Swiss hold '$150m Nigeria bribes'

U.S. investigators have traced 150 million dollars in bribes given to Nigerian officials to Swiss Banks. Michael Kase Aondoakaa said that the 150 million dollars was part of $180m in bribes given to Nigerian officials by the US construction company, Halliburton. The Nigerian government has asked the US to release the names of the Nigerian officials accused of negotiating bribes. The scandal occured between 1994 and 2004, when Haliburton admitted to paying bribes to Nigerian officials.

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This article illustrates some of the corruption-related problems that Nigeria has and is facing. Nigerian officials have encountered some pressures from the media to process what US courts have found, and to prosecute the Nigerian officials who had taken bribes. Corruption is an ongoing problem that Nigeria must learn how to stop.

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Bloomberg.com has announced that Nigeria's federal government has put the country's state-owned telephone company, Nigerian Telecommunications, Ltd., or Nitel, up for sale to domestic and international buyers after a deal with Transnational Corp. fell through in February 2008 after Transnational failed to fix the failing Nitel. Nigeria did set a bar for potential investors; the company interested in buying must have at least 2 million existing land or cellular lines in use and a minimum net worth of $500 million. The share of the company being offered is surprisingly large, anywhere from 51% to 75%, meaning one company, potentially overseas, will essentially control all land-based telecommunications in Nigeria.

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This article demonstrates the increasing interconnectedness of the world, not only economically but practically as well. It will also be interesting to see the reaction from those in Nigeria and around the world that prefer that infrastructure remain at least in the control of domestic entities, if not in the government's hands entirely.

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UK arrest in Nigerian bribe case

A federal grand jury in Texas has charged Jeffrey Tesler with helping to channel money from kellogg, brown and root, a former Halliburton subsidiary. It is thought that he was involved in moving millions of dollars in bribes to Nigerian officials to win contracts for an American construcion firm. He was arrested at a business adress in Tottenham, North London, on Thursday. He is alleged to have channelled money to Nigerian officials in order to obtain contracts valued at more than $6bn.

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This article relates to the internal political issues working against Nigeria. The article states that the bribes described involved Nigerian officials. Corruption in Nigeria has become a frequent and well publicized problem that has plagued the country.

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West Africa pirate threat on rise

Attention on piracy has shifted from the coast of Somalia to the growing threat of attacks off West Africa. The International Maritime Burea says that it knows of over 100 pirate attacks off west Africa, though only 40 were reported. The lack of reportings has been party due to a reluctance of shipping countries to upset local West African authorities. The latest attack happened recently when pirates shot at a Greek-ownedtanker off Nigeria's coast. Many claim that the piracy off Somalia has overshadowed the piracy occuring off the Western coast of Africa and that awareness must be raised.

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This article demonstrates the economic tensions that Nigeria and many African nations are facing. Many Africans are upset regaurding the unequal distribution of wealth and have resorted to violent tactics. Pirating has been very prominent along the Western coast of Africa, and the government has had a troubling time trying to enforce it's authority in the trade waters.

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Nigerians to sue US drug firm

A US appeals court has ruled that Nigerian families can sue Pfizer drugs, an American drug firm, for its alleged role in the deaths of Nigerian children. The company is accused of killing 11 children and injuring 181 others while testing an antibiotic intended to subdue a menengitis epedimic in 1996. The epedemic killed 12,000 Nigerian children in 6 months. Pfizer is alleged to have tested out the antibiotic on 200 ill children without the consent of their parents. It caused 11 deaths and caused blindness, deformities, and brain damage in others. Originally, the law suit was dismissed on the basis that it violated the Alien Tort Statue, a law alloing foreigners to sue in the US courts. But the Second Circuit US Court of Appeals in New York ruled that the statue could be used. Pfizer denies the allegations, and maintains that the tests were taken with government and parental consent.

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In this article, aspects of globalization, medical care, and law processes in Nigeria are discussed. The US firm is providing the globalization aspect by supplying antibiotics in Nigeria, even though it did not turn out well. The medical difficulties plaguing Nigeria are discussed as well, with their menengitis outbreak, and the failure of the antiobiotic. The law processes are also discussed, explaining how the Nigerian people were able to sue the American firm.

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