Nigeria: Speaker condemned over US$5,000,000 contracts

The leadership of Nigeria's House of Representatives acted against the rules in approving contracts worth US$5,000,000 to renovate two official residences and buy 10 cars, a panel of legislators said on Wednesday. The scandal over the contracts has paralysed the House, where emotions run so high that members came to blows last Thursday during a hearing by the investigative panel after some of them shouted 'thief!' at Speaker Patricia Etteh.