Thursday 30th April 2009
Swine Flu: no cases in Nigeria yet
Canadian hostage freed – finally!
Panel begins probe into KBR bribery
MEND condemns injustice of ex-UN Peacekeepers
Cult clash claims kills two in Rivers
Naked women protest in Ekiti
FG declares public holiday
And then there’s this…
[ay] [drain file 80 show]
Swine Flu: no cases in Nigeria yet
The Federal Government yesterday declared that the swine flu epidemic currently ravaging Mexico and some parts of Europe has not yet made it to this country.
As part of the governments programme of ‘preparedness’ against the disease, the Ministry of Health has asked that sensitisation activities and surveillance be started in all states of the federation.
The ministry, in a release signed by the Special Assistant to the Minister, Mr. Niyi Ojuolape, said in addition to drugs and other supplies such as face masks, drugs, disinfectants it supplied, state governments should acquire more to enhance their readiness should an outbreak be reported. The ministry also advised that individuals should take routine precautions such as washing of hands, covering of nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing to prevent contraction of the disease.
Chief’s Briefs Team: The World Health Organisation last night increased its threat level to Phase Five which means it expects that a pandemic may be imminent. We issued a special supplement on this subject. It can be seen for free here: Special Edition – Swine Flu Alert. Please take the time to read it, download it and forward it to friends and colleagues.
Comment: Although some observers feel that the media are turning the current crisis into a panic situation, others feel that this is the one thing that could stop the disease from reaching the pandemic proportions seen in other virus outbreaks early last century. They say that global awareness, mass communication and the internet could be the one thing that slows down the transmission of the disease. Who is right remains to be seen but it seems only sensible that suitable precautions should be put in place.
Update: As the time of issuing this Brief – Officials in the Netherlands have just confirmed the first case in that country expanding it to one more country in Europe.
Canadian hostage freed – finally!
The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade confirmed Wednesday evening that Julie Mulligan had been freed from her abductors in Kaduna.
“We are greatly relieved to confirm that Ms. Mulligan has been released and is now safe with Canadian officials. We are making sure that she received consular assistance and is able to be reunited with her family as soon as possible,” said department spokesman Alain Cacchione in a news release. “Throughout this case, Canadian officials worked closely with Rotary International and Nigerian officials. We would like to thank those who worked with us to ensure this positive outcome.”
Security forces have arrested one of the alleged kidnappers, a state government official said Thursday. Kaduna state information commissioner Saidu Adamu reports that the suspect was arrested during an operation yesterday to rescue the victim. The kidnapper is expected to appear in court later today
Flashback: Mulligan, 45, was kidnapped while on a Rotary International exchange in Kaduna, Nigeria on April 16.
Comment: The mayor of Mulligan’s hometown said Wednesday afternoon that she had already spoken with her family back in Canada. “I spoke with a close friend of the family, and Julie has spoken with her husband and informed him that she was released and in police custody and was safe and is going to be coming home,” said Moe Hamdon, mayor of Drayton Valley. “Julie phoned John. She was free and in police custody.”
Background: Conflicting reports emerged last night as police in Kaduna announced that Ms Mulligan had been released but later said Mrs Mulligan had not been freed. As we have slightly more confidence in the Canadian diplomatic service than we do in the Kaduna constabulary – we are confident that we can now take this case off our books and welcome this lady home.
Related: In a case with a not so happy ending, a 23-year-old university undergraduate has been killed two weeks after her kidnap and despite the fact that the father had paid a N10 million ransom for her freedom.
Miss Aniefon Anidi-Abasi, daughter of a Council Chairman in Akwa Ibom State, Anidi Abasi, was killed last Tuesday and her body dumped near the gates of the State College of Agriculture.
Comment: Although there is no known motive for the murder of this young woman, police believe she may have been killed to prevent her from later identifying her captors. Unfortunately – this is not the first case of this kind that we have heard of and we doubt it will be the last.
Panel begins probe into KBR bribery
A special committee of top-level government officials has begun to interview individuals involved in the $180 million bribery scheme involving former Halliburton Co unit KBR Inc.
Farida Waziri, chairwoman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said some committee members recently travelled to Lagos to investigate and “record statements from key people that were mentioned in the Halliburton case.” She declined to reveal the names of those interviewed. “I believe, and very strongly too, that anybody found culpable in the Halliburton scandal will be prosecuted,” she said on Tuesday.
Flashback: Nigeria earlier this month asked the United States for the names of Nigerian officials accused of taking the bribes. See Chief’s Briefs 31.03.09 & 03.04.09
The committee, appointed by President Umaru Yar’Adua earlier this month and chaired by Police Inspector General Mike Okiro, has been given eight weeks to investigate the case.
KBR admitted at a court in Houston in February to paying bribes to high-ranking officials between 1994 and 2004 to secure four contracts for a KBR joint venture to build and expand Nigeria’s Bonny Island liquefied natural gas terminal.
Comment: The period covered by the charges fall under the administration of former military ruler Sani Abacha, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Olusegun Obasanjo. Critics say the prosecution of any Nigerian in the bribery case is unlikely given the poor track record of convictions of high-profile officials.
Cult clash claims kills two in Rivers
THE Krakrama community in the Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State is said to be deserted following an inter-cult clash which left two people dead and several others injured. The immediate causes of the clash and the groups involved has not yet been confirmed but security sources report that troops have been deployed to the region to restore calm.
Comment: Residents of the community are said to have relocated to neighbouring villages including Abonnema and Degema, where Joint Task Force (JTF) operatives had a stronger presence. Confirming the clash, Spokesman for the JTF, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, said those wounded had been transferred to an undisclosed hospital in Port Harcourt.
According to him, troops have been sent to stem the situation and a strategy is already in place to find those responsible.
MEND condemns injustice of ex-UN Peacekeepers
Nigeria’s main rebel group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), has condemned the Nigerian Government over the life sentences on 27 UN peacekeepers who were sentenced to life imprisonment. See Chief’s Briefs 28.04.09
MEND Statement: “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) commiserates with the 27 soldiers of the 14th Nigerian Battalion who were sentenced to life imprisonment for protesting for their rights. “Their unfortunate plight elicits sympathy from the people of the Niger Delta who are no strangers to injustice from a failed state. Nigerians had a hope in democracy, but have since realized that the type of fake democracy practiced by the ruling PDP government is encouraging corruption, cover-up of exposed corruption cases, election rigging, disregard for the rule of law, extra-judicial killings and retarding growth and change. MEND condemns the Federal Government of Nigeria for this miscarriage of justice. The soldiers should be thanked for serving their country and not punished for the brazen theft of their allowances by the Army.” Jomo Gbomo.
Naked women protest in Ekiti
Not as interesting as it sounds boys……… we got you a picture… ;-)
The uncertainty and protests that have trailed Saturday’s rerun governorship election in Ekiti State took another dimension on Wednesday, as a group of semi naked women protested round Ado-Ekiti. Tagged, “Peace rally in support of democracy in Nigeria,” the protesters gathered under the aegis of Ekiti Women for Peace and Development.
More than 300 women took part in the protest over the delay in announcing the governorship candidate of the AC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as the winner of the governorship election.
The protesters, who sang anti-Peoples Democratic Party’s songs and chorused “Eeye o” waved white handkerchiefs to onlookers who cheered them on.
Flashback: The chief elections official in the south western state of Ekiti quit her job on Tuesday over a weekend re-run of gubernatorial elections marred by violence and voter intimidation. See Chief’s Briefs 29.04.09 She has since gone into hiding claiming attempts have been made to rig the results of the re-run
Factoid: Some parts of Ekiti held election re-runs after a tribunal ruled they had not followed the rules in the 2007 elections. Ekiti residential electoral officer Olusola Adebayo resigned before she announcing the final result. The police say she must make an official report or she will be arrested. A residential electoral officer is the only person allowed to announce the results of an election.
Comment: The results of the Ekiti State re-runs, held on 25 April, have also been delayed as there were reports of violence in some areas. This has delayed counting and one local government area has not yet voted. Local media reported the opposition gubernatorial candidate Kayode Fayemi of the Action Congress was leading the ruling People’s Democratic Party candidate Segun Oni before the result was due. The Independent National Electoral Commission said the race was “neck and neck”.
Ekiti has always been a hotbed of opposition since independence, Manir Dan Ali, managing editor of the Daily Trust newspaper, told the BBC. Attempts to rig past elections in the state 1964 and 1983 contributed to the downfall of two civilian governments and the takeover by the military, he says.
FG declares public holiday
The Federal Government has declared Friday, May 1, as public holiday to mark this year’s Workers’ Day celebration.
And then there’s this…
Obasanjo: I wasn’t in power to build roads
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, two years after he left office amidst allegations of non-performance said yesterday that he came on board as Nigeria’s President in 1999 in order to salvage the country from a deep socio-political crises and not to provide any infrastructure.
Obasanjo, who spoke at the palace of the Emir of Dutse, also said his mission from 1999-2007 was not to provide facilities but to make Nigeria a united and peaceful country, a mission which he said was successfully accomplished.
Obasanjo added, “In 1999 Nigeria was not looking for a president that will build roads, fix power or provide water. Nigeria was looking for a president that will hold Nigerians together.”
But wait………. It gets better……..
Obasanjo said such achievements could not have been possible without the commitment of some including Governor of Jigawa State Alhaji Sule Lamido. Governor Lamido on his part described Obasanjo as “a national icon” that contributed a lot in restoring the country’s lost glory.”
He said after only four years of Obasanjo in office, Nigeria’s image was restored as the former president had addressed all the country’s religious, ethnic and political problems. “Nigerians owe a lot to Obasanjo,” he spouted
Chief’s Briefs Team: So… A rare day at Chief’s Briefs HQ indeed…
Not only are we generously giving OBJ our world famous WTF award because we wonder what the hell he thought he was supposed to be doing in Aso Rock? We are also giving it to him as we have tried and failed to find any signs that Nigeria is now a ‘united and peaceful nation’…. and as far as we can see this is because most people are fighting over allocation of federal government resources and claiming lack of facilities and INFRASTRUCTURE FFS!
But…
We are also issuing Chief’s World Famous Proctologist Award to the Jigawa State Governor who so obviously needs professional medical assistance to locate his cranium.
Surely as long as those in power continue to brush self interest, cronyism, incompetence, and corruption under the carpet – things will never change?
And the recent allegations of election rigging in Ekiti seem to indicate that there seems to be no plans to do any proper house cleaning any time soon.
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