Nigerian observer 01 07 2014

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 39 • NO.024 TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2014 • N 100.00 NUTRITIONAL HEALTH AND DIETETICS Page 14

Values of herbs

BOTTOMLINE Page 15

Between bad Christians and bad Muslims

External reserves drops to $37.27bn

LAGOS - The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said on Monday that the nation’s external reserves stood at 37.27 billion dollars as at June 27.

This was posted on the apex banks’ Website on Monday.

According to the apex bank, 36.24 billion dollars of the reserves is in ‘liquid’ form, while 1.03billion dollars is in ‘blocked’ form.

The new figure represents a decrease of

1.03 billion dollars or 2.76 per cent over the 36.81 billion dollars recorded on June 2.

The reserves have been on persistent growth on daily basis since June 2.

It has not reached the 50 billion dollar target set by the Ministry of Finance since 2013.

NAN recalls that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, had said Continues on page 2

Doctors begin indefinite strike today

ABUJA -The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday announced plan to embark on an indefinite strike, starting from today July 1.

The NMA President, and gentle approach to contending Dr Kayode Obembe, these who made the issues have been announcement at a taken for granted.

“We have to take this news conference in action in order to save Abuja, said that the health care decision followed the the delivery system from expiration of a twothat is week ultimatum it gave anarchy palpably imminent.” the Federal He appealed for Government to meet understanding, and its 24-point demand.

Obembe, said the called on Nigerians to on the opted for a “total and prevail indefinite strike” at an government to meet emergency delegates the demands.

The NMA president meeting held on June read out an open letter 28, after negotiations with the federal addressed to the government failed to Secretary to the Government of the yield relevant results.

“The NMA is taking Federation in which this painful route the association listed because our silence the 24 issues it wanted the government to

address.

The letter, entitled, “Minimum End Point for Restoration of Sustainable Sanity in Patient Care in Nigerian Hospitals’’,

was jointly signed by Obembe, NMA Secretary-General, Dr Adewumi Alayaki and all heads of its affiliate bodies.

Some of the major

issues include reserving the position of chief medical director to only medical doctors, appointment of Surgeon General of

the Federation, passage of National Health Bill and providing security for doctors.

The NMA also wants “increase in duty, hazard and specialist allowances, as well as budget for residency training programme”.

It called for the Continues on page 2

Boko Haram wants to instigate religious violence ABUJA - President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said Boko Haram’s attacks on churches in villages near Chibok, Borno, on Sunday were attempts to instigate religious violence in the country.

A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Reuben Abati, in Abuja, said Jonathan received reports of the attacks with dismay and consternation.

“I urge all lovers of peace and unity to wholly

condemn the resurgence of efforts by agents of global terrorism to disunite and destabilise Nigeria by callously instigating violence among religious groups.

“The President shares the view of the most learned Islamic leaders and scholars that no true Muslim will resort to the mindless killing of innocent people’’, it said.

According to the statement, no true Muslims at any time, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, will

TIT BIT

“If you find it most comforting to sleep in the face of a raging communal problem; you should never wake up to protest why a wrong decision was taken in your absence.

- Kingsley Ogbeide-Ihama

- Jonathan

redress any perceived grievance.

It expressed the President’s belief that the attacks and other similar atrocities by Boko Haram showed that its leaders Continues on page 2

MEETING: L-R: Vice President Namadi Sambo; Co-ordinator, Honorary International Investors’ Council, Lynda Baroness Chalker and Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, at the 16th meeting of the honorary International Investors’ Council in Abuja yesterday.

World Cup: France

BRAZIL - A late Paul Pogba header and a Joseph Yobo own goal ensured France progressed into the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and avoided an upset at the hands of a dangerous Nigeria side.

The African champions had threatened a shock throughout the game, but France’s quality told in the end, with Pogba making the most of a Victor Enyeama mistake to head home at the back post.

The win was wrapped up in stoppage time, when Yobo, sealing a 20 win for Les Bleus, deflected Antoine Griezmann’s effort into his own net.

An open first half

Oust Nigeria

surprisingly saw few clear—cut goal scoring opportunities created, although Emmanuel Emenike had a goal chalked off for offside, after tucking the ball into the net at the near post

just before the half hour mark.

France were somewhat fortunate to keep 11 men on the pitch, following a rash challenge by midfielder Blaise Matuidi, with the

PSG man only shown a yellow card.

Les Bleus were cranking up the pressure, and came within inches of taking the lead when Continues on page 2

Electoral Fraud: Confab

Committee recommends 10-yr ban holding any elective or

By JOSES SEDE

ABUJA - Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters has recommended to the

ongoing National Conference that, any person convicted of any electoral offence should be disqualified from contesting any election or

appointive position either in government or political party for a period of ten years from the date of conviction.

These and other recommendations were presented to the plenary of the conference by the Continues on page 2

News

Oshiomhole assures of more development BENIN CITY – Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has assured members of YES MEN Drivers Association in Etsako West Local Government Area, that their support to his administration would not be in vain.

He said construction of roads, building of schools, health facilities, provision of commercial luxury buses, Youth Employment rural water supply projects, provision of taxi cabs and sports enhancement are among the policies and programmes implemented in various parts of Edo state, including Edo North demonstrates his profound appreciation for the support of Edo people.

Edo State Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo expressed the governor position when he

received members of the association on behalf of the state Governor in Benin City yesterday.

Hon. Omo-Ojo promised to channel their message and request to the Governor whom he said appreciates their support.

The Chairman of YES MEN Drivers Association Comrade Shaka Aliu appealed that Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) allowed to operate in Etsako West Local Government Area.

While commending

Absenteeism: Board threatens to sack

unserious teachers

KANO - The Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) has threatened to sack unserious primary school teachers.

The Chairman of the board, Alhaji Wada Zakari, issued the threat when he paid an unscheduled visit to Kofar Naisa Primary school in Kano on Monday.

He said the board would not fold its arms and allow “some unserious’’ teachers sabotage the State Government’s effort toward improving the quality of education in the state.

Zakari, who frowned at the attitude of some truant teachers, directed the

ABUJA - Delegates attending the ongoing National Conference are to have their lunch monetised following the Muslim period of Ramadan.

The decision, which was taken at plenary on Monday, followed an amendment proposed by the conference chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (rtd).

Kutigi had proposed that a register be opened for those who would skip lunch as a result of Ramadan to enter their names.

He said the essence of the proposal was to allow delegates observing Ramadan to have their lunch monetised.

many of us will be fasting and will not take lunch here. As such, we will open a register so that those who will not take lunch will be paid,” he said.

Sen. Sergeant Awuse, a delegate representing River State, called for amendment to the proposal.

He said rather than opening a register, lunch should be completely scrapped and monetised for all delegates.

According to him, this would prevent a situation where those who were not observing Ramadan would take advantage of the opportunity to

lunch completely so that people who are not fasting will not write their names.

“We can do without lunch. We can manage and support those who are fasting by doing without lunch,’’ he said.

Thereafter, the d e l e g a t e s overwhelmingly agreed that lunch be monetised in the spirit of Ramadan.

Although the proposal was not put to a voice vote by the chairman, the conference proceeded to another item on the agenda.

There was no counterproposal to that suggestion.

Committee, Senators Iyorcha Ayu and Ken Nnamani yesterday.

Such offences mentioned by the Committee included Registration Offences, Campaign Finance Breaches and Breach of Political Party Finance Provisions.

The Committee also

canvassed that INEC should ensure that the latest technology is deployed at all times in the conduct of elections as is the case in other jurisdictions.

To this end, the committee recommended that relevant sections of the Constitution and the Electoral Act be

Continued from page 1

“Jonathan urged Nigerians, irrespective of their religious beliefs, to resist the new attempt by Boko Haram to undermine their support for the armed forces.

“He reaffirmed the resolve of Federal Government and security agencies to intensify ongoing efforts to rid the country of terrorists.

“The president assures all Nigerians that the Federal Government and security agencies will continue to intensify efforts to end Boko Haram’s senseless attacks.

“He commiserates with the families and churches that lost loved ones, members and places of worship during Sunday’s attacks’’, the statement said.

elections.

In addition, the committee recommended that any action challenging the conduct of primaries by a political party shall be filed within fourteen days of the accrual of the cause of action.

The Committee in its recommendations, also advocated enforcement of a Code of Conduct for political parties already drawn up by the Inter-Party Advisory Council.

In the course of screening nominees of the President for any INEC position, the committee recommended that the Senate should set aside at least two weeks to allow for public objection if any.

The committee also recommended that for party to enhance party independence and discipline, all members must submit themselves to the principle of party supremacy and that elective members of the party must respect party decisions at all times.

On the conduct of election, the committee recommended that biometric data of all electorates should be captured, stored and used for elections in the country.

Ramadan:

Confab monetises request for monetisation of their lunch. lunchn “We are aware that “We should scrap

Confab Committee recommends Continued from page 1 to provide for 10-yr ban amended independent candidacy during co-Chairmen of the

Boko Haram wants to instigate religious violence

and members were misguided persons who used religion to commit crimes.

Doctors begin indefinite strike Continued from page 1 reintegration of its members into the IPPIS platform, and reserving the title of consultants to only medical doctors, among others.

External reserves

Continued from page 1 that there was the need for Nigeria to shore up its external reserves.

Comrade Oshiomhole for the good works he had/done and still doing to develop Edo state, he also solicited for a facility through which members of YES MEN could get commercial vehicles and pay back in installments.

Education Secretary of Gwale Local Government to query 55 teachers of Kofar Naisa and Yan’awaki primary schools who were absent during the visit.

“The schools are not supposed to close earlier than the scheduled time which is 1.45 p.m. Rather than wait until the closing hours, they chose to close at 12 noon,’’ he said.

He warned that any teacher, who failed to give satisfactory reason for his or her absence, would face disciplinary action.

Zakari enjoined school inspectors to rise up to their responsibilities by ensuring that teachers come to work regularly and close at the scheduled time.

“Supervisors hold a special position in terms of ensuring quality and standard of teaching and learning in primary schools.

“The management of the board will focus its attention on the activities of supervisors with a view to ensuring proper monitoring of teachers for better teaching and learning outcome,” he said.

He also expressed disappointment with the situation he found at Na’ibawa primary school where at 11 a.m, when the fifth period should have been in progress, most of the teachers were not in the classes.

France Oust Nigeria

Continued from page 1

Victor Moses cleared Karim Benzema’s shot off the line.

Yohan Cabaye also came close to finding the net, with his powerful shot crashing off the crossbar and down into the turf.

However, Didier Deschamps’ side finally made the breakthrough after 79 minutes, when Poyba headed into the net at the back post after Enyeama had flapped at Mathieu Valbuena’s corner kick.

And France sealed the win in stoppage time, with Yobo turning the ball into his own net under pressure from Griezmann.

Funso Williams Court frees 6 LAGOS - A Lagos High suspects

Court yesterday discharged and acquitted the six men charged with the murder of Funsho Williams, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2007 Lagos State gubernatorial poll.

After eight years of trial, Bulama Kolo, Musa Maina, David Cassidy, Tunani Sonoma, Mustapha Kayode and Ikponmwose Imariabie walked out of the courtroom as free men.

The six men were tried for conspiracy and murder.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, held that the evidence adduced by the prosecution to prove its case was “weak and superficial.’’

The statement the judge said, failed to establish the fact that the defendants conspired to kill Williams.

“The prosecution alleged that the fourth to sixth defendants made calls to their co-defendants using the deceased’s mobile phone.

“The prosecution, however, failed to produce the call log of the communication in court and also failed to show that the mobile phone actually belonged to Williams,’’ Adebajo said.

Describing the evidence in proof of the charge of conspiracy to murder as circumstantial, the judge ruled that the defendants could not be convicted on a “weak and superficial case’’.

On the charge of murder, the judge said that the prosecution was able to show that Williams was actually killed.

Adebajo, however, said that the prosecution could not create a nexus between the crime and the defendants.

Examining the evidence of the pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, who said Williams was strangled to death, Adebajo said: “I am satisfied that the deceased died.

“But there is nothing to show those responsible for his death.

“In the final analysis, the evidence is manifestly unreliable for the court to call upon the defendants to defend themselves.’’

Adebajo then discharged and acquitted them.

The defence counsel, Mr Okezie Agbara, had told the court on June 9 that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused.

In a no-case-to-answer submission dated May 20, the defence counsel had told Justice Adebajo that the state’s case against his clients must collapse because it was built on unfounded suspicion.

He submitted that an analysis of the pieces of evidence adduced by the state at the trial showed that the defendants were, at best, circumstantial.

“For a court of law to base

conviction on circumstantial evidence, it must be of a compelling and irresistible nature to show that the accused and no one else were responsible for the crime.

“There has been no legally admissible evidence against the defendants,’’ Agbara argued.

He then urged Justice Adebajo to hold that the prosecution failed to link any of the defendants with Williams’ murder.

Relying on Section 243 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, the defence counsel urged the court to dismiss the charge and set his clients free.

But the prosecution opposed the application, asking the court to strike it out.

Led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs Idowu Alakija, the prosecution said it had established a case to warrant the defendants to enter a defence.

As soon as the verdict was handed down, some of the defendants thanked God for giving them victory fighting back tears.

They recounted what they had suffered in last eight years of the trial.

Sergeant Imariabe Ikponmwose, leader of the police team which guarded Funsho Williams at the time of the murder, could not be comforted as he kept crying.

He said through the eight years that the trial lasted, the Nigeria Police had sacked him, while his wife also left him.

The ordeal has caused his mother a stroke that has confined her to the hospital, he said.

His colleague, Sergeant Kayode Mustapha, said he was sacked, he lost his three-month-old daughter, who never had the opportunity of knowing him.

He also recalled that his mother became blind as a result of crying.

Their lawyer, Agbara, who said he did the case pro bono (without legal fees), called for the reinstatement of Ikponmwose, Kayode and Tunani Sonoma by the police authorities.

Bulama Kolo, Musa Maina, David Cassidy, Tunani Sonoma, Mustapha Kayode and Ikponmwose Imariabie (policemen deployed to provide security for Williams) were first arraigned on March 1, 2013.

The six men were arraigned before Justice Adebajo for allegedly Williams at his 34A, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi home on July 27, 2006.

The offences are punishable under Sections 316 and 324 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

News Why APC Conceded Defeat In Ekiti

Immigration To Engage Victims Of Botched Recruitment ABUJA - The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said yesterday that victims of the botched March 15 recruitment would be employed after a fresh exercise.

Mr Chukwuemeka Obua, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the service, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

It would be recalled that on March 15, the service conducted a nationwide recruitment that claimed the lives of some applicants while several others were injured due to a stampede in some centres.

In March, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, in a statement announced the setting up of a committee to assist the Paramilitary Board in conducting a fresh exercise.

The statement said the committee would liaise with the board to confirm the actual number of personnel to be recruited and assist in readvertising the recruitment with a view to starting the process afresh.

It said the committee would also assist the board by processing the applications, short-listing potential candidates and conducting the necessary interviews for the purpose of the exercise.

The statement said the committee was to ensure that three family members of each of the deceased applicants, at least one of whom should be a female, and those injured, were given immediate and automatic employment in the service.

The committee was given 12 weeks to complete its assignment.

Obua said that although the date for the fresh exercise was yet to be fixed, the committee which had Mr David Parradang, the Comptroller-General of the Service as member, was working tirelessly to ensure a hitch free exercise.

“The committee is more transparent and is currently working out modalities for a fresh exercise.

“I have been contacted to draft advertorials to inform suitable applicants who wish to partake in the exercise,” he said.

He said that applicants of the botched recruitment who wished to partake in the fresh exercise must apply again as the President had cancelled the March 15 exercise.

- Oyegun

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (right) and Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Comrade Desmond Agbama when the union visited Government House, Benin City recently. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO ESERE.

Boko Haram Is Anti-Islam

ABUJA - Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Secretary General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), yesterday, said the Boko Haram insurgents waging war against the nation were anti-Islam.

Oloyede made the remark at the ongoing National Conference in Abuja during a debate on a motion of national importance moved by Bishop Joseph Bagobiri and Seinde Arogbofa.

Bagobiri and Arogbofa, representing Christian Leaders and the South West respectively, had, on behalf of Christian delegates moved the motion to felicitate with

- Oloyede

Muslims on commencement of the holy month of Ramadan.

They urged Muslims to use the holy month to pray for peace and unity in the country.

Responding to the motion, Oloyede acknowledged with gratitude, “the message of goodwill expressed by our Christian brothers and sisters.’’

He said that the insurgent group in the country was a common enemy and was not representing Islam in any way.

He added that “I will want to seize this opportunity to reassure Christians and indeed

all citizens of this country that Muslims in Nigeria are not at war with anybody.

“Muslims in Nigeria are part and parcel of the making of this country and will continue to be so.

“We want to plead with our brothers that we say emphatically that those who wage war in this country in the name of Islam do not represent Muslims.

“We want our brothers and sisters to be please be gracious enough to accept that we are saying nothing but the truth.’’

Cynthia: Court Admits Video As Evidence

LAGOS - Justice Olabisi Akinlade of the Lagos High Court in Igbosere, yesterday admitted in evidence, a video containing confessional statements of the alleged killers of Facebook lover, Cynthia Osokogu.

The defendants, Okwumo Nwabufo 34; Olisaeloka Ezike, 24; Orji Osita, 33; and Ezike Nonso, 25, are charged with conspiracy and murder of Cynthia by the Lagos State Government.

At the hearing, Mr Emmanuel Peters, a film editor and cinematographer, led in evidence by Ade Ipaye, Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, told the court how he made the video recording and its certification.

Peters told the court that in continuation of the hearing that he connected his Sony digital camera to a Panasonic DVD player with a DELL laptop which he used in producing the DVD after which he destroyed the copy in the camera.

Peters identified the DVD and the certification document which was then tendered as evidence by Ipaye.

The counsel to the second defendant, Mr Michael Ajayi, however, opposed the admission of the video, saying the document did not fulfil the provisions of Section 104 of the Evidence Act. He argued that the certification was done after the trial had begun and that there was nothing to show that legal fees were paid to obtain the document, citing the case

of Tapik United Vs GTB Plc. Ipaye, however, cited Section 141 of the Evidence Act that proof of payment was required where “there are legal fees prescribed in that respect.”

He said that “the DVD was produced on the instruction of the police in the course of investigation; the whole purpose is to put it in evidence in a prosecution initiated by the state as between the police and the prosecution authority.

“What the Supreme Court said on the case cited by the defence counsel was that the learned trial judge ought to have ordered counsel to ensure that the said documents are paid for after which the trial continues.”

He urged the court to

admit the DVD with the certification as evidence “as they are very relevant”.

Akinlade subsequently ruled that the video recording was relevant to the trial and admitted it alongside a certification document as exhibit P16a and P16b respectively.

Oloyede, who represented Muslim leaders at the conference, said it would be wrong for people to continue to insinuate that the insurgents were Muslims.

The NSCIA scribe pointed out that Muslims were also victims of the insurgency and needed to be protected from attacks just like any group.

He said “it is hurting for us as Muslims to hear some people insisting that the Boko Haram insurgents are Muslims.

“So, when Muslims say the activities of the insurgents are un-Islamic, please believe us and act accordingly,” he stressed.

Oloyede pledged the continued cooperation of Muslims in the country with the Federal Government in defeating terrorism.

“We want to be protected, we are victims too and we would continue to work along with government in the protection and development of our great country Nigeria,’’ he said.

Oloyede’s remarks attracted ovation and applause from fellow delegates.

BENIN CITY - Chief John Oyegun, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the party conceded victory to the PDP in the Ekiti governorship election to prevent the outbreak of violence.

Oyegun, who said this in Benin City while fielding questions from newsmen, also said that contrary to insinuations, the Ekiti governorship poll was characterised with lots of irregularities.

He said that it was in view of these irregularities that the party took the decision to challenge the election result in the court.

“It should be noted that we didn’t just concede victory because the election was flawless but we took the decision to avoid violence.

“We did not want anything that will make the people react negatively and violently.

“The party will challenge the trampling on the fundamental human rights of the people before during and after the election,” he said.

He said that Nigerians should embrace the APC as the new party with a different agenda to fix Nigeria.

“We are presenting our party as new, as different, and we have done the studies as people who truly care.

“There is no way we can prove it to you because we have never ruled this country but we can tell you to look at APC-controlled states.

“We are not pretending to be angels, politics is not a seminary nor is it the papacy but what is important is what are you doing with the lives of the people?

“Are you restoring hopes to their lives? Are you making their lives better? If not for themselves, do they believe that the lives of their children will be better?

“Are your policies concentrated on improving their lives? Are the sectors working in the interest of the ordinary Nigerian?

“Do we have power, do we have quality schools, do we have security, do we have jobs?

“Can we continue in this kind of state? I have told people who are ready to listen that this country cannot continue like this.

“There is no way it can survive it. So, we need people who have plans to start taking care of these issues and these are what the APC represents,” he said.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in a group photograph with the VIP Ladies during their visit to Government House, Benin City. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBOESERE.

News Council Relaxes 24hrs Curfew KAFANCHAN (KADUNA) - The Sanga Local Government Council of Kaduna State has relaxed the 24-hour curfew imposed in the area by 10 hours.

It would be recalled that a 24hour curfew was imposed in parts of the local government on June 25, following attacks by suspected gunmen in Ankpon and Kabamu villages.

The attacks claimed several lives and property.

Mr. Emmanuel Adamu, the Chairman of the council, told newsmen that residents would now resume their normal socioeconomic activities from 6 a.m to 4 p.m. until further developments.

“The development is due to relative calm witnessed within the metropolis, we believe the situation would improve as there has not been a report of disturbances from any quarter,’’ he said.

Adamu commended residents for complying with directives from the council and assured that the government would live up to its duty of protecting lives and property.

He advised the public against acts capable of breaching peace, adding that they report any suspected person or group to security agencies.

It was confirmed that normalcy had been restored in the affected areas as residents were seen conducting their businesses.

LG Polls

Dieting Can Lead To Eating Disorder - Nutritionist

L-R: Minister of Defence, Gen. Aliyu Gusau; Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Co-ordinator, Honorary International Investors’ Council, Lynda Baroness Chalker and Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga at the 16th meeting of the Honorary International Investors’ Council in Abuja yesterday.

FCT Wants Concerted Efforts Against Open Defecation ABUJA - The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Water Board has urged Federal Government agencies and development partners to work together to stop open defecation in more FCT communities.

Dr Mohammed Dan-Hassan, the Head of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation at the FCT Water Board, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

“Sanitation is really a major challenge because in some communities, it is a taboo to have latrines located on their premises; so they prefer to do open defecation.

“We started this two years ago in Bwari Area Council with the support of UNICEF where we tried to introduce the concept of Community Led Total Sanitation trying to encourage them to ensure that each household

No Imposition Of Candidates - Uduaghan WARRI – Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan said there will be no imposition of candidates in the state’s forthcoming Local Government Elections.

Dr Uduaghan gave the assurance in Koko during a meeting of members of the Warri North Local Government area chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of the state.

According to him, only popular aspirants will be fielded as candidates for the election, and warned against any form of violence during the elections.

“We have agreed that there will be no imposition of candidates, if you are interested, go about your consultations, talk to leaders, talk to women, talk to youths,” the Governor said.

He added, “I beg us, let us do this election peacefully, the election should not be a do or die affair; if you don’t win in this election, there will be another one in the next three years.

According to him, “it is very important that we must choose popular candidates, especially for Councillorship positions because, they will be representing the grassroot.”

ABUJA - A nutritionist, Mr Philip Amiengheme, has advised people on diet to be careful in order not to develop eating disorders.

Amiengheme, President of Advocacy for the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative (APNDI), an NGO, gave the advice during in an interview with newsmen in Abuja He said that dieting was about losing a bit of weight in a healthy way.

Amiengheme said that people, who were bothered about their weight, often started dieting but when it got compulsive, it turned to eating

The Governor used the occasion to debunk insinuations that he influenced the date for the elections as fixed by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), saying, “I was not the one who fixed the date for the local government elections, it was fixed by DSIEC and we should show that we are ready for the elections.”

The Chairman of PDP in the local government area, Mr. John Okoroloko had said in an address that, “we are waiting for July 28 to commence our electioneering campaigns for the forth coming local government elections fixed for October 25 as stated by DSIEC .

“I want to assure you that the result will be 100 percent as far as Warri North is concerned because, we are going to ensure that, it is only credible and sellable candidates that will fly the flag of the party at the elections.”

Leaders of the party in the area, including Chief Emmanuel Ebimami, Mrs. Sola Williams and the youths who spoke at the meeting said the party was prepared for the local government elections.

constructs a latrine.

“Such that they don’t need to have to go to the bush to defecate because when you defecate, it comes back into your water source.

“It will contaminate your water source and you will now be eating your own excreta and that has a lot of health implications so we started that Community Led Total Sanitation but the major challenge is funding to spread it.“ While noting the benefits of good hygiene and sanitation, Dan-Hassan reiterated the need for penetration of core cultural practices and orientation of FCT community members in

embracing the use of latrines.

He also urged development partners and NGOs working on water and sanitation programmes, to intervene in communities, saying that open defecation had the capacity to defeat any achievement made by the board in the area of water sanitation.

‘Last year October we had this programme in 10 communities in Kuje Area Council.

“We need to do more of follow-up to ensure they achieve what we call Open Defecation Free Community so the process is going on but it’s very slow but gradual.

“We have a lot of support and

collaboration from UNICEF to ensure the improvement of sanitation and hygiene in the rural communities most especially this stoppage of open defecation; it’s really a major challenge.”

Studies done by WaterAid, an international non-governmental organisation, indicate that 37 million people in Nigeria still defecate in the open.

Meanwhile, Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), an innovative methodology for mobilising communities to completely eliminate open defecation, has rejected the earlier concept of subsidies as an incentive to improve sanitation and hygiene.

True Federalism

Right Activist Applauds Confab Recommendation YENAGOA - A rights activist, Mr Alagoa Morris, has hailed the National Conference for adopting the recommendation of its Committee on Politics and Governance for a true federal structure in the country.

Morris, who reacted to the adoption in Yenagoa, told newsmen that the recommendation of a true federal structure was a welcome development.

He, however, pointed out that the adoption would be an exercise in futility if it precluded fiscal federalism which emphasised resource ownership and payment of tax to the central government by the federating units.

“If the states are truly going to be the federating units, then let other features of true federalism be also allowed.

“With true federalism, all the states will be entitled to develop their resources and the states will in turn recognise those on whose land and environment the resources are found and exploited,” he said.

The activist, who is the immediate past Secretary of the Civil Liberties Organisation in the state, said the

recommendation was apt and timely.

He said the country had been held under the grip of a retrogressive unitary structure under the guise of federalism.

He expressed the hope that a true federal structure would also

expunge all the vestiges of a unitary system, including the Land Use Act and the Petroleum Act. “Let us do away with the present unitary system and go for true federalism with all the ramifications that count,” he said.

disorder.

“Eating disorders are a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual’s physical and mental health.

“Generally, eating disorders involve being critical of oneself, especially habouring negative thoughts and feelings about the body weight and food,’’ he said.

Amiengheme said anyone who ate all the right foods but in quantities that were too large might become obese because eating many calories could cause weight gain.

“If you eat the right amount of calories but you get them from only one type of food, you will lack essential nutrients, which may cause serious health problems,’’ he said.

According to him, eating disorders are mainly observed during the teenage years or young adulthood.

“Females are more likely to have eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, and some obesity, while most males develop a distorted sense of body image like muscle dysmorphia.

“Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder characterised by an extreme concern with becoming more muscular,’’ Amiengheme said.

He explained that people with anorexia had an extreme fear of weight gain and a distorted view of body size and shape and as a result they ate very little and maintained a very low body weight.

Amiengheme said that bulimia was characterised by habitual binge eating, followed by vomiting to avoid gaining weight, such people undergo weight fluctuations.

He advised parents to be observant and to note when their children passed through a change in eating habits.

L-R: Representative of St. Kinetics Limited, Mr. Wale Adebayo; Chief of Army Staffs, Senegal, Brig-Gen. Chiekh Gueye; Ghana, Maj-Gen. Richard OpukuAdusei; Nigeria, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah and retired Rear Adm. Festus Porbeni at the armoured Vehicle West African Summit in Abuja yesterday.

South/South NDLEA Advises Addicts

Rehabilitation:

Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala Ngillari defending himself against the allegations of gross misconduct against him by the State House of Assembly at a news conference in Yola yesterday.

Rural Devt: PORT HARCOURT - Mr Syrus Nkangwung, the Chairman, Idaa-Obolo pressure group, a socio-cultural organisation, has said that the development of the rural communities was critical to the country’s quest for economic growth.

Nkangwun told newsmen in Port Harcourt that governments at all levels should set aside a special fund and create ministries or agencies to implement the task to implement the rural development initiative.

According to him, developing the rural areas will prevent rural-

Group Tasks FG

urban drift.

The chairman said the IdaaObolo group had taken the initiative to develop communities in Obolo-speaking areas in five states.

He said as part of efforts towards ensuring economic growth in the communities, the group had instituted annual summits to enlighten some youths on the role of education in poverty eradication.

Nkangwung said the youths were drawn from the Obolo ethnic group extracted from Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross-River,

Bayelsa and Abia states.

He noted that Obolo people in their various states faced similar challenges of under-development such as poverty and high illiteracy rate.

Nkangwung urged Obolo youths in the identified states to shun violence and improve on their economic potential by embracing education.

“The unity summit is a measure to further strengthen peaceful cooperation among the Obolo people across the states of the federation and attract development to the area.

“We have made a landmark achievement by uniting the Obolo people from their various segments though faced with logistics problem, in respect to distance.

“We are determined to continue this annual enlightenment programme to help our youths to overcome poverty through education.

“Education will continue to serve as tool for development, peace and economic freedom to the Obolo ethnic group in particular and Nigeria in general,” he said.

Bayelsa Reiterates Plan For Cargo Airport

AMASSOMA (Bayelsa) The Bayelsa Government has reiterated its commitment to completing the on-going multibillion naira state Cargo Airport

by October 2015.

Mr Lawrence Ewrudiakpor, the State commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development, disclosed this to newsmen in Amassoma, Southern-Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

The commissioner said that the cargo airport was necessary as it would enable the state to key into the global economy as one of the economic hubs.

“This airport is a cargo airport; it is not the ordinary regular passenger airport; from the report available to me, the project manager has just informed me that we have sandfilled over 2 kilometre of the runway.

“And what we need is about 3.5 kilometres; and you can see that they’ve already started the vertical drain.

“It makes it easier for the sand to settle and as far as the sand settle, they sand-fill the second round of sand-fill, then, they will be ready to do the civil work. So,

it’s a faster way of getting the airport ready.

“Nobody can take us seriously in terms of investment, industrialisation, tourism, even revenue generation, if we don’t have an airport or have a deep seaport because these are the two major means of transportation in Nigeria and most parts of Africa.

“The long-term benefit is unprecedented because markets from Onitsha, Aba, and even Port Harcourt will come here because you cannot go to Port Harcourt as soon as this airport is ready.

“All you need to do is to bring

your cargo here; if you have a cargo for the East, you bring it here. And we are still standing by our October 2015 date by which the first plane will land in Bayelsa.“ The commissioner urged all the people of Bayelsa to support the Restoration Agenda of the state government, saying that the government was ready to provide infrastructure for the people.

Ewrudiakpor said that the importance of infrastructure to investment all over the world could not be over-emphasised.

He added that the availability of infrastructure in the state would attract both local and foreign investors to the state.

YENAGOA - The Bayelsa Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has advised drug addicts and people dependent on narcotics in the state to avail themselves of its drug rehabilitation programme.

Mr Frank Hanachor, the Commander, NDLEA Bayelsa command, made the call in Yenagoa in an interview with newsmen.

He said the agency had commenced public enlightenment campaign to highlight the negative effects of drug abuse, adding that the campaign was the command’s strategy to combat the menace of drug addiction.

Hanachor said the command commemorated the 2014 international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking on June 26 with the theme “Message of Hope: Drug Abuse Disorder is Preventable and Treatable.’’

He said the day with a long history dated December 7, 1987, epitomised the doggedness of the Chinese people in their determination to combat the menace of drug abuse and trafficking.

“The UN took cognisance of such pivotal effort and

dedicated the 26th June of every year to alert the citizens on the adverse effects of drug abuse.

“The annual event is commemorated around the world to raise the consciousness of the people on the dangers of drug abuse,” Hanachor said.

He said that drug abuse causes damage and health disorders including High Blood Pressure, Hepatitis, Heart and Lung Diseases, Brain damage among others.

The Commander also told newsmen that the primary prevention programme of the NDLEA was targeted at persons who had not experimented with drugs.

“The secondary prevention strategy focuses on the treatment of drug dependent persons through the process of detoxification, counselling, and drug therapy.

“The tertiary prevention programme ensures the rehabilitation and social reintegration of treated drug dependent persons,’’ he said.

Hanachor urged drug dependent persons in Bayelsa to embrace drug rehabilitation scheme of the NDLEA to restore their health and live meaningful life.

Participants at the 16th meeting of the Honorary International Investors’ Council in Abuja yesterday.

FRSC Records 14 Deaths, 22 Road Crashes UYO - The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it recorded 14 deaths in 22 road crashes between January and June in Akwa Ibom.

The FRSC Sector Commander in the state Mr Musa Yerima, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Uyo. Yerima attributed most of the road crashes to the use of cell phones while driving and over speeding.

“Most of these road crashes

were attributed to the use of cell phones by drivers while driving.

“This distracts the attention of the drivers, which invariably make them ramp over broken down vehicles on the road.

“Apart from use of cell phones while driving, over speeding, dangerous overtaking especially on corners or bends are other causes of road crashes.

“The predominant risk factors as attributed to Akwa Ibom state

are speed limit violation, which is a very important factor that we are campaigning against, and dangerous driving.

“We have fashioned out strategies on how to minimise road crashes in the state especially now that we are in the peak of raining season,” he said.

He said the command has been campaigning for the need of speed limit device to be installed in all commercial vehicles in the

state as measures to check over speeding by drivers.

Yerima said the command would not relent in its efforts to carry out public enlightenment campaign across all motor parks in the state.

He advised drivers that before a vehicles leave the park it should undergo some checks to determine its road worthiness, including good tyres, effective breaks and good spare tyres to avoid crashes.

He appealed to the Federal Government to urgently rehabilitate the Aba-Ikot EkpeneItu-Calabar road, describing it as one of the worst routes in the state.

He, however, cautioned drivers to be careful while driving, saying “no matter how bad the road is the consciousness of the driver is very important because it will influence his decision at the end of the day”.

South West Ramadan Pray For Peace, Harmony, Osun Speaker Urges period dedicated to seek the face Muslims of Allah and urged Muslims to OSOGBO- Mr Najeem Salaam, the Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, has urged Muslim faithful to use the Ramadan period to offer special prayers for the country’s peace and unity.

Salaam made the appeal in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Goke Butika, on Sunday in Osogbo.

According to the statement, the holy month of Ramadan is a

use the occasion to pray for peace and tranquility in the country.

Salaam said with fervent prayers, he believed that the current security challenges threatening the country would be surmounted.

The speaker, however, appealed to clerics to lay emphasis on peace and harmony among Nigerians in their teachings.

NAHCO Handles 31,122 Ground Services L-R: One day Deputy Governor of Lagos, Miss Blessing Azeez; Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos; One Day Governor of Lagos, Master Olabanji Edun and one day Commissioner for Education Planning, Master David Chinweuba during the visit of the one day Governor to Governor Fashola in Lagos yesterday.

Group Welcomes Redeployment Of Osun REC

OSOGBO- A human rights group, Centre For Human Rights and Social Justice, has welcomed the redeployment of the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Rufus Akeju.

The group in a statement in Osogbo has said that the redeployment of Akeju would guarantee a free and fair conduct of the governorship election holding in the state on August 9.

The Executive Chairman of the centre, Mr Adeniyi Sulaiman who signed the statement, also commended the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Atahiru Jega for his efforts at enthroning credible and acceptable elections in the country.

He said that the action would further boost public confidence in the electoral body.

However, both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), the major contenders in the election had refused to comment on the redeployment of Akeju by the leadership of the INEC. Mr Diran Odeyemi, the PDP Director of Media, Publicity and Research told newsmen in a telephone interview that the party

Another Muslim resident, Malam Yisa Mohammed, said that the insecurity bedevilling part of the country called for fervent prayers by the citizenry and urged Muslims to seek the face of Allah ahead of the 2015 elections.

Mohammed said it was the prayers of all and sundry that made the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti successful and violence-free, saying the whole country would witness peaceful poll with the power of prayer.

On her part, Alhaja Abolaji Adeleke, said that the women wing of the Central Mosque, Ikole town, planned to conduct special prayer sessions for 2015 elections on daily basis throughout the fasting period.

Adeleke, who expressed concern over the insecurity situation in the country, blamed the unfortunate trend to inadequate prayers.

She assured that Allah was capable of bringing back the nation’s lost glory if citizens prayed to Him ceaselessly.

Mrs Abibat Olagunju also pledged to use the fasting period to pray for the nation’s leaders

so that they would lead the citizens right and do what would make the unity of the country stronger beyond 2015.

had no comment for now.

Also, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of APC in the state said his party needed more clarifications on the development before making any official reaction.

Meanwhile, campaigns are being intensified by all political parties participating in the governorship election slated for August 9.

LAGOS-The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) has said it handled 31,122 aviation ground services in 2013.

Mr Basil Agboarumi, Head of Corporate Communications, NAHCO, made this known in a statement in Lagos.

Agboarumi said that the company recorded an increase of 988 ground handling services in 2013 against 30,134 flights recorded in 2012.

He attributed the increase to the company’s mandate to expand and improve services to its clients.

He explained that the volume of passenger flights handled by the firm stood at 27,226 in 2013, while it handled 1,532,149 outbound passengers and 1,455,042 inbound passengers during the same period.

Agboarumi said that the

Muslims Pledge To Pray For Peaceful Polls IKOLE EKITI (EKITI) Muslims in Ikole Ekiti, Ekiti, have said they would channel their prayers toward peaceful conduct of the 2015 general elections in the country as the 2014 holy month of Ramadan begun.

The annual Muslim fast of 29 or 30 days which is one of the five pillars of Islam commenced on June 28.

A cross section of Muslims told newsmen in Ikole-Ekiti that the holy month of fasting for Muslims was a month for total supplication and submission to the will of Allah.

According to Alhaji Moshood Adefila, a resident, this year’s Ramadan is the last one to be observed before the 2015 general elections in the country and it is very important to pray for a violence-free poll.

He said “it is important for every Muslim to use the Ramadan period to pray for a violence-free poll in 2015.

“That is why we all have to channel our prayers toward it so that Nigerians will continue to live in peace and harmony.’’

Olagunju urged Muslims across the country to include the 2015 elections in their prayers

so that the challenges of insurgency in the North and other challenges in the country would be spiritually tackled.

company handle about 70 per cent of the domestic and foreign airlines operating in Nigeria, adding that it also recorded major breakthrough as it handled 3,600 cargo flights in 2013.

He said that the company served about 40 of the 45 international flights that arrived daily into the country.

He said that in 2013 the company handled 16,526 passenger flights in both Local and International wings of the Murtala Airport in Lagos.

According to him, NAHCO recorded 4,412 in Abuja; 817 in Kano; 3,389 in Port Harcourt; 479 in Kaduna; 1,525 in Uyo, and 78 in Enugu.

“In total, NAHCO handled 3,600 cargo flights, with Lagos topping the pack with 2,943, while Abuja recorded 225, Port Harcourt 389 and Kano 43 last year,” Agboarumi said.

He also said that the company’s total asset has grown by 25 per cent from N11.162 billion in 2012 to N13.99 billion in 2013.

“Our result shows that we are making progress and we expect this trend to continue,” Agboarumi said.

Most Rev’d Friday John Imaekhai, Archbishop of Bendel Provinces (2nd left) with Dr. Festus Okunbor, Chief of Staff to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan during the fourth synod of the Diocese of Esan Anglican Communion. Left is Ven. A. O. Isibor and Ven. J. E. Osueni. The occasion took place at St. Matthew’s Church Ebelle last Sunday. Photo: LUCKY AGIE.

Lagos

Mr Nigeria Floats Foundation To Fight Domestic Violence LAGOS - Emmanuel Ikubese, Mr Nigeria, who recently came second at the Mr World Pageant in England, has said that he would use his position to fight domestic violence.

Ikubese gave the assurance in Lagos during a reception organised in his honour by the Silverbird Group.

“This has always been my

passion and I will start a foundation to help to draw attention of the world to it.

“I will continue to fly the Nigerian flag. This is huge, but I know where I am from,’’ 25-yearold Ikubese said.

He told his audience that it was an honour to represent Nigeria on the world stage, adding that the country was well represented

with a great sense of responsibility.

“I went to England to represent Nigeria. It was an honour to represent my country and I am ready for the responsibility that comes with my position.

“I am Mr Nigeria and I am the second most-desirable man in the world at the moment but it is not about me, it is about my country,

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos (right) congratulating new Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga during his swearing-in in Lagos yesterday.

Complications: Physician

Nigeria,” he said.

He thanked his parents, who were present at the occasion, for supporting him all along, and promised never to disappoint them.

His father, Mr Austin Ikubese, thanked the Silverbird Group for giving his son the opportunity to represent Nigeria.

“We are from a humble beginning, and I have been married to my wife for 27 years.

“I was determined never to allow my children suffer like I did in my own childhood so I will support them in all their projects; my project is my children,’’ he said.

The father urged parents to support their children’s endeavours and not to discourage them.

“If you follow up your children and support them, the amount of crime in the country will reduce.

When you make a good family you make a good society.

“If you don’t encourage them to use what they have positively, they will use them negatively, and it will affect the country,’’ he said.

Earlier, Mr Guy MurrayBruce, the Vice-President of Silverbird Group, congratulated Ikubese for making Nigeria proud.

“Despite all the problems in the country, you made us very proud; we are proud of you,’’ he said.

Murray-Bruce said that this was the third time in four attempts that Nigeria was in the top 10 of the Mr World Pageant.

Ikubese earned the rights to represent Nigeria at the Mr World Pageant when he won the Mr Nigeria 2014 contest in Lagos on April 26 after defeating 19 other contestants.

The Mr Nigeria Pageant is organised by the Silverbird Group.

Ikubese emerged first runnerup and Most Stylish Contestant at the Mr World contest which held at the Riviera International Conference Centre, Torbay, England, on June 15.

Ikubese came second behind Denmark’s Nicklas Pedersen, while Mexico’s Jose Pablo Minor took the third position.

Ikubese, who is also an actor, had played notable roles in a number of movies, including the award-winning HIV/AIDS series, “Shuga”, sponsored by the Urber-music channel, MTV Base.

He hails from Kwale in Delta State and studied International Relations at the United States International University, Nairobi.

Oshodi/Apapa Expressway Nears Completion LAGOS - The Engineer in charge of the reconstruction of the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway in Lagos, Mrs. Adigom-Vivienne Aniagoh, has said that the project had reached 65 per cent completion.

Aniagoh told newsmen in Lagos that the contractor, Julius Berger, was working on various sections of the project simultaneously to facilitate completion.

“We are working on various sections at the same time; we do that to manage traffic properly.

“We can work on four, five, six locations or more at the same time because we have daily different work schedules.

“We are also doing some access culverts in about two locations; we tackle different work items in the contract at the same time.

“We are doing the drains; we are working from the end of the project at Cele Bus Stop, from the beginning at Beach Land.

“We are also working in the Mile 2 area; we are working in Sanya; so, we are working in different sections,’’ she said.

She explained that milling, stone base laying, construction of drainage channels, asphalting, grading, sand cement stabilisation and other works were going on concurrently.

She added that the work would continue in such a manner on both bounds.

Aniagoh, however, regretted that indiscriminate parking of articulated vehicles on the highway slowed down progress of work and caused heavy traffic.

She noted that the vehicles were waiting to carry petroleum products from Apapa.

Advises Diabetics

LAGOS - A physician, Dr Dele Popoola, has advised people suffering from diabetes to take good care of their health to prevent complications associated with the disease.

Popoola of Hopewell Hospital, Lagos told newsmen that self care should form an integral part of their daily lives.

“Diabetes is a long-term condition that requires you to pay special attention to certain aspects of your life and health to limit the risk of developing complications associated with diabetes.

“If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it is important that you take responsibility for your own health and wellbeing in addition to the support from your medical team.

“Diabetes does not stop you from living the life you want; with proper management you can live a healthy life,” he said.

According to Popoola careful management of diabetes to ensure a healthy lifestyle involved eating balanced diet, regular physical exercise and cholesterol control.

“As a person living with diabetes, there is a lot you can do on your part to reduce your risk of serious complications associated with diabetes.

“Firstly, it is important you eat healthy, balanced diet; healthy eating is important with or

without diabetes.

“You must know that it is not just the type of food you eat but also how much you eat and the combination of food types is also important.

“Ensure that you make physical activity part of your daily routine and maintain a healthy weight.

“This will help control your blood glucose level, as well as your blood pressure and cholesterol,” he said.

Popoola also stressed the importance of good oral hygiene and taking proper care of the feet.

“Diabetes increases the risk of gum infection, so proper oral hygiene like brushing twice daily and regular dental check-up is very important.

“You should also take care of your feet and watch out for blisters, cuts, redness and swelling,” he said.

The physician warned diabetic people to avoid smoking cigarettes and limit their alcohol consumption.

“Smoking increases your risk of various diabetes complications, including heart attack, stroke, nerve damage and kidney disease.

“Taking alcohol is also not good for people with diabetes because it can increase high blood sugar if consumed in excess,” he said.

Popoola advised people with diabetes to go for regular medical check-up for proper assessment of their health.

L-R: Wife of the new Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folasade Onanuga; Governor Fashola of Lagos; new Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga and Lagos Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire at the swearing-in of Olufemi in Lagos yesterday.

NGO Seeks Apppropriate Malaria Treatment LAGO - A NonGovernmental Organisation, D e v e l o p m e n t Communications Network (Devcoms), has called for prompt and appropriate treatment of malaria to reduce deaths.

In a statement, the organisation said, “It is not only necessary to get more mosquitoes-nets and ACTs, but also to create awareness on the essence of prompt professional treatment.’’

The statement signed by Devcoms Media Officer, Mr Ayodele Adesanmi, was made available to newsmen in Lagos.

Devcoms said that malaria accounted for nearly 110 million clinical diagnosed cases per year, and had yet to reduce its spread. “ This is due to various reasons such as open drainages and large bodies of fresh water which promotes breeding of mosquitoes.

“Also, socio-cultural activities like poor treatment and poor awareness by community dwellers, about the cause of malaria, are factors promoting the high spread of malaria, “it said.

It also aid that reduction of malaria required that Nigerians must use some preventive measures such as the Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs), indoor residual spray and prophylaxis against malaria in pregnancy.

It noted that immune system of a woman could be weak during pregnancy, making her susceptible to malaria which could cause anaemia and threaten her life and that of the baby.

“Malaria is potent enough to harm the baby and increase the risk of stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, premature delivery or low birth weight, “ it said.

It urged administration of

prompt and appropriate treatment within 24 hours after the first symptom of malaria.

“Many people still sought treatment from quacks while some do not even get treatment for malaria at all. “ There is the need for intensified public sensitisation on the importance of seeking treatment from a health facility whenever malaria occurs,” it said.

North Cassava Production: Union Partners Bank MAIDUGURI - The Cassava Farmers Cooperative Union (BCFCU) in Borno, said it had entered into an agreement with Union Bank Plc toward boosting cassava production in the state.

The President of BCFCU,

Alhaji Al-amin Umara, made the disclosure when he received the Zonal Agriculture Manager of the bank, Malam Sani Kabara, in his office in Maiduguri.

Umara said the partnership was initiated under the

Nigerian Incentive Based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

He added that the partnership would allow cassava farmers in Borno to access loans payable in four years to boost their

production.

He noted that the union, which had more than 50,000 cassava farmers in the state had also concluded arrangements to train 150 female farmers to be drawn from three local government

NGO Sensitises Rural Women On HIV/AIDS OBI (NASARAWA) Women In Da’awa, an Islamic group, has commenced the sensitisation of rural women in Nasarawa State to the dangers of HIV and AIDS. Its Coordinator, Hajiya Fatima Yagana, said at the commencement of the sensitisation in Obi Local Government Area of the state, this that the initiative was necessitated by the low awareness level of the disease among rural women in the state.

She said that the campaign would prioritised the importance of ante-natal services for women in the rural communities.

“The group organised this campaign in order to enlighten women that ante-natal delivery and post-natal care was aimed at preventing maternal and newborn deaths,” she said.

Yagana said that if all women would attend antenatal clinic, it would go a long way in reducing and even eradicating cases of maternal and child mortality in the state.

The coordinator challenged women to attend ante-natal

clinic in order to guard against mother to child transmission of HIV and AIDS and other killer diseases.

She said that the organisation had organised the same exercise in Agyaragu, Duduguru, and Azara communities, among others.

Yagana also said that the campaign was to complement the state government’s commitment to eradicate HIV and AIDS in the state and ensure that no new infection was recorded.

“The awareness campaign to rural communities was part of the new strategies adopted by the group to educate the vulnerable in the state on the dangers of the disease,” she said.

commended the union for the efforts in enhancing cassava production in the state.

He congratulated the union for excelling at the National Agricultural Show in Lafia, Nasawara State, where it bagged the overall second position in the show.

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III (left) with former Minister of Education, Alhaji Yarima Abubakar who paid him a visit in Sokoto yesterday.

Clerics Seek Prayers For Nigeria OMU-ARAN (KWARA) Some religious leaders in OmuAran, Kwara, have urged Nigerians to utilise the Ramadan season to offer prayers for the country’s unity The leaders made the call in Omu-Aran, Kwara, in separate interviews with newsmen.

Sanitation

An Islamic scholar, Sheik Sodiq Alalobo, described the month of Ramadan as a sacred period during which prayers were offered to God and speedily answered.

He therefore urged Nigerians, especially Muslims, to take advantage of the season and pray

144 Defaulters Fined KANO - The Kano State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation realised N352,200 from fines imposed by mobile courts on 144 defaulters of the June edition of the monthly clean-up exercise in the state.

The Commissioner for Environment and Chairman of the task force, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, announced this in Kano while monitoring the conduct of the exercise in the metropolis.

The defaulters were apprehended and tried for noncompliance and violation of the order on restriction on movement of people during the exercise.

Abbas told newsmen that the courts operated at 10 designated centres in the metropolis, adding that government would soon inaugurate the task force in each local government area to ensure proper compliance.

Also speaking, Malam Ibrahim Sulaiman, Chairman, Dala Local Government Area, said the

areas of the state in cassava processing.

“We are working on a plan to train 150 women to be drawn from Kukawa, Nganzai and Bayo local government areas in cassava processing,’’ the union president added.

Responding, Kabara

council had engaged the services of self-help groups in the area to ensure compliance with the exercise.

Newsmen who monitored the

exercise in the metropolis reported that public compliance was low as people showed indifferent attitude to the cleanup exercise.

fervently for the country to overcome its challenges.

Alalobo, who is also the Chief Imam of Omu-Aran Central Mosque, said such patriotic act was necessary in view of the numerous challenges facing the nation.

Also, Alhaji Abdul Razak Aduagba, President-General, Rahmatul Adabiyya Association, said the country needed prayers now to overcome its socioeconomic and security challenges.

Similarly, the Bishop of The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Omu-Aran, Rt. Rev. Phillip Adeyemo, urged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of religious tolerance to move the country

Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar (left) with Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III during his visit to Sokoto yesterday.

forward.

He called on Christians to replicate the type of love and hospitality being extended to people during the Lenten season, to cover the Ramadan period and even beyond.

“We, as Christians, need to use the opportunity of this holy season to join the people of the other faith in offering prayers for the nation to overcome its numerous challenges.

“There is need for us to imbibe religious tolerance as the country passes through its most critical period of political transition, coupled with other social and economic challenges,” Adeyemo said.

Also speaking, Prophetess Bosede Adimabua, the President, Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Kwara Chapter, said only a divine intervention could ensure continuous unity in the country.

Adimabua urged Muslims to use the holy season of Ramadan to offer prayers for the country and extend their assistance to the poor and those with disabilities.

She said: “Nigerians need to emulate the life of Jesus Christ so that the country can change for the better; those endowed with wealth should reach out to others.

“This will enable the less privileged in the society to also live a meaningful and comfortable life.’’

Meanwhile, Following the commencement of this years Muslim Ramadan fast, the price of foodstuffs had risen sharply in Yola, Adamawa.

A market survey conducted by newsmen at the Jimeta Central Market revealed that a 50kg bag of foreign rice had increased from N7,500 to N8,600.

Similarly, a 50kg bag of beans which selling for N12,000, now cost N13,500.

Reacting to the development, Alhaji Ahmadu Bobboi, the state chairman, Foodstuffs and Grains Dealers association, attributed the price increase to high demand and short in supply.

Bobboi said a 50kg bag of maize that was sold at N6,000 is now going for N8,000.

“The price of a 50kg bag of groundnut has also increased to N23,000 as against N16,000 just few days before the commencement of the Ramadan fasting,’ Bobboi said.

However, Mr Silvanus Dimas, a provision trader at the market, also told newsmrn that the price of 50kg bag of sugar had remained at N6,800.

“But big peak milk tin is now sold N4,800 as against N4,300, while the medium size of the peak milk is sold between N1,900 and N2,000,” Dimas said.

Dimas said big Nido milk now cost N5,200 as against N4,800, while the biggest size of Bournvita and Overtine tins go for N2,000 and N1,700, respectively, as against N1,700 per tin.

Malam Haruna Kawu, a chicken dealer, also told newsmen that the price of poultry products had increased as a cock now cost between N2,800 and N3,500, as against N2,500, depending on the size.

Abuja NGO Decries Use Of Religion As Weapon Of Terror self-centred agenda,’’ said

NGO Seeks Support For Indigent Patients ABUJA- Dr Radcliff Save Lives Foundation, an NGO has called for support from wellmeaning individuals and organisations for indigent children patients in hospitals nationwide.

Dr Christiana Adesina, a member of the NGO, made the call in Gwagwalada, FCT, when members of the NGO visited some indigent children patients in the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH).

Adesina, also a resident doctor in the hospital, said the visit was to extend hands of fellowship to some indigent children patents in the hospital whose parents could not afford their bills. “ I have been worried since I started my residency in the hospital because of the increasing number of children being brought to hospital by parents who cannot afford initial deposit.

“The truth from my experience in Paediatric is that 70 per cent of children being brought to this hospital are from parents who cannot afford N5, 000 initial deposit.

“It is not because they do not want to pay but because they do not have the money considering the current economic challenges in the country,” she said.

She said the visit was part of the NGO’s commitment to save lives, adding that efforts were being made to attract more individuals and corporate bodies to key into the initiative.

In his remark, Dr Umar Sule of the Paediatric Department, UATH commended the NGO for the initiative, saying that cases of indigent patients were on the increase in the hospital.

Sule called on well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to support the hospital in ensuring that indigent patients were given the necessary help.

Corn sellers attending to customers at Wuse 2 in Abuja yesterday.

ABUJA- The National Coordinator, “Put Nigeria First’’, an NGO, Mrs Ijeoma Nwafor, has decried the use of religion as a weapon of terror by some political leaders.

Nwafor, who stated this at a news conference in Abuja, said that such leaders use religion to achieve their self centred agenda to the detriment of Nigerians.

“It is so sad to note that religion is being used as a weapon to accomplish evil

Chairman, APC Katsina State, Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa, presenting a power generating set to APC official from Malumfashi Local Government, Mallam Aminu Lawal, at the launch and distribution of power generating sets and amplifiers for ramadan Tafsir in Malumfashi on Sunday.

2015 Polls: Muslim Group Tasks Politicians ABUJA- The Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria have urged politicians in the country to play by the rules.

The Chairman of the unoin, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, made the call at the opening ceremony of the 9th Annual Ramadan Lecture organised by the union in Abuja.

Balogun said that as the 2015 general elections approached, there was the need to remind the politicians to play by the rules.

He called on them to have the fear of Allah and remember that everyone would account for their deeds in the hereafter.

Balogun said the month of fasting was a period of forgiveness and total commitment to Allah.

The guest lecturer, Prof. Musa Abdur-Raheem, called on Muslims to make peace in the holy month as prescribed by the Holy Qur‘an.

Abdur-Raheem posited that for peace to prevail there must be justice, saying that organisations that did not preach peace were not representatives of Islam.

“Boko Haram is not representing Islam. Muslims are known for peace and most of the victims of Boko Haram are Muslims.” he said in the lecture titled Peace and Leadership: The missing link.

He called on the security agencies to be more professional in tackling the insurgency in the country.

Also, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger, who was represented by Alhaji Hamidu Kadi-kuta, called on Nigerians to complement the government’s efforts in tackling the security challenges.

He reminded Nigerians that security was a collective responsibility, saying that “all

hands must be on deck if we are to overcome it”.

He called on Muslims to use the Ramadan to pray for peace and unity of the country.

In his remarks, the Secretary-

General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof.

Ishaq Oloyede, called on Muslims, especially the media professionals among them, to be more dedicated to their religion

and humanity.

He also urged the Muslim leaders and organisations to always preach peace as part of their contribution to the progress of the country.

ABUJA - Mr Olufemi Ajayi, the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has promised to continue with the reform processes initiated by his predecessor.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Media and External Relation Manager, PTDF, Mr Kalu Otisi in Abuja yesterday.

The statement quoted Ajayi as making the promise when he was taking over from the former

Executive Secretary, Dr Oluwole Oluleye at the PTDF headquarters in Abuja.

“The achievements of my predecessor are laudable and will add more value to the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, through the projects and programmes of the fund.’’

The new PTDF boss told the staff of PTDF that his coming would not lead to any policy that would affect them negatively.

He however charged them to exhibit greater commitment to

the service delivery of the Fund.

“There is no cause for anybody who is committed to the mandate of the agency to be worried.

“We are brothers and sisters and I believe that we are all committed to the transformation agenda of Mr President and the overall development of our country.

“I will rely on you all to give me the necessary support to move the agency forward,” he said.

On the challenges of funding, Ajayi said his administration would engage more advocacy at

the coordinator.

She called on religious and political leaders to always preach the spirit of patriotism to their followers, which was required for the unity, peace and progress of the country.

According to her, the downward trend of patriotism among the people is largely responsible for the current challenges facing the nation.

She urged Nigerians to act in ways that were beneficial to the community first, before the individual.

Nwafor said that her organisation was embarking on some programmes to reawaken the level of patriotism among Nigerians.

She explained that the programmes would reawaken, infuse and sustain the patriotic spirit of Nigerians across ethnic, religious, social and political divide at home and abroad.

The coordinator listed some of the programmes to include mobilisation of the citizenry to support the country’s Armed Forces.

Nwafor said the NGO was also raising public awareness on the need for Nigerians to fly the nation’s flag as a mark of respect for the country.

‘Painfully, rather than benefitting from communal spirit that is inherent in every religion, some misguided persons have converted the accommodating teaching of religion into confusion and terror,’’ she said.

New PTDF Boss Pledges To Continue Predecessor’s Reform the political level to ensure that funds due to the agency were released early.

“This is in view of the critical nature of the programmes and projects and their impact on the Nigerian oil and gas industry,” he said.

Earlier, Oluleye said most of the challenges confronting the fund were gradually being addressed.

He attributed this to the support of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Business + Economy

Food Shortage: Agriculturalist Raises Alarm

YOLA- Dr Walia Hamman, an agriculturalist, has said that the Northern part of Adamawa may experience shortage of foodstuff this year.

Hamman, a Director with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, raised the alarm following incessant

attacks on lives and property by insurgents in the North East region of the country.

He told newsmen in Yola that most of the victims killed in Madagali and Michika local government areas of the state were peasant farmers who produced about 70 per cent of

foodstuff in the state.

The expert said that records show that significant number of farmers had abandoned their farmlands and migrated to neighbouring towns and states in fear of attacks.

He said that a survey conducted by the ministry indicated that

thousands of farmers in the affected areas had not shown interest to cultivate crops in 2014.

Hamman said: “If urgent step to encourage the few farmers still residing within the affected areas to cultivate crops is not taken, there will be possibility of hunger in some communities living in

Madagali and Michika this year.”

He named Chakawa, Zanzha and Bitiku as some of the few villages in Madagali Local Government Area that were mostly affected by the activities perpetrated by the insurgents.

The director, however, said that officials of the ministry in the area were encouraging farmers to go back to farming to mitigate the expected shortage of food.

He called authorities in the

affected states to promote dry season farming to reduce the anticipated food shortage in their states.

Mr Jiddere Abu, the state Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), described the situation as “quite disheartening”.

Abu assured that AFAN was working with the federal ministry of agriculture to assist affected farmers in the state.

Vegetable Farmers Make Case For Improved Infrastructure

L-R: Representative of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Jonathan Juma; DirectorGeneral, Consumer Protection Council, Mrs. Dupe Atoki and the representative of UNIDO, Efehi Ubebe at the launch of Check Best Before Campaign in Abuja yesterday.

ABUJA- The Association of Vegetable Farmers and Allied Products (AVFAP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has urged the Federal Government to improve infrastructure to reduce post-harvest waste.

The Chairperson of the association, Mrs. Edith Ebenmelu, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

“We are facing a lot of challenges; even the road to our place is not good; it sometimes prevents our customers from patronising us.

“Government should help us repair the road, provide pumping

Association Seeks Waver For Domestic Airlines IKEJA- The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has urged the Federal Government to grant tax waivers to domestic airlines so that they could compete favourably with their foreign counterparts.

The National President of ATSSAN, Mr Benjamin Okewu, told newsmen in Ikeja that tax waivers would sustain the nation’s domestic airlines and

make them to render better services to their passengers.

He said such waivers would also help the airlines to expand the scope of their operations and discourage corruption in the system.

ATSSSAN is one of the key unions in the aviation industry.

Okewu said that it was proper for government to give financial assistance to the aviation industry and other sectors, playing strategic roles in national development.

He, however, advised that the

waivers should be monitored, to ensure that they were not used to import things that were not related to aviation.

“Government can as a matter of policy, grant the domestic airlines waivers but not waivers that will enshrine corruption.

“Not waivers that will be enjoyed by only one airline or people who will hide under them and begin to import things that are not particularly useful to the aviation industry.”

He said that domestic airlines in the country were going through such a phase at the moment.

The ATSSSAN president said that government could encourage domestic airline operators through the reduction in the cost of aviation fuel and the construction of refineries to refine the product.

“Time spent by the domestic airlines while taxing was a waste of money. It could help to reduce fly time.

“If government can add the

restoration of runway lighting to the ongoing remodeling of the terminals, it will save the airlines from a lot of wastage,’’ he said.

He noted that due to competition, the airlines usually had their flights almost at the same time.

Reports that President Goodluck Jonathan in his 2013 budget presentation said that the government would grant waivers to commercial airlines.

machine, and ensure regular supply of fertilizer and agro chemicals, pumping machines and pipes for dry season farming.

“These will help us produce enough for FCT,“ she said.

Ebenmelu said that the association had more than 600 members producing different species of vegetables on their farms in Gwagwa/Karimu area, a suburb of the Abuja.

Similarly, the Matron of the association, Mrs Stella Ugougo, urged the government to ensure regular supply of farm inputs for the sustained production of vegetables throughout the year.

She also called for the provision of storage facilities to avoid spoilage and waste of the vegetables produced.

“We have not got a cold room where we can store our vegetables; so, we want government to come in.

“If the government (representatives) can come to Gwagwa and see what is happening there, they will know that there are people who are productively engaged in remote areas in need of its support,“ she said.

Importation Of Lab Facilities

Association Commends FG’s ABUJA- The Association of laboratory professional is, Medical Laboratory Scientists of without standard reagents and Directive Nigeria (AMLSN) has equipment, he can never produce commended the Federal Government’s directive on the importation of medical laboratory equipment.

Dr Godswill Okara, AMLSN’s National President, made the commendation in Abuja but condemned the position of Nigeria Medical Association on the issue.

“AMLSN commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Minister of Health and President Goodluck Jonathan for the foresight and patriotic resolve to sanitise the sector in stemming the tide of wrong diagnosis,’’ he said.

“The NMA yesterday took a swipe at the CBN over a circular it issued directing that all importers of medical laboratory equipment must obtain a certificate of registration from the MLSCN (Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria).

“The recently elected President of NMA, Dr Kayode Obembe, warned that the circular will set a “dangerous trend in the nation’s health sector,“ he said .

According to him, the call by NMA for the immediate withdrawal of the CBN circular is unfortunate.

He said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised quality medical laboratory services as key to improving global health and attaining the Millennium Development Goals.

He said the accessibility of medical laboratory services to patients and accurate laboratory results were crucial to improved outcomes.

The president noted that medical treatment without accurate and reliable diagnosis was a waste of resources, both for the physician and the patient.

“No matter how skilled a

accurate and reliable diagnostic tests results. “ It is on record that close to 50 per cent of public health in-vitro diagnostics (reagent test kits, chemicals and equipment) in the Nigerian open market today, are sub-standard.

“It is also on records that 50 per cent of the diagnostics are fake, expired or poorly stored and distributed,’’ he said.

Okara said MLSCN in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan decided to set up the ultra modern Public Health In-Vitro Diagnostic Control Laboratory, first of its kind in West Africa.

He explained that the law establishing MLSCN allows it to ensure that fake and substandard in-vitro diagnostics were eliminated from the Nigerian healthcare sector.

L-R: Director General, National Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Emeka Mba; Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State; Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku and Director, NTA-STAR TV network, Mr. Maxwell Loko at the launch of Jos City Digital TV switch-over in Jos yesterday.

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT YESTERDAY (30/06/2014) Stocks

Open

Close

Change

Deals

Units

Value

MBENEFIT

0.54

0.52

-0.02

0

1,749,300

910,936.00

7UP

93

93

0

0

134,706

13,110,645.71

MOBIL

131

137.55

6.55

0

118,335

16,036,842.82

ABCTRANS

0.94

0.9

-0.04

0

3,631,115

3,273,813.90

MRS

70

70

0

0

4,130

274,645.00

ACADEMY

1.71

1.71

0

0

2,000

3,260.00

NAHCO

4.99

4.85

-0.14

0

984,292

4,789,389.47

ACCESS

9.7

9.55

-0.15

0

6,705,075

64,309,213.65

NASCON

11.4

11

-0.4

0

4,011,995

44,528,400.14

172

171.99

-0.01

0

1,346,665

230,976,398.20

AFRIPRUD

3.41

3.25

-0.16

0

2,771,442

9,002,452.33

NB

AFROMEDIA

0.5

0.5

0

0

5,000

2,500.00

NEIMETH

1.26

1.26

0

0

785,245

1,009,259.00

AFRPAINTS

2.72

2.72

0

0

1,000

2,590.00

NEM

0.85

0.85

0

0

10,185,270

8,633,184.10

AGLEVENT

1.44

1.37

-0.07

0

256,007

356,650.08

NESTLE

1098.9

1150

51.1

0

354,205

385,301,110.40

AIICO

0.83

0.81

-0.02

0

4,208,730

3,434,377.57

NEWGOLD

2077

2073

-4

0

10

20,730.00

0.5

0.5

0

0

12,550

6,275.00

0.5

0.5

0

0

1,000

500

AIRSERVICE

2.45

2.34

-0.11

0

580,830

1,378,770.00

NIGERINS

ASHAKACEM

29

28.51

-0.49

0

388,502

11,090,545.10

NIWICABLE

AVONCROWN

1.77

1.69

-0.08

0

1,493,460

2,523,947.40

NNFM

19.75

19.75

0

0

40,922

777,518.00

BECOPETRO

0.5

0.5

0

0

32,000

16,000.00

NPFMCRFBK

0.85

0.81

-0.04

0

217,000

176,450.00

BERGER

9

9

0

0

65,007

560,506.06

NSE30

1918.6

1931.77

13.17

0

256,702,520

4,334,201,571.00

2071.71

2084.94

13.23

0

315,426,286

4,527,137,567.00

0

368,097,135

4,692,199,645.00

BOCGAS

5.76

5.76

0

0

31,150

171,325.00

NSE50

CADBURY

81.89

80

-1.89

0

932,809

74,163,897.76

NSEASI

42187.64

42482.49

294.85

CAP

40

40

0

0

63,581

2,508,473.23

NSEBNK

432.01

432.87

0.86

0

109,152,581

1,303,893,455.00

CAVERTON

6.56

6.24

-0.32

0

790,217

4,930,954.08

NSECNSMRGDS

1043.78

1058.24

14.46

0

10,330,855

908,671,917.70

CCNN

11.14

11.21

0.07

0

372,031

4,220,162.67

NSEINDUSTR

2672.61

2666.72

-5.89

0

1,599,142

108,530,318.90

146.18

146.83

0.65

0

60,525,989

57,314,714.31

2846.44

2874.67

28.23

0

9,504,812

711,123,667.60

CHAMPION

10.17

10.17

0

0

62,000

599,540.00

NSEINS

CHAMS

0.5

0.5

0

0

4,000

2,000.00

NSELOTUSISLM

CHELLARAM

3.95

3.95

0

0

484

1,936.00

NSEOILGAS

452.86

468.24

15.38

0

43,979,504

1,341,723,789.00

CILEASING

0.52

0.5

-0.02

0

539,960

269,980.00

OANDO

28.72

29.25

0.53

0

42,211,877

1,244,223,036.00

CONOIL

65.4

65.4

0

0

157,663

9,914,217.71

OASISINS

0.53

0.52

-0.01

0

300,000

156,000.00

0.5

0.5

0

0

580,000

290,000.00

5.14

5.39

0.25

0

185,460

983,468.00

CONTINSURE

1.09

1.06

-0.03

0

29,329,155

31,956,998.95

OMATEK

COSTAIN

1.35

1.37

0.02

0

507,266

692,293.16

PORTPAINT

COURTVILLE

0.59

0.58

-0.01

0

162,727

94,381.66

PREMBREW

0.77

0.77

0

0

5,500

4,400.00

CUSTODYINS

3.6

3.7

0.1

0

2,491,879

9,141,226.00

PRESCO

36

35.01

-0.99

0

329,256

11,707,504.36

CUTIX

1.83

1.83

0

0

50,500

95,839.78

PRESTIGE

0.53

0.52

-0.01

0

1,297,828

690,070.56

37.49

37.4

-0.09

0

318,517

11,556,377.90

0.01

0

536,960

2,697,678.64

CWG

5

5

0

0

20

98

PZ

DANGCEM

240

240

0

0

286,997

68,326,305.68

REDSTAREX

5

5.01

DANGFLOUR

8.1

8.2

0.1

0

283,790

2,303,672.29

ROYALEX

0.53

0.53

0

0

13,000

6,900.00

DANGSUGAR

9.4

9.49

0.09

0

689,284

6,500,280.58

RTBRISCOE

1

1

0

0

179,503

180,388.00

DIAMONDBNK

6.3

6.4

0.1

0

11,762,628

74,511,960.09

SEPLAT

675.1

700

24.9

0

127,612

88,391,134.68

3.33

3.3

-0.03

0

8,219,750

27,166,868.61

0.5

0.5

0

0

22,500

11,250.00

DNMEYER

1.11

1.11

0

0

7,123

8,089.34

SKYEBANK

DUNLOP

0.5

0.5

0

0

62,900

31,450.00

SOVRENINS

ELLAHLAKES

4.26

4.26

0

0

2,500

10,125.00

STANBIC

26

26

0

0

188,333

4,911,473.71

EQUITYASUR

0.5

0.5

0

0

45,063

22,531.50

STERLNBANK

2.3

2.35

0.05

0

3,816,915

8,786,580.86

ETERNA

4.78

4.55

-0.23

0

1,143,428

5,354,224.08

TOTAL

171.05

179.6

8.55

0

86,311

15,309,882.70

4.97

5.05

0.08

0

67,566,121

346,777,420.90

0

0

190,175

378,705.05

ETI

16.24

16.89

0.65

0

7,450,292

120,891,045.60

TRANSCORP

EVANSMED

2.4

2.4

0

0

32,242

78,506.60

TRANSEXPR

2.07

2.07

FBNH

15.6

15.6

0

0

20,959,363

326,890,734.40

UAC-PROP

17.6

17.6

0

0

194,459

3,436,363.45

FCMB

4.25

4.2

-0.05

0

11,794,096

49,532,684.12

UACN

62.06

62

-0.06

0

148,565

9,256,530.42

FIDELITYBK

2.04

2.07

0.03

0

2,918,751

5,985,497.08

UBA

7.81

7.7

-0.11

0

46,704,825

365,918,991.60

2.34

2.32

-0.02

0

2,246,009

5,240,111.69

9.97

9.97

0

0

316,030

3,133,647.15

FIDSON

3.1

3.02

-0.08

0

317,670

965,847.40

UBCAP

FLOURMILL

78

78

0

0

54,062

4,109,412.61

UBN

FO

206.3

206.3

0

0

257,760

50,610,940.23

UNILEVER

52.4

54

1.6

0

255,868

13,080,187.25

FTNCOCOA

0.5

0.5

0

0

55,500

27,750.00

UNITYBNK

0.5

0.5

0

0

665,000

332,500.00

GLAXOSMITH

65

64

-1

0

773,075

49,650,551.24

UPL

4.47

4.69

0.22

0

433,100

1,900,563.70

19.13

19.25

0.12

0

5,190

100,231.50

4.44

4.4

-0.04

0

327,909

1,395,260.23

GUARANTY

30.47

28.95

-1.52

0

12,799,259

373,443,383.70

VETGRIF30

GUINNESS

200

200

0

0

580,566

113,864,538.20

VITAFOAM

HMARKINS

0.5

0.5

0

0

1,000

500

WAPCO

111.4

111

-0.4

0

187,064

20,745,018.41

HONYFLOUR

4.02

4

-0.02

0

868,193

3,471,468.90

WAPIC

0.8

0.8

0

0

13,477,593

11,143,500.63

IKEJAHOTEL

0.83

0.82

-0.01

0

247,000

202,785.00

WEMABANK

0.98

0.99

0.01

0

1,608,058

1,561,289.34

ZENITHBANK

25

25.05

0.05

0

10,667,913

266,971,558.60

INFINITY

1.61

1.61

0

0

40,000

64,400.00

INTBREW

26.7

26.7

0

0

131,364

3,532,749.58

INTENEGINS

0.5

0.5

0

0

5,501,050

2,759,525.00

JAPAULOIL

0.63

0.6

-0.03

0

6,607,357

3,973,414.20

JBERGER

76.45

76.45

0

0

35,095

2,549,874.85

JOSBREW

2.58

2.58

0

0

10,000

24,600.00

LEARNAFRCA

1.57

1.5

-0.07

0

1,973,567

2,996,975.42

LIVESTOCK

3.1

3.19

0.09

0

540,265

1,687,406.35

MANSARD

2.5

2.62

0.12

0

197,000

505,090.00

MAYBAKER

1.78

1.75

-0.03

0

458,134

806,290.70

TOP 10 GAINERS Stock

Close

NSEASI 294.85 NESTLE NSELOTUSISLM SEPLAT NSEOILGAS NSECNSMRGDS NSE50 NSE30 TOTAL MOBIL

42482.49 1150 2874.67 700 468.24 1058.24 2084.94 1931.77 179.6 137.55

TOP TOP 10 10 LOSERS GAINERS Gain

51.1 28.23 24.9 15.38 14.46 13.23 13.17 8.55 6.55

Stock

Close

Loss

NSEINDUSTR NEWGOLD CADBURY GUARANTY GLAXOSMITH PRESCO ASHAKACEM NASCON WAPCO CAVERTON

2666.72 2073 80 28.95 64 35.01 28.51 11 111 6.24

-5.89 -4 -1.89 -1.52 -1 -0.99 -0.49 -0.4 -0.4 -0.32

THE basic fundamental of all economies is agriculture and all industrial nations know this. That their economies are on solid rock is basically because they have galvanized their agricultural potentials, which is also the offshoot of their industrial development That is why concerned citizens of Nigeria have continued to warn on the dangers of continued dependence by the nation on crude oil which is today the mainstay and sustaining source of the Nigerian economy.

THE traditional focus of the Nigerian economy before the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantity was agriculture and it played a fundamental role in shaping the economy of the nation and regions as Nigeria was then constituted in its immediate post independence era.

IN the 1960s, each region of the country was noted for producing some cash crops such as cocoa, groundnut and palm oil as well as rubber in commercial quantities.

Basically, the Wet tern region, now the political South West except Lagos which was the Federal Capital, was noted for producing cocoa in large commercial quantities for export. The revenue from cocoa helped in shaping the infrastructure and economic environment of then Western Nigeria and its legacies and landmarks were -very very visible, as they affected virtually all aspects of life of the people.

IN the Northern region, groundnut was the mainstay of the economy, to the extent that the volume produced in the region was typified by the “groundnut pyramid”. It symbolized the success of the crop as a veritable earner of revenue which impacted economically on the life of the people.

IN the Eastern region, palm oil was its predominant feature and similarly, it was a

THE NIGERIAN

Nigeria’s Food Security Challenge success in boosting the economic atmosphere of the country and the region.

Interestingly, it is now an irony that Nigeria has been relegated to the background in palm oil production and has been overtaken

by Malaysia, a country which took the Nigerian specimen of the plant, palm kernel, and adapted it to its own climatic condition and is today a leading producer of palm oil, which is a major derivative of palm kernel.

SIGNIFICANTLY, the Midwest region was noted for its rubber plantation and was quite a huge success as the crop played its role as a major economic transformation agent to shore up principally the economy of the region.

WE are concerned that there is slow progress in returning to the traditional focus of reviving these cash crops as major sources of revenue for the Federal Government.

HOWEVER, we are aware that not too long ago, the Federal Government launched the Cocoa Rebirth Initiative, as launch pad to regenerate interest in the crop and encourage farmers who have abandoned the plant to come back on the scene to make cocoa play its role in the national economy.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER implores the Federal Government to similarly create avenues for other cash crops as well as

sensitise farmers to take proactive action towards their cultivation.

WHILE the Federal Government has shown the interest to refocus attention to agriculture, there appears to be so much disinterest in the way it has pursued the goal.

THERE is no conscious effort to empower small scale farmers to undertake mechanized farming for greater yields, as this is still the exclusive preserve of the elite farmers. Thus, farmers who are interested in expansion have no way of coping with the financial demands to undertake mechanized farming. This in itself is a huge challenge for food security in Nigeria.

Access to bank loans is uncertain with high interest rate, serving as enough scare to discourage the desire for any expansion.

WHILE the banks may have played significant roles in the past in assisting farmers, they did so purely on the initiative of the individual farmers and therefore expect in the new arrangement as already envisaged, a friendly lending terms that will encourage investment in the agricultural sector. THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER now calls on the Federal Government to consider an upward review of allocation to the agricultural sector. Amounts always allocated in the budget have been a pointer of the genuineness of government’s commitment to the agricultural sector.

WE assert that improving the national agricultural output should be devoid of any prohibition that will limit access to the fund by small scale farmers whose contributions to agricultural development form part of the concerted effort of the production chain that will lift the nation out of the continued dependence on oil.

TODAY, I take a break from musing on political issues to focus on a very critical issue of life and death. It is an issue most of us take for granted, but which will ultimately determine our future relationship with our creator-owner -Jehovah - when we transit this physical plain: “Spiritual Wealth”, which is the major theme of the Bible, and which, though has been muffled by the prosperity doctrines of

Jesus Christ It is a Western capitalist idea that was inserted into the pure teachings of Christianity after the religion came in contact with Europe, and later, America, in later centuries, after the followers of Christ were first called “Christians” at Antioch; a Mercantilist ideology that was meant to justify the debauched and greed-driven aims of the so-called system of free enterprise; a Satanic infusion

robbers, hired assassins, corrupt politicians, ritual killers, kidnappers, commercial sex workers, gossips, backbiters and backstabbers, mudslingers, to other despicable characters too numerous to mention, our churches have become assemblies of caterpillars; evil melting pots where the incarnates of Satan converge from time to time to blaspheme the spotless name of the Lord; covens where witches and

into the undiluted teachings of the Bible; demonic insertions that were meant to divert the elect from focusing on acquiring the only true wealth that matters: An eternal, boundless, and unconditional spiritual relationship with God, through the benevolent sacrifice of His son, our Lord and personal Saviour, Jesus the Christ-the only relationship that can guarantee us true wealth in this life and in the hereafter.

Prosperity gospels have created a very materialistic generation which believes that everything begins and ends on this earth. If I may ask, how nany of today’s professed Christians believe in an afterlife? How many Christians believe that heaven and hellfire are not mere myths? How many Christians truly believe in the Bible and the existence of God? If one does a rough sampling of opinions centered around these pertinent questions, the answers that are likely to emanate from such an enquiry is the painful truth that most of the people you see masquerading as Christians are not really Christians in the biblical sense, but a bunch of self-seeking, self-deceiving, self-righteous, attentionseekers, who have lost their way and have not realized it; worshipers of Mammon, who, in their quest for money, power, reverence, fame, and connections, have relegated the love of God to the background.

In their selfish cravings after material wealth, some Christians have sold their souls to the Devil (1 Timothy 6:10).

Some of today’s Christians engage in the most contemptible enterprises in their desperate quests to “make it”. From advanced fee fraudsters, con artists, armed

warlocks whose unbridled love for money, power, fame, and respect, rendezvous.

The most annoying part of the whole madness is the shameless manner some of our church ministers “business proprietors” is more appropriate - honour these angels of darkness with the most revered positions Knights, Elders,

actually agents of Satan sent to corrupt the body of Christ and disrupt Jehovah’s future plans for His earthly wards.

Some Church leaders, who are supposed to be the earthly “shepherds” of the flock, have through their conduct, helped in promoting the wrong notions about true wealth. The ostentatious lifestyles some

shylock businessmen; commercial syndicates who ventured into ministry for purely monetary considerations; shameless journeymen whose claims to divine authority are as blasphemous as they are ignominious - empty claims that are as hollow as clanging cymbals. Jokes apart, the

Deacons, etc - in their churches.

A visit to some churches will be heartbreaking experiences for some highly perceptive members of the public, who will be shocked to witness, first hand, the hypocrisies that the worship of God has become muddled up in, as they will be faced with the gospel truth that some churches are actually havens for thieves, murderers, and other shady characters; that most church leaders don’t practice what they preach; that while overtly condemning evil, they covertly support it; that some church leaders are

pastors live, has contributed towards fuelling the mad craze for earthly acquisitions among contemporary Christians. The slogan of these doomsday pastors is “seek yea first the financial kingdom and its accoutrements, and all other things shall be added unto you”.

These apostates equate the Biblical kingdom of God with the possession of mere material trappings of life. When members of a congregation see their pastor driving choice wonders-on-wheels, globetrotting in customized private jets, living in cozy Igloos and castles, stepping out in very expensive designer attires, at the expense of sincerely reaching out to the doomed souls in his assembly with the message of true salvation, there is a tendency for even the elect to be deceived into beginning to see material wealth as an end in itself.

Most church leaders are

fraudsters masquerading as the “General Overseers” of some churches do not give a hoot about rescuing and protecting the souls of their flock from eternal damnation; for it is not out of the altruistic dispositions of these end- time heretics that they hold countless church programs every year, in tandem with other commercial enterprises they call revivals, but out of their larcenous quests to dispossess their bewildered herd of their hard-earned resources in the name of the lord.

I am piqued at the shameless manner some professed bornagain Christians hanker after material possessions at the expense of eternal life; marvel at the rate supposed children of God are enamoured by fleeting man-made luxuries, when they have the promise of a heavenly paradise to look forward to; amazed at the foolishness of individuals who consider

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True Wealth According To Christ some of today’s churches, will ultimately determine our final destination after judgment day.

Whether we are going to “Heaven” or “Hell” will be determined by the kind of wealth we choose to acquire on this earthly plain.

The seductive doctrines of some contemporary prosperity churches have tended to colour the Bible’s teachings on true wealth. With particular reference to Third World countries, where the harsh economic realities have transformed most people into Tele-guided zombies, who are susceptible to the manipulations of false religious doctrines, the wrong notions of wealth have found willing disciples - blind followers for whom Christianity have become elixirs for escaping from the pains induced by current economic realities.

Today Christianity is no longer about salvation, holiness, righteousness, love, forgiveness, tolerance, patience, meekness, humility, and other heavenly virtues, but about what one can grab and enjoy on this earthly plain, when you attend some church services, only scant attention is given to the future joys of heavenly bliss, as our fake apostles of moral correctness focus basically on earthly prosperity, in their morbid greed to swell the size of their congregations and make more money from the tithes and offerings of their ignorant, miracle seeking disciples. This is quite unfortunate, for when the supposed shepherds of the lord totally deviate from the core dictates of their “calling” to focus on fleeting earthly issues, it calls for serious concern.

The idea of material prosperity at the expense of spiritual increase is alien to the core teachings of Christianity as enthused by our Lord and Savior

“Prosperity gospels have created a very materialistic generation which believes that everything begins and ends on this earth. If I may ask, how n-any of today’s professed Christians believe in an afterlife? How many Christians believe that heaven and hellfire are not mere myths? How many Christians truly believe in the Bible and the existence of God?”

themselves better than others simply because they are better appareled; astonished that luxurious items, which are vain in reality, are more highly valued than man himself, who for his own purposes conferred value on these items, in the first place; revolted at those who deify a rich man simply because he is rich, despite owing him nothing; astounded when I see my Christian brothers and sisters sharing God’s glory with mere specks of dust because of the vain earthly possessions of the later. So many other imported traditions astound me in the church today.

The truth is that most Christians attend church, not out of deep spiritual convictions, but as socioreligious duties. They come to church to increase their social standings, not to worship God in spirit arid in truth. To these individuals, coming to church is a mere routine; a mechanical response to the promptings of societal expectations; an obligation that is as superficial as it is directionless; a makebelief exercise in every sense of the word. That is why so many so-called Christians still live in spiritual squalor and emptiness, despite the amount of material wealth in their possessions; the kind of poverty that is induced by sterile religiosity — a spiritless condition that is the logical consequence of a stereotypical, materialistic worldview that defines contemporary Christianity. That is why a rich man will see his fellow brethren going through torrid times and ignore him.

That is why a needy member of an assembly will come to a General Overseer, who owns a private Jet, with a lifethreatening financial challenge, only to be encouraged with mere words such as: “Have faith”, “the Lord will provide”, “God’s time is the best”. That is why social vices continue to burgeon exponentially out of control as mortal men having been betrayed by their brethren, become more engrossed in the mad rush for the acquisition of ephemeral worldly treasures.

Nutritional Health And Dietetics

Values Of Herbs

HEALTHY herbs have long held an important place in our lives. Since ancient times and today we even more depend on them, to purify our body, mind and soul.

We use herbs or herbal parts in our daily lives, one way or the other. For their fragrance or for their healing power or in lovely recipes, herbal benefits are many, be it for spiritual reasons or to spice up your taste buds or as a home remedy for ailment like cold

inflammatory health problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and inflammatory bowel conditions like ulcerative colitis.

Many unique compounds in the herbs have been found to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics studies have confirmed.

Studies have shown that certain compounds in garlic like those that thiosulfinates (allicin) can bring significant reduction in total

antiseptic, lipolytic (fat and weight loss action) stimulant and stomachic action which taken in appropriate dosage.

Several culinary and medicinal herbs are important sources of dietary antioxidants. Herbs and spices are an important part of all cuisines. Herbs also, can give out nice soothing smell to some people and help them relax.

Herbs are also, important in many ways for example,

Herbs therefore, have important role in providing effective health life. Also, it is found that herb shows its importance in a varied forms such as culinary, spiritual and medicinal.

Now, different parts of herbs such as leaves, roots, flowers, seeds. Resin, root barks are used in several activities especially, for spiritual activities. In several parts of the world herbs are used to honour their kings showing it as a

or sore throat etc. herbs are handy for each need.

Value of herbs: herbs contain antioxidants, essential oil, vitamins phyto sterols and many other plant derived nutrient stanstance which help equip our body to fight against germs, toxins and to boost immunity level. Herbs are infact, medicines in smaller dosages (David, 2008).

Essential oils in herbs have been found to have antiinflammatory function by inhibiting the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase (cox), which mediates inflammatory caseade reactions in the body. The enzyme-inhibiting effect of essential oils in herbs makes it an important remedy for symptomatic relief in individuals with

cholesterol and in blood pressure and thereby, helps prevent coronary artery disease and stroke risk.

Curcumin together with other antioxidants in the tumeric, has been found to have anti-amyloid and antiinflammatory properties.

Thus, it is thought to be effective in preventing or at least, delaying the onset of Alzheimer ’s disease (David, 2008).

The volatile oils, vitamin and antioxidants in the herbs have cytotoxicity action against prostate, pancreatic, colon, endometrial etc cancer cells.

The chemical compounds in the herbs have been found to be antispasmodic, carminative, diaphorie, analgesic, aphrodisiac, deodorant, digestive,

you can use it for diseases and sickness. Herbs can also, give out a nice, soothing smell to some people and help them to relax.

Today, many types of herbs are used as medicinal plants with different qualities like flavour, scent and other things. Also, herbs are used in the preparation of herbal foods and for spiritual activities in social life.

symbol of luck.

In many countries, herbs are used to keep flies, mice, ants and fleas away from home and offices. So, it is very important in our lives.

Culinary herbs are a great addition to food not just because they add special flavour and spicy taste to our food, but also, they contain many antimicrobial substances that help keep our food protected from these agents.

With

O.C. Madu GSM: 08056379608 Healthy herbs are used in small amount while preparing recipes, actually, they provide flavour rather than substance to food.

Fresh leaves are being used in the preparation of soups and herbal sauces.

Chopped, fresh herb leaves can impact richness to vegetable as well as fruit salads.

Healthy herbs are used to enhance the flavour and taste of vegetable. Chicken, fish and lean meat dishes.

Some herbal leaves and plant parts are increasingly been used as popular flavour drinks.

How herbs work-Herbs regulate, cleanse and nourish the human body.

They may have specific effects on physical function, but herbs also, nourish and balance many parts of the body at one time.

For example pineapple, is an anti-inflammatory fruit that dissolves muscles, also protein digesting.

Grape seed extract has potent anti-oxidant, protects collagen from destruction and is anti-inflammatory.

Herbs and spices are an important part of all cuisines, they provide a certain taste and character to a dish, but they are also, important from a nutritional point of view.

Studies show that in the Greek –Mediterranean diet oregano, garlic, onions and lemon are added to a number of dishes. These additions are a very important element of the diet, as these ingredients contain antioxidants and other biochemical substances, which play an important roles in protecting from chronic disease.

Every culture and every medicinal system from

Ayurvedar to T Chinese medicine have used herbs for therapeutic purposes.

There are thousands of different uses, many of which are used in conventional medicine as well as for natural remedies.

Herbs are widely used today in teas, vitamins and natural supplements. While the benefits of herbals medicine are vast. It is important to understand the basis of herbal medicine.

Herbal medicine has its roots in every culture around the world from the Greeks to the celts, the Romans to the Arabs and the Chinese to the Indians.

Western herbalism dates back to ancient Egypt, where record of garlic and juniper used for medicinal purposes were found from as early as 1700 B.C by 100 BC, the Greeks had developed a comprehensive philosophy of herbal medicine that related to different herbs to different temperaments, seasons, and elements such as earth, air, fire and water.

The Romans took the Greek theories of medicine and added to their own creating wealth of medical practices, some of them are still used today.

Eastern herbalism mainly comes from the tradition of Ayurvedar and Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), these two medicinal systems use herbs to bring the body back in balance, so that, it can heal itself. In TCM, this means restoring gi or life energy and balancing the acid forces with the alkaline forces.

Both traditions incorporate knowledge of the elements, the seasons and the parts of the body into their herbal treatment.

“Grape seed extract has potent anti-oxidant, protects collagen from destruction and is anti-inflammatory. Herbs and spices are an important part of all cuisines, they provide a certain taste and character to a dish, but they are also, important from a nutritional point of view.”

Between Bad Christians BOTTOMLINE With And Bad Muslims Fr. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

ON June 2, 2014, I had a thought provoking conversation with Jacob, Andrew and Christopher.

What led to the discussion was the inquisitiveness of Jacob who wanted to know the biblical basis for priestly celibacy as practised by the Catholic Church. However this theme changed with Andrew’s litany of some Christians who are not able to practise the teachings in the Bible. Most interesting and

them said, keep quiet! And you are driving this sophisticated car! I replied, ‘the car belongs to my brother in America.”

The brief of the story is that Christopher was pushed out of the vehicle while the gun men left with the car. He was not killed because of his ‘colleague in faith’ from Winners Chapel”. The lesson from this narrative is that we can not conclude that stealing is prescribed in the Christian religion because a gun man

door in the middle of the night, wake you up and give you a meagre amount of money, saying, ‘that is the dowry for your daughter’. They would forcefully take the girl away.

Sometimes, when they are under the influence of drugs, they would even rape the mother before taking away the daughter. Very often, these girls are minors. These issues started as far back as 2011.

Sometimes some youths chant, ‘God is great’, celebrating

of the kidnapper saying that her life is already useless and that the rapist should better kill her.” In response to this report, somebody corroborated that sometimes these girls are taken to the house of a

shocking was this testimony of Christopher: “It was a cool evening in Abuja. I was about entering my car in Wuse when three gun men stopped me and ordered, ‘get into the car before I blow off your head’!

I obeyed. They ordered me to start the car and thereafter put me at the back seat. One of them took over the steering and was driving to an unknown destination. They were arguing whether to kill me or not. One of them said, ‘the man is cooperating, why should we kill him’? At this point, I started praying and speaking in tongues. One of them asked me, ‘Are you a Winner?’ Yes, I answered! He replied, ‘I too worship in Winners Chapel. You see it is ‘you people’ in government who pushed us into this dirty business. I graduated twelve years ago from the University.

No job, this is why we are harassing you guys’. I told him that I too have no job. One of

who claimed to be a Christian is in a stealing business.

In our meeting on trauma counselling on June 18, 2014, some reports show that abduction of girls and forced marriages have been an old practise in some parts of Northern Nigeria. A Muslim participant in the meeting from Borno State of Nigeria gives this report: “Before the Chibok saga, violence against women and girls has been rampant in Borno State even in the Capital city, Maiduguri. Sometimes, gun men would knock at your

whenever a security agent is killed. Even when the security agents try to rescue the girls, the youths find it difficult to trust them because of their initial attitude towards the villagers each time there was an attack by the gun men.

Sometimes, the gun men attack buses on the highway to abduct girls from the age of five. In one of our trauma counselling sessions, we encountered a young girl who was suffering from vesicovaginal fistula (VVF).

She refused to leave the house

prominent leader in the community in the name of protection. Later, the leader announces that one of the girls has converted to Islam.

Sometimes, he either marries the girl himself or marries her out to another Muslim. No one knows what they use on these girls to change their orientation to life.

On June 9, 2014, in reaction to my publication, “Chibok Saga: Is this Islam”? I received this mail: “Dear Father, I read your piece with the above title. I am

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disappointed at your naivety.

Muslims are using texts in the Quran that refer to peace to deceive you. What Boko Haram is doing in the North has support in the Qur’an.”

Kindly check the following websites: 1. Rape in Islam (WikiIslam).

2. Deception of nonMuslims (WikiIslam) 3. List of killings ordered or supported by Islam (WikiIslam).

4. Invitations to Islam prior to violence (WikiIslam) 5. Permissibility of martyrdom (http:// wikiislam.net/wiki) 6 Audio (Islam: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow/ Online) Finally, I suggest you stop wasting time dialoguing with Muslims. Our Lord Jesus Christ said we should preach the gospel to the end of the earth and not to dialogue with our killers. Thank you. Mr. Nehemiah Sokponba (This is a pen name)”.

I actually searched the suggested websites and listen to the recommended audio online. My discovery is that the passages referred to in the Qur’an in the six itemized subjects can not be practised literarily in the modern era by enlightened and civilized people with the gift of reason.

Relying on these verses for this age is akin to using the passages of the Old Testament of the Bible to promote violence, war and polygamy.

Moreover, the Church has made dialogue an obligation and not an option. “The Church regards with esteem also the Muslims. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth” (Nostra Aetate 3). We must admit that

“We must continue to explore the sincerity in interreligious dialogue. Let us take a brisk look at Sudan.

While we try to reconcile ourselves to the fact that the life of a bad adherent may not necessarily define the truth of a given religion, we get more shocking news of institutionalized criminality in the name of religion.”

there are still many decent and peaceful Muslims in the world even in Nigeria. We cannot take the abuse of Islam by “bad Muslims” as the rule and principle. We must also acknowledge that some Muslims who are partners in dialogue have been advised by some radical Muslims that they are wasting time in dialoguing with Christians. If there were no dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, the nation by now would have been lured into religious war by the enemies of progress and peace.

One can imagine how a country going through this kind of war would look like.

We must continue to explore the sincerity in inter-religious dialogue. Let us take a brisk look at Sudan. While we try to reconcile ourselves to the fact that the life of a bad adherent may not necessarily define the truth of a given religion, we get more shocking news of institutionalized criminality in the name of religion. What can we make of this message in the social media? “Meriam Yahya Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman who is waiting for her death because she accepted Christ Jesus delivered yesterday in prison, now the government has given her up till the baby stops breast feeding so that Meriam can be hanged. And before she will be hanged she will receive hundred lashes of strong canes.

Now ask yourself, what sins has she committed?” if this is true, does this action not contradict reason? As the government of Sudan forgotten the injunction of the Qur’an, that “there is no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256)? Does this message not indicate that there are bad governments that abuse religion as there are bad Christians and bad Muslims who keep using the volatile nature of religion as a selfish shield and personal gain?

Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja; and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican C i t y (comonokhua@hotmail.com).

Perspective

Link Between CEDAW And African C

Introduction TWENTY three (23) years after the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by the United Nations, African Heads of States adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (The Protocol) during the conference of the Heads of Stales and Governments held in Maputo in July 2003.

This adoption of the Protocol was the culmination of a long process which started about eight years previously, under the leadership of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ rights, in a close partnership with African women’s rights networks and NGOs and with the active support of the Africa Programme of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). Even though the Protocol was adopted nearly two years ago, only thirty three states have so far signed it.

Moreover, only six (6) countries have ratified it, nine states short of the minimum 15 states required to bring it into force Initially, when the idea of a protocol on women’s rights was mooted, the question that was widely asked and discussed among human rights activists and academics was why the need for a specific protocol on women since Article 2 of the African Charter recognized and guaranteed the enjoyment of all rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind. Furthermore, Art: 18 (3) provides “the State shall ensure the elimination of every discrimination against women and also ensure the protection of the rights of the woman and the child as stipulated in international declarations and conventions.”

Moreover, a significant number of African states were party to the CEDAW which was recognized as the international bill of rights for women.

The answer then was and it still is that it was important to have a regional instrument that adequately protects the rights of women taking into account the cultural specificity of Africa and the special needs of African women which may not be adequately addressed by the CEDAW. 1.2 The Protocol is closely modelled on the CEDAW and to that extent there are many more similarities than differences between the two instruments. Where there are differences, they only go to strengthen those areas in the Convention which are not specifically mentioned and which are issues of special concern to African women.

In the following paragraphs, an attempt will he made to highlight the similarities as well as differences between the two instruments.

Furthermore, the monitoring and implementation mechanisms of the two instruments will be examined. The concluding paragraphs will look at the challenges and obstacles to the implementation of CEDAW in order to draw lessons learnt for the implementation of the Protocol when it does come into force.

Similarities and differences The Convention is one of the core human rights treaties and embodies all the legally binding international human rights standards and norms. It is also an additional means for protecting the human rights of women. All these standards are also incorporated in the protocol to the ACHPR. The Preamble to the Convention explains that despite the existence of other human rights instruments, women still do not have equal rights with men and that discrimination against women continues to exist in every society. The Preamble to the Protocol also recalls the many international instruments including the CEDAW, which recognise and guarantee women’s human rights and further reiterates the fact that in spite of all these guarantees, discrimination against women still persists in a number of fields. Both instruments identify many specific areas where there has been notorious discrimination against women, for example in regard to political rights, marriage and the family and employment. In these and other areas, the Convention and the Protocol spell out specific goals and measures that are to be taken to facilitate the creation of a global society in which women enjoy full equality with men and thus full realization of their guaranteed human rights.

White the convention has sixteen substantive articles the Protocol has twenty four. The Protocol further provides, in Article 25, for States Parties to provide for remedies for women whose rights are violated.

CEDAW as well as the Protocol covers a range of substantive political, social and economic rights. Both instruments emphasize that

discrimination will hamper economic growth and prosperity. They expressly recognize the need for a change in attitudes, through the education of both men and women to accept equality of rights and responsibilities and to overcome prejudices and practices based on stereotyped roles. Another important feature of both the Convention and the Protocol is their explicit, recognition of the goal of actual or de facto as well as legal equality and of the need for temporary special measures to achieve that goal.

Article 1 of the Convention and Article 1(f) of the Protocol define discrimination. The definition in both instruments has similar elements such as: • It is a distinction, exclusion or restriction • It is based on sex • It can be direct or indirect; that is purpose or effect • Recognition of rights of all women irrespective of marital status • Recognises that discrimination can take place in all spheres of life The Protocol further defines “harmful practices” in Article 1(g) and “violence against women in Article 10). Article 1(g) defines “harmful practices” as “all behaviours, attitudes and/or practices which negatively affect the fundamental rights of women and girls, such as their right to life, health, dignity, education and physical integrity.” This definition allows a number of practices which previously were not considered harmful to be brought under the definition provided they negatively affect the fundamental rights of women. So for example, a practice that required young women to be paraded naked during festivals can be interpreted as affecting their dignity and therefore being against their fundamental rights.

Whilst article 1(j) of the Protocol to a large extent is similar to the international definition of violence against women adopted by the United Nations, it adds another dimension of when violence can be perpetrated, that is ‘in peace time and during situations of armed conflicts or of war.” This is a clear recognition of the fact that violence against women has become a tool of war or conflict and does not only happen during times of peace.

Whilst CEDAW does not expressly define harmful practices or violence against women, the CEDAW Committee in its General Recommendations 14 and 19 deal extensively with harmful practices and violence against women.

Both Article 2 of CEDAW and Article 2 (1) a-d of the Protocol prohibit discrimination against women. These articles set out the obligations imposed on States Parties in combating all forms of discrimination against women through appropriate legislative institutional and other measures. In this regard, States Parties are required to enshrine in their national constitutions and other legislative instruments the principle of equality between men and women, enact legislative and appropriate measures curbing all forms of discrimination, including any harmful practices, gender mainstreaming in all developmental policies and plans as well as legislation and take corrective action in those areas where discrimination exist both in fact and law. It is also expected that States Parties wilt ensure effective implementation of all measures taken under the Protocol.

Article 2 (2) of the Protocol and Article 5 of the CEDAW recognizes the fact that in order to eliminate harmful cultural and traditional practices, there is need to modify gender roles, that is the social and cultural patterns of conduct of women and men and all practices based on the superiority or inferiority of either of the sexes. States Parties are expected to achieve this through sensitization and other educational programmes.

Whilst Article 4 of CEDAW recommends the need for temporary special measures to accelerate de facto equality between men and women in all fields, the Protocol in Article 9 (1) restricts the use of affirmative action to increase women’s participation in politics. The CEDAW however deals with political participation in article 7.

Articles 10, 11 and 12 of the CEDAW which deal with education, employment and health have corresponding provisions in articles 12 and 14 respectively in the Protocol Article 16 of CEDAW deals with rights in marriage and at its

“White the convention has sixteen substantive articles the Protocol has twenty four. The Protocol further provides, in Article 25, for States Parties to provide for remedies for women whose rights are violated. CEDAW as well as the Protocol covers a range of substantive political, social and economic rights. Both instruments emphasize that discrimination will hamper economic growth and prosperity.

They expressly recognize the need for a change in attitudes, through the education of both men and women to accept equality of rights and responsibilities and to overcome prejudices and practices based on stereotyped roles. Another important feature of both the Convention and the Protocol is their explicit, recognition of the goal of actual or de facto as well as legal equality and of the need for temporary special measures to achieve that goal.”

By DORCAS COKER-APPIAH

dissolution, including the same rights of women and men to enter into marriage of their own free will. The Protocol on the other hand deals separately with rights in marriage and divorce in articles 6 and 7. What the Protocol does is to expand the provisions of article 16 by specifying the rights relating to marriage and divorce. Paragraph (c) of Article 6 commends monogamy as the preferred form of marriage but recognises also that the rights of women in polygamous unions should be promoted and protected.

While Article 16(2) recommends the setting of a minimum age of marriage, the Protocol, in Article 6 (b) sets the minimum age at 18 years.

Article 6 (g) and (h) deal with nationality rights and the right to pass on nationality to children. These paragraphs are reflected in Article 9 of the CEDAW. While article 15 of CEDAW and Article 8 of the Protocol refer to equality before the law and recognise women’s legal capacity in all civil matters, the Protocol also focuses on access to justice

which is a major problem for women in Africa.

Article 14 of the CEDAW focuses specifically on rural women but there are no corresponding provisions in the Protocol.

Additional provisions of the Protocol The Protocol has a number of additional articles which are relevant in the African context. Some of the additional articles are: Article 10: Right to Peace War and conflict has bedevilled Africa for the greater part of the last century and continues to this day. Article 10 (1) states that “women have the right to a peaceful existence and the right to participate in the promotion and maintenance of peace.” The article further calls on States Parties to ensure participation of women in all peace processes as well as conflict management and prevention processes at all levels. Women are also to be involved in all decision making structures aimed at protecting refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons as well as asylum seekers and also in the management of refugee camps and settlements. Most importantly, this article calls on States Parties to reduce military spending and commit the resources for social development in general and the promotion of women in particular.

Article 11: Protection of Women in armed conflict Women often are the largest victims of war and conflict situations.

They constitute the greatest number of refugees and internally displaced persons and are usually left to care for children and elderly in post conflict situations. The article calls for the protection of women during war and conflict and to ensure that women are not subjected to rape and other sexual violence, no matter on which side they belong.

States parties are also to ensure that children, especially young girls

under Wido widow their ri Artic Wido continu retain t Also w proper Artic Very develo article that the

are als

Arti In th wome wome for the Arti With Africa article their p detent Of h Arti • Ar • Ar Imp Imp agains Arti Discri of its implem done p under makes Comm on tho

Perspective

Charter On Human And People’s Rights

18 years of age are not recruited as Article 20: Widows’ rights ows’ rights are protected under this article. States Parties are to ensure that ws are not subjected to a harmful and degrading practices and also guarantee ight of guardianship over their children. cle 21: Right to Inheritance ows shall have the right to equal share in their husband’s property and to ue to live in the matrimonial home. The widow shall have the right to the property even if she remarries provided the property belongs to her. women and girls shall have equal rights as men to inherit their parents’ ties. cle 22: Special protection of elderly women y often: the needs of elderly women are not taken into account in national opment and they end up destitute after years of service to society. This calls on States Parties to provide protection for elderly women and ensure eir economic, physical and social needs are taken care of. Elderly women

so to be protected from violence and to be treated with dignity

icle 23: Special protection of women with disabilities he fight for protection of women’s rights, the special needs and concerns of en with disabilities are usually ignored or subsumed under those of other en. This article calls on states parties to fake special measures to provide e physical, economic and social needs of women with disabilities. icle 24: Special protection of women in distress h increasing poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, many households in a are being headed by women and increasingly, they are older women. The e calls on States Parties to provide protection for such women, addressing physical, economic and social needs. Pregnant or nursing mothers in tion are also to be protected and treated with dignity. hers are: icle 3: Right to dignity rticle 4: Rights to life, integrity and security of the person rticle 5: Elimination of harmful practices plementing Mechanisms of the CEDAW and the Protocol plementing the Convention: Work of the Committee on the Discrimination st Women icle 17 of the Convention establishes the Committee on the Elimination of imination Against women to consider progress made in the implementation provisions. The Committee acts as a monitoring system to oversee the mentation of the Convention by those slates which have ratified it. This is principally by examining reports submitted to it by those States Parties Article 18 of the Convention. The Committee considers these reports and s suggestions and recommendations based on their consideration. The mittee may also invite United Nations specialized agencies to submit reports ose states parties whose reports are being considered and may also receive

information from non-governmental organizations.

The consideration of the reports by states parties start with an oral presentation of the report by the representative of the States parties followed by the Committee members asking questions relation to specific articles of the Convention. The questions focus on the actual position of women in society in an effort to understand the true extent of the problem of discrimination. The state party is given an opportunity to respond to the questions orally the same day or in writing a few days later depending on whether it is an initial or periodic report.

The Committee then prepares concluding comments on the report of the state party so that they are reflected in the report of the Committee.

These concluding comments deal with the most important points covered during the dialogue, emphasizing both positive aspects of a state’s report and matters on which the committee had expressed concern, and clearly indicating what the Committee wishes the state party to report on in its next report.

With the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, the Committee has the additional responsibility of accepting individual complaints alleging violation of rights under the Convention.

The General Recommendations (GR) made by the CEDAW Committee, in offering substantive interpretation and analysis of the scope and meaning of some articles of the convention, have contributed to the development of substantive human rights law. (See GR19, 21, 23, 24 and 25) 4.2 Implementing the Protocol Unlike the CEDAW, there is no special body to monitor implementation of women’s rights under the Protocol.

Article 26 of the Protocol enjoins states parties to the Prot9col to submit periodic reports in accordance with Article 62 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Periodic reports are expected to be submitted every two years. In reporting under the Protocol, States parties are required to indicate legislative and other measures undertaken for the full realisation of the rights recognised under the Protocol. The African Commission on Human and Peoples rights was set up under Article 30 of the African Charter to promote human and peoples’ rights and ensure their protection in Africa. The mandate of the commission is extensively set out in Article 45 of the Charter.

The Commission, under article 55 is allowed to receive communications from individuals who allege violations of the provisions of the Charter. The procedure for examination of individual complaints is similar to the communication procedure under the Optional protocol to the CEDAW. An important mandate of the Commission under article 45 (3) relating to interpretation of provisions of the Charter will be transferred to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights once it established.

5.0 Obstacles and challenges to implementation Since the Protocol is yet to come into force, it is impossible to identify obstacles and challenges. It is therefore proposed to use the CEDAW in order to draw lessons for effective implementation of the Protocol.

The mandate of the CEDAW Committee is to monitor the implementation of the convention by those states Parties which have ratified it and this is done through the consideration of periodic reports.

Unfortunately, this is one area that has not been taken very seriously by states parties. Many states parties have two or more reports outstanding whilst a few have not submitted any report since they acceded to the convention. This is the major challenge to the Committee’s work in monitoring implementation.

The examination of States Parties reports is not meant to be adversarial, but instead to be done in a manner that promotes constructive dialogue between the States parties and the committee.

The effect of this is that the Committee never formally pronounces a state to be in violation of the convention and consequently is unable to exert strong pressure on states which are in detright violation of the convention to change their policies and legislation.

At the national level, the procedure for domestication of the Convention is one major challenge that affects the implementation of the CEDAW. Whilst several countries have acceded to the Convention, many have not taken the extra step to domesticate it and make it part of the national laws. What this m in effect is that the provisions of the Convention cannot be directly applied by national courts. States parties do not always have the political will to implement commitments made at the international level.

One other obstacle that has been identified at the national level is that not many lawyers are aware of the Convention and therefore are unable to cite it in support of their arguments. Not many law students take up courses in gender and the law (where this is taught as part of the curriculum) and hence their ignorance about the convention. It has however been noticed that where this is done, judges are often willing to rely on its provisions to give a progressive interpretation of women’s rights. (e.g Ephraim v. Pastory case from Tanzania and the Unity Dow case) 6.0 Key lessons learned The adoption and coming into force of the Convention has

strengthened the promotion and protection of women’s human rights in all spheres of life. First and foremost, it has put women’s rights as an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. The Convention gives recognition to women as individual human beings and not as members of communities or families. The Convention also deals with discrimination in both public and private realms and targets both direct and indirect discrimination, that is, discrimination of purpose and effect. The Convention moves equality from an abstract concept to one that expects States parties to take concrete measures to deal with both de jure and de facto discrimination.

The Convention has been the foundation on which women’s rights have been built at the national level. The adoption of the Convention has brought significant progress in the recognition of human rights of women with the legal framework for equality being strengthened c the national level. Special measures have also been put in place in some countries to accelerate achievement of de facto equality.

The ‘Generals Recommendations made by the CEDAW Committee in offering substantive interpretation and analysis of the scope and meaning of some articles of the convention have contributed to the development of substantive human rights law. (See CR19, 21,23,24 and 25) Conclusion and Recommendations for effective implementation of the Protocol It is evident from the preceding paragraphs that the CEDAW and the Protocol are not only similar in content but also in the objective of eliminating discrimination to enable women enjoy their lull human rights. The drafters of the Protocol were very much influenced by the contents of the CEDAW as well as the work of the Committee. Indeed in the Preamble to the Protocol, the CEDAW and its Optional Protocol are mentioned as part of those international instruments guaranteeing women’s rights.

It is therefore obvious that to ensure effective implementation of the Protocol, Africans would draw on the experience of the CEDAW Committee in monitoring the implementation of the Convention. Drawing on the obstacles and challenges to effective implementation of the Convention, the following recommendations are made.

The need to have a specialised body similar to the CEDAW Committee to monitor implementation of the Protocol. The African Commission in its work of monitoring the Charter has not paid much attention to women’s rights even though in 1998 it attempted to address this by appointing a special rapporteur on the rights of women. The work of the special rapporteur is not very well known to a lot of African women. Slates parties in reporting under Article 62 of the African Charter have not reported on the status of women. Although Stales Parties are expected under Article 26 of the Protocol to report on progress in the implementation of the Protocol, it is my considered opinion that this would not yield the in depth reporting on all the provisions as is expected. The only way that reporting under the Protocol can be taken seriously is when there is requirement to report to a body specially sot up to monitor the Protocol.

• Domestication of the provisions of the Protocol into national laws. African countries use different ways by which international conventions arid treaties become part of national laws. While in the case of a few countries international treaties automatically become part of national laws once they are ratified, in the majority of cases, the treaty would have to be passed by an Act of Parliament to bring it into effect in those countries. It has been demonstrated in some countries that international and regional instruments can be relied upon to protect women’s rights in domestic courts if they are cited.

• Incorporating the teaching of women’s rights into curriculum of faculties of law to ensure lawyers leave school knowing not only national laws, but international and regional instruments protecting women’s rights.

• Mechanisms for ensuring regular reporting. In this regard, the African Union should provide technical support to states to enable them prepare reports in accordance with laid down guidelines • The African Commission should make use of Article 1(a) and (b) to come up with general recommendations thereby contributing to the development of substantive human rights law in Africa.

• Women’s rights organisations should be supported to monitor the implementation of the Protocol. In this regard they should be provided financial support to participate in meetings of the African Commission and to prepare shadow reports when their countries reports are being considered.

Presentation given March 4 2005 at the 49 session of the CSW in New York.

Gender Issues

Re-Organization, Re-Orientation Of Women’s World

AT beginning of this publication, it was noted that women’s voluntary agencies were the path breakers for cooperation between NGOs and inter-governmental agencies as early as the founding of the League of Nations in 1919. In recent decades, since the 1970s, the women’s movement has reactivated this cooperation and participation in politics at the macro level with the United Nations system.

Quite a number of new women’s organizations and

equal participation of women in decision making. Women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming form a new formula, which goes much beyond ordinary equality as a goal.

However, mainstreaming must not result in “malestreaming’ that is women’s integration into men’s world. In order to transform the patriarchal culture women must speak in

networks have emerged along with the process taking place around gender-related issues in the UN. Actually this process has provided a genuinely mutual exchange between the world’s women and the UN system; the UN had to recognize women’s role in development and politics in the early l970s and the actions of the UNbeginning with the International Women’s Year and Mexico City Conference in the 1970s-which stimulated and empowered women around the world to recognize how efficient an agency the UN could be for the sake of the advancement of women.

In this exchange with the UN, women’s approaches and perceptions have become increasingly comprehensive and holistic. Equality between women and men, which has been very much an aim on its own merits, has become a baseline requirement for

their own voice, and act on the basis of their own experiences and values.

The purpose of mobilization, networking and reorganization is to activate women to learn about the politics at large and the ways and means of how the UN system operates. Only then can women participate in the process, not only by attending UN events and conferences, but by also seeing the importance of constantly following the polities in the making, at both the country and UN level. Only then women can influence the outcomes of the UN and other international organizations’ events. Furthermore, national and international NGO provide the machinery to organize women’s participation in the meetings and conferences, both at the national and international level.

Below are a few examples

By HILKA PIETILA

of organizations and networks that are conducting worldwide activities directly related to the UN and glob al processes.

Contact information on these organizations is provided in Annex 1V. —Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) was

support feminist movements across the globe. Since 1991 Isis International has three independent offices in Asia (Manila, Philippines), Africa (Kampala, Uganda) and Latin America (Santiago, Chile), reflecting a commitment towards South-South cooperation and South-North linkages. With connections in over 150 countries, ISIS

established in 1982. It is a network of women and men, researchers, academics, students, educators, activists, business people, policymakers, development practitioners, funders, and other professionals in the field. AWID’s mission is to connect, inform and mobilize people and organizations committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women’s human rights around the world. Its flagship event, the AWID International Forum, is held every three years. The Forum is the largest gathering of this kind outside of the UN. AWID’s headquarters are located in Toronto (Canada).

—ISIS International was formed in 1974, in Rome and Geneva, and aims to create opportunities for women’s voices to be heard, strengthen feminist analyses through information exchange, promote solidarity and

keeps up with changing trends and analyses concerning women worldwide.

—The International Women’s Tribune Centre (IWTC) is an international non-governmental organization established in 1976 following the UN International Women’s Year World Conference in Mexico City. With a philosophical commitment to empowering people and building communities, IWTC provides communication, information, education, and organizes support services to women’s organizations and community groups working to improve the lives of women, particularly low-income women, in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

IWTC is based in New York, just opposite United Nations headquarters.

—The International

Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) was founded in 1984 and is based in New York.

IWHC works to generate health and population policies, programmes, and funding that promote and protect the rights and health of girls and women world wide. IWHC believes that global wellbeing and social and economic justice can only be achieved by ensuring women’s human rights, health, and equality. At the 1994 Cairo Conference, IWHC was instrumental in shifting the focus of population policies from simply numbers of people to the health, empowerment and rights of individuals.

—Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) is a network established in 1984 by women scholars and activists from the economic South, who engage in feminist research and analyses of the global environment and are committed to working for economic and gender justice and democracy. DAWN works globally and regionally in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific on the themes of the Political Economy of Globalization; Political Restructuring and Social Transformation; Sustainable Livelihoods; and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, in partnership with other global NGO5 and networks.

—International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) was organized in 1985 at the World Conference on Women in Nairobi (Kenya) to promote recognition of women’s human rights under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Convention), a basic international human rights treaty. IWRAW now is the primary international nongovern mental organization that facilitates the use of international human rights treaties to promote women’s human rights and rights within families. IWRAW is based at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota in the United States.

—The Center for

Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) was established in 1989 as part of the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Rutgers University in the United States.

The Center’s programmes promote the leadership of women and advance feminist perspectives in policy-making processes in local, national and international arenas. Since 1990, CWGL has fostered women’s leadership in the area of human rights through women’s global leadership institutes, strategic planning activities, international mobilization campaigns, UN monitoring, global education endeavors, publications, and a resource center. The Global Center works from a human rights perspective with an emphasis on violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and socioeconomic wellbeing. Its programmes cover two broad areas: policy and advocacy and leadership development, and women’s human rights education.

—Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) came about in the early 1990s during the preparatory process for the Earth Summit in Rio. Within that process, a systematic and effective NGO lobbying strategy was developed and used successfully in connection with the Earth Summit, and with other world conferences since. WEDO defines itself as an “international advocacy network to transform society to achieve a healthy and peaceful planet with social, political, economic and environmental justice for all through the empowerment of women.” In order to achieve these goals, WEDO brings together women from all around the world to take action in the United Nations and other international policymaking forums, supports the efforts of women’s organizations worldwide, and engages US women on foreign policy. WEDO is based in New York.

—Women Living under Muslim Laws (WLUML) is an international solidarity network that provides information, support and a collective space for women whose lives are shaped, conditioned or governed by laws and customs said to derive from Islam. WLUML

Drumbeats Power Of Dream: Courage

As Vital Ingredient

THE doubting Thomas may ask, “does dream have power?” To be candid with you, dream have power to influence your aims and objectives. And it can also afford you the opportunity to advance in prosperity.

Where it not the power that

eventually join hands with the rest of the world to celebrate him globally.

Many people bother about their colour, lack of education and complain of not having money to implement their aims, and objectives. Friends, if I were you 1 would bother

is associated with dream you and I would have become a history in God’s mind, it is the power associated with dream that made God to create the heaven and the earth and made us in his image and likeness.

The population of the world today is above seven billion people. It was made possible today because God dreamt of it. I accede to the fact that God is dream personified and that everything around the world emanated from him.

Martin Luther king Jr. said “I have a dream” He did not boast of his money, colour, size, education, neither did he boast of the great country (U.S.A) he came from. His ultimate Joy and greatest priority was attached to the dream he had.

That singular fact made a great hero out of him and several years after his death those who did not like his dream

about my dream and how to implement it, than paying attention on irrelevant Issues.

That dream you are neglecting can enhance your wealth, fame, God’s blessing and longevity of life.

I have made up my mind that no amount of intimidation, Limitation or opposition can hinder me from actualizing my dream.

“And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren; and they hated him yet the more.

And he said unto them hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed.

For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright, and behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

And his brethren said to him

shall thou indeed reign over us? Or shall thou wheel have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dream, and for his words.

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have

them, they conspired against him to slay him.

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

Come new therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, some evil beast hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams”.

dreamed a dream more; and behold, the sum and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

And he told it to his father, and to his brethren, and his father rebuked him, and said unto him what is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down our selves to thee to the saying?

And his brethren envied him, but his father observed the suing.

And when he came near unto

Genesis chapter 37v5- 11, verse 18-20.

The above passage of the scripture unveils God’s plan and purpose in the life of everybody. God gave Joseph a dream that will enhance his destiny, but there where so many obstacles surrounding his dream. If God did not let Joseph down by ensuring that he became what he intended for him to become, then I see no reason why you cannot rise above every obstacle posing as a threat to your life’s ambition and dream.

With Apostle Dr. Raphael O. Ayemere 08035459593

Beloved, you can actualize your dream and be a positive reference point globally.

The time to harness the power of your dream is now.

Shum every doubt and fear and use the enormous grace which God has bestowed upon you to go into politics and achieve any political ambition you desire and deserve. Use the power of dream which God mercifully bestowed upon you to build the industry you so much desired. Numerous people across the world are depending on your help to move to the next level of life.

The world is waiting for your fame, wealth, history and dream to be manifested soon.

Showcase your dream to the world and prove to those who never believe you can achieve meaningful success wrong.

COURAGEVITAL INGREDIENT TO THE ACTUALIZATION OF YOUR DREAM Over the years, the actualisation of people’s dream across the globe, have been driven by this veritable tool of courage. Courage will boast your dream and energize it into action.

A courageous person will always have the will to implement his dream.

Men with little courage are usually full of fear and lack the will to implement their aims and objectives in life.

God can use un-educated, poor and fearful people to achieve his goal for humanity, but he seldom uses people who are not courageous.

If you want to succeed in this life and be a positive reference point to other people, then you must constantly harness the power of your dream to achieve your needed desire.

Were it not for courage Paul, Peter, James, and the rest of Jesus disciples would not have fulfilled their dream of carrying the gospel of Jesus Christ across the world.

Courage is the key to the actualization of your dream.

By courage our fore-fathers passed through the red sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians attempted to do same, but were drowned.

By courage the wall of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

By courage the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

And what shall I more say?

For the time would fail me to tell of the courage of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah, of David also, and of Samson and of the prophets; Who through courage subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, were valiant in fight, turned to the fight the armies of the aliens.

Women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

And others had trial of cruel mocking and scourging, yea, moreover, of bonds imprisonment.

They were stoned, they were torn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the Sward, they wandered about in sheep skins and great skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Folks, what can you achieve in this world without courage? That industry you want to build, that political ambition and desire to help others can only be possible and visible by your courage.

Courage will help you to do the impossible and achieve greatness in your career.

Courage will awaken your dream and energise you into action. Courage will help you to over come adversity and troubles that may arise in your marriage, business and politics.

Courage will wipe away your tears and make a big celebrity out of you.

I urge you to use the power of courage to activate your dreams into action and use it to achieve what the feeble minds tag impossible.

“They were stoned, they were torn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the Sward, they wandered about in sheep skins and great skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Folks, what can you achieve in this world without courage? That industry you want to build, that political ambition and desire to help others can only be possible and visible by your courage.”

Focus

FINANCIAL Statements are the end product of a system of accounting. These statements in whatever sector they are prepared provide useful information which form good bases for decision making. That is the ultimate goal of a good accounting system viz. present timely, relevant and useful information for moving the organization forward.

The Final Account of the Federal Government prepared for publication are listed below and explained hereafter Statement No

Description

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Statement of Public Debt Statement of Assets and Liabilities Consolidated Revenue Fund Development Fund Treasury Funds Special and Trust Funds Other Loans and Investments Loss of Government Funds and Stores written off during the period 9.

Claims abandoned during the year.

10.

Statement of Guarantees of the Government of loans to statutory 11.

Arrears of revenue as at the end of the period uncollected three months after MODES OF PUBLICATION OF FINAL ACCOUNTS The published accounts and statements of Federation appear in at least four documents or places in diverse amounts of detail. These documents are as follows.

1. Annual Estimates 2. Official Gazette 3. Annual Report of the Accountant-General of the Federation 4. Annual Report of the Auditor General of the Federation 1. The Annual Estimates This document embody Federal Government revenue and expenditure proposals for the forthcoming year.

The published financial statements that form part of Governments Annual Estimates includes: (i) Statements No. 3: Consolidated Revenue Fund (ii) Statements No. 4: Development Fund 2. The Official Gazette The official gazette contains current information and the finance of the Federal Government. The Gazette is made up from the returns submitted by Ministries and Departments and the records of the Accountant General.

MONTHLY STATEMENTS The statements are prepared and published monthly in the official gazette of the Federal Government. They include the following:3. THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ACCOUNTANT-GENERAL The annual report of the Accountant prepared and published ideally at the year end, and addressed to the Minister of Finance contains the entire published accounts of the Federation. However, these documents are rarely published on time, most o them are published between four to five years in arrears making their usefulness doubtful.

4. THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL The annual report contains as appendices, Federal Government’s Financial Statements outlined below: S/N STATEMENT NO. DESCRIPTION 1.

2 Statement of Assets and Liabilities 2.

3 Consolidated Revenue Fund.

3.

3.1 Statement of Revenue 4.

3.2 Statement of Recurrent Expenditure 5.

4 Development Fund Each accounting statement published in this report

Published Accounts And Financial Statements

By ARIC WILSON UCHENNA

bears the name of the Accountant General and the name and audit certificate of the Auditor’s General.

A statement of Cash Balances is appended in the Auditor General’s report to explain any difference between the statement on the official Gazette and that in this report. This difference when the figures in the Treasury General Ledger does not with the outcome of Board of Survey, investigation Bank Balances actually held. The Treasury General Ledger control acconts from the Accountant’s General primary sources of accounting information for transactions with Ministries and Departments.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister

Explanations of Federal Governments Published Accounts and Finance Statements The Main Statements Statement No. IPublic Debt Public Debt represents the amount owed by the State or Government. Frequently the state borrows to execute some of its programmes. Such debts owed to Foreign Lenders are referred to as External Debts.

Those other debts owed to the same country are known as internal debts.

Funds are sometimes provides for the purpose of repayment. This may be through the establishment of statutory funds. Such loans are called funded loans.

They are unfunded when no specific provision through sinking funds has been made for repayment. A good example here is Treasury Bills/Certificate.

The statement of Public Debt report on the state of indebtedness of the nation.

STATEMENT NO. 2: STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES The statement of Assets and Liabilities is the balance sheet. It clearly states the assets against the liiabilities There is however a great wall of difference commercial organizations balance sheet and government.

1. There is no capitalization of expenditure in government accounting following the adoption of the cash basis, resulting in the absence of fixed assets like

Building, Motor Vehicles, Plants and Machinery etc.

2. The Liabilities of the Government for sums borrowed do not appear in the Assets and Liabilities Statement. This is taken care of in statement No. I on Public Debt.

3. The Statement of assets and Liabilities show the picture of mostly liquid assets and the funds on whose behalf these assets are being held.

4. While the commercial balance sheet always disclose the source of finance for the various fixed and current assets these appear in another for in the statement of Assets Liabilities. It appears that these funds belonging to the citizens taken its place: CR1, DF, TF, etc.

Statement No. 3: Consolidated Revenue Fund An indepth study has been done on this in the first Vail of this book. This statement is the statement of major income expenditure of the government of the government.

Statement No. 4: Development Fund Much has been covered on this in the first Volume of this book. Suffice to say here that this statement reports on funds held for capital projects.

Statement No. 5: Treasury funds This fund serves as a clearing accounts between the State and Federal Government. At the year end the cash advances to state government are the major issues reported on here.

Statement No.6: Special and Trust Fund This statement reports on Finance/Money held in trust by the Federal Government. At the year end the net balance between the receipts and expenditure from different special and trust funds are disclosed.

Statement No. 7: Other Loans and Investments This statement covers transaction on term loans or loans without terms. Investments loans made by the Federal Government to the state, corporations and companies with specified dates and terms for the Government without any term of repayment.

Statement No. 8: Loss of Government Fund This statement report on Money and stores items, lost during the year and written off without appropriate procedures.

Statement No. 9: Revenue Abandoned for the year This statement cover revenue due to the government that were abandoned during the year. Way or any other act of God may be the reason for such abandonment.

Statement No. 10: Guarantees of the Federal Government Loans made to Statutory Corporations and Government Sponsored Bodies.

Guarantees are required by most foreign institution before loans could be extended to statutory corporations and government sponsored bodies. The Federal Government comes in to offer this guarantee.

This statement report on such guarantees.

Statement No. 11:Arrears of Revenue This statement cover the revenue that the Chief Accounting Officer still expect from individual, ministries and/or units.

Supporting STATEMENT Some statements support and further explain the Published Accounts and Financial Statements of the Federal. Each statement support main statement. There are in fact supporting sub-statement that go into greater detail, all geared towards making the statement prepared by the Accountant-General understandable and meaningful.

Issues Election Reporting: Those

Special Reports

ELECTIONS are good opportunities to move beyond the daily news agenda and undertake proactive reporting.

Special reports, preferably done as a series, add life and variety to election coverage.

Here area few examples of approaches you might take.

Issues Elections should be, but aren’t always, about issues health, education, jobs, the environment and so on. Many politicians give less emphasis to these matters than they do to attacking their opponents.

But the job of the journalist is to think first about the audience, who do want to

Personalities Politicians frequently complain that the media is “obsessed with personalities” but the truth is more complicated. Firstly, the media frequently take their cues from the politicians, who themselves spend a great deal of time and effort promoting themselves and attacking their opponents. Secondly, in a democracy, politicians are asking voters to put their trust in them to deliver on their promises, so an investigation of the person behind the promises is Legitimate. And thirdly, journalism is

to increase their voter appeal.

The media have responded by turning their own spotlight on the activities of the parties and their spin doctors - seeking to make their campaigning methods transparent. These reports can look at the strategy and tactics of the Leading parties and candidates and analyse how they change tack in response to the moves and counter-moves of their opponents. Such reports are not only in the spirit of democracy, in that they make the campaign more transparent to the voters, but can also make for good

problematic. Carrying out a scientifically valid opinion poll costs money and requires knowledge and experience. In wealthier countries the media frequently fund such activities. In developing countries such resources are usually not available. Where polls have been carried out by reputable organisations, journalists should always report the name of the polling organisation, the sample size, the margin of error and when the polling was carried out.

Frequently, the media and political parties carry out their own polls, these are usually

know where the candidates stand on the issues that will affect their daily lives. Hence a report about health might include an examination of the relevant promises made by the candidates, an expert assessment of those promises and past performance, and then actuality and interviews from a local hospital about what is actually happening on the ground.

Local campaigns Although elections tend to be dominated by the national battle, what is happening at local level is also of interest, particularly to listeners in that locality itself. Aseries of reports focusing on particularly interesting electoral battles, or Locations which are particularly newsworthy, is a good way of enlivening election coverage and also of hearing the voices of people, particularly those living in isolated regions.

essentially about people, complex issues can be brought to life by focussing on the people who are behind the issues. Personality pieces can involve a different style of interviewing. Talking to politicians in locations away from the campaign trail can be rewarding - they can be encouraged to relax and reveal the “man (or woman) behind the message”. It might take a little time to pierce a politicians shell, but the results can be rewarding.

Campaigning One aspect of election campaigns that is receiving increasing media attention is analysis of the way the parties and candidates are fighting the campaign. This is partly a result of the growth of the activities of media and marketing advisors (sometimes known as spin doctors) who try and package politicians and parties in order

stories.

Sideways” Reports Election campaigns are serious matters. But that doesn’t mean they need to be reported in a completely straight-faced way.

Occasional reports that look for humour in the campaigns – odd incidents, strange pronouncements, quirky candidates - can enliven coverage. Local personalities who are not politically aligned can be brought in to throw a different light on the election campaign. Again it should be stressed that impartiality and balance are at a premium - if one party or politician has been put in the spotlight in one report then, either in the same or subsequent reports, efforts should be made to ensure that other politicians and parties receive the same treatment.

Polling - Surveys and Focus Groups The use of opinion polls during elections is hugely

unscientific and cannot be used to make any meaningful statements about what the voters are thinking and how they are going to vote.

However, that is not to say they are of no use whatsoever.

Such polls are in fact extended vox pops and can be used to give a snapshot of what people on the street of a particular village or town are thinking on the day the reporter went out to quiz them. Perhaps of more use are focus groups -discussions in which up to 12 voters discuss particular issues in depth.

Again, they cannot be used to make generalisations about what voters think, but they can give interesting insights into the way some voters are thinking.

International Perspectives Elections are a time when foreign interest is at a higher level than normal. Hence during campaigns foreign journalists, observers and

others are easier to contact.

Getting their views on the Local election campaign can give a different perspective on the election and make for variety.

Voters’ Perspectives At the height of the election battle, the central characters in the drama are often ignored.

The voices of voters should be heard loud and dear and worked into as many reports as possible. This can be done in the form of vox pops or in more considered ways, by presenting politicians with the views of the voters, either indirectly or directly. This can be achieved indirectly by putting to the politicians what the voters are saying on the streets. Directly, it is possible to arrange face-to-face encounters between voters and politicians.

Access for Politicians Most election coverage consists of journalists mediating what the politicians are saying. We listen to a speech and decide which part of it is most newsworthy.

However, it is also a time when politicians have a right to have direct access to the voters, unmediated by journalists. They can do this by holding campaign rallies, but the media should also provide them with a platform.

At times, politicians w pay for this access. But stations should also, as part of their public service commitments, offer politicians the opportunity to use their airwaves to reach the electorate free of charge.

Access for Women Women have as much right to participate in the electoral process and to hold public office at all levels Women’s representation in Nigerian media Gender representation on publicly owned media during the 2007 elections was very poor judged by the findings from a monitoring exercise conducted by Media Rights Agenda over a nine-week period between March 26 and May 31, 2007. Their report showed that during the period, women were grossly underreported on Radio Nigeria, either as the focus of the news items or as sources of information.

Although quite a number of women contested various offices in the elections, not only did the station not give adequate coverage to such women, it also failed in the vast majority of cases to seek the views or perspectives of women on the political or electoral issues it was

reporting, despite frequently reflecting the views and perspectives of men. From the relevant news items in the programmes monitored , men made the news 158 times (94 per cent) while women made the news only 10 times (6 per cent).

The same pattern of reporting was apparent in the election coverage of the Nigerian Television Authority, although it presented a slightly better picture than Radio Nigeria as do men. Various United Nations human rights instruments affirm this.

Women’s equal participation is therefore an essential requirement for democratic elections. Hence, it is imperative that the media promotes the participation of women in electoral and democratic processes in order to help build a culture of respect for the rights of women.

Access for Special Interest Groups Special interest groups - or “civil society”, as they are sometimes collectively known - have a vital rote to play during election campaigns. These groups NGOs, businesses, churches, etc. - have specialist knowledge and interests, and they have a right to participate in the election debate. They can also be valuable sources of information for reporters.

Giving them access to the airwaves, and in particular opportunities to question candidates, is an important contribution to the election debate.

Access for the Public Even more important than the special interest groups, or the politicians, is the public itself. Apart from all the other opportunities to hear their voices (as elaborated elsewhere), special efforts should be made to enable their voices to be heard particularly by giving them an opportunity to put their questions and observations directly to politicians, either via a hone-in, by email or, best of all, face-to-face. These exchanges, which will usually require some controlling, can also be enlivened by the presence of representatives of campaign groups, who can add their own expertise and special pleading to the programming mix.

Courtesy IPAS

Law

Discontinuance, Withdrawals Or Abandonment Of Appeals

AN appellant is at liberty at any time before hearing, to discontinue or withdraw his appeal without even assigning any reason for doing so. The rules relating to the particular appeal court provide the procedure for and the consequences of the discontinuance or withdrawal.

In default of such provision, the appellant may file in the registry of the appeal court a written notice of the discontinuance or withdrawal of the appeal with a copy for service on the respondent. On the receipt of the notice by the registry, the appeal stands

An appeal which is incompetent as well as that I has not been determined on the merits, shall be struck oil competent appeal is heard on the court merits or is deemed to have been so heard, the decision of the appeal court shall be either to dismiss the appeal or to allow the appeal.

A dismissed appeal is one in which the appeal court has found no merit of any substance against the judgment of the court below,

The judgment of an appeal court shall be the one scribed to by all the members of the court that heard the or at least a majority of them as may be provided by the ant statute.

But all such members need not be present when the judgment is read. The death or retirement of a judge before delivery of a judgment to which he subscribed or to which the majority members

therefore that appeal court is without power, unless expressly also conferred by the rules, to re-open the appeal. It may well be that such power lies in the general provision that a court may, on sufficient cause, set aside and order a fresh hearing of a case or matter heard in the absence of this party. The practice of the Federal Court of Appeal and of the Supreme Court, where they

dismissed, and the court may suo motu or on the application of the respondent, assess and award costs of the appeal to the respondent.

A discontinued or withdrawn appeal shall not be resucitated, nor can a further appeal lie by the appellant.

An appeal which is not prosecuted in part or wholly is said to be abandoned. The rules relating to each appeal court may provide for the consequences of the abandonment. In de fault of such provision, the court will treat the abandonment as being tantamount to discontinuance of the appeal, and so shall dismiss the appeal and affirm the decision of the court below. If an appeal was prosecuted but the appellant failed to appear, after due notice, on the hearing date, the appeal shall not be deemed to have been abandoned; rather the court shall apply the rules governing the absence of a party at the hearing.

judgment by the said dismissal shall stand affirmed.

Sometimes the appeal court may uphold a point of law or on facts the judgment appealed against, and yet hold that error did not occasion any failure of justice, that is to say, that had the court correctly applied the law or the issue of facts as urged decision could have been the same. On such ground the shall also be dismissed. An appeal may be dismissed in part and allowed in part. An appeal that is not struck out nor dismissed shall be allowed. To allow an appeal does not necessarily postulate the reversal of the judgment of the court below such judgment shall be set aside but the appeal court may to vary it in favour of the respondent, or to reverse it and judgment for the appellant, or to order a retrial, or to enter a non-suit. The court cannot after dismissing an appeal (or even after striking it out) order the appeal to be transferred.

subscribed, will not invalidate the decision. A dissenting judgment is an opinion but does not rank as a judgment of the court.

An appeal which was struck out has not been finally disposed of although the effect is to affirm the decision appealed against. The affected party is free, within the limits of statutory provisions and the rules, to revive the appeal or to launch a fresh appeal. The dismissal of an appeal except as may be expressly authorised by the rules, puts an end to the appeal. It is usual to have such provisions in the rules that an appeal dismissed for want of prosecution may on sufficient cause be re stored. Where the rules provide that an appeal may be dismissed for some other cause than on the hearing on the merits, such as for nonappearance of the appellant on the hearing date, the effect is to treat the appeal as if it had been heard on the merits and

dismiss an appeal for nonappearance of the appellant on the hearing date, is to consider an application to re-enter the appeal if the application is made before, not after, the order of dismissal has been drawn up. Except in so far as the court may exercise its inherent powers to correct slips in its judgment, the court of appeal becomes funtus officio on the delivery of its judgment and so is without power to review its order and vary or alter it.

The appeal court, as every other court of record, has inherent jurisdiction to ensure that its order carries into effect its decision in the case. To be able to do so, the court can amend or correct any error in the formal order drawn up provided there is a substantive motion to that effect, or where the parties consent to dispense with the motion. The court’s inherent jurisdiction to amend an order already drawn up is limited to cases where the

By A. OBI-OKOYE

order as drawn up does not correctly state the actual decision and intention of the judgment.

The principles upon which a court of appeal acts in an appeal on facts may be stated thus: 1. the burden of showing that the trial court was wrong in its decision as to facts lies on the appellant: if the appeal court is not satisfied that the trial court was wrong, the appeal will be dismissed; 2. the appeal court has to bear in mind that its duty is to re-hear the case and the court must consider the mat erials before the trial court: the appeal court must then make up its own mind, not disregarding the judgment appealed from but carefully weighing and considering it, and not shrink from overrating it if on full consideration it comes to the conclusion that the judgment is wrong; 3. where a question of facts has been tried without a jury, and there is no question of misdirection, the appeal court which is disposed to come to a different conclusion on the printed evidence, should not do so unless it is satisfied that any advantage enjoyed by the trial court by reason of having seen and heard the witnesses, could not be sufficient to explain or justify the trial court’s conclusion: the appeal court may take the view that, without having seen or heard the wit nesses, it is not in a position to come to any satisfactory conclusion in the printed evidence: but the appeal court, either because the reasons given by the trial court are not satisfactory, or because it unmistakably so appears from the evidence, may be satisfied that the trial court did not take proper advantage of seeing and hearing the witnesses, and so the matter would then become at large for the appeal court.

So the appeal court will disturb findings of fact by the court below only where it is of the opinion that such findings are not supported by the evidence or that the judgment is unreasonable having regard to the evidence.

Except upon grounds of law, an appeal court will not reverse a discretionary order merely because it would have exercised the discretion differently; but if on other grounds the order will result in injustice, or if the discretion

was wrongly exercised in that due weight was not given to relevant considerations, the order may be reversed. An appeal court should be very slow indeed to interfere with the discretion of a trial court on such question as an adjournment of a trial, but on the other hand, if it appears that the result of the order made by the trial court is to defeat the rights of the parties altogether and to do that which the appeal court is satisfied would be an injustice to one or the other of the parties, the appeal court will be in duty bound to review the order.

The appeal court has a discretion to vary the judgment of the court below in favour of the respondent thereto even though there is no cross-appeal. In order not to take the appellant by surprise where the respondent wishes to raise any point at the hearing to carry the judgment, he need not cross- appeal but he must serve a notice to that effect on the appellant.

An appellant shall not be heard on any ground not included in his notice of appeal. But he may do so with the leave of the Supreme Court, and for this purpose the court may allow the appellant to amend the grounds of appeal filed in the case. In deciding an appeal, the court is not confined to the grounds of appeal set forth by the appellant provided the respondent is given sufficient opportunity of contesting the appeal on that ground. Any ground of appeal which is vague or general in terms or which discloses no reasonable ground of appeal may be struck out by the court suo motu or on the application of the respondent. Also any ground on misdirection or error in law which fails to contain sufficient particulars may be similarly struck out.

Technical objections are not allowed to prevent the court from doing substantial justice on appeal.° Costs of the appeal follows the event and so a successful party is deprived of costs only on special reasons, such as where he succeeded partly, or on points not raised in the court below. Undue delay may also deprive a successful appellant of his costs. And his negligence may warrant his being ordered to pay costs despite his success in the appeal.°

Nature Science WORMS are lowly wriggling animals with long soft bodies and no backbone.

Grubs and caterpillars, which have worm-like bodies, should not be called worms because they are the larvae of insects.

There are three large groups of worms—the flatworms, which include tapeworms, liver flukes and bilharzia; the roundworms or nematode worms, which include Ascaris (roundworm in man), Filaria and Ankylostoma (the hookworm in man); and the segmented worms, which include the earth worm. Many worms of the first two groups are internal parasites and cause serious diseases in man and animals.

Tapeworms are well-known flatworms which are parasitic on man and domestic animals.

In man the tapeworm lives in the intestine and attaches itself to the lining of the gut by means of a small head provided with four suckers and a ring of hooks. The body of the worm is like a long flat tape and is made up of many identical segments, called proglottides The animal, surrounded by the digesting food, lies in the tract of the host and absorbs food through its entire body surface. It has no mouth or food canal and only moves very slightly. As the animal grows, new segments develop from the head end and the older ones are pushed further away; in this way the worm may become several feet in length. Each proglottide can produce young, and from time to time ripe segments, full of eggs, break off from the end of the body and pass out to the exterior. Segments can sometimes be seen being passed out in the faeces of dogs. The eggs are set free into the soil or on vegetation; they are very small round, thickwalled bodies, each with six hooks, These eggs may be swallowed by feeding pigs or cattle according to the species of tapeworm, and in the animal’s gut they penetrate a blood vessel. Carried by the blood stream, they reach the muscles of the animal and here they grow into small bladderworms known as cysterci. If such infected beef or pork is eaten undercooked, cysterci find their way into a man’s intestine.

SENIOR BIOLOGY A new head with hooks and suckers soon grows out of the cysterci and a new tapeworm begins its life in a new host.

Dogs often suffer from tapeworms through scavenging or through eating infected meat. Tapeworms do harm by robbing the host of food, and the secretions from the worm are harmful. The cystercial stages of one type of tapeworm parasitic on man is found in fish, and a type which

occurs in dogs has its cystercial stage in man and causes a serious disease. The proper disposal of night- soil, careful meat inspection and sufficient cooking of meat to kill cysterci, are methods of pre venting tapeworm which is still common in rural Africa and Asia. Drugs are available for killing tapeworms, and children and domestic animals should be dosed at regular intervals.

Liver flukes are flatworms which attack animals and cause a disease of the liver in sheep and cattle. The parasite is shaped like an ovate leaf, about I in. long.

At the blunt end there is a triangular projection bearing the mouth, and just behind it is a sucker by which it attaches itself to the host. The

Parasitic Worms

not dry out. When the grass is eaten by sheep or cattle, the cyst wall is digested and the cercaria finds its way to the bile duct, there to become another adult fluke.

Schistosoma or bilharzia is closely related to liver flukes, and causes a serious tropical disease in man. It lives in the veins of the host. The male and female worms are separate individuals, but the female is smaller and is carried in a groove on the under-surface of the male.

The female lays eggs in the walls of the intestine or bladder causing inflammation and bleeding. The eggs are excreted

and a straight alimentary canal which ends in a small anus.

When fully grown it may reach 6 cm in length and it remains attached to the intestine.

Several hundred of them in one individual may cause serious deprivation of food for the host, and damage and irritation to the lungs and the trachea may be caused by the young worms moving in the blood stream.

Hookworms are very similar to roundworms but their effects are much more serious than Ascaris. These cause serious anaemia and general weakness because they become attached to the small intestine by hooked

a clean twig each day.

Filaria bancroftii causes elephantiasis by blocking the lymphatic vessels. The fully grown male is about 3 1/2 in. long and the female up to 6 in.

The microscopic larvae are set free by the female into the lymphatics and reach the blood stream, where they are sucked up by mosquitos. They penetrate into the muscles of the mosquito and multiply; later they enter the salivary glands so that the parasite is distributed into new hosts when the mosquito feeds.

Filaria loa loa causes swellings in the body known as

with the body wastes and find their way, through water contaminated by sewage, to several different species of water- snail, e.g. Planorbis, Paludina, which is the inter mediate host. Cercariae are set free into the water and people bathing in, or drinking, the water become infected. The disease can be cured by injections, but it can be prevented by keeping bathing places and water supplies free from contamination by sewage, and by boiling all drinking water. Natural bathing pools should be kept free of weeds at their edges to prevent the snail living there. Proper sewage disposal and purified water supplies prevent the disease in urban areas.

The roundworm or Ascaris is a common roundworm or nematode which lives in the intestine of man. It has a small thread-like body which it can wriggle weakly, a small mouth

teeth and there they suck blood.

Filaria spp. are roundworms which are wide spread in the tropics; they are parasitic in the blood of man but they require an intermediate host. Guinea worm is perhaps the best known of these parasites; it is the large female of Filaria medinensis which lives beneath the skin in the arms or legs of man. The worm may be up to 3 ft. in length and it penetrates through the skin to the exterior in order to lay its eggs. These become washed off in water and infect a minute water animal, Cyclops. When water containing Cyclops is drunk, a person may become infected and in this way the parasite is spread. The opening made in the skin by the guinea worm should be washed with cold water daily for fourteen days, until all her eggs have been laid. Whilst she is emerging she can be coiled on

Calabar swellings and is distributed by the red Chrysops fly. The worm sometimes passes over the eye, below the conjunctiva, usually at night, but as drugs are now available which kill the worms in the blood, no attempt should be made to remove a filarial worm crossing the eye-ball. Only a skilled surgeon can remove it without danger of damage to the eye, and in any case the patient would not reach hospital before the worm had left the eye.

There are other species of Filaria, some of them very small, which have no harmful effects as far as is known.

However, these small worms moving about in the blood stream and lymphatics may cause unpleasant swellings and large worms in the body tissues may be dangerous; so, if possible, treatment should be taken to kill the worms.

Tapeworm

liver fluke lives in the bile duct of the host and causes fatal damage to the liver. It has both male and female organs in one individual and produces eggs which are deposited in the bile duct of the host. These eggs pass into the alimentary canal and out to the exterior with the animal droppings. In damp weather the eggs develop into swimming larvae which may reach the bodies of small water-snails, Limnaea, which live in moist vegetation or at the edges of water. The larvae penetrate the tissues of the snail and multiply in its body.

Eventually large numbers of small free-swimming creatures, known as cercariac, escape into the water from the body of the snail which then dies. The cercariae settle on the grass or other vegetation and, as the swamp dries, form thick-walled cysts which do

Roundworms are regarded by some biologists as the most abundant of animals in the world. They inhabit fresh water and soil and are very common in plant tissues of all kinds; they abound in very large numbers of animals from insects to cattle. A single horse or pig may contain several million roundworms in its body.

Other endoparasites. Some insects may be regarded as endoparasitic because their larvae burrow, live and feed in living flesh of the host. The eggs of the Tumbu fly, a large Tabanid, are laid on clothes and bedding and penetrate human skin on contact. They develop into maggots which live by eating the flesh, and they cause a painful boil-like sore. As they grow they require more oxygen which they obtain from the air through a small hole in the skin. They emerge from the host to pupate, but if the swelling is covered with vaseline or skin cream and then bandaged or taped, the larva emerges to breathe and adheres to the dressing which can be taken off the following day—a quite painless extraction! Cattle, sheep and horses are also attacked by flies, called Botflies, whose larvae have the same foul habit of burrowing in the flesh of the host and living there. In some cases the eggs are licked by the host animal and swallowed. The resulting maggots grow and attach themselves to the animal’s stomach.

At some stage or other of their life history most groups of insects are liable to attack from one or more parasitic insects. The eggs, nymphs and larvae are more commonly attacked than the adults. Thus the parasite is often protected during this stage of its own development, since it may spend the whole of its larval life concealed in the host’s body, which is often only a little bigger than the parasite.

Ichneumon wasps parasitise the caterpillars of moths. One remarkable ichneumon is able to lay its eggs in the grubs of the wood-boring beetle which lives inside a tree-trunk. The wasp has a very long thin ovipositor which finds its way vertically down through the wood into the grub, but how it knows that the grub is there is not known. Some very small related wasps even live in ant larvae. Tachnid flies, which look like small bristly houseflies, parasitise caterpillars, but other Diptera do not.

No vertebrate has adopted the parasitic habit:

Anniversary

President Kim Il Sung Will Be Remembered Forever As The Eternal Sun Of Juche In The Hearts Of The World People 20th Anniversary Of The demise Of President Kim Il Sung Illustrious Leader in the 20th Century President Kim Il Sung of the DPRK (1912-1994), founding father of socialist Korea, passed away on July 8, 1994.

20 years have passed, but progressive mankind cherishes the memory of the President as the distinguished leader who represented the 20th century.

Kim Il Sung was a great thinker and theoretician who authored the Juche idea and Songun idea, ushering in an era of independence and ensuring the victorious advance for the cause of global independence.

In his early teens he set out on the road of struggle to liberate his country and people from the Japanese military occupation and created the Juche idea and Songun idea in the course of blazing the trail for the Korean revolution.

Under the banner of these ideas he organized and led the 15-year anti-Japanese armed struggle and achieved the historic cause of Korea’s liberation.

After liberation he founded the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the first democratic and people-oriented country in the East, and inflicted on the United States, which had been boasting of being the “strongest” in the world, a disastrous defeat in the Korean war (1950-1953), for the first time in its history. In the postwar period, he developed the DPRK into a powerful socialist country independent, self-sufficient and self-reliant in defense.

The reality of Korea which adorned the 20th century with victory and glory eloquently proved the correctness, truthfulness and invincible vitality of the Juche idea and Songun idea.

The ideas have rapidly been disseminated across the world. By regarding them as a treasured sword for ensuring victory in carrying out their cause for independence, the progressive mankind marched full of confidence towards a bright future in the era of independence.

Kim Il Sung was also an outstanding leader who, under the unfurled banner of anti-imperialist independence, led the cause of global independence to victory throughout his life.

In the violent

turmoil of the 20th century he took the helm of independence and illuminated the way for the cause of global independence against imperialism.

He published many works including Let Us Intensify the Anti-imperialist, Anti-US Struggle, The Great AntiImperialist Revolutionary Cause of the Asian, African and Latin-American Peoples Is Invincible, The Peoples of the Third World Advancing under the Uplifted Banner of Independence Will Certainly Win Their Revolutionary Cause, For the Development of the Non-aligned Movement, Preventing War and Preserving Peace Are the Burning Tasks of Mankind and For a Free and Peaceful New World, in which he indicated fundamental principles, ways and methods for accomplishing the cause.

He rendered active support and encouragement to the countries and peoples in their struggle against imperialism and for independence. During the great anti-Japanese war for liberating Korea, he assisted the Chinese revolution at the cost of blood and safeguarded the Soviet Union with arms. He was in the vanguard of the worldwide solidarity movement to defend the Cuban revolution when the Cuban Missile Crisis broke out in the early 1960s.

His deep concern and wholehearted assistance were also given to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Algeria, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and other countries aspiring after independence and opposing imperialism.

Stirred up by his encouragement and support, peoples in many colonial countries could achieve the cause of national liberation, make a dynamic advance towards the building of a new society, and win victory in the war to repulse the imperialists’ aggression.

Thanks to his close attention and energetic activities the non-aligned movement foiled the machinations of the imperialists and dominationists to divide and ruin it and made continuous efforts to strengthen and develop itself.

Kim Il Sung was a veteran statesman of the world who enjoyed high respect and reverence for his noble personality.

As head of state, he visited foreign countries on 54 occasions travelling over 520 000 km and met more than 70 000 heads of state, and party, and other political and public figures.

Everyone who met him was so moved by his ennobling personality that they praised him highly as the greatest man. Among them were Stalin, Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minn, Fidel

revolutionaries and people of Korea.

By so doing he ushered in a new era of independence when the masses of the people became the masters of their own

President Kim Il Sung, Eternal Leader of Korean People Castro, Sukarno and Tito, famous people of the 20th century. The former US president Jimmy Carter said that President Kim Il Sung was as great as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, the most illustrious early US presidents, all combined. Other well-known Western politicians, including Mitterrand of France and Shin Kanemaru of Japan were also greatly fascinated by his personality.

Hans Klekazky, an Austrian politician, said that there had never been and would never be such a world-famous leader as President Kim Il Sung in the West and the East.

August Name of Kim Il Sung The name of President Kim Il Sung, founder of socialist Korea, literally means the sun in Korean. As the sun shines forever, so does his august name.

The august name of President Kim Il Sung is symbolic of the national liberation struggle and the era of independence.

Early in his teenage years the President embarked on the road of revolutionary struggle to liberate Korea from the military occupation of Japanese imperialists (1905-1945).

He authored the Juche idea and the Songun idea to illumine the way ahead of the

destiny for the first time in history and elucidated the truth of Songun that the victory of the revolutionary cause and independence, sovereignty and prosperity of a country and nation rest on the arms. The Korean revolutionaries and people called him Kim Il Sung in the sense that he was like the sun which illuminates the road to national resurrection and prosperity.

He liberated Korea after waging 15-year-long antiJapanese armed struggle and established the people’s country.

He defeated the United States that prided itself on being the world’s “strongest” in the Korean war (1950-1953), for the first time in history and safeguarded national sovereignty and dignity with credit. And he led to victory the post-war rehabilitation, socialist revolution and the several stages of socialist construction. Thus, he set a world’s example in the struggle for accomplishing the cause of independence of the masses.

He rendered unstinted assistance to China, Vietnam, Cuba and other countries in their struggle of national liberation and anti-imperialism.

Many African countries could achieve their national liberation and build a new society thanks to Kim Il Sung’s unselfish assistance. Sam Nujoma, first

president of Namibia, credited the Korean President Kim Il Sung with the independence of his country.

There have been formed at a national, continental and international level a large number of organizations for the study and dissemination of the Juche idea originated by the President and acknowledged as a guiding ideology of the cause of independence of mankind.

The non-aligned movement could be constantly strengthened and developed into a powerful anti-imperialist, independent force by virtue of his deep concern and energetic activities and add great spurs to the struggles for putting an end to domination and subordination and gaining independence of the country and nation and the masses of the people worldwide.

It has become an irresistible trend of the times and aspiration of the mankind to advance along the road of independence indicated by the Juche idea.

The august name of Kim Il Sung is symbolic of lofty virtue and ennobling sense of obligation.

His Juche idea and Songun idea are likened to the light of the sun that illumines the way to be followed by mankind, while his virtue and moral obligation are to the heat of the sun that gives life to all organisms.

The President was a genuine friend and a great benefactor of the peoples of developing countries. He spared nothing in supporting them undergoing difficulties in the building of a new society. He sent a number of experts and technicians to African and other countries to help them sincerely in their efforts to build party, state and armed forces and to develop industry, agriculture, education, healthcare, sports and other sectors.

Stressing the need to develop agriculture in order to solve the food problem, he ensured that they adopted farming methods suited to their specific conditions and helped their irrigation projects.

He made the DPRK host a symposium of the nonaligned and other developing countries on increasing food and agricultural production in Pyongyang and proposed to establish institutes of agricultural science with a view to improving agriculture in African countries.

Kim Il Sung Research Institute of Agricultural Science was established in Guinea of western Africa and Chollima

Agricultural Institute in Tanzania of eastern Africa by help of the Korean agrotechnicians, which made a contribution to the agricultural development in Africa.

President Kim Il Sung treated those fighting against imperialism and for independence as his genuine comrades and friends and set a fine example of noble sense of moral obligation of keeping faith with them to the last.

There are many anecdotes about his obligation to the friends, including the Great King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and the former Chilean President Salvador Allende.

All the people who met him even once could not but feel great admiration and reverence for his lofty virtues and ennobling personality, even if they were from the countries hostile to Korea.

Among such people were Jimmy Carter, former US president, and Shin Kanemaru, former deputy prime minister of Japan.

Kim Il Sung’s name is shining as the banner of eternal victory.

Entering the new century, the aspirations of the world people to live and develop independently are getting ever stronger.

As the time passes, it proves clearer the truthfulness and invincibility of the Juche idea.

Seminars on the Juche idea and the activities for its dissemination are proceeding on a worldwide scale.

The present situation, when highhandedness, despotic and aggressive moves of the imperialists get ever more unscrupulous after the end of the Cold War, demands that the countries actively advocate the Songun idea and Songun politics rooted in the Juche idea.

Progressive peoples of the world regard Songun politics as an invincible banner that makes it possible to safeguard national sovereignty under any challenge and adversity and accomplish the cause of antiimperialism and independence.

Nearly 500 streets, institutions and organizations in over 100 countries are named after the august name of Kim Il Sung.

International

Alarm, Ridicule For Declaration Of IslamicfromState Eastern Ghouta, near

BAGHDAD - The audacious declaration of the establishment of a new Islamic state made by the al-Qaida breakaway group that has overrun much of northern Syria and neighboring Iraq sparked celebrations in the group’s Syrian stronghold but was condemned by rival rebels and authorities in Baghdad and Damascus.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant unilaterally announced the creation of a new Islamic caliphate — a state governed by Shariah law — in an audio recording released late Sunday. The group proclaimed its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the caliph of its new state, and demanded that Muslims everywhere pledge allegiance to him.

Through brute force and meticulous planning, the Sunni extremist group

— which said it was changing its name to just the Islamic State, dropping the mention of Iraq and the Levant — has carved out a large chunk of territory that has effectively erased the border between Iraq and Syria and laid the foundations of its protostate. Along the way, it has battled Syrian rebels, Kurdish militias and the Syrian and Iraqi militaries.

Following the group’s announcement, Islamic State fighters in their northern Syrian stronghold of Raqqa paraded through the city to celebrate. Some of the revelers wore traditional robes and waved the group’s black flags in a central square, while others zoomed around in pick-up trucks against a thundering backdrop of celebratory gunfire. Video of the celebrations was posted online, and

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BAGHDAD - Iraq said it received the first batch of Sukhoi warplanes from Russia as it pressed a counter-attack Sunday against Sunni militants whose offensive threatens to tear the country apart.

The arrival of the fighter jets comes with Iraqi forces, backed by aerial cover, pushing to retake the militant-held city of Tikrit and world leaders urging a speeding up of government formation following elections in April.

The newly-purchased Su-25 ground attack jets are expected to be pressed into service as soon as possible, bolstering Iraq’s air power as it combats a sweeping offensive by militants, led by the

jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, that has killed more than 1,000 people and sparked a humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands displaced.

But it remains unclear who will fly them — executed dictator Saddam Hussein’s air force had Su-25s, but even if they were both trusted and willing, those pilots are unlikely to have had time in the aircraft in more than a decade.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki on Thursday announced that Baghdad was buying more than a dozen of the warplanes from Russia in a deal that could be worth up to $500 million (368 million euros).

activists in the city confirmed the details.

The announcement was greeted with condemnation and even ridicule elsewhere in Syria, including from rival Islamist rebel groups who have been fighting the

Islamic State since January across northern and eastern Syria.

“The gangs of alBaghdadi are living in a fantasy world. They’re delusional. They want to establish a state but they don’t have the elements

for it,” said AbdelRahman al-Shami, a spokesman for the Army of Islam, an Islamist rebel group. “You cannot establish a state through looting, sabotage and bombing.”

Speaking over Skype

Smoke rising in the Skyline after airstrikes by the Iraq Military in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, weekend.

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the capital Damascus, alShami described the declaration as “psychological warfare” which he predicted will turn people against the Islamic State.

In Iraq, where the government has launched a counteroffensive to try to claw back some of the territory lost to the Islamic State in recent weeks, the declaration is viewed through the prism of the country’s rising sectarian tensions.

“This is a project that was well-planned to rupture the society and to spread chaos and damage,” said Hamid alMutlaq, a Sunni lawmaker. “This is not to the benefit of the Iraqi people, but instead it will increase the differences and splits.”

The Islamic State has seized upon widespread grievances among Iraq’s Sunni minority and opposition to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Shiite-led government to help fuel its blitz through northern and western Iraq.

Its offensive has prompted Shiite militias to reconstitute themselves, deepening fears of a return to the sectarian bloodletting that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

Al-Qaida Breakaway Formally Declares Islamic State BAGHDAD - The al-Qaida breakaway group that has seized much of northern Syria and huge tracks of neighboring Iraq formally declared the creation of an Islamic state in the territory under its control.

The spokesman for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, made the announcement in an audio statement posted online. Islamic

extremists have long dreamed of recreating the Islamic state, or caliphate, that ruled over the Middle East for hundreds of years.

Abu Mohammed al-Adnani said the group’s chief, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is the new leader, or caliph, of the Islamic state. He called on those living in the areas under the organization’s control to swear allegiance to alBaghdadi and support him.

Iraq Receives Russian Jets As It Fights Militants While Washington has begun sending military advisers to help Iraqi commanders and is flying armed drones over Baghdad, Iraqi officials have voiced frustration that multi-billion dollar deals for US-made F-16s and Apache helicopters have not been expedited.

Iraqi forces have for days been pressing a campaign to retake Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit, which fell to the militants on June 11.

Thousands of soldiers, backed by tanks and bomb disposal units, have been engaged in the battle for the city — with air strikes adding firepower to the counter-

offensive.

According to Maliki’s security spokesman, Iraqi forces are coordinating with US advisers over “important targets” of the air attacks.

The spokesman has said hundreds of soldiers have been killed since the offensive was launched on June 9, while the UN puts the overall death toll at over 1,000, mostly civilians.

The US has publicly pushed for political reconciliation and while it has stopped short of calling for the premier to go, it has left little doubt it feels he has squandered the opportunity to rebuild Iraq since American troops withdrew in late-2011.

US officials have also said a proposed $500-million plan to arm and train moderate rebels in neighbouring Syria could also help Iraq fight ISIL, which operates in both countries.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday in Damascus, meanwhile, that Moscow “will not remain passive to the attempts by some groups to spread terrorism in the region.”

“The situation is very dangerous in Iraq and the foundations of the Iraqi state are under threat.”

Ryabkov, whose country is Syrian President Bashar alAssad’s main backer, did not

elaborate on what steps Russia might take.

World leaders have insisted on a political settlement among Iraq’s Shiite Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, revered among the country’s Shiite majority, has urged political leaders to quickly form a government after parliament convenes today.

Maliki, who has publicly focused on a military response to the crisis, has acknowledged that political measures are also necessary, but politicians have nevertheless cautioned that naming a new cabinet could still take a month or more.

Issues

Adjusting To Currect Situations

Vocation And Teacher Education: INTRODUCTION: Sanyalet al (1983:2) observed that for the past two decades enrolment in third level education in developing countries has increased six fold. This increase in enrolment has no doubt resulted in an increase in the number of graduates from Higher Institutions.

The factors responsible for the expansion in higher education may include economic and political reasons. A big vacuum was created by the mass exodus of expatriates on attainment of independence by various developing countries. Hence secondary school leavers and their counterparts (teacher trainees) had the irresistable urge to become graduates or receive some technical or sub-professional training.

Attention was directed on types of higher education where graduates were in short supply and little consideration was given to unemployment.

To many developing countries it was prestigeous to own an institution of higher learning. No wonder the recent proliferations that have taken place in the number of such institutions in Nigeria.

The sudden increase from 5 to 19 Federal Universities as well as the mad rush by various states to have their own universities irrespective of the countless number of Polyphonic and Colleges of education they already own stands out to justify the political reason.

All these higher institutions turn - out their graduates annually in thousands.

Should these graduates be allowed to roam the streets?

The answer must never be in the affirmative. Teachers are not left out in this overproduction jamboree. For instance, in 1959 many more T.T.Cs were built.

This was in response to Ashby Commission’s recommendation (Fafunwa 1974: 152) among other things that all the universities should have B.A. Education degree courses.

Although they as professionals, have all made their choices in the teaching profession unfortunately they still face the problem of unemployment.

This paper shall therefore

address itself to the nature of teaching profession, the training processes teachers are exposed to as well as their unquestionable need to be profitably employed.

Suggestions shall be made as to the various ways they can engage their acquired skills for self-fulfillment and reliance.

Also recommendations shall be given in the various areas that may require some structural adjustment and changes.

DEFINITIONS: Perhaps, a temptative definition of the word teaching as well as a con temporary view of teaching as a vocation could help to clarify the world in the context of a profession.

The word teaching may be considered in this paper as a series of activities with specific methods and contents on the one hand and achievement on the other hand. These activities are often carried out in certain places through an interaction between someone called the teacher and others called the learners. The activities are all directed towards improving the learners intellectually or preparing them for specific role playing in the society.

Vocation on the other hand implies a strong inclination to a particular course, that is a person’s occupation.

Teaching as a vocation: Gilbert 1-lighet (1951:191) explained that teaching is an art not a science and that teaching involves emotions which cannot be systematically appraised. To him, teaching is not like inducing a chemical reaction.

It is much more like painting a picture or making a piece of music or on a lower level like planting a garden or writing a friendly letter.

Gilbert’s definition has clearly shown that teaching does not possess a straightjacket design. Rather, it is an activity that requires the application and modification of methods, skills and emotion which enables the learner hard-working to develop his maximum capacity. This is what able and hard working teachers always aim at. It requires

By C. I. CHIKENDU

dedication, it requires tolerance as Well as the call.

A clear analysis of the present situation in our various classrooms may expose the entry of “birds of passages” into the profession. Hence one may not hesitate to put a question mark on the quality of instruction Are teachers Born or Made?

some of them for an effective classroom management.

Training of Teachers: Training involves making the trainee competent so that he can perform well some roles he is being prepared for.

This meant that the learner ought to acquire a degree of competence in certain skills.

The truth about this statement applies no more to teaching than it does to any occupation or talent. No doubt, there are born actors, born athletes born comedians, the case of chief (Zebrudaya alias 4.30) is clear.

Yet natural athletes spend a large amount of time conditioning their bodies, acquiring skills and practicising in the midst of conditions for intense competition. The boxer’s case may be another example.

In the same way great teachers become great in mind, spirit and body, acquiring skills and practicising in competition with other great teachers.

A closer observation of classroom activities shall reveal that teachers are both born and made. Some teachers may possess certain natural advantages like high intelligence, verbal fluency, patience, capacity to serve, good looks, pleasant speaking voice, a good memory e.t.c.

These qualities may be inborn though conscientious people may strive to acquire

. At the very first level of teacher preparation where the acquisition of ills is very important we use the term “Teacher Training”.

However, I - more awareness is created for understanding teacher preparation, so there is the terminology, Teacher Education.

What is Teacher Education?

This could be viewed as that form of education which is properly planned and systematically tailored for the cultivation of those who teach or will teach at the primary as well as post primary levels of the educational system (Okafor 1986).

The aim is to help teachers help children under their care to achieve maximum knowledge in minimum time.

Some of the objectives for teacher education include production of highly motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers.

Teacher Education budgets also to encourage teachers to acquire the spirit of inquiry and creativity as well as providing them with the

intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignment. The programme has the following components: (a) The basic academic subjects; (b) Foundation studies (which include principles and practice of education, philosophical, Historical and Social Foundations and Psychology.

(c) Studies related to the students intended field of teaching (English, History, Maths, Physics) and (d) Teaching practice. The above content areas are clearly mapped out to ensure that teachers as professionals are adequately exposed intellectually and practically to enable them grapple effectively with the task of imparting knowledge. The duration for each programme varies; For instance Colleges of Education and Polytechnics offer a 3-year programme while it takes 4 years for degree courses in education.

Perhaps, those that opt to undergo this rigorous training may have some or all the following motivation (Freeman 1975; 58). These include: Security — at least a regular salary for life.

Long holidays — often quoted by non- teachers Satisfaction — the joy of teaching young minds, which can at its extreme, become the love of power over a

captive audience, or as a result of constant challenges which teaching represents.

Respectability: However hard the job may be, it is a clean, reasonably high - status job, which implies superior knowledge.

— Fits in with school holidays: attracts prospective or actual mothers so in this it is a ‘natural’ choice for educated woman.

Problem of unemployment of Teachers after Training: Placement of teachers who

graduate from teacher training colleges, Colleges of Education or Polytechnics pose serious problem today in Anambra and Imo States. This is due to pasent over supply of trained teachers for primary and secondary school. N.CE. graduates are now posted to primary schools.

Previously, once a” person was admitted to a teacher training, college, he was already employed because placement at the end was automatic. Even those that failed to pass all subjects or non at all were employed, though they received less salary than those who passed.

Also those who were opportuned to be trained at the former A.T.T.C. Owerri and Lagos were paid a monthly allowance of N10 ( then) and N20 (10) for book allowance.

Their feeding was sumptuous but fee and free tuition also.

Today we are all witnessing the exorbitant fees our students have to pay and the total withdrawal of all allowances which includes the amount for teaching practice.

To be continue

Navas Praises Team-Mates NAVAS denied Greece striker Theofanis Gekas from the spot as Costa Rica triumphed 5-3 on penalties after scores were level at 1-1 at the end of extra time in Recife on Sunday.

Costa Rica, who were reduced to 10 men following Oscar Duarte’s dismissal in the 66th minute, will now play the Netherlands in their first World Cup quarter-final fixture in Salvador on Saturday.

Despite saving the penalty that paved the way for Michael Umana to convert the matchwinner, a modest Navas heaped praise on his fellow countrymen.

“I can’t remember what was going through my mind,” the Levante goalkeeper told FIFA.com. “All I did was react and keep it out.

“You can practice penalties and study what the takers do, but I have to hand it to my teammates, who were 100 per cent on target.

“We’re making history and we want to have a place in people’s hearts forever.”

Navas added: “I’m happy and grateful to God for this feeling after another important win for us and the whole country.

“It was not an easy game at all, and while there were times when we had control, there were also periods when the opposition were on top.

“Obviously being a man down made a difference, but we never gave up.”

Costa Rica’s stars celebrate winning penalty shootout against Greece

10-Man Costa Rica Beat Greece On Penalties GOALKEEPER Keylor Navas was Costa Rica’s hero as his penalty shoot-out save put ten-man Costa Rica into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time after a 1-1 draw in extra time against Greece in Recife.

Los Ticos will face Netherlands in the last eight following a hard-earned shoot-out win at the end of a tense, cagey match between two of the surprise qualifiers

for the knockout phase.

Bryan Ruiz scored seven minutes into the second half when he spotted Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis

reporters.

“We wanted to stay on another week or even longer but you can’t change it now.”

The midfielder, who had his biggest moment when he helped Greece surprisingly win

European Championship in 2004, said he would move aside for younger players.

“The national team has grown up, younger players have won invaluable experiences. This is no small thing and as we helped the team come of age we hope it will continue to be as successful in the future.”

The hard-working Karagounis, who scored 10 goals for Greece, made his first appearance in 1999 against El Salvador and went on to play in three European Championships as well as two World Cups.

He scored the opening goal in their successful Euro 2004 run against Portugal in the group stage but missed the final due to suspension. He also scored the winner against Russia at Euro 2008 that saw Greece advance to the semi-finals.

While he had lost his starting spot in recent years, Karagounis played the entire 120 minutes of their 5-3 shootout loss to the Central Americans after a 1-1 draw following extra-time, bringing down the curtian on his international career with another tireless performance.

Greece Captain Karagounis Bows Out GREECE captain Giorgos After 139 Caps Karagounis announced his retirement from an international football career spanning 139 caps over 15 years following his team’s World Cup round of 16 exit to Costa Rica on penalties on Sunday.

“This was my last game for Greece,” the 37-year-old told

Giorgos Karagounis

out of position and simply side-footed the ball into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.

Oscar Duarte was then sent off 14 minutes later for a second yellow card - a decision he accepted without a murmur - but the Central American side appeared to have held on until Greek defender Sokratis chose the perfect moment to score his maiden international goal, an equaliser shinned into the goal from a rebound in injury time.

Only a fine save from Navas prevented Greece from pinching it at the death - and Navas was again the hero with

a brilliant save from Theofanis Gekas in an otherwise-perfect shootout, with Michael Umana converting Costa Rica’s fifth penalty to put his side into the last eight.

KEY MOMENTS PRE-MATCH: Campbell and Samaras lead the attacks: It’s Arsenal’s starlet, Joel Campbell versus Celtic’s Georgios Samaras in the battle of two sides no-one predicted to face-of in the last 16. Costa Rica pick the same team that beat Italy 1-0 in the Group stage while Greece bow to social media pressure with Kostas Katsouranis left

out.

7' - COSTA RICA CHANCE! Ruiz picks up a loose ball 40 yards out and plays in Bolanos who sears a shot past the near upright.

38' - STUNNING SAVE! A wonderful ball from the left is met by Salpingidis at the far post, but Navas somehow keeps it out.

52' - GOAL! COSTA RICA 1-0 GREECE. Ruiz opens the scoring with a shot from the edge of the area after Bolanos picked him out from the left.

It lacked pace but completely fooled the keeper who thought it was going to fizz towards his right-hand post. It didn’t and Cost Rica lead!

WHETHER it be their surprising Euro 2004 success a decade ago or their dramatic qualification from this year’s World Cup group stages, Greece tend to be a team of feelgood moments.

Their latest warming turn of events comes courtesy of a Greek report which suggests the squad have politely turned down a bonus from their Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, for reaching the knockout phase for the first time in the famous tournament’s history.

Instead, they requested

that the cash be used to build a brand-spanking new training centre for the national side so that they can continue to provide better results for their country.

A very brief letter read, according to NewsBomb.gr: “We do not want extra bonus, or money. We only play for Greece and its people.

“All we want is for you to support our effort to find a land and create a sports center that will house our national team “.

Compare and contrast this to Cameroon threatening not

to show up in Brazil at all prior to the World Cup kicking off over bonus rows.

Then, earlier this week, 3 million dollars had to be shipped out to Brazil so that Ghana would see through their third and final group stage match against Portugal.

Neither of those sides made it to the last-16.

Greece did.

That alone says a great deal about the importance of integrity and national spirit, even in a sport as highprofile and rabidlycompetitive as football.

Greece’s Surprising Request

Can Messi Fire Argentina Ahead Swiss?

LIONEL Messi‘s goals have fired Argentina into the World Cup last 16 but they will look for a better all-round performance when they meet Switzerland today.

The diminutive four-time player of the year has finally sparked for his country, hitting four of their six goals as Argentina qualified top of Group F. But Argentina needed Messi‘s late winner to

overcome Iran 1-0 and they also shipped two goals before beating Nigeria 3-2, lowering expectations of a third world title.

They will face their toughest opponents yet in Switzerland, who put seven goals past group opponents Ecuador, France and Honduras, including three

Belgium Ready For USA Threat

(group) games,” he said.

BELGIUM and the USA will go head-to-head in “I think this game is going Salvador today, with a spot in the FIFA World Cup to be the same. quarter-finals up for grabs. ‘’We know how they play, a group winner along with USA joined Germany in Costa Rica. they play like a team. That’s progressing from Group G, And the Napoli player is what they do the best. after finishing second behind expecting the USA to adopt “They have some players the Germans, ahead of more similar tactics on Tuesday. that can make the difference fancied opponents Portugal ‘’Playing against a team so it’s going to be a hard and Ghana. with ten players behind is game.’’

The performances from difficult to score and that’s Back-up goalkeeper Simon Jurgen Klinsmann’s men have what happened in the three Mignolet is also aware come as a surprise to Mertens, with the Belgium winer bracing himself for a tough encounter at the Itaipava Arena Fonte. ‘’I think they (USA) did really well,” Mertens told reporters on Sunday.

“I was a little bit surprised but I watched the games and I think they are a really good team.

“They have a good striker in front and the team behind is like a team.

“They are really good together so for us it’s going to be difficult to score a goal but we are confident so we want to win this game.”

Mertens and his teammates found it tough to break through solid defensive rearguards set up by Algeria, Russia and South Korea in Group H. Belgium only managed to score four goals in three games - the equal-lowest amount by Jurgen Klinsmann

Belgium must be at their best if they are to overcome the USA. “You don’t get out of a group with Germany, Portugal and Ghana to go into the second round if you aren’t a good team,” said Mignolet.

“I think United States will know that at the minute and it’ll be a very difficult game for us on Tuesday.’’

from Xherdan Shaqiri.

“Now we can`t make any mistakes as any error will see us getting knocked out,” Messi warned after Argentina negotiated the group stage.

“There is nothing more beautiful than to be world champion, to achieve that with my country.”

In Argentina‘s favour is that more than 100,000 of their fans are expected to flood Sao Paulo ahead of Tuesday‘s game, including many inside Corinthians Arena.

But they will have to cope with the loss of Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero, who is out with a muscle injury after going off in the first half against Nigeria.

Both Messi and coach Alejandro Sabella acknowledge that Argentina are a work in progress but they will now hope to raise the heat on their slowburning campaign.

“We`ve got nine points, but we can always get better,” Sabella said.

Former Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld will relish the clash against one of the pretournament favourites in what he says will be his last hurrah before retirement.

Despite their 5-2 hammering

by France, Switzerland have twice bettered Latin American opposition already after their 21 and 3-0 wins over Ecuador and Honduras respectively.

Their attack will be spearheaded by one of the revelations of the tournament, 22-year-old Shaqiri, who hit all three goals against Honduras to secure Switzerland‘s qualification.

The winger, the first Swiss player to score multiple goals in a World Cup match since 1954, has hit the headlines after making just 10 league starts for Bayern Munich this season.

Switzerland have never beaten Argentina in six attempts. And they know all about Messi, who struck his first international hat-trick in their 3-1 friendly win in Bern in February 2012.

“We`ll prepare ourselves to face Messi, as well as their other players, but of course he has the quality to decide games,” said goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.

“It will be relatively hard to shut him out, but he`s not the only dangerous player in a very good team.

“Argentina don`t revolve just around Messi even though he`s their superstar.

But we know all about the skills he has and it helps that we`ve seen a lot of him.”

Hitzfeld‘s attacking options have been reduced by a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in training by forward Mario Gavranovic, an unused substitute in all three group games.

Lionel Messi

Today’s Matches 5:00 PM Argentina v 9:00 PM Belgium v

Switzerland United States

‘No Special Plan For Messi’

Arjen Robben runs at the Mexican defence

SWITZERLAND have planned no special measures to deal with Lionel Messi when they meet Argentina today, according to coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

The Albiceleste captain made the difference for his side in each of their World Cup group stage games and is second only to Colombia’s James Rodriguez in the World Cup scoring charts.

However, Hitzfeld is confident that his team, as a collective, can deal with the 27-year-old and says they aren’t planning especially for him.

“Man-to-man marking against Messi? No,” he is

quoted as saying by Blick, “[We’ll use] a very wellfunctioning network.

“In this way each player needs his concentration and attention levels to be extremely high.

“We must correctly take care of all our essential [roles], be ready to anticipate and be error free.

“And in this way, we can stop Messi.

“I don’t dream about Messi. I enjoy him when I see him play football. I am a fan of him, like everybody who likes football.

“However, nothing he does on Tuesday will be able to inspire me, regardless of how successful he is.”

Kroos Agrees Contract With Real Madrid

McCarthy Pens New Ipswich Deal IPSWICH manager Mick McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor have signed new three-year deals, the club have announced.

McCarthy took charge of the Tractor Boys in 2012 and steered them clear of relegation, guiding them to 14th in the Championship.

Ipswich then narrowly missed out on a play-off place during his first full season in charge, finishing four points behind sixth-placed Brighton.

A statement on the club’s official website, www.itfc.co.uk: read: “Mick McCarthy has agreed a new three year contract as manager of Ipswich Town.

“The Blues’ boss, who was back at the training ground today for the first day of preseason training, has been in charge at Portman Road since taking over from Paul Jewell in October 2012.

“He would have been in the final year of an initial two and a half year contract but after discussions with club owner Marcus Evans, Mick will put pen to paper on a contract that will see him remain as Town manager until the summer of 2017.

“Assistant manager Terry Connor has also agreed a new three year deal.”

McCarthy has previously won promotion to the Premier League twice as a manager with Sunderland in 2005 and Wolves in 2009, winning the Championship title on both occasions.

The Black Cats sacked the Yorkshireman during their first season in the top division as they were 16 points adrift of safety.

McCarthy then ensured Wolves maintained their Premier League status for two seasons before the club relieved him of his duties in February 2012 following a run of one win in 13 games, ending a five-and-a-half-year spell at Molineux.

Connor has worked with McCarthy since becoming his assistant at Wolves in 2008.

He had a spell as Wolves manager when McCarthy was sacked but then reverted back to the assistant’s role when Stale Solbakken was appointed.

Connor left Wolves early in the 2012/13 season, linking up with McCarthy again when he joined Ipswich

COLOMBIA forward James Rodriguez has talked up a move to La Liga and in particular Real Madrid.

Rodriguez, 22, currently plays for Monaco but his reputation has taken a sharp upturn after five goals in four games for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup. His latest display, which saw him score twice as Colombia beat Uruguay 2-0 to book a quarterfinal meeting with hosts Brazil made him the outright top scorer in the tournament.

In an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Cope, Rodriguez revealed a desire to play in the Primera Division.

“I would love to play in Spain,” he said. “It would be a dream to play there as we are talking about the best league in the world.”

With Real Madrid and Barcelona the two most likely destinations for a player of Rodriguez’s stature, he expressed a preference for one over the other, saying: “I prefer Real Madrid to Barcelona.”

Meanwhile, a report in the Guardian claims that Rodriguez was offered to Manchester United for as little as five million pounds in 2010.

Rodriguez had begun to show signs of promise in Argentina with Club Atletico

Banfield but intermediaries who contacted United regarding the player did not receive any response.

Toni Kroos

Rodriquez Keen On La Liga

Mick McCarthy

Luis Suarez Ban Is ‘Fascist’ URUGUAYAN President Jose Mujica has called FIFA “a bunch of old sons of bitches” in the latest outraged response in his country to the ban imposed last week on Luis Suarez for biting.

With Suarez already back Liverpool striker Suarez has home in Uruguay, his side suspended by FIFA from all were eliminated from the football-related activity for tournament following a 2-0 four months following his bite defeat to Colombia on on Giorgio Chiellini during Saturday.

Uruguay’s 1-0 World Cup At the reception to mark the group win over Italy, in rest of the squad’s return to addition to being banned from their home country, Mujica — playing in his national team’s a widely popular figure due to next nine fixtures. The his usually common sense Uruguayan FA is appealing the approach and humble lifestyle decision.

— was asked by a reporter for

Luis Suarez

- President

his thoughts on world football’s governing body.

Video of the incident shows the former guerrilla fighter turned politician saying “FIFA are just a bunch of old sons of bitches,” before putting his hand over his mouth, apparently pretending to be shocked at what he has just said.

When the journalist asks if he can publish the quotes, Mujica replied: “Yes, publish.”

Later in the short video he returns to add: “They could have punished [Suarez], but not given him this fascist ban.”

Both Uruguay’s coach Oscar Tabarez and captain Diego Lugano have also been hugely critical of FIFA’s handling of the incident, saying the punishment is much too harsh and making allegations of bias against Suarez and Uruguay in general.

The 27-year-old, who has twice been banned for similar biting incidents before in his career, claimed in a defence to FIFA that the incident has been

completely misunderstood — maintaining implausibly that he actually just lost his balance and collided accidentally with Chiellini’s shoulder.

REPORTS in Spain say that Real Madrid have reached an agreement to complete the signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos.

Marca claim that Kroos has agreed personal terms with the Champions League holders, and it ready to sign a five-year contract worth +5m per year after tax (£4m).

However Real still have to strike a deal with Bayern Munich, with the midfielder expected to command a fee around +30m (£24m).

Kroos, who is currently at the World Cup with Germany, has a year left to run on his contract and would be a free agent next summer.

Despite playing an important role in Bayern’s Bundesligawinning side, he is reportedly disillusioned at not being an automatic first-team choice under Pep Guardiola.

The 24-year-old has long been linked with a move to Manchester United, whose new manager Louis van Gaal gave him his Bayern debut.

However despite rumours United were prepared to pay him a huge £260,000-a-week, Kroos dismissed claims he was ready to move to Old Trafford.

Before the World Cup he said: “I am expecting to play for Bayern Munich next season.

There was a lot of speculation, but Manchester is and was not an issue.”

OUR VIEW: Oh, how we long for the days when clubs at least pretended to agree a fee with each other before opening contract negotiations. Although Kroos is busy in Brazil, there’s every chance his agent has been talking turkey with Real, and on the face of things he looks the perfect fit for a team looking to bolster their options in central midfield. While Kroos has distanced himself from United, Madrid naturally appears a more attractive option given the appeal of Champions League football. Though even with his contract running out, +30m seems a remarkably low price for one of Europe’s leading midfielders.

Radamel Falcao ‘Dreams’ Of Madrid FALCAO has reportedly set his sights on a move to the Bernabeu.

Radamel Falcao “dreams” of joining Real Madrid amid reports that he is on the verge of a summer switch from Monaco, AS reported a Colombia international teammate as saying.

The teammate, who was not identified, said the striker “dreams of playing there, and is only prepared to listen to offers from Los Blancos,” AS reported.

Falcao — who was ruled out of the World Cup with ligament problems — visited his international colleagues at their training camp near Sao Paulo.

The Colombian played for Real’s city rivals Atletico Madrid between 2011 and 2013, becoming their most expensive player when he joined from Porto

for a fee of 40 million euros. He scored 36 goals in his first season — the most in a debut season by any Atletico Madrid player.

Falcao’s Monaco contract is reported to include a release clause that would be triggered by an approach from the Bernabeu.

Radamel Falcao

Mr. Wellington Okoh presenting cash award to one of the boxers who won medal at the just-concluded Best Four Open Boxing Championship in Ibadan.

Falconets Ready For FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup COACH Peter Dedevbo of the national under-20 women’s team on Sunday in Abuja said the team was ready for the forthcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Dedevbo gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen after the Falconets beat their Ghanaian counterparts 1-0.

The match, an international friendly match, was played at the FIFA Goal Project pitch of the Abuja National Stadium.

It was the second match of the return leg of their two-legged friendly, involving four matches as a whole, in preparation for the competition scheduled for August.

They had played the first leg involving two matches in Ghana earlier this month, with the Falconets winning the first game 2-1 and the Black Princesses winning 1-0 in the second.

“I am satisfied with the performance. This is because, even if we did not win, what I am concerned about is their performance and not the number of goals scored.

“I am concerned about the cohesion of the team, because I believe if the goals are not coming now, they will come once the players understand each other.

“So, scoring a goal is a plus for the team and I am happy with the way they played.

“Now, I can say I have a team ready to confront any opponent at the World Cup,” Dedevbo said.

He however noted that though all the teams posed a threat to the team, the team could go as far as the final stage of the World Cup. “Any team that qualifies to play at the World Cup is a good side. So, all the teams are a threat to us and it depends on how you

play your match.

“But, I see this team doing very well and reaching the final stage of the tournament,” Dedevbo said.

On his part, the Ghanaian team’s coach, Bashir Hayford, said his team lost because the match was played outside Ghana.

He added that the match was a battle of strength and skills and, according to him, “my players were cautious of injuries”.

“We lost under certain circumstances and I have agreed that we are playing away, so I don’t have a problem, because it is believed that playing away is difficult.

“My players fought very well because the Nigerian side are well built and stronger than us.

“But we are a bit faster and skillful. So, it was a battle between strength and skill, and when someone is stronger than you, the person brings out a fear in you.

“So, along the line, my players were afraid because they did not want to sustain any injury with less than a month to the competition. So, they were cautious.

YOUTHS in Ovia North East local government area of Edo

State, have applauded the proposed inter-ward football tournament among the 13 wards in the locality.

A sports enthusiast from Isiohor and Oluku ward, Mr. Fred Imarhiabe said youths in the area are looking forward with great excitement towards the kick off of the football tournament.

“We are happy that our sportsloving chairman, Hon. (Mrs.) Lucy Omagbon is providing a platform for youths in Ovia North East to

Edo State Boxing Association Chairman, Mr. Wellington Okoh (4th left) in a group photograph with Sports Council officials, coaches and boxers shortly after the presentation ceremony. Photos: SOLOMON ENAIGBE.

Okoh Rewards Boxing Medalists

By MATTHEW OKAGHA

AS part of his personal commitment towards encouraging the development of the game of boxing, the chairman, Edo State Boxing Association, Mr. Wellington Okoh, yesterday, presented cash awards to eight boxers with the state sports council who won laurels at the justconcluded Best Four Open Boxing Championship held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The athletes are Monday Adekunle Yemi, Momoh Yusuf (Gold medalist), Egbe Manayia and Lanre Badiru, John, Chioma Nwankpa and all bronze medalists.

Speaking at the Rukayetu Oizimede who presentation ceremony held won Silver medals.

Others are Osita Umeh, inside the boxing gym at the

Ovia N/E Chairman’s Cup Gets Date

Barr (Mrs.) Lucy Omagbon

Secretary to Edo Boxing Association, Mr. Andrew Unujiaga presenting a souvenir on behalf of the association to Mr. Okoh.

showcase their football talent.

“This is the best way to engage our youths in meaningful activities which would help them to be less involved in social vices”, he stated.

The Hon. Lucy Omagbon Gold Cup Football tournament will be organized by Edo State Youth Club coaches Association (ESYCA) from August 10-19, 2014 at Okada, the Administrative headquarters of Ovia North East Local Government Council.

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Mr. Okoh said the gesture was in fulfillment of his promise to the athletes to reward them if they make Edo State proud by winning medals at the championship which also featured teams from Oyo, Ondo and Delta States.

Mr. Okoh noted that, Edo State won medals in eight out of the eleven categories, in the championship which he described as very encouraging.

He commended the boxers and their handlers for the good performance at the championship, and expressed the hope that with regular participations in both local and national championships, Edo State would soon regain its pride

of place in boxing.

The chairman called on corporate organizations to partner with Edo State Boxing Association in lifting the Sport from its present level to an enviable height.

He pledged to continue to motivate the athletes to ensure that Edo State wins laurels in any boxing competition.

The Assistant Director of Sports, Edo State Council, Mr. Charity Igbinedion who stood in for the Director of Sports, commeded Mr. Wellington Okoh for his passion and determination to uplift boxing in the state.

Mr. Igbinedion noted that the game of boxing had been at its lowest ebb in the past two years, adding that the

coming of Mr. Wellington Okoh on board has breathed fresh air into boxing activities in Edo State.

Some of the athletes who spoke to journalists at the event, thanked Mr. Okoh for the cash awards.

They noted t hat the gesture which is rare in this time, would inspire them to train harder and achieve greater honour in subsequent competitions.

Earlier, the Secretary, Edo State Boxing Association, Mr. Unujiaga Andrew disclosed that Edo State came second despite the challenges the team encountered during the championship held at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasigba, Ibadan from June 12-16, 2014.

The Crucifix; Not For Oshiomhole (1)

I have the cause to lend my voice to the present events and happenings in our dear Edo State. Having been born and bred in Edo State, a part of former Midwest State, later Bendel State, I have been a keen eye witness of development from independence till date-No one can confuse me in any way.

On October 1, 1960, 1 was matured enough to have taken my deep plate with cover to my school, St Marks’s Primary school Iloje, in Okpuje, luleha, Owan West Local Government Area, Edo State and served my independence celebration rice and came home with my Nigeria independence flag and cup.

I did my primary and secondary education in luleha, Jattu, Ubiaja, and Benin City all in the present Edo state except my tertiary education which I did in the University of Ibadan. Oyo state.

At independence most roads in Nigeria were at best enlarged foot parts used by our forefathers in connecting habitations of towns and villages.

The premiers of the 3 major regions vis-à-vis North, East and West then later Midwest, were primarily, concerned with the building of the Economy. Emphasis was more on tapping the natural resources, Agriculture, Educating the citizens, Transportation and Trades. No much money for infrastructures.

National yearly Budgets were in tens of million of pounds. It was such that when Queen Elizabeth of England visited Nigeria for the first time, it was the Rose Royce Car of late Sir Odumegu Ojukwu, the father of Emeka Ojukwu, the late Ikemba of Nnewi that was used to convey her, because at that time Nigeria Government did not have a befitting car for the purpose.

Regions were known for what they could produce as their contributions to national Economy. For instance Groundnut was from the North, Coal was from the East, Cocoa was from the West, while cocoa and rubber were from the Midwest region.

As a result of the vast nature of the regions.

Few capital projects like roads were executed.

Where there were such roads and because of the leanness of the economy then, they were so narrow that only two vehicle could pass side by side on them just two lanes.

Something I noticed then as one of the projects of the early National Fathers was Health care. They fought Earth- borne diseases like Jigger, or Chigger, water- Borne diseases like Guinea Warm, and Air -Borne diseases like Tuberculosis.

Now I will narrow down to Edo state. The era I tried to narrate started from Independence Day with Premier Dennis Osadebey as the first premier of Midwest region which ended in 1966 by a military coup led by J.T.U Aguiyi Ironsi, which brought in David

Ejoor as the first Military Governor of Midwest region. David Ejoor’s tenure was very brief as governor. He hardly had settle down for business of governance before the civil war broken out. Then

as the Capital City was so, one can conclude on the situation of the other towns and villages then in the state. I remember vividly the present “Ring Road”. As at December 1969 it was not called

MATTERS IN FOCUS With Raphael .U. Oizimende secondary school, I met it as “Ring Road” named after finger Ring. It was much later called Oba Ovueramwen Square.

Like John the Baptist was sent from God to prepare the way of salvation of mankind for the Lord Jesus, so was

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Edo State Governor

came in Samuel 0.

Ogbemudia as the military Governor of the state.

Before the emergence of Samuel 0. Ogbemudia, more than 80% of the major roads in Benin City were earth roads. I was an eye- witness. If Benin City

“Ring Road” it was called another name. It was a spider-web like zig-zag, net work of roads where some boys played football sometimes. When I visited Benin again in 1973 after my

Ogbemudia sent from God to prepare a Solid foundation for the development of Edo State on which other future leaders were expected to build upon.Ogbemudia

touched on all areas of human endeavour. in his developmental strides. He built roads and Bridges. He built schools, he built housing estates, he built agricultural establishments, he built hospitals and health institutions, and He provided both Urban and Rural Electricity. He gave scholarship and bursory to students.

Jobs were easy to get in his time. In fact some jobs then like teaching were branded ‘Stepping Stones’ to getting so called better ones. He provided cheap transportation to rural areas, He built sports stadium to enhance. sports in the state. He built office Secretariats. In fact the list is endless. As a measure to solve erosion menace in Benin City, he embarked on major drainage system by burying great pipes underground of major roads and streets in Benin metropolis to convey water from the town.

His developmental work was evenly spread to all looks and crannies of Midwest state of the present Edo and Delta States.

To be contd.

Rev. (Dr) Raphael U. Oizimende writes from Benin City.

“Like John the Baptist was sent from God to prepare the way of salvation of mankind for the Lord Jesus, so was Ogbemudia sent from God to prepare a Solid foundation for the development of Edo State on which other future leaders were expected to build upon.”

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