Klitschko retains crown in style

Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko retained his WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight titles in Mannheim, Germany with a technical knockout of Hasim Rahman in round seven on Saturday.

Ukraine’s Vitali Klitschko (left) and WBC champion Samuel Peter, during a press conference in Berlin, Germany

The referee stopped the fight after Klitschko, 32, landed a series of punches to Rahman’s head and the American retreated to the ropes, barely able to stand. The Ukrainian had already knocked him down in round six.

“I thought I could land some punches earlier but it wasn’t worth it because Hasim Rahman knew he was up against the best and he was really focused, you could see that,” Klitschko, who has been dubbed ‘Dr. Steelhammer,’ told Reuters.

“He really hung in there and it wasn’t easy.” Klitschko told after improving his record to 52 wins and three defeats.

Rahman was unable to get past Klitschko’s left jab to land the kind of big punch that saw him beat world champion Lennox Lewis in 2001, when he knocked out the Briton with a right hook to record one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Rahman, 36, had never really regained that form. He replaced Alexander Povetkin as Klitschko’s opponent in October after the Russian pulled out of the bout with a foot injury.

Miley Cyrus Hired for Law Firm's Holiday Party

Houston, you have a pop star. Well, at least a high-powered Houston lawyer does.

E! News has learned that Miley Cyrus is in Houston to perform at a private holiday party being thrown Sunday night by Houston attorney Mark Lanier.

A source in Texas says that Cyrus and her entourage arrived Saturday and she is set to perform tonight at Lanier Law Firm's "Christmas Cheers and Charity" party, an annual fete that hosts more than 7,000 guests.

Invitations went out last month featuring a pop-up Cyrus and promising "Texas Bar-B-Q, fajitas and amusements."

The source estimates that Cyrus, 16, and her team of dancers and musicians will receive "close to $1 million" to perform at tonight's exclusive bash.

The party, which benefits the charity Guatemala SANA for needy Guatemalans, is no small affair. Previous guests include Dolly Parton and the Dixie Chicks. It will take place at a sprawling ranch in suburban Houston.

Ajah land owners task Fashola

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has been urged to publish and implement the report of Justice Morounkeji Onalaja panel of inquiry that was set up following a protracted crisis in Ajah.
The head of the Abereoje family, Chief Mukadaisi Abereoje, who made this call at a press briefing in Lagos, said the request, if considered, would help to douse the tension in the area.

He also called on the state government to caution notable personalities in the area, whom he alleged had commenced violent activities in Ajah.

The personalities, he alleged had mobilised their men to Ajiwe, where they pulled down fences, securing properties sold to tenants by the Abereoje family.

Abereoje said the land fell within what had been excised to the family (Abereoje) by the state government, being a part of the terms of settlement entered with the family to foster peace in Ajah.

He said the family had written to the state government through the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Supo Sasore, on the issue but was directed to forward the complaints to the Nigerian Police.

He said when he contacted the Nigerian Police, no meaningful headway could be achieved, as the Police claimed they could not arrest anyone on the issue.

Based on this development, Abereoje called on the Fashola-led administration to take concrete steps to address the issue.

Global financial crisis: Experts task banks over risk management

In order to avoid being negatively affected by the on-going global financial crisis, a Deputy-Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Onyebuchi Ibedu, has called on Nigerian banks and other financial institutions to exhibit professionalism in the management of the risks involved in their daily operations.

Ibedu said if the nation’s financial institutions could come out with a blue print on risk management, the rampaging global financial meltdown would be curtailed drastically and the impact would not be severe on the nation’s economy.

Ibedu, who stated this on Friday in Lagos during the Risk Management Association of Nigeria’s annual president’s dinner, explained that the financial meltdown, no matter the plan to avoid it, would have its impact on the Nigerian economy.

According to him, “The impact is here with the oil prices falling from almost $150 per barrel to a sum less than $44 per barrel within a short period of time.

“ Nigeria ’s economy can not be insulated from the rest of the world. Moreover, we are a one commodity country, so the impact is real and is being felt already, with falling oil prices and crashing stocks.”

He pointed out that 2009 and beyond might be worse because of the impact of the meltdown, adding that “growth rate will go down, things will be tighter, but the CBN is making frantic efforts to ensure that the country’s economy is not affected to the extent of a recession.”

According to him, the western economies are experiencing the meltdown, due to the failure of regulators to handle the issue with all seriousness.

Ibedu said for effective management of risk in the nation’s financial institutions, all hands must be on deck to avoid unforeseen situation.

He challenged risk managers to double their efforts, stressing that there was a need to leverage on the errors of the developed economies in building the Nigerian economy.

Executive Director, Risk Management, Equitorial Trust Bank Limited, Mr. Sridhar Kalyanasundaram, explained that different types of risks impacted on a bank’s operational continuity.

According to him, risks such as physical issues (people, premises and peripheral issues); as well as technical issues (liquidity, reputation, legal/regulatory issues); infringe seriously on the workability of any organisation.

He, however, said there was the need for business continuity management, stressing that it was a holistic management process that identified potential threats to an organisation and its impact on business operations.

This, he noted, provided a framework for building organisational resilience with the capability for an effective response.

He called for better policy implementation in the areas of risk management that could have a lasting positive effect on the nation’s economy.

The Anglican bishop of Pretoria, Joe Seoka, said President Mugabe ”must be viewed as the 21st century Hitler” because of the deaths and suffering of Zimbabweans under his rule.

Bishop Seoka‘s comments followed the 84-year-old‘s claim that the cholera crisis in his country ”is over”.

Mugabe‘s denial of the epidemic came as the WHO released new figures showing that 16,700 people have been infected with the disease and at least 792 have died.

Seoka urged people to gather on South Africa‘s National Day of Reconciliation on December 16 to pray for Mugabe‘s forced removal from power.

”He must be removed by all means necessary to stop further suffering of God‘s children and save lives,” he said.

The US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, said the country was now close to becoming a failed state. Speaking during a visit to Washington, he said Mugabe had ”outlived his usefulness in Zimbabwe.”

Another US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has suggested that South Africa and Zimbabwe‘s other neighbours seal their borders with the troubled country to increase the pressure on Mugabe.

The official said the closure of the borders would ”bring the economy to its knees” within a week.

South Africa, which has been forced to declare a disaster zone on its northern border because of the flood of Zimbabweans pouring into the country with cholera, is reluctant to sanction tougher action against Mugabe.

As the regional powerbroker, the country is still focusing on the stalled power sharing deal that would result in the main opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change, joining a coalition government.

Under the deal, Mr Mugabe would remain as President and retain most of his powers

Menwhile, the Zimbabwean government on Saturday accused the West of deliberately starting the country‘s cholera epidemic, stepping up a war of words with the regime‘s critics as the humanitarian crisis deepened.

The state-run Herald newspaper said comments by the U.S. ambassador that the U.S. had been preparing for the outbreak raised suspicions the West had waged ”serious biological chemical war.”

Zimbabwean officials often blame their country‘s troubles on the West. Their stranglehold on most sources of news to which ordinary Zimbabweans have access makes such rhetoric an important tool for a regime struggling to hold onto power.

After the first cholera cases, U.S. and other aid workers braced for the waterborne disease to spread quickly in an economically ravaged country where the sewage system and medical care have collapsed. Zimbabwe also faces a hunger crisis, the world‘s highest inflation and shortages of both the most basic necessities and the cash to buy them.

The Herald quoted the information minister, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, as blaming cholera on ”serious biological chemical war ... a genocidal onslaught on the people of Zimbabwe by the British.”

”Cholera is a calculated racist terrorist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former colonial power which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so that they invade the country,” Ndlovu was quoted as saying.

Experts, however, blame the epidemic on Zimbabwe‘s economic collapse. The WHO said Friday the death toll was at 792 and that the number of cholera cases that have been reported since the outbreak began in August was now 16,700. The epidemic has reached a fatality rate of 4.7 percent. To be under control it would have to be less than 1 per cent, WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said Friday.

Yar’Adua may lose power to appoint INEC chairman, IG

President Umaru Yar’Adua and his successors may lose some of their executive powers going by fresh facts in the report of the presidential panel on electoral reform submitted to him last week.

The panel, which was chaired by a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammadu Uwais, recommended that Nigerian Presidents be stripped of powers to appoint the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

It also suggested a modification to the way in which the Inspector-General of Police was appointed and supervised.

Yar’Adua, while receiving the report on Thursday, promised its full implementation as part of his administration’s commitment to break with the past on the conduct of elections in the country.

The panel, in the 297-page report obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, said the existing method of appointing the INEC chairman and the IG was at the heart of Nigeria’s persistent electoral crises.

It, therefore, suggested that the power to appoint the INEC boss should be vested in the National Judicial Council so as to eliminate Executive meddlesomeness in the activities of the electoral body.

The committee believes that to safeguard the independence of the electoral commission, the NJC should be empowered to advertise and shortlist candidates for the proposed 13-member INEC.

Furthermore, the panel said Section 84 of the 1999 Constitution should be amended to read, “The election expenditure and the recurrent expenditure of INEC officers (in addition to the salaries and allowances of the chairman and other members) shall be First Charge on the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation.”

Under the constitution, the INEC chairman is appointed by the President subject to the confirmation of the Senate, while the IG is also appointed by the President based on the advice of the Nigerian Police Council.

By the new membership composition proposed by the panel, the electoral commission would comprise a chairman and deputy chairman (one of which must be a woman) nominated by the general public but shortlisted by the NJC and six commissioners representing the six geo-political zones but shortlisted by the NJC after nominations by the public.

Others are one nominee of civil society organisations working in the area of elections, one nominee of labour organisations, one nominee of the Nigerian Bar Association, one nominee of women organisations and one nominee of the media.

The report added that once appointed, no organisation shall have the power to recall its nominee.

The NJC, according to the panel, should be made to advertise the positions of the INEC chairman, his deputy and those of six other commissioners whom, it said, should come from the each of the six geo-political zones.

In detailing the nomination and appointment process of the INEC boss and other members of the commission, the committe stated as follows:

“ For the INEC chairman, vice-chairman and six commissioners representing each of the six geopolitical zones, the National Judicial Council should:

- Advertise all the positions, spelling out requisite qualifications;

- Receive applications/nominations from the general public;

- Shortlist three persons for each position; and

- Send nomination to the National Council of State to select one from the shortlist and forward the name to the Senate for clearance.

“For the nominee of civil society working in the area of elections, one nominee of labour organisations, one nominee of the NBA, one nominee of women organisations and one nominee of the media.

“Each of the professional bodies should send three nominations to the NJC which shall screen them and make appropriate recommendations to the NCS. The council of state shall further screen and recommend one name for each category to the Senate for confirmation.

“The chairman and member of the board of INEC may only be removed by the Senate on the recommendation of the NJC by two-thirds majority of the Senate, which shall include 10 members of the minority parties in the Senate,” the report added.

On IG’s appointment, the panel recommended that he or she “should be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Police Service Commission to the National Police Council, which in turn shall forward the nomination to the Senate for confirmation.

It said, “His or her removal from office should also be by two-thirds votes of the Senate after investigation establishing his or her misconduct.

“The independence of the Police Force should be guaranteed by strengthening its autonomy from control of government of the day. The security of tenure of top police officers and prevention of harassment of police officers on account of professional discharge of their duties should also be guaranteed.

“Provisions of the Police Act which vests the operational control of the Police in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are in contravention of the 1999 Constitution. They should, therefore, be amended.”

The 22-man committee had, while submitting the report to Yar’Adua, recommended the adoption of proportional representation, the establishment of Electoral Offences Commission, Political Parties Registration and Regulation Commission and Constituency Delimitation Commission, and the introduction of independent candidacy, among others.

Gunmen kill NYSC member at viewing centre

The peace of Awka, the Anambra State capital, was shattered on Saturday night when two young men walked into a television viewing centre at Amaenyi and shot dead a young man, said to be a member of the National Youth Service Corps.

Events at the centre seemed to be normal until the incident after the live screening of the match between Tottenham and Hotspurs that ended in a goalless draw, before the incident occurred.

The scores of young people, mainly students and football enthusiasts, were leaving the centre in trickles, when two unidentified boys walked into the centre and shot their victim.

Unsure that the first shot could be fatal enough, the gunmen shot repeatedly at the young man in the head before running out of the place.

Some of the people at the centre, who had scampered for safety after the invasion by the gunmen, later returned to the spot to carry the deceased to hospital.

But their effort proved futile as he died before they could get medical attention. They returned the corpse to the centre, where it was till the following morning.

Plainclothes officers from the State Homicide Department came in about 11am on Sunday to examine the corpse before taking it away.

They were accompanied by some relatives of the deceased, who broke down in tears intermittently.

Saturday’s night incident came barely two days after suspected campus cultists shot and seriously wounded a student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, believed to be the leader of the Vikings, a campus cult group.

It could not be confirmed if Saturday night’s incident was a reaction to Thursday’s attack.

Tom Cruise: More of Les Grossman in the Works!

Forget Tom Cruise's reaction to his Golden Globe nomination for his work in Tropic Thunder for a moment. Mr. Cruise can't help but think of how his foulmouthed alter ego, Les Grossman, would react to the news.

"Les would probably say something unprintable," Cruise told me today in an exclusive interview. "First thing when you hear about that character is, just what would that guy say? It would have to be something unprintable."

And it sounds like this isn't the last we've heard from the balding, hairy-chested studio boss. Read on for all the Grossman details...

"I’ve talked about doing different videos with the character," Cruise said. "I’ve started working with Ben [Stiller] on it, and we’ve kind of talked about different things to do. We were gonna do some in our free time, but we haven’t found the free time…yet."

He doesn't rule out a full-length feature film centered on Grossman: "He’s a fun character," said Cruise, who will next be seen in the real-life WWII thriller Valkyrie. "I gotta talk to Ben, but there could be more to do with that guy."

Grossman's future aside, Cruise said of the nomination, "I’m really thrilled. Kate called me, and family and friends. It’s just very exciting."

Teething mixture: NAFDAC impounds 5,334 batches of drug

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, on Thursday, said that it had seized 5,334 batches of the alleged contaminated teething mixture, My Pikin.

The agency, in a statement titled “Update Report III on the recall process of My Pikin teething mixture,” also said that it had arrested the Kaduna State sales representative of Barewa Pharmaceuticals Limited, the manufacturer of the drug.

Besides the sales representative, the agency said that it arrested an alleged illegal chemical marketer at Ojota, Lagos, Dom Azumuka, who had been on the run.

In the statement by its Deputy Director (Public Relations), Mr. Jimoh Abubakar, the agency said it had donated an antidote for the management of kidney problem caused by contaminated drug to Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital, Zaria; Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos; and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

NAFDAC, which had two weeks ago, arrested four persons over the incident, said that 2,247 bottles of the mixture were recovered from the shop of the sales representative.

According to the statement, the shop of the marketer at Ojota was raided and seven drums of diethylene glycol falsely labeled propylene glycol were seized.

Giving the update on Thursday, NAFDAC stated that the illegal marketer, who was arrested at Ojota led its officers to another marker at Isolo where he said he brought the chemical.

According to the agency, the shop of Isolo-based marketer, Marcel Onyegbue, was also raided and a drum of diethyelene glycol was evacuated.

It stated that the owner of the shop was not arrested because he was on the run. The agency, however, arrested his assistant.

The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Dora Akunyili, had at a press briefing in Lagos on November 25, said that the drug was contaminated by the use of diethylene glycol, which is harmful to the kidney.

Oceanic Bank is Bank of the Year

Like the goldfish which has no hiding place, Oceanic Bank International Plc has again been singled out for its outstanding performance, in the process, clinching the Bank of the Year diadem, this time from the EMEAfinance, a UK based financial intelligence magazine covering Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Organisers of the award adjudged Oceanic winner of the keenly contested 2008 best Bank in Nigeria.

The magazine named Oceanic Bank International Plc as emerging Best Bank in Nigeria 2008 among the hordes of banks nominated for the award at its maiden African Bank Awards Luncheon held in London on Monday.

The bank according to EMEAfinance won the awards on account of robust growth in its asset base, profitability, return on equity, and regional expansion, among others. EMEAfinance is a leading financial intelligence magazine and a reputable information source for the financial services industry in Europe, Middle East and Africa .

The feat achieved by the bank is coming on the heels similar award of Bank of the year won in 2006 and 2007 consecutively, a prize instituted by The Banker magazine, a subsidiary of the Financial Times of London
Speaking at the award ceremony in London , Publisher/CEO of Emeafinance magazine, Christopher Moore described Nigeria ’s banking sector as the most dynamic in Africa . He said, “the story of African banking over the last 12 months has, in some ways, has been the story of Nigeria .”

Declaring Oceanic Bank as an outstanding financial conglomerate with consistent impressive performance record, EMEAfinance noted that: “Our winner of the best bank award, Oceanic Bank, has seen its gross earnings grow by an annual average of 65% every year since 2004. Its assets tripled last year. Profit before tax also more than doubled last year.”
Emeafinance also noted that Oceanic Bank’s shareholders’ funds grew by around seven times last year, while the bank recorded the lowest cost-to-income ratio of its peers, at just 56%, for the period under review.

“Oceanic Bank has expanded its branch network aggressively, from 53 branches in 2004 to 320 business offices as of September 2007. It has accelerated its international expansion, with offices and affiliates open in Ghana and Gambia , and operations opening soon in Liberia , Cameroon , Sierra Leone , Chad and Sudan ,” the leading financial solutions magazine added.
Receiving the award, Oceanic Bank's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. (Mrs.) Cecilia Ibru said the recognition was yet another testimony to Oceanic Bank's consistent impressive performance over the years.

She then dedicated the award to the Bank's staff, noting that their expertise and commitment to excellence and best practices had given the Bank a competitive edge that has made Oceanic a top player in the nation's financial services sector.
"We are grateful to God for this award and I dedicate it to all Oceanic Bank staff. Oceanic remains committed to pioneering innovative changes in the finance sector, and partnering with the government and all sectors in the task of building a stronger Nigeria," she said.

According to Ibru, Oceanic Bank is also working towards creating more jobs in Nigeria to enhance economic empowerment and development. "Oceanic Bank is building lasting structures and devising strategies that will make it possible for many more Nigerians to have access to job opportunities," she added.

It would be recalled that Oceanic Bank posted a profit before tax (PBT) of N52.23 billion, an increase of 127 per cent, in contrast to N23.01 billion posted in the corresponding period of 2007 while gross earning rose by 101 per cent to N150.9 billion as against N74.94 billion made last year, confirming its leadership position in the industry.

Ribadu makes surprise visit to EFCC headquarters

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, made a surprise visit to the Abuja headquarters of the anti-graft agency on Thursday.
In what is apparently a new twist to his travails, the former EFCC boss, stormed the headquarters of the organisation unannounced.

He, however, had some discussions with the new Director of Operations, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, a Deputy commissioner of police, and the agency’s Chief Security Officer.

Ribadu, our correspondent learnt, was told by the EFCC officials that he would be contacted whenever his presence was required.

When contacted earlier, the EFCC‘s Head of Media, Mr. Femi Babafemi, had told our correspondent that he was not aware of Ribadu‘s visit to the office.

He had promised to get back to our correspondent as soon as he got wind of the visit.

Meanwhile, Ribadu has said that he will neither resign from the Nigeria Police nor succumb to the injustice of his demotion.

The former EFCC boss also debunked his reported flight from the country, saying that he had only chosen to go underground for ‘personal reasons’ and to enjoy some private moments.

Ribadu, who spoke with our correspondent in an interview on Thursday, said there was nothing unusual about his current tribulations adding that many Nigerians had gone through similar travails in the past.

He , however, said that he had left everything in God‘s hands and hoped that the rule of law would prevail.

He said it was important for him to be more careful about his personal security and safety.

Ribadu admitted that there might be a grand design to compel him to resign from the force, but insisted that he would rather allow the court to decide his fate than to resign.

Ribadu said, ”I have not been out of the country and I don‘t intend to be needlessly. I went underground for personal reasons. I just wanted to be alone and enjoy some private moments.

”What I have done is to leave everything in God‘s hands and allow the rule of law to prevail. But I won’t be careless about my security and personal safety.

”I know my adversaries won’t reject the law. They might get me dismissed, but what can I do? I won’t dignify them with a resignation or accept the injustice of the demotion. I will allow the court to decide.

”It is not about now, but for posterity. It might take a while but we will see what God can do. This is about our tomorrow and the need to have a few Nigerians to stand up and be counted for a good cause, it is not about me.”

I felt humiliated the day OBJ stripped me of security

Anyim Pius
It was meant to be a book presentation, but former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim held the audience spell bound when he began preaching about service and integrity, with a call on Nigerians to stop praying for good roads, electricity and other basic social amenities, but rather pray for righteous men to take over the governance of this country.

Quoting from the Bible, where it says “when righteous men are in position of authority, the people rejoice,” the former Senate President said those being referred to in the Bible should be the kind of leaders Nigerians should be praying for, adding that “it is after finding such people that we can talk about genuine service that will meet the need and aspirations of the people.”

He spoke recently as a Guest Speaker at the ECWA Good News Church, Kaduna at a book presentation ceremony, organized by the church. The book, titled “Service and Integrity- the Christian Perspective,” was written by the church, with Anyim as one of the contributors. Incidentally, Anyim spoke on the title of the book.

According to him, integrity was the only thing that makes one leader different from the other. With integrity, he continued “you will rule with compassion because you are after the name you are building for yourself and not the acquisition of material things.”

He further said that “you can acquire all the material things on earth, without integrity, once you are dead, the material things will all fizzle out and nobody will remember you ever existed or lived.
“What most leaders lack in Africa, particularly in Nigeria is integrity. Our leaders do not bother about integrity, which is why they indulge in primitive accumulation of wealth.
“They accumulate this wealth for their children, but when they die, the children will squander the whole thing in just a day. So let’s stop praying for light, good roads and what have you, let’s pray that righteous men will become leaders in this country some day.”

Anyim, like most Nigerians believe that God’s hands is in Nigeria, insisting that it was the reason issues that ordinarily would sparked off violent reactions else where would come and go in Nigeria as if nothing happened.
And he used the death of late Sani Abacha and the aborted third term agenda to buttress his argument. Hear him “what we have today in Nigeria, are leaders who mystify themselves. Leaders who act like God and think that they will never die. Death is not in their agenda.
“The two things that happened in Nigeria that further strengthened my belief that there is the hand of God in Nigeria is the death of Abacha and the death of third term. I was involved and I know that nothing would have stopped Abacha from succeeding himself. But God came to the rescue.
“The second issue is that of third term. Till date, the way the thing ended is still a mystery to those who conceived it, “Anyim added.

He was however quick to add that the issue of service and integrity, should go beyond political leaders. He argued that the followers and the church leaders especially too have a role to play in ensuring that Nigerians live in a corrupt-free society, even as he spared some knocks for church leaders on the issue of corruption.

“What most of you seated here today (referring to the audience) do in secret is worse than what we see the leaders do in the open. The leaders we see are the ones we think are corrupt, but as Nigerians, what we do individually accumulate to bring about corruption in the country.

“Even in the church, pastors and men of God sometimes quarrel over transfer on the premise that certain place is juicier than the other. So those who do that are not ready to serve. So you can see that there is rot in the church system too. You should not murmur over transfer. Therefore, if corruption is to be curbed, the church and other religious leaders must come together to pray for the evolvement of a sincere leader.”

Going down memory lane, the former Senate President who attributed the fear of the unknown as the reason most Nigerians fear to confront certain situations frontally said that he entertained similar fear when he was leaving the office in 2003.

He however said he relied on God to overcome the fears and since then there has been no looking back in his resolve to partner with other like minds to speak against the ills in the country.
“The fear of the unknown is also inhibiting us from doing some of those things we believe in. I had a similar experience when I was to leave office as the Senate President. I am sure many of us here are familiar with the situation that characterized my relationship with the then President Obasanjo.

“He ordered that all my security be withdrawn, this certainly calls for fear, and that was the day I felt humiliated. But I summoned the courage to say ‘if human beings who are my security are removed, God is the ultimate security.’ After the withdrawal of my security, I drove myself to the village without security and nothing happened to me. Like I said earlier, I felt humiliated on the day the security was withdrawn, but I looked up to God. Men can try to humiliate you, but with God, you are confident,” Anyim declared.

Prominent among those who attended the book presentation were: Reverend Father Mathew Hassan Kukah, officials of the Northern States, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and Kaduna State Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Gubernatorial candidate in the last elections, Tom Mai-Taimaki Mai-Yashi.
The 275 page book centers on the need for Christians to be righteous when they are in positions of authority and to strive to correct leaders who they think are corrupt.

Police intercept arms, ammunition

•Suspect
Police in Delta State have intercepted arms and ammunition from suspected armed robbers. The weapons were intercepted at various locations in the state.

The State Commissioner of police, Mr. Jacob Oshiomogho, who briefed newsmen recently on the breakthrough said the feat was achieved by Warri Area Command patrol team and a joint patrol team on duty at Effurun.

He said the arms and ammunition were recovered along the Warri/Sapele road, near Warri, the commercial nerve center. “The team flagged down the vehicle with two occupants for a routine search. Surprisingly, the driver stopped abruptly, while the two occupants jumped out and fled. When the vehicle was searched, two AK 47 rifles marked 359072, loaded with 18 rounds of live ammunitions and another marked 34-2410, loaded with 10 rounds of live ammunition were found.

The CP disclosed that after proper scrutiny, the V/W Jetta car had another registration number, JX 817 AAA, inscribed on its windscreen.
Similarly, the joint patrol team at Effurun intercepted two Pump Action guns, 24 live cartridges, one iron cutter and a knife.

According to the state Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Charles Muka, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), the patrol team at Effurun, got a tip-off that some armed robbers were operating at 15, New Layout. The crime fighters were said to have stormed the scene and killed three members of the gang, while others fled, abandoning their arms.

The team also recovered one AK 47 rifle, two AK 47 rifle magazines, loaded with 37 rounds of live ammunition, one FNC rifle, one Pump Action rifle, 10 arrows, one Mercedes Benz 190, with registration number, AE 962 BMA and a Honda car.

According to the Police, the team had sighted the nuzzle of a rifle in a red Honda car with registration number EG 534 PHC, with three occupants and went after the vehicle, while the occupants opened fire on the patrol team.

Ghana poll: Presidential candidates to face run-off

Ghana's opposition party candidate John Atta Mills, left, and Ruling party presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in Accra, Ghana, 09 Dec 2008
Ghana's electoral commission on Wednesday said the presidential election must be decided in a second-round vote. Governing party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo won 49.13% of the vote, against 47.92% for his rival, John Atta Mills, the commission said. But neither reached the 50% threshold needed for an outright win and a run-off will be held on 28 December.
Local and international observers have praised Ghana for setting a good example on how to conduct an election.

Electoral commission chairman Kwadwo Afari Gyan told a news conference in the capital, Accra: "There is going to be a re-run and it will be between the two leading candidates." The commission chairman did not immediately announce the results of the parallel parliamentary elections also held on Sunday, saying the commission needed to clarify some issues.

Turnout was 69.52% for Ghana's fifth set of elections since it embraced multi-party democracy in 1992. The BBC's Will Ross in Accra says after winning praise for its peaceful poll Ghana will now have to do it again, but the stakes are high, he adds, as the country has just discovered oil.

There were a number of candidates to succeed President John Kufuor - who steps down in January having served the maximum two terms - but the election has been a two-horse race. New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Mr Akufo-Addo won 4,159,439 votes, while National Democratic Congress (NDC) contender John Atta Mills had 4,056,634 ballots, it was announced.

Trailing a very distant third was businessman Papa Kwesi Nduom, of the Convention People's Party (CPP), with 1.3% of the ballot. The former British colony was the first African state to gain its independence in 1957. A nation of 22 million people, it is the world's second biggest cocoa grower and Africa's number two gold miner.

Presidential polls: Yar’Adua, Buhari, Atiku know fate Friday

President Umaru Yar’Adua
The hue and cry over the April 21, 2007 presidential election will come to an end on Friday when the Supreme Court is expected to deliver judgment on the twin appeals instituted by Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, contesting the declaration of President Umaru Yar’Adua by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as the winner of the election.

At the last hearing of the appeals by a full-panel of the apex court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, had told counsel in the suit after the arguments that a judgment date would be communicated to them.

Checks conducted by Daily Sun at the Supreme Court shows that counsel in the matter have all been notified that the court will deliver its judgment on the matter.
The appellants, Buhari and Atiku, presidential candidates of the All Nigeria Peoples Party [ANPP] and Action Congress [AC] respectively in the April polls are asking the apex court to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal which sat as the Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal that upheld the victory of Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election and order fresh polls.
All parties in the two appeals had adopted their brief of arguments at the hearing, which contained all the issues they wanted to address on the disputed election.

Atiku had in his brief of argument which was prepared by Emeka Ngige (SAN) said heavens would not fall if Yar’Adua’s election is nullified, just as he asked the apex court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] under the leadership of Maurice Iwu from conducting the re-run election expected to be ordered by the apex court.

It was also Atiku’s position that “the court was in serious error in invoking the issue of security and welfare of the country as an excuse for saving a seriously flawed election.”
In his brief of argument as prepared by his lead counsel, Mike Ahamba (SAN), Buhari claimed that results in the election were arbitrarily assigned, adding that some of them were prepared before the elections.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria further told the court that the non-serialization of the ballot papers used for the election among other issues of non-compliance with the provisions of the laws guiding the conduct of the election are enough grounds for the election to be nullified and another conducted by a new leadership of INEC.
Responding, counsel to President Yar’Adua, Olaipekun, (SAN) claimed that the two appellants had failed to prove their allegation of the election not being in substantial compliance with the extant electoral laws, particularly the Electoral Act 2006.
He added that the documentary evidence produced by Buhari to prove that the election did not meet the required acceptable standard amounted to nothing because they needed the testimony of witnesses to have a life.

Olanipekun had while adopting Yar’Adua’s brief submitted that the apex court lacked the power to grant the reliefs being sought by Buhari, as according to him “the reliefs to be granted by the court must be in accordance with the Electoral Act. The reliefs asked for by the appellants are not grantable.”
In his submission, counsel to INEC, Kanu Agabi, SAN, stated that the non-compliance as identified by the appellants was not enough to vitiate the outcome of the election, adding that the appellants did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the lapses in the conduct of the election affected the outcome.
Buhari had filed a 264-page appellant brief with contribution from expert auditors, while Atiku had also concluded 39 grounds of appeal in his brief.

Reacting on Wednesday, Atiku said he was ready for the ruling. “Naturally, as stakeholders it is our desire that the apex court would redress the injustice done to us by the ruling party Peoples Democratic Party in the April 2007 presidential election which was brazenly rigged by those who were bent on capturing power by hook or by crook. We would be most delighted if the verdict turns out in our favour because it is the right thing to do. We have devoted so much time and resources to prove our contention that the election was a sham,” Atiku said.

In a statement signed by Garba Shehu, Atiku said he would have no hesitation but to abide by the verdict.
“As a responsible and law-abiding politician, my commitment to the rule of law, peaceful quest for justice through our nation’s judicial institutions remain unshaken. Also, my commitment to the oneness of Nigeria is non-negotiable. But while reiterating my belief in the rule of law and peaceful avenues for legal redress, I am not losing sight of the repercussions of deodorizing the unprecedented fraud in the 2007 presidential election. Such a decision will deepen our sense of injustice over the electoral heist perpetuated by anti-democratic forces last year.

“He said all eyes are on the Supreme Court Justices and whichever way they deliver their verdict on the appeal, will have far-reaching impact on the future of democracy in Nigeria.
“The hope of most Nigerians is that the judiciary has the ultimate responsibility to rescue our democracy from the throes of death. Nigerians look forward to the Judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, to save this wobbling country from the abyss.”

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FIFA to discuss Nigeria 2009

The FIFA Executive Committee has been scheduled to convene in Tokyo between December 19 and 20 to among other issues discuss Nigeria’s preparations for the Under-17 World Cup next year.
According to the world football ruling body on Tuesday, the meeting will be chaired by the President, Sepp Blatter.

The competitions that have taken place in 2008 including the U-17 and U-20 Women‘s World Cups in New Zealand and Chile will be reviewed.

Issues relating to member associations, including a review of all pending cases and reports on the FIFA transfer matching system, the regulations for the protection of minors, and the 6+5 resolution adopted by the FIFA Congress will be discussed.

Obasanjo’s role as petroleum minister illegal – Reps

A report of the House of Representatives ad -hoc committee that probed the oil sector from 1999 to 2007 has said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo held the position of Minister of Petroleum illegally.

It says his action breached Sections 138 and 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and raised serious questions on due process of the oil bloc bid rounds conducted by his administration.

The report, therefore, recommended that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Police should investigate those whose activities led to fraud when the bids were conducted.

Government reportedly lost hundreds of millions of dollars in Signature Bonuses from oil bloc bids during the Obasanjo administration.

Part of the money, if recovered, will be used to fund the over N1tn deficit in the 2009 budget.

Investigations by our correspondents showed that the panel’s report was ready for submission to the House last Tuesday, but was shelved because of the budget presentation by President Umaru Yar’Adua.

The 25-member ad- hoc committee, chaired by Mr. Igo Aguma, blamed the irregularities largely on Obasanjo who, it said, illegally occupied the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

The committee observed that by appointing himself a minister, the former President contributed largely to the shoddy bid rounds that characterised his tenure in office.

Section 138 of the 1999 Constitution states: “The President shall not, during his tenure of office, hold any other executive or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever.”

Section 147 (2) states, “Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President.”

Obasanjo never submitted himself to the Senate for screening as petroleum minister, let alone being confirmed in any form.

According to the committee, Obasanjo never directly interfaced with the bid processes, but related with his aides who might not have received his approval on all their actions.

It said that, without a constitutionally recognised minister in charge of the petroleum sector during Obasanjo years in office, the “legal due process of the bid rounds” was undermined.

Further, it cited Section II of the Petroleum Act to buttress its position.

However, two of Obasanjo aides who appeared before the committee said that they received all instructions from Obasanjo who was also the Minister of Petroleum.

The distortions in the bid rounds, the panel said, led to staggered payment of signature bonuses, some of which had been outstanding since 2001.

It said that in many cases, bid winners never paid the specified amount owing to “preferential treatment of winners at the conclusion of the bid rounds.”

The committee consequently demanded the full recovery of the revenues lost during the bids.

THE PUNCH had earlier reported that debts owed by the 16 oil firms (names withheld) involved in bid round rackets resulted in staggered and preferential treatments amounting to $1.148bn or about N134.34bn .

The committee’s Recommendation, 17 in particular, states, “The various acts of reprehensible conduct exhibited by the administrators (of) the Bid Rounds should be thoroughly investigated by the relevant agencies (the police, EFCC and ICPC, with a view to prosecuting those persons whose actions and conduct were induced by improper motives.”

The panel cited the case of a multinational firm, which won OPL 250 and paid only $75m signature bonus instead of $200m due to the distortion of the guidelines for the bid rounds.

It said, “The ad -hoc committee, therefore, recommends that signature bonuses must be paid in full at the time of the execution of the Production Sharing Contract.

“Even though this field (OPL 250) has been abandoned , the signature bonus balance of $125m should be recovered.”

The committee added that all outstanding signature bonuses should be recovered “subject to the express provisions of the PSCs, from the winners of the blocs who are in default of payment within a reasonable time but not exceeding 60 days from the date of this report.”

It said, “At the expiration of that time frame, the award should be revoked regardless of whether or not the blocs are either in development or production as non-payment of signature bonus is a breach of the fundamental condition for the award of the bloc. Such blocs should be returned to the basket.”

In addition, the panel directed that after recovering such funds, they should be audited to confirm whether they conformed with the true value, “identify and confirm any diverted payments; identify any acts of criminality and fraud in the process.”

The report identified the 2004 bid rounds and marginal field awards as one of the most-distorted. It said the officers charged with the duty of administering the bids and the minister of petroleum “who was in fact, the (then) President,” could not interface appropriately.

Stressing the anomaly of Obasanjo acting as a minister, it said, “The political buffers, namely the Presidential Adviser and the Special Adviser, Petroleum, interfaced between these officers and the minister.

“The officers did not have the opportunity of independent and or direct ministerial confirmation of actions that distorted the system.”

Sallah tragedy: Okiro’s PSO burnt to death

Tragedy struck in Abuja on Tuesday as the Principal Staff Officer to Inspector-General of Police, Mr. James Mshelia, was burnt to death in a domestic fire accident.

The inferno occurred at Central Police Officers Mess in Area 11, Garki area of the Federal Capital Territory.

A Deputy Commissioner of Police and PSO 2 to the IGP, Mshelia was burnt beyond recognition at the mess.

The fire reportedly occurred at about noon. It was gathered from police sources that the late officer was cooking at his lodge and later slept off when the gas cooker caught fire.

Armed police men were seen guarding the area when our correspondent visited his residence at about 3pm. Nobody was allowed to enter the building except senior police officers.”

Britney Spears' Circus Act Tops the Charts

Britney Spears is back at No. 1.

For the first time in more than five years, Britney topped the Billboard 200. Her new album Circus sold more than half a million copies for the week ended Sunday.

This gives Spears the second biggest female bow of the year, topping debut weeks by Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Janet Jackson and Beyoncé and only trailing Taylor Swift. Once the final retail receipts are counted, the album should claim the seventh biggest bow of 2008.

Back in October, Britney set the stage for her comeback when "Womanizer" became her first Hot 100 chart-topper since "…Baby One More Time" a decade ago. "Womanizer" also set the record for the biggest digital sales debut by a female artist (286,000 copies) since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking downloads in 2003.

"Imagine a year ago, did anyone think that today she would be able to come out with an album that would, not only just debut at No. 1, but also do half a million copies in its first week?" asks Billboard Senior Chart Manager Keith Caulfield. "It's surprising, but at the same time it's got to be pretty satisfying for Britney and for her record label."

And it's not just album and song sales soaring, because according to her website, "This tour is selling out like hot cakes! In response to overwhelming ticket sales, we have several more dates in cities including Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Toronto and Newark!"

So expect the circus to be coming to your town soon.