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Un Joli Petit Massacre Typiquement Nigerian sur lequel la Presse et le Pays ont Préféré faire un relatif black out : Business as Usual ou bien Overdose de Massacre ?

Ezza-Ezillo ebonyi state nigeria crisis: 14 more dead bodies recovered By chigozie  |  Posted January 2, 2012  |  Ezza-Ezillo Ezza-Ezillo communities in Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi State, where some armed hoodlums had brutally killed over 52 persons last Saturday, now indicates that a total of 14 more dead bodies have been identified and recovered from different locations in the area. The dead bodies which were found inside remote areas of the communities are said to be innocent members of the communities who met their waterloo as the hoodlums were trying to escape through some unidentified routes linking to other parts of the state. Going by the discovery, the total number of those killed has now risen to 66 as some have been deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, FUTH, Abakaliki, while mass burial was conducted for others in the area.

In an inspection tour of the area, weekend, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, in charge of zone 6 Calabar, AIG Saidu Daya assured the people of adequate security adding that mobile policemen from Rivers, Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom states had already been deplored to the affected community to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book continued

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De Boko Haram à “Subsidy Removal” : l’Armée Nigériane sur tous les Fronts

Tear gas fired to break up Nigerian fuel protests LAGOS, NIGERIA - Jan 03 2012 14:49 Nigerian police fired tear gas to disperse a small crowd burning tyres in Lagos and arrested demonstrators in the northern city of Kano on Tuesday as protests continued over soaring fuel prices. A group of people were burning tyres on a main road on the margins of a protest in the economic capital of Lagos when police fired tear gas, causing them to flee, an Agence France-Presse correspondent reported. "We will not leave the streets until fuel prices come back to 65 naira," one man who identified himself as Tunde said earlier as he carried a container of fuel to pour over tyres. There has been widespread opposition to a government move announced on Sunday ending fuel subsidies, which has caused petrol prices to more than double in a country where most people live on less than $2 per day.

The policy in Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer saw petrol prices soar to about 140 naira (0.66 euros, $0.96) per litre from 65 naira. An earlier protest in Lagos of a couple hundred people included prominent rights activists as well as Seun Kuti, son of the late legendary musician Fela Kuti, a harsh critic of Nigeria's continued

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Boko Haram: Jonathan Declares State of Emergency

The President declared state of emergency in the troubled areas in the four states, Borno, Yobe, Niger and plateau states in his Saturday afternoon,nationwide broadcast. Below is the text of Jonathan’s address ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, ON THE OCCASION OF THE DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE FEDERATION IN ORDER TO RESTORE PULIC ORDER, PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE FEDERATION, December 31, 2011 Fellow Nigerians, it has become necessary to address you on recent events in some parts of the country that have threatened our collective security and shaken the foundations of our corporate existence as a nation. 2.    You are all aware of the security challenges which the activities of the Boko Haram sect have foisted on the country. What began as sectarian crises in the North Eastern parts of the country has gradually evolved into terrorist activities in different parts of the country with attendant negative consequences on our national security.

3.      Government in an effort to find a lasting solution to the security threats occasioned by the activities of the Boko Haram sect, constituted a Presidential Committee under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari, to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the crises. While efforts are being made to implement the recommendations of the Committee, the crises have assumed a terrorist dimension with vital institutions of government including the United Nations Building and places of worship becoming targets of terrorist attacks. Continued

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Bada Goes Home

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China and Africa Growing Exchanges

 

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Vatican decries Christmas blast at Nigeria church

[...]The pope didn't mention the deadly blasts on churches in Nigeria, but the Vatican issued a statement denouncing the attacks as a sign of "cruelty and absurd, blind hatred" that shows no respect for human life.Early Sunday, an explosion ripped through a Catholic church during Christmas Mass near Nigeria's capital of Abuja, and an emergency worker reported that 25 people were killed. A second explosion struck near a church in Nigeria's restive central city of Jos, while two other explosions hit the northeast state of Yobe.There was no immediately claim of responsibility for either explosion, but Nigeria has suffered a wave of sectarian attacks blamed on the radical Muslim sect Boko Haram Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said the Catholic church was praying for all Nigerians confronting "this terrorist violence in these days that should be filled with peace and joy."The Vatican press office noted that Benedict's speech was prepared well in advance of the attacks. continued

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Bénin : De Kim en Kim la Reconnaissance du 16 Janvier Continue

Demise of Kim Jong Il Mourned in Benin, Malaysia Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Memorial services took place in Benin and Malaysia on Wednesday and Thursday on the demise of leader Kim Jong Il. Present there were members of organizations for friendship and solidarity with the Korean people, personages of all social standings and masses of relevant countries. Speeches were made at the memorial services. Hessou Kohovi, chairman of the Benin-Korea Amicable Association "Long Live Kim Jong Il, Supreme Leader", said: The demise of Kim Jong Il is the greatest loss to the Korean people and the biggest sorrow for progressive mankind. It is unbelievable that he passed away all of a sudden

. Although his heart stopped beating, the undying feats he performed for the Korean people and progressive mankind will shine long. His august name and tender-hearted image will always be remembered by mankind. The rector of the Cotonou Institute of Journalism of Benin said that Kim Jong Il will be immortal thanks to Kim Jong Un, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea. continued

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Nigeria : Okada Riders Protest Ban in Lagos

For the fourth time within a space of three weeks, motorcycle operators popularly called Okada riders took to the streets to protest the decision of Lagos State government to ban their operation on the high ways in Lagos State with effect from December 31. Brandishing various weapons and singing solidarity songs, they converged at Owode Onirin along Ikorodu road to protest the ban. Carrying placards some of which read: "No to LASTMA, Fashola, leave us alone, don't disturb us...". they sat on motorbikes which they used to barricade both sides of the road.

They argued that the ban would worsen their impoverished status. They cordoned off the Owode -Onirin bus-stop, very close to AP filling station. On sighting the protesters from afar, some uniformed law enforcement officers took to their heels to avoid being attacked. continued

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Ghana : 52 illegal miners arrested

combined security team, made up of soldiers and policemen from Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, on December 19, 2011, undertook an operation in the Tetrem and Aboabo areas in the Amansie West District, to flush out some people undertaking illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey. The operation, which got underway in the morning, ended late in the evening, and led to the arrest of 52 persons with some equipment, including special mills and water pumps, being impounded by the team, led by Superintendent Prince Waabo, and assisted by Lieutenant John Kwame Jabaari. A press release signed by the Acting Public Relations Officer of the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, WOI Bright Segbefia, said the activities of these illegal miners were degrading the

environment. It was indicated that the illegal miners often attacked licensed mining companies whose concessions were being encroached upon. The situation, he said, had threatened the security of the district, as well as the region, hence the need for the security personnel to intervene continued

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Ghana To Export Electricity To Neighbouring Countries

Ghana will soon become a net exporter of electricity according to the Vice President, and said indirectly, most of the rural communities shall continue to live in darkness because they are poor. Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday gave the assurance that government would put in all the necessary measures to make Ghana a net exporter of electricity to neighbouring countries, by improving on the generation, transmission and distribution systems that would ensure regular supply of the commodity to beneficiary countries. Mahama gave this assurance when addressing "Power Summit 2011", a public consultation on the development of the Ghana Millennium Challenge Account Compact II in Accra, a programme to usher in the top-up and renewal of support to Ghana to undertake major socio-economic development projects only at vantage areas of the country. Ghana government would also improve on the regulatory system, by encouraging private sector to participate effectively in the management and distribution of electricity in the country. He said under the new power sector reforms, government would encourage other interested companies to participate in the management and distribution of the commodity to avoid monopoly and

provide healthy competition for better service because Ghana has the comparative advantage in the production of energy and would therefore take advantage of the current availability of oil and gas to generate more power to speed up growth in development. Ghana government plans to develop an energy economy and become a net exporter of power by 2015 through increase in the current generation capacity from 2,000 megawatts to about 5,000 megawatts. This according to John Dramani, would enable government to achieve 80% access of electricity in the communities out of the current 72%. continued

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Alternative Energy : Nigeria Begins Solar Panels Production

Quick – who is Africa’s largest oil exporter, who is also interested in solar power? Nigeria. According to Nigerian National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure Director-General Olusegun Adewoye, about 40 rural information technology centers established by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NASEI), will be powered by photovoltaic solar panels manufactured in Nigeria, a first for Africa. Towards that end, Nigeria’s NASEI has established a 7.5 megawatt joint venture solar panel manufacturing plant in Karshi, Abuja. Adewoye told reporters, "The National Information Technology Development Agency is setting up internet centers all over the country and we are expecting in three or two days an award to power 40 of those rural internet centers with our solar panels. This is something they would have imported from somewhere else." A NASEI source speaking off the record disclosed that NASEI would be a major supplier for power equipment in the Rural Information Technology Centers (RITCs), commenting, "They will be our major supplier. The National Information Technology Development Agency has inspected their plant and they have tendered (for provision contracts). With the solar panels, we will be assured of constant power supply there. Despite the fact that we are not in the same ministry, there is still high synergy between us." According to NASEI Director-General Cleopas Angaye, the agency’s agenda in promoting solar power was not only to furnish impoverished rural communities with electricity in order to provide them with an increased standard of living, but also to allow them access to relevant Internet information that could change their lives while providing social, professional and economic opportunities for people living in rural areas.

Angaye commented, "The agency through the rural information technology centers aims to facilitate rapid socio- economic growth through access to Information Communications and Technology facilities, eradicate computer illiteracy and increase the level of understanding of the value of Information Communications and Technology among all communities especially the rural areas. It will provide a platform for delivering e-government services and facilitating the achievement of the millennium development goals." Adewoye added that apart from powering the RITCs, the solar panel manufacturing plant would be useful for domestic purposes, street lighting, water pumping for irrigation purposes, powering electrical repeater stations and telecommunication boosting stations as well as powering local traffic lights. Nigeria’s central government also has ambitious Internet plans, as NASEI intends to collaborate with the 36 state governments to provide Internet access and computer centers throughout the nation’s 774 local governments. continued

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Ojukwu was sent to expose Nigeria (3)

By Ochereome Nnanna NIGERIA is a country ruled by mindless, myopic and opportunistic selfish pursuits by individuals and groups. Few are willing to stand up for the truth and justice irrespective of the cost. One of such few was His Excellency, Lt Col Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, the late first Military Governor of Western Region, who opted to pay the supreme price rather than betray his visiting boss, General Aguiyi-Ironsi, who was in Ibadan as part of his nationwide “pacification” tour. If Fajuyi had willingly handed over Ironsi to his assassins, he would certainly have retired as one of the fat-cat post-civil war multi-millionaire generals, perhaps with oil blocks as part of his reward. But what did he get for his noble sacrifices? It was only about a decade ago that a prominent street in Ibadan was named after him. Has any government in the former Eastern Region thought fit to immortalise this exceptional Nigerian for his uncommon acts of courage?

For that matter, no government in any part of the East (South East in particular) has picked up the courage to name streets after Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. On the other hand, Northerners such as Generals Yakubu Gowon, Murtala Mohammed, Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha, Presidents Shehu Shagari and Umaru Yar’ Adua have streets and monuments named after them all over the East. The only Southern beneficiary is General Olusegun Obasanjo, who has a long street in Port Harcourt bearing his name… continued

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Father Godfrey Nzamujo, of Songhaï, one of The Four African of the Year Nominees 2011

  

Father Godfrey Nzamujo Date of birth: 1950 Nationality: Nigerian Originally from Nigeria, Father Godfrey Nzanujo is the Founder and Director of the Songhai Centre, Benin Republic, a farming project designed towards ensuring sustainable food production in Africa. From its base in Benin Republic, and its four initial sites in Parakou, Savalou, Kinwedji and Ntitingou, Songhai now has sites in Rivers and Enugu in Nigeria, and within the last year, in Bensonville in Liberia, Newton in Sierra Leone and Louvakou and Otsende in Congo. Songhai's target is to have sites in 12 African countries: Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Zambia, Malawi and Kenya Since 1985, the Songhai Center has been training farmers in sustainable economy and exports its success through the students of its school. From the one hectare of land he was given in 1985 by the Marxist-Leninist government of Mathieu Kerekou to set up the centre, Songhai now occupies 17 hectares at its primary site. With a credit system, the school supports its graduating students and helps them become agricultural entrepreneurs. Partly funded by international donors, Songhai cultivates independence and generates a profit of over one million dollars annually which it reinvests to develop the capacity of the center. Father Nzamujo is among other things, an expert in ecology and microbiology, microbiology and soil fertilization, natural systems and energy pathway in water sub-systems, and mycology and its usefulness in African ecosystems - economic perspectives, Mushroom-laboratory culture and production. Songhai aspires to develop alternatives allowing Africans to stand on their feet through agricultural entrepreneurship, in an integrated development framework enhancing agriculture, industry and services. This development is centred, above all, on human development, the realization of local resources and the appropriation of foreign techniques and technologies.

Songhai Centre is built on the integrated farming or integrated production model. This is a commonly and broadly used term to explain a more integrated approach to farming as compared to existing monoculture approaches. It refers to agricultural systems that integrate livestock and crop production and may sometimes be known as Integrated Biosystems. Songhai also utilizes technologies from the Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (formed in 1994) which is another model that seeks to promote agricultural and industrial production which incorporate nature's wisdom into the process. In China, programs embracing this form of integrated farming have been successful in demonstrating how an intensive growing systems can use organic and sustainable farming practices, while providing high agriculture yields. continued

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Ojukwu was sent to expose Nigeria (2)

On December 5, 2011 · In News By Ochereome Nnanna There were many things Nigerian groups did not know about one another as the fight for independence raged in the 1950’s. One of them was our peculiar diversity. Father of Nigeria’s nationalism, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s exchange with the leader of the Northern establishment, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, is often referred to. “Zik” urged Nigerians to “forget” their differences and build a great nation. Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto corrected him, saying Nigerians should “understand” their differences, for it was the only way to build a great nation. The third leg in the Nigerian traditional tripod, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, chipped in by observing that Nigeria was “a mere geographical expression”. That Nigerians have never shared national interests is all too evident through our history. The 1960’s decade, our first after independence from colonial Britain, was a critical period when, through practical politics, our diversity was put to test. The result showed that the “Zik” model of diversity management (“forgetting”, or “rising above” the diversity) failed. It started with his own failure to assume executive leadership of Nigeria after leading the independence struggle. Nigeria became the only example of such on the African continent.

The Igbo/Eastern Nigerian political leadership, riding on the nationalist philosophy of the National Council for Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) did not understand the agendas of their coalition partners from the North and West. They “forgot” our differences. They acted as if those differences did not exist and were taken out of the tripod for forty years. This factor obviously (mis)guided young military officers from the South to plot the January 15th 1966 military coup. The naive idea was to remove a “corrupt and inept” elected federal government controlled by political leaders from the North and hand over power to a perceived left-of-centre leadership (with Chief Awolowo … Continued

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Nugbô ɖuɖɔ ɖô mantintɔ Ojukwu wuɔ, Kɔmin ton nu wɛ éɖé/Dire la Vérité sur Ojukwu est une dette au Disparu

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Agricultural Sustainability in Africa : the Role of Science

Zanku dô Ojukwu ɖo Hwéton 78 mèn ɖo Londonu (Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has died at 78 in London.)

L'opération libyenne était-elle une "guerre juste" ou juste une guerre ?

Nigerian Wins Book Price in African Studies

 

 

Ageing growers leave Nigeria with cocoa headache

Old age – or, rather, limited life expectancy - is thwarting Nigeria's chances of realising its potential as a force in cocoa, reducing growers' willingness to adopt a longer-term view and plant new trees.

The country, already the fourth-ranked producer of the bean, is "capable of tripling current production within the next five years… simply by implementing its existing cocoa development policies", US Department of Agriculture attaches in Lagos said.

"It is estimated that only about 20% of Nigeria's 3.0m hectares of land suitable for cocoa production is currently in use," and land that is being farmed is often being done so inefficiently, thanks to ageing trees.

However, the ageing profile of Nigerian cocoa growers means they are reluctant to replace them, even though new varieties require only three years after planting before producing beans, compared with five years for traditional types.

Age issue

"A major problem with cocoa production in Nigeria is that the majority of Nigeria's cocoa farmers are above 60 years, and most cocoa trees are even older with diminished production," the attaches said

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Our Sister Needs Help !

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Ojukwu, Mémoire d’un Brave Combattant

 

Cameron Shame on You ! You Lack Basic Anthropological Tenets

British PM under attack in Ghana

British Prime Minister David Cameron has come under a salvo of attacks over his comments that Britain would withhold aid to countries that do not reform legislation banning homosexuality.
Cameron, in a recent interview with BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, threatened to cut aid to anti-gay countries, declaring that nations receiving British aid should "adhere to proper human rights."
Cameron said he raised the issue with some of the states involved at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia.
The comments received bitter criticism from Ghanaians, especially religious leaders, who said the British premier lacked understanding of Ghana's cultural values.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, told a local radio that the country must stand up and uphold its values and not allow other countries to manipulate it.
A member of the Chief Imam's Educational Fund in Ghana, Alhassan Abdulai, also said the Islamic community was appalled by the threats of the British premier and gave indications that "if push comes to shove," the Muslim faithful in the nation would stage a demonstration against seeming plans by the British government to legitimize homosexuality in Ghana.
Minister of Trade and Industry Hannah Tetteh joined the fray on Tuesday, insisting same sex relationships were unacceptable in African cultural set-ups and that no amount of threats would make Ghana stoop to Britain's threat.
Interacting with a section of the media here, Tetteh took a swipe at the western world, saying that it had no right to force its cultural and moral orientations on Ghana and that the government would make its stance clear at the appropriate time.
"Every society has its norms and what it considers to be acceptable. In the Western world, it is acceptable to have gay relationships and even move on to the next level to gay marriages; in our society, it is unacceptable," she stated.
A private legal practitioner, Kwame Akuffo, also condemned the British Prime Minister's comments, describing it as smacking of racism.
He urged African states to stand up against any vile or racist conduct from the West towards them, maintaining that since every country had its own peculiar beliefs and heritage, it was important to maintain one's sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian government said it had no position now on Cameron's comments on homosexuality until it received official correspondence from the British government….

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Ojukwu’s 78th birthday to be celebrated in absentia Nov 4

ENUGU—ARRANGEMENTS have been concluded for the celebration of the 78th birthday of  former Biafran leader and Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who is still recuperating in a London hospital.

Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu

This came as Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, said its members would celebrate the birthday with solemnity in Enugu.

Wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA governors, Peter Obi and Rochas Okorocha of Anambra and Imo states, some former governors in the South-East and South-South states and other eminent personalities from Igboland have already indicated their interest to grace the occasion scheduled to hold at Ojukwu’s GRA, Enugu, residence on November 4.

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Non-indigenes’ sack cracks Ndigbo unity

By ANAYO OKOLI, Umuahia
The recent decision of the Abia State Government to disengage non-indigenes in its work force has created cracks in the hitherto strong political and cultural harmony that existed among the five South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. As expected there have been verbal attacks from the states, especially the other four South East states.

When the Abia State Government hinted of the planned disengagement of the non-indigenes in August, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State was said to have consulted with the governors of the other four states. The other governors were said to have indicated their willingness to take back their indigenes to be returned.

But when the October 1, 2011 effective date of the policy came, governments of the other states reacted angrily, a position that queried the consultation said to have been made by Governor Orji…..

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OBASANJO AND BABANGIDA: DROWNING GIANTS

A bemused nation is watching a public quarrel between two former military leaders who governed Nigeria for a total of 19 years between them. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a former General who benefited from an attempted coup that took the life of General Murtala Mohammed, and was later to become a civilian President for eight years, and General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, a military ruler for eight years who gave himself the title of President, are no strangers to controversies. But this public spat between them looks very much like a last hurrah from two persons whose egos and records in office have guaranteed the arrested development of the Nigerian nation. The quarrel is bitter because it involves two people who have tip-toed around each other for a very long time, bearing massive grievances, but unsure whether they could successfully take each other up. The quarrel is revealing in terms of the issues it raises regarding their competence, integrity, maturity and quality of their leadership, which are all being thrown into the fray. The quarrel is useful for those who are involved in writing our nation’s history, because it addresses an …

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Nigeria’s future depends on human Capital, not oil – Oshiomhole

By Gabriel Enogholase

EDO State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has advised all stakeholders in the education sector to brace up for the rehabilitation of the sector noting that the future of the country depends largely in its human capacity development and not the oil sector.

He also disclosed that the state is to set up Governing Councils which would empower community leaders to supervise schools in their communities as a means of checking indiscipline in schools.

Governor Oshiomhole who spoke weekend at Irrua at the 2011 Education Summit organized by the Association of Esan professionals, lamented that even teachers posted to the rural communities no longer teach in rural areas and added that, you post them to rural areas, they always bribe their way back”.

According to the governor, “we discussed at the council that we have to set up governing councils, so that we can empower community leaders to supervise schools in their various communities and be able to report to the Ministry of Education, so that if those who are paid to monitor do not do so, the communities would not allow their pupils to idle away”.

He decried the attitude of teachers who abandon their responsibilities to engage in other activities describing it as a huge disservice to the education system.

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Pdt Jonathan’s Speech On Nigeria At 51

Fellow Compatriots,

On this day 51 years ago, the British Union Jack was lowered and replaced by our national Green-White-Green flag, heralding the independence of our nation. The 1st of October remains a special day for us, for Africa, and indeed the world.

As we celebrate today, we remember with pride, the nationalism and patriotism that inspired our founding fathers and the Nigerian people. They set aside their differences, to secure the unity and independence of our great country.

That is the Nigerian spirit! For the Nigerian spirit cannot be broken. We are a resilient nation, determined to chart a course, through the turbulent waters of nation building. The Nigerian spirit is vibrant today in the world.

Our citizens at home and abroad, are making their mark in all fields of human endeavour. These hard-working and committed Nigerians, remain a source of pride to us and a beacon of what is achievable, if we remain focused and determined.

I know that a great number of you are joining hands with me and the Administration, in the great task ahead.

I value all Nigerians. I see our youth who are looking for jobs and yet remain hopeful. I see the farmer, and fisherman, toiling everyday to earn a living. I see the teacher, working hard, to train our future generations, with much sacrifice. I see the market women whose entrepreneurial spirit helps to generate income for their children and families. I see our sportsmen and women training hard to bring glory to our nation.  I see our resilience and commitment, as a nation, to defend our democracy and secure our future.

I see every single profession and vocation, making positive contributions to national progress. I value you all! Together, we shall work for a Nigeria in which democracy and the rule of law are sacrosanct. A country where corruption and its attendant vices, are banished. A country where human life is sacred and respected, and where the rights of the individual are protected.

Nigeria is a young entity in the comity of nations and yet in her 51 years, she has made significant strides in making her presence felt all over the world. Our diplomatic and peacekeeping efforts, in various parts of the continent, have helped to end conflict and avert crises. In sustaining global security, our intervention has been crucial to peace, progress and democracy for the citizens of the affected countries.

The journey to nationhood always has its own challenges. Nigeria has had her own share. Our growing pains as a nation have included the civil war, the June 12 election crisis and restlessness in the Niger Delta. But Nigeria has always overcome each of these challenges. We overcame before. We will overcome yet again.

Today, as a nation, there is much for us to celebrate. We celebrate our diversity. We celebrate our entrepreneurial spirit.

We celebrate our resilience and ability to turn adversity into hope. We celebrate our culture. For the labours of our heroes past, shall never be in vain.

As your President, let me reassure all Nigerians that I remain resolutely committed to the ideals and dreams of our founding fathers. Let me also reassure Nigerians that I will strongly defend the peace and stability of our nation.

My administration will spare no effort in fighting crime, building peace, and securing our homeland against internal threats and infiltration by violent groups, from outside our borders.

We condemn all acts of violence and declare that such acts of mindless savagery shall not be allowed to define our country. We will not be deterred. Our resolve is strong.

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Why I Invited Rawlings – Kufour

 Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has urged Ghanaians to put aside all past and negative attitudes as well as personal differences that have the ability to retard the economic progress of Ghana.
According to him, it was about time Ghanaians took a cue from the unity that prevailed among politicians, particularly former leaders of this country, to pursue the development of Ghana collectively.
Citing his invitation of former President Jerry John Rawlings to the launch of the Kufuor Foundation at the University of Ghana, as a reference, he said he wanted Ghanaians to understand that what he was embarking upon was non-partisan and that the progress of the economy was everyone’s responsibility.
Mr Kufuor said he felt extremely happy that his predecessor accepted the invitation and duly honoured it “because I realized that I have embarked on a good vision that has been accepted by all.”
He made these known on Thursday when he was called by the host of Peace FM’s morning show, ‘Kokrokoo’, to express his feelings on the launch of the John A. Kufuor Foundation.
When he was asked by the host if Ghanaians should take it that there was no problem or tension between him and ex-president Rawlings, he replied in the affirmative, adding, “I was very happy when I saw him.”
The launch of the John A. Kufuor Foundation on Tuesday was well-attended by a host of dignitaries across the political divide and academia, including former President Jerry John Rawlings.
The presence of former President Rawlings generated a lot of excitement among the audience, perhaps given the cold cordiality that has existed between the two Ghanaian statesmen.

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Again rain, pains in Lagos

Rain and ensuing flood hamper activities, cause gridlock and commuters, transporters moan

IT started in the wee hours of yesterday and went on and on. By about 10.30 a.m. when it had not stopped, many Lagosians remembered Sunday, July 10, when the rain had also started in the early hours and fell non-stop throughout the day and far into the night.

Though yesterday’s rain had stopped by noon in most parts of the Lagos metropolis, the sun remained hidden behind dark brooding clouds, suggesting that it might not yet have been over.

For Lagosians who had enjoyed a dry spell these past few weeks, yesterday’s rain and an earlier downpour at the weekend, seemed to have indicated an end to the lull and the return of hard times.

As in the past, the rain caused flooding in many parts of the state, forced commuter buses off the roads and brought hardship to commuters.

Families were displaced, roads became impassable and some business activities in the metropolis were almost crippled.

Speaking to The Guardian, Mr. Uche Okoli, a resident of Okota in Isolo Local Council lamented the effect of the rain to roads in their area.

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Rethinking Human Origins: Fossils Reveal a New Ancestor on the Family Tree

The cranium of the juvenile skeleton of Australopithecus sediba.

One August day in 2008, a pair of nine-year-old boys crossed paths at a cave in South Africa. The boys didn't play, didn't speak, didn't even smile at each other. One of them was Matthew Berger, the young son of paleoanthropologist Lee Berger of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, accompanying his dad into the field for an expedition. The other boy was known only as Australopithecus sediba, a pre-human child who died 1.977 million years ago, leaving only his fossilized bones behind.

The site, 30 miles northwest of Johannesburg, had been visited before and other bones had been found, but the remains Matthew stumbled across, along with those of an adult female, are the subject of no fewer than five papers in this week's issue of the journal Science — and with good reason. The skeletons are both in remarkably good condition: a hand and a pelvis are the most complete for a hominin ever found; the ankle bones and one of the skulls are nearly as pristine. Feet, hands and heads are where walking, tool-making and thinking reside — the very features that most conspicuously separate us from the apes — and the flock of new papers show that Australopithecus sediba was starting to separate itself indeed. This suggests a whole new transitional species between long-ago pre-humans and modern Homo sapiens.

"Sediba is turning out to be one of the most intriguing hominins ever discovered," says Berger. "It certainly shows a mosaic of features shared by both earlier and later hominins."

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Killing of Africans in Libya is an unfortunate development – Minister

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Libyan rebel fighters stand guard over detainees during a fight for the final push to flush out Muammar Gaddafi's forces in Abu Salim district in Tripoli August 25, 2011. Credit: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

Accra, Sept.3, GNA – Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has described as an unfortunate development, reports that black Africans in Libya were being arrested and killed. “If it is verified, then it is a most unfortunate happening and must be condemned in all its forms,” he stated. Speaking with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday, Alhaji Mumuni said the reports if true had arisen from some misconceptions and false alarms. He noted that earlier when the Libyan crisis broke, there were reports that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi had recruited black Africans as mercenaries to fight against his own people.
He also called on the National Transition Council to see it as its responsibility to guarantee the safety of all foreign nationals in Libya if the reports were found to be true.

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Church Pastor in Edo state rapes 12-year old choir member

A church pastor allegedly defiled a young choir member in rural Edo state.

The Edo state police have arrested a pastor who allegedly raped a 12-year-old choir member of his church at Afuda-Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of the state. The incident incurred the wrath of some residents around the area, who destroyed some church equipment, while the pastor was detained at the Uromi Police Divisional headquarters.

Narrating her ordeal, the victim (who cannot be named for legal reasons) said she had gone to church for choir rehearsals when the incident occurred. She said she and three other children were in the church, awaiting the arrival of other members, when the pastor and founder of the church drove into the premises in his Mercedes Benz car, and started enquiring about their names. She said after they had given their names, the pastor called her into his office and asked her to sit on his laps. While on his laps, the victim alleged that the pastor began to suck her breast and dipped his finger into her private part. She added that she felt severe pains in her stomach, and consequently struggled to regain her freedom. The incident, she alleged, also caused her to bleed as a result of the injuries she sustained. The father of the victim said that he and his family became members of the church barely two months ago.

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Nigeria, Inondation : Plus de 100 Morts !

Des pluies diluviennes sont tombées ce weekend dans le sud-ouest du Nigéria. Mercredi, le bilan s’élevait à 102 morts.

Les inondations seraient dues à l’effondrement du barrage ELEYELE d’Ibadan

Les infrastructures mal entretenues seraient également à l’origine de la catastrophe, les conduites d’eau bouchées par des déchets n’ayant pas permis un écoulement normal d’après l’Agence National des Secours d’Urgence (NEMA)

Sept à huit district  sur les onze que compte Ibadan ont été affectés, provoquant le déplacement de nombreux habitants

Déjà en juillet, 20 personnes sont mortes à Lagos  après de fortes pluies. En juin, des inondations dans un quartier de Kano ont fait 24 morts

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source le Monde.fr

Nigeria's Boko Haram: Al-Qaeda's New Friend in Africa?

A 2010 screen grab of a video reportedly released by Nigeria's Boko Haram shows alleged members gathered in an undisclosed location

A suicide bomber drove into the U.N. building in Abuja's leafy diplomatic quarter on Friday, detonating his Honda Accord and killing at least 18 people, an Islamist terrorist group that was little known outside Nigeria violently thrust itself onto the international stage.

Until recently, the group Boko Haram has conducted attacks on Nigerian government targets in what most terrorism experts considered an indigenous campaign to further the organization's aim of installing Islamic law in West Africa's most volatile country. Friday's attack now has officials and experts worrying that a branch of al-Qaeda has spread its influence to Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and a key supplier of oil for the U.S. and the world market. Though no evidence of a partnership has been established, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the terrorist giant's arm in northwest Africa, has previously issued statements in support of Boko Haram. (See a photo gallery of the bombing in Nigeria.)

Even before the bombing, U.S. military officials were growing anxious about possible links between Boko and established Islamist terrorist groups. Carter Ham, the U.S. military's commander of operations in Africa, told the Associated Press on April 17 that multiple unnamed sources indicated that Boko Haram had made contact with operatives from AQIM and with the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab.

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Man loses father, 4 children in Ibadan flood

IBADAN—MR. Sikiru Adisa, one of  the survivors of the flood disaster that killed many residents in Ibadan, yesterday, said he lost his four children and an aged father to the flood that ravaged the city on Friday.

This came as the state is said to have commenced the distribution of relief materials to victims of the flooding even as Ogun State Government expressed shock over the flood, saying that the disaster was very unfortunate.

Adisa said this when Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Alake, visited his residence.

Similarly, residents of Odo-Ona Elewe and Challenge areas have been forced to relocate to another area following the flood disaster.
Vanguard gathered that some corpses believed to be victims of the flood were seen floating in some areas at Agbowo….

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