NigeriaN laws appear skewed iN favour of the powerful who get less puNishmeNt for greater crimes thaN

ordiNary citizeNs 234NEXT.com

news

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nation

VOL. NO.
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Lagos, Nigeria

Sunday, 19 June 2011

Burden of rape
Residents of Gombe address the stigma of sexual assault
Rape is categorised as a criminal offence but many who perpetrate it walk free without being punished for their action. And this is neither due to the absence of the legal framework to prosecute them nor the inability to identify the culprits but the fear of victims being stigmatised by society. Observers say little can be achieved in the efforts to curb the incidence of rape if people prefer to keep mum and not report rape cases because of extraneous factors.

THE $8 BILLION DOLLAR RAIL FIASCO

NGN200

UK2

metro

The Rat bombs on Lagos streets

Super-potent rat poisons may be bad news for more than just rats
Like every densely populated megacity, Lagos is a rats paradise, but rats themselves may only be part of the problem. Highly concentrated rat poisons like the popular Otapiapia sold by street vendors certainly excel at killing rats, but the potent poisons have also been responsible for accidental human deaths, killing adults and children alike.

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art&culture inside

MAgicAl reAliSt
we were far from the scenes of their actions and reactions. The sacred trio were Fela, Susanne Wenger, and Twins Seven-Seven. Their names reverberated all around us.

Twins Seven-Seven in the eyes of a child

Twins Seven-Seven was one of the great culture icons of my youth. As a youngster in the town of Ijebu-Ijesa in the 1970s, the impact of three people on the culture reached us, though

money

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Nigerian banks need to get mobile

Banking on new technology
Banks need to rely more on technology to reach out to the unbanked population of Nigeria. The industry is changing and competition is growing stiffer for traditional banks. Mobile banking and electronic payment systems represent a new vista for Nigerian banks to improve on their service delivery.

Port HArcourt brAceS uP for SPortS feStivAl

SCAM
In the last few years successive governments have pledged to ensure the revival of our moribund railway system. They have periodically awarded multibillion naira contracts to several foreign companies to rebuild the tracks. The only problem is these funds appear to get squandered with no discernable progress in reviving our railways. The governments of Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru YaAdua collectively awarded contracts running into $10 billion to fix the system. The YarAdua government, which in 2008 cancelled an earlier $8billion contract awarded by Mr Obasanjo in 2008, re-awarded a $380 million for the project. Of this, $180 million was for locomotives, which have since been delivered. But they have no tracks to run on, yet. Several officials, indicted by a senate panel which investigated government spending on the railways, are still roaming the streets untouched. Others such as Tony Anenih, Adeseye Ogunlewe and Deziani Allison Madueke are walking the corridors of power.

A 2009 Senate report said Nigerias public transportation sector is one huge stretch of fraud involving multiple contract cases and connivance between contractors and government officials
Full story on page 2

Neighbours sign deal to stop feud

A handshake wasnt enough for two Malaysian neighbours embroiled in a lengthy and bitter feud sparked by complaints over barking dogs - the two actually signed a peace treaty. The three-year battle began when one of the men complained to the police in Malaysias southern Johor state, where they lived, about his neighbours noisy dogs, the Star, a Malaysian newspaper reported. The dog owner retaliated by playing loud music at night, throwing cans of paint into his neighbours house and driving his car into the gate. His neighbour filed a counter complaint about the music. When both men decided to end the feud recently, they opted for a signed peace deal or Memorandum of Understanding to keep each other in check. One of the main points in the peace deal, brokered by a public complaints bureau, is that the dog owner has to find a way to minimize barking at night. If either of the two men decides to break the Memorandum of Understanding, the other can bring this document and present it either to the police or in court, said mediator Michael Tay. I hope both men can live in peace with each other.
ReuteRs

Peace

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sport/p.50
Sports facilities in Port Harcourt, venue of the games, wear a new look. The government says all facilities will be ready by June 27
After postponing it many times, officials in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, are ready to host the 17th National Sports Festival (NSF), which is scheduled to kick off in the Garden City on June 27. Tele Ikiru, the games Local Organising Committee says that not only are athletes going to be in for good time but that the games will turn out to be the best organised games whose record will not be beaten until the next time that Rivers State hosts, and that may be in the next 30 years.