Senate absolves speaker

Nigeria's senate on Wednesday unanimously cleared its speaker, Evan Enwerem, of allegations levelled against him by a news magazine, which had claimed he had a criminal record, Nigerian TV reported. The senate's ruling was based on the findings of three Senate committees which investigated the allegations and found them to be unfounded. Presenting a joint report on behalf of the three committees, the chairman of the senate committee on the judiciary, Mike Ajegbo, said the national intelligence agency, the police and the state security service had all confirmed they had nothing on Enwerem. The other two bodies were the committees on ethics, judiciary and legal matters, and national security and intelligence. Posts for two former state officials Former Nigerian foreign minister Joe Garba was on Wednesday appointed the new director-general of the country's National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), AFP quoted state officials as saying. Garba was foreign minister from 1975 to 1978 and Nigeria's permanent representative at the United Nations from 1984 to 1989. AFP quoted the office of Vice President Atiku Abubakar as saying that he would take up the post on 1 December. Meanwhile, the former spokesman of Vice President Abubakar was on Wednesday appointed managing director of the state owned 'Daily Times' newspaper, AFP reported.