NIGERIA HOSPITAL CONTRACT REVOKED

	There was no law backing it It was being funded by illegal local government funds Olusegun Adeniyi
	FACTS ABOUT NIGERIA 1960 Gained independent from Britain 1966 First military coup 1967 Civil war 1979 Returned to civil rule 1984 Second republic terminated 1998 General Abacha died 2007 Yar'adua elected in controversial elections The elections [in April] failed to meet the required minimum in a democracy Madeline Albright Umaru Yar'adua

A multi billion naira contract for the construction of new hospitals in Nigeria has been revoked.

President Umaru Yar'adua who announced the revocation yesterday said the contracts award breached due process.

The 10 billion naira contract was awarded in the twilight of the previous government of Olusegun Obasanjo.

President Yar'adua;s spokesman, Olusegun Adeniyi, told AzeezNews that 'the contract was illegally awarded.

CORRUPTION RATING

For two years running , Nigeria has been in the bottom rong of Transparency International's anti corruption index.

Nigerian governments have challenged the placement saying the yardstick for the rankings was flawed.

The contract was for the construction of clinics in the 774 local government areas of the country.

The money for the contract was sourced from deductions from local government allocations from the federation account which the spokesman said were illegal

'There was no law backing it.It was being funded with illega local government funds', Adeniyi said.

There were insinuations that President Yra'adua would be Obasanjo's lackey but recent decisions are proving the opposite.

REVERSING POLICIES

Last week the president sacked some senior military officers promoted by Obasanjo just before leaving office.

The retired officers were in command of sensitive military commands and the move is seen as a signal that Yar'adua is his own man

The new government has also cancelled the sale of the Kaduna and Port Harcourt refinaries t0
Acompany owned by alleged cronies of the former leader.

The company, Blue Star, is owned by one of the country's top business tycoons Aliko Dangote

ELECTION OUTRAGE

The outcome of general elections in the counrty in Aprll provoked outrage and widespred condemnation from both local and international observers.

Adelegation of the European Union led by Dutchman, Max Van Den Berg, said the elections were the worst that the Union has observed in recent times.

The Natona Democratic Institute whose observers were led by Former U S Secretary of State, Madeline Albright said the elections did not meet the reqiured minimum in a democracy