Ribadu may step down!

Nuhu Ribadu, the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria may step down today, according to sources close to the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change. Leaders of the two main opposition parties met yesterday to talk about fielding a common candidate against President Goodluck Jonathan in Saturday's presidential election. The latest round of talks, which began Monday night in Abuja, made little progress, only to flounder again. By 3am on Tuesday morning, when the parties broke up the first meeting, it looked as if an agreement was only a matter of time.

A source close to the meeting said, "There is no doubt that we shall reach a consensus. Nobody is holding any hard line. Even Ribadu has expressed his willingness to step down, but Tinubu still wants to be vice president and Buhari is not as against it as he once was." However, by yesterday afternoon, things had taken a less amenable turn for the alliance. The problem began over which platform the alliance's candidate should contest on. While there was no doubt that Muhammadu Buhari would fly the group's flag, Bola Tinubu reportedly insisted that the former head of state did so under the ACN banner. Mr Buhari, however, allegedly complained that this would confuse his supporters in the north who have been primed to vote for the CPC.

Riding high

The parties had delayed more talks on the alliance until after the parliamentary elections in order to better gauge their mutual support base. The results proved conclusively that the ACN, which swept the west and Edo State, would be invaluable to Mr Buhari if he hoped to win the 25 percent of votes in two-thirds of the 36 states in order to become president. The source said that although Mr. Buhari was fairly certain that he could get the majority vote by winning the northwest — which boasts the largest voting bloc, and some north-central states — he was not so certain that he would get the required spread.

Last Saturday's election also emboldened the ACN, which was riding high on its victory over PDP in the southwest. The CPC, which had not shown a similar dominance in the north, was, however, sure that its fortune would increase tremendously with Saturday's election.

"We have never pretended that our joker is the personality of General Buhari himself. And he is the one that most of our supporters are waiting to vote for," said a source in the CPC.

Past behaviour

However, signs that things had taken a turn for the worse came with the sudden appearance of a document chronicling the history of the talks and how Mr. Buhari's alleged intransigence had, at several times, halted the alliance.

It is not clear if the timing of the paper was meant to put Mr. Buhari on the defensive and make him reach an agreement quickly, or whether it was a sign of how frustrated the ACN had become with the discussion.

In the document, Bisi Akande, ACN chairman, recalled how Muhammadu Buhari, in 2006, suddenly abandoned the Action Congress "after being in a robust discussion with the party throughout 2005, to contest the 2007 elections on the platform of ANPP."

Again, the party resumed discussions with Mr Buhari in October 2010 towards the present elections, after the general visited Bisi Akande at his Ogudu, Lagos home to talk about the need to work together. But it also ended in a stalemate. Mr Akande told NEXT yesterday that he didn't think a merger would work.

"On what basis would we do that when we are the bigger party?" he said in a phone interview. "What will we tell the people? This is a figment of the imagination of some people. The PDP is fuelling such speculation because it is in their interest."

When contacted about the latest round of talks, a spokesperson for the CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, said, "Talks have never ceased. We shall continue to explore cooperation with other parties as the need arises."

More muddling

Yesterday, the governorship candidates of the party also met with Mr Akande at the Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja where they each talked about the events that had happened in their states and tabled their demands for more funding.

According to a source at the meeting, many of those present were also against the alliance for their own "selfish reasons." One of the party's governorship contestants said, "Some of us felt that Tinubu is pushing this alliance for his own sake. He had not come to our aid all this while and the PDP has been pumping money to their own candidates."

It is not clear, with the elections barely four days away, how this alliance will work. Although the ACN presidential candidate is reportedly willing to step down, other major players in the talks are not so amenable.

"Any alliance now will cause some major confusion," said our source.

Source: Click link Below»
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5689644-146/story.csp

Former Miss Russia accused of stealing drugs!

A former Miss Russia faced drug charges for a second time on Tuesday, allegedly using stolen prescription pads to obtain painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs from pharmacies in New York.

Anna Malova pleaded not guilty in state Supreme Court in Manhattan to 44 charges of petty larceny, forgery and criminal possession of controlled substances.

The indictment compiled by the city's Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor includes 11 instances in which Malova allegedly forged prescriptions to obtain the painkiller Vicodin and the anti-anxiety drug clonazepam, which is marketed as Klonopin, using pads she stole from two psychiatrists she had been seeing.

The former beauty queen had been arrested in 2010 on similar charges in a case brought by the Manhattan District Attorney's office. That case is still pending.

The Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor began investigating Malova after one of the psychiatrists reported the theft of her pad.

Malova was crowned Miss Russia in 1998, and was a top-ten finalist in the Miss Universe pageant later that year. She later moved to New York to work as a model, said her attorney, Robert Gottlieb.

She had originally trained as a doctor in Russia but was not licensed to practice in the United States, he said.

The judge agreed on Tuesday to a request by Malova's attorney that she be evaluated for the state's judicial diversion program, in which she could avoid a potential jail sentence and have the charges dismissed, instead getting court-monitored treatment for drug addiction. The prosecution did not object to the evaluation.

"She has already begun very serious rehabilitation long before the indictment today," Gottlieb told Reuters after the hearing. "She has participated in in-patient treatment at a highly reputable treatment centers."

He said he hoped that Malova would be able to enter into the judicial diversion program without having to enter a guilty plea.

"She's not a citizen so in order to avoid her being deported we want to have criminal charges dismissed," Gottlieb said, adding that Malova is living in the United States on a green card that grants permanent residence.

Senator arrested for declaring himself winner!

State Security Service (SSS) operatives in Bayelsa State yesterday quizzed Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

Lokpobiri was arrested shortly after an interactive session with reporters at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Yenagoa.

Lokpobiri had declared himself winner of last Saturday's elections even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was still investigating irregularities reported in Ekeremo/Sagbama Senatorial district.

INEC, in a statement, said results declared in respect of Bayelsa West Senatorial District and Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency were declared in error.

The agency said the results were still being reviewed because of widespread irregularities reported during the elections.

The statement added that elections did not hold in four wards in Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, adding that there were cases of irregularities in some wards which made elections in the area inconclusive.

But Lokpobiri said elections were held in Ekeremo and Sagbama and threatened to sue INEC and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi, whom he accused of working for Labour Party (LP).

His words: "INEC has no right to review elections. It has no right to rely on security report. INEC is acting on the NSA's report. The NSA is working for LP; NSA has no legal authority to veto what INEC has done."

He said INEC's retuning officer in the district declared him winner.

"If INEC attempts to review the elections in Ekeremo; I will not hesitate to go to court."

INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega ordered for the arrest and prosecution of a serving Senator in Bayelsa State over alleged hijacking of election materials.

But Lokpobiri denied ever hijacking election materials. He said it was all lies and rumours by those opposed to his second tenure ambition.

Lokpobiri has since been released after pressures from Abuja.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency also declared himself winner contrary to INEC'S directives.

INEC has released the results of Bayelsa East and Brass/Nembe senatorial districts.

PDP's Clever Ikisikpo defeated LP's Navy Capt. Walter Feghabo with 64,342 votes. 

In Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency, Afongha Jepther of PDP won with 51,224 votes. LP had 7,650. Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) 2,268 and Congress for Progressive Change( CPC)  479. 

Other results released are Yenagoa/Kolokuma Opokuma Federal Constituency, where PDP's Warman Ogoriba had the highest votes of 19,340; LP 17,682; ACN 383; SDMP 294; CAP 269. 

In Ogbia Federal Constituency, Nadu Karimu of PDP won with 18,315, LP  7,363, and MPPP 163 votes.

Source: Click link below
»http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/33526.html

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

Police arrest 10 for printing Presidential poll ballot papers!

Ten people have been arrested in Utako, Abuja, where they were allegedly printing ballot papers for the forthcoming presidential election.

Residents of the area informed the police of the suspects' activities on Monday afternoon. When the police arrived at the scene, the printer and nine others said they were contractors for the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The electoral body, however, denied engaging any local contractors for the printing of ballot papers, leading to the arrest of the 10 suspects.

One of the suspects later confessed to the police that they were contracted to print the ballot papers by a politician on behalf of a top presidency official with the intent to circulate the materials in the north during the presidential election.

Source: Click link below»
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5689437-146/police_arrest_10_for_printing_presidential.csp

Corps members threaten to withdraw from elections in Delta!

Some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving as electoral officers in Delta State have threatened to withdraw their services in subsequent elections in the ongoing general election because of the ugly experiences they encountered during last Saturday's National Assembly election in the state.

Those who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune recounted their experiences, saying they were harassed and humiliated during the conduct of the exercise by thugs and some political youth leaders for their resolve not to compromise and dance to their tune.

Incidentally, some of them succumbed to intimidation to save their lives by allowing the youth leaders in some wards in Uvwie Local Government Area who allegedly forced the  electorate to vote for the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the area.

A female youth corps member, who preferred to be anonymous, lamented to the Nigerian Tribune that she was thoroughly beaten and her skirt torn to shreds at one of the units in the local government area for refusing to cooperate with some political leaders in the area.

"Some political leaders in the unit I served in Uvwie said I should allow them take the election materials into a room to thumb print but I refused. I insisted that the people must be allowed to vote.

"They became angry and descended on me. The policemen looked the other way apparently signifying that they had compromised. They eventually snatched the materials and ran only to return later with stuffed ballot boxes. What could I alone do?" she said.

Another youth corps member who served at one of the units in Ward 8 in Warri South Local Government Area of the state, said he was threatened severally and had to compromise by allowing the youth and political leaders dictate the process of the election.

"They were all over me, threatening that they would kill me and nothing would happen. They said the worst was that nobody will know who kill me because no investigations had been conclusively conducted in the cases of those that had been killed in the process of this election," he said.

According to most of the corps members spoken to, their resolve was to withdraw from the exercise and allow indigenes conduct the election the way they wanted and would not sacrifice their lives for nothing.

A top security officer confirmed the experiences of the corps members in the field, noting that majority of them had one tale or the other to recount and that reports to that effect had been forwarded to appropriate quarters.

Source: Click link below»
http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/20327-corps-members-threaten-to-withdraw-from-elections-in-delta

Court Clears Sammie Okposo!

African leading gospel star and United Nations Youth Ambassador for World Peace, Sammie Okposo has been cleared of making racist comments in an Aberdeen Restaurant during his honeymoon last year. Okposo was discharged and acquitted of all charges on April 8, 2011 at exactly 11.30am (U.K time) by the presiding judge in Aberdeen court. The judge said all evidences brought against him are insufficient, incoherent and baseless.The most surprising aspect of the court proceedings was that Okposo wasn't called upon at any time by the judge to step into the witness box.
 The judge pronounced his judgement after Okposo's lawyer, Ms Val Bremmer from Mackie and Dewar Solicitors cross examined the manager and the assistant manager of Jimmy Chung Restaurant and discovered that their testimonies were incoherent.
The statements of both the manager and the assistant manager of the restaurant at the court room were different from their previous statements made last year. The same restaurant manager that accused Sammie Okposo of being violent lost his temper in the court during the cross examination by the defence counsel. He was however cautioned by the judge.
Speaking on his victory over the court case when he returned to Lagos, Nigeria, Okposo said God has vindicated him. "The bible says no weapon formed against me shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against me in judgement He shall condemn. How can two people who have been working together in court for ten years confuse themselves in court? I give God all the glory that I have been vindicated and my name was not soiled".
This is the first time Okposo will ever be involved in a court case over the past two decades that he has been travelling round the world for musical concerts and other engagements.
Okposo was alleged to have caused alarm or distress to Ronny Shui Hung Yung by shouting, swearing and uttering racial remarks at the Aberdeen restaurant last year during his honeymoon. He was also accused of acting in a racially aggravated manner by Scottish Evening Express. Against the ethics of journalism, the paper published the story based on the reports of the restaurant's manager, whose unprofessional conduct has greatly been criticized, without listening to the other party and the eye witnesses.
The eye witness accounts said the singer with his wife and another couplearrived at the restaurant at exactly 4.30pm in the evening but were not aware that lunchtime ends by 5pm. This led to an argument while the attendant was trying to hurry them out of the restaurant. Witnesses said they questioned the attendant why she had not informed them when they arrived, saying they would probably have waited till 5pm before settling down in the restaurant.
 An argument later ensued between Sammie Okposo and the manager of the restaurant identified as Mr Ronny Shui Hung Yung over their poor customer service and for harassing his wife urging him to get another job if he is tired of running the restuarant. The manager later called the police that a racist statement had been made against him and when the police reportedly arrived at the scene 30mins after, they arrested Sammie Okposo without any interrogation.
Sammie Okposo's lawyer in Nigeria, Valentine Emeka Utulu of Johnson Bryant immediately raised a case of personal harassment and aggravation against the restaurant management and the violation of his human rights by the Aberdeen police. The lawyer petitioned the First Minister of Scotland (Minister of Justice) over the unlawful arrest of Okposo. The lawyer copied so many influential individuals like the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, The Queen of England, The Prime Minister of Great Britain, The Secretary General of The United Nations, The Nigerian Ambassador to The United Kingdom, The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Solicitor to The Advocate General of Scotland and The Chairman Federal House of Representatives Committee on Nigerians in the Diaspora

A True Life Story!

‎​A young lady was waiting for her flight in the boarding room of a big airport. As she would need to wait many hours, she decided to buy a book to spend her time. She also bought a packet of cookies. She sat down in an armchair, in the VIP room of the airport, to rest and read in peace. Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, a man sat down in the next seat, opened his magazine and started reading. When she took out the first cookie, the man took one also.
She felt irritated but said nothing. She just thought: "What a nerve! If I was in the mood I would punch him for daring!" For each cookie she took, the man took one too. This was infuriating her but she didn't want to cause a scene. When only one cookie remained, she thought: "ah... What would this abusive man do now?" Then, the man, taking the last cookie, divided it into half, giving her one half. Ah! That was too much! She was much too angry now! In a huff, she insulted the man, took her book, her things and stormed to the boarding place. When she sat down in her seat, inside the plane, she looked into her bag to take her eye glasses, and, to her surprise, her packet of cookies was there, untouched, unopened! She felt so ashamed!! She realized that she was wrong... She had forgotten that her cookies were kept in her bag. The man had divided his cookies with her, without feeling angered or bitter.
...while she had been very angry, thinking that she was dividing her cookies with him.
And now there was no chance to explain herself...nor to apologize."
There are 4 things that you cannot recover.
The stone...
...after the throw!
The word...
...after it's said!
The occasion...
... after the loss!
The time...
...after it's gone! Be careful ALWAYS!!!

Ivory Coast President Gbagbo Captured!!

US Senator John Kerry said Monday that Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo's capture gives his strife-torn country a chance at "a new beginning."

"This is an important step forward, but there will be challenges ahead and I urge President (Alassane) Ouattara to support a peaceful dialogue that will ensure the long-term stability and prosperity of Cote d'Ivoire," Kerry said.

Ouattara's forces, backed by French and UN troops, captured his besieged rival Gbagbo in Abidjan on Monday at the climax of a deadly five-month crisis.

"The detention of Laurent Gbagbo marks a new beginning for the Ivoirian people who have suffered gravely," said Kerry, a former presidential candidate who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"All citizens of Cote d'Ivoire must now come together to tackle the hard work of rebuilding their nation," said Kerry.

Gbagbo, who has held power since 2000 and stubbornly refused to admit defeat in November's presidential election, was detained and taken to his rival's temporary hotel headquarters, with his wife Simone and son Michel.


Source: Click link below»
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jFacVGv-SEXoIYqrCmpO1l_l6c5w?docId=CNG.740d17ecc56dea7e86ae6c9aaa0aed5e.2c1

Ivory Coast Strongman Captured!

French tanks advanced toward the bunker where Ivory Coast's strongman leader hung on to power Monday, marking the first time that forces from the former colonial ruler have become involved in the ground operation to oust him.

The French tanks rolled into Abidjan's city center one day after a second aerial bombardment struck his positions around the city. Forces loyal to internationally recognized President Alassane Ouattara joined the battle, attacking positions around the state television station and Gbagbo's home, local residents said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

Only several hundred yards (meters) from Gbagbo's mansion, locals said at least 10 armored vehicles flying the French flag drove through the neighborhood Monday morning, sending pro-Gbagbo gunmen fleeing. Two tanks took up a position at a key intersection, while the others advanced toward Gbagbo's home.

Not far away, pro-Ouattara fighters pushed toward the state television station in what appeared to be a coordinated action. However, a French military representative who asked not to be named because he is not permitted to comment on ongoing operations, denied that there was any coordination with Ouattara's forces.

There was no immediate comment from the French Defense Ministry on Monday's operations.

Not far away in the downtown Plateau business district, witnesses said they saw French vehicles and French soldiers clashing with pro-Gbagbo forces around the presidential palace.

An Associated Press reporter saw a column of 25 military vehicles including tanks and armored personal carriers leaving a French army base earlier Monday morning. Helicopter gunships flew repeated missions during the day and explosions echoed miles (kilometers) away.

The head of the United Nations and French President Nicolas Sarkozy authorized Sunday's helicopter strikes that continued late into the night, accusing Gbagbo of continuing to use heavy weapons against civilians in his bid to hang on to office more than four months after losing the presidential election.

A U.N. Security Council resolution passed last month authorized the use of force and Sunday's attack was the second round of aerial bombardments to that end.

Gbagbo has lost control of virtually the entire West African country over the last two weeks as forces loyal to internationally recognized winner Ouattara have swept down from the north and west into the commercial capital of Abidjan.

U.N. and French forces then joined the effort, and a first round of U.N. and French airstrikes destroyed much of his arsenal of tanks, mortars and other heavy weapons last week.

Forces loyal to Gbagbo had been encircled at the presidential residence but broke out on Saturday, ambushing a patrol of pro-Ouattara soldiers and advancing downtown. Pro-Gbagbo forces also attacked U.N. headquarters and the hotel where Ouattara's administration is based.—

Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
Source: Click link below»
http://www.aolnews.com/story/forces-capture-ivory-coast-strongman-in/909081/

Bayelsa: ACN, LP, others call for cancellation of results •Says REC must go!

THE Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Bayelsa State, Mr Edwin Nwatalari, on Sunday, came under fire, as opposition parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Labour Party (LP), called for his immediate removal, over alleged irregularities recorded during the conduct of the National Assembly election, on Saturday.

Protesting the conduct of the election, members of the opposition parties stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) secretariat, submitting that election did not hold in six local government areas of the state.

This is even as they said the results released by INEC, which saw the emergence of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner in Kolokuma/Opokuma/Yenagoa Federal constituency was characterised by irregularities.

Protesters, led by the gubernatorial candidate of the ACN, Dr Imoro Kubo and chieftains of the LP, lamented the use of security operatives and ex-militant leaders to intimidate as well as hijack election materials, especially in Southern/Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

The chairman of the LP, Addo Badou, accused the PDP-led government of using the instrument of office to manipulate votes in the state, adding that the whole essence of having credible election had been defeated.

Calling for the outright cancellation of the result, the protesters said this would be in the best interest of the people of the state, adding that in Ammasoma and some parts of southern Ijaw, the INEC officials took materials to some places without result sheets.

Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Nath Egba, described the allegation levelled against government officials as unfortunate and unfounded.

He said that instead of protesting, they should collate their evidence and in readiness for the tribunal that will hear their cases

Source: Click below
http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/20259-bayelsa-acn-lp-others-call-for-cancellation-of-results-says-rec-must-go

Reactions as Lagosians review Fashola's 1400-day stewardship!

Last week, traders, farmers, transport operators, artisans and public servants were among those that gathered at Onikan Stadium to mark Governor Babatunde Fashola's 1,400 days in office. 

The meeting provided an avenue for participants to evaluate the performance of the Fashola-led administration and its impacts on their lives.

Also, an array of officers of the state service agencies, and voluntary associations had a colourful parade. 

Mr. Kunle Hassan said he could have died of kidney ailment if the state government did not intervene in his case. He narrated how the state government sponsored his medical trip to India, where he underwent kidney transplant successfully at the cost of N5m. 

Another resident, Mr. John Omokolawole, said he took advantage of Lagos State Agriculture Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES), which empowered him to eke a living after wandering about streets after graduation in 2008 because he could not get a job. "I keyed into Agric-YES. The form was even free. I was selected after the exams. Now, I am living a meaningful life." 

Miss. Uzoma Okere who was assaulted by naval officers attached to Commodore Harry Arogundage on September 30, 2008 also spoke on how the Lagos State Office of Public Defence took her case up and pursued it to a logical end. And almost two years after, Okere f got justice in a state High Court, which awarded a claim of N100 million against the naval officers and their institution. 

She said she could have been assaulted and harassed without justice if the state Office of Public Defence initiative was not "conceived, established and effectively operated to help the downtrodden in the state. "Even though I am not from Lagos, I benefitted from the state's people-oriented policies. I was beaten. Governor Fashola heard about how the naval officers dragged me down from my car and assaulted me. He directed the OPD to intervene. I got free legal service from the state and a N100 million claim". 

A number of other actors in the informal sector flooded the stadium to appreciate government's policies, which they claimed better their lives. 

They therefore spoke on the need to ensure that the state "does not fall into the hands of political jobbers who have no record of accomplishment, but now seeking to experiment with Lagos."

 Fashola urged the people to protect their votes.

"I have had the privilege to serve you. Our votes remain the safest weapons to protect and preserve our common patrimony."

He stressed that those present at the event represented "the inclusiveness and participatory nature of government and democracy in Lagos. The transformation that has won our state honours and recognition within and outside our fatherland has been delivered by that participation and inclusiveness which has allowed everybody to contribute to the development of our commonwealth. 

"You have been the pillars of the successes of our administration. You have lived together peacefully, respecting each other's diversity. This has indeed made it possible for this government to deploy the inherent advantages of that diversity to propel our state towards progress and prosperity through the various policies and programmes that have touched many lives in a most rewarding way at different levels," he explained. 

He noted that in the last 100 days, the appropriation law for 2011 to give effect to the budget that will consolidate the gains already made has been signed saying that the state government has set about the implementation in its usual methodical and efficient manner to bring about much impact. 

Fashola cited the case of Mushin, where he said his administration "has handed over the 17- Skills Acquisition Centre built to provide skill development, technical education and self-employment opportunities to the youths just as a facility that comprises a school and clinic for the physically challenged children in Owode-Elede has been opened.

 The governor added that three mini-water works with a capacity for two million gallons of water daily each to service at least 500 homes were handed over in Ifako Ijaiye, Ikorodu and Badore.

In the last 100 days, medical missions have been working in Epe, Oshodi and Shomolu, to bring healthcare services closer to thousands of citizens without a charge. This is a clearer evidence of taxes being put to work. Fortnight ago, we engaged 507 degree holders in such basic subjects as English, Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry. The teachers have undergone special innovative conversion course to enable them acquire required skills in teaching methodologies and techniques," Fashola said.

The governor announced their deployment to public schools to run special extension classes for students who are preparing for Secondary School Certificate (SSCE).

 In Ibeju Lekki and Eti-Osa, new blocks of classrooms have been delivered to provide a more conducive learning environment with libraries and laboratories while partnership with the private sector has also delivered another new school in Dolphin/Ijeh area of Lagos. 

As a proof of commitment to the people, Fashola said he had inspected newly deployed innovative technology adopted to construct a ramp from Ozumba Mbadiwe Road to Falomo Bridge  to solve crisis of traffic congestion which always plague the Nigerian Law School intersection.

"Our administration has improved our capacity for road maintenance as more roads are daily being rehabilitated and repaired as we simply get better each day. We have restored hope to the middle class settlement of Adeniran Ogunsanya with a new road, and a rejuvenated shopping centre as we are also about to complete and handover Ogunlana Drive, while work is going on in Akerele and Bode Thomas."

Fashola also cited a number of road works undertaken in Fashoro and Mba Street in Idi- Araba and Mushin and some in Ijeshatedo, Agiliti, Agege and other parts of Lagos, which he said, are at different stages of completion. On water transportation, he said more ferries, which will operate from Ikorodu to Ebute –Ero in 17 minutes, had been procured to be added to the existing six while government also expects to deliver more ferries.  

Also, the state government has formally launched the Lagos Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that gives it enormous capacity in land administration, urban and town planning and so many other opportunities. Fashola explained that the project has captured in photographic form, every building and every inch of land that exist in the state as well as the length and depth of all its entire waterways. 

Fashola expressed gratitude to all Lagos residents, all members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and his immediate predecessor, Bola Tinubu, whom he described as an ardent architect of the present transformation currently taking place "in different parts and sectors of our state of aquatic splendor. It is a fitting coincidence that the 1400-day event also falls on the birthday of my predecessor."

Ministry of Information and Strategy Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ranti Odutola said the administration "has 60 more days in office to complete its four-year term with good records of stewardship. She described it as one whose belief and value "are on the principle of utilitarianism, saying that the administration has performed beyond people's expectation and political rivals within its short period in office. 
Source: Click link below»
http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=31877

Jonathan condoles victims of suleja blast.

Speaking at the Abuja University Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, while visiting victims of the Friday Suleja bomb blast, President Goodluck Jonathan reiterated that the perpetrators will be made to face the law.

He also expressed happiness at how citizens turned out en-mass to choose those to represent them at the federal level during the weekend, despite all the setbacks. He noted that during subsequent elections all hitches witnessed last week would have been cut down as all mistakes would have been corrected.

Mr Jonathan, who arrived at the Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital at 2:16 pm, was received by the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Peter Alabi. He was accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Adetokunbo Ademola and senior Presidency aides. He offered words of sympathy to each of the 14 victims. Speaking to journalists after signing the hospital guestbook, Mr Jonathan expressed sadness that anyone would want to cut down the future and hope of Nigeria by hurting its youth.

A ray of hope

"As regards the elections, we all are happy that despite some setbacks that were witnessed, Nigerians generally are happy that at least they can decide who will represent them or who will govern them. I believe that by 2015 when elections are conducted in this country some of the hiccups we witnessed on Saturday would have abated. I also believe that any subsequent election, one coming up this Saturday and upper Saturday will definitely improve on this. So, for that I'm quite happy.

"But having inspected the hospital wards, and I have seen young people who are serving their nation just caught up in these dastardly act by some antisocial elements I feel sad. These are young people in the prime of their life. The hope and future of Nigeria. For anybody targeting the youth is targeting the country.

"They don't mean well for the nation. Well, in all societies we have such people but as a government we make sure that we would look out for them and God willing we would get them, not all but some of them. And they would face the law," he said.

Mr Jonathan promised that the federal government would pick the hospital bill of the victims and subsequently take care of those incapacitated.

"For the injured the government will take care of all their medical bills and by the time they are okay, we would look at their conditions, the ones that are having pressure to take care of themselves, with what I have seen government will definitely assist," the President said.

Meanwhile, the Movement for Democratic Sustainability (MDS) has described the outcome of elections as the clearest indication that the Goodluck Jonathan administration is committed to delivering on its promises of conducting the freest and fairest election in Nigeria's history.

The non-governmental organisation in a statement in Lagos after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced some of the results of the National Assembly polls, said that upsets which the elections threw up has not only vindicated the administration, but is also a radical departure from the traditions of past administrations that were not receptive to changes.

According to the publicity secretary of the MDS, Afam Iheanacho, "The transparency of the election has shamed divisive elements and pull-the-house-down politicians who had doubted the credibility of INEC and tried to instigate Nigerians not to venture out for the election following the shift in the polls penultimate week."

Praising Nigerians for their maturity which was demonstrated by the huge number of voters that turned up for the elections across the federation, the MDS said that "no bombing or other terrorist acts would stop Nigerians from exercising their franchise which this administration has vowed to guarantee by ensuring a transparent process."

Source: Click the link below»
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5688561-147/jonathan_condoles_victims_of_suleja_blast.csp

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

Bankole, Obasanjo-Bello, Braimoh lose re-election bids Details!

House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole and Sen. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello led the pack of candidates who lost their re-election bids in Saturday's National Assembly polls, according to results releasesd by INEC on Sunday.

In the Abeokuta South Federal Constituency, Williams Olusegun of the ACN polled 28,490 ballots to defeat PDP's Bankole, who got 23,103 votes, folowed by Afolabi Ogundimu of the PPN with 3,915 ballots.

Gbenga Obadara of the ACN polled 102, 389 votes in the Ogun Central Senatorial District to beat Obasanjo-Bello of the PDP, who garnered 56,312 ballots, while Monday Ijaduoye (PPN) got 27,182.

In the Bokkos/Mangu Federal Constituency in Plateau, Jonathan Aminu (PDP) polled 78,772 votes, beating James Ayuba (LP), who had 72,920.

Mr Herbert Akintoye of the PDP scored 31,153 in the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Consituency in Ondo State to defeat  Oladele Olatunji (LP), 26,262; Morenike Akala Omoyiwola (ACN), 3,665; Ikuewumi Rotimi (ANPP), 412 and Olabamidele Akindele (CPC), 551 votes.

In the Gombe Central Senatorial District, Gov. Mohammed Goje (PDP) won the election, beating three other contenders.

Announcing the results in Kumo, headquarters of Akko Local Government, the Returning Officer, Alhaji Ahmed Dukku, said Goje garnered 84,347 votes to defeat Sa'ad Mohammad (ANPP), 50,080; Mohammad Babakir (CPC), 40,145 and Malam Babadija Kashere (LP), 1,462 votes.

In the results for Akko Federal Constituency, also released in Kumo, Alhaji Usman Bello of the PDP emerged victorious, polling 48559 votes.

The Returning Officer, Mr Yusuf Bachama, said Malam Mohammed Magaji of the ANPP scored 30,245 votes, followed by Mr Mohammed Bose (CPC) with 16,705 votes.

In the Kaduna Central Senatorial District, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Sani Saleh (CPC) polled 265 ballots, while Hamisu Mairago (PDP) got 115 votes.

Sen. Yisa Braimoh, the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Art, Culture and National Orientation, who contested on the PDP platform, equally lost his re-election bid for the Edo North Senatorial District seat.

Dr Domingo Obede of the ACN polled 111,535 ballots to win the election.

For the Etsako Federal Constituency, also in Edo, the ACN candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Momoh, scored 52, 657 votes to beat Mr Abass Momoh of the PDP, who got 24,129 votes.

The victory gave Momoh another opportunity to return to the House of Representatives after losing a return bid in 2007.

Source: Click link below»
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/04/nass-polls-bankole-obasanjo-bello-braimoh-lose-re-election-bids-2/

Horrible Revelations as UN, French fire on Gbagbo residence in Ivory Coast!

Forces loyal to Ivory Coast's democratically elected president killed hundreds of civilians, raped his rival's supporters and burned villages during an offensive launched in the country's west, a human rights group said.

Human Rights Watch, in a report obtained by The Associated Press late Saturday, called on Alassane Ouattara to investigate and prosecute abuses by his forces and those supporting his rival, strongman Laurent Gbagbo.

The group also said that forces loyal to Gbagbo killed more than 100 civilians to retaliate against pro-Ouattara fighters who launched a major offensive advancing toward Abidjan.

Gbagbo is holed up in a bunker in his residence in Abidjan. After a decade in power, he still refuses to step aside even though the United Nations has ruled that he lost the November presidential election to Ouattara.

After four months of diplomacy, Ouattara gave the go-ahead for a military intervention led by fighters from a former rebel group. They swept across the country, advancing hundreds of miles (kilometers) and taking dozens of cities in a matter of days before being held up at the door of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's biggest and most strategically important city.

"While the international community has been focused on the political stalemate in Abidjan over the presidency, forces on both sides have committed numerous atrocities against civilians, their leaders showing little interest in reining them in," said Daniel Bekele, Human Rights Watch Africa director.

People interviewed by the group described how pro-Ouattara forces "summarily executed and raped perceived Gbagbo supporters in their homes, as they worked in the fields, as they fled, or as they tried to hide in the bush."

The report said that many of the abuses occurred from March 6-30, as villages in the west including Toulepleu, Doke, Blolequin, Duekoue and Guiglo fell to pro-Ouattara forces.

The U.N. said peacekeepers and human rights officials discovered about 60 bodies in the western town of Guiglo. The U.N. human rights agency said another 40 corpses were found lying the street in Blolequin, and many of them had been shot. Fifteen other bodies were found in Duekoue, where violence already has left at least 229 dead in recent weeks.

The rebels were going from house to house, ordering people to come out and breaking down doors in Duekoue's Carrefour neighborhood, a stronghold of the militia.

The report said that many were targeted for their ethnicity and Ouattara's Republican forces have killed, raped, and pillaged the predominantly Guere population, who largely supported Gbagbo in the election. Abuses continued through March, culminating in the massacre of hundreds in Douekoue on March 29, the report said.

On March 27, heavy gunfire erupted around Duekoue, set in the middle of lush tropical forest in the southwest corner of Ivory Coast, as the rebels advanced.

"They came into our neighborhood on the Monday. That day they were only searching out and killing young men and boys — with guns," Philomene Houe, a 39-year-old soap maker told AP.

"It wasn't until the Tuesday that they started killing anyone — mothers with children. My neighbor on one side, a young woman, was shot along with her 6-month-old baby. My other neighbor, an old man who must be 70 years old, they also shot him."

On Sunday, rebels at roadblocks in Carrefour were armed with Kalashnikov rifles, AK-47's, shotguns, hunting rifles and knives. They stood across from homes charred shells of homes.

Thousands of people gathered at the Roman Catholic Mission of St. Theresa of the Baby Jesus, which has become a refuge for 30,000 people. Rice was being distributed and Medecins Sans Frontieres had set up a clinic.

Ouattara had long tried to distance himself from the northern-based fighters taking up his cause who fought in a brief civil war almost a decade ago that left the country split in two. Those fighters were accused of many atrocities at the time. But he appeared to change tack as the rebel fighters, which he renamed the "Republican Forces," began their lightning assault on Abidjan.

In recent weeks, a pro-Gbagbo militia had also been targeting Ouattara supporters, refugees told the AP.

On March 28, pro-Gbagbo forces massacred more than 100 people in Blolequin, and killed 10 more northerners and West African immigrants in the town of Guiglo, the group said.

"To understand the tragic events in Ivory Coast, a line cannot be drawn between north and south, or supporters of Gbagbo and Ouattara," Bekele said. "Unfortunately, there are those on both sides who have shown little regard for the dignity of human life."

In the report, Human Rights Watch called on Ouattara to "take decisive measures to address serious violations of international law by all forces, prevent further reprisals and acts of collective punishment, and urgently investigate and prosecute all those responsible for abuses."

More than a million people have fled their homes since the November elections, with some 130,000 cross the border to Liberia.

Source: Click link below»
http://www.aolnews.com/story/un-french-fire-on-gbagbo-residence-in/909081/

'Miracle Kid' After Surviving Disastrous Sled Ride

Six-year-old Ashlyn Maas has the kind of bright smile that makes everyone around her grin, too. The first-grader loves to read, play games and make people laugh. She brings her parents nothing but joy.

That joy was almost lost in December 2009 when a playful sled ride down a hill in their backyard in northeastern Pennsylvania ended with Ashlyn slamming into a fallen tree. A seven-inch branch snapped off into the little girl's head, piercing through her right eye and into her skull.

 Ashlyn, then 5, was rushed by ambulance to the local emergency room, where doctors told her parents to "prepare for the worst." She was then airlifted to Janet Weis Children's Hospital at Geisinger in Danville. A CT scan showed the branch was embedded several inches into her brain, and doctors feared she would lose her eye and have permanent brain damage, Maas said.
"It was just one of those freak accidents," her father, Wally Maas, told AOL News in a telephone interview today.

"She had to go down the hill by herself, which she had done before. But then the sled turned and I couldn't run down fast enough. ... She hit the tree. It was terrible. I picked her up and finally got her back to the house. It felt like it took forever."

At Geisinger, neurosurgeons worked to remove the branch, which they discovered had missed all her major arteries, her father said. Eye surgeons then came in and learned her eyeball itself was still intact, though it was unclear whether she'd be able to see again.

 But within weeks, Ashlyn had recovered completely, her vision and brain function intact.

"I'm absolutely shocked at how well she has recovered," Michael Ryan, Geisinger's chief of pediatrics, told local newspaper the Times-Tribune for a story published today. "Someone was watching out for that little girl."

In honor of her amazing recovery, Ashlyn was named one of the Children's Miracle Network at Geisinger's "Miracle Kids." The group held its annual kickoff luncheon last week, featuring Ashlyn and three other local children. The official Children's Miracle Network celebration will be held in June.

The Maas family is looking forward to helping the hospital that helped their family when they needed it most.

"It's something I wouldn't wish on any of my enemies, to pick one of your children up like that and be so powerless that you can't do anything," Wally Maas told AOL News.

"But then we left her to the doctors, to all the staff, and they were amazing. They notified us after any procedure was done. They made us feel like we were right at home, bringing us chairs, setting up beds, feeding us.

"And now, it's just something that happened to her. Everything is fine. She's just a regular, normal, 6-year-old girl."

Source: Click link below»
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/10/ashlyn-maas-called-miracle-kid-after-surviving-disastrous-sled/

Edo State: Soldiers intercept electoral materials!Edo State: Soldiers intercept electoral materials!

Soldiers deployed in Edo State during the National Assembly elections on Saturday intercepted a truckload of electoral materials allegedly meant for three states at Igbegun junction in Igueben Local Government Area of the state.

Royal wedding: Guest list emerge!

Soccer star David Beckham will be there with his pop star wife Victoria. Elton John is attending with partner David Furnish. And the Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala will be there too, probably one of the few guests at the wedding of the year wearing orange Buddhist robes.

The guest list for the April 29 union of Prince William and Kate Middleton is still being kept secret, but details have begun to leak out, with some coming forward to say they are attending and the Mail on Sunday newspaper claiming to have the official invitation roster.

The palace dismissed the newspaper's list as speculation.

It won't be clear until the day how the royal couple has balanced the protocol demands that they invite statesmen, diplomats, religious leaders, politicians and the like with invitations to the people they really want to see, particularly the crowd they made friends with when they met and fell in love at St. Andrews University in Scotland.

Kate Reardon, editor of high-society magazine Tatler, said many prominent Britons acted as if they didn't really care about receiving an invitation while secretly checking the mail every day to see if the coveted embossed invite had arrived.

"Everyone's been hoping," she said.

The Mail on Sunday list describes an eclectic mix — everyone from fabulously wealthy friends of Prince Charles to a favored bartender and a yoga instructor from the Caribbean island of Mustique, long a hideaway for royals and rockers alike.

William and Middleton have showed their modern side by inviting a number of close friends, including some former sweethearts, the newspaper said.

The wedding is not technically a state event, which somewhat limits the protocol requirements applied to the guest list. But royal obligations still dictate that a large number of the 1,900 or so seats go to guests from the world of politics, not actual friends of the couple.

The couple have also invited many guests from the charities they work with, and Middleton has used her influence to invite the butcher, shopkeeper and pub owner from her home village of Bucklebury.

Some guests, like leading religious figures, have to be invited because of the magnitude of the event, even if they don't actually have a friendship with the royal family. Seelawimala, for example, has never met the couple, though he certainly hopes to when the big day comes. The head priest at the London Buddhist Vihara temple has been invited primarily to show the royal family and the British government's respect for Buddhist tradition.

"I'm very excited and a little bit nervous to take part in such a joyous occasion," Seelawimala said. "I would like to meet them, but I know they may not have a chance to meet all of their guests."

Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks also plans to attend, his office said, along with other religious figures. It is expected that the list will include Islamic and Hindu leaders as well as those from other faiths.

Guest lists have a way of expanding. Prime Minister David Cameron, has been invited, of course — so it would have been bad form not to invite Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. The leader of the opposition, Ed Miliband, can't be left out or the royals could be accused of showing favoritism.

The Mail on Sunday said Queen Elizabeth II has invited 50 guests, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla chose another 250, the same number as William and Middleton invited, while Middleton's family made another 100 invitations. Europe's royal families, long close to the Windsors, are expected to be well represented.

Some have declined invitations, including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper — who is in the middle of an election campaign — and, reportedly, the King of Bahrain, whose country has faced serious unrest. Officials have declined to comment on his plans.

It is not clear if treasured Brits from the world of stage and screen — and pop music — will be on the list.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said he does not expect stars like Sean Connery and Paul McCartney to be invited unless they have a real relationship with the royal family.

Elton John has been invited apparently because of his friendship with the late Princess Diana, he said.

"William is trying to do everything he can to honor his late mother at the wedding," Little said, citing William's decision to place his late mother's engagement ring on Middleton's finger.

"But really we don't know much. A lot of it is conjecture at this point. And William is not very celebrity oriented. I think there will be a lot of faces at the wedding that we don't know."—

Aaron Edwards contributed to this report.

Source: Click link below»
http://www.aolnews.com/story/british-royal-wedding-guest-list-details/1401051/

Royal wedding: Guest List Arrives!

Source: Click link below»
http://www.aolnews.com/story/british-royal-wedding-guest-list-details/1401051/

Kwara’s naked politics!

The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has had to deny, twice in less than two months, that it was planning to circulate fake nude pictures of Senator Rukayat Gbemisola Saraki. 

Ms Saraki is the governorship candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).

The allegation was first made in February when Senator Saraki and her ACPN raised alarm that the PDP, fronted in the state by her brother and incumbent governor, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had perfected plans to distribute mocked-up images of her in lurid stages of undress to portray her as unfit to become governor.

A similar allegation was made last week preparatory to the cancelled National Assembly elections.  According to ACPN's Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abdulahi Oganija, "the plot which included an anti-female governor procession to the metropolis from the mosque after Jumat on Friday (April 1) was allegedly being coordinated by the wife of a highly placed top shot of the PDP in the state."

A meeting was purportedly held at the Kwara State Government House lodge in the afternoon of Tuesday last week where strategies to use against the ACPN werediscussed, including details of the publication of a fake nude photograph of Gbemi Saraki and the recruitment of young men who would carry placards from the Ilorin Central Mosque after Jumat with the shout of  "no to a woman governor in a Muslim state".

The statement concluded that the PDP had been planning to publish fake nude photographs of the ACPN gubernatorial candidate for some time, but each time it planned to release the publication the information leaked.

Like it did in February, the Kwara PDP was quick to deny any such plans. 

The party called the allegation malicious and a calculated attempt to paint it in a bad light. In its defence, the PDP said it had "no business or otherwise in the circulation of a nude photograph of a candidate, rather its focus is on how to consolidate on the dividends of democracy already put in place by the PDP-led government in the state."

ACPN was therefore, "strongly advised to base its campaign on issues rather than carrying rumour against the PDP which cannot be substantiated".

Among the dirty weapons used in Nigerian politics where there are no decent rules of engagement are real and doctored pictures of political opponents. There was that famous video of Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, allegedly taken while he was swearing to an oath at the notorious Okija Shrine. 

Sometimes in 2009, a newspaper published the nude picture of Wale Alausa, a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly at a shrine. He and several of his colleagues who were then plotting to remove Governor Gbenga Daniel were reported to have sworn to an oath of allegiance to the governor before things fell apart.

A disgraced Alausa later called a press conference where he declared that he was led like a sheep to the slaughter by Daniel vowing to pay the governor back in his own coin for leaking the picture. 

Alausa and his sympathisers, known as G15 in the House, threatened to also publish nude photographs of Daniel taken at the shrine.  They argued that they had restrained from making the photographs public before then because they did not want to embarrass the state. 

Almost two years after, no such photograph of Daniel has seen the light of day. 

Then there was an obviously fake picture of two men in homosexual tryst circulated early this year by opponents of Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa. The image showed the face of Yakowa superimposed on a man having anal sex with another man. In their desperation to drive their point home, those behind the mischief hung portraits of Yakowa and his wife on the wall. The image became viral on the Internet and mobile phones with some people actually believing it.

Another subject of nude picture scandal is the House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife. A video was recently published on you tube of two women having sex. The authors of the report claimed Ekwunife was one of the women. It took the intervention of the State Security Service (SSS) and threat of severe punishment for those behind it to pull it out of circulation.

As bad as the other cases may be, none of them holds a candle to the allegation by Gbemi Saraki. The stone she is throwing at the PDP over the nude picture saga lands straight at the doorstep of her elder brother, Bukola Saraki who is the political leader of the party in Kwara. She left the party over the governor's insistence that she would not succeed him. The ensuing battle saw her and their father, Chief Olusola Saraki, dump the PDP to pitch tents with ACPN.

Chief Saraki was instrumental to his son becoming governor, a gesture he wanted to extend to his daughter. Oloye, as the father is called, is both the political and spiritual leader of ACPN. 

Officially, Bukola and Gbemi are both products of the seeds Oloye planted in Florence Morenike Saraki. While the governor was born in England in 1962, the senator was birthed in Lagos in 1964.

Governor Saraki is contesting today's National Assembly election to replace his sister as the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District. But he would rather have AbdulFatah Ahmed take over from him in Government House.

Their father has spent money, built structures and has over the years determined who got what in Kwara State. This time around, he wants Gbemi to be governor the same way he singlehandedly installed Bukola in 2003.

Release of nude pictures is not the only alarm Gbemisola has raised against the government led by her brother. There are also issues of the N1.35billion loan, vote manipulation and neglect of workers. 

Gbemi too has baggage of her own. There are questions about what happened to her marriage to Segun Fowora and allegations that she got too friendly with some of her colleagues at the National Assembly. 

We may be forced to hear more about that in the sibling rivalry going on in Kwara if the nude picture drama does not achieve the desired effect.

Source: Click link below»
http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=31810

Suspected Nigerian bomb-maker killed in blast!

A Nigerian suspected of building bombs to disrupt elections on Saturday was killed when one of the devices exploded prematurely, police in the northern city of Kaduna said on Friday.

In the election run-up, there have been isolated bomb attacks on campaign rallies, violence blamed on a radical sect in the remote northeast and sectarian clashes in the centre of a country roughly split between a Muslim north and Christian south.

Police said they had made 12 arrests after the explosion late on Thursday in a largely Christian neighbourhood of Kaduna, but did not identify any group behind the blast.

"We think they were planning something to disrupt the elections," said a senior police source who did not want to be identified. "We are still investigating".

Another man was hurt in the Kaduna blast and taken for questioning. Mohammed Ahmed, 25, told reporters the suspected bomber was a friend of his, but did not explain why he had a bomb. Ahmed did not admit taking part in any plot.

The parliamentary election on Saturday, delayed a week because of a logistical fiasco, is the first of three votes this month in Africa's most populous nation.

President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to win re-election on April 16. His candidacy is opposed by some in the north who wanted a candidate from the region. Jonathan took office a year ago after the death of the former president, a northerner.


Source: CLick link below»
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFLDE7371GB20110408

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.