Leadership

18.07.14

No. 61

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

www.leadership.ng

N200

NIGERIA'S FIRST FRIDAY NEWSPAPER

295 FEARED DEAD AS ANOTHER MALAYSIAN PLANE CRASHES NEAR RUSSIA 4

GEN USENI ESCAPES ASSASSINATION IN JOS

Chibok Diary DAY 95

8

DOCTORS' STRIKE: APPEAR BEFORE REPS OR FACE ARREST, TAMBUWAL WARNS MINISTERS 10

Why Government Must Protect Escaped Girls - BringBackOurGirls Group > Page 2

NASARAWA IMPEACHMENT PLOT

3 Killed As Protest Turns Bloody In Lafia Presidency behind my travails – Gov Al-Makura 4

I Didn't Do Anything Behind Kutigi – Prof Akinyemi ➔ PAGE 6

RAMADAN TIMING Day 21

ABUJA Magrib - 7.00 Alfijir - 5.01 KANO Magrib - 6.53 Alfijir - 4.55 KADUNA Magrib - 6.57 Alfijir - 5.00 LAGOS Magrib - 7.12 Alfijir - 5.18 SOKOTO Magrib - 7.07 Alfijir - 5.08 Full table on page 5

SSG SWEARING-IN: ADAMAWA PDP CHIEFTAINS, LAWMAKERS IN NEAR FISTICUFFS 4

#BringBackOurGirls 95 DAY

Friday, July 18, 2014

Editor’s Note

Here we are again with another interesting package meant to make your Friday fantastic with entertaining and educative stories you can’t get anywhere. It is our hope that at the end of your reading, you will be on the lookout for the next edition.

Today on FRIDAY EXTRA, we are analyzing the sales of Okrika goods. Did you know that Okrika items are actually donated by some developed nations as charity? Rather than give them out for free, they are being sold down here in Africa. Take some time to read through and find out how the multi-billion naira Okrika sector makes money from

items meant to be free.

ESSENTIALS today features a 4 man group “The Henhouse Prowlers� who are engaged in the unique Bluegrass Music. MY TOWN still features the unique origin of the Gbagyi tribe. I hope you have been enjoying the series?

Other usual segments of the paper are also on, WOMEN IN POLITICS features Barr. Ebere Ifendu. Ifendu is the National Woman Leader of the Labour Party of Nigeria. She speaks on the need for women to come out and support one another, among other issues. Be sure to read her interesting interview. Don’t miss out on the rest pages as they all promise to be worthwhile.

Lastly, don’t forget to Thank God It’s Friday!

“Be what you want to see in others, else you have no right to expect them to be it.�

For Feedback: fridayleadership@leadership.ng

CHIBOK IN THE WEEK Saturday, July 12, 2014 United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, called for the world to mark the 100th day in captivity of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls in Nigeria by coming out to support the course of their release.

One of the fathers of the abducted schoolgirls decried the continuous influx of internally displaced persons from nearby attacked communities into Chibok, saying it is a major source of worry for them.

Sunday, July 13, 2014 Foremost girl-child education campaigner, 17, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai, arrived in Nigeria to campaign on behalf of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram sect.

Bornu State Governor Kashim Shettima re-iterated the resolve of his administration and other well-meaning Nigerians to continue to pursue the course of release and safe return of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls in spite of their prolonged stay in captivity.

Monday, July 14, 2014 Malala in Abuja made a call on the Boko Haram sect to free the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

Five of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, five of the parents and some Chibok community residents attended the sit-out of the BringBack-Our-Girls group at the Unity Fountain.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014 Malala and her Foundation donated

$200,000 to the course of girl-child education in Nigeria.

An Abuja High Court adjourned indefinitely, its judgement in the suit filed by the Bring-Back-Our-Girls group against the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mr Joseph Mbu for announcing a ban on its protest.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 Parents and school mates of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls being held captive by the Boko Haram sect refused at the last minute to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan, who accused the activists of “playing politics� as the Senate President, David Mark, called on the various stakeholders to collaborate with the federal government for the eventual release of the girls.

Beware Of Your Aides, BBOG Member Tells Jonathan

STORY BY CHIKA MEFOR, EJIKE EJIKE Abuja

A member of the #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) campaign group, Seun Fakunade has written to President Goodluck Jonathan, advising him to be wary of his aides, saying they were bringing his exalted office as number one citizen of the country to disrepute with their needless attacks on the group.

Specifically, Fakunade cautioned the president to beware of his senior special assistant on public affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who, he said, was using his position as a presidential aide to settle personal scores with a leader of the group and former education minister, Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, to the detriment of the president.

It would be recalled that Okupe had tweeted on his Twitter handle how Ezekwesili turned down his gesture when he approached her to greet her.

Expressing doubt that the letter, which was widely distributed in the media by Okupe and attributed to have been written by the president was actually written by him, Fakunade said, "I am certain the person of the president of Nigeria will never write such. Whatever the grievances Dr. Okupe has with Ms Ezekwesili, the office

of the president should not be reduced to such dance of shame in the media."

On Okupe's allegation that it was Ezekwesili who instigated the refusal of the families of the escaped Chibok girls to attend a meeting scheduled by the president, the BBOG member said, "I am quite sure Ms Ezekwesili, who remains one Nigerian with incorruptible integrity and who desperately wants these girls rescued, will never resort to such act as portrayed by Dr Okupe.

"Honestly, I keep wondering how you will allow yourself and your noble office to be such ridiculed by such dramatis personae as aides. Regardless of the constant attack and publicity strategy of the establishment to frustrate, derail and divide us; we stay strong and committed to demanding that the girls be brought back alive," he wrote.

Explaining why the Chibok girls' parents may have shied away from meeting with the president, Fakunade reminded Jonathan that while it took him (Jonathan) three weeks to acknowledge that the schoolgirls had been abducted, "the arrest that befell members of the movement after the scheduled meeting they had with your wife, the First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs Patience Jonathan" was another possible reason.

Why Govt Must Protect Escaped Schoolgirls- BBOG STORY BY CHIKA MEFOR, EJIKE EJIKE, Abuja

During the visit of Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai to Nigeria in support of the rescue of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, five girls out of the 57 who escaped from the sect's captivity were exposed and now risk the possibility of another attack.

This was the view of the #BringBackOurGirls Group when they sat at the Unity Fountain in Abuja yesterday, to deliberate on the outcome of Malala's visit to Nigeria.

Speaking on the issue, the group stated that it

was necessary for the Chibok community and the Borno State government to start rehabilitating the escaped girls, as they currently live in fear and were at risk of being harmed or abducted again.

According to the group, "The girls that escaped have wounds both physically and mentally. They have escaped, but have not escaped from the fears they are living in. They are free, but they are not free from their fears. They don't even sleep in their homes. They sleep in the bush for fear of the insurgency.

Thursday, July 17, 2014 The Bring-Back-Our-Girl group denied being responsible for the cancellation of the planned meeting between President Jonathan and 12 parents as well as five of the abducted girls who escaped.

Today Friday, July 18, 2004 A member of the Bring-Back-Our-Girl campaign group, Seun Fakunade, has written to President Goodluck Jonathan, advising him to be wary of some of his aids who, he said, are bringing his office into disrepute through ‘the needless attacks they carry out on the group’.

During Malala’s visit, five of the 57 girls who escaped from Boko Haram’s camp were exposed and now the possibility ofIROKA COMPILED BYrisk UGOCHUKWU another attack. ...AS COMPILED BY Abah Adah

L-R; President Women Arise for Change Initiative Dr. Joe Odumakin and Daddy Shoki during a protest over the campaign for the rescue Chibok girls in Abuja . PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

A little “thank you� that you will say to someone for a “little favour� shown to you is a key to unlock the doors that hide unseen “greater favours�. Learn to say “thank you� and why not? ― Israelmore Ayivor

our stand

3

July 18, 2014

Justice For Terror Suspects

M

ilitary authorities say that they have handed over 500 terror suspects to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution and express regret that no visible action has been taken. Indeed, they believe they are making an impact in the war against terror but for the delay in the prosecution of suspects. This expression of exasperation is coming on the heels of the recent arrest by the Interpol of the suspected mastermind of the bombing of a bus park in Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, Sadiq Ogwuche, whose case, experts assume, is straightforward enough.

As the waiting game persists, human rights groups allege abuse of the fundamental rights of the suspects who, they claim, are languishing in various detention camps and prisons under deplorable conditions. Some have even suggested that the federal government should hit the ground running by using the services of the best legal minds, if possible from outside the police prosecution team. The competence of the prosecution team in such matters, they

insist, is almost always unsatisfactory.

We are amply persuaded to believe that the military, even as they urge a speedy trial of suspects, should realise and admit the fact that the issue at stake is the nation’s security and that the detainees in question are not ordinary criminals but hardened ones with a terrorist’s mind-set. We also know that the military with the hassles they have been through in the hands of these same suspects will not want a situation where an obvious terrorist with a smart counsel is released and unleashed, again, on an already harassed populace. On this score, it is our view that it will be in the nation’s security interest for

Ag. Editor Hassan Gimba Ahmed Deputy Editors Kazeem Akintunde Editorial Board Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Christian Ochiama, Deputy Chairman Standards Aniebo Nwamu, Director ’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director

the justice system to err on the side of caution. And this will entail a thorough, errorfree prosecution process after a professionally executed investigation with evidence and witnesses that can and must stick in a court of law.

Evidence apart, we also agree that counsel outside the police and even the ministry will do a better job of arguing their briefs in court. We hold this view based on past experiences in which good cases are intolerably bungled by counsel’s poor arguments. It is known that both the police/ military and ministry authorities are handicapped by poor tools and inexperience.

Any tendency likely to lead to the trampling of an individual’s rights is, however, condemnable. Justice delayed is justice denied. It is also said that it is better for 99 accused persons to go free than for one innocent person to be punished. To this extent, therefore, we lend our voices to the call on the Ministry of Justice to speed up its investigations and other necessary arrangements to bring culpable suspects to justice and, at the same time, ensure that the innocent ones do not suffer unduly.

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman Hajiya Ireti Kingibe Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene Group Executive Directors Michael Okpere Dr Kazeem Durodoye Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser Abdulhaleem Amin Divisional Directors Abdulmumin Balogun Ademola Oladosu Iyobosa Uwugiaren Salisu Alhassan Bichi General Managers Aminu Abubakar Sule Zipporah D. Tanko Joy Adekanye

Leadership

Holdings

Managing Director Abraham Nda-Isaiah Executive Director Nnamdi Samuel New York Office Mohammed Bello Shehu London Office Dr Bello Salihu Johannesburg Office Abiodun Oguntuase Business Manager Bilkisu Mohammed Rimi

Return to old watering holes for more than water; friends and dreams are there to meet you.

— African Proverb

LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the nation’s capital.

We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.

We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of our coming into being: For God and country!

4

July 18, 2014

LIVING TO BE 100

One health tip daily Nature’s Pollution-Fighter The powerful antioxidant and detoxifier L-cysteine can help protect your body from the harmful effects of pollution, heavy metals, chemicals, radiation, alcohol, and smoke. This naturally occurring amino acid may also help boost the immune system, protect against heart disease, build muscle, and decrease fat buildup. L-cysteine is also useful for combatting inflammation and promoting healthy hair and nail growth. The substance is found in eggs, fish, almonds, sesame seeds, soy, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, legumes, avocados, bananas, whole grains, and brewer’s yeast.

295 Feared Dead As Another Malaysian Plane Crashes Near Russia

By Iroka Ugochukwu, with agency reports

A Malaysian passenger airliner with 295 people on board crashed yesterday in Ukraine, near the Russian border, according to officials.

The Boeing 777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down by a BUK ground-to-air missile, Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko wrote on his Facebook page.

Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko denied his armed forces were involved in the downing of the airliner.

“Armed Forces of Ukraine did not take action against any airborne targets,” Poroshenko said.

Malaysian Airlines confirmed it had lost contact with flight MH17 from Amsterdam, saying the aircraft was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew on board.

“Malaysia Airlines confirms it received notification from Ukrainian ATC that it had lost contact with flight MH17 at 1415 (GMT) at 30km from Tamak waypoint, approximately 50km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

“Flight MH17 operated on a Boeing 777 departed Amsterdam at 12:15pm (Amsterdam local time) and was estimated to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6:10 am (Malaysia local time) the next day,” the statement said.

A flight tracking website showed that one flight path was interrupted in Ukraine. The plane appeared to have come down in a region of military action where Ukrainian government forces are battling pro-Russian separatists.

Meanwhile, a Russian jet has shot down a Ukrainian SU-25 attack plane over the east of Ukraine, a Ukrainian military spokesman has said.

Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s national defence and security council, said yesterday that the plane was shot down on Wednesday night by an air-to-air missile but the pilot safely ejected.

According to reports, it was the third reported incident this week in which a Ukrainian plane has been hit by a missile.

Earlier this week, officials in Kiev said that a Ukrainian military transport plane had been shot down on Monday along the country’s eastern border with Russia. Two out of the eight people on board that plane were killed, the Ukrainian military said.

3 Killed As Protest Turns Bloody In Lafia

By Donatus Nadi, Lafia and Achor Abimaje, Jos

Three people died while one person was wounded yesterday during clashes between Gwandara and Eggon youths who were protesting over the commencement of impeachment proceedings against Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State.

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY gathered that some armed Gwandara youths stormed the house of an Eggon man around Old Alamis Market and set it ablaze along with his car. Many governorship posters of information minister Labaran Maku were said to have been pasted on the walls of the house.

The state police public relations officer, Ismaila Numan, confirmed the development, saying the house was burnt in the early hours of yesterday but he could not confirm who was responsible.

Investigations revealed, however, that the impeachment notice served on the governor by the state lawmakers did not go down well with the Gwandara youths who resorted to violent protests to register their anger over the attempt to impeach their kinsman to pave way for an Eggon man.

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY saw one of the warring youths with a deep machete cut in the upper arm as he was being taken to a hospital for medication.

The Gwandara are said to be accusing the Eggon elite of being behind the woes of the governor, leading to the impeachment process by the state legislators.

Maku, the information minister, is of the Eggon extraction whereas Governor Al-Makura is of Gwandara ethnic stock; the latter are considered one of the smallest ethnic nationalities in the state.

When our correspondent visited the scene of the violence, burntdown commercial tricycles littered the area even as shops and other business premises hurriedly closed for fear of being vandalized.

Meanwhile the protesters visited the Emir of Lafia, Alhaji Isa Mustapha Agwai I, in his palace to register their disapproval of the impeachment move by the state assembly.

In the same vein, the Nasarawa State first lady Hajiya Salamatu AlMakura has called on the people of the state to remain calm as various women groups took to the streets on Thursday to protest the impeachment notice served on the governor.

Mrs Al-Makura, while addressing the protesters at the government house in Lafia, urged them to be very prayerful and not take laws into their hands.

She expressed optimism that the governor would overcome the impeachment saga and return to continue with his developmental agenda.

“I would like to urge you all to intensify your prayers for God to take charge of the situation as nothing is beyond him to handle,” Al-Makura said.

She commended the women for the show of love and support to the governor and promised to deliver their message to him.

She observed that the lawmakers ought to have consulted with their constituents before taking the decision to impeach the governor.

Earlier, Hajiya Hajara Danyaro, convener of the protest, said the impeachment move by the state assembly was calculated to destabilize the state.

She maintained that, as mothers, they chose not to remain quiet owing to the fact that, in the event of crisis, women and children suffer more casualties.

According to Danyaro, the allegation of gross misconduct levelled against the governor was unfounded and malicious.

“We are saying no to impeachment of the people’s governor be-

Presidency behind my travails – Gov. Al-Makura Governor Umoru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has attributed his present travails to the Presidency.

The governor made the disclosure through his senior special assistant on public affairs, Abdulhamid Yakubu Kwarra, while fielding questions from journalists in Jos, the Plateau State capital, yesterday.

According to him, this development is meant to destabilize APCcontrolled states in the country.

Kwarra said: “They are threatened by the monumental achievements of the APC administration in Nasarawa State; there is no administration that is as corrupt as the present PDP-led government in the country.

“Authorities in Abuja should stop the bull from entering a china shop.

They are opening a new war front; they should address the issue of the insecurity and Chibok girls instead of chasing shadows in the country.”

He further stressed that they were exploring all the options available to them, pointing out that a situation where members of the State House of Assembly exercise their power without decorum will be highly resisted.

Presidency keeps mum Efforts to get official response on the allegation from the presidential spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati, proved abortive as he failed to respond to several calls and text messages made to his phone as at press time.

SSG Swearing-In: Adamawa PDP Chieftains, Lawmakers In Near Fisticuffs

BY MOHAMMED ISMAIL, Yola

Remains of the crashed Malaysian plane, near Russia, yesterday.

Al-Makura

cause, as far as we are concerned, Al-Makura is the best governor Nasarawa has ever had,” Danyaro added.

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY investigation revealed that the Nasarawa State House of Assembly had on Monday sat for only 15 minutes and passed a resolution for impeachment notice against Al-Makura.

The Assembly further directed its Clerk to serve the governor, saying that if he was unable to serve him with the notice, he should proceed to serve him through the media.

The Assembly thereafter proceeded on recess.

There was confusion at the Council Chambers of Government House, Yola, over the sitting arrangement during the swearing-in of the newly appointed secretary to the state government, Professor Abdullahi Liman Tukur, by acting governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.

Government House protocol of-

ficials had a hectic time trying to calm a fracas that ensued between PDP executive members and state lawmakers over who should be given preference in the sitting arrangement, as the PDP executives who were the first to enter the hall refused to leave the seats for the lawmakers.

The development led to serious altercation as the legislators and

the PDP executive started trading abusive words, claiming superiority in the fight that ousted Murtala Nyako’s government and led to the emergence of Ahmadu Fintiri as acting governor.

The confusion delayed the swearing-in ceremony for close to an hour as the protocol officials

Always being in a hurry does not prevent death, neither does going slowly prevent living. ― Nigerian Proverb

➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

ISLAM / 5

July 18, 2014

Jihad Explained

BY HABIBA KAVALEC

The concept of jihad is one of the most misconstrued aspects of Islamic doctrine in the world today. Not only by Western society and its media, but also by some pseudo-Muslim radical elements who have popularized it to mean holy war. As a result, Islam is erroneously and unjustly labeled as a religion that advocates violence and terrorism.

But, even in the Arabic language, the word “jihad” means “struggle” or “effort,” not “holy war,” which translated into Arabic is “harbun muqaddasatu.” So, within the context of Islam, the correct definition of jihad is the struggle or effort to strive “in the path of God” against all obstacles. It is the effort to purify the soul by restraining from committing sins that corrupt the soul. One is to control material desires, overt selfishness, and remain uninfluenced by those internal or external forces that distract one from the remembrance of God. Jihad further constitutes the obligation for Muslims to strive against all forms of oppression, and to, peacefully and compassionately, convey the true message of Islam to all of mankind.

Categories of Jihad 1. Jihad-e-Akbar: Jihad of the Highest Order a. Jihad an-Nafs or Struggle against the Nafs or Soul This is the jihad of self-reformation, and the struggle is against human vices, such as greed and lust, and all worldly enticements that are contrary to Islamic principles. This jihad reflects the journey of an individual from an ‘animalistic’ state of existence, which is living for immediate gratification or gain, to one where the psyche is disciplined enough to exercise moral control. The Muslim is expected to strive hard to learn correct Islamic instruction and to put those teachings into effect every day. Jihad an-Nafs calls for compelling oneself to observe obligatory and voluntary duties, and abandon all things that are haram (forbidden) or makrooh (disliked) as mandated in the Qur’an. It also includes compelling oneself to conduct all of one’s affairs with excellent disposition and the highest level of ethics.

According to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), “The most excellent type of jihad is to practice jihad against your own self and own desires for the sake of Allah.” [AtTirmidhi] All forms of worship in Islam, such as prayers, fasting and charity, exist as means of purifying and perfecting the soul - this is the essence of mankind, and the element that will outlast this life and be judged in the next. It is only in the upward development of the soul that mankind will find happiness in this life and in the hereafter. The Qur’an states: “And by the soul and Him Who perfected it, then showed it what is right and what is wrong for it—indeed, he succeeds who purifies his soul, and, indeed, he fails who corrupts his soul.” [Qur’an 91:7] b. Jihad ash-Shaytaan or Struggle against Shaytaan (Satan) This is the struggle against Satan, and it involves defending oneself from his evil whisperings, temptations and lustfulness. One should understand that Satan’s promptings will never cease, as a result, this is a struggle to last throughout one’s life. The Qur’an states: “Verily Satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy.

He only invites his adherents,that they may become Companions of the Blazing Fire.” [Qur’an 35:6] 2. Jihad-e-Kabir: Major Jihad a. Verbal Jihad This is the jihad that calls for the propagation of the true and unadulterated message of the Qur’an. Muslims are required to become involved in da’wah (spreading the message of Islam), and to do so with patience, wisdom, tolerance and respect of others and their own beliefs. Propagating the true message of Islam is not only to enlighten non-Muslims, but also to correct mistaken beliefs among Muslims. However, the goal and intention of da’wah to non-Muslims is simply to convey the message of Islam - it is not to have or make them convert to Islam. Muslims are prohibited from using any form of coercion or force in this endeavor. The Qur’an states: “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in

RAMADAN TIMING Day 21 Towns

Magrib

Alfijr

Abuja

7.00

5.01

Aba

6.56

5.04

Abakaliki

6.53

5.03

Abeokuta

7.10

5.20

Akure

7.03

5.12

Ankpa

6.57

5.06

Argungu

7.12

5.10

Auchi

7.02

5.10

Awka

7.03

5.05

Azare

6.50

4.48

Bama

6.39

4.34

Bauchi

6.51

4.53

b. Jihad ahlu athThulm or Struggle Against Evil, Injustice and Innovations This is the struggle against evil (al-Munkaraat), injustice (ath-Thulm) and those who corrupt Islam with heretic ideas or innovation (alBida’ah). It calls for Muslims to speak up against evil-doing, oppression and tyranny, and to help safeguard the well-being of all people regardless of race, gender, nationality or religion. Furthermore, this jihad calls for removing treacherous people from power and replacing them with those who will be just and equitable. In addition, those who devote their time, talent, wealth or knowledge to the cause of righteousness are also said to be practicing Verbal Jihad.

Benin

7.05

5.11

Bichi

6.58

4.56

Bida

7.05

5.06

Birnin Gwari

7.04

5.04

B/Kebbi Gwandu

7.13

5.10

Biu

6.42

4.41

Calabar

6.50

5.01

Damaturu

6.42

4.40

Daura/Kazaure

7.01

4.41

Dutse

6.52

4.53

Enugu

6.54

5.03

Funtua/Malumfashi

7.02

4.59

Gembu

6.47

4.47

Gombe

6.45

4.45

Gusau

7.01

5.02

Gwadabawa

7.12

5.03

Hadejia

6.50

4.48

Ibadan

7.14

5.15

Ife

7.09

5.12

c. Jihad al-Kuffar or Struggle against Disbeliever’s and Hypocrites This is the struggle against disbelievers (kuffar) and al-Munafiqeen (hypocrites). It is accomplished at four levels: with the heart, the tongue, one’s wealth and one’s soul. This jihad is usually practiced with the tongue by verbally refuting misguided ways and conveying the true message of Islam. According to the Prophet (peace be upon him):

Ilesha Baruba

7.11

5.11

Ilorin

7.07

5.13

Jalingo

6.42

4.45

Jere/Suleija

6.59

5.00

Jos

6.56

4.54

Kabba

7.04

5.06

Kafanchan

6.58

4.57

Keffi/Nasarawa

6.58

4.57

Kaiama

7.13

5.14

Kafin Maiyaki

6.58

4.54

Kaduna

6.57

5.00

Kano

6.53

4.55

Katsina

7.01

4.57

Kontagora

7.07

5.09

Lafia

6.53

4.57

Lagos

7.12

5.18

Lokoja

6.57

5.09

Maiduguri

6.35

4.38

Makurdi

6.54

4.56

Minna

7.01

5.07

Missau

6.47

4.47

Monguno

6.38

4.30

Mubi

6.37

4.37

Nguru

6.47

4.45

Ningi

6.51

4.52

Okene

7.07

5.07

Ogbomosho

7.12

5.15

Onitsha

7.00

5.10

Oyo

7.14

5.17

Port Harcourt

6.59

5.14

Potiskum

6.45

4.43

Saki

7.06

5.17

Shagamu

7.07

5.23

Sokoto

7.07

5.08

Umuahia

6.58

5.02

Warri

6.57

5.17

Wukari

5.45

4.57

Wurno

7.11

5.03

Yenagoa

6.39

4.40

Yola

6.36

4.40

Zaria

6.58

5.01

Cotonnou-Benin

7.16

5.20

Ndjamena-Chad

6.27

4.27

Niamey-Niger

7.22

5.19

Zinder – Niger

6.59

4.46

Younde-Cameroun

6.40

4.46

Garoua – Cameroun

6.34

4.39

Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.”

[Qur’an 2:256]

“Perform Jihad against the disbelievers with your wealth, with yourself and with your tongues.” [Abu Dawud] “He amongst you who witnesses an evil, let him change (remove, stop) it with his hand. If unable, then with his tongue, and if unable, then with his heart, and this indeed is the weakest Iman.” [Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri, Muslim] And the Qur’an states: “But strive hard against them (the Kuffar), (by preaching) with the utmost endeavor, with it (ie. the Qur’an)” [Qur’an 25:52] “O Prophet! Strive hard against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, an evil refuge (indeed).” [Qur’an 66:9] “Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.”

[Qur’an 4:76] 3. Jihad-e-Asghar : Jihad of the Lower Order. a. Military or Combat Jihad This is the jihad of defensive battle and represents the most misinterpreted category of jihad by Muslims and nonMuslims alike. It is used by some pseudo-Muslim radical elements and anti-Islamists to contend that Islam promotes and rewards offensive warfare. But the correct interpretation is that this jihad represents the legitimate struggle to defend human rights, families, personal and religious freedoms, land and property. Islam forbids Muslims to be initiators or aggressors, but it permits them to defend themselves when necessary. Hence, the battle can only be defensive, and not an offensive action. The Qur’an issues this decree as follows: “Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.” [Qur’an 2:190] In Islam, the purpose of any battle is to restore peace and not to promote violence. When engaging in battle, Islam commands Muslims to be fair and just; not to harm or kill women, children, the elderly and unarmed civilians; not to terrify civilians; and not to employ unnecessary excessive force. The Qur’an has provided the circumstances under which defensive warfare is permissible; and Muslims are strictly forbidden from transgressing these parameters.

TO BE CONTINUED

(Source: Timing Committee, Islamic Research and Timing Organisation Kaduna)

Recommended DU’A for Day 14 Recommended DU’A for Day 21 Pray an 8 Raka’ah Salaat, In every Raka’ah recite Surah Al-Fatiha and any other Surah.

Then say: ALLAHUMMAJ-A’L LEE FEEHI ILAA MARZ”AATIKA DALEELAA WA LAA TAJ-A’L LISHSHAYT’AANI FEEHI A’LAYYA SABEELA WAJ-A’LIL JANNATA LEE MANZILAN WA MAQEELAA YAA QAAZ”IYA H’AWAAA-IJIT’ T’AALIBEEN. Meaning: O Allah, on this day, show me the way to win Your pleasure, do not let Shaytan have a means over me, make Paradise an abode and a resting place for me, O the One who fulfills the requests of the needy.

Compiled by Al-Amin Ciroma

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever Walt Disney, founder and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

6

July 18, 2014

I Didn’t Do Anything Behind Kutigi – Prof Akinyemi Prof Bolaji Akinyemi was Nigeria’s external affairs minister from 1985 to 1987. He has headed numerous Nigerian delegations to various international fora, ranging from the United Nations General Assembly sessions to the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Council of Ministers sessions. In 2007, he was appointed by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as a member of the Justice Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee. He is currently the deputy chairman of the 2014 National Conference, which is about to wind up. In this first and exclusive interview granted by Akinyemi on the confab, he lays bare his mind on the prospects of the confab, its controversies and his roles, among other issues. He spoke to BODE GBADEBO. How has it been co-steering the affairs of the National Conference in the last four months?

The stress and pressure make it look like we’ve been at it for two years! When you are in a situation where you are practically rebuilding and involved in an exercise at creating a new Nigeria, the exercise itself, as stressful as it is, the thought of doing it for the future makes the stress bearable. Let me say this from the very beginning, the man who should take credit for getting us where we are from the beginning is the chairman, Justice Kutigi. If I were to look for words to describe him or if I were to write a book on him, I would entitle the book ‘The Stubbornness of a Righteous Judge’. Justice Idris Kutigi was very steadfast. It shouldn’t be surprising, given his background as a judge who rose to become chief justice of the Nigerian Supreme Court. He kept his focus on doing justice for all delegates, irrespective of what your agenda may be and he stood firm with that, because it was not as if things were easy.

When you are dealing with 492 delegates, people coming with different agendas, people having different interests and to ensure that each one has an opportunity to air his views, it couldn’t have been easy. I must give him that credit. When you know the kind of things that happen between governors and deputy governors, it takes enormous selfconfidence for Justice Kutigi as chairman to have enabled me as his deputy to play the kind of roles that I did.

So, at the beginning, how many people gave this conference a chance? They expected that we will not reach agreement on issues; this conference will break up on this, on that. We didn’t avoid the critical issues, you are my witness; critical issues like religion, resource control and the nature of federalism. I do not like to use the words ‘true federalism’, I prefer to use the words ‘functional federalism’, which means that you design a federalism that addresses the reality of needs to be addressed in Nigeria, but people didn’t give us a chance.

20 committees were set up to address different issues and most of the committees, if not all, reached agreements by consensus and what does this mean? It means that Nigeri-

ans, left to themselves can reach a meeting of the minds on the kind of country they want to live in. Now, at least if there is one thing we have gained, nobody will say that unless the military or an external force is involved, Nigerians cannot reach an agreement. Because some people say Nigeria was Lugard’s invention, but in the past five months, we Nigerians have now been involved in an exercise of restructuring, rebuilding and refining the concept of Nigeria and we’ve done it without intervention from the president and nobody has put a gun to our heads. Yes, we had disagreements and that is bound to happen and we resolved them and I think we should be proud of ourselves as Nigerians.

Had you ever met Justice Kutigi prior to your appointment as the deputy chairman of the conference?

You remember I served on the Uwais Electoral Reform Committee and I think one of our sessions was devoted to election tribunals and I remember we met during our deliberations. The judges were having a conference in Abuja and probably about 250 judges, I am sure Justice Kutigi must have been there as the chief justice then. I can really say no, I had never met the conference secretary before and as troublesome as I was, I was never dragged before Justice Kutigi for any offence.

There were controversies at the confab, but the most pronounced was the accusation that you spearheaded a move to re-write the Constitution through the ‘back door’. Can you explain what actually happened?

I explained on the floor of the house. The way I defined my role was to ensure that when divisive issues were becoming evident, that I will reach out to all sides of the argument and through my intervention, seek to have them resolve their differences rather than those differences becoming major crises on the floor of the house. And we did it over Land Use Decree, we did it over fuel subsidy matter, we did it over voting formula, we did it during the crisis over grazing rights, but there was nothing I did behind Justice Kutigi’s back. I will seek authorisation from him and explain what I was trying to do.

Akinyemi

So, in this particular case, it was evident from even contributions on the floor that this issue of constitution – a new or an old constitution – was a major issue; some of the delegates saying we want a new constitution and some of the delegates saying no, we don’t want a new constitution. Before the pot boiled over, I spoke to those who said they want a new constitution; define for me what you mean by a new constitution. Then I reached out to those who said they don’t want a new constitution; what exactly are your fears about what these people said they wanted and I said to them bring those facts together, that’s all. That’s what happened. If you are going to have a conspiracy, you don’t do it openly. The meeting was held in this hall here, even some of my conversations were in the lobby and everybody passing by will stop and join the conversations. So, the intervention was misconstrued, like I said on the floor earlier. That was my modus operandi to ensure that we reach agreement. I am a diplomat and I have taken part in international negotiations. Voting at international conferences is mere formality, you’ve already resolved the matter over a cup of tea or coffee and that is what we tried to do here. After I gave my explanation at plenary, the matter died a natural death.

Do you have any idea why anybody would accuse you of cajoling delegates into accepting a new Constitution, which is outside the purview of the confab?

No, I don’t have any idea why people will do that, but there are 492 Nigerians gathered here, each one with a different background.

People came here with suspicions. People came here with fears, people came here with misunderstandings, but I refused to get diverted. I didn’t take my eyes off the ball. And if you recall, my intervention at plenary was not to defend myself but to explain what happened. It was necessary for me to explain, because should the issue arise again, I will do the same thing. I would seek to get people on both sides of the divide to talk to each other.

If you are going to have a conspiracy, you don’t do it openly.

The meeting was held in this hall here, even some of my conversations were in the lobby and everybody passing by will stop and join the conversations.

Bridge building is the lubricant for negotiation and not each group becoming rigid and fixed in their positions. If you don’t build that bridge, by the time you get to voting, you will be split down the middle and you don’t resolve matters by people holding on to their positions. They always need a reconciliatory who will bring them together and not force his idea on them. Nobody ever said I said I prefer this or that, not even the people making the accusation.

There were also allegations that the leadership of the confab was acting out President Jonathan’s script…

How? When the issue over resource control came up and we were divided, a source in the presidency said the president has never met the management of the conference, except the two meetings we had when we were appointed. At least you know when you are appointed, the guy who appoints you will meet you, even if only to shake hands. But once the work started, the president never got involved in our activities, never issued any instruction, never told anybody any preference. He never spoke to us. So, how can you be carrying out a presidential agenda when the man will not even speak to you? There was never a hidden agenda that we members of the management were privy to. ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

You may work with 100% capacity every day and may not be seen by anybody for recommendation. This does not mean you should give up! The day you will decide to work at 40% may be the day you’ll be seen by the person who is meant to recommend you for higher profile opportunities! ― Israelmore Ayivor

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July 18, 2014

‘I Didn’t Do Anything Behind Kutigi’ ➔ FROM PAGE 6 Sir, you have been on several government committees in past, what are the hopes of this confab’s report being implemented, given the avalanche of old reports left lying fallow?

This is a question you should direct to the presidency. The job of the management was to ensure a successful conference and you are my witness that the job is 95 per cent done. Once we submit the report to the president, our job is done. As lawyers would say, we’ve become functus officio. It’s now left to the presidency and other branches of government what they will do with the report.

But government will always call people like you to sacrifice their expertise, energy and time on a job like this, only for the report to be abandoned. Are you comfortable with this?

I think patience is what is called for. I was a member of the Boko Haram Committee. I spent seven months of my life last year doing that and we submitted the report. People accused the president and government of not doing anything with our report and yet last week, Victims Support Agency was endorsed by the Council of State. It came out of the Turaki-led Boko Haram Committee. So really, it’s you win some, you lose some. If you are appointed into a committee, your job is to focus on your mandate. After you have finished, there may be 101 reasons why government will take a stand by either accepting your recommendations or rejecting them. The same thing with the Uwais Electoral Reform Panel, bits and pieces of it keep turning up in legislations now. In any case, speaking personally, I am not frustrated in my experience of serving on committees and their reports. One must recognise the fact that government has more information than what you do in the committees.

Not a few people kicked when last Monday, the confab abdicated responsibility of taking a decision on derivation principle and others to the federal government that set up the conference. What do you have to say on that?

That is the nature of life - nobody was dic-

Akinyemi

tating to anybody - when you are confronted with a situation where you need more data. We have been talking about percentages of allocations to this and that without even knowing how much is involved.

There are decisions that involve statistics and figures, but what people should realise is the need to always make an informed decision, a decision based on wisdom rather than a decision where you just pluck figures from the air.

In the course of managing the confab, was there any time the leadership was threatened or stampeded into taking any decision it ordinarily wouldn’t?

We were not stampeded; we had our feet firmly on the ground. It was not easy; positions of leadership can never be easy, not in a country like Nigeria where you have a conference addressing grievances, fears, trying to reconcile interests. There were sleepless nights, there were headaches, but at no time was the confab management stampeded into take any decision and under the leadership of Justice Kuitigi, we were fair to all interests.

At a point in time when you were the minister of external affairs, you came up with a concept called ‘Concert of Medium Powers’. What was that about?

I was aware that Nigeria’s foreign policy had been driven by the anti-apartheid struggle. That struggle was coming to an end and there was therefore a need to look for new processes that will drive Nigeria’s foreign policy. Nigeria is not a small country.

Thank God, after the rebasing of the GDP we are now first in Africa. We had demonstrated our capacity to influence events in the international system through our contribution to peacekeeping roles and membership of the Security Council, so, I wanted to concretise these by reaching out to other countries who occupied a similar status like Nigeria in other regions. And through cooperation with them, we could now advance Nigerian interests and help resolve conflicts in the world. A meeting has just taken place somewhere of countries called BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, where they agreed to set up BRICS Bank.

There is no better illustration for what I was trying to do.

Adamawa PDP Chieftains, Lawmakers ➔ FROM PAGE 4

were left helpless, even as the two groups continued to exchange abusive words.

The intervention of top security personnel and other government officials prevented the situation from degenerating into fisticuffs.

Local government chairmen, who were put in one obscure corner for the ceremony, equally complained that they were not properly accorded their rightful positions in the scheme of things.

But the chairmen were told in clear terms that they did not deserve any recognition, as they were accused of serving the previous regime.

Meanwhile, the majority leader of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Ishaq Bala, has been removed. Ishaq, who is a member representing Yola North constituency, was removed for not supporting the impeachment of Nyako.

Hon. Ishaq Bala was accordingly replaced

by Salishu Kabilo from Verre constituency as the new majority leader of the House.

Acting governor scraps SPPU, dissolve Nyako’s cabinet The acting governor of Adamawa State Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has ordered the scrapping of the Special Projects and Programmes Unit (SPPU) under Government House.

The decision of the state government was contained in a press release signed by Solomon Kumangar, director, press and public affairs, Government House, Yola.

The acting governor directed the head of service to retrieve all government property in the custody of the unit immediately.

According to the acting governor, SPPU, an ad-hoc body, has been a subject of controversy since its establishment because it is contrary to the law and civil service procedures.

The acting governor has also dissolved the cabinet of the former governor Nyako.

The government has also sacked all the political appointees of the previous administration.

The position was made through a press statement signed by the secretary to the state government, Prof. Abdullahi Liman Tukur.

The statement said that following the resignation of the deputy governor and the impeachment of former governor Nyako by the state assembly all political appointees (commissioners, special advisers, principal assistants and special assistants) were hereby relieved of their appointments as directed by the acting governor.

The statement directed the dismissed government functionaries to hand over all government property in their custody to their respective permanent secretaries and other appropriate officers within government establishment.

Meanwhile, the sacked Nyako commissioners yesterday paid a courtesy visit to the acting governor, pledging their loyalty.

APC Adamawa ready for fresh election but…- BD Lawal Despite its determination to challenge the impeachment of Admiral Murtala Nyako, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is ready to participate in a fresh election to be held within the next 90 days as prescribed

by the constitution.

This position was made known yesterday by the national vice chairman, north east of the party, Engineer Babachir David Lawal, in a press conference where the party spared no word in condemning the impeachment.

Said he: “The constitution directs that elections be held within 90 days from the date of impeachment; so, while we are preparing to challenge the impeachment in the courts, the party is also preparing for an early election.

“The national leadership of our great party has assured us that they will assist us in the process of selecting and presenting a very fearless, honest, people-focused and credible candidate for the elections. In our choice of the best candidate, we should not dwell much on tribe, religion or sect. Let us leave such to the PDP, which is a wellknown apostle of tribal, religious and divisive politics. We should rather dwell on demonstrated competence, honesty, integrity and ability to unite our people, qualities we have in abundance in the state chapter of the APC.” Speaking further, he said: “The good people of Adamawa State, great and exciting times lie ahead of us. So, let us be energized and mobilized! It is trite law that thieves always fight over the sharing of spoils of thievery, leading to their self-destruction.

So, we will soon be entertained as we watch the PDP implode, scatter and self-destruct over who their own candidate will be! Those who thought they will shame and destabilize us have only won a pyrrhic victory. In this forthcoming election, we are the front runners because a just war is on our side.”

On the impeachment, the party gave an assurance to its members that its redress in the court would return Nyako to the office and expose those who sponsored the removal and why.

“We wish to assure the good people of Adamawa State that we will challenge this illegality in the courts on behalf of the party and the good people of the state. And we are certain in our belief that this illegality will be reversed, the true motives of the perpetrators exposed, and our legitimate governor returned to his post as soon as possible.”

The party noted that President Goodluck Jonathan who was supposed to defend the constitution of the country is the one presiding over its desecration.

“We are at a loss as to how the president can condone and even assist such brazen disregard of due process, rule of law and blatant violation of the nation’s constitution which all the dramatis personae have sworn to uphold.

“In this illegal impeachment of a duly elected governor, these 19 members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly have renounced all claims to being true representatives of the people and have, instead, surrendered their mandates to the forces of unbridled ambition and greed. Theirs is truly a demonstration of mercantilism and inordinate, senseless ambition in politics.”

According to him, with the impeachment of Nyako as governor, “Abuja will now unfreeze the frozen state accounts so our new self-appointed rulers can have access to the state’s finances complete with the authority to freely loot and share out to themselves and cronies at will.”

The main reason why your company can easily influence you is because “emotion and attitude are stronger than knowledge”. What you see can overcome what you know. You can easily damp away what you already know when you are faced with the reality of what your senses tell you to do! ― Israelmore Ayivor

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NEWS EXTRA

July 18, 2014

Man, 30, Arrested For Defiling Girl, 2

By Obinna Ogbonnaya, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Police Command, yesterday, arrested a 30-year-old man, Ama Inya Okoro, for allegedly defuiling a two-year-old girl in Unwana, Afikpo North local government area of the state.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, ASP Chris Anyanwu, the suspect committed the crime while the victim was asleep, adding that the suspect will soon be arraigned in court.

Anyanwu urged parents to take adequate care of their children, even though the police in the state is doing all in its power to curb their activities in the state.

In a related development, the state police command said it arrested a 27-year-old teacher, one Kingsley Sunday, for allegedly kidnapping two of his pupils, one Kolakpo Kosoko and the sister Tolu, who have both been transferred to the Ogun State Police Command for further investigation into the matter.

Briefing journalists yesterday in Abakaliki, the PPRO, Anyanwu said both children have been united with their families and have been taken back to Ogun State where they reside.

“We have concluded our own investigation regarding the kidnap of the two children by their teacher and, on Thursday morning, a team of police officers from our command escorted the suspects to Ogun State for continuation of the investigation and prosecution of the victims. The victims have been reunited with their parents and have also gone back to Ogun State were the reside”

Alleged Kidnap: 2 Prophets Escape Lynching

By Alo Abiola, Ado-Ekiti

Two prophets were yesterday rescued from an irate mob by the police in Ekiti State over an alleged kidnap attempt.

The duo of Mercy Arogundade and Sunday Akinbami were accused of attempting to kidnap a lady, Feyisayo Oguntuase, who was said to be mentally ill.

Oguntuase was said to have been handed over to the prophets by her father for treatment and care, due to the on-going doctors’ strike.

The prophets who oversee over a whitegarment church in Ado-Ekiti and provide care to mentally ill people were in search of Oguntuase after she escaped from the church premises.

She was, however, found at AdebayoIworoko Road by the prophets who made an attempt to apprehend her and take her back to the church.

However, curious members of the public who witnessed the unfolding drama mistook the duo for kidnappers and raised the alarm.

The timely response of the patrol team from Oke-Ila Division, Ado-Ekiti, prevented the mob from lynching the suspects and setting them ablaze.

Apostolic Faith Church, Idofin Ehin-Afo, In Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara threatened by flood, yesterday. Photo by Nan

Gen Useni Escapes Assassination In Jos

By Achor Abimaje, Jos

Former minister of the FCT, during the rule of the late Gen Sani Abacha, Lt Col J.T Useni (rtd), escaped death by the whiskers when unknown gunmen invaded his Langtang North residence, shooting no fewer than 48 bullets into the walls and woodwork of the building.

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY gathered that the gunmen, suspected to be assassins, stormed Useni’s compound in the early hours of yesterday and started shooting sporadically, trying to force their way into the residence.

An eye-witness in the area who spoke to our reporter said that they were awak-

ened by the sounds of gunshots that lasted for close to fifteen minutes, with some of the youths in the local government alleging that the attack was carried out by men of the Special Task Force, STF. They called on the federal government to withdraw the men of the STF within the township, because, according to them, they are putting innocent lives in danger.

The public relations officer of the Plateau State Police Command, Abu Emmanuel, who spoke to our reporter, conceded that gunmen stormed the residence of the Usenis in the early hours of yesterday and began shooting sporadically.

“When we were notified, men of the police force were deployed swiftly to the residence and the attackers were repelled, but there were no casualties recorded,” Emmanuel said.

Emmanuel also assured that though there were no current arrests, the police is working to ensure that perpetrators of the act are brought to book.

When contacted, the former minister confirmed the incidence, but said he was not at home.

“I was not at home, but I got a call from my people in Langtang telling me [that] there was an attack on my Langtang North residence,” he said.

2 Arrested For Attempting To Dump Corpse In Borough Pit

By Matthias Nwogu, Umuahia

But for the coincidental arrival of the men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in Aba, the capital of Umuahia, on Wednesday, two men who made a living as scavengers from a borough pit, would have been lynched by an irate mob for attempting to dump the contents of a polyethene bag which turned out to be the corpse of a girl of about six years old.

The suspects who tried to explain that the y were given the corpse to bury in the pit by the deceased father for a fee could not convince the crowd and were about to be beaten to pulp before the corps arrived and rescued them.

Parading the men with the corpse before newsmen in Umuahia on yesterday, the Abia Commander of the NSCDC, Andy Dateer, said that they were promptly arrested when they were unable to give a

satisfactory account of how they came to be in possession of the corpse, even after they (the scavengers) had been taken to the hospital at Umule, Aba, where the girl allegedly died.

According to Dateer, a nurse on duty who first denied that the baby died in the place later admitted that she did.

It was further alleged that the nurse offered N20,000 to the men of the NSCDC to allow the suspects to bury the baby but they (the NSCDC officers) turned down the offer and arrested the suspects.

The first suspect, identified asJonathan Nwogu, 42, who claimed to work at the borough pit, said that the father of the dead girl, who was still at large, paid him N2,000 to go bury the corpse. After he agreed, they followed the man to the hospital where they retrieved the girl’s corpse.

Nwogu also confessed that, as soon as

they arrived at the borough pit, the man handed the corpse to him and drove away.

Nwogu also added that the second man was only assisting to carry the corpse to be buried.

But the second man, who identified himself as Chubuike Anubuife, denied knowing anything about the corpse.

Anubuife, who claimed to be a businessman in Aba, said that he was arrested by men of the NSCDC as soon as he obliged to assist the first suspect to carry the bag.

“As soon as I helped the man to carry the baby, a man in the NSCDC uniform, who drove to the place in a bike, held onto my trousers, saying that I am under arrest,’’ he said.

The NSCDC commander said that the suspects would be handed over to the police for further investigation, while the corpse would be re-deposited in a mortuary.

When a once-beautiful piece of cloth has turned into rags, no one remembers that it was woven by master weavers. ― Nigerian Proverb

NEWS EXTRA 9

July 18, 2014

Hoodlums Unleash Mayhem On IIorin

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

Properties worth millions of naira were vandalised yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara State, when fighting broke out among hoodlums in the area.

The hoodlums threw a part of Ilorin metropolis into panic as they attempted to maim each other, swinging matchets and knives, around the Oja-Iya/Eruda area.

Although there was no report of human casualty as at the time of filing this report, spokesman for the state police command, Mr Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the destruction of property, revealing that, at least, 15 of them have been arrested and were being ‘sorted out’ to determine their degree of involvement.

Okasanmi said the command had deployed enough men to the affected areas to maintain law and order.

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY learnt that the fighting broke out over the failure of one of the youths from Eruda to offset his debt to a lady from whom he had allegedly bought some packets of noodles.

“The lady demanded for her money but he refused and that was why the lady went back to report him to her people who immediately mobilised and went to deal with the man on Wednesday night,” one of the sources said.

“The latter victim also mobilised his own people to launch a counter-attack in the early hours of yesterday. They were said to have fired sporadically for the most part of Wednesday night, as they engaged themselves, causing many residents to stay indoors,” he said.

Okasanmi assured that the command had deployed enough men to the affected areas and would launch “a detailed investigation into the matter”.

Unknown Gunmen Kill 3 In Rivers

by Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

Unknown gunmen suspected to be assassins, on Wednesday night, killed three young men in Amadi-Ama Community in Port Harcourt City, Rivers State.

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY gathered that the incident occurred at about 9.40 pm, when the gunmen walked into a compound known as Heavens’ Gate and shot at the three persons in their apartment.

A source at the community said two of the young men died on the spot, while the third one, identified as Iyowuna, who was rushed to hospital later

passed on, adding that the suspects walked away unchallenged.

The source said that the other two victims, one of who was identified as Abiye, were Iyowuna’s friends who visited him that night before they met their untimely death.

LEADERSHIP further gathered that one of the deceased simply identified as Iyowuna, was supposed to contest for the presidency of the community’s youth association scheduled to take place on Saturday.

Efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Ahmad Mohammad, to confirm the incident proved abortive.

‘One Chance’ Gang Attack Market Women In Bayelsa

By Osa Okhomina, Yenagoa

The Bayelsa State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed the armed attack on some market women in the state by a set a gang of robbers referred to as “one chance”, disposes sing the women of cash and throwing them out of a moving vehicle.

According to the police, the armed robbery gang disguised as commercial drivers and passengers at about 5.30am and picked up market women at the Onopa Area along the Mbiama/Yenagoa Road of Yenagoa local government area of the state.

The market women, according to security sources, were on their way

President Goodluck Jonathan (middle), speaking at the breaking of Ramaddan fast at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday. Photo by Nan

L-R: Commandant, Botswana Command and Staff College, Brig. Gen. Shedrack Moloi; receiving a souvenir from the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, during a courtesy visit of the participants of the college to the house.

With them are the Deputy Minority Whip Hon. Garba Mohammed and the House Leader Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, in Abuja yesterday. PHOTO by OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

L-R: Minister of Education Mallam Ibrahim and out-going supervising minister of the ministry, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, during the meeting between the striking Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and the government, in Abuja,yesterday. PHOTO BY OKEKE JANE

to the popular Mbiama Market, when they boarded the vehicle of the criminals – a Mazda Saloon car with Reg.No.BS 507 KR. According to the spokesperson of the Bayelsa Police Command, Mr Alex Akhigbe, “At about 5.30am, some hoodlums and armed gang posed as drivers and passengers in a Mazda saloon car and dispossessed market women of their money goods, and pushed them out of the car. But police investigation has led to the arrest of one Johnson Prince, who has been identified as the fake driver of the vehicle. The ve- L-R: Director-general, West Africa Monetary Zone(WAMZ); Hon. Minister of State for hicle was intercepted along the Igbo- Finance, Ambassador Yuguda Bashir and the governor, CBN, Godwin Emefiele durgene area of the town.” ing the WAMZ meeting in Abuja, yesterday. Photo by OGOH JOSEPH

It is only a stupid cow that rejoices at the prospect of being taken to a beautiful abattoir. — African Proverb

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NEWS

July 18, 2014

Group News Editor: Tony Amokeodo

Doctors’ Strike: Appear Before Reps Or Face Arrest, Tambuwal Tells Ministers As Chukwu, Okonjo-Iweala, Anyim Shun Meeting

By Adesuwa Tsan and Edegbe Odemwingie, Abuja

The House of Representatives has summoned the minister of health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, his finance counterpart, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the secretary to the government of the federation, Sen Anyim Pius Anyim to appear before its Committee on Health which is currently mediating in the strike action by doctors or face arrest.

The order which was issued by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal during plenary yesterday, also applies to the director general of Budget Office, Mr Bright Okogwu and the head of service of the federation.

The summoned government officials, except the health minister, failed twice to honour the invitation of the House committee which was meeting with executives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to mediate on the strike action by the doctors which has paralysed activities in government hospitals.

“The Health Ministry authorities should respond, not only because of the institution of the House of Representatives but also to show more concern on the issue at hand that has to do with the lives of Nigerians.

“I ask that they expeditiously attend to the invitation of the committee, otherwise we may resort to other ways of compelling them to attend as enshrined in the constitution”, the speaker said.

The directive came yesterday following a feedback to the House by the chairman of Health Committee, Hon Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) on the meeting between the NMA, government officials and the committee.

Elumelu had informed the House that despite rescheduling a meeting which was supposed to hold on Monday but for the failure of the ministers and other stakeholders to attend, they still shunned yesterday morning’s meeting without any due notification.

Olatunji Dare At 70: Danjuma Decries Poor Reading Culture

By George Okojie, Lagos

Nigeria’s oil magnate and former minister of defence, General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) yesterday lamented the declining culture of reading amongst Nigerians, saying the trend is not good for nation building.

The chairman of the newly inaugurated Committee on Victims Support Fund said this in Lagos at the birthday lecture in honour of Professor Olatunji Dare, Nigeria’s most revered satirist who turned 70 yesterday.

Eminent Nigerians who graced the occasion included the governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Dr Doyin Abiola, Professor Niyi Osundare, Professor Kwame Karikari, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Hon Abike Dabiri- Erewa, Hon Patrick Obayagbon who represented Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Professor Raph Akinfeleye, Lagos State commissioner for information, Mr Tunji Bello who represented the Lagos State governor.

Others were the creme de la creme of the Nigerian media industry, including the chief executive officer of The Guardian Newspaper, Mrs Meiden Ibru, group managing director of LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Mr Azubuike Ishiekwene, Mr Victor Ifijeh, managing director, Vintage Press Limited, Mr Sam Omatseye, among others.

Proposed $1bn Loan, An Arrangement Involving Govts – Omeri

By Patience Ivie Ihejirika, Abuja

L-R: The celebrant, Dr Olatunji Dare, Dr Doyin Abiola, chairman of the ocassion, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and the guest speaker, Prof Kwame Karikari, during Olatunji Dare’s 70th Birthday and Book Presentation in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO BY BENEDICT UWALAKA.

Jonathan Embarrassed Nigeria By Waiting To Be Goaded By Malala To Meet Chibok Parents – APC

By Bayo Oladeji, Abuja and George Okojie, Lagos

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as an embarrassment the fact that it took 17-year-old girl-child education campaigner, Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, to visit and convince President Goodluck Jonathan to agree to a meeting with representatives of the parents of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

“President Jonathan, who has already embarrassed himself and the entire people of Nigeria by his inexplicable failure to visit Chibok since the girls were abducted over 90 days ago, has compounded the embarrassment and insulted Nigerians by waiting for Malala to goad him to meet with the girls’ parents, not in Chibok but in Abuja,’’ the party said in a statement issued in Lagos yester-

day by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

It said that after the meeting failed, because the parents were not properly informed and invited, a shameless Presidency turned around to blame the opposition and the patriotic and selfless Nigerians who have been campaigning daily, under the #BringBackOurGirls group.

“Fortunately, and to the eternal discomfiture of the Presidency, the Chibok community has said the decision not to meet with President Jonathan in Abuja was theirs and theirs alone, and that they took that decision because their sole reason for coming to Abuja was to meet with Malala, and not the president who did not invite them anyway.

“With this explanation, one would have expected a Presidency that has regard for the

truth to immediately retract its earlier panic statement, which it issued to save face after what was nothing but a PR gimmick blew up in their face, and apologise to the opposition and the #BringBackOurGirls group that were unjustly pilloried by them.

“Instead, the Presidency has persisted in its distortion of the truth, for which they have now become infamous, even as a new date has been agreed on for the meeting. This is unfortunate, condemnable and irresponsible,’’ APC said.

“If indeed, as the Presidency claimed earlier, that the opposition was behind the earlier refusal by the parents and escaped girls not to see the president, what has then happened to make them change their minds?

Has the opposition now asked them to meet with the president?’’ the party queried.

The coordinator of the National Information Centre and director general of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, yesterday explained that the proposed $1billion loan by the federal government would not be handed over to the Nigerian government in cash, saying it is an arrangement involving governments.

He said the arrangement is common among world powers.

“The loan request is not for the government of Nigeria to go and collect cash; it is a long term arrangement which most super powers of the world are known for. This long term process being put together by the government is to ensure that there is transparency in it and it is used for the purpose it is meant for,” he said.

Dismissing fears that the loan, when secured would be misdirected from the purpose of securing it, Omeri said, “It is not just to fight Boko Haram; it is also to support the armed forces in terms of surveillance, training, etc. It is a long term facility that would involve government-to-government processes and I am not sure that any government will give out money to another government so that they could misdirect its usage.”

On the extradition of the co-mastermind of April 14, Nyanya bomb blast, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, Omeri said another suspect, Rufai Tsiga is still on the run and on the Interpol watch-list.

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, fresh writer and aviator.

July 18, 2014

11

12 / NEWS

July 18, 2014

Colleges Of Education To Re-open Monday Niger Delta’ll

By Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, yesterday suspended its seven-month-old strike.

Therefore, public colleges of education currently shut as a result of the teachers’ strike will be reopened on Monday, said President of the union, Emmanuel Asagha.

Suspension of the strike followed a meeting between the leadership of the union and Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau in Abuja, yesterday.

Asagha had on Tuesday, at a meeting convened by governing boards of federal government’s colleges of education, National Commission for Colleges of Educa-

tion, NCCE, and provosts of federal government’s colleges across the country with the teachers, agreed to suspend the strike ‘on principle’, pending when they meet the minister.

Conditions for suspending the strike which was approved between the union and government yesterday are that there shall be no victimization of the teachers on the basis of the strike; that salaries of the teachers so far withheld would be released in bulk; that a circular on the implementation of migration of the lower cadre would be released, and that government would set up a technical committee to consider pending issues yet to be attended to by government.

The suspension of the strike was the sec-

ond landmark achievement by Shekarau, who had spent barely nine days in office.

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, had last Saturday suspended its 10-month-old strike following the minister’s intervention.

At the meeting with COEASU, Shekarau said: “My concern is that this ministry has no business remaining if teaching and learning are not taking place out there in the class. The business of managing education must translate into teaching and learning. If learning and teaching are not taking place, even in the remotest primary school anywhere in Nigeria, it is my concern and concern of the Federal Ministry of Education and the concern of the Federal Government.”

Newly appointed Secretary to Adamawa State Government, Prof. Liman Tukur (right), taking oath of office before the Acting Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru in Yola, yesterday.

PHOTO BY NAN.

Nda-Isaiah Hails Tor Tiv At 70 * Commends his entrenchment of peaceful coexistence ByEjike Ejike, Abuja

Founder of LEADERSHIP Group and a 2015 presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, has congratulated the Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Alfred Akawe Torkula, on his 70th birthday, saying the royal father deserved praise for entrenching peaceful co-ex-

istence in Benue State and the country in general.

In a statement issued by the director, Media and Publicity of the SamforNigeria Campaign Organisation, Mr. Macauly Hunohashi, Nda-Isaiah said that Tor Tiv’s reign had brought global recognition to the Tiv people as enterprising, peace loving and patriotic Nigerians.

Acknowledging what he described as the numerous people-oriented reforms the royal father has initiated since he ascended the ancestral throne, the APC presidential aspirant listed some of Tor-

Tiv’s achievements to include the creation of more districts, the conferring of deserving chieftaincy titles and the entrenchment of peaceful co-existence among the natives and their neighbours in Tiv Nation.

“Sam Nda-Isaiah, who is also the Kakaki Nupe, prays that the almighty God continues to bless, protect and add to his (Tor Tiv’s) abundant wisdom so that he will continue to provide purposeful leadership for the development of Tiv nation and Nigeria in general,” Hunohashi added.

Confusion In Langtang North LGA As Jat Ward Councillor Could Not Be Sworn In

By ACHOR ABIMAJE, Jos

Seventeen councillors out of 18 elected in the recently conducted Langtang North Council election were sworn in with the exception of that for Jat ward.

Our correspondent gathered that there was trouble during the swearing-in cere-

mony as the councillor for Jat ward did not get a certificate of return, and therefore could not be sworn in.

Investigation by LEADERSHIP revealed that confusion arose as PLASIEC announced that it was the candidate of APGA that won the councillorship election for Jat Ward while the PDP candidate

also claimed he was the one duly elected.

Against this background and following the tension in the two camps, none of the duo was sworn in.

However, our correspondent reports that the chairman of the council, Godwin Kumzhi Nanmwa, was seen in his office under guard by security personnel.

Everything you can imagine is real.

Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and scuiptor

Experience Prosperity, NonOil Economic Boom If -Jonathan

By Osa Okhomina,Yenagoa

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said the states in the Niger Delta region will experience great economic growth and infrastructural development beyond oil and gas if they remain united and sustain the existing peace in the region.

President Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the opening ceremony of the Maiden edition of the Bayelsa Investment and Economic Forum (BSIEFORUM), said though the focus of the states should be on agricultural and non-oil investment initiatives, the peace and unity of the region is important to economic growth.

President Jonathan, who described the economic forum as a great opportunity to secure and acquire knowledgeable ideas in diversifying the economy, said without peace, the leadership of the states in the region may not be able to plan and implement such plans for the benefit of the people.

According to Jonathan, “What is required is the peace in the Niger Delta.Without peace, you cannot plan, and when you plan, you would not be able to implement for the people that it is meant. Disunity will hamper policies and development.Without peace and unity,development will be hampered.”

The president commended the Bayelsa governor, Seriake Dickson, for the continued implementation of the state’s master plan, and urged the governors of the region to focus on non-oil sector, particularly agriculture.

Jonathan Urged Sign Disability Bill Into Law

By Edegbe Odemwingie, Abuja

A passionate appeal was made yesterday asking President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently sign into law the bill recognizing people with disabilities, estimated to be about 15 million in the country.

The appeal was made by The Strategic Team (TST) - a national political thinktank, when it hosted people with disabilities yesterday in Abuja at a forum tagged ‘Sharing and Caring’.

Director-general of the group, Eng. Daniel Ohiomoba said the bill which was passed by the Senate in March, this year, required the president’s urgent consideration and assent to give hope to People With Disabilities (PWDs) and give them a sense of belonging.

“We ask the president to extend the transformation programme to recognize and protect the interests of People living With Disabilities.

“The TST hereby calls on President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the bill into law promptly, to establish a commission that will solely be responsible for all matters relating to PWDs and also ensure that they are appointed to its management board.”

Feature

July 18, 2014

By Ayanda Ngwane

Nelson, Rolihlahla Mandela

Mandela International Day: Celebration Of Hope Nelson Mandela had a simple mission: to help the hopelessly unhappy.

Though he is no more, his light, his start and all he has made people to become because of his greatness, lives on.

T

hough it is not a public holiday, it is a global observance. The first Mandela Day was launched in New York on July 18, 2009 and the day was declared an international day to promote global peace and to celebrate the South African leader’s legacy.

Today would have been Nelson Mandela’s 96th birthday but the good news is that it is Mandela International Day. Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela became the first black President of South Africa in 1994 and served until 1999. A true symbol of global peace, and a man who led a great life of struggle and achievement, Mandela was different things to everyone. Madiba, as he was fondly called, touched the lives of people across the world and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Madiba made his last public appearance at the final match of the World Cup in South Africa 2010 and chose to spend much of his time in the countryside of Qunu, where he

spent most of his childhood.

Tata, a name he loved to be called, gave 67 years of his life to fighting for the rights of humanity and it is important that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time to charity or serving our communities; this is the essence of the Mandela international Day. In celebration of the man and everything he stood for, the South African High Commission has a number of beautiful programmes lined up for this extraordinary day.

Between Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19, 2014, the Nelson Mandela Foundation will be engaged in community outreach projects at the Mother Theresa Children’s Home in Gwarimpa and a visit to the Government Science Secondary School, Kuje. The Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, will play host to a poetry book launch A letter to Mandela.

Also outlined in the event is a cocktail reception and dinner in honour of the late statesman, with remarks from

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.

the CEO of the foundation, Bonaventure Mbida-Essama. A keynote will be addressed by the honourable minister of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the chairperson for the Nelson Mandela Institute. The actual Mandela Day address will be read by His Excellency L.L.A Mnguni, the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria.

However, in South Africa, Mandela’s statue in Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg is warmly covered with 67 handmade blankets in honour of this very special day. All these hand-made blankets will be distributed to those in need after all that’s what this day symbolises.

Today, the entire world is able to live in freedom; we have been liberated. It is for this reason that we shall continue to salute and celebrate Madiba. Now, shouts of “Viva Mandela, viva,” which first rang out 24 years ago in Xhosaland when the Xhosa leader was released from prison, can be heard again.

Steve Jobs, Co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple

14 feature

July 18, 2014

A social media user busy on Facebook. photo by patrick ABi Amanama

Social Media: When Good Is Abused

BY PAUL CHIAMA

With the continuous technological advancements which have made the world a global village, there are many uses of the Internet and the social media. Apart from being a platform for social networking, chatting, discussions groups, planning events, advertising products and services, etc., the social media also serve as a medium for news display. It is, therefore, regarded as one of the medium for mass communication. Several news channels, therefore, find it convenient and apt to present breaking news promptly on the social media – Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, 2Go, Instagram, MySpace, Xanga, YouTube and Skype.

Also, the social media, especially Facebook, offer users a window to express their moods, feelings, tell friends where they are, what they are doing generally and bring each other up to date on a wide range of issues as they occur.

Friends and relatives respond to their posts, creating a sense of happiness and conviviality. This becomes evident when users mark their birthdays, promotions, proclaim various degrees of success or mourn their dead. This is regarded as the socialising, positive use of the social media.

However, apart from the positive attributes, the social media networks have one other thing in common – they are abused to a great degree. This is a global trend. In Nigeria particularly, the use of the social media, especially Facebook, has been widely abused, as users convert it to a platform for tribal or social antag-

onism and rumour-peddling. Individuals have always used the social media to promote ethnic agenda and unleash a great deal of abuses and insults on other ethnic groups, individuals, interests and the government (trolling). The result is that people give others the impression that the social media is a platform for coordinated and offensive languages.

Regrettably, this unkind use of the social media unarguably makes users lose their sense of objectivity and fairness while discussing issues, all in an attempt to defend ethnic interests. A lot of times, users resort to name-calling and divisive remarks in a way that depicts that what happens in one part of the country does not affect them or only affects fractionally.

For instance, the security challenge which the country is confronted with has made a lot of social media users lock horns against one another, no thanks to ethnic debates. While some users from the northern part of the country blame the federal government and President Goodluck Jonathan for the unending terror attacks, users from the southern part of the country have continued to blame northern leaders for creating insurgency and their inability to put an end to their won monster. Also, some northerners have accused southerners of setting up Boko Haram in order to destabilise the north. Similarly, the same pattern of exchange of blames has been observed over the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State.

Nigerians were also engulfed in verbal duels over the recent visit of President

Jonathan to the Vatican City where he met the Roman Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis. Several social media users from Northern Nigeria bitterly criticised the visit and were replied by their southern counterparts that if Muslim leaders can visit Medina in Saudi Arabia, why can’t the President Jonathan visit the Vatican City?

Another incident that saw Nigerians go for each other’s jugular on social media was the vacuum created by the absence of a sick President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s , due to ill-health. Commentaries flew back and forth on social media platforms. Some wanted Jonathan to take over as president, others swore that he would never. The cyber-bickering continued, until the vice-president was sworn-in as the acting president.

Similarly, the social media was replete with posts by Nigerians over the recent arrest of 486 suspected terrorists in Abia State. After the arrest, some social media users from the Northern Nigeria bemoaned the arrest, arguing that the arrested persons were “patriotic and law-abiding citizens going about their legitimate businesses”. On the contrary, dissenting views came quickly from the south, calling for “thorough investigation of the suspects and their mission,” with doubts cast on the possibility that they were all businessmen.

For instance, a southern Facebook user posted: “How can they all be traders in that great number? Which market did they discover in the South East or SouthSouth that they are heading to? If they are traders, which goods do they sell and

why can’t they display their goods to the security operatives during the arrest to clear themselves? Again, how come a Boko Haram kingpin was reported to have been arrested among them or was he also a trader? Well, thanks be to God that they were arrested before anything went wrong because the result would have been colossal and difficult for the country to manage”.

The story was not different over the alleged frequent attack of villagers in Benue and other states by Fulani herdsmen. While some users from the North claimed that headsmen cannot attack any person or community unless their cattle (which are their only estate or means of livelihood) are attacked, the Southerners argued that herdsmen were being employed to gradually extend the attack on Nigerians on behalf of the terrorist group.

Judging from the foregoing, it could be concluded that Nigerians have turned the social media into ethnic battleground of strange bedfellows. It makes one wonder what Nigerians have turned the social media into. Will Nigerians continue to use the social media as a divisive tool or a unifying platform needed mostly at a time like this to effectively bond the nation? A social commentator who sought anonymity suggested that the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) take a decisive step to regulate the social media. This, according to him, will prevent people from posting some provocative comments that can spread ill-feelings across different segments of the country.

15

July 18, 2014

business news

FG To Introduce New Competition, Consumer Protection Policy Soon

By Kingsley Alu, Abuja

The federal government has commenced moves to provide a robust legal and regulatory framework that would govern consumer protection and competition.

The minister of industry, trade and investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, who dropped this hint in Abuja yesterday noted that the policy when fully in force would not only encourage enterprise, innovation, efficiency and a widening of choice, but would also check the activities of cartels, anti-competition tendencies, and ensure that consumers got fair bargains in their transactions.

The minister spoke during the formal presentation of the Draft Competition and Consumer Protection Policy to Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Agencies, Organised Business Communities and State Governments in the Northern Part of Nigeria.

Aganga, who was represented

by the permanent secretary in the ministry of industry, trade and investment, Ambassador Abdulkadir Musa said: “In line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, and with the ongoing reforms in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy, the federal government saw the urgent need, as is consistent with global trends, for a robust legal and regulatory framework to govern consumer protection and competition that would underpin the reforms.

“This will in turn, forestall and/ or minimise the emergence of private monopolies who would replace the public monopolies that the government was moving away from.”

The minister revealed that there was currently, a draft Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Bill which the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was still considering for onward transmission to the National Assembly for passage into law.

SURE-P Targets 2m Youths Employment Annually

By CHIKA OTUCHIKERE, Abuja

The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) is set to collaborate with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in a bid to train two million youths annually under its Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) component.

The Chairman of SURE-P, General Martin Luther Agwai (retd.) stated this at the commissioning of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity Skills Acquisition Centre, Bauchi and the Industrial Training Fund Centre of Excellence, Jos. According to him, the ability of Government to continue to provide adequate and appropriate training for the nation’s teeming youths relied critically on the establishment of some form of sustainability.

Gen. Agwai who was represented by the Project Technical Adviser on TVET, Mr. Olukayode Soremekun, disclosed that

“additional skills training effort is planned to impact more than 5000 beneficiaries who have indicated interest on SURE-P portal.”

He added that SURE-P would soon graduate over 5,000 Nigerians who are currently undergoing client-based training in different entities under the SURE-P TVET. The Chairman also disclosed that in line with the mandate of the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) component of the SURE-P, which is to reduce unemployment and poverty in Nigeria through skills acquisition and technical/vocational training infrastructure, eight skills acquisition centres have been rehabilitated across the country.

Commissioning the Training Centres, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, urged the youths to take advantage of the centres. While calling on those particularly in the North East to embrace the training programmes.

NSE Index Drops By 0.26% Olushola Bello, Lagos

Trading at the stock market went down yesterday as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) dropped by 0.26 per cent.

The NSE-ASI went down by 111.75 to close at 42,918.52 points from the 43,030.27 achieved on Wednesday. Similarly, market capitalisation shed N36 billion to close at N14.172 trillion as against the N14.208 posted on

Wednesday.

Forte Oil recorded the highest price loss of N2 to close at N238 per share. Guinness lost N1.80 to close at N197.1, while Guaranty Trust Bank dropped N1 to close at N30 per share.

Oando shed 92 kobo to close at N25.65 per share while Wapco lost 85 kobo to close at N119.

Conversely, Mobil led the gainers’ by N7.35 to close at N154.50 per share. It was trailed by PZ with a gain of N1.99 to close at

N37.99, while NNFM appreciated

by N1.02 to close at N19.79.

Julius Berger chalked up by 72 kobo to close at N65, while Total rose by 60 kobo to close at N180.20 per share.

Meanwhile, total transaction traded went up by 15.16 per cent as investors bought 365.252 million shares valued at N4.43 billion in 4,904 deals as against 317.159 million shares valued at N3.06 billion traded in 5,098 deals on Wednesday.

NDIC MD / CE, Alh. Umaru Ibrahim, (4th from left on front row) discussing a point with Member of NDIC Board, Ms Benedikter C. Molokwu while the Executive Director Corporate Services, Hon. (Mrs.) Lola Abiola Edewor (at extreme right) looks on during the NDIC public hearing on the amendments of the NDIC Act 2006 by the Federal House of Representatives House Committee on Banking and Currency. Also seated are the Former Executive Director Corporate Services, Prof. Peter N. Umoh (extreme left) and former MD/ CE, Mr. Ganiyu A. Ogunleye and Ag. Board Secretary / Director (Legal Department), Mr. B. A. Taribo.

ECOWAS Monetary Zone: Learn From EU’s Experience - Okonjo-Iweala Warns WAMZ countries against hasty launch

BY NSE ANTHONY-UKO, Abuja

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala has the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) countries to learn lessons from the European Union’s monetary integration experience and desist from rushing on to launch the proposed monetary union among six West African countries.

This proposal according to her was to avoid severe consequences in the event of failure.

The Minister said this while speaking in Abuja at the opening of the 34th Meeting of the Convergence Council of Ministers and Governors of

Central Banks of the WAMZ She said it was important to get the fundamental right in order to have a quality and sustainable launch notwithstanding the earlier take-off dates which had become unrealistic.

The six countries that made up the WAMZ are Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Ghana and Guinea.

“As you begin your deliberations I would like you to take cognizance of the recent developments in the Euro zone and ensure that the lessons learnt are integrated into the recommendations that you would make, so as to avoid the pitfalls that bedevilled that monetary zone.

“I urge you all to work hard towards meeting the set target date. We must not forget that the most sacrosanct objective in this endeavour is not a hasty

Not every movement is progress; Some movements are just a way of burning fats!

― Israelmore Ayivor

launch of a monetary union but an enduring and sustainable one that will stand the test of time when it eventually takes off.

“It may only take some time to launch when we are comfortable that the economic fundamentals to achieve a strong monetary union are in place,” she explained.

More so, the Central Bank Governors in the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, have accepted a proposal to shift the full implementation of the subregional monetary integration project till 2020.

The proposal was made by the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.

The confirmation of the decision is expected to be made public at the end of the West African Monetary Zone, WAMZ, meeting holding in Abuja.

16 BUSINESS NEWS

July 18, 2014

Renowned Economist, Bola Onitiri, Presents Autobiography At 85

By Weneso Orogun, Abuja,

Notable professor of economics and policy adviser to presidents as well as various levels of the United Nations System, Bola Onitiri, will tomorrow present to the public his autobiography entitled: “It’s Fun To Remember.” The event billed for the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Victoria Island, Lagos, is organised by the Herbert Maurice Adebola Onitiri Research Foundation.

A statement signed by Professor Akinola Owosekun of Bowen University on behalf of the Board of Trustees said the book “describes obsession with growth as an occupational disease of economists and provides insights into the operation and evolution of a number of institutional frameworks for the development process.”

Corroborating Owosekun, Chief Emeka Anyaoku recalls in his foreword to the book, Onitiri’s “distinguished service to his country, the Commonwealth and the United Nations.”

Anyaoku specifically noted that Professor Bola Onitiri contributed to research and idea papers on the formation and operation of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) and to the African continent as an adviser to the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in its transformation into the African Union (AU).

“He contributed significantly to global discourse on strategies for equitable trade and economic relations between the developed countries of the north and the developing countries of the south as adviser to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations and the Commonwealth,” the former Commonwealth secretary-general recalled.

Onitiri is renowned for preparing the economic blueprint for the transition of Zimbabwe from an apartheid regime to an independent black nation and for being the first resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) of independent Zimbabwe. He was also the first executive director of Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan.

Berger Paints Chairman Retires After 45 Years

By Friday Atufe, Lagos

Chairman of Berger Paints Nigeria Plc, Mr Clement Olowokande, has retired from the board of directors of the company after 45 years stint with the company while a new chairman, Dr Oladimeji Alo, a non-executive director has been appointed to replace him.

Olowokande, a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) of United Kingdom and also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) joined the company as a young accountant in 1969 and rose through the ranks to become managing director in 1991 and chairman of the board in 2001.

The chairman along three other directors, having attained the age of 70 after the last AGM, retired from the board of the company after the 55th yearly general meeting held in Lagos on Thursday. The other directors are Dr Raymond Obieri, former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Engineer Olawale Akinpelu, former director-general of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and Mr Balram Datwani.

According to him: “For me, in particular, it has been a spectacular and exciting journey full of ups and downs.

L-R: Regional Head, Surulere- Yaba, Fidelity Bank Plc, Oluwatobi Lawal, Ag. Asst. Director/Coordinator, Lagos Zonal Office, National Lottery Commission, Fidelis Ajibogun, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo, Executive Director, Shared Services, Chijioke Ugochukwu and Regional Bank Head, Victoria Island Regional Bank, Emeka Obiagwu at the Press Conference to flag-off the Fidelity Save4 Scholarship Savings promo yesterday.

New Policy On Bureau-De-Change In Nigeria’s Interest –Emefiele

By Adesuwa Tsan and Edegbe Odemwingie, Abuja

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has defended the new policy of the bank which seeks to review the operational requirements of Bureau De-Change (BDC) in the country saying it was geared towards protecting the nation’s foreign reserves which was being ‘profusely’ depleted by their activities.

Emefiele stated this when he

appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency’s interactive session..

The CBN recently announced a new policy which required an increase in the capital base of the BDC from N10 million to N35 million in addition to cancellation of multiple ownership structure before July 31.

The governor stated that rather than achieve the laudable objectives for which BDC were set up to and complement the nation’s

financial system, “operations of the BDC have over time, been bedevilled with rent-seeking, weak operational structure, potential financing of illicit transactions, gradual dollarisation of the economy as well as multiple ownership which were against operational codes and license.”

He added that what the bank seeks to do was stop the foreign reserves of the country while denying any attempt by the policy to target a particular section of the country.

Nigeria’s Energy Support Programme Gets N3.4bn EU Grant

By Kingsley Alu, Abuja

The European Union (EU) yesterday donated the sum of N3.4billion grant to the Nigeria Energy Support Programme (NESP). The EU contribution to NESP is part of the N9billion grants in the Energising Access to Sustainable Energy in Nigeria (EASE) Programme, agreed with the Nigerian Government in February this year.

The N3.4 billion additional EU funding would allow NESP to continue advising Nigerian institutions on the enabling policy, institutional and regulatory framework conditions on the federal level, support improved rural electrification planning in 5 states and set up various demonstration projects, providing business models to increase energy access through sustainable energy resources.

The NESP would also in addition,

initiate and support vocational training and capacity development in the electricity sector.

Speaking at the event in Abuja, the EU Ambassador, Michel Arrion, said the grant was a demonstration of EU’s commitment to ensuring that a greater number of Nigerians had access to electricity.

“These funds show that the European Union is committed to ensuring that a greater number of Nigerians get access to electricity, as well as to a lasting partnership with the government and other donors in the power sector,” he said.

Also country director to GIZ, Dr Thomas Kirsch, added that the fund would go a long way to scaling up successful activities aimed at improving access to energy supply for the Nigerian population in addition to the implementation of the transformation agenda of the federal government.

The permanent secretary, ministry of power, Ambassador Igali , who declared the event open stated that, “part of the government transformation agenda is to improve the supply and efficiency of electricity for Nigerian households and businesses thereby improving the livelihoods of the greater population of the people.”

He further commended the EU, GIZ and other development partners for their unflinching support for the federal government’s energy programme.

The Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) aims to improve the conditions for investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and rural electrification. The programme started in 2013 with N2 billion support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

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Not every movement is progress; Some movements are just a way of burning fats!

― Israelmore Ayivor

NEWS NATIONAL 17

July 18, 2014

HURIWA Asks FG To Probe The CCTV Alleged Scam By millie ibe, Abuja

A non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded a forensic probe of the alleged N76 billion CCTV Scam.

The group wants the government to also introduce death penalty for the crime of theft of defence and police budgets.

Besides, the rights group has asked for the introduction of a general war tax of at least N1, 000 per working individual [in private and public sectors] and N5, 000 per registered companies to help set up a War Trust Fund [WTF] meant for procurement of state of the art

information technology-driven facilities and combat weapons for the prosecution of the ongoing counter insurgency war.

The group said it was wrong to seek external fund to prosecute a war largely created by insurgents in our contemporary periods and expect generations yet unborn to bear the burden of repayment.

HURIWA has, therefore, urged President Jonathan to have a rethink of seeking $1billion foreign credit facility to prosecute the ongoing counter insurgency war but to look inwards and draw up quick-win strategy for making Nigerians to own the process of the counter terror war by contributing just a little for the war trust fund.

Aturu Stood For The Truth – Gov Fayemi

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has described the late human rights lawyer, Bamidele Aturu as a person that stood for truth when he was alive.

He disclosed this yesterday when he visited the deceased’s family home in Lagos.

In his condolence message, Fayemi wrote, “You left without notice but your exemplary life will continue to speak of your good deeds. Those of us who work with you in

the human rights community will miss your courage forthrightness in speaking the truth to power at all times. We will surely miss you.”

He stressed that the only way to honour the human rights lawyer was to promote human rights and not to damage it.

“He was my colleague in the dark days of military rule and when I became governor, he did not shun our friendship. Dele has left a legacy and I will always remember him for his courage,” he added.

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever Walt Disney, founder and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

18 TOURISM

July 18, 2014

NCMM Parley Osun-Osogbo Festival Committee For Enhanced Fiesta Stories By Chika Okeke, Abuja

About 1370 AD, the founder of Osogbo land, Oba Gbadewolu Larooye, and a hunter, Olutimehin, settled in the sacred Osun forest to establish the kingdom and thereafter, actualised a pact of association and togetherness with the River Osun deity.

The pact, rekindled every August, was the foundation of the OsunOsogbo festival that has culminated into a huge tourist attraction.

The Osun groove was officially enlisted as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Durban, South Africa, on July 15, 2005.

Recently, a 4-man delegation led by the principal coordinator of the 2014 Osun-Osogbo festival, Chief Jimoh Buraimoh, was at the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja to seek ways of improving the festival.

In his address, the director- General of the NCMM, Mallam Abdallah Yusuf Usman, announced its plans to upgrade the annual festival to one of the best investment destinations in Africa.

This, he said, would be achieved by reviewing the management’s plan with stakeholders in order to discover the challenges confronting the sites so that it would continue to provide employment opportunities for the people.

“The management’s plan is due for review and we intend to organise a meeting with stakeholders to review the plan and see what we have been able to document in the last four years, identify the challenges we face and see how we can overcome the challenges so that we can push the site as one of the best investment destination in Africa,” Usman said.

He noted that culture and tourism were contributory factors that led to the rebasing of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), saying that Osun-Osogbo festival’s contribution had been very significant.

“We were informed earlier that the rebasing of our economy has put us as the greatest economy in Africa and the contributions of culture and tourism were as significant as have never in the past. The Osun-Osogbo festival is one of such contribution has been very significant,” the NCMM boss noted.

While assuring of his unflinching support to managing the site, he stressed that culture was an enterprise that would empower the people and provide employment opportunities.

“The festival is an age-long event that attracts Yoruba’s and other Nigerians that are interested

Usman

in culture and tradition but the participation of the private sector has made it an important site and festival. It is very clear that the promotion of culture is not just about history, artefacts, sites but also an enterprise; it is a project that can put food on the table of many people, and support creativity and invention; it is a source of employment and poverty alleviation.

“We will continue to work with you to promote the site so that it will continue to provide employment for the people. We are the institution that is supposed to be overseeing the management of the World Heritage Site but the Osun groove is owned by people who believe that it is a place where people visit and get cure from one form of illness or another,” Usman said.

He further revealed his plans to engage private sectors in the management of the Sukur Cultural Landscape, saying, “We want to involve private sectors in managing our sites, especially the Sukur Cultural landscape so that it will continue to provide employment opportunities for the people around.”

On his part, Buraimoh was optimistic that every family in Osun State was committed to the festival, stressing that it was the reason for its identification as one the most unique festivals in Nigeria.

“Every family is committed to the Osun-Osogbo festival and this is why it is the most unique festival in Nigeria. It is a community programme that we must do because it affects all families, whether Muslims, Christians or traditionalists. Whether there is

war or not, problem or no problem; the festival must be celebrated because it has been mandated that it must be done every year,” Buraimoh said.

While thanking the state government for providing the pavilion, he further commended the NCMM for working tirelessly to ensure that the pavilion was well erected.

“We happened to be the people that modified the festival to what it is through the help of our consultant.

Today, we thank God that the groove has a new look. The state of Osun contributed its own quota by giving us the pavilion which was equipped through the NCMM,” he further stated.

Also speaking, the chief consultant of the festival, Mr Ayo Olumoko, was confident that the festival had boosted the image of Nigeria and stated that the programmes had been improved every year.

“We are here to talk about how our programme will wax stronger, especially to seek the intellectual aspect of your support. The OsunOsogbo festival has been doing good things for this country and the programmes have been re-engineered every year since we started in 2008.

If there is any good thing that is happening in Nigeria, it is the OsunOsogbo festival.

“From 2002 to 2004, we worked tirelessly to ensure that we have another UNESCO-listed site in Nigeria. Many were presented but fortunately, the Osun-Osogbo festival was listed through the efforts of the NCMM,” he concluded.

Cultural Goods: World Trade Rises To $624bn In 2011 – UNESCO

The director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Ms Irina Bokova, has stated that world trade in creative goods and services recorded a total of $624 billion in 2011, saying that it was one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the world.

“The United Nations Creative Economy Report of 2013, co-published by the UNESCO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) confirms that the creative economy is one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the world.

Figures show that world trade in creative goods and services totalled $624 billion in 2011 and that it more than doubled from 2002 to 2011.

“From audio visual designs to production, performing arts to new media, publishing to the visual arts, our cultural diversity is a creative diversity. It is a source of employment and income, conveying identities and collective benchmarks, contributing to social cohesion and self-esteem in our globalised world.

Speaking during the World Culture Day in Abuja, she noted that cultural goods and services offered the growing demands for policies capable of addressing the economic developments, saying that its strength is on their dual economic and cultural nature.

“The greatest strength of our cultural goods and services lies in their dual economic and cultural nature. This specificity offers a response to the growing demands for more integrated policies capable of addressing the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development,” Bokova said.

2014 AFAC Expo Begins Today In Abuja The 7th edition of African Arts and Crafts (AFAC) Expo organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) begins today at the Eagles Square Abuja and ends on July 27, 2014.

The theme of this year’s event “African Arts and Crafts: Tool For Economic Empowerment” is targeted at promoting the importation and exportation of African arts and crafts to the international community.

The 10-day event would be officially declared opened on July 22 while the official closing ceremony would be on July 26. Contingents from the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), nongovernmental organisations, federal government parastatals and participants from China, Ghana, Camerooun, Senegal are expected to participate in the expo.

Addressing a press briefing in Abuja, the minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Edem Duke, noted that if the AFAC was properly supported and developed, it would be a catalyst that would not only drive the economic diversification agenda of President Jonathan but would contribute to the growth of the economy.

Duke, who was represented by the chief executive officer (CEO) of the NCAC, Mwajim Malgwi Maidugu, noted that one of the key objectives of the AFAC was to establish a viable international arts and crafts market place in Nigeria for the African region.

According to him, “It will also provide a channel through which Nigeria and participating countries will reveal their policies and investment opportunities in the arts and crafts industries as they affect global business and cooperation with other nations.

While calling on the media’s support in sensitising and creating awareness on the benefits derivable from the expo, he was hopeful that it would generate about N200 million.

The system will always be defended by those countless people who have enough intellect to defend but not quite enough to innovate.

Edward de Bono, Maltese physician, author, inventor and consultant.

AGRICULTURE 19

July 18, 2014

AgriC REPORT

President Goodluck Jonathan at the Olam Rice Mill

Rice Importation, Hunger: Is FG Winning the War? As the war against rice importation continues, the federal government continues to reiterate its readiness to win even as it assures that Nigeria is set to become not only self reliant in rice production but a net importer in the nearest future, RUTH TENE NATSA writes as Olam Nigeria launches the biggest rice mill in Africa.

Some had expressed fear about the hidden implication of its adaptation while others perceived it as a welcome development capable of boosting the sector

The war against rice importation in Nigeria began with the launch of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) through which the federal government aimed to add 20 million metric tonnes (mts) of rice to the nation’s domestic food supply by 2015, as well as create 3.5 million jobs via agriculture.

Speaking at the commissioning of the largest rice plant in Africa – the Olam Rice Mill with a 105,000mts capacity in Nasarawa State – President Goodluck Jonathan said that Nigeria, as the largest economy in Africa today in terms of GDP, must continue working hard towards becoming the largest producer and exporter of food.

He said, “Over the past three years, our farmers have produced over 17 million mts of food. We expect to surpass our 2015 target of 20 million mts by the end of 2014.

“Now with better policy articulation and enhanced technology, our farmers are all being touched and driven by the new drive for food production across the country. It is my firm belief that with our vast land, water and labour resources, Nigeria has no business being a net food importing country; we shall continue to work very hard to meet our goal of unlocking all

our agricultural potential.”

As part of efforts to fulfill this mandate, the federal government, through the minister of agriculture and rural development, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, asserted that a sure way towards ensuring the success of this mandate was to ensure a cut and where possible a total stop to the importation of rice by ensuring local production which will aid food production while creating massive job opportunities for the youths through the creation of rice mills in various parts of the nation. To this effort, Adesina revealed that the number of integrated rice mills in the country had expanded from just one in 2011 to 18 by 2013.

“In addition, small rice mills are expanding rapidly with an average growth rate of 25-40 per cent. Today, Nigerian high quality rice is in the market – from the UMZA in Kano, EBONY in Enugu and Ebonyi, MIVAP and ASHI rice in Benue, and even Confluence Super rice from Kogi State. The era of being the largest rice importer in the world will soon end. We will become the largest rice exporter from Africa into the global rice market.

“We have been able to attract over $1 billion from private sector investors into commercial rice farming and processing. I thought that was great enough until one of our investors expanded their investment in commercial rice farms and milling from $300 million to $1billion – and that is just one investor,” Adesina said.

He added that since the launch of the rice transformation agenda in 2011, Nigeria’s paddy rice production has increased by an additional seven million mts as farmers are producing more food than ever before.

“We are rapidly expanding

Nigeria’s integrated rice milling capacity to the extent that consumer’s think they are imported rice. With the commissioning of the Olam integrated rice mill, we will have Olam Nigerian rice in the market and with this, we are closing Nigeria’s rice milling capacity gap,” Adesina said.

He recalled that in 2009 when the president launched the ATA, he was given clear directives to build food supply, create wealth and generate jobs from agriculture.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is doing exactly this and it is working. We no longer treat agriculture as a development programme but as a business. We are aggressively promoting private sector investments by focusing on integrated value chains from the farm to the market and rapidly fixing challenges from raising farm production and putting in place food processing and value addition to all our commodities.”

The Olam rice farm has contributed to the agricultural development of the country through enhancing domestic food security through the development of a 10,000 hectare rice farm and fully integrated mill in Nasarawa State, supported by an out-grower programme which will be scaled up from 3,000 to approximately 20,000 farmers. It supports the ATA through delivering high quality product for the domestic market that can compete with imported rice whilst driving rural prosperity.

At this rate, there is no doubt that Nigeria is catching up rapidly with food production and poverty alleviation. There is no gainsaying the fact that the continual support of government to the development of agriculture will eventually serve as a platform for huge job creation for the teeming population of unemployed youths.

Community Anticipates Transformation Over New SCPZ

by Ruth Tene Natsa, Abuja

Community leaders of Doma local government area (LGA) of Nasarawa State have expressed optimism that the designation of Olam International Nigeria Limited as a staple crop processing zone (SCPZ) will bring transformation to communities in the local government, state and Nigeria as a whole.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP at the commissioning of the Olam Intergrated Rice Mill in the LGA, the president, Doma Traditional Council/Andoma of Doma, Aliyu Ogar Onawo, said the presence of Olam spells transformation and development to the people of the land.

He said, “Advantages coming from the presence of the company is a first step to the company being able to produce enough rice not just to feed Nigeria but to export to other countries just as we import from other countries.

We look forward to an opportunity where Olam Nigeria provides the rice needs of Nigeria, Africa, West Africa, and Nigeria as a whole.

“We are looking forward to an opportunity where being a project sited on our land, our people will benefit from the technical knowhow of each products so that we can expand their production and create employment for our children who have finished school as opposed to government providing employment for them.”

The Andoma of Doma noted that “since the establishment of the company in the Rukubi community, we have seen rural road construction between Okpata/Doma, we have got schools and the management have promised us a package which will eventually include hospitals, more schools and many other programmes to transform the community of Doma as a whole.”

The executive chairman of the local government area, Henry Omaku, said the siting of Olam Nigeria in the local government would ensure the social development and industrialisation of the community and the local government , adding that over 1,000 indigenous community members had already been employed, while anticipating the employment of over 6,000 community members in the near future.

He said, “What we are after is development and if Olam will give that to us, we are contented.”

Also the land development and irrigation coordinator, Olam Nigeria, Sunday Oloko, said the presence of Olam in the community has brought peace and suppressed the restiveness of the community youths through the vast opportunities created by the company.

20 / tax f0cus

July 18, 2014

Self-Assessment Practice (1)

BY MOHAMMED, HABIBU SALE

The self-assessment tax regime is a system of tax administration whereby a taxpayer is granted the right by law to compute his liability pay the tax due and produce evidence of tax paid at the time of filling returns.

Returns: This refers to an act of submission by individuals or companies of a record of financial statement and other required related documents to the tax offices for a specific financial year.

The law requires every company (including a company granted exemption from incorporation) to, at least once in every year without notice or demand, make and deliver to the tax authority a return in the form of: • The audited accounts, tax and capital allowances computations and a true and correct statement in writing containing the amount of profits from each and every source; • A declaration which shall be signed by a director or secretary of the company that the returns contain a true and correct statement of the amount of its profits computed in respect of all sources and that the particulars in such returns are true and complete.

For newly incorporated companies, the submission shall be within eighteen months from the date of its incorporation or not later than six months after the end of its first accounting period, whichever is earlier. For existing companies – companies that have been in business for more than 18 months – the submission shall be not more than six months after the close of the company’s accounting year.

The taxpayer bears the burden of accurately calculating his liabilities, pays the tax due and files self-assessed returns on

or before the due date. The tax returns are accepted by the tax officers as filed, subject to simple arithmetic checks to ensure that tax forms are duly completed.

The tax authority may subject the returns to further administrative checks to determine whether or not a taxable person selfassessed less than what ought to be.

Where the taxpayer fails to meet his obligations, sanctions are immediately applied.

Non-filers are subjected to administrative assessment that are based on information obtained from the tax payer and other sources with appropriate penalties and interest effective after the due date; it relies heavily on post-filing controls such as risk-based audits, collection enforcement measures etc.

Composition of returns Company Income Tax • Duly signed audited account or statements of affairs • Tax computation • Capital allowances computation • Schedule of assets • Duly completed self-assessment forms (Company Income Tax and Education Tax) • Evidence of payment of the taxes due (or as applicable) Petroleum Profit Tax • Computation of estimated adjusted profit or loss • Estimated assessable profit of that period • A schedule showing: • The residue at the end of that period in respect of its assets, • All qualifying petroleum expenditures incurred in that period, • The value of any of its assets disposed in that period, and • The allowances due it under that schedule for that period.

• A computation of its estimated chargeable profits of that period.

tax in focus

• A statement of other sums, deductable under section 22 of Petroleum Profit Tax Act (PPTA), the liabilities for which were incurred during that period.

• A statement of all amounts repaid, refunded, waived or released to it, as referred to in subsection of its estimated tax for that Acting chairman, FIRS, Kabiru Mashi period.

Personal Income Tax • Completed income tax forms (Form A ) in the prescribed form: • Statement of the amount of income from every source • Particulars of income, allowance, relief, etc.

• Declaration/attestation of the correctness of returns by taxable persons • Forms to be signed by a director of the company, and the secretary of the company.

• Evidences of payment of tax.

Pay As You Earn (PAYE) • Completed Form A (income tax form for returns of income and claims for allowances and relief) • Form H1 (annual income declaration) • A schedule of tax deduction from the employer containing the following information;

• Name of the employer • Tax Identification Number (TIN) of the employer • Name of employees • TIN of employee • Basic salary • Allowances • Tax charges • Overall total charged and remitted • Evidence of payment of tax.

Value Added Tax • Fully completed Form 002 • Value of all taxable goods and services purchased or supplied during the preceding month.

• Evidence of input tax deducted (as much as possible).

• Evidence of payment of tax.

Filling: This is an act of compliance with the tax law which requires that returns

must be submitted within a stipulated period (statutory due date) regarding an individual or a company.

Due Dates of Filling Returns This refers to statutory date by which a company or individual taxpayer, depending on the tax type, must file its tax returns or risk a relevant sanction which may include being charged penalty and interest on a varying degree as the relevant tax law prescribes.

Section 41 of CITA thus provides that: • “Every company including a company granted exemption from incorporation shall, whether or not a company is liable to pay tax under this Act for a year of assessment, with or without notice from the service, file a self-assessment return with the service in the prescribed form at least once a year.”

• “Subject to this Act or any organisation made thereunder the time of filing returns shall be: • In the case of a company that has been in a business for more than 18 months, not more after the end of the accounting year and; • In the case of newly incorporated company within 18 months from the date of its incorporation or not less than six months after the end of its accounting period, whichever is easier, in addition, the form of returns shall be signed by a managing director of the company and the secretary respectively.”

• “Any company which fails to comply with the provision of sub-section 2 shall be liable to pay as penalty for late filing as follows:• N25,000 in the first month in which the failure occurs, and • N5,000 for each subsequent month in which the failure continues.”

TO BE CONTINUED

Shifting Tax Monies: Transfer Pricing Phenomenon (3) This implies that A and B would pay N36 and N12 respectively as tax in their countries of incorporation; bringing the total tax paid by the group to N48 (i.e.

N36 + N12).

With the profit before tax still N200; the profit after tax becomes N152 (i.e. N200 N48). To this end, A contributes N144 while B contributes N8.

By increasing the transfer price from N200 to N280, the overall profit after tax has increased by a staggering 27 per cent, i.e. from N120 to N152.

Paying No Tax Case 3 Assuming again that the transfer price is N300 and that after repackaging, B resells at N300. This means that A sells to B at N300 making a profit of N200, while B makes no profit. The companies’ income tax due from A at 20 per cent is now N40 while B will be charged nil tax since it did not make profit from the sale.

Thus, the group’s profit after tax becomes N160 (i.e.

N200

–

N40). To this, A contributes N160 and B contributes nothing. This implies that all the profits have been shifted to the subsidiary company in Uganda. Hence, B does not pay tax in Nigeria. With this arrangement, B has effectively shifted its profit to a lower tax jurisdiction by declaring a loss.

Getting Tax Repayments Case 4 This case shows what happens if the transfer price is increased to N400. Company A makes

a profit of N300 and B makes a loss of N100 if it resells at N300 (i.e. N400 – N300). This loss can be carried forward by B and used as set-off against future tax liability. Thus, A pays a company’s income tax of N60 on their profits while the B has the capacity of reducing its future tax bill by N60. The effect of this is that the group gets a tax rebate of N60. The overall result is that the profit after tax becomes N300 (i.e. N240 + N60 rebate). to be continue

motoring / 21

July 18, 2014

Kia To Roll-out Cars From Nigerian Plant In September Stories By Samson Echenim, Lagos, with agency report

Motors Limited, representatives of Kia in Nigeria, to restructure existing short-term obligation to align with long-term investment in assets development – a scenario that culminated in the provision of technical know-how and setting up machinery for the local plant. Kim said the plant would immediately begin to assemble select Kia models, including A, B and C-segment Rio, Cerato and Optima because of the huge Kia model line-up and by mid 2015 commence full scale production of the entire Kia range.

He said, “We will immediately begin to assemble few models including Kia Rio, Cerato and Optima because of the huge model line-up of Kia and by mid 2015, all things being equal, the entire Kia range will be made locally. This, in essence, implies that not a single Kia model will be imported into Nigeria from Korea.”

Manufacturers of the South Korean Kia brand of vehicles, Kia Motors Corporation, said it would roll out the first set of made-inNigeria cars from a plant in Lagos in September this year.

Kia’s Africa and Middle East manager, Mr Homer Kim, disclosed this at a ceremony to inaugurate Kia ultra-modern showroom in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday. Kim noted that the automaker’s decision to establish a local plant in Nigeria followed the federal government’s proclamation of a modified National Automotive Policy that seeks to revolutionise the country’s automotive industry and steadily discourage importation of fully built-up vehicles.

The automobile company had in February inked a treaty with Dana

Koncept Auto Launches Isuzu N-Series Light Duty Truck A range of light-duty Isuzu trucks that brings higher performance on every level with styling, power and economical operation has been launched in Nigeria by Isuzu’s dealership partner in Nigeria, Koncept AutoCentre.

The trucks distributed in Nigeria by Koncept AutoCentre also combines safety features geared to increase capacity.

“The next generation 4HK1TCN powerplant is the latest in Isuzu’s lineup of clean and fuelefficient diesel engines.

This advanced engine offers outstanding power as well as great fuel economy making it ideal for businesses seeking cost-effective operation,” said the chief executive officer of Koncept Autocentre, Mr Siva Subramanian.

Also in the lineup are the high-output 4JJ1-TC, which

features outstanding torque for its displacement and 4JB1TC engines with their proven reliability. “The styling is simple and powerful for timeless appeal. Aggressively delineated front-end components and six-hole continental grille – the identifying mark of Izuzu vehicles – make a distinctive statement,” Subramanian said.

The windshield and side windows are designed for maximum verticality, creating a boxy cab that optimises both aerodynamic performance and interior space in comparison previous models.

In pursuit of aerodynamic perfection, the trucks are made aerodynamic front corners and roof cut air resistance, especially when rear cargo bodies are mounted, contributing to better fuel economy.

Strike In South Africa: Ford, Toyota Stop Operation The United States motor company, Ford, has suspended production at one of its South African plants and Japanese carmaker, Toyota, plans to follow suit as a manufacturing workers’ strike hits suppliers of car components in the country.

Over 80 per cent of Toyota and Ford brands distributed in Nigeria are supplied from the automakers’ South African plants, raising concerns that the prevailing industrial situation will take a toll on vehicle supply to distributors in Nigeria.

“Production at our Silverton Assembly Plant has been temporarily suspended due

to the strike,” Ford’s spokeswoman, Alicia Chetty, told Reuters yesterday.

Chetty, however, said only the company’s Pretoria plant was affected and its other plant in Port Elizabeth was operating normally.

Ford South Africa’s head, Mr Jeff Nemeth, told Talk Radio 702 that the suspension at the plant - which assembles the Ford Ranger pick-up truck - would mean the loss of about 350 units a day. Nemeth said continued disruptions in the flow of products might affect corporate investment decisions in Africa’s most developed but ailing economy.

The spokeswoman of Toyota, Mary Willemse, said the company would close two production lines at their Durban plant from Tuesday because of supply chain problems related to the stoppage.

The manufacturing strike also forced General Motors to close its assembly plant in the southern city of Port Elizabeth over a week ago, despite efforts by the minister of labour, Mildred Oliphant, to mediate between the union and employees.

Mercedes Benz said supply lines to its assembly factory were reaching critical stress levels and an industry body warned

more car makers could be forced to halt production.

“Things are beyond dire. We have exhausted stockpiles we managed to build up in the months leading up to this strike and I expect more companies to halt production should the strike continue,” the vice president of the auto component manufacturing body, NAACAM, Mr Ken Manners, told Reuters.

Production at BMW, Volkswagon and Nissan was normal, although company officials said they were monitoring the situation closely.

Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn’t work; and second, failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach.

Roger von Oech, American author, inventor and speaker

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July 18, 2014

July 18, 2014

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NAERLS forum

July 18, 2014

National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, ABU Zaria Contact: Dr M.K Othman - 08065571637. mkothman@gmail.com

Application And Use Of Biotechnology In Nigerian Food And Agriculture System (3) Applications in agricultural research Plant breeders can use molecular markers to reduce the cost and increase the speed of breeding new varieties.

They can also use transformation techniques to add characteristics to crops that cannot be found in the genome of those crops.

Scientists working on pest control can also use these advances in biotechnology.

Chemists, who are working to develop safer and more effective pesticides, can test their chemicals against many new targets. Integrated pest management specialists will then have new diagnostic kits that could be very useful to them.

Constraints to using biotechnological research benefits.

The application of biotechnological approaches to the Nigerian agricultural industry opens a wide scope of potential benefits, yet many of these benefits may not be achieved if a number of important issues are not resolved. Some of these issues are related to the organization of technology and innovation systems, as well as the scientific basis of biotechnology and its interface with traditional agricultural research, others refer to biosafety considerations and consumer acceptance. There are also issues emerging from the proprietary nature of the new technologies and those that relate to the characteristics of the technology de-

Samaila Ilu, Director, NAERLS

livery mechanisms involved.

The main challenges to application and use of advances in biotechnology include the following issues: -The institutional infrastructure is still not in place, biosafety and IPR institutions are still in the making - Inadequate financial resources and poor infrastructure of research bodies.

- High investment costs associated with biotechnological innovations.

- Insufficient international collaboration - Lack of awareness of the risks and benefits associated with modern biotechnology - Increasing concerns being expressed in the media about potential negative impacts Extension issues and challenges to application and use of agricultural biotechnologies

FRIDAY SPECIAL/ BUSINESS 1:0:1 Agrobusiness with Agbaji Chinedu

for enquires email: fridayleadership@leadership.ng This vegetable is a perennial herb. As crops and green manure crops are benexpected, it is in great abundance dur- eficial prior to planting spinach. Always ing the rainy season. Historically, it is use improved seedling which has been said to reach West Africa from Asia. The made available by Federal ministry of stem and leaves are edible. The plant Agriculture. grows in three main colors (Pink, deep You can plant spinach in early spring. red and green); the colored varieties To stagger your crop over summer you are planted for decorative purposed in can plant part rows every few weeks.

North America. The green colored vari- The last planting should be about 50ety is the only grown and consumed as- 60 days before the first frosts. Position your spinach plants in a position that sortment in Nigeria.

GROWING SPINACH does not experience high temperatures.

Spinach is relatively easy to grow in cool Spinach grows well in partial to full sun. climates and it is packed with nutrients SOIL TYPE such as iron, protein, vitamin A and Spinach likes a moist but not waterchlorophyll. Whether raw in salads or logged soil. Using a mulch of straw or lightly steamed spinach is a suitable ac- grass clippings can help to retain moiscompaniment to a wide range of dishes. ture levels in the soil. The soil should Germination of spinach seeds can take contain a good amount of organic matanything between a week and 2 weeks. ter to provide the spinach with the nuDig the soil to around 30cm depth as trients it requires. Spinach doesn’t like this is how far the plants tap root can acidic soils, a good PH is around 6.3 develop. Work some organic compost -6.8. Add the appropriate amount of or manure into the soil to help provide lime to the soil if necessary. the necessary nutrients for growth ie TENDING chicken manure is highly recommend- Make sure the soil is moist. An inch of ed because of its rich nutients.Because water per week is adequate when there of the benefit of organic matter cover is little rainfall. Thin out your spinach

Though there appear to be great potentials for agricultural biotechnology in the Nigerian agricultural system, but extension issues arise concerning the correct strategies for realizing this potential given the Nigeria’s human, financial and institutional constraints. There have also been concerns and controversy about the potential environmental and human health risks from the very early stages of development of biotechnology (Trigo et al., 2000). Thus, despite the potential of biotechnology, several challenges need to be addressed, including biosafety and food safety, bioethics. The potential commercialisation of biotechnology in Nigeria raises questions for the agricultural system viz: -

-

-

Are agricultural biotechnologies ready for adoption within the context of low input production systems typical of the Nigerian economy?

What is their relative effectiveness compared with well-established conventional technologies?

What are potential impacts on Nigerian agriculture of the commercialisation of biotechnology in Nigeria needs to be undertaken The costs and benefits especially need to be examined for different levels of farmers.

What are the implications for Nigeria’s farm exports?

-

How to raise public awareness and acceptance of the value and potential of biotechnology applications?

- What are the potential effects of adoption of these technologies on welfare of poor households (whether net buyers or net sellers of food)?

- Need to assess whether Nigerian farmers and public share the food safety and environmental concerns of Europeans regarding use of agricultural biotechnology products.

- In general, how would welfare in the rest of West or Sub-Saharan Africa be affected if Nigeria choose to adopt GM varieties of food crops?

An appropriate biotechnology agenda for Nigeria will be to support research into environmental, social and other implications of modern biotechnology with a view to the promotion of sustainable and safe use of this technology On the consumer or food safety side, the worries have been that biotechnology derived food may be more toxic or carcinogenic, result in more allergies, or be nutritionally less adequate than GM-free food; and that transgenes might survive digestion and alter the genome of the person or animal consuming them.

TO BE CONTINUED

Spinach (Aleho) Farming Business Venture

seedlings as required but try not to damage the roots of the plants you leave in the soil. Effects of an over acidic soil can be seen in the yellowing of the edges of seedling leaves, low germination rates and slow growth.

HARVESTING Spinach is ready to harvest at about 40-50 days after planting. The spinach leaves can be harvested whenever they look big enough and ready for marketing and consumption etc. Make sure to start picking leaves on the outside of the plant, the inner leaves will then continue to grow and produce a new crop.

Alternatively you can harvest the whole

plant but this will not give room for you to make more money from it.To consumers, you should aim to eat the spinach straight after picking and washing in cool water. You can store the washed leaves in the fridge for a few days but the taste and nutrient content is best straight after harvesting.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT According to Mr.Gambo,he said your profit depends on the size of your farm, the larger the farm the more produce that comes out of your farm, he said that 5 plot of land with spinach can generate millions at the end of every year, if you take care of it very well as regards good manure application and weeding. A head of Spinach cost 2,500 to 3,000 or more depending on the season. Farming spinach in dry season is much easier now because of FADAMA and some people are using well water to grow spinach during dry season. This is a good Agribusiness one can go into as the demand for it is becoming higher by day and it is acceptable across all tribes and many uses it as a herb for slimming down.

Your Entertainment and Lifestyle Guide July 18, 2014

Meet The Henhouse Prowlers

ESSENTIALS PLAYLIST World Cup Anthems

They’ve got sound, style and…

Bluegrass Music!

There are many colorful flowers on the path of life, but the prettiest have the sharpest thorns.

razak’s diary Tattles ― African Proverb

26

STARTERS

July 18, 2014

EDITOR’S NOTE It’s practically the middle of the year and, also, a good time to take stock of the first half of the year; assess our accomplishments, failures, plans and how to implement them in the second half of the year.

Have you been eating right?

Have you been efficient at work?

Have you been a good listener and

helpful to friends and family? Have and adjust that which is bent with you been kind to strangers? These the main goal of adding value to are important questions that the world as a better person. apply to all our lives, regardless of How can you improve yourself? our differences.

Enjoy a restful weekend.

While enjoying the slow pace that often comes with the weekend, I am taking in the lerato.umah@leadership.ng second part of the year, as a sort fridayleadership@leadership.ng to project, fix that which is broken follow us on Twitter @essentialsng

Lerato

one TO WATCH

Essentials Playlist With Abisola Alawode 2014 World Cup anthems

Sound Sultan Ft. Babayaro & Yung Grey C – Super Eagles (No Tension)

The world cup season has spewed a lot of tunes dedicated to Nigeria’s Super Eagles and this is one of them. Sound Sultan enlists the help of former footballer Emmanuel Babayaro and his label mate Yung Grey C for this very inspiring number.

Ice Prince, Dammy Krane, Sasha P, Nosa and Seyi Shay – Fly Like the Eagle The world cup buzz has also caught up with Chocolate City artistes Ice Prince and Nosa.

They joined forces with Seyi Shay, Dammy Krane and Sasha P to release the Etisalat official World Cup theme song.

Oscar Ft. Banky W & IBK Spaceshipboi – Nigerian World Cup Theme Most people might not know who Oscar is, but after listening to this song you’ll be itching to know more. Oscar is a superproducer who has worked with the likes of Simi, Omawumi, Tuface, Praiz, Retta, Bez, P-Square, Niyola, Banky W, Chidinma, Darey and Phyno. Wherever your patriotism has gone, this song will help you find it! Also, on this song, Banky W, once again, proved why he is regarded as a good musician.

song and dance and, though many find it difficult to take him seriously as an artist, he has a catalogue of music, including beats that can rival those of some of the big boys in the game. He also has a number of endorsements to boast of and in this track he brings you up on the gist that he recently signed a deal worth $6,000,000. This great production and a compliment to his unique style says something; there is more to music than just ‘bars’.

Nigerian Songs

Xo Senavoe – The Gift. I had to mention

this guy, because I think he is probably the most intelligent lyricist in the country. Rap seems hard to sell in Nigeria but it doesn’t mean that there isn’t talent [to that effect] in the country. Senavoe’s name has circulated for a while but he has not been able to enter the mainstream market yet. This song says it’s all a matter of time. His word-play is something to love, with some hard hitting punch lines. XO is a name to remember.

Mode9 – Bigger than this. Keeping it Hip-

ArtQuake – Go Super Eagles

hop-inclined for now, let me introduce one of the veterans…Mr Mode9. He has been very vocal in recent months on how he felt when he was essentially abandoned by many of his fans and people in the industry. He is now reminding us of why he was once the best thing in Nigerian rap [and still has the credentials to stake such a claim]. They say class is permanent while form is temporary.

It seems that Modey has not lost that touch.

Great Hip-hop track with a message for all haters to fear.

Solidstar – Super Eagles

Oritse Femi ft. D’Banj – Double Wahala (part 2). Oritse Femi is one Nigerian artiste

According to tooxclusive.com, this song is an upbeat, properly arranged gyration track aimed at motivating the super eagles of Nigeria at the FIFA world cup in Brazil.

You think they are wrong? Only one way to find out! Listen to the song.

This is the only world cup song supported officially by the Nigerian Supporters Club.

A very catchy song that will make you sing along before even know what it is they are singing about.

Foreign Songs

Gunplay Ft. Rick Ross – Aiight. Just as

his name suggests, Gunplay is back with another street anthem. We are all very aware of his antics outside the studio, but the dude has definitely made himself a force to be reckoned with in the rap world. He teamed up with the MMG boss on this one and they have made it clear that they are not to be ‘tested’. Ross will surely appreciate Gunplay’s loyalty.

Soulja Boy – Wassup. Soulja Boy will

always be remembered for a certain hit-

with enviable street credibility. Reason: his songs are popular with everybody and he appeals to a very large audience. Proof of this is the presence of D’Banj on the remix of the popular Double Wahala. As catchy as the original was, the addition of a little more flavour from the Koko Master, shows that he (D’banj) is starting to show his old self.

Great song, set to conquer the airwaves.

Ice Prince – Tears for Naija. Many have

released songs in relation to the recent troubles in Nigeria. However, Ice Prince has keyed into the present to remind us of his vast ability. In this number alone, just like in most of his songs, a list of genres can be pointed out. This is a fantastic fusion of cultures and stories with a very important message. Great work from Ice Prince. God bless Nigeria.

Archer You must have heard about the show Archer, but I bet you did not know it was a cartoon.

Set at the International Secret Intelligence Service, ISIS, in New York City, suave and profoundly self-centered master spy Sterling Archer deals with global espionage; his domineering, emotionally distant mother and boss, Malory Archer; his ex-girlfriend (and fellow ISIS agent), Lana Kane; and his other ISIS coworkers (including fellow agent Ray Gillette, accountant Cyril Figgis, Human Resources Director Pam Poovey, dim-witted secretary Cheryl Tunt and Applied Research head

Doctor Krieger).

Despite the fact that the show is a cartoon, the artistic style of the series is designed to be as realistic as possible, so the character designers use as much reference material as they can. The character drawings coincidentally resemble some of the voice actors in the series. As the lead character designer for the series, Chad Hurd, noted, the end result resembles “a 1960s comic book come to life”.

The show stars H. Jon Benjamin, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Chris Parnell, Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter, George Coe, Adam Reed and Lucky Yates.

movie review

The Grand Budapest Hotel Release date June 2014 Producer Wes Anderson Genre Comedy Starring Ralph Fiennes,Murray Abraham, Matthew Amalric, Adrien Brody The Grand Budapest Hotel retraces the adventures of Gustave H, devoted concierge at one of Eastern Europe’s most prestigious hotels, and his most trusted employee, Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy.

The central intrigue concerns a missing Renaissance painting and

a family feud, all unfolding amid political turmoil in Europe.

It is a movie worth watching because of how beautiful the film is and the hilarious dialogue. Although the risk may be that style-oversubstance might seem frivolous and annoying. You will either laugh hysterically or be baffled as to why people like the movie. After watching, you can either love or hate Wes Anderson.

— Reviewed by Innocent Ekejiuba of nollysilverscreen.com

group EDITOR Lerato Miriam Umah REPORTERS Abisola Alawode, Patience Ivie Ihejirika DESIGN & LAYOUT Chukwudi J. Nwabueze, Iniobong Ekong

ACTING EDITOR Hassan Gimba Ahmed

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman Hajiya Ireti Kingibe GRP MANAGING DIRECTOR Azubuike Ishiekwene GRP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Michael Okpere, Dr. Kazeem Durodoye

Your weekly ESSENTIALS is filled with exclusive interviews, amazing articles from guest columnists and contributors.

27

July 18, 2014

ESSENTIALS Taste

By Patience Ivie Ihejirika

Ukazi Leaves Ingredients

1 cup ground melon 1 handful achi 2kg beef/goat meat 1kg dried fish 2 pieces stock fish 2cups ground crayfish Pepper (to taste) 1/2 cup palm oil 2 Stock cubes Salt (to taste) 1 medium-sized onion

Direction

Wash the meat, season and cook.

Wash the stock fish with hot water.

Wash fish and add to stock-fish.

Turn the achi into a mortar, mix with crayfish, pepper and set aside. Slice the leaves and set aside.

Allow to boil for a few moments, until soft. Add oil, stock cubes and allow boiling for few minutes. Add crayfish to mixed achi. The thickness will determine the quantity of egusi (melon) to add. After adding the egusi, allow boiling for about five minutes, add the sliced leaves and

add salt.

Heat for three minutes then remove from heat.

Soup is ready. Serve hot with eba, pounded yam, fufu, semolina or wheat.

Ukazi Leaves

Ukazi leaves (gnetum African) are used for the preparation of Ukazi soup, the Igbo version of the Efiks’ Afang soup. The rich, delicious soup is very rich, delicious and more popular amongst the Abia people of South-eastern Nigeria.

Health Benefits

Recent research has shown that ukazi leaves are rich in protein which provides the body with amino acids used in building and repairing muscle, as well as other vital tissues.

As with most vegetables, these leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals. source of vitamins A, B complex, as well as provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium and phosphorous.

Tomatoes/ Egusi Soup Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •

1 kg meat or chicken 1 medium stock-fish 6 tomatoes 1 large red pepper (tatashe) 2 Onions Pepper (to taste) 2 stock cubes 3 Cooking spoon palm oil 1 cup of ground melon (egusi) 1 medium bunch of pumpkin leaves/ spinach or bitter-leaf • 2 handful crayfish (ground) • Salt to taste

Directions

• Clean and wash the meat or chicken, put in a pot and add seasoning. Cook until it is tender, and keep it aside.

• Wash and boil the stock-fish until it is soft.

Clean the dry fish with salt and then soak in hot water to remove sand particles.

• Blend tomatoes, tatashe and pepper together. Chop the onion, slice and wash

the pumpkin/ugu leaves.

• Heat the palm oil and add the chopped onion. Allow to fry for two minutes and pour the tomatoes and pepper paste.

Stir and allow to fry for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the ingredients settle at the bottom of the pot and oil is floating at the top.

• Add the ground egusi and mix until the egusi and fried sauce are well mixed to form a yellowish paste. Allow to cook for five more minutes (stir at intervals to avoid burning).

• Pour in the meat and stock-fish stock.

Stir. Add water and allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes before you add the dry fish, ground crayfish, boiled stock-fish, cooked meat, stock cubes and salt to taste. Allow to cook for for minutes.

• Add the pumpkin/ugu/washed bitter-leaf.

Stir and allow simmering for about three to five minutes. The soup is ready to be served with pounded yam, semovita, fufu, amala or eba.

Tomatoes

Tomato is one of the most popular fruits is the world and it is consumed by almost every household in Nigeria. Unlike other fruits, though, the tomato does not possess that ‘sweetness’ other fruits are known for. Instead, it has a subtle sweetness tinted with a mix of bitter and acidic twangs which bubbles out when the berry is cooked. Besides cooking or frying, tomatoes is also very essential in garnishing of other staples. It is used extensively in cooking melon (egusi) soup, especially among the Yorubas.

The soup is mostly eaten with pounded yam, eba, The friends of our friends are our friends. ― Congolese Africa

fufu, amala or semolina.

Health Benefits Of Tomatoes

Tomato has continued to serve as a regular fruit, thanks to its incredible health-promoting properties. Research has shown that the berry has much more healthy qualities than the apple. The fruit is very low in calories and fats, but rich in dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins; recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight-reduction programmes. It fights against cancer and other diseases.

28 TATTLES J’s ‘Interesting’ Gift to KimSchwarzenegger And Kanye IRay Didn’t Poison Prisoners – Arnold Arnold ‘Commando’ Schwarzenegger has finally reacted to allegations that while he was governor he exposed prison inmates to a leprosy-like disease.

According to new legal documents released by the actor’s legal team, Schwarzenegger claims [that] he is not responsible for an outbreak in Pleasant Valley State Prison, California, where spores in the soil triggered an epidemic of Valley Fever - a disease that attacks the body’s organs and leads to skin lesions, amputations and brain damage.

The furore began when Schwarzenegger was sued by inmates who claimed they got sick because of his indifference and keeping the prisoners where dangerous spores were in abundance during his time as governor of California. But in the court documents, the former governor says he was not indifferent.

Chris Brown, Drake Quash ‘Beef’ For More Money!

The curious new friendship between Chris Brown and Drake has nothing to do with Rihanna or brotherly love; it’s just a business decision about making millions, according to gossip site TMZ. Chris and Drake who literally destroyed W.i.P. nightclub in New York City in 2012 over Rihannarelated ‘beef’ have decided that they can actually make more money together than separately.

They’re now in the studio laying tracks down for Brown’s’ new album.

It has been said that Drake will perform with Brown on some of the songs and he’ll also be the producer. There’s also a bonus for Brown.

By working with Drake he’ll be able to continue being affiliated with Young Money

Reminisce Listed As ‘World Rapper You Should Meet’ In recognition of all his hard work over the years, Nigerian indigenous rapper Remilekun Abdulkalid Safaru a.k.a Reminisce was recently named by Time Magazine as “one of the world rappers you should meet”.

Reminisce’s emergence on this list has been received by fans and music critics alike with a lot of positivity, as many say the rapper truly deserves the accolade.

Some also wondered why indigenous rapper Olamide didn’t get the accolade, as he is more known and has also released more songs than Reminisce.

What Time didn’t tell you is that Reminisce isn’t the only one bridging the gap when it comes to crossover Hip-hop appeal in Nigeria – the likes of Phyno, Seriki and Ice Prince have also pushed Hip-hop with Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa languages, respectively. Others include pioneers Lord of Ajasa, Mr Raw, Illbliss, Slow Dog and the late Dagrin.

Reminisce Listed As ‘World Rapper You Should Meet’

Ebenezer Obey Now Professor of Music Veteran singer Dr. Ebenezer Obey was recently made a professor of music at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. The former Juju music icon was recently honoured at the institution’s Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) Hall by the university’s vice-chancellor, Professor Saburi Adejin Adesanya. Obey is said to have presented musical instruments worth millions of naira to the school’s Department of Music as part of his promise and commitment to the university. He also promised to give his new appointment the same attention he gives his music and to share his wealth of experience with his students The Alake of Egbaland Aremu Gbadebo, Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s wife Bola Obasanjo, former PMAN president Tony Okoroji, Iyalode Alaba Lawson and Demola Dada.

Jimmy Jatt Set For Second Album Nigeria (if not Africa)’s foremost disc jockey, Jimmy Jatt, will release his second album, The Industry on Sunday, August 17, 2014, seven years after he released his first, The Definition, in which he featured over 50 artistes – 2Face Idibia, Ruggedman, M.I, Naeto C, Sound Sultan, Elajoe and Modenine, amongst others.

Why did it take so long, though? “Basically, I’m a DJ and you don’t expect such an album (like The Definition) every year,” Jatt pointed out. He did promise that the forthcoming album will also feature over 50 artistes from all the record labels in the country. The new work, which is a reflection of the industry will have a minimum of 20 tracks.

Ice Prince, Kcee, Mr Song, 2Face Idibia, Sound Sultan and Burna Boy are some of those who have confirmed that they will be making cameo appearances.

July 18, 2014

Boxing champ Floyd Mayweather recently presented a $400,000 custom Phantom Rolls Royce car to his current girlfriend, Bad Medina. He, of course, ensured everyone got to hear it via social media. Though Bad Medina may be happy, the thing about Floyd is, when he breaks up with a woman, he takes back the things he bought them.

Chris Brown’s on/off girlfriend emotionally opened up about her love triangle with Chris Brown and Rihanna during an interview on Just Keke.

Karrueche said she felt she was “fighting Rihanna and her over 14 million fans” whenever she and Riri had issues, especially on Twitter.

TiSPY

Which legendarymusician is now a music professor?

I Was Earning N1.6m At Inspiration FM – Dan Foster You must have heard that on air personality (OAP) Dan Foster recently left Inspiration FM for City FM. That’s no more news. The fact that he was being paid N1.6m is news!

In a recent interview with NET, Foster revealed why he left Inspiration FM for his new employer. “It was time to move on because I was setting up some stuff, so I decided to resign. I turned in my resignation on June 1 and, because of my contract, I wanted to be out so I could start something I had wanted to set up for some time now and to do one or two businesses elsewhere. I felt stagnant and I had other business opportunities that were knocking on my door.

“Inspiration FM is a station I love (of course, I set that station up). With the Inspiration family format they pulled me from Cool FM and as much as Cool FM treated me so well, it was the idea of setting up a family radio station that got me thrilled. I really heard God telling me it was time to move.”

According to Foster, he was earning so much because he wasn’t just doing just one job at the radio station. “Yeah, I was earning N1.6m altogether; and it was ok because I was doing some other duties – not just being an OAP. There was programming, you know. In a radio station that’s what you have to do; you have to do more than one job or the radio station will just go broke and crazy.”

The Things

THEY SAID

“God has answered my prayers again; I’ll be getting married soon.”

– Actress, Ibinabo Fiberesima “Our national anthem is very bland and uninspiring” – Writer/musician Etcetera

FLiRT “I’m in love. I’ve found love.”

ALERT –Footballer , Mikel Obi

GOT A CELEB GIST? GET IN TOUCH!

FRIDAY EXTRA July 18, 2014

Charity clothes for sale in one of Ghana’s ‘okrika’ markets. Pix: BBC

‘Okrika’, Nigeria’s new boutique, is a product of charity. Inset: Free bales of clothes waiting to be sold. Pix: onenigeria.com

‘Okrika’: What Are You Buying?

Onukogu Kanayo Jubal

INSIDE

Nigerians love second-new clothes, popularly called okrika or ‘ok’. The love for okrika cuts across class, age, or any other social classification.

They became the go-to boutique for affordable clothes after the cost of ‘readymade’ clothes maintained an upward movement.

Over the years, West Africans, majorly, have come to appreciate okrika and shop for them without shame in some of the regions many markets; from Tema in Ghana, to Lagos in Nigeria. It has become a booming, multi-billion naira market.

Many have fended for their families for years, thanks to the business. Some have become international dealers. In some cases, traders like Chikodilim Nweke (not real name) who has a huge stack of bales in her shop in Abuja’s Garki Maket, said she occasionally finds foreign currencies in some of these clothes.

“It doesn’t happen everytime, but when I see it, I am very glad,” she said.

But where do these clothes come from?

Do these dealers know?

Jerome Akwaafi (not real name), a Ghanaian dealer who resides in Nigeria, has an impression.

“Some time ago, I heard that the clothes were once worn by dead people. Many times I have asked those who bring them to the market in Accra how they get these clothes, but they said they do not know. I stopped worrying, because the people who buy them do not worry about where they come from,” Akwaafi said.

Another trader in the Wuse Market, who gave his name simply as Magnus, said “They are imported clothes, bros. If you are asking me where they come from, how can I know? What of these people who say their own clothes are in the boutique; do they know where they come from? This thing na business o,” he completed in halting English.

But these clothes, many of them, made by some of the world’s best clothiers – Woolworth’s, Fruit of the Loom, Marks & Spencer, H&M, and a number of others – didn’t come from a boutique in some exotic part of the world. They arrived in a batch of second-hand clothes sourced from a British charity shop.

Rather than being donated to the world’s poorest people, as a new BBC documentary makes clear, the poor are paying. Strangely, the people are paying for clothes that are supposed to be delivered freely and given freely to the world’s poorest people. How will the nations who make these imports possible feel when a humanitarian gesture becomes a money-spinning opportunity for a few.

For example, the UK, from where many non-governmental organisations operate, spends more than £60bn a year on new clothes and much of what is discarded ends up in high street charity shops.

Clothes that aren’t sold to shoppers go to recycling plants and from there, to Africa. Although the majority of African countries import cast-off clothing, Ghana gets the most with 30,000 tonnes arriving in capital Accra each year. The Gambia, Benin Republic, Nigeria and other countries get the rest.

Why is the ground solid? nobel ultimate top list

It is no wonder, then, that many Nigerian dealers now prefer buying from Ghanaian dealers, where most of the choice bales of clothes end up.

One dealer at the popular Garki Market, in Abuja, would not bother to talk to LEADERSHIP Friday. “I am too busy,” he said, indicating the number of customers he had to attend to, “so just talk to my boy.” The ‘boy’, it turned out, was twenty-something-yearold who gave his name as Chino.

According to Chino, many of what they buy comes from the United Kingdom, because “second-new clothes in the UK are the best. They are better than others, that is why many people go to Ghana to buy them,” Chino said.

Chino knows this, because his relatives stay in Leeds. “They liase with other dealers in Birmingham and Coventry to send this thing down here,” he said.

But he is not aware that these clothes are meant to be free. “We pay so much for them; I do not even believe you. These clothes are so good, how can they be free? Abeg,” he shrugged.

But while these imported clothes are making many rich, the nation’s textile industry is struggling to stay alive.

“Everything is an expression of the kind of people we are; a people in love with Tokunbo things,” said Mansur Dabo, a market analyst.

According to Dabo, the nation’s poorest have found a loophole in a system which once threatened to take the clothes off their backs. As a result, the people have found another option; buying second-new clothes.

But do these traders making a killing off

the kindness of charitable organisations care? Not in the least. They have found solace in their ignorance. The general answer is “Bros, I no know where these clothes dey come from. Na business I dey do.” Clearly, it is a lucrative business.

Adaobi (not real name) told LEADERSHIP Friday that she makes “as much as N50,000 on a good market day if the rain does not spoil market for you and if you have first grade okrika”. Those who deal in huge volumes of bales make huge profits, depending on the clothes in vogue, the season, and their clientele.

According to Adaobi, sometimes, she needs to employ young girls for the day to help her coordinate sales. “At the end of the day, I have to pay them. Today is Monday, but tomorrow and Wednesday, we need to be at Karmo and Nyanya markets to continue, because we have lots of good sweaters and they must finish before the rains go away,” she said, picking up some of the clothes.

But the question lingers: who, in their right minds, will sell clothes donated to the world’s poorest to the same people it was intended for? Are they being helped by some unscrupulous managers of charitable organisations, government officials or freightforwarding agents? Most times, the lead hit a brick-wall? No one knows anything about anything. But while the ‘trade’ booms, the poor still have no clothes on their backs; they are just as poor as they were before someone somewhere thought about sending them clothes donated by caring individuals and organisations.

Big Questions & Answers Why... answers to scientific questions

30 FRIDAY EXTRA/Best places to go...

July 18, 2014

In the interest of full disclosure, my uncle, David Rochlen, was a legendary surfer, and he rode with the best in Southern California and Hawaii. (He was later inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame.) Thanks to him, I first learned how to surf on Sandy Beach in Oahu. That Hawaiian experience led me to mistakenly think I was good enough to try my luck on the treacherous North Shore. And that experience ultimately led me to realize my true limitations! Instead, I’m now a practicing stand-up paddle boarder on the East Coast, on the Great South Bay on Fire Island in New York. But every once in a while, in a fit of stupid nostalgia, I’ll return to Hawaii and try my luck again.

Surfing W

hen you think of surfing in the United States, what comes to mind first?

Most likely Hawaii. Home to some of the most legendary big waves in the world, Hawaii is practically the birth-place of modern surfing. The good news is, you don’t have to be a local pro to get started. First-timers and novices can learn to surf right on Waikiki Beach, where the gentle Canoes surf break is located right in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Just rent a board and hire an instructor at the beach shackyou’ll know you’re in the right place if you can see the statue of Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. Definitely get there early and on a weekday if you want to avoid the crowds.

On the island of Maui, you want to head to the beautiful Launiupoko State Wayside Park for a beginner lesson. The waves are bro- ken up by coral reefs, making them gentle and smooth enough for newbies to handle. (And with a children’s wading pool, snorkeling, and picnic tables, this is also a great spot for a family day out.) On Kauai, Hanalei Bay on

the northern shore has a 2.5-mile-Iong, white-sand beach where the waters tend to remain calm and easy to manage in the summer, making it perfect for learning. Prefer to watch, not surf? Go to the North Shore of Oahu, where the locals go. The waves are at their highest in the winter months.

Although there’s no guarantee of where and when the big waves will hit, you can usually get a great view of the surfers on massive waves at Waimea Beach Park. If you want to bring your board, remember, winter waves on these beaches are for the experts only, so be prepared. (However, the waters calm down tremendously in summer.) The famous Banzai Pipeline reef break, considered one of the most challenging waves in the world, is located at Ehukai Beach Park on the North Shore.

North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands more than 175 miles long, is a surfer’s paradise, with big swells on the ocean side ofthe peninsula.

On the northern end of the Outer Banks, Corolla is ideal for beginners.

What happens here is that waves break when they encounter water that is shal-

lower than they are tall (so, for example, a 3-foot wave will not break in 4 feet of water). The barrier sandbar makes the waves break at manageable heights, and surfers can walk out to the breaks rather than exert energy by paddling. On the northern end, you don’t have to worry about rocks, the water is shallower, and the beach is much flatter. Summer is a great time to go-there are fewer crowds, shallower waves, and warm water. Those looking for more of a challenge just need to head south of Corolla at the peak of hurricane season between August and November. And last, but certainly not least, experienced surfers should try Cape Hatteras, which holds the biggest, most consistent waves along the islands.

Your best bet for lessons is Corolla Surf Shop whether you’re a first-timer or looking for a refresher course.

On the West Coast, one of the great surf spots for beginners isn’t in Southern California, it’s in the Central Coast town of Santa Cruz. Cowell’s Beach, just north of the main beach, receives long, easy waves, while Capitola Beach is an even less crowded alternative for beginners.

Both Cowell’s Beach Surf Shop corn) and Santa Cruz Surf School can show you the ropes. If you’re a skilled surfer, there’s a place for surfers and downright dangerous if you’re not very experienced. Keep in mind; the waves in Santa Cruz tend to be largest and most consistent between September and March.

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.

Henry ford, founder and president of the Ford Motor Company

FRIDAY EXTRA/...SURFING 31

July 18, 2014

Surf and Yoga

The Sol Sessions camps in La Saladita, Mexico, and Block Island, Rhode Island, offer twice-ayear surfing and yoga retreats to work out both your mind and body. Pura Vida Adventures offers a similar type of experience in Costa Rica several times a year, so you can combine the art of wave riding with yoga within a beautiful natural setting. Former pro surfer Richard Schmidt runs weeklong surf clinics in Nosara, Costa Rica, every year, which include classroom and water-based instruction plus daily yoga sessions.

Mexico

In Oaxaca, Mexico, Puerto Escondido, a.k.a. the Mexican Pipeline, is one of the top surfing spots in the world. Although there are places for less experienced surfers, the big draw here is the annual Quiksilver Pro surf competition in August. But you have to be flexible. The waves here are so powerful that officials will frequently postpone the event until they reach safe levels. Between April and November, surfers hang ten at Playa Zicatela, where the breaks and riptides are among the most powerful in the world. This spot is no joke, so unless you’re extremely comfortable out on the waves, you’re best off watching from the shore.

If you’re in the mood for an adventure, head to the more remote, laid-back Oaxacan spots. San Agustinillo, about 40 miles south of Puerto Escondido, sits on a small bay where it meets the Pacific Ocean. The

area has two surfable beaches: Playa San Agustinillo on the west end, and the eastern Playa Rinconcito, which has calmer, more sheltered waters. Bahias de Huatulco is a well-kept secret among surfers. It’s barely on the tourist radar and an especially beautiful spot where the Sierra Madre del Sur meet the Pacific Ocean. Several protected bays, including La Bocana, have some powerful surfing breaks.

Troncones, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, isn’t a major tourist destination-which is exactly why you should go. The point that juts out into Manzanillo Bay is suitable for many levels and the surf is good yearround, but newer surfers should stick to November through April, when the waves are smaller (watch out for the rough, rocky bottom). Summer brings a larger but more consistent swell.

Pro Surfing Competitions

Most of the major surf brands have competitions on the coast throughout the year, so if you prefer to watch the experts at work, this is the place to do it. Probably the biggest and the best is O’Neill Surf de Nuit (night surf) contest, which takes place in mid-August on Anglet’s Sables d’Or beach in France. Bells Beach, also known as the gateway to Victoria’s Surf Coast on the Great Ocean Road, is host to the world-famous Rip Curls Pro competition, the Longest-running event in professional surfing.

Europe Franee’s Basque Coast, which stretches from Bordeaux to the Spanish border, is practically the surf capital of Europe. The chic resort town of Biarritz is at the center of the action, known for its consistent conditions and ritzy social scene. In town, La Cote des Basques

Australia

Most out-of-towners will head to Australia’s famous Sydney beaches, Manly and Bondi, to test the waters. But don’t overlook Maroubra Beach, a.k.a. the “Bra,” a national surfing reserve just outside of Sydney. This small beach is more of a local hangout than a tourist attraction, but it’s a favorite spot for its consistent surf and long waves. Just watch out: This is the beach that spawned the notori- ous Bra Boys gang, so while the surfing itself is great, be careful to respect the locals and general surfing etiquette. If you’re not an experienced surfer, opt for a lesson with an outfitter like Sydney Safe

Windsurfing

has gentle, long waves that are great for beginners, while La Grande Plage tends to be a little more challenging for more advanced surfers. Biarritz beaches get crowded in summer, so pick the slower shoulder seasons or head out of town for a more local experience.

Surf Schools With locals as your guide.

The famous Gold Coast in Queensland is considered to have the best surfing conditions in all of Australia-so much so that there’s actually a beach called Surfers Paradise that’s a main hub for tourists and locals alike. But for beginners, locals will take you a little farther north to an area called the Spit, where a break wall makes the waves much easier to handle than the more exposed beaches. You can take surf lessons from a local company like Surfing Paradise where instructors are intimately familiar with the swells in this area.

First-time windsurfers can have a great experience on South Padre Island in Texas, where the waters of the 120-mile-long Laguna Madre are warm and shallow, and the wind is steady and not too strong.

In the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Hatteras Island acts as a sandbar, creating calm, shallow conditions in Pamlico Bay, which are perfect for those just learning. In Naxos, Greece, July and August bring the famous Aegean wind, also known as the Meltemi. The swells can be challenging in some spots, but look for sheltered inlets like Mikri Vigla and Agios Georgios that are protected from the winds.

The inner part of Lac Bay on the island of Bonaire is well protected, so it’s a great beginner spot. As you get toward the mouth of the bay, the winds become stronger and create conditions for more skilled windsurfers. Want a serious challenge? Lake Arenal in Costa Rica sits between two mountain ranges, so it acts like a wind tunnel, creating waves up to 5 feet high.

Insider tips

Every November, the Triple Crown of Surfing is held on Oahu’s North Shore in three breaks: Haleiwa Ali’i Beach Park, Sunset Beach, and Banzai Pipeline.

South America Believe it or not, Chile offers a landscape not unlike central California. It’s got a slightly cool climate and even cooler waters, dark sand, and craggy coastlines (rather than the balmy weather and white sand usually associated with surf spots).

The resort town of Pichilemu in central Chile, about a 3- to 4-hour drive from Santiago, has two main beaches: Punta de Lobos and Puertecillo Beach, which offer

a great variety of point breaks-everything from huge waves that the pros like to tackle, to “shadowed” swells that are good I for beginners. This is the Southern Hemisphere, so the waves are at their best in April and May. For spectators, there are some major surfing competitions at Punta de Lobos, namely the Quiksilver Ceremonial Big Wave Invitational.

Exotic Kite Boarding Cabarete, a beach town on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, is a huge kite boarding destination. The calm water and trade winds make it an ideal spot for beginners or experts. Don’t miss the annual Cabarete World Cup in mid-June. Or how about kite boarding in ... Vietnam? That’s right, the small fishing village of Mui Ne

(about 5 hours north of Saigon) has enormous sand dunes and constant winds, attracting kite boarders from around the world. And in Namibia, Africa, the shallow lagoon at Luderitz gets a strong wind every March and August to create perfect conditions. It’s home to the well-regarded Luderitz Speed Challenge.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.

Henry ford, founder and president of the Ford Motor Company

32 FRIDAY EXTRA

July 18, 2014

nobel

A Century Of Prize Winners

Paul Samuelson

For the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

ECONOMIC SCIENCE

(1906-1989) Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn studied mathematics before he became a well-known writer - practical training that may well have saved his life. He was arrested in 1945 and sentenced to eight years in labor camps for anti- Stalinist sentiments he expressed in letters to a school friend. For the first four years of his imprisonment Solzhenitsyn was placed with a group of scientific researchers instead of the labor gangs. Ifhis mathematical skills had not allowed him to escape the labor gangs, he later wrote, “I would probably not have survived.” He was then sent to the Ekibastuz detention camp, where he worked as a miner, among other jobs. He developed a malignant tumor, which was removed, but he never fully recovered his health.

A month after he completed his sentence, Solzhenitsyn was still in the camp and, rather than be released, he was instead exiled to Kok-Terek in South Kazakhstan, where he remained from 1953 until 1956. His cancer spread during these years, and he admitted, “I was very near to death,” but he persevered and saw freedom once again. He was eventually expelled from the Soviet Union, only having his citizenship restored in 1990.

Born on December II, 1918, in Kislovodsk, Russia, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was brought up by his mother; his father, an artillery officer who had fought at the German front, had died in battle six months before he was born. He spent his childhood and youth in Rostov and hoped to study literature in Moscow.

This dream, though, was not possible: his mother was ill and the two lived in impoverished circumstances.

With some manuscripts already written but no one interested in publishing them, Solzhenitsyn entered the Department of Mathematics of the Rostov University. Despite his great success in the subject, however, he was determined not to spend the rest of his life working in mathematics.

He concentrated on writing in the greatest of secrecy. His prison experiences inspired his first novel, Odin den iz zhizni Ivana Denisovicha (One Day in the Life of Iv an Denisovicn], which was published in 1962 when he was 44 years old. He won the 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature, but the Soviet authorities seized the published book. In 1974 the government also seized the manuscript for Arkhipelag Gulag (The Gulag Archipelago). In this book he lays bare the prison system, state terrorism and the methods of the Soviet secret police. For such honesty he was deprived of Soviet citizenship and deported to West Germany; he then spent a brief period in Switzerland before moving to the United States.

He returned to his native country in 1994 and on June 5, 2007, received a top state award from then President Vladimir Putin.

ECONOMIC SCIENCE

(1915-) Born in Gary, Indiana, in 1915, Paul Anthony Samuelson is passionate about research and teaching. He once described himself by saying, “In an era of specialization, I sometimes think I am the last generalist in economics.” A critic of classical economic terms, he insists that the basis of understanding economic analysis resides in mathematics.

Paul Samuelson studied at the University of Chicago and received his BA in 1935. He then transferred to Harvard University and earned his master’s degree the next year; in 1941 he received his doctorate and had already begun his career as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

He was also a columnist for Newsweek, heavily involved in American wartime and post- war economic management, a consultant to research organizations like the Rand Corporation and the board of the Federal Reserve Bank, as well as an advisor to presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon J ohnson.

In 1947 he published his first important work, Foundations of Economic Analysis. A year later he published Economics: An Introductory Analysis, which has been translated into at least 12 languages and sold more than four million copies. In it, Samuelson explores in quantitative and mathematical terms his philosophy, which is largely based on the theories of the famed English economist John Maynard Keynes.

Calling himself a generalist, Samuelson applies mathematics to practical problems in international trade, industrial production, marketing and defense plans. He is equally well known for his work on inflation, unemployment and American economic growth, and he has developed mathematical techniques and formulas to relate the gross national product (GNP) with levels of employment.

As a result of this broad and valuable work, Samuelson has received many awards, including the David A. Wells Prize in 1941 from Harvard University and the 1970 Nobel Prize in Economics. A professor at the MIT for many years, he was also a Guggenheim Fellow from 1948 to 1949 and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Economic Association. In 1947 he was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal for being the economist under 40 “who has made the most distinguished contribution to the main body of economic thought and knowledge.”

Paul Samuelson married Marion Crawford in 1938, and the couple has six children. They currently reside in Belmont, Massachusetts.

For the scientific work through which he has developed static and dynamic economic theory and actively contributed to raising the level of analysis in economic science.

There is no beauty but the beauty of action.

Culled from the book ‘Nobel’ ― Moroccan proverb

INVALUABLE TIPS FOR LIFE 18.07.2014

Here’s Why You Should Leave Work Earlier Every Day Being a valuable employee has nothing to do with the hours you put in, rather it has to do with the quality of the work you do.

Finances

Now is The Perfect Time To Teach Your Kids About Money

Leadership Grooming Motivation Core Beliefs Of Extraordinary Leaders

General Hints

6 Ways to Create a Happier week

Health Thrush

34 FORESIGHT

July 18, 2014 EMERGENCY PLANS

WORK & CAREER

SETBACKS CAN THROW YOU OFF BALANCE, BUT HAVING A BACKUP PLAN IN PLACE IN CASE THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS,HELPS YOU STAY ON COURSE AND KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL.

Here’s Why You Should Leave Work Earlier Every Day

D

o you fear your boss will call you a slacker if you arrive at work after him or leave before he does? Many people believe that the only way to prove your dedication and work principle is to be in the office all the time. Fortunately, for the sake of your sanity and social life, that is no longer the case. Being a valuable employee has nothing to do with the hours you put in, rather it has to do with the quality of the work you do and the relationships you develop in the office.

So many workers feel they must spend more hours at the office than their bosses because they believe it demonstrates that they’re working hard. But you should really understand the criteria on which your performance evaluation will be centred. Usually the hours spent working per week is not one of them.

Another reason is, you shouldn’t spend more time at the office than your boss, he may think you’re arriving an hour before him every morning, when you’re really showing up just minutes before him, and leaving a few hours after him each night, when you’re actually leaving seconds after him, so he may expect you to produce a 10 hour workday’s worth of work. Arriving before your boss and leaving after him can actually work against you if you are not exceeding expectations. Some managers say they can’t understand why an employee works for long hours, when he or she is missing the mark in other areas. It can even lead a manager to wonder if you are not capable of succeeding in your current position if you are working ‘10 hours’ a day and just barely meeting, or even missing, expectations. In addition, working excessive hours can affect your personal life and general balance,

including time for the gym, family, and social activities, which can have longterm consequences. Many supervisors are more interested in efficiency and efficacy rather than non-productive face time, but you need to understand your supervisor’s preferences. There may be implicit expectations about your time in the office. Pay attention to the clues around you.

Therefore, forget about trying to impress the boss by staying late every day. The best way to demonstrate that you are truly working beyond expectations is to consistently meet goals, anticipate needs successfully, work collaboratively with colleagues, and show your commitment to the organisation and its mission.

CULLED FROM INC.COM

Joylifechangers@gmail.com

People say, “Attitude will determine your altitude in life”.

How high do you want to fly and how far do you want to go?

Attitude is everything! When it’s good you win, if it’s bad you lose.

Suggested below are 10 ways your attitude will make you win: Be respectful Respect is organic. Everyone wants it in a wholesome manner.

Don’t be one of those people who say that in their heart they respect others. That’s wrong.

Respect isn’t respect until the recipient feels respected. In your life’s journey, as you come across different people from different backgrounds and cultures, learn their language of respect and speak it fluently to them. Their favour will flow in your direction naturally.

Be courteous This is the opposite of rudeness.

It is the ability to be polite. Do not treat or respond to people with sarcasm. Choose your words carefully even while you’re being firm, or passing across bad news.

Make sure you do not create an opportunity for extra hurt with your choice of words.

Be nice As easy as this might seem, more people find it difficult to just be nice. Others forget due to the rush associated with life. Once, a certain lady was about to go on the stairway into a plane.

This gentleman who was with his wife helped with his wife’s hand luggage and hers up the stairway to the door of the aircraft. She was grateful for the gesture. Every day you have the opportunity to make life easier for somebody, you should take advantage of that.

Be positive Don’t be the only one in the bunch who sees why things will not work out all the time. Negative people

sap others of energy which is much needed for life. Be positive, never negative.

Don’t be a nag Complaining about everything and everyone does not make you desirable. Rather people will avoid your company as much as they possibly can. Listen more than you judge. Seek to understand why people are the way they are and you will have them flock around you endlessly.

Protect the interest of those you serve A lot of times, some people are so selfish. Even when paid to do a job, they still put their own selfish interest first, ahead of those they serve. This will make you run out of business or a job, quicker than the economy might. Always prefer your client, by considering their interest first. Your patronage will definitely increase.

Be honest Do what you say you will do, how you say you will do it and when you say you will do it. Don’t be one of those people whose words always have to be vetted, double checked and verified. That will always cause destiny delays.

Be punctual Always be on time. Don’t keep customers, clients or associates waiting.

Be a giver Generosity is a true mark of a leader, be generous with information, time, care and even solutions, you will be amazed how far this virtue takes you.

Always go the extra mile The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the ‘Extra’.

Extraordinary people are not minimum requirement people.

They put a little garnishing into everything they do. Ordinary is old school, join the extraordinary bunch and fly high!

INFLUENCING PEOPLE

CONTENT Ehinome Osezua, Elizabeth Martin GRAPHICS Igwe-Ngerem Michael Hassan Gimba Ahmed

group FOUNDER CHAIRMAN GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

By Joy Jones

Winning With Your Attitude

foresight AG. EDITOR

INFLUENCE PLUS

Sam Nda-Isaiah Hajiya Ireti Kingibe Azubuike Ishiekwene Michael Okpere, Dr Kazeem Durodoye

Foresight published as an insert in LEADERSHIP Friday. A number of the articles here are sourced from diverse sources. Please do send your feedback and enquiries to: foresight@leadership.ng

Memory Magic “LIFE IS ALL MEMORY EXCEPT FOR THE ONE PRESENT MOMENT THAT GOES BY YOU SO QUICK YOU HARDLY CATCH IT GOING.”

Aside from expressing a desire to become more persuasive, as far as the next ‘wish-list’ attributes that most people would like a good memory is always near the top of the list.

Life is all about memory. Of course, having a good memory with powerful recall is an effective tool for being persuasive in your dealings with people. You don’t have to think hard to imagine how a better memory would enhance your life on a day-today level in the workplace and with family and friends.

A poor memory threatens everything in life: personal relationships, business contacts, income, and health, the list is endless. But the sad truth is that, most people pay little attention to improving their memory skills and consequently put up faulty recall. Most of what you say is based on something that has happened, something that you did or that somebody else did. In business and personal life, the confidence that comes from a good power is valuable beyond measure.

FORESIGHT 35

July 18, 2014 Sense of purpose

FINANCE

Having a sense of purpose is about where you see yourself in the world and your mission in life. Having a strong sense of purpose is likely to mean you are already highly motivated.

Financial FUTURES

Basics of...

Hotel Booking Secrets

Nowadays, it’s fairly easy to be savvy when booking a hotel room. Thanks to a host of websites and digital tools, you can shop among various options to score the best rate; dig into reviews to get the inside scoop on the services and even compare the online pictures to actual photographs of the room and property to see if they match up.

But there are still several secrets that even the savviest travellers don’t know about. Remember when using a discount website to book your room.

Reservations made through such sites aren’t held in the same regard as those that come directly through the hotel. To help shift that perspective, it is best that you call the hotel after you have booked through a discount site, perhaps two or three days before your stay.

Call the hotel proper. Speak to a human being. Find out if your request came through. That’s a great way to take a discount reservation and get it back up to the level of a natural reservation.

If your travel plans shift or fall through and you find yourself in need of cancelling your reservation at the last minute, you can use a little-known loophole to avoid incurring

standard cancellation fees.

You should call the hotel proper, speak to a front desk agent and say... ‘You would like to push your reservation to next week’. You do that, hang up the phone, call back the next day, talk to somebody different and then, let the person know that you have a reservation for next week, but you would like to cancel it.’

And now you are within your cancellation rights.

Harness the power of the front desk agent. They are actually making a lot more decisions than you think. The front desk agent knows the best rooms, and he could actually point them out. So, being friendly, being patient, oftentimes a little gratuity to the front desk agent can also be helpful.

Are you asking how much gratuity? Well, it depends on what you’re comfortable with.But one thing can be guaranteed, the front desk agent is going to work very hard for you, to get you a wonderful room. So do yourself a favour and request for the best offer your money can get you. culled from huffingtonpost.com

MAKE YOURSELF

UNFORGETTABLE Class And Confidence

When you lack confidence in yourself, other people are likely to agree with you. Quite reasonably, they figure you know more about yourself than they do anyway, so if you’re down on yourself, they probably will be also.

But for the same reason, when you project an air of confidence and self-assurance, they’ll feel good about you.

However, always remember,

other people want to feel good about you. They want to connect with you as a professional and perhaps also as a friend.

Your job is just to make that as easy as possible. Summing up confidence is not really something you have. It is something you give, and then it is given back to you. Confidence, like class, is a power you radiate, and in its reflection you shine so much brighter.

Now is The Perfect Time To Teach Your Kids About Money

Whether you like it or not, money decisions permeate just about every aspect of our adult lives.

Everything from going to the grocery store to filling up the gas tank to what college you choose involves money decisions.

Even if money is far from what is most important to you, it’s impossible to get away from dealing with it. For that reason, it’s important to master your finances and make your money work for you. It’s crucial to pass these skills on to our children so they can become successful, independent and happy adults.

There is a surplus of resources on how to teach kids about money and financial literacy, but when should you start teaching them?

It’s never too late to start, but there is an optimal time to add a little financial literacy to their life lessons. As you teach your kids to get along with others, to count, and to read, sprinkle in a few money lessons to help them get started on a positive track.

It has been shown that children make great strides in economic understanding between the ages of 6 and 12, such that children’s understanding is ‘essentially adult’ around age 12. The following list lays out when children understand different financial concepts: Counting By age 7, children have developed many of the basic concepts that relate to financial behaviour.

Children may start to understand counting as early as 2 to 3 years old, but they often haven’t mastered the concept of ‘equals’

until about age 5.

Conservation Typically by age 7, children understand the concept of conservation, which essentially means that the value of money is not measured by coin size. In other words, a dime is worth more than a nickel even though the latter is larger. Until they get this point, they may want five pennies instead of a dime since the size of the coin as well as the quantity is more.

Exchange and Equivalence The other concept children start to grasp after age 6 is ‘exchange and equivalence’,that money has different denominations, and that there isn’t always enough to pay for certain items. The old cliché makes sense here: You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. You have to pay for the cake.

Some of your children’s first money lessons could address this concept of having to give up their money to get their item as well as how much things cost. One idea would be doing a ‘dollar day’ and seeing what they can get when they spend that dollar. Children can then practice parting with their dollar for their item and maybe even receive some change in return.

Whatever you do, make it real.

When your money teaching points are real life practical experiences that children can relate to instead of abstract concepts, the lesson may just stick. It’s never too late to teach your kids about money , but you might as well start their money education at the optimal time. culled from forbes.com

36

37

July 18, 2014

DR. IBRAHIM SHEMA’S FORWARD LOOKING DEVELOPMENT STRIDES IN KATSINA STATE Governor Shema’s Achievements In The Road Sub-Sector

SOME OF THE OPERATIONAL VEHICLES BEING USED BY KASROMA IN ENSURING EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE OF KATSINA ROADS

GRADERS PROCURED BY KASROMA ... THIS HAS AIDED IN THE REPAIR AND CONSTRUCTION OF RURAL ROADS

PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AT POPULAR KATSINA CENTRAL MARKET CONSTRUCTED BY KASROMA

DR. IBRAHIM SHEMA

Executive Governor, Katsina State

A

mong the numerous achievements of the administration of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina state is the construction of road network which has effectively opened up the state and strengthened transportation of both goods and persons from one end of the state to the other.

The Katsina state government has successfully constructed over 2000 kilometres of roads which cut across the entire state with the road infrastructure evenly distributed.

Conscious of the need to ensure maintenance of the roads so as to derive maximum benefit of government’s investment in this all important sector, the administration of Governor Shema established the Katsina State Road Maintenance Agency (KASROMA).

Essentially, Governor Shema’s focus on development of roads in Katsina is unprecedented and the state government expended enormous amount of money on road infrastructure. To maintain these roads, KASROMA was established with the mandate of monitoring existing roads, maintaining them and in the event of any repairs, effectively ensure that it is done.

In its short time of existence, KASROMA, with the support of the state government which provided all the necessary equipment and implement

STREET LIGHTS AT THE MALUMFASHI TOWNSHIP ROAD BEING MAINTAINED BY KASROMAKET CONSTRUCTED BY KASROMA

KASROMA GM JAMILU HASSAN INSPECTING A NEWLY PROCURED POTHOLE PATCHER

TIPPER PROCURED BY THE KASROMA

along-side financial resources for it to work, has embarked on the repairs and effective maintenance of hundreds of roads scattered across the state.

KASROMA is currently asphalting the over 23 kilometre Yantumaki-Danmusa road, it is also working on Charanchi-Banye where asphalting and patching of the road is on-going.

Among the numerous activities of KASROMA is the surface dressing of roads, installation and maintenance of street lights and indeed, construction of rural feeder roads to further ease movement of goods and persons from the hitherto difficult locations in the state.

ONGOING WORK ON A BRIDGE AT DADDAGE VILLAGE OF ZANGO LG BEING EXECUTED BY KASROMA

ASPHALTING OF YANTUMAKI-DANMUSA ROAD EMBARKED UPON BY KASROMA

The Agency is effectively supporting the construction of bridges, drainages and general repairs of township roads in line with its mandate of ensuring that the numerous roads constructed by the Shema administration last long for people to derive maximum benefits.

Interestingly, KASROMA through the support of the state government and the foresight of the General Manager, Jamilu Hassan Yantumaki, has the dream of fabricating its machines itself. Already, the Agency has started constructing road marking machines.

ON GOING ONSTRUCTION OF A 3 BOX CULVERT

KAFUR-TUNDI ROAD UNDERGOING REHABILITATION BY KASROMA

38 FORESIGHT

July 18, 2014 HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR LIFE

GROOMING

A MAN IS A SUCCESS IF HE GETS UP IN THE MORNING AND GETS TO BED AT NIGHT, AND IN BETWEEN HE DOES WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.

ALL THINGS SOCIAL

General Hints In going upstairs the gentleman should precede the lady; in going down he should follow her. If you accompany a lady to a theatre or concertroom, precede them to clear the way and secure your seats.

Do not frequently repeat the name of the person with whom you are conversing. It implies either the extreme of arrogance or familiarity. You should have been cautioned also against the repetition of titles. Deference can always be better expressed in the voice, manner and countenance, than in any form of words.

If when you are walking with a lady in any crowded street you are obliged to proceed singly, always precede her. Always give the lady the wall; by doing so you interpose your own person between her and the passers by, and assign her the cleanest part of the pavement.

At public halls, theatres and others, a gentleman should never permit the lady to pay for refreshments, vehicles and so forth. If she insists on repaying him afterwards, he must of course defer to her wishes.

Never speak of absent people by only their Christian or surnames; but always as Mr. or Mrs. Above all, never name anybody by the first letter of his name. Married people are sometimes guilty of this flagrant offence against taste.

If you are smoking and meet a lady to whom you wish to speak, immediately throw away your cigar. Do not smoke shortly before entering the presence of ladies.

A young man who visits frequently at the house of a married friend may be permitted to show his sense of the kindness which he receives by the gift of a Christmas or New Year’s volume to the wife or daughter of his entertainer.

It should be remembered that without ostentation or folly,

The Art Of Selling Yourself

By Chioma Agwuegbo dfairygodsister@yahoo.com a gift ought to be worth offering. It is better to give nothing than too little. On the other hand, mere costliness does not constitute the soul of a present; on the contrary, it has the commercial and the unflattering effect of repayment for value received.

A gift should be precious for something better than its price. It may have been brought by the giver from some far or famous place; it may be unique in its workmanship; it may be valuable from only association with some great man or strange event.

Autographic papers, foreign curiosities, and like,

“

IF YOU PRESENT A BOOK TO A FRIEND, DO NOT WRITE HIS OR HER NAME IN IT, UNLESS REQUESTED. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO PRESUME THAT IT WILL BE RENDERED ANY THE MORE VALUABLE FOR THAT ADDITION.

are elegant gifts. An author may offer his book or a painter a sketch, with grace and propriety. Offerings of flowers and game are unexceptionable, and may be made even to those whose position is superior to that of the giver.

If you present a book to a friend, do not write his or her name in it, unless requested. You have no right to presume that it will be rendered any the more valuable for that addition; and you ought not to conclude beforehand that your gift will be accepted.

Never refuse a present unless under very exceptional circumstances. However humble the giver, and however poor the gift, you should appreciate the goodwill and intention, and accept it with kindness and thanks. Never say things like, you fear you rob them or that you are really ashamed to take it. Such deprecatory phrases imply that you think the bestower of the gift cannot spare or afford it.

Mentor Or Mentors?

Conventional wisdom once said that, “you needed a mentor”. This conclusion, however, proved to be based on a typical mistake. The sources of this wisdom confused a coincidence with a cause.

No doubt, many successful people have had mentors. (Many did not, something most people who are engaged in such discussions always overlook.) But knowing that successful people had mentors does not prove the person succeeded because of their

mentors. For all you know, they might have succeeded in spite of them.

The reason that many successful people had mentors is that people destined to succeed attract all kinds of people; including mentors successful people attract mentors, fans, followers, even puppies and kittens. So the way to attract a mentor, that is if you need one, is to display those traits that will lead you to success anyway. Now here

are some simple questions to ask yourself: Will a mentor lead you there? Probably not. Will a mentor help you in some smaller way? Probably.

Don’t seek a mentor because everyone has one. Instead, focus on doing the things that might attract people, which of course include mentors, because sometimes you need people to challenge your assumptions, and by doing that, lead you to a better decision or decisions.

Social Media For Business: Who’s Your Market?

Why do you need social media for your business?

Start from the immediacy it affords you. Whether it is praise, criticism, clarification or a query, it is fast, and if used properly, will boost the customer service perception your audience will have of your company.

It also functions as a great listening tool – It reduces your organisation’s dependence on traditional media channels (which you might not be able to afford anyway) and counters inaccurate press coverage. It increases the reach of your existing content online by providing easy access for journalists, bloggers, etc. – most importantly, because your target demography is there.

Your target demography – are they online?

Let’s put it like this – selling ice to people in a cold country might not be profitable, same way that selling sweaters to folks in a location with scorching temperatures will be foolhardy. This is regardless of the fact that your friends and enemies are selling both items and doing well.

If you want to reach the market women in your village and join the bandwagon creating Facebook groups, you will fail. And the obvious reason for this is because they are not online.

This is the singular reason why political campaigners who concentrate solely on online interactions at the expense of grassroots mobilisation will stay astounded at the polls.

Sometimes, conveying the fact that social media is not the answer to every business question can be daunting; and that makes it look like you don’t want to do the business.

But, if your market is not online, trying to reach them there, is a waste of everyone’s time, and energies too.

And it will result in futility of textbook proportions.

But, if research has shown that social media will work for you, complement your online efforts, the next question however becomes, what platform: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Nairaland or all three? Which ever you decide make sure it works for you.

FORESIGHT 39

July 18, 2014 ACKNOWLEDGE IT

MOTIVATIONS

FOR YOUR SANITY, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU’VE ACHIEVED RATHER THAN JUST PUSHING YOURSELF HARDER. LOOK BACK AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SUCCESSES.

10 Ways To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone Your comfort zone feels great, but it isn’t where you need to be. To push your company forward, you have to take risks.

As humans everyone has craved a challenge. It’s a critical component of peak performance because it provides stimulation. Without it, when you get too comfortable, you are bored, which can be the death of motivation and creativity for an ambitious person.

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is key. If you don’t, you risk stagnation.

Remaining challenged and staying out of your comfort zone, however, is not easy. When you step too far out in an activity, you risk making costly mistakes; not out of it at all and you are bored and underutilised. For example, if you are a CEO running a business that you love, but you are constantly reacting to your work versus being proactive. You don’t have time to stop and think if you are really challenging yourself in a way that maximises results to achieve your long-term goals.

Being busy can get in the way of optimising your talent, and before you know it, you are spending all your time in your comfort zone.

If that is happening, you are probably feeling less inspired, more tired, and unsure of how the work that you used to love is now more taxing.

To avoid the comfort-zone blahs or the risks associated with going too far out, review the list below.

These 10 indications can help ensure that you are staying in the sweet spot of challenge and remaining a healthy distance from your dreaded comfort zone.

Your activity is linked to your mission It’s clear that working on this challenge will get you a step further in your company’s path forward.

You are the originator of the challenge You are not doing this because someone else has dictated it. Someone else could have a fantastic idea, of course, but you want to avoid getting into a situation in which you feel out of control or as if you have no autonomy within the challenge. This can be tricky, especially if you are answering to a board of directors or investors. You may think you are in control of your work, but overbearing board members could be thwarting your ability to challenge yourself in the way that you want.

The challenge leverages your unique genius or natural talents If not, then rethink the ownership if this particular challenge – and find a better fit within your activity, company or your job responsibilities and other social activities.

You enjoy the challenge Being mentally switched on is the best way to succeed in everything you want to do.

You’re excited to push your abilities to overcome this challenge It’s not an easy challenge, but the thought of conquering it is energising.

It’s a comfortable uneasiness because you don’t know how you are going to succeed, but you know figuring it out will be a blast. And you know if you fail, it’s good.

You don’t let this challenge take over your life You are able to focus on it, step away, and then come back without it affecting your ability to sleep, socialise, or have some downtime.

Your stress levels are manageable, despite the challenge.

You are not feeling overly anxious about the process or the outcome of the challenge which in turn, makes success more likely.

Others respond to your energy for this challenge Your team, partners or colleagues are motivated by your enthusiasm. You can tell because they share that with you or offer to help you succeed with what you are doing and they show you interest and support.

Positive and incremental progress You see regular indications of progress in spite of the disappointments.

This means that you are making a difference and you are engaged in the process of actualising this goal.

Super energised You have moments in which you are super-energised, to the point where you feel like you are buzzing. You all have those moments when you are so aligned with your work that you feel like you are on a high. These are what a challenge junkie lives for, and if you are experiencing these, then you know you are pushing the limits of possibility – and are on the right track.

CULLED FROM INC.COM

Create a Happier Week

Monday sort of gets a bad rap for so many people.

People usually dread heading back to the routine.

Many don’t have full control of the pressures that cause stress, be it deadlines, demanding employees, complaining customers or an overload of responsibilities.

Well, here are some tips to give you back some control of your environment and make it more pleasant.

They are good for resetting a weekly tone whether the pressures start first thing Monday morning or Friday afternoon.

Complete a big project Leaving many things incomplete over the weekend will leave you stressed when you arrive at the beginning of the week. Give yourself the satisfaction of completion right at the outset. Pick a big project that has been nagging at you. Reorganise it, call in the troops and go to town. It may take the whole week, but you’ll feel greatly relieved when it’s finally off your to-do list.

De-clutter something Coming in and seeing a cluttered desk or office is sure to start the mood of the week with a downer. Do something about it. Clear the next couple of hours and dig in. Organise your files, arrange your materials, and file your emails. You may think this is low priority compared to the rest of your work, but think about how much time you spend searching through a mess to find what you need. When things are organised you feel more prepared and less drained. If you can’t do it yourself then hire somebody and free your mind.

Start Something Special Beginnings have energy to them. They are filled with

optimism and possibility.

Make a list of things you’ve wanted to start, but never gave yourself permission to begin. Pick one that matches your passion and set an action step for every day of the week. By the end of the week you’ll feel empowered.

You’ll understand that you have the control over your own destiny if you’re willing to make it happen.

Make that special appointment You know that appointment you have been yearning for? Or maybe it’s the one you have been avoiding.

Regardless, set it up for this week. The energy from the anticipation will drive you forward. If it is about opportunity you’ll revel from the possibilities. If it’s conflict, you’ll relish the resolution. Either way you’ll move a step forward and feel better for it.

Create a learning experience If you are just doing the same thing day in and day out with no mental stimulation you are bound to feel unhappy. The only way out of that feeling is to improve on yourself. There are plenty of tools to develop your mind. Start reading a powerful book or sign up for a seminar that will help you raise your game to a whole new level. Before long you’ll look back on this day and wonder what took you so long to take action.

Schedule a treat Do something nice for yourself. Plan a special lunch, book an event or go to a special place you have always wanted to visit. It will certainly make this a week to remember. If you are dreading the workweek, you most likely are not rewarding yourself for the contribution you are making and that will lead to stress.

CULLED FROM INC.COM

WHAT MOTIVATORS ARE SAYING...

If only every man would make proper use of his strength and do his utmost, he need never regret his limited ability.

Cicero

Anyone is to be pitied who has just sense enough to perceive his deficiencies.

William Hazlitt

Happy is the man who can do only one thing: in doing it, he fulfils his destiny.

Joseph Joubert

40 FORESIGHT

July 18, 2014

HEALTH

STOP, GO FORWARD when your emotions are controlling you, use the stop technique.it gives you the chance of stopping a situation getting out of hand or being misinterpreted, helping you to resolve the situation.

Thrush GENERAL INFORMATION DEFINITION

Thrush is a fungal infection of the mouth. It is common in infants. In adults, it is usually a result of an underlying condition.

BODY PARTS INVOLVED Mouth, gums, tongue, soft palate, cheeks and lips.

SEX OR AGE MOST AFFECTED

Newborns but it may also affect older children and even adults.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Patches (plaques) appear in the mouth.

• Patches are white to creamyyellow, and slightly raised.

They are similar to milk curds, but they don’t wipe off.

• Usually no pain, but may have mild discomfort.

• If patches are rubbed off, they can leave small painful ulcers (sores).

• The mouth is dry.

• Infant may have trouble feeding.

CAUSES

31%

• The prevalence of oral candidiasis among AIDS patients is estimated to be between 9 per cent and 31 per cent.

• Studies have documented clinical evidence of oral candidiasis in nearly 20 per cent of cancer patients.

• It is estimated that between 5 per cent and 7 per cent of babies less than one month old will develop oral candidiasis.

• The infection is not very common in the general population.

SOURCE

www.cdc.gov

A fungus called Candida albicans. It is usually present in small numbers in the mouth.

Certain factors may cause it to multiple out of control.

RISK INCREASES WITH

Dentures.

HIV infection.

Diabetes.

Weak immune system due to illness or drugs.

• Chronic steroid drug use (oral or inhaled).

• Smoking.

• Having conditions that cause dry mouth.

• • • •

HOW TO PREVENT

• Good oral hygiene, especially if you have dentures.

• Avoid antibiotics, unless prescribed for you.

• People at risk of thrush may be prescribed a preventive drug.

• For dry mouth problems, increase water intake and use non-prescription dry mouth products (e.g., sugarfree gum, mouthwash, or artificial saliva).

WHAT TO EXPECT DIAGNOSTIC MEASURES

• Your own observation of symptoms.

• Your health care provider will do a physical exam of the mouth and ask questions about your symptoms and recent use of antibiotics or other drugs.

• Medical tests may include a scrapping of the patch for viewing under a microscope.

APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE

• Treatment with antibiotics.

This may upset the natural balance of germs in the mouth and allow thrush to develop.

• Birth • Newborns may acquire the infection during passage through the birth canal, especially if the mother has a vagina yeast infection.

• Aging.

• People with poor nutrition.

• Infants often need no treatment.

• In others, treatment is aimed at improving the underlying condition and helping the symptoms of thrush.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

Complications are rare. They are more likely to occur in those with underlying conditions.

PROBABLE OUTCOME

Usually clears up within two weeks. Thrush has a tendency to recur.

HOW TO TREAT GENERAL MEASURES

• If an infant has the infection, sterilise any objects that may be placed in the baby’s mouth.

• Older children and adults: • Brush teeth with soft toothbrush.

• Rinse mouth with warm salt water a few times a day. Use one-half teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water. This may ease pain.

MEDICATION

• Nystatin oral suspension may be prescribed. Follow instructions that are provided with the products. Mothers who are nursing an infant with thrush should use drug on her nipples. This prevents the infection from being spread back to the infant.

• Other antifungal drugs are effective and may be prescribed for adults.

ACTIVITY No limits.

Diet

No changes in infants. Older children and adults should maintain a good fluid intake with milk, ice cream, custard, water, tea or other beverages and foods that are easy to swallow.

Use straw for drinking if the patches are painful.

CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF

• You or a family member has symptoms of thrush.

• Dehydration (sunken eyes, poor elasticity of the skin and lethargy) occurs in a child.

• Fever develops.

SOURCE: COMPLETE GUIDE TO SYMPTOMS , ILLNESSES & SURGERY, 2012

QUESTIONS ANSWERED: HANDS AND FEET I have a fungal infection in the nail of my big toe. My doctor has given me a paint to put on it for three months. Why does it take so long to cure it?

The nail grows very slowly, and it is difficult for the treatment to penetrate into the nail deep enough and in enough concentration to kill the fungus. At least the modern treatments do work – in the past once a nail was infected it remained so for the rest

of your life.

I have a lot of white spots on my nails. Is this a sign of lack of calcium? Are there other nail signs that we should be aware of?

The white spots are the outside appearance of tiny air pockets lying between the skin under the nail and the under surface of the nail, usually caused by having knocked the nails against something. They don’t have

serious health consequences.

Other nail problems though, should cause you concern.

Developing a spoon-shaped depression in the nail, so that you could hold a droplet of water on it, is a sign of iron deficiency: anaemia. That can have many causes, so if your nails are spoon shaped, get a check-up. If you have small red flecks like tiny lines under the nails near the tips, see a doctor. These may

be small ‘emboli’ (thrombosis in small blood vessels) from a heart problem. Tiny ridges that run lengthwise from cuticle to tip don’t, as a rule, matter much.

They are just the way nails grow in some people. But if the ridges are at right angles to the growing direction of the nail, this may indicate times of ill-health (the nails have stopped growing for a short time) and you should ask for a medical.

FRIDAY EXTRA 41

July 18, 2014

kids

QUESTIONS

Why can sea mammals drink seawater?

QUICKFIRE

Some marine mammals. like whales and seals, can drink seawater and survive. Their extra-efficient kidneys help them remove excess salt through their urine. But the fact that they can drink salt water doesn’t mean they do. Most marine mammals likely don’t drink much seawater at all. Some sea animals get all the water they need from eating fish, while seals sometimes eat snow to get water.

Why are the North and South Poles so cold?

Why did explorers race to the North and South Poles?

Neither end of the Earth gets much sunlight, and what they do get is neither direct nor warm. Plus, much if the sunglight is reflected back into space from the ice that covers so much of the polar region. the Icy terrains also do not leave room for much exposed land, which usually helps absorb the heat of the sun.

By the arly 1900s, most of the world had been explored. Though few new adventures remained, the North and South Poles had not yet been reached. several nations sent teams to try to get there first. In 1909, American exploreres Robert Peary (Right) and Matthew Henson won the race to the North Polce. Norway’s expedition, led by Roald Amundsen, was first to reach the South Pole in 1911.

Why is Antarctica a continent?

Home to the south pole, Antarctica is covered by ice year-round, up to three miles thick. Under all that ice is a large mass of actual land that is about the sixe of the continental United States. plus most of Mexico.

Its size and land mass give this rocky terrain at the bettom of the world statues as a continent massive shelves of ice cling to its sides, a necklace of sea ice surrounds it, and colossal icebergs float near its shores.

COOL FACT !

Sixth-grade students in Santa barbara, California, formed the ‘Paper Not Plastic’ campaign in 2012. Their website, posters and community activities helped make a plan to ban plastic grocery bags in their city.

Why are scientists drilling ice way down below Antarctica?

They’re actually studing history. the ice on Antarctica was built up over many centuries.

The core samples they drill are like superlong icicles dug from way below the surface.

The ice they retrieve is packed with clues about the weather and atmosphere in acient times

Why don't penguins live at the North Pole?

Penguins can live at the South Pole because way down under the thick ice, there’s land. the land means the ice is stable, so they can tend their nests, make shelter, and otherwise survive when they’re not in the ocean. Since the North Pole is made of floating ice that is always moving and shifting, it’s not the best place to call home.

Culled from the book ‘TIME for kids Big Book of Why’

Judge not your beauty by the number of people who look at you, but rather by the number of people who smile at you.

― African proverb

42 FRIDAY EXTRA

July 18, 2014

why?

... ANSWERS TO EVERYDAY SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS

No Life On Mars?

There is no life on Mars because it is too cold and dry as it has no plate tectonics and so does not benefit from the greenhouse effect.

There may have been life on Mars in the past, when it was warmer and wetter, and there may still be life in Mars, below the surface.

But there is almost certainly no life on the surface of Mars.

The immediate reason for this is that it is too cold and dry.

The temperature at the surface ranges from -133°e (-207.4°F) to 3re (98.6°F), but even when it is above ooe (32°F) water cannot exist as a liquid because the pressure is so low.

The Martian atmosphere is 100 times thinner than Earth’s, so any liquid water would instantly boil away into gas.

The distance of Mars from the sun is similar to that of Earth - if it had a thicker atmosphere, like ours, the greenhouse effect might keep it warm enough for liquid water and life.

A few billion years ago Mars probably had a thicker aonosphere, but it lost it. Mars is much smaller than Earth and so has weaker gravity, and

the aonosphere probably leaked into space. But it might also be because Mars lacks the Earth’s plate tectonics.

Relative positions of planets to the sun On Earth, plate tectonics help to maintain in the atmosphere a constant level of carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas.

When water is around, falling as rain or splashing around as seas, carbon dioxide dissolves into the water and then chemically reacts with rocks. This reaction forms rocks like chalk and limestone, and the carbon is locked away. Plate tectonics suck these rocks down into the planet’s hot interior, melt them and then blast the carbon back out into the aonosphere through volcanoes. Thanks to plate tectonics, there is a carbon cycle.

On Mars, there is no plate tectonics, and so Mars has no carbon cycle. When it was warmer and wetter, carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere was locked away in rocks through similar processes to those found on Earth, but then it was locked away forever. The more carbon dioxide that was removed, the less greenhouse effect there was and the colder it got. The colder it got the more water

condensed out of the atmosphere as rain and the more carbon dioxide was removed. It was a runaway reverse greenhouse effect, and the result was a cold, dry, barren planet.

Hot and heavy Almost exactly the opposite happened on Venus. Venus is almost the same size as Earth, and billions of years ago it too may have had a gentler, wetter climate.

But Venus is just a little bit closer to the sun and instead of water falling as rain it stayed in the atmosphere as steam and triggered a runaway greenhouse effect. The heat released masses of carbon dioxide from the rocks and Venus now has a crushingly thick, unbearably hot atmosphere. The

Patience is the mother of a beautiful child.― Bantu proverb

surface air pressure is ninety-two times higher than on Earth, so walking on the surface of Venus would be like walking on Earth’s ocean bottom a kilometre down, except that the temperature is 477°C (890.6°F). Hot enough to melt lead!

Another reason why tectonic activity is important to life on Earth is that life may well have started around a hydrothermal vent, a sort of water volcano on the bottom of the ocean.

The best place to look for life elsewhere in the universe may be around similar vents - for instance, there might be some on Europa, the sixth moon of Jupiter.

Culled from Why?: Answers to everyday scientific questions

FRIDAY EXTRA 43

July 18, 2014

titans

of history

HANNIBAL 247-c.183 BC

Let no love or treaty be between our nations. Arise, unknown avenger, from my ashes to pursue with fire and sword ... may they have war, they and their children’s children!

The suicidal Dido, queen of Carthage, to her lover Aeneas, who has abandoned her to found Rome - In the words of Virgil’s Aeneid

T

he Carthaginian general Hannibal was the man who came closest to bringing Rome to its knees. A commander of determination and resourcefulness, he devised novel strategies and tactics that are still studied today. He achieved the seemingly impossible in leading an army and more than thirty war elephants over the Alps into Italy, where he inflicted a series of crushing defeats on the Romans. To them he was their nemesis, a terrifying and ruthless figure, his very name evoking fear and dread and inspiring the phrase ‘Hannibal is at the gates!’

Carthage, near modern-day Tunis, had been settled by Phoenicians from Tyre in the 9th century BC, and their descendants, the Carthaginians, proceeded to build up their own trading empire in the region. It was in Sicily that Carthage first came up against its rival for power in the western Mediterranean: Rome. The conse- quence was the First Punic War, from which Rome emerged victorious in 241 BC. Hannibal’s father, the general and statesman Hamilcar Barca, had fought in this war, and it is said that he made his young son swear eternal hatred for the Romans. Hannibal fought alongside him as he conquered a new Carthaginian empire in Spain that was, at least partly, a family fiefdom. In 221 BC, some years after his father’s death in battle, Hannibal was appointed commander in Spain, and here, three years later, seeking revenge for his father’s defeat by the Romans, he deliberately provoked the Second Punic War by capturing the city of Saguntum, an ally of Rome.

Determined on the complete destruction of his sworn enemy, Hannibal assembled 40,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry and a contingent of war elephants. With this mighty force he crossed the Pyrenees and traversed southern Gaul and the waters of the Rhone to the foothills of the Alps.

Historians argue about Hannibal’s precise route, but whichever sequence of passes he used would have presented formidable obstacles. Not only did he have to contend with narrow icy paths, landslides and starvation, but he also had to fight off hostile local tribes.

Eventually, after a fivemonth ordeal, Hannibal and the surviving half of his army arrived on the plains of northern Italy, ready to march on Rome.

The Alpine crossing had been made possible by the immense loyalty Hannibal commanded. Even Hannibal’s staunchest enemies recognized his remarkable rapport with his men, who were drawn from many different peoples.

As the historian Polybius remarked, his enterprises were ‘desperate and extraordinary’, but Hannibal never asked his men to do what he would not do himself. He had been only twenty-six when the army in Spain had elected him their commander, and in all his long career there is no record of mutiny or even a desertion among his forces.

Sometimes known as the ‘Father of Strategy’, Hannibal pioneered the idea that war could be won beyond the setpiece battle. A master of the ambush, he attacked the enemy’s communications and seized cities and supplies behind its back. The Romans accused him of duplicity, but he was also masterly in open battle, as his overwhelming victories over the Romans at Lake Trasimene (217) and the bloodbath that was Cannae attest. His deployment of encirclement at Cannae (216), resulting in a reported 50,000 Roman deaths, was admired by Napoleon and Wellington and is still discussed by military tacticians. After this humiliation of Roman military prestige, some of Rome’s allies in Italy deserted to the Carthaginian side.

Receiving negligible support from Carthage, Hannibal had to levy troops on the spot and provision his men himself. Eventually the Romans deployed guerrilla tactics too, wearing their enemy down.

Hannibal continued to campaign, largely in southern Italy, with little help from his Italian allies. Despite winning some further victories, his army was never strong enough to attack Rome itself. In 207 his younger brother, Hasdrubal Barca, led another Carthaginian army into Italy to join with Hannibal in a march on Rome, but Hasdrubal was killed and his army defeated at the River Metaurus.

When, in 203, the Roman general Scipio Africanus mounted a counterinvasion of North Africa, Hannibal was recalled to Carthage, and the following year was defeated decisively by Scipio at the Battle of Zama. Charged by Carthage’s senate with misconduct of the war, Hannibal entered politics, where his admirable administrative

and constitutional reforms alienated Carthage’s old elite; before long they denounced him to the Romans.

Hannibal fled.

Hannibal spent his last years waging war against Rome for any prince who would have him. He served Antiochus III of Syria and then was heard of in Crete and Armenia. He ended up at the court of King Prusias of Bithynia, but the Romans had long memories and

Youth is beauty, even in cattle.— Egyptian proverb

were set on revenge. Eventually they pressured Prusias to give Hannibal up, but the general chose death over captivity.

In the Bithynian village of Libyssa he drank the poison that he had long carried with him in his ring, and so evaded his old enemy one final time.

Culled from the book ‘Titans of History’

44 FRIDAY EXTRA

July 18, 2014

ultimate top list TOP 10 ANCIENT INVENTIONS

Let Them Eat Cake

1

KNIFE, 2,500,000-1,400,000 The firs knives were made by flaking rocks.

It is possible that the same technique may have been used to produce knoves from other materials, but none have survived.

Archeologiest discovered the oldest group of stone tools (called olduwan) wchich date to 1.5 million BC. These were used by Australopithecines and other similar hominids who probable shared the knowledge of manufacture between species.

FIRE, 1,000,000 BC Fire is perhaps the most important discovery of man because it dramatically reduced the chances of illness from bad food and allowed our ancient ancestors to clear large areas through controlled fires. This made it possible to begin farming land on a land on a large scale.

2

3

HOUSING, 500,000 BC Primitive man used caves for shelter and even for religious uses, but from 500,000 BC we began to build huts. A fascinating archeological discovered a house built with ten posy, forming an irregular pentagon shape, as well as numerous stone tools.

5

SPEARS, 400,000 BC Because wood does not preserve well, the estimate that man used spears 400,000 years go is extremely conservative with some ropologists suggesting that we may have been using them as long as five million years ago.

By 250,000 BC, spears were being tipped by stone blades making them far more effective than the fire-hardened tips previously in use.

6

PIGMENTS, 400,000 BC Pigments have been used since 400,000 BC for body decoration and painting (such as cave painting). Naturally occurring pigments, such as iron oxide and ocher, were the first to be used and there have even been discoveries of equipment for grinding paints from the same period. Eventually, various pigments were traded over long distances making the range of colors available more diverse. The most difficult pigments to produce (blue and purple) were reserved almost exclusively for royalty because of their high cost.

4

CLOTHING, 500,000-100,000 BC The earliest clothing used by man was made of fur, leather, and plant life.

It was initially used for protection from the elements but was eventually used for decorative purposes also. Interestingly, analyses of human body lice (which require clothing to survive) has been instrumental in dating our use of clothing as the fragile nature of ancient cloth means that no examples survive from our earliest days.

7

THE BOAT, 60,000 BC Humans began to travel by boat around 60,000 BC and archeological evidence shows that the ancestors of the Australian Aborigines traveled across the Lombok Strait to Australia in 50,000 BC. The ancient Egyptians were making watertight hulls with pitch and nails by 2500 BC.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, 50,000 BC The first instruments were flutes made of bone, mammoth tusk to be exact.

Fragments of these instruments have been found in caves dating back to 43,000 years BC. More recently, bone flutes dating from 9000 BC were in such good condition that they could be played

8

TWISTED ROPE, 17,000 BC Rope has been used by humans since prehistoric times. It was used in hunting, lifting, and even climbing. The first ropes would have been vines, which were eventually twisted together for increased durability. Fragments of man- made twisted rope were discovered in caves in France dating to 15,000 BC. The ancient Egyptians developed tools for rope making around 4000 BC.

9

10

ABNER DOUBLEDAY INVENTED BASEBALL THE WHEEL, 5000 BC When talking about ancient inventions, the wheel is one that always comes to mind, but it is actually relatively young compared to some of the other items on this list. It was most likely invented in Sumer (which is now Iraq) in 5000 BC. It eventually spread across the Indus Valley civilization by 3000 BC. Interestingly, wheels only occur in nature in microscopic form so its invention was not the result of imitating objects from the natural environment.

Culled from the book ‘Ultimate top 10 list’

A pretty face and fine clothes do not make character.

― Congolese Proverb

July 18, 2014

TATTLES

TATTLES 45

with Abisola Alawode

OUR EAR-ON-GROUND

. Pop singer Sean Tizzle is the latest celebrity to be hit with bleaching allegation s.

Fans of the Sho lee croon er recently accused him of bleaching his skin. His reply: “My skin being lighter is as a result of go od living.”

Open Letter to Praiz Tattles recently found this letter online and decided to share it with its teeming readers. Do you agree with the writer? Let us know. Send your comments to the email address and phone number at the bottom of this page.

Dear Praiz, I used to be one of your biggest fans but my love for you evaporated the moment your latest singles Oshe and Mercy were released. ‘Why did this happen?’ you may ask. ‘After all,’ you must think, ‘the songs were made in the usual Nigerian pattern and I am a Nigerian musician’. With all honesty, it took me about two to three months to wrap my head around the fact that you released a ‘club’ song. You tried it once with Jekalo. That did not work.

So, I was forced to ask, is this not the Praiz who sang Rich and Famous or has somebody else taken over the Praiz whose voice on the song Afurumginaya made every bachelor and spinster want to get married immediately? These are some of the questions I asked myself.

Finally, I was able to deduce one thing after trying to decipher what the reason for this sudden change might be. My conclusion; Praiz has succumbed. Plain and simple. Praiz has succumbed to the pressure of ‘making it’ in the Nigerian music industry. As far as the Nigerian music industry is concerned, to be recognised as a musician who has ‘arrived’, you need to make a number considered to be a ‘club’ banger.

Personally, I think this is the reason why most of the songs released today are rubbish (pardon my French) because everybody wants to have a ‘club’ hit. Sure, when that ‘club’ song is released, we’ll dance to it till another one is released (I mean, how do you feel when you hear Kcee’s Limpopo now?).

You shouldn’t have succumbed, Praiz, you shouldn’t have bowed to pressure. You should have been comfortable with your own brand and genre of music. I know it may be difficult to perform love songs on

PUBLiC DiSPLAY

Popular Nigerian disc jockey, Rotimi Alakija, better known as DJ Xclusive, is off the market! The Cool FM and official EME Records’ DJ recently got engaged to his long-time girlfriend Tinuke Ogundero. Congrats to them!

stage but releasing a dance track that people will forget in a hurry is not the solution. Which right-thinking Nigerian music-lover will forget your song Rich and Famous or Bez’s Stupid Song in which you featured?

If anybody told you that you need a ‘club’ song before you can make it in the industry, I’m sorry to inform you that the person lied. Yes he/she lied. Now, imagine your friend Bez releasing a ‘club’ song in which he is shouting “ukwu!” or “sampulu!” in the chorus. Absurd, right? I can also guess that the number of corporate/ private events you are invited to have reduced, because people who love classy music are not interested in hearing you scream “Lord have mercy, this girl wan kill me”.

I don’t know where your record label X3m Music stands with regards to your switch, because I know that your CEO, Steve Babaeko, does not back riff-raffs; the kind of music the label is known for is different from the norm. They are not known for following the crowd. Or has something changed that we did not know about? Is that not the label to which musician-cum-writer-cum-

Watching Mo’Hits disband is the saddest moment in my career.”

–Artiste manager, Sunday Are

trouble-maker Etcetera was signed on to? Remember the song Michelle?

Till today, that song still gives me the chills in a good way. You should also listen to the label’s latest signee, Simi, on his song Tiff. With all these songs they have released one wonders where Praiz got his own ideas from.

Also, I know your love songs and ballads might not be putting as much food on your table as you might want but at least, you are not hungry. If you stick to your guns and keep making good music, walahi, Praiz, you go over-chop sef.

Another cause for concern is the fact that you no even sabi dance! For someone who released a ‘club’ song, you for go learn how to dance first.

In the videos for both songs, you looked like somebody forced you to dance!

Like a friend of mine said, “Praiz just wasted his voice on those songs.

Person wey get better voice like that go they sing nonsense”. I agree. We want the old Praiz back.

Bisoye Gold is a music critic and music consultant. He can be contacted via bisoyegold@gmail.com

Burna Boy has announced that his mother will no longer be his manager. The Don Gorgon crooner made the announcement on Twitter saying: “At this point in my life and career it is time to let my mother be my mother and let my manager be my manager.

Therefore, Bose Ogulu is no longer my manager. All bookings and enquires for Burna Boy should now be referred to burnaboybookings@gmail. com,” the Dancehall singer wrote.

Kim Kardashian is reportedly set to earn a whopping $200m in one year from a free video game she only launched last month which ranked No. 3 on the iTunes charts.

Bloomberg reported that the game, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood could be the reality star’s most lucrative venture yet.

TiP FOR “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.”

THE TOP – Vince Lombardi

Call Bisola on 08126995258 Or e-mail at friday@leadership.ng

FEATURE

46

July 18, 2014

Meet The Henhouse Prowlers

By Chinelo Chikelu

Meet Jon, Ben, Dan and Starr of the Henhouse Prowlers, nick-named Kpatakpata, Oga kpatakpata, Galadima and Shine Shine Bobo, respectively.

Henhouse Prowlers is a quartet Bluegrass band on an educational tour they christened American Musicians Abroad. Armed with a double bass, fiddle, banjo and guitar complemented by lovely vocal harmony, they produce sounds worth listening to. Here, the members of the group speak about their experience of Nigerian culture and the staying power required of the country’s music industry.

1

We will talk about music in general and where we are coming from. It is a good way to talk about our experiences as Americans and the student experiences as Nigerians.

How did the band come to be known as the Henhouse Prowlers?

JON: The name came long before the group came together. Our banjo player (Ben) decided that he wanted to form a Bluegrass band with some people in the neighbourhood. We knew who would be in the band and what the band would be called.

DAN: In Bluegrass, there are a lot of burrs and in traditional Bluegrass music there’s much about farms.

It relates much about farms, what happens on them and the country.

How can one differentiate Country from Bluegrass and Folk music, since the first two genres involve the use of similar instruments?

DAN: I won’t talk about Folk but Bluegrass and Country music genres come from the same background, what we now call ‘the Old-time Country [music],’ but then went off in different directions. Bluegrass has a specific beginning. It started with a band called Phil Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, named after the state grass of Kentucky. What differentiates it from Country music is that Popcountry is similar to Rock & Roll, even more similar to Rock & Roll than [it is] to Bluegrass. Rock & Roll involves the use of drums, electric guitars and electric bass, but in Bluegrass there are no drums or acoustics. Oldtime Country is the original country music from Hank Williams and Don Williams. Although they do sound alike, what sets Bluegrass apart is its specific instrumentation, the heavy back-beat of the rhythm and the vocal harmonies.

2

Are you a life tour-band or just do you just undertake occasional tours?

It is a full-time job. Sometimes, we do have days off. On trips like this and other trips away from home we play every day. We do 220 shows per year, not the whole 365 days but close. A lot of our shows are set quite close together that it’s like being on a tour most times.

3

Who does most of the vocals in the group?

We all sing and write songs too. In addition to singing and songwriting, we play a lot of traditional Bluegrass songs. One of the great thing about bluegrass is that you can go anywhere in the United States where there’s a bluegrass scene and do a Bluegrass jam, with people you have never met before. Luckily, they know all the songs, because there are certain songs which everyone into Bluegrass music knows. We played more of those songs during our earlier gigs.

4

This is an educational tour of sorts for the band. How did you get into the programme?

Yes, it is. There is a programme in the United States State Department called the American Music Abroad.

They select about 10 bands a year to go perform or tour various parts of the world. It is always focused on bands playing American music – Bluegrass, Jazz and Hip-hop, Rock bands and so many others. We applied and auditioned and we were lucky to be selected. Last year, they sent us to the Republic of Congo, Liberia, Mauritania and Niger. We were in each of those places for a month-long tour. That was a step towards being here, in Nigeria. This tour we are currently on is only for Nigeria: one week in Abuja and one in Lagos.

5

You did state that this tour entails, in part, playing at schools and orphanages.

What will that involve?

We will be talking about Bluegrass music and its instruments. We will talk about music in general and where we are coming from. It is a good way to talk about our experiences as Americans and the student experiences as Nigerians. It is a chance to communicate about our basic lives and what makes us tick.

That’ll be difficult, considering [that] children from these schools

To be without a friend is to be poor indeed.

― Tanzanian proverb

FEATURE

July 18, 2014

47

Henhouse Prowlers on stage don’t have access to musical instruments. It shouldn’t be about teaching, solely, but more about providing access to musical instruments, opportunities and the use of music as a tool for social change.

6

How do you plan on doing that?

We want to talk about other stuff, besides our genre of music. We’ll talk about the business side of things, personal side of the band and things that make a band work.

7

As artistes, do you think musical tours, especially across borders, heighten creative repertoire?

DAN: I would say [that has happened in this case] in a way. I mean, we learnt Chop My Money by P-Square. We have a fairly decent grasp of the song. You pretty much get the idea when you watch the video. It is saying you can spend all my money, I don’t care. We have been exposed [to some degree] to Pidgin English and we’re keeping our ears and eyes open to everything we experience, during this period (the two weeks in which we are here).

8

So, what do you like about Nigerian music?

Before [this time], our exposure to Nigerian music was through music videos on YouTube and they are so different from American Pop music. We have visited some schools and [we have seen that] Nigeria has a beautiful culture which dates back to thousands of years, unlike America where we have just pieces of culture that came about two-hundred-andsomething years. You have [a] rich heritage and history.

9

In Abuja, where you have spent a week performing, musical events and opportunities are tailored to fit the elite.

It is a revolving circle that meets at every art exhibition, book events, musical events and so on. Is this the same in the States?

I would say, in the States, people who appreciate certain genres of music might also appreciate other kinds of art. I don’t know if it is intentional, but I think it has a lot to do with economics. For instance, people who get to see the opera and the symphony have more money because those tickets are more expensive.

Then people who come to see bands like ours – I mean, anyone can see our band – are usually people of different economic status.

10

When you say ‘storied music’, does that mean there’s some form of ballad attached to your genre of music?

We always introduce the songs and what they mean.

In Liberia, it was difficult to translate songs literally, because they do not speak English and we don’t speak French. It is so much easier in Nigeria. We are able to convey the meaning of the songs, to give the people an idea of where the songs are coming from and what they are meant to convey.

I guess we are lucky that we speak English, because we can go almost anywhere and find someone who speaks English.

In addition, it is a different lifestyle from that which comes with a nine-to-five job, five days a week. I mean the grass always seem a little greener on the other side. For us, it will be nice to be home more often. We crave the middle ground, a moderation of sorts.

Hold a true friend with both hands.

11

Why did the band decide to entitle its recent and fifth album, Breaking Ground?

DAN: There is a song written

by Jon, in the album Breaking Ground, so we decided that it’ll be the name of the album.

JON: I wrote the song and all the other songs had depressing titles, they really do. That was the only uplifting song in the album, so we chose that.

12

But why would you make all the songs depressing?

JON: All the songs sound uplifting; you just have to ignore the lyrics. Bluegrass music has a lot of depressing songs. If you want to be happy, yeah, just ignore it.

DAN: A part of the Bluegrass music is its desperation, a different side of life. In a way, it is healthy to be able to talk about the hardships of life, in the context of a music that sounds upbeat and nonthreatening.

13

How do you make money from music?

Obviously, Nigerians going

― African proverb

into music also consider the benefits.

BEN: You do as many shows as you can, and gain as many fans as you can. It is a gradual process, it doesn’t happen overnight. You keep on doing live shows, otherwise people will forget you. We also work with a booking agent who recommends opportunities to us. We don’t just push out our music and rely solely on the Internet to promote it. Signing on with a record label isn’t easy. You’ll be pushed harder and harder to make as many shows and/or recordings in a year. That’s how they make their money and also how the artiste gets paid.

JON: There are a couple of European bands playing some of our songs, though we do not know them specifically.

But we do get royalties if they decide to record them. Also, we have some of our songs in video games. A few years ago we were contacted by the owners of the television show, Ride of Our Lives, in Chicago.

Our song featured in the show.

There are a lot of ways to make money from music you just have to take advantage of all, because no single one of them is going to pay for everything.

48

COLUMNS

July 18, 2014

Diary

Razak’s

RELATIONSHIPS FOR YOU, BY ME

‘See My Side’: Arguments In Relationships

co s y raz z y @ ya h o o. co m

I’m an impulsive guy with an insatiable thirst for adventure. This is all about my dalliances & escapades.

I laid my head on my desk. My head was banging; it was as if Thor had taken a hammer to my head.

I was seeing starts and, just as I was about getting up to go inform Bose (yes, that Bose) that I may leave for home before the close of work, Etim stood at the door.

I was seeing stars and blistering barnacles, but I managed to focus. It seemed he was covered by a rainbow-like halo, but I knew that was the headache acting up.

“Heh,heh,heh, my guy, I thought you said no em,em, during Ramaddan.” Etim was coming on again.

“Of course.”

“Then, can you explain the source of this mysterious headache, if not some extra-curricular activity which you involved yourself in some time last night?” He was also playing police with me.

I waved him off.

“Alright, go tell Bose you are about leaving, then when you get there you get some more. Lucky guy. In my own case, if there is a little squabble or if Shades catches me talking to you, I have to do some explaining before I even sniff…”

“Etim,abeg, carry your exotic erotics comot for my office, abeg. I think it’s even contributing to my headache,” I said, with my head bowed.

“Me? You know I’m now your go-to-guy. I’ve not been here long, but we click so bad; you and moi, amigo. See, I can even talk you out of this headache and make you’ll be better.” He had gone all suave and sotto voce. He could play doctor, as well.

“Why are you talking to me like that, are you gay?”

“Fool. Gay, with finely sculpted ladies like Nurse Tits and Shades around? Bros, warn yourself.”

I groaned.

“Sorry, I…” “You ladies should stop fraternising like girlfriends and come out to the cafeteria.” That was Zuleyat.

But we called her Zully.

Etim looked at her and, before anyone could say ‘jack’, he blurted “absolute”.

“Absolute what?” Me and Zully chorused together.

“Absolute appeal,” Etim said, unfazed and pleased with himself.

“Mtcheew,” said Zully as she sashayed away. I turned my head, forcing my mind to be blank.

“Bros…” Etim started.

“Etim, haba, you will get me into trouble one day o. Everyone’s going to think that we are birds of the same plumage …”

“That are cavorting together,” he completed.

“Whatever that means,” I retorted.

I got up and, together, we started leaving for the cafeteria, but, in no time, the rogue burst into Mase’s Bad Boy. “Bad, bad, bad, bad boy, you make me feel so good.

Bad, bad, bad, boy, I wouldn’t leave you if I could…”

It sounded good, thanks to his sonorous voice.

Shade joined from nowhere and so did Fanta and a number of other. Bose came swaying and, in no time, the whole cafeteria had become a community of hip-swaying, Hip-hop lovers.

People like Jibo, Ehis and Kam filled in with the

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‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’. It sounded good but I was still seeing stars. Thor was still having a go at my head.

After a moment, Bose, made everyone cool it. She had caught the attention of the boys the most and, noticing it, she wanted to act like the big sis she was considered to be.

“MD has declared a bonus for everyone, because of our performance in the first quarter of the year.

Everyone, therefore, will get 25 per cent of his or her salary when he or she applies. If you apply after Ramaddan, today or next week, whenever, you can have it,” she said, looking at me.

Loud whoops and cheers swallowed what was left of her speech.

“Three gbosas for MD,” Kam shouted.

“Gbosa, gbosa,gbosa!” the cafeteria vibrated.

“Five gbosas for us; we made the money!” Ehis screamed.

“Gbosa, gbosa, gbosa, gbosa,gbosa!”

The environment had become charged like an SUG election hall. Spirits were high.

Etimwas on hand again: “If you like, go spend it on your girlfriends and come back broke.” Hearty, grateful laughter greeted his comment. But I could see Shade didn’t take it well.

Before anyone could say anything, he launched into Brandy’s I’m Gonna be down, singing “I’m gonna be down with you, I’m gonna be down; I think you know it’s true. I’m gonnna be doooooown…”

As everyone began to leave the cafeteria, I decided to take a little walk in the garden behind the MD’s office. True to E.T’s promise, he had chased the headache a little distance and I was feeling a little better. I smiled. Wherever did that fellow come from? He had enough charm for all the girls in the world.

I sat on one of the sculpted seats in the serene garden, as I wondered why many of us never sat in it, to enjoy its solitude. In my case, I was sitting in it for the first time and it did me real good. Who would believe there was such a beautiful ground in an office environment? I smiled and prepared to close my eyes a little when I heard some moaning and whispers.

I stood up suddenly, my headache forgotten. What was that?

I snooped around. It was coming from my left, close to the block of offices. I it was coming from an office!

I stepped carefully as I moved, peering into the office shutters, one after the other, until I stumbled on them.

My headache returned full force. I winced and held my temples. Thor was really having a nice time pounding my head to pulp. I couldn’t believe it. I stepped back as carefully and as silently as I had stepped forward, when I suddenly stumbled on a flower bed and fell. I had just seen Shade and Ehis sweating, having a go at it! Shade’s moaning was the one I heard while I tried to get amoment of quiet. So, while Etim cheated on her, she took her chances with Ehis. I held my healing arm, as I thought to myself how people easily died for nothing.

Relationships can be such a tough nut to crack. It’s not always about love scenes, walks on the beach, shopping sprees (only if you’re lucky); relationships also include fights, arguments, and disagreements and, during these times such ugly human weaknesses like pride, selfishness and egos show their heads. This may seem like a very ‘woman’ thing, though, doesn’t it? The myth and, maybe, even the reality, is that women are the ones who love to argue. However, what men fail to understand is that most women feel that to get their points heard they actually need to talk about it. Of course, it must sound shocking. Truth is, most women understand the need to communicate in a relationship because they are learning [that] if he isn’t told he may truly not know [that] there is a problem.

The dilemma then becomes how pain and disappointment are communicated and the need to understand where the man is coming from, because he may already be condemned – guilty before proven innocent.

One of the most difficult accomplishments in a relationship is the ability of your partner to see what side you are coming from.

Let’s face it; if they did in the first place, then there won’t be a fight, disagreement or even an argument. Sometimes, saying what’s on your mind can be the most difficult thing. Communication in a relationship is so important that it cannot be stressed enough. The ability of partners to communicate effectively in any relationship is the basis for its survival. Once this becomes difficult to achieve, you have to accept [however sad that may be] that you are not in a relationship with the one with whom you are meant to spend the rest of your life with. It is important for you to listen, pay attention, process what’s been said effectively and say the right words.

It is not as easy as it all sounds, because, sometimes, you may be considering past experiences in the relationship and your partner’s traits (stubborn, proud, cocky).

The truth is this; whenever you argue with your partner, you want that person to relinquish power; you want to win and be the one with the upper hand. To let such power go in a relationship takes a lot of tolerance, patience and, most importantly, an I-don’tcare approach to power and admitting that you are wrong. The ability not to blame your partner based on hear-say, sitting and listening to what your partner has to say without interjecting or even raising your voice can be very difficult. Sometimes, you need to think of the kind of relationship you want to have. Do you want one full of fights or an open, honest relationship in which you are respected? The three most common things you hear after a fight between spouses/partners are: stop blaming, 'communicate more with me', and 'be more willing to compromise'.

These three excuses can be broken into a partner’s six basic desires; Stop adversarial behaviour, relinquish power, invest more emotionally, communicate more, show/give affection and apologise when wrong.

It is common for partners to be sensitive about power-sharing and control when making decisions in their relationship. Truth is, as much as arguing is detested, many see it as an aphrodisiac.

In the long run, though, arguing becomes bad for your health; it shaves a chunk off your emotional balance and affects you physically.

Arguments are, more or less, inevitable in a relationship – even when you know that such conflict is bad for you in the long-run.

But understanding what an argument is really about and what each party can do to appease the other might help resolve the issues. Learn how to see the other person’s side, understand his/her pain and frustration and, I promise you, it will lead to something better.

Write to us! Share your favourite recipes, TV shows, movies, and of course write to Matilda, Mimi and Rasaq. Send us your comments and suggestions on our features.

We want lots of feedback from you! fridayleadership@leadership.ng

Children are the reward of life.

— African proverb

www.miseducationofmimi.blogspot.com Mimidoo Achineku is a PR consultant in the SME, TV & Film industry.

She is a blogger, fabulous, old, depending on who you ask and she isn’t lonely!

FRIDAY SPECIAL/BOOKS & ARTS 49

July 18, 2014

With Chikelu Chinelo & Onukogu Kanayo Jubal, Iroka Ugochukwu

Exporting Culture Through Food

Book Review Title: Keys To Lasting Wealth Author: Anthony Chinedu Osuji Pages: 53 Reviewer: Paul Uwadima The acquisition of wealth has been one of the biggest challenges facing mankind, especially in developing countries like Nigeria, where excruciating poverty has reduced the majority of the people to live on less than a dollar a day.

In the book, Keys To Lasting Wealth, Anthony Osuji explores the reason why majority of the population are poor and gives a blueprint which they can follow out of poverty into wealth creation.

The book provides readers with key information on what engenders lasting wealth and the pitfalls that must be avoided by those desirous of wealth creation – all in 14 chapters. It describes the essence and sources of wealth creation, and links wealth creation to the individual’s state of mind; with reference to the mind, where ideas relating to wealth creation are incubated.

The book also links wealth creation to planning and imagination, two factors encapsulated in the power of desire.

Without mincing words, the actor makes a connection between the power of thought and how they impact on action; If you think success you became successful, if you think failure, you become a failure. Similarly, if you think wealth, you become wealthy while the man who thinks poverty remains poor.

The author wants Nigerians who desire to acquire wealth to change their thinking and cause it to align with their desires.

Of all the key segments of the book, none makes for interesting reading than chapters like; The Essence of Wealth, The Power of Desire, The Seed: Obey The Law of Seed, The Secret of Building Lasting Wealth, Attitude, Discipline.

Most intriguing is the chapter The Emergence of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the Dawn of a New Era In Economic Development and Youth Empowerment in Nigeria, in which the author praised President Jonathan over his youth empowerment programmes and other development strides since he became president.

However, one of the drawbacks in the book is the failure of the author to attribute chapters and verses to the Biblical verses he quoted lavishly. Also, his failure to indicate that though the book is apparently inspired by prosperity theology even non-Christians can apply the principles espoused in the book to be wealthy since wealth wears no religious toga is a flaw.

Kilander

Promoting Cultural Diplomacy And Peaceful Coexistence Via Literature Interview with Sweden’s Ambassador Svante Kilander, as it hosts its first Nigerian theatre production of Swedish playwright August Strindberg’s Dance of Death 1, Kilander spoke to Books &Art of the country’s dedication to the promotion and exchange of culture via literature.

How did you get to host this production at the embassy?

I have known Jerry (the producer) for a couple of years and we have been discussing if it could be possible to cooperate on something like this and (a lot of furniture that we have moved around and it turned out to be a convenient stage) the embassy itself that triggered the idea to do this.

We discussed which play would be the better suited to the make-shift stage that wouldn’t include too many actors [and decided on the Dance of Death 1.

What more is the embassy doing to promote culture in Nigeria?

About a year-and-a-half ago, we had a seminar and workshop in Nigeria on children’s literature. This year we are having this.

From time to time we do things like this.

We are just two years in the city and we hope to do more over time.

Having seen the culture of the people, what do you think about their approach to theatre?

We had about 60 people in the audience today, so we have about 120 very dynamic culture personalities in dramatists, journalists, actors and the production also viewed at the Nigerian Law School, Bwari and Baze University. We need to get into contact with these people. As you may have noticed, there are not many expatriates here; we organised a production such as this is to reach out to the Nigerian au-

dience. The expatriates are not the target of this event.

Today’s event is an introduction of Swedish literature to Nigeria, in a manner that makes it easy for people to follow events explicitly.

How will this work both ways, so that what is being done here can be replicated

by Nigerians in Sweden?

Well, I think that Chinua Achebe, Soyinka and Chimamanda [Adichie] are very well known in Sweden and they have a lot of readership over there. Thus, Nigerian culture is not alien to the Swedes. That is why I think it is interesting to have a Swedish (literature) playwright’s work performed by a Nigerian theatre group.

How does the embassy intend to sustain this?

We will discuss it more with Jerry, because we have a lot of contemporary playwrights who I’ll like Jerry to look at and, maybe, we can do another production, next year.

The three main actors were good. I have read this play many times in high school.

What did you think of the translation?

It was a good one. Certain things were emphasised and that is what art is all about.

How would you rate the play, on a scale of one to ten?

It was a very good performance. I don’t know; a ten, perhaps?

US Embassy Spends over N1m On July 4 Celebration Whoever said that wearing an apron isn’t manly should move over, because apron-wearing men in Nigeria today not only make good money, they get better chance of travelling, catering to the rich and famous and exporting Nigerian culture through the various cuisines they dish out.

Chef Bala Istifanus of Transcorp Hilton Hotel explains the roles of food in enculturation, employment and adventure.

Istifanus made the meals for the 2014 US Embassy, Nigeria, 4th of July Celebration. The meals which were subsidised for embassies in the country cost N3000 per 650 individual invited to the annual event. This cost, a whopping N1, 950,000, did not include drinks. “Usually, we cater for a thousand individuals but today’s event, a Passaround Cocktail, saw lesser invitations than before,” said the soft-spoken chef.

Istifanus, who has been cooking for over 20 years, did not hesitate to display the vast opportunities open in the food world. He served as an apprentice chef at the Hilton Hotel in 1996 and was part of the hotel’s two-year programme which produced 16 chefs who specialize in making intercontinental delicacies. After the course, they were sent to different parts of the world to learn other forms of culinary skills over a period of time.

It was there that he perceived the larger role chefs play in promoting their country and culture via food. “During my first trip to the UK, I had to serve a whole lot of people in the metropolitan city. It was then that I decided to experiment, fusing English and other foreign dishes with a little bit of the Nigerian cuisine to turn out delicacies guests enjoyed.

“Food not only gives them a taste of my culture, it shows that something good can actually come out of Nigeria.

Besides, today, it is a viable and lucrative employment and career opportunity.

The training course at Hilton has now become an annual event. More than 20 of the last trained chefs are in Dubai,” Istifanus revealed.

Parents would never look at their sons who prefer a career in catering as prodigal or lazy, because from the daily advertisements seen on streets and in the virtual world, certified chefs earn more than most graduates, as their pay checks range from N45,000 to N60,000 in strictly wealthy homes, small and medium establishments – mega hospitality outlets are excluded.

Oluchi Anadumaka, another chef, told Book & Arts the story of a boy, the only son of a rich and distant relative who wanted, more than anything, to cook.

He graduated from a culinary school to the disappointment of his father who considered him “useless” and a “waste”.

Today, Ugochukwu – that’s his name – lives in comfort and has a long list of clients in the country that will make one’s head spin. “Food is creating job opportunities and careers for Nigeria.

As a chef, there comes the need to blend Nigerian and foreign delicacies thus.

Advertise your culture,” Istifanus said.

He is quite right.

50

July 18, 2014

Hauwa Booth WOMAN ON THE LOOSE

Ff:@ofastupidwoman: Read @ www.diaryofastupidwoman.com

#Shunning The President

A ‘Visit To Fort Knox’ (CBN) I went to ‘Fort Knox’ the other day to drop a letter. I have never been there. First of all, there is the challenge of parking. If the weather was cooler and drivers had a little respect for pedestrians, parking a distance away would be bearable. I park and have to walk a short distance crossing roads to get to the gate.

Rather unprepared, I was wearing high heels with my toddler in tow.

I get to the gate and the security guard informs me that I need to wait till 9am before I will be attended to. Ok. 9am on the dot, I approach him; he takes the letter, ‘reads it’, hands it back to me, then asks for my identity card.

Now, I have become a robot, given the security measures put in place.

So, when I go to public offices I go without a bag, phone, etc. Here I was 15 minutess later

being asked for an identity card that was in my car a block away. He asked me to ‘go and get it o’, as he doesn’t know me and wants me to identify myself. I gave him an incredulous look and asked him why he didn’t mention this ‘critical’ bit of information while I was standing there for 15 minutes!! In the end, I went and got the identity card. When I got back, I met an entirely new guard with his own bottlenecks.

“Today is not the day for submission of letters.

That was yesterday,Tuesday. Come back tomorrow.” *straight face* I couldn’t believe it.

After speaking grammar and some, the guard graciously granted me access! When I narrated the story, someone actually expressed surprise that the guards allowed me, in stating that you needed a contact on the inside. Why wasn’t I given a heads up? As we walked back to the car, my rug-rat thanked me for a nice outing!

How does the president do it? The latest is the #BringBackourGirls campaign advising the parents of the Chibok girls and the five escapees that were in Abuja against honouring the invitation of the president. One of the reasons peddled was that the number of parents was not representative enough. Come on! I couldn’t believe it! Has the leadership of the campaign changed? I know Mrs Oby Ezekwesili will not tolerate rudeness, discourtesy and outright ignoring, avoiding or rejection and of a waiting Mr President! These are the antithesis of the values she was inculcating in the campaign. Immediately a number of Nigerian presidents went through my mind and I wondered if the parents would have ‘shunned’ them? Frankly, I don’t care if it is because Malala extracted a promise from Mr. President that he asked to see the parents. But the end [as they say] justifies the means. Simple. This was a perfect opportunity for these ‘lucky’ parents to express themselves to the president at his expense. Also, it was an opportunity to humanise the parents as victims of this tragedy. A full complement of international press was there to take their hurt, anger, hope,despair, sadness, demands, prayers and wishes to the world. If, indeed, the reason was to have more parents there, couldn’t that have been brought to his attention during the meeting? As it is, what has shunning the president achieved?

Wisdom, they say, is not bought in the market.

Almighty Dollar There is a growing use of the dollar as our unofficial legal tender.

Goods, services, school fees, house rent, even ‘dashes’ are now being paid in dollars. The internal demand being placed on the dollar is helping spike the prices. For those of us who, once in a while, want to buy a few dollars here and there, the fluctuation and increase is worrying. Now that ‘summer’ is here, the demand will keep going through the roof. By the way, this is my uneducated financial assessment. What I am more interested in is the issue of our legal tender being cleared: is it the naira, dollar or both?

The Sunday Lunch Majority – and I mean like 99 per cent – of businesses still have a long way to go in proper service delivery and managing a business.

My sister and I decided to try out this new Chinese restaurant on Ademola Adetokunbo, Wuse II. Eric, the waiter must have been an aberration; he was cheerful, full of energy, slightly knowledgeable about his products…the rest he ‘bull***t’ his way through. We ordered steamed dumplings, corn and chicken

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BiTES

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DON’T REACH THEIR GOALS ALONE.

soup, corn and seafood soup, sweet and sour prawns with fried rice. It went down-hill from there.

The dumplings were served in a dirty mini-basket. Unfortunately for us it was the sloppy presentation of the dumplings on dead-looking cabbage leaves that drew our attention to the potential health hazard in the already-eaten dumplings! The manager was on hand to apologise while actually trying to explain it away! Then the soups came. What was

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presented before me was a beef soup.

When I pointed it out to Eric, he smiled and tried to educate me on the soup I had ordered; “You can’t see the corn, because it had been ground and the beef strips were really a different type of seafood!” I couldn’t believe the sheer boldness in saying absolute rubbish! When he brought back the right soup he apologetically explained that there had been a mix-up in the orders. Uhmmmm. Sweet and sour prawns turned out to be stewed

prawns. It was hunger that had the better of me as we sat there eating. I am not even going to talk about the convenience and the fact that a grinding machine was directly behind it and you would need to duck immediately you entered the convenience to avoid eye contact with the operator. Once you turned to do your business, you [just] hope that the person is no peeping Tom! In the end, at least, we were given a 5 per cent discount for our troubles. Uhmmmmm.

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July 18, 2014

51

52 my town

July 18, 2014

The Origin Of Gbagyi's (4)

By M.R. Is’haq

In Nasarawa State, young men work on their father’s farms until they marry, which is not usually under the age of 17. During the period of courtship the suitor works on his future father-in-law’s farm and makes certain payments, which are returned if the girl subsequently refuses him. Marriage between members of the same village is not allowed and seduction is punished by a heavy fine; the girl is boycotted and the man is forced to marry her.

When a Gbagyin Yamma suitor first proposes, he gives the girl’s father 20,000 cowries, as well as doing work on his farm. As the time of marriage approaches he pays 12,000 cowries, whereupon the back and arms of the girl are marked in signification of her change of estate and before the ceremony is concluded the groom gives a further present of 20,000 cowries, forty bundles of guinea-corn and three cloths.

On the eve of the wedding-day, he gives the beggars alms. Inter-marriage between members of the same family is not permitted.

The marriage customs in Abuja are somewhat different. Here, the suitor gives an initial present of three cloths, 10,000 cowries and two chickens to the girl’s father, after which he tills his farm, together with 10 to 15 young friends, to whatever extent is required for the following four or five years. A man, for the first time, builds himself a separate house on his marriage.

When the bride is of marriageable age the groom provides two chickens which are sacrificed by her father in order that she may prove prolific. For five days a feast is given to those young men who helped the suitor in his courtship labours. A cut is made on the back of the bride’s calf to signify her change of estate.

Absolute purity is expected of her before marriage, but if a year passes without her proving fertile she goes to another man, or men, in a different village. Any children she may have by them belong to her husband and, upon his death she returns to his house for three months, where she is then obliged to marry his brother – if only for three days – before she may return to her previous abode. Any subsequent children she may bear belong to him, her legal husband.

At Kuta, on the other hand, the suitor makes his advances direct to the girl, on whom no constraint is put. If she allows him to court her he proceeds to work on her father’s farm, together with a company of his friends. This is the first indication that the father receives. He does not speak to his new assistants, but upon his return home he asks his daughter which [of them] is her suitor. A room is subsequently set aside in her father’s house where the young man may come by day to pay his court.

Other people may [or may not] be present at these interviews. In rare cases where immorality results, the man has his house broken up and the girl is driven from the village.

A girl retains her liberty to break off the

The Gbagyi consider the head to be king. That’s why it is thus honoured. photo by Patrick Ebi-Amanama.

engagement, but, in that case, her next suitor is obliged to work on the first suitor’s farm instead of on her father’s. If all goes well, the suitor, on the girl arriving at marriageable age, gives her father 2,000 cowries, a large calabash of beaten grain and chicken, and the wedding day is fixed. On the day of the wedding, a member of his family brings the girl’s father a large pot of beer and returns with the bride. The following morning she returns to her people to participate in the only ceremony which takes place, the destruction of the aforementioned chicken. Her father, accompanied by all the male members of the family, takes it into his temple and, after offering a prayer to his ancestors, kills the fowl and sprinkles its blood on the stones, sticks, or mud which form the shrine. Beer and food are also offered at the shrine and the chicken is then cooked and divided, with each member of the family receiving a fragment.

A bit, reserved for the groom, is taken to him by the bride.

This ceremony only applies to the marriage of virgins.

It was the custom of the Gbagyin Waiki for a suitor to arrange an elopement with the girl, which was carried out on the occasion of some feast when her father was drunk. The young husband would presently return with presents to propitiate him or even work on the farm. He was liable to three attempts on the part of other young men to carry off his bride, but if these were successfully resisted she was recognised as his wife.

A somewhat similar practice prevails in the Kushaka District, where marriage is by capture – whether one is a virgin, already a wife or widow. As a general rule, the bride’s parents connive at the proceeding. After

the deed is done the groom gives his wife 1,200 cowries, and her parents 800 cowries; that is, 400 for the uban aure (bride’s father) and addition.

Divorce There is no ceremonial divorce.

Women may leave their husbands for another man without penalty, but if he ventures into the compound of the ex-husband, he is liable to be killed.

In Kuta, it is customary for the woman, prior to her desertion, to sweep out her husband’s house. She takes the young children with her, but, as soon as they are of age they must return to their father.

Birth Customs When the birth of a child is imminent, the father goes out hunting and returns with an antelope or buffalo, the hide of which is cleaned from its hair and boiled to a jelly, which, three days after the birth, is eaten by the assembled guests. If he be a man of importance and the child is his firstborn son, he usually makes a substantial present to the mother (kuta).

The birth of twins is considered a fortunate event and is celebrated in one of two ways. By the first, both father and mother kill three goats and mix their blood with clay, with which they make a miniature corn-bin that is fixed in the floor of the outer chamber, through which entrance to the compound is gained. A small opening is left in the centre, through which the guineacorn, millet flour and beans with which the bin is stocked are passed. On either side of the bin is a small receptacle each dedicated to a child, in which a small quantity of food is placed. The food, both in these receptacles and in the bin itself, is renewed every

If I am in harmony with my family, that’s success.

― African Proverb

year, when three rams and fowls are killed, whether or not either or both of the twins are still alive. A similar structure is made on the top of the old one for each successive birth of twins, if they are of the same mother. By the second system a stone is placed as a connecting link between the mother’s compound and a corn-bin, and is surmounted with a clay chest. Two openings are made in it, one above the other; the lower one for the eldest and the upper for the younger. A small receptacle is made for each child on the ledge above, which is generally protected by a loose covering of straw. After the food stuffs are put inside a goat is killed and its blood poured over the structure. The animal is then skinned and cooked in a pot with the blood of two fowls, salt and guinea-corn. The flesh is taken out and the gravy, with the addition of locust beans and millet, is made into soup. The entrails of the two fowls are cooked and beer prepared. The whole village assemble and, in their presence, the goat’s flesh, fowls’ entrails, tuwo, soup and beer are given to the infants (that is to say, put in the above-mentioned receptacles), that they may bring prosperity to their parents, extended family members and the village. The remainder of the food is divided amongst the guests. At every succeeding harvest, the old offerings are replaced from the new crop.

An infant is given the name of one of its forebears by its eldest paternal aunt. In the case of her absence the mid-wife names the child (Bosso and Kuta). In naming it a seer sometimes holds a string, on which a tortoise-shell is threaded. Names are then called and when the shell slides down the string, the name then called is adopted (Fuka).

53

July 18, 2014

Season Of Impeachments

Stanley Nkwocha Our Eye On Power And Politics

Feedback: stanleyn@leadership.ng

08038011382 (text only)

On Ogwuche's Repatriation

2015 seems to be the year. It just seems as if it will come cracking down totally on the polity come that year and the politics behind it is just too complex to decipher.

The dynamics are quickly taking shape and the politicians are at their best taking advantage of situations as fast as they come. Even the complex ones are being made to look a lot easier and fathomable.

Well, here we are, just before Murtala Nyako knew what hit him, his governorship seat has gone with the wind and now the title of former governor is the tag he would be carrying until the courts decide in his favour. If the courts don’t, it would be res judicata for him.

Again just as the dust is settling down in Adamawa, there is another impeachment brewing in Nasarawa State where Governor Tanko Al-Makura has been served the latest impeachment notice. And like Nyako, it just seems it would be pretty difficult for Al-Makura to escape the blow.

And who says from the look of things that the governors of Rivers, Imo and Edo are safe?

The impeachment tsunami is fast becoming devastating with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) taking the advantage. And the galvanization in the polity I know would not stop as the desperate nature of the political class will see them attempt to continue the ‘hijackings’ to their advantage.

After all the plotting, I just hope that the votes of Nigerians will count in 2015.

Stan’s Memo

i

Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do, doesn’t mean it’s useless - Thomas Edison

The repatriation of the alleged mastermind of the Nyanya bombing, Aminu Ogwuche is a laudable step and a move in the right direction.

Since terrorism has assumed a global face, it thus means that world leaders must also be united in the bid to tame it. The Interpol has done and played its part, it is now left for the nation to take charge.

Musings Just realised and noticed that ever since the dangling of impeachment axe began, there has been some bit of decorum amongst governors with everyone ‘maintaining’ as it is said in local parlance. Who wouldn’t? Not with the kind of scapegoating that Nyako faced. This game called politics!

Who Opened Maiduguri Airport For Sheriff?

I am still at a shock at how Senator Ali Modu Sheriff got the Maiduguri Airport that was presumably shot down, opened for him to land last Monday. I weep for our leadership, I weep for Nigeria.

As hard as one tries to simulate what transpired, it continually becomes extremely difficult to condone as it was one of the most senseless and embarrassing acts that the Jonathan administration has indulged in.

That an airport allegedly shut down for security reasons, suddenly had it’s skies and tarmac wide open just to accommodate an individual is the most despicable thing that could happen. It is even more vexatious that as a result of same airport’s shut down, thousands of pilgrims from Borno had to travel through dangerous routes for eight hours to Kano to be able to perform the Holy Pilgrimage. As if that was not enough, the sitting governor was forced to travel same way to Kano on a sympathy visit when he would have had the

least tasking option of using a chopper.

But for political convenience, just to make a political statement and ‘assert influence’ , I put it out that the president and some of his PDP chieftains ensured that Senator Sheriff used the Maiduguri Airport.

Even more worrisome is the fact that while about 2000 soldiers were being mobilised for the Sheriff visit, Boko Haram insurgents had a field day killing

and maiming about a hundred hapless citizens in Dille Village in Borno State without a single soldier to protect them.

It is unfortunate that while the security situation in Borno State keeps deteriorating by the day, with the Jonathan Presidency looking embarrassingly clueless as to how to tackle the crisis - evidenced by the continued capture of the Chibok girls and continued detonation of bombs, it has all of a sudden

found its mojo in providing security at least for one man in Borno State, who at several instances had being allegedly and remotely linked to the Boko Haram insurgency in the first place.

I do not know what manner of thinking cap Jonathan has got on his head, but certain decisions can be historically catastrophic. I have heard tales of the lofty relationship between the president and Sheriff and hence the desperation and anxiety in getting Sheriff over to the PDP ahead of 2015.

However, if whilst as a governor, holding firmly to the ANPP in 2011, Sheriff failed to make it to the Senate as he was sent packing

by Senator Zanna, why should the PDP and the Presidency be convinced that this is the man to unlock Borno State for them? Again, if the security challenges in Borno State always escalate at the visit of Sheriff to Borno State, is the president so unconcerned about the deaths that occur simply because this deaths do not occur in or around his Otuoke community?

Power Play: Mba Vs Ogar The Interpol must be shocked at the power play that erupted between the Nigeria Police and the State Security Service over who received alleged mastermind of Nyanya bombing, Aminu Ogwuche from them.

No sooner had the Air force Jet which ferried him in touched the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja, did the power tussle began.

Both the police and the SSS had invited journalists separately to unveil the

mastermind only for both sides to experience delay over issues pertaining to custody. It was after serious cards were played out that it was decided that the Nigeria police should take custody of Ogwuche.

In my opinion, however, the SSS ought to have taken the credit and of course custody of the suspect, after all it was they who announced Ogwuche as the alleged mastermind in the first instance!

Not every movement is progress; Some movements are just a way of burning fats! ― Israelmore Ayivor

54

W men In Politics

July 18, 2014

ANALYSIS

INTERVIEWS

DISCOURSE

There Are No More Barriers For Women In Politics – Ifendu Barr. Ebere Ifendu is a Lawyer and the National Woman Leader of the Labour Party of Nigeria. She is also an Activist when it comes to supporting women in politics.

She spoke with AMINA ALHASSAN AHMAN on the need for more women to come out and support one another, the Women in Politics Forum and reveals plans ahead of 2015 for women.

The recently concluded National Conference passed some resolutions to favour more women participation in politics by applying the 35 per cent Affirmative Action which means 35 per cent of elective offices at all levels be reserved for women.

How do you feel about this development as a woman leader?

Most times, at international conventions you find out that Nigeria will run to be signatory to such things but the problem lies in domesticating it back home. I am happy that the national conference pointed it out that it is already there and it is just left for us to domesticate it. Since we have noticed that the 35 per cent to men is a really big issue, we are looking beyond that and what we are aiming at is 50/50 by 2020. So whether they domesticate or not, this is our stand. This means that by 2020, we are going to have equal participation.

How achievable is this in five years when the 35 per cent hasn’t been achieved yet?

We have restrategised and we will not be begging for something we know we are qualified for and have the capacity to achieve. On our own we have decided to rebuild the capacity of women and encourage more women to be active in politics and we have also started mentoring the younger women to come up too. By the year 2020, hopefully we will have more qualified women occupying positions than men. We may even see a position where we have 60/40 women occupying more positions because what has been deterring us initially was not having the required number of qualified women coming out to participate in politics; the ones that do come out, have issues of capacity, timidity and so on. A strategy conference was organised by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Mulikat Akande and subsequently we had an after conference meeting where we looked at issues that came up and then we started stretegising on how to build on those issues. This time it is not about sitting, clapping and singing.

Tell us more about the Women in Politics Forum

The Women in Politics Forum is an umbrella body for all the women

leaders in all the 26 registered political parties. One interesting thing is that it is across party lines so that we can build the capacity of women.. The membership also accommodates other women interested in politics such as entrepreneurs, civil societies, youths and so on. Our main objective is to have more women participating in politics. We have realized that a single political party cannot achieve it but as a pressure group, if we decide on anything and are able to get it done in party ‘A’, it will influence party ‘B’. Now we are going to identify those parties that are pro-women and give them our support and the political parties that are not women-friendly will also lose the little support we have been giving them. No political party can stand without women contributing, so we are not just using our numerical strength but our capacity to say we are ready to work, we must be given an opportunity.

How does this work out for the women when it comes to party politics where women are only given one or two slots in the exco?

This is also part of what we are looking at; having a genuine internal democracy within political parties because without that, it will be difficult for women to thrive. So, where we find an injustice against a woman in a political party, we come together as a forum to fight it. We have realized that it is them against us so we have to work together as sisters as women to support our cause. My party, the Labour Party is an exception of course, because we have many women occupying principal positions at the Exco level and we need other political parties to adopt this too.

But won’t political parties feel threatened by their female members liaising with women from other parties?

What we did was to organize a meeting with all the chairmen of the different political parties. The women leaders were also present and we had an interactive session. IPAC chairman spoke glowingly about us and we made them understand that we are not working against them but in partnership with them but all we need is for them to give us an opportunity.

The party chairmen are working with us and they don’t feel threatened by

Ifendu

us. They have proved to be gender sensitive and we have been getting their cooperation. When I took up the leadership of Women in Politics Forum, my chairman Chief Dan Nwanyanwu was very happy and supportive of me.

Most political parties have realised that they need women.

What is the focus of these trainings?

So far we have a large membership, after our formal launching we will do a membership drive but we are getting support across women parliamentarians. It is open to all women who are interested in politics and not just in contesting. We want women to be card carrying members of political parties, because most times you see women that come out to campaign are not members of any party. So we tell them they can only be important if they are card carrying members so they can be more than just cheerleaders. We are also reaching out to the market women to participate, pay their dues and we are even working hard now to see that even at the ward level they can be considered as delegates when their parties are holding their convention.

So are you optimistic that more

women will come out to contest come 2015?

We are going to make a head way.

Even though we started late, we have identified some women who have shown interest so we are going to support them. Hopefully, from the way things are going, I won’t be surprised if we have maybe two female governors come 2015. I’m aware that in some states women are really coming up strong.

Does this support also include financial support? Because we still have the issue of money politics playing a very big role in electing leaders.

We are looking at having a programme at the end of the year for candidates but want to wait until we have a number of candidates then invite an expert from the United States with the support of the IRI and UNDP to teach the candidates on fund raising. We are also reaching out to wealthy women who may want to sponsor other women. It will also trickle to the grassroots where even the market women will contribute their stipend for this cause. We have broken the man-made barrier of women not supporting each other and working together.

friday issues

July 18, 2014

By David Chinda

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched itself into being the nation’s primary opposition party despite the pessimism that trailed its merger. The party, however, should realize that its chances at forming a government at the centre are about to be scuttled by some of its leaders. In the book, 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, one of the laws stated that ‘‘if your enemy is making a mistake, do not disturb him.’’

One of the few instances that the PDP publicity secretary has not criticized the APC was when media reports came in to the effect that the APC was considering a Muslim-Muslim ticket. The other time was when the media alluded to the fact that Bola Tinubu was scheming to get himself on the presidential ticket. Olisa Metuh knows the APC is putting on a suicide vest and he is in no hurry to disturb them. His silence should have worried the APC stalwarts. It surely is not golden.

The Muslim-Muslim ticket strains the mind’s ability to comprehend such miscalculation in present-day Nigeria. I won’t even bother to dwell on it. That the party has not come out to state categorically that they will NEVER, in the spirit of inclusiveness, run with a mono-religious ticket (Christian or Muslim) itself speaks volumes about the extent to which such a plan is in the offing.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as a card carrying member of the APC, has every right but has no reason to contend for either the party’s ticket or to be a running mate. Be that as it may, the APC has just lost the Ekiti State elections with allegations that the people in the state complained they didn’t want to keep being governed by ‘Lagos’. The import of that statement is that the APC states in the South West are tired of Tinubu’s overbearing influence in their various states. For some reason, Tinubu is not a popular person at present. If a state’s gubernatorial election can be lost partially due to the perceived bad blood garnered by Tinubu, common sense then suggests that at a time like this, people like that should be on the back burner. The tides right now are simply against them. Refer to Bush in the 2008 US Presidential elections.

I cannot imagine why a party with the likes of Adams Oshiomole, Kayode Fayemi and Babatunde Fashola are not being

APC: When Silence Is Not Golden

Oyegun

I would put my money on this new breed of young and smart leaders like Adams Oshiomhole, Kayode Fayemi, Sam Nda-Isaiah, Nuhu Ribadu, Babatunde Fashola and Nasir el-Rufai to see the party to victory. It’s common sense to present a northerner who the PDP has little or no ammunition against touted as running mates on the ticket while young and smart people like Sam Nda-Isaiah, Nasir El-Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu should not be allowed to slug it out amongst themselves for the APC presidential ticket. I hear names like Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) whose political capital is limited to a section of the country despite his obvious good intentions. Age is also not on his side. If the highly respected general ruled this country 30 years ago at the age of 41 as a young military head of state, maybe he should help the party by ensuring it chooses a young candidate to run our affairs, and to guide him if need be.

People like Kwankwaso are also being touted. He has been in various offices since 1992 and would have spent about 20 years in political office if he is eventually elected as a president to serve two tenures. Why in God’s name are we recycling politicians as if the nation is running out of youthful leaders to run our affairs.

I would put my money on these new breed of young and smart leaders like Adams Oshiomole, Kayode Fayemi, Sam Nda-Isaiah, Nuhu Ribadu, Babatunde Fashola and Nasir El-Rufai to see the party to victory. It is common sense to present a northerner whom the PDP has little or no ammunition against.

Therefore, for the APC to win, they should consider the following: 1. Dispose the idea of the Muslim-Muslim ticket immediately 2. Develop an anti-rigging machinery and strategy especially in the battleground states.

3. Stand behind your candidate and deploy all resources, human, financial and political, to the aid of the campaign by all the party faithful and elders. Avoid what happened to Ribadu in the 2011 elections.

4. Remember the middle belt and northern minorities. You neglect them at your own peril. They made Jonathan president in the 2011 general elections. Get a candidate they will rally behind, someone who will sweep their votes.

5. Do not forget stomach infrastructure (it’s never too late to adapt) and run with the youth. They can run you into office.

6. Party leaders should do just that, they should lead and not fall over themselves to be on the ticket 7. Look to the northern star for your candidate. Get a young, smart and fresh northern candidate who can hold his own and put Jonathan on the defensive, someone with a national appeal.

8. While in the north, support the candidate that is least divisive and the candidate with the least amount of baggage.

Let’s face it, some of your aspirants are so divisive that they cannot win the 25% needed in some states in the south.

9. Develop a reconciliation template and close ranks immediately after the primaries.

You cannot afford to go to the general elections as a divided house. You are already an opposition party; do not remain so.

10. Avoid imposition of candidates by all means, especially at state levels for gubernatorial and senatorial primaries.

Let the most popular candidate win. If Ayo Fayose was denied the ticket, Fayemi could have won his election.

Will the APC be willing to take such a risk as to go with a dark horse as its presidential candidate?

As they say, with huge risks come great rewards.

– Chinda wrote in from Abuja

55

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July 18, 2014

Aisha Alhassan: Woman Of Courage With Many Firsts

by Pembi David-Stephen

When scholars decide to chronicle the history of Taraba State, the place of one woman, Hajia Aisha Jummai Alhassan – a respected mother, house-wife, former judicial administrator, shrewd politician and a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – will be mentioned clearly and lucidly. At the age of 18 and as an A-level student at the School of Basic Studies, SBS, Zaria, in 1978, Alhassan contested and won election into the Student Union Government (SUG) of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria after defeating two others. Following the eruption of students’ crisis, some officials of the SUG were dismissed from the university and Alhassan, then, the vice president, immediately took over the mantle of leadership of the SUG, running the administration till the end of its tenure.

Eight years later, having completed her studies and called to the Nigerian Bar Association in 1986, Alhassan went for the Technical Aid Corps programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (on secondment) to the Republic of Fiji, where she was admitted into the Fijian Bar in 1991.

Having transferred her services from the Kaduna State Judiciary, upon returning to Nigeria, the young lawyer resumed work at the FCT Judiciary in 1992. By 1996, due to exceptional hard work and dedication to duty, she rose through the ranks to become the first female chief magistrate in the FCT Judiciary.

Her hard work paid off and by 1997, Alhassan’s contribution was recognised by her home state and, as a result, she was appointed the Taraba State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice – the state’s first – a position she held until the democratic dispensation was eased in in 1999.

Two years after she returned to her office in Abuja, Alhassan was appointed secretary of the FCT Judicial Service Committee, the first woman ever to occupy the office in the FCT. A year later, in 2003, she merited the position of Chief Registrar of the FCT by December 2003, a position she held until she voluntarily retired from active service in December 2009.

Referred to by many as the daughter of the political czar of Taraba State politics, it did seem all Alhassan needed was a little prompting by her people. It was, therefore, not surprising when she found a calling in politics.

She had her eyes on one of the state’s senatorial seats. While many wished she should have gone for the House of Representatives as a beginner, Alhassan decided to run with horses. In the end, she won the election, dusting two men, one of whom was a former governor of the state, Jolly Nyame.

It may not be far-fetched to say she could have her eyes on the state’s number one seat.

Seeing as the news is gaining more grounds by the day, not a few people of Taraba are wishing her the best and praying that her dream of becoming the state’s

governor be actualised.

For a woman who has done and is still doing so much to improve the welfare of her people, this support, clearly, is not misplaced.

As a legislator, Alhassan’s primary duty is making, supporting and sponsoring laws for the good of the people of Nigeria and the development of the nation.

Alhassan is responsible for providing scholarships for teeming schooling youths, paying the examinations’ fees for hundreds of thousands of youths across the state and the creation of empowerment opportunities for the indigent women and children in her state. Alhassan is involved in capacity-building and the provision of resources for small and mediumscale entrepreneurs to start their business ventures. Recently, Alhassan distributed over 250 motorcycles, 150 tricycles and 20 vehicles for commercial purposes to the unemployed in her constituency. As a plus for her, Alhassan has engineered the construction of rural roads and provision of social basic amenities in her constituency.

Today, in the state, there are few men who can stand between Alhassan and her ambition, thanks to an enviable track-record and a well-stacked experience in administration and management. I It is time for the women in Taraba to take the lead and Alhassan is a worthy leader, one who is quite capable and willing to lead them to try their hands at governance at the highest level in the state.

Alhassan

Alhassan has a shown a good knowledge of the problems which bedevil the state’s most vulnerable – women and children – and the things which best aid their resurgence and put them on the lane to independence.

Alhassan has touched the lives of many in the state; she has made the chances of hundreds better and she has shown a softer, more direct and winning approach to politics and governance. All that remains is for the votes of the people to make all the difference it can.

There was Queen Amina of Zaria, Indira Ghandi, Gambo Sawaaba, Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti; there are the women presidents of Liberia, Brazil, Rwanda and Germany and there is Alhassan. She is set to tell a different story about Taraba; one that does not involve all the violence and gory politics which everyone has come to associate with the state.

How Goodluck Can Save Adamawa

By Timawus Mathias

Adamawa State of Nigeria made history it was destined to make. It afforded the nation it’s first case of impeachment of a Governor that was almost deified, in 3rd Republic Nigerian democracy. Until the removal of Nyako, the popularity and acceptance of the populace had ebbed so badly that you could pick it up on the streets. As expected of such events, there is an air of controversy as the All Progressives Alliance to which Nyako had decamped and indeed Nyako himself have promised to fight the impeachment. While the controversy pervades, for now the fundamental issue remains the political future, and especially how Adamawa State can be politically and socially redeemed in the interest of its ordinary people whose greatest wish is to only live in peace and harmony, on the land, beauty and abundance that it offers.

It should be of interest to President Goodluck Jonathan that Adamawa State is redeemed even for the sake of his own 2015 ambitions, but more so because it is one state that can with a little help, be taken off the list of terror prone states and thereby narrow the theatre of the war against terror. It would be recalled that at the height of his crisis, Governor Murtala Nyako had ran to the State Traditional Rulers who met and

the public statement issued did not meet the hopes of embattled Nyako. While asking the Legislators to tread carefully with the issue of impeachment, they did not outright ask that Nyako be saved. For Nyako, this was not enough, and he ran to former President Ibrahim Babangida, and Olusegun Obasanjo, who helped secure the President’s ear. Obviously President Jonathan had had enough of Nyako and gave conditions that the Governor found hard to swallow. Besides, the State Stakeholders had made up their minds that it was all over for a failed Nyako. Nyako was done with.

Yet left on their own, the people of Adamawa might also choose a despot, but it would serve them better because they can talk to him. Impose one on them and you would have again, a tyrant that Governor Murtala Nyako was and became as his tenure wore on.

What killed the State is the idea that Federal Government leverage and power foisted a leader that rode rough shod over the people.

At the end of his tenure in 2007, President Olusegun Obasanjo and his politically powerful Vice President Atiku Abubakar were daggers drawn, with the boss at wit’s end trying to compromise the legitimate ambitions of the Vice President without whom he could not get a third term. Much as President Obasanjo now denies that there was a

third term bid, Nigerians believe different.

There was one and it forced the scuttling of Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s ambition.

To achieve this, Senator (Professor) Jubril Aminu became pointman and must today be held responsible for clobbering all homegrown ambitions to the Governorship of Adamawa State in 2007, and anointing Murtala Nyako, almost without due process. Dr. Umar Ardo, one of the frontline Governorship candidates will not even tolerate use of the word almost. Point is that the crisis Adamawa State is engulfed in was the handwork of Olusegun Obasanjo, foisting Murtala Nyako on people against their political will, all in order to take out Atiku Abubakar.

Attempting to develop an Atiku type political structure, Nyako ran the State broke wastefully without a legacy of infrastructure to show for it - the despicable result of Adamawa political elite, levering on their proximity to Federal power and abusing influence to install lackeys against popular will. Any compliments to Murtala Nyako are paid adverts. A trip to Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, and even Yobe and Borno will reveal that an ominous cyclone called Nyako had swept across Adamawa State.

Even if Governor Murtala Nyako was not impeached, the need for a conscious effort to stabilise the polity of Adamawa had been

A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow.

― Lesotho Proverb

apparent and of uppermost concern. The ongoing behind the scene moves are already raising flares and a note of warning must be sounded. It is from a Federal Legislator from Adamawa who spoke and I wish he had done so to President Goodluck Jonathan’s hearing, that the greatest political undoing of Adamawa State is for the Presidency, and the National Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party, to repeat the costly mistake that President Olusegun Obasanjo made. Adamawans with the President’s listening ear must not sell him the idea that any individual save the people’s choice will deliver Adamawa State to the President in 2015. It will boomerang. After the Nyako experience, nothing can serve better than the Presidency and the National management of the PDP keeping hands off states and indeed Adamawa, and compelling all interested candidates to leave Abuja and come home and work from the grassroot. Any choice aside from the popular grassroot will for Adamawa will further kill the State.

President Goodluck Jonathan will do a world of good for himself if like was done for Ekiti, he hands off Adamawa to force all Governorship aspirants to seek the mandate from its true givers - the grassroots folk.

—Mathias wrote in from Abuja and can be reached via timmathias64@yahoo.com

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reactions

18/07/2014

Lead Us To Sambisa, Danjuma Tells Jonathan Michael Elumah Danjuma must have said that jokingly and yet you people made it a headline. Listen to him : “But, seriously, this war must be brought to an end. We must win this war immediately. It is taking too

long. I called it civil war when it began, and people said it’s insurgency. The insurgents appear to be having the upper hand at this very moment.

They pick and choose where to strike; they are even holding positions and displacing us.”

Keep up with updates on these stories @ www.leadership.ng You Can Follow Us On Twitter: @LeadershipNGA Facebook: Leadership Newspapers Google+: Leadership.NG Linkedin: Leadership Newspaper Blackberry PIN: 7530EC8C

‘Jonathan Embarrassed Nigeria Over Malala’s visit’ Danjuma

Jonathan Is Obsessed With Re-Election In 2015 At All Cost – Odigie-Oyegun Ikharia Aruna Muhammed What is PDP waiting for in Edo? They should institute impeachment proceedings against Governor Adams Oshiomohole in order to re-

Oyegun

Okupe Lied About Jonathan’s Meeting With Chibok Girls’ Parents – BBOG Group Ishaq Mohammed We all know that Okupe is a pathological liar!

Kelvin Idoko Try to be neutral for once as a media house.

Bello Abdumaleeq The federal government should please give Oby Ezekwesili job, she urgently needs one.

Moses Musa We have never taken Okupe seriously on any issue, he lacks credibility.

Presidency Behind My Travails – Al-Makura

claim the state.

Kelvin Idoko Don’t mind APC. Are they not also obsessed with taking over power in 2015?

Subscribe to LEADERSHIP Newsletter today for your daily news highlight.

Sign up with an email (It’s free)

Jonathan

world news REPORTS AND ANALYSIS OF GLOBAL EVENTS AND ISSUES July 18, 2014

Israel FM Says No Gaza Ceasefire Reached A five-hour humanitarian truce has ended in the Gaza Strip, as Israel denied reports it was considering a wider ceasefire proposed by Egypt.

The UN-brokered humanitarian truce ended at 12pm GMT on Thursday with two reported infractions - three mortar bombs landed in Israel while Israeli tank fire was reported in Rafah.

The truce ended amid reports by the Reuters news agency that Israel was considering an Egyptian

proposal for a comprehensive Gaza ceasefire starting on Friday, but this was quickly denied by Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Speaking to a group of diplomats, Lieberman said that “the reports of a ceasefire, are far from representing reality, I spoke with the prime minister, and as of now they are incorrect”.

Hamas rejected a previous ceasefire offer earlier this week, saying it was never consulted on

the terms.

Azza al-Ahmad, a Fatah representative in Cairo, told Al Jazeera that there was no agreement and communications were ongoing.

Earlier, the Israeli army said it had stopped an attempt by more than a dozen Gaza fighters to infiltrate southern Israel through tunnels, as a temporary humanitarian truce came into effect in the enclave.

—Al Jazeera

A man sweeping broken glass in Gaza, yesterday

Gunmen Kill Tunisian Soldiers Near Algeria

India: 6-year-old ‘Raped In School By Staff Members’ A six-year-old schoolgirl has allegedly been raped by two staff members at a prominent school in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, police say.

The alleged assault happened on 2 July but her parents discovered it only a few days ago after she complained of stomach ache and was taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, hundreds of parents have protested outside the school, pulling down its gates and shouting slogans.

Police have registered a case, but they are yet to make any arrests.

According to reports from Delhi, it’s the latest in a series of sexual assault cases that have made headlines in India.

Figures show more rapes are being reported in general, which is a sign that the crime is being taken more seriously, our correspondent reports. But India’s sluggish judicial system means it can take years for victims to get justice.

New Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a zero tolerance approach on crimes against

Parents of students protesting outside the school in Bengalore, India, yesterday.

women, but violence and discrimination against women remain deeply entrenched in society.

The girl was allegedly raped by a security guard and a gym teacher, but as there are multiple guards and gym instructors in the school, police say they are trying to identify the guilty.

As news of the incident became public, hundreds of parents gathered outside the school, protesting against the alleged insensitivity of the school management.

“They have handled it very shoddily,” said Vivek Sharma, parent of a boy studying in the school.

Yesterday, school chairman Rus-

Islamic State Fighters Seize Syria Gas Field Fighters from the self-declared jihadist group, the Islamic State, have seized a gas field in the desert region of Palmyra in the Syrian central province of Homs, a monitoring group and the governor of Homs said.

The fighters on Thursday morning attacked the Shaer gas field, east of the ancient site of Palmyra, killing 23 guards, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“The fate of 340 National Defence Force (paramilitary) members, guards, engineers and employees who were in the field, is unknown, as they were either tak-

en prisoner or wounded during the operation,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

The operation, he added, was the Islamic State’s “most important so far against the government” of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.

Abu Bilal, an activist linked to the Islamic State in Homs province, also reported the attack.

At least 12 members of the Islamic State had been slain in the fighting, he said, adding that “dozens” were killed on the government side.

“There was a martyrdom [suicide] attack, and we took eight checkpoints before taking over

the gas field,” Abu Bilal told the AFP news agency via the internet.

Homs governor Talal Barazi also confirmed the attack.

“Armed men took control on Wednesday evening of the gas field, and we have lost contact with three technicians who were on the site,” Barazi said.

“The armed men were present in the area beforehand, but they have now expanded their area of control with this new operation,” he told AFP. “The army is trying to take it back. There is fighting in the area and government air strikes.”

— Al Jazeera

tom Kerawala addressed a meeting of the parents where he offered his “sincere apologies” and promised “full co-operation” with the police investigation.

Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.

$450, 000

The amount to be raised at a charity auction of several items signed by the late Nelson Mandela.

18,000 In a bid to save $600m per year in costs, Microsoft is to cut up to 18,000 jobs.

At least 14 Tunisian soldiers have been reported killed and 20 wounded after gunmen attacked military checkpoints near the Algerian border, the ministry of defence told Al Jazeera.

The fighters, one of whom was reported killed, staged two simultaneous attacks on army posts in the Mount Chaambi area as soldiers were holding their sundown meal, or Iftar, as part of the Ramadan Muslim fasting month.

They were armed with rocketpropelled grenades and rifles.

Thousands of Tunisian troops have been deployed in the area since April to counter fighters using the area since a French military operation drove al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters out of Mali last year.

“They attacked military checkpoints in Mount Chaambi, there are dead and wounded in this attack with RPGs and rifles,” Rachid Hawela, a defence ministry spokesman told the Reuters news agency.

The attacks came nearly a year after Tunisian soldiers were ambushed in the same region.

Eight soldiers were killed in the attack on July 29 last year, several days after the assassination of opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi in Tunis.

Tunisian security officials say the numbers of fighters in the mountains are only in the dozens, but the government has struggled to combat the threat.

Last month, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb, for the first time, claimed it carried out recent attacks in Tunisia, including an assault in May on the home of the interior minister that killed security guards.

I now know that I learn by solving problems as they arise. Rarely do we learn significant lessons, or significantly improve, any other way. Rob Parsons, American Entrepreneur

NEWS NATIONAL / 59

July 18, 2014

2015: PDP Chair Urges Prayer For Shema Presidency

By Muazu Elazeh, Katsina

Katsina State chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rabi’u Gambo Bakori has urged the party faithful in the state to pray for the state governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema to emerge as the president of the country in 2015.

Speaking, yesterday, at the PDP state secretariat while receiving 364 decampees from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to PDP from Batsari and Katsina local governments, Bakori urged the party supporters to intensify prayers towards the actualisation of Shema’s presidency.

According to him, the governor is the most honest, transparent and trustworthy among all the Nigerian governors.

Bakori insisted that the governor has transformed all sectors of the state and listed his achievements to include the area of infrastructural development, education, health, skills acquisition and women empowerment.

He urged the decampees to refrain from supporting politicians that have nothing to offer .

“If a meeting of the PDP is not called by the governor or his wife don’t attend it. PDP is one under Governor Shema in Katsina State,” Bakori said even as he advised the decampees to uphold the principle of trust and hard work.

Niger East Senatorial Race: Community Leaders Back David Umaru

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

Community Leaders in Niger East Senatorial district have shown excitement over the entrance of David Umaru in the contest for the zone‘s senatorial bye-election.

Since the death of Senator Dahiru Aweisu on June 12, 2014 the pressure has been on David Umaru from different political parties to contest and replace the late senator hinging their position on his acceptability by all in the zone.

The community leaders in their

separate remarks when Umaru paid them condolence visit yesterday over the death of Senator Dahiru Aweisu Kuta considered the entrance of David Umaru into the race as a good development.

At the palace of the emir of Kagara, Alhaji Salihu Tanko, the emir prayed God to grant Umaru ,the strength to fill the vacuum created by the exit of Senator Kuta.

According to him, Umaru must learn to listen to the voices of the people of the zone and prayed for peace in the state.

The Zaki of Sarkin Pawa, Alhaji Umaru Mohammed described David Umaru as an exemplary son of Gbagyi who is worthy of emulation and a symbol of hope for the zone and therefore urged him to live up to the confidence reposed in him following the death of late Senator Kuta.

Umaru who had condoled with all the community and traditional leaders in the zone thanked them for their wise counsels while insisting that he will continue to make wide consultations on the pressure on him to contest.

Ekweremadu To Media: Reject Boko Haram Propaganda

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Abuja

Against the backdrop of media sensationalism of the insurgent group, Boko Haram,deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, has appealed to Nigerian journalists to play down on the activities of the sect.

He hinged his appeal on the premise that the media reports have created fear in the minds of most Nigerians Ekweremadu made the appeal on Wednesday night while delivering a lecture organised by the Senate Press Corps in Abuja.

According to him,terrorism is a mind game which primary purpose is to instill fears in the minds of the people by carrying out acts of destruction of human lives and property to give the impression that they are in charge.

He called on the media to desist from promoting the sect and instead celebrate the victories recorded by the military in the fight against terrorism He said, “That is why even when a gas cylinder explodes in any part of the country, the insurgents claim responsibility for it all in their desperate bid to assert themselves.

“If there is an encounter in which they lost 100 men and the military loses 4 men, they strive to upturn the story.

Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Corps Marshal, Osita Chidoka (middle) at the commissioning of National Vehicle Identification Scheme, number plate plant in Gwagwalada, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI.

Perceived Elitism Ruined Me In Ekiti Election – Fayemi

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Abuja

Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi has added a new twist on why he lost the state gubernatorial elections last month just as he said that the National Assembly was the last hope of democracy in the country.

According to Fayemi, intellect is not reckoned with in Nigeria now but grassroots posturing, a situation that made anybody seen to be an intellectual

to be considered as an elite that must be thrown into the dustbin.

He said, “ I know that intellect is not supposed to be popular in our country now. What counts to be popularity is what I hear is grassroot. If you are an intellectual, you are perceived to be an elite.”

Governor Fayemi a day after the election, conceded defeat to the declared winner, Mr Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

On Wednesday night while making a remark at Parliamentary Excellence Award presentation to some senators among whom was Senator Olubunmi Adetunbi who represents Fayemi’s (Ekiti North) Senatorial District in the Senate, Fayemi made some disclosure on why he lost.

Aside Adetunbi, other senators who received awarded at the ceremony include the deputy senate president, Ike EKweremadu.

Lawrence Onoja To Succeed Chidoka As FRSC Boss

By Ekele Peter Agbo, Abuja

Former principal general staff officer to late head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, Maj. General Lawrence Onojahas been tipped to succeed the corps marshal of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Osita Chidoka, who has been appointed as minister.

A source close to the Presidency told LEADERSHIP in Abuja yesterday that the federal government had decided to appoint

Maj. Gen. Lawrence Onoja to replace Chidoka based on his robust military antecedent which the FRSC would need in the face of the insecurity in the country.

With the confirmation of Osita Chidoka as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the battle line were drwan among the contenders over who becomes the next FRSC’s helmsman.

If Onoja succeeds the current FRSC boss eventually, he will have beaten eight deputy corps marshals (DCM) who see themselves

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever Walt Disney, founder and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

as ‘insiders’ that must be favoured over an ‘outsider,’ Onoja.

The contenders are, Lawrence Onoja; Yemi Oyeyemi; Adeyi Abu; Demola Lawal; Ojeme Ewurujakpor; Chidi Nwachukwu; Danjuma Garba; AK Hassan and Yemi Omidiji.

It would be recalled that right from the onset, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC has always been drafted from pool of experience outside the commission, of which Osita is a beneficiary.

60 NEWS NATIONAL

July 18, 2014

Group Wants Kwara To End Ganmo Crisis

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party Reloaded (PDPR) protesting against terrorism and indiscriminate killings in the country in front of National Assembly in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO.

Different Views Emerge As COEASU Suspend Strike

By Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

The Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union(COEASU) has suspended its seven months old strike after a meeting with the minister of education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday, at the ministry’s conference room.

While the union has declared that like the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics(ASUP), the suspension will be for three months pending resolution of its demands, the senior staff union says the suspension will be for just two months.

COEASU president, Emmanuel Asagha, said, “The union agreed to call off the strike in principle subject to the following; “that there shall be no victimisation on the basis of the strike.

“Salaries so withheld be released in bulk. Circular on the implementation should be released. Government should set up a technical committee to look into other pending issues”.

It would be recalled that COEASU, embarked on the indefinite strike over grievances relating to government’s failure to release the white paper of visitation panel it undertook two years

ago.

There were also issues of salary harmonisation under CONTISS structure as well as disparity in the civil service system, especially between degree programmes and other technical based degrees churned out from the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

Meanwhile, Asagha said government should not allow issues degenerate before intervention.

He said if teachers must return to classrooms they should return back feeling relevant and motivated for government to succeed on its mandate.

A socio- cultural group, Omo Ibile Igbomina has called on the Kwara State government to take a decisive action on the crisis ridden Ganmo by ensuring an end to the frequent internal frictions within the community.

The union made the call in a statement signed by its national president, Dr S.A.B. Atolagbe .

It however commended the efforts made so far by the government at resolving the crisis rocking Ganmo community.

It added that the group at its last meeting urged its committee on physical, entrepreneurship and economic development to work towards addressing the issue of women and youths empowerment in Igbomina land.

It also charged the committee to contact necessary bodies and personalities that can help enhance the successful execution of the empowerment project.

The group also called on the three local government areas that made up Igbomina land (Ifelodun, Irepodun and Isin) to work out means of consolidating the economic resources and fortunes in Igbomina land, for the desired development.

“That the Igbominas in Diaspora (UK, US and other countries) should work out and implement plans for the effective industrialisation of Igbomina land by bringing people to establish more feasible cottage industries for the empowerment of Igbomina youths and women.

“That the Igbominas should continue to work and pray for the political and socio- economic progress of Igbomina land and Kwara State in general”, it added.

It announced that the 2014 Igbomina Day event will take place in Share in Ifelodun local government area of the state.

Amaechi Canvases Focus On Education In APC

By Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

Emir Decries Neglect Of Suleja

by Abu Nmodu, Minna

The emir of Suleja, Malam Mohammadu Awwal Ibrahim has decried the neglect of Suleja by successive government despite the sacrifice to the nation by ceding parts of it for the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Abuja.

The emir stated this while receiving David Umar who was on consultation to the place to vie for the senatorial bye election of the Niger east senatorial district in

which Suleja Emirate is one of the three emirates that made up the area.

Malam Awal who admonished politicians not to play politics of bitterness ahead of the 2015 general elections, advocated for politics devoid of acrimony in the interest of the development of the people.

He said that Suleja had been neglected by successive governments despite the sacrifice made by the emirate and wished David Umaru well in his ambition.

According to the royal father, “Suleja

has not received commiserate attention despite lots of sacrifice and I wish that anybody that wins the bye election will remember Suleja”.

He therefore urged David Umaru to always consider the interest of the people of the emirate if he eventually gets the mandate of the people to represent Niger East, adding that, David Umaru has the qualification and the experience to represent the people.

Mark Condoles With Wada Over Father’s Death

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Abuja

President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has sent a message of condolence to the governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada over the death of his father, Pa Wada Ejiga.

Aged 100 years, Pa Ejiga died in his country home, Ayangba in Dekina local government area of Kogi State.

In the condolence message to the governor , Senator Mark enjoined the government and people of Kogi State to take solace in the fact that late Pa Ejiga lived an accomplished life worthy of emulation.

He noted the exemplary conduct of Pa Ejiga’s children especially Governor Wada which he pointed out as a manifestation that he was an ideal and disciplined family man who inculcated in his community

the virtue of good neighbourliness, philanthropy and selfless service .

Senator Mark therefore enjoined the bereaved family to uphold the virtue of honesty, hard work and purposeful leadership which late Ejiga was known for.

He prayed that the Almighty God shall grant the deceased eternal rest and the bereaved family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever Walt Disney, founder and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Rivers State governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has called for education to be made a focal point in all states controlled by the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in the country.

Amaechi stated this yesterday while speaking at the opening ceremony of a two day workshop tagged: “Crisis in Nigeria Education Sector: Addressing the Connection Between Unemployment and Insecurity”, organised by the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in Port Harcourt.

The governor, who was represented by the secretary to the state government, Mr George Feyii, insisted that education should be restored to its former glory to move the country forward.

He said, “It behoves on us as a people to chart the course to bring back the good old days and restore the educational system to what it used to be.

“Good policies and programmes will help us to move education forward in this country. A lot of us think that the present generation is not getting the best of education, so we need to look at the specifics areas to achieve the main goal.”

NEWS NATIONAL / 61

July 18, 2014

Obanikoro Promises Navy Good Accommodation In A/Ibom

By Bernard Tolani Dada, Uyo

Officials of Yaba Local Council Development Area and members of Building Collapse Prevention Guild during the building collapse prevention awareness walk 2014 at Herbert Macaulay road, Yaba, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO BY GBENGA OLAJOBI.

Insurgency: Senate Demands End To Killings

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

The Senate yesterday called for a quick end to the wanton killings by insurgents in some parts of the country.

Addressing members of the PDP Project Reloaded, Abuja chapter, who protested at the entrance of the National Assembly, against the wanton killings by the Boko Haram sect, Senators Barnabas Gemade and Bello Tukur, who represented the Senate president, said the National Assembly will continue to support the executive to deal with insurgency in the country.

Sen. Gemade, who promised to convey the message of the group to the Senate, lamented that Nigerians are suffering tremendously from the activities of Boko Haram.

He said, “We want to let you know that we are with you on the call for a quick end to the wanton killings.”

“The Senate is in support of the executive and President Goodluck Jonathan in ensuring that security forces are fully mobilised to deal with insurgency in the country.”

He maintained that the declaration of state of emergency, supplementary

allocation to equip security operatives to deal with insurgency are all part of the moves by the National Assembly to ensure that the executive gets all the support it needs.

He commended the security operatives for doing a great job, just as he called for more support for them.

On his part, Senator Tukur said that “the war must be won at all costs, adding “it is a war that all must be involved in from the executive, legislature to all Nigerians. We will all do our best to deal with this problem once and for all.”

Aregbesola Replies Sambo, Says Osun Rejected PDP Long Ago

By Joshua Dada, Osogbo

The governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday described as mere wishful thinking the remark by vice president Namadi Sambo that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, will take over Osun.

This was just as the governor said Sambo had impugned the integrity of the Judiciary by referring to the judgement of the Election Petition Appeal

Tribunal that restored the mandate of Aregbesola after the 2007 governorship poll as a verdict obtained “through the back door.”

Responding through his director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said Sambo could not have been referring to the Osun where the people have demonstrated their total rejection of anything that has any trait of PDP. He maintained that Sambo’s state-

ment aptly captures the depth of self-delusion and deceit which PDP leadership indulges in, a development he blames for the total failure of the PDP-led federal government in all facets of the Nigerian life.

He said, “Sambo’s statement did not come to us as a surprise. It is the character of the PDP and its leadership to live in a different world far away from the stark realities that daily confront our people.

Shun Politics Of Bags Of Rice, Salt, Oshiomhole Tells Edo Women

By Patrick Ochoga, Benin City

The governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday asked Edo women not to be deceived by those seeking their votes with bags of rice and salt, describing such politicians as ‘fake’, just as he promised that the state will yearly donate the sum of N10million to sustain women education.

Oshiomhole stated this during the maid-

en Edo Women Conference held in Benin City, adding “Women associations must educate women; the Edo woman must not accept bag of rice, salt on the eve of elections and after four years, you will not see the politician. We have gone beyond that in Edo State and we must sustain that”.

The event was organised by the Association Against Women Export, Dr Irene Ighodaro Memorial Foundation with the

support of the International Federation of Women Lawyers and the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ).

The Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, former minister of women affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, Mrs Endurance Odubu, wife of the deputy governor of Edo State and a host of others were at the colourful event.

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever Walt Disney, founder and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

The minister of state for defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has assured the Nigerian Navy of new barracks in Ikot Abasi local government area of Akwa Ibom State.

Obanikoro gave the assurance during a familiarisation tour of Forward Operational Base, Ibaka and NNS Jubilee in Ikot Abasi.

He said that the federal government was committed to building new Navy Barracks and providing necessary infrastructure to make the base more functional.

He said he would meet the appropriate authority to get the necessary support in order to kick-start the project.

“We will have to make a very superior argument to get the barrack done and hopefully, we will be able to convince the appropriate authority enough to give us the necessary support that is needed to kick-start that project”.

INEC Dealing Selectively With Political Parties – Chukwuani

By Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

The chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Mr Chidi Chukwuani, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of dealing selectively with political parties which act contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act. Chukwuani, who spoke at an interactive forum with journalists in Abuja, added that parties that are politically influential in the country hardly get punished by the body which is supposed to be independent, even though there are clear cases where they have committed offences.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission does not operate true to its meaning as an independent body. The leadership is working on the orders of the government of the day and that has contributed to the type of democracy witnessed in Nigeria”, he stated.

The chieftain recalled the ordeal of his party which he said was denied registration by INEC until he led his members to approach the courts to compel the electoral umpire to register it. According to him, it was this move that led to the decision of INEC to register 63 parties in Jega 2007.

62 NEWS NATIONAL

July 18, 2014

Eksiec Has Remain Firm Against Same Sex Unions, Reps Tell Jonathan Referendum: Not Erred – Adelusi Proceed on two-month recess

ByAdesuwa Tsan, and Edegbe Odemwingie, Abuja

The House of Representatives has urged the executive to remain resolute on the ban against same sex unions in the country despite pressure from the European Union (EU).

This is just as the House has proceeded on a two-month annual recess. It will resume on September 16, 2014.

The lawmakers were speaking against the resolution of the European Parliament of 12th March, 2014, which is aimed at starting consultations to suspend Nigeria and Uganda from the

Cotonou Partnership Agreement on the passage of legislations by both countries which further criminalised homosexual activities.

Bringing the issue to the attention of the House, Hon Mukhtar Ahmed noted the support of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) parliamentary assembly for Nigeria over the position of the European parliament on the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act and commended them for their gesture.

The lawmakers also appreciated “the declaration issued by the ACP Parliamentary Assembly in reaction to the said resolution of the European Parliament in which it, among others, expressed solidarity with the parliaments

of Nigeria and Uganda and called on the EU to appreciate the democratic choices made by these countries and to delink cultural preferences from the need to address developmental and poverty issues”.

The National Assembly enacted the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, 2014 which was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan. The Act provides for a penalty of 14 years imprisonment for anybody who engages in same sex marriage and 10 years imprisonment for any person witnessing same sex unions or participating in lesbian, gay, bisexual, Trans-gender or inter-sex (LGBT) activities or operating bars, organisations or societies promoting same sex unions.

By ALO ABIOLA, Ado-Ekiti

The chairman, Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC), Mrs Cecilia Adelusi, yesterday said that the commission has not erred in its plan to conduct a referendum on the creation of Local Council Development Areas being proposed by Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration.

Addressing a news conference yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, Mrs Adelusi, who stated that the referendum was part of the procedures for the creation of the council areas, said the exercise will be conducted in 137 wards of the affected 12 of the present 16 local government areas of the state.

The commission, according to her, would apply option A4 in the conduct of the referendum, while the collated results in each council will be transmitted to the State House of Assembly for ratification.

Reacting, the Peoples Democratic Party secretary in the state, Dr Tope Aluko, said there was no legally constituted SIEC in Ekiti and that government was committing illegality which cannot stand in the face of the law.

NABDA Distributes Organic Fertilisers To Farmers In Taraba

By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo

Some people protesting against the bid of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Tanko Al-Makura in Lafia, yesterday .

Lagos Introduces New Maternity, Paternity Leaves For Workers

By GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos

Lagos State government yesterday introduced a new maternity and paternity leave policy for male and female workers under its employment.

The state head of service, Mrs Oluseyi Williams, who disclosed this at a press briefing, said the new policy, approved by the Governor Babatunde Fashola-led State Executive Council, was informed by the situation where nursing mothers leave their new born babies in the hands of care givers as early as six weeks in order to return to work.

With the new policy, she explained that female officers will henceforth be entitled to 24 weeks (six months) maternity leave

with full pay in the case of her first two deliveries, with the said leave expected to commence at least two weeks before the expected delivery date.

The government also approved 10 working days paternity leave for male officers in relation to and at the time of his spouse’s first two deliveries.

In the previous policy, female officers were only entitled to 12 weeks (three months) maternity leave, while their male counterparts were not considered for paternity leave.

Williams said government was concerned about the trend where parents spend more time at their workplaces at the expense of the home front, adding that such situation

is detrimental to the basic developmental needs of children and accounts for a number of societal ills.

“Medical science has also proved that the first few months of a child’s life have a great role to play in the development of that child physically, mentally and emotionally”.

“However, at six months, that is 24 weeks, a baby is considered strong enough to be left in a decent crèche for proper care having gone through close affection and nurturing by the mother for those important and delicate first few months of his or her life,” she said.

She appealed to other employers of labour and private establishments in the country to take a cue from the policy.

Nigerian Prisons Service Promotes 3,700 Officers

By Christiana Nwaogu, Abuja

As part of efforts to ensure effective prison service delivery in the country, the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) has approved the promotion of 3,700 officers nationwide.

This was disclosed yesterday in Abuja by the minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro, during the decoration of 20 top senior officers promoted to the rank of CP,

ACP, among others.

Some of the most senior officers decorated yesterday by the minister are nine Controller of Prisons (CP) promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General (ACG), five Deputy Controller of Prisons (DCP) promoted to the rank of Controller of Prisons (CP), three Assistant Controller of Prisons (ACP) elevated to the rank of Deputy Controller of Prisons (DCP).

Others are one Chief Superintendent

(CSP) promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller of Prisons (ACP), one Deputy Superintendent (DSP) promoted to the rank of Superintendent (SP), one Superintendent (SP) promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent (CSP), one Assistant Superintendent (ASP1) to the rank of Deputy Superintendent, and one Assistant Superintendent (ASP11) elevated to the rank of Assistant Superintendent (ASP1).

Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever Walt Disney, founder and CEO of the Walt Disney Company

National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) has distributed bioorganic fertilisers worth millions of naira to farmers in Taraba State to boost agricultural production.

Northeast zonal director of the agency, Dr Jumai Adamu, said the fertilisers which were produced at the Jalingo centre of NABDA, were distributed free-ofcharge to farmers to tackle the anticipated problem of food scarcity in the state.

“The substances were formulated and produced by the centre, and they come in two forms which are the liquid and the granulated. Four litres of liquid fertiliser is used on one hectare while 5kg of granulated is equally used on one hectare”, she explained.

The director told the farmers that the agency arrived at the formulation and production of the bio-organic fertiliser using fish scraps and wastes.

She said there is need for farmers to shift their attention to organic fertilisers, emphasising that it is environmentfriendly and would save the region from a lot of land damage.

She said that organic fertilisers are cheaper and safer, explaining that high acid contents such as sulfuric and hydrochloric acids which are destructive to crops are absent in organic fertilisers.

Jumai said the agency’s vision is to bring biotechnology and related activities to agro-forestry and environmental management services to attain the level of sustainable development that guarantees food on the table of everyone in line with the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Analysis / 63

July 18, 2014

T

he onset of the rainy Season has further exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. The UN warns that up to four million people are at risk of food insecurity, with young children facing the highest risk of malnutrition.

One-year-old Chieng has been battling for his life for weeks. His father Peter sits by his side, fending off the relentless assault of flies. Chieng suffers from acute diarrhoea, suspected TB and is fighting respiratory failure. His ribs protrude visibly through his thin skin as his chest rapidly pumps air into his tiny body.

Chieng is one of 58 children admitted to Doctors without Borders (MSF) intensive therapeutic feeding centre in Bentiu’s UN Protection of Civilians (POC) site. Peter expresses hope that Chieng is getting better and says this clinic is his only chance for survival. As he speaks, a thunderstorm erupts, putting an end to a weeklong dry spell unusual for this time of the year. Within minutes, the camp gets submerged in mud and water.

Some of the medical staff fear that the latest downpour will bring a new wave of admissions - and deaths. “The children are already malnourished and have very little fat to keep them warm. When it rains, they easily develop a cough or catch pneumonia, which makes their condition very serious,” Helmi Emmen, a paediatric nurse at the MSF clinic, told Al Jazeera. The next morning she tells Al Jazeera that Chieng was one of three children who passed away overnight.

Child mortality in Bentiu’s POC site has reached alarming levels, with approximately four children below the age of five dying per day. Aid workers fight an uphill battle against the deplorable water and sanitation conditions in the camp, which provide fertile ground for diseases.

“Repeating cycles of infections accompanied by a drop in appetite often result in children eventually developing malnutrition. They never quite get better before the next infection comes along,” Vanessa Cramond, MSF’s health adviser, explains.

Crowded conditions and nowhere else to go Approximately 45,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have sought refuge at the POC site near Bentiu. They constitute the largest share of over 100,000 people currently living in UN bases as a result of South Sudan’s most recent violent conflict . An additional million are displaced around the country, and unlikely to return home anytime soon given the lack of respect for the ceasefire by government and opposition forces.

With the increasing likelihood of a protracted humanitarian crisis, the UN and NGOs are trying to cope with the overcrowded conditions in Bentiu camp. “We are trying our best to catch up with the needs but it’s very difficult with the rainy season plus the insecurity outside,” says Nora Echaibi, medical team leader at MSF Bentiu.

As of mid-June, only four litres of clean water were supplied per day compared to the minimum international standard of 15 litres, forcing many people to draw water from contaminated water sources. Only one pit latrine is available per 241 people, resulting in substantial open defecation around the camp. Heavy rains and muddy soil pose additional logistical challenges for water and sanitation teams trying to ex-

Rainy Season Worsens South Sudan Crisis pand and maintain critical infrastructure.

With ongoing insecurity and fighting outside the UN base, the population has been largely reliant on food aid. The WFP conducts biweekly food distributions, yet ensuring families get the right amount of nutritional intake has proven difficult given high fluctuations in population levels as well as frequent sharing with families within, as well as outside the camp.

“We only eat once per day,” Mary Nyajak, a mother of 10 told Al Jazeera. Four of her children stay with her inside the camp, while six others hide in the bush attending to the family’s cattle. “Sometimes family members come here and we give them food which they take back,” Nyajak says.

Sharing food with extended families often means that children, the weakest members of the family, fall short of their requirements.

Severe food insecurity risk Aid agencies warn that the rainy season further compounds the humanitarian crisis which already affects almost a third of South Sudan’s population of 11.3 million. According to UN estimates, 3.5 million people suffer from food insecurity, a number expected to increase to 4 million by August. Although famine has not yet been declared and most people fall into categories three (acute food insecurity) and four (humanitarian emergency) on the UN’s five scale integrated food security phase classification, the situation could quickly deteriorate.

“We are very worried about this population of 3.5 million, particularly those in phase four, because additional shocks, such as the lack of access to humanitarian assistance or continued inability for traders to come in with commercial goods, means that the population is extremely vulnerable to further decline,” Sue Lautze, depu-

ty humanitarian coordinator and head of FAO in South Sudan told Al Jazeera.

Diversions of aid from intended beneficiaries to other parts of the population, including armed groups, risk further diluting of relief efforts. Only a few kilometres away from the Bentiu POC site, USAID grains openly get sold in the Rubkona market. Many of the customers here are SPLA soldiers from Rubkona’s fourth division.

Sue Lautze says aid diversions are difficult to trace. “We give the assistance to the right people, but ensuring they hang on to it is difficult. But we are currently investigating allegations of food diversion.”

The past six months of conflict further exacerbates the effects on long-term food security. Massive displacements and ongoing fighting have prevented farmers from tending to their fields. Development programmes aimed at increasing farming productivity and livestock health have come to a grinding halt, thus laying the foundations for long-term dependency on humanitarian aid.

Funding and access constraints Despite the growing needs, international donor support has fallen short of the requirements thus far. Only $756m have been received towards the $1.8bn consolidated humanitarian appeal to cover the ongoing emergency in 2014.

A lack of funding has been further compounded by a 30 percent drop in oil production as a result of the conflict, prompting the government to cut much needed development funds in favour of other spending areas. “We are producing 175,000 barrels [of oil] per day, which is sufficient to pay for the salaries of those who work for the government, but in the area of development, the impact has been very bad,” Ateny Wek Ateny, the spokesperson of the Office of the President, told Al Jazeera.

One-year-old Chieng has been battling for his life for weeks. His father Peter sits by his side, fending off the relentless assault of flies Gaining access to vulnerable populations has been a challenge amid ongoing fighting. Some areas are off limits to aid agencies, while the situation along the frontlines complicates liaison with the relevant authorities to ensure smooth passage of aid. The proliferation of armaments within the population along with a rising number of often autonomous checkpoints implies that orders from the top do not always get respected on the ground.

WFP has recently confirmed instances of looting which tend to occur especially when areas change hands between the government and rebels. “More recently 4,600 metric tonnes were looted, which is enough to feed a population of 275,000 people per month,” Joyce Luma, WFP’s country director in South Sudan told Al Jazeera.

With the indefinite adjournment of peace talks, and the lack of a mechanism to enforce the ceasefire, hostilities as well as the humanitarian crisis are unlikely to subside. “ The main problem is that they are fighting. The lack of respect for the cessation of hostilities agreements is the number one access constraint, “ Lautze said.

—Al Jazeera.

64 ISLAM

July 18 , 2014

Discourse with Sheikh Muhammad Mahmud Turi turimuhd@yahoo.com 07038199475 (text only)

Ramadhan Kareem: Beyond The Qur’anic Recitation Competitions!

In the name of Allah who states “those to whom We have given The Book study it as it should be studied; they are the ones that believe therein; those who reject faith therein, the loss is their own” Q2: 121.

May the everlasting peace and blessings of Allah be upon His noble servant, our master Muhammad and his purified progeny.

As the remaining days of Ramadhan move fast, I urge us to put more effort to acquire the pleasure of Allah the Most High through accelerated measures in the same direction. We should not forget the goal for which we are fasting and the various acts of worship through which we may gain His pleasure! Towards the end of the month we face the “Layalul qadr” –nights of majesty when traditionally Muslims concentrate more.

Generally, the followers of Ahlul - bait hold nineteenth, twenty first and twenty third nights based on authentic narrations while other Muslims hold the odd days of the last ten of the month! The night of majesty is one but is not known specifically. As such we are encouraged to keep prayerfully awake on the expected nights so that we may succeed.

Iitikaaf or seclusion is part of the traditional acts of worship done in these days which brothers and sisters courageously to participate. However, there are rules and regulations governing this worship that must be abided by. So as we engage more in these acts, we should never forget to pray for this oppressed Ummah which is completely besieged in the conspiracies of its enemies.

Qur’anic recitation competition is the piece I write on this week. Firstly, being in Ramadhan - the month of Qur’an. Secondly, in some countries schools and organizations organize such recitation competitions in this month, and thirdly; to stress some relevant points for the Ummah in general.

“This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, To those who fear Allah; Who believe in the Unseen, Are steadfast in prayer, And spend out of what We have provided for them; and who believe in the revelation Sent to thee, and sent before thy time, And (in their hearts) Have the assurance of the Hereafter” Q2:1 - 4 This competition was started some decades ago with a view to improving the general Qur’anic sciences! More than any other time, the competitions run in cate-

gories are generally promoted at various levels from local to international.

In Nigeria, the competition is organized from local government to national level. The successful competitors in various categories emerge from the usual recitation competitions organized in stages.

These competitions are mostly sponsored by governments from time to time. However, some non- governmental organizations and philanthropists partake in the exercise.

Generally, the winners are honored with various prizes such as hajj seats, cars and houses among others. The rationale behind the incentives is to serve as inducement to all students and stakeholders in as a whole.

Schools are generally relative and comprises both ordinary and advanced. Being blessed with Islam, children in Hausa land generally start with traditional Qur’anic education. They are taught from the primary alphabets in stages to the level of memorization as the case may be.

At certain stage, they are made to learn some jurisprudential rules and regulation governing acts of worship as well.

The Islamiyyah schools became very popular in the recent past with relatively more organized form of scholarship on a wider scope covering the noble Qur’an, hadeeth and jurisprudence.

We also have the mass literacy which mainly comprises of adults. Interestingly, it is organized and run in a very flexible way to contain people with different backgrounds. In fact, the system provides a good means of distance learning and correspondences with successful result.

Tajweed is simply a discipline meant to prevent the Qur’anic reciters from mistake in the cause of reading the noble Qur’an. Allah says “Verily this is a revelation from the Lords of the worlds; which came down the truthful spirit. To thy heart that thou mayest admonish in the perspicuous Arabic tongue” Q26: 192 – 195.

So as the Qur’an was revealed in Arabic language, there are rules and regulation governing pronunciation and other aspects of the language that must be strictly followed. Despite the fact that the messenger of Allah was himself an Arab but he was taught and supervised on this Qur’an “Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur’an) to make haste therewith. It is for US to collect it and to promulgate it” Q75: 16 – 17.

Allah also said “Be not in haste with the Qur’an before its revelation to you is complet-

ed, but say o my Lord! Advance me in knowledge” Q20: 114.

In a hadeeth, the prophet is reported to have said “Gabriel would place before me the Qur’an for review once a year, but this year he did it twice which indicates that the time for my departure is close at hand”.

So in the light of the verses and hadeeth, we are generally encouraged to put more effort in Qur’anic scholarship so that we can study the book as Allah wants “Do they not then Earnestly seek to understand The Qur’an, or is it that there are locks upon their hearts?”

Q47:24.

And no exception in this case, it is not only the children will study but all Muslims. Inability of a Muslim to accurately read the noble Qur’an is no doubt a shame irrespective of sex.

With the help of Allah, memorization of the noble Qur’an was highly simplified for this Ummah. Historically, it took many of the pious predecessors decades to memorize it unlike now when children in their teens are blessed with the same!

The Qur’an is memorized in proportionate circle. For example, based on some Fudiyyah plans, students memorize in five years. This is successfully proven in Kano Fudiyyah nursery and primary school for several years. Other schools have their own systems of memorization as well.

Listening the holy Qur’an is also important part of worship “I have only created Jinn and men that they may serve Me. No sustenance do I require of them, nor do I require that they should feed Me” Q51:56 – 57.

And absolute silence and meditation is needed when the Qur’an is recited “When the Qur’an is read, Listen to it with attention, and hold your peace, that ye may receive mercy” Q7:204.

Most important point I want emphasize is the practice of the teachings of the noble Qur’an. We must be sincere in all our actions so that our Qur’anic studies should not be geared towards fame or success in the competition

If you are ugly you must either learn to dance or have love.

Such listening is abundantly rewarded and draws one closer to Allah the Most High. “No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it. It is sent down by one full of wisdom, worthy of all praise” Q41: 42.

In addition to memorizing the holy Qur’an, our children must learn other aspect of knowledge which is the Qur’an is undoubtedly the basis. As I have extolled in detail in word educational dynamism: the undisputed pride of Islamic civilization, they should be taught on the jurisprudential aspects and various professions.

We are very grateful to Allah that the Fudiyyah schools founded and named after our great grandfather sheikh Uthman bin Fodio by the charismatic leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky have greatly succeeded in this direction.

Different sets of such teenage students are graduated yearly in hundreds across the country especially in the grand annual memorizers’ day graced by the revered Sheikh in Kano.

No doubt, the teachers, students, parents and the representatives of the Islamic movement at various levels deserve commendation in this regard. And as we urge all to keep the tempo, we pray to Allah to reward them and all contributors in whatever form abundantly!

Most important point I want emphasize is the practice of the teachings of the noble Qur’an. We must be sincere in all our actions so that our Qur’anic studies should not be geared towards fame or success in the competition. But, we should make sure that we reflect the teachings of the book to the best of our ability so that we symbolize a mobile Qur’an!

Dr. Alwani argues that there are two levels of reading the Qur’an; the first level consists of cultivating spiritual upliftment while the second one urges man as vicegerent to study the cosmos for the purpose of positive action on earth. Performing the two readings together and keeping a balance between them are prerequisites for well – being in this world and in the hereafter.

So the teachers of the Qur’an who were described as the best of us in a hadeeth, the students, parents and indeed all Muslims are expected to live strictly in accordance with the teachings of the book as vicegerents of Allah on earth just as A’isha mother of believers described the ethics of the noble prophet as the holy Qur’an in its entirety!

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah.

― Zimbabwean proverb

FEATURE 65

July 18, 2014

Chibok Girls: When A Country Ignores Her Own Malalas

BY KAREEM HARUNA, Maiduguri

On Monday July 15, 2014, exactly three months after the news of the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction was broken to the world, a 17-year-old Pakistani girl called Malala Yousufzani walked through the revered gates of Nigeria’s presidential villa to have a meeting with the country’s president, Chief Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

The crux of her meeting with Nigeria’s No. 1 citizen was the need for the rescue of the abducted Chibok girls.

Malala requested a more active stance from the president concerning the rescuing of the abducted schoolgirls. She was also said to have lectured President Jonathan on the need for him to visit Chibok or meet with the parents of the abducted girls, so that the poor parents could have some relief that government cares. Her concern for their unfortunate plight was evident.

Interestingly, for the first time since the abduction of the girls, President Jonathan agreed to meet with the parents and even promised that the girls will be rescued safely in no distant time.

Many Nigerians had hailed the 17-yearold, who came all the way from war-torn Pakistan to Nigeria just to convince the presidency on the need to, at least, listen and talk to the families of the abducted schoolgirls who are still held by the Boko Haram.

Malala was given such rare presidential treatment and audience because about three years ago, the Taliban in Pakistan attempted. She was lucky to live, because the bullet that fired at her only scaled through her outer skull and ripped her neck open. The Taliban targeted her for being an advocate of girl-child education. After series of medical rescue efforts, Malala was back on her foot and had since become an international icon.

Perhaps in Pakistan, hers was an isolated case; perhaps, there are many others like her in Pakistan, but Malala’s attempted assassination was a celebrated case because the media made it so.

But in Nigeria where the Boko Haram insurgents had not only ‘proscribed’ western education but also forbids education for all children, many girls of Malala’s age, or even younger, have similar cases or stories to tell about how they had suffered (and are still suffering) because of their individual and collective resolve to go to school.

Many of them, including one of the Chibok schoolgirls who was said to have been raped and abused before she could find her way back home, have worse stories to tell that could make the world shiver or even outstage Malala’s story.

But their stories are never told.

Possibly, Nigerians may have forgotten so quickly an incident that took place on Monday, March 18, 2013, when three critically injured female students of Abbaganaram UBE School were rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital after Boko Haram gunmen attacked their school at the time they were taking their terminal exams.

One of the three injured girls, Aisha Baba Mala, was rushed to the intensive care unit of the hospital because she suffered an injury caused by bullets that ruptured her kidney and her intestine. The hospital recommended

Different strokes: While the Chibok girls have attracted little action, Malala’s coming has prompted some renewed activity to the chagrin of many. that for her to survive, she must be flown out of the country for better medical attention.

In pain and with teary eyes as she lay at the intensive care unit, Aisha, 16 years old, muttered her words of appreciation to the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, who offered to sponsor her trip to Egypt for a major operation. She was happy and hoped that if she returned to school she would be able to continue her education.

The two other girls; one with an injury on a shoulder and the other in the leg, were also given the best of treatment at the hospital, even though they too were left psychologically traumatised.

Sadly, these schoolgirls, coming from an environment where culture and, to a huge degree, religious beliefs, did not give them that needed support to pursue western education because of their gender, are now left to their poor parents to tend to their bruised hopes.

When the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted three months ago, about 15 out of those that made it back from Sambisa came with ugly tales of their experiences in the hands of their captives, which they could not tell the world. But a story was told by one of the girls who said she suffered abuses (sexually) while she was there. Sadly, neither the government nor Nigerians applauding the story of Malala saw reasons why these girls’ stories were discarded.

The coming of Malala to Nigeria, though may be a noble gesture by a teenager whose heart defied the geographic distance to show empathy for her age mates in captivity of one of the world’s most dangerous terror group, but the manner the people and government of Nigeria received her was seen as a huge embarrassment to many in the country.

In Borno State, Malala’s visit was not celebrated, because many of the people feel that the 57 Chibok schoolgirls who were so lucky to escape the captivity of the Boko Haram shouldn’t have spent more than a week before seeing their president.

“No matter how insignificant we took their experiences as Boko Haram abduction escapees, their courage to make it out of that dangerous jungle alone is enough reason [for] the nation to celebrate them and make them the frontline advocates for the rescue of their other 219 colleagues still being held by their abductors,” said Naomi Adamu, a civil servant whose two nieces, Naomi and Lydia, are also amongst the missing girls.

“How could we imagine our own president not having to meet the parents of the girls in Chibok or having them brought to him in Abuja so that, at least, they could be given some words of assurances and hope that the government of their country did not abandon them in their misery? Imagine, it took a 17-year-old girl from Pakistan to convince our leaders in Abuja that it was very necessary for the parents to meet with the president.

“What is the big deal about Malala that is different from what our girls have gone through? Some of them were raped, some abused and brutalised. Is it because we are not talking? If Malala was shot in the head and she was lucky to survive death, a number of Chibok schoolgirls also suffered the same fate and are, today, faced with serious psychological trauma that they may have to live with for the rest of their lives; yet, no one takes them serious,” Adamu said, near tears.

The deputy national mobilisation leader for the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, Yusuf Sheriff Banki, had also faulted the attitude of the federal government towards the issue of rescuing the abducted Chibok girls and the presidency’s unwillingness to meet with the people of Chibok. He specifically disparaged the silence government had been according all pressure mounted to ensure that real action take the stage instead of continual words of hope.

“We are demanding for status of the security operation to bring back the Chibok schoolgirls, because the Nigerian govern-

You always learn a lot more when you lose than when you win. ― African proverb

ment isn’t giving any information about the level of success and efforts made in rescuing the Chibok girls,” Banki said.

Bitrus Pona, a native of Chibok who resides in Maiduguri was far from pleased with the attitude of the government towards the rescue of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

“We have watched keenly how government treats this matter with disdain; they don’t seem to care. At first, they doubted if felt it was a lie that the girls were actually abducted, then we heard that the president was coming to Chibok. Our people, especially the parents, gathered, only to hear that the trip had been cancelled, without a word of apology. Since then, there has been no word from the president, until that Pakistani girl came; suddenly the president want to impress the world by quickly opening his doors to her. It means that our people are not worthy of seeing the president that they voted for to lead them.

Pona thumbed up the decision of the #BringBackOurGirls team not to allow the parents go see the President.

“What would he have told them? There is no honor in seeing a leader whose duty has to be told him by a teenage foreigner.

What was so special in that girl called Malala that our fellow country men and women that had been on the street asking to be seen by the presidency don’t have? Instead, they were shut out and even threatened. We have many girls and, even, children who are in hospitals or walking on crutches and those suffering because the Boko Haram attacked them in school; we have a girl who was shot in the abdomen while she was writing exams in school.

So, what is the big deal about worshiping some foreign girl who was also shot at, that she became the only person qualified to tell our president that he needed to see his own people who are in pains? It is sad that we still don’t value our own people,” said Pona.

66

July 18, 2014

SCHOOLS, EDUCATION, & FAITH PLATFORM

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

SPECIALISED CLASSIFIEDS PAGES CHRIST APOSTLES ORGANISATION OF NIGERIA

BRIGHT STAR PROGRESSIVE CLUB OF NIGERIA, ABUJA

This is to inform the general Public that the above named ORGANISATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under part 59 laws of the federation of Nigeria 1990.

This is to inform the general Public that the above named CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under part 59 laws of the federation of Nigeria 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Ozor Chigozie 2. Iloanusi Chudozie 3. Anokwulu Chukwudi 4. Opurum Victor 5. Okeke Obinna 6. Anajemba Ikechukwu 7. Edeh Chidi

THE TRUSTEES 1. Eze Okwudili 2. Okenyi Chinonso 3. Onyeudo Chigozie C. 4. Samuel O. Samuel 5. Egwuonwe Johnson 6. Ugwu Matthias C. 7. Okoro Chinedu

- President - Secretary

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To promote and maintain peaceful co-existence among members.

2. To ensure harmony and good relationship among member Any objection(s) to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate affairs commission plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: BARRISTER UDENGWU NDUBUISI

- Chairman - Vice Chairman - Secretary - Member - Member - Member - Member

PLATINUM 360 CLUB OF LAGOS The general public is hereby notified that the above named CLUB, has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mr. Fabiyi Ebenezer Oladimeji 2. Mr. Odutola Idowu 3. Mr. Musa Abidemi Samuel 4. Mr. Oguntoyinbo Olatunde

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To foster peace, progress and well-being of their members 2. To provide its members with basic amenities for financial and social upliftment.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general, CAC, Maitama Abuja FCT within 28 days of this publication.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To foster economic and social relationship among the members.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

Signed: BABATUNDE OYETESO 08023025288

Signed: BARRISTER THADDEUS ODO 08036497937

SYBIL-GODDY IKPE FOUNDATION

DIVINE TREASURE WOMEN AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE

NDI OTU MPI BROTHERS CLUB OF ABUJA

This is to notify the general Public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja under the Part ‘C’ of Company and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

The general public is hereby informed that the above named INITIATIVE has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters act 1 of 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES 1. Ikpe Uche Godfrey 2. Ikpe Chika Sybil 3. Ikpe Ody Ezechi 4. Ikpe Chiamaka Sybil Anne 5. Ikpe Chidozie Regis 6. Ikpe Chuzy Valentino

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mrs Ayorinde Deborah Olusayo 2. Mr. Ayorinde Simeon Oluwaseyi 3. Rev. Dr. Mrs. Ayinde Olujide Kayode 4. Amb. Evang. Mrs. Evelyn Oluwafemi 5. Pastor Mrs. Praise Erohi 6. Mrs. Yakubu Mercy 7. Mr. Dorojaiye Afees

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Okoye Malachy 2. Onyegbu Ifeanyi 3. Uche Igwe Alex 4. Udegu Gabriel 5. Eke-Chukwu Ifeanyichukwu

- Treasurer

-Secretary

- Chairman - Secretary - P. R. O - Member - Member

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To help the less privilege in the society.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To build ophanages and sponsor.

2. Welfare of the members.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: BARR. ISAAC ENAMUDU 08035874963

SIGNED: EMEKA UGWUOWO, ESQ 08023238741

GREATER AFRICA LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHARISMATIC CHURCH

ASSOCIATION OF ENERGY AND PETROLEUM LAW RESEARCHERS IN NIGERIA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CHURCH has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEE ARE: 1. Pastor Paul Ayo Osemele 2. Chiemere Imelda Osemele 3. Oriekose Millicent Osemele 4. Kelechi Keith Ayo Osemele

THE NEW TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Dr. Emmanuel Onu Egbogah 2. Professor Oluyinka Osayame Omorogbe 3. Prof. Maxwell Michael Gidado 4. Professor Sani Muhammad Adam 5. Dr. Ayoade Morakinyo Adedayo 6. Mr. Olanrewaju Aladeitan 7. Dr. Olugbenga Oke-Samuel

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To promote information and media development in Nigeria.

Any objection to the above should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, FCT, Abuja within 28 days of this Publication.

SIGNED: BARR. ONUZURIKE SIMON C. THE NOBLES CHAMBERS

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mr Chinedu Godson Nwogu 2. Mr Frank Ebruphiyo Tietie (Esq) THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To inspire, mentor, train, support and partner with young and emerging leaders in Africa.

2. To partner with and support visionary leadership across Africa.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

SIGNED: BARR. (MRS) OYINLOLU ALALADE 08176210368

Any objection to this change should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Irosi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

LAKAJI DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE The general public is hereby informed that the above named DEVELOPMENT has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters act 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Dr. Enitan Obasanjo-Adeleye 2. Mr. Tristram Denyer 3. Henrii Nwanguma 4. Alfred Martins 5. Edeme Kelikume 6. Gabriel Aduda 7. Aminu Suleiman Takuma

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar-general, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

> HENRY UBIMAGO 08068640944

> AUGUSTINE 08032325988

Any objection to this change should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Irosi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT ENTREPRENUERS

ZAWRAM GLOBAL ISLAMIC FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990

The general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for registration to Corporate Affairs Commission under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To promote unity among members.

2. To assist members.

3. To mobilize members to contribute to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

4. To encourage dignity of labour among the members.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: SECRETARY

AIM AND OBJECTIVES 1. To conduct periodic research in the areas of oil and gas, environment and the energy sector.

2. To promote peaceful and sustainable development of oil and gas, environment and in the energy sector.

3. To organize seminars, roundtable, professional legal eduation and symposia in the oil and gas, environment and energy sector

Signed: SECRETARY

TRUSTEES: 1. Alhaji Musa Abdulhameed Ujah 2. Jummai Zainab Umar-Ajijola 3. Chief Bestman Anakwe

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To carry on development projects along the Lagos, Kano, Jibiya (LAKAJI) corridor.

2. To promote corridor development through stakeholders engagement platform.

3. To promote, organize, healthy ethical and sustainable private sector participation in the development along the LAKAJI corridor

FOR BOOKING OR INQUIRY CALL

AIM AND OBJECTIVES 1. To propagate the good news and gospel of Christ.

2. To engage in crusade against female genital mutilation.

3. To care for widows and the society.

> GLORIA OKWUM 08038722368

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Zainab Marwa 2. Hadiza Yahaya 3. Abdulkadir Abubakar 4. Mariam Marwa-Abdu 5. Abubakar Marwa 6. Muslihu Afisi 7. Khadija Ilavbare 8. Dur-E-Shahwar 9. Yakubu Nasir 10. Amina Shehu Fodio

- Chairman - Secretary

AIM AND OBJECTIVE 1. To care for the welfare of Muslim Umma.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar-general.

Corporate Affairs commission, 420, tigris crescent, off aguyi ironsi street. pmb 198, matiama, abuja within 28th days from the date of publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

> ABIGAIL SAMBO 08064382438

> GLORIA RAPHAEL 08061356519

> GLORIA ODIO 08034285851

> GRACE OJO 08035054444

July 18, 2014 ONE FAMILY SOCIAL CLUB OF PORT HARCOURT The general public is hereby notified that the above named forum has applied to the corporate affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990 The Trustees Are: 1. Augustine Duru 2. Obinna Okechukwu 3. Chimezie C. Alieze 4. Cajathan Esonwune 5. Ugochukwu Okafor 6. Chinedu Mbachu 7. Rowland Chikwe 8. Ndubuisi Ibe

67 NKA UFORD NDITO AKWA IBOM ASSOCIATION PORT HARCOURT

KEBZDS UNITED COMMUNITY YOUTHS ASSOCIATION, NIGERIA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the corporate affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the corporate affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990

The Trustees Are: 1. IME EKPO - PRESIDENT 2. EDEM CHARLIE EKOTT

The Aims and objectives 1. To promote love, unity and progress within club members.

2. To support programs and activities to promote the club and social development members of the club.

3. To promote interactions and share ideas for the benefits and good life of members of the club.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar-general, Corporate Affairs Commission,plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, Maitama, p.m.b. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : To foster unity and development among the members.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar-general, Corporate Affairs Commission,plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, Maitama, p.m.b. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: IME EKPO PRESIDENT

Signed: ONUCHI E. MPI, ESQ 08163803300

The Trustees Are: 1. Umaru Isah Kanzhi 2. Dr. Musa Mohammad 3. Mallam Hassan Haladu 4. Mallam Mohammad Musa Naibi AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : 1. To promote love, tranquillity, unity and welfare of the members of the Association 2. To empower the members through projecting the image of the youths in our communities 3. To help members individually and collectively to enlighten them on their rights.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission,plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, Maitama, p.m.b. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Francisca Audu; 08034065403

CAVEAT EMPTOR

LEGAL NOTICE

TONBUSIME ORDER OF CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM CHURCH

The mining leases namely SSML 900 and SSML 901 with reference numbers NNSD/MCO/REG/ML/003/1004 and MMSD/MCO/REG/ML/003/1005, comprising of (15) fifteen number Cadastral Units and located at Zurak, Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State belong to KAFFO MINES LTD granted it by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development. Whoever deal with the Mining Leases in whatever way with any individual(s) or company other than the said KAFFO MINES LTD does so at his/her or its own risk.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SODIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

UNITED CHEMICAL DEALERS ASSOCIATION OJOTA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. YAHAYA MORMONI BASHIR 2. CECILIA B. AKU 3. CHIOMA MOMAH 4. WISDOM OKPARA 5. YUSUF ALI BUAL 6. OLUWA SHEYI MOSES 7. KEHINDE ADEGBITE 8. CHUKWU CHRISTIAN

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Mr Osondu Emole 2. Mr. Felix Anyimigbo 3. Mr. Ezi-Nwa Richard Ebere 4. Mr. Ikechukwu Ogochukwu Friday 5. Mr. Osafiele Nduka Jude 6. Prince Boye Adeniran 7. Mr. Olajubu Segun 8. Justice Oyeyinka Ogunlalu 9. Sir Ugwoke Samuel Attaja 10. Mr. Abraham Loveday

-SECRETARY -LEGAL SECRETARY.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:1. To promote unity, cooperation and mutual understanding amongst members.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Chukwu Christian $ Co.

President Secretary Treasurer

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:-

To promote and preach peace, love and unity in the Christian EDITH IJEOMA IHENTUGE Stella Ukwuoma Ihentuge and Chibuzo

Clement Ihentuge Fold.

Federal Ministry of Aviation, Abuja WHO DIED ON THE 17th September, No 22 Dagbana Jikoyi Abuja Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the 2013

The sister and brother of the said deceased Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420

Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within DATED AT ABUJA THIS 17th DAY OF JULY, 2014

SHARIF PLAZA TENANTS ASSOCIATION OF ABUJA

-CHAIRMAN -VICE CHAIRMAN -TREASURER -P. R. O

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Evans Dike - 2. Bob-Manuel Daniel - 3. Kiri, Tamunosiki -

28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: EVANS DIKE; President

WINGS OF HOPE FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Juliana Asipita Okino 2. Elizabeth Ovayoza Abaeze 3. Regina Usman 4. Remi Okino 5. Sarah Okino 6. Josephine Medupin 7. Aishat Isma 8. Sefiya Abubakar 9. Kemi Usman

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:1. To promote unity, cooperation and mutual understanding amongst members.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:1. To support the orphans and the less privilege in the society.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

Signed: BARR. LEO; 07068044750

LEGAL NOTICE

CHILDPLUS CARE AFRICA FOUNDATION

Azalea Girl to Woman Development Initiative

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

EMMANUEL EKWU OchanyaEmmanuel and Edache Emmanuel Gilimor Engineering Nigeria Ltd WHO DIED ON THE 29th December, Obla and Co. Bank of Industry Building 2013

The widow and son of the said deceased

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 17th DAY OF JULY, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SODIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. OSHO SUNDAY 2. ONIFADE JOSHUA OLAOLUWA 3. EYITOMILAYO OSHO 4. AJARE NOAH 5. BELLO OLUKAYODE Aims and objectives: 1. To ensure children across the nation are safe healthy and well nourished.

2. To ensure that they have the opportunity to be educated.

3. To ensure that these children are not neglected and have a right to survival.

4. To protect and secure children’s rights in Africa.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Destiny Chioma Iheukwumere 2. Mrs Geraldine Ekpe-Iko 3. Barr Chidike Iheukwumere The Aims And Objectives: 1. To promote the total growth of the girl child

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

Signed: Secretary

DOCUMENT NOT FOR SALE LOSS of loss OF document DOCUMENT

LOSS OF OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT loss LOSS of document

LOSS of OF document DOCUMENT loss LOSS OF DOCUMENT

This is to inform the general public that the plot N0. 1663w-fe15z-67f1r-1199a-10 file N0. IM 30625 of Block 62, Harper Street Wuse Zone 7, Abuja belonging to ORLANDO JEREMAIAH AGUOCHA is not for sale. All efforts made to trace the said document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station. General public to please take note.

This is to inform the general public of the loss of original certificate No COM/91/202, issued by kano state government (KNSG) situated at kofar ruwa opp bukavu barrack dala district. Belonging to ALH.AHMADU SALGA. All efforts made to trace the said certificate proved abortive .if found, please return to the nearest police station. General public to please take note.

This is to inform the general public of the loss of original land document of 10 hectares park No: 23 D05 offer to Altasu Global Concept indoor and out door event and general recreation located at Karsana North District, Abuja belonging to BAKO SULE. All efforts made to trace the said certificate proved abortive .if found, please return to the nearest police station or call 08065477067. General public to please take note.

68

July 18, 2014

IWOPIN SOCIAL CLUB OF NIGERIA

ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS WOMEN IN NIGER STATE

IBRAHIM ZAMZAM FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above mentioned named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration in accordance with Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act LFN (cap 20)

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the corporate affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990

The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the corporate affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990

The Trustees Are: 1. HON. SARAH JIBRIL 2. HON. SA’ADATU KOLO 3. MRS. LAMI SMITH 4. ALH. AHMED ABUBAKAR 5. MRS. AISHA RANI MAYAKI

The Trustees Are: 1. Abubakar Ibrahim Zamzam 2. Aisha Ibrahim Zamzam 3. Musa Ibrahim Zamzam 4. Ismail Ibrahim Zamzam

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 1. FOYE ADENIYI 2. OSHONIYI WAKEEL OLORUNISHOLA 3. RAFIU BALINA AKEWUSOLA 4. ALAUSA TAIWO OLADELE 5. ODUFESO OLALEKAN ADETOLA 6. NOLA HAMMED OLUKAYODE 7. ODUMADE OLUFAYO NATHANIEL 8. YAYA MOLIKI OLUSHOLA 9. IDOWU SIKIRU SANNI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1 To help in promoting good aspiration of members and create aspiration of love and progress.

2. To help members in planning and executing any social functions.

Any objection should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Irosi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed FOYE ADENIYI

LEGAL NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : 1. TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND BUSINESS INTEREST OF WOMEN OF NIGER STATE

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission,plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, Maitama, p.m.b. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

Signed: SECRETARY

IBAGWA-ANI TOWN UNION ABUJA BRANCH The general public is hereby notified that the above named UNION has applied to the corporate affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990 The Trustees Are: 1. Barr. Moses Ayogu 2. Mr. Christopher Ononugbo 3. Mr. Christian Asogwa AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : 1. To promote the individual and collective welfare of the members.

2. To contribute to meaningful development of our town ibagwa-Ani. 3. To give financial support to members who are in need in accordance with the provision of our constitution.

Signed: M. O. AYOGU, ESQ LEGAL PRACTITIONER, M. O. AYOGU & CO (LEGAL PRACTITIONERS) IKEOHA CHAMBERS

ARENA OF GOD’S DELIVERANCE FELLOWSHIP The general public is hereby notified that the above named FELLOWSHIP has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. EVANG MRS, ROSELINE PATRICK OKOSI 2. NSEOBONG SAMPSON AKPAN 3. ELDER PATRICK PAULINUS OKOSI 4. PASTOR CLETUS GEORGE UMOH 5. MR. OFFIONG EDET INYANG 6. Mr. SYLVESTER ESSIEN UDOFIA 7. EVANG MOSES SUNDAY AKPAN 8. SISTER AGNES, ENIANG AKPASO

(CHAIRMAN) (SECRETARY) (TREASURER) (Member) (Member) (Member) (MEMBER) (MEMBER)

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:1. EVANGELISATIOM OF WORD OF GOD Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: CHAIRMAN

LEGAL NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

OGUNNIYA OKIY (AKA OGUNS OKIY) Florence Okiy NTA Properties and Investment Company Limited WHO DIED ON THE 25th January, 30 A Durosinmi-Etti Drive Lekki, Abuja 2014 The widow of the said deceased

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 17th DAY OF JULY, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SODIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

Anazodo

I formerly known as MISS NdigweAnazodo princess Vivian Ngozi, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS Anazodo Awunor princess vivian Ngozi.

All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

DORIS

I formerly known as MISS DORIS BAJEH, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS DORIS MARKUS. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

ojadah

I formerly known as miss opene ndidi patience, now wish to known and address as mrs ojadah ndidi patience. All former document remain valid. General public take note.

MFON

I formerly known as MISS MFON EVELYN OKON, now wish to known and address as MRS. MFON EVELYN OHIJEAGBON. All former document remain valid. General public take note.

LOSS of OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT LOSS loss OF document

This is to inform the general public of the LOSS OF ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF YAYI SOA FOUNDATION Office N0: 28, Spring Boulevard Street,Suncity Estate, Abuja belonging to Hon. adeola olamilekan solomon got missing. All efforts made to trace this missing document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station.

LOSS of OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT LOSS loss OF document

This is to inform the general public of the LOSS OF ORIGINAL C OF O IN RESPECT OF PLOT 68 GRA DANBATTA TOWN WITH REF. NO. DLG/ADM/9/S.1/V.IV/595 ISSUED BY DANBATTA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KANO STATE BEARING ALH. HABU ABDULSALAM. All efforts made to trace this missing document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station.

ANTHONIA

LOSS of OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT loss LOSS OF document

QUEEN

This is to inform the general public of the loss of original letter of grant/conveyance of approval, acceptance of offer of grant of right of occupancy and acknowledgement of Re-Certification and Re-Issuance of C-OF-O of plot No 559 Sabon Lugbe east, cadastral Zone, Abuja belonging to Engr. Ibrahim Khaleel Inuwa of No 13 Engineers Lane, Sharada NNDC Quarters, Kano. All efforts to trace the documents proved abortive. The authorities concerned (AMAC, AACSTRIS AND FCTA) should please take note. If found please return to the nearest police station

I formerly known as MISS ANTHONIA AIGBIRIOR, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ANTHONIA AIGBIRI0REKE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

I formerly known and called MISS QUEEN IFEYINWA OKONKWO now wish to be known and addressed as MRS QUEEN AMARA OKAFOR. All former documents remain valid. General public should please note.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To provide social and economic empowerment for orphans.

2. To provide a better society for orphans by eliminating all forms of oppressions and discriminations against orphans.

3. To partner with the government and government agencies for adequate protection and preservation of the right of orphans.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission,plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, Maitama, p.m.b. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

CPL CLEMENT NEDISON Vivian Clement guardian to Lilian Clement Nigeria Police Force, Abuja Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrarWHO DIED ON THE 7th January, 2011 Block H Flat 33 Mugadisu Cantonment, general, Corporate Affairs Commission,plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Abuja

The daughters of the said deceased Aguyi Ironsi street, Maitama, p.m.b. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 17th DAY OF JULY, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SODIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

- Chairman - Vice Chairman - Secretary

Society for economic empowerment and entrepreneurship development The general public is hereby notified that the above named development has applied to the corporate affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990 The Trustees Are: 1. Patrick C. Anucha – President 2. Emmanuel David Idagono – Secretary 3. David Anchaver 4. Celestine I. Nwachukwu 5. Paul Omontese AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. Advancement, promotion of social, cultural, economic empowerment, educational, health and sports activities and development 2. To promote the cause of humanitarian, charity and voluntary works and activities.

3. To promote and advance for the mutual understanding love, peace, progress and unity among members and their society.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar-general, Corporate Affairs Commission,plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, Maitama, p.m.b. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: John nwoko, esq Onwuneme & co.

Barristers & solicitors or the supreme court of Nigeria Suit c 14 bobsar complex Area ii Garki, Abuja

Capstone prophetic ministry (Beulah tabernacle) The general public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the corporate affairs Commission Abuja for change under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act no. 1 of 1990 The old Trustees Are: Rev. Adelaja Francis Are Mr. Mark Basseyudo Mr. Aniefiok Asuquo Inyang Mr. Job Tommy Akpan Bro. Jonathan Peter Udo

- Retained - Retained - Resigned - Resigned - Deceased

The new Trustees Are: Dr. Anselem Archibong Nyah Dr. Motilewa Olugbemi Oluseyi Mr. Idongesit Eyibio Akpan

- Elected - Elected - Elected

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME Any objection to this change should be forwarded to the registrar-general, Corporate Affairs Commission,plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street, Maitama, p.m.b. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Anthony f. ebong, esq Ebong-nkanga & associates N0. 33 Ewet Street, Uyo (Solicitor)

LEGAL NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

EKPEZU OLUMBA OLUMBA Mrs. Gloria Ekpezu and Miss Rose Ekpezu Nigeria Custom Service WHO DIED ON THE 14th January, Zone C House No 11 Pipeline Kubwa Abuja 2014

The widow and daughter of the said deceased

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 17th DAY OF JULY, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SODIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

SOLUCHI

I formerly known as MISS SOLUCHI AGU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS SOLUCHI OGUGUA. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

OKWUTU

I formerly known as MISS DINNEYA MERCY CHIMDINDU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OKWUTU MERCY CHIMDINDU. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

DAMILOLA

I formerly known as DAMILOLA BOLAJI, now wish to be known and addressed as DAMILOLA DOLPHYNE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

ALADE

I formerly known as OGUNDARE ADEJUMOKE YETUNDE, now wish to be known and addressed as ALADE ADEJUMOKE YETUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

SPORTS PREVIEWS AND NIGERIANS ABROAD July 18, 2014

NOC Praises NFF Warring Parties For Court Case Withdrawal

BY ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has hailed the warring parties within Nigerian football following the withdrawal of suit which will now see the country escape FIFA ban.

Efforts to get the country off the hook of the world soccer governing body, which were on the verge of placing an outright ban on Nigeria after an initial suspension, yielded dividends as the suit filed by Mrs Ruth Baribote, owner of Nembe City FC was withdrawn late Wednesday.

NOC President, Sani Ndanusa said the move was significant for sports noting that the NFF is one of the sporting federations under the NOC. “We at the NOC are relieved with the latest development because football is like the first of 35 children of the NOC. There is no denying the fact that it (football) is the number one sport in the world and to see Nigeria banned would be very

The Minister of Interior, Comrade Abbah Moro has endorsed the resuscitation of the Nigeria Paramilitary Games by the Nigeria Paramilitary Sports Federation (NIPSFED).

He gave the endorsement when members of the interim management committee of NIPSFED paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

He urged the committee to inject greater zeal that will help propel the idea of reviving the games into action, stressing that the role of sports in

Maigari

sad,” he stated.

The former sports minister also commended Mrs Baribote for allowing sense of reasoning to prevail by withdrawing the case noting that in the first instance, her demands, which ordinarily should have been a prerequisite was overlooked.

“Like I always say, the sporting

circle is like a family and there will always be misunderstandings. But whenever such arises, we should always find a way to settle our differences within the family,” Ndanusa said while referring to the Nigeria Court of Arbitration for Sports (NCAS) which he formed in 2011 as an alternative to a civil court for sport disputes.

nation building and for both mental and physical alertness of paramilitary organisations workforce cannot be over emphasised.

He commended the committee for the noble idea and assured them of his and the Ministry of Interior supports toward the resuscitation of the games.

“I want to thank you for this noble initiative because as they said a healthy nation is a wealthy nation and I think this is a very important idea. Given the significant role sports now play now in the whole world having our version of sports competition

in paramilitary organisations will not only help our people keep fit but add value to our sports development and nation building.

“I am aware that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps are very much active in sports and have won a lot of laurels and honours for the country and the ministry in particular. I am also aware that only recently we have had cause to give promotion and enhance grade to many of them as a way of encouraging them.

“I assure you that anybody that achieves greatness to enhance the greatness of this country will certainly be rewarded,” he stated.

LMC Announces Minor Adjustments To Match Day Fixtures

BY ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

The League Management Company (LMC) has made further adjustments to the fixtures of the remaining games of the 2013/14 Glo Premier League in response to sudden changes in the Federation Cup

Federation Cup: Bayelsa United, Gateway Clash Today In Abuja

BY ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

Interior Minister Approves Resuscitation Of Paramilitary Games

BY SALIFU USMAN, Abuja

must watch

fixtures and stave off possible fixture congestion.

In the new adjustment, Match Day 20 games originally scheduled for Sunday, July 20 has been moved by one week to Sunday, July 27 while Match Day 21 games that would have been played on Sunday, July 27

will now be on the midweek of Wednesday, August 6, Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar who announced the new changes also disclosed further adjustments to the fixture for the games of Match Day 22 and 23.

Nigeria Professional Football League top guns Bayelsa United of Yenagoa and Gateway FC of Abeokuta will now trade tackles today at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja in a 2014 Men Federation Cup Round of 16 match.

Earlier scheduled for yesterday, the game was moved by 24 hours after Gateway FC appealed to the Nigeria Football Federation for time to recover from a Nigeria National League clash with Go-Round FC of Port Harcourt in Abeokuta on Tuesday. “We have decided to move the match to Friday at the same venue since Bayelsa United FC tendered no objection to the appeal,” Ruth David, Head of Federation Cup Unit, said yesterday. Seven matches in the Round of 16 were decided yesterday.

NIGERIANS ABROAD

Ishola Hopes On FIFA For Falconets Minsk FC of Belarus striker c has pleaded with the World football governing body to back down on the planned ban of Nigeria for the sake of the Nigeria U20 Women’s national team, Falconets.

FIFA gave Nigeria until Thursday July 17 to reinstate the Aminu Maigari-led NFF board to avert the impending ban after its earlier announced suspension over government interference on 9 July which affects the Falconets.

The former Ibom Angels forward who has raked in 11 goals in ten games since teaming up with the Belarus Women League club in April, fears the ban of Fifa could be disasterous for Falconets’ players who are expected to participate in the Fifa 2014 Women’s U20 World Cup in Canada.

“The development is unfortunate for Nigeria’s

Ishola

football, but I urge Fifa to forgive the excess of our administrators and protect the future of Nigerian players,” she exclusively told Goal.

“I’m praying and begging Fifa to reconsider its decision to ban Nigeria and also lift the suspension. Our female players need the opportunity to compete at the World Cup so as to gain the opportunity to attract better clubs in Europe.

Willingness to change is a strength, even if it is means plunging part of the company into total confusion for a while.

Chairman and CEO of General Electric

Jack Welch,

70 SPORT

July 18, 2014

Nigeria Telecom Games: Etisalat Begins Title Defense any names.

BY ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

The 2014 Nigeria Telecommunication Games (NTG) kicks off this Saturday with a novelty match between two finance industry giant, Zenith Bank and Konga, a leading trading company.

MediaVision Limited, organizers of the games have been upbeat about the opening day which will they disclosed will also feature a colorful ceremony.

Fela Bank-Olemoh, the CEO of MediaVision said during the week that “arrangements have been finalized to stage a glamorous opening ceremony befitting of the companies participating in one of our flagship events”.

Cup holders, Etisalat Nigeria are poised to defend the trophy they snatched from MTN last year in a thrilling final that ended 1-0. Feelers are that the squad has been strengthened with new sign-ons but our source who pleaded anonymity also insisted on not releasing

Baribote

Mrs Baribote Hearkened To Nigeria’s Pleas – Counsel

BY ACHOR ABIMAJE, Jos

Counsel to Ebiakpo Baribote, Habila Ardzard, has revealed that the Plaintiff had to listen to cries and pleas from Nigerians who did not want FIFA ban on Nigeria to vacate the case she brought to the Jos High Court against the Aminu Maigari led Nigeria Football Federation board.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Friday Sports after the sitting in Jos, the lawyer said that his client had to hearken to pleas by well-meaning Nigerians so that the country would not continue to be under the hammer of FIFA. He said, “My client as a patriotic Nigerian who read the mood of FIFA and more so there is a female World Cup coming up soon as she would not like the country’s interests to be jeopardized by her action.”

A Jos High court had vacated an order, which restrained the Nigeria Football Federation from functioning pending the hearing of a suit challenging the validity of the Aminu Maigari-led NFF Justice Philomena Lot of the Jos high court had, last Friday, issued the injunction, pending the hearing of the suit filed by the proprietor Nembe Football Club, Mrs Ebiakpo Baribote.

The vacation of the order followed a withdrawal of the suit, which had led to the suspension of Nigeria from all football related activists by the world football governing body, FIFA. The withdrawal of the suit was said to have been sequel to appeals made to the plaintiff in the interest of the country.

At a sitting of the court, Justice Lot, vacated the order following a motion filed to that effect by the counsel to the plaintiff.

CAF Moves Eaglets, DR Congo Clash To July 27

BY ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) yesterday moved the 2015 African U-17 Championship qualifying match between Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, set for Lubumbashi, from Sunday, July 20 to Sunday, July 27.

CAF’s decision comes as a welcome relief to the Nigeria Football Federation, whose officials patiently await positive communication from FIFA on the suspension clamped on the country on July 9, due to a court order barring the Aminu Maigari–led Executive Committee from functioning.

On Wednesday evening, in Jos, the case was withdrawn by the plaintiff, and on Thursday, the NFF communicated same to FIFA, praying the suspension be lifted since the principal reason for the clampdown had been met.

In its letter to the NFF, the Federation Congolaise de Football Association (FECOFA), FECAFOOT and the match officials, CAF de-

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria Now 34th Nigeria rose up ten spots to 34th place in the FIFA rankings released on Thursday, courtesy of the Super Eagles’ second round finish at the World Cup in Brazil.

The Eagles are now the third-ranked African side behind Algeria and Cote d’Ivoire who finished in the 24th and 25th positions.

World champions Germany (1) climbed to the top of the pile after defeating Argentina (2) in the showpiece final on July 13. The South Americans are now in second place.

The Netherlands who won bronze at the World Cup rose twelve places to finish 3rd on the rankings as Colombia were also rewarded with a 4th position.

Belgium (5) and Uruguay (6) follow but hosts Brazil dropped four places to finish 7th after a disastrous end to their campaign saw them concede 10 times in two

matches.

Former world champions Spain fell from first place to 8th spot as they crashed out in the group stage. Switzerland dropped three places to finish 9th while France climbed up seven places to the 10th spot.

England dropped ten places to finish in 20th place after their first round elimination.

In Africa, Ghana dropped one place to finish in 38th place and fifth in Africa with Egypt holding onto the 36th spot and fourth in the region.

Cameroon moved up three places to 53rd despite losing all three matches at the World Cup. They are now the eighth highest-ranked African side behind Tunisia (42) and Guinea (51) while Burkina Faso (58) and Mali (60) round up the top ten.

“We have the last year’s victorious squad intact but have also brought in some good players to fortify the team and, sorry, you won’t be getting any names for now until we file out”, were his words.

Continuing, he said, “let me assure you that our captain, Andy Enebeli is still very much around and so also is Solomon Ajala”.

The title defense will start with the first competitive match of the day as they square up against LM Ericsson while MTN Nigeria will renew their quest to reclaim the title in the second game of the day against Airtel. MTN, though lost their soccer gold still emerged the overall best by dominating in other events like Athletics, tennis and scrabble.

For Airtel, it will be another opportunity to improve on their debut appearance as they also want to take their place among the Telecom greats.

Eaglets

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.

Henry ford, founder and president of the Ford Motor Company

clared that it was granting the grace of seven days with high hopes that the suspension on Nigeria would be lifted in a couple of days.

“Following the suspension of Nigeria Football Federation by FIFA few days ago, please be informed that CAF is hopeful that an end to this crisis will be found soon. However, in view of the upcoming match scheduled between DR Congo and Nigeria U-17 national teams on July 20th, 2014 in Lubumbashi, we wish to ensure that the African youth players maintain their chance of playing competitive football for their respective countries. As such, please be informed that CAF decided to postpone the above mentioned match from July 20th to July 27th, 2014.”

The match is the first leg of a 2015 African U-17 Championship qualifying fixture, and is Nigeria’s first step towards defending the world title she won in the United Arab Emirates last year. Venue of the match remains TP Mazembe Stadium, Lubumbashi, and kick-off is 3.30pm Congo time (2.30pm Nigeria time) on the new date.

SPORT 71

July 18, 2014

Chelsea Edge Ahead Of Arsenal In Race For Khedira Chelsea are emerging as frontrunners in the race to sign Sami Khedira as they step up plans to reinforce their midfield.

The Blues have made contact with Real Madrid about discussing a €25 million deal for Khedira, who has only a year remaining on his contract with the Spanish giants.

Chelsea’s move comes as Arsenal’s pursuit of the Germany World Cup winner has stalled due to his salary demands. Khedira is believed to be pushing for a €250,000-a-week plus topup bonuses.

That would make him comfortably the highest paid player at Emirates Stadium, where the top earners are €160,000-a-week duo Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, but he would fit in with the Chelsea wage structure for A-list players.

Jose Mourinho had made Juventus star Paul Pogba his top target to partner Nemanja Matic in central midfield next season but the Italian club’s €75m asking price has put off the west Londoners.

With new signing Cesc Fabregas pencilled in for the No.10 playmaker role next season, Chelsea have begun exploring Khedira as a back-up option to Pogba given his availability and reasonable transfer fee.

Real are willing to offload the 27-year-old for €25m because his contract expires in 12 months’ time, when he could leave on a free transfer. The Champions League holders have failed to make any headway in agreeing a new deal with the German and on Thursday completed the signing of his countryman Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich.

Michu

Napoli Sign Michu

Khedira

Chelsea could be encouraged to bid for Pogba following Antonio Conte’s shock resignation as Juve manager earlier this week, although the situation at the Serie A champions is fluid due to doubts about the future of his team-mate Arturo Vidal. It is unlikely that Juve would cash in on more

Barcelona Have Best Attack In The World – Deulofeu Barcelona’s trio of Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi is better than any other set of attackers in the world, according to young forward Gerard Deulofeu.

Messi has been a part of the Catalunya club’s forward line for nearly a decade, while Neymar only joined last summer in a deal worth €86 million and Suarez’s move from Liverpool is all-but-completed.

Suarez

LATIFAT

I formerly known and called MISS LATIFAT ABEKE ABIDOYE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS LATIFAT ABEKE ABIDOYE IBRAHIM. All former documents remain valid. General public should please note.

Deulofeu, who spent last season impressing at Everton, is expected to get a chance to shine in pre-season for Luis Enrique’s side - Messi is on his post-World Cup holidays, Neymar is out injured and Suarez is banned from all football-related activities.

Although the Spaniard would love to get a chance to shine with the usual suspects sidelined, he stressed he has a lot of educating to complete to match the expected first-choice attacking trio.

“Messi, Neymar and Suarez are three of the best players in the world,” Deulofeu, 20, told reporters. “We can prove that we have the best forward line in the world. I am looking forward to learning from them.

“Suarez is one of the best players in the world, I was fortunate enough to face him in the Premier League and he is a great player: he digs his claws in for the team, he’s hungry - the best players have to be at the best clubs.

“I know I’m not at their level yet, but I have great confidence in myself and I have high hopes for this season.

“We have two current casualties, Neymar and Suarez, but in any case if I don’t work hard enough then other players will play instead of me. If the coach decides to give me the chance to play in their absence then I will take advantage.”

RABIAT

I formerly known as MISS ADEPITAN RABIAT OLUWASEUN now wish to be known and addressed as MRS RABIAT OLUWASEUN MUSTAPHA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

ROTIMI

I formerly known as SAMSON SANDRA, now wish to be known and addressed as ROTIMI SANDRA SAMSON. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

than one of their two prize assets.

Arsene Wenger is ready to pursue alternatives to Khedira as he bids to recruit a proven midfield anchorman this summer, with Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin among those admired by the Arsenal manager.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has announced the signing of Swansea City and Spain forward Michu.

The 28-year-old was a revelation at the Liberty Stadium in his opening season in the Premier League, in 2012-13, but was plagued by injury last campaign and only started 15 times as a result.

The Spaniard has been strongly linked with a move to Serie A this summer - rumours which were solidified when he did not join the club on their pre-season tour of USA - and Swansea confirmed last week that Napoli were in talks over signing Michu.

De Laurentiis finally confirmed the transfer had been completed yesterday.

Open 2014: Mcilroy Leads As Woods Makes Solid Start Rory McIlroy leads the Open after shooting a bogey-free six-under opening round of 66 at Royal Liverpool.

The Northern Irishman has endured an inconsistent spell of recent form, struggling to back up impressive first-round performances the following day.

At Hoylake on Thursday, he produced three birdies either side of the turn to lead Matteo Mannassero by a shot.

Watch Tiger Woods bogey his opening two holes at The Open at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake.

Tiger Woods picked up five birdies in six holes as he carded a three under par opening round of 69.

Asked if it constituted a perfect round, McIlroy told BBC One: “It sort of does, especially in the first round of an Open. I couldn’t ask for anymore.

ASIPITA

I formerly known as MISS ASIPITA MARTHA OMUYA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ASIPITA MARTHA IROKO. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and the general public to please take note.

NNABUGWU

I formerly known as MISS OGUNDARE ADETOUN JOAN, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NNABUGWU ADETOUN JOAN. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

“I stuck to my gameplan, focused on the par fives and tried to pick up other shots. For the most part my ball was under control and I’m very happy.

“I’m playing well, swinging the club really nicely, holed some nice putts and I’ll try to continue to do that and hopefully have another solid round tomorrow. I won’t approach it differently.”

SULAIMAN

I formerly known as MANU ABUBAKAR now wish to be known as SULAIMAN BABBAJI UMAR. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

AWE

I formerly known as MISS AWE OLAJUMOKE SIKIRATU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AWE VICTORIA OLAJUMOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.

Henry ford, founder and president of the Ford Motor Company

Mcilroy

FRANCISCA

I formerly known as MISS FRANCISCA TUMININU EZEDI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS FRANCISCA TUMININU EZEDIGABRIEL. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and the general public to please take note.

ADEMOLA

I formerly known as SANGOWOYE ADEMOLA IDOWU now wish to be known as ADEMOLA OLAITA IDOWU. All former documents remain valid.

F.C.E Zaria, A.B.U. Zaria & National Institute of Management, University of Abuja to please take note.

AMUSEMENT PARK

BUSH IS IN COMMAND. WHEN HE HEARD THAT SECTARIAN MILITIAS HAD KILLED IRAQIS, HE CALLED FOR AN IMMEDIATE INVASION OF SECTARIAN — Bill Maher

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY c

www.leadership.ng

NIGERIA'S FIRST FRIDAY NEWSPAPER

No. 61

azu@leadership.ng Twitter: @azuishiekwene

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18.07.14

Text only: 08052100356

The Debt I Owe, Final Part

I

f the lot had fallen on Ajibola Ogunshola to be the undertaker, not many would have blamed him for the fate of PUNCH. He was 40 when he was appointed director and though he was a star in the insurance world and one of Africa’s leading actuaries, he didn’t not know jack about newspapers, if you get what I mean.

For the three months that I worked there as an intern in 1986 after Olatunji Dare’s note paved the way, our paths did not cross. The Aboderin family was still in turmoil after the passing of the founder, James Olubunmi Aboderin, in 1984 at 49 years of age. He was an extraordinary man whose presence and legacy still loomed large in the premises.

There were other vestiges, too, like the famous armchair of Sam Amuka (fondly called Uncle Sam) tucked away in one corner office in old PUNCH. After the death of the founder, Ogunshola’s uncle, Moyosore Aboderin, who took over, invested not a little fortune to turn the company around, but the prospects remained bleak. The destiny of the Aboderin publishing empire – quite formidable in its heyday – now rested largely on the shoulders of a non-newspaper man who took the helm in 1987 at the age of 43.

I returned in 1989, this time as a cub reporter. At that time, anybody who was really somebody in the newspaper business was most likely a newspaperman or relied heavily on the experience of a newspaperman. This was true of Tribune as it was of Daily Times, New Nigerian, Newbreed or Newswatch.

Of course, there were veterans on the board of PUNCH, like Lekan Are and Lolu Foresythe, together with remnants of the editorial department, especially Ademola Osinubi whose support, temperament and institutional knowledge would be extremely valuable in helping Ogunshola feel his way in the years ahead.

The redemption of the company was, however, simply and

He infused the company with the values of innovativeness and nearobsession for rational thinking. His work ethic makes you stronger, if it doesn’t kill you

squarely the burden of this nonnewspaperman.

He turned this “disadvantage” to an incentive to attack the devil by following the detail. He became not just an avid consumer of the news and how it is produced but also a curator of its destiny by bringing his actuarial training to bear on the business and letting the figures show the way.

I don’t remember which of my stories or feature articles first caught his attention, and I was too small in the system to bother about what the top thought of my work. But, somehow, Ogunshola noticed. After I had been in the PUNCH for nearly one year, the editor, Osinubi, as he then was, called me to his office and said something like, “The chairman is gathering material for a book. He said he wants you to come to Ajele (where his actuarial practice then was) to work with him on it.”

I was confused. At the time, Ogunshola had the reputation of a taskmaster amongst staff.

When he took over as executive chairman, he sacked 400 out of the 600 staff members in one day. I thought sending me to Ajele was putting me up on the supplementary sack list.

But I met a completely different man. He is tough, deep and engaging – a man who calls a spade by its first name. I spent the next 18 months in his office researching, asking questions and

taking notes. This was the inside story of how court battles, family feud and not a few frenemies with long knives brought the founder’s dream dangerously close to the edge.

We toyed with a few names for the book, and I think Ogunshola finally settled for “Against All Odds” – a most fitting title for a book that never was.

Will he revive it at 70? I don’t know. But I know that he has left a trove of living words in my heart – and I believe in the hearts of a number of those who have come across him – to read and to share for the rest of our lives. I can’t thank him enough.

Long before measurement became a hot topic at international journalism conferences, Ogunshola was insisting during heated meetings at the PUNCH that “what cannot be measured cannot be rewarded”. He infused the company with the values of innovativeness and nearobsession for rational thinking.

His work ethic makes you stronger, if it doesn’t kill you. I remember we used to have long meetings in the office on Sunday mornings.

After the Ikeja Cantonment bomb blast left windows in old PUNCH shattered and the building badly shaken, during one of such Sunday meetings, not a few amongst us said it was God’s way of telling “this man” to find better use for his Sundays.

Ogunshola is a man of very strong views. A resenter of collectivism and all shades of middlemen after the Order of Thomas Sowell, he waged trade wars against newspaper agents and advertising agencies for fairer commissions or more transparent practices. Some of these were solo wars, which earned him powerful enemies, while a few were under the umbrella of newspaper publishers of which he was twotime president.

Apart from the crisis after the death of the founding chairman, perhaps one of the most difficult wars was the one against the military. PUNCH was forcibly shut down three times, the third and longest being the one under Sani Abacha, which lasted 18 months.

The paper was bleeding badly and there was pressure on Ogunshola to beg Abacha.

He refused, insisting that the newspaper had done nothing wrong. It was a very, very tough call. I remember him saying afterwards that “if the closure had continued for another three months, the paper would have gone down irretrievably”. But he stood his ground and the rest is history.

In Ogunshola’s life, however, not all history is in the past tense. He is a member of the ongoing National Conference. On June 26, he sent me a text, “Conference has just approved state police”. A defining feature of his 24 years as chairman of PUNCH was not only how to make the paper profitable for shareholders, but also how to use it to provide useful information

and advance rational thinking.

I was editor of PUNCH in 2003 when he asked me to come down from my high horse and personally do a series on state police. He said in light of the security challenges facing the country at the time (a child’s play, in retrospect) he was convinced that decentralising the police was the most sensible option. Then, he said, “We need examples from other parts of the world with similar circumstances as ours to see what lessons can be learnt.”

I did a multiple-part story covering 12 countries and we finished off with an editorial. But Nigeria being Nigeria, nothing got done…and, 11 years later, we’re nearly at the moment of a personal and collective triumph.

I’ve seen Ogunshola dance before, real boogie down. But hardly would you hear him speak of leisure. He once told me, in fact, that he had a problem sleeping because even when he is supposed to be asleep, his mind functions in a waking state.

At 70, he is slowing down. But thanks to a lifestyle of moderation, contentment and exercise – and surely enough money to keep it all together – he is looking good to do at least another 20 years.

The non-newspaperman has paid his dues, with some change to the bargain. Long may your legacies endure, Ba’royin of Ibadan.

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