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ONE: While CNN celebrates opulent, colourful and wealthy weddings in Lagos State, over in Kano State, a hundred couples were married in local government sponsored mass ceremony aimed at targeted at dealing with a variety of identified social problems. The aim of this initiative is to tackled the high divorce rates in Kano State, provide a stable home for divorced or widowed women, as well as financial and social security for them and their children. More marriages are planned in the future.
TWO: Boko Haram released a video explaining why they carried out the attacks on ThisDay Newspapers. They claimed that ThisDay “dishonoured” Prophet Muhammad during a beauty pageant in Kaduna that was held in November 2002. They want to “drive the media house out of existence” as punishment. They also accused media outlets of wrongly pining responsibility on certain incidents on Boko Haram, and lying about them and their activities.
THREE: Around 788 doctors in Lagos’ public health institution were fired by the Lagos State Government due to them holding a strike “illegally” due to pay concerns for close to three weeks. The Lagos State Government claims that it made this decision for the interests of the state and for public good saying that it would not negotiate with the sacked doctors. About 400 junior doctors have been brought in to replace the doctors that were fired. The doctors are taking their case to the Industrial Court while the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, has said that it may shut down all health facilities in Lagos State should the sacked doctors not be rehired. However the sacked doctors have started lobbying for their reinstatement.
FOUR: On the technology front, the Department of Chemical Engineering recently launched a series of researches, headed by Professor James Omoleye that ended in the production of an electric car and a power bike.
FIVE: Nigerians doubt President Goodluck Jonathan’s ability to act.
SIX: A suspected leading Boko Haram member may have been arrested in Kano State by soldiers. Suleiman Mohammed was arrested along with his wife and five children after a raid in a Kano neighbourhood. Apparently, Mohammed claimed to be from Oyo State and is Yoruba, however other reports on a Yoruba member of Boko Haram being captured do not state that he is a leading fighter.
SEVEN: On April 16, 2012, there was a public hearing on allegations levelled against British Airways and Virgin Altantic for their alleged role in the disparity of international airfare charges to Nigeria. They are also accused of flaunting aviation laws. Meanwhile, Air Nigeria is preparing to restart operations on the Lagos-London routes. In the meantime “Air Nigeria” is set to become a public quoted company in 2014.
EIGHT: A group identifying with Biafra has filed a complaint against Nigeria at the International Criminal Court.
NINE: The Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) fined MTN, Etisalat, Airtel and Globacom N1.167 billion for their bad network services. In response, the four major telecommunication operations came together to publish an advertorial in various newspapers in which they stated that they have invested more that N1 trillion in building and upgrading mobile networks in Nigeria over the last 10 years.
TEN: Nigeria is not willing to do much to help Nigerian nationals imprisoned outside the country, except advice Nigerians to be “patriotic” and obey the laws of the land they are in.