A Bill that may grant immunity to members of the National Assembly and state assemblies scaled through the second reading on Wednesday.

Titled: “A Bill for An Act to Amend the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act, Cap L12 2004, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and for Other Related Purposes, 2009,” it was sponsored by Henry Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa).

Leading debate on the bill, Mr. Dickson, who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Justice, said there is need to propose a procedure that should be followed when a member commits a crime. According to him, by doing so, the lawmakers would be adequately protected and the country’s democracy deepened.

He said a lawmaker should not be arrested on the basis of a mere allegation, but that the security agencies making the arrest should only make such arrest when there is a warrant of arrest or if the person is caught committing the crime.

He added that such agencies should first communicate to the leadership of the House concerned before the lawmaker that commits the crime is arrested,

Source

A bill seeking to jail medical practitioners who let victims of gunshot wounds die for lack of a police report has passed the second reading in the senate.

The bill is sponsored by Osita Izunaso (PDP Imo State) and the major concern is to save lives lost daily to a directive that victims of accidents and gunshots must produce police reports before they are even given first aid treatment in clinics.

“In a country where there are increasing cases of armed robbery and corresponding increases in the number of Nigerians shot on a daily basis, this bill could not have come at better time than now,” Mr. Izunaso said in his lead debate.

The bill seeks to empower medical practitioners to treat gunshots and accident victims first and then intimate the police of the presence of such victims.

“This bill also seeks to prevent the police from removing any victim of gunshot from any hospital without certifying the person fit by a health practitioner or hounding health practitioners who treat gunshot victims. The bill has penal sections with varying degrees of jail terms for offenders.” Mr. Izunaso added.

While arguing for the bill, Mr. Izunaso recounted various sad experiences, from that of Bayo Ohu, The Guardian journalist who was shot dead on September 20, to other Nigerians who had no recognition, where Nigerians were left to die in a pool of their blood in hospitals because there was no police report.

“It is illegal for the police to insist on police report before a medical practitioner treats a victim of gunshot,” Mr. Izunaso said. “The refusal to treat victims of gunshot or forceful withdrawal of gunshot victims from where he is receiving treatment runs contrary to the spirit and intentions of section 33 (1) and section 34 (1a) of the 1999 constitution.

"These provisions have guaranteed Nigerians the right to life and dignity of human persons including armed robbers. Thus even where the victim of a gunshot is an armed robber, he still has the right to life and must not die.”

Illegal police directive

Tawar Umbi Wada (PDP Gombe State) said there is no law empowering the police to stop the treatment of gunshot victims without a police report.

He explained that what started as a crime reduction strategy by the police was later misconstrued by both police officers and medical practitioners. He said that the real issue is, perhaps, who takes responsibility for the cost of the treatment of such victims.

In her view, Chris Anyanwu (PDP Imo State) said most deaths due to gunshots and other accident victims are due to the “callousness” of most medical practitioners.

She recounted an experience in Maitama General Hospital, Abuja where a young doctor turned down all pleas from her and other sympathisers and watched another young man die of accident wounds.

“Such acts of callousness should be severely punished.” She said.

Source

Doctors will have to treat all gunshot victims without first asking for a police report.

Source

Did James Ibori, former governor of Delta State lie to the general public when he denied in many media outings that he had been convicted for crime s in the United Kingdom?

Certified court papers, now exclusively available to NEXT, make it clear that not only is Mr. Ibori a double convict; on one occasion, he was sentenced alongside his wife, Theresa Ibori, (nee Nakanda) by a British court.

Money gone bad for Doyin Motors, banks

In 2005 Doyin Motors won a N1.7 billion contract to operate and maintain Shell’s Light Fleet Vehicles at its Western Division in Warri, Delta State. Its functions included servicing of vehicles and equipment, the purchase of spare parts and the salary payment of its almost 500 staff.

To mobilise, Doyin Motors on February 3, 2006 secured an N80 million facility from Access bank. In return, it irrevocably domiciled its monthly contract proceeds from Shell, estimated at N55 million, as security. It also opened staff salary accounts with the bank.

Doyin Motors presents its invoice to Shell at the end of each month, Shell initiates payment upon the 45th day of receiving the invoice by instructing its bankers - First Bank Nigeria Plc. - to pay the funds into Doyin Motors’ account in Access Bank, and Doyin Motors then pays its staff, at the same time servicing its loan with the bank.

But five months into the contract, something went wrong. . .

Francis Atuche has resigned.

CBN to fire Bank PHB MD, other heads set to roll

The sanitisation of the banking industry continues today with the possible firing of more bank chief executives.

Related: A sketch out on Bank PHB
Related: CBN sacks CEOs and management of five Nigerian banks

A group called ATDON today staged a protest at Globacom's head office alleging bad faith on the part of the telecoms carrier. Globacom officials speaking off camera debunked the allegations. Video here

Nigerian to build Iraqi railway

A Nigerian engineer, Jude Igwemezie, has won a $500 million contract to build a monorail network in Iraq.

Mr. Igwemezie trained and lives in Canada; he also heads TransGlobim International, the engineering company that won the bid. The contract is to construct what is described as “a viable rail transportation network” for the city of Najaf. The network will connect three Islamic holy and historic mosques in Imam Ali, Kufa and Sahle.

Source


Former aviation workers’ group president joins the debate on the Bi-Courtney-government deal.

Common year end may lead to currency strain

Available credit lines amongst banks and to customers may suffer a severe strain in the months ahead as all banks are trying to tidy up their books for the common year end directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

A top official in one of the banks, who preferred to be anonymous, explained to NEXT that even though the directive would cause a strain on credit availability, it was a welcome idea.

"Before, all the banks were saying that I am the best, this is my profit level; this is my profit after tax and all that. But now, the central bank is saying that OK, let me see your marks," the official said,

[url=http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/ArtsandCulture/Elan/5464048-147/On_Men,_Women_and_BMI_.csp]Source[/url]

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Over the years, I have sat by and watched as strangers, female bosses, friends and family, fought their weight. . .

Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, has asked medical practitioners and other operators of health facilities in Nigeria to save victims of gun-shot wounds and accidents before contacting police.

Mr. Onovo said this in Abuja following recent controversies and “allegations” that police banned the treatment of guns shot and accident victims without police report.

“At no time did the Police restrain medical doctors from attending to the needs of the victims.” Mr.

Onovo said thereby absolving police of the responsibility for the lives of all those that must have died because of the myth.

“All that the Nigeria Police Force asks of them is to first do their duties, and immediately thereafter inform the nearest Police station/formation of the presence of such wounded persons, as the Police may find reason to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the injuries or gunshot.

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Police boss directs medical practioners to treat gun-shot wounds.  [url=http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5464455-146/Treat_victims_first,_IG_tells_doctors.csp]Source[/url].

Honduras warns Brazil over embassy crisis

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Honduras' de facto government gave Brazil ten days to decide on the status of ousted President Manuel Zelaya, who took refuge in the Brazil's embassy last week after sneaking back into the country.

Zelaya was overthrown in a military coup on June 28, but on Monday he returned from exile, sparking a tense face-off with the de facto civilian government that has promised to arrest him.

Nigerian banks are among the world's most corrupt

Transparency International says corruption in the Nigerian Banking Sector was evident since the 90s.

[img]http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=lCERsOk_ix1FNU3ccePg_i6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxRMpjtZ1Rjhejw9ExaTYugGnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-[/img]Unlike previous corruption cases, Ganiyu Ogunleye, Managing director of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation has not been inundated with requests to pay bank depositors monies.

Source

Monday, August 10 2009, was like any other Monday morning for the staff of Cosmos FM in Enugu. A presenter, Space Man was on air anchoring Hakunamatata, a regular morning radio show. However, the routine was abruptly disrupted, when officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accompanied by mobile police officers, stormed the studio .They had just one mission: to reclaim the radio station from the management for the second time and ensure the continuous operation of the station until the legal issues affecting its ownership were sorted out,

Dark clouds gather over the nation - Nuhu Ribadu

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In this first full-length interview, the former police chief offers a sweeping review of the state of the nation.

*Related: Dilemma around Ribadu
*Related: Ribadu: A biography
*Related: What the law says

Video of accident scene

[url=http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5464007-146/Trailer_accident_kills_four,_injures_others.csp]Trailer accident kills four, injures others[/url]

[QUOTE] An articulated vehicle, on Saturday morning, crushed four people to death and injured another four at Cele Bus stop along the Apapa-Oshodi expressway.

According to witnesses, the vehicle, with plate number XC 482 FKJ, loaded with bags of Dangote sugar, was coming from the Apapa end of the expressway when it lost control and swerved to the sidewalk.

Police sources said the bodies of the dead and injured have been taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, Lagos.[/QUOTE]

Rather than hobnobbing with high and mighty crooks who buy them private jets then keep quiet when things go wrong, should churches not be involved in making a difference to the community? Kudos to Daystar Church. They have done well.

A round up of the top stories on NEXT for the week ending September 25, 2009. Watch here

Source

The governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, is facing a rebellion from his former political allies. He has been expelled from his party by a group led by party heavy weight, Chekwas Okorie,

The troubles in the party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, however, are not the only issues that are likely to make the elections in Anambra extremely volatile.

The PDP, which is Nigeria’s ruling party, is determined to win back Anambra from the opposition. To do this however, they must first get their house in order and select a candidate to run for the seat of governor. As of the last count, more than 30 people had picked up nomination forms from the party secretariat in Abuja, indicating they will be contesting for the right to represent the party during the election.

At least one of these candidates, the former governor of the central bank, Chukwuma Soludo, is thought to have the blessing of the wife of the president.

The political manoeuvring that is going on in the state is not limited to the big players, those on the fringes are dipping into the mix and confusing things even further. Some of them include the former state governor, Chris Ngige and the current deputy governor, Virginia Etiaba.

[B]The beginning[/B]

The genesis of Anambra’s very complicated, and potentially violent politics can be traced to the 1999, elections that restored democracy in the country after 16 years of military rule. Anambra blazed the trail of what was to become known as political ‘godfatherism’ when Emeka Offor, to all intents and purposes, imposed Chinwoke Mbadinuju on the state.

Having spent a lot of money to get Mr. Mbadinuju into the Awka State House, Mr. Offor, being the businessman that he is, expected returns. He wanted direct access to the state’s treasury, a request that, to his credit, Mr.Mbadinuju refused. That was the beginning of the end for him. In 2003, he failed to get the PDP’s nomination for a second term in office.

While Emeka Offor was dissipating energy fighting the man he had put in the state house, another ‘godfather’ was preparing the ground for his ‘godson’ to get there. Chris Uba, brother to a close confidant of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, Andy Uba, had set the wheels in motion for his protégée, Chris Ngige, to become the governor. His thugs made sure that the 2003 gubernatorial elections were heavily rigged in Mr. Ngige’s favour, while the APGA candidate, Peter Obi, could only watch more or less helplessly as his own vigorous campaign efforts were wasted.

That lasted until Chris Ngige fell out with his godfather. In typical Nigerian style, Mr. Uba, in an effort to forestall any kind of ‘betrayal’ had prior to the elections , hauled Mr.Ngige before a shrine in the now infamous Okija incident, to swear an oath of loyalty; not to the people of Anambra State, but to him. Apparently, Mr. Ngige had agreed and sworn to the oath, so Mr. Uba was confident that unlike Mr. Offor before him, he would have unfettered access to the state’s treasury.

But there is no honour among thieves, and Mr. Ngige reneged on his oath, claiming to be an upstanding Christian. An enraged Mr. Uba had the recalcitrant Mr. Ngige kidnapped. Unfortunately for Mr. Uba, and fortunately for the people of the state, the Federal Government intervened in the crisis on the order of the then vice president, Atiku Abubakar ( President Obasanjo was away at the time).

Mr. Ngige was released and his removal declared illegal. Mr. Ngige’s tenure was cut short, however, when the courts decided that his election had been a farce, and that Peter Obi was in fact the lawfully elected governor of the state. That opened a new chapter in the drama that is Anambra State.

[B]Enter Peter Obi[/B]

Peter Obi came into office without any known godfather and a section of the elite who believe they are the powers that decide the destiny of the state were not comfortable with having such a person in office. Within six months, he was impeached for daring to go back to court to seek his full four year tenure. (Mr, Ngige had occupied the seat illegally for thirty four months.) However, Mr. Obi once again triumphed in the courts. The courts ruled that Mr. Ngige’s three years in office were not part of Mr. Obi’s constitutional four-year term.

But the mess in Anambra was set to get even messier. More complications were added before the highest court in the country could rule on on Mr. Obi’s tenure of office. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , which should have known election to the gubernatorial seat in Anambra was not due untill 2010, conducted the 2007 general elections in Anambra.

Andy Uba, the president’s man Friday won the poll. The elections was won at a canter by utilising all the connections available to the PDP rigging machinery. In the build up to the elections, the two Uba brothers: Andy and Chris fell apart. Chris felt that his elder brother was encroaching on his path. However, the real power lay with the elder, so Chris was promptly brought back to heel. In a landmark ruling delivered by the Supreme Court, shortly after he was sworn-in as governor, Andy Uba was asked to immediately vacate the office and Peter Obi returned to complete his stolen mandate.

[B]More twists[/B]

Thus was added another twist to the Anambra saga, as Andy Uba is asking the courts to allow him be sworn-in without an election as governor in 2010. Mr. Uba Snr claims that since he won the 2007 gubernatorial election conducted by the national electoral body, he should replace Mr. Obi when the governor’s tenure ends next year. His is a case of, “I have booked the flight and should get on board when it is due.” Andy Uba is not having a smooth wait for the courts to pronounce him governor next year. He is being challenged by many others who think an election in 2010 should and will happen. Among these is ex-governor Chris Ngige.

The growing list of potential PDP candidates for the seat includes, Emma Anosike, Kodilichukwu Okelekwe, Emeka Nwandu, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Annie Okonkwo, Odemezue Chukwura, Damian Okolo, Kenneth Osita Odidika, Chuma Nzeribe, Benard Okeke, Alex Obigolu, Ikechukwu Obiora, Austin Okafor, Nwoye Tony Okechukwu, Ekwenze Solomon, Emmanuel Mbamalu, Eucharia Azodo, Mike Nkwocha, Chinyere Ogualili, Ugokwe Jerry Sunny, Caro Nwosu, and of course, Chukwuma Soludo, who until a few months ago was the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Mr. Soludo’s candidacy is contentious and has not been bolstered much by the negative press he has been receiving in the last few weeks as a result of the current banking crisis. Despite all of this, Mr. Soludo has gone ahead and picked a nomination form. Given his background, not a few people believe Mr. Soludo is not capable of surviving in the clearly thuggish and dirty politics of Anambra. But given the antecedents of Anambra’s very educated people in this area, it is likely that Mr. Soludo will do just fine.

Mr.Chris Ngige, a medical doctor, was a chief executive who saw nothing wrong with entering a marriage of convenience with the thuggish Chris Uba.

Then there is Chinwoke Mbadinuju, who, in spite of a doctorate degree still aligned himself with Emeka Offor to become governor. Anambra politicians, like their counterparts in other parts of the country appear to be able to move from being “technocrats” to “thugocrats”.

Mr. Soludo has been seen in all the politically correct places, and has been endorsed by PDP’s Mr. Fix – It, Tony Anenih. He is also rumoured to have the backing of powerful friends such as Alex Ekwueme and Mrs.Turai Yar’Adua. For him, the nomination seems to be already in the bag, with everything else merely a formality. With the PDP rigging machinery in place, he is likely to be the next governor (or at the very worst, the anointed candidate). The important “votes” are from PDP national figures like Mr. Anenih, not the people of Anambra State. That probably explains why Andy Uba is yet to pick up a nomination form, but would rather go through the judiciary to the government house.

The other political parties are not left out of the madness. The intrigues are such that they are rending apart family ties. The current deputy governor, Virginia Etiaba, and her second son, Emeka, have both expressed interest in running for governor. Mr. Etiaba has had to leave APGA, his mother’s party in order to pursue his ambition. He has declared his interest on the platform of the PPA.

The younger Etiaba’s defection has further highlighted the rift between the Chekwas Okorie and Victor Umeh led factions of APGA in the state, but may have just solidified Mr. Obi’s position within the party, an assurance which the incumbent needs in order to pursue his second term ambition. For now though, it looks like in Anambra State, things are likely to continue falling apart.

Ruling party seeks consensus candidate for Anambra State

Party chairman expresses surprise at the number of candidates for the governorship race.



*Related: Again, things fall apart in Anambra State
*Related: PDP scores ministers high

Presiding Judge Hardy has dismissed the plea by defense counsel to bar Nigerian media from reporting on Ibori ‘accomplices’ trial

Angola president marks 30 years in power in silence

Angola rivals Nigeria as Africa's biggest oil producer and is the world's fifth biggest diamond exporter.

There were no military bands to mark Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos' three decades in power this week. Just another day in the life of Africa's second longest serving -- and perhaps most enigmatic -- leader.

The 67-year-old ruler, who never won an election, is set to default once again on a promise to hold a presidential vote this year. His party signalled this month that the election could take place only in 2012.

Three days ago, a man was murdered in his own home. Bayo Ohu was a political correspondent with The Guardian. He was killed by three men who walked into his house in broad daylight and shot him to death. The men then walked quite calmly away.

Then, in a 'swift' reaction, the police PRO, Frank Mba, has changed his story from 'suspected murder' to 'alleged armed robbery' because Ohu's laptop was taken, and the car in which the murderers came has been recovered. Cue the case being left to die away quietly.

The security situation in Naija has always been bad, no questions about that, but it sadly appears to be getting worse. Regularly, one reads in the news of acts of violence that are getting worse in terms of frequency and sheer wickedness. The police appear helpless.

Or are they really?

The question still remains unanswered: You take a man, he has a wife (maybe two), and children. You give him N8500 a month, ask him to buy his shoes from that amount. You ask him to buy his torch, bulb and batteries from that amount. From that amount he is also expected to cater for his aforementioned family. Then you give him a gun! What do you want him to do? What should we do? We need guns.

The Nigerian Police gives the usual promise to find Bayo Ohu’s killers.

RATED X THROWBACK: L.A.G Style volume 1

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There was Hip-Hop before the Trybesmen but after they got in the game, it changed

Ibori's female aides in London court over money laundering



The money laundering trial involving the female aides of the former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori, began yesterday at the Southwark Crown Court, London around 10am. The aides reportedly helped him move an estimated £70 million worth of looted funds through several London banks,

Bimpe Pogoson, Ibori’s former personal assistant on confidential matters, and Christie Ibori-Ibie, his sister, were charged in December 2007 on three counts of conspiring “together with James Onanefe Ibori, Udoamaka Onuigbo (also known as Okoronkwo) and others to defraud the Delta State Government”.

The charge sheet also stated that Ms. Ibori-Ibie “attempted, dishonestly, to obtain for herself or another, a money transfer of £1,075,890 from four different companies, between July 2001 and April 2006”. She is therefore answering to five of eight charges,

Related stories
*Nigerians in London witness the Ibori trial
*The charges against the defendants
*Aondoakaa, Ibori defend selves