Flood Displaces 2 million in Nigeria

Nigerian authorities opened the gates at two swollen dams in the country's rain-soaked north, sending a flood into a neighboring state that has displaced 2 million people, on Friday. 

Water from the Challawa and Tiga dams has swept through rural Jigawa state, bordering the nation of Niger, said Umar Kyari, a spokesman for the state governor. Kyari said the rising waters have affected about 5,000 villages in the typically arid region approaching the Sahara Desert.
"They released water indiscriminately," Kyari said.
It wasn't immediately clear whether residents received a warning or if anyone was injured or went missing in the flooding. Officials typically open dams seasonally in the region, but it appears far more water flowed out than residents expected.
Jigawa is home to 4 million people, so half of the state's population has been displaced by the flooding.
Nigeria, an oil-rich nation of 150 million in West Africa, has strong seasonal rains that wash through the country. However, this year has seen particularly strong rains in the north that already have broken a dam and flowed over levees in another northern state.
Local officials had begun putting displaced families in rural schoolhouses and other government buildings out of the reach of the floodwaters, Jigawa state information commissioner Aminu Mohammed said. However, Mohammed said the water had reached the border with neighboring Yobe state.
"The flood has washed away all the farms and houses," Mohammed said.
Officials with the agency in charge of the dams in neighboring Kano state could not be immediately reached for comment Friday night.
Jigawa state sits about 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) from Lagos in Nigeria's Muslim north.
Mohammed said the flooding has grown progressively worse since August, reaching its height Friday. He said more than 34 square miles (88 square kilometers) of farmland have been washed away by the flooding, as well as millions of dollars worth of cattle.
The commissioner said the state has yet to receive significant aid from the federal government
Typically, the water released yearly from the dams flows into farm fields across the region known as the Sahel, a band of semi-arid land stretching across Africa south of the Sahara. There, farmers use the water in the region's brief fertile season to grow corn, rice and a variety of vegetables. However, rains this year have been unusually strong, putting pressure on the reservoirs and dams in the area.
In Nigeria's northwest state of Sokoto, floodwater topped levees and a dam failed during recent flooding, spilling water into surrounding villages. Local newspapers reported as many as 40 people died.
Seyi Soremekun, a spokesman for the Nigerian Red Cross, said officials were working on casualty figures from the flooding. He said volunteers already reached Jigawa and Sokoto states to offer assistance.
"I think the most pressing need is how to put the victims, those affected, in shelter from the harsh weather," Soremekun said. "They need blankets; they need some personal effects to at least deal with or absorb the shock of displacement."
The rains come as neighboring Niger faces what international aid experts warn is the worst hunger crisis in its history following a prolonged drought and poor growing season last year. One of the poorest countries in Africa, Niger now has more than 7 million people — almost 50 percent of the population — suffering from a lack of food, officials say.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, last saw serious flooding in 2007, when 68 people died and 50,000 were affected.




AP

BRITON ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH TERRORIST PLOT

A British man of Somali origin has been arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on suspicion of involvement with a foreign terrorist organization.
The man -- who was traveling from the English city of Liverpool to Entebbe in Uganda via the Netherlands -- was arrested by Dutch military police just as his flight was about to take off Sunday, according to Radio Netherlands. Evert Boerstra, a spokesman for the Dutch prosecutor's office, told the radio station that the arrest was made after Dutch officers received a tipoff from British security services.
The al-Qaida-inspired militia -- which wants to kick foreign peacekeepers out of Somalia and to implement Sharia law across the East African country -- claimed responsibility for the July bombings in Kampala, the capital of neighboring Uganda, which killed 76 people -- including one American. Many victims were killed while watching the World Cup championship match."We are just investigating his possible involvement in a terrorist organization," a Dutch police spokesman toldReuters. "There was no explosive material found in his luggage." Under Dutch law, the alleged terror suspect can be held for up to three days without charge.

*Passengers and airline staff stand near closed 
check-in counters at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport
on April 16. Dutch military police arrested a British
man of Somali origin at the request of the U.K. 
government just before his plane took off.
The arrest marks the third terror scare at Schiphol -- Europe's fifth-largest passenger airport -- in less than a year. On Christmas Day, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab got on a plane there and allegedly attempted to blow up the jetliner upon arrival in Detroit with an explosive device sewn into his underwear. The Nigerian is thought to have smuggled the explosives through Amsterdam airport, leading Schiphol's operator to step up security measures and install full-body scanners.
And late last month, two Yemeni men who had flown in from Chicago were arrested at the airport after U.S. authorities discovered suspicious items in their luggage. They were held for several days, and released without charge after an investigation found no evidence to link them to a terrorist plot.

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SAUDIA BLAMES AVIATION AUTHORITY FOR CHAOS DURING UMRAH

Officials from Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA) have blamed the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) for the poor organization and breakdown of systems at the Jeddah airport that has recently caused widespread chaos and lengthy delays of flights for Umrah pilgrims and visitors. They accused GACA, which is responsible for infrastructure at King Abdul Aziz International Airport, of projecting a poor image of the country's aviation sector with the ways airline operation and passengers facilitation are being handled. They therefore called for government's urgent intervention  to prevent a "complete collapse" of systems for passengers, including luggage transportation, security and issuing of air tickets. They said if the systems fail then all air traffic at the airport could come to a standstill. The officials also raised concerns about cargo, reservations, air-conditioning at the terminals and employees' offices, cleaning, plane parking and sound systems for announcing the arrival and departure of flights. In response, Khaled Al-Khabiri, GACA's Spokesman, said he needed more time to reply to the allegations. Officials of SAA  said nearly 240 international and local flights are affected or disrupted on a daily basis. The officials accused GACA of not responding to their demands to provide the necessary mechanisms and machinery and the suitable infrastructure to operate the airport effectively. They drew attention to the poor conveyor belt system for carrying luggage from inside the terminals to the security zones. They claimed that the authority imported these machines from an Asian country because of the low cost, without any quality considerations. The conveyor machines have weak internal generators, they claimed. According to them the conveyor belts break down so often that SAA has to provide 45 workers to intervene in case of any sudden breakdown, which happens on a daily basis, alleging that these machines cannot be maintained properly because spare parts are difficult to find and takes weeks to source from overseas. They claimed that the security machines at the airport, the metal detectors, work slowly and imprecisely because they are based on old technology which often result in officials inspecting nine out of 10 items, causing further delays. Other world class airports have sophisticated machinery, they said. They said about 100 passengers miss their flights on a daily basis because of the poor security system, resulting in great financial losses that have to be borne by GACA. Passengers plight and Regular breakdown of conveyer belt. They listed the shortfall in the operations of GACA Iin the following order: Poor air-conditioining at the terminals,Security check system not proper,Unclean lounges and toilets,Mismanagement in tackling rush fallout,Passengers missing their flights and Late departure of flights. By Saud Al-Barakati

IATA CALLS FOR GOVERNMENTS SUPPORT FOR AVIATION

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) calls on world governments to unite in support of the aviation industry’s ambitious targets to combat climate change and agree to a global approach at the upcoming International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Triennial Assembly in Montreal.

“The past 18 months have been the worst financial times in modern aviation history. But even in these harsh times, airlines’ budgets earmarked for environment projects were not cut,” said IATA director general and chief executive officer Giovanni Bisignani at the Aviation and Environment Summit held in Geneva by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).

“In the next 10 years, the industry will spend US$1.3 trillion for 12,000 new aircraft. Each of these will be 20-25 per cent more fuel efficient than their predecessors,” he added.

The global aviation industry was united behind three targets to address climate change, a 1.5 per cent average annual improvement in fuel efficiency to 2020, capping net emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth, and cutting net emissions in

half by 2050 compared with 2005.

Bisignani highlighted that sustainable biofuels were making great progress and moving closer to certification for commercial use. Five airlines had already tested flights using sustainable biofuels and four more tests were expected before the end of the year.

“With certification expected within months, distribution and commercialisation were the challenges. It is in the self-interest of every government to get much more involved and support the commercialisation of biofuels with incentives to facilitate the needed investments,” said Bisignani.

Bisignani made special note of the critical timing of the 37th ICAO Assembly which opens on September 28.

“We cannot meet our ambitious targets without the support and cooperation of governments. Aviation is a global industry. We need a global framework under ICAO to guide our efforts. The ICAO Assembly is our best opportunity to achieve this in time for COP-16 in Cancun,” he said.

“Political obstacles being removed, the industry is committed to aggressive targets and our track record demonstrates that we will achieve them. Supporting aviation’s efforts should be an easy decision for governments to make in Montreal.”

Bisignani noted that the significant changes seen at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since the Copenhagen meeting would help facilitate an agreement at ICAO. Christiana Figueres, the new executive secretary of the UNFCCC who took charge in May, was currently working with the industry to achieve solutions.

“The willingness of the UNFCCC to constructively engage and challenge the industry is a new and much welcomed approach. Clearing the CBDR issue removes a major political obstacle. With ICAO, a global framework can accommodate the special needs of developing nations. A decade ago, governments agreed to a global solution on noise through ICAO that included extended timelines for developing nations,” said Bisignani.

Bisignani also encouraged governments to speak out against uncoordinated economic measures that would not be effective in reducing emissions.

“We must continue to oppose regional and national emissions trading schemes and taxes that take billions from the industry but do nothing to improve environmental performance.”

“We are building critical momentum. More and more governments are showing their political will to match the industry’s ambitious commitments by supporting the global framework needed to achieve them.

“There is still some ground left to cover, but I am confident that we are moving in the right direction to reduce emissions while protecting the social and economic benefits of aviation,” he concluded.

INEC REQUESTS FOR SHIFT IN POLLS TIMETABLE

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today requested for more time to conduct the 2011 general elections explaining that it could not deliver credible polls within the timeline given the commission.

In a communiqué issued in Calabar and signed by its Secretary, Abdullahi Kaugaima after its two-day retreat, the commission said it would "endeavour to engage all the relevant stakeholders with a view to exploring all legal avenues for extension of time…"

The INEC communiqué in full:

FULL TEXT OF COMMUNIQUE OF THE TWO DAY RETREAT OF THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) WITH RESIDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSIONERS HELD IN AMBER HOTEL, TINAPA, CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATEPREAMBLE

In furtherance of its objective of ensuring free, fair and credible elections, recognising the need to subject its internal structures, processes and plans to close scrutiny; desirous of carrying along all its personnel in the discharge of the onerous responsibility and conscious of its responsibilities and obligations as an election management body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the support of International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) organised a two (2) day retreat for National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the Amber Hotel, Tinapa, Calabar between 16th and 19th of September 2010.

Having extensively and critically deliberated on the internal processes and external dimensions affecting the whole electoral process; and in particular the upcoming Voter Registration exercise and the General Elections in 2011, the Commission observes as follows:

1. That the task of conducting free, fair and credible elections in 2011 is a collective task for all Nigerians and not the Commission alone. Therefore, the Commission reiterates its commitment to free and fair conduct of elections and calls on all Stakeholders to join in the task of achieving this objective.

2. That there is the need to severely punish electoral offenders to serve as deterrent to others. Therefore, INEC calls on the National Assembly to enact a law for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Tribunal.

3. Having examined the Commission’s detailed Action Plan for the voter registration and elections, the Retreat noted that the timeline for the implementation of this Plan is very tight. Consequently, the Commission shall endeavour to engage all the relevant stakeholders with a view to exploring all legal avenues for extension of time to enable the Commission to deliver on the aspirations of Nigerians for a credible voters’ register and free, fair and credible elections. Should this happen, May 29 2011 inauguration date must remain sacrosanct.

4. Political Parties should strictly adhere to provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 and their Constitutions in the conduct of their congresses, conventions and primaries. The Commission shall ensure strict compliance to such provisions.

5. The Commission has developed an in-house software which will be rigorously field-tested before the commencement of the registration exercise.

6. The Commission calls upon all Stakeholders to ensure that incidences of underaged registration and other abnormalities are detected and prevented during the registration and display of Voters’ Register.

7. The Commission expresses its profound appreciation to all Nigerians for their expressions of goodwill, support and cooperation, which has inspired it to continue to give its best to the success of the upcoming Voters’ Registration and Elections.

31 YEARS OLD NIGERIAN JAILED IN U.S FOR MILLION DOLLAR INTERNET FRAUD

*Jailed 12years;Fined $1million

A 31-year-old Nigerian has been sentenced to more than 12 years in U.S. federal prison for taking part in an Internet “advance fee” scam and ordered to pay over $1 million to his victims, according to federal authorities.

In this type scam, also known as the classic Nigerian scam, the cybercriminal persuades a victim to pay money (an “advance fee”), usually via Western Union, in order to get a larger sum of money – money that never materializes. The money the victim sends to the cybercrooks also vanishes. Advanced fee scams were the thirdmost common type of scam reported to the FBI last year, according to an FBI report.

In February, a jury found Okpako Mike Diamreyan, who also lived in Accra, Ghana guilty of three counts of wire fraud stemming from the scheme, according to David Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

 In addition to his prison term a federal judge last week ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of U.S. $1,021,560.74.

Authorities said they have identified 67 victims of Diamreyan’s scheme and conservatively estimate that he bilked his victims out of more than $1.3 million. The case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the United States Department of Defense.

From approximately August 2004 through August 2009, Diamreyan and others engaged in advance fee scams against a resident of Connecticut and others around the country. As part of the scam, Diamreyan sent a number of fraudulent emailmessages claiming he had a “consignment” stored in Ghana containing amounts ranging from $11.5 million to $23.4 million.

Using different identities including Prince Nana Kamokai of Sierra Leone, General Odu Kuffour of Ghana, and the Rev. Dr. Richard Camaro, airport director in Accra, Ghana, Diamreyan offered the victims 20 percent of the money if they’d help him transfer the money to the U.S. He even sent the victims fraudulent documents to persuade them that the money existed.

“This defendant and his accomplices preyed on vulnerable victims in Connecticut, the United States and around the world, leaving many individuals and their families in financial ruin,” said Fein in a statement.

“The lengthy prison term imposed today should send a strong message to others who intend to commit similar crimes –we will pursue these cases wherever they lead us and bring you to justice.”

TechNewsDaily

JONATHAN CHANGES SERVICE CHIEFS, POLICE BOSS

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of Nigeria has finally replaced heads of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police with the appointment of new bosses for the security services. The new service chiefs are: Air Marshal O.O Peterin, Chief of Defence Staff;  Major General O. A. Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral O.S Ibrahim, Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshall M.D Umar, Chief of Air Staff. While Mr. Ita Ekpeyong  is appointed new director general of the State Security Services (SSS), Alhaji Hafiz A. Ringim is the Acting Inspector General of Police. The appointments of the new service chiefs, according to the  statement, take immediate effect but are however subject to confirmation of the National Assembly, in line with the provision  of the Armed Forces Act, Section 18, Cap A20, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The statement further stated that the President thanked the out-going Chiefs whose tenure expired in August for their loyalty  and deedication to service. He specially commended them for defending the Nigerian constitution at all times and for successful command of the Armed Forces  during their tenure. The president  also thanked the out-going Inspector General of Police Ogbonnay  Onovo and out going DG SSS Mr AA Gadzama for  their dedication to service of the fatherland and wished them well in their future endeavours.

BUHARI CONDEMNS PLAN PURCHASE OF PRESIDENTIAL JET,JUMBO PAY FOR LAWMAKERS!

A former military leader, General Mohammad Buhari has condemned jumbo salaries for legislators as well as the procurement of new jets for the Presidency.

General Buhari made this known in an interview with a popular online portal, Nigeria Village Square.  He said: “There must be some decency in the amount of money public officers are paid. We can't just sit here and allow public officers to just share our revenue and kill all social services. That is not how to rule the nation and I believe that whoever eventually becomes a member of the national and state assemblies should accept a downward review of payments and allowances. “

The retired military general who spoke on various issues including, Freedom of Information Bill, Communal crisis, power sector , Indigenship and Citizenship, described as wastages the recent approval for President Jonathan to procure new presidential jets when there are no good schools, hospitals, drinking water and electricity supply in Nigeria. He said: “We don’t get our priority right in this country. I assure you we will do away with wastage and get our priorities right.”

He also lamented the state of insecurity in Nigeria which he attributed to bad leadership.  He said that the physical and material insecurity in the country are quite glaring. According to him “The most important and fundamental thing that any government can do from 2011 is to secure this country. There is so much abduction and assassination. There is so much corruption. The institutions that support democracy have been compromised: the Nigerian police, the judiciary, the other law enforcement agencies, the civil service. Infrastructures have gone.

“You know it very well— there is no power, factories have closed, people have lost their jobs, [and] there are no roads. So, what we are saying is that we are going to take the fundamental things and try and rebuild the country. This is what we are saying.“

On war against indiscipline and corruption, General Buhari said:  “It is an established fact that Nigeria is notoriously corrupt. Most of the institutions have been compromised, but mercifully Nigerians are fed up with the indiscipline and the corruption of governance, and this is our greatest hope against next year’s elections - that they need change.

“They need a serious team to be in charge of the country, they want good governance and I assure you (that one thing I know) is that Nigeria is not short of rules and regulations about accountability and transparency in dealing with government businesses. What we have to do is to ensure that our institutions from day one will go back to our rules and regulations about accountability whether it is public funds or private ones. Institutions have to account properly and clearly according to the laws. We have adequate laws. Our problem is implementation, and the implementation is the corruption of the institution.

“The elite has compromised the country as a whole. We will persuade the Nigerian elite that they have the capacity to turn the country around because they are knowledgeable they are energetic - All they need is to be encouraged and believe in the country and therefore deliver the institutions they are managing. So we have to secure this country and manage it.

“We would make the institutions functional, especially the police, the civil service and other agencies and the judiciary, because our constitution and other regulations are comprehensive enough and the people understand it. The problem is the execution. Our time would be zero tolerance for corruption, Indiscipline and corruption are the two great problems in Nigeria, and I think it has gotten to a level where Nigerians are fed up and really want a change. They want leadership. They want transparency. They want accountability. And these are what we are going to give Nigerians, God willing.”

On his vision for Nigeria, General Buhari said that Nigeria has the people and resources to make it a great nation if only those in government are selfless and committed to nation building.

CAMPAIGN HOT ON CALL TO PLACE TRAVEL BAN ON CORRUPT FORMER/PRESENT NIGERIAN LEADERS FROM TRAVELING TO U.K

 A Member of British Parliament(MP), Chuka Umunna, has  supported of the travel ban campaign against alleged corrupt Nigerian politicians, notably, former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former veepee, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former dictator, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida; Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, General Buba Marwa; former Attorney General, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole and their families, to any member-country of the European Union, apart from freezing their assets.

Mr. Umunna, a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Streatham, with an increasing profile was speaking recently, during a meeting with the Citizens for Change, a United Kingdom registered charity organization made up of UK based Nigerian professionals at Portcullis House, the offices of the Houses of Parliament in London.

At the interactive session Mr. Umunna spoke of his disappointment at the state of Nigeria and Africa, reminiscing about the early 1990’s when the belief was that in the wake of Nelson Mandela’s release, Nigeria and South Africa would be the drivers of Africa’s renaissance.

Umunna blamed Nigeria’s persistent under-development on corrupt leadership even as he planned to be a strong advocate for good governance and anti-corruption in the House of Commons and to engage Ministers and colleagues on Her Majesty’s Governments policies towards Nigeria, ensuring anti-corruption was high on the agenda.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman Board of Trustees of Citizens for Change, Mr. Theodore Emiantor (a Registered Auditor from Edo State) congratulated Mr. Umunna on his election and reiterated the pride all Nigerians felt at having one of their own in the ‘Mother of Parliaments’.

He explained that Citizens for Change was dedicated to improving the welfare of people in Nigeria through community development projects and anti corruption and good governance campaigns.

He further stated that the key to resolving Nigeria’s problems were credible elections which informed the current campaign in which the group has written to the Home Secretary Theresa May, the US Office for Asset

Control, the US State Department and Baroness Ashton the EU Foreign Minister requesting immediate travel bans and financial sanctions on all corrupt Nigerian politicians, their family members and agents.

Explaining further the reasons behind their current actions, Chidi Nwaonu (an Engineer from Imo State) stated that the impunity with which these corrupt individuals operated, took away all incentive for honest, competent people to contest elections or work in Government.

Nwaonu compared corruption in Nigeria to that in countries like Indonesia, where the dictators held onto economic and political power but still invested their loot in their own country’s infrastructure and

economy whilst Nigeria politicians merely stole as much as possible and salted it away abroad, adding that a travel ban and asset freeze would force corrupt officials and their families to remain in Nigeria and endure the same conditions their actions cause for their fellow citizens.

Mr. Umunna was in full support of the initiative and promised to support the effort as much as he could by further researching the Governments policies towards Nigeria and putting relevant questions to Ministers and Parliament.

Umunna who also shared his personal experiences of Nigerian politics recounted the untimely death of his father after he narrowly lost a gubernatorial contest in Anambra state in the early 1990’s after he stood on an anti-corruption ticket.

He also cited the example of such professionals as Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who had left a lucrative job at the World Bank, worked hard and effectively as the Minister of Finance and left having made a positive impact with no stain on her character.

Umunna however promised to work with and support Citizens for Change on future projects.

theWILL

NEW VOTERS REGISTER READY IN DECEMBER,2010,SAYS INEC CHAIRMAN

The Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) yesterday told Nigerians to expect a brand new voters’ register by December 9,2010.

This was unfolded by the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega who also  disclosed that as much as 70 million voters are expected to be captured in the new voters register.

He made the disclosure when he received members of Study Group 1, Course 32, of the elitist National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos inside INEC headquarters in Abuja.

The  Chairman stated that the commission has gone very far in mapping out the strategies it would deploy for voters register, having overcome the issue of resource constraint, adding that the registration exercise would be done within two weeks.

Nonetheless, Professor Jega expressed fears about the time constraint, saying time still poses a serious challenge even as he acknowledged that the old voters register was not reliable.

"The current voters register is not credible enough for the forthcoming elections and a new voters register is necessary. I think we have gone very far in this regard. Obviously to attempt to do new voters register as we prepare for elections in January is a very challenging task. There were resource and time constraints to tackle.

"But I want to say that we have overcome many of these particularly the resource constraint. We have made a case for funding and we have received the funding that we have requested for. However the time constraint is still of concern although we are doing our best to see that we overcome it," Jega said.

The INEC chairman said: "In terms of preparation for the elections, it is clear to us that if we take the constitution amendment into consideration, and the new Electoral Act 2010, the first elections may at the earliest hold on the 8th of January and if this was to be so, then we have to complete the voters; registration by the 9th of November and we have to do a clean-up and to integrate and certify the register by the 9th of December."

He pointed out that this was a relief to the commission as it was a remarkable improvement on the 2006 Electoral Act, adding that under the 2006 Electoral Act, INEC would not have had time to compile new voters register but would have only done a clean-up of the current one.

As INEC prepares for the exercise, he stated that the commission must prevent the mistakes of the past and assured that these have been taken care of. He identified the problem of inadequate, inappropriate and sub-standard equipments as well as poorly trained registration officers.

As part of the implementation plan, Jega hinted that a retreat for Resident Electoral Commissioners in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja would be held between September 16 and 19 in order to further concretize strategies for the task ahead.

On challenges militating against smooth voter registration, public awareness to reverse the existing apathy from members of the voting public, Jega said actual timely release of funds is his fear but expressed confidence that Government would live up to its billings.

On the registration plan, Professor Jega said: "We plan to acquire Direct Capturing Machine and to deploy one each to the 120, 000 polling units in the country. In our procurement, we also took care of redundancies so that there are enough to go round in case there are problems. The registration will take place between the first week of October and the first week of November.

"We have estimated that it may take between 9 to 10 minutes to register one person using the Direct Capture Machine with one registration officer. If we are to work 8 hours daily we expect that we can register up to about 70 million in 14 days. This has taken into consideration even the possibility of unexpected delays and so on. If there are 70 million register-able Nigerians out there, we believe that with the deployment capacity that we have planned for, we should be able within a period of two weeks of capturing with 8 hours in a day, be able to capture all of these persons," Jega said.

He stated that the commission would recruit 360, 000 registration officers and deploy three persons to each of the 120, 000 registration units.

The INEC boss also said that the commission was engaging critical stakeholders such as the politicians, military and paramilitary agencies, government and its parastatals, as well as international agencies who are also supporting the commission.

Professor Jega stated that INEC was not unmindful of the very high expectation of Nigerians and the huge challenges posed to undertake a free, fair and credible election, and added that the commission was determined to do its best.

He assured that INEC will give Nigeria a far more dependable voters register to build on in the future and ensure free, fair and credible elections, adding, "it is going to be difficult, but it is not insurmountable, but we have the problem of a very tight, time framework."

The leader of the group, Professor Olu Obafemi, while speaking on behalf of the NIPPS study group described Jega’s task as very challenging but stated that going by his antecedent the INEC boss is capable of delivering free, fair and credible elections.

President Kagame Sworn In After Landslide Re-Election

About 10 African heads of state and tens of thousands of Rwandans gathered Monday for the swearing in of Paul Kagame, who won a landslide victory in last month's presidential elections.

Kigali's Amahoro stadium was packed to capacity, with an estimated 40,000 people inside and thousands of others set to follow the event on giant screens outside the stadium.

Among the attending dignitaries is President Joseph Kabila whose Democratic Republic of Congo is the focus of a leaked UN report alleging that the Rwandan army committed widespread atrocities, possibly amounting to genocide, there between 1996-98.

Kigali rejected the charges and threatened to withdraw its peacekeeping troops from Sudan if the UN goes ahead and publishes the report.
The UN human rights chief on Thursday said she would delay publication of the report to give the states concerned time to comment and the opportunity to have their comments published alongside the report.
Other heads of state present included Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, Francois Bozize of Central African Republic, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, and Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin.
Delegations from Algeria, Uganda, Swaziland and the African Union were also at the stadium.
Kagame swept the August 9 election with 93 percent of the vote, after a tense preamble over which his government was criticised for excluding any real opposition.
Municipal workers have been cleaning and decorating the streets of the capital for several days, repainting kerbstones and planting extra palm trees.
Some businesses in the city's main street have painted their railings and plant pots in the national colours of blue, yellow and green.

France24

JOS MAYHEM: REPORT BLAMES GOVERNOR JANG

The Chief Solomon Lar's report on  sectarian crisis which engulfed Jos, Plateau State early this year has cited ethnic cleavages and allegedly pointed accusing fingers at the Governor Jonah Jang-led Government.

The Presidential Advisory Committee on the crisis headed by former Plateau State Governor, Solomon Lar recently recommended to the Federal Government the setting up of a Truth Commission, to end the indigene-settler constant face-off as part of efforts to end the ethno-religious commotion in Jos.

Competent source close to the committee said a huge part of the blame rests on the door-step of the Governor who has continuously fanned the embers of ethnicity and carrying it too far.

"I want to make it abundantly clear without pre-empting the submission of the report to Mr. President that Jang is our problem," the source said.

It was further revealed that the recommendations were divided into political, religious, ethnic and socio-economic aspects, adding that religion was not the major issue behind the crisis in Jos but that it was being exploited to win the sympathy of people.

Chief Solomon Lar who led the committee to present the report to Mr. President recently urged for the setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Committee to re-establish trust among the diverse ethnic and religious groups in Jos North, and also suggested the re-planning of Jos in such a way as to make every part of the town, especially the existing slums, conveniently habitable by providing social amenities.

"Where some houses will have to be demolished to provide access roads as a result of the re-planning of the town, the committee recommends that government goes into consultation with affected persons, who must be properly relocated to areas where all basic amenities are also provided. The exercise should be done without intimidation or bias against any religion or tribe," our source said.

The Lar Committee also recommended the payment of compensation to victims of the crisis, and prayed the Federal Government to play a major part.

The Federal Government and the National Assembly was called upon by the panel to define the concept of indigene-settler and the rights of every Nigerian wherever they live.

JO

9 PASSENGERS PERISHED IN PLANE CRASH EARLY TODAY

Nine people, including four tourists, died when a plane crashed at a popular New Zealand tourist site Saturday, police said.

The victims included the fixed-wing plane's pilot and four tourists from Australia, Ireland, England and Germany, said Senior Sgt. Allyson Ealam of the Greymouth Police Department.

"We believe it had something to do with skydiving," she said.

The crash occurred at 1:30 p.m. (9:30 p.m. ET) about 200 km (124 miles) southwest of Fox Glacier Airport on New Zealand's South Island, she said.

It was reported that the plane burst into flames as it attempted to take off.Fox Glacier, with a population of roughly 375 people, sits within the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, on the west coast of New Zealand's south island.Authorities had secured the crash site and were investigating the crash Saturday afternoon, New Zealand Police spokesman Grant Ogilvie said.

CNN