₦airaland Forum

Russia and Nigeria are the world's two largest gas-flaring nations. The senior Nigerian oil official said Russia was keen to assist Nigeria find commercial uses for its gas and to reduce flaring.

bawomol:
destabilization of cameroun would actually just lead to an independent southern cameroun, a territory that would most likely lay claim to the bakassi pennisula.

You still don't get it do you . . . government is simply not about 1 individual . . . it is about a system.

Ok,
the FreeEducation was then not a gift from Mr Awolowo, rather he delivered what he was paid by the electrorate to do for them.

The man had a photographic memory which enabled him to keep mental track of the minutest details that would have escaped the recollection of most mortals.

The murder of Abiola by henchmen loyal to dead despot Sanni Abacha shall one day be recognised as one of Nigeria's darkest chapters, for that poisoning death deprived Africa of one of her greatest living treasures.

Julius Berger’s influence has been so much, according to several security sources, that they had always had access to very sensitive information of strategic sites including Aso Rock. And this influence seemed to have waned under the Abacha regime because of an incident that happened shortly after Abacha overthrew Ernest Shonekan. This incident has never been written about and is known to only a very few individuals. Elendureports.com can reveal that Julius Berger tried to lock-out Abacha from Aso Rock by failing to reveal the details of the security codes in Aso Rock Villa, especially as it had to do with the intricate security accesses in the complex. To that extent, it became impossible for Abacha and his team to relocate to Abuja after the November 17th 1993 ouster of the shaky Interim Government. General Abacha who had stayed back in Lagos when Ibrahim Babangida relocated to Abuja in December 1992, feared that the former president still had the codes that granted access to the labyrinthine maze of the Aso Rock security.

Worried aides who had contacted Julius Berger on the issue drew a blank as the top executives of the construction giant were said to have remarked that they were not in a position to deal with the new government without the clearance and express instruction of the IBB people, particularly of General Halilu Akilu, who as the former DG of the Military Intelligence and later National Intelligence Agency. Akilu and Babangida were said to be the custodians of the codes. According to an impeccable source, Julius Berger bosses had begged for the understanding of the new Abacha boys, because, according to them, “we deal with only one person” (meaning IBB).

When Abacha was informed by some diplomatic sources that he was conducting an illegal government from Lagos, in that Abuja had been decreed into law as the new de-facto and de-jure capital of Nigeria, the dictator decided to move decisively. Following an attempt by former IBB boys, who had become Abacha confidants, including Colonels Lawan Gwadabe, Abubakar Umar and Abdulmumini Aminu, to move physically against IBB at his Minna base, Julius Berger backed down and released the codes to a security team led by Major Al-Mustapha.

However, Sani Abacha never really forgave the construction giant for their impertinence and starved them of fresh contracts during his four years in office. Even though Julius Berger’s loss became the gain of C& C, a company owned by the Chagouri Brothers who had been longtime business associates of the Abacha family, certain longtime contractual commitments which Julius Berger had entered into with the IBB regime over the maintenance and service of the Aso Rock Complex remained in place.

For example, according to a source at the Villa, it was a normal thing for Julius Berger vehicles and personnel – black and white – to be seen moving around even the remotest parts of the presidential villa armed with their walkie-talkies. It was even usual to see white German ladies serving tea even at Abacha’s sitting rooms and guest suites, while they allegedly eavesdropped on conversations.

Opposition parties and non-governmental groups in Cameroon have criticised President Paul Biya's intention to amend the country's constitution.
In a new year message Mr Biya hinted he would change a clause that limits the head of state to two terms in office.

The amendment would open the way for him to run for president again in 2011, should he choose to.

300 people dead is too much a price for any form of liberty .

In total honesty, The elections that were conducted in Kenya where no worse than that which Maurice Iwu and his assembly of diabolic fraudsters organized right here in Nigeria. But what I find interesting and I dare say commendable is the Kenyan people’s will and desire not to be taken for a political ride anymore.
Unlike the Nigerian experience, the Kenyan people decided to fight for their freedom, they stood up against the powers of the incumbent who had decided to subvert their will and wishes.
They chose not to murmur and grumble in their reticence, they decided for the sake of their future generations not to allow evil claim any form of space on the pedestal of their history.
They decided to stand up for the sake of morality against the enthronement of slavery; they chose to put their destinies in their hands. They decided to control the manner in which they will be ruled. They sought for a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
It is unfortunate lives were lost, more so innocent blood, but that was all the result of Mwai Kibaki’s devious intention to remain in power against the wishes of Majority of the electorate.
The attention of the world has now been drawn to the extensive evil that has been wrought in the country largely because the people decided to take a stand for their future. There is a popular saying that says; “if you don’t stand for anything you will fall for anything”. We fell for anything in the country, while the Kenyans stood up for something.

In my opinion Duke is a visionary leader and not a fraud with respect to TINAPA.
I have not visited TINAPA before because if you compare flying Lagos London or Lagos Calabar. You will admit its a more pleasurable experience on the London route. If you stay in London things are more pleasurable than any Nigeria City. If you drive from London to Essex it is pure Joy compared to from Benin to Calabar.

This may be a factor that is making this project not to take-off for now. I am sure if the Police leave the roads and do real policing by parking at strategic places and monitoring security like in the developed world as against obstructing free flow of traffic people will drive from all over Nigeria to Tinapa. And it will be a huge success worth copying by many other states.

But the Free Education was not given by Awolowo with his personal money.

Several attempts by Mallam Ribadu to have direct access to the President in the last few days have been rebuffed by the President’s men who insist that his requests be channelled through the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

All those shouting tribalism and all other jargons, go and ask your parents if they are educated whether they never enjoyed the free education which Awolowo made provisions for.

What a backward comparison are you bringing in here-''A prison and a School''.

Intel has pulled out of a project to put cheap laptops in the hands of children in the developing world.
Citing "philosophical" differences, Intel has withdrawn its funding and technical help from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.

OLPC aimed to boost learning in poorer nations via a custom-built laptop intended to cost no more than $100.

Intel's withdrawal is a blow to OLPC which has found few nations willing to buy large numbers of laptops.

The only fault I found in Ribadu, and it is a grievous fault, is that he never for once, throughout the time he worked with the erstwhile president, gave any hint that some spanners from the presidency were being thrown in the works of his Commission. Everyone knew the Commission was being driven by a remote control held by Obasanjo, yet Ribadu carried on, and wanted everybody to believe him, as if he was his own man, answerable to no man and feared no man. That was a lie and Ribadu knew it was a lie. Everyone was aware that Obasanjo was leading him and his Commission by the nose.

Notice the few times Ribadu tried to exercise his independence - for example, when he declared that 31 or so state governors were corrupt. Obasanjo simply came out to laugh off the matter and said the young man was on his own-speaking his own mind.

Another sin of Ribadu was that he failed to read the signs of the time to know that his work was over the moment the new government came in. It is said that the guest that fails to leave the party when the music goes off will end up dancing with the waitress. With Obasanjo's exit, there was really nothing left for Ribadu to do with the Commission. The former president employed him for only one singular purpose, and that was to help him ward off his enemies.

With Obasanjo's exit, Ribadu should have known that the party was over for him and should have left along with the man he had served so dutifully well. To stay back as he had done, and still thought he would still be relevant to the new government in the fight against corruption, especially knowing full well the flawed elections that gave birth to the new administration was the height of naivety. Ribadu's present travail is a tragedy that was only waiting in the wings to happen

When you look at Nigeria today, all the bad characteristics you see at the upper echelons of power started with Babangida

Despite her denial yesterday, the last is yet to be heard of the allegation that Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, presented herself as Mrs. Damilola Akinlawon in her relationship with an Austrian company, M. Schneider, over the N3.5 billion contract controversy.
Documents made available to THISDAY last night showed that the Chairman of Vamed Engineering, Prince Albert Awofisayo, had given a lie to Iyabo’s claim at the International Court of Arbitration after the contract deal had gone sour.
In a press advertisement by her counsel, Prof. Abiodun Adesanya (SAN), Iyabo, a serving Senator, had said yesterday that she did not at anytime use or purport to use the name, Damilola Akinlawon, in making or signing any contract with M. Schneider Energy (Nigeria) Limited or with any other person or company.
The statement said no other contractual document was signed by Iyabo with M. Schneider Energy (Nigeria) Limited, apart from the pre-incorporation documents.
But Awofisayo, who is also chairman of CPL Nigeria Limited, had said in his evidence-in-chief before the arbitration court that both Iyabo and Damilola Akinlawon were one and the same.
No mention was made of any other Damilola Akinlawon resident in America while the evidence was taken from all parties to the dispute.
The hearing to determine the preliminary issues took place at the ICC in Paris on September 3 and 4 2007.

“In the tribunal’s view, based on these facts, the EPPA and the JVA were validly signed on Akiya’s behalf. It was Mrs. Obasanjo-Bello, a Director of Akiya, who signed the agreements and the fact that she used “business name” Damilola Akinlawon does not mean that it was a different person and not she who signed.
“By the above admission of Awofisayo’s evidence by the tribunal, it confirmed the allegation that Mrs. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello concealed her true identity, which is against the provision of section 19 of EFCC Act 2000.”

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the EFCC yesterday, the commission has dismissed claims that there is a conflict between the president and its chairman over the NIPSS course.
The statement, signed by Mr. Osita Nwajah, Head, Media & Publicity, read: “In the past few days, the EFCC as well as its Executive Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, have been the subject of intense media debate generated by the decision to send the EFCC Chairman on a course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.
“The Commission has however refused to be drawn into the public debate.
“EFCC now wishes to clarify that it is the position of the Commission that government can send any public officer on training to enhance his or her performance and continued service to the nation. And, as a loyal citizen and public servant, the opinion of Ribadu is not any different from the expressed position of the Commission.
“It is however worrying that the NIPSS debate has opened a window of blackmail and calumny for many of those who disagree with the Commission. This group has routinely planted stories in the media, which they make-believe as being sponsored by the Executive Chairman, in an attempt at discrediting the authorities, especially Mr. President. The stories which have explored all sorts of high wire politics scenarios and power tussle permutations are calculated at presenting the Executive Chairman as being in conflict with Mr. President and the leadership of the Nigeria Police. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
“Further, the Commission wishes to deal with the insinuation being peddled in certain quarters that the President is interfering in the work of the Commission.
The Commission hereby puts on record that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has never interfered in the work of EFCC and has supported the Commission’s resolve to bring to book, all who have committed any of the crimes identified in the EFCC Establishment Act (2004) and all other laws that the Commission is mandated to enforce.
“The Executive Chairman, EFCC, wishes to seize this opportunity to assure Mr. President, the leadership of the Nigeria Police and indeed, all patriotic Nigerians, of his absolute loyalty and dedication to the service of our fatherland.
“It bears restating here that as a loyal public servant, Nuhu Ribadu has no problem with the decision of Mr. President on the recommendation of the Inspector General of Police, to send him on a self-improvement course of study at the NIPSS, Kuru. Any story that suggests otherwise is only meant to cast him in the bad light of an unnecessary antagonism against government and the Police high command and should be discounted.
“The Commission wishes to thank the general public for the tremendous support it has received in the discharge of its duties.”

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua may have been reluctant to approve the study leave for Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), THISDAY checks have revealed.
The reluctance may have been because the president needed wider consultation but was forced to approve the course in the face of relentless media accusation that the study leave was a ploy to shield former governors from prosecution, official sources said.
Indeed, the president had only just received the request from Mr Mike Okiro, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to send Ribadu on a senior management course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Plateau State, when news got round that Ribadu had been removed, whereas the approval for the course was only given Friday last week, four days after it broke in the media.
According to officials conversant with the development, when Okiro informed Ribadu of the course, the EFCC chairman reportedly asked Okiro if the President had been informed about the decision.
The IGP was said to have replied in the negative, asking: “Do you think the president needs to know about this? It’s a routine course for senior officers in the force.”
“Ribadu told Okiro that with his position as chairman of EFCC, he was reporting directly to the President and only the President could send him on a course of this nature,” the source said.
The IGP then decided to take the matter directly to Yar’Adua.
On meeting with Yar’Adua on Christmas eve, Okiro was said to have presented the file containing the names of those to be sent on the course.
Presidency sources said the view of the Villa was that approving courses was not the job of the president. However, with the name of Ribadu on the list, the president knew the import and decided to think through it, the source added.
It is believed that if the President wanted to approve the course, he would have done it there and then but chose to be reticent on the matter.
By the next day, the media attention began and speculations were rife as many imputed political motives. Coming during a holiday period when the file was still at the presidency and the issue had not been addressed, the President was said to have wondered what the hot air was all about.
With the widespread criticism, culminating in Prof. Wole Soyinka's statement over the issue, the President came to the conclusion that only one decision could be taken on the matter: to approve the course and protect the Police high command.
The President's opinion was that Ribadu had not been removed since he was only going on a course in February. When Ribadu completes the course, official sources told THISDAY, the next line of action would be taken.

Yes I strongly believe Yaradua for all of his goodwill he lacks the sheer legitimacy to prosecute his predecessor.

President Yar'adua is a misguided DICTATOR in the making

Who is this President really and what does he really represent?

gregg2:
But Duke miscalculated. Those TINAPA target customers, not minding relative cost, will still fly to Europe and America to do shopping. Afterall, that offers them opportunity to hide their loot in foreign banks.

nigeriaone:
Olokola or NEW LONDON have to speak white, look white, eat white, be white? and is white ,? If you want your Nigeria city move over to Ilorin or Ogbomosho. We do not want you there. May una no hate me, na true , i dey talk.

you are more likely to produce a good Nigerian film when you use the traditional/native language
one of the reason naija english film suck is because they do itk using other peoples language and ideas

This is so bloody crazy.Just saw this on sky news, a man beaten to death in kenya

The question i expected of you is-Did Duke deliver to the people of Cross River state ?