http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/212719
Pfizer, the world’s biggest drug maker, said in a statement that the allegations were untrue and it acted ethically.

The attorney general of Kano State filed five claims for damages totalling $2.075 billion before a state high court.

The defendants are Pfizer, its Nigerian subsidiary and seven individuals who worked for the companies in 1996.

“The plaintiff contends that prior to the treatment by the first defendant (Pfizer), the children treated... which children number 200, did not have the medical conditions or disorders which they suffered after being treated,” the suit said.

Officials in Kano have alleged for years that Pfizer’s actions resulted in the deaths of some of the children and left others deaf, paralysed, blind or brain-damaged.

Court sources said the state government had also filed criminal charges against Pfizer.

The state government alleged that Pfizer selected children and infants from crowds at a makeshift epidemic camp in Kano and gave about half of the group the antibiotic Trovan, which it said was untested at the time.

The legal dispute has been going on for years. A U.S. federal judge in 2005 dismissed a lawsuit that accused Pfizer of not properly warning Nigerian families about the risk of Trovan, saying it should be heard in a Nigerian court.

Pfizer said the clinical trial was conducted with the full knowledge of the Nigerian government “and in a responsible and ethical way consistent with the company’s abiding commitment to patient safety”.

The company said that at the time of the meningitis outbreak, Trovan was in late-stage development and had been evaluated in 5,000 patients.

The Washington Post in the United States said it obtained internal Pfizer records that showed five children died after being treated with Trovan.

However, “there is no indication in the documents that the drug was responsible for the deaths. Six children died while taking the comparison drug,” the paper said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared Trovan for adult use in 1997 but did not approve the drug for use by American children.]]> Thu, 31 May 2007 11:17:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/212719 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/203805
This aversion for teaching is not shared by kids alone. No Nigerian teenager ever considers teaching as a profession to be aspired to. Prof. Michael Omolewa, Nigerian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, recalled an anecdote sometime ago. According to him, it happened that a certain parent had sought his advice because her son could not gain admission to study medicine. In all simplicity, he advised the boy that since he could not make the cut-off mark for medicine, he should consider studying education. He had hardly finished when both mother and child broke down into tears.

When I mean teaching, I have in mind those that teach in nursery, primary and secondary school. This is because those in tertiary institutions have a more 'dignified' title of lectures. Besides teaching in this category is more prestigious and nets in a very fat pay package. During the era of the colonial masters - who we always blame for all our misfortunes, both real and imagined - the teaching profession was prestigious. In the Teacher Training Colleges, student teachers were paid. The training colleges were very rigorous and as a result, only the best graduated as teachers. Granted that perhaps the salary was not that fantastic, however it provided for the basic needs of most of them. Besides in those days, the teacher had a certain reserve, a dignity that did not come from the weight of his purse but on the significance of his tasks. To be called onye nkuzi (teacher) carried as much weight as a lawyer, doctor or priest.

Unfortunately things have not only changed but also gone worse. It seems that a sizeable number of teachers in nursery, primary and secondary schools are just victims of circumstances who having no other means of livelihood, took to teaching. This group of people are always on the look out for greener pastures. This in itself is not bad. After all there are also some teachers who started teaching by accident but have made a success story out of it. The last group - who unfortunately are a minority - enjoy teaching; they have a passion for imparting knowledge.

Taking a look at any Faculty of Education, one finds that the majority of those aspiring to be teachers are people already advanced in age, matured students. The young ones are few and are usually those that could not make it in other faculties. Even among these students a great number are there because they want a degree to consolidate their jobs, especially these days that an NCE means little or nothing. The few, who are interested in teaching, have their minds set on checking-out.

Why do young people shy away from teaching? It is also a reflection of the crisis of values rocking our society. If Nigerian politicians, who do little to nothing in terms of creation of utility, are immersed in wealth, why should a young fellow want to teach? Nobody wants to be a teacher due to the poor remuneration. Another important factor is the absence of professionalism. Besides the general population does not value teachers. Parents are only interested in teachers when their children are in school. As soon as they graduate, that's the end of it. Thus the Nigerian teacher in most cases is like a broom that is only useful when it can sweep but as soon as it gets old, it is discarded.

The public schools are worse hit as the teachers hardly give their best - settling only for the barest minimum, paying more attention to the private classes they organise. Those located in the rural areas rely a lot on Youth Coopers. Not only do most coopers lack the prerequisite training, they are unfortunately in most cases, grossly incompetent in their areas of specialisation and above all have to battle with the communication barrier, as most of their students can only understand their native language. Teachers in private schools are not any better as they earn peanuts when compared to the volume of work they handle. It is only the proprietors of these schools that smile home with huge bank accounts. A sorry situation of monkey dey work, baboon dey chop!

If the youths are really the hope of this nation then we are an endangered species. This is because if the moulders of the minds of the young are unmotivated, sad, hungry and generally without any drive, if the future is entrusted to those who have no love for their profession, who are constantly impelled to look for other avenues to keep body and soul together then we are in big wahala.

The teaching profession should be given the dignity it deserves. More work - than talk - should be put in place to accord this profession its pride of place. The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and other stakeholders in the education industry should wake up and do something. I am delighted that the present drive of the present Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili is yielding fruit. One only hopes that her reforms do not die after she leaves office. However, madam minister should kindly accelerate the necessary changes that will make teachers proud of their professions. It will be worthwhile to review the conditions of service of Nigerian teachers.

On the other hand, the private sector should be proactive, especially those in the education industry. The book publishers in particular who have a direct dependence on teachers should take the lead. I was elated on bumping into a newsletter "School Supplement" exclusively dedicated to Nigerian teachers and bankrolled by Evans Brothers Publishers. It may seem so little but life itself is a collation of little things. It is in our interest to restore the pride of the Nigerian teacher. Otherwise we are only digging our graves because in the words of Gbenro Adegbola, President of Nigerian Publishers Association, "any society that does not treat moulders of the future with reverence is certainly doomed to fail".]]> Mon, 14 May 2007 04:17:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/203805 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/201645
NOI Polls is the initiative of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Finance, and currently a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a pre-eminent think tank in the United States, while Gallup is the world’s most respected polling organistion based in the United States of America.

In the scientific survey, a randomly selected group of Nigerians from different parts of the country were asked questions on contemporary issues, such as, Niger Delta, governance, democracy and national unity, attitude to government institutions, knowledge of HIV/ AIDS and bird flu, among others.

In a presentation in Lagos on Thursday, a manager in the Gallup, Dr. Robert D. Tortora, said that the results also showed that, in decreasing order of importance, Nigerians would want government to focus on road system, education, agriculture, healthcare, corruption, violence and rail system.

It also showed that despite the tales of kidnappings and other forms of violence which dominate the news coming out of the Niger Delta, Nigerians were overwhelmingly sympathetic to the cause of the region.

Not less than 92 per cent of the respondents, according to the polls, said that government was not doing enough for the region.

“That suggests that the image of the region is not defined by the gun-totting militants but rather by the pervasive neglect and deprivation they are going through in the midst of the petroleum wealth in their land,” NOI Polls said in a statement made available to journalists during the presentation.

The survey on attitude to the Niger Delta, like the rest of the poll, was conducted under the supervision of Tortora.

The survey also showed that Nigerians did not believe that the oil firms were doing enough for the Niger Delta.

But the proportion of those dissatisfied with the performance of the oil companies was significantly lower at 42 per cent, which is half of those dissatisfied with government’s performance in the region.

On what the government should do with savings from oil revenue, 90 per cent voted for investment in infrastructure throughout the country; 66 per cent said they should use in the development of the Niger Delta; 60 per cent preferred cash transfers to all Nigerians; while 55 per cent wanted the money saved for the rainy days.

The polls also showed that over 82 per cent of Nigerians still preferred democratic governance to military rule or the rule of religious authorities.

Besides, 74 per cent of Nigerians said they wanted Nigeria to remain as a country.]]> Fri, 11 May 2007 04:05:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/201645 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/197769

One of the suspects, Jimoh Owolabi, confessed to the crime, stating that he wanted to use the girl’s head for money-making rituals.


Owolabi, 30, and Akeem Ogunleye enticed Timilehin Abiona, their four-year-old neighbour, into Owolabi’s room where she was strangulated and subsequently taken to a nearby bush where she was beheaded.


The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Mr. Joseph Apapa, while parading Owolabi and the suspected herbalist who wanted to prepare the money-making ritual, Mr. Matthew Ogunleye, stated that the suspects were arrested by vigilant policemen on stop and search duty at Aiyetoro shortly after the crime was committed.


Akeem Ogunleye allegedly took to his heels when the police stopped them for interrogation about what they were carrying in a polythene bag.


Owolabi was also arrested after a hot chase. The mother of the girl, who just gave birth to twins, went into coma on hearing about the gruesome murder.


Arrested with Owolabi are the landlady of the house where the girl was murdered, Mrs. Anike Ogunleye, and Pa Samuel Ogunleye, who was said to have attempted to aid the escape of the herbalist.
]]> Sat, 05 May 2007 06:45:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/197769 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/192365 In a statement by Sean McCormack, Spokesman of the US Department of State, the US said the analysis of international observers was at variance with the submission of the Independent National Electoral Commission on the electoral process.
The statement said, “There are credible reports of malfeasance and vote rigging in some constituencies. The scope of violence that occurred also was regrettable. Overall, the process was seriously flawed. In spite of these significant shortcomings, the commitment of ordinary Nigerians to democracy remains noteworthy. We praise those Nigerians who adhered to the democratic process by exercising their right to vote.
The United States ,however said it was prepared “to work with Nigeria’s next administration in building upon our excellent bilateral relations and to continue promoting peace and security throughout Africa. We also look forward to helping it implement international recommendations for improving the preparation, administration, and conduct of future elections in Nigeria.”

]]> Sat, 28 Apr 2007 07:23:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/192365 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/185063
After months of uncertainty Nigerians had trooped out in their millions to perform their civic responsibility in the state elections last Saturday. However, contrary to their expectation and the universally accepted norms of democracy, their aspirations were thwarted, their votes ignored and their choice candidates thrown out. Not surprisingly, this has generated massive outrage and violence across the land. The situation calls for radical measures to save the country from anarchy and collapse.

Months before the elections we had cause to draw the attention of the government and its agencies to the shoddy preparations made by INEC. In contravention of the Electoral Act the commission failed to release the voters' register to give Nigerians the chance to verify their names. In spite of the claims of the commission's chairman to the contrary, it was quite evident that the electoral umpire was finding it difficult to meet the logistic requirements of the election.

To make matters worse, the commission demonstrated its partisanship by taking action, including flouting court orders, and initiating court cases of its own, all of which conspired to advance the electoral fortunes of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The commission's actions raised the fears of Nigerians that the elections might not be free and fair. Still, Nigerians kept faith with the process, hoping that they would be allowed to exercise their civic responsibilities and that their votes would count.

Unfortunately, as it turned out, this was not to be. The election was manipulated. The sheer effrontery with which this was done was unimaginable assault on the psyche of Nigerians. Nigerians could not but wonder how their own government could conspire to steal their mandate so brazenly. Yet, even when all observers, both local and international, were asserting that the election was seriously flawed, President Obasanjo and the INEC chairman were audacious enough to claim that the polls went "fairly well". The fact that the country is currently engulfed in post-election violence, which is escalating by the day, appears to have been lost to the President.

It is quite evident that this government cannot organise any credible election either now or in the future. Nigerian voters by their actions in the last few days have lost confidence in the government, INEC and the security agencies, and rightly so. The conduct of the government and INEC in the last election has brought Nigeria to the crossroads of an emergency. The situation calls for radical solutions, although the options available to save the country from impending danger are now very few indeed. The usual, easy route is to advocate putting up with the charade, not rocking the boat in the guise of building democracy. But Nigeria today is beyond such simplistic postulation. Democracy cannot be built on injustice and deceit.

The first step is to cancel the gubernatorial and state assembly elections held last Saturday. The presidential and National Assembly elections should also be postponed for now. We are advocating this measure because the alternative offers little hope. For instance, to allow the election to stand and place the hopes of Nigerians in the election tribunals with the expectation that the results will be overturned would not assuage the feelings of aggrieved Nigerians whose mandate has been brazenly stolen and their rights trampled upon. In any case, this will require swearing in all those who have been elected fraudulently; and this may result in a long season of conflict. The situation in Anambra State following the 2003 gubernatorial election demonstrates the futility of this option.

The 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act make it mandatory for the elections to be held on or before 28 April at the latest. Since Nigerians have now widely expressed no faith in INEC there is not enough time to dissolve the current commission and reconstitute another electoral agency to organise new elections. And it is hard to see how INEC, as currently constituted, can organise any credible election that will be acceptable. Thus holding new elections within the time frame stipulated in our laws is no longer a viable option.

There is also the fact that Sections 135 and 180 of the 1999 Constitution end the tenure of the current administration on May 29, election or no election. In view of these constitutional constraints, the only option left to save our nation is to invoke section 146 of the constitution. The tenure of the current administration at the federal and state levels will end on May 29 as stipulated by the constitution. Then, as stated in section 146, the Senate President should assume the office of president for 90 days during which he shall establish new agencies to organise credible elections that will be acceptable to the generality of Nigerians. A similar arrangement will be made at the state level.

As we have stated previously, the conduct of the present administration has placed Nigeria at the crossroads and only a radical solution can move the country back from the precipice. The President should recognise the seriousness of the country's current situation and act in a statesmanlike manner to save our country. Nigeria is bigger than any individual.

Nigerians deserve a country where their votes will count. They deserve a country where they can live at peace with their neighbours. They deserve a government that will promote their interests and respect their right to choose their leaders. We hope that in this period of emergency our leaders will act to save our nation from impending danger.]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 04:33:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/185063 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/183573
When somebody takes a child from their native culture, that is in itself an act of aggression.

People will often say, love is all you need.

But that is not true. Love without understanding is a dangerous thing.

My mother came to England in 1967, which was a really high point in Ethiopian culture - Ethiopia was a prosperous place. She came during what was a comfortable time for Ethiopians.

But as she found out, it was not a comfortable time for race relations in the UK.

My mother, finding herself in difficulties, sought to have me fostered for a short time.

However, the care worker, who named me Norman after himself, told my foster family that it was a proper adoption.

I was with them for 11 years.

My mother and father

Although they were white I believed they were my father and mother.

I had seen black people in the street or maybe even said hello but until I was 17 years old I never actually knew another black person.



From this I picked up subconscious messages of a kind of lazy racism living in the north of England.

My life was a bit like being an experiment.

Like anyone looking back would feel about growing up in an alien environment - one which treated them as an alien.

I didn't have an afro comb until I was nine years old. My mother used to comb my hair with a metal comb that tore my head. When I was about nine, my parents took me to the doctor because they couldn't understand why my knees were grey.

I remember my mother often saying to me: "Don't look at me with those big brown eyes."

She probably never meant it negatively but it meant that I grew up with a fear of my own eyes.

Trojan horse

My parents were very religious. They told me that they had not decided to take me in, rather that it was God that had decided it for them.

When I was 11 they put me into care.

To them I had become a Trojan horse that symbolised evil. They said that I was bringing evil into their home, that there was this mighty struggle inside me and that God was losing.

To be honest I think it was because they had since had another child and were struggling to provide for us all.

They told me they would never write to me or see me again.

My foster mother contacted me only once to tell me that my granddad had died.

I had always thought that I was going to go back to them.

I knew on an intellectual level that I wasn't their child but on an emotional level I believed I was their child. I didn't know the difference between fostering and adoption.

I have got rid of my anger. It is something that you get through it.

I have been very lost. I've been very confused. But I've always searched for answers.

And the ultimate answer is that the buck stops with yourself.

Uneasy relationship

I met my proper mum when I was 21. It took me three years to find her.

By that stage she worked for the UN in the Gambia.

I travelled out to see her. It was difficult because I looked just like my father had the last time she saw him.

My real mother is a survivor, very strong and respected by the people who know her but our relationship is not easy but then it was never going to be.

To Western parents that want to adopt a child, I would say to people that money is not everything, wealth does not matter.

Don't tell me that you're adopting child to give them a better life.

Is that child then owing to you? And what do they owe? Shall they pay you back in emotions?

And that your view of other cultures and how they may be poor is your view - it says more about you than the place you're looking to adopt from.

Do you want the child because you want a better life for yourself?

I am not invalidating the love that you want to give but I am putting the rights of the child first.

Understand that it is your own experience that leads you to want to take a child from its culture, and display that child as your own in an alien environment.


Gold from the stone

Gold from the stone
Oil from the Earth
I yearned for my home
From the time of my birth

Strength of a mother's whisper
Shall carry me until
The hand of my lost sister
Joins onto my will

Root to the earth
Blood from the heart
Could never from birth
Be broken apart

Food from the platter
Water from the rain
The subject and the matter
I'm going home again

Can't sell a leaf to a tree
Nor the wind to the atmosphere
I know where I am meant to be
And I can't be satisfied here

Can't give light to the Moon
Nor mist to the drifting cloud
I shall be leaving here soon
Costumed, cultured and crowned

Can't give light to the Sun
Nor a drink to the sea
The Earth I must stand upon
I shall kiss with my history

Sugar from the cane
Coal from the wood
Water from the rain
Life from the blood

Gold from the stone
Oil from the earth
I yearned for my home
From the time of my birth

Food from the platter
Water from the rain
The subject and the matter
I'm going home again
Gold from the stone
Oil from the earth
I yearned for my home
From the time of my birth

Lemmy's story brought tears to my eyes.
]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:16:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/183573 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/183545
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which has broadcast only still images, has not explained how it had obtained the video - which is the first evidence the pair are still alive.

The pictures show a young woman saying in a weak voice that she was a French volunteer kidnapped by the Taliban 10 days ago, network officials said.

Both the man, Eric Damfreville, who confirmed his name, and the woman, known only as Salma, appealed for their lives to be saved.


The French government has confirmed the video shows two French aid workers who have gone missing in Afghanistan.



'No prisoner swaps'



James Bays, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Jalalabad, said: "The Taliban demands are that they want more prisoners released.



"They want three prisoners held in Kandahar released in exchange for a doctor who they will say they will execute in two days time.



"President Karzai has ruled out any future prisoner swaps so he has very little room for manoeuvre now."



According to CBC, the video also shows three Afghan men, blindfolded and shackled, who were the translators and driver with the French pair when they were taken.



Armed kidnappers



At the end of the video, a glimpse can be seen of heavily armed Taliban kidnappers.



The French aid workers, from the non-governmental organisation Terre d'Enfance (A World for Our Children), went missing on April 3 in the southwestern province of Nimroz.



Concerns over the safety of the hostages mounted after the Taliban said on Sunday that they had beheaded an Afghan reporter whom they kidnapped with an Italian journalist a month ago in the southern province of Helmand.



The Taliban said it executed Ajmal Naqshbandi because the government failed to meet their demand to free imprisoned Taliban fighters.



However, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, an Italian reporter, was freed in a hostage deal that saw five fighters released from Afghan prisons.



Karzai criticised



Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president was criticised for his controversial deal and has said that his government will not repeat the hostage trade with the Taliban.



Meanwhile, Jacques Chirac, the French president has demaned that Karzai support efforts to free the French aid workers, Karzai's office said Friday.



"President Chirac during a telephone conversation last night demanded the Afghan president's support to secure the release of two French nationals," Karzai's office said in a statement.



"The president in response assured that all relevant Afghan authorities will do their utmost to secure their release," it said.



The Taliban have also been holding five Afghan medics since kidnapping them in southern Kandahar province on March 27.



On Monday, the fighters threatened to kill at least one of the doctors unless the government entered talks.

culled from aljazeera.net

(Photo: The man confirmed his name as 'Eric' and the woman said she was a volunteer kidnapped 10 days ago [AFP)]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:47:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/183545 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/183543
The attack on Saturday occurred about 200 metres from the Imam Hussein shrine, where the grandson of Islam's prophet Muhammad is said to be buried.

"The explosion was a huge one. It took place in a crowded area," said Khalid al-Daami, head of the Karbala's city security committee.

Among the dead were several women and children, he said.

Rescue workers could be seen evacuating casualties, including the body of a child carried away on a stretcher, in footage aired on state television.

Second bridge attack

Police fired into the air to disperse crowds of people and clear the way for more than a dozen ambulances after the bomb exploded.

Meanwhile, in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, a suicide car bomb exploded on a major bridge on Saturday, killing at least 10 people, police said.

At least 15 people were wounded in the attack, which occurred on the Jadriyah bridge over the Tigris river.

The extent of damage to the bridge was not immediately clear.

The bombing was the second attack on a major bridge in Baghdad this week.

Eleven people were killed when a suicide lorry bomb collapsed the al-Sarafiyah bridge in northern Baghdad on Thursday.]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:23:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/183543 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/183393



Joe was actually reacting to the news report that General Ibrahim Babangida was accorded something of a hero's reception, in Abuja, when he went to pick up PDP nomination form, formerly signifying his intention to run for the presidency. The truth is that my friend is not alone in his disgust at the pomp and pageantry that greeted Babangida's formal political outing. Many people have condemned the Nigerian government for the VIP treatment accorded the gap-toothed General as he paraded himself as the Messiah. Some even feel that there may be a tacit understanding between PDP's helmsman and his one-time subordinate to prepare grounds for and hand over to IBB, come 2007, while continuing to hoodwink Nigerians into thinking that a feud existed between them. The statement made by the PDP national chairman, Senator Ahmadu Ali, has even heightened people's concerns. While receiving the Kaduna State governor, Alhaji Ahmed Markafi, who was at the PDP secretariat, November 22, to pick up the nomination form, Senator Ali made a very curious statement. He said, "The candidate of the party would be somebody who would be ready to continue with the progress made so far by the PDP and be ready to keep the nation together" [Nigeria Tribune, November 22, 2006] The reader may have observed that, for a while now, General Babangida has been repeating the above statement, like a mantra, as the reason why he was getting back into politics. A cross section of Nigerians do not see it as a mere coincidence, instead, they are nervous that the wrong message may yet be sent again via the 2006 (s)elections with IBB foisted on Nigeria. That is bad.

"So what are you going to do about Babangida's hero's reception in Abuja?" I asked Joe sarcastically. "Well, I called to ask you to write about it on Nigeriaworld", he said, sounding very serious. "Oh yeah?" I crooned. "Yeah", he responded instantly. "People read your writings globally so you are in a good position to call their attention to the injustice in Nigeria and how the fake elite has hijacked the polity", he concluded. I appreciate the confidence that my friend reposes on Nigeriaworld.com and its global reach. I once narrated what happens every time one's commentary aired on Nigeriaworld. Email feedbacks flood into my inbox from Nigerians and other nationalities resident in every part of the globe; from North America through Europe to Asia and from Australia through Africa to South America. People even email me from remote internet cafes in my maternal hometown Asaba; from Nnewi through Lagos to Abuja. The credit for that global outreach goes to the publisher of Nigeriaworld - Chuck Odili. Hopefully, as my friend believes, this global effort is making a difference in terms of awareness and gradual change in the mindset of people in Africa's most populous nation.

My response to my friend, with regards to his call for a commentary about IBB's political outing, was simple. "Writing is only but one avenue to help effect change in Nigeria for the better". I then reminded him that all Babangida did was to pick up PDP nomination form. He was not yet the PDP flag bearer. Even if PDP finally put forth IBB, as their flag bearer, he was yet to face the Nigerian electorate. "The masses would be the final arbiter, come 2007 and from their unhappiness with IBB, he will not win", I said.

The truth is that as much I hope that the electorate will do the right thing, during the 2007 elections, I am not convinced about it. This is because Nigerians do not yet see their voting rights as inalienable and sacrosanct. Consequently, they fail to guard it as jealously as people do in other democracies. Many Nigerians do not even bother to vote; when they do, they exercise it frivolously, casting it for the highest bidder because of fleeting and ephemeral inducements like cash-filled Ghana-must-go bags, rice, garri, cow meat and the likes.

The above discussion reminded me of one of my earliest writings that was published on Nigeriaworld in the year 2001. In that commentary entitled, "Obligations of the citizenry under our new democratic dispensation", I outlined some of the responsibilities that citizens must live up to if our young democracy was to take hold. I pointed out that although we blame most of our national malady on our politicians and rightfully so, it was important for us to begin to take some responsibility too. I averred that some of the ills that currently ail Nigeria were the direct result of the actions or inactions of the citizenry. This view dovetails with what I was saying above about IBB's reentry into politics. If people who oppose an IBB presidency go out en masse and vote for someone that has Nigeria's collective interest at heart, IBB will permanently be kept in Minna. But because many Nigerians do not take their civic duties seriously, on that day, they will either stay home or succumb to the urge to sell their votes. Later, they would start lamenting to high heavens about not getting the dividends of democracy. We must begin to understand that voting is an essential part of a citizen's obligation in a democracy. If this responsibility is abdicated for any reason at all, then we lose the moral authority to complain when politicians take the country for a ride like IBB did.

In Nigeria today, because of our actions or inactions, we have come to the tipping point where citizens have become as bad, if not worse, than the politicians they criticize. By way of comparison, Nigerian politicians sit around and do nothing in the executive arm and legislature yet they jump at any chance to reap where they did not sow. The reader will recall that governor Obi of Anambra state complained that he was impeached because he did not distribute government money to legislators. In the same vein, the citizenry has joined the bandwagon, abdicating important civic responsibilities or engaging in all forms of lawlessness all because of temporary financial or material gains. I hasten to caution that we cannot have it both ways, one thing has to give. If we are not prepared to do our fair share in our democracy, such as voting based on conscience and conviction, then we better stop complaining that politicians are bad.

At this juncture, I make bold to say that the reason why IBB is unperturbed by the tide of public opinion against him, and continues to forge ahead with his quest for the presidency, is simple. He knows that when the time comes, many Nigerians will gravitate towards him to eat the crumbs that fall off his table. They will do his bidding as long as he is willing to dole out the usual largesse that goes to people who find favor in his eyes. General Babangida is a smart man, if he ever felt, for one second, that Nigerians mean what they say about him and were ready to unequivocally show that during the 2007 elections, he will not continue this quest for fear of being embarrassed at the polls. Essentially, the failure of the citizenry to do its part, coupled with unbridled political harlotry, is feeding the fire of arrogance amongst the political class in Nigeria. They take the people for granted because, We, The People have refused to take the moral high ground, instead, we continue to denigrate and abdicate our civic responsibilities to the obvious detriment of our nascent democracy.

The reader may argue that many people voted during the last election only to be disenfranchised by crooks that stuffed ballot boxes and altered vote counts. That is true but citizen obligation, in a democracy, is not just to vote. We must use the power of "Igwebuike" or "strength in numbers" to ensure that our votes count. Citizens could form monitoring groups that stay in the vicinity of the polling booths to monitor every movement during elections. Suspicious activities like ballot box stuffing must not only be reported to the police and INEC but documented in writing and pictures. Well-to-do citizens can provide transportation, out of the goodness of their hearts, for people who want to get to the polling booths to vote their conscience but cannot. All these may sound tedious but that is the price for a true democracy. If you want something, then you must work for it. During the last American elections, ordinary citizens formed watch groups and fanned out nationwide, stationing volunteers in areas with hanky panky proclivities. They wanted to ensure that the unmistakable message they were about to send, with their votes, was heard loud and clear across the United States. Nigerians must begin to adopt this type of attitude for the sake of our fledgling democracy.

Fulfillment of civic responsibility does not end with voting. Active participation in politics, by the citizenry, is another obligation. Many ordinary Nigerians are very gifted in their thought process and ability to lead. In their every day lives, in their communities and at work, they lead multitudes of people, raking in tangible achievements in the process. These types of people can equally get into politics and blaze the path that Nigeria desperately needs for success. People might say that leading a group of people at work or in the community does not necessarily mean they can lead a nation, a state or local government.

My belief is that the trait that affords someone the ability to successfully lead any group, has a big propensity to successfully carry over into politics. The problem, though, is that these calibers of people do not even nurse political ambition! It is not because they do not feel that they can make a difference but because they are discouraged daily by what they see in Nigerian politics where people's lives are ended just for nursing political ambition. They get discouraged by the amount of money that people have to invest to even be nominated in the primaries.

Look at the PDP nomination process; you have to pay 5 million naira to even get a nomination form! That amount of money is staggering and can only be paid by the super rich, especially those that got rich at the expense of Nigeria or those who depend on political god-fathers. While these obstacles are daunting, they are not entirely insurmountable. Honest political aspirants do not necessarily have to start at the top. They could commence their political outing at the local government level where the financial involvement is not as staggering and the risk smaller. As time goes on and as citizens see their good work, they will gravitate towards them and start helping to raise funds, free from god-fatherism, for them to contest higher offices later. They will also stand with them and help improve their security.

Some people may discount the local government level; they may not see it as not good enough for starters. What they may not understand is that at the local government level, it is easier to mobilize grass roots support and begin to build formidable coalitions that would put one in a stronger and politically viable position. From that level, one could literally begin to bulldoze one's way to top offices. Active participation in politics makes it possible for one to change a representation believed to be bad or working against the masses. It is not always enough to merely vote against the occupant of that position. If one feels gifted enough to do better, then one should dust up one's shoes and get into the political ring. Nigerians in the Diaspora have started doing this. That was how governor Nnamani of Enugu started. A few have met with success while many have not. It is my considered opinion that those who have not found success are mainly the ones that want to start at the top. Taking off from a western country and heading home to Nigeria to immediately vie for the presidency or even the governorship makes little sense. These are all patriotic Nigerians but they should learn to crawl first before running and things will fall in place later. It is also important for them to let the light of what they may have learnt from Western democracies shine so bright that Nigerians may see their exemplary characters and begin to emulate it.

The reader will notice that throughout this discussion, I have continued to say that entering into politics is for the gifted. I say that because it is important for people to understand that every one will not be a politician and people have their strengths and weaknesses. The trouble in Nigeria is that we have people in high places today, who got there because they have money but have nothing else to offer. They lack the charisma that would make people want to follow them. They lack the right temperament like good listening skills, tolerance for criticism and motivation of the citizens to do the right thing. These are the people bungling the lives of Nigerians, disappointing them and failing the nation on a daily basis. We need to have the right people playing the political game in Nigeria and we need to get it right for the sake of the next generation. We have collectively failed Nigeria but this trend must be reversed quickly.

Another obligation that we, as citizens, owe Nigeria, but have woefully failed in, is the obligation to always conform to the rule of law and order. Everywhere you look in Nigeria today, lawlessness holds sway, shaking the very core of our national foundation. Ironically, our so-called leaders, including the man at the helm, perpetually toe the line of lawlessness! They do not abide by the constitution in the discharge of their duties. They flout court orders and injunctions with impunity, effectively weakening the justice system. They subordinate court officials to their whims and caprices, yet, the judiciary is supposed to be a co-equal with the executive and legislative arms of government. Essentially, our leaders pick and choose what to abide by and what to snub. Their decision is almost always informed by political expediency, never the interest of the nation. The so-called legislators are even worse. They embark on frivolous impeachment exercises that fail to follow due process. Nowadays, elected officials can easily be impeached just for political reasons - a clear case of subversion of the will of the people who voted them into office. Unless there is a change that ushers in an era of adherence to the constitution and rule of law, Nigeria will be bequeathing, to the next generation, a shaky democracy that is replete with impediments against sustainable development.

Generals Babangida and Buhari are both eyeing the presidency. That's fair enough; they are guaranteed that right under our democracy. However, this same "nouveau democrats" were once invited by a duly constituted body, Oputa Panel, to give account of their stewardship. They arrogantly declined, thumbing their noses at the Panel and the Nigerian people. Nigerians saw their actions as not only subversive but a tacit promotion of lawlessness in a nation that is still searching for decorum and a way forward. Now the same men are preaching so much about rule of law that one wonders when the sudden epiphany occurred in their lives. Is this a Saul-like conversion on the way to Damascus or is this just hypocrisy anchored on exigent compulsion? I would say the latter. When they declined to respond to Oputa Panel, they set a bad precedent while giving up their rights to elder statesmanship. These men should now be held accountable, via the ballot box, for disrespecting a duly constituted body. They failed Nigerians and must not be rewarded with votes.

Lawlessness does not stop with Buhari and IBB. Try walking into a bank to open a simple account with your hard earned naira. They will frustrate you till kingdom come unless you grease the palms of managers. They will enumerate all manners of documents for you to bring. If you "put hand in pocket" for them, those documents will no longer matter. So you begin to wonder why the documents were requested in the first place if they did not matter. One would think that these bank policies are being flouted by mere bank tellers but they are actually being flouted by high-ranking bank officers! These are trained professionals who know that bribery and corruption ruin the operation of a financial institution, yet they collude with tellers and cashiers in corruption. Not long ago, several banks collapsed in Nigeria. While there are understandable reasons, like adequate capitalization, why some failed, there were those that failed because owners were running them like personal properties. Bribery, corruption and nepotism influenced the granting of loans and owners withdrew money from them like it was their personal savings accounts. Of course some of the customers could not repay their loans because they were not qualified to get the loans in the first place. When the banks finally collapsed, Nigeria suffered terrible consequences. Legitimate customers lost their hard earned money and many young men and women lost the jobs they had come to depend on for livelihood. Why must we continue to self destruct our society just for selfish gains? Why must we continue to fail Nigeria when it needs us most?

I still remember how a colleague was frustrated in one of the banks when he went to claim funds sent via Western Union. First, they told him that they no longer had dollars to disburse even though he asked for dollars at the point of origination. He was still contemplating what to do when the cashier started closing his window. That was after he had waited for hours to get the funds. When he asked why the cashier was closing up, the cashier responded that he had run out of naira! A bank that transacts monetary business, on a daily basis, had run out of cash before midday? It is my considered opinion that if the cashier's palm had been greased, all the needed dollars and naira would have materialized. That is pathetic. A wise and selfless bank official should know that the influx of money from Nigerians living abroad, via Western Union, has immensely helped the economy. They should be encouraging people who bring about cash infusion into the society rather than be discouraging them via shoddy treatment.

It is a shame that one cannot get anything meaningful, in Nigeria, without bribing someone. Careful observation shows that those Nigerians that have perfected the act of bribery and corruption seem to be getting well ahead of the others that have shunned it. Because of this, bribery has become an entrenched and unofficially acceptable way of life. I know of people who left their bases in the Diaspora to return to Nigeria to live. They went back with the best intentions and expertise. After staying there for a while, they returned to their bases because they discovered that you cannot make any progress unless you are willing to wallow in bribery and corruption. There is the story of a potential foreign investor who shunned Nigeria as a place to invest his money. That was after he visited the country and saw how much bribe he had to give to get his business going. When we turn off potential investors that could help turn around the unemployment scourge, are we not driving the nation into God-forsaken abyss of underdevelopment? We all share the blame in one way or the other. Every time we give that "small bribe" to get something we are entitled to, we are feeding the culture of corruption and we have all failed in this regard.

Bribery and corruption knows no bounds in Nigeria. Some parents even have to "grease" the palms of school officials to secure admission for their children into certain schools. How is it possible, under that circumstance, for academic excellence to reign supreme? School officials, who were once known for their integrity, have now degenerated into vultures that eat anything they see without qualms. They sell mimeographs to students with a promise to give them passing grades in their exams. Those who fail to buy the mimeographs run the risk of flunking the course. The result of all this outrageous academic gerrymandering is clear. We have university graduates that are functional illiterates even in their supposed areas of specialization. When they speak the English language, one would develop the urge to plug one's ears and when they write it, there is the urge to question the completeness of the brain cells behind their cranium. For heavens-sake, Nigerians must wake up. Many years ago, if you acquired your secondary or tertiary education in Nigeria and then relocated to a school in the Western world, you became an instant academic star. This was because of the quality of education then and the study habits imbibed through preparation for the West African School Certificate Exam (WAEC). Nigerians were well respected in the western world because of their academic prowess. Now, the reverse is the case. The supposed future leaders of Nigeria are becoming academic half-bakes. They lack the requisite training to stand in good stead to move the nation forward. With such leaders, Nigeria will be worse off than it is today and part of the blame will go to the school officials that allowed the standard of education to fall to pieces. Now, having said that, I am fully aware of the fact that poor remuneration of teachers and the absence of necessary facilities also contribute to substandard education but the point being made is that bribery and corruption plays a big role too.

Corruption in schools is a tip off the iceberg compared with what happens with our law enforcement agents. The police, a body that is supposed to safeguard lives and property, are playing hanky panky. Some members of the police force enjoy being deployed to traffic check points where they stop car after car to extort money from motorists rather than catch the bad guys. At the end of each day, they make tons of money. Because of their interest in extorting motorists, they often forget the real reason why they were posted to the checkpoints. Robbers and criminals routinely get through the check points unchallenged. The reason is simple: they are always ready to give up their "hard earned money". Au contraire, law-abiding citizens who are unwilling to give up money are stopped and harassed. Simply put, check points have become mere inconveniences rather than authentic crime deterrents. If Nigeria must become whole again, if our nascent democracy must survive, then, We the People, must impress upon the police to live up to its responsibilities and eschew lawlessness.

The Christmas season has again started in Nigeria. A general observation one made, during the past Christmas seasons, is that a lot of private men and women have policemen assigned to guard them. The policemen follow them around wherever they go, in convoys, in their homes and the likes. Their only claim to fame is their money and they use it to grease the palms of the officers that make police assignments to them. While these policemen are following them around, robbers visit the commoners, dispossessing them of their belongings and even killing some. When all the policemen have been sent to guard and follow around private citizens, there is not enough left to fight crime in the cities and villages. This practice needs to be completely outlawed. Millionaires who want extra protection should get that protection from private security outfits not the police that should be serving every one.

Of course our infrastructures have not escaped the pangs of lawlessness. As I write, several roads in Nigeria are in a state of disrepair because of the shoddy construction work done. Those that are still motorable have unforgivable design flaws that make them death traps. The reason for this substandard work can be traced to the non-transparent contract award system. Again, bribery, corruption and nepotism are the culprits. The most qualified designers and contractors do not always get the contracts. Even when they do, after expending bribery money (ten percenting), their project funds become depleted. Consequently, they try to recoup by using inferior construction materials or using less materials than needed. No wonder why our roads crumble three to six months after construction. Word has reached me that it now takes more than 24 hours to travel from Lagos to Onitsha, a journey that should take less than 5 hours. A man left Pennsylvania a few days ago to Nigeria. When he got to Lagos, he boarded a bus to Onitsha. The road between Ore and Benin was so bad that the bus could not get through so it returned to Lagos with the passengers. The man was forced to travel to Owerri by air the next day. One can imagine the associated inconveniences and how demoralizing all this can be. The news is that the Ore/Benin road is still bad. Commercial drivers are performing all types of miracles to get their passengers between Lagos and Onitsha. Sometimes their vehicles break down and passengers sleep there with the specter of robbery hanging over them like the sword of Damocles. Every one knows that bad roads hamper commerce, cause deadly accidents and inconvenience the people. This is the price Nigeria is paying for the failure of her citizens to do the right thing. Why is it so difficult to put the right experts to work? And by the way, why is Obasanjo waiting for a major cataclysm to occur on that road before moving to repair it properly? It beats me that we say we have more than 42 billion dollars in external reserves but the masses are suffering and dying on account of poor roads and the government is not making any positive moves. The government continues to be a let down.

The latest trend in lawlessness is wanton destruction of lives and property. Some are politically motivated while others are mere settling of person to person or group to group scores. An Igbo saying goes thus, "you should never kill someone that you will be responsible for his/her funeral". This saying is very relevant in Nigeria where people deliberately destroy government properties. In the end, the government rebuilds the same properties with tax-payer money. During the Ngige administration, in Anambra state, there were instances when government properties were destroyed via arson. The perpetrators conveniently forgot that the state also belongs to them and that repairs would have to be made with state money thereby reducing funds available for other state projects. The police cannot seem to get it in check or they just lack the will to do so.

Every time the above issue is raised, Nigerians, including this writer, refer to the perpetrators, who are probably acting at the behest of politicians, as miscreants or hooligans". Such references seem to suggest that the sordid acts are understandable or pardonable because they were perpetrated by "lesser" humans. No, it is not! The so-called hooligans or miscreants should begin to see themselves as human beings that have the God-given brains to think and act for themselves. They should begin to see themselves as equal in status to other Nigerians in the eyes of God. They should see themselves as citizens who also have obligations towards the society: the obligation to do good, play by the rules, make honest living to better their lives. They should have as their lives' goals, the need to bequeath a worthy legacy to those that come after them, whether it is their children or their children's children. These so called miscreants should not allow themselves to be perpetually teleguided by overambitious politicians who use them as willing instruments to perpetrate mayhem. The financial inducements hat force them to go against their better judgment is fleeting and they should know that. If they help create a better society, they have better chances of leading more useful and productive lives with attendant prosperity. Granted, corrupt leaders have let down the masses, hence the prevalence of joblessness and crime. However, nothing justifies destruction of property and termination of lives…

Alfred Obiora Uzokwe
auzokwe@netzero.net ]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2007 07:02:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/183393 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181979
The disease, which kills an African child every 30 seconds, is entirely preventable and curable, and its symptoms such as headaches and fever often send patients to pharmacies.

The proposal is currently being put together to be presented to potential donor countries such as the Netherlands and Britain. A first draft has already been submitted and it is hoped the subsidy will get under way by the end of this year or early 2008.

Millions contracting malaria on the continent develop a resistance to cheap anti-malaria drugs like chloroquine, used for over 50 years, and governments have been forced to come up with alternative ways to provide the sick with effective medication.

Currently the only effective treatment is a combination drug based on artemisinin, a plant mostly grown in China.

"Even though the price of new medicines has come down, it is still too expensive for Africa. We need to find sustainable solutions to raise new money to make medicines available and affordable to the poor," said Tanzanian Health Minister David Hameli Mwakuysa.

"These drugs are 20 to 30 times more expensive than chloroquine. The poorest of the poor have no access to these drugs," said Awa Marie Coll-Seck, executive director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership which is spearheading the proposal.

Coll-Seck said donors are eager to participate in the subsidy that will see up to $300 million making up the price difference between the cost to buy the medicines and the production.

The high cost of artemisin-based combination therapies is exacerbated when accessed through the private sector.

Currently sold to buyers at $1, and up to $10 in the private sector, the course of treatment is beyond the reach of impoverished Africans.

"Malaria is preventable, treatable and curable and there is no excuse for an African to die of malaria," said Mwakuysa.
]]> Sat, 14 Apr 2007 15:00:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181979 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181973
From "Nichole Downer"


Message attachments:




---------------------------------------------

Hi everyone,

Please circulate this message widely to all of your networks,
nationally
and internationally.

This is an urgent message about some information that is being
circulated
with the Canadian AIDS Society's name falsely linked to it. This came
to
our attention just this morning. Whoever is sending the message is
claiming to be organizing an event and is requesting that forms be
filled
out with credit card information. This event is not being organized by
the Canadian AIDS Society and we are in no way affiliated with the
senders.

Below, I attach some of the correspondence that has been circulated for
the event, so you are aware of the nature of its appearance and
contents.

We will keep you updated on any further details as required.

Thank you for your assistance in helping us spread this message.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonjour tout le monde,

Veuillez distribuer ce message àtous vos réseaux, au paliers
national et
internationale.

Ceci est un message urgent concernant de l'information qui circule et
qui
est lié incorrectement avec le nom de la Société canadienne
du sida.
Quelqu'un venons de nous avertir de cette situation ce matin. La
personne, ou groupe, qui envoie ces messages explique qu'il organise un
événement et demande de remplir des formulaires avec des
informations des
cartes de crédit. La Société canadienne du sida n'organise
pas cet
événement et nous ne sommes pas affilié avec le groupe ou
personne qui a
transmis ces messages.

Je joins quelques messages qui ont été distribués pour que
vous puissiez
vous familiariser avec son apparence et le contenu.

Nous vous garderons au courant d'autres détails tel que requis.

Merci de votre aide en distribuant ce message.



Sample e-mail / Échantillon du courrier électronique

IRE FORUM a écrit :
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 17:45:53 -0400 (EDT)
De: COMITE PREPARATOIRE FORUM
Objet: Notre accord pour votre participation
À: Festival Lucioles bleues

Festival Mondial de la Jeunesse
Ottawa –Madrid 2007
World Youth Festival – Ottawa - Madrid 2007
CANADA AIDS SOCIETY.
Ottawa ( Ontario ) K0B5
Canada

Bonjour Chers Participants, Monsieur NOUSSOUGLO Séwonou Kodjo

Nous vous adressons toutes nos meilleures salutations et aussi la
bienvenue au sein des délégations sélectionnées. Nous
avions pris bonne
note de votre participation ainsi que du reste des membres qui
constitueront votre groupe, nous travaillons jour et nuit pour les
prochaines conférences internationales, votre groupe a été
retenu pour sa
participation àcette nouvelle saison au CANADA puis en ESPAGNE.
Nous
sommes vraiment ravi et nous vous en remercions pour l'importance que
vous
accordez àcet évènement. Toutes les démarches ont
été faites afin que
votre groupe puisse prendre part àcette nouvelle saison, nous avons
ouvert votre dossier de participation dont les références sont
les
suivantes :

N°: RAD/014-796/ML-AidsSKUD/G6

Vous rejoignez donc la liste des participants des différents pays
qui
ont déjàrempli le reste des formalités concernant l'obtention
des visas
relatifs àleur immigration au CANADA dans le cadre du festival,
notez que
c’est une fois au CANADA que nous procèderons ÃÂ
l’obtention de vos visas
Schengen pour l’entrée des participants en Espagne dans le
cadre de la
deuxième partie du déroulement du forum pour le moment vous
obtiendrez
seulement le visa canadien pour votre entrée au Canada . En
attendant le
reste des formalités àremplir, vos lettres d'invitations et les
prises en
charge sont en cours d'établissement pour la mise àjour
définitive de
votre dossier contenant tout ce qu’il vous faut pour votre
immigration en
toute fiabilité. L'obtention de vos visas est une priorité en
sens que
nous ferons le maximum en vous fournissant les documents nécessaires
dont
essentiellement :

-Lettre d’invitation officielle au Festival
-Formulaire de demande de visa daté, signé.
-Attestation d’assurance responsabilité civile et
rapatriement pour la
durée du séjour en Espagne et valable pour l’espace
Schengen (voir fiche
d’assurance pour les conditions).
- Titre d’obtention des billets d’avion.
-Certificat d’hébergement de L’organisme.
- déclaration de prise en charge (légalisé, délivré par
les autorités
compétentes au CANADA et en ESPAGNE)
-Certificat d’enregistrement (Ministère de la Culture )
etc.…

L'octroie de vos visas sera accordé d'avance ici au CANADA
avant
votre présentation àl'ambassade ou consulat de votre pays.
Nous transmettons vos coordonnées au Bureau d’Immigration ici
au CANADA
qui autorisera les visas àl'avance , nous ferons parvenir vos
documents
de voyage une fois les procédures terminées aux services
d’immigration
pour l'approbation dès que nous recevrons les formulaires ÃÂ
remplir en
pièce jointe , nous vous tiendrons informé. Toutes les
informations
contenues dans votre passeport seront utiles pour remplir
d’autres
formalités que nous vous enverrons après avoir reçu les
formulaires. Vous
avez seulement trois questions àrépondre àl'ambassade, qui
vous seront
indiquées après la mise àjour définitive de vos documents.
Vous voyagerez
sur Air France et/ou Air Canada, toutes les négociations sont en
cours,
vous obtiendrez vos billets d’avion auprès d’une
agence de voyage de
votre pays qui vous sera indiquée. Vous aurez votre visa dès la
présentation des documents que nous allons vous faire parvenir par
courrier express àvotre adresse.

* En ce qui concerne le reste des formalités àremplir pour
une mise
àjour définitif de votre dossier.
En rappel dans notre mail d’information :
Assurance (valide pour les groupes ou délégations
définitivement
sélectionnées)
La participation au Festival inclut-elle une assurance?
La participation au Festival inclut une assurance responsabilité
civile.
Il vous faut savoir comme nous l'avions bien souligné dans la note
d'information au niveau des conditions d'obtention des visas pour les
délégations sélectionnées et non ressortissants de
l’UE, qu’il fallait
souscrire obligatoirement àune assurance responsabilité civile
qui est
très importante et qui entre dans la constitution de votre dossier
de
voyage, cela est valable uniquement pour votre entrée en ESPAGNE et
sera
pris en compte par les autorités Canadiens àsavoir les services
consulaires avant votre présentation àl'ambassade ou au
consulat. Sous le
regard des autorités CANADIENS dont le Ministère des affaires
étrangères
en coordination avec le Ministère des affaires étrangères
Espagnol
exigent, avant la délivrance de vos visas (visa Canadien et
Schengen) que
votre fiche assurance responsabilité civile fasse partie du
dossier.
* Pourquoi s'assurer?
Cette assurance est obligatoire pour pouvoir obtenir un visa pour votre
entrée au CANADA ce qui permettra l'obtention de vos visas schengen.
La
souscription àune assurance responsabilité civile est
d’un montant
individuel de 90euros (TTC) toutes taxes comprises (voir fiche
d'assurance) àpayer préalablement au niveau du Comptable de
notre
département d'assurance en Espagne pour la mise àjour
définitive de
votre dossier que nous vous ferons parvenir àvotre adresse une
fois
avoir reçu votre fiche d'assurance (voir fiche d'assurance en
pièce
jointe) et le formulaire de demande de visa. Nous avons nos
collaborateurs
qui sont déjàsur place en Espagne et qui s’occupent de
l’organisation de
la deuxième phase du forum après le Canada donc ils s'assurerons
que votre
assurance a été parfaitement délivrée pour nous confirmer.
NB: En cas de refus du visa CANADIEN par les autorités, ce qui
n’est
pas encore observé au niveau des participants des différents pays
ayant
déjàreçu leur dossier de voyage après leur souscription
àl’assurance il
vous suffit de nous transmettre un justificatif officiel attestant le
refus du visa. Dès réception, la prime d'assurance vous sera
remboursée
intégralement y compris les frais engagés, mais nous allons
d'abord
intervenir au niveau du consulat ou ambassade pour avoir les raisons
pour
les quelles vos visas n'ont pas été délivrés.
Les garanties:

- Assistance Rapatriement (Rapatriement médical, en cas
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Tricia Diduch
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Canadian AIDS Society | Société canadienne du sida
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]]> Sat, 14 Apr 2007 14:53:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181973 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181321
If indeed the reason adduced for the declaration is authentic, pray, why were Nigerians not informed earlier to allow them prepare themselves and their families for the long holiday? In any case, most Nigerians registered for the elections in their places of residence, why then will they need to travel to cast their votes? Since the elections are taking place on two consecutive Saturdays, should Nigerians expect another set of two work-free days before the presidential and National Assembly elections? Clearly, the government's explanation is unconvincing to most Nigerians and, not surprisingly, the opposition consider it a sinister attempt to thwart its aspirations.

For instance, the Action Congress(AC), whose presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has been involved in a "do-or-die" battle with the President, has described the declaration as "a calculated and sinister attempt to prevent the law courts from sitting to adjudicate on urgent election-related matters." This is a reference to the subsisting case in the Supreme Court over whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the power to disqualify candidates or not.

The AC had filed the case and the apex court was expected to hear arguments and possibly rule on the very day that the President suddenly declared a work-free day. This has forced the Supreme Court to postpone its sitting until after the gubernatorial and house of assembly elections, whereas if the court had giving its ruling before the election this could have affected the fortunes of those who may have been wrongly disqualified.

Although the AC's reaction cannot be proved one way or the other, there is little doubt that for most Nigerians, the declaration of two work-free days is one more instance of the numerous actions taken by the Federal Government to tailor the elections to pre-conceived ends. Nigerians have struggled to find meaning in the government's motives, but in all instances, they are confronted with actions and incidents that raise their anxiety over the elections.

One of their greatest concerns has been the attitude of the electoral umpire, INEC. Without exception, umpires are expected to evince the highest standards of neutrality and to follow the rules of the game fairly, firmly and without fear or favour. This is the only condition under which all parties in the game, their supporters, the audience and the observers can accept the authenticity of the results. When such a condition prevails, the winners will be magnanimous in victory and the losers will accept the results in good faith. The converse brings chaos, which could consume all parties including the umpire.

INEC's actions, so far, leave much to be desired. Its preparations have created the impression that the elections are designed to fail. Nigerians have been denied the privilege of examining the electoral register to determine if indeed their names are included. Two days to the election, Nigerians, with a high percentage of illiterates among them, have not been properly educated on the electoral procedure. They are uncertain how to manoeuvre their way through a maze of contestants from 50 political parties.

To compound this logistic nightmare the commission has been selective in its application of court decisions. Its actions have favoured those promoted by the Federal Government at the expense of opposition parties. It has participated in litigation against opposition parties in utter disregard of its role as a neutral umpire.

The commission has not been able to wean itself of the accusation that it is acting out a script prepared by the Federal Government. On the contrary, its actions have reinforced this view and in the process, it has lost its credibility and sense of mission. In spite of its name, Nigerians no longer see the commission as an independent agency; it has become an instrument for the actualisation of the President's will.

With electioneering marred by violence and the antics of the electoral commission, uncertainty and a sense of foreboding pervades the air. Nigerians are unsure if the country will get it right this time or whether history will repeat itself. The only certainty is the righteous affirmation by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission.

In spite of all this, we still believe that the elections must hold as scheduled. We hope that all the actors will act in concert to ensure free and fair elections. We urge the President to be concerned with his place in history and the legacy he wishes to leave behind. We call on the INEC chairman to recognise the historic mission his country has thrust upon him. Our politicians should recognise that the attainment of our collective aspirations is dependent on ensuring that democracy takes root in our country. We expect this minimum from all stakeholders in the coming elections. The consequences of anything to the contrary are too dire to contemplate.]]> Fri, 13 Apr 2007 13:55:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181321 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181051 Now, the campaigns for the state elections are over. By virtue of Sections 101 sub-sections 1,2 and 3 and 102 sub-section 3 of the Electoral Law, nobody can now campaign for any candidate who will be on the ballot tomorrow. The law prohibits such campaign 24 hours prior to polling day. So, the D-day is here. It is time for the voters to exercise their constitutional powers to decide who will govern them. For once, the voters can actually seize control. The voters at this point matter. They can make the politicians sink or soar. The voters can make the difference in their personal and communal life. The voters can shape or sink the nation with their votes.
It is not too clear whether the people understand the extent of the power they have at their disposal. If the voters know why they should cast their votes for the candidate who best represent their interests and who will likely exercise power with the fear of God, then they will probably be discerning while casting their votes. They will not allow that N500 or N200, or that bag of rice or salt which they had collected from the party stalwarts to blur their judgement.
If the voters want to be realistic, they will rather vote based on what their minds tell them not based on party loyalty or because they are blindly following a political leader. The voters will at this stage be more discerning in the choice of governor and state legislator. After the end of voting, the voters will do well for themselves to take interest in how the votes are counted, recorded, collated and announced. If the voters know what is good for them, they will be ready to protect their votes by giving clear signals to those in authority that they wii not tolerate any plan to manipulte the election results.
However, within the confines of the law, we can still discuss certain issues which will constitute our checklist for selecting candidates at the polling station tommorow. This checklist will be compiled based on our experience in the past eight years. The checklist will help us to avoid and correct the mistakes of the past which made the worst in our communities assume power in some areas of our national life. It is important for voters to reject candidates who are perceived to fall in the following categories:
The Ones With Predilection For Violence: You have observed the campaigns and heard some of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly candidates. By now, you must have noticed that some candidates encourage thuggery and actually sponsored violence. There are candidates whose campaign trains usually included men who illegally carry arms or a large number of the toughies, otherwise called'area boys' 'yandaba' 'ecomog troop' or 'bakassi boys'. There are also some of these candidates who have hit troops which they use to attack supporters of their opposition. For some other candidates, they are always instigating one group against the others. These candidates should not be allowed to become governors or state legislators. If such candidates in this group are the incumbent, the voters should cut short their reign. These are people who in power do not care for the peace of the society. they use violence to sustain themselves in power. When they are the ones who when in power hide under the pharapernalia of office or the constitutional shield of immunity to perpetuate crime. It is because of the presence of this sponsors of violence in government that we have several cases of unresolved political assasination. The voters must reject the sponsors of violence at the polls and make sure they do not get to power and use state power to terrorise the citizenry.
The Ones Who Do Not Have Democratic Credentials: It is debateable what constitutes democratic credentials. However, we can look at certain values to see if the candidates pass our rating in those areas. A person who enjoys listening to himself and does not want to hear other person's views will neither be a good governor or legislator. A person who is intolerant of the opposing views is not a democrat. The ones who will always think of how to subvert the laws to achieve a purpose is not fit to be elected tommorow.
The Ones Whose Loyalty Will Be To the Godfather: The voters by now knows who is sponsoring who. Now, the question to ponder about is why a godfather sponsoring a godson. Some godfathers are sponsoring candidates so that those candidates can be diverting state resources to them. Some godfathers just genuinely believe the man they are sponsoring will serve public interest if they are helped to get to power. Some godfathers who are departing governors are sponsoring candidates who will succeed them and cover up the atrocities they have commited while in office. The voters should remember the Mbadinuju and Ngige eras in Anambra and vote for only candidates who are independent-minded and will always side with the people.
The Ones Whose Antecedent is Either Unknown or Not Clean: The candidates whose names are on the ballot are members of the various communities. The voters have an idea of who most of the candidates are. They know their parentage, their educational background, their source of wealth and their social affiliations. The voters must make sure that they take into consideration the type of persons these candidates are. The ones with dubious characters and the ones who are fraudsters will most likely misapply and misappropriate public funds. The ones who forged certificates will also falsify public documents to ensure that they always get what they want. A man with a bad character cannot run a good government. The voters should not vote for a man they cannot vouch for his character.
The Ones Who Do Not Have a Programme: Evaluate the programmes promised by the governorship candidates and decide which of them came close to your goals for your state. Also, see which of these promises are real, well articulated and achievable by the candidate and his party. Then, make your decision. Do not vote for the candidate who you do not know what he stands for and what he represents.
The Ones Who are Not God-fearing: Most Nigerians belong to one religion or the other. Also, most religions emphasis the fact that only God makes rulers and only he removes rulers from their throne. It is also a fact that when leaders follow the dictates of God and demonstrate the fear of God in all their actions, they will not misuse power or mislead their followers. It is almost certain that voters can make a judgement of most of the candidates and atleast conclude whether they will be God-fearing or not. We may not be right in our judgement because it is difficult to read the minds of men from the construct of the face. Nevertheless, where we have reason to make correct judgement, let the voters know that only a God-fearing leader can refrain from abusing the enormous powers attached to political offices.
Overall, perhaps I need to make the clarification that the guide above is not an attempt to dictate to voters. It is simply part of the democratic debate. I have only made recommendations to my fellow countrymen. But let me emphasise the need for all voters to take more interest in what happens after close of voting. Take interest in the counting and collation. Without being violent, protect your votes and play safe. May we have a free and credible poll tommorow and next Saturday.]]> Fri, 13 Apr 2007 04:19:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181051 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181027
Israeli lawmakers said yesterday that Ibrahim Suleiman, who was the first Syrian to address the Jewish state's parliament powerful Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee was rebuffed after the panel invited him to speak so it could evaluate his claims to ties with top figures in the Damascus regime.

Earlier this year, it emerged that Suleiman held eight rounds of secret, unofficial talks with a former director of Israel's Foreign Ministry, Alon Liel, with the knowledge of their respective leaders. Both men have said they concluded from their meetings that Syria was sincere about resuming peace talks with Israel.

They drew up a tentative peace proposal to end one of the Middle East's most bitter conflicts, which called for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights and a halt to Syrian support for armed extremists.

In the course of the talks, Suleiman and Liel approached their respective governments about reopening formal peace negotiations, broken off in 2000, but neither country responded, committee members said Suleiman told them.

"They suggested that there be officials (in the talks), and there wasn't any response from either side," lawmaker, Colette Avital, said.

In his testimony before the parliament panel, Suleiman did not identify his contacts in Syria, lawmakers said.

Nissim Zeev, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, said Suleiman told lawmakers the Syrian government knew of the talks, but didn't give them an official mandate.

"They weren't really close to finalising anything, because the governments had not gotten involved," Zeev said.

Still, committee Chairman Tzahi Hanegbi said he received the impression that Suleiman has "relayed messages more than once between Israel and Syria over the years, and this is evidence of his stature.

"We can use his help because he has contacts with the Syrian leadership in order to spell out our demands, and not just hear what he has to say," Hanegbi added.

Suleiman and Liel last met in late July, during the Israel-Lebanon war.

Israel, which has acknowledged his talks with Liel but distanced itself from them, has questioned the quality of his contacts.

After the committee session, Suleiman said he hoped his efforts weren't in vain.

"I am hoping that the officials in Israel and the officials in Syria will start meeting with one another and that we, as a private channel, should disappear now," he said. "My presence here will make everything useful," he added.

Syrian President Bashar Assad said repeatedly after Israel's summer war in Lebanon, a former Syrian proxy, that he was interested in restarting negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has insisted that Assad end his support for Palestinian militant groups and scale back his ties with Iran first.

Israel has used informal contacts in the past. The talks that led to the 1993 Oslo peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians began as meetings between academics and unofficial representatives of the two sides.]]> Fri, 13 Apr 2007 03:23:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/181027 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/180573
Already, the management of the Dutch firm has directed all the expatriate workers in Warri and Port Harcourt to stay away from their offices and field locations as from Friday (tomorrow) to Sunday April 22.

The foreign nationals were directed to remain at home during the period.

Similarly, our correspondent learnt that Nigerian employees of the Dutch oil firm, especially those in Warri and Port Harcourt operations had been directed to remain in-door on Fridays preceding the elections, slated for April 14 and 21.

A source in the company informed our correspondent that the security measures were contained in a document titled, ”Staff message on security during the election period,” released by SPDC‘s Managing Director/Country Chairman, Mr. Basil Omiyi.

It will be recalled that the Minister of Defence, Ambassador Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, had, during his recent visit to Warri, said the oil multinationals in the Niger Delta region were apprehensive about the peaceful conduct of elections, especially in the region.

Aguiyi-Ironsi said the oil multinationals had contacted the Federal Government to raise the alarm over the security of lives of their employees and property during the elections.

Also, SPDC‘s management also directed its employees in Lagos and Abuja not to report for work on Fridays preceding the elections of Saturday, April 14 and Saturday, April 21 as precautionary measures.

The workers, including the expatriates were advised to contact appropriate functionaries of the oil firm to obtain permission to return to their duty posts in the offices and field locations after the election.

The management of the oil firm also restricted business visits or SPDC‘s sponsored travel by overseas-based employees to Nigeria between April 13 and 22, adding that possible exception should be authorised by Omiyi, Ann Pickard and Chris Haynes.

Similar movements by the employees of the service companies to SPDC were also barred during the period.

In addition, expatriate employees were barred from traveling to and out of Warri and Port Harcourt during the period while flights to Bonny Island would not be routed through Port Harcourt during the period of the elections.

Our source said travel by road between Port Harcourt and Warri for all employees was barred by the management during the period under review.

The management, according to our source, said it would monitor the security situation in the region and take further steps considered necessary before, during and after the elections.

SPDC‘s spokesman, Mr. Bisi Ojediran, ignored persistent calls and text messages sent to his mobile phone by our correspondent on the matter on Wednesday.

However, Ojediran had during a previous interaction with our correspondent, said security measures initiated by SPDC in the region, were mere precautionary steps.

Ojediran said SPDC was not ready to toy with the lives and property of its employees. ]]> Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:51:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/180573 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/180569
Authorities in the Chinese territory of Macau yesterday said that North Korea can withdraw the money, Associated Press (AP) reported quoting America officials.

But United States (U.S.) Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico said the Banco Delta Asia, a Macau bank blacklisted by Washington, was expected to formally notify North Korea later yesterday or today that the communist regime can access its funds.

Also, Richardson said North Korea yesterday sought to delay the weekend deadline for shutting down its nuclear reactor by a month, but the U.S. rejected the period as too long.

"We let them know that this was not acceptable and the issue was dropped," he said.

Richardson, instead, said the shutdown should only take a "few days."

"Now the ball is in North Korea's court to take the next important steps," he said. He further said that Pyongyang officials had reaffirmed a commitment to making initial moves to disarm.

Pyongyang has offered to welcome United Nations (UN) nuclear inspectors within a day of receiving the frozen funds which have hampered disarmament talks, Richardson said in South Korean capital, Seoul after a four-day trip to the Pyongyang.

The comments yesterday, were the clearest North Korean reaction yet to an announcement that authorities have released its $25 million trapped in the Macau bank.

North Korea's insistence on no talks about disarmament measures until its money was freed had deadlocked nuclear negotiations.

Pyongyang claimed that the freeze on its funds showed the U.S.' hostile intentions toward the isolated communist regime.

Washington blacklisted the Macau bank in 2005 for its alleged complicity in counterfeiting and money laundering by North Korea. BDA has denied any wrongdoing.

The communist state struck a deal with the U.S. and four other nations in February to shut down its main nuclear reactor by Saturday in exchange for economic aid and political concessions.

North Korea, which kicked out international inspectors and in 2003 restarted its sole operating nuclear reactor, last October rattled the world by testing a nuclear device. If it keeps promises, they would be the first moves by Pyongyang to limit its nuclear programme

Richardson yesterday acknowledging it might be difficult for Pyongyang to make the Saturday reactor shutdown deadline, urged the country to show goodwill and invite UN inspectors by then "to at least start the process of shutting it down."

Elated American officials yesterday insisted that the financial row was now over. "I think we have come to a very important juncture, which is we consider this (Banco Delta Asia) matter to be really resolved," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said in Seoul after meeting South Korean diplomats. "Now is really an important time to get on with the ever-urgent task of denuclearisation."

"We see no reason why (North Korea) should hold up anything right now," Hill said. "I don't want to get into extending the deadline," he said.

Hill, who is visiting China today, said he was open to a meeting with North Korea's main nuclear negotiator, Kim Kye Gwan in Beijing.

Richardson's delegation earlier yesterday acknowledged making a rare North to South crossing through the heavily armed Demilitarised Zone dividing the peninsula at the truce village of Panmunjom, and also taking delivery of the remains of six U.S. soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Pyongyang yesterday replaced its Prime Minister Pak Pong Ju during a session of its rubber-stamp parliament, the country's state media reported.

He was relieved of the premiership and replaced by Kim Yong Il, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, without giving any reasons for the shuffle.

Pak, previously the minister of chemical industries, had been appointed in 2003 in a move that was believed to indicate the North's attempts to revive its moribund economy. His successor, Kim, had served as transport minister since 2003.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il attended the meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly, KCNA reported, but apparently did not make any comments.


]]> Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:45:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/180569 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/180565
The minister, who spoke late Tuesday after talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki, said that the two parties had looked at their agreement again and examined what needed to be done to improve relations between them in the aftermath of the recent events.

"Sudan is firmly committed to finding a peaceful solution to this problem," Akol said, toning down Khartoum's threat of retaliation for Chad's involvement in the deadly border violence.

Chadian troops chased rebels across its border on Monday, leading to direct clashes with the Sudanese army. Khartoum said 17 of its troops were killed in the clash but N'Djamena apologised for the incident.

Sudan had accused Chad of violating a 2006 border agreement the two neighbours signed in Tripoli that Sudan maintains has been unobserved for the past year.

Libyan leader Moammer Gaddafi yesterday sent an envoy, Abdel Salem Triki, to Sudan and Chad for talks aimed at easing tensions between the two countries.

Triki, assistant to Libya's foreign minister in charge of African affairs, said he would deliver letters from Gaddafi calling on the leaders of the two countries to "return to peace and dialogue."

Mbeki, meanwhile, yesterday travelled to Juba, the capital of semi-autonomous southern Sudan.

The South African president was a key mediator in the negotiations that led to the January 2005 signing of a peace agreement ending Sudan's 21-year-long north-south civil war.

During his meeting in Khartoum with President Omar al-Bashir and First Vice President Salva Kiir, Mbeki urged the government to accept the United Nations peacekeeping plan for Darfur.

The United States yesterday decided to hold off for several weeks on imposing new sanctions against Sudan over its handling of Darfur to give the United Nations more time to negotiate with Khartoum.

Special envoy, Andrew Natsios, told lawmakers that UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon had asked the United States at the end of last month to wait for two to four weeks to enable him to negotiate a U.N./African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur, which Sudan has so far refused.

Khartoum has so far accepted most of the first two stages of former UN chief Kofi Annan's plan for a reinforcement of the embattled African Union (AU) contingent currently deployed in the troubled western Sudanese region.

Akol said however that Sudan remained opposed to the deployment of helicopter gun-ships in Darfur.

The first two phases of the plan involve mainly UN logistical and technical support for the 7,000-strong African force but the third and most contentious phase is supposed to lead to the deployment of a joint - or "hybrid" - AU-UN force.

The latest clashes between Chad and Sudan have heightened fears that the four-year-old conflict in Darfur would spill over to neighbouring countries, which also include the Central African Republic.

UN deputy spokeswoman, Marie Okabe, said a high-level technical meeting in Ethiopia on Monday set the stage for bolstering the AU force. The package will include more than 3,000 UN troops, police, and others as well as substantial equipment.

The United Nations and Sudan agreed in November on a three-stage plan to strengthen the AU force, culminating with the deployment of a joint AU-U.N. force with 20,000 security personnel. But al-Bashir backed off the deal, saying he would only allow a larger AU force, with technical and logistical support from the UN.

The first phase, a light support package including UN police advisers, civilian staff and additional resources and technical support, has already been sent to Darfur. The meeting in Addis Ababa on Monday focused on finalising the second stage of the UN plan.

"The meeting finalised agreement on the UN heavy support package ... with the exception of one element on which the Sudanese delegation is hoped to provide a positive and expeditious response," Okabe said.

"The meeting also agreed to move forward expeditiously with implementation of the package."

She said the outstanding issue "involves tactical attack helicopters."

Acting U.S. ambassador Alejandro Wolff said Washington was trying to clarify "whether this is an unconditional agreement of acceptance of the deployment of the heavy package, or if there were conditions or clarifications that in the past have been used by the government of Sudan to slow this down."

The UN is hoping for a response from the Sudanese government on the helicopters before high-level consultations on Darfur at UN headquarters April 16-17, hosted by Ban.

Sudan's president last month, sent a letter to Ban approving a very limited UN role in Darfur, objecting to helicopters and reconnaissance aircraft, reducing troop levels, and ruling out international police in towns and government-controlled areas.

But in late March, Ban and al-Bashir reached an agreement to work out differences on the heavy support package at Monday's meeting in Addis Ababa.

The question of a third-phase joint UN-AU force, however, remains problematic.

The AU force has been unable to stop violence in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million forced to flee their homes in nearly four years of fighting between the government and ethnic rebels.

The violence has only increased since a peace deal last year signed by the government and one rebel group. Other rebel groups rejected the deal and continued fighting.

Gunmen on Tuesday, ambushed an African Union peacekeeping patrol in Darfur, killing one soldier and critically injuring two others, the AU mission said. The three Rwandan soldiers were part of a unit patrolling in a zone controlled by Sudan Liberation Movement rebels, the AU said.

"But there is no way to confirm whether our soldiers were attacked by the rebels until the investigation is complete," said Moussa Hamani, an AU spokesman.]]> Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:41:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/180565 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179849
Prohibitive Cost of International Connectivity

Twenty countries of the region lack direct terrestrial access to global information and communications infrastructure and networks and are forced to rely on expensive satellite connectivity to link up with each other and the rest of the world.

This translates into some of the highest communications costs in the world. International wholesale bandwidth prices are 20 to 40 times higher than in the United States, and international calls are on average 10 to 20 times more than in other developing countries.

Holding Back Africa's Progress

The region’s growth and development is being held back by this lack of access to low price and high quality telecommunications services. Furthermore, it impedes regional and international trade and limits the extent of job creation. The limited and costly access also hinders the potential to utilize information and communication technologies to extend learning, promote social participation and improve government efficiency and transparency.

The Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - RCIP

The Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (RCIP) aims to address this ‘missing link’ and to improve access to international connectivity by focusing on closing the terrestrial connectivity gap.

Connectivity and transparency are the two over-arching development objectives of RCIP. The Program will extend the geographic reach of broadband networks and contribute to lower prices for international capacity, while contributing to improved Government efficiency and transparency through selected e-government applications.

Kenya, Burundi and Madagascar are involved in the first phase of RCIP which has a combined volume of US$164.5 million, out of the US$424 million envelope for the overall program. Other eligible countries in East and Southern Africa can join future phases of the Program on a readiness basis.

RCIP is an innovative example of the emphasis on regional integration, which accounts for more than 10% of total World Bank support to Africa.

By the end of the Program, it is expected that all capitals and major cities in East and Southern Africa would be linked to competitively priced high-bandwidth connectivity. Lower prices for international connectivity will decrease the cost of doing business and significantly improve private sector investment opportunities in the region. Universities, schools and hospitals benefit; and governments will be able to deliver services to citizens more efficiently and transparently online.

www.worldbank.org]]> Wed, 11 Apr 2007 04:11:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179849 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179767
In a statement on his web site on Sunday urging the protests in the holy city of Najaf marking the anniversary of when United States (U.S.) troops overran the city and deposed President Saddam Hussein, controversial cleric, Moqtada Sadr, branded U.S. forces "your arch enemy," calling for end to their occupation of Iraq.

Curfew was in place in Baghdad for the duration of the anniversary. A 24-hour ban on movement by all vehicles, for fear of car bomb attacks, began in Baghdad at 0500 (0100 GMT) where in 2003 a giant statue of Saddam was torn down, symbolising the fall of his regime.

In Najaf, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Baghdad, the flag-waving and singing protests lasted for about three hours.

Moqtada Sadr ,who remained out of public glare since the joint U.S.- Iraqi forces Baghdad sweep began eight weeks ago, did not attend the rallies. There were no reports of violence, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Meanwhile, an Iraqi government insider, Ali A. Allawi, who served as Iraq's trade, defence and finance minister at various times since 2003, writing in a book The Occupation of

Iraq, newly published by Yale University Press.

details the U.S. occupation's "shocking" mismanagement of his country - a performance so bad, that by this year Iraqis had "turned their backs on their would-be liberators."

"The corroded and corrupt state of Saddam was replaced by the corroded, inefficient, incompetent and corrupt state of the new order," Allawi wrote with authority as a member of that "new order." Also as a former academic at Oxford University before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Allawi wrote with unusual detachment.

In the book being viewed as an unsparing catalogue of failures of both American and Iraqi, in which the word "ignorance" was used freely, is the first by a senior Iraqi official on the country's four-year ordeal.

The U.S.-and British-educated engineer and financier wrote of the "monumental ignorance" of those in Washington pushing for war in 2002 without "the faintest idea" of Iraq's realities.

"More perceptive people knew instinctively that the invasion of Iraq would open up the great fissures in Iraqi society," he said.

He also spoke of the "rank amateurism and swaggering arrogance" of the occupation, under L. Paul Bremer's Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), which took giant strides with little consultation of Iraqis, steps Allawi among others saw as blunders:

* disbanding of Iraq's army, which Allawi said could have helped curb a rising insurgency in 2003- the hundreds of thousands of demobilised, angry men formed a recruiting pool for the resistance;

* purging tens of thousands of members of toppled Saddam 's Baath party - from government, school faculties and elsewhere - left Iraq short of experienced hands at a crucial time;

* an order consolidating decentralised bank accounts at the Finance Ministry stifled activities of Iraq's numerous state-owned enterprises;

* CPA's focus on private enterprise allowed the "commercial gangs" of Saddam's regime to monopolise business;

* the new order's free-trade policy allowed looted Iraqi capital equipment to be spirited away across borders; and

* Saddam's fuel subsidies, selling gasoline at give-away prices and draining the budget was also perpetuated under the new order.

Bremer last year writing his memoir of the occupation, said that senior U.S. generals in 2003 wanted to recall elements of the old Iraqi army, but were rebuffed by the Bush administration. He that his authority was generally undermined by Washington's "micro-management."

But Allawi, a cousin of Ayad Allawi, Iraq's prime minister in 2004, and member of a secularist Shiite Moslem political grouping, well-researched book betrayed little partisanship.

Allawi on U.S. reconstruction failures - in electricity, health care and other areas documented by Washington's own auditors - wrote that the Americans' "insipid retelling of 'success' stories" merely hid "the huge black hole that lay underneath."

U.S. officials, meanwhile, often have largely blamed Iraq's rising violence for the failures of reconstruction and poor governance.

Allawi since 2005, has been instrumental in publicising extensive corruption within Iraq's "new order," including an $800-million Defence Ministry scandal.

He wrote that under Saddam, the secret police kept would-be plunderers in check better than the U.S. occupiers have done.

As this year commenced, "America's only allies in Iraq were those who sought to manipulate the great power to their narrow advantage. It might have been otherwise," Allawi concluded in the book.

But in Baghdad yesterday, U.S. military commended the peaceful protests.

Spokesman, Col Steven Boylan, said: "This is the right to assemble, the right to free speech - they didn't have that under the former regime."

In a statement issued on Sunday, the radical anti-American cleric, Sadr, asked Iraqis not to "walk alongside the occupiers, because they are your arch enemy" and to turn all their efforts on U.S. forces.

He warned followers against violence, urging the Mahdi Army and Iraqi security forces "to be patient and to unite your efforts against the enemy and not against the sons of Iraq."

Some demonstrators burnt U.S. flags and shouted slogans: "No, no, no to America... Moqtada, yes, yes, yes."

Salah al-Obaydi, a member of Sadr's organisation, yesterday called the rally a "call for liberation."

"We're hoping that by next year's anniversary, we will be an independent and liberated Iraq with full sovereignty," he told the Associated Press (AP).

Clashes, meanwhile, raged yesterday between coalition forces and followers loyal to the cleric in the town of Diwaniya.

American and Iraqi forces at the weekend began an operation to root out militiamen in the town.

Sadr's supporters hold a crucial block of seats in Iraq's parliament, giving them an influential voice in al Maliki's government.

Al Maliki yesterday in Tokyo met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Both leaders, as expected, signed the previously agreed loans worth 103billion yen ($86 billion; �44 billion) for four economic projects.

Thanking Tokyo for its support, al Maliki said: "Iraq has escaped the constraints of the past and is engaged in new challenges. The country is one and the people are one." ]]> Wed, 11 Apr 2007 02:51:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179767 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179481
The same report said that 146 000 pregnant women had been diagonosed as being HIV carriers but a programme of drug treatment had managed to prevent the virus from being transmitted to some of the babies.

Like much of southern Africa, Mozambique is struggling to combat Aids which affects nearly 1.5 million people, around 16.2 percent of the overall population.

Around 20 000 children under the age of five died of Aids in the country last year, according to figures from the health ministry.

]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:25:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179481 5.4833333 7.03333335.48333337.0333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179179
Prohibitive Cost Of International Connectivity

Twenty countries of the region lack direct terrestrial access to global information and communications infrastructure and networks and are forced to rely on expensive satellite connectivity to link up with each other and the rest of the world.

This translates into some of the highest communications costs in the world. International wholesale bandwidth prices are 20 to 40 times higher than in the United States, and international calls are on average 10 to 20 times more than in other developing countries.

Holding Back Africa’s Progress

The region’s growth and development is being held back by this lack of access to low price and high quality telecommunications services. Furthermore, it impedes regional and international trade and limits the extent of job creation. The limited and costly access also hinders the potential to utilise information and communication technologies to extend learning, promote social participation and improve government efficiency and transparency.

The Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Program - RCIP

The Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (RCIP) aims to address this ‘missing link’ and to improve access to international connectivity by focusing on closing the terrestrial connectivity gap.

Connectivity and transparency are the two over-arching development objectives of RCIP. The Program will extend the geographic reach of broadband networks and contribute to lower prices for international capacity, while contributing to improved government efficiency and transparency through selected e-government applications.

Kenya, Burundi and Madagascar are involved in the first phase of RCIP which has a combined volume of US$164.5 million, out of the US$424 million envelope for the overall program. Other eligible countries in East and Southern Africa can join future phases of the Program on a readiness basis.

RCIP is an innovative example of the emphasis on regional integration, which accounts for more than 10% of total World Bank support to Africa.

By the end of the Program, it is expected that all capitals and major cities in East and Southern Africa would be linked to competitively priced high-bandwidth connectivity. Lower prices for international connectivity will decrease the cost of doing business and significantly improve private sector investment opportunities in the region. Universities, schools and hospitals benefit; and governments will be able to deliver services to citizens more efficiently and transparently online.

Source: Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (RCIP), World Bank, Washington
]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2007 04:11:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179179 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179177
Light, sweet crude for May delivery fell 44 cents to $63.84 a barrel in midafternoon Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude for May slipped 33 cents to $67.91 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures Exchange.

Oil prices rose more than $5 a barrel - hitting six-month highs - after the March 23 detention of the 15 sailors and marines. The market immediately fell following their release Thursday, but trading stopped starting Friday for the long Easter weekend.

"Ahead of a long weekend, traders are more cautious and tend to take long positions," said Victor Shum, energy analyst with Purvin Gertz in Singapore. "Monday’s drop reflects a delayed market correction to their release."

Shum predicted a further drop but said prices were unlikely to return to the $61-62 a barrel range where oil was trading before the Britons were captured.

He noted that gasoline supplies in the United States were tight and demand for crude oil would also pick up.

"Primarily, the market has found support in the fundamentals," Shum said. "Tightening fundamentals will help prevent prices from sliding too far."

Last week’s annual report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed a larger-than-expected increase in gasoline supplies but lower refinery output. Many refineries have suffered unplanned outages in recent weeks, which has weakened demand for crude and reduced gasoline production.

Refinery problems in the U.S. have prompted traders in the physical market to look overseas - which, combined with increased demand in Europe, has driven the price of oil traded in London up over $68 a barrel, higher than in New York.

Lingering geopolitical worries - upcoming elections in Nigeria that could spur further unrest, and Iran’s nuclear issues - would also strengthen prices, Shum said.

In other Nymex trading Monday, natural gas fell 2.4 cents to $7.583 per 1,000 cubic feet, and heating oil futures were down 0.28 cent to $1.8581 a gallon.]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2007 04:11:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179177 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179173
The amount, meant for infrastructural development, may go down as the biggest single credit facility ever contracted by any Ghanaian Government.

The significance of this to Africa is also huge because Ghana will be blazing a trail through financial markets by becoming the first West African sovereign state to enter the international bond markets.

This is being hailed as an event that could test the market appetite for African debt and also show whether African countries that have benefited from debt relief are able to put commercially raised capital to good use.

According to London’s Financial Times, Nigeria is one of the favourites to emulate Ghana as sub-Saharan Africa begins to show tentative signs of emerging into the international capital markets to raise fresh debt.

The markets were expecting Ghana’s benchmark issue, expected by July, to total about $500m, a figure which local analyst, Ken Ofori-Atta, predicted was likely to be over-subscribed anyway.

But, our official sources say, though the exact value of the bond has yet to be fixed, Government is very likely to venture higher and settle on just a quarter short of $1 billion.

The world’s largest bank Citigroup is one of the leading contenders to bring Ghana’s first international bond to market. Sources say America’s Citigroup and, an investment bank from Europe, expected to be powerhouse UBS, have been chosen as lead managers for the Ghana Government’s first ever sovereign bond issuance.

The Ministry of Finance confirmed to The Statesman that no fewer than 13 major investment banks, including Ghana’s own Databank Financial Services, J P Morgan, Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank, expressed interest in handling Ghana’s inaugural debt issuance.

But, Sam Mensah, technical advisor to the Ministry says no decision has been made on who will eventually lead the debt offering, although he acknowledged Government is working on a "short-list," which our sources came down to four before two were selected.

The selection of one American lead manager and another from Europe might have been informed by the fact that the bond, the roadshow of which would cross the two continents, primarily targeting investors there, will operate under US securities regulation.

There was, however, some disappointments on the local front, with financial experts expressing regret that Government could not muster the confidence to use local stockbrokers to lead as managers.

Ghanaian stockbrokers, up to four, are, however, slated to serve as co-managers, though no decision has been made on which of the institutions vying for the honour will win out.

And, the Ministry could give no firm date on when either the international, or the Diaspora focused Jubilee Bond would hit the market saying only that both would be completed "by the end of the year."

Combined with the Jubilee Bond, which The Statesman has learned may be in excess of $100 million, government will have a significant infusion of cash at its disposal.

With election year fast approaching, and budget deficit significantly high at 7.2 percent of GDP, there is pressure on a Government keen to accelerate growth to cut down on expenditure.

Following debt relief agreements in 2001, 2002 and 2004 under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and further multilateral debt relief under last year’s G8 initiative, Ghana’s public external debt is forecast to fall to 20.6 percent of GDP this year from 106.9 per cent in 2002.

Finance Minister Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu told The Statesman in an exclusive interview that Government intends to use the proceeds from its bond issues to improve the nation’s infrastructure, particularly the housing market, which he says "has a huge gap" between funding and need.

Dr Mensah also confirmed the bond will be used to improve the nation’s infrastructure, saying when you raise money of this nature you want to "invest in something that is durable".

But, he believes a lot more has to be done to meet the country’s capital requirements. Ghana’s coffers, he says, are still "running far below what is needed to put into infrastructure to allow for accelerated economic growth."

Ghana’s decision to turn to the international market for capital is also part of a gradual weaning off of various international organisations. In recent days politicians and economists have called for the country to take greater control of its own financial destiny, and to allow less of its economic policy be dictated by institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

As such, Mensah says, the bond also marks a transition from "program imposed financial discipline to market imposed discipline."

He continues, "We are very mindful of the debt level," adding that the government is intent on keeping its B+ credit rating, and to that end does not want to take on too much debt: "We would rather be cautious in our borrowing."
The bond has been in the works since last year, as Government hoped to use its credit rating to attract foreign capital. Leading Ghanaian investment bank, Databank, was instrumental in initiating and making follow-ups to get Ghana sovereign ratings.]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2007 04:08:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179173 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://www.tigblog.org/group/saveourfuture/post/179171
The letter, titled: "God Hears the Cries of the Oppressed," was the most critical pastoral message since Zimbabwe won independence from Britain in 1980 and Mugabe assumed leadership of the country for the first time.

Once prosperous, the country is reeling under hyperinflation of more than 1,700 per cent, 80 percent unemployment, shortages of food and other basic goods and one of the world's lowest life expectancies.

"As the suffering population becomes more insistent, generating more and more pressure through boycotts, strikes, demonstrations and uprisings, the state responds with ever harsher oppression through arrests, detentions, banning orders, beatings and torture," the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference said in a pastoral message pinned up at churches throughout the country.

The majority of Zimbabwe's Christians - including Mugabe - are Roman Catholics. Several thousand worshippers who packed the cathedral in Harare clustered around the bulletin boards to read the message after morning Mass on Sunday.

"Many people in Zimbabwe are angry, and their anger is now erupting into open revolt in one township after another," the nine bishops wrote.

"In order to avoid further bloodshed and avert a mass uprising, the nation needs a new people-driven constitution that will guide a democratic leadership chosen in free and fair elections," it said.

A similar letter in the nearby nation of Malawi pressured long-time dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda into holding a referendum on reform in 1992 and calling democratic elections, which he lost, ending 30 years of brutal rule.

"We cannot yet say what the response of our congregations will be, but basic biblical teachings apply. Oppression is not negotiable. It must stop before there can be any dialogue," said the Rev. Oskar Wermter of the Catholic communications secretariat in Harare.

Wermter said the bishops wanted the contents of the letter to receive the widest possible distribution. The letter was delivered in the traditional rural strongholds of Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe's African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party across the country, where priests showed what he called a very strong interest in it.

In his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Easter address from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica,

Pope Benedict XVI singled out Zimbabwe among other troubled countries.

"Zimbabwe is in the grip of a grievous crisis and for this reason the bishops of that country in a recent document indicated prayer and a shared commitment for the common good as the only way forward," the pope said in his Easter message which he read to tens of thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square,

The bishops called for a day of prayer and fasting April 14 and said there would be a prayer service for Zimbabwe every week after that.

The Anglican church has been more muted, with its leaders generally toeing the ruling party line.

Police violently broke up a multi-denominational prayer meeting March 11, describing it as a banned demonstration. Two pro-democracy activists died and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and a dozen senior colleagues were hospitalised after beatings.

Mugabe subsequently headed off a challenge to his leadership to win party support to stand for another presidential term in national elections in 2008.

Amid the worsening economic chaos in the country, analysts say South African President Thabo Mbeki's mission to resolve the crisis faces slim prospects of success due to deep-rooted suspicion between the protagonists.

Mbeki was entrusted with the task by fellow southern African leaders at a summit last month to broker talks between the opposition and Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Sources close to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said Mbeki had already begun paving the way by setting up a five-strong team to draft the ground rules for the negotiations.

In an interview last week, Mbeki acknowledged that there was ultimately little he could do if neither side wanted the mediation to work.

"The only way to deal with these problems and the only way to achieve results is if we encourage the Zimbabwean political parties to engage with one another ... Whether we succeed or not is up to the Zimbabwean leadership," he told the Financial Times.

"None of us in the region has any power to force the Zimbabweans to agree."

Both Mugabe and MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, have given their approval to Mbeki's intervention but Zimbabwe commentators have voiced deep scepticism about him getting results given the mistrust and issues to be tackled.

"The prospects are a mixed bag, the outcome is likely to be half-baked," said University of Zimbabwe political scientist, John Makumbe.


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