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Iomega Buy the latest in mobile technology at NokiaUSA.com Get Great Prices on Last Minute Flights at LastMinuteTravel.com	\|Convert your currency\| \|Register a Domain \|Buy And Sell Old Domains\| TOP NEWS FOCUS Search for: June 30, 2006 PDP threatens Lar�s arrest - Suspends Omilani, National Vice Chairman THE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday warned that it would have no other option but to order the arrest of the chieftains of a group led by Chief Solomon Lar...Tribune EFCC probes presidential jet THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday declared that the age and cost of the presidential jet would be investigated to establish the veracity of the claims and counter...Tribune Court stops trial of Fasehun, Gani Adams - AIT, Independent reporters get bail JUSTICE Anwuli Chikere of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday refused to go on with the treason trial involving...Tribune Shake-up in the Army A shake-up has been effected in the leadership of the Nigerian Army with the appointment of three new General Officers Commanding(GOC) by the Military High Command.They are Major-Generals Julius Sunday \| Daily Sun 2007: EFCC probes aspirants� Confirms probe of Ngige ABUJA � THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) plans to conduct thorough investigations on aspirants for various elective offices next year with a view to advising the electorate on their .............Vanguard Why Ondo business mongul is held ABUJA � THE recent arrest and subsequent detention of a multinational businessman from the South-West may not be unconnected with the alleged siphoning of $150 million from the .............Vanguard When Shall African Countries be liberated from Bad Leadership? by Okoro Monday Akinyemi Poor leadership in Africa has been the cause for underdevelopment. If people with good track records are elected into power, the position and situation of Africa wouldn�t have remained "poverty, hunger and underdevelopment". NigerianNews Guest Column NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Nigeria police 'fight corruption' The police reject the conclusions of a report that it is regarded as one of Nigeria's most corrupt institutions. BBC US president surprised by BBC reporter's news from Sudan US President George Bush expressed amazement when he heard that the south Sudan peace deal was not working 18 months after it was signed. BBC US Supreme Court Rejects Military Tribunals for Terror Suspects The U.S. Supreme Court dealt the Bush administration a major legal setback in connection with the war on terror Thursday. The high court ruled that President Bush had overstepped his authority in ordering military tribunals for terrorism suspects being held at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. VoiceOfAmerica Israel rejects Mubarak deal on soldier Palestinian fighters have agreed to a conditional release of the kidnapped Israeli soldier, but Israel has not yet accepted their terms, an Egyptian newspaper quoted Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, as saying. Aljazeera June 29, 2006 Bakassi Students Invade Cameroon Consulate Students of Bakassi origin in different institutions of higher learning yesterday invaded the Cameroon Consulate in Calabar, and pulled down the country�s national flag in protest against federal government�s decision to relocate them. ThisDay DPP Launched, Warns Against Election Rigging Newly registered political party, Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), was officially launched yesterday in Abuja with a pledge by its officials to give Nigerians a new political orientation that shall be anchored on the rule of law and a free and fair elections into political offices. ThisDay PHCN, Police Most Corrupt in Nigeria, By ICPC The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Com-mission (ICPC) has said that the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the Nigeria Police Force are the most corrupt public institutions in Nigeria. ThisDay Adeola Stands Down as Transcorp CEO The board of directors of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp) has asked Mr. Tajudeen Fola Adeola, to stand down as its pioneer Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. ThisDay Lar Faction Disowns Guidelines for PDP Primaries The Solomon Lar led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday urged members of the party to disregard the guidelines for the party primary elections purportedly issued by the National Executive of the party led by Senator Ahmadu Ali, ThisDay We�ve produced only one president - North; IBB, Buhari, others didn�t represent us NORTHERN leaders rose from a meeting in Makurdi, Benue State, on Wednesday, saying that the zone had produced only one president in the person of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. All former military Tribune PDP probes Ibori - Over anti-party activities THE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a panel to investigate Governor James Ibori of Delta State over anti-party allegations levelled against him by the state chapter...Tribune Obaji, ex-education minister, under probe - ICPC THE sacked Education Minister, Mrs. Chinwe Obaji, is being probed by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) over alleged corrupt handling of public funds, the Nigerian Tribune can...Tribune SEDITION: 150 Lawyers Defend Durojaiye, Aruleba Trial Ridiculous - Soyinka - Arrest, Beginning Of Terror, Says Aturu Daily Independent I Have No Hand In ACD - Ibori Delta State Governor James Ibori has distanced himself from allegations that he was funding the Advanced Congress of Democrats...Daily Independent *PDP to try Gov Ibori for backing ACD It is a lie, he says ABUJA � JUST 24 hours after the National Chairman of the ruling People�s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Ali, warned that the party would henceforth invoke the party�s ................Vanguard NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Ethiopia says Somalia 'a threat' The new Islamist leader controlling southern Somalia is a threat to Ethiopia, says Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. BBC Montenegro Becomes 192nd UN Member State Montenegro has become the 192nd member state of the United Nations. Montenegro's president and top leaders of the world body marked the occasion with a flag-raising ceremony outside U.N. headquarters in New York. VoiceOfAmerica Syria condemns Israeli warning flights Israeli warplanes have flown over one of the Syrian president's palaces to warn Damascus against supporting Palestinian fighters who abducted an Israeli soldier, the Israeli army says. Aljazeera June 28, 2006 My Life is In Danger, Says Ribadu Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday alerted the public to plans by those he called "faceless blood suckers" to terminate his life and those of some of his staff over their (Ribadu and staff) continued anti-corruption campaign. ThisDay Ali Threatens to Expel PDP Govs National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Ali, yesterday warned �recalcitrant state governors and members� to desist from frustrating the party�s reconciliation efforts or risk expulsion from the PDP. ThisDay Ehindero: I�m Police IG Without Powers Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, yesterday said he lacked the powers needed to discipline erring policemen and officers in the Nigeria Police Force. ThisDay Onitsha: 2 MASSOB Members Killed , 69 Arrested Two members of the Movement for the Actualisationof the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) were said to have been kiled yesterday by a combined team of Police and the Military Personel currently patroling the troubled commercial city of Anambra state,Onitsha. ThisDay Obasanjo Orders Seizure of Funds, as UBE Uncovers Fraud in States Following a report of misappropriation of intervention funds of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in some states across the country, President Olusegun Obasanjo has directed that the funds should henceforth be released only to states that fulfill due process requirements in the award of UBE contracts. ThisDay We are back to Decree 4 days - Buhari FORMER presidential candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP), Major-General Mohammed Buhari (rtd), who is also former of Head of State, on Tuesday in Abuja accused President Olusegun...Tribune Onitsha boils, again - Soldiers raid MASSOB�s hideout, many killed THE city of Onitsha, Anambra State, again yesterday witnessed another orgy of violence as security forces lauched an attack on members of the Movement of the Actualisation of the Sovereign...Tribune NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Blair promises new Africa focus Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof and Nigeria's President Obasanjo are to sit on a panel set up to track aid promises made to Africa, Tony Blair has announced. BBC Nigeria journalists deny sedition Two Nigerian journalists have denied charges of sedition, linked to a story about a new presidential aircraft. BBC Sen. Warner: US Prepared if N. Korea Launches Missile U.S. Defense Department officials Tuesday briefed members of a Senate panel behind closed doors about the possibility that North Korea may launch a long-range missile. A key lawmaker says such a launch does not appear imminent. VoiceOfAmerica Heavy Ethiopian rebel losses claimed Ethiopian forces have killed 111 rebels and captured more than 100 who crossed over from Eritrea earlier this month, the state news agency says. Aljazeera June 27, 2006 The Road to Presidency...(I) Aso Rock Explores IBB Option The race for the 2007 presidency seems to be getting more interesting with indications that some presidential handlers are already looking in the direction of former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida, as a likely successor to President Olusegun Obasanjo. ThisDay Ribadu, Senator Trade Words Over N50m Bribe Even in death the abortive tenure extension project of President Olusegun Oba-sanjo continues to generate controversy as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, ThisDay �Africa Set Back 50 Years by Bad Leadership� Togolese President, Mr. Faure Gnassibge, has blamed bad leadership for the plethora of social, political and economic problems facing Africa, saying the Afican Continent has indeed been set back 50 years. ThisDay Jesse Jackson Tasks Nigerians on Democracy Foremost Afro-American statesman and rights activist, Rev. Jesse Jackson, has urged Nigerians to do everything possible to ensure the sustenance of democracy and prevent relapse into military rule which plagued the country for 27 years before May 29, 1999, when a civilian administration was inaugurated. ThisDay FG charges AIT reporter, 3 others with sedition ABUJA � THE Federal Government yesterday charged two journalists, Gbenga Aruleba and Rotimi Durojaiye along with their media organisations .......Vanguard Mob kills policeman PORT HARCOURT � A POLICE man was killed by a mob in Port Harcourt yesterday. The deceased was driving an Isuzu car which rammed into ......Vanguard Why I settled for gubernatorial race�OSHIOMHOLE The out-going President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has finally thrown his proverbial hat into the ring ...........Vanguard Fear grips PDP Over launch of DPP tomorrow THERE are growing tension and anxiety in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as some influential chieftains and bigwigs of the party are expected at the formal launch of the newly registered...Tribune NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Kenneth Kaunda Zambia's founding father on life, freedom and Mrs Thatcher BBC News has been to Zambia as part of a special series looking at how Africa is faring one year on after the promises of increased aid made at the G8 summit in Gleneagles. BBC US Billionaire Buffett to Give Most of His Fortune to Gates Foundation World's second wealthiest person says more than $30 billion of his fortune will go to foundation, which fights disease and poverty worldwide VoiceOfAmerica Sudan lifts ban on UN mission in Darfur Sudan has lifted a ban it imposed on Sunday on a UN mission working in the violent western Darfur region Aljazeera June 26, 2006 Oil belongs to the North, Says Babangida�s In-law An in-law of former military President Ibrahim Babangida who is also an indigene of the South-south geo-political zone, Chief Sunny Okogwu, has described as an illusion claims by his kinsmen that oil resources come from their region. ThisDay Obasanjo May Dump Govs As more aspirants declare their intention to contest the nation�s presidency in 2007, there were indications at the weekend that President Olusegun Obasanjo might dump state governors in his search for a successor. ThisDay Why FG Ceded Bakassi to Cameroun � Senator The Senator representing Uyo Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Effiong Bob has asserted that the decision to cede Bakassi Peninsular to the Republic of Cameroun was for peace to reign in the region. ThisDay FG earns more revenue from N-Delta crises�Accountant-General LAGOS�THE Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. I. H. Dankwambo, faulted, weekend, the widely held belief that the activities of Niger Delta militants ......Vanguard Obasanjo pledges on peaceful 2007 polls AKURE � PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo on the last day of his visit to Ondo State, yesterday allayed fears over possible violence in next year�s election......Vanguard Govs divided over Atiku, IBB - As president�s aides join IBB�s team AS the succession race hots up, many governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have decided to pitch their tents with the various presidential camps. Nigerian Tribune findings...Tribune Ikem, Anenih's Wife Lead IBB's Campaign Former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, seems to have hijacked the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for his race...Daily Independent NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Panel to track Africa aid pledges Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof and Bill Gates will monitor global promises to Africa, UK PM Tony Blair is to announce. BBC Terrorists Claim Execution of Abducted Russian Embassy Workers in Iraq** An al-Qaida-linked group says it has executed four Russian Embassy workers, who were abducted earlier this month in Iraq. VoiceOfAmerica Morocco arrests four over UK heist Moroccan police have arrested four Britons sought for the United Kingdom's biggest cash robbery, a 53 million pound ($96.94 million) raid four months ago. Aljazeera June 25, 2006 IBB, Buhari, Kalu in Crucial Meeting High level political horse-trading towards 2007 elections intensified at the weekend in Niger State as former military president, General Ibrahim Baba... ThisDay Marwa Begins 2007 Campaigns, Promises to Deepen Reforms Former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brig. Gen. Muhammed Buba Marwa, formally inaugurated his presidential campaign on Saturday at the Eagle... ThisDay PDP: Lar Faction, Bunch of Mischief Makers As the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeks  quick reconciliation of its fragmented house in order to ... ThisDay In Kaiama, adult education excites old men, women FOr the average adult in Kaiama area of Bayelsa State, a typical day starts with farming in the morning and schooling in the evening. Having suffered untold neglect and deprivation for .....................Vanguard $17bn oil money : Obasanjo vs senators THE $17.71 billion withdrawn by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo from the excess crude oil account to pay the Paris Club debt and fund two other .....................Vanguard Concubines don�t bother me whenever my husband is on night duty, says Iyabo, Frederick Fasheun�s wife A nurse by training, being married to a medical doctor was a thing she promised herself not to do. Her reasons? She didn�t like them, and the fact that men will always be men. But when .....................Vanguard Mammoth crowd as Marwa begins presidential campaign FORMER military governor of Borno and Lagos states, Brigadier Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, on Saturday in Abuja flaged off his campaign for the 2007 presidential election. Marwa...Tribune NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD 'Radical' heads Somalia militia A cleric who is on the US list of terror suspects is named as head of an Islamist militia that controls Mogadishu. BBC South Africans search for Mandela's long-lost buried gun South African historians are searching for a gun buried by Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg before his 1963 arrest. BBC Ghana and Benin to Work for Peace in Region West African neighbors Ghana and Benin say they will work together to consolidate peace throughout the sub-region. The two countries have also underscored the need to build adequate infrastructure for the development of the region. VoiceOfAmerica Zimbabwe minister found dead Tichaona Jokonya, Zimbabwe's information minister and former permanent representative to the United Nations, has been found dead in a Harare hotel room, a senior official said. Aljazeera June 24, 2006 B a k a s s i : No end to grief as natives cling to false hope FOR any emotional person, the place to be at the moment is not Bakassi peninsula, the disputed oil-rich area which Nigeria finally ceded to Cameroun on .........Vanguard Using the law to uproot a people from their land Despite resistance by natives of Bakassi , the Federal Government is set to hand over the disputed peninsula to Cameroon in line with the 2002 ruling of the International .......Vanguard Obasanjo Sacks 1 More Aide, Disengages 3 President Olusegun Obasanjo has sacked an additional aide in the Presidency barely twenty four hours after the first exercise in which no less than 10... ThisDay Ribadu: We�re Investigating Illegal Oil Bunkering Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday said the commission is investigating several cases of illegal... ThisDay Danjuma Faults FG over Oil Prospecting Licences Former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma, yesterday faulted the Federal Government's position that once an Oil Prospecting Licence ... ThisDay Obi: My Life in Danger Anambra state Gove-rnor, Mr. Peter Obi yesterday told a stunned audience at the conference hall of the Government House, Awka, that hoodlums with tent... ThisDay South South May Boycott Election PROMINENT leaders and political opinion moulders in the South-South geo-political zone have sent a passionate appeal to foreign powers with influence on Nigerian leaders to prevail on the Federal Tribune Pomp, As OBJ Visits Ondo President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday started a three day visit to Ondo state during which he would commission projects executed by the Agagu administration. President Obasanjo, who arrived Tribune NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Mugabe anger at church criticism Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has condemned some churches as "agents of violence and purveyors of falsehood". BBC Al-Qaida's Zawahiri Praises Slain Zarqawi in Video Al-Qaida's number two leader has appeared in a video praising Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq killed on June seventh by a U.S. air strike. VoiceOfAmerica Zawahiri hails Zarqawi in new video Al-Qaida's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has hailed the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, as a soldier, an Islamic cleric and a prince of martyrs. Aljazeera June 23, 2006 EFCC Not Out To Villify Anybody, Says Obasanjo President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are mere routine exercises and not a means of villifying or castigating anybody. ThisDay Obasanjo Sacks Atiku�s Aides A major purge occurred yesterday at The Presidency as President Olusegun Obasanjo approved the disengagement of 12 aides, eight of who were working with Vice President Atiku Abubakar. ThisDay Electoral Act Faulty, Says INEC The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pointed out flaws in the 2006 Electoral Act which it said could pose great challenges to the 2007 general elections. ThisDay Gov Duke Inaugurates Bakassi Relocation C�ttee Having opted to relocate back to Nigeria rather than becomne citizens of Cameroun in their present location, the indigenes of Bakassi got a respite yesterday when Governor Donald Duke of Cross River State inaugurated a 37�man committee for their settlement. ThisDay Drama as FG Aborts London-bound BA Flight Take-off A British Airways aircraft was yesterday grounded by the Federal Government following a directive that the airline should stop operating three additional frequencies granted it last year. ThisDay Obasanjo sacks 8 Atiku�s aides - Swears in 2 new ministers IN continuation of the restructuring of staff of administration, President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday sacked four of his special advisers and eight of those of Vice-President Tribune Bomb explosion in P/Harcourt - Commissioner escapes death Barely two weeks after the Port Harcourt home of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Austin Opara, was bombed by yet to be identified men, a bomb Tribune Obasanjo sacks 8 Atiku's aides, 4 others ABUJA� PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, sacked four of his aides and eight others attached to Vice President Atiku Abubakar who is currently .......Vanguard Militants, naval men in gun battle PORT HARCOURT�IT was another day of terror in different parts of the Niger Delta, yesterday, after militants engaged Naval men in a shootout in Port Harcourt ......Vanguard NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD World Cup: Ghana qualify after win Goals from Haminu Dramani and Stephen Appiah send Ghana into the last 16 of the World Cup. BBC US Commander Accuses Iran of Aiding Iraqi Shi'ite Insurgency General George Casey, the top US commander in Iraq, also said Sunni insurgents have been increasing efforts to make peace with new government VoiceOfAmerica Somali factions forge peace deal Somalia's transitional government has reached an agreement with rival Islamic militias, with both sides agreeing to recognise each other and to lay down arms, according to officials. Aljazeera June 22, 2006 Okonjo-Iweala, Others in Surprise Redeployment One more minister kissed the canvass yesterday as President Olusegun Oba-sanjo again shuffled his cabinet, surprisingly redeploying three, and bringing in five new faces on board. ThisDay Bakassi Indigenes Opt to Relocate to Nigeria Following the option given by President Olusegun Obasanjo that the people of Bakassi Peninsula have a choice of either remaining in the area that has been ceded to Cameroon or relocate to Nigeria, the people of Bakassi have opted for the later so as to remain Nigerians. ThisDay \| Related Issue Ehindero Gives Conditions for Free Polls Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero yesterday told the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu that one of the conditions for free polls in 2007 is the timely release of elections timetable. ThisDay 2007: INEC releases N177m to 37 parties ABUJA�THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a total of N177.6 million to 37 registered political parties in the country ahead of next .......Vanguard Obasanjo sacks Obaji, moves Okonjo-Iweala, 4 others ABUJA � PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday dropped Education Minister, Mrs Chinwe Obaji, moved five others around, swore-in five new ones ......Vanguard pledges safety in Bakassi ABUJA� PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Abuja met with leaders of the Bakassi Peninsula which is to be ceded to Cameroun and reiterated .....Vanguard Obasanjo reschuffles cabinet - Okonjo-Iweala is new foreign minister PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday announced a major cabinet reshuffle and also swore in new five ministers. Highlights of the cabinet reshuffle...Tribune Bakassi indigenes form govt in exile THE Bakassi crisis has taken a new turn as Southern Cameroon has formed a government in exile with the Bakassi Peninsula as part of the new country. In a...Tribune NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Ivory Coast stages comeback Kalou penalty completes Ivory Coast's comeback from two goals down against Serbia & Montenegro. BBC More Than 85 Factory Workers Kidnapped in Iraq At least 85 Iraqi factory workers have been kidnapped in Taji, north of Baghdad. VoiceOfAmenrica Somali factions in Sudan for talks The head of the Arab League on Wednesday greeted the Somalian president and representatives of Islamic militias that control most of the warn-torn country for talks in Khartoum on Wednesday. Aljazeera June 21, 2006 Lament over Bakassi By Luke Onyekakeyah THE move by the Obasanjo administration to cede the strategic Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon under the guise of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict to me is more vicious than the slave trade. The Guardian \| Related Issue Presidential Candidates Emerge Latest Dec 8 If the 2007 general elections will commence on April 8 as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all the registered political parties will have up till December 8 to submit, to the commission, the list of candidates they propose to sponsor at the elections. ThisDay How Leaders Can Succeed, By Obasanjo President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday gave insight into what makes the difference between failure and success in leadership saying there can be no peace for any society if instability, terrorism, violence, assassination, and uncertainty pervade the land. ThisDay Onitsha Crisis: Curfew Extends to More Towns Anambra State Govern-ment yesterday extended to six more towns the one-week dusk to dawn curfew imposed on Onitsha as a result of the bloody clashes, between the police, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) in the last six days. ThisDay Why I Quit ANPP � Don Etiebet Former National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Don Etiebet, yesterday gave an insight into the circumstances surrounding his resignation from the party and insisted that internal wrangling between opposing forces within the part was largely responsible for the failure of the party to win the presidential elections in 2003. ThisDay ACD Releases Timetable For Congresses The Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) has directed that the launching of state chapters must be concluded by July, ahead of...Daily Independent Kalu Has A Case To Answer With EFCC -Ozurumba Damian Anayo Ozurumba represents Isiala-Ngwa North and Isiala-Ngwa South Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives. Daily Independent Ngige, others caused Onitsha crisis - Obi ANAMBRA State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has blamed the security policies of his predecessors for the ongoing crisis in the state, as he asked the Federal Government for more troops. Obi, who spoke on the security situation Tribune *Curfew clamped on 6 more Anambra towns Gov Obi summons stakeholders' security meeting AWKA� GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State yesterday extended the dusk to dawn curfew he imposed on Onitsha to six neighbouring communities: Ogidi, Nsugbe, ..........Vanguard FG faults Tukur on excess oil money ABUJA�Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday reacted to allegations that funds were illegally and secretly withdrawn by the Federal Government ..........Vanguard Obasanjo probes states' finances ABUJA� PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo has set up a 20-man general audit committee to go round the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja for the purpose of compiling reports on ..........Vanguard NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Taylor flies in for Hague trial Ex-Liberia leader Charles Taylor arrives in the Netherlands where he is to be tried on war crimes charges. BBC Sudan rejects 'colonial' troops Sudan's leader says there will be no international troops in his country, as experts call for UN peacekeepers. BBC Iraqi Official: 'Spoon-Feeding' by Foreigners Weakens Iraq A top Iraqi government official says political spoon-feeding by what he calls some influential foreign figures will weaken Iraq's government and fuel a culture of dependency. VoiceOfAmerica Taylor flown to The Hague for trial The former Liberian president has been flown out of Sierra Leone for trial on war crimes charges in the Netherlands. Aljazeera June 20, 2006 You�re a sell-out - Bakassi indigenes tell Ita-Giwa SPECIAL Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, who is a native of Bakassi, was on Monday barred from attending the meeting...Tribune 2007 presidency: Buhari declares intention PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), in the 2003 elections, Major General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd), has declared his intention...Tribune Onitsha: Hoodlums free 240 prisons inmates AWKA � THE bloody crisis rocking the commercial city of Onitsha escalated Sunday night after suspected miscreants stormed the Onitsha prisons and set about 240 inmates free. Governor Peter Obi who, weekend, banned.............Vanguard Cost of elections too high, says Obasanjo ABUJA� PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo said, yesterday, that the cost of contesting elections in Nigeria was too high and therefore urged the political parties to moderate their .............Vanguard PDP faction, Chukwumerije, others hold talks ABUJA� LEADERS of the People�s Democratic Party (PDP) splinter group yesterday met with members of the 2007 Movement in the National Assembly. Sources close to the.............Vanguard ODILI�S FUTILE QUEST FOR THE PRESIDENCY by Silva Amadi With the apparent demise of OBJ�s third term agenda, the stage has been set for political gladiators and opportunists to profile themselves and their favoured candidates for the exalted office of President, since there may be a vacancy in that office after all. NigerianNews Guest Column NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Zimbabwean 'in SA hijack' A Zimbabwean student appears in a South African court, accused of trying to hijack a passenger plane. BBC US: If N. Korea Launches Missile Without Notice, Can't Assume it is Test The Defense Department says in the absence of any statement by the North Korean government it will not be possible to know whether a widely expected missile launch is a test or an attack. VoiceOfAmerica Poll: Abbas plan unlikely to pass Palestinians may not pass a statehood referendum called by Mahmoud Abbas as they see the vote as a symbol of the power struggle between the Palestinian president and the Hamas government, a poll has found. Aljazeera June 19, 2006 OBASANJO: GREATEST LEADERS ARE TRANSFORMATIONAL by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM Legendry King Solomon didn�t have perfect wisdom. He was pretty shrewd but he still made a few mistakes. Even saints don�t have infinite patience. They all lose their temper at some point in their lives. We are all human. NigerianNews Special Bakassi indigenes form own political party The English speaking people of Southern Cameroon and the people of the troubled Bakassi territory have decided to launch a political party in their bid to allegedly actualise the secession plan...Tribune Don�t leave PDP - OBJ appeals to IBB IN an effort to enhance the reconciliation of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Olusegun Obasanjo is said to have employed the platform of his recent meeting with...Tribune Bakassi, pill too bitter to swallow, says NLC ABUJA� THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has denounced as a pill too bitter to swallow, Federal Government�s deal with Cameroun to cede the Bakassi Peninsula to Yaounde. President ...........Vanguard PDP goes tough on 2007 presidency LAGOS � THE ruling People�s Democratic Party (PDP) has prescribed some disciplinary measures against any of its officers including state governors adjudged to have...........Vanguard My retirement plans, by Obasanjo ABUJA�PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo is to devote his attention to farming and community service, after his retirement next year............Vanguard Obasanjo: My Life After Aso Rock President Olusegun Oba-sanjo has said he intends to return to his farm in Ota, Ogun State, after handing over to a successor next year and devote the rest of his life to �community service in the broadest possible way�. ThisDay Navy Arrests American Journalist Officers of the Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy have detained an American journalist for taking photographs of an oil facility operated by the multinational oil company, Nigeria Agip Oil Company. ThisDay LGs Seek Constitution Amendment Local Government emplo-yees, under the aegis of the National Union of Local Government Emp-loyees (NULGE), has said unless there is a constitution amendment to the issue of holding joint accounts with states, rural transformation would continue to be hampered. ThisDay Soyinka Hails Moves to Improve Accountability Nobel Laureate and playwright, Professor, Wole Soyinka has underscored the strenghening of the civil society and moves to improve accountablility as major gains of the present democratic dispensation . ThisDay Curfew in Onitsha as Soldiers Take Over Security Anambra State Govern-ment yesterday imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on the commercial city of Onitsha following bloody clashes in the city in the last four days involving the police, members of a separatist group and transport owners union. ThisDay NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD UN fears new conflict in Somalia The prospect of a new conflict in Somalia is growing as illegal arms flow in, a senior UN official tells the BBC. BBC US Again Cautions N. Korea Against Missile Test, Urges Return to Six-Party Talks Meanwhile, US lawmakers call on China to put more diplomatic pressure on its isolated neighbor VoiceOfAmerica Japan warns N Korea on missile test Reports say North Korea may have fuelled a long-range missile ready for a test flight, prompting Tokyo to warn that any missile falling on Japan would be considered an attack. Aljazeera June 18, 2006 Bakassi people plan to secede The citizens of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula and the English-speaking people of Southern Cameroon have concluded arrangements to establish their own country as a way of stalling the take Tribune \| Related issue FG: How We Are Reprofessionalising Armed Forces Minister of State for Defence, Chief Rowland Oritsejafor, has said "maintaining a physically fit armed forces is the hallmark of a disciplined force a... ThisDay IBM, FCT Partner on Technology Village Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has said that his administration would collaborate with Information techn... ThisDay Never Wanted Tenure Elongation -Obasanjo President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday declared that he was not interested in the recent attempts at elongating his tenure,...Daily Independent NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD Ethiopia rejects Somalia claims Somalia's Islamist leader says Ethiopian troops have crossed the border, but an Ethiopian official denies it. BBC Clashes in Southeastern Nigeria Leave Six Dead** In Nigeria, clashes in the southeastern market city of Onitsha between the police and members of a separatist group have left at least six people dead VoiceOfAmerica Dozens killed in Iraq attacks About 40 people have been killed and more than 80 wounded in a string of bomb and mortar attacks across Iraq, most of them in Baghdad. Aljazeera June 17, 2006