Bode George Jailed

Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja has sentenced Chief Olabode

Chief Olabode George

George; former chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and five others to two and half years imprisonment each without an option of fine.

They were sentenced for two years each on a seven-count charge of abuse of office and six months each for a 27-count charge of disobedience to constituted authority.

 Others convicted include; former CEO of NPA Aminu Dabo, O. Abidoye, Abdullahi Tafida, Zanna Maideribe and Sule Aliyu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned them on charges of wilful disobedience to constituted authority, contract splitting and conspiracy in August, last year.

The sentence which was seen by many as a crushing defeat of three Senior Advocates Of Nigeria; Joe Gadzama, Tunji Ayanlaja and Dele Adesina, by fiery human rights lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo had suffered many encumbrances which necessitated several adjournments based on technicalities.

Strangely, Chief Bode George and other co travelers were not found guilty on the other charges as the prosecution led by activist lawyer Mr. Festus Keyamo, could not prove the commission of the offences alleged against them beyond reasonable doubt.

Defense had argued that the convicts were not charged in their personal capacities but as board members of NPA and asked the court to acquit their clients except the court can prove otherwise.

However, Justice Oyewole averred that; “The facts indisputably before the court are that the defendants are natural persons who were appointed to serve as directors on the board of the NPA, a public corporation owned solely by the Federal Government of Nigeria and established under an Act of the National Assembly. The judge noted that “It is an evident fact upon which the court can take judicial notice that only natural persons are appointed to hold public offices and not corporate or incorporate bodies.

He insisted that the board of a corporation is an organ of that organization and does not possess a corporate legal existence separate from that of the corporate body it belongs to and therefore cannot possess legal identity as to sue or be sued independently.

“Persons acknowledged out of millions of Nigerians by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be of proven integrity and of cognitive experience in relation to the activities of the NPA cannot claim ignorance or simply play Pontius Pilate when obviously irregular contracts placed before them were approved by them without question. It amounts to wilful blindness and must have its consequences” the court said.

“The prosecutor had argued that while there may be good reasons to seek a presidential waiver in respect of the application of the said circular, flagrant disobedience was not the proper course of action.

When the tide of the case became obvious, lead counsel, Mr Tunji Ayanlaja (SAN), pleaded for mitigated sentence, noting that the conviction of his client on a technical charge could scare others who are interested in serving the nation.

But the Justice Oyewole in his Sentence noted that: “When public office is abused, the entire system is assaulted. This must not be treated with kid gloves, if the quality of service in our public life is to be attained to an appreciable standard of the civilised world.

Eliashib Ime-James.

LoveWorld News Agency

AU peacekeepers warn of military build up in Darfur

REBEL and Sudan government forces have been massing in Sudan’s Darfur region, raising fears of new violence, peacekeepers sREBEL and Sudan government forces have been massing in Sudan’s Darfur region, raising fears of new violence, peacekeepers said a day after the United States demanded concrete moves toward peace in the territory. The joint UN-African Union (UNAMID) force said there were signs of military escalation in the north of the region, where two million people have fled more than six years of conflict. “It is like when you look at the sky and see thunder clouds massing… We have seen a build up in the number of troops, movements of troops, setting up of defensive positions,” UNAMID communications chief, Kemal Saiki, told Reuters yesterday. “There are signs that our military can read and they have concluded that there is a probability that armed confrontation could spring up.” Sudan’s army was not immediately able to comment. The insurgent Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) loyal to Abdel Wahed Mohamed al-Nur, which UNAMID said was also massing troops, denied the report. Washington on Monday announced a new policy to end violence in Darfur and Sudan’s semi-autonomous south before national elections next year. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said one of the main aims of the new package of incentives and penalties was to press Sudan to bring “an end to conflict, gross human rights abuses, war crimes and genocide in Darfur.” The UNAMID warning will raise questions about the willingness of both Khartoum and Darfur’s fractured rebels to stop the fighting, which flared in the western territory in 2003. Nur refuses to take part in talks until there is a return to full security in the region. Negotiations have also been dogged by rebel divisions. Efforts to unify them were set back this week when Nur’s forces told Reuters that one of their senior commanders had been detained by Darfur’s rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). Senior JEM official Al-Tahir al-Feki said some SLA commanders had “confronted” JEM forces in North Darfur last week and JEM had “reacted,” but declined to go into further detail. JEM has been holding troubled talks with Khartoum in Qatar this year. But the next round has faced repeated delays and both sides accuse each other of continued military activities. Fighting has declined from the early days of the conflict. But skirmishes have continued, most recently between Khartoum and Nur’s forces in North Darfur in September. Washington accused Khartoum of committing genocide when it launched military and militia strikes to crush the uprising by mostly non-Arab rebels who are demanding better representation and more development. Sudan’s government rejects the term genocide and accuses the Western media of exaggerating the conflict. UNAMID said in a statement that the build-up of forces was around the settlements of Sortony and Kabkabiya in North Darfur. Any new clashes would inevitably lead to civilian and military casualties, it added, urging the parties to return to dialogue. An Irish aid worker who was subject to mock executions during a gruelling 107 days in captivity in Darfur yesterday arrived home to an emotional reunion with her family in Dublin. Sharon Commins and her Ugandan colleague Hilda Kawuki were seized by a gang of armed men on July 3 from a compound run by Irish relief group GOAL in the western Sudanese region. Commins described Monday how they thought they were going to die several times during their captivity on remote mountaintops at the hands of armed men, some of whom she described as “evil.” “We’d be told to kneel on our knees and they would shoot around us,” she said in an interview with Ireland’s RTE state broadcaster. “Obviously the first time that happened we thought we were absolutely going to be shot.” The 33-year-old said they never knew whether it was going to be a mock execution or the real thing. “None of these guys wear glasses so you are not even sure how accurate their sight is, so it was just an extremely dangerous situation to be in. It was extremely scary and we were always anxious,” she added. Commins flew into Baldonnel Aerodrome southwest of Dublin in a government plane just before midnight (2300 GMT Monday), and was met by her parents Mark and Agatha and the rest of her family, a foreign ministry spokesman said. Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, who travelled to Khartoum last month in an effort to secure the release of the two women, also greeted her at the airport and expressed admiration at her courage. We knew from early on that Sharon was a special type of person, a strong person, good mental resilience and it was just incredible that both herself and Hilda held themselves together throughout that three months plus,” he said. aid a day after the United States demanded concrete moves toward peace in the territory. The joint UN-African Union (UNAMID) force said there were signs of military escalation in the north of the region, where two million people have fled more than six years of conflict. “It is like when you look at the sky and see thunder clouds massing… We have seen a build up in the number of troops, movements of troops, setting up of defensive positions,” UNAMID communications chief, Kemal Saiki, told Reuters yesterday. “There are signs that our military can read and they have concluded that there is a probability that armed confrontation could spring up.” Sudan’s army was not immediately able to comment. The insurgent Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) loyal to Abdel Wahed Mohamed al-Nur, which UNAMID said was also massing troops, denied the report. Washington on Monday announced a new policy to end violence in Darfur and Sudan’s semi-autonomous south before national elections next year. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said one of the main aims of the new package of incentives and penalties was to press Sudan to bring “an end to conflict, gross human rights abuses, war crimes and genocide in Darfur.” The UNAMID warning will raise questions about the willingness of both Khartoum and Darfur’s fractured rebels to stop the fighting, which flared in the western territory in 2003. Nur refuses to take part in talks until there is a return to full security in the region. Negotiations have also been dogged by rebel divisions. Efforts to unify them were set back this week when Nur’s forces told Reuters that one of their senior commanders had been detained by Darfur’s rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). Senior JEM official Al-Tahir al-Feki said some SLA commanders had “confronted” JEM forces in North Darfur last week and JEM had “reacted,” but declined to go into further detail. JEM has been holding troubled talks with Khartoum in Qatar this year. But the next round has faced repeated delays and both sides accuse each other of continued military activities. Fighting has declined from the early days of the conflict. But skirmishes have continued, most recently between Khartoum and Nur’s forces in North Darfur in September. Washington accused Khartoum of committing genocide when it launched military and militia strikes to crush the uprising by mostly non-Arab rebels who are demanding better representation and more development. Sudan’s government rejects the term genocide and accuses the Western media of exaggerating the conflict. UNAMID said in a statement that the build-up of forces was around the settlements of Sortony and Kabkabiya in North Darfur. Any new clashes would inevitably lead to civilian and military casualties, it added, urging the parties to return to dialogue. An Irish aid worker who was subject to mock executions during a gruelling 107 days in captivity in Darfur yesterday arrived home to an emotional reunion with her family in Dublin. Sharon Commins and her Ugandan colleague Hilda Kawuki were seized by a gang of armed men on July 3 from a compound run by Irish relief group GOAL in the western Sudanese region. Commins described Monday how they thought they were going to die several times during their captivity on remote mountaintops at the hands of armed men, some of whom she described as “evil.” “We’d be told to kneel on our knees and they would shoot around us,” she said in an interview with Ireland’s RTE state broadcaster. “Obviously the first time that happened we thought we were absolutely going to be shot.” The 33-year-old said they never knew whether it was going to be a mock execution or the real thing. “None of these guys wear glasses so you are not even sure how accurate their sight is, so it was just an extremely dangerous situation to be in. It was extremely scary and we were always anxious,” she added. Commins flew into Baldonnel Aerodrome southwest of Dublin in a government plane just before midnight (2300 GMT Monday), and was met by her parents Mark and Agatha and the rest of her family, a foreign ministry spokesman said. Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, who travelled to Khartoum last month in an effort to secure the release of the two women, also greeted her at the airport and expressed admiration at her courage. We knew from early on that Sharon was a special type of person, a strong person, good mental resilience and it was just incredible that both herself and Hilda held themselves together throughout that three months plus,” he said.

Sourced from The Guardian

Gov. Elechi assents death penalty for kidnappers

FOLLOWING spate of kidnappings witnessed in Ebonyi state, in recent times, Governor Martins Elechi has finally assented into law, a bill stipulating death penalty for anybody convicted by a competent law court of jurisdiction for hostage taking and kidnapping of human beings.

This involved the signing the bill, titled ‘Ebonyi State Internal Security Enforcement and Related Matters Law, 2009,’ into law at the executive chambers of the state government house, in Abakaliki.

Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State

Speaking at the occasion, the governor made special reference to what, he called, ”the state’s collective peace and security which cannot be imported or imposed on people, while the state has all it takes to guarantee collective security.

”The new law provides among other things, death penalty for the offence of kidnapping and hostage-taking,” the governor said, adding, ” The law which we have freely given ourselves is the expression of people’s collective will through us in the executive and in partnership with the elected members of the House of Assembly.”

In justifying the weight of the new law, Elechi said, “We derive no pleasure in killing but we are in a hurry to ensure that those who deny us our basic liabilities are themselves assisted to hasten their own destruction. Extraordinary situations demand extraordinary handling.”

The Governor’s brother-in-law, Mr. Chris Nwankwo was recently kidnapped in the state and ferried to Cross River State, where he was luckily rescued by a hunter, who called other villagers to rescue him from a swamp, where he was dumped by his abductors.

Nwankwo’s incident came on the hills of several other kidnappings in the state with huge ransom paid.
Among the victims was House of Representatives member, Darlington Okereke’s mother as well as the mother of the State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dame Umahi.

Sourced From National Daily Newspaper

HIV VACCINE HOPE FLICKERS

Doubts have been raised about the reliability of a trial suggesting success for a vaccine against HIV.

In the large-scale trial in Thailand, a combination of vaccines seemed to give volunteers a protective effect of 31%.

The US military and Thai government, who co-sponsored the trial, said the effect was not caused by random chance but was statistically significant.

But new data, being published at a conference in Paris on Tuesday, is believed to question that assertion.

It was the world’s largest clinical trial of a HIV vaccine – involving 16,000 people in Thailand aged between 18 and 30.

Among the 8,000 volunteers who had been given the combination of vaccines, 51 had gone on to become infected with the virus.

Of the group given a placebo, there were 74 positive cases.

The numbers were small, but according to Seth Berkley of the International Aids Vaccine Initiative, the results were “exciting news and a significant scientific achievement”.

She said: “Now we have got a vaccine candidate that appears to show a protective effect in humans, albeit partially.”

SOURCED FROM BBC

SOMALI PIRATES SEIZE CHINESE VESSEL

Somali pirates have hijacked a Chinese cargo ship with 25 crew on board, the EU’s anti-piracy naval mission says.

The De Xin Hai, which was transporting coal, was seized early on Monday in the Indian Ocean, about 1,100km (700 miles) east of the Somali coast.

The hijacking is believed to have been the first time a ship has been seized between the Seychelles and Maldives.

It is also the first successful attack on a Chinese vessel since the country deployed three warships to the region.

John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Navfor Maritime Patrol, said one of its aircraft had located the vessel after Monday’s attack.

“The aircraft spotted at least four pirates on the deck and the vessel is towing two skiffs. It was last reported heading west towards the Somali coast,” he said.

Later, one of the pirates, Hassan, told Reuters news agency that the hijacked ship would be sailed to either Haradheere or Hobyo.

The ship, which is owned by the Qingdao Ocean Shipping Company, was on its way from South Africa to India when it was captured.

Monday’s hijacking brings to six the total number of vessels currently in the hands of Somali pirates.

Joel Morgan, the Seychelles’ minister of state for piracy, said maritime traffic in the area had dropped by a third recently due to the threat.

SOURCED FROM BBC

1 DEAD, SEVERAL TRAPPED IN COLLAPSED BUILDING

At least one person has died after a multi-story building collapsed on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

Dozens of people are feared trapped in the ruins of the building in Kiambu town, which was under construction.

Red Cross officials said 15 severely ill people had been pulled from the rubble and taken to hospital.

It is not clear what caused the collapse, but correspondents say Kenyan building companies are often criticised for flouting safety regulations.

There have been suggestions that heavy rain in the area recently could have weakened the five-storey structure.

The rescue operation continued late into the night, as officials said an unknown number of people could still be inside the building.

Up to 50 workers were believed to have been on site at the time of the collapse.

Some of those trapped have made mobile phone calls to alert relatives.

One eyewitness reported hearing a loud bang when the building cracked before it collapsed.

A reporter for the Associated Press news agency said he saw a woman’s body in the wreckage, while one rescued man told AP several people had been in the room with him when the building fell.

The BBC’s Will Ross in Nairobi says the incident was not the first of its kind in recent years.

Following the collapse of other buildings in recent years, there were calls for stricter building regulations to be enforced, says our correspondent.

But Nairobi is currently experiencing a construction boom, and companies are often criticised for cutting corners and failing to enforce strict safety measures as profitable high rises spring up over the city, he adds.

SOURCED FROM BBC

NIGER VOTES IN CONTROVERSIAL POLLS

Voters in Niger are going to the polls in the first parliamentary elections since President Mamadou Tandja forced through changes to increase his power.

He has been criticised for introducing a new constitution earlier this year enabling him to stand for a third term.

Mr Tandja has also been attacked for dismissing the previous parliament and dissolving the country’s highest court.

The opposition is boycotting the election. West African regional body Ecowas had called for a postponement.

But on Tuesday, Nigerien Communications Minister Kassoum Moctar insisted that the election would be held.

In August, the 71-year-old president enraged his critics by holding a referendum to approve his plan to extend his term in office.

The proposal was approved by a landslide.

Opposition groups say Mr Tandja wants to hold on to power for life, and has scheduled the election to give his rule a veneer of legitimacy.

Ecowas delegates held a four-hour meeting with Mr Tandja over the weekend to persuade him to delay the election, but the talks ended without agreement.

Six million people are eligible to vote to elect a new 113-member parliament, but correspondents say the campaign has been marked by indifference among residents.

Mr Tandja was first elected president in 1999 and won re-election in 2004.

SOURCED  FROM BBC

WHO KILLED DELE GIWA?

“Immediately he saw me, he screamed in agony o ti pa mi- meaning they have killed me. I was distraught, I couldn’t stand the horror before; his entire mid-section blown away. His voice was the pained dying embers of a flame that once burnt fiery.  As I dashed out of the hospital, I met Prince Tony Momoh; the Minister for Information; he was expectedly livid.”

He said “Gani, we will get to the bottom of this, Dele’s killers will be fished out” Tony Momoh swore.

“Barely 4 days after, Tony Momoh said this case is as good as dead” Gani brandished a browned worn-out daily, waving it frantically afterwards he paused allowing the moment sink into the consciences of a million viewers on live national TV and the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa human rights petition tribunal stands.

“Tony Momoh a liar” Gani sounded the death knell on this rather extempore diatribe sending everyone in the stands in an uproar. Tony Momoh was delirious, less than an hour earlier; he had exchanged pleasantries with the late legal luminary, in the hallway. Tony Momoh had no idea that the sword of Damocles hung over his red cap. Like a Trojan, Tony Momoh, the barrister, uninvited took to the stands to clear his ancestral name for posterity, Nevertheless Tony Momoh did not kill Dele Giwa and he failed to understand that loony Gani was ready to bat a century at anything which represented the mendacious, scheming despot, General Ibrahim Babaginda’s administration. And well Gani scored that day; years of malevolent filibustering from Babaginda to Abubakar and then OBJ had taken its toll, and he was ready to dance naked in the market square, with or without Babaginda, such was the fierceness and drudgery of Gani’s social crusading

Today Gani’s point rings as clear as the falcon’s cry; there remains no social justice in the land.  23 years on, Prince Tony Momoh’s rather terse and insipid summation of Dele’s bombing is never truer. As good as dead is social justice in Nigeria today than October 19^th 1986. If the truth be voiced, Nigeria’s equivalent to JFK’s assassination happened and I am neither aware of convictions nor arrests, rather only meaningless white papers bloodied by mendacious military rule blots the horizon.

Let’s put all this context, then fellow citizens; is Nigeria safer for journalists than it was on October 19^th, 1986? Nada Amigos, morning, noon and night; in and out of season, journalists are bullied, harassed, hounded and narrowed in and sometimes fed-off to vultures in broad daylight-Bayo ohu A la carte without a whimper.

2 years ago, yours sincerely asked the President of the Senate, David Mark, when the hexed freedom of information bill will be passed. The diminutive ex-general had smiled and chided me. He equated me with the proverbial tortoise who having been held in chains for several years on the night of his release suddenly demanded for his freedom. Well I’ve got news for you Mr. President of the senate, 1000 days have gone by and the Tortoise still doesn’t know the meaning of daylight; Mr. Mark, the FOI bill is as good as dead.

It is 23 years on, following Dele Giwa’s bombing and his killers are free as air. Gani is gone and probably teamed up with Dele Giwa above in the eternal fight against injustice and corruption, but all I know dear Nigerians is, it is indeed a sad Monday morning in hell.

Aghogho, CONNECTAFRICA

FAKE ANTI-VIRUS COMPANIES RAKE IN MILLIONS OF POUNDS

Online criminals are making millions of pounds by convincing computer users to download fake anti-virus software, internet security experts claim.

Symantec says more than 40 million people have fallen victim to the “scareware” scam in the past 12 months.

The download is usually harmful and criminals can sometimes use it to get the victim’s credit card details.

The firm has identified 250 versions of scareware, and criminals are thought to earn more than £750,000 each a year.

Scareware sellers use pop-up adverts deliberately designed to look legitimate, for example, using the same typefaces as Microsoft and other well-known software providers.

They appear, often when the user is switching between websites, and falsely warn that a computer’s security has been compromised.

If the user then clicks on the message they are directed towards another site where they can download the fake anti-virus software they supposedly need to clean up their computer – for a fee of up to £60.

SOURCED FROM BBC

BOTSSWANA’S PRESIDENT IAN KHAMA WINS ELECTION

The chief justice of Botswana says the governing Botswana Democratic Party has won the parliamentary election.

The victory gives President Ian Khama another five years in power in the world’s largest diamond producer.

So far, the BDP has won 36 of the 57 seats contested, with the count complete in 45 constituencies.

The main opposition party, the Botswana National Front, and the Botswana Congress Party have won four seats each with one going to an independent.

The BDP has been in power since independence in 1966.

The turnout in Friday’s election was reported to be high, and election observers said voting went smoothly.

Final results were expected to be announced at lunchtime on Sunday, said a spokesman for the country’s Independent Electoral Commission.

The election was Mr Khama’s first democratic test since becoming Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leader some 18 months ago.

The son of Botswana’s first president, he is credited with being decisive, but also criticised for being dogmatic.

SOURCED FROM BBC