Deadly bomb blast rocks U.N. building in Nigerian capital

Abuja, Nigeria (CNN) -- At least 18 people were killed Friday in a bombing at a U.N. building in the Nigerian capital, a police spokesman said.

Police commissioner Michael Zuokumo told reporters eight people had been injured.

Rescue officials at the scene in Abuja helped to pull the dead and injured from the rubble. Bomb squad officers and other security teams were also sent to the scene, deputy police spokesman Yemi Ajayi said.

A representative for the National Hospital said there was a shortage of blood to use in surgery. Hospital staff and relatives of the injured have been going to the blood bank to donate.

The hospital called in all doctors and nurses who were not working Friday to deal with the emergency, the spokeswoman said as ambulances brought people in.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan condemned what he called a "barbaric, senseless and cowardly attack."

A statement issued by his office said extra security had been ordered in the area around the capital and Nigeria would do everything it could to bring the perpetrators to justice.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, addressing the media in New York, said exact casualty figures are not yet known but are likely to be "considerable."



U.N. Secy.-Gen. condemns Nigeria attack

U.N. office in Nigeria bombed RELATED TOPICS
Abuja
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He condemned the car bombing but would not speculate on who might be responsible.

The attack targeted a building that housed 26 U.N. humanitarian and development agencies, he said, adding: "This was an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others."

Ban said he was sending the deputy secretary general and the chief of U.N. security to Abuja, where they will try to determine who is responsible.

Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency, said the driver of the vehicle used in the bombing had passed through the first and second gates of the compound before detonating the explosives by the building's reception area.

A witness outside the U.N. building at the time of the attack told CNN she had seen a white SUV drive quickly through the main gate of the compound. She then heard two explosions in quick succession, the second one much larger and followed by the shattering of glass.

Images from the scene showed severe damage to the bottom floors of the building, with windows blown in and debris scattered around.

People who were in the U.N. building told CNN that after the explosion, a wall fell on some people, causing several casualties.

U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was shocked by the attack.

"This brutal act has killed and injured many innocent people, and I utterly condemn those who have carried it out," he said.

"Around the world the U.N. works for peace, security and international cooperation and an attack on the U.N. is an attack on these principles."

Alessandra Vellucci at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland, confirmed that the "U.N. premises in Abuja have been bombed" but was unable to give more details.

The building is home to the main U.N missions operating in Nigeria and may have had as many as 400 people inside.

CNN's Alkasim Abdulkadir said the area was not very busy because it was a diplomatic district, with the Liberian and U.S. embassies nearby, but there were people working there.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Deborah MacLean, told CNN that there had been no damage to the embassy building, which is half a mile from the U.N. building.

Embassy personnel were initially told to be careful in case of further violence, she said.

Zoran Jovanovic, head of mission for the International Red Cross in Abuja, said the explosion was heard at 10:15 a.m.

The U.N. building is in a large compound that has five gates, Jovanovic said, adding that the area is also home to Western African embassies.

It is not yet clear who was responsible for the attack.

The Nigerian capital has experienced a series of bombings recently.

In June, a car blast killed at least five people at the police headquarters in the city. It detonated less than two minutes after the federal police chief entered the building, a security source said at the time.

A month later, at least three people died in an explosion near a church outside the capital. The number of casualties could have been higher if services had still been going on, according to a police spokesman.

In October, at least 12 people died when car bombs exploded as the nation celebrated 50 years of independence. The attacks near the Justice Ministry injured about 50.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta claimed responsibility for the October attack. MEND, an umbrella organization of several rebel groups, is battling the government for fairer distribution of oil wealth.

Recent attacks, including on the church and police station, may have been the work of a radical Muslim sect, Boko Haram, the nation's officials said this year. Boko Haram aims to enforce a strict version of Sharia law in the nation.

Africa's most populous nation is divided between a largely Christian south and a Muslim north.

Courtesy CNN's Alkasim Abdulkadir, Umaro Djau, Christian Purefoy, Ben Brumfield, Stephanie Halasz, David Wilkinson and Claudia Rebaza contributed to this report.

Bayelsa Politics: Timi Alaibe's supporters Attacked

Several persons have been confirmed dead and scores injured in the Opokuma/Okolokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.

This is as a result of violence allegedly caused by hoodlums to disrupt the activities arranged by the people of Opokuma community to welcome the former MD of NDDC and the governorship flag bearer for Labour Party [LP] Mr. Timi Alaibe.

But the governorship candidate says his not deterred by such moves and called on his supporters to protect their votes when the time comes.

The Timi Alaibe Campaign Organization in a press statement signed by the Director of Publicity, Douye Diri said the attack on the peaceful welcome parade was planned, and funded by some disgruntled individuals.

"Even when it is conceded that it is the duty of security agencies to investigate and unravel the circumstances that led to the unprovoked attack on innocent citizens of Bayelsa State at the reception in Opokuma, the Timi Alaibe Campaign Organisation has every reason to assert that the attack and murder of innocent Bayelsans last Friday was planned, funded and executed by agents of the Bayelsa State Government.

"The attack is only a feeble attempt to intimidate and scare the long suffering people of Bayelsa State who are clearly resolute in their determination to put a new government in place in the State by May 2011.

The group said they are counting on the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to thoroughly investigate the activities of "this illegal army being run by the Bayelsa State Government, given the rising spate of politically-motivated violence in the State".

The Campaign Organisation also stated that it salutes all resolute Bayelsans who have refused to be intimidated or over-awed by the cheap antics of the out-going leadership in the State.

The organization is urging them to remain steadfast and vigilant since help is already on the way.

What an efficient security we have " remain steadfast and vigilant since help is already on the way"

Source: Channelstv

Another Warning Concerning Arik Airlines

Having witnessed several ugly incidents in the past weeks involving the outright neglect of passengers by Nigeria’s Arik Airlines, I feel the need to warn travellers worldwide to avoid them until a genuine change in their attitude toward customers is seen.

Virtue of my position, I am a regular traveller and was in Lagos, Nigeria for a conference on Monday, 4th January 2011. Scheduled to travel back to London on the morning of Wednesday, 6th January, I arrived at Nigeria’s Murtala Mohammed Airport and ran into a group of almost 200 passengers looking irritated, agitated and unkempt. With a few hours to spare, I decided to ascertain the nature of their troubles. I was shocked to learn that the passengers were due to leave the night before with Arik to Johannesburg, South Africa but had been kept in the airport for the duration of the entire night.

No hotel arrangements were made nor was food or beverages provided. The passengers received no explanation for the massive delay nor were they accorded any apology or respite. Most of the passengers, who were apparently returning from a church retreat, slept a minimal amount of hours on the uncomfortable airport chairs. The flight eventually left in the early hours of the afternoon, the airline surreptitiously and unrepentantly citing lack of fuel as the cause when I made my own enquiries.

This experience simply echoed that of my business colleague barely a week earlier. Travelling with Arik for the first time on the same route from Johannesburg to Lagos, he arrived to discover that the airline had offloaded approximately 180 passenger bags without any meaningful explanation. Apparently they had heavily overbooked the flight and decided to cover their error at the expense of their customer’s baggage. His scheduled meeting was delayed for over 48 hours as the bags, which were supposed to arrive the following morning, only reached Lagos late in the evening with a nearly 10 hour delay. Again, no respite or restitution was offered for the gross inconvenience. My friend’s vehement complaints were met with such appalling cynicism and lack of respect that he solemnly vowed to me he would never use the carrier again.

I have just one experience flying with Arik and sadly my prognosis matches the above accounts. Flying to J.F.K, again from Lagos, the flight was delayed for nearly eight hours, causing me to miss my connecting flight. When I demanded clarification from their office, I was met with the bizarre excuse that the pilot was down with malaria and they struggled to find a last minute replacement. I was forced to cancel a meeting that day and waited over 12 hours for the next available flight. No respite or refund was offered to me in the form of a hotel room or some refreshments.

In the light of the above, I feel compelled to warn passengers to avoid using the services of Arik Airlines. Maybe if their numbers decrease, they will be forced to pay more attention to customer service and improve their abysmal record. I hold nothing personal against the staff and management of Arik but believe something must be done immediately to restore their dwindling reputation, most especially in the areas of customer service and punctuality. A brief online search revealed scores of similar complaints from disgruntled Arik customers. If they can’t take care of the needs of their passengers, even when unpredictable circumstances arise, they should not be surprised if passengers stop using their services.

We hope this disappointment will not go beyond this...

Paul Botha
London, United Kingdom
Source: Sahara reporter

INEC Office in Delta state Razed

Two days to the governorship re-run election in Delta state, the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] office in Ughelli North, has been razed down by arsonists, while three persons were killed at Orogun town after a clash between supporters of two governorship candidates, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege of the Republican Party of Nigeria [RPN] and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP].

The clash at Chief Omo-Agege's hometown was perhaps retaliation on the part of his supporters who were prevented from entering Koko North Local Government Area where Dr. Uduaghan hails from.

The attack on INEC�s office at Ughelli North in the night leaves many wondering what would happen to the electorates in the area, if the materials have been destroyed.

Also pertinent is the issue of security during and after the election.

Prior to this time, hundreds of protesters had stormed the same INEC office in Delta state to protest against INEC�s alleged plan to use the old voter register for the rerun election in the state.

The commission had told registered political parties in the state that the old voter register would be used for the rerun.

But, INEC was told to bury its head in shame following the flaws that necessitated the recent upturn of the 2007 general election results in some states.

A renowned human rights activist, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, led the protest, staged under the aegis of Deltans for Peaceful and Credible Election.

Kokori, the former NUPENG Secretary-General, accused the commission of collaborating with a frontline candidate in the rerun to scuttle the chances of others.

He said the group is aware that billions of naira have been doled out by the ruling People�s Democratic Party (PDP) to shortchange other candidates.

He said: "Tell your boss here in Delta that speculation is rife that some billions of naira have exchanged hands between the commission and a gubernatorial candidate in the state.

I don't want to believe that INEC of today could be settled. Please, do the right thing."

Kokori, who referred to the National Chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega as a "junior comrade", warned the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Gabriel Ogbudu Ada, not to do anything "silly" to discredit Jega's "hard- earned credibility".

He called on INEC to still display the old voter register.

Source: channelstv

WHY GOOD LUCK JONATHAN MAY LOOSE PDP PRESIDENTIAL TICKET

After all said and done the floor is set for the battle of who will take the PDP presidential tickek...Atiku is no news that he will be battling with the incubent president at the PDP primaries...The big question now is...? Will Goodluck Jonathan play the party politics or will he just be the Mr.Nice President that will use to know? Now This is the secret in reality power is changing hands and the right people are getting there without "political tricks or mathematics" but the truth remain inner politics is different from the general politics trully Goodluck is accepted by the people of Nigerians but with emergence of Atiku will he be able to win the ticket?

Atiku Abubakar is a politician and can play the nigerian polictics well "spread the money" and the delegate that we be voting in the primaries are also hungry lion who know the tricks in the "game" and there hands and mouth are wide open to eat and to park the necessary political appreciation that will be coming there way just to capture or vote for the candidate of the choice and the choice candiate is always who spend more. Will that change in next PDP primaries...Formal VP knows how to spend this money,remember he was a custome official,Governor and other political offices....

So now will our "humble and honest president" that doesn't want associate himself with any thing call money for political campaign be able to bit the formal VP.....?

THIS A BIG QUESTION FOR US ALL

2011ELECTION : Jega raises alarm

2011: Jega raises alarm
…Tells party leaders that INEC has missed timelines by two weeks
…Over lack of fund, controversies over assent to
amended constitution, electoral acts time table by two weeks
…Assures he could still deliver
From: FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, Abuja
Thursday, August 19, 2010

• Jega

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, yesterday reviewed the situation on ground as regards the preparation for the 2011 election, saying that the path to the much-touted credible election is filled with landmines.

The INEC boss, who regretted that his commission is yet to get the N87.7 billion supplementary appropriation after approval by the National Assembly, said unfortunately, as a result of the controversies surrounding the Electoral Act and the amended Constitution, the provisions of which are to be relied on for the conduct of the elections, INEC is not sure of where it stands for now.

Indeed, the INEC chairman said the commission, which already is pressed for time, has missed by two weeks, the timelines set for some of its deliverables for the conduct of the elections.

Vowing that though the determination of his commission to deliver free and fair elections is irreversible, the INEC boss, therefore, cried out for help from stakeholders for collaboration to ensure the nation gets it right this time around. Jega, who was addressing leaders of the 62 registered political parties at a consultative meeting in Abuja under the auspices of International Republican Institute (IRI), lamented that the commission is facing some constraints, which it never envisaged.

The constraints, he noted, arose from the non-release of the N87.7 billion supplementary appropriation for the voters’ registration, the delay in the take-off of the 2010 Amended Constitution and 2010 Electoral Act, both are being bogged down by the controversies over presidential assent. Jega said that INEC planned its activities on the understanding that the amendments would have been consummated and finalized.

Said he; “based on the inadequacies of the existing voters’ register; we said our preference would be to produce a fresh voters’ register if we had the funds and time, otherwise, we would embark on cleaning up of the existing register. Since then, we thought that we got the time through the amendments to the Electoral Act. We also thought that we had the funds following consideration of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill for INEC sent to the National Assembly by Mr. President.

Again, unfortunately, we are not sure where we stand at the moment.
“Instead, there have been controversies over whether or not the President has to assent to the Constitution amendment…to the best of my knowledge, the President is yet to assent the new Electoral Act, all have constrainted our preparations for both the voters’ registration and the elections,” he lamented.

Nevertheless, Jega said the commission would work hard to make up for the time loss, because “we consider as irreducible mission of our commission to conduct free and fair elections based on a dependable and permanent voters’ register as provided by law by providing Nigerians strong leadership built on openness, fairness, and unimpeachable integrity.

Jega charged the party leaders not to see the electoral exercise as the exclusive preserve of the commission, but a joint project by all stakeholders, saying INEC is in the process of producing comprehensive guidelines to guide voters’ registration, urging the parties to educate their supporters and mobilize them for the exercise.
He promised all the parties a level playing field, assuring that all electoral structures and processes will be designed such that it would not confer undue advantage over others.

Highlighting the constraints imposed by the yet to be operational legal framework, Prof Jega said, “except we know what the Constitutional provision on the time to hold elections before the end of tenure is, we are constrained to issue a notice for the elections, which must be done 90 days to the elections (Section 30 of the Electoral Act 2010).

We are equally constrained to determine the date political parties must submit their list of candidates to the commission, which must be done 60 days prior to the elections (Section 31 of the “new” Electoral Act), and so on and so forth. Still, I can assure you that we are ready and as soon as these are clarified and concluded, we would release a time-table of events.

Should the ‘new’ Electoral Act be approved for the election, the INEC chairman educated the party men on areas that would likely affect their preparation and noted the following:

Submission of list of candidates
(a) Section 31 of the Electoral Act requires the parties to submit their lists of candidates 60 days before elections. INEC is required within seven days thereafter, to publish the list of candidates in the constituency where the election is to hold. (b) Nominations submitted by the parties are public documents and any citizen is entitled under section 31 (4) to request from INEC copies of the nomination filed and INEC is obliged to make this available within 14 days.

Substitution of candidates
(a) In Section 33, no political party shall be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted pursuant to Section 32 of the Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate. (b) This eliminates the old practice of substitution of candidates arbitrarily or on the nebulous ground of “cogent and verifiable reasons..”

Withdrawal of candidates
a) This is allowed 45 days before an election only. See section 35. Thereafter, a candidate’s name will remain on the ballot.
Registration of new political parties
a) The registration of new political parties ceases six months before an election. This means that as at now, no new political parties can be registered ahead of the next elections, if they are to take place by 8th January 2011 (Section 78).

b) I should also note that under the section, INEC may also cancel a party’s certificate of registration where there is false or misleading information leading to its registration.
c) Section 78 (7) empowers INEC to de-register a political party that fails to win any National or State Assembly seat in an election.

Mergers of political parties
a) Political parties are required under section 84 (2) to give INEC 90 days notice of an intention to merge before a general election
Party conventions/congresses/conference for Nomination of candidates
a) The Electoral Act 2010 provides in section 85, that political parties give INEC 21 days notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under the bill.
b) This means that parties need to be informed well ahead of the 90 days date for the submission of their list of candidates, of this legal requirement, to ensure that they prepare adequately to fulfill the provisions contained in the new section 87 of the Electoral Act specifying the process of political party primaries.

c) Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010, outlines the process that all political parties must fulfill to conduct legitimate and credible primaries, to enable them file candidates for the elections. Failure to comply with section 87 may disqualify candidates filed by political parties for the elections.
d) Section 86 of the Act gives INEC powers to monitor the parties and ensure that they comply with the law.
Meanwhile, Jega tabulated thus the timetable set by INEC on assumption that the Amended Constitution and the Electoral Act would have been in place by now but which has been affected by two weeks:

Deliverables
Timelines
(i) Identification of equipment suppliers, Early August 2010
(ii) Award of contract, Early August 2010
(iii) Delivery of 15,000 units of equipment for training Early September 2010
(iv) Delivery of balance of equipment for registration exercise, Mid-October 2010
(v) Training Early to Mid September 2010

(vi) Completion of deployment of equipment to polling units, Mid-October 2010
(vii) Registration exercise, Late Oct.– Early Nov. 2010
(viii) Printing of voters’ register for display, Early November 2010
(ix) Display of Voters’ Register,
Mid-November 2010
(x) Verification, correction and certification, Mid Nov. – Early Dec. 2010.

source:http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/aug/19/national-08-19-2010-001.htm