News Desk Sunday, November 18, 2007

Aso Rock budgets N2.3million daily for refreshment....N1.5m for eye glasses

THE National Assembly has been allocated N65 billion out of the N2.5 trillion spending plan for 2008 proposed by President Umaru Yar‘Adua. N2.2 billion of the proposal has been earmarked for food, details of the proposal obtained by Sunday Vanguard have revealed. The Presidency including the State House has been allocated N26.9 billion in the 2008 spending plan with N1.301 billion going for feeding and refreshment in the State House. MORE>>>

Trial for loitering: American ‘wrongly deported’ to Nigeria knows fate, Wednesday

A Lagos Magistrate Court, Ebute-Metta, Lagos has fixed Wednesday for ruling in the case brought against a black American Mr. Grayson Ernest Eugene who was serving a jail term in the United States before his alleged deportation to Nigeria in error by the American government on December 12, 2006. Eugene, 44, is standing trial before Magistrate R.O. Davis on a one-count charge of “an act not warranted by law” which “causes inconvenience or damage to the public by loitering around American Embassy premises.” MORE>>>

Siemens Bribery Scandal: Suspects’ll be Prosecuted in Nigeria, Says EFCC

Siemens Bribery Scandal: SuspeThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it was investigating all suspects in the Siemens bribery scandal and assured that those found to be culpable would be prosecuted in Nigeria. Spokesman of the agency, Mr. Osita Nwajah, told THISDAY last night that: “We are already involved in the matter. Investigation is still on-going. All those found to be culpable will be brought to justice in Nigeria,” he added. MORE>>>

Nigerians Abroad to Remit $16b

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole yesterday told the House Committee on Foreign Affairs that it must ensure that all policies of the Federal Government are geared towards maximising the benefits of the nation’s foreign relationships in the best interest of the average Nigerian, just as he confirmed that Nigerians living abroad will remit over $16 bilion back home before the end of this year. MORE>>>

Real reasons INEC aborted PDP convention - The Iwu, OBJ connection

Indications have emerged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may have stopped the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to fulfill the requirement of due process, but to assist some forces with enough time to re-strategise, with the aim of regaining the control of the party. MORE>>>

Imo AC Guber Candidate Teargassed At Tribunal

The gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress, AC in Imo State at the April election was allegedly assaulted and tear-gassed by the police at the venue of the ongoing Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Owerri the state capital. The candidate, Hon. Uche Onyeagucha told our correspondent in an exclusive interview at his Abuja Apo Legislative Quarters, that he had gone to the Tribunal on Monday, November 13, 2007, but his car was blocked by some police officers and Special Assistants to Governor Ohakim, demanding to know his identity. MORE>>>

Why Soludo Sacked Me - Wahir Mshelia (former deputy governor, CBN)

Until she resigned her appointment on May 3, 2005, Mrs. Wahir Mshelia, 57, was the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). After her resignation, she went into retirement, ending her voyage of 27 years in the public service. Recently, however, she opened up, alleging that she was actually hounded out of office by her boss and that he did so with the active connivance of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday, Mshelia said her former boss and incumbent governor of the nation's apex bank, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, persecuted and sacked her because he could not abide by her principled stand on issues, especially her penchant for insisting on due process. She stated that Soludo was equally angered by her stout rejection of the bank's consolidation policy, which she believed was not in the overall interest of the North. MORE>>>

Six die in electoral violence in northern Nigeria

KAN0, Nigeria, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Six people were killed and over 250 arrested in the northern Nigerian state of Kano in weekend violence linked to local government elections, the state's chief of police said on Sunday. MORE>>>