

According to Lawal:”We will train the people of The Gambia. That is what we want to do in The Gambia and you should expect nothing less from us. Education is at the core of developing a nation – when boys and girls can read and write, they become independent; they can fetch for themselves, a great nation is born and sustained.

Continuing he said: “in 1992, we set up an endowment at the famous University of Houston, Petroleum Engineering College and we have trained a lot of African students since 1992 that have become leaders in oil companies across the globe.”

According to local Gambian media reports, CAMAC was selected from a list of three explorers shortlisted for drilling rights at Gambia’s A2 and A5 concessions.

In Kenya, the Deepwater blocks L27 and L28 signed over to CAMAC cover a combined 21,170 sq km just east of deepwater blocks L11A and L11B operated by Anadarko Petroleum Corp. Land Block L1B is in the Lamu basin, and Block L16 is in the Lamu basin transition zone. L16 is bounded on the east by Block L8, operated by Apache Corp., and is just northwest of Block L9, operated by Ophir Energy PLC.

During the initial exploration phase under each contract, CAMAC will be conducting surveys, acquiring and interpreting 2D and 3D seismic, and identifying prospects for future drilling. The execution of the PSCs represents CAMAC Energy’s official entry into Kenya and the East African exploration frontier.

www.africagist.com

A cargo plane crashed on Saturday night near the airport in Ghana's capital Accra, killing at least 10 people and apparently hitting a bus on the ground, witnesses and a military official said.

Wreckage from the Allied Air plane could be seen in an area near the airport along with a damaged bus.

"It crash landed at the Elwak stadium, killing scores of people," said a senior military officer who did not want to be named. Asked for a specific death toll, he said 10, adding that the Allied Air plane had been coming in to land.

He said that the two pilots aboard the plane were thought to have survived. Details however were still emerging.

It was not clear whether the bus, which was severely damaged, had passengers aboard at the time. The plane's wings and tail had broken off from its body.

The plane crashed in an area just outside a stadium, near the airport and a military base. It did not appear to strike any houses.

Rescue, police and fire officers flooded the scene and cordoned off the immediate area of the crash.

An operator who answered at Allied Air said no one was available to comment.

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The rapper wasn’t allowed inside Chesapeake Energy Arena for Game 3 of the Western Conference finals for one simple reason. Also, Matt Kemp is back on the disabled list.

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A judge sentenced former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to life in prison on Saturday after convicting him of involvement in the murder of protesters during the uprising that ousted him last year.

A senior lawyer for Mubarak’s defence team told AFP the strongman, who was taken to a Cairo prison after the hearing, will appeal the sentence.

Also given a life term for the killings was the 84-year-old former strongman’s interior minister Habib al-Adly, but six ex-police commanders were acquitted.

Corruption charges against Mubarak’s sons, Alaa and Gamal, were dropped due to the expiry of a statute of limitations, and the former president was acquitted in one of the graft cases.

Scuffles erupted soon after the verdicts were delivered and chants of “Void, void” and “The people want the judiciary purged” could be heard, as furious lawyers told AFP they feared Mubarak would be found innocent on appeal.


“We will appeal. The ruling is full of legal flaws from every angle,” Yasser Bahr, a senior member of Mubarak’s defence team, told AFP.

Asked if Mubarak was likely to win the appeal, Bahr said: “We will win, one million percent.”

Mubarak, who wore dark sunglasses and a beige track-suit, had his arms folded and showed no emotion inside his caged dock,as Chief Judge Ahmed Refaat read out the verdict.

His two sons, Alaa and Gamal, looking tired with dark circles under their eyes, appeared close to tears on hearing the verdict.

“It’s vindicating to Egyptians to see Mubarak and his interior minister sentenced to life, but the verdict raises more questions than answers,” said Hossam Bahgat, the director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, who was outside the court with members of the victims’ families.

“The court appears to have found no evidence that the killings were committed by policemen. It seems the court convicted Mubarak and Adly for failing to prevent the killings,” Bahgat told AFP.

“It’s 100 percent certain that this will go to appeal and the court is very likely to order a retrial,” said Bahgat, a respected activist and lawyer.

In delivering the ruling, Judge Refaat painted a grim picture of life under Mubarak, listing hardship after hardship suffered during his three decade rule.

He said some “went hungry” and spoke of conditions in the “rotting slums.”

Refaat said the protesters who had participated in the 2011 uprising in Cairo’s Tahrir Square were “peaceful” and only wanted “justice, freedom and democracy.”

Outside the courtroom, clashes broke following the sentencing, forcing police to use stun grenades to control the crowds.

Mubarak, the only autocrat toppled in the Arab Spring to be tried in person, Adly and the six others were facing charges over their involvement in ordering the deaths of some of the estimated 850 people killed.

The former strongman, his sons Alaa and Gamal and business associate Hussein Salem, who fled to Spain, were also on trial over an alleged bribe.

And Mubarak was accused of selling natural gas to Israel at lower than market prices.

A security official said 5,000 policemen and 2,000 soldiers had been deployed to secure the court, at the Police Academy on Cairo’s outskirts, to which the ailing Mubarak was helicoptered in from a military hospital.

After the hearing, he was transferred to the medical wing of Tora prison, a security official said.

Egypt has been ruled by the military since Mubarak was forced to resign on February 11 last year, after 18 days of nationwide protests.

Mubarak was held at a hospital in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh following his arrest last year, and the military appeared to bow to protester demands that he and former regime officials be put on trial.

But the military insists the prosecution’s investigations and the charges eventually filed were independent judicial decisions.

However, critics say the investigations were hasty and sloppy, resulting in a trial based on patchwork evidence that may see Mubarak acquitted.

The ex-president was brought to Cairo for the trial, which began on August 3, and has been held there since.

During the trial, Mubarak was wheeled into the lecture hall that serves as a courtroom on a stretcher. He reportedly suffers from a heart condition, but the health ministry has denied his lawyer’s claim that he has cancer.

Along with Adly, Mubarak’s co-defendants include six former police commanders.

They have all denied that they ordered police to shoot protesters or use deadly force during the uprising, in which demonstrators torched police stations across the country.

The verdict comes just two weeks before a run-off in presidential elections that will pit Mubarak’s former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq against the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Mursi in a highly polarising race.

It is the first openly contested presidential election in any of the Arab countries swept by regional protests and uprisings that challenged decades of autocratic rule.

But the revolt also led to a deteriorating economy and increased lawlessness in Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, that has helped Shafiq, a symbol of Mubarak’s regime, win a surprising amount of support.

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Prophet Samuel Olawale Kogberegbe, Primate and founder of The Holy Michael Church of the Lord (Aladura), Cherubim & Seraphim, Ori Oke Olorun Esan Cathedral, Ikotun Egbe Road, Egbe, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, has said he has been sleeping inside a coffin for over forty years now.
Prophet Kogberegbe, who spoke as part of activities to mark the church’s 50th anniversary which holds on Sunday, 3 June, 2012, said he had slept in the coffin to remind himself of life’s vanity and that one day, he would die.
He said his action was also to teach Nigerians to be conscious about death and thus change their negative ways of life.
“I believe that death is certain and I am going to end in that coffin,” he said while pointing to the coffin on the ground.
Kogberegbe also declared that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was correct to have called Nigerian lawmakers armed robbers at a function in Lagos recently.

The octogenarian posited that Obasanjo’s description of the country’s lawmakers as armed robbers was correct in every sense of reasoning, noting that the lawmakers do not have any feeling for the suffering masses who voted for them.
He also warned church leaders to abstain from evil practices, claiming that only through this would they be able to salvage the country.
Kogberegbe advised them to stop running after politicians and men in power and assuring them of peace when such leaders trample on the suffering masses without having any feelings for them. The Oyo state-born Kogberegbe said further that Nigeria is a great nation but had bad leaders and that this was the major reason for the country’s challenges.
—Kayode Aponmade

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Benita Nzeribe has been off the screen for a while now. The Ihiala, Anambra State born actress who came into the limelight with her spectacular performance in the rested Tv drama series Beyound Our Dreams, is back to acting.

This is an interview, Benita, who was on location, granted Entertainment Express:

Talking about love, do you believe in love?

Yes, I do, I really do believe in love but I don’t like talking about love because it is a foul cry in this area. Love is something you can’t even control, it’s something beyond definition. It’s something that accepts you the way you are both your good and bad aspects.

How does it feel to be heartbroken?

That is what I am saying, maybe what they call love is an extreme form of likeness. It really hurts to be heartbroken, at times it would look as if the entire world has forsaken you.

Share your heartbreak experience with us.

It has been overblown in the past and I have moved on with my life. It’s been overblown that I flushed my engagement ring inside the toilet. I am happy now. I made a mistake and that was in the past.

But did you actually flush your engagement ring inside the toilet?

Yes I did. I was in a relationship and it crumbled. So I did and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I have since then moved on with my life.

Where are you seeing yourself in five years time?
I expect to be high up there.

And probably in a man’s house by then?

Definitely I will be in a man’s house.

When exactly?

I will marry very soon and I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t worry, when the time comes, I will give you notice.

Talking about marriage, who is your ideal man?

I want a man that is complete. A man that will understand, respect and love me. That is my idea of a real man.

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