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•Lists Nigeria among countries with links to terrorism

Yar Adua and Barack Obama

It appears it gets only worse for Nigeria and her battered image after the US authorities last night listed her among six other nations whose nationals and air travellers are now to be subjected to more stringent pre-travel scrutiny. The fresh scrutiny follows the Christmas day failed attack on a Detroit bound plane by alleged Nigerian plane bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and it further puts the searchlight on Nigeria which has now been without a president for about 42 days. This new measure will affect Nigerians and other travellers landing today at any United States’ airport. Other countries listed with Nigeria are Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Yemen and Cuba. The move will come as a serious blow to Nigeria which had been hoping that western countries will not visit the attempted crime of Abdulmutallab on innocent Nigerians. Nigerians had for long suffered discriminatory immigration controls in western countries over what is perceived as large scale drug trafficking and advanced fee fraud (popularly called 419). Minister of Information and Communications, Dora Akunyili, had only last week pleaded with the international community to spare Nigerians from undignified treatment over the incident, saying the wrong of one man should not be visited on the entire country. But one senior western diplomat, who spoke to BusinessDay last night described the move as a slap on the face of Nigeria, one which, he said, will leave an indelible mark. According to the diplomat, “This is not just about the alleged Nigerian plane bomber, Abdulmutallab. The world sees the Abdulmutallab incident as a reflection of the failure of governance, as part of a worrying trend. “This US move must be taken as a strongest message yet that the world expects Nigeria and her government to rise up to her obligation as a regional power. “For almost 41 days you have been without a truly functional government to offer hope and assurance to a watching world and now the US is showing clearly that it is losing patience. After all, Nigeria is not the only country whose national has been listed among alleged terrorists. “It’s amazing how things have changed for Nigeria. Not many remember that only a few years ago, Nigeria was presented as a model by the world which granted her unprecedented terms that wiped away her huge foreign debts. Today that seems like a century away. The reality is that the world does not hate Nigeria. When you do well you will be rewarded”, the diplomat said. The US government said the tougher screening rules for passengers arriving by air from Nigeria and the other six countries are being introduced because they are deemed to have links with terrorism. The new measure will involve what the US authorities called “pat-down body searches and have carry-on baggage searched.” It is coming on the heels of President Barack Obama’s promise “to act quickly to fix flaws” in the US security system.

Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, the senior pastor of the Fountain of Life Church has finally announced that he will be getting married. The marriage is to take place this month.

The announcement which he made from the pulpit to the congregation of his church at Ilupeju, Lagos last Sunday has finally laid to rest the suspense that had attended his next line of action since the death of his wife, Pastor Bimbo Odukoya four years ago in a plane crash.

The congregation reacted in loud approval and jubilation to the announcement.

For a long time, his congregation and a lot of observers’ imagination was held by the riddle of whether Pastor Odukoya would re-marry or not and if he chooses to, would the new woman match up to the widely acknowledged standard established by Pastor Bimbo as a life partner and a woman of God.

Prior to the announcement last Sunday, Pastor Odukoya often exhibiting an infectious sense of humour on the pulpit would tease the congregation of his church with the riddle, at times quipping that he would be getting married the following week. This keeps people guessing and sometimes confounded.

He, however, did not disclose the identity of his wife-to-be as well as the exact day of the wedding. Even when he was prodded by the visiting elderly Mrs Hilda Adefarasin, the mother of the youthful men of God, Pastors Wale and Paul Adefarasin, to disclose the date, he diplomatically declined.

The frail and wizened Mrs. Adefarasin had been invited to the pulpit by Pastor Odukoya for special recognition after he had announced his wedding plan. She said she wanted to know if the date would not clash with her forthcoming 85

th birthday in January. Pastor Bimbo.

The announcement also came against the backdrop of a recent rumour of an unpalatable vision seen about Pastor Bimbo by an elderly man of God, published in several soft-sell publications. The story generated extensive hullaballoo until finally laid to rest by a string of refutations.

In an official press statement made by the Fountain of Life Church, it declared: "We consider the said publication a cheap agenda aimed at confusing the rising population of young Christians whose lives are still being influenced by Pastor Bimbo, even in death…

"Our dear Pastor Bimbo Odukoya ran the race, fought the good fight and is right now resting in the bossom of our Lord, Jesus Christ. As the Bible states, "Those who teach others to live right will shine like stars forever and ever."

Pastor Bimbo’s legacies in spite of the recent controversy will indubitably linger on for years to come and some observers are of the opinion that it might be a big task for it to be overshadowed by any new marital relationship Pastor Taiwo might get into.

He himself was not oblivious of this conundrum. He said during a ministration not long after Pastor Bimbo’s death: "I hear people say certain things and I laugh. And some will even ask me the question, ‘Will you re-marry?’ I say I don’t know yet. But it is not impossible. They say I wonder how that woman will be. Why? Because they are saying who can match that standard? She was a standard. She became a standard to the world in speech, in purity and in love. And yet she was warm, jovial – you will always assume you can take her for granted. You can’t."

In a very recent statement during an interview, he made a categorical statement on why he wanted to remarry: "Oh yes, definitely, I have never made a secret of that, in fact, right from the first year of her passing away; I said so. A person like me will work himself out. I need to be slowed down from time to time. We were both workaholics but we had a way of slowing ourselves dow

http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/31080/1/Pastor-Odukoya-finds-new-wife-four-years-after-Bimbos-death-in-crash/Page1.html

Al-Qaeda has claimed the failed December 25 bombing of a US-bound aircraft in a statement posted on an Islamist website yesterday, US monitoring organisations said.
The statement, which was accompanied by a picture of the suspected would-be bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, boasted that the “Nigerian brother” broke all security barriers for his operation, dispelling the “great myth” of American intelligence, SITE Intelligence said.
He used explosives technology developed by the Mujahedeen in Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) “manufacturing department,” it said.
AQAP acknowledged that a “technical fault” caused the failure in the operation,” the statement added.
Another US monitoring group, Intelcentre, also reported the same posting.
Meantime, in response to the failed Christmas Day terrorist attack on Northwest Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a new set of security measures for the Transportation Security Administration, airports and airlines — especially foreign carriers — to follow.
While domestic passengers “should not expect to see the same thing at every airport,” TSA said heightened security procedures would include increased vigilance and visibility that may (or may not) take the form of gate screening, added presence of law enforcement officers and canine teams, and other activities.
International travellers, however, are sure to notice a difference. New security measures for international flights heading toward the U.S., TSA said, will require increased gate screening “including pat-downs and bag searches” and a variety of in-flight restrictions.
“During certain portions of the flight,” passengers may be asked to put away their personal items, turn off electronic equipment, keep blankets, pillows and personal items off their laps, and stay seated, the agency said.
While TSA’s posted Guidance for Passengers gives only general information about the new in-flight restrictions, specific details have been posted on several airport and airline Web sites.
Virgin Atlantic Airlines is telling travellers heading to the U.S. that there will be “extra-screening of passengers and hand baggage at the gate immediately before boarding.”
Air Canada posted notice that, under the TSA-imposed rules, “during the final hour of flight, customers must remain seated, and will not be allowed to access carry-on baggage, or have personal belongings or other items on their laps.”
Canada’s WestJet notified passengers that these and other new procedures, such as the limit of one passenger per bag, are scheduled to be in effect until at least December 30.
In a memo sent to airlines (but not posted on the TSA Web site), airlines flying to the U.S. were instructed to turn off any in-flight entertainment systems with embedded maps or GPS programmes showing the plane’s exact location. Pilots and crew members were also told not to make announcements identifying landmarks below.
New rules, new problems
Rolled out during one of the busiest travel days of the year, the new rules immediately caused confusion, cancellations and delays at many airports.
Some U.S-bound flights from London’s Heathrow and other British airports were delayed up to five hours.
On Sunday morning, a spokesperson for Vancouver International Airport reported delays of 30 to 90 minutes for flights destined to the U.S.
At Toronto Pearson International Airport, spokesperson Patricia Krale reported “significant delays for passengers on their way to the U.S. as everyone familiarises himself with the new regulations.”

THE excitement that greeted the activation of the 191MW Independent Power Plant in Akwa Ibom State was understandable. The joy of experiencing a 24-hour power supply in some parts of the state can only be compared to what indigenes felt when the first aircraft landed in the state‘s new international airport. For a people that barely enjoyed electricity for less than 40 minutes daily before then, the turning on of the massive power generating changed many things.

It can never be gainsaid that electricity is central to industrial and technological development. This component of national growth is almost absent in Nigeria and this explains why all the sectors are stunted or dead. To tackle the problem of inadequate power supply, the Federal Government made moves to step up the level of power generated in the country. Such moves, were, however, frustrated by insincerity on the path of those handling this onerous task.

It is based on these unsure steps and faltering moves by the FG to provide electricity for the masses that some states decided to take the bull by the horns and generate their own power. There is no doubting the fact that such project is capital intensive, but the gains that could be savoured from it outweighs whatever cost or inconvenience any government will suffer to put it up.

Bearing in mind that any society that gropes in darkness cannot grow, the Akwa Ibom State Government took a decision in 2001 to build its own power plant. Though the project was to be completed by 2005, the apparent bureaucratic bottleneck that was affecting government at the centre found its way in the then administration. Before the end of that administration in 2007, the people of the state were made to understand that the power project was complete.

Even the immediate past president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, was at Ikot Abasi to inaugurate and switch on the plant. But the people of the state, who were longing for a steady power supply, became disappointed when they could not get regular power supply from the IPP. Many alibis were given as to why the people could not get what they were promised and this boiled down to the fact that more than 30 per cent of the project was yet to be completed.

But with the advent of the Akpabio administration about two-and-a-half years ago, more enthusiasm was displayed in dealing with the task of providing regular power supply for the benefit of the people of the state. The result was the switching of the power plant on Dec. 14, 2009. Before then, many artisans faced tough times trying to make profit from their ventures as a result of ceaseless power failure. But the current turn-around of event has put a big smile on their faces.

From Ikot Abasi to Eket, Esit Eket and other environs, electricity supply has been uninterrupted because of the switching on of the new power station in Ikot Abasi. A resident of Eket, Mr. Benjamin Etukudo, said the major parts of Eket had been enjoying constant power supply since Dec. 14, 2009, a development, which he pointed out, had never been experienced for over three decades.

Etukudo, however, observed that some parts of Eket were still without supply as a result of weak and substandard cables, which could not carry the high voltage of electricity from the main station in Ikot Abasi.

”We are enjoying steady power supply in Eket. A few areas in Eket could not get electricity because of the high voltage of power coming from Ikot Abasi. Again, the problem could be traced to the deplorable state of cables and transformers in the affected areas,” Etukudo stated while calling on the PHCN to replace the old and outdated transformers in areas that are yet to receive power supply.

In Ikot Abasi, a welder, who identified himself as David Ekpo, said he could now plan to make profit in his chosen business. According to him, before the current improvement in electricity supply, it was difficult for him to make ends meet.

He said customers usually left his workshop with disappointment because of their unfinished work. ”This is due to the absence of electricity. Sometimes, we do not have electricity for two weeks and when this is the case, some of us who are artisans cannot feed our families well,” Ekpo stated.

In Uyo, residents are still waiting for when electricity will be distributed to the state capital and its surroundings from the main station. The contractors that handled the project have promised that the distribution of electricity will go round the entire state.

On the impact the multimillion dollar project will have on the people of Akwa Ibom, the Special Adviser on Technical Matter to the Governor, Mr. Etido Inyang, described the project as one that would boost the industrial revolution the current administration was embarking on.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20091227104193

*Says Nigeria needs alternative to PDP
*On 2011: PDP deserves credible candidate in Akwa Ibom
*‘Akpabio has spent more time on campaign than governance’
The immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom Obong, Victor Attah, was in Lagos, last week, during which he spoke to newsmen on the national issues.
WHAT is life like since you left in 2007?
Politically, you know I am a founder and not a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There is a distinction and that is why I am making it. As at today, we are about three of such founders still remaining as members on the PDP Board of Trustees. I am, therefore, a life member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of PDP.
We are supposed to be the conscience of the party. So, I try to keep myself busy politically at that level in an effort to establish internal democracy for our party because we need it. We in PDP have to admit that we need that. But, personally, I have never been a full-time politician but I was full-time in governance which, technically, is politics when I was the governor of Akwa Ibom for eight years. Professionally, I have been back to work as an architect and town planner.
But some things disturb me a little bit and I would share it with you and that is the paradoxical attitude of Nigerians. I find that the average Nigerian would shout, ‘crucify him’, crucify him if any public officer is accused and not even convicted of having stolen money. Nigerians do not like to hear that any public officer has stolen money but it seems they expect you to have stolen money because they come back to you and say, ‘why you can’t leave this work, why do you have to do this after being a governor?

Obong Victor Attah
So, after being governor, what are you supposed to live on?’ My pension from Akwa Ibom is about N1.2 million a month and out of that I am supposed to pay five members of my staff including a cook, driver, two security people and a personal assistant. So, if you don’t go back to work, what are you supposed to live on? Are you expected to have stolen money? This is the paradoxical attitude that I don’t understand and we have to overcome it so that people who are prepared not to steal money and expect that they can go back to work when they leave office can do so.
People are still expecting that you can pay house rents for them, pay school fees for their children and hospital bills. It is ridiculous. So, Nigerians have to decide whether they want corruption by public officers or that they do not want corruption by them. But I enjoy my profession and I am back in it.
On internal democracy in PDP, how much of that have you achieved now?
It is not much and that is a blunt statement and that is why we are trying to establish it now. You can see the difficulty we are running into in Anambra and several other places. But I think it is coming. I am glad that now we have at least recognized that it is not there yet. So, we are working towards it.
A major challenge facing the nation today is the lingering health crisis of President Umaru Yar’Adua. What is your feeling especially against the seeming void in leadership which his absence has created in the Presidency?
I want to make two observations before I answer that question. First, I find that when Nigeria is faced with a crisis, rather than sit down to analyze the problem, we tend to be very emotional and allow sentiments to overpower our sense of logic. The second observation is that in a society that has an established system, things tend to work on the principle of, if this, then that, if that, then the other. But in Nigeria, things tend to work on the principle of, if this, ask the president, if that, ask the president, if the other, ask the president. So, it suggests to me that in Nigeria, we must have a president that must be always here.
With those two observations, I would now like to look at what the people are saying about the president himself. Some are shouting, ‘let the president resign’, and that the problem of his health cannot hold the country to ransom. Others are saying, if anything happens to our president and he cannot function, the vice president must also go’. Another group is saying the vice president must take over if the president cannot function. The constitution specifies clearly what must happen if the president cannot function. That “if” is the big issue that has not been addressed yet. But, of course, I agree with those who say that if the president cannot function, the vice must take over because we cannot do anything that is contrary to the constitution that is supreme.
I agree with that position entirely but, having agreed with that, let us look at what other people were saying. They said the president is ill and the vice president cannot sign the budget and so the country is being held to ransom. Should it be so? My answer to that is no but resignation is very extreme and final. You cannot resign today and come back tomorrow to say I want to rescind my resignation because I am well now. I agree that we do not have to have created a situation in which we don’t have a functioning, if you like, a de facto president.
The constitution is very clear on this too. If the president has to be out of the country, his vice must be properly mandated to function in his position. The constitution did not say how long the president can stay out of the country for health reasons or whatever but it does state that if the president has to be away, his vice must be adequately empowered by a letter to the Senate to allow the vice president to function. As far as I am concerned, that is something that can easily be corrected if it has not been done because we have an emergency situation. The vice president can function in the position of the president until we determine if the president is well enough to come back and function or not. Even that is also spelt out in the constitution.
Protective zoning
The people that are saying that if the president cannot function, his vice must also go; I like to ask, why must anybody say that? My answer is simple; they are protecting zoning. If you remember, when Chuba Okadigbo left office, we brought Wabara and when he left, we brought in Anyim Pius Anyim and when Anyim left, we brought Ken Nnamani. All of them are from South east zone. It was because within that tenure, the position was zoned to the South east. People are saying if anything happens, the vice president must go, the Senate president can come and we conduct new election. They are just protecting zoning. But we must accept that this arrangement is not in Nigerian constitution.
And, to me, that can easily be corrected even though that has to be in future. For the time being, I have said if anything happens to the president, God forbid, the vice president, by constitutional provision has to take over. But this can be corrected, if you like, by saying we want to do a Nigerian constitution that says if anything happens and the president cannot function, his vice would take over for three months within which period, we would conduct election to bring out a new president from the same zone as the former president.
We are from the South south where the vice president comes from but we would not accept if the vice president takes over and somebody says, you took over for one year and you have had your turn. No; we have not had our turn. We would like to have our full turn. So, this aspect of constitutional amendment can come and there is nothing wrong with it. We will just be making that aspect a Nigerian provision to respect the zoning.
What I am saying is that we must, in every instance, follow every aspect of the constitution. If we do not want a situation that we can truncate somebody’s tenure, then we should change the constitution to make it possible for us to have a very quick election to bring out a president from the same zone as the former president. At any point in time that a president has to be away, the vice president must be empowered to function as the president. Now I have talked about tenure and zoning but let me say something because most of you know that I was a very active and strong member of the group called Africans-for-Obama.
I went to his inauguration and something was said there that this is the 56th inauguration of the 44th president of the United States and I came away with one thing and that is that of the previous 43 presidents, only 12 made second term. But here in Nigeria, we think that once you are in office, you must have second term because the constitution permits it. The constitution only permits; it does not guarantee it.
All the constitution guarantees is that if you are good, you will do four years and if the people think you are very good, they, the people, can bring you back for a second term but not just because there is a constitutional provision for the possibility of your doing two terms, therefore, you must do two terms. No.
So, all these statements about no vacancy are not proper and not democratic. We should let people know that even within the four years; you can be impeached if you are not good. So, for you to get a second term, the people must consider that you are good enough to bring you back and not just because there is a possibility or that the constitution permits it.
What is your view on the effort to form a mega party in Nigeria?
My position is that there should have been no parties at all. That is where Professor Nwabueze and I started from and we were branded zero party people. There were several reasons why I did not think there should be parties. It may be too late to now say abolish all parties but we are looking at individuals who are saying ‘I am going to win as an individual on a particular party platform and switch to another party.’ So, nobody would say that this zero party thing was as stupid as it sounds.
I think we should have started from there and, of course, there is no individual that can have the type of money that a party can have. But I would tell you a story why I strongly support the mega party. I told you earlier that I am a founder of PDP. I met a very high officer in one of the institutions that is supposed to help us conduct credible elections. He came and introduced himself to me saying that I may not know him but he is so and so and that he was the person that made it possible for the PDP to win in so and so state.
When there was a rerun somewhere else, he said he was posted to that other state to make sure that PDP wins the rerun election. So, if we were in a position where there were two candidates of two different parties any one of which could win, do you think that man would have been so bold in making sure that a particular party wins? So, this business of one party always being assured of winning does not help democracy at all. This is where I think an alternative party would help us to grow democratically. It is from that point that I am looking at the mega party, but whether it will even succeed or not, I do not know. I believe that if we had two parties, any one of which was big and strong enough to win elections at any one time, you would see better performance, less corruption and more development. This is because we will now say my party must perform so that the people can put us back in power, rather than whether they like it or not, we are coming back. That attitude is not helping democracy.
The PDP was aware that Yar’Adua, its presidential candidate in 2007, was not physically fit to lead Nigeria and they put him forward. Why?
Yar’Adua, our presidential candidate then, challenged you to a game of squash and no one took him on it. So, how do you want me to believe that he was not physically fit to be president? Let me tell you from a completely different point of view from the people who are blaming Obasanjo for bringing Yar’Adua. To me, that is nonsense. You can condemn Obasanjo for his cynicism if he knew the health condition and brought him but you can only blame all of us because Obasanjo had only one vote on that day.
If you did not want him, why did you vote for him to be president? I think the matter should end there. If you say there was no election which is why we all want political reform, you are right because, right from the constitutional conference of 1994 and 1995, one thing that has been identified with me is the call (the sanctity of the ballot box). It was for the same reasons that people like us earlier advocated zero party system because there was no individual that could do what a party like PDP could do.
Recently, the Ike Nwachukwu-led elders committee of the PDP visited your state and was said to have settled you and Governor Godswill Akpabio. To what extent did they achieve results?
You know Ike Nwachukwu committee has just submitted its report to the National Working Committee (NWC) and it is now under consideration. That much was admitted in the recent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party which unfortunately I didn’t attend. I really do not want to go too deep into that until the party takes a decision on the report.
From a personal point of view, as I said that day openly and I can repeat it here, I was not expecting people to come and say, ‘I apologize’ to me because my issue was not a personal one. It was based on the internal democracy that we talked about earlier; that we do not, as I speak to you today, have a party executive for the PDP in Akwa Ibom.
Do you think the presidential amnesty to Niger Delta militants has finally put to rest the crisis in that region?
We like to go from one extreme to the other. The present administration has done a lot but it cannot be final because, even some of us have suggested to government what the follow-up action should be. My position to government is very well known. I talked about massive physical development and at the same time creating employment. I cannot say that the crisis has finally been laid to rest but I can say they have taken a major decision towards solving the Niger Delta problem.
What is your relationship with Governor Akpabio now?
I will continue to offer advice and I will continue to commend him where he has done well. But I will completely condemn whatever is going wrong. One thing about me is that you would not find me just condemning but will make alternative suggestion.
What is your assessment of his administration?
I have been running away from that question but I know that some people believe that the governor has spent more time campaigning for his second term than governing the state.
Hyperbolic exaggerations
They also believe that a lot of what we hear about projects and developments might just be hyperbolic exaggerations and distortions and that there is far less on the ground there than we are made to believe in the media. And that what we have on the ground is not at all commensurate with the phenomenal amount of money that has gone to the state. There seems to be some truth in what is being said but I have not investigated it.
When I was in Akwa Ibom, I initiated bread and butter projects as well as transformative projects. Such transformative projects are the like of Le’Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort, which everybody is talking about now as becoming the ideal and preferred place for national and international events and conferences. But the people who would come to your hotel, how would they come?
Therefore, you must have an airport; but would you have an airport that is only for transporting passengers? My answer was no, because today they are talking about closing down non-viable airports. So, I put something there that makes it viable, that is the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility which is capable of earning large scale foreign exchange for the state and the country. But these things should run efficiently; therefore, you must have 24-hour constant power. Then we built a power plant of 181 megawatts which was commissioned by the former president, Obasanjo, in May 2007.
What was left was the transmission line. I knew the importance of information technology (IT) so I started a science park and sent people out of the country to go and train in IT. By the way, when I was building the airport, we trained people in piloting, in airport management, control tower, fire fighting, security and in all other aspects so that when the management company came and started recruiting, it found enough Akwa Ibom people to employ. We started the university of technology. …All these were some of the transformative projects, including the seaport in Ibaka. So, we were building all those transformative projects and also the bread and butter projects such as providing roads, schools, water, housing, health facilities and all that. Those are the obligations of any government.
Would you like the present government in Akwa Ibom to continue in power beyond 2011?
As a founder of the PDP, I would want my party to win in the next election but PDP must field a credible candidate. I said before that second tenure is permitted but not guaranteed. Therefore, whoever wants it must convince the people that he deserves it. If PDP wants to field Akpabio, it must be convinced that the people will vote for him. That is all. I alone cannot change anything.
It is the people that would decide who should come back or not. But we still have a problem in this country making a distinction between official and personal relationships. Somebody came to me and said, now that you have been reconciled with Godswill Akpabio, I hope you are going to work with him’. I looked at the person and told him: ‘Do you realize I am not his wife and so cannot work with him on the domestic platform; do you realize I am not his commissioner and cannot work with him on the governmental level? I can only work with him on the PDP platform but if the party refuses to create a PDP for us in Akwa Ibom, how do I work with him?’
How do you cope without the usual perks and paraphernalia of office since 2007 that you completed your second term?
It is funny, the one I think I had difficulty getting used to was the siren, when everybody has to jump out of the way for you. I was in the aircraft one day and when we got to where we were going, I was trying to bring down my briefcase and somebody asked, ‘why are you doing this your Excellency; where is your personal assistant?’ I told him that such things came with the office and also went out with the office.
Because I was used to somebody carrying my briefcase for eight years, can I no longer carry my brief case now that I am out of office? I am very comfortable. What I am missing out of office now is that sometimes I see things that should be done for the benefit of the people that are not being done. Even though you make suggestions, nobody listens to you. The frustration is in knowing what should be done, advising and watching how money is being squandered otherwise.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/12/19/vp-goodluck-jonathan-must-take-over-now-%E2%80%93-ex-gov-attah/

It may sound incredible, but it is true. Many Nigerian ladies now bear children for men just for a fee. They are all over town, in Lagos and other parts of the country, looking for men to conceive for, not as wives but simply for commercial purposes. And once they are delivered of the babies, they hand same over to their ‘customers’ and move on.

It seems that with the nation’s economy teetering on the precipice and millions of Nigerians experiencing excruciating hardship, as a result of the global financial meltdown, some of the citizens are, characteristically, adopting survival strategies with a touch of ingenious creativity. In this case, women are giving good accounts of themselves in the game of survival.

Saturday Sun investigation revealed that the pregnancy-for-money has become a lucrative business, to the extent that many Nigerian ladies find it attractive. The men they bear children for may not be acquaintances or people they know. The bottom-line is the money involved. Conception could be through artificial insemination or sexual intercourse. To play the role, the ladies charge between N150, 000 and N200, 000. This sum, however, does not include antenatal bills.

While investigating the story, Saturday Sun undercover reporter got six young ladies to have babies for him for a fee. One of them, who claim to be carrying a three-month pregnancy currently, agreed to hand over the baby to him whenever it was delivered.

Agnes, as she identified herself, was not keen to disclose the source of her pregnancy. When asked who was responsible for the pregnancy she wants to sell, she retorted: “How I got pregnant is not the issue. If you want the baby, I will give it to you when I deliver and you pay me. That’s all.”

Indeed, getting the pregnancy-for-fee ladies is like a piece of cake. As soon as Saturday Sun broached the idea to one Miss Joy (surname withheld), a 25-year-old factory worker, she had no objection. To her, it was a familiar path. It seemed that she had done it before and was not averse to doing it again. And it was the Delta State indigene, who later introduced three of her friends or acquaintances who are also in the business.

After gaining Joy’s confidence, the reporter told her that he knew some childless couples who were also interested in such a deal. She thought about the proposal briefly and said she would arrange it if adequately motivated. In her words: “Na your money go waka for you.”

Joy charged a consultancy fee of N5, 000 and got to work. Within 48 hours, she got other ladies who would join her in the deal. She actually told the reporter that she could arrange as many of such ladies as there are clients because, according to her, it was a common practice among girls in Mushin and Ajegunle areas of Lagos, where she resides with her aged parents and siblings. She said she has connection with other ladies outside Lagos, who are also in the network. To show that she meant business, Joy offered her three-year-old love child for sale, as Saturday Sun reported a few months ago. Her asking price was N300, 000 to give up the baby boy.

One of the commercial mothers, Tonia, said: “If any guy wants me to have a child for him, I will consider it if he can pay me up to N200, 000. He will also pay my medical bills. He will pay the agreed sum in three instalments: He will pay me the first one when I take in; the second will be when the pregnancy is about six months old while the final payment will be after delivery. We can be making love from time to time until full term.”

Another “baby factory”, who gave her name as Sonia, 26, said she could accept N130, 000 but that the man would handle her upkeep until she puts to bed.
Busty and lively, she said she wouldn’t mind living with the man from about the fourth month of the pregnancy so that the man would continue sleeping with her, as couple do. However, unlike Tonia, she would collect half of the agreed sum shortly after she becomes pregnant and the other half when she puts to bed.

On her own part, Becky, who hails from Edo State, said that she would accept to render such service if the man would pay N100, 000, provide her accommodation as well as foot her other bills until she is delivered of the baby. She said the man has to take care of her as his wife during the period of the pregnancy.
Another lady in the business, who simply identified herself as Patience, an indigene of Cross River State, said: “When we agree and the man gives me belle, I go tell my senior sister that I want to travel. Then the man will give me where to stay until I born am.”

She said her pay-off was a lump sum of N150, 000, which she intends to use to start a business.
While all the ladies said they were ready to go for tests before the consummation of the deals, they pledged not to relinquish the custody rights over the babies they are rented to bear once money exchanged hands.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/oct/17/national-17-10-2009-002.htm

Physical disability, a barrier to true love? Do you believe that some physical anomaly can affect your being loved or be love?

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) said yesterday it had disqualified the nation’s four licenced GSM operators - MTN, Etisalat, Zain and Globacom - from buying M-TEL, the mobile arm of the moribund Nigeria Telecommunications Plc (NITEL), if the national carrier is sold as an entity.
Based on advice of and subsequent agreement with the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), the BPE has decided to unbundle NITEL into units and sell each separately to all bidders including the four licensed GSM operators.
The bidders are, however, allowed to buy a combination of units subject to “regulatory restrictions.”
The companies that have submitted their applications are Etisalat Nigeria (EMTS), Omen International Limited (BVI), Summit Group, MTI Consortium, Finetek Consortium, MTNL Limited, India, and Globacom Ltd. Others are MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, Anas Network Services Limited, Telefonica Cons-ortium, Metro PCS Commun-ications Inc, Brymedia (W.A) Limited, Galaxy Backbone Plc, Conau Limited and Dansacom.
BPE had in July placed advertisements in local and international media calling for expressions of interest (EOIs) from prospective investors for the acquisition of at least 75 per cent equity in NITEL. The call for EOIs is expected to close on Monday, October 26, 2009.
Director General of BPE, Dr. Christopher Anyanwu, at a briefing on NITEL privatisation yesterday in Abuja expressed fear that if the bureau allowed any of the four licensed GSM operators to buy NITEL as a single entity, it would “present competition challenges and will conflict with the regulator’s guidelines and licensing conditions.”
Anyanwu said Glo and NITEL hold Second National Operators (SNO) licences, and if the former was allowed to purchase a bundled NITEL, it would leave Glo with two SNO licences and would be “anti-competition”.
Nonetheless, NCC had pointed out that any of the local operating firms could purchase NITEL alone without M-TEL and SAT3.
Anyanwu explained that the decision to unbundle NITEL into units was reached following NCC’s response to a letter asking it for advice/input on privatisation of the company.
The BPE boss said NCC had advised the bureau that unbundling would help it overcome some of the regulatory barriers. He added that each buyer might pay a higher price for the component it values most important for its strategic plan.
“It will thereby enable government to make more money from the entire privatisation process," he added. He also pointed out that small and medium-size operators could participate in the process, thereby increasing the number of players and increasing the probability of getting a buyer for each component part. He said he believes “the more the number of participants, the more the competition for the purchase of the items”.
Anyanwu disclosed that NCC had suggested that NITEL be unbundled into: “DML Licence and Infrastructure (M-TEL); Long Distance Licence and Infrastructure (fibre + microwave); International Licences – 3No International Gateway and SAT-3 Submarine Cable Access and Fixed Network – CDMA fixed wireless, digital switches, external line plants cable network, metropolitan fibre cable networks."
It noted that the "CDMA fixed wireless network could be upgraded to a CDMA mobile network if the purchaser obtains a universal access service licence and Value Added Services Licences, that is, Internet service provider, prepaid card, coin box, internet exchange point, amongst others”.


http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=157218

The latest standardize laptop is a series of professionally designed computers created to solve peculiar solution for professionals in different field of interest.

Archbishop Peter Akinola, the head of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria while receiving the gift laptop from Zinox said the innovation is very discerning and would be a market sale out.

The Anglican Bishop has already ordered samples of the laptop for all Anglican Bishops in Nigeria. “This is an ongoing collaboration with Zinox to achieve the complete computerization of our church” said the Archbishop.

The feature has biblical characters and easily navigates into origin and historical content. It also has characterization in Nigeria’s local languages.

http://www.africanews.com/site/Nigeria_Zinox_customize_laptops_for_Bishops/list_messages/27350

The Federal Executive Council last May approved a proposal by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to launch the Buy Made in Nigeria Products Campaign. The campaign, according to the ministry is aimed at increasing industrial productivity and reducing the high level of importation. If properly implemented, the project could help grow the Nigerian economy by creating jobs for its teeming army of unemployed and propagate the value of Nigerian products locally and internationally. It also envisages earning the much-needed foreign exchange and minimizing Nigeria’s overdependence on oil proceeds.

However this campaign comes at a time when most indigenous companies have either closed down or drastically scaled down their operations as a result of inclement investment climate of the country, mainly the absence of reliable infrastructure. Top on the list is the problem of low and epileptic power supply. Other factors militating against the survival of Nigerian industries and products are multiple taxes and low patronage by the elite of locally-manufactured goods.

The taste for, and patronage of, foreign made goods are highest among the Nigerian elite, and changing this unpatriotic habit is very likely to be a herculean but not an insurmountable task. Now that government has turned this to a campaign, we expect that government officials would lead by example. One major place to start is the Nigerian civil service, where the government stands as the culprit with its policy directives on official dress code. Judging by posters posted in most government offices, civil servants are deemed to have dressed smartly only when they wear suits and ties. This is encouraged Monday through Thursday, while Friday is reserved for traditional dresses. This policy relegates Nigerian traditional attire to the level of casual or ceremonial wear. This sartorial colonialism should have ended with independence; it should end forthwith.

While some Nigerian ministers are known to wear traditional dresses, the fabrics out of which they are made are not Nigerian. They tend to prefer the imported, more expensive but not necessarily better quality materials. This is not leadership by example. Hence our people continue to hanker after foreign products. Yet even at the low level of production, Nigeria still makes enough quality materials to meet local demand and also for export. If those in government lead the campaign, it will not be long before other Nigerians follow them. They should practice what they preach.


It is quite shameful that our country allows the display and denomination of its goods and services in foreign currencies. Hotels and boutiques pride themselves as Dollar shops. It is only in Nigeria that goods so displayed outside port duty free shops. Schools and other business groups also charge fees and rates in foreign currency, particularly the US dollar. This is a policy that shames not just the national currency, but the national psyche and sovereignty. There must be a way of imbuing the patriotic spirit not only in citizens but even in foreigners to buy goods in Nigeria using the Nigerian Naira. This is the situation in countries such as Malaysia where even tourists are made to change their international currencies to the local one before they can make purchases.

It shows the depth of our loss of self-respect as a nation that a country which is embarking on a Made in Nigeria campaign would denominate contracts for work within its shores in foreign currencies. Yet, this is what has recently happened in no other place than in the Ministry of Information and Culture, home of the country’s rebranding strategy. It is particularly irking that Nigeria has become a virtual dumping ground for all sorts of finished goods because its component ministries and agencies endorse international protocols and treaties which effectively compromise its sovereignty and economy. We hope that this launching will not just be the usual jamboree in which public funds are spent on very laudable objectives, after which it’s back to business as usual. Nigerians want to see policies that favour the survival of their local industries.


http://www.news.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7661:buy-nigerian-campaign&catid=54:editorial&Itemid=146

Henceforth, hospitals across the country must treat gunshot victims or face criminal charges and a jail term or a fine, the Federal Government has said.
The order from the government follows the rising death toll of gunshot and accident victims denied treatment due to lack of police report and other unlawful requirements.
It is also less than a month after the death of the Assistant Political Editor of Guardian Newspapers, Mr. Bayo Ohu, whose chances of survival was jeopardized when he was reportedly denied medical treatment by a hospital asking for police report.
At a news conference in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osoti-mehin, and the Minister of State in the Ministry, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, asked hospitals to desist from delaying the treatment of such victims on any ground, saying the saving of lives should be paramount.
The minister who was flanked by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Uba Ringim, who represented the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, and the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Osita Chidoka, said delay in treatment might result in the loss of lives thereby destroying evidence which would have been cardinal to the case.
“We as medical professionals should treat first. We should not put money before the lives of our patients. Do not ask for payment or police report, just give treatment,” he said.
Ringim who spoke on the issue disclosed that a directive had been issued on the matter.
“We have issued directives to all police stations on the matter and ordered them to carry the message to all clinics in their vicinity.
“Already, we have sent out circulars to those effect and have warned our men not to query any hospital that treats accident or gunshot victims.
“It is unfortunate that hospitals refuse to give care. What is important is to protect lives, treat them, give them all the attention and later contact the police with all the information,’ he said.
Chidoka stated that refusal or rejection of a gunshot or accident victims is a crime and contravens section 10/4/Z of the FRSC code. It attracts a fine of N50,000 and above, he added.
According to him, that section would henceforth be enforced against any hospital or persons in default.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=157018

ABUJA — GOVERNOR of the Central Bank, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday, made some startling revelations on the atrocities committed by the Managing Directors and Executive Directors of the eight troubled banks which led to their removal even as the Senate endorsed the sack and prosecution of the bankers and the current reforms of the apex bank.
Sanusi, who addressed the Annual Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, in Abuja said that Nigerians would be shocked when the sacked bank Managing Directors are confronted with facts of their excesses at the courts. According to him, “one of them gave loans totaling N236 billion to companies related to him.”

Deputy Governor CBN, Mr. Tunde Lemo (l) ICAN President, Chief (Mrs.) Elizabeth Adegite and ICAN Deputy President, Maj. Gen. Sebastian Owuama during the opening session of the 39th Annual Conferences of the Institute of Chattered Accountants of Nigeria at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida
The apex bank governor lamented that the bank MDs and other directors of the banks who included bankers, accountants, lawyers and other professionals threw away the ethics of their professions to plunder the banks at the detriment of their investors, the banking sector, the economy and the Nigerian public at large.
His words: “I would like to use this opportunity to express some of the concerns I have about the state of professionals in Nigeria. In the past, institutions were well run by professionals and politicians were the ones that were often linked with unwholesome practices.
However, today, the professionals are not better. Some of the things that happened in the banks, if your saw them…the facts are going to come out in court and I tell you, Nigerians will be shocked. We have discovered that one MD gave out loans totaling N236 billion to companies that are linked to him. Just imagine that.”
Mr Sanusi equally disclosed to the bewildered audience that one of the affected banks used depositors’ funds to purchase 50 per cent of its current shares, a practice, he said, was totally fraudulent in a deal where the share price has since fallen from between N25-30 per share to a mere N3 per share.
“While these were happening, where were the accountants, the auditors? While these were happening, someone was reporting profits, paying dividends out of operations that could not by any standards be said to be profitable. That is why we are where we are”, the governor said.
He said there was nothing wrong with running big banks in the country but that every bank must be managed in full compliance with regulations and ethics of the banking profession.
In his response to questions raised by the accountants, Mr Tunde Lemo, a Deputy Governor of the CBN admitted that the apex bank could not absolve itself from blame on the rot of the banks before the governor moved in to sack some of the MDs, but insisted that it could not act beyond the information provided by the banks.
According to him, “We are not 100 per cent blameless. We should also be blamed. We should be blamed on risk concentration, particularly when the banks were putting money into the capital market”.
Mr. Lemo said PricewaterhouseCoopers had been engaged to look into the entire issue and that officers found to have compromised in their duties would be sanctioned.
He said that the CBN had learnt some lessons from the development, as according to him, all products of banks must be well-understood and that the regulators must be ahead of operators.
The CBN Deputy Governor then called for change in value among the Nigerian public, saying, “I am worried personally. When I was growing up, virtually all public officers were role models. But today, who do our children have to model themselves after”?
In her address, the President of ICAN, Mrs. Elizabeth Adegite, challenged chartered accountants in the country to play a more critical role in ensuring good corporate governance in the organisations they serve either as staff or external auditors in accordance with the ethics of the profession.
According to her, accountants should also see themselves as members of the larger society who would always be affected by the general fortunes of the nation’s economy.
Senate backs CBN
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday gave its full support for the sack of eight managing directors and chief executive officers of some commercial banks.
The endorsement was heralded by a briefing by the CBN governor, Mr. Sanusi to the Senate during yesterday’s sitting.
Spokesman of the Senate, Senator Ayogu Eze, who briefed media men at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja described the findings that led to the sack of the bank chiefs as very worrying.
He however failed to disclose the exact finding, promising that it will be done tomorrow at the conclusion of the governor’s briefing.
Beside, Senator Eze also said that the Senate is in full support of the planned deregulation of the downstream oil sector by the Federal Government, but stressed that the Senate will safeguard Nigerians from being exploited by marketers.
He said, “We have invited the governor of the Central Bank to come and brief us on the goings on in the banking sector because as representatives of the people who are affected directly and indirectly by the happenings in the bank we have been inundated with barrage of petitions, phone calls, inquiries, some of them commending the action some condemning it and a lot of them saying all sorts of things.
So, we took up the governor of the Central Bank on some of the things and what I want to say for now is that revelations coming from the briefing given by the Governor of Central Bank is sobering and a lot of our colleagues were really disturbed by the magnitude of the malfeasance and things that have happened in the banking sub-sector.
“However, because the briefing is still continuing, we are meeting with him again on Thursday (tomorrow) because of the sensitive nature of the briefing we want to be as exhaustive as possible because a lot of issues are going to be involved.
But so far, members of the Senate are quite satisfied with the way the governor has done his job and with the way he has handled the assignment up till the briefing today.
“If there are things that will come on Thursday that will suggest that what he did was wrong of course will not hesitate to say it, so far we are very pleased that he had to intervene at the time he intervened to save the country from embarrassment.”
Speaking on deregulation he said, “Deregulation does not have to wait for the Petroleum Industry Bill because the issue of regulation is an administrative issue that is purely concerned with the day to day running of the petroleum industry by the operators. The issue of subsidy was not put there by law.
“It was a government policy that brought subsidy to cushion the effect of rising prices of petroleum products on the people and I think that this issue of divestment of government from business also means that those who are involved in everyday economic activities should be allowed to subject themselves to the rigours of market forces.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/14/bank-ex-md-gave-n236bn-loan-to-own-firms-sanusi/

Federal government yesterday raised the hope of Nigerians on the possibility of surpassing the projected national target of 6,000MW of electricity generation by December saying it is partnering with the private sector on initiatives to encourage energy efficiency products that would extend power generation capacity to 18,000MW.
Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, who gave the indication at the opening of an international conference on Renewable Energy Growth in Africa (IREC) in Abuja, said the Ministry was collaborating with the private sector to encourage energy efficiency products that would ultimately lead to energy conservation at a substancial level in the country.
He said the plan of government was to move at least 20% of the nation's population towards renewable energy and low carbon economic development.
When fully implemented, the initiative will further stretch our projected national target of 6,000MW electricity to about 18,000MW without additional power stations as well as enhance our carbon credit, the Minister said.
Odey charged Nigerians to consider the task of building a low carbon economy as our collective responsibility, adding that all must begin to promote cleaner energy sources such as solar, hydro, wind geothermal as means of achieving improved power supply in the country.
"We should also promote and use energy efficiency products in our homes and offices. With this, we would be contributing to the efforts at combating global warming and climate change", he said.

The Minister therefore tasked the conference to explore and harness all forms of alternative energy sources in order to meet the energy demand of Nigeria's population and introduce successful financing mechanisms for renewable energy projects.
Chairman of the organising committee for IREC, Prof. A.M.A Imevbore, said renewable energy can be deployed much faster and will reach more rural and semi-urban people more rapidly than electricity from fossil fuel.
He, however, said the renewal energy policy and master plan cannot be successfully implemented without the necessary legal framework to back it up.
He noted that absence of the law backing the roll-out of the renewable energy master plan is hampering investment and development in the sector.
According to him, the law must be passed by the National Assembly which will include various incentives like feed-in-tarrifs, special tarrifs, caps and free duty.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=157010

•ExxonMobil to buy oil field for $4bn

With uncertainty still surrounding the outcome of Nigeria’s amnesty deal with militants, the country’s low ranking in the doing business index, poor infrastructure and a controversial industry policy, oil majors are exploring other frontiers in search of stable and secure sources of crude oil.
The latest in such moves involves Exxon Mobil Corp which has agreed to buy a $4 billion stake in an oil field off the coast of Ghana, according to people involved in the deal, as the global energy giant seeks a foothold in a major new oil-producing region.
The situation in the Niger Delta has driven investment that would have ordinarily come to Nigeria to her neighbouring countries of Angola and now Ghana because of peaceful investment climate in those places.
There have been series of attacks and high level of insecurity which have led some of the projects that should have been completed years back to remain stalled.
The deal is Exxon’s first major purchase in a decade and appears to highlight that the company believes oil prices will rise over the long term. Some energy analysts have asserted that weak demand for the fuel can’t support even the current price of $70 a barrel.
A spokesman for Exxon declined to comment. People briefed on the deal said that while the parties have reached a binding agreement, the deal hasn’t yet been completed and is therefore subject to change. One outstanding issue is that the Ghanaian national oil company has the right to increase its stake, according to a person involved in the transaction.
The seller is Dallas-based Kosmos Energy, which was part of a group that made the 2007 offshore discovery that is estimated to hold 1.8 billion barrels of oil. Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Tullow Oil plc also own separate stakes in the field, known as Jubilee.
Kosmos informed bidders for its 23.5 percent stake in the field that it had “entered into an exclusive binding agreement” with Exxon, according to a person who had seen the letter.
The news of the deal was cheered by investors. In London trading Tullow rose 8.4 percent to £12.09 ($19.28). In afternoon New York trading, Anadarko was up 6.1 percent to $65.41 and Exxon was up 1.5 percent to $68.58.
But reacting to the development, Diran Fawibe, chief executive officer of International Energy Service, said the issue of corporate governance is very important to foreign investors and considering what is currently happening in Nigeria it is not impossible that oil companies might look elsewhere.
He said the recent visit of President Barrack Obama to Ghana was part the strategic move by the United States to ensure that there is continuous supply of oil to their country. “US wants to make strategic move into oil industry in Ghana”
Oil companies in Nigeria, he said, are nervous with the intent Petroleum Industry Bill which the government is bent on implementing. The PIB, he said, seeks to reverse some terms of the existing contracts that have been. It is putting some level of uncertainty in the comfort level of the oil companies.
Another industry operator who spoke to BusinessDay but did not want to be quoted said that the way the Chinese companies are trying to get a foothold into the Nigerian oil industry makes the government uncharitable to the traditional players in country’s oil and gas industry.
But the former president of the Nigerian Association Petroleum Exploration (NAPE), Kingsley Ojoh, said that there is no cause for alarm over the investments oil majors are making in the neighbouring countries as their reserves are still far lower than that of Nigeria.
According to him, the biggest discovery in Ghana which is Jubilee field is worth $1.5 billion to $2 billion, adding that every investor has the right to put his money where he thinks he would make the best returns.
The oil industry has become increasingly optimistic about the prospects for oil production off the upper West African coast. This summer, a separate consortium announced a discovery off Sierra Leone, leading analysts to speculate that the 1,100-kilometer stretch between the two finds could be dotted with buried sands containing precious light crude oil.
Exxon’s entry amounts to a seal of approval. “If Exxon Mobil likes this stuff, then everyone knows it’s good,” says Neil McMahon, an energy analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein.
The acquisition is the largest deal for the famously conservative company in over a decade. In the late 1990s, Exxon Corp. and Mobil Corp. combined in an $81.2 billion merger, creating the world’s largest shareholder-owned oil company.
Around the same time, Exxon bid aggressively for exploration licenses in several deepwater blocks off Angola, which was then an unproven oil region emerging from years of civil war. The deal proved prescient: Angola is now a major oil producer and in
2007 became a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Opening up its wallet to purchase oil assets signals a new strategic direction for Exxon. Over the last decade, the Texas behemoth has been reluctant to make any large purchases, even as its holdings of cash and repurchased stock ballooned. At midyear, it held $15.6 billion in cash, and the value of treasury shares it has bought back since 2001 were worth $173.6 billion.
The Ghana purchase suggests that Exxon is moving to replenish its oil reserves by building its portfolio asset by asset, rather than by making a mega-deal. Indeed, analysts say that Exxon, with its $325 billion market capitalisation, may be too big already in the eyes of regulators to swallow another large oil company.
In addition to buying into the new West Africa oil province, Exxon is engaged in some high-profile, deepwater exploration activities off the coasts of the Philippines , Turkey , Madagascar and Greenland . It also recently backed a large oil-sands development in Canada and a gas export facility in Australia . While none of these regions is large enough to transform the company, put together they could help Exxon maintain its oil and natural gas production and reserves.
It is not clear which company would be the operator of Jubilee, which is expected to begin producing oil in 2010. Tullow has a 34.7 percent stake, larger than the share Exxon is acquiring from Kosmos. Anadarko also holds a large interest. The Ghanaian national oil company and two other companies hold small stakes.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5695:ghana-becoming-attractive-destination-for-oil-investments&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

The latest ranking of Nigeria’s economy as the 99th in the world by the world Economic Forum, a Geneva-based organisation, does not bode well for our country. Nigeria was among the 133 countries assessed in the Global Competitiveness Report for the period 2009-2010.

The ranking is based on a poll of over 13,000 business leaders and a collection of key indices of each country’s economy. The outcome of the ranking, which is a yearly exercise, shows Nigeria five places down the scale. Last year, Nigeria’s economy was ranked 94th in the world. This implies that the key indices necessary for economic development are deteriorating rather than improving. The recent economic meltdown is said to have taken its toll on many countries, and Nigeria may have been hard hit by the aftershock of the global economic turbulence.

But the World Economic Forum in its report noted that Nigeria’s reversal of fortunes was deepened by a combination of factors which include weak institutional frameworks, security concern, high level of corruption especially in key government institutions, and by public officials and wasteful spending. For instance, in the area of weak institutions, Nigeria was ranked 102nd, insecurity (117th), corruption (122nd) and wasteful spending (120th).

Also, the worst area in the ranking was at the primary education level which was ranked 132nd out of the 133 countries that were surveyed. Besides, Nigeria’s state of infrastructure was described as appalling by the report. It was ranked 127th.

However, the consolation is that Nigeria’s macroeconomic environment received a somewhat favourable rating. It was ranked 20th. This is on the basis of what the report called Nigeria’s “high national savings rate” and “low national debt.” Also, our market size was rated very highly at 42nd in the world. This, the WEF report explains, provides opportunities of economies of scale to companies operating in Nigeria.

Overall, South Africa’s economy came tops in the African continent. Its financial markets were rated five times higher than they were last year. Key institutions are said to be in excellent form.

We are not surprised by the ranking. It confirms our fears, and indeed that of investors, that the Federal Government has done so much talk and less walk in improving our economy. Clearly, in the last one year alone, more energies have been devoted to policy pronouncements and less to concrete action plan that will move the economy out of its present doldrums. Knowledge-based economics seems to be lacking by the handlers of Nigeria’s key sectors. Institutions of government that are supposed to ginger economic growth are not measuring up to expectations. Official corruption still ranks high, infrastructure decay, erratic power supply, bad road network and spate of kidnappings, remain disincentives to investments. The latest turbulence in the capital market may have equally worsened matters.

Indeed, one of the consequences of Nigeria’s latest poor ranking is that it is capable of weakening investors’ confidence since investors make their decisions based on the strength or weakness of every given country’s economy. Such decisions are determined by business environment and efficiency, innovation and regulations, among other critical factors.

Sadly, none of these indices ranks high in investors’ scale of preference. Therefore, we urge government to take this latest global competitiveness ranking as a wake-up call to improve the economy.
Government and its key institutions must strive to establish and maintain international performance benchmarks for the economy if it must get good ratings that can sustain confidence in the country. A poor rating as reflected in the latest ranking by the World Economic Forum will not do our economy any good whatsoever.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/editorial/2009/oct/12/editorial-12-10-2009-001.htm

Can a man die for love? If your answer is in the negative, a man has proved you wrong. Nnamdi Odoegbu, a resident in Lugbe,a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory believes no price is too much to pay for love. Penultimate Thursday, Nnamdi demonstrated this. He took his life after his lover, one Jumai reportedly decided to jilt him. Neighbours woke up to find thelifeless body of Nnamdi,aka Iron Iron hanging from a rope.

An eye witness told Daily Sun that the deceased decided to end his life since he was unable to effect a change in the attitude of his lover, Jumai. Nnamdi had reportedly accused Jumai of frequenting night clubs, an allegation which forced her to end the love affair.
Unable to bear the separation, the late Odoegbu was said to have resorted to always threatening to commit suicide if he was unable to bend Jumai’s mind. Not even the intervention by some of his family members and friends could help the situation, it was further learnt.
Police in Abuja confirmed the story to Daily Sun and said they got involved when Jumai reported a threat to her own life by the deceased.

“Quite naturally, the deceased was arrested and later detained and released to go and settle his crisis,” Police said.

But the deceased was said to have gone to the extent of physically assaulting his lover after the intervention of the Police. Apparently frustrated by Jumai’s unyielding attitude, the deceased was said to have confided in his friend called Peter that he was going home.
Unknown to Peter, the deceased “went home” the next day. Authorities at the National Hospital were said to have pronounced Odoegbu dead.

Police told Daily Sun that Odoegbu has since been buried in his home town, Okpuje in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu state.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/oct/05/national-05-10-2009-019.htm

Troops will remain in the Niger Delta to safeguard oil installations, the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) has declared - eight days after the end of amnesty.
And Petroleum Minister, Rilwanu Lukman, disclosed at the weekend that Nigeria now produces between 1.6 million and 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) and is sticking to its quota allocated by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
That translates into earning N18 billion a day.
Lukman said oil output reached 1.7 million barrels when the amnesty lasted from August 5 to October 4.
A decision by OPEC on production quotas on December 22 will depend on market conditions, such as demand, he stressed.
"OPEC will only increase output if the market requires it," Lukman explained in an interview in Abuja.
A spokesman from Chevron confirmed that the company's Agbami platform offshore produced 250,000 bpd in August, four months ahead of schedule.
The Agbami oil and gas field, which began production in July last year, is a $7 billion project containing an estimated 900 million barrels of oil equivalent of recoverable hydrocarbons, the largest deepwater discovery to date in Nigeria.
Agbami stretches across 45,000 acres and is located some 70 miles (113 kilometres) offshore the Niger Delta.
Situated on Nigerian blocks OML 127 and 128, its water depth is 4,500 feet (1,372 metres).
The crude oil found in Agbami is light and sweet, with a 45-degree API gravity and no contaminants.
Through its major capital projects worldwide, Chevron, the second-largest American oil company, is poised to ramp up production faster than its rivals, according to Dow Jones.
Moreover, it has 40 projects for which it is investing $1 billion each, 15 of them located in Africa and Latin America.
Other operators in Agbami are Petrobras, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Famfa Oil, and StatoilHydro ASA.
Lukman's estimate of current production is 100,000 bpd higher than a range provided by Petroleum Minister of State, Odein Ajumogobia.
Lukman, the more senior oil official, said output flows fluctuate from day to day.
The figures he and Ajumogobia released both exclude condensate production, the addition of which brings Nigeria's output to more than two million bpd, they said.
Under the amnesty programme, thousands of militants and their commanders renounced violence and surrendered weapons. With relative peace in the Deep South, oil production is likely to increase in the coming months, Ajumogobia enthused.
However, Abuja officials have given differing production figures in recent months.
Lukman had said on August 26 that output had risen to 1.7 million bpd from 1.2 million, following an improvement in security.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Lamido Sanusi, who said on August 4 that output had declined to one million bpd, told reporters in Istanbul last week that it has risen back to about two million bpd.
What is known for a fact is that oil production, which averaged 2.5 million bpd in 2005, according to the Petroleum Ministry, has suffered in the last three years from armed attacks on oil workers and installations by militants in the Niger Delta, the country's oil basin.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the main armed group in the region, has threatened to resume attacks on the oil industry when its current ceasefire ends on October 15, as its Spokesman Jomo Gbomo, reiterated in a statement at the weekend.
The group has rejected the amnesty, saying it fails to address its demands for redistribution of oil wealth to Niger Deltans who are among the poorest in the country.
JTF Commander, Brigadier General Sarkin Bello, noted at the weekend that soldiers have been stationed in the Niger Delta since 2003, but they need to stay longer to protect vulnerable points and oil facilities.
"We take directives from Defence Headquarters and so far we have not received any (counter directive) since the amnesty ended," he said.
"We are also aware a big achievement has been recorded by the government regarding the restoration of law and order in the Niger Delta. I am sure government, in its wisdom, will direct the JTF on the next line of action."

http://www.independentngonline.com/news/tfpg/article01

@platinumnk
B/4 u start advertizing urself pls respond 2 my email of 3 oct,2009 , 9 days ago

Thanks

The Federal Government is rather pessimistic that the alarming rate of unemployment in Nigeria would persist longer than expected as there appears to be no solution in sight.

The government is also of the opinion that it may not be able to effectively implement the 2010 budget as captured on its fiscal risks projections as a potential hindrance.

This was contained in the medium-term expenditure framework submitted to the National Assembly by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

In the 66-page document, obtained by Senate correspondents, the president said there is still no light at the end of the tunnel on the issue of unemployment in the country, particularly within the context of the current global economic crisis.

According to him, the economic slowdown, which began as a crisis in financial markets, with frozen credit markets and plunging asset prices, had led to a decline in global aggregate demand, shrinking factory output and creating a sharp fall in commodity prices.

In the document, Yar’Adua further stated, "The price of oil in particular fell off its July peak of $146.15 to less than half of that value in the latter part of 2008 and only began to trend upwards at the end of December 2008. Nigeria depends on oil for a large proportion of its revenue (almost 80 per cent), hence it is important to assess the impact of the economic crisis on global demand for oil products in the short term to medium term.

"Recent reports on the pace of recovery indicate the recession may have reached a turning point, with hope for recovery in late 2009 or early 2010, although it is expected that unemployment will persist for a long time and the length of the pre-crisis levels might be long-drawn out."

The president also expressed concern that there were projections that the depth and severity of the global crisis would continue to evolve on an almost daily basis. He therefore called on Nigerians to remain cautious about the precise turnaround point of the global economy.

The president sent this submission to the National Assembly which, according to him, was prepared by the Ministry of Finance as 2010/2012 medium term expenditure framework in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007.

http://www.leadershipnigeria.com/index.php/news/cover-stories/7143-unemployment-will-persist--yaradua

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NATIONAL President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor yesterday faulted figures published by an American research forum which claimed that about 50 per cent of Nigerians are Muslims, challenging the group to tell the world the source of such statistics.

Pastor Oritsejafor also commended the House of Representatives for summoning the Borno State governor, Alhaji Modu Sheriff and the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-Gen. Yusuf Bomoi to explain their efforts at investigating the murder of a female youth corps member in the Borno State capital, Maiduguri by persons yet to be identified.
Reacting to the October 2009 report by Pew Forum which gave the number of Muslims living in Nigeria as over 78 million, representing five per cent of Islamic adherents in the world, Pastor Oritsejafor said the figures are not acceptable because they do not represent the reality on ground in the country. The report says there are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world.
According to him, the 2006 census exercise which put the population of Nigeria at 140 million deliberately avoided statistics on religion because then President Olusegun Obasanjo prevailed on the Christian community to hearken to the pleas of their Muslim counterparts to exclude the religious clause from the census data.
“So, if the Nigerian government cannot say specifically the number of Christians and Muslims in the country, how then did an American forum come up with such unsubstantiated figures of a particular religious group in the country?” he asked, stressing that despite “the nation’s imperfections, there are certain things we should not accept hook line and sinker.
“I can contest the figures because I am aware of what happened just before the last census when the Christians initially insisted that the religious clause should be included in the census data, so that leaders on both sides can plan well for their adherents,” he added “but the president bowed to pressure from Islamic leaders who insisted that the clause was not necessary.”
Oritsejafor therefore argued that if the recent census figures could not ascertain the number of Christians and Muslims in the country, “what then is the source of the figures Pew Forum is currently parading in its report titled ‘Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A report on the size and distribution of the world’s Muslim population?’”
Not wanting to say that the published figures could have been sponsored for reasons know only to the people behind it, Pastor Oritsejafor also queried some part of the report which says that one in every three Muslims in Sub_Sahara Africa live in Nigeria, saying that there is no basis for the conclusions because the recent Nigerian census had not said.
Also reacting to the recent murder of a member of the National Youth Service Corps, Miss Grace Ushang in Maiduguri, Borno State by persons yet to be identified, the cleric expressed gratitude that the House of Representatives has summoned the state governor over the matter.
According to him, oftentimes when these things happen in the North there is always a conspiracy of silence which has not helped the leadership of the two dominant religions who had been seeking ways of arresting religious uprising in that region.
“It is gratifying that politicians have now seen the need to intervene in incessant crisis in the North,” the PFN helmsman said, adding “hitherto, people have seen such crises as purely religious matters that should be addressed by religious leaders, but now one can heave a sigh of relief that politicians are appreciating the need to consider the political implications of such crises.”
He urged members of the House of Representatives to get to the very bottom of this particular incident because the NYSC is one of the few institutions that has held this nation as one indivisible country.
“Not too long ago a number of them were killed in a religious crisis in Jos and now this. We must bring to book the culprits before parents will begin withdraw their children from the scheme for security reasons,” Oritsejafor cautioned.
Miss Grace Ushang, a member of the Catholic Church was allegedly raped and murdered by yet unknown persons in Maiduguri on September 26, 2009

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/10/pfn-disagrees-that-50-nigerians-are-muslims/

Divorce among Nollywood actresses is becoming a daily occurrence. As it is, hardly any day passes without the news of one failed marriage involving one notable Nollywood actress or the other. The rate is become so alarming that people are wondering if there is anything wrong with actors and actresses.

Many factors have been identified as being responsible for this development.

Bukky Wright, a budding actress, reportedly said that these marriages crash because Nigerian men lack confidence, especially to manage successful women.

Whatever is the case, the list is increasing. Such actresses as Eucharia Anunobi, Bukky Wright, Monalisa Chinda, Chiege Alisigwe, Fathia Balogun, Clarion Chukwurah, Shan George, Regina Askia, Obot Etuk, Stephanie Okereke, Ngozi Nwosu, Ann Njemanze, Ibinabo Fiberesima and Sandra Achums, are among those whose marriages have crashed.
Eucharia Anunobi
Her marriage to Charles Ekwu looked like one made in heaven. The then couple was so much in love, in the beginning that their marriage was the envy of many. Tales are told of how they would hold hands and kiss during night outing at Ajao Estate in Lagos, in expression of love. However, the cookies just crumbled. Eucharia accused the husband of constant battering. She was reported to have admitted marrying her man out of infatuation. Her ex-husband was said to have dumped his matrimonial home in 2007, and in the process, also abandoned his child.
Fathia Balogun
The delectable Yoruba movie actress has twice married and divorced. Before she married Saheed Balogun, a fellow Yoruba movie actor, Fathia was once married to Tunde Anchor and the marriage produce a son. After her first marriage collapsed, she met and married Balogun. The marriage also hit the rocks. The former couple made frantic efforts to come back together as husband and wife, which proved abortive. Fathia was even said to have dedicated an award she won in the United Kingdom to her former husband and enlisted top Yoruba actors, like Jide Kosoko, to plead her cause. However, Saheed has remained adamant, insisting that their union had ended. He has since moved on with his life and married another wife.
Shan George
Shan George got married at the tender age of 15, and after bearing two kids walked out of the union at 21. She allegedly pulled out because her husband did not send her to school, but rather turned her to punching bag. When marriage crashed, she went back to school and after her graduation, from the University of Lagos at the age of 29, she got married the second time. However, that too was short lived. Last year, she was reported as saying that she deserted her matrimonial home because she was not ready for a servant/master relationship.

Meanwhile, she has grown up kids from her first marriage, who are based in the United Kingdom with her first husband.
Clarion Chukwurah
Clarion Chukwurah came into limelight in 1984 when she starred in the now defunct popular soap, Mirror in the Sun. She is one of the best Nollywood actresses and has appeared in several stage productions, soap operas and over 74 home videos. Her Non-Governmental Organization, Clarion Chukwurah Initiative, is geared towards touching the lives of the underprivileged in the country. Chukwurah has been married twice, one of which was into the the late Moshood Abiola family. Later she became Mrs. Oduneye. She now bears her maiden name. In all, she has five children, two biological children and three adopted ones.
She said that marriage is a fusion of two minds on the platform of joyful co-existence and, therefore, one can walk out and the two parties remain friends instead of living in misery. However, it is reported that she is friendly with the fathers of her babies.
Monalisa Chinda
The crash of Monalisa Chinda’s marriage is the latest in Nollywood. In a statement by her lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, Monalisa said her marriage to Segun Dejo-Richards, an artist manager, broke down due to irreconcilable differences. It was believed that this incompatibility led them to disagree on many issues. At the end, they could not manage the situation, which led to the crash of the five-year-old marriage. This came as a surprise to many Nigerians, especially as Monalisa, on several occasions, vowed that nothing could separate her from her husband. Indeed, before the marriage broke down, Monalisa had described her husband as God-sent. The marriage is blessed with a child, Tamar Kirejesu.

However, Monalisa’s husband expressed surprise at what could be called sacked letter from his wife. He attributed the crash of the marriage to bad advisers. However, he denied the allegation that he physically assaulted his wife. He also denied that his break-up with the wife was caused by the N10 million Glo Ambassador endorsement deal Monalisa got recently.
Ayo Adesanya
Ayo Adesanya, one of the notable Nollywood actresses, reported packed out of her matrimonial home owing to irreconcilable difference with her husband, Goriola Hassan. In order not to die in frustration, the actress decided to call it a quit. Ayo has since moved on with her life and now having a good time with an Abuja-based contractor, Tunde, who met at a party. A graduate of the University of Ibadan, she shot into limelight with the movie Out of Bounds.
Foluke Daramola
She was married to Mr. Shobowale for four years and the marriage was blessed with two children. In an interview with a national newspaper, Daramola said there were frequent crises in the home, to the extent that the condition became traumatic to her children. She packed out about a year ago and has not filed for divorce. She said that she had endured, believing that it would be in the interest of the children, but that she later discovered the continuation of the marriage would be to the detriment of the kids.
The actress is not willing to go back to her husband’s house neither is she thinking of divorcing him.
Ann Njemanze
Her marriage to Segun Arinze crashed as soon as it was contracted. Shortly after the marriage hit the rocks, she was involved in a car crash, about eight years ago and was bed-ridden for a while. She could not walk for two years. Though she would want to go into another marriage, she was reported to have said that she would be very careful this time. However, she still relates with her former husband, as their marriage produced a child. She had wished she listened to her parents and waited much longer before jumping into marriage. She is now a single parent. After she recovered from the car crash, she went back to school to study Visual Art at the University of Lagos.
Stephanie Okereke
Stephanie’s marriage to a former Super Eagles player, Chikelu Iloenyosi, is another story of failed marriage. The top actress sought the dissolution of the marriage on the grounds that her ex-husband had extra-marital affairs. Stephanie said she had no regret whatsoever that the marriage crashed. She is quoted as saying that she is a better person now than when she was in marriage.
Sandra Achums
Sandra Achums was married to an Amakohia, Owerri man who was living abroad. The marriage crashed as soon as it started. The marriage would have produced a child but the baby died during delivery. Sandra has two children for two different men.
Ibinabo Fiberesima
The Rivers State-born actress, who was recently convicted for killing a medical doctor in a car crash, has her own share of failed relationship. Her affairs with Phillip Trimnell and top singer Daniel Wilson were widely celebrated on the pages of newspapers.
Recently, it was alleged that Ibinabo and ace actor, Fred Amata, are having an affair. Her two failed marriages produced two children from the two ex-husbands.
Bukky Wright
This popular face in TV soaps and home videos has been in and out of marriage twice. Perhaps, owing to bitter experience, the Economics graduate was reported to have said that marriage was no longer in her dictionary. She did not lament over what could have been her mistakes. Rather, she sees the experience as an eye-opener. However, the beautiful actress has moved on with her life, while hoping to get married again.
Chiege Alisigwe
She came into limelight in 1998 when she played a role in the movie called Igodo. Her marriage crumbled as soon as it was contracted in 2002. Chiege attributed her failed marriage to incompatibility. She was reported to have admitted that she was naive when the union was contracted. Chiege was heavy with three-month pregnancy before their union crumbled. And since then, the Orlu, Imo State-born actress has picked up the broken pieces of her life and moved on.
In the meantime, Chiege has not ruled out remarrying, provided the right man comes her way.
Ngozi Nwosu
Ngozi Egonu came into limelight when she played Ego in the popular home video, Living In Bondage. She is also popular with Fuji House of Commotion. Ngozi was married to one Mr. Huessnon from Badagry, but the marriage was not sustained.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/oct/10/national-10-10-2009-002.htm

Former Head of State and presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the 2007 presidential election, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa have agreed to form a political party which will serve as a platform to align with the South for the formation of a mega party.
The decision to float a party was taken at a meeting last Wednesday in Kaduna which was attended by 15 northern political leaders.
The meeting was held to finalise talks of the northern axis on the formation of a new political party.
A source who spoke to THISDAY on the outcome of the meeting said: “Not that we are against the formation of a mega party, but we have decided at the meeting to form a party of our own and use the party as a front to enter the mega party. This will give us equal footing with others that are coming for the mega party.
“In politics, you must have a political background and the new party is our vehicle into the mega party. Our entry through our party will give us equal membership. Very soon, you will hear details of what we are doing.”
Buba Galadima of Buhari Organisation, who also spoke to THISDAY, confirmed that proponents of the mega party in the North met in Kaduna at the residence of Buhari to finalise discussions on the formal launch of the party.
He said the launch of the party was initially slated for October 7 before it was put on hold to provide room for further consultation.
A meeting has consequently been slated to hold in two weeks, while another will hold in four weeks to decide the final date for the launch of the mega party.
THISDAY also gathered that at the Kaduna meeting, Buhari, Atiku and Bafarawa renounced their political ambitions in the overall interest of the nation so as to give room for the emergence of the new party in the North.
When asked to comment on this, Galadima said: “The leaders at the meeting believed that what is happening in the country demands personal sacrifice; therefore the question of presidential ambition does not arise now.”
He also disclosed that another meeting took place last Wednesday in Abuja between the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, Mr. Femi Falana and others on the modalities for presenting a private member bill on the electoral reform to the National Assembly.
Galadima explained that the meeting was to ensure that pitfalls that could stand against the private member electoral bill were detected and addressed, while also ensuring that all necessary issues concerning the electoral reform were taken care of before October 13 when the Senate may commence discussion on other aspects of the electoral reform.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=156613

Computerize Nigeria Project (CNP) has commenced a nationwide road show of its 750,000 Laptops project, slated to storm 15 cities and designed to bring immediate and permanent relief to computer users across the country.
Head of Special Projects, Computerize Nigeria Project, Mrs Loretta Agbakoba said that the road show which comes in two phases, would ensure a truly national participation in the recently launched 750,000 Laptops Project for Nigerians.
As said by her, most state capitals are on the route of this road show but in particular the road show is storming Uyo, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Calabar, Abuja, Owerri, Enugu, Ibadan and Akure. Other cities include Jos, Kano, Benin, Asaba, and Lagos.
Mrs. Agbakoba also said that the road show was a direct response to the numerous enquiries that the CNP has received since the launch of the 750,000 Laptops Project.
She described the road show as patriotic in its reach and comprehensive in offer, stressing that CNP was reaching out to the working class and small businesses in the country, in a way that has never been done before, mostly with the 750,000 laptops promo.
"This road show is loaded with computer ownership incentives to empower civil servants; federal, state and local governments, staff of organized private sector, military and para-military organizations, students as well as staff of educational institutions and cooperatives.
She further said that the road show was comprehensive in its offer because for the first time in the history of IT marketing in Nigeria, major IT brands Zinox, Acer, HP and Toshiba, embark on direct marketing of single promo to ease out the problems of computer acquisition.
She pointed out that all the bottlenecks, administrative and financial have been deleted and that under the umbrella of the Computerize Nigeria Project, ACER, HP, Toshiba, and Zinox are offering to computer users, prices hitherto unmatched for high quality and durable laptops, beginning from N55,000.00, listing other consumer benefits to include no bank guarantees, thus bringing an end to the tedious documentation and rigmarole that have frustrated many citizens.
Laptop users, she said, would easily enjoy value for money whether they pay in cash or take advantage of the flexible payment terms, with interests below bank prevailing rates. "The major objective of this road show is to bring IT equipment with favourable terms of purchase and juicy ownership benefits to the doorsteps of our target – this time workers at all levels of human endeavour in Nigeria," she said.

http://www.champion-newspapers.com/daily%20champion%20files/infotel%20&%20energy/article5.htm

The landing of the much-awaited Glo-1 submarine cable in the country is expected to crash cost of bandwidth and induce a new wave of internet revolution.
Head, Network Operations at the Globacom Limited, Mr. Aremu Olajide, gave this insight in a parley with newsmen, last weekend in Lagos.
He said that beginning from September through October, when Glo-1 must have gone commercial, and its fibre optic cable fully completed that it would encourage diffusion of internet in the country.
Olajide also predicted that the landing of the Glo-1 in Lagos shore in August will spur a crash in cost of bandwidth from its present price of about $72,000 to about $7000.
According to him, provision of infrastructure like the submarine cable, Glo-1, and other fibre links nationwide is mainly because the operator is determined to reposition Nigeria in terms of telecommunications development and services.
"As Nigerians, Glo is doing it and we believe we can do it," he declared.
Equally he foresee that collaboration between Fixed wireline operators in the country, could boost internet at homes, noting however, that fixed wireline is a very difficult aspect of investment in telecom sector.
"Fixed line when activated will pave way for internet revolution," he asserted.
Olajide explained that 15 to 16 million subscribers are currently making calls on the network, while its present active subscriber-base is in the neighbourhood of 20 million whereas the network has capacity for 35 million subscribers.
"… They are those making calls daily and we have capacity for 35 million," he said.
Maintaining that Glo is resolute on crashing tariff further, having initiated the same step a few years back through its international call rates and even gateway services abroad.
Speaking on its recent cable cut in Lekki by the Lekki Construction Company, he said that although some of Glo cables were affected, but a self-healing fibre optic.
This is coming as Glo has restated its interest in the first national operator and moribund Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), whenever the bid opens.
Despite the fact that Globacom was initially licensed as SNO to checkmate the inability of NITEL and thus spur activities in the organization, which has so far failed culminating in various attempts to dispose NITEL at all cost.
Reaffirming its disposition to bid for NITEL in spite of the plans by the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) to unbundle the organization into about five subsidiaries, Globacom said that if given the opportunity to buy NITEL, it is ready to turn it around.
http://www.champion-newspapers.com/daily%20champion%20files/infotel%20&%20energy/article7.htm

Minister of State for Information and Communications, Aliyu Bilbis, has said that Nigeria currently occupies number two position among the nations in the world whose citizens are infected with HIV/AIDS.
Bilbis stated this on Friday at the 2009 World Post Day Celebration and the flag-off of the National Postal Campaign against HIV/AIDS held in Abuja.
The minister said aside South Africa that occupies the first position, Nigeria currently has 2.6 million persons living with the pandemic disease.
He further stated that globally, there are 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, out of this number, 67 per cent live in Africa, while 700,000 of the 33 million live in Europe.
According to him, "despite concerted efforts made by governments and corporate bodies to curb the menace of HIV/AIDS, its statistics remain staggering and frightening.
"The HIV prevalence in Nigeria is discouraging. Whereas China with a population of 1.3 billion has 700,000 people living with HIV, Nigeria has 2.6 million persons living with HIV out of her population of 140 million people.
"Brazil's 192 million population has 730,000 people living with HIV, while Cameroon with a population of 18.5 million has 540,000 infected with the disease.
"Globally, Nigeria is second only to Republic of South Africa regarding the numbers of persons living with HIV/AIDS," he said.
However, he expressed optimism that with the involvement of Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) vast network and workforce, there would be significant improvement in the fight against the scourge.


http://www.independentngonline.com/news/head/article05