THE NIGERIAN
The Nigerian
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PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968
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Pg 13 Incidence Of Child Buying, Stealing, Kidnapping, Trafficking Within Intercountry Adoption System
ARCHIVAL MATTERS Pg 21
Keep Your Eyes On The Ball
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
• Vol . 38 NO. 301• MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2 0 13 • N100.00
Royal father lauds Edo group in US By RICHARD EWEKA UROMI The paramount ruler of Uromi, His Royal Highness (HRH) Zaiki Anslem Eidenogie has
commended the philanthropic gesture of Akugbe 1 International Inc. Las Vegas United States of America for donating a borehole to the people of Ubierumu, Uromi.
Zaiki, Eidenogie gave the commendation while commissioning the borehole Project to ease the water problem facing the people of Ubierumu Uromi, in Esan North East Local Government
Area of Edo state. HRH Eidenogie said the commissioning was a good thing to remember for the people of the land who had Continues on page 2
2015
PDP plots Jega’s removal - Hon. Pally Iriase
OWAN EAST – A member of the Federal House of Representatives Hon Pally Iriase has alleged plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to scuttle the 2015 general elections. Part of the plans, the R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s Federal Lawmaker disclosed this at the alleged, is the planned inaugural meeting of the Progressive removal of Professor All Attahiru Jega as the Congress held at his Chairman of the country home in Otuo at Independent National the weekend. The Federal Electoral Commission Lawmaker further ahead the election. Iriase, who represents disclosed that since the Owan Federal federal government Constituency in the failed in her bid to stop House of the registration of the
APC; a coalition of the defunct AC.N and the ANPP, “it has directed its attention at the headship of the INEC, who they (federal government) perceived has not been
pandering to their wishes. The removal of Professor Jega before the 2015 elections he said would allow the PDP shop for a stooge who could do their
bidding of massively rigging the election, in favour of the PDP to further perpetuate the party’s administration in office even when it is clear that Nigerians desire a change,” Hon.
Pally Iriase alleged. He said the credibility of Jega as head of INEC, was responsible for the free and fair elections conducted ever since by Continues on page 2
ASUU we insists on implementation Why broke away, by of agreement PDP faction By JOSES SEDE ABUJA - Former VicePresident and splinter group leader of the People Democratic Party at the national level, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has given an insight on why a new National Working Committee was inaugurated for the Peoples Democratic Party. He said the party has derailed from its mission and it is being run by those who do not know anything about party politics. Decked in white Babanriga, the ex-VicePresident savoured the moment as the seven governors and party leaders conceded the right to speak to the press to him after the address of the new factional National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.
He said there is frustration in the country and Nigerians are disappointed with PDP administration. “Today is a very historic day in the life of our party. It is also a day of mixed feelings. It could also be a day of happiness. It could also be a sad day. Sad because the party we conceived in 1998 to be a rallying point for all Nigerians to be a source of unity, to be a party that will fulfill the aspirations of Nigerians, has today be dragged down by people who don’t even understand what party politics is all about. ” So, or sometimes I have always been trying to draw attention of leaders of our party, and the leaders of government that this democratic dispensation
is supposed to make things better for the people of this country. “Let us not deceive ourselves, the country is full of frustration, the country is full of anger, is full of disappointment, therefore we have a responsibility, to see how we can reform our Continues on page 2
BRIEFING: R-L: Chairman, New PDP, Kawu Baraje, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Adamawa State Governor Muritala Nyako and Kwara State Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed during a press briefing to announce the formation of new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja weekend. Photo: OMOYE AMINU.
Nigeria loses $800m to medical tourism yearly - NMA SOKOTO - The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) said yesterday that Nigeria was losing some $800
million (about N125 billion) annually to medical tourism.
The National President of the NMA, Dr Osahon Enabulele,
made the announcement in Sokoto at a news
dialogue by the group would be released
before the end of this month. A statement made
Ayakeme Whisky, said Continues on page 2
Group convokes National Dialogue available to newsmen in Lagos by the NNSG, this month and signed by one Chief timetable for a national
LAGOS - The Nigerian National Summit Group (NNSG), led by Alhaji Tanko Yakasai said yesterday that the
conference at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association. According to him, no fewer than 5,000 Nigerians travel to India annually for medical tourism. “That is why we are commending Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State Continues on page 2
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
News
Royal father lauds Edo group in US
Continued from page 1
longed for such a project in the community. “What we see here today is a very good thing. All I want for my people and this kingdom is nothing but development. If our son who is not a politician can deep his hands into his pocket and bring out his hard earn money to give us water to drink, this gesture is worth emulating”. “I call on all our sons and daughters to thread this path and contribute their quota to the development of this community and put smiles on the faces of our people. I wish the donor well for this laudable project sited here in this community to bring to an end the problem of water”. He concluded. Adding his voice, the Onojie of Ewu Kingdom, His Royal Highness (HRH) Razak Y.I Ojiefo thanked the donor of the water project and congratulated the community for the laudable gift of this magnitude and advised them to ensure they make maximum use of the project. “I am here to celebrate with the people of this community for this wonderful gift, it is marvelous in our sight, we pray for God’s blessing and protection for us all and also the donor”. The Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources, Hon. (Barr) Chris Ebare who was also a guest at the event, commended Akugbe l International, the donor of the water project, and said the project is to complement the effort of the Comrade governor in his developmental stride to make the state a role model in the nation. “I am sure this step will encourage other organizations to emulate and contribute their own quota to assist the comrade governor
Jega’s removal Continued from page 1 INEC “and this is not going down well with the PDP and they are doing everything possible to remove him (Jega) before 2015. The Federal Lawmaker has therefore called on Nigerians and lovers of true democracy to resist any attempt by the PDP – led administration to remove Jega as chairman of INEC, because, according to him, “the headship of Jega has given the INEC the reputation it is enjoying today as an institution saddled with the conduct of credible election.” Pally stressed that “but for Jega, the international community would have written off Nigeria as a country that cannot conduct a free, fair and credible election, hence we cannot afford to go back to the pre2011 era if we must keep this democracy on course,” the federal lawmaker cautioned.
to develop the state and take it to an enviable height”. The President of Akugbe 1 International Inc, Las Vegas, United States of America, Prince Tony Osime, who is based in the US, said the goal of the group is to help the people and lift them out of poverty. He said water was a problem while growing up and still a problem today and
that was why the group chose to give the people clean drinking water. “I call on other sons and daughters to come home to develop their land. I also advise my people to use this project judiciously to their benefits,” he concluded. The Vice President, Barr. Andy Ikhine, a lawyer based in US, thanked all that came
to grace the occasion, and also gave thanks to God for helping them lift their people from poverty by solving their water problem. “This project has brought relief to the people who walk up to four miles every day to get water. We have taught some youths how to operate the machine and made it clear that the water is not for sale but for free”.
Continued from page 1 great party so that those lofty ideals, lofty goals can be achieved. They can not be achieved by the present leadership of the party. It cannot be achieved even by the presidency. ” I have said it before and I am saying it again, that we are going in a wrong direction, now we have seen the result. ” We are losing the party, we are losing the government, and for this very courageous people seated here, this idea was mooted to see whether we still have
men with courage and determination to get up and stand up. “I will therefore want to appeal to the rest of our party members who are still sitting on the fence to join this new PDP. “I want to assure you we will restore the values of the founding fathers of this party. Let me thank all of you for the courage and support to stand up because some people will be hiding somewhere. By the grace of God with your support, with your loyalty, the change will be achieved,” Atiku continued. MORE FALLOUTS IN PDP CONVENTION PARALLEL
GROUP 1) ATIKU 2) 8 PDP GOVERNORS 3) 48 PDP SENATORS 4) 167 MEMBERS OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 5) 17 MEMBERS OF THE BOT 6) 4 SERVING MINISTERS 7) 2 EX HEADS OF STATE 6 FORMER PDP GOVERNORS 8) 2 FORMER NATIONAL PDP CHAIRMEN 9) 12 PDP STATE CHAIRMEN AND EXCO 10) FORMER DEFENSE CHIEF FROM TARABA STATE
‘Why we broke away’
Nigeria loses $800m to medical tourism Continued from page 1
for heeding our advice when he had an accident and he stayed back in Nigeria for treatment. “ Other public and political office holders should emulate him and have confidence that there are adequate medical manpower and facilities in Nigeria. “There is therefore, the urgent need for investments in the nation’s healthcare system.’’ Enabulele urged President Goodluck Jonathan, governors and other top public officials as well as political office holders to emulate the Kogi governor. “If this is done, the high rate of capital plight used for medical tourism would be curbed and Nigerians should only travel for treatment when it becomes absolutely necessary.’’ Enabulele said that the association was fully committed to taking the nation’s health sector to
greater heights. The medical practitioner said that 3,700 patients were attended to in Tambuwal, Wamakko and Gwadabawa communities during the three-day free medical outreach programme, which
ended on August 28 in Sokoto State. He said that no fewer than 98 free surgical operations were conducted in three Local Government Areas of the state during the programme.
Continued from page 1
proposed National Political Summit, scheduled to hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom. The Uyo summit was being organised by another group, ‘Project Nigeria,’ led by Prof. Ben Nwabueze. The NNSG said the clarification on the Uyo summit became imperative because of numerous inquiries and clarifications being sought by some Nigerians on the summit. “Those who were making inquiries from us, were those who over the years associated the NNSG with the task of organising genuine dialogue to address problems facing Nigeria through a national conference.
National Dialogue
that the group would soon release the timetable for zonal consultations. “All requisite modalities leading to the convening of a national conference and dialogue would also be released,’’ the group stated. It said that the problems of the nation were too endemic for revelry and ceremonies in the name of national political summit. The statement said that the NNSG would draw participants from the grassroots to dialogue on the future of the nation, to strengthen the bonds of unity. The group said, however, that it was not involved in the
1 convicted as Akoko-Edo marks Sanitation Day
IGARRA - The people of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area have urged to take the matter of cleanliness as important as life itself just as one man was convicted for violating the environmental sanitation law. The call came Saturday by Chairman Hon Folorunsho Akerejola in Igarra the local Government headquarters during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise that was observed. The chairman who spoke through the head, Environment department Mr. Etamobe Clement said the exercise was successful as all participated. He observed that initially there was God’s divine nature of which nobody can stop for over an hour it
rained that constituted a little hindrance. He admonished the people not to put the Government to test by proving stubborn. He said nobody in the local government can claim ignorance of the exercise. “I want to say that they are all aware that there is environmental sanitation today (Saturday) even if there is none enlightenment, nobody tell them that it is market day all over the local government. Nobody remind them of other markets outside Akoko-Edo they are all abreast of the fact that the last Saturday of every month is environmental sanitation day. Besides, there was three day enlightenment by the information unit of the
department that moved round the entire communities even with letters to remind them. He added. According to him, “the people of Akoko-Edo should always have it at their hearts that the last Saturday of every month is sanitation day. And they owe the primary duty to ensure that their environment is kept clean and premises are tidy so that our environment can be disease free because it is our own duty to prevent. There was total compliance to the no movement rule in the local government. At the end of the exercise only one man was convicted by the mobile court judge presided over by Prince Mutari Oarie in Igarra.
Edo moves 15 lunatics to healing home
By FUMILAYO BABATOPE
BENIN CITY – In continuation of its weekly exercise of evacuating lunatics from Benin City metropolis, the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development at the weekend apprehended 15 lunatics at various locations in Benin City. They were immediately taken to Chief T. O. Omon Oleabhiele Traditional Healing Home in Benin City, one of the 14 government approved healing homes for rehabilitating lunatics. Speaking during the evacuation exercise, the State Commissioner for the Ministry, Mrs. Blessing Maigida, who personally monitored the exercise said it was geared towards sustaining and aligning with the beautification agenda of the state government. She explained that the streets in Benin City metropolis and indeed all local government areas in the state will be cleared of
lunatics with their menace as a way of complementing the beautification and urban renewal efforts of the state government. Hon. Maigida added that as part of efforts to clear the state of lunatics and ensure that it is kept clean at all times, her ministry carries out routine weekly exercise of evacuating lunatics roaming the streets and constituting nuisance to the society. According to the ministry, is partnering with 14 government approved traditional lunatic healers across the state towards ensuring that mentally-ill persons in the state are properly rehabilitated with a view to making them acquire skills that they could make them useful to themselves and the society at large. Receiving the lunatics to his healing home, Chief T. O. Omon Oleabhiele commended the commissioner assuring her that he will take good care of them throughout their stay in the home.
Afegbua expresses satisfaction with sanitation compliance
OKPELLA – The Chairman, Etsako East Local Government Council, Hon. Abdulmalik Suleiman Afegbua has expressed satisfaction with the high turnout and compliance with Saturday’s environmental sanitation. The council chairman who supervised the exercise said that there is need to continue to embrace regular sanitation exercise, saying that a neat environment is important for people’s health. He said his administration is prepared to create the enabling environment for a balanced and developed society. Supervisor for Health and Environment, Barnabas Daudu Aronkhale said that the success recorded during the sanitation exercise indicated commitment of the council chairman towards a healthy environment while
acknowledging the improvement on the people’s awareness towards sanitation issues. Madam Jamilatu Brai who spoke to newsmen in Okpella language during the exercise noted that people have always avoided the exercise, stressing that the Suleiman led administration has brought significant changes to the system. She stressed the need for more compliance from the people in subsequent exercises. Head of Department of Environment in the Local Government Council, Mrs. Ayodele Ekiyor maintained that the exercise, though successful, offenders will be arraigned before a mobile court. Those arrested for violating the exercise were tried and various fines imposed on those found guilty.
Environmental Sanitation
13 persons arrested UBIAJA – At least, no fewer than 13 persons were arrested, Saturday in Ubiaja, the administrative headquarters of Esan South East Local Government Area. Report indicated that the 13 persons who were arrested during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, which was supervised by the Vice Chairman of the council, Hon. T. Ijogbe and other top council officials were prosecuted by mobile court. In their separate interviews, the council Vice Chairman, Hon. T. Ijogbe and the supervisory councilor for
Health, Hon. Eugene Iyoha, expressed satisfaction over the exercise. They described the turn out of the people as a welcome development. They noted that they specifically monitored the exercise to ensure that the people turned out enmass to participate in the exercise, which purpose is to support a clean environment. Amongst the top council official who monitored the sanitation exercise were the council’s Head of Service (H.O.S), Barr. Osagiator Ojo, and the Treasurer to the Local Government (TLG), Mr. Anthony Akhimen
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Council Boss Urges Residents To Imbibe Cleanliness AFUZE – Owan East Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. (Barr) Jimoh Ijegbai, has urged the people of the Local Government Area to imbibe the spirit of cleanliness, which he noted is the responsibility of all. The council boss gave this charge at the end of last month’s environmental sanitation exercise held in the local government at the weekend. Barrister Ijegbai who commended the level of compliance with the restriction order, said there was however, room for improvement. He charged the environmental department of the council to put in more efforts in ensuring a clean and healthy environment.
According to him the last month exercise focused mainly on the Afuze and Ihievbe-Ogben markets where clearing of refuse were carried out. Meanwhile, no fewer than 15 persons were arraigned before a mobile sanitation court at Afuze presided over by Magistrate Andrew Aziegbemi. However, one Augustine Imoobe, a bike rider from Ake was sentenced to N7000 fine or two weeks imprisonment for assaulting the Secretary to the Local Government, Captain Abubakar Afege (rtd) and the Vice Chairman, Hon. Andy Osigwe during their monitoring of the sanitation exercise at Ake where the market was in session during the exercise.
Inside Edo
R-L: The Vice Chairman, Hon. T. Ijogbe in an interview with newsmen during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Ubiaja, the administrative headquarters of Esan South East Local Government Area, while the HOS, Barr Osagiator Ojo and the TLG, Mr. Anthony Akhimen look on
Owan East APC Holds Inaugural Meeting
OTUO – Owan East Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has held its inaugural meeting in Otuo with a call on
Commissioner Urges Igbanke Women To Contribute To Edo State Devt By FUNMI BABATOPE BENIN-CITY Edo Women have been advised to have confidence in themselves and contribute their quota to the socioeconomic development of the state. The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Blessing Maigida gave the advise at the weekend in Benin City, when she received the Igbanke Women Association, Orhionmwon Local Government Area who were on a solidarity visit led by the chairperson Princess Victoria Osunde during a solidarity
visit to the Hon. Commissioner. Welcoming the women to her office, Mrs. Maigida expressed Joy that women from Igbanke, her place of birth and constituency have come to pledged their support and solidarity with her,. She thanked them for the show of love and solidarity accorded her saying it would remain memorable to her. The visibly elated commissioner assured the women that, she will always carry them along and make them relevant in the scheme of things. She solicited their continued support and
prayers in the task of taking the ministry to a higher level promising that she would justify the confidence reposed in her. Mrs. Maigida also emrhasized the need for the women to continuously pray for the state governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole so that they can fully enjoy the dividends of good governance. Speaking on behalf of the women chairperson of the association Princess Victoria Osunde, had informed the commissioner that their solidarity visit was to congratulate her on her appointment and identify with her as one of their own.
From right, Hon. Eugene Iyoha Supervisory Councillor for Health, the Vice Chairman, Hon. T. Ijogbe, the HOS, Barr. Osagiator Ojo and the TLG, Mr. Anthony Akhimen during the monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise in Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area.
members to work assiduously towards ensuring victory for the party in the forthcoming elections of 2015. Hon. Pally Iriase, representing Owan Federal Constituency in the House of Representative and convener of the meeting which was attended by leaders and elders of the defunct ACN as well as representatives of the defunct CPC and ANPP, said the meeting became necessary to intimate members of the happenings in the newly formed APC and how to forge head to ensure victory for the party in future elections at all levels of government. The federal lawmaker recalled that the PDP-led administration did everything to ensure that the APC was not registered, even when it was obvious that Nigerians desire a change and an alternate platform
to stop the drift to the abyss which the ruling PDP has plunged the country into. He said it was this desire for change by Nigerians that gave rise to the election of the three political parties the ACN, CPC ANPP to form the APC. According to Iriase “Nigerians really desire a change and felt it cannot be possible without the support of other political parties, hence everybody in the APC today are equal joiners of the new party”. He allayed the fears of possible marginalisation of members of the defunct CPC and ANPP describing the APC as an alternate party for a change, ready to form the government at the centre, come 2015. He urged leaders and elders of the party to propagate the ideals of the APC and see their role as that of cultivating a virgin
forest, whose harvest will be bountiful. The federal lawmaker appealed to members of the party to allow the spirit of contentment which has been responsible for the peace and unity in the defunct ACN at the state and local government levels permeate the APC in the locality. He called for patience and understanding and therefore urged that the status-quo remain, while awaiting guideline of the new party – APC, regarding registration of members and election of officers. In their separate remarks, the Chairman of Owan East Local Government Council, Hon. (Barr) Jimoh Ijegbai thanked the federal lawmaker for keeping the initiative of bringing everybody together in the APC, just as he did with the formation of the defunct ACN in Owan East.
RENL Donates Town Hall To Iguobazuwa By OSAZUWA AKONEDO IGUOBAZUWA - Managing Director of Rubber Estates Nigeria Limited, Mr. Eric Hocepiede said the company decided to build a modern Town hall for the people of Iguobazuwa community as part of measures by the company to encourage members of its host communities come together and brainstorm on the way forward for the betterment of the country. The Managing Director stated this in his address during the inauguration of the Iguobazuwa Community Modern Town Hall built by the rubber estates company. According to him it is the policy of the company to help develop its host communities and bring about the needed change in the country.
“It is part of the company policy to get the development fund to help the host communities to cooperate in the development of the country”, said Hocepiede. Odionwere of Iguobazuwa Community, Pa Williams Omoregbe said they decided to welcome the RENL Managing Director by bringing out their masquerade which he said usually comes out once in a year specifically during festive period as a sign of appreciation and the high level of value the people have for what the company has done for them. The Odionwere prayed God to continue to bless the company so as to enable it do more for community from time to time. Also speaking, chairman of the Ovia South West Local Government wing of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Felix Osawe said that for years now the
people of Iguobazuwa have been yearning for a town hall to the extent the people started having a rethink. “And the people were seeing it as a thing that is impossible but today, RENL has made it possible. The building is well designed, well structured. It is a good accommodating environment”, Osawe said. The youth chairman of Iguobazuwa Community, Mr. Osariemen Ojo described the day the town hall was inaugurate as an eventful one, emphasizing that the youths now have a comfortable place where they can hold meetings. Former women leader of the community, Mrs. Bose Ojo said the women, especially are very happy because they used to hold meetings at the olden days traditional hall meant for elders of the male folk.
THE NIGERIAN
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Across The Nation Education Standard
ALGON Raises Concern GUSAU - The Zamfara chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has expressed concern over the falling standard of education in the state. Secretary of the association, Alhaji Aminu Sani, expressed the concern in Gusau at an interactive meeting aimed at improving the standard of education in Zamfara, organised by ALGON. Sani, who is also the Chairman, Birnin-Magaji Local Government, said “in spite of the huge amount of money being expended by government on education, the impact is minimal.’’ He said government, through its joint account with local governments, spends N3 billion
annually on primary education. The council chairman emphasised the need for teachers and headmasters in the state to sensitise the people on the importance of education. Sani also said there was the need for the government to encourage parents to enroll their children and wards in school. The chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Zamfara chapter, Malam Labbo Janga, urged the government to improve the welfare of teachers to prevent them from abandoning the teaching profession. He lamented that while over 500 teachers retired from the service between November 2011 and this year, government had however not embarked on the recruitment of new teachers.
Yallabai Sokoto and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (left), receiving a bound copy of the quotations of Sokoto Caliphate from the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, during his visit to Sokot recently.
Alleged Breach Of Trust, Theft
Motorcyclist Docked
M A R A R A B A (NASARAWA STATE) - The police have arraigned a commercial motorcyclist, Christopher Ayuba, 20, of Aso B, Mararaba in a Grade 1 Area Court, Mararaba for alleged criminal breach of trust and theft. The police prosecutor, Cpl. Inuwa Maigida, told the court that the case was reported by Israel Dauda of same address at the Aso Pada Police Station on July 29. “On July 27, Dauda entrusted his Boxer motorcycle valued at N112,000 to Ayuba for commercial purpose. “The accused was supposed to be bringing daily returns, but after collecting the motorcycle, the accused absconded to an unknown destination,” he said. Maigida said that the accused was later arrested at Mararaba. According to him, the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 312 and 287 of the Penal Code. If convicted on the charges,
the accused could spend up to 14 years in prison or get an option of fine. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The presiding judge, Mr Albert Maga, granted the accused bail in the sum of
N100,000 and a surety in like sum. Maga said that the surety must be responsible, possess landed property and reside within the jurisdiction of the court. He adjourned the case to Sept. 5 for hearing.
MARARABA (NASARAWA STATE) - Aisha Haruna , 20, of Uke in Nasarawa State on Tuesday at a Grade 1 Area Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, maintained her divorce request. Aisha had on May 29 filed a suit seeking separation from her husband, Hussaini Haruna, 27, of Gurku Village, At the resumption of hearing, she told the court that she and her husband could not resolve the matter after the last adjourned date on August. 19. The husband, who spoke through his counsel, Nuru
NMA Launches Outreach Programme TAMBUWAL (SOKOTO STATE) - Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Tambuwal, Sokoto State launched its outreach programme by providing free treatment and free drugs to patients. Reports state that the programme was organised by the association to bridge the gap in access to healthcare in rural areas of the country. In his speech at the occasion, NMA’s National President, Dr Osahon Enabulele, said the programme was aimed at providing free specialised medical and surgical services. He added that the programme was designed for people who may not be able to afford the cost of such services. The association president said
the programme would be conducted in the three senatorial zones of the state. “Medical practitioners from different specialties were mobilised to conduct treatment and surgeries on patients in the area,’’ he said. Enabulele said the association plans to help in repositioning the nation’s health sector to meet the healthcare needs of all Nigerians. The NMA president disclosed that over 40 surgeries had been conducted in the area while over 1,000 people had been treated by the doctors. “The free medical outreach programme was initiated to bridge the gap in healthcare access to rural communities,’’ he said. Enabulele said it was his
association’s belief that by 2014, Nigeria’s health practitioners should be able to tackle non-communicable diseases and reduce it to the barest minimum in the country. He however appealed to striking health workers across the country to heed to the voice of reason and suspend their strike in the interest of Nigerians. “The strike will only worsen health service delivery in the country. Hence, there is the need for dialogue to resolve the impasse,’’ the NMA president said. He urged the workers to work towards amicably resolving the problem so as to end their strike, adding that they would not achieve their demands through threats, strike and agitation.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (2nd right) acknowledging cheers at the inauguration of Asazri water treatment plant in Sokoto recently
Woman Married At 13 Now 20, Seeks Divorce Mua’zu, demanded Islamic procedure of divorce. “This is an Islamic matter and there are procedures to follow before a wife is granted her wish for divorce. “One of the procedures is that the woman has to pay what is known as ‘Kuli’. “Kuli means, paying back some of the expenses the husband made in the course of marrying the wife. “Though I don’t have the document here, but the total expenses is around N300,000,” Mua’zu said. He told the court that Aisha was eight months pregnant for Haruna. Mua’zu applied for
adjournment to enable him bring the document containing the list of expenses. The presiding judge, Mr. Musa Danjuma, granted the counsel’s application and adjourned the case to Sept. 2 for continuation of hearing. The wife had earlier told the court that her parents gave her out in marriage at the age of 13 without her consent. The mother of one said that she stayed in the marriage for seven years, adding that she had lost interest in the marriage. She said her loss of interest was on the ground that she was a child at that time the marriage was contracted.
OWERRI - The Imo House of Assembly said the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) bill was to ensure adequate protection for the residents against violent crimes. The Majority Leader of the assembly, Mrs. Adaku Ihuoma (APGA-Ahiazu-Mbaise), gave the explanation during an interaction with journalists in Owerri. “The VAPP bill recently passed and assented to not only has the provisions for the protection of the rights of women, but provide for the protection of the rights of men whose rights are violated. “It is common to hear of violence happening in our society daily, that somebody was raped, or the right of another abused or even traditional harmful practises taking place in parts of our communities,’’ she said. She said the inclusion of the rape of a man in a section of the law was because of emerging phenomenon where men were raped and some
women beat up their husbands. Ihuoma noted that the new law if enforced would check the emerging dimensions of violent crimes in the state. On the alleged clamour that some sections of the law should be expunge, she explained that the issue of abortion as reflected in the law was to prevent the patronage of medical quacks and to check abortion-related deaths. The lawmaker said that no official complaint had been received by the assembly to expunge any part of the law. She said that although no public hearing was organised before the passage, but the debates lasted for more than six months. The legislator said anybody that had complaint against any section of the law, ought to have done so during the debates. She urged people of the state to see the law as ‘a blessing rather than a course’, adding that the assembly made history for being the first to pass such modern law in Nigeria.
Lawmaker Explains Passage Of Bill
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Across The Nation SACA Partners 260 CSOs On CALABAR - The Cross River HIV/AIDS Action Committee on the
Install Speed Control Devices, FRSC Charges Motorists BAUCHI - Mr. Ubale Maisanyi, Traffic Officer, FRSC Route 10, Bauchi State has advised motorists to install speed control device on their vehicles. Maisanyi gave the advice while addressing newsmen in Bauchi. He specifically enjoined commercial vehicle owners to instal the device to check over speeding and reckless driving. The officer said in spite of warnings by the FRSC against traffic violation, some commercial and private drivers were recalcitrant, attributing high speed to accidents and other problems on roads.
Brazillian Representative of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in the Afro Identity International Conference, Sir Joe Monteiro, presenting a bulk of compact disc to the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Aregbesola, during a get-together dinner party organised by the Governor, marking the OAU and Afro-Identity International Conference while the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (left), Head of Service, Mr. Sunday Owoeye (middle) and Dr. Felix Omidire (2nd right) watch at the State Government House recently.
Control of AIDS (SACA) says it is working with 260 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state on HIV and AIDS prevention. The Director-General of SACA, Dr Irene Aniyom, said this in Calabar at a sensitisation workshop on HIV and AIDS. Aniyom, who was represented by the committee’s Information Officer, Mrs. Ada Eke, delivered a paper entitled: “Overview of the State’s Response’’. “At present, we are partnering with 260 CSOs, 25 faith-based organisations, schools, churches and other relevant bodies in our efforts to drastically reduce the scourge of HIV infection in the state, ‘’ she said. Aniyom said that SACA had taken the campaign against
Kaduna Vaccinates 6,865 Animals
KAFANCHAN (Kaduna State) - The Kaduna State Government said it has vaccinated 6,865 domestic animals against animal diseases in Jema’a and Sanga local government areas of the state. The Area Veterinary Officer, Livestock Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Samuel Pakachi, announced this to newsmen in Kafanchan. Pakachi said the exercise was a continuation of the livestock vaccination in parts of the state which was launched two weeks ago. He said the exercise was the first of its kind and was already yielding results. He said animals vaccinated included 325 dogs, 4,325 goats and sheep; and 2,215 poultry birds. The veterinary officer said the animals were being vaccinated against animal diseases, including rabies in dogs, new castle in birds and pest depetes ruminatium (PPR) in sheep and goats, which according to him, is a common killer disease. He said the state government provided enough vaccines for the exercise, adding “vaccines on ground would achieve 70 per cent coverage’’.
Pilgrimage Sokoto Restricts Pregnant Women
Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Aregbesola, presenting a gift to the former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Dipo Salami while the Head of Service, Mr. Sunday Owoeye and Commissioner for Home Affairs, Tourism and Culture Mr. Sikiru Ayedun look on recently.
Benue Assembly Condemns Killing Of 18 MAKURDI - Members of In his motion, Biam informed appealed to the state Benue House of Assembly the House that 18 people in his Persons government to create avenues have condemned the killing of constituency were killed by confirmed the claims made by 18 persons and the burning of houses by unknown gunmen in Ukum and Katsina-Ala local government areas of the state. The legislators made the condemnation in a resolution at plenary in Makurdi following a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Mr. Paul Biam.
gunmen on Monday. He said that the gunmen attacked three villages - Agena, Angbaaye and Kusugh in Boikyo and Mbazum wards in Ukum Local Government Area. Mr. Ianna Jato, the member representing Katsina-Ala East,
NEMA Donates Relief Materials To KATSINA - The NationalRobbery Victims Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has in Katsina donated relief materials to the victims of armed robbery attack that took place recently in Maigora town, Faskari LGA. It would be recalled that, one month ago, a gang of armed robbers invaded Miagora town. During their operation, the hoodlums embarked on houseto-house raid and dispossessed the residents of their money and carted away herds of cattle. NEMA Director-General,
HIV/AIDS to socio-cultural festivals with a view to sensitising more people to the dangers of the scourge. She said SACA members were at the Leboku International Festival in Ugep, where it carried out voluntary HIV testing and counselling on adults and youths. “Apart from testing and counselling, we distributed condoms in hotels to interested persons throughout the period of the festival, ‘’ she said. The director-general said that the committee’s priorities included prevention of motherto-child-transmission, counselling and testing, behaviour change and community mobilisation. She said that the state government was supporting the committee to achieve zero HIV prevalence in the state. She urged all stakeholders to network to realise the objective. “By this, we hope to have a society free of HIV and AIDS, ‘’ she said.
Alhaji Sani Sidi, presented the materials to the state government for onwards delivery to victims of the robbery attack. The Executive Director of the state Rehabilitation and Relief Agency (RERA), Alhaji Hassan Rawayau, received the materials on behalf of the government. The NEMA DG, who was represented by Alhaji Musa Ilallah, North-West Zonal Coordinator of the agency, said
the items included 100 bags of rice and millet, 50 bags of maize and 10 bags of salt. Sidi said that other items included 50 cartoons each of instant noodles and bathing soap, 30 cartons of detergent, 50 Jerry cans of vegetable oil and 500 pieces of clothing materials. Other items included 500 blankets, 300 mats, 100 mosquito nets, 200 mattresses, 500 pieces of plastic plates, cups and spoons.
Biam and said the crisis also affected Mbajir Ward in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area. The Deputy Speaker, Dr Stephen Onmeje, who read the resolution, urged the state government to intervene in the matter to restore peace in the affected areas. He also directed the commissioner of police to deploy policemen to patrol teams to the areas to avert reoccurrence of the crisis. He urged the police to ensure that the perpetrators of the act were brought to book. Onmeje called on the chairmen of the local government areas to support security personnel quell the crisis and restore peace in their areas. In his contribution to the motion, the Minority Whip, Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange,
where young people could be kept busy to take their minds from crime. He blamed the high rate of crime in the society on unemployment and stressed the need to engage the youths to prevent them from getting involved in crime.
SOKOTO Female prospective Muslim pilgrims from Sokoto state who are more than three months pregnant will be barred from performing this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca, an official has said. The Chairman, Sokoto State Pilgrims’ Welfare Agency, Alhaji Muntari Maigona, disclosed this in Sokoto on Wednesday during an interview with newsmen. He said the agency had commenced medical screening of prospective pilgrims to ensure that women who were more than three months pregnant were not allowed to perform the pilgrimage. Maigona said the decision was taken after the agency held a meeting recently with hajj officials from the state’s 23 local government areas (LGAs) and other stakeholders.
Kaduna Cultural Festival: Gov Yero To Sanction Absentee LGAs KADUNA - The Kaduna State Government has warned that it would sanction any local government council that fails to participate in the ongoing 4th state Festival of Arts and Culture. Gov. Mukhtar Yero, who gave the warning in Kaduna while inaugurating the event, said the government would sanction the councils as the administration would not tolerate laxity from any of its officials. He directed the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Alhaji
Gambo Lawal to take note of the absentee local councils. The governor noted that the festival was meant to promote culture, peace and transformation in the state. He therefore stressed the need for the people to uphold their indigenous culture, “rather than borrow foreign cultures with their attendant negative consequences on the society”. The governor announced that groups and individuals that excelled during the festival would be rewarded.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
South West Police Deny Escort Allegation To NURTW Boss
L-R: Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Indabwa; little Timilope Ogunje, whose father died in active service and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Clement Adoda, during the presentation of group personnel accident insurance to little Timilope in Ibadan recently.
IBADAN - The Oyo State Police Command says it has not provided escorts for Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde, the state Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The spokesman of the command, DSP Olabisi CletIlobanafor, told newsmen in Ibadan on that there was no truth in a petition written by some aggrieved members of the union. “There is no iota of truth in what is being indicated here that two policemen were given to Oyerinde as escorts. “Policemen were deplored to the NURTW building, not as escorts, but for security purposes due to the protracted NURTW crises that had been rocking the state. “But for the deployment of the policemen there, the place would have continued to be a battle ground as it used to be. “However, the police
Ogun Assures Cassava Farmers Of Market
ABEOKUTA - The Ogun State Government has assured cassava farmers of large presence of industrial concerns in the state which needed cassava for their production. Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, the Commissioner for Agriculture, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Ijebu-Ife during the 2013 Roll-Out of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) for cassava farmers. The commissioner, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Lanre Bisiriyu, however called on the farmers to increase the size of their farms to maiximise the opportunity. She also urged them to plant more of improved, higher yielding, pest and disease resistant cassava. Sokefun disclosed that with over 50 per cent of totalinstalled cassava processing companies in Nigeria located in the state, farmers needed not to worry about the possibilities of a cassava glut. “Ogun is moving in the right direction in diversifying revenue generation and achieving economic independence, with emphasis on agriculture production and productivity, especially in the
cassava sub-sector,” she said. The commissioner explained that under the GES Roll-Out for cassava, farmers who registered under the National Farmers’ Data Base would get two bags of fertiliser plus 2 Mg at a 50 percent subsidy each. She said the difference in cost would be paid by the Federal and State Governments at 25
Don’t Build On Pipeline Right Of Way, PPMC Appeals LAGOS - The Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has appealed to residents to stop building on pipelines’ right of way. Its Managing Director, Mr. Haruna Momoh, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Lagos. He said that the appeal became necessary due to the petroleum products spill at Animatu Ilo Street in Ejigbo area of Lagos on August 24. He said that erection of buildings on pipelines’ right of way was dangerous to residents.
FG Constructs Grains Reserve In Osun
ILESHA (OSUN) - The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has said that it had completed the construction of a strategic grains reserve in Ilerin-Ilesa, Osun. The Director of Produce in the ministry, Mr. Taiwo Ogunbunmi, announced this in Osogbo in an interview with
per cent each. The commissioner said that 15 bundles of improved varieties of cassava stem would be given to the farmers at no cost. Sokefun enjoined the farmers to maximise the opportunity provided by the GES programme to ensure availability of raw materials for
the use of existing processing factories. Earlier, the Chairman, Cassava Growers Association in the state, Mr. Sunday Soyoye, solicited government’s assistance on loans for farmers at minimal interest rates, to enhance their production. Soyoye added that if farmers were given the necessary support, cassava had the potential of generating into government’s coffer as much revenue as cocoa.
newsmen. He said that the reserve had 10 silos with a capacity of 2,500 tonnes each. He said the reserve, which had been connected to the national grid, comprised processing unit, bagging arena, warehouse and a large hall.
According to him, this act has led to oil theft and prevention of government agencies from detecting sources of oil spill. He said that some of the corporation’s engineers had been deployed in the scene to detect the cause of the spill. “I cannot tell you the cause of the spill in the area until the engineers finish their findings
and report to the corporation. “But the corporation’s appeal is that residents should erect buildings at least about 30 metres away from the pipelines,’’ he said. Mr. Ibrahim Bamgbose, a resident in Ejigbo, told newsmen that the residents association had earlier reported the spill to the police at Ejigbo.
command thought it wise that posting policemen there would definitely deter disgruntled NURTW members from turning the place to a theatre of war,” she said. Clet-Ilobanafor advised the disgruntled members to channel their grievances through the appropriate authorities. “If they want anything investigated, it is not enough to allege. “ Let them address a copy of their grievances to the Commissioner of Police so that each allegation could be treated on merit. “We want to tell them that if a hungry man becomes angry and he breaks the law of the land, the law will take its course on that person. “We advise them not to take laws into their hands because this will mean that they want to confront the law.
“It is better for them to go through proper channels than issuing subtle threats because if anything goes wrong, they would be made to face the full wrath of the law,” she said. newsmen reports that a petition signed by one Taofeek Agbaje on behalf of some aggrieved members of the union was sent to media houses in Ibadan. The group alleged that the police leadership had approved escorts for Oyerinde popularly known as Fele. It also claimed that the executive was extorting money from members of the union from different garages in the state to prosecute Oyerinde’s court cases. The group further called on the Commissioner of Police to investigate what it called Oyerinde’s “ill-gotten wealth.’’
Health Workers Back To Work At UCH IBADAN - Health workers at the University College Hospital,Ibadan resumed work on Wednesday after a one- week crippling strike.. The workers went on strike over demands for improved working condition. Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee in UCH, told Newsmen that workers in the hospital resumed work after the strike was called off. “It is good news that the strike has been called off and we are happy that everybody is back to work.” According to Otegbayo, although there are few patients in the hospital, the number of patients is expected to increase by Thursday. Mr. Ayodeji Olagoke,Chairman of the UCH Branch of the Senior Staff Association of U n i v e r s i t i e s , Te a c h i n g Hospitals, Research Institutes
and Associated Institutions, also confirmed that workers had resumed duties. He said that this followed a directive by officers of the Joint Health Sector Union who met with the Minister for Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, in Abuja on Tuesday. Olagoke said that about 90 per cent of their demands were met by the Federal Government after a lengthy dialogue with the minister. “The minister has agreed to withdraw the issue of nonskipping of salary, CONHESS 10 from the Appeal Court skipping. “They promised that the shifting, overtime and professional allowances would be implemented and other demands are being looked into.” Olagoke said that although workers had been asked to resume, majority of them were not aware of the resumption “so they would begin work fully tomorrow”. L-R:Assistant General Manager, Ibadan Electrcity Distribution Comapny (IBDC), Mr Ade Ayileka; Managing Director, Mr Bolaji Oyesiku; General Manager, Finance and Accounts, Mrs Omobuayowa Omatsone, displaying pre-paid meters at a news conference on credited advance payment metering implementations (CAPMI) in Ibadan recently.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Lagos
Manage Waste, Environment Dept Tells Manufacturers, Households
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (2nd right), listens with rapt attention to the welcome remarks of a student of Bethesda Home for the blind, Tejuosho, Lagos, along with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru (right) and the Founder, Bethesda Home for the Blind, Mrs. Chioma Ohakwe (2nd left) during the Governor’s visit to the Home in fulfillment of a promise made to the students during their condolence visit to him on the passage of his father recently.
Building Permits:
Developers Advise Govt
LAGOS- The property industry in Nigeria will not record any significant growth until the acquisition of building permits by developers is liberalised. Mr Moses Ogunleye, President, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), made the observation in an interview with newsmen in Lagos. He said that the cumbersome process of acquiring building permits had greatly slowed down the pace of construction in the states. According to him, many
developers have been constrained due to the difficulties encountered in processing building permits. Ogunleye described the current situation as unhealthy for the growth of the sector. ”Good number of projects in the state are now built and redeveloped without building or redevelopment plan approvals from state governments. “The underdevelopment of this industry can be changed if developers can get permits without difficulties,” he said. Ogunleye said that the
LAGOS - Prof. Babajide Alo, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), says it is important for any nation to always characterise its waste. Alo made the remark while delivering a paper at a two-day workshop in Lagos, organised by the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON). The theme of the paper is: “Waste Characterisation and Management’’. Alo said the characterisation of waste would ensure proper disposal, and would help in the promotion of healthy lifestyle. “Waste characterisation is
an important tool in any current waste control method for efficient and productive management strategy,” he said. The don classified waste into municipal, industrial and solid wastes. “With such characterisation information, a country will know which waste is classified as hazardous, and how best it can be disposed off. “We also know that it is very important that all liquid waste emanating from any production process be pre-treated, before being discharged into the environment,” Alo said. Mr Obed Onwochei, the
situation was responsible for the existence of illegal structures and their demolition by government at all levels. According to him, all the requirements for getting building permits should be made public. “Many people do not have adequate knowledge of all it entails to get the permit. “The relevant authorities should publicise the process to the general public,” he said. Ogunleye said that some
amendments had been made to the procedure and requirements without formal notice to the public. He advised developers to ensure that their projects had genuine building permits to avoid demolition.
LAGOS- Dr Afolabi Abiodun, Director, Environment and Ecology, Lagos State Ministry of Environment, has urged manufacturers and households to manage their waste well to guide against environmental degradation. Abiodun told newsmen in Lagos that proper waste management by companies could curtail the problem of arbitrary disposal of toxic wastes in the country. The director said because of the hazardous nature of chemicals from industrial activities, companies should go the extra mile to dispose their effluents appropriately. “Manufacturing processes can generate chemical wastes which could be toxic an d pose threats to the environment and human health. “Manufacturing industries should look for a way to recycle their wastes because all wastes can be recycled. “Residue should be channelled into the effluent treatment plants where it will be treated and re-used and this
can form additional source of income,” Abiodun said. He said that industries that did not have effluent treatment plant should endeavour to get one or be registered with waste management authorities. “For the households, they should have septic tanks in front of their homes for the waste. “The public needs to desist from the ugly act of disposing wastes into the drainage canals. “Trees and forest should not be cut or burnt. They are environment components that make it beautiful,” he said. Abiodun said that safety of the environment was a collective responsibility of everybody and should not be left to the state government alone. He advised manufacturers and households to obey environmental regulations so as to assist the government in making a safe and healthy environment a reality.
Don Canvasses Waste Classification
Chief Consultant, Integrated Chemical Works Ltd, said the practice of waste management could open additional opportunities for an entrepreneur. “The management of waste, both for health reasons as well as economic purposes, should be of particular interest to the chemist.’’ Onwochei urged the government to formulate polices that would stimulate e n v i r o n m e n t a l consciousness in the average Nigerian. “The environment is one issue in which all of mankind are stakeholders and our collective interest should be evergreen,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (left), addressing student of Bethesda Home for the blind, Tejuosho, Lagos, during the Governor’s visit to the Home. With him are: Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru (2nd right), Founder, Bethesda Home for the Blind, Mrs. Chioma Ohakwe (left) and the Pastor of the New Wine Tabernacle Church, Apostle Patrick Ekeke (right).
Possession Of Human Parts:
Court Adjourns Trial
IKORODU-An Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has adjourned till October 17, the case of a 27-year-old commercial driver charged with alleged possession of human parts. The accused, Kolawole Sikiru, who had been in custody since Oct 31, 2012, is facing a two- count charge of conspiracy and unlawful possession of a human skull, palm, and a heart. The prosecutor, Sgt. Iyabo Johnson, told the court that the
accused and others still at large, committed the offences on October 6, 2012. Johnson said that the accused was caught in possession of the decomposing human parts at the Sagamu Road Cemetery at midnight, while armed with a shovel, knife and a torchlight. The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 409 and 236, of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. However, Sikiru, whose address is unknown, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defence counsel, Mr A. Aromolaran, urged the court to strike out the case for lack of diligent prosecution. Aromolaran noted that the prosecution witnesses and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) had twice been absent, and had consequently stalled trial. But the Magistrate, Mr B.A Sonuga adjourned the case to October 17, and ordered the prosecutor to inform the IPO and witnesses in the case to be present at the next sitting.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
News Council Trains 85 Corps Members ABUJA - The National Agricultural Seeds Council said it has trained over 85 NYSC members on the use of Global Positioning System (GPS), an instrument for confirming the accurate hectares of farmland. Mr Olusegun Olatokun, the Coordinating Director of the council, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja. Olatokun said that the training would ensure significant
improvement in agricultural productivity. According to him, the GPS will address the challenges the council was facing in getting the accurate number of hectares of land that seeds producers claim to have. “One area that we are looking at in terms of training is the Global Positioning System (GPS) because we have been facing challenges of accuracy in the areas that these seeds
producers claim that they have. “Some of them are just using estimates; they will look at the field and say I have 1, 000 hectares of land; I have 500 hectares of land. “So, with this modern facility that they (FG) have given us, we are starting the training. “By the time the corps members are trained and are able to measure the fields accurately, then things will improve in terms
L-R: First Vice-Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Lagos State, Dr. France Oladun; Onijanikin of Ijanikin and Chairman of the occasion, Oba Momudu Asafa and the representative of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Tunde Panox at a seminar on Community policing in Lagos recently.
of getting accurate data. “Because it is the hectares that will help us determine the production figures of seeds that we are calculating. “Up to 2015, we have a projected figure and it is based on the hectares that these producers plant. “We linked up with the National Youth Service Corps. Right now, they (NYSC) has given us a hundred of them (Corps members) with agriculture background. “We zoned them into the six because the council operates in the six regional zones. “ North-East (Gombe); NorthWest (Zaria); North-Central (Jos); South-South (Asaba); South-East (Umudike), and South-West ( Ibadan). “These six regional offices are controlling the states under them and the number of corp members that were posted was based on the number of seeds producers that we have (in the region). “The concentration is the North-West, North-East and North-Central.’’ Olatokun said that the council was also training corps members in the area of field inspection, seeds certification, laboratory testing and seeds packaging. “What led to this scheme is because we needed more hands to join us in the quality control of the seeds that get to farmers. “Because if improved seeds
get to farmers, there will be significant improvement in their productivity. “Why farmers have not been using seeds before is because of the disappointment they have been experiencing in people trying to deceive them that what they have brought is seeds, whereas they are grains. “So, we needed more hands to ensure that we have field inspectors that will ensure that the seeds producers are guided to get the right seeds to the farmers. “We have gotten over 85 corpers that have been trained. And the training is actually
Waste Management Expert Seeks Use Of Biotech ABUJA - The President of the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN), Prof. James Ogbonna , has called for the use of biotechnology in waste management. Ogbonna, who made the call in Abuja at the 26th Annual International Conference of the BSN, said it could be used to covert waste from bio-fuel and gas to wealth. He said that the application of bio-techniques in management of waste products and oil spill would go a long way in creating
Cyber Security: Society To Collaborate With ABUJA - The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has promised to collaborate with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and other stakeholders to ensure cyber security in Nigeria. The President of NCS, Prof. David Adewumi, made the promise in Abuja when he led the society’s new executive committee on a visit to NITDA’s Acting Director-General, Dr Ashiru Daura. According to Adewumi, cyber technology is at the forefront of computer professionalism nowadays. “In our own area, we are aware that cyber space is an open market that requires a lot of works and strategies to ensure its security. “That is why we want to work with the NITDA to ensure that we monitor and have a secured cyber space in line with other parts of the world. “Though it is an open market, but we don’t want it to be open market where there is no control. “Anywhere there is no control, anything can come in, in terms of theft and several things that can affect government policies,’’ Adewumi said. He said the society would collaborate with the agency in terms of training and other inputs needed to ensure a proper usage of cyber space to develop Nigeria’s economy. Adewumi said the NCS was at the agency to identify with it and further collaborate to accelerate the pace of information technology (IT)
Technology Agency, Others
development in Nigeria. He listed the society’s areas of strategic partnership with NITDA to include programmes and projects relating to research and development, and creating an IT-enabled environment for employment generation. “Other areas are promotion of excellence and professionalism
in the industry and the profession,’’ the NCS president said. Adewumi noted that there was the need for ICT policy formulation that would be of immense benefit to the country. He, however, called for the agency’s support towards the
society’s activities, such as IT Research and Development workshops and NCS baseline study practice in Nigeria. “A stronger collaboration and partnership with NCS will build an inclusive, globally competitive and prosperous Nigeria that will be the envy of other African nations,’’ Adewumi said.
Bio-Technology Can Boost Agric Sector - Agency
ABUJA - The DirectorGeneral, National Biotechnology Developement Agency (NABDA), Prof. Bamidele Solomon, said that the application of bio-technology could boost the nation’s agriculture sector. Solomon said this at the 26th International Conference of Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN). The theme of the conference is: “Bio-technology: a Mechanism for creating jobs and investment opportunities in a growing economy.’’ He said that the application of bio-technology would particularly enhance seed production, a development, according to him, will go a long way in boosting the nation’s quest for food sufficiency. Cue-in audio “In bio-technology there is so much opportunity, first is in the area of agriculture, so there is a need through bio-tech to have investors who will hold this aspect very well and it moves from maize, hybrid maize for
example to hybride guinea corn to cotton and various others. “Now in the area of medicine, the opportunity abounds, the production of biologics locally is essential. “And again there is huge opportunity in bio-energy, the bio-fuel industry, it is bio-tech, in food processing, enzyme production is bio-tech.’’ Solomon said that the essence of the conference was to showcase the relevance of biotechnology and its applications in resolving issues in food security, poverty alleviation and health care delivery system, among others. “Bio-technology is the answer to almost every difficult situation we experience today. The history of the world would be incomplete without the mention of its impact on our world.‘’ Solomon said that to genetically modify a crop required an approach that should
be in line with national biosafety regulation.
centred on field inspection, seeds certification, laboratory test of the seeds. “And of course, the processing and packaging in a manner that the seeds will not deteriorate until it gets to farmers. “We are expecting more (corps members) but because of the disturbances in Yobe, Borno Taraba and Sokoto, we have not gotten their own (corps members).’’ The coordinating director also said that this training would empower the council in the area of manpower, ensure that the right seeds get to the farmers and check the agronomic practises of seeds producers.
In his response, the NITDA acting D-G, Dr Ashiru Daura, had said the agency was working on ensuring cyber security in the nation in the areas of research, facilities and policies. “NITDA is also pioneering the country’s cyber security working group and we have a bill in the National Assembly on cyber security. “If that bill is passed, we will now have a law that will control the issue of cyber security,” he said. Daura said there were a lot of benefits in IT which the country could derive but which were yet to be fully exploited due to ignorance.
jobs and ensuring clean environment. Ogbonna, who was represented by the vice president of the society, Prof. Ifeoma Enweani, also called on Nigerians to look inwards and apply bio-technology in resources management to ensure food security. He said the country could use biotechnology to boost sorghum production, adding that improved variety of sorghum would lead to increase in yield. This, according to him, will reflect in the volume of export for the produce and its effects on the nation’s economy, adding that the nation could also explore its bio-diversity to boost healthcare delivery. “We can develop these herbs and use them to make medicines that will be more potent and safer for human than the ones that are being imported,’’ Ogbonna said. He said that bio-technology could also be used in processing and preservation of food, an area in which, he said, the country was still lagging behind. Ogbonna said that these products could also be exported to generate more revenue for the country. The theme of the conference is “Bio-technology: a Mechanism for Creating Jobs and Investment Opportunities in a Growing Economy’’.
L-R: Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahaya; President, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Prof. Amos Gadzama and representative of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Chief Tajudeen Abimbola at the opening of Biennial delegates meeting and scientific conference of MDCAN in Ibadan recently.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Abuja Don Tasks Media On Investigative ABUJA Prof. Mohammed Ladan, a law lecturer with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has called on journalists to be cautious in reporting conflicts to avoid aggravating crises. Ladan told newsmen in Abuja that the media should not abuse its power by escalating conflict situations through sensational reporting. He said as the fourth estate
Journalism
of the realm, the media should concentrate on objective reporting rather than instigating people against one another, adding that there was a need to foster national integration. “In conflict situations please watch what you write, what you read and what you broadcast because if you aggravate the
AD Advocates Creation Of More Anti-Graft Agencies ABUJA -The National Secretary of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Mr Rafiu Salau, advocated the creation of more agencies to tackle corruption in Nigeria. Salau said in an interview with newsmen in Abuja that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were inadequate to effectively deal with corruption in Nigeria. He said there had been cases where people embezzled public funds without being detected for long periods, adding that ‘’ such situations show that it is possible for some people to engage in corruption and get away with it.’’ He said an institution stronger than EFCC and ICPC should be created to check the excesses of public officers operating different accounts locally and abroad. “ For instance, every account should be known to the Institutions, including the owner of the account,’’ he said Salau said banks should monitor transactions in accounts of their customers for necessary action, adding that every Nigerian and institution should have specific tax numbers. He said that the payment of tax was another method of reducing and fighting corruption, explaining that the step could be used to establish the source of money. The secretary said the intended institution should
also be charged with the responsibility of dealing with issues relating to the banking industry believed to aid and abet high level corruption. He expressed regret that corruption had made negative impact on the poor, who were denied the benefits of democratic governance.
situation, you are not helping matters,” he advised. He also urged journalists to properly investigate issues of public interest that were capable of resulting into conflict before making them public, stressing that there was need for check and balances. “We must also do investigative journalism in conflict situations, we shouldn’t just be writing and publishing and broadcasting just like that. “We must have control and it is very important because it gives a sense of check and balances,” he counselled.
L-R: Governor Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State; Minister of Trade and Investments, Dr. Olusegun Aganga and Charge D’Affairs, US Embassy, Mr. Martin Brennen, at the Lakaji Agricultural Growth Corridor Investment Summit in Abuja recently.
Resign If Unfit, Nwodo Urges Suntai
ABUJA-Former Chairman of the defunct Progressives Action Congress (PAC) Charles Nwodo has urged Governor Danbaba Suntai to put the interest of the people of Taraba above personal interest.
Nwodo, who made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Abuja advised the governor to resign if he could no longer continue in office. He said, “If he is convinced that he can no longer continue in office, he should resign his
L-R: UNIDO Representative, Dr. Patrick Kormawa; representative of the Minister of Agriculture, Mrs. Karima Babangida and UN Women Country representative, Dr. Grace Onigile at a workshop on Developing a Policy Guideline to engage women and youth in Agricutlure in Abuja recently.
appointment in order for peace to reign in Taraba. “But if he can continue in office, he should make sure he did not victimise anybody over anything whatsoever.’’ He also that the controversy that surrounded the ailment of late President Umar Yar’Adua was playing out in Taraba in spite of the recent amendment to the 1999 Constitution. He said that the 1999 Constitution gave 60 days of leave of absence for any governor in power, wondering why the controversy is still rearing its head. Nwodo said, “The lawmakers need to go back and clarify the lacuna in the 1999 Constitution. This will go a long way in forestalling future occurrences and restoring confidence in the minds of Nigerians.” He said that a medical certificate of fitness should accompany anybody in such
condition to prove that he or she was capable of discharging the responsibilities placed on his shoulders. According to him, the certificate of medical fitness will convince the people of the governor’s fitness to serve them once again. He, however, urged Nigerians to desist from politics of religion, tribalism, ethnic, sentiment and other other fault lines, as these vices “would lead us to nowhere”. Nwodo also called for the establishment of a constitutional court that would readily give interpretations to such cases whenever they arise. “We should always treat issues that border on our interest, security and the corporate existence of this country with all seriousness. “ We should always have it at the back of our minds that there are issues that if not handled properly can reoccur and cause serious damage to the entire nation,” Nwodo said.
Study In Ghana: Okojie Gives Reasons
ABUJA- The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) Prof. Julius Okojie, has attributed the rush by Nigerians to study in Ghana’s universities to the stability in the country’s education system. Okojie stated this in Abuja when he received report of the National Review Committee set up to make proposals for accessing the eight- million-dollar grant provided by the World Bank for the African Centres of Excellence (ACE) projects. He said the instability of
For Rush
Nigeria’s universities’ academic calendar caused by incessant strikes had affected their taking the pride of place in Africa in terms of research and man power development. Okogie decried the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), adding that it was unfortunate that proposals for ACE projects were being reviewed when the universities were at a standstill. “ I must say that it is so
unfortunate that this is happening at a time doors of the universities are shut and our colleagues who know what the benefits is, are not responsive. “Money is involved, eight million dollars; and if we are able to get those centres, they will help us, just like the StepB project. “The Federal University of Technology, Akure, got a project of seven million dollars; for an institution, this
is a big leverage. “There is money out there begging for people to apply, yet we keep saying there is no funding for universities. “I hope that the AU will take a cue from this and initiate a programme to support some of these projects when the fund from the World Bank is finally over,” he said. According to him, the objective of the ACE project is to promote general specialisation among participating universities in areas that address particular
regional development challenges and strengthen, the capacities of the universities to deliver high quality training and applied research. The Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo, with support from the World Bank, have launched the Regional ACE project. A total of 53 proposals from Nigerian universities covering subjects such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Health Sciences and Agricultural Sciences have been received by NUC.
THE NIGERIAN
10
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Business + Economy
FG ’ll Reduce Cost Of Doing Business - Minister
ABUJA - The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to reduce cost and time of doing business in the country. Aganga said this at the opening ceremony of the Lagos-Kano-Jibiya (LAKAJI) Agricultural Growth Corridor Investment Summit, organised in Abuja by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). “For the first time in the country’s 53-year history, the power sector has been completely privatised. “And as you are aware, we already have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for another 10,000 megawatts of power plant.” The LAKAJI initiative, USAID’s new activity, hopes to build on the U.S. previous support to improve trade efficiency in Nigeria. It also hopes to support trade facilitation, transport, and agribusiness investment
intervention and is being implemented through the Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) activity. The initiative prioritises work along the LAKAJI corridor, which is a major
overland cargo transport route in the country. According to Aganga, the initiative is a key intervention that can affect the Nigerian economy positively. He urged investors to invest
in the LAKAJI corridor, saying that it cut across 10 States of the federation. The minister observed that the summit would bring about growth in agriculture partnership and also fast
track development in the sector. He said that the success of the initiative was important as it meant more jobs for youths and development of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector.
Vandalism
Association Canvasses State Police LAGOS- The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies has canvassed the creation of state police to check the vandalism of PHCN facilities. Mr Abiodun Ogunsegha, the Secretary-General of the association, told newsmen in Lagos that PHCN facilities would be better protected if put under the supervision of state police. Ogunsegha said that vandalism of power plants and transformers had “rubbished” government’s investment in the sector and stalled improvement in power supply. According to him, state police will tackle the act of vandalism because the men are familiar with the terrain of the state. “It is time to try state police because of the inability to arrest the trend. “The problems we are facing as a result of theft of equipment are beyond what the Nigerian Police can solve. “The recent success recorded by Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State was through the assistance of the so call Youth Volunteers known as Civilian JTF. “We should not only think that state government will hijack the state police, but there will be greater advantages if created,” he said. He said that the creation of state police would reduce the security challenges being faced by the government.
L-R: Head, Department of Election and Political Party Monitoring, Oyo State INEC, Mr. Ayoola Olubunmi; representative of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Rafiu Adegbola and Deputy Director, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, at an INEC forum with heads of Federal Establishments in Ibadan recently.
Veterinary Association Sensitizes Farmers
JOS- The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Plateau chapter, says it is sensitising fish and poultry farmers on bio-security issues, to reduce losses incurred through infectious diseases. The Chapter’s Chairman, Dr Sati Ngulukun, told newsmen in Jos that many farmers had suffered severe losses because of preventable infectious diseases. Ngulukun described biosecurity as a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious disease. He said that many farmers were out of business because of diseases that they brought to their farms themselves and
underscored there was the need to enlighten them on how best to operate. “We organised a workshop last Saturday to educate farmers on how to manage their farms. “Just as you know, a country cannot be secured if there is no security; the same with a poultry or fish farm; there has to be certain practices called biosecurity,’’ he said. The NVMA stated that the sensitization workshop was not just for farmers but also for veterinary doctors who needed to update their knowledge. “Knowledge is a continuous process, the workshop would not just help our farmers, but it will also update the knowledge of
practicing veterinary doctors in order mitigate losses,’’ he said. He said that eminent resource persons were selected across the country to educate the farmers. Dr Dotun Oladele, a
Consultant/Specialist on fish production from Ogun State, presented a paper on ‘Fish production, the Diseases of Fish and Control Measures, while Prof Paul Abdu of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, presented a paper on bio-security in poultry farms.
Earlier, Amb. Martin Brennan of the U.S. explained that the summit would highlight the importance of agriculture as an opportunity for long-term investment in a competitive and growing sector. He said that agriculture growth was increasingly being seen as the way to sustainable, inclusive economic growth. “In Nigeria, the agriculture sector is the single greatest creator of jobs, providing employment for 70 per cent of the population,’’ Brennan said. He said that Nigeria had the potential to grow, process, and package foods. He reiterated U.S. President Barack Obama’s pledge for a new focus on investment in Africa and the need for his country to engage more with the continent. In his remarks, Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger explained that the summit was instructive to the state’s renewed determination to strengthen its economic base. Represented by his deputy, Mr Musa Ibeto, he said that as a hub in the corridor, the state had a major role in the project implementation because of its greater advantage in land mass. Also, the Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State stressed that the agricultural potential of the state was grossly under utilised. He commended USAID for establishing the LAKAJI investment corridor, adding that the state’s agriculture would benefit from the investment.
Reviving Manafacturing Sector Chamber Of Commerce Advises FG
LAGOS - The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has advised the Federal Government to hold a stakeholders meeting on ways to transform the manufacturing sector. Mr Muda Yusuf, Director-
NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar (middle), being screened for HIV, during the launch of the National Agency For the Control of AIDS (NACA) and NLC HIV testing drive under the MDGs programme in Abuja recently. Right is the Director-General, NACA, Prof. John Idoko.
General of LCCI, made the suggestion in an interview the newsmen in Lagos. He said that such meeting would enable government to formulate more favourable policies that would positively transform the manufacturing sector. Yusuf said that improvement in the manufacturing sector would encourage vocational education and drastically reduce the rate of unemployment among youths. According to him, the meeting is necessary because the manufacturing sector only accounted for five per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last six months. “The low output of the sector is due to policy somersault, multiple taxation, inconsistent power supply and illegal importation of goods into the country. “These issues have lingered for so long and something has to be done to check them and
rebound the industries,” Yusuf said. Yusuf suggested that the government should initiate more policies that would revive the manufacturing sector. He said the importation of fake textile materials and the harsh business environment had hindered the desired change in the textile industry. Yusuf said that the textile industry had little or no sign of improvement even with the N100 billion intervention funds given to the sector. NAN recalls that Mr Herbert Ajayi, a former President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Agriculture and Industry (NACCIMA), said that about 800 Nigerian companies were shut down between 2009 and 2011. Ajayi said that the closure was due to harsh business environment, saying that many of those still in operating had serious challenges to be classified as ‘ailing.’
THE NIGERIAN
11
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT FRIDAY(30/08/13) Stocks
Open
Close
Change
Deals
Units
Value
LIVESTOCK
4.01
4.28
0.27
53
1,356,200
5,429,522.41
7UP
72
72
0
24
61,892
4,194,135.31
MANSARD
2.3
2.2
-0.1
5
332,000
730,620.00
ABCTRANS
0.79
0.77
-0.02
15
839,900
620,102.00
MAYBAKER
2.48
2.29
-0.19
23
747,511
1,703,365.12
ACADEMY
1.9
1.9
0
2
32,000
54,720.00
MBENEFIT
0.5
0.5
0
1
500
250
112
112
0
13
36,569
4,096,390.20
ACCESS
10.7
10.8
0.1
182
14,039,915
154,101,297.98
MOBIL
AFRIPRUD
2
2
0
46
151,627
293,932.34
MRS
36.14
36.14
0
2
300
9,759.00
0.63
0.63
0
3
104,455
65,806.65
AFROMEDIA
0.5
0.5
0
2
11,000,000
5,500,000.00
MULTITREX
AGLEVENT
1.7
1.7
0
9
434,878
739,042.60
MULTIVERSE
0.5
0.5
0
1
500
250
6.2
6.5
0.3
60
1,595,388
10,395,264.18
11
10.95
-0.05
41
607,017
6,661,979.82
AIICO
1
0.94
-0.06
46
5,133,551
4,935,220.47
NAHCO
AIRSERVICE
3.82
3.82
0
5
73,860
273,648.37
NASCON
ASHAKACEM
21.6
21
-0.6
54
556,086
11,683,579.77
NB
167.99
165
-2.99
131
735,900
121,043,871.49
ASOSAVINGS
0.5
0.5
0
10
6,000,000
3,000,000.00
NEIMETH
1.21
1.21
0
7
79,811
96,543.20
BERGER
8.7
8.7
0
4
67,829
563,987.07
NEM
0.71
0.69
-0.02
20
4,069,660
2,793,484.18
BETAGLAS
13.18
13.18
0
2
1,727
21,154.49
NESTLE
934.97
935
0.03
91
198,685
185,729,492.81
BOCGAS
6.5
6.5
0
4
26,278
153,755.00
NIGERINS
0.5
0.5
0
1
10,000
5,000.00
CADBURY
52.85
52.85
0
43
134,676
6,751,868.85
NNFM
28.49
28.49
0
2
3,200
89,285.00
CAP
43.65
43.65
0
4
5,600
233,166.00
NPFMCRFBK
0.78
0.79
0.01
2
100,000
79,000.00
CAPOIL
0.5
0.5
0
1
20,000
10,000.00
OANDO
11.2
11.2
0
150
1,489,621
16,704,877.60
CCNN
9
8.96
-0.04
10
171,373
1,535,439.61
OKOMUOIL
46
46
0
54
706,395
32,554,700.66
CHAMPION
17.03
17.03
0
9
95,155
1,617,259.65
OMATEK
0.5
0.5
0
2
1,500,500
750,250.00
CHAMS
0.5
0.5
0
1
3,000
1,500.00
PAINTCOM
1.83
1.7
-0.13
2
50,400
85,732.00
CHELLARAM
4.41
4.41
0
1
1,000
3,970.00
PORTPAINT
5.01
5.01
0
5
44,100
222,548.00
CILEASING
0.5
0.5
0
1
500
250
PRESCO
35.11
37.39
2.28
22
287,600
10,391,624.50
CONOIL
29.8
29.8
0
29
98,961
2,935,838.30
PRESTIGE
0.6
0.66
0.06
31
3,888,856
2,464,834.28
CONTINSURE
1.23
1.22
-0.01
5
20,052,000
24,263,420.00
PZ
37.8
37.8
0
43
167,735
6,275,706.52
4.76
4.7
-0.06
25
489,425
2,284,670.31
CORNERST
0.5
0.5
0
4
429,600
214,800.00
REDSTAREX
COSTAIN
1.3
1.17
-0.13
15
580,550
690,177.60
RESORTSAL
0.5
0.5
0
1
80,000
40,000.00
0.55
0.55
0
8
125,043
69,550.59
COURTVILLE
0.67
0.68
0.01
10
2,119,467
1,364,218.84
ROYALEX
CUSTODYINS
1.47
1.46
-0.01
8
762,616
1,116,455.36
RTBRISCOE
1.38
1.39
0.01
22
1,299,990
1,731,674.50
3.92
4
0.08
72
2,025,256
8,016,285.80
0.5
0.5
0
3
50,000
25,000.00
CUTIX
1.86
1.68
-0.18
11
426,878
722,080.04
SKYEBANK
DANGCEM
190
190
0
23
5,009,128
951,729,235.21
SOVRENINS
DANGFLOUR
9
9.01
0.01
73
975,365
8,789,264.25
STACO
0.5
0.5
0
1
200
100
DANGSUGAR
10.9
10.9
0
43
232,640
2,493,017.20
STANBIC
16.23
16.23
0
33
333,976
5,420,203.20
DEAPCAP
1.21
1.09
-0.12
1
140,000
152,600.00
STDINSURE
0.5
0.5
0
2
1,050,500
525,250.00
DIAMONDBNK
6.24
6
-0.24
45
1,118,907
6,835,192.04
STERLNBANK
2.57
2.55
-0.02
32
1,580,529
4,070,182.96
DNMEYER
1.43
1.43
0
2
5,246
8,236.22
STUDPRESS
2.52
2.52
0
1
500
1,135.00
DUNLOP
0.5
0.5
0
3
520,000
260,000.00
TANTALIZER
0.5
0.5
0
1
1,000
500
EQUITYASUR
0.5
0.5
0
2
120,000
60,000.00
TOTAL
157
157.05
0.05
15
21,271
3,340,503.89
ETERNA
3.06
3.06
0
10
82,140
233,036.64
TOURIST
4.08
4.08
0
1
200
736
ETI
14.6
14.64
0.04
45
945,862
13,818,461.36
TRANSCORP
1.37
1.4
0.03
128
17,960,671
25,159,618.70
ETRANZACT
3.13
3.13
0
1
7,500
23,475.00
TRANSEXPR
1
1
0
1
3,000
2,970.00
EVANSMED
4.27
3.85
-0.42
7
200,000
770,000.00
UAC-PROP
16.18
16.18
0
11
53,250
828,524.50
FBNH
15.5
16
0.5
404
8,560,950
133,894,106.62
UACN
58.15
55
-3.15
79
1,005,205
55,113,482.31
FCMB
3.8
3.8
0
48
333,885
1,273,553.42
UBA
7.5
7.33
-0.17
224
8,813,486
65,675,752.25
1.4
1.39
-0.01
96
3,905,390
5,143,292.00
FIDELITYBK
2.61
2.77
0.16
77
3,951,071
10,356,398.22
UBCAP
FIDSON
2
2.02
0.02
36
1,830,676
3,681,783.52
UBN
10.38
10.3
-0.08
61
358,818
3,679,198.96
0.5
0.5
0
4
3,722
1,861.00
FLOURMILL
83.78
83.78
0
43
126,031
9,755,774.85
UNIC
FO
38.87
38.87
0
34
186,437
6,751,828.93
UNILEVER
62
57.7
-4.3
44
1,117,213
66,242,083.15
0.51
0.52
0.01
32
7,589,074
3,944,771.73
GLAXOSMITH
60
58.5
-1.5
32
986,405
58,105,673.84
UNITYBNK
GUARANTY
25.13
24.53
-0.6
362
10,453,857
260,936,891.92
UNIVINSURE
0.5
0.5
0
1
300,000
150,000.00
GUINEAINS
0.5
0.5
0
1
200,000
100,000.00
UPL
4.3
4.5
0.2
62
2,585,983
11,155,710.28
GUINNESS
255
255
0
35
44,250
11,219,926.50
UTC
0.65
0.63
-0.02
14
147,793
94,922.55
HMARKINS
0.5
0.5
0
2
5,001,500
2,500,750.00
VITAFOAM
3.9
3.99
0.09
25
445,902
1,725,553.00
HONYFLOUR
3.05
3.18
0.13
26
1,014,993
3,153,135.15
VONO
0.89
0.97
0.08
4
141,252
137,014.44
IHS
2.35
2.35
0
6
850,000
1,913,125.00
WAPCO
94.2
93
-1.2
51
469,225
43,401,020.90
IKEJAHOTEL
0.79
0.79
0
5
105,000
81,721.16
WAPIC
0.81
0.82
0.01
20
1,792,219
1,460,943.39
INTBREW
20.62
20.62
0
32
116,715
2,357,759.85
WEMABANK
1.04
1.04
0
27
939,937
974,078.56
INTENEGINS
1.2
1.08
-0.12
16
835,600
903,748.00
ZENITHBANK
19.6
19.71
0.11
257
6,861,140
135,656,420.73
IPWA
0.84
0.76
-0.08
9
210,303
164,122.64
JAPAULOIL
0.5
0.5
0
30
1,070,837
535,658.50
JBERGER
74.71
74.71
0
10
42,235
3,057,923.25
Stock
JOHNHOLT
1.26
1.26
0
6
33,816
40,579.20
JOSBREW
2.67
2.93
0.26
2
127,000
372,110.00
LASACO
0.5
0.5
0
1
2,000,000
1,000,000.00
LEARNAFRCA
1.55
1.5
-0.05
4
196,060
294,294.08
LINKASSURE
0.5
0.5
0
1
500
250
PRESCO FBNH NAHCO LIVESTOCK JOSBREW UPL FIDELITYBK HONYFLOUR ZENITHBANK ACCESS
TOP 10 GAINERS Close 37.39 16 6.5 4.28 2.93 4.5 2.77 3.18 19.71 10.8
TOP TOP 10 10 LOSERS GAINERS Gain
Stock
Close
Loss
2.28 0.5 0.3 0.27 0.26 0.2 0.16 0.13 0.11 0.1
UNILEVER UACN NB GLAXOSMITH WAPCO ASHAKACEM GUARANTY EVANSMED DIAMONDBNK MAYBAKER
57.7 55 165 58.5 93 21 24.53 3.85 6 2.29
-4.3 -3.15 -2.99 -1.5 -1.2 -0.6 -0.6 -0.42 -0.24 -0.19
THE NIGERIAN
12 THE Federal Government has concluded plans to change the nation’s education policy of 9-3-4 system to a 1-6-3-3-4 education structure. The Minister of education, Prof. Ruqquayat Rufa’i while announcing the imminent change, said the proposed structure would be a re-modification of the current 9-3-3-4 system which came into effect in 2009 when the old 6-3-3-4 system was dropped. RUFA’I says the new move is sequel to the recommendations of the Presidential Task Team on Education, which President Goodluck Jonathan has already approved. The new system which is already proposed to the National Assembly is said to be planned to include exposure of five -year old learners to one year of early childhood education before they proceed to the six-year primary education. WE see the proposal of the federal government as unnecessary distraction of children of public school system who are already overburdened by several policy somersault and this move is not any different previous policy rigmarole. In any case, the system is not anything novel as it is already being practiced by the private school system where some children are enrolled in kindergarten classes at three or four. They run it full three years and move on to primary one when they are six. However, such children end up doing only five years primary education and move on to the junior secondary school and they do very well because of the background knowledge they are given from age 3 while blending with the school environment. NIGERIANS know too well that before this proposal, the nation’s educational system had gone through many modifications. In the late 70s and 80s, it was the 6-5-4 system that was in place. It provided for six years in Primary school, five years in secondary and
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 THE NIGERIAN
Plans To Change Nigeria’s Educational Policy four years in the university. Another shift in policy later gave birth to the Higher School Certificate (HSC) which gave birth to another two-year stop gap of learning to pupils after secondary school, before they proceed to the university this time to spend three years. All these gave way for the 6-3-3-4 and later 9-3-4 system. ORDINARILY, there is nothing wrong with a nation desiring a change for the better or best, but we condemn the frequency of change in the education sector which has left the sector worst for what it since the change episode started. It is a fact that Nigerian graduates of the 70s and 80s remain the best ever produced in the country and they remain reference point in our national history, the advent of technology in the late 80s and 90s notwithstanding. RATHER than piecemeal changes, we will encourage the federal government to come up with a once -and -for -all change that can stand the test of time. Government should introduce the nursery system into its policy whereby children are enrolled in schools from age 3 to formalise nursery education in Nigeria. We believe such policy will now cover what private schools are already operating, instead of the proposed one year starting at age five. Our worry about the looming policy is how long it will last if it eventually sails through? HOWEVER, Nigerians expect an educational policy that will ensure that children begin primary school at six. We deplore a situation
where at age 4 or five, a child is already in primary school. Some parents are in such a hurry for their children to climb up the education ladder without taking into account the repercussions of such a rush on their children. These set of children create problems for the teachers, because many of them do not know their right from their left at the end of the day, only whiz kids are able to cope in such circumstance. WE believe that there is no much problem at the moment with the current policy, except that any new government devices a way of siphoning public funds, otherwise we know that there are a number of teething problems buffeting the education sector at the moment begging for the federal government’s attention. The questions to ask at this point are: Is the 1-6-3-3-4 system going to turn the flooded classrooms or under- the- mango tree classrooms to model classrooms as being done by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State? Is it going to provide adequate text books, reading and instructional materials to the pupils and their teachers? Is 1-6-3-3-4 system the priority, more than an enabling environment for teaching and learning? INTERESTINGLY, these are the issues being pursued by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities who are currently up in arms against the Federal Government. We implore government to shore up funding of education to remove the decadence that has characterised schools from primary, secondary up to tertiary with very few exceptions. We expect that President Goodluck Jonathan coming from an academic background is in a better position to appreciate the level of decay in the system, more than anyone else. We implore him to do the needful to salvage Nigeria education sector which holds the key to the future of the country and halt the distraction being provided by the policy somersault mongers.
THE NIGERIAN
13 THERE is, of course, no way to precisely measure the incidence of illicit child buying, stealing, kidnapping, and trafficking within the current intercountry adoption system. Indeed, given the premise of this article—that this illicit conduct is “laundered” into legitimate adoptions—it is necessarily impossible to present official statistics of its incidence. Logically, the vast majority of such cases would never come into public view, for the illicit aspects of the case would remain hidden under the legitimating veil of legal adoption. These abuses of the adoption system could not last
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 intending to sever parental rights. These institutions, whether called orphanages, schools, or hostels, are commonly used by the poor as a kind of safety net or extended family resource.5 Sometimes, the child laundering scheme includes deliberately recruiting children into the institution based on false pretenses. In other instances the family, on its own initiative, places a child into the institution for temporary care or education, and then the child is laundered through the adoption system as an “orphan,” and then adoptee. However
Law With IKHUEBOR VIKRAM OSARUMEN
Incidence Of Child Buying, Stealing Kidnapping, Trafficking Within Intercountry Adoption System long if they were not usually hidden; these crimes would not exist if they were not usually successful in achieving the aims of their perpetrators.1 Nonetheless, this section will cite a wide variety of sources to substantiate a significant incidence of such abusive practices. The point, however, is not merely to document individual instances of such practices, but more broadly to understand patterns of abusive practice. From these patterns, the nature and causes of the abuse, and the weaknesses in our legal and adoption systems which permit them, will become clearer. Thus, this section overviews the methods of operation, the role of poverty, and the cycles of abuse, before specifically documenting a number of instances of abusive adoption practices. A. Methods of Operation Child laundering does not occur in a random way, but generally reflects distinctive methods of criminal activity. The following are the typical methods of operation. Often real cases are in fact combinations of these various illicit methods: 1. Child Buying Scenario Citizens of sending countries, including independent facilitators, attorneys, orphanage directors, and others, create a system for purchasing infants and children from birth families. These systems usually involve persons at the head of the conspiracy who possess the language and literacy skills, and the financial and social position, to interact with firstworld adoption agencies and prospective adoptive parents. These persons usually send out intermediaries, generally of a lower social station, to serve as scouts or recruiters. The targets of this recruiting are generally the poor of poor societies, who earn less than one dollar per day.2 By Western standards, the amounts the scouts offer to poor parents often seem tragically small, which underscores the desperate financial circumstances of the birth parents. Often, the inducements are as much false statements as money.3 The parents may be told that they will be able to stay in touch with their children, receive continuing payments and letters from the adoptive parents, or immigrate to a first-world nation.6 The person at the top of this criminal conspiracy may receive $2,000 to $20,000 for each child who is placed for adoption overseas, with funds coming from purportedly legitimate adoption fees and “orphanage donations.” Out of these funds, there are ample amounts to pay intermediaries (recruiters), the birth family, bribes of government officials (if necessary), as well as pay the legitimate costs of child care and intercountry adoption, while still making a large profit. The profits are particularly attractive given that these schemes generally occur in societies with a per capita annual income of less than $800, where even an educated, “middle class” individual may earn less than $10,000 annually. 2. Child Buying Scenario II Sometimes the kind of child buying scheme described above will include citizens of the recipient nation, such as the United States, who intentionally facilitate child buying or other illicit conduct. In these instances, a citizen of the recipient nation operates within the sending nation as the head of a criminal conspiracy, and is directly involved in hiring recruiters, bribing government officials, and other illicit conduct. As a practical matter, this scenario, although apparently much rarer, is more likely to lead to criminal prosecution, because the recipient nation may be more willing to investigate criminal acts by their own citizens. Child Stealing/Kidnapping Scenario I: Kidnapping Children Placed Into Orphanages, Hostels, or Schools for Purposes of Education or Care The child stealing/kidnapping schemes in certain respects have a similar structure to those involved in child buying, in that they involve corrupt individuals obtaining children in illicit ways for purposes of adoption.4 As in the child buying schemes, the motivation is primarily financial. These schemes build upon the fact, often not widely understood in recipient countries, that some sending nations have a custom, particularly among the poor, of placing children in institutions for purposes of education, food, housing, and care, without
it is done, from the parents’ point of view the child has been kidnapped or stolen, as consent was never given for relinquishment or adoption, let alone adoption in another country. Nor were these children abandoned, for the parents intended to maintain family ties, even if the child spends a substantial amount of their childhood living in these institutions. By way of analogy, imagine the reaction of a Western parent who placed a child in boarding school, only to discover that the school had placed the child for adoption in a foreign country. Such an act would clearly constitute a form of kidnapping or child stealing, because the school had no authorization to sever family ties or place the child into another family and nation.6 4. Child Stealing/Kidnapping Scenario II: Obtaining
Particularly complex are those cases in which extended or immediate family members remove a child from the parent(s). The child may be taken to a distant location and abandoned, or brought to an orphanage. Often there are financial motivations involved, as family members wish to avoid the burden involved in raising the child. Sometimes the burden involved is culturally connected to gender, as in South Asian situations where the family dreads having to pay the costs of marrying off a daughter. Sometimes one parent is involved in the plot to abandon a child, against the wishes of the other parent. Often, the parent who wishes to keep the child is, in cultural terms, virtually powerless to withstand the wishes of the other parent or extended family members. Although debatable, it seems legally accurate to describe most of these
Children Through False Pretenses Closely related to the above scenario involving orphanages is the use of false statements to induce parents to give their children to various intermediaries. Thus, birth families may be told that their children are only going away for an education, or for a better life, or temporarily. Birth Families may be promised that they will receive updates about or from their children, support payments from adoptive families, or the right to immigrate to the recipient nation after their child grows up. In all these ways, the birth parents are led to believe that they are not really giving up their parental connection to their child, but are merely providing for a better life for their child and perhaps themselves. These false statements are used as inducements to gain physical custody of children. Subsequently, the children are laundered through the adoption system, often by falsifying the identities and histories of the children. Particularly if the children are too young to know and remember their own histories, this laundering is likely to be effective. The parents generally will never see or hear from their children again, and will not receive any of the promised financial or legal benefits.7 5. Child Stealing/Kidnapping Children Scenario III: Lost Children There are reports of “lost” or “missing” children being prepared or placed for adoption. Of course not all instances of “lost” children involve child stealing or kidnapping.8 If a child is accidentally lost or separated from their family, and the authorities and orphanages make reasonable efforts to find the family but fail, then it may at some point be appropriate to pursue a placement. 6. Child Stealing/Kidnapping Scenario V: Intra-Familial Kidnapping
cases as a kind of kidnapping, for a parent is by force and/or trickery deprived of their child. Moreover, despite the cultural difficulties, the family members removing the child often lack the legal authority to remove or abandon the child, particularly against the wishes of a parent who wants to keep the child. These intra-family cases create difficulties for the adoption system. Even a diligent and well-intentioned adoption system could inadvertently process as an “orphan” a child who has in this manner been taken from a parent.9 Cycles of Abuse If one examines the demographic patterns of adoption over the last fifteen years, it becomes apparent that there are cyclic trends. Rather than being static,10 the list of top twenty sending nations has undergone significant change over the last fifteen years. Over forty percent of those significant sending nations have virtually dropped out of the intercountry adoption system, apparently due largely to scandals related to child buying, child trafficking, child stealing, and corruption.11 Often, the decision to drop out of the system has been made by the sending nation; sometimes, recipient nations have imposed moratoriums. These cycles of abuse have been particularly applicable to Latin American countries. A number of those nations were formerly significant sending nations, but have now become virtually closed to intercountry adoption, or reduced their significance within the intercountry adoption system. Most Latin American nations have either forbidden intercountry adoption, limited it to nations which have ratified the Hague Convention, or countered abuses through strict application of procedures, such as requirements that foreign adoptive parents spend a significant period of time in-country.12 As a result, the numbers of adoptees coming to the United States is extremely modest, and many of the available children are older children. The predominate approach to international adoption in Latin America is apparently a response to earlier notorious scandals. To be continued
THE NIGERIAN
14
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Opinion
THE Nigeria Parliament at state and federal levels have a chequered history from independence till date. Of all the arms of our government, the legislative arm can be described as the youngest and less experienced. One of the reasons for this status of our parliament is perhaps because at all times the military took over power, the law-makering body is usually the most affected. The executive and judicial arms were usually preserved by each of the military regimes. However from 1999 till date, our country has had an unbroken democratic governance with the three arms of government in place. Having said this, the issue arising for consideration is how has the legislative arms of our government fared? Or put differently, how has some of our “honourrable members” of our state and federal parliaments honoured themselves and the nation? To start with, it must be quickly pointed out that our political experiment between 1999 till date, particularly as it concerns our legislative arm, has revealed their good, bad and ugly sides. It is true some of our parliamentarians, both at the state and federal levels, have indeed proven themselves to be worthy representatives of the people. But this group of our law makers are the few voices who really rise in defence of the weak and helpless in society. They belong to the group of lawmakers that would not divert what is meant for their constituency to their private pockets. Also, they always work relentlessly and faithfully for the survival as well as prosperity of the nation. All said, this group of lawmakers or parliamentarians are in the minority as I have said
already. However, it is sad that not all our parliamentarians have consistently thread the path that can be called honourable. This is because they don’t display honour in their behaviour. Men who are called “honourable men” have honour in all they do. They are persons of nobility, admiration, moral rectitude and ethical standard worthy of emulation not only in their immediate constituency but the vast majority of the people in Nigeria. But it is a paradox that some of our lawmakers who are addressed as “honourable do not even have a trace of honour in them. Instead they often display the character and attitude of most uncivilized persons. Infact, to put it bluntly these parliamentarians’ behaviour is no better than those of dishonourable street boys. It is high time in Nigeria we began to reckon with individual accomplishments in contributing to the wellbeing of our people rather than engage in official generalizations of persons. A large percentage of such generalizations, based on the offices such persons occupy, are usually not a true reflection of people we should call “honourable members.” This is because events over the years have shown that some of these persons answering “honourables” are those who cannot be properly called by such a name. What is honourable about persons who are morally bankrupt, who have completely failed to live exemplary lives even in their homes and who used dishonourable elections to get to their present positions today? To be specific, what is honourable about some of our parliamentarians in the state assemblies and national assembly who engage in free fights like
Dishonourable Lawmakers In Our Midst
animals in the zoo? Is the behaviour of these parliamentarians not uncivilized, irrational and dishonourable? Of course, it is. The only difference between the animals in the zoo and our fighting parliamentarians is that while the animals fight
parliamentarians behaviour in the Rivers State House of Assembly who recently engaged in a free-for-all fight on the floor of the house. On page 8, the paper said: “For the umpteenth
Amaechi and the latter’s supporters who were in the majority.” The paper continued: “The cause of the mayhem, which is a subject of a raging debate across the country, is
for survival, our parliamentarians fight for their selfish, individual gains to the detriment of the people they are representing. The Punch newspapers of July 11, 2013 captures in my mind what I consider a definition of our d i s h o n o u r a b l e
time, Nigerians were shocked by the news of a nasty brawl among members of the second estate of the realm. This time the battle ground was the Rivers State House of Assembly. The conflict was between a small group of lawmakers opposed to the governor of the State Rotimi
an attempt by the antiAmaech lawmakers to remove the speaker, Otelemaha Amachree, whom they accused of ineptitude and installed one of their own, Evans Bini, in his place. The action had angered other members of the house, especially those in support of the governor and a fight ensued between the rebellious five and twenty – three others. About three lawmakers were injured in the process…” Well, it was no longer news when we experienced what happened in Rivers State House of Assembly. Neither are Nigerians surprised by
By PATRICK EHOLOR
“But it is a paradox that some of our lawmakers who are addressed as “honourable do not even have a trace of honour in them. Instead they often display the character and attitude of most uncivilized persons. Infact, to put it bluntly these parliamentarians’ behaviour is no better than those of dishonourable street boys.”
the event. Whenever and wherever our “honourable lawmakers” are gathered, Nigerians know that they will punch themselves. What is news is when they don’t fight as is their custom. Certainly a leopard cannot change its spots. Some dishonourable members of our assemblies would always fight and provide bitter entertainment to garnish their so-called legislative business calendar. The list of unbecoming behaviour of our dishonourable lawmakers is long. We are not in a hurry to forget the free-for-all fight at the House of Representatives during the infamous days of Dimeji Bankole as its speaker on June 23, 2010. The incident was a display of rascality before the entire world and innocent school children who were visiting the house excursion to watch its proceedings that day. On March 5, 2013 it was the turn of Ogun State House of Assembly. During a plenary, its members again behaved in a dishonourable way doing what they know how best to do. That is fighting on the floor of the house. During the show of shame they provided wild entertainment to bemused on lookers. At the end of the day the brawling lawmakers destroyed the mace of the house and symbol of authority. Then, in Lagos State, some dishonourable lawmakers once stormed a court premises in solidarity with their speaker facing criminal charges of money laundering and other related offences. At this juncture, what is the way forward? Nigerians are tired of being at the receiving end of these dishonourable behaviour of our elected lawmakers. So, it behoves on all of us not only to speak up against their behaviour and use of the word “honourable” but act against its use. We must take a deliberate step to ensure an end is brought to this ironic usage of the word “honourable.” Indeed, the appropriate name of our fighting or corrupt lawmakers ought to be dishonourable. I rest my case.
THE NIGERIAN
15
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Success World
Lessons From FD
SATURDAY, 13th July, 2013 will be a memorable day for so many youths n Warri and environs. The event was a conference put together by Fela Durotoye, unarguably Nigeria’s foremost Motivational Speaker and Chief Executive Officer, Visible Impact, at Mr. Biggs, Airport Road, Warri. I was in attendance, and like other meetings I had been into hear Feb speak, this was immensely thought provoking and impactful. FACTS DON’T LIE FD, as Fela Durotoye is fondly called began his talk by highlighting some obvious facts: Warri (though “no dey carry last”) is very behind when it comes to the pursuit of knowledge and information for self development. Even if most people lack the interest in pursuing knowledge, a small percentage when interested, can cause a radical change. The previous generation was a generation of revelation,” It was discovered that Nigeria could be counted as a great nation in that generation — our facilities were termed excellent and world class, and the naira had great value in international market. That generation provided a hint that anything was possible to achieve in Nigeria. Professor Wole Soyinka nine years ago, on his 70th
birthday anniversary, opined that “his generation has failed Nigeria.” Today youths run after these same men referred to as failures just because they have access to the nation’s till. The present generation of youths have inherited a failed system and are today building on that and constructing an edifice of bad morals, wrong values and poor ideals. FO says, “Our parents invented corruption and office fraud in this country, we have innovated them to Internet scam of mega proportions, kidnapping, Boko Haram and fraud running into billions of naira (which still do not satisfy us). It the youths must make a difference, they must become tired of hoping for a change and begin to spearhead the change. The youths must become awakened to be a Generation Empowered, Motivated and Stirred to Operate with Natural Excellence (GEMSTONE). THREE CLASSES OF PEOPLE Buttressing more on making a change, he distinguished three classes of people currently existing in Nigeria: The Mercenaries: Those whose primary aim is for themselves. Their purpose is their belly. They lack the compassion to contribute to nation building. Their sole objective is to grab what they can, even if it means killing, maiming, destroying the nation
Gratitude: The
IN the late 19th century, a member of the British Parliament travelled to Scotland to deliver a speech. He travelled to Edinburgh by train and from there he took a carriage to his destination. On the way, the carriage got mired in mud and a young Scottish farm boy came with his father’s mules and helped pull out the carriage out of the mud. “How much do I owe you?” The politician asked the boy after he got out. “Nothing,” the lad replied. “Well, I would like to show you my gratitude in some way. What do you want to become when you grow up?” The man asked. “A doctor,’ the boy responded. Then the Englishman offered to help train the young Scot to the university. He went his way, but kept to his pledge.
and leaving it in a worse state than they met it. The Missing in Action: These are people who see the problems, can identity the issues and yet decide to do nothing to change the situation. They lack the courage to take the step to contribute to nation building. Their sole aim is to play safe. They are experts at passing the buck; always putting the blame on “they and them.” They and them are Illusions that provide the comfort for the missing in action to do nothing, FD adds. The missing in action are
proficient in using phrases like, “They will kill me if I try to do anything about the matter, if you can’t beat them, you join them, etc.’ They are always complacent and leave the stage as rotten as they met it, if not worse. The Missionaries: These are those who bear the vision for a better Nigeria and are taking steps (however minute it may be) to contribute to nation building. The missionary’s aim is for the collective good. His sole purpose is to work his vision and make it a reality. He
Act Of Paying It Forward
More than 50 years later, British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill lay dangerously ill with pneumonia while attending a wartime conference in Morocco. Several drugs were given to him, but his condition persisted. Then a new “wonder drug” was administered on him, and he became well. A drug called Penicillin, only recently discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming. Sir Alexander Fleming was the young Scottish farm boy, and his benefactor was Lord Randolph Churchill, Sir Winston Churchill’s father. That’s to tell you how far gratitude can go. By being grateful to a young boy, Lord Randolph Churchill was able to save his son’s life 50 years later. Gratitude has always been and
still remains a vital secret to success in life and business. Cicero, a Roman orator and statesman puts it this way “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of them all.” Gratitude is important Gratitude is important, whether you’re expressing your appreciation to someone for some act of kindness shown to you or thanking a customer for patronage. Faith is begins with gratitude: The reaction of gratitude is an indication that you have faith in the event that predicated the reaction, and the act of gratitude shows you believe in the one who has
shown you kindness. Lord Randolph Churchill’s pledge to train the young Scot to the university speaks of his belief in the lad’s ability to become a better and greater personality in life. A sincere intent of grateful expression holds in it a certainty that the one you’re grateful to has done something for you and this instills hope in you that the person can be trusted to act in your favour in the future. This is the beginning of faith. Gratitude helps you acknowledge your place and position: A grateful mind helps you see the good in others and makes you acknowledge your peace in life. The English
“Your expression of gratitude does not mean you’re a lesser person, but it shows that you accept the way things are and you acknowledge that things can become better. The attitude of gratitude keeps your mind constantly fixed on the best, so anyone with such an attitude gravitates to being better.”
With
Ado Erhirhi 08167600251 stands up to make a difference and ensure that things change. THE GENERATION OF TRANSFORMATION The youth of the present day are the generation of transformation. They must become tired of living with wrong values and poor ideals, and expect change to come out of the blue. They must quit hoping and start doing; acting positively to contribute to national development. They must decide to put their hands on the plough and make Nigeria greater. This generation must become responsible and accept to bear the burden to build a great nation. We must believe in the greatness imbedded in Nigeria
and commit our energies to making Nigeria a most desirable polity to live in. We must chose to effect transformation in our time. A GEMSTONE FOR REAL! The greatest moment I think, in anyone’s life is when you discover purpose. It was an awesome sight to watch youths from varying backgrounds all rise to their feet n agreement to spearhead the change we need to make Nigeria a most desirable polity to live in by 2025. This is a purpose to drive us all. Indeed, we are a Generation Empowered, Motivated and Stirred to Operate in Natural Excellence. We shall succeed!
politician saw in the lad a potential to do more when given the adequate resources and opportunity to do so and he did just that. Your expression of gratitude does not mean you’re a lesser person, but it shows that you accept the way things are and you acknowledge that things can become better. The attitude of gratitude keeps your mind constantly fixed on the best, so anyone with such an attitude gravitates to being better. Such people see the best in others, and in turn strive to take the form of the best. In doing this, they express the best in them and do things others are grateful for. Gratitude keeps your mind in closer touch with the source from which blessings come: A grateful mind makes you acknowledge the source of blessing and keep you in close contact with that source. The heart of gratitude makes you know the source of blessing and keeps you looking to that source for your supply. A grateful heart prevents you from the error of thinking that your supply is limited. By being grateful, you know where your supply came from, so you already know it can come from that source time arid time again, so you have no
worries. For example, if you appreciate that your customers in business are your source of supply, you would appreciate them by treating them right and with dignity in turn, they would patronize you more. As Bishop David Oyedepo would say, “Appreciation is application for more. Learn to be Grateful You cannot tell how far your gratitude can go until you actually put gratitude into practice. Lord Randolph Churchill saved his son’s life over 50 years later by his expression of gratitude. A sincere expression of gratitude can be the start of a life-long relationship in life or business, opening doors to unimaginable resources. A simple “thank you” is all that is required to show your intention of gratitude. Whether your appreciation is in words or deed, it does not matter, What matters is your sincere intention to show gratitude. This is what pays. Learn to be grateful. Till we talk again. Ado Erhirhi is an insightful speaker and writer. He coordinates MirrorView Services, a Human Resource Development outfit. Contact him for your trainings and speaking engagements.
THE NIGERIAN
16
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Focus
“In all economic activities, man is everything. The supplier and demander, producer and consumer, Initiator, innovator, motivator, accelerator, Multiplier and distributor, the be-all and the End–all, the alpha and omega” CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO (VOICE OF COURAGE) ANY Nation, State, Collectivity and Institution etc that are cocooned in the tenebrous oubliette and horrendous labyrinth of psychotic corruption and thievery in all things cannot walk the promenades of GREATNESS. Hence, such moral contretemps will precipitate the mortal entropy of “venit summa dies et ineluctile tempus” (the last day has come and the evitable doom). Is this what is happening or going to happen to Nigeria and it’s Oil Industry in the light of CRUDE OIL THEFT?. INTRODUCTION: The Nigerian monocultural economy that is 99.9% dependent on oil is now facing total asphyxiation, because it is being hounded, hectored and hunted by crude oil and petroleum thieves. Since the discovery of crude oil at Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in 1956 and its subsequent commercialization in 1958, the Nigerian nation has not known peace because of corruption in the oil Institution, the Nigerian leadership’s skewed permutations on prices, pipeline vandalization, crude oil theft and general policy somersaults etc. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was establish by decree in April 1977 as successor to the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC), which was established by the Nigerian Government in 1971 to concretize and mosomophically solidify the
Oil Theft And Imperative Of
bases of the strategic Oil Industry. The NNPC has undergone rainbow and multi-dimensional restructuring to enhance its efficiency index, functionality potentials and growth quotient. The administrative organogram is dichotomised along directorate lines, each headed by a Group Executive Director. The directorate has the National Petroleum Investment and Management Services (NAPIMS) which is the division of the Exploration and Production Directorate which oversees the Federations nearly 60 percent Investment in joint operations and engages in direct exploration services. The upstream subsidiaries include the National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) engaged in exploration and production, Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) engaged in seismic data processing and the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) engaged in oil field gas treatment and distribution to industrial consumers. The Downstream Subsidiaries Include: the Kaduna refinery and petro Chemicals Company (KRPC), Port Harcourt Refinery Company Limited (PHRC) and Warri Refinery and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC)- all engaged in processing Crude Oil, Gas and Refinery byproducts, Eleme Petrochemical company limited (EPCL) engaged in manufacturing Petrochemical Products and Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), engaged in Petroleum product marketing and distribution. Others include the engineering consulting subsidiary, National Engineering and Technical Services Company (NETCO) and the International
Marketing Subsidiaries: Hydrocarbon services of Nigeria (HYSON), Independent Marketers of Petroleum Products. And by fiat the PPPRA and NEITE. These are the statutory bodies mandated and obligated by edicts, decrees and statutes to entrench accountability in the petroleum industry, including Shell and other Oil Multinationals. OIL MULTINATIONAL BLUES: The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) is the cardinal and arrowhead operator of a joint venture on behalf of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Shell is by far the largest hydrocarbon exploration and production company in Nigeria. Shell operated oil fields account for more than half of Nigeria’s proven crude oil reserves. Shell D’ Arcy Company, was in 1937 granted exclusive right to explore for oil throughout Nigeria. However, it was not until 1956 that Shell-BP made the country’s first discovery of crude oil at Oloibiri in the East Niger Delta, specifically, present day, Bayelsa state. This kaleidoscope overview of some the companies and institutions involved in the petroleum industry has become necessary to enable us do a candid parallax snaps of those that are working in the system over the years and how they have been the be-all and end– all of what has been transpiring in the petroleum industry and how their commission and or omission has affected the petroleum industry in Nigeria vis-a-vis the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (NEITI) Independent Report on crude oil theft, illegal oil bunker and the psychotic vandalisation of oil pipelines etc.
loss of revenues due to operational challenges (hostile oil communities, pipeline vandalism, illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft). THIEVES IN THE HOUSE: Some Ijaw / Urhobo / Itsekiri adages runs thus, “the worm that eats the kola-nut
barring the reckless action of desperate and psychotic thieves, it is only the Pipelines and Products Marketing Staffers that know the kind of products being pumped down the pipelines at any point – in - time. It is they who know whether it is Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and High Pour Quality Fuel Oil
is inside the kola-nut” and “how can a man be circumspect and careful with a witch in his own house” and “it is the rat in the house that invites the ones outside into the house”. It is clear without a tincture of doubt that the petroleum industry is filled with all kinds of players and the oil thieves are from there and beyond. It is now clearly obvious, that pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and illegal oil bunkering and other horrendously fraudulent act in the oil industry are carried out by Nigerians and their recruited surrogates in the NNPC, some of it’s subsidiaries and oil multinational companies etc. As for refined product,
(HPFO), Low Pour Quality Fuel Oil (LPFO), JET A1 etc. They give the information to the criminal syndicates who now position the tankers and barges to siphon the products. IMPERATIVE OF I M P L O S I V E SURGEONISATION: The NEITI report has also been befuddled by vortexes and counter- vortexes of denials, accusations and contradictions. In a joint meeting between NEITI and PPPRA at the instance of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the two agencies said that the missing fund has indeed been deposited in the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
By CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE
NEITI REPORT/ SCRAMBLE FOR OIL: The recently released independent audit report of NEITI is sound and solid in structure, rich in character, treating matters of moral immaculacy, corruption in the petroleum industry, Institutional inertia, administrative lapses and culpability index of partners and major players in the petroleum industry with power and purpose. Indeed, it exposes the clandestine under belly and furtive backsides of some of the syndicates behind crude oil theft, illegal bunking and pipeline vandalism in Nigeria. But it was short on figures and specificities on fraudulent manipulations in the oil and gas sector. NEITI In it’s report demanded that the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) should return N4.423 billion to the Federation account and that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other grotesque firms should return N 3.715 billion being “overrecovery” for the period under review (2009-2011). The report further asserts that a total sum of N273 billion accruing from crude oil sales has not being remitted to the Federation Account and that a total of 136 million barrels of crude oil estimated at $10.9 billion was lost to crude oil theft and the report went on to state that a total payment of N3 trillion was made to importers of refined petroleum products. Shell the royal Dutch company also claimed that if incurred losses totaling $700 million in its global earning due to Nigeria’s operational challenges. Virtually, all crude oil and gas operators, especially Oil Multinationals are all singing the same commercial nunc dimities of
“Since the discovery of crude oil at Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in 1956 and its subsequent commercialization in 1958, the Nigerian nation has not known peace because of corruption in the oil Institution, the Nigerian leadership’s skewed permutations on prices, pipeline vandalization, crude oil theft and general policy somersaults etc.”
Th Mee two devi add arisi 2011 instr Min (IM Pres issue repo fenc
criti calc Nig the adm Vi com NEI deni aga Gro Gro Div ech curr Dire said Gro Mr. NNP 2.7 oil p evad beca
THE NIGERIAN
17
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Focus
Implosive Surgeonisation
he Joint Reconciliation eting also posited that the organizations have ised strategies aimed at ressing other matters ing from the NEITI 20091 audit report through the rumentality of the Internisterial Task Team MTT) set up by the sident to address remedial es arising from the audit ort. This belated accounts ce mending is seen by
ics as a jigsaw puzzle culated to bamboozle the erian masses and launder image of the Jonathan’s ministration. irtually all the oil mpanies indicted by the ITI REPORT have all ied the allegations made inst them. The Acting oup General manager oup Public Affairs vision, NNPC, Abuja oing the retort of the rent Group Managing ector, Mr. Andrew Yakubu d “Under the current oup Managing Director, Andrew Yakubu, the PC recorded an all-high million barrels of crude per day last year. But this dable feat was short-lived ause of Crude theft, oil
bunkering and the incessant vandalization of crude oil pipelines”. He further posited that “in as much as the NNPC is not a perfect organization just like any other, it should be objectively criticized and not vilified all the time. Efforts should be made to appreciate its challenges. Some of these negative publications and destructive criticisms have far-readily implications on
the business relationship between the Corporation and its International Partners. They impact also on the nation’s ability to bring in investors”. But he was silent on whether the NNPC is guilty as charged or whether it will refund the money demanded by NEITI REPORT. SO THERE ARE NO OIL THIEVES AND THE NNPC IS NOT INVOLVED? It is however clear from the politicization of the report and the culture of gross impurity and defiance being played by the castigated oil companies that the sysiphyean albatross of oil bunkering, crude oil theft, pipeline vandalization and corruption in the oil industry
will linger on in the deepest recesses of our national and petroleum industry’s psyche for along time to come. The essayist Charles Spureon said “the door to the temple of wisdom is knowledge of our own ignorance”. THE NIGER DELTA BLUES: The oil theft and accoutrements of malfeasances in the Niger Delta will continue because the people of the Niger Delta continue to suffer ecosidal devastation,fauna despoliation, environmental pollution, seismic hazards and scorching poverty in the light of gas flaring, oil exploration and exploitation in their backyards. The so-called Interventionist agencies have turned out to be Mephistophelean placeboes and conduits for politicians to feather their nests. The crude oil theft is a form of economic remonstration, existential militancy and protestation by the Niger Delta people and freedom fighters and it can only be stopped through the approval and granting of the long demanded 50% derivation formula, implementation of free education, free medical care at all levels, massive employment beyond the Amnesty programme initiative, massive industrialization of oil producing communities, rehabilitation and compensation of displaced persons and communities as a result of oil exploitation and exploration, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) must be signed into law with soldierly brevity, the entry and exit points into Nigeria’s nautical and littoral contours must be manned by patriotic security apparatchiks, the Federal Government must build floating stations in the Riverine Areas and endeavour to create an all-
embracing enabling environment for socioeconomic progress in the Niger Delta and all Oil producing states in Nigeria. Apart from Conventional Security Agencies, the Federal Government and the NNPC should award surveillance contracts to specific communities on land and water where the pipelines passes to guard and protect the pipelines and the traditional rulers, chiefs and youth groups should be given roles to play in this regard. They should also furnish the Nigerian Navy and Marine Police with Sea – going Security vessels, marine technology for tracking ships and there should be the erection of nautical barricades on the river to check ships, barges, boats and other water craft vessels etc for bunkering clearance etc. TO SALVAGE THE PIN FROM THE POT: The NNPC must establish product measurement, calibration, oil metering and product deep mechanisms to know the quantity of product and capacity of the loaded tanker/vessel to enable us keep record of products been loaded within and outside Nigeria. The theft will continue with reckless abandon if there is no metering system to forestall oil theft. The National Assembly must legislatively discourage oil theft through legal provisions and laws, specifically ‘Death Penalty’ for crude oil theft, petroleum bunkering and corruption. The cardinal economic power of Nigeria as a country straddles between its Oil and expansive geographical make-up. If we lose or fall out of our inability to manage our success it will be ‘Boom turned to Doom’. We must visit oil thieves and oil bunkerers with the uttermost capital punishment. A special surveillance group of fifth columnists
must be set up to monitor the oligarchical collectivity, politicians, oil multinationals, the NNPC its subsidiaries and their criminal syndicates. The brutal truth and consistent with an Okpe proverb is that it is the worm in the kola nut that eats the kola nut’ (Owhore rorhie evwro, evu evwro oha wo). Oil theft cannot take place without some of these oil-allied corporate persons and their cabaliscally clandestine surrogates. It must be emphasized that the machinery of honesty and patriotism in the NNPC subsidiaries of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Ltd. (PPMC) and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR), that are statutorily mandated to act as watchdogs and distributor of products must be revamped, returbisled and implosively surgeonised not only from grassroot levels but from root hairs base to tree top height. They must come out to carry out the upstream and downstream responsibilities with pertinacious exactitude, accountability and transparency. The crude and refined petroleum syndicate organogram is a pot-purri of politicians, NNPC Subsidiaries’ Executives, Tank Owners, Barge owners, Ship owners, Tug Boat Owners, Product Monitoring (Upstream and Downstream) Task Forces, Oil Producing Communities, Illegal Refinery owners, Militants, frustrated and unemployed Youths in a state of poverty, Product and Petroleum Sales 419ers, etc. It is such a power full syndicate that stopping them could be likened to a cow passing through the eye of a needle. The syndicate is so interwoven and committed. It runs from crude oil production Company Executives and Staffers to refined product sales of distributing company
executives and now that the political parties have joined, it is virtually finish with the Nigeria economy. Every body wants their share before the oil dries up and depreciates in value. There is the scramble for oil in Nigeria before “Shale Oil” take over. It is must be stated with unequivocal clarity and it is a platitudinous truism, that the Nigerian nation has earned quintillions of dollars/ pounds/ naira right from 1958( the year of oil commercialization) till date. But 90% of Nigerians have nothing to show for it. There is ludibrastic and scandalous poverty in Nigeria. This has precipitated armed robbery, kidnapping, 419, assassinations, political thuggery, Youth Restiveness, Burglary and Militancy. The earnings from oil and gas have found their way into the hands of the leadership cartels, desperate politicians, political parties and warlords etc. In the Niger Delta and nay Nigeria we have no qualitative free education at all levels, no water, no shelter, no roads, no hospitals, no food security, no employment etc. In desperacy fuelled by poverty, vengeful spirit and frustration, Nigerians resort to criminality in the oil industry and beyond. As always, the “NEITI REPORT “will only be in the news for a short while, because the ‘syndicate’ will dismember and manacle all its salient recommendations and findings in the cesspit of bravura crudity and parenthetical placidity. The silent revolution is incubating in the womb of time. Euripides observed in “FRAGMENTS” that “time will reveal everything. It is a babbler and speaks even when not asked “and Julia Fletcher Carney said “little drops of water, little grants of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land. So the little Minutes, humble though they be, make the mighty ages of eternity”. CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE MANDATE AGAINST POVERTY (MAP) WARRI - 08023250378
“The crude and refined petroleum syndicate organogram is a pot-purri of politicians, NNPC Subsidiaries’ Executives, Tank Owners, Barge owners, Ship owners, Tug Boat Owners, Product Monitoring (Upstream and Downstream) Task Forces, Oil Producing Communities, Illegal Refinery owners, Militants, frustrated and unemployed Youths in a state of poverty.”
THE NIGERIAN
18
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Issues
Tackling Human Trafficking In Abia
EXPERTS and stakeholders at the recent 6th Abia Women Integrated Conference/ Pre-August Meeting have stressed the need for Abia government to enforce all the provisions of the law on the rights of the child. Their concern was due to the growing incidence of human trafficking in the state. They also expressed concern about the increasing rate of child labour and trafficking as well as the proliferation of illegal maternity homes in the state. The illegal maternity homes are christened, ‘baby factories, as their operators use them as camps where women and teenage girls are kept and made to bear babies that are later sold. Mrs Nkiruka Michael, South-East Zonal Commander of National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), said that over eight million Nigerian children were engaged in various forms of child labour. Mr Mohammed Tilli, Commissioner of Police in Abia, admitted that the issue of ‘baby factory’ was real. He cited one Oluchukwu Ogidi of Amaoji in the Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state, who reported to the police that his wife, Kelechi, connived with one Dr Williams Oruwa who delivered her, a baby boy and sold it for
N300,000. “Three other pregnant women within the ages of 21 and 23, being harboured by the said Dr Williams were rescued and are being used as prosecution witnesses. “In Aba, one Ozioma Ekwelum reported that her husband, Onyekachi Ekwelum, sold their sixmonths-old son, Oluebubechukwu Ekwelum, for N350,000 to enable him procure a travelling document to Greece,’’ Tilli said. Michael said that NAPTIP had prosecuted more than 100 cases of child trafficking, adding that over 200 victims in the zone had been rehabilitated. She noted that the scourge had direct bearing on the proliferation of illegal maternity homes, and appealed for a clampdown of such homes in the state. “There must be a dedicated effort on the part of government and other bodies to solve the socio-economic factors which contribute to the problem,” she added. Michael said that government needed to enforce existing laws on the right to education for the child as provided in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Mrs Odochi Orji, wife of Abia governor, stressed the need for collective responsibility to check human trafficking and child abuse.
By EMMANUEL ACHA
Orji said that women should discourage their fellow women from selling their babies because of money, adding that such was immoral
illegal business of child trafficking, and close all baby factories in our society,” she said. Orji appealed to relevant government
“In all, women are indicted. While one does not encourage teenage sexual involvement; when pregnancy occurs, it is wise to take care of your girl than to send her out of home to the waiting hands of commercial baby factory operators.”
•Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia
and an abomination in any civilised society. “Government should properly scrutinise the registration of all motherless babies’ homes, orphanages and maternities in the state with a view to identifying the fake and the genuine. “This will help abolish
agencies to properly scrutinise procedures for child adoption in the state, “as this may help eliminate all unpleasant and uncivilised practices that may risk the safety, welfare and future of the child’’. Mrs Onyinyechi Nwosu, a career coach,
decried the increasing cases of teenage pregnancies and thriving business of baby factories in the state. “Teenage pregnancy leaves the girl in a state of uncertainty about the future and that of her unborn child. She drops out of school which
affects her self-esteem. “Then, she has her family to face for dragging its name to the mud. This was one reason that gave rise to the so called baby factories, where some shameless individuals shield these pregnant teenagers from the public and then sell the babies after delivery,” she said. Nwosu regretted that some mothers encouraged their daughters to go for abortion to avoid shame. “In all, women are indicted. While one does not encourage teenage sexual involvement; when pregnancy occurs, it is wise to take care of your girl than to send her out of home to the waiting hands of commercial baby factory operators,” Nwosu said. As suggested by experts and stakeholders, government should enforce existing laws on the rights of the child. The police and other security agencies should also check the activities of illegal operators of maternity homes, now turned ‘ baby factories.
“Government should properly scrutinise the registration of all motherless babies’ homes, orphanages and maternities in the state with a view to identifying the fake and the genuine. “This will help abolish illegal business of child trafficking, and close all baby factories in our society.”
THE NIGERIAN
19
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Discourse
The Need To Look Inward CBN Succession:
IN less than ten months the tenure of incumbent governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi would have come to an end and unlike the trend Nigerians are used to, the man at the helms of affairs at the apex bank has made it clear that he has no intention of a second term in office even though the law allows that. It would be pointless to try persuading him to remain as this would amount to forcing the man to stay on, even when he has made it clear that there are other things that he would rather train his attention upon other ventures of personal nature. This should thus be a cue for the nation to avoid the situation in the past where replacements for an office are hurriedly done at the last minute because adequate efforts are not made towards acting in advance. The government might not have acted yet but agitations are already afoot on the possibility of factoring in zoning in selecting Sanusi’s replacement in addition to technical competence. Proponents of such considerations that argued on the basis of how going this way would help maintain national balance and equitable distribution of positions in addition to righting historical injustices that could arise if the position, over the course of time, does not circulate around the competent persons that could be had nationwide. It is on this note that I took peculiar interest in the argument put forward that the north central has not had a shot at piloting the affairs of the apex bank. The group that put this argument forward suggested that the zone has an array of intellectuals and professionals with the requisite competence to man this all important office. However, similar to the need to act promptly at the national level to fill the soon to be vacant position, there is need to also at this stage put names and faces to the array of professionals that the north central geo-political zone has. After running through the possible list with a few friends I put my finger on Mr. Solomon Tor Wombo, who proven to be a pragmatic financial management guru with prowess and versatility in financial issues. The tenure of Mallam Sanusi has proven that the position needs some measure of political savvies as much as it needs a profound understanding of economic and monetary fundamentals. For this, Wombo has successfully blended a background in the banking industry with his sterling performance in the political arena. The quality of his work as far back as 1999, made the then Fortune International Bank to spot him as one of the outstanding experts to engage in their innovative drive to take over the market from other competitors, to achieve this, the bank engage the services of Hon. Solomon Tor Wombo through the Inter-Bank Transfer window where he functioned THE incessant collapse of buildings seem to be a recurrent act, in most Nigerian Cities. This has raised concern about the quality of materials used in construction of houses. For some time now, Nigeria have witnessed a rise in the collapse of buildings which has recorded lots of casualties and negative effects on the economy. Recently, in Lagos, a three story building at 29 Oloto Street Ebute-Meta, Yaba local council Development Area collapsed and about seven persons were reportedly killed while others had severe injuries. With the spate of building collapse in the country, many Nigerians, especially those in the construction industry, have been asking questions. What could be the cause at this collapse? Are the construction engineers not capable. As reports have noted, poor design is a major propellant of the recent raise in the collapse of buildings. Experts have decried the pathetic situation and have identified some factors as these responsible. Poor design, Reports have noted this to include the usage of inadequate structural materials for a building structure is greater than what the structural members of the building can carry. The load refer to animate or animate objects that can moved or be moved around in a building e.g humans and movable furniture, Dead load refers mainly to the weight of the building itself.
By COMRADE PHILIP AGBESE
as the CBN Clearing House Officer and Interbank Settlement Relations amongst others. After considering Wombo’s honest performance in this capacity, he was promoted to Operation
governor, Dr. Gabriel Suswan (CON) located him at a critical time when local government funds were going into private pockets. His assignment as Special Adviser/Director General, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Benue state was to reposition the third tier of Government in the state and ensure that the grassroots feel the impact of the centre irrespective of distance or topography. And he has not disappointed in this task. On the academic front, Wombo attended the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, between 1984 and 1987 where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration while in 2002 he bagged a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar. Aside his skills as a manager of human and material resources, Wombo authored “Responsibilities and Function of the Treasury Department”; “Team Building and Team Playing for Effective Performance” as well as “A Critical Review of Nigeria’s Inter Bank Settlement System and Industry Analysis of Insurance Companies in Nigeria”. It is however natural that people would want to see candidates who parade resumes with a lot of foreign postings for the CBN’s number one job but this is one area that Nigerians and Nigeria must get it right. What the country needs at this time, especially with the success the Sanusi administration has recorded in reforming the banking sector, is to continue along the path of homegrown approach to dealing with the country’s monetary issues. We already have enough of those who have ties with Breton Woods so we would not be getting additional values for adding one more into the bargain. We should instead look to someone who is in touch with the realities at home and this where I put Solomon Tor Wombo’s name atop the list of contenders. I would like to commend the Coalition of Civil Society for Transparency in Governance for finding him worthy for the prestigious Transparency Award 2013 and hope that the Prince of Benue will not disappoint the Suswam’s administration or the civil society for this golden privilege of writing his name on the sands of time.
• Sanusi Lamido, CBN Governor
Manager, Abuja and performed creditably well as Chief Custodian of Bank Volt and Regulator of Inter Bank Relations. His banking career continued to prosper, as he joined Intercontinental Bank Plc, Yola in 2009 and became the Branch Head and later served as Area Business Executive, Makurdi Branch. In his new assignment, he had the responsibility for business development in the branches under the area office and received credit appraisals presented by the branch managers recommended within bank policy. Solomon Wombo was later moved to Jos as Regional Business Controller, where in addition was a member of the Regional EXCO. Solomon Tor Wombo’s recorded achievements in the corporate world but perhaps what stood him out are the traits of honesty, selflessness, innovativeness and simplicity that have continued to drive his exemplary leadership style. The reward for these was more responsibility as the Benue state
“It is however natural that people would want to see candidates who parade resumes with a lot of foreign postings for the CBN’s number one job but this is one area that Nigerians and Nigeria must get it right. What the country needs at this time, especially with the success the Sanusi administration has recorded in reforming the banking sector, is to continue along the path of homegrown approach to dealing with the country’s monetary issues.”
Curtailing Spate Of Building Collapse By WINIFRED OSASOBO
Foundation problem, it is common practice in Nigeria to see owners and developers convert bungalows to storey building. These people ignore or are unaware of the fact that the foundation used for bungalow is quite different from story building. Use of poor building material: contractors usually go for cheap materials in a bid to do a fast and cheap project, some building are in a habit of using substandard materials, without taking congnizance of the negative effects that this could have on the building. There was a recent incident where a contractor used half of the quality of bags needed to construct a building. To his greatest surprise, the building collapsed immediately after construction. This same contractor had to use double of the amount budgeted to reconstruct the building. Incompetent manpower. This is why it is important to ensure professional
supervision in construction of building for instance, when casting a floor slab, it is usually best to start and finish it at once. Starting one day and pausing the job to finish at other time, when it must have storted hardening is a bad practice. This would cause cracks at the join which may lead to structural deformity. Lack of proper maintenance; painting of your building walls can serve as treatment according to experts. It is seem as treatment for the walls. When this is not done, apart from been unsightly, it can also be week, because when paint washes off the wall surface, it is easier for the wealther elements like sunshine and rainfall to have adverse effects on the wall, thereby leading to weakness. As these buildings continue to fall apart and their centre no longer holding, there is urgent need for stakeholders in the building/ construction sector to seek ways to remedy deplorable situation.
THE NIGERIAN
20
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Opinion
THE raging political crises in Rivers State take different u-turn each passing day. Many have happened and are still to happen if opinion leaders, stakeholders and holders of sundry portfolios do not rise up and send this anarchical approach that some persons have mapped out to unseat a sitting and an elected governor of Rivers State. This is why the clarion calls by some individuals and groups telling Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who is enmeshed in the crises that no person fights the presidency and survives the fight, is balderdash. That opinion does not hold water, at all. The persons and groups were, perhaps, looking at the material surpluses that Amaechi was going to lose should the inconsiderate and disadvantageous powers that feel they are fighting him gain their aim and objective at last. What these persons and groups are yet to reason is the spiritual association of the fight that Amaechi is fighting. After all, a man like Nelson Mandela, who was the first African to be the president of his native country of SouthAfrica, in the aftermath of a racial apartheid in which some Europeans imposed on South Africa that started from 1948 and ended in 1991, didn’t look at his life he was then to lose, but continued to fight the fight he believed in that would shape the history of his country. The fight in Rivers State, which Amaechi is fighting, should not been seen as his lone fight, but a fight for a true Rivers State, where there would be ‘less’ imposition of politicians on the people. It is a fight for truth. This is why it was drivel, the clarion calls by some meandering toadies of the presidency, telling Amaechi to go beg Mr. President or resign from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Beg him for what? What is actually the misdemeanor that Amaechi committed against the president? Is it the bloated rumour of vice president ambition comes 2015? The stoical approach that some waterfronts in Rivers State, which are well-
known to be hideouts for criminals and people with questionable characters, must be demolished? What is actually the bone of disputation in fighting Amaechi like a common criminal? What? What will save us in Rivers State is to eschew political divides or interests, sit back, and ask ourselves, what actually the fight is for. In an interview, which Barrister Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, the Minister of State for Education, granted the Saturday Sun, of July 6, it is imperative to say that the once respected and feared Wike decided to throw caution to the winds and condescended this low to fight Amaechi, because according to him, Amaechi was calling him a ‘small boy’. So, is he now behaving like a ‘small boy’ he was called? Small boys fight, but elders wage wars. This goes a long way to show that the estimation of a person should not be about his or her public status, size or age, but how he or she carries and conducts issues. Therefore, the alleged Wike-led fights to oust Gov. Amaechi are baloney and childish. What have the fights represented? No one gains anything to destablise his or her homeland for the bouillabaisse of fame. This is unfair. And it is a clarion call that residents of Rivers State should wake up against the anomalies or wait to be engulfed in plots of death as many testimonies have said that there was a plan in London for a protest against the governor. Who knows when Hezbollah, the dreaded terrorists group, would be imported into the state and we would be calling the move, politics as usual? We must be guided by the tenets of democracy and not by political linings or who was said wanted to be the Gadhafi of Rivers State or who does not pay tributes to ‘small boys’, as Wike wants us to believe of Amaechi. It was unlawful, the protests against the government in Rivers State, which have degenerated to those who were supposed to be honourable members of the
Before They Chase Us Out Of Rivers
House of Assembly, but decided to play the dishonourable, when there was no tangible misconduct of office by Amaechi that the traducers and political demagogues could trace to him. All that they keep on tell us is that he was fighting Mr. President (they christened his elder brother), who they also
By ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE
meaning. Since Mr. President is this fervent with democracy, he should have rejected to be governor when his boss, Alams was ousted through a controversial money laundering mess. Mr. President should have said
remembering the issue of ‘elder brother’. Chasing of shadows is associated with kids, but it is very sad that many adults do just that in the recent times, because of issues only best known to them. Wike was
•President Goodluck Jonathan
•Gov Rotimi Amaechi
have said that Amaechi was supposed to be protecting. This is where education of democracy is misinterpreted and given an erroneous
that it was (a fight against his elder brother and the Ijaw nation). He accepted the governor’s stool and mounted on it without a blink, without
“Who knows when Hezbollah, the dreaded terrorists group, would be imported into the state and we would be calling the move, politics as usual? We must be guided by the tenets of democracy and not by political linings or who was said wanted to be the Gadhafi of Rivers State or who does not pay tributes to ‘small boys’, as Wike wants us to believe of Amaechi.”
supposed to be assiduously overseeing the education ministry that he was appointed to do the job and teach the younger ones the true meaning of democracy, but here is our ‘learned gentleman’ applying blunt politics. Who even gave him the permission to leave his duty for London, where it was alleged that he was drumming for more and more political wars against the government of our state?
Such a thing cannot happen in transparent democracies. Wike would have been fired, because this single act could have been regarded as a choke in the wheel of progress of his ministry and the future of the country. Regarding the strength and veracity in his fights against Amaechi, Wike’s superior at the Education Ministry must have seen and experienced ‘something’ from him. This is a man who is just Minister of State for Education, not even Minister for Education. The residents of Rivers State must drop the lukewarm habit and stop saying that ‘it concerns’ Gov. Amaechi, before all of us are dropped dead or chased out of the state. Who are we, the ‘common’ people of Rivers State, if a mace could be allegedly used indiscriminately to crack heads in the House? We should not wait and allow persons from far and near turn Rivers State into complete and downright chaotic state. They are making us complete bamboozled. The time is now to repress these unwarranted attacks in the state and signal Europe to arrest or call for questioning any individual that has made any un-complimenting comments in that continent, like to stage a protest against the government of Rivers. Joyfully, European security agents cannot be bribed in broad daylight. Where is the Education in the Ministry of Education, which Wike is a minister, if what we are getting from him are turmoil, instead of educational edifices and their components? We must not buy this Education of wars and brigandage, frustration, victimization against Amaechi, who is perceived to have different ideologies from what they want to introduce to us; we must not allow the re-introduction of thugs in Rivers State. We must know that when we allow them to injure us, we cannot afford to travel outside the country for treatment like they can easily do with taxpayers money and call themselves dudes, shakers and makers of the politics in our state.
THE NIGERIAN
21
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Archival Matters
Keep Your Eyes On The Ball WHEN you worship money, it means that you are so pathologically fixated about money that you do ludicrous things to get it. At the end of the day, you lose your soul, integrity and popularity rating in the gathering of decent men. Your eye are no more on the ball and the job but on money. Anyone who is so much in love with money at the expense of his job indeed always misses out. This is because he never fully places his eyes on the ball. How will he when they are fixed on money. You can never “serve” mammon and your job at the same time. Never. Impossible. Let me use this allegorical illustration to give an insight into what I mean. A story had it, a striker found it difficult to score against enigmatic goalkeeper Emmanuel Okala despite all his dribbling runs. So, the striker worked out a plan to bamboozle Okala. After half time, the strike entered the football pitch with wads of dollars. As soon as the game resumed, the strike pounced on the ball. He dribbled until he was in front of Okala. Then, he kicked the dollars and ball simultaneously towards Okala. What happened? Okala dived the dollars, not the ball which found the net. A goal-oooo!! Yes, the striker scored against Okala because Okala didn’t placed his eyes on the ball but on money. Remember, Okala’s an Ibo man. Were he a Yoruba man, the striker would have kicked amala and the ball at him to earn a goal. The case would have been different if Okala was an Hausa man. All the striker would have done was to attack with a bag of kolanuts. Certainly, what my allegory demonstrates is that failure in life is always a handmaiden of people who don’t fix their eyes on the ball – nay their jobs – but put money first as a distraction. Another illustration. Two men, A and B went for an interview. They were asked why they needed the job. Mr. A replied: “I am tired of staying at home watching videos. More importantly, I was told you pay big salaries.” As soon as he finished his submission, the interview panelists looked at each other and nodded with lachrymose reddened cheeks. When it was Mr. B’s turn to speak, he said: “Your company was set up in 1896. Since then it has been contributing its quota to national development. Your product is a global brand and a market leader. So, I feel I will get self-fulfillment from joining your company to consolidate on its success profile. I promise to bring discipline, wisdom, diligence, corporate loyalty, punctuality, honesty and creativity on board if you give me the job.” Mr. B was eventually employed by the company. Because he showed that his eyes was on the job not the money he will earn. Seek the job first and how to professionally deliver it. If you do this de rest go be jara. Wealth, not even money, would follow unsolicited. Victor Obinna Nsofo applied this life principle and succeeded as a footballer. The 26 year-old striker has worn 44 international caps for the Super Eagles, scored eleven goals, during the period and once captained the team to win a silver medal at Beijing Olympics in 2008. Nevertheless,
By MICHAEL ODIGBE
he started off on a humble platform of playing football in Italy for a whole year without pay to hone his skills and pitch visibility. How about late Alhaji Inu Umoru, founder of SETRACO, the civil engineering giant? He began his career as a passionate honest driver. Later, he veered into contract. One day, Engineer Khalaf – a Lebanese working for NIGER CAT – asked him and other contractors to supply sand at Afuze for ongoing construction work in the area.
All the contractors delivered sand to the approval location and left. Unknown to them, Engineer Khalaf measured the sand in their absence. When he did, he found out that only Inu Umoru’s supply was correct. This endeared Engineer Khalaf to him. In appreciation, he canceled the contract of other suppliers and gave the bill alone to Inu Umoru who had his eyes on the job – not its profiteering money. That is how a business egg hatched into a chicken of friendship between Engineer Khalaf and Inu Umoru. One thing led to another. SETRACO was born with Inu Umoru founding the company all alone – but paid 40% equity for Engineer Khalaf. When Inu Umoru died some years ago, he was a billionaire. Yet he started life as a driver and a petty contractor. Wealth sought him because of his vocational integrity, passion and panache.
“Anyone who is so much in love with money at the expense of his job indeed always misses out. This is because he never fully places his eyes on the ball. How will he when they are fixed on money. You can never “serve” mammon and your job at the same time.”
Now, enter Otunba Wasiu Taiwo. At 13, he was combining apprentice tailor work with schooling as a dutiful well-bred child. Subsequently, he attended London College of Fashion. In other words, his background as a tailor and fashion designer was on macadamized, solid ground. Well, this isn’t the sticking point in his thrilling adventurous story. What is important in it is that in 1992, he officially became late Chief M.K.O Abiola’s dresser. He achieved this feat not by walking up to Abiola, a man with so much crowded hours that meeting him was difficult. Rather Wasiu Taiwo deployed his insight, instinct, intuition
and uncommon common sense to reach him. He sewed 45 expensive agbadas at his own workmanship and material costs, then, he handed them over to Abiola’s home in Abeokuta for on ward transmission to Abiola in Lagos. Each of the agbadas had five of Wasiu Taiwo’s complimentary cards in them. His gift to Abiola was like a housewife’s oil parcel for a squirrel!!!. But not to worry. Wasiu Taiwo demonstrated by his behavior that he had his eyes first on the balls of his profession as a fashion designer. Yes, he wanted to tell Abiola that it wasn’t his money he wanted but dressing well since he was a flamboyant politician. All said, a labourer is entitled to his wages. So, after his 45th agbada had been delivered to Abiola and he was wearing it, Wasiu Taiwo and the man met. The rest is history. During the meeting, Abiola demanded for a bill for all the agbadas and paid thrice of the amount quoted by Wasiu Taiwo. Thereafter, Abiola appointed him a “commissioner of his wardrobe”. Today, Wasiu Taiwo is a millionaire who owns Continental Suite, a top hotel in Abeokuta, Ogun State. What is the moral of all the stories I have told? It is that money is SOMETHING but not EVERYTHING. Your job instead is everything. It opens the sesame door to fortune but I haven’t ever seen money giving you a sustainable job down with knowledge, wisdom, experience, diligence and integrity. Hence Prof. Michael Leboeuf in the millionaire in you says that when a rich man with money (miss road) meets a man with integrity in a market an exchange takes place. The man of integrity get the money of the dour rich man who is forced to accept the integrity of the second man. The rich man returns to square one. So, always keep your eyes on the ball.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Science
By OYAKHILOME CLEMENTINA
The dorminant grasses found both in northern and southern guinea savanna are pennisetum, Andropogon, panicum, choris, Hyperrhenia, paspalum and melinis, while profuse growth of plants decrease from the south, towards the northern guinea savanna. Grasses here grow rapidly during the rains, mature very fast and wither during the dry season and die off with heir leaves falling off. It gives an observer a general notion that at that time the country side, looks bare, that you can see a long stretch distances, and there is an annual bush fires especially in the months of November and April, which usually assist farmers in clearing and hunting. Distribution of Plants And Animals In GrasLands Plants Grasses and few trees are scattered all over their zone.
Understanding Grasslands THEY consists predominantly of grasses with a varying degree of tree/shrubs. Grassland could be found in tropic, sub-tropic and temperate regions of the world. In the temperate world, the existing grasslands do not have trees, but in the tropics, trees are found there. Tropical Savanna grasslands occur in many parts of the tropics, they are found in central and south America to the North and south of the Amazon forest and in south west north America. While in the African continent, grass-lands, are found in the eastern, north of west Africa and part of southern Africa. Grass-lands are also found in parts of India, Asia, Central and northern parts of Australia. Characteristics of Grass-Land The relative humidity is very low with a scanty rainfall throughout the year. Sunshine is intense here which usually goes with a high temperature. There are short trees sparsely distributed with abundant grass. The trees here are fire resistant because bush fires are frequent There are many herbivores, scavengers, predators, insects, birds that are mostly seed eaters, while many termitorium lermite nest are found here. Types of Grass-Land We have four types of grassland in Nigeria they are:Southern guinea Savanna Northern guinea Savanna Sahel Savanna Derived Savanna The southern guinea Savanna is a midway zone between the forest and Savanna belts, it has high annual rainfall, it has longer wet season, high air humidity than the northern guinea Savanna has many plant species with less scattered woodlands that are tallers and more trees than that of the northern guinea Savanna. Economic trees found in the southern guinea savanna are Daniella Sp, terminalia, lophira and Khaya senegalensis. Whiles Dorminant trees in northern guinea savanna includes 150 berlinia sp. Parkia, butryospernum, magnifera indica (mango).
Animals Rodents, snakes, leopard, antelopes and gazelles, grass cutters, birds zebu, lions, wild cats, hyena. Plants Adaptive Fealties of plants and Animals Found in this Region Trees found here have thick corky bark, preventing serious damage to their inner structures like the vascular bundles. Grasses have underground stem like the Rhizome that enable them escape, fire and the dry climatic conditions, during unfavourable conditions. The leaves have waxy surfaces which help them reduce the rate of transpiration. Their leaves are reduced and smell in nature, which helps them to reduce the rate of transpiration in them. Presence of curly leaves to conserve water. Some of the leaves are hairy, which help them to reduce the rate of transpiration during transpiration. Leaf fall to conserve water during the dry season. Animals The termites build termitorium which is air conditioned nest, which has a cooling effect on the termite during unfavourable conditions. Animals have hoofs for running while some have long limbs for fast movement. Animals like rats have strong claws for digging or burrowing into holes, to prevent unfavourable conditions and prevention of predators from preying on them.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Media ON a regular basis the news that filters the air is majorly odd news. There is hardly a day that passes without headlines of earthquakes, Tsunami, horizon, fire disasters, accident or the likes, hitting the various media. When such things make news, people are more interested in knowing what transpired. Both the print and eletronic media are found in this taste for “bad news”. However, it is important to know what is news first before getting to know what “bad news” is and why is it in preferred by the media and their audience. News according to McDougall (1977:84) “an account of an event”. According to the Advance Learner’s Dictionary: “News is information a reports about recent events”. News is the live wire of Mass Communication Industries, it is the account of something that is usual, odd, out of the ordinary and its bothers on human interest, affect large section of the people. However people seem to be more interested in “bad news”. News of bombing. Kidnapping, Auccident, Floods, Earthquakes Tsunamis and the like. Media scholars have sought to know why the audience prefer ‘bad news’ to good news as marriages. Bad news is preferred to be good news because of human as interest and personal interest forward on what people hear on radio, television or read on the newspaper. Professor hints McDougall defines human interest as “interest in human beings as such and
in events because they concern men and women in situation which might confront anyone else.” Newspapers mostly publish news that some people consider to be bad but still interests in large audience. They are curious to know about it. This is why Journalist are after concerned. For example, when you hear that the president of the United States is celebrating his birthday, that is not news, but when you hear that the president died while having sex with a prostitute that becomes news and will generate more interest in the society. People would want to find out how it happened, where it happened and when it happened. When people hear things, out of curiosity, they develop more interest to know more about it. Bad news attracts people than good news, that is why catching news headlines are usually preferred by media organizations. The mass media are in most cases, profit oriented organizations, and at that, the basic interest of such organization is on how best it can sell its goods, services an ideas. In doing this, the mass media examiners its target publics what their needs and demands are. News media depends very much on their audience for economic reasons. They have to publish whatever make people buy their newspapers and tune into their TV. Shows and stay tuned through the commercial breaks. This is what news worthiness really is about – catching
What Makes A Good News? By OGBOLU O. GEORGE
the attention of the audience by presenting something spectacular, usually, emotionally touching and something people can identify with the concept of psychological button is really in place here. Topics like danger, sex and food make people pay attention. Getting informed about dangers in the environment is of importance to society. Which is why people have surveillance instinct that make them hungry for news about possible dangers, whether good or bad. Crime and disaster are
particularly salient (Gars 1980, Graber D 1980, Chermak 1995) In fact Erison and Co-workers found that stories about deviance and control constitute more than half of the news. Good news is probably not interesting even though most people will not bother to know why they find bad news so interesting. Bad news seems more interesting than good news because the brain is a hard ware for loss aversion (the though of losing something’s is more powerful than the though of gaining something).
The media is often criticized for publishing too much “bad news” but the fact is that the audience actually pays more attention to stories about crime and disaster, than good news. There are some people that are bound to receive bad news because some bad news is what they only understand. As a football fan, you will want to see or hear that a rival team or rival lost a match, even when you did not watch the match. Another example is the September 11 2001 World Trade Centre bombing, in the United States which attracted the attention of the whole world. The
story made headlines, for months in major international dailies/media. Similarly, there is also the issue of prominence. As media outlets have become pluralized that even, people are interested in knowing if their relatives/friends are involved. When they want to find out of their friends were affected and thus preferring the “bad news”. Indeed, for any media outlet to catch up with this frenzy by the audience, it must regularly feed them with “bad news”. Man’s inquisitive nature will not allow him to get interested in good news that “bad news”. Certainly, bad news is good news to those in the media.
“The mass media are in most cases, profit oriented organizations, and at that, the basic interest of such organization is on how best it can sell its goods, services an ideas. In doing this, the mass media examiners its target publics what their needs and demands are. News media depends very much on their audience for economic reasons. They have to publish whatever make people buy their newspapers and tune into their TV. Shows and stay tuned through the commercial breaks.”
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
International Features Kim Jong Un Publishes A Talk On Day Of Songun
SUPREME leader Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, published a talk “Let Us Add Eternal Brilliance to Comrade Kim Jong Il’s Great Idea and Achievements of the Songun Revolution” to the WPK’s Organ Rodong Sinmun and the KPA’s Organ Joson Inmingun on Day of Songun, August 25. He said; Comrade Kim Jong Il safeguarded with honor the Juche-oriented socialism, which Comrade Kim Il Sung established, and assured the solid continuity of the revolutionary cause of Juche, the revolutionary cause of Songun, by dint of his leadership of the Songun revolution. Kim Jong Il held up singlehearted unity as the greatest foundation of the revolution and perfectly realized the sin-
Syria:
gle-hearted unity of the Party, army and people centered on the leader, thus strengthening the driving force of the Songun revolution remarkably. By strengthening the KPA to be an invincible army and consolidating the military capabilities of the country to the maximum with the KPA as the core, he provided a sure military guarantee for the victory of the cause of the Juche revolution. Thanks to his outstanding leadership of the Songun revolution, the KPA could be developed into an invincible revolutionary army, ours could become a country which can make and launch artificial satellites and become a nuclear state, fully demonstrating its dignity as the powerful Paektusan nation, and could reliably defend the dignity of the country and the sovereignty of the nation, frustrating the imperialist moves of aggression and challenges at every step. What our service personnel and people created in the
Songun era under his guidance constitutes a valuable asset for the prosperity of Kim Il Sung’s nation and Kim Jong Il’s Korea. Kim Jong Il effected a fresh turn in the struggle for the independent reunification of the country and firmly defended global peace and security on the strength of his leadership of the Songun revolution. He ushered in the June 15 era of reunification by our nation itself, provided a precious asset for the reunification of the country and the common prosperity of the nation and safeguarded peace in Asia and the rest of the world by smashing the imperialists’ uninterrupted schemes to unleash a war. The great exploits Kim Jong Il performed for the country and revolution, for the times and history for more than half a century by dint of his tireless leadership of the Songun revolution will shine for ever along with the triumphant advance of our revolutionary cause.
All officials, Party members and other working people should firmly arm themselves with Kim Jong Il’s idea of the Songun revolution, deeply study his great Songun leadership achievements and thoroughly apply and add luster to them in the revolutionary struggle and construction work. The line of giving importance to arms, to military affairs, should be implemented to the letter for the strengthening of the defense capabilities of the country to be steelstrong. The KPA should be prepared more firmly into an army strong in ideology and faith, a powerful Paektusan revolutionary army. The officers and men of the KPA should make their training more intensive, as the anti-Japanese guerrillas did on Mt. Paektu, so as to prepare themselves into amatch-for-a-hundred combatants possessed of Kim Il Sung’s and Kim Jong Il’s military strategy and tactics,
heroic combat spirit and actual war capability, establish rigid discipline in their units and assume the perfect appearance of a regular army. While discharging their basic duty of defending the country, the service personnel should make breakthroughs in several sectors and major projects of socialist construction, and never feel contented in doing things for the people but always take the lead in this regard. The Worker-Peasant Red Guards should enhance their combat capabilities through intensive combat and political training and reliably defend their respective provinces, counties and villages in time of emergency. All the sectors of socialist construction should bring about a great leap forward and great innovations. We should make innovations in the sectors of agriculture and light industry, major thrust areas in building an economic giant, and promote construction of dwelling
houses, so as to ensure that the people lead an affluent and happy life. By rapidly developing science and technology and educating all the people to be well versed in science and technology, we should raise the level of putting the national economy on a modern and CNC basis and perfect the economic structure of the country in keeping with the requirements of the era of the knowledge economy. It is important to make all the members of society become artists and enjoyers of socialist culture and bring about a fresh turn in all the sectors of cultural construction. By doing so, we should translate into reality the people’s desire for a wholesome and cultured way of life. True to the instructions and lofty will of the great Generalissimos, we should make active efforts to open a new phase of national reunification, prevent aggression and war and defend global peace and security.
SANA said Kerry, who cited a US intelligence report, was using “material based on old stories that the terrorists have been circulating for more than a week”. Assessment of the attack The US government released a four-page document on Friday outlining their conclusions about the August 21 attack, which include: The intelligence gathered for the US report included an intercepted communication by a senior official intimately familiar with the August 21 attack as well as other intelligence from people’s accounts and intercepted messages, the four-page report said. A team of UN experts finished gathering evidence of the alleged poison-gas attacks, the United Nations announced on Friday, though envoys said analysing the samples may take weeks. Kerry said their report would only confirm that chemical weapons were used, and he made clear that would not change much for Washington since “guaranteed Russian obstructionism” would make it impossible for the UN to galvanise world action.
“The primary question is really no longer, what do we know. The question is, what are we - we collectively what are we in the world going to do about it,” Kerry said. Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington, said: “What the administration is really considering is some kind of targeted cruisemissile strike, that would be directed at command-andcontrol units of the Syrian military, fuel depots, possibly some runways. But as the president just said, it should stay limited.” Kerry and Obama were speaking the day after British Prime Minister David Cameron failed to win parliamentary backing for military action in Syria. French President Francois Hollande told the daily Le Monde he still supported taking “firm” punitive action over an attack he said had caused “irreparable” harm to the Syrian people. Hollande is not constrained by the need for parliamentary approval of any move to intervene in Syria and could act before lawmakers debate the issue on Wednesday.
Putin Demands Chemical Weapons Proof
RUSSIAN leader says evidence must be provided to UN and denounces idea that Syria carried out gas attack as “nonsense”. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has demanded that the United States provide any evidence of the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians to the UN Security Council. Speaking to reporters on Saurday, Putin told journalists that the proof should be shown to UN inspectors and the Security Council, adding that it would be “utter nonsense” for the Syrian government to have used such weapons. “Syrian government troops are on the offensive and have surrounded the opposition in several regions. In these conditions, to give a trump card to those who are calling for a military intervention is utter nonsense,” Putin told reporters in Vladivostok city near the China border. Regarding the provision of evidence by the US, Putin said that “if they don’t show it, that means there is [no proof]”. Putin’s comments came as the US made it clear that it
would punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a “brutal and flagrant” chemical weapons attack that it said killed 1,429 people in Damascus suburbs last week. Aid agencies said that at least 355 people were killed in the attack, with as many as 3,000 injured. On Saturday, a Syrian security official told the AFP news agency that the country was expecting a foreign military attack “at any moment”, and that it was “ready to retaliate”. As tensions rise, Arab foreign ministers will meet in Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Sunday to discuss Syria, Arab League deputy chief Ahmed Ben Helli said. The meeting had been scheduled for Tuesday, but was advanced “in light of rapid developments in the Syria situation and based on the request of several Arab states,” Ben Helli told reporters. Last Tuesday, the Arab League accused the Syrian regime of carrying out chemical weapons attacks. Permanent representatives condemned the “horrible crime carried out with internationally prohibited chemical weapons” and put the “en-
tire responsibility” on Assad’s regime. Obama mulls ‘limited’
any kind of military action that involves boots on the
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President
strike John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said on Friday that the dead in the August 21 attack included 426 children. President Barack Obama later said the US was considering a “limited narrow act” in response to the attack, which posed “a challenge to the world”. “We are not considering
ground or a long-term campaign,” he said. But Obama said the use of chemical weapons threatens US national security and merits a response. The Syrian Foreign Ministry has dismissed Kerry’s statement as “full of lies” based on “fabricated evidence”, insisting the rebels carried out the deadly attack. State-run news agency
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
International Features
US, Syria: The Calculus Of War THREE questionable justifications and one plausible explanation behind Washington’s plans to strike Syria. As America gears up to strike Syria, supporters for a military intervention argue that the US cannot stand idly by as the regime of Bashar al-Assad uses the worst weapons against innocent civilians, trampling over America’s red lines in the process. Nonsense, the detractors say. America has no mandate to act like a global policeman. Besides, there are no clear objectives, no vital national interests, no national security imperatives, and no public support for military action. It’s a lose-lose situation where any military intervention bodes ill for the US, and drags it deeper into a conflict it cannot win. Worse, they argue, America has no vested interest in either side winning the war and that only an internationally supported diplomatic solution could stop the bleeding and stabilise the situation. They see a reluctant America being dragged to war by its clients, Israel and Saudi Arabia, in a clear case of the tail wagging the dog. But these same voices could hardly have been heard over the portentous beating of the drums of war within and outside Washington. Indeed, it’s mind-boggling how the US establishment and media have switched from total scepticism to ready enthusiasm for military intervention as soon as the administration began to change its position. Instead of referring to the “disastrous” decision to attack Iraq in 2003, they now refer to what they deem to be “successful” interventions in Kosovo and Libya. The bulk of their argument is based on legal and moral grounds, and mainly in response to the recent alleged chemical attack that has reportedly killed
around a thousand people. Legal chemistry The legal justification for a unilateral or NATO military attack is questionable at best. Damascus isn’t a signatory to the chemical and biological treaties, and
Humanitarian law and the principle of “Responsibility to Protect”, do not justify military action without a UN Security Council resolution specifically sanctioning the use of force under chapter seven. Legitimate illegality
deployment in Kosovo, the Obama administration has made it clear that any intervention in Syria would not be aimed at regime-change or to pave the way for boots on the ground. Alas, in the case of Kosovo, despite 38,000
So in Washington, a chemical attack carried out by the Syrian regime is seen primarily as an attack on US credibility and power of deterrence. How could the Obama administration keep quiet or look the other way when Assad violates this
President Barack Obama of United States of America
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria
Washington cannot make a case that Syria, has violated any of its international legal obligations, regardless of whether it used poison gas. While US Vice-President Joseph Biden argued recently that Syria’s use of chemical weapons violates international norms, he didn’t claim it violated any laws. And President Obama has argued on several occasions that the red line he drew for Assad on the use of chemical weapons is an international - not American - red line and it’s up to the international community to hold him responsible for breaking the international norm. According to the UN Charter, Washington has no legal right to intervene in Syria’s ‘internal conflict’ without a UN Security Council resolution. Stretching the case against the use of chemical weapons to constitute a threat to US national security, and hence justify an attack on the basis of the right to self defence is farfetched. Some are arguing that international law has evolved since Rwanda and Kosovo and that the US could, arguably, claim to be setting new legal precedence. But this is a very thin argument that doesn’t hold water.
aerial sorties over 78 days of NATO bombardment, the real ethnic cleansing continued unabated and even intensified after the bombing. If this is the precedent, expect the regime to carry out worse atrocities when the bombing begins, just as an invigorated opposition goes violently on the offensive. Strategic interests A realistic reading of America’s military decisions looks for the strategic, not moral or legal, imperatives. These include, but are by no means restricted to, the use of chemical weapons. Remember, President Obama’s red line wasn’t only for Syria to respect, but also for America to abide by. In other words, the self-imposed red line has narrowed Washington’s room for military maneuvers and placed any future American use of force in Assad’s hands.
That’s why many in Washington advocate a military strike without a UN Security Council resolution along the lines of the1999 US/NATO bombardment of Belgrade to save Kosovo from its wrath. It’s been promoted as a clear precedent of acting illegally but legitimately - as concluded by the International Independent Commission on Kosovo. But the Obama administration hasn’t justified the need for action on humanitarian grounds even if it has repeatedly condemned the Syrian regime’s use of excessive force against its own people. Besides, Washington has shown no heart to interfere militarily in Syria despite the killing of more than 100,000 people and the destruction of the country. And unlike the intervention against Serbia, that paved the way for NATO
implicit understanding, humiliating America in the process? potlight n-depth coverage of escalating violence across Syria Regardless of whether Assad did indeed give Washington a motive, or if Obama is using the chemical attack as a pretext, the decision to intervene militarily is more than a punitive response. It signals an implicit admission of failure in Syria over the past two years, and a major departure from a policy of reluctant, limited and indirect interference the poverty of intervention by proxy. Over the last several months, the Assad regime has been able to regain the initiative thanks to robust and direct support from Hezbollah, Iran and Russia. It has, in the process, humiliated Washington and its clients in the region. A victory for Iran and its
regional allies in Syria would severely weaken US influence and pave the way for more, not less, challenges in neighbouring countries. Therefore, the Obama administration seems to have concluded that the only policy worse than intervention is the lack of it. And while a military strike wouldn’t solve the intractable challenges on the ground, let alone lead to stability, it would weaken Assad and expose his military machine. Depending on the breadth and scope of any American military bombing, the Syrian military could find itself in dire straits if the US takes the more lethal option. That’s why there are calls to design the military intervention in a way that ensures, not precludes, a diplomatic solution in its aftermath. But if the military strikes are meant only to correct the ‘balance of violence’ between the regime and the opposition, then Syria will find itself in even deeper peril. There is no telling where it all goes when the actual military escalation starts, considering the numerous strategic variables and players. The strategic imperatives have already bypassed Syria’s wellbeing. As the ‘indispensable nation’, the United States, acts out of greater strategic interest, Syria might as well be the dispensable nation in the quest for the assumed ‘greater good’. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.
“But the Obama administration hasn’t justified the need for action on humanitarian grounds even if it has repeatedly condemned the Syrian regime’s use of excessive force against its own people. Besides, Washington has shown no heart to interfere militarily in Syria despite the killing of more than 100,000 people and the destruction of the country.”
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International
Compiled By ISAH STELLA .O.
China Probes Top Official In Latest Anti-Graft Push
BEIJING - China is investigating the head of its state assets regulator, a former top energy executive, for “serious discipline violations”, the government said yesterday in what appears to be a deepening crackdown on corruption and push for reform. A brief government announcement said Jiang Jiemin was “suspected of serious discipline violations”, shorthand the government generally uses to describe graft. The investigation was being carried out by the ruling Communist Party’s anti-graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the statement said. No other details were given. President Xi Jinping has made fighting pervasive corruption a
key theme of his new administration, vowing to go after “tigers”, or senior officials, as well as lower-ranking “flies”. Jiang was promoted to head of the Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) in March, from his previous post as chairman of energy giant China National Petroleum Company (CNPC). SASAC is a ministerial-level body run by China’s cabinet, and is directly responsible for more than 100 state-owned companies. The announcement about Jiang, much anticipated by industry insiders, comes after the government announced last week that four of CNPC’s top executives were under investigation for alleged wrongdoing.
Those investigations were announced shortly after the close of the trial of Bo Xilai, once a rising political star who is now awaiting a verdict on charges of graft, bribery and abuse of power. Jiang had been expected to take a major role in reforming China’s sprawling state sector as the Communist Party seeks to allow private investment into important sectors of the economy, such as energy, transport and finance, over the next five years. Economists warn that China can no longer delay freeing such sectors from government control, especially if it wants its economy to keep growing by between 7 and 8 percent a year. But reform of state-owned in-
dustries has run into opposition from vested interest groups threatened by the prospect of competition and conservative elements in the party uncomfortable with more economic changes. The Communist Party will hold a meeting in November to discuss deepening reforms as leaders look to set China’s economic agenda for the next decade. “It seems apparent to me that
the government has faced a strong level of opposition from vested interests in the state sector as it’s tried to push forward changes, and I think the discipline body has essentially tried to put the foot down and start taking action,” said Duncan InnesKer, senior China analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit. “It probably means reform will be able to move a bit faster, but one has to worry that it resembles the old-style purges of peo-
ple who have disagreed with the party line,” he said. Senior industry analyst Chen Weidong said CNPC was targeted because it represents one of China’s biggest monopolies. “The company has grown so rapidly over recent years through massive overseas expansions, and these activities are all in the name of ‘shouldering state responsibility’ but not putting economic returns as a key concern,” Chen said.
Mandela Discharged From Hospital JOHANNESBURG - Nelson Mandela, 95, was discharged from the hospital yesterday while still in critical condition and was taken by ambulance to his Johannesburg home where he will receive intensive care, the office of South Africa’s president said. On a sunny but cold morning, an ambulance took the antiapartheid leader home from the hospital in the capital, Pretoria, where he had been since June 8 when he was admitted for what the government has described as a recurring lung infection. Mandela’s condition “is at times unstable,” said President Jacob Zuma in a statement yesterday. “His home has been reconfigured to allow him to receive intensive care there,” the statement said. “The health care personnel providing care at his home are the very same who provided care to him in hospital. If there are health conditions that warrant another admission to hospital in future, this will be done.” The statement yesterday from Zuma’s office said during his stay in hospital Mandela “vacil-
lated between serious to critical and at times unstable” and that “despite the difficulties imposed by his various illnesses, he, as always, displays immense grace and fortitude.” Referring to Mandela by his clan name, the statement continued: “Madiba has been treated by a large medical team from the military, academia, private sector and other public health spheres. We thank all the health professionals at the hospital for their dedication.” There has been an outpouring of concern in South Africa and around the world for the transformative figure who led the tense shift from apartheid’s white minority rule to democracy two decades ago in a spirit of reconciliation. Zuma urged South Africans to
accept that Mandela had grown old and frail, saying all they could do was pray for him. During his hospitalization, wellwishers delivered flowers and messages of support to the hospital where he was being treated, and prayer sessions were held around the country. The government has released few details about Mandela’s condition, citing patient confidentiality. Mandela has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his 27year imprisonment. The bulk of that period was spent on Robben Island, a prison off the coast of Cape Town where Mandela and other prisoners spent part of the time toiling in a limestone quarry.
An Israeli soldier walks over a mobile artillery unit in the Golan Heights, near the border between the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and Syria, yesterday.
Israeli Leader:
Ready For Any Scenario
JERUSALEM - Israel’s prime minister yesterday tried to soothe a jittery nation unnerved by the standoff between the U.S. and Syria, saying that Israel is “calm and self-assured” and ready for “any possible scenario.” Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly address President
Indian Spiritual Leader On Rape India that have fueled public proCharge tests and raised questions about
JAIPUR, India - A controversial spiritual guru was arrested early yesterday on a rape charge filed by a teenage girl in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, police said. Asaram Bapu was arrested at a spiritual retreat in central In-
dia and flown to the city of Jodhpur, where police say he is wanted for allegedly raping the girl, said Ajay Singh Lamba, a top police officer. The case is the latest in a series of high-profile rape cases in
Controversial spiritual guru, Asaram Bapu rearrested by Police on a rape charge in northwestern state of Rajasthan yesterday.
how police handle the cases and treat the victims. The girl filed a complaint two weeks ago accusing the Hindu religious preacher of raping her when she visited his retreat in Jodhpur with her mother. The girl’s family says they have been followers of Asaram Bapu for more than a decade. Asaram Bapu, who has hundreds of thousands of followers in India and is well known for his discourses on Hindu religion, has denied the charge. There was drama Saturday when Rajasthan police arrived at his retreat to arrest him, with hundreds of his supporters thronging the ashram and attacking television crews. Asaram Bapu was questioned for nearly three hours before he was arrested, police said. Asaram Bapu outraged many Indians earlier this year when he said the victim of a gang rape on a New Delhi bus would have been let off if she had addressed her attackers as brothers and pleaded with them to spare her.
Barack Obama’s decision to put on hold potential military action in Syria. But media commentators yesterday criticized Obama for appearing indecisive, after signaling last week that a U.S. military strike was imminent. While the government has urged Israelis to stick to their routines, the threat of hostilities in the region has caused widespread jitters. With the U.S. threatening to strike Syria in response to alleged chemical weapons use, many Israelis fear that Syria might retaliate by attacking across the border at Israel. Crowds of Israelis have been lining up at special gas-mask distribution centers in recent days, and the military has deployed a series of missile-defense systems near the Syrian border and in the heavily populated Tel Aviv area. “Israel is calm and self-assured. Israeli citizens know very well that we are prepared for any possible scenario,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet. “Israeli citizens must also know that our enemies have very good reasons not to test our strength. They know why.” Obama has condemned Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians, saying it crossed an American “red line” and signaling that the U.S. will be compelled to attack in response. But over the weekend, Obama said he would first seek congressional approval before taking any military action. The decision came after Britain, a key American ally, said it would not
participate in an attack on Syria. There were voices of criticism in Israel about the hold on a possible military strike. Cabinet Minister Naftali Bennett posted on his Facebook account Saturday evening that “the international stammering and hesitation about Syria prove once again Israel cannot depend on anyone except for itself.” Israeli media portrayed Obama’s handling of the crisis in a critical light. Channel 10 TV headlined their coverage “Obama’s zigzag,” while the Yediot Ahronot daily featured headlines like “America’s problem,” A step back,” and “Assad is celebrating.” “Yes he can. But it’s not certain anymore that he wants to,” wrote commentator Yoaz Hendel, a former adviser to Netanyahu, in Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, about Obama’s desire to attack Syria. “Until the American Congress approves the attack (if it approves it), the chemical weapons stockpiles will be moved elsewhere. The headquarters will be replaced. The chosen targets will become empty buildings. The accomplishments of a possible attack will be reduced, the bloodbath will remain.” Avraham Yarm, a resident of northern Israel, said Obama’s decision to delay a potential attack was disappointing. “I think he’s lost initiative and he’s lost the element of surprise, and he’s losing, every day, credibility in the world,” Yarm said.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
View Point
Assessing The Performance Of Nigerian Women In Sports By BUSHRAH YUSUF BLESSING Okagbare’s exploits at the recently concluded International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) championship in Moscow, Russia, was widely hailed by sports enthusiasts and stakeholders. Blessing won silver and bronze medals in long jump and 200 metres respectively, thus ending Nigeria’s 14year-old medal drought in the IAAF championships. Nigeria last won a medal in 1999 when Gloria Alozie won silver in the women’s 100 metres hurdles, while Francis Obikwelu got the bronze in the men’s 200 metres at Seville, Spain. Some stakeholders described Okagbare as indeed a ‘Blessing’ to Nigeria as her performance placed Nigeria 24th on the overall medal table. Chief Nicodemus Omenka, a former Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Ebonyi, said that Okagbare’s recent feat had returned Nigeria to its glorious days in athletics. “She has returned us to the days of Innocent Egbunike, Chidi Imoh, the Ezinwa brothers, Mary Onyali, Chioma Ajunwa, Christy Opara-Thompson, Falilat Ogunkoya, among others. “These were the days that the nation was sure of medals in major international competitions which was
climaxed with Ajunwa’s historic gold medal at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympic Games,’’ he said. Dominic Ukwuome, Athletics Chief Coach of the Ebonyi Sports Council, said that Okagbare’s performances had eclipsed the sad tales of London 2012 Olympic Games, and other recent competitions. Some analysts have argued that Okagbare succeeded where her male counterparts failed, and had entered the annals of Nigerian athletics as one of the females who did the nation proud at the international competition. They listed others to include Chioma Ajunwa, the first Nigerian to win an Olympic gold medal (long jump at the 1996 Atlanta Games), and the first African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. Mary Onyali also won the gold medal in 100 metres in the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada. She was the first Nigerian woman to compete in five Olympics, clinching 12 medals from various competitions with eight gold medals. Falilat Ogunkoya was Nigeria’s 400 metres queen and still holds the African record of 49.10 sec in the 400 metres event. Fatima Yusuf won a gold medal each in the 400 metres event at the 1990 World
Junior Championship, and at the 1991 All African Games. She participated in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, winning silver and bronze respectively. In football, Mercy Akide starred for Nigeria in three FIFA Women’s World Cups, two Olympic football events, and won three African titles with the Super Falcons. She was named African Women’s Footballer of the
Year’’ in 2002 by CAF, and was appointed an ambassador for women’s football in 2005 by FIFA. Another football heroine is Perpetua Nkwocha, who played in three African Women’s Football Championship. Linda Ogugua and Mfon Udoka were known for their feats in basketball. They participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Udoka
• Blessing Okagbare
was first in rebounding and second in scoring points. The Monu sisters (Ngozi and Uche) set the pace in swimming, an event that is not common among Nigerians. Ngozi participated in the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics setting the fastest time by any Nigerian in the 50 metres freestyle event. It is the views of most stakeholders that Nigerian women were capable of bringing more laurels to the country if given more encouragement. Victor Orji, President of the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA), said that female athletes needed more attention from the government and the society. “So far, they have fared well with the limited resources they have; it is just that the support they got was not enough compared to what their male counterparts receive. Mrs Dilichukwu Onyedinma, Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) corroborated when she said that women footballers should enjoy as much as their male counterparts. “Women’s football in Nigeria should be enjoying what the men are enjoying because the senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, qualified for the World Cup the same year it had its first international outing.
“But it took the senior male national team, the Super Eagles, 40 years to qualify for the World Cup. “Also, the Super Falcons have won the African Women Championship six times, while the Super Eagles won the African Cup of Nations three times. “So, we should be given the attention we deserve and not what we are experiencing,’’ she said. Ebenezer Morakinyo, first Vice President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), argued that that the problem with women’s participation in sports is the failure of the nation to appreciate women’s achievement. “Their contributions cannot be over-emphasised as they do not only participate, but they have also succeeded in sports administration. “But the problem we have in this country is that we do not sing praises of our women when they win laurels for us at both individual and team sports. “I think people should be able to do a kind of comparative study to know how well the women and men contributed in sports development in this country. “The study should not only be in sports administration, but also in participation and winning laurels; I will not be surprised if the women have an edge over the men,’’ he said. More women should be encouraged to show more interest in sports as female athletes had done the nation proud in international competitions. It is on record that Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medal was won by a female athlete.
Super Eagles: Glorious Days Ahead EACH nation has enjoyed glorious moments in the past, but the difference among them could not be more marked. The Super Eagles of Nigeria is one of the nation that has tasted some glorious moments in the past and still have the opportunity to achieve more in the future. Just less than a year to the football mundia fiesta that will be holding next year, the Stephen keshi’s young and talented side are by no means assured of a spot at Brazil 2014. But they are on the verve of qualifying for the next phase of the qualifying round in Africa. The Eagles are presently enjoying an upward move that will give them an exciting era ahead once they are consistence with their good performance. The reigning African Champion presently top their group having won two games and drew three in a group that has Malawi, Kenya and Namibia. All hand will be on deck for the last group game against Malawi. A win or a draw will see the Eagles through to the next qualifying phase. Success they say has many associates. Before the Super Eagles traveled to South African to represent Nigeria at the Orange African Cup of Nation, many fans at both home and diaspora never gave the Eagles any chance of lifting the trophy. Teams like Ivory Coast, Ghana and South Africa were tipped to lift the trophy ahead of Super Eagles. The Super Eagles, against all odd, proved everyone wrong by dominating Africa in lifting the prestigious trophy Nigeria last won in Tunisia 1994. The Super Eagles ended up in putting smiles on the faces of over 140 million Nigerians. This victory paved way for the massive improvement of the Eagles position at the Fifa ranking. Although the Eagles did not move beyond the group stage at the
By ERUKUBAMI OMOLADE Fifa confederation tournament that was hosted and won by the Samba boys of Brazil, who had to beat the reigning World and European Champion, Spain. Nigerian,s still believe in the Eagles who are gradually finding their feet in the world. The 1994 Super Eagles, ironically was captained by the present coach, the ‘Big boss,’ as he is popularly called, have set a bench mark for this present crop of players to emulate. The 1994 Eagles paraded players like; late Rasheedi Yekini, Dan Amoekachi, Sunday Olise, Jay Jay Okocha, Samson Siasia, Emmanuel Amunike and some wonderful players that are not mentioned. These men and their colleague took Nigeria to her highest Fifa ranking, where the country was ranked fifth in the world. Having excel at the 94 edition of the Africa Nations Cup. And also qualified Nigeria for her first ever world cup. The team were narrowly beaten by an Italian side that paraded star player like Roberto Baggio at the second round of the tournament. The present crop of players in the Super Eagles also have talented and experience young lads. Notable among them are;Vincent Enyeama, John Obi Mikel, Emmanuel Emenike, Victor Moses, Sunday Mba and many others. This team can match and even go beyond the bench mark set by their seniors. These players are presently the reigning African Champion and they have what it takes in making Nigeria proud by writing their names in gold once they are determined, dedicated and hungry for success. As faith would have it, the Super Eagles is gradually climbing the ladder of success. Their position at the Fifa ranking has improved
immensely. They are presently ranked 35th in the world, after occupying 52nd position before the Africa Cup triumph. The Eagles need to improve on that position by winning their last group match. Their position at the ranking will ascertain the kind of team they will come against at the last phase of the qualifying round. The last phase of the World Cup qualifier in the African zone will see teams ranked from first to fifth at the CAF ranking, facing teams ranked below them. If the Super Eagles wants to avoid teams like Ivory Coast and Ghana, they will have to maintain their uprising position or improve more on their position in other to be in a better position at the September Fifa ranking that will be used to make the draws. Note that, the Super Eagles are not scared of any team in Africa. For the glory of the present players at the Super Eagles to be pictured in the heart of Nigerians, the players must qualify the team for Brazil 2014 World Cup. They will also have to prepare for the tournament properly and ensure they perform extremely well at the tournament. The Super Eagles must ensure they surpass the bench mark set by the 1994 Super Eagles and also go beyond the quarter final stage that other African teams like Senegal (2002 World Cup) and Ghana (2010 World Cup) have set. As Nwankwo Kanu was quoted in Goal.com, he believed in the glory of the present crop of players in the Super Eagles, as he viewed them winning the World Cup. The Super Eagles must have it in mind that, Nigerians have started believing in them as they for see the glory they (Eagles) can bring to the Nation because of the potential and talents that is bestowed upon them. God bless the Super Eagles of Nigeria, God bless Nigeria.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Nani Signs New Man Utd Deal
Wenger Wants Final Word On Signings ARSENE Wenger insists he wants to make the final decision on what players Arsenal buy and sell, disregarding suggestions he requires a director of football to assist him in the transfer market. Wenger has faced much criticism for his transfer dealings this summer, with former player Mathieu Flamini and Yaya Sanogo the only signings thus far. Wenger has been urged to appoint a director, but the Frenchman is not willing to relinquish his control. “A director of football buys the players. When they don’t work, you (the manager) are guilty for them not playing well,” he said, according to the Daily Mail. “If it works, the director of football has bought well. “I am not against having people to help me buy and sell. I cannot do it all — I am not Superman, but the final decision has to belong to the manager to decide who comes in and who goes out. He is responsible for the style of play and the results. “I have to stand up for the results of the team. It makes sense that the manager makes those decisions. I have people around me who help, but the final decision has to be down to the manager. I have a good experience of the game. I have played over 900 games here, but I don’t deny that the transfer market is a problem for me. It conflicts with the competition when that competition has already started.”
Wenger believes the criticism he has faced is unwarranted, claiming the quality of his current squad is being overlooked. “People have been brainwashed. People don’t question any more if players are better than the ones you already have,” he added. “Take (Tomas) Rosicky. You have to find a better player than him or (Santi) Cazorla or a better player than Jack Wilshere. “That is what people forget, just how good the players you already have are. It is difficult to accept because people don’t look any more. (Aaron) Ramsey is 22 and Wilshere is 21, so that means they can only get better. They have fantastic qualities and have fantastic engines. People don’t realise they have something special here.
Cardiff City’s Matthew Connolly (centre) and Everton’s Kevin Mirallas and Leighton Baines in action
Di Canio Slams ‘Snobby Lazy’ Sunderland SUNDERLAND manager Paolo Di Canio has laid into his players after a “pathetic” 3-1 Premier League loss to Crystal Palace. obviously we are going to get The Italian lamented “three something more from the game. poor and pathetic goals” Otherwise it will be difficult.” conceded by his team, and was The game changed at 1-1, scathing about the performance when O’Shea miscontrolled an of captain John O’Shea, who easy ball and tripped Palace’s conceded a penalty and was sent Dwight Gayle inside the box. off, and striker Ji Dong-Won. Sunderland captain O’Shea He also said he hoped his was shown a red card and players would be dropped from Dwight Gayle converted the their national teams because it penalty. would help them focus on “The penalty is something Sunderland. really poor, really poor, really Di Canio said: “If we play with poor,” Di Canio told the BBC. a less snobby, less lazy, attitude, “It came from nothing,
Lampard Praises Competitive Mourinho
FRANK Lampard believes Jose Mourinho’s outburst following the UEFA Super Cup final defeat to Bayern Munich proves he still “hates losing” — something the midfielder feels is an asset to Chelsea. Mourinho lived up to his outspoken nature following the penalty shootout loss on Friday, insisting the “best team lost” and conceding he may have made a tactical mistake by throwing John Terry into the game late on.
Frank Lampard
MANCHESTER United winger Nani has signed a new deal to stay at the club, according to Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta. Goal exclusively revealed back in July that David Moyes considered the winger a part of his first-team plans and that he was considering handing the former Sporting Lisbon star a contract extension. Nani had previously been courted by the likes of Roma, Monaco and Galatasaray over the summer although Marotta is adamant he has agreed a new contract at Old Trafford and that Juve never entered negotiations. He told reporters: “He has renewed his contract with Manchester United and we never negotiated for him.” The 26-year-old has yet to feature for the Red Devils in the 2013-14 campaign although Moyes revealed on Friday that he is close to being available for selection after an injury-plagued pre-season.
Lampard has defended his manager, insisting the Portuguese’s passion is what will drive Chelsea in their title chase this season. “I always want a manager who hates losing and I think he appreciates having players who have the same attitude,” he is quoted in the Sun. “We are all in
the same boat on that one. “The good thing about Jose Mourinho is that you always know the identity of his team wherever he goes. They all hate losing and want to win every game. He wants to play good football and winning football. “He imprints that attitude on his players very quickly and he’s doing that on us now he’s back at Chelsea. There were a lot of decisions that went against us on Friday and it’s hard to take in the heat of a game. Emotions always run high when you’re as determined to win things as we are.” Lampard has also hailed Mourinho’s tactical nous, claiming the 50-year-old is proving to be even more influential than during his first spell at Stamford Bridge. “I’ve worked with him before and the training with Jose is always fantastic,” he added. “He puts a lot of focus on tactics, which is an area of the game which can be boring, but he makes them enjoyable and match-oriented. “He’s the same man as we had here before, but with more experience, so he’s a pleasure for the players to work with. He pushes you all the time with his training, his leadership and his talks in the dressing room. A lot of players speak highly of the manager in that regard.”
nothing. It wasn’t a dangerous situation and we game away a penalty and a red card for my leader. That’s not acceptable, to be honest.” Asked if he was disappointed with O’Shea, he replied: “Not only John O’Shea, with a few players. Because it means there is not the right attention and desire.” Di Canio then turned his ire on Ji, who was shown to duck out of a header inside the Palace sixyard box. The manager said: “Up front, when you play the first half with kids without fire, without desire - when you have the ball three yards from the opponent’s goalline, and my player, rather than push his neck out to score a goal, retreats his neck because he is worried, what can you do? I can’t change the heart of my players.” He added: “We can work, and hope they are going to play much less national team games. Because otherwise I’m going to work every week before the international break with the players today talking: ‘Which flight can I get? When can I
come back?” And they don’t focus on the game which is more important. Despite attacking his players, Di Canio claimed he was not angry because the team had played too badly. “Today it was difficult to be angry,” he said. “Normally I can tell you I’m very angry, but today it was difficult - it was too poor that it was really difficult to say something. “I don’t think that even the most arrogant player in the world could argue if you said the first two goals were absolute rubbish. “My leader (O’Shea) was already in the dressing room and said sorry to everybody - how can you be angry? “They are intelligent and understand when they do something bad. I couldn’t be angry but obviously I was really sad.” The Italian felt his side were in the game after Fletcher had headed the visitors level just after the hour, and reasoned the penalty and resulting red card turned the game in Palace’s favour. “We were on top after we drew
Hat-Trick Stalemate For Everton
EVERTON drew their third game of the new Premier League season after being held to a goalless draw by Cardiff at the Cardiff City Stadium. Roberto Martinez’s side dominated for long periods of the game but they could not find a way past a stubborn Cardiff defence. Everton created the first opening of the game on 12 minutes when Steven Pienaar’s clever flick set up Ross Barkley and the new England call-up saw his shot deflected just wide of the post. Cardiff then went close to scoring four minutes later, when Tim Howard clawed away Peter Whittingham’s in-swinging delivery at his near post.
Kevin Mirallas should have opened the scoring inside 24 minutes, but he failed to direct Leyton Baines’ free-kick onto the target. David Marshall produced a magnificent save to send both teams equal at the break, and they came out after the restart creating the better of the opportunities. Marouane Fellaini and Baines, who were the focus of all the attention before the game due to doubts over their futures, almost combined to score nine minutes from time. The former teed up the latter on the edge of the box and, with his weaker right foot, the fullback drilled his shot just wide of the target.
level,” Di Canio added. “The second goal was very poor. It came from nothing. My leader let the ball get away behind him and then tried to tackle the opponent and it cost us - the goal and the red card. “They took advantage from our mistake and they put everything on the field. They never gave up but to be honest their goals were very poor.”
Mata To Force Arsenal Move
THE final Sunday morning of the transfer window sees Juan Mata, Gareth Bale, Daniele De Rossi and Marouane Fellaini making headlines. Mata could force Arsenal move: Juan Mata will have to submit an official transfer request if he wants to push through a move to Arsenal before the transfer deadline on Monday night, reports the Sunday People. The Spaniard was arguably Chelsea’s best player last season, but has hardly featured under Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger has confirmed his interest in the 25year-old. However Mourinho is not keen to sell Mata, which would be an unpopular move, leaving the player to insist on a £30m switch. Paper Round’s view: Mata finds himself in something of a pickle. He is clearly out of favour with his manager and will be desperate for regular football ahead of the World Cup. A move to Arsenal would suit him perfectly, but Chelsea remain understandably reluctant to sell a fans’ favourite to their London rivals. Unless Arsenal are prepared to open their wallet, Mata could be left frustratingly in limbo on the fringes at Chelsea.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
Hamsik Stars In Chievo Win MAREK Hamsik scored his second brace in as many Serie A games and Gonzalo Higuain netted his first goal for Napoli as Rafael Benitez’s side won 42 at Chievo on Saturday. Higuain, signed in the close season from Real Madrid, made his debut for Napoli last weekend when Slovakian star Hamsik got two of the goals in a 3-0 defeat of Bologna. The Argentine striker tested the nerves of his new employers in midweek when he suffered a freak accident during a day out on a boat, requiring 10 stitches to his nose and face after falling onto rocks. But after being passed fit for the visit to Verona, Higuain allayed fears further when he scored Napoli’s fourth to put the match beyond reach of the hosts and leave his side top of the the table ahead of Lazio’s visit to champions Juventus on Saturday night.
Marek Hamsik
PSG Secure Dramatic Stoppage Time Win PARIS Saint-Germain’s expensive stars again failed to deliver the flair to match the club’s huge financial outlay, so it was left to 18-year-old homegrown player Adrien Rabiot to break newly promoted Guingamp’s resistance on Saturday. PSG scraped a 2-0 home win after netting twice in injury time as Rabiot came off the bench to grab his first goal for the club, and then Zlatan Ibrahimovic ended his scoring drought moments later with his first goal of a frustrating season. It was PSG’s second straight win after last weekend’s equally difficult 2-1 victory at Nantes, another promoted club, and underlined how Blanc’s team has yet to play with fluidity and teamwork despite having near unlimited funds to recruit top talents. Striker Edinson Cavani and center half Thiago Silva both hit
the crossbar with headers from corners in the first half. Ibrahimovic had almost scored in the fourth minute with a curling free kick that hit the post, and winger Ezequiel Lavezzi missed an open goal as the rebound landed at his feet. PSG needed a handling error from visiting goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa to break the deadlock in the first minute of injury time, when Rabiot kneed the ball over the line after Samassa palmed a shot into his path. Two minutes later, Ibrahimovic ran onto a long pass, muscled defender Jeremy
Sorbon off the ball and slotted it past Samassa for his first goal in five games this season. The win moved PSG provisionally up to second place with eight points. Earlier, seventh-placed Lyon’s losing streak increased to four matches after they lost 2-1 at Evian.
Despite Jordan Ferri’s secondhalf strike, a first-half Kevin Berigaud brace was enough to inflict a second consecutive surprise defeat on Remi Garde’s men following their 1-0 loss at home to Reims last week. Vincent Aboubakar scored the only goal as Lorient condemned Valenciennes to a third consecutive Ligue 1 defeat.
Early on, Higuain stung the palms of Chievo ‘keeper Christian Puggioni before Lorenzo Insigne, starting in place of Goran Pandev, squared for Hamsik to fire the ball in off the inside of the upright in the 13th minute. However, Chievo soon drew level after Alberto Paloschi tapped in Perparim Hetemaj’s ball across the face of goal. Napoli were back in front before the half-hour mark, with Spanish winger Jose Callejon firing home from Higuain’s low cross for his second goal in as many games. Paloschi almost had his second after pouncing on a poor Christian Maggio backpass to
chip Pepe Reina, only for his effort to come off the post and into the arms of the ‘keeper. But five minutes from halftime Paloschi did get his second, the Italian turning to nutmeg Reina from close in after Napoli failed to clear a corner. Chievo’s hopes of securing a share of the spoils fell apart in six second-half minutes, though. Hamsik restored Napoli’s lead when he fired home after Gokhan Inler’s passs was poorly dealt with by the Chievo defence. And Higuain sealed the win when he burst into the box and pounced on a lucky ricochet from Insigne’s delivery to bundle the ball past Puggioni.
MANCHESTER United’s chances of signing Ander Herrera seem to be slight after the midfielder’s father insisted he is happy to stay at Athletic Bilbao and his manager said he has not asked to leave. David Moyes had a bid rejected for the Spain Under23 international on Thursday as he looks to strengthen his squad before the transfer deadline. And they could return with an improved offer for Herrera, who has a +36million release clause. But his father Pedro told
Mundo Deportivo: “Ander is getting on very well at Athletic, very content. He’s fought hard to come to this club and it’s very difficult for him to leave. “I think it’s Manchester United’s decision, since they have not found a replacement for Cesc Fabregas. They’ve decided to opt for a creative player and have thought about Ander.” And Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde said Herrera had given him no indication he wants to go and has no qualms about picking him to play against Real Madrid on Sunday. He said at his pre-match press conference: “Ander has not refused to play at the Bernabeu, nor has he told that he wants to go to United. “There has been quite a stir surrounding Ander. He is fine to play. I have no doubts. He is in the right frame of mind.” Bilbao president Jose Urrutia stated on Friday that he did not want to let Herrera go. He said: “There is an offer for Ander Herrera. We received it yesterday and we have informed that we will not negotiate for our players. “Our club is different. We create an emotional bond. Our objective is not to make money. For that a player should leave he needs to state his intentions to leave the club and pay the buyout clause.”
Ander Herrera ‘Happy At Bilbao’
Bayern Trio Injured In Super Cup Win BAYERN Munich have to pay a heavy price for their UEFA Super Cup triumph over Chelsea on Friday night with the loss of three players to injury. Midfielders Arjen Robben, Javi Martinez and Mario Gotze will all miss training next week, with Germany international Gotze ruled out for three weeks. Spain international Martinez, who scored Bayern’s last-gasp equaliser, stretched a knee ligament and will miss out team training for the next five days. Club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt also ordered a three-day rest for Robben, who was substituted with a swollen knee six minutes into extra time. Gotze, who has just returned
from a three month absence, suffered most and is set to miss another three weeks of action. He twisted an ankle in the challenge that saw Ramires sent off after receiving two yellow cards and will be in plaster for a week, needing a further 14 days of rehabilitation before returning to team training. Subsequently the former Borussia Dortmund man had to pull out of the Germany squad for their next run of World Cup qualifiers against Austria and the Faroes Islands. Gotze will not be the only Bayern player to miss the qualifiers. Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, 98 caps, who already had to pull out of the Chelsea clash, will not travel to the Germany team and will have to wait for his 100th cap.
Ander Herrera
Borussia Dortmund Out For Revenge In Europe
KEVIN Grosskreutz says Borussia Dortmund are out for revenge in this year ’s Champions League - eager to go one better than last season. Dortmund were defeated finalists last year in Wembley, succumbing to a 2-1 loss to rivals Bayern Munich. Grosskreutz admits that the defeat has weighed heavily on him and his team-mates, but, they are now better equipped to
put right that disappointment. “Whoever’s been to the final and experienced what was going on, wants to go there again,” the 25-year-old said in an interview with Sport 1. “But that’s still a very, very long way off. We need to stay cool and get through the first round. “We have played convincing and really good football. The
other teams are warned in any case, but it is about us. We need to do our thing, then, it will be hard to beat us. “We are calmer on the ball [than we used to be] and, we are even more composed when the game is still tight. We are good and compact and, due to our individual quality, we know we can always score a goal.” Jurgen Klopp’s men were drawn against Arsenal, Marseille
and Napoli in Group F in Thursday’s Champions League draw. “I was hoping for an English team so Arsenal is good,” Grosskreutz continued. “From Pot 4, I would not necessarily have wanted Napoli. But in the end we go wherever we have to.”
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Kaka Welcome At Milan
Ribery Can Win The Ballon d’Or - Netzer
- Allegri
KAKA would be welcome back at AC Milan if he is able to secure a move away from Real Madrid, Massimiliano Allegri has said. The Milan boss remains keen to strengthen his young side in the final hours of the transfer window following an opening day defeat in Serie A against Verona. Kaka, who has fallen out of favour at Real, talked openly of his desire to move away from Spain on Thursday, leading to speculation about a return to the club where he won the league and Champions League during his time between 2003 and 2009. Allegri said: “If he was to come, AC Milan would be stronger because he is a player with great quality. “We would need him and he would offer a great contribution from a technical and charisma point of view, even though he hasn’t played a lot in the last two seasons. “I am confident in what the club will do in the last days of the market.” Meanwhile, Milan have moved to secure the services of Slovenia international winger Valter Birsa from Genoa. A statement on the club’s official website said a deal had been agreed which sees Luca Antonini move in the opposite direction: “Genoa Cricket and Football Club announce that they have acquired from AC Milan, in a permanent move, the rights to defender Luca Antonini. “Everything has been formalised, with the same agreement confirming the sale of the rights to Valter Birsa.”
Crystal Palace’s Jason Puncheon (top) and Sunderland’s Ondrej Celustka in action during the Barclays Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London.
Ancelotti Devises Special Fitness Plan For Bale
THE Tottenham forward will complete his move to Real Madrid imminently and his new coach is anxious for the Welshman to make up for lost time in pre-season Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has devised a Bale to be match fit as soon special fitness plan to speed as possible and has tasked his up Gareth Bale’s integration trusted conditioning coach into the squad once his Giovanni Mauri with transfer from Tottenham is structuring a tailored programme. finally sealed. This will include monitoring The 24-year-old has not played an official game since the forward’s diet, extensive scoring for Spurs in a friendly gym work and match win against Swindon on July simulation exercises. Madrid 16 and will only start training are set to complete the signing with Madrid on September 11 of Bale in the next 24 hours because of international duty and plan to unveil their new player on Monday, but the with Wales. Ancelotti is determined for Spanish side are frustrated that he will head off with Wales immediately. A deal with Tottenham has been in place for several days and Madrid had hoped to clubs this summer, including unveil Bale last Tuesday, but Milan, Torino, Roma and Napoli. Spurs are still busy in the Palermo are whittling down transfer market themselves their squad after relegation to and discussions over how the Serie B. Werder Bremen have fee will be paid have held up just signed defender Santiago the announcement. Garcia on loan, with an option Madrid erected a stage in the to buy at the end of the season.
Goalkeeper Viviano In Arsenal Medical ITALIAN international goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano was expected to undergo a medical at Arsenal on Sunday, according to reports in Italy. The Palermo player has travelled to London ahead of a transfer, according to Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio. The deal would be a paid loan with an option to buy at the end of the season. The 27-year-old has played six games for the senior national team since 2010. He will be expected to provide competition to Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who has endured an uncertain start to the season. Viviano joined Palermo from Internazionale in 2012, but was quickly loaned to Fiorentina, where he spent last season. The keeper is a lifelong Fiorentina supporter and has a tattoo of the club symbol, while he named his daughter Viola after the club’s nickname. Viviano, who was heartbroken when the Tuscans chose not to make his loan permanent, has been linked with several other
THE Borussia Monchengladbach legend backs the France winger to go on to be named world’s top player in 2013 after he claimed the Uefa Best Player in Europe award on Thursday Gunter Netzer says Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has the talent to win the Ballon d’Or this year. Ribery was crowned Uefa’s Best Player in Europe in a ceremony at Monte Carlo on Thursday, beating Lionel Messi into second place with Cristiano Ronaldo in third. The 30-year-old was a key element in Bayern’s Champions League, Bundesliga and DFBPokal successes last season and Netzer insisted that there was no one more worthy of claiming the Uefa award. “I was very pleased personally
Emiliano Viviano
stands for Bale’s presentation on August 23, but the Blancos have been forced to dismantle the construction for the visit of Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Sunday. Madrid may now opt to unveil Bale on the pitch itself, as they did with Cristiano Ronaldo among others, and president Florentino Perez hopes for a packed-out Bernabeu as most madrilenos return from their summer holidays this weekend. Provided all goes according to schedule with his fitness plan, Bale could be in line for
his long-awaited Madrid debut away to Villarreal in the Primera Division on September 14.
that Franck Ribery was voted European Footballer of the Year,” the 68-year-old German wrote in his column for Bild. “He has earned this award like no other because he was the outstanding player of the past 12 months and better than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.” The Uefa Best Player in Europe award has now run for three seasons with Messi taking the prize in 2011 and his Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta winning in 2012. However, Netzer now believes that Ribery can go on to claim yet a greater accolade - the Ballon d’Or - which Messi has won for the last four years. “He [Ribery] crowned his strong season by winning the Champions League,” the West Germany international continued. “I think this victory means he is now a frontrunner for World Player of the Year. It would have been a disappointment for Ribery and, probably would have even upset his performances, if he hadn’t won Best Player in Europe. “But now, with the title in the bag, he is perhaps even going to be a bit better than last season.”
Franck Ribery
Villareal Mantain Perfect Record
V I L L A R R E A L maintained their perfect record to move atop of the La Liga standings with a comfortable 3-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday. Striker Jeremy Perbet opened the scoring for the visitors with a tidy finish from a difficult angle in the 22nd minute, before Javier Aquino doubled Villarreal’s lead just eight minutes later, burying his shot from the centre of the box. Marcelino Garcia’s side dominated proceedings for the remainder of the first half and emerged from the break showing no signs of slowing down, with Osasuna given few chances to pull a goal back. Substitute Ikechukwu Uche put the result beyond doubt, finishing off a quick counter attack to give his side a three goal lead and temporarily put them in first place. Celta Vigo’s lack of a finishing touch condemned them to a 1-1 draw at home against Granada in the Spanish League on Saturday. Former Roma coach Luis
Enrique’s new team dominated at Balaidos Stadium and went ahead in the 29th minute when midfielder Rafinha Alcantara — brother of Bayern Munich’s Thiago — fired in a cross that had taken a deflection to catch Granada goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez out of position. Celta wasted a slew of chances to double their lead. Alex Lopez hit the post in the 35th minute before missing again from close range, while striker Charles squandered three excellent chances on goal. Granada forward Francisco “Piti” Medina volleyed home a 62nd-minute equaliser, arriving from the right side to lash Brayan Angulo’s bouncing cross into the net. The visitors did little else in the match. Lopez curled a long strike off the post again in the 68th, as Celta had to settle for the point and an undefeated record of two draws and a win through from their opening three games. “When a team creates so
many scoring chances that are the fruit of good play it’s a reason to be happy,” said Enrique. “I’m not worried about our lack of scoring touch and I congratulated my team for the match. I am more than satisfied because I continue to think that we are on the right path. To be honest, I didn’t expect my team to be playing this well at the start of the season.” Elsewhere, Valladolid beat Getafe 1-0 to claim their first points of the season. After a dull first half at Jose Zorilla Stadium, Valladolid centreback Marc Valiente scored after Omar Ramos’ corner was flicked on to the centre of the area by Carlos Pena in the 47th minute. Valladolid were closer to a second goal than Getafe ever was to the leveller, with Omar ’s playmaking a standout. Barcelona visit Valencia on Sunday while Real Madrid hosts Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad welcome Atletico Madrid, Malaga play at Sevilla, and Espanyol face Real Betis.
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Esperance On Course For Semi Finals ESPERANCE took a giant step towards the semifinals of the CAF Champions League with a 1-0 home success over Sewe Sports on Saturday. The victory moved the Tunisian side to nine points in the pool, three ahead of CotonSport (who have played a game less), and six in front of Sewe Sports and Recreativo Libolo. Esperance, who have reached the final in the last three installments of the competition, were made to work for their win, profiting from a second-half strike from Anthar Yahia via Oussama Darragi’s assist. Esperance had beaten Sewe Sports by the same margin in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago and were full value for their win again.
NFF League
Pillars Return To Summit
CHAMPIONS Kano Pillars are back on top of the Nigeria league after they beat Rangers 2-1 in a Week 29 game at home on Saturday. Pillars now have 48 points from 27 matches, while erstwhile leaders Bayelsa United, who have recorded 46 points, play at home against Sharks on Sunday. . Mercurial midfielder Rabiu Ali was Pillars hero with a brace. He opened scoring in the 14th minute and before the Kano fans could finish the celebrations, Chinedu
Udeagha equalised for Rangers in the 15th minute. Ali completed his brace in the 20th minute to take his goals’ haul to 10 this season. He told MTNFootball.com he has delighted his goals won the game for his team. “I thank Allah for giving me the grace to score the goals to help my team get victory. I will keep doing my best and work hard to see that we do well in our subsequent matches,” Ali promised.
Saturday’s Results Pillars Dolphins El Kanemi Kwara
Liverpool Land Victor Moses
Victor Moses
Rangers 1 Enyimba 0 Kaduna Utd 0 Warri Wolves Stalemated
Kwara Utd, Warri Wolves Match Called Off
Bolaji Abdullahi, Sports Minister
Nigeria international will play for Anfield giants Liverpool this season as a loan deal has been agreed for the winger. Moses, signed by Chelsea Both clubs finally agreed from Wigan Athletic last a £1m fee for the seasonsummer for £9m, has slipped long loan switch for the down the pecking order at Nigeria winger, according to Stamford Bridge after the the Guardian of UK.
2 0 1 vs
summer arrivals of Willian and André Schürrle, and Kevin De Bruyne’s return from his loan spell at Werder Bremen. Chelsea have accumulated a number of players capable of operating from attacking midfield and the 23-year-old has been granted permission to seek first-team football elsewhere. Brendan Rodgers had earmarked him as a potential recruit earlier this summer and, despite Chelsea’s initial reluctance to loan the player to a Premier League rival, the Liverpool manager has now been given approval by the Europa League winners to pursue the deal. Moses was in Prague on Friday for Chelsea’s defeat to Bayern Munich in the Super
Cup final, in which he did not feature, but has made clear his desire to move to Merseyside despite interest from West Bromwich Albion, Southampton and Everton over the course of the summer - and will complete the move before Monday’s transfer deadline with the loan fee now agreed. There is no option for Liverpool to make the deal permanent next summer, an indication that Moses could yet have a long-term future at Stamford Bridge. The forward was nurtured at Crystal Palace’s academy before moving to Wigan for £2.5m in 2010, when Palace had slipped into administration. He impressed under Roberto Martínez to earn a surprise switch to Chelsea last summer. He has scored 10 goals in 43 appearances for Chelsea.
THE Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, left the Kwara State Stadium abruptly during a week 29 match involving Kwara United and visiting Warri Wolves in Ilorin on Saturday. This occurred when the
Referee called off the match following attack on an Assistant Referee by angry fans of Kwara United. The match did not produce any goals before the referee stopped proceedings in the first half.
GHANA captain Asamoah Gyan was the first player to arrive for Friday’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Zambia after touching down in Accra on Saturday morning. The 27-year-old arrived on a private jet after playing for his UAE side Al Ain in their Super Cup penalty shootout defeat to Al Ahli on Friday night. Gyan gave Ghana a major boost after playing the entire duration of the match contrary to earlier reports he was unfit. He converted Al Ain’s
first kick in the penalty shootouts and scored. Gyan’s early arrival shows his immense commitment to the national team ahead of the crucial qualifier against the Chipolopolo at the Baba Yara Stadium. He missed a penalty against Zambia in Ghana’s 1-0 semi-final defeat at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and wants to make amends. The former Sunderland man was available for the Black Stars when they lost 1-0 the corresponding fixture in June last year due to his temporary break from international football.
Gyan Arrives For Zambia Clash
US Open
Federer Races Through In 18 Minutes
Grand Slam king Roger Federer showed off his fitness by sprinting into the round of 16 at the US Open on Saturday, beating Adrian Mannarino 6-3 6-0 6-2 to turn out the lights on day six of the tournament. Playing the closing contest of Saturday’s night programme, Federer ran through games as though he had a taxi cab waiting outside the stadium with the
meter running and hurtled past the unseeded Frenchman in 81 minutes. “I like it like this,” said Federer. “I like three hours, five hours, too, as long as I end up winning them. But no doubt about it, you do feel more of the show factor at night than during the day. “But it does feel great just for confidence, and I had a lot of fun out there.”
The one-sided victory moved Federer, the greatest Grand Slam men’s title winner of them all with 17, into a fourth-round clash with Spain’s Tommy Robredo, who earlier beat British qualifier Dan Evans. The 32-year-old Swiss has won all 10 of his previous matches against Robredo. Federer might not want to get ahead of himself, no matter how
quickly he moves past opponents, but it was hard not to notice that he was now one step away from a potential quarter-final showdown with rival Rafa Nadal. Strange as it may seem for rivals who have squared off 31 times over their careers, five-times US Open champion Federer has never played 2010 winner Nadal at Flushing Meadows. “Clearly (I) follow the progress
of the players, but today I didn’t see anything during the day,” Federer said. “I think I only start really focusing on it once I’m really right there, like the moment I would win my next round and he did the same. “(But) I have gone through that my entire career, people talking about our matches even before the tournament started,” he added. “Clearly I think we both
hope it’s going to happen this time for the first time in New York.” Federer said he had several things working in his favour against Mannarino on Saturday. “I was able to really use my serve well, because it was breezy tonight again so I was able to use the wind a bit better. Maybe I had a bit more variation than him that allowed me more margin in my game,” he said.
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GAIN, former P r e s i d e n t O l u s e g u n Obasanjo, who can best be described as part of a special breed of past political leaders, recently lent his voice regarding the affairs of the current happenings in the country when he assessed the younger generation of political leaders in Nigeria. And his verdict was that they have failed the citizenry. While speaking at the fourth Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit organized by the Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan (UI), in collaboration with the African Sustainable Development Network, Obasanjo expressed that the performance of the current younger generation of leaders have not been impressive, particularly in terms of integrity. Obasanjo went on and specifically named his erstwhile deputy, Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu; ex-speaker, House of Representatives; Alhaji Salisu Buhari; former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamie Yesiegha; former Delta State Governor, James Ibori and others as examples of younger generation of political leaders who failed the country. In the words of the former president; During my administration as President, we had some people who were under 50 years in leadership positions. One of them was James Ibori, where is he today? One of them was Alamieyesiegha, where is he today? Lucky Igbinedion, where is he today? The youngest was the speaker, Buhari, you can still recall what happened to him, we got them impeached. But in this part of the world, some people covered up the other man, I wanted someone who would succeed me so I took Atiku. Within a year, I started seeing the type of man Atiku is. And you want me to get him there? Some of you who are condemning the political leadership would get there tomorrow and it will be a different story. Only very few are actually good. From Abacha, my predecessor, we got $750milllion. Through a lawyer in Switzerland, we recovered another $1.25 billion and the lawyer still said there was probably still another $1billion to be recovered. In 1979, we had 20 new ships specially built for Nigeria. When I came back 20 years after, the National
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 Shipping Line had liquidated. The whole thing is not just about leadership. If we talk about the nation’s 53 years of independence, Nigeria has no leader that the citizen could commend. The
their respective former positions. But going back to young leaders that had made tremendous impacts in the polity. The only thing we see variant in the present democratic dispensation, is that the number of reliable
ZIK GBEMRE, JP ByBy OKHAREDIA IHIMEKPEN
Obasanjo’s Comment on Younger Political Leaders
problem with Africa is that when one person takes over, he would not see any good thing his predecessor did. Let us condemn but with caution,he said. As expected, Obasanjo’s comments and verdict on our younger leaders elicited a lot of reactions from different angles of the polity. While some condemned Obasanjo’s comment others disagreed with his stand or gave a different view on our younger political leaders. Law Veteran and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Edwin Clarke, carpeted Obasanjo’s comments. In his words; “Obasanjo needs to reflect back to Nigerian leadership before 1954 to 1960 to 1966”, mentioning Obafemi Awolowo, Bode Thomas, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Tafawa Belewa as political leaders who led the country between the ages of 48 to 52. He further noted that at every time of political development in Nigeria, there were young men who were doing this. He observed that the achievement of Obasanjo as a Head of State are more profound when he was 38 to 42 than when he returned as a civilian president. The Lawyer also noted that Nigeria has always had a leadership of youths. Clarke however wondered why Obasanjo would accuse the youths of failing the country. If you say the youths have failed, that means Gowon has failed, Murtala Mohammed has failed, it means he himself, who took over power from Murtala at the age of 38 or 39 has also failed. Clarke praised the former premier of Western Nigerian, Obafemi Awolowo for developing the region adding that no governor can replicate the impact made by the late politician. He berated the fact that governance in Nigeria has changed while wondering why governors in Nigeria cannot match the achievements of former governors like Otedola and Jakande, who have estates named after them. In as much as we do not want to sound defensive of another individual, we believe Obasanjo was referring to the crop of young political leaders that have been in government circles since the inception of democratic rule in1999 till date. Hence, he mentioned names like Buhari, Ibori, Alamieyesiegha etc that have failed the country in
Matters Arising
and credible young leaders that are below 50, are getting fewer and fewer by the day. Another counter to the comments made by Obasanjo on
failed but an expression of high expectation the older leaders have of their successors. In his words; I am not sure I heard what he said, neither am I sure it
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
our younger leaders, came from Bolaji Akinyemi, a professor of political science and former External Affairs Minister. In his words; “people who preach to others should have clean hands and a clean conscience and a clean mouth”. Reacting further, Akinyemi said; Have the old leaders done better? All leaders are to be condemned in Nigeria. I am not going to categorize along generational parameters to define behavior. All leaders have fallen short of expectations. Problems are not created over night. All these problems have always been ignored by leaders in office. If leaders have done what they should have done when they were in office we would not be where we are today. If you are going to preach to others, make sure you are preaching from a position that gives credibility. Former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retired) on the other hand, maintained that former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s comment might not mean that the younger generation has
is the young men that failed the nation, but our expectations on the new younger generations are very high and there are other young men who have done very good. So, I do not think the young generations have failed us. The young generations are not doing bad, he said when asked to comment on Obasanjo’s statement that the leaders that came after him, especially from 1999, have failed. Every of the reaction from different stakeholders on Obasanjo’s comment obviously made one valid point or the other. For instance, in as much as we agree with Obasanjo to a large extent, looking at some of the younger leaders he listed that have failed the Nigerian citizenry, we cannot also deny the fact that the observed failures do not cut across all the younger leaders in the present democratic dispensation; as there are indeed, some younger leaders that have done and are still doing exceedingly well in their various positions in government. Then again, we cannot also deny the fact that some of the older leaders have not done better while they were in government. As a matter of fact, we
day, from farmers and the village locals to traders and commercial vehicle operators, everyone can afford to have and own a GSM Line/ Phone to communicate to loved ones and friends from any part of the country and the globe. Another major achievement of former President Obasanjo, which has outlived his time in office and still very relevant today, was his being the only past leader that was able to establish (through the National Assembly), institutional structures/framework for the fight against corruption. Other past leaders like General Murtala Mohammed, General Mohammadu Buhari/Tunde Idiagbon regime tried their best to fight corruption and indiscipline in government circles, but the moment these governments and their regimes were over, so does the war against corruption. But Obasanjo came in as a civilian president, and established two anti-graft agencies-the Economic and Financial Crimes Corruption (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and other related offences Commission (ICPC). So with this, even after Obasanjo left office years, the fight against corruption remained. The only problem is that the success or failure of these anti-graft agencies is largely dependent on the willingness of the government of the day and the cooperation of the judiciary, to honestly and holistically fight corruption without fear or favour. Back to the subject matter, the bottom line like we said earlier is that Nigeria is where she is today as a nation that is wounded at all sides, as a result of the actions and inactions of all our past and present political leaders in various government circles. We are where we are today as a nation, as a result of the accumulated years of bad decisions made by past and present political leaders. So, until we are fortunate to have a messiah that would drastically turn things around and set the nation on the right path of recovery, we would continue to trotter down the current path of ìthings not getting better.
believe whatever excess we see today being exhibited by the younger generation leaders, were learnt from the older leaders and perfected by the younger ones. In other words, the older crop of leaders in the country, cannot exonerate themselves from the observed failures of some of our younger leaders. In as much as it is expected that some of the younger political leaders should do things differently, having been given the opportunity to lead in various government circles, a whole lot of them were/are following the examples left behind by the older generation leaders. So, it is like having your children following the examples you set as a parent/ guardian. The crux of the matter is that we are where we are today (as a developing nation that is bedeviled with a lot of problems), because of the actions and inactions of past and present political leaders of government at all spheres in the country. However, hate him or love him, the truth is that Obasanjo will always remain a strong pillar and a voice to reckon with whenever he expresses his thoughts concerning any issue in the polity. He simply cannot be undermined in Nigeriaís socioeconomic and political dynamics. Obasanjo can be regarded as the most experienced politician in Nigeria in this present time. Perhaps, this is hinged on the fact that Obasanjo happens to have presided over this country as the number-one-citizen for three good times (1976 to 1976 as a Military Head of State; and 1999 to 2007 as a civilian President). This is a feat no Nigerian, both living and dead, has achieved. One of the notable things that readily comes to mind whenever Obasanjo’s name is mentioned, is the fact that he continued with and consolidated the establishment of Global System of Mobile (GSM) Communications that have virtually replaced landlines and have expanded the country’s Telecommunication and Information Technology industry to meet up with world standards. Over a decade ago, this was a privilege enjoyed Zik Gbemre, JP, sent this only by the upper class citi- piece as letter to Presizens of the country. But to- dent Goodluck Jonathan.
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