Nigeria Content Online

A network of civil
society groups has urged the Attorney General and Minister of Justice,
Mohammed Bello Adoke to prosecute a former military president, Ibrahim
Babaginda over alleged mismanagement of funds.

The coalition, in a
letter addressed to the justice ministry in Abuja, requested that Mr
Babaginda be brought to book over mismanagement of funds running into
about $12.4 billion earned from the sale of crude oil during the Gulf
War in 1991 The group asked the Minister to, “urgently and fully
implement the recommendations of the late Pius Okigbo Panel report
which indicted the former military leader of corruption and
mismanagement of the oil windfall.

The panel was set
up in 1994 by the late Sani Abacha, another former head of state, to
probe how the $12.4 billion oil windfall earned by Nigeria during the
first Gulf War was spent.

The groups said
they were concerned about the failure of successive governments to act
on the report and the non-adaptation of a White Paper since the report
was submitted to the ruling government in 1994, with the last
administration of Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly claiming that the report
could not be found.

The group, which
claims to be in possession of the report, alleged that “the Babangida
administration operated ‘a second but undisclosed budget’ with the then
Central Bank of Nigeria governor, the Abdulkadir Ahmed…and the
operations of these accounts were fraught with irregularities as the
proceeds of the sale of the crude were not shown in the revenue side
nor were the expenditures reflected in the expenditure side of the
budget.” Claiming that corruption is well entrenched in the country,
the group said “fighting it requires being ready and able to confront
powerful interest groups that clearly benefit from the status quo.” It
therefore urged the government not to let the allegations against Mr
Babaginda go unverified.

14 days ultimatum

The activists said
if nothing was done until the expiration of a two weeks ultimatum, they
will “take all appropriate legal actions nationally and internationally
to compel you to comply with Nigeria’s voluntary international
anti-corruption commitments.” The letter was signed by heads of
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP); Access to
Justice (AJ); Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and
Nigeria Liberty Forum, London. Others are Women Advocates and
Documentation Centre (WARDC); Human and Environmental Development
Agenda (HEDA); Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR);
Partnership for Justice; Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS) and Centre for
the Rule of Law On-line campaign.

The group also said it will “mobilise Nigerians through online
campaign tools such as Facebook, You Tube, MySpace, and other platforms
to ensure that sufficient pressure is mounted on the government to
implement the long-standing recommendations of the Okigbo report.” It
also threatened an online campaign on the social networking media,
Twitter against the much rumoured candidacy of Mr Babaginda ahead of
the next general elections.

Phoné (pronounced
‘phonéh’) is slang for phonetics. It refers to that jarring American or
British, German or French accent that some of us adopt.

Perhaps we do it to
feel cool, to be more easily understood or to differentiate ourselves
from everyone else by seeming well-travelled and cosmopolitan.

Who knows what the
motivation for abandoning one’s native accent for a foreign one is,
when we have never left our shores and when we already speak well.

Phoné is funny
because if those really are the objectives, speaking in that affected
way does not help you achieve what you want. To the contrary, instead
of looking cool, you look foolish. Instead of being easily understood,
your speech becomes undecipherable and therefore incomprehensible.
Instead of seeming ‘exposed’, you differentiate yourself as a person
who is aping foreigners in speech rather than in attitude and behaviour.

Imagine speaking to
someone here from the same neigbourhood as you in a deep southern Texan
accent. He will look you up and down and first confirm what his eyes
are telling him, that you are ‘one of us’. Then, he will decide if you
are play-acting, choosing to confound or patronise him or if you are a
lost soul who has turned your back on our culture and are yearning to
live another life as a new person in a different country. The bottom
line is that you are not speaking his language to him, so you are not
seeking to build rapport or reach an understanding.

The results of
affected speech vary greatly. The reaction you receive could be
admiration at the discipline required to deviate from your natural
intonation shown by your masterful delivery of the heavy twang. You
could suffer derision, scorn, laughter, sideways looks of amazement,
and a “what’s wrong with this guy?” More frequently, you could be
cruelly dismissed as a superficial person who does not know the value
of who they are and the culture they are from.

The problem with
phoné is that, unless you have spent more than six months at a time
living abroad and have picked up the local lingo or accent, it is
phoney!!!! People can tell. Language is so much more than just words
and sounds. It is culture. It is a way of life; methods of reasoning;
modes of reacting. It is appreciation for things not found on our
shores, unfamiliar perspectives and different attitudes to time
keeping, formality, showing respect, and hierarchy. Language determines
whether we approach subjects directly or in a roundabout manner. It can
determine whether we are soft spoken or brash.

It only really
works if you are speaking with foreigners or if you have travelled
overseas and are speaking with the natives there. Then, the intonation
and rhythm of speech you adopt is an approximation to theirs. They find
it comforting and welcoming, if somewhat amusing at times and they
generally respond positively to it.

There is absolutely
nothing wrong with phone. As a linguist, I find myself unconsciously
taking on the accent of the person I am speaking to, or of the
environment I find myself in. Being adaptable, both in speech, gestures
and behaviour smoothens the way when interacting with others.

Stick with your own

When in your own
culture, stick with your own phonetics regardless of whom you are
dealing with. Simply focus on speaking clearly and correctly. Build
your knowledge about the world around you. Read, watch documentaries
and enrich the content of your conversations. Remember all those
aspirations you had to feel cool, to be more easily understood, to
differentiate yourself from everyone else by seeming well-travelled and
cosmopolitan – they will all come true.

Oh yes, if you are
learning a foreign language the easiest way to master it is to lay on
full phoné when practicing. Not just the words, but also the gestures,
the attitude, and the flair of the culture the language is used in. It
works.

Another trick is to
try replying in English to someone who is speaking to you in your
language. Make sure that when you reply you use the same rhythms, head
and arm movements, facial expressions and tones as your language. The
other person may not realise for a long while, or at all, that you are
not speaking in vernacular.

Just ask our
politicians. They figured it out a long time ago. They come to your
area, pepper their speech with words in your language, use your
proverbs, sing one of your traditional songs, do some of your
distinctive dance steps, and you are convinced that they are ‘one of
us’. Give it a try and see what happens. Meanwhile, it is all phoné.

Phoné can be funny, but it is also very powerful. Use it wisely! In
a mixed group, use phoné with the foreigners and be natural with your
countrymen. They will all be wowed by your prowess!

The Nigerian Bar
Association yesterday said that it was a shame that, one year after a
panel was constituted to investigate the $180m Halliburton bribe
scandal, no report had been submitted nor any prosecutions made. They
added that the investigation into the case has been ignored by the
relevant authorities.

The President of
the NBA, Rotimi Akeredolu, said this at the 5th Business Law conference
organised by the Section on Business Law of the NBA, in Abuja.

“Last year about
the time of this conference, the Halliburton scandal broke open and at
that time the NBA remarked that it was one scandal too many and it
should not be swept under the carpet,” he said. “All other countries
that are in one way or another connected with the scandal having put
machinery in place to bring the culprits to justice but in Nigeria as
the case often a few attempts at playing to the gallery were made and
thereafter the matter has effectively been swept under the carpet. This
attitude has come to characterise our insincerity to deal with the
issue of corruption which stands firmly between us and development.”
Specifically, he said the manner in which the Halliburton scandal was
handled showed that the country was not sincere in the fight against
corruption.

Show of shame

He further said
that there was nothing wrong with the constitution but that those who
operated it had refused to be decent, adding that the association would
not shy away from speaking the truth to those in power.

He noted that the
disgrace which Nigeria was subjected to before Goodluck Jonathan became
the acting president would have been avoided if only President Umaru
Musa Yar’Adua had followed a path of honour by writing to the
leadership of the National Assembly.

“If honour attended every action following our President’s illness,
we would have been spared the show of shame and object of ridicule that
we have become.”

On the occasion of
the International Month on Endometriosis, gynaecologists have raised
concern on the need to frequently diagnose the illness so as to reduce
infertility rates (whose prevalence in Nigeria is 20-25 per cent among
married couples).

Endometriosis, an
extremely painful condition common in women of childbearing age,
affects over a million women in the U.S yearly.

It is responsible
for 10-15 per cent cases of unexplained infertility, although experts
say women with it can still be pregnant. However, in Nigeria, there are
no statistics as the disorder is often misdiagnosed.

“It is a condition
that is highly misdiagnosed and what gives it (Endometriosis) away is
that the woman feels the pain during her menstrual period, so it is
often mistaken as painful menstruation or sometimes tuberculosis,” said
Abayomi Ajayi, the Medical Director of Nordica Fertility Center.

“It takes a doctor
who is much aware of endometriosis to suspect it and thus diagnose it;
most doctors don’t even think about it, and that is why we are having
this talk – so that more people will be aware of it,” he added.

The chief
Embryologist at the Centre, Remi Ogundepo, added; “the condition is
difficult to diagnose, taking up to eight years from onset of
symptoms.”

Challenges in Nigeria

According to Dr.
Ajayi, one of the reasons for wrong diagnosis of this condition is
because it can only be diagnosed by Laparascopy, and not so many
hospitals have this equipment, nor the skilled manpower to diagnose it
in the country.

“A Laparascopy
machine costs N5 million. How many hospitals can afford that; secondly,
most of the doctors who have these skills don’t practice here, they are
in the U.K, or U.S. This is a challenge, yet women who suffer from this
condition go through so much pain and suffering.

“Secondly, there is low level of awareness stemming from the belief that the disorder doesn’t affect Africans.

“For a long time,
medical experts have believed that it is not a common disease with
Africans, but from the number of women we have treated (up to 200), we
know that endometriosis is real to those who have it, and wrong
diagnosis has even led to the death of many women.”

Prevention

According to the
U.S. National Institutes of Health, it occurs when tissues similar to
the uterine lining (endometrium) migrates outside the womb and implants
in other areas of the body such as abdominal cavity, ovaries, in the
lungs, brain, liver, umbilical area, and even the breasts.

Though it can be
treated with drugs or surgery, the cause of endometriosis is said to be
unknown, making prevention difficult. Nevertheless, certain
predisposing factors can be avoided.

“Avoiding dioxins, avoid postponing pregnancy till older age; but sometimes endometriosis is genetic.”

Patients undergoing
treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) are in
for a tough time as doctors have stopped working, until the Chief
Medical Director, who was kidnapped on Tuesday, is released. The
abduction of the Director, Michael Ibadin, came on the heels of a
directive by the Oba of Benin to palace diviners to collaborate with
the state government in the fight against kidnapping for ransom in the
state.

NEXT gathered that
Dr. Ibadin was kidnapped in the early hours of yesterday in front of
his residence at the Isiohor axis of Benin City, as he was about to
leave for work. According to reports, his abductors, who came in a
Volkswagen Audi 80 saloon car, intercepted the official vehicle of the
CMD, and ordered his police orderly to open the door.The police
orderly’s hesitation allegedly prompted the abductors to use the butt
of their guns to break the side glass of the official car and
forcefully open the doors. They then dragged out the CMD before taking
him and his driver away. At the time of going to press, the abductors
were yet to make any contact, either with their victims’ families or
with the officials of the teaching hospital.

Great embarrassment

Following the
kidnap, a staff of the hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity,
said the authorities of the health institution have decided that all
activities should stop until the unconditional release of their CMD is
effected. “I will advise relatives of patients in the hospital for
their interest to come and discharge them as the hospital would close
its door to any would-be patients,” he announced, just as he declared
patients that are already in the hospital would not be attended to.

A report said one
of the doctors at the hospital allegedly assaulted the husband of a
pregnant woman waiting to be delivered of her baby, after the man
pleaded with the doctor to attend to his wife. In their attempt to
report the fracas that ensued over the assault, several journalists
were manhandled by both doctors and administrative workers in the ward.

The public relations office of the state police command could not be
reached for comment, but a police source said the authorities were
doing their best to see how they can track the kidnappers, as the
incident was a great embarrassment to them.

The presidential candidate of the
Democratic People’s Party (DPP) in the 2007 general elections, Attahiru
Bafarawa, on Tuesday described the death of former governor of Kano
State Abubakar Rimi as “a political tragedy to Nigeria.”

This is even as new leader of the Mega
Party, Pat Utomi, and the Nigerian Labour Congress blamed the state of
insecurity in the country for the late flamboyant politician’s death.

“Rimi’s death remains a political
tragedy to our dear nation. We will miss him for his genuine views and
comments toward sustaining our nation’s democracy and the rule of law,”
Mr. Bafarawa said.

He said the late Abubakar died an
accomplished political genius and statesman who fought for unity and
equity in the nation’s democracy.

State of security

Mr. Utomi said the death “is a pointer
to the worsening situation of the state of security on one hand, and
the state of our health institutions on the other.”

“Because of the prominence of Rimi as a
former governor and foremost politician, we got to hear about this
incident,” he said. “But hundreds, maybe thousands, of this morbid
drama play themselves out daily in the lives of Nigerians all over this
nation.”

He said it is time for policy-makers to face up to the challenge of
our social infrastructure, saying “the dismal state of which
constitutes one of the major impediments to foreign investment in
Nigeria.” The Nigeria Labour Congress says the death “symbolised the
tragic state of our nation, marked by profound insecurity of lives and
property. The instances of serial sad incidents like this create the
notion, rightly or wrongly, that our leadership attaches little or no
value to the lives of the citizenry.”

Founder of the Living Faith Church
(Winners Chapel), David Oyedepo, yesterday confirmed his visit to the
ailing Nigerian President, Umar Yar’Adua, along with other Christian
leaders. He declared that he owes no public explanation on the visit,
which he described as ‘private.’ The cleric spoke in an interview with
NEXT in Abeokuta, shortly after attending the 54th birthday
thanksgiving service in honour of the Ogun State governor, Mr. Gbenga
Daniel, held at Valley View of the government house.

“It is true that I visited him,” he said. “It is a private visit, and I don’t owe the public any obligation.

It is a private visit and I don’t want
to comment further on it.” When asked if there was any prayer session
held for the sick President, Mr. Oyedepo replied: “We prayed for him.
Please excuse me, I have to go. I have told you it was a private
visit.”

Lack of integrity

Mr. Oyedepo, in his sermon at the
ceremony, posited that men of integrity are lacking in the country and
that “Nigeria is largely integrity sick at all levels – family, church
and government levels.” He made comparison between this generation and
past generations, stating that, “our forefathers are no ruffians. They
were men of integrity with a rich culture.

“If you come from a house of thieves,
you are not likely to find a wife because they would trace your
character. Unqualified men and women are occupying positions of
leadership in all facets of Nigeria life. We must not put a novice in
office. We must ensure appropriate placement of our people, so that the
nation can move forward. Many people have no knowledge whatsoever of
what they are doing, yet they are doing it.”

Mr. Oyedepo said it is strange that
some people in government cannot define budget, yet he has to
appropriate a budget. “The church should help to infuse a sense of
character and honour ins the people,” he said.