Nigerian observer 04 04 2014

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 RELIGION Page 22

What Is Truth?

(Part 1)

• Vol . 38 NO. 455• FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 20 14 • N100.00

Governor leads 12km keep fit exercise

By ADAMS OYIBOKE

BENIN CITY Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday led other participants in a 12-kilometre road walk in Benin City tagged “Walk

for Life”, assuring that the exercise will be a monthly exercise.

The governor who flagged off the exercise at

the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, said the exercise was designed to help improve the health status of

participants.

The maiden edition of the road walk covered major roads in the state capital and including Akenzua, Plymouth road, Ring road through Continues on page 2

Electricity Tarriff - Oshiomhole

Why I intervened

By ADAMS OYIBOKE

INSIGHT Pages 16-17 Role of youths in fighting corruption

BENIN CITY - Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State said he had to intervene in the disagreement between Civil Society Organisations in the State and the Benin Electricity Distribution Company in the interest of justice, public good and stem a breakdown of law and order. by a man who committed Speaking during a suicide. meeting at the According to him, “I Government House with called this meeting for us executives of the Benin to talk through some of Electricity Distribution the issues raised by the Company (BEDC) in leaders of the Civil Benin City, Oshiomhole Society Groups that recalled that what led to organized some protests what is now globally specifically against some referred to as the Arab of the actions of the Spring was a solo protest

Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), so I thought our role here as a State Government is basically to facilitate a dialogue between the consumers of electricity, who happen to be my employers, and have complained about the

policies with regards to some charges by BEDC. I thought that we can talk through the issues and hopefully get results and resolve it in an amicable manner so it does not result into a major crisis.

“We all know how one single man started what is now known as the Arab

Spring. It has consumed Governments and destabilized economies.

So, when I heard people were protesting and I asked questions, I was told about money collected without services. I then appealed to my Civil Society people that we might need to engage the company and let us see

how we can sort it out.

“The facts are not in dispute, there are no arguments whether or not there are fixed charges. There is no argument or not whether these charges are paid even when services are not provided. We have agreed that if that is the case, there is no Continues on page 2

Electoral Act Proposals

Senate shifts burden of proof to INEC

By JOSES SEDE ABUJA - After initial stiff opposition by most Senators to the proposal, the Senate yesterday passed to second reading a bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2010, to vest the responsibility of proving the regularity of any election in the Independent National Electoral Commission, before the Electoral Tribunal or Court in Nigeria.

Currently, the extant Electoral Act, in agreement with the provisions of the Evidence Act vested the responsibility of proving the irregularity of any election in the candidate,

who alleges irregularity and is the litigant or defendant in a suit before the Election Tribunal or Court in Nigeria.

However, in considering the bill, entitled, “A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2010 to give additional Powers to INEC 2014”, sponsored by Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika (Katsina North), most of the Senators kicked against the proposal, arguing that it was not in line with the provisions of the Evidence Act and practices within the Commonwealth of nations.

Leading the debate on

TIT BIT “The corrections we need to grow in life are not to be discovered in our friends, or people just like us; they are found in people that are not like us.

- Kinglsey Ogbeide-Ihama

the Bill, Senator Sirika pointed out that the process of proving the regularity or otherwise of the conduct of an election in Nigeria is cumbersome, as it is time-consuming, with huge financial burden on the petitioner.

He therefore, explained that this pathetic experience of politicians in the country motivated him to initiate the legislation to turn around the situation and Continues on page 2

KEEP-FIT EXERCISE: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (2nd right), his Deputy, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu (2nd left), Deputy Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Festus Ebea (left) and Hon. Chris Okaeben, Commissioner for Youth and Sports (right) at the 12km “Walk for Life” Keep-Fit Exercise in Benin City yesterday. Photo: QUEENNETH A. OROBEDO.

SSS nabs 8 kidnap, internet suspects

By ADAMS OYIBOKE

BENIN CITY- Eight kidnap and internet fraud

suspects have been nabbed by men of the State Security Services (SSS) in Edo State.

Four of the suspects are said to be University undergraduates, with two of them in their final

year.

Parading the suspects before Governor Adams Oshiomhole and

2015: Ihonvbere urges electorate to shun

By QUEENNETH A. OROBEDO BENIN CITY – Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG), Prof. Julius Ihonvbere

money bags

has urged the electorate to resist the ploy by some politicians to becloud their sense of

judgement through monetary inducement.

He gave the advice yesterday in Benin City,

at a session with the president and members of Idegun Community Youth Network, from Etsako West Local Government Area.

Continues on page 2

newsmen, yesterday, the State SSS Director, Mr. Bello Bakori said the suspects have confessed to the crime.

According to him, “three of the suspects were kidnappers.

Two of them kidnapped an American citizen, while the other five were Internet Fraudsters whose stock-in-trade Continues on page 2

News

Oshiomhole leads 12km keep fit exercise menace of sudden deaths,

Continued from page 1

Akpakpava to Ramat park and terminated at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium.

“I think what we have demonstrated today is that we are all fit by the Grace of God and not by our power and that we are ready to lead our people by example.

“The walk for life road walk is an initiative of the state’s ministry for sports to encourage our parents, citizens of Edo, sportsmen and women to remain healthy.

“The reason for this exercise is to arrest the

especially through slumping in our society today where people cannot even walk half a kilometre without grasping for breath.

“I am glad to see all of you participate in this maiden edition and I expect that it will be a monthly affair even though you don’t see government officials in this number. It is always good to be healthy and remain healthy and in order to remain healthy is to continue exercising.

“When we ask our people to

walk, they think it is punishment but when they see us walking down to Ramat Park, it’s not because we are poor, it’s because it is good for our health and life.

“I believe we are much fitter now than we were two hours ago. As you can see, those of us referred to as elders are much younger by this exercise.”

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Chris Okaeben said, “I will not be making any mistake to say that what we have done is nothing less

than 12km walk.”

He stated some benefits from the “Walk for Life” to include; “healthy life, keeping Edo workers fit and to let our enemies know that we are fit to serve”, he said.

Some of the participants in the maiden edition of the exercise include the Deputy Governor, Dr Pius Odubu, Secretary to the State Government, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, Chief of Staff to Government House, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, Civil Commissioners, among others.

Why I intervened

Continued from page 1 argument about the fact that so meone sits down and

makes estimates for what he thinks that a customer ought to pay, which may be understated or overstated.

“MD, you will recall the day I had the honour of receiving you in my office, when you formally introduced your company to us. I made some statements namely that privatization will lead to greater efficiency and I remember I told you that a private service provider cannot collect money for services not rendered, and therefore the challenge of privatization and the beauty of it is that you pay only for

what you consume and the service provider has certain obligations; both as a market player, but also in the eye of the law.

When I began to hear the complaints and about the protest, it just reminded me about the things that I said to you.

“For me, the issue here is not what the regulatory authority wants to do; they cannot regulate in such a manner as to compel someone to pay for something he has not consumed. If they seek to do that, they will be acting outside the law. No law in a democracy can empower anyone to collect money from anyone who has not

been offered a commodity or a service. If they so legislate, it will fail, because the primary document of the country which is the Constitution states that the State must protect the citizens, so it amounts to State collaboration if any State authority, maintained by tax payers money, uses its privileged position to regulate in a way that will lead to people paying for services they did not consume.

“I understand as part of your explanation that the reason why consumers must pay fixed charges even if they don’t get electricity for months is that whether or not the power is

Senate shifts burden of proof to INEC Continued from page 1

place the burden on the electoral umpire to rather prove the regularity of the conduct of its elections.

The politician opined that the bill, if passed into law, would shorten litigation time, make INEC live up to its responsibility and promote transparency, appealing to his colleagues to ensure its passage to second reading.

Part of his lead debate reads: “Mr President, Distinguished Senators, I am back again by your leave to lead yet another debate on a very important bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2010 and to vest the responsibility of proving the regularity of any election on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Election Tribunal or Court in Nigeria, “Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, it is not in doubt that the process of proving the regularity or otherwise of the conduct of an election is one process that is highly burdensome and ought not to be placed or vested in the petitioner who did not conduct the election, but only participated in it.

“The onus of proving the regularity of an election ought to be a burden to be discharged by the body or organization that prepared and arranged for the conduct of that election and thereafter went ahead to conduct the said election.

“It is settled under the law of evidence that “he who asserts must prove”. However, this bill seeks otherwise i.e. that the burden of proof of the regularity of the conduct of an election must first of all shift to the body that conducted the election.

The burden of first proof having been discharged by INEC, will then shift to the petitioner who

alleged that the election was not properly conducted, “I am encouraged to reason that if this bill becomes a law, it will shorten litigation time, make INEC live up to its responsibility and promote transparency.

However, in their contributions to the debate, Senators Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa West), James Manager (Delta South), Lidani Joshua (Gombe South), Victor Lar (Plateau South), Barnabas Gemade (Benue) and Gyang Pwjok (Plateau) all spoke against the bill saying that it would not promote more effectiveness in the running of the electoral system in anyway.

Senator Lokpobiri said, “I don’t know what this bill seeks to achieve. It runs contrary to the provisions of the Evidence Act, which says, “he who asserts must prove”. The provisions of the Evidence Act is a standard practice across the Commonwealth of nations.

The amendment has no merit and should be thrown into the dust bin”.

In his argument, Senator Manager said, “our legal system is against you asking somebody you are taking to court to come and prove something you are accusing him of. It is the litigant that needs to prove that what is done is wrong”.

He therefore, cautioned his colleagues against hurrying to take decisions on certain issues that might seriously injure the system while trying to find solutions to some fundamental problems.

“At this stage of our nascent democracy, it is good for us to do things in a manner that it will be easy for INEC to conduct elections that will be free, fair and credible. Let us not be in a hurry to do so many things at

the same time”, he advised.

According to Senator Joshua Lidani, “ the practicability of the law is the problem. The bill is against the kernel of our jurisprudence. All over the world, it is up to the complainant to prove that what was done is irregular, and not for the INEC to prove the regularity of elections. It is against the Evidence Act. It will open up a floodgate of litigations, which we cannot handle”.

In his position on the proposed legislation, Senator Victor Lar observed that the bill if passed, would work against the interest of politicians in electoral cases, saying, “it will stripe us of our powers and opportunity to defend our elections. INEC cannot come up after establishing the regularity of its election to reverse itself”.

While speculating that the bill might not achieve the intended motive, Senator Gemade advised the Senate to critically look into the electoral Act and see if the problem could be solved there through an amendment to some of its sections.

However, Senators Atai Aidoko (Benue), Abdul Ningi (Bauchi-PDP) and Atiku Bagudu threw their weight around the bill, asking the Senate to inject a change in the electoral system by passing the bill.

When put to voice vote, the bill passed to second reading after the sponsor sought the leave of the Senate to further explain the motive and necessity of the bill. He emotionally appealed to his colleagues to allow it pass, a request that was granted when the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session put it to voice vote.

distributed to them, someone has generated power and that person needs to be paid. I find that very laughable and completely offensive.

“The Electricity Regulatory Commission cannot endorse practices that bother on complete exploitation and my attitude is simple: if all the other people, the other States accept it, in Edo State we have a duty to protect our people against exploitation and we cannot endorse those practices and we reject them flat. If you generate power and you could not distribute it, why would you call on me to pay for it”, he asked.

Earlier, Managing Director of BEDC, Mrs Funke Osibodu said there are three main parties involved in power: The Generating Companies, the Transmission Companies and the Distribution Companies.

She said the fixed charge collected by the Distribution Company is for the whole chain.

She said the tariff is set by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) which engages all stakeholders before fixing the tariff. She said: “They set the tariff and then the Distribution Companies use the tariff to execute. We have highlighted that Benin was not the highest and it was not the lowest either.”

She admitted that the Distribution Company was involved in estimated billing, saying “it is true.”

Apostle Osasuyi asks women to partner men

By SWEET IDEMUDIA

BENIN CITY-The General overseer/ Spiritual Leader, Most Snr. Apostle J.E.E.O Osasuyi (MFR), has called on the women to see themselves as partners with men in their homes, stating that as men are the head of the home, the women are the neck, without which the head cannot move.

Apostle Osasuyi who gave the charge yesterday at the on-going National Women Convention of the Church in his special message titled: “I can Never Be Stranded Part 2”, also urged the women to be supportive of their husbands, instead of quarrelling and fighting with them.

He maintained that women and particularly the ministers’ wives should play the role of Christ’s mother in the church while in their homes they should be the peace builders irrespective of their financial situation.

“As Women, you should not conceive evil in your hearts, or allow jealousy and envy to take hold of your heart, because they are the root of all evil . For no cause should you compromise your faith, believe nothing else outside Christianity.

This is the only way you can be the home builder, not destroyer”.

Osasuyi who took his text from Daniel 3:22 and Daniel 6, further urged the women to imbibe the virtues of Faith, Patience, Godliness just as Shedrack, Meshack and Abednego did in the Bible.

The man of God prayed for all the women, both in Benin and beyond, for God to direct, guide and lead them aright and bless them so that they will not be stranded in their life’s endeavour.

Yesterday’s event was very unique as the Women were adorned in very colourful attires amidst choir ministration rendered by Uselu division of the church while a popular gospel artiste and member of the church, Evangelist Naomi who turned 51 years yesterday, also provided beautiful gospel songs to the glory of God

Ihonvbere urges electorate to shun money bags

Continued from page 1 The SSG said politics should be played within laid down democratic tenets, without undue influence or intimidation.

“Politics should be done without resorting to narrow mindedness cheap blackmail and criminal monetization of the political process”, he said.

The senatorial aspirant noted that “there is a battle to demonstrate why you want the seat”, adding, “I am only interested in the seat and not the position”.

Prof. Ihonvbere who appreciated the youths from Idegun Community for their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his senatorial

ambition assured of his resolve to give the desired representation to Edo North in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.

The SSG said government is aware of the infrastructual challenges confronting the Idegun Community, especially the absence of motorable roads, disclosing that the public schools in the community will soon receive attention.

President, Idegun Community Youth Network, Mr. Kadiri Abraham said the forum was in Government House to formally intimate the SSG of their resolve to support his senatorial ambition in appreciation of his charismatic posture and contributions to the community development so far.

SSS nabs 8 kidnap, internet suspects

our state safe. People Continued from page 1 make who risk their lives to make

was to dupe unsuspecting members of the public through various scams”.

Governor Oshiomhole who hailed the security agency for tracking down the kidnap suspects assured the officers and men of the agency of government’s continued assistance in their fight against crime, kidnapping and other vices in the state.

He said “as a government, we will continue to give you all the support that you need to continue to do your best.

Your men and officers are working round the clock to

others safe, only God can compensate them.

“We want to place on record the appreciation of the government and the people of the state for all that you are doing, taking risks, staying awake, so that the rest of our people can sleep with their eyes closed.

“In all these, I think the lesson is clear. All of us as parents must put our eyes on our children including those we think are adult because they are in the university. We must be interested in the company they keep and the

places that they visit”, he noted.

Oshiomhole advised “I hope that other young people would learn from this experience that crime does not pay. When you commit a crime it would certainly be discovered. I have come here several times to see young men and women who as a result of greed want to become rich overnight, abandon their decent jobs and opt for crime.

“We need to talk to our parents to educate their children against the get-richquick syndrome. We will continue to campaign to our people to be careful”, he said.

News Confab Leadership Urges Delegates To Opt For Consensus ABUJA-The leadership of the National Conference has appealed to delegates to work toward reaching a consensus on any issue proposed for decision to avoid voting.

Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi (rtd), told the delegates at the resumed plenary that the best means to arrive at decisions at the conference was through consensus.

Kutigi explained that consensus was better than voting, adding that delegates should only resort to voting when all measures to reach a consensus over any matter had been exhausted.

“The most important way in arriving at any decision in this conference is consensus.

“It is when consensus fails that we go for the 70 per cent and even to reach 70 per cent, the Chairman can adjourn twice or thrice before voting.

“When the consensus fails, the Chairman is allowed to adjourn to allow members to exhaust measures to reach a consensus.

“We are trying to bring Nigeria closer to consensus as much as possible,” Kutigi said.

The reports that the conference had, on Monday, adopted 70 per cent as the voting mode to be used in arriving at decisions at the conference.

Proceedings at the conference were stalled last week as delegates failed to reach a consensus on whether or not to adopt two-third or three-quarter majority in reaching decisions.

The particular issue in contention, Order VI Rule 3 of the Procedure Rule, provides that any decision in the conference shall be decided by at least a three-quarter majority.

However, while the majority of the delegates wanted the conventional two-third majority to be -adopted in arriving at decisions, some others wanted the three-quarter majority mode to be retained.

This necessitated the leadership to set up of the 50man consensus group by the delegates, to confer with the

principal officers so as to break the deadlock.

Consequently, the conference adjourned plenary for five days to enable the group and the principal officers engage in wider consultation over the lack of consensus.

At the resumed plenary on Monday, March 31, the Deputy Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, reported to the house that the group had agreed to the use of 70 per cent majority as mode for arriving at decisions of the conference, which was unanimously adopted.

Akinyemi said the consensus group worked in harmony to develop and put into effective use, the spirit of consensus building with the national interest at heart.

By TUNDE EIGBIREMOLEN

ABUJA - The INEC has assured that it would work hard to make Nigeria’s electoral system more inclusive in order to accommodate voting by citizens in diaspora.

Chairman of INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, gave the assurance when Sudirman Haseng, Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, led a delegation to his office.

Jega told Haseng that Nigeria had a lot to learn from Indonesia’s electoral experience.

“In Nigeria, we are doing our

best to open up our system for citizens in the diaspora to be able to vote.

“Unfortunately, there are presently legal inhibitions because our laws prohibit diaspora voting.

“But there is a provision in our law that requires every eligible person to cast ballot at the polling unit where he/she registered.

“The implication of the provision is that people in diaspora would have to come home to register and vote where they registered.’’

on Sunday, April 6, 2014.

The First Vice Grand President who made the appeal in an interview with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER Wednesday, said of the 51 new members initiated into the Order of the Knight of St. John Int’l, last December, about half were from Benin City and have decided to come together to thank God for the privilege to serve in the Knighthood Order.

The Grand Officer who also used the opportunity to appeal for more members, however, dispelled the rumour that the Order was a secret cult, maintaining that the Order which has about 700 members now was a highly disciplined one with a military orientation to defend the gospel and expand the evangelization frontiers of the Catholic Church.

He said: “It is true that the number of members is small compared to the huge followership of the Catholic Church. The reason is that we are having problems in getting members because most of them

Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere (right), welcoming President, Idegun Community Youth Network, Etsako West Local Government Area during a courtesy visit yesterday in Government House, Benin City.

KSJI Holds Thanksgiving Mass For New Members April 6

BENIN CITY – The First Vice-President, Benin Grand Commandery of the Knight of St John Int’l (KSJI), Sir (Dr) Effi Usen has urged all members of the Order, as well as other Catholic faithful and the general public to rally round new initiates of the Order whose thanksgiving come up

INEC Assures On Diaspora Voting

Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere (7th right), in a group photograph with members of Idegun Community Youth Network, Etsako West Local Government Area during a courtesy visit yesterday in Government House, Benin City.

do not have the correct perspective of what the Knight of St. John stands for.

“You don’t have to be a saint before you become a member of the Knight of St. John because we are in need of new members … What we do during initiations is to make people go through the passion of Jesus Christ. So because those days Initiations were done at night, people felt it was a secret cult, now initiations are being done in the day time. We even have most of our priests who are our spiritual advisers and directors as members”.

While emphasising that the

Order stands for truth, the Grand officer stated that over the years, very prominent members of the Knight of Saint John had held top positions in

One Year Remembrance • Sir (Dr) Effi Usen

NGO Back Assessment Test For Teachers BENIN CITY- A nongovernmental body known as Centre for Development and Cultural Interchange (CDCI) has thrown its weight behind the introduction of assessment test for teachers in public primary and secondary schools by the Edo State Government.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Executive Director of CDCI, Emmanuel Sule, made available to The NIGERIAN OBSERVER in Benin City.

It noted among others, the

• Emmanuel Sule

the country. According to him, they include former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odilli, former Edo State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Friday Itulah, former Ministers and Commissioner of Police and former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Victor Attah.

On the ongoing National Conference, Sir Usen charged members of the confab to be objective, open, sincere and stand for the unity of the country and what is good, in order to come out with a good recommendation at the end of the exercise.

poor standard of teaching in public schools in the state, and therefore called on all wellmeaning citizens of the state to support the state government by insisting that teachers in public primary and secondary schools in the state undertake the assessment test or face disciplinary actions.

According to the body”, it is an irony that teachers, who are supposed to support the state government in its bid to revamp teaching standard in public schools, are those opposing major reforms in the education sector. This shows their willingness to retain the status quo whereby incompetent teachers manage public schools to the detriment of thousands of children who attend these schools’.

CDCI therefore urged the Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to institutionalize the assessment test to enable the state periodically fish out unqualified teachers from public schools in the state.

BENIN CITY – The children of the late music maestro, Lugard Imade (aka Adaze Olololo 1) will tomorrow mark the one year anniversary of the demise of their father.

Adaze Olololo passed on April 5, 2013 after a brief illness.

A statement signed by Bright Imade for the family, said ; “We wish to remember you today 5th of April, 2014.

“It has been one year since you departed this world.

“We assure you that the memory lingers on and fresh; we miss everything about you – your golden voice, fatherly advice, jokes and love”.

• Lugard Imade

Across The Nation PTA Rehabilitates 30 Suspended Students OSOGBO- The Chairman, Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in Osun, Dr Ademola Ekundayo, has said that the association had rehabilitated no fewer than 30 secondary school students suspended for alleged cultism.

Ekundayo told newsmen in Osogbo that the rehabilitation was carried out in collaboration with the state government.

“The affected students, who went through religious, moral and academic training by renowned clergy, are now qualified to return to classrooms.

“The PTA organises training for the students at the secretariat of the association following their suspension,’’ he said.

He said the affected students had signed undertaking to be of good behaviour, adding that their parents had also attested to their good conduct The state government had in January suspended some students of Baptist High School, Osogbo, for alleged cultism and hooliganism.

The suspension followed a protest by students after the implementation of the government’s schools reclassification policy.

Law Week

Students Commend Law School

Cultural display by Women from Esan division during the National Women Convention of Christ Chosen Church of God Int’l.

Pineapple Expert Warns Diabetics IDO (EKITI)-A nutritionist, Mrs Cecilia Dolapo, has advised those with diabetes to refrain from excessive consumption of pineapple.

Dolapo gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Ido, Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti.

She said pineapple contains high sugar, adding that its excessive consumption was not good for the health of patients.

Dolapo, however, urged people with low blood sugar to eat pineapple regularly in order to boost their blood sugar level.

On other benefits of pineapple, the nutritionist urged people who wish to shed weight to eat the fruit “because it reduces weight naturally.’’

She also said regular intake of the fruit strengthens the immune system, explaining that the fruit has amino acids which help the body to overcome fatigue.

Dolapo enjoined farmers in the area to embrace pineapple farming, saying it was lucrative due to high demand for local consumption or for use as raw materials in juice making industries.(

Cultural display by Owerri Division displaying, the Igbo Culture at the National Women Convention of Christ Chosen Church of God Int’l.

4 Suspected Suicide Bombers Killed ABUJAMilitary authority has said that four persons believed to be terrorists/suicide bombers had died in Maiduguri.

The authority said the suspected bombers were heading to NNPC facility on Maiduguri-Damboa Road when they died in their vehicles laden with

Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) This information is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Defense Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade.

The statement said the explosions that led to their death took place at Mule in

the outskirts of Maiduguri.

According to the statement, three of the four explosive-laden vehicles were demobilised by shots fired at them by soldiers at the check point shortly before the explosions that rocked the area.

The statement said that occupants of the vehicles

were killed in the explosions.

“Five soldiers were wounded while the civilian casualties are yet to be determined”, the statement said, adding that more details of the incident would be released later.

He said the committee was set to investigate the management of the fund and the reasons behind the delay in the completion of the projects.

The chairman said the committee had met with some of the contractors handling the projects.

He said the completion of the projects had become necessary to enable the institution to access more funds for other projects.

Anichukwu directed the consultant to appear before the committee on April 8 or risk arrest.

“Our target is that while we are still investigating the projects, the job must go on as expected.

“The consultant is expected to be around now that work is going on for effective supervision and monitoring,’’ he said.

He said the the N1 billion fund which was for 2012

construct structures at the schools of engineering, entrepreneurship and the central library.

According to him, the projects were being handled by four contracting firms.

Responding on behalf of the three contractors present at the meeting, Mr Chuba Nwadiogbu of R9 Nig. Ltd, said the projects were initially delayed by lack of funding.

Enugu Assembly Threatens To Arrest ENUGU- A committee of Consultant could have been used to the Enugu House of Assembly has threatened to arrest a Tertiary Education Trust Fund consultant handling works at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu.

The Chairman of the Committee, Chief John Anichukwu (PDP-Nkanu East), told newsmen that the projects were billed for completion in 2013 and that the consultant was needed to explain the delay.

BWARI (FCT)-Mr Ahmed Mommoh, the Chairman, Students Representative of Nigerian Law School, Abuja chapter, has lauded the institution’s management for reviving the annual law week in the school.

Mommoh told newsmen in Bwari that this year ’s programme was important to provide students with the opportunity to recreate and interact during learning process.

The law week, which started on March 28, will end on April 5, with the theme: “Building bridges and falling fences”.

Mommoh said that for sometime, the yearly students’ week had stopped, which made the institution and its environment boring for students.

He therefore commended the school management under the leadership of Mr Olanrewaju Onadeko for reviving the law week.

“For sometime now, the law week idea was abandoned; we just started it again to promote new ideas in line with the commemoration of the nation’s centenary celebrations.

“It makes room for people to engage in various activities in unique ways; people get the chance to learning from each other as against common practice of receiving classroom lectures,’’ he said.

Momoh said that the programme would provide an opportunity to build bridges for establishing good friendship in line with the theme for this year.

“It encourages us to work together irrespective of ethnic, tribe or religion,” he added.

According to him, the week is the coming together of aspiring lawyers aimed at encouraging good neighbourliness among students within the learning environment.

“We cannot be very good at practicing law only by reading books alone; but by interacting, engaging in social activities and the gathering of new ideas can help improve our knowledge base.

“This law week is an avenue to garner different opinions and also understand one another better,” he said.

He said that the programme began with Jumat prayers that was held in the school premises and followed by footballs competitions, Niger Delta Day and a mini-trade fair.

“It will also feature cultural day celebration on April 3, Public Lectures/Award ceremony on April 4, and Gala Night on April 5,’’ he added.

News

LASG To Train Teachers

LAGOS - The Lagos State Government has reiterated its determination to train competent teachers who will help move the State forward in its bid to attain excellence.

Mrs. Olabunmi Fabamwo, Director-General, Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Magodo, Lagos disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the induction programme for newly employed teachers in Post Primary Teaching Service held at the Centre yesterday.

She explained that the present administration’s determination

to fulfill its commitment to the improvement of learning outcomes in educational institutions, was why the Governor of the State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola approved the implementation of the five day induction programme for 1,775 newly engaged probationary teachers into the State Teaching Service The DG added that distinguished stakeholders were consulted in order to ensure that the future educational administrators began their service on a sound footing,

noting that the programme is designed to introduce and integrate participants as probationary teachers into the culture, ethics, norms and values of the State Public Service According to her, “We believe that given the way we have worked with our collaborators on this project, we are sure that

these new teachers would have started their career with the necessary impetus for growth”.

Also in his remarks at the occasion, the Permanent Secretary, Teachers Establishment and Pensions Office, Mr. Ojora Adejiyan, stated that this is the first time in

the history of this administration that the education sector will conduct a unified formal induction training for newly employed teachers, stressing that it is a demonstration of the State’s Government commitment to the training of teachers and learning outcomes in our schools

While emphasizing the importance of the education in nation building, he urged the participants to be hardworking, disciplined, dedicated and to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the training to improve themselves in their chosen profession.

150 Ship Loads Of Rice LAGOS - Some importers in Diverted Lagos were accused of diverting over 150 shiploads of rice to ports in Benin Republic, Cameroon, Accra and Togo.

Princess Vicky Haastrup, Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), made this known to newsmen in Lagos.

According to her, Nigeria lost about 600,000 metric tonnes of rice between January and March 2014 to neighbouring ports due to government’s 110 per cent duty on rice.

“This is becoming rather unfortunate. Our economy is bleeding because of this policy.

The loss to other countries as a result of the high tariff on rice was over N300 billion in 2013.

“In the first quarter of this year alone, both government and private operators have lost at least N80 billion.

“Even the Federal Government, through the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs Ngozi OkonjoIweala, admitted the shortcoming of this policy.

“The truth is that the policy has done more harm than good to our economy and government should waste no further time before reversing it,’’ Haastrup said.

She said that the revenues affected by the 110 per cent rice policy included those of the Nigeria Customs Service, terminal operators, dock workers and the Nigerian Ports Authority.

Haastrup absolved the Customs for the high rate of smuggling of rice into Nigeria.

“It is wrong to blame Customs because it is doing its very best under the circumstance to check smuggling of rice into the country and that can be seen from the numerous seizures daily.’’

She said that smuggling would continue even if heavily armed officers were placed everywhere, since the local production was a far cry from the demand.

“There is a lot of pressure on Customs because the quantity of rice manufactured locally can only satisfy 30 per cent of local demand.

‘Don’t forget that our neighbouring countries are profiting from the policy by dropping their own tariffs on rice and because they are benefiting; they are supporting these smugglers,’’ Haastrup said.

She said the 110 per cent policy would not encourage local production, but rather stifle it due to the high rate of smuggling.

The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had in March, said the Federal Government was contemplating a downward review of tariff on imported rice.

Okonjo-Iweala, who disclosed this while answering questions at the ‘Budget 2014 Jam’ in Abuja, said that a drop in tariff would reduce smuggling of the commodity into the country.

She said that the existing 110 per cent duty on the importation of rice was encouraging smuggling of the commodity into the country.

The minister said that Nigeria was able to grow 1.1 million tonnes of rice following the introduction of the 110 per cent duty on the community.

She, however, said that the policy encouraged smuggling of rice into Nigeria because neighbouring countries had dropped their tariffs to 10 per cent.

“For rice, we decided to bring it down because we see that it is not working,” she said.

L-R: Former Governor of Lagos State, Sir Mobolaji Johnson, Lagos Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, The Deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, former Lagos Military Administrator, Vice Adm. Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), former Lagos Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and His wife, Abimbola, at the 2500 days in office of Governor Fashola in Lagos.

Fashola Wants Private Sector Participation LAGOS - Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has urged the private sector in Nigeria to deploy its ingenuity into the public sector to better the lot of the people.

Fashola spoke at the inauguration of the corporate headquarters of Business Day Newspapers in Lagos.

According to the governor, the richest deposit in the country is not in oil, but in its human capital.

He, therefore, called on active players in the private sector to drive the needed change in the public space.

“People have said there is a leadership problem in Nigeria, perhaps I will not want to concede to that line

of argument, as the country is a land of leaders.

“Unfortunately, we have left the richest human capital in the place where we need them least. It has all gone to the private sector.

“The idea and knowledge that initiated the office we are inaugurating today and other great things are more needed in the public sector,’’ the governor said.

Fashola said the country would be a better place if the

public sector attracted the people with the right competencies to turn things around.

The governor congratulated the management and staff of Business Day for the new edifice, which he said would enhance excellence and professionalism in the field of journalism.

Earlier, the Publisher of the newspaper, Mr Frank Aigbogun, described the new corporate headquarters, also

known as “The Brook”, as a centre of knowledge in journalism.

He said the building would serve as a launching pad for a digital platform, noting that it was established to respond to the demands of growing businesses.

Aigbogun used the opportunity to appeal to the state government to curb the activities of tankers and containers in Apapa metropolis.

Govt To Formulate Policies For Ethical Development

ABUJA - Dr Constantinos Costantinos, a Professor of Public Policy said that government was making plans to formulate policies for ethical development in the country’s civil service.

Costantinos, a guest speaker at

L-R: Akran of Badagry, Aholu Wheno Menu-Toyi 1; Alara of Ilara, Oba Akeem Adesanya and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, at the 2500 days in office of Governor Fashola in Lagos recently.

the 60th anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Public Service Commission, in Abuja noted that it would enhance competence and professionalism in the civil service.

He was represented by Prof.

Richard Levin, Secretary, African Association of Public Service Commission.

“The policies and strategies that directs a meritorious civil service development in Nigeria, emanates mainly from the various legislative and development strategies,’’ he said.

He noted that to meet this target, a proactive managerial as well as entrepreneurial team with capacity and will power was required in certain quarters.

Costantinos pointed out that the major challenge of ethical development was creating and putting to productive use quality individuals that can positively affect the economy.

“It is about having the ability to pinpoint talents and execute

human centred development programmes; to be able to participate meaningfully in the global economy.

“To meet this challenge is synonymous to meeting the development challenge at large,” he said.

He said that in the development of any country, politically neutral public service was the most critical in terms of both formulation and implementation of public policies.

Constantinos said that a careful study was required to build a core public service, which would focus on political, social and economic governance.

In her speech, Mrs Joan Ayo, the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission said that the celebration was necessary to acknowledge the efforts of “our founding fathers”.

“We want to showcase our founding fathers who work assiduously to build the public service,” she said.

Across The Nation Provide Enabling Environment For Corps Members, Orji Urges Employers

Spiritual Leader/General Overseer, Christ Chosen Church of God Int’l, Most Snr Apostle (Dr.) J.E.E.O. Osasuyi (MFR) flanked by Snr Apostle (Dr.) J. Onaghise (JP), Director of Land and Housing (left) and Snr Apostle (Dr.) D.E.O. Unuefe Ikhuiwu (JP), Director of Administration (right) at the on-going National Women Convention of Christ Chosen Church of God Int’l yesterday.

IGBERE (Abia) - Employers of corps members in Abia have been urged to provide the enabling environment, accommodation and welfare package that would enable them to perform creditably.

Governor Theodore Orji made the call on Tuesday at the closing ceremony of the ‘2014 Batch A orientation which took place at the NYSC permanent site at Igbere in Bende Local Government Area.

Orji promised to continue to support the NYSC in its programmes and activities for the betterment of the people.

Group Scores Governor Chime High NSUKKA (Enugu State) - A pressure group, Enugu Unity Forum, has scored Governor. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State high in his performance in the past seven years.

The National Secretary of the forum, Mr. Chuka Ezema, told newsmen in Nsukka on Tuesday that Chime had done well considering how the state was in 2007 when he assumed office.

Ezema listed areas where the governor made achievements to include the health, education and agricultural sectors.

Others are security, road construction and rehabilitation as well as the provision of amenities like pipe-borne water.

“Residents of Enugu State know the state of

infrastructural before Chime assumed office in 2007 and the improvement made now.

“The state can boast of good roads and wellequipped hospitals that provide free maternal and child health care.

“Enugu State under Chime is among the most peaceful states in the federation which has accelerated social and economic development,” he said.

Co-ordinator of the Chosen Women Fellowship, Most Snr Rev (Mrs.) Grace I. Osasuyi (JP), flanked by Snr Rev. (Mrs.) E. Onaghise (left), Snr Rev. (Mrs.) N. Unuefe Ikhuiwu (right) at the on-going National Women Convention of Christ Chosen Church of God Int’l yesterday.

Possession Of Fire Arms

DSS Arraigns Septuagenarian

ENUGU - The Department of Security Service (DSS) in Enugu has brought a 73- yearold farmer, Anthony Ugwueke, before the Federal High Court in Enugu for allegedly possessing firearms.

The accused person was arrested on a tip off in his house at Aninri Local Government Area on March 22, 2011.

The prosecution and DSS

counsel, Mr. James Nwanze, said the department raided his house with a search warrant at about 6 a.m. following a tip off and recovered 17 different types of firearms.

Nwanze said the department got information that the accused was providing firearms to armed robbers

Committee Recommends Establishment Of Military Barracks In ‘Rugu’ Forest KATSINA - The Katsina State Government committee on the recent gun attacks in Faskari and Sabuwa local government areas has called for the establishment of military barracks in ‘Rugu’ forest to provide security for nearby communities.

The Committee Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Maharazu Tsiga, made the call in Katsina

on Tuesday while submitting a report to Governor Ibrahim Shema.

He said that it had become necessary because of the number of people killed, injured and property lost in the attacks.

Tsiga urged the state and federal governments to equip security agents with logistics to adequately provide security for

lives and property.

He advised the state government to take measures that would discourage illegal possession of arms by people in the area.

Tsiga urged the Federal Government to raid the forest as directed by President Goodluck Jonathan during his two-day visit to the state.

The committee chairman

in the area.

“My client took him to its office in Enugu after the search where he made voluntary statement through one of the opera-

tives of the SSS. “The officer read, interpreted and explained his statement to him in Igbo language after which he thumb printed it,” he said.

urged stakeholders to give adequate support including security to members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in the various communities.

Yero gave the advice during the closing ceremony of the three weeks orientation camp for batch A, 2014 corps members in the state.

The governor, represented by the deputy governor, assured the corps members of the security

of lives and property during their service year in the state.

He said the state government places high premium on the security and welfare of all corps members serving in the state.

The governor therefore urged all stakeholders and employers to pay necessary attention to the welfare of corps members to make them comfortable.

He enjoined corps members

The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Agu Mkpa, urged the corps members to accept their postings willingly with the determination to excel.

“I wish to assure you that this administration and the good people of Abia will continue to provide the enabling environment for corps members to perform optimally in their chosen career,” he said.

He assured them that their security and well-being would be given the desired attention and monitoring.

The governor urged them to eschew any form of fear and move into their host communities with the determination to impact on the citizenry.

He charged the corps members to be guided by the rules and regulations of the service and also to respect the traditions of their host communities.

In her speech, the State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs. Victoria Okakwu, said the corps members went through rigorous physical, mental and moral re-orientation and had been repositioned for the next phase of the service.

Okakwu expressed the hope that with the various training they received in the camp, they were set to make great impact on the development of the state during the service year.

She explained that their postings were in line with the laid down rules and policies of the government and the Act establishing the scheme which was rural-based.

“Majority of you will be posted to the rural areas of the state where your services are most needed, so l urge you to accept your postings in good fate,” she said.

Governor Yero Urges Security KADUNA - Governor For Corps Members MukhtarYero of Kaduna State, to freely integrate with the host communities, learn their cultures and actively participate in their development efforts by initiating and executing viable community projects.

The governor also urged them to set performance target, which he said would propel them towards contributing their quota in improving rapid socio- economic development in the society.

Abuja

FG Stresses Commitment To Unity

ABUJA - The Federal Government has said that it would ensure adequate security of lives and property throughout the country.

Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said this when the participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) in the Institute for Security Studies, visited him.

Anyim said that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was determined to ensure security of Nigeria at all times.

“My greatest pride as a Nigerian is that I believe I have been given an opportunity to contribute to ensure that the security of this country is tight.

“To also make sure that there is peace, unity and progress; this is one opportunity that no person should play with.

“The present administration is working to make sure that Nigerians are safe at work, home, in the air, on the road and everywhere they go about doing their normal activities,” he said.

He said that the participants

Utako Motor Park Gets New Site ABUJA - The Minister of State for FCT, Ms. Olajumoke Akinjide, has said that the FCTA was ready to redevelop the Utako motor park, Abuja, into an ultra-modern transportation terminal.

Akinjide was speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FCTA and the Intercity Transport Terminal Limited (ITTL) in Abuja.

She said that the project would be executed through public/private collaboration at N22.2 billion.

She said that the new park would be built at Utako motor park permanent site, located in the Idu Industrial Layout in line with the FCTA master plan.

The minister said that the movement of the park was crucial to de-congest the city centre and develop its suburbs.

“We need modern parks in our city; we have to also address traffic congestion on our roads,” she said.

According to the minister, they have 48 months for completion from the date of execution of the agreement.

Akinjide said that the transportation terminal would have modern infrastructure such as a 200-room four-star hotel, shopping mall, fire station, clinic, police and petrol stations.

should insist on the highest degree of patriotism from the leaders and policy makers of the country.

He added that the course was to study issues surrounding security and that “Nigerians expect that you should come out with the best”.

“I want to assure you that efforts will be made to make this

course easy for you to undertake so that there is no reason for you to be distracted.

“We expect that you should give maximum attention to the course so that by the time you come out, the knowledge gained

will be visible.

“We all must learn to be understanding, tolerant, patient, accommodating and very disciplined,” he said.

The SGF said Nigerians were expecting a secured environ-

ment without which development could not be guaranteed.

Mr. Olalekan Odughemi, Director of the institute, said that the course was designed to equip the participants with the

required skills to handle complex security situations.

Reports stated that the course, which began on March 30, has 41 participants from different agencies in attendance.

544 Nigerians Voluntarily Returned From Switzerland - Swiss Govt ABUJA - The Swiss Federal Office of Migration (FOM) says a total of 544 Nigerian nationals previously living in Switzerland returned home in 2013 under its Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (VRRP).

This is contained in a statement issued by the FOM at the end the 5th Meeting of the Technical Committee for the SwissNigerian migration partnership on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to the statement, Nigeria is the third main country of origin for asylum seekers in Switzerland in 2013 with 1,764 asylum applications.

“The number of asylum applications from Nigerian nationals fell by 35.8 per cent in 2013 compared to the previous year,” the statement read.

On the number of Nigerians who voluntarily left the country, the FOM noted that in 2012 it supervised the departure of 441 Nigerians from the country.

Reports state that Nigeria’s delegation to the meeting was led by Amb. Abdulaziz Dankano, the under-secretary in charge of Economy and Consular, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dankano expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far since the last meeting of the Nigerian-Swiss migration partnership in June 2013 in Berne.

“We have noticed a lot of improvements; a lot of records have been set and a lot of achievements recorded under this partnership,’’ Dankano said without mentioning specifics.

He said that the achievements had led to increase in the number of voluntary return of Nigerians in Switzerland in “a dignified manner.”

He said that the returnees would have something to fall back on upon their return to Nigeria.

He said that Nigeria was committed to reducing irregular migration of its nationals to Switzerland through the existing agreement with the country.

Director-General, Federal Office of Migration, Switzerland, Mr. Mario Gattiker (left), with the Director, Consular and Immigration Services, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Abdulazeez Dankano at the 5th meeting of the Joint Technical Committee on Migration Partnership between Nigeria and Switzerland in Abuja recently.

WOTCLEF Reiterates Commitment To Fighting Child Trafficking ABUJA - The Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) has reiterated its commitment to reducing the scourge of child trafficking and labour in the country.

WOTCLEF National Coordinator, Mrs. Veronica Umaru, told newsmen in Abuja that there was an increase in cases of trafficking, saying “it is worrisome”.

“We are more committed to sensitising people and making them know how to identify any child that is being trafficked and report to authorities appropriately.”

“The rate of child trafficking in Nigeria is still very high, when we talk about trafficking; it is not only about young women going to European countries.

“We are also talking about children being trafficked daily from the rural areas to the urban cities like the FCT, as house helps, beggars, hawkers, mechanics and all sorts of exploitation,” she said.

Umaru refuted the claim that anti trafficking awareness had

made children not to have respect for constituted authorities, saying “WOTCLEF also teaches children their responsibilities”.

She said it was not the group’s desire for an outright ban against house helps, saying efforts should be geared toward their education and full integration as members of the society.

“WOTCLEF does not talk about only children’s rights but their responsibilities as well, we go back to our culture

International Chairman, Universal Peace Foundation, Dr. Chang Yang (left), with other members of Universal Peace Foundation, during a dinner in his honour in Abuja.

to advise the children to respect and help their parents and the society at large.

“We are not calling for a total ban of house helps because some families truly care for them, but couples who don’t, we urge them to treat these children as theirs because it is their right and is ideal for every child,” she stressed.

Umaru said there was need for more awareness and re-orientation on trafficking issues, saying many Nigerians believe sending a child to hawk in the street was part of culture.

She advised stakeholders to encourage children to participate in the fight against human trafficking and child labour.

“We need to continue to talk about this issue; it is not a oneway thing, everyone has a part to play; children are the future, so let us come together and put a stop to these acts.”

Umaru said that in spite of the enactment of the Child Rights Act in 2003, lack of proper implementation and enforcement had allowed the menace to continue.

Business + Economy

Enugu Targets Cassava Export ENUGU - The Enugu State Government said it would commence the exportation of 75 per cent of its pineapple, palm oil, honey, cassava, maize and other farm produce by 2015.

The state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry,

Dr. Jude Akubuilo disclosed this in an interview newsmen at the 25th Enugu International Trade Fair.

Akubuilo said the state would consume only about 25 per cent of its produce by 2015 in order to generate funds and create employment

and markets for farmers.

The commissioner said the increase in exportation would transform the standard of living of citizens and create wealth.

According to him, the state and local governments are partnering with the Nigerian

Export Promotion Council to actualise the plan.

Akubuilo said the partnership with the council would also ensure export quality and value enhancement.

“We are looking for products to tap for exports. We have plan to transition our

economy out of oil. We do not want to depend on oil or federal allocation.

“Enugu state is blessed.

There is enough land and production capacity in the state”, he said.

On the N1billion Bank of

Industry (BOI) fund meant for Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) in the state, the commissioner said the government would ensure its efficient distribution to most SME businesses.

Fuel Supply

NNPC/PPMC Say Normalcy Is Being Restored

Bauchi State Deputy Governor/Commissioner, Solid Minerals Development, Alhaji Sagir Saleh (left), with Gov. Isa yuguda of Bauchi during a visit to illegal solid minerals processing factory in Toro LGA, Bauchi recently.

ABUJA - The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its downstream subsidiary, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), have said that normalcy is being restored in the distribution of petrol across the country.

This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by Dr Omar Ibrahim, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC. The statement said the Man-

aging Director of PPMC, Prince Haruna Momoh, said this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream to brief it on the fuel situation in the country.

“With respect to fuel situation in the country today, the NNPC/PPMC and other marketers are jointly supplying fuel to the market.”

According to him, the long queues are beginning to disappear from most of the filling stations across the states.

“Our priorities are clear; we have to support industrialisation. Africa has a young population that is eager to work.

“Our young population is a tremendous advantage in the industrialisation process,” Chuma.

He said that ILO would encourage ECOWAS to examine how migration of professionals could be managed, to

be mutually beneficial to the region and individual countries.

He said that one of the things facing most West African countries was shortage of skills.

Chuma said that African economy had grown in the last few years but that it had not led to the transformation of the economy.

He noted that the economic growth had not resulted in significant jobs as expected.

Speed Up Industralisation, ILO Urges African Leaders

ABUJA - The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has urged African leaders to speed up industrialisation process, to create more decent job opportunities for their young population.

Mr. Aneneas Chuma, the new ILO Assistant DirectorGeneral and Regional Director for Africa, made the call

at a media parley in Abuja.

He said that only through industrialisation and less dependence on importation would the continent provide jobs for the youth.

Chuma said that the ILO was well aware of the tremendous challenges that youth unemployment posed

to its member-states, including Nigeria.

He noted that the ILO was greatly impressed by the efforts of both the federal and state governments in providing employment and income generation options for youths.

“There is no writing of cheques or moving around of cash like we used to do in old days. Everything is done electronically.

“Therefore, there are records for it. That is why I am giving you this record of over a billion as the agencies’ contribution to Nigerian economy from to 2010 to 2013,” she said.

Akporiaye, who is also Managing Director, Topaz Travels and Tours Ltd., said the revenues made by the government through ticket sales were also good for the Nigerian economy.

According to her, every travel agency has an average of five members of staff.

“I know that we have serious issues with employment and

every travel agency has an average of five members of staff and this can be more if the agency has branches in Abuja and Lagos.

“We have over 600 travel agencies in Nigeria with an average of five members of staff per office.

“Look at the number of employment that we are providing in the country. This explains why the travel agency is very important.

“Out of the total ticket sales of airlines, the travel agencies make 90 per cent of the ticket sales of any airline,’’ Akporiaye.

According to her, this translates to income for government through taxes that is why we are very important.

Travel Agencies Record N165bn In Ticket Sales ABUJA - Travel agencies in the country recorded over one billion dollars (N165 billion) in ticket sales between 2010 and 2013.

Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, the Deputy National President of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Akporiaye said the association got the data through the electronic ticketing system known as the Billing and Settlement Plan platform developed in 2010 by members.

“It is a system in which you issue ticket electronically and payment is made through the bank.

“Based on the 40 million litres national daily consumption, the NNPC/PPMC is responsible for 50 per cent of the allocation from the Petroleum Products and Pricing Regulatory Agency.

“Other marketers are responsible for the other 50 per cent.

“The NNPC/PPMC as the supplier of last resort ensured that when marketers withdrew from supplying, the country was sustained with the 50 per cent supplied from the inland and marine strategic reserves,” he said.

He explained that the NNPC/PPMC had to dip into its strategic reserves to keep the country wet with the product.

“As at today, the country has 14 days sufficiency and with the involvement of marketers in the importation of fuel, the strategic reserve will be restocked to 30 days sufficiency by month end.”

He stated that the NNPC/ PPMC maintained inland and marine strategic reserves so as to ensure energy sufficiency in line with the corporation’s mandate.

On the cause of the recent “tightness” in fuel supply, Momoh attributed the problem to the delay of subsidy payment to oil marketers.

Illegal solid minerals processing factory visited by Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi in Toro LGA of Bauchi State recently.

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT YESTERDAY (03/04/14) Stocks

Open

Close

Change

Deals

Units

Value

NAHCO

5.09

7UP

90

90

0

0

18,763

1,651,529.17

NASCON

11.86 150.25 1.45

ABCTRANS

0.97

0.97

0

0

27,500

26,470.00

NB

ACADEMY

1.8

1.8

0

0

3,000

5,130.00

NEIMETH

5.26

0.17

0

376,711

1,939,946.79

11.86

0

0

122,722

1,442,229.85

150.99

0.74

0

10,448,419

1,577,631,700.00

1.45

0

0

21,500

29,670.00

ACCESS

7.45

7.49

0.04

0

31,546,696

236,529,039.80

NEM

0.77

0.76

-0.01

0

827,148

620,721.96

AFRINSURE

0.5

0.5

0

0

3,500

1,750.00

NEWGOLD

2051

2037

-14

0

80

162,960.00

AFRIPRUD

3

2.9

-0.1

0

1,680,538

4,874,317.08

NIGERINS

0.5

0.5

0

0

7,000

3,500.00

AGLEVENT

1.4

1.4

0

0

26,279

37,892.13

NPFMCRFBK

0.93

0.97

0.04

0

822,700

771,639.00

AIICO

0.78

0.78

0

0

46,908

36,883.66

NSE30

1728.63

1732.93

4.3

0

214,401,201

4,181,996,387.00

AIRSERVICE

2.58

2.58

0

0

43,500

107,010.00

NSE50

1879.75

1883.8

4.05

0

237,781,691

4,276,502,553.00

ASHAKACEM

16

16.2

0.2

0

534,326

8,606,137.69

NSEASI

38469.33

38545.88

76.55

0

263,740,989

4,319,707,225.00

381.48

383.24

1.76

0

151,604,387

1,047,251,644.00

ASOSAVINGS

0.5

0.5

0

0

16,850

8,425.00

NSEBNK

AVONCROWN

1.48

1.41

-0.07

0

217,924

309,203.00

NSECNSMRGDS

959.82

960.07

0.25

0

21,447,976

2,325,394,080.00

2548.99

2542.6

-6.39

0

2,962,167

344,756,488.30 2,064,232.03

BERGER

9

9

0

0

115,104

1,033,868.84

NSEINDUSTR

BETAGLAS

19.95

19.95

0

0

10,835

216,160.75

NSEINS

136.12

135.32

-0.8

0

2,984,639

BOCGAS

6.66

6.66

0

0

30,000

189,900.00

NSELOTUSISLM

2735.08

2731.11

-3.97

0

11,477,487

993,895,231.10

CADBURY

75

73

-2

0

7,384,196

539,094,867.30

NSEOILGAS

288.25

295.19

6.94

0

3,484,116

73,281,556.98

CAP

40.62

38.62

-2

0

120,700

4,660,153.00

OANDO

15.7

16.48

0.78

0

3,278,274

53,542,135.87

CCNN

9.7

9.7

0

0

145,290

1,386,739.70

OASISINS

0.54

0.56

0.02

0

4,064,900

2,152,248.00

CHAMPION

13.79

13.79

0

0

20,000

262,200.00

OKOMUOIL

42

42

0

0

10,275

409,972.50

CHAMS

0.5

0.5

0

0

500

250

OMATEK

0.5

0.5

0

0

200

100

CILEASING

0.5

0.5

0

0

58,974

29,487.00

PAINTCOM

1.64

1.64

0

0

843

1,412.46

1.57

1.57

0

0

2,220

3,330.00

CONOIL

51.9

51.9

0

0

21,207

1,045,717.17

PHARMDEKO

CONTINSURE

1

0.95

-0.05

0

360,100

344,700.00

PRESCO

42

42

0

0

81,065

3,456,351.90

CORNERST

0.5

0.5

0

0

963,234

481,617.00

PRESTIGE

0.56

0.56

0

0

6,430

3,729.40

COSTAIN

1.39

1.35

-0.04

0

187,554

254,260.90

PZ

31

31.03

0.03

0

539,728

16,734,448.05

COURTVILLE

0.56

0.55

-0.01

0

320,190

175,019.60

REDSTAREX

4.47

4.47

0

0

42,000

186,400.00

CUSTODYINS

2.16

2.2

0.04

0

1,855,674

4,098,039.76

RESORTSAL

0.5

0.5

0

0

200,000

100,000.00

CUTIX

1.97

1.88

-0.09

0

118,075

221,988.00

ROYALEX

0.6

0.62

0.02

0

403,746

246,830.82

DANGCEM

235

235

0

0

946,669

222,404,432.90

RTBRISCOE

1.22

1.16

-0.06

0

386,647

459,167.95

DANGFLOUR

8.34

8.4

0.06

0

261,356

2,202,770.06

SCOA

5.06

5.06

0

0

100

481

3.61

3.7

0.09

0

3,566,004

12,985,067.41

DANGSUGAR

9.94

9.7

-0.24

0

408,978

3,975,742.73

SKYEBANK

DEAPCAP

0.99

0.99

0

0

100

95

SOVRENINS

0.5

0.5

0

0

10,000

5,000.00

20.5

21.01

0.51

0

1,536,539

32,339,429.14

DIAMONDBNK

6.5

6.41

-0.09

0

8,824,320

57,152,085.52

STANBIC

DNMEYER

1.16

1.16

0

0

575

662.25

STERLNBANK

2.47

2.5

0.03

0

17,584,492

43,832,894.58

DUNLOP

0.5

0.5

0

0

100

50

THOMASWY

0.79

0.79

0

0

10,000

7,600.00

EKOCORP

3.72

3.72

0

0

100

354

TOTAL

172.95

181.45

8.5

0

48,185

8,268,239.30

ETERNA

3.99

3.99

0

0

30,419

115,592.20

TRANSCORP

3.8

3.62

-0.18

0

10,547,982

38,294,177.30

ETI

13.13

13.19

0.06

0

257,395

3,389,551.73

TRANSEXPR

2.26

2.36

0.1

0

935,643

2,171,614.52

FBNH

12.45

12.5

0.05

0

17,742,168

221,744,192.00

UAC-PROP

26

26

0

0

672,105

17,509,947.16

FCMB

3.6

3.58

-0.02

0

5,767,809

21,125,737.37

UACN

54

54.8

0.8

0

1,864,733

101,755,977.10

FIDELITYBK

1.92

1.93

0.01

0

73,484,530

143,104,735.90

UBA

7

7.1

0.1

0

10,971,500

77,445,141.43

2.58

2.46

-0.12

0

7,831,480

19,505,122.05

FIDSON

2.85

2.9

0.05

0

384,478

1,106,155.48

UBCAP

FLOURMILL

70.9

70.5

-0.4

0

374,486

26,260,436.04

UBN

10

10.49

0.49

0

928,768

9,723,720.58

FO

101.29

101.29

0

0

94,798

8,904,297.44

UNIC

0.5

0.5

0

0

10,000

5,000.00

FORTISMFB

6.27

6.27

0

0

650

3,874.00

UNILEVER

46.1

46.1

0

0

137,670

6,380,459.91

FTNCOCOA

0.5

0.5

0

0

155,000

77,500.00

UNITYBNK

0.5

0.5

0

0

2,310

1,155.00

GLAXOSMITH

70

70

0

0

7,630

535,908.60

UNIVINSURE

0.5

0.5

0

0

84,000

42,000.00

GNI

0.5

0.5

0

0

209,500

104,750.00

UPL

4.38

4.38

0

0

36,060

150,420.20

GUARANTY

26.02

26.05

0.03

0

10,514,726

273,590,866.30

UTC

0.53

0.51

-0.02

0

1,298,647

678,309.97

GUINEAINS

0.5

0.5

0

0

11,000

5,500.00

VETGRIF30

17.28

17.33

0.05

0

10

173.3

4.2

4.05

-0.15

0

165,588

664,649.05

GUINNESS

195

195

0

0

237,424

46,080,770.18

VITAFOAM

HONYFLOUR

3.65

3.67

0.02

0

397,550

1,461,560.50

WAPCO

109.72

109.3

-0.42

0

970,325

106,225,595.00

0.77

0.74

-0.03

0

639,919

473,636.01

IKEJAHOTEL

0.6

0.6

0

0

560,144

336,131.20

WAPIC

INFINITY

1.64

1.64

0

0

7,030

11,257.50

WEMABANK

0.92

0.9

-0.02

0

521,603

474,663.20

ZENITHBANK

21.38

21.4

0.02

0

10,988,845

232,856,772.00

INTBREW

27.8

26.41

-1.39

0

882,224

23,302,871.84

INTENEGINS

0.59

0.59

0

0

165,039

97,088.29

JAPAULOIL

0.5

0.5

0

0

2,273,800

1,136,900.00

JBERGER

70.85

70.85

0

0

31,308

2,107,943.18

LASACO

0.5

0.5

0

0

10,000

5,000.00

LAWUNION

0.5

0.5

0

0

10,000

5,000.00

LEARNAFRCA

2.04

2.04

0

0

52,100

101,199.00

LIVESTOCK

3.29

3.19

-0.1

0

645,035

2,071,737.02

MANSARD

2.11

2.11

0

0

19,800

42,394.00

MBENEFIT

0.5

0.5

0

0

10,100

5,050.00

MOBIL

125

125

0

0

11,233

1,405,575.00

MULTIVERSE

0.5

0.5

0

0

100

50

TOP 10 GAINERS Stock NSEASI TOTAL NSEOILGAS NSE30 NSE50 NSEBNK UACN OANDO NB STANBIC

Close 38545.88 181.45 295.19 1732.93 1883.8 383.24 54.8 16.48 150.99 21.01

TOP TOP 10 10 LOSERS GAINERS Gain 76.55 8.5 6.94 4.3 4.05 1.76 0.8 0.78 0.74 0.51

Stock NEWGOLD NSEINDUSTR 6.39 NSELOTUSISLM 3.97 CAP CADBURY INTBREW 1.39 NSEINS WAPCO 0.42 FLOURMILL DANGSUGAR 0.24

Close 2037 2542.6

Loss -14 -

2731.11

-

38.62 73 26.41

-2 -2 -

135.32 109.3

-0.8 -

70.5 9.7

-0.4 -

THE Federal Government recently said it had concluded plans to change the nation’s education policy of 9-3-4 system to a 1-6-3-34 education structure. Former Minister of education, Prof. Ruqquayat Rufa’i while announcing the imminent change, said the proposed structure would be a remodification of the current 9-3-3-4 system which came into effect in 2009 when the old 6-3-3-4 system was dropped.

The Minister said 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

THE NIGERIAN

Need To Harmonise Nigeria’s Educational Policies 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 were the issues being pursued by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities who recently look 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.

ONE of the directives Almighty Allah gave to the believers was that we should all follow the footsteps of our Holy Prophet Muhammad, so that we can be amongst the successful ones both in this life and in the hereafter. We must all follow and emulate him because ALLAH has given the directive.

In chapter 33 v 21 of the Glorious Qur’an, Almighty Allah says that: “Verily, you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model for him who hopes to meet Allah and the last day and who remembers Allah much.”

Beside the above divine statement, Almighty Allah sent him as a witness and a bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner.

As a Summoner unto Allah by His command as a light-giving Lamp and a Saviour to the illiterate.

Announcing to the believers the glad tidings that they will have great bounty from Allah.

And that we should not follow the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and that we should overlook their annoying talk and put our trust in Him (Allah). For Allah is sufficient as a guardian. (33:47-49) The Prophet was humanity noblest example and a perfect model in beauty and beneficence. In all the various facets of his variegated life and character he stands unrivalled and an excellent exemplar for men to copy and follow.

His whole life lies before the flood-light of History. He started life as an orphaned child and ended it by being the arbiter of the destinies of the whole nation. As a boy he was sedate and dignified and at threshold of youth he was a perfect example of moral virtue, righteousness and sobriety.

In middle age he won the title of AlAmin (The Trusty and Truthful) and as a businessman he proved himself to be most honest and scrupulous. He married ladies both much older and much younger than himself and all of them swore by his faithfulness, love and godliness.

As a father, he was most affectionate and as a friend most loyal and considerate.

When entrusted with the great and difficult task of reforming a corrupt society and subjected to persecution and exile, he tolerated it all with dignity and decorum.

He fought as a soldier and commanded armies. He faced defect and won victories.

He legislated and decided cases. He was a statesman, a teacher and a leader of men and a Head of State.

Without a standing army, without a body guard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue, if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a right Divine, it was Muhammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports.

He would do his household work with his own hands. He would sleep upon a leathern mat, and his menu consisted of dates and water or barley bread, and after having done a full day of multi-farious duties, he would spend the hours of night in prayer and supplications till his feet got swollen.

Almighty Allah revealed to one of the Prophets of the Children of Israel whose name was Sha’ya’ (Isaiah) ‘Stand up among your people the Children of Israel and I shall cause your tongue to utter (words of) revelation. I shall send an unlettered (Prophet) from among the illiterate (people).

Voice Of

Islam

Every Friday With Mallam Abdulfattah Enabulele Chief Imam of Benin

Follow up your prayers with the spirit of tolerance.

The Spirit Of Tolerance (1) He will not be harsh or severe, or noisy in the marketplaces. If he were to pass by a lamp, it would not be extinguished, because of his tranquility. If he were to walk on reeds no sound would be heard from under his feet. I will send him as a bearer of glad tidings and as a Warner, who will never utter immoral speech. Through him I will open blind eyes, deaf ears and sealed hearts. I will guide him to do every good deed and I will bestow upon him every noble characteristic. I will make tranquility his garment, righteousness his banner, piety his conscience, wisdom his speech, truthfulness and loyalty his nature, tolerance and goodness his character, truth his way, justice his conduct, guidance his leader, Islam his nation. Ahmad is his name and through him I will guide people after they have gone astray, teach them after they have been ignorant, raise their status after they were nothing, make them known after they were unknown, increase the number (of followers of the truth) after they have been few, make them rich after they have been poor, and bring them together after they have been divided. Through him I will bring together different nations and hearts, and reconcile opposing desires. Through him I will save great numbers of people from their doom. I will make his Ummah the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; they will enjoin good and forbid evil, sincerely believing in Me Alone and accepting as truth all that My Messengers have brought. I shall inspire them to glorify praise and magnify. Me Alone in their places of worship and in their gatherings, when they lie down and when they return home. They will pray to Me standing and sitting. They will fight for the sake of Allah in ranks and armies. They will go forth from their homes by the thousand, seeking My pleasure, washing their faces and limbs, girding their loins.

Their sacrifice will be their blood and their holy Book will be in their hearts. They will be like monks by night and like lions by day. Among the members of his family and his offspring I will make those who are foremost (in faith) and believers in the truth and martyrs and righteous people. His Ummah after him will lead people with truth and establish justice therewith. I will give strength to those who support them and help those who pray for them, and I will inflict defeat upon those who oppose them or transgress against them or seek to take something from their hands. I will make them the heirs of their Prophet, calling people to their Lord, enjoining what is good, forbidding what is evil, establishing regular prayer, paying the Zakah and fulfilling their promises. Through them I will complete the goodness which I started with the first of them. This is My bounty which I bestow upon whomsoever I will, and I am the Possessor of great bounty.”

The Prophet is the greatest human personality created by Allah who witnessed and encountered different types of difficulties and persecution during the process of establishing Islam in Arabic peninsula in particular and the whole world in general.

One of moral lessons we should all learn from the life and time of the Prophet is the Spirit of Tolerance.

“As a truthful and sincere Muslims, every one of us must imbibe the moral virtue of tolerance exhibited and practiced by the Prophet of Islam especially when dealing with every human being whether Muslim or not”

What is Tolerance, if I may ask? It is the willingness or ability to tolerate somebody or something. It can also be defined as the process of allowing something that one dislikes or disagrees with, without interfering.

There is need at this junction to state some examples of how the Holy Prophet exhibited the spirit of tolerance during his interaction and encounter with people.

1. A group of Jews asked permission to see the Prophet and they said As-samu alaykum (Death by upon you).

A’ishah replied: Rather may death and curses be upon you.

The Prophet said: O A’ishah, Allah has enjoined tolerant and kindness in all things.

She responded: Did you not hear what they said?

The Prophet replied: I did and I answered Wa’alaykum (and also upon you).

Even when Jews rain abuses and curses on the Prophet, he displaced high sense of tolerance towards them.

In the above Hadith, some Jews sought audience with the Prophet and due to their jealousy and hatred of the last and final Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad, they twisted the beautiful greeting of peace into a wish for the Prophets death. Allah’s messenger being the pinnacle of morality and character, simply replied in a very mild but straightforward manner. “And also upon you.” However, his beloved wife A’ishah naturally was not amused by the Jews behaviour towards the messenger of Allah.

Therefore, she was harsh and coarse in her response to them, and wished them not only death but also many curses. The Prophet immediately interjected and corrected that rough and harsh behaviour, even thought the Jews were the ones in the wrong. He told A’ishah that Allah has prescribed kindness and tolerance in every manner.

Due to this magnanimous behaviour of Allah’s messenger towards the Jews, Allah defended the personality of the Prophet and revealed a number of verses exposing the Jews and their uncouth behaviour towards the Prophet.

2. Who will save you now?

On his way back to Madinah, the Prophet lay down to rest under a tree, his sword hanging from a branch. The rest of the people also fell asleep under the trees.

Suddenly the idyll was disrupted with the arrival of a polytheist. He crept up and grappled the Prophet’s sword and asked him menacingly, “Do you fear me?”

“Not at all”, the Prophet replied, barely awake, but not at all perturbed. The polytheist asked, “who will save you from me now?”

“Allah,” the Prophet replied calmly. The sword fell from the stranger’s hand, and the Prophet seized it and posed the same question to him, “Who will save you from me now?”

“You have me now,” the failed polytheist said, pleading for mercy, and mercy was shown to him. Then the Prophet asked the man to place his faith in the oneness of Allah, but he demurred, pledging instead never to fight the Muslims nor to support others against Islam. He walked away as a free man, and to his people he said, “I come to you after meeting the best of mankind.”

The Prophet did not force him to embrace Islam neither did he harm him. This is one of the highest level of tolerance ever exhibited by any human being.

Insight SINCE independence, corruption has been the singular sordid issue impeding development in Nigeria. Fiscal loots by past leaders and public office holders have merged with recent scandals, exposing Nigeria’s who have bank accounts in different parts of the world and a retinue of government contracts awarded to huge population of ghost contractors and failing banking industry.

An endemic environment for corruption is captured in a survey published by the USAID/Nigeria and Afro Barometer in December 2000.

According to report titled Down to Earth: Changes in Attitudes towards Democrat and Markets in Nigeria “the incidence of bribery is highest for getting a child into school.” This is followed by bribery for household services and bribery to avoid problems with the police. Following these is bribery for obtaining documents or permits (such as a driving license and bribing to secure employment into federal and state para-ministries). In general, the survey is decisive in its findings that “corruption impedes the performance of public agencies and has the potential to undermine the legitimacy of the political system.”

Yet, few leaders consider youths a potent source of solutions to these ills. In fact, little acknowledgement is given to the fact that youths are critical partners in governance. Rather, youths have been used as conduit pipes to successfully execute scores of these dastardly acts including political thuggery.

For good or for bad, any society that intends to engage in widespread campaign to introduce sweeping changes must employ the services of its youths. From the French Revolution of 1789, to the struggle by Lenin in Russia, to the South African Struggle that eventually subdued apartheid in the last century, the effective mobilization and deployment of youths were maximally applied with resounding success.

Youths symbolize the capacitor that stores the energy of a society. Because they are young and energetic, the potential to carry each phases of

a struggle to its conclusion is high. This principle is used by armed forces, who engage fresh youths on annual basis. Of their lives to put into the fight.

Therefore, their introduction, training, and participation should be central to the anticorruption “war” Where older people in a society, due to their age and experience, take on the responsibility to fashion out appropriate laws for the society, the younger ones ought to be used to effect and sustain whatever changes such laws are meant to defend. Clearly, the youths also epitomize longevity. Reputable institution the world over may be manned and controlled by adults but successful ones are sustained by drawing from the population of nation youths. Sustained incursion on any adversary be it physical or in principle is only possible by bringing in young ones who have more of their lives to put into the fight.

Therefore, their introduction, training, and participation should be central to the anticorruption “War effort” such as EFCC and ICPC. Where older people in a society, due to their age and experience, take on the responsibility to fashion out appropriate laws for the society, the younger ones ought to be used to affect and sustain whatever changes such laws are meant to defend. Clearly, whether now or future the responsibility to reduce corruption will eventually fall on youths of today, Effort should therefore be made to include selected youths early in the struggle to understand and curb corruption.

An independent committee on corruption could be established to consider the involvement of youths in the anti-corruption crusade. Their mandate may include the mobilization, training, selection and development of youths throughout the federation towards a successful anticorruption campaign. This will serve to create more awareness, while injecting fresh hand to sustain it. it will also function as a public stimulant in the anticorruption campaign. This implies that youths would be vested with the responsibility of contributing to leadership.

Role Of Youths In Fi Youths may also be invited in mainstream participation by introducing anti-corruption strategies into tertiary institutions.

This could take the form of anti- corruption education, either through a civic education programme or as part of the school curriculum.

For example, anti-corruption associations may be formed and manage by youths of independent minds who may set about searching for peaceful solutions to problems of corruption in their community and in the larger society. There are many people in the universities who are dissatisfied with the state of corruption in the country but are unable to do anything about it simply because there are no channels to work with. Such associations, when formed may find it necessary to network with established anti-corruption institution. NGOs and other civil society organizations. This would provide them with opportunities to learn more about corruption and appreciate in greater details the problems the nations leadership is faced with.

It is important that reputable anti-corruption agencies organize anti-corruption rallies aimed at using at least ten million youths. The rally would amount to a public statement no good leadership can ignore. A statement of this magnitude would go down in history and would set the tone that would redefine anti-corruption.

The reduction of corruption is a task we must fulfil, a project we must carry out. It is a promise we must keep in other to change the face of our country. To do this we must allow our youths to identify with our goals.

The youths must avoid a spill over of generational precedent as regard corruption in order to be in a position to tackle the scourge which has eaten deep into our economic and political fabric.

The youth involvement in Terrorism, Militancy, Robbery and Kidnapping instead of harnessing their strength and Talents in Nation building is a

By SHOLA MARTIN OSAWE

misplacement of focus, however from a recent research on youth and attitude. It was discovered that majority of the youth involve in this dastardly acts are either mentally deranged due to frustration, dejection, depression, suppression and a failing social political system that fail to harness the overall talents of

west but they got hooked up in North Africa, that is able to provide them the comfort Nigeria deprived them.

The hopelessness of the youth could be attested to the failure of the government especially our educational system which caters only for those who can afford it, thereby creating a 40% illiteracy rate among the youth.

order to open up the Rural areas for industrialization, farming and to sustained and avoid rural urban drift. We are witness to situation where chairmen of local government and councilors even staff of such local governments shuttle from the state capital where they are based to the local government councils were they work. If this unpatriotic attitude continues it means we are just scratching the

Mohammed Abubakar, Inspector General of Police their youths, especially in the areas of employment. Youths, in one of my write up titled Edo Youth and the Valley of Death on how hundred of youths perish across the Sahara desert on their way to Libya for greener pasture. Nigeria is by far the richest country in Africa, Egypt for instance depends on Aids and Tourism from wealthy countries, because the wealth of countries like Libya has been harnessed for the overall benefits of the Libyans, it became attractive to the Nigerian youths, although their main aim was destined for the

“Where older people in a society, due to their age and experience, take on the responsibility to fashion out appropriate laws for the society, the younger ones ought to be used to affect and sustain whatever changes such laws are meant to defend. Clearly, whether now or future the responsibility to reduce corruption will eventually fall on youths of today, Effort should therefore be made to include selected youths early in the struggle to understand and curb corruption.”

The 60% of the youth who are well grounded socially, politically, economically and Educationally should rise up to fight corruption from all indication, Those contesting for political offices such as chairman and councilors of local govt. are basically 60% youth, they should avoid a generational scourge of going there for the purpose of lining their pockets, their ultimate objective should not be basically political or economics gains, an obnoxious self enlighten interest, it should not be an opportunity to be among the who is who in social circles, ride the latest Jeeps and build a palatial home to the detriment of the electorates, Nigerians are being more sensitive about the placement of the right persons in the right places not the other way round, the Local Government allocation should and must be spent on good roads ( not grading) hospitals, schools, sports facilities etc. in

surface with regard to opening up the rural areas for accelerated development.

The effectual outcome of the average Nigerian politician is that, the moment they clinch a political position or appointment it becomes an opportunity to enrich oneself and that of their immediate relatives, it becomes a celebration of self, like the Gold Rush in the early life of America, like the incessant stealing of our crude, some of those people involved believed it is their right to steal the common wealth of the Nation, may be by coincident they came from the areas that produces the Crude, That also give them the right to destroy facilities and vandalize pipelines even to the extent of destroying lives of fellow Nigerians. A friend of mine told me of recent from his base in Sweden: That it is abnormal to live in an abnormal society, I asked him if he thinks I was

abn bac abn T Nig clan Har Crim wil the wh pos ille that Oba of trea oth ten the wer var and bein tele ma gran bill con hon for fath T allo gen clan mu pow dia mig chie fede wri you figh Nat has eco

Ibra

Insight

ghting Corruption

normal? I asked him to come ck home to help fix the normal situation.

The obnoxious attitude of the gerian youth in such ndestine groups as Boko ram, Niger Delta militant etc. minalities against the Nation l never go unmentioned in annals of Nigerian history ether the struggle was sitive or negative or legal or gal, the greatest president t never rules Nigeria chief afemi Awolowo was accused trump up charges of asonable felony with 29 ers and were jailed between and fifteen years, the arms y claimed they imported re never seen but today the ious dangerous, destructive d sophisticated arms are ng paraded and shown on our evision and news papers, ny of their leaders are nted amnesty and awarded lions of naira worth of ntract, many have been noured with chieftaincy titles raising arms against their her land.

This precedent must not be owed to persist; the nerational transfer of this ndestine and obnoxious act ust be discouraged by the wer that be, not just by alogue but by the federal ght of the commander in ef of the armed forces of the eral republic of Nigeria. This ite up should motivate the uth to take a new stand in hting the evils against the tion. The canker worm that eaten deep into our political, onomic fabric. Corruption at

all levels, Terrorism, militancy, kidnapping Robberies, sectarian crisis, the gun men syndrome.

The youths can rise in protest against this anomalies in our Nation after all, those involved in this defection is infinitesimal compared to the 99% of the Youths to be involved in this mass protest to stop this crack

in our Nation Building. One could not even imagine a situation where a youth should place a bomb on October lst to destroy fellow Nigerians Just for the fun of it not to agitate for any cause, Nigerian youth should re-defined their role in Nation building and be more creative, this can keep them

away from criminal activities.

Edo state became one of the luckiest state in the federation and because of the prayers of the saints, God repackaged and dispatched a good leadership in the person of comrade Adams Oshiomhole to be governor of a state that was eaten deep by the locust and canker worms of

Corruption In Nigera:

Of View

CORRUPTION is a global phenomenon, intelligible only in its social context. It can be defined as anti-social behaviour conferring improper benefits contrary to legal and normal norms which undermines the authorities capacity to secure the welfare of citizens (O. O. Osoba; Corruption in Nigeria: A historical perspective). Also, much has been written on this concept, as it is a canker worm that has pervaded the entirety of the fabric of this nation. A county that is so blessed with natural resources, the 2nd largest deposit of Bitumen in the world, One of the largest producers and exporters of cocoa and cassava in the world, The most populous black nation in the world, with a population of about 160 million people (Effective man power to drive development), the largest exporter of crude oil in Africa etc.

Furthermore, the list above has not fully exhausted the resources available in this great nation, not to talk about the

ahim Lamorde, EFCC Chairman

immeasurable contents in the minds and brains of the teeming youths and other population of this great nation. One wonders that with all these, why is this nation still like this? Why a nation divided into three by water cannot make available portable water to its population (According to SERAP, during the celebration of the World water Day, The percentage of Nigerians that have access to clean , functional and portable water supply is less than 40%), one wonders why you cannot go to the market and buy materials without fear of buying the fake products, one wonders why the nation cannot enjoy uninterrupted power supply, one wonders why insecurity has been the issue of the day, the wonder continues on the quality of education available to the leaders of tomorrow?...the list of the wonder continues, but my emphasis today is not so much on the worsening case of corruption in this nation but on the roles that can be played by the citizens of this nation.

Also, back in the days when I was in Secondary school (just about 4yrs ago), it was not difficult to hear during discussions that when I grow up and become a politician, “I will embezzle money ehen, me sef must chop out of the national moin moin now”,” All my family will not suffer again” etc, and these are the future of this nation! What then is the fate of this nation, if the leaders of tomorrow have these kinds of notions about the political offices of servitude? Though, they might have excuses since the kind of society we were born into, is that which sees corruption as a way of life and the norm. But that is the brain behind this piece, how can corruption be wiped out from the point of view of the citizenry? I believe things can be made well! I still believe in Nigeria, I believe in the possibility of a nation that is a reflection of her resources, I

bad governance, that was why in my last write up was titled Gov. Oshiomhole: our beloved son in whom we are well pleased. He has become a beacon of hope and light to the people of Edo State. Because he has refused to lament in agony with the electorate, instead he became a formidable inspirator of his people.

In order to create a stable and egalitarian society, government at all levels should not tolerate

criminalities of any type and dimension that can lead to insecurity of lives and properties, this category of clandestine and dangerous gang should not be given a safe landing such as amnesty that pampered criminals to always want to reinforce to deal with a perceived weak government.

Our youths as compatriots Nigeria call obey to fight the dreaded MONSTERS.

Another Point

By OLUGBEMIRO O. MICHAEL

strongly believe that the sleeping Giant can wake up again (at least she is not dead), I believe that a time will come when people will wake up with belief for greatness and prayer for the nation, A time when the thought that will be prevalent in the minds of people of this nation is adding to the society and not greedily coveting the resources for personal gains.

Let me begin, with the education system, one of the best places to start the reorientation of what the nation needs is from the school. The right way of living, should be hammered in from the lowest of classes, I am aware of Civic education and Social studies, but the curriculum of these subjects could be enlarged to accommodate conduct of the citizenry. Focus on what the citizens can do, and not too much emphasis on what the nation will do for you, patriotism should be encouraged through various means and speakers could be invited to talk to these young ones about the beauty of a corruption-free society.

Symposia, lectures, seminars etc, where youths, children and students can express their views should be conducted, this can be an opportunity for, the mindset of the students to be know and corrected early if necessary, orientations can easily be built in the school. More attention should be put in the sociocultural and extra- curricular strengths of the educational system. Teachers! You have a role to play in stamping corruption out of this nation; I have heard teachers in classes encouraging corruption through various means: which have catastrophic long term effects.

Furthermore, we have always thought of corruption as only on the part of the government officials, or those with varying degree of influences. But it begins from the teacher that wants to be blocked for students to pass, the lecturer that says a female student will not pass

until she sleeps with him, when students are intimidated in various forms, Examination malpractices etc...These are also acts of corruption. You should stop, one thing people fail to understand is that, every action has a ripple effect, a teacher asks for “sorting” from the son of a poor petty trader, he does not have money and goes home to meet the mother, who might have to manipulate sales techniques to gain more to be able to meet up with the money which can also affect the consumer who has to buy at exorbitant prices or reduced standard. So, in case you do not know before, let us begin to perform our functions excellently without fear or favour. There is a popular saying that the teachers reward is in heaven, at this point it will be safe to point out that there is reward for bad actions too in heaven.

Moreover, a petty trader that punctures the “com- com” that she is using to sell garri, so that she can make more profit; the guy that mixes the kerosene he is selling. That guy in the market that sells fake and outdated materials, the boy on the streets that knows the snack he is selling is expired, yet hawks it etc this is also corruption. The main purpose of this work is to point out that some of the little acts we do are also acts of corruption. We always shout of corruption at any opportunity we can point accusing fingers to the government, failing to note our own contributions to corruption.

Market women and traders, should take it as a point of duty to make sure, only standard goods are sold in their shops, kiosk and stores, the standard measurement of quantity should be employed. If you cannot manage the small shop you have in the market, then you shouldn’t shout to criticise the councillor, LGA chairman, Governor, Minister etc without your conscience pricking you?

Let the change start from you.

If you want this nation to be void of corruption, let it start from your shop and your store, the effort to start from the smallest forms of business is so as to accommodate all other big businesses.

In addition, do you pay your PHCN bills, water bills, do you obey traffic lights, and do you obey the various rules and regulations as enshrined in the constitution? Irrespective of the environmental situations, the love for this nation should make you do the right thing. It is pretty obvious that there is corruption in the government, that some of the politicians are corrupt, that some people are embezzling funds meant for the general public and vast populations but since you might not be able to directly bring sanity to those levels, do what you can do in your immediate environment. Little by little, the effect will continue to spread.

Also, it’s a ripple effect, when your children see you do the right thing; they continue with the right attitudes, influence and make friends in school, when they grow up and establish firms, the habits are inculcated in their workers...little by little the nation is made a better place by your efforts.

In making this nation corrupt free, it starts from you. Yes you, I mean you; let the spirit of patriotism be employed in all of your acts, let the love of this nation propel you to act properly. This is another view of corruption, let the sanity begin from you. I make bold to say, you are Nigeria and you are Edo state, every of the actions you do, have a direct or indirect impact on the growth of this nation. Is there corruption in this country? Yes; but let the development start from you.

Let your taxes be paid, obey traffic rules, obey environmental sanitation and other societal management rules and other actions worth emulating. Be the incorruption amidst corruption, and all efforts should be put to make this nation great and made up of Good people like you.

Art Alive

Stone Paintings Of Master Pieces

STONE paintings – What could they be? We will find the answer in this researched article. It is interesting to learn that of all the techniques artists have used to reproduce scenes of nature, the technique often called Florentine Mosaic, or commesso, is one of most demanding. This form of mosaic work, typical of Florence, Italy, does not use regular shaped pieces of stone, tile, or glass to form a design the way many other mosaics do. Rather, artists fashion pictures out of thin, irregularly shaped slices of stone. These are often cut so accurately that the joints between them are practically invisible.

The variety of readymade colours on the palette of the artist who paints with stone is astonishing. Lapis Lazuli is a rich azure stone with white markings, glittering with crystals of golden pyrite. Malachite has bands of delicate and intense green.

Spectacularly veined marble green, and red.

Agate, Jasper, Onyx, porphyry, and other stones present a spectrum of vivid shades and speckles, the nuances of which artists exploit to create masterpieces. They use the colours and veining of these stones to represent racky landscapes, vegetation, rough water, or even skies with wandering clouds.

This type of mosaic is by no means new; Likely invented in the Near East, it reached Rome by the first century B.C.E and became popular for floor and wall decoration. Though the Florentine Mosaic technique was widely used in medieval and Byzantine times, the Tuscan city of Florence won it a celebrated name from the 16th century on. To this day, prestigious masterpieces in Florentine Mosaic are found in palaces and museums throughout

FRANCODUS ON FRIDAY

By MARY YOUNG

Europe.

Painting with stone is a labourious process: One source notes that the hours dedicated to even a simple work would horrify a modern, industrial timeanalyst. Hence today, as in the past, the prices artists ask for their works set these Mosaics way beyond the reach of most people. But what is the secret of these masterpieces painted with stones? How are they made? What effort is put for

the desired design to be achieved?

A new Mosaic begins with a model, typically a painting. A tracing of it is cut into pieces, each corresponding to a section of the finished work. When an artist patiently chooses the right stone for each section, he is interpreting – not necessarily imitating – his model. Each section of the tracing is glued to the stone slice that is selected.

The artist next hold each slice, which is just two or three millimeters thick, in a vice. Then, using a sawan iron wire held in tension by a chestnut-wood bow, he meticulously cuts the pieces he needs. As he does this, he moistens the wire with an abrasive paste. He then holds up together, he sees no light passing through the joints. Just imagine – seeing with your mind’s eye-how difficult this slender tendrils of a vine!

After the pieces are assembled and permanently

stuck to a slate backing sheet, a final leveling and polishing of the stone surface confers upon the picture such a brilliance that photographs fail to do justice to it. The skill with which artists exploit the colour tones of a single piece of stone to attain realistic effects of light and shade on fragile flower petals is truly astonishing.

Fruits, vases, butterflies, birds, and landscapes are just some of the subjects that imaginative artists have tackled successfully.

One of the fascinations of Florentine Mosaic is that the artist cannot determine the exact details of his design. Instead, he has to choose colours, textures, and stones that God has already created. One source on the subject states: “In noble stones you can contemplate the grandeur and unspeakable power of God, who unites in such tiny bodies the beauty of the entire world and thus you constantly have before your eyes a certain reflection and sparkle of the divine.” This source is absolutely correct. Though the artists are professionals in their various fields, kudos should be given to God for making what they use in terms of material available to them. Thank God for beautifying the entire world. Did you learn something new?

Art And Culture

Olden Days Specialist Hunters Of Great Benin IN olden days, the Oba of Benin had band of elephant hunters and elephant hunters are specialists. In Great Benin, there was also a group that had the duty of catching and keeping Leopard, and another group was responsible for providing fish-eagles.

In the rural areas of Benin , there were also part-time specialists who hunt bush-pigs and various kinds of buck, among the Urhobo and Isoko, specialist hunters shoot and trap wild pigs, buffalo and deer.

One day in a wrestling competition, Oriaikhi, the son of Ozede who was a skilled hunter of elephants, came out to defend Ugo from a terrible wrestler.

Oriaikhi wrestled bravely and was highly applauded, but Oriaikhi asked for permission from the palace to allow him hunt the elephants that were in abundance at Ugo. The Oba granted him licence to do so, Ovbi Ozede came to Ugo ‘N’ Eki that had lots of elephants in the forest, moreso, some people at Ugo would change to elephants.

Ozede the father of Oriakhi had never ran away from elephants

and elephants tusks filled his shrines. To test the ability of Oriaikhi, some men changed to elephants for him to hunt.

Oriaikhi maintained skilful intelligence of hunting and killed tempters of which he could have not been able to achieve, hence the people hailed him to the duke, thus;- “Tell Ogiugo that Ovbi Ozede killed elephant as Ozede had never ran away from elephants”.

On hearing the song, the Duke himself changed to elephant but Ovbiozede would not shoot for he perceived and honoured the Duke hence he sang the elephant that cannot be embraced (Enin-O, Enin-O nei gia dede, enio-o, Enin-o).

Nowadays the descendants of Ozede still perform rites and ceremonies to Efae as quality of Ogun in hunting.

Efae is performed as god of hunting and war.

Hunters and warriors have special Ogun shrines where they perform certain rites before undertaking expeditions.

They keep the skulls of all their trophies in the shrine and take all their weapons to the shrine when they perform sacrifice.

They sing and dance to the accompaniment at

brace, single membrane drums, animal’s bones are used as stick clappers. The Urhobo and Isoko play Agba drums in their ceremonies, while Ivbiosakon hunters, dance to the sound of

with a circular cord around the pot’s neck and braced through holes in the edge of the skin with laces which are tied to another cord at the bottom of the pot.

The Obiza is used specially by ivbiosakon

With AMBROSE EKHOSUEHI

Igbo, Ijaw, Yoruba and are also common among some peoples of central and northern Nigeria.

Animal’s bones are used as stick clappers in hunter” music for Efae.

Among the Edo stick clappers are frequently used and are usually made of wood as concussion idiophones or clappers consists of similar objects which are struck together.

that began at the end of the seventeenth century export as Dutch trade record indicate. There was a similar emphasis on Luxury goods.

Cowries, the traditional currency were imported in such great quantities that they literally covered the walls of the rich.

Oba Akenzua I is said to have constructed a house of money-bank

British soldiers pose with the loot from the Oba Palace In February 1897.

Obiza kettle drums.

In kettle drums, a pot or vessel forms the body, among the Edo speaking peoples, this kind of drums is used only by the Ivbiosakon, who call it Obiza. It consists of a clay pot, the opening of which is covered with the skin of viper.

The skin is both tied

hunters to accompany their dances. It is possible that kettle drums were widely used among the Edo. Talbot writes that “in the olden days the Edo people sometimes played on big copper cauldrons covered with skins” Kettle drums similar to Obiza are used by the

“Ozede the father of Oriakhi had never ran away from elephants and elephants tusks filled his shrines. To test the ability of Oriaikhi, some men changed to elephants for him to hunt.”

The stick clappers are usually made of wood.

One stick, is formed like a small spade, the upper part of which is about twice as wide as the handle the stick is held in the left hand. The other stick which is held in the right hand and struck against the under part of the spade-formed main stick. Stick clappers of this type are often called Ikpasa.

Ore gbenin is the home of the elephant hunter’s guild. In fact one of the struggle between lyase N’ode and Oba Akenzua I was over the control of the Lucrative Ivory trade

(Owa Igho) and this was emulated in a modified form; by the Ezomo for when the French trader Landolphe visited Benin in 1787 he met the then Ezomo in a large and beautiful room elegantly embedded in which are called cauris”.

Ivory is the white substances composing the tusks of elephants.

The British invaders of Benin Kingdom 1897 hauled large quantities of Lucrative Ivory and looted treasury of the ancient Benin, the sinews of the Olden day’s specialist hunters of Great Benin culture.

View Point

Fighting Poverty In Gombe

CCT Scheme As A Tool A report of a recent World Bank mission to Nigeria recommended that the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme would serve as an appropriate tool for fighting poverty in the country.

However, the report noted that more detailed analysis would be required to provide sufficient information for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of appropriate programmes in the scheme.

The CCT scheme is aimed at reducing poverty by making welfare programmes contingent on the beneficiaries’ actions by which the government or a charity transfers money to people who meet certain criteria.

The criteria may include enrolling children into public

By LLIYA HABILA

schools, getting regular medical check-ups and receiving vaccinations, among others.

Observers, however, note that the programme will break the cycle of poverty among the citizens via the development of human capital.

They believe that the programme is necessary considering a report of the 2004 Nigerian Living Standard Survey, which estimated that more than 75 million Nigerians were living in poverty.

In Nigeria, the CCT scheme is particularly aimed at meeting one of the eight goals of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) — to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

In 2013, however, the National Bureau of Statistics reported that Gombe State was among the states which had more than 70 per cent poverty rate.

In view of the report, the state government, in conjunction with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, initiated the CCT scheme in which 1,500 people have so far benefitted.

The beneficiaries, who comprise people with physical disabilities and widows, among others, were selected across the 11 local government areas of the state.

In the programme, which started in October 2012, beneficiaries are given a stipend of N5, 000 each,

while N10, 000 is deposited in their bank accounts for 12 months as investment fees.

During the period, each of the beneficiaries is expected to provide a next-of-kin who would be trained in a trade of his or her choice.

At the end of the training, working tools and part of the funds saved for the trainees are given to them to set up businesses in the various skills they have acquired.

Observers note that the project is a potent poverty alleviation and hunger reduction tool because the trainees are equipped with pragmatic skills which they can use to earn a living.

Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, who spoke at the graduation ceremony of the 1,500 beneficiaries in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area recently,

“Sadiku echoed his father’s viewpoint, recalling that his father was unable to fund his education and that of his siblings due to his meagre resources from candy sales.”

expressed the belief that the CCT scheme would achieve the desired goals.

He particularly noted that programme would curb transfer of poverty from one generation to the other in the state.

Dankwambo lauded the skills’ acquisition component of the CCT scheme, saying that his government would replicate it in all ministries, departments and agencies handling poverty alleviation programmes in the state.

“It is generally believed the world over that artisans and small-scale businesses constitute the real engine for sustainable growth and development of any society.

“Conducting skills’ acquisition schemes such as these will no doubt empower our people and enhance their capacity to be self-reliant.

“It will also greatly assist efforts towards boosting small-scale industrial development and generating employment opportunities to our teeming youth,’’ he said.

The governor, however, called on the beneficiaries to dedicate themselves to establishing the trades they learnt, while utilising the funds given to them appropriately.

Speaking, Dr Precious Kabala-Gbeneol, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, said that the prompt payment of beneficiaries and deposit of funds in their accounts aptly demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to the scheme.

She stressed that if the country’s resources were well-harnessed, the citizens’ living standards would be appreciably improved.

Alhaji Adamu Audi, the Special Adviser to Governor Dankwambo on MDGs, said that the CCT scheme was a huge success in the state.

“This programme is to alleviate poverty and prevent the traditional transfer of poverty line, which exists within the community, across the 11 local government areas of the state.

“The programme is widely accepted because it touches the roots of the community where the poor are identified and assisted,’’ he said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Malam Mohammed UmarGombe, the Director in

Charge of the MDGs in Gombe, said that the CCT scheme had positively changed the lives of the beneficiaries.

“Before they were selected for the programme, they could hardly meet their needs; they hardly sent their children to school.

“Now, after the commencement of the programme, beneficiaries have been able to maintain themselves and send their children to schools,’’ he said.

He said that the benefits of the scheme had also spilled over to other members of the families of the 1,500 beneficiaries.

Umar-Gombe said that because of the benefits of the CCT scheme, the state government was planning to sign up over 3,500 people as future beneficiaries of the programme.

A beneficiary, Malam Shuaibu Adamu-Yaro, a 60year-old blind man, said that his son, Ibrahim, who received training in animal husbandry under the programme, was now living a new life.

Another beneficiary, Malam Shamau Ado, 55, whose son, Sadiku, received training in carpentry, thanked the Federal Government and the state government for the scheme.

Ado said that prior to the scheme; he was producing sweet candy, popularly known as alewa, adding that he was then unable to meet most of the needs of his family.

Sadiku echoed his father’s viewpoint, recalling that his father was unable to fund his education and that of his siblings due to his meagre resources from candy sales.

He said that with the programme, the standard of living of his family had changed dramatically, while some members of the family had enrolled in schools.

Alhaji Umaru BubaWajari, the Vice-Chairman of Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Council, commended officials of the Gombe Office of the MDGs for assisting people at the grassroots.

In spite of the achievements of the CCT scheme, observers underscore the need to identify and empower more people in Gombe State via the programme. (NAN).

Issues Opinion The Challenges Of Getting Almajiris Off Streets

THE sight of plate-carrying children, begging for alms and food is common in most states of northern Nigeria.

Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Education put the number of these children popularly called Almajiris at nine million.

The Federal Government, worried by this development, introduced the Almajiri Education programme in collaboration with the state governments and development partners.

Almost all states in the north had introduced measures that would help to keep the children off the streets.

Just recently, about 20,000 pupils of Quranic schools, spread across Katsina State renounced street begging, following the introduction of free school feeding and vocational programme by the state government.

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ibrahim Shema on Almajiri Affairs, Malam Lawal Gambarawa, said the scheme had recorded appreciable success within seven months.

According to him, the 20,000 pupils are from the 100 Quranic schools selected for the pilot scheme across the 34 local government areas of the state.

Gambarawa explained that 38 schools were selected from Katsina Senatorial Zone, while Funtua and Daura senatorial zones had 30 and 33 schools respectively.

He said that the programme

By CHIJIOKE OKORONKWO

was aimed at improving the living condition of the pupils, curtail street begging, and train the affected youths on vocational skills to make them self-reliant.

Gambarawa said that government was planning to expand the number of benefiting schools to 130 to enable other schools benefit.

“In the first instance, the Katsina State Government started with 70 Quranic schools with about 15,000 Almajiri, and later increased the schools to 100 with 20,000 Almajiri benefiting.

“The Katsina State Government is considering including more Quranic schools into the programme, which will bring down the number of Almajirai begging population.’’

The senior special assistant said that the state government has constructed schools in some local government areas to train the Almajiris to secondary and tertiary levels.

He added that the menace of Almajiri and street begging would become a thing of the past in no distant time if all northern states adopt the Katsina approach.

In order to attract the children to the Almajiri schools, government feeds them every day.

According to Governor Ibrahim Shema, government

spends N32 million every month for the feeding of the pupils.

Almajiri

He also said that government introduced mobile ambulance services to cater for the health care needs of the Almajiri schools across the state.

Bauchi State, like Katsina State, is unrelenting in its effort to provide qualitative education to the Almajiris.

Governor Isa Yuguda said

“Any development plan that does not focus on comprehensive and all inclusive education programme will not lead Nigeria to the attainment of our desired social and economic development.”

DURING the Military era, Nigeria operated a budgetary system that focused on the country’s development plans, for instance, the first development plan focused on rebuilding, reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure after the civil war. Whereas, shortly after the first development plan, other developmental plans focused on buildings of universities by the federal military government then.

Undoubtedly, if the developmental plan model was followed and guarded jealously, most universities in the country would have had accommodation facilities in their various campuses today.

that the government had built 620 Almajiri schools in the state between 2007 and 2009, and integrated same into the Universal Basic Education system.

The governor stated this at

Schools were built in the state by the Federal Government at the cost of N350 million.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who inaugurated the schools, said that the Federal Government had so far constructed 128 Almajiri schools in 28 states of the federation.

He said that out of the 128 schools, 89 were constructed

by Universal Basic Education

the inauguration of the Tsangaya Islamiya Model School (a Quranic school), in Buzaye in Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

He said the state government started integrating the Quranic schools into basic education with only three schools, adding that “now we have 620, with an enrolment of 35,531 pupils.

“All the schools have classrooms with quality facilities such as furniture, instructional materials, as well as qualified teachers.”

Yuguda said that three Tsangaya Islamiya Model

Commission, while 39 were constructed by the defunct Education Trust Fund, now Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

“So far, 109 of the schools have been completed, while the remaining ones are at various stages of completion.’’

The vice-president said available records indicated that the number of Almajiris in the country was more than nine million.

“This staggering figure does not only pose a great challenge in the achievement of education for all, it also poses serious challenge to the attainment of the development

agenda of our great country.

“Any development plan that does not focus on comprehensive and all inclusive education programme will not lead Nigeria to the attainment of our desired social and economic development.

“This is what informed Federal Government’s decision to include all Nigerian children in the transformation agenda of the education sector, the vicepresident said.

Governor.

Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State, on his part, said that the percentage of out-of-school children in the state dropped from 78 per cent in 2011 to less than 42 per cent in 2013.

Dankwambo stated this recently in Gombe when the Minister of State and Supervising Minister for Education, Mr. Nyeson Wike, visited him.

He recalled that the statistics of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2011 showed that 78 per cent of children in the state were outof-school “But between 2012 and 2013, the number has dropped to less than 42 per cent.

“A state of emergency was declared in the education sector, as the government built and renovated schools to decongest the existing ones, while recruiting qualified teachers.

“This has contributed effectively to the development of education in the state.

“We will not relent in our efforts; we will continue to invest in education because it is our number one, two and three priorities.

“If a society is welleducated, other things will follow,” he said.

Indeed, government at all levels should continue to give priority to education, as empowerment is the greatest gift to a child. (NAN).

Need For Aluminus Of Higher Institutions To Provide Accommodation

Admitted with the increased populations of new intakes into our higher institutions of learning every year, obviously, this increased numbers certainly cannot match the present existing hostel accommodation. Added to this, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of higher institutions of learning are meant for the day to day running of the institutions and cannot meet the current accommodation problems.

Today, most parents spend more on accommodation of their children and wards in higher institutions of learning in the country.

Painfully, today securing accommodation for students in higher institution of learning can be situated with looking for accommodation for a large family because of the exorbitant rents paid by students living off campus, which range from fifty thousand and above depending on the type of accommodation solicited for by the students. Ironically, accommodations on campus are highly subsidized by Institutions of higher learning, they range from five thousand to seven thousand naira.

However, private ownership of hostel facilities

By VICTOR ILUMAH

in our higher institutions of learning, has not solved the problem of hostel accommodation, instead it has further added pains because of the exorbitant fees charged by such private owners of hostel accommodation.

Consequent upon this, a call for Alumnus of higher institutions of learning in the country to provide additional accommodation to already existing accommodation is very

timely and germane.

Succinctly put, Alumnus are better placed to understand the problem and proffer solution, they should take a shift from their yearly celebrations, fanfare and making presentations to distinguished Alumnus. It is time for our Alumnus to take the bull by the horn by contribution their quota to solving the increased accommodation problems in our higher institutions of earning.

Happily, it is worthy of mention that Rev. Christian Oyakhilome, Minister-inCharge of Christ Embassy Worldwide has moved towards the direction of an Alumnus of Edo State University by providing six hundred and thirty seater lecture hall facility for the benefit of students and those yet unborn. This act is commendable and this is the way forward for all Alumnus of our higher institutions in Nigeria.

Religion

What Is Truth? (Part 1)

AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE – JOHN.8:32.

WHEN Jesus was brought into the judgment hall before Pilate, one of the many questions that Pilate put to Jesus was this question from John18:38; and I quote “Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth?”

Many Christians to-day, may be wondering in their hearts like Pilate, what this Truth is all about. Why did Jesus Christ say we shall know the truth and it shall make us free? And that is exactly the subjectmatter of this publication; the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, will help us to understand what this Truth actually means. The natural man, like Pilate will understand this Truth to mean “NOT TO DENY” any allegation of any particular crime or offence, committed. But his is not the kind of truth, Jesus was talking about. Jesus is talking about the Truth, without which, no Christian can enter heaven. He is talking about the Truth, which points the way to eternal life. The Truth, He is talking about is actually Himself, because Jesus says, “ I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER, EXCEPT BY ME” – John 14:6. Knowing this Truth, is to be made free from “FALSEHOOD” which is ONE WORD for all the lies of satan, whom Jesus Christ calls the father of all lies; further more Jesus Christ tells us emphatically that anyone who does not abide in this truth is a child of the devil, and will always do the lusts of his father, the devil as in John 8:44; “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Now, to answer the question – What is Truth?

Jesus Himself has provided the answer for all Christians, and so there is no cloak for their sin any more. And the answer is found in the book of John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy WORD is TRUTH”. To sanctify means to free one from sin or evil, to make sacred or holy, or to set-apart for a sacred use. And whatever will make one holy or pure, must first be pure and clean, without dirt and without any pollution. By this definition given

by Jesus Christ, the Truth, therefore, is the clean, pure, and undiluted word of God that makes us free from sin and evil, and which makes us holy. Jesus also calls it clean water in Ezekiel 36:25 and I quote “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.” The Truth is the clean water, that cleanses Christians of all their

filthiness and from their idols, because no filthy or unclean person, or a Christian whose heart is full of idols, can enter the kingdom of heaven.

Apostle Paul also refers to the Truth as clean water in Ephesians 5:26, “That He (Jesus) might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”. This means that FALSEHOOD, (the lies of satan) is the UNCLEAN WATER that makes the soul and spirit of Christians dirty, polluted and unfit for heaven. And what the devil does to the pure word of God, to make it falsehood, is to either subtract from or add to the truth; for example, in Matthew 4:6, I quote “ And he (satan) said unto Him (Jesus), if thou be the son of God cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give His angels charge over thee … LEST

of God, to add or to subtract from the Truth, giving birth to falsehood. Many of the religious practices and teachings that go on in some Churches to-day are either additions to or subtractions from the word of the prophecy of the Book of Life, where this truth is found. It brings the congregation under God’s judgment and makes them lose eternal life as written in Revelation 22:18-19; “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy City, and from the things which are written in

AT ANY TIME, thou dash thy foot against a stone”.

The devil quoted Psalm.91:11-12, but he added the words ‘at any time’ which are not in Psalm. 91:1112, and therefore distorted the spiritual application of the message. It is only the Truth that exposes the lies of the devil. It is the Truth that enables the heaven-bound child of God to try all spirits, to know if they are of God, because the children of God are warned not to believe every spirit. – 1John.4:1. And so the devil deceives many ministers and children

this Book.”

Any addition or subtraction from the words of the prophecy of this Book, which is the Truth, leads to wrong teachings as well as wrong practices in the church. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew.13:11; and I quote “Because it is given unto you to know the Mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given” Mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, simply mean, deep or hidden doctrines of the kingdom of heaven or those things of the kingdom of heaven, which are beyond human knowledge to discover, without the help of the Holy Spirit.

“Apostle Paul also refers to the Truth as clean water in Ephesians 5:26, “That He (Jesus) might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”.

This means that FALSEHOOD, (the lies of satan) is the UNCLEAN WATER that makes the soul and spirit of Christians dirty, polluted and unfit for heaven.

And what the devil does to the pure word of God, to make it falsehood, is to either subtract from or add to the truth; for example, in Matthew 4:6, I quote “ And he (satan) said unto Him (Jesus), if thou be the son of God cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give His angels charge over thee …”

And this is the Truth. It is only given to a privileged few, who have found grace in the sight of God. The truth consists of the deep things hidden inside the Bible.

TO BE CONTINUED. COURTESY: REV. OLU GEOGE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL CHURCH (The Truth Centre)

Reflection Lenten Reflection: The Importance Of Almsgiving WE have come to the peak of our Lenten reflection. Just as Faith without good work is dead fasting without almsgiving is starvation. Our Lenten fast is incomplete without almsgiving.

Almsgiving perfects our Lenten observance. We started this Lenten reflection with the significance of prayer. Last week we reflected on the essence of fasting and today we are going to reflect on the importance of almsgiving, which is the fruit of prayer and fasting.

Fasting is not a period of saving food. It is a time to give out food to the hungry.

It is a time to dishonour ourselves so that God will be honoured. It is a time to displease ourselves so as to please others. For our fasting to be accepted by God it must benefit the people around us, especially the poor and the needy.

Through Prophet Isaiah God declared the kind of fasting he wants, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness…?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” (Isaiah 58:6-7) This is what almsgiving is all about. The only fasting that is approved by God is a fasting that leads to almsgiving.

Without almsgiving our fasting is fruitless.

Our God is a generous God. He is the most generous Being the world has ever known. God created the world and He handed it over to man, saying, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruits; you shall have them for food” (Genesis 1:28-29).

Nobody has ever done this and it will be difficult to get a person who can do what

God did without demanding any returns. That shows that our God is the most generous being in heaven, on earth and under the world.

Our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to be generous as our heavenly Father is generous, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:43-45).

God’s generosity knows no boundary. He is generosity extents even to his ‘enemies.’

Jesus wants us to be “perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

That is the only way we can answer sons and daughters of the Most High God. Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated his generosity by feeding the hungry crowd.

At first, the disciples of Jesus taught the best way to handle a hungry crowd was by sending them away. Instead of sending the hungry crowd away with empty stomach Jesus ordered his disciples, saying, “You give them something to eat.” The disciples could not believe it.

For them it was impossible to feed such number of people in such a lonely place. They expressed their surprise saying, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”

Jesus told his disciples “Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” Jesus then took five loaves and two fish; he blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. All ate and were satisfied” (Luke 9:12-17). Jesus was the only Man that has ever satisfied a hungry crowd. If you have ever gone to any occasion organized by rich people you will understand what I mean; because of unnecessary protocol most people usually go home hungry. In the case

of our Lord Jesus Christ all the people that were present ate to their satisfaction yet, there was leftover.

When Jesus commissioned Peter as the head of the apostles he did not commission him to exploit the people as most religious leaders do. He commissioned him to feed the people. After his resurrection Jesus called Peter three times and each time he asks him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me

with spiritual food but also with material food. To the extent no one in their midst was lacking anything. People sold their possessions and these were distributed to the poor and needy. (cf Acts 2:4447 and 4:32-37). Sharing and almsgiving were then seen as the essence of Religion. That is why St. James rightly wrote, Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their

more than these?” Peter replied, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He then said to him, “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15-17). If we truly love God and if we are shepherds of God then you must feed the lambs of God. A Shepard is expected to feed the people of God and not feeding on the people. A shepherd that feeds on the people without feeding the people is worst than a wolf.

At first the Apostles took this mandate literally and seriously. They were feeding the people of God not just

afflictions and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). Any religion that does not practice almsgiving is not inspired by God. By their fruits we shall know them!

Almsgiving paves way to heaven. We cannot inherit the kingdom of God without almsgiving. In fact, our Lord Jesus Christ made almsgiving the yardstick for the final judgment. On judgment day no one will ask you your position in the Church or how many cars or buildings you acquired. Rather, on that day

“Our God is a generous God. He is the most generous Being the world has ever known. God created the world and He handed it over to man, saying, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruits; you shall have them for food” (Genesis 1:28-29).”

With REV. FR. JOHN DAMIAN ADIZIE PHONE: 08076635886

our Lord Jesus Christ will say to those on his right “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…” (Matthew 25:3446). Each time we feed a hungry beggar it is Christ that we are feeding. As we feed the hungry we are preparing ourselves to inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Our Lord Jesus Christ further demonstrates the importance of almsgiving and why it is a necessary requirement for the kingdom of heaven in his encounter

of practising your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

But when you give alms, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:1-4). Our almsgiving must be unconditional. We should not

with a rich young ruler. The rich man came to him and asked, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” Jesus told him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:16-23). The man did exactly what most rich men of our generation would have done. He simply walked away. Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24). Jesus did not condemn wealth.

What he condemned was selfishness and stinginess which most rich people are known for.

Almsgiving must be done secretly. Jesus said, “Beware

give alms only to those who will repay us back. Their inability to repay us gives us a better chance to be rewarded by God. Our God loves a cheerful giver and He is the One that provides for the giver. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. God is able to provide for you… so that you may provide in abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:7-8). Givers never lack!

Finally, my dear reader, I welcome you into the month of April, the month in which our Lord Jesus Christ laid his life down for you and for all his friends (John 15:13), the month of resurrection, the month of celebration and sharing. I bless you and I bless this new month in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

International Malaysia PM Visits Search Base For Missing Jet P E RT H / K U A L A LUMPUR - Malaysia’s prime minister visited the Australian search base for missing Flight MH370 yesterday as a nuclearpowered submarine joined the near-four week hunt that has so far failed to find any sign of the missing airliner and the 239 people on board.

Najib Razak joined his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott at RAAF Base Pearce, near Perth, where aircrews from seven countries have been flying dozens of missions deep into the southern Indian Ocean looking for debris from the Malaysia Airlines jet.

“The world expects us to do our level best, and I’m very confident we will indeed show what we can do together as a group of nations; that we want to find answers, that we want to provide comfort to the families and we will not rest until answers are indeed found,” said Najib, as the two leaders spoke to search and recovery team at the air base.

The Boeing 777 lost communications and disappeared from civilian radar less than an hour into an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

It was briefly picked up on military radar on the other side of Malaysia and analysis of subsequent hourly electronic “pings” sent to a satellite led investigators to conclude the plane crashed far off the west Australian coast hours later.

Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the head of the Australian agency coordinating the operation, said an international air crash investigation team with analysts from Malaysia, the United States, Britain, China and Australia was continuing to refine the search area.

“Based on that continuing flow of information, the search area is being continually adjusted and today it will be adjusted to move the search area a little bit further to the north,” he told Najib and Abbott at the base.

On Thursday, up to eight planes and nine ships will join the search area of about 223,000 sq km (86,000 sq miles) - roughly the size of the U.S. state of Minnesota - some 1,680 km (1,040 miles) westnorth-west of Perth, he said.

Britain is also sending HMS Tireless, a Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine with sonar capabilities, to help with the search, Malaysia’s transport ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Sonar may help find the

plane’s “black box” voice and data recorders, which only have an expected battery life of around 30 days and are key to unlocking what happened on the flight.

An Australian navy ship fitted with a U.S. black box detector and unmanned submarine is also on its way to the search area.

But experts have warned the “Towed Pinger Locator” may be of little use unless investigators can get a much better idea of exactly where the plane went into water, because its limited range and the slow speed at which it must be pulled behind the ship mean it cannot cover large areas of ocean quickly.

On Monday it will be 30 days since the plane went missing.

Australia’s Abbott warned that the task would not be easy.

“We cannot be certain of success, but we can be certain of the professionalism and the effort that will be brought to the task,” he said.

Najib arrived in Perth with Malaysia coming under fresh fire for its handling of the incident, after authorities there changed their account of the plane’s critical last communication.

Malaysia on Tuesday released the full transcript of communications between the cockpit and local air traffic control.

While indicating nothing abnormal, the transcript showed the final words from the cockpit were not the casual “All right, good night” that authorities first reported, but the more standard “Good night Malaysian three seven zero.”

Malaysian authorities have faced heavy criticism, particularly from China, for mismanaging the search, now in its fourth fruitless week, and holding back information.

Most of the 239 people on board the flight were Chinese.

Authorities have not ruled out mechanical problems as causing the disappearance, but say all the evidence suggests the plane was deliberately diverted from its scheduled route.

Malaysia’s police chief said the investigation was focusing on the cabin crew and pilots, after clearing all 227 passengers of possible involvement in hijacking, sabotage or having personal or psychological problems that could have been connected to the disappearance.

Expect Answers On NATO Troops In Eastern Europe - Russia MOSCOW - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday Russia wanted answers from NATO regarding its activities in eastern Europe after the Western military alliance promised to beef up defenses for its eastern members.

Russia’s move to annex Ukraine’s Crimea region has deepened the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War and sparked fears among its eastern European neighbors.

“We have addressed questions to the North Atlantic military alliance.

We are not only expecting answers, but answers that will be based fully on respect for the rules we agreed on,” Lavrov told reporters at a briefing with his Kazakh counterpart.

NATO foreign ministers at a meeting this week ordered military commanders to draw up

plans for reinforcing NATO’s defenses, possibly including measures such as sending NATO soldiers and equipment to allies in eastern Europe, holding more exercises, ensuring NATO’s rapid-reaction force could deploy more quickly, and reviewing NATO’s military plans.

Military planners will come back with detailed proposals within weeks, a NATO official said.

Responding to criticism over the presence of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine, Lavrov said Russia had the right to move forces on its territory and said they would return to their permanent bases after completing military exercises.

“It is necessary to deescalate rhetoric which overshoots the mark and crosses into the unreasonable,” he said.

Features Number Of Syria Refugees In Lebanon Passes 1 Million Mark MORE than one million Syrians have registered as refugees in Lebanon after fleeing war in their country, inflicting a “staggering” impact on the tiny Mediterranean country, the UN said on Thursday.

Refugees from Syria, half of them children, now equal a quarter of Lebanon’s resident population, the UN refugee agency said in a statement, warning that most of them live in poverty and depend on aid for survival.

The UNHCR branded the one million figure as “a devastating milestone worsened by rapidly depleting resources and a host community stretched to breaking point”.

Tiny Lebanon has now become the country with “the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide,” and is “struggling to keep pace”, it said in a statement.

The massive refugee crisis is compounded by a spillover across the border of the violence that has ravaged Syria for the past three years, with Lebanon experiencing frequent bombings and clashes even as it grapples with political deadlock and an economic downturn.

UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres urged increased international action, warning that the impact of the refugee crisis on Lebanon is “staggering” and “immense”.

“Lebanon hosts the highest concentration of refugees in recent history. We cannot let it shoulder this burden alone,” Guterres said in the statement.

“Lebanon has experienced serious economic shocks due to the conflict in Syria”, while security has deteriorated as a result of rising regional instability, he added.

Lebanon’s social affairs minister Rachid Derbas too appealed for greater international support for his country as it struggles to cope with the refugee influx.

“We call on the Arab and international communities to share this unprecedented burden with Lebanon; before this explosive situation takes on global proportions,” said Derbas, as quoted in the UNHCR statement.

The strain has been particularly felt across the public sector, with health and education services, as well as electricity, water and sanitation affected.

The humanitarian appeal for Lebanon “is only 13 percent funded,” even as the needs of a rapidly growing refugee population become ever more pressing, the UNHCR said.

Half the refugees are children, with the vast majority not attending school.

“The number of school-aged children is now over 400,000, eclipsing the number of Lebanese children in public schools. These schools have opened their doors to over 100,000 refugees, yet the ability to accept more is severely limited,” it added.

Because of the dire economic situation their families endure, many children are now working, “girls can be married young and the prospect of a better future recedes the longer they remain out of school,” it said.

Unlike Jordan and Turkey, which are also hosting massive numbers of Syrian refugees, Lebanon has not set up official camps.

Tens of thousands of families live in insalubrious informal settlements dotted around the country, many of them near the restive border with Syria.

With the conflict in Syria growing more brutal by the day, and with no solution on the horizon, the number of people arriving in Lebanon is rising exponentially, with UNHCR registering “more than one person a minute”.

Syria’s war began as a peaceful uprising demanding political change in Arab Spring-inspired protests, but it morphed into a bloody insurgency after Assad’s regime launched a brutal crackdown against dissent.

The conflict has killed more than 150,000 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, while half of the population is estimated to have fled their homes.

International China In Damage Control Over Angry Relatives information and speed up the KUALA LUMPUR, In Missing Plane search. That upset many in Malaysia — Weeks of vitriol, conspiracy theories and an informal travel boycott directed at Malaysia by Chinese people upset over the lost jetliner have prompted Beijing to move into damage control to protect the countries’ normally friendly relations.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on March 8, carrying mostly Chinese passengers, pitching Kuala Lumpur into a high-profile, unprecedented and so far unsuccessful search for the jet.

Facing frustration at home, the Chinese government was forced to take up its citizens’ case with Kuala Lumpur, publicly calling on the government to share more

Malaysia, the government included.

Now Beijing is distancing itself from the shriller criticisms, highlighting the delicate line it must walk in supporting the families without inflicting lasting damage to relations with an important neighbor.

Speaking to Malaysian reporters Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador Huang Huikang called some of the relatives’ viewpoints “radical,” ‘’extreme,” ‘’somewhat irresponsible” and not representative of China’s view.

He emphatically stated Beijing’s support for Malaysia’s handling of the crisis.

“We never said China was angry about the current situation and we never said we were dissatisfied about the progress so far that has been made,” Huang said. “We are good friends. We are partners. This is just an incident which will never affect our good relations.”

Officials have warned that the investigation may never answer why the Boeing 777 vanished while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard, 153 of them Chinese. A dearth of information has plagued investigators from the moment the plane’s transponders, which make the plane visible to

President Barack Obama stands alone as he makes a statement about the shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, while in Chicago.

commercial radar, were shut off early in the flight.

The Chinese relatives have become the human face of the tragedy, their anguish and despair over the uncertain fate of their loved ones illustrating the emotional toll of the plane’s disappearance.

That despair has sometimes turned into anger, with family members tossing water bottles at the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing during a rally last week, heckling Malaysian officials as “liars” and staging walk-outs from meetings. Anger has spilled over to the wider public, with celebrities criticizing Malaysia and travel companies announcing boycotts of Malaysia Airlines flights.

An American woman whose boyfriend was on the missing plane said the way some Chinese relatives were campaigning was not helpful.

Sarah Bajc, an expatriate teacher, said pressuring Malaysia to devote staffers and resources to the Chinese relatives “is like having baby sitters for a bunch of spoiled brats throwing a tantrum.”

“All the Chinese are doing is hurting themselves,” she said.

“They’re interfering with the investigation. They’re losing face. They’re losing confidence in front of the world’s eyes.”

Malaysia’s Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has responded to the Chinese criticism and the relatives’ outpouring of anger by defending his country’s efforts, saying history would judge the country well, as well as with reminders that 50 Malaysians also were on the missing plane.

Thai Fears Violent Backlash If PM Removed around 500,000 supporters from BANGKOK - Thailand’s all over Thailand to attend a government said its fears a From Office gathering on the outskirts of violent backlash if Prime .

Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is removed from power as figures for March show consumer confidence slipped to a new low, illustrating the heavy toll of months of unrest.

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday accepted a case lodged by 27 senators who say Yingluck’s transfer of the national security chief in 2011 was politically motivated. If she is found to have violated the constitution, the court could remove her from power.

It remains unclear when the court will rule but Yingluck has been given 15 days to defend herself.

“If the prime minister is removed from her position, a power vacuum will occur and chaos will definitely ensue,” Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul told reporters.

“Thais are hot-tempered and a confrontation could take place,”

Over the past five months, protesters have shut state offices and disrupted a February 2 election which was nullified by a court on March 21. They want to remove Yingluck and rid the country of the influence of her brother, ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, to make way for broad political reforms before a new general election takes place.

Protesters have stepped up their activities in recent days, bolstered by a series of legal challenges piling up against Yingluck.

“The end game is near! All will be over by the end of April!” shouted one protest leader to thunderous applause at protest headquarters in Bangkok’s Lumpini Park.

Twenty-four people have been killed in politically related violence since late November, including a protester shot in the

head on Tuesday after weeks of calm in the capital.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban told supporters on Wednesday that the group would step up activities after the Thai New Year, which begins next week and is expected to usher in a few days of calm as people vacate the capital for the provinces.

“Yingluck will not survive, the court will rule against her and, on that day, our opponents will come out (to defend her). I believe after Songkran (the Thai New Year) we must be ready to come out in full force,” said Suthep.

With the clock ticking for Yingluck, risk of a confrontation between opposing political sides is high.

Yingluck’s “red shirt” supporters plan a big rally on Saturday to counter attempts to remove her from office. Red shirt leaders say they expect

Bangkok.

The tension and uncertainty have hit consumption and investment as well as scared some away tourists from the capital of the “Lands of Smiles”.

The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s consumer confidence index dropped to 68.8 in March from 69.9 in February. The index, which has fallen 12 straight months, is at its lowest since November 2001.

“The consumer confidence index is tied pretty closely with the political situation,” said Thanavath Phonvichai, an economics professor at the university.

“The Thai economic structure is quite weak and fragile.

There’s an increasing risk for the economy to expand less than 2 percent, with more possibility of flat growth or a contraction.”

Nigerian Women: An Endangered Specie?

IN recent times, the mass media has been awash with stories of abuse and violence against women across the nation. This abuse runs the whole gamut. From assault to battery, rape, defilement not to mention psychological torture. From the west came the report of women being beaten up and pepper inserted into their virginal on the instructions of a male market leader, who is said to be on the run currently, the abduction of young girls in the north, the gang rape of old women in the east among others. All these go on in addition to the myriad unreported cases of abuse in families.

While all sorts of abuses are going on, the crux of this piece is the issue of rape and defilement. It is sad to note that in Nigeria today, females have no protection against rape and defilement. I use the term female because even babies are not exempt from the despicable activities of paedophiles. Neither age nor education nor pedigree nor health status or even relationship provides protection for women against rape or

defilement. Babies are defiled sometimes even by their own fathers, the number of mentally ill women on our streets with pregnancies testify to their violation, old women, octogenarians are even gang raped!

The question that continues to trouble my mind is “How did we get here?” How did we arrive at this level of acceptance of evil? Time was in the not too far past, when rape was a taboo and in some communities attracted a death s e n t e n c e , excommunication and the very least very strong reproach.

To my mind the tone for this current crisis was set when we began to justify rape by focusing on the actions and inactions of the victims instead of condemning and punishing the aggressor.

There were a lot of excuses “ Oh it is the seductive dresses which reveal all to the male eye” “Oh it is the attitude of the girls who lead these men on” “Oh some girls are very rude and have gotten what they deserve” With these kinds of comments rapists were given tacit approval and encouragement. After all

the girls who were raped were going to be blamed, reproached, victimised and further traumatised by the burden of keeping their ordeals secret so as not to be “tainted” for life and run the risk of

their victims over cold glasses of beer amidst much laughter since society gives them protection. “Boys will be boys” they say and girls most learn how to conduct themselves around men. To what do

“finding no one to marry them” Rapists can be proud of their achievements and discuss the reactions of

we ascribe the rape of old women, some while working on their farms?

How to we explain the violation of mentally ill women and the

“The literary giant, Professor Wole Soyinka said in his famous book THE MAN DIED that the man dies in every one who keeps silent in the face of evil. Please allow me borrow from that to say that “ the woman DIES in every woman who has been raped” and “the woman DIES in every child who has been defiled.”

One Lay Woman Sabina IdowuOsehobo I have heard somebody say that “It is just a case of rape nothing serious. It is not as if somebody was killed” Until we

defilement of babies some still in diapers?

As far as I am concerned, rape and defilement remain the same and crimes irrespective of the persons and circumstances.

No circumstance warrants use of sexuality as a weapon for beastiality.

The current attitude of looking for justification for rape amounts to gross violation of the rights of women to bodily integrity, freedom of movement and association and their very existence.

understand what our forebears did which made them in our various communities and cultures view rape as a criminal offence to which was attached very stiff penalties including death, we will not make any head way. They understood that rape kills a woman’s self esteem, sexuality, confidence in people and ability to function normally. The literary giant, Professor Wole Soyinka said in his famous book THE MAN DIED that the man dies in every one who keeps silent in the face of evil.

Please allow me borrow from that to say that “ the woman DIES in every woman who has been raped” and “the woman DIES in every child who has been defiled’ The law as it concerns rape and defilement, as we have it today in my own opinion is too lenient. I do not see any reason why rape or defilement should be bail able. Those found guilty should be sentenced to life imprisonment at the very least. The law enforcement agents must understand their roles to provide succour and ensure justice for victims. This acceptance of rape as a deserved punishment for being rude, not dressing appropriately, walking along lonely paths etc must stop. We must with one voice rise in strong condemnation of this satanic activity and stop this tacit approval for evil.

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German Authorities Back Barcelona Ban

THE German football authorities have backed FIFA over Barcelona’s transfer ban.

FIFA announced on Wednesday that Barcelona would be banned from making signings for two consecutive transfer windows following an investigation into the transfers involving players under the age of 18 between 2009 and 2013.

German Football League (DFL) executive Andreas Rettig told the German broadsheet Die Welt that issuing the punishment to the four-time European champions sent out a strong

message.

“Regardless of which club has been hit, it’s good to see that FIFA is concerned about the protection of minors and that they fight the excesses of international transfers of under-18 players,” Rettig said. “It sends the right signal.”

Barca vowed to appeal the punishment and could take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport

(CAS), and Rettig added: “It remains to be seen when the sanction will be validated and whether it is actually implemented.”

German Football Association (DFB) president Wolfgang Niersbach, meanwhile, told Sky that any instance of misconduct must be punished, “whether it is Barcelona or a small, amateur club.”

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron criticised the 90-pound ($150) top price tag of Nike’s England World Cup shirts yesterday saying supporters should not be exploited with such expensive items.

in Brazil features the same material, fit and finish, with enhanced “cooling technology”, Nike’s website says. The cheaper shirt is a more basic replica aimed at the mass market and versions for children cost 42 pounds.

Leading British sports retailer Sports Direct is offering the cheaper version online for a discounted price of 47.99 pounds, sacrificing part of its profit margin in an attempt to boost sales.

German rivals Adidas and Puma are charging fans similar prices for national

FORMER Paraguay international Salvador Cabanas is set to make his debut for a lower league team in Brazil, four years after he was shot in the head.

Former Paraguay international Salvador Cabanas is set to return to football four years after being shot in the head.

Cabanas, 33, received a near-fatal gunshot wound in a Mexico City bar on January 25, 2010 and still has a bullet fragment lodged in his skull.

As part of his recovery Cabanas trained with the Paraguay national team before attempting a comeback with Paraguayan third division outfit Club 12

Salvador Cabanas Set For Comeback de Octubre in January 2012 and went on to make 14 appearances in total.

It has now been announced that Cabanas will sign for Sao Paulo state side Tanabi in the fourth tier of Brazilian football with club president Irineu Alves saying: ‘’We are giving him a chance to start again.’’

Alves added that Cabanas, who is still rebuilding his life after the shooting, was free to

join another club should he be offered a better deal.

Cabanas is confident that his latest move can prove a success, and told reporters: “This is my life. [My love for] football made me recover completely. If I didn’t have football, if I didn’t practice football, I would not be recovered, I could be somewhere else.”

He added: “We will be scoring many goals here.”

British PM Says Nike’s $150 England Shirt Is Too Expensive

Nike’s limited edition England jersey has been branded a rip off

by British media and has prompted a backlash from soccer fans who say they are often fleeced for loyalty to club and country.

A call by sports minister Helen Grant for Nike to cut the price went unheeded on Wednesday with the U.S. sportswear company saying most of its replica shirts would sell for 60 pounds.

“It is very expensive,” Cameron told BBC television, noting that he was the father of a football-mad eight-year-old boy.

“Parents are under enormous pressure to buy the latest kit and we shouldn’t be taken advantage of.”

Cameron himself is a fan of Aston Villa football club, a team based in Birmingham in central England and 12th in the English Premier League.

With the England shirt going on sale in shops on Thursday, Nike again stressed that very few would cost the top price.

“Nike would like to reiterate that the new England replica

shirt is available to fans at 60 pounds RRP (recommended retail price),” the company said in a statement.

“There is also a limited number of shirts at 90 pounds RRP which represents less than 1 percent of the stock available.”

The 90-pound version of the all-white jersey that the England players will wear

team shirts they are supplying at the World Cup. The England shirt is usually a big seller with fans who take pride in wearing the national team jersey during major tournaments. ($1 = 0.6011 British pounds)

Salvador Canabas

Rooney Has An Attitude Problem JOEY Barton has dismissed England’s chances of winning the World Cup and insists Football Association chairman Greg Dyke should have been sacked for his cut-throat gesture at the draw in December.

- Barton

In a scathing assessment of Roy Hodgson’s team, the controversial QPR midfielder claimed the England coach does not possess a single world class player and attacked the attitude of Wayne Rooney.

Wayne Rooney

David Cameron

World Cup Stadium Holds First Match After October ($251.34 million).

World Cup between June Corinthians stadium in Sao BRAZIL’S unfinished Fire Television images before Paulo - where the opening Arena Pantanal stadium in 12 and July 13. to be installed before the Cuiaba has held its first match since an October blaze raised fears it would not be ready in time to host World Cup games this summer.

The fire in late October caused more damage than was initially thought and prompted prosecutors to open a safety investigation at the arena, one of 12 Brazilian stadiums that will host the

State and federal prosecutors have since said they were satisfied with the stadium’s safety.

The match between Mixto and Santos in the Brazilian Cup on Wednesday was open to only 20,000 fans, about half of the stadium’s planned capacity.

Local media said some 23,000 seats still needed

stadium’s official opening game on April 26.

Construction of several of the World Cup stadiums have been marred by repeated delays, fatal accidents and cost overruns.

On Monday, authorities halted work on temporary stands at the

match of the World Cup will be played - following the fatal fall of a worker on Saturday.

The Arena Pantanal, located in Cuiaba at the heart of Brazil’s grain belt, was originally expected to have been ready in December of 2012. The construction started four years ago and has so far cost 570 million reais

the match showed the streets around the stadium flooded after heavy rains in Cuiaba.

The World Cup matches scheduled for Cuiaba are June 13, between Chile and Australia; June 17, between Russia and South Korea; June 21, between Nigeria and Bosnia, and June 24, between Japan and Colombia.

“If the coach doesn’t believe, the organisation doesn’t believe, if the media don’t believe, the players... nobody believes we can win it. So we’re not going to win it,” Barton told BBC Radio 5 live Sport.

“When you see Greg Dyke’s reaction to the World Cup draw, for me that said everything I need to know.

“I’d have sacked him on the spot. He’s probably a great human being and a nice person.

“He’d have been dismissed on the spot because if he doesn’t believe we can win it, what is the point in taking part?”

Barton, who made his solitary England appearance in 2007, is also highly critical of Manchester United striker Rooney.

“Our players aren’t world class. They are not world class,” Barton said.

“Rooney could have been world class but look at his mentality compared to Cristiano Ronaldo. Polar opposites.

“Why does Ronaldo achieve what he achieves and Rooney doesn’t? When you see Wayne Rooney smoking cigarettes, does he live his life correctly?

“From the questions I’ve asked of players who have worked with both....he (Ronaldo) is in the gym or honing his game.

“The level of discipline he has for his chosen profession is the reason he is the best player in the world at the present time, and that’s the reason Rooney isn’t.”

Ibrahimovic Doubt For Chelsea Trip

Ibrahimovic

ZLATAN Ibrahimovic could miss the second leg of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League quarterfinal against Chelsea after limping off in the French side’s first-leg win on Wednesday.

Ibrahimovic, 32, will undergo tests on Thursday to determine the extent of the thigh injury that forced him off 68 minutes into his team’s 3-1 triumph at the Parc des Princes, amid fears that he may even be ruled out for the rest of the season.

“He wanted to continue but I think it wasn’t reasonable,” PSG coach Laurent Blanc, who will almost certainly be without his leading scorer for

next Tuesday’s second leg in London, told media afterwards. “He’ll be out for a while. I hope he’ll come back as quickly as possible as we need him for games like that.”

Should further medical examination reveal the Swede has merely strained his right hamstring, he would likely only miss this weekend’s league encounter with Reims and — most probably — the return at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, April 8. However, should doctors find a muscle tear, he would be sidelined for significantly longer.

Teammate Edinson Cavani took a month to come back from a similar injury

Liga on Saturday, when Real play at sixth-placed Real Sociedad, who beat Barca 3-1 at their Anoeta stadium in February.

Local media reported Real’s La Liga top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was a doubt for the match in San Sebastian after he limped off near the end after scoring in Wednesday’s 3-0

Champions League quarterfinal, first leg win at home to Borussia Dortmund.

The Portugal captain, who has 28 goals in Spain’s domestic league this season and a recordequalling 14 in the Champions League, has been complaining of discomfort in his left knee in recent weeks and has been playing on while receiving treatment from Real medical staff.

Martino Record Bears Comparison With Barca’s Best

BARCELONA have been beset by institutional problems during Gerardo Martino’s first season in charge but his record after 50 games shows they are having little impact on the team’s performance.

The Spanish champions, a point behind surprise leaders Atletico Madrid with seven games left, will be chasing a 38th win under the Argentine at home to bottom side Real Betis on Saturday to keep alive their chances of a fifth title in six years.

Martino’s statistics bear comparison with Barca’s greatest names and are remarkably similar to their most successful coach, Pep Guardiola, who won 14 of 19 trophies contested during a glittering four-year reign between 2008 and 2012.

Now at Bayern Munich, Guardiola also won 37 of his first 50 matches in charge of Barca’s first team, with the same number of draws (8) and defeats (5).

Martino’s side has scored 136 goals and conceded 37, while Guardiola’s 2008-09 team, which won a treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League, netted 133 and leaked 42.

Only Helenio Herrera has a superior record to Martino among former Barca coaches, with 40 wins, five draws and five losses in his first 50 matches in charge in the 1958-59 season.

“There is always room for improvement,” Martino said

after his 50th official game, Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home to Atletico in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg.

“I really liked the way we played and the continuity,” the 51-year-old added. “Whenever they play like that I can do no more than head home feeling content.”

Barca can still match the 2009 treble, the first by a Spanish club, despite a host of off-field woes.

President Sandro Rosell was forced to step down in January amid allegations of misappropriation of funds and tax fraud linked to the signing of Brazil forward Neymar.

The latest blow came on Wednesday when the club were slapped with a transfer ban by FIFA, which they have said they will appeal, for allegedly breaching rules on the international transfer of foreign under-18 players.

While their institutional problems have diverted media attention from the football, Martino and his players have been going about business on the pitch.

They play their final game of the La Liga campaign at home to Atletico and are two points ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, whom they beat 4-3 in last month’s “Clasico” at the

Bernabeu.

The Champions League return leg is at Atletico’s Calderon stadium next Wednesday before Barca meet Real in the Copa del Rey final on April 16.

Atletico, coached by Martino’s compatriot Diego Simeone, host seventh-placed Villarreal in La

Robben Has A Dig At United

Arbitration for Sport [CAS] if need be, and asked that the transfer ban be suspended while their appeal is heard.

The RFEF was also fined for their part in registering the players and both parties were ordered to make sure the registrations of the players was in line with the rules. Barca have 90 days to do so and the RFEF a year.

Barca last month announced the signing of Croatia teenager Alen Halilovic from Dinamo

BAYERN Munich’s Arjen Robben says Manchester United defended like a handball team in their 1-1 Champions League draw on Tuesday.

David Moyes’ side had just 24 percent possession in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at Old Trafford.

They emerged with a

Gerardo Martino

Milan Plan Growth After

AC Milan vice-president Barbara Berlusconi says the Serie A club have found the perfect surroundings for growth

Ter Stegen Future In Doubt After Barca Transfer Ban

BARCELONA’S proposed signing of Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen remains in doubt after the club’s transfer ban.

The Catalans have been prevented from making any signings until the summer of 2015 after FIFA found them in breach of regulations regarding the signing and registering of players under the age of 18 from outside Spain.

Barca confirmed on Wednesday night that they are appealing the decision, vowed to take their appeal to the Court of

sustained earlier this year while Thiago Silva was out for six-and-a-half weeks after suffering a hamstring tear in September. A similar layoff would mean Ibrahimovic would not only miss the end of the Ligue 1 season on May 17, but leave him unlikely to be match fit should PSG reach the Champions League final a week later.

Being unable to help his team reach the competition’s showpiece in Lisbon would be a significant blow to Ibrahimovic, who has yet to win European club football’s elite competition. Should the Swede miss the return leg in West London, Blaise Matuidi said he and the rest of his PSG teammates will try their best to make sure their star striker becomes a European champion.

“The third goal was such a relief,” the France international midfielder said after substitute Javier Pastore’s magnificent late strike at the Parc de Princes that gives the Ligue 1 champions a handy advantage before crossing the English Channel.

“We’re going to do all we can to reach the semifinals and allow Ibra to go where he dreams of going.”

Zagreb while Ter Stegen was expected to be brought in to replace Victor Valdes, but the transfer hasn’t been confirmed.

Ter Stegen’s representative has said the player will leave Gladbach this summer and they are monitoring the situation closely, words echoed by Ter Stegen, AS reports.

“I don’t know if the decision relates to future transfers or signings also being finalised,” Gerd von Bruch is quoted as saying.

Move To New HQ

after a “courageous operation” saw them leave their traditional home and move into new purpose-built headquarters.

The club, based in their new Casa Milan home since November, held the official opening ceremony on Wednesday.

“We are sorry to leave [the old headquarters in] Via Turati, but we could no longer grow there,” Berlusconi said in comments reported on the official Milan website. “This new headquarters will make us rethink the development strategy of this club, of this brand. It brings us closer to our fans and we’ve built this for them — we could not do that at Via Turati.”

Berlusconi believes investing in the new headquarters, situated in close proximity to the San Siro, will also lead to new marketing and commercial activities to generate more revenue for the club.

“And that could benefit the sporting side of things,” Berlusconi continued. “That way, we will once again be able to sign big-name players. We hope that, in the future, the fans will come here to celebrate new triumphs for this club.”

They may not be located so close to their stadium forever, though, with further consideration being given to moving to a new ground in the not too distant future.

creditable 1-1 draw but their tactics were clearly to sit deep and rely on counter-attacks.

Robben, speaking to the German media, said: “It was not easy, as our opponents didn’t leave any gaps. We wanted to play football but they tried to stop us. The English were just playing on the counter and have played very defensively, it was almost like in handball.

“But when you go a goal down you have to be pleased with a draw. 1-1 is a very good result that we can take home with us and then we just have to finish it off next week.”

Team-mate Toni Kroos, rumoured to be a target for United, agreed, saying: “It was difficult: we were dominant all the time. It’s very difficult to play against a team that consistently has all its players around their own penalty area.”

Robben

81 Participants For 2014 FIFA Member Association Course

ABUJA - Eighty-one referees, instructors and assessors will be attending the 2014 FIFA Member Association Course scheduled to hold from April 8 to April 9 in Abuja, an official said on Wednesday.

Sunday Okayi, the Secretary of the Referees’ Committee of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), which is organising the event, disclosed this.

He said the course, which is holding in Abuja, would involve 30 Elite Referees, 14 Physical Fitness Instructors and 37 Referees Assessors.

Okayi gave the dates of arrival of the participants, with the Referees Assessors expected to arrive in Abuja on

Fijabi Upbeat With C’Wealth Games Inclusion

LAGOS - Olaide Fijabi, a national boxing champion, says his invitation for national camping ahead of the Commonwealth Games is the beginning of his journey to stardom.

The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 3.

Fijabi, a 64kg national champion, made the assertion in Lagos in an interview with newsmen.

The pugilist was champion at the National Sports Festivals at Kaduna in 2010, Port Harcourt in 2011 and Lagos in 2012.

“I will employ every admissible tactics in the sport to make the final list for the Commonwealth Games for it is only then I will be selffulfilled.

“I believe I have paid my dues in boxing, it is now the turn of the nation to show me the route to limelight,” Fijabi said.

According to him, the camp which is mainly for national gold medalists of all the 10 boxing categories will afford him the opportunity to step up his game.

“My target for the Games is to win gold medal which I know will aid me to further my professional ambition.

“If it is exposure, I think I have got that over the years; in 2013 under the Lagos State Boxing Association, I won a gold medal in an invitational tournament in London,” he said.

Fijabi said that he trained daily at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Yaba where a coach was assigned to help him to develop his skills ahead of the Games.

The national camp, which was earlier planned to begin on March 28, has been shifted to an undisclosed date.

Monday, April 7. ‘’Arrival date for the Referees Assessors is April 7 and their course will hold on Tuesday, April 8 and Wednesday, April 9.

“The arrival date for Elite Referees is Tuesday, April 8 and their course will hold on Wednesday, April 9,’’ he said.

The committee secretary told newsmen further that a Technical Instructor, Fitness Instructor and a Referee Development Officer from FIFA would deliver lectures during the course.

Okayi further said five other instructors, sourced from the country, were also billed to interact with the participants during the course, so as to help sharpen their technical know-how.

The 2013 edition of the course was held in November with 102 participants.

Obuh Gets 3-Match Ultimatum After Second Loss

“Plateau Peaks are hereby warned to ensure that their supporters refrain from actions capable of bringing the game into disrepute, otherwise, appropriate sanctions will be applied,’’ the statement read.

The statement added that Royal Hoopers would forfeit its week one game in the Atlantic Conference against Dodan Warriors for not showing up at the venue of the match in Lagos. “ While acknowledging

Royal Hoopers’ prompt response to the query issued them by the NBBF, the federation had warned the club against recurrence of the act.

“That club’s financial problems are not tenable reasons for not honouring league games and other obligations. “ Royal Hoopers is now warned not to allow a recurrence in future as more stringent sanctions will be applied,’’ the statement read.

EX-FLYING Eagles coach John Obuh has been handed an ultimatum to win the next three matches after Enugu Rangers lost their second game of the season to newly promoted Giwa FC. Rangers lost 1-0 to Giwa on Wednesday and they also lost 2-1 to regional rivals Enyimba in their opening game of the new season.

Rangers media officer Foster Chime told MTNFootball.com the management is far from satisfied with the performance of the team and so the ultimatum.

“The G.M, Paul Chibuzor, is so worried at the number of points recorded by the coach John Obuh-led coaching crew and as a measure to check this low productivity, has given them the ultimatum to win our next three games or face some sanctions,” Chime disclosed.

Rangers hosts Sunshine Stars this Sunday in Enugu before making two difficult road trips to Port Harcourt and Warri for dates with Dolphins and Warri Wolves.

Obuh joined Rangers amid high expectations, promising to win ‘The Flying Antelopes’ a major trophy after they have gone almost three decades without a major piece of silverware.

Rangers have three points from as many matches now.

LAGOS - A team of 13 athletes of the Nigeria Para-Powerlifting Federation (NPPF) has left Lagos for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai.

The NPPF Secretary, Dapo Akinyele, told newsmen moments before their departure that the athletes would however not feature in all events at the championships.

He said the team would only feature in specific categories the country has comparative advantage in at the event holding from April 5 to April 11.

“We are going to make the country proud at the championship to further enhance our preparation and qualification for the

Paralympics.

“To ensure a good outing in Dubai, we camped our athletes for two weeks at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan.

“So, our athletes have prepared adequately for the competition and they are in top shape to compete with their foreign counterparts.

“But we won’t be taking part in all of the events.

Rather, we will participate in those events we are very sure of our chances,’’ Akinyele said.

The team was made up of eight male and five female athletes, with Akinyele leading the team.

The male athletes are Yakubu Adesokan, Ikechukwu Obichukwu, Jubril Malau, Jegede

Bambo, Nnaiofor Ifeanyi, Ibrahimm Addulazeeze, Tasie Eberechukwu and Tolulope Taiwo.

The female ones are Ulonnam Anthony, Esther Oyema, Ijeoma Ihurobiem, Loveline Obiji and Precious Orji.

The Dubai championship is a prelude to participating at the 2016 Paralympics Games in Rio, Brazil.

Akinyele also said five NPPF officials were currently participating in the IPC Technical/Referee Course which began on April 1 in Dubai.

The secretary said the course would help to increase the profile of the federation’s officials in the sport

John Obuh

NBBF Sanctions Plateau Peaks, Royal Hoopers

ABUJA - The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has sanctioned Plateau Peaks Basketball Club of Jos and Royal Hoopers Basketball Club of Port Harcourt for actions inimical to the growth of the game.

This was contained in a statement by the federation issued yesterday in Abuja by its Media Officer, Patrick Omorodion.

It said that Plateau Peaks would forfeit the week four game against Gombe Bulls for abandoning the match in the Savannah Conference.

“Also, for their fans’ action of switching off the lights at the venue of the game which prevented the visiting team from taking the

mandatory free throws awarded them.

“The action of Plateau Peaks’ supporters put the game into disrepute and compromised the safety and security of the visiting team and technical officials.

“And by walking off the court, Plateau Peaks had deliberately abandoned the game and frustrated due process and consequently forfeited the game to the visiting team.

Dr. T. W. Danagogo, Sports Minister

13 NPPF Athletes Depart For IPC Powerlifting Championships

CMYK

Our Gem Of Inestimable Value Oshiomhole:

OUR governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole is three scores and two today. The man we the people of Edo love to call Comrade is of a humble background. He was born April 4, 1952 by peasant farmers in the small village of Iyamoh, Uzairue clan in the present Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State. Iyamoh was probably a mere hamlet and hardly recognised within Uzairue clan itself when the family of Alhaji Aliyu Oshiomhole (of blessed memory) and Alhaja Aishetu Oshiomhole gave birth to baby Adams on that fateful day and little did they know that a messiah was born who will, in the fullest of time lead the toiling Nigerian work force to resist anti-people’s economic policies of government. Today, the good people of Edo State are better for the birth of baby Adams and they keep saying thank you Lord for giving us an Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.

Yes, Edo people have every cause to make a sing-song of this prayer because he has proved to be a man of possibility and indeed, their true messiah.

He was aptly described by a public commentator as “ a rare gem and bundle of blessing to humanity”. His birth has brought the little village of Iyamho to limelight as the name Adams Oshiomhole resonates beyond the shores of Nigeria. He is like the proverbal snowwhite pap produced from the black pot.

About six years on the driver’s seat in Osadebey Avenue, Edo remains work in progress. His red roof revolution, urban renewal drive, human capital development, mass transport system, rural development, massive road construction etc are unprecedented in the political history of Edo

State. Need I say that these are all the signatures of Oshiomhole’s presence in the saddle. From an abysmally low internally generated revenue hovering between #250million and #300million monthly , Oshiomhole shot it up to an unprecedented #1.5billion and its rising.

Through sheer doggedness coupled with fiscal discipline, this diminutive leader has been taking the strides of a giant in his march to reposition our dear Edo State and right the wrongs of our past leaders. He has successfully turned Edo State into one huge construction site litered with earth movers and other heavy duty machines. Yet, Edo is one of the states with the least federal monthly allocation.

So, for those who describe him as a miracle worker, I dare say that they are dead right!

Comrade is a man of struggles, a man who believes no mountain is too high to climb. Innhis short years in earth, he has carved a niche for himself, and this he achieved by dint of hard work and sheer determination without a push from any godfather.

Little wonder he never believed in godfatherism.

He mustered all the energy in him, dealt a deadly blow on godfatherism in the body polity of Edo State. Today, when Oshiomhole sneezes, the godfathers catch a cold. All these qualities coupled with his indomitable spirit he brought to bear in year 2007 to reclaim his stolen mandate from the hawks.

Propelled by the spirit of radicalism, Adams mounted pressure on the hawks that snached his God- given mandate to return it. He organised mass protests on daily basis, comprising bike

ridders, drivers, market women, students and artisans on peaceful civil disobedience to draw the public and the world attention to the brazen injustice meted out to the son of a peasant farmer.

The protests remain unprecedented in the political history of Edo State. The state was literaly on fire on November 11, 2008 when the court of Appeal sitting in Benin in a landmark

fragile frame, beneath that is the real man with a heart of steel, emboldened with a rare never say die spirit, the lion hearted . Our dear Comrade is like dynamites that come in little packs but highly destructive when they explode. A former military head of state of our great country and two term president, General Olusegun Obasanjo will never forget Adams Oshiomhole in a hurry. He was the only one

• Governor Adams Oshiomhole

jugdement delivered by Justice Abdulahi Mustapha re-affirmed the judgement of the Election Petition Tribunal earlier delivered by Justice Phillip Umeadi, March 20, 2008.

This historic judgement reverberated across the nooks and cranies of Nigeria with a loud ovation. Never mind his seeming smallish and

who could moderate the brashness and hashness of Obasanjo. As the fourth president of the umbrella body of labour movement in Nigeria, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Adams was a thorn in the flesh of Obasanjo and his government.The mass movement he led across the country against the criminal hike in fuel prices

By EBOMHIANA MUSA and other harsh economic policies of that regime remain unparallel in the history of labour movement in Nigeria.

Despite the good fight he gave to Obasanjo, fighting on the side of the people, the General acknowledges the fact that this born radical trade unionist cum master strategist is a good man, honest and transparent but agrees that “Adams, you are too stubborn”.

These are some of the qualities that endeared him to many people, home and abroad. Even for these, many love to hate him.

The restless spirit of young Adams propelled him to lead a revolt of workers against their elected leaders for poor representation at the Arewa Textiles Company in far away Kaduna where he was a factory hand. He became a full time trade unionist in 1975 having been elected the Secretary of the workers union at Arewa Textiles as a reward for the successful revolt which liberated the workforce from the lackaidasical leadership.

That was the turning point in a career that was to announce him to the world. He was later to lead the 75, 000-man workforce of Textiles union when he was elected General Secretary in 1982. As the Secretary of the national union of textiles workers, young Adams became a major player in the arena of labour movement in Nigeria. That was the peak

of a huge thriving textiles industry in Nigeria.

On return to democratic governance in 1999, Adams was elected as the fourth president to lead a unified umbrella body of the entire Nigerian workers, the Nigeria Labour Congress. He succeded the Yola born late Comrade Paschal Bafyau. Without mincing words, I dare say that his years as the president of the NLC marked the golden years of pragmatic labour movement in Nigeria. His courage, articulate and oratory prowess remain unmatched!

His services are in high demands in the international labour fora.

For two terms Adams reprented African workers on the board of the International Labour Organisation( ILO) He served on the committee on Freedom of Association of the ILO. This is the international tribunal on workers’ rights issues. The birthday “boy” has also served on the executive boards of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and African Regional Organisation of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

With this array of intimidating credentials laced with uncommon selfless service, indeed Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole is a rare gift to humanity. As you celebrate today sir, permit me to humbly join your teeming admirers to say sixty two happy cheers.

• .Musa was former National Vice President of the Nigeria Union Of Journalists.

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