NEWS FROM NIGERIA.

ATIKU INJURED,FLOWN ABROAD.
Nigeria's Vice President Atiku Abubakar was on sunday 11th March injured while having an exerceise in a gym at his residence in Abuja. He was said to have tripped on one of the machines he was using. He had a dislocation on his knee and it became instantly difficult for him to walk. The VP later on made a this statement to the press 'I broke my knee tendon. I will need a 30-minute surgery and I'm going to London for the operation. The president was gracious enough to give me an aircraft. I hope to be back on Tuesday or Wednesday to resume my campaign.

We're still expecting him back in Nigeria.

GUNMEN KILL OWU CHIEF, THREE OTHERS.
No fewer than four people, including an Owu chief, Adedotun Sowole, died on Saturday March 10th, when gunmen invaded the venue of a meeting at Atan in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government area of Ogun State. Eyewitnesses said village heads and obas were awaiting the Olowu Of Owu, Oba Olusanya Dosunmu, who was schedule to meet with them when the incident happened. investigations carried out showed that Saturday's attack might be linked with the crisis that greeted the installation of the coronet obas last year. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Olufemi Awoyale confirmed the incident. He also confirmed that four people died, adding that 20 people had been arrested.

CHRIS OKOTIE IN PLANE MISHAP
FRESH Presidential aspirant Rev Chtis Okotie, on Monday 11th March narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal plane crash as the plane he boarded after attending a rally outside Lagos, got into an accident. Eyewitnesses say the tyres of the plane bust as it landed at the Local wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, making the plane vie off the runway, but thankfully for everyone aboard, the pilot managed to get control of the plane which was said to be carrying over 110 passengers. After the incident, the pastor turned politician blasted the airport authorities for their non-chalant attitude towards airport and plane maintenance.

PAY RISE FOR PRESIDENT, VP, OTHERS.
Barely three months to the end of his administration, President Olusegun Obasanjo has sent a new bill to the National Assembly seeking an enhanced pay package for himself, Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, among others. If passed into law, the bill will raise the basic salary of the President to N3.5m per annum, the VP N3m and the Chief Justice N3.4m. At the end of the administration on May 29th, the bill provides a severance allowance of N10.6m for the President, an equivalent of 300 percent of his annual salary.

INEC VS NBA
The Nigerian Bar Association has faulted the claims by the Independent National Electoral Commission that it has power to screen and disqualify candidates for the April poll. The association in a letter dated March 9 and addressed to the INEC's legal adviser by it's National President, Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), the NBA reminded the electoral body that the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act did not give such power to INEC. "He said the power to disqualify any candidate squarely rests with the court". Agbakoba also urged the commission to follow the due process, noting that the conduct of the April elections was a serious business that required the support of all the stakeholders.

UBA OPENS NEW YORK OFFICE
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Soludo on Friday March 9th declared open the new offices of the United Bank of Africa Plc, at the Rockefeller Plaza, located in the heart of New York's financial capital. A statement from the bank on Sunday quoted the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mr Tony Elumelu as describing UBA as the only Sub-Saharan African Bank operating in the United States of America, which is regulated by the office of the Comptroller of Currency.