Nigerian observer 04 07 2013

THE

NIGERIAN

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The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 INTERVIEW Pages 16-17 Why the poor cannot get justice in Nigeria - Ugolor

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

• Vol . 37 NO. 268 • THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2 0 13 • N100.00

Assoc of Enigie elects new President

BENIN CITY - The Enogie of Egbaen, Upper Siluko Road, His Royal Highness, Prince Edomwonyi Iduozee Ogiegbaen Obanosa has assumed the position of President of

Association of Enigie in Benin Kingdom.

With His Royal Highness, Edugie Ogiugu, the Enogie of

Royal Highness, Enogie Ibie Okhionkpaimwonyi said that HRH, Prince Idumwonyi Obanosa emerged president of

Ugo N’ Iyekorhionmwon as Vice- President.

A statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the association, His Continues on page 2

State Of Nation Bill

CHILD HEALTH & YOU Page 15

Helminthes parasitic worms

Senators in riotus session

By JOSES SEDE

ABUJA – Tension mounted yesterday in the Senate, following arguments on state of the nation Bill resulting in forced adjournment of debate.

This was however not Kabir Garba Marafa before Senators Igwe (Zamfara Central – Paulinus Nwagu (Ebonyi ANPP) engaged in Central – PDP) and verbal exchanges and

UNIBEN ASUU joins nationwide strike FELIX OMOH – ASUN/ INNOCENT OMOAKA BENIN CITYAcademic activities were yesterday

STOP OIL BUNKERING

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People of Edo State, Government has discovered that inspite of measures taken by security agents in the State to stop illegal oil bunkering, perpetrators of this shady business have continued unabated.

The State Government is warning all those still involved in oil bunkering in the State to, in their own interest, stop this shady and dubious business forthwith as stiffer penalties await them.

Any person or group of persons caught in the illegal business will be dealt with according to the law.

All vehicles and equipment used will be burnt.

Be patriotic, report any person suspected to be in the business of oil bunkering to the authorities concerned.

Join Government to rid the State of enemies of progress.

Edo State must continue to move forward.

This message is from the Edo State Ministry of Information and Orientation

dislocated at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin City, as the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) joined in the nationwide strike called by the national body since Monday, July 1, 2013.

A visit to both the Ekenwa and the Ugbowo campuses of the university revealed that academic activities were at zero level. Many lecturers were not in their offices, while students were seen loitering about.

The chairman, UNIBEN chapter of ASUU, Dr Tony Emina

Continues on page 2

near fisticuffs but for timely intervention of Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North – ANPP) and two seargents-at-arms.

The fuss occurred amidst commotion that greeted disagreements between pro and antiJonathan at the voice-

vote whether to adjourn the debate or not.

While the presiding Senate President, David Mark was yet to rule, the senators were

seen criss-crossing the carpet, whispering in groups, apparently to woo each, either for or against.

Senator Marafa had thrown a missed punch at his target, Senator Nwagu, in response to a threatening wave of the hand and conspiratorial

Continues on page 2

COURTESY VISIT: Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in a hand shake with Chairman House Committee on Works, Rt. Hon. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, during the committee’s visit to Edo State. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE.

Killing Of Ibrahim Momodu

AG slams police investigation

BENIN CITY-Edo State Government under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has accused the authority of the Nigeria Police Force of carrying out shoddy investigation into the killing of the University of Benin Student, Ibrahim Momodu allegedly shot dead by the Divisional Police officer of Ogida Police Station, Mrs. Carol Afegbai and her men.

The Edo State Attorney

General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Henry Idahagbon made the accusation on Wednesday

when a group of students, the bereaved family, and civil society organizations led by the Executive Director of

BENIN CITY-Edo State Government has set up an investigative panel in each of the eighteen local government areas of the state to audit all schools, number of teachers in the

schools, their qualifications and the total salaries and allowances paid to them.

Governor of the State, Comrade Adams

Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Reverend David Ugolor protested to the state

Ministry of Justice, Edo House of Assembly, Palace of the Benin Monarch and the state

Continues on page 2

Edo begins schools, teachers audit Oshiomhole disclosed this yesterday when the National Union of Local G o v e r n m e n t Employees (NULGE)

paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House Benin City. He said government’s decision is designed to get to the root of the

Continues on page 2

THE

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

News

Assoc of Enigie elects new President

Continued from page 1 the association in accordance with constitutional provisions

of the association, which indicates that the vice takes over in the event of incapacitation or death of the incumbent president.

Aged 55, the new President, Enogie Edomwonyi Obanosa took over from the former president, late Prince Omoregie Akenzua.

He attended primary and Secondary Schools in Benin City, before proceeding to Europe where he acquired a skill in Technical Engineering before working with the Bergarmo International Airport, Italy where he rose to the position of a Sectional Manager.

Enogie Obanosa who succeeded his late father as Enogie of Egbaen, Upper Siluko road in 2008, was first elected the Vice-Chairman of Ovia North East Local

Goverrnment Area chapter of the association.

In his post-election speech, His Royal Highness, Obanosa expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their confidence in him and assured that he would work assiduously to improve on the laudable achievements of his predecessor.

He paid glowing tribute to

the Oba of Benin His Royal Majesty, Oba Erediauwa whom he described as the wisest, most kind and most compassionate king on earth.

While pledging the unalloyed loyalty of all Enigie in Benin Kingdom to the sovereignty of Benin Monarch, he congratulated the Omo N’Oba on his landmark birthday anniversary.

Birthday: NUJ elders council

felicitates with Odubu

HRN, Prince Edomwonyi Iduozee Obanosa

Senators in riotus session

Continued from page 1

circles became the norm until Senator Mark hit the gavel, calling the Senators to order.

“This time in 14yrs I have seen an effort by poeple to pull out boxing blows; it is not necessary; we must never do a thing like that; as senators of the Federal Republic, we are elder statesmen; we can do all the talking but, we should never resort to boxing.

I want to appeal once more, that we suspend the debate on

this for today; if nothing else, because of the way tension has risen; we are all on the same wave length; and we will do what is in the best interest of this country; we don’t have to figth to do it”, Senator Mark pleaded before putting the question again and it was carried.

The adjournment followed a motion moved by Deputy Senate President (DSP) Ike Ekweremadu through Order 70(1)(a) of the Senate Standing Orders on “Matters not open to

debate” which reads: “the following matters not open to debate, shall be moved without argument or opinion offered, and shall be forthwith put from the Chair without amendment: (a) Motion for adjournment of debate”.

The DSP only came to the rescue, when it became

UNIBEN ASUU joins nationwide Continued from page 1 were about to start strike examination and when some was not in the office when

apparent that certain senators

The NIGERIAN OBSERVER visited.

However, a lecturer who spoke with this reporter on the condition of anonymity said that a meeting of the local chapter was called yesterday morning where it was decided that UNIBEN should join the strike as called by the national body.

“Yes, we held a meeting this morning (yesterday) where it was decided that we should be part of the strike.

You know that the national body had since said that strike should begin by midnight of June 30, but we have to meet formally to intimate members.”

To enforce compliance by members of the Union UNIBEN, the chapter secretariat, after congress constituted a monitoring and co-ordinating strike committee and publicity committee.

However, a member of the ASUU strike publicity has debunked rumours making the round among students that UNIBEN would join the strike after its second semester examination which was earlier scheduled for the later part of July.

Meanwhile, in a bulletin released by the national body and obtained by The NIGERIAN OBSERVER, the union stated that it decided to go on strike on what it considered failure of the government to “implement fully the agreement” both ASSU and the Federal Government freely entered into in 2009.

“As a result of the failure by the Federal/State Governments to implement fully the agreement reached with ASUU on October 2009, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, having preserved for nearly four years without its patience bearing the desired fruits, decided to conduct the referendum in all its branches…

“The result of the referendum showed that the overwhelming majority of the branches voted in favour of

State of the Nation Bill be made

the strike.

Consequently, we are resolved to rescue the educational system from the current disaster, and are certain of collective victory!

That is the lesson of history!”, the bulletin stated.

Most of the students spoken on the desirability of the industrial action decried the incessant strikes and failure of the government to honour agreement.

Osifoh Osarumense, a 400 level student of the Department of Economic and Statistic, said it was most unfortunate that it has to come at this moment when students were about to start their second semester examination.

He said ASUU was justified to have called for the strike considering the failure of the government to honour an agreement it was not forced to enter into with ASUU. “It was unexpected to have come at this time when we

of us are about to graduate.

ASUU has the right to fight for what it felt the government has denied it of.

The government should keep to the agreement it reached with the body for the sake of students and the education sector”, he pleaded.

Dowel, a Masters Degree student of the Department of English and Literature said that the strike was becoming too many and pleaded with ASUU not to find reason to go on strike.

“ASUU should find no reason to go on strike; it should look for other means of obtaining from government what it wants, rather than this incessant strike.

“We the students are the final losers when put into perspective. ASUU should for goodness sake put behind it strike action, rather, it should focus on the best way for the university system outside government”, he stated.

Continued from page 1

time; those involve in it are so deeply entrenched in it,” he added.

On the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) strike, Oshiomhole said, “It is very unfortunate that the NUT chose to play to the gallery.

For people like me, there are advantages of my being here, we will not pursue antiworkers and anti-union policies.

Edo State was the first state to pay 27.5 percent both for secondary and primary schools. I did so because I believe if paying teachers more will encourage teachers to go into teaching, then it is worth it, otherwise the job is not more tasking than any other job any other person is doing.”

The governor disclosed that, “what we are paying now is the result of a collective agreement between the NUT, the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) and Edo State government.

“You don’t go on strike

were predetermined to cause an

overriding

veto

on

Jonathan’s demand that the more flexible by substituting “first week” of the legislative year (July) with “30 days” of the commencement of same.

The president further suggested insertion of clauses that provide for substituted presentation either by written transmission to the President of Sente and the Speaker of the House of Representatives or in the person of the VicePresident of the Federal Republic.

Moreso, the President argued that the compulsion placed on him to personally present the address to a joint sitting of the NASS negates Constitutional provisions that make it discretionary.

However, when the matter was presented for debate, some senators dismissed the president stance and called for outright overriding veto to pass the Bill into law, while others submitted that the presidential request be given dispassionate consideration.

BENIN CITY - The Elders Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Chapter joins people of the state to congratulate the state Deputy Governor, DR Pius Egberanmwan Odubu on his double celebration of his 56 th birthday anniversary and silver jubilee of his marriage.

In a statement signed by its chairman Elder Jeremiah Obadigie, the council said the Deputy Governor deserves every accolade for the landmark achievement in a society where family life appears

Why I granted free medicare to cancer patient - Prof Ibadin

By FRIDAY OBANOR

BENIN CITY- The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Michael Ibadin says the Love for human nature led him to offer free medicare to one miss Dogo Joy who was recently diagnosed of cancer of the Blood vessel and not cancer of the kidney as was speculated in the media.

Prof. Ibadin who stated this in a chat with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER Health correspondent in Benin City on Wednesday, noted he got the news on the 22 year old lady in the local media seeing the photograph of her in

current mismanagement at the primary schools level with regards to teachers’ salaries.

According to the governor, “It was part of this search, I suspect that led to some people going to burn down the archives at the Ministry of Education.

“What we have been trying to do here is to try to find the courage to clean up the mess we inherited in Edo State and to see that we leave behind, not just roads, schools and street lights and a school system that works, but also institutionalised paperless government so that the level of manipulation can be minimized, if not completely eradicated,” he “noted.

“If there is one matter that has engaged my time and those of my lieutenants in government, it is trying to see through what is going on with regards to teachers salaries.

Because the problem has been there for a very long

NYSC dress in her hay days, he said he was touched and became committed because the earlier diagnosis the people talked about was not for young people like her.

Continuing, Prof. Ibadin said that upon diagnosis, the hospital management discovered that she was wrongly diagnosed. And there was no need to source for the huge amount of money that was asked for, to fly her abroad.

The CMD disclosed that the girl’s optimism is helping her, to respond positively to treatment as she can now pick phone calls and talk to people.

AG slams police investigation

Continued from page 1

secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on the need for panel of enquiry to be set up into extra judicial killings in Edo State with specific reference to the UNIBEN student case and that of the late Principal private secretary to the Edo state Governor, Comrade Olaitan

Edo begins schools, teachers audit when there is a subsisting agreement.”

He maintained that the 27.5 percentTeachers’ Special Allowance agreed with two unions shrunk to 17precent because of the new minimum wage, arguing that if the NUT wants a review of the agreement, it must come to the negotiations table”, but stated that he will not be forced to an agreement with the union, if it fails to negotiate.

Comrade Oshiomhole said the government is stopping the teacher’s salary because the law is clear if you do not work you do not earn.

Oshiomhole said the government is trying to assist the local government on how to improve on their internal generated revenue, because, for me, governance goes beyond going to Abuja to collect cheque and then distribute it and wait for the next thirty days.

to have broken down completely.

According to the statement, it is heart warming to note that despite the vicissitude that have plagued and destroyed many marriages, that of the deputy governor and his wife, Deaconess Endurance would serve as a good example of how family life should be lived.

The council therefore prayed God to continue to bless and preserve the deputy governor in his marriage, adding, “we wish our own many more years of celebration”.

“It is the responsibility of any government at any level to be able to think, put on your thinking cap and find solutions to problems that confront you; therefore, local governments must look inwards and see how they can generate revenue to complete what they receive from the federation account.”

Earlier, the state President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Comrade Young Ilemikhene commended the governor for his outstanding numerous achievements in the state.

He noted that the local government still remains the third tier of government in Nigeria as contained in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and it is necessary to recognise and respect its operational procedures in line with the existing laws as to enable it perform its constitutionally assigned roles.

Oyerinde.

According to the Attorney General, the state Director of Public Prosecution has already submitted to his office its advice on the matter in line with the investigative report submitted to the DPP by the police.

The Attorney General said there were a lot of lacunas in the investigative report submitted to the DPP by the police.

He said when he examined the DPP report on the matter he discovered that the police is yet to do a thorough investigation that can grant prosecution for murder in the case.

“The case file has been returned by the DPP to my office. The police is yet to do a thorough investigation that can grant prosecution for murder.

There are still a lot of lacunas in the investigation” Furthermore, the Attorney General said the police investigative report would be resent back to them and the specific areas in dire need of investigation in the matter would be communicated to the police.

Earlier, one of the spokespersons of the group, the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Reverend David Ugolor said the protesting groups want the state government to set up judicial panel of enquiry into the UNIBEN student killing.

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News

Edo Govt Closes ITM, Usen

BENIN CITY - Edo State Government has closed down the institution of Technology and Management, Usen, for two weeks.

The closure was contained in a statement by the state Commissioner for Secondary, Technical and tertiary Education, Barrister Washington Osifo and made available to newsmen in Benin City.

According to the statement, the action followed the disruption of examinations and academic activities by the Institution’s Student Union Government (SUG) in a bid to ensure that students are allowed to write examinations without paying their school fees.

It stated that government found the action necessary to ensure the protection of lives and property of law abiding staff and students of the institution.

Consequently, the statement advised all students to vacate the school premises not later than today, Thursday July 4, 2013 while the SUG has been suspended to give way for a caretaker committee constituted to guarantee the students’ welfare.

Also, all students involved in the disruption of the examination are to face disciplinary actions while all National Diploma 11 students who had not paid their school fees as at June 18, 2013

EDHA Dismisses Two Petitions

By KEN ABU/WINIFRED OSASOBO

BENIN CITY - The Edo State House of Assembly, has struck out two petitions for lack of Merit.

The Petitions were authored by Mr. Abu Momodu Igbiti and Edo Club, Benin City but signed by Professor D. R Agbonlahor on behalf of Mr. C.A.O. Urubusi, a staff of the Unified Local Government Service Commission.

The petition by Mr. Igbiti is an appeal to the House to save him from victimization by the Okumagbe of Weppa Wanno, His Royal Highness, George Egabor.

The second petition by Edo Club is an appeal for immediate intervention to ensure equality and justice in the case of Urubusi on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

According to the report on the first petition, Mr. Abu Momodu Igbiti who had

earlier been sanctioned by the palace of the Okumagbe disregarded the palace and the Council of Chiefs by refusing to honour an invitation by the palace over a land dispute.

It was also observed from the findings that the Okunmagbe of WeppaWanno Claim over the Chairmanship position of Etsako East Local Government Ward1 might not be the correct position while the outcome of the inhouse settlement embarked upon by Igbiti with the Royal father was yet to be communicated to the House committee.

The report on the second petition indicated that the reduction in the salary, grade level of Mr. Urubusi from Level 17 to 16 was done to regularize the inbalance in the various promotions that were inadvertedly carried out at the Unified Local Government Service.

Post LG Election:

BY QUEENNETH AIKHIONBARE OROBEDO BENIN CITY - Secretary to Edo State Governor (SSG), Prof. Julius Ihonvbere has urged aggrieved members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the aftermath of the local government council election in the state to forget the past and fully re-unite with ACN family.

He stated this yesterday in Benin City at session with the leadership of the Owan West Local Government Council Chapter of ACN who came to felicitate with him on his birthday anniversary.

Emphasizing that in any family there are bound to be friction amongst one another on issues, Prof Ihonvbere enjoined the leadership of the Owan West Chapter of ACN

are to pay a damage fee of N5,000 each and present a sworn affidavit to be of good conduct inline with their matriculation oat.

The statement added that government is aware of the role of disgruntled staff who are believe the students continued unruly conduct as this anti-government activities would be comprehensively investigated and all those found culpable dealt with.

Meanwhile examination will now re-commence on Thursday July 18, 2013, while all students are to write their examinations from home, the statement concluded.

Odubu Marks 56th Birthday, Marriage Anniversary With Prayers

By CLIFFORD AGBAJOR

BENIN CITY - An early morning prayer session was held on Monday, July, 1,2013, to mark the 56 th birthday anniversary and silver Jubilee of the marriage of Edo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu.

In his remarks, the deputy governor expressed gratitude

to the Odubu and Osunde families, his wife, Deaconess Endurance Odubu, his friends and associates for their unflinching support over the years.

He used the occasion to pay glowing tribute the state Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the opportunity given him to serve in the present administration.

In an exhortation, Pastor Akin Ojo of living Faith Church (aka Winners Chapel) said God is with the Odubu family and prayed God to elevate them to the next level.

Government House chaplain, Rev. Fr. Andrew Obinyan noted that the deputy governor has been blessed materially and politically, adding that he

EIRS, Youth Body Hold Tax

By VICTOR OMOALU BENIN CITY- A one-day tax sensitization seminar put together by the New Benin Youth Organisation in collaboration with the Edo State Internal Revenue Service was held on Tuesday at the Edokpolor Grammar School, Benin City.

The Seminar gears towards the education/ sensitization of the people, especially at the grassroots, featured scholars were dwelt on the imperative

SSG Enjoins ACN

to strive for improved peace and unity which culminated in the landslide victory of the party in the last council poll.

Thanking them for their performance, particularly in the last election, and the reconciliation committee for the steps taken to resolve some of the minor problems.

“Today we see Owan as one, I do believe that it is only in unity and commitment that we can move forward”, he stated.

While urging the people of Owan to remain grateful to the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, for his (SSG) appointment which has given him the opportunity to be exposed to so many issues regarding governance of the state, the SSG announced that Uzebba –OkpujeOkaoad in the locality has been penciled down to be

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the NULGE Chairman, Comrade Young Ileikhena, during NULGE visit to Government House yesterday. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE

amongst roads to receive attention in the next phase of road works.

Prof. Ihonvbere also told his guests that a federal Institution is to be cited in Owan West and reminded them to fashion out ways to fully benefit from the agricultural policies of the state government in this second tenure of Governor Oshiomhole.

Chairman, ACN, Owan West Local Government, Sir Peter Eguaboi, said the forum was to formally congratulate, Prof.

Ihonvbere, on his 57th birthday anniversary.

Sir Eguaboi expressed gratitude to Governor Oshiomhole for appointing one of their own as SSG, noting that it is a blessing to Owan people.

Also present at the event were Chief J.S. Oni, ACN leader in the locality and other top government functionaries from the constituency.

of paying taxes.

Speaking at the occasion, the Executive chairman of the Edo State Internal Revenue service (EIRS), Chief Sir Oseni Elamah, described tax as the major drive of internally generated revenue aimed at providing the basic infrastructural development to the people.

Chief Elamah said that since the inception of the present administration in the state, the state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has demonstrated that he is accountable to the people judging by his monumental infrastructural development spread across the state.

You help the government by providing the necessary information about the income you earn, because it is on the basis of the income you earn that determines how government will assess you, chief Elamah stated.

He said that as tax payers, there was need for them to possess the tax clearance certificate/ Tax Identification Number (TIN) as that would guarantee them right to do business any where across the globe.

He acknowledged the relationship/ co-operation of

the organisation and charged the people to ensure full protection of government projects.

Guest speaker, Rev Peter Ebabhamegbebo in his keynote address on the topic, ‘the imperiative of paying tax’ emphasized that evasion of taxes is evil, paying taxes/ rates is Godly in the sight of God. He reaffirmed that God Almighty urged the people to obey the authority by paying their taxes and therefore called on the people to obey those at the helm of affairs charged with the mandate to collect taxes.

While highlighting some of the major reasons for paying taxes to include, scripturally right to do so, avoid offending the authority and to avoid the name of God being blasphemed, Rev. Ebabhamegbebo stress the need for government to ensure stewardship to the people.

Earlier, the president of the New Benin Youth Orginsation, Deacon Roland Iyase stated that the seminar became imperiative because of the need to abreast the people, especially at the roots of the need/ benefit of paying tax.

distinguished himself through his humility.

He prayed God to grant Dr, Pius Odubu and his family spiritual blessings as the enters a new phase of life.

The prayer session which took place at his Benin City residence was attended by civil commissioners, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chieftains across the state, family members, friends and well-wishers from far and near.

After the early morning prayers session, orphans from several orphanages in Benin City were treated to a get – together to mark the deputy governor ’s birthday and marriage anniversary.

The party for the orphans featured dancing competitions and other forms of entertainment.

Meanwhile, the state deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu has urged the immediate past transition committee chairman in the state to continue to be loyal to the Governor and ACN. He gave the advice when the former transition committee chairman visited to identity with him on the occasion of the birthday and marriage anniversary.

The deputy governor thanked them for the show of solidarity and recalled that they did well to bring development to their respective local government areas.

While urging them to continue to make themselves available to the party, Dr. Odubu told the former council bosses to guide the newly elected council chairman on the right part based on their ex-chairman wealth of experience.

Spokesman for the former chairman, Hon. Napoleon Agbama said it was a pleasure serving under the

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Inside Edo

LG Boss Seeks Executive, Legislative Harmony

By LAMAI CASSIUS

FUGAR - The Executive Chairman of Etsako Central Local Government council, Hon Emmanuel Ozemede Momoh has solicited for a cordial and harmonious working relationship between the executive and the legislative arm of the council in order to deliver the much needed dividend of democracy to the people in the local government.

Hon Momoh stated this in Fugar, the administrative headquarters of the local government while presenting the 2013 budget draft estimate of the local government council to the legislative arm.

Addressing members of the legislative arm in Fugar, the Chairman, Hon Momoh announced a budget sum of N4.900.2 I 3,903.00 (four billion, nine hundred million, two hundred and thirteen thousand, nine hundred and three naira) only.

Hon Momoh disclosed that the recurrent revenue and expenditure accruing to the council include, opening balance of 23,694,391.09, Internal Revenue of N165.

400.000.00.

Statutory Allocation from state is N100, 000.000; Statutory Allocation from Federal is N2. 570,800.000.00 and Value Added Tax (Vat), Excess Crude oil, Stabilization Trapped Fund.

Grant (MGD) and loan among others.

Hon Momoh stated that a total of N l, 493,563 .903 .00 has been earmarked to take care of the recurrent expenditure in the process of administrating the local government area, adding that capital projects are expected to gulp the sum of about N3, 406, 650.000.00 in the economic, social, regional development and general administration sectors.

He said that the 2013 draft

estimate which is fashioned along the policy thrust of the Edo state government’s desire to bring about meaningful infrastructural development in primary schools, improved health care delivery services, environmental sanitation and beautification, good rood network, rural transformation and the general well-being of

the citizenry.

According to the local government chairman, “the budget seeks to replicate the developmental strides of the Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole in the local government area with renewed vigour to better the lots of the people at the grassroots.”

He also disclosed that a total

sum of N1, 526,100.000.00 has been allocated to the economic sector representing 44.80 c/o of the capital estimate.

Hon Ozemede Momoh however disclosed that under the sub-sectors the

L-R:Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Ade Bajomo, Deputy Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Executive Director, Business Development, NSE, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri at the Access Bank Investors’ Forum at the Exchange recently.

L-R:Deputy Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, Chief Executive Officer, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema, Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imouhuede and Executive Director, Business Development, NSE, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri at the Access Bank Investors’ Forum at the Exchange recently.l

By ANDY EGBON

13, 2013 at Abuja.

The award ceremony is under the auspices of Accolades International in collaboration with the International Centre for Comparative Leadership for Africans and Blacks in Diaspora, a Pan African Development Organisation.

Engineer Ogbeide, a fellow of the Nigerian

Society of Engineers and one time Head, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Benin was recently awarded honourary Doctor of Science by the American University Commonwealth of Dominica.

Chairman, award organizing committee, Dr. Luke Okojie said recipients

were selected after they were nominated and adjudged worthy of the honour.

The idea of the award, he said is to celebrate Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endevour.

Hon Emmanuel Ozemede Momoh

Teachers Are Nation Builders - NCCE

By EMMANUEL EGOBIAMBU/OYENMWEN OMOROGBE

NDDC Assistant Director To Be Honoured, July 13

BENIN CITY – An Assistant Director with the Niger Delta D e v e l o p m e n t Commission (NDDC), Edo State office, Engineer (Dr.) Fredrick Nosakhare Ogbeide is among distinguished Nigerians to be honoured in the 8 th Annual African Icon of our Generation Award stated for Saturday July

sum of N 123 .600 .000.00 has been earmarked for the construction/rehabilitation of modernized cassava mills at Ugbekpe-Ekperi, Fugar, Anegbette and Ogbona, purchase/ subsidizing of farm inputs. provision of soft loans to farmers, payment of counter parts fund on IITA/ IFAD/FADAMA III and Refills programmes, establishment of local government Demonstration Farm at Fugar and Anegbette, provision/ acquisition/clearing and cultivation of hectares of farm land. Agriculture extension services, repairs of the local government tractor among others.

Under the general Administration Sector, the chairman said the sum of N406,550,000.O0 representing I 1 .93 per cent of the capital expenditure has been allocated to the Sector for the provision of office furniture, purchase of

official vehicles/maintenance of existing ones, construction of additional office buildings for both political holders and career civil servants He also disclose that in the 2013 draft estimate other area to be address include, livestock sub-sector, veterinary service sub-sector, fishery sub-sector, manufacturing sub-sector and rural electrification sub-sector, education and health sector and information sector which is the mouth piece of any administration, among other.

The local government boss however appealed to the legislators to give speedy passage to the budget draft.

BENIN CITY – Former Executive Secretary National Commission for Colleges of Education, Professor Peter Lassa, has described teachers as nation builders because they train people who are the future leaders of any nation.

Professor recently in a television programme.

According to him, a teacher must be sound in character and otherwise if he is to mould the students in the right –way.

He said that it is the way a child is taught in school that he reflects in the future.

A bad engineer, a product of bud teaching. A bad doctor, product of bad teaching,” he said.”

He explained that since students are quick in copying behavious, teachers should not be found wanting when it comes to good moral upbringing.

He Lassa blamed poor policy implementation to the failure of those involved to do their work adding that funds meant to improve the living and working standards of teachers and schools in the country are constantly siphoned into private pockets.

He therefore advised government to improve teachers’ welfare as their job is crucial to the growth of any nation.

He equally charged teachers to be proud of their job as nation builders.

Edo Govt Appoints Executive Director

BENIN CITY - Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has approved the appointment of Mr. Hilary Ekhoya as Executive Director.

Until his appointment he was Deputy Director Physical Planning, Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma.

A grassroots political mobiliser, he hails from Igueben Local Government Area of the State and is married with children.

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Abuja Insurgency: 15,000 Fleeing Nigerians Return Home

GWOZA (Borno) - About 15,000 Nigerians who fled to the neighbouring Republic of Cameroun as a result of intense military operations against Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, yesterday agreed to return home.

The Nigerians, mostly from Gwoza Local Government Area of the state fled the country a week ago following renewed military operations against insurgents in the area.

Reports say that the communities included Ashigashiya, Ngoshe and

Parawa.

Leaders of the communities told the state Deputy Gov. Alhaji Mustapha Zanna who visited them that, they fled to save their lives.

One of the leaders, Alhaji Abdu Ashigashiya, explained that they had to leave as they were not sure of getting protection from security agents.

He told the deputy governor that 11 members of the community were killed in questionable circumstances before they decided to flee from their villages.

Kwara Police Boss Assures Residents Of Safety

“So, we began to fear that sooner or later the killing will spread,” he said.

Another elder from Ngoshe village, Malam Siddiki Ali, said the community had never harboured any terrorist.

“Historically, members of our communities have lived in harmony for many years without religious crisis. So, we were shocked by the soldiers invasion.”

Responding, the deputy governor urged them to return home, assuring that the government and security agencies would protect them.

L-R: DIG ‘E’ Department, Marvel Akpoyinbo; DIG ‘A’ Department, Suleiman Fakai and IG Mohammed Abubakar at the Force CID Annual Award in Abuja yesterday.

ILORIN - The Commissioner of Police in Kwara, Mr. Agboola Oshodi-Glover, yesterday said that the command had redoubled its efforts to rid the state of criminal activities.

The police boss told newsmen in Ilorin that crime rate had dropped drastically in the state.

He said there was the need to be on red alert, to prevent criminals from infiltrating into the state.

“The Kwara command is on a 24-hour intensive patrol, meant to dislodge armed robbers and prevent all manners of criminal activities in the state.

“We assure residents of safety of their lives and property, while

we urge them to give us information on any suspicious person in their domain, ” he said.

The police commissioner said that more personnel from the Police Mobile Force had been drafted to Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.

He also said that the command decided to beef up security in the area following the bank robbery witnessed recently.

Oshodi-Glover said that the command would reinforce its intelligence gathering unit to foil criminal activities before they are being carried out.

LAGOS - The Nigerian Customs Service Management team have been commended for its commitment to the reward of hard work, gallantry and professional excellence in the discharge of official responsibilities A renowned author and Public Affairs Analyst, Mr. Martins F.O. Ikhilae stated this while exchanging views with media executives in Lagos recently adding that such practice was highly multivational and capable of promoting patriotism in the service.

The Analyst who spoke against the backdrop of recent promotion conferred on the new Assistant Comptroller Dahiru Musa Kirawa Abdullahi led, NCS zone A’ Ikeja Federal Operations CGC anti-smuggling team on Agbara Badagry-Seme border route, said the conferment of promotion to the next ranks on these NCS personnel who have done the nation proud via selfless discharge of official responsibilities was absolutely timely and appropriate.

According to him, the unique team promotion was hinged on

a distinct feat recently achieved by the operational team which encompasses the interception and consequent seizure of large volume of rice totaling 7,269 bags whose worth of payable duty stood at about 50 million naira.

I-G Mohammed Abubakar (right), presenting an award of outstainding dedication to the Deputy Commissioner, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, DC Chris Ezike (left), during the Force CID Annual Award in Abuja yesterday. With them is the DIG in-charge of CID, Mr. Peter Gana.

LAGOS - Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the Chairman, Western Zone of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), yesterday confirmed the suspension of its three-day warning strike.

Korodo told newsmen in a telephone interview in Lagos that the strike was suspended on Tuesday at about 12 midnight, after the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

He said that it took the intervention of the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Mr Andrew Yakubu, to call off the strike.

Korodo said that the NNPC chief executive assured the union that the issue would be resolved when the Minister of

Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke returned from her international trip.

“The suspension was announced after our NEC meeting in Abuja last night.

The decision to end the industrial action was in the interest of the public and the intervention of Mr. Yakubu.

Korodo said that Yakubu pleaded with the management of the three oil companies to rectify the employment status of casual tanker drivers in their organisations.

The National Secretary of NUPENG, Mr. Isaac Aberare also confirmed the suspension of the warning strike. “ We have suspended the three-day warning strike due to the intervention of the

Customs Service Management Commended For Hard Work

NUPENG Suspends Strike GMD of NNPC and other well–meaning Nigerians,’’ Aberare said.

Reports say that the major issues that led to the warning strike include insecurity in the oil producing region, bad state of the roads, and rising oil theft in the Niger Delta.

The union also complained about non-adherence to guidelines on contract staffing, casualisation in the sector ,and abuse of expatriate quota.

It would be recalled that NUPENG on Monday directed its members at the depots to stop loading petroleum products for the next three days.

The directive was meant to protest the alleged inhuman

treatment of its members by Chevron, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Agip Oil Company.

The strike was also called to

protest the refusal of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), to implement the collective bargaining agreement signed with petroleum tanker drivers.

CACGM Holds Memorial Service

By VICTOR IMADE

BENIN CITY- A 3-day Parish Convention of the Apostolic Church of God Mission (CACGM) in memory of the Head of the mission, prophet Dr. Samuel Ogbonmwan began yesterday at the Parish Headquarters, Aduwawa, Benin City.

The 3 days convention

with a theme: The Sonship Rights is expected to end on Saturday July 6, 2013.

It would feature, choir ministration, Breakthrough messages and Teachings.

According to Rev. Victor Ikuobase, the programme would climax with thanksgiving service on Sunday July 7, 2013 in all the mission Branches within and outside Nigeria.

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Across The Nation TB Control: Mission

Zaria Water Project To Be Completed 2014 - GM KADUNA - Work on the multi billion naira Zaria water project is to be completed in April 2014, the General Manager of Kaduna State Water Board, Alhaji Kabiru Rufai, has said.

Rufai said in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna that work on the project was over 84 per cent completed.

He said when completed, more than 150 million liters of water would be supplied daily to consumers in Zaria, Sabon gari, Giwa, Makarfi, Ikara, Kudan, Kubau and Soba Local Government areas.

The general manager said about N15 billion had so far gone into the water project, adding that a provision of N5 billion has been made in the 2013 budget for its continuation.

Rufai said installation of pumps, transformers, generators and various water supply equipment for the water treatment plant would soon commence at the site.

He disclosed that the 10million-liter old Zaria water works was still operational in spite of the damages caused by flood in 2012.

The general manager also said that another dam being constructed by the Federal government Dam at kuzumtu in Igabi Local Government had reached 99 per cent completion stage.

To Spend N4m

Head, Medical Services, Federal Ministry of Defence, Dr. U.J. Ikokwu (left), presenting some mosquito nets to the commander, 23rd Armoured Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Fatai Oladipo, during the defence medical team’s malaria out reach at 23rd Armoured Barrack in Yola yesterday.

Soldiers rehearsing for the 2013 Army Day celebration in Abuja yesterday.

Gov Aliyu Inaugurates New CJ

MINNA - Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger inaugurated the newlyappointed Chief Judge, Justice Fati Abubakar, and urged her to assist Muslims understand their religion.

Aliyu said this at Government House, Minna, while inaugurating the new Chief Judge who is the wife of the former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd).

According to the governor, there is the need for Muslims in the state to understand their religion and custom to enable them to enrol their children in formal schools.

“Madam you will help in making sure we understand what is our religion and custom so as to distinguish between the two.”

The governor said the education would help “When we take decisions particularly in our family lives and our marital relationships as that has become a problem in many Islamic countries”.

“We need to educate our

children especially the girlchild in order to empower the women for a better society,’’ he said.

Aliyu decried a situation where Muslims in the Northern part of the country allowed their custom to be seen as part of Islamic religion.

“The religion of Islam is pure and purity and for everything there is a rule and law governing it.’’

The governor noted that inability of the people to distinguish between religion and custom had impeded progress among them.

“Talking about out-of-school children, 14 states out of the 19 Northern states are the ones suffering with 50 per cent to 82 per cent in the country,’’ he said.

He noted that the number of out-of-school children in the region had nothing to do with Islam, adding that it was a misconception of the people.

“Education is education and it is one education; and we

must do everything possible to get it right,’’ he said.

The governor said that the advanced nations of the world were developed because women were given equal opportunity as men to develop themselves.

He described the new Chief Judge as a pride to her family,

Niger, the country and mankind.

“To me she symbolises the beautiful thing a girl-child can become if given the right education.’’

Responding, the Chief Judge pledged to protect and defend the constitution of the country and make the state proud.

BIRNIN KEBBI - The Country Office of Tuberculosis (TB) and Leprosy Mission is to spend four million Naira to expand tuberculosis control services in 15 local government areas in Kebbi.

Mr Pius Sunday, National Programme Officer of the mission, said this to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.

Sunday said the mission would establish 15 laboratories where TB drugs would be stored for easy access by patients.

He said TB drugs were being provided free by the

mission.

He also said that the state had recently received delivery of six month regiment of TB drugs.

“We will sustain regular supply of TB and leprosy drugs to ensure adequate control of these diseases,’’ he said.

The programme officer advised patients suffering from such diseases to avail themselves of treatment, stating that the diseases were deadly but curable.

He said 400 patients were presently placed on treatment at various control centres in the state.

Fertilizer Cut Worries Council Authority KADUNA - Mallam Aminu Kyakay, the Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture, Kaduna North Local Government Council, has expressed concern on the 70 per cent cut in the fertiliser approved for farmers in the area.

Kyakay said in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna that only five tonnes was approved for the local government this farming season as against 18 tonnes allocated to it in 2012.

The supervisory councillor noted that the commodity was grossly inadequate to satisfy the needs of the farmers.

According to him, the local council is making efforts to prevail on the Kaduna State Government to review the allocation upward.

He however attributed the sharp reduction to shortage of funds due to the huge

indebtedness of the local council.

Kyakay explained that each of the 23 local governments in the state was allocated the commodity based on its financial status.

On the mode adopted for the distribution of the commodity, the supervisory councillor said each of the 12 wards had been given 135 bags.

He said that the local government had earlier distributed free pesticides to framers and also bought three tractors to improve agricultural production.

Kyakay disclosed that the council had also trained 20 youths on honey production, 25 on fishery and 25 on poultry farming.

He urged the farmers to be patient as the local government council was doing everything possible to satisfy their needs.

Communications Officer of SURE-P Maternal and Child Health (MCH), said the programme was introduced to reduce the incidence of maternal and neo-natal mortality.

Sa’idu further said that the programme would provide free MCH services in designated centres across the country.

“This is a real opportunity for women especially in the rural areas where there are no accessibility to the health centres; So, let us use the

opportunity,” she said.

She expressed regret that in spite of the efforts that the government was making to provide effective health care delivery, some women were still unaware of the programme.

She, therefore, urged traditional, religious leaders and media practitioners to contribute to the success of the programme especially in the Northern parts of the country where the burden was higher.

She also commended the state government for its support to the programme and prayed for its success.

Zamfara To Partner Sure-P On Child Health

GUSAU - The Zamfara Government says it will partner with the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) in ensuring sound maternal and child health care delivery in the state.

The State Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Kabir Janyau, said this during the inauguration of the state’s steering committee for the implementation of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) pilot programme.

Reports say that the programme was organised by SURE-P. Janyau said that the state

government would partner with any organisation, including government and non-governmental bodies, to assist in improving the citizens’ health care delivery system.

He praised SURE-P for introducing the programme and expressed the hope that it would provide solutions to many of the nation’s socioeconomic problems, especially in the rural areas.

Speaking earlier, Hajiya Aminatu Sa’idu, the National Advocacy and

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Lagos Rape: LSHA Wants Quick Prosecution LAGOS - commissioner of police Lagos State Command has been asked to ensure that offenders in rape and defilement of minors be prosecuted in line with child rights law.

The house also called on Ministry of Information and strategy to embark on sensitization programme to educate parents and guardians on need to be vigilant.

In the same vien, the lawmakers appealed to committee on judiciary and public petition to look into child rights law.

However, moving a motion on the issue, Hon. Omowunmi Olatunji Edet said “ the house notes with great concern the growing incident of rape and defilement of minor as recently disclosed by ministry of justice that 427 rape cases reported were prosecuted and jailed

Expert Suggests Audit Of All Buildings

LAGOS - Mr Folorunsho Alli, a former General Manager, Lagos State Urban Renewal Authority (LASURA), has suggested comprehensive audit of all buildings in the state to check incidence of building collapse.

Alli gave the suggestion in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on the sideline of a public hearing of the Tribunal of Inquiry on Collapsed Buildings in Lagos State.

He urged the state government to take appropriate steps to avert collapse of distressed buildings.

According to him, many buildings in the state were dilapidated and ageing, “Audit of building is all about conducting integrity test on a building to ascertain its stability.

“It reveals the structural capacity of a building that is giving signs of distress,’’ Alli said.

According to him, to audit buildings in Lagos will not take more than three months to complete if the state government can be proactive in the exercise.

Alli advised the government and residents to develop good maintenance culture, saying that poor maintenance could lead to early collapse of buildings.

“If Lagosians can ensure proper maintenance of their structures, the incidence of collapsed buildings will be curtailed,’’ he said.

through the effort of the public defenders (OPS)”.

She further stated that provision of section 10 of the child rights law 2007 stated that every child is entitled for respect for dignity of his person, no child shall be subjected to physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse, neglect or maltreatment including sexual abuse and no person shall have sexual intercourse with a child, Hon. Omowunmi Edet stressed.

Commenting, Hon. Olusegun Ishawu said “parents and schools should be compelled to report a case of defilement”. Hon. Rotimi

Olowo aligned himself with the submission that parents who failed to report must be punished while Hon. Dr Adeyeye called on government to establish a denim lab to examine rape victim.

Also speaking Hon. Lola Akande said “rape makes the victim bruised, the issue is enforcement”.

She advised parents to prevent their children from associating with strangers.

She said nobody wants to come to the house and complain for fear of stigmization, adding that children should be trained on the act of self defense.

Funso Williams avenue in Lagos as NUPENG suspends strike yesterday.

Lagos House Wants Improved Security In Yaba

By SURAJU RAJI

LAGOS State House of Assembly has directed the commander of Rapid Response Squad in Lagos to improve security in Yaba and to station RRS vehicles in all strategic areas.

The motion moved by Hon Moshood Oshun, representing Lagos Mainland 11, in the House, under matter of urgent public importance, stated that there was incident of armed robbery at Iwaya in Yaba Local Government and two police from Sabo Police station were wounded.

He also added that robbers killed two persons in Bornu way in the same local government area. The lawmaker disclosed that the Divisional police officer at Sabo division told him that his men went to the scene and saw that the robbers were armed with more sophisticated weapons.

Hon. Oshun also disclosed that robbery is rampant in his constituency.

He lamented that police have no sophisticated weapons.

He demanded for RRS patrol vehicles to be stationed at Iwaya.

Speaking on the issue, the speaker, Rt Hon.

Adeyemi Ikuforiji said “Lagos state government has provided armoured personnel careers for police; the police Security Trust Fund has

provided vehicles for police.”

In addition, Hon Rotimi Olowo called for decentralization of Rapid Response Squad in

Lagos, lamenting the robbers’ sophisticated weapons passed through our border which he described as porous.

Tourism Committee of Lagos Bar Beach, has advised all tiers of government to expand the coastlines across the country, to increase investment in beach tourism.

Ekanem told newsmen in Lagos that the expansion would attract more investors and

project the country as tourists’ destination.

According to him, beach tourism is a major investment by many countries across the globe.

“Nigeria is endowed with a vast coastline, spread across the country, which has been lying untapped.

“Government should make more efforts to expand the coastlines as a means of attracting tourists and generating foreign exchange for the country,’’ Ekanem said.

He said that more effort should be made to upgrade the existing beaches to international standard.

Olowo expressed surprise why robbers should be more armed while Hon. Mudashiru Egberongbe appealed for equipping police with walking talkies to enable them call for reinforcement.

Stakeholders Call For Expansion Of LAGOS- Mr Effiong Ekanem advised that Coastlines Ekanem, the Chairman, safety measures to

Refuse at barracks bus stop on Funso Williams avenue in Lagos yesterday.

safeguard human lives and properties along the coastlines, should be implemented in all beaches nationwide.

He also urged government to hasten infrastructure development across the country, adding that advanced infrastructure would augment tourism development.

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Across The Nation Jonathan Wants Concrete Plan To End HIV/ AIDS Scourge

ABUJA President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the development of an implementation plan to speltout the commitment of federal and states governments in putting an end to HIV and

AIDS scourge.

Jonathan gave the directive at a meeting he held with stakeholders to review the President’s Emergency Response Plan for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, 2013-2015.

The meeting, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, reviewed a blueprint drafted by stakeholders on the control

of HIV and AIDS. Jonathan promised to work relentlessly to ensure that no Nigerian die of HIV and AIDS

L-R: Resident Engineer, Zaria Water Works Project, Mr. ghassan Yazbeck; Assistant General Manager, Water Projects, Kaduna State Water Board, Mr. John Kobo and Mr. Soba Hassan, during inspection of ongoing water project in Zaria, Kaduna State yesterday.

Kwara Seals Off Medicine Stores

OFFA (KWARA) - The Kwara Government has closed down six patent medicine stores for dispensing fake and counterfeit drugs in Offa and Ijagbo.

The Chairman, Kwara Assembly Committee on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs, Hajiya Risikat Lawal, ordered the closure when the committee visited some patent medicine stores in the state.

The six affected stores are located in Offa, Offa Local Government Area and Ijagbo in Oyun Local Government Area.

The stores are: Havila Pharmaceutical Services, Ijagbo; Alayande Medicine Stores, Ijagbo; and Ola-Iya Stores, Offa.

Others are Femto Medicine Stores, Offa; OloBola Medicine Stores, Offa; and Jossy Patent Medicine Stores also in Offa.

The Chairman said some of the offences committed by the sealed stores range from unregistered outfit, selling of regulated drugs such as antibiotics, anti-hypertensive and treatment of patients.

She said owners of any medicine store found stocking fake and counterfeit drugs would be liable to half a million naira fine or imprisonment for two years or both.

“Patent medicine shops

should desist from selling ethical drugs like Ampiclox capsules, procaine and penicillin injections with other controlled drugs,” she said.

The Chairman advised patent medicine stores in the state to register and renew their licences with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria through the state Ministry of Health.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Tunji Moronfoye, re-affirmed of government’s determination to rid the state of sales and consumption of fake and counterfeit drugs.

and solicited the supports of state governments and private bodies.

“From today as the President of this country, I don’t want any Nigerian to henceforth die of HIV. “The objective may not be achieved today or tomorrow, but we shall be working towards achieving it from today.

“State governors too must ensure that nobody dies of HIV and AIDS in their states,’’ he said.

The president decried a situation where so much funds were being committed to the fight against the scourge, but the results were minimal.

Jonathan said his government would not continue to spend money on the scourge without assessing the corresponding progress being made.

“It appears as a nation, we are spending a lot on HIV, the federal and state governments and development partners, but there is no proper collaboration.

“We spend more money than the result we are getting.

Wife of the Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Hajia Lubabatu Garba (left), inaugurating the sale of 300 bags of grains at half market price to people in Faskari Local Government Area yesterday. Right is the Council’s Transition Committee Chairman, Alhaji Isiyaku Faskari-Ahmed.

Police Smash Certificate Syndicate

ENUGU - The Police Intelligence Bureau of the Enugu State Police Command arrested three persons who allegedly specialise in issuing fake certificates.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, told newsmen that the accused persons specialised in issuing fake certificates of secondary and tertiary institutions.

He said that the force acted on information given to it by the public that the syndicate issued their victims fake certificates of various

secondary and tertiary institutions.

“We received information that some people issue fake certificates of various secondary schools, polytechnics and universities at a cost ranging from N60,000

and above.’’

Amaraizu said the suspects were arrested at their office at Trans Ekulu, where various fake certificates were recovered.

“We caught them at a point they wanted to hand over a

Higher National Diploma Certificate of the Institute of Management and Technology, (IMT), Enugu to one of their victims.

“One of the certificates has the stamps with an inscription of Mechanical Engineering Department of IMT.

ENUGU - The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has arrested 110 illegal immigrants in Enugu State, the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration in the state, Mr Felix Odika, announced on Tuesday in

Enugu.

Odika, who spoke on behalf of the Comptroller of the NIS in the state, Alhaji Ismaila Bashir, told newsmen that the command would repatriate the illegal immigrants to their

various countries in due course.

According to him, those to be repatriated include 94 Nigeriens, seven Togolese and two Beninoise.

The deputy comptroller said that seven others found to be Nigerians were released

‘That was why I charged the DG, NACA to go with his team and come with a blueprint.

“State governments should know what they are expecting from the Federal Government and developmental partners.

“They must also be able to set target that in so and so years, the prevalence will be reducing,’’ he said.

Prof. John Idoko, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), had earlier disclosed that with 3.4 million people living with HIV, the country carries the second largest HIV burden globally.

Idoko said that apart from “this frightening situation’’, Nigeria was also behind target in several important indicators.

He said that only one out of three people living with the virus, who need treatments, are treated.

Idoko said that about N377.5 billion would be needed for the new initiative to get Nigeria to attain universal access targets of 80 per cent to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care services.

The NACA chief said that N198.5 billion was expected to be sourced from external donors, while domestic contribution would account for N179 billion.

Of the N179 billion to be sourced locally, he said the Federal Government would provide N110.2 billion; state governments, N52.3 billion; while the private sector would contribute N16.5 billion.

He said the plan, which has a two-year duration from July 2013 to June 2015, had identified specific delivery targets.

Idoko added that more attention would be given to 12 states and Abuja which currently have high prevalence rate.

The event was attended by Governor. Jonah Jang (Plateau), Peter Obi (Anambra), Lyel Imoke (Cross River), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Martin Elechi (Eboyin) and Idris Wada (Kogi).

Oyo, Lagos, Bayelsa, Enugu, Nasarawa and Rivers among others, were represented by their deputy governors.

Immigration Arrest 110 Illegal Immigrants immediately.

Odika said the exercise which he said, would be continuous, was to ensure that the area was cleared of illegal immigrants as directed by the service headquarters.

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Abuja Jonathan Launch Reconstruction Of Expressway

Women Who Breastfeed Have Lower Risk Of Ovarian Cancer Gynaecologist ABUJA- A gynaecologist at the Garki Hospital, Abuja, Dr Kayode Obende, has said that women who breast fed were more likely to have lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Obende told newsmen in Abuja that breast feeding offered several forms of protection from some cancerous ailments.

According to him, some studies have shown that women who breast feed have lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

“Breast feeding also contributes to the health of mothers, it helps to space children and reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer.

“Breast feeding decreases the risk of ovarian cancer by up to 21 per cent, although the awareness level is low.’’

Obende said that breast feeding also decreased the risk of breast cancer by up to 28 per cent in those whose lifetime duration of breast feeding was 12 months or longer.

He said that breast feeding had been found to reduce the level of some cancer related hormones in a mother’s body.

“Breast feeding is a positive practice that women can use to lower their lifetime risks of breast and ovarian cancer.

“Breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development and protects the infant against infectious and chronic diseases,’’ he said.

The gynaecologist advised that children should be exclusively breast fed for the first six months of their life and should not be given anything else, including water in the first six months.

Obende also said that exclusive breast feeding was important because the breast milk was sufficient to meet the child’s fluid, calorie and nutrient requirements in the first six months.

He said that human breast milk was rich in protein, vitamin A and sodium chloride but contained lower amounts of carbohydrates, potassium and fat.

According to him, the initial milk produced in the first few days of delivery, called colostrum is rich and beneficial to the infant and should not be discarded as it has antibodies to prevent infections in the newborn.

L-R: NEMA Zonal Coordinator (North Central), Alhaji Abdulsalam Mohammed, member, House of Representatives, Rep. Benny Lar and NEMA’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, addressing internally displaced persons in Mabudi, Langtang South LGA of Plateau recently.

L-R: Head of Department of Geosciences, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Prof. Dagogo Fubara, Consultant, University of Lagos, Prof. Francis Fajemirokun and Surveyor General of the Federation, Prof. Peter Nwilo at the final workshop on the adoption of transformation parameters for Nigeria in Abuja yesterday.

Oguta Rerun Election: Jonathan ABUJA - President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the irregularities which characterised the rerun election to the Imo State House of Assembly in Oguta last Saturday, Jonathan directed INEC and the nation’s security

Irregularities

agencies to take immediate steps to bring all those who played any role in the violence and electoral irregularities that marred the election to justice.

Speaking at an audience

Revenue Allocation Formula RMAFC Embarks On Sensitisation ABUJA - The Revenue week.

Mobilisation Allocation and “It is expected that respective Tour Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) committees will be formed to added that it was aimed at says it will embark on a nationwide sensitisation tour to garner support for the ongoing review of the country’s current revenue allocation formula.

In a statement, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, the commission’s Head of Public Relations, said the decision to embark on the tour was made known by the Chairman, Mr Elias Mbam, on Tuesday while briefing the staff of the commission.

Mbam, who said that the sensitisation would take place between July 3 and July 17,

ABUJA- The Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, said President Goodluck Jonathan, would launch the reconstruction of the LagosIbadan expressway tomorrow.

Onolememen announced the planned inauguration by the President at a meeting with a delegation of the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON) in Abuja.

It would be recalled that the concession of the 178-kilometre road, which was granted BiCourtney Highway Services Limited, was earlier this year terminated by the Federal Government.

The Government had alleged that the company failed to honour the terms of the concession agreement.

enlightening stakeholders and the public on the need to participate and make relevant contributions in the review of the allocation. “this will enable the commission to come up with a just, fair, equitable and acceptable revenue allocation formula for the country.’’

The statement also quoted Mbam as saying that some members of the commission were expected to go to their respective states to hold interactive meetings within one

discuss the issue with state executives, judicial and legislative officials, local government officials, civil society groups and the public.’’

The relevant constitutional mandate of the commission, especially on the review of the revenue allocation formula must be highlighted, the chairman said.

He urged states and local governments to submit their memoranda, indicating their views on the new revenue formula at the end of the tour.

with a delegation from the Nigerian Senators’ Forum, the President said that the conduct of certain persons and groups involved in the election “ totally negates the spirit of one man, one vote’’.

He stressed his administration’s commitment to entrenching a culture of consistent free, fair and credible elections in the country.

“Those who made it impossible for the rerun election in Oguta to be conclusive must be brought to book.

“We must make it clear that impunity in the perpetration of violence and irregularities during elections will no longer be tolerated.

“Sanctions, promptly imposed on guilty persons, will deter others from engaging in such acts in

A fresh contract for the reconstruction of the expressway was subsequently awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc for the Lagos – Shagamu interchange end of the expressway.

RCC Nigeria Ltd is also expected to handle the Shagamu – Ibadan axis of the expressway.

The minister said that the project had been awarded and the government was ready to see it completed in record time.

“The Lagos/Ibadan Expressway project as you know has been awarded and work will soon commence on it.

“However, may I use this opportunity to let you know that President Goodluck Jonathan will inaugurate the reconstruction and rehabilitation work on the Lagos/Ibadan road tomorrow,” he said.

He said the President would perform the ceremony at the Shagamu interchange section of the road adding that the government was determined to address the sorry state of the expressway.

“We appreciate the comments you made admitting that our roads have improved and we invite you to join us at the launch which will be at the Shagamu interchange of the road.

“This drive is part of the ongoing transformation in the road sector and we hope that very soon Nigerians will come to appreciate our efforts to see that Nigerian roads are in good shape,” he said.

Earlier, the leader of the ALBON delegation, Mr Frank Nneji, thanked the Federal Government for reconstructing and upgrading many roads that luxury buses ply.

He said some of the roads in the country were now fairly usable due to the various interventions of the present administration.

Condemns

future,” he said.

The president welcomed the pledge by the Senators’ Forum to support the administration’s efforts to thoroughly sanitise Nigeria’s electoral system, He said that he was glad that his advocacy for one man, one vote was winning more adherents across the country.

The president said that the Federal Government under his leadership would work with other like-minded Nigerians and the forum to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“There must be even greater harmony between the executive and legislative arms of government.

“We must work together to ensure that all Nigerians benefit more from our

political activities,’’ he said.

Reports say the forum, established in 2003 with over 500 serving and former senators was led by Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq Gwadabe.

Earlier, Gwadabe had said that the forum was committed to supporting the efforts to strengthen institutions of democracy in Nigeria.

She praised the president’s commitment to maintaining cordial and harmonious relations with the National Assembly as well as his respect for the rule of law.

The delegation included Senators Abubakar Girei, Iyabo Anisulowo, Alex Kadiri, John Danboyi, Victor Oyofo, and Emmanuel Ibok Essien.

Others are Senators Haruna Abdulazeez, Sunday Fajimi, Sylvannus Ngele, Bala Adamu, Zeog H. Aziz and Omololu Meroyi.

THE

NIGERIAN

10

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Across The Nation Comments On 2013 Budget: Reps Summon Okonjo Iweala ABUJA - The House of Representatives has summoned Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to appear before its joint committees on Appropriation, Finance, and Legislative Compliance over

comments on 2013 amendment budget.

It said that the subsisting 2013 budget should be implemented to the letter irrespective of any proposal before the National Assembly.

The three committees are

expected to report back to the House on July 9.

Okonjo-Iweala allegedly said Nigeria’s economy would collapse by September if the National Assembly failed to pass the 2013 budget

amendment proposal before it.

The minister’s summoning was sequel to a motion moved

by Rep. Samson Osagie ( ACNEdo) which was unanimously adopted without debate.

According to Osagie, the assertion by the minister is not

only to blackmail the National Assembly but to incite Nigerians against the legislature.

Osagie said that there was a subsisting and valid Appropriation Act duly signed into law which was in operation for the 2013 financial year.

He said that the executive arm of government was deliberately delaying or exercising undue tardiness in the implementation of the budget.

The legislator said that the pending of the amendment budget proposal before the legislature was not an excuse for non-implementation of the 2013 budget.

“The minister of finance has consistently insulted the sensibilities of the institution of the National Assembly through her comments,” he said.

He said that the National Assembly was alive to its

responsibilities and would not be stampeded or blackmailed by any appointee of government.

Meanwhile, the House had urged the executive arm of government to prosecute all those involved in oil theft.

It mandated an Ad hoc Committee to ensure compliance on the issue of putting automated metering system on oil wells, flow heads and export terminals.

The resolution emanated from a motion by Rep. Aliyu Madaki ( PDP-Kano) on the urgent need to check incessant crude oil theft in the country.

According to Madaki, the volume of stolen oil has adversely affected oil production.

He said that engaging a private firm to man the nations’s waterways had worsened the level of oil theft in the country.

ABUJA - A 72 feet crucifix, named the Giant Agonising Crucifix, and acclaimed to be one of the tallest in the world, is to be

unveiled in Enugu tomorrow where 10,000 Catholic faithful are expected, according to a statement.

The statement issued in Abuja from the Apostolate of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, and signed

by Mr Jude Edochie stated that the crucifix had been erected at Uje, Imeziolo in Enugu Local Government Area.

It explained thet the erection was the culmination of a vision through a priest, Barnabas Nwoye.

“Over 10,000 people are expected at the ceremony – Bishops, Priests, the Religious and the Laity from countries including Canada, USA, Britain, Spain, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Australia, China and Germany.

“The unveiling of this crucifix, a world Catholic religious event, will be preceded by a Holy Mass also and a big religious ceremony,’’ the statement stated.

The statement called on people to come and witness the “historic religious event of our time.

“With this project accomplished, the power of the kingdom of darkness shall be seriously shaken for the Kingdom of God shall be established throughout the world’’.

72 Feet Crucifix To Be Unveiled In Enugu

Participants at a sensitisatioin workshop for local staff of Embassies on Pay As You Earn, withholding Tax and VAT on Contractors as well as Taxpayers identification number in Abuja yesterday.

ASUU Strike:

ABUJA - The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayatu Rufai said the Federal Government made an offer to ASUU but was yet to receive any response from the union.

Reports say that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) started a nationwide strike on Tuesday to press home their demands for the implementation of the 2009 agreements with the Federal Government.

The minister, who was answering questions from journalists in Abuja did not give any hint on the details of the offer made by the government to the union, but maintained that government was still expecting ASUU’s response.

“They are our colleagues, we meet with them, we discussed with them. There is an offer from government.

We expected to hear from them and up till now we are expecting to hear from them,” she said.

Also commenting on the issue, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie said that ASUU was supposed to write

the government in respect of the offer made to them during a meeting held between them about three weeks ago.

Okojie said that ASUU had informed representatives of the Federal Government that it would get its response after its National Executive Meeting (NEC).

“We have no official report from them. They should write to us. We have been meeting regularly. We even

FG Has Made Offer - Minister

met on Sunday.

“About three weeks ago, there was an offer made to

them by the government.

They said that they were going to their NEC, what we expected from them is that they should have come to us

and told us what was the result.

“As far as I am concerned, if they are on strike we don’t know. They should write to us.”

Jigawa Constructs 400 Houses DUTSE - The Managing Director of Jigawa Housing Corporation, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad, yesterday said that the corporation had constructed about 400 houses

from 2009 to date.

Ahmad told newsmen in Dutse that the houses were constructed for civil servants and the residents in the state.

“The corporation will soon

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Danladi Kifasi; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Martin Uhomoibhi and Acting Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Alhaji Kabiru Mashi at a Sensitisation Workshop for Local Staff of Embassies on Pay As You Earn, Withholding Tax and VAT number in Abuja yesterday.

embark on another round of construction of residential houses.

“The houses, I must be clear, are not for civil servants alone, but for all residents of the state.

“The state has been experiencing large influx of people, therefore, we must move fast to tackle the problem of accommodation.

“The construction will spread across all the local government areas in the state, this is one of the ways we can be sure that all citizens are being catered for,” he said.

Ahmad said all the houses were of standard and quality, to withstand the test of time.

He solicited for public support for the state government.

Ahmad said such support would enable the government to implement its policies and programmes for the benefit of the state

THE

NIGERIAN

11

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT YESTERDAY(03/07/13) Stocks

Open

Close

Change

Deals

Units

Value

LAWUNION

0.5

0.5

0

1

1,200

600

7UP

53

53

0

17

29,778

1,578,842.43

LEARNAFRCA

1.78

1.78

0

5

7,000

12,740.00

ABBEYBDS

1.53

1.53

0

1

300

414

LINKASSURE

0.5

0.5

0

2

20,700

10,350.00

ABCTRANS

1.22

1.16

-0.06

73

4,848,612

5,870,856.64

LIVESTOCK

5.28

5.11

-0.17

64

7,088,486

39,270,058.10

ACADEMY

2.04

2.04

0

4

3,500

6,465.00

MANSARD

2.15

2.15

0

35

2,573,200

5,331,443.85

ACCESS

10.7

10.68

-0.02

230

18,772,373

197,866,607.74

MAYBAKER

2.78

2.65

-0.13

26

625,228

1,641,803.84

AFRIPRUD

1.85

1.81

-0.04

44

647,628

1,186,413.07

MBENEFIT

0.5

0.5

0

1

500

250

AFRPAINTS

2.86

2.86

0

1

600

1,548.00

MOBIL

107.1

107.1

0

35

81,672

8,935,040.69

AGLEVENT

1.6

1.6

0

7

61,028

97,468.15

MRS

17.8

17.8

0

6

2,979

55,364.50

0.5

0.5

0

1

1,940

970

AIICO

0.9

0.91

0.01

44

4,054,503

3,667,990.55

MULTIVERSE

AIRSERVICE

4.5

4.6

0.1

15

330,000

1,468,673.00

NAHCO

6.82

6.83

0.01

37

233,192

1,604,377.81

ALEX

10.55

10.55

0

4

11,261

106,979.50

NASCON

12.36

12.29

-0.07

37

396,468

4,848,378.85

ASHAKACEM

24.3

26.5

2.2

70

999,260

25,687,700.47

NB

157

157

0

131

599,668

94,167,414.57

ASOSAVINGS

0.5

0.5

0

3

3,000

1,500.00

NCR

18.7

18.7

0

1

50

841.5

BERGER

10.25

10.25

0

25

251,422

2,320,865.06

NEIMETH

1.4

1.32

-0.08

4

71,920

95,854.40

BETAGLAS

11

10

-1

3

459,165

4,591,650.00

NEM

0.76

0.76

0

16

814,185

619,087.60

CADBURY

57

57

0

75

398,517

22,020,949.79

NESTLE

950

950

0

55

72,232

68,662,824.01

CAP

43.7

45

1.3

28

220,497

9,797,418.44

NIG-GERMAN

8.17

8.17

0

1

3,000

22,080.00

CAPHOTEL

4.59

4.59

0

1

91

455

NNFM

26.5

26.5

0

1

1,106

29,895.18

CAPOIL

0.5

0.5

0

2

19,000

9,500.00

OANDO

13.02

13.03

0.01

283

3,717,776

48,615,446.49

CCNN

10.5

10

-0.5

37

621,823

6,222,089.23

OASISINS

0.5

0.5

0

6

2,400

1,200.00

CHAMPION

6.43

6.43

0

1

20,000

141,400.00

OKOMUOIL

48

48

0

36

124,961

5,704,481.19

CILEASING

0.5

0.5

0

3

136,000

68,000.00

PAINTCOM

1.67

1.83

0.16

4

78,100

142,923.00

CONOIL

23

23

0

19

56,284

1,304,414.40

PORTPAINT

4.95

5.44

0.49

29

2,202,025

11,979,016.00

37.87

37

-0.87

38

319,978

11,899,783.74

CONTINSURE

1.23

1.22

-0.01

28

1,911,560

2,312,214.20

PRESCO

CORNERST

0.5

0.5

0

1

3,000

1,500.00

PRESTIGE

0.57

0.62

0.05

3

123,000

73,340.00

COSTAIN

1.55

1.55

0

23

382,284

555,678.07

PZ

39.8

39

-0.8

66

385,081

14,887,863.10

COURTVILLE

0.8

0.81

0.01

26

1,737,604

1,411,105.58

REDSTAREX

4.99

4.99

0

2

1,220

5,857.80

CUSTODYINS

1.6

1.6

0

17

478,698

769,274.83

ROADS

9.06

9.06

0

1

200

1,992.00

CUTIX

2

2

0

7

64,262

127,324.00

ROYALEX

0.58

0.55

-0.03

12

3,390,911

1,867,135.50

DAARCOMM

0.5

0.5

0

1

10,000

5,000.00

RTBRISCOE

1.4

1.54

0.14

76

7,317,187

10,243,656.45

DANGCEM

180

180

0

102

568,331

102,406,814.21

SKYEBANK

4.76

4.8

0.04

85

5,047,018

24,048,298.58

DANGFLOUR

9.4

9.4

0

60

760,975

7,155,474.29

SOVRENINS

0.5

0.5

0

2

58,500

29,250.00

DANGSUGAR

11.75

11.5

-0.25

131

7,832,560

91,645,848.30

STANBIC

15.4

15.4

0

30

346,684

5,273,961.76

DIAMONDBNK

6.3

6.5

0.2

84

1,488,968

9,535,747.98

STERLNBANK

2.63

2.55

-0.08

47

2,810,058

7,257,002.19

DNMEYER

1.34

1.34

0

1

200

270

THOMASWY

1.19

1.19

0

1

330

356.4

DUNLOP

0.5

0.5

0

4

277,200

138,600.00

TOTAL

158

159.9

1.9

40

314,772

49,254,525.32

ETERNA

3.59

3.75

0.16

26

776,600

2,868,732.14

TRANSCORP

1.29

1.36

0.07

219

1,065,618,889

1,406,218,429.37

ETI

14.98

14.7

-0.28

128

9,374,627

140,317,919.94

UAC-PROP

14.81

14.81

0

12

141,005

2,081,097.00

54

54

0

47

195,813

10,557,571.87

EVANSMED

2.94

3.09

0.15

10

191,023

592,331.88

UACN

FBNH

17.5

17.5

0

445

8,631,532

151,139,389.36

UBA

8.1

8

-0.1

215

5,372,642

43,154,614.24

FCMB

4.75

4.79

0.04

69

5,128,770

24,523,544.79

UBCAP

1.18

1.1

-0.08

177

23,926,929

26,859,237.92

FIDELITYBK

3.03

3.05

0.02

172

24,899,451

75,676,378.66

UBN

12

11.79

-0.21

91

898,594

10,783,262.41

FIDSON

2.2

2.27

0.07

55

2,169,834

4,721,146.83

UNIC

0.5

0.5

0

1

3,728

1,864.00

FLOURMILL

80

80

0

91

342,176

27,748,723.51

UNILEVER

58.18

58.2

0.02

62

492,274

28,669,296.60

FO

18.5

18.5

0

35

169,397

3,105,091.16

UNITYBNK

0.64

0.62

-0.02

56

6,014,619

3,837,341.99

FTNCOCOA

0.5

0.5

0

1

2,000

1,000.00

UPL

5.3

4.77

-0.53

28

1,764,867

8,454,610.93

GLAXOSMITH

67

67

0

16

25,957

1,592,658.80

UTC

0.69

0.69

0

13

178,381

121,760.84

GUARANTY

25

24.5

-0.5

280

5,370,701

132,579,740.62

VITAFOAM

4.65

4.4

-0.25

20

413,998

1,816,676.89

GUINEAINS

0.5

0.5

0

1

10,000

5,000.00

WAPCO

84

84

0

41

364,246

30,835,878.00

GUINNESS

251.71

252.01

0.3

62

87,828

22,156,585.06

WAPIC

0.89

0.89

0

1

10,000

9,000.00

HONYFLOUR

3.33

3.34

0.01

34

228,346

758,012.39

WAPICRIGHTS

0.1

0.1

0

7

53,500,000

5,450,000.00

IHS

2.1

1.99

-0.11

17

496,334,707

992,408,600.10

WEMABANK

1.2

1.15

-0.05

30

3,602,194

4,158,519.22

IKEJAHOTEL

0.9

0.81

-0.09

4

140,500

114,050.00

ZENITHBANK

20.25

19.91

-0.34

249

2,267,673

45,568,470.18

INTBREW

24

25.5

1.5

39

217,695

5,488,010.69

IPWA

0.68

0.68

0

2

69,676

47,379.68

JAPAULOIL

0.53

0.52

-0.01

70

11,348,987

6,045,025.72

JBERGER

66.49

66.49

0

16

54,051

3,398,977.82

JOHNHOLT

1.43

1.43

0

1

709

957.15

JOSBREW

1.1

1.1

0

1

27,000

29,700.00

LASACO

0.5

0.5

0

2

33,000

16,500.00

TOP 10 GAINERS Stock ASHAKACEM TOTAL INTBREW CAP PORTPAINT GUINNESS DIAMONDBNK ETERNA PAINTCOM EVANSMED

Close 26.5 159.9 25.5 45 5.44 252.01 6.5 3.75 1.83 3.09

TOP TOP 10 10 LOSERS GAINERS Gain 2.2 1.9 1.5 1.3 0.49 0.3 0.2 0.16 0.16 0.15

Stock BETAGLAS PRESCO PZ UPL CCNN GUARANTY ZENITHBANK ETI DANGSUGAR VITAFOAM

Close 10 37 39 4.77 10 24.5 19.91 14.7 11.5 4.4

Loss -1 -0.87 -0.8 -0.53 -0.5 -0.5 -0.34 -0.28 -0.25 -0.25

THE

NIGERIAN

12

LAST year, millions of Nigerians suffered severely from the flood deluge that dealt devastating blow on lives, property and fortunes in the country.

IN view of the huge billions of naira (N17.6 billion) that went into mitigating the impact of flooding last year, there is the great need to prevent a recurrence of the floods that wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, before the rainy season gets to its peak this year.

THIS is even more so, as several victims of last year’s flood in parts of the country, including Edo State are yet to receive the needed palliatives.

TO ensure that all necessary actions are taken to prevent a recurrence of last year’s disaster, President Goodluck Jonathan recently at the presidential villa ordered heads of all Federal Government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDA’s) whose functions are relevant to flood prevention and control to be alive to their responsibilities.

WHILE reviewing ongoing flood containment measures, President Jonathan sternly warned that he would not tolerate any excuses for a repeat of the 2012 flood disasters.

He added that he expected all relevant MDAs to be proactive in

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 THE

NIGERIAN

Before The Next Flood

speedily implementing required flood prevention and management measures.

TO prove the seriousness of the issue, the President subsequently directed the inter-ministerial committee on flood prevention and control, which includes Ministers of Environment, National Planning, Water Resources, Finance, Health, Transport and Aviation, to establish effective liaison with the Governors of all flood-prone states.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER is, however, strongly convinced that going by predictions by meteorological agencies like NEIMET, this year’s flood, when not well tackled, may result in the wiping out of entire communities. The signals and sign posts are already there.

CONSEQUENTLY, we urge the inter-

ministerial committee to ensure water-tight coordination between federal agencies and the states in the implementation of flood control measures.

AGAIN, we recommend strict adherence to international best practices in preventing flood during this rainy season. States, local governments and even federal agencies must learn not to politicise flooding. The idea of playing politics with flood issues should be jettisoned to prevent huge loss to lives and property.

WE assert that preventing the next floods will certainly be more beneficial to the populace than attempting to assist flood victims arising from sheer negligence in preventing and controlling the same flood.

IT is therefore our considered view that before the next floods come, the Nigerian government, in collaboration with all the state and local agencies, should properly harmonise strategies and measures to practically tame and even arrest the menace. The true test of leadership and managerial skills of our flood management agencies will be felt therein. And as they say, a stitch in time, saves nine.

THE

NIGERIAN

13

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Interview

Banning Of Bikes Is Blessing In Disguise - Hon Itohan Osahon-Ogbeide

THE newly elected Local Government Chairman of Ikpoba-oha and Chairman, Association of Local Government Chairmen, (ALGON) Edo State, Mrs. Itohan Osahon-Ogbeide in this encounter disclosed measures being put in place by her administration to bring succor to bike riders in Ikpoba-Okha to cushion the effects of recent State government policy which banned the use of motorcycles in three Local Government Areas and parts of two additional council areas in the Benin metropolis.

The NIGERIAN OBSERVER met her in her office at the council secretariat where she also reiterates her commitment to consolidate on projects that were uncompleted in her first tenure as caretaker Committee Chairman ,as well as creating new programmes that will have positive impact on the lives of the people of Ikpoba-Okha local government.

She also speaks on other issues. The interview was conducted by MERCY ONYENWELI. Excerpts:Hon chairman ,what could you attribute your re-election to?

Well, I would say it is the grace of God and for the Comrade Governor, he is one person that appreciates performance and thought it wise to field me back the second time to consolidate on the areas I was not able to touch in my first shot at the council administration in a care-taker capacity.

My people of Ikpoba-Okha also saw the need for me to finish those projects that we started.

Realizing that your performance led to your reelection, what measures are you considering to do more this time around?

Considering that fact, I feel challenged and the zeal in me has increased, I am committed to touch other areas that were not touched before now and by the grace of God I think we are going to excel. Before I resumed office, I have already mapped out the areas that we are going to consolidate, like the area of electricity, constructing of new roads and maintenance of those that are bad.

We are reconstructing Eweka street, off Sokponba road, then as soon as we are through with that we will start the Abattoir road at Ikpoba Hill, thereafter we would start building Primary school in Idogbo. We would also embark on renovation of those schools that are dilapidated in the local government.

We would buy new transformers, build skills acquisition centers for our people and of course everything that will affect the lives of our

people positively. Concerning our markets, we are going to fence and paint them as well. We will build toilets and provide borehole in each of the markets in the local government area and ensure their sustainability and maintenance.

The issue of environmental sanitation, we observed that the state government is doing everything possible to awaken the people’s consciousness to their civic duty, how is your local government keying in to this?

Well, we are planning towards that direction but we have not yet concluded on that aspect.

Thou most of the environmental equipment are purchased by the state government and are being operated mostly in Oredo Local Government, however, we are planning on how to complement what the state government is doing by sensitizing our people on the need to always clean their surroundings within the hours of sanitation and even beyond so that together we can enjoy a clean and healthy environment in Ikpoba-Okha and Edo state as a whole.

As a local government, what measures do you hope to adopt to sensitize the people to always clean their neighbourhood as people often loaf around or travel in between the hours of sanitation?

You know, we cannot be everywhere at the same time, and they are a lot of streets in Ikpoba-Okha. So, what we do is to concentrate on the major roads like St. Saviour Road and some others. We would make sure that people don’t loaf on the street rather they work in their

Mrs. Itohan Osahon-Ogbeide, Chairman Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Council houses to ensure that everywhere is clean.

On the issue of erosion, just like Dumez road, we are planning on how to pad the present site to allow free flow of erosion so that it can accommodate more water So we have to provide the equipment soon to be able to widen the drainage so that there will be free flow of erosion and the people in that area will not be affected.

Coming back to the issue of banning of bikes in the state, what is your take on that, considering the fact that the governor promised not to ban bikes as a way of keeping these young and middle aged men economically empowered?

There are many other ways a government can empower its people. The banning of bikes does not mean that the Comrade Governor is not committed to impacting the lives of the bike riders. To me, it is a blessing in disguise because you can

imagine how many lives we have lost all these years through bike riding accidents. Now they are not going to be riding on bikes again, we are going to provide taxis for them. I think it will add colour to the system.

At least, all the taxis will be in the same colour and it will make the state beautiful. Also, the issue of incessant criminal activities that are being undertaken by some unscrupulous bike men will be minimized. We have assured the

bike riders in Ikpoba-Okha that we are going to provide these taxis for them and they will pay for the period of three years. For somebody who have never dreamt of buying a car, then suddenly find one at his door post you know what that means because individually they cannot approach any bank to give them facility to buy. But as a local government, we have decided to do that for them at least to assist the people of our local government affected by

the policy both as passengers or operators of motor bikes. In that case, I would say that if the comrade governor has not banned bikes, these kind of gestures would not have been possible, so they should thank God for the ban.

With these recent trend of state governments banning bikes in the country, what is your advice to our young men as regards to agriculture?

We are still going to encourage them to go into agriculture because definitely not all the bike riders will get the taxi. We will draw up measures on how they can assess loans to go into Agriculture, either poultry, fishery and standard farming so that we can boost our economy.

We are equally going to train some as auto-mechanics because the brand of cars that will be in town will require specialized mechanics. So, there will be workshop where they will be servicing and repairing their cars. Some would be trained for electrical works and so forth.

What should the people of Ikpoba-Okha expect from your administration?

I want to thank the people of Ikpoba-Okha for giving me the opportunity to serve them. I want to assure them that I will not disappoint them by the grace of God. I want them to be law abiding as they join hands with me to move the local government forward by ensuring that the projects we put in place are not damaged by anybody. Destructions that come as a result of commotion or protests like the incident that happened at Idogbo recently where some students took the laws into their hands by damaging school properties that the government spent huge amount of money to construct will not be tolerated. You know such incidence would not encourage any government to go into developmental projects.

So, I am using this opportunity to appeal to the good people of Ikpoba-Okha to be law abiding.

“At least, all the taxis will be in the same colour and it will make the state beautiful. Also, the issue of incessant criminal activities that are being undertaken by some unscrupulous bike men will be minimized.

We have assured the bike riders in Ikpoba-Okha that we are going to provide these taxis for them and they will pay for the period of three years.”

THE

NIGERIAN

14

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

View Point

ONE volunteer is worth twenty pressed men- English proverb.

Either you believe it or not, organisations are always recruiting, businesses are set up to make profit and add value. If an organisation is profitable, it simply means the employees and managers are profit—oriented, hence whenever a potential employee that can add value is cited, there is a vacancy. It may take a process but whoever has demonstrated the ability to make profit or increase the value of any organisation will not be jobless. The big question then is Show do I prove to an organisation that I am valuable and profit-oriented without an employment?’ it’s a big question with a simple answer, VOLUNTEER! Volunteerism is the latest strategy for the unemployed who strongly believes he has something to offer. It is the norm for most people to limit volunteerism to charity work, but these days, volunteerism is the most effective way to get your foot into the workplace of your dreams and then serve your way to your dream job.

A research was conducted by the United Kingdom ‘ s Chartered Management of Institute on 51 6 managers to rate tile effectiveness of volunteerism. 48% of the managers agreed that it increases employability, develops management skills and people skills. Managers also added that volunteerism vouid help you meet new people, build your networks and is also a route to professional development.

Some unemployed graduates were also sent to volunteer in different organisations; 80% felt their confidence in their own abilities because of the skills they had acquired and majority were in employment within 3 months while 83% had found appropriate jobs within 6 months. Major organisations consider volunteer work to be very important.

Strategic Volunteerism

Volunteer work could be key to landing your next job, particularly if you learn transferable skills, according to a jcw Linkedin survey.It might sound like a no-brainer, but less than half of people surveyed by Linkedln included volunteer gigs on their resume, even though the vast majority had volunteering experience.

In fact, 41 percent of hiring authorities surveyed by Linkedln rated volunteer experience equally as important as paid experience.

“Given the current economic climate and the hypercompetitive job market, it’s essential to include your volunteer work on your profile,” Williams says.

“When hiring managers or business partners are comparing two people side by side, volunteer experience makes you a more multifaceted professional and can set you apart from the competition.”

Therefore, when you approach an organisation and you inform the manager you would like to volunteer, you have just identified with his/ her ideals, you are bound to get the opportunity to prove yourself and eventually get the job of your dreams.

Apart from the fact that volunteerism will keep you from being jobless, there are other advantages of volunteering and they include the following: • Meet new people! build your network Volunteering gives you the opportunity to be in a work environment. You will be exposed to a diverse range of people from all backgrounds.

You can not only develop lifelong personal and professional relationships, you can also hear about job openings, gather insider employment information and develop great references.

• Looks good on your resume & college application Volunteering demonstrates

By ALADEJANA ADEWALA

workplace, management, and leadership skills that can be documented in a resume.

Work experience is work experience, with or without a paycheck. If you are developing ne\ skills or thinking of pursuing a new career, volunteer work can give you valuable, practical experience. Career counselors and headhunters encourage job seekers to document pertinent volunteer

and it will eventually put you in a vantage position to get that job whenever there’s a vacancy.

• Gain confidence and a sense of achievement Volunteers are motivated in their work because they are able to work for a passion that they truly believe in. When one is able to work for a cause close to their heart, they feel a sense of achievement at seeing the effect that their

experiences. Volunteer work support skills, character and balance in life. 9000 of executives in a national survey of Fortune 500 companies believed volunteering built teamwork and provided valuable professional development opportunities.

• Learn new skills Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. It is ne\er oo late to learn new skills; you can go in the direction of your dreams without being scared of making mistakes. You can learn all there is about the job

good work has on others.

Volunteering around a personal interest or hobby can be fun, relaxing and energizing. That energy and sense of fulfillment can carry over to other aspects of your life and sometimes helps to relieve work tensions and foster new perspectives for old situations.

• Improve your health Those who participite in volunteer activities report higher levels of life satisfaction, sense of control over life, and feeling physical and emotionally healthier. A çprt featured in The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine

“. . . when you approach an organisation and you inform the manager you would like to volunteer, you have just identified with his/her ideals, you are bound to get the opportunity to prove yourself and eventually get the job of your dreams.”

found that people who give back to others lead more happy and healthy lives than those who do not volunteer.

“People in general are happier and healthier, and may even live a little longer, when they’re contributing” to an organization they are passionate about, said study author Stephen G. Post, PhD. A majority of study participants suid their volunteer activities enrich their sense of purpose in life and lower stress levels.

• Find new hobbies and interests

Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing. Sometimes a volunteer experience can lead you to something you never even thought about or help you discover a hobby or interest you were unaware of.

You can strengthen your personal and professional mission and vision by exploring opportunities and expanding your horizons.

How to volunteer strategically Consider your goals and interests The World Volunteer Web believes you will have a richer and more enjoyable volunteering experience if you first take some time to identify your goals and interests. Start by thinking about why you want to volunteer. Also think about what you would enjoy doing.

Volunteer opportunities that match both your goals and your interests are most likely to be fun and fulfilling for you.

The best way to volunteer is to match your personality and interests. Having answers to

these questions will help you narrow down your search.

Consider several possibilities In your search f.r the right volunteer opportunity, don’t limit yourself to just one organization or one specific type ofjob. Sometimes an opportunity looks great on paper, but the reality is quite difibrent. Try to visit different organizations and get a feel for what they are like and if you click with other staff and volunteers. The more satisfaction you have as a volunteer, the better your contributions and the more likely you’ll continue.

Ask questions You want to make sure that the experience is right for your skills, your goals, and the time you want to spend. lf\ou have any questions, be sure to speak up. Sample questions to your volunteer coordinator might address your time commitment, if there’s any training involved, who you will be working with, and what to do if you have questions during your experience.

Make sure you know what’s expected Before starting, make sure you are comfortable with the organization, know what is expected, and understand the time commitment. Consider starting small so that you don’t over commit yourself at first. Give yourself some flexibility to change your focus if needed.

Don’t be afraid to make a change.

Speak up if your experience isn’t what you expected.

Don’t force yourself into a bad fit. Talk to the organization about changing your focus or consider looking for another match.

Enjoy yourself Most importantly, make sure you’re having fun! The best volunteer experiences benefit both the volunteer and the organization. If you’re not enjoying yourself, ask yourself why. Is it the tasks you’re performing? The people you’re working with?

Or are you uncomfortable simply because the situation is new and familiar?

Pinpointing what’s bothering you can help you decide how to proceed.

In conclusion, donl forget that your volunteer work is the strategy to get you that job of your dreams therefore you must remain constantly observant, be on the lookout for opportunities. Success is when preparation meets opportunity.

THE

NIGERIAN

15

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Child Health & You

Helminthes Parasitic Worms

HELMINTHES are parasitic worms that cause a variety of infectious disease, some of which involve the musculoskeletal system.

Helminthes may be classified into: Nematodes (Roundworms) Trematodes (or flat worms) and Cestode, (or tape worms).

Nematodes are organisms living in and feeding on living hosts (children), receiving nourishment and protection while disrupting their hosts’ nutrient absorption, causing weakness and disease. Those that line inside the digestive tract are called intestinal parasites or intestinal worms and are soil transmitted, infecting children that walk on bare foot.

Example of this group of worms include round worms Ascaris lumbricoides (sometimes called Ascaris), whip worm (Trichuris trichiura), and hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale).

The most common worms found in children are round worm, pin worms, hook worms and tapeworms.

Round worms enter the body when children eat contaminated foods, pin worm and thread worms are spread through dirty toys, hand and fingers while hook worm enter the body through the bare feet of a child who walks on infected ground. Tape worms are acquired from eating improperly or uncooked meat or by consuming vegetables and fruits that have not been carefully washed.

SYMPTOMS: Where there are minimal amount of worms present in the body, no symptoms are observed.

However as worms multiply and exit the body through defecation. Some cause itching and irritation of the anal opening and perineum.

An estimated 576-740 million people in the world are infected with hook worm including children while 807 - 1,221 million people with Ascaris and 604-795 million people with whip worm.

Helminthes are widespread.

The prevalence is highest in the tropical developing

countries. In 2002, an estimated 1.5 billion, 1.3 billion, and 1.1 billion people (including children) were infected with Ascaris, hookworm and trichara respectively. High soiltransmitted mouth infections usually have no symptoms.

Heavy infections can cause a range of health problems including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, blood and protein loss, rectal prolapses, physical and cognitive growth retardation; children may grind teeth during sleep. Some affected children are restless all night. They may get up every now and then crying.

Children wake up with irritable mood after sleep and weight loss even when children eat well.

Common Helminthes and The Problems they cause include the following (1) Round Worm: Round worms hatch and live in the intestine. The eggs usually enter the body through contaminated water, food or on fingers placed in the mouths. After the hands have touched a contaminated object and poked it into the mouth.

Symptoms of their presence will include fatigue, weight loss, irritability, poor appetite, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Treatment with medication results in a cure within a week.

Without treatment anaemia (shortage of blood may result) and malnutrition can develop.

(2) Pin Worm: Also called seat worm or thread worm. Pin worm hatches and lives primarily in the intestine. The eggs usually enter the body through the anus, nose or mouth via inhaled air or through the mouth or fingers that have touched a contaminated object.

Symptoms of their presence include anal itching and sometimes pale skin or stomach discomfort, reduced appetite as well as feeling of unwell (malaise).

If pin worms enter the virgina of females, discharge and itching may de-

By B. C. OGBOGHODO

velop, causing inflammation of the virgina. Pin worms do not cause serious complications. Treatment with medication results in care within days.

(3)Trichina Spiralis: This worm lives in the intestines and causes a serious illless known as trichinosis. The eggs usually enter the body

cause death. Treatment with an anti-worm drug such as thiabendazine, as well as, bed rest and a physician’s care can cure trichenosis.

Recovery may be several months. Diagnosis of trichinosis sometimes requires analysis of a tissue sample (biopsy) taken from the muscle.

(4) Tape-Worm: They live

via raw or under cooked pork, sausage or beef meat.

In the intestines their eggs hatch, mature and migrate to other parts of the body through the blood stream and the lymphatic system.

Early symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. With time, a high fever, puffiness of the face and muscle pain develop. Eventually the worm can penetrate the muscles, the heart and brain and can

in the intestine. The eggs usually enter the body via raw or uncooked beef.

Symptoms of their presence are usually absent. However, some patients experience abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss and diarrhea. Treatment with medication results in a cure within days.

H o o k w o r m Whip worm PREVENTION /

SOLUTION The best way to prevent intestinal worm infection is to keep (1) your child’s environment clean. (2). Ensure that hands are washed before and after meals as well as after using the toilet. (3) trim children’s nails often (4) discourage nail biting (5) scratching of anal area (6) change bedding regularly (7) encourage daily baths and underwear changes (8)

makes sure hands are washed thoroughly after handling raw meats and ensure that meats are well cooked.

PRECAUTION: Intestinal worms are highly contagious and their eggs can be air borne. When a child is diagnosed with and treated for any type of intestinal worm, the entire family should be treated as well.

MRS B.C. OGBOGHODO Research Fellow II, Institute of Child Health, University of Benin, Benin City Edo State, Nigeria ‘CHILD HEALTH AND YOU’, a Weekly Thursday Feature, is a collaborative initiative between the Institute of Child Health, University of Benin, and the

Bendel Newspapers Company Limited (BNCL), Benin City.

Comments on this page should be forwarded to The Editor, Observer newspaper or Director, Institute of Child Health University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State.

“Heavy infections can cause a range of health problems including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, blood and protein loss, rectal prolapses, physical and cognitive growth retardation; children may grind teeth during sleep.

Some affected children are restless all night. They may get up every now and then crying.”

THE

NIGERIAN

16

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Interview

IN this interview conducted by Osazuwa Akonedo, the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Reverend David Ugolor dwells on several issues bordering on human rights and abuse of citizens’ rights has cause insecurity in Nigeria.

Excerpts: that were in my opposition.

We have heard about They would not be able to human rights abuses in demand justice which recent past especially in means justice is for sale in Nigeria. Can you give us a Nigeria. brief of some of the things So it is only few that is less your organization has done than one percent of in respect of this?

Nigerians that can actually Generally, the rate of extra secure justice. Otherwise judicial killing Nigeria, Edo where do you think a poor State inclusive has man can go to the extent of increased dramatically and Supreme Court because of the level of police impunity illegal detention cost of N5, has also increased as well, 000, 000 that has just been vis-a-vis with my awarded. This is not good experience as a human for Nigeria. It means that the rights activist when my way Nigeria justice system friend was murdered and I is structured; over 60-70 was framed up. percent of Nigerians cannot Can you tell us what really access justice. happened when you were It is only few Nigerians the framed up? politicians-the rich Now it is almost politicians, the rich civil impossible to have justice in servants, who can pursue Nigeria. This is because justice in Nigeria because after the court has they can contract the discharged and acquitted services of Senior Advocate me, and after the justice of Nigeria, they can contract ministry has also found me the services of twenty to not involved and after the fifty lawyers to pursue court awarded me a cost, the justice. And this is not good police in their usual for Nigeria. It is not good for tradition of not owning up the health of Nigeria. And to wrong; insisted for that is what is encouraging proceeding. impunity in Nigeria. This is You can imagine a poor tax why the police can afford to payer in Nigeria fighting the trample on the rights of police, an institution with all common citizens and go the resources and budget Scot free. with them. They can afford Coming from that to delay the wheel of justice. experience, I feel compelled The High court has awarded more to sacrifice within my me the cost of N5,000,000 institution to continue to for my illegal detention. The fight for justice because like police went to Appeal I have always said justice Court. The appeal court is a common good for the ruled unanimously that they society-both the rich and the should deposit the N5, 000, poor. For instance, the 000. They have now gone to insecurity we are the Supreme Court. experiencing all over the Today in Nigeria, you country today is not only know almost 60-70 percent meant for the poor. Both the of Nigerians live below one rich and the poor are victims dollar a day. You can of the insecurity we are imagine what it means if it experiencing today in was a poor Nigerian who Nigeria. As a matter of fact, have no means of support, the rich are not able to

Why The Poor Canno move, eat their money in a more durable way.

For this reason, we have been calling on the Nigerian rich elites especially politicians who happened to be in position of power today who because they have; government security around them, think the security of the common citizens is not a priority for them. We want them to know that the issue of justice is good for the rich and the poor.

This has informed my commitment to continually support any movement that would continue to demand for justice. So, when the Ibrahim Momodu case happened, which also again is traceable to the activities of police! Let me put it on record, the entire police is not bad. I just spoke with the PRO of police and I made this message very clear and I asked him to pass this message to the commissioner of police that we the civil societies in Nigeria do recognize that there are credible police officers who are committed to a just society.

However, the credible police officers need to be encouraged. So, it will be a stupid statement if I say that the entire police is bad. But what we are saying is that, those credible police men should join forces with us to get rid of other policemen who feel that they are not going to allow justice prevail in Nigeria.

A few days ago, I ran into one of the police officers that were paraded along with me during the identification. He confided and told me that the entire people that were paraded with me, were all police officers. As a matter of fact,

those suspects knew them.

You can see that, man can delay justice but certainly God would help us to secure justice.

And that’s why I have

video script of where I was paraded.

It was published in Saharareporter where the suspects confirm that some top police officers

out with a report on the public hearing. The public hearing on Oyerinde issue, more than three months now we don’t have the public hearing report.

supervised their shooting.

They mentioned the police officers who shot them three times on their legs. They are alive and are in Oko prison.

Now, see how they have frustrated justice. More than three months since we went to the National Assembly, we have not gotten any report but when Amaechi and the Presidency had problem in the aviation ministry, in less than three weeks the National Assembly came

So, I am only telling you how difficult it is to secure justice in Nigeria. And that is why many people are resorting to jungle way of securing justice.

Exactly what happened to the Boko Haram leader, Yusuf. If you remember, it was the soldier who arrested Yusuf, they handed him to the police, and police killed him that was extra judicial killing.

Any society where you cover truth, there would not be peace in that society. And you can see what Boko Haram has caused Nigeria now.

Rev David Ugolor always challenged the IG of police, if he feels that his officers did a good job, I challenge him to play the

“Coming from that experience, I feel compelled more to sacrifice within my institution to continue to fight for justice because like I have always said justice is a common good for the society-both the rich and the poor.”

p j a j W i t i o a c l B e u y o

THE

NIGERIAN

17

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Interview

ot Get Justice In Nigeria And you see the way the federal government is responding to the crisis of Boko Haram. They are looking for amnesty for them. Is amnesty the

I am only giving you this background to tell how expensive it is to secure justice in Nigeria today.

Momodu’s mother is a poor civil servant whose salary is

have access to hire a lawyer to pursue their case can resort to those means to secure the services of a lawyer. Unfortunately this has not been put in place.

problem, the issue is justice. You cannot solve any problem without justice. Who killed Yusuf!

Whether he’s am insurgence, whether he’s a terrorist, that is not the issue. The law is very clear on how you take the life of a terrorist. The law is very clear on how you take the life of an armed robber.

But when you resort to extra judicial killing, you undermine the rule of law; you encourage the culture of impunity.

less than N10,000 or N20, 000 to secure the services of a lawyer to pursue the case vigorously. The lawyer that is currently pursuing the case is doing it pro bono (voluntarily). And you can imagine how long that would be able to take the struggle to Supreme Court.

That’s why we were encouraged when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole told Edo people last year he was going to set up Public Defendant Unit in Edo State so that poor people who do not always

The issue of Ibrahim Momodu is a very critical issue. Today is Ibrahim Momodu, yesterday it was David Ugolor, tomorrow it could be you or it could be

any body. It could even be the police officers. For example, we condemn any attempt to kill the police, we condemn any attempt to commit violence against the Nigerian Police but in this issue of Ibrahim Momodu, there are issues we are raising which is: issue of justice, issue of human rights. And these issues are not only for the people who are victims of the extra judicial killing; it is also for the police. Because a society that is run by rule of law, by human rights; it’s better for everybody. It creates a healthy society.

Ibrahim Momodu according to the police in their conflicting statements, was said to be an armed robber.

They have said all kinds of things. What we are saying, if he is an armed robber there are due process. There is rule of law. There is a way you have to follow in bringing people to justice.

We were happy and encouraged when the family of Ibrahim Momodu and a couple of civil society visited the governor, and the governor graciously in his tradition and commitment to the values of human rights and the fundamental principles of justice, received them and assured them that he was going to set up a panel of enquiry. While that message was received worldwide with much acclamation by civil societies both in Nigeria, internationally, human rights organizations, globally, newspaper editorials, news review across the country commended Adams Oshiomhole for taking that step and the mother of the young boy was so happy and encouraged, went back home with much enthusiasm but in less than few days after, the police discretely decided to

send haphazard, uncompleted investigation report to DPP in their usual tradition like what they wanted to do to me.

You know what the police usually do in such a high profile case; they will secretly take you to Magistrate court for holding charge so that you can be kept in custody perpetually. And if you also look at this, it is also the same line they adopted. As we speak now, those the police said killed Olaitan are still in Oko prison now held perpetually. Whereas the police who committed the atrocities of carrying out the gun shooting on their legs are free, as a matter of fact they are commending themselves for promotion.

The same strategy they have also adopted in the case of Momodu. The case that has not be completed with investigation and the IG of police told the whole world that he is committed to justice that he is going to commence investigation, ordered the police to conduct investigation.

When did they complete their investigation! Who did they invite to give them more information!

The civil society in Edo State and Nigeria as a whole are committed to ensuring that Governor Adams Oshiomhole toe the line of justice to ensure that a panel of enquiry is established to provide the opportunity for people who live in the environment where the boy was killed to come and testify.

And it is not only going to focus on this boy alone.

There have been massive extra judicial killings going on somewhere.

As a matter of fact, some of the journalists who went to the cemetery with us also

-Ugolor got the wind that at least two persons are brought to the cemetery every week. That means that extra judicial killing has become a phenomenon in Edo State.

All we are saying is that the police cannot be a judge in this case. Can you be a judge in your own case.

Up till now the autopsy report is not out. What does it take to do an autopsy?

Because I learnt the police man who also did an autopsy on Oyerinde is under immense pressure.

Sir what is your reaction to the police autopsy report on Oyerinde as published in some media?

You know the police sent their case file to the DPP without autopsy report.

They sent their memorandum brief to the House of Reps without autopsy report. What kind of investigation is that.

It is only the autopsy report that would tell you the kind of gun that was used.

Unfortunately, the police know what they are doing.

They know! They know!

They know! They know!

They know!

That is why we are campaigning that the impunity in the Nigeria police is a threat to democracy.

Sir, there are rumour, that the police autopsy report as published in the media may not be the true position of what the police pathologist, Dr. W. O Akhiwu submitted to the police?

That is why we are asking for new investigation to those issues. In all these controversies, the Nigeria Labour Congress, TUC and all progressive unions have asked the president to intervene. But when the power that be is stronger what can we do.?

“You know what the police usually do in such a high profile case; they will secretly take you to Magistrate court for holding charge so that you can be kept in custody perpetually. And if you also look at this, it is also the same line they adopted.”

THE

NIGERIAN

18

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Opinion

Why n Educated Persons Are Poor POSITIVE thinking is not only about re-creating your religious life into a brand new one. It also applies to all sectors and ramifications of life.

For instance, let’s talk about the area of profession. Let’s assume you want to make a decision about how to advance it and make a break through in it.

Positive thinking has a critical role to play in such decision making. If you come to our Positives Thinking Forum meetings, we will teach you how to make good, functional decision. We will teach you how to affirm thoughts that produce decisions that work. And also produce profession that are successful, you will be taught how to hold on to positive thinking. After your training, you will began to think positively.

No more thinking. No more thinking about things that work and things that don’t work.

Instead, you know how to eliminate negative thoughts about things that don’t work. This enables you now to concentrate on thinking only of things that work. What is now happening is that you have become the NOMATTER-WHAT Type of personality such a personality begins to think ALL things under the earth are possible. You no longer think something is impossible. Since you think everything is possible, thoughts of impossible disappears from your mind and your life.

This new mindset of

positive thinking in you begins to attract only good things into your life, making you succeed in your vocation, professional, calling, or business. Only a mind full of positive thoughts alone attracts God’s grace and success to your life.

Before your transformation into a positive thinking person, you were a failure in life because you always thought everything was not possible. This is negative, not positive thinking. Because of such an attitude, you were attracting negative things to yourself that made you fail in life. Negative thoughts begets negative things.

Again, let’s assume you have chosen to be a doctor. You have the medical profession. All you have to do is to be thinking about the profession every day. You should be thinking of passing the relevant science subjects, including English language as well as picking up your JAMB form, filling it well, returning it at the right time and passing JAMB at the grades stipulated.

Because of your focused positive thoughts about becoming a doctor, you will be attracted to take the appropriate decisions and actions that will make you achieve your goal in flying colours.

One things I must not fail to mention too is that once you have affirmed positively that you want to become a doctor, you will start attracting people in the medical profession to

By JOHN EDOKPOLO

yourself who would help you become one of them.

In positive thinking, people of the same positive vibrations attract one another.

Once you think positively, about a thing, what you are saying to

basically prepares you for one career in life. Given this, education usually doesn’t always give the knowledge that man is a miraculous creature that God made to do everything, including succeeding in a lot of

yourself is that no matter whatever happens, you must achieve a thing.

Therefore, your mind sets about diligently realizing that thing and it pulls your physical body along its path to self-realization.

This is because your body is a servant to your mind.

When your mind says YES, your body cannot say NO. At this point, let me add this. Education is a good thing. But this same education can do catastrophic damage to you if you don’t know yourself. We must understand that education

careers or professions-not just one.

For this reason, it is high time we understand that the conventional education we get from our schools only narrows us to one career or profession. Majority of people follow this prove session thus shutting away other professions that would have provided for them a multiple source of income and wealth.

This explains why today you find degree holders or professors with sound intellectual backgrounds who don’t know how to make genuine money in

“For this reason, it is high time we understand that the conventional education we get from our schools only narrows us to one career or profession. Majority of people follow this prove session thus shutting away other professions that would have provided for them a multiple source of income and wealth.”

life. You find them working for illiterates.

Isn’t it funny to find that a well-educated man is poor when he should be rich? Meanwhile, out there is an illiterate man.

He is wealthy and has in his employment educated people to whom he pays salaries that perpetually

Nigerians believe it is. In Nigeria, for instance, people assume that when you think intellectually that amounts to positive thinking and it would cause things to happen.

That is a misconception.

Nothing will happen.

Unless you think positively with

keep them poor.

All I am saying is that majority of educated people work for illiterates.

If you think this shocking revelation is untrue then you are free to carry out a statistical research to find out the truth in my statement. At the end of your investigations, you will discover what I have said is a statement of fact.

Also, you will be shocked to find out that Nigerians in their majority are getting infested and addicted to a process of believing so much in sending their children to school to acquire knowledge in only one career or profession that will keep them poor like their parents.

From all I have been saying, it is crystal clear that what I mean by positive thinking is different from what most

consummate skill and passion, don’t expect any transformation in your life. Don’t expect things to happen.

See, there is no one who cannot think intellectually.

Even negative people engage in intellectual thinking.

However for positive thinking to work for you, then you must know this.

Thinking positively is one thing. Holding on to positive thoughts so that it radiates to your feelings is critical. Because your feelings is a master key for knowing when something is right or wrong.

Meanwhile, stay blessed. I believe you have understood why educated people remain poor and work under illiterates as slaves. Much more on positive thinking next week. Keep reading.

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

A]. INTRODUCTION: A fraction we have in this order: is a quantity that can be expressed as First: 3 2 3 2 3 of = x = x/y, x is called the Numerator and y 4 5 4 5 10 the Denominator (y = 0). In Next is: 3 . 3 3 . 8 3 5 3 otherwords, a fraction is defined as -. 1 = -. = x = 10 5 10 5 10 8 16 the ratio of Numerator to the Denominator.

Lastly:

Arithmetical Processes:

B]. TYPES OF FRACTIONS (i). Proper fraction: A proper fraction is a fraction where the Numerator is smaller that the Denominator. Some examples of proper fractions are: 1 /2, 3/5, 5/7, 9/10, etc.

A proper fraction is also known as normal or vulgar fraction. (ii). Improper fraction: An improper fraction is one in which the Numerator is greater or bigger than the Denominator. Some examples are 3 /2, 5/3, 5/4,4/3,etc. (iii). Mixed fraction: This is a combination of a whole number and in most cases a proper fraction. Some examples of a mixed fraction are: 12/3, 33/5, 24/5, 53/4, etc.

C]RULES OF OPERATION: In solving problems with fractions, we apply the Rule of BODMAS, where B = Bracket O = Of D = Division M = Multiplication A = Addition S = Subtraction Note: Where some or all the rules are encountered in a question, first execute bracket(s), followed by of or product or Times. Then comes Division of your result, then multiplication, Addition followed and finally subtract results.

D] APPLICATION EXAMPLES Example 1 Evaluate 1/2 + 3/4 of 2/5 - 13/5 (WAEC, 2001) Solution: Applying the rule of BODMAS,

=

1 3 + 2 16 8 + 3 16

Mathematics With Stanley Osobase 08023454887 Osobase2001@yahoo.co.uk

Fractions Example 4

11 16 Answer

Example 2 31/4 + 1/5 3 /4 x 11/3 + 12/5 (NECO, 2002).

Solution: First, simplify Numerator (Top) as: 5+4 31/4 + 1/5 = 3 = 39/20 20 Secondly, simplify Denominator (Bottom) in the order:

Evaluate

Simplify 7/9 + (2/5 of 21/2) - 5/6 (NTI) Solution: Applying BODMAS, first we have: 2 /5 of 21/2 = 2/5 x 5/2 = 1 Next, we have: 7/9 + 1 = 17/9 finally, we have: 17/9 - 5/6 =1

14 - 15 32 - 15 17 = = 18 18 18Ans Example 5

Simplify 13/7 + 33/4 x 22/5 -.. 51/4 (NECO, 2004)

3

/4 x 11/3 = 3/4 x 4/3 = 1 Solution: Next, add result to 12/5 as: Applying BODMAS, first we 1 + 12/5 = 22/5 have: Thirdly, divide the result of . 1 2 2 21 Numerator by the result of the 2 /5 -. 5 /4 = 1 /5 - /4 Denominator as: 39/2 -.. 22/5.

12 4 16 = x = 5 21 35 69 . 12 69 5 23 = -. = x = 20 5 20 12 16 Answer Next is: 33/4 x 16/35 = 15/4 x 16/35 = 12/17

Example 3 Simplify (53/4 + 33/4) - (53/4 - 33/4) (NABTEB, 2002)

Finally, we have: 13/7 + 12/7 3 + 12 15 1 1 =1 or 3 7 17 7 Ans

Solution: Applying the rule of BODMAS, Drills first we take on the brackets (1). Simplify 63/4 - (211/3 x 21/4 seperately as: 21) (WAEC) 1 3 + 3 3 - 3 Answer = /4 =8 -2 4 4 (2). Simplify 14/5 x 21/3 33/5 - 4/5 (NABTEB) 6 0 =8 -2 Answer = 11/2 4 4 6 =8 - 2 = 66/4 = 71/2 Answer 4

Until next week, remain blessed Mathematically!

THE

NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Motoring 08023412452 With OSAGIE AIFUWA

Auto-Tips On Engine Oil

As First University Motor Show Opens

THE first edition of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FCT-AKURE) Auto Show will hold from August 20 to 26, 2013, at the university ground in Akure. Mr. Enoch Ajayi, coordinator of the show told motoring journalists that the one-week event will bring together automobile franchise holders, manufacturers, genuine spare dealers and all stakeholders in the auto sector to the university for the first time. “There has never been anything like this in the South West before apart from Lagos Motor shows so we want to use the fair to showcase Ondo State to the entire world, he said. Continuing, he added, “We want to take the Federal University of Technology to the market place as well as open the Ondo State market to the opportunities in the automobile world.

Mr. Ajayi explained that for too long, brand new cars have eluded most Nigerians and fairs like this would bring solution to acquiring new cars. He disclosed that some financial institutions would be

present at the fair to discuss good deals with participants and visitors to the show. “We are getting some financial institutions involved.

They will relate with visitors to the show to know how they can assist them in the acquisition to brand new cars. The coordinator who disclosed that a Lagos based company, Filkmou Ltd with many years experience in the auto industry has been appointed as consultant to the show also noted that university cooperative societies that will be attending the show would use the opportunity to seal up their car deals with the automobile companies at the show.

Also speaking on the project, the Managing Director of Filkmou Ltd, Mr. Clifford Omage explained that the show, apart from bringing players in the sector to showcase their products, would educate mechanics and participants on the latest technologies available in automobiles. “Experts will discuss issues affecting the sector during the workshop.

More About Tyre

THE vehicle tyre is the round black object that links the vehicle to the ground; it also serves as the last transmitters of motion from the vehicle through its road-gripping tendency. Many people just buy any tyre, anywhere and anyhow. Whereas, the active safety of any journey near or far depends on: * The speed of the vehicle; * The tendency of the tyre to withstand road conditions; * The capability of the tyre to hold down the vehicle when the brake is applied; * The tyre design to withstand emergency situations. All these factors and others must be roadworthy and safe for driving.

Considering the role of tyre as regards these concepts, the vehicle tyre must be: * Good enough to offer a good grip on the road for fast traveling.

Fast stopping and for providing non slippery tendency during a wet

driving condition. * Strong enough to withstand excessive pressure built up inside the tyre itself as a result of heat during hot whether or overheating of the wheels, * Tough enough to withstand road shocks, vibration and tension.

It must also be able to carry the pressure required to propel the vehicle.

Choosing a good tyre is the starting point of ensuring that a vehicle operation is safe. To choose a vehicle tyre, the following points must be considered.

The tyre size must be the recommended size and is always written on the side of the tyre in very bold letters. The tyre ply must conform to standards advised by the vehicle maker, and in some countries it is a rue to use certain ply for certain grade of vehicles. There are only two types of tyre plies. The radial ply and the cross ply tyres.

The tyre weights pressure capabilities are always written on the side in very small letters.

1. Keep your vehicle in good condition particular attention to light, brakes, steering, tyres and direction indicator. Keep windscreens and windows clean and free of abstractions.

2. Use your rear view and wing mirrors before moving .off, overtaking, turning slowing down or stopping.

3. Signal your intentions in good time and before executing 4. On the highway, keep well within your lane. Do not wander from lane to lane or change lane suddenly.

5. Always obey traffic officers in the lawful performance of their duties.

6. Do not reverse into a major road or expressway and on any road at all. Do not reverse for more than eight meters.

7. Get to know the major traffic sign and road marking and obey them.

8. Park only where you will not abstract other road users or be a danger to them. If your vehicle breaks down, push it off the road so that it does not abstract traffic or other road users.

9. Do not drive while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

10. Be polite and courteous to other road users.

Basic Safety Rules

ORDINARILY, -a good lubricating oil is a high — boiling paraffin hydrocarbon. The properties usually required include: a. Stability at high temperatures; b. Fluidity at low temperatures; c. Moderate change only in viscosity over a broad temperature range; d. Sufficient adhesiveness to keep it in place under high shear forces.

Lubes are graded based on these characteristics and other performance criteria. Two major bodies are reputed for this grading word-wide. They are the American Petroleum Institute which gives the API grades and the Society of Automotive Engineers which provides the SAE grade.

Lubes are graded according to the types of engine they are meant to serve. In other words, the more advanced the engine technology, the more advanced the lube formulation. It is imperative to use the oil recommended by the vehicle manufactures. In many cases this will be one of the new ‘synthetic’ oils. The word ‘synthetic’ does not imply that these oils are inferior; the opposite is the case, they are far superior. And despite the tag ‘synthetic’ the base product is natural oil or one of its derivatives.

‘Synthetic’ refers to the fact that it is manipulated chemically by man to make it more suitable to the task at hand. These oil have far greater resistance to extreme of temperature, or the extremely high pressures generated in a modern high rewing engine and they last longer before they break down. But they don’t last forever.. Besides ensuring that you use the correct oil you should also change it at the recommended intervals.

Engine oil is specially and very specifically compounded to do certain things and not to do others. If you drive diesel and add a can of oil meant for petrol engines you have added the wrong oil. If your car is petrol engine, pouring in diesel engine oil is equally wrong. And a car- keeper too should never use a non-detergent oil, which means non- engine cleaning oil. The oil container tells you to what specifications the oil has been compounded and for what engines the oil is intended.

What tells you is the “oil code” you will find it on the top and occasionally on the bottom or body of the can.

But in reading the codes you need to know the specification alphabet ad what each letter or combination of letters means. Oil codes beginning with S are for gasoline engines.

Codes beginning with C are for diesel engines. Diesel Engine Motor Oil CD:A “severe” duty excellent specification oil, able to withstand the modern diesel’s high temperature and to protect, against bearing corrosion and combustion deposits. Your good choice in diesel oils. CC:A ‘moderate to light” duty diesel. Given the choice between the CD and CC, pick the CD every time.

CB: Not a good oil for diesel — engine cars. This one is more commonly used in industrial engines that burn high sulphur fuel and low quality fuels at that. Also, its recommended only for moderate service requirements.

CA: A “light duty” diesel engine oil, not recommended for diesel cars. Please note that there are more higher grade of engine oil in the market today, taking care of modern day cars.

THE

NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Discourse

MOTHERHOOD is a privilege, the most beautiful phase of a woman is life and comes with the most extraordinary moments.

Marriage has often been described as one of the most respected social institution.

Infact, the scripture says that he who finds a wife, findeth a good thing, Marriage is undoubtedly what every bachelor is looking forwards with great enthusiasm since it is generally believed that behind every successful man, there is a woman.

But this respected social institution has in recent times been associated with some disappointment and sorrow by the untimely death of either of the spouses especially the death of the husband the wife of the deceased is regarded as a widow and she is always at the receiving end as some people often go with the impression that she might have hand on the death of her husband.

The challenges of widowhood are enormous as they have to face the changed circumstances and take on the role of both mother and father in addition to dealing with loneliness, a widow may sometimes feel burdened due to the added responsibilities.

One of the major challenges that face widows is the parenting roles, parenting challenges faced by widow are far greater in number than those faced by a couple raising a child together.

Widows bringing up a child have to play the role of mother and father. I such a situation, the personalities of the individuals and also the circumstances in which the child is being brought up affect the upbringing and also the smooth functioning of the house. Most of the time, a widowed mother not only has to deal with the challenge of raising a child all on her own, but also has to cope with the loss of the spouse. There is always someone to turn to in a two – parent family but not

Trauma Of Widowhood In Nigeria

widowed mothers. This often does not exist. This task of having complete responsibility of a child can be seen as a gift and at the same time a burden but nevertheless, it is an experience like no other.

The problem of dealing with loneliness poses another great challenge to the widowed mother loneliness is one of the most challenging problems faced by a widowed mother. There is always the prospect of the mother finding someone new to share her life with but this happens rarely.

There is also the financial stress the widowed has to grapple with. The financial challenge to deal with is as unarguably, as a single parent household has less income than a two parent househood in most cases. Just surviving is not enough. When one has a child, he or she wants to provide him or her with the best that money can buy and also provide long tern financial stability. But this hardly comes the way of a widowed mother in Nigeria.

Another parenting challenge that widows face in Nigeria is dealing with the stress as well as frustration that comes with taking care of so many duties, responsibilities and not letting that stress affect the child in any way. When it comes to househood chores, children in single parent families usually help out more as compared to two parent families but then again, the major brunt of the househood responsibility lies in the mother’s shoulders.

Taking care of a child is a full time job and it is one in which there is no place for mistake or second chance.

Even parenting challenges faces by widows are far greater than those faced by two parent families, there is no denying the fact that raising as child is the most fruitful and beautiful journey that a person could take.

By NDUBUISI UMORU Apart from the challenges of parenting faces by a widowed mother, there are creation harmful practices

Sometimes the widow bill be taken out of the husband’s house upon the death of the husband and have her head

prove her innocence of her spouse’s death. There is also an erroneous believe among some people that the widow did something bad in the past life, which make their husband have bad luck.

People often think they are bad luck, so it is really hard for the widows to get some jobs opportunities. They are

sorrow, psychological trauma and sometimes despair. How relatives and the society in general react to it, especially in relation to widows and orphans, calls for concerns from all.

However, government has a great role to play in eradicating this harmful agelong practices done to these innocent and defenceless women government can create special credit facilities

Hajia Zainab Maina, Minister of Women Affairs

that are being meted out to a widow which sometimes emanate from the family members of the deceased who often go with the wrong impression that the wife might have hand on the death of her husband for instance, there has been several cases where the widow is forced to prove her innocence in the death of her husband while mourning his death.

shaved with razors and broken bottles and keep in one room in the family compound’s and not allowed to bathe for a whole year. In some cases the widow is not allowed to enter her husband’s house and asked to routinely weep in public, while in extreme cases they are made to drink the water used for washing the husband’s corpse just to

“In fact, being a widow in Nigeria is a very traumatic experience for woman especially when the late husband’s relations are selfish, greedy, and materialistic as some families often confront the widowed mother to demand an account of the financial position and other properties of the deceased without minding how the widow would raise the children.”

sometimes restricted from going to certain festivals because they are seen to be unholy and tainted.

In fact, being a widow in Nigeria is a very traumatic experience for woman especially when the late husband’s relations are selfish, greedy, and materialistic as some families often confront the widowed mother to demand an account of the financial position and other properties of the deceased without minding how the widow would raise the children.

Death, it is often said is a reality, but how humans contend with the fallouts of the unfortunate natural phenomenon is another thing entirely. Bereavement is always a period of grief,

to assist widows so as to cushion the effects of the loss of their spouses. This will engage them in one trade or the other in sustaining themselves and their children in the absence of their husbands.

The society on its part should welcome and embrace widows, while government should educate the men to write and update their wills for their families.

The negative attitudes and stigmatization towards widows especially those in the rural settings should be stopped for whatever reasons.

The women on their part should work hard fend for themselves and their children.

THE

NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Vox Pop Ban On Motor Bike: What People Say THE Edo State government rising from Here is the excerpts its executive council meeting on Monday I’ Happy -Madam 10th June 2013 resolved to ban the use of How do you see the ban on commercial commercial motorcycles popularly called okada in three Local Government Area, Oredo, Egor, Ikpoba-Okha and part of Uhunwunde and Ovia North-East Local Government Areas. This ban, which took effect on mid-night of Sunday the 16th June 2013 has been eliciting different reactions from members of the public.

The NIGERIAN OBSERVER correspondent Adams Oyiboke went to town to feel the pulse of the masses on the effect of the ban in the lives of the people.

motor cycles in Benin City metropolis made up of Oredo, Egor, Ikpoba-Okha and part of Uhumwunde and Ovia North East?

Buses Are Not Enough -Ezens

I feel very bad about it. Those in the interior find it difficult to come out from their residence to major road. You can see, people walking now and some waiting for buses and the buses plying the roads are few, they are not enough. The masses as you can see are suffering. My advise for the Comrade Governor is that he should allow the bikes to work in the remote areas outside the main city.

There Is Calmness -Gabriel Osahon I really appreciate the effort of the Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole in placing a ban on commercial bike-riders popularly known as “okada” and privately owned motor-cycles in three Local Government Areas that constitute Benin City metropolis and part of Uhumwunde and Ovia North –

Positive And Ne gative Implications -

Comrade Ogbomo

Okuomoise

The ban has both positive and negative implication. The bad side of it is that the ‘okada’ riders have destroyed more people in the state. Go to (UBTH) accident ward and see what okada has done to people!.

But the governor should have given the people the bike riders enough time to enable them plan. If it were to be quit notice, there is one month, two months, three months etc to prepare oneself. This alone seems to make the decision too lusty. Besides that it is a good action especially when viewed from the security brisk by some of these bike-riders.

East Local Government Areas. The nuisance constituted by these bike riders was already becoming very serious for few days now, you can see the governor is fully in charge of the affairs of the state. He knows when to strike the iron.

Eunice Osagiade

Personally, I am happy about the ban on motorcycles whether private or commercial because I believe it will reduce crime rate in the state capital. I know at this initial stage we may not like it, but as time goes on we will be use to it. Infact it is the best decision so far.

Not “Easy At All -Mrs Osamudiamen The ban on bike riders by “Osho baba” is not easy at all. It is telling on my children especially the one that is about three years old. The other is six years. We have to trek to the main road which they have not been doing, even myself. We used to take bike.

The 1st day which was Monday, after trekking, we got to my place of work and I could not do anything. The children fell asleep.

I am beging the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to quickly do something about this ban or else many obituary announcement would soon start appearing on television.

Good For Body System -Prince Ben Omo-Ojo

I see the ban as a well come development. I am affected because as you can see now, I am walking down to Government Reservation Area (GRA) staff centre. It is even good for my body system.

Walking or trekking is an exercise. Our old men and women will now look younger than they used to be. It will keep them fit, stronger and long lasting.

Besides, on Monday morning when I entered Benin City, I saw a different City.

The usual hurtling and bursting shouting and noise experienced on the roads were no longer there. It becomes obvious that the noise pollution was partially occasioned by okada riders. There is now free flow of traffic. You can now drive safely without the fear of left or right maundering of the motor – cycle riders.

Again people could be thinking that the

ban on okada riders would make people to turn armed robbers. Who wants to steal will steal. It is the armed robbers among them before that would this time continue in their business but that business would now hit the rock because security now will be easier as security agents would strategically map out their operational system to pin-down robbers and other related crimes in the state.

Any person that is saying Oshiomhole had made them to suffer is only wasting time. With time, everybody will get use to the system. My advise to the masses is that they should educate and reorientate themselves, let the children know that there are distance they are suppose to walk. Not everywhere they need transport fare.

The children should know how to walk to school, river or market.

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Religion

With REV. DR. A.A. OPARA

Questions And Answers On Prophecy (2) HE should prophesy what God says no matter the message, for it is from God; in as much as God has opened his mouth. The Prophet Amos said, “?The Lord God has spoken who can but prophesy?” Amos.

3:8. When prophet Micaiah was requested by the servant of the king to prophesy to please the king like other prophets had done, he replied: “As the Lord lives, what God says, that I will speak”. 2 Cht 18:13. A prophet should be bold to speak what the Lord says.

13. Should a Prophet be Afraid?

I like to talk on this issue clearly. Prophets are human beings and therefore they exhibit human traits especially when the spirit is not fully resting on them.

Otherwise how would you explain the situation of Prophet Elijah running from Jezebel for his dear life? (1 Kings. 19: 1 -3). Notice that Elijah was not afraid of death for he asked God to even take his life (1 Kings.

19:4), what he was probably avoiding was an ignominious death in the hands of a ‘mean’ woman like Jezebel. What do you say of Prophet Jonah who was asked to go to the Land of Nineveh to prophesy but he was fleeing instead for his dear life. (Jonah 1:1-3).

He was simply exhibiting a human weakness. There are prophets in the Bible who had allowed their human weaknesses to distort their mission. But how can you match their actions with the boldness of Prophet Jeremiah who even at the face of death prophesied the word of God (Jeh. 1118-23) or the Prophet Micaih who stood before King Ahab to denounce him and he was arrested (1 Kings 22.26-28) or Prophet Daniel who refused to worship a human image - the king himself (Dan. 6:12) and was cast into the den of Lions. Dan. 6:16. it is obvious from these numerous examples that a prophet ought to be bold to speak the message of God

once directed. The Bible says, “God did not give us the spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control”.

2 Tim 1:7. You see, when you the prophet speak do so with power and love and self-control. It is indeed good for a prophet to be zealous for the Lord (Ps. 69:9) but the zeal should be enlightened. The Bible talks about zeal without knowledge, Apostle Paul calls it “Zeal for God” which is not enlightened (Roms. 10:2). The Prophet Hosea prophesied: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Hosea 4:6. Thus for a prophet it is important he works as directed by the Lord.

Prophets of God exhibit different behavioural patterns as the Lord wills.

While Elijah stood before Ahab and condemned him over his acquisition of the vineyard of Naboth in very strong terms, I Kings2l:1724; Nathan the Prophet used a more subtle approach - ‘a parable’, to prophesy to King David over his adultery with Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 12:1-15. Samuel the Prophet, when he was requested to go and anoint David in the stead of Saul who had already been rejected as King by God; Samuel feared that Saul would kill him 1 Sam. 16:2. But God then instructed him “Take a heifer with you say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord’. And invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me whom I name to you”. I sam. 16:3. You see Samuel did not just march to the spot. God led him to adopt a more reasonable way.

So when God gives a prophet a message he (the prophet) should wait upon the Lord to direct him as to how to deliver the message; so that he would be doing the will of God. In all, a prophet of God should not be afraid to deliver God’s message no matter how hard if God has sent him, He must obey.

This is the admonition of the

Lord: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matt.

10:28 (further reading: Jeh.

self ... holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.” 2 Tim. 3: 1-5. False teachers or heretics include vain talkers and deceivers (Titus 110) Those who subvert whole house

not touch’ (referring to things which all perish as they are used) according to human precepts and doctrines (Col. 2 21), those who insist on the severity of the body, but they are of no value in checking the

Bolivia’s President Evo Morales, center, enters his plane at Vienna’s Schwechat airport.

26:10-16; 20-24. These verses show some contrasts).

14. Who are the False Prophets the Bible talks about: It is indeed pertinent to understand who these false prophets are. Jesus our Lord warned: “Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” Matt. 24:11.

Let us see the following groups of false prophets. (i) False Teachers or Heretics: Heresy has been described as one of the signs of the last days. “In the last days there will come times of stress.

For men will be lovers of

teaching things which they ought not.” (Titus 1:14) who prescribe their own philosophies -the commandments of men.

Those who go about insisting on their own philosophy and their, own tradition instead of God’s (Col. 2:8); those who go about judging others on what to eat or drink, criticising other Christians in respect of any festival or of the sabbath days (Col. 2:2: 16): those insisting on human precepts and doctrines: Why do you submit to regulations? ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do

indulgence of the flesh’ (Col. 2:23); those who preach different doctrines from the do trifles of Christ and teaching controversies.

“Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies.’

2 Tim. 2:23 “If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed for I did not receive it from man nor was I taught it, but came through the revelation of Christ.”

Gal. 1:9,12. “See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit according to human

tradition ... and not according to Christ.” Col. 2:8 “I appeal to you brethren to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught, avoid them.”

Roms. 16:17 “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings.” Heb. 13:9. “No longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. Eph. 4:14 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” Eph. 5:5.

It is thus very clear who the false teachers are in the midst believers. some of them are church leaders, church founders, pastors, evangelists, even apostles and Reverends or could be the lay Christian by your next door. But watch carefully you do not be a victim of such and lose the glory of God. About heretics or false teachers the Bible says clearly: “they accursed (Gal. 1:8), do not associate with them for they are selfcondemned, Titus 3:10; shut their mouth or silence them when they come to you.

Titus 1:11. Do not even associate with them Eph. 5:7; 2 Tim. 3:5,2:23. Finally the Bible warns you the believer: THE FAITH THAT YOU HAVE KEEP BETWEEN YOURSELF AND GOD.” Roms. 14:22.

“While Elijah stood before Ahab and condemned him over his acquisition of the vineyard of Naboth in very strong terms, I Kings2l:17-24; Nathan the Prophet used a more subtle approach - ‘a parable’, to prophesy to King David over his adultery with Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 12:1-15. Samuel the Prophet, when he was requested to go and anoint David in the stead of Saul who had already been rejected as King by God; Samuel feared...”

THE

NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

UNIVERSITY OF BENIN P.M.B. 1154 BENIN CITY, NIGERIA

VACANCIES FOR ACADEMIC/NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ADVERTISEMENT) The Senate of the University of Benin recently approved the following academic programme • • • • • • •

1 FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES B Sc Human Resources Management B Sc Actuarial Sciences B Sc Insurance B Sc Entrepreneurship BSc Marketing BSc Forensic Accounting MSc Taxation

2. FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) 3 FACULTY OF EDUCATION • B. LIS (Library arid Information Science • B.A (Edu.) Early Childhood Education 4. SCHOOL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES • B.Sc Radiology and Radiation Sciences • BSc Physiotherapy 5. FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES • B Arch (Architecture) • B Sc Estate Management • B Sc Quantity Survey • B Sc Geo-Informatics 6. FACULTY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES • BSc Statistics 7. FACULTY OF LIFE SCIENCES • B.Sc Environmental Management and Toxicology Applications are therefore invited from suitably qualified candidates for appointment to enable the programmes take off.

ACADEMIC POSITIONS 1. FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES Department of Business Administration Professor/Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer I/Il Assistant Lecturer, Areas of Specialization: • Human Resources Management • Entrepreneurship • Marketing Department of Banking & Finance Professor/Associate Professor/ Senior Lecturer/Lecturer I/Il

• Electrotherapy in Physiotherapy • Sports Physiotherapy • Exercise Therapy/Ergonomic Physiology 5. FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Professor/Associate professor/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer I/II Assistant Lecturer.

Areas of Specialization: • Veterinary Anatomy • Veterinary Biochemistry • Veterinary Physiology • Veterinary Pharmacology • Veterinary Parasitology • Veterinary Microbiology • Veterinary Pathology (including Virology) • Veterinary Surgery • Veterinary Theriogenology •Veterinary Public Health • Veterinary Medicine (including Aquatic and Wildlife Medicine) 6. FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Professor/Associate Professor/ Senior Lecturer/Lecturer I/II Assistant Lecturer.

Graduate Assistant Areas of Specialization: • Architecture • Estate Management • Quantity Surveying • Geo-Informatics 7. FACULTY OF LIFE SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND TOXICOLOGY Professor/Associate Professor! Senior Lecturer/Lecturer 1/II Assistant Lecturer.

Graduate Assistant Areas of Specialization - Toxicology • Ecology • Genetics • Biotechnology • Safety • Waste Management • Pollution Bioremediation • Resource Management

Department of Accounting Professor/Associate Professor/ Senior Lecturer/Lecturer I/II

Qualifications: Professor – Ph. D. with not less than 15 years of teaching /research experience Associate Professor - Ph D with not less that 12 years of teaching /research experience Senior Lecturer - Ph D with not less than S years teaching /research experience Lecturer 1 and II – Ph.D with not less than 4 yean teaching /research experience Assistant Lecturer - MSc and B.Sc B.A First Class or Second Class Upper Division with not less than 2 years of teaching /research experience Graduate Assistant - B Sc/B A first Class or Second Class (Upper Division)

Area of Specialization: • Forensic Accounting • Taxation

Salary Professor CONUASS 7 (N2,485 099 — N3,209.140 P.A)

2. FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Associate Professor CONUASS 6 (N2,053,124 — N2,684 096 P A)

Area of Specialization: • Actuarial Sciences • Insurance

Department of Educational Studies & Management Professor/Associate Professor/ Senior Lecturer/Lecturer I/II Areas of Specialization: • Library & Information Science • Early Childhood Education 3. FACULTY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES Department of Mathematics Senior Lecturer/Lecturer I/II Assistant Lecturer/Graduate Assistant Area of Specialization: Statistics 4. SCHOOL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES Department of Radiography Professor/Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer 1/II Assistant Lecturer.

Graduate Assistant Areas of Specialization: • Medical Physics * Radiation Physics • Radiobiology • Medical Imaging • Radiology • Radiation protection • Clinical Oncology

Senior Lecturer CONUASS 5 (N1,653,415— N2,348 299 PA) Lecturer 1 CONUASS 4 (N1,122,751- N1,444,535 P.A) Lecturer 11 CONUASS 3 (N897,501 - N1,074,314.04 PA) Assistant Lecturer CONUASS 2 (N817,566 - N957,402 P A) Graduate Assistant CONUASS 1 (N594,992- N794,247 P A) NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS The following Non-Academic positions have also fallen vacant and applications are invited from suitably qualified Nigerians for appointment into the respective positions 1.DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL PLANNING JOB DESCRIPTION: The Director of Physical Planning is a management position in the University and responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for the day to day administration and management of the Physical Planning Division

Department of Physiotherapy Professor/Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer I/IIAssistant Lecturer.

2. DIRECTOR OF AUDIT JOB DESCRIPTION: The Director of Audit is a Management position in the University and responsible to the Vice- Chancellor for the day to day administration and management of the Audit Department of the University of Benin, Benin City.

Areas of Specialization: • Orthopaedics/Trauma Physiotherapy • Neurology Physiotherapy • Paediatric Physiotherapy • Cardio Pulmonary Physiotherapy

3. DIRECTOR HEALTH SERVICES JOB DESCRIPTION: The Director of Health Services is a management positron in the University and responsible to the Vice Chancellor for the day to day administration and management of the Health services Department in the University

THE PERSON Applicants for the post of Directors must have in the past exhibited considerable degree of competence, responsiveness, demonstrable integrity and efficiency in management Applicant must be in good health and must be able to bear the rigours of the duties of a Director Also the candidate must be found to possess the following qualities Vision proven academic distinction managerial ability integrity and transparency in private and public life In addition, the candidate should have the ability to develop linkages with external committees to support emerging needs of the University, command respect and arouse cooperation and loyalty of staff and students of the University.

4. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF WORKS JOB DESCRIPTION The Deputy Director of Works is a management position in the University and responsible to the Director of Works for the day to day administration and management of the Works facilities in the University.

5. DEPUTY BURSAR JOB DESCRIPTION: The Deputy Bursar is an Officer of the University and responsible to the Bursar for the day to day administration and control of the Financial affairs of the University 6. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL PLANNING JOB DESCRIPTION: The Deputy Director of Physical Planning is a management position in the University and responsible to the Director of Physical Planning for the day to day administration and management of the Physical Planning facilities in the University.

QUALIFICATIONS 1. Director of Physical Planning A good honours degree in Engineering Architecture or Quantity Surveying as well as a professional qualification e g COREN (and relevant professional qualification for others) Possession of a higher degree will be an advantage.

PLUS Fifteen years (15) post-qualification cognate experience at least five (5) of which must have been as a Deputy Director/Managerial positions in the univeresity setting or similar institute.

2 Director of Audit: A good honours degree in Accounting as well as professionally recognized Accounting qualification e.g ICAN CNA ACCA ACA ICMA Possession of a higher degree will be an advantage with 15 years post qualification/Cognate experience 3 Director of Health Services: A good honours degree in Medicine as well as professionally recognized qualification, e.g FMCPH, FWACP, FWACS and FMCOG Possession of a higher degree will be an advantage Plus fifteen (15) yeas post qualification/cognate experience.

4 Deputy Director of Works: A good honours degree in Engineering as well as professionally registered qualification e g COREN but with twelve (12) years post qualification.

5 Deputy Bursar: As it is in the case of Director of Audit with at least (12) twelve years of experience must have been in managerial positions including Chief Accountant in a University or similar institution.

6 Deputy Director of Physical Planning: As it is the case of Director of Physical Planning with at least twelve (12) years experience.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE For the post of Directors the successful candidate shall hold office for a single term of eight (8) years only on such terms and conditions applicable to Federal Universities in Nigeria and as may be determined by the appropriate University laws and Governing Council SALARY CONTISS 15 For the post of Deputy Director and Deputy Bursar the successful candidate shall hold office on such terms arid conditions applicable to Federal Universities in Nigeria and as may be determined by the appropriate University laws and the Governing Council SALARY CONTISS 14 METHOD OF APPLICATION Each applicant should submit with their application fifteen (15) copies of their detailed Curriculum and credentials highlighting among others the following: (a) Full Names (b) Place and Date of Birth (C) Home Address (d) Contact Address (e)Nationality (f) Marital Status (g) Number and Ages of Children (if any) (h) Institutions attended with Dates (i) Academic Qualifications obtain with Dates j) Working Experience (k) Present Employment indicating present status and salary (I) Extra Curricular Activities (m) Referees (3) Each applicant must have three (3) referees who should be requested by the applicant to forward their referees report under confidential cover directly to the Registrar.

All applications should be submitted under confidential cover in sealed envelope marked “ACADEMIC POSITION” or “NON-ACADEMIC POSITION’ as the case may be to reach the office of the Registrar, University of Benin, P. M. B 1154 Benin City, Nigeria not later than six (6) weeks from the date of this publication.

Only the applications of short listed candidates will be acknowledged

Signed: G.O. OGBOGHODO (MRS.) Registrar

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International

Compiled By EDOBOR HARRISON

Austrian Plane Search For Snowden VIENNA - Bolivia accused Enrages Bolivia Austria of “kidnapping” its

Bolivia’s President Evo Morales, center, enters his plane at Vienna’s Schwechat airport.

president, Evo Morales, on Wednesday after authorities searched his plane during a stopover in Vienna on suspicion he was taking fugitive U.S. intelligence analyst Edward Snowden to Latin America.

A senior Bolivian diplomat said the Austrians had acted at the bidding of the United States, which has been trying to get its hands on Snowden since he revealed details of its secret surveillance programs last month.

“We’re talking about the president on an official trip after an official summit being kidnapped,” Bolivia’s

US To Investigate Arizona Fire

PRESCOTT - Three days after 19 firefighters perished in a wildfire, questions over what exactly went wrong loomed largest.

Investigators from across the U.S. will be working this week to try to answer that, examining radio logs, the site of the tragedy and weather reports.

They’ll also surely be talking to the sole survivor of the blaze, who warned his fellow firefighters and friends when he saw the wildfire switch directions and head straight for them.

In the nation’s biggest loss of firefighters since 9/11, violent wind gusts on Sunday turned what was believed to be a

relatively manageable lightning-ignited forest fire in the town of Yarnell into a death trap that left no escape for the team of Hotshots, most of them in the prime of their lives.

Only one member of the crew, identified Tuesday as 21year-old Brendan McDonough, survived. He was on a hilltop serving as a lookout and warned his crew that the weather was changing rapidly, and that the fire had changed directions because of strong, erratic winds. McDonough made it to safety, while the rest were overtaken by the blaze.

“He did exactly what he was supposed to,” said Wade Ward, who implored the media to

respect McDonough’s privacy as he and the families mourn.

“He’s trying to deal with the same things that we’re all trying to deal with, but you can understand how that’s compounded being there on the scene.”

McDonough grieved with families of the fallen firefighters Tuesday evening at a public memorial service in Prescott. More than 3,000 people gathered at a high school football stadium to remember the 19 men during a service punctuated by repeated moments of silence amid emotional remarks from pastors and officials.

CAIRO - Egyptian liberal opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei met army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi yesterday hours before an army deadline for Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to yield to mass protests or quit, two political sources said.

The heads of state Islamic institute, Al-Azhar, and the Egyptian Coptic Church also joined the meeting, a government source said.

Political sources said two members of the “Tamarud Rebel!” youth group that is

leading the anti-Mursi protests also attended, as did members of the hardline Muslim fundamentalist Nour Party.

Al-Azhar’s Grand Sheikh, Ahmed al-Tayeb, endorsed the army’s position, calling on political leaders to heed antigovernment protesters. Pope Tawadros, spiritual leader of some 10 percent of Egypt’s 84 million people, tweeted his blessing for the anti-Mursi revolt on Tuesday.

ElBaradei was chosen to represent the opposition National Salvation Front coalition and youth groups

leading anti-Mursi street protests to negotiate with the army on their behalf.

“In the meeting, ElBaradei will urge the armed forces to intervene to stop the bloodshed,” one opposition source said.

A military source denied the meeting was taking place.

More than 20 people have died and hundreds have been injured in clashes between Mursi’s supporters and opponents since the eruption of mass protests on June 30.

Egypt Opposition, Religious Leaders Meet Army Chief

Abdul Rahman Hotak, one of Afghanistan’s top human rights protectors, speaks during an interview in Kabul.

RECONCILIATION OF NAME I, Erebor Priscillia Eze wish to bring for the information of the general public that I am the same person called Erebo Ezemwenghian as appeared in my various documents. It should be known therefore that I am properly known and called Erebor Priscillia Eze. All former documents remain valid. Concerned authorities should please take note.

“On behalf of the Prescott Fire Department, I want to thank all of you,” said Ralph Lucas, a battalion chief for the Prescott Fire Department. “This has brought us to our knees but at some point there will be another house fire or wildfire.”

After one moment of silence, 19 purple balloons — one for each of the fallen firefighters — were released into the air.

ambassador to the United Nations, Sacha Llorenti Soliz, told reporters in Geneva.

The Bolivian plane, which was taking Morales home from an energy conference in Moscow, was stranded at Vienna airport for several hours after Portugal and France refused to allow it to fly through their airspace.

The search found that Snowden was not onboard and the plane eventually left Vienna about noon yesterday.

The 30-year-old Snowden is believed to be still in the transit area of a Moscow airport, where he has been trying since June 23 to find a country that will offer him refuge from prosecution in the United States on espionage charges.

The plane incident was the latest twist in a saga which has raised a furor in the United States and abroad over the balance between privacy rights and national security.

Revelations of U.S. surveillance on European countries have also strained trans-Atlantic relations.

France yesterday said free-

trade talks between the European Union and the United States should be delayed by two weeks given tensions over reports stemming from the Snowden case that Washington is spying on the 28-nation bloc.

Bolivia, which is part of a Venezuelan-led leftist alliance which has challenged U.S. political and economic influence in Latin America, denounced the Austrian action as an act of aggression and violation of international law.

“We have no doubt that it was an order from the White House,” ambassador Llorenti said. “By no means should a diplomatic plane with the president be diverted from its route and forced to land in another country.”

Bolivia will lodge a complaint at the United Nations.

Austria said however that Morales had agreed to a voluntary inspection of the plane. Deputy Chancellor Michael Spindelegger confirmed Snowden had not been on the plane.

“Our colleagues from the airport had a look and can give

Ex-Taliban Official Vows To Protect KABUL - Just 16 years ago, Afghan Women Abdul Rahman Hotak helped prop one of the world’s most austere regimes for women as a newspaper editor and bureaucrat for the Taliban. Now, as a one of Afghanistan’s top human rights protectors, he says he has turned a corner.

Sitting in a small grassed yard outside his new office at the Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, Hotak insists on being a voice in favor of hard-won women’s rights in the deeply conservative country, still ranked as one of the world’s most dangerous

CHANGE OF NAME ITUA – I, formerly Miss Maria Ekenomofu Itua now wish to be known as Mrs. Maria Ekenomofu Ibhafidon. All former documents remain valid. Esan West Local Government, Area Ekpoma, SUBEB, Benin City, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and general should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

IZEDIONMWEN – I, formerly Miss Izedionmwen Faith Imuetinyan now Mrs. Eriyo Faith Imuetinyan. All former documents remain valid.

General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.

places to be born a girl.

“Unfortunately there are many people who are against women in this country, many of whom I’ve worked with in the past,” the heavily bearded Hotak told Reuters in a rare interview, passionately gesturing under a dark striped turban.

“As a commissioner, I will continue to work with women rights activists to lessen the burden and plight of Afghan women.”

President Hamid Karzai’s naming of Hotak among five

new rights commissioners has raised questions about his commitment to protecting women as most international combat troops leave the country and his government looks to fragile negotiations with the Taliban.

Hotak’s controversial past, including rumors of having been an aide to the Taliban’s one-eyed leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, has raised alarm from civil rights activists including the New York-based Human Rights Watch and U.N. rights commissions.

Guinea’s Opposition, Ruling Party Agree on Poll CONAKRY - Guinea’s opposition and ruling party reached an agreement to hold the country’s long-delayed legislative elections in September, the opposition said yesterday.

Aboubacar Sylla, a spokesman for a coalition of opposition parties, said the opposition had agreed to several issues that had earlier been sticking points, including the use of a South African-based vendor to create the voter IDs. Earlier the opposition had claimed that Waymark was in cahoots with the ruling party, and was planning to use the voting software to rig the vote.

“We have agreed on a realistic chronogram which could open the way for us to hold legislative elections on Sept. 29,” he said.

The accord calls for elections on Sept. 29 and will be signed yesterday afternoon under the guidance of United Nations special envoy Said Djinnit, who has undertaken his own version of shuttle diplomacy in Conakry, trying to get the estranged sides to agree.

Guinea held its first democratic election in 2010.

Although deemed to be transparent overall, the vote was marred by the deep ethnic divide it revealed between the country’s Malinke and Peul. The Malinke, who represent about 40 percent of the population, backed the Malinke politician in the race, and the Peul, who represent roughly the same share of the electorate, backed Peul politician, Cellou Dalein Diallo.

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

International

Compiled By EDOBOR HARRISON

Sudan President Plays Hard To Stem Succession Debate KHARTOUM - When Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir returned a few weeks ago from a summit in Ethiopia with his South Sudanese counterpart and former civil war foe, many people here expected him to talk of peace.

Instead, the 69-year-old ruler donned his officer’s uniform, waved his trademark walking stick and - once again threatened to cut off South

Sudanese oil exports through Sudan, something the northern country’s battered economy can ill afford.

The International Criminal Court-indicted leader faces a succession debate at home and his rhetoric was aimed less at the South, an uneasy neighbour since it split from the north in 2011, and more at hard-line Islamists and army officers in his own circles, analysts say.

Chechen Rebel Calls For Attacks On Sochi Games MOSCOW — A leading Chechen rebel yesterday called on Islamist militants in Russia’s North Caucasus to disrupt the upcoming Winter Games in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, reversing his previous appeal not to target civilians in the region.

Sochi is hosting the Winter Olympics in February in what has been described as President Vladimir Putin’s pet project.

The overall bill for the games stands at $51 billion, making them by far the most expensive Olympics in history.

Doku Umarov, a widely known Chechen rebel leader, urged his men to “do their utmost to derail” the games which he described as “satanic dances on the bones of our ancestors.”

“We have the obligation to use all means to prevent this,” he

UK: Hate Crimes Surge

LONDON - The head of London’s police force says the number of hate crimes against Muslims in the city increased substantially after the killing of soldier Lee Rigby.

Bernard Hogan-Howe said in a web chat yesterday the number of hate crimes reported to police went from one per day to eight per day after the May 22 slaying.

He says the number has since dropped to two per day.

Two Islamic extremists are accused of killing Rigby near his army barracks. One suspect was filmed boasting of the killing moments afterward in a widely broadcast video.

Hogan-Howe said extra police patrols have been added around “high-risk” sites.

There have been a number of arson attacks on mosques throughout Britain since the killing. Some mosques have been defaced with graffiti.

said in a video published on a rebel website yesterday.

Umarov last year urged his men to avoid hitting civilian targets because Russians in Moscow were taking to the streets en masse to protest against Putin.

Analysts have said the Islamic insurgency raging across the North Caucasus mountains that tower over Sochi is a daunting threat to the games — although rebels have not attacked Sochi so far.

Dagestan, which lies about 500 kilometers (300 miles) east of Sochi, has become the center of the insurgency that spread across the North Caucasus region after two separatist wars in the 1990s in neighboring Chechnya. Rebels seeking to carve out a caliphate, or Islamic state, have targeted police and other officials in near-daily shootings and bombings.

Umarov is believed to be their most influential leader at the moment.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the elder of the two ethnic Chechen brothers from Russia who are accused of staging the Boston bombings, spent six months last year in Dagestan.

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee said in an emailed comment that ensuring security at the games is “the responsibility of the state” and will be its priority.

“We are confident that the games will be safe and comfortable for all as guaranteed by the Russian state,” the committee said.

This weekend, thousands of Sudanese demanded that Bashir step down in the biggest opposition rally for years. But the biggest threat to his rule might come from dissent within the army and Islamists, the backbone of his power since he seized control in a 1989 coup.

Nobody in the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has declared himself a contender, but speculation over who could run the vast African country after Bashir has increased since he indicated he might quit before 2015 elections.

Diplomats say Bashir’s family has been asking him to make good on that suggestion following his throat surgery last year. Officials insist he is completely fit but he has cut down on speeches and public events.

Any handover would be complicated by Bashir ’s indictment at the ICC for war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur region, where the government and the Janjaweed militia have been battling rebel groups from the minority non-Arab population since 2003. Analysts say he would be anxious to ensure a successor would not turn him over to The Hague to improve relations with the West.

“He would want a hardliner as successor to make sure there won’t be any concession with the ICC,” said Magdi El Gizouli, a political analyst and

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir addresses a crowd in North Khartoum.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (R) and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai address a media conference at State House in the capital Harare.

Mugabe Allies Trying To Rig Vote - MDC

HARARE - The party of Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said thousands of dead people were still on the electoral roll only four weeks before a presidential election, accusing allies of President Robert Mugabe of trying to rig the outcome.

The July 31 contest is Tsvangirai’s third attempt to unseat Mugabe, the 89-year-old veteran who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980. The two were forced into a power sharing deal after the last, disputed polls in 2008.

Another contested result could interrupt impoverished

Zimbabwe’s recovery from a decade of economic decline that has prompted hundreds of thousands to flee the country.

“Clearly the voters roll is a shambles. The registration is often chaotic and frustrating in urban areas and we see this as an attempt to rig the elections before voting has even started,” MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said on Tuesday.

Tsvangirai’s MDC wants to delay the election until midAugust to allow more time to prepare a smooth vote free of the deadly violence that marred the 2008 polls.

But a court ruling is expected

year-old Mandla Mandela, the chief of the clan and Mandela’s official heir, to comply with the order by 3 pm (1300 GMT).

With 94-year-old Mandela critically ill in a Pretoria hospital, 16 of his family members applied last week for a court order to force Mandla to return the bodies, which were moved two years ago from the village of Qunu, where Mandela grew up.

Mandla had the remains transferred 20 km (12 miles) to

his Eastern Cape village of Mvezo. He has not revealed why he reburied them but Mvezo is where Mandela was born and where many South Africans believe Mandla wants the country’s first black president to be buried.

Mandela’s eldest daughter, Makaziwe, who led the legal challenge against Mandla, declined to comment to reporters after the ruling. “This is a private family matter,” she said.

Judge Orders Grandson To Exume Mandela’s Children

MTHATHA, South Africa A judge ordered Nelson Mandela’s grandson to exhume the bodies of three of the antiapartheid leader ’s children yesterday and return them to their original graves, the latest twist in a dispute that has divided South Africa’s most famous family.

Judge Lusindiso Pakade, sitting in the regional court in Mthatha, 700 km (450 miles) south of Johannesburg, told 39-

next week and there is no guarantee that judges will change the date, so the MDC and Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party have swung into campaign mode.

The state-owned Herald newspaper, tightly controlled by ZANU-PF, said the MDC had

failed to substantiate its allegations, calling them a “frivolous and spurious” attempt to discredit the elections.

MDC wants equal access to Zimbabwe’s only broadcaster, which is owned by the government and is in the grip of ZANU-PF.

Pesticides Found On Chinese Herbs Bought In Canada TORONTO, Canada Greenpeace is raising red flags about herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine after it says it found toxic levels of pesticide residues in herb samples bought in Europe and in North America.

The investigation conducted in seven countries also took samples from stores in Chinatowns in Toronto and Vancouver, and sent them to an independent lab in China for analysis.

Eric Darier, who works on Greenpeace’s agricultural campaign, said some of the herbal remedies were found to be more like pesticide cocktails.

“Internationally, we were shocked by the quantities of pesticide residues we found in all the samples, some of them with alarming numbers. For example, in Canada, the honeysuckle had over 24

pesticide residues,” he said.

Some of those who sell Chinese medicine say there are safeguards in place at both local and federal levels.

Michael Chung, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine in Vancouver, said consumers should be concerned about pesticides in their herbs or foods, but good doctors can also be good gatekeepers.

“As a practitioner ... we have always been emphasizing the safety of the herbs we give to our patients,” he said. “No matter if it is in powder form or the raw herbs form, we always check with our suppliers to make sure they are safe.”

Albert Fok, a Chinese traditional herbalist in Vancouver, said in his view, government regulations keep the products safe for consumption.

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The Worship Of God

ONLY one thing can save man, that is, a thorough knowledge of the Divine laws in Creation. This alone will help him onward and upward again and with him all that he attempts to build up in the future.

Only he who musters all his strength, so as to devote it unremittingly to achive what is most indispensable for his soul has any prospect of being saved. All half measures count for nothing. Every hesitation, every postponement, is the same as a complete neglect neglect of duty. Mankind have no more time left because, they have already wasted until the limit of their allotted period.

Abd-ru-shin the author of “Grail message” –In the light of Truth says, you must absorb every message from God quite naturally and interweave it in a practical manner into your work, your thoughts and your whole life. You must not set it a part by itself, as you have now done, only paying it a visit in your leisure hours in order to indulge for short time in contrition, gratitude or relaxation. As a result, it never became something natural, a part of you, such as hunger or sleep.

For thousands of years much has been done to enlighten humanity about God’s will or the working of the laws in Creation, at least, in so far as you need it, in order to ascend and find your way back to the luminous Heights whence you came. This was not achieved through the socalled earthly sciences,

nor through the churches, but only through the servants of God, the prophets of olden times and later through message brought by the Son of God Jesus Christ.

Although, it was given to you quite simply, so far you have only talked about it, but never seriously trouble to understand it alright, still less to live accordingly. In your indolent opinion this was asking too much of you, although, it is your only salvation. You wish to be saved without exerting yourselves in any way. If you reflect upon this, sad conclusion.

You turned every Divine Message into a religion for your into a religion.

For your own convenience. And that was wrong. You placed religion upon a special pedestal, removed from everyday life. That was the greatest mistake you could have made for in so doing you also removed God’s Will from your daily life or what amounts to the something, you separated yourselves from God’s will from your daily life and activity, thus, becoming one with it.

Understand this aright at last. You shall live in this will of God, so that, you may find your way on all the paths which bring you benefit. God’s Messages are precious hints which you need. Without knowing and obeying them you are lost.

Therefore, you must not place them as something sacred in a glass of shrine, to gaze upon them in awe and trembling only on Sundays or to retreat,

there in fear and distress in order to receive strength.

You shall not venerate the Message, beit make use of it. You should grasp it with hearty good will, not only when you are in Sunday attire, but with the fist hardened by daily toil, which never shames or debases, but only honours everyone. The precious gem shines with greater purity and brilliance, in a rugged hand discoloured by sweat and dirt, than in

attain to the kingdom of God-Paradise.

Therefore at last, awake and learn to know the laws in Creation. No Wondly Cleverness will help you in this matter, nor the small amount of technical knowledge derived through observation.

Something so meagre will not suffice for the path your soul must take. You must lift your eyes far beyond this earth and recognize where your path leads after this earth life, so that at the

the wellcared –for fingers of a lazy idler who spends his time on earth only in contemplation.

Abd-ru-shin says, every Divine Message was granted to us so that, it should become an integral part of us. We must try and grasp what this means.

Therefore we must absorb the word of God so that each one of us may know how he must live and proceed in order to

sametime you may become aware of why and for what purpose we are here on earth.

Whatever your conditions are in this life, whether rich or poor, healthy or ill, at peace or in conflict, in joy or sorrow, so, you will learn to recognize the reason and purpose of it all. This will make you glad and happy, grateful for the experiences which have

“Whatever your conditions are in this life, whether rich or poor, healthy or ill, at peace or in conflict, in joy or sorrow, so, you will learn to recognize the reason and purpose of it all. This will make you glad and happy, grateful for the experiences which have come your way.”

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Man And Nature With O.C. MADU 08056379608

come your way. You will learn to value every single second as precious and above all learn to use them for your ascent to joyful existence and purest happiness.

And because you so badly entangle and confused yourselves, the Divine Message was brought to us by the Son of God-Jesus Christ as a

absolutely in comprehensible to you because you never looked for them in those parables.

And now, through the “ Grail Message”, the explanation of the laws comes to you in a form more understandable in the present time. In reality, Abd-ru-shin says, they are precisely the same as those Christ already

means of salvation, after the warnings of the prophets had remained unheeded.

The Divine Message showed the way, the only way, to save us from the swamp which already threatened to smother us.

The Son of God sought to lead us to this way by parables.

Those who wanted to believe and who were seekers listened with their ears, but it penetrated no further. They never tried to live in accordance with them.

Religion and daily life have always remained also, for you two separate things. You always stood beside it, never in it. The effect of the laws of Creation explained in the parables remained

brought in the form suitable at that time. He showed men how they should think, speak and act so that, they could mature spiritually and advance upwards in Creation. Humanity needed no more than that.

There is not a single gap in the Message given at that time.

He who atlast, adapts himself to it in his thought, words and deeds thus, practices the purest worship of God, for this lies only in deeds.

The worship of God in your life and in your experience consists solely of keeping the Divine laws. This alone ensures happiness so shall it be in the coming kingdom, in the Millennium, which will be called the kingdom of God on earth.

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Debuchy To Stay At Newcastle NEWCASTLE United England. I love the Premier

Ronaldo Happy At Real REAL Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted he is “really happy” in Spain as speculation about a possible return to Manchester United continues.

Ronaldo, 28, has yet to sign a new contract with Los Blancos - with his current deal expiring in two years - and former club United are reportedly lining up a big-money summer bid for him.

But while the Portugal star, who has scored a remarkable 201 goals in 199 goals for Madrid since arriving from Old Trafford as the world’s most expensive player in 2009, once again spoke fondly of his time in Manchester, he stressed that he is content with life at the Bernabeu.

“I really miss English football. For me, it was some of the best years in my career when I was there in Manchester United,” Ronaldo said as he paid a visit to a school in Singapore. “Everyone knows that. It is the club that is still in my heart and I really, really miss [United].

“But now my life is in Spain, I’m enjoying playing there too.

Part of my life is there but the future, we never know but I’m really, really happy in the Spanish league at the moment.”

Ronaldo was also asked about the threat of Barcelona next season following their acquisition of Neymar, to which he replied: “I’m only thinking about my team. I don’t care about Barcelona. They’ve signed a great player but I am focused on my team, which I think is the best in the world.”

League,” he told local newspaper The Chronicle.

Debuchy found himself pitched into a relegation fight upon arriving at Newcastle and he admits the pace of the English top flight came as a shock to the system.

“For me, the Premier League was a big discovery.

Everything is much harder than it is in France. The game is faster and the teams are better, even the small teams,” he said.

“I also had to learn a new language as I did not speak English. It was complicated, but right now it is better. I love England, even if it is different.”

moment of speculation so we will see what happens.

“He is a great player and you always want to see great players in your team. I can see lots of players in the Chelsea shirt, but

it all depends on who Jose Mourinho wants to see in the Chelsea shirt.

“He has his ideas and what he wants. Now the window opens and we will see what the movement is.”

Cech Would Welcome Rooney At Chelsea

• Wayne Rooney

PETR Cech has heaped praise on Wayne Rooney and claims the Manchester United striker would be a welcome addition to the Chelsea squad.

Rooney’s future at United has been in some doubt ever since outgoing manager Sir Alex Ferguson said the 27-year-old had issued a transfer request for a second time in three years towards the end of last season.

That is a claim Rooney denies

Bale Agent Says No Offer From Madrid Yet

GARETH Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett says there has been no offer yet from Real Madrid for the Tottenham midfielder.

Barnett says talks are still to take place between the two clubs despite £80m-rated Bale being targeted as a priority by Real president Florentino Perez.

Barnett, talking to ‘Futboleros’ on Marca TV said: ‘Bale has not said no, nor yes. There’s no offer from Madrid; they have to talk between themselves and we will see what happens.

‘He was at Malaga airport [on Tuesday], he’s been in Marbella on holiday. He comes back to Tottenham for pre-season training next week.’

Bale said in interview with Esquire magazine this week that playing in the Champions League is key to him.

right-back Mathieu Debuchy has played down media speculation linking him with big-spending Ligue 1 giants Paris SaintGermain and Monaco by declaring that he is happy in England.

The 27-year-old France defender, who joined Newcastle from Lille in January, has been linked with a return to France during the close season, but he says he is content at St James’ Park.

“I don’t know about the rumours saying I have been contacted by Paris or Monaco. I feel good in Newcastle. I want to stay In

He said: ‘When you play in the Premier League, say you’re playing against a lower-end team, they set up to defend all the time, they set up to block you off. But when you play in the Champions League, all the other teams are used to winning every week, so it’s more of an open game, it’s more attacking, end-to-end.

‘No one’s used to defending, everyone’s used to attacking and trying to win games, so it’s just all against all.’

He added: ‘The music is a massive thing - Zadok the Priest (Handel’s anthem that announces the arrival of the teams). When we first got into the Champions League, it’s one of the things that most of the lads were looking forward to, hearing it in the stadium. It’s little things like that which make it special.’

and wants publicly clarified, according to widespread reports.

Ferguson’s successor, David Moyes, is believed to be heading for crunch talks with Rooney this week, which will go a long way to deciding the England international’s future.

Arsenal and Paris SaintGermain have been strongly linked with Rooney, while Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has previously expressed his admiration for the forward and the Blues have been mooted as being ready to make a bid.

Cech claims to be in the dark as to Mourinho’s transfer plans, but says Rooney would be a welcome addition to the squad.

“I could see him in a Chelsea shirt, as players change shirts,” Cech told Sky Sports News. “He has had a fantastic career with Manchester United, but

sometimes players need new challenges.

“If that happens, he is a fantastic player and would be welcomed to our squad. But at the moment we are in the

. . . Hails Mourinho Mentality CHELSEA goalkeeper Petr Cech has hailed returning manager Jose Mourinho as one of the game’s ultimate winners, as he prepares to renew acquaintances with his old boss next Monday.

Cech has claimed that Mourinho is willing to risk losing games in his desperation to win at all costs, with the method of victory not a priority for the Portuguese tactician.

“It’s the mentality, the wording and the detail he puts into everything and he is a manager who’d rather lose than draw a game,” Cech told The Guardian. “Some would say: ‘OK, if you can’t win it, just don’t lose it.’ But with him that’s

not the case. He’s all about winning, and winning the right way. ‘Right’ doesn’t necessarily mean in a ‘great’ way, as in a nice way to watch. Sometimes you have to win a game ‘ugly’.

“If you play against a team who are really physical you have to find the way to compete.

In the Premier League, teams play different styles and it’s

Scudamore Defends Premier League PREMIER League chief executive Richard Scudamore has defended the organisation against claims England’s leading clubs are partly responsible for recent poor performances by the national team’s age-group sides.

England’s under-21s were eliminated from the European Championship in Israel last month after losing every game, while the under-20 side were

unable to record a single victory at the World Cup. However, Scudamore says claims that home-grown youngsters are being crowded out by foreign players in the English top flight are wide of the mark.

“You know how I’m going to respond to that — that’s nonsense, absolute nonsense,” he said.

• Petr Cech

almost impossible to play ‘nice’ football.

“The ‘right way’ means you are tactically prepared and use the weapons to kill your opponent. Sometimes you impose the way you can play and you play football that is beautiful to watch; sometimes it’s really scrappy, but you still need to win the game to win the title. This is the right way.”

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Nigeria Volleyball Needs Functional League - Oghuma TONY Oghuma-Eghiemai, the Chairman, Technical Committee, Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), has called for the establishment of a functional league for better performance during championships.

He made the call in a telephone interview with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

Oghuma-Eghiemai said that without a functional league, there would not be any sustainable growth in the game.

The technical committee chairman made the call against the backdrop of the performance of the U-20 women’s volleyball team at the Women’s U-20 World Championship in Brno, Czech Republic.

At the 10-day championship which held from June 21 to June 30, the team lost all its seven matches played and finished last among the 20 teams that participated.

He said “normally, we know that we should have a league, but the problem is who funds it?.

“We have tried as much as possible to get a sponsor for it, but it has not yielded any result and until we have a functional league, we are not going anywhere with volleyball in this country.

“If we can get sponsors, it will

really help us but I am optimistic that in the nearest future, we will be able to strike a good deal and put the league in order.’’

Oghuma-Eghiemai, who doubles as the NVBF Technical Director, said it was imperative for the federation’s board to source for funds “because it is the bedrock of our activities.

“If we have funds, we will be calling players to camp occasionally for training, staying for like three weeks before dispersing them.

“And after a month, we will recall them to get them exposed to some friendly matches because if they have friendlies, I am sure the players will have a high aptitude to acquire the new trend of playing the game.

SA Footballers To Honour Mandela

• Edo State Commissioner for Youth and sports, Lady Omorede Osifo

Basketball Development

Edo Sports Commissioner Lauds US-Based Donor

EDO State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Mobilization, Lady Omorede Osifo has commended Mr. Oliver Fredrick Ogwuazor for renovating the basketball pitch at Wire Road, Benin City.

Hon. Osifo gave this commendation during an assessment visit to the pitch to ascertain the level of work done.

The Youth and Sports

commissioner said that she is proud to see a basketball player in the United States who started his career in Benin City showing interest in the development of

Top Squash Player Bemoans Game Exclusion From NYSF SODIQ Taiwo, the national number one male squash player, on Wednesday bemoaned the exclusion of squash from the maiden edition of the U-17 National Youth Sports Festival, scheduled for September.

Taiwo made the appeal in an interview with newsmen at the ongoing four-day ‘WinnerTakes-All‘ squash championship in Minna, Niger.

He said that the exclusion of the game from the festival would make the development of the game at the grassroots more difficult.

“It is so unfortunate that squash was excluded from the youth games. It is sad because these youngsters need the exposure.

Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi

“I am sure between now and September, the board of the Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF) can still convince the sports ministry and the National Sports Commission, over its inclusion.

“If the NSF fails to convince the ministry, I think the federation will need to organise its own grassroots festival.

“I mean we need a viable grassroots programme to keep these young talents actively engaged.

“The federation has a lot to do; I am sure that they are aware of the task ahead, so that the rejected stone will become a corner stone.

“I strongly believe that the fortunes of squash will change if our leaders do things as they ought to,” Taiwo said.

According to him, 19 sports events were registered for the youth festival and wondered why squash should be excluded.

Reports that the male and female champions at the end of the Winner-Takes-All competition would each go home with a brand new car.

The Winner-Take-All championship, dedicated to Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger for his support for sports and the

development of squash, in particular, would end on Saturday.

The sports events registered for the youth sports festival in September are: badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, table tennis, tennis, football, gymnastic, judo, taekwondo, track and field, karate, volleyball, wrestling, handball, weightlifting, swimming, scrabble and para-Soccer.

basketball in Edo State as a way of giving back to the society what the society has given to him.

The commissioner who showed appreciation for the kind gesture, urged other wellmeaning Nigerians and organisations to emulate the donor, insisting that government cannot do it alone.

Hon. Osifo on behalf of the state government thanked the donor for his philanthropic gesture and sued for continuous support.

Earlier, Mr. Sylvester Nikoro, a basketball player based in Nigeria who did the renovation work on behalf of the donor who could not travel to Nigeria disclosed that the donor who hails from Delta State started playing basketball in Wire Road basketball pitch in Benin City before he travelled to U.S adding that because of his passion to contribute to the

development of basketball in the state, he had to send money to him for the renovation of the pitch.

He also promised to assist with basketball equipment in order to engage and encourage youths in the game of basketball.

Ghana Qualify For 2014 CHAN Finals As Benin Withdraw THE Confederation of African Football has confirmed Benin’s withdrawal from the 2014 African Nations Championship qualifier meaning their opponents Ghana have advanced to the finals.

The Ghana Football Association posted on its official Twitter account on Wednesday: “CAF confirms

. . . Include Squash In Nigeria’s Contingents For Commonwealth Games - NSF ADAMU Erena, the President, Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF), has urged the Minister of Sports, malam Bolaji Abdullahi, to ensure that Nigeria feature in squash event at the Commonwealth Games next year in Glasgow.

Erena made the call on Monday in Minna at the inauguration of a four-day ‘Winner-Takes-All,‘ squash championship organised by the NSF in collaboration with the Niger Squash Association.

The president said that the ministry should include squash in its contingent for the Games,

because the country has produced international players who can win medals at the Games.

He noted that squash was not included in the recentlyintroduced U-17 National Youth Sports Festival billed for September 19 to September 29 in Abuja.

According to Erena, the inclusion in the festival would have been an avenue for the country to favourably compete and win laurels at the Games.

“The U-17 sports festival would have served as an opportunity to start grooming

THE South African football and rugby union teams will play matches at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on August 17, which has been designated Nelson Mandela Sports Day. South African sports ministry officials said the event would bring the country’s two most popular sports together in the former president’s honour.

The FNB stadium, formerly known as Soccer City, was the showpiece venue when South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup, with Mandela making his last major public appearance at the final there.

For many years, football and rugby were on opposite sides of the apartheid divide, and the ministry said it was hoped that their joint billing would unite people “in celebration and promotion’’ of Mandela’s achievements.

But it added that Mandela’s current condition - the 94-yearold is seriously ill in hospital meant the announcement had come “at a time when South Africa is a nation in distress following the hospitalisation of our father and icon Nelson Mandela, who also happens to be the primary inspiration behind this initiative’’.

The South African football team will play Burkina Faso in an exhibition match, while the Springboks will kick off their Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina.

players for future Olympics and other international competitions.

“It is not too early to prepare for these international competitions and championships. ‘‘We are sure of winning medals in squash for the country, the players are among the best in the world as they have proved themselves,’’ he said.

He said that the competition in Minna was in fulfillment of the federation’s promise to organise local and international championships within 60 days in office.

Benin’s withdrawal from the two-leg qualifier against Ghana for a place at the 2014 African Nations Championship - CHAN.” Benin Sports Minister Didier Aplogan took the decision to withdraw the Benin national team citing the inability of the state to finance expenditure related to the competition.

But Ghanasoccernet.com claimed confusion within the leadership of the football federation led to the decision by the minister to withdraw the team.

President of the Benin Football Federation (FBF) Anjorin Moucharafou and his vice president Valere Glele (officer in charge of the CHAN) are reported to be at loggerheads.

The Local Black Stars were scheduled to host the visitors in the first leg of the final qualifier on 7 July.

But the team continued their preparations with a 5-0 win over lower-tier side Dreams FC in a warm-up friendly on Tuesday.

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Mixed Feelings Greet F/Eagles Loss To Uruguay

FOOTBALL enthusiasts on Wednesday expressed mixed feelings at the Flying Eagles 1-2 loss to Uruguay at the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup, Turkey 2013.

They spoke reporters in The Bordeaux man beat him to separate telephone interviews in the ball and skipped past him, Abuja. before being brought down by Reports say that Uruguay saw Onyinye Ndidi in the box. off the challenge of a 10-man Lopez stepped up and scored Nigerian team to book a meeting what became a match-winning with Spain in the FIFA U-20 penalty in the 84th minute.

World Cup quarter-final with a Ndidi and Kingsley Madu 2-1 win. went close to drawing level again Uruguay’s Nicolas Lopez in stoppage time, but it was not scored twice in the second half to be, and it was Uruguay which after Abdullahi Shehu was sent went through to the last eight. off toward the end of the first 45 A board member of the Nigeria minutes, with Olarenwaju Football Association (NFA), Mrs Kayode briefly pulling Nigeria Dilichukwu Onyedinma, said the level.

Flying Eagles played well but It looked to be anyone’s game, did not utilise their goal-scoring but Uruguay took control after a opportunities. misjudgment by Flying Eagles “It was a tough game. We goal keeper, Okani, after getting started out the much stronger into a foot race for a loose ball team but were unlucky not to with Diego Rolan.

Tennis Coach Calls For More Grassroots Tournaments COACH Tunde Akinmuju of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, has appealed to stakeholders in the sport to organise regular competitions across the country, to enhance the development of tennis.

Akinmuju told thenewsmen on Tuesday at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club that there was need to infuse new talents into the sport.

“There are too few tennis tournaments in the country and this has not encouraged the discovery of future prospects for the country,” he said.

Akinmuju, who is also one of the resource persons for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/ Chevron Youth Tennis championships, lamented the slump the sport was currently experiencing in the country.

“The tennis clinics we organise are aimed at

discovering players who have the talent to play the game.

“But government has failed to realise that these competitions help to develop the skills of budding talents.

Akinmuju noted that some players performed well during training sessions, but always flopped at competitions.

“This is because they have not had enough training sessions before going to take part in major competitions,’’ he said.

He, however, stressed that government would be unable to do the job all alone and would, therefore, need the support of the private sector.

“If the corporate entities can assist the government to improve the state of sports overall, I am sure we will excel in our sports at both local and international levels,’’ Akinmuju added.

Disu Counsels NFF Grassroots Soccer Dev FORMER Coach of the Flying Eagles, Tunde Disu, has advised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to take seriously the development of football at the grassroots to enhance the performance of national teams.

Disu, in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos, attributed the poor performances of the national teams to maladministration and neglect of football development at the grassroots.

He said that there was need for the grooming of young talented players from the grassroots into the national teams, adding that school sports should be focused on.

“School sports should be well developed because it is from there we will spot talents and incidences of cheating in age-grade competitions will be reduced,’’ the coach said.

Disu also advised schools to

employ the services of qualified coaches to train their students.

“The coaches must at least have the basic knowledge of sports. We have coaches trained at the National Institute of Sports (NIS). The schools can engage their services,” he said.

Disu also advised coaches to constantly go for refresher courses to keep them abreast of the changing trends in football.

“Most of our coaches are now educated but the problem they have is that they do not upgrade their knowledge; they are not in trend.

“Some of the coaches still bring what they had learnt in the past 10 years into coaching which is bad for clubs at the grassroots and national level,” he said.

He appealed to administrators of the sport to stop playing politics but work hard to ensure the development of football.

have scored.

“Disappointing loss; the game should have gone to overtime; but the Uruguayans were relentless; however, we go out with our heads held high,” she said.

Onyedinma, who doubles as the Chairperson of the Nigeria Women League, however noted that but for the red card, Nigeria could have carried the day.

“The red card shown to Shehu in the first half really put a lot of pressure on our defence in the second half and they conceded a costly penalty toward the last minute of the match,” Onyedinma said.

FCT FA chairman, Musa Talle, said the technical committee did not really do its work, adding that, the boys were not coordinated.

He said the NFA should look inward and get players from the U-17 to start afresh with the team and start preparing for the next qualifiers.

“Some of these players lie about their age, which is what is affecting us. The NFA should ensure that the right age players are used. It was unfortunate we lost out,” he said.

The Secretary of the FCT Football Association, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said that the overall performance of the boys was commendable.

“The Flying Eagles played better than their opponents; they had more chances at goal and the game could have gone either way,” he said.

He noted that they were very

good on the night of the match, but the Uruguayans were more advantaged.

“We gave the game our all, but the Uruguayans took advantage of our numerical strength,” Abdullahi said.

FCT Coaches Association Chairman, Godwin Bamigboye, said the boys gave full account of themselves but they could not

deliver the goal.

“The Flying Eagles should come back home and prepare for the qualifiers; we don’t have to wait until when it is close; and also our attackers should be worked on.”

He said some of the U-17 players should be moved to play for the U-20, adding that other set of players should be used to replace some of them.

Coach John Obuh

... We Fought A Good Fight - Obuh

NIGERIA U20 coach John Obuh has said his team put up a good fight only to crash out of the World Cup in Turkey to Uruguay on Tuesday night.

“Despite playing a man short for half of the match, we fought a good fight,” declared Obuh.

“The match has been won and lost and we accept the loss in good faith.”

He added: “Our target at this tournament was not to leave the stage this early but I hope the next coach will take it from where I stopped.

“What is very certain is that Nigeria is a football nation blessed with a lot of talent. The players only have a focus and they will be world beaters.”

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Aminu Maigari commended the fighting spirit of the team, urging them to not allow this setback affect the bright future that awaits them.

“We wish to commend your performance against Uruguay, but unfortunately one team has to win and another has to lose,” he told

the team.

“You did your best and went out there to win but it was not meant to be.

“You should learn from the mistakes you made so that next time we will go all the way.”

Nigeria fell behind after 64 minutes when Nicolas Lopez slotted home after goalkeeper Samuel Okani failed to deal with a free kick from the left.

Olanrewaju Kayode drew Nigeria level in the 69th minute when he let fly from just outside the box.

And moments later,

exercise that took place in some states on June 29,’’ Akeredolu said.

He said that states like Bayelsa, Rivers, FCT, Akwa Ibom, Edo and Plateau had earlier staged theirs on June 29.

According to him, the Run is a platform to highlight the benefits of physical exercise, which allows people to learn about Olympic values.

Akeredolu said that the event would allow people to learn about Olympic values and to put them into practise in their everyday lives.

He noted that engaging in exercises promotes the

healthy living of an individual.

Olympic Day Run To Hold In 6 States On Saturday LAGOS, Imo, Osun, Oyo, Anambra and Ondo states would hold their 2013 edition of the annual Olympic Day Run in their respective state capitals on July 6.

Gbenga Akeredolu, the Coordinator of the event in Ondo State, told newsmen on Wednesday in Akure that the event was re-scheduled in those states due to the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

“The Day was held in other states of the federation on June 29, but had to be rescheduled in the six states due to the monthly environmental sanitation

“It helps people of all ages to experience some of the magic of the Olympic Games, in their own communities.

“The event is not a competition to win prizes but to serve as a reminder that exercise holds a lot of promise in helping mankind to stay healthy through sports, as a way of life,” Akeredolu said.

Akeredolu said that Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State would flag-off the Run in the state at the Akure Sports Stadium at 6: 00 a.m.

He urged all would-be participants in the Run t

Michael Olaitan saw his effort crash against the side netting.

Okani pulled off a big save in the 56th minute and Nigeria created a number of chances thereafter before Uruguay regained the lead from the penalty spot through Lopez in the 84th minute after Wilfred Ndidi had fouled a goal-bound Diego Rolan.

Nigeria began to play with a man short after 40 minutes when fullback Shehu Abdullahi was sent off for a double-footed tackle on Diego Laxalt.

It was a cagey start by both teams as they tried to settle down.

In the 16th minute, Umar Aminu created Nigeria’s best chance yet when he delivered a low cross into the Uruguay goal area, but there was no one to connect home.

Two minutes later, Uruguay responded when Gino Acevedo dashed through, but his final effort from inside the box was wide off target to the relief of the Flying Eagles.

Aminu then got a chance to give Nigeria the lead in the 37th minute, when he was all alone inside box but he directed his shot straight at goalkeeper Guillermo de Amores.

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Flipkens Defies Doctor’s Orders To Light Up Wimbledon

IT is just as well Kirsten Flipkens is not one to follow doctors’ orders. If she had, her career would have been long over - not once but twice.

The bespectacled Belgian proved that it was the doctors, and not she, who were short-sighted as she defied the odds to reach her first grand slam semi-final on Tuesday with a stunning win over 2011 champion Petra Kvitova.

“I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs throughout my career.

I’ve had so many injuries,” Flipkens told a news conference after becoming the first Belgian to reach the last four at Wimbledon since Justine Henin in 2007.

“Even after the juniors. I was the world junior champion (in 2003) and the year after I had a really bad back injury. All doctors said my career should have been over.”

The medical experts presented her with another bleak prognosis in April 2012 when four blood clots were discovered in her leg, putting her at risk of a pulmonary embolism or thrombosis.

Should she win her next two matches to hold aloft the

What they, or many of those around Flipkens, had not counted her on was her never-say-die attitude.

“I’m just the kind of person that doesn’t like to break, and I keep on fighting back every time. I don’t regret my decision last year and I’m still fighting back,” said Flipkens, who until this year had never gone beyond the third round of a slam.

The fightback was no mean feat as last year’s emergency meant her ranking plummeted to 262nd in the world in June.

It left her so far out in the tennis wilderness, she was not even deemed good enough to play in the qualifying rounds.

“Last year, I didn’t get into the qualifying of Wimbledon. I was ranked 262; today I’m a semi-finalist in a Grand Slam,” grinned the 27year-old who will face Marion Bartoli for a place in the final.

“It’s a dream - more than a dream - coming true.”

For Flipkens, the fairytale run was “even more special” as she made it into the last four “on my mum’s birthday”.

Her triumph

‘LIONEL Messi and Friends’ beat a Rest of the World team in a charity match in Peru on Tuesday night but Neymar stole the show with an incredible goal. the recent Confederations Messi and Neymar will Cup after inspiring Brazil to play with each other at the title, received the ball 45Barcelona next season but yards out and without a were on opposite sides in moment’s hesitation, curled a Lima as they both wore the superb strike into the net after number 10 shirt in this match spotting the keeper off his arranged by Messi’s line. foundation.

It was the final goal of the In the second-half of the game which Messi’s side won game, Neymar, who won 8-5. player of the tournament at

quarter-finals.

“I have strong grass allergies and everything was against me liking grass, but at some point I just turned it around and I love it now.

“I have to take medicine for my allergies. I sneeze when I’m playing on the grass, but that’s just the way it is. I’ve

world’s top 200 in 2011 - but her pedigree on a grasscourt is now well established.

One of the fastest servers on tour, Lisicki’s Wimbledon record contrasts markedly with her performances in the three other Grand Slams.

She now has an 18-4 record in singles at the All-England club compared to 16-15 at the Australian, French and US Opens.

completed a Wimbledon wipeout as Kvitova’s exit meant no grand slam champions made it into the women’s semifinals.

With Agnieszka Radwanska taking on Serena Williams’s conqueror Sabine Lisicki in the other semifinal, Flipkens knows that there may be no better time to become the first Belgian to triumph at Wimbledon.

“If you would have told me at the beginning of the tournament who was going to be in the last four, I would never say the four who are still in actually,” she said.

“I think I’m the most surprising name in the last four but I don’t really care!”

Sabine Lisicki

Belgians will be eager to show just how much they care.

Kirsten Flipkens

Neymar Upstages Messi In Charity Match

Wimbledon Favourite Sabine Lisicki Is Allergic To Grass SABINE Lisicki has been installed as the favourite to win Wimbledon after her sensational run to the semifinals but perhaps the most remarkable thing about her performance is that she is ALLERGIC to grass.

The German caused the shock of the tournament when she beat Serena Williams in the fourth round and backed that win up with clinical 6-3 6-3 demolition of Kaia Kanepi in Tuesday’s quarter-final.

That means she is in the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second time but in an interview conducted with the Tennis Space website last year, she revealed she wasn’t always so in love with the green lawns of SW19.

“I used to hate grass. I have strong allergies to grass, and have to take medicine, but I have learnt how to handle this,” she said.

“I think I lost five straight matches on grass in the beginning, plus one doubles, and then I turned it around in 2009 when I reached the Wimbledon

Rosewater Dish on Saturday, 11 million

learnt to handle that. I guess that’s fine. The most important thing is to be out there playing on it, and I love the tradition of the grasscourt tournaments.”

The 23-year-old’s career has been checked by injury she dropped outside the

The likes of Daniel Alves, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Mascherano and Eric Abidal all played in the match which

helped raise money for Messi’s foundation that offers support to children and teenagers around the world.

LIONEL Messi might be the world’s greatest football player but his reputation in the United States could take a dive after the cancellation of a high-profile charity match scheduled for Wednesday.

American fans have had only sporadic opportunities to see the Barcelona wizard in the flesh and the match – billed as “Messi and Friends vs. The Rest of the World” and due to take place at the Los Angeles Coliseum – was keenly anticipated.

That is, until a clearly frustrated press release was sent out, little more than 24 hours before the scheduled kickoff, announcing the game would not take place as Messi was refusing to take part.

“After hours of trying to convince Lionel Messi’s management team to fulfill their contractual agreement and come to Los Angeles, it is clear they have no respect for these fans and this market,” said a statement from Todd Graham, CEO of El Padrino, one of the primary sponsors of the event.

He added: “We feel that this is a blatant attempt to defraud American citizens and businesses that sponsored this event.”

The match was advertised as featuring a string of world-class players, including Spanish World Cup winners Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets on Messi’s team, and in-form Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, Argentina’s Sergio Aguero and AC Milan star Kevin Prince Boateng on the other.

As of Tuesday night, the event

website carried no mention of the cancellation, though tickets were no longer available on the Ticketmaster website.

“In all the years I’ve been doing live events, I have never encountered a situation like this,” said Ralina Shaw, vice president of public relations for El Padrino. “It’s unfortunate because the only losers in this scenario are the fans that were looking forward to the game, and the City of Los Angeles.”

More information may leak out over the next few days but organizers are adamant that their part of the deal was met and that Messi’s late withdrawal came as a shock. Messi has been the most dominant player in soccer for the past four years but is preparing to enter one of the biggest seasons of his career.

His club team Barcelona is desperate to erase the memories of its embarrassing seven-goal deficit to Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals, while the 26-year-old is under pressure to deliver for his national team Argentina in the World Cup a year from now.

The player enjoys worldwide popularity but has recently been in the headlines for the wrong reasons, after his tax affairs came under investigation from the Spanish revenue services.

Messi has appeared in the US before, with Barcelona occasionally visiting as part of its preseason preparations, and Argentina played the US national team in a friendly at Giants Stadium in 2011.

Tickets for Messi and Friends were selling for up to $300 (£197).

Messi Causes Outrage In USA By Cancelling Match

THE

CMYK

NIGERIAN

32

Sheltering African T First Ladies

HIS writer has been caught severally on the soft side of providing the good life for past Leaders.

During the debate at the Constituent Assembly on the pension scheme for past Presidents and Governors, he made this demand: “Hands up, all those who will be happy to see their former President driving a taxi or moonlighting as a chargehand in a factory, trying to make ends meet”. There was not a single hand up.

He proceeded from there to posit to the Assembly that the only way to obviate that ugly situation is to devise a robust pension scheme for past Presidents and Governors.

We were travelling to the East to take a wife for my son (name withheld). On the way, I kicked off a discussion, “Suppose we get there and meet that the head of the household, your prospective father-in law, is the one pounding the yam that we would eat, what would your reaction be?“ He retorted, “I will not continue with the marriage. I will just go home.” When I asked why he would react that way, he quipped rather angrily, “Is it not clear that the only alternative to that would be to patiently enter into the marriage and gear up to be pounding for my wife when we are married?

Why would I stay in a household that has no head?”

It gets even messier if you come into a village and you are told to wait a little because the Odionwere (village head) will soon return from where he went to tap rubber. What type of village will not cater for its head?

All the same, none of these flourishing arguments will sway even the most patriotic citizen to support the plan of the country’s First Lady apparently to build a hotel complex for herself with public funds.

Suddenly, Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is asking for a whopping sum of N13 billion for the building of the headquarters of the African First Ladies Peace

Centre, AFLPC. Funny enough, the piece of land on which the edifice is to be sited had earlier been allocated to Hajia Turai Yar ’Adua, Dame Patience Jonathan’s predecessor in office. It is now subject of litigation between the two First Ladies. Hajia cannot see why land allocated to her should now be reallocated to Dame. Each of them asked for the land for a pet project. One thing is clear

When countries, States or Municipalities struggle for hosting rights of events, they do so for the business opportunities inherent therein – during the events, social, commercial and all forms of activities come alive; and you find citizens smiling to the banks.

Two, and perhaps more importantly, these First Ladies are playing smart.

Hajia got the allocation on the pretext of using it for a pet project but today, the

top” was the one asking for a hostel for his foreign colleagues.

Meanwhile, Nigerians are angry with the Senate Committee on FCT. They think the Committee’s rejection of the initial drawdown request of N4 billion was not only far-reaching

• Hajia Turai Yar’Adua

• Dame Patience Jonathan

from this: First Ladies also cry. Hajia has approached the courts for interpretation.

This was the ground on which the Senate Committee on FCT rejected an initial N4 billion drawdown on the project from the office of the First Lady.

Hear the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi: “Due to the litigation in respect of the proposed plot of land, money cannot be accessed this year”.

This project has a number of question marks around it.

One, it has no parallel anywhere in the world that government builds a hostel for conference participants.

posturing simply succeeds in blowing the lid off Dame’s cover, which makes Dame look like a person providing for her post-retirement years.

Are these African First Ladies refugees in their home countries? If not, there is a subtle suggestion that the Inn will have no permanent residents. And when the inmates are not meeting, to what use do you put this white elephant project?

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

story has changed. She is now claiming the land as her personal property. Is this not enough reason for us to be scared of the intentions of the incumbent First Lady?

Hajia’s

Again, the office of First Lady is an anomaly, totally alien to the country’s Constitution or any law of the land for that matter. It would have been a neater innovation if the “Oga at the

enough, but it was also lousy. They reckon that the Committee should have used the opportunity of the request to throw the entire project out of the window.

People not tutored in the art

of legislation are wont to think this way.

Knowing how legislators everywhere work, I can bet my December salary that the AFLPC Project is dead; in fact, it is deader than dead! The business of legislation is different from journalism where you say it like it is. What the FCT Committee has just started is the Dance of Legislation, which in the words of Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924): “Once begin the dance of legislation and you must struggle through its mazes as best you can to its breathless end, if any end there be”.

The National Assembly also has a responsibility to produce the greatest happiness to the greatest number. Without cutting off the major arteries of the project, Dame for now remains happy that she has a project in the works.

That project will remain in the legislative maze until it will be quarter to Madam’s departure from Aso Rock.

At the Committee level, the lawmakers retain the option of loving the proposal to death.

Legislatively speaking, this means that the measure could be amended even beyond Madam’s recognition by the time it limps out of the committee room.

For now, we must allow the National Assembly and its Committees to do their best, hoping that their best will be enough for all of us.

“This project has a number of question marks around it.

One, it has no parallel anywhere in the world that government builds a hostel for conference participants.

When countries, States or Municipalities struggle for hosting rights of events, they do so for the business opportunities inherent therein – during the events, social, commercial and all forms of activities come alive; and you find citizens smiling to the banks.”

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