Wednesday. July 6, 2011
THISDAY, Vol. 16, No. 591 7, Page 43
citySTRINGS Day Soldiers Cleaned Port Harcourt Streets Soldiers are often feared by oi'dinary mortals because they cany glms and figh t wars. Guns, bombs and ammunition are their trademarks. You seldom see them on streets unless there is crisis. But on this exceptional Saturday they trooped out w ith brooms, shovels, hoes and rakes. They assisted their neighbours in cleaning up the environment in Port Harcourt. By MUHAMMAD BELLO fGo.:lf¥e 8enuuIJ Shaw wac I(l be alive and wilill:S.SCd Lhesanit:ltioo elIcrcis<. Ltw soldiers wldcrtooL: n:ccntiy, be miglu Iwve re-wriuen $DfT"IIe lines in his classic Anns and rho: Man, particularly the. one that reads: .. , am only a Swiss, fighting mcR:!y as II ~rC$SionaI soIilicc"•••• The young OO£:S carry pistols and cartridges; the old ones, grub." The ConulUlllkroflhe 2Amphibious Brigade. Bon Camp, Port Harroun, Bngadicf G:.ner.II YusufTuL.-u r Bur.llai. qualifte5 as an ok! 50Idict but food was far (tOrn his mind Lhal day. So ....'Cftl his subonlirUlld, th-oIwn from al l uuilS unlb his cornnWld, namely the 2 Brigade, 29 Barnilion, ~ I Bngade Signali, 2 Brigade Medical Caua, 9S I Brigade Wortshop, 82 Ammunition Sub DepoI,2 Brigade Supply :md Tr.mspM Company und 2 Bngadc ProYOSl Compan}" who oo1inarily should be clulctung sovkc pistols and AK-I7s.AII of them did noc come out wilh Lhe inli!ntion IOrommit WI)' bdhgen:nl act. They came OUI 10 S'IIo'CC:p. wc:cd and rid the \ ·jcinil)· of their ndghbours of din, c:vcn as sonll: of lhI:se neighbour.i Wi!~ still in bed, 1lJey wo:ro: assisted by !he R.i\'CIS SlllIe GI\'~ SaniU1lJon Agency (RSESA) whidl ptO\'ida!!hem v, ith a truck 10 disp:nc of the !efusc tI1dl was cleaJ-cd IOOng ll"wcrre Road (from the: galc of Federal GoVCtnffii:nI College, Pon Ilarcoun), RUlIluigbG-Rumuola..Aba Road, TIll: sokhcrs did .... hat Ihey dId in !he spiril of cddwating Lhe 1481b c!dllioo of Il~ Nigeria Anny Day cdcbrJUon. Aboul lhis time m 1863, !he Nigaia Anny WoIJi conceived by Ucutenam John Glove:r, whowas!hen tho: Imperial Govemorof lagos. Unlil:eGen. BurolUi who mobilised his trOOpS 10 mop rcfusc., ll. Gb,ct paraded 18 Northern Nigeri:u1S 10 crush any opposilion 10 British tr.am nlO\'CITleIU llround ugos. About Q century and II half later, an inumidating fon:c. used 10 proteCI colonial capllalism is gradUJ.ily metamorphosing inlO 110 fricndly force d.:sirous of cn::aLing enduring \nISI bct\o.'een il£clf and lho: populace that haw; dn:adcd ilS c:riw:nc:e for the paSllluny ~.
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Auto Dealers Warned on Display of Vehicles I'Ie Lagos SUIIC gow:n\ll~nl has for lhe unlplOCmh [in ~ admonished inJiyiduals and alilo lIe;ders displaying vehicle:> f(X' sale at unrcgislcml pn!ITLi5es to desist from such WI act as thi5 lqaleS!he law rqulaling the ocuvlties ofr-. IOIor Vdllcle and S~ Parts Dcmcts in [lie SCUc. Giving lhe wMung at the MOKIf "dtick: Admini!ilrJlion AgeJICY'S I~uane:rs, Agidmgbi, II.;-cja,!he Permanenl Scaewy, M.-, Ak in Hamon §I:ao.i thai !he Agency has 00ICd wilh dismay tI~ wal,\,: of dIsplayed vchd::s for salr: III umegtilcred premises pankulwly. roadsKics. Po:tml Suuions . Eau~rlCj and le:lbs, This attitLKic:, he suid, CUlblil1.Jk:S a nuisance: 10 the: en\'iroruno:nl. impedc:s!he movernall of ~ and fro: now of uaffiI:. l ie staled tll.ll the AgellC)' ha!i embarted dn Clllllpaign to enlight. en Ihe dealers on !he 13w rc:gul:lllng saIcs of lllOIor ."ehicles wM.! span:: pans in d~ Slale in addilion 10 the regular SllIkdloldc:rs' DlIlCt· mIlS h.:1d 10 funhc:rcnlighlClllhem. Hesaid, il ....,ou1d be a shcc:rp1e' (enee for any lIlLIO or spare part dealer 10 feign igOOr'JJICC of!he law fegul:uing the busine:ss. 1be pmn;J.ncnt sccrct:lI)' w.lmCd milo dc:ikrs DOl 10 Illk lhe humane approach of the go...emmena 10 enforclllg the law regulal· 109 aulO bus.tness for gnmu:d saying tll31 the govcrnment has the capacil)' to enfOlD:: the 11Iw 10lhe kuer. Hanson urgc:tI unreg islered indJ\idl.L.aLi Wllling to sell cither reg. isIered or timly used importetI \'Chicles 10 go through rqislcrcd do:~:J:S dU"CCI $:ties trunsaction IS unlawful. Hecxpbincd that the go"anment has pul ill ploce 110 tripani le: atrJl1gcment, which allows indll"iduals 10 s;cll their \'Chicles 10 m..""IT1bo:B of tile: public ooly through rq;isk:n:d nW)lor I"chick!; tI!:aIcn. He udde:d tl llll uny \'Chicle sold outside: this amUlge:rllem would not be issued !he change of owncmup title al the ~'IOIor licensing Offices, He appealed 10 memb::rs 01 tI~ public 10 desisl frum buying \"dti.:1t:s from Ihe roadsides as such \clucles were often from qtES. tionable 5OOR:CS and could pm buyers inlO trouble. The pc:rmanent secrelll!)', howe\l;:f. adviser.! rcgisu:n:d MotOr Vehiclc ~ni whose pc:rmil lla\'C expired 10 urgently rc:ocw!hem IIoS !he Agenc,:y is pois.ed 10 pubhsh names of defaulting dcaIos in the: IlOIlionaI dailies anti prosecute Il'Iem in the law COWl.
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Mrs. Erne Prc:cious Akpan, a resxIent at Ohi:unini Crescent in I{UIllUOIa expteSSCd consternation when Ihe SQId~ Wacke(] on !he door 10 w\OOUnce that they had come to h.:lp her iWoxp bet Mea. AI firs!:.he peeped. Laacr she tlIIIIC out with her V,TJPP.'f tied in the tr.ldilionaJ marultf across her chest. She: oould not hide ho!r dJock wl~n she disrovercd that soldiers were indeed armed ..... ith brootllS and other sanilalion tOOls insto:ad of Kalashnikovs. Silt: went bad: into her hou5C, got properly dressed and ansv.'CfttI joumali.sls' q\.llCSliom about I'Ier irnpn:ssion of tile C\'eI\I. ""Evctybody blo\.IIs lhat soldiers usc to can)' guns, but I am surprised 10 see them canyiS1g broom~. I am renlly happy 10 sc::e them, Where an: lhe policemen? They shoukI be tlcing tJus Idld of thlllg too:- MIS Akpan
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P-JSlor Tonye Ikribo a resilkm or OIte of tlte ar.:a.:. tr.i'·e.-scd by tlte 80 soId~ Jed by about 20 officers, 6pressed confidence tl1lL1 witll tllis lind of ~ more people .....ill SIarlIO see Ihe sokIicrs in bet· Ief light than v,'hat CYOIvuI from GIO\'CI"S IUlil inlo a llausa CorbUbJillry that later became !he West African Fronlier FaKe (WAfF) and 5UbscquentJy the Queen's Own Regiml!nl (QONR) in
1956 when ~n Elizabeth \;sited the: COUlllry. Gc:n,l1ur.!t:il,himsdf a worl:a1)!)lic, told reponctSat Iheend of the which 1:wcd about l\I'O hours thai tI~ lam v,-as sclc:ct.:d I'.. ilb !he IOCiI upprovaI 01 the! 0Uc:f of Anny Staff (COAS). Accoriling 10 him, in as nwctl as Ihe pltpOSC of !he llIuluai ceJebta.tion was to rc:posilion the anny as a formidable: force, Ihe targel of Ihe sanitation ....'ili 10Cfeale: a s),OOD' bct\\ccn!he army and ibi hail corrununitic:l;. It v,~.tS a .....a)' of dcmonstr:ding thai the Wll1y rccog. nizc:s tllllt tile people have bcc:n fMtdly and hospIllLble, ""It WIloS a W.l.y of sellsitisinKtilt! peopleon tho: ~sueofsanit.alit.H " Gen. 8ur.!t:il CJlplaincd, adding thou recently the army had offc:n:d ~ to iG IlClghbours III the area of ikills ;KXjulSition. He: a1so disclosc:tl thal OJfIsidering the prepondc:r.Inoe of I.idnaPPUlg und OIher cnnunalilies 1tl Rivers StJte, his fomullioo 1J:lS formed IlIll111tikidnap IIIl1I (AKU}lhat is readi ly 8\".Jilablc 10 assISt cl\Iil authooues. No dollbc, the ci\ lliam g<M n-..n auenuon dwing Iltis rc:ar's cd· cbwion of the WlI1Y cenll::nary tJw $eo.:unly ~ \\hich was tI~ focus Ofiheo=lSlOII's theme: '"EnhaocinJ!, Nigc:rianAnny Capaci!)' \I) Meet CootemporJl')' &CUri!), Oulkng.es:' e.xc:rc 1'iC
Farmer Group Wins UNDP Award mo SIlIfe.based SmalUloldc:rs roundaliOI1 (SF) Wll$ last wed: in Abuja fonnal ly decor.ued wuh the EqUlLlor ~ (EP), a UnillXi Nations De\dopmenl Programme (l}JI.1)P) iniullIi\'C
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that bi'llIVlually moowds outstandiog community effOlU aimed
reducing po\'CfIy through lho: conso:rvotllOll and sustainable usc. of biodi\-cn;ily. The SF, wluch proIUJIQ SLISUIflabIc agriculture: and enviroo· ole:ntal consc:rv.ltion through educ:ationaI rnLIio progrJll1lT"lCS, is one of !he 1020 10 EP aWlli'dees in Africa. The rnLIlO bro3lIca>t progrwnming enables flUTl'lCfS 10 acquire romempornry agricu lturJ.l and ern'ironrnultal managemav: t«hniques, 10 ~i\'e uP-lo-date IIlllIta information, and 10 advertise their rarm produce. 1be Smallholders Foundation , an organixation .... hich promotc:S SUSlainablc: ltgricultw-e and em<ironmenllll conservaIion t1Ul)Ugh cducatibn:l1 r.dio progJllrnmes is amongst the n:cipic:nl$ of the Equator Prize. The Equalor lnitiati\"C is a f.WUli!rWp that bring,s ~thc:r the UoilCd Nmioru, go\'ernmenlli, ci'lil socic:ty, business· cs and grassruoI.S organimtions to bJikl tile CIlpacily and mise !he profile of kxal efforts 10 reduce pcwCIly through !he consen".llion and sustainable: usc. of biodiversity. It is av,'ll/lbj bic:ruu:&lly 10 rc:cog,niu ouwanding OJfIununi!)' efforts 10 reduce poverty through the c:ooserv.l.Uon and 5lISllL1nabie use ofbiodi\'CfSity. Smallholders Foundation radio broadc::!st progr.unming enables funnen; 10 acquin: tUllCmpoou)' ayic\lltural and en'lirolVncnW managc:n-ent lechniqllCli.IO receive Up-to-date markd information, nod 10 iid\lC:l1ise lheir farm prodllCtS. Thi5 has rcsultc::d in increased fJJmetS crop yield by 45% and howchoId income by SOtl.. II has IIho enlpowemJ v,'OlIICIl by rqularly in... iiing communily WOI't"IaI for interviews, shows and programmcs !.ltal increase their confi· dence to lead, susminable rnanagernelU of wood resowccs in u11OO5l 2,300 hectares of minfDreSl .... here it 1135 iG acti'litics and tnaetmenl and c:nforttmcrK laws for managemc:ru or community fCRStS and wildlife. Biodivcsily OOO5a\'ilIion SlI'lll..-gics and c:nVIronmentally rc$pOIISib1e fanning teehniqllCS are broodcast to a subst:InIiaI numbcrof ~ 1l 1Oldc:r farmc:r.; in Nigeria. The Nigeria awani ceremony ....as t'OI'l\'CIlCd by the Unitc::d Nations Dcvc:lopmem Progr.unmc: (UNOP) nod FcdcmJ Ministry lit
HUlJJOUI Rcsowccs of .e ... :.-'CC..: . .: EcoIogIcnI Fund. MIS, Director of PoIie)' Analysis Moniloring f}.1E IUId lhe GEF Opemtional FocuJ I\llnt , Rep\!scntative. )III. TCItICe Daouda who WlIS lanlhomll5 Hiemstra, the UNO? Depoty (Pmgnlnunc:s).
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