A Ukrainian aircraft reported to be carrying crates of weapons has been detained in Nigeria.It had made an emergency landing in the northern Nigerian city of Kano while on a flight to Equatorial Guinea.Nigerian security officials say 18 crates with mines and ammunition were on board, but there are no details of exactly who the cargo was destined for.The three crew members, reported to be Ukrainian, are being questioned, but few details other have been released.BBC reporter Mustafa Mohamed, in Kano, says the aircraft was placed under guard, and security forces are continuing their investigations.It is believed the plane made the emergency landing because of a technical fault.Attack on palaceEarlier this year, the authorities in Equatorial Guinea arrested a number of people in connection with an attack on the presidential palace in the capital, Malabo.A the time of the incident, in February, state radio in Equatorial Guinea said that those detained had been operating with other members of a rebel group based in Nigeria's Niger Delta region.It said some of those who attacked the palace had been killed or wounded.Rebels of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) denied involvement.The Equatorial Guinea President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, later dismissed several government ministers.The president has been in power in the oil-rich former Spanish colony since seizing power in a coup in 1979.His government has long been accused of human rights abuses and of suppressing political opposition.Last year, a former British army officer, Simon Mann, was sentenced to 34 years in jail for plotting to overthrow him in 2004.
Read more…
I'm here at the Confederations Cup in South Africa, no great shakes as a sporting event in its own right,but hugely significant as a dry run for the World Cup Finals a year from now. It'll be Africa's first and franklyabout time the great continent got its chance to stage the most popular sporting event on earth.I was in Zurich nine years ago, July 2000, breaking the news that South Africa had been beaten to the stagingof the 2006 World Cup by Germany. You may remember the huge row that broke out when one of the FIFA delegatesan elderly gent from New Zealand called Charlie Dempsey refused to cast his vote amid allegations of impropercanvassing by the bidding countries and it cost South Africa victory by that one single vote. Like many of themedia and fans who'd hoped it would be Africa's turn at last, it was a huge disappointment, and I spent much ofthat afternoon being interviewed by South African journalists on how unfair it all was. They were the favouritesto win the vote and their greatest day had been snatched away in the cruellest fashion.Less than a year later though, those who believed that it was a blessing in disguise, that South Africa wasnot yet ready to stage the World Cup, were vindicated. In echoes of Heysel and Hillsborough 43 fans were killed ina terrible crush at Ellis Park in Johannesburg after up to one hundred thousand fans reportedly tried to forcetheir way into a domestic club match at the old stadium which had room for only sixty thousand. It was a tragedythat shocked everyone, yet one that perhaps proved the turning point for the post-apartheid rainbow nation.Within three years South Africa had won the right to stage 2010, and with the ten World Cup stadiums now almostcomplete, over the next couple of weeks we'll get a chance to see how they'll handle it. It hasn't beenthe easiest start for them, I arrived here in Johannesburg to reports that FIFA President was unhappy at the sightof empty seats for the two opening Confederations Cup matches between the hosts and Iraq, and the team of themoment Spain against New Zealand. Blatter's long been an advocate of having an African World Cup (in fact he wasready to make the casting vote in their favour over Germany had it not been for Charlie Dempsey's controversialabstention at that fateful Zurich vote nine years ago) but he's a hard man to please. On top of those empty seatsthe pitches here have already been criticised, one of the team's luggage went missing, and the new park and ridefor the opening match in Johannesburg went pear-shaped too.I'll be honest here too, I walked through Jo'burg airport to the immigration desk set aside for FIFA accreditedpeople and was confronted by a short-tempered female officer who told me I had to go to the back of the regularqueue because I didn't have a FIFA proof-of-ID letter that nobody had told me I would need. She was in a right oldmood and got us right off on the wrong foot. What made it so ridiculous was that she had a FIFA list of names(with mine on it) right in front of her but wouldn't look at it because I didn't have the letter. Anyway,I evenutally showed her my name on the list, she saw common-sense and into South Africa I came. Phew!Still, that's what the dress rehearsal is for, better get the gremlins out of the way now before the worldand his wife arrives for the real thing next June. It's a dry run for a reason. Everywhere else here the welcome has been incredible and thehundreds of thousands who'll come here from all over the globe can expect a fantastic reception.I made straight for Ellis Park ,legendary rugby venue of course, and one which staged the 1995 Rugby World Cupbut much has changed since then, not least after the aforementioned disaster in 2001. The stadium has beenrebuilt and will play a major part in 2010, along with nine others (five of them brand new). I'll be visitingmost of them over the coming fortnight and will keep you posted on what we can expect next year.
Read more…
Do> you wear bra for the whole day and even at home?> I think we should go bra-free after reading this article.>> It's a message for your health.> Please pass this to all female friends you know.> I think it's important to be aware.>> For years, a lot of articles with regards to the causes of> breast> cancer point to an unhealthy diet and lack of> exercise as the major links to this disease which> happens to be the biggest killer among women during these> last two decades.>> These studies would have been most credible if it were not> for the fact that several women including Linda> McCartney who have been religious vegetarians and> exercise- freaks have also been unfortunate in> suffering breast cancer.>> Perhaps the most convincing article I have ever read with> regards to this matter is one which links breast cancer to> the wearing of bras.>> In the "Bra and Breast Cancer Study" in the> United States , It was discovered that women with breast> cancer had> a history of sporting tighter and longer bra-wearing than> did the women who had not (yet) developed the disease.>> In fact, virtually the entire cancer group wore bras over> 12 hours.>> When a woman wears a tight bra, she subjects her breasts to> pressure, closing off the lymphatic pathway from the breast> to the nodes.>> This causes fluid built-up swelling, tenderness and cyst> formation. Toxins must be flushed out via the lymphatic.>> However, a bra-constricted breast cannot adequately perform> this> cleansing process, resulting in toxin accumulation in the> breast.>> Truthfully, bras are creating droopy, weak breasts..... the> breast relies on the bras for artificial support; the body> loses its ability to support the breast by itself.>> This is why many women feel uncomfortable without the bra.> What is the solution to breast cancer then?> DON'T WEAR A TIGHT BRA! And maybe sleep without them.>> There is a remarkable success rate for recovery from fibrocystic breast disease within 10 days to> two weeks of going bra-free.>> Many women have tried going bra-less and recorded a> miraculous improvement in their health!> Bra burning is no longer a feminist issue....>> .....It is now a battle between life and death. We should> make others more aware of the hazards of wearing..... ..>> .... Please pass this to every female you> know, husbands please educate your> wives.>>>>>
Read more…
Ibrahim Idris, governor of Kogi State, is determined to win the war against the mafia behind the ghost workers syndrome in the stateIbrahim Idris, governor of Kogi State, is worried by the astronomical increase in the number of civil servants on the state’s payroll. When he assumed office in 2003, the total number of civil servants in the state was about 22,000, but today it has risen to 28,000. This number is said to be the highest among the 19 northern states. The governor is, therefore, suspicious that the ghost workers syndrome has crept into the state civil service.In a bid to address the problem, he recently engaged the services of a consultant to screen the civil servants in the state. So far, about 48 civil servants who were found to be involved in falsifying the vouchers have been charged to court for fraud.Phrank Shuaibu, special adviser to the governor on strategy and communication, told Newswatch that the decision of the state government to embark on the staff screening exercise was borne out of the realisation that a lot of fraud has been going on in the civil service. In 2004 and 2006, the state government attempted to screen the staff in the civil service. Members of the labour unions in the state were involved in the exercise but the effort did not yield any positive result. That is why, this time around, the government decided to hire a consultant. But the executive members of labour union in the state are said to have been sidelined and allegedly resolved to do everything possible to frustrate the effort.However, a section of the labour force has now discovered that they had been misled into believing that the exercise was not in their interest. Shuaibu said those behind the disinformation were the cabals behind the ghost worker syndrome which has been going on in the state for a long time and warned that no amount of blackmail would deter Idris from going ahead with the exercise. He appealed to members of the labour unions in the state to co-operate with the government instead of allowing themselves to be used by some people who do not mean well for the state. “It is unfortunate that the labour union is allowing itself to be used by agents of evil in the state,” he said.He explained that it doesn’t happen anywhere in the world that the person that does not have the power to employ could be engaged to terminate the employment of some staff as alleged by some persons who are bent in throwing the state into chaos.According to him, the terms of reference of the consultant include to conduct a screening of the staff of the state civil service in order to determine the exact number of those in the workforce. The government spokesperson said the government is uncomfortable with the overbloated number of staff in the workforce because it has not done any major recruitment of staff since it came to power in 2003. He advised all the workers to be patient and wait to see the end of the exercise, assuring that it was in their own interest.The ongoing exercise has already revealed monumental frauds in the state. Shuaibu sited the case of a grade level 08 officer who is supposed to be earning a salary of about N16,000 monthly but who is being paid about N188,000. While what goes into the bank account of the concerned staff is the normal amount that is due to the person at the end of each month, the balance of N166,000 goes to the cartel behind the scandal. He said that under the present circumstance, no leader who is accountable and responsible would sit and watch the fraud continue unchecked. “The governor has said that those involved in this criminal act would not go unpunished irrespective of their positions,” he said.But the executive members of the labour union in the state are saying that it is wrong for anybody to say that they are frustrating the present effort of the state to arrive at the correct number of the state civil service and eliminate ghost workers.James Odaudu, chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JPSNC, an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, told Newswatch that members of the labour union in the state have been supportive of the staff screening. Odaudu added that the previous exercise that was conducted in partnership with some members of labour union in the state could not achieve the desired result because the members of the union were not given free hand to operate. He said that when the state government decided to embark on the current screening, the union approached the government and asked for N2million to conduct staff verification in the state instead of engaging the services of Sally Tibbot Consulting Nigeria Limited to conduct the screening, but the proposal was ignored.A staff in the Mministry of Finance who spoke to Newswatch on condition of anonymity said ghost workers had been existing in the state for a long time and their elimination would be a big credit to the present government in state. He solicited the understanding of the labour union as the ongoing exercise is meant to reposition the state and provide the people with more dividends of democracy. But he appealed to the consultant to abide strictly by the terms of the contract so that the prevailing peace in the state would not be jeorpadised.Another staff in the Ministry of Information said some government officials were responsible for the problem of ghost workers in the state and urged the government to muster courage and complete the investigation.Many civil servants are in support of the exercise because many of their colleagues are living above their means. There is the case of a multimillion naira investment owned by a grade level 04 civil servant in the state. Many residents of the state are surprised at the rate civil servants are investing in estate properties. A woman who operates a restaurant business along Ajaokuta road told Newswatch that most of the best houses in Lokoja town are owned by civil servants. The problem of ghost workers is one of the greatest challenges facing the state government in its quest to deliver to the people the desired dividends of democracy.David Bada, a former staff of Lokoja local government area, also called on the state government to compel the chairmen of local councils in the state to carry out similar staff verification in their respective local government areas where they said some cabals have also been benefiting from ghost workers syndrome.
Read more…
Chairman of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Limited, Jiang Jianqing, is billed to visit Nigeria between June 16 and 18.
The visit, which is part of the strategic relationship between Nigeria and China, will entail Jiang paying courtesy calls to the Lagos State Governor and the Minister of Finance, among many Chinese business interests in Nigeria.
ICBC has a 20 per cent stake in Standard Bank Group, the Africa based banking group to which Stanbic IBTC belongs.
The China-Nigeria visit is both a historic and a unique opportunity, as China's interest in Nigeria will bring about immense benefits to the two countries.
Chris Newson, Chief Executive officer of Stanbic IBTC said the visit of Jiang could not have come at a better time.
"Nigeria has a high growth rate, but with considerable infrastructure development needs which will benefit from ICBC's long association and expertise in infrastructure financing especially in developing countries."
"We are proud to be associated with ICBC, a bank that is noted for the uniqueness of its products and services and its strong developmental focus. While Stanbic IBTC is already a foremost bank in the area of infrastructure financing in Nigeria, we trust that our continued partnership will contribute to broadening and deepening our services in this area, among others."
The Moody's report which ranked ICBC as the largest bank in the world, noted that strong regulatory controls and focus on traditional banking fortified the bank against the global financial crisis.
ICBC was described as the largest bank in the world in terms of market capitalization, deposits, and total profits.
Stanbic IBTC Bank is a member of the Standard Bank Group. Since its formation in 2008 from a merger between the erstwhile Stanbic Bank and IBTC Chartered Bank respectively, Stanbic IBTC Bank has remained at the forefront of financing major infrastructural projects cutting across different economic sectors in Nigeria.
Stanbic IBTC Bank's country-wide branch roll out is also progressing rapidly and the Bank has a growing retail presence in Nigeria.
Read more…
Ezuma Hospital, Aba, shut down a few months ago by the Federal Government for its involvement in procuring illegal abortions and sale of babies, has reopened its doorsJames Ezuma, the proprietor of Ezuma Private Hospital in Aba, Abia State, obviously considers himself a powerful Nigerian who is above the laws of the land. That is the only way to make sense out of the man’s decision to reopen his hospital and continue with his nefarious activities of procuring abortions and trading in babies.On May 21, Ezuma forcefully reopened his hospital which had been sealed off by members of the Nigerian Police. The police sealed off the place on March 30, following the Newswatch publication of January 12, 2009, which exposed the dirty deals of the Aba-based medical doctor. The report gave a shocking account of how Ezuma had turned his hospital located at 101 Okigwe Road, Aba, into a camp where pregnant girls are kept preparatory to their giving birth. Once they are delivered of their babies, Ezuma would take possession of them and sell to willing buyers.The Newswatch report left many people in shock, with Nigerians wondering how the man had been able to sustain his trade all these years undetected. Nonetheless, the Newswatch report spurred the Federal Ministry of Health and police into action. Babatunde Osotimehin, minister of health, set up a 15-man panel of inquiry to investigate the allegation and take necessary action.The 15-man body which was known as the Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigating Panel, had, upon completing its investigation, confirmed the Newswatch story to be true and recommended the closure of the hospital and the suspension of Ezuma from medical practice. Based on the panel’s finding, the police sealed off the hospital. Ezuma, who had evaded arrested that March 30, was later arrested by the police and taken into custody in Abuja. He was released on bail after ten days in detention.But Ezuma now seeks to clear himself of any wrongdoing, saying that a High Court in Umuahia had on March 31, ordered a stay of execution on the matter. The High Court had granted Ezuma’s wish for the enforcement of his "fundamental human rights to dignity of human person, fair hearing, private and family life, freedom of thought, conscience, religion and freedom of expression as guaranteed,” saying that “under sections 34, 36, 37,38 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the enforcement of his fundamental rights “shall operate as a stay of all actions or matters connected with the suspension,” pending the “final determination of the applicant’s application” before the court.To Ezuma, this interpretes as an order for him to continue with his illegal activities. But that is not true.Although the court ordered for a stay of execution, it did not in anyway stay that his hospital should be reopened or that his licence should be reissued before the final determination of the case which comes up on July 2.The 15-man Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigating Panel had, following its investigations, written to Ezuma informing him that the panel inaugurated by the minister of health had done its investigation. “The panel has now submitted its report which indicted Dr James Ezuma on all scores. The honourable minister of health has directed the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to take necessary action. Consistent with the provision of S15(3)(C) of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap M8, LOFON 2004, the panel has made an order for interim suspension from medical profession of Dr James Ezuma with effect from March 25, 2009 until the final determination of the case by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.”It was based on this report that the police swooped on the hospital on March 30 and evacuated 59 pregnant teenage girls from the hospital who were later handed over to the Aba South Social Welfare Department.Having now returned to Aba, Ezuma, on May 21, brought a carpenter and welder and forced the hospital open. He then recruited some Bakassi Boys as his security. The Bakassi Boys are the local vigilante team popular for their unorthodox way of fighting crime. According to one Aba resident, “in the past, the Bakassi Boys were held in high esteem in Aba because of their effort in combating crime, given the failure of the Nigeria Police in that respect. But that has since changed, as they are now considered to be corrupt and are being used to do dirty jobs in Aba.” That, he said, explains why the security outfit could now be bought “for a fee by a man like Ezuma, who is alleged to be a child trafficker.”The Bakassi Boys now mount guard at Ezuma hospital located at 101 Okigwe Road, Aba. The intention is to intimidate people and give the impression that he is a powerful man who cannot be cowed. Newswatch learnt that the Bakassi Boys often shoot into the air at night as a way to register their presence and send signals that they are in charge. Newswatch sources said Ezuma decided to recruit the Bakassi Boys after his wish to engage the services of the police was rebuffed. A source in Aba said “the police in Aba were afraid to offer him protection because his activities had become public knowledge. He wanted to go to Umuahia, Abia State capital, to get same but was advised against it. So, he went for the Bakassi Boys as a last resort.”Since the hospital was reopened on May 21, Ezuma has continued from where he stopped prior to his arrest.Many people, who spoke to Newswatch on condition of anonymity, said Ezuma had practised his trade unchallenged for many years. “That is all he does. Apart from those who willingly go to him, he is known to recruit jobless young men and women to scout for pregnant girls after which he would pay them as much as N20,000 per person. He has been doing this for over 20 years. He has sustained himself through the sale of babies, apart from the abortion business,” said a source. Even then, abortion is said to be the last option in the business calculation of Ezuma, because of the huge profit he makes from selling babies. A baby sells for as much as N400,000 at Ezuma private hospital.According to another source who gave her name as Nkemjika, Ezuma is known to attract many girls to his hospital because of his kindness to them in crisis moments. “You know, teenage pregnancy is frowned upon here. So, some of these young girls, when they discover that they are pregnant, they run away from home. Some are directed to go to Ezuma Hospital for an abortion. Once there, the man will advise the girls not to abort the pregnancies but to give birth to them. Once you agree, he will take good care of you until you are delivered of your baby. Then he will pay you some money before you leave the hospital. How much you are paid depends on the sex of the baby. A baby boy attracts more fee.”Even if this was for any good intention, such action of placing premium on a child’s sex is enough to draw the ire of feminists. But according to an Okigwe road resident, it’s all about money. “Trafficking in babies is as lucrative as any other illicit business, and that’s why the man is not willing to quit.”Sources further told the magazine that more pregnant girls have arrived the hospital either to live there or to have their babies aborted since May 21. Unfortunately, such acts come at great cost. A young woman was said to have died there on June 2. According to the source, at least five deaths are recorded at Ezuma Private Hospital per week. “If we have about five people losing their lives at the hospital weekly, you can imagine the number of people who lose their lives there in a year, considering that at least 30 persons come there everyday.”Newswatch investigations in Aba also showed that many residents of the town, especially those who are aware of Ezuma’s activities, are shocked that the man is back at his business. This tends to reinforce the belief in some quarters that the medical doctor is powerful. Said a source: “Many people are shocked. They feel that it takes a truly powerful man to dare the federal government. And the man has been saying that he’s untouchable, that if you bring him down, you pull many other people down. He tells his friends that he will come out of it stronger, that nobody can pull him down.”But his activities are a source of embarrassment to many people, including his townsmen. He is from Arondizuogu in Imo State and his activities which run counter to the Hippocratic oath, has attracted numerous petitions from concerned people over the years. But the man is believed to have always had his way with law enforcement officials because of his inclination to “pay his way through each time.”Newswatch visited the Police Area Command headquarters in Aba but was told that the area commander had been transferred to Umuahia. But Johnson Uzuatuegwu, who is the director of medical services in the state, said that he is not aware that Ezuma has reopened his hospital. “Following the order for his suspension, we monitored the place and saw it sealed. We are not aware that the place has been reopened. Our team of inspectors will go there and see for themselves,” he said.Uchechi Sam Okorie is the head of department of Aba South Local Government. He told Newswatch that selling of babies is a criminal offence that runs foul of the state’s child right law of 2006.Emmanuel Ahuruezenma, the director of social development at Aba North Local Government Area, said that although he is not aware of any such place where babies are sold in Aba, he has heard about it. “I’ve heard of it but I’ve never seen nor had any relationship with such people.” He however deplored the practice, saying that it offends human sensibility. “It’s bad. It’s not a good thing. Children are gifts from God and are not meant to be sold. They are not material things that could be sold or bought.”Ezuma is indeed a qualified medical doctor who graduated from the University of Jos in 1983. But unlike many doctors who deploy their services to saving lives, Ezuma gets his own kick either terminating pregnancies or selling newborn babies. He is said to have made huge fortune from such practice.He started by first establishing a clinic in Aba in 1987. His “Ezuma Clinic,” as it was then known, was located at No 138 Faulks Road, Aba and was registered under the Eastern Nigeria Hospitals Law No 13 of 1955, with registration number MH/IM/1072/87. Since then, the man and his hospital have become popular, albeit for the wrong reasons.
Read more…
NFC extends closing date for annual essay competitionTHE closing date for the 2009/2010 edition of the Nigerian Film Corporation essay competition has been extended. Earlier scheduled to close on May 27, the new date is June 27. In a statement, the corporation said the reason for the extension is to enable more people to send in their entry. Topic for the essay is Building a Positive Global Brand: The Place of Film. Interested Nigerians, who must be 18 years and above, can now submit their entries, which must be between 8 to10 pages in the Times Roman format. All entries according to the statement should be forwarded to the Headquarters of the Nigerian Film Corporation, 218T, Liberty Dam Road, Jos, Plateau State or email to: md_nfc@hotmail.com. The first, second and third winners of the competition will receive their cash prizes of N100, 000, N75, 000 and N50, 000 respectively, along with certificates at the 2010 edition of ZUMA Film Festival, holding in Abuja.AGN votes for HiTV Koko MansionTHE Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has endorsed the Koko Mansion reality show programme packaged by HiTV, Nigeria. The guild, through its president, Ejike Asiegbu, has described Koko Mansion’s objectives as being genuine and realistic, saying, “many young, eligible Nigerian men are finding the task of getting a good wife difficult, but with the programme, it will be a thing of the past as it would expose what most people are exactly looking for in most women. Though, it is not a 100 per cent chance, it is the beginning of a solution to a problem and I must commend the company and all those involved for this initiative.” The AGN president also assured of the body’s support stating that the AGN will support any initiative that will impact on the society. Some of the virtues the viewers who would be the ultimate judge in the show would be looking out for are: the ability of the Kokolette to cook sumptious meals for D’banj and his friends, especially during impromptu visits, and her ability to furnish and maintain the mansion. The Kokolette must also be industrious while being able to take care of the home front; her ability to be respectful and courteous at all times would be put to test. The potential wife must be able to emulate notable women in society even as she shows the ability to impress D’banj, under all circumstances in order to win the public’s votes to be in the house among others. A video audition would help the panel determine the 12 finalists. There will be no evictions in the first week because the ladies would have to socialise and familiarise themselves with living in a mansion. However, eviction starts in the second week, where two ladies with the least number of votes from the viewers will be ushered out. There will be weekly evictions from then on until the final three ladies emerge. Eviction is primarily done by the public and could be based on D’banj’s comments. However, each week, among the three ladies up for eviction, it would be D’Banj’s prerogative to give Koko Mycine (immunity) to one of the girls. He can only use Koko Mycine once in the duration of the show. The statement revealed that the winner would among other benefits, be crowned Kokolette 1, get a Chris Aires Diamond ring, a brand new convertible car, feature in his next music video You Don Make Me Fall In Love alongside N5 million in cash. Aside that, the winner will be D’Banj’s companion at public events both within and outside Nigeria. She would further emerge as HiTV’s Hi-Babe. Asides from exploring her talent professionally, she’ll be obligated to get involved in women empowering projects that would reinforce the unique role of an African woman in the development of our society.Distribution framework is on the upswingFILMMAKER and marketing consultant, Yinka Ogundaisi, has disclosed last week that things will definitely start looking up for the new distribution framework of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). Sounding very optimistic Ogundaisi, informed that in a few weeks time that Nollywood ‘would feel the impact of the new distribution framework’. Ogundaisi, who may be waiting to release his feature film, Omoge, under the framework expressed optimism that the partnership between the NFVCB and the Lagos State government will clear the streets of hawkers and restrict movie retailing to only licensed retailers and for specific territories. He said: “Producers will therefore know the authorized retailers of their works and the authorised area of retailing.” By implication, he continued, “producers would also know areas not selling their movies and decide on what to do.” He also hinted that all movies would henceforth be released with official tags to easily identify pirated copies. “Distributors are not allowed to sell more copies than the number of tags bought,” he said, adding, “producers can now check with the board on the quantities of tags bought by distributors of their works.” According to him, all these will undoubtedly improve the financial profiles of productions and make quality works worthwhile. Another heartwarming information the actor gave was that which provides banking support for the funding of the distribution of approved movies to all registered and licensed national and regional distributors. “We will now know authorised retailers through their official signpost-licensed by the Censors Board or outlet of licensed National or Regional Distributor.” Although Ogundaisi hinted earlier that a bank was expected to endorse the initiative, the filmmaker sent words back to say that that aspect should be ignored, as discussions are still ongoing on the involvement of the bank ‘with known presence in the industry’.WAKA PASSProducer- Amebo A. AmeboDirector- Mr. GossipActors- Nollywood CelebritiesRemi Abiola is in the USCALLS to her phones won’t get through and so we asked how we could get in touch with Remi Abiola, the actress and one of the wives of the late politician, businessman and pillar of sports in Africa, Bashorun M.K.O Abiola, and no one was ready to volunteer any information. It took a discussion with a ‘been to’ on the problem of administering a will left behind by Abiola for this waka pass, who just returned from the United States to link our innocent discussion with the actress who was popular for playing a nursing sister on the long rested television soap Memorial Hospital. Anyway, the waka pass said, he was told by someone who is still close to someone, who is close to the actress and mother that she decided on starting life almost afresh when it became obvious that it was going to take a long while to get what is due her from her marriage to the presumed winner of the June 12 election. Those who said they have encountered her say she is doing one or two jobs in the US, which is related to the role she played in Memorial Hospital, to make ends meet. We actually no mind how related the work be, so far na work. Abi?Lepa Sandy was trendyONE thing that stands popular actress, Shade Omoniyi Kazeem ( aka Lepa Sandy), out in a crowd is her good sense of dressing. So, when she stepped into the Cinema Hall 2 of the National Theatre last Monday for the 52nd birthday anniversary presentation of Professor Ahmed Yerima’s new book Discourse on Tragedy all eyes looked towards her. Her brown designers gown sat on her lepaciously figure with her shoe and beads worn to match making a lot of people to conclude that Oga Kazeem — Lepa’s hubby — is doing a good job on her. And some ladies in the Yoruba movie industry have sworn to make their husbands to emulate Mr. Kazeem. Their names? No bi for my mouth you go hear sey goat get teeth…but we go mention am if people dare me. I swear.Foluke Daramola owns upTHOSE who counseled the cute actress, Foluke Daramola (Yes, Shobowale until she tells us otherwise) before she married the son of a one-time Commissioner for Education in Lagos State did a good job on her. We are sure she was warned that until the pain compares to the type that women go through in the labour ward she should not discuss her marriage on the pages of the newspaper. Well, even when the pain compared to it, she still kept mum and endured until the pain compared to a woman expecting quadruplets. The long and short is that Foluke confirmed to a national daily last weekend that she was no longer living under the same roof with her husband whose fathers influence dragged former Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu to their lavish wedding. Those who know book say what this means in proper saying is that Folake has announced her separation from her husband. But her fans have cautioned that people should not jump at singing the popular gospel song ‘it shall be permanent’. They hold as some waka pass do that what ‘two children has joined together, no pain can put asunder’. We concur! True.Help, Oge Okoye was too moodyWE were not sure what the matter was, but the Oge Okoye we ran into on Saturday at the departure lounge of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport was not the same all time cheerful Oge we used to know. With her hands wrapped around her chest level, he starred pensively at a lady who looked like a maid and a fellow that looks like her hubby, who was busy playing with Oge’s child. True, her face that evening was like the face of one in a moody condition because she was going to miss something. Anyway it was from how sister Oge dressense changed in our estimation that made us to agree that there is something marriage does to people. Sister Oge who has been missing in action for some time now, wore a long flowing gown on a white trouser with shoes to match. The Oge we knew before she downloaded would be in one skimpy dress and will be chewing gum from post to post. True, e get as marriage dey do people….Lillian Bach flies Business classTHE number of Nollywood celebrities that fly business or first class whether in or out of Nigeria has increased by one as Lillian Bach enters the league. Dis is not a matter of dem say. Waka pass saw the mulatto actress koro koro on the business side of an international flight that connects you to anywhere in the world from Paris. We didn’t know whether it was because she placed our face and so wanted to avoid the ‘eyerazzi’ (since we didn’t carry our camera on board to do the paparazi), the gangling actress who reportedly dated popular actor Pat Attah kept a straight face as though someone was going to ask her to lap him on her seat. Anyway we don’t know whether it was because she was on her way abroad where whatever you wear is counted as fashion, one other waka pass didn’t think Lilian observed convention — which is ‘to match’ when she wore black shoes on blue jeans, on a brown jacket and blue top. On top of that she was carrying a pink and yellow hand luggage. We consulted another waka pass and she agree say dis don remove from the realm of fashion to the realm of colour jam colour. In other words na colour mega jam madam take sit down for business class.
Read more…
Last week, Royal Dutch Shell agreed to pay $15.5m to Ken Saro-Wiwa Jnr. and others in settlement of an action brought against Shell in the wake of the execution of the Ogoni 9. The action was filed in the United States under the Alien Tort Claims Act, 1789. From Myanmar to Indonesia, Ecuador and Nigeria, the hitherto little known Act has been successfully, invoked in the Unites States. Against this background, NIYI AYOOLA–DANIELS examines the international framework for Corporate Social Responsibility for multinationalsIn the KEN SARO-WIWA v SHELL case, the Plaintiffs–Appellants (Ken Saro-Wiwa, Jnr. and others) filed an appeal from the judgment of the court of Southern District of New York which dismissed the plaintiffs’ claim on March 18, 2008 in an action in which Shell Petroleum Development Company and others were accused of having collaborated with the Military Government of Nigeria under the late General Sani Abacha in the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders.On June 3, 2009, the United States Court of Appeal entered a summary order vacating the judgment of dismissal and remanded the action for further proceedings.The parties subsequently entered into a settlement agreement ‘compromise of disputed claims’ disposing of the action and certain related actions pending in the Southern District of New York pursuant to rule 41 (a) (1) (A) (ii) of the US Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.Shell agreed to pay $15.5 million in settlement of the legal action without conceding or admitting any of the allegations under the Alien Tort Claims Act.The KEN SARO–WIWA V SHELL case or settlement agreement has once again brought to lime light the unrelenting wave of changes in international corporate governance, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and accountability of Multinationals. This historic case has beamed a high wattage search light on the impact of litigation–based strategy to prosecute alleged global human rights violation and abuses.More than ever, American courts have increasingly held on to the enviable status of being a pace setter in international human rights protection by assuming jurisdiction to hear cases brought under the Alien Tort Claims Act. Though the Alien Tort Claims Act was originally drafted in 1789 to deal primarily with piracy and to permit sailors press-ganged into the British Navy to sue Britain in American courts, lawyers representing oppressed clients from the developing countries began using ingenious persuasive argument to expand the scope and application of the Act.Massive credit must be given to American judiciary and her entire legal system for embracing change by allowing the Act to be relied upon by lawyers to sue foreign Multinationals in United States courts for human rights abuses committed abroad. According to Sarah Cleveland, an international law specialist at the University of Texas, American Judges became more familiar with international human rights law and also became more aware of the ineffectiveness of the judicial system in developing countries, thereby becoming more sympathetic to alien tort claims arising from those countries.Under the Alien Tort Claims Act, foreigners could sue each other in American Courts over violations of the ‘law of nations’ – that is international norms regarding genocide, forced labour, slavery and torture, if they could not expect a fair trial in home countries.This new frontier of the Act was eloquently expressed by a US Federal District Court in the XUNCAX v GRAMAJO case where a group of plaintiffs won $47 million alien tort judgment in a US court against a former Guatemalan General held responsible for the rape and torture of an American nun and nine others in Guatemala where the judge observed as follows:‘Reading the Alien Tort Claims Act as essentially a jurisdictional grant only and then looking to domestic tort law to provide the cause of action mutes the grave international law aspect of the tort, reducing it to no more (or less) than a garden–variety municipal tort. This is not merely a question of formalism or even of the amount or type of damage available; rather it concerns the proper characterisation of the kind of wrongs meant to be addressed under the Alien Tort Claims Act: those perpetrated by hostis humani generis (“enemies of all human kind”) in contravention of jus cogens (peremptory norms of human rights law). In this light, municipal tort law is an inadequate placeholder for such values’.In the context of this Act, the liability of the defendant will be identified on the basis of those norms of international laws which are considered specific, universal and obligatory. Unlike Europe, the form of extra–territoriality which victims relying on the Alien Tort Claims Act invoked is both adjudicative and prescriptive.Relying on this Act, lawyers employed by International Labour Rights Fund filed a suit on behalf of a group of impoverished Myanmar villagers against Unocal, the California oil giant in an American court. The villagers claimed that the Company was ‘vicariously liable’ for human rights abuses committed by the Myanmar military during the construction of $1.2 billion Yadana natural gas pipeline. Suits have also been filed in the US against Exxon Mobil for abuses allegedly committed by the Indonesian military in Aceh, a restive province where Exxon extracts over $1.5 billion in natural gas annually. Ecuadorian Indians have equally sued the oil giant Chevron Texaco under the Alien Tort Claims Act for allegedly polluting the jungle region of the Amazon.The growth of alien tort as a tool against human rights abuse came at a time of the explosive growth of multinational corporations. As Nayan Chanda of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalisation notes:‘From a mere three thousand in 1990 the number of multinationals has grown to over 63,000 today. Along with their 821,000 subsidiaries spread all over the world, these multinational corporations directly employ 90 million people (of whom some 20 million [are] in the developing countries) and produce 25 percent of the world’s gross product. The top 1,000 of these multinationals account for 80 percent of the world’s industrial output. With its $210 billion in revenues, ExxonMobil is ranked number 21 among the world’s 100 largest economies, just behind Sweden and above Turkey. The largest multinationals now have as much, if not more, influence on global affairs as many states. Through their lobbyists and contributions to political campaigns around the world, they can directly influence public policy. Through their choices of where they locate production facilities, pay taxes, and allocate investment, they wield enormous power over economic and social policy, tax codes, and labor relations. Through their business practices, they can influence and even define corporate governance and the rule of law in poor countries’.It is my view that the American Judiciary and lawyers advocating for the widening and expanding the scope and application of Alien Tort Claims Act should be applauded for having done a great service to humanity particularly in relation to checking human rights violations committed abroad. Same applause should be given to the UN Sub–Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights for adopting a Resolution in August 2003 entitled ‘Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights’. The Norms represent a very ambitious attempt at codifying the principles that companies must respect in the field of human rights, labour law, environmental protection, consumer protection and prevention of corruption.Before now, the longstanding laisser faire attitude, corporate impunity and indifference of Multinationals to human rights violation was legendary. This situation is better appreciated when it is realised that private parties to a dispute involving transborder transactions are governed by complex technical rules of private international law or conflict of laws.Generally, under the rules of ‘conflict of laws’ whenever a court is presented with a case it should consider the following:Check whether it has jurisdiction over the dispute – (jurisdiction to adjudicate).Determine the law applicable to the dispute - (jurisdiction to prescribe) andCheck jurisdiction to enforce its judgment – (this is because a decision will only be executed in another legal system when it has been recognised by the local court of that other legal system).The consequential effect of all these rules of private international laws (outside the regime of Alien Tort Claims Act) is that are there large inconsistencies and conflicting rules of resolving private international disputes throughout the different legal systems causing not only legal uncertainty for the parties concerned, but also high volatile frustration in their quest to get redress for alleged violation of their human rights.In conclusion, it is submitted that though litigation-based approach under the Alien Tort Claims Act may be an effective and potent weapon to push multinationals to change their behavior and become more accountable for human rights violation, litigation alone will not guarantee an all round success. International Businesses, Human Rights Activists and Governments will have to find a middle way to allow for the possibility of litigation as a mechanism to protect rights while not depriving developing countries of crucial investment through constant recourse to high cost and negative publicity litigation.
Read more…
While Nollywood can boast the largest output of films (albeit on video) after Bollywood, it seems South Africa is making serious money-making strides of more universal appeal. Whilst browsing the Screen Africa website I came across a recruitment ad placed this week for a wide variety of positions available due to the expansion of the team behind the production of Zambezia, “a pioneering CG animation feature to be produced in Africa.”Intrigued, my mind went to the only other animation film from Africa I could think of, a 1977 Nigerian film (pre-Nollywood) called Bisi, Daughter of The River co-directed by Jab Adu and Ladi Ladebo. If memory serves me correctly, it was actually live action combined with animation and, while I have lingering images of a young woman (played by British-Nigerian actress, Patti Boulaye) wading into a river in the ethereal surroundings of animated landscape and creatures, I’ve tried, and failed, over the years, to find out what became of that film as I only ever saw clips/trailers of it on Nigerian television in the 70s – no doubt part of the promotions for FESTAC ‘77 (the 2nd World Black & African Festival of Arts & Culture).According to Mohamed Ghazala of the Fine Arts Faculty, Minia University, Egypt, African animation started about 70 years ago in Egypt and was founded by the Frenkel brothers who were not professional artists or animators, but Jewish carpenters who immigrated to Egypt from Russia in search of freedom and work and achieved the unexpected; the first African animated cartoon throughout Africa.Ghazala, in his blog post, The History of African Animation, writes that the hero of the 10 minute film, In Vain (Mafish fayda), was Mish Mish Effendi, who, he says, was the prototype of Disney’s well-known Mickey Mouse. Unfortunately this film was lost when Cairo burned in 1951. However, The Frenkel brothers’ second film, National Defense, is still preserved.Currently, African animation only exists in Egypt and South Africa, with about 50 animation studios producing animation commercially for Egypt and other African and Middle Eastern countries.So, back to Zambezia which, sure enough, is from a South African animation studio, Triggerfish. According to a September ‘08 article in Screen Daily, Cinema Management Group (CMG) president, Edward Noeltner, picked up international rights for the 3D animated feature ahead of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.According to the Screen Daily article:“This an exciting and visually exhilarating story with wonderful moral values which, much like Disney’s Lion King, will appeal to audiences of all ages in every corner of the globe,” Noeltner said. “We are very excited to be offering Zambezia for the very first time in Toronto where we have footage from the film to screen along with a full plate of new projects to offer.”And from the blurb on CMG’s website:On the edge of an enormous waterfall, in the heart of Africa, lies the bird city of Zambezia. Famous for its impregnable defenses against egg predators, it has become the breeding sanctuary for birds from throughout the river valley. With half of its massive Baobab shell gone, Zambezia City is the ultimate tree house, humming with birds on every level, from its roots at the base, to the platforms high in the leafy tops.Aero, a young Taita Falcon from a remote outpost, is the protagonist of the story. He dreams of flying on the prestigious River Watch. When Aero’s father is captured by the treacherous Marabous, he is forced to abandon his outpost and flee to Zambezia. However, Aero soon finds himself at the centre of a deadly plot concocted by the Marabous – who have joined forces with giant, egg-eating lizards – to overthrow Zambezia and return things back to “every bird for himself”. If Aero is to save Zambezia, he will have to learn that not all battles are won with fast and fancy flying.Set in the spectacular Zambezi River Valley, the film draws on this unique natural environment as its inspiration – an inspiration which can be seen in the beautiful, quintessentially African elements of the film.But it would seem that CMG (who also hold the international sales rights to the recent dramatic feature, African Violet) also snapped up another Triggerfish project because they also own rights to Khumba, “the story of a half-striped zebra, born into an insular, isolated herd obsessed with stripes. Rumors that the strange foal is cursed spread and, before long, he is blamed for the drought that sets in. When his father, the leader of the herd, blames him for the lack of rain and the subsequent death of his mother, the outcast zebra leaves the confines of his home knowing that he cannot survive in the herd without all his stripes.” Both Zambezia and Khumba are due for release in 2011.Another South African animation, which is slated for international release this year, is Kalahari, the story of Crash, a cheetah who is the fastest cat in Africa, but who has the inability to corner. When his mother is lost in a brush fire, he is adopted by a family of meerkats who try to teach him how to be a cheetah, and help him find his “chee” (inner spirit) in order to corner. According to Wikipedia, “Hollywood producer Laszlo Bene assembled the film’s crew, which fully comprises personnel from the local entertainment industry. The film’s $23 million budget was financed by offshore funds and Johannesburg investors. Its production details were kept secret during its development, which took place throughout most of 2006.”Kalahari is reported be released in the United States by a major distribution company and will be South Africa’s second animated film after the 2007 film Tengers, a full-length claymation satirical black comedy about life in post-Apartheid South Africa.Maybe it’s because most of the animators, from the Frenkel brothers to the Triggerfish team, aren’t indigenous Africans but, apart from Bisi, Daughter of the River and Tengers, animals seem to feature predominantly in most of these films, seemingly raising the profile of Africa for international audiences without actually featuring indigenous African people. To be fair, Triggerfish’s 2009 show reel does have several black characters featured, but I’m guessing these are for local South African TV consumption, and that they’re going with the Lion King and Madagascar -type models where it would seem that epic or romanticised visions of Africa are considered more palatable to mainstream international audiences when presented with adorable four-legged or winged creatures. Given their varied stock of characters, I wonder if Triggerfish will one day break that mold and give international audiences some loveable, entertaining African characters that are actually human… or maybe even be beaten to it by one of the other 49 African animation studios!Zambezia Trailer
Read more…
Uchechukwu Olisah, Benin City The leaders of Aviele community, near the warring South-Ibie town, both in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, have raised the alarm over the possibility of another bloody clash in the two towns following the recent mayhem occasioned by the kingship tussle in South-Ibie.The struggle for the Aidonogie stool of South-Ibie between two ruling houses in the town about four weeks ago left over 10 persons dead and about 25 houses burnt.To this end, the Aviele community leaders, under the aegis of The Concerned Aviele Leaders, urged the state government and other parties involved in the matter to uphold the rule of law so that peace could reign in the area.The leaders, who spoke at the weekend through a statement jointly signed by their representatives, Honourable Abdulateef Momodu and Alhaji Mashood Amendu, called on the state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who they described as an apostle of the rule of law, to ensure that due process was followed in the resolution of the kingship tussle, bearing in mind the various court judgments on the matter.While reviewing the various legal cases so far decided over the Aidonogie stool, the Aviele community leaders expressed displeasure over the recent statement reportedly credited to one of the contenders to the throne who they said falsely accused the chairman of the local government area, Mr. Gani Audu, of involvement in the crisis.According to the group,“the protracted crisis of the clan headship of South-Ibie predates the ascension of Mallam Audu to the enviable position of the Executive Chairman of Etsako West Local Government Area.”
Read more…
The Lagos state government is to screen at least 20,000 Lagosians on various ailments, as it kicks-off its five-day free health mission today, at the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government.
Lagosians will be screened on diverse ailments, including dental, general and eye surgeries. The state government said it would deploy its recently procured “Field Hospital” to further compliment the objective of ensuring the accessibility of qualitative healthcare to the people of the state at no cost to beneficiaries. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed this at the weekend, said the Eko Free Health Mission would be held at Araromi Primary School, Achakpo Road, Ajegunle, in the Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
Idris described the Field Hospital as a standard hospital on wheel that could provide on-the-spot emergency services and relief management to complement the Eko Free Health Mission by taking off the overwhelming pressure on the hospitals where the Free Health Missions are held without disrupting the day-to-day regular hospital operations. He explained that the Field Hospital also has the capacity to undertake different types of surgeries, including eye surgery such as cataract and glaucoma; routine surgeries such as herniorraphy lipon, appendisectomy; paediatric surgeries and emergency surgeries such as entopic in pregnancy, among others.
The commissioner explained further that there were six basic components of the Field Hospital which include a standard theatre and six inflatable tents that serve as emergency/examination sections; pre-operation section; recovery/intensive care unit, equipped with three beds; registration and laboratory section; medical supplies and in-patient ward that can accommodate 20 patients. He stressed that with the deployment of the Field Hospital, ”more people are expected to benefit from the Mission this time around.”
He disclosed that the quest to find ways to take health care to the grassroots and under-served areas of the state led to the introduction of the Eko Free Health Mission, adding that ”the Mission is a comprehensive healthcare initiative that covers primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention.” Idris said the Mission is significant because it will assist the state government in its efforts to bring to the barest minimum, the number of untimely deaths in the state, particularly as the beneficiaries of the programme include the most vulnerable part of the population at the grassroots like the elderly, children, youth and pregnant women who are prone to infections and other related diseases.
Read more…
IN a second day of violence protesters in Iran yesterday defied heavy police presence setting fires and smashing store windows to challenge President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad' s re-election.
Anti-riot police lashed back and the regime blocked Internet sites used to rally the pro-reform campaign.
Scores of young people shouted "Death to the dictator!" and broke the windows of city buses on several streets in central Tehran. They burned banks, trash bins and piles of tires used as flaming barricades to block police.
Riot police beat some of the protesters with batons while dozens of others holding shields and motorcycles stood guard nearby. Shops, government offices and businesses closed early as tension mounted.
But Ahmadinejad said his re-election was "real and free" and cannot be questioned in comments yesterday during a press conference - his first since the government announced that he was re-elected to a second term in a landslide victory during Friday's vote.
He dismissed the unrest - the worst in a decade in Tehran - as "not important." He said Friday's vote was "real and free" and insisted the results showing his landslide victory were fair and legitimate.
Along Tehran's Vali Asr street - where activists supporting rival candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi held a huge pre-election rally last week - tens of thousands, according to the Associated Press (AP), marched in support of Ahmadinejad, waving Iranian flags and shouting his name.
Mousavi released his first statement since two days of violent protests began, calling on authorities to cancel the election. He said that is the only way to restore public trust. Mousavi, who has accused authorities of election fraud, urged his supporters to continue their "civil and lawful" opposition to the results and advised police to stop violence against protesters. He has claimed he was the true winner of the election.
The violence spilling from the disputed results has pushed Iran's Islamic establishment to respond with sweeping measures that include deploying anti-riot squads around the capital and cutting mobile phone messaging and Internet sites used by the Mousavi's campaign.
There's little chance that the youth-driven movement could immediately threaten the pillars of power in Iran - the ruling clerics and the vast network of military and intelligence forces at their command - but it raises the possibility that a sustained and growing backlash could complicate Iran's policies at a pivotal time.
United States (U.S.) President Barack Obama has offered to open dialogue after a nearly 30-year diplomatic freeze. Iran also is under growing pressure to make concessions on its nuclear program or face possible more international sanctions.
Vice President Joe Biden yesterday said he had doubts about whether the election was free and fair, as Ahmadinejad claimed. He said the U.S. and other countries need more time to analyse the results before making a better judgment about the vote.
In Paris, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said his country was "very worried" about the situation in Iran, criticising the Iranian authorities' "somewhat brutal reaction" to the election protests.
So far, Mousavi has issued mixed signals through his Web site before it was shut down. He urged for calm but also said he is the legitimate winner of Friday's election and called on supporters to reject a government of "lies and dictatorship. " He has not been seen in public since a news conference shortly after polls closed.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, closed the door for possible compromise. He could have used his near-limitless powers to intervene in the election dispute. But, in a message on state television over the weekend, he urged the nation to unite behind Ahmadinejad, calling the result a "divine assessment."
Israel, like the U.S., doesn't believe Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is designed to produce energy, not bombs. Netanyahu has said Israel would not tolerate a nuclear Iran and is thought to be mulling a military strike.
A poll for an Israeli think tank published yesterday showed that 59 per cent of the Jewish public would support a military strike should Israel determine that Tehran possesses nuclear weapons. But less than one-fifth said they would consider leaving Israel should Iran develop nuclear weapons, said the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.
The survey questioned 616 adult Jews and had a margin of error of three percentage points.
But while Benjamin Netanyahu sees Iran and its anti-Israel proxies in Lebanon and Gaza as the crux of the Middle East's problems, Obama thinks serious effort toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could weaken Tehran.
The Israeli leader has been under intense pressure from Washington to enter into negotiations on Palestinian statehood and end all settlement expansion in the West Bank - positions he opposes and whose adoption would almost surely fracture his hawkish governing coalition.
Netanyahu had tried to parry that pressure by attempting to redirect attention away from peacemaking with the Palestinians and toward Iran's nuclear programme.
But the U.S. was not won over to that point of view, and in his June 4 address to the Moslem world, Obama forcefully called for a Palestinian state and a halt to the settlement construction that has proven to be a major impediment to peacemaking.
Any hopes by the Obama administration of gaining a result similar to Lebanon's recent election, won by a Western-backed moderate coalition, appeared to be in jeopardy.
"We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran, but we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at a news conference with Canada's foreign affairs minister, Lawrence Cannon.
Minutes after Clinton spoke, the White House released a two-sentence statement praising "the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians," but expressing concern about "reports of irregularities. "
Despite the challenge from reformist Mousavi to incumbent Ahmadinejad, many officials and experts thought a Mousavi victory would result in only incremental shifts toward the U.S.
Because real power in Tehran is still wielded by religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, some say an Ahmadinejad re-election may make it easier to build an international consensus against Iran.
Read more…
After six years as a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bala Ibn Na’Allah has made history as the first lawmaker in the country since independence to fly a private jet. He acquired the aircraft recently in the United States of America (USA).Hon Bala Ibn Na’Allahadvertisement http://www.ask9ja.com classifiedsHis recent diatribes against criminality in the Niger Delta struggle, which had attracted flaks notwithstanding, Na’Allah, a lawyer by profession, who became very popular at the Oputa Panel, qualified as a pilot after undergoing training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria.He was certified to fly an aircraft after he undertook a successful solo flight under the supervision of a professional pilot, according to international practice.Representing Zuru/Fakai/Zakaba/ Dawazagu Federal Constituency of Kebbi State in the House of Representatives, N’ Allah recently flew the small aircraft in the company of this writer from Kaduna to Abuja on a day the weather was clement in the morning, but became turbulent in the evening.Sitting next to him in the cockpit as ‘co-pilot’, one marveled as Na’Allah displayed his dexterity in manipulating and navigating the aircraft through the cloudy weather between Kaduna and Abuja .“There is a way the weather will tell you if it is going to be bad. This is one of the beauties of flying,” he pointed out before entering the aircraft.Apart from the weather telling you what would happen in the next few hours, Na’Allah explained that the aircraft has a way of telling the pilot when it is not ready to fly.“If the aircraft is not ready to fly, it will tell you during the pre-flight check, which must be carried out before any flight is undertaken,” Na’Allah said.As a matter of routine, a pilot must first obtain weather forecast for his/her route from the meteorological station.On this very day, Nallah obtained the weather forecast for Kaduna-Abuja route from the weather station. He came back smiling that the weather was okay, but that “we have to be airborne quickly to avoid rough weather later in the day around Abuja airspace.”Before jumping into the aircraft for the Abuja trip, he carried out the check, he gauged the pressure level, checked the tyre and the fuel levels, and the journey was underway.Watching him manipulating the buttons and communicating with Kano, Abuja and Kaduna airports was a delight. He sought and got clearance from the Kaduna Control Towers before entering the runaway to make way for an in-coming big aircraft.He was cleared to take off and established contact with Kano that he was airborne; and then Abuja to prepare for his landing in less than one hour.Kaduna told him the altitude he must fly to avoid troubled weather. He shared the information with Kano and Abuja and the weather situation at take off.When he gained balance and stabilized the aircraft, he opened discussion with his ‘co-pilot’, not on the weather forecast or the technicality of getting the aircraft off the ground and maintaining a balance against an unstable weather.Why should Na’Allah be interested in flying, a risky thing at this stage of his life, even when he had made it as a lawyer and as a politician? He said flying was the best thing that has ever happened to him.“I am enjoying it more than anything. To fly is the easiest thing to do. I have come to realize it. In fact, if it is possible, I won’t mind flying an aircraft from my bedroom to the toilet,” he said.The high death toll resulting from crash landing and disappearance of aircraft has not instilled any fear in Na’Allah. He was emphatic that cumulatively, the number of death resulting from road accidents was far higher than that recorded from the air.“Flying is million times safer than driving on the roads. Unlike the roads where you have mad drivers that can drive you crazy, there is nothing like that on air.“The number of air mishaps is not comparable with the number of auto crashes we record on daily basis on our roads. Do you know that you cannot jump into an aircraft without knowing the weather forecast? You can’t hop into the aircraft for a journey without certifying the health status of the aircraft,” he explained.Furthermore, he said, “the safety of the pilot, the aircraft and the passengers is paramount and standards have been set internationally to guarantee this without any compromise. This is the only means of transportation that is programmed, monitored and sustained.Unlike in the USA where several senators and members of the House of Representatives own and fly their private jets, acquiring jets in Nigeria is elitist by all standards.Na’Allah agreed that it might look elitist to own a private jet, but insisted that it was cheaper for him to maintain his small aircraft, than to maintain some cars in his garage. Na’Allah was a car dealer before venturing into politics.“The experience I have gathered since I took delivery of my aircraft showed that it was far, far cheaper to maintain than maintaining my cars. Can you imagine that a return flight from Abuja to Zuru, my village will cost me 50 litres of petrol, whereas, my Jeep will consume over 200 litres?” he queried rhetorically.In terms of time, he explained, by road the same journey will take between seven and eight hours, whereas, it will take one hour, 40 minutes by air. “In Zuru, my village, there is an air strip, don’t forget, I am representing the home of generals, not to talk of Kebbi with an Airport. In most cities in Nigeria , there are places to accommodate light aircraft for landing and take off, said Na’Allah.Still debunking insinuation that acquiring a jet is a display of ostentation in the midst of poverty, Na’Allah said that the cost of servicing his Propellered-CESSNA-172 model was not up to the price of 2008 model of Toyota or Honda products.“To service it after a mandatory 50-hour flight, which is the equivalent of servicing a car, costs less than N50,000. And for maintenance, the retainership fee with Aviation Maintenance Organization [AMO] per annum is about N200,000.“Precisely, he said that the C-172 air craft manufactured in 1971 and registered with Nigeria ’s aviation authorities as 5N-BRT cost him about $48,000 to acquire.For his landing fee at any of the airports in the country, the charge paid is N200, while the three tyres cost $182 to replace every three years, depending on the number of successful landing.“In all, you will see that it is very cheap to maintain this air craft than to maintain the latest car in the market. I am not a Christian, but I understand that the Bible says that ‘my people perishes because of lack of knowledge’.“I think if people know that it is cheaper to acquire and maintain a small air craft like my own, many Nigerians would not hesitate to get one today, than the craze for buying flashy cars, with armed robbers trailing you, not to talk of bad roads and frequent car crash,” he said.The idea of owning a jet and flying it came to the law maker after years of consultancy in Aviation Insurance. And to achieve his aim, Na’Allah enrolled at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria for training as a non-professional pilot.He graduated and was certified to fly before he jetted out to South Africa for further training in type rating.He explained: “Type rating is the training in the category of aircraft you can fly. If you want to fly another category of aircraft, you must undergo fresh training and certified by another pilot, unlike driving just any car so long as you have your driving license.”Economically, he said that it was even wiser and cheaper to invest in air strips than put roads everywhere.
Read more…
By Mike McDonald - Sat, 06/13/2009 - 07:31
What Matters? What Doesn't?
Search Engine Marketing and SEO have always been very dynamic fields. Search engines make changes all of the time. Sometime they announce their changes, sometimes we are left to guess at them. In either event, more often than not, we are left largely to our own devices in terms of assessing the impact of these changes and what to do about them - if anything.
This makes sessions related to ranking factors pretty popular at shows like SMX Advanced. This year was no exception and I was able to get a few minutes with one of this years speakers, Rand Fishkin, to chat about the state of SEO ranking factors.
One of the more interesting things Rand and I agreed on was the fact that it’s 2009 and a lot of today’s fundamental ranking factors, are very similar to the same stuff that worked in 2005, 2006, 2007 and so on. In other words, a lot of the basic things have been pretty consistent.
That said, I thought it might be useful to run down a quick list of some of the things that matter most and least in terms of ranking in 2009. We’ll start with the Important Things:
Title tags - This one is a no brainer. Good title tags have long been recognized as one of the single most important on page SEO elements of any web page. What makes a good title tag? A good title tag specific to each individual page is absolutely essential. Beyond that, as Rand pointed out, having your ‘important terms’ appear early in your title tag also has a significant impact.
Anchor TextAnchor Text - Anchor text is the visible text of a link. Having inbound links is the overriding number one search factor but not all links are created equally. Say you have people linking to your page about blue widgets. If the text in their content reads “Fantastic Blue Widgets can be found here!” it makes a big difference in which words they link to your page. If they link the words ‘Blue Widgets’, it’s going to do you a lot more good than if they just link the word ‘here’.
This is important to keep in mind with your own internal linking too. Avoid using generic, nondescript terms like ‘home’ and ‘here’ and ‘main’ when you link to your own pages.
Quantity of Domains Linking - This one is interesting. if you have 10,000 inbound links and your competitor only has 7,000 inbound links but still seems to outrank you consistently, this could be the reason. Number of links is important, but the number of unique domains those links are coming from is also very important.
You may have 10,000 inbound links but maybe your links all come from 5,000 unique, separate domains. Your competitor may only have 7,000 inbound links but if they have 6,000 coming in from separate domains... they will get you most every time.
Social Media/Mobile - we talked a little bit about social and mobile. Social and to some extent mobile too can be hard to quantify. The fact of the matter is though, these are absolutely 2 hugely explosive categories. Facebook, Twitter and other social giants are continuing to grow in users and usage. Effective social media management can be a tremendous source for generating buzz, those all-important inbound links and just plain direct referral traffic.
Those are a few ranking factors Rand and I discussed as important, so what are some things people might be spending too much time worrying about? Here are some of the things we talked about in terms of being ‘not so important’:
H1 Tags - A couple of years ago, making use of H1 and H2 tags on selected areas of your HTML code kind of came into vogue. The rationale was the search engine spiders interpreted H1 tags as a signal that ‘hey, this text is important because it’s bigger’. Of course the proliferation of .css meant that you could throw H1 tags pretty much anywhere and everywhere on your page and just take care of how things looked to people with stylesheets.
That this was ever an effective ranking tactic or strategy is somewhat debatable. However, currently, while H1 tags aren’t going to hurt you, they don’t seem to be much of a factor.
Keyword Density - This one might surprise you a little bit. Keyword density is kind of a joke. It is in fact NOT desirable to work 500 instances of your target keyphrase into the text of your target page. I know this seems counter intuitive to some, but I for one was very glad to see this claim supported by some data in the Ranking Factors session.
If your page is about Blue Beach Widgets, you have Blue Beach Widgets in your title and you have pages linking to your blue beach widgets page with the terms ‘blue beach widgets’ in the anchor text THAT is good.
You do NOT have to whore out the content of your page to have ‘blue beach widgets’ repeated 50 times in the description. I know you have seen these pages... they look like:
“Bob’s Blue Beach Widget Emporium has the finest selection of blue beach widgets on the web. Our blue beach widgets are so much better than our competitor's blue beach widgets, that all of our blue beach widget customers all think our blue beach widgets are the best blue beach widgets ever. So if you need a blue beach widget, or have a friend that needs a blue beach widget, tell them to visit the blue beach widget emporium to find the best blue beach widgets in the blue beach widget business”
This has to stop people. It makes your site read like a bad skit on the Muppet Show. This kind of thing makes me cringe, and it’s ruining the Internet. Well maybe it isn’t ruining the Internet like MTV ruined America, but it does make for some horrible web pages. I still hear SEOs talking keyword density to site owners. If you are a site owner and some SEO comes talking to you about increasing your keyword density, do everybody a big favor and throw something at them. Please.
W3CW3C Validation - Ah, my old arch nemesis W3C Validation. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times... but I’ll say it again: if you want your site to validate W3C, by all means... do that. If having code that passes W3C validation makes you sleep well at night, then, my friend... you go get that done. I am all for people having W3C valid code, if that’s what they want.
That said.... in terms of SEO and search engine ranking, the simple reality is: IT DOESN’T MATTER. It never has mattered and I daresay it never will matter. Can it hurt you to have valid code? Certainly not. Should you pay a designer and extra 30% to design your webpage to be 100% W3C compliant and valid? That’s up to you. But before you do, consider this: of the top 100 websites online, MAYBE 8 (and I am being exorbitant in that estimate) of them pass W3C validation. Amazon doesn’t pass, eBay doesn’t pass, Twitter doesn’t pass, heck neither do Google, Yahoo or even Microsoft’s new Bing.
Oh Yeah!!!!If your page renders in all the browsers, if you don’t have a bunch of broken links, in other words if your webpage looks like a webpage and can be read... that’s all you need here folks. Search engines could not possibly care less, in other words if “document type does not allow element "div" here”. They just don’t. They never will. W3C might help get you listed in some directories (maybe?), it has some practical applications in terms of accessibility, and you could maybe argue that it can help you diagnose some page render/load time issues. Personally I think it’s most common application however is to inflate the bottom line estimate for web designers that can talk you into a cup of the W3C Validation Kool Aid.
So there are a few things Rand and I discussed that matter more and matter less in regard to search ranking factors in 2009. I’m sure we left plenty of things out, so if you want to add your opinion to either list, feel free to do so in the comments section.
* Delicious
* Digg
* StumbleUpon
* Reddit
* Furl
* Facebook
* Google
* Yahoo
* Twitter
News Tags: SEO, rand fishkin
About the author:
Mike has been covering ebusiness and the search industry for WebProNews since 2000.
Follow me on Twitter!
12 Comments
By John S. Britsios (aka Webnauts) (WPN reader) - Sat, 06/13/2009 - 23:23
Pay for validation?
Should you pay a designer and extra 30% to design your webpage to be 100% W3C compliant and valid?
Since when web designers charge 30% extra to make a web site 100% W3c compliant and valid? That is their job. Or did I miss something here?
The rationale was the search engine spiders interpreted H1 tags as a signal that ‘hey, this text is important because it’s bigger’.
I hope this statement is not serious.
* reply
By Jeffrey Smith (WPN reader) - Sat, 06/13/2009 - 07:09
Lets be clear, although we
Lets be clear, although we would all like to make definitive statements, even search engine algorithms produce results outside of the scope of assessment or reduction.
SEO is holistic and as each website has its own unique signature and nodes of authority, each situation is unique. I have seen authority sites with no "deemed" SEO value bury a highly optimized website with a title tag alone; or on the contrary a new site a few months old Dominate search results in competitive verticals.
Although it may make us feel more accomplished, the rules of SEO always have and will continue to be a moving target. In fact the preface "of it depends" should predicate all metrics because it really does depend on a case by case basis.
I respect Rand and the spirit of the analysis, but there really are too many variables to say one way or another what is truly effective (based on a websites trust, imprint on the link graph or otherwise) which on page or off page factors are really responsible for a website crossing the tipping point.
Nothing like a good list, just did my own prior to this called 8 SEO Ranking Factors , but the same applies, there are always variables outside of our control, the best we can do is adapt and overcome which is the real takeaway here.
And as usual, don't take someone else's word for it, test it yourself....then keep your mouth shut if it works. Although I have never really been able to either http://www.seodesignsolutions.com/blog/ is an excellent example of the show and tell mentality.
Hats off for the amount of time spent on the research though and of course, thanks for sharing.
* reply
By Attorney Eagle (WPN reader) - Sat, 06/13/2009 - 05:34
Simply great stuff
I have never seen any seo advice this precise and clear. I have almost heard all the thngs you talked in this post. However, I was not clear of any of the usage of the mentioned SEO tactics. Thanks for putting up such a great post. Bookmarked this page for future SEO refrence.
Thanks again.
* reply
By Big Man (WPN reader) - Sat, 06/13/2009 - 03:45
Blue beach widget
Whilst I agree that keyword stuffing is not the way to go, it's interesting that you are number one on google for Blue Beach widget..... :)
* reply
By Nick (WPN reader) - Sat, 06/13/2009 - 00:05
haha, my manager at the
haha, my manager at the company I work for still swears by h1 tags and making a site W3C compliant, now I can show her this article.
* reply
By Mike (WPN reader) - Fri, 06/12/2009 - 18:31
Great stuff
I always appreciate your posts quality information even for the seasoned seo professional. Keep up the good work. When are we going to have a topic related to automating SEO
My SEO Blog
* reply
By Marco (WPN reader) - Fri, 06/12/2009 - 16:45
Great Article
Great article. It would be nice to give more specifics on social media/mobile. Do you have numbers, etc. that show how and to what degree links from social/mobile media are weighed? Also, I've found that proper use of H1/H2 tags does still seem to carry weight. Further search engine musings at Search Engine, Internet Marketing, and Other Thoughts.
* reply
By collection agency debt (WPN reader) - Fri, 06/12/2009 - 16:10
Great info. what I have been
Great info. what I have been seeing over time is that options that made a big difference in the past are no longer having the big change today. For example keyword density is still just as important as it was before as well as H1 tags. They just work together as a whole rather than giving huge results for any one change.
* reply
By Top Keyword Search (WPN reader) - Fri, 06/12/2009 - 14:10
Following these great tips
Following these great tips can definitely help your rankings and traffic in the search engines, no matter what industry you're in. Obviously, some industry like window replacement is very competitive and that can be a treadmill getting the desired results. Thanks again Rand!
West Coast Vinyl
* reply
By Christopher (WPN reader) - Fri, 06/12/2009 - 12:40
Thanks
Fantastic stuff, great RELIABLE advice.
Thanks :)
* reply
By jakehadlee (WPN reader) - Fri, 06/12/2009 - 14:06
Good stuff overall, but
Good stuff overall, but you've written off H1 tags too early. Still getting good results using H1 tags - just got some products on a client's site from pages 2-3 on Google (using product name search) to page 1 by changing H1 tags alone. Maybe not as important as two years ago, but still important.
* reply
By Ven (WPN reader) - Sat, 06/13/2009 - 10:35
nice
nicely said....
-eMoneyMakingOnline
* reply
Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Post new comment
Your name:
E-mail:
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Homepage:
Subject:
Comment: *
* Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
* Allowed HTML tags:
* Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Math Question: * 7 + 7 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Featured Headline
Facebook Launches Usernames Without A Hitch
500,000 usernames taken in 15 minutes
13 comments | 21 hours ago
WebProNews Video Blog View All Videos
* StumbleUpon Promises Additional Content Exposure Through Su.pr
StumbleUpon Promises Additional Content Exposure Through Su.pr
URL shorteners have grown increasingly valuable as a result of sites...
Watch | 4 Comments
* Live Search, Kumo (Kinda), and Now Bing?
Live Search, Kumo (Kinda), and Now Bing?
Just before SMX Advanced kicked off, Microsoft announced its new...
Watch | 3 Comments
* Ranking Factors That Matter
Ranking Factors That Matter
Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz talked with us about ranking factors, but took...
Watch | 15 Comments
* Latest Drama with Canonical Tags and Duplicate Content
Latest Drama with Canonical Tags and Duplicate Content
We first told you about the canonical tag back in February as the...
Watch | 9 Comments
Infusionsoft Can Double Your Sales - Click Here
Advertisement
Advertisement
WebProWire.com
* Tech
* Search
* Advertising
* Social
* Financial
* Legal
Latest News on: WebProWire.com
Once Again, Before Sending A DMCA... Techdirt
Economy Remains Weak, but Fed Sees NYT > World Business
Europe Lags as U.S. Economy Shows... NYT > Most E-Mailed
What we talk about when we talk... CrunchGear
Why Is Young Steve Jobs Giving IBM Silicon Alley Insider
» More News
Subscribe to WebProNews
Send me relevant info
SmallBusinessNewz Headlines
* Part 1: Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Branding
* YouTube Makes Social Media Marketing Easier
* 8 Things Business Owners Should Acknowledge
* Google Integrates Store Info With Product Search
* Tweeting with Value and Blogging to Compliment it
Get Your Site Submitted for Free in the World's Largest B2B Directory!
*Mandatory Field
* *
Rebels in Nigeria's restive Niger Delta on Monday claimed more attacks against facilities run by US oil giant Chevron and warned FIFA against letting Nigeria host the under-17 World Cup tournament.The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) also threatened to extend its operations to other states in the oil-rich region.MEND said it had started a massive fire that destroyed the Abiteye flow station and had blown up two other Chevron facilities there early on Monday.Likening its operations to a hurricane, the group said it would be extending its actions beyond Delta state.It would move "into the neighbouring states of Bayelsa and Rivers before passing through the remaining states of Ondo, Edo, and Akwa Ibom then finally head off-shore," said MEND.And it added: "We will want to use this opportunity to advise FIFA to have a re-think about Nigeria hosting the under-17 World Cup tournament at this time, as the safety of international players and visitors cannot be guaranteed due to the current unrest."The tournament is due to run from October 24 to November 15, and Nigeria has scheduled some of the matches to be played in the Niger Delta region.The statement also called on people from the southern Niger Delta region living in the north of the country to return home within the next eight weeks.MEND said it was issuing the warning "because a major event will occur in that part of the country and reprisal attacks directed at them cannot be ruled out."It gave the same advice to northern Nigerians living in the Niger Delta.While the north of Nigeria is predominantly Muslim, the south is mainly Christian.Monday's operations were the latest in a series of MEND attacks on Niger Delta facilities run by the US oil giant designed to demonstrate that a recent government crackdown in the region has had no effect on its ability to operate.One attack in May cost Chevron 100,000 barrels a day in lost production.MEND, which says it wants a fairer distribution of oil wealth to local people, said it would keep up its operations until oil production in the country had been brought to a halt."We hope that by the time the oil and gas exports come to zero, Nigeria will maintain those positions from the export of groundnut oil," it said.Since 2006, MEND had been sabotaging the oil industry infrastructure and abducting oil workers, to the extent that it has seriously disrupted Nigeria's oil production.Overall the unrest has caused oil production -- Nigeria's main export -- to fall by nearly a third, from 2.6 million barrels a day in 2006 to 1.8 million currently.Nigeria gets 90 percent of its foreign currency from its production in the Niger Delta region, according to figures from the International Energy Agency.
Read more…
Monday 15 June 2009Nigerian rebels claim to have destroyed an oil pumping station operated by US energy giant Chevron in the Niger Delta. The militant group MEND is leading a campaign against foreign oil companies by sabotaging oil installations.Nigeria’s main militant group said on Monday it had sabotaged an oil pumping station in the Niger Delta operated by Chevron, the fifth attack claimed against the U.S. energy company in less than a month.Chevron facilities in the southern Delta state have become the main target of attacks by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which declared an “all-out war” against the military last month.“(Militants) hit the Abiteye flow station operated by Chevron today ... triggering another systems failure which resulted in a massive fire outbreak that is consuming the entire facility,” MEND said in an emailed statement.It was not immediately possible to independently verify the statement. Chevron officials were not immediately available for comment.On Saturday, Chevron confirmed damage to its Makaraba-Utonana-Abiteye pipeline and fire at its Makaraba Jacket 5 facility in Delta state.Militants have repeatedly targeted Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell facilities in the past three years as many of their pipelines and oil pumping stations are situated in communities hostile to foreign oil firms.
Read more…
I was in Abuja today, and drove by the offices of NAFDAC and the EFCC and I was again struck by the dramatic change in the activities of these two national institutions from what obtained just two years ago. What has happened at these two agencies is a very good example of the difference between Leadership and Management. A lot of people think that these two things areThe same, but they are actually quite different. Leadership refers to the proactive seizing of new opportunities and breaking new bounds. It involves a decision to make a way where there was no way and charting a new course. It also involves the setting up of an efficient structure and ahierarchy that hitherto did not exist. Leaders deliver results and the true test of leadership is influence-a true leader has influence and commands respect. Finally, a leader does not derive his influence because of his office, but because of what he/she has done with the office! Management on the other hand refers to keeping watch over structures and hierarchy that have been created and expanded by some other person. It is possible that a good manager may expand the territory won by a leader, but more than likely a manager will keep watch and maintain whathe/she met. Finally many managers deliver activity rather than results and while a good manager may get respect, an average manager usually has to demand respect rather than command it.Remember it is not the title that makes a person a leader. You may be a manager of a bankby official title, but by conduct you are a leader, while you may be the head of an organization, but by conduct be a manager!Dora Akinyuli was a leader at NAFDAC. I daresay that few had heard of NAFDAC before she came in, but the truth is that it did exist before her, but was a toothless bulldog. It was just aplace where civil servants did nothing and collected salaries at the end of the month. And then came Dora. Having lost her own diabetic sister to fake drugs in 1988, Dora infused life into NAFDAC and suddenly Nigerians were so sensitized against fake drugs that the merchants of death dealing in that trade began to plot her death. Dora escaped death by the whiskers in an assassination because her NAFDAC was efficient. She dared to shut down the bakery of a veryinfluential ex first lady, and flexed muscles with the late Lamidi Adedibu in Ibadan and came out on top. She was acknowledged by Time magazine in a full spread as one of the most influential people in the world. But what do we have now? NAFDAC has come under the influence of a manager and has returned to being a toothless bulldog. When was the last time you heardabout NAFDAC in the news? If you heard of it then it must be because of a courtesy call on its office not because of any act of putting fake drugs merchant to flight.Similarly, the EFCC under Malam Ribadu was a different EFCC. Say what you want about him, but Nuhu Ribadu was a leader. A man who could go after the richest ex-military ruler, a man whoarrested, convicted and jailed his Inspector General of Police, who arrested powerful ex-governors and reduced them to tears in court, who influenced the choice of the previousadministration in choosing their successors is a very powerful leader. Ribadu never gave excuses for an inability to prosecute corruption, he knew it was a cancer that has reduced Nigeria to a laughing stock and impeded her progress and he did something about it. Due to his efforts, Nigeria which was blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force before he came on board wasde-listed and we improved significantly on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. There was also a robust cooperation between the EFCC under Ribadu and the Metropolitan police of London, The FBI and other world law enforcement bodies. Interestingly on thesame day that his predecessor and the current president granted interviews severely criticizing him, Ribadu was invited by no less a body than the U.S congress to educate it on the issue of 3rd world corruption. It just goes to show you that you can not keep a good man down!While it is fashionable for some to accuse Ribadu of selective prosecution, none have been ableto say that he arrested innocent people. We should not allow mental laziness to beguile us. Corruption has reached desperate heights in Nigeria and desperate illnesses require desperate surgeries!For all the current administration’s efforts to demonize Ribadu, they can not point to any achievement of theirs in the anti corruption battle except an empty call for the adherence tothe ‘rule of law’. The rule of law actually means that the law guides you not tie you. Within the scope of the law, a leader can make an impact in the anti corruption battle if there is the will.In the final analysis, an unbiased observer may come to the conclusion that since any reasonable man intends the consequences of his actions, the actions of the current leadership(managers) of the EFCC and the current administration points to the conclusion that they intend to tone down the anticorruption war. For as Sherlock Holmes would say, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable must be the truth. How else can you explain that ex-governors who were arrested and charged to court by Ribadu and whose cases are still being ‘managed’ in court by the current EFCC are regular visitors to our presidential villa!I am a known critic of former president Obasanjo, but I believe in giving credit where credit is due. In the last administration, the institutions that projected the power and efficiency ofgovernment especially in the more effective second term of Obasanjo where the EFCC and NAFDAC and key ministers like Nasir El’rufai and ‘madam due process’ Oby Ezekwesilias well as Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. Obasanjo deserves credit for the political support he gave his economic team that enabled them to show leadership and achieve amongst other things theexit of Nigeria from the Paris club of debtors by paying up the nations debt (which is again piling up) and building a sizeable foreign reserve (although some of it could have been spent on much needed infrastructure). Also the former president showed some foresight in setting up theexcess crude account which the current president condemned when he came in, but which has come in handy particularly with the sharp drop in oil revenue.It has also become a favourite past time of this administration to cast aspersion on the person ofMalam Nasir El’rufai. However if you had visited the FCT Abuja when Nasir held sway and pay a visit today the difference is very clear. Nasir showed leadership by running Abuja in a most business like manner. He cleaned up land registration by establishing the Abuja GeographicInformation Service (AGIS) and restored a lot of the city’s original master plan and stepped on very powerful toes. He kept the city clean and beautified it, every morning you could actually see workers cleaning up the city. He invested heavily in infrastructure. He showed leadership by beginning with the end in mind and remained focused even when powerfulforces agitated against him.. But visit Abuja today and see what ‘managers’ have done. What has happened in the intervening years since El’rufai left office is a sharp decline in the physical appearance of Abuja.This administration should consider the damage it has done and continues to do to the psyche of Nigerian youths when it’s principal officer condemn the contributions of Nigerians whoexhibited leadership in their performance of national assignments. I want to seize this opportunity to celebrate Nuhu Ribadu, Malam Nasir El’rufai, Oby Ezekwesili, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and BodeAugusto. To them I say this-remember that no matter how far falsehood has traveled, it must eventually be overtaken by truth.PAT UTOMISO WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK
Read more…
AS eminent Nigerians yesterday reviewed the state of the nation 16 years after the annulment of the June 12 election, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) has called on the Federal Government to declare the late Chief MKO Abiola the winner of June 12, 1993 election with all the paraphernalia of office of Presidency given members of his family.Speaking yesterday in Lagos at a public lecture in honour of MKO Abiola, he said there are non-negotiable pillars upon which democracy will stand. "Those are the pillar of truth and the pillar of justice. The search for the truth will embolden us to ask questions about how we got to this point-over the last 49 years and request that those who are the custodians of democracy explain how they managed the conduct of our elections during their time and once we find the truth, we must be courageous to insist that justice be done," he said.According to him, one of the truths that have come out was that there was injustice in annulling an election by somebody who was not the custodian of that election."He had no business with that election. But the umpire of that election has come out in a book he published on June 12 last year that indeed MKO Abiola won the election. We must then move to do justice and do justice to that mandate. We must acknowledge, even if posthumously, that he was the duly elected president of this country and all the due honour must be given to the family he left behind," Fashiola declared.He regretted that rather than address the real problem of instability, "the whole attention of the nation is focused on issue of succession. How are the leaders going to be produced? Has the process been fair? Increasingly, little attention is paid to the quality or the efficiency of that leader. I made the point that from the June 12 riot. The shut down, the fuel scarcity and the darkness that is still with us today, it produced only a military compromise that we did not prepare for, that led us to a still-born contrivance. And in 1999, it produced a constitution that we have no say about. It led us to a leadership whose goal was to ensure that we did not break up but not necessarily to provide the minimum development objective," he said.He regretted that the government was not talking about water and power supply."We paid lip service to law and justice and attempted to subvert the questionable foundation of his own very existence via a tenure elongation. In 2007 again, what were we doing? We forgot about power and insecurity and about the agitation of the aggrieved members of this federation. The whole nation was faced again with the leadership and succession questions. Anything became better than no change at all. The cycle has been endless and 16 years have passed," he said.He expressed regret that in the process, the desert in the Middle East has become the tourist capital of the world. "Angola has come out of a civil war and is becoming one of the fastest-growing countries in Africa and has transformed into an architectural master piece and an emerging technology centre. In that time, the Asian Tiger whose products we degraded has moved on. South Korea has hosted the World Cup and China the Olympic. South Africa, for whose liberation we stood vanguard has gotten the nod ahead of us to host the first ever Africa World cup."There had been a lot of missed opportunities. Why has the name of democracy has not come true for our people? Why we persevere, we must insist on certain non-negotiable pillars upon which democracy will stand. Those are the pillars of truth and the pillar of justice," he said.Speaking in the same vein, the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Bola Tinubu called on the National Assembly to legislate on how Abiola's birthday could become a national public holiday as a mark of respect for the hero of democracy.According to him, a great leader like Martin Luther King (Jr.) has his birthday celebrated in US for his role in the enthronement of democracy, adding, "I think the best thing for us to do as a nation is to resolve here today that Abiola should be immortalized."Tinubu also called on the government to respect and adopt the recommendations of the Honourable Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee without amending it to suit the ruling Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) agenda.He said: "For the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be truly independent, the government should agree with the Uwais's recommendation that the Chairman of INEC should be appointed by the National Judicial Council."He said that June 12, 1993 election was free and fair because of the open ballot system that was employed, calling on the Federal Government to return to the method so that sanity could be restored in the electoral process in the country.In his presentation, the Guest Speaker, Professor Bayo Williams said successive administrations after the June 12 saga had indirectly annulled the mandate of the people through rigging and series of manipulation.He said: "1999, 2003, 2007 elections were dented with series of manipulations. This is another way of annulling election and stealing the people's mandate."Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Prof Pat Utomi and Governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Senator Abiola Ajimobi said apart from a credible electoral law, both politicians and the electorates must develop positive attitude and conduct towards politics.They spoke at a seminar to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the June 12 organised by the Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS) in Ibadan.Bankole in his address at the event gave assurance that the National Assembly would do everything within its power to give the nation electoral laws that would best serve the national interest.Bankole who was represented by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kayode Odunaro said rather than the sole reliance on electoral laws for credible election, there must be an enviable electoral conduct on the part of Nigerians.He argued that it was not only secret ballot that produced June 12, but the conduct of Nigerians across all the zones of the country that resulted in that historic mandate.He said: "The challenge facing our nation today is, therefore, not for the leadership alone, which rightly should carry the greater share but all of us at the end of the day have shared responsibility. I am burdened to ask us as a people that our quest for a credible electoral system would not be brought about by legislation alone, no matter how beautifully crafted our electoral laws are. Our electoral conduct is as vital as the laws, if not more vital. I insist that it was not only open secret ballot that produced June 12. Rather, it was with the conduct of Nigerians across all the zones of Nigeria that resulted in that historic mandate, he noted".In his remarks, Utomi expressed regrets that things are still getting worse for Nigeria's democracy since the election was annulled 16 years ago.The ADC Presidential candidate noted that June 12 left a historical consequence and that if things are not done right, it will still come around to us all."Unless we build an ideal situation, the problem will still be with us. June 12 has taught us to get things right. It cannot be wished away like Obasanjo tried to do. It made our country recognised the value of democracy".As a way out of the problem, Utomi said Nigeria is in dire need of politicians who will respect the wishes of the people."What we have today is that we have a political class that is contemptuous of Nigerians. The votes of Nigerians no longer count in the current dispensation. As a result of this, Nigeria is not making progress," he observed.Ajimobi, on his part said the electorate must be ready to ask questions before casting their vote for any candidate irrespective of party affiliation and must be ready to guard it jealously as the late M.K.O Abiola did.Meanwhile, Nigerians Under the umbrella of The June 12 Coalition group yesterday assembled at the ICAN centre Lagos to commemorate the demise of the eminent politician and the June 12 election.Declaring that the June 12 will remain green in annals of history, the group maintained that though Abiola was gone; his footprint remained on the sands of time forever- for he came, saw and conquered. Though not allowed to rule but his sacrifice gave democracy to Nigeria as a dividend.Declaring the anniversary open, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Ayo Opadokun led the June 12 Coalition group on solidarity song with display of placards.Some of the placard read, " 1999 Constitution is a fraud, amendment not an option," End Corruption and Electoral fraud, Eradicate poverty in our country, June 12 never again; Down internal Colonialism."The group disclosed that they are in support of the steps being taken to reject the 1999 Constitution as it makes a false claim in its preamble to have been enacted by Nigerians.They further maintained that the need for amendment does not arise because the National Assembly itself was a product of the fraudulent 1999 Constitution."The Coalition will henceforth mobilize the citizenry to peacefully express their rejection of the imposed 1999 Constitution and to demand its replacement by a negotiated alternative," the group added.Reading the declaration made by the group, Opadokun noted that the emergence of Abiola as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election collapsed the wall of ethnicity and religious bigotry.
Read more…
By Olaolu AfolabiSaturday, June 13, 2009Nigerians have migrated to Britain in significant numbers since the 1960s. After the independence in 1960, there was a need for more skills and higher levels of education. Many Nigerians, therefore, went to the United Kingdom to study.Nigerians at a shopping mall in PeckhamadvertisementAfter civil and political unrests in Nigeria in the late 1960s, refugees began arriving in London. A number of Nigerian asylum seekers also arrived in the UK in recent years. However, most Nigerians arriving at present come with work visas, student visas for family reunion.Nigerians live in many parts of the United Kingdom, especially in London. A significant number of them live in Peckham, Dalston, Hackney, Swiss Cottage and Kilburn.A former reporter of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC’s) Focus on Africa, Robin White, once wrote about Nigerians resident in Peckham, South London. “The African immigrants I have come across in some two months of travelling in England, Wales and Scotland are hard working, idealistic, and bright, a long way from the popular view portrayed by some in the UK.“Everyone I met, I asked them when they wanted to go home. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but - when their countries are at peace, when they've made a bit of money, when democracy returns - they will return,” he said.Peckham, also called, by Nigerians, little Lagos and Yorubatown, is home to one of the largest Nigerian communities in the world; many of the local establishments are Yoruba-owned.Nigerian churches and mosques can be found in the area. As immigrants become assimilated, English is becoming the predominant language of the local Nigerian British population. About seven per cent of Peckham's population was born in Nigeria.A Nigerian resident in London said Peckham looked like Lagos. “I used to live there and over the past 10 years, it has been transformed into a Yoruba heartland.” A Yoruba taxi driver, Olusola Dixon, was quoted to have said many of the shops in Peckham were Yoruba-owned and one could buy any Nigerian food one wanted.“Peckham is where the living meet the dead,” Dixon said. It is where Nigerians can bump into a distant Nigerian cousin who they never even knew was in the UK. Not only this, Nigerian churches and mosques flourish and compete for worshippers in the place.White said: “The successful churches run several Sunday sittings. Newcomers are welcomed with open arms and everyone is given an envelope with instructions on how to donate money for the church’s upkeep.“But the trouble is that many Nigerian living in the area have neglected to pass their traditions to their children. A few insist on the languages being spoken at home, but many have given up the struggle of teaching them to unenthusiastic children, and English Language has become the family language.“True, they take their children home on holidays, but their culture and language, as known in Nigeria, are on a steep decline. Dubi Imevbore, an expert on language, said if a language dies, so does the human spirit. A people without a culture will lose their self respect.“Some Nigerians living in Peckham and have found home there came on student visas and never went home. Some came on holiday to visit relatives and “missed” the plane back to Lagos. Some smuggled themselves in and have been in hiding ever since.It does’t take long to discover that many Nigerians in London shouldn’t be here at all. But being an illegal immigrant is not an easy life. Because they can’t work officially, they have to take the worst paid jobs at very unsociable hours and live in squalid flats – at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords.Many would like to go home, but they’re ashamed to admit failure to their friends and families back in the motherland.
Read more…
