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Home | News Update | Brazilian president leads mission to Nigeria Brazilian president leads mission to Nigeria

2012-06-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil has accepted an invitation from President Goodluck Jonathan to visit Nigeria before the end of the year.
This is part of efforts to boost economic and trade relations between both countries.
Her state visit to Nigeria has been tentatively fixed for November.
President Jonathan, who is expected back to the country on Friday from Brazil, according to a statement by his media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, extended the invitation at a bilateral meeting with the Brazilian President on Wednesday.
The meeting took place during the ongoing United Nations' Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The president noted that greater economic and developmental cooperation would be in the mutual interest of Nigeria and Brazil.
The President also said that Nigeria will welcome increased Brazilian support and cooperation for the development of mechanized agriculture, power generation and other sectors in which citizens of the South American nation are globally acknowledged experts.
Also, Jonathan called for the revitalization of the Africa-South American Cooperation Forum which was jointly initiated by Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and his Brazilian counterpart, Mr. Lula Da Silva as a platform for the promotion of economic and political cooperation between the two countries and continents.
Accepting President Jonathan’s invitation to visit Nigeria, President Rousseff said that she will come with Brazilian investors and businessmen with expertise in many fields to give them an opportunity to meet their Nigerian counterparts with a view to establishing profitable joint ventures.
She assured President Jonathan that Brazil, currently the world’s sixth largest economy, would be glad to deploy the skills and expertise which its people have acquired in many fields, including engineering, construction, technology, public infrastructure, hydro-power generation and large scale mechanised agriculture for economic growth and development in Nigeria.

2012-06-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has criticized President Goodluck Jonathan for embarking on a trip to Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development at a time Nigeria is facing what could be described as a national emergency, as citizens continue to die from gun and bomb attacks in several cities.

The party, in a statement issued in Lagos, Tuesday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the decision by the President to travel two days after dozens of innocent Nigerians, including women and children, were killed or maimed by suicide bombers in Kaduna State, is a sign of insensitive and confused leadership.

It said the fact that the trip was announced by the presidency as theYobe state capital, Damaturu, was being terrorized by attackers raised serious concerns about the Jonathan administration’s commitment to the security and welfare of the citizenry, which is the rason d’etre of any government.

ACN said the President should have cancelled the trip as a symbolic act of a caring leadership and out of respect for the souls that were lost and are still being lost across the country.

”Again, we are constrained to ask whether this President is getting quality advice from the myriad of aides surrounding him, or whether, like his benefactor, Olusegun Obasanjo, he has decided he may not even take any advice from his advisers. In other climes, the usual thing is for leaders to cancel foreign trips or rush home from such trips when their countries suffer tragedies.

”In April 2010, Chinese President, Hu Jintao cut short his Latin American tour and returned home after a strong earthquake hit the west of China; This year, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir returned home early from his visit to China, due to the rising tension along the border of his country with Sudan, and even a phone-hacking scandal was enough for British Prime Minister David Cameron to cut short an African trade tour and return home in 2011.

”Since our own President has not even left Nigeria when these latest tragedies broke, it is inexplicable that he will still hop into a plane with a huge entourage and fly out. He should realise that he is attending the conference because he is the President of Nigeria, not because he is Dr. Jonathan. Therefore, Nigeria’s paramount interest dictates that he stays at home and oversees efforts to prevent the precarious situation in Kaduna from degenerating into an all-out religious war,” the party said

Mavin Records Presents – Solar Plexus.. No Need for D Banj

2012-05-09T03:06:00.001-07:00

The D’banj/Don Jazzy/Mo’Hits Saga has simmered down and a new era is here.
Mavin Records is a new record company headed by Don Jazzy with A-List musicians Dr SID, Wande Coal, D’Prince and Tiwa Savage on board.

Check out their website @ http://mavinrecords.com/

The Mavin Records team just released a 13 track compilation album “Solar Plexus” featuring all the Mavin stars. According to the website, the album was released on the 8th of May 2012 – Y.day... and trust 9ja... the whole album is everywhere already.
Yours truly has been Jamming the Songz all day....
And frankly speaking I don't miss D'Banjs voice @ all

Download full album with from here
http://search.4shared.com/postDownload/wTKOPMwv/MAVIN_Records_Allstars_-_Solar.html

Message from Don Jazzy
I see Mavin Records being the power house of Music in Africa in the shortest possible time. I know Rome wasn’t built in a day but with a lot of hard work, a good and God fearing team, our friends and fans, TV houses, radio stations, press, bloggers and most of all with God on our side, there is nothing we cannot achieve.
I definitely won’t forget my past because I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. I know there are questions unanswered, mysteries unsolved, wounds to heal but I would really appreciate if we allow time to heal the wounds for us all instead of digging them up again.
I love and respect the press and bloggers a lot and believe they will play a major role in healing our wounds and allow the forward movement. I would love to thank everyone that contributed in making Mohits records as successful as it got. We wouldn’t have done it without you all. The love and support you have given us thus far is definitely not in vain. You all helped create international superstars and none of us will let you down.
It is going to be a very exciting journey from here. I can’t wait to show you guys all we have planned for you all. We have some other Mavins that are not activated yet still under construction that I’m positive you are going to love. Please open up your hearts, lend us your ears, give us your love and support as always and let’s continue to entertain you. Please don’t forget to visit. www.mavinrecords.com and join the fan club “MAVIN LEAGUE” for exclusive news, music and gifts.
“Don’t just be amazing at what you do, be a MAVIN at it” – IDJA

MARRIAGE ISSUES

2012-05-04T06:07:00.002-07:00

A couple work in different cities, he in Abuja, she in Lagos and he goes home every weekend.

One day while bored at work he playfully creates a facebook account with a fake pix, he sends his wife a request & she adds him.

They chat regularly over 1 month, she finds him very exciting & is always looking forward to chatting with him, she began to hate weekends cos he was never available to chat. They chatted about everything, recently their chats became very sexually explicit, she got turned on by d things he asked her to do, then one day he asks her to send a pix of her private part, she excitedly does that without hesitation , he then asks her to take other pix of her body parts & she did & sent all to him, now he reveals his true identity.......... & wants a divorce........

Yop and Christy here wondering what you think is the best way to resolve this issue??

ICT Partnership: Google Team Lists Gains To UNIPORT

2012-05-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

Connecting the University of Port Harcourt to the world’s information database to tap from best practices in Information and Communication Technology, as well as providing opportunities that would enable the Institution to be enlisted among 26 other active institutions in the six countries across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), are among benefits listed by a technical team from Google, an Internet Search Engine working in the Sub-Saharan Africa project in an interactive session with the University Management, Staff and Students last Thursday at the Senate Chambers.

The Team, led by its Technical Programme Manager, Ego Obi, also listed other benefits to include access to grants, technical consultancy, better Internet system through enhanced wireless fibre and expansion of infrastructure, sponsorship of Faculty Outreach Programmes in a collaborative Semester training, as well as Student Google Ambassador Programme – all sponsored by the global ICT giant .

Speaking during an interactive session with Principal Officers, the Technical Programme Manager said Google would offer three years free Internet access with initial bandwidth of 25 megabits per second (mbps), adding that when access and usage of the Google facilities shoot up, there is the possibility of getting more bandwidth from 25 mbps.

According to her, the initiative is targeted at providing the University with a Campus-wide network infrastructure that would enhance access, relevance and sustainability to end users, regretting that lack of access to cloud computing services had grossly hindered the capacity of most Universities in sub-Saharan Africa to compete favourably with their counterparts in other parts of the world. “The proposed facility would reduce barriers to search queries on the Google network. We will provide grants to cover connecting the University to point of presence; conduct technical audit to determine what you have on ground and help to design and address the technical training needs of schedule officers for enhanced service delivery”, she disclosed.

“When fully operational, the proposed facility would enhance the capacity of the University to effectively communicate internally and externally, achieve improved collaboration for staff and students, and correspondingly result in enhanced institutional reputation and improved ranking”, Obi explained. She also disclosed that a lot of Internet traffic would be driven to the University’s website, thus drawing attention to its activities and improving collaborative research efforts with Scholars outside Nigeria.

“Already, some institutions in Nigeria are benefitting from this facility but UNIPORT would get the highest bandwidth and through our monitoring system, we will track the number of users of our facilities and possibly add more bandwidth to assist in documenting research and facilitate teaching and learning”, Obi said, disclosing that the ISP also runs internship programmes for institutions in the SSA Countries, in which beneficiaries have access to any of Google’s offices worldwide.

Responding to the three-member Team that included Nmachi Jidenma, Programme Coordinator and Yomi Oyesiku, Technical Programme Manager, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ajienka, who was represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Ethelbert Nduka, thanked Google for the proposed partnership aimed at boosting efficient Information and Communication Technology delivery capacity of the University. “We understand the importance of ICT to the overall development of any serious and well-meaning institution which is why we have a functional Centre here in our University”, the Vice-Chancellor said, promising the Team that Management would give serious consideration to the proposal.

Also present at the event were Deputy Vice-Chancellors Academic and Research and Development, Professors Bernard Effiuvwevwere and Bene Willie-Abbey; University Librarian, Dr Obiageli Nwodo; Bursar, Mr. Mark Roman; Dean, Faculty of Science and Director, ICTC, Professors Eronmosele Abumere, and Elijah Iyagba, amongst others dignitaries.

MISSING PERSON

2012-04-22T11:07:00.001-07:00

Dr. Odinachi Okoli hasn't been seen since he left for work on Monday last week. He works as a resident doctor at the Irrua Specialist Hospital in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, in a nearby village to Ekpoma...

...Please if you have any information that can help us find him, call +2348037323311. Or contact the nearest police station.

Please spread the message and use his picture as your DP so others can know him.

Today is Sunday 22nd April 2012

more info on Dr. Odinachi Okoli

Worked at group christain medical centre, warri (Medical Officer)

Studied atUniversity of Nigeria, Enugu Campus

From Ajalli, Anambra, Nigeria

About Odinachi	fun loving but serious minded; i love professionalism, i also like flex die!

Quick Reply

Cosmas Video Trailer

2012-04-11T02:21:00.002-07:00

If you can show me a better comic advert in 9ja as at today 11th April 2012. Come and take the keys of my Range Rover Sport.

Obasanjo Resigns

2012-04-04T13:54:00.003-07:00

wait o.... so na true se Baba Shege don resign... wonders shall never end. If u asked me 2days ago I woulda said with authority that OBJ will stay there till he dies. i just cant get my skeptical mind to agree with the fact that his resignation is normal. Anyway my eye de for ground. Even if na to tap Baba Shege phone to get the full gist. Me must find out. They say a toad does not hop in the daylight when nothing is chasing it. I don't see why OBJ go de run when nothing de chase am. Make we de hope se as him don resign, the rest of the faceless,nameless, heartless cabal go resign too o. God Bless 9ja

Drug ring smashed in Sydney, Adelaide raids

2012-04-04T01:19:00.002-07:00

Police say they have smashed a drug ring with links to Nigeria that has been operating in Sydney and Adelaide.

Eight men have been arrested over the syndicate, which police say had been importing and selling drugs.

Detectives say the group has sold four kilograms of ice and heroin to undercover police officers since September.

Four of the men met an undercover officer yesterday afternoon to allegedly sell him ice in a hotel car park at Bankstown, in Sydney's south-west.

Heavily armed officers from the Tactical Operations Unit then swooped.

Detective Inspector Steve Patton says the four men, aged between 37 and 47, have been charged with commercial-scale drug supply.

"The men were in possession of two kilograms of methylamphetamine," he said.

"One of them was arrested a short distance away after a short pursuit. He drove the car out of the car park and across a couple of lanes of traffic quite erratically, before crashing through two fences into someone's front yard.

"He fled on foot and, after a chase that lasted about 10 minutes, he was arrested not too far away."

Detectives then raided two addressed in Adelaide last night, including the home of one of the arrested men.

This morning police executed more search warrants in Sydney, at Riverwood, Bexley, Granville, Chiswick and Quakers Hill.

A further three men, aged 42, 43, and 45, were arrested in those raids.

Police expect the men will also be charged with large-scale drug supply.

An eighth man turned himself in to police this afternoon.

COSMAS

2012-04-03T07:36:00.006-07:00

A new wave is hitting the Nigerian Entertainment Industry. This time, it’s a Comic Book. That’s right, A Comic Book. Since I was born till now that I am old, this is the best Cartoon I have seen cooked up in an African Kitchen. Best of all it was cooked in a Nigerian Kitchen. The brains behind the comic book are The X-Animators and Mobility Aids And Research Development Centre (MAARDEC). They claim that the comic book titled COSMAS will be launched on children’s day, MAY 29, 2012. The theme of the comic centers round a polio victim who despite all the challenges he faced as a child with no ability to walk somehow made it to the TOP. Rumour has it that the comic character Cosmas, was based on true life Public Figure, Mr. Cosmas Okoli. These are some pictures relating to the comic that I was able to find. www.facebook.com/cosmascomic

Nigeria is IMFs and AFRICOMs next target

2012-01-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

As the United States African Command (AFRICOM) begins to gain a foothold into the African continent with its troops officially present in Eritrea and Uganda in an effort to maintain security and remove other theocratic religious groups, the sectarian violence in Nigeria provides a convenient pretext for military intervention in the continuing resource war.

And on a recent trip to West Africa, the newly appointed managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde ordered the governments of Nigeria, Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana and Chad to relinquish vital fuel subsidies. Much to the dismay of the population of these nations, the prices of fuel and transport have near tripled over night without notice, causing widespread violence on the streets of the Nigerian capital of Abuja and its economic center, Lagos. Much like the IMF induced riots in Indonesia during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, public discontent in Nigeria is channelled towards an incompetent and self-serving domestic elite, compliant to the interests of fraudulent foreign institutions.

Although Nigeria holds the most proven oil reserves in Africa behind Libya, it’s people are now expected to pay a fee closer to what the average American pays for the cost of fuel, an exorbitant sum in contrast to its regional neighbors. However, the vast majority of the Nigerian population struggle daily on less than $2.00 USD. (Other oil producing nations such as Venezuela, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia offer their populations fuel for as little as $0.12 USD per gallon.)

The abrupt simultaneous removal of fuel subsidies in several West African nations is a clear indication of who is really in charge of things in post-colonial Africa.

The timing of its cushion-less implementation could not be any worse, Nigeria’s president Goodluck Jonathan recently declared a state of emergency after forty people were killed in a church bombing on Christmas day, an act allegedly committed by an Islamist separatist group.

At an AFRICOM Conference held at Fort McNair on February 18, 2008, Vice Admiral Robert T. Moeller openly declared the guiding principle of AFRICOM is to protect “the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market”, before citing China’s increasing presence in the region as challenging to American interests. There is little doubt that Nigeria will become a new front in the War on Terror.

Don Jazzy: I Regret Voting Goodluck Jonathan As President

2012-01-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

Before the last general elections held in April 2011, those in the showbiz industry in Nigeria mobilized for and endorsed President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as Nigeria's next President after the death of President Yar'adua.

President Jonathan gained the sympathy of many Nigerians based on how he rose to power, especially from a poor background.

In one of his pre-election campaigns, one of Mohits members, D Banj, interviewed the President who was then an acting president. That development gave birth to insinuations that D Banj and Mohits crew were paid for their support for the President.

The recent removal of the hotly debated fuel subsidy by the President on New Year's day has brought about tongue-lashing on President Jonathan by the masses and some Nigerian celebrities.

One of such is the boss of Mohits crew, Michael Elebeli Collins, who is well known as Don Jazzy, he said, "I hardly regret decisions I make. That my one vote added to put the current government in power is one decision I regret with all my heart."

Bearing his mind further, this Delta State talented music producer said, "what I don't know is if the man we all voted for deceived us knowing [that] he would turn out like this or he is not the one leading us. May God help us.

"God knows that government has not given Mohits any penny like I have always told you guys. I am boldly putting [it] out here for anybody to
contest.

We all voted for the guy [President Jonathan] because at the time, we thought and believed he would be the one to move the country
forward. My conscience is clear," he concluded.

The fuel subsidy removal has seen fuel price skyrocketed from N65 to N141 - N158. It has also been greeted with widespread condemnation and protests around the country with deaths already recorded.

The Big Bad IMF warns Nigeria

2012-01-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

LAGOS – The Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Ms Christine Lagarde, yesterday, warned Nigerian leaders to immediately commence the process of rebuilding the nation’s depleting reserves or face an impending economic disaster that would possibly arise from another global financial crisis.

She said: “A sustained slowdown in advanced countries will dampen demand for Africa’s exports, and, together with continued financial market uncertainty, this will likely inhibit private financing flows, remittances, and concessional financing. Her comment came on the heels of mounting debt pressure in Europe, declining economic growth and unemployment in the United States of America, China and Asia generally.”

Speaking at an interactive session with private sector leaders, organised by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, in Lagos, Lagarde, cautioned that unless the country restores its fiscal buffers, such as shoring up its foreign reserves, oil reserves, foreign exchange rate and churning out people-friendly policies, it will not be able to withstand the shock of an economic crisis which is currently ravaging Europe and other advanced countries, with the threats of it spreading to emerging economies.

She further cautioned that the country’s growth programmes be all-inclusive and be capable of creating jobs and bringing about a revival in the real sector.

It will be recalled that Nigeria’s excess crude account dropped from $20 billion at the beginning of 2009 to $11.2 billion in 2010 and further to about $4 billion in 2011. The account has been a source of contention between state Governors and the federal government. The fund was used to beef up revenue allocation to the three tiers of government following the dwindling revenue accruing to the federation account as a result of the global economic recession that has resulted in the fall of prices of crude oil the major revenue source of the country.

Former Minister of state for Finance Mr. Remi Babalola had told the nation that “the global economic meltdown impacted on Nigeria’s excess crude savings and the external reserves, as both declined from their levels of $20.44 billion and $50.11 billion in 2009.

The amount saved from oil windfall in the country’s excess crude revenue account has been depleted and what is left will not protect the country from any financial down turn should oil price fall below the budget bench mark. The savings in the Excess crude account has been disbursed and what is left based on what the three tiers of government in the country agreed on will not be enough to make any significant impact on the budget if the prices of oil fall below the budget bench mark.

Nigeria’s growth should be all-inclusive — IMF

Largade said an all-inclusive growth is better sustained and will ensure that more people are brought into the growth equation. She pointed out that Nigeria needs to build a more inclusive society where every Nigerian would have equal access to economic and developmental opportunities.

According to her, policies need to tread a fine line between defending against the global slowdown in the near-term, while also preserving fiscal resources for investment in much-needed infrastructure that will help promote employment and growth.

She advised that government focus on restoring the fiscal buffers that served the continent and Nigeria so well during the last economic downturn, as this will help prepare the country for another economic crisis, if it eventually gets to Africa.

According to her, establishing the Sovereign Wealth Fund and emphasizing the use of oil revenues for stabilization and investment are important advancements. Pressing ahead with these reforms is particularly important given the external environment—namely, the need to rebuild fiscal buffers.

She stated further, “A sustained slowdown in advanced countries will dampen demand for Africa’s exports. And, together with continued financial market uncertainty, this will likely inhibit private financing flows, remittances, and concessional financing.

“The potential for greater volatility in commodity markets could cause further disruptions, with winners and losers within the region. The risk of a drop in world oil prices if global demand weakens is the key watch point for Nigeria.

“Faced with these risks, my main worry is that many countries do not have as much capacity to absorb shocks as they did three years ago. Added to that, the global slowdown could be more pronounced this time around.”

Lagarde lauded the economic policies of the Jonathan administration and called on Nigerians to support the programmes and policies of the government.

Don’t expect reduction in recurrent expenditure — Sanusi

Also speaking, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, said Nigerians should not expect a reduction in recurrent expenditure in subsequent budgets unless the country undertake a review of its constitution.

Sanusi, who spoke in Lagos at a conference in which the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, Ms Christine Lagarde and private sectors leaders were in attendance, said the Nigerian constitution, is designed with a number of fixed costs elements which will always account for a high recurrent expenditure in the budget.

According to Sanusi, Nigerians should not clamour for a reduction in recurrent expenditure or blame the government’s economic team for this; instead, Nigerians should be asking if we have constitutionally wired ourselves to have lower cost of governance.

He noted that people should be bothered about a review of the constitution to address the issues responsible for the high recurrent expenditure.

He said, “Nigeria’s constitution provides for a bi-cameral legislature, 36 states with each of the states having a national assembly and 778 local government areas. The constitution also provides for a minister from each of the 36 states and many others. All these have put a certain fixed cost element on the country’s expenditure profile. “Until the constitution is reviewed to address these issues, Nigerians should not expect any reduction in recurrent expenditure and cost of governance.

Sanusi warned that any attempt to effect a reduction in the recurrent expenditure will result in massive retrenchment or a downward review in the salaries of public officers.

Fuel subsidy: Nigeria spends $16bn in 11 months — Sanusi

Sanusi further warned that unless Nigeria removes subsidy on petroleum products as planned,the country could be plunged into a major crisis if the country was later forced to undertake the removal by forces outside its control. Sanusi said fuel subsidy is putting enormous pressure on Nigeria’s reserves and the economy in general.

He noted that the Federal Government has spent $16 billion in the last 11 months on both the importation of fuel and subsidy to oil marketers. According to Sanusi, $8 billion was sourced by oil companies for the importation of refined petroleum products while $8 billion was used in subsidizing the products, bringing the total to N16 billion within the last 11 months.

FG Committed to reduction in recurrent expenditure — Okonjo-Iweala

However, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the federal government has put in place measures to bring about a significant reduction in recurrent expenditure and an increase in capital expenditure in the next couple of years.

She said the government is committed to reducing the recurrent expenditure to below 70 per cent and is targeting the increase of capital expenditure by 10 percentage basis points before the end of the current administration. She called on Nigerians to support the programmes and policies of the Federal Government, saying that the government is taking the issue of implementation of its programmes seriously. She said the 2012 budget is designed to create the right fiscal conditions that will make the economy work.

“Nigerians should watch and see the results of government programmes and policies. We are plugging leakages in the system and we call for the support of every Nigerians. In the course of our activities, some people will be displaced; these people who are displaced will not give up easily, they will engage in a fight and we are fighting back,” she said.

Okonjo-Iweala said the government is targeting a significant increase in investment in Nigeria, especially in the petroleum sector; hence it is working towards re-presenting the Petroleum Industry Bill to the National Assembly. She said the Bill, which will be re-presented to the National Assembly in the next of couple of days, will address a number of the bottlenecks recorded in the first Bill.

Pandemonium as Multiple bomb blasts hit northern Nigerian city of Kano

2012-01-20T12:35:00.001-08:00

Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city, was rocked by multiple bomb blasts on Friday, raising fears that an Islamist insurrection concentrated in remote northeastern parts of the country is spreading across the predominately Muslim north.

Residents of the sprawling ancient city said they heard at least 20 separate blasts, and that there were shoot-outs in some neighbourhoods. Motorists struggled to head home.

Police headquarters in the city was targeted in one attack, according to police spokesmen. Police said a separate bomb hit the passport office, Reuters reported. There was no word initially on the number of casualties.

The fresh violence puts additional pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan’s beleaguered administration, which was forced this week to reinstate partially a fuel subsidy following nationwide protests and a general strike that threatened oil production.

Islamist militants battling the security forces and seeking to force wider implementation of Islamic law have stepped up attacks on government and Christian targets since Christmas when at least 37 people were killed in an attack on a Catholic church.

The increasing sophistication and co-ordination of their campaign since UN headquarters in the capital were targeted last August have cemented concern that Boko Haram militants are receiving training, financing and other assistance from global jihadist networks further afield, including al-Qaeda. Mr Jonathan warned recently that his government and security forces have been infiltrated by the sect.

There is growing speculation in Nigeria that the Boko Haram agenda has been hijacked by other political factions seeking to undermine the government and divide the fragile federation along religious and ethnic lines.

A Reuters witness at the scene of the police headquarters blast saw smoke billowing out of the building, windows blown out and the roof collapsed. Firefighters had sprayed the roof with a hose to try to douse the flames.

Witnesses said the bomber pulled up to the building on a motorbike then got off and ran at it holding a bag.

“We tried to stop him but he ran in forcefully with his bag. All of a sudden there was a blast. You can see for yourself: the building is damaged,” said a policeman at the scene.

FG, ASUU Resolve Dispute Monday says Rufa’i, Minister of Education.

2012-01-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

The minister of education, Prof Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, has said that the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will be resolved on Monday after several deliberations with the federal government, saying that the last deliberation will hold on Monday.

The minister, who said this during the visit of all vice-chancellors from federal universities to her office, said the federal government was concerned about the development.

She added that the federal government had had several meetings with members of ASUU which was chaired by the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

ASUU had in November last year, called on its members nationwide to shun classes, saying that the strike was to ensure that the federal government did what is right in terms of qualitative education in tertiary institutions.

She said, ‘We have been talking and discussing with our members of ASUU and today after our meeting with the vice-chancellors, we are going to meet again with ASUU on Monday and it is our desire and hope that after the meeting, ASUU would call of the strike because government is working and we are meeting most of their demands.’

The Senate had on Wednesday passed a bill extending the retirement age of lecturers from 65 to 70 years as a way of addressing the demands of ASUU. But the nationwide strike by the organised labour took centre stage early this year which prevented the issues of the ASUU strike from being addressed.

Rufa’i also said, ‘Even yesterday, we had the passage of the retirement age from 65 to 70 years and very soon, the president will sign it into law because there are no issues that will allow ASUU strike to linger further. ‘When we meet with our colleagues on Monday, I believe we will arrive somewhere’.

But the national president of ASUU, Prof Ukachukwu Awuzie, has faulted the claim of the education minister in a telephone interview LEADERSHIP.

According to him, ASUU knows little or nothing about the stance of the minister on the issue. He said, ‘We are not aware of it. The minister will have to tell us what she has been able to do within the few days after we had met. They are not to dictate to us when the strike will be called off. Some papers have said in two weeks time and she is saying next week Monday. We are not aware of such.

‘Remember that we are not going for negotiations but for implementation. The agreement they signed with ASUU has to be reached and except that is done, I don’t see why she will say that ASUU will call off strike on Monday.

We are not asking for all of the money in one day but we need to be sure that the demands are met’.

Police may bar SNG from protesting on Saturday

2012-01-20T12:23:00.001-08:00

There are indications that the Lagos State Police Command will not allow the Save Nigeria Group to stage any protest on Saturday.

In a statement by F.O. Ubani, and addressed to the Commissioner of Police for the state command, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, the SNG had requested for Police support and cooperation for a rally which will hold on Saturday.

However, our correspondent learnt that the command would deny support to the SNG without stating reasons.

A senior police officer, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the refusal on the part of the police was due to the fact that hoodlums could easily make the protests violent.

He said, “The Federal Government deployed soldiers to forestall protests or rallies because of fear that they could turn violent.

“Also, in the past, hoodlums had seized the opportunity to perpetuate violent acts and disrupt public peace.

“Therefore, no protests will be allowed to hold on Saturday or anytime soon until things settle down.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the state command, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said he could not comment on the issue. When our correspondent called the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, on the telephone, the following conversation ensued.

Correspondent: Sir, we learnt that the police will not allow the protest to take place on Saturday

Alkali: What kind of question are you asking? Last week we supported protesters and everything went on smoothly, you did not write about that. Now that we have refused some people permission to go on protest against fuel subsidy removal, because the Trade Union Congress and the Nigerian Labour Congress have disallowed anyone embarking on protests. I refused them permission to go on protest and you’re now asking me questions.

Correspondent: I just want to confirm if you will give the protesters support or not

Alkali: We are Nigerians; let’s tell each other the truth. You never wrote anything good about what we did during the last week protests, neither did you write anything good about the Lagos State Police Command.

The way you people are doing things; you act as if some people are special. From Monday to Friday you wrote nothing good about Police activities. Anything you like, go and write in the paper.

FG moves to end ASUU strike

2012-01-20T12:15:00.001-08:00

THE Federal Government, will on Monday, meet with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a move to bring to an end the about six weeks old nationwide indefinite strike embarked upon by the union.

ASUU had declared a total and indefinite strike across the nation starting from December 4, 2011 over non-implementation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.

The Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, who spoke in Abuja on Thursday during a maiden 2012 meeting with vice chancellors of federal universities, expressed optimism that ASUU would call off the strike at the end of the meeting, adding that most of the demands of the union had been met by the government.

Home #OccupyNigeria: The 1% Living Large While 99% Nigerians Wallow In Abject Poverty- The Opulent Life Of Diezani Allison-Madueke & Family

2012-01-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

These undated photos first obtained by the Nigerian Internet news website DailyPost Nigeria show the young son of Nigeria's Oil Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, basking in luxury while the Nigerian masses starve and scrounge about for the bare necessities of life.

One of the photos shows Mrs. Alison-Madueke, long accused of involvement in a slew of corrupt deals in the oil industry, riding in a limousine with members of her family and NNPC officials.

Another set of photos focus on the young son, named Ugonna Madueke. At a time that the majority of Nigerians are sentenced to extreme poverty and disillusionment, it is unconscionable that the minister and her family live in opulent splendor, their lives complete with private jet(s), expensive vacations, frolicking with local and international superstars such as Dbanj, Neyo and Cecil Harmond