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Multinational drugs firm, Pfizer Incorporated, has commenced
work on the establishment of a $30 million medical facility at Dawakin Dudu, 15
kilometres from the Kano metropolis.

Ibrahim Shekarau, the state Governor, performed the foundation
laying ceremony of the medical facility at the occasion. He said that the
decision by Pfizer to establish the medical facility was in line with an out of
court settlement reached between the state government, victims of the 1996
Trovan drug test and Pfizer incorporated.

Spokesperson for Pfizer, Chris Loder, said the decision to
construct the medical facility underlines the commitment of the company towards
ensuring the wellbeing of Nigerians. “The construction of a new state of the
art medical centre in Kano is proof positive that Pfizer continues to fulfil
its commitments to Nigeria and its people,” he said. “This event allows the
company to further its work on what really matters – improving the healthcare
for all Nigerians.” The medical facility is to be equipped with a centre for
disease control, a public health laboratory, a diagnostic centre, a
micro-biological reference laboratory and residence staff quarters.

The Trovan war

Hundreds of people died or took ill in Kano after they were
administered by the drugs in a surreptitious test being conducted by the
company on the efficacy and effects of the drug. It was later sued by both the
state and federal government. The company reached an out-of-court settlement
with the two parties.

Recalling how he led a delegation to the negotiation talks with
Pfizer in the United Kingdom and America, Mr Shekarau expressed optimism that
the medical facility would achieve the desired objective of proper diagnosis
and treatment of chronic diseases afflicting children in Kano and neighbouring
states of Nigeria.

The chairman of the Healthcare Programme Trust, S.A.S Galadanci,
said that it is unfortunate that the less privileged ones in the society had
faced difficulties accessing treatment when faced with chronic ailments. He
explained that the facility would redress the problems associated with the
dearth of medical facilities and equipment at various healthcare centres in
Kano and neighbouring states by the time it becomes fully operational next
year.

Media owners from
across the African continent have vowed to end reliance on donor
funding and rid the industry of corrupt practices. This was made known
at the recently concluded African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) in
Yaounde, Cameroon.

The purpose of the
meeting was aimed at coming to a consensus around the best ways to
develop African media that meets the needs of a dramatically changing
media landscape, while instilling the highest professional standards
and ethical reporting.

“This is a
watershed moment that holds out the promise of a new dawn in African
media,” said Trevor Ncube, co-chairman of the African Media Initiative
(AMI), a continent-wide body that sponsors the AMLF.

“News businesses
across the world are facing fundamental shifts due to changes in
content, demographic profiles, and technology,” said Amadou Mahtar Ba,
Chief Executive Officer of AMI.

“By bringing
African media owners together, the AMLF hopes to raise the profile of
issues central to development of African media, as well as African
democracy.”

The Yaoundé meeting
focused on critical issues affecting African media, including new
financing tools; easing barriers that impede access to capital;
promoting principled journalism through professional, ethical
reporting; strengthening media’s role in African development, and
curtailing the threats to media freedom that undermine democracy and
limit people’s participation in democratic processes.

“Media can help
accelerate Africa’s economic and social advance,” said Hunter-Gault, an
award winning journalist based in South Africa.

“This meeting comes
at a time when Africa is experiencing sustained economic growth in many
sub-Saharan African countries. Africa needs a strong media to record
these changes and to help its people understand and be a part of what
could finally result in an African Renaissance.”

Attending the meeting were representatives from African financial
institutions that pledged to assist in transforming media institutions
into both viable businesses and effective purveyors of credible news
and information.

The acting director general of the
Legal Aid council, Micheal Abiodun Awoponle, has said that Nigerian
prisons are congested with awaiting trial inmates, and not with
convicted prisoners.

Mr. Awoponle, at a press briefing in
Abuja yesterday, said about 75 percent of inmates in Nigerian prisons
await trial. Most prison inmates in Nigeria have not been convicted of
any offence; instead, they wait years for their trial in appalling
conditions.

According to him, he disagreed with
people that say Nigerian prisons are congested, saying that the prisons
are congested with those awaiting trial, but not with those already
convicted of any crime.

Specifically, he said under his
leadership, the council has set out to put in place in 2011 reviving
and strengthening the Legal Aid Council Human Rights initiatives, and
posting of lawyers to all the prisons in Nigeria under Prison Awaiting
Trial Mates (ATM) judicare scheme.

Furthermore, he said as advocates of
the weak and vulnerable in the society, the council would also
establish in all its offices structures that would take care of the
legal needs of women and children. In addition, awareness campaigns
would be held regularly for women and children. The council would
establish a Legal Aid Research library that would inevitably assist the
council in establishing its own Legal Aid case law report.

“The council is faced with inadequate
funding, hence, it cannot fully pay for extensive and intensive
publicity that is required to sensitise the teeming population of our
people, especially in the grassroot of our services. Because it is only
when these poor people are aware of our services that they can take
advantage of them,” he said.

He also said that based on the
availability of returns received from the headquarters, zones and
states, the council has received from inception a total number of
86,482 applications, out of which 75,259 were granted. Completed cases
stands at 51, 336, while 23,923 cases remain pending as at today.

The acting director general, who blamed
Nigeria’s judicial system said the reason why there are more people
awaiting trial, is that at times there is a disconnect between the
police authority, the Nigerian Prison services, and the court itself,
but called on the Federal Government to put every machinery in motion
to ensure that awaiting trial inmates case should be addressed to
decongest the prisons.

He said that another easy way of
settling disputes is the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), saying
that it is dispute resolution processes and techniques that act as
means for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement short of
litigation.

“Despite historic resistance to ADR by
many popular parties and their advocates, ADR has gained widespread
acceptance among both the general public and the legal profession in
recent years. In fact, some courts now require some parties to resort
to ADR of some type, usually mediation, before permitting the parties’
cases to be tried,” he said.

Further more, he said that the council
received appropriation in its 2010 budget to establish Legal Aid
centres in one local government area in each of the states in Nigeria
and the FCT.

“The concept of the Legal Aid Centre initiative is the council’s
means of taking legal aid to the fourth level of legal aid delivery in
Nigeria (grassroots’). The legal aid centres would serve as hub for
delivering the full complements of legal aid services at the local
government areas. The centres would be fully equipped with all the
electronic gadgets of a modern office,” he said.

The vice president,
Namadi Sambo, yesterday directed that all government contracts must
adhere to due process, including the Niger Delta Coastal Road project.

He gave this
directive during the Federal Executive Council Committee meeting to
fast track the conclusion of all necessary processes for the
commencement of work on the Niger Delta Coastal Road.

Mr. Sambo decried the situation where government agencies flout established procedure in the award of contracts.

He expressed
confidence with the consulting firm handling the project, noting that
as an indigenous company, it falls under the criteria that appeals to
the government to promote local companies, but that it was necessary to
follow the rule of law in the engagement of contactors handling all
government projects.

The VP said “Etheh
Aro is a competent firm and I am confident that it can handle any
service. I am one of the promoters of local engineering and
architectural services firms, even in the construction sector.

“It is a thing of
pride to have Nigerians involved in this important national project,
but that must be done within the rule of law,” Mr. Sambo said.

He further stated
that government was anxious to commence work on the coastal road, and
expressed delight that government can go for tenders by January next
year.

As a means of
tidying up all the loose ends, a technical committee to review the
submission of the consultant on the progress of work done on the
project, was set up.

The committee is to
be chaired by the director general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),
Emeka Ezeh, and has its membership drawn from the Ministries of Niger
Delta Affairs, Finance and Works, Office of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Solicitor General of the Federation, and
that of the Vice President.

The committee,
which has 2 weeks to submit its report, is to review all outstanding
jobs currently under execution; review all the commitments by the NDDC
on this project; and also come up with a far reaching recommendation
that will ensure quick dispensation of all outstanding issues.

Speaking, the
director general of the BPP, Mr. Ezeh, lamented infractions by
government agencies in the award of contracts, explaining that the due
process office had existed under the name of the Budget Monitoring and
Price Intelligence Unit (BMPU), before it was transformed into the BPP,
further disclosing that the Public Procurement Act was signed in 2007.

Earlier, the
consultants on the project, Pearl Consultant and Etheh Aro and
Partners, disclosed that they have concluded all the necessary survey
works on the project, including its Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment.

They also disclosed
that a draft tenders document is ready, so that by January, 2011,
government can go for tenders on the road project.

Also present at the occasion were the Minister of Niger Delta
Affairs, Godsday Orubebe; Minister of Works, Mohammed Sanusi Daggas;
the Minister of State Niger Delta Affairs, Samuel Ode; managing
director of NDDC, Chibuzor Ugwoha; and other government functionaries.

NEXT Newspaper was, on Sunday, awarded Nigeria’s Best Designed Newspaper, at the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME).

Held in Lagos to review media performance for 2009,
the 19th edition of the awards saw 24 prizes going to individuals and
organisations in print journalism, broadcasting, and advertising.
According to the organisers, the annual event is aimed at recognising
excellence and encouraging professionalism in the media industry. DAME
is organised by Diamond Publications, publishers of Media Review. Lanre
Idowu, the Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Publications, said the
awards will be helpful in a world where role models are increasingly
difficult to come by. “Even though there is a rot around us, when we
set our minds to it, we will pick different gems,” he said.

NEXT was nominated for two awards: the ‘Best Designed
Newspaper’ and ‘Child Friendly Newspaper’. The Punch was awarded the
Newspaper of the year; Newsmagazine of the Year went to Tell; Editorial
Writing went to The Nation for its piece, Yar Adua: The constitution is
supreme, while Editorial integrity award went to Olusola Fabiyi of
Punch, for his report on Ekiti rerun: Police quiz INEC staff over
bribery row.

Other categories

Press reporter of the year was awarded to Sesan
Olufowobi, also of Punch, for his report on Abu, a three-year-old
Nigerian, who was rescued from human traffickers and was later reunited
with his family after six months. Radio reporter of the year went to
Funke Oluremi for her report on malpractice in primary school education
in Oyo State, Nigeria. ‘A vote for corruption’ won 25-year-old Nurudeen
Oyewole of National Standard the award for Political reporting, where
he reported a move by the National Assembly to pass a bill that will
provide for the police to seek legislative approval before the arrest
or prosecution of any legislator.

Health Reporting Award went to Juliana Ezeoke, of Tell, for ‘Another
neglected goose’, her report on alternative herbal medicine in the
country and difficulties experienced in its exportation, which affects
the competitiveness of the industry with an established one like the
Chinese industry. The TV Documentary Award went to Emmanuel Ubaka for
his report on Arochukwu in Abia State; he reported its history and how
its past events have helped shape the kingdom’s history. Other awardees
included Sina Fadare, Adenike Ppoola, and Bayoor Ewuoso, who got prizes
for Agriculture Reporting, Insurance Reporting and Action Photography
respectively.

The Minister of State for Commerce and
Industry, Josephine Tapgun, on Monday described the performance of the
industrial sector as “dismal”, saying the federal government was
committed to reversing the situation.

Tapgun was speaking at the
commemoration of the 2010 Africa Industrialisation Day (AID), jointly
organised by the ministry and UNIDO, with the theme: Competitive
Industries for Development of Africa.

She said this year’s index of global
competitiveness, as released by the World Economic Forum, authors of
Global Competitiveness Survey, which ranked Nigeria 127 out of 133
countries in national competitiveness, was unfortunate.

“This dismal perception could be
readily ascribed to the harsh operating environment, due mainly to lack
of constant power supply and other infrastructural deficits.

She reiterated the resolve of the government to addressing the
challenges militating against the industrial development of the
country, saying that the present administration was tackling them
“head-on”. She said that, as Nigeria continued to feel the
“excruciating” effect of the global economic crisis, it was imperative
to focus on industrialisation as a critical engine of economic growth
and development.

The Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ)
and Radio and Television Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria, on
Monday, in Abuja, urged the Federal Government to put in place concrete
agreements for the implementation of the new Media Salary Structure.
The President of the NUJ, Mohammed Garba, made the appeal while
monitoring Federal Government media houses in Abuja, to ensure the
enforcement of the unions’ three-day warning strike. Members of the
union on Monday embarked on the exercise, to compel the Federal
Government to enforce a new Media Salary Structure. Garba, however,
said there had not been any agreement reached with the government on
the implementation of the salary. He said the unions met with the
Minister of Information and Communications, Dora Akunyili, during which
a committee of all heads of the agencies signed the salary structure.

“We sent it to the Federal Government
since April and nothing has happened. If there is no concrete agreement
reached between the unions and the Federal Government, I want to assure
you that by tomorrow the strike will be total. We will close down NTA
and FRCN that are offering skeletal services’.

The wife of the
former Governor of Delta State, Theresa Ibori, has been sentenced to
jail for five years by a London jury after she was found guilty on a
two count-charge of money laundering.

Found guilty with
Mr Ibori’s attorney, Bhadresh Gohil, who was on trial with Theresa. Mr
Gohil was found guilty on a similar charge and was remanded in police
custody.

He will be
sentenced after the conclusion of another trial involving the
laundering of proceeds of V-Mobile shares by James Ibori, Henry
Imashekka, David Edevbie and former Akwa Ibom governor, Victor Attah.
The trial will commence next Monday.

The recent
anti-corruption campaign on the Ibori’s has also seen the conviction of
the former governor’s sister Christine Ibori-Ibie; and mistress,
Udoamaka Okoronkwo-Onuigbo in a previous trial for helping him move an
estimated £70 million worth of looted funds through several London
banks. The two women are currently serving five-year jail terms each in
a London prison.

Mr Ibori is
currently detained in the United Arab Emirates where the Dubai court of
First Instance ruled in October that he should be extradited to the
United Kingdom to face charges on corruption, official theft and money
laundering saying he has “a case to answer in the UK.” But he is
appealing the judgement at the Emirate’s Supreme Court where he is
reported to have sought political asylum.

Mr Ibori was arrested in the Emirate by the International Police
(INTERPOL) in May after he was declared wanted by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly mismanaging N528
million shares of Delta State in Oceanic Bank a month before his arrest
in the UAE after evading arrest in Nigeria. A warrant of arrest was
also issued on him by the UK Metropolitan Police for money laundering.

President Goodluck
Jonathan yesterday said the Federal Executive Council will soon stop
considering the award of contracts under the 2010 budget to exclusively
focus on fresh policies that will positively reposition the country for
faster economic growth and development in its remaining sessions for
the year.

Speaking after
receiving a presentation by participants in the National Institute of
Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Senior Executive Course 32 on ‘The
Imperatives of Policy Sustainability for National Security and
Democratic Stability’, Mr. Jonathan said the council will discuss and
take decisions on some key issues of policy raised in the presentation.

The issues include
free, fair, and credible elections, the high cost of governance, the
revitalization of strategic industries, the streamlining of policy
implementing agencies of government, poverty, and unemployment as
threats to national security, disparity of wages in the public sector,
and a strategic review of Nigeria’s foreign policy.

The president, who
described the presentation as very well researched and relevant to
Nigeria’s current realities, directed that copies be forwarded to the
president of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
and all state governors.

In consultation
with vice president, Namadi Sambo, who oversees NIPSS, Mr. Jonathan
also directed that participants in its Senior Executive Course 33
should carry the work of Course 32 participants forward by focusing on
the theme: ‘Managing Nigeria’s Pluralism for Peace and National
Development.’

“I commend NIPSS
and Course 32 participants for the comprehensive work they have done. I
thank you for the very important issues you have raised, and I assure
you that government will give serious consideration to your
recommendations,” the president told the participants, amongst who were
senior military officers, senior civil servants, and representatives of
the private sector.

In his remarks, the
acting director general of NIPSS, Tijjani Muhammed Bande, appealed to
the president “for more robust funding for the institute,” disclosing
that “the institute already has an existing debt of N590million.”

Mr. Bande told
NEXT, after the closed door session with Mr. President, that the debt
was not the making of a particular person or administration, but had
been accumulated overtime.

The United Sates of America says it will assist Nigeria to inculcate entrepreneurship skills in undergraduates.

Bruce Wharton,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy gave this indication on
Monday in Abuja when he visited Julius Okojie, the Executive Secretary
of the National Universities Commission.

Although Mr Wharton
did not give details of this collaboration especially when and how the
assistance will be administered, he said this will form a major part of
bi-national talks between the two countries.

“It is hard to
imagine the part of our society that is more important to development
than higher education,” he said. “We need to look at making higher
education have economic value in Nigeria. The graduates of Nigerian
universities need to be assured of the highest quality in global market
place. It is healthy on the long run to make Nigerian institutions
stronger. We will help make Nigerian institutions stronger as well.”

He added that the
United States’ Fulbright programme and the educational exchange
programmes are clear testimonies to the commitment of the United States
to working with Nigeria to produce the best university graduates.

Degrees and entrepreneurship

Mr Wharton noted
that “getting a fine education is not the whole story. After you get an
education you need to get a job. United States of America has to work
with Nigeria to find ways to help create employment opportunities for
graduates. One of the things I will be interested in hearing from you
about is whether the Nigerian universities respond to the needs of the
industries in terms of degrees. Do you have a job placement programme?
Do Nigerian universities work with industries and students?”

Nigeria, he said,
has an extra ordinary well educated population with Masters and
Doctorate degrees who are not able to find jobs.

“That is something
that Nigeria and the United States may have to consider in our
bi-national framework. That will be something that will benefit
everyone.”

Akinbode Agbaoye,
the Director of Management Support Services of the NUC, who represented
the Executive Secretary acknowledged that Nigeria has not done all it
could offer in terms of making the graduates very relevant to the
industries but disclosed that efforts to improve entrepreneurship
education is being intensified by the NUC.

“We have not done enough. We have done a survey of the labour market
expectation of Nigerian Universities and we came out with a document to
make sure that entrepreneurial education is embedded in the curriculum.
It is observed that Nigerian graduates are good in theories but are not
as good in practice. The National Universities Commission has taken
measures in establishing these centres with a view to addressing issues
of job creation, poverty reduction and provision of sustainable
employment which should engender an increase in the average income
level per household in Nigeria and as well improve the international
image of Nigeria through enhancing the competitiveness of the economy.”