Russell Williams voted Canada’s best newsmaker of the year

Canadians were transfixed this year by the depravity of former colonel Russell Williams, and now the disgraced former base commander of CFB Trenton has been chosen Newsmaker of the Year.
Williams led a field of 12 prominent — and some infamous — faces from 2010, with one-quarter of Canadians (26%) selecting him as Newsmaker of the Year, according to an Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global TV.
“(Williams) is associated with such terrible events,” says Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Reid. “It sort of had all the most lurid types of details, the photographs of him in the newspaper, the randomness of the events, the fact that it was somebody who was in such an important position of trust.”
The overall choice of Williams was driven by Ontarians, with more than one-third (36%) in the province where he raped and murdered two women and staged dozens of lingerie break-ins selecting him as Newsmaker of the Year. A similarly high proportion of Atlantic Canadians (32%) were gripped by his crimes, which Bricker attributes to a large military presence in Eastern Canada.
Other top choices for Newsmaker of the Year were decidedly lighter in tone, with a floppy-haired 16-year-old pop singer narrowly edging out a prime minister who recently demonstrated his own musical chops.
Justin Bieber took the second spot on the list, with 13% of Canadians picking him, followed by Stephen Harper at 12%.
“It says something about how people become famous these days. It’s not just because they have a record reviewed or get the cover of Rolling Stone; this guy was created as a result of touring in shopping malls and having hits on YouTube,” Mr. Bricker says of Bieber.
“The Prime Minister is very high on the list always because he obviously gets a lot more ink than anyone here specifically does — or should — as leader of the country, but he also had the G8/G20 Summit and he’s had his moments of controversy, with the prorogation of the House and the census debate,” he says of Mr. Harper. “You would expect him to be higher, and this is a reflection of the fact that Canadians aren’t really that tuned in to what’s going on Parliament Hill.”
The top five newsmakers were rounded out by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at 10% and former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin at nine per cent, whom Mr. Bricker calls a “ubiquitous” American political and cultural export.
“If people remember anything about 2010, because there isn’t a lot of really memorable stuff, the thing they probably will remember is Julian Assange,” he says. “He’s the ideal Bond villain, whether you see him as a hero or villain. He has that type of personality that people want to watch.”
Canadians chose the top Newsmaker of the Year from a list of 12 suggestions from Postmedia editors and Ipsos Reid. The poll was conducted between December 9 and 14 including 1,044 adults, and carries a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
National choices for top newsmaker of 2010:
Former colonel and convicted murderer Russell Williams — 26%
Pop sensation Justin Bieber — 13%
Prime Minister Stephen Harper — 12%
WikiLeaks founder JulianAssange — 10%
Former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin — 9%
Former governor general Michaelle Jean — 8%
Canadian citizen and Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr — 7%
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg — 6%
Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee CEO John Furlong — 5%
Governor General David Johnston — 1%
Former Veterans Ombudsman Pat Stogran — 1%
Former Conservative cabinet minister Helena Guergis — 0% (rounded down)
Other selected results:
• Younger Canadians are more susceptible to Bieber Fever, with 23% of those aged 18 to 34 naming him as Newsmaker of the Year.
• Among young adults, the Stratford, Ont.-born singer was followed by Russell Williams (17%) and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (14%) — whom Time magazine named Person of the Year — Stephen Harper (11%), Julian Assange and Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr (both 8%).
• More than one-third (34%) of Canadians aged 35 to 54 named Russell Williams as Newsmaker of the Year, and Justin Bieber, Julian Assange and Sarah Palin narrowly edged out the Prime Minister in that age group.
• Among the 55-plus group, Russell Williams was the top choice (24%) and more people saw Stephen Harper as a big newsmaker (16%), followed by former governor general Michaelle Jean and Julian Assange.
• Alberta residents were also bitten by the Bieber bug, with 19% choosing him as the face of the year.

Read more...

Jonathan campaign group disowns document

Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation on Sunday disowned a document containing President Goodluck Jonathan’s alleged plan to rig the Peoples Democratic Party primaries and 2011 elections.
The group, in a statement in Abuja by its Director, Research, Documentation and Strategy, Mike Omeri, said the document was circulated by a PDP presidential aspirant, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
But the Atiku Campaign Organisation, which circulated the document to journalists, insisted that Jonathan planned to rig the primaries and elections.
It said the document was prepared by the GSCO.
The Media Director of Atiku Group, Mallam Garba Sheu, said, “What we are trying to do is to bring the entire document to the understanding of the all stakeholders, local and international.”

Read more...

Pope speaks against violence

The Pope denounced violent attacks at Christmas, telling worshippers that the "Earth is stained with blood" as he made his Angelus address at the Vatican.
At least 38 people were killed in Nigeria and six wounded in the Philippines in attacks targeting churches and Christmas shoppers.
The Pope told pilgrims on Sunday that he was saddened by attacks on Christians and by a suicide attack in Peshawar, Pakistan, that claimed 40 lives. "I want to express my heartfelt sorrow for the victims of these absurd acts of violence and repeat an appeal to abandon the path of hate and seek instead peaceful solutions to conflicts," he said. "The Earth is once again stained with blood."
In one of two Christmas Eve attacks in Nigeria, dozens of armed men dragged a pastor out of his home in Maiduguri and shot him dead. Two male choir members were also killed, along with two people passing the Victory Baptist Church, which was then set alight. At the Church of Christ, the Reverend Haskanda Jessu said three men killed a 60-year-old security guard. The attacks have been blamed on Boko Haram, a Muslim sect that has its headquarters in the city.

Read more...

Grant in sack race on boxing day

IF YOU believe everything you read in the papers, then the Boxing Day clash at Craven Cottage will be a real battle in the sack race.
Whoever loses out in the relegation battle on Sunday between Mark Hughes and Avram Grant is apparently destined to join the ever expanding dole queue – which suggests that it will probably be a draw.
Hughes has hardly set the world alight since taking over from Roy Hodgson at the Cottage.
He has been hampered by the loss of star striker Bobby Zamora with a broken leg, as well as injury to £5million signing Moussa Dembele from Alkmaar, but even so, the Welshman has failed to ignite his team.
Draws have been their problem, especially at home where five of their nine fixtures have finished all square.
They have managed to beat Wigan (2-0) and Wolves (2-1), but couple that with a failure to win all season on their travels has seen them slump to fourth from bottom with 16 points from 17 games. Read more...

Leonardo replaces Rafael Benitez as Inter Milan

Inter Milan have appointed 41-year-old former AC Milan boss Leonardo to succeed Rafael Benitez as coach.

Brazilian World Cup winner Leonardo will take up the reins on 29 December and his contract runs until June 2012.
Benitez was sacked after six months in the job after asking the Inter board to back him in the transfer market.
"We believe Leonardo has the class and experience of a champion and his mentality will get the team together to get results," Inter's website read.
Leonardo's only previous managerial experience came at Inter's rivals AC Milan last season.
Inter appointed Benitez after former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho moved to Real Madrid having guided the Nerazzurri to the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup Treble.
The Italian giants turned to Benitez after his six-year reign as Liverpool manager came to an end in June.
But, despite winning the Italian Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup this season, the side have not found things as straightforward in the league.
And Benitez's relationship with Inter president Massimo Moratti became strained when the Spaniard issued an ultimatum over transfer funds after last weekend's Fifa Club World Cup triumph.
When Inter entertain second-place Napoli in Serie A after the winter break on 6 January, Leonardo will take charge of a side seventh in the table, 13 points adrift of leaders AC Milan.
Leonardo's first meeting with his former employers is scheduled for 3 April.
AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani admitted on Thursday that it would be strange to see Leonardo in the blue and black of his club's local rivals.
"I do not know what my reaction would be," Galliani stated.
"He certainly has an important history with Milan. He made a career with AC Milan - first as a player, then as a coach and a manager."
In addition to attempting to bridge that gap in Serie A, one of the new Inter coach's main tasks will be attempting to retain the Champions League title, starting with a last-16 clash against Bayern Munich, the side they beat in the 2010 final in May.
Moratti had indicated that no new appointment would be made until after Christmas, "from the 27th of December onwards". Read more...

Okemiri: I'm a gloden player

Anthony Okemiri of Kwara Utd has revealed that Coach Kadiri Ikhana [MON] did not make a mistake when he chose to include him in the squad that featured against Dolphins in Port Harcourt on Wednesday during the week eight encounters of the MTN premier league.

Okemiri who was a key player for the Port Harcourt side while in the National Division One was dropped by the club after gaining promotion to the Premier league in 2009.

Featuring for the Afonja Warriors during that encounter, no one needed to be reminded of his usual good moves as he skillfully displayed it at the Liberation stadium once more.

The player revealed to NationSport that he actually wanted to prove a point, especially to Dolphins.

"I thank God for everything. I am happy am here today", referring to his being dropped after Dolphins was promoted. "I want to prove to them that am a fantastic player and that is why am motivated to play. God has given me another place and that is Kwara Utd and am happy there, they are a very fantastic side. They treat me fine; it’s a lovely place".

Read more...

Sylva calls for selflessness

BAYELSA State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva has said that the major lesson in this year’s Yuletide for all Nigerians is the need for selfless commitment to the good of the fatherland.

He spoke in Yenagoa during the 2010 Christmas celebration when he sent a goodwill message to people of the state and other Nigerians.

Sylva said: "with the nation facing the challenge of elections next year and the citizens coming out of the experience of the last 50 years of nationhood and looking ahead to new destinies in the next half century, the least we can do to forward our collective and individual causes for good life is to ensure selflessness in our relationship to Nigeria and fellow citizens of Nigeria at all times."

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Doifie Ola, Sylva also noted: "2010 is perhaps one of the most challenging years the country has seen since independence in 1960. But I thank God for His mercies and grace to overcome. It is by His mercies that the nation was not consumed in the uncertainties following the illness and death of our former president, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. It is by God's mercies that we achieved the seamless succession of President Goodluck Jonathan; and it is by His mercies that we would achieve a smooth transition to another political dispensation next year.”

The governor also prayed for the good of the nation and its leaders at all levels and enjoined Bayelsans, particularly, and Nigerians, generally, to emulate the life of Christ.

Noting that "Jesus Christ offered Himself for the good of mankind. He is God’s best gift to man. The best gift we can give in return for the goodness of God this season is selfless devotion to the good of fellow men irrespective of political or other identities," the governor stressed.

The Bayelsan governor further offered a piece of advise to all Nigerians. He said: "as we prepare for next year’s general elections, my message to fellow Bayelsans and other Nigerians seeking elective positions -and their followers alike -is that they should imbibe the Christly attributes of peace, self-sacrifice, care for the downtrodden, gentility, humaneness, patience, and love," while expressing hope that next year would be a better year for Bayelsa State, Nigeria and the world. Read more...

Fight to live

It’s Christmas. The day Christians set aside to celebrate the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Many people look forward to the day with glee. But for the family of professional wrestler Christopher Ifeanyichukwu (aka Lion Man), there will be no merry Chrsitmas.

He left his home on Sunday, hale and hearty for the National Stadium to fight Power Lee. He never beat his opponent; Lion Man lies prostrate in a morgue. His expectant wife is grieving. She has four kids to cater for- alone. Lion Man had the upper hand in the 12-round bout, but soon lost ground to his trimmer opponent, who in the 10th round slammed the much heavier Lion Man in an awkward manner on the canvass.

From the way Lion Man fell, he looked troubled. He held his right hand up with the five fingers outstretched- writhing in pain. Power Lee was savouring the fact that he had got Lion Man where he wanted.

Did I hear you ask where the referee was? Don’t be in a hurry. We will get to that aspect. Having seen that Lion Man offered no resistance, Power Lee stood up. He watched Lion Man roll with his last energy out of the ring onto the ground. He staggered back lazily, perhaps on impulse, but it was clear he was finished. He entered the rusty ring. He again offered no resistance as Power Lee confronted him. But this time, he seemed wiser; he held on tenaciously to the ropes.

Common knowledge tells me that when a wrestler holds the ropes, he may have accepted defeat, especially when he does nothing to provoke his opponent into a further fight. Sadly, Lion Man had no one in his corner. If he did, at that stage, he should have thrown in the towel. If Lion Man had a corner, he would not have died. He would have been in church, thanking God for everything that He had done for him, especially if he clinched the winners’ belt.

In the absence of a knowledgeable corner, the referee should have interpreted the rules to save Lion Man. Footage of the bout shown by Silverbird Television (Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week) showed where the referee was kicking the ropes that Lion Man held and that gave Power Lee the impetus to also kick it, until the dead wrestler was pulled into another round of pummeling.

Sadly, at this point, Power Lee knew something was wrong with Lion Man. From the ringside microphone, Lee was heard asking Lion Man: "Ol’ boy, wetin dey happen?" He was lying face down on the canvass to establish Lion Man’s situation. Of course, the shabbily dressed referee (he looked like a tyrant) was more interested in declaring Power Lee the winner, than what befell Lion Man. Lion Man staggered for about 30 seconds before his friend ran towards him and poured water on his back. Where was the ringside doctor? The footage didn’t show any medical hand coming to attend to Lion Man, as he was being led out of the ringside by his friend, who was joined by another person.

They carried the deceased on their shoulders. There was no medical attention. It was a gory sight seeing Lion Man’s remains inside a pick up van. Sympathisers stealing a look at him sighing, hissing and cursing as they walked away in anguish. Perhaps if there was a doctor and a well equipped ambulance at the stadium that night, Lion Man could have survived it.Unfortunately, we have been told of how a top member of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, allegedly slapped his driver for daring to put Lion man’s body in the pick-up van which served as his pilot vehicle.

The federation member was quoted as saying: "Who put that thing inside the car? Take it out." This inhuman utterance drew the ire of bystanders who were miffed by the man’s mindless and morbid talk. Eventually, Lion Man’s body was taken to a hospital, Alone; all alone.

How was it possible for a wrestling bout to hold without a doctor and indeed corners for the wrestlers? Pity, they fought to die. In other words, the wrestlers committed suicide.

Who sanctioned the bout? Did the National Sports Commission (NSC), the owners of the Stadium in Lagos, authorise the bout to hold there? What is the name of the professional arm of wrestling in Nigeria? Is it true that a top brass of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation witnessed the bout, yet did not see anything wrong in staging the fight without a doctor and corners for the wrestlers? What has the federation done since Lion Man died? It hurts to read that the wrestling federation chairman accepted that fight’s medical plan was poor. It is also ridiculous that the wrestling federation chairman again accepted that there was no clinic in the Stadium? Can the acceptance of flaws bring back Lion Man?

Was there any weighing-in ceremony for the wrestlers? If yes, did doctors participate in the weighing-in ceremony, where the wrestlers’ medical fitness would have been ascertained Read more...

Onuoha Not Interested In National term.

MANCHESTER City defender, Nedum Onuoha, insists he is yet to sort his international plans and will only be glad to discuss with Nigeria's coach, Samson Siasia.

But for poor weather and subsequent cancellation of English Premiership fixtures last weekend, Siasia would have met Onuoha with a bid to convince the defender to play for Nigeria.
''I will be glad to meet Siasia,'' Onuoha told Manchester City website. ''But it will be dishonest if I say I will give him the nod. I maintain the same position, this is not the first time I've been approached by Nigeria. I feel wanted but I think I have to know where I'm going with club duties, secure my future before talking about international, it is like I' m still finding my bearing,'' Onuoha added.
On loan at Sunderland, Onuoha has captained England's U-20 team under Stuart Pearce.
Saturday Tribunesports recalls that during the Lars Lagerback coaching era, a former Nigerian youth international attempted to convince Onuoha to join Eagles' pre-World Cup camp but the player asked for time to consider the offer. Read more...

Above the Ogoli rhetorics

Now and then, circumstances around the loss of Samuel Okwaraji are reenacted by sudden demise of players during matches. The Super Eagles midfield dynamo collapsed and died in the course of a World Cup Qualifier against Angola on August 12, 1989 at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

An autopsy showed that the 24-year-old had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure. As subsequent deaths before and after Amir Angwe’s on October 29, 1995 confirmed, a culture of poor healthcare in the country is the most obvious factor responsible. The 29 year-old Julius Berger player collapsed and died of a heart attack in a match.

It is no surprise then, that following Ocean Boys FC defender Emmanuel Ogoli’s fatal collapse 39 minutes into a Nigerian Premier League encounter against Niger Tornadoes at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa on December 12, nearly everyone has latched on to negligence by club and league officials as the major fault.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Aminu Maigari, was unsparing in comment. "If the necessary steps were taken by the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) and Ocean Boys FC," he said, "this young man, Emmanuel Ogoli, would perhaps still be alive today."

There is some credit in Maigari’s position considering poor approach to league matters by clubs and the NPL. Ocean Boys’ failure to weigh the implications of the affected player’s reported slump in previous training sessions is especially damning.

An organised medical setting would have checked the malaise and causative factors, including drugs abuse. Where tests and results truly matter, and where standards are adhered to because comprehensive sanctions trail malpractice, the 21 year-old left back would only have returned to the football pitch after successful treatment or surgery, and certification from relevant medical authorities. As it is, the latest incident indicts Nigerian football management.

Contrary to official insinuation, the standards associated with North African and South African clubs are applicable in Nigeria. NFF’s promise to "look at the situation in the Nigerian National League, the Women’s League and the Amateur League" would not amount to much unless action follows words and the investigative panel of eminent doctors with years of experience in doping and cardiology set up by the football federation truly come up with policies and guidelines for prevention and care of Nigerian footballers.

The NFF cannot, in the meantime, push responsibility to Ocean Boys alone. Greater culpability lies with the federation for its failure, despite a series of Federation of International Football Association (FIFA)’s promptings, to ensure independent football administration and encourage private profit-oriented ownership of football clubs.

Only then would clubs avoid the plague of skewed political appointments, poor funding, misappropriation of resources and deplorable facilities. Players would not stop dying as a result, to be sure, but incidence would become rare as world and European football events support.

Recall that Cameroon and Manchester City stalwart Marc-Vivien Foé, 28, collapsed while playing in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final between his country and Colombia on June 26, 2003, and died shortly afterward in hospital. A subsequent autopsy revealed the cause of death as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Antonio Puerta of Sevilla also collapsed in an August 2007 match against Getafe and died after several cardiac arrests in hospital while on the continent, Mohamed Abdelwahab of Al Ahly and Egypt collapsed and died of undetected heart defect in a training match a year before.

While still pondering the unsettling sequence, the writer contemplated the career of erstwhile Super Eagles captain Nwankwo Kanu and shuddered. The thought of what might have been had Papilo’s gifted feet not led him from Iwuanyanwu Nationale to Holland’s Ajax Amsterdam and the glorious Atlanta ’96 Olympics en route to fateful diagnosis and heart bypass surgery before five-and-a-half wonder years at Arsenal was simply unbearable.

Read more...

10 candidates for final push

BY the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the parties have up to January 15 to submit the names of their flag bearers for the presidential race. How do the aspirants stand? What strategies have the parties and aspirants adopted to tilt victory in one direction or the other? The tactics and strategies are examined in this analysis.

ALL middle distance and long distance runners realise that the last curve is the most difficult part. As decision day approaches in all the political parties fielding candidates for the presidential election, passions are being excited and new alliances are being struck by caucuses.

In the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is embroiled in a bitter row involving the two main aspirants- President Goodluck Jonathan and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice-President. The two aspirants are desperate to obtain the support of delegates and are throwing everything into the “war”. Their supporters, it appears, are even more desperate. And, the latest weapons that they are employing for the task at hand are the law courts.

In the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which is now the main opposition party, four aspirants have appeared on the radar. There are contenders and there are pretenders. One of the main contenders is Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. He was drafted into the race when it was realised that the people look forward to a candidate who can appeal to the young elements and is seen as a symbol of progressive struggle in the country. 

Ribadu drew a large support in the progressive camp across the country when the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and his men chose to frustrate him. He was suddenly redeployed from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), demoted from the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police to a Deputy Commissioner of Police and sent to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). It was seen as undue punishment for steadfast prosecution of the anti-corruption war. He is in the race for real.

There is also Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto State. He was, at a time, seen as a cult figure in the Sokoto axis of the Northwest. He has been working on the political field for more than three decades and thus understands the terrain very well. The calculation by his supporters is that he has quantifiable contribution to make to the party’s bid, politically and financially. 

The new entrant is Dr. Usman Bugaje who until last Tuesday was the national secretary of the party. He won the hearts of many leaders of the ACN with his adroit support for the cause and refusal to join the crowd out when those who moved in from the PDP chose last year to return to their natural habitat. He is deemed intelligent and suave. His late entry has made it difficult to estimate the status of his bid. Till date, not many people know he has a presidential ambition. This could count against him in appealing for delegates’ support.

However, having been in the party for much longer than any of the others, he might not find t too difficult to win the confidence of those who have influence on the delegates from the various zones.

The least known of the ACN presidential aspirants is Mallam Saidu Malami. Not much is known about the name, face and antecedents. He is generally regarded as one making up the numbers and it is very unlikely that the bis would attract serious attention.

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) was once a vibrant political party. It went, as All Peoples party (APP), into the 1999 presidential election in a pact with the Alliance for Democracy (AD). Although the AD provided the candidate while ANPP supplied the running mate, the ANPP which was much stronger in the North was regarded as the senior partner. The party won the governorship race in nine of the 19 states of the North and had strong showing in parts of the other Northern, Southsouth and Southeast states.

The situation has since changes as the party has steadily rolled down the hill. From the height of nine states that it controlled in 1999, it shrunk to seven in 2003 and then five in the 2007 governorship poll. It has since lost two m ore and has little or no presence in any of the Southern states. It has also been eclipsed from the Northcentral zone. It ios now a shadow of itself, controlling only two states in the Northeast and one in the Northwest, a zone where it was considered the king in 1999.

However, the battle for its ticket promises some thrills. On the cards are Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State, Alhaji Bashir Tofa who contended against the late Chief Moshood Abiola in the 1993 race and Chief Harry Akande. The frontrunner appears to be the Kano governor. Chief Akande just joined the race after he had lost the chairmanship bid. 

As Shekarau admitted, Akande was the anointed candidate for leadership of the party until the powers that be chose to lean towards Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu. The decision did not go down well with Akande who saw it all a betrayal. A multibillionaire, Akande’s late entry into the race is seen as a bid to pay Shekarau back with his own coin. Who picks the ANPP ticket? This remains shrouded in mystery as the guidelines for decision making is yet to be unfolded. 

Historically, the party is known to follow the path of resistance. In 2003 and 2007, other aspirants were prevailed upon to step down for General Muhammadu Buhari. It is unlikely, given the adoption of the same method in picking the chairman recently that all the aspirants would be made to go through the tortuous but more democratic path of primary election.

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is all about General Muhammadu Buhari. It was largely unknown and just one of those parties that made up the numbers until the former Head of State headed in that direction earlier this year. Buhari’s membership has since changed the fortunes and outlook of the party. The party has two major factors working for it. One, the Buhari factor. The retired general is now a veteran of presidential election battles. He is not new to the game and is familiar with the buttons to press at different times.

Two, he is generally well regarded as a principles man, one who would not betray the country at a time like this. He is also seen as particularly popular in the North. This has also informed on-going negotiation with other political parties that have realised that a combination of strength is required to dethrone a ruling party. In the event that works even at this eleventh hour, Buhari is likely to be the consensus candidate. Sources close to the alliance talks indicate that it had been difficult to come to terms because no party is willing to make the critical concession. It remains to be seen if things could be sorted out in the next few days even as the INEC clock is ticking.

The CPC candidacy is not expected to generate ripples unlike the case in the other three parties. It was formed to realise the presidential ambition of Buhari and no one has the courage to contend with him. The crises in the party are in respect of gubernatorial contests in some of the Northern states. The general is not known to be a diplomat and the party lacks structure, organs and history that could have helped it in such a testy time. There are fears that, unless the alliance talks succeed, some of the ambitious aspirants may move over to other parties within the next two weeks.

In all across the four major political parties, there are 10 aspirants contending for the tickets. How far they can move, what factors would decide the ultimate contenders and where the pendulum finally swings will be decided by the quality of the candidates that emerge, the fate of the alliance talks and ability of the parties to sooth frayed nerves by pacifying losers in the primaries.

Politics of ruling party’s ticket

Many members of the PDP believe the prophesy by the party’s former national chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor who said it would rule the country for 60 years. Many have equally come to accept that it is the largest political party in Africa even when there is no empirical evidence to support the assertion.

It is therefore not surprising that most of the members of the party believe that obtaining the presidential ticket of the PDP is as good as winning the election. A senior member of the party told The Nation that the leaders are banking on the division in the ranks of the opposition and believe that it would pave the way for the success of the PDP at the polls.

Besides, elections and electioneering gulp so much money that only those in government are likely to have enough resources to prosecute electoral battles. Apart from controlling the government at the centre, the PDP also sits atop governments in 27 of the 36 states.

However, this has made the battle for the ticket fiercest and the fabric is almost being torn. Things are falling irretrievably apart and the bile in the run up to the primary is more than should be expected in inter-party contest.

Following the marathon meetings of Wednesday December 15 and Thursday December 16 that culminated in the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan as presidential candidate by 20 of the 36 governors, his hands have been strengthened such that it could be argued that the battle is already won and lost.

The president has gone ahead to visit the zones to reap concurrent approval of the delegates to the national convention.

But, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has not given up. He is still in the race and has also been making contacts across the country. As he reacted after the story of the endorsement by the governors broke out, the political general believes that it is not over until the votes are cast and counted. He has been making frightening comments that many have dubbed inflammatory and evidence of desperation. Those who are not so charitable say that his pronouncements represent admission that the battle is lost. This may not really be so.

He has also been keeping his focus on issues and programmes. While he has been throwing punches, sometimes wildly, he has equally called attention to the areas of need of the country in respect of power, education, employment and general administration. Alhaji Abubakar last week called attention to those areas in which he considered the 2011 fiscal plan defective.

His advocacy has kept leaders of the party on their toes. During the past week, he told the public that the failure of the party to come up with the composition of the presidential aspirants’ screening panel and the mode of the primaries called for concern. He wondered why the aspirants were being kept in the dark on whether the primary would be direct or indirect, in the states or centrally at Abuja. His view was that the mode could affect the strategies that would be adopted by each aspirant, and when such vital information are not made available to the stakeholders on time, they could derail plans.

The party is yet to respond officially. The former Vice-President said that the National Executive Committee (NEC) had already met at its 55th session to take all decisions related to the primaries; yet the leadership appears to be dithering.

As the aspirants race towards the mark, more broadsides and missiles should be expected. At the time of writing this, President Jonathan was still galloping ahead of his main opponent. Working in his favour as presidential influence has been deployed subtly for the battle in recent times is the power of incumbency. Presidential aides have consistently maintained that, in countries that practice the presidential system, the chief executive has the Right of First Refusal in an election year where he is eligible and untainted by proven allegations of corrupt practices. He may fail at the poll, but the ticket is usually his.

However, President Jonathan’s opponents have replied that the situation in a fledgling democracy like Nigeria is quite different. They contend that conventions and traditions are just evolving and care must be taken not to throw away honour. In reference to the said agreement on zoning, the opponents of the president said that zoning is an active principle that should not be ditched at the altar of convenience. 

Courts called to action

Signs that the judiciary will be kept busy in the next three weeks have already appeared. Due to the desperation on the scene, supporters of both the president and his main opponent in the battle for the party’s ticket have factored in the courts into their game plans. On the one hand, Alhaji Yahaya Kwande, Alhaji Lawal Kaita and Mr. Dubem Onyia, close associates of Abubakar have approached an Abuja High Court to disqualify Jonathan from the race.

They prayed the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from endorsing Jonathan’s bid. Joined in the suit are the PDP and its national chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo. The court has fixed January 4 for hearing of the case.

In a swift reaction, two supporters of Jonathan’s bid have challenged the ambition and qualification of Abubakar before the Abuja High Court. Senator Abdullahi Karim and Dr. Bala Takaya, both known political activists and combatants from Adamawa State told the court that the former Vice-President had been indicted for corruption by the American senate and is thus ineligible for election.

The duo contended that “between 1969 and 1989, Atiku Abubakar rose to become the Deputy Director of Customs and was dismissed following the findings of a panel of inquiry that recommended his dismissal.

“In February 2010, the USA Senate Permanent Sub-Committee on Investigation Committee of Homeland Security and Government Affairs carried out investigation on the money laundering and other corrupt practices of some foreign officials in the USA in line with the strict moral code and integrity within which that country operates.

Senate  findings

“Findings of the said Senate Committee showed clearly that Atiku Abubakar was the source of the over $440m brought into the USA over a period of eight years (2000-2008) through more than 30 accounts. The committee questioned the nature and source of Atiku’s wealth and also found that the allegation by the SEC that Ms Douglas received over $2 million in bribe payments from Siemens AG intended part for her husband cannot be dismissed.

“The report showed how Atiku along with his fourth wife, one Ms Jennifer Douglas Abubakar, an American citizen, engaged in acts which have thoroughly embarrassed Nigeria as a country

“That Atiku was invited by the Senate Committee for questioning but that he declined the invitation.

The aspirants, especially in the PDP, are preparing to hurl more missiles at each other. They are poring through books on strategies to identify the appropriate trick. To them, it seems, the end justifies the means.

This week will be crucial for all the parties. The ACN is yet to release the order of its primaries. The democratic process in ANPP is wrapped up in confusion and the final pronouncements on how the candidate of the PDP would emerge are yet to be made.

Read more...

lawmaker says "New HIV cases up by 40% in November "

Some 112 Filipinos, including eight overseas workers, were diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus in November, up from 80 cases reported in the same period in the previous year, a lawmaker said over the weekend.

For this year alone, 1,417 Filipinos were infected with the virus, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Manufacturers Association party-list Rep. Arnel Ty said in a statement, citing data from the HIV and AIDS Registry of the Department of Health (DOH).

Ty said that based on the records, 5,841 Filipinos have been infected with HIV since passive surveillance of the disease began in 1984.

Citing the report, Ty also said that 11 new units of voluntarily donated blood in November were tested positive for HIV, bringing the total number to 135 in the January-November period.

There were 89 infected units of voluntarily donated blood in 2009, according to the report.

“The growing number of new HIV cases and donated blood units found contaminated betrays the creeping spread of the disease in the country," Ty said.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) had said that overseas Filipino workers — accounting for one in every four HIV-infected Filipinos — are highly susceptible to the virus.

They are exposed to foreign cultures that encourage high-risk behavior, including commercial sex without the use of prophylactics, TUCP said.

Ty is now pushing for increased government funding for preventive HIV/AIDS education.

“It would be sensible for us to spend a lot more for preventive education to reduce the future human suffering due to HIV/AIDS and avoid the potentially larger costs associated with the treatment of more patients," he said.

Dr. Edsel Salvana, a specialist for infectious disease medicine, previously warned that by 2015, the government would have to spend P1 billion annually to acquire the anti-retroviral drugs needed to treat HIV-infected Filipinos.

Unless effective strategies would be put in place, the number of HIV-infected Filipinos could reach 46,000 by 2015, the Philippine National AIDS Council noted.

Ty is calling on the Congress to revisit the 1998 AIDS Prevention and Control Law and reinforce the fight against the highly destructive disease. Read more...

Ekeji say's"Nigeria’ll Give Awo Stadium A Facelift "

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, National Sports Commission, NSC, Dr. Patrick Ekeji, says the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan and five other stadia under the Commission have been awarded to credible contractors for refurbishing in order to boost sports development in the country.
Addressing journalists during an end of the year ministerial briefing in Abuja last Thursday, Ekeji said the six stadia would be upgraded to allow maximum expression of talent by the country’s athletes in order to meet global standards in international competitions.
Saturday Tribunesports reports that President Jonathan, on November 12, 2010,  named the first stadium in Africa after Nigerian statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Ekeji also said the country  would be ruthless with dope offenders adding that sports officials would in the New Year, educate athletes on the dangers and negative impact of drug abuse.
‘’Any athlete caught taking banned substances will be brought to book,’’ he cautioned.
It would be recalled that three of Nigerian athletes failed dope test at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India. Read more...

Jonathan, Atiku, governors, others speaks to Nigerians at Christmas

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, state governors, clergymen and other notable Nigerians yesterday joined others in felicitating with Christians as they celebrate Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ.

They also challenged Nigerians to commit themselves to contributing more positively towards making Nigeria a better country.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr Ima Niboro, President Jonathan noted that peace, stability and good governance were essential building blocks for national progress and development.

He used the occasion to reaffirm his administration’s determination to ensure that next year’s elections are peaceful and free of violence.

He, therefore, urged all eligible Nigerians to register and vote to strengthen democratic institutions in the country, adding that his administration was fully committed to protecting the sanctity of votes in the 2011 elections.

According to the statement, the President "called on Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the ennobling ideals and virtues of faith in God, love for others, selflessness, honesty, peaceful co-existence, tolerance and dedication to duty, which Jesus Christ preached and which His life on earth exemplified.

"The President also urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the Christmas holidays to reflect and commit themselves to contributing much more positively, in any way they can, towards making Nigeria a better country for its entire people.

In her own Christmas message, the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, also urged Nigerian Christians to emulate the virtues of Jesus Christ who came into the world to redeem mankind.

Mrs. Jonathan noted that among the teachings of Christ, whose birth is being celebrated at Christmas, are selflessness, love, peace and tolerance.

She, therefore, urged all Nigerians to demonstrate the spirit of love and brotherliness by sharing with the less-priviledged ones in the society during this Christmas, so that they too could experience the joy of rebirth, which the Yuletide entails.

The First Lady further advised Nigerian women to use the Christmas period to strengthen their family bond, noting that once the family is united and at peace, the society generally will enjoy peace and progress.

Mrs. Jonathan further advised Nigerian women to use the period to strengthen their family bond, adding that once the family is united and peaceful, the society generally will enjoy peace and progress.

She also urged Nigerians to use the period to pray for the continued peace, progress and prosperity of Nigeria.

The First Lady further urged Nigerians to pray for successful elections and peaceful transition next year.

In the same vein, the Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, charged Christians to reflect on the virtues and teachings of Jesus Christ so that Nigeria and, indeed, the world could become a better place to live in.

He also enjoined them to promote peace, love and unity and exhibit the spirit of tolerance in the pursuit of the vision of building a new Nigeria.

Saraki, who made the charge in his Christmas message to the people of the state, urged Nigerians to always portray the positive sides of the country and de-emphasise her negative sides.

He admonished Christians in the country to emulate Jesus Christ in words and deeds and imbibe the core lessons of love, tolerance, sacrifice, generosity and peaceful co-existence which Christ stood for.

In Anambra State, Governor Peter Obi called on Christians to reflect on ‘’the mystery of our salvation, which started with the birth of Christ, who paved a new way for us to attain eternity.

"This period of Yuletide calls for celebration. But, more importantly, it offers us the opportunity to live the ideals of charity, love, peace and harmonious co-existence, which Christ preached."

In Kaduna, Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) asked Christians in the country to shun ethno-religious sentiments capable of disrupting peace in the country as the nation match toward another round of elections.

In his Christmas message to the people of the state, Yakowa asked Christians to pray for the smooth conduct of the 2011 elections and come out en masse to register during the forthcoming voter registration exercise as a way of ensuring the emergence of credible leaders in the country.

The message was signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Buhari.

The ACF, in a message signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, asked Nigerians not to lose sight of the import of the event, which is a new dawn for humanity.

Also former Secretary to Delta State Government (SSG), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, urged all Christians, particularly Deltans, to keep hope alive, ensure peace and harmonious co-existence with all men.

Okowa, who is a senatorial aspirant for Delta North Senatorial District, in a goodwill message to all Deltans, advised that all must give peace a chance during the period of the celebration so as to give good meaning to the festive period.

Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji, charged Christian faithful to use the Christmas period to demonstrate their love for one another in order to fulfill the significance of the season.

Chief Orji noted that the essence of the celebration of the birth of Christ was to herald the coming of a Saviour that will take away the sins of the world.

The governor further recalled all the positive things that were recorded in the year and how God answered the prayers of His people by the way all the criminal elements in state were routed by security agents.

While he assured the people of the state of better things in the coming year, Governor Orji promised that the rapid infrastructural revolution recorded within this very short space of the liberation from those who plundered the people’s commonwealth, was only a tip of the iceberg as the state woud record an unhindered development during his second term in office.

In his comments, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, congratulated Christian faithful across the country, especially those in the FCT as they mark this year’s Christmas and New Year.

He urged Christians to use the occasion to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ and continue to imbibe His teachings, which are premised on selflessness, sacrifice, patience, modesty and spirituality.

Senator Mohammed enjoined them to pray for the nation and for the success of the country’s leadership under President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) for God to continue to guide, protect and give him the wisdom to steer the affairs of state.

Senator Mohammed admonished Christians to imbibe the spirit of Christmas, especially the lessons from the life and times of Jesus Christ and thus allow them to be reflected in their daily lives.

While thanking God for sparing people’s lives to witness this year’s Christmas/New Year celebrations, the minister further enjoined all Nigerians, irrespective of our religious beliefs and political inclinations to continue to live in peace and harmony with one another as well as be their brothers’ keepers which, he said, was also in consonance with African tradition.

He expressed the commitment of the FCT administration to providing an enabling environment that would ensure that Abuja maintains its lead role as an all-inclusive city in the country.

The minister assured that all security outfits in the FCT were adequately prepared to be on top of any unexpected criminal activity during and after the festivity period.

Senator Mohammed called on all residents of the FCT to come out en-masse to participate in the forthcoming voters registration exercise.

As the 2011 general elections are just around the corner, the minister also called on Christians to take advantage of the holy celebration to pray for peaceful elections in the country.

He assured that the FCT administration would continue to guarantee the security of the lives and property of all residents of the FCT, irrespective of people’s political or religious affiliations.

Read more...

Christmas in Zambia

Last week, I was having a chat with a friend of mine about Christmas and how we felt that it was becoming more and more Western. Apparently, my friend’s five year old daughter was following our conversation. She simply said, “Jesus is white!” We were both stunned at this insight and looked at each other not knowing how to respond. I broke the silence and engaged the girl in conversation. She said she has seen Jesus on television and on pictures and he is white. “How about God, what color is He?” I inquired. “He is also white like Jesus”, she responded.
I couldn’t blame the little girl for the white images of Jesus or God that she had after all I grew up with similar images myself. Later that week, I decided to do a random survey of adults and what color they thought Jesus was. Most thought he was white, a few got philosophical or theological and said he had no color and no one ever said he was black.
During this Christmas season, I am shocked at how Christmas has turned out to be a “White Christmas” with everything Western. Shops are filled with Christmas gifts and decorations of white santa, snowflakes, Christmas trees—the kinds you find in North Dakota, red and green lights and even a nativity scene. All these products are made and imported from China where they do not celebrate the holiday at all.
I think slowly, Christmas has lost its meaning in Zambia. Back in the day, we celebrated Christmas by having uncles, cousins, friends and anyone to come and eat and drink. Our parents played the tunes of Smokey Haangala or Paul Ngozi and we danced to them. Yes, we knew about the “White” Jesus but we never really focused so much on him or had all kinds of white pictures in our living rooms.
Today, Christians have completely been transformed where we fill our homes with all kinds of decorations we do not understand. If Jesus is white maybe we have embraced a wrong religion for ourselves. We need to keep searching for the ideal black religion or better return to the good old African religion.
When I was talking to one person on the same subject they said, “Well, God used the white people to bring this religion to us because we were lost. That is why we follow their religion.” I asked him if it had ever occurred to him that perhaps our religion wasn’t that bad at all. Or why was it not the black people who were enlightened so as to spread the good news to the white folks with a black Jesus uh? I am sure the white folks would love that. Then they would have to decorate a mango tree for a Christmas tree, fun isn’t it?—with all the yellow, green and red mangoes acting as lights.
Now I am not anti-Christian myself. I am a God fearing, God loving Zambian. My only concern is that Christianity is still “too foreign” and we do not fully understand it. That is why we continue to fight in its name. That is why politicians take advantage of us in its name. That is why we remain poor in its name. And I think that is why we embrace it too—because we are poor and believe that someday God will change things for us. Maybe we need to change things for ourselves. Like my grandmother said when she visited Minnesota, “God built America first with all its road, bridges, airports and skyscrapers but when He got to Zambia He had no more money.” Now that can only be a “white god” who can do that right? Because a black one will do the exact opposite.
Where is our God this Christmas? Have our images about Him or His Son been transformed completely to think of Him as someone hanging in the sky above Western countries? Do we think of Jesus as a white man with long blonde hair, a goatee, and wearing a white rob? Whatever, your image of God or Jesus is , I hope this brings peace to you during this season. I hope it is time to celebrate with your family and friends. I hope it is time to reflect and appreciate how far you have come. And I hope it is time to look forward to more great things in the year to come. Make, yourself happy this Christmas. Happy Christmas, Happy Kwanza and a winning 2011. Read more...

Waziri said "Why we opted for plea bargain in Halliburton case "

THE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, Saturday gave reasons for resorting to plea bargaining in the $182million Halliburton bribery scandal. 

She admitted that the anti-graft body adopted this approach because it might be difficult to sustain the charges against ex-US Vice-President, Dick Cheney and other multi-national firms in court.

Waziri said: “We decided to take this option for variety of reasons. One, the plea bargaining is the latest and best world practice that is being done outside of Nigeria. 

The US and the UK governments are practicing it. Where you cannot successfully sustain a charge in court and you want to recover, then instead of losing the case, losing the money, then you opt for plea bargaining.” She said over N25billion bribe sums and fines had been recovered so far by the commission.

 She also said the country’s “slow|” judicial system was another factor that necessitated plea bargain in the Halliburton matter and other high-profile bribery cases involving foreign firms. 

According to her,  “We did this because of our nature of judicial system, it’s very slow and you know, it is said that justice delayed is justice denied and so we opted for this.” She blamed the slow pace of the trial of politically exposed persons and other celebrated cases on the judiciary, and argued that the best way to accelerate the fight against corruption in Nigeria is by creating a special court for the trial of looters of the public treasury.

Waziri, who spoke with some senior journalists in Abuja, gave an additional reason for plea bargain, saying, “Lastly, we also want to put a stop to this negative attitude of foreign investors in Nigeria coming to take our laws for granted. What they can’t do in their country and get away with it, they come here and do it with impunity. 

“We have the procurement Act. If you want to do business in Nigeria, you all have to enquire, even from their embassies that this is how it is done. But because the impression, or the perception is that Nigeria is so corrupt and that everybody is corrupt, there is no exception, they come in here and then resort to corrupting individuals and corrupting institutions. Contracts are done haphazardly. 

“These so-called bribes that they give out, they give it out and they add the bribe sum on the contract value, thereby inflating the contract. At the end, the contracts are not properly executed, they are haphazardly done. We end up losing our money, but most of all; we end up losing our good name.”

On recovery of N25billion bribe sums and fines paid back by Halliburton and other multinational firms, the EFCC boss said, “It’s not just Halliburton but there are others. I think I have to give you a rundown of what was recovered, the whole figures and everything else that was involved and why we decided to take that option instead of outright court trials. 

“We had the 17.5million euro Siemens bribery scandal. Five officials of Siemens were charged to Abuja High Court on a 35-count case of conspiracy, bribery of government officials and the charges arose from cases of bribery of Nigerian public officers amounting to approximately 10 million euros in order to secure telecommunications contract in Nigeria. So in the process, Siemens paid a total of N6, 052,270 000billion as fines.

“So in summary, the recovered sums from these cases are:  Julius Berger ($26million); Snamprogetti (SAIPEM)-$30million; Halliburton ($32.5million). Technip ($30million); Shell ($9milion) and Siemens ($40, 619,261.74). Grand total in USD is $168,119,261.74million. In terms of Naira value is N25, 049,770,000billion.”

On whether the money recovered by EFCC was a pittance compared with  fines paid by the indicted firms to the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US, she responded, “You see, we are doing this for the first time. It will get better. 

These things (malpractice) have been hanging, and no one was courageous enough to even touch it. A bird in hand they say is worth two in the bush. We better get something out of it than nothing at all. So we negotiated and got some of the bribe sums back. Don’t forget that the actual culprits had left the country so we had to negotiate.”

Read more...

President Jonathan campaigns the more

Nigerian writers have given a cautious welcome to President Goodluck Jonathan’s ‘Bring Back The Book’ campaign, launched in a high profile series of events at the Eko Hotel, Lagos, on Monday, December 20.

Joining the president for the first event of the day, a reading session with 400 pupils from about 20 schools, was Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, who read from an abridged version of his childhood memoirs, ‘Ake’. Soyinka said the draw to the event, for him, was the idea of reading to children, likening the experience to an early Christmas present for himself. The laureate explained the irreverent nicknames he coined for his father and mother, Essay and Wild Christian. The elder Soyinka was known to his friends as S.A, and the way they said the initials, sounded like ‘essay’ to the son. As for his mother, Soyinka told the children that “her Christianity was on the wild side,” hence her nickname, which he never dared utter in her presence. “I hope you have more respectful names for your parents,” he told the pupils, who were all given gift packs of reading materials at the occasion.

President Jonathan had earlier tried to impress on his young audience the imaginative power of books, while introducing his own choice of reading material for the event. “You don’t have to go to the South East to know about the place; you can read about it,” he noted, while summarising the adventures of the protagonist of Chinua Achebe’s ‘Chike and the River’, who wanted to cross the River Niger in order to get to the big city, Onitsha. Jonathan then read from Achebe’s book, sustaining the attention of the children, who opened their own copies to follow the narrative. The mention of the word “kidnapper” in the 1966 publication, got the attention of the adults in the gathering. “So, kidnappers have been in the system for a long time!” said one. Other references like gramophone, six pence and one shilling, led to some discussion during the interactive session, when the children put questions to the high profile readers about the excerpts read. There was an unintended commentary on the quality of Nigerian publishing, when the president said of his copy of ‘Chike and the River’ that “There are some errors in the print.”

Goodluck’s friends cannot spell

Not even the president’s own book, presented to coincide with the ‘Bring Back The Book’ campaign, is free from error. In the opening dedication of ‘My Friends and I’, Jonathan pays homage to “my friends on facebook, for keeping me engaged and encouraging me to keep this national conservation (sic) on our country’s future going.” And there the unintended errors end. The 357-page ‘My Friends and I: Conversations on Policy and Governance via Facebook’ is riddled with comments like “U will not make mistakes, only because u listen 2 d voice of the masses. GOD be wit u. U are good 2 go 4 d next 8 years mr president.” Even Reuben Abati, the book’s reviewer, could not but respectfully state that, “Many of Jonathan’s friends cannot spell.”

‘My Friends and I’ is a collection of the interactive exchange over a four-month period between (supposedly) the president and the 350,000 friends on his Facebook page. It is not known whether the ‘friends’ gave permission for the publication of their images and the often badly written commentary originally posted on the internet. Abati observed that President Jonathan, “is the first Nigerian leader to adopt this technological mode of interaction with citizens,” after being influenced by the Obama campaign. The reviewer said the book underscores “the inevitability of digital democracy or electronic democracy… This book demonstrates the passion of Nigerians for their country.” While suggesting that the president’s Facebook publication “makes the political process more participatory,” Abati showed little enthusiasm for the computer language on display on the pages, riddled with jargon and typos. These, he declared, are “a threat to literacy.”

Who’s who

Prominent on the high table were poet Odia Ofeimun; President of the Association of Nigerian Authors Jerry Agada and US Democratic campaign worker, Joe Trippi. In the audience were Petroleum Minister Diezani Allison-Madueke; Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole; Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel; Minister of National Planning, Samsudeen Usman and Labaran Maku, Minister of Information and Communication.

The carefully stage-managed event was not without glitches. Maku committed a major gaffe on live television at the event, when he claimed that President Jonathan “has brought Facebook to Nigeria.” He was not alone; a singer who appeared to have been flown into Nigeria to sing the national anthem, not only could not get her pitch right, she got the words of the anthem wrong. The prominent photographer on the day was TY Bello, the woman responsible for the very flattering images of the president that adorned the Eko Hotel lobby.

A sizeable contingent of writers were in attendance, including John Pepper Clark, Helon Habila, Sefi Atta and Lola Shoneyin. For an event designed to promote books, it seemed more like a day for musicians. Some of Nigeria’s biggest pop stars held sway on the stage, just across from the smiling, ‘casual’ jean-and-T-shirt clad Jonathan, who sat rigidly in his chair as D’Banj, Tuface and P-Square rocked the house with singing and dancing. Other performers were rapper Mo’Cheddah and Zakie, who sang a specially composed Hausa number in praise of Jonathan’s election campaign.

What they said

“I decided to publish because I wanted to promote a reading culture and accountable governance,” said President Jonathan about ‘My Friends and I’. He further stated that, “At all times, we should have a book in our hand. This is the way of civilisation.” In his speech on the podium, Odia Ofeimun praised Jonathan as “a new type of leader… who does not put on the airs of an overbearing patriarch or Philosopher King but is prepared to read to children like a next door neighbour.” Reading, he noted, “is an equaliser of peoples. By giving all of us common access to knowledge and entertainment, the art of reading mobilises consciousness, in favour of human empathy and solidarity.”

Ofeimun welcomed the president into the ranks of those who champion a reading culture, saying, “This is the first time a national leader at the apex of decision making would be identifying with the campaign for the development of a reading culture without minding the cynicism of those who believe the situation is too far gone to be remedied.” The poet however decried what he called the “derailment” of public education in the country, the death of libraries in schools and local governments, as well as the “defeat” of the bookshop culture. All of these lead to poor results in the West African Examination Council, he argued. “We have an educational system which gives poor education to poor people in order to keep them poor and unmobilisable,” Ofeimun declared, to audience applause. He called for the provision of the US Library of Congress-styled libraries, to be spearheaded by the National Assembly. He also called on every local government to buy at least 1000 books a year, to revive the reading culture.

Other speakers at the event included TY Bello, Ken Wiwa Jr and Toyosi Akerele, who, in a seeming endorsement of a Jonathan candidacy, declared, “I’m tired of seeing 80 to 85-year-olds determining a future they are not going to be part of.

Labaran Maku and Oronto Douglas, Special Adviser on Documentation and Strategy, represented President Jonathan at a special writers’ event in the evening. Mr. Maku redeemed himself somewhat in a short speech, acknowledging the great strides made by females in current Nigerian writing. “The next phase is the women’s phase,” he declared. There were readings as well as frank discussions about the Bring Back The Book campaign with some like writer Simi Dosekun questioning the value of the president’s book. Douglas, who mounted a spirited defence of the publication, promised to take the writers’ suggestions on publishing and the reading culture, back to the presidency.

Read more...

Bomb blast in Jos

CASHES left at least one person dead and a number of houses burned in the Nigerian city of Jos yesterday amid tensions following a series of Christmas Eve bomb attacks that killed dozens.

Soldiers patrolled the streets of the city in central Nigeria and authorities sought to keep the violence from further spreading after Friday's bombs that claimed at least 32 lives.
Previous outbreaks of violence between Christian and Muslim ethnic groups have killed hundreds, and the bomb blasts added a worrying new dimension to the unrest a few months ahead of elections.
"There were some skirmishes between the two groups and it's under control now," state police commissioner Abdulrahman Akano told Agence France Presse. "One or two houses were burnt."
Asked about deaths, he said: "We have seen only one - one person."
An Agence France Presse correspondent said at least two houses burned and heavy smoke was coming from another area of the city. He also said crowds ran through the streets earlier in the day, with some claiming people had been killed.
The commissioner said the two groups involved in the clashes were "the locals and the so-called settlers".
Christians from the Berom ethnic group are typically referred to as the indigenes in the region, while Hausa-Fulani Muslims are seen as the more recent arrivals.
Many attribute unrest in the region to the struggle for political and economic power between the groups.
A spokesman for the governor of Plateau state, where Jos is the capital, said authorities were deployed to control youths earlier on Sunday, but he could not say what had occurred.
"There was tension in certain parts of the town where the bombs exploded," said the spokesman, James Mannok. "What I heard was that the youths there are still agitated. The security agencies are controlling them.
"There were some actions, but I cannot define what actions took place."
Mannok said the governor, Jonah David Jang, had encouraged youths in the city to be on the lookout and assist authorities in spotting suspicious activity.
He stressed that the governor was not encouraging them to use violence, but only to report incidents to authorities.
"They are to be watchful and report accordingly to security agencies," said Mannok. "He did not say that anybody should use weapons."
At least 32 people were killed and 74 wounded in seven explosions in two different areas of Jos on Friday evening, with many of the victims doing their Christmas shopping at the time. A church was also targeted, the governor has said.
On the same night, suspected members of an Islamist sect that launched an uprising last year attacked three churches in northern Nigeria, leaving six people dead and one of the churches burnt.
There was no immediate indication the incidents in the vast country's north and central regions were linked.
Army Chief of Staff Azubuike Ihejirika told reporters in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt that the bomb blasts amounted to "terrorism".
He said the use of bombs has "a terrorist dimension to it" and called for intelligence efforts to be intensified, local media reported.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan pledged that those behind the bombings would be hunted down and brought to justice.
A heavy deployment of soldiers could be seen in the streets of Jos on Sunday, and troops were stopping and searching cars.
The city is in the so-called middle-belt region between the predominantly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south and has long been a hot-spot of ethnic and religious friction in Nigeria.
Local rights groups say 1500 people have died in inter-communal violence in the Jos region this year alone.
"The aim of the mastermind is to pit Christians against Muslims and spark off another round of violence that will eventually culminate in the scuttling of the ongoing electioneering activities," the state governor said.
Observers have warned of an increase in violence in the run up to the April elections.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and one of the world's largest oil producers, faces tremendous challenges in organising the vote and is seeking to overcome a history of ballot fraud and violence.
Pope Benedict XVI deplored on Sunday the "absurd violence" against Christians after the attacks on churches in Nigeria and in the Philippines over the Christmas holiday. Read more...

Gov Obi said "Ojukwu is being treated by the best neurologists in UK,"

AILING ex-Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Friday arrived London safely at about 9pm.

Ojukwu was Thursday flown out of Nigeria to a London hospital for further treatment for stroke.

He was accompanied on the trip by his wife, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, son, Emeka Jnr., and Chief of Staff, Prince Bob Onyema.

Friday, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State repeated the call for prayers by Nigerians for the elder statesman, whom he described as still very valuable to Nigerians.

On the hospital where he is receiving treatment, Governor Obi said details pertaining to that were better handled by his immediate family.

In his words: "I realise how passionate Nigerians are in matters that concern our leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. I am aware that Nigerians would want to know the hospital and that many people will even be willing to forfeit the celebration of Christmas and travel to London to see him. The truth of the matter is that once the name of the hospital is disclosed, Nigerians resident in the UK would all flood the place.

"Ojukwu you know, as well as I do, has the infinite capacity to pull crowd any time, any day no matter his condition. All I can assure you is that he is being handled by the best neurologists in the UK."

It will be recalled that Obi was at the airport Friday for the take-off of the Air ambulance that flew Ojukwu to London.

Sources close to Government House revealed the Governor’s preparedness to make everything needed available for Ojukwu to regain his health, even when he is not having recourse to government money. Read more...

Gunners in the mouth of a Lion - Ferguson

Arsene Wenger may be fuming at Nani's dismissal of Arsenal's title chances - but the Gunners chief can take comfort from knowing the man who really matters at Manchester United is not adopting the same attitude.
Nani's claim that only United or Chelsea can end the season as champions has not gone down well in north London, with Wenger sarcastically labelling the winger ''1600 times more intelligent than me''.
Unlike his winger, Sir Alex Ferguson can boast experience of sending a team out into battle. And the United boss puts Arsenal in an elite group he does feel are capable of lifting the ultimate prize.
''I don't think there will be anyone outside ourselves, Chelsea or Arsenal,'' he said. ''Those three will certainly be there. I know Harry (Redknapp) is talking up his chances at Tottenham but they are involved in the Champions League, which is a new thing for them.
''If they get through the next stage it is not easy to manage European competition at that level and doing your league programme, plus FA Cup ties. Usually experience gets you through.
''Manchester City have got a chance of course. But they will also have the Europa League that will make it difficult. Maybe they, and Harry too, could buy in January because it is very difficult to manage both.''
Read more...