President Umaru Yar´Adua is Dead
Hodderway BooksJanuary 11, 2010 Nigerian President, His Excellency Umaru Yaradua is dead according to authoritative sources at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre.
He died on the 10th of December at 3.30pm at an Intensive Care Unit at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Jeddah Saudi-Arabia. Sources at the Hospital say that the First lady wants to keep the news secret for the next few days for personal reasons.
At the time of his death he was surrounded by his wife, Turai and a childhood friend, Nigerian Member of Parliament,
The president left Nigeria fifty days ago after complaining of Chest pains. Sources at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Jeddah say that the president suffered among many other things, kidney failure, stroke and massive brain damage.
The President has been bedridden ever since. Nigerian officials had previously lied to the country that the president's health was getting better while his situation got worse. The president was conspicuously silent regarding the Christmas day bombing in which a 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate a bomb on an aircraft that carried nearly 300 people.
Monday, 11 January 2010
U.S. Senate Invites AbdulMutallab's father to Appear before it and El-Rufai Write's Obama a Letter
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has invited Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, the father of Nigerian Christmas Day would-be bomber Faruk Umar Abdulmutallib, to appear before it on January 20, a highly -placed diplomatic source told Sunday Trust yesterday.
Mutallab’s invitation was conveyed through a letter dated January 7, 2010 and signed by the Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator John F. Kerry, was addressed to the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Babagana Wakil.
The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is one of the most influential committees in the United States legislature. It shapes and checkmates the country’s foreign policies and programmes. Its current chairman Senator Kerry, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, has been a key player in the country’s foreign affairs relations. He is the author of The New War, an in-depth study of America’s national security in the 21st Century, years before September 11, 2001 terror attack.
Alhaji Mutallab had earlier intimated the US security agencies about his son’s weird behaviour. In the only press statement released by the family since this incident took place, he said, “prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home.”Cont’d from page 1
The family added that “we provided them with all the information required of us to enable them to this. We were hopeful that they would find and return him home. It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day.”
“The family will continue to fully cooperate with local and international security agencies towards the investigation of this matter, while we await results of the full investigations,” the statement said.
The US Senate’s invitation letter reads that “The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations would like to extend an invitation to Mr Faruk Abdulmutallib, former Chief Executive Officer of the First Bank of Nigeria, to testify before the Committee on the morning of January 20, 2010.”
The Committee praised the terror suspect father, saying “Mr Abdulmutallib acted in a heroic fashion by alerting US authorities to his concerns about his son’s whereabouts and activities by seeking to disrupt what he believed could have been a dangerous situation. We would like to afford him the opportunity to discuss his experience with his son and to provide his recommendations on the process by which he worked with US authorities.
“I would like also to note that Mr Abdulmutallib’s appearance would allow him to correct the negative press to which Nigeria has been unfairly subjected over the past two weeks.
“The Committee is happy to pay for Mr Abdulmutallib’s travel to the United States, hotel accommodations in Washington, and return to Nigeria. A Committee staff member, Mr John Kiriakou, can make Mr Abdulmutallib’s arrangements,” the letter said.
eL-rufai’s letter to obama
Also, the embattled former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Malam Nasir el-Rufa’i has written a letter to President Barack Obama. Dated 8 January 2010, he said that the attempted terror attack also “raises tremendous concerns for both my people and their relationship with the people and government of the United States of America.
“In the aftermath of this event, official decisions have been made with regard to security policies and practices to ensure the safety of American citizens, as is the full right and responsibility of your offices. One of the new measures put in place has been to subject incoming passengers of Nigerian nationality to undergo the same security screening procedures as state-sponsors of terrorism.
“I write to inform you that inside Nigeria and among our large diaspora, this understandable change in policy has created a negative and hopefully incorrect perception that the United States considers us to be a terrorist state. There are significant fears that other countries will adopt similar measures, and speculation that 150 million innocent and peace-loving citizens of Nigeria could be subjected to racial profiling and discriminatory treatment at all airports and transportation hubs in the world.
“Nevertheless, there are strong arguments which point out that the addition of Nigeria to a terrorism list causes more damage than benefit. For example, we have seen terror attempts perpetrated by a wide variety of nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, so it is impossible to define a typology. Yemeni authorities also indicate that the individual was recruited in London, United Kingdom–a close ally of the United States. Furthermore, following the reprehensible terror attacks of September 11, 2001, passengers arriving from Saudi Arabia to the United States were not subjected to this kind of treatment, despite the fact that eleven of the attackers held Saudi passports,” the letter said.
El-Rufai said that “instead of providing an additional security precaution, this decision has sown deep bitterness and distrust on the streets of Lagos and Abuja, among people who firmly reject the actions and beliefs of this one tragically misguided individual.”
Mutallab’s invitation was conveyed through a letter dated January 7, 2010 and signed by the Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator John F. Kerry, was addressed to the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Babagana Wakil.
The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is one of the most influential committees in the United States legislature. It shapes and checkmates the country’s foreign policies and programmes. Its current chairman Senator Kerry, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, has been a key player in the country’s foreign affairs relations. He is the author of The New War, an in-depth study of America’s national security in the 21st Century, years before September 11, 2001 terror attack.
Alhaji Mutallab had earlier intimated the US security agencies about his son’s weird behaviour. In the only press statement released by the family since this incident took place, he said, “prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home.”Cont’d from page 1
The family added that “we provided them with all the information required of us to enable them to this. We were hopeful that they would find and return him home. It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day.”
“The family will continue to fully cooperate with local and international security agencies towards the investigation of this matter, while we await results of the full investigations,” the statement said.
The US Senate’s invitation letter reads that “The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations would like to extend an invitation to Mr Faruk Abdulmutallib, former Chief Executive Officer of the First Bank of Nigeria, to testify before the Committee on the morning of January 20, 2010.”
The Committee praised the terror suspect father, saying “Mr Abdulmutallib acted in a heroic fashion by alerting US authorities to his concerns about his son’s whereabouts and activities by seeking to disrupt what he believed could have been a dangerous situation. We would like to afford him the opportunity to discuss his experience with his son and to provide his recommendations on the process by which he worked with US authorities.
“I would like also to note that Mr Abdulmutallib’s appearance would allow him to correct the negative press to which Nigeria has been unfairly subjected over the past two weeks.
“The Committee is happy to pay for Mr Abdulmutallib’s travel to the United States, hotel accommodations in Washington, and return to Nigeria. A Committee staff member, Mr John Kiriakou, can make Mr Abdulmutallib’s arrangements,” the letter said.
eL-rufai’s letter to obama
Also, the embattled former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Malam Nasir el-Rufa’i has written a letter to President Barack Obama. Dated 8 January 2010, he said that the attempted terror attack also “raises tremendous concerns for both my people and their relationship with the people and government of the United States of America.
“In the aftermath of this event, official decisions have been made with regard to security policies and practices to ensure the safety of American citizens, as is the full right and responsibility of your offices. One of the new measures put in place has been to subject incoming passengers of Nigerian nationality to undergo the same security screening procedures as state-sponsors of terrorism.
“I write to inform you that inside Nigeria and among our large diaspora, this understandable change in policy has created a negative and hopefully incorrect perception that the United States considers us to be a terrorist state. There are significant fears that other countries will adopt similar measures, and speculation that 150 million innocent and peace-loving citizens of Nigeria could be subjected to racial profiling and discriminatory treatment at all airports and transportation hubs in the world.
“Nevertheless, there are strong arguments which point out that the addition of Nigeria to a terrorism list causes more damage than benefit. For example, we have seen terror attempts perpetrated by a wide variety of nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, so it is impossible to define a typology. Yemeni authorities also indicate that the individual was recruited in London, United Kingdom–a close ally of the United States. Furthermore, following the reprehensible terror attacks of September 11, 2001, passengers arriving from Saudi Arabia to the United States were not subjected to this kind of treatment, despite the fact that eleven of the attackers held Saudi passports,” the letter said.
El-Rufai said that “instead of providing an additional security precaution, this decision has sown deep bitterness and distrust on the streets of Lagos and Abuja, among people who firmly reject the actions and beliefs of this one tragically misguided individual.”
Nigeria Protests US List Of Terrorist Nations
The Nigerian government on January 5th protested its inclusion by its American counterpart among nations it considers as "countries of interest" - those that sponsor state terrorism.
In the wake of the protest, LEADERSHIP learnt that the National Security Adviser, Gen. Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar (rtd.), will today hold a meeting of security chiefs in the country to review the new directive by the U.S. Transport Security Administration (TSA) that all air passengers from Nigeria entering the United States be screened specially.
The American government’s directive came in the wake of the failed attempt on Christmas Day by a 23-year old Nigerian national, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to blow up a commercial airliner over Detroit, Michigan. The plane had taken off from Amsterdam with 273 passengers and 11 crew members.
The TSA had on Sunday directed that passengers from "countries of interest" and those from Cuba, Sudan, North Korea, and Syria, which Washington describes as "state sponsors of terrorism," be subjected to enhanced screening at the airports with techniques that include full-body pat-downs, carry-on bag searches, full-body scanning and explosive detection technology.
Nigerians are among 14 nations whose nationals face stiffer rules, including body searches and luggage checks.
Four other African countries - Algeria, Libya, Somalia and Sudan - are also subject to the new measures.
US President Barack Obama has been under pressure to install and ensure security improvements.
The new security directives came into effect yesterday.
Nigeria yesterday condemned in strong terms the tough screening imposed on Nigerian passengers wanting to fly to the US.
Minister of Information and Culture, Prof. Dora Akunyili, said the rules discriminated against 150 million Nigerians.
Abdulmutallab did not represent Nigeria, she said.
She said his act was a "one-off".
"Abdulmutallab's behaviour is not reflective of Nigeria and should therefore not be used as a yardstick to judge all Nigerians," she said.
"He was not influenced in Nigeria, he was not recruited or trained in Nigeria, he was not supported whatsoever in Nigeria.
"It is unfair to discriminate against 150 million people because of the behaviour of one person."
The House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora has also viewed the recent call by US Congressman Peter King (Republican Party, New York) and a member of US House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee, that Abdulmutallab should be tried in a secret military court as "unfair and unjustifiable".
The committee, which joined others to condemn the action of Abdulmutallab, also appealed to Nigerians in the Diaspora to exercise restraint and caution when being subjected to screening at various airports.
A statement from the chairman of the committee, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, advised the security agencies globally not to use the event of December 25, 2009 as an excuse to molest and harass innocent Nigerians in the Diaspora.
LEADERSHIP
gathered that at today’s meeting of security chiefs, the Federal Government would take a formal position on the decision taken by the US government.
A Presidency source said the NSA is of the opinion that there is no justification for including Nigeria in the list of countries regarded as sponsors of terrorism.
The source added, "The fact that the suspect is a Nigerian is no compelling reason for the inclusion. The National Security Adviser holds strongly that there are convicted terrorists who are American, British and Belgian citizens, and this fact has not made the TSA to regard either Britain or Belgium as a country of interest.
"Hamid Hyat, who was convicted in April 2007 of terrorism, is an American. Richard Reid, who is serving a life sentence in the U.S. for attempting on December 22, 2001 to bomb an American commercial plane flying from Paris to Miami, is a British citizen. His collaborator, Nizar Trabelsi, is Belgian.
"If the American authorities could not add Britain and Belgium to the list of countries of interest, then, there is no objective reason to include Nigeria. We may be deeply religious, but certainly we are no suicide bombers or terrorists. Both the Nigerian government and the people abhor fanaticism."
In the wake of the protest, LEADERSHIP learnt that the National Security Adviser, Gen. Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar (rtd.), will today hold a meeting of security chiefs in the country to review the new directive by the U.S. Transport Security Administration (TSA) that all air passengers from Nigeria entering the United States be screened specially.
The American government’s directive came in the wake of the failed attempt on Christmas Day by a 23-year old Nigerian national, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to blow up a commercial airliner over Detroit, Michigan. The plane had taken off from Amsterdam with 273 passengers and 11 crew members.
The TSA had on Sunday directed that passengers from "countries of interest" and those from Cuba, Sudan, North Korea, and Syria, which Washington describes as "state sponsors of terrorism," be subjected to enhanced screening at the airports with techniques that include full-body pat-downs, carry-on bag searches, full-body scanning and explosive detection technology.
Nigerians are among 14 nations whose nationals face stiffer rules, including body searches and luggage checks.
Four other African countries - Algeria, Libya, Somalia and Sudan - are also subject to the new measures.
US President Barack Obama has been under pressure to install and ensure security improvements.
The new security directives came into effect yesterday.
Nigeria yesterday condemned in strong terms the tough screening imposed on Nigerian passengers wanting to fly to the US.
Minister of Information and Culture, Prof. Dora Akunyili, said the rules discriminated against 150 million Nigerians.
Abdulmutallab did not represent Nigeria, she said.
She said his act was a "one-off".
"Abdulmutallab's behaviour is not reflective of Nigeria and should therefore not be used as a yardstick to judge all Nigerians," she said.
"He was not influenced in Nigeria, he was not recruited or trained in Nigeria, he was not supported whatsoever in Nigeria.
"It is unfair to discriminate against 150 million people because of the behaviour of one person."
The House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora has also viewed the recent call by US Congressman Peter King (Republican Party, New York) and a member of US House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee, that Abdulmutallab should be tried in a secret military court as "unfair and unjustifiable".
The committee, which joined others to condemn the action of Abdulmutallab, also appealed to Nigerians in the Diaspora to exercise restraint and caution when being subjected to screening at various airports.
A statement from the chairman of the committee, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, advised the security agencies globally not to use the event of December 25, 2009 as an excuse to molest and harass innocent Nigerians in the Diaspora.
LEADERSHIP
gathered that at today’s meeting of security chiefs, the Federal Government would take a formal position on the decision taken by the US government.
A Presidency source said the NSA is of the opinion that there is no justification for including Nigeria in the list of countries regarded as sponsors of terrorism.
The source added, "The fact that the suspect is a Nigerian is no compelling reason for the inclusion. The National Security Adviser holds strongly that there are convicted terrorists who are American, British and Belgian citizens, and this fact has not made the TSA to regard either Britain or Belgium as a country of interest.
"Hamid Hyat, who was convicted in April 2007 of terrorism, is an American. Richard Reid, who is serving a life sentence in the U.S. for attempting on December 22, 2001 to bomb an American commercial plane flying from Paris to Miami, is a British citizen. His collaborator, Nizar Trabelsi, is Belgian.
"If the American authorities could not add Britain and Belgium to the list of countries of interest, then, there is no objective reason to include Nigeria. We may be deeply religious, but certainly we are no suicide bombers or terrorists. Both the Nigerian government and the people abhor fanaticism."
Friday, 1 January 2010
Stephanie Okereke takes Nollywood to Hollywood with her new movie - 'Through The Glass'.'
Just like a popular saying that the first house on a street is definitely not the most beautiful house on that street. This is the case... with alluring and ravishing looking actress Stephanie Okereke who took the bull by the horns recently by taking her Nollywood act to Hollywood with the preview of her first ever produced and directed movie titled 'Through The Glass'.
It could be said that the movie 'through the glass' is Stephanie's way of re branding Nigeria. It is a movie about Ada who taught Jeffrey,a foreigner, the many cultures in Nigeria. She taught him how to eat the Nigerian food and many things related to Nigeria. Stephanie used the movie to project possitive images of Nigeria.
Jeffrey (Garret Mckechnie an American actor) who lives the ultimate bachelor's life by going through numerous non committed relationships but struggles to excel at work and gain his father's love and acceptance. His life became more intriguing as life deals him a card that stops him in his tracks. He returns from work one day to find a note written 'take care of your responsibility' left on top of a baby who is abandoned on his door step. In a scary, confusing and comedic manner, he turns to his Nigerian neighbour, Ada (Stephanie Okereke) whom he has a secret crush on for help. The rest of the story tells what happened to the baby and if Jeffrey broke through the glass of his phobia for commitment and keep the baby, and if he confessed to Ada on the secret crush he has on her.
The movie which was all shot in the United states of America has as cast; Garret Mckechnie (Jeffrey), Ada (Stephanie Okereke), Matt (Brian Rose) and Nicole (Christy Williams).
The preview which was held at the Silverbird Galleria attracted the crème de la crème in the industry.
In a brief chat with the screen diva, Stephanie she speaks on what inspired 'Through the Glass', 'I just wanted to shoot a movie and I want to do it right and I felt that was an opportunity for me to do just that and I did.' She says.
On what makes her tick as an actress and what special things she does to prepare for her roles, Okereke responds, 'May be I just immerse myself in the characters I play and just give it all out. Could there have been any of the movies that portrays the real character of this pretty actress? She simply responds 'Not really but I know that we have a little bit of us in the movies that we play. Some people think that I cry a lot but I really can't tell. Maybe a little bit but not totally.'
She also mentioned that the film will be shown on cinemas at least for a couple of months before it will be out for sale on the home videos.
For Christy Williams, one of the cast who played Nicole in the movie, coming to Nigeria has been a wonderful experience and she has enjoyed every bit of her stay.
On his experiences in Nigeria, and how he feels being a part of ' Through the glass', Brian Rose, (Matt) says; 'I feel great to be in Africa and to be surrounded by good people, I am really having a ball'.
Brian who has been acting in the US for six years describes Stephanie as being a woman who is used to getting what she wants, she is just a dynamo he says.
While discussing some of the challenges gone through in shooting the movie, he says the only challenge was time. 'Normally in the states, we take three months or more to shoot the movie, but we had only three weeks or so to this particular movie and that was really challenging and difficult to fire everything in within that time but I think we did a pretty good job.' He did not also fail to mention that he has enjoyed his stay in Lagos. 'From what I have seen, all of these things are not true because since I have been around, I have not been kidnapped, I have not been anything but loved and everyone I have met has been wonderful. That is what I take back to the US.' he says.
It could be said that the movie 'through the glass' is Stephanie's way of re branding Nigeria. It is a movie about Ada who taught Jeffrey,a foreigner, the many cultures in Nigeria. She taught him how to eat the Nigerian food and many things related to Nigeria. Stephanie used the movie to project possitive images of Nigeria.
Jeffrey (Garret Mckechnie an American actor) who lives the ultimate bachelor's life by going through numerous non committed relationships but struggles to excel at work and gain his father's love and acceptance. His life became more intriguing as life deals him a card that stops him in his tracks. He returns from work one day to find a note written 'take care of your responsibility' left on top of a baby who is abandoned on his door step. In a scary, confusing and comedic manner, he turns to his Nigerian neighbour, Ada (Stephanie Okereke) whom he has a secret crush on for help. The rest of the story tells what happened to the baby and if Jeffrey broke through the glass of his phobia for commitment and keep the baby, and if he confessed to Ada on the secret crush he has on her.
The movie which was all shot in the United states of America has as cast; Garret Mckechnie (Jeffrey), Ada (Stephanie Okereke), Matt (Brian Rose) and Nicole (Christy Williams).
The preview which was held at the Silverbird Galleria attracted the crème de la crème in the industry.
In a brief chat with the screen diva, Stephanie she speaks on what inspired 'Through the Glass', 'I just wanted to shoot a movie and I want to do it right and I felt that was an opportunity for me to do just that and I did.' She says.
On what makes her tick as an actress and what special things she does to prepare for her roles, Okereke responds, 'May be I just immerse myself in the characters I play and just give it all out. Could there have been any of the movies that portrays the real character of this pretty actress? She simply responds 'Not really but I know that we have a little bit of us in the movies that we play. Some people think that I cry a lot but I really can't tell. Maybe a little bit but not totally.'
She also mentioned that the film will be shown on cinemas at least for a couple of months before it will be out for sale on the home videos.
For Christy Williams, one of the cast who played Nicole in the movie, coming to Nigeria has been a wonderful experience and she has enjoyed every bit of her stay.
On his experiences in Nigeria, and how he feels being a part of ' Through the glass', Brian Rose, (Matt) says; 'I feel great to be in Africa and to be surrounded by good people, I am really having a ball'.
Brian who has been acting in the US for six years describes Stephanie as being a woman who is used to getting what she wants, she is just a dynamo he says.
While discussing some of the challenges gone through in shooting the movie, he says the only challenge was time. 'Normally in the states, we take three months or more to shoot the movie, but we had only three weeks or so to this particular movie and that was really challenging and difficult to fire everything in within that time but I think we did a pretty good job.' He did not also fail to mention that he has enjoyed his stay in Lagos. 'From what I have seen, all of these things are not true because since I have been around, I have not been kidnapped, I have not been anything but loved and everyone I have met has been wonderful. That is what I take back to the US.' he says.
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