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VOL. 106 NO. 3 Lagos, Nigeria Sunday, 9 January 2011 NGN200 UK£2

news
Pfizer lobbyists
/p-3
the battle for
presidential tickets
The underhand deals in Pfizer’s
1996 Trovan trials in Kano
In the second part of our exclu-
sive investigations into the Pfizer
settlement scandal, we examine the
role of the Emir of Kano and former
head of state Yakubu Gowon who
were contracted as lobbyists by Pfi-
zer. Our investigations also uncover
how former Attorney General of the
Federation Michael Aondoakaa side-
lined government counsels in favour
of his cousin Paul Orhii, the Director
General of National Agency for Food
and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC) , during the negotiations.

nation
/p-6
Defection hits
PDP in Adamawa,
Plateau
Key members of the party
leave over unresolved issues Designers
to wAtch
The repeated conduct of the ward
congress of the Peoples Democratic
Party has done little to reduce the
acrimony among governorship
aspirants of the party in Adamawa
State. At the weekend, Mohammed élan/inside free
Buba Marwa, one of the strongest
challengers to the state governor, Stylish statements from those who know
Murtala Nyako, announced a
decision to quit the party to pursue In this issue of élan, we present In our personality segment, we
his governorship ambition on another
platform. A senatorial aspirant, to you Adebayo Oke-Lawal of Onyx talk with Yetunde Alabi, the artist
Istifanus Habila, decamped from the and Pearl, Bubu Ogisi of iamISIGO, more popularly known as Sasha. She
PDP to the NTP. and Adeju Thompson—designers to tells us about how she started perfor-
OUTCOME
arts
watch out for in 2011. Our fashion ming at the age of three, her clothing

/p-34
pages feature some of their interes-
ting pieces.
line, and her determination to work
even harder. A fter months of frenetic politicking,
contenders for the presidential
job will this week engage in a battle to
Progressive Change (CPC) in Abuja,
Mr. Buhari was adopted to fly the flag
of the new party.
Political parties will choose
their candidates in the April
cross the first hurdle in the race to the The conventions would, however, 9 presidential poll this week
Nigeria the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. Some not be without controversy. For

beautiful
major political parties are conducting instance, some lawyers warn that there candidates for elective positions
their national conventions, where their are still some legal loopholes in the are chosen, but also hold special
delegates will either elect or adopt manner in which the congresses are conventions in each of the 36 states and
A stunning documentation candidates who will fly their flag in the being organised. Olisa Agbakoba, a the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to
of the country’s known and April 9 presidential poll. former president of the Nigerian Bar pick the candidates.
unknown natural attractions The parties are the Peoples Association and a member of the Uwais However, investigations show
‘Dayo Adedayo’s coffee-table book Democratic Party (PDP), Action Panel, said there is an institutional gap neither the CPC, which held its
showcases scenic sights around the Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and All in the electoral process. national convention last Tuesday and
nation. The beautifully packaged Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). The Electoral Act requires all 63 Wednesday to adopt Mr. Buhari, nor
‘Nigeria’ contains breathtaking While the convention of the PDP registered political parties not only the other parties holding their national
images of attractions in the country. comes up on January 13, the ANPP and to give the Independent National conventions this week have complied
The Mambilla Plateau in Taraba, ACN will hold theirs on January 14. Electoral Commission (INEC) a with the provisions of the Act.
Awhum Waterfalls in Enugu, Jaffi Through a voice vote at the national three week notice before holding their
Falls in Borno, and Obudu in Cross convention of the Congress for congresses and conventions where Full story on page 2
River amongst others, are featured
in the book, a compilation of images
from a seven-year tour of the 36 states Fireworks
of the federation.
Jeremiah’s bag of explosives
metro
chAos in the
By Ben ezeamalu night were several packets of Banger,
The year 2010 held a litany of stick rockets, and all manners of
/p-20 unpleasant memories and misfortunes fireworks. “I am going to bomb out this

Get on with the for Jeremiah. In February, he was 2010,” he said, as he sat among friends,

gAme
evicted from his street tent at Balogun who apparently had determined in their
own way to enter the New Year in a state
roads
Market, Lagos Island, and his goods the baton-wielding police officers who
confiscated by the officials of the Lagos of stupor. bundled him into the waiting patrol
Central Business District Task Force. Empty bottles of beer and red wine van.
Many roads in Lagos are
sport/p.50 Two months later, he lost his mother- littered the table and floor as more than Less than an hour later, after he
begging for attention in-law in the village. On his way back six of them chatted and joked over their had ‘settled’ the police, a visibly angry
from the village, after the burial, armed drinks.“If only I can get the original Jeremiah staggered into the drinking
With a few months to the return Nigerian football crises continue robbers attacked the bus he was in and bomb, I would have added it to these joint, swearing and cursing and without
of the rainy season, the Lagos State ones,” he said. his bag of explosives.
robbed every one of the passengers. By
Public Works Corporation has started The recent face-off between the Court cases and war of words are September, his landlord at Amukoko got No sooner had he finished talking He took one glance at his watch,
rehabilitating some roads across the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) now the order of the day with Harrison fed up with his never-ending promises and proceeded to detonate one of his hurried off, and returned minutes later
state. But while some residents are and the Nigeria Premier League Jalla and his National Association of of paying his monthly rent, which had ‘bombs’ that police officers from the clutching a stick rocket.
become eight months overdue, and Orile police post, who were raiding the By now, it was a few minutes to
eager to see the ones on which work (NPL) has thrown Nigerian football Nigerian Footballers (NANF) back
evicted him from the house. area and arresting sellers of explosives, midnight. He lit it and quickly stepped
started several months ago completed, into total disarray. in court challenging the legitimacy of stormed the joint and abducted him
So on New Year’s eve, Jeremiah, who back to listen to a loud bang that would,
others are of the view that the hurried The game has been plagued by the current NFF board led by Aminu and his bag of explosives. Pleas from his
had moved his family into his parents’ hopefully, blast away all the bad events
work being done in some areas are crises in the past two years, and Maigari. Former league sponsor, drinking buddies to the police officers of 2010.
apartment, decided to blast away all the
merely moves to secure their votes, and despite hopes for better tidings in the Globacom, is also in court, over the unfavourable events of the year. fell on deaf ears. Even his efforts to resist Hopefully, 2011 will begin on a clean
yet some others say their roads have new year, things have gone from bad decision of the NPL to award league In a nylon bag he was clutching in the arrest were met by severe beatings from slate.
been completely forgotten. to worse. sponsorship rights to MTN.