President Jonathan, I G Onovo and the Kidnapping Matter
The ordinary Nigerian on a daily basis, earns less than 100 U.S cents, equivalent to 60 British pence, or roughly ₦140, which is less than a dollar.
A few weeks ago, at the University of Port Harcourt, something terrible happened to two students. For not being able to complete the remaining ₦100 on a cell phone debt, a student was beaten to death along with his friend by another group of students.
These are the realities in Nigeria at a time the nation is struggling to return to Nigeria the former MD/CEO of the Intercontinental Bank, Erastus Akingbola, an alleged escapee now in London.
While the ordinary Nigerian struggles to earn ₦10,000 monthly, Akingbola is reportedly allowed ₦1.4million naira for his monthly expenses while relaxing in his London residence. Assets of £83 million or $126 million belonging to Akingbola were recently confiscated by a London Court. A contrast between two extremes!
As these harsh differences between the very poor and the exceedingly rich continue, the nation now seethes with the new phenomenon of kidnapping.
The latest was a seven-day national ordeal which involved the abduction of four journalists who reported had an unusually large amount of cash in their possession. This terrifying development had an emotional toll to an already nervous nation.
I.G Onovo’s Psychological Warfare
The episode held the entire country spellbound, including the psychological warfare waged by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo.
The journalists owe their release to this man! In spite of the fragile state of the Nigerian Police Force, representative of a chronically distressed society, Onovo’s tactics and leadership worked against the captors of the now-released journalists.
It mattered little if the any of the nation’s security management had a useable tracking device, or if any technical assistance was sort from an international or outside security agency was forthcoming.
The President’s recent statement that it will soon procure contemporary security technology to help control criminal activities like kidnapping is a good thing.
The President also recently pledged to put the military to use against those who abduct individuals such as foreign oil workers and contractors, which is how kidnapping began. The President’s recent show broadside aimed at kidnapping, whose new targets now include wealthy and middle-class Nigerians is welcomed.
As you may be aware of, we now know why what could be called the Onovo’s Rescue Manual with all of its outmoded tactics as in house-to-house; bush-to-bush search was the best alternative to fight the current wave of abduction.
According to Onovo, the police currently lacks the “necessary equipment,” and it is no wonder that a report from the four journalists revealed that the captors had more “sophisticated” weapons and devices than a law enforcement body like the Police.
Types of Kidnapping
Truth be told, the Nigerian style of kidnapping is a felony that appears to be very distinct in its nature, features and operations.
The Nigerian style abduction, at least, at this time is mostly in the image of what could viewed as:
* Arranged kidnapping with systematic and sequential approaches;
* Unorganized Kidnapping with marks of irregularity as in the spur-of-the-moment or sudden kidnapping of any one;
* Media-driven kidnapping as in a highly hyped and published name of a person with sudden wealth, focused on by criminals;
* Ludicrous kidnapping with ridiculous and bizarre characteristics as in a father abducting a son to get reward from a rich relative;
* Sensational kidnapping with marks of high-level acts like abducting an infant child; Message-driven kidnapping with purported information and concerns about the painful conditions in a society;
* Chance kidnapping with marks of opportunity and probability that the targeted victim is the right target;
* Sadistic kidnapping with marks of severe brutality and possible extermination of the captive,
* Compensatory kidnapping with marks of pure business like dealings;
* Humiliating kidnapping slanted on dishonoring and shaming a powerful, politically or socially placed individual;
* Ritual kidnapping with marks of illicit customary characteristics; and
* Conspiratory kidnapping as in a collaborative arrangement between disgruntled officials and bandits.
The common thread that passes through each style of kidnapping is the moment-to-moment emotion of not being a moneyed person, and the penchant for sudden riches, in the manner of those who became wealthy suddenly through corrupt or fraudulent practices.
Feelings of Inequality
People in general, perceive the nation as an oil-based economy where money should go around especially among the laboring working-class Nigerians.
As such, there appears to be this psychological pressure for some Nigerians to become soft invitees to crime, leaving them open to a quick entry into the illegal world of abduction. It appears that some hungry students from higher institutions, a few university students and some poverty-bound police officers with free and dangerous weapons now operate in the abduction trafficking.
These vulnerable Nigerians read the News papers and see articles about alleged billions of naira stolen by their fellow Nigerians.
Just imagine what goes through the mind of a university dropout due to financial problems, what emotions are felt by an unemployed graduate or a police officer with a monthly belated salary ranging from ₦8,000 to ₦21,000, when news of politicians like Senator Saminu Turaki reportedly amassed extra-ordinary wealth.
Turaki, the ex-Governor of Jigawa State allegedly looted ₦6 billion of State money in one day. In one day!
Perhaps the President feels for those enormously rich Nigerians who have to result into extreme precautions like the use of expensive German shepherds and armored cars in an attempt to protect themselves, their cash, wives, and children.
Young men and women by their very nature have so much energy or oomph, and pray for a state of liveliness. But when, some of them cannot pay for a basic living, or even purchase adequate food, shoes or clothing their vulnerable spirit might drive them to criminality.
And the President was right, some of these rebellious young men and women make these heavily guarded Nigerians their possible targets.
In a complicated society like Nigeria where people have a little trust in the Police, and where police informants are reportedly frequently killed, it is easier for captives to identify quickly with their captors emotionally.
In the same vein, captives secretly pay for their freedom at all costs and as a result of fear, protect the captors’ identity, especially when many kidnappers appears better armed than the nation’s Police.
As long as Nigeria remains a giant risk internally and among nations the threat of cyclical crimes such as extortion or abduction leaves the nation in a security-based dilemma leaving people feeling vulnerable.
Needed Reforms
Pesidential executive orders are needed to address the perilous state of security in the nation.
All private GSM Telecommunication device operators should install circuitry to quickly point out and locate the origin, and place of an incoming call, thereby making any telephone-oriented crime easy to detect.
Instead of trying to start a new senior police college, it should be delayed for now and the money invested in security measures for routine police work. This could begin with setting ₦40,000 naira as the basic salary for an entry level police constable with secondary school certificate.
Bullet proof vests for the Police become vital as the streets, banks, rural and urban areas are becoming more and more dangerous for the patrol officer.
The government should work effectively towards more electrical power to reduce darkness that kidnappers and other criminals thrive in. With expanded electricity generation, what better way to reduce unemployment?
Authorities should also work towards communications’ enhancement for the police to increase the detection rate for kidnapping to those of Western countries.
Nigerian should establish State policing in the nation, since local authorities tend to work better in coordinating local-driven occurrences that include crimes of kidnapping.
The security crisis requires the authorities to provide a steady step and bold moves in a national battle against the new type of criminal.
~ By John Oshodi
John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and the Interim Associate Dean of Behavioral Science, North Campus, Broward College, Coconut Creek, Florida. joshodi@broward.edu
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
World Water Activists Urge the UN General Assembly to Vote for the Human Right to Water and Sanitation
23 Jul 2010 09:00 Africa/Lagos
World Water Activists Urge the UN General Assembly to Vote for the Human Right to Water and Sanitation
NEW YORK, July 23, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
WHAT: Tele-press Conference
WHEN: Monday, July 26th at 08:00 -4GMT (New York, EST)
HOW: Contact Denise Hughes: Denise@creative-connectors.com, +1-917-549-2621, to R.S.V.P. or arrange an interview. Conference-Call-In- Number: +1-613-234-9374 Code - 973949 followed by the number sign.
WHO: Maude Barlow is the founder of the Blue Planet Project, Chair of the Board of Food & Water Watch, and Chair of The Council of Canadians. She was the Senior Advisor on Water to the 63rd President of the United Nations General Assembly. Her book, Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, argues that the water crisis - together with climate change - poses one of the gravest threats to humanity.
Vandana Shiva is a world-renowned environmental leader. Director of the Research Foundation on Science, Technology, and Ecology, she is the author of Water Wars: Pollution, Profit. In Water Wars, she analyzes the historical erosion of communal water rights and exposes the destruction of the earth and the disenfranchisement of the world's poor. She also reveals how many of the most significant conflicts of our time are fought over water.
Pablo Solón Romero is Ambassador of Bolivia to the United Nations. Previously, he was Bolivia's Ambassador for issues concerning Integration and Trade. He was the Secretary of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) during Bolivia's Presidency of that institution and served as President Evo Morales's delegate in the Strategic Reflection Committee for South American Integration (2006). Ambassador Solón has been a social activist and worked for several years on human rights issues.
Background
On July 28, for the first time the UN General Assembly will debate and vote on an historic resolution supporting the right to "safe, clean, drinking water and sanitation" that was presented on June 17 by Pablo Solón, the Bolivian Ambassador to the UN, and co-sponsored by at least 30 countries. This resolution would redress the omission of water as a human right from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The U.S., UK and Canada are standing against the resolution and influencing others to their position, threatening to divide the world body along North-South lines. Expressing concern, Maude Barlow says, "The U.S., Canada, and some European countries are throwing in every wrench they can to stop this process, even as their own citizens enjoy these rights, they shamelessly deny these rights to others. They're using procedural excuses to block an issue of life and death and showing no respect or compassion for those suffering terribly from lack of water and sanitation."
Why a UN resolution?
Water is essential to life. Everyday 4,000 children die from water-related illness. The United Nations estimates that nearly 1.2 billion people live without clean water and 2.6 billion without proper sanitation.
Passing this resolution is the first step the international community can take towards water sustainability. It will focus attention on the fundamental importance of water and sanitation. The resolution will also lay the legal groundwork for a fair system of distribution, and begin a larger process to clarify the state's role to ensure clean, affordable water to all. Future legal instruments could also protect water rights for the earth and address the urgent need to reclaim polluted waters and end destructive practices of the world's water sources.
Water must be paramount in realizing the Millennium Development Goals, and at the Climate Change Convention and Rio +20. In the International Herald Tribune, Mikhail Gorbachev said, "Expanding access to water and sanitation will open many other development bottlenecks...As population growth and climate change increase the pressure for adequate water and food, water will increasingly become a security issue."
Without water's recognition as a human right, decision-making over policy will continue to shift from the UN and governments toward institutions that favor private water companies and the commodification of water. In the face of a worsening global water crisis, UN member states must affirm whether water is a human right, or a commodity.
"Life requires access to clean water; to deny the right to water is to deny the right to life," says Maude Barlow, "We must seize this moment to enact solid legislation and action at national and international levels - starting with the U.N. vote on Wednesday."
http://www.blueplanetproject.net/RightToWater/index-UN.php
For further information: Denise Hughes, Denise@creative-connectors.com, +1-917-549-2621, to R.S.V.P. or arrange an interview
Source: Blue Planet Project
For further information: Denise Hughes, Denise@creative-connectors.com, +1-917-549-2621, to R.S.V.P. or arrange an interview
World Water Activists Urge the UN General Assembly to Vote for the Human Right to Water and Sanitation
NEW YORK, July 23, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
WHAT: Tele-press Conference
WHEN: Monday, July 26th at 08:00 -4GMT (New York, EST)
HOW: Contact Denise Hughes: Denise@creative-connectors.com, +1-917-549-2621, to R.S.V.P. or arrange an interview. Conference-Call-In- Number: +1-613-234-9374 Code - 973949 followed by the number sign.
WHO: Maude Barlow is the founder of the Blue Planet Project, Chair of the Board of Food & Water Watch, and Chair of The Council of Canadians. She was the Senior Advisor on Water to the 63rd President of the United Nations General Assembly. Her book, Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, argues that the water crisis - together with climate change - poses one of the gravest threats to humanity.
Vandana Shiva is a world-renowned environmental leader. Director of the Research Foundation on Science, Technology, and Ecology, she is the author of Water Wars: Pollution, Profit. In Water Wars, she analyzes the historical erosion of communal water rights and exposes the destruction of the earth and the disenfranchisement of the world's poor. She also reveals how many of the most significant conflicts of our time are fought over water.
Pablo Solón Romero is Ambassador of Bolivia to the United Nations. Previously, he was Bolivia's Ambassador for issues concerning Integration and Trade. He was the Secretary of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) during Bolivia's Presidency of that institution and served as President Evo Morales's delegate in the Strategic Reflection Committee for South American Integration (2006). Ambassador Solón has been a social activist and worked for several years on human rights issues.
Background
On July 28, for the first time the UN General Assembly will debate and vote on an historic resolution supporting the right to "safe, clean, drinking water and sanitation" that was presented on June 17 by Pablo Solón, the Bolivian Ambassador to the UN, and co-sponsored by at least 30 countries. This resolution would redress the omission of water as a human right from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The U.S., UK and Canada are standing against the resolution and influencing others to their position, threatening to divide the world body along North-South lines. Expressing concern, Maude Barlow says, "The U.S., Canada, and some European countries are throwing in every wrench they can to stop this process, even as their own citizens enjoy these rights, they shamelessly deny these rights to others. They're using procedural excuses to block an issue of life and death and showing no respect or compassion for those suffering terribly from lack of water and sanitation."
Why a UN resolution?
Water is essential to life. Everyday 4,000 children die from water-related illness. The United Nations estimates that nearly 1.2 billion people live without clean water and 2.6 billion without proper sanitation.
Passing this resolution is the first step the international community can take towards water sustainability. It will focus attention on the fundamental importance of water and sanitation. The resolution will also lay the legal groundwork for a fair system of distribution, and begin a larger process to clarify the state's role to ensure clean, affordable water to all. Future legal instruments could also protect water rights for the earth and address the urgent need to reclaim polluted waters and end destructive practices of the world's water sources.
Water must be paramount in realizing the Millennium Development Goals, and at the Climate Change Convention and Rio +20. In the International Herald Tribune, Mikhail Gorbachev said, "Expanding access to water and sanitation will open many other development bottlenecks...As population growth and climate change increase the pressure for adequate water and food, water will increasingly become a security issue."
Without water's recognition as a human right, decision-making over policy will continue to shift from the UN and governments toward institutions that favor private water companies and the commodification of water. In the face of a worsening global water crisis, UN member states must affirm whether water is a human right, or a commodity.
"Life requires access to clean water; to deny the right to water is to deny the right to life," says Maude Barlow, "We must seize this moment to enact solid legislation and action at national and international levels - starting with the U.N. vote on Wednesday."
http://www.blueplanetproject.net/RightToWater/index-UN.php
For further information: Denise Hughes, Denise@creative-connectors.com, +1-917-549-2621, to R.S.V.P. or arrange an interview
Source: Blue Planet Project
For further information: Denise Hughes, Denise@creative-connectors.com, +1-917-549-2621, to R.S.V.P. or arrange an interview
Thursday, July 22, 2010
South Africa Purchases Raytheon Paveway(TM) Laser-Guided Bombs
22 Jul 2010 11:00 Africa/Lagos
South Africa Purchases Raytheon Paveway(TM) Laser-Guided Bombs
First sale of significant U.S. defense equipment to South Africa in 25 years
FARNBOROUGH, England, July 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The South African Department of Defence awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) a contract for Paveway II laser-guided bombs.
Raytheon will provide the South African military with LGB computer control groups and air foil groups that transform "dumb" bombs into precision-guided munitions for operational test and evaluation on South Africa's Gripen fighter aircraft.
ARMSCOR awarded a contract on behalf of the South African Air Force for the procurement of LGB bomb kits. ARMSCOR, the Armaments Corporation of South Africa, is the officially appointed acquisition organization for the South African DoD.
The direct commercial sale was negotiated with the assistance of South Africa's ATLANTIS Corporation and calls for Raytheon to begin delivery in 2011. In addition to the weapons, Raytheon will provide air- and ground-crew training.
"The combat-proven Paveway family of weapons is integrated on more than 22 aircraft and serves 41 nations around the globe, making this weapon the ideal choice for the South African warfighter," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon's Air Warfare Systems product line. "Raytheon is the sole provider of the Paveway family of weapons and is committed to providing the warfighter with a reliable direct-attack weapon at a cost-effective price."
Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide.
Contact:
U.K. U.S.A
J. Nicole Stewart Mike Nachshen
+1.520. 437.1975 520.269.5697
Source: Raytheon Company
CONTACT: U.S.A, Mike Nachshen, +1-520-269-5697; or U.K., J. Nicole
Stewart, +1-520-437-1975
Web Site: http://www.raytheon.com/
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/742575 .html
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South Africa Purchases Raytheon Paveway(TM) Laser-Guided Bombs
First sale of significant U.S. defense equipment to South Africa in 25 years
FARNBOROUGH, England, July 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The South African Department of Defence awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) a contract for Paveway II laser-guided bombs.
Raytheon will provide the South African military with LGB computer control groups and air foil groups that transform "dumb" bombs into precision-guided munitions for operational test and evaluation on South Africa's Gripen fighter aircraft.
ARMSCOR awarded a contract on behalf of the South African Air Force for the procurement of LGB bomb kits. ARMSCOR, the Armaments Corporation of South Africa, is the officially appointed acquisition organization for the South African DoD.
The direct commercial sale was negotiated with the assistance of South Africa's ATLANTIS Corporation and calls for Raytheon to begin delivery in 2011. In addition to the weapons, Raytheon will provide air- and ground-crew training.
"The combat-proven Paveway family of weapons is integrated on more than 22 aircraft and serves 41 nations around the globe, making this weapon the ideal choice for the South African warfighter," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon's Air Warfare Systems product line. "Raytheon is the sole provider of the Paveway family of weapons and is committed to providing the warfighter with a reliable direct-attack weapon at a cost-effective price."
Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide.
Contact:
U.K. U.S.A
J. Nicole Stewart Mike Nachshen
+1.520. 437.1975 520.269.5697
Source: Raytheon Company
CONTACT: U.S.A, Mike Nachshen, +1-520-269-5697; or U.K., J. Nicole
Stewart, +1-520-437-1975
Web Site: http://www.raytheon.com/
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/742575 .html
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Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
U.S. Airlines Post Six Consecutive Months of Revenue Growth in Recovering Economy; Double-Digit Growth Reflects Marketplace Optimism
Quarterly Earnings Reports
Americans Still Cutting Back on the Little Things to Save Money
Nearly One-Third of Small Businesses to Hire New Employees in Second Half of 2010, CareerBuilder Survey Finds
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A Letter from President Barack Obama
A Letter from President Barack Obama:
When you and I set out on this journey three years ago, we knew that ours would be a lengthy struggle to build a new foundation for this country -- one that would require squaring off against the special interests who had spent decades stacking the deck in their favor.
Today, it is clear that you have shifted the odds.
This morning, I signed into law a bill that represents the most sweeping reforms of Wall Street since the Great Depression, and the toughest consumer financial protections this nation has ever seen. I know that I am able to do so only because the tens of thousands of volunteers who make up the backbone of this movement overcame the most potent attack ads and the most powerful lobbying the special interests could put forward.
Our special-interest opponents and their Republican allies have now set their sights on the elections in November as their best chance to overturn the historic progress we've made together.
Organizing for America counts entirely on supporters like you to fight back -- no special interests, no corporate PACs. To keep making change and to defend the change we have already won, we need you -- and at least 8 other people in Keller -- to contribute so we have the resources necessary going into the election.
Please donate $5 today and help Organizing for America lay the groundwork for the fights ahead.
Because of Wall Street reform, we will ensure that Americans applying for a credit card, a mortgage, or a student loan will never again be asked to sign their name under pages of confusing fine print. We will crack down on abusive lending practices and make sure that lenders don't cheat the system -- and create a new watchdog to enforce these consumer protections.
And we will put an end to taxpayer-funded bailouts, giving us the ability to wind down any large financial institution if it should ever fail.
The passage of Wall Street reform is at the forefront of the change we seek, and it will provide a foundation for a stronger and safer economy.
It is a foundation built upon the progress of the Recovery Act, which has turned 22 months of job losses into six consecutive months of private-sector job growth. And it is a foundation reinforced by the historic health reform we passed this spring, which is already giving new benefits to more than 100 million Americans, ushering another 1 million Americans into coverage by next year.
But today's victory is not where our fight ends.
Organizing for America and I will move forward in the months ahead on the tough fights we have yet to finish -- even if cynics say we should wait until after the fall elections. This movement has never catered to the conventional wisdom of Washington. And we have fought to ensure that our progress is never held hostage by our politics.
You and I did not build this movement to win one election. We did not come together to pass one single piece of legislation. We are fighting for nothing less than a new foundation for our country -- and that work is not complete. As we face the challenges ahead, I am relying on you to stand with me.
Please donate $5 or more today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/WallStreetReformed
Thank you for helping us get here,
President Barack Obama
When you and I set out on this journey three years ago, we knew that ours would be a lengthy struggle to build a new foundation for this country -- one that would require squaring off against the special interests who had spent decades stacking the deck in their favor.
Today, it is clear that you have shifted the odds.
This morning, I signed into law a bill that represents the most sweeping reforms of Wall Street since the Great Depression, and the toughest consumer financial protections this nation has ever seen. I know that I am able to do so only because the tens of thousands of volunteers who make up the backbone of this movement overcame the most potent attack ads and the most powerful lobbying the special interests could put forward.
Our special-interest opponents and their Republican allies have now set their sights on the elections in November as their best chance to overturn the historic progress we've made together.
Organizing for America counts entirely on supporters like you to fight back -- no special interests, no corporate PACs. To keep making change and to defend the change we have already won, we need you -- and at least 8 other people in Keller -- to contribute so we have the resources necessary going into the election.
Please donate $5 today and help Organizing for America lay the groundwork for the fights ahead.
Because of Wall Street reform, we will ensure that Americans applying for a credit card, a mortgage, or a student loan will never again be asked to sign their name under pages of confusing fine print. We will crack down on abusive lending practices and make sure that lenders don't cheat the system -- and create a new watchdog to enforce these consumer protections.
And we will put an end to taxpayer-funded bailouts, giving us the ability to wind down any large financial institution if it should ever fail.
The passage of Wall Street reform is at the forefront of the change we seek, and it will provide a foundation for a stronger and safer economy.
It is a foundation built upon the progress of the Recovery Act, which has turned 22 months of job losses into six consecutive months of private-sector job growth. And it is a foundation reinforced by the historic health reform we passed this spring, which is already giving new benefits to more than 100 million Americans, ushering another 1 million Americans into coverage by next year.
But today's victory is not where our fight ends.
Organizing for America and I will move forward in the months ahead on the tough fights we have yet to finish -- even if cynics say we should wait until after the fall elections. This movement has never catered to the conventional wisdom of Washington. And we have fought to ensure that our progress is never held hostage by our politics.
You and I did not build this movement to win one election. We did not come together to pass one single piece of legislation. We are fighting for nothing less than a new foundation for our country -- and that work is not complete. As we face the challenges ahead, I am relying on you to stand with me.
Please donate $5 or more today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/WallStreetReformed
Thank you for helping us get here,
President Barack Obama
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
To Prof. Wole Soyinka @ 76
Our lionized sage Prof. Wole Soyinka, the first African Nobel Prize winner in Literature is celebrating his 76th birthday (he was born on July 13, 1934) and he is going to launch a new political party called Democratic Front for Peoples Federation in September.
We recommend Okey Ndibe’s An Apology to Wole Soyinka published in his OFFSIDE MUSINGS column in the Daily Sun newspaper of Tuesday July 20, 2010. Ndibe recalled the daring revolutionary zeal of the lion-hearted Soyinka during the Nigerian civil war and his opposition to military tyranny and corruption in Nigeria.
Nigerians Report is wishing Wole Soyinka many happy returns of the day with more blessings from above with all our love.
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Nigeria Draws Regional Migrants but Loses High Skilled Labour, Migration Profile Finds
20 Jul 2010 14:39 Africa/Lagos
Country Draws Regional Migrants but Loses High Skilled Labour, Migration Profile Finds
ABUJA, July 20, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- A migration profile of Nigeria released today by IOM finds that the country remains attractive to migrants from the sub-region although increasing numbers of skilled Nigerians emigrate in search of employment abroad.
According to the National Population Commission, the number of immigrants residing in Nigeria has more than doubled in recent decades - from 477,135 in 1991 to 971,450 in 2005. The Profile shows that the majority of immigrants in Nigeria (74%) are from neighbouring Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and that this number has increased considerably over the last decade, from 63 per cent in 2001 to 97 per cent in 2005.
According to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, the Nigerian economy grew between 5.5 and 6.4 per cent each year from 2004 to 2007, with the oil sector the primary engine of growth and a magnet for high-skilled migrant workers. However, recent economic growth has also been linked to the informal labour sector, which traditionally attracts low-skilled national as well as international migrant labour.
Although the overall situation in Nigeria has somewhat improved in recent years, the country still has some way to go towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The country has the world's third highest number of people infected by HIV/Aids, after India and South Africa and scores low in the United Nations Development Programme's human development index ranking (125 out of 151).
In spite of Nigeria's importance as a destination for migrants in the region, the report however shows that more people are emigrating from, than immigrating to, Nigeria with the negative net migration rate (per 1,000 people) steadily increasing in recent years, from -0.2 in 2000 to -0.3 in 2005, and this trend is expected to continue. According to recent estimates, the net migration rate could reach -0.4 in 2010.
Estimates made by the Development Research Centre on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty (DRC), based on the 2000 Census Round, indicate that 1,041,284 Nigerian nationals live abroad, mostly in Sudan (24%), followed by the United States (14%) and the United Kingdom (9%). Many Nigerian emigrants also settle in neighbouring Cameroon (8%) and in Ghana (5%).
Although it is difficult to obtain empirical data on migrant skills, there appears to be a strong link between high skill level and migration. According to the latest estimates in 2000, 10.7 per cent of the highly skilled population who were trained in Nigeria worked abroad, mostly in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
According to the report, an average of 64 per cent of the Nigerian emigrant population have tertiary education; 14 per cent of all physicians trained in Nigeria work abroad, with 90 per cent of these working in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Regarding the flow of remittances to Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) notes a dramatic increase from USD 2.3 billion in 2004 to 17.9 billion in 2007, representing 6.7 per cent of GDP.
The United States accounts for the largest portion of official remittances, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Spain and France. On the African continent, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and South Africa are important source countries of remittance flows to Nigeria, while China is the biggest remittance-sending country in Asia.
The report also notes a marked increase in the number of Nigerians emigrating for educational purposes. From 2000 to 2006, the number of Nigerian students abroad more than doubled from 10,000 to 22,000, the majority of these (some 6,000) studying at universities in the United States.
Consequently, the overall number of tertiary educated persons has been declining, from 90,579 in 2002/2003 to 39,509 in 2005/2006.
One result of this is the lack of human capital to meet the demand for highly skilled workers in the labour market. The Ministry of Health reported that nearly 8 per cent of its 39,210 doctors and 2,773 dentists are foreign nationals.
Despite declining official unemployment rates (from 12% in 2005 to 9.9% in 2008), the overall labour supply continues to outstrip demand and this is likely to continue in the near future as Nigeria is one of the ten most populous countries in the world and has one of the fastest population growth rates (2.38% in 2008).
Based on this growth rate, the Nigerian population will double its currently estimated size of 146 million people, and unless the market is able to absorb the resulting surplus labour, unemployment is likely to increase and lead to still greater emigration.
A review of the data available for the Migration Profile of Nigeria reveals several challenges including: the need for a national migration data management strategy tracking both internal and external migration; inadequate funding for training and staffing of personnel to record and monitor migration trends and provide migration controls at exit and entry points; the absence of a centralized system and official body mandated to coordinate migration issues amongst government ministries.
Having said this, Nigeria is one of the few countries in West Africa to have developed a draft national policy on migration which is pending ratification by the National Assembly. The draft migration policy, amongst other objectives, seeks to establish a central migration authority within the government, and addresses the absence of Migration as a theme in Nigeria's main development plans, such as the National Economic Employment Development Strategy (NEEDS) and the state and local government counterparts (SEEDS and LEEDS).
In addition to supporting full implementation of the pending legislation, the report recommends: clearly establishing the role of the National Commission for Refugees, which will be responsible for coordinating migration management activities; focussing on internal as well as external migration issues given that this is a precursor for international migration, occurs on a relatively greater scale and is vital for understanding the level of development of the country; and government emphasis on the strategic importance of migration in development by giving its full support to formalizing and implementing the national policy on migration.
Source: International Office of Migration (IOM)
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
20 Jul 2010
14:39
Country Draws Regional Migrants but Loses High Skilled Labour, Migration Profile Finds
19 Jul 2010
22:02
Noble Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2010 Earnings of $0.85 per Diluted Share
19:41
Four kidnapped journalists released unharmed
18:36
International Organizations Agree to Take Concerted Action to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS
Country Draws Regional Migrants but Loses High Skilled Labour, Migration Profile Finds
ABUJA, July 20, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- A migration profile of Nigeria released today by IOM finds that the country remains attractive to migrants from the sub-region although increasing numbers of skilled Nigerians emigrate in search of employment abroad.
According to the National Population Commission, the number of immigrants residing in Nigeria has more than doubled in recent decades - from 477,135 in 1991 to 971,450 in 2005. The Profile shows that the majority of immigrants in Nigeria (74%) are from neighbouring Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and that this number has increased considerably over the last decade, from 63 per cent in 2001 to 97 per cent in 2005.
According to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, the Nigerian economy grew between 5.5 and 6.4 per cent each year from 2004 to 2007, with the oil sector the primary engine of growth and a magnet for high-skilled migrant workers. However, recent economic growth has also been linked to the informal labour sector, which traditionally attracts low-skilled national as well as international migrant labour.
Although the overall situation in Nigeria has somewhat improved in recent years, the country still has some way to go towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The country has the world's third highest number of people infected by HIV/Aids, after India and South Africa and scores low in the United Nations Development Programme's human development index ranking (125 out of 151).
In spite of Nigeria's importance as a destination for migrants in the region, the report however shows that more people are emigrating from, than immigrating to, Nigeria with the negative net migration rate (per 1,000 people) steadily increasing in recent years, from -0.2 in 2000 to -0.3 in 2005, and this trend is expected to continue. According to recent estimates, the net migration rate could reach -0.4 in 2010.
Estimates made by the Development Research Centre on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty (DRC), based on the 2000 Census Round, indicate that 1,041,284 Nigerian nationals live abroad, mostly in Sudan (24%), followed by the United States (14%) and the United Kingdom (9%). Many Nigerian emigrants also settle in neighbouring Cameroon (8%) and in Ghana (5%).
Although it is difficult to obtain empirical data on migrant skills, there appears to be a strong link between high skill level and migration. According to the latest estimates in 2000, 10.7 per cent of the highly skilled population who were trained in Nigeria worked abroad, mostly in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
According to the report, an average of 64 per cent of the Nigerian emigrant population have tertiary education; 14 per cent of all physicians trained in Nigeria work abroad, with 90 per cent of these working in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Regarding the flow of remittances to Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) notes a dramatic increase from USD 2.3 billion in 2004 to 17.9 billion in 2007, representing 6.7 per cent of GDP.
The United States accounts for the largest portion of official remittances, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Spain and France. On the African continent, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and South Africa are important source countries of remittance flows to Nigeria, while China is the biggest remittance-sending country in Asia.
The report also notes a marked increase in the number of Nigerians emigrating for educational purposes. From 2000 to 2006, the number of Nigerian students abroad more than doubled from 10,000 to 22,000, the majority of these (some 6,000) studying at universities in the United States.
Consequently, the overall number of tertiary educated persons has been declining, from 90,579 in 2002/2003 to 39,509 in 2005/2006.
One result of this is the lack of human capital to meet the demand for highly skilled workers in the labour market. The Ministry of Health reported that nearly 8 per cent of its 39,210 doctors and 2,773 dentists are foreign nationals.
Despite declining official unemployment rates (from 12% in 2005 to 9.9% in 2008), the overall labour supply continues to outstrip demand and this is likely to continue in the near future as Nigeria is one of the ten most populous countries in the world and has one of the fastest population growth rates (2.38% in 2008).
Based on this growth rate, the Nigerian population will double its currently estimated size of 146 million people, and unless the market is able to absorb the resulting surplus labour, unemployment is likely to increase and lead to still greater emigration.
A review of the data available for the Migration Profile of Nigeria reveals several challenges including: the need for a national migration data management strategy tracking both internal and external migration; inadequate funding for training and staffing of personnel to record and monitor migration trends and provide migration controls at exit and entry points; the absence of a centralized system and official body mandated to coordinate migration issues amongst government ministries.
Having said this, Nigeria is one of the few countries in West Africa to have developed a draft national policy on migration which is pending ratification by the National Assembly. The draft migration policy, amongst other objectives, seeks to establish a central migration authority within the government, and addresses the absence of Migration as a theme in Nigeria's main development plans, such as the National Economic Employment Development Strategy (NEEDS) and the state and local government counterparts (SEEDS and LEEDS).
In addition to supporting full implementation of the pending legislation, the report recommends: clearly establishing the role of the National Commission for Refugees, which will be responsible for coordinating migration management activities; focussing on internal as well as external migration issues given that this is a precursor for international migration, occurs on a relatively greater scale and is vital for understanding the level of development of the country; and government emphasis on the strategic importance of migration in development by giving its full support to formalizing and implementing the national policy on migration.
Source: International Office of Migration (IOM)
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
20 Jul 2010
14:39
Country Draws Regional Migrants but Loses High Skilled Labour, Migration Profile Finds
19 Jul 2010
22:02
Noble Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2010 Earnings of $0.85 per Diluted Share
19:41
Four kidnapped journalists released unharmed
18:36
International Organizations Agree to Take Concerted Action to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tiger is Still America's Favorite Sports Star, but Shares Title with Kobe Bryant
Tiger is Still America's Favorite Sports Star, but Shares Title with Kobe Bryant
Serena and Venus Williams retain their titles of America's Favorite Female Sports Star
New York, N.Y. — July 20, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Despite his public image taking major hits this year, there is one bright spot for Tiger Woods. While he is no longer alone on top of the list, he is at least tied for first place as America’s Favorite Sports Star. Since 2006, this was a title he held solo, but this year, besides another NBA championship, Kobe Bryant can also share in being called America’s Favorite Sports Star, a jump up from the 4th position he was in last year.
Rounding out the top five are New York Yankee Derek Jeter at number 3, up from 5th place; Minnesota Viking Brett Favre at number 4, a leap from his 9th place position last year; and this season’s losing Super Bowl quarterback, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts at number 5, up from 7th place last year.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,227 adults surveyed online between June 14 and 21, 2010 by Harris Interactive.
Looking at the rest of the top ten, LeBron James left Cleveland for Miami and dropped three spots to number 6 on this year’s list while another NBA superstar—but one who no longer plays—Michael Jordan, drops from the 2nd spot on the list to number 7 this year. New England Patriots’ quarterback, Tom Brady, returns to the list after a one year absence at number 8 and the winning quarterback from this year’s Super Bowl, Drew Brees, debuts at number 9. Finally, a NASCAR superstar, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is at number 10, down from number 8 last year.
Two stars dropped off the top ten this year: another NASCAR legend, Jeff Gordon dropped from number 6 and baseball great, Albert Pujols dropped from number 10 last year.
Different groups have their different favorites. For men, Tiger is still number one, but for women it’s Kobe Bryant. There are also generational differences. Both Echo Boomers (those 18-33) and Baby Boomers (those 46-64) have Kobe Bryant as their number one while Gen Xers (those 34-45) say it is Brett Favre and Matures (those 65 and older) stick with Tiger.
Favorite Female Sports Star
Just like last year, Serena and Venus Williams are number one and number two on the Favorite Female Sports Star list, followed by race car driver Danica Patrick. Perhaps thanks to the World Cup excitement, Mia Hamm moves up from number 5 to number 4 this year, followed by tennis star Maria Sharapova who moves to number 5 from a tie in 6th last year. Next in the top ten is another tennis star, Anna Kournikova at number 6, up from 9th last year. Four newcomers or returning female stars round out the top ten: gold medal volleyball player Misty May, and gold medal winning gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champion, Shawn Johnson, are tied for number 7; at number 9 is women’s basketball star Lisa Leslie; and tied for the 10th spot on the list are two former tennis greats, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratalova.
The four female sports stars who dropped off the list are basketball star, Candace Parker, who was number 4 last year; golfer, Annika Sorenstam, who was tied for number 6; former tennis star, Chris Everett who was number 8, and skater Michelle Kwan, who was number 10.
So what?
Sometimes a sports star is more noted for things they do outside of their sport. Tiger Woods was in the news more for his marital woes and infidelities and his losing tournaments this year, yet he is still at the top of the list, albeit in a tie. Shawn Johnson was in the 2008 Olympics, but appearing on Dancing with the Stars helped bring her top-of-mind and spur her onto the list of favorite female stars this year. Regardless, the list of one golfer, three basketball stars, one baseball player, four quarterbacks, and one race car driver truly represents some of the greatest in their respective sports.
Read more
Monday, July 19, 2010
Nigeria Today: Kidnapped Journalists Released, Religious Violence Continues in Jos
Nigerian police arrest four over kidnap of journalists- AFP
LAGOS — Nigerian police have arrested four suspects in connection with the kidnapping of four journalists freed after being held for a week in the country's ...Nigerian Police Arrest Four Suspects in Kidnapping
Nigeria: Seven Killed in Fresh Jos AttackAllAfrica.com - Gonji Palang
... bows and arrows as well as amulets with which they unleashed terror on the unsuspecting residents The pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), ...
Muslim attack on Christian village in Nigeria kills 8: army - AFP
Nigerian machete-wielding attackers kill 8 people - BBC News
Priest's family killed in Nigerian violence - ABC Online
Sudanese security service carries out brutal campaign against opponents
19 Jul 2010 14:38 Africa/Lagos
Sudanese security service carries out brutal campaign against opponents
KARTHUM, July 19, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- “I was planning to kill myself that night… Every hour I was at risk. I knew it was a matter of time until they [the security service] reached me”*
The Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) is carrying out a brutal campaign of arbitrary detentions, torture, and mental and physical intimidation against opponents and critics of the government, Amnesty International has said in a new report launched today.
Agents of Fear documents the institutionalized human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions, ill-treatment, unlawful killings and enforced disappearances that have been perpetrated for years by the NISS in Sudan.
“The NISS rules Sudan by fear. The extensive, multi-pronged assault on the Sudanese people by the security services has left the critics of the government in constant fear of arrest, harassment or worse” said Erwin van der Borght, Africa programme director.
“The Sudanese authorities are brutally silencing political opposition and human rights defenders in Sudan through violence and intimidation. NISS agents benefit from total impunity for the human rights violations they continue to commit.”
During the first half of 2010 Amnesty International documented the arrest of at least 34 individuals by the NISS, including journalists, human rights activists and students.
Arrests have peaked at times of political tensions, such as following a major attack by a Darfur armed group on Khartoum in May 2008, before and after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against President Al Bashir in July 2008, and following the elections in April 2010.
NISS agents have systematically used intimidation and various forms of ill-treatment, including torture, against supporters of the political opposition, students, human rights defenders, civil society activists, staff of national and international NGOs, and anyone seen as posing a threat to the government.
The report documents a variety of torture methods used by the NISS: beating detainees while held upside down against a wall, electric shocks, whipping, sleep deprivation, kicking and stamping on detainees and beating them with water pipes.
Ahmed Ali Mohamed Osman, a doctor also known as Ahmed Sardop, was arrested by the NISS on 20 March 2009 in Khartoum after he wrote a web article critical of the government's decision to expel humanitarian organizations from Sudan and rapes in the Darfur region.
“They leaned me over a chair and held me by my arms and feet while others hit me on the back, legs and arms with something similar to an electrical cable”, he told Amnesty International.
“They kicked me in the testicles repeatedly while they talked about the report on rape in Darfur.”
Ahmed Sardop filed a complaint with the police and was examined by a doctor who confirmed his allegations of torture.
A few days later, he started receiving telephone death threats: “We will soon find you and we will kill you.” He now lives in exile.
Families are often threatened and harassed by NISS agents to put further emotional pressure on the victim.
Women have also been harassed and intimidated by law enforcement agents and the NISS, and sexually assaulted while in their custody.
Since the presidential and parliamentary elections in April 2010, the NISS has renewed its clampdown on freedom of expression.
NISS agents have resumed the pre-print censorship of the Sudanese press with daily visits to newspapers offices and printing houses.
Opposition newspapers have been closed, forced to stop printing, or have stopped printing themselves in protest against censorship. Some journalists have been arbitrarily arrested and detained.
Abuzar Al Amin, the editor-in-chief of Rai Al Shaab, a newspaper affiliated to the Popular Congress Party, was arrested at his home on 15 May 2010.
He was taken into NISS detention where he was interrogated about his writings and journalistic work, and tortured. He was beaten and kicked, and electric shocks were administered to his body.
NISS agents continue to benefit from extensive powers of arrest and detention and have immunity for all the violations they commit, under the 2010 National Security Act.
“The National Security Act must be reformed so that agents are no longer provided with extensive powers of arrest and detention. All immunities should be removed,” said Erwin van der Borght.
“Allegations of human rights violations must be promptly and effectively investigated and those responsible prosecuted for the crimes they commit. Victims must be given reparations”.
“Without these changes, Sudan's NISS agents will continue to be agents of fear”.
Source: Amnesty International
Sudanese security service carries out brutal campaign against opponents
KARTHUM, July 19, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- “I was planning to kill myself that night… Every hour I was at risk. I knew it was a matter of time until they [the security service] reached me”*
The Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) is carrying out a brutal campaign of arbitrary detentions, torture, and mental and physical intimidation against opponents and critics of the government, Amnesty International has said in a new report launched today.
Agents of Fear documents the institutionalized human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions, ill-treatment, unlawful killings and enforced disappearances that have been perpetrated for years by the NISS in Sudan.
“The NISS rules Sudan by fear. The extensive, multi-pronged assault on the Sudanese people by the security services has left the critics of the government in constant fear of arrest, harassment or worse” said Erwin van der Borght, Africa programme director.
“The Sudanese authorities are brutally silencing political opposition and human rights defenders in Sudan through violence and intimidation. NISS agents benefit from total impunity for the human rights violations they continue to commit.”
During the first half of 2010 Amnesty International documented the arrest of at least 34 individuals by the NISS, including journalists, human rights activists and students.
Arrests have peaked at times of political tensions, such as following a major attack by a Darfur armed group on Khartoum in May 2008, before and after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against President Al Bashir in July 2008, and following the elections in April 2010.
NISS agents have systematically used intimidation and various forms of ill-treatment, including torture, against supporters of the political opposition, students, human rights defenders, civil society activists, staff of national and international NGOs, and anyone seen as posing a threat to the government.
The report documents a variety of torture methods used by the NISS: beating detainees while held upside down against a wall, electric shocks, whipping, sleep deprivation, kicking and stamping on detainees and beating them with water pipes.
Ahmed Ali Mohamed Osman, a doctor also known as Ahmed Sardop, was arrested by the NISS on 20 March 2009 in Khartoum after he wrote a web article critical of the government's decision to expel humanitarian organizations from Sudan and rapes in the Darfur region.
“They leaned me over a chair and held me by my arms and feet while others hit me on the back, legs and arms with something similar to an electrical cable”, he told Amnesty International.
“They kicked me in the testicles repeatedly while they talked about the report on rape in Darfur.”
Ahmed Sardop filed a complaint with the police and was examined by a doctor who confirmed his allegations of torture.
A few days later, he started receiving telephone death threats: “We will soon find you and we will kill you.” He now lives in exile.
Families are often threatened and harassed by NISS agents to put further emotional pressure on the victim.
Women have also been harassed and intimidated by law enforcement agents and the NISS, and sexually assaulted while in their custody.
Since the presidential and parliamentary elections in April 2010, the NISS has renewed its clampdown on freedom of expression.
NISS agents have resumed the pre-print censorship of the Sudanese press with daily visits to newspapers offices and printing houses.
Opposition newspapers have been closed, forced to stop printing, or have stopped printing themselves in protest against censorship. Some journalists have been arbitrarily arrested and detained.
Abuzar Al Amin, the editor-in-chief of Rai Al Shaab, a newspaper affiliated to the Popular Congress Party, was arrested at his home on 15 May 2010.
He was taken into NISS detention where he was interrogated about his writings and journalistic work, and tortured. He was beaten and kicked, and electric shocks were administered to his body.
NISS agents continue to benefit from extensive powers of arrest and detention and have immunity for all the violations they commit, under the 2010 National Security Act.
“The National Security Act must be reformed so that agents are no longer provided with extensive powers of arrest and detention. All immunities should be removed,” said Erwin van der Borght.
“Allegations of human rights violations must be promptly and effectively investigated and those responsible prosecuted for the crimes they commit. Victims must be given reparations”.
“Without these changes, Sudan's NISS agents will continue to be agents of fear”.
Source: Amnesty International
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