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Bankole in trouble as Reps plot against him John Ameh Trouble appears to be brewing in the House of Representatives again as investigations showed on Wednesday that some lawmakers had begun moves to remove the Speaker, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, from office. Bankole. advertisement THE PUNCH learnt that the cause of the latest development was the inability of the majority of the 360-member legislature to secure re-election tickets to the National Assembly. Findings indicated that a call for the speaker's impeachment would have been made as lawmakers reconvened on Tuesday but for the abrupt decision of Bankole to adjourn the House for another two weeks. Sources close to the aggrieved legislators said that they blamed their dismal performance at the primaries of their political parties on Bankole and President Goodluck Jonathan. In the Peoples Democratic Party alone, over 120 lawmakers out of about 260 were unable to secure return tickets. A National Assembly official, who disclosed this to our correspondent in Abuja, pleaded not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter.... He said, "The PDP members, in particular, held several meetings with the speaker before the primaries; there was an understanding that he would push for them to secure automatic tickets. "This was supposed to have been discussed with the President and the leadership of the party before the primaries. "It was this understanding that led to their (lawmakers') decision to discontinue the proposal to amend the Electoral Act 2010 by making lawmakers members of the National Executive Committees of their respective political parties." But, rather than protect their interests, the lawmakers are reported to be angry that their respective state governors were allowed to have a free ride during the primaries. An influential member of the House said to be mobilising his colleagues for the impeachment proceedings, reportedly invited 86 "aggrieved legislators" to his Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja, on Monday, 24 hours to Tuesday's resumption. The lawmakers later moved to a popular hotel in the city, where they allegedly fine-tuned a plot they would have implemented on Tuesday. Our correspondent learnt that Bankole got wind of the plot and hurriedly adjourned the House for two weeks in order to have enough time to calm the aggrieved lawmakers. One of the 83 legislators, who also confirmed the development, said their plot to remove Bankole would continue while their 'forced' vacation lasted. He said, "He (Bankole) must have sensed what was coming; he adjourned the sitting abruptly and took most of us by surprise. "There were several issues on the Order Paper to be considered on Tuesday ; but he simply adjourned the House the moment we passed the bill to amend the Electoral Act to extend the voter registration. "Our meeting will continue during our forced holidays. We are even meeting again tonight (Wednesday night) it is not over until it is over." On Tuesday, while adjourning the plenary, Bankole had explained that it was to allow the various committees to work on the estimates of the 2011 budget. He also said that lawmakers would use the period to monitor the voter registration in their respective constituencies. Among the issues lawmakers are reported to be dusting up to use against Bankole, is the N2.4bn car scam. The case is still before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, though the commission explained last year that it completed the investigation and handed the file over to President Umaru Yar'Adua before he died in May. When contacted, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, said he did not understand why Bankole should be the target of the aggrieved lawmakers. According to Eyiboh, the loss of re-election tickets should be treated as political party affair rather than blaming it on particular heads of government institutions. Eyboh also held the view that the lawmakers merely "suffered setbacks at the primaries", not that they lost their bid to return to the House. "The primaries are just a part of the process leading to the emergence of party candidates for the main election; you have complaints to be filed, you have appeals and you have the point where the party finally submits the names of candidates. "It is only when the process is completed that you can say that a particular person has lost or is retained," he stated. Eyiboh admitted being "aware that most members are aggrieved over the setbacks they suffered", but argued that it was a party affair. He, appealed for calm, saying that the leadership of the House and lawmakers must find a solution to the latest tension by resolving to "work as a family."
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Contrary to speculations in the media that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was set to prosecute former Vice-President of United States, Dick Cheney, over the multi-million dollar Halliburton bribe scandal, the Commission has said that it is unlikely that Cheney will be charged.

The Commission’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Monday told THE PUNCH that though the Commission was investigating the Halliburton scandal, it had not found any evidence that might warrant charging Cheney for any corruption offence.

“Yes, we are investigating the Halliburton bribery scandal and I told some foreign media so. But so far we have not uncovered any evidence of Dick Cheney’s complicity to warrant bringing charges. In fact, there is a remote chance that we will charge him,” Babafemi said...

He said whatever the Commission uncovered in its investigations would be made public.

Local and international media had been awashed with reports that the EFCC was planning to charge Cheney for alleged involvement in the $180m scandal.

The EFCC last week raided Halliburton’s office in Nigeria and invited several of its senior employees for questioning. One senior employee each from Saipem Contracting Nigeria Ltd and Technip Offshore Nigeria Ltd were also questioned by the EFCC along with the 10 Halliburton staff arrested during the last week’s raid...

Halliburton is being investigated for allegedly bribing prominent Nigerian officials with over N27b to facilitate winning of the contract to build the Nigerian Liquefied Gas plant in Bonny Island, Rivers State by its consortium, TSKJ. The bribery saga was said to have spanned over 20 years and allegedly involved even some heads of states and their cronies.

But Halliburton said last year that it had “reason to believe” payments may have been made to Nigerian officials by agents of its TSKJ consortium, which built the Bonny Island facility.

Albert “Jack” Stanley, a former KBR [Kellog, Brown and Roots] chief executive officer who had worked under Cheney when he headed Halliburton, pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges stemming from a scheme to bribe Nigerian officials for work on the Bonny Island plant.

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Barely 24 hours after his public brawl with a trenchant opponent, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, yesterday sacked the chairmen and deputy chairmen of some standing committees in the House and reassigned others.

Mr Bankole had on Wednesday been involved in a scuffle with his colleague, Independence Ogunewe, and it took the intervention of other members to stop the duo from coming to blows. Mr Ogunewe is said to have consistently opposed the Speaker since 2009 when Mr Bankole removed him from the chairmanship of the Aviation committee.

Those sacked include Gbenga Oduwaiye (chairman, Inter/Intra Party Affairs); Kayode Amusan (deputy chairman, Housing and Habitat); Gbenga Onigbogi (deputy chairman, Ministry of Niger Delta) and Asita Honourable (deputy chairman, Poverty Alleviation).

Both Messrs Oduwaiye and Amusan, like the Speaker, come from Ogun State but they are said to be strong supporters of the state governor,

Gbenga Daniel with whom the Speaker has had a running political battle. Mr Oduwaiye was removed as chairman of Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2008.

The new chairmen include Khadijat Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Privatisation and Commercialization); Chinedu Eluemonor (Cooperation and Integration); Patrick Ikhariale (Power); Umar Jubrin (Capital Market) and Onyema Chukwuka (Works). Others are Rufus Omeire (Inter/Intra Party Affairs) and Mohammed Tahir (Army).

Those redeployed are Mohammed Al'Makura, who moved from House Services to Urban Development; Abdullahi Umar Farouk from Urban Development to Customs and Excise; Aliyu Wadada from Capital Market to Information and National Orientation; and Yakubu Dogara from Customs and Excise to House Services.

Mr Bankole said the reconstitution of the committees will continue at a later date.

A surprise move

The exercise came only a day after Mr Bankole held a two hour closed-door meeting with the chairmen and deputy chairmen of the 84 standing committees. He reportedly assured them that although the leadership of some committees deserved to be overhauled for efficiency, he was not committed to carrying out the exercise.

Members were therefore shocked when he announced the new changes at the end of the plenary yesterday.

However, on March 31 this year, the leadership of the House had announced that it will appoint new heads for some committees.

The deputy speaker, Usman Nafada said at the end of that day's plenary that the Selection Committee, which includes all principal officers, would be called back during the recess to consider those to be appointed chairmen and deputy chairmen of the vacant committees.

"Let me inform members of the Selection Committee that their attention may be needed during the break for the reconstitution of the committees lying vacant. The leadership and membership of the committees may be reconstituted during the break. So, they (members of the Selection Committee) may be asked to come back for this purpose," the deputy speaker had said.

Although he did not name the committees, those without chairmen then were Information and National Orientation, Power, Privatisation and Commercialization, Lake Chad, Women in Parliament, Cooperation and Integration in Africa and Works. Their chairmen had either resigned, died or were removed.

Yesterday's exercise was the second time Mr Bankole would reconstitute standing committees since he assumed office in November 2007. He had, on October 9, 2008, reconstituted the 72 committees he inherited from his predecessor, Patricia Etteh. He had dissolved them on July 31, 2008.

During the 2008 exercise, he raised the number of the committees to 84 - apparently to compensate members of the Integrity Group who played a major role in his emergence as Speaker.

The composition, among the parties, showed that out of the 84 committees, PDP got 74 chairmanship slots; ANPP 7 and PPA 1. The Labour Party (LP) is the only party that did not secure any committee chair. Nine percent of the former chairmen and deputy chairmen were dropped, while 27 per cent were new chairmen and deputies and 60 percent were redeployed from the different committees to others. Six percent of them retained their seats as chairmen but not necessarily of the committees they headed before.

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Nigeria Vs Argentina Today At 3:00pm

The Super Eagles team that would come face to face against the Argentinian side this afternoon includes Enyeama, Odiah, Taiwo, Shittu, Yobo, Kaita, Etuhu, Obasi, Lukman, Aiyegbeni and Nsofor.

The match which is scheduled for 3:00pm today (Nigerian time)would take place at the Ellis Park in Johannesburg.




Main Article Comments:

Are these fo&^%£$*ols going to South Africa to draft bills? Is senate on recess? How can 62 out of 108 senators leave at the same time to go and jolly with Goodluck Jonathan in South Africa ?
How many countries sent more than 6 senators to the world cup ?


Na! They ain't there for you, me or Jonathan. . . SA babes have been welcoming teams by displaying the lovely pointies God blessed them with.

What a mishap,so the plane didn't crash!
We would have been atleast 62 thieves less by now.


Main Article:

NFF sympathises with 62 Senators


NFF President Sani Lulu Abdullahi said on Friday that the Football Federation was grateful to God for sparing the lives of 62 Senators of the Federal Republic who were involved in a near mishap in Lagos on Thursday.


The lawmakers, according to reports, had chartered an aircraft from France for the flight to South Africa to support President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at Friday’s opening ceremony in Johannesburg, to which the Nigeria leader was invited by President Jacob Zuma.

However, their aircraft developed landing gear fault just after take-off at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, and the pilot had to return quickly to base to avert disaster.

“We have the Almighty God to thank for this. What would we have been saying? God is great and it is important that we always give Him thanks anytime things like this happen,” said Lulu Abdullahi.

The Senators eventually arrived and joined a strong Nigeria reception team for President Jonathan who arrived in Johannesburg at about 6.30 pm South African time on Thursday morning.


Other News: SA Goes Nude for World Cup
Ooops! What an eye-catching scene over there in South Africa, venue of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in less than 24 hours.
If you aren’t feeling the World Cup excitement yet, then the body language of thousands of South African ladies across the country readily puts you in great competition mood.
The babes are baring everything they have; their beauty, curves and poise all to make the visitors feel at home during the mundial.
While many say posing unclothed is a normal way of life amongst young South African ladies, some believe that the trend is restricted to the grossly under-developed areas of the former apartheid enclave. Whatever the insinuations, South Africans are already in a joyous celebration of their country’s readiness to host the world and they are not hiding it.



South African dancers cheer Chile's national football team before their friendly international against New Zealand at the Kanyamazane Stadium near Nelspruit yesterday, two days ahead of the start of the 2010 World Cup football tournament. AFP PHOTO



Only yesterday during the pre-World Cup friendly match between Chile and New Zealand, thousands of South Africans, including their ladies, stripped themselves unclothed and filed out to cheer the teams at the Kanyamazane Stadium, near Nelspruit.
The pretty damsels appeared happy to showoff their bodies as they danced around in Sandton, north of Johannesburg city centre, where a big party was held in anticipation of the beginning of the world showpiece.


Many of the ladies who spoke to international journalists say whatever they do is ‘for the good of the game’ and an honour for their nation. Reports say the presence of the ladies is not only felt on the streets of South Africa, some unsuspecting players are getting distracted, especially when the babes come around their training grounds and near their hotels. It was gathered that security personnel have been up and doing to ensure that the 32 teams, including the host, Bafana Bafana, are focused on the mundial, the first to be staged on Africa’s soil.

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RCCG warns AC against linking Adeboye with corruption

Femi Makinde, Ado-Ekiti


The Redeemed Christian Church of God has warned the Action Congress in Ekiti State against linking its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, with the alleged diversion of public funds to religious purposes.


Pastor Adeboye

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A statement issued by Pastor Ola Adejubee of Province 1, RCCG in Ekiti State and made available to our correspondent in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, said that the church did not need taxpayers' money to organise any crusade.

The statement accused the AC of using surreptitious means to cast "aspersions on the good name of the RCCG and the person of Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the general overseer of the church ,by insinuating that the church and our respected G.O are colluding with the government of Ekiti State to waste a colossal amount of money on a programme it derisively described as a black market spiritual exercise."

Adejubee added that the crusade, scheduled for Friday in Ado-Ekiti, did not have any input from the state government or any politician. He said it was a service organised to further propagate the gospel.

The spokesman of the AC in Ekiti State, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, had on February 2, in a statement, asked clergymen to shun Governor Segun Oni's invitation to the state, as this would be used to siphon public resources.

He said in the statement, "The vegetating PDP regime in Ekiti State is currently using the veil of hosting a legion of pastors to loot the state's treasury.

"We are at home with the coming of men of God to Ekiti on ecumenical crusades but certainly not on the invitation and bills of the Ekiti PDP regime, which is a vector for poll robbery, illicit and venal practices and till plundering."
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Plot, intrigues against VP thicken - Power, water supplies regularly interrupted in Aguda House - His correspondences under close monitoring - VP keeps mute Plot, intrigues against VP thicken - Power, water supplies regularly interrupted in Aguda House - His correspondences under close monitoring - VP keeps mute Let the Web Work 4 ! You Affordable Online Marketing & A.d.v.e.r.t.i.s.i.n.g on http://www.9jabook.com call or email:info@systemini.net twitter:systemini linkedin:systemini tel +234-0806 495 0565,234-07083793511,234-07058888394 44-7894214683, VICE-President Goodluck Jonathan has been subjected to great discomfort in the last four weeks, as events are attesting to this, Nigerian Tribune investigations have revealed. Since the clamour by Nigerians that Vice-President Jonathan should act as president has been intensified following the continued absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua, who is thought to be currently recupperating in a Saudi Arabian hospital, the vice-president is reportedly prone to attacks in the Villa, according to Nigerian Tribune source. One of such attempts against the number two citizen was through food poisoning, which sources said the vice-president himself had taken note of and therefore refrained himself from taking food and drinks served in the State House. Nigerian Tribune also gathered that events in the last four weeks in the Villa suggest that there is more to the threat to the life of Vice-President Jonathan. The latest remote or near incident, according to sources, indicated that a top company which manages Aso Rock, is this time orchestrating the plan. For instance, sources said the entire Presidential Villa was thrown into darkness on Tuesday night, when the vice-president was billed to host members of the Diplomatic Corps in Aguda House. The incident was so dramatic that even the envoys were quite stunned. Sources said that as soon as the diplomats began to trickle in, the Villa was, without warning, plunged into darkness for close to one hour. The confused ambassadors, it was gathered, were seen huddling together, wondering if the Presidential Villa had no standby generator, or if there was something sinister about it. Nigerian Tribune learnt that, when power was finally restored, the central public address system failed to work, causing the vice-president’s aides to run helter-skelter for remedy. The Nigerian Tribune gathered that it was not the first time such an incident had happened. Sources said that in December 2009, during the Christmas Carol night hosted by the vice-president, the Villa was similarly thrown into darkness, causing a similar scare. “And when power was eventually restored, the air conditioners were deliberately shut down. Over 100 guests had to endure the suffocating heat of the banquet hall during the event, but dramatically, the air conditioners began to work again as soon as the event ended,” the source said. It was learnt that mobile phones are programmed not to work in the Presidential Villa, leaving the principals and staff with no choice but to use the telephone lines run by the company. Nigerian Tribune learnt that situation had become so bad that the company is being fingered in an effort to sabotage the vice-president’s activities in the Villa. During the week, Jonathan was said to have issued a query to the company over recent happenings. The role of the top company said to be managing the Villa was also said to be another “instrument” being used to sabotage the efforts of Vice-President Jonathan or cause him discomfort. The Nigerian Tribune learnt that given its vantage position, the company holds sway over virtually all activities in the Villa. It was gathered that its access to every part of the villa is unrestricted. Sources said: “The company has unfettered access to the vice-president’s offices and the innermost recesses of his living quarters. They control the telephones, so they can have access to the vice-president’s conversation, and they run the internet services, so they have access to private e-mails through the web portal.” It was gathered that this company is being used to monitor the vice president’s activities, while sources said that “they do this by shutting down facilities like electricity and water at such hours in sections of Aguda House and when they are inevitably invited to check what has gone wrong, they are able to pinpoint where the vice-president is and when.” Meanwhile, rather than abating the constitutional crisis, Wednesday’s verdict by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Daniel Abutu, has further deepened the logjam occasioned by the long absence of President Yar’Adua. Abutu, had on Wednesday, directed Vice-President Jonathan to perform the functions of the president in his absence. Curiously, the judge was emphatic that Jonathan was not an acting president as adherence to section 145 of the constitution, according to Abutu, was at the discretion of the president. This is coming on the heels of a warning by the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the umbrella body of Ijaw ethnic nationality, that the verdict was capable of causing further damage than ameliorating it. INC’s position was made known by its National President, Dr Atuboyedia Obiannime. Obiannime spoke as constitutional law expert, Professor Itsey Sagay, said that the verdict had said nothing new. Also, the coordinator of Ijaw Monitoring Group, Joseph Evah, canvassed that further steps should be taken to address the issue along the constitution instead of putting the nation’s judiciary to ridicule. ”The development is a very welcome one. I mean it means that the judiciary is also seen to be performing its duties as the third tier of government. But I doubt if the verdict has really leveraged anything near the resolution of the crisis because it is already a constitutional crisis. Rather, I see a situation where some persons have decided to impose their political inclinations as well as their personal views on the nation. By and large, what they are doing is simply replacing the nation’s supreme document, which is the constitution, with their views. “In my own view, this is very dangerous and it is capable of instigating doubts in the minds of the people, whether the prayers of Nigerians are, indeed, needed. Nevertheless, much as the INC will continue to pray for the quick recovery of the president, it abhors anything aimed at undermining the nation’s constitution to suit the personal whims and caprices of a few individuals. “We pray for the vice-president as he pilots the affairs of the nation, but he has to be wary of booby traps such as this verdict,” Obiannime said. Sagay said “this verdict has said nothing new in its enterity. I have not seen the full text of the verdict, but from what I have seen this morning in some newspapers, it is mere academic exercise for anyone to say the vice-president should continue to perform the duties of the president. “The verdict is nothing new from what the justice minister said that all other things requiring the attention of the president are being attended to by the vice-president. To me, the verdict has successfully affirmed that position. Beyond that, the verdict is a very trickey one that requires the carefulness of the vice-president because it is capable of pitching him against the constitution and, even, his boss. In his own reaction, Evah said ”the verdict delivered by the chief judge of the Federal High Court has confirmed that there is a cabal in this country that is trying to subvert the nation’s constitution by all means, but Nigerians will reject it with all legal means because the nation belongs to all of us. “What the judge said in the verdict was just to read out the provisions of Section 50 of the constitution; does Jonathan need a judge to answer his name as Jonathan or doesn’t he know that he is a vice-president? As far as we know, the verdict is another way of deceiving the vice-president to believe in the wrong thing but he will survive all these intrigues.”
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Good morning. It is an honor for me to be in Accra, and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States. I am speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia, for a Summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy, for a meeting of the world's leading economies. And I have come here, to Ghana, for a simple reason: the 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra as well.
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lagos..Port-Harcourt..Abuja..Kaduna.. Owerri..Edo.. AkwaIbom..Ibadan..Enugu
This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America's. Your health and security can contribute to the world's. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere. So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world — as partners with America on behalf of the future that we want for all our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility, and that is what I want to speak with you about today. We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans. I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story. My grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him "boy" for much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya's liberation struggles, but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life, colonialism wasn't simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms of trade — it was something experienced personally, day after day, year after year. My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance away from the American universities where he would come to get an education. He came of age at an extraordinary moment of promise for Africa. The struggles of his own father's generation were giving birth to new nations, beginning right here in Ghana. Africans were educating and asserting themselves in new ways. History was on the move. But despite the progress that has been made — and there has been considerable progress in parts of Africa — we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya, which had a per capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born, have been badly outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent. In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism, even despair. It is easy to point fingers, and to pin the blame for these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense bred conflict, and the West has often approached Africa as a patron, rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is a daily fact of life for far too many. Of course, we also know that is not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or the need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown impressive rates of growth. This progress may lack the drama of the 20th century's liberation struggles, but make no mistake: it will ultimately be more significant. For just as it is important to emerge from the control of another nation, it is even more important to build one's own. So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana — and for Africa — as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born. This is a new moment of promise. Only this time, we have learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's future. Instead, it will be you — the men and women in Ghana's Parliament, and the people you represent. Above all, it will be the young people — brimming with talent and energy and hope — who can claim the future that so many in my father's generation never found. To realize that promise, we must first recognize a fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans. As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I have pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa's interest and America's. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of aid that helps people scrape by — it is whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change. This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership. And today, I will focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy; opportunity; health; and the peaceful resolution of conflict. First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments. As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: governments that respect the will of their own people are more prosperous, more stable and more successful than governments that do not. This is about more than holding elections — it's also about what happens between them. Repression takes many forms, and too many nations are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end. In the 21st century, capable, reliable and transparent institutions are the key to success — strong parliaments and honest police forces; independent judges and journalists; a vibrant private sector and civil society. Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in peoples' lives. Time and again, Ghanaians have chosen Constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously, and victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage and participating in the political process. Across Africa, we have seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop postelection violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three quarters of the country voted in the recent election — the fourth since the end of apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is their sacred right. Make no mistake: history is on the side of these brave Africans and not with those who use coups or change Constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation — the essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. What we will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance — on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard; on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting, automating services, strengthening hot lines and protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability. As we provide this support, I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights report. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do. This leads directly to our second area of partnership — supporting development that provides opportunity for more people. With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base for prosperity. The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities — or on a single export — concentrates wealth in the hands of the few and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns. In Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore, history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and infrastructure; when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled work force and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs. As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and administration, we will put more resources in the hands of those who need it, while training people to do more for themselves. That is why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers — not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it is no longer needed. America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; and financial services that reach poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interest — for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, new markets will open for our own goods. One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet will spread disease, shrink water resources and deplete crops, creating conditions that produce more famine and conflict. All of us — particularly the developed world — have a responsibility to slow these trends — through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity. Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity and help countries increase access to power while skipping the dirtier phase of development. Across Africa, there is bountiful wind and solar power; geothermal energy and bio-fuels. From the Rift Valley to the North African deserts; from the Western coast to South Africa's crops — Africa's boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting profitable, clean energy abroad. These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They're about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a family; a farmer can transfer their goods to the market; or an entrepreneur with a good idea can start a business. It's about the dignity of work. Its about the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century. Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it is also critical to the third area that I will talk about — strengthening public health. In recent years, enormous progress has been made in parts of Africa. Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn't kill them. When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made. Yet because of incentives — often provided by donor nations — many African doctors and nurses understandably go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease. This creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention. Meanwhile, individual Africans also have to make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries. Across Africa, we see examples of people tackling these problems. In Nigeria, an interfaith effort of Christians and Muslims has set an example of cooperation to confront malaria. Here in Ghana and across Africa, we see innovative ideas for filling gaps in care — for instance, through E-Health initiatives that allow doctors in big cities to support those in small towns. America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy. Because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience and our common interest. When a child dies of a preventable illness in Accra, that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents. That is why my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges. Building on the strong efforts of President Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and eradicating polio. We will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation — we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children. As we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings — and so the final area that I will address is conflict. Now let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at war. But for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes. These conflicts are a millstone around Africa's neck. We all have many identities — of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God's children. We all share common aspirations — to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families, our communities, and our faith. That is our common humanity. That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systematic rape. We must bear witness to the value of every child in Darfur and the dignity of every woman in Congo. No faith or culture should condone the outrages against them. All of us must strive for the peace and security necessary for progress. Africans are standing up for this future. Here, too, Ghana is helping to point the way forward. Ghanaians should take pride in your contributions to peacekeeping from Congo to Liberia to Lebanon, and in your efforts to resist the scourge of the drug trade. We welcome the steps that are being taken by organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS to better resolve conflicts, keep the peace, and support those in need. And we encourage the vision of a strong, regional security architecture that can bring effective, transnational force to bear when needed. America has a responsibility to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there is genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems — they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response. That is why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy, technical assistance, and logistical support, and will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa and the world. In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. That must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don't, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict, and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity. As I said earlier, Africa's future is up to Africans. The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. In my country, African-Americans — including so many recent immigrants — have thrived in every sector of society. We have done so despite a difficult past, and we have drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos; in Kigali and Kinshasa; in Harare and right here in Accra. Fifty-two years ago, the eyes of the world were on Ghana. And a young preacher named Martin Luther King traveled here, to Accra, to watch the Union Jack come down and the Ghanaian flag go up. This was before the march on Washington or the success of the civil rights movement in my country. Dr. King was asked how he felt while watching the birth of a nation. And he said: "It renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice." Now, that triumph must be won once more, and it must be won by you. And I am particularly speaking to the young people. In places like Ghana, you make up over half of the population. Here is what you must know: the world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, end conflicts and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can. Because in this moment, history is on the move. But these things can only be done if you take responsibility for your future. It won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you. As a partner. As a friend. Opportunity won't come from any other place, though — it must come from the decisions that you make, the things that you do, and the hope that you hold in your hearts.
NEWSBLOGSTODAY
lagos..Port-Harcourt..Abuja..Kaduna.. Owerri..Edo.. AkwaIbom..Ibadan..Enugu
Freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say that this was the time when the promise was realized — this was the moment when prosperity was forged; pain was overcome; and a new era of progress began. This can be the time when we witness the triumph of justice once more. Thank you.
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LAGOS, April 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria warned on Sunday of a possible attack against diplomatic missions in Lagos, the commercial capital of Africa's biggest oil producer. In a message to U.S. citizens living in Nigeria, the embassy said it had received reports of a possible strike against missions located close to the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, situated in the exclusive Victoria Island neighbourhood. "U.S. Mission Nigeria has received reports about a possible attacks against diplomatic missions in Lagos located on Walter Carrington Crescent," the message said. Nigerian police increased their vigilance in the neighbourhood and called on U.S. citizens to report any suspicious activity. Nigeria is the world's eighth biggest exporter of crude oil which supplies the United States and China. Militants in the southern Niger Delta, the heartland of its oil industry, have carried out regular strikes against installations belonging to oil giants including U.S. firms. The main militant group in the region, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), dissociated itself from the threat. "Our struggle is a just one and our enemies are not the good people of America," it said in a statement. The U.S. embassy message gave no details of the nature of the reports it had received regarding the possible attack in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation divided roughly equally between Christians and Muslims. But it said that U.S. government facilities worldwide remained in a state of heightened alert because of the threat of violence against Americans and U.S. interests.
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