The Nation-June-16-2011

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Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

10 cabinet nominees for final checks

Kudos for Tinubu on HID Awolowo •Fasehun, others endorse letter

NEWS

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NEWS

•Senate awaits list of likely ministers

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http://www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

VOL. 6, NO. 1792 THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

N150.00

BPE stops NITEL sale

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HE Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has terminated the privatisation of Nigeria Telecommunication (NITEL). The process began in 2009. This follows the inability of the reserved bidder in the NITEL/Mtel sale, Omen International Consortium, to revalidate its bid bond ... Business Page 2

‘Drogba is going nowhere’

D •President Goodluck Jonathan flanked by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair (left) and Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Tony Elumelu Foundation, during PHOTO: STATE HOUSE their visit to the State House in Abuja ... yesterday. Story on page 4.

Pressure on Jonathan over Bankole, Nafada Mark, Tambuwal, Ihedioha seek political solution

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HE President is under pressure to save former Speaker Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Bayero Nafada. They are facing charges at the High Court for alleged fraud. Speaker Aminu Tambuwal has met with Dr Goodluck Jonathan twice in

From Yusuf Alli and Sanni Ologun, Abuja

the last 72 hours. The “peace” meeting was said to have been at the instance of Senate President David Mark, whose plan is to put the seventh National Assembly on a sound footing, according to sources. Many prominent Nigerians

are mounting pressure on President Jonathan for a “political solution” to Bankole’s travails. They include many former and present members of the House, who are insisting that Bankole and Nafada are victims of politics. The President, according to sources, met with the House leaders at the Presidential

Villa on Monday and Tuesday. A source, who pleaded not to be named because he is not permitted to speak to the media, said: “I think a rapprochement is in the offing between the President and the House leaders. “Eminent Nigerians have intervened and they are al-

ready prevailing on Jonathan to overlook any political distortion which the emergence of Tambuwal would have caused. “The new House leadership has also been humble in approaching the President informally at the Villa on Continued on page 2

Salami urges NJC to ignore call logs

C •Justice Salami

OURT of Appeal President Isa Salami has told a National Judicial Council (NJC) panel that the MTN call logs attached to some petitions against him were fabricated. Justice Salami has closed his case before the panel raised by NJC on the rift between him and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Aloysius Katsina-Alu, who said the verdict of the Court of Appeal on the Sokoto governorship election dis-

•Appeal Court President closes case From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

pute never leaked. These are contained in the final written address filed by Justice Salami’s counsel, Lateef Fagebmi (SAN), Ricky Tarfa (SAN), Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), Emeka Ngige (SAN) and O.A. Adelodun

(SAN). Former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni presented the call logs to the panel, in a bid to prove that the Appeal Court was compromised in sacking him from office. Continued on page 57

IDIER Drogba will not be leaving Chelsea, according to the club’s chief executive Ron Gourlay. Fernado Torres’s £50m arrival in January has raised doubts over the Ivory Coast striker’s Stamford Bridge future. Sports Page 24

‘NYSC 5’ ransom now N10m

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HE kidnappers, who are holding five National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members since June 7, have reduced the ransom from N100 million to N10 million. Commissioner of Police Suleiman Abba broke the news yesterday at a briefing ... News Page 9

Blair speaks on Jonathan

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ORMER British Prime Minister Mr. Tony Blair has said President Goodluck Jonathan is focused and has the right priority to take Nigeria out of the woods. Mr. Blair, who runs the African Governance Initiative, which has signed a working pact ... News Page 4

•POLITICS P11 •SPORTS P13 •INDUSTRY P17 •EDUCATION P25 •N/HEALTH P45


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