Sunday, May 13, 2012

Nigeria President Unlikely To Risk Oil Graft Crackdown

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is coming under pressure to prosecute top officials implicated in a $6.8 billion fuel subsidy fraud, but many of the suspects are allies he is unlikely to go after if wants to keep his power base intact.
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Saturday, May 12, 2012

NIGERIA: NFF To Name Under-17 Tournament After Yekini

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, on Saturday said the NFF would name the Under-17 tournament after the late Super Eagles’ striker, Rasheed Yekini. Speaking during Yekini’s fidau prayer at Ira, Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Maigari who later left for an official engagement at Abuja and was subsequently represented by NFF First Vice President, Chief Mike Umeh, also donated N500,000 to the immediate family of the deceased.
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Friday, May 11, 2012

Nigeria: Secret Prisons


RELATED ARTICLE: ITA OKO ISLAND, Nigeria (AP) — The prison, cut out of the dense jungle that engulfs this island outside Lagos, never officially existed in records, though critics of Nigeria's military rulers were locked up here decades ago in harsh conditions.

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In this photograph, documents and keys from a broken desk are seen on Ita Oka Island outside of Lagos, Nigeria. Ita Oko Island in Nigeria holds a prison that never officially existed in records though it housed critics of the nation's military rule. It now sits in ruins as a haunting reminder of past abuses of power, yet Africa's most populous nation still plans to open another classified facility to hold and interrogate members of a radical Islamist sect. Image: Jon Gambrell/AP

In this photo, an abandoned water storage tank is seen at the former prison known as Tekunle on Ita Oko Island outside of Lagos, Nigeria. The prison is cut out of the dense jungle that engulfs this island outside of Nigeria's largest city, but it never officially existed although many critics of the nation's military rule were kept here. Ita Oko Island allowed Nigeria's military governments to have opponents disappear into the swamps of the Lekki Lagoon at a camp accessible only by boat and helicopter. Date: May, 11, 2012. Image: Sunday Alamba/AP

In this photo taken Tuesday, May, 8. 2012, showing the remains of a burnt down part of a former prison known as Tekunle on Ita Oko Island outside of Lagos, Nigeria. The prison is cut out of the dense jungle that engulfs this island outside of Nigeria's largest city, but it never officially existed although many critics of the nation's military rule were kept here. Ita Oko Island allowed Nigeria's military governments to have opponents disappear into the swamps of the Lekki Lagoon at a camp accessible only by boat and helicopter.

Facebook Co-Founder Saverin Gives Up U.S. Citizenship Before IPO

Eduardo Saverin, the billionaire co- founder of Facebook Inc. (FB), renounced his U.S. citizenship before an initial public offering that values the social network at as much as $96 billion, a move that may reduce his tax bill. Facebook plans to raise as much as $11.8 billion through the IPO, the biggest in history for an Internet company. Saverin’s stake is about 4 percent, according to the website Who Owns Facebook. At the high end of the IPO valuation, that would be worth about $3.84 billion. His holdings aren’t listed in Facebook’s regulatory filings.
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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Most Elegantly Dressed: Imat Akelo-Opio

Ugandan native and currently residing in Australia, Imat Akelo-Opio founded the Otino International, a non-profit organization which provides sustainable development through medicine in post-conflict Africa beginning with Northern Uganda.
Otino's mission statement: Every human is precious and not one shall be left behind, regardless of background, creed or culture. Otino-international is a Christian organization reaching to the greater Africa and the world by changing lives through medicine, education and empowerment for all generations to come.

Nigerian Gynaecologist Killed In Cameroon

Port Harcourt – A Cameroon-based Nigerian gynaecologist, Dr. Samuel Ogoke, has been found dead in his home in Garoua, northern Cameroon. Ogoke, 43, hailed from Ahiara in Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo.
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Wednesday, May 09, 2012

AFRICA: Sudan War Planes Bomb South Sudan

Sudanese war planes have launched renewed air strikes against South Sudan, violating a United Nations Security Council resolution to end weeks of a bitter border conflict, the South's army said Wednesday.
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NIGERIA: Jonathan rules out cabinet shake-up

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Wednesday that he had no plan to change his cabinet members contrary to speculations in the media. A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said there was no truth, whatsoever in the rumour making the rounds on the alleged ``impending cabinet reshuffle’’.
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Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Documents Against Me Doctored -- Okereke-Onyike

She also disclosed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo compelled her to lead the Transcorp team against her wish as Director-General of the Stock Exchange. She said: “I was directed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who came up with the idea of establishing Transcorp to be like the Asian Tiger to oversee and lead the management of the company. Transcorp was made to be a public company because President Obasanjo directed that all Nigerians should be part of it, even government officials were allowed to buy shares of Transcorp.
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Nigeria: We Are Ready To Negotiate With Sacked Doctors - LASG

THERE was a twist on Tuesday in the face-off between the Lagos State Government and medical doctors in its service as the government, barely 24 hours after sacking 788 striking doctors, said it was ready for dialogue and negotiation. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, made this disclosure on Tuesday while speaking on the crisis rocking the health sector in the state.
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Nigeria: Constitution Review: Govs Insist On Immunity

Governors are expected to meet in Abuja on Wednesday (today) in a bid to stop the planned removal of the immunity clause from the constitution. According to Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, the clause, no civil or criminal proceeding shall be instituted against the President, Vice-President, governors and their deputies while in office. The Justice Alfa Belgore committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan had recommended the removal of the clause.
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Better Parenting Starts With Knowing What Works. We Tested A Project In 8 African Countries

BY INGE VALLANCE AND GENEVIEVE HAUPT RONNIE Raising adolescents can be difficult under the best of circumstances. On top of that, some famil...