Nigerian Opposition briefs the FPA 

'President Goodluck Jonathan is exploiting Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria for political ends' – Opposition spokesman

Nigeria’s ruling party wants to profit from Boko Haram, according to the chief spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is aiming to win the general election in Nigeria on February 14^th next year. 

Lai Mohammed told FPA members that the longer the insurgency goes on, the easier it will be for the Government to suspend the elections in affected areas, disenfranchising about 5 million supporters of the APC.  

The stage was set for a major political upset - but that depended on the election being free and fair. Mr Mohammed said a request has already been made for EU observers to monitor the poll. He said the APC wanted to revamp the Nigerian economy; the top issue was unemployment and jobs, followed by corruption and then security. Poverty, driven by endemic corruption, and not religion was at the heart of Nigeria’s current problems. A future APC Government would negotiate Boko Haram out of existence as a prudent and focused Government; the alternative was continuing corruption, poor governance and poverty.

An evening with investigative journalist, Nick Davies. 

A lively and fascinating evening on October 1 as Nick Davies shared the gripping story of the six year investigation which would eventually unearth the endemic culture of criminality and corruption that existed inside Rupert Murdoch’s News International. 
His talk elicited lively questions and robust discussion about the future of journalism and revealed a widespread enthusiasm from correspondents representing myriad nations to forge new ways to maintain great investigative traditions and reporting.


Davies' book, 'Hack Attack: How the Truth Caught Up with Rupert Murdoch' draws on exclusive interviews with private investigators, journalists, police officers and Murdoch executives and is a not-to-be-missed dissection of the way politics, police and media colluded to abuse their powers in 21st century Britain.


Davies' spoke about his journalistic methods, the ethical conundrums he and The Guardian faced as they took on the world's most powerful media mogul, the continuing need for well resourced, incisive investigative work - and admitted a couple of regrets, including the shock closure of News of the World and the loss of so many reporting jobs.

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