A Nigerian Socio-Political commentary

P RESIDENT Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has approved a new pay structure, the Medical Service Scale (MSS), for medical doctors under the employment of the Federal Government. The Special Assistant on Media to the Health Minister, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, Mr. Niyi Ojuolape, told The Guardian yesterday: "The Federal Ministry of Health is pleased to announce that His Excellency, the President, has approved the Medical Service Scale (MSS) for Medical Doctors in the employment of the Federal Government. "The consideration and approval of the new MSS is coming against the background of the conclusion of extensive deliberations and negotiations between the Federal Government's team and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on the salary structure and allowances of medical and dental practitioners, including Specialist Allowance, Call Duty Allowance and Teaching Allowance, etc. "We also wish to sta

FORMER United States U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Walter Carrington, says the imbalance in the structure of the Nigerian federation is inimical to its development. Carrington, alongside some Niger Delta leaders, have also hinged sustainable peace in the oil-rich region on using the wealth of the area to develop it. The renowned diplomat said the Nigerian Federal Government is "too powerful than the states. Here in the U.S., as powerful as the U.S. national government is, our states have immense powers that states in Nigeria can only dream of." As America's envoy in the days of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, Carrington openly romanced with the pro-democracy groups, which fought the government over its anti-democratic policies. He said at a two-day summit organised by the Delta State government in New York that until the basic infrastructure needed to hasten the social and economic development of the Niger Delta were put in place, any other approach to the crisis was merely