Nigerian observer 01 09 2014

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol . 39 NO.068 • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2 0 14 • N100.00 HEALTH MATTERS Pg. 18

cmyk

Coping With Challenges Of Ebola Virus Disease In Nigeria

ARCHIVAL MATTERS Pg. 21

Scorecard Of Relevance

Press Council emphasises training for Journalists

ABUJA - The Nigerian Press Council (NPC) yesterday said it would continue to strengthen journalism profession in the country through sustained training.

This is contained in a communiqué issued by the Council’s Acting Executive Secretary, Mr Nnamdi Njemanzeat, at

the end of a two-day training workshop in Abuja.

According to the communiqué, the

training is to sensitise journalists on ethical principles guiding election reporting and coverage.

It added that it was to Continues on page 2

Don, World Bank agrees over poverty reduction

ABUJA (FCT) - An economist, Prof. Oyinlola Olaniyi of the Economics Department, University of Abuja, said the recent World Bank report that Nigeria’s poverty level has dropped by 2.1 per cent is correct. the bank’s report was Olaniyi told newsmen not surprising. yesterday in He said this was Gwagwalada, FCT that because Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product GOVERNMENT SPECIAL (GDP) had been growing at an average of ANNOUNCEMENT seven per cent annually HIS is to inform the people of Edo over the past 10 years.

“This should not be State that the Independent National surprising considering Electoral Commission (INEC) has the fact that in the last scheduled the 3rd phase of the distribution 10 years, Nigeria’s GDP of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and has been growing at an Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in 12 average of seven per States including Edo State for September, cent annually,’’ the economist said.

2014. Everyone who has a temporary Olaniyi said the impact voters’ card is expected to go to his Polling of the GDP growth Unit level where he/she registered for would have translated to collection of the Permanent Voter’s Card. a better impact on the At the end of the Polling Unit level economy and a drop in distribution, uncollected PVCs will be taken the poverty level higher than 2.1 per cent. to the INEC office in each of the Local He said the higher Government for subsequent collection. drop was however not Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) for achieved because of the those who had not previously registered and negative influence of for those who had just attained the age of other economic variables which 18, will hold for five days after collection of

determine economic growth, such as unemployment and poor living standards.

“We have only about two per cent drop in

poverty level now because the growth has not been producing jobs and improving living standards, due to the negative influence of

other economic variables,’’ the don said.

He said the recent rebasing of Nigeria’s GDP and consequent rating as Africa’s largest

economy must have revealed some hitherto unknown facts about the economy, thus leading to the latest report.

Continues on page 2

T

the Permanent Voters’ Cards.

All Edo people are enjoined to take advantage of this exercise to be eligible to vote in the coming 2015 General Election and subsequent elections in the State.

Signed: PETER OKHIRIA CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

TIT BIT “Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world ... if you do so, you are insulting yourself.”

- Bill Gates

MEETING: National President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Kayode Obembe (5th right), with other officials of the Association, at the end of NMA NEC meeting in Awka yesterday.

Ebola: Rivers quarantines 3 persons

By ELIZABETH AGBOEGBULEM PORT HARCOURT Three persons out of the 50 people that the Rivers State government classified as high risk

contact and currently placed under observation through its Contact Tracing Committee, has been identified and quarantined as in-house patients at the Ebola Iso-

ABUJA - UNICEF is set to support the Federal Government in its bid to totally eradicate open defecation by the year 2025, an official

said yesterday in Abuja.

Mr Bisi Agberemi, UNICEF Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) specialist, told newsmen that the or-

lation Unit, at Edoha, in Emohua Local Government Area.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Samson Parker, told journalists at a press briefing, yester-

day, in Port Harcourt, that three persons, a doctor and pharmacist who work at Sam Steel Clinic as well as a female patient that was treated at Sam Steel

Open defecation: UNICEF toTheassist 2025 target and

Nigeria

ganisation would develop a roadmap towards achieving this goal.

the decision to develop a road map were agreed at the 2013 National Council on Water held in Kaduna.

Continues on page 2

Clinic have been taken to the quarantine centre at Edoha for closer examination and observation by a team of medical experts.

He disclosed that while 50 out of about 200 people under surveillance are categorized as high risk because of their primary contact with the late Dr. Iyke Samuel Enemuo, Dr. Parker appealed to about 60 people who Continues on page 2

News

Press Council emphasises training

Continued from page 1 strengthen the capacity of journalists in their ability to effectively monitor and report elections. “ It is also a deliberate means of entrenching democracy and by extension good governance in Nigeria.

“It is also for objective reporting, free, fair, expectations of the media in voters’ education and the role of the media in electoral process,’’ it said.

The communiqué observed that the media had so far not been sufficiently critical in analysing the various campaign promises of parties or candidates.

It also said that most media organisations jettisoned the provision of the broadcasting code as well as those of the professional code of ethics for journalists.

The communiqué pointed out that the media had been found wanting in the adequate screening of all stages of the electoral process.

The communiqué also noted that rural areas had been largely marginalised as they had no adequate media coverage.

It said that the media could perform its expected role of sustaining the electoral process with the provision of substantial resources and with change in key areas.

“Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Nigerian Guild of Editors among others needs to be strengthened to be more viable.’’

It said that the effort was to enable the journalists and editors compete favourably with their foreign counterparts.

The communiqué recommended re-positioning of the NPC for it to execute its crucial role of providing information that would enhance people’s knowledge about their environment.

Besides, it urged journalists to adopt some measures of self-censorship in reporting accurately, impartially and responsibly.

The commended its efforts journalism height.

However, council

communiqué the council for on driving to a greater

it urged the and other

stakeholders to organise specialised training for journalists in the North-East, bearing in mind the security challenges in the region.

The communiqué further

called for the establishment of community radio stations to take care of rural areas largely marginalised, especially during election coverage.

Rivers quarantines 3 persons Continued from page 1

had secondary contact with the late Dr. Enemuo and who “are yet to be located to come out and report themselves to the Rivers State government’s medical team as quickly as possible”.

“Let me explain why: because of the stigma associated with the virus most people are reluctant to present themselves to our medical team. Although, we have identified about 200 people, we are still to be in touch with about 60 of them. But 50 high risk contacts have been identified”.

Dr. Parker lamented: “These persons are not coming up because of the stigma, but we are still on them. For now, we are concentrating on these names that we have found while work is going on to locate new persons that may have had secondary contacts with Dr. Enemou.

We are currently tracing them so that we can capture them”.

Dr. Parker said Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, will be meeting with all church leaders by 10.am on Monday (today) and traditional rulers on Tuesday to solicit their cooperation in the state’s effort to contain the spread of the dreaded ebola virus.

The Commissioner for Health who appealed to pastors and anointed men of God to avoid placing their hands or hugging their church members while praying for them, disclosed that three persons who panicked and ran away to Abia, Imo and Akwa Ibom States, have returned to Port Harcourt and have now been placed under surveillance.

Dr. Parker commended the Commissioners for Health in Abia, Imo and Akwa Ibom States for cooperating fully

with the Rivers State government in tracing and persuading the secondary contact to come back to Rivers State for proper examination and observation, adding, that “the proper thing to do is to report to the government when you start feeling rather strange.

Ebola is not a death sentence: “Those who reported themselves early to government were treated and are now well and fine”.

Parker warned: “It is a crime to operate a health facility such as a clinic or hospital without a government permit. So, we are appealing to all church leaders and pastors not to operate treatment centres behind their churches. We advised that instead of running to churches in search of cure, anyone who had primary or secondary contact with Dr. Enemou; or start developing symptoms of high fever, vom-

iting, or diarrhea, should immediately contact us through the available contact lines”.

He counseled: “As I speak with you, doctors, pastors, church members and drivers who had primary or secondary contact with late Dr. Enemou are currently under observation. These are very unusual times. This is very serious. We advise that people should avoid as much as possible unnecessary body contacts”.

Responding to a question, Dr. Parker assured that the morgue at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, has been decontaminated. “I maintain that Sam Steel Clinic, Good Heart Hospital and the hotel where the diplomat, Olu Ibikunle Koye, lodged have been deactivated and decontaminated and now ready for use.

These places are now safe for use”.

Continued from page 1 Agberemi said UNICEF would involve foreign consultants in the development of the roadmap to facilitate the process of its creation.

“For Nigeria to totally end open defecation in 2025, which is the target, the country must have a roadmap to achieve that.

“UNICEF is ready to support the Nigerian government with the creation of the roadmap.

‘We will bring in international consultants who are specialists in this area to help develop this roadmap,” he said.

Agberemi said the inclusion of consultants was to create an avenue to hold someone accountable for any lapse in the open defecation eradica-

tion road map creation.

“The consultants had already started working, but they are being delayed presently by a month, due to the outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease,” he said.

The UNICEF WASH specialist said the roadmap would encompass all sectors of life.

“Areas to be captured in the roadmap, to ensure the target is achieved, range from advocacy to training, to construction and the involvement of every Nigerian citizen in the fight against open defection.

“By the end of 2014, all things being equal, the document will be ready and implementation should start in January 2015. That is our plan,” he said.

Open defecation

World Bank agrees over poverty reduction Continued from page 1 “Nigeria should have been Africa’s largest economy long ago, looking at her size, the large working population, the abundance of her human and natural resources, among others.

“Two per cent reduction in poverty does not mean that the poverty curve has started going down dramatically, but an indication that the situation has started improving and more people are living above the poverty line.

“GDP rise does not automatically translate into a robust welfare for the people and dramatic poverty reduction, because the

population and structure of the economy are determining factors,’’ Olaniyi said.

He said a situation where income is generated by only a few people who are working in high incomegenerating activities, for instance, does not augur well for citizens’ living standards generally.

The economist said some of the indicators of Nigeria’s poverty reduction were Federal Government’s efforts towards improving infant and maternal mortality rates, agriculture, healthcare delivery, salaries, mass housing, et cetera.

It would be recalled that Mr John Litwack, the World

Bank’s Acting Country Manager, in a recent statement, said Nigeria’s poverty level had dropped by 2.1 per cent under two years.

Litwack who said this at the Nigeria Economic Report launch in Abuja said Nigeria’s poverty rate dropped from 35.2 per cent in 2010/2011 to 33.1 per cent in 2012/2013.

The decrease, he said, represented a dramatic drop from an estimated poverty rate of 62.2 per cent recorded between 2009 and 2010 based on the Harmonised Nigeria Living Standard Statistics (HNLSS).

He said the number of poor Nigerians stood at 58 million, out of an estimated

population of N170 million, more than half of which live in the North East or North West of the country.

Unemployment, he said, was 10 per cent but underemployment posed a bigger challenge because a large share of the population is engaged in low productivity and low income jobs.

The report also said there had been positive economic trends with significant progress made by the Federal Government towards poverty eradication in Nigeria.

The World Bank official also predicted a 7.4 per cent economic growth for Nigeria in 2014.

TETFund: VC Wants FG to relax procedure ABUJA - Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin(Unilorin), has appealed to the Federal Government to relax the procedure for accessing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Ambali made the appeal on Sunday in Abuja, when he appeared at the Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Tertiary institutions were yet to access about N43 billion with TETFund due to cumbersome procedure.

The VC noted that the protocol involved in accessing the funds was cumbersome, adding that most universities would have loved it to be made easier.

“I am sure the protocol in TETFund is not Bible or Quran that cannot be changed to make things much easier for all stakeholders.

“I am sure that sooner or later, TETFund will meet to look at the protocol and review it with a view to make it more accessible if possible.

Ambali said that making the process of accessing the funds easier will improve the funding of the universities

and polytechnics.

He said that the process was cumbersome for staff involved in the monitoring, assessment and project report and recommendations.

“What I am saying is that based on the number of universities that we have, based on the number of projects going on in every university, protocol should be made easier,” he stressed.

He, however, said that Unilorin had been able to access its funds from TETFund, saying that the university had been getting its request as at when due.

Ambali said that the University of Ilorin had been able to access 85 per cent of its 2009 budget, including other assistance allocated to the institution.

“If you go to University of Ilorin today, you will not see any abandoned project, the projects that you will see are ongoing or already completed, waiting for inauguration by Mr President or Minister of Education.

“So we do not have much problem when it comes to accessing TETFund grant from the organisation,” he said.

UNILORIN to establish Virology complex ABUJA - The University of Ilorin said it would soon establish a Virology complex to conduct researches on Ebola virus (EBOV) and how to contain its spread.

Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali, Vice Chancellor of the university, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja to newsmen.

He said that the Senate of the institution set up a committee on Ebola recently in recognised of the university’s responsibility in conducting researches and offering community development services.

“Just last week we met and decided that we (Senate) should have a functional virology complex where we will assemble all our virologists within the University of Ilorin.

“We want to empower them within that complex to have a befitting laboratory and enough consumables to carry out research.

“We want to give them the necessary capacity and train them so that they will be able to carry out research on some of these communicable viral infections.

“The senate also decided that we should set up an Ebola Senate Committee where all our human resources could be assembled and challenged to educate not only the university community, but the community around the University of Ilorin.

“Apart from Ebola, we have

Lassa fever, we have HIV and AIDS, Hepatitis C are there, so we are very concerned about that aspect of our responsibility.

“We want to devote some amount of money in the training of more virologists because there is a shortage of virologists all over the country.

“Anywhere you go across the length and breadth of this country, you can count the number of virologists that exist in Nigeria which means that there should be concerted effort to train more virologists.

“University of Ilorin will surely contribute to make sure that we have a centre that could be relied upon by the government,” he said.

He said that members of the Ebola committee set up by the university were drawn from the College of Medicine and Agriculture.

In terms of community service, Ambali said that the university now publish regularly on its website and on its weekly bulletin information on Ebola to educate readers.

“Now every week through our university bulletin which comes up every week and through our website, we have Ebola information where you can read and educate yourself on Ebola.

“Very soon, there will be community awareness within Ilorin and its environs to sensitise and educate the people on how they can fight Ebola,” he said.

Inside Edo Edo SEEFOR Project Boss To Contribute To Technical Education

BENIN CITY - The newly inaugurated Board for Technical and Vocational Education has been charged to contribute to the efforts of the state government towards improving Technical Education by ensuring the security of infrastructure and equipment as well as employment of more Teachers in all Technical Colleges in the state.

The Coordinator of Edo SEEFOR Project, Mr Taiwo Akerele who stated this in Benin

City during a courtesy visit by the Board members, stressed that securing the Technical Colleges is a serious challenge that may hinder the implementation of the SEEFOR TVET sub-component.

He pointed out that through the Board, the Traditional institution, Local and State governments must be partnered to provide a lasting solution to the

security challenge in the state.

Mr. Akerele said the constitution of the Board was timely as the needed communication bridge between government and the Technical Schools.

According to him, funds released to the Schools for implementing of the first School Improvement Plan have utilised

up to 90 percent for the renovation of structures, purchase of equipment and training of Teachers.

The Edo SEEFOR Project Coordinator disclosed some of the direct outcomes of the SEEFOR intervention in Technical and Vocational Education Training institutions to include, increased enrolment and accreditation of courses, noting that there was urgent need to

engage Technical Teachers in key Trade Areas.

Akerele who sued for synergy among all concerned for the success of the intervention which will go a long way in providing employment opportunities for youths, added that the State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi and the Edo State Skills Acquisition Centre, Evbomodu were beneficiaries of the SEEFOR intervention.

Chairman of the Board, Mrs.

Tina Agbarha said they have been briefed about the SEEFOR Project, noting that it was a welcome development to revive Technical Education which has not developed up to expectation.

She assured that the Board is willing to partner with Edo SEEFOR Project for more development of Technical Education, stressing that all hands must be on deck to improve awareness and acceptance of Technical Education as a pivot for economic development of any nation.

He noted that though he (Osuman) is not holding any political office, he still deemed it necessary to “reach out” to the needy in the locality, hence Osuman should be appreciated and commended by all.

Comrade Agwi appealed to APC faithful in the area to double their efforts to ensure the party emerge victorious in the locality in the 2015 general elections.

One-time Esan North-East Council boss, Hon. Robert Okoinemen on his part, also commended Engr. Osuman for his zeal and commitment towards the welfare of the less privileged , particularly in the local government area.

Hon. Okoinemen expressed his gratitude to the family of Engr. Osuman for their support which he noted, has created the enabling environment for him (Engr. Osuman) to assist the less privileged.

He appealed to other Nigerians who have the “Financial strength” to learn to reach-out to the needy in the society.

In his remark, Engr.

Lawrence Osuman used the occasion to reiterate his commitment and determination

to give succour to the needy in society.

He noted that his decision to freely give out the items was borne out of his desire to genuinely assist the beneficiaries.

Engr. Osuman appealed to those who did not benefit from this batch of items to be patient, saying that it would one-day be their turn. According to him, the decision to always do his “best” for the youths is aimed at keeping them away from committing crime(s).

In all, two Peugeot 406 cars, two motor-bikes, four power generating sets, one freezer and eleven driers were given out.

The beneficiaries, including Vincent Okoh and Oshio Akhiwi who both got cars (406) expressed their appreciation to Engr. Osuman for positively touching their lives, adding that they would remain grateful to him.

They prayed God to continued to empower Osuman to do more as well as guide and guard him in all his endeavours.

Similarly, a modern toilet facility which was built by Engr. Osuman at Hausa cattle market, Uromi, was commissioned by the Executive Director on Youth Affairs to the State Governor, Comrade Emmanuel Yakubu.

Philanthropist Donates To Youth, Police

By CLIFFORD AGBAJOR

The Chairman of Esan North-East Local Government Area, Hon. Sam Oboh handing over the keys of a peugeot 406 car to Vincent Okoh, courtesy of Engr. Lawrence Osuman (first from right). The event took place at Uromi, recently. Photo: SUNDAY OSADEBAMWEN.

Monthly Sanitation

Waste Board GM Applauds Cooperation of Residents

By RICHARD EWEKA BENIN CITY – The Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise in the state took place at the weekend in Benin City and other parts of the state.

Speaking with newsmen on the success of the exercise, the General Manager of Edo State Waste Management Board, Gillian Ochugbe said the public co-operated during the period of the exercises, residents were seen cleaning their environment in all the places visited.

She said the co-operation from residents have made the exercise a huge success as the people came out voluntarily in large umbers to clean their environment.

“Today’s (Saturday) exercise in most of the places visited has been successful based on the co-operation of the resident and we are doing our best to ensure all refuse are evacuated to keep the environment clean.

“We have improved in evacuating the refuse in the

streets; the wet weather did not stop us from performing our duties as waste managers.

We want to present a cleaner state to visitors and even residents in the state”, she concluded.

Meanwhile, the General Manager of Edo State Management Board, Gillian Ochugbe and members of the board paid a courtesy visit to the Odionwere of Owegie Street in Ekenwan Road, Chief J.A. Uhuangho to address the complains of poor services by the contractor handling the refuse disposal in the area.

“The letter we received from the Odionwere for unsatisfied services brought us here today and we have to re-pledge our commitment to improved services, but beg those on the street to obey the regulation of environmental cleanliness, putting their refuse together for proper evacuation and also making financial commitment to the process of keeping the environment clean as these are some of the complains of

the contractor handling the area”, she said.

The contractor, Mrs. Christy Omoregie (Vital legacy) frowned at the resident who refused to pay for services rendered.

She said “if people fail to pay services rendered, then they want to drive us out from business because we need money to pay waste managers, buy diesel for our evacuation trucks”, she said.

She said people are owing for period of up to 9 years, but since the General Manger has intervened, we promise better services, provided they are ready to pay.

“If they pay for the services regularly, I see no reason why we will not serve them well in the area”, she added.

A resident in the area, Mr. David Sunday Okuns said, “since we have now come together to reason that services will now improve, payment for such services will also be improved inorder to make the efforts of government of making this state clean realisable”.

UROMI – The Nigeria Police at the weekend received four power generating sets from a philanthropist, Engr. Lawrence Osuman who also donated two vehicles to youths in the area as a form of empowerment.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Director on Youth Affairs to the State Governor, Comrade Emmanuel Yakubu lauded Engr. Lawrence Osuman for his philanthropic gesture.

He called on the people, especially All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the area to appreciate him (Osuman) to enable him do more for them.

The Chairman of Esan NorthEast Local Government Area, Edo State, Hon. Sam Oboh described Engr. Osuman, popularly known as “Super Leader” as a man with large heart as well as an “epitome of goodness”, saying that Osuman is not just a blessing to Ward 4 in the council area, but to the entire state and beyond.

On his part, the Chairman of APC in Esan North-East Local Government Area, Comrade Vasco Agwi expressed delight over the kind gesture of Engr.

Osuman.

The Executive Director on Youth Affairs to Edo State Governor, Comrade Emmanuel Yakuba commissioning a modern toilet facility at Hausa cattle market, Uromi, Esan North-East, courtesy of Engr. Lawrence Osuman (first from right).

Photo: SUNDAY OSADEBMAWEN.

News Researchers Link Ebola Outbreak To Funeral

President Goodluck Jonathan (right) receiving a souvenir from the President, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Mr. Bashir IFO, during his visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja recently.

LAGOS - Researches at Harvard University, U. S.A. has linked the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone to the funeral of one of its traditional healers.

The traditional healer was alleged to have been treating Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patients from neighbouring Guinea before he contacted the disease and later died.

According to livescience. com, the first case of Ebola was discovered in May in Sierra Leone, after the death of the healer.

The Minister of Health in Sierra Leone released an official statement that linked the death of the healer to Ebola, after investigations by his ministry were concluded.

“Investigators found 13 additional cases of Ebola, all in women who attended the burial,” the minister said.

NANs Endorses President Jonathan for Second Term

ABUJA- The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan to run for a second term in office.

The President of NANS, Mr Yinka Gbadebo, who led the National Executive members of the association on a courtesy visit to the First Lady, Dame Patience Faka Jonathan, expressed their support at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The delegation, which passed a vote of confidence on Jonathan, also presented a certificate of credence to Dame Jonathan for her pursuit of peace and empowerment of women

and the youth.

“As pragmatic and visionary Nigerians, we can see through the veil of distraction and boldly applaud the Goodluck administration for infrastructural and social transformation.

“We have unflinchingly determined to put all political detractors and evil geniuses to shame in 2015 by giving Mr President the singular and total support of all Nigerian students.

“As a united association, all students have been mandated to cast their votes for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to emerge victorious and continue

Book On Jonathan’s Speeches, Performances For Launch ABUJA- A book entitled “President Goodluck Jonathan: His Speeches and Heroic Deeds’’, written by Mr Tanu Ejenavwo, would be launched on Thursday, September 4 at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

Ejenavwo, a renowned publisher, made this known in a statement given to newsmen in Abuja.

According to the statement, the book contains selected speeches of Mr President, reflecting his deep philosophical thoughts on issues of governance, progress and unity of Nigeria.

“The book provides authentic and verifiable information on sectorial growth assessment, as encapsulated in the Transformation Agenda of Jonathan’s administration”, the statement said.

It extolled the achievements of the President and noted the administration’s strong will in growing key economic sectors of

the nation.

“Economic sectors have been undergoing market-oriented reforms, while human capital development have been witnessing positive improvements.’’

In the statement, Ejenavwo said he wrote the book for the benefit of present and future generations in the country.

Chairman of the book launch committee, Mr Ahmed Danjuma, said “the book unveils the methodological disposition of President Jonathan in handling national issues in an uncommon civility.

“It also divulges the prudency in management of state resources and accountability in allocations for infrastructure while offering solutions on balancing Nigeria’s social and political conditions.”

President Jonathan is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour while all the state governors and legislators are also expected to grace the occasion.

the good works of transformation,’’ he said.

Gbadebo noted that in order to actualise this, NANS had floated the Nigerian Students Transformation Vanguard to champion this cause.

The NANS president commended Jonathan for his support to Nigerian students and youths by appointing six past NANS leaders in his administration.

According to him, the past leaders included the Ministers of Information and Education, Mr Labaran Maku and Alhaji Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, respectively.

Others are the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Kingsley Kuku, and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students and Youth matters, Mr Jude Imagwe.

Responding, Dame Jonathan while expressing her love and support for NANS, commended its leadership for consistent constructive engagement on national issues.

“Especially at this time when some Nigerians take advantage of every situation without concern for national security.

“This really shows that our youths are coming of age and that they can be relied upon in the task of nation building.

“Today, our youths in the tertiary institutions are hardworking and are hopeful of a better future for this country, in spite of our challenges,’’ the first lady said.

She urged them to continue in their constructive engagements on national issues and lend voices to positive moves in the interest of the nation.

“Your organisation should continue to champion the cause

of peace in our nation as no nation progresses in an atmosphere of insecurity.

“As students, you cannot stay in school if there is no peace.

Therefore do not allow anyone to use you as agents of destabilisation.

“You must resist the temptation of being used by politicians as thugs during elections.

“You should learn to be patriotic and not be a willing tool in the hands of those bent of sowing seeds of discord among our people,’’ she charged them.

She said “as mothers, we are praying for you because we love you, you are our future, our hope. You must therefore remember the children of whom you are and face your studies squarely’’.

The researchers studied the viruses isolated from the blood of these patients, as well as subsequent Ebola patients, to identify the genetic characteristics of the Ebola virus responsible for the outbreak.

“Understanding how a virus is changing is critical knowledge to the development of diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, as they usually get specific parts of the viral genome that might change both between and within outbreaks, said the researchers.

The findings suggest that the virus was brought to the region within past decades, likely by an infected bat traveling from Central Africa.

Earlier work suggested that the virus was circulating in animals in West Africa for several decades without having been detected.

“The virus seemed to have made a single jump from an animal to a person, from there continued its journey through human-to-human transmission.

“This finding can guide decisions on whether to focus on human -to -human spread of the virus , or on minimizing contact with animals, for example by banning the consumption of bush meat,” the researchers said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that over 3,069 persons have been suspected and confirmed as being infected by the virus, with 1552 deaths globally.

There are no vaccines to prevent infection with Ebola virus or drugs to cure the disease.

An experimental treatment based on antibiotics, called ZMapp has shown promise in monkeys but it is unclear whether the drug is effective in treating people.

Commissioner’s Killers Die In Gun Battle UMUAHIAGovernor Theodore Orji of Abia State said those who killed the State’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Kenneth Nwosu, had also been killed by security operatives in gun battle near Ikwuano.

Orji made this known at the funeral service for the late Nwosu held at St. Peter ’s Anglican Church, AmiziOlokoro.

“Nwosu was shot by kidnappers. He was shot twice for resisting an attempt to kidnap him.

“They shot him in the thigh and later in his abdomen when he resisted attempts by the kidnappers to bundle him into their car’’, he said.

He said a medical team, led by Prof. Austin Mbanaso, the Chief Medical Director of State Specialist and Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia, made frantic efforts to save his life to no avail.

Orji said that Nwosu distinguished himself as an agriculture expert and acquitted

himself as a commissioner by bringing remarkable transformation to the ministry.

He said that the state was beginning to reap from his wealth of experience before death struck.

The governor promised to appoint another person as commissioner from Olokoro.

In his sermon, Ugochukwu Ezeoke Ezeoke, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Ecclesiastic Province of Aba, said the deceased lived a life of service to God and humanity.

He said those who killed him dashed the hopes and expectations of the people as he made positive impact on the lives of the people that came across him.

Nwosu retired as Executive Director, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike in Abia before his appointment as commissioner.

He was killed by gunmen on July 9 while returning to his home at about 8.30 p.m.

L-R: Sen. Nimi Barigha-Amange; Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark and former Director, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Mark Emakpore at a news conference on forth-coming Adamawa Governorship election in Abuja recently.

News

Monarch Advocates Gender Equality GUSAU- The Emir of Anka in Zamfara, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammed, in Gusau advised on the way forward for gender equality and social inclusion.

The Emir gave the advice at a forum organised by the Gender and Social Inclusion Platform, a voluntary professional organisation in

Zamfara.

“I encourage all stakeholders to be active participants towards the involvement of women, people with special needs and the vulnerable children in issues which promote and ensure their social wellbeing,’’ he said.

Ekpu Canvasses Election Coverage Code 2015:

KATSINAVeteran journalist, Mr Ray Ekpu, has advocated the establishment of electoral coverage code to ensure fairness for all contestants ahead of the 2015 general elections.

He made the call in a paper entitled: “Media and Society: Imperative for Reporting,’’ presented at the 10th All Nigerian Editors Conference in Katsina.

Ekpu said that the code would make the media accountable to the people.

He said that a committee, comprising representatives of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists, some NGOs and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), should be set up to come up with the proposed code. ‘’We need such a code to enhance our credibility, improve our coverage of the campaigns and elections and help our democracy to grow,’’ he said.

He cautioned journalists against accepting bribes and other forms of gratifications from political parties and contestants before or after elections.

In her presentation, a human rights activist, Mrs Ayo Obe, said that transparency and good governance would help to sustain democracy in Nigeria.

Obe, who spoke in a paper entitled “Good Governance as a panacea for Sustainable Democracy” said that credible, free and fair elections would also sustain

democracy in the country.

She, however, observed that even some military regimes also ensure good governance, noting that good governance per se could not ensure sustainable democracy.

The activist expressed concern over the indiscriminate defection of political office holders in the country as well as the imposition of candidates by all the parties.

Muhammed said the issue of gender equality was important and sensitive to the sustained development of society.

On her part, Dr Barakat Abubakar, the Provost of Federal College of Education (Technical) Gusau, said she always advocated for 100 per cent civil-child enrolment, being an educationist and a mother.

“The enrolment of less privileged children usually give them the opportunity of contributing their own quota to the socio-economic and political development of the country,’’ she said.

The college provost expressed disappointment that marginalisation still existed, describing it as a serious setback which deprived women of opportunities to excel.

Trad Ruler Kicks Against Ebola Treatment Centre FREETOWN A Paramount Chief in Sierra Leone has directed his people to stop any ambulance carrying infected patients to the treatment centre in his district.

Sierra Leone is one of the four West African nations affected by the Ebola disease.

Paramount chief Amara Vangahun of Kenema District in Sierra Leone justified the order by saying every district should have a treatment centre to attend to Ebola cases.

“Things are truly getting out of hands’’, report quoted the chief as saying, apparently in reference to the rising cases of Ebola in the West African nation.

Over the years and long before the Ebola outbreak in the country, Kenema has been the treatment centre for Lassa fever.

But since the outbreak of Ebola virus, the centre has since then been converted to an Ebola treatment centre.

Vangahun said he was very concerned about his people, hence the order he gave to them.

“People are dying here

every day and they are not from my town. We have noticed that our people, especially our health workers, get infected with the disease through the incoming patients’’, he said.

Report said however that the people have not been able to carry out the order because the police and the military have been deployed to provide security for the centre and the ambulances that convey Ebola patients.

According to the latest Ebola update by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Sierra Leone has the second highest number of Ebola cases (1,026) after Liberia (1,378).

The numbers of deaths stand at 422, third behind Liberia (694) and Guinea (430).

The fourth West African nation hit by the disease Nigeria, had recorded 17 cases with six deaths.

Nigeria puts the number of cases at 15, two below the WHO figure.

Overall, 1,552 people have died of Ebola virus in the subregion, as at August 26.

South-West Ondo Cancels Summer Lessons AKURE - The Ondo State Government has cancelled all summer school lessons going on in different parts of the state.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Education, Mr Steve Awosika, in Akure.

The statement advised parents, school principals, head teachers and proprietors of private schools to comply with the directive.

It explained that the directive was in compliance with that of the Federal Ministry of Education.

The statement noted that pupils of public, private primary as well as secondary schools are to resume for the new academic session on October 13.

Awosika said that a meeting with stakeholders in the education sector in the state would hold on September 2.

It would recalled that the federal government has postponed the resumption date of primary and secondary schools across the country to curtail the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

Teacher Emerges Regent Of Ikere-Ekiti

Minister of Sports, Mr. Tammy Danagogo (left), with Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Benjamin Dikki during a meeting on concession of the sports sector in Abuja recently.

Electricity Restored In Community IBADAN- The people of OnaAra Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State yesterday had a lot to smile about after two and a half years of power outage.

The reports state that the formal commencement of electricity supply to the area by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) gave the residents much joy..

The power outage was the aftermath of the burning down of

the defunct PHCN sub-station at Olorunsogo area by hoodlums during the January 2012 nationwide fuel subsidy protest.

The development had paralysed the socio-economic activities in the entire Ona-Ara LGA and other neighbouring areas, with repeated calls from the residents for the restoration of light.

The Oyo State Governor,

Infidelity: 7-Yr-Old Marriage Dissolved IBADAN - A Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan has dissolved the seven-year-old marriage between one Waheed Suara and his wife, Omowumi, over alleged infidelity on the part of the latter.

The court, presided over by Mr Ademola Odunade, held that love was no longer existent in the relationship which had produced a child.

“The court took every necessary step to resolve the matter amicably, but nothing came out of this. “ In the interest of peace and orderliness, both of you are no more husband and wife from today on and Omowumi shall forfeit the container in her custody,” he stated.

Suara had earlier told the court that Omowumi had been engaging in extra-marital affairs inspite of his commitment to the relationship.

“Omowumi is the third of my wives and I deliberately gave her a very comfortable apartment elsewhere, being a young lady. “ I never starved her of sexual intercourse because she enjoys three times of it every week.

“I also met her requests, including establishing a container fully furnished with clothing and shoe materials for sale on my plot of land. “ Friends, family members

and even neighbors began telling me that anytime I leave her apartment, she also moves around with her concubines.

“For a long time, I tried all I could to make her change her bad ways, but she saw no reason in this,’’ Suara said.

Omowumi, who did not

deny the allegations made against her by Suara, merely pleaded with the court to retain the container given to her by Suara.

“Please, I don’t have any means of livelihood, I will starve without it,” Omowumi had said.

Abiola Ajimobi, described the rehabilitation of the two 15MVA and 33/11KV as a thing of joy to him and his government.

“Thirty months ago, during the 2012 fuel subsidy crisis, a demonstration against government was capitalised upon by some unscrupulous persons in the society to inflict the pain of darkness on this peace-loving community.

“For the period of this darkness, government was bothered by the various complaints of our people from Ona-Ara to look into their plight of darkness,’’ he said while speaking at the inauguration of the rehabilitated sub-station by IBEDC. The governor said the state government was helpless in the situation and could not come to the rescue of the people of the area.

“Since power generation and distribution are not in the confines of the powers of a state government, the Oyo State Government could not help other than to constantly appeal to and nudge then NEPA and the IBEDC to restore power to our people of Ona-Ara,’’ he said.

Ajimobi said the Chairman of the area’s council was consequently directed to constantly dialogue with the community members and the IBEDC in this respect.

“In this regard, I am aware that the Chairman constituted a dialogue body between stakeholders in the community which comprised religious bodies, landlords and other stakeholders in Ona-Ara. “The result of this were the several meetings with the IBEDC authorities and the pledge by the latter,’’ he said.

ADO-EKITI - A teacher, Ayooye Oyinlola, has been selected as the Regent of IkereEkiti following the demise of the traditional ruler of the community, Oba Adegboye Akayejo.

Reports state that the 39-yearold is the daughter of the late monarch and an Economics teacher at Ado Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti.

It was learnt that her nomination, which was unanimously ratified by all the kingmakers, was in line with the tradition of Ikere-Ekiti community.

The selection of the new regent was made public in Ikere-Ekiti by one of the kingmakers and Akapiasa of Ikere-Ekiti, Chief Ajawoye Adegboye.

Her nomination was also said to be unanimously supported by all the children of the late monarch.

Reports state that the decision was reached at an emergency meeting held at the palace as demanded by the tradition of the community.

The choice of the regent would soon be communicated to the appropriate government authorities, it was learnt.

Meanwhile, the state government has assured the people of Ikere-Ekiti of adequate support before, during and after the burial of the late monarch Governor Kayode Fayemi, represented by his deputy, Prof.

Modupe Adelabu, made the promise during a condolence visit to the palace of the late monarch in Ikere-Ekiti.

Reports state that the late monarch, who died on Friday at the age of 85, ruled for 43 years.

Reports state further that the new regent is a 2008 Economics graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

L-R: Director, Technical Vocational Skills Training Development, Industrial Fund, Mr. Jonathan Akinlaton; representative of the DirectorGeneral, Sir Joseph Ari and Managing Partner, Concinnity Management Consulting firm, Mrs. Yemisi Akinrinade at a coalition meeting for formation of worldskills Nigeria in Abuja recently.

Lagos Noise Pollution

Don Canvasses Legislation

The Guest lecturer, Prof. Mbata Mangu (left), with the Chairman, African Association for Ageing Research and Development, Mr. Princewill Alozie at the 3rd lectures on 2015 elections in Abuja recently.

LAGOS - A Chemist, Dr Adeleke Abiodun, urged the Federal Government to establish a law to control noise pollution.

Abiodun, Chief Lecturer, Department of Chemical Science, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), made the call in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the Sixth Inaugural Lecture of the institution in Lagos.

The lecture is titled “Science: Towards a Clean, Sustainable and Developed Environment.’’

Abiodun said that enactment of noise pollution control law would reduce noise pollution from industries, churches, mosques, vehicles and musical instruments.

The lecturer called for ban on honking of horns and the use of sirens in certain areas, as well as

FRSC Mobile Court Begins Trial Of Traffic Offenders

LAGOS - The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has said that its mobile courts had begun the arrest and trial of road traffic offenders on the LagosIbadan Expressway.

Mr Godwin Ogagaoghene, the Zonal Commanding Officer in charge of Ogun and Lagos states, said this to newsmen in Lagos during the commission’s ‘Operation Shield‘.

Ogagaoghene, who said that the mobile courts were set up to try road traffic offenders on the spot, added that such road users would either be fined or sent to jail depending on the offence and the discretion of the magistrates.

“The mobile court is to fine recalcitrant offenders - those who will not want to heed to the warnings. The court is sitting to ensure that we have some sanity on our roads.

“The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be rid of all forms of reckless driving.

“We have put other machineries and other logistics

into operations to ensure that we curb these excesses of our motorists.

“I can assure you that before long, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be a crash-free road.

“Yesterday, we have made a total arrest of 42 people and they were tried at the court, all of them were found guilty and they have paid their fines and were allowed to go.

“Today, we have 72 offenders, who have been arrested, and most prominent offence they were arrested for was overloading.

“We are going to concentrate on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for now and make sure that there is sanity on this road; that people who want to kill themselves or who want to kill others are not allowed to use the road.

“So, we are assuring you that very soon, you will find that within Lagos State and Ogun State, you will not find these killers on our roads anymore.“ Reports say that the fourth edition of a week-long annual event is aimed at reducing road

Association Seeks Unity Among Shippers LAGOS - The Shippers’ Association Lagos State (SALS) has urged state shippers’ associations to unite and form a single body to be known as Federation of Nigerian Shippers Association (FONSA).

The President of SALS, Mr Jonathan Nicol, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Nicol expressed concern that shippers, both importers and exporters, had for a long time been fragmented, adding that their merger would enhance trade and facilitate viable decisions.

“Shippers Association Lagos State has taken the bull by the horn. Initially, all shippers in their various capacities try to solve their own problems.

“So they were badly segmented but now the concept is that all shippers should come together.

“We have the very active associations in Lagos, partly in

Port Harcourt, but the Warri chapter is not active and we need all of them to form the assembly and they call it FONSA, Federation of Nigerian Shippers’ Association.

“So, until we have very active associations across the country, it will be difficult for all the shippers associations to speak with one voice because they are not very active.“ He, however, urged the Federal Government to amend the shipping policy to enable the Port-Harcourt, Warri, and Calabar ports to be utilised effectively.

Nicol pleaded with the Federal Government to offer financial assistance to shippers’ associations saying that it would enable the shippers to extend their business frontiers to other ports and reduce cargo traffic at the Lagos ports.

traffic crashes across the country.

The FRSC boss, who said that the idea of establishing mobile courts was for the annual event, noted that arrangements were ongoing to make courts available on the highways at all times to try offenders.

Ogagaoghene said drivers

should comply with the rules and regulations because the corps meant a business with reckless driving, overloading, speeding and dangerous overtaking.

The FRSC boss called for the cooperation of judiciary and expressed the belief that such operation would change the attitude of road users.

the use of loudspeakers in social and religious houses.

“Noise pollution affects are both health and behaviour; unwanted sound is called noise.

“These unwanted noise can damage physiological and psychological health; noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress level, hearing loss, sleep disturbance and other harmful effects.

“Large segments of the population and industrialised society are exposed to high levels of noise, not only at their places of work, but also in their residences.

He said that environmental noise was on the increase in Lagos and could become a major threat to the quality of human life.

Abiodun said that high levels of noise could contribute to cardiovascular problems.

The lecturer recommended the use of silencer in churches and mosques to reduce noise pollution.

He described a silencer as a device for reducing the amount of noise, emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine, musical instrument or machine, throughout the world.

Abiodun described noise as “a displeasing sound created by human, animal or machine;

which disrupts the activity and balance of human and animal life,’’ he said.

He said that noise could cause annoyance and could also increase the incidence of coronary artery disease.

Abiodun cautioned youths against the use of headphones with the volume turned-up to forestall hearing impairment.

The lecturer also advised parents to avoid the purchase of noisy toys for their babies, as it could cause noise pollution.

Abiodun urged governments to sustain the campaign on tree planting.

He added that indiscriminate disposal of waste should be checked to reduce flooding.

“There should be legislation to control tree felling, grazing, bush fires and other forms of activities resulting in environmental degradation such as erosion, deforestation and desertification.

“We must see the management of the environment as a collective responsibility involving the rich, poor, young, old and the industrial sector.

“For us to be healthy and wealthy as a nation, our environment must be clean, sustainable and developed.

“Nigerians must maintain proper waste disposal to avoid flood disaster,’’ he said.

Fashion Designers To Build Production Hub LAGOS - The Fashion Designers’ Association of Nigeria (FADAN), Lagos Chapter, said that they needed about N150 million to build a production hub in Lagos.

Mr Kolawole Kuddus, the State Coordinator of the association, made this known to newsmen in Lagos.

He said that the production hub would also include a retail store that would display finished clothing items and accessories made by Nigerian fashion designers and pattern makers.

“The association has proposed

a production hub and a retail store where items from the hub would be displayed; it is going to be like a meeting point for key players.

“The hub is a child of necessity because it would serve as a breeding ground for budding fashion designers, reduce the high production costs in fashioning and also boost productivity.

“Here is an industry that employs about 70 per cent of the graduates in the last three years in fashion photography, magazine production, pattern making, styling and wardrobe consultancy.

“The investment in the hub is nothing less than N150 million, and we are looking up to the government at all levels and investors to lend their support to this viable cause.

“With the scourge of unemployment, our industry has become a solace to so many unemployed people, and so any investment in this sector can never be in vain,” he said.

Kuddus also said that FADAN had begun a monthly programme tagged “Designers’ Mart’ where young fashion designers gather to display their latest products.

He said that the programme

L-R: Programme Coordinator on internally displaced persons, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr. Okeke Anya; Executive Director, CISLAC, Mr. Auwal Ibrahim-Musa and Communication and Information Officer, Mr. Abubakar Jimoh, at a News Conference on security situation in the country recently in Abuja.

kicked off in June 2014 and has since attracted so many fashion lovers and yielded a lot of profit for the fashion designers.

He urged upcoming fashion designers to register with the association in order to pull resources together, maintain standards and also build stronger companies with partnership.

Kuddus also urged Federal Government to revive the textile companies as it would reduce the cost of raw materials for the fashion and design sector, and also boost value addition to Nigerian clothing products.

Report recalls that Kuddus had said in July that Nigeria’s fashion industry was worth about N10 billion with an average Nigerian spending between N100,000 and N1 million on Nigerian-made cloths annually.

Newsmen investigation also reveals that most Nigerian fashion designers display their products online, given the increased number of internet users which has risen to 57 million from 200,000 in year 2000.

A recent report released by Philips Consulting, a financial consulting firm, also states that online shopping has increased to N78 billion in 2014, and most of the items being purchased are clothing.

The 2013 report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics states that the fashion, garment and footwear subsector contributes 0.67 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, but has very high potential for growth.

Across The Nation Kano-Maiduguri Road Project

Agwai Tasks Contractors To Expedite Action KANO - Gen. Martin Luther Agwai retired, the Chairman of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), has urged contractors handling the dualisation of KanoMaiduguri road to complete the project on schedule.

Agwai gave the task while inspecting the KanoMaiduguri road project in Kano.

The reports state that Agwai was represented by a member of SURE-P and the National President, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeem Yasin.

He said the Federal Government attached great importance on the project in view of its significance to the people of the benefitting communities.

According to him, the project would boost socioeconomic activities in the three states and the neighbouring countries, when completed.

He noted that the project,

Jos Crisis:

which is being executed with an intervention from SURE-P, would also enhance socioeconomic activities of the communities living along the road.

“The Federal Government attaches great importance to the project because of its significance to socioeconomic development.’’

He assured the contractors that the federal government would give the necessary support to enable them complete the project in accordance with the contractual terms.

Earlier, a representative of Setraco, one of the contractors handling the project, said the second section of work at Wudil had reached about 46 per cent completion.

He promised to ensure that the work was completed on time and in accordance with the specifications.

Reports state that the dualisation of KanoMaiduguri road was awarded in 1998 to enhance the economic activities of the people of Kano, Borno and Yobe states.

Sudents of Ahmadu Bello University passing through the main gate at Samaru in Zaria recently.

NAFDAC Confiscates Contraband Products

KANO - The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed off seven shops and confiscated contraband food products worth millions of Naira in Kano.

The NAFDAC Assistant Director (Enforcement), Mr Shaba Mohammed, disclosed this in Kano in an interview with newsmen.

Reports state that six of the affected shops were located at the popular Singer Market,

Ajibola’s Report Soon For Release

JOS - Mr Edward Pwajok, Plateau State Commissioner for Justice, has said that the report of the Justice Bola Ajibola Commission of Inquiry into the 2008 Jos crisis would soon be released.

Pwajok told newsmen in Jos yesterday that “Government has concluded deliberations on the report and shall soon make it public.’’

The commission was set up by the state government in November 2008, after the

devastating crises in Jos that claimed many lives.

“The State Government set up the commission of inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of that crisis; it was expected to identify persons responsible for it and recommend sanctions, among other things.

“The Ajibola Commission of Inquiry, if you recall, concluded its assignment since 2009, but for various reasons, government has not

- Commissioner

been able to conclude deliberations on the report.

“Today, that chapter of the unfortunate crises, has been closed; government has concluded deliberations and has issued a white paper on the report of the commission,’’ the commissioner said.

He further stated that the white paper encapsulates the views of government on each of the items of the Ajibola

Sudents of Ahmadu Bello University browsing at the student garden in the campus at Samaru in Zaria recently.

panel’s report.

According to him, the white paper, when published, will be sold to members of the public like those of previous commissions of inquiry.

Pwajok said that the current administration had risen to the occasion and had even published and distributed the reports of commissions of inquiry set up by other administrations.

“It started with Luke Enefo Commission of Inquiry into the Tudun Wada and Kabong crises of 1991, as well as the Luke Enefo Commission of Enquiry into the 1994 Jos crises.

“We have also published and shared out report of the Justice Niki Tobi Commission of Inquiry into the 2001 Jos crises,’’ he said.

The commissioner said that it was Governor Jonah Jang’s administration that issued the white papers on all the commissions of enquiry, saying that the Ajibola commission’s report was the only one that was pending.

“When all the reports are published, the comparisons will be made and we shall move toward resolving all areas of conflict once and for all,’’ he said.

while the other shop was situated at Galadima area in Sabon Gari.

He explained that the operation was conducted to measure the level of compliance to regulation, particularly on food products.

“The items of interest in the operation are mainly sugar, flour, vegetable oil and macaroni or spaghetti which is contraband.

“In fact, we don’t want to see any imported macaroni in Nigerian markets because they are contraband products,’’ he said.

He expressed regret that the environment where the seized palm oil was being repackaged at one of the affected shops was completely unhygienic.

Mohammed said that this was unacceptable to the agency.

“The environment where these things were being done is very dirty and unhygienic that is why we sealed off the place.

“The vehicles being used to bring the palm oil are tankers for petroleum products and this is also unacceptable,’’ he said.

He explained that some of the seized items would have to undergo test at the laboratory to ascertain the level of their quality before taking any further action on them.

Mohammed said the country had factories that had the capacity to meet the local demands of macaroni, hence the decision to ban its importation into the country.

He said that the agency would continue to carry out similar operations across the country so as to safeguard the public health.

“The mission and vision of the agency are to safeguard the public health,’’ Mohammed said.

Reports state that the operation, which was conducted under tight security, was led by the assistant director of the agency who came from Lagos.

ABUJA - The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, says the police will continue to support the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) in its anti-counterfeit drug enforcement measures.

Abba gave the assurance when the council, led by its Registrar, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, paid him a courtesy visit, according to a statement by the force spokesman, DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu.

The inspector-general noted the “mutually beneficial relationship’’ between the

council and police, assuring that the force would always be a “willing partner’’ in the fight against drug abuse and adulteration.

Mohammed had earlier solicited the support of the police in the enforcement of rules and regulations guiding the operation of pharmaceutical premises and patent medicine vendors.

The registrar, who described drug abuse as one of the major security threats in the country, congratulated Abba on his appointment and pledged the support of the council.

Police Partner PCN To Combat Drug Abuse

Abuja CISLAC Advocates Effective Policy On IDPs

FCT Minister Restates Commitment To Protecting Abuja Master Plan

ABUJA - The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Bala Mohammed, has renewed the commitment of the FCT administration to maintain the Abuja master plan by intensifying demolition of illegal structures.

This is contained in a statement signed Mr Mohammed Sule, the minister’s Chief Press Secretary, in Abuja.

The statement said the minister made the commitment while meeting with some officials of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Abuja.

Mohammed warned that the administration would not condone existence of any illegal structure within 250 square kilometres of the FCC. “The Abuja Master Plan is sacrosanct and all hands must be on deck to protect its principles.

“Abuja remains the window through which the world sees Nigeria and Nigerians.

“The Department of Development Control and all the district officers should, therefore, work round the clock to maintain its sanctity,’’ he said.

The minister revealed that the administration removed a total of 340 shanties and 119 stalls along walkways across the territory in July, this year.

He added that within the period under review, the administration, received 340 building plans and approved 188.

President Goodluck Jonathan displaying cash he collected from an ATM with his National Identify card, at the lanuch of e-ID Card in Abuja on Thursday.

August Heavy Rainfall Good For Farmers - NIMET

ABUJA - Mr Joseph Alozie, General Manager, Climate Services, Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET), has said that the heavy rainfall recorded since the beginning of August would increase farm yields in 2014.

Alozie made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

He said that the new rainfall pattern being witnessed would assist farmers to replant seedlings

of short duration and boost their harvest.

He allayed fears of negative effect of the rains, saying that the August rainfall was not a phenomenon to be worried about in upland areas like the Federal Capital Territory.

“The new rainfall trend in August is good news for agriculture and we will expect a

FCT VIO Commences Computerised Vehicle Inspection

ABUJA - The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) is to commence computerised vehicle inspection from today.

This information is contained in a flyer made available to newsmen by the directorate.

The flyer said that the exercise was in line with the procedure for ascertaining road worthiness of vehicles in the country.

It advised all corporate organisations, associations, unions and individual vehicle owners whose vehicle documents would expire by the end of August to take such vehicles for the physical computerised inspection.

“Private vehicles are to be inspected once a year and commercial vehicles twice a year.

“This procedure is carried out at the point of vehicle registration

or vehicle documentation renewal,’’ it said.

It listed road worthiness safety items for the inspection as braking system, steering, chassis and chassis attachments, emission testing, lighting system, headlights, visibility, alignment and axis wheels.

Others are tryes, suspensions and supplementary test for vehicles carrying passengers.

positive outcome in the long run for farmers.

“If farmers heeded NiMet’s forecast early this year, and with the new rainfall trend, which is positive, there is the possibility that seedlings of short duration can be replaced to improve yields.

“NiMet, through its daily, weekly and monthly monitoring of the weather, including the seasonal rainfall predictions, observed that at the end of July, 2014, there was a “water stress” in and around FCT,’’ Alozie said.

According to him, water stress means that in 30 years, there was normal rainfall in FCT but since the beginning of August the rains have picked up.

He said that from NiMet’s projection, the rainy season in the northern part of the country was expected to stop towards the middle of October “instead of end of October in areas like Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa and Borno.”

President Goodluck Jonathan (left), displaying a dummy of his National Identify card, at the lanuch of e-ID Card in Abuja on Thursday.

With him are Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Board Chairman, National Identity M a n a g e m e n t Commission, Prince Uche Secondus.

“This is a projection and it is built around probability. Now, there is a high probability that this will happen and every time the climate changes, NiMet will also re-issue a statement based on the changing climate.

“For the rest of the country, like Abuja down to the South, the normal season is projected in August and September; these are the peak periods of the rainy season,’’ he said.

He said that 2014 rainy season would likely end earlier than expected across the country.

ABUJA - The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has in Abuja called on the Federal Government to initiate an effective national policy to address the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The Executive Director of CISLAC, Malam Auwal Rafsanjani, made the call at a news conference on the situation of IDPs in the country. “ Presently, Nigeria lacks accurate, exact or reliable records of IDPs across the country, thus backpedalling effective inclusion of displaced persons related issues in the National Developmental Planning,’’ he said.

Rafsanjani stressed the need for the establishment of effective early warning system and proactive measures to reduce disaster risks, as well as timely development of database system on displaced persons.

He also called on government to ensure the implementation of the existing four-year Strategic Implementation Plan of Action developed by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.

“This will go a long way to reposition and professionalise the commission to successfully tackle problems of internally displaced persons in the country,’’ he said.

Utilise Articulated Vehicles Park, FERMA Directs Tanker Drivers ABUJA - The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has directed all tanker drivers in Kaduna to relocate to the new articulated vehicles park in Mararaban Jos to avoid being prosecuted.

Engr. Gabriel Amuchi, the Director-General of the agency, gave the directive in Kaduna when he led a delegation on a visit to the new articulated vehicles park on Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

He said that the agency had done enough awareness campaign on wrongful parking on the highway by trucks stating that enforcement would commence in the various park locations.

“The agency commenced massive inspection and monitoring of all federal roads in the country since last week.

“We have also directed the team we call FREG, (Federal Road Enforcement Group) that comprises of the Army engineers, police, road safety corps, FERMA and ministry of works to commence action and enforcement.

“There is no nation that can make progress if we do not comply with regulations; you move them today, two days, three days later they are back.

“So we are agreeing now to start enforcement because we have done enough awareness campaign.

“By the time a few people are arrested and tried I’m sure that it will deter others and they will begin to comply with the instruction to stop wrongful use of our highway that is leading to damage of government facilities.“ Amuchi said that the agency had acquired articulated vehicles parks in more than seven locations across the country to model parking of vehicles in safe places.

He said evacuating them from the road would improve safety and reduce the effect of leakage of petroleum products on the road which led to road failure.

The director-general, however, said facilities needed to make the parks comfortable and safe would be provided gradually.

Also speaking, Alhaji Babangida Jaafaru, the Secretary of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Kaduna chapter, said that the major challenge of the park was security.

He said that the drivers refused to park at the new articulated vehicles park because of no provision for security adding that nobody wanted his truck hijacked.

The secretary said that if the state government could provide security personnel on the site it would encourage the drivers to make use of the park.

Business + Economy SON Seeks Co-Operation To Curb Importation Of Substandard Products

ABUJA Dr Joseph Odumodu, the DirectorGeneral Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has called for public cooperation to curb the importation and use of inferior products in the country.

Odumodu made the call during interview with newsmen

in Abuja.

He called for collective efforts in the fight against importation of fake products and counterfeits, adding that the fight could only be won with the support of all Nigerians.

Odumodu held that such support for the agency’s efforts in the campaign against fake

products could lead to the end of importation of fake products.

He said the use of inferior products affected the growth of the country’s economy adversely as it depreciated the value of companies and killed businesses.

“Most fire outbreaks in

homes, offices and other places are due mainly to the use of fake electrical materials and this makes it necessary for us to check and look out for fake wires and bulbs in the markets.’’

He said the agency had presented a Bill to the National Assembly to empower it to seize and destroy any pirated products within three months and also prosecute the culprits.

Odumodu said the agency had started the implementation of zero tolerance campaign

against fake products in the country and that this had led to holding meetings regularly with importers and other stakeholders.

He said they always embarked on campaigns, especially at Alaba International Market, Computer Villages in Lagos, Abuja, Onitsha and other main markets to sensitise dealers against fake products.

“Today, you have original and fake products displayed side by side with impunity in

most markets, and the buyer decides, depending on his choice and purse.

“This is the reason why we are calling on all genuine companies, individuals and agencies importing products to collaborate with SON in the fight against fake products because it devalues our economy.

“It also negatively affects lives and we are trying our best to put a check on this and to wipe out the sale of inferior goods and products’’, he said.

Introduce Periodic Wage Review, Union ABUJA - Mr. Gerald market women will do same; Urges FG Ukeni, the General Secretary

Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria, Mr Ima Niboro (left), with the Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, during his visit to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja recently.

Women patronising ‘used clothes’ at Madalla market in Niger recently.

Monarch Woos Investor

Tourism Development:

LAGOS (Lagos State) - The Onibeju of Ibeju Land, Oba Rafiu Salami, said that the community would partner with investors and other individuals to develop its tourism potential.

The monarch spoke in an interview with newsmen in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.

Salami said that the community, being a coastal settlement, was endowed with beaches and vegetation, noting that partnership with investors would boost tourism in the area.

He said that some of the tourism endowments in the

of Nigeria Civil Service Union, said periodic review of workers’ salaries was vital for industrial peace.

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to set up a committee to monitor the economy and make recommendations on wage increases.

Ukeni made the suggestion during interview with newsmen in Abuja.

According to Ukeni, review of workers’ wages in any progressive economy is based on certain factors which must be put into consideration for overall economic growth.

Ukeni said workers were always the ones affected by inflation; hike in house rents, school fees and other adverse economic trends without a corresponding wage increase.

“There is need to set up a committee of experts who will always be monitoring the economy and give out indices that can help for planning and wage increase.

“Review of workers’ wages every five years is a healthy thing for industrial peace and democracy; the wage that was implemented in 2011 is no more relevant going by the economic trend and price of

community included three mysterious trees planted by the forefathers of the indigenes of the community.

According to the monarch, the trees are 700 years old.

The traditional ruler expressed his commitment toward supporting investors to explore the rich tourism potential of the community.

Salami said that he was in full support of the forthcoming yam

festival to be held in the community on September 27.

He described yam as “a symbol of peace, unity and love.’’

“It (yam) brings about cultural integration among Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa,‘’ he said.

The monarch urged Nigerians in the Diaspora to be proud of their culture anywhere in the world.

“There was a time I travelled abroad and met a Nigerian traditional ruler in suit.

“I was not happy with him and I asked him if he was not proud of our African culture and attires.

“Such attitude needs to be changed. We should always encourage the use of our African attires and practice our traditions, ‘’ Salami said.

The traditional ruler urged the media to continue to support the tourism industry in the country by highlighting its potential.

goods.

“In Nigeria, there is price abuse; while the wage remains fixed, prices cannot be fixed because of the economy we run here.

“People fix prices for their commodities in whichever way they want; prices are not regulated by the forces of demand and supply.

“Immediately there is a wage increase, the landlord will increase house rent; the

so, it makes a mincemeat of the increment.’’

He said workers were at the receiving end of stagnant wages, adding that it would be proper to look at the wages periodically.

According to him, such review will cushion the effect of rising inflation on workers.

Ukeni said it was imperative to know how the economy was fairing in terms of productivity and other factors before reviewing wages.

CHOBA (RIVERS)-Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)has inaugurated a 300,000 U.S. dollars (N49.2m) Petroleum Engineering Drilling Mud Laboratory Equipment at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).

The Managing Director of SPDC, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu, said at the inauguration of the equipment in Choba, Rivers, that the facility would be used to conduct research on Exploration and Production (E&P) in the nation’s oil and gas industry.

Sunmonu, who was represented by the company’s Manager, Well Engineering, Mr Bernard Obaorekpe, said that the equipment had been fully tested and put to use in research and development and teaching.

“This equipment is going to help boost research work in E&P challenges – and that should help to boost the petroleum engineering activities in this (Niger Delta) region.

“I have no doubt that certainly with the use of this equipment we will be able to transform this institution (UNIPORT) into a centre of excellence for petroleum engineering and boost the local content in our (petroleum) industry.

“This same set of equipment has been donated to two other

universities – the Federal University of Technology, Owerri and the University of Ibadan – and the formal inauguration of the equipment is also being planned.

“The equipment is state-ofthe-art (technology), and this is the kind of equipment you will find anywhere in the world you go.“ Sunmonu said the company had recently launched a new education strategy that focused on generating the intellectual and creative energy required for sustained performance and future global competitiveness of Nigerians.

He expressed optimism that the strategy would produce the next generation of scholars, who would be intellectually equipped to take up responsibilities toward the nation’s development.

On his part, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof.

Ethelbert Nduka, who took delivery of the facility, said already the university was the centre for excellence in oil and gas studies in sub-saharan Africa.

Nduka, representing the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, said the laboratory facility would be put to best use to enable UNIPORT to compete favourably with top universities in the world.

SPDC Inaugurates $300,000 Lab

Life

A Caring Heart For The Needy And The Hopeless

“Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have setî ñ Proverbs 22:28 There is no denying the fact that the state of the nation occasioned by skyrocketing inflation, grim and grave insecurity (a la Boko Haram activities), excruciating poverty in the midst of fabulous affluence for a tiny minority ,kidnapping, palpable tension, diseases etc have turned the hearts of many citizens into stones.

Also, even in the midst of churches almost everywhere one turns his or her head, where many religious leaders and bodies have simply turned their gospel mainly into miracles and prosperity; I was excited when I visited a religious outfit called The Resurrected Jesus Ministry A.K.A All Power Chapel in Lagos Street, area of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, recently.

I was excited because the religious outreach is absolutely into preaching and teaching salvation and love messages to the whole world. The ministryís objective is

By IGBOTAKO NOWINTA

to transform and perfect the world with love. According to the book of Colossians 3:14, which states that: ìAnd above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectionî.

Reverend Charles Osamudiamen Aigbe, Spiritual Head of the ministry is simply practicalising the concept of ancient landmarks which has been handed over to man-

kind since the days of old.

What is the ancient landmark? The ancient landmark is nothing but the mandate by the lord that: ìout of your income you are to take care of the poor and the needy.”

According to Reverend Charles Aigbe who has spent 15 years in the vineyard of God almighty and received the calling of God of the age of 19,

“The Ancient Landmark is the rules or principles of life established long ago in the land by God through our fathers of faith to guide us in the landÖ God is giving to us all in other to succeed or prosper in the land.”

That is to say explicitly that when people give to the poor according to biblical injunctions they are indirectly giving to the Lord and they will be

rewarded accordingly, as evil will be far away from those that obey the word of God. In all history the poor, the needy, the orphans, widows, prisoners, the sick etc have been living with the rich and it is their right according to Rev. Charles Aigbe to be catered for.

In the words of Rev. Aigbe: ìYou have been mandated by Lord that out of your income daily, monthly,

you are to take care of the all, failure to do this, you are depriving them of their rightsî.

Therefore, the Resurrected Jesus Ministry sends its disciples on humanitarian missions daily and visits orphanages regularly to distribute various gifts items and also preach the word of God. In a society such as ours where some people have placed it upon themselves to sanitize Edo State, nay Nigeria on the need for people to support and care for the needy it is normal as common sense dictates that such religious outfit should be greatly encouraged in every way possible by government at various strata, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and kind spirited individuals that are financially comfortable.

In a nutshell, if we all chose to lend a helping hand to the less privilege and cultivate the spirit of charity like what Rev. Aigbe and his disciples are doing, definitely acrimony, tension, hatred, general insecurity etc will be reduced in the land.

“There is no denying the fact that the state of the nation occasioned by skyrocketing inflation, grim and grave insecurity (a la Boko Haram activities), excruciating poverty in the midst of fabulous affluence for a tiny minority, kidnapping, palpable tension, diseases etc have turned the hearts of many citizens into stones.”

THE unbundling of the Power Ho ding Company of Nigeria (PIICN) an its eventual sale to independent distribution companies across the country had generated furore and intense controversy.

WHILE the pervading fears among electricity consumers who yearned for stable power supply was the success of the power reform programme in order for Nigerians to reap its maximum benefit, the issue of disengagement of the workforce and payment of entitlements remained at the bedrock of the programme.

THE electricity workers body under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employers (NUEE) had flexed muscles with government concerning their entitlements to a point that the body threatened the nation with a black out.

THE power sector reform which necessitated the unbundling of the PHCN and the quest to lay a new road map for Nigerians to benefit is still a long way off and that it is why a smooth transition and payment of entitlements was a major corner stone for the leap forward to begin.

DURING the Nigerian Power Investors Conference (PIC) in Abuja in February, President Jonathan had announced that a total Investment of $900 billion (about N144 trillion) would be needed over a period of 30 years to develop the nation’s energy sector.

ACCORDING to President Jonathan, under the National Infrastructure Master

THE NIGERIAN

Towards Efficient Power Sector Plan, the country needs a total of $2.9 trillion for infrastructure development efforts in the next 30 years, from around 2014 — 2045. The energy sector alone, he estimates would need an infusion of about $900 billion during the period with a bulk percentage expected to come from the private sector.

ALSO the sector needs about $10 billion for capital expenditure for generation and distribution companies in the next few years to enable the nation raise additional 5,000 mw.

AGAINST this background, it is expected that the distribution companies who have fully bought off that share of the market settle down to deliver the gains of privatization to Nigerians.

BY now, the NIGERIAN OBSERVER notes that the issue of severance payments to disengaged workers should have been done with, given the payment of N380 billion to disengaged PHCN workers.

IT is imperative that the power reform programme should be made a success by the labour union in the sector, the Investors who have put in their money and the generality of Nigerians who yearn for regular power supply.

AVAILABLE facts indicate that labour in

the sector had earlier collected N8 billion from the Federal Government as a condition for allowing last year ’s disengagement of PHCN workers in order to assist the new successor companies gain a strong hold.

SOME disengaged staff from available record, collected as much as NI 00 million and those in the junior category going home with about N6 million each.

IT is therefore significant that having been paid off, the new investors should be allowed to hold the reins of control and be free to re-absolve competent ones while those not so lucky could find jobs elsewhere.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER remarks that electricity consumers demand the best of services from the new investors and should not be goaded into reappointing non productive workers who would be clogs in the way of efficient delivery of services.

IPSOFACTO, It appears that stakeholders are at the mercy of labour in the sector if the investors are not given the free hand to right size and inject new blood into the sector as the current national goal is for an efficient and reliable power sector to run a burgeoning economy.

ON this ground, we enjoin the electricity union to collaborate as they have always done with the new investors in order to improve the yearnings and aspirations of electricity consumers to shore up the power supply situation for the good of all Nigerians.

Opinion

Reasons For Poor Performance In Public Schools

JUDGING from the performances of public schools, (primary and post primary) in various internal and external examinations when compared to that of the performances in the same examinations, one could clearly see that the public schools are nowhere before the private schools. What a shameful episode!. The next question now is: what is responsible for this poor performances of public schools today.

The reasons are numerous.

One of the reasons is the frequent launching of educational programmes without putting in place all that is needed that will make it to succeed. In 1996, the federal government launched the “universal primary education” (UPE).

The intention of the Federal Government is that all children will benefit from the programme. It greatly reduced all secondary school fees; teacher training colleges were free and the federal universities and other federal institutions. All have equal opportunity to enjoy these educational privileges. But instead of the federal government thinking of how to expand this programme so that it succeeds the more, before you know it the 6:3:3:4 system of education was introduced, From the way this scheme was ran you will agree with me that it was a huge failure. In the first place, without training personal for the programme, the federal government went ahead to import machines into the country. These machines were distributed to our secondary schools; but they were stolen away by thieves.

In some schools they became dwelling homes for rats, rabbits and many other animals.

Some subjects like woodwork, electronics, and mechanics etc. were just enlisted in the school curriculum but there are no teachers to teach such subjects.

Today, in the private schools any subjects in the school curriculum will be taught.

How will they not perform better during examinations?

On the 30 of September 1999, we were all aware that the federal government launched another educational programme — Universal Basic Education (UBE). This programme was equally launched in the 36 states of the Federation and Local Government Areas in the various States of the Country.

The programme took off at the primary level and adult literacy level in January 2000.

According to the programme,

By ISAAC IKHINAEDE

a child is supposed to spend 6 years in the primary school, 3 years in the junior secondary school, 3 years in the senior secondary school and 4 years in the university. Also, according to the designers of the programme, once a student finishes from the senior secondary school, he is to go straight to the university after making the required credits needed for admission in the particular course he/she wants to study. It implies that the student is not supposed to go through any examination like JAMB before being admitted into the university. With this, we can see that the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme has failed woefully.

Inadequate of teaching staff is one of the major factors that is combating against the educational standard of our country. Most of our schools today have not gotten enough teaching staff. There are schools where we have a head teacher and two teachers only.

Even in some secondary schools, there are some schools where you have only a principal and a teacher. In fact, there are even some schools where you have only a principal. What effective learning do we expect from such a school?

In 2013 the Federal Government demanded for NCE graduates to be employed into the schools in the federation. But surprisingly the Federal government that requested for the employment of the NCE teachers specifically declared that they do not want NCE graduates from National Teachers Institute (NTI). Of course, this is a programme that is put in place by the Federal Government.

Historically in our primary schools, those set of teachers are the problems in most of our schools. They are the types of teachers that cannot teach effectively in our schools.

Possibly, these are the type of teachers that the Comrade Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole discovered in some of the schools that earlier made him to resolve that there is the need for the teachers in the State to write Competency or Assessment test.

Most importantly, the Federal Government do not motivate teachers. The councilors in the local government, chairman and many other government

personnel go for seminar from time to time. Each time they go for such seminars, a handsome sum of money is normally paid to them. But let the teachers even go for a seminar; they would even be made to be begging for the meager remuneration they will be paid at the end of the seminar.

Besides, when civil servants go on transfer they are normally paid disturbance allowance, packing allowance and twenty-eight days hotel allowance: but for teachers

there is no allowance of any sort that is being paid to them whenever they are transferred.

Furthermore, in those days we discover that there was keen competition among schools i.e essay competition, quiz, debate and so on. All these used to encourage pupil/ students to learn greatly. We discovered that these are not frequently taken place in public schools today.

The Federal, State and Local Government used to award scholarship to deserving pupils/students in schools.

This also motivates pupils/ students to learn. Instead of the above, what do we see? We discovered that the Federal, State and Local Government have shifted more emphasis to sports neglecting education which is the bedrock of any nation.

Before now our public schools in Edo-State were lacking the necessary teaching aids/infrastructure. Most of our school buildings were not habitable for learning. Most teachers were not having tables/chairs; most pupils/ students were also not having

seats/desks. But today since the comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole came on board as there governor of Edo-State, he created buildings in many schools, renovated many dilapidated ones, constructed perimeter fences round most of the schools, provided teaching aids for teachers and also provided books for pupils/ students. In short schools in the State regain its lost glory and will therefore discover that there is mass movement of pupils/students from private schools to public schools.

and the oxford reader book one written by Nigerian authors, The premier is written in such a way that, for the first year the child is taught to recognize capital letters, small letters and two letter words like it, on, is, in, am, ox, at, if and so on and so forth.

Before the end of the term, the child reads simple sentences like; it is an ox, am I to go. The child then proceeds to three letter words like: cat, mat, car, hen, e.t.c. during the second term.

At the end of the term, he can combine two and three letter words to read sentences like: if is a red hen; the cat sat on the mat. In the third term, the child is taught four to five letter

Again, we see that in most examinations that the pupils/ students are mostly subjected to objective system of examination. Some experts (educationist) say that objective system encourages laziness on the part of the pupils/students. Most times, pupils don’t write sentences during the examination. What they do is to choose A, B, C, D or E for an answer.

Education expert who planned the primary syllabus and Nigeria authors are first to be held responsible for not taking into consideration the first year of the child in the school.

A thorough look at the present day reader by Nigerians shows that the authors do not in any way consider the age of the child.

The first three years of the child is the foundation laying age and care must be taken when writing books for them.

A child who is unable to read in primary three may find it difficult for the rest part of his schooling. Those who attended schools in the fifties should compare the “premier reader”

words e.g. bell, this, what, well, ball e. t .c. The child at this stage reads sentences like: “this is a bell, what is that? It is a bell”.

The present day reader differs greatly from the premier.

The author took it for granted that before the child enters the school, he must have mastered capital letter, small letters and recognition of two to six letter words. Get a copy of the oxford reader book one; pupils start reading sentences like, it is a bell, it is a bottle, it is a leaf, it is a tree e. t. c.

Do you expect a child in primary one who spent about two months in the school to recognize words like bell, leaf; bottle and tree?. I agree that the pictures are there. Which is important, the recognition of words or pictures? They therefore fail their examinations trimly. If one cannot read the questions on the question papers how will he know what’s required of him/her by the examiner.

Our teachers also contribute to the problem facing the children. Their method of

approach to the teaching of English (reading) is nothing to write home about. Instead of teaching the difficult words before the reading of a passage, they simply call out the best pupil to read. As he reads on, the rest pupils read after him. If you visit some schools during English (reading) lessons, you will regret sending your child to such a school. What the pupils gain from this type of reading is their ability to memorise a whole passage and their inability to recognize words.

To raise the performance standard of education in this country today, teachers should be paid as at when due, they should be given good condition of service. Hard working teachers should always be rewarded. This will

encourage lazy teachers to be very hard working.

Regular seminars should be organized for teachers so that they will always be equipped with different modem teaching techniques. As seminars are organized for them a handsome remuneration should always be paid to them.

Scholarship awards should be re-introduced to deserving pupils/students. Federal, State and Local Government should also encourage keen, competition by way of introducing school debate, essay competition and quiz competition into school.

More teachers should be employed so that enough teachers can be posted to all our schools.

We should go back to yesterday by re-introducing the (premier) or let Nigerian authors follow the pattern of the premier. All these plus a host of others, I hope if considered and put into use will greatly enhance the performances of pupil/ students in public schools.

Oil And Gas

Petroleum Industry Bill

Matters Arising THE much debated and contentious Petroleum Industry Bill 2012 (PIB) is a quantum leap in the remaking of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, if and when it becomes the law of the land. Some Nigerians deemed the bill controversial because many of them have not read the bill but rather depend on the opposition of the bill to propagate their incoherence and distortions. One thing for sure, the government of Nigeria must be applauded for initiating the task to reform and make some crucial changes in the most important sector of Nigerian economy. The bill is not perfect; nevertheless it will re-launch the deteriorated sector into a solidify reformed and streamlined entity.

The PIB must be balanced and made attractive to investors by incentivising it without jeopardizing and compromising the spirit and integrity of the bill.

The PIB must be adjusted, refined and consolidated to become the perfect bill for a constructive reform needed in the oil and gas industry. Some adjustments and adaptations are necessary to satisfy and clarify some impending edges of the bill.

Since the discovery of oil in Nigeria by Shell- British Petroleum in 1950, Nigeria has made billions of dollars, yet the country accrued one of the worst indexes of misery. Over 70 percent of Nigeria lives in abject poverty, struggling to provide their families with three square meals.

The electricity and modern infrastructures are pipe dream. The wealth of the nation has been siphoned to foreign and off shores accounts. The worst of all, the environmental degradation brought by oil exploration and the subsequent health problems have approached an explosive dimension, an

By EMEKA CHIAKWELU

unmitigated disaster. The oil curse and imminent Dutch disease have done untold harm to Nigeria’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors.

Therefore without a doubt, a reform is needed, but is PIB capable of ushering in the requisite reform?

The PIB is intended to rescind and replace the below current laws in the book: *Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (Establishment) Act 2003; *Petroleum Equalization Fund (Management Board, etc.) Act CAP 11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 *Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund Act, CAP 14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; and *Petroleum Technology Development Fund Act CAP P15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; *Petroleum Act CAP 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004;(‘Petroleum Act’) *Motor Spirits (Returns) Act, CAP M20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 *Associated Gas Reinjection Act CAP A25 Laws of the Federation ofNigeria, 2004 *Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Act, CAP D3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; except for sections 16 subsection (1) and (2) Petroleum Profits Tax Act, CAP P13 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The contemporary laws are not consistent with country’s ambition; therefore we rightly welcome the PIB. But wait a second! Let’s put this PIB in perspective. How is going to benefit average Nigerian and what are the structures put together to make sure that accumulated revenues and taxes are channel to building the necessary infrastructures for economic

development. The key point for PIB is to reform the petroleum industry and raise quantifiable fund to develop the country.

PIB is an ambitious project in the sense that it will tax more and accumulate more revenues from the industry partakers

and participants including – “Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., Total SA, Eni SpA, who produce around 90% of Nigeria’s oil through several joint ventures with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp.”

The pros and cons of such a massive taxation must be fully examine in order to

Allison Deiziani-Maduekwe, Minister of Petroleum

make sure that it will not be obstacle for further investment in oil and gas sector of the economy. The bill stipulated that the taxation for upstream drilling is to be pegged at 50 percent and for downstream drilling at 25 percent.

Extracting and exerting such a huge levy on the oil companies may sound tantalizing and satisfying but the possible downside must be considered and evaluated. Since most of the financing of the high intensive projects in the sector are done by these big oil companies, it is necessary to tread carefully.

As Mark Ward, the managing director of ExxonMobil’s Nigerian unit argued that such a massive taxation makes Nigeria’s oil and gas industry unattractive to invest. Ward said at an Energy conference, “the terms proposed increase royalties, increase taxes, and lower allowances or incentives all at the same time,” will make Nigeria “one of the world’s harshest fiscal regimes.”

Ward’s criticism cannot be wave off easily, without a detailed examination, but that does not entails that his argument is 100% correct.

The level of the participation of local financing is quite minuscule and high taxes probably will not incentivize those international oil companies operating in Nigeria to further investment in the country.

Nigeria failed woefully to utilize the accumulated revenue from the oil industry to develop the industry. There by relying on foreign capital from the big oil companies to play the critical role in the extraction, drilling and development of the industry. The best thing for Nigeria to do with the PIB is to progressively levy the companies from somewhat

lower percent in the course of 5-10 years until it approach the targeted percentage. The good window is that the gradual increases of the taxation has a lower and lessen impact on the companies, inducing the receiving of the burden in good faith. The will also send the message that punitive action is not intention of the petroleum bill, that we are all together in the struggle to develop the industry.

Other aspects of the PIB were encouraging including the total deregulation of the downstream drilling. My idealistic wish is that there comes a day that Nigerian government will totally withdraw and disengage from the participation in the oil and gas industry. The only supposedly function is to tax the industry while NNPC will be privatised and shares floated and bought over by local investors. But until we get there, Nigerian government must concentrate and direct her resources in developing the industry with verifiable and strong local content.

Bitumen or Asphalt inclusion as a petroleum product is not a stretch as opposition members of PIB chose to ferment. Although the bituminous shales were not part of the contemporary Petroleum Act but the in the quest to broaden revenue collection, the government is entitle to making the inclusion, provided that it will not hamper the attraction of investments in the industry.

The section of the PIB that empowered the minister of petroleum and the president to issue drilling licenses may be further elaborated with conditional ties and modus operandi to ensure that biases, mediocrity and nepotism will be checked with transparency.

“The PIB must be adjusted, refined and consolidated to become the perfect bill for a constructive reform needed in the oil and gas industry. Some adjustments and adaptations are necessary to satisfy and clarify some impending edges of the bill.”

Rural Development Providing Renewable Energy In Rural Communities

WITH the worsening environmental degradation brought about by factors such as climate change, the world is shifting its focus from traditional energy to renewable energy, particularly in efforts to meet the energy needs of rural dwellers.

Analysts note that most rural communities in Nigeria are not connected to the national electricity grid, compelling them to depend heavily on traditional energy sources such as kerosene lamps, palm oil lamps and candles for lighting.

They, however, observe that a few privileged ones in those communities rely on small petrol generators, popularly called “I better pass my neighbour’’, to meet their energy needs.

Experts, nonetheless, insist that many rural dwellers contract respiratory disorders because of their continuous inhalation of harmful gases emitted by these unsustainable energy sources.

They note that the rural dwellers are also vulnerable to domestic fire outbreak which could lead to the loss of people’s lives and property.

An energy expert, Mr Etiosa Uyigue, said that the use of renewable (sustainable) energy products had the potential to increase the living standards of people in the rural areas and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

“The use of renewable energy has the potential to increase the people’s income in agricultural rural communities, thereby boosting the development of rural development.

“Through this way, much income, skills transfer and manufacturing opportunities for small businesses would be injected into the rural communities,” he said.

However, Uyigue said that the Global Environment Facility-UN Development Programme (GEF-UNDP) was implementing a sustainable energy project in some selected communities

By CECILIA OLOGUNAGBA

in Nasarawa State, as a pilot scheme.

He stressed that the project would provide renewable energy sources, while facilitating energy efficiency in Roguwa, Lower and Upper Uke communities in Karu Local Government Area of the state.

He said that GEF-UNDP was implementing the project under its Energy Efficiency in Nigeria scheme, adding that this was in conformity with the objectives of the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative.

Uyigue said that the project would be executed in collaboration with the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

“GEF-UNDP will spend N21 million on the project in the selected communities.

‘No fewer than 400 households in the communities would benefit from the replacement of incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

“We are going to give five CFLs, which are energy saving lamps, to each household in the selected communities.

“The project will also include the provision of solarpowered lighting systems for selected households in the areas that are not connected to the national grid,’’ he said.

Besides, Uyigue, who is the National Coordinator of GEF-UNDP’s Energy Efficiency in Nigeria Programme, said that a solar water pump would be installed at the water borehole in Roguwa community.

He also said that at least 50 solar panels would be installed in strategic locations in the three benefiting communities.

He said that the solar panels would generate at least seven kilowatts of electricity for the households in those

communities He added that the solar panels would generate four kilowatts of electricity in Upper and Lower Uke neighbourhoods, while generating three kilowatts of energy in Roguwa community.

Dr Akindeji Falaki, a climate change expert, who spoke at a recent sensitisation workshop on sustainable energy in Roguwa community organised to inaugurate the project, urged the community members to

adopt best practices in efforts to promote energy efficiency.

Falaki, also the Team Leader (Climate Change and Environment) at National Orientation Agency (NOA), said that the promotion of energy efficiency was of one of the ways of mitigating the impact of climate change.

He, however, urged the members of Roguwa community to embrace

environmental friendly behaviour in order to protect their environment.

“We are doing everything in partnership with you and we want you to work with us to achieve success in implementing the project.

“We will learn from you and you will learn from us so that you can take the message to other neighouring communities,’’ he added.

Similarly, Mr David Kusimo of the GEF Office in the Federal Ministry of Environment, urged the communities to imbibe best practices in order to protect

their environment.

He pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to providing energy, especially renewable energy, for the citizens.

“This project will enhance development in Roguwa community. As you know, this project is funded by GEF and the ministry is in charge of facilitating GEF projects in Nigeria.

“All the same, environmentalists say that Nigeria will be in a better position to meet the energy needs of the rural dwellers if the potential of solar energy is fully exploited.”

“It is the wish of the government for us to come together and see how we can develop this community as part of the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration,’’ he said.

The Village Head of Roguwa, Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, thanked the Federal Government and other partners for their timely intervention in the community’s infrastructure.

Abdullahi stressed that his community was not connected to the national grid, forcing the villagers to rely solely on kerosene lamp and generators.

He also noted that the residents of the community were hitherto getting water from a well, which was

leadership will be allowed to nominate those that will serve on the committee and the members will be given additional training on the maintenance and installation of solar panels. “ The LERC members would ensure that people pay some fees for the services, while the proceeds will be used by the LERC to maintain the facility.

“In Roguwa community, a metering device called ‘Current Limiter’ will be installed in each benefiting household. This is to ensure that community members pay for the electricity they consume.

“It will also prevent them from drawing electric current more than what has been allocated to each household,’’

almost drying up at the time of the visit by the GEFUNDP team.

“We are happy that our community has been selected for this project and we believe that it will enhance our wellbeing and development.

“We are ready to cooperate with the GEF-UNDP team to sustain the project; they have already presented a sustainability plan and we will ensure its implementation,’’ Abdullahi added.

On the sustainability of the project, Uyigue said that the project had inbuilt mechanisms to ensure its sustainability, adding that a Local Regulatory Committee (LERC) would be set up to oversee its maintenance.

“The community

he said.

Uyigue stressed that LERC members would be responsible for managing the facility with proceeds accumulating from the charges on behalf of the community.

All the same, environmentalists say that Nigeria will be in a better position to meet the energy needs of the rural dwellers if the potential of solar energy is fully exploited.

Insisting that solar energy has many comparative advantages over other energy sources, they stress that the rural population, who constitute a greater percentage of Nigeria’s population, will have steady, hitch-free access to electricity via solar power applications.

Foot Print

Contiuned from last week

WASHINGTON feared that Howe’s opening move might be to send ships straight up the Hudson River to land a strong force behind the city.

However, the British general chose to begin his operations by landing on Long Island.

The only American fortifications there were at Brooklyn Heights, covering the approaches to the East River and Manhattan Island.

Some 9000 American troops, about half of Washington’s total force, were on Long Island when 20,000 British and German troops began landing at Gravesend Bay on August 22. About 4000 of the Americans were deployed well in front of the Brooklyn Heights fortifications to observe and delay the enemy’s progress.

These troop placements have been more severely criticized than any other military act of Washington’s career, since they exposed his army to the danger of being destroyed piece by piece.

Howe, moving deliberately, made a surprise attack on the 4000 men in forward positions and hurled them back in headlong flight to Brooklyn Heights, with the loss of more than one-third of their number. Had Howe instantly followed through by throwing his whole force against the American lines on the heights, he would certainly have overwhelmed them, and Washington would have lost half his army.

However, by not doing so, he gave Washington a chance to retrieve his original error, a chance Washington seized and exploited.

During the next 24 hours, working desperately against time—for at any moment the British warships might block his line of retreat— Washington gathered all the barges, boats, and small craft he could and assigned men from Colonel Glover’s Massachusetts regiment to operate them. During the night of August 29, under Washington’s personal command and direction, the entire American force on Long Island, with all its stores, artillery, and equipment, was ferried across the East River to Manhattan without a single casualty.

Thus Washington brilliantly redeemed his original error, and his later conduct of the war showed that he was fully capable of learning from experience. Never again did he offer battle to a British army under conditions that denied him full freedom of action to preserve his own army should the battle turn against him. Howe finally

decided to occupy New York City on September 15. To avoid being outflanked, Washington fell back and fought delaying actions at Harlem Heights and then, in October, at White Plains.

During the last two months of 1776, Washington was in constant retreat. He stationed a force under Major General Heath near West Point, New York, to guard the vital entrance to the highlands of New York state. He then withdrew across the Hudson into New Jersey and moved slowly southwestward to the Delaware River at Trenton.

There he collected all available boats and crossed the river into Pennsylvania on December 8, just as the advance guard of the pursuing British column entered the t o w n .

This was the darkest hour of the new American republic.

Howe proclaimed complete victory. Congress shared his view and fled south from Philadelphia to Baltimore.

Washington, with only a remnant of his army, some 3000 men, seemed already defeated and of no further account.

On December 13, 1776, Major General Charles Lee was captured in New Jersey by a British patrol. The command of his troops passed to Brigadier General John Sullivan, who immediately marched south to join Washington. This raised the commander’s total force to about 6000. Thus reinforced, Washington planned a victory that would electrify the entire country. The British had pulled back most of their troops to winter in New York City, leaving scattered garrisons of German mercenaries in New Jersey.

These German troops were called Hessians because most of them were hired from the German state of HessenKassel. The nearest of these Hessian garrisons to Washington’s camp was at Trenton and consisted of about 1200 men. Washington decided to capture this force and set the morning of December 26 for the attack.

He was reasonably sure that lonely troops in a foreign land would have had much alcohol to drink to celebrate Christmas Day, and would still be groggy from the effects. This was a good time to surprise them.

On December 25, despite a raging storm, Washington led his small army of 2500 across the ice-clogged Delaware.

The surprise was complete.

The Hessians’ scattered attempts at resistance collapsed in minutes, and the garrison at the next post fled in haste on receiving the

George Washington: Pa news. Washington was able to recross the Delaware with his prisoners and booty without interference. But he considered Trenton only a beginning because he now received fresh troops that doubled the size of his forces.

These were Pennsylvania militiamen who had been induced to extend their enlistments after Washington pledged his own money to cover their pay. On December 29, with 5000 men, he again crossed the Delaware.

Washington’s objective now was to force the British to withdraw from New Jersey altogether and to station his army in a secure position in the hills near Morristown, New Jersey, on the flank of the British route to Philadelphia. Attacked at Trenton by a British force under General Charles Cornwallis, he withdrew during the night of January 2, 1777. He then circled around the British flank and, near Princeton, severely defeated three British regiments marching to reinforce Cornwallis. Washington then again eluded the main body of British troops and moved north to Morristown. By attacking Cornwallis’s supply lines, he forced the British to retreat to New York City.

Thus the British were compelled to abandon all but a small corner of New Jersey to American control.

At Morristown, during the remainder of the winter, Washington’s chief concern was recruitment. Although recruits came in slowly, Washington had the satisfaction of knowing that they could now be fitted into the framework of a permanent army organisation. The Continental Army was entirely Washington’s creation. He had overcome every obstacle, using the lessons of painful experience as skillfully against his opponents in Congress as against those on the battlefield.

Howe wasted the first six months of 1777 on feeble skirmishing in northern New Jersey. Washington met this with bold action. Then, in July, when British General John Burgoyne was deep in the wilderness of northern New York state and fully committed, Howe loaded 14,000 troops aboard ship and sailed for Philadelphia, leaving Burgoyne to face inevitable disaster.

Washington could not expect to keep Howe out of Philadelphia, but for the sake

of morale he would not give up the city without a fight. In a defensive battle at Brandywine Creek on September 11 a turning movement by Cornwallis rolled up Washington’s right flank, but American Major General Nathanael Greene’s division fought a stout rearguard action to cover the withdrawal of the defeated units. This spoke well for the improved quality of Washington’s Continental Army. Howe moved on to Philadelphia without any serious attempt to follow up his success.

On October 5, Washington made a surprise attack on the British at Germantown, west of Philadelphia, and gained initial successes that could not be maintained because of fog, confusing orders, and stout British resistance (see Germantown, Battle of). But Washington’s boldness in launching this attack so soon after his defeat at Brandywine Creek produced a favorable effect both at home and in France. The news of Brandywine and Germantown reached Paris in December and gave the French government ministers enough confidence in Washington to recommend to King Louis XVI that he sign a treaty of alliance with the United States.

Soon afterward came news that Burgoyne had surrendered at the Battle of Saratoga, and the French king’s lingering doubts were overcome.

Howe’s army passed the winter in fairly comfortable quarters in Philadelphia.

Washington’s army wintered under conditions of extreme privation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where they could observe any move Howe made. It was during this winter that a coalition of Congress members and discontented officers tried to replace Washington with General Horatio Gates, in a scheme known as the Conway Cabal. However, the cabal’s end result was to establish Washington’s influence in the Continental Congress on a stronger foundation than before.

On May 1, 1778, Washington heard the news that transformed the nature of the war: A treaty of alliance had been signed between the United States and the king of France.

Washington’s reaction was immediate: “If there is war between France and Britain, Philadelphia is an ineligible situation for the Army under Sir William

By OBUSEH JUDE

Howe.” This remark is the first definite evidence of the idea taking form in Washington’s mind: to catch a British army in a situation where it could be hemmed in by a superior land force, with its escape or reinforcement by sea cut off. Washington did not know it, but blockading the British army in Philadelphia was exactly the enterprise that the French admiral the Comte d’Estaing,

description of the military situation in the summer of 1778: “It is not a little pleasing ... to contemplate that after two years’ manoeuvring and undergoing the strangest vicissitudes ... both armies are brought back to the very place they set out from, and that the offending [British] army at the beginning is now reduced to the use of the

Iro inc ha the to th Ge Ch Ch in 50 “re Ki I fo Co arr

George Washington already at sea, had in mind.

General Sir Henry Clinton, who took control of the British forces when Howe resigned that spring, was forewarned of the aim of the French fleet and withdrew his men and equipment to New York City. Washington ordered an attack on the retreating British at Monmouth, New Jersey, on June 28, 1778, but the attack failed because of the perfidy of General Charles Lee, who had been released and had resumed his command. Lee ordered his troops to retreat, an action that was revealed many years later as part of a plan of betrayal that he had agreed to with the British while they held him prisoner (see Monmouth, Battle of).

A letter written by Washington contains a striking

spade and pickaxe for d e f e n s e . ” Washington was aware of the negative effect produced in Britain by the utter collapse of British military efforts in America. His strategy became one of infinite patience, avoiding at all costs any serious disaster to his army, keeping the French firmly convinced of American reliability, and watching and planning to present the British with one more defeat comparable to Saratoga. Then the will of the British people to sustain the American war might well suffer a complete collapse.

During 1779, Washington strengthened the positions that held the main British army in New York City. He also sent a strong expedition to lay waste the land of the

squ Ter dis beg sen and a de to fun Thi att Yor late T wa gre bee stro off Fre hap of wit a s aga

Foot Print

artriarch Of The USA

oquois, whose Britishcited raids on the frontier ad become intolerable. But ere was little he could do stem British successes in e south. Savannah, eorgia, was lost in 1778 and harles Town (now harleston), South Carolina, 1779, and Cornwallis had 000 troops in the South to educe the Carolinas to the ing’s obedience.”

In July 1779 a French rce of 6000 under the omte de Rochambeau rived, escorted by a naval

that trapped it in the city. With the British surrender on October 19, Washington obtained the victory he hoped would end the war. The following March the House of Commons, a chamber of Britain’s Parliament, declared its unwillingness to support the war in America.

Washington’s judgment, patience, and soldierly fortitude had established the military foundation on which U.S. independence was to be erected. However, his duties as commander in chief were not

uadron under Admiral de rnay. Washington’s note cussing future operations gan with a most significant ntence: “In any operations d under all circumstances, ecisive naval superiority is be considered as a ndamental principle ....” is superiority was finally ained for the siege of rktown more than a year er.

The victory at Yorktown as one of Washington’s eatest triumphs. He had en forced to check his ong urge for a “vigorous fensive” until the second ench fleet arrived. This ppened in the late summer 1781, and Washington th great energy coordinated sea and land operation ainst Cornwallis’s force

yet ended. Although hostilities had virtually ceased by April 1782, Washington knew that the British king, George III, had yielded to the wishes of the House of Commons reluctantly. He was most anxious that there should be no visible relaxation of American vigilance while the peace negotiations dragged along their weary course. “There is nothing,” he wrote, “which will so soon produce a speedy and honorable peace, as a state of preparedness for war.”

Washington rejected, with anger and abhorrence, a suggestion, which had some support in the army, of establishing a monarchy with himself as king. In March 1783, with Congress still dawdling, anonymous

letters appeared calling a meeting of officers.

Washington promptly broke this up by calling a meeting on his own authority. He begged the officers to do nothing “that would tarnish the reputation of an army which is celebrated throughout Europe for its fortitude and patriotism.” His appeal averted what might have been serious trouble.

Peace was officially proclaimed on April 19, 1783, but not until November 25, as the last British boats put off to the ships, did Washington’s troops enter New York City.

On December 4, Washington took leave of his principal officers at Fraunces Tavern and departed at last for home and the peace and quiet of a planter’s life. He stopped at Annapolis, Maryland, where Congress was temporarily meeting, to take his leave of the civilian power he had always so meticulously obeyed and to surrender his commission as commander in chief. He reached Mount Vernon on Christmas Eve of 1783. There he hoped ardently, as he wrote in a letter at the time, to remain “a private citizen, under the shadow of my own vine and my own figtree [and] move gently down the stream of life, until I sleep with my fathers.”

At Mount Vernon, Washington found himself confronted by financial problems. After eight years of relative neglect, Mount Vernon needed much rebuilding and there was little capital to do it with. During the dark war years of 1778 to 1780, Washington had refused pay for his services and had unhesitatingly poured almost all of his private fortune into the purchase of loan certificates issued by Congress to finance the war. This paper was of dubious value, either then or later. But he made no complaint and firmly refused offers of a grant or other stipend from Congress.

Washington spent a busy summer in 1784 devoting himself to his farms, making improvements on his mansion, and entertaining countless visitors, some uninvited and unwelcome.

Then in the fall he visited his lands in the Ohio River valley, where he held more than 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres). He found some of his property settled by squatters, who refused to move, and he could not reach his holdings near the mouth of the Kanawha River because of

Native American unrest. On his return journey he looked over the terrain of the region where the Potomac River’s headwaters are nearest those of the Monongahela. This investigation reflected his interest in creating a system of canals and portages that would give access, through the mountains, to the broad Western lands.

Again, at Mount Vernon, in October 1784, Washington became absorbed in this new project. A combination of waterways and roads connecting the Potomac with the Ohio valley would benefit the nation by hastening settlement of the western lands, increasing trade, and binding the settlers closer to the United States.

Washington asked the Virginia legislature to pass measures providing for a company managed jointly with Maryland to make the Potomac navigable. The legislature complied with Washington’s request and appointed him as Virginia’s representative in negotiations with Maryland. After conferences at Annapolis he had the satisfaction of seeing his proposal embodied in identical bills passed by the two state legislatures to create the Potomac Company, complete with an appropriation of money to get the plan under way.

Washington’s own careful preparation, and rough but effective surveys of the region of the headwaters, had played an important part in achieving this agreement in little more than three months. The twostate agreement had been necessary because, under the Articles of Confederation by which the United States was then governed, Congress could do nothing of much importance without the consent of the states affected.

Washington was deeply troubled about the national government’s weakness and disunity. In 1785 he wrote: “The Confederation appears to me to be little more than a shadow without the substance.” Problems had arisen that the central government should have settled but could not: Rhode Island and Connecticut were not paying their taxes on imported goods. The British placed commercial sanctions against the United States and refused to remove their troops from forts along the northern frontier. This indicated to Washington that Britain hoped to force eventual resubmission of the 13 states

to British authority.

The forts enabled the British to control the Great Lakes and thus threatened the hundreds of U.S. settlers north of the Ohio.

Washington, who knew the western country better than most Americans of his day, realized that an increasing flood of settlers would be crossing the Appalachian Mountains to seek new opportunities. Unless the U.S. government gave the settlers protection and provided a ready access to markets on the Atlantic seaboard, they might eventually seek protection and markets from the British.

Without a strong central government and assured revenues, the United States could do none of these things.

The Potomac Company laws were immediately followed by an agreement between Virginia and Maryland assuring freedom of navigation on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay on a basis of complete equality.

The commissioners who met at Alexandria, Virginia, to draft the details of this pact were greeted by Washington and invited to adjourn to the quiet comfort of Mount Vernon. There, in March 1785, they signed the agreement. It included, apparently at Washington’s suggestion, a provision for annual consultations between representatives of the two legislatures to deal with commercial questions.

This provision was the seed from which the Constitutional Convention grew. In the Maryland legislature, ratification of the Mount Vernon Conference agreements resulted in a suggestion that Pennsylvania and Delaware be invited to the next annual conference to widen the program of development. When this idea reached Richmond, Virginia, state legislator James Madison suggested a meeting of all the states. An invitation was accordingly sent by the Virginia legislature to all the other states suggesting an early meeting to consider the trade of the United States, and “how far a uniform system in their commercial regulation may be necessary for their common interest and their permanent harmony; and to report to the several States such an act relative to this great object as ... will enable the United States in Congress effectually to provide for the same.”

The meeting convened in Annapolis in September

1786. Although all the states had accepted the invitation, only five sent delegates. However, among the 14 delegates who came to Annapolis were 2 to whom Washington had fully opened his mind. These were Madison and Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s trusted wartime aide. The delegates at Annapolis sent out a summons for a convention to meet in Philadelphia in May 1787 to consider measures “to render the constitution of the federal government adequate to the exigencies of the Union.”

Washington was shocked over news of Shays’ Rebellion, an insurrection led by debt-ridden farmers against the government of Massachusetts in 1786. A letter from his old comrade Henry Knox, now secretary of war, indicated that the federal government was almost helpless to deal with the insurrection.

Washington wrote to Madison at Richmond urging that Virginia make haste to set a good example in seeking a stronger central government. “Without some alteration in our political creed, the superstructure we have been seven years raising at the expense of so much blood and treasure, must fall. We are fast verging to anarchy and confusion.”

T h e Vi r g i n i a l e g i s l a t u r e answered this appeal swiftly.

Virginia would set an example.

Its delegates would go to Philadelphia instructed to seek “a general revision of the federal system,” and the legislature unanimously chose Washington to lead the delegation.

Washington was bitterly reluctant to be dragged from his long-sought retirement, but now many who had his friendship and respect appealed to their old commander in chief to lead them again At Philadelphia, Washington was elected president of the convention. In the weary days of labor and successive crises that followed, he made little public contribution to the debates. He kept scrupulously to the impartiality he believed was the duty of the presiding officer. Off the floor, however, it was otherwise. His deep concern for the future of the nation was somehow conveyed not only to his fellow delegates, but to the country at large. “To please all is impossible,” Washington wrote, “and to attempt it would be vain”; and to New York delegate Gouverneur Morris he said, “If, to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair. The event is in the hands of God.” On September 17, 1787, the convention’s work was done. The completed Constitution of the United States received the formal signatures of the delegates, and the convention To be contd. adjourned

Health Matters

Coping With Challenges Of Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak In Nigeria SINCE the death of the American-Liberian Patrick Sawyer on 25th July, 2014 in Nigeria arising from Ebola Virus infection, the epidemic has assumed international public health concern attracting the interest of National, regional, continental and international bodies such as the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS, World Health Organization WHO among others.

Here in Nigeria, apart from Patrick Sawyer, three other persons have died as a result of Ebola Virus infection, two of them happens to be a nurse and a doctor who attended to Patrick Sawyer in the private hospital he was rushed to in Lagos. About eight others were reported to have contacted the disease and are been quarantine and observed medically.

The outbreak of Ebola Virus disease in Nigeria has affected the social and economic life of the people.

For instance, people no longer exchange pleasantries by handshake, hugging or embracing.

Even in religious worship centres, faithfuls no longer exchange the usual “peace” sign of handshake during church service, simply because it has been established that Ebola Virus can be contacted through handshake, hugging or embracing of infected person. Again, people have developed the habit of not eating bush meat of any kind because it has also been established that Ebola Virus can be transmitted by sonic animals such as chimpanzee, monkeys, antelope, porcupine, and other primates, including the fruit hat The hunters and hush meat sellers have been put out of business, while those who choose to remain experience low patronage.

Considering these social, economic and health problems posed by the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria, the Federal and States government in Nigeria have

By DESMOND AGBAMA

taken proactive steps to contain the disease from further spread. Many states governments have set up Rapid Response Committee on Ebola disease, while isolation centres have been identified in the various states in case of reported cases of Ebola Virus outbreak in the States. Here in Edo State, the Committee on Ebola Virus Disease

Committee were charged to create a and sensitize the public on the control and prevention of the Ebola Virus disease in the event of outbreak in Edo State.

Other measures already put in place by the State government is the purchase of an ambulance to convey infected persons to isolation centre, as well as the

health, Edo State, Dr. Peter Ugbodaga, training of health workers to prevent and control the spread of Ebola in the state has commenced.

Meanwhile, experts say there is no Vaccine or treatment for Ebola Virus for now, which explains why the observance of personal and environmental hygiene remains a top priority. Therefore, to curtail the continuous

“The fear of Ebola Virus has forced many uninformed Nigerians to succumb to the rumour about the use of salt water for the prevention and control of the disease. So, some people who consumed excess of salt water eventually died, while others who used salt water to bath developed skin diseases.”

Prevention and Control was inaugurated on Monday I 8 August, 2014 by the State government while the lrrua Specialist Hospital and Stella Obasanjo hospital in Benin City have been designated as isolation centres in Edo State.

Members of ’ the

procurement of safety equipment for health workers. This is been supported by information dissemination to the people in their local languages on radio and television in order to sensitize them.

According to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of

spread of the disease, health workers are advised to always wear protective materials such as hand gloves, goggles, protective dress and shoes. For members of the public, they should avoid contact with infected persons and other wild animals, wash your

“The outbreak of Ebola Virus disease in Nigeria has affected the social and economic life of the people. For instance, people no longer exchange pleasantries by handshake, hugging or embracing.”

hands regularly and avoid eating contaminated bush meat, use sanitizers always after washing your hand.

Importantly, once you start having any symptom of Ebola like fever, redness of eyes, sore throat, diarrhea, skin rash, loss of appetite, abdominal pain,

Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health

headache, chest pain, bleeding and fatigue, you should report to the nearest health facility for prompt intervention. The over all well being and good health of the people should be top most priority of the leaders in every country, and Ebola Virus having become an international issue ought to be the concern of world leaders. It is rather disheartening and

•Ebola Disease Outbreak

unfortunate to know that a country like America whose leaders are regarded as world leaders is denying Ebola victims in Nigeria and other countries the benefit of the experimental drugs called Zimap, while the Nano Silver drug developed by a Nigerian was not certified for use on the Ebola patient to determine its efficacy.

The fear of Ebola Virus has forced many uninformed Nigerians to succumb to the rumour about the use of salt water for the prevention and control of the disease. So, some people who consumed excess of salt water eventually died, while others who used salt water to bath developed skin diseases.

In order to save the life of Nigerians, money should be made available by the State and Federal Governments to support research in pharmacology and herbal medicine, in order to find possible cure for Ebola Virus Disease. There is no doubt that there will be a cure for the disease sonic day, it will only take time, resources, expertise before it is discovered. Until then, every one should adhere strictly to the preventive measures in order to stay alive.

With Eranga Issac 08059233001

Family Planning

“The effectiveness varies slightly depending on how the tubes are blocked, but pregnancy rates are low with all techniques.” all techniques. One of the most effective techniques is cutting and tying the cut ends of the fallopian tubes after childbirth (postpartum tubal ligation). Fertility does not return because sterilization generally cannot be stopped or reversed. The procedure is intended to be permanent.

Reversal surgery 13 difficult, expensive and when performed, reversal surgery often does not lead to pregnancy.

Less than I pregnancy per 100 women over the first year after having the sterilization procedure (5 per 1,000), can

Understanding Female Sterilization Method

FAMILY planning (EFP) is an informed decision by an individual or a couple on how many children to have and when to have them and then achieving this by using modern contraceptive methods. As such, EP plays a major role in improving maternal, newborn and child health. Family planning can help avert high risk pregnancies and reduce maternal deaths by 32% (Cleland J. et al. 2006. family planning: the unfinished agenda. Lancet368:1810-27).

According to the population council, “when women have access to family planning, everyone benefits: women and children are healthier, families and communities can invest more in education and

health care and then poverty is reduced”.

Yet today, more than 222 million women don’t want to be pregnant but aren’t using modern contraception.

If we could meet their needs, we could dramatically improve the health and wellbeing of women, families and communities, says Singh S. and J.E Darroch, 2012 in “Adding it Up : costs and Benefits of contraceptive services- Estimates for 2012 published in New York by Guttmacher Institute and UNEPA”.

Family planning methods can help reduce unmet need for contraception and reduce unintended pregnancy which helps improve health by

reducing maternal mortality, improving infant and child health, and reducing abortion.

It also empower women by allowing them to reach desired family size, invest in individual children, and earn wages outside the home. FP boost economic growth by increasing the proportion of labour force to non-working population, increasing saving, and reducing poverty.

It benefit communities by allowing them to invest infrastructure.

Today we are going to look at a method of family planning that has proved to be very helpful in the long term prevention of pregnancy and the method is female sterilization.

Female sterilizations is a permanent contraception for women who will not want more children. Also called tubal sterilization, tubal ligation, voluntary surgical contraception, tubectomy bitubal ligation, tying the tutal minilap and “the operation”, female sterilization works because the fallopian tubes are blocked or cut. Eggs released from the Ovaries cannot move down the tubes, and so they do not meet sperm, says the book-family planning; A Global Handbook for providers (2011) The effectiveness varies slightly depending on how the tubes are blocked, but pregnancy rates are low with

“Family planning methods can help reduce unmet need for contraception and reduce unintended pregnancy which helps improve health by reducing maternal mortality, improving infant and child health, and reducing abortion.”

get pregnant. This means that 995 of every 1,000 women relying on female sterilization will not become pregnant. ( Family Planning: A Global Handbook for providers, A WHO family Planning cornerstone, 2011).

Female sterilization method, do not have protection against Sexually Transmitted Infections. (STIs). There is no side effects.

The health benefits include: protection against risks of pregnancy and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).

It may also help protect against Ovarian cancer.

The known health risk is uncommon to extremely rare complication of surgery and anesthesia.

Complication of surgery Uncommon to extremely rare: Female sterilization is a safe method of contraception. It requires surgery and anesthesia, however, which carry some risks such as infection or abscess or the wound.

Serious complications are uncommon. Death, due to the

procedure or anesthesia is extremely rare.

Correcting misunderstandings.

- Female sterilization: - Does not make women weak.

- Does not cause lasting pain in back, uterus, or abdomen.

- Does not remove a woman’s uterus or lead to a need to have it removed.

- Does not cause hormonal imbalances.

- Does not cause heavier bleeding or irregular bleeding or otherwise change women’s menstrual cycles.

- Does not cause any changes in weight, appetite, or appearance.

- Does not change women’s sexual behaviour or sex drive.

- Substantially reduces the risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Who can have female sterilization?

Female sterilization is safe for all women. With proper counseling and informed consent, any woman can have female sterilization safely, including women who: - Have no children or few children.

-Are not married.

-Do not have husband’s permission.

- Are young.

-Just gave birth (within the last 7 days).

-Are breast feeding.

Are infected with HIV, whether or not on antiretroviral therapy.

Women can have female sterilization: - Without any blood test or routine laboratory tests.

- Without cervical cancer screening - Ever when a woman is not having monthly bleeding at the time, if it is reasonably — certain she is not pregnant.

- Reason some women give in liking female sterilization include: -The absence of side effects.

- The joy of worrying no more about contraception.

-It is easy to use, with nothing to do or remember.

Viewpoint OVER the years, one challenge that humans have failed to overcome is procrastination. This is because mankind has failed to acknowledged the urgent need to curb this chronic disease that eats up a man and leave him with the mere consolation “had I known”.

In a nutshell, you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be focusing on right now, usually in favour of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing.

According to psychologist Professor Clarry Lay, a prominent writer on procrastination, procrastination occurs when there’s “a temporal gap between intended behaviour and enacted behaviour”.

That is, procrastination occurs when there’s significant time period between when people intend to do a job and when they actually do it.

This chronic disease like many other disease have a panacea if only the sufferer is willing to go the length and breadth of finding it.

By and large, the panacea to the ailment is not far fetched! Dames Manktelow and Hony Carlson stated some steps you can take to put the disease under your control.

First, recognize that you’re procrastinating. A problem identified is half solved!

You must acknowledge the fact that you’re procrastinating. If you’re honest with yourself, you will probably know when you’re procrastinating.

This calls for self examination of your tasks daily. What were the things you were suppose to tackle that you failed to? What are you reasons for not accomplishing them?

Could it be procrastination?

Remember an adage says “don’t keep till tomorrow what you can do today”.

Secondly, work out why you’re procrastinating.

Why you procrastinate can depend on both you and the task. But it’s important to understand which of it relevant in given situation, so that you can select the best approach for overcoming your reluctance to get going.

One reason for procrastination is that people find a particular job unpleasant and try to avoid it because of that. Most jobs have unpleasant or boring aspects to them and often the best way of dealing with these is to get them over and done with quickly, so that you can focus on the more enjoyable aspects of the job.

Another reason is having underdeveloped decisionmaking skills. If you simply can’t decide what to do, you’re likely to put off taking action in case you do the wrong thing. Also, people are disorganized!

Organized people manage to fend of the temptation to procrastinate, because they will have things like prioritize to-do lists and schedules which emphasize how important the piece work is and identify precisely when its due.

They’ll also have planned how long a task will take to do and will have worked back from that point to identify when they need to get started in order to avoid it being late.

Organized people are also better placed to avoid procrastination, because they know how to break the work down into manageable “next steps”.

In addition, break a long project down into short tasks. Dwelling on the size and difficulty of a looming task will overwhelm us, and

Overcom ing Procrastination

By STANLEY UGAGBE/EDET ELIJAH

thus promote procrastination.

Any undertaking, no matter how daunting, can be broken down into smaller steps.

The trick is with each step along the way to focus solely on the next, achievable chunk of work.

Ignore the big picture for a while and just tackle that next small task. Make sure you can easily visualize the outcome of your small task.

Don’t write a book; write a page.

If it is still intimidating, commit yourself to work on it for a specific period of time.

Keep the big picture in mind, of course, but don’t allow it to frighten you. Use it for motivation and direction.

Furthermore, take some directed action. Even the tiniest progress is success – moving toward a goal is the best motivator. The trick is to bring that expected feeling of accomplishment into the present and know that the real joy of progress is only a small task away.

That small step is success.

Success is not the end of

“It may not matter that much how you make a list, or where you record the reminder – carve it into a tree you walk past everyday. Just don’t rely on your memory.”

your task. Success is the progress that leads you to your next step.

Also, don’t place too much pressure on yourself.

The project has to impress everyone; I really can’t blow this opportunity.

Placing such high hopes on

a project only adds anxiety and fear of failure.

Perfectionism fuels procrastination. Overcome this mental block by simply giving yourself permission to be human. Allow yourself to be imperfect with the next small task. If you’re a serial perfectionist, go one step further and commit yourself to doing a sloppy job on purpose at least at first. Instead of making every step perfect, think of them as steps toward perfection. For instance, write a page or two now, then proofread and correct them later.

You should also focus on starting, rather than finishing. When you focus on finishing something, you direct your attention to a vague, highly idealized future. Visualizing a hardto-grasp future can be overwhelming even depressing. The solution in this case, then, is not to focus on finishing but on starting because that will give room for procrastination. Forget for a minute about the finish Line, just concentrate on giving your first step. Bring your focus from the future to what can be done right

now. We all know that if we start something enough times, we’ll eventually finish the task.

Also, “I have to” is every procrastinator’s favorite expression. It’s also the most disempowering.

Every time you say to yourself that you have to do

much how you make a list, or where you record the reminder – carve it into a tree you walk past everyday.

Just don’t rely on your memory.

Over-thinking which brings about doubts is one thing that aids procrastination. Doubts will arise for even the most

something, you imply that you don’t have any choice, that you feel forced or coerced to do the task that you don’t really want to do it. That perception of course, elicits a strong feeling of being victimized and resistance toward doing the task. The solution to this problem is to replace “I have to” with the immensely more empowering alternative “I choose to” or “I will”.

“Where do I start from” is a procrastinator ’s expression. The trouble with “starting easy” is that it can be difficult to know where to start; there might be several easy bits, or it might be difficult to tell what should be done and what shouldn’t. Planning can help with this, but planning is also a trap. To much planning and not enough actual doing is another form of procrastination. Just start anywhere!

Sometimes procrastination is less an intentional thing and mare about memory failures.

Most solutions to this problem are some variant of; write it down.

It may not matter that

confident of people. Here’s a little tip for side-stepping doubts; try doubting your donts. One easy way to do that is by shaking your head while thinking those negative thoughts. It may sound childish, but according to study it can help the chronically uncertain.

Conclusively, adopt antiprocrastination strategies.

Procrastination is a habit – a deeply ingrained pattern of behaviour.

That you won’t just break it overnight. Habits only stop being habits when you have persistently stopped practicising them, so use as many approaches as possible to maximize your chances of beating procrastination. Some tips will work better for some people than for others and for some tasks than others.

And, sometimes, you may simply need to try a fresh approach to beat the “procrastination peril”!

According to Martin Luther King, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”.

Remember the adage “don’t keep till tomorrow what you can do today.

Archival Matters

Scorecard Of Relevance EVERY features article has a point of entry. So the one I have chosen today is the death of Prof. Ade Ajayi (1929-2014) at the ripe age of 85 on the 9 th August, 2014. A brief biography of this celebral Nigerian demonstrates the need for us to work towards becoming relevant through our attitude and actions of seeing life as a value addition chain phenomenon; and contributing our quota to its sustenance.

See, while he was a lecturer in history, he debunked the colonial jaundiced idea of foreign scholars that Africa is a dark continent.

Therefore, it has no history.

He told the world that, indeed, Africa has history, a point he served, along with Prof. Kenneth Onwuka Dike, to the whole world through his scholarly academic lectures, researched journal essays and brilliant books.

Invariably, Prof. Ade Ajayi’s relevance lies in the fact that he is one of the few pioneer of African history.

Another mark on his scorecard of relevance was that he promoted the pragmatic concept of continuity in history. For him, man must build a historical linkage between his past, present and future so as to have a better interpretative grasp of the forces that shape civilisation.

Not for him the one-stop brand of history whereby we think only of current epochal events without bothering to investigate current ones or how our current ones will affect our future.

Also, Prof. Ade Ajayi displayed his relevance by his attitude of being a builder of institutions. At the young age of 43, he was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of

By MICHAEL ODIGBE

UNILAG. He didn’t occupy the seat as a bench warmer.

Rather, he worked tirelessly to lay a solid foundation for the modernization of the University.

Therefore, he epitomised the wise saying “if God gives you lemon, it now becomes your responsibility to make lemonade out of it”.

Prof. Chinua Achebe displayed a similar relevance like Prof. Ade Ajayi. He did so by decolonizing African literature in our continent with his fictional work THINGS FALL APART. Before the novel was published what sold as African literature was literature in English about African writer without the African contextual folkways, Lores, customs traditions, narrative style, dramatis personal, suspense, atmosphere, dialogue and characterization.

Now enter Mr. Oitomen, the Uromi-born innovative inventor from Edo Sate. He develop a harmless waterboiling ring. When you place in a plastic or an aluminum bowl and switch on the device, it doesn’t work. It only does when you add water to the bowl. The other wonderful aspect of this device is that if you forget it while it has been switched on, it automatically stops functioning when the water in the bowl dries up. No electrical fires. None.

The irony of our Nigerian predicament played out in Mr. Oitomen’s life. Imagine, as a patriot, he showcased his technological relevance.

However, Nigeria as usual betrayed him by ignoring to become relevant in his life through helping him to establish a factory for mass producing his innovation

because he had no god father. Well nothing spoil, as they say. Two of us have learnt our lessons. Next time, an invention comes our way, we know what to do with it.

Na wettin tortoise see, na him make am day carry him house waka!!

Relevance!! At this juncture, I want to turn my attention to Dr. Tai Solarin and Prof. Olikoye

professionally to groom nation builders, not destroyers as we find today when schools are seen as money spinners. Hence, he was a patriot, humanist, universalist and educationist par excellence without rival.

Furthermore, his critical relevance was also affirmed by his family life. He was a good parent, for instance, hence, he settled for only two children into whom he imparted Godly virtues,

On his part, Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti was known for his punctuality. No African time for him. People like him lived these words of Charles Drawin: “A man who dares to waste an hour of time has not discovered the value of life.

Yes, Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kti’s relevance lay in the fact tht he was a time keeper in a nation where we have thrown our clocks into the Atlantic Ocean. So if there is no clock on our wrists, tables and walls, how then can we talk of time?

Late Dr Ameyor Stella Adadevoh

Ransome-Kuti. To start with, Dr. Tai Solarin in his life time built and founded mayflower College, Ikenne with the support of his wife Sheila. He was among the modern pioneers of private school owners.

Another unique point about him was that he

although he was no churchgoer or a religious person in our conventional sense.

However note his true family was larger because he adopted other people’s children and cared for them without regards to their religions, ethnic backgrounds race or political creed.

“The medical doctor contacted Ebola Virus Disease and later died of it while restraining Patrick Sawyer from fleeing the hospital on knowing he had the virus. But for Dr. Stella Adadevoh, therefore, the disease would have assumed the status of a bigger epidemic than we now have in Nigeria.”

This isn’t all. Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti was a health afficinado with open eyes and mind for innovations that would promote the public health industry. This explained why he pioneered the introduction of traditional medicine into the curriculum of medical students of the college of medicine at LUTH in the eighties.

This development has helped to broaden the perspectives of graduants of the college in medicare delivery to their patients.

And, so they are better doctors that most of our other monologist-minded doctors drunk on medical

orthodoxy.

Since it is unfair to discuss the scorecard of relevance without talking about my constituency, I must not fail to now introduce Dele Giwa (1939-1986) the quintessential editor / Journalist of all time. His relevance is multi-faceted because an article is not a biography, I will limit myself to only a few of his relevance attributes. Firstly, he wasn’t just an armchair editor. He taught practical and theoretical writing and journalism to his reporters / correspondents and anyone who cared to listen whenever he detected an editorial lapse in their work.

For instance, he taught the differential dichotomy between writing and journalism although a middle ground of syntheses can be brokered between them to enhance a type of prose known as journalwriting. Also, he added relevance to creative works through his unalloyed advocacy that aspiring journalists/ writers need formal training so as to equip them with the theories of how to write, what to write, how to conduct researches before writing, how to draw up outlines, how to achieve mechanical accuracy, how to marshall the topic sentence and how to edit your work for scientific precision in syntax, grammar, style and page length….

Of recent, one great woman has written her name in Nigeria’s Hall of Relevance.

She is Dr. Ameyor Stella Adadevoh, senior consultant physician of First Consultant Hospital, Obalende in Lagos. The medical doctor contacted Ebola Virus Disease and later died of it while restraining Patrick Sawyer from fleeing the hospital on knowing he had the virus. But for Dr. Stella Adadevoh, therefore, the disease would have assumed the status of a bigger epidemic than we now have in Nigeria.

So far, so good. Whenever therefore you wake up.

Always make a promise to God to be relevant and not be just a human statistics.

Mr. Anonymous says: “It is the life in your years that matters in life, not the years in your life”.

Science

A rice farm

Economic Importance Of Gibberelins IT is an important plant harmone. Gibberelins, was first discovered in a rice farm in Japan. It was observed that they grew taller and taller but produced no grains and at the end such plants were considered useless and were named foolish seedlings. This was really a great problem in Japan and threatened rice production there.

Japanese scientists conducted a research as to what caused the unusual stem elongation and it was discovered that it was a chemical substance that was produced by a fungus known as Gibberella fujikuroi which affected the rice plant.

The active substance was named Gibberellin.

Functions of gibberellins in agriculture -They stimulate rapid stem elongation in dwarf plants, which are injected with gibberellic acid.

-With gibberellins released to plants. Dormancy in seeds and buds are broken.

-They stimulate the embryos in germinating seeds to produce enzymes that hydrolyse starch reserves in the seeds.

-It stimulates the formation of flowers.

Cytokinins (kinins) They are a group of growth promoting chemical compounds that was first obtained from coconut milk. They occur in plants and are usually produced around plant organs or tissues that need them.

Functions of cytokinins -They help to retard the onset of ageing in leaves by maintaining protein and nucleic synthesis.

-They promote fruit development in some plants.

-They help to break dormancy in some seeds of some plants -They promote flowering in some plants -Cytokinins in conjunction with Auxing stimulate cell division in seeds and promoting the replication of De oxyribonuclei acid (D.N.A).

Ecosystems Arthur tansley invented the word in 1935 and he applied it to a whole community of organisms and their environment.

From many years of research ecologists have come to a conclusion that a habitat and its community has a single

working system.

Abustic factors of a community in an ecosystem include geology, topography the depth below sea level, the attitude above sea level, elimate, soil, water status which include aquatic or marine habitant fresh water and land locations these are the non living things.

Ecosystem is therefore defined as a community of organisms interacting with one another and with their non – living surroundings.

Ecosystem is made up of two components which are the biotic and abiotic components.

The biotic components include living components which entails the plants and animals.

The plants comprises of all green plants which are the primary producers or the autotrophs. They can only produce organic matter in the presence of sunlight.

The consumers refers generally to the animals the feed on the autotrophy which are the plants and other animals which are also reffered to as the heterotrophs.

Then consumers that feed directly on plants like the insects, the rabbit and the cattle are reffered to or known as the primary consumers or the herbivores while those that would feel directly on the herbivores like the dragon fly, the shark, hawk and leopard are reffered to as the secondary consumers, or carnivores or predators while the sharks that depend on

With OYAKHILOME CLEMENTINA

other carnivores are known as tertiary consumers.

The decomposers reffered largely to the bacteria, fungi, saprophytre and micro – organisms in an ecosystem they have the power to break down dead bodies of products and consumers in order to acquire their nutrients in the form of inorganic materials.

The decompsers generally make up a very small portion of the total weight of living matter present in an ecosystem but they play on important part in completing the cycling of materials in the ecosystem.

The biotic community with living areas are known as habits, you all know that a habitats, is a place where an organism lives.

The habitats are further classified into aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

Aquatic habitat These refers to the water habitat, and they are further divided into marine and fresh water habitats.

Marine habitats include the seas which has a high contest of salt while the fresh waters includes the Streams Rivers, ponds and lakes, they contain no Aton of salt content in them.

Terrestrial habitat The terrestrial habitat are the land locations, they include the swamps, marsh lands forest, grasslands and the acid lands.

Arboreal habitats are those having their habitats on trees like the man keys.

White the aerial are those habitats in the atmosphere.

The components of an ecosystem are the biotic, abiotic aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

Other important points that should be recognised in the study of ecosystem are as below.

- That an ecosystem is composed of a community and the physical environment that it occupied.

- It should be relogonised that soil is the most important part of the terrestrial ecosystem.

-Soils are made up of mineral parties which include sand, clay and organic matter which include insect droppings and plant litter.

- Lakes may be fertile a situation known as eutrophic or poor in nutrient a situation reffered to as oligotrophic.

- Lakes many become stratified in summer due to the heating of surface waters. The debris may sink and deceny.

- The small ponds many dry off occasionally during the drought period.

- Bogs are fed by rainfall and nutrient poor in habit, they sometimes augument by being insectivorous.

- Mangrove swamps and salt maishes are dominated by tides and high salt content of the water and soil.

-Wet land habitats environment, depends upon its source of water e.g sea water is saline, rivers water is sediment rich, drainage water is nutrient rich and rainfall water is nutrient poor.

- The wet land ecosystem include bogs, marshes, swamps and mangrove habitats.

- Soil are greatly affected by climatic conditions which include either rainfall or temperature and to some extent the vegetation also growing on them.

- Worms and termites are important in this zones, because they mix up different horizons of soil, in the process they aerate the soil and also make the soil fertile.

“Japanese scientists conducted a research as to what caused the unusual stem elongation and it was discovered that it was a chemical substance that was produced by a fungus known as Gibberella fujikuroi which affected the rice plant.

The active substance was named Gibberellin.”

Issues

Nigeria:

Let’s Think Unity

PEACE and unity, reconciliation and forgiveness are what we Nigerians should stand to acknowledge through wisdom, kindness, liberty, justice, fairness, love, work to overcoming the negative through the creation of a positive mindset that would lead us to a positive environment.

We knew that there is more power in unity than in division, more to love than in hate. I read a story by a lady who said in the following lines: “Once when I was young, maybe more than once, when I was extremely disrespectful to my mother, my father angrily called me “garbage” in our native Hokkien dialect.

“It worked really well. I felt terrible and deeply ashamed of what I had done.

But it didn’t damage my self esteem or anything like that.

I knew exactly how highly he thought of me. I didn’t actually think I was worthless or feel like a piece of garbage.

“As an adult, I once did the same thing to Sophie, calling her garbage in English when she acted extremely disrespectful toward me.

When I mentioned I had done this at a dinner party, I was immediately ostracized.

One guest named Marcy got so upset she broke down in tears and had to leave early.

“My friend Susan, the FUNKE Alabi has been working in a bank as a contract employee for the past four years and she is now getting apprehensive about what the future holds for her.

She does not know if her contract with the bank will be renewed or not and even if the contract is renewed, her salary will not be better than what it is now in any case.

Alabi has struggled endlessly to ensure that her

By ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE

host, tried to rehabilitate me with the remaining guests.

“Oh dear, it’s just a misunderstanding. Amy was speaking metaphoricallyright, Amy? You didn’t actually call Sophie ‘garbage.’” “Um, yes I did.

But it’s all in the context,” I tried to explain. “It’s a Chinese immigrant thing.”

This is typical of our country, Nigeria. We are like the lady and her father in the story. We have been called ‘garbage’ and in return, we call those who called us ‘garbage’ the same. But two wrongs, they say, do not make a right.

It is my wish that if there is any website we must host about Nigeria, that website must be for peace and unity.

Not for bitterness. We already have the 2015 elections in our hand, yet we seem not to be after the issues that matter to our collective welfare, but our different political parties and interests.

We cannot achieve harmony, peace and happiness as well as spiritual, social happenings in Nigeria if we do not shelve hatred by the side and welcome all and sundry as one. Just as it is written in the bible, so also it is written in Koran and in other writs.

According to religious scholars: Islam teaches us through its two main employer converts her employment to a permanent one but her aspiration seems to be a mirage.

To make matters worse, the bank’s often threatens its entire contract staff with termination of appointment at any given opportunity.

Alabi and her colleagues are quite eager to secure good jobs with better conditions elsewhere but since such jobs are not within their reach, they are compelled to make do with their current occupation,

“The unemployment situation in Nigeria is quite grim, as millions of graduates roam the streets every year without the hope of getting jobs, whether in the public or private sector.”

authentic sources: The Glorious Qur’an and the Prophetic sayings that we can attain peace of mind, happiness, and salvation, by knowing and believing in the one true God (Allah) willingly and wholeheartedly… (Am only quoting the book…).

Our universality requires that we embrace unity and love and forgive all who may have offended us in one way or the other and also go to plead for forgiveness from those we may have offended.

It is written: “Submit yourselves therefore to God.” (God here to me means peace and unity, reconciliation and forgiveness, wisdom, kindness, liberty, justice, and fairness, love, work… Not a sky daddy).

And when we submit ourselves respectively to God, we will not see members of the different political parties as rivals, but as Nigeria sons and daughters. We will work in tandem as one family for the growth of the country.

We should not be behaving like those who are far away from civilization. Nigeria is ours and should not be made a jungle of a sort due to our different political aspirations and interests. When we look up far off in the distance, we would see hope. But no one can bring the Utopian world

around us if we do not work towards having such around us and making sure that we bring it.

It is not a Spartan babble that this treatise is made up of. We have to be in the front string to build the very-well towers. We cannot continue

yet looking for who to correct.

One Chuck Palahniuk said: The trick to forgetting the big picture is to look at everything close-up. The shortcut to closing a door is to bury yourself in the details. This is how we must look to (providence). As if everything’s just fine.

It is time we knew that

friends after she was ostracized, I would therefore suggest that as a matter of urgency we have to tow the line of peace and unity, reconciliation and forgiveness, wisdom, kindness, liberty, justice, and fairness, love, work… in order to settle ones and for all, the political brigandage in our bellowed Nigeria.

President Goodluck Jonathan

to fight with narrow minds.

We must compel ourselves to change our mindsets about what we think our country should be. We should outgrow the level of bickering and tinkering and looking for whom to make prey.

I beseech all and sundry to pursue excellence and stop this argument, this fusion of wars, but focus on the way forward for the country. We are a great people that should not rub mud on the face and

escaping from turbulent situations in our country, if we allow them to occur; we are not going to face them with smiles on our faces. We would know that peace is always better to troubles.

Muhammad Iqbal has warned humanity to rise above sectional interests and private ambitions... Pass from matter to spirit. Matter is diversity; spirit is light, life and unity.

Like the lady in the above story was reconciled to her

We have to take a clue from the statement by Yehuda Berg, which suggests: I do believe that the original sources of all religions should be taught, because with that we will find our similarities, not just our differences. I believe that if Mohammed, Buddha, Jesus, and Moses all got together they would be best of friends because the spiritual basis of all religions is something that builds unity.

Addressing Challenges Of Contract Employment In Nigeria

By FOLASADE FOLARIN

Abdulwaheed Omar, NLC President

although the working conditions are unpalatable.

The unemployment situation in Nigeria is quite grim, as millions of graduates roam the streets every year without the hope of getting jobs, whether in the public or private sector.

After many years of joblessness, the hapless jobseekers will gladly accept with gratitude any kind of job that comes their way.

The dream of an average undergraduate is to come of school and secure a very good job but the dearth of employment, coupled with

frustration, has compelled many graduates of tertiary institutions to take up jobs which are sometimes demeaning.

Many companies and organisations also take undue advantage of the unemployment situation to keep people working under unpalatable conditions.

This has given rise to casualisation of labour or contract employment, thereby compelling people to work without receiving wages that are commensurate to the work Contitunes on pg 27

International Features AMID fears, Islamic State fighters are inspiring jihadists outside the Middle East, analysts warn it has emboldened extremists in Africa operating in voids left by weak governments and rampant corruption.

The United States has described the IS group in Iraq and Syria as the strongest-ever Islamist threat with its “apocalyptic end of days” ideology.

Their advance has sparked concern in Africa, with leaders from across the continent meeting Tuesday in Kenya to discuss the threat, the first such conference organised by the African Union.

Islamist groups who belong to the Al-Qaeda franchise have already firmly implanted themselves across swathes of territory: from Nigeria’s Boko Haram, extremists in the Sahel to Shebab fighters in the Horn of Africa.

“The scale and sophistication of recent attacks, along with the increased regionalisation of terrorism by Boko Haram, AlQaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Shebab, demand a more robust collective response, both at the regional and continental level,” warned the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in a recent paper.

African spy chiefs, who met in Nairobi this week ahead of

Members of the Nigerian Islamist extremist group, Boko Haram at an undisclosed location recently.

African Extremists: Islamic State Offers Grim Inspiration the conference, voiced concern that jihadists on the continent may be inspired by IS. - ‘Sophisticated’ funding,

Stephanie weds Henry The solemnization of marriage between former Miss Stephanie Azonabor (Businesswoman) and Mr. Henry Ehigie (Businessman) took place on Saturday 30th August 2014 at the Oredo Local Government Council Marriage Registry in Benin City. Amongst those present were Mr. Pius Ehigie, Mrs. Linda Ogbiko, Mr. Efosa Atoe, Mr. Ernest Obaseki, Mr. Stanley Ehiarimwian, Mr. Stanley Omosefe, family members, relations, friends and well wishers. Picture shows the couple at the Registry. Congratulations! Photo: Sonnie. E.

porous borders “It is important for countries of Africa to come together, pool resources, share intelligence and information in order to be able to confront this challenge,” Kenya’s Director of External Intelligence Chris Mburu told reporters.

Kenya, whose army invaded southern Somalia in 2011 before joining an African Union force battling Shebab Islamists, has suffered a string of attacks blamed on the extremists, including the fourday bloodbath in the upmarket Westgate mall in September 2013.

Spy chiefs, who gathered for the AU’s Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA), said in a final communique that key threats and challenges included “alliances being built by terror groups worldwide, sophisticated sources of funding” as well as Africa’s “porous borders”.

African jihadists are apparently watching and

learning from IS, although there is little evidence of direct links between the groups.

Nigeria’s Boko Haram, a modestly funded local uprising made up of poor youths with little tactical training, has, like IS, also declared an “Islamic caliphate”.

But by evoking a Nigerian caliphate, experts suggest leader Abubakar Shekau was trying to raise his own profile rather than submit to likeminded extremists in the Middle East.

“I think right now Shekau’s moves are coming from a desire to emulate IS,” said David Cook, a religious studies professor at Rice University in Houston who studies Boko Haram.

Africa’s multiple groups, all with differing domestic agendas, may view IS with “ideological sympathy”, said Peter J. Pham, from the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

But while “there may be declarations of support” he was

doubtful of “actual linkages”.

However, individuals may be encouraged to join the fight.

“Many fighters move across the Sahel, move into Libya — where they do their initial training — and from there go on to Syria and Iraq,” Pham told our new agency.

- Tackle ‘root causes’ As leaders prepare to meet, solutions are far from simple.

US President Barack Obama in early August promised to step up support for African armies battling Islamic extremists or conducting dangerous peacekeeping missions, after meeting with leaders and officials across the continent.

“Countries need to tackle the threat through intelligence and information-sharing,” said Macharia Munene, professor of international relations at Kenya’s United States International University.

But rampant corruption, poor governance and disorganised, inadequate security forces are

hampering the fight.

“The policy response to extremism and terrorism in Africa needs to focus more on addressing the root causes of the problem, rather than military support for Africa’s strong men,” said David Shinn, former US ambassador in Africa and now an adjunct professor at The George Washington University, in a recent article.

Simply boosting military spending alone is not the cure.

“Exclusively securityfocused responses” have proved “inadequate” in the past, ISS warned.

For some, violent ideology and joining the battle offers employment, cash and an “opportunity to do something other than to sit around,” Pham said.

“You also have to deal with the basic causes, the driving factors of jihadi extremism: under-development, political, social and economic marginalization.”

• Courtesy: AFP

“Their advance has sparked concern in Africa, with leaders from across the continent meeting Tuesday in Kenya to discuss the threat, the first such conference organised by the African Union. Islamist groups who belong to the Al-Qaeda franchise have already firmly implanted themselves across swathes of territory: from Nigeria’s Boko Haram, extremists in the Sahel to Shebab fighters in the Horn of Africa.”

International Lesotho’s Dep Premier In Charge After PM Flees ‘Coup’

Boat Carrying 100 Migrants Capsizes Off Libya

The African Union said yesterday it would not tolerate any illegal seizure of power.

Thabane told Reuters on Saturday he had fired an army commander, LieutenantGeneral Kennedy Tlali Kamoli, and appointed Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao to replace him. But yesterday Kamoli said he was still in charge of the military.

“I haven’t gotten any formal letter from anybody and that is to say that I am still the commander of the Lesotho Defence Force,” Kamoli told Reuters.

Lesotho, a mountainous state of two million people encircled

by South Africa, has undergone a number of military coups since independence from Britain in 1966. At least 58 locals and eight South African soldiers died during a political stand-off and subsequent fighting in 1998.

Besides textile exports and a slice of regional customs receipts, Lesotho’s other big earner is hydropower. The power is exported to South Africa from the massive mountain ranges that have made it a favourite of trivia fans as “the world’s highest country” - its lowest point is 1,380 metres (4,528 feet) above sea level.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA — A boat carrying more than 100 migrants capsized off the coast near the Libyan capital, a coast guard official said yesterday.

Abdel-Latif Mohammed said the coast guard found the damaged rubber boat off the shores of al-Qarbouli, 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Tripoli. The coast guard has not yet confirmed the number of deaths but estimated the boat carried at least 100 people.

Last week, at least 100 African migrants, including five children, drowned in the same area.

Libya has grown increasingly lawless since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, making it a migration hub for subSaharan Africans seeking a better life. Scores are killed every year on the dangerous journey to Europe.

MASERU - Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane accused Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing of helping to plan a coup by the army that forced the prime minister to flee the country.

Metsing took charge of the government once Thabane had fled the country for neighbouring South Africa.

Thabane left on Saturday, after the army surrounded his residence and police stations in Lesotho’s capital, Maseru.

Gunshots were heard in Maseru, where one policeman was shot dead and four others wounded, said senior police superintendent Mofokeng Kolo. But the army denied trying to force out Thabane, saying it had moved against police suspected of planning to arm a political faction in the small southern African kingdom.

Diplomats in Maseru told Reuters the army was largely seen as loyal to the deputy prime minister and the police force mostly supported the prime minister.

Regional power South Africa condemned the army’s actions and invited the deputy prime minister to talks there yesterday, Lesotho’s Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Selibe Mochoboroane, told Reuters.

He did not specify who the talks would be with.

“Constitutionally, in the absence of the prime minister, the deputy prime minister takes the reins,” said Mochoboroane, who is also spokesman for Metsing’s party.

“For now there hasn’t been any arrangement, but it goes without saying the deputy prime minister will still oversee other issues that need to be taken care of until the prime minister returns,” he added. On Saturday, Mochoboroane echoed the army’s assurance that no coup had taken place.

The prime minister, who expected to be back in Maseru in two days time, said he believed his deputy was behind the plans for a coup. The two would not be holding talks in South Africa, he said.

“I have no much reason to absolve him from blame,” Thabane told Reuters.

“Looking from a distance, he is very active in this show.”

Relations have been stormy between Thabane’s All Basotho Convention party and Metsing’s Lesotho Congress for Democsracy (LCD) group, which formed a coalition with another party after elections in 2012.

Thabane dissolved parliament in June to avoid a no-confidence vote against him amid feuding among the ruling parties. Metsing later said he would form a new coalition that would oust Thabane.

Philippine Military Chief Gen. Greggorio Catapang (middle), reacts after learning about the safe repositioning of Filipino Peacekeepers in Golan Heights as they monitor the situation with Philippine Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosarrion (2nd left), Philippine National Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, (3rd left), seated at Camp Aguinaldo Military headquarters in Suburban Quezon City, Philippine weekend.

Taliban Suicide Bombers Hit Afghan Intelligence Agency

JALALABAD, Afghanistan - Taliban suicide bombs hit an office of the Afghan intelligence agency in an eastern city on Saturday, killing six people, and insurgents shot dead another 11 in the west, in an upsurge of violence as foreign combat troops prepare to withdraw from the country.

Seven militants were also killed during several hours of heavy fighting with Afghan security forces at the Jalalabad

headquarters of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), said Ahmad Zeya Abdulzai, a spokesman for the governor of eastern Nangarhar province near the border with Pakistan.

Abdulzai said four NDS agents and two civilians were killed when a truck and a smaller car, both loaded with explosives, were driven into the compound and a gunfight broke out between Afghan forces and

Afghan Security forces arrive at the site of an attack in the City of Jalalabad weekend.

the insurgents.

Reuters was not able to reach the NDS immediately for comment. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, in which dozens were wounded.

Egyptian Court Commutes Brotherhood Leader’s Death Sentence CAIRO - An Egyptian court on Saturday commuted a death sentence against the Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader to life in prison, in one of many trials of Islamists since their removal from power.

Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide, still faces the gallows, however, after another court in southern Egypt passed a separate death sentence over deadly riots in August 2013, almost a month after the army toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In Saturday’s ruling, a Cairo court that had initially sentenced him to death for violent protests in the capital reduced the ruling to life in prison, on the recommendation of the mufti, the government’s Islamic law expert.

The government that took

over after Morsi’s overthrow cracked down on Islamists, with at least 700 pro-Morsi protesters killed in clashes with police in a single day in August 2013.

Thousands have been imprisoned, including Morsi himself, and placed on trials that resulted in death sentences for more than 200 people.

The Cairo court on Saturday sentenced seven other Brotherhood leaders to life in prison, and six who were tried in absentia to death.

Those sentenced to death in absentia have the right to retrial if they surrender themselves.

With much of its leadership behind bars or in exile, the Muslim Brotherhood has persisted in organising small and sometimes violent protests across the country.

Philippine Troops Escape From Captors

MANILA - Under cover of darkness, 40 Filipino peacekeepers made a daring escape after being surrounded and under fire for seven hours

by Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights, Philippine officials said yesterday, leaving 44 Fijian troops still in the hands of the al-Qaida-linked insurgents.

“We may call it the greatest escape,” Philippine military chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang said.

The peacekeepers became trapped after Syrian rebels entered the U.N.-patrolled

buffer zone between Syria and Israel this past week, seizing 44 Fijian soldiers and demanding that their Filipino colleagues surrender. The Filipinos, occupying two U.N. encampments, refused and fought the rebels Saturday. The first group of 35 peacekeepers was then successfully escorted out of a U.N. encampment in Breiqa by Irish and Filipino forces on board armored vehicles.

The remaining 40 peacekeepers were besieged at the second encampment, called

Rwihana, by more than 100 gunmen who rammed the camp’s gates with their trucks and fired mortar rounds. The Filipinos returned fire in selfdefense, Philippine military officials said.

At one point, Syrian government forces fired artillery rounds from a distance to prevent the Filipino peacekeepers from being overwhelmed, said Col. Roberto Ancan, a Philippine military official who helped monitor the tense standoff from the Philippine capital, Manila, and

mobilize support for the besieged troops.

“Although they were surrounded and outnumbered, they held their ground for seven hours,” Catapang said in a news conference in Manila, adding that there were no Filipino casualties. “We commend our soldiers for exhibiting resolve even while under heavy fire.”

As night fell and a cease-fire took hold, the 40 Filipinos fled with their weapons, traveling across the chilly hills for nearly two hours before meeting up with other U.N. forces, who

escorted them to safety early yesterday, Philippine officials said.

During the siege, the Philippine Secretaries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, along with the country’s top military brass, gathered at military headquarters in Manila to communicate with the Filipino forces and help guide them out of danger. The Syrian and Israeli governments, along with the United States and Qatar, provided support, the Philippine military said without elaborating.

International

Moscow, Kiev Swap Troops MOSCOW/MARIUPOL, Ukraine - Ukraine and Russia swapped soldiers who had entered each other’s territory near the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, where Kiev said Moscow’s forces have come to the aid of pro-Russian insurgents advancing for an assault on a major port.

Ukrainian troops and local residents were reinforcing the port of Mariupol yesterday, the next big city in the path of proRussian fighters who pushed back government forces along the Azov Sea this past week in an offensive on a new front.

The new rebel advance has drawn increasing concern from Ukraine’s Western allies, who say its success is a result of

reinforcement by armoured columns of Russian troops.

European Union leaders agreed on Saturday to draw up new economic sanctions against Moscow, a move hailed by the United States, which is planning tighter sanctions of its own and wants to act jointly with Europe.

Some residents of Mariupol have taken to the streets to show support for the Ukrainian government as the pro-Russian forces gain ground. Many others have fled from the prospect of an all-out assault on the city of nearly 500,000 people.

“We are proud to be from this city and we are ready to defend it from the occupiers,” said Alexandra, 28, a post office clerk wearing a ribbon in blue and

yellow Ukrainian colours.

“We will dig trenches. We will throw petrol bombs at them, the occupiers,” she said. “I believe our army and our (volunteer) battalions will protect us.”

Ihor, 42, and his wife Lena, 40, were packing their car to flee with their five-year-old daughter.

They had sheltered in Mariupol after battle came to their home city Donetsk in July.

“We will not wait for another repetition of war. We did nothing to provoke it and we do not want to be a part of it,” said Lena.

The swap of soldiers overnight at the frontier was a rare gesture to ease tension, but Kiev and Moscow have given starkly opposing accounts of how their troops came to be on each other’s territory.

a condition to escape alSayyed’s fate.

Earlier this month, several Syrian groups, including Islamic State and Nusra Front battled the Lebanese army after the arrest of rebel commander Emad Gomaa in the border town of Arsal. Gomaa is a Nusra commander who switched affiliation to Islamic State but remained popular among Nusra fighters.

The militants seized Arsal for five days before withdrawing to a mountainous border region, taking the 19 captive soldiers with them.

Most of the soldiers were taken by Islamic State militants while Nusra kept a few soldiers and a number of policemen.

On Saturday, Nusra released four soldiers and a policeman, all Sunnis, a source close to the group said. The circumstances of their release were not immediately clear.

The militants have demanded the release of Gomaa and several Islamists jailed since a 2007 insurrection by an al Qaeda-inspired group at a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon.

A Russian paratroop commander said an unspecified number of Russian paratroops were swapped for 63 Ukrainian soldiers. A Ukrainian military source said the Russian soldiers numbered 15.

Kiev and its allies in Europe and the United States say the

new rebel offensive has been backed by armoured columns of more than 1,000 Russian troops fighting openly to support the insurgents.

The rebels themselves say thousands of Russian troops have fought on their behalf while “on leave”.

Moscow denies its troops are fighting in Ukraine and says a small party of its soldiers crossed the border by accident.

Russian Major-General Alexei Ragozin said the paratroops had been handed back after “very difficult” negotiations.

Islamic State Militants Behead Captive Lebanese Soldier BEIRUT - Islamic State militants beheaded a Lebanese soldier who was one of 19 captured by hardline Syrian Islamists when they seized a Lebanese border town for a few days this month, a video posted on social media showed on Saturday.

The soldier, recognizable as Ali al-Sayyed, a Sunni Muslim from north Lebanon, was shown blindfolded with his hands tied behind his back, writhing and kicking the dusty ground while a militant announces he will be killed.

Another militant then beheads him.

Islamic State, which declared a “caliphate” in June in parts of Iraq and Syria under its control, has been cited as a major security threat by Western governments since posting a video in August of the beheading of U.S journalist James Foley.

The Lebanese army declined to comment, but security and Islamic State sources confirmed the latest beheading.

Hours later, the group posted a second video showing nine other soldiers begging for their lives, urging their families to take to the streets in the next three days to demand the release of Islamist prisoners as

Wife (2nd left), of Lebanese soldier Ali al-Sayyad, who was beheaded by Islamic State militants, mourns with relatives in the town of Fnideq, Northern Lebanon on Friday.

EU Wields Russia Sanctions Threat

BRUSSELS - The European Union threatened Russia with new trade sanctions if Moscow fails to start reversing its action in Ukraine, but sharp divisions among leaders at a summit in Brussels left the timing of any

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga celebrates sitting on the back of a truck as they head to the Mosul dam on the Tigris River that they recaptured from Islamic State Jihadists near the Northern Iraqi City of Mosul.

Iraqi Forces Break Jihadist Siege

BAGHDAD - Iraqi forces broke through to the jihadistbesieged town of Amerli yesterday, where thousands of people have been trapped for more than two months with dwindling food and water, officials said.

“Our forces entered Amerli and broke the siege,” Iraqi security spokesman Lieutenant General Qassem Atta told AFP. Talib al-Bayati, an official responsible for a nearby area,

also said that the siege of the Turkmen Shiite-majority town has been broken, as did Nihad al-Bayati, who had been fighting to defend the town against the jihadists.

Iraqi security forces, Shiite militiamen and Kurdish peshmerga fighters all took part in the operation, which was launched on Saturday after days of preparations in which the various forces deployed for the assault and Iraqi aircraft carried

Of Amerli out strikes against militants.

Thousands of people had been trapped in Amerli since June, when jihadist-led militants launched a major offensive that overran chunks of five Iraqi provinces, sweeping security forces aside.

While forces from Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region have previously made gains in the north with backing from

American air strikes, the Amerli operation was the first major offensive success for the federal government since the conflict began.

Residents of Amerli faced major shortages of food and water, and were in danger both because of their Shiite faith, which jihadists consider heresy, and their resistance to the militants, which has drawn harsh retribution elsewhere.

measures uncertain.

After a lengthy briefing by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who warned “fullscale war” was imminent if Russian troops continued an advance in support of proMoscow rebels, the leaders agreed yesterday to have EU officials draw up within a week a list of new measures that could hit a range of sectors.

But anxiety about the impact of sanctions on their own sluggish economies - and their access to Russian energy supplies - meant a divided EU could not agree to impose precise deadlines or conditions on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He denies his forces are involved, in the face of substantial evidence.

The European Council called on Russia “to immediately withdraw all its military assets and forces from Ukraine” and urged a ceasefire. The leaders asked the EU’s executive arm, the Commission, to prepare proposals on new sanctions for them to review within a week, including measures that would penalise any person or body which dealt with Ukraine’s eastern separatists.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the bloc’s most powerful figure, noted measures would be ready within a week and said Putin must act to avoid them: “There will be decisions about new sanctions,

if the current situation goes on or deteriorates.”

She said the penalties could be in any of the business sectors the EU has already said could be targeted.

But asked about a deadline for EU action, the summit chairman, EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy, said: “It depends, further steps, on development of the situation on the ground. There is no precise criteria, but I can assure you that everybody is assured that we have to move quickly.”

Underlining division among the 28 member states during talks that lasted till after midnight, the Slovak prime minister, Robert Fico, called sanctions “meaningless and counter-productive” and threatened to veto any new measures that harmed Slovakia’s interests. Those include its need for Russian gas.

Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic are also sceptical.

“I am against senseless sabrerattling and against further sanctions that hurt only ourselves,” Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said. “I am against military chestthumping. What is needed now is heightened pressure for political dialogue.”

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka also reserved a right to object to new measures and questioned their effectiveness.

Issues Contituned from pg 23

done and any entitlements whatsoever.

The disparity between the wages of casual and permanent workers is so wide, and casual workers are often treated like secondclass citizens.

Casual workers are not entitled to pension, housing fund, national health insurance scheme, bonuses or profit sharing, while their salaries are often slashed arbitrarily.

Banks, hotels, construction companies, telecoms firms, oil companies, foreign companies and manufacturing companies are the major establishments which engage in recruiting contract staff.

Even casual employees with solid qualifications, which could even be better than those of the permanent staff, are made to operate as subordinates, while working extra hours for lesser pay.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines casuals as “workers who have an explicit or implicit contract of employment which is not expected to continue for more than a short period, whose duration is to be determined by national circumstances.

“These workers may be classified as being employees or own-account workers, according to the specific circumstances of the employment contract.’’

Tinuke Fapohunda, in her paper on “Employment Casualisation and Degradation of Work in Nigeria’’ published in International Journal of Business and Social Science, said that casualisation was gradually becoming a problem in employment patterns across the world.

She noted that in Nigeria, casualisation of employment had been gaining ground in an unprecedented proportion, intensity and scale.

“The trend has been largely attributed to the

increasing desperation of employers to cut down organisational costs; as casualisation of employment is seen as an appropriate strategy for cost reduction.

“Casual workers occupy precarious positions in the workplace and society; they are effectively a new set of ‘slaves’ and ‘underclass’ in the modern capitalist economy,’’ Fapohunda added.

However, contract employment and casualisation of labour contravene Section 7 (1) of the Labour Act, Cap 198, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.

The law provides that “not later than three months after the beginning of a worker’s period of employment with an employer, the employer shall give the worker a written statement, specifying the terms and conditions of employment.’’

The conditions “include the nature of the employment and if the contract is for a fixed term, the date when the contract expires.”

Describing contract employment and casualisation of labour issue as worrisome, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it has kicked against the practice repeatedly but with little progress.

Mr Nasir Kabir, NLC’s organiser on anticasualisation, said that banks often employed casual workers because of the obvious desperation of young people who were in dire need of a means of livelihood.

“For the construction companies, they complain that government no longer gives them funds to execute their projects; so, their workers cannot be sustained with the little funds they have.

“If the government looks into this issue and gives the construction firms enough funds to execute projects; they will be able to employ more persons and they will

... Employment In Nigeria

also be able to retain their workers,’’ he added.

Nevertheless, Kabir said that whenever the NLC received a complaint regarding casual employment, it immediately swung into action, adding that the NLC had picketed some companies, while others were shut down until the right thing was done.

“We raised this issue before the congress during our meeting and it was agreed that if we discover workplaces that are

decisively.

“The NLC is a body controlling affiliates and the bankers’ union is affiliated to the NLC but the major problem we are having is that the union’s officials are conniving with the executive directors and chiefs of those banks.

“When we move for a motion, some of them will agree but when we start hitting the banks, they will later turn back and sign a letter of undertaking;

casualising their workers; we give them an ultimatum of two weeks to desist from that practice.

“After that, we take the next line of action, which is picketing the place and that is what we have been doing,’’ he added.

Kabir, nonetheless, alleged that many union executives were colluding with employers of labour, adding that such connivance had been frustrating the NLC’s efforts to tackle the menace of workers’ casualisation

submitting themselves to the banks,’’ he said.

Nevertheless, Kabir blamed the country’s judicial system for the delay of cases brought before the courts, saying that the defaulting organisations usually hid behind court cases.

“We have about three cases before the National Industrial Court on this issue but up till now, we have not been cleared by the court.

“Some of them (employers) rush to the

“The law provides that “not later than three months after the beginning of a worker’s period of employment with an employer, the employer shall give the worker a written statement, specifying the terms and conditions of employment.’’

court, believing the court is a hiding place for them and as a result, workers’ casualisation is still taking place.

“There is no law supporting workers’ casualisation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) has assured us that any court delaying in any case of casualisation will be dealt with,’’ he said.

Kabir, however, advised jobseekers to be very vigilant when taking up appointments, so that they

passed for a second reading, is an amendment of the Labour Act of 2004 and it seeks to limit the casual or temporary status of employees to two years.

The bill also seeks to compel employers to convert casual staff in their organisations to permanent staff after working as temporary staff for two years.

Jime, the bill’s sponsor, argued that the practice had created discrimination in the

could refuse demeaning job offers.

“Of course, there is unemployment in the country but jobseekers don’t have to rubbish themselves by accepting casual employment.

“If people reject casual job offers, the organisation will treat their staff better and respect them instead of employing more.

“It’s not fair for a graduate to be paid peanuts while the records say he or she is earning more; we kick against this and we will continue to do so,’’ he said.

All the same, the House of Representatives has been striving to stop casualisation of labour and contract employment in the country via a bill sponsored by Rep. Emmanuel Jime The bill, which has been

workplace, as casual workers were often perceived as “inferior ’’ workers.

He also noted that the discrimination had negatively affected the economic wellbeing of the casual workers.

“It means we have two categories of workers — the permanent ones and the casual ones — in the same workplace. This division is unacceptable and unhealthy for the country’s economic growth.

“But this amendment has opened up the protection of the Nigerian workers by way of a legal backing,’’ the lawmaker added.

Observers hope that Nigerian workers will soon breathe a sigh of relief as soon as the amended law comes into effect.

Ferguson Not To Blame For United Slump - Wenger LONDON - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that Sir Alex Ferguson should not be blamed for Manchester United’s decline since his retirement.

The Scot stood down in 2013 after winning his 13th league title but they struggled under his successor, David Moyes, and only came seventh last season.

Now the proposed signing of Ajax’s Netherlands international Daley Blind will take their summer spending towards 150 million pounds as their attempts to return to the summit of the

game prove costly.

But Wenger, who expects United to bounce back under new manager Louis van Gaal, does not think his old adversary Ferguson should shoulder the responsibility for United’s recent problems.

He said in a news conference: “What you want is once you leave the club is that it goes as well as possible, but if it is not working as much as well at the start then it is expected and it is not Ferguson’s fault.

“You do well for as long as you can and when you leave, you

want the club to be in a good position. “I don’t worry too much for them because they made us suffer enough down the years.

“I am sure they will come back.

If you look at the names they have, once that works altogether they will be a force once again in the Premier League. “Let’s be a little bit patient because Manchester United just started the season like we did.

“It’s cyclical as well, which is human nature. Anyway, what makes me focused is just to win my next game. Man United, I don’t worry too much for them.”

Caceres both hitting the bar shortly before the break as Juventus looked to extend their lead.

After the interval, Juventus continued to press forward and enjoy the better of possession although their keeper Gianluigi Buffon had to be sharp to foil a Maxi Lopez drive in the 77th minute.

Roma are viewed by many as the team most likely to challenge Juve at the top this year and they made a positive start to their campaign with Ivory Coast forward Gervinho creating one goal and grabbing the second against Fiorentina.

Former Chelsea and England fullback Ashley Cole made his Serie A debut against a Fiore team coached by ex-Roma striker Vincenzo Montella.

Belgian midfielder Raddja Nainggolan opened the scoring in the 28th minute, bursting through from midfield and feeding Gervinho, whose low shot was parried by Fiorentina’s Brazilian keeper Neto only for Nainggolan to blast home the loose ball.

Fiore twice went close to an equaliser just after the hour - Josip Ilicic hitting the bar with a curling free-kick before Khouma Babacar’s close-range effort was well blocked by Roma keeper

Morgan De Sanctis.

But in injury time Roma wrapped up the three points with Nainggolan returning the favour to Gervinho with a perfectly weighted through ball and the Ivorian rounding Neto before slotting into the unguarded goal.

The first Sunday of the season sees Filippo Inzaghi’s AC Milan host Lazio while Inter are at Torino and Napoli travel to Genoa.

Allegri Enjoys Winning Start At Juventus

CHAMPIONS Juventus and their new coach Massimiliano Allegri made a winning start to the Serie A season with a comfortable 1-0 victory at Chievo Verona on Saturday while title hopefuls AS Roma beat Fiorentina 2-0.

A sixth minute own goal from Chievo defender Cristiano Biraghi proved to be enough for Juve who could easily have won by a greater margin.

But ex-Milan coach Allegri will be delighted with the display of 18-year-old French striker Kingsley Coman, a close-season free transfer signing from Paris Saint Germain.

Coman, paired with a slimmed-down Carlos Tevez in attack, looked confident, sharp and dangerous throughout his Serie A debut.

The decisive goal came when Juve’s Uruguayan defender Martin Caceres powered got the end of a corner deep at the back post and his header was turned in by Biraghi, who is on loan at Chievo from Inter Milan.

Coman went close with a fierce shot on the turn in the 36th minute that force a fine save out of Chievo keeper Francesco Bardi, also on loan from Inter.

The woodwork kept Chievo in the game though - Tevez and

an extended summer break after many of their teammates were their World Cup victory with back in action for their clubs a Germany in Brazil, even though week earlier.

Chelsea’s Germany World Cup hero Andre Schurrle scored in the first round of Premier League matches at a time when Ozil, Mertesacker and Podolski had only just returned to training at Arsenal, but Wenger is convinced he made the right decision to rest his stars.

“I gave them four weeks’ break,” says Wenger. “The final of the World Cup was on July 13 and initially they had to come back on Aug. 5.

“So I text them and said stay out until Aug. 11 and come back then, because I knew it was impossible to come back three weeks later. When you come back from the World Cup and winning it, they had three or four days to parade the trophy in Germany so I gave them four weeks and I think it was the right decision.

“It takes you a while to refocus again, but once the Premier League starts and you see what is needed, you adapt. The hunger comes back by competing and refusing to lose the games. These guys are winners, as they have Arsenal Manager, Arsene Wenger proved in the last few months.”

Wenger went on to defend his decision to hand Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski

Mourinho Angered By Costa Treatment CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho accused Everton’s players of trying to get striker Diego Costa into trouble during their manic 6-3 victory at Goodison Park.

Mourinho said he was The Spain international scored disappointed with some of in the first and last minutes but Everton’s attempts to aggravate in between was booked for an his £32 million signing from altercation with Seamus Atletico Madrid.

Coleman, having previously “The only think I didn’t like upset his opponents by in this game - apart from some apparently goading the Republic of our defensive mistakes - was of Ireland international for his the way some Everton players own goal to make it 3-1 in the were trying to create problems for second half. him,” said the Portuguese.

“I don’t think this is English football. There is a good tradition with Everton teams because everything is good, everything is Sergio Aguero’s backheel, but positive: the manager, the quality of their football. his shot was always rising.

“But to be chasing cards to a But the goal improved the player who once more had good spectacle a touch, with City behaviour and was just here to forced to chase the game, play football is disappointing.

Stoke Stun Man City MANCHESTER City were stunned 1-0 as Stoke stole all three points courtesy of a Mame Diouf solo effort.

It was difficult to say that Stoke did not deserve it, either, particularly with such a well-worked goal from the ex-Manchester United player.

On the break just before the hour mark, after a Manchester City corner, Diouf took on the lagging defence, and proceeded to nutmeg Joe Hart for his first goal for the club.

They almost doubled their lead four minutes afterwards, but Victor Moses, loitering at the far post, could not get his boot to the ball in from the right from substitute Peter Odemwingie.

There had been little to inspire in the first half. Diouf thought he deserved a penalty when Aleksandar Kolarov brought him down in the box, but referee Lee Mason

disagreed.

Yaya Toure had a fine chance in injury time, picking up Kolarov’s diagonal ball intersecting the box from

“At the end of the story Diego is maybe the best player in the Premier League in the first three matches and he has two yellow cards; one against Burnley where he didn’t simulate it was a penalty and today when everyone was chasing him to get him in trouble.

That is disappointing.”

Mourinho described Costa’s performance as “fantastic in every aspect”.

“In the first half he was tackling Coleman on the edge of our box, he recovered balls, he held the ball up, went face to face with Howard two times and

scored two goals - his movement, his quality was really good.

“But we made defensive mistakes. It is difficult to believe Wednesday afternoon we trained one and half hours and did only two things: defensive corners and defensive free-kicks.

“So imagine how happy I am with the result of our work. It was better Wednesday to give them free time, stay at home with my wife and kids rather than train when they come here and concede the second goal, which is ridiculous.”

albeit to little effect.

De Rossi Fires Warning Shot At Serie A Rivals

ROMA vice-captain Daniele De Rossi has fired a warning shot at Serie A, insisting the capital club are out to annoy reigning champions Juventus and all their rivals in the race for this season’s scudetto.

The experienced midfielder helped Roma to a 2-0 win over Fiorentina on Saturday as Rudi Garcia’s side got their campaign off to a winning start after goals from Radja Nainggolan and Gervinho ensured maximum points for last season’s runnersup.

De Rossi feels his team-mates have the capability to prove a thorn in the side of Massimiliano Allegri and co - as Juve eye a fourth consecutive Scudetto.

“We intend to annoy Juventus, even though we know this is just the beginning,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“Watch out also for Milan, Napoli, Inter, Lazio and Fiorentina as they’ll fight to the end too.”

Roma were made to work hard by former player Vincenzo Montella and his Fiorentina side

- with Gervinho’s late goal settling any nerves at the Stadio Olimpico.

However, De Rossi was not concerned by their second-half lull, insisting Roma will improve.

“I think our drop in intensity towards the end was normal, considering it was the first official game of the season,” he added.

“Fiorentina are also one of the most attack-minded teams, so nobody will stop them having any chances.”

Chelsea’s Manager, Jose Mourinho

Di Maria Shows He’s Man To Drive Manchester United Forward

AFTER having the game of his life in the Champions League final in May, driving Real Madrid on to La Decima, Angel Di Maria was presented with his richly deserved man-of-the-match award in the depths of Lisbonís Estadio Da Luz by Sir Alex Ferguson.

Did Ferguson ever covet the accomplished Argentina international, either before or after his move to Madrid from Benfica in 2010? Was Di Mariaís name ever on a shortlist of potential signings in the Indian Summer of the Glaswegianís great career?

Probably not. After all, Di Maria is the kind of dynamic midfielder, oozing quality, who Ferguson studiously ig-

nored after the summer of 2007, when he signed Anderson and Owen Hargreaves and apparently felt he was done with central midfielders for good.The Scotís personal blind spot precluded the signing of such a player, to United’s detriment in recent seasons.

Three months on from that famous night in Lisbon and, after the abortive reign of

David Moyes and the flawed signing of Marouane Fellaini, it is to Di Maria that United have turned to pull them out of their post-Fergie funk.

After a poor start to the new season, Di Maria ñ at £59.7 million the most expensive signing in Premier League history ñ has been designated the man to finally take United forward. Fittingly, forward momentum is exactly what Di Maria offers as a player.

In the Champions League final, it was Di Mariaís dangerous and penetrative running ñ not the assembled talents of Karim Benzema,

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo ñ which posed Atletico Madridís uncompromising defence the most problems. Two of his downfield charges brought yellow cards as he threatened to break through the

Rojiblanco lines.

On his debut against Burnley, there were nascent signs that Di Maria will provide his new club with similar impetus, once this creaking and fractured United

Mourinho Confident Over Loic Remy’s lem.

CHELSEA manager Jose “He has lots of people Fitness Mourinho says specialists working with him in different have told him Loic Remy “does not have a problem to play football” a month after the striker’s proposed move to Liverpool broke down because of a failed medical.

QPR boss Harry Redknapp confirmed after his side’s 10 victory against Sunderland on Saturday that Remy was to join Chelsea to replace the AC Milan-bound Fernando Torres, with the Blues having activated a 10.5 million pound release clause in the Frenchman’s contract.

Remy reportedly agreed personal terms with Liverpool last month, but the Anfield

club pulled out of a move due to the results of his medical — which Redknapp branded “not possible”. Mourinho, though, insists there are no problems with Remy’s fitness.

“I know that we’re trying since yesterday to get Loic Remy, since we knew Fernando was leaving,” Mourinho told Sky Sports after Chelsea’s 6-3 victory against Everton.

“Now it’s time to make some calls and have news.

We have a fantastic doctor and I trust him completely.

They will identify any prob-

• Jose Mourinho

areas, and for sure we’ll try to identify clearly what the situation is. The information we have from specialists in different areas is that he does not have a problem to play football.”

It has since been reported by the Daily Mail that Arsenal have also joined the race to sign Remy before Monday’s transfer deadline.

• Di Maria

Poyet Calls For Positive Response GUS Poyet has warned Sunderland to heed their Loftus Road “wake-up call” in the international break to jump-start their Barclays Premier League campaign.

The Black Cats are still searching for their first league win of the new season after slipping up 1-0 against QPR on Saturday.

Charlie Austin fired the hosts’ first goal of the new term, denying Poyet’s men the chance to get off their first league win.

A frustrated Poyet lambasted Sunderland’s defensive lapses and profli-

gacy in possession, admitting he will take his squad to task ahead of their next league clash, at home to Tottenham on September 13.

To lose that control and momentum, in those 15 minutes before the break; they made us suffer,” he said.

“It’s got to be a wake-up call for us really. There’s no place for this.

“We put ourselves under pressure, giving the ball away cheaply in our own half.”

Adam Johnson produced two perfectly

seven, eight or nine games a year. I think we should have the right to accept that those players are going to be available and play for us and if they need a rest then I think it might be incumbent upon the clubs to give them one.”

Hodgson insists Wayne Rooney’s appointment as England captain will not lead to burnout for the 28-yearold.

Rooney was appointed Manchester United captain just over a fortnight ago, but Hodgson says the striker will not have too much extra work to do with England now that he is skipper of the national

team too.

“Being captain won’t affect his work load,” Hodgson said.

“Nothing more will be asked for him. He will have to sit beside me at press conferences.

“If it was necessary to leave a player out we could, but we have started to create an environment here where the players actually won’t want to sit out.”

With Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole having retired, Rooney is by far the most experienced member of the 22-man squad selected for the upcoming double-header.

weighted through-balls for Patrick van Aanholt and Steven Fletcher as Sunderland took the early initiative at QPR. Both men failed to provide a finish to match the approach play, however, and the Wearsiders paid

top-flight clubs and the England players they have on their books should not view the upcoming international get together as a holiday, Hodgson insists.

Whenever Hodgson has to choose a squad, he wants his players fully focused when they report for duty, and he feels it should not fall upon his shoulders to rest players if they start to fatigue.

“The players can’t regard the international breaks as the unofficial winter break, like a lot of club teams do, they have to accept it,” the England manager said.

“The national team plays

the ultimate price in defeat.

Austin blasted home just before half-time to break the deadlock, and despite several further halfchances Sunderland were unable to claim any points.

Poyet is still chasing several new recruits ahead of

Napoli Complete £5m Lopez Signing Napoli have completed the £5 million signing of Espanyol midfielder David Lopez on a five-year deal.

La Liga outfit Espanyol announced on Saturday

Hodgson Warns Players, Clubs Over Tiredness ROY Hodgson has told Premier League clubs to forget about pulling players out of England duty just because they are tired.

International football returns to England next week and public interest in the national side is at its lowest ebb for many years.

As a result of England’s miserable World Cup campaign, as few as 35,000 fans could be at Wembley to watch the Three Lions take on Norway in a friendly.

But even though the public are not interested in the match, or the qualifier against Switzerland five days later,

team finally finds some kind of form and shape.

Debates over where he would fit into the United team - was he a winger? or a wingback? - were unneccesary. At Turf Moor he was unsurprisingly deployed alongside Juan Mata and in front of Darren Fletcher in a three-man midfield. It mirrored his use at Madrid last season under Carlo Ancelotti, alongside Luka Modric and in front of Xabi Alonso, with Ander Herrera presumably pencilled in for the Mata/ Modric role and imminent new signing Daley Blind a possible contender for the Fletcher/Alonso position as the season progresses.

At every opportunity, Di Maria was looking to use that wonderful left foot of his to move play forward decisively and quickly. Whereas Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrickís prominence as practitioners of the sideways pass slowed United down in recent seasons, Di Maria should give them extra velocity. He has the courage to look for the forward pass, the trickier ball.

The second most experienced player in the party is James Milner, the 48-cap midfielder who cannot hold down a regular first-team place at Manchester City.

Despite the lack of leaders available to him, Hodgson is optimistic about the next two years.

The former Liverpool manager insists England will qualify for Euro 2016 - although that is not hard given that the top two teams from each group qualify automatically - and he is confident his team will put on a good show in the tournament its self.

that they had agreed to sell the 24-year-old to the Serie A side and the deal has now been ratified, making him the Partenopei’s fifth acquisition of the summer.

Lopez told Napoliís official website: “I’m happy to be at Napoli, an important club with a wonderful audience.”

The defensive midfielder came through the club’s youth system and, after a loan spell at Leganes followed by a brief switch to Huesca, Lopez returned to Espanyol in 2013 before going on to play 33 times in the league.

Lopez, who made 41 appearances in all competitions for Espanyol, is expected to slot into the berth vacated by Switzerland international Valon Behrami, who left Serie A for Hamburg during the close-season.

Zaha Ready To Kick-start Career

WILFRIED Zaha is confident he can relaunch his career under Neil Warnock after announcing his return to Crystal Palace in style.

He was introduced as a The 21-year-old, who 70th-minute substitute at St joined Manchester United James’ Park and was to have from Palace in a £15million the final say in a dramatic switch in January last year, conclusion to an eventful 3-3 headed back to Selhurst Park draw as he demonstrated the on loan last week having talent which attracted United made only a handful of apin a thrilling cameo. pearances for his new club.

Zaha told Palace’s official website, www.cpfc.co.uk: “He [Warnock] has come in and said he doesn’t want to change too much really.

“He’s let us get on with it and told me to do what I do.

He’s seen me play before, so he allowed me to go out there and express myself.

“I haven’t really played too

• Wilfried Zaha

Redknapp Backs Austin To Succeed HARRY Redknapp has backed Charlie Austin to become the latest former non-League star to make a successful transition to life in the top-flight.

Bricklayer-turnedgoalscorer Austin handed QPR a Barclays Premier League lift on Saturday, firing his first top-level goal in a 1-0 home victory over Sunderland.

The 25-year-old’s powerful drive ended QPR’s 315minute goal drought at the start of the new campaign, easing pressure on boss Redknapp.

QPR are expected to sign a replacement striker for Chelsea-bound Loic Remy before Monday’s transfer window closure, but still backed Austin to make the Premier League grade.

“There are lots of strikers that have come out of lower-league football,” said

Redknapp of the former Kintbury striker.

“Obviously recently there’s the likes of Rickie Lambert and before that Kevin Phillips, and it’s great to see that hopefully chances are still there to move through the levels.

“And hopefully Charlie can be another who does the same thing in the long term.

“He took his goal very well, it’s great for him.

“Thursday was the first time he’d trained for two weeks after his hamstring problem, so to get 60-odd minutes out of him was a bonus.”

Rangers’ club captain Clint Hill started Saturday’s vital victory in a re-jigged four-man defence, with Richard Dunne on the bench.

Redknapp started the season keen to favour 3-52, but has quickly shifted to

EMMANUEL Adebayor has been recalled by Togo to play for the national team for the first time in some 18 months as they get their African Nations Cup qualifying campaign underway next week.

The 30-year-old Tottenham Hotspur striker had refused call ups for last year’s World Cup qualifiers in the wake of a public spat with coach Didier Six following the 2013 African Nations Cup finals in

South Africa.

Adebayor was critical of the former French international’s work even after Togo broke new ground by reaching the Nations Cup quarter-finals for the first time after seven previous failed attempts.

Six has departed and Togo’s new coach Tchakala Tchanile named Adebayor for the Group E matches against Guinea on Friday and Ghana

a flat back four.

Summer recruit Rio Ferdinand will skipper Rangers as and when Hill is absent, and the 35-yearold was expected to battle for minutes on the field.

Redknapp hailed Hill’s pivotal contribution against the Black Cats, though, especially for a match-saving block in the six-yard box.

“You can put your life on Clint can’t you, he’s such a great professional,” said Redknapp.

“He’s reliable and that’s so important for us, and he showed just what he offers.

“We’ve got to have competition in there, that’s vital.”

much, so coming off the bench I don’t mind because I’m getting my fitness back.

But I’m definitely looking forward to starting a few games.

“I had to make the move here because I wasn’t getting minutes on the pitch, so coming back here will definitely push my career forward.”

Zaha’s strike came five minutes into seven minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game, and after he had seen an earlier effort correctly ruled out for offside and been denied twice by Magpies keeper Tim Krul.

He said: “To be honest, I’d missed way too many chances before that, so I’m buzzing to get the goal.

“Since I came back, I’ve been comfortable and everyone has shown me love around the place. All I need to do is get settled again and get playing. It’s always great to play and I feel at home doing that here with players I’ve played with before.

“I go back home and my dad gives me advice and what I have to do in the next game, so I’m comfortable and I’m happy.”

If Zaha claimed the head-

lines on the pitch, Warnock did so off it as his second spell in charge unfolded in topsy-turvy fashion.

Palace were ahead within 30 seconds when Krul could only turn Marouane Chamakh’s shot on to the post and Dwight Gayle slammed the rebound into the roof of the net.

It took Newcastle, who had failed to register in either of their opening two Barclays Premier League fixtures, until the 38th minute to break their duck when full-back Daryl Janmaat bundled home from close range with the help of a series of ricochets and a deflection off Damien Delaney.

However, having started the first half dozily, Alan Pardew’s men were guilty of the same offence in the second, allowing Jason Puncheon time and space to tee up Yannick Bolasie’s pass before volleying it across Krul and into the far corner.

Minutes after Warnock had turned to Zaha, Pardew handed 18-year-old Rolando Aarons his chance, and the Jamaica-born midfielder very

nearly won the game for the home side.

His 74th-minute back-post header after Remy Cabella’s corner had flicked off defender Scott Dann restored parity, and when his curling 89th-minute shot came back off the post, Mike Williamson supplied the final touch to claim his first goal in more than five years.

That should have been enough to claim a first league victory of the campaign, but a lack of discipline and concentration handed Zaha his chance, and he took it with aplomb.

Pardew, who has himself considered Zaha as a potential signing in the recent past, was understandably disappointed at the result, but confident for what lies ahead.

He said: “I think we have got a good group. I think we have still got things to do going forward.

“I think against the better teams, we are probably well set, but we need to find ways through - maybe that bottom half of the Premier League is where we are going to have to be a bit more patient and show a bit more quality.”

• Salomon Kalou

Salomon Kalou Joins Hertha Berlin HERTHA Berlin have completed the signing of Cote d’Ivoire international Salomon Kalou on a three-

year deal.

The 29-year-old arrives in the German capital from Lille, where he spent two

on Sept. 10 in a list released by the Togo Football Federation on Sunday.

The tall forward has been a talismanic influence for Togo stretching back a decade now, having been the catalyst when the small west African country were surprise qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

He quit international football after the terror attack on the Togo team bus ahead of

the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola but came back for a brief spell after being persuaded out of his “retirement” by Togo’s head of state.

In recent times, his has featured on lists of call-ups only for him to ignore the summons.

Togo are seeking to qualify for the 2015 finals in Morocco, which will be played from Jan 17-Feb 8.

Togo Recall Adebayor For International Action

seasons having joined from Premier League side Chelsea in 2012.

Kalou scored 34 goals in all competitions for the French club but now switches to Berlin for his first taste of the Bundesliga.

A Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup winner with Chelsea, he expressed his delight at moving to the Olympiastadion.

“After my time in England and France, I am absolutely looking forward to playing for Hertha and in the Bundesliga,” Kalou told the

club’s official website.

“The club has been working actively to sign me, I had very good discussions with the club’s managers.”

Kalou could come into Jos Luhukay’s side for Saturday’s visit of Mainz in the Bundesliga, with Hertha having picked up just a point from their opening two matches.

“Kalou is a top striker who has proven his class in the Premier League, the Champions League and with his national team,” added sporting director Michael Preetz.

US Open

Serena Progresses To 4th Round

WORLD number one Serena Williams advanced safely to the next round of the US Open on Saturday but the women’s draw saw yet another big upset as Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova was sent packing by a 145th-ranked qualifier.

Third-seed Kvitova fell victim to 21-year-old Serbian Aleksandra Krunic, leaving only three of the top eight women’s seeds still in the tournament.

The womenís draw has been ravaged by upsets with Simona Halep (2nd), Agnieszka Radwanska (4th), Angelique Kerber (6th) and Ana Ivanovic (8th) have already been shown the door.

The shock of the day was delivered by the little-known Krunic, who stung the unsteady Kvitova 6-4 6-4. The diminutive Serbian, who aims to graduate from university this year with a degree in economics, was a blur as she sprinted and slid into splits while stretching for returns.

“It was an honour for me to be on the same court as

Petra, who is a great champion,” said Krunic, who will come up against Victoria Azarenka in the next round.

“Of course, I didn’t expect to win. Of course, I hoped to.

I’m very happy.”

Twice Australian Open winner Azarenka secured her spot in the last 16 with a 6-1 6-1 win over Russian Elena Vesnina.

Eugenie Bouchard, a semifinalist in the previous three slams, including a runner-up finish at Wimbledon, had to fight to keep from joining the list of upsets, the seventhseeded Canadian holding her nerve to earn a 6-2 7-6(2) 64 win over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. leksandra Krunic of Serbia reacts after defeating Petra

••• Kvitova Crashes Out

Kvitova of the Czech Republic at the 2014 U.S. Open tennis Ö Williams is the last American standing at the US Open after the remaining homegrown hopefuls said goodbye to Flushing Meadows on Saturday.

A total of 29 Americans (12 men, 17 women) started the year’s final grand slam on Monday and by the time the gates to the U.S. National Tennis Center closed on Saturday only the world number one was still in the hunt for a singles title.

Nicole Gibbs and Varvara Lepchenko also made thirdround exits, leaving home fans pinning their hopes on Williams heading into the second week.

Five-time US Open champion Williams played her part in the American demise, dis-

patching three of her compatriots in rapid succession.

After dismissing Taylor Townsend in the opening round and Vania King in the second, Williams chased the 52nd ranked Lepchenko with a 6-3 6-3 victory.

Williams, who has failed to reach the quarter-finals of any of the previous three grand slams this year, was just happy not to be one of the U.S. casualties.

Murray Advances To Fourth Round With Four-Set Win

ANDY Murray doublefaulted to send the match to a fourth set, but then swiftly took care of business in a 6-1 7-5 4-6 6-2 win over Russian Andrey Kuznetsov to reach the fourth round of the US Open.

Djokovic Eases Past Querrey Into Fourth Round

Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic squashed another American hope, pounding Sam Querrey 6-3 6-2 6-2 on Saturday to reach the fourth round of the U.S. The menís draw is intriguing as the top 10 are still in the hunt with number three Stan Wawrinka, number five Milos Raonic, eighth seed Andy Murray and number nine Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all moving on.

It was a poor day for the home fans in New York as the last two hopes of the men’s draw, 13th seed John Isner and Sam Querrey, both bowed out in the third round.

Djokovic, a US Open finalist the last four years and winner in 2011, has also done his part to spoil America’s grand slam party.

The Serb squashed another American hope on Saturday, pounding Querrey 63 6-2 6-2 to reach the fourth round for the eighth straight year while improving his record to a perfect 8-0 when facing U.S. opponents at Flushing Meadows.

Isner bombarded Philipp Kohlschreiber with 42 aces and never lost his serve but still dropped a 7-6(4) 4-6 76(2) 7-6(4) decision to the German.

Murray, the 2012 Open champion and 2013 Wimbledon winner, doublefaulted to send his match to a fourth set, then swiftly took

charge in a 6-1 7-5 4-6 6-2 win over Russian Andrey Kuznetsov.

That set up a clash against Tsonga, a 6-4 6-4 6-4 winner against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain.

Raonic won three tiebreakers in a straight-sets win against Dominican Victor Estrella Burgos to set up a fourth-round duel with Japanese 10th seed Kei

• Serena Williams

Nishikori, who beat 23rd seed Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in straight sets.

Australian Open winner Wawrinka was given a walkover into the fourth round when Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia defaulted because of a right foot injury.

• Andy Murray

Murray had his stamina and patience tested at Louis Armstrong Stadium in the third-round battle, but came through in good shape.

Hit with cramp during his first-round win, Murray double-faulted to send the match to a fourth set but then swiftly took care of business in a 6-1 7-5 4-6 62 win.

“He played some good stuff at the end of the second set and all through the third,” eighth seed Murray said. “I just tried to stay solid in the fourth set and thankfully it paid off.

“I feel better than I did in the first match, obviously. I made sure I did everything properly. I ate properly, drank properly and I felt a lot better today.”

Murray had more trouble with the swirling wind around the Armstrong Stadium court and the cramped area beyond the baseline, as opposed to the centre court at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“The wind swirls a lot on that (Armstrong) court. It can be windy on Ashe, but normally it goes in one direction,” said Murray, the 2012 U.S. Open winner and 2013 Wimbledon champion, who has often strug-

Nsc Working To Resolve Nigerian Football Crisis Danagogo, the commission THE National Sports Comtion by discussing with all the said it was still studying the - Danagogo mission (NSC) on Saturday parties involved in order to in Abuja assured all football stakeholders it was doing everything necessary to ensure that peace returned to the Nigeria Football Association (NFA).

In a statement by Patrick Omorodion, the Special Assistant to the NSC Chairman/ Sports Minister, Tammy

situation.

“The NSC wants to state that it is not unaware of the crisis bedeviling football administration in Nigeria and is assuring all football stakeholders that the Sports Minister/NSC Chairman, Tammy Danagogo, is doing everything to ensure that

peace returns to the NFA. “The NSC is still studying the situation and will at the appropriate time say something about it in order for our football to move forward,î it said.

The statement quoted the Sports Minister as saying he had already swung into ac-

find an amicable solution.

“Already, I have started calling the parties involved in the dispute to know their grievances and find a way out of the crisis because it is not healthy for the development of our football,î Danagogo was quoted as saying.

gled at the Open’s second featured court.

“Also it’s a very tight, tight court as well. There’s not much runback compared with Ashe. I don’t know, outside the lines there’s not that much space.”

Murray became annoyed at the lack of room at one point when he was headed toward a camera while chasing down a ball.

“I almost ran with my knee straight into the camera at the back of the court,” the Scotsman said.

“If I was a spectator, and a player had to stop because he got hit by a camera that was too close to the back of the court, then I would be annoyed if I was watching that. You certainly wouldn’t get that an Ashe because there’s much bigger runback.”

Next up for Murray will be ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, who beat Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4 6-4 6-4.

Tsonga beat Murray in three tight sets in the quarter-finals in Toronto earlier this month on his way to winning the title.

“It will be a tough match.

We played each other a lot of times,” said Murray. “He’s obviously playing well right now. He had a great week in Canada. He’s played some good tennis so far here. Obviously it will be a tough match.

Despite the Toronto loss, Murray has won nine of 11 matches against the Frenchman.

“I’ve had a lot of close matches with him,” Murray said. “But I’ve won a lot against him, as well. I would say my game matches up well with his.”

CMYK

Between Edo, Ekiti And Osun

THE quest by some political aspirants to assume leadership position by all means possible is turning out to serve important lessons as the country’s electorates are becoming wiser. If the turn out of Osun governorship election is an indication of what to expect in subsequent elections, it may not be wrong to assume that they have imbibed important lessons from the Ekiti version and are determined to act wiser.

Whereas insincerity is becoming native to aspirants, voters are making it clear that they have the will to apply native intelligence as a counter measure. This is

including falsehood, labelled stomach infrastructure.

Successfully, it worked for them in Ekiti but backfired in Osun where we were, once more, reminded that when overstretched, falsehood, like elastic band, can fly right back and sting its holder. Right now, it is obvious that APC governors’ commendable performance index, evident in Edo, Ekiti, Osun, to mention but a few, is not a fluke in the consideration of the people.

Before the coming of the APC administrations in the three states mentioned above, ‘shanties’ was one of the most appropriate descriptions for the condition of basic infrastructure.

It is

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State the unambiguous lesson majority of those who paticipated in the election that validated a second term mandate for Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola want everyone to take away from the election as they returned the incumbent governor to power despite desperate push by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, opposition, led by Iyiola Omisore, the man in whose direction moral accusation still hangs over the murder of consumate politician, Chief Bola Ige. Even before the election in neighbouring Ekiti, the rival Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made it clear that it was out to conquer all south west and south states in the fold of the All Progressive Congress, APC. Without masking its desperation to achieve the purpose, it employed unauthodox tactical methods,

important mentioning here that the PDP was not only the party in charge, it also celebrated its unenviable administrative hallmark of public goodwill abuse. It was therefore not surprising that by their uncommon commitment to the pursuit of self centred interests its governors administered each of the states to near ruins as shown in the criminal charges levelled against to the effect that they diverted the people’s common wealth into private bank accounts while all sectors of the economy were left in shambles. If the situation was chaotic in Ekiti and Osun, it was an eye sore in Edo. Even as the opposition in the states chose to see it differently, the situation took a turn for the better since the people declared, through the ballot, that enough was indeed, enough.

Prior to the election in which Aregbesola won his second term mandate, his

main opponent, Senator Omisore, opted to reduce every aspect of the APC flag bearer’s undeniable quality development performance to hogwash.

In particular, the Ife born prince, who won his election to the senate while in detention and without campagning, ridiculed the governor ’s acclaimed education advances as a policy that took the state back by ages. It does not matter that for the governor ’s exceptional brilliance, Osun is today being copied by others for its ‘Opo Imo’ initiative, the revolutionary computer literacy policy that produced an all-subject tablet for children in public schools. The good thing is that the people know better.

In Edo state, a similar scenario played itself out when attempts by the Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole administration to widen the Airport was misinterpreted to mean that its focus was to pull down the walls housing the palace of the most reverred Omo Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolor, Oba of Benin. It was not only calculated to undermine the robust relationship between the monarch and governor but also to possibly engineer ethnic conflagration. Even as the machinations failed miserably, there are manifest signs that falsehood has remained the opposition’s major weapon of choice as events leading up to the

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State The distinguished senator Omisore went further to describe Aregbesola’s road reconstruction and rehabilitation processes as deliberate policies to further pauperise poor people in the state. Not done with just riling the governor Not done with just riling the governor, the distinguished senator, whose unguarded comment prior to the murder of Ige singled him as prime suspect, went ballistic once again, deploying from his armoury ethnocentric, religious and traditional bigotries. Without a care for its long term consequences, he accused the governor of planning to dethrone the highly reverred Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade as instructed by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos state governor under whom Aregbesola served as works commissioner.

2016 governorship election enter top gears.

As it is in Ekiti and Osun, the opposition is struggling to give the impression that the Oshiomhole administration has done nothing worth mentioning.

They are begging the world to deny it the credit of, for instance, being resoonsible for the positive strides in the education sector given that the federal government provides part of the counterpart fundings.

While the purpose of this piece is not to debate the authenticity or otherwise of the claim, the point must be made that it would have made more sense if those bandying the excuse are also able to explain why the previous PDP administrations in the state failed to produce any commensurate result with the said funds.

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP representatives are struggling to convince Ekiti

Matters In Focus With

Ernest Omoarelojie and Osun people that the positive changes brought by both the Fayemi and A r e g b e s o l a administrations are mere mirages-figments of their imaginations the same way Chief Dan Orbih, Edo state PDP chairman, reduced Oshiomhole’s sterling road reconstruction and rehabilitation performance to ‘planting flower’ just before someone in his audience quickly reminded him that if his party had planted the flowers in question, Oshiomhole would be planting trees

for the people except the proponents because it is intended to become a subtle manner of suggesting that governors must submit state resources for distribution among political elites.

Acting contrary, as Oshiomhole did, only serve to accentuate their being tagged as having no serious plans for tackling poverty. It was the excuse employed to justify the defection by some members of Edo APC even as they fingered his alleged dictatorial tendencies as a front.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State instead. In other words, he was told his party did nothing when it had so much and so none of its agent was qualified to criticise Oshiomhole for doing much with little.

Orbih, Fayose, Omisore or indeed, any other PDP revellers are accusing the APC governors of impoverishing the poor people for pulling down houses to make way for roads. But the cannot deny, without being ridiculed, the fact that no road in any of states in question is in the same deplorable state as was the case when the PDP was in charge of affairs.

Rather than face the fact that people are becoming more aware of their regime of lies and half truths, they are expanding the scope by preaching stomach infrastructure. It is nothing more than a failed attempt to win the people’s goodwill through the back door.

Let it be said that stomach infrastructure is like a Greek gift that has nothing good

In Ekiti state, stomach infrastructure campaign worked successfully. But in Osun, voters refused to buy Omisore’s claim that Aregbesola policies made poor people poorer. But as the state governorship result has shown, its supporters are running against tide as it is now evident that the people appreciate and indeed support the governor’s policies despite persuasions to the contrary. For the same reason, Oshiomhole’s sterling performance index is still receiving ovations from across all political spectrum as attested to by his unprecedented second term victory and validation by no less a person than President Goodluck Jonathan himself who recently remarked that the Comrade Governor ’s performance in attracting foreign investors is a feat other governors must endeavour to emulate.

Need we say more?

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