US Senator apologizes for calling Nigerians scammers

A United States Senator, Ted Cruz, has apologized over his disparaging comments on Monday, October 21 in which he referred to Nigerians as scammers.

He also called for a peace meeting with Nigerian-Americans who have demanded that he retracts the derogatory remarks.

According to local American media, Cruz, while taking a political swipe at the computer problems of the Affordable Care Act in the U.S, made the comments.

“You may have noticed that all the Nigerian email scammers have become a lot less active lately.

“They all have been hired to run the Obamacare website,” Cruz was quoted as saying on Monday in Houston.

Nigerians home and abroad have strongly condemned the statement, while the Federal Government through the Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S., Prof Ade Adefuye, demanded an apology from Mr. Cruz.

But a letter on Sunday from the senator to leaders of the Nigerian community in Houston, Texas, where the comments were made, said Cruz “regrets any misunderstanding.”

The letter was signed by one of the aides of the Senator, Mr. David Sawyer, the South-East Texas Regional Director in his office.

The letter of apology reads in parts: “Earlier this week, Sen. Ted Cruz made a joke in which he used the term ‘Nigerian email scam.
”
“Senator Cruz regrets that it is unfortunate that we’re living in a time where just about every joke can be misconstrued to cause offense to someone.”

“Cruz has never, nor would ever use a blanket term in a derogatory fashion against such a vibrant and integral part of our community. This usage was never directed to the Nigerian community as a whole.

“To the good people of Nigeria – a beautiful nation where my wife lived briefly as the child of missionaries – no offense was intended.

“I am fully appreciative of the range of mutual economic and security interests that make Nigeria an important friend to the United States,” Cruz said apologetically.

Daily Post

Video - Drug resistant strain of tuberculosis on the rise in Nigeria

In its latest reports, the World Heath Organization is calling for drug resistant tuberculosis to be declared a 'global public health crisis', as number of patients across Africa continues to grow.

Video - About 700 children die in Nigeria due to lead poisoning

More than seven hundred people - most of them children - have been poisoned to death in Nigeria.

Nigeria going through biggest privatization phase in it's history

With over $3 billion proceeds from the privatisation of the 18 successor companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Nigeria may have recorded the biggest ever privatisation transaction in global history.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Benjamin Dikki, gave the score sheet, in a keynote presentation to “The Nigeria Investors’ Summit” held in New York, United States of America, last week.

He noted that the Nigerian Government has been consistent in its policy to open up its economy and create the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.

Dikki added that the present administration, in particular, has gone the extra mile in its efforts to create an environment conducive to attract private sector investments in infrastructure

He noted that the reform initiatives that were so far implemented by the Federal Government had worked; urging prospective investors to take an informed decision, as the upcoming reform initiatives would work.

He enthused that the world was waking up to the most attractive investment haven in the world – Nigeria— urging the investors that had missed the last tranche of investment opportunities, not to miss the next ones.

The Director-General said the first in the long list of upcoming opportunities are in the telecommunications and the transport sectors, stating that the NITEL and its frequencies are still available for sale in a guided liquidation process that will commence soon.

In the transport sector, he said that the railway, National Inland Waterways, Ports and Harbour, and National Transport Commission bills were ready and soon to be sent to the federal legislature for passage.

He revealed that the reforms in the housing sector had equally reached advanced stages; adding that with over 18 million housing deficit in the country, the Federal Government had made the reforms in that sector a priority.

The privatisation helmsman said the Bureau, in collaboration with key stakeholders, is currently reviewing the policies, legal and regulatory framework to attract private sector investments in the sector.

Said he: “We will harness the warehouses and silos all over the country and link them up to the trading platform for Warehouse Receipt Trading system. Once we make prices and buyers predictable, we have a mega boom in the making.”

Dikki said the planned reform in the Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) will commence with the privatization of Bank of Industry (BOI) and Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

He noted that on the reforms in the tourism sector, the BPE has begun the review of the policy, legal and regulatory frameworks for the sector to attract private capital into this tourism gold mine

He alerted the investors interested in the Oil and Gas sector that when the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed, the Refineries will be available for privatization; adding that the network of oil and gas pipelines will also be available for concession.

Written by Roseline Okere

GUARDIAN

Nigeria team bus attacked post World Cup qualifying match in Ethopia - Player injured

Nigeria's Nosa Igiebor was injured on Sunday when the team's bus was attacked in Addis Ababa after their World Cup play-off first-leg against Ethiopia.

The Real Betis midfielder needed emergency treatment on his palm after the bus windows were shattered as the team left the Addis Ababa ground.

Nigeria, who won the match 2-1, have reported the incident to Fifa.

"We hope Fifa will take an action," Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) vice-president Mike Umeh told BBC Sport.

"It's a shame that such an embarrassing behaviour could happen after a football match."

Ben Alaiya, the Super Eagles media officer, joined Umeh in condemning the actions.

Alaiya said in a press statement that fans attacked the team bus with stones after the match and one of the heavy stones shattered the rear windscreen of the bus, sending all inside the bus scampering for safety.

"Igiebor was the unlucky one as the stone slashed his right palm leading to profuse bleeding that was immediately attended to by team doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran," he wrote.

Nigeria are favourites to progress to their second straight World Cup when the two sides meet again in Calabar on 16 November.

BBC