Senegal opposition celebrates election win

Senegal opposition celebrates election win

Victory celebrations in Dakar as Macky Sall heads to landslide win over longtime incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade. Last Modified: 26 Mar 2012 12:48

Thousands of people are celebrating in the streets of Dakar after preliminary results showed Senegalese opposition candidate Macky Sall has won over Abdoulaye Wade, the incumbent president who sought a third term in office. Sall supporters gathered in the streets of the capital on Monday, chanting, dancing and sounding car horns. Outside Sall's party headquarters people danced to music blaring from powerful speakers, and revellers shouted: "Macky president", "This time we have it", "We have won".

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Soldier in Afghan killings ‘remembers little'

Soldier in Afghan killings ‘remembers little'

US army sergeant accused of slaughtering 16 civilians has sketchy memory of the night of the massacre, says his lawyer. Last Modified: 20 Mar 2012 06:14 inShare9

Sixteen Afghan villagers, including nine children and three women, were slaughtered inside their homes [Reuters] The lawyer for the US army staff sergeant accused of slaughtering 16 Afghan civilians in a pre-dawn shooting rampage has met his client for the first time and said the soldier has a sketchy memory of the night of the massacre. Lawyer John Henry Browne said on Monday that Robert Bales remembers some details from before and after the killings, but very little or nothing from the time the military believes he went on a shooting spree through two Afghan villages.

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Mexican police killed in highway ambush

Mexican police killed in highway ambush

Twelve officers killed on their way to investigate the beheadings of 10 people in Guerrero state. Last Modified: 20 Mar 2012 02:50

Twelve Mexican police have died in a mountain highway ambush hours after the severed heads of 10 people were dumped in a small town in a key illegal drug growing region. Gunmen opened fire on Sunday evening on a police convoy, killing 12 officers and wounding 11 more, said Arturo Martinez, spokesman for the Guerrero state government said on Monday. Click here for an in-depth analysis of Mexico's many challenges The ambush took place on a rural highway near the town of Teloloapan, located in southern Mexico between the beach resort of Acapulco and Mexico City. Earlier Sunday, the severed heads of 10 people were lined  along a street outside a slaughterhouse in the center of Teloloapan. The region has been long used by drug gangs to grow marijuana. Surrounding Guerrero state has seen a spike in violence since last year as several major gangs battle over trafficking routes. The La Familia cartel and its offshoot, Los Caballeros Templarios (The Knights Templar), are among the gangs fighting for territory in the region. The heads had been left with a message threatening the La Familia gang, local media reported. More than 50,000 people, including more than 2,500 police and soldiers, have died in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon launched an army-led crackdown on the cartels after taking office five years ago.

Source: Agencies

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French manhunt for school killer

French manhunt for school killer
 Vigil held for four killed in Toulouse, as police probe links between shooting spree and soldiers' killings last week.

Last Modified: 20 Mar 2012 09:16

French police are hunting for a gunman who shot dead four people, including three children, at a Jewish school in the city of Toulouse, prompting President Nicolas Sarkozy to put the region on its highest terrorism alert. More than a 100 officers were dispatched to the area on Monday to search for the gunman, who is also a prime suspect in the killing of three soldiers in two seperate shootings last week. As thousands held vigils for the latest victims, a police source told the AFP news agency that the same weapon and the same stolen scooter appeared to have been used in all three attacks. All three attacks were carried out by the rider of a powerful, dark-coloured scooter, using a .45-calibre weapon, who witnesses described as calmly shooting his victims at point-blank range. In carrying out the killings outside the Ozar Hatorah school on Monday, the shooter opened fire with a 9mm calibre weapon, which jammed.

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National Assembly ignores the Constitution On March 20, 2012

National Assembly ignores the Constitution

On March 20, 2012

THE National Assembly should be more reticent  when making laws. Its tendency has been to make laws for their sake or to please the Executive. In the process it ignores the Constitution. The Central Bank Act 2007, which may soon be a subject of legal dispute, is a good example.
It became law on 25 May 2007, days to the end of the Obasanjo administration. Its efforts at creating a new Central Bank, succeeded largely in the emergence of an organisation that acquires some powers of the National Assembly.

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Nigerian Consulate in S-Africa to outsource issuance of Visa On March 20, 2012 ·

Nigerian Consulate in S-Africa to outsource issuance of Visa

On March 20, 2012 ·

Johannesburg -  The Nigerian Consulate in South Africa will soon outsource the issuance of visa to consultants.
A source in the consulate in Johannesburg on Monday on the condition of anonymity, said  that the consulate was still working on the process of outsourcing issuance of visa to credible consultants.
“Yes we are working on the possibility of outsourcing the issuance of Nigerian visas in South Africa to consultants.
“This will help in reducing the possibilities of visa racketeering involving our staff here and reducing the volume of people coming to the Consulate to procure Nigerian Visas.

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Fire rages at UNILAG Faculty of Science

Fire fighters are currently making efforts to put out the fire

 By Nkechi Opurum

An early morning fire, which started in the Faculty of Science, University of Lagos (Unilag) is still raging.
Uncertain as to how the fire started, some eyewitnesses say the fire erupted from one of the offices located in the department of physics and spread to other offices.
The Lagos State Fire Service was at the scene trying to put a stop to the fire, and as at press time, reports had it that the Federal Fire Service had also arrived.
Unilag students are however angry with the school's Fire Service, as they were the last to get to the fire scene.
It will be recalled that about 2 weeks ago, another fire raged for 120 minutes, claiming a car in a university. The campus cab burnt to ashes without rescue from the fire service on campus while bystanders prevented the driver of the burning car from re-entering the burning vehicle which he said he got on hire purchase.

 

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Drama, intrigues as BBA returns

The stage is set  again for another  round of  91 days of tension, excitements and actions as Africa’s biggest reality TV show, Big Brother Africa returns live on Dstv, May 6.
This 7th season sees contestants doubling up to enter the series in pairs with a USD 300 000 prize for just one winner . M-Net and series producers, Endemol recently revealed the name of the latest edition of Big Brother Africa, announcing that the new series will be called ‘Big Brother Stargame.’
And, fittingly, the ‘star’ themed name was announced at the same time as M-Net confirmed that Grammy nominated American rapper and hit maker J.Cole is set to perform at the glam series launch.

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2,140 ex-soldiers sue FG over unpaid pension

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA — A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned till Friday to hear a suit filed before it by 2,140 ex-soldiers who fought during the Nigerian Civil war between 1967 and 1970.
The retired soldiers are asking the high court to invoke its original jurisdiction and order the Federal Government to forthwith, pay pension benefits and other entitlements due to them since the past 42 years after they bowed out of active service.

Senate Committee Chairman on Defence Navy Senator Chris Anyanwu Inspecting Guard of Honour at Nigerian Army Training Camp Kachia Kaduna State during the closing ceremony of Exercise Camp Highland Direct Short Service Course 20 (Navy) Kachia Monday.photo by Olu Ajayi.

In an originating summons they filed through their counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, the plaintiffs contended that having contributed their quota towards securing the territorial integrity of the country by fighting on the side of Nigeria against Biafra insurrection, it was unconstitutional and unjust for the government to refuse paying their pension benefits since the Civil war ended.
Consequently, they are praying the trial court to issue a declaration that each of them is entitled to payment of pension benefits computed in accordance with the due process of the law.
Joined as defendants in the suit are the Minister of Defence, Dr Haliru Bello Mohammed and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN.
Meanwhile, when the case came up for hearing, Monday, trial judge, Justice Donatus Okorowo asked all the parties to appear before him on Friday to address the court on the issue of jurisdiction.
Justice Okorowo noted that in view of the nature of the case, he would want both the defence counsel, Mr. A.O Alilu and counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr Falana, to argue on whether it is the federal high court or the National Industrial Court, NIC, that has the requisite jurisdiction to handle the matter.

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CASHLESS POLICY: CBN buckles, shifts kick-off date On March 20, 2012 ·

CASHLESS POLICY: CBN buckles, shifts kick-off date

 

On March 20, 2012 · 

By Babajide Komolafe & Favour Nnabugwu
LAGOS— The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said yesterday that it has postponed nationwide implementation of the cashless policy till January 1, 2013 and also granted partial exemption to ministries, parastatals and agencies  (MDAs) only for the purposes of revenue collection.
This was  part of the amendments to the cashless policy announced in a statement issued yesterday and signed by the Head Corporate Communications, CBN, Alhaji Abdullai Mohammed. The statement was  entitled, “REVIEW OF INDUSTRY POLICY ON RETAIL CASH COLLECTION AND LODGEMENT.”

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