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Saturday, November 1, 2014
BONUSPACK $1.1 80 kmh billion
THE TAKE-AWAYS THIS WEEK
KEEPSAKES
FASTFORWARD
Estimated speed of the sailfish, swordfish and the Marko shark.
BesT PlAyers IN eNGlIsH PremIer leAGue HIsTOry PlAyer
COuNTy
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100.
Wales France Ireland England English Portugal France France Holland UK UK UK Denmark UK Ivory Coast UK UK Uruguay Ivory Coast UK
SEEN & OVERHEARD
Insults
Billy is the one person I know who could hear someone giving him the finger. MICKEY MANTLE
He called me a ‘rapist recluse’. I’m not a recluse. MIKE TYSON
UK UK Belgium France UK Serbia UK Italy Netherlands Wales UK UK Argentina UK Spain UK Netherlands UK France UK Spain Holand UK UK Spain UK France UK UK Spain Argentina Finland France UK German France UK Serbia UK Czech Republic Italy Denmark Argentina UK France Croatia UK Bulgaria France UK UK Australia Portugal UK UK South Africa UK UK UK UK UK France UK UK UK Italy Spain Italy Ireland UK Ireland Nigeria UK Germany France USA UK UK
please cut along this line and keep
ENGLISH PHRASES Fine
I think you’re the biggest moron I’ve ever met in my life. And living round here, that’s really saying something.
IAN BEALE please cut along this line and keep
Ryan Giggs Thiery Henry Roy Keane Alan Shearer Paul Scholes Cristiano Ronaldo Patrick Vieira Eric Cantona Dennis Bergkamp Frank Lampard Steven Gerrard John Terry Peter Schmeichel Wayne Rooney Didier Drogba Ashley Cole Rio Ferdinand Luis Suarez Yaya Toure Tony Adams David Beckham UK Gary Neville Andy Cole Vincent Kompany Robert Pires Robbie Fowler Robin Van Persie Holland Nemanja Vidic Gary Speed Gianfranco Zola Jaap Stam Gareth Bale David Seaman Matt Le Tissier Sergio Aguero Ian Wright Cesc Fabregas Teddy Sheringham Ruud Van Nistelrooy Jamie Carragher Claude Makelele Michael Owen Xabi Alonso Edwin Van Der Sar Dwight Yorke Dennis Irwin David Silva Sol Campbell Emmanuel Petit Les Ferdinand Mark Hughes Fernado Torres Pablo Zabaleta Sami Hyppia Patrice Evra Ledley King Jurgen Klinsmann Marcel Desailly Lee Dixon Branislav Ivanovic Gary Pallister Peter Cech David Ginola Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Carlos Tevez Steve Bruce Marc Overmars Luca Modric Nicky Butt Dimitar Berbatov Nicolas Anelka Steve McManaman Peter Beardsley Tim Cahill Ricardo Carvalho David Batty Michael Carrick Lucas Radebe Jimmy Floyd Hassel-baink Paul Ince Joe Hart Martin Keown Gus Poyet Graeme Le Saux Nigel Winterburn David James Roberto Di Matteo Pepe Reina Paolo Di Canio Shay Given Chris Sutton Robin Keane Jay-Jay Okocha Kevin Phillips Michael Ballack Freddie Ljungberg Tim Howard Phil Neville Scott Parker
JUST UNBELIEVABLE Amount of money Leonard Lauder donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2013.
Advice
Try not to have bosses if you can avoid them. Or have your manager deal with them.
PARIS HILTON
Never talk to strangers unless you know them really, really well. LOWELL MARTHER
If you are out on a ship during a thunderstorm, don’t sit under a tree.
SPIKE MILLIGAN
Business
I have a few business ideas. For a nominal fee, I provide a service where I will eat and describe pork to kosher people.
DAVID CROSS
Dell wants me to stand in a market flogging raincoats with ‘Dry clean only’ on the label. Puts the punters right off!
RODNEY TROTTER
What we are doing is in the interest of everybody, bar possibly the consumer. Aer LINGUS
Countries-general
What Iran needs now is a more modern leader - a mullah lite. SHAPPI KHORSANDI
I love the Australian flag: Britain at night. JERRY SEINFELD
Keep good relations with Grecians. GEORGE W. BUSH
Cut/run it/things fine To leave oneself with very little time to complete a task, reach a destination, etc. Captain Slasher, with a hired barouche and four black screws, all jibbing and pulling different ways - the barouche full of miscellaneous foot cornets in plainclothes (full of creases of course), dashes down East Street, and nearly scatters his cargo over the road, by cutting it fine between Squire Jorum’s carriage and post. Fine feathers Beautiful clothes: from the proverb fine feathers make fine birds. I was just thinking how tired she looked, plucked of all her fine feathers. The finer points The more detailed or complex aspects of something. Many economists experts in the finer points of judging small-time savings, or the effect of taxation in determining net resource costs, have only the haziest idea of costs. One finest hour One’s greatest achievement or moment of glory. And still that rich reflection’s boundless blaze wins, fixes, facinates the admiring gaze! And casts as it were, his crown from off his brow, to jewel earth and air thus richly now and is himself, in this finest hour. Fine words Eloquent sentiments and compliments, especially when regarded as inadequate without more substantial support. There had been no real affection either in his language or manners. Sights and fine words had been given in aboundance; but she could hardly devise any set of expressions, or fancy any tone of voice, less allied with real love. One fine day At some unspecified or random point in a course of events. One fine day after dinner, Mrs Percy proposed, that instead of sitting longer in the house, they should have their dessert of strawberries in some pleasant place in the lawn or wood. Not to put too fine a point on it To speak plainly or bluntly: with allusion to the tip of a weapon. Don’t be angry; but it was generally supposed that you were - in short, dead; and, not to put too fine a point upon it, the Princess is going to marry another Prince - a nice, wellbehaved young man - plays the flute, does worsted work, wears goloshes. Have/get something down to a fine art To refine one’s skill or ability in an activity by experience. (Rapinus) Come sit down. How long have you professed surgery? I never saw you practice it before. (Lucinda) I learnt it from a child. (Rapinus) Its a fine art and well, it does become a ladies hand, gentle to touch a wound.
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
Friendly: Agbim Leads Home Boys Against Ghana Stories By Salifu Usman, Abuja
Gombe United goalkeeper, Chigozie Agbim will lead the Super Eagles Team B in an international friendly to commission the eye – popping Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo on Friday, November 7. Coach Stephen Keshi has also called up Emem Eduok and Mfon Udoh, the two men in the hot chase for the Top Scorer’s award in this year’s Premier League, as well as Gbolahan Salami, Rabiu Ali, Christian Pyagbara, Bright Esieme, Umar
Zango, Solomon Kwambe and Azubuike Egwuekwe in a 24 –man squad. The players are to report at the Le Meridien Hotel, Uyo on Monday, 3rd November, 2014. Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Gombe United); Daniel Akpeyi (Warri Wolves); Theophilus Afelokhai (Kano Pillars) Defenders: Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars); Idris Aloma (ElKanemi Warriors); Chimma Akas (Sharks FC); Nelson Ogbonna (Heartland FC); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Erhun Obanor (Bendel Insurance); Bright Esieme
Eagles: Keshi Swallows
Pride, Invites Ike Uche For Congo, S/Africa
Matches
Reinstated Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has invited Villarreal of Spain hot striker, Ikechukwu Uche and 24 other players for the mustwin 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against the Red Devils of Congo and Bafana Bafana of South Africa. The respected, Spain –based striker was called for the first time in nearly two years due to public pressure mounted on Stephen Keshi for his return. Keshi had severally accused the Villareal man of turning down the opportunity to play for his country and had said would never be invited again. With Uche’s top form in his club, he was expected to make the squad to the World Cup but he was overlooked while Keshi took along strikers considered to be in poorer form. “I don’t want to talk about the issue of Ikechukwu Uche again and I don’t want anybody to ask me about him again,” Keshi stated in one of the media parleys with
sports journalists in Abuja before the game against Sudan. In the list released yesterday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), there was also a first senior team opportunity for Nasarawa United midfielder, Tony Edjomari. Home –based defender Solomon Kwambe also returned and Aaron Samuel, who got one of the goals against Sudan, Hope Akpan, Sunday Emmanuel and home –boy Emem Eduok have further chances after being called for the matches against the Falcons of Sudan. Also invited for the games are skipper and first choice keeper, Vincent Enyeama, Godfrey Oboabona, Elderson Echiejile, Ogenyi Onazi and Mikel Obi. Others are Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Emenike and Babatunde Michael. All the players are expected to report at the Bolton White Apartments, Wuse, Abuja on Sunday, 9th November.
Ike Uche
Kifasi Tasks New FEPSGA Leadership On Transparency Head of service of the federation and pillar of sports in the public service of Nigeria, Danladi Kifasi has charged the new executive of the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA) under the leadership of Comrade Hassan Dahiru ensure transparency and prudence in the management of the association’s resources. He said this is the only way they can justify the confidence reposed in them by the members of the association. Kifasi, who stated while inaugurating the new executive committee of the body, urged the new leadership of the association to focus on achieving results and continuously improving their performance.
Kifasi, who was represented by Alhaji Muhammed Abass, permanent secretary career management office, noted that part of FEPSGA’s activities is to contribute to the mental alertness and physical fitness of the workforce in the public service thereby enhancing higher productivity and pledge support to the body. “As our sports ambassadors, you deserve every support, encouragement and motivation to enable you give your best in this assignment. I urged all the ministries, departments and agencies of government to support their various sports unity to enable participate well in FEPSGA activities,” he said.
He called on those who lost in the elections that produced the new leadership of FESPGA to accept their defeat in good faith, saying in every competition, there are winners and losers. “I understand those who lost in the elections had raised some issues to drive home their grievances, because nobody contests an election with intention to fail. This does not preclude the fact that whenever there is an election, there are winners and losers. “Therefore, it is courageous for those who have lost to show maturity and spirit of sportsmanship for the benefit of all sports loving civil servants,” he added.
Kifasi
(Enyimba FC); Umar Zango (Kano Pillars) Midfielders: Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC); Charles Henlong (Giwa FC); Joseph Nathaniel (Sharks FC); Stanley Dimgba (Warri Wolves); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Chinedu Udeaga (Enugu Rangers); Kingley Sokari (Enyimba FC); Tony Edjomari (Nasarawa FC) Forwards: Mfon Udoh (Enyimba FC); Christian Obiozor (Enugu Rangers); Gbolahan Salami (Warri Wolves); Osaguona Ighodaro (Enugu Rangers); Emem Eduok (Dolphins FC).
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NPFL Title Race: Kano Pillars Fix Sight on Dolphins, Enyimba Tie Kano Pillars attacking midfielder, Azeez Shobowale has stated that his side will be keenly interested in the outcome of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) week 37 tie between Dolphins and Enyimba in Port Harcourt tomorrow. The defending champions have their own tough hurdle to overcome against the bottom-placed side, Nembe City tomorrow at the Kano Pillars Stadium in Sabongari, Kano, Shobowale said though his side are not losing sleep over the tie against Nembe City but it is the outcome of the tie between Dolphins and Enyimba that will determine whether or not his side will be champions for a consecutive three times. “Of course, we’ll be interested in the outcome of the clash between Dolphins and Enyim-
ba as the game will most likely shape a lot of things including our ambition to be champions again. “We discovered that Pillars are not the only one likely to keep tabs on the game as Warri Wolves too are going to monitor the game as its outcome will be decisive on their continental ambition. “However, we’re at the moment concentrating on winning the encounter against Nembe City, we’re not concerned with the goal margin but the maximum three points. “We don’t want an ugly scenario that will see us fell to the sucker punches of Nembe City as a result of loss of concentration. “We won’t underrate Nembe City as they could play the spoilers with absolutely nothing to lose. Dolphins players
Dolphins Vows To Boycott Enyimba Tie
Local league action between Kano Pillars and Crown FC
Clubs’ Registration: LMC Adopts ‘No Pay, No Play’ condition In apparent reaction to the spate of protests and threats of strike by players of some Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Clubs, the League Management Company (LMC) has warned that clubs found to be in breach of financial obligations to players will not be registered for the 2014/15 league season. Chairman of LMC, Hon. Nduka Irabor emphasized that ‘a no pay, no play’ policy will be adopted in the registration process for the coming season and noted that all clubs seeking registration must provide proof that there are no overdue payables especially to the players. He said the zero tolerance for clubs’ indebtedness to players will cover current and former players of the clubs. Irabor made this clear in a recent
communication to Club Managers and Owners and reminded them that compliance to the Financial Criteria is a fundamental requirement for club registration under the Licensing Conditions. He said the mandatory compliance with licensing regulations has been reiterated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) which also recently warned that Clubs that are not licensed by the Federation would not be registered to compete in CAF Inter-Club competitions. The LMC Chairman harped on the issue of players’ welfare which he said is a fundamental requirement under club licensing regulations and expressed displeasure that some Clubs have been cited in cases of non-fulfilment of contractual obligation to players.
Players of Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt have vowed not to honour tomorrow’s Nigeria Professional Football League match against Enyimba at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt. The players’ decision is built around the club management’s non-payment of part of their sign-on fees last season as well as for the ongoing league season in form of enhanced salary. The players also claim they are owed two months salaries. One of the players said on condition of anonymity that they have made their intention to boycott the match known to the management except their demands are ur-
gently addressed on or before match day. “We’re ready to boycott the encounter against Enyimba on Sunday if nothing is done in good time to offset our arrears of salaries as well as signing-on-fees. “The management is aware of our position as far as the match on Sunday is concerned. “Since we returned from Benin in the match day 36 clash 1-3 loss at Bayelsa United we’ve not trained which underscores the seriousness we attach to the threat to stay away from the match if nothing is done to our satisfaction. “So if we’ve not trained after four days we came back
from Benin how can we play the match against Enyimba on Sunday. “We’re worried that if we don’t push for the payment of our outstanding entitlements now with two matches left on the calendar it will be near impossible to get any reprieve once the season is over. “Right now we’re not concerned with the match against Enyimba on Sunday but our entitlements,” said the unnamed player to supersport. com. Dolphins are seventh on the 20-team elite league log on 54 points from a possible 108 at the end of week 36 matches.
AFCON Qualifier: Uganda Vows To Shock Ghana Uganda coach Milutin Srejodevic believes his relatively unknown side will shock Ghana in next month’s 2015 AFCON qualifier clash in Kampala. The Cranes will be hosting the Black Stars on November 15 in a must win game to enhance their chances of automatic qualification for next year’s finals. Uganda managed to pick a point off Ghana in their first leg meeting in the opening Group E game in the qualifiers. And Srejodevic is confident his side will rise up to the challenge once more and beat the star-studded Black Stars team just like the biblical David vrs Goliath story. “The game against Ghana on November 15 is like a David and Goliath battle where my Uganda team will shock everybody after the game,” Sredojevic told Goal Ghana. “We are fully aware of the threat Ghana come along with because there are a lot of individual qualities in their team and they are the only country to draw with world champions Germany at the 2014 Fifa World Cup, but we will not be pushovers. “We have our nation to protect and make the peo-
ple happy because this is a perfect opportunity to do so.” Uganda are desperate for a win against Ghana to boost their chances of automatic qualification to the 2015 AFCON. The Cranes are currently third in Group E with just four points with two games remaining.
Black Stras
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
CIMB Classics: Westwood Ace Keeps Him In Hunt
Westwood
Lee Westwood conjured the shot of the day with a hole-in-one on a 225-yard par 3 to jump into contention at the halfway stage of the CIMB Classic in Malaysia yesterday. Westwood’s seven-under-par 65 brought the former world No 1 to within just three shots of leader Billy Hurley III. The Englishman is one of seven players tied for third at seven-under, including Spanish star Sergio Garcia and defending champion Ryan Moore.
Westwood, who had shot a level-par 72 in round one, pulled a rescue club for the 11th hole at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. He promptly knocked the tee shot in, and with five birdies the lowest day-two score in the field. “That was obviously the highlight of the round, the great shot at 11,” said Westwood, 41, who won on the same course in the Malaysian Open in April. The unheralded Hurley carded his second straight round of 67 to take the lead at an overall 10-under, with American compatriot Kevin Streelman two strokes back in sole second place. The 196th-ranked Hurley, who served in the United States Navy for five years, said he had to maintain his focus as there were ‘still 36 of holes of golf left’. “You know, two-shot lead is better than a one-shot lead, but it’s not quite as good as a fourshot lead. You always want to have more,” he said. “If I can keep hitting it in the fairway and keep putting like I have, then I think I’ll be right there on Sunday.” Garcia, who is looking to maintain a solid run of form this year that has him ranked fourth in the world, managed a 68 to lie at seven-under, level with Westwood.
Athletics Kenya Await Jeptoo’s Drug Bust Reports Athletics Kenya will comment on reports Chicago Marathon champion Rita Jeptoo has failed a drug test only if they receive official communication from world body, IAAF or the World AntiDoping Agency. Reports surfaced online late Thursday that Jeptoo, 33, who successfully defended her Chicago crown on October 12 by running 2:24:35 to clinch the World Marathon Majors USD500, 000 jackpot, had her A-Sample test positive for a banned substance throwing the country and the entire distance running fraternity to a spin. According to RunBlogRun.com, Rita Jeptoo Jeptoo who also won April’s Boston Marathon in a world lead- September pending results from ing and lifetime best of 2:18:57 her B-Sample. “We will only speak about the on April 21 to also retain her title from last year, failed an out of matter when we receive notificacompetition test administered in tion from IAAF or WADA. I have
seen the online report but we do not want to pre-empt anything since of the seriousness of the matter,” AK president, Isaiah Kiplagat, told SuperSport.com Friday in Nairobi. Jeptoo was at AK’s Riadha Headquarters on Thursday but Kiplagat said, “She could have come here for other things because as far as I know, she was to travel for the (WMM) awards ceremony in New York.” However, credible reports indicate she is still in the country with Kenya having an anxious wait since if confirmed by authorities, Jeptoo will simply be the highest profile athlete from the distance running giants to fail a drug test, further throwing aspersions to the credibility of their runners who have dominated marathon running in the last decade.
Borussia Dortmund
BVB Still Heavyweight - Bayern Muguruza
Muguruza Beat Pennetta To Advance Garbine Muguruza moved a step closer to the semi-finals of the ongoing season-ending WTA Tournament of Champions by beating favourite Flavia Pennetta of Italy 0-6, 6-1, 6-1. The Spanish player, who broke serve five times and saved 10 of 13 break points on her own serve, is now the only undefeated player in her Serdika group.
Muguruza will wrap up her round robin schedule on Friday against Alize Cornet of France who stayed alive in her bid for a semifinal spot by defeating top-seeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 6-1, 6-4. Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia is facing Germany’s Andrea Petkovic later on Thursday in the Sredets group.
Borussia Dortmund, languishing in 15th place in the Bundesliga, received an unexpected pep talk from league rivals Bayern Munich, despite frosty relations between the two clubs who face each other in the league today. Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, whose team have snapped up Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski from Dortmund in two years and have also set their sights on Marco Reus, has been locked in a war of words with Dortmund officials for months. Rummenigge infuriated Dortmund when he publicly revealed the amount of Reus’ buyout clause at Dortmund a few months ago. Earlier this week Rummenigge
had made his latest advance for Reus, saying Bayern “could potentially be interested” in signing the talented Germany international. The strained ties have also led to the traditional pre-game lunch between both clubs’ bosses to be scrapped. On Friday, however, Rummenigge heaped praise on Dortmund, saying the Ruhr valley club was still a heavy hitter in the Bundesliga despite their dip in form. “Even with Borussia Dortmund facing some problems in the league, the league table does alter the importance of this game,” he told the club’s magazine. “I am certain that Dortmund will easily qualify for the Champions League this season and that is
a good thing,” said Rummenigge, a former Germany captain and Bayern striker. Last season’s runners-up Dortmund, who won the Bundesliga in 2011 and the domestic double in 2012 before reaching the Champions League final in 2013, have lost six of their nine league this season and are 14 points behind leaders Bayern. They are, however, top of their Champions League group with three wins form three games. “German football needs stable teams and even though club bosses at both clubs have had better relations in the past, I am saying this with full conviction: I have great respect for Borussia Dortmund.
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I’ll Quit Liverpool Unless- Gerrard Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard says he will leave Anfield for another club in the summer if he is not offered a new contract. Gerrard joined the Liverpool academy at the age of nine and has made almost 700 first-team appearances for the Reds but his current deal expires in the summer. The 34-year-old has played in all of Liverpool’s Premier League
and Champions League games so far this season. But Gerrard has confirmed he would not retire if he is not offered a contract extension in the summer and will sign elsewhere. “I can only worry about this season because I’m only contracted until May,” Gerrard stated. “As it stands at the moment, I’m here until the end of the season and want to make the most
of it. I certainly won’t be retiring this summer. I will play beyond this season. “We will have to wait and see if that’s at Liverpool or somewhere else. That’s Liverpool’s decision. If they don’t come then I will see what’s out there.” Gerrard also defended Liverpool’s purchase of striker Mario Balotelli, a transfer which was described as a ‘panic buy’ by his former Liverpool teammate and Sky
Sports pundit Jamie Carragher. Balotelli has only scored twice in 12 appearances and has failed to score in seven Premier League outings but Gerrard believes it was always going to be difficult to follow Luis Suarez at Anfield and that it will take time for the Italian to settle at the club. Geoff Shreeves met with Steven Gerrard to talk about the highs and lows of his career with Liverpool “You have to respect Jamie’s opinion,” he said. “He knows football but it’s too early to get on Mario’s back.
Steven-Gerrard
Lebron Falters In Emotional Return To Cleveland Carried onto the floor by an emotional ovation building for years, LeBron James is back where he began. Introduced to a deafening roar from Cleveland fans, James was welcomed back yesterday by a city desperate to end a championship drought that’s about to turn 50 years old. James came back to try and end it, and his journey is underway. That’s when James, the last starter announced, walked onto the floor in a Cavs uniform for a regular season game for the first time in four years. Nearly four months since proclaiming “I’m coming home” and shifting the NBA’s balance of power, James is again playing in front of family, friends and the Cleveland fans, which had their hearts broken when he left for Miami four years ago. “None of us should take this moment for granted,” a relaxed James said following Cleveland’s “This is probably one of the biggest sporting events ever. I don’t feel it, but I know it is.” A crowd of 20 000-plus fans with some paying as much as $5 000 for a ticket - packed the venue, which was updated during the offseason with a gigantic, fire-spewing scoreboard to welcome home James. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the best moments came before the game, as James played poorly and the Cavs were beaten 95-90. James had eight turnovers, missed 10 shots and was not in sync with his new teammates. “I’m glad it’s over,” James said.
Lebron James
Manchester derby
Manchester Derby Preview The stage is now set for one of the English Premier League’s biggest match, the Manchester derby pitching defending champions Manchester City against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow. History favours United, while City are the current title holders and would stop at nothing to defend their crown as well as claim bragging rights. After a wobbly start by United and mixed fortunes for City, there’s much more at stake than bragging rights in this 168th meeting. Hurt by a run of three games without win, Manuel Pellegrini’s side will attempt to reassert their authority against their derby rivals from the first whistle. City blew away a two-goal lead to draw at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. At home, they fell six points behind league leaders Chelsea after losing at West Ham United. Adding to their pain, Newcastle United knocked City out of the League Cup with a 2-0 win. However City will be encouraged by last season’s two victories over David Moyes’ United. Louis van Gaal’s side head into this week-
sea and West Brom. Phil Jones is a doubt with shin splints but Jonny Evans, Antonio Valencia and Radamel Falcao could all feature.
end’s blockbuster clash on the back of a 1-1 draw with leaders Chelsea. Home draws are often rarely celebrated with as much jubilation, but Robin van Persie’s late equaliser against the log-leaders could just be the tonic that United needed to return to their old form. United have endured a torrid time away from home so far this season and are six games without a win on the road in the league, their worst run for 18 years. However a win at the Etihad would take them to within a point of their rivals. Team news: Manchester City will miss their Spanish talisman David Silva after going off against Newcastle with a knee injury. The good news through for City is that tough-as-teak midfielder Yaya Toure is expected to feature despite being substituted in the second half as a precaution over a groin complaint. Manchester United will welcome back their captain, Wayne Rooney after serving the three-match ban that followed his red card against West Ham. Michael Carrick could also start after sitting on the bench against Chel-
What players said “I think it is a good game because always when you play a derby your motivation is 100 percent. It is going to be difficult because they are a very good team. They have new players, good players, but we believe we can believe we can win and we need to show that. I am 25 on Sunday and the best gift for me is a victory in the derby,” said City forward, Stevan Jovetic. “It’s pretty obvious what this match means to the fans and the club. English Premier League Fixture Time
Today’s Matches
1:45
Newcastle Vs Liverpool
5:00
Hull City vs Southampton
5:00
Leicester City Vs West Brom
5:00
Chelsea Vs Queens Park Rangers
5:00
Everton Vs Swansea City
5:00
Stoke City Vs West Ham
5:00
Arsenal Vs Burnley
Suarez Set For Barca Home Debut Luis Suarez will make his competitive home debut as La Liga leaders Barcelona look to put the disappointment of their defeat to Real Madrid last weekend behind them against Celta Vigo on Saturday. The Catalans’ defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu was their first in the league since coach Luis Enrique left Celta in May to take charge at the Camp Nou and brought Barca back into a five-strong pack at the top of the table separated by just two
points. Suarez returned from a fourmonth ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup to make his Barca bow against Madrid and had a positive immediate impact as he set up Neymar’s early opener. The Uruguayan also produced a sublime assist for Gerard Pique as Barca lifted the Catalan Supercup with victory on penalties over Espanyol in midweek and Luis Enrique has been impressed with Suarez’s
contribution so far. “He played very well, he made the right decisions most of the time and was always involved our play,” said Luis Enrique. “His movement was good and he was desperate to play, as were the rest of the squad.” Lionel Messi and Neymar were given a rare night off on Wednesday, but will return to form their deadly partnership with 20 goals and 12 assists between them in 12 games so far this season.
Suarez
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
Children and health officials cutting the symbolic cake during the Race for Survival event at the Katsina Township Stadium, Katsina State.
Infant Mortality: Involving Children In Calls For Action Recently, the Katsina State office of Save the Children International (SCI), an international non-governmental organisation at the forefront of the protection of children, organised the annual Race For Survival event, where issues that border on child survival for development dominated discussions. In this piece, MUAZU ELAZEH, examines the race and other critical issues.
N
igeria and indeed, many other third world countries have been regarded as not-so-good places to grow up, essentially because of the harsh economic realities and the high rate of infant mortality. From child killer diseases to lack of access to basic necessities like education, healthcare delivery, recreation and other social amenities, the story of a typical Nigerian child is that of deprivation. The statistics for child mortality are not only alarming but understandably worrisome, as they indicate that in developing countries like Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African nations, no fewer than 830,000 deaths occurred annually; an average of 93 deaths of newly born babies per hour, due to an array of factors including of course, decline in breast feeding. The need to address some of the issues impeding smooth growth and development of the child has necessitated key development partners and nongovernmental organisations to spearhead the battle of eliminating challenges confronting children.
Indeed, it was in furtherance of its commitment to addressing such challenges and in line with the need to support the realisation of the millennium development goals (MDGs), especially goal 4 which seeks to reduce infant mortality, that the SCI organised “Race For Survival”. Essentially, Race for Survival is an event organised the world over in which children participate in a symbolic race in an attempt to draw the attention of political leaders and persuade them to take steps towards tackling preventable child deaths, hunger, and malnutrition. The 2014 race was used as an opportunity to focus on state level commitments towards achieving the MDGs in Nigeria, with messages centred more on the achievements of MDGs 4 and what governments can do within the 500 day countdown to the end of the MDGs. With the end of the MDGs drawing near, Nigeria has recorded some progress, but still has a long way to go in achieving the MDGs, especially MDG 4. According to the NDHS 2013, Nigeria’s under-5 mortality rate
has decreased from 201 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2003 to 128 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013. Infant mortality rate has decreased from 100 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2003 to 69 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013, of which 29 per cent of deaths under-5 occur during neo-natal period (37 deaths per 1,000 live births) and 24 per cent occur during the postneonatal period (31 deaths per 1,000 live births). Addressing participants and a host of development partners who gathered at the Katsina township stadium for the race, country director of Save The Children International (SCI), Mr Ben Foot, said although Nigeria has made some appreciable progress in reducing infant mortality, its achievement is not enough to meet MDGs objectives. Foot said Nigeria appears far from the target of reducing under-5 mortality by two-thirds from the 1990 figure, stressing that death from birth to 28 days has not been reduced significantly. Represented by Binyam Gebru, the country director said, “if Nigeria puts its act togeth-
er and continues to deliver on its commitment and translate those commitments to action, Nigeria can dramatically reduce under-5 mortality.” He said the nation could take lessons from its fight against Ebola, which led to it being certified Ebola-free stressing, “We have also learnt that the healthcare system in Nigeria is working. “Running the Race For Survival will give children a platform to call their leaders to action and put a spotlight on children living in the world’s toughest places, far from health services, in conflict affected areas or urban slums.” Foot said the SCI has successfully saved the lives of over 30,000 children in Katsina State, who could have been lost to severe acute malnutrition, through its famous Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme. He insisted that the NGO was fighting for children’s right to health, nutrition, education and right to protection, noting “Race For Survival comes from a conviction that survival should not be a race but a right.”
Running the Race For Survival will give children a platform to call their leaders to action and put a spotlight on children living in the world’s toughest places
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
Osu Caste System: How It Affects Marriages In The S/East The Osu caste system is an age-old practice in South Eastern Nigeria that discourages social interaction and marriage with an ostracised group of persons. David aduge-ani, stanley uzoaru and okechukwu obeta write on the plight of the stigmatised individuals The practice of the outcast system popularly known as the Osu tradition in Igbo land dates back to the era of slave trade and war in the eastern states where victors took away their enemies as slaves, some of the slaves in turn were sacrificed to the gods and later branded “Osu” in their new settlement. The Osu caste system has prevented many young men and women from the South East from marrying people of their choice. This tradition has not only led to a high number of ladies and young men remaining unmarried, it has equally led to frustration among this group. In 2012 for instance, Emeka a businessman who lives in Spain, through a friend, met a young lady called Amarachi who lives in Abuja on facebook and fell in love with her and their love kept growing day by day. They spoke every day on phone and exchanged messages and pictures on facebook. The love they had for each other even increased when Emeka and Amarachi realised they are from the same state – Anambra and even from almost the same community. While Emeka is an indigene of Amichi town in Nnewi local government, Amarachi is an indigene of Igboukwu in Aguata local government area. LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that Amichi is a stone throw from Igboukwu community and people in both communities go to each other’s markets. “We had the interest of each other because of the closeness of our communities to each other. We courted for about seven to eight months before we finally agreed to marry each other,” Emeka told LEADERSHIP Weekend. He said after months of courtship they arranged for a proper introduction in their family home. So he returned home from Spain while Amarachi travelled from Abuja to meet him in Lagos, so that they could travel to the village on the fixed date for the ceremony. Every necessary arrangement was made in the village of the wife-tobe for the marriage introduction. All her brothers and sisters equally returned to the village for the ceremony. “We met in Lagos in my brother’s house; she actually travelled from Abuja to meet me. This was to enable us make all the arrangements and also for us to travel together to the village for the formal
introduction. We also arranged on how the introduction was going to be conducted, including the payment of the dowry and other matters. “However, on the fixed day, when my family members and I visited the home of my would-be in-laws, we noticed an unusual reception from the family members. When we asked for our would-bewife, we were told that she went somewhere, which was unusual. My family members were not treated well during and even after our discussion on the marriage introduction; we were told not to worry about the marriage anymore but to go back home and wait for a feedback from them. Up till this moment, I tell you that feedback never came from the family of the wife I wanted to marry,” he narrated. Amarachi told LEADERSHIP Weekend that even before the arrival of the family of her groomto-be on the fixed date for the introduction, her family had already concluded that the marriage would not take place because the man who wanted to marry her is from an ‘Osu’ family. “On our way home for the introduction ceremony, I received a call from one of my brothers to inform me that the marriage introduction was not going to work out, because my family discovered that the man in question is from the family of ‘Osu’ caste. So the kindred had already met and concluded that the marriage would not hold. On the scheduled date for the marriage introduction, I was locked inside a room in the family compound to prevent me from meeting the man who wanted to marry me or any member of his family during their visit,” she said. After the incident, every effort made by both Amarachi and Emeka for the marriage to take place proved abortive. “Because we loved each other and wanted the marriage to work out, we did everything possible. For instance, we visited a Rev Father in our village church and the traditional ruler of my village. Our Rev Father even advised us that the only way he could wed us in the church was for us to go to a court and pay the dowry there and then collect an evidence of payment that we are married. He said with that, he would have a reason to wed us. However, all the efforts we made did not yield any positive result,” she said.
HRM Igwe Emmanuel Nnabuife, traditional ruler of Isseke Kingdom, Ihiala local government area of Anambra State.
LEADERSHIP Weekend also gathered that there was a man in the same Igboukwu village who married a woman from an Osu family. Before the marriage, every effort to prevent him from marrying the woman was fruitless as the man went ahead and married the woman. What the family did after the marriage was to excommunicate the man from the family. They even gave him another surname different from that of the original family and was asked to pack out of the family compound to another land where the man lived with the wife till his death recently. In Imo State, the practice still prevails as several efforts by both traditional and religious institutions to abolish it has remained unproductive. However, efforts of the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri diocese, His Grace, Anthony Obinna who has been at the forefront of the eradication of the age-long practice through his annual Odenigbo lecture to sensitise the people of the state on the need to abandon the practice has recorded some positive results. Some of those branded as Osu who do not intermarry with the freeborn known as “Diala” now do so after the annual lecture by the clergy. Nevertheless, majority of the residents of the state still believe in the outdated tradition. When asked if he could marry an Osu, Mr Uchenna Obi from Amakohia in Owerri West local government area of the state said, “this is a difficult question, my people do not marry an Osu; even if I defy their tradition and marry such a person, I would be ostracised from the community.” The tradition has made the act of marriage so rigorous as the intended couples have to embark on investigative journey to their dif-
ferent families to find out if they are not from Osu clan. However, there seems to a good tiding about the Osu caste system in Anambra State as His Royal Majesty, the traditional ruler of Isseke kingdom, Igwe Emmanuel Nnabuife said, the system practiced in many communities in Igbo land long ago has been abolished in virtually all the communities in the state. Nnabuife said the Osu caste system is primitive, retrogressive and does not conform with the “best international practice of human rights.” Stating that the practice has already been abolished in all communities in Anambra State, Igwe Nnabuife who was a one-time presidential aspirant under the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) disclosed that traditional rulers in Igbo land have already resolved to sponsor a bill to be passed by Houses of Assembly in all the South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo to enact laws abolishing the practice of Osu caste system. According to Nnabuife, all the forests in Anambra state where the deities existed had been destroyed in all communities. Also, the traditional ruler of Nri Kingdom, the acclaimed ancestral home of the Igbos, His Majesty, Eze Obidigwe Onyesoh stated that Osu caste system no longer exists in most communities because it is discriminatory and does not encourage social cohesion among people. The president-general of Nawgu community in Dunukofia local government area, Mr Chuks Ilozuo, stated that the culture is not practiced in his community but described Osu caste practice as a violation of human rights, adding that the practice is retrogressive.
On our way home for the introduction ceremony, I received a call from one of my brothers to inform me that the marriage introduction was not going to work out, because my family discovered that the man in question is from the family of ‘Osu’ caste
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
FOR GOD AND COUNTRY
MISSING VEHICLE This is to notify the general public that a white-coloured Hyundai Sonata saloon car with registration number BWR 642 AH and chassis number KMHEB41BABA097759 belonging to LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group Ltd is missing. The vehicle was last seen with Hajiya Mariya Ibrahim Baba. Any person with useful information regarding the missing vehicle should please contact the nearest police station or LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group Ltd through this phone number: 07035782552 Signed: Management
56 OPINION
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Pastor T. O. Banso Faith 08155744752
cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com
Arise, Fight For Your Children! (3)
I Parents need to arise and fight for their children so that satan will not move them to do what’ll provoke the wrath or anger of God that’ll result to the cutting short of their lives
began this series last week and emphasized that parents must arise and fight for their children so that the devil doesn’t pervert their destinies as he did with some people in the Bible and in contemporary history turning some to armed robbers, murderers, sexual perverts etc. contrary to God’s plan for their lives. I’ve talked about some Bible characters, Cain, Lamech, Ham and Reuben, whom the devil caused to commit evil. Before I stopped last week, I was talking about sexual immorality which Reuben committed and the curse that his father placed on him which stuck. As I’ve said, sexual immorality is one of the most vicious sins that satan is using to destroy the lives of children right from the days of the Bible. Writing to the church at Corinth on the sin of sexual immorality, Paul said, “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to
go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore ‘put away from yourselves the evil person.’” (1 Cor 5:913 NKJV) Sexual immorality is evil and children must be saved from satan using it to destroy them. Children must be taught that their bodies are not meant for sexual immorality. “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” (1 Cor 6:13 NKJV) Their bodies are meant to be used to the glory of God. “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor 6:20 NKJV) They must be taught to run away from sexual immorality so that it does not steal from them their des-
tiny and future like it robbed Reuben of his. 1 Cor 6:18-19 says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (NKJV) Nadab and Abihu: These were the sons of Aaron, the priest. They were to be serving with their father in the temple but they died prematurely – they died before their father. They actually died before the Lord because they offered strange fire unto the Lord. They should have known better. “Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over it. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD.”(Lev 10:1-2 NLT) For disobeying the Word of God and dishonoring God, they paid dearly for it with their lives, and Moses forbade Aaron and his sons, Eleazar
and Ithamar not to mourn or they would die and the LORD would be angry the Israelites. Lev 10:6 described Nadab and Abihu as those “whom the LORD has destroyed by fire.” (NLT) The dishonourable and evil behavior made God kill them, and they caused avoidable pain for their parents, brothers, other relatives and the entire nation of Israel. That’s why parents need to arise and fight for their children so that satan will not move them to do what’ll provoke the wrath or anger of God that’ll result to the cutting short of their lives. Rom 1:18 says, “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves.” (NLT) Eph 5:6 says the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience. Parents must fight and see that their children are obedient. I believe God has spoken to you today. I’ll stop here and continue next week. Arise, fight for your children! Take Action! If you want to be born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today.
Friday Ebinyi Impactful View impactfulview@gmail.com
Tel: 08150741383 (text only)
Purposeful Living Many people find it difficult to define the purpose of life or living. Many do not know what to live for. Unfortunately, if you don’t live for anything, you will fall for everything. Lack of purpose in life leads to lack of fulfilment and joy. Many people commit suicide because they have no purpose and fulfilment in life. What is the purpose of life? Though the answer to this question may not be the same for every matured person, however, almost everyone, irrespective of background, experience and exposure consciously or unconsciously asks this question. The earlier an individual finds answer to this question, the better. No matter how a person zealously pursues a wrong direction to his or her desired or imagined destination, he or she cannot get there. It is therefore important to set out one’s purpose early in life and ensure that it is eternally rewarding. Robert Bryne says “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” Eraica
Chan explains that “Life without a purpose is like an unsharpened pencil; it has no point.” The discovery of the purpose of living is important for everybody. Death is a common denominator for every living soul. Shakespeare says ‘It will come when it will come.’ Whether somebody thinks of life after death or not, death is sure to come, one day. The fear of death is not a good response to the issue of purpose for living. Brain Weiss observes that “we are frightfully concerned with our own deaths, sometimes so much so that we forget the real purpose of our lives.” However, it is not too late for you to discover the purpose for living once you are still alive and reading this article. Many people live only for pleasure of the flesh. Many live to acquire wealth they think can be stored up for generations unborn. Many live to break special records and get fame. The irony of these possessions is that they do not
give satisfaction, yet there is the desire to have more. Ecclesiastes 5:10 says: He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this also is vanity. I once read the story of a Warlord who conquered many lands when he was alive. This man, when he was about to die told people around him that his coffin should be carried by the best doctors to his graveyard. Also, his money should be distributed on the streets on the way to his graveyard. Lastly, his hands should be allowed to hang outside the coffin. The first instruction was to let people know that even best doctors cannot rescue from death. The second instruction was to show the vanity of money, while the third instruction was to let the mourners know we brought nothing into the world and surely we are going back with nothing. According to the Holy Writ: Even every one that is called by my name:
for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have created him. Here, the purpose of living is well defined: To show the glory of God, just as it is further anchored in the Scriptures: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. It is clear that the purpose for living in this scriptural verse is to show forth the praises of God. God loves us and His commandments are clear. Many people that commit atrocities in the society also go to places of worship. We observe in our society increase in religiosity without righteousness. In this kind of situation, it is logical to believe that whatever makes us free from sin will also qualify us to make heaven. The only way out of sin is repentance and faith in the provision made by God through Jesus Christ the Saviour.
It is not too late for you to discover the purpose for living once you are still alive
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
MEN’S HEALTH
Medical Terms And Their Meanings Abdominal aneurysm: An aneurysm situated within the abdomen (belly). An aneurysm is a localized widening (dilatation) of an artery, vein, or the heart. At the area of an aneurysm, there is typically a bulge and the wall is weakened and may rupture. The word “aneurysm” comes from the Greek “aneurysma” meaning “a widening.” An aneurysm may involve the aorta, the largest artery in the body, as it courses down through the abdomen. Because of the great volume of blood flowing under high pressure in the aorta, rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a surefire catastrophe. Source: www.emedicine.com
Test Your Knowledge
Poor Eating habits It is a well-known fact that women feed better than men. Also we might attribute their need to feed upon their maternal instincts and the baby’s needs. However, three balanced meals at the right time might just add a few more days to your life span.
A man with one wife or girlfriend (for those who are yet to marry) is usually less mixed up compared to those with more than one.
Poor Dietary Habits Poor feeding habits make us to ingest wrong types of foods in abundance resulting in nutritional deficiencies. When continued for long, ailments usually set in. Overdrinking To increase your life span, stop or minimise your drinking. If not possible, then eat very well prior to drinking and avoid over indulging.
Smoking Data reveals that smoking lead to cancer, lung and throat infections, coronary heart diseases which could bring about one’s demise. Research shows that each cigarette you smoke truncates a few hours from your life span Less Divine Intervention Women are more prone to seek help from above compared to men, little wonder there tends to be more women in churches this days than men. Go to mosque/church. Show some respect to your creator. Who knows? You might just live longer than you expect. Extra-marital Affairs A good proportion of men love an extra mistress here and there, which comes at great cost, not to mention financial, physical, psychological and social among others. A man with one wife or girlfriend (for those who are yet to marry) is usually less mixed up compared to those with more than one.
Answers: The correct answer is: • True Explanation: The common cold is the most frequently occurring illness in the world, and it is a leading cause of doctor visits and missed days from school and work. The correct answer is: • True Explanation: Rhinovirus is the main virus responsible for cold, but more than 200 different types of viruses are known to cause the common cold. The correct answer is: • True Explanation:
Statistics have hurned out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nation (UN), among others suggest that men die younger than women. Some of the habits leading to early deaths in men include:
The common cold is medically referred to as a viral upper respiratory tract infection. Symptoms of the common cold may include cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, aches, and low-grade fever.
Compiled by Tunde Oguntola
The correct answer is: • False Explanation: The common cold usually occurs in the fall and winter months, however, cold weather itself does not cause the common cold. Researchers believe that during cold-weather months, people spend more time indoors in close proximity to each other, thus facilitating the spread of cold viruses. The correct answer is: • False Explanation: Typically, by the time you begin to feel cold symptoms, you’ve been infected for two to three days. This period of time is called the incubation period. Cold symptoms can last from four to 14 days, though many people can expect to improve within one week.
Why Men Die Younger
Q: The common cold is the most frequently occurring illness worldwide. • True • False Q: The common cold is caused by viruses. • True • False Q: Medically speaking, the common cold is an upper respiratory infection. • True • False Q: Cold weather carries cold germs more easily. • True • False Q: Cold symptoms usually begin within hours of infection by cold germs. • True • False
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
Ayurvedic Medicine: BLOOD AND SKIN DISEASES
Herbal Clinic With Buki Fagbenle
Rumex crispus
Tel: (SMS only) +234-705-983-1992; Email: buki.fagbenle@leadership.ng
More might be needed for short periods. Use half this dose for chronic conditions, for children, and for constipation in pregnancy.
A build-up of mucus discharge results, creating intense pressure and pain YELLOW DOCK ROOT A common wild plant, often used for blood and skin diseases. It contains anthraquinones, which act on the bowel and relieve constipation. NOTES AND DOSAGES Make the decoction using. (12g) yellow dock root to 1 pt. (500ml.) water. For constipation, I cup of decoction or 2 teaspoons of tincture daily.
RECIPE Laxative Syrup Water Sugar Dried root Cinnamon sticks Take (12g.) dried root, (250ml.) of water and one stick of cinnamon. Simmer together for 20 minutes, then strain. Reduce over low heat to 2fl. oz. (50ml.). Add 40z. (100g.) Sugar. Stir over and heat until dissolved, Dose: 6 dessert spoons for adults, for children and pregnant women. CAUTION Always consider dietary changes for stubborn constipation.
Understanding High Blood Pressure - Types Of Hypertension and contributory factors Blood pressure varies naturally with activity, increasing during exercise or at times of stress and falling when we rest or consciously ignore the stress factor. There are two types of hypertension, namely, Essential/Primary and Secondary hypertension. Essential hypertension has no apparent cause, it just occurs. Medical practitioners say between 90-95 per cent of hypertension cases belong to this category. Secondary hypertension is where the hypertension has identifiable causes like in renal or liver disease, triggered by drugs or even in pregnancy, or as a ‘sideeffect’ of diabetes, the pressure usually returns to normal once the condition improves. This was the case with my mother. Her diabetes, as well controlled as we thought it was (even though she refused to give up her sugar-ladened TOMTOM, claiming it was the only thing she could use for her ‘cough’ and her soft mashed plantains for constipation – still led to high blood pressure and high cholesterol and she was on so many medications at some point that I had to sneakily throw some away – the muscle weakening statins actually and I supplemented her so heavily we had a big case for Multi-minerals, Essential Fatty Acids, Multi-vitamins and herbal remedies (from London and Pax Herbal in Ewu) alone. She eventually died from repeated mini cerebral haemorrhages (TIAs), hypertensive heart disease with an enlarged heart and left ventricular failure, in my initial year of Medical Herbal School. Cases of Secondary hypertension are relatively few and they are not as common as Essential hypertension. One of the major features of Essential high blood pressure is that their causes are not
Rice Water - Secrets You Don’t Know Enriched with minerals and vitamins, rice water is one of the best kept beauty secrets of Asia. Japanese geishas have used this natural remedy for flawless skin for centuries now. How to use rice water? Boil some rice in water till the rice is cooked completely. When the rice is done, drain the water and keep it separately. You can use this rice water for the following beauty benefits. For flawless complexion Soak a cotton pad in rice water and apply it on your clean
face like a toner. Applying this concoction on your face promotes cell growth and stimulates blood flow. This natural skin toner keeps you skin smooth and bright. For irritated skin Apply rice water on rashes or other skin inflammation to soothe it naturally. A dermatological study on patients with atopic dermatitis claimed that taking a 15 minute bath with rice water twice a day could improve the condition significantly. For healthy and shiny hair
After washing your hair with shampoo, apply some rice water to your hair. Allow it to stay for a few minutes and then rinse it off. The proteins in this rice water will strengthen your hair shaft and leave it smooth and shiny. For pores Washing your face with rice water will reduce the size of the pores on your Apart from all this drinking rice water everyday will boost your overall healthy including your skin health too; so think twice before you throw away rice water!
clearly identifiable as they are sometimes the factors one generally has the nagging feeling may lead to it - such as smoking or excessive use of alcohol, or being overweight, or being a negative person, always seeing the cup half empty instead of half full, being overly stressed, to name a few. But one contributory factor that most medical practitioners agree upon is the stiffening or blocking of blood vessels. When a blood vessel is stiff or partially blocked, it becomes difficult for it to expand and enable blood flow through. If you eat lots of food high in saturated fats (for example, fatty meat like cow leg(bokoto, Nkowbi), mutton,fatty red meat, farmed catfish fed on poultry waste and general rubbish) and in transfats, which are labelled in margarines and processed foods as either vegetable fat, or hydrogenated vegetable oil ( for example, cakes, doughnuts, chin chin, pastries like meat/chicken pies, sausages rolls etc) this leads to an increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, but these fats not also interfere with the body’s ability to metabolise polyunsaturated fatty oils (PUFAs) such as fish oils – mackerel, sardines, wild salmon, and good vegetable oils – cold pressed olive, flaxseed, rapeseed, palm soya and coconut, they can also make a PUFA depletion worse, ultimately leading to increased susceptibility to inflammation in the artery walls and elsewhere (e.g. in your joints as arthritis) As a result of cholesterol’s fatty nature, LDL cholesterol can settle on the inner walls of the blood vessels as it is carried along by the blood. When this happens over time, there is the risk of the blood vessels getting narrowed or partially blocked which in turn leads to high blood pressure.
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
Live Well Tips
Live well tips are NOT medical advice. Please consult your doctor before taking medicine or supplement, changing diet or exercise. • The best Breast cancer beater is eating 30gm of fiber daily. It reduces breast cancer risk in half, a bowl of whole grain cereal will do. • Exercising for 40 minutes reduces stress for up to 3 hours. Rest and relaxation for 40 minutes reduces stress for only 20 minutes, your choice! • Start a new habit. Take light biscuit or oatmeal cookies instead cream y and sugary desserts. Do it today tomorrow, and every day. • Start a new habit; look for a 15 minute walk after lunch. Do it today, tomorrow and every day. • If you are going to smoke anyway, please don’t do it know. Do it after you turn 80 since it won’t matter much then! • If you have long term muscle pain it may be due to vitamin D deficiency. A simple blood test can tell. Please ask your doctor about it. • The best blood sugar stabilizer: raspberries. Full of anthocyanins, they boost insulin and provide a strong defence against diabetes.
PHOBIA
Opiophobia
P
ain medications are needed by some patients who visits a doctor’s clinic. But there are some doctors who fear prescribing pain medications and this fear is called opiophobia. The word opiophobia is derived from the word ‘opium’ or ‘opiate’ and is a narcotic that is mostly regulated by the drug agencies. These are highly addictive drugs and a lot of patients may get hooked to the effects of these drugs. Doctors may fear giving pain medications because of a bad experience such as having a patient who became addicted and demanded more pain meds from the doctor even if the doctor thinks that he or she no longer needs them. This drug-seeking behavior of patients to the point of maybe even threatening or harassing the doctor can cause this phobia.
One can also have this fear because of a personal experience of being addicted to these drugs. They fear prescribing these medications for they might again be tempted to prescribe for themselves and get addicted again. This fear can be limiting to the practice of a physician because one might be also scared of prescribing nonnarcotic pain medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin, which are over-the-counter pain medications. They may show symptoms of anxiety when confronted by a patient asking for pain medications and in extreme cases might decide not to practice anymore. Treatment includes psychotherapy. These doctor’s usually respond to cognitive and behavioral therapy.
Your Sexual Health Questions Answered! What is the role of kegel exercise in orgasm? Kegel exercises were developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel to help women, especially after childbirth, regain bladder control by strengthening their pelvic muscles. Dr. Kegel later discovered that his exercises also increased orgasm intensity. There are many variations, but the exercises are similar. For women and men: • Locate your pelvic muscles by stopping the flow of urine midstream. • Contract the pelvic muscles hard for one second and then release them, ten times in a row, three times a day. Gradually increase the number of contractions so that by the end of one month, you are doing ten contractions, twenty times a day. • Vary the exercise by holding the contraction for a count of three and then releasing it. You can mix the exercises up, some short and some long. • Kegel during commercials, every time the phone rings, at each stoplight when you are driving or riding, while you are waiting for your Web search results -- find your own regular pattern. • Kegel when having sex for extra pleasure for you and your partner. • Do the Kegels for a minimum of six weeks. Results will not be immediate, but eventually, you will be able to notice a difference. Note: Some practitioners recommend that pregnant women do up to one hundred extra Kegels per day to strengthen their pelvic muscles for the work they’re about to do.
Are There Pesticides In Your Food? Most people are aware that pesticides are sprayed on their food, but they don’t realise that there are pesticides in several other every day products as well. Pesticides are toxins that are intended to kill insects, but are actually harmful to people as well. From skin problems and neurological diseases to cancer and hormonal problems, pesticides have serious effects your health. Here are some tricky sources you should watch out for. Antibacterial soap Antibacterial soap contains a pesticide called triclosan, which is intended to kill bacteria. It kills the good bacteria on your hands as well the bad, and can get absorbed by your skin, harming your endocrine system and affecting your immunity. Rather than antibacterial soap, you are better off washing your hands with hot water. Plastic kitchen items Plastic kitchenware like cutting boards and food storage containers also contain triclosan, and a study found that people who used these products had triclosan in their urine, meaning it gets into the food and into your system. Researchers suggest using wooden boards and storing food in glass containers instead of plastic ones. The ones that claim to keep food fresher are especially suspicious. Cleaning products Household cleaning products that sanitise, disinfect or remove scum all contain pesticides that are linked to respiratory disorders like asthma. People whose work involves cleaning are especially at risk since their jobs expose them to these products. It is much better to use regular soap and water instead. Exercise clothes While some exercise clothes are fine, others contain Nano silver, a chemical that is harmful to the environment. Every time these clothes are washed, a little bit of the Nano silver comes off in the water and goes down the drain, getting added to our waste and ultimately making its way to our soil and water bodies. It is better to wear shorts or track pants with old t-shirts, or buy exercise gear that isn’t labelled as anti-odorous or antimicrobial. Tip: Unlike food items, these products don’t come with labels containing their ingredients so it’s difficult to tell which ones have pesticides. Look out for the products that are antimicrobial when you are shopping - these products may claim to have extra benefits, but they have extra chemicals and pesticides as well. Even some kitchen cloths and bedroom linens state that they are antimicrobial, but it is better to avoid them and buy the normal ones instead.
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Rosemary Is Good for your Health
Think Yourself Thin With Zahra Bakari - Imam
08183666800 (text only) thinkyourselfthin@yahoo.com, twitter@thinkurselfthin
The 5 People Who Will Ruin Your Attempt to Lose Weight Rosemary is an aromatic evergreen herb that is native to the Mediterranean. It has been hailed since medieval times for its medicinal and immunestrengthening properties. Rosemary has been used to ease muscle pains, improve the circulatory system and memory. Research suggests that rosemary has cancer-preventive properties, too. It is used as a culinary seasoning, but is also used for aromatherapy mixes and perfumes owing to its wonderful woodsy fragrance. The dried whole herb can be eaten, but a concentrated extract such as rosemary oil should be used externally. To prepare your own rosemaryinfused oil, place two sprigs of dry rosemary leaves into a glass jar, add olive oil and seal the jar. Store it in a warm, dark place for two weeks, strain, and then pour it back into the glass jar. It is best used to marinate chicken and lamb, and is a good source of iron, calcium and vitamin B6. Rosemary is an excellent source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. They strengthen the immune and circulatory system. Due to its antioxidant properties, rosemary neutralizes free radicals that attack DNA. Compelling research suggests that extracts of rosemary can
delay chemically induced cancers. Carnosic and rosmarinic are active compounds in rosemary inhibit the production of cancer cell lines like prostate cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. Rosemary can also reduce resistance to chemotherapy drugs. Early research suggests that ingesting 750 mg of powdered rosemary leaves may improve memory speed in healthy, older adults. Evidence also suggests that rosemary aromatherapy can improve the memory and cognitive performance. Compounds in rosemary prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical that stimulates brain cells responsible for memory and reasoning to communicate with one another. Rosemary is an antibacterial that cleanses the blood and inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria without destroying beneficial bacteria in the body. If used topically, rosemary oil can soothe pain from indigestion and menstrual cramps. Rosemary infused oil is an intensive remedy for dandruff and hair loss. Heat some rosemary infused oil and massage into the scalp. Leave it on for an hour and wash it out for treating scalp conditions. Rosemary infused oil is also topically used to treat skin conditions like eczema and joint problems like arthritis. Source: dailymail. co.uk
JOKE Beautiful ? A lawyer was just waking up from anesthesia after surgery, and his wife was sitting by his side. His eyes fluttered open and he said, “You’re beautiful!” and then he fell asleep again. His wife had never heard him say that so she stayed by his side. A couple of minutes later, his eyes fluttered open and he said,
“You’re cute!” Well, the wife was disappointed because instead of “beautiful,” it was “cute.” She asked, “What happened to ‘beautiful’?” His reply was “The drugs are wearing off!”
I
t’s quite hard to lose weight and just generally get in shape. The world’s population is getting fatter every year, and 80 percent of people who lose weight gain it all back. Why does it seem so impossible? Part of the reason is willpower and genetics, blah, blah, blah, but a big part of it is ‘other people’. Here are some of those often well-meaning monsters you must overcome in your battle to get healthy. People Who Are Cartoonishly Supportive About Body Image Everybody knows that society is oppressing us with ridiculous standards of body image, especially when it comes to women, and that we all need to do our part to reverse it by making normal-sized people feel confident in themselves and stop them from thinking they are fat. That’s totally correct, but all good things can be taken too far. Some people think that it is always 100 percent wrong to ever admit anyone is fat and have a confused notion that to ever agree with anyone that they are overweight is to become one of society’s oppressors. If someone who is actually overweight says, “Oh man do I need to lose some weight,” these people’s kneejerk reaction will be, “Oh no! What are you talking about! You’re totally fine the way you are!” without even looking at them. This happens the most when someone is just slightly overweight, like by 25 pounds or so, because that segment of the population -slightly overweight women -- is the one we think needs the most coddling in terms of self-esteem, the most prone to spiraling into self-hate and anorexia at the slightest provocation. For some people, body image is a very sensitive thing, and a lot of tact is needed, but many people are actually capable of talking about being overweight as a matter-of-fact problem, like if their roof was leaking or their car broke down. People Who Take Food Too Personally Food isn’t just food in our culture, or in anyone’s. Weddings always come with banquets, family get-togethers on Thanksgiving and Christmas are centered around elaborate meals with specific dishes, birthdays require cakes, big political and business deals are made at power lunches, and first dates are almost always about judging the other person’s restaurant behavior. So yeah, food means more than food to everyone, whether they know it or not. Again, some people take a normal thing too far and become absolutely dogmatic about what food means. If we don’t have a Thanksgiving turkey this year it’s not a real Thanksgiving! If Grandma doesn’t make her secret cranberry sauce recipe, Christmas is ruined! If someone doesn’t eat your birthday cake, they don’t really care about your birthday! This can only mean they wish you were never born! So if you’re on a diet, or you have food allergies, or you’re a vegan, and you have to turn down a slice of someone’s birthday cake, some people can take it as some kind of personal statement against them. Even worse are the birthday po-
lice, where it’s not even their birthday, but they feel obligated to get offended on behalf of the birthday person and sometimes jokingly pressure you with, “Oh come on, it’s Eric’s birthday. He only has a birthday once a year.” People Who Never Think It’s Good Enough Everyone knows about the stereotypical Asian parent that sees their kid’s straight-A report card and asks, “Why no A+?” This kind of joke is apparently very funny to people without such parents but just depressing and straightforwardly true to people who have them. Well, you get the exact same kind of people when it comes to getting in shape. Tell them you’re going to stop drinking soda and drink only water, and they’ll say, “That’s not going to do anything, you’re still eating burgers for lunch and playing video games all day.” Tell them you’re going to take a half-hour walk at lunch every day and they’ll snort derisively and say, “You know the amount of calories you burn in one walk isn’t even enough to make up for one banana, right?” Pretty much nobody outside of movies ever switches lifestyles overnight, suddenly cutting fat from their diet, exercising five times a week, quitting video games and TV, swapping pasta for quinoa and steak for tofu. Almost everyone who’s successfully turned their weight around started out with one “useless” change, like exercising once a week or subbing water for soda. (I put “useless” in quotes because dropping one extra large soda can save you 500 calories just like that.) Overly Spontaneous People Sticking to an exercise/diet routine depends a lot on planning and routine. Some plans have a once-a-week splurge worked in, maybe a Pig-out Friday to let the pressure out, so you can get back to the grind on Saturday. If you’re taking exercise classes -- martial arts, boot camp, yoga, pole dancing -- you might only be able to go certain days of the week. Spontaneous people can throw this all out of whack. Friends who call you up and ask if you want to go out to dinner -- and it turns out their reservation is an hour from now. Or friends who just came from out of town and forgot to tell you ahead of time, but they’re leaving tomorrow. Someone who just realized it was so-and-so’s birthday and “we have to do something.” Or maybe parents that drop by unexpectedly with home-cooked dinners because “you’re so busy.” Once in a while, spontaneity is great, but too many free spirits, helpful parents and poor planners in your life can add up to four pig-out nights a week, a month of missing kung fu classes and a completely sabotaged diet. Family Members Who Are Not On A Diet The people most in a position to ruin your diet without meaning to are family members that aren’t on a diet. They don’t have to be sadists who keep going, “Mmmmmmm,” while eating burgers in front of you. Even if they’re totally supportive of your diet, there are just logistical problems.
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Withdrawal Of Security Detail: Tambuwal Takes Battle To Court ➔ FROM PAGE 6
citizenry, which must not be toyed with for sentimental or political reasons. On his part, Tambuwal local government area Caretaker Committee chairman, Alhaji Sambo Modo, corroborated the explanation that Tambuwal defected to the APC as a result of the division in the PDP in Sokoto State. Sambo Modo discarded calls by some groups from Tambuwal/ Kebbe federal constituency for the immediate recall of the speaker and a byelection by INEC because Tambuwal was elected on the platform of the PDP and his defection encapsulates leaving the mandate he was voted to uphold. Also, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday faulted the withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security detail. The NBA in a statement signed by Mr. Austine Alegeh (SAN), president of the association said that the reliance of the police on the alleged violation of section 68(1) (g) of the constitution did not hold water. He said the Nigerian Police Force is not a court of law and lacks the competence to determine whether or not a provision of the constitution has been violated by Tambuwal. “That is a function reserved for the Courts of law exclusively. The NBA outrightly condemns this action as it is a breach of the constitutional duty of the police to provide police escort and security to the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” Alegeh, adding that Tambuwal still remains the Speaker of the House of Representatives and he is entitled to the full paraphernalia of his office including all his police escorts and security details. “We must state that the mere fact that Tambuwal defected from one party to the other whilst being the Speaker of the House of Representatives, does not automatically strip him of his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives and the attendant protection by the police” he emphasised. Alegeh noted that”the Speaker of the House of Representatives is not elected by any one political party, but by a majority of members of the House of Representatives. Similarly, a civil society group, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) and a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
Ikeja branch, Mr Monday Ubani, condemned the removal of the security details attached to the speaker. While the position of the CSNAC was contained in a statement issued by its chairman, Mr Olarenwaju Suraj, Ubani spoke to LEADERSHIP by telephone on Friday. Describing the move as political shenanigans, CSNAC faulted the government for selective application of the laws applicable to lawmakers who defect from their parties to new platforms, saying the election of speaker is the prerogative of members of the House. “Withdrawing the security detail of Honourable Tambuwal, while Governor Mimiko, who recently decamped to PDP from Labour Party, still enjoys paraphernalia of office is nothing but fascism, abuse of power and oppressive,” his statement said. Tambuwal: PDP Dangles Automatic Ticket To Win Governors’ Support The plot to unseat the speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tanbuwal, by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thickens, as governors are being promised automatic tickets to return to the House of Representatives by members who support the move. Tambuwal defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) during the week and quickly adjourned sitting until December 3, 2014. In a swift reaction, the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan met with the leadership of the PDP caucus in the House and the Adamu Muazu-led committee, where the issue was discussed extensively on how to return the seat to the party. According to sources in the Presidency, the PDP has resolved to reconvene a sitting, with a view to unseat Tambuwal with a simple majority as soon as practicable. “What Tambuwal did was unhonourable (sic). We know all this while that he has decamped to the APC before he openly made it so. There are several security reports that have indicted him of antiparty, but it was President Goodluck Jonathan who had been prevailing on the party not to suspend him. “There were many public functions which he was supposed to attend but because of his political affiliation, Tambuwal had failed to attend them. This was the last straw,
he has to go and he must go,” a top Presidency source said. On how to remove him, he explained that in the eye of the law, Tambuwal has ceased to be the speaker, because he has left the PDP for another party. “As far as I know, in the eyes of the Law, Tambuwal has ceased being the speaker by his defection. He should have resigned honourably but since he said no, the PDP controls majority and that is what is needed to remove him.” Another source who corroborated his position explained the process to do it. “We are aware of how those who are holding juicy committee (positions) could be persuaded against working with the party, but one thing is clear, it is the PDP that would give ticket to its members in the House and governors are the state leaders of the party. That should tell you where their interest and loyalty belong.” Writing on a social media site, a presidential aide, Bolaji Adebiyi, also put forward a line of argument. Writing on his wall in a post titled ‘Tambuwal’s seat is vacant’, Adebiyi quoted the portion of the Constitution that forbids defection to another party once there is no division. “I have read with dismay reports on the debate about the status of the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives since Hon Aminu Tambuwal defected to the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday. “I think it is absurd to propose that a member of a minority party could hold the position of the Speaker under a constitution governed by the principle of majority rule. For if that were possible a minority party member would have been the leader of the House. “In any case, the entire debate is redundant since Hon Tambuwal’s seat has become vacant as a result of the operation of Section 68 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. “Hon Tambuwal, a lawyer, ought to have known that that section of the constitution is self activating and that its proviso does not apply to him. “The proviso talks about division within the decampee’s party. The question is: as at Tuesday when Hon. Tambuwal defected, was there a division within the Peoples Democratic Party? The answer is no. “His seat has become vacant and his claim to the Office of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives is no longer tenable.” Meanwhile, the APC has warned the federal government to desist from compounding illegality by inducing members of the House of Representatives to sign a paper seeking to reconvene the House ahead of the December 3 date. In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said, ‘’We have heard from the grapevine that the FG is inducing legislators with a view to reconvening the House, but this will amount to piling illegality upon illegality since only a resolution by all principal officers of the House can reconvene the house. ‘’We cannot put anything beyond a government that will unlawfully withdraw the security detail of the country’s number four citizen, who has not been removed as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, simply because he decamped from the ruling party to the opposition. For as long as he remains Speaker, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is entitled to all the statutory perks of his office,’’ it said. APC accused the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan of ruling by vindictiveness, rather than in accordance with the rule of law. The party said despotism, arbitrariness and impunity were the watchwords of the Jonathan administration, hence it had desecrated most national institutions, including the judiciary and the legislature. ‘’The legislature is one of the last standing institutions after the onslaught of the ravaging Jonathan Administration, which has nothing but contempt for the concept of the
separation of powers, the rule of law and perception of the country by the international community. ‘’For this government, it is power for the sake of power, not for the achievement of anything ennobling. That is why the police and SSS details of a man who remains the country’s number four can be removed without consideration to what the law says. That is why public funds will be used to induce lawmakers to sign for the reconvening of the House when it is clear that only the principal officers, and not even the Speaker alone, can reconvene the House before the adjourned date,’’ it said. The APC said it would not be surprised if the Jonathan administration prevented the speaker from accessing his residential quarters, offices and even the planes in the official fleet for carrying out his official assignments. ‘’This President has said publicly that he does not give a damn. This Administration has shown clearly that it does not believe in the rule of law. Therefore it does not matter to the President or his Administration what the civilised world thinks of the country, as long as he can have his way, using all sorts of dirty tactics including unbridled corruption that is the hallmark of the Administration. ‘’We are therefore calling on all concerned citizens to condemn what is happening in our country today before one desperate power monger brings the country crashing down on all of us. This is because even if the Jonathan Administration is voted out of office next year, it will take a long time to reverse the harm that is being done to national institutions, which have become punitive tools in the hands of an increasingly despotic leader,’’ the party said.
PDP Constitutes Caretaker Committee For Anambra By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party has constituted a Caretaker Committee to pilot the affairs of the Anambra State chapter of the party. The committee has General Aliyu Kama as Chairman and Alhaji Akibu Dalhatu as Secretary.
According to a statement by the party’s national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh yesterday, the NWC enjoined all members of the party in Anambra state to continue to work together in harmony even as it assured of the conduct of free, fair and transparent congresses in keeping with the party’s strict adherence to the principles of internal democracy.
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Bodies of some of those killed in one of the crises in Sanga
Sanga: Growing Concerns Over Southern Kaduna’s ‘Killing Field’ The once peaceful community of Fadan Karshi in Southern Kaduna has becameo a killing field in recent times. JONATHAN NDA- ISAIAH writes about the crisis rocking the sleepy community
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ilas (surname withheld) woke up one Tuesday morning in September 2014 to get ready for the day as he had always done. After completing preparations for the day, he heard a sound outside his house and rushed out to meet his would-be assailants in front of his house. The attackers called out to him in Hausa Language, “Silas, ka fita, mun zo mu kashe ka” which translates to “Silas, come outside, we are here to kill you.” He was attacked and fortunately for him, he survived but his mother, wife and son were not so fortunate, they were killed and his house burnt. The date, September 16, will always be remembered as a dark day in his life. This is one of the instances of all the killings that have been going on in Fadan Karshi in Sanga local government of Kaduna State. The once peaceful community has now become a killing field of sorts as residents have become accustomed to sleeping with one eye closed in fear of the next attack from gunmen. A man and his wife were burnt to ashes inside their home at Karshin Daji. All these attacks happened the same day. Only a few years ago, Sanga local government area of Kaduna State could only be described as a peaceful, food basket of the state and home for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion or political af-
filiations. For decades, indigenous Sanga people, mostly Christians, had lived with the Fulanis, Hausas, Igbos and other tribes harmoniously and with the utmost sense of mutual respect and regard. Sadly today, this once beautiful home for all has been turned into such ruin that at the mere sight of the desolate communities, men of good heart and conscience cannot help shedding tears. Homes have been deserted; women, children and men alike have been killed in their hundreds. According to an indigene of the area who declined to disclose his identity, the Sanga massacre was heralded by series of happenings beginning on October 5, 2013, when fully armed men dressed in military uniforms raided Gwantu, the capital town of Sanga in the early hours of the day. “The law-abiding citizens of Gwantu and other parts of Sanga were traumatised by the sight of armed military men in their homes especially since there was no crisis or unrest in the area as at the time of the raid. The armed men were ‘commanded’ to search for guns and other weapons that the peaceful people of Sanga may have been hiding. As it turned out, the people came out clean. “As if the operation was to ensure that Sanga people were disarmed to make it easy for the dogs of death
and vandalism to commence the unleashing of terror on the people, barely three months after the operation, unknown gunmen in military camouflage descended on Anzare community and killed a retired civil servant, sending the entire community into exile.” On May 6, 2014, a Tuesday evening, unidentified gunmen attacked the police post at Fadan Karshi which is a very important commercial community in Sanga LGA. In this attack, two policemen and four villagers were killed while a highly respected Christian clergy was shot but survived the attack with serious injuries. Two of the attackers were also killed by the youth of the area while trying to escape. The two attackers killed were identified as settlers around Ungwan Nungu community of the local government area. He also alleged that “this singular act of self-defence by the Fadan Karshi youth seemed to be the excuse needed to launch the apparently long-time plan of more mayhem on its people. “June 23, 2014 marked the beginning of the worst massacre ever recorded in the history of Sanga. The communities of Fadan Karshi, Ankpong in Nandu chiefdom, Kobin, Dogon Daji and Ungwan Paa were attacked for three consecutive days while the police never responded and the military almost non-existent,” he lamented.
After these attacks, the military reinforced and had been proactive in the protection of life and property within Sanga. However, this cover for the people lasted only with the then military commander. He alleged that shortly after the replacement of the commander, the new commander ordered the arrest of some of the few youths in Fadan Karshi who had formed a vigilante group and have been working with the military to ensure effective defence of the community. “About five young men have been arrested by the new commander and taken away. This act of betrayal by the commander had weakened all the youths of the community and created a situation of utter helplessness and revealed the perceived complacency of the military. It then appears that the Sanga community is taking attacks from both the insurgents and the military,” he added. This situation, according to the source, led to the third and most current attack on September 16, 2014. “The communities of Fadan Karshi, Ungwan Ganye and Karshin Daji were further attacked under very unimaginable circumstances. With the military base on the outskirts of Fadan Karshi, armed men came at about midnight and moved around the community shooting sporadically with sophisticated weapons, killing and burning children, women and all in their path. Houses and cars were burnt. This show of impunity while the military remained in the camp continued for over one hour before a military convoy with siren headed for the village. Over 500 people had been killed by suspected Fulani settlers since the attacks began in June”, he emphasised. Since the killing began in Sanga, there have been no reprisal attacks by the natives. In the past four years, there has been massive influx of non-indigenous people into Sanga. While it is clear that there is a conspiracy with some unscrupulous Sanga indigenes, the attacks have been primarily executed by mercenaries whose objective is to wipe off the entire Sanga community and if that is not completely possible, to subject the people to intimidation, insecurity and total domination and subjugation by the gunmen. The insurgents had waited to this time to enable them recruit enough foot soldiers in order to perpetrate the inhuman deed. The government must rise to the challenge of defending the defenceless and the vulnerable. If the government fails to take proactive steps in checking the impunity with which certain groups of people kill and unleash terror in the country and their obvious resolve on annihilating the Sanga community, then a war would be inevitable in Sanga. All Nigerians of good intent and purpose must look closely to the atrocities and inhumanity which go almost unnoticed in Sanga LGA and the government must proffer solutions to the problem in order to avert deterioration of the situation.
Sadly today, this once beautiful home for all has been such ruin that at the mere sight of the desolate communities, men of good heart and conscience cannot help but shed tears
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Nigerian Army Retires 15 Generals By Patrick Ochoga, Benin City
The Nigerian Army has retired 15 generals from the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (NASEME) Auchi, Edo State, from active service. Among the 15, 10 are brigadiergenerals while the remaining five are major-generals. The major-generals are Edem Ekwo, Thompson Oliomoghe, Richard Maduegbunam, Friday Airende and Abass Adekanye, while the brigadier generals include Idi Adamu, Patrick Oviaghase, Samuel Ayo, Peter Aremu, Jacob Amao,
Joshua Ibilaye, Ibrahim Alawode, Samuel Adesogan, Chukwuka Ani and Abel Okpeki. Speaking at a pulling out parade held in honour of the retirees yesterday, the corps commander of NASEME, Major General S. Labaran said that the retired officers served the country meritoriously. Labaran wished them well in their various future endeavours. One of the retired generals, Thompson Oliomoghe, who spoke on behalf of others thanked the Nigerian Army for the opportunity to serve the nation.
‘Jonathan’s Re-election Non-negotiable’ ...As support group gets 24 vehicles for campaign BY BODE GBADEBO, Abuja
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Arthur Eze, has said that the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan is non-negotiable. The PDP chieftain equally urged all Nigerians to support the president in realising his political aspirations come 2015. Eze spoke yesterday in Abuja at the meeting of the Elders’ Advisory Council of Goodluck Support Group (GSG), where he argued that some geopolitical zones in the country had already been given the chance to produce presidents of Nigeria. According to him, it is only fair to allow President Jonathan com-
plete his eight years in office before ceding power to other parts of the country that have not produced any president since independence. “Goodluck Jonathan must complete his second term. Nobody will take it from him. After his eight years in office, another region can take over. The southwest has done its eight years. Some parts of the north have done their own. Jonathan has to complete his own term,” Eze declared. Meanwhile, foremost businessman and chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited, Innocent Chukwuma, used the occasion to make personal donation of 24 vehicles comprising 23 buses and a jeep to the GSG in order to boost its campaign for 2015 with a promise to do more.
Gov Aliyu Reshuffles Cabinet, 5 Commissioners Get Additional Portfolios Abu Nmodu, Niger
Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has named supervisory commissioners to replace those who quit the cabinet a fortnight ago. Addressing correspondents at the weekly post executive council meeting press briefing on Thursday, the commissioner of information, Danladi Ndayebo who now supervises the Ministry of Environment, Parks, Gardens and Forest Resources, said the governor approved the changes following the resignation of five commissioners who resigned to run for various political offices.
According to him, the commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development, Prof Muhammed Kuta Yahaya would supervise the ministry of Tertiary Education while commissioner of Special Duties, Dr Joshua Bawa is to take over the Science and Technology ministry. Similarly, ommissioner of Youth Development, Alh Abubakar Garba Mohammed will oversee the portfolio of the commissioner of Sports, while the commissioner of Health and Hospital Services, Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi is to oversee the portfolio of the commissioner of Gender Affairs and Social Development.
Ihedioha Denies Hosting Tambuwal By Agbo Paul-Augustine, Abuja
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, has denied media reports that he hosted the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal to a reception after the latter defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday. Ihedioha in a statement by his chief press secretary, Oke Epia dismissed the report as a figment of the imagination of those who
intend to cause disaffection between him and the PDP, insisting that no such thing happened. “It is on record that the deputy speaker is a founding member of the PDP, has remained in the party since 1998 and will continue to protect and promote its interest and fortunes. He will therefore not be moved by the antics of some anti-democratic elements who cannot compete fairly and would rather smear others to secure advantage,” he emphasised.
Famous music artiste, Innocent ‘2Face’ Idibia (left) presenting a #VoteNotFight campaign banner to INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega (right) during a sensitisation and advocacy visit by Ndi Partners to INEC in Abuja, yesterday. Photo By Nan
Cynthia Osokogu: ‘We Were Planning To Get Married Before Her Death’
OLUGBENGA SOYELE, Lagos
One of the men accused of complicity in the murder of the late postgraduate student, Cynthia Osokogu, Okwumo Nwabufo yesterday told a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere that they were lovers and were about getting married before her death. The late Osokogu, a 25-year-old student of the Nasarawa State University was murdered on July 22, 2012 in Lagos by men she allegedly met and became friends with on a social media platform, Facebook. Others accused of the crime apart from Nwabufo, 34, are Olisaeloka Ezike, 24; Orji Osita, 33; and Ezike Nonso, 25; they were arraigned before the court on a twocount charge of conspiracy and murder by the Lagos State gov-
ernment. While being led in evidence by his counsel, Chris Opara, Nwabufo said that contrary to the allegations that he met the deceased on Facebook, they actually met at the popular shopping mall, Shoprite in Lekki, Lagos. The defendant who claimed to be a car dealer and also a part-time undergraduate student of UniLag studying accounting said, they became friends after the meeting. He said he later visited the deceased in Abuja during one of his trips and also invited her to where he lodged at Satellite Suite Hotel located at Bwari area council of Abuja. Nwabufo also stated that after this they became very close and he started assisting her as a close friend.
“The late Cynthia was my girlfriend. We were close, just the way lovers are before they get married. She visited me often in Lagos. She had been to my house up to five times. I had been very helpful to her; doing everything a boyfriend can do to his girlfriend, like monetary support, moral support and advising her always. “I promised her that I would marry her and she accepted; but told me it was still early, that I should wait till Christmas when I will visit her parents in Delta State. “Everything about us was going well till the day I heard about her death. I was so devastated. I was crying asking why it should be her. Who must have done this? But the police didn’t give me a chance to express my feelings and they made me look like a murderer,” he said.
Kaduna Guber: PDP Aspirants Raise Doubts Over Today’s Ward Congresses BY ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna
Three of the governorship aspirants on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State have raised the alarm over alleged outright denial of sale of forms to delegates by the state leadership of the party to participate in today’s ward delegates election in the 255 wards of the state. Addressing a press conference yesterday, the three governorship
aspirants, Felix Hassan Hyat, Lawal Summaila Yakawada and Senator Haruna Zego Aziz, expressed dismay over the action of the party leadership, calling on the delegates to go ahead and participate in the election with or without the forms. They said, “based on the guidelines for the election of the PDP adhoc ward delegates which ought to commence on November 1, 2014, we as stakeholders in our party wish to call on all aspiring ward delegates
and full card-carrying members of our party to come out and participate in the coming ward congresses, irrespective of whether they were able to purchase the delegate forms or not. “Our call becomes imperative in view of the deliberate and mischievous underhand tactics that has ensured that forms for aspiring delegates have completely been denied them by the Kaduna State party chairman.”
Borno 2015: Imam Picks PDP Guber Form By Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri
Former Borno State chairman of the defunct All Nigeria People Party (ANPP), Alh Muhammad Imam yesterday picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination form for the 2015 governorship election. Imam who served as commissioner in various ministries under former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff
recently dumped the state’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) amidst intra-party wrangling to join the PDP. The ex-ANPP chieftain whose campaign posters since flooded streets of Maiduguri would be the first person in Borno State to pick the governorship nomination form on the platform of the PDP. He confirmed the develop-
ment to newsmen in Maiduguri on phone. “I have by the grace of Allah bought the PDP nomination form and that of the expression of interest to contest the governorship of our dear state, Borno, come 2015. I don’t have much to say for now until I return to Maiduguri to officially declare my intention and hold a press conference to that effect,” Imam said.
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weekend politics Saturday, November 1, 2014
Weekend Politics Editor: Chibuzo ukaibe
PDP Congress: Intrigues, Power Tussle As Govs, Others Go For Broke By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja, ACHOR ABIMAJE, Jos, Solomon Ayado, Makurdi, GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos, Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan, Bernard Tolani Dada, Uyo , Abubakar Salihi, Kano, ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt, Nnamdi Mbawike, Enugu, Abdullahi OlesiN, Ilorin, Kola EkeOgiugO, Asaba and Abu Nmodu, Minna
The National Working Committee has granted unconditional waivers to all returning and new members of the party who seek to participate in the ward delegate primaries; because it is an adhoc primaries
In the build up to governorship primaries across the states, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today hold its ward congresses; an activity that is poised to test and stretch the political wits of forces within the party at the state level. The congress, regarded by analysts as the main battlefield for the soul of party structures in the states, will largely pit incumbent governors against other stakeholders and for states that are not under the control of the PDP, produce a power tussle amongst political gladiators seeking to lead the party into 2015. The congress is even more significant and crucial as it will produce the delegates, who will conduct primaries for the states and by implication, determine those who emerge candidates of the party. The national leadership of the PDP had set the stage for the congress this week as it, in compliance with the stipulations of the Electoral Guidelines for the 2014 primaries ahead of the 2015 general elections, sold forms to aspirants; 3 ad-hoc ward delegates and 1 local government area national delegate. The party leadership after series of meetings further granted waivers to all returnee PDP members as well as new members to participate as delegates in the congress. The national publicity secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh on Tuesday said, “The National Working Committee has granted unconditional waivers to all returning and new members of the party who seek to participate in the ward delegate primaries; because it is an adhoc primaries, the NWC wishes to clarify that there is no requirement for party members to write to ward chairmen or local government chairmen for waivers. All party
members, new, and returning members are free to participate in the Ward Delegate Congress.” He however explained, “We are granting the waiver because we have noted that some chapters are planning to say that some people are either returning or they are new members and cannot contest to be delegates. But the issue of three-man delegate is an adhoc because immediately after the convention, upon the end of the congress, the delegate ceases.” Although the party assured members that there will be free and fair congresses, in trying to contain upheavals and lapses in some states, it took drastic actions. Some states including Enugu, Delta, Abia and Anambra saw the reversal of certain actions taken by the state governors. For instance, in Abia State, PDP directed the state executives to oversee the affairs of the wards and local government until congresses are held, following the expiration and tenure of the ward and local government executives of party since September 2014. It stressed that the executives cannot participate in the congresses. In Anambra State the PDP noted that the tenure of the state’s chapter expired October 24 and the southeast zonal executives were asked to oversee affairs until congresses are held. In Enugu State, PDP “considered the resignation of the Enugu State chairman and directs the state deputy chairman, as acting chairman, should summon a meeting of the state executive committee to appoint a chairman from the zone where the outgoing chairman hails from, pending the conduct of an election to fill that vacancy.” The party gave a two week deadline for the election to be carried out. In Imo State, the party “noted the expiration of the Imo State executive on October 31 and
Adamu
approved that the state executive committee should continue as caretaker committee without voting rights until congresses are held.” In Delta, PDP “considered the resignation of the Delta State chairman and hereby directs that the state deputy chairman and acting chairman should immediately summon a meeting of the state executive committee to appoint a chairman from the zone where the outgoing chairman hails from, pending the conduct of the election. NWC gives two weeks for compliance.” However, while these efforts are geared at curtailing the raging issues across the states ahead of today’s congress, indications from some states surveyed by LEADERSHIP Weekend show that the battle for the soul of the party, mainly between governors and other powerbrokers, especially serving federal lawmakers and former governors, is only beginning. Plateau The tussle in Plateau State is mainly between the incumbent governor, Jonah Jang and his predecessor, Joshua Dariye, who insists he has returned to the PDP; he was formerly in the Labour Party. However, a group in Plateau State has called for
suspension of the state’s ward congress, even as they accused Governor Jonah of bulk purchase of delegate forms. According to some aspiring delegates to the congress, delegates’ forms are being withheld by agents of the Plateau State governor, Jonah David Jang, with the view of frustrating them. Some of the members of the party who claimed they were denied access to the delegate forms when they visited the party secretariat along Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos, alleged that they were told that the forms had been exhausted. Hon Emmanuel Gyang Choji from Barkin Ladi local government and Barr. Bitrus Goshit said, “In total disregard of the guidelines for a successful conduct of delegate congress of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), a plot has been hatched by Plateau State governor, Jonah David Jang, to manipulate the delegate congress scheduled for Saturday 1st November 2014. They alleged that Jang, as leader of the party, had hijacked the sale of the forms by purchasing the forms for his own selected delegates. The duo stressed, “With this development, some prospective delegates who came to the party
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secretariat to purchase the forms were told that they will be given the forms at their various wards during the congress. They also alleged that Governor Jang had raised a six-man committee comprising of his political appointees, to select the names of loyalists that will be given the forms to fill. The six-man committee of each local government has been instructed to come up with three names as the local government representing all the local governments of the state. It was also alleged that the plot by Governor Jang was to come up with a consensus list so that there would be no need for any election to produce the delegate lists. The group, who threatened to petition the national chairman of PDP, also alleged that Governor Jang is desperate to install his own man to succeed him in 2015 and has resolved to make the process a do or die affair so as to achieve his aim. They therefore called on the national leadership of the party to suspend the delegate congress in Plateau State and supervise the sales of the forms directly so as to allow free access to the forms by all stakeholders. But a fresh dimension has emerged as the Plateau State chapter of PDP through the state secretary, Prince Pam Sale, in a statement warned those using the party logo to print campaign materials, to desist, as the party regards them as impostors. According to the party, “They are those who had left the party to other parties, fought the party in the last elections and today want to contest without being officially received as returnees.” The state party warned, “The likes of Engr. Jimmy Cheto, Sir Fidelis Tapgun, Sen. Joshua Dariye, Jonathan Sheni and Arch John Alkali should kindly save themselves from embarrassment by not involving themselves in any of the party’s activities in the state for now.” The statement further added that they were free to join the party after the PDP primaries in the state. This development, according to observers of Plateau politics, is to disarm some people and incapacitate them, with the view to render them politically invalid in the build up to the 2015 general election in the state. Benue In Benue State, the political situation at the moment is dicey. The manoeuvrings and battle of wits is between incumbent governor, Gabriel Suswam and Senator Barnabas Gemade on one hand and on the other
Senate president, David Mark, who is seeking to retain his seat against an emerging challenge from a retired federal permanent secretary, Chief Mike Onoja. Governor Suswam is bent on unseating the incumbent Senator Gemade, who represents the Benue northeast senatorial district, while Senate president Mark is jostling to retain his ticket for Benue south, but Onoja insists the seat must be rotated. Suswam and Mark appear to have gained the confidence of the PDP family because, according to party supporters, they are at the helm of affairs and ready to spend resources to achieve their goals. Gemade and Onoja might not be able to command as much followership among party members. Still, the PDP family looks divided because of conflicting interests of the heavyweight politicians. But Governor Suswam is working round the clock to ensure stability, even though the party structure is left at the mercy of those who can command seemingly endless resources. Lagos The biggest risk PDP faces in Lagos State ahead of the 2015 general elections is whether or not the chieftains and power brokers within the party will be able to resolve their differences and put the simmering power tussle to rest. It has always been a battle for supremacy between the former deputy national chairman of the party, south-west, Chief Bode George, former minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe and Senator Musliu Obanikoro. The feud between the leaders and the emergence of factions have dwindled the electoral fortunes of the party and made it impossible to contemplate electoral victory in Lagos State, a political fortress of the All Progressive Congress (APC). For the first time in 14 years, the two gladiators in the PDP crisis are perceived to have agreed to bury the hatchet and work for the progress of the party in Lagos State, come 2015. Ogunlewe did not mince words when said openly at a forum organised by the party that there is crisis in the Lagos chapter of the party, affirming, “Things are not going on well in the party, we are just patching up.” Now that the preparations for the 2015 general elections is gathering momentum and political activities and delegate congresses are coming up, the reality on ground shows that the party may be back on the brink, given the ambition and insistence of the former minister of State for Defence, Senator Musliu
Obanikoro, to be the flag bearer of the party in the state. Though Obankiro is a grassroots political mobiliser and widely acknowledged as a candidate that can rattle APC in Lagos State, having been trained under the political stable of the strongman of Lagos politics, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he has never been known to be on the same side with Chief Bode George. In 2010, the supporters of George, Ogunlewe and Obanikoro- all governorship candidates of the party in the 2007 general elections, agreed to sheathe their swords to allow peace to reign in the party. Unfortunately, midway into the meeting to reconcile all factions, some armed thugs invaded the venue and attempted to attack Obanikoro for daring to challenge George in some of the decisions of the party and the peace talks collapsed. In the new rapprochement, some groups led by both Chief Bode George and Chief Adeseye Ogunleye within the party, have been all over the state and beyond, canvassing for the endorsement of the former governorship candidate of Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) in 2007, Jimi Agbaje, as the party’s standard bearer in the 2015 elections in the state . Although Obanikoro had since vowed to resist the move, the fear among the party’s stakeholders is that ‘Abuja factor” may play out in the choice of who becomes the candidate of the party, against general interest. LEADERSHIP WEEKEND reliably gathered that George and Ogunlewe have thrown their weight behind Agbaje’s ambition, having facilitated his membership of the party and are also working assiduously to control the party machinery to realise their dream of foisting Agbaje on the party. The formidable force of George and Ogunlewe in Lagos PDP, observers believe, cannot be overemphasised and are likely to have upper hand at the delegate’s congress, except Obanikoro is able to use “Abuja factor” to overrule their decision. To this end, the party leadership who will not want to be seen as siding a party member against another, told our correspondent that they are in support of Agbaje picking the ticket for Lagos guber race. A PDP stalwart said, “Agabje is a more credible candidate and has what it takes to govern the state. He has the financial power to confront the APC who has ruled the state all these 15 years.” As far as the party’s chairman in the state, Tunji Shelle is concerned, since PDP is not the party in power all aspirants must
go for primaries in line with the existing tradition of the party. He said, “There is no preferred aspirant. The candidate that would emerge would be decided by the party delegates.” Shelle said there were nine contenders for the governorship position in the state and hundreds of other aspirants for the other positions. The aspirants jostling for the ticket include, Jimi, Agbaje, Musliu Obanikoro, Dr Adegbola Dominic , Salis Owolabi, Dr Shamsudeen Dosunmu , Babatunde Gbadamosi , Dr Gregory Ogundimu, among others. Oyo So far, about 12 governorship Jang aspirants from Oyo State The outcome of the primary have indicated their interest in participating in the party election would no doubt primaries, as the party prepares determine the success of the party at the polls. for its congress tomorrow. In essence, the contest is They include former Senate leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, between the former Senate leader, former governor, Christopher Senator Teslim Folarin and exAdebayo Alao-Akala, former governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala. deputy governor, Gbolarumi Folarin is from Ibadan, while Hazeem, Professor Soji Adejumo, Alao-Akala is from Ogbomoso in Taofeek Arapaja, Femi Babalola, Oke Ogun area of the state. Seyi Makinde, Professor Taohhed The belief that the PDP should Adedoja and Olatunji Adetuntan, have Governor Rashidi Ladoja among others. as its consensus candidate is out However, only four of the of it, as the former governor is aspirants, Adebayo Alao-Akala, not ready to abandon his party, Teslim Folarin, Professor Soji Accord Party, which has revved Adejumo and Seyi Makinde were up its campaign to ensure its said to have collected the party’s national leader returns to Agodi interest forms in Abuja. Government House come 2015. It was gathered that the If stakeholders, including the primaries would be conducted aspirants, abide by the rules among the four aspirants. and regulations as laid down by Already, the aspirants are the party, there is possibility of divided into two camps: the having a hitch and violence-free Senator Teslim Folarin and Chief primary. Adebayo Alao-Akala camps and it However, if they fail to adhere is expected that they are likely to strictly to the rules, that may vote along these lines. bring a big dichotomy within the Also, indigeneship remains party and affect its chances at the a strong determiner of who polls. The people of the state, emerges the party’s flag bearer. Before now, the aspirants from especially members of the party Ibadan had canvassed that for are waiting anxiously for the the PDP to win the governorship outcome of the congress as it However, this position was will surely decide the direction of condemned and rejected by some voting during the governorship of the aspirants, especially those election. who are not from Ibadan. The fear is that if Folarin They argued that the party emerges as the party’s candidate, belongs to all and aspirants must the possibility of having be given the opportunity to test Akala’s support is very low. This is because of the strained their popularity. The fight therefore is not relationship between them. Meanwhile, the national between two former governors, but between the Ibadan and non- leadership of the PDP has put Ibadan aspirants. in place a five-member electoral There have been unconfirmed committee for the conduct of the reports that the presidency has a congress on Saturday. They are candidate and the aspirants have Ali Sa’ad Birnin Kudu (chairman), warned against imposition of a Gabriel Oluohu, Hon. Muhammed Bichi, Tony Okocha, Ambassador candidate on the party. They argued that this might Sonny Abang (secretary). Members of the electoral be a repeat of what happened in 2011 when the party lost the appeal panel are Professor Jerry governorship seat to the defunct ACN. ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 67
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Agala (chairman), Patrick Aiden Diwa, Barrister Barth Igboke (secretary). Akwa Ibom That Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio has finally given a ‘direction’ for his likely succession plan for 2015, is no more news to the people of Akwa Ibom. Many who pointed in the direction of the immediate past Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Udom Emmanuel, from Eket senatorial district were the governor zoned the governorship ticket, were not wrong after all. Chief Akpabio set up a 31-member coordinating committee to see through the plan to install the former SSG as his successor at the expiration of his tenure in 2015. He had asserted severally that he would prefer that the governorship ticket be zoned to Eket,for justice and equity, since the state is built on a tripod stand which consist of three ethnic groups: the Ibibio, the Annangs and the Eket / Oron . Akpabio’s preference for someone from Eket senatorial district therefore stems from the fact that nobody from that district has ever ruled the state since it was created, whereas, Obong Victor Atta, an Ibibio, ruled from 1999-2007. Chief Akpabio, who is from Ananang, is about to complete his second term in office. But this arrangement did not go down well with some leaders and PDP elders in the state, such as Obong Victor Atta, former governor; Chief Don Etebet, former Petroleum minister; Chief Ufot Ekaete, former secretary to the federal government; Rita Akpan, former minister for Women Affairs and a host of others. They argued that zoning is not good for the people and agitated for a level playing field for all the governorship aspirants in the state or a free-for-all, but curiously in 1999, 2007 and 2011, they were all great advocates of zoning. Their first argument is that zoning bars merit. Their second argument, which is not too different from the first, is that zoning encourages mediocrity. The third argument is that the citizens’ problems do not recognise the place where the leader to solve them comes from. A little peep into succession plan history of the state since 1999 shows that Obong Victor Attah, sometimes called the architect of modern Akwa Ibom, had at the twilight of his eight years regime brought out one Dr Udoma Ekarika, his son-inlaw,
to occupy the governorship seat after his exit. Obong Attah did all he could to make sure Dr Ekarika became the choice of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) faithful in the state, however, at the end of the day, he did not win the primaries. The people who rejected him, we are told, included fellow cabinet members like the former SSG, Obong Umana Okon Umana, the then commissioner for Youth and Sports, Dr Chris Ekong, and Dr Ebebe Ukpong, who preferred another of their colleague, Chief Godswill Akpabio (the present governor. In doing this, Obong Attah maintained a picture of a cultured but aggrieved man until the “God factor” played the decider in the emergence of Governor Akpabio. Chief Don Etiebet, a founding father of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) anger with Governor Akpabio cannot really be understood because apart from the fact that they are from the same Annang stock and brothers, Etebet is Oruk Annam while Akpabio hails from Ukana in Essien Udim local government council area of the state. Chief Etebet a few weeks ago at a press briefing in Uyo, expressed his annoyance that Governor Akpabio and the party hierarchy in which he is a Board of Trustees member, had side-lined him in the affairs of the party in the state, such that he could not even produce a counsellor in his ward. Chief Etiebet had during the build up to the 2007 governorship election in the state, threw his weight behind Governor Akpabio and even mustered enough delegate lists for him to become governor, to the detriment of Dr Ekarika Obong Atta’s candidate who also hails from Oruk Anam, the home base of Don Etebet. Then came Chief Ufot Ekaete, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who many believe convinced his boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to intervene on behalf Governor Akpabio for an outright win. But the real anger of these elders (apart from former Governor Atta who had all along nursed deep rooted animosity towards Akpabio for not allowing his son-in-law be made governor in 2007), is that Governor Akpabio has been running a one-man show since he assumed office, as he doesn’t consult or lobby them before decisions affecting the state are taken. Kano The political power play in Kano PDP is becoming intense as new PDP members largely from the defunct All Nigeria Peoples’s Party (ANPP) and old members of
PDP, seem to have different guber aspirants they want the party to field as candidate. The factions of ex- governor of the state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and that of present minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Bashir Wali appear poised for a power play. It is gathered that Malam Salihu Sagir Takai who was Shekarau’s anointed gubernatorial candidate in the 2011 election, is still the choice of former Kano governor and majority of the former ANPP members now in PDP. While Aminu Wali’s candidate is still unknown, it is however clear that he is not open to back the purported candidate of Shekarau. Interestingly, another force coming into the scene is the son of former Nigerian Head of State, Muhammad Sani Abacha. The likes of Engr. Bello Sani Gwarzo, Malam Kumar Mustapha and son of late General Murtala Mohammed, Abba Murtala Ramat Mohammed Risqua (who is viewed as an aspirant with “Abuja” backing), are also in the race. LEADERSHIP further gathered that each faction is claiming to have a better aspirant to secure a win for PDP in the 2015 elections, as none is ready to withdraw his interest for the other. Enugu When Enugu State governor, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime spearheaded the emergence of Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuayi as the consensus candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2015 governorship election in the state, many people described the arrangement as a bold move that would end the protracted cold war between the governor and deputy Senate president, Chief Ike Ekweremadu. Ugwuanyi was first endorsed early this month at a meeting attended by Governor Sullivan Chime, Senator Ayogu Eze (representing Enugu-north senatorial district), the speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Eugene Odo and other gubernatorial aspirants of the party. Expectedly, Senator Eze, who has been nursing an ambition to become governor, swiftly rejected the consensus arrangement, insisting that he remains a candidate to beat. Eze, who is the current Senate committee chairman on Works and one of the governorship aspirants in Enugu State, said he was not perturbed by the news making the rounds that the state chapter of the PDP has endorsed a consensus candidate for the 2015 governorship election. He also denied insinuations that he had parted ways with
Akpabio
Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime over his opposition to the consensus arrangement, saying that he has continued to maintain the best of relationship with him (Chime) as a friend and leader of the party in the state. Speaking to reporters in Enugu shortly after he was received by thousands of supporters at his residence, Senator Eze said he had no problem with any of the governorship aspirants of the party. Besides Ayogu, other PDP governorship aspirants, including the current speaker of the House Assembly in Enugu State, Barrister Eugene Odoh, a former PDP governorship candidate, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, Chinedu Onuh, who is from the same senatorial district as Ugwuanyi, have rejected the consensus arrangement and declared their ambitions to contest the governorship position. Sources disclosed that the deputy Senate president is seriously engineering the move against consensus arrangement spearheaded by Governor Sullivan Chime, a development many believe led to the recent factionalisation of the party. While the PDP faction loyal to the state governor, Sullivan Chime, has continued to insist that Chief Ikeje Asogwa remains the successor of Engineer Vita Abba, who resigned as chairman of the party to stand for election in the forthcoming party primaries in the state, the faction loyal to Ekweremadu see the deputy chairman of the State Executive Committee (SEC), David Aja as the acting chairman of the party. In a statement signed by the state publicity secretary, Okey Eze, and made available to journalists at the end of an emergency meeting which was presided over by the state governor at the weekend, the PDP SEC had premised Asogwa’s appointment on Section 47 of the
PDP constitution. But the deputy chairman of the state chapter of the party, Aja, has described the SEC meeting and Asogwa’s appointment as the new chairman as “illegal, null, and void”, citing sections 35 and 45 of the party constitution which provides that he, and not the state secretary of the party, was the one duly empowered to convene the SEC meeting in the event of the resignation of the chairman. Close followers of Enugu politics believe the ongoing leadership tussle in the PDP was occasioned by the ambitions of Governor Sullivan Chime and the deputy Senate president to contest for the Enugu west senatorial seat (where the duo hail from) in the 2015 general elections. Rivers In Rivers State, the ward and local government congresses of the PDP, barring any dramatic circumstance, will swing in favour of the immediate past minister of state for Education, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike. Feelers emanating from the hierarchy of the PDP in the state, indicates that the leadership of the party in the ward, local government, senatorial and state levels of the party are alleged to be loyal to Wike, who is also a governorship aspirant for the November 29 governorship primaries of the party. Also, only members of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), the campaign machinery of the former minister, are believed to be truly registered members of the PDP who are still within the party, as the party’s membership register is in the custody of the sacked Chief Godspower Ake-led executive committee, who left with Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Already, other governorship aspirants on the platform of the PDP are demanding for the cancelation of the ward and local government congresses of the party in the state until the grievances of some members of the party are addressed. One of such aspirants is Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack, who in a statement in Port Harcourt, said, “The many submissions of the concerned and aggrieved members made to the party through the south-south zone of the National Integration Committee are yet to be treated.” Walson-Jack, who is among governorship aspirants opposed to the aspiration of Wike, further said, “Unless the issues raised are adjudicated upon and resolved, ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 68
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the planned ward congresses would only consolidate illegalities and injustice. “Millions of Rivers people are waiting to hear the party’s position on the monumental forgery that has led to a complete change of the names and documentation of officers elected in 2012 with persons who never contested elections and some of whom were not even members of the PDP at the time of the said state congress.” Kwara Against popular expectation, the ward congress of the Kwara State chapter of the PDP coming up today is likely to be peaceful and devoid of the intrigues that normally dogged such an exercise in the party. It is on record that both the ward and local congresses of the party early this year were marred by bloody clashes due to the supremacy battle among the top echelon of the party in the state. Though the state congress of the party which produced the Iyiola Oyedepo-led executives was orderly and peaceful, its outcome was rejected by a group within the party – the Liberation Movement Group. The party however survived the wrangling associated with the election of its state executive members through the timely intervention of its national leadership. But in a bid to put an end to the unhealthy rivalry between the PDP’s gubernatorial aspirants, the leadership of the party in the state, the presidency and national leadership of the party last week summoned all the aspirants to a meeting in Abuja. The meeting was presided over by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Pius Anyim. According to an inside source, the meeting was aimed at reducing the number of aspirants in the party with a view to avoiding internal enmity arising from a contest for the party ticket. As at the last count, over 14 PDP chieftains have indicated interest in becoming the governorship flag-bearer. Three of them have already obtained nomination forms. They include Professor Shuaib Abdulraheem, who resigned as chairman of Federal Character Commission (FCC), immediate past special adviser to the president on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mokanjuola Ajadi and chairman of Lubcon and former managing director of Nigerian Airways, Engr. Jani Ibrahim.
Others who have expressed intent include Alhaji Dele Belgore (SAN), Senator Gbemisola Rukayyat Saraki, Deacon John Dara, Engr. Sunday Babalola, Senator Simeon Ajibola, among others. However, the national leadership of the party is said to be worried at the number of aspirants which it feared might jeopardise the PDP’s chances in the state. The aspirants were therefore advised to work out a consensus arrangement or at least reduce the number of aspirants. A source said: “Yes, the aspirants were called to a meeting in Abuja and the intention was to explore a way of pruning down the number. The leadership of the party and the presidency believe the multiplicity of the aspirants could create a setback for the party and so they don’t want to go into primaries that would create bad blood within the party. “They also impressed it on the aspirants to be ready to sacrifice for the party ahead of the major battle which is confronting the incumbent government of the All Progressives Congress (APC).” Some of the aspirants who spoke to our correspondents on condition of anonymity are however itching for a ballot, saying all the gladiators must be allowed to test their strength and capacity. That aside, feelers from the camp of a leading governorship aspirant of the party, Prof. Shuaib AbdulRaheem and the leader of the PDP in the state, are that Saturday’s congress will hold in an atmosphere devoid of rancour and intrigue. “Going by the outcome of the gubernatorial aspirants’ meeting with the presidency and the national leadership of the party last week, the Saturday’s ward congress of our party will be devoid of rancour because it will not have any effect on the chances of the aspirants. “What we are doing on Saturday is to pick delegates that would later vote to pick one of the aspirants as the party’s flag bearer for the 2015 governorship election in the state. It is after the Saturday’s congress that aspirants will start campaigning and seeking the support of the delegates,” a source from Professor Abdulraheem’s camp volunteered. Also, a close associate of Hajia Muinat Sagaya disclosed the preparedness of the presidency’s point-person in the state to be a mother to all the aspirants. He said the major preoccupation of Sagaya is to see that PDP dislodges the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Ahmadu Bello Way
election of our gubernatorial candidate. All the delegates are urged to be orderly and use their discretion to choose whoever they want to represent them,” he added. But speaking on the issue, a party source said, “All the gubernatorial aspirants have been busy lately in all the wards in the various local governments of the state in their bid to mobilise delegates.”
Suswam
Government House, Ilorin come 2015. According to him, Hajia Sagaya is not relying just on her closeness to the presidency to pull the rug from under the feet of the APC during next year’s election, but has also recruited seasoned politicians as advisers and aides to help her actualise her goal. “I want to confirm to you that our leader, Hajia Muina Sagaya has decided to be mother to all PDP gubernatorial aspirants in the state. Her major concern is to co-ordinate Saturday’s ward congress and ensure that it is hitch-free. In fact, there is no aspirant that informed her about their plan to obtain the nomination form that she has not assisted financially. “I hope this will convince you that Hajia Sagaya is not supporting or against any gubernatorial aspirant. Her prayer is that the best among them will eventually emerge to fly the flag of PDP during the 2015 governorship election,” the source confided in LEADERSHIP Weekend. However, LEADERSHIP Weekend investigations showed that the PDP gubernatorial aspirants have intensified efforts to mobilise three delegates from each of the 193 wards for Saturday’s congress. At the event, which will take place in wards across the 16 local governments in the state, three delegates each will be elected to vote for gubernatorial aspirants for the party’s governorship primaries coming up later in the month at the party’s secretariat in Ilorin. The party’s assistant publicity secretary, Femi Yusuf urged all party members to be law abiding and exhibit the spirit of brotherhood. “It should be understood that this is just the first step in the
Delta When Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State tactically ‘declared’ his intention on Thursday, January 9, 2014 to represent Delta south senatorial district at the National Assembly in 2015; it never came to the people as a surprise. True to his declaration early this year, he picked and submitted the nomination form for Delta south senatorial seat last Wednesday. Governor Uduaghan said there was an unwritten zonal arrangement among the different ethnic nationalities in Delta South, stressing that such rotational arrangement favours the Itsekiris, where he hails from. But as the battle for the soul of Delta South senatorial district heats up, the one million naira question now is who can stop the senatorial ambition of the Delta State governor? There are no major challengers from his ethnic group and this is why Governor Uduaghan may have a smooth sail to senate in 2015. But can the likes of Biukeme, Emiko and others mount the necessary road block against the senatorial ambition of the governor? Only time will tell. But LEADERSHIP Weekend reliably gathered that Senator James Manger, who also is contesting in the fourth term at the Delta south senatorial seat, has vowed not to relinquish the seat to Dr Uduaghan. Expectedly, sources said the governor had done everything possible to woo him by promising him another position, as all his efforts proved abortive after he had allegedly deceived him into discussing the issue before President Goodluck Jonathan, who after a prolonged quarrel urged both parties to go and settle the issue in their domain amicably. Senator James Manger has reportedly mobilised all Ijaw sons and daughters to work for his success. The PDP ward primaries may set off a time bomb as hundreds of aggrieved party members have vowed to expose the lukewarm attitude of the party’s so called stakeholders, especially in the just concluded local government
elections that was believed to have been marred with imposition of candidates and other electoral frauds. Still LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the plot over who becomes the next governor after Uduaghan is assuming a frightening dimension. There are indications that the sack of Godsday Orubebe as minister of the Federal Republic and the resignation of former speaker of Delta State House of Assembly has something to do with their underground agenda to be the next occupant of Delta State Government House, Asaba. Even then, each of the leading candidates in Delta north senatorial district wants to be governor. Nobody wants to step down for the other. This, their supporters and some discerning pundits say, may mean doom for the aspirants as some of them are prepared to dump the ruling party to contest under another political party if they are denied the party’s governorship’s ticket. The key candidates are Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Victor Ochei, Tony Elumelu, Ngozi Olojeme and Sylvester Monye. As for the Delta south senatorial district, the key aspirants for now are the present SSG to Delta State, Comrade Ovuozurie Macaulay, Senator James Manager, who is currently serving his fourth term in the Senate and former minister of the Niger Delta Affairs ministry, Godsday Orubebe, all from the ruling party. Further investigations reveal that Uduaghan would prefer to have a government insider succeed him for continuity purposes. The insider, according to the source, will be from amongst those currently running the government with Governor Uduaghan, not those based in Abuja. Niger In Niger State, the preparation to the election of delegates by the PDP is poised to go on without much drama, despite the latent existence of contrary tendencies. It was gathered that in line with the party guidelines, instead of the ward executives forming the buck of delegates, the delegates are now to be elected and some top government officials as well as party big wings are now lobbying ward executives and party members to allow them be elected as delegates. Consequently, all interest groups within the party, mostly the aspirants, are positioning their loyal members to be elected as delegates, while those based in Abuja have started coming home to witness the delegate election process.
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
Policeman Held For Gunrunning Dies In Cell BY MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Police Command yesterday recorded a bizarre incident as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Nanbol Audu, who is being held by his command over allegation of attempting to sell firearms was found dead in his cell with handcuffs on his hands. DSP Audu was found dead yesterday morning in his detention cell at the police headquarters in Kaduna and unofficial news from the police was that he committed suicide in his cell. The late DSP was in charge of the Kaduna Command’s Armament. His death comes some days after he was paraded for allegedly attempting to steal and sell weapons. The commissioner of Police, CP Umar Shehu who confirmed the DSP’s death said efforts were being made by the command to unravel the mystery behind the officer’s death. A top police source told LEADERSHIP Weekend that DSP Audu was found shot to death with his hands still handcuffed. He added that,“it is practically impossible for someone in police cell with handcuffs on him to commit suicide, not to talk of carrying a gun to shoot himself. The police cell is without a gun or any metal and no culprit is allowed into the cell with food not to talk of weap-
Group Writes Dangote Over Obajana Road
on. The circumstance behind his death is still confusing to us and members of his family,” said the source. Though, the family of the police officer were yet to be informed officially by the Police authority up to the time of filing this report, our correspondent who was at the residence of DSP Audu reported that hundreds of sympathisers including family relations thronged in to sympathise with the widow and children of the deceased. A family source who confided in our correspondent said, “we shall decide on the next line of action by tomorrow (today), we are still waiting for the police to inform us of what happened to our brother before we take action. This will not go unchallenged. We will want the police to tell us what happened, whether he is still alive or not, who killed him, and why they took his dead body to the mortuary without first calling on any member of the family to see for themselves what happened to the deceased inside the cell.” LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the late DSP was even admitted at the Police Training Clinic when he felt ill in his cell but after some days, he was taken out, allegedly on orders from the police high command, for him to make additional statement on his case. His ordeal started when he was
arrested by men from the Police Mobile Squadron 1, who had been keeping tabs on him after becoming suspicious on the allegation that he was stealing arms. He was then arrested and taken to their barracks close to the Television Garage in Kaduna. He was later taken to hospital when he fell ill and then taken back to the Mobile Barrack days later. He was later transferred to Gabasawa police station under the supervision of the officers of the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) where he was later found dead. Our correspondent also found out that as part of police investigations into his death, a female police corporal, Mary Emmanuel, has allegedly been arrested on the allegation that she was the last person who visited the late DSP in his cell. The allegation hanging on her neck is that she might have been the one who smuggled a pistol into his cell. The late DSP who hails from Plateau state was supposed to retire in 2016 before his death while the said Mary Emmanuel, who is under arrest, has her wedding slated for next week. Checks by our correspondent revealed there is uneasy calm within the ranks and file of the police in Kaduna over the sudden death of their colleague.
By AGBO-PAUL AUGUSTINE, Abuja
In a letter to the managing director of Dangote Cement, DVG Edwin, made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday in Abuja, the project director of the network, Mohammed Bouqei Attah said the bad state of the Okene-ZariagiKabba road connecting to Obajana where Dangote Cement factory is situated has not only become a death trap but has aided robbers
A civil society organisation, NGO Network, has written the management of Dangote Cement Plc over the deplorable state of the Okene-Zariagi and Kabba highway in Kogi State that has caused accidents, loss of property, robbery and deaths of many commuters in recent times.
Armed Robbers Snatch Sen Gaya’s Prado Jeep by Oiboh Peter, Abuja
Senator Kabiru Gaya yesterday lost his car on his way to Kano when he was ambushed at gun point along Jaji-Zaria road at about 7.30pm. The Prado jeep with registration number, FL 16 SEN, was snatched
by four armed men dressed in military uniform disguised as security personnel along the high way. The senator who was travelling in a convoy to Kano State, his home state, was with his media aide, Idris Afegbua and others when the incident occurred.
Fuel Scarcity Looms As Oil Workers Issue 14-Day Strike Warning By Michael Oche, Abuja
The two major oil workers union sin the country, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) yesterday in Abuja threatened to shut down the oil and gas industry in Nigeria if the constant victimisation of its leaders is not stopped forthwith. The unions issued the federal government a 14-day ultimatum to address what it described as precarious working conditions in the oil sector and victimisation of its members by total oil company, failure of which will lead to withdrawal of its services The unions specifically lamented the sudden transfer of two of its officials, the deputy president along the routes as well as affected commercial activities. “It is on record that apart from the weekly grid locks recorded on these routes, every public holiday and celebrations are met with fear of congestions, standstills and chaos that are better attributed to the ‘Bermuda Triangle’,” he said. Attah who is also a member of the national technical committee
of NUPENG, Mr Asuquo Okon who works with AGIP from Lagos to Port-Harcourt and Mrs Elo Victor Ogbonda, the Port-Harcourt zonal secretary of PENGASSAN who was moved to Lagos by Total. Addressing journalists at the end of the joint national executive council (NEC) meeting, the national president of PENGASSANN, Comrade Francis Johnson also listed other issues such as bad roads across the country as a reason for wanting to embark on the strike. It urged the members of the National Assembly to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) on return from its recess or the union would lead a protest to the National Assembly. He said, “we will not allow the leaders of our unions to suffer such victimisation.” on standards, urged the company to come to the aid of the people as the current situation on the road cannot be left alone in the hands of the federal government which originally owns the road. Attah also reminded Dangote Cement that the bad state of the road cannot be accepted anywhere in the world where a high profile company is located.
2015: The Rising Clamour For Jonathan’s Re-election by Igho Oyoyo
Presidential View and Endorsement Platform, an initiative of God’s Wealth Foundation, has been seen to be in the forefront of championing the cause of President Goodluck Jonathan in the country. Recently the organisation convened a meeting of supporters of Jonathan to make a live endorsement of the president online, even before he accepted to recontest in 2015. On October 15, 2014, the Presidential View and Endorsement Platform of President Goodluck Jonathan, assembled over 300 groups from all the geo-political zones of the country at the Aso Hall of the international Conference Centre. Their mission was simply to do one thing-declare their unwavering support for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The meeting was attended by
the former minister of Transport, and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ebenezer Babatope; Cross River State gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the PDP, Barr Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, among other dignitaries. Don Clems, an aide to the Cross River State government on Youth Affairs also joined the other guests at the event. Convener of the Presidential View Endorsement Programme, Chibuzor Chinweuba said they were there to reaffirm their belief in the person of President Jonathan and his capacity to lead the country for another four years. “Nigeria is not a cursed nation that would see and experience a hardworking president who has provided results of his focused administration to the country, then turn around to reject him for perfectly handling his job of transforming Nigeria and say he should
not contest. That is madness!” Chibuzor said. “What we need as citizens is an enabling environment for us to do our businesses, earn our living legally and be able to meet all our financial challenges. The Jonathan administration gives me this hope; that same sense of opportunity is shared by all the groups here represented, to say to the ears of all Nigerians that Jonathan has performed and it will be satanic to prevent him from returning to Aso Rock. Any movement against the emergence of the president is satanic and would fail,”Chibuzor asserted. The guest speaker, Barr Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo told the mammoth crowd of youths at the International Conference Centre that talking about what President Jonathan has done was only emphasising the obvious. He argued that Nigerians could see for themselves
the good things that the Jonathan administration has done, especially for the youth. Tasking the youth to ensure that they put to practice their support for President Goodluck Jonathan, Ebenezer Babatope told them to rally round the president as he represents a generational change in leadership. “He understands the pain of this digital-age youth and responds to them in a language they appreciatethe language of purposeful leadership laced with empathy and fulfilling of promises. “The rail system in this country today is by far better than what Nigerian youths used to know. We now have a standard gauge system. In about three years, believe me, Nigerians will be very happy that we have a standard gauge introduced by Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Formally we used to have the narrow gauge which can take
about 12 hours from Kano to Lagos, but now the trains move so fast and those who board it have no reason to regret riding on the rail,” Babatope emphasised. He thanked the president for knowing how to reach the people at various levels through effective distribution of development; the success in the aviation sector and how the minister of agriculture is revolutionising the sector in the country Some of the groups at the event include the Coalition of 19 Northern States and FCT for Jonathan’s Mandate 2015; South West Youth Transformation Assembly; National youth Council of Ogoni People; Ethnic Democratic Forum; Grassroot Emancipation Group for Jonathan; Youth for Peace & Unity Sports Development Initiative; Visionary Leaders Initiative; Dream Nigeria Foundation and the Association of Beauty Artists of Nigeria.
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My Family Feeds From Proceeds Of My Begging – Elephantiasis Patient In this encounter with ANKELI EMMANUEL in Sokoto, 26-year-old Elephantiasis patient Umar Sanusi, who lives at Manir Road, Gungumawa area of Sokoto South local government area, recounts how a certain mallam in Aiyara, Tsafe local government area of Zamfara State became the cause of his anguish in life
Umar Sanusi at the spot where he begs for alms.
“I
f I had known that my going to that Mallam to acquire Qu’ranic education would cause me perpetual pains like I am experiencing now, I would not have gone there despite entreaties from my parents then. Now, I am confronted with elephantiasis as not just a pain but a nightmare which I don’t know when I will come out of it,” Umar Sanusi told LEADERSHIP Weekend in Sokoto. Sitting pathetically before the traffic lights at the popular Kano road flyover within the metropolis, with pain written all over his face, Umar admitted that, “While in that Qua’ranic school, I was slightly stubborn and a bit of a truant and Mallam Haruna chained my legs to reduce my movement. “While still chained, I strived to walk with the chain and that was how my leg started swelling gradually until it became severe. I was taken to the hospital and the doctor said, the leg had to be operated upon for it to become normal just like the leg that was not affected.” Like some almajiris, despite been engaged in their Mallams’ farms and domestic works,
Umar had to go out to beg for food and seek alms to enable him ‘keep body and soul together,’ just as he simultaneously attend primary school, leading to his truancy at the Islamic school. Admitting that he only requires N300,000 to take himself out of the unintended begging lifestyle he has found himself in, Umar said that to make matters worse, his family of seven sometimes feeds from what he generates from his begging. Recalling how challenging living a life of depending on alms could be, Umar said, “I have been to a good number of hospitals. I have been to Federal Medical Centre, Gusau and they said, with surgical operations, the leg will become normal. But we have no money. “I also came to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto where they conducted tests and confirmed that the leg will be okay after operations but what has been my major challenge remains the money, which we have not been able to generate. “My parents are here but sincerely, they do not have the means of getting such an
amount. In fact, sometimes I do help my family to feed from what I get from begging. Sometimes, when they go out and do not get anything for the day, I do bring whatever I get from my begging and they use it to feed the family for that day. And sometimes when my father gets something from his job, the family uses that for feeding while I use whatever I get for pain-relief drugs,” Umar stressed. Though, confronted with the pains of elephantiasis, Umar’s desire to get himself out of the begging lifestyle seems to be very obvious, as he informed that he does laundry for people and they pay him some stipends for that. Just like every other individual with insatiable list of needs in life, Umar’s priority seems to be how to raise the N300,000 needed for his treatment after which he would start up a business that would enable him to be self-reliant. “In fact, not that I like this begging just that it is the only way out for now. Secondly, I also fix electricity despite my elephantiasis condition but cannot do much in that regard because of my condition,” he
added. Like normal workers that earn monthly salaries, Umar divulged that begging has hay days which usually comes within those period when workers are paid. According to him, beggars get more alms then and on Fridays when they go to beg in front of popular Mosques. “Sincerely, what I get from my daily begging is not fixed. Sometimes, when they pay workers’ salaries, I get as much as N500 to N800 and even N1,000. But when there is no salary, things get even tough for we beggars too. Sometimes, I get N200 to N300. But, I get money for my treatment mostly when workers get their salaries.” In his plea for urgent support from well meaning Nigerians, Umar said he is supposed to be taking pain-relief injections weekly at the cost of N800 but has to do that either monthly or once in two months because of his inability to afford it. When asked whether he would want to go to school should he get well, he happily responded with a chuckle, saying he even had a form for secondary school with him but could not go because of the challenges in his life.
Though confronted with the pains of elephantiasis, Umar’s desire to get himself out of the begging lifestyle seems to be very obvious as he informed that he does laundry for people
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
I Dragged Myself To Safety With Just Tendons Holding My Leg Together - Bauchi Bomb Victim The peace and calm Bauchi State had been experiencing for some time was violently interrupted last week when a bomb exploded at a motor park in Azare town, killing several people and injuring many. OBED MINCHAKPU, Bauchi, spoke with some of the victims of the incident.
F
or Kabiru Madaki, a victim of the Azare bomb blast, Wednesday, 22 October, 2014 is a day he will never forget in his life. On that fateful day, he had gone out at about 9:00 pm to buy a few items to be used by his wife who has just had a baby. He rode on his motorcycle to the motor park in Azare, his home town, to buy the needed items. The outing was made even more exciting for him when he met his long time friend there. “Haba, menene duniya?” His friend, Umaru asked him jokingly. Kabiru parked his motorcycle and joined his friend who was already sitting by the kiosk of the Mai Shayi in the motor park. Umaru instantly asked the MaiShayi to prepare a plate of noodles for his friend who has been away on a business trip. The two friends continued to exchange pleasantries while they waited for the shayi and noodles to be ready. But lurking in a corner of the motor park was an agent of the devil, waiting to destroy them. Suddenly, a loud explosion occured, throwing them in different directions. The world seemed to have come to an end for both friends and others around the ever busy Azare Motor park. Minutes later, Kabiru regained consciousness at the Azare Federal Medical Centre, between life and death. Only the spirited efforts of doctors at the hospital led by the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Abdullahi Ibrahim, saved the life of Kabiru and others. Kabiru is one of those lucky to still be alive, though he lost one of his legs in the incident but his friend Umaru was not that lucky, he died minutes after he was brought to the hospital. Kabiru shared the moments with his friend before the explosion that ended their discussion, with LEADERSHIP Weekend in an exclusive interview in Azare. “My name is Kabiru Madaki, I was out on my motorcycle and stopped when I saw a friend of
Ghadaffi Yahuza, one of the Azare bomb blast victims.
mine. I parked so that we could properly greet each other and afterwards, he asked me to sit down and join him for a meal of noodles. As we were discussing, he was telling me he saw a friend of mine in Potiskum town, in Yobe State. I told him that I was also in Potiskum a few days ago and would be returning there in a few days’ time. All of a sudden and without warning, we heard a loud explosion,” Kabiru narrated, saying he was lifted up and then thrown to the ground. “I found myself lying there on the ground. I could not stand but struggled to sit up. I opened my eyes and saw light and suddenly, I realised one of my legs had been blown off. It was only the tendons in my leg that were holding the detached leg together. I began to shout, calling for help. ‘Jama’a a taimake ni,’ I cried out. ‘A taimake ni, a taimake ni, ba Wanda zai shiga wuta,’ I cried out, meaning somebody please help me, help me; nobody will enter hellfire.” He said he dragged himself on the right leg that was still intact and kept dragging until he got a little away from the point of explosion and it was at this point that he saw someone and asked him to help him. “Don Allah Malam ka taimakeni,” I pleaded with him. “The man dragged me up to the gate of the motor park and left me there. “While I was there, help came and I was eventually taken to the hospital. It was in the hospital that I saw my friend with whom I was discussing, being treated too. He could not make it as he died later. There was this other friend of mine too, who saw me before the blast and requested that I should get him a wrist watch. I promised to get one for him anytime he needs it. He too, was badly injured in the blast and he also died on getting to the hospital. A third friend of mine was torn to pieces by the blast as his
Kabiru Madaki, another Azare bomb blast victim.
body parts were scattered on the road. Another friend, Abdullahi Babayo also died in the blast too. There were many others I know who died in the incident.” Kabiru said, “The bomb was planted there in the park; It was in a can. It was very powerful as the explosion caused massive destruction. We did not see the person that planted the bomb, as it was only when it exploded that we saw it. However, minutes after the explosion, we heard people around saying the dead body around the area the bomb exploded could probably be the bomber as he was not known to anybody. He too died in the blast and his corpse was brought to the mortuary. We strongly believe that he was the person that planted the bomb. “I have cause to thank God for sparing my life, in spite of the fact that I lost one of my legs in this bomb attack. Allah willed this to happen so I hold no grudges against anyone. Considering that others have died and I am still alive, I have every reason to say, “Alhamdullilahi. Allah chose this for me.” Kabiru however lamented that the incident had come at the wrong time as, “only recently, I got married and my wife put to bed too. It’s not even up to 40 days that she put to bed. I am a painter by profession, and I do carry out painting work in major towns in this state and beyond. In fact, I have carried out painting work in this hospital in the past. “Currently, I am doing some painting work in Potiskum. With this development, I don’t know how I’ll cope.” Dr. Abdullahi Ibrahim, Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Azare, while speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend in the hospital said, “about 11 of the victims of the bomb blast were brought here with various
degrees of injury. Five others died and their corpses were also brought to our mortuary. Among the injured were three people who were in a critical condition when they were brought here. We tried all we could to save their lives but couldn’t. In all, eight persons died in the bomb blast, and of the eight that we treated, six have been discharged and two are still here in the hospital. There were no women among the casualties.” Dr. Abdullahi Sani Giade, Head of Surgery, FMC, Azare, who performed the surgery on some of the victims, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that, “we received 15 injured persons who were victims of the bomb blast. Five of the victims died here in the emergency ward and out of the 15 injured persons, three of them were in critical condition. Two underwent surgery, and one got much better and was discharged while two others are still under our care. Out of the two still here, one had a perforated abdomen from shrapnel. His small intestines were perforated in three places, and we had to carry out surgery on him. The second victim had his left leg cutoff. We had no other option but to carry out surgery on him to enable him use an artificial limb when the leg heals. These two are on admission in the male ward.” Giade added, “as for those who died, five died on the spot and three others in the emergency ward. In all, eight died in the blast. Most of the victims had parts of their bodies detached. A victim who had his body divided into two was brought in here. From the pelvis, in fact, his complete lower torso was detached from the upper part. He was already dead when they brought him here. Some of the victims too, died from excessive bleeding.”
I opened my eyes and saw light and suddenly, I realised one of my legs had been blown off. It was only the veins in my leg that were holding the detached leg together
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The Weekend Column Capt Daniel Omale
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The true measure of good governance is the ability of a government to recognise people’s human rights and deliver sustainable and equitable development
he overwhelming response to the first part of this article shows the high level of discontentment with the current government of Kogi State. I would like to thank those who boldly displayed their anger and frustration through SMS to my phone or the online response page on the Saturday column, my column in this newspaper. To clear any misconception about my article last week on this topic, I have had no personal dispute with Captain Wada, the governor of the state. In fact, I have not seen or spoken to him since he became the substantive leader of the people of Kogi State. And prior to his ascendance to the podium of power, we never had any dispute or disagreement on any issue. Therefore, for one of the respondents who asked the question about possible animosity between the governor and I, the answer is exactly what I have said above. Captain Idris Wada is my senior in aviation. He was a teacher to those who taught us flying in Zaria. On a professional level, he is our professor and we adore him immensely. But the issue of Kogi State is beyond professional aviation. It is about the welfare of every citizen, indigene or bona fide member of that great but abused society that comprises about 3 million or so people of various tribes. One respondent asserted that the governor cannot change the fortunes of the people of the state in just three years. My question to him is what programme does Wada’s administration have in place that will yield progress and economic prosperity for the people of Kogi in the next five years? There is nothing visible to show the populace that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Virtually everyone in Kogi is in a state of hopelessness, because time and time again, those whom the people have entrusted to bring social and economic progress have ended up raping and looting the state treasury, with uncountable investments in Abuja and other cities but Lokoja, the capital.
Kogi State: The Misfortune Continues (2) daniel@leadership.ng
The idea that a governor of a state can ‘do and undo’ does not augur well for democracy anywhere in the world. If in three years the people of Kogi State cannot point to a project in the state that will one day germinate into economic prosperity for the people, then everyone has the right to question the commander’s intentions. Captain Wada has not demonstrated to the people of Kogi State that he has conceived plans that will sooner or later transform the future of the state into some form of economic fortress. The governor spends most of his time outside the state in pursuit of what is still invisible to the majority of the indigenes. There is no magic to appeasing the people that, supposedly, should be able to recall an unwanted elected representative. This is the core of democratic principles. If a governor like Captain Wada was certain that his actions and inaction could warrant his removal, he would have dedicated his administration to serving the people. There wouldn’t be any need to question his ineptitude and poor performance. The governor and his team, this week, met with the minister of aviation. They went to seek approval for the construction of an airport in Kogi State. The big question is what will an airport, at this time of abject poverty in the land, do for the people who are mainly subsistence farmers? How can anyone think of establishing an airport that will support our farmers produce when every crop in the state is planted and harvested for household consumption? The priority should be support and encourage the farmers to go into large-scale mechanised farming that will enable food production beyond subsistence agriculture. This programme of encouragement and changing the mindset will take at least ten years to yield positive results. An airport would be the last item on the list of encouraging and supporting large-scale farming. If the governor is sincere about promoting commercial farming, he should start by establishing a
farmers’ union whereby the state government would guarantee to buy back excess farm produce at reasonable prices from the farmers, store and resell it to the public during dry season when such crops would be in high demand. The process would require the erection of storage facilities like silos and other forms of protective storage of crops. Practical motivation for the creation of agricultural cooperatives is related to the ability of farmers to pool production and/or resources. In many situations within agriculture, it is simply too expensive for farmers to manufacture products or undertake a service. Cooperatives provide a method for farmers to join together in an 'association', through which a group of farmers can acquire a better outcome, typically financial, than by going alone. This approach is aligned to the concept of economies of scale and can also be related as a form of economic synergy, where "two or more agents working together to produce a result not obtainable by any of the agents independently.” Once Kogi farmers are convinced of government support and patronage through the purchase of excess crops like yams, beans, rice and others, they will double their efforts to engage in commercial farming. A farmers’ union will cost the state government nothing to establish. This will be the first step to economic freedom for the majority of the people of the state. If Captain Wada is in dire need of an airport for the state, he can ask Aliko Dangote to help in expanding his private airfield at Obajana. On the other hand, the state could partner with Dangote Group to transform the air strip into a full-fledged airport. This will require very little expenditure, if at all it is necessary at this time. But I don’t think so. Once again, I do not have any hard feelings for my mentor and teacher, but everyone in the state is tired of perpetual maladministration, deception and chronic misrule. Advancing sustainable human development requires true democracy, not the parody we practice here in Nigeria. It is only
08054102747 (text only) in a democracy that people can be empowered to demand and shape better policies, express grievances, seek justice and hold leaders and the private sector to account. Societies with strong, democratic institutions empower people to influence their government to prioritise national development that is equitable and sustainable. In a true democracy, people can demand better policies, express grievances, hold leaders to account and seek justice from abuse. Good governance is essential to achieve development, while true participatory democracy ensures that development is equitable and sustainable. Public institutions need to be able to manage public resources and conduct public affairs in a manner that is free of corruption and abuse, that upholds the rule of law and protects and promotes the realisation of the rights of its people. The true measure of good governance is the ability of a government to recognise people’s human rights and deliver sustainable and equitable development. Good governance is derived through transparency, accountability, participation and responsiveness to the needs of the poor, marginalised and underrepresented groups. Although participatory true democracy is visibly lacking here in Nigeria, Captain Wada should strive to ensure sustainable economic development in Kogi State. So far, he has failed to do so.
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