News Desk Sunday, July 08, 2007

Ministerial List Shocker: Abia Senators Reject Ojo Maduekwe - Priotest in Edo, Osun, Kaduna

CHIEF Ojo Maduekwe’s ministerial nomination has been declared dead on arrival with all three senators from Abia State declaring their opposition to the nomination. By Senate convention when two of the three senators from the state of a nominee oppose the nominee, the nomination is rested. MORE>>

Militants Ultimatum to Kidnappers: Free British Girl Within 48 hours or face consequences - They Have Asked for Ransom. Who Will help me pay them? - Mother

NIGER Delta militants under the aegis of the Joint Revolutionary Council, JRC, have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the kidnappers of three-year old Briton, Miss Margaret Hill, to set free their captive or face their wrath. The ultimatum took effect from yesterday, just as the distraught mother of the little girl, Oluchi, said the kidnappers had asked for ransom. She did not say how much was being demanded by the kidnappers. MORE>>

Money Laundering: UBA to Forfeit $5.3m to US

For obstructing a probe into an alleged money laundering activity in the United States of America, the United Bank for Africa Plc is to forfeit $5.3m to the US government. According to a report by the Bloomberg News on Friday, US prosecutors agreed not to file criminal charges against the bank following the readiness of UBA to pay $5.3m as a settlement fee as part of an agreement announced on Friday in New York by US Attorney, Mr. Michael Garcia. MORE>>

FG Behind Kidnapping - Dokubo

Alhaji Mujahedeen Asari-Dokubo has appealed to kidnappers in the Niger-Delta region to search their conscience since there is always a day of reckoning in this world or in the hereafter, even as he alleged that Federal Government was paying militia groups in the Niger Delta to carry out the kidnappings. MORE>>

Ohakin Proposes N80bn Wonder Lake

GOVERNOR Ikedi Ohakim has said that industrialization of Imo State is the cardinal objective of his administration, just as he added that plans are underway to establish N80bn Wonder Lake Resort at Oguta. The governor who said this during a courtesy visit by the Archbishop and Bishops of Owerri Anglican Ecclesiastical Province led by Archbishop Benneth C.I. Okoro, unveiled other plan for the launch of the Clean and Green Initiative programme to clear over 2000 damaged vehicles littering the states. MORE>>

Aba Boils

Twelve persons have so far been arrested by the police in Abia State following the violent clashes between members of Aba Township Bus Drivers union and the police. Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state, has been boiling since Friday due to drivers’ union’s protest against Police harassment and intimidation at different check points in the city and its environs. MORE>>

Orkar Coup: Major Mukoro Pardoned

Seventeen years after the Major Gideon Orkar-led coup which attempted to topple the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida, one of the major actors in the coup, Major Saliba Daddy Mukoro has been granted presidential pardon. Sources hinted that the presidential pardon was signed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 24, five days before he left office on May 29. MORE>>

Hostage taking: Okiro Confers with UK


Acting Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, has opened discussion with officials of the United Kingdom on how to tackle the ugly incident of hostage taking in the Niger Delta. The chat has coincided with revelation that those who kidnapped the three-year old Briton, Margaret Hill, have formally demanded for ransom from the parents. MORE>>

OBJ Will Destroy You, Rimi Tells yar'Adua

"(Ex-President) Olusegun Obasanjo is not a democrat. He is a dictator, a very bad politician, a bad influence and he is not good for our country's democracy."
With those harsh words, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi at the weekend urged President Umar Yar'Adua to be wary of people he seeks advice from, lest he is misled into disaster. MORE>>

Me, Obasanjo and Nigeria - 'Dangote'

“The price Nigerians are paying for fuel and diesel is high because they are paying the price of inefficiency and corruption within NNPC,” Dangote says. “They (NNPC) are not efficient. If they are efficient, then they should produce like India. We are paying for the inefficiency and corruption. There is corruption in the industry. It is a known thing.” MORE>>