Daily Times e-Newspaper Issue 18

NASS and The Weapon Of Impeachment

I’m No Longer P 21 Close To 9ice –Jahbless

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DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1 - 7 2014

INEC: Hoodlums snatch voters cards, register in Nasarawa State

...We have Exceeded Expectations –Aganga

Caffeine May Offer A New Treatment Option For Women Cocaine Addicts

Chic And Pregnant!

VOL. 1, NO 18

Uche Seals Victory For Villarreal

Auto Policy

Nigeria Joins League Of Car Manufacturers

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Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

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igeria has joined the league of car manufacturing countries like Germany, Britain, United States, China, Japan and other developed countries with the historic unveiling of the first ever truly made-in-Nigeria cars by the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, in Nnewi, Anambra State on Saturday 29th November.

Unveiling the IVM Fox hatchback and the IVM Umu saloon cars at the company’s Plant in Nnewi, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, noted that the historic feat was made possible by the recent Auto Policy of the federal government, which he said had dramatically reduced the

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NUT To Spend N40m On Reception Party In Benue

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DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

news

NUT To Spend N40m On Reception Party In Benue

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he Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Benue on Sunday said it would spend N40 million for the reception of its national president and state chairman.

The NUT Chairman in the state, Mr Godwin Anya, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi.

Anya said the union generated the fund from the N2,000

INEC: Hoodlums snatch voters cards, register in Nasarawa State

By Augustine Aminu

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he Resident Electoral Commissioner in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Ahmed Makama, on Sunday said that some hoodlums attacked the ad hoc staff at Agyaragu village in the state and snatched a ballot box containing voters’ permanent cards and register.

Makama told the newsmen that the hoodlums were so inpatient to wait for the INEC staff to collect their cards and forcefully collected the materials from them.

According to him, “we encountered ballot box snatching in Agyaragu ward where some hoodlums were so inpatient, they at a point said that they were the ones that will be distributing the PVCs; they didn’t know our process, so they snatched cards and were arrested”.

Makama said that those arrested had been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution if found guilty.

He said that his staff was faced with another challenge in Bagaji Primary School Unit in Karu Local Government Are of the state where the people prevented the staff from leaving the unit with the cards.

He said the cards had to be deposited in chief’s palace.

“Surprisingly, the chief supported them; you cannot imagine somebody managing or in charge of people doing this. ``The villagers said our ah hoc staff will not leave their unit with the rest PVCs, saying they will have to keep them with their traditional chief.

Makama, however, said for peace to reign, he directed that they leave the cards with the chief and later informed the

police.

He said the police went to the palace and took custody of the PVCs for that unit, adding that those people will also be charged to court.

The resident commissioner also commended on the peaceful, orderly and smooth conduct of the collection of PVCs in the state, saying that there would be no extension of time.

“Certainly we will not canvass for any additional time because the cards are going to be deposited at all the 13 local government areas of the state and anyone who has not collected within this period is free to go to his or her headquarters for collection.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ugochukwu Theodore, said some boys attempted to snatch the PVCs and INEC materials from Sabon Kwarra unit in Agyaragu, headquarters of Jinkwe Development Area but policemen arrested two of them.

levy it imposed on 20,000 teachers in September.

He said the NUT constitution empowered the union to levy and make such deductions, adding that the state executive endorsed the decision. ``The constitution empowers the state exco to take decisions on behalf of the members. ``The money will be used to organise the reception for NUT national president and myself, having served the union for seven years as state chairman. ``What the union is doing is to appreciate the hard work of these people and the efforts

they have put in place in making sure that the welfare of the teachers improve,’’ he said.

Anya said his office had received a letter from a lawyer on behalf of some aggrieved teachers asking NUT and State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) to stop the deductions.

He, however, said that the state government still owe teachers five months salaries, adding that the union was working hard to ensure payment.

A check by NAN revealed some of teachers opposed the deduction on the ground that

they had suffered unpaid salaries in the state for too long.

The aggrieved teachers, who preferred the union renovating the teachers’ house in Makurdi instead of the appreciation party, decried impunity by the exco members to deduct their salaries.

According to them, the amount of money deducted is too much for an ordinary reception. ``The unwanted deduction has caused more financial hardship to us as we are still struggling to recover from the eight months strike in the state. ``The decision by the offi-

cials is an infringement on our rights. ``We are demanding to know the details for the reception. We need to know what the union officials were doing with the monthly dues deducted from our salaries,’’ they said.

The Permanent Secretary of the board, Mrs Judith Hirnyam, confirmed the deduction.

Hirnyam told NAN that the board receives a letter from NUT for the salary deduction and complied with.

She said the board only deals with NUT officials and not individual teachers.

2015: Ogboru Clinches LP Gubernatorial Flag In Delta

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hief Great Ogboru, a governorship aspirant of the Labour Party (LP) has emerged the party’s flag bearer for the 2015 general elections in Delta Ogboru was unanimously voted as the flag bearer at the party’s governorship primaries held on Saturday in Asaba.

Mr Carlistus Okafor, LP Deputy National Chairman, South and Presiding Chairman of the primaries, declared Ogboru the soul candidate during the contest.

According to Okafor, 23 governorship aspirants collected form to contest the position under the party.

“Out of the number, eight returned their forms; three were disqualified, leaving five aspirants to contest the primaries.

“However, four of the contestants later withdrew and had accepted to work with Ogboru as the soul candidate for the primaries of this great party.”

He said that the party had implicit faith that Ogboru would deliver in 2015 and urged the people of the state to support him.

Ogboru, who responded after collecting the LP flag for the governorship race, thanked all who supported him in the struggles in the past and pledged to deliver.

He said that the party was ready to fight again but for the last time to clinch the number one seat in the state in May 29, 2015.

He promised to deliver good governance, adding that the state had not, by any way, experienced what good governance was since its creation.

According to him, the battle line has been drawn and there will be a difference in the agitations and struggle to get the power.

“This is the peak of the battle and the last battle that we have to fight; we fought before and we won but they said we did not win.

“The Labour Party does not discriminate but we judge

people by the content of their character and this time we are going to labour for victory.

On his part, Mr Fred Obey, Director-General, Ogboru Campaign Organisation, thanked the party and the stakeholders for giving Ogboru the mandate to contest the governorship position in the state.

He promised to work assiduously to win the election in 2015.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the party, Abdulkadir Salam, told NAN that the Delta’s primary election was a peculiar one since the party had postponed the exercise nationwide.

He said Ogboru’s victory in

Delta would make ``great impacts’’, especially in the lives of the people at the grassroots level.

Ogboru

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

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news

Child Safety: FRSC Tasks School Owners On Use Of Recommended Buses

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he Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday urged proprietors of schools to desist from using buses not recommended for conveying school children.

The Lagos State Sector Commander of the corps, Mr Hyginus Omeje, said in Lagos said that some school children had lost their lives to use of inappropriate buses by schools.

Omeje spoke to the newsmen. ``It is no longer a case of using any bus to carry school children.

``There are appropriate school buses recommended

by FRSC in partnership with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON). ``We want to bring to the notice of all Nigerians especially the motoring public that a lot of children have been lost to avoidable accidents. ``Use of the appropriate child restraint seats is vital to the safety of children in cases of unavoidable crashes,’’ Omeje said.

The official said that safety of school children should be paramount to both parents and

school owners. `` We must all ensure the safety of our children while in transit.’’

He said that some private school owners `packed pupils like sardines’ in buses without observing safety standards.

Omeje called on individuals, parent-teacher associations and religious organisations to support the corps in its campaign against road accidents, particularly those involving children. ``We are going to engage proprietors of school to ensure that necessary safety devices

are put in place, including seat belts and others. ``We are going to ensure that lapping children in school buses is stopped. ``A child will be entitled to a seat and will be strapped to it. In the event of eventuality, the child’s live will be safe,’’ he said.

The sector commander promised that the presence of the corps would be more noticeable in schools, churches and mosques for sensitisation.

He urged schools to ensure

were injured while 171 lost their lives to the crashes.

According to him, from Dec. 19 to Dec. 28, 2013, 489 children were involved in road crashes, with 55 children losing their lives and 227 others getting injured.

He said that no fewer than 165, 202, 166 and 227 were injured in road accidents in September, October, November and December 2013, respectively, while 38, 43, 35 and 55 children were killed in the same order.

Ewu Monarch Decries Menace Of Erosion

T Former Millitary Head of State and APC Presidential aspirant Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, commissioning a developement project in Edo State, over the weekend.

that their bus drivers were well trained.

The corps, in collaboration with the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), recently flagged off the 2014 Child Safety Campaign in Lagos.

The campaign was tagged: ``Ensuring Child Safety in Vehicles”.

Omeje had said that no fewer than 1,569 children were involved in road traffic crashes in Nigeria in the last quarter of 2013.

He said that 760 children

he monarch of Ewu, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo, Alhaji Rasak Ojeifo, has decried the menace of gully erosion in the area.

Ojeifo said an interview with newsmen in Ewu on Sunday that the erosion would devastate a larger section of the community, if not properly checked.

According to him, the erosion which had washed away 15 houses in the community, is beyond what the local and

state governments can contain.

He said that the menace had destroyed the major road leading to the community while the people now lived in fear, especially when it rained.

He said: “If nothing is done to address the menace, the Ewu community will go into extinction.

“This problem has gone beyond what the state government or local government can take care of.

“The devastating effect and magnitude of the problem is

such that only the federal government can address, and we appeal to the Federal Government to come to our rescue.

“My people have had a bitter experience of this menace; many have abandoned their homes while others now sleep with their eyes open each time it rains.

He said that with the devastating effect of the erosion on the community this year, the people were very worried about the havoc it would cause during next year’s rainy season.

Obuh’s Men Sweep Delta PDP House of Assembly Primaries Mu’Sodiq Adekunle

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elta State Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant Sir Tony Obuh seems to be coasting home as all his supporters virtually swept the polls at the House of Assembly primaries conducted on Saturday.

The results indicate that the Tony Obuh’s camp clinched 21 local governments as against two for Senator Okowa, one for

Chief Godswill Obielum and one for Ndudi Elumelu, even though he lost his local government to Tony Obuh’s supporter.

Reports say the aspirants have gone into panic mode with the outcome of the House of Assembly primaries as this is indicative of where the votes will swing in the Governorship primaries coming up on December 8.

Those for Tony Obuh who picked their constituency tickets include Lady Angela Nwa-

ka, Aniocha South, Mr. Uzoma Idabor, Aniocha North, Hon. Isaac Ulebor, Ika South, Hon. Tim Owhefere--Isoko North, Barr. Orezi Esievo, Isoko South Constituency I, Hon. Johnson Erijo, Isoko South Constituency 11, Hon. Peter Onwusanya--Oshimili South, Hon. Pat Ajudua Oshimili North, Erhiatake Ibori, Ethiope West, Comrade Izeze Rume Reuben, Ughelli South, Samuel Mariere, Ughelli North I, Prince Eric Oharisi, Ughelli North II, Olo-

rogun Barr Arthur Akpowowo, Ethiope Eastand Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, Okpe.

Others are Efe Ofobruku, Uvwie, Hon. Godwin Toristseju Abigor, Warri South Constituency I, Hon. Denis Omovie, Warri South Constituency 11, Hon. Daniel Mayuku, Warri South West, Hon. Dan Yingi Burutu Constituency 1, Hon. Jude Sinebe, Burutu Constituency 11, Hon. Monday Igbuya Sapele, Hon. Azuka Azaka Ndokwa West, Hon. Alphon-

sus Ojo Ukwuani and Mr. Pius Labo, Bomadi Senator Ifeanyi Okowa clinched Ika North East and Warri North with Mr. Tony Elekeokwuri and Chief Michael Diden claiming the tickets respectively, while Ndudi Elumelu’s campaign manager, Chief Moses Odibo won in Udu and Godswill Obielum taking Ndokwa East with Friday Osanebi picking the ticket.

All the other governorship aspirants were defeated in their

various local governments including Hon. Victor Ochie, Prof. Sylvester Monye and Chief Ndudi Elumelu whose candidates lost to Uzoma Idabor in Aniocha North local government.

One unconfirmed reports say that some of the aspirants are already negotiating with the Obuh camp with the possibility of stepping down for Tony Obuh in the forthcoming governorship primary set to hold on December 8.

Publisher/Chairman

Managing Editor

Copy Editor

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Sports

Fidelis Anosike

Gabriella Osamor

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Lara Adejoro

Sodiq Adekunle

Group Managing Director

Editor

Science & Tech

Noel Anosike

Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Tunji Makanjuola

Group Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer

Assistant Editor

Politics & Business

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Ugochukwu Onyeocha

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Arts & Culture Adesola Akindele

Leisure, Entertainment, People Opeoluwani Akintayo Aderonke Akinola Judith Frank-Edet

World & Africa News Iyanu Oni-Orisan

Metro Joy Ifeoma Ekeke

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

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news

Delta Court Restrains IGP, Mrs Alli From Arresting PDP Executives

By Andrew Ikehi

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elta State High Court has restrained the Inspector General of Police (IGP) from arresting the chairman and executive members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oshimili South local government area over alle-

gations made by a Delta North Senatorial aspirant and wife of former PDP national chairman, Dr (Mrs.) Marian Alli.

The court presided over by Justice K.O. Okpu, also issued an order allowing the applicants to enforce their fundamental human rights pending the determination of the suit.

The court order followed an

application by the chairman, Evangelist Ebialim Maduemezie, and five others seeking for an order to restrain the IGP, Dr (Mrs) Alli and four others from arresting them based on mere allegation without first investigating same and coming to conclusion that there is a reasonable suspicion that the applicants committed criminal

offences.

The applicants said their arrest and detention at separate period by the police based on allegations by the other respondents were wrongful, unconstitutional and contravened their fundamental human rights to personal liberty.

They asked the court to grant the sum of N5million as exem-

plary damages against the respondents jointly and severally their fragrant violation of their rights.

Other applicants in the suit are Elder Charles Nwarache, State PDP administrative secretary, Mr Monday Okoboshi, vice chairman PDP Oshmili South local government, Mrs Ngozi Nwabuonwu Woman

Leader, Uche Onuorah, Youth Leader and Apostle Felix Okon Moses.

Other Respondents are Peace Ibekwe Abdallan, Commissioner of Police in charge of IGP Monitoring Unit, ASP Garba Masari, Miss Nkem Eboka, Financial Secretary, PDP Oshimili South l;ocal government area and Bridget Nmakwe.

Delta Assembly Speaker Wins PDP Assembly ticket, Lauds Party Members

By Andrew Ikehi

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Omisore Claims Aregbesola’s Inauguration Costs N700m Mu’Sodiq Adekunle

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eoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in the last Osun State governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has urged people in the state, especially his supporters not to be despaired by today’s swearing-in of Governor Rauf Aregbesola for a second term in office; just as he assured them that he would triumph at the election tribunal where he had appealed against Aregbesola’s re-election.

Senator Omisore in a statement also urged the people of Osun not to be carried away by the event of today, which he described as “pyrrhic, unsustainable and a celebration of fraud that the tribunal would sooner than later expose.”

Omisore stated that today’s event was only being celebrated by “a handful of

fun and gluttonous pleasure seekers who would not stop at anything to bleed the state’s treasury to a comatose in order to satisfy their appetite for their owambe jamboree at any time.”

The senator said that it is note-worthy that while these pleasure seekers were engrossed in their gyration, all his supporters and all Osun patriots were “busy praying for the restoration of good governance, which has since gone on leave in Osun State with the advent of the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola.”

While urging his supporters to be calm and be in a sober reflection on the state of the state, he expressed confidence that “our stolen mandate would soon be restored.”

He reiterated his party’s claim that Aregbesola’s second term celebration today gulped about N700 million,

which he maintained was a drain on the state’s poor treasury.

He took a swipe at the governor’s six-point agenda and concluded he had only succeeded in deceiving the people with this.

His words, “Today his economic integration is on paper after four years in the saddle.

Unemployment has continued to increase, apart from OYES cadets who receive a paltry N10,000 monthly. Hunger is written on the faces of the people, even in Osogbo, the capital city.”

“There is nothing to write home about his healthcare programme. Teachers in primary schools are on strike because of lack of instructional materials in schools and other unresolved issues. Secondary education has gone comatose.

The much celebrated Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge) has become a rip off and has

been withdrawn across the state.

“All contractors have left the sites. From the flyover in Gbogan junction to the pedestrian bridge in Abere, abandoned projects littered the state. The airport/airstrip in Ido Osun is another scandal. The site is overgrown by weeds. The debt profile is unknown.”‎

Omisore

he Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Right Hon Peter Onwusanya, has described Saturday’s House of Assembly primaries by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a pointer to the unity of purpose among party members.

The speaker made the assertion shortly after he was declared the winner of the primaries election in Oshimili South Constituency, where he polled 61 votes to defeat two other contestants of Hon Emeka Okonji who scored 6 votes and Barrister Bridget Anyafulu who scored six votes.

He explained that the election was one of the beauties of democracy that allows people to choose their leaders and assured the people that he will not relent in his efforts to deliver on his electoral promises.

The lawmaker asserted

that the party provided a level play ground for aspirants to test their popularity and further described the election as peaceful, free and fair and commended party members for comporting themselves peacefully throughout the election period .

He called on his opponents to join hands with him to ensure the party’s victory in the general elections that are scheduled for early next year.

Hon Onwusanya also commended the press and security agents for being partners in the democratic journey.

Onwusanya

APC postpones House of Assembly primary election

By Joy Ekeke

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed its House of Assembly primary election earlier scheduled for Monday (Dec. 1) nationwide.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the party said that the election would now hold on Dec. 2.

The statement, signed by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, was made available to Newsmen in Lagos.

It said that the postponement was to show respect

for those killed or injured in Friday’s terrorist attack in a mosque in Kano. ‘’All the dates for other primaries remain unchanged,’’ it said.

The party described the attack as a tragedy, adding that it was a condemnable and totally incomprehensible attack on defenceless citizens in a hallowed place such as a mosque.

The APC urged all Nigerians to demonstrate the ``Nigerian spirit of compassion and strength of character’’ by providing succour and support for one another.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

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africa news

Tanzania’s Parliament Votes To Sack Ministers After Graft Report

T About 400 Killed In 6 Weeks Of Fighting In Libya’s Benghazi -medics

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o fewer than 400 people have been killed in six weeks of heavy fighting between Libyan pro-government forces and Islamist groups in Libya’s secondlargest city Benghazi, medical personnel have revealed..

Backed by forces led by a former general, the newly formed government army launched in mid-October an offensive against Islamists in Benghazi, expelling them from the airport area and from several camps the army had lost

during the summer.

In the past three weeks the fighting has centred around Benghazi’s commercial port where pro-government forces say Islamists are holed up. The port has had to close, disrupting food supplies in the eastern city.

“The death toll has risen to 400,” a source at a Benghazi hospital said, declining to be identified for security reasons.

Medics at other hospitals in the city confirmed the estimated death toll.

The fighting in Benghazi

is part of wider turmoil in the North African country. Two governments, each with their own parliament and army chief of staff are vying for legitimacy, three years after the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.

In August, Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni and his cabinet were forced to leave Tripoli for the east of Libya when group called Libya Dawn seized the capital.

The new rulers set up their own government and parliament, but these have not been recognised by the United Na-

tions and world powers.

The situation has been complicated by the Benghazi fighting where former general Khalifa Haftar has merged his force with the army under a mandate from the elected parliament, which is allied to Thinni and also operates out of the east.

Haftar’s spokesman Mohamed El Hejazi said his forces had surrounded the Islamists in the port area. “All types of weapons including aircraft supporting the infantry are being used to deal with them,” he said.

Ebola Deaths nears 7,000 in West Africa -WHO

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he death toll from the worst Ebola outbreak on record has reached nearly 7,000 in West Africa, the World Health Organization said on Saturday.

The toll of 6,928 dead showed a leap of just over 1,200 since the WHO released its previous report on Wednesday.

The U.N. health agency did not provide any explanation for the abrupt increase, but the figures, published on its website, appeared to include previously unreported deaths.

A WHO spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

Just over 16,000 people have been diagnosed with Ebola since the outbreak was confirmed in the forests of remote south-eastern Guinea in March, according to the WHO data that covered the three hardest-hit countries.

Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have accounted for all

but 15 of the deaths in the outbreak, which has touched five

other countries, according to the previous WHO figures.

anzania’s parliament on Saturday voted to dismiss senior officials, including the attorney general, the energy minister and several other members of cabinet, after a report on corruption in the energy sector.

The report - requested by opposition lawmakers - said senior government officials fraudulently authorised the transfer of at least $122 million of public funds to a private company.

International donors said last month they will only pay outstanding pledges to what is one of Africa’s biggest per capita aid recipients if the findings of the report were published and action taken.

Parliament’s resolution called for the sacking of minister for energy and minerals, Sospeter Muhongo, the lands, housing and human settlement development minister, Anna Tibaijuka, attorney gen-

eral Frederick Werema, and the permanent secretary in the energy and minerals ministry, Eliachim Maswi.

The resolution is binding, and President Jakaya Kikwete, who returned to Tanzania on Saturday after cancer surgery in the United States, has little choice but to fire the officials.

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said on Saturday the government would implement the resolution.

All the government officials have denied wrongdoing.

Deputy technology minister, January Makamba, said Tanzania was going through tough times as a result of the delay to aid.

“If our currency can be destabilised by donors withholding support, we’re not truly independent and must find a way to live without donors,” Makamba said on Twitter.

Anger As Protesters Condemn Mubarak’s Trial

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rotests have erupted at universities across Egypt on Sunday, with protesters condemning a court decision to drop criminal charges against Hosni Mubarak, the president whose ouster in the 2011 uprising raised hopes of a new era of political openness.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Cairo University, waving pictures of Mubarak behind bars and demanding the “fall of the regime”, the rallying cry of the Arab Spring uprisings that shook governments from Tunisia to the Gulf in 2011.

Police stood ready at the gates to bar students that sought to take their demonstration into the streets.

An Egyptian court on Saturday dropped its case against Mubarak over the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprising that ended his 30-year rule.

The ruling was seen by activists as the latest sign that the rights won during the revolt are being eroded.

Two people were killed and nine were wounded on Saturday evening, when security

forces fired tear gas and birdshot to disperse about 1,000 protesters who attempted to enter Tahrir Square -- the symbolic heart of the revolt that ousted Mubarak.

Security forces closed a Cairo metro station, the state news agency said, an apparent effort to prevent gatherings downtown.

Clashes also erupted at Zagazig University in the Nile Delta, and the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper said 11 students were detained after setting fire to a building.

Mubarak

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

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world news

1,960 Couples Wed In Rio’s Biggest Mass Wedding

A stadium

total of 1,960 couples on Sunday in a hall next to the famous Maracana exchanged marital

vows in what could be described as Rio’s biggest mass wedding.

The big event brought out a whopping 12,000 people,

between brides and grooms, friends and family and authorities -- including a pack of judges, a Catholic priest and an evangelical Christian pastor.

Dubbed “I Do Day,” the event was sponsored by authorities to encourage many people who might not be able to afford to marry if they had to pay for

licenses and banquet halls.

The mega crowd gathered in the venue which is often used for major concerts, couples tied the knot and friends took in a

concert by samba star Dudu Nobre. Guests also got a free ride on local trains -- nicknamed the “I Do Day Train” just for the occasion.

Police Fire Pepper Spray On Protesting Students In Hong Kong

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olice officials have unleashed pepper spray and baton charges at protesting students who tried to storm Hong Kong’s government headquarters early Monday, as tensions soared in the third month of pro-democracy protests.

With morning rush hour under way, fresh scuffles broke out between police and demonstrators at the main Admiralty protest site.

Tearful protesters were forced from the government site and roads were cleared for traffic, but government offices remained closed with the de facto parliament suspended.

Emotions continued to run high with clashes between police and protesters at a shopping arcade near the Admiralty site, with at least one person stretchered away, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

In chaotic scenes overnight, hundreds of protesters wearing helmets and wielding umbrellas spilled into a major road outside the office of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying as police tried to beat them back with batons and pepper spray.

“I want true democracy!” protesters yelled. “Surround the headquarters. Paralyse the government.”

Protesters have been staging mass sit-ins in Hong Kong since late September,

demanding free leadership elections for the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

China’s communist authorities insist candidates for the 2017 vote must be vetted by a loyalist committee, which the protesters say will ensure the election of a pro-Beijing stooge.

Police said they had made 40 arrests overnight and 11 officers had been injured.

Several protesters were injured in the overnight clashes.

One was seen led away by police with a bloodied face, while others were tended to by first-aid volunteers after being hit with pepper spray.

Protesters wore builders’ hard hats and used umbrellas -- which have come to symbolise the pro-democracy movement -- to shield themselves from the pepper spray.

Police had to dodge helmets and bottles that were lobbed through the air. One officer was carted into the back of an ambulance on a stretcher.

“I’m more determined than ever, because the police are abusing their power,” protester Kelvin Lau told AFP. “This is a long-awaited escalation of action. It should have happened ages ago.”

Some at the Admiralty site Monday said they feared a wholescale police clearance.

“I think they will clear the whole camp. It’s all or nothing,” said 19-year-old student Yoki Tin.

Canada Aware Of Citizen’s Kidnap in Syria

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anadian authorities on Sunday said that it was “aware of reports” that one of its nationals may have been kidnapped in Syria, amid suggestions it could have been a woman fighting alongside Kurdish forces in Kobane.

The US-based monitoring group SITE said Islamic State jihadists claimed a woman described as a “female Zionist soldier” had been captured in the embattled Syrian border

town.

Some jihadists said the woman might be Gill Rosenberg, a Canadian-Israeli dual national who had served in the Israel Defense Forces and had volunteered to fight with the Kurds, the monitoring group said.

“The Government of Canada is aware of reports that a Canadian citizen was kidnapped in Syria,” a foreign ministry statement said.

“Canada is pursuing all ap-

propriate channels to seek further information and officials are in close contact with local authorities.”

The ministry added that it would not “comment or release any information which may compromise ongoing efforts and risks endangering the safety of Canadian citizens abroad.”

SITE said jihadists were discussing on the Internet whether the woman should be executed or traded for Muslim

prisoners.

IS jihadists began advancing on Kobane on September 16, hoping to quickly seize the small town and secure its grip on a large stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border, following advances it made in Iraq.

At one point, it looked set to overrun the town, but Kurdish Syrian fighters, backed by coalition air strikes and an influx of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces, have held back the group.

Vazquez Gets 53% Vote To Win Uruguay’s Presidential Runoff

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ormer President Tabare Vazquez has been declared the winner in Uruguay’s presidential runoff on Sunday, extending the left’s decade-long hold on power -- though not necessarily his predecessor’s ground-breaking marijuana laws, exit polls showed.

Vazquez, a 74-year-old cancer doctor who previously served as president from 2005 to 2010, won between 53 and 53.9 percent of the vote, and

will succeed his Broad Front (FA) party colleague Jose Mujica, according to three different exit polls.

His center-right opponent, 41-year-old lawmaker Luis Lacalle Pou, took between 40.6 and 42 percent of the vote, found the pollsters, Factum, Cifra and Equipos Mori.

Lacalle Pou, a former president’s son and passionate surfer who ran on the National Party ticket, conceded defeat after the exit polls were released.

The result, if confirmed, consolidates the FA’s hold on power and returns Vazquez, who swept them to office 10 years ago, to the helm in a game of political leapfrog for this country that forbids presidents from serving consecutive terms.

The small South American country will now watch to see how Vazquez, a straight-laced politician with a formal style, handles the take-over from Mujica, a former guerrilla

fighter and consummate rabble-rouser famous for living in a humble farmhouse and donating most of his salary to charity.

- Five more years Vazquez’s victory in 2004 represented a historic break with 174 years of dominance

by Uruguay’s two traditional parties: the “Colorados” (Reds) and “Blancos” (Whites, now officially called the National Party).

The ruling FA, a leftwing

coalition founded in 1971, was banned under Uruguay’s 1973-1985 dictatorship and spent another two decades in opposition before finally coming to power.

Vazquez ran as the candidate of change when he won in 2004, cruising to victory in a single round as voters punished the two traditional parties for the region’s 2002 economic crisis.

He left office with a 60-percent approval rating after get-

ting the economy back on track, passing tough anti-smoking legislation and launching a program to give every public school student a laptop.

The FA has now presided over 10 years of economic growth, which came in at 4.4 percent last year.

Lacalle Pou had run a muted campaign since the October 26 first-round vote, when he finished a distant second with 30.9 percent to 47.8 percent for Vazquez.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

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politics

NASS and The Weapon Of Impeachment incompetence? They are legion and our team is working assiduously to identify more before we come out with the notice.

We are very serious this time and will pursue it to the letter,” he said.

He disclosed that they have met with the PDP lawmakers in the Senate who are also desirous of removing the president and more meetings are going on. “When it is ripe, we will come out.”

Ugochukwu Onyeocha

A

s political parties and stalwarts prepare to do battle in the forthcoming 2015 general elections, recent activities seems to have shifted from the primaries of the respective political parties in the country to recent bizarre incidents in the National Assembly and its imagined and proposed consequences.

Barely a week after the invasion of the National Assembly by policemen who tried to prevent members of the House of Representatives from sitting to deliberate the proposed extension of the state of emergency in the North East States of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa by President Goodluck Jonathan, the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucuses in the Senate and House of Representatives geared up for battle and their objective at the moment is: impeach President Goodluck Jonathan.

Although details of what the lawmakers are doing to achieve the dream are sketchy, what is obvious is that they do not want President Jonathan to continue to preside over the affairs of the nation. That being said, the only alternative left is to impeach the president before his tenure expires in 2015.

The politics of impeachment is not new to the Nigerian political system. In 2014 alone, Nigerians have witnessed the impeachment of a Governor (Murtala Nyako of Adamawa), a Deputy Governor (Sunday Onyebuchi of Enugu), a speaker (Adewale Omirin of Ekiti) though still debatable among others.

However, none of these impeachments could be described to be as serious as the threatened impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan.

In order to accomplish their mission, the legislators in the two chambers recently opened a register to collate signatures of those that want the impeachment proceeding against Jonathan commenced. The existence of such register had always been in the realm of speculation, but the invasion of the National Assembly by security forces last week gave an opportunity to the authors and sympathizers to the project who had been looking for an avenue to avail them-selves of the opportunity to get to work.

Right now, claims bandied among NASS members are that over 120 House members, mainly of the APC stock, have appended their signatures to the register. While in the Senate, 63 members have signed for

the project.

The Senate’s angle is more interesting than that of the lower chamber. Some PDP lawmakers are said to be backing the move to push President Jonathan out of the top office.

A ranking senator, who did not disclose his identity, confirmed to newsmen on Thursday of the existence of the impeachment register in the Red Chamber. He said eight PDP senators “willingly wrote their names and appended their signatures to commence impeachment proceedings against President Jonathan.”

He vowed: “We will start the president’s impeachment once we get the required number. Some of the PDP senators have already signed the register.

“The president has consistently usurped the powers of the National Assembly and it is time to put a stop to that. The constitution has granted us the power to impeach any president that breaches the spirit and letters of the same constitution.”

The claims of the senator are not

strange; neither is it surprising. A member of the House of Representatives who also pleaded for anonymity had divulged that they were working in concert with some senators to oust Jonathan.

The House member, an APC faithful, claimed that they have compiled 50 impeachable offences against President Jona¬than.

The sins of the President He accused President Jonathan of showcasing “incompetence, corruption and unprecedented impunity.”

Dismissing claims that the plot is being spearheaded by APC lawmakers, the legislator claimed that some PDP members were also sympathetic to the move.

He said: “I am sure you read the reports today that senators are going to move against Jonathan? Now you can confirm that the impeachment is not about APC. It is a nonpartisan cause. We have all resolved that the man (President Jonathan) must go.

“Never in the history of Nigeria has a leader displayed such crass

incompetence as we have seen in President Jonathan. It is glaring and you can feel it. Mr. President, with due respect, has shown that he is not capable of running this country.

That is the basic truth.”

Unknown breaches Ironically, while the lawmaker was at ease accusing the president of breaching the constitution in the handling of some national matters, he had difficulty listing the breaches.

His argument for holding back the president’s offences is that it is too early in the day to release Jonathan’s sins. According to him, at the right time, they will be made known to every Nigerian.

“I want to assure that what we are doing is real but I cannot give you the list of offences now, but very soon, we shall make it public. And as we talk today, our men are working round the clock and I can confirm to you that over 50 impeachable offences that have been committed by Jonathan are noted.

Is it corruption? Is it impunity? Is it

Vague claims There may be some exaggeration in the claims of the two lawmakers but it will be foolhardy to dismiss the threat of impeachment against President Jonathan as mere political comedy. Even the presidency is unlikely to chuckle at the lawmakers.

In fact, the impeachment threat is widely touted as the underlying reason for the besieging of the National Assembly last week by the police .

Harbingers of the this position are of the contention that the calculation was to prevent the Speaker of the House, Hon Aminu Tambuwal from gaining access to the chamber so as to pave way for his ouster. They insist that his impeachment would put an end to the plot by APC lawmakers to move for the president’s impeachment.

The president’s men through the Senior Special Assistant to the president on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe had rubbished the claim. Okupe told newsmen that the presi¬dent had no hand in the invasion of the National Assembly by the police.

The Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba also dismissed the speculation that his men’s action was politically motivated. Instead, he told the House Committee on Police Affairs that the action was meant to prevent the invasion of the Assembly by hoodlums.

Whether or not Abba’s claim is approved by several Nigerians is another thing. What is glaring is that the presidency is likely uncomfortable with the prevailing air in the Senate and the House and believes that every option can be put to use in changing the reigning atmosphere in the two chambers to its favour.

Interestingly, the lawmakers are aware that their going after the president may mean receiving some unfamiliar tackles. They seem to have resolved to continue with their plots.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the ugly encounter with the police on Thursday last week, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon Zakari Mohammed said though they did not include CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

8

politics

2015: Can INEC Control Political The recent lifting of the ban on presidential and National Assembly campaigns by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially signaled the torrent of campaigns into these positions across the country. In this report, Ugochukwu Onyeocha, writes on the task before the electoral umpire to effectively track and control campaign funds and spending.

I

t is no longer news that the lid on the presidential and National Assembly campaigns has been lifted by the electoral commission. The ban was lifted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on November 16, signaling the 90 days provision before the conduct of elections.

By this action by the electoral commission, the presidential and National Assembly campaign machineries of political parties and aspirants have been legally allowed to get grinding.

However At the gubernatorial level they will have to wait till November 30.

The November 16th lifting of the ban does not imply that campaigns have not been ongoing previously.

Any political observer would recall that third party campaigns and rallies especially by the two major political parties- the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) have since set the stage for massive campaigns as it were.

However with the flag-off of presidential and national assembly elections, the spotlight now shifts to the electoral body to ensure that laws on campaign funding are not flouted. The Electoral Act empowers INEC to track such spending.

According to section 91 of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended, the maximum expenses to be incurred by a candidate at a presidential election shall be N1bn; for governorship it is N200m.

The Electoral Act also placed a campaign ceiling of N40m and N20m for senatorial and House of representative candidates. N10m is the fixed amount for election expenses in the state assembly and chairmanship election for an area council.

Accordingly, sanctions for candidates who knowingly flout these campaign spending limits are as follows: for presidential election it’s N1m or 12 months imprisonment or both. For a governor it’s N800,000 or nine months or both. N600,000 or imprisonment for six months would be slammed on a senatorial candidate, while N500,000 or five months imprisonment will be slammed on a House of Representative candidate who defaults on campaign spending.

But since 1999, there has been little or no record of the electoral commission tracking such campaign spend-

ings, let alone seeing to the prosecution of political parties or candidates that flout that section of the electoral act.

From heavy jingles on television and radio to huge billboards splattered all over the country, there was little or no check on the campaign spending spree as far as legal restrictions provide.

A political analyst, Chimezie Okoroafor, noted, “ It is a shame that we have never really looked critically in the direction of campaign spendings in this country and that is a sad commentary because this is a very serious issue. We have the laws which are supposed to check corrupt acts; but we have a situation were the relevant bodies turn a blind eye to it because maybe they don’t have the capacity to deal with it or they just don’t care.”

INEC, under Prof. Attahiru Jega has set up a department to tackle this issue, a first since the emergence of INEC. The chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Kayode Idowu, stated that the commission has put structures in place to ensure that they track such campaign spendings as directed by the law. He noted that unlike the 2011 general elections a specific unit has been created by the commission to monitor spending of candidates in the 2015

election.

Idowu, said “The commission has put structures in place to track expenditure. That structure did not exist in 2011. And we could not do much in that regard. Now we. Have been able to put structure in place to track expenditure and we are going to be doing that.”

But just how far it can go is another problem. The commission appears to be in a dilemma when it comes to tracking and slamming candidates who exceed the stipulated amount fixed for campaign spending, as it can only act after the action has been committed. More so, for a commission that has often complained of being over burdened, it is doubtful that the commission can handle so much in this regard.

Idowu conveyed such concerns as he noted that “The situation now is that we can only know whether a person has over spent until he or she has spent it. you cannot stop people from spending until the person has spent. What the law anticipates is that we have put ceiling on spending and we will now monitor to know whether we can make a case about it.”

He continued, “INEC can only work

within the framework of the law. You are absolutely right that INEC does not have the capacity to handle the magnitude of electoral offenses. That is given and we have said over and again. That is why we have always called for election tribunal. But if the law says INEC should do something even within the constraints, INEC will do what is possible within those constraints.”

“INEC will do what it has to do within the framework of the law as it exists at the present. For instance the law says we should publish the audited yearly accounts of the political parties and that is what we have always done.

We audit and publish that is what the law says we should do. So after we publish what next. There are places where you have offenses and you don’t have sanctions stated.”

On specifics on the measures put in place by the commission he said: “We have a department that tracks such expenditures, the department is functional. The capacity is there.”

On whether they would be liasoning with banks, he said “As many ways a possible. Adverts and each of pages cost, bill boards, etc. They will add up all the expenses made and come up with the outcome.”

So far there is no enforcement of the law from INEC, which has power to monitor campaign finance, audit the accounts of political parties, and make that information available to the public, as enshrined in Section 153 of the Constitution, as well as Part 1 of the Third Schedule.

Nevertheless, election campaigns don’t come cheap. Naturally, campaign spendings form a huge chunk of monies spent during elections, arguably next to logistics, including transportation, hotel lodgings and so on.

As far as elections go in Nigeria, most political parties raise campaign committees to fund their candidates, even though candidates are at liberty to also do their bit.

Already, with the high cost of expression of interest and nomination forms by the two major parties, campaign war chests are steadily being accumulated.

Soon when the candidates emerge, fund raises will be hosted by the parties.

Still the debate rages over where to draw the line between the use of public funds and personal funds for campaign purposes, a line so thin it barely exists, some analysts argue. To this end,

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

9

politics

Campaign Spending? some parties that do not have as much clout (by virtue of controlling states) as the two major political parties, have clamoured for the electoral body to reverse its action on giving funds to the political parties. They argue that they stand at a disadvantage going into major elections.

However a civil society organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Projects (SERAP), has threatened to drag the PDP and APC to court over their spending towards the 2015 general elections.

The organisation said that if the information about the sources and spending on the electoral campaigns and other operations linked to the February 2015 general elections was not made public within 14 days, it would take appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act to get the information.

The group, in a statement signed by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, stressed that Nigerians had the right to know about spending by their political parties especially the major parties, the PDP and APC because they had strong possibility to assume government in the future.

The statement, while making reference to two separate letters dated November 18, 2014 and addressed to the national chairman of PDP, Adamu Muazu and APC national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, pointed to “se-

rious concerns about the risks of corruption during electoral campaigns for the February 2015 general elections, especially the role of money in politics and the persistent failure generally to comply with national and international law on political party finance.”

The organisation also told the political parties to make available information on their entire budget (incomes and expenditures) and their sources (including those derived from federal, state and other institutions) for the campaigns and other operations related to the February 2015 general elections.

SERAP equally wants information on the total amounts spent and the anticipated spending and the sources of any such spending related to the February 2015 general elections.

It also wants details about total contributions received by the presidential candidates and candidates for the governorship elections and the sources of any such contributions.

According to SERAP, “By virtue of Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011, it is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information being requested.

“Under the FOI Act, your party is under a binding legal obligation to provide the applicant with the information requested for, except as otherwise provided by the Act, within 7 days after the application is received.

“By sections 2(3)(d)(V) & (4) of the FOI Act, there is a binding legal duty to ensure that documents containing the necessary information are widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means.

“The information being requested does not come within the purview of the types of information exempted from disclosure by the provisions of the FOI Act. “Citizens should be able to examine financial transactions of parties and be certain that politicians are working for their voters, not their benefactors.

“The parties cannot take the position that the FOI Act does not apply to them because to do so will seriously undermine citizens’ trust in their political parties and lack of trust will inevitably destroy confidence in the system and decrease citizens’ interest and participation in democratic processes.

“We believe that without free and fair elections there can be no democracy. However, elections are only one part of the democratic process, and a fair and effective electoral system must be founded in an adequate democratic infrastructure and responsibility of political leaders.”

However a political party finance manual by INEC in 2005 stated: “One of the problems with disclosure concern the extent and accuracy of reports.

While it may seem obvious that parties

and candidates are required to disclose full information about their financial transactions, the reality lags behind this optimistic assumption. There are countries where only campaign income and spending has to be reported while routine expenses of political organisations remain hidden from the public eye.

“Other countries require reports about the finances of party headquarters while financial activities of local organisations are left unreported. In yet other countries, parties have to report about their local and central levels but transactions of affiliated units (women’s organisations, youth organisations, political foundations etc.) remain unknown to the general public.

“Political parties and/or individual candidates may be tempted to report a distorted picture of their finances to appropriate official bodies for a number of reasons. One of the reasons for misreporting can be receipt of larger donations in cash. In some cases, these may be so- called kickbacks from contracts with public institutions or other contributions of illegal character (e.g. abuse of state resources). Alternatively, some donors may be excessively concerned with preserving their privacy and require no reporting as a precondition for a contribution.

“Another reason for misreporting stems from the requirement (introduced in some countries) to reveal not only finances of a party/candidate but

also resources spent on their behalf.

At times, the imprecision and incomplete reports may be intentional to hide financial supporters or to decrease the overall amount of money spent on election campaign. One more reason is related to different “ceilings” set in the legislation. For example, a party may report lower than actual income in order to comply with the maximum amount of donations allowed by the legislation.“While disclosure is an important element of fair democratic process, its significance can be reduced in the absence of effective enforcement mechanisms. Many scholars have admitted that an excellent legislative framework for political and/or campaign finance is not sufficient to provide a meaningful control over money in politics. Another highly important component is impartial and timely enforcement of the existing regulations that brings at least some kind of sanctions against violators.

“Moreover, an effective tool would be a highly competitive party system where parties carefully monitor the activities of other contenders and state agencies and appeal to the public in the case of any irregularities or inadequate enforcement. This phenomenon refers to a growing sense among political parties that it is in their best interest to restrict mutual political competition in the name of their long-term survival.”

NASS and The Weapon Of Impeachment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

impeachment notice in the Order Paper of the day they met to consider President Jonathan’s request for an extension of emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the issue will resurface some other day.

He was not specific on the day such issue will become one of the items in the order paper. His view on the matter was sketchy but it was loaded with meaning. It pointed clearly the direction the chamber was going on the issue.

Game of Numbers This is another factor that will determine how the plot will go. As the House inches close to its December 3 resumption date, the situation in House is still fluid. The gale of lawmaker’s defection, which has tossed majority status between the PDP and APC in the House, remains a reference point as far as the impeachment threats are concerned.

For now, Tambuwal’s defection to the APC puts the opposition in the

leadership of the House over a PDP dominated House (in term of numbers), a first since 1999. However, it is worthy of note to state that PDP lawmakers have a majority with 189 members to APC’s 159. The remaining 12 lawmakers are from other parties.

President not guilty The Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Leo Ogor, who is a staunch proJonathan man did not contest the existence of the impeachment plots against the president, he only ruled out its viability.

According to him, the project will fail on arrival. He told newsmen that the president has not violated any rule to deserve impeachment.

His words: “The President is unaware of what happened on the day of invasion of the National Assembly, so bringing impeachment up is going to be defeated. The president has done no wrong; impeachment should not even be part of the issue.”

He urged members to jettison

such plans, arguing that the notice of impeachment is inconsequential, as the president had no hand in what transpired at the National Assembly.

Unperturbed president President Jonathan may not be ruffled so much by the impeachment threat given the fact that the time left for the current administration to elapse is unlikely to accommodate the exercise. Even those who are behind the project are aware that time is not on their side for a project of this magnitude.

They believe that even if at the end of the day they fail to unseat him, they can successfully bruise his political image.

Moreover, most of the lawmakers from next month would be so busy with political campaigns and pursuing their political mandates and won’t have much time for any other business, especially one that would take years and a very long process to accomplish.

Certainly, the president and his

foot soldiers know this fact. They are also aware that, in politics, things can happen in a fleeting manner. But all eyes are watching. Will the impeachment threat turn a joke taken

too far like was the case under former President Olusegun Obasanjo or will the move be nipped in the bud by the president? Next few weeks will tell.

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

10

business

Auto Policy: Nigeria Joins ...Cars Importation Drop By 20% ...We have Exceeded Expectations –Aganga

L-R Minister of Industry Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga, CEO IVM Ltd, Innocent Chukwuma, Former Governor Anambra State , Peter Obi, Deputy Gov Anambra State, Nkem Okeke and Managing Director Bank of Industry, Rasheed Olaoluwa. Unveiling the IVM Fox at IVM Plant, Nnewi on Saturday 29th November 2014.

N

igeria has joined the league of car manufacturing countries like Germany, Britain, United States, China, Japan and other developed countries with the historic unveiling of the first ever truly made-in-Nigeria cars by the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, in Nnewi, Anambra State on Saturday 29th November.

Unveiling the IVM Fox hatchback and the IVM Umu saloon cars at the company’s Plant in Nnewi, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, noted that the historic feat was made possible by the recent Auto Policy of the federal government, which he said had dramatically reduced the volume of imported cars by 20 per cent since its introduction.

“This is another milestone under President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who has insisted in positioning industrialisation and value addition in the forefront of his administration’s developmental policies and I commend Innoson for making significant

investments to show that he supports our industrial policies,” he said.

He pointed out that President Jonathan has implemented policies that would diversify the country’s economy and sources of government revenue, given the fact that Nigeria has the raw materials to support industrialisation and so far the policies were yielding the desired results.

Commenting on the local content analysis done on the IVM brand vehicles by the Nigerian Society of Engineers NSE, which disclosed that the vehicles were made up of about 70 per cent locally sourced contents, the minister pointed out that there was no country in the world that could boast of 100 per cent local content.

“Some OEMs do only 30 per cent but today we are all here making history in Nnewi the Japan of Africa, where we have successfully produced 70 per cent local component cars which is one of the highest and when you talk about affordability, Innoson is the cheapest,” he said.

Aganga added that other global

brands like Nissan, Peugeot and others were driving partnerships and capacity expansion in the country’s auto sector.

“As we talk of the fall of oil price it has become critical that we cannot continue to import what we can produce here in Nigeria. We spend about $6 billion annually importing cars. However since the introduction of this policy, we have experienced a 20 per cent drop in imported cars and have exceeded expectations in a very short period,” he said.

According to Aganga, those who initially opposed the Auto Policy have decided to go into production: “Without the political will of the President we would have had a policy reversal with the amount of pressure that was mounted on us to drop it and we would not have been here unveiling these today,” he said.

He commended Innocent Chukwuma, the Chief Executive Officer of the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, for possessing a can-do spirit which has propelled the company to dizzying heights of in-

dustrial success.

“Our industries deserve infrastructural and financial support to reach their objectives and for Innoson those two critical support components came from the administration of the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi and the Bank of Industry BoI,” he said.

Aganga pledged the federal government’s continued patronage of locally manufactured products stressing that in passing the Auto Policy it was established that government will only buy made in Nigeria cars and provide the needed support for industries to excel and compete globally.

“We plan to open three auto component cluster parks in the country and we need the governor of Anambra State (Willie Obiano) to sign an MoU and give us a piece of land and the C of O here in Nnewi and we would establish one of the three cluster parks here,” he said.

Making his remarks, the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry BoI, Rasheed Olaoluwa, expressed

the delight of the development Bank in witnessing the historic event.

“In Nigeria today, there are many companies that are into the assembly of cars but today for the first time we are actually manufacturing cars.

The Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan NIRP is beginning to bear fruits in the key areas of competitive and comparative advantages, where we can drive growth and development in the economy.

He noted that Innoson was an exemplary customer of the bank adding that this was the beginning of more good things to come from the Bank’s partnership with the company.

In his speech the president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers NSE, Engr. Ademola Olorunfemi, disclosed that few years ago when the body paid a visit to the Vehicle plant, they were given an IVM Bus to carry out a product analysis on it.

“We did observe that being an effort in the right direction, more needed to be done to introduce more local content into it and more. Today, within two years Innoson has improved on all our recommendations and increased the vehicles local content up to 70 per cent which is not less than what is obtainable elsewhere in the world,” he said.

He announced that the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, has been granted permit by the Nigerian Society of Engineers to use the NSE seal, while the CEO, Innocent Chukwuma will be inducted into the NSE hall of fame, making him the 19th person in over 60 years of the body’s existence to be so highly honoured.

He urged President Jonathan to muster all the political will at his disposal to mandate the use of only made-in-Nigeria cars by all MDAs. Representing the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, his Deputy Nkem Okeke, commended the Innoson group for the company’s developmental strides, value addition and job creation.

“It is not only through trade that a nation can develop, but through the conversion of our local raw materials into finished products. Therefore we will continue to support Innoson and CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

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business

league of Car Manufacturers

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

other well-meaning industrialists,” he said.

Okeke stressed that the only way a company like Innoson can develop is when the nation buys the products of local manufacturers.

“I thank BoI and I hope that what they have done for Innoson will be extended to other industries from this state in our quest to provide jobs for our citizens,” he said.

In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion and National President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria MAN, Dr. Frank Jacobs, noted that the feat of achieving the production of made-in-Nigeria cars was attained despite the challenging business environment which manufacturers faced in the country.

“It is a testimony that the Federal Government’s Auto Policy is working. The automobile industry Bill has not yet been passed by the National Assembly and we are all expecting

that it will be done soon enough,” he said.

Chika Nwokoye, a principal officer of the National Automotive Council NAC, noted that Innoson has shown evidence that the vision of the federal government’s Auto Policy can be transformed into reality.

“We have already seen some of these vehicles on the roads and we thank the federal government for giving this policy an opportunity to be implemented. The lack of support from previous administrations had caused the massive closures and relocations of many spare parts manufacturers from Nnewi that is supposed to be an auto component hub in the country, but we believe that going by what we are seeing today, in a few years time Nnewi will be a thriving auto hub,” he said.

The National Vice President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture NACCIMA, JC Nwag-

bara, noted that this has marked the beginning of a new era in the auto sector thanks to the doggedness and commitment of the Innoson Group.

He said that the company has stated in clear terms that the private sector was working, through the realisation of this dream.

“The government has done so well in promoting industrialisation, I urge them at all levels of government to use locally made vehicles and do all that is possible to make ours globally competitive and of international standards,” he said.

Nwagbara pointed out that the quality of the IVM Brand of vehicles in terms of convenience and luxury compares favourably with international brands and hopefully will curb the taste of Nigerians for foreign brands/imported vehicles.

Earlier the CEO of IVM, Innocent Chukwuma, recalled the rough road to success, which started in March 2007 amidst speculations and doubts from critics. “But then we were not

discouraged, rather we were prepared to prove them wrong and to show that something exceptionally good can take place in Nigeria,” he said.

He noted that three years later, in 2010 IVM started producing buses of different types; double cabin pickups; manual and auto transmission models of SUVs. “President Goodluck Jonathan, on October 15th, 2010 came and commissioned the motor Plant. Indeed that occasion obviously was not only eventful but clearly signified the level of regard his administration has for our initiative. Of course the IVM brands so far produced are of high quality and they are already in use throughout the major cities in Nigeria,” he said.

He stated that the cars were carefully built to meet the expectations of Nigerians and ever ready to offer quality services to private and corporate individuals.

“I am very happy that my vision

is producing the expected result in the auto industry. The entire staff of IVM is filled with towards this great occasion. Our herats are full of happiness to see the final outcome of IVM Fox, IVM Umu and IVM Uzo which are priced between N1.4 million and N3.2 million,” he said.

Chukwuma reserved special gratitude for the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi for his massive support in terms of patronage, which he noted remains the highest since the inception of the company.

He described the IVM Fox as a unique car powered by a 1.5 litre Mitsubishi engine for the Nigerian environment. The car is a saloon car with a hatchback model on either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission, fully air-conditioned with air-bags and navigation.

The IVM Umu, he described as a classy looking car with a 2.0 litre engine, park assist, navigation and other components of a luxury car

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

12

leisure

How Female Fan Kissed Wizkid At Club Tour!

By Opeoluwani Akintayo

M

ove over Tania, someone is about to take your man

P-Square Dynasty May Finally Crash After Father’s Death!

By Judith Frank-Edet

T

hey say all good things must come to an end. That’s why we grieve with the Okoye family on the passing away of their father, Mazi Moses Okoye, on Monday, November 24, 2014. He was said to have died days after undergoing a successful knee surgery. Till press time, there’s still no clear details on the cause of his death as the Okoye family are yet to make a statement on the sad incident.

He however was said to have been planning to go for a regular physiotherapy program when he ‘just fell’.

According to insiders, the death of the father of super star musicians, P Square, was so sudden that those who saw him a few hours before he slumped in the Omole-Ikeja home of his sons, are still in shock. Findings reveal that he was just on singlet and boxers, watching TV with some visitors until he disengaged to his bedroom where he suddenly collapsed.

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but gave up before doctors could attend to him. Pa Okoye, who left Jos for Lagos some two weeks ago for the knee surgery, usu-

ally had respiratory (breathing) issues, which many believe might have led to his death.

With the death of their father and the loss of their mother, Josephine Okoye, to cancer in 2012, P-Square are now official orphans. The late Mrs Josephine Okoye, was said to be the backbone of their music career and their song ‘Beautiful Onyinye’, was dedicated to her.

Meanwhile, we have even bigger fears for the Okoye family. Now that there is no strong family member that can stand as the pillar of their career and bind the brothers, this might finally be the end of the P-Square dynasty. We fear serious controversy looms in the dark.

Blood they say is thicker than water however, it seems the blood between the Okoye brothers in the last couple of months is thinning away. The family has been through a tumultuous phase musically, which almost saw each of them going solo.

It started when Jude Okoye, tweeted “After 10 years it’s over. Am done.” It sent shock waves to his fans and the entire entertainment industry with their fans fearing the worst.

Reports had it that Peter felt sidelined by his brothers Jude and Paul and that people see

him as the passive member of the group. He accused Jude of letting Paul do most of the songs so, he Peter is seen as a mere dancer.

He also accused his brother Jude of disrespecting his wife, Lola Omotayo who was pregnant at that time. He said he was tired of tolerating all that from his brother.

If you noticed, Jude didn’t attend their wedding last year despite the fact that he was in Nigeria and Peter on the other hand did not attend Jude‘s wedding to Ifeoma Umeokeke They even called in a lawyer to share their properties which they jointly own. Were it not for the intervention of famous people, the group would have gone their separate ways. What also brought them together, was the Glo endorsement deal which they signed together.

You may think that that the bad blood is gone and buried but, not yet. There are indications that things will happen again and this time, even worse as their parents are no longer there to salvage any controversy.

Peter Okoye is gradually delving out of P-square to being his own boss. He recently floated his own records label, P-Classic Record, which is said to be a subsidiary of his company P-Classic Group.

Peter even went ahead to sign a new artiste who is also his cousin, Malcolm Obinna Clint Onyeyiri aka Malcoholic Obinna. We also heard he is also in talks with other acts to come on board and work with him.

It may interest you to know that Peter has gone ahead to get his first endorsement without his brother Paul. This is the first time this will be happening because all their other contracts are always signed together. He signed a multimillion naira endorsement deal with Olympic Milk, and he was quoted to saying: “Music is like football. For example, if I play for Barcelona and I get endorsed by Nike, it doesn’t mean the whole Barcelona team has been endorsed. This is about me and not me and Paul….

Again for the first time in history, P-square went outside their record label to work with another producer, not Jude.

They worked with Music heavy weight, Don Jazzy who produced their new song and collabo.

Also the wives are reportedly not close. What you see on pictures is not how they really are. Now that their parents are dead, if those break up bombshells hit us again, who will save P-square?

away!

Something spectacular happened at Hennessy Artistry South Africa club tour as Wizkid, who was one of the headliners, got a kiss from a female fan.

Wizkid who performed last Friday night, November 21st alongside 2face Idibia at the first ever South African club tour, had female fans screaming his name throughout the event.

Wizkid attended the club event without a date unlike in Lagos where his girlfriend, Ta nia would ward off over eager fans.

No wonder he posted on his Instagram account, “Single for the night!”. The club was

packed to capacity as female fans could not wait to lay their hands on him.

While Wiz tried to shake fans and pose for photos on stage, one female fan pulled the superstar for a quick kiss to everyone, including Wizkid’s surprise. The StarBoy later performed a few tracks off his latest album, “Ayo” as fans sang along to every song.

How Tiwa Savage, Tee Billz Celebrated 1 Year Wedding Anniversary With Few Words

By Opeoluwani Akintayo

A

s much as we want to believe all is well between Tiwa Savage and her husband, Tunji Balogun, they keep fueling rumours even the more.

Flashback to when the duo just wedded, we remember vividly that Tiwa especially, was always all over social media, gushing about her boo to the admiration of all and sundry.

Then rumour started flying that there’s trouble in paradise yet, the couple didn’t come out to debunk it until much later. And now, after all rumours were rested, Sunday, Nov.23 makes it one year into their marriage and Tiwa, who has been MIA for some time on social media, suddenly surfaced to remind us of their anniversary however, with few words. She simply wrote “23/11/2015#Anniversary”, accompanying it with just a love sign after sharing one of their traditional wedding photos.

Is that all? No gushing about Tunji anymore? Wow, we were shocked anyway.

But not to worry, just like

Tiwa, Tunji also wrote something brief on his Instagram wall. After also sharing one of their traditional wedding photos he simply wrote, “Immortal”, also accompanying it with a love sign. That’s all too! No more gushing about Tiwa and how their love is growing stronger and all?

Ologba of Ogba, Oba Sanni Asade Is Dead

By Isaac Oguntoye The Ologba of Ogba, Oba Sanni Asade is dead.

According to inside sources, the monarch head who was one sick bed for some time, died as a result of old age.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

13

leisure

Weed Takes Over Gateway Hotel, Sango Ota

By Issac Oguntoye

T

he once clean and serene atmosphere which enveloped Gateway Hotel, Sango Otta, ihas vanished as Information reaching us has it that the Ogun State government owned hospitality facility, is presently below expectation.

As you read this, some of the

infrastructure which ought to have been maintenance by the state’s government, have been abandoned.

If you happen to be conversant with the happenstance around the State governments owned popular hotel, you will agreed that it is now a shadow of itself, a forgotten stone.

Residents have ceased to use its vicinity for events, and patronages have also ceased on

all sides.

The last time we checked, the swimming pool, event halls, seminar, conference and relaxation center within the hotel has been covered with weeds almost as tall as a human being.

Meanwhile, stakeholders are imploring the state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun to correct this norm and bring back the old glory of the facility.

“A Healer Does Not Retire”-Quincy Clear Air

By Isaac Oguntoye

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or some time now, customers have been asking the renowned herbal medicine practitioner, Quincy Ayodele when she will retire since she now has a lovely daughter, Tobi Keeney who has picked up interest in developing the business with fresh innovations.

In a recent chat, the everradiant World Health Organization expert who has diversified into skin line aside the slimming business that she’s known with, explained that she doesn’t have the intention of leaving the healing business. “A healer does not retire. Aside that, I don’t work everyday. I’ve also been trying to step aside to allow my daughter do most of the job because she’s been doing it well but you can’t take away

the fact that this is what I have been doing for several years and it won’t be easy to step down just like but as per retiring. I’m not retiring but I will allow my daughter to do most of the work.”

The notable herbal slimmer Doctor, also spoke on her new skin line venture saying; “We realized that in Nigeria today, almost everyone wants to have a lighter skin irrespective of the consequence and this has been causing a whole lot of skin damages. Prior to that, we asked questions on what can we do to curb this problem?

And this warrants us to go back to our drawing board and we came up with a full skin line that will take you through your proper routine and it is made from purely natural medicine. The products will be unveil next year, 2015”

Bill Cosby Rape Scandal Gets Even Worse!

By Opeoluwani Akintayo

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Davido Calms Fans Frail Nerves

By Opeoluwani Akintayo

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fter report spread that O.B.O dude, Davido, didn’t win a single award at the just concluded 2014 Channel O awards held last weekend in South Africa, the artistes is trying as much as possible to console himself and his loyal fans.

Obviously, team Davido hit hard on him for letting them down this time, rounding off year 2014 in a very sad note, he quickly took to twitter to calm their hurting hearts. He assures his fans that he’ll work harder and that year 2015 will be better.

“Shout out to team Davido, we didn’t win yesterday. It happens, but trust me we are coming back harder and harder. I love you guys for all the support” Although Davido didn’t pick any plaque out of the 5 categories he was nominated in for the Channel O awards, year 2014 has however been a fruitful year for the artistes in terms of other awards he’d won, cash resting in his bank account, plus endorsement deals that rolled in in the course of the year.

His achievement in the year 2014 alone, has made him the envy of his colleagues. Obviously, Davido

came in, and took the shine away from Wizkid who used to be the cynosure of all eyes,

a situation which led to both acts turning into enemies overnight.

ith more rape allegations springing up against 77 year old Bill Cosby, we wonder whether he would ever catch a break now.

Another attack is coming from a prominent US citizen, Donald Thump as he voices out his opinion on the issue.

Trump added himself to the long list of Cosby naysayers, kicking Cosby in the butt for remaining silent on the allegations.

Taking to Twitter, Thump called Cosby names, probably indicting him already.

“Bill Cosby is foolish, stupid, or getting bad advice in

remaining silent if he is innocent. Probably guilty! Not a fan”, he twitted.

Cosby suffered yet another consequence of his alleged rape scandal earlier this week when his alma mater, The University of Massachusetts Amherst, severed its ties with him, the Boston Globe reports.

Earning master’s and doctorate degrees from the institution, the comedian was elected as an honorary co-chairman of the school’s fundraising campaign. The school’s spokesman announced that the post was no longer filled by Cosby.

“He no longer has any affiliation with the campaign nor does he serve in any other capacity for the university,” he said.

Ologba of Ogba, Oba Sanni Asade Is Dead

By Isaac Oguntoye

T

he Ologba of Ogba, Oba Sanni Asade is dead.

According to inside sources, the monarch head who was one sick bed for some time, died as a result of old age.

We gathered that all shop owners around the environment were asked to lock up

their shops in respect of the king’s death. In case you didn’t know, the Ancient Kingdom of Ogbaland has been acknowledged by the British Crown since the 1850’s and His Majesty King (Oba) Dr. Ibrahim Sanni Arolagbade Ashade (IV) The Ologba Of Ogba Kingdom, has been an agent of transformation since he was ordained the new king of the kingdom.

health

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

14

97% Of Nigerians At Risk Of Malaria

Dr Lazarus Ude Eze is the curator of #BeatMalaria Campaign, a Social Good Ambassador and was recently Certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), in this interview with Lara Adejoro, he believes that with strong political will at all levels of governance in Nigeria, malaria will be completely eliminated.

Y

ou use the social media to help in the fight against malaria, how far have you gone on this and what has been the responsiveness of Nigerians especially in the rural areas?

Using the #BeatMalaria on social media, I educate Nigerians on preventive measures against malaria. The responses have been pleasant. I can’t palpate the response in rural areas because social media is not commonly used in such areas. However, I also work in rural communities and I often receive commendations for my professionalism and dedication towards malaria control in those areas.

From experiences on your work, where are the hotspots of malaria in the country?

Many areas across the country are hotspots for malaria. Studies have shown that about 97 per cent of Nigerians are at risk of having malaria.

The other 3 per cent with minimal risk are residents of high altitude areas of the country. So, almost everywhere is a hotspot.

Who are the major victims of this disease?

Children under-five years of age and pregnant women are usually the major victims of malaria. 1 out of 4 deaths among under-five children in Nigeria is caused by malaria. On the other hand, it accounts for 11 per cent of pregnancy-related deaths among women of child bearing age.

There are an estimated 300,000 deaths per year in Nigeria owing to malaria compared to 215,000 deaths per year in Nigeria from HIV/AIDS, why is that so despite WHO’s commitment to eliminating malaria?

It is unfortunate that Malaria remains the highest killer of children under Five years of age in Nigeria.

Pleasantly, there has been increased global effort to eliminate malaria through increase in funding of prevention and treatment measures and the results will soon be evident.

A Rapid Impact Assessment survey carried out recently by the National Malaria Elimination Programme shows downward trend in the mortality rate from malaria. A bigger national survey will be carried out next year to measure the impact of various malaria control interventions in Nigeria and I expect a drop in mortality rate. How-

ever, I believe a strong political will at all levels of governance in Nigeria is required to control and eliminate malaria in the country.

Private sector and ordinary Nigerians all have roles to play but government must lead and coordinate the efforts. At present, I’m sorry to say that I’m yet to observe the demonstration of enough commitment by the political leadership to eliminate malaria in Nigeria.

How safe is the use of malaria drugs for pregnant women?

Depending on the gestational age, various antimalarial medications are used safely by pregnant women.

Special caution must be observed in the use of any drug during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Use of drugs in pregnancy should be with doctor’s prescription and dispensed by a pharmacist or any other trained health worker where doctors and pharmacists are not available.

As a public health expert, what are the best means of preventing and treating malaria?

For me, the best means of preventing malaria is elimination of the vector known as female anopheles mosquitoes. Last year, a Greek diplomat explained how his country eliminated malaria in the 1970s and wondered why Nigeria has failed to do same. No doubt it’s going to be capital intensive but with strong political will, it is very possible. While we keep hoping for a total elimination of malaria, Nigerians are encouraged to keep their surroundings clean, use insecticides (but not where you have babies) and sleep inside treated mosquito nets.

Working in the rural communities could be a bit challenging, based on the literacy level of the dwellers and the religious beliefs of some people, how have you been able to go about doing your job smoothly?

The organization I work for – the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) has rich experience and track record in community engagement. In any developmental programming, carrying the people along from onset is key to a successful project implementation.

My colleagues and I work closely with community and religious leaders and ensure effective communication with rural dwellers in passing out the malaria prevention message. For in-

‘‘

1 out of 4 deaths among under-five children in Nigeria is caused by malaria. On the other hand, it accounts for 11 per cent of pregnancyrelated deaths among women of child bearing age... I’m yet to observe the demonstration of enough commitment by the political leadership

,,

to eliminate malaria in Nigeria...

stance, we hold community dialogues in more than 1,000 communities across 5 states. We also support meetings of women in villages to discuss malaria prevention measures. We built the capacity of more than a thousand women volunteers who help in provision of malaria prevention and prompt treatment services in their communities. Cooperation among team members and the support of the local and state authorities are responsible for the success we’ve recorded so far in the effort to #BeatMalaria.

What are the general challenges in the fight against malaria in the country and what are the ways forward?

The challenges include but not limited to weak political will, inadequate funding, poor coordination of control measures, insecurity, weak health system and poor attitude of some health care workers. Many people are working very hard but unfortunately, it is largely a case of plenty motions with minimal move-

ment. The way forward is for Nigeria as a country to make a firm decision that she wants to eliminate malaria.

No foreign organization or development partner will do it for us. When this decision is made with sincerity and strong commitment, every other thing will fall in place. We have the technical capacity and the potential to mobilize enough resources to eliminate malaria. We can’t continue to allow this preventable and treatable disease to continue to kill our children and mothers.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

15

health Tattoo Removal Laser May Help Reduce Acne Scars

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he same kind of laser that is used to remove tattoos may help reduce scarring from acne, a small pilot study

shows.

However, the laser tested in this new study transmits lower energy doses and was used with a special add-on lens. The treatment reduced acne scarring by an average of 25 per cent to 50 per cent in 20 patients.

“We now have a safe, effective treatment option for acne scars in individuals of all skin types that requires

minimal preparation before treatment and results in minimal downtime afterward,” said lead researcher Dr. Jeremy Brauer, a dermatologist at Laser & Skin Surgery Centre of New York.

Research has shown that acne scarring has negative psychological effects. The scars can ruin the skin’s texture and are hard to conceal with makeup, said Dr. Omar Ibrahimi, a dermatologist at Stamford Hospital and Connecticut Skin Institute who specializes in treating scarring.

“Acne scarring can have a very

negative impact on a person’s wellbeing, and moderate and severe acne can leave its mark in the form of acne scars long after the condition has passed,” Ibrahimi said. “Given that acne is a disease of youth, these scars can have a negative impact on a person’s functioning in their most formative years.

“A procedure that has the potential to improve acne scars with only a few hours to a few days of redness and swelling is quite impressive,” WebMD reports.

With Gene Mutations, Second Breast Cancer Risk Rises Over Time

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Caffeine May Offer A New Treatment Option For Women Cocaine Addicts

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recent report on the Zee News says Caffeine, a compound found in tea, coffee and various nuts and berries may offer a new treatment option for women cocaine addicts, research shows.

Caffeine may be neuro-protective and able to block cocaine’s direct effects on the oestrus cycle - a recurring period of sexual receptivity and fertility in many females.

Cocaine shifts the oestrus cycle, thereby changing a woman’s estrogen levels. Caffeine can block these changes.

“This is cutting-edge work that has never been shown before. It is critical knowledge relevant to women’s reproductive health,” explained Patricia Broderick, professor from the City University of New York.

Women are more sensitive to the effects of cocaine and more susceptible to cocaine abuse than men.

Cocaine’s ability to disrupt a woman’s oestrus cycle may explain

the sex differences in cocaine addiction.

The findings appeared in the Jour-

nal of Caffeine Research: The International Multidisciplinary Journal of Caffeine Science.

omen who are genetically susceptible to breast cancer and develop it in one breast are at higher than average risk for a tumor in the other breast, and that risk may increase as time goes on, according to a new analysis, according to a report on Fox News.

Mutations in the BRCA 1 or 2 genes increase the risk for several types of cancer and account for 5 per cent to 10 per cent of breast cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Researchers from Spain reviewed 20 studies of the risk of cancer in the second breast of BRCA 1 and 2 carriers.

For breast cancer patients with the BRCA 1 mutation, the risk of a cancer in the opposite breast rose from 15 per cent at five years after diagnosis to 27 per cent at 10 years and 33 per cent at 15 years.

For the BRCA 2 mutation, the risk increased from nine percent at five years to 19 per cent at 10 years to 23 per cent at 15 years.

For women with neither mutation, the risk of cancer in the opposite breast stayed low at 3 percent and five per cent at the five and 10 year marks, according to results in the journal The Breast. There wasn’t enough data to estimate the 15-year risk in this group, the authors write.

Even though the risk for cancer of the second breast is much higher for BRCA carriers, it still means there is a 70 to 80 per cent chance that they won’t develop breast cancer 10 to 15 years later, said Dr. Katharine Yao, who wasn’t involved with the new study but directs the breast surgical program at NorthShore Uni-

versity HealthSystem in Chicago. “(Women) should be concerned but also realize that we have very effective ways to monitor the breast with breast MRI and mammograms which detect cancer at an early stage (small size, node negative) and at a stage that is easily treatable and has a good prognosis,” Yao told Reuters Health by email.

The new data have been known for some time, said Dr. Todd Tuttle, a surgeon at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis who was not involved in the review.

“I think most of these women should strongly consider contralateral prophylactic mastectomy because their risk of contralateral breast cancer is so high,” Tuttle told Reuters Health by email.

“However, there are some groups of patients who may not benefit from that procedure including those patients who have a high stage first cancer and those who have other considerable medical problems,” he said.

A study Tuttle led earlier this year found that for women without the mutation, removing the other breast does not extend life.

Though it doesn’t appear to extend life, the extra mastectomy does help avoid future breast imaging and maintain aesthetic symmetry, so some women without the mutations may still prefer it, he said.

In another study in February of this year, women with stage I or II breast cancer and BRCA mutations did survive longer with double vs single mastectomy.

For women who do not have the BRCA mutations, “patients do often overestimate their contralateral breast cancer risk and do not realize how low it really is,” Yao said.

sports

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

16

Uche Seals Victory For Villarreal Ugochukwu Onyeocha

S

uper Eagles of Nigeria striker, Ikechukwu Uche, showed his predatory prowess on Sunday for his Spanish club-side Villarreal FC when he scored a sublime goal few minutes after coming off the bench to help his club ease past hosts Cordoba 2-0 at the win at Estadio Nuevo Arcangel.

The Nigerian’s replaced Gerard Moreno in the 63rd minute and made his presence count by netting his side’s second goal seven minutes later.

Córdoba got off to an early start, with Fede getting the first shot of the evening off in the opening minutes and continue to test the Villarreal defense for the first 20 minutes.

Villarreal then shot into the lead

as Luciano Vietto who would get the first strike of the evening in the 24th minute following an assist from Cheryshev.

However, Córdoba refused to give up without a fight and a shot from outside the box by Fidel forced an amazing block by Sergio Asenjo, while Abel followed is up with another shot from outside to round out the half.

Ghilas had a brilliant chance to rescue a draw in the 61st minute but was denied, which would be the last clear chance Cordoba had of coming away with points, as Uche scored Villarreal’s second goal just seven minutes after coming on in relief for Gerard Moreno.

With this result, the Yellow Submarine are sixth on the log with 21 points from 13 games while Cordoba who chase their first win boast of seven points and lie at the base of the table.

Keshi Cost Nigeria AFCON Ticket- Taribo Ugochukwu Onyeocha

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ormer Super Eagles defender Taribo West has piled the blame of the Super Eagles inability to defend their African Cup Of Nations trophy which they won in South Africa last year on chief coach Stephen Keshi, accusing him of self satisfaction following his 2013 Afcon success.

According to the former Inter Milan player, the ex Togo and Mali handler allowed complacency to set in following his success in South Africa.

“Keshi let success get into his head and the result is that we won’t be defending our title in Equatorial Guinea next year,” Taribo said “When he started, he was hungry for success, hence he went for the home-based players who were equal-

ly hungry for success, and he was not bothered by the criticism over his decisions.

The former Partizan Belgrade star said the ‘big boss’ failed to continue his strategy of blending foreign stars and the home based talents while questioning players commitment to represent the country.

“The home based players played a major role in our winning the Africa Cup of Nations last year but Keshi felt very relaxed after winning the tournament,” he continued.

“He changed and began to rely on (some) foreign-based players who are not good enough for the national team.

“Keshi should have continued with his policy. He should have invited more home-based players for the qualifiers.

“Majority of the players are not

ready to play football. Against South Africa, there was no tenacity and aggressiveness in our play. There was no bite upfront.

“Egwuekwe let us down. He should take the blame for the first goal. He opened the right side to expose the goalkeeper I didn’t expect such a mistake from a player who has been in the national team for some time.

“Omeruo also committed a defensive blunder that could cost a player his career. He’s a good defender but he should have been rested for the game because he was not fit. Juwon is a strong player but he gets confused each time he receives the ball.

“We need better defenders in the national team. I believe we can find good defenders in the domestic league if we search for them,” he concluded.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

17

sports

GOtv Boxing Night Excites Nwankpa Ugochukwu Onyeocha

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Former African Commonwealth Lightweight champion, Obisia Nwankpa, is confident that the GOtv Boxing Night will help Nigeria churn out world champions in the sport.

Nwankpa, nicknamed Golden Gloves during his active years in the sport, explained that the Boxing Night will “drive them (boxers in the country) to put in their best and make the country proud.”

He is also of the view that the GOtv Boxing Night will encourage amateur pugilists, who had always dreamed of turning professional to realise their aspiration and also compete for world titles.

“It is a good thing that GOtv has intervened in boxing in Nigeria. It is also heartwarming that for the first time, boxers were insured.

“This will drive them to put in their best and make the country proud,” the former Nigerian lightweight champion said.

Nwankpa was among a number of former boxers honoured at the GOtv Boxing Night last for their heroics in the sport. Others were Joe Lasisi, Hogan Jimoh, Ray Amoo, Dele Jona-

than and Jerry Okodudu.

The GOtv Boxing Night featured six professional boxing fights in five different weight categories. The main bout of the night was the National Featherweight fight in which challenger, Waidi ‘Skoro’ Usman

defeated the holder, Dare ‘Fighting Machine’ Oyewole through a fifth round knockout in the 12-round bout.

The next edition of the GOtv Boxing Night will hold in Lagos on January 25, 2015.

Casillas, Buffon, Neuer Make Five-man Shortlist for FIFPro World XI 2014

Mu’Sodiq Adekunle

T

he five goalkeepers on FIFA’s shortlist for FIFPro World XI 2014 have been announced.

Manuel Neuer, Iker Casillas, Thibaut Courtois, Gianluigi Buffon and Claudio Bravo are the shot stoppers who have made the cut.

Bayern Munich’s Neuer is hot favourite to win, after clinching the Bundesliga title and DFB Pokal, before lifting the World Cup with Germany.

Courtois played a significant role, as Atletico Madrid won the La Liga title, while Buffon was an ever present figure, as Juventus won another Serie A title.

Chile’s Bravo impressed with Real Sociedad and his country at Brazil 2014 and earned himself a move to Barcelona. Casillas is the surprise inclusion, as his star seems to have waned in recent years.

Neuer won the prize last year, but before then Casillas took home the gong in the five previous editions.‎

Copa America: Argentina v Uruguay, Brazil v Colombia

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rgentina have been pitted against defending champions Uruguay while Brazil will face Colombia in what promises to be a fascinating group stage of the 2015 Copa America.

The 12-team competition, which includes six of the 16 nations to reach the knock-out stages of this summer’s World Cup, kicks off in Santiago, Chile on June 11.

Host nation Chile, who lost out on penalties to Brazil at the World Cup, get the ball rolling in Group A against Ecuador, and must also overcome Bolivia and Mexico, who are one of two guest nations from the Concacaf federation.

Paraguay, who were beaten 3-0

by Uruguay in the 2011 final, have

been drawn alongside Argentina and Oscar Tabarez’s men, with Jamaica, another Concacaf representative, completing Group B. Brazil, sixth in the Fifa rankings, have been drawn alongside Colombia, third in the same list, meaning a rematch of the World Cup quarterfinal in Fortaleza which finished 2-1 to the Selecao but also saw Neymar ruled out of the tournament with a broken back.

Peru and Venezuela, who disputed the third-place play-off in 2011, complete the third and final group.

The top two sides in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals, while the two most successful thirdplaced teams will also progress into the knock-out stage.

The Copa America has long

showcased South America’s best talent, but while Neymar, Alexis Sanchez, Lionel Messi, James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and countless others will be on display, Uruguay have admitted that they need a miracle for Luis Suarez to feature.

The Barcelona striker has served his four-month ban from all football-related activity but his international suspension, which does not include friendlies, will rule him out of the tournament.

Suarez scored four times at Argentina 2011, including the first goal in the final against Paraguay at River Plate’s iconic Estadio Monumental.

Next year the Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago, will host the final on July 4.

World Cup: Fresh Allegations Surface Against Russia, Qatar And England

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s investigations continue into the bidding process of the 2018 and 2022 world cups, Russia, Qatar and England have all been accused of breaking FIFA rules during the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in a document published by Parliament.

A dossier compiled by the Sunday Times and published by the Culture, Media and Sport select committee accuses Russia and Qatar of engaging in vote-trading and vote-buying, while England’s 2018 bid team are alleged to have engineered a failed vote-swap with their counterparts in the South Korea 2022 bid.

All three organisations have always denied any wrongdoing in their bids to host the tournaments, and a report published recently by Hans-Joachim Eckert, the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee, cleared Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 tournaments respectively.

The Sunday Times claims the allegations it submitted to Parliament were contained within a database that it says was compiled by England’s 2018 bidding team.

The chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, John Whittingdale, admitted none of the allegations in the Sunday Times dossier had been proven but said they gave the impression of FIFA being a “deeply corrupt organisation.”

“Today we have published the latest evidence [that the Sunday Times] have given to us, which does suggest that the [Football Association] themselves compiled a very substantial amount of

information suggesting corrupt practices in the process,” he told Sky News. “[And] also suggesting that England was involved in some kind of collusion as well during that process. These are questions that need to be answered.

The latest revelations come while three current FIFA executive committee members plus former member Franz Beckenbauer are under investigation by ethics investigator Michael Garcia.

Spain’s Angel Maria Villar Llona, Michel D’Hooghe from Belgium and Worawi Makudi from Thailand are among the names being looked at by Garcia for possible ethics code breaches, according to sources close to the world governing body.

Beckenbauer is also under investigation by American attorney Garcia along with Harold Mayne-Nicholls from Chile, who headed the inspection team which compiled reports into the countries bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Garcia and German judge Eckert released a joint statement on November 20 confirming a number of individuals were under investigation.

Earlier this month, Eckert cleared Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, saying rule breaches by the bidding countries were “of very limited scope.” Garcia responded by notifying FIFA that he intended to lodge an appeal against the decision due to “numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts.”

FIFA has also lodged a separate criminal complaint with the Swiss attorney general.

18

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

tourism

...........

Online Travel Reservations Vs. Booking With A Travel Agent

By Iyanu Oni-Orisan

G

iven the vast amount of readily available online resources when making reservations, many persons may say “Why use a travel agent? I can do this myself.” But what they may have failed to realize, or find out later on, is that it comes down to the value you receive. Today, consumers have the ability to book online for airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, cruises and allinclusive holiday packages.

But travel agents still exist, having evolved from travel bookers to travel consultants.

Research has shown that most consumers still choose to arrange their business trips and vacations by working with a professional travel agent. More than 30,000 travel agencies in America (and an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 independent agents who work from their homes) sell 95 per

cent of all cruises, 70 per cent of airline tickets, and 30-40 per cent of car rentals, hotel reservations, and tour packages purchased by U.S. travelers. Even in the Caribbean region people continue to place their confidence in travel agents to ensure their vacation that they so look forward to, turn out to be a memorable experience.

Contrary to popular belief, a travel agent won’t always cost more. Some experts say that using a travel agent will often cost about the same as booking it yourself. However, you save a lot of time and could get sound advice that you will not find online and end up getting better value for your money. Some people enjoy planning trips, while others consider it an arduous chore. Research for even a simple trip can consume hours. Whereas a travel agent can ease that burden and do the research and present you with options, making the pro-

cess less time-consuming for you. Where you may not have saved money you would definitely gain value and time.

As travel agents we consider the act of booking your trip to be just the beginning of the transaction and relationship, not the end like the result of click-to-book methods. Once you have paid, you are done with the click-to-book way.

Now all you have to do is make it to the airport on time for that flight and that is the end of it. In today’s world, prices, availability and even the nature of travel are changing at a rapid pace. Websites update pricing and availability but offer little or no hope of passing new benefits available after the sale along to travelers. Click-to-book methods are pretty much done with you after payment is made.

Besides counsel on bookings, travel agents can advise you on such issues as exchange rates, travel insur-

ance, crowds, weather, competency of tours, areas of a town to avoid, travel visas, vaccinations, passports, tipping etiquette, packing lists and trip cancellation penalties and restrictions. A travel agent can also discuss with you which airlines charge for checked bags or roomier exitrow seating.

Travel agents can help you navigate the sea of cruise types: from large or small ships to family or adult-oriented ships. Travel agents can guide you if something goes wrong before the cruise ship ever leaves the dock. If you book a cruise with an online discounter, which doesn’t typically have the resources to offer customer service and hand-holding, you’ll be on our own if issues crop up.

This is also the case with airline bookings. If something goes wrong and a flight is cancelled or delayed or a connection is missed there is no one online to assist you in

modifying your itinerary.

Should your plans change, should you have questions or should you want to know more about where you are traveling and how you are getting there, your agent is just a phone call, email or tweet away.

So before you click, consider the following: The biggest trap when booking online is websites that use multiple currencies, or quote in US dollars - a potentially rude shock when converted.

Some hotels and tour operators have similar names, a problem that has caused many travellers to end up in the wrong place. Car rental companies have also had problems with online bookings for the wrong city, such as Sydney in Canada instead of Sydney, Australia.

Many internet deals are also non-refundable, so travellers who accidentally click on the wrong dates or click

to accept terms and conditions without reading can find themselves ‘out of pocket’.

Hidden fees and Security: Internet booking sites often advertise low rates to attract the customer but then they charge some hidden fees. Booking online requires payment in advance and this could put the customer at risk through an unsecured website.

There might be a case that you will find testimonials on the website but you never can be sure whether it is a paid advertisement or genuine.

Booking online rarely gives a customer the chance to speak with someone about the service.

Specific Needs: Customers cannot confirm the specific requirements while making an internet booking.

So are you ready to plan your next vacation? Why not call your travel agent today who can plan your trip, thus avoiding all the hassles.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

19

tourism

‘Great’ Zimbabwe

The Forbidden City

By Iyanu Oni-Orisan

T

he Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It is located in the centre of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.

Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 72 ha (180 acres). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is list-

ed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artefacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum’s former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War. The common English name, “the Forbidden City”, is a translation of the Chinese name Zijin Cheng. Another English name of similar origin is “Forbidden Palace”.

The name “Zijin Cheng” is a name with significance on many levels. Zi, or “Purple”, refers to the North Star,

which in ancient China was called the Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the heavenly abode of the Celestial Emperor. The surrounding celestial region, the Ziwei Enclosure was the realm of the Celestial Emperor and his family. The Forbidden City, as the residence of the terrestrial emperor, was its earthly counterpart. Jin, or “Forbidden”, referred to the fact that no one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor’s permission. Cheng means a city.

Today, the site is most commonly known in Chinese as Gùgōng which means the “Former Palace”. The museum which is based in these buildings is as the “Palace Museum” When Hongwu Emperor’s son Zhu Di became the Yongle Emperor, he moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, and construction began

in 1406 on what would become the Forbidden City.

Construction lasted 14 years and required more than a million workers. Material used include whole logs of precious Phoebe zhennan wood found in the jungles of south-western China, and large blocks of marble from quarries near Beijing. The floors of major halls were paved with “golden bricks”, specially baked paving bricks from Suzhou.

From 1420 to 1644, the Forbidden City was the seat of the Ming dynasty. In April 1644, it was captured by rebel forces led by Li Zicheng, who proclaimed himself emperor of the Shun dynasty. He soon fled before the combined armies of former Ming general Wu Sangui and Manchu forces, setting fire to parts of the Forbidden City in the process.

20

news arts

& culture

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

Queen Amina: Leadership Beyond The Cultural Gender Divide

By Desola Akindele

A

s the general elections in Nigeria draws nearer, we need to give our women more chances and increase the quota of women in politics to serve the nation. Women have had sparing opportunities to make contributions in the present Nigerian political sphere. They have been largely marginalised maybe due to the ignorance that exists in the Nigerian environment on when women rule. There is need to sensitise Nigerians on the impact made by notable Nigerian women to change this wrong notion.

Going down history lane, there is the story of a remarkable African woman from the north of Nigeria; precisely in Zaria, who left her mark on history in the 16th century. Northern Nigeria is home to the Hausa people. Zaria is home to Ahmadu Bello University, the largest university in Nigeria and the second largest university on the African continent. The university is very prominent in the fields of Agriculture, Science, Finance, Medicine and Law. One of such women in history, to be considered is a Hausa Muslim warrior Queen Amina of Zaria (also called Queen Aminatu); a real ruler, the eldest daughter of the 22nd ruler of Zazzau who was called Bakwa Turunku. Queen Bakwa built a new capital of Zazzau and named it Zaria; Queen Aminatu’s younger sister. Zaria eventually became the name of the state. The Arabic female name Amina means truthful, trustworthy and honest which is largely the character composition of the Nigerian woman. These traits are exactly the dose that Nigeria needs in these trying times.

As a toddler, Queen Amina was already attending state business on her grandfather, the king’s laps.

Queen Amina was just sixteen (16) years old when she was given the traditional title Magajiya (heir apparent) because she was seen as a potential contender to her mother’s throne. It is said that she inherited her mother’s warlike character.

As a child, her grandmother Marka, the favourite wife of her grandfather Sarkin Nohir, once caught her holding a dagger. Amina holding the dagger did not shock Martha; rather it was that Amina held it exactly

as a warrior would. Queen Aminatu started to learn the responsibilities of a queen from her mother: taking part in daily assemblies with high dignitaries of the kingdom.

It was believed she succeeded her mother and came to power between 1588 and 1589 A.D. She reigned for nearly 34 years. In this period she waged war on and conquered many states. Amina led her first military charge a few months after assuming power. For the rest of her 34 year reign, she continued to fight and expand her kingdom to the greatest in history. The objective for initiating so many battles was to make neighbouring rulers her vassal and permit her traders safe passage. The cavalrytrained Queen Amina; the daughter of the Amir of Zakzak was known as a great military strategist. Her many conquests and subsequent annexation of territories extended the borders of Zaria as far as Bauchi and the river Niger in the south and Katsina in the north.

It is noted that Queen Amina was the first to establish government in the North and she forced Katsina, Kano and other regions to pay tribute to her. At her apogee, Zaria became the centre of the North-South Sahara trade and the East-West Sudan trade.

In this way, she boosted her kingdom’s wealth and power with gold, slaves, and new crops. Because her people were talented metal workers, Amina introduced metal armor, in-

cluding iron helmets and chain mail, to her army.

As an adult, she refused to marry like Elizabeth the first of England for

the fear of losing power. It was said of her that she was so busy waging wars that she had no time for a full-time husband. She never married and nei-

ther did she have offspring. On every conquest, she had a temporary lover whom she stayed with for the night for every battle she won and killed such fellow the following morning; it was assumed that this was so, so that he did not live to tell of his experience with the queen.

One of her many legacies were the fortifications through the construction of military walls; earthen walls that she established during her reign.

These walls are known as ganuwar Amina or Amina’s walls upon which cities were developed within these protective barriers, of which, some are still standing today in the North.

Also, the introduction of kola nuts into cultivation in the area is attributed to Queen Amina.

In her honour, a statue at the National Arts Theatre in Lagos State was built, and multiple educational institutions bear her name.

Queen Amina died during a military campaign at Atagara near Bida in Nigeria. Her exploits earned her the moniker “Amina, Yar Bakwa ta san rana”, meaning Amina, daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man. Her legendary escapades made her the model for the television series Xena Warrior Princess. Queen Amina is celebrated across the Hausaland as a great warrior queen who was born to rule and led over twenty thousand (20,000) of soldiers to war. Today, her memory represents the spirit and strength of womanhood.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

21

people

I’m No Longer Close To 9ice –Jahbless For sometime now, music punters have been asking questions about the whereabouts of Jah Bless . He’s been away from the scene until recently when he resurfaced.

Bukunmi Owoleye otherwise known as JahBless, dropped a monstrous hit single that shook the music industry years backy. The song, titled ‘Joor’, featured arrays of wave making music stars, such as IcePrince, Reminisce, Eldee, and Ruggedman. But before one could say Jack Robinson, the Ondo State born singer disappeared.

Now, CEO of BheerHugz Cafe, Dr. Kunle Oladehin-led JE Records, has teamed up with the talented star to bring him back into music.

In an exclusive interview with ISAAC OGUNTOY E, Jahbless speaks to DAILY TIMES on his whereabouts since the release of ‘Joor’.He also opened up about his family.

A

fter the success of Joor, you disappeared. What happened?

I didn’t disappear. I was actually working on myself. I wanted people to see me beyond the “Joor” single, which was like a street song. I needed time to develop myself so that I can churn out music that is universally accepted by people of different races, tribes and languages.

My kind of music right now is global, something I can sell on the international stage. To achieve this, I needed a platform to prove the stuff I have got. That’s why I joined JE records. I am back for real now.

A lot of things happened while you were away. Crops of talented ingenious rappers like Olamide are around now. What is your chance for survival?

If I can have 1 million fans and I can maintain them for more than two years without releasing an album, I think it is a wholesome work. Besides, my market is not focus on a direction. Maybe Olamide has a youth market, but I could relate with both the youth and old. My kind of brand can cater for that now. I have what it takes now to do music in Nigeria and sell in the US. I have been able to put myself in that direction.

Tell us about your new works?

Right now, I have two unreleased albums for JE Records. The albums have been recorded and mastered already, I’m just waiting for the right time to release them. Personally, I have almost four album recorded in my own portfolio. So, if I am done with them, I can pick another record and give them another album comfortably without any need to go into the studio.

How many years deal you have

with JE records?

1 year and I’m to drop two albums.

How would you describe your sojourn as an artiste?

Sincerely, it has been a blessing, because a whole lot of people I started with are no more in the game-some of them have gone back to their villages.

What has sustained me, I think, is the spirit of helping others grow. All the big names you have today have had one or two things to do with me. I have been able to help some of them feature in my songs. Aside that, I have the talent and I am consistent.

Are we expecting to see something more fantastic than what we saw in Joor Remix?

That was joor era. This is a new era. In this era, you’ll listen to more matured songs, the kind of music that is universally acceptable without any language barrier. Some of the songs might sound strictly western, for professionals. That’s the kind of music I’m doing right now. Everything is not going to be local, and everything is not going to be foreign.

Have you experimented this?

Yes. We’ve done three to four songs already, and it is working fine.

What was the reaction?

Fantastic. It was wholesome.

We’ve studied the market and trends before embarking on this. We’re hopeful, Nigerians and the world will accept this new sound from me.

Let’s talk about your relationship with your friends, especially 9ice, Reminisce and Lord of Ajasa?

Very well, we’re still friends.

We have a wonderful relationship.

Although friends have issues, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep up to ourselves. Despite my busy sched-

ules, we still check on each other. I was with Reminisce some days ago and we had fun together. But for 9ice, we’re not close as we used to be. He is a very busy person. My friend is now a politician, so he’s very busy. I am waiting for his calls, so that we can start his official campaign, that’s if he is ready to pay (smiles).

You mean you will collect money from your friend?

Why not? (Smiles) I have to pay my record label, “abi no be so?” Honestly, I will be glad to give him my support for free because if I am in his shoe, he will do the same. We’re still good friends. I.D Cabassa still called me few days ago, asking me to see him.

What about the love of your life?

The love of my life? Well, she is fine. She is doing good. She is in New York. That’s all.

Tell us more about her?

She is....em... a medical doctor by profession. She is a wonderful person.

She doesn’t like to be in the face of the media. We’ve been courting since I was in Poly Ibadan but kept it secret because she doesn’t like “public thinz” and you know nah, I am a public figure.

What is her name?

Abimbola. She is from Lagos Island. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

When do you want to formalise this union?

We will, next year. We already invited Encomium magazine to cover the wedding in New York . Already, we’ve done the traditional wedding in Nigeria. Although we might still do something, we can’t really say. The wedding is sure, come next year.

22

metro (south)

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

Love Gone Sour: 25 years of Childless Marriage Childlessness in a marriage can be a source of many worries. This is no exception for Adebimpe Jibade who has been married for twenty five years with no issue to call her own. She tells her tale of woe to FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON.

W

hen Mrs Adebimpe Jibade tied the nuptial knot with Akinbode Jibade on the 22nd of October 1988, little did she know that the relationship would end up in this bizarre state.

They had courted for about a year and decided to make the relationship a lasting one by sealing it with the union of marriage which they professed to uphold till death do them part, in sickness and in health. However, the story today is far from that anticipated beginning, as Akinbode is threatening fire and brimstone that if Deborah his wife of twenty five years does not go far away from him and out of his life in one piece, he is going to ensure that peace is far from her.

While speaking with Daily Times, 45 year old Adebimpe amidst tears disclosed how she had been forced to get married at an early age of barely twenty and how her once loving and caring husband suddenly became a monster who is now threatening to kill her if she dares come close to him.

In an interview with our correspondent, Adebimpe narrated how her husband of a silver jubilee threw her out of the house some months ago saying that she was the one who has been tying down his destiny for all the years they have been married.

“The whole trouble started off in February when I lost a five month old pregnancy. I woke up that morning feeling dizzy and very tired and so I decided that I will not go to the shop where I operate a hair dressing salon. I was home and suddenly, I started feeling pains in my tummy. I called him since I was the only one at home. He came and took me to the hospital. By the time we got to the hospital, the inevitable happened; I was bleeding and after a few tests, the doctor announced that I have lost the pregnancy. Not again! I felt shattered, as if my whole world just collapsed.

As I looked into my husband’s eyes, I knew there was trouble. He did not even let me get home before he told me right there and then, that I should not bother coming home because my homecoming is of no use.

I felt like dying right there and then” “True to his words” continued Adebimpe “Akinbode did not allow me entry into the house. He changed the lock to the house and went out. I waited endlessly for him that night, but he never returned; I slept in front

of the door. I called his phone but he didn’t pick my calls. I knew I was doomed” Adebimpe narrated how he came back and threatened to kill her if she dares try to come into his house.

“He started shouting and ranting at me that he knew I was going to lose that pregnancy again that I am the witch that has been tying down his destiny all these while and that I have been eating up all our children.

Poor me, I didn’t have anywhere in Lagos where I could go because my aunt whom I was staying with lives in Ibadan. I ran to one of his relatives who lives in Bariga who is like a father to him, Alhaji Bakare to explain the situation of things to him and the following day, they were at our house but still, Akinbode did not allow me entry into the house. He told Alhaji that everywhere he went to for prayers, he was told that I am the one who is holding his destiny and has been the one killing all our babies and he is not ready to continue with the marriage anymore. Despite Alhaji’s pleas, he refused to let me in; I had to sleep the night in Alhaji’s house before going back to Ibadan the following day to meet my relatives.

Ever since then he had not looked

back, instead, he packed the remaining of my belongings and brought them to my aunt’s place leaving a stern warning that if I dare come near his house, he would kill me.”

Reminiscing on the past and what led her into the marriage that had led to this nightmare, Adebimpe recalled.

“Because of the harsh background I had, being an orphan, I resigned my fate into marriage with high hopes that finding a responsible man to settle down with will help me escape from poverty and the harsh treatment I was getting from my aunt and my cousins whom I was living with.

Little did I know that I was going to face another challenge beyond me.

We courted for about a year before getting married” After the marriage, Adebimpe had looked forward to a happy life that will be blessed with children to call her own but fate had a twist on her as children eluded her and she kept holding hope while keeping faith.

About two years into the marriage, respite came when she became pregnant and was delivered of a baby boy. However, that joy was shortlived.

“After almost two years of marriage, God blessed us with a baby boy and I was happy and felt at last, I

found my second, my own child and blood. I was still basking in this joy when tragedy struck and little Keji died eight months after he was born.

I almost went mad. I cried myself to stupor wondering why I have to be going through all this. My husband was so sad.”

With the hope that things will get better with time and that God will show mercy and make her pregnant again, Adebimpe gradually snapped out of her gloom and looked forward to what life has to give.

According to her, she became pregnant six months later but lost the pregnancy three months after.

“Six months after the loss of my baby, I got pregnant again but after three months, I lost the pregnancy.

We did all manner of fertility, and medical tests and in all we were told that there is nothing wrong with both of us and that we have the ability to parent a child. If I have to count since then, I have lost more than fifteen pregnancies at different intervals and the last one was in February.

I am so tired of life and don’t even know what to do or believe anymore.

It is as if there is someone who is secretly hiding in the dark to eat up all my babies. Several times, his rela-

tives had told him to take a second wife but he kept saying no, may be now he is ready to take a second wife but at least he wouldn’t have treated me this way. I cannot stop him from trying, after all, Yoruba proverb says that it is one child’s head that will call the others. Who knows if taking a second wife will even make way for me too but now he doesn’t even want me to stay. It is so sad” she said trying hard to hold back the hot tears from rolling down her cheeks.

In a telephone conversation with Daily Times, Akinbode annoyingly said that he was not interested in discussing anything related to Adebimpe because she is evil and has been the one behind his woes all along and will not have anyone discuss her with him.

“Please I don’t know you and I don’t want to have any discussion about Adebimpe. She is evil and she is a witch and I will not have a woman like that live with me anymore. Please don’t call me into her matter ever again please!” he said hanging up.

For Adebimpe, life since that time has been gloomy as she keeps praying that one day, God will visit her and make her a mother of a living child.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

23

metro (north)

Kubwa Village:

A Community That Houses Abuja’s Less Privileged Augustine Aminu

I

f you are familiar with the Kubwa express way in Abuja , then you must be accustomed with the usual Kubwa village, Kubwa village, that rends the air every morning and evening especially. It is a settlement under Bwari area and one popular place out of the many suburbs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The name is common especially among cab drivers and many commuters in Abuja. At the close of work every evening, you will hear about 6 – 7 vehicles loading passengers or only Kubwa village.

Its nearest neighbours like Kubwa town that shares the same name with it, and Gwarinpa dazzle in the splendour of city life, Kubwa village is the proverbial resident that lives by the riverside yet washes its hands with spittle.

Full of human and economic activities, a clear indication that business prospects and political activities are possible yet it lacks the basic in-

frastructure that can drive these processes.

Kubwa village is an amalgam of sundry tribes; a microscopic Nigeria in composition, posture and socio-economic bearings. The blend of tribes attests to the usual claim of ‘unity in diversity’ a cliché that hardly breaks the ice with ethnic and religious bigots.

The residents seldom allow room for divisive tendencies, unlike the larger clime where faith-based ideological differences and motley of tongues constitute a huge gulf.

Here in Kubwa Peasantry is elegant, cherished and appreciated. The natives are dominantly farmers. Most residents are of average livelihood, and therefore, poor. But to them, poverty, not wealth and crass display of illicit wealth, is a cherished virtue, something that the majority delights in and would proudly proclaim.

Like every other Nigerian who have repeatedly participated in democratic processes, since the return to civilian rule, 15 years ago.

Residents of the community have

been neglected by the FCT authorities even though they are willing to cooperate and work with the state for the good things of life. The community lacks the essentials of communal life.

Healthcare is a wild dream. Bad roads are what characterises Kubwa village. The people of the community take care of their electricity. They contribute money to get light and if there is a problem with the light. The community will levy every household and after contributing, they invite the power holding officials to fix it and thereafter pay them for their services.

Not deterred by limited resources and the obvious lack of government’s attention, they opted to take the bull by the horns by doing so many things that can make life comfortable for them in the community.

A cross section of residents who spoke to Daily Times pleaded to government to come their rescue.

According to them, they don’t want much.

According to Anna Tagwai, a trader, “there is no hospital in Kubwa

village. To get health services is difficult. I have two children. It was not easy for me during childbirth because of lack of a primary healthcare facility. I had to go extra miles to give birth. Most women in this area that can’t afford private hospitals, they have to go to Kubwa general hospital.

Raf Akpemeh, who has lived in Kubwa village for over 30 years, said that “people in our community have suffered so much, especially when they are sick. They can’t afford quality hospitals in the city centre because of the high cost of medical care in such hospitals.

Some have been compelled to resort to traditional medical services and have fallen into the hands of quacks.

“We are pleading with the govern-

ment to build and roads, hospital and give us electricity. I don’t think that is too much to ask”.

The Chief of the community, Zaki Suleiman, who pleaded with the federal and the FCT administration to assist his community, noted that “We have shown that we are not lazy. Already, residents of the community have contributed their little resources to serve their needs but it has been farfetched. We need quality facilities, to make our community a good place to be as it is close to the city centre. We need assistance from the government whether from the FCDA, AMAC or the federal government.

“This community has all the tribes in Nigeria and as such, should have all it takes to make life comfortable for ordinary Nigerians”.

24

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

relationship

Booby Traps In Dating A friend’s Sister

I

f dating itself was not a part of your life that required much caution, getting into a relationship with the sister of a friend of yours is totally dangerous territory.

Not only do you induce chances of altering a perfectly cemented friendship, you also land up treading an established comfort zone. Confused? Read on to know what this could imply.

The Situation Ok, so you have known her since you were kids, because she happened to be around each time you visited your friend’s house. Or, you

have literally grown up together since you and your buddy have been best pals since you were boys at school. It could also be that you recently made friends with a guy and have only just met his hot-looking sister. It does not matter which way it has happened. What does matter is the situation itself: that you are attracted to your pal’s sibling.

The Repercussions So, why is it a topic of discussion at all, you ask? Well, due to the following possible repercussions: 1. Awkwardness in Friendship Dating you friend’s sister can im-

ply a sense of awkwardness creeping into the rapport you share with your buddy. While earlier you may have been able to talk about almost any topic under the sun with him, you would know only too well not to broach the subjects of sex and girlfriends any longer.

2. Public Display of Affection While holding hands with, kissing or hugging your girlfriend in front of your buddies is considered normal, you would be uncomfortable doing so if your date was your friend’s sister. Imagine a casual smooch with your girl, with your best buddy – HER BROTHER – watching! If that

isn’t creepy, what is?

3. Make-Out Issues While your best pal’s pad is usually the best option when you need a place to make out with your girl, her being your friend’s sister rules out that alternative completely. Moreover, making out with her in HER room, in the house that also happens to be HIS, sure is weird!

4. Long-Term Considerations Considering a long-term relationship with your girlfriend under normal circumstances is rather different from contemplating something serious with your buddy’s sister. For

one, he will always be there when you visit her, pick her for a date and spend the night at her place.

Then, you may start contemplating marriage and you can do so ONLY if you can digest the idea of your friend turning into your brother-inlaw!

What to Do Weigh the odds well before you plunge into a relationship with your friend’s sister. While she may be sweet, hot or sexy, do you dare tread such discomforting territory? Only if the above scenarios appear easy to handle should you go ahead with the relationship.

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

relationship

Sexual Blow-Backs, Men Open Up

A

ccording to a new study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior, women regret having sex with the wrong partners and men are kicking themselves over their the sex they didn’t have.

(Can’t we agree on anything?!)

What’s behind these gender differences? Researchers say it’s because of cultural standards — and evolution. Throughout evolutionary history, not sleeping with someone is a costly reproductive loss for men, whereas women focus on the consequences, both reproductive or emotional.

Sure, I’d imagine some guys wish they took advantage of their

single days more, just as women do. But what are these sexual encounters so many men have been turning down left and right? Sex regrets have to go beyond not hooking up with the hot girl at the bar for some men.

To discover guys’ I-really-wishI-hadn’t sexcapades, we went right to the source. Turns out, they’ve had their fair share of unfavorable partners in the bedroom (and park), too.

Think most guys’ biggest sex regrets have to do with women they didn’t sleep with? Think again.

You’ll never guess the secret sexcapades that real guys revealed when we asked them about their

top regrets in bed. Read on to learn all the juicy details.

Dylan, 24, wishes he didn’t sleep with someone who blackmailed him into doing it. “It was with a coworker from the same restaurant I worked at. Little did I know how crazy she was, I was giving her a ride home from the bar and she took the steering wheel and almost killed us. She told me to pull over to the nearest park or else she would call her brother who was a cop in the same town I lived in and tell him I sexually assaulted her.

I should’ve said no, but I did it.

After, she said if her birth control didn’t work she was willing to have the baby no matter what happens.”

Hooking Up with a Married Friend

“I

had a close friend who I had been involved with, but we still messed around while she was married.

Needless to say, that blew up and we no longer talk. She’s since moved, and we’ve both moved on, but I would go back and at least change what happened after she got married. I came in between someone else’s commitment and lost a true friend,” —Eddie, 22 Sleeping with a Friend During Her Breakup Jake, 26, says his biggest sex regret is “sleeping with a friend who was on a break with her boyfriend. It was her suggestion, but days later she felt so guilty that things got really awkward between us.”

Losing His Virginity Before Marriage “I regret losing my virginity before marriage.

It doesn’t sound like much, but eventually you realize that the people you are sleeping with are not the ones you’re gonna be with in the long run. I gave a major piece of my personal self to them—and it can be hard emotionally. In some way, you will always have an emotional bond, which can make it difficult to give your whole self to the love of your life.” —Marcus, 23 Sleeping with a Friend’s Ex “My biggest sex regret is sleeping with a friend’s ex-girlfriend,” says Chris, 26, “After it happened she told him, and we haven’t been friends since. Big regret.”

Taking Sex Too Seriously “My biggest regret is taking sex so seriously,” says Jon, 30, “sometimes sex is just ridiculous and hilarious, so you have to be able to laugh at yourselves—before, during, and after. Looking back, all the pressure I used to put on myself was such an emotional waste of time.”

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fashion

26

d n A c i Ch ant! n g e Pr

By Aderonke Akinola

Conforming to the current fashion while pregnant can be a hard task sometimes. Especially for a pregnant woman with a huge body weight, getting dressed can bring up a lot of fears.

Comfort is the first thing pregnant women should go for. For the mommies to-be who are fashionistas and still want to look stylish and comfortable, leggings are a must have in your maternity wardrobe. Leggings are of many uses and easy to wear as they can be pulled up or down effortlessly.

For those that can’t do without jeans, Dark denim pregnancy jeans are perfect.

You can wear them with heels or flats. They can also go with boyfriend tops.

For some pregnant women who feel Pregnant comfortable on skirts, stretchy maternity pencil shirts that are below the knee with a tan top will be just fine.

Most pregnant women can’t do without maxi dresses and maxi skirts. All you need do is select maxi dress with an empire cut to give some shape to your figure-it helps trim your waist-line and

keeps you looking feminine and trendy.

Wearing bigger clothes to hide your size sounds like a good idea, but it makes you look bulky. Instead, you can wear fitted stretchy dresses with flat sandals or shoes, snug sleeved tops or blazers with skinny pants.

Most pregnant women limit themselves to black and neutral colours. Don’t forget that colour is an essential part of the modern maternity closet. They play major roles, bringing out brightness in you, so, add some colours to your wears.

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

DAILTY TIMES DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014

technology

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IOS gadgets, so selfish...

By Olatunji Michael

T

he truth is that these gadgets are quite selfish because to send a bunch of pictures or a video from one iPhone to another is a quick and easy task with the use of AirDrop, iCloud if the recipient isn’t nearby and one can also use photo sharing BUT sending images from an iPhone to an Android smartphone or tablet is a different ball game all together. Five different ways of sending photos from an iPhone to an Android device which is of easy access to almost everyone includes but not restricted to: 1. Via Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Viber, etc.

It has become very common for

people to exchange photos and videos over a favorite IM client, such as Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Viber, Skype, ChatOn, WhatsApp, BBM etc. These multi-platform services, available on both iOS and Android, are easy to use and let you send images in bulk. The disadvantage of most of them ia that they will downscale the outgoing photo to save data and to speed up the process. In other words, the received image will not be of its original quality. If that’s not a problem, however, feel free to use the IM service you like best 2. Via Email Every iPhone has a fully functional email application, and even a novice user should know their way around it. With its help, one

can easily send a photo or two to a buddy of theirs, regardless of the make and model of the recipient’s smartphone. Unfortunately, there’s a number of limitations to this method, and one of them is that there’s a limit to how much data you can send. Apple’s email service has a 20MB attachment limit, while Gmail lets you attach no more than 25MB per email.

3. Over the cloud This is a way of bypassing the limitations with the usage of emails. Cloud services are used for more than just data back-up. Most of them let us easily share files and photo galleries with fellow Android users. Dropbox and Google Drive are ideal for the purpose with their ability to generate secure links to

your images in their full resolution.

Better yet, the services are free to use, unless you need more storage space than what a free account provides. Speaking of storage, Dropbox provides only 2GB of data for free, but you can get additional space by referring friends and/or completing various tasks. On the other hand, a free Google Drive account has a generous cap of 15GB, but the space is shared between your Google+ and Gmail accounts.

4. Using a computer As long as you have the necessary USB cables on hand, you may copy your images using a computer’s file manager. The process is pretty straightforward and required neither internet access, nor the installation of additional hardware

onto the iPhone or Android device, unlike the methods described above. This is the solution we’d recommend for transferring photos and videos large in number or size.

5. Using an app for file transferring There’s an app for pretty much anything nowadays which includes apps for file transfer. There are several of them that work well and are available on both iOS and Android.

The trick to getting them to transfer your files is to have the apps installed on both devices. Otherwise, they won’t be able to link together.

Now we know different ways of transferring files from IOS gadgets to Android gadgets. Enjoy.

DECEMBER 1– 7, 2014 DAILTY TIMES

28

opinion The Day Delta Stood Still for Uduehi

D

elta Governorship aspirant Dr. Mrs. Esther Uduehi, acknowledging cheers from supporters at her formal declaration in Asaba Cenotaph, with her Husband Engr. Dele Uduehi directly behind her.

Anyone in Asaba, Delta State capital, on Thursday, November 20, 2014, would have noticed a colourfull environment off Okpanaam Road. There was also sweet gospel music in the air being rendered by gospel award winning artist, Chioma Jesus.

Passersby wondering what was going on, were adequately infomed that it was declaration of the front-runner for the position of Delta State governor in 2015.

Former Presidential Adviser and immediate Chairman of the Governing Board, National Commission For Mass Literacy, Adult And Non-Formal Education, Dr. (Mrs.) Esther Kelicha Uduehi, formally declared to run for governor of Delta State in 2015, amidst a mammoth crowd of supporters and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders drawn from all twenty-five (25) Local Government Areas of the state.

Of all the declarations so far done in the State, hers was hitch-free with a cross-

section of supporters without any rented crowds. All her coordiantors from all the LGAs and wards commented about her sellability as a candidate.

The Chairman of the occassion Gen. Philip Onyekwele, also commended Dr. Uduehi and encouraged all Deltans to support her. The elder Sister of Dr. uduehi and former Secretary to Delta State Government (SSG), Dr. (Mrs.) Beatrice Omeni was present along with another Sister, Professor Osakwe of Delta State University, Abraka.

The Director General of her campaign, who was represented by Hon. Solo Ebinum, stated in his welcome address that “Deltans, we have gathered here today to present to you: a lady who will continue the developmental strides of this administration; a lady who will placate the desires of Delta Central, where her mother is from, Delta North where her father is from, and Delta South where she grew up.”

There was thunderous applause from the crowd when she stated, “I, Esther Uduehi hereby declare to Deltans that I want to serve you for the office of the Governor of Delta State come 2015.”

Dr. Uduehi continued her promise to govern for the common good of all Deltans.

Let’s Think

&

Talk

By Alex O. Atawa Akpodiete Earlier on, the DG of the campaign had also stated, “we are looking forward to delivering this State for His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. We are looking forward to a great Delta with Dr. (Mrs.) Esther Uduehi at the helm of affairs. We are looking forward to Governance for the common good of all

Deltans.”

In her declaration speech, Dr. Uduehi stated that “I believe that Oil will not last forever and so I commend the vision of ‘Delta beyond Oil’. We shall build on it and strive to fully industrialize Delta State to provide a robust economy that can generate employment for our teeming youths

and people. We shall place great premium on Food Sufficiency and Security to ensure that all Deltans irrespective of age, tribe or sex have food to eat, and clean water to drink and can operate in secure and safe environment. To achieve my human and infrastructural objectives, innovations will be introduced which amongst others will include the setting up of an active State Economic Council that will include at least one person from each of the twenty-five (25) Local Government Areas. “ While laying out an 8-point manifesto, Dr. Uduehi also added that she will “focus on and give equitable priority to Education, Health and Socio-Economic welfare of the people.”

Shortly after the declaration she was asked by journalists to summarize her Mission/Vision for Delta State, which she succinctly put as follows: “I envision an economically strong and highly industrialized Delta State, where everyone irrespective of tribe, age or sex has a sense of belonging and is therefore determined to give their best and be part of the development process of the State. My mission therefore is to further rebuild and restructure Delta State, improve on what has been started and heal any

deficiency, while strengthening ethnic relationships so as to reconnect them for greater and harmonious bond to achieve real peace and security for the total development of the State.”

The Apex Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) was represented by four (4) traditional chiefs who re-stated UPU’s earlier statement that Dr. Uduehi was one of them and very acceptable to Urhobos as the next governor because her mother is Urhobo.

All the crowds present were essentially happy with her manifesto and impressed with her pedigree. They echoed the sentiments of listeners that called in to NTA Show Standpoint two days early that “Delta needs a woman like her.”

The standing ovation and response was a test of her popularity, which she passed with flying colors. There are roughly two weeks remaining before the primaries and all opinions seem to be that Dr. Mrs. Esther Uduehi is the candidate that will prevent the party from fragmenting in the Delta State and also ensure a victory for President Goodluck Jonathan. *Rev. Akpodiete, a public affairs analyst writes from Asaba.

Boko Haram: The Islamic Perspective Sodiq Oyeleke

W

hether it is a bomb going off in a market place, school, religious centres, or the hijacking of an aircraft where innocent people are held at ransom to achieve political ends, we live in an age, where the manipulation and loss of innocent lives has become common place. Such is the all-pervasive nature of indiscriminate violence, that “terrorism” is considered as one of the prime threats to peace and security in our societies.

Rightly or wrongly, majority of Nigerians today are not happy with the bombimbs in the country. For sure, anyone

who understands the teachings of Islam will not relate the distinctive characteristics of the times we live in - the overwhelming presenceof violence in our societies to an islamic mission. But, surprises to read that the Boko Haram sect had allegedly claimed responsibility of several bombings, in an attempt make the non-muslims accept islam.

However, the word terrorism came into wide usage only a few decades ago. One of the unfortunate results of this new terminology in Nigeria is that it limits the definition of terrorism to that perpetrated by small groups or individuals mistaken to be fighting for the course of a religion that against their practices.

It is this narrow definition

of terrorism that implicates only individuals and groups, that has caused Muslims to be associated with acts of destruction and terror, and as a result, to become victims of hate, violence and terror themselves.

Could it be possible that Islam, whose light ended the Dark Ages in Europe, now propound the advent of an age of terror? Could a faith that has over 1.2 billion followers the world over, and over 7 million in America, actually advocate the killing and maiming of innocent people?

Could Islam, whose name itself stands for “peace” and “submission to God”, encourage its adherents to work for death and destruction?

For too long, have we relied on popular images in the me-

dia and in Hollywood films, for answers to these pertinent questions. It is better to look at the sources of Islam, and its history to determine whether Islam does indeed advocate violence.

The religion in its preachings of santity of human life says, “…take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.”

[Al-Qur’an 6:151] Islam considers all life forms as sacred. However, the sanctity of human life is accorded a special place. The first and the foremost basic right of a human being is the right to live. The Qur’an says: “…if any one slew a person unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land

- it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” [Al-Qur’an 5:32].

Such is the value of a single human life, that the Qur’an equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with killing all of humanity. Thus, the Qur’an prohibits homicide in clear terms.

Wonder where the Boko Haram sect gets their backings from, because relating their actions to common law, the taking of a criminal’s life by the state in order to administer justice is required to uphold the rule of law, and the peace and security of the society. Only a proper and competent court can decide whether an individual has forfeited his right to life by disregarding

the right to life and peace of other human beings.

Even in a state of war, Islam enjoins that one deals with the enemy nobly on the battlefield. It has drawn a clear line of distinction between the combatants and the non-combatants of the enemy country.

As far as the non-combatant population is concerned such as women, children, the old and the infirm, etc., the instructions of the Prophet is that: “Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman. Do not kill the monks in monasteries and Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship.”

Oyeleke, is a student of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.