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BlackBerry smartphone as an Internet USB modem works on Etisalat

Posted by technology on January 17, 2011 at 11:08pm

Note: An Internet Protocol (IP) Modem Connection Manager is included with BlackBerry® Desktop Manager 5.0.1 that is designed to configure the BlackBerry smartphone as a tethered modem. For more information regarding the IP Modem Connection Manager, see the Additional Information section of this article.

When a BlackBerry smartphone has tethered modem capability, it can be used as an external modem to connect a computer to the Internet.

Summary of Tasks

To set up a tethered modem in BlackBerry® Desktop Manager 4.1 to 5.0, complete the following tasks:

Task 1

Install BlackBerry Desktop Software 4.1 to 5.0 on the computer...

Note: When BlackBerry Desktop Software is installed, the drivers that allow the BlackBerry smartphone to communicate through the USB port and virtual communications port are installed. The standard modem that is used by Dial-up Networking (DUN) is also installed.

Task 2

To set up an Internet access point name (APN) - for GSM devices only - complete the following steps:

On the computer, click Start > Settings > Control Panel.
Double-click Phone and Modem Options.
In the Phone and Modem Options window, click the Modems tab.
Select Standard Modem and click Properties.
Click Change Settings.
In the Standard Modem Properties window, click the Advanced tab.
In the Extra initialization commands field, type the following:
+cgdcont=1,"IP","<Device Internet APN>"
Note: The following is applicable for T-Mobile® customers only:
The extra initialization command is: +cgdcont=1,"IP","wap.voicestream.com"
Note: If the Internet APN is unknown, contact the wireless service provider.
Click OK.
In the Phone and Modem Options window, click OK.

Task 3

To configure DUN, complete the the following steps for the appropriate operating system.

Windows 7

Click the Windows icon.
In the search bar, type Set up Connection or Network.
Click Set up a dial-up connection.
Perform the appropriate step from the following list:
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) networks, type *99# in the Dial-Up Phone number field, and click Next.
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks, type *98# in the Dial-Up Phone number field, and click Next.
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or 1x/Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) networks, type #777 in the Dial-Up Phone number field, and click Next.
Type the user name and password provided by the wireless service provider. If the wireless service provider has confirmed that this information is not required, leave the fields blank.
In the Connection Name field type BlackBerry.
Click Dialing Rules.
Make sure the profile created in Task 2 has been selected (if applicable), and then click OK.
Select Connect to establish an Internet connection.

Windows Vista™

Click Start.
Select Connect To.
Click Set up a connection or network.
Click Set up a dialup connection.
Perform the appropriate step from the following list:
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) networks, type *99# in the Phone number field, and click Next.
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks, type *98# in the Phone number field, and click Next.
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or 1x/Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) networks, type #777 in the Phone number field, and click Next.
Type the user name and password provided by the wireless service provider. If the wireless service provider has confirmed that this information is not required, leave the fields blank.
In the Connection Name field type BlackBerry.
Click Dialing Rules.
Make sure the profile created in Task 2 has been selected (if applicable), and then click OK.
Select Connect to establish an Internet connection.

Windows XP

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network Connections.
Click Create a New Connection. The New Connection Wizard opens.
Click Next.
Select the Connect to the Internet option, and then click Next.
Select Set up my connection manually, and then click Next.
Select Connect using a dial-up modem, and then click Next.
In the Select a Device screen, select the Modem - Standard Modem check box, and then click Next.
In the ISP Name field, type a name for the desired connection, and then click Next.
Perform the appropriate step from the following list:
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) networks, type *99# in the Phone number field, and click Next.
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks, type *98# in the Phone number field, and click Next.
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or 1x/Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) networks, type #777 in the Phone number field, and click Next.
Indicate which users will have access to the connection, and then click Next.
Type the user name and password provided by the wireless service provider. If the wireless service provider has confirmed that this information is not required, leave the fields blank. Click Next.
Click Finish.
In the Connect window, click Properties.
In the Properties window, verify that Modem - Standard Modem appears beneath the Connect using heading, and then click Configure.
In the Modem Configuration window, clear the Enable hardware flow control check box and make sure that none of the other check boxes are selected.
Click OK.
In the Properties window, click OK.

Windows 2000

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel.
Double-click Network and Dial-up Connections.
Note: The following is applicable for T-Mobile® customers only:
Under the networking tab in the properties window for the dial-up connection, clear the Enable LCP Extensions check box, as well as all check boxes beneath the PPP Settings window.
Double-click Make New Connection. The Network Connection Wizard opens.
Click Next.
Choose Dial-up to private network, and then click Next.
Perform the appropriate step from the following list:
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) networks, type *99# in the Phone number field, and click Next.
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks, type *98# in the Phone number field, and click Next.
- If the BlackBerry smartphone operates on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or 1x/Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) networks, type #777 in the Phone number field, and click Next.
Indicate which users will have access to the connection, and then click Next.
Type a name for the connection, and then click Finish.
In the Connect window, click Properties.
In the Properties window, verify that Modem - Standard Modem is selected, and then click Configure.
In the Modem Configuration window, clear the Enable hardware flow control check box and make sure that none of the other check boxes are selected.
Click OK.
In the Properties window, click OK.

Task 4

Connect to the Internet using DUN.

Note: During this procedure, do not operate the browser or any third-party applications on the BlackBerry smartphone. An active data session might interfere with the modem connection. Also, make sure that an ethernet connection is not active at the same time.

To connect to the Internet using DUN, complete the following steps:

Connect the BlackBerry smartphone to the computer.
Open the BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and verify that the BlackBerry Desktop Manager displays Connected. The BlackBerry smartphone must be identified by BlackBerry Desktop Manager in order for the modem to establish a connection.
Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network Connections > <name of the new connection>.
If the wireless service provider requires a username and password to make this connection, enter this information in the fields provided. Otherwise, leave the fields blank.
Click Dial.

Important: The BlackBerry Desktop Manager must be running for the tethered modem to function.

Note: If Microsoft® Outlook® is operating in Cached Exchange mode, a message may appear indicating that BlackBerry Desktop Manager cannot contact the messaging server. If this message appears, click Cancel to proceed.

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Environment

BlackBerry® Desktop Software
BlackBerry® smartphones
Windows®

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Additional Information

The IP Modem option in BlackBerry Desktop Manager 5.0.1 is designed to permit the BlackBerry smartphone user to use the BlackBerry smartphone as a tethered modem and minimize the configuration steps. This is possible through the inclusion of a modem script during software installation, which provides and auto-populates relevant configuration information to the IP Modem Connection Manager.

To configure the BlackBerry Desktop Manager to use the BlackBerry smartphone as a tethered modem, complete the following steps:

In the main menu of the BlackBerry Desktop Manager, click IP Modem.
During the initial BlackBerry smartphone connection, complete the configuration step by clicking the Configure button.
Select the Set-Up Connection option from the Connection profile drop-down list.
Select the appropriate wireless service provider or select Add customer profile for custom settings.
Select OK.
Click Connect.

Note: By default, the modem script auto-populates the wireless service provider information within the IP Modem Connection Manager, depending on the BlackBerry smartphone that is connected and the wireless service provider (network type provided by the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card). If the connection profile is incorrect, manually select the BlackBerry smartphone wireless service provider from the drop-down list provided.

Important: Contact the wireless service provider to obtain the user name and password that is required to configure DUN. Also, ask the wireless service provider if additional charges are incorporated when connecting to the Internet using the BlackBerry smartphone as a tethered modem.

This KB article contains information that previously appeared in KB04664 and KB20362.

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http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=KB05196

http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Desktop-Software/Use-your-BlackBerry-smartphone-as-a-tethered-modem-with-a-PC/td-p/452353

Will Mobile Phone Money ( MPESA) work in Nigeria ? Former Top Geek Bill Gates may think So, as Kenyan Roll out becomes a huge success

Posted by technology on January 10, 2011 at 4:51am

Bill first wrote about digital money 15 years ago in his book “The Road Ahead”. These days, he’s excited about financial services being offered in Africa over mobile phones. They provide an easy, safe and affordable way for millions of poor people to send, receive and store money.

When I visited Kenya last December I had a chance to observe M-PESA, which is a mobile money service that is being used by more than 13 million people for storing and transferring money. Services like M-PESA are exciting because financial services of any kind have been available to only 10 percent of the 2.5 billion people who live on less than $2 per day. M-PESA showed me a new world of possibility brought by that great piece of technology, the mobile phone. A recent study found, among other things, that M-PESA allows users to maintain steady levels of consumption, particularly of food, through shocks such as job loss, illness, harvest failure and livestock deaths.

This sense of promise and excitement came through loudly in a recent foundation-hosted Global Savings Forum, which explored a number of approaches to solving the micro-savings challenge.

I participated in a panel discussion about the types of partnerships that can take financial services to every household in developing countries. We discussed how technology-enabled models can allow service providers to focus on particular services or customer segments, and scale them up quickly.

The panel included representatives of different kinds of financial service providers, including a national commercial bank (Equity of Kenya), a global association of community-based banks (World Council of Credit Unions), a promoter of informal village-level savings and loan associations (CARE), and the mobile phone company behind the most successful deployment of mobile financial services to date (Safaricom of Kenya). The panel also included representatives of a global online payments provider (PayPal) and solution providers (MPower Labs and Obopay)...

The discussion began with the dynamic duo of Michael Joseph, outgoing CEO of Safaricom, and James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Bank, talking about their prominent M-KESHO partnership. They have developed a jointly-branded service that connects Equity Bank accounts with M-PESA’s powerful network.

I was interested to hear from both Mr. Joseph and Mr. Mwangi about the challenges involved in such a competitive yet cooperative joint product offering. Both are extremely protective of the powerful brands they have created, and putting them together without diluting either is a concern. I very much welcomed their challenge to other telcos and banks to be bold in their approach.

I was also struck by how Brian Branch, CEO of the World Council of Credit Unions, recognized that scale is a problem for the smaller community-based banks he represents, but also an opportunity. They are seeking ways to band together to find common technology solutions and partner with bigger players with national payment platforms such as Safaricom. This way they can remain true to the interests of the local communities they serve, offering more services at a lower cost.

Technology can be a major force to advance financial inclusion, which can help improve the lives of the poor in the developing world. This is an important focus of the foundation’s efforts. At the Global Savings Forum, we pledged $500 million over five years to help create access to savings accounts that will help increase the financial security of the world’s poorest.

I’m personally very excited about these efforts, which have the potential to replicate in other key markets. As I mentioned at the forum, I look forward to seeing similar partnerships replicate at scale in big countries such as India, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

Court orders Nwodo to quit as PDP chairman

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on January 12, 2011 at 10:37pm

A dramatic twist was introduced into the People's Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries yesterday as less than 24 hours to the epoch making event, an Enugu High Court granted an interim order restraining the party's national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, from "parading himself as chairman of the party." However, Mr. Nwodo's counsel, Ilochi Okafor (SAN), immediately filed an objection at the Federal High Court, Abuja. The initial order granted by the presiding judge, Reuben Onuorah, ruled that Mr. Nwodo should stop functioning as chairman and enjoying any benefits from the position, pending the determination of motion on notice for interlocutory injunction. The suit was filed in June last year shortly after Mr. Nwodo emerged as PDP's chairperson. It was filed by Collins Amalu, a registered member of the party from Ngwo-Uno ward in Enugu State. He claimed that Mr. Nwodo was not a bonafide member of the party due to alleged irregularities in the manner of his return to the party after his bitter exit in 2003. Acrimonious exit The argument for sacking him was based on his failure to follow due process in returning to the party. "At the time he left the PDP and sought to return to the party, he did not re-register as a member of the party and was not issued a membership card in line with the PDP Constitution. This fact was publicly confirmed by Nwodo himself and enquiries made also confirmed that. Based on that, he is not entitled to hold the position, perform any function, or enjoy the benefits from the party," the judgement said. The PDP had last year welcomed all aggrieved members who had left the party in a huff. Such returnees included former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who went through a re-registration process in his ward in Adamawa State before been readmitted into the party. Mr. Nwodo, according to the plaintiff, did not undergo this process. While granting the order, the judge ruled that the defendant should stop "exercising the rights, powers and or function or enjoy the privileges attached to the office of the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction." The suit was further adjourned to January 31, for hearing. However, in a preliminary objection against the suit calling for the removal, Mr. Nwodo, through his counsel, who was absent at the sitting in Enugu, argued at the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the appointment of his client was totally an internal affair of the party. He further argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter, as the plaintiff had abused the court process in the matter. The presiding judge, Daniel Kolawole, adjourned the matter till January 28. Mr. Nwodo, a former national secretary of the PDP, was appointed as the chairman by the National Executive Committee of the party in June 2010 following the resignation of the then national chairman, Vincent Eze Ogbulafor. Mr. Nwodo left the party in 2003, but returned earlier in 2010 when the party welcomed back all its aggrieved members. ‘Not a sack' Renowned lawyer, Itse Sagay (SAN), said the order was not a sack, explaining that "someone just filed an exparte motion for him to be regarded as not been duly re-registered into the party and the judge simply affirmed that." He condemned the judge saying, "it is a very suspicious judgement. It is one of those Enugu rulings that will end up getting the judge fired because the judge acted on hearing of just one side and acted very partisan." Mr. Sagay wonders why a judge will give such a ruling just hours to the ruling party's presidential primaries. "He must be a very crooked judge to have given such a judgment filed by some people who just do not want the man involved in the politics in Enugu," he said. On whether the ruling nullifies past issues moderated by the chairman in the last six months, Mr. Sagay stated that "this will not affect his past. If he chooses to obey the ruling he might just have to step down, as this ruling can prevent him from overseeing the primaries today, and will be restored back. In any case, he might not be bound by the ruling until he is personally served the court rulings." However, Ike Abonyi, Mr. Nwodo's spokesman, said they have not been served any court paper for now and cannot speak further on the matter. The initial suit.. The counsel to the plaintiff, Justina Offiah ( SAN), said that the plaintiff filed a motion exparte for injunction to restrain Mr. Nwodo from functioning as the party chairman, arguing that his appointment as the party leader violated Section 85 of the Electoral Act of 2006 and the party's constitution. He added that the party's action regarding the appointment of Mr. Nwodo as its national chairman also contravened Sections 221, 222, 223, 224 as well as 225 of the 1999 Constitution. A motion on notice of interlocutory injunction was also filed to that effect. Ms. Offiah said the court, at the first appearance in December, declined to take the motion exparte motion on notice was served through a publication in Vanguard newspapers. By December 20, the defence counsel, Mr. Okafor, indicated that he required time to file a further reply to the address of the plaintiff's counsel. This was vigorously contested on December 20, 2010 and the ruling adjourned to January 12.

Rihanna makes history Equals Elvis Presleys Record Rihanna has set a new record as the first female solo artist in UK…

Posted by Jane Okinedo on January 9, 2011 at 8:54pm

Rihanna makes history in UK chart
Rihanna has set a new record as the first female solo artist in UK chart history to achieve number one singles in five consecutive years.
The Official Charts Company announced her record after What's My Name? rose from number two to the top spot.
The last solo artist to achieve the feat was Elvis Presley, who had number ones in each year from 1957 to 1963.
Rihanna's album Loud also holds on to its number one slot, giving her the second UK chart double of her career.

Loud has now sold nearly 900,000 copies since its release in November last year.

As well as her number one, Rihanna, who is 22 and from Barbados, also appears on two other songs in the top 10 - Only Girl (In The World) and Who's That Chick.

Only Girl (In The World) was a number one last year and followed other number ones for Run This Town (2009), Take A Bow (2008) and Umbrella (2007).

Other albums which have re-entered the top 10 are Plan B's The Defamation of Strickland Banks, Rumer's Seasons Of My Soul and Cee Lo Green's The Lady Killer which climbs to its highest chart position yet at number four.

In the singles chart, the BBC's Sound Of 2011 winner, Jessie J, climbs to number five from last week's 18 with Do It Like A Dude.

Dora Akunyili Resigns:! In search of 25percent share of Lawmakers Naija Share of the National Cake ?

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on December 15, 2010 at 4:30am

The minister of information and communication, Dora Akunyili, has resigned her appointment in order to pursue her senatorial ambition.

Mrs. Akunyili, whose resignation takes effect on Thursday, announced her resignation after today's Federal Executive Council.

A presidency source told NEXT that Mrs. Akunyili tendered her resignation letter to the president on Monday.

Labaran Maku, the former minister of state for information, is now the substantive head of the ministry.

Mrs. Akunyili has also defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) on whose platform she intends to contest for the Anambra central senatorial ticket. She has, this afternoon picked APGA's senatorial form.

The APGA is the ruling party in Anambra State..Her Last Order as Minister was Dont Call this country Naija or 9ja or .... Aunty Dora but your full name is Dorothy !

Has Timaya Replaced Dbanj as Glo Ambassador 87M up for grabs !

Posted by NollywoodMohits on December 19, 2010 at 5:20am

Word is that Timaya just sealed an Endorsement deal with Telecoms Giant GLOBACOM....

The deal is said to be worth #87 million Naira and runs for the next two years...

Tongues are wagging that he was recruited in place of Dbanj, whose contract has expired and wont be renewed!

What did the kokoaste do ?

Delta rerun: Uduaghan leads as results trickle in

Posted by cozzy webtatafo on January 7, 2011 at 5:16am

Breaking News

INEC names Emmanuel Uduaghan as the winner of d just concluded Delta Govenorship Re- run Election.

A WINNER was yet to emerge last night in the Delta State governorship election rerun.

The votes were still being collated this morning, but there were indications that there were two leading candidates – Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and Chief Great Ogboru.

Uduaghan is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ogboru is of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP).

Fourteen political parties fielded candidates in the election..

The results released at the collation centre as at 2.10a.m. put Uduaghan ahead of his closest rival Ogboru.

But the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) identified the lapses in the exercise.

The TMG is a coalition of over 400 civil society organisations, which has been monitoring elections in the country since 1999. It deployed its observers in all the wards and the 25 local government areas in Delta State during yesterday’s rerun election.

In its preliminary report on the election signed by its chair, Mashood Erubami and Public Affairs Officer, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the TMG listed the problems that plagued the election as: large presence of police and other security outfits; late arrival of election officials and materials in some centres; missing names in INEC voter registers; ballot snatching; harassment of voters; vote buying; and lack of secrecy at some of the voting centres.

It said the election is a template for a new dawn for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The TMG said notwithstanding these lapses, the election “went on well in majority of polling booth”. “It was generally peaceful without the reported loss of lives either by error of omission or commission, unlike before. “Expectedly, INEC officials operated above board as there were no pointed accusations against their operations, they demonstrated competence and efficiency in the conduct of the election, signposting that they were adequately trained before their deployment into the field.”

The TMG said it was not surprising that some people could not find their names on the voter register, given the fact that INEC issued the old and discredited register.

Jega gave his men a pass mark, in spite of the odds that dogged the election.

Jega spoke to reporters at the INEC office in Asaba last night after monitoring the election across the state.

He said the commission would learn from the experiences gained in the rerun election to improve on the April general elections.

He said the commission had to work extra hard in order to make a success of the rerun.

He blamed some of the political parties for exhibiting insincerity, adding after some political parties abused the trust of the commission by producing fake cards.

He said the attitude of the commission was to uphold the sanctity of one man, one vote objective.

Jega said due to the constraint of time the commission had to use the old voter register, adding that had the electoral body insisted on using a new register it would have violated the court order to conduct the rerun in 90 days.

He said the commission tried to increase the credibility of the old register by setting up a committee to scrutinise the register, adding that despite the commission’s effort some problems still arose on the register.

He admitted some of the challenges, including late arrival of election materials, snatched ballot boxes, violence and physical abuse.

Jega promised that the April elections would be better, adding that it will satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians for credible elections.

According to him, the introduction by the commission of new guidelines brought credibility into the electoral process.

He said INEC had been non-partisan while acknowledging that the commission had not conducted a perfect election but had done a good job.

He said many disenfranchised residents of riverine communities showered encomiums on INEC as this was the first time they had participated in any election.

Jega monitored several riverine communities in Burutu, Bomadi and Patani.

He praised the Youth Corps members who assisted to organise the election for their commitment.

Panic in Lagos as bomb scare spreads

Posted by 9jabook.com on January 6, 2011 at 9:32pm

Over 1000 people were hurriedly evacuated from the Motorways Complex at Old Tollgate, Lagos State, South West Nigeria when rumour of a bomb scare spread through the complex.

There was pandemonium as Lagosians working in the complex hurriedly scampered to safety. The building houses over 45 companies, including two banks. Commercial activities in the complex were paralysed.

WORKERS OUTSIDE MOTOWAY COMPANY ALONG LAGOS IBADAN EXP WAY WHERE THIER IS AN INFROMATION THAT BOMB IS BEING PLANTED INSIDE THE BUILDING.

The bomb scare episode was ignited following an anonymous note found in a toilet of one of the companies’ resident in the complex warning that a bomb would explode in the building in the next six hours.

Anti-bomb policemen, members of the State Security Services, SSS raced to the scene and immediate evacuated the remaining occupants of the building and sealed it up while effort to find where the supposed bomb was located proved abortive.

The rumour about the bomb had spread across the complex around 2.00 p.m on Thursday.

People intending to go into the premises to transact businesses were turned back as the complex was condoned off by the police.

A staff of Office of the Public Defender, OPD told PM NEWS that they were asked to leave the complex when the news of the rumoured bomb scare spread.

Another source stated that the anonymous note found in one of the toilets was signed by an unknown group which described itself as Concerned Nigerians, while calling for evacuation of everyone in the building.

The note, it was gathered did not specify where the bomb was planted. It only said that the explosive due to explode was planted in one of the offices.

Some of the workers were seen gathered in groups discussing the incident. While some doubted the authenticity of the note, others did not ignore the warning.

This is the second time in four days that rumours of bomb scare would spread in the Lagos metropolis after the Jos and Abuja bombing episodes.

Efforts to get to the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Lagos Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba to comment on the development proved abortive as calls to his handset were not picked.

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

More News from other Media:

There was panic among Lagos residents yesterday following reports that bombs might detonate at Alausa, Ikeja, the state capital...

The reports alleged that bombs were planted inside the premises of Motorways Plaza, near the old toll gate by noon and that they would go off in six hours.

Sources said a note was found in one of the male toilets in the complex, warning occupants to vacate the building in their own interest.

The note advised the occupants to stay away until next week.

It was gathered that when the news spread, the occupants began to move to areas considered safe.

The news also spread to the neighbourhood and the metropolis.

Representatives of Embassies and High Commissions in Lagos made calls to security agencies to confirm the veracity of the story.

A Police source told The Nation yesterday: “Most of them wanted to know if they should commence the evacuation of their nationalities from Lagos.”

Businesses were closed in Alausa as the residents called their family members, advising them against going to Ikeja.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo, described the reports as spurious.

He said the information was mischievous and circulated to destabilise the state.

Akpoyibo urged residents to beware of those peddling false information through text messages, phone calls or any other means. He said such people only caused unnecessary panic.

The Police chief warned those behind the false alerts to desist, saying it is against the law.

He assured residents that the Police would check the information, investigate it and know what to do about it.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Bomb Disposal Unit, Mr Chris Olakpe, said his men combed the scene with bomb detection equipment but did not find any explosive.

He said his unit would continue to “sweep” the area until further notice.

Residents of Alausa and its environs were jittery...

The news broke during the inauguration of the 250 modern cabs by the government.

It disrupted business activities at Motorways Plaza; other nearby buildings hurriedly shut.

Affected by the scare were the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Office of Public Defence (OPD), MultiLinks Communications, Oceanic Bank and First Bank branches in the neighbourhood.

Tragedy: Mobile Phone kills Man as Generator Explodes while call comes in .

Posted by 9jabook.com on December 22, 2010 at 9:25pm

Tragedy struck in Agege area of Lagos State, South West Nigeria when a staff of Fidelity Bank PLC was burnt to death while trying to switch on a generating set which caught fire when a call came in his GSM handset.

We gathered that the victim, Mr. David Adeogun, got married not too long ago and had a new baby.

Investigations revealed that Adeogun, a staff of the Ikosi, Ketu branch of the bank got home after work and wanted to switch on the generating set with the torchlight on his phone when the phone rang...

The generating set was said to have exploded immediately when the phone rang. His body, it was learnt, was seriously burnt by the explosion.

He died later in the hospital after being hospitalised for a week.

Some staff of the bank said the death of their colleague came to them as a shock.

A staff, who craved anonymity lamented the death of Adeogun and called on Nigerians using the torchlight on their handsets while putting on their generating sets on at night to desist from doing so as it could lead to an explosion when a call comes in.

Another staff of the bank described the deceased as a cool and easy going person who would not look for people’s trouble. A similar incident occurred two weeks ago when a man was killed while trying to put on the generating set for his family at night using the torchlight on his handset. The generating set was said to have caught fire when a call came in.

WISHING YOU THE BEST 2011

Posted by patience alabere on December 30, 2010 at 11:34pm

"If i was not a boy" Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on December 11, 2010 at 11:03pm

A humid night two years ago, sitting beside a male friend in his car, and I roll down my window to tip a young man, one of the thousands of unemployed young men in Lagos who hang around, humorous and resourceful, and help you park your car with the expectation of a tip. I brought the money from my bag. He took it with a grateful smile. Then he looked at my friend and said, “Thank you, sir!”

This is what it is to be youngish (early thirties) and female in urban Nigeria. You are driving and a policeman stops you and either he is leering and saying “fine aunty, I will marry you,” or he is sneering, with a taunt in his demeanour and the question so heavy in the air that it need not be asked: “which man bought this car for you and what did you have to do to get him to?” You are reduced to two options; to play angry and tough and to thereby offend his masculinity and have him keep you parked by the roadside, demanding document after document. Or to play the Young Simpering Female and massage his masculinity, a masculinity already fragile from poor pay and various other indignities of the Nigerian state. I am infuriated by these options. I am infuriated by the assumption that to be youngish and female means you are unable to earn your own living without a man. And yet. Sometimes I have taken on the simpering and smiling, because I am late or I am hot or I am simply not dedicated enough to my feminist principle.

I have a friend who is, on the surface, a cliché. An aspirational cliché. She has a beautiful face, two degrees from an American Ivy League college, a handsome husband with a similar educational pedigree and two children who started to read at the age of two; she is always at the top of Nigerian women achievers lists in magazines; has worked, in the past 10 years, in consulting, hedge funds and non-governmental organisations; mentors young girls on how to succeed in a male-dominated world; recites statistics about anything from trade deficits to export revenue. And yet.

One day she told me she had stopped giving interviews because her husband did not like her photo in the newspaper, and she had also decided to take her husband’s surname because it upset him that she continued to use hers professionally. Expressions such as “honour him” and “for peace in my marriage” tumbled out of her mouth, forming what I thought of as a smouldering log of self-conquest.

Another friend is very attractive, very educated, sits on boards of companies and does the sort of management work that is Greek to me. She is single. She is a few years older than I am but looks much younger. The first board meeting she attended, a man asked her, after being introduced, “So whose wife or daughter are you?” Because to him, it was the only way she would be on that board. She was, it turned out, a chief executive. And yet. She lives in a city where her friends dream not of becoming the CEO but of marrying the CEO, a city where her singleness is seen as an affront, where marriage carries more social and political cachet than it should.

Another friend is a talented writer, a forthright woman who makes people nervous when she speaks bluntly about sex, a woman who describes herself as a feminist, and who talks a lot about gender equality and changing the system. And yet. She earns more than her husband does but once told me that he had to pay the rent, always, because it was the man’s duty to do so. “Even if he is broke and I have money, he will have to go and borrow and pay the rent.” She paused, rolling this contradiction around her tongue, and then she added, “Maybe it is because of our culture. It is what they taught us.”

There is, of course, always that “they”. Two years ago, we were slumped on sofas in his Lagos living room, my brother-in-law and I, talking about politics as we usually did.

“I think I’ll run for governor in a few years,” I said in the musing manner of a person who only half-means what they say.

“You would never be governor,” he said promptly. “You could be a senator but not governor. They won’t let a woman be governor.”

What he meant was that a governor had too much power, and was in control of too much money, none of which could be left to a woman by that invisible “they”. And yet. I realise that 15 years ago he would not have said, “you could be a senator.” Civilian rule brought greater participation of women in politics and the most popular and most effective ministers in the past 10 years have been women. In the next decade, my brother-in-law could be proved wrong. In the next three decades, he will certainly be proved wrong. But she would have to be married, the woman who would be governor.

My first novel is on the West African secondary school curriculum. My second novel is taught in universities. One question I am almost always certain of getting during media interviews is a variation of this: we appreciate the work you are doing and your novels are important but when are you getting married? I refuse to accept that the institution of marriage is what gives me my true value, and I refuse to come across as silly or coy or both. The balance is a precarious one.

“Would you ask that question to a male writer my age?” I once asked a journalist in Lagos.

“No,” he said, looking at me as though I were foolish. “But you are not a man.”

title created by me as article has no titltle culled from

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/bfc9fa66-00ce-11e0-aa29-00144feab49a.html#axzz17kXGocB5

Africa warned of 'slum' cities danger as its population passes 1bn

Posted by 9jabook.com on November 24, 2010 at 12:30am

Africa has joined India and China as the third region of the world to reach a population of 1 billion people, and it is expected to double its numbers by 2050, the UN says. By then, there will be three times as many people living in Africa's cities, and the continent that had fewer than 500,000 urban dwellers in 1950 may have 1.3 billion.

photo:Lagos, with a population set to reach 12.4 million, should, by 2015, overtake Cairo as Africa's largest city. Photograph: James Marshall/Corbis
The breakneck transformation of a rural population into a predominantly urban one is neither good nor bad on its own, says UN-Habitat, the Nairobi-based agency that monitors the world's built environment. But in a report it implored African countries to plan their cities better, to avoid mega-slums and vast areas of deprivation developing across the continent. "The pattern is ... oceans of poverty containing islands of wealth. Conditions in African cities are now the most unequal in the world. They are already inundated with slums and a tripling of urban populations could spell disaster, unless urgent action is initiated today. This situation threatens stability and also entire nations," it said.

Cairo is now Africa's largest urban area, with 11 million people, but the UN said that by 2015 it will have been overtaken by Lagos, with around 12.4 million inhabitants. By 2020 Kinshasa is expected to be the continent's second largest city and Luanda the fourth largest, projected to grow to more than 8 million by 2040.

The speed of growth of some cities "defies belief", said the report. Africa is expected to grow by more than 500 million people in the next 17 years, and a further 500 million by 2050. By then more than 60% of its population will live in cities. The population of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, is expected to soar by more than 80%, from 1.9 million in 2010 to 3.4 million in 2020. The populations of nearly all sub-Saharan cities with more than a million people are expected to expand by an average of 32% in the next 10 years....

"Kinshasa is the fastest-growing city in absolute terms, with 4 million extra people expected, a 46% increase for its 2010 population of 8.7 million. Lagos is the second fastest, with a projected 3.5 million extra people, a 33.8% increase. Abuja, Bamako, Luanda, Lubumbashi and Nairobi are all expected to grow by between 47% and 50% in the next decade, while Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Mbuji-Mayi and Niamey are projected to grow between 50% and 57% ."

The report said providing food and water for the billion extra people on the continent by 2050 will be a huge problem, especially because Africa expects to be hit hard by climate change.

The UN urged governments to strike harder bargains with foreign countries eager to buy up land and water. "Governments should heed the warning bells of 2008 and seriously consider the potential effects of future urban food and water shortages. Significant amounts of African land and water resources are being purchased by foreign governments and foreign food processing corporations. Some even bring farm workers into Africa. Governments must bargain harder for better deals, which contribute to Africa's food and water security."

The authors suggested governments move much of their administrative business out of the capital cities. "They should consider relocating to their secondary cities all government departments and agencies that have no overriding reason to be located in the capital. Relocation would spread economic activity, relieve congestion and the pressures on urban land."

The report found many countries struggling to reverse the tide of slums. Egypt, Libya, Morocco have nearly halved their total number of urban slum dwellers, and Tunisia has eradicated them completely. Ghana, Senegal and Uganda have managed to reduce urban slum populations by more than 20%. More than 75% of Nigeria's population lived in slums in 1990, but that is now 61.9%. In South Africa, slum numbers dropped from 46.2% to 28.7% of the population between 1990 and 2010.

However, numbers of people living in slum conditions have grown in many cases because of the population increases. "As the fastest urbanising continent in the world, Africa is not only confronted with the challenge of improving the lives of slum dwellers but also the challenge of preventing the formation of new slums," said Joan Clos, executive director of UN-Habitat. "This will take considerable political will and financial resources. Most of all, it will require a commitment to strategic urban planning so that the needs of the poor will be met."
African population

Naijaleaks: Pfizer Used Kano Kids as Guinea Pigs Aondoakaa fingered in Massive coverup

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on December 9, 2010 at 11:45pm

“He who comes into equity must come with clean hands”. But it appears Nigeria`s former attorney general; Michael Kasse Aondoakaa assumed office with unclean hands and while in office, he entangled himself in unethical practices, thus prompting the world largest drug manufacturing company Pfizer, to blackmail him into settling lawsuits brought against Pfizer, stemming from medical tests with the oral antibiotic Trovan conducted on children living in Kano during a meningitis epidemic in 1996 or risk exposure.

According to Pfizer Country Manager Enrico Liggeri,

“Pfizer had hired investigators to uncover corruption links to Federal Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa to expose him and put pressure on him to drop the federal cases”. ...

‘Pfizer's investigators were passing this information to local media, XXXXXXXXXXXX”.

“A series of damaging articles detailing Aondoakaa's "alleged" corruption ties were published in February and March”.

“Pfizer had much more damaging information on Aondoakaa and that Aondoakaa's cronies were pressuring him to drop the suit for fear of further negative articles”

Entire Text:

Monday, 20 April 2009, 16:00
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000671
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS TO USTR-AGAMA
DEPT PASS USAID AFR/SD FOR CURTIS AND ATWOOD
BAGHDAD FOR DUNDAS MCCULLOUGH
TREASURY FOR PETERS, IERONIMO AND HALL
DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS AND 3130/USFC/OIO/ANESA/CREED
EO 12958 DECL: 04/20/2034
TAGS ECON, EINV, EAID, ETRD, PGOV, NI

SUBJECT: NIGERIA: PFIZER REACHES PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT FOR
A $75 MILLION SETTLEMENT

Classified By: Economic Counselor Robert Tansey for reasons 1.4(B&D)

1.(C) Summary. In an April 2 meeting with the Ambassador, Pfizer lawyers Joe Petrosinelli and Atiba Adams reported that Pfizer and the Kano State government had reached a preliminary settlement on lawsuits arising from medical tests conducted with Trovan (oral antibiotic) on children living in Kano during a meningitis epidemic in 1996. Petrosinelli said Pfizer has agreed to the Kano State Attorney General's (AG) settlement offer of $75 million, including a $10 million payment for legal fees, $30 million to the Kano State government, and $35 million for the participants and families. According to Adams, several final details need to be worked out on the mechanism for payment. Pfizer strongly recommends setting up a $35 million trust fund for the participants to be administered by a neutral third party and for the $30 million for the Kano State government to be used for improving health care in the state. Pfizer underscored that the Nigerian representatives wanted lump sum checks and that Pfizer is concerned with potential transparency issues. The next step is a meeting between high-level Pfizer officials and Nigerian side at a neutral location to work out the final details. End

Summary.

2. (SBU) On April 2 Pfizer lawyers Joe Petrosinelli and Atiba Adams and Pfizer Nigeria Country Director Enrico Liggeri met with the Ambassador and EconDep to discuss the status of settlement negotiations. Four lawsuits were brought against Pfizer stemming from medical tests with the oral antibiotic Trovan conducted on children living in Kano during a meningitis epidemic in 1996. In Kano State Court there is one civil suit and one criminal case and in the Federal High Court there is one civil suit and one criminal case. Since 2006, Petrosinelli and Adams have been briefing the Mission on the status of the cases.

Settlement Reached

3. (C) Petrosinelli reported that Pfizer had tentatively reached "an agreement in principle" on the Kano AG's settlement offer of $75 million. Adams explained that the parties agreed that the $75 million would be broken down as follows - a $10 million payment for legal fees; $30 million to the Kano State government; and $35 million to participants and families. Petrosinelli noted, that Pfizer has worked closely with former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon and that he has played a positive mediation role with Kano State and the federal government. Petrosinelli said Gowon also spoke with Kano State Governor Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who directed the Kano AG to reduce the settlement demand from $150 million to $75 million. Adams reported that Gowon met with President Yar'Adua and convinced him to drop the two federal high court cases against Pfizer. (Comment: In 1966 Gowon became the head of state following a military coup that deposed Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi who had come to power via an earlier military coup. He was head of state from 1966 to 1975. He now plays an elder statesman role in Nigerian politics. End Comment.)

More Discussions Needed

4.(C) According to Adams, details need to be worked out on the mechanism for payments to the Kano State government and participants because Pfizer is unwilling to give a lump sum payment. Pfizer is concerned with transparency issues and is pushing for a $35 million trust fund for the participants to be administered by a neutral third party and the remaining $30 million to be used for improving health care in Kano state. Pfizer underscored that the Nigerian representatives were pushing for lump sum checks and Pfizer will not agree to that. Pfizer is considering rebuilding Kano's Infectious Disease Hospital where the trial was conducted and working with health care nongovernmental organizations. Adams suggested that the trust fund for participants be administered by a neutral third party because he expects "additional" participants to come forward after they hear about the settlement. The Ambassador suggested Pfizer work with NGOs already working in Kano State and for Pfizer to consider working with local NGO implementing partners that the USG has used because of their transparency record.ABUJA 00000671 002 OF 002EconDep provided Pfizer a copy of the U.S.-Nigeria Framework for Partnership document as a guide for existing projects and partners in Kano. Petrosinelli explained that the next step was a meeting at a neutral location between high-level Pfizer officials and the Nigerian side to work out final details and conclude the settlement.

Pfizer Exposes Attorney General

5.(C) In follow up to the April 2 meeting, EconDep met with Pfizer Country Manager Enrico Liggeri in Lagos on April 9. (Note: Liggeri has years of experience in Nigeria because his family operated a business in Lagos from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. He spent most of his childhood in Lagos. End Note.) Liggeri said Pfizer was not happy settling the case, but had come to the conclusion that the $75 million figure was reasonable because the suits had been ongoing for many years costing Pfizer more than $15 million a year in legal and investigative fees. According to Liggeri, Pfizer had hired investigators to uncover corruption links to Federal Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa to expose him and put pressure on him to drop the federal cases. He said Pfizer's investigators were passing this information to local media, XXXXXXXXXXXX. A series of damaging articles detailing Aondoakaa's "alleged" corruption ties were published in February and March. Liggeri contended that Pfizer had much more damaging information on Aondoakaa and that Aondoakaa's cronies were pressuring him to drop the suit for fear of further negative articles. 6.(C) Liggeri commented that the lawsuits were wholly political in nature because the NGO Doctors Without Borders administered Trovan to other children during the 1996 meningitis epidemic and the Nigerian government has taken no action. He underscored that the suit has had a "chilling effect" on international pharmaceutical companies because companies are no longer willing to conduct clinical testing in Nigeria. Liggeri opined that when another outbreak occurs no company will come to Nigeria's aid.

7.(C) Comment: Pfizer's image in Nigeria has been damaged due to this ongoing case. Pfizer's management considers Nigeria a major growth market for its products and having this case behind it will help in efforts to rebuild its image here. Final discussions on the $30 million and $35 million are likely to be tricky because the Nigerian side wants to control who gets the money, not Pfizer. The U.S. Mission will continue to advocate for transparency in settling the case and also note to GON authorities that Pfizer must abide by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and cannot simple hand over large sums of money to state and local officials. Petrosinelli and Adams will get back to the Mission on what further assistance may be needed. End Comment. 8.(U)

This cable was coordinated with ConGen Lagos. SANDERS

Aregbesola is Osun governor as Oyinlola Kicked out

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on November 26, 2010 at 3:06am

jpeg&STREAMOID=$8WAjatpd_yr$Ctn6Dqh5C6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxRBQSK3J5A3P0MnHSIP6LOcnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo- Justices of the Federal Appeal Court, Ibadan have declared the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Rauf Aregbesola, winner of the 2007 governorship election in Osun State and ordered that he be sworn in as governor by 12 noon tomorrow.

The judgment brings to end the Peoples Democratic Party government headed by Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who the judges said have been governing the state illegally since 2007.

Following the declaration of Mr Oyinlola as winner of the 2007 election, Mr Aregbesola went to court to challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission's decision..

Prior to the judgement, the two sides had argued their briefs at the last sitting of the court on November 1 when the five-member appeal panel, led by Clara Ogunbiyi reserved judgement on the matter.

There is already wild jubilation across Osun State and civil servants are noticed closing their offices to go home for the weekend.

Gbenga Daniel "rejected" as Governor's Forum chairman Shekarau, Oshiomole cry foul

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on October 31, 2010 at 8:00pm

The election of Gbenga Daniel, the governor of Ogun State, as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), has split the organisation down the line.

His election was announced at the weekend by the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam. The governor, who spoke on behalf of NGF, after a closed door meeting held at the Ogun State lodge in Abuja, said Mr. Daniel will steer the group’s leadership till May 2011.

However, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) secretariat said on Sunday that the announcement is misleading, stating that the appointment was not for the entire forum, but for the PDP Governors’ Forum.

The director general of the secretariat, Asishana Okauru, in a statement, said the NGF has not held any election towards producing the possible replacement of the present chairman and the governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki....

He said there was a distinction between the NGF, which, he noted, was a non-partisan forum for all elected governors in the country, regardless of party affiliation, and the PDP Governors’ Forum.

Controversial election

Mr. Suswam, while announcing Mr. Daniel as the new chairman at the end of a meeting with other Peoples Democratic Party governors, said the leadership change became necessary, since Mr. Saraki is contesting for the 2011 presidential race and could not preside over its affairs as expected.

He cited Mr. Saraki’s distraction, stating that the forum had not been able to comment on national issues as it was known for..

“Take for instance the October 1 bomb blast in Abuja and other national issues. We could not comment because we had no chairman to speak through,” Mr. Suswam said.

He added that Mr. Daniel was chosen because of his exemplary leadership qualities, based on his track record and experience as a second term governor. He maintained that he was unanimously elected by consensus by all the members of the group to coordinate its activities and assure focus.

Responding, Mr. Daniel said that he would ensure that the forum returns to its position of prestige, assuring them of adequate consultations with other governors towards ensuring continued seamlessness enjoyed in its operations for over three years. He also pledged the forum’s loyalty and support to the Jonathan/Sambo presidential ticket, as former members of the forum.

Godswill Akpabio, governor of Akwa Ibom State, said the selection of Mr. Daniel was based purely on his performance as a capable administrator with outstanding qualities to move the forum forward.

Count us out

However, Ibrahim Shekarau, Kano State governor, has dissociated himself from the appointment of Mr. Daniel.

Speaking through his senior special assistant on media, Sule Ya’uSule, Mr. Shekarau said there was never a time he was part of any meeting that took the decision to appoint Mr. Daniel as the chairman of the NGF.

“To the best of my knowledge, there was never a meeting where a decision to appoint a new chairman of the forum was reached,” Mr. Shekarau said.

He particularly frowned at the manner in which a few PDP governors sat and appointed Mr. Daniel as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, saying the body is not entirely a PDP affair and not a partisan forum. He said as far as he is concerned, Mr. Saraki still remains its chairman.

Also, the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has denied the purported election, describing the report as embarrassing and unfair. He dismissed the claim that any meeting was held where the decision was taken.

According to him, Mr. Saraki has reconvened a meeting of the NGF for Wednesday (November 3), saying part of the agenda for the meeting was to elect a new chairman for the group.

“I have since checked out and I can confirm as a matter of fact that there was no meeting of the Governors’ Forum. However, some People’s Democratic Party governors met at a venue that was never a venue of our meeting at Governor Gbenga Daniel’s lodge and it was at that forum that they are now claiming to represent the Governors’ Forum,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

He explained that any governor could aspire to the position, noting that “anyone who nurses such position should be ready to persuade other governors to accept him.”

Expressing disappointment at the attitude of the governors, he said, “if a forum of thirty six governors cannot freely choose a chairman of the Governors’ Forum, then we cannot be talking about a free and fair election in 2011.”

Mr. Okauru, the director general of the forum, said the purported election “has created some confusion in the public on the distinction between the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

“The NGF is a non-partisan forum for all elected governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, regardless of party affiliation,” he said.

He confirmed Mr. Oshiomhole’s statement that a meeting of the forum is to hold next week. The group, which is an umbrella organisation of the 36 states serving governors of the federation, patterned after the American Governors Association, was formed since 1999, especially with a motive to present a smoothly united front when appearing for the monthly state council meetings, which they always attend with the Federal Executive Council.

Mixed reactions

Late last night, a statement by Mr. Saraki said the so called election of Mr. Daniel should be disregarded.

But Soyemi Coker, the factional Speaker of Ogun House of Assembly, on Sunday, described Mr. Daniel’s election as a testimony of his exemplary leadership qualities.

Mr. Soyemi, in a statement issued in Abeokuta by his special assistant (media and publicity), Ayo Giwa, said the election did not come as a surprise, going by Daniel’s “political ingenuity and enviable administrative track records.”

The rancour over the election of Mr. Daniel has led to speculations that Mr. Saraki is being shoved aside because of his indication of interest to contest for the presidency against President Goodluck Jonathan.

It is believed in the political circles that this was part of the campaign to see that Mr. Jonathan has the support of most governors, since Mr. Daniel is the coordinator of his campaign group in the South West.

90 escape death as Aero makes emergency landing

Posted by 9jabook.com on October 24, 2010 at 8:23pm

Ninety passengers on board an Aerocontractors Airlines’ plane coming from Port Harcourt escaped death on Sunday as the pilot made an emergency landing at
the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport , Lagos.

Shortly after touching down on the runway 18R-36L, the aircraft, a Boeing 737-500 series, was totally engulfed by a thick smoke as it taxied towards the
tarmac, according to airport officials.

The pilot quickly opened all the six doors, and passengers used the emergency slides to disembark from the aircraft, according to airport officials who
witnessed the incident.

Fire fighters from the Federal Airports of Nigeria were quickly mobilised to rescue the passengers being evacuated from the aircraft.

An official disclosed that a fire, discovered inside the cockpit of the Boeing plane, spread into the cabin deck and threw the entire cabin into
pandemonium as passengers scampered for safety mid air.

Rescue officials told our correspondent that six passengers and an infant that sustained injuries were rushed to the hospital.

Aero confirmed the incident. .

A statement by the airline read in part, ”An incident occured this evening on flight AJ 320 from Port Harcourt to Lagos when a smoke was detected in the
cabin. Aero was able to succesfully evacuate all 84 passengers, an infant and
five crew members as the B737-500 aircraft landed at the Murtala Mohammed
International airport, Lagos at 6.15 pm local time.”

The airline said its officials had been invited by officials of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities for an investigation into the cause of the incident.

It was learnt that the fire might have been caused by an electrical spark from the electronics system of the aircraft.

Nigerian Association of Prostitutes Our lives as sex workers' Why we do it Ojo Maduekwe Investigates

Posted by cozzy webtatafo on November 7, 2010 at 6:00am

Prostitution. It is one of the oldest professions and the practitioners can hardly own up or tell the real reasons they are into it. However, OJO MADUEKWE tries to find out why some ladies who go into prostitution sometimes remain prostitutes

Ask them why they do what they do, and the answer is the same; and just as they, readily available, "there is no job and man must eat. Or what do you think" Both prostitutes and their sympathisers, hurriedly and constantly cite unemployment and poverty as reasons why the female child gets into prostitution.

Making it sound like all prostitutes are poor and all poor are prostitutes waiting to happen. Counting both years and a bank account huge enough to show for 'back-work' and start a petty trade, it seems like poverty is not just the only reason a lady takes to prostitution as a profession.

Going through various definitions of prostitution, like the one found in Wikipedia's site that describes it as "the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment" the two main and constant features you will come to observe are money and sex. Money either because people are poor (which like was stated above is the most common excuse) or just love for free money to lust after and sex for the love of it, as testified by some prostitutes.

"I love sex and have been in the business for four years. I make hundreds of naira in one night and enjoy rounds of sex. I can't seem to break away; it's like a bad drug habit. I want to stop and live a normal life but the sex and money always draw me back." Linda has passed from the stage where money is no more a concern for her because right now she can boast of a good account, because she's been able to save, but then like she said, the sex and greed for more money always makes her want to continue.

This is not to rule out the fact that the twin of poverty and unemployment are major causes. With the majority of the world's country living from foreign aid, countries from mostly the African continent and Southern America are known to have high rate of prostitutes. Based on moral, health or religious grounds like in most Islamic nations, the legal status of prostitution varies from country to country, from being a punishable crime to a regulated profession. But with the annual revenue generation from the global prostitution industry estimated to be over $100 billion, it is not surprising when some countries make it a legal trade.

Marian's own reason for going into prostitution was more on the 'sex side'; she loved sex a lot and couldn't seem to get enough of it from her boyfriend who had a regular job as a factory worker. "Apart from the money, I enjoy sex so much. I have a boyfriend, John, but he comes back from work and most times is not able to satisfy me...

"I became a prostitute at age 11. It was my choice, it was my ambition and it is my career. I enjoy what I do I will not lie. I do not feel exploited at all. I do not hide who I am or what I do, my friends all accept this is who I am and are cool with it. Anyone who isn't can move on down the road," she said.

Because of the assumptions of the society as to the true reasons some ladies engage in prostitution, narrowing it down to money, necessitated by poverty, it is now constant to have people come up to offer one succour or the other. The promises have now taken the form of a cliché, with everybody touting one solution to another, claiming that if only there can be jobs for the prostitutes (this is minus the teeming number of other class of jobless people like armed robbers, unemployed graduates); if only the people can stop living under the one dollar a day situation, the oldest career in the world will be pronounced dead and buried for the good of all forever.

Good thought though, but like it is a thought, could only be imagined. Why do you think it's called the oldest profession in the world? Because solutions like the ones we are having today have been the same ones since the time of Solomon, Sodom and Gomorrah yet there have been no serious record to scrap the job. Even in places where the law seem to be strict; where you have both spiritual and political rules guiding their conduct, prostitution still strive there a lot.

Like in Kaduna, where a group of prostitutes operating in a region called Obalande in the state, last year November 1 to December 31, 2009 had a two months sex freebie for their customers. Obalande, which has been addressed as Sodom and Gomorra in Kaduna State originated in 1980s, the region operates from 7pm to 4am featuring high-class prostitutes along with different kinds of assorted bars in every nook and cranny.

The group head, nicknamed 'Presido' as reported by Victor Ulasi, writing for Article Base, an online magazine, said "Nigerian economy is getting worse on a daily basis and the government does not give a shit about the situation. This is what we do to survive; this is where we make our daily bread. Also am proud of my job, and to keep the business going on there is the need to step up the price with a bonanza to please the customers," the Presido was quoted as saying. Like sellers of products, prostitutes want to start giving out bonanza and then to protect themselves, form an association that can table their case before relevant authorities.

She categorically stated to love what she does to the point of thinking of giving bonanza to clients, in a way to boost clients craving for more. Such a person would obviously mock peoples pledge to assist her. People like Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, who said "I will just urge them to do something else and assist them as much as possible so that they can lead a happier life" when she and her co-prostitutes, in a way of protecting themselves from security agencies harassments and exploitation, have decided to register an association.

That's with a capital IF, because before he might think of popping the champagne, he needs to hear this. "The sex bonanza should have started before now but the police constant patrol in the region could not allow us to hold the rarely, but that will soon come to an end. We want to form a union which will be known as Nigerian Association of Prostitutes because the same people who arrest us are the same people who patronise us."

It is this kind of statement by Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (Rtd) that makes them appear like people who are in dire need of assistance. He goes on to say that he will just urge them to do something else and also assist them as much as possible so that they can lead a better and happier life. Its like telling the touts who for just chasing after bus drivers make an average of five thousand naira a day to quit their very lucrative job, bagged a degree after years of waiting for JAMB and strikes in school to go and work for a bank at fifty thousand as a front desk officer. How is this possible, of "urging them to do something else" after they have had a feel of what good money taste like.

Statements like this, made from assumptions are the ones that assume ladies take onto prostitution solely because they are poor and in need to eke out a living. Fine, we can choose to help the prostitutes collaborate their excuses of poverty as to why they went into it in the first place. But then you'd think that after a while, when they must have made a substantial amount of start-up capital that they will resign and live a normal life.

How many of them get to resign is the question to ask. As we can see above, the story of Linda and Marian means that the love of money and not the lack thereof is the strong reason behind their entering into the trade in the first instance.

Who says prostitutes are not busy people; who say they do not have an option of other means of living? A look at 'Presido' can tell you that although she may be a prostitute, she is not a dunce. As you can read, she likes her job. A shift of perspective to discover the exact reasons that people enter into the act of prostitution instead of assuming for them is the basic step the authorities must take if they are really serious about limiting prostitution to its barest minimal.

Family of seven wiped out as 25 perish in auto crash

Posted by 9jabook.com on October 24, 2010 at 7:30pm

A family of seven travelling in a Mitsubishi car which was damagedbeyond recognition were among the over 25 persons who died in a ghastly motor accident that occurred at Onyeama hills on the outskirts of Enugu on Wednesday .

Although the identities were yet to be ascertained as at the time of this report, sources confirmed that the seven occupants of the red Mitsubishi car with Enugu registration No. BD 371 UWN, were members of a family amongst them a man, his wife and five persons believed to be their children..

The accident, which involved multiple vehicles including two trailers also claimed the lives of all the occupants of an 18-seater commuter bus.
Eye witness account reported that the accident was caused by a trailer being towed by another lorry and which lost control when the rope with which the trailer was tied to the towing vehicle cut.

The trailer, which hit other vehicles in the process ended up in a valley while the other vehicles involved ended up in a valley. The Onyeama hills, which is near the Onyeama Mines has become a nightmare for drivers and travellers as it has recorded accidents in which lives were lost.

As at Thursday morning when our reporter visited the scene of the accident ,bodies of some victims that were trapped were still being removed. While sympathizers wept uncontrollably at the scene of the accident ,so many lamented the government’s insensitivity to the condition of roads in the South -east, expressing fears of similar incidents during the christmas period .

Naija Fraudster Who worked as a Doctor in New Zealand Caught in catch me if you can Reality Drama

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on October 3, 2010 at 11:00pm

Like in the movie Catch me if you can with Leonardo di Caprio

A Nigerian drug smuggler who duped authorities to get a job in New Zealand as a hospital psychiatrist came across as friendly and plausible, but secretive, acquaintances say.

Chidozie Emmanuel Onovo, 40, lived in Christchurch - next door to a
senior policeman - and worked for the Canterbury District Health Board
from January 2009 until August this year, after failing to disclose he
had been jailed in Britain in 1999 for importing 4.5kg of cannabis.

He has been a member of the Christchurch Skeptics in the Pub group,
which among its core activities studies "mechanisms of deception". Onovo
said the group offered "excellent opportunity to meet like-minded
people".

He had spoken of his desire to bring his wife and children over from
Ireland to live with him, but on Wednesday was jailed for 16 months for
failing to disclose his criminal past.

He obtained a visa to enter New Zealand in January 2009, then a work permit to get the job as a psychiatrist. It was not until August this year, after Onovo applied
for residency, that immigration checks found him out.

He had supplied forged reference letters saying he was working in the medical field in Nigeria over a period in which he was in jail in Britain.

Dawn Catherwood, whose daughter rents a townhouse to Onovo, had him over
for meals and found him to be plausible and a "really nice guy". He
paid his rent on time, but had recently terminated his lease and was
planning to go overseas..

Earlier this year he visited his wife and children in Ireland.

"He had lost a lot of weight since he had been in New Zealand - we
noticed that. And he was hoping to bring his family out here."

Often he was not at home when arranged meetings were meant to take
place, she said. "He's very secretive. He doesn't let anybody into his
flat."

Inspector Kieren Kortegast was a neighbour of Onovo, but said he only spoke to him a couple of times and rarely saw him.

He was surprised to hear of Onovo's deception.

Immigration New Zealand said it was their inquiries that revealed
Onovo's criminal past, while the health board said it went through the
required processes and routine checks before employing him and there
were no concerns about his competence.

The Medical Council said Onovo met all the registration requirements to
work in New Zealand and had references showing he was a good doctor.

The Witchhunting begins as Bomb probe raises political tensions

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on October 4, 2010 at 7:45pm

Nigeria's secret service detained an aide to one of President Goodluck Jonathan's election rivals on

Monday over bomb attacks in the capital Abuja, raising the political temperature in the run-up to next year's polls.

The head of former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida's campaign team, Raymond Dokpesi, was called in for questioning in the wake of Friday's car bombs near a parade to mark Nigeria's 50th anniversary of independence.

Responsibility for the bombs, which killed at least 10 people, was claimed by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the main militant group in the southern oil region, which has rarely staged attacks outside its home area.

State television said Dokpesi, who is managing Babangida's campaign for 2011 presidential elections, had been held for questioning over text messages found on the phone of a main suspect in the bombings which referred to a monetary payment.

Babangida's campaign team said Dokpesi had complied with an invitation for questioning from the State Security Service (SSS) early on Monday but had since been denied access to his lawyers and family. It said no reason had been given for his detention.

"The campaign organisation hereby condemns in the strongest terms the detention of its director general and calls for his immediate release," it said in a statement.

Prosecutors in Johannesburg earlier charged Henry Okah, a senior figure in MEND who now lives in South Africa, with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and the detonation of explosive devices in Abuja. His lawyer denied his involvement.

President Jonathan has said a "small terrorist group that resides outside Nigeria" - an apparent reference to Okah - carried out the attacks but that it was sponsored by "unpatriotic elements within the country".

Nigeria's secret service said it had detained nine suspects with direct links to Okah.

The security services have admitted there were intelligence lapses in the run-up to Friday's car bombings but Jonathan has vowed to hunt down the perpetrators.

He named a new national security adviser on Monday, former chief of defence staff Andrew Azazi, a fellow member of the Ijaw ethnic group, the largest in the southern Niger Delta.

Azazi's appointment follows the resignation last month of Aliyu Gusau, a northerner who stepped aside to challenge Jonathan at the ruling party primaries..

Larger plot

MEND's claim of responsibility was an embarrassment for Jonathan, one of the main architects of an amnesty agreed last year with rebels in the Niger Delta and who is the first Nigerian leader to come from the vast wetlands region.

He has said the perpetrators "used the name of MEND to camouflage criminality and terrorism" and that the attacks had nothing to do with the Niger Delta.

The secret service said it had foiled a larger plot to detonate at least six car bombs in the "three-arm zone" in Abuja made up of the presidential villa, parliament and the Supreme Court just days before last Friday's attacks.

"The despicable act of terrorism which eventually took place on Oct. 1 was planned for Wednesday Sept. 29 but was foiled as soon as information was received during the early hours of Sept. 28," SSS spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar told a news conference.

"The over-riding objective of the group was to scare foreign visitors from attending the 50th anniversary celebrations."

A MEND statement signed Jomo Gbomo - the pseudonym used by the group to claim responsibility for previous attacks on Nigeria's oil industry - was emailed to media warning the area should be evacuated, an hour before the Abuja bombs went off.

Although MEND has used car bombs in the past, its targets have been almost exclusively oil facilities and it has struck outside the Niger Delta only twice, once on an offshore oil platform, and once at an oil dock in the commercial hub Lagos.

Jonathan's assertion that the attacks had nothing to do with the Niger Delta has drawn criticism from his opponents.

"For whatever purpose it serves to fulfil, it is unpresidential for Mr President to quickly exonerate MEND, which had earlier claimed responsibility," Babangida's spokesman said in a statement issued before Dokpesi's detention.

"Issues of security of individuals and of the nation require more than just a passing glance," the statement said.

Jonathan's detractors have started to use MEND's claim of responsibility to undermine his credentials for the elections.

"If his own people can disown him and disgrace him how can you trust him? Reject GEJ, he can't be trusted," said one text message circulated to mobile phones.

REUTER

INEC names Emmanuel Uduaghan as the winner of d just concluded Delta Govenorship Re- run Election.

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