- Workers agreed to release nearly 100 foreigners hostages held on rigs
- Court ruled that ex-President Obasanjo’s daughter, Iyabo went into hiding over corruption charges
According to Anselm Kiefer, history is formed by the people, those who have power and those without power. Each one of us makes history.
In an effort to raise awareness for educational and enlightenment purposes, WITHIN NIGERIA recognizes a significant event that happened on May 1 in our country, Nigeria.
Workers agreed to release nearly 100 foreigners Hostages held on rigs
On this day, May 2 in 2003, Nigerian oil workers agreed to release nearly 100 foreigners held on four offshore rigs for over two weeks.
According to deputy president of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joseph Akilanja, everybody is expected to be moving home from this evening, depending on logistics.
‘We have just agreed. The company representatives, the NLC and all stakeholders including representatives of the striking workers have agreed’.
Peter Akpatasan, president of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG), said: “It was resolved that the four rigs should be downmanned, as requested by the management.”
“All the workers should be brought off the rigs 3 today,” he said after a meeting in Abuja between his union, Nigeria’s top labour body and Transocean Inc, the Houston-based owner of the four rigs.
The captive workers include 35 Britons, 17 Americans and other nationals, plus well over 100 Nigerians, some due for crew rotation since members of the junior oil workers’ union NUPENG launched their strike on 16 April.
Workers now being released said that the expatriates had received death threats after they made a written request to strike leaders to be allowed off the platforms.
According to Transocean Inc., around 100 Nigerian workers belonging to NUPENG blocked helicopter pads and sea access to the rigs, preventing the expatriates and 170 non-striking Nigerians from leaving.
Court ruled that ex-President Obasanjo’s daughter, Iyabo went into hiding over corruption charges
On this day, May 3 in 2008, the Federal High Court ruled that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello went into hiding while needed to face corruption charges.
According to reports, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello was charged last month with two former health ministers and nine other officials with embezzling 470 million naira ($3.5 million) of public money.
Obasanjo-Bello, who chaired the Senate health committee then, is the first member of Obasanjo’s family to face graft charges since Olusegun Obasanjo completed his second term.
She denied any wrongdoing, told newsmen that she collected the money to pay for the travel expenses of Senate health committee members for a visit to Ghana.
She failed to appear in court on April 8 to face the charges and had refused to be questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
