Global Voices Online

Jangbalajugbu-Homeland Stories posts on the Global Voice workshop, “Expression under Repression”. He felt honoured as he says:

I am glad I attended the sessions as I was able to see some things I have been taking for granted as regards blogging. I was also able to meet Rebecca and Ethan in person.

Chippla updates his past entry on the ex- head of the Nigerian Police Force trials in an entry titled Tafa Balogun—Justice Has Not Been Served

He refrenced back to his post on the subject which he blogged about on the On the 19th of January 2005.

There it was stated, according to mainstream media reports, that Mr. Balgoun was suspected by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of stealing and stacking up to a billion Nigerian Naira (US$ 7.7 million) of public funds in his private bank accounts.

And thereafter laments on the justice system, whereby the subject in question was only sentenced for 6 months in jail besides confisication of assets, for such a grievous offence. As he laments:

According to reports from ThisDay of Nigeria, the Nigerian Daily Independent and Reuters of South Africa, Mr. Balogun will be spending six months in jail less the 67 days served in detention. He was sentenced to six months for each of eight charges to which he pleaded and was found guilty. The judge requested that the six months imprisonment for each of the eight charges run concurrently. Were this not to be the case, Mr. Balogun would be behind bars for 48 months, equivalent to four years. All of his stolen assets will be confiscated and he was further fined 4 million Naira (US$ 30,000).

NubianSoul on a holiday visit to Nigeria, commends the speedy pass through, at the airport. As she says in her post titled Motherland:

I got through immigration, picked up my bags and was in the main hall of Nnamdi Azikwe airport in 10minutes!.
It usually takes about 30 - 40mins to get through customs in NewYork!.

Remmy Nweke at “ITREALMs” announces that a Nigerian youth won the WSIS award. In the post titled “Nigerian youth wins WSIS award”, he says :

Eighteen years old Nigerian, Samuel Oloyede Odofin, has emerged the second prize winner for the development category of the World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) held as part of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society WSIS-05 in Tunis. His emergence was based on the entry, Biotechnology: The Food solution .

Naijablog attends the Abuja craft fair, and laments on Nigerian tourism, its current state besides also giving tips on what tourists normally want to buy and how to get them to buy it. As he laments:

It’s a shame - Nigeria has huge tourist potential, but they don't seem to understand the basics here – marketing, publicity, presentation, attention to detail etc.

And thereafter suggests :

Why not have a heritage day (public holiday) like they do in South Africa?

We Westerners can't help ourselves and the way our desire is constructed - when we want to buy stuff (unless we're tacky people from Essex or equivalent) we want stuff that looks as authentic as possible. We want masks that look fetishistic and old (even if they are not). The trouble is, many Nigerians are in some way embarrassed of too many masks (and spiritual forces that may lurk). So the Western tourist doesn’t get to buy an old-looking mask, and no sale is made. Such a contrast to Ghana, where they know exactly what we want and sell it in droves.

The two other things tourists/Westerners want to buy are ceramics and textiles. There were one or two okayish pieces from the Bwari and Marabara (Kaduna) potteries, but they were way overpriced (its much cheaper to buy pieces at source).

And last of all Black Looks adds her displeasure to the most popular topic in the Nigerian blogosphere this week, with her title “going going…” but directed towards “Governor Alamieyeseigha”, the governor of Bayelsa state of Nigeria, who absconded bail in London.

Whatever Governor Alamieyeseigha imagined would happen once he absconded bail in London is not clear. What is clear is that this is sinking into a farce as Alamieyeseigha now finds himself cornered on all sides. Like a trapped animal he has no other recourse than to snarl desperately accusing the Federal government of plotting to eliminate him. The British police may try to seek extradition. The State Assembly has called for his resignation or face impeachment. The Inspector General of Police is investigating him and yesterday gun shots were fired by thugs hired by the Governor as his Johnathon Goodluck attempted to ambushed the Governor.

The Nigerian press is having a field day as photos of “Big Mama” are circulated in the mainstream and tabloid media. The Vanguard reports of a “bitter war” between Alamieyeseigha and Deputy Governor, Johnathon Goodluck.

But thereafter she expresses her worries on the deployment of troops to the region.

A more worrying development is the deployment of 200 special forces to Bayelsa State as once again the Niger Delta is faced with a military campaign. Citizens of Odi and Kaiama will not have forgotten what happened the last time troops were sent into the region.