NEWS SCREEN NIGERIA
...Refreshing review of major happenings in Nigeria .
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Welcome to another edition of NEWS SCREEN NIGERIA bringing refreshing review of major happenings in Nigeria to you online.
This edition is a review of happenings for the period July 1-14, 2010. Refresh your memory with the highlights!
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As the nation enters the second half of the year, political parties continue to strategies ahead of the 2011 general elections. Hence the 19 northern governors failed to take a position 1st July in the north western city of Kaduna at a political gathering on several contentious issues including the zoning of political posts ahead of the general elections.
Same day, senator Uche Chukwumerije who is the only Senator elected on the platform of his Progressive Peoples Alliance party dumped the party for the All Progresive Grand Alliance (APGA) 24 hours after PPA's only governor, Theodore Orji of Abia State, South-East decamped to APGA and finally on the 1st, Nigeria assumed the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council which Professor Joy Ogwu will preside over for the one month tenure throughout July.
As a result of the presidential ban on national football teams from international football, Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) 2nd July threatened Nigeria, giving her a till evening of Monday July 5th to reverse the stand or risk suspension.
Worried about the operations of fake journalists in the country, Lagos State Police Commissioner, Marvel Akpoyibo promised to join hands with the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigeria Press Council to wage war on fake journalists.
The crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the impending hammer of the Federation of International Football Association on Nigeria , three top officials of the NFF were on 4th July sacked. Hence President of the organisation, Sani Lulu, Vice President, Amanze Uchegbulam and Head of Technical Committee Taiwo Ogunjobi were removed from their posts as Nigerians continue to plead for the review of the President's decision after which the President on 5th July made a u-turn, withdrawing his ban on the national teams axe.
Same day, the Supreme Court struck out petition filled by Hope Democratic Party, challenging the election of the late President Umaru Yar'Adua as President in 2007 elections.
As the Nigerian Army marks the 2010 Army Week with various activities, President Goodluck Jonathan 6th July used the occasion at the Eagles Square , Abuja to warn the Army against ethno – religious sentiments. Same day, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okwuesilieze Nwodo said zoning of political positions in the party is dead as it has breached since 2003.
New gas pricing policy may be on the way as the Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke 7th July disclosed plans of the government to unveil new gas pricing policy for the manufacturing sector as the nation also pledges to render technical assistance to Uganda who is striving to develop its oil and gas potentialities.
For the second time in less than two weeks, the President on 8th July urges the National Assembly to make a further adjustment to the 2010 budget to bring it in tune with the reality of the day. Same day, there was a nationwide reactions in the PDP over the comments of the national chairman over the zoning system of the ruling party.
Due to the alleged breach on the part of the state government, civil servants in Borno state, north east, began an indefinite strike 9th July over salaries and allowances while the government in North Central Kwara State distributed relief materials valued at about N15milion (about $100,000) to victims of rain storm disaster across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.
Still on the controversial zoning system of the ruling PDP, National Organising Secretary of the party, Uche Secundus said on 10th July that the party's position may also affect other posts apart from the Presidency, thus posts of governorship and national Assembly seats may also be affected, while in Ondo state, the government revealed the plans to make Ore township a business hub of the state.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter 11th July commended President Goodluck Jonathan over Nigeria 's stay with the global football community saying the country's leadership's contemplated 2-year pull out of all international football would have created a vacuum in the sport.
Nigerians woke up 12th July to the disturbing news of the abduction of top journalists in Abia State returning from a meeting in Akwa Ibom State . Mr. Wahab Alabi Oba, Chairman of Lagos Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists and his three other colleagues were abducted 11th July by gunmen demanding a ransom of N250 million.
Still on the kidnapped journalists, Inspector General of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo 13th July issued a 24 hour ultimatum for the kidnappers to release the journalists in their custody or face dire consequences. Same day, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) moved to quell sayings that it was broke maintaining revealing that the corporation is being owed fuel subsidy arrears of N1.156 trillion (about $7.7billion) by the Federal Government.
Bent on its aim of ridding Nigeria of corrupt people, anti graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) grilled former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah for alleged criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, diversion and laundering of N4billion (about $ 27million) state fund while he served as governor of the state.
BIRTHDAYS
Mofe-Damijo, Richard; Actor, Politician turned 49 on 6th July.
Ibidapo-Obe, Oyewusi; Engineer, Academician and Administrator turned 61 on 6th July.
Sylva, Timipre; Politician, Administrator, current governor of Bayelsa State turned 46 on 7th July.
Soyinka, Oluwole Akinwande; Professor, Poet, Playwright, Actor, Political Activist and Nobel laureate turned 76 on 13th July.
Arogundade, Lanre; Journalist, Activist, former chairman of Lagos Chapter, Nigeria Union of Journalists and current Chairman of International Press Centre added another year 13th July.
Osinkanlu-Olaoye, Dupe; Journalist, Activist turned 50 on 13th July.
Akunyili, Professor Dora Nkemdilim; Pharmacist, Academician, Politician and current Information Minister turned 56 on 14th July.
Obiagbena, Nduka; Artist, Journalist, Publisher turned 51 on 14th July.
NIGERIAN IN HISTORY
6th July 1967. Nigerian civil war began
16th July 2007. Justice Binta Murtala Nyarko of the Federal High Court, Abuja remanded both Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and Alhaji Saminu Turaki former governors of Abia and Jigawa States respectively in Kuje prisons Abuja till next hearing day in a money laundering case brought by EFCC
WHAT THEY SAID
"Why not? If Nigeria calls upon me to take over the saddles, I will be more than ready. I have all it takes and I am ready to go out of my way to make things work. Just like I did with the Under-20 team when I had to source for funds to keep the team going.
Samson Siasia, Ex-international, signifying interest in managing the national football team, the Super Eagles".
"Yes I said to BBC and I repeat to you again that zoning in PDP has been jettisoned. There is no zoning on ground right now. Absolutely, there is no zoning".
Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, new chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) confirming the non existence of the party's former zoning formula.
Watch out for the concluding part of July stories from Nigeria in few days. Kindly post your comments. We promise to make this report a weekly. Thank you.- Editor
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NEWS SCREEN NIGERIA is published online from Lagos , Nigeria by STREAMS MEDIA.
EDITOR: DAYO EMMANUEL
TEL: 234 8033374017
Email: dayomanuel@yahoo. com
All Correspondences to: THE EDITOR
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