Siasia fails to qualify Nigeria for African Cup of Nations

ABUJA Samson Siasia's

led Super of Nigeria became the latest marquee name to miss out on qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Guinea. Guinea finished top of Group B with 14 points from six matches, while Nigeria were second on 11 points. In the other match of the group, Ethiopia defeated bottom team Madagascar 4-2. Two-time champions Nigeria last failed to qualify for the Nations Cup in 1986 when they were eliminated by Zambia. Defending champions Egypt and four-time winners Cameroon have also failed to qualify for the African football showpiece to be staged in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in January. Nigeria suffered a massive setback 10 minutes into the second half when Ismael Bangoura smashed home a rebound after a shot from distance came off the post. The Super Eagles drew level in the 64th minute when Russia-based striker Obinna Nsofor fired home from inside the box after he was set up by substitute Ahmed Musa. Nigeria then took the lead in the 71st minute when substitute Ikechukwu Uche shot home after he was set up by an Emmanuel Emenike header from inside the box. Guinea then got the result they needed five minutes into stoppage time when Traore Ibrahima sneaked in a low shot beyond goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba.

EFCC targets another ex-governor in graft probe

LAGOS Nigeria's anti graft body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared an ex-state governor wanted on Friday over corruption allegations involving hundreds of millions of dollars, the fourth ex-governor caught up in graft investigations this week. "The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former governor of Gombe state, Danjuma Goje, wanted over allegations of mismanagement and diversion of over 52 billion Naira (324 million dollars, 240 million euros) (in) state funds," it said. Goje was governor of the northeastern state from 2003 to 2011 and elected as a senator in April elections. The EFCC said Goje had failed to come forward for interrogation over the alleged fraud. The agency on Thursday detained three former state governors who left office after April elections as part of corruption investigations: Gbenga Daniel, Adebayo Alao-Akala and Aliyu Akwe Doma respectively of Ogun, Oyo and Nassarawa states. The three are among more than a dozen former governors that the EFCC is investigating for corruption, a source in the agency said. Nigeria's 36 state governors are given immunity from prosecution while in office. Public office holders in Nigeria -- and particularly state governors -- have often been accused of stealing funds, sometimes running into hundreds of millions of dollars. The country, Africa's most populous nation and its largest oil producer, is regularly ranked as one of the world's most corrupt. Former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha, who died in 1998, was alleged to have siphoned off up to $2.2 billion from the country's central bank.

2013 Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery Registration Begins

The US State Department has announced that applications for the 2013 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery will be accepted online beginning noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 4, 2011, and ending at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on November 5, 2011. This annual program makes US immigrant visas available through a computer-generated random lottery drawing to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements.

The Department of State will only accept completed Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) Entry Forms submitted electronically at www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period. Paper entries will no longer be accepted. No fee is charged for entry in the annual DV program.

Successfully registered entries will result in the display of a confirmation screen containing the applicant’s name and confirmation number, which must then be printed. Each entrant will use the information on the confirmation screen page to check the status of his/her own entry through the Entrant Status Check (ESC) available at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Only those entrants who keep their confirmation screen page information will be able to check their entrant status and, if selected, receive application instructions and notification of their IV interview appointment.

All entrants, including those not selected, will be able to check the status of their entry through the E-DV website starting May 1, 2012. The U.S. Embassy will not be able to provide a list of successful entrants. All entrants should keep their confirmation number, regardless of results processing, until June 30, 2013. If an entrant loses the confirmation number, the U.S. Embassy will not be able to provide it. DV-2013 visas will be issued between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013.

People may prepare and submit their own entries or have someone submit the entry for them. Regardless of whether an entry is submitted by the individual directly or assistance is provided by an attorney, friend, relative, etc., only one entry may be submitted in the name of each individual, and the person entering DV-2013 remains responsible for ensuring that the information is correct and complete. Submission of more than one entry for the same person will disqualify the applicant.

To receive a Diversity Visa to immigrate to the United States, those chosen in the random drawing must meet all eligibility requirements under US law.

The US Government does not employ outside consultants or private services to operate the DV program. Any intermediaries or others who offer assistance to prepare DV entries do so without the authority or consent of the U.S. Government. Use of any outside intermediary or assistance to prepare a DV entry is entirely at the entrant's discretion.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit all application information, including digital photographs, early in the one-month registration period. Heavy demand may result in website delays. No entries will be accepted after 7:00 pm local time on November 5, 2011. Please visit the official Diversity Visa Lottery website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/, for authoritative information and answers to frequently asked questions.

1200 African migrants evacuated from Libya

More than 1,200 African migrants who have been stuck in the southern Libyan desert town of Sabha for weeks in dire conditions have been evacuated and are on their way to Chad, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday. The group, half of whom are Chadian, were among up to 3,000 migrants stranded in Sabha due to fighting, the agency said.
Interim government forces overthrew forces loyal to deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi there nearly two weeks ago.
"A convoy of 15 trucks with 1,206 migrants left Sabha on Sunday for Gatroun and is now en route to Chad," IOM spokeswoman Jemini Pandya said.
"This is the first really big group. We have negotiated safe passage for them," she added.
The sub-Saharan migrants, who feared being caught in the crossfire in Sabha, had also been victims of harassment and discrimination, sometimes accused of being foreign mercenaries backing loyalist forces, according to the Geneva-based agency. Those evacuated include a large number from Nigeria, as well as migrants from nine other countries -- Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Somalia and Sudan, she said. Women and children are among the group. The migrants will be taken to Zouarke, along the Nigerian-Chadian border, a trip that will take a week before going to Faya-Largeau in Chad. It is not possible to go directly from Libya into Chad as the border area is heavily mined, the spokeswoman said.
Non-Chadian migrants will be brought to their home countries or their intended final destinations.
"They had been caught in the middle of this conflict for control of Sabha. The fighting had prevented us from getting supplies into our centre in the town and in getting the migrants out," said IOM Chief of Mission in Chad, Qasim Sufi. "The migrants are extremely relieved that they will now be able to get home and put this experience behind them," he said. At least several hundred more migrants still in Sabha are seeking evacuation, but hundreds of Somalis appear to be moving north on their own, possibly heading for Tunisia, Pandya said. The operation is financed by the European Community's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Office (ECHO), as well as the U.S. and German governments, the IOM said.

Arik airline to start UAE flights in November

Good news!!!
Nigeria's Arik Air is expected to launch services from Abu Dhabi International Airport next month.

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Nigeria's largest international carrier said operations would start on Tuesday November 29.
ADAC added that it was looking to West Africa for further route launches in the future.
Three non-stop weekly flights will connect the UAE capital to the city of Lagos, the companies said in a statement.
The new service, which will departing Abu Dhabi on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, which will offer passengers Lagos, with other travel connections to Senegal, Cote D'Ivoire and Ghana.
James E Bennett, CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports Company, said: "Abu Dhabi Airports Company is delighted to welcome Arik Air as the first West African carrier to operate to Abu Dhabi International.
"The capital's airport operator is working closely with various airlines to support their development initiatives that will ultimately benefit Abu Dhabi International Airport passengers with more choices."
Arik Air currently offers flights to 25 destinations in Nigeria, around Africa and across the rest of the world.
From Lagos it serves 19 cities with 229 weekly departures and from Abuja it flies 133 weekly services to 15 airports.

FG May Ban Overseas Medical Treatment by Government Officials.

If its

true that the Federal Government has said it has begun the process of laying out a plan to restrict government officials from travelling abroad for medical treatment, then i will say our better days are approaching.

Recently the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said that a policy is in the pipeline to enforce every government official to get medical attention in Nigeria if government was going to foot such bills. He, however, said only conditions that had been proven treatment could not be taken care of in Nigeria would such officials be allowed to travel abroad.
Traveling abroad for medical treatment by government officials have almost become a tradition among our so called leaders. It’s evidently a status symbol among our past and present leaders.
We are all witnesses to the numbers of trips our former head of states have made all in the name of medical treatment. Top ranking government officials frequent overseas for medical attention. This is similar to what is happening in our educational sector, whereby leaders play politics and pay less attention to the problems of striking lecturers and decaying educational infrastructures because their children are studying abroad.

This practice of going abroad for medical treatment by government officials have to stop. It’s a trench on the wealth of the nation. Corrupt government officials will use it as means to siphon or launder money overseas. Going abroad for treatment will divert government’s attention from equipping the Nigerian hospitals. It has a multiplier effects on the health system in Nigeria. The best thing will be to put a ban on this habit.

One must not lose sight of the appropriateness to upgrade Nigeria’s tertiary health institutions to world class standards.
The respect for human rights is also an issue that must be given priority. Government must also respect people's right especially when they are ready to foot their bill and when it is obvious that not all medical cases could be handled in the country.

Nigeria silent on Palestinian UN recognition

Nigeria is refusing to disclose how it will vote when the United Nations Security Council decides on the Palestinians' request for UN membership, as increasing diplomatic pressure mounts on the country.

Nigeria appears to be a crucial vote as Palestinians try to secure support from at least nine of the 15 council members. The US has said it will veto the request. However, the US could avoid that if Palestinians fail to get those nine votes.

Last Thursday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki told reporters that both Nigeria and Gabon assured him of their support. Damian Agwu, a spokesman for Nigeria's Foreign Ministry, said Sunday that Africa's most populous nation had yet to offer their support to anyone on the matter.

"We have noted the positions of both parties. Both have been lobbying Nigeria both inside the country and outside," Agwu said. "We are keeping how we are voting close to our chest."

The Palestinian group has asked the UN to grant full membership to a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Nigeria, a non-permanent member of the Security Council serving a yearlong term on the body, is viewed as a swing vote.

The diplomatic push on Nigeria has already begun, with Palestinian officials saying they planned to send a delegation to the country to argue their case. But oil-rich Nigeria already falls under the strong influence of the US, which is one of the country's top buyers of crude oil pumped from its southern delta. The United Kingdom also carries heavy political power in its former colony as well.