"We welcome the $15.5 million compensation for the illegal killings of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other eight Ogoni leaders, But Shell has to address the issue of environmental pollution, neglect and degradation in Ogoniland. Shell has inflicted much sufferings on the Ogoni people through its operations. As farmers and fishermen we have been deprived of our means of livelihood through the pollution of our lands. This is blood money"

http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=938:mosop-to-pile-pressure-on-shell-despite-155-million-settlement&catid=48:world-news&Itemid=69

http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=920:mend-to-yaradua-to-hell-with-your-amnesty&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67

The civilized world expected your apology to the hundreds of displaced and relatives of dead civilians caused by the indiscriminate aerial bombing targeted at innocent impoverished communities from a cowardly armed forces meant to instill fear.'' - MEND

President Obama included only a brief mention of Darfur in his landmark speech to the Muslim world. What was a "very good speech in most respects, fell very short on the Sudan side,".
http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=914:president-obamas-cairo-speech-falling-short-on-sudan&catid=34:comments

President Obama included only a brief mention of Darfur in his landmark speech to the Muslim world. What was a "very good speech in most respects, fell very short on the Sudan side,".
http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=914:president-obamas-cairo-speech-falling-short-on-sudan&catid=34:comments

Investors flocking to Ghana;
Ghana rising in BPO rankings:
Obama visits Ghana;
Ghana signs 76 million Euro Agreement with EU
Nigeria turning into a failed state
http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=897:ghana-reaping-democracy-dividend&catid=45:from-ghana&Itemid=27

Whither Federal Character?

Does President Umaru Yar'Adua believe in the principle of federal character in view of his purported appointment of a new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

On the basis of speculation that Malam Sanusi Lamido from Kano State had been pencilled down to succeed Professor Chukwuma Soludo whose first term as CBN governor ends on Friday, the choice of Lamido would put the financial levers of the country on persons from Kano State against the principle of federal character.
Already the Minister of Finance, Dr. Mansur Muhtar and the Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, are from Kano State.

Moreover the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu, is from the neighbouring Katsina State.

from www.elombah.com

There are over 21,010 Nigerian students in the UK. Moreover, it is estimated that overseas students add around £6 billion to the British economy.
No wonder Nigerian universities have been allowed to rot!!!

http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=851:21000-nigerian-students-in-the-uk&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67

My bros, it is not a question of Igbo or Ijaw, It is just that nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of Othman Dan Fodios interrupted march to the sea.
Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw or Ogoni - we are all victims!

ElRazur:

I said that and then. . . . He posted this:


I rest my case.

My friend make your contribution to the topic or please keep silent!

Why is it that we never hear from Goodluck have been missing in action for
some time now. Please let’s declare him wanted!- and to think that Goodluck is an Ijaw, from the Niger Delta!

http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=831:where-is-jonathan-goodluck&catid=25:politics&Itemid=37

where is our vice-president?

Like Ijaw like Biafra
http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=833:niger-delta-like-biafra-tamil-tigers-and-mend&catid=25:politics&Itemid=37

Award winning musician, Innocent ‘Tuface’ dibia, has said that he is scared of settling down with any woman now, despite having five children from five women. "I Have Five Kids From Five Ladies, ‘I Am Scared Of Marriage’" He said.
http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=747:i-am-scared-of-marriage-tuface-idibia&catid=46:naija-gossip&Itemid=64

Sex for Sale is normal in Nollywood, it’s a universal thing and it’s not synonymous with the entertainment industry. It’s there in the banking industry, medicine and the law professions. - Femi Branch
http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=710:nigeria-sex-for-sale-is-normal-in-nollywood&catid=46:naija-gossip&Itemid=64

The question Nigerians should be asking is this: why is it that everyone that passed through the power ministry during the period that $16 Billion was squandered in the Power and Steel Ministry was made a governor by President Olusegun Obasanjo? Agagu for Ondo, Imoke for Cross River and Goje for Gombe State.
Was OBJ buying immunity for himself?
Who has been given a blank cheque to kill the Elumelu Report?
To what extent is Bankole implicated in the REA N6billion scam?

http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=803:olusegun-obasanjo-versus-godwin-elumelu&catid=25:politics&Itemid=37

A sham, a mirage!

A revolution, CHANGE is coming!!

moneygurl:

So is Bankole the Principal leader that the Guardian newspaper is talking about?

This is getting interesting, I wonder who the Principal officer is?

Don't worry, I would keep the Forum posted. I will reveal the name in due course. What is frightening is the amount of resources being spent to kill this story. I broke the news about the names of the 3 Reps involved. I broke the news about killing the story. The House leadership are now afraid, afraid that the matter is getting out of hand.

In fact, they are furious with the Guardian Newspaper for the story you are talking about, furious that the Guardian broke the story despite the amount of money they spent to suppress the news.

Stay tuned,

Speaker of the House of Reps, Bankole era has been characterized by series of scandals. Besides the N3.2billion sleaze car purchase scam for lawmakers, others bother on furniture, electronics and sundry fraudulent procurements.

http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=771:house-of-representatives-jittery-over-elumelus-ordeal&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67

The turf appear set for a major confrontation between President Umaru Yar’adua and the House of Representatives over the Yar’adua’s accusation that the federal legislature was unduly withholding legislative action on some executive Bills, as House spokesman, Hon Eseme Eyiboh accused him of being ignorant of the legislative process.

http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=772:president-yaradua-is-ignorant-of-legislative-process-rep-eyiboh-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67

The House that corruption built
http://www.thenigerialaw.com/babangidas%20house3.bmp
http://www.thenigerialaw.com/babangidas%20house%204.bmp
http://www.thenigerialaw.com/babangidas%20house2.bmp
http://www.thenigerialaw.com/BABANGIDA'S%20HOUSE%20IN%20NIGERIA%202.doc
http://www.thenigerialaw.com/babangidas%20house.bmp
http://www.thenigerialaw.com/babangidas%20house%205.bmp
http://www.thenigerialaw.com/babangidas%20house%206.bmp

Nigeria's inability to conduct a successful re-run election in ten local government in one State - Ekiti, stands in sharp contrast to the presidential runoff election in Ghana. This story was reported in the Economist of January 8, 2009.

http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=725:the-ekiti-debacle-look-at-ghana&catid=25:politics&Itemid=37

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) insisted on Thursday that three members of the House of Representatives implicated in the N6 billion Rural Electrification Agency (REA) contract scam must appear before its investigators in person.
To demonstrate its seriousness over the matter, the EFCC refused to grant audience to lawyers representing the lawmakers who have been declared wanted since Wednesday.

Like one guy said: It seems to me that if a crooked Nigerian fails to play ball
and Pass The Loot (PTL), some vastly connected Nigerian can turn around and send this attack dog, EFCC, after that crook.
Thats Nigerian life and thats a mockery of the justice system, like is implied in the news report! In the near future when the inner workings of this Joke called EFCC are fully exposed, Historians will have a ball.

Chairman, House Committee on Power, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, is on the run. Elumelu, Hon. Jibo Muhhamed, Elumelu's Vice Chairman on Power and Hon. Igwe Paulinus are reportedly on the run with operatives of the commission on their trail to ensure their arrest and arraignment by Friday. The three are implicated in the N6 billion rural electrification contract scam as the Economic and Financial Crimes

Com-mission (EFCC) yesterday arrested and detained the chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Nicholas Ugbani.

Elombah.com sources said the problem for the "Honourable members" might have started from an inter-committee on Rural Development and Power in-fighting. The squabbles is said to have led to the scam blowing open.
Already, the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Sam Gekpe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyo, who was the acting minister when the contract was awarded, and one of the contractors handling the project, Emeka Ohagbena, are also in the net of the anti-graft agency. Ohagbena was reported to have registered nine companies and got 21 contracts.

The lid of the scam was blown open when the contactors involved in the projects made a case for the closure of their account when the EFCC noticed that a huge amount of money was paid out by the Agency towards the end of last year. The anti-graft agency quickly froze the accounts pending the verification, the sources and purpose of the payment.
Spokesperson for the EFCC, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest but declined further comment on the ground that investigation was ongoing.The commission may be working on the theory that the REA boss and a powerful cabal who had interest in the contract and needed to collect their share of the money quickly were the ones behind the decision to pay the money in bulk.The affected persons will remain in EFCC custody, untill the fleeing members of the House of Representatives are arrested so that they can be arraigned immediately.Meanwhile, officials of the Universal basic Education Commission (UBEC) arrested by the EFCC on Tuesday in connection with the N1.7 billion contract scam also rocking the Commission are still with the EFCC and are expected to be arraigned soon.

Nigerian Newspapers on Tuesday reported the arrest of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power over the N6 billion scandal.On December 30, 2008 – a few hours to the new year – Aliyu was said to have authorised the release of the money to be shared from the account of the REA.Some members of the National Assembly – including a member of the House of Representatives who was very prominent during the controversial power sector probe last year are said to have benefited a “huge chunk” from the sharing bazaar.


http://elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=743:elumelu-on-the-run&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67

My point is; Yes, there is hypocricy in the west as regards tax havens, but it is the big comapnies that benefit, but for an african country the needs economic development, tax havens encourages corruption and distorts the local economy.

Ka Chineke mezie okwu!

Could you please give us the population of these three islands?

None of the above; ie, neither a heroine nor a coward, she simply wana save her neck, and make a little dough in the process. If na you nko?

In criticising the use of Tax havens, THe Financial Havens, Banking Secrecy and Money Laundering: Double issue 34 and 35 of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Newsletter, Issue 8 of the UNDCP Technical Series said: "What started as a business to service the needs of a privileged few has become an enormous hole in the international legal and fiscal system".

The western governments are no longer happy with it because it is a major conduit for tax evasion. The OECD could only name and shame jurisdictions that do not comply with new rules on maintaing the institution. The FATF blacklists them as well.

Check and you will see that the places you talk about are very small unihabited islands that have nothing to lose. Why do you think Switzerland are moving away from, and closing such accounts today. In the long run, for the economies that really want to develop, maintaing tax havens make little economic sense.

On May 4, the Associated Press reported that Obama announced plan to close tax haven loopholes: President Barack Obama proposed to raise taxes on the overseas profits of U.S. companies and to go after evaders who abuse offshore tax shelters.

But see how he would be opposed in Congress, because the main beneficiaries are the big companies.

Ghana is not a small Island of 10,000 people with nothing to lose in having a tax haven.

I could send you my essay on how tax havens destroys the local economy if you care.

Well, its not a half "backed" idea. I have cause to write about western hypocricy as regards money laundering.

I wrote in another forum that: "Back in the days of Nuhu Ribadu’s EFCC, the investigation, arrest and indictment of Nigerian corrupt politicians on the streets of London was a sad reminder of the role of London as the centre of laundering illicit wealth from Nigeria in spite of global attempts to crack down on dirty cash. It in particular exposed ‘The dark side of London’s successes.

At the G20 summit, the leaders of the 20 most developed countries of the world signed a Resolution to “take action against non-cooperative jurisdictions, including tax havens; to deploy sanctions to protect our public finances and financial systems”.

At the end of the summit, the UK Prime Minister, Mr Gordon Browns declared: “The era of banking secrecy is over”. However, what Gordon Brown is not saying is that the UK government is as guilty as they come so far as the promotion of banking secrecy and jurisdictions that promote international money laundering is concerned.

The proliferation of jurisdictions offering Safe havens, bank secrecy and confidentiality has done irreparable damage to Africa. The international scene has created a near perfect environment for the growth of money laundering and created obstacles for law enforcement agencies in their effort to tackle the menace".

When I write about money laundering, I am an expert in the field. I am only concerned because the establishment of a tax haven in Ghana would be detrimental to Nigeria's and other Africans interest. and as a Nigerian, I should be concerned.