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Nigeria to launch UK
High Commission on Internet

The Nigerian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, Prince Bola Ajibola, on Wednesday in London, announced plans to launch the country's mission on the Internet.
Ajibola, who spoke during a dinner he hosted for African media practitioners, said information on the commission would be provided on the Internet to ensure easy accessibility to the public

.He said with the information on the Internet and his new approach to issues, the activities of the commission would no longer be shrouded in mystery.

The former judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),The Hague, Netherlands, said the commission was now people-friendly, stressing that the lackadaisical attitude of its staff towards Nigerians has changed. He gave an assurance that requests for new or renewal of passports, as well as visas, would no longer be delayed, adding that most of the requests would be attended to and dispensed with within 48 hours.

On corruption in Nigeria, the High Commissioner said once the anti-corruption bill was passed by the National Assembly, things must begin to change, emphasising that the law would bite anyone that defaulted. He recalled that as the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General under President Ibrahim Babangida, he initiated measures against corruption, which culminated in setting up an anti-corruption committee under the chairmanship of Justice Kayode Esho.

Ajibola warned Nigerians against indulging in corrupt practices or colluding with outsiders to portray the country in bad light, as was recently done by a television station in London which portrayed Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, negatively.

The High Commissioner urged African media practitioners to be in the forefront of projecting the continent positively, rather than portraying it in bad light. He, however, charged them to purge themselves of the pull down syndrome which, he said, was inimical to development in the continent.

He noted that the media in other parts of the world not only projected their people positively, but also defended their interests, stressing that the African media should not be an exception. Guardian, Lagos, 2000

Nigeria on Path to recovery, says Obasanjo

There are sufficient indications that Nigeria is fully back on the track of development that will improve the life of citizens, according to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
This, he said yesterday, gave cause to be thankful to God. But there is need for all to persevere, and to rededicate themselves to the cause of national rebirth, he said.

The President spoke at a brief informal ceremony at the State House, Abuja, organised to mark the end of Ramadan. He played host to Vice-President Atiku Abubakar who returned three days ago from Mecca where he performed the lesser Hajj, and led some ministers and senior government officials of the Moslem faith to the President's official residence.

Regaled [sic] in a heavily-embroidered ceremonial robe usually found on northern royals, called al-Kyabba, and a small white Moslem cap known as Tajia, President Obasanjo said the polity's situation called for greater efforts by citizens to foster growth. He reminded Nigerians that the virtues of discipline and self-denial exhibited during the fasting period are prerequisites for national progress and development.

The President prayed that the country experiences divine blessings soon, saying: "Our country will be a land of plenty, peace and a land of love." Wishing his guests happy celebration of the Eid-El-Fitr, he prayed that God would grant those travelling to their various home states journey mercies.

Vice-President Abubakar called on President Obasanjo in the company of Minister of Environment Hassan Adamu, his inter-Governmental Relations counterpart Alhaji Umar Kida, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Ibrahim Bunu, Minister of Special Duties in the Presidency Mr.Yomi Edu and Power and Steel Minister of state Danjuma Goje. He stooped before President Obasanjo, who patted him at the back while he made his brief remarks.

Also in the delegation were Chief of Staff to the President, Maj-Gen. Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd), Chief Justice Lawal Uwais, Police Inspector-General Musiliu Smith and Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum, Alhaji Rilwan Lukman.

President Obasanjo, breaking into his characteristic humour, took a deep look at the Vice-President's white embroidered babariga made of guinea brocade and said: "I told the VP that my own outfit (referring to his regal look) is original; it is from the source."

The entire hall rocked with laughter, as all members of the delegation took their turns to shake hands with the President.

The Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, had earlier prayed for the country and committed the President and his team to Allah for guidance and protection. Guardian, Lagos, 2000

New strategies for Nigerian Census 2001

ABOUT N8.8 billion is required to conduct the year 2001 population and housing census, the chairman of National Population Commission, Lt. Col. Chris Ugokwe (rtd), has said.
The chairman said this in Abuja when members of the Senate Committee on National Planning led by its chairman, Senator Lekan Balogun, paid him a visit.

Lt. Col. Ugokwe (rtd) told the senators that what was allocated to the Commission in the 1999 supplementary budget for census 2001 was by far below what the Commission required, saying that "the sum of N231 million proposed to be allocated as capital budget is not even enough for publicity and enlightenment and this is the year most preparatory activities for Census 2001 will take place."

Justifying the need for the N8.8 billion, the chairman opined that the United Nations (UN) has equally given the financial requirement needed for an effective head count to be N8.8 billion, revealing that the preparations for Census 2001 have commenced.

According to the chairman, prior to this time the Commission had produced a workplan for the exercise, inaugurated a census technical group and organised workshops in order to devise new strategies for Census 2001. He added that the NPC has commenced field work for Census 2001 through Environmental Area Demarcation (EAD), remarking that a total of 5,012 demarcators will be trained in all states of the federation and the NPC hopes to complete the EAD work in six months.

The chairman used the occasion to call for a review of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for a 37-man Commission with a chairman and a member each from all the This constitutional provision, he said, was an invitation to a politicised Census 2001, noting that "without prejudice to the federal nature of the Nigerian nation, the idea of state representation in census-taking is an anachronism".

Lt. Col. Ugokwe (rtd) attributed the bane of the 1973 Census to the inclusion of state representation on the census board, suggesting that if the Federal Government still feels strongly about the inclusion of state representatives in census-taking, a two tier commission as in the case of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could be introduced.

The chairman frowned at the inadequate funding of the commission, a development he said had resulted in the use of a residential building for staff as NPC headquarters in Abuja.

In his response, Senator Balogun said it was a well-known fact that the NPC is under- funded, saying: "The paltry provision of N231 million in the 2000 budget for capital expenditure is too far away from the $88 million (N8.8 billion) specified by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF). Vanguard, Lagos, 2000

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