Dateline Ehirim Files Friday May 18, 2007

US Denies 150 Nigerians Visas Weekly

No fewer than 150 Nigerians are denied visas weekly in the U.S. Embassy for non-compliance with the requirements.


This was disclosed at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos by the Chief Consular Officer in the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, Mr Allan Latimer.


Latimer, speaking on problems associated with non-immigrant visa, appealed to Nigerians to avoid applying for visa through third parties or touts operating within the corridors of the embassy.

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Okonjo-Iweala tipped to head World bank

Two Africans have been tipped as likely replacement of Mr. Paul Wolfowitz as World Bank President. They are former Nigeria’s Finance Minister and vice president of the bank, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the South African Finance Minister, Mr. Trevor Manuel.


Already, high-wire politics is currently going on over who of the two Africans may likely take over the position. It was gathered that while South Africa is already intensively lobbying to get the post by reaching out to the United States which may decide who will get the post, the Nigerian government is yet to make any contact on the issue.

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Senate President under probe: Over INEC contract--7-man panel to investigate him

THE Senate on Thursday resolved to set up a seven-man panel to investigate allegations that its President, Chief Ken Nnamani, benefited from contracts awarded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the run-up to the April general elections.


Senators moved to ascertain whether Nnamani actually benefited from the contracts as reported by a national newspaper on Thursday by setting up the ad hoc committee.


Members of the committee are Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, who is the chairman; Senators Victor Kassim Oyofo, Robert Kolesoho, Joy Emodi, Lawal Shuaibu, Idris Kuta, and Baba Tela.

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I Know The Bonbers--Goodluck, VP-Elect

Shaking his head in disbelief and with tears welled up in his eyes, Governor of Bayelsa State and the Vice President-elect, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan yesterday inspected the bombed remains of his home in Otueke, Ogbia Local Government Area and declared: “We know those who did this. “We know who they are and where they came from. The attack is politically motivated and it is a follow up to the earlier attack on my official residence in Yenagoa on the eve of the Presidential election.”

Although Dr. Jonathan refused to reveal the identity of the militants he claimed bombed his country home for security reasons, P.M.News gathered that the security forces had been briefed and a manhunt was already on for the attackers

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Groups declares two-day strike, NBA opts for judicial process

THE battle line appears drawn between civil society groups and the Federal Government over the outcome of last month's general election, ahead of the scheduled handover of power to new helmsmen across the country on May 29.

But from a critical sector of the civil society has also come words of caution on the modalities for upturning the results, as the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) yesterday said that an Interim National Government being proposed by opposition political parties is unknown to the 1999 Constitution.

Labour leaders and the civil society groups yesterday declared May 28 and May 29 for sit-at-home protests. The NBA, which shares similar sentiments against the elections and has fixed today for court boycotts, has, however, insisted that the judiciary is the appropriate place for redress.

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Expose my contract deals, Nnamani dares agencies

FURIOUS Senate President Ken Nnamani yesterday challenged any government institution in Nigeria, which has proofs of his role in any contract with it, to publish it.

Nnamani specifically refuted a report (not in The Guardian) linking him with an alleged N50 million contract with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he said had been engaging in a "bazaar" with Nigeria's funds.

He said: "I have tried to avoid applying to any ministry or parastatal. And I challenge any ministry or parastatal in Nigeria from 2003 to publish any transactions Ken Nnamani or his company has had with that ministry, talk less (not to talk) of the bazaar, the bazaar that went on at INEC."

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Army's refusal to release suspects for prosecution stalls murder suit

OWERRI—The robbery and murder case involving Lance Corporals Bassey Asinya and Augustine Nwolisa of the 34 Field Artillery Brigade, Obinze, was yesterday stalled as the Brigade refused to release the accused persons to the Imo State Police Command for prosecution.

Giving this explanation when the matter HOW/13c/2007 was called up by the presiding High Court Judge, Mr. Justice Ngozi Bernadine Ukoha, the State Counsel, Mr. Silas O. Amaechi, told the court that spirited efforts were made to get the suspects released for prosecution.

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Presidency warns on threats to May 29 handover

ABUJA — THE Presidency, yesterday, warned leaders of the opposition to desist from making inflammatory statements or threatening to cause civil unrest, even as the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) enjoined Nigerians to ignore the opposition’s call as security agencies were on full alert to their responsibilities.

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Blair Seeks Early Meeting with Yar'Adua

British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, has said he looked forward to "an early meeting" with the President-elect, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in order "to begin our discussion on future co-operation."
Blair in a letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo said the British Government will work with the new administration on reforms and governance among others.

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Why We Attacked Jonathan's Home, By Militants

Twice they have threatened the life of the Vice-President-elect and Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr. Jonathan Goodluck and twice he was lucky to escape the evil plans. At the eve of the presidential election last month, militants invaded the Government House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital in an attempt to kidnap the governor. In their usual commando style they struck but however missed their target: Jonathan Goodluck.
Like the April attack, the Wednesday attack at the country home of the Vice-President-elect was a clinically planned operation, which caught the mobile security unit attached to the country home of the Governor napping.

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Obasanjo Cronies Takes Over Port-Harcourt Refinery

Dangote Group, Zenon Oil, Transcorp and Rivers State Government under the name: Bluestar Oil Services Limited Consortium, yesterday emerged the preferred bidder/core investor for Port Harcourt Refinery Company. The consortium submitted a bid of $561 million (N71.808 billion) for 51 per cent of Federal Government’s equity in the ailing crude oil refining company.


This is coming against the backdrop of protest from National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NU-PENG), and the shutting down operations of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Lagos, Port Harcourt, Mosimi and Kaduna.

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Chukwumerije Uncovers Plot Against Ndigbo


Chairman of the 2007 Movement, a caucus in the National Assembly opposed to third term, Senator Uche Chukwumerije yesterday alleged plot by the powers-that-be to zone the South East out of power in the next government.

Senator Chukwumerije alleged that the plan to zone the post of deputy senate president, and the national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the South-East was a calculated attempt to reduce the bargaining turf of the zone in the next dispensation.

He lampooned some Igbo leaders whom he alleged are being used by the anti-Igbo to impose the two weak positions on the South East people.

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Our Population now 150m--Obasanjo

The President, who recalled the figures of the last headcount by the National Population Commission last year, reasoned that by the three per cent growth rate projection, there was no doubt that Nigeria ‘s population now stood at 150 million.

The results of the last census showed that Africa’s most populous nation had a population of more than 140 million.

He spoke at the inauguration of the new headquarters of the National Bureau of Statistics in Abuja.

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