Nigerian observer 05 06 2014

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vo l . 39 • NO. 006 • THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2 0 14 • N100. 0 0

MEDIA Pages 16-17 Issues in Sports Broadcast

SECURITY ISSUES Page 18

Boko Haram

Changing dynamics of an insurgency

Edo Govt ’ll boost workers morale - Commissioner

BENIN CITY- The Commissioner for Establishment and Special Duties, Comrade Didi Adodo has reassured workers in the State Civil

Service that the state government will do all within its power to boost their morale.

Comrade Adodo made this known in his maiden interactive session with

leaders of organized labour in Edo State.

The Establishment and Special Duties Commissioner said that labour is a noble one which affords

leaders the real opportunity to fight for the down trodden in the society Commissioner Adodo posited that the driving force behind the success of Continues on page 2

Oshiomhole accuses PDP of inducing Edo Lawmakers

By ADAMS OYIBOKE

BENIN CITY -Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has accused the Peoples Democratic Party of inducing members of the State House of Assembly to defect from the All Progressives congress (APC) with the intent to create confusion and chaos in the state.

Oshiomhole disclosed The governor said, “I this yesterday when he read through the received a group of newspaper that some of youths under the aegis of them are planning Initiative for Youth through corrupt means Awareness, Migration, to change the popular I m m i g r a t i o n , mandate that was Development and conferred on me by the Integration on a solidarity good people of this visit to state government state, including your at the Government good selves. History will House, Benin City. have it that for the first

time, across Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North, in all the Local Governments and in all the wards, everybody voted

overwhelmingly for my person.

“Now they have brought a lot of money from Abuja, paying Assembly members whom we

campaigned for, marketing some of these people who are not known in their neighbourhood. They rode on my back to get

to the House of Assembly. Some of them cannot walk on their streets, they collected, as I read in the papers, Continues on page 2

Edo APC chieftain,

Group defend Oshiomhole BENIN CITY - A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Edo North Senatorial District, Alh. Dada Akpejin yesterday took a swipe at the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih over comments bordering on school furniture supplied by a contractor in the state.

Beside the APC chieftain, a group, Owan Progressive Vanguard in a statement signed by Mr. Ohis Ehimeka,

chided Orbih, saying he has lost focus as an opposition party chairman who was not duly elected but handpicked in Port Harcourt after a failed attempt at the NTA pavilion in Benin city.

Orbih had in a recent publication called on the state government to make public, the findings of a panel that was set up to look into the award of contracts for supply of school desks to secondary schools in the state a few years ago.

TIT BIT

“A man’s needs have always been so demanding that he had to need a helping hand from the woman.”

- Kingsley Ogbeide-Ihama

According to Orbih, “a contract for the supply of 75,000 school desks was awarded to a furniture company by the state government at a contract sum of about N1.5 billion but the desks have not been sighted in any school since then”.

But in his reaction, Ehimeka said, “these furniture were made by a proud Owan son and delivered. Orbih needs to go round the over 700 schools renovated and reconstructed by the Adams Oshiomhole led administration to see for himself rather than these unwarranted attack and misinformation.

Continues on page 2

ABUJA - Senate yesterday passed

further alterations in the 1999 Constitution be effected in Section 68(4)(8), to empower the

Independent National Electoral Commission, to de-register non performing political

Governor Adams Oshiomhole has commiserated with the Publisher of V a n g u a r d

Newspaper, Mr Sam Amuka on the death of his mother, Mrs. Teshoma AmukaPemu, describing her as a beacon of

In a condolence letter, the Governor said “I write to convey the condolences of the people and Government of Edo State,

commiseration, on the demise of your beloved mother, Mrs. Teshoma Amuka-Pemu.

Continues on page 2

PROJECT INSPECTION: The Contractor handling the Upper Siluko Road in Benin City (2nd right) explaining a point to Governor Adams Oshiomhole (2nd left) during the Governor’s inspection of the road project yesterday. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE.

Senate empowers INEC to deregister political parties Constitution Amendment:

By JOSES SEDE

Gov condoles Vanguard Publisher over mum’s death motherhood. as well as my personal BENIN CITY -

party.

The alteration which is the fourth since inception of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, also seeks to provide adequate time for rerun of election at 21 days, instead of the current seven days.

More so, the fourth

Continues on page 2

News

Edo Govt ’ll boost workers morale

Continued from page 1

Governor Oshiomhole’ s led administration is what he learnt from labour.

He dismissed pessimists that labour leaders are rascals and school drop outs who cannot achieve anything meaningful in life, saying that Governor Oshiomhole has proved them wrong.

According to him, with the coming of Oshiomhole into governance, people who

hitherto would not be considered for such position can now aspire, adding that this is a plus and a great gain to unionism in Nigeria.

He revealed that prior to his appointment as commissioner for Establishment and Special Duties, many issues were on ground that needed to be addressed but were however resolved on time through the understanding demonstrated by government and labour.

While noting that promotion of workers have been effected, the ten percent pay rise for medical workers and civil servants have been approved by the government, he said” the government of Governor Oshiomhole will not relegate the workers to the background but will work assiduously to improve their lots” To this end, he appealed to workers in the civil service to reciprocate the gesture of

and abetting the criminal manipulations of our nation.

“Today, because of many years of criminal privatization of the Nation’s wealth, many years of people of tiny minds, confusing their personal wellbeing for the wellbeing of our people, the future of our country has been so recklessly mortgaged that young people see no hope that they now migrate through very dangerous routes out of the country.

Oshiomhole said, “These people had the guts to say to me face to face, ‘yes you are building roads, are we going to feed on roads’? Yes, you are building hospitals, you are building schools, are these what we will eat? you are changing the state, why not change us first? One day, Edo people will understand what the issues are.

Oshiomhole assured of his determination to be on the side of the people, to build more schools across the states and ensure that the will of the people is top priority in his

government policies.

Speaking on the issue of employment, Oshiomhole said, “In continuation of our commitment to connect with our people, we will provide resources for the real farmers, not politician farmers. To support them to do what they live on.”

On the neighborhood watch, Oshiomhole said, “Why we dissolved it was that I discovered that a lot of our political leaders when they are to bring people, they bring their daughters and their sons. Even now that they claim to have left, they left their children in government, but I have already told them if you didn’t remember to take your children, I will assist you to send your children back to you.

“And I discovered that some of them brought their children who are in Abuja to be doing neighbourhood watch in Edo. They live outside and claim to be watching the neighbourhood.

That was why I dissolved the neighbourhood watch. Right now I have decided that rather than employ neighbourhood watchers

government by putting in their best.

Comrade Adodo revealed that Governor Oshiomhole has pledged to fulfill his earlier promise to build a Labour House in the state with the foundation laying ceremony slated for June 16, 2014.

Comrade Adodo encouraged the Labour leaders in the state to feel free to come to his office, assuring them that he will operate an open door policy.

Oshiomhole accuses PDP of inducing Edo Lawmakers

Continued from page 1 huge sums of money for them to decamp, to mortgage, to put on sale the mandate that you all, in your respective areas, gave them on the basis of their promise that they will work with me to deliver the state.

“They have become merchants of mandates. And I hear they want to bring more money to buy more people. Let them bring, but the day the devil rises to say that he will dare what God has willed, they will increase the fire power in hell.”

He said, “when we have the government elected by the people, working for the people, applying resources for the people, Nigeria will change and make up for the deficit of the past.

“That was the promise.

Unfortunately, those who grab power have chosen to mistake their personal welfare for the welfare of the masses. This government is pro-masses, this government is pro-people, this government is pro-youth and this government is prodevelopment.

“The bane of our politics is that those who never struggled for democracy, when people like us and several other Nigerians stood with the human rights groups, dared the guns to demand democracy because of its promise, they have taken over the political structure of our country, they were not only at home with the military dictators, they were satisfied with collecting crumbs and aiding

Edo APC chieftain

Continued from page 1 “The contractor is a proud Owan son who has handled several contracts for the Federal Government, National Assembly, International Organizations and many state governments in Nigeria.

“These antics of a loquacious man like Dan Orbih has failed him before and will continue to fail him.

The contractor remain a leading furniture maker in this part of the world and would continue to be.”

According to Alh. Dada Akpeji, “If Dan Orbih has no work or does not know what it takes to act in the capacity of a state party chairman and one in the opposition, he is advised to resign than exercising his jaws.

“For me, Orbih’s wild allegations simply shows he is not in touch with realities, and that he is not on ground or that he is a pathological lair and one who relishes and thrives more on misinformation and falsehood. His allegations betrays his shallow mindedness, incompetence, and intellectual retard.”

through politicians, I will now do it through well-known youth organizations”, Oshiomhole said.

Earlier, the leader of the group, Mr. Solomon said they were in Government House to solidarise with the governor on his developmental strides.

He said, “we are moved by our conviction to appreciate you and to support you to continue your developmental strides in Edo State especially in the area of Youth and Human Development in Edo State.

He said, “We like to use this opportunity to address the area of unemployment in our state. We know that government cannot employ everybody in the state but there are areas in which government can make its impact especially in the area of agriculture. We also appeal to reconstitute the Neighborhood Watch where the various wards and Local Governments will be fully involved to check the spate of unemployment in the state.”

Gov condoles Vanguard Publisher over mum’s death

Continued from page 1 “My thoughts and prayers are with you and the entire Amuka family at this very difficult moment of grief. While we join you to mourn her painful departure, we are certain that you will find consolation in the fact that your precious mother lived a worthy life, and stood as a beacon of motherhood, religious devotion and community leadership.

“You also must be proud that she is leaving behind a remarkable legacy and most especially the calibre of children and grand children she raised, among whom is your good self, a renowned Publisher of one the nation’s leading newspapers and others who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their own right,

who have contributed immensely to the development of their community and the country at large.

“Our sincere prayers is for God to, in His infinite mercy, receive her soul with His love and bless her with paradise. We also pray God to give you and the entire family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss of such a worthy matriarch.”

Senate empowers INEC to deregister elections from political parties Governorship seven to 21 days respectively, alteration is seeking to confer

Continued from page 1

exclusive jurisdiction on the Federal High Court (FHC) on the violation of Electoral and other Election related Acts of the National Assembly.

The senators however could not vote on the Procedure for Drafting an Entirely New Constitution on the premise that they needed more time to study the Section (9) with a view to making informed contributions to it.

When the matter of voting came up earlier, Sen. Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) rose in opposition, asserting that it was unparliamentary for a piece of document to be brought for the senators to vote without prior knowledge.

He was however countered

by Chairman of Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu West) and some members of the Committee, that the matter was not new, having earlier been debated on the floor of the Senate.

The DSP recalled that the

Section 9 had earlier been passed by the Senate but for shortage of required four-fifth (4/ 5) of the Senators, which amounted to 87 instead of the 83 that had earlier voted in favour.

For avoidance of doubt, Sen. Ekweremadu read out inserted new Subsections (3A-3N) in Section 9 to include removing assent of the President of the Federal Republic before the draft Constitution becomes law.

Instead, the document is to be subjected to a referendum by INEC within six months of receipt and if the draft Constitution receives a simple majority of votes cast in two-thirds of all the States of the Federation, it shall come into force as the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.

At this juncture, presiding Senate President David Mark set aside the controversial Section 9 for today’s plenary.

Eighty-two out of 85 senators and 84 out of 89 voted to extend rerun period for Presidential and

while all the 89 senators that registered for the voting unanimously endorsed proposals to: empower INEC to deregister any political party that fails to win a sit in any election namely, Presidential, Governorship, National and State Assemblies, Local Government Council Chairmanship, and Councilorship; empower FHC to exclusively adjudicate on electoral offences; and to include former Presidents of the Senate and former Speakers of the House of Representatives as members of National Council of States (NCS).

Later in a chat with correspondents, Sen. Ehigie Uzamere (Edo South), assured that the postponed Section 9 would be approved at today’s sitting, describing what happened on the floor of the Senate as democracy in action.

Odubu urges parents to comply with Child Rights Law BENIN CITY- Wife of Edo State Deputy Governor, Deaconess Endurance Odubu has charged parents and guardians to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the Child Rights Law. Mrs. Odubu gave the charge yesterday at a Girl Child Rights rally organised in Benin City by the office of the Executive Director to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Girl Child Education.

Deaconess Endurance Odubu stressed the need for parents to encourage girl child education and enhance her personality.

According to her, it is through Education that female children can improve their social status and protect themselves against abuse and discrimination.

She urged mothers to refrain from aiding and abetting child trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, pointing out that trading them for immediate economic gain does not augur well for both the victim and the society.

Deaconess Odubu called for the elimination of unnecessary gender preferences which are capable of denying the girl child access to education, health and other social benefits.

Executive Director to the Governor on Girl Child Education, Pastor Chattie Anakhu said her office would

do its best to reduce to its barest minimum, all forms of discrimination against the girl child.

Anakhu stated that the free primary to secondary school educational policy in Edo State coupled with the free transportation for all pupils and students in school uniform speaks volumes for the governor ’s compassionate heart for the less privileged parents.

Special Adviser on Special Duties and the Executive Director, office of the first Lady Hajia Maimuna Momodu said government has put measures in place to check child molestation and other vices.

On her part, the Director Social Mobilization, state Universal Basic Education Board, Mrs. Juliana Ogedengbe noted that it is the collective responsibility of all to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of girl child education.

Director, Child Education, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Enakhimion called for the establishment of a family court to handle issues arising from the family unit.

The theme of the event was, “Investing in the Girl Child –A Tool for National Development.”

OBSERVER Editor assures PCRC of publicity

By CLIFFORD AGBAJOR BENIN CITY-The Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), New Benin Division has been assured of necessary support, especially in the area of publicity in The OBSERVER titles The assurance was given in Benin City, yesterday by the Editor of The NIGERIAN OBSERVER, Barr. Solomon Imohiosen when members of PCRC, New Benin Division paid him a courtesy visit ahead of the Award/fund raising ceremony of the committee.

Barr. Imohiosen informed the visitors who were led by the Organising Secretary, PCRC, New Benin Division, Comrade Frank Ogun that Bendel Newspapers Company Limited (BNCL) was established in 1968 to disseminate information especially as it affects the then Midwest Region, Bendel State, now Edo State.

He noted that at the moment, The OBSERVER is a regional newspaper with a national outlook, just as he emphasized that the newspaper is available on

internet for people to read worldwide. The Editor appreciated them for the the confidence they have in The NIGERIAN OBSERVER and assured them of publicity as it affects the forth coming award /fund raising ceremony of the committee.

The Organising Secretary, PCRC, New Benin Division, Comrade Frank Ogun had said that the visit was aimed at soliciting the support of the publishing outfit in publicising its activities, especially the award /fund raising ceremony scheduled for June 21, 2014, at the New Benin Police Station, Federal Road, Opposite New Covenant Gospel Church, Benin City, at 10.00am.

He explained that the event would be used to accord due respect and recognition to some persons who have contributed to the advancement of New Benin Division in the area of security.

Comrade Ogun further explained that the ceremony would also feature fund raising for the building of PCRC Hall/Recreational centre for the New Benin Police Station.

By QUEENNET A OROBEDO BENIN CITY- Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG), government Prof.

Julius Ihonvbere has said that creating adequate platform to meaningfully engage and empower youths remained one major policy thrust of. the present administration.

Prof. Ihonvbere stated this yesterday at a session with a non governmental organisation: “Dream Alive Concept”.

The SSG who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in his office, Barr. Momodu Abu, said government realizes the place of youths in national growth and development, hence its

overwhelming support for meaningful initiative to engage them.

He commended the group for the success recorded in the earlier edition of the project.

The SSG also urged members of the organisation to remain committed to the cause and endear themselves to members of the public with integrity.

Spokesperson for the delegation, Mr. Simeon Uyi said the forum came to brief the SSG on the gains recorded in the earlier edition of the talent hunt for the entertainment industry and to solicit more assistence for the next event, which grand finale is scheduled for August.

Youth Empowerment, Major thrust of Oshiomhole adm - Ihonvbere

Inside Edo LAPO Screens 9,748 For Common Disease

BENIN CITY - The Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) screened 9,748 community members for common diseases in April 2014, while those with special health conditions were referred for treatment in government-approved health facilities.

General Manager, Sabina

ldowu-Osehobo who disclosed this at a monthly performance review, expressed worry that rural dwellers were vulnerable to diseases due to ignorance and unhealthy practices.

She recommended regular health screening for community members towards promoting early

detection and management of tropical diseases. Noting that LAPO is committed to improving the health conditions of women, IdowuOsehobo identified significant reduction in self medication and other forms of drug misuse among beneficiaries as part of achievements of the regular

health screening and awareness programme.

Also speaking, Health Manager, Obadiora Ayobami encouraged pregnant women to demand Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) of malaria twice during pregnancy and thrice in special cases as well as access free anti-malaria drugs and nets for themselves and their children at designated public health facilities.

Meanwhile, LAPO has commenced the implementation of HIV/ AIDS intervention programme aimed at

reducing the health, social and economic effects of sexually-transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, in Edo Central Senatorial District.

Health Manager, Obadiora Ayobami noted that USAID funded Strengthening integrated Delivery of HIV/ AIDS Services (SIDHAS) project is being executed in collaboration with the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH).

Strategies for the execution included capacity building, peer education, school and community-based prevention outreach for youths,

Voluntary Health Counselling and Testing (HCT) services and Community Home-Based Care (CHBC) for people living with HIV/AIDS. He said the multi-sectoral SIDHAS project involves the integration of medical and social services, including Prevention of Mother-toChild Transmission (PMTCT), Reproductive Health, care of Orphan and Vulnerable Children, HIV/ AIDS and high-risk prevention, care and support programmes and linkages with existing intervention platforms.

Vehicle Inspection: Transport Ministry

Withdraws Services Of Consultants

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (middle); Barr. Anselem Ojezua (left); SSS Director, Edo State, Bello Bakori during the parade of kidnap suspects in Benin City.

PHOTO: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE

Govt Fasttrack Access To Health She disclosed that “the state Aihanuwa paid an Care government had done a lot to unscheduled visit to the Stella BENIN CITY – Edo State government has militated measure for fast-tracking the process of patients receiving quick medical attention in all public health facility in the state.

Indications to this emerged when the state commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs.)

Obasanjo Hospital, Benin City.

According to her, a situation where patients, “have to wait for a long time to see Doctors and other Health care providers is unacceptable as every one is expected to be at their duty post on line.

BENIN CITY - Edo State Government has asked Local Government Chairmen to stop the illegal collection of monies in the name of revenue generation, warning that those who ignore the directive will be made to face the law.

A statement signed by Peter Okhiria, Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, quoted the state government as saying: “despite repeated warnings and meetings with Chairmen of Local Governments by the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the State Government is still being inundated with reports of unabated illegal collection of revenue by purported agents of the Local Governments in the state.

“Government seriously frowns at this continued illegal collection of monies

by Local Government

Chairmen and their functionaries from unsuspecting members of the public, an act, which has continued to cause the state serious embarrassments.

“The State Government therefore warns, again, that any Local Government Chairman or functionary who continues in this illegality in whatever guise or means will be arrested and handed over to the law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

“Members of the public are hereby encouraged to apprehend and hand over to the Police and other security agencies or the state government anybody found to be collecting illegal monies by whatever guise or means.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Local Government Chairmen shall be held responsible and liable for the illegal collection of monies by their functionaries or other agents in their Local

improve Health Care delivery to the people, nothing that health care providers and other staff of the hospital need to be more dedicated, disciplined and hardworking to complement the laudable efforts of Governor Oshiomhole in developing the state”.

BENIN CITY – Edo State Ministry of Transport has withdrawn the services of all the consultants attached to the Department of Vehicle Inspection Officers (V.I.O.) and are conducting the compulsory Physical Vehicle Inspection on all roads in the state with immediate effect.

“Henceforth, the Physical Vehicle Inspection and Testing required as a condition will be carried out

by the Vehicle Inspection (V.I.O) at Block D, Secretariat Building Extension, Sapele Road, Benin City”.

These are contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Transport, Edo State, Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo and made available to newsmen in Benin City, yesterday.

The statement emphasized that the state government

Benin Traditional Council (BTC) has invited all chiefs, Enigie, Igiohen, Okao, Edionwere as well

as men and women of 70 years and above to the palace of the Benin

BTC Invites Community Heads For Prayer Session BENIN CITY-The

Edo Warns LGs Over Illegal Levies Government.

“Whereas the Local Government functionaries or other agents will face prosecution, any Chairman of the affected Local Government shall also be held vicariously responsible.

“Also, the state government has noticed the illegal activities of some men in pink T-Shirts purportedly working for the Ministry of Transport as Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and hereby wishes to state unequivocally that they are impostors as they are neither employees of the state government, nor Vehicle Inspection Officers of the Ministry as they claim.

“Members of the public are therefore invited to be vigilant, resist, apprehend and hand over to the Police or other security agencies for prosecution, any of those men in pink T-Shirts who purport to be working for the

places premium value on lives and property in the state which the Ministry is committed to protect by ensuring that only road worthy vehicles ply roads in Edo State.

“Edo state government therefore seeks the cooperation and support of owners and drivers of vehicles to ensure safe motoring:, the statement concluded.

Ministry or the state government as vehicle Inspection Officers.

“We seek the cooperation of members of the public and

security agencies to restore sanity to our roads and highways in our shared commitment to take Edo State to the next level.”

Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Erediauwa for a prayer session for the well-being of Benin Kingdom and Edo state at large.

A statement by secretary to BTC, Frank Irabor indicated that the session would hold today, June 5, 2014at 11am.

L-R: Sunday Efairame, Joshua Igbinovia and Ebendi Ibrahim, suspects paraded by the SSS over the kidnap of three children in Benin City yesterday. PHOTO: CHARITY OZIGBOESERE

News NYSC 2014 Batch ‘C’ Orientation orientation.

Begins Nov 4 “There will be no need for

bequeath a sound regime of transparency and accountability in the petroleum industry, we call on the government to ensure policies in order to grow the oil and gas industry as well as ensuring continuous investments and innovations in the sector which are fundamental for the growth and sustenance of the industry”, the group said.

ABUJA- The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that the 2014 Batch ‘C’ orientation will hold from November 4 to November 25 2014.

This is contained in a statement issued by the NYSC Director, Press and Public Relation, Mrs Abosede Aderibigbe, in Abuja.

The statement advised prospective corps members, parents, guardians and the general public to take note of the date, saying the exercise was not cancelled.

It said the information was necessary because of speculations that the batch ‘C’ exercise had been cancelled.

“All our scheduled orientation courses remain as planned; and if it becomes necessary to make any changes, such will be communicated to all stakeholders through the appropriate channels.

“Prospective corps members and other stakeholders are advised to always seek confirmation of information relating to the scheme’s policy matters at the NYSC Directorate Headquarters, our State Secretariats nationwide.’’

It stated that information could also be obtained through the NYSC website www.nysc.gov.ng .

“Questions can also be sent through our email:

and property.

He said, “It is not only to electoral process, even to human existence and business activities.

I believe that we will be done with this in short time, specifically in a way that it will not impede the ability and desire of Nigerians to make a choice at the next election.

“Every election brings up the contest of idea and opportunity

to make the choice, either to keep the incumbent government or to elect another party to govern the country.

“And I do not think that it will be different in Nigeria next year”, he said.

While reiterating the need for human capital development in the country the governor affirmed that the most important resource any nation could have are its people.

According to him,” Our oil and

Stranded communters at Oshodi, Lagos State following a clash between Police and students of Lagos State University who protested over their school fees among other issues in Lagos State on Tuesday.

Anti Terrorism: N.Delta Youths

Commend Jonathan BENIN CITY: The Niger Delta Youth Coalition (NDYC) has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his current tough stance against terrorism and the Boko Haram Islamic insurgents insisting that there cannot be development in the country without peace.

The-group also commended the minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke and the Managing Director of the Petroleum Products and Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Haruna Momoh and officials of the industry for the promptness iwres4oilrig fuel supply across the country.

In a statement in Benin City, yesterday and signed by Mr. Solomon Edatanlen Coordinator, Niger Delta Youths Coalition (NDYC) and Comrade Mene Ogor, Secretary-General, the group appealed to Nigerians to support the president to defeat terrorism once and for at in the country.

We endorse all the steps taken so far by the federal government including seeking international assistance to combat the scourge of terrorism in our country. If previous governments had taken such steps in the past, the present security challenges would have long become a thing of the past”, it said.

On the restoration of normalcy in fuel supply throughout the country, the group also commended the Minister’s unambiguous directive to her aides to ensure that future scarcity of the product does not rear its ugly head again.

“As a woman of action and result-oriented public officer, we urge her to match her words with action by ensuring that all saboteurs in the system are fished out and dealt with. We are

convinced that it was an artificial scarcity deliberately created to discredit the PPMC, the Hon. Minister of petroleum resources and the federal government especially as this is an election year.”

“While we salute the steadfastness of the Jonathan led administration in striving to

info@nysc.gov.ng.’’

The scheme also said that all prospective corps members could register online and also print their call-up letters online starting with the 2014 batch ‘C’

Uduaghan Commissions facilities put in place because the Hospital government has taken measures

BY BETTY IDIALU, WARRIDelta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has said his administration has put in place, deliberate policies and programmes to ensure that projects and modern health facilities provided by his administration are sustained and in good condition.

The Governor gave the assurance at the commissioning of the comprehensive renovation of all the old structures and provision of ultra-modern accident and emergency complex as well as a modern mortuary of Eku Baptist Government Hospital, Eku, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, successive administration in the State will not dump or neglect the health institutions and the ultra-modern

APC Presidential Aspirants ’ll Be Given Fair Chance - Fashola RAHEEM IBRAHIM, LAGOS- The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has doused the tension on the speculations about who flies the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress ( APC) in the 2015 general elections, saying all aspirants will be given fair chance to contest the position.

Playing host to visiting students of Royal College of Defence Studies in United Kingdom led by Rear Admiral Jonas Haggren who were on a courtesy visit, Fashola said, “There is nothing unusual in the emergence of the presidential candidate for APC. It will be an open activity and high level of accountability”.

He added, “I believe everyone who has aspiration will be given fair chance to express and ventilate that aspiration; subject to the rule of politics that we are all aware of.

“That is, votes, persuasion, lobbying and others; nothing unusual will happen; there will not be anything behind the closet”.

Harping on the current insecurity in the country, Fashola noted that it is a threat to national life, expressing optimism that the country will soon overcome the problem of insecurity of lives

them to travel to their respective schools to collect call-up letters before reporting at the orientation camp.

“Operational details of this will be made known soon,’’ the statement explained.

gas as resources today are only a seasonal resources. And until the late 50s, no one was talking about the oil.

“We were all concerned about Agriculture and Agro-products.

It is important to pay attention to the strategic resource that provides the sizeable portion of our income and revenue to date.

“I think that we should pay attention to the people in the way that they utilize the resources and that will be the bases for real diversification.

Landslide on the only road linking Illah and Ebu in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State on Tuesday.

to guarantee their sustenance in the future.

“Let me assure the management of the Eku Baptist Government Hospital and the Eku community that government will sign a five year contract with a company to ensure that the equipment and facilities at the hospital remain in good condition”, he stated.

He said the hospital has a history, patronized by people from different parts of the country, adding that, the reconstruction and its comprehensive re-equipping came as a result of the Nigeria Baptist Convention and the Eku community’s call on government to take over the hospital.

Dr Uduaghan disclosed that the hospital was to be made the Delta State Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), but such had to be stopped because of complaint from some individuals in the community.

According to him, DELSUTH had to be moved to Oghara when it became impossible to make the Eku Baptist Government Hospital a teaching hospital.

Earlier, Dr Odunvbun had said the Dr Uduaghan’s led administration ensured “comprehensive renovation of all the old structures and provided ultra-modern accident and emergency complex and a modern mortuary,” adding, “the hospital boasts of 16 slice CT scan, ultra-modern dental unit and laboratory equipment.”

“Eku Baptist Government Hospital has 150 bed spaces, comprising of maternity ward.

Male and female wards, pediatrics and private wards, additional 20 bed space in the new accident and emergency complex,” the Medical Doctor said.

Furthermore, he said: “this transformed secondary health care facility with the assistance of the state government, recently, secured five years full accreditation for Family Medicine Training from both the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) and the West African College of Physician (WACP).”

The Eku Community in an address read by Prof. Uvie Igun said: “This five hospital, which is very dear to every Eku descendant, was very sick and near death, we cried to you (Dr Uduaghan) and you answered our cry and came to the rescue of the hospital.”

News Bus Drivers Charged With Burglary, and 409 of the Criminal IKEJA - Two bus drivers Theft Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Happy Johnson and

Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa (left), signing visitors register during his condolence visit to the Palace of Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa (right) over Sunday Bomb Blast in the town.

Andrew Adudu were charged before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court over alleged theft of jewellery and other valuables worth N860, 000.

Both Johnson, 23, and Adudu, 26, who live in at Agege area of Lagos, are standing trial on a twocount charge of conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecutor, Insp.

Edet Okoi, told the court that the accused with others still at large committed the offences on May 14 at 6.20 p.m. at Agege Park, OjoduBerger, Lagos.

Okoi said the accused

Arms Influx

Police Adopt New Measures SOKOTO - The Nigeria Police Force in zone 10, has adopted new security measures to prevent the influx of arms into the country through its area of jurisdiction, Mr. Bala Hassan, the police chief in the area, has said.

Hassan, an Assistant InspectorGeneral (AIG), told newsmen in Sokoto that the measures would make it impossible for illegal arms importation and other forms of criminality to be carried out in the zone.

The AIG said that competent officers had been deployed to border communities in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states to apprehend any person or group of people engaged in the act.

“Three commissioners of police in the zone have been fully briefed on various security strategies to be adopted in preventing the illegal business and other forms of criminality.

“Sufficient manpower have also been deployed to Tangaza , Gudu, Illela, Isa, Sabon-Birni and Gwadabawa local government areas of Sokoto state, as well as Kamba, Kangiwa in Kebbi and Shinkafi in Zamfara.

“We are putting all the security measures in place to prevent criminality in our areas of supervision.”

Hassan explained that the police had engaged community leaders in border areas to support the effort by providing relevant intelligence reports on the movement of dubious characters.

The police chief also said that the community leaders had been mobilised to sensitise their people on the need to cooperate with security agents posted to their locality.

“We will continue to work hand- in-hand with other security agencies posted to border areas to ensure that no arms are imported into the country through our areas of supervision.”

Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa (left), during his visit to victims of last Sunday’s Mubi Bomb Blast at Mubi General Hospital recently.

stole mobile phones valued at N210, 000, jewellery valued at N400, 000, and N250, 000, property of Mrs Oluwapelumi Adewuyi.

“The duo had broken into the apartment of Adewuyi to commit the offences.

“They were almost lynched by a mob before they were rescued by some policemen,” he said.

The offences, Okoi noted, contravened Sections 285

Reports state that the accused may be sentenced to three years imprisonment each on conviction.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

The Magistrate, Mrs Margaret Dan-Oni, granted each of the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties each in like sum.

The case was adjourned to June 23 for mention.

NSCDC Forests Under Surveillance

Insurgency:

IBADAN – Mr. Adebayo Ayeni, the Oyo State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), says forests in the state have been placed under surveillance to check insurgency.

The commandant said this in Ibadan in an interview with newsmen.

Ayeni said surveillance was a proactive measure to stop insurgents from using the forests as base in the state.

“We are monitoring all reserves and forests in the state because we have noticed that these are some areas insurgents love to first converge.

“They usually use the forests to plan and from

there perpetrate their evil activities,” he said.

Ayeni also stated that with the numerous police checkpoints, intelligence gathered had suggested that insurgents prefer forests as alternative routes for infiltration.

“We are aware of this trend and we have, therefore, placed officers to monitor these places,” the commandant said.

He, however, urged members of the public to inform security agencies of any suspicious movement of persons around them.

“Security is a duty for all and with the cooperation of the people, we can prevent insurgents from penetrating the state and also eliminate it in the country,” he said.

UNILORIN VC Seeks Security Training

ILORIN - Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, the ViceChancellor of the University of Ilorin, has called for sustained training of security personnel to boost surveillance in universities.

He made the call in Ilorin while declaring open a workshop for the university’s security personnel organised by the Centre for Research, Development and InHouse Training.

Ambali pointed out that capacity building through training and retraining was vital to the attainment of the institution’s goals and objectives.

“The situation is giving

rise to more conflicts that need to be managed and which make training and retraining an important part of modern administration,” he said.

Earlier, the Director of the centre, Prof. Temidayo

Oladiji, said the workshop was organised in batches to ensure all security personnel of the university were trained.

Oladiji, who said the training programme would be continuous, added that the university was committed to training and

re-training of all cadres of staff.

He also commended the university’s security personnel for their keen interest in the training programmes.

NOA Charges Nigerians On Peaceful Co-Existence KADUNA - The National Orientation Agency (NOA)

has called on Nigerians to partner with government at all level to ensure sustainable peace.

The Director Administration and Human Resource of the Agency, Mr Solomon Ado made the call in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna.

He said NOA has embarked on advocacy to mobilise Nigerians to partner with government to enhance

peaceful coexistence within communities across the country.

Ado charged Nigerians to play their own part to ensure that peace reign supreme in the country.

“Nigeria love peace and will do whatever necessary to ensure that her people live in peaceful atmosphere.

“Government is also employing a lot of measures in ensuring that the youthful populations of Nigeria are

productively engaged.

“Government has continued to create jobs in various ways like the Sure-P and the NDE programmes; state governments are also creating jobs to ensure that youths are fully engaged.”

Ado said that the skill acquisition programmes initiated by government are for the youths to learn skills that will make them self reliant and employers of labour.

According to him, the high level of employment in the country is due to over reliance on government to produce job alone.

The director said the country has reached a stage where the private sector must play pivotal role in moving the economy including job creation.

“So, Nigerians should know that we must continue to think as entrepreneurs, that we also can create jobs and be employers of labour.”

News Murder

Forgery

Court Remands Ex-NURTW Chief

2 Men Docked SANGO-OTA (Ogun) - Two men, Auduh Pius, 32, and Emmanuel Ujah, 36; were arraigned in an Ota Magistrates’ Court for alleged forgery of army documents.

The two accused, of no fixed addresses, were arraigned on a three count- charge of forgery, conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Mustapha Abdulkareem, alleged that the accused and others at large committed the offence on May 7 at about 2.

00 p.m. at Ade block Industry at Oke-Odo Ilepa, Ifo, in Ota. He said the accused and others at large forged a military fund-raising appeal form and unlawfully obtained N3, 000 from three persons.

Abdulkareem also alleged that the accused had in their possession two Nigerian Army Cadet Corps Identity cards and two wallets which were in army colour.

He said that the offence contravened sections 109, 428 (d), 467 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun State, 2006.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mrs. A.O. Abimbola, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 each with two sureties.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Goni Aji (3rd left) and other delegates at the 42nd Annual Conference of the Civil Service Commission in Sokoto recently.

Burglary: OSOGBO - An Osogbo Magistrate’s Court has ordered remand of 35-yearold Ismail Olomola after he pleaded guilty to housebreaking and theft of decoder and clothes.

Magistrate Habbibat Basiru ordered that the accused be remanded in Ilesha prison until the next adjourned date when the prosecution is expected to presents facts and

Osun Guber Poll:

OSOGBO - The National Conscience Party (NCP) in Osun has conducted a primary election to elect its flag-bearer for the August 9 governorship election in the state.

The party’s sole aspirant, Mr. Lanre Afolayanka, was elected in Osogbo through voice vote by delegates.

In his acceptance speech, Afolayanka promised to diligently pursue the 10-point programme of the party.

“The vision of our party as stated in its motto is abolition of poverty.

“I want to assure you that if voted into power, I will not deviate from our vision of

Man, 35, Remanded

evidences on the matter.

Taju Waheed, 30, who was arraigned alongside Olomola and charged with receiving stolen goods, pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.

Barisu granted him bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

She said one of the sureties must be a civil servant and that both sureties must be

resident within the court’s jurisdiction.

She added that they should swear to affidavit of means, and deposit three years’ tax certificate and two clear passport photographs with the court.

The prosecutor, Insp Isiaka Ajadi, told the court earlier that at about 10a.m. on January 23, the first accused broke into Oluwatoyin

NCP Picks Afolayanka As Flagbearer

creation of employment, food security, health care, education, housing among others,” he said. folayanka, however, urged voters to vote en mass for the party during the election.

Earlier, the party’s South-West National Vice-Chairman, Mr. Waheed Lawal, said the party had signified its interest to contest the governorship election.

Lawal, who noted that three aspirants obtained the nomination form, said it was only one that was submitted at the closing date.

He also said the party would engage in a rigorous campaign

to ensure its candidate’s victory at the poll.

Also speaking, the National Chairman of the party, Dr Yinusa Tanko, said the party would contest the election to win within its limited resources and ability.

Represented by the National Secretary of the party, Mr. Ayodele Akele, Tanko said the party’s candidate would not step down.

“In furtherance of our vision and objectives, we are not stepping down, but we will rather contest the election vigorously,” he said.

Tanko, however, urged the

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide a level playing ground for all the political parties during the election.

In his speech, Mr. Gideon Fasorepo, the state‘s chairman of the party, said political offices should be accessible to all Nigerians.

Fasorepo said it was in this regard that the party made its nomination forms available to aspirants free-of-charge.

Reports state that INEC had fixed Aug. 9 for the governorship election in the state.

Chairperson, Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRAI), Mrs. Ifeoma Ezeokoli (5th right), Rector, Federal Polytechnic Oko, Prof. Godwin Onu (6th right), with other Executive members after a re-conciliatory meeting at the Polytechnic recently.

Oladunmoye’s house at Ile Idanbe area of Osogbo.

Ajadi said he stole two Startimes decoders with a remote control, 12 yards of Ankara cloth and some children’ clothes all valued at N33,100.

The prosecutor said Waheed received the stolen items from the first accused on the same day, with the full knowledge and understanding that he stole them.

He said the offence committed by the first accused contravened sections 411(1) (2) and 390(9) while that of the second accused contravened Section 427 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.11 Laws of Osun, 2003.

Mr Abimbola Ige, counsel to the second accused, applied for his bail after he pleaded not guilty to the charge against him, and the case was adjourned to June 16.

IBADAN - An Ibadan Senior Magistrates’ Court sitting at Iyaganku has ordered the remand of a former chieftain of the Oyo State National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi.

The accused, popularly known as ‘‘Auxilliary,” was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

Senior Magistrate Kehinde Omotosho, who ordered the remand of the accused in Agodi prison, did not take his plea through his counsel, Mr Olumuyiwa Makinde.

She directed the prosecutor, Insp Sunday Falola, to forward duplicate copies of the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to obtain legal advice.

Earlier, Falola had alleged that the accused conspired with others still at large to commit murder.

Falola said the accused and others at large caused the death of one Adekunle Oladipupo by shooting him with a gun.

The offence, the prosecutor said, was committed on March 2 at about 10.10 a.m. at Mustard Filling Station on Iwo road, Ibadan.

Falola said the offences contravened sections 319 and 324 of the Criminal code, Cap. 38, Vol 11, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The case was adjourned till June 18.

Desertion 8-Yr-Old Marriage Dissolved ADO-EKITI - An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court has dissolved the eight-year-old marriage between one Azeez Shedu and his wife, Peace.

The marriage was dissolved on grounds of Shedu’s desertion and lack of proper care of his family.

Peace, 33, told the court that her husband had abandoned the family in the last four years after moving into another apartment with a new wife.

The mother of two said she had to move into her brother’s house when their landlord asked them to pack out of the house.

The petitioner, however,prayed the court to award the custody of the children to her because they were females.

But Shedu, 36, denied the allegations, saying he often

made adequate provision for the family in terms of foodstuff and money.

The defendant, however, said he rented another apartment when he could no longer cope with the provocative utterances of his wife.

The court’s president, Mr. Joseph Ogunsemi, in his judgment held that the relationship had broken down irretrievably and consequently dissolved the marriage.

Ogunsemi gave custody of the two children to Peace and ordered that Shedu should be responsible for their education.

He also ordered that the husband should be paying N4,000 as monthly allowance for the upkeep of each child.

The judge,however, granted him access to the childre

Robbery 2 Men Arraigned LAGOS - Two men Awalu Abdullahi and Emmanuel Roland who allegedly robbed a woman of some personal effect valued at N90,000 at knifepoint, were charged before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

Abdullahi, 23, and Roland, 19, are being tried for conspiracy, stealing and being armed with a dangerous weapon.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Daniel Ighodalo, told the court that the accused committed the offences on May 29 at about 1.15 a.m. at Tuton Street, by Lafiaji Town Hall, Obalende on Lagos Island.

According to him, the men attacked a woman, Olayemi Olabiyi, on her way to church brandishing a dagger in a bid to harm her.

Ighodalo said the accused

robbed Olabiyi of her iPad and cash, valued at N90, 000.

“She, however, raised an alarm which attracted some people, who helped to apprehend them.”

Ighodalo said the offences contravened Sections 51, 363 (1) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Olaitan Ajayi, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000 each with one surety each in like sum.

The case was adjourned to June 6 for hearing.

Lagos

L-R: Head of Unit, Co-Curriculum, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Olakunle Maigeri, Head, Public Education and Enlightenment Department, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Adeolu Joan and Director of Education, LASTMA, Mrs. Essole Agbolahir, at the Final of Road friendly users games organised by LASTMA for students in Lagos recently.

Fraud: Estate Agent Arraigned

IKEJA - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a fresh 73-count charge against an estate agent, Ishola Salawudeen, accused of defrauding 120 prospective tenants of

about N28 million.

Salawudeen was charged alongside one Babatunde Habeeb, who was said to be an accomplice, before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court.

Reports say that the court fixed June 20 for their arraignment.

The 43-year-old accused was previously on March 5 remanded in Ikoyi Prison

by Justice Lateef LawalAkapo, also of an Ikeja

Road Users Call For Pedestrian Bridge LAGOS - Road users have appealed to the Lagos State Government to construct a pedestrian bridge at the everbusy Ojodu Berger junction in Ojodu, Lagos, to save lives.

The road users, in separate interviews with newsmen,” said the pedestrian bridge would also ensure a free flow of traffic.

A business woman, Mrs. Eunice Omotosho, told newsmen that several accidents could be averted if there was a pedestrian bridge in the area.

Omotosho said she had witnessed three accidents which claimed the lives of the victims on the highway.

According to her, crossing this road is risky for pedestrians.

Another woman, Mrs. Uju Ezeobika, told newsmen that several communities were now in the area and a foot bridge was needed there.

“Government has to do something because new communities are coming up daily.

“For example, people going to Akute, Lambe, Ojodu,

Ajuwon, to mention but a few, must cross this road when coming from Ketu,’’ she said.

A motorist, Dr. Ola Ajayi, said that a pedestrian bridge on the highway was long overdue.

He commended the Lagos State Government for efforts in road construction and rehabilitation of roads, but said this must be extended to pedestrian bridges.

A pupil of Pupils Heights Primary School, Ojodu, Master Olayinka Michael, also called for a pedestrian bridge.

“The school children need an overhead bridge here to avoid accidents,” he said.

A teacher, Mr. Mary Odu, told newsmen that some street urchins took advantage of large number of people crossing the road to rob pedestrians.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, had earlier told newsmen that the ministry was working on how to solve the problem.

“We are working with the Ministry of Transport on a design for the bridge,” he had said.

An official of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Olawuyi Oladeji (right), talking to students participating at the Road friendly users games final organised

by LASTMA for students in Lagos recently.

High Court.

He had been charged before the judge with defrauding one Mr. Attah Ocholi of N320,000 under the pretext of helping him secure a two-bedroom apartment.

In the new charge signed by Mr Ben Ubi on behalf of the EFCC, Salawudeen and Habeeb were accused of obtaining various sums from accommodation seekers.

The EFCC said the defendants committed the offences between May and December 2013 in Lagos.

According to the commission, the defendants

obtained the money from the complainants under the guise of securing accommodation for them at No. 59, Oriola Street., Alapere, Ketu, a Lagos suburb.

Those listed as complainants in the charge include Vincent Anthony, Adebunmi Damola, Rilwan Lawal and Azeez Ogundiran.

The EFCC said the offences of the defendants contravene Sections 1(1) and 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.

Drug Trafficking

Physically Challenged LAGOS - A Federal High Jailed Court in Lagos has sentenced a 32-year-old deaf and dumb, Aliu Sanni, to three years imprisonment for trafficking in cocaine.

Sanni, who was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on May 19, had pleaded guilty to dealing on 17.8kg of banned drug.

Justice Mohammed Idris had ordered the remand of the man at the Ikoyi Prisons, and adjourned the case for review of the facts and sentencing.

In his judgment, Idris held that the sentence should take effect from March 26, when convict was arrest.

“The convict was completely aware of his

commercial activities in the restricted drug; so he must be punished.

“The sentence of the convict shall serve as a warning signal to other drug traffickers,” he said.

Reports state that earlier, the Prosecutor, Mr. Kalu Orji, told the court that the convict was arrested at the Young Shall Grow Motor Park at Iddo, Lagos.

According to Orji, the cocaine was recovered from the accused, who intended to export it.

He said that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Across The Nation

6 Female Cleric For Edo Personality Almanac

Wife of Edo State Deputy Governor, Deaconess Endurance Odubu, addressing participants at an advocacy meeting with students during the Girl Child Right rally at Imaguero Girls Grammar School, Ben in City. PHOTO: MOSES OBOH.

BENIN CITY-To mark the 20 th anniversary of the prestigious Edo/ Delta personality almanac published yearly by the Benin based image making outfit, six women religious ministers have been selected and screened to appear in the 2015 personality almanac.

Disclosing this to newsmen in Benin City yesterday, the Publisher and Chief Executive officer, Image

Maker organization Oguefi Steve Onwneme stated that the Prof. Adeyemi Johnson led screening and selection committee, after a thorough screening exercise came up with the names of the ministers whose ministry she said touched lives in Edo State and beyond.

According to the committee, Achbishop Margret Benson Idahosa and Most Snr. Apst. Mrs. Grace

APC Charges Party Faithful To Be Steadfast BUKPAJA (UBIAJA)-A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Mr. Festus Edughele has urged party faithful and supporters in the state, particularly in Esan South east Local Government

towards ensuring that the party remains successful in the 2015 General Elections.

The APC Chieftain who is also the General Manager of the Edo state Rapid Response Agency stated that APC remains a party to beat in the state, notably in Esan SouthEast Local Government Area as it has always been successful in various elections.

He enjoined the party members and supporters to remain committed to the party’s ideologies and principles as it is are meant for the well-being of electorate.

On the recent defection of

BENIN CITY- Succour came to the inmates of Oronsaye Orphanage Benin City when representatives of Edo Community, Limerick Chapter, Ireland, presented gifts to the management of the home.

Presenting the gift on behalf of Barr. Efeosa lgbinedion, President, Edo Community, Limerick Chapter, Ireland, Mr. Monday Omorodion remarked that members of the Chapter were touched about the plight of the inmates.

Mr. Omorodion assured the inmates that the chapter has concluded arrangement to award scholarship to some of the brilliant children in the home to enable them achieve their educational desire.

To this end, Mr. Omorodion revealed that the chapter will be organizing Educational competition amongst the children in the home, in order to select the intelligent ones that would be awarded scholarship.

While assuring the children of more assistance from the chapter, Mr. Omorodion said the purpose of the visit was to assess

Mr. Monday Omorodion (right) who made donations to Oronsaye Orphanage, Benin City on behalf of Edo Community, Limerick chapter, Ireland. With him are the proprietress of Oronsaye Orphanage, Mrs. Kate Oronsaye and inmates.

some APC members to the opposition party, Mr. Edughele noted that their defection has no effect on the party, as the party has remain strong and focus towards delivering dividends of democracy to the people.

He congratulated the Barr.

Anselm Ojezua’s led APC state Exco which he noted would further add value to the party in the state and therefore urged party faithful to support the APC state executive.

All party faithful who spoke at the event pledged their loyalty to the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led administration, noting that APC in Esan South-East Local Government Area is resolute and determined to ensure victory at all times.

They expressed appreciation to Edughele for conveying the meeting, describing him as a man of the people who has contributed immensely to the growth of APC in the locality.

They commended Edughele leadership style which they said ensured that the people of Ukpaja community have access to portable water.

According to them he has single handedly financed the functioning of the borehole through the purchase of diesel for the power generating plant.

BENIN CITY- As part of efforts to stop illegal collection of levies and inflation of rates, the Edo Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Lucky James has called on the Chairman of Egor, Oredo and lkpobaOkha Local Government Areas to streamline the revenue collections in their

respective councils as reports reaching him of the councils’ illegal collection, exorbitant rates and extremely high levies have become too rampant.

At a meeting with the chairmen, Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGA) and Treasurers of the three local government councils, inspite of intention

to develop their areas, the local government do not have the authority to collect what rightfully belongs to the state government and cannot also over burden the traders in their locality.

Chief James emphasized that rates are determined by the legislative arm of government in conjunction with stakeholders, hence,

contractors designated to work in their terrains, they (chairmen) would be able to monitor, control and regulate their operation.

He called on the state’s transport Ministry to always intimate the council chairmen of their activities within each council.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Oredo Local

Area to remain steadfast and committed in the task of sustaining the pace of development of all sectors of the state economy.

Edughele gave the charge at Ukpaja, Ubiaja in Esan South-

East Local Government Area of the state while addressing thousands of party faithful at an enlarged meeting of party members.

The meeting was conveyed to brainstorm on modalities for moving the party forward

Edo Community In Diaspora Donate To the condition of the inmates., Orphanage enablement to fulfill their with a view to alleviating their suffering.

Receiving the items, Mrs. Kate Oronsaye, Proprietress of the Orphanage commended members of Edo Community, Limerick chapter, Ireland for their kind gesture and prayed God to provide them the

promises.

Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of food items and materials, including Bags of Rice, Beans, Cartons of Indomie, Cartons of Biscuit, Palm Oil, Soap and Toiletries to the orphanage

Osasuyi top the list.

Others are, Evang. Margret Agbonifo of Family Intercessory Prayer Ministry; Pastor Mrs. Oby Okeke, and Apostle Eunice Gordon Osagiede of Spirit and Life.

On the qualities of the screened personalities, Ogbuefi Onwueme explained that the personalities concerned have been found to be worthy in character, and integrity and have immensely imparted on the community.

Meanwhile, in a bid to support all positive efforts so far made by well meaning individuals, corporate religious organisation to implore the Boko Haram insurgents to release the over 200 Chibok school girls abducted on April 15, the Spiritual leader of the Christ Chosen Church Int., Most Snr. Apostle Joshua Osasuyi is set to hold a prayer session on Saturday June 7, 2014 to seek the face of God.

Chief Aghom Buried THE death has occurred of Chief Michael Aghom of Oligie (Igbanke) at the age of 76 years.

Until his death, he was a community leader. He is survived by seven children, many grand and great grand children and other relations.

According to a statement by his eldest son, Evangelist Kingsley Aghom, late Chief Michael Aghom has since been buried.

Commissioner Urges LG Bosses To Streamline Revenue indiscriminate fixing by consultants and contractors without passing through due process must cease.

Responding, the Chairman of Egor Local Government Area, Hon. Victor Enobakhare said the ability to implement laws make the people know about existing laws. He said that if the chairmen are made to know the agents, committees and

Chief Michael Aghon, the Olotu of Oligie community (Igbanke) in Orhionmwon LGA, Edo State.

Abuja Buratai Community

Troops Repel Ambush ABUJA - The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that a military patrol team successfully repelled an ambush by insurgents in Buratai community in Biu Local Government Area of Borno.

A statement signed by Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, said that the troops fell into an ambush laid by terrorists while on patrol.

It said that the troops engaged the terrorists in a gun-battle, killing four of them and capturing one.

“Also in Kawuri in Borno, troops on patrol killed five terrorists in a shootout. The troops also

captured two AK-47 rifles and two vehicles used by the terrorists,’’ the statement said.

The statement also narrated how the prime suspect of Sunday’s bomb blast in Kabang community in Mubi, Adamawa, was nabbed.

It said that observant members of the public confirmed sighting the suspect as he alighted from the vehicle used in conveying the explosive device that was detonated shortly before the explosion.

It would be recalled that 18 persons were confirmed dead, while 19 others sustained injuries in the blast.

L-R: Co-Convener, Say No Campaign, Mr. Samson Itodo, Director, Centre for Democracy and Development, Idayat Hassan and Mr. Paul Nasiru, Widower of Mariam, who died during Nigerian Immigration Service R e c r u i t m e n t Stampede, at a news conference by a Coalition of NonGovernmental Organisations in Abuja recently.

Woman, 25, Seeks ABUJA - A mother of Divorce two, Maryam Abu, 25, begged a Grade 1 Area Court in Gudu, Abuja, to dissolve her three-year-old marriage to her husband, Idris Abu, over alleged irresponsibility.

In a petition to the court, the woman prayed for immediate dissolution of the marriage over her husband’s alleged failure to take care of his family.

Maryam alleged that her husband no longer bothered about the day-today upkeep of his family, including the children’s welfare and their education.

She also accused her husband of constant battery, adding that he sometimes beat her to stupor.

Abu, however, denied the allegations, saying that his wife was indiscipline and often rude to him.

The judge, Malam Imam Isa, after hearing from both parties, adjourned the case till June 13 for judgment.

Accident at Gwako on Abuja Lokoja Road in Abuja recently.

UNESCO Wants Nigeria’s History In School Curriculum

ABUJA - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is advocating integration of Nigeria’s history into the country’s school curriculum.

Mr. Roland Keyanja, the UNESCO’s Advisor for Communication and Information, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Keyanja said that Nigeria’s co-operation with UNESCO over the years toward preserving and documenting

African civilisation prompted the advocacy.

“About our relationships in writing the history of Africa and Nigeria in particular, we have no other way of writing it apart from integrating the history in school curriculum.

“We also have another project which focused on the slave root in Africa.

“This is another project that will enable the next

At the mention of the case, Mr. Mahmud Magaji (SAN) announced appearance for Malabu, but another lawyer, Dr Reuben Atabo, also announced appearance.

Mahmoud, therefore, made an oral application for the adjournment of the matter to enable both counsel laying claim to the legal representation of the plaintiff to sort themselves out.

ABUJA - The Association of Movie Producers in Nigeria (AMP) said that the Federal Government’s N 200 billion Nollywood intervention fund had boosted movie production.

Mr. Zik Zulu, the President of the association, said this, in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

He said the fund was enhancing the capacity of the

for training. About 28 of them have been to America for their training and they are back.

Producers are planning to go now, actors are also planning.

“But the film fund which is for film-making, that one is for capacity building; that is what the directors went for and

generation to have access to their history.

“The idea behind this is to put the histories in writing and sending to schools starting from the elementary to the university levels, but this can only be achieved through the support of the Federal Government,’’ he said.

Keyanja said that since the history of the African countries was distorted

through the advent of colonialism, there was the need to resuscitate it in the interest of the next generation.

He said that the drive prompted the documentation of African histories in nine volumes which had since been published by UNESCO. “We understand the African history was distorted through colonialism.

“This means that

“We are seeking the indulgence of the court for an adjournment to enable us sort out issues relating to appearance for the plaintiff,’’ he said.

Atabo and the defendant’s

counsel did not object to Mahmoud’s application for adjournment.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, therefore, adjourned the case until July 8, for hearing.

Malabu Vs Reps: Appearance Of 2 Counsels Stalls Proceedings ABUJA - The appearance of two different counsel for Malabu Oil and Gas in an Abuja Federal High Court stalled proceedings in the suit it filed against the House of Representatives.

The company sued the House of Representatives over the lower chambers’ alleged interference in Malabu Oil and Gas ownership tussle.

Also joined as defendants are Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa; Rep. Leo Ogor, Chairman Adhoc committee investigating Malabu Oil and the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation.

Nollywood Intervention Fund Boosts Movie various stakeholders in movie production.

Production - Association “Directors have already gone producers are trying to go now. “ But the one for film production which is about N10 billion, we are going through the process, and those that will eventually qualify will get the grant,’’.

He said the University of Colorado in America had admitted the film directors who

were trained in modern technique in film directing.

The president said the final process of admitting the next batch of Nigerian movie producers at the University of California and Georgia State University was on.

However, he expressed worry

colonialism brings a lot of negative influence into the African history.

“On our part, we have tried to publish the history of Africa in nine volumes for our children to know our history in the best format,’’ Keyanja said.

He said that meetings with the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) had been concluded to integrate the cultures of member- states in their school curriculum.

He said that integration of Nigeria’s history into its school curriculum would begin as soon as possible.

“Nigeria is one of the countries which push for the sustenance and documentation of their cultures; the process is now less in our hands than in the hands of the Federal Government.

“Nigeria is not like Ghana, Togo or Liberia. Nigeria is like 10 African countries, and you can imagine how cumbersome it will be.

“Changing the process in Nigeria is a bit complex and must take time, but the assurance is that it will soon kick-off,’’ he said.

Business + Economy Economic Stability

Financial Expert Tasks New CBN Governor

L-R: Representative of the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Capt.

Bala Agaba, Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Calistus Obi, Director, Maritime Labour Service, Mrs. Juliana Guuwa and European Director, Global Maritime Systems, Capt.George Bull, at the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 Inspectors in Lagos recently.

LAGOS - Some financial experts urged the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to work out strategies, aimed at promoting lending to the real sector.

Some of the financial experts told newsmen in Lagos that the new CBN governor should pursue and consolidate friendly policies that would create employment and stablise the economy.

Dr David Ogogo, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Capital Market Registrars, said that Emefiele should be careful in accepting subsisting policies.

NSE Appreciates By 0.07 Percent

LAGOS - Transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) opened on Monday on a positive trend as major equities recorded increases in their prices.

Reports say that the All-Share Index appreciated by 27.59 points or 0.07 per cent to close at 41,502, from the 41,474.40 achieved on Friday.

An analysis of the price movement chart showed that Forte Oil led the gainers’ chart

by N21.91, to close at N235.79 per share.

Nestle improved by N16.99 to close at N1, 089.99, while Seplat, which was listed on April 14, gained N12.05 to close at N671 per share.

Nigerian Breweries rose by N4.91 to close at N181, while Total Oil chalked up N1.96 to close at N168.01 per share.

Consequently, the market capitalisation, which opened at N13.69 trillion, increased by N9 billion to close at N13.70 trillion.

Conversely, Dangote Cement topped the losers’ chart by N5.50 to close at N229.50 per share.

Guinness followed with a loss of N4.99 to close at N175, while MRS declined by N2.57 to close at N29.30 per share.

GTBank lost 62k to close at N29.30, while Zenith Bank gained 39k to close at N25.01 per share.

The financial services sector remained the investor’s delight as Access Bank emerged the most sought equity, accounting for 651.56 million shares, worth N65.123 million.

FBN Holdings came second on the activity chart with 994.16 million shares valued at N62.29 million, while ETI traded 646.19 million shares worth N35.79 million.

GTBank sold 947.64 million shares worth N32.38 million, while Zenith Bank traded 652.06 million shares valued at N25.79 million.

In all, investors staked N11.54 billion on 418.49 million shares transacted in 6,063 deals, representing an increase of 37.66 per cent.

People engaged under the Kwara Government’s Quickwin Empowerment and Employment Scheme waiting to collect their employment letters at Irepodun Local Government Secretariat in Omu-Aran, Kwara recently.

Customs Generate N28b

LAGOS - The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it generated N28.1 billion in May. The command’s Area Comptroller, Mr. Charles Edike, said in a statement on Monday in Lagos the revenue was N1.2 billion lower than the N29.3 billion generated in April.

The statement said that the income was generated through levies collected on import duties, port, wheat flour, wheat grain, iron and cement.

It, however, said that Mr. Emmanuel Ekpa, the command’s Spokesman ascribed the decrease to some revenue generated in later part of May, which had yet to reflect as at the time of this report.

It quoted Ekpa as saying that such carryover would reflect in the June revenue generation of the command.

The statement said the

monthly report had to be done because it was mandatory for the command to do so.

“The declaration of goods came in May but the revenue it generated had not been

released as at the end of May. “Also, the two public holidays of May 1 and May 29 also affected the revenue,” it said.

Government of Plateau have called for the assistance of the government over the outbreak of a fungal disease ravaging their potato farms.

Mr. Dawel Mangwin, spokesman for the farmers told newsmen in Bokkos that the disease affected more than 500 hectares of potato farm lands in the council alone.

Magwin, who said that most of them (farmers) had invested heavily on their farms, described the destruction as “very massive and frightening”.

According to him, there are five communities affected but the worst hit were Mbar and

Mangar communities where most of the crops had dried up.

“We are in dire need of government’s help and that of well-meaning individuals to come to our aid, if not, we shall be hit by hunger this year.

“The pesticide with which we can treat the crops is so expensive that some of us cannot afford it.

“And if the government does not come to our aid, we shall have nothing to harvest this farming season,” Magwin said.

He, however, blamed the blight on the kind of species farmers planted this season and expressed the hope that the Ministry of Agriculture would

The statement said the target of the command was to reach N30 billion monthly, adding that its officers would endeavour to surpass the target.

Farmers Cry Out Over Potato Blight BOKKOS (PLATEAU) Disease take the necessary steps to save Farmers in Bokkos Local

the situation.

In his reaction, the state C ommissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Steven Barko, said that the state government was aware of the problem and had visited the affected communities with some fungicides for the farmers.

“We have already written to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to come to our aid on the matter.

“The outbreak of the disease is very strange to us. We have never experienced any like it and we are not leaving anything to chance in tackling it,” he said.

Ogogo said that the governor should work on strategies that would stabilise the nation’s currency against other currencies at the foreign exchange market.

He said that the CBN chief should streamline money market policies to ensure economic stability and growth.

According to him, if Emefiele is able to streamline money market policies, the effect on the capital market will be positive because banks constitute 70 per cent of market activities.

Alhaji Rasheed Yussuf, the immediate past President of the Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, said that the governor should concentrate on macroeconomic policies, essential for economic growth.

Yussuf said that Emefiele should also ensure strong management of money supply in the system and concentrate on how to boost the nation’s dwindling reserve to boost investors’ confidence in the economy.

“We are not expecting a major policy shift but consolidation of existing policies for the betterment of the economy,” Yussuf said.

Mr Harrison Owoh, the Managing Director of HJ Trust & Investment Ltd., said that the governor should take a proper look on the Monetary Policy Rates and Cash Reserve Requirement, to make them more investor friendly.

Owoh urged the governor to pursue policies that would encourage lending, create employment and help the growth of the real sector.

“Emefiele should be a friend to the market, a reformer and team player and should not be judgmental, “Owoh said.

He said that policies that were detrimental to the economy should be dropped and changed with friendly policies.

However, Mr. Henry Boyo, an economist with Les Leba Nigeria Ltd., expressed reservations on the market expectations from the new governor, noting that Emefiele being a banker would not like to hurt his constituency.

Boyo said that high interest and exchange rates and nonlending to the real sector were the major problem of the nation’s economy.

He said that banks had abandoned their major business and depended solely on huge liquidity in the system created by the CBN’s substitution of naira revenue for dollar revenue.

Emefiele resumed on June 1 as the new CBN governor, following the suspension of Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi by the presidency in February.

Economy Personal Cash Management In A Cashless Economy

By SYLVESTER AKELE

IN the management of a business enterprise, cash management may separate the successful and unsuccessful companies. The same applies to individuals. This task has, however, become even more difficult as we go cashless, with the proliferation of Automated Teller Machines (ATM’s), online transactions and Point of Sale (POS) machines.

Transactions using them, can be safely classified as cash transactions.

Many people find it difficult to manage cash simply because of the yawning gap between the supply of cash and the demand for cash. There are others who have, so to say, adequate supply of cash but the demand for the cash is also always more than the supply. In both cases, those concerned have cash flow problems.

In cash management, cash flow is used to describe the flow of money into and from your account. The cash flow statement therefore should show what went in and out of your account during the selected period.

Resources of cash include resources such as from employment and investment income. Cash outflows include purchases of necessities and other items, charitable contributions and tax payments. Net cash inflow is the excess of total cash inflows over total cash outflows while net cash outflow means that your total cash outflows exceed total cash inflows.

Cash management is usually taken seriously by companies and organizations since their financial obligations to employees, creditors, suppliers etc have to be met. Individuals, however, can generally be described as undisciplined when it comes to cash management. Ask most people how much cash came into their accounts in the last month and how much cash they spent during the same period, you will not be surprised to know that they have not kept any account. But those who succeed are often meticulous about details of cash inflows and outflows. Since they have disciplined themselves to keep those records, no matter how imperfect and even in some cases written, they are often not caught financially embarrassed. On the contrary those who do not maintain records of the cash inflows and outflows are the ones who have to run around looking for money to borrow from their colleagues, friends and relations even though they are employed.

It is important to maintain cash flow account because the record, apart from ensuring that you are continuously aware of your true financial position enables you to plan, since you have an idea of your expectations. Windfalls, which some people get occasionally, would also then be properly managed and deployed to investments that would even improve your cash flow position.

The first step in cash management is to examine your historical experience. The next step is to prepare a projected cash flow budget based on your previous experience. Adjustments for anticipated changes in income and expenses should be taken into consideration. If the previous budget shows a net cash outflow, you should reduce the cash outflow account.

You could, for example, decide to buy food in larger quantities, stay in less expensive hotels, do your own laundry, bring lunch to work, learn to do some basic house hold repairs and don’t buy just because something is cheap.

Once your monthly cash inflows exceed your monthly cash outflows, you will have funds for investment which should alternatively yield returns

and improve your cash flow position. I have heard many people complain that they don’t earn enough so cannot put away anything as savings and investment for the future. When I read the book: The Richest Man in Babylon, some thirty years ago, I became better informed. While it is hard to be 100% compliant with the principles of the book and of financial / cash flow planning, it does make sense to be close to 100%, to guarantee a better financial future. The inflow for most people is centered around only employment income. In spite of the inadequacy, some sacrifice must be made from this employment income for investment in order to break out of the circle, which should, all things being equal, improve future income. The absence of this discipline is likely to make you remain in the poverty circle. You will never be financially independent since financial

independence means that you must have several sources of income. And that only comes from your diversified investment overtime.

The immediate step to take to move towards financial independence, is to cut down on cash outflows. This could be done in areas like rent, food, clothing, eating out recreation, vehicle repairs, household repairs, medical and other bills. The question usually is, how can I cut down on these bills when they seem to always increase? List your cash outflow items and examine them one after the other; you will be surprised that little details like putting off all lights when not needed, ensuring that there is no

remnant food to throw away, cutting down fuel consumption by taking a walk to a few places around which will also keep you physically fit and consequently reduce your medical bills, can add up cumulatively to significantly reduce your cash outflow. And please do not take your ATM cards with you when you don’t intend to spend. They encourage compulsive consumption, an impulsive control disorder. Do not engage in conspicuous consumption, a tendency to buy lavish items, to show off how wealthy you are.

Financial planning and cash flow management can be very effective in making you financially successful. It takes conscious discipline to achieve this. It is crucial to gaining control of your financial future and ultimately achieving financial success. The motivation for maintaining and sticking to a cash budget is that it enables you to cover your bills and

to have some money left for savings and investment.

The alternative to refusing to manage cash is not to manage it for which the consequences are financial embarrassment, which has led many people to even commit suicide. It is important that you plot your way through by managing your cash properly. Consulting a professional could help to imbibe the principles of planning and cash management.

Mr Akele, CEO Soakel Consulting Ltd., wrote from Abuja.

“Cash management is usually taken seriously by companies and organizations since their financial obligations to employees, creditors, suppliers etc have to be met. Individuals, however, can generally be described as undisciplined when it comes to cash management. Ask most people how much cash came into their accounts in the last month and how much cash they spent during the same period, you will not be surprised to know that they have not kept any account.”

THE crushing poverty level in today’s Nigeria has become so overwhelming that over 70 percent of Nigerians have unwittingly bowed to the pangs of biting hardship.

POVERTY is today a generic term and has been so since attempts at its classification by various study and academic groups with Non Governmental organizations (NGOs) ever more vehement and critical on the problems associated with large scale poverty and ways to improve the economic status of those classified in the group.

SOCIAL scientists in attempt at plausible stratification and definition of the term find it necessary to contrast it with such opposite terms as richness, wealth, comfort, affluence and the likes as the terms carry inherent semantic undertones that most climes solicit sympathy, empathy and compassion from those afflicted with the plague which poverty has come to symbolise.

HOWEVER, by daily interactions within society and among communities and nations, it is clear that poverty has striking universal perception and similarities because of its cross country feature and characteristics. The basic feature being that people suffer hunger and deprivation with not enough to eat, lack shelter and clothing as well as basic necessities required for human existence.

FOR instance, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights aptly sums up poverty as a “human condition characterized by the sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of all adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights”.

THERE is, as a result, conscious efforts by many organizations to mitigate time harsh effect of poverty which is more endemic in developing

THE NIGERIAN

Nigeria’s Poverty Crisis

countries and many parts of Asia while in Nigeria, government’s effort at providing palliatives and putting in place workable measures from some of its economic policies that cause poverty shocks are yet to yield the desired impact.

IT is the concern for the world’s poor and to find solution to speeding poverty crisis that the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is celebrated worldwide in order to push people up the ladder of comfort where health care, food, shelter, clothing’s among others are assured the citizenry without experiencing the pain of deprivation.

IN Nigeria, however, government has put in place social programmes as National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS), the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to tackle problem of youth unemployment, a crucial poverty indicator among the socio cultural stratification.

IT presents a sad scenario that despite several policy initiatives the menace of poverty is a staggering reality and may have accounted for the loophole in myriad of social vices, most notably are high incidence of armed robbery, kidnapping, corruption, advance fee fraud (419), prostitution Rings, human trafficking and “the likes perpetuated and perpetrated by the authors as the quickest route to scale the poverty barrier.

THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its 2000/2001 Human, development report on Nigeria, states that 70 per cent of

Nigerians are in abject poverty while massive unemployment of people and the under utilization of resources are the order of the day.

Since the report, nothing about the poverty level changed dramatically.

IN assessing Nigeria’s poverty level, based on its oil wealth which it described as a mixed blessing, the report explained that it was not the oil resources that are the problem, but the management of those resources.

A general overview of Nigeria’s poverty crisis indicates therefore that there is a fundamental problem which the Federal Government needs to identify and tackle in order to address the continuing poverty level in Nigeria. The NIGERIAN OSERVER urges the government to re-appraise some of its economic policies and those geared towards poverty eradication. Beside, it is remarkable that government insensitivity to suggestions put forward to it is increasing and is not being addressed as they should.

A holistic reappraisal is therefore inevitable at all sectors of the economy and mitigating measures put in place if government is to succeed in its poverty eradication drive.

IN the face of glaring discontent at the increasing poverty level, the World Bank proffered in its report that “oil and natural gas will generate continuing wealth for many years on which Nigeria can build, if it manages this wealth well. If it channels more of this wealth to the development of its people and to the productive use of its land and other resources, then Nigeria has a promising Future”.

WE implore the Federal Government to continue to put policy measures in place to scale down poverty level. Corporate bodies and organisation can play a part by partnering with the various governments to alleviate poverty in the land.

Education

The Future Of Education In Nigeria THE Nigerian Federal Government spends more on education than any other sector except defence.

Education also accounts for about a fourth of all recurrent expenditure by state Governments. The total employment by the education sector is more than half of all industry and commerce put together and it utilizes the services of at least a third of the country’s high-level manpower. Its main function is to satisfy the aspiration of Nigerian’s for a better way of life, to generate needed skills and to

is expected to be launched in 1987 also to cover a period of five years ie. 1987- 1991 One sticking plan, that will distinguish the next plan from the immediate two previous plans ie the third and fourth plans, is the fact that it is being prepared under serious financial constraint. The size of the plan will be considerably smaller than that of the fourth plan.

Emphasis will he placed on strengthening the productive capacity of the economy with priorities given to sectors such as, agriculture and manufacturing.

Other

develop and extend knowledge for nation building. An activity of this kind which consumes so large a share of the nation’s resources should be operated efficiently and economically.

But a common criticism of education in Nigeria is that it is too heavy, structurally imbalanced, inadequately geared to the needs of the economy and at times unnecessarily costly. The values, subject matter and the examinations criteria at all levels of Nigerians education assume that school leavers will become civil servants, teacher and employees of relatively modern industrial and commercial enterprises.

But there are very limited new employment opportunities each year in Nigeria modem sector.

Nigerian has implemented four National Development plans since she become politically independent in 1960. The fifth in the series

highlights of the plan will include emphasis on integrated rural development programme, .self reliance as a strategy for meaningful development of. local raw materials for domestic industries, and maintenance of existing facilities. It. has thus become clear that the period of rapid expansion is .over. The fifth plan period will there fore be a period of consolidation; the overall strategy will be to use available resources to maintain the existing physical plant.

Nigeria’s present educational and training system with necessary adjustments will be capable of meeting most of the country’s future needs for high level manpower Into the modem sector but is staggeringly deficient in middle-level professional manpower. Therefore every effort should be made to meet the needs of the economy of

By G.C. NDUKA, F.N.J. ERESIMADU

middle -level manpower those in which the vast majority of Nigerian must somehow earn a living.

Teacher education the Structural Adjustment Policy (SAP) which is one of the guiding principles of the Fifth National Development Plan, implies that some of the courses or departments need to be rationalised. In this State we now have a back log of graduates of three sessions who are still seeking : employment in most cases teaching employment On the

programmes many of them are now offering to serving teachers. Although many grade II, grade I and NCE teachers may wish to upgrade their qualifications,. a very desirable move indeed professionally, it would seem that some of the stages particularly those that had invested heavily in education, may be unable to pay the salaries which is commensurate with new qualifications acquired through in-service training.

This may indeed prove.very

other hand school enrolment is dwindlmg because of the harsh economic situation. It is not likely that the educational systems of many states can offer adequate employment opportunities for prospective teachers. It may therefore be wise to convert some of the existing colleges of Education in some states to technical Colleges of Education to produce the much needed pre-vocational and technical teachers as well as technologists and technicians.

The Colleges and Faculties of Education need also to rationalize the sand-wich

frustrating to ‘such teachers who may ask, what turns out to be unrewarding investment.

Primary and PostPrimary Education It is even more disturbing if one considers that Nigeria’s system of formal caution is oriented predominantly to the modern sector which provides employment for only 5 per cent of the labour force. Yet the aspirations of the vast majority of school leavers are to gain entry into the modern sector it is not necessarily the number of educated people that causes educational unemployment, put also what they have learned, and how it has been

taught. Although provisions have been made for prevocational and technological education at the lower levels that the lack of equipment and qualifted technical teachers, mean that only the theoretical pre-vocational neglected. Consequently the curriculum at present is still largely academic. The lower stages of Education have no terminal objectives, they are still preparing their students to the higher levels. Many who would like to start work after secondary school find that they are neither employable nor prepared for employment and they carry on to college not because of a strong commitment but rather because there is not much else they can do. This trend is now carrying over to post-graduate studies. The problem is not only because there is no job but also partly because they have not learned anything which, would be useful on the job. They have learned how’ to fend for themselves in selfemployment, indeed how to be “self-reliant”.

Therefore there is an urgent need to review the present curriculum and even the structure of the new education system. The hallmark of the implementation strategy of the new system is excessive uniformity. In an attempt ‘to bridge the educational gap between states; communities and even. Individuals and achieve equality of opportunity in education, we have a uniform- curriculum being imposed on the system nation-wide. This does not make for diversity to allow for local initiative based on need or talent, which would have been possible in a less uniform system. For example, some of the millions of naira being expended by the Federal and State Governments on the purchase of Intro-Tech.

Equipments-most of which are still lying. in their crates often under tree shelters in some community school which are too poor to construct a workshop, could have been more profitably expended in those schools on purchase of sewing machines , hair dressing equipment: type-writers, homeeconomics equipments etc. to

teach the boys and girls tailoring and dress-making, hair-dressing. baking and snack-making, vocations which are very lucrative.

Why should our women continue to flock to foreigners or non Nigerian to dress their hair, or make their bubas in intricate designs?

Why should our daughters not be taught early in their school days, these lucrative vocations, so that those of them who cannot go on to tertiary institutions or who have even passed through tertiary institutions can be gainfully self-employed instead of loiter ring or sucking on their overburdened parents?

In this regard Nigeria can borrow a leaf from some advanced countries eg.

Canada where attempts are made to teach virtually all types of vocational subjects in some special schools known as Composite schools.

The courses taught in this type of school enables the products to fit into various jobs available in the society.

In our own case, the following occupation subjects can be taught in our schools - carpentry, butchery, brick- making, hair-dressing, tailoring or dress-making shoe-making, spinning and cloth-weaving. Poultry, grain-milling, panel beating and servicing of vehicle such as lorries, cars, buses, motorcycles, and bicycle reparing and servicing of electrical, electronic and other gadgets such as radios, television sets type-writers and airconditioners, motor driving, and catering.

Although the National Policy makes mention of bringing in artisans and craftsmen to teach vocational subjects, very little is being done in this regard. in most of our schools. This is a job for implementers of the policy. Those who direct them. Finally the problem of structuring educational objectives and policies to the world of work can not be solved without adequate planning. Therefore more emphasis should be laid on the importance of collection and use of reliable data to ensure more effective planning in the light of economic realities.

“In this regard Nigeria can borrow a leaf from some advanced countries eg. Canada where attempts are made to teach virtually all types of vocational subjects in some special schools known as Composite schools.”

Ajuwaya

EVERYTHING that has a beginning, must surely have an end. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 2013 batch ‘B’ started last year June 2013 and is due to end this year, June 2014.

Passing out Parade is the completion of youth service by corps members and is a day that all corps members have been waiting for. It is a day all outgoing corps members will be issued their NYSC certificate in all the states of the federation.

However, there will be no passing out parade for 2013 batch ‘B’ corps members due to some logistic reasons.

As today serves a free and independence day for all 2013 batch “B” corps members, some are happy because they are finally leaving NYSC ‘imprisonment and the unconducive environment they have been staying in for a year just because of the need to serve their father land, while some are so sad because they are going to miss corpers’ life which comes just once in a life time.

NYSC orientation course is one of the life experiences every Nigerian graduate must observed. Corp members passing-out yearly have diverse experiences; some with good and memorable ones, while some with bad and unforgettable experiences. In getting these experiences from corps members serving in Edo state, a random survey was taken by AJUWAYA reporters of The NIGERIAN Observer, where corps members serving in Oredo Local Government Area of Benin City shared their experiences in the questionnaires issued to them.

According to Mba Priscilla Ngozi, a graduate of Auchi Polytechnic and an indigene of Enugu state, with NYSC state code number ED/13B/0447, she said “if there is anything I ever desire from childhood it is the NYSC ‘khaki’. I so much admired them whenever they are fully kitted. But little did I know that people undergo stress during their service year. From the school clearance to the camp clearance, everything was really stressful for me. Camp life was a boring one, shocker sanitation if you have never lived in shared accommodation before. I was really furious about the situation on camp, but there is nothing I could do, so I faced the music for like two weeks.

The third week on camp I was infected with a skin disease which did not go down well with me. After the camp sickness and stress, my PPA was so peaceful. I worked diligently with them throughout my service year and it was really a great experience.

Thanks to God for seeing me through my service year”.

Here is the view of Chukwudi John Paul, a graduate of Abia state polytechnic, an indigene of Imo state with state code number ED/138/1112, he said, “to be sincere, life is not a bed of roses. Service to the nation is not easy, but with the grace of God, I am a conqueror.

Service is a good experience and at least, it trains you for the battle ahead. My experience is broad because serving is a major role of education in Nigeria, meeting with people from various ethnic groups, languages and religious people from various parts of the country. I served as the Corps Liaison Officer, (C.L.O) Oredo local government. As an officer that liaises between corps members and the NYSC staff, it was a memorable one and I will cherish it for the rest of my life. Serving as the leader of corps members has exposed me in my career and I am happy to be a corps member” In the same vein, Alabi Adekunle Elijah, a graduate of Osun state polytechnic, indigene of Oyo state with state code number ED/13B/0497 said, “it was nice and I give glory to Almighty God for seeing me through during the course of this compulsory National Youth Service Corps’ programme. If not for God where will I be? God I thank you ooo! The service year is nice because am able to meet different people with different character. I want to appreciate my parents, friends, NYSC officers, my PPA staff and others for making this service year enjoyable and pleasurable for me and above all, I give thanks to my saviour once m o r e ” .

Similarly, Erukubami Omolade, a gradute of Olabisi Onabanjo University, an indigene of Ondo state with state code number ED/13B/ 1756 made more emphasis on the experience he was able to gather from his PPA and his CDS. “The service year has been so great and all thanks to God almighty who preserve my

Tales Of Batch B Corps Members Youth Crops Experience:

life and that of my fellow batch ‘B’ corps members’ lives.

Experience gathered during the course of my stay in Benin City, The Nigerian Observer to be precise, is highly immeasurable. The scheme has helped in building my knowledge on how to interact properly with different ethnic groups in every spheres of life.

The knowledge gained from my PPA, down to my CDS group, will help to prepare me for jobs

or businesses that will eventually lighten my future and that of my prospective family. In a nutshell, the service year is an experience that I will always cherish because it will continue to linger in my memory due to the significance its bestowed. It also deserves to be a memorable experience because of the good and great tidings gained from it”, he said.

Serving the fatherland is a rare opportunity that needs to be cherished all through one’s life on earth. The NYSC program is a period where corps members integrate with their fellow corps members and the host communities they are posted to, which eventually

By LATEEFAT O. MOSHOOD

bring about unity and development to the nation as a whole.

Eze Nnenna Ada, a graduate of University of Maiduguri, indigene of Abia state with state code number ED/13B/2048, shared her experience in this manner. “It was a wonderful experience. Meeting people from different tribes, background, characteristic and

beliefs and way of Life were all captivating and educating. The NYSC officials and everything that make up the NYSC body in Edo sate has been a memorable one. Above all, I return all the glory to God almighty for a successful service year,” she commented.

According to Nwafor Vincent, an indigene of Enugu state he also said, “the NYSC scheme

With my participation at the CDS group, I learnt how to appreciate man and God, and how to interact with both men and women, married or single, it also taught me to understand my country, Nigeria, as a great nation, that can never be trampled upon because we are strong as a nation and we can never be divided,” he said, With the above experiences by different corps members from different states, background and

personalities, yet together as a corps members we put aside our differences just to achieve this goal of patriotism, unity and teamwork. I really enjoyed serving in my PPA (The Nigerian Observer), the entire staff and management bathed us with warmth and hospitality that it felt like home away from home and I wish to say thank you very much. How wonderful it felt like carrying out my primary assignment with the most amazing corps members posted to my PPA, there was a sense of belonging that it felt like family. I truly will miss them.

The immediate community, the neighbor, the people’s norms and value,

has exposed me in many areas of life. The experience has been enormous. It must say I enjoyed every minute of the service year in Edo state. The most memorable of alt is the skill acquisition was so colorful and helpful The state in general has been peaceful and accommodating. I enjoyed my service year”.

Finally, according to Fasanya O. Opeyemi, a graduate of Lagos State Polytechnic, an indigene of Ogun state with sate code number ED/13B/1472 also added his remarkable experience. “ give God the glory because He is worthy to be praise. Service experience is a long story to tell. My place of primary assignment is a place where corps members are been used 24/7. They believe corps members are to work throughout their service year, no rest, no public holiday, no Saturday or Sunday. But all things been equal, they trained me to endure with any condition or weather. In addition, My CDS group taught me what I knew but not put to practice.

tribes, it is a known fact that the NYSC scheme is an orientation program that has helped in educating an average Nigerian youth, both at home or in Diaspora that, Nigeria is our home, experiences are being learnt through the NYSC scheme, knowledge is also shared during course of serving the nation, and all these unique features obtained will eventually lead to the development of the country and at the same time, continue to unified or unite its citizen against any form of terrorism.

So therefore, the NYSC experience is something that you can never dream to miss in your life for it is something that need to be experienced by all.

NYSC is a second teacher in life time that teaches and guide people on what to become after their service year and above all, how to interact and relate with different ethnics, tribes and religious in the country, Nigeria. Best wishes to all the 2013 batch B corps members, may favour never depart from you.

“Experience gathered during the course of my stay in Benin City, The Nigerian Observer to be precise, is highly immeasurable. The scheme has helped in building my knowledge on how to interact properly with different ethnic groups in every spheres of life.”

Child Health And You THE provision of social welfare services has been a public sector state activity in both developed and developing countries (Adejumobi, 1996). In some countries, the responsibility for the provision of social services is handled by government departments such as the ministry of social and women affairs. This involves provision of social welfare scheme for children and women especially of these that are in difficult circumstance(s) such as the orphans and the vulnerable children.

An orphan is any child who had lost either or both parents by death or who had been abandoned by his/her parents and whose parents’ where about cannot be ascertained (State of the world children 2008). There were over 145 million orphans world-wide and of these, 7 million are in Nigeria, constituting nearly 5.0% of all orphans world-wide. There has been a projected increase in the number of orphans in Nigeria due to the scourge of HIV (death of either parent from HIV) and other killer diseases. An orphanage is an institution or home for orphans (that is a home or other institutional setting for orphans, often operated by an individual, government or charitable organization) (Encarta dictionaries 2007).

A comprehensive orphan care affirms the dignity and worth of the child, provides equal, unhindered access to basic social services, advocates to protect the child and the inherent rights of the child, meets a child’s core emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual needs. It also helps the child become hopeful, self-reliant, and a contributing member of his society.

WHAT IS AN IDEAL ORPHANAGE? An orphanage is said to be ideal if the orphanage engages best practices in the running of the institution and the care of the children within the institution.

The concept of best practices involves the provision of basic rights of the children viz-a-viz birth registration, basic education, adequate nutrition (simple but good diet as appropriate for age of the child), safe potable water, good housing with adequate security, adequate toilet facilities, recreational area such as playground and playing materials, and good child/caregiver ratio.

Each orphanage therefore should strive to establish and meet at least the minimum standard of these best practices as documented in this edition of ‘CHILD HEALTH AND YOU’.

Most of the orphanages depend on goodwill of the members of the community donors, while some are selffunded. The aim of this article is to create awareness on the ideal care of this God-loving but vulnerable children who are cared for in orphanages.

Perhaps after reading this article one may be forced to pay more and regular visits to the orphanages around Benin City

and pause for a while to ask, ‘Do orphanages truly care for the vulnerable children in Benin City, Nigeria?’ This article aimed at helping the proprietors/ proprietress/managers of the orphanages to appraise the operation of the orphanages in Benin City with the ultimate aim at improving the care of the children under their care. It will also advocate for support from well-meaning people of Edo State and Nigerians to support the orphanages in ensuring that best practices are carried out by managers of orphanages in Benin City and perhaps in Nigeria.

Best practices of orphan care include the following: PHYSICAL CARE OF THE CHILD: This depends on number of hired staff that takes care of the children in the homes/orphanages. Staffing of orphanages should be measured with the number of children in the orphanage.

Every

orphanage should establish reasonable guidelines regarding child- staff ratio. Appropriate child/caregiver ratio according to set standard by World Health Organization is a minimum of one caregiver to 3 children. This means that at any given time in the orphanage, one caregiver takes care of a maximum of three (3) children. In some orphanages, one caregiver takes care of 30 to 40 children. This is grossly inappropriate. The categories of the caregiver differ from child to child depending on the age group of the children.

Care of the new born is different from care of other infants. As the child grows, his needs and challenges also change and requires different level of care.

These caregivers should have minimum and basic educational qualification. Certificate course on early child health and development (a Part Time 12 month course duration) run by Institute of Child Health, University of Benin would be an added advantage for caregivers working in orphanages.

Appropriate child/caregiver ratio in orphanages has been

Role Of Orphanages In Care Of Vulnerable Children

By DAMIAN U. NWANERI

observed to improve child’s care, improve caregiver-child’s bonding as well as improve the child’s dignity and self-worth.

Growth and development of a child depends to an extent on the level of care obtained by the child and nutrition.

DIGNITY AND SELFWORTH: Every orphan in the orphanage should have his/her birth registered with the National Population Commission (NPC) and a birth certificate obtained for that child. Birth registration gives the child self-worth and dignity as a true member of the society.

‘Any child whose birth is not

should be food available and accessible to all children in orphanages. Consequences of poor nutrition will include growth failure, apathy, and immunosuppression due to atrophy of cellular immune tissues as well as failure of mounting of immune responses, inter-current infections and deficiencies of other micro-nutrients. Poor nutrition and diseases make up a vicious circle that has a negative impact on the growth of the children.

C H I L D H O O D EXPRESSION AND DEVELOPMENT: To

registered with the NPC makes the child invisible in the society’.

Celebration of personal special occasions (including birthdays, graduations) should be the regular practice in orphanages just as it is obtainable for other children who are under the custody of their parents. There should be access to counseling in order to help heal the past issues/ wound regarding abuse, neglect, and other forms of emotional brokenness for the older children where appropriate.

NUTRITION: Adequate nutrition is essential for growth and development. Children in orphanages should have adequate nutrition through a balanced diet rich in both macro- and micronutrient for optimal growth and development. The younger children should be fed on demands while the older children should have at least three meals per day. There should be provision for snacks and other diets as required for each child.

This is to remind us about Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist; ‘…..wants some more….’ which should not be the norm in orphanages. There

promote children’s physical, mental, social, and emotional health each orphanage should provide adequate time for free play in a safe environment, opportunity for structured and unstructured sports and recreation, clean safe recreational facilities such as playgrounds, gym equipment and play areas, the means and opportunity for children to express themselves through art, and ways to explain, affirm and celebrate the children’s cultural heritage. There should be a sizable space for play for children in the orphanages.

‘All work and no play makes jack a dull boy’ This implies that putting children in orphanages with no space/ playground for play/ recreation is inappropriate no matter how beautiful and how furnished the orphanage is. There should be materials for play within the orphanages. Recreational activities help cognitive growth and function.

EDUCATION: Good quality education starting from

pre-school, school age (preschool, elementary, middle and high school education), skills and gifts assessments, vocational training opportunities, timely delivery of special needs education and services for children with disabilities, tutoring and peer assistance when needed, opportunities for vocational and/or college scholarship programs should be provided for all children in orphanages as appropriate for the child.

E N V I R O N M E N TA L STANDARDS: There should be adequate sanitation, clean drinking water, healthful food and structurally sound housing. , appropriate privacy (that is bedrooms and bathrooms would be age and gender-appropriate), clean living areas, clean fitting and appropriate clothing, privilege responsibility to take an active role in helping sustain the orphanage community (that is chores as in a family).

PHYSICAL NEEDS AND HEALTH CARE: There should be annual physical evaluations, all required immunizations, access to immediate first aid for minor illnesses or injuries, appropriate timely medical treatment for illness or injury with local medical staff for moderate or major health issues, balanced nutritious meals as prescribed by a certified dietician and clean drinking water for the children in orphanages.

LIFE SKILLS: To become confident and capable of adulthood, every orphan should receive age-appropriate teaching, reinforcement and encouragement in: personal hygiene, communication skills, conflict resolution, money management, dating, goalsetting and decision making, civic responsibilities, and community.

O R P H A N A G E OPERATIONS: All orphanages should be financially transparent and accountable to a local board comprising of diverse members of the local community, be committed to integrating biblical principals in all aspects of orphan care, supported by and accountable to a local organization especially the church. The orphanage should have well trained supported and compensated staff, maintain and communicate clear lines of authority, maintain positive working relationships with local community, government, and other orphanages to decrease the stigma. There should be local involvement/ community participation in orphan care, and establishment and maintenance of well-documented procedures for orphan care and conflict resolution.

SECURITY: Children thrive in a safe, secure and loving environment. Perhaps a

well fenced environment with adequate play-ground and playing materials for adequate mental and physical fitness.

Sense of good security translates to adequate wellbeing.

T R A N S I T I O N ASSISTANCE: Upon reaching the age of 18 years, every orphan who is transitioning out of the orphanage should be assured of: security, employment, housing, and regular follow-up by orphanage staff for 3 – 5 years to ensure successful transition, open welcome invitation for orphans to keep in contact with friends and staff at orphanage during transition. Those who are to continue in higher education should be done with high sense of economic security, assurance and responsibility.

CONCLUSION AND R E C O M M E N D AT I O N : Certificate course on early child health and development for all individuals who care for children including children in orphanages is recommended.

This 12 month Course is offered in Institute of Child Health, University of Benin, Benin City on part-time basis and it is aimed at equipping individuals linked with children and/or takes of children. There should be prioritization of health issues in orphanages in Benin City and Nigeria. Birth registration for all children in orphanages should be compulsory. Even when there is death, it should also be registered with the NPC. There must be a command structure giving direction to the performance of activities in orphanages by the Ministry of Women Affairs Social Welfare.

Funding by Government and well-meaning Nigerian should be extended to the orphanages.

Moral instruction is good for upbringing of the children. It could be postulated therefore, that orphanage is best delivered by God-ordained institutions that have its root perfectly directed according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

DR DAMIAN UCHECHUKWU NWANERI Research Fellow I, Institute of Child Health, University of Benin And Consultant Paediatrician, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, 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, Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, Benin City or Director, Institute of Child Health University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State.

Media

Issues In Spor

THIS day, many people all over the world are exposed to sporting events over the radio and the television than at the sites where games actually take place. It is the broadcast sport voice performer who communicates details of sporting events or activities of how they are performed and their results to every one where they are in huts, cabins and ships When one aspires to be come sports announcer, and possess some casual interest in sports, he should consider him or herself for another profession or other areas of broadcast voice performance.

Sports announcer possess an attitude of dedication and love for sports broadcast.

Sports announcers must first be fans before they can become reporters. One must be a sports enthusiast. To start with a sports, it has got to be something that is an integral part of ones life.

Most people have a sort of obsessive appreciation for sports. If we love something it is easier for us to be good at it. “It has been known that most sports announcers are players at heart” says Ron St. Pierre Sports Reporter WPRI TV and Yinka Craige of Nigeria Television Authority NTA and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria FRCN. Ninety percent majority of sports reporters have confirmed that either as youths or adult in some type of amateur sports they had engaged themselves. A significant number of major market and network sports voice come from professional athletics especially play by — play, colour announcers analysts.

— Ishola Folorusho. N.B.C. Nigeria

Almost always that successful sports reporters has a deep and abiding affection for the field of athletics. Sportscasters are never conceived in a vacuum. At eighteen, one don’t pick up the occupation from a teacher in the classroom but you know from an early age that you want to be involved in sports broadcasting because you love it. Generally speaking, all sports casters love their profession more than anything else.

Duties of Sports Broadcaster The most important areas of employment in sports voice performance and sportcasting or reporting, play —by-play analysis are the sports casters who delivers game results, pertinent information about players and data concerning, upcoming athletic events.

Play —by — play announcers narrate the action of sporting events to the home viewers listeners and analysts. They can be referred to as colour commentators who provide statistical data and biographical information on players as well as observation intended to embellish a broadcast. The role of the station sportscaster or reporter can be affected by the size of the facility at which he or she is employed. The station may not employ full-time sports person. In this, newsperson, on air as staff either as a deejay may assume sports reporting responsibilities. This is very common in most private radio and television stations in Nigeria, Africa or the third world developing countries.

The person gathers,

By OSAYAWANBO ERO

selects and edicts all sporting activities in the station and presents it following the specified time. It could be 6 AM to noon Monday through Friday for five minutes sports rounding. He can also prepare local sports events for evening hours on a typical night and sports may be broadcast play-byplay action from any center where the sports took place.

In doing this, the sportscaster must be a person with authority and credibility in sports coverage. He must be able to pronounce local player’s names when games are not scheduled for broadcast, the news and local and national athletics by conducting interviews with sports figures, reviewing statistics and reading news papers and sports magazine. Other duties of a sportscaster whether in a small or larger station are — proper and deliver four hourly five minutes sports roundup daily between 6.00 AM and 10.00 AM. He gives the station recorded tapes of an interview with sports personality. He can also write additional sports stories and tape actualities for later broadcast. He can also cover afternoon and evening sports events in the city, which he deemed important to the listening audience.

The sports reporters duties may include preparing and deliver too, two minute, three and five minute sports casts between 2.00 PM and 7.OOPM, serve as host of sports talk (a two hour telephone conversation and interview show aired nightly between 7.OOPM, 9.00PM or 10.00). All these should be recorded on to cartridge

actualities from sports events.

Sports coverage as an important part of programme at station is the responsibility of the sports reporter for setting radio and

television equipment as they arc broadcasting stations. The sports report is an integral element of evening television news broadcasts.

Television Sports Voice Duties Though the duties of the television sports voice

“Though the duties of the television sports voice performer are somewhat different from his or her Radio counter part, yet there are parallels.”

performer are somewhat different from his or her Radio counter part, yet there are parallels.

For example, if “Heritage” is a television station located at Evboligun Village in Benin City, Nigeria, employs a full time

The other full — time sports reporter delivers the sports news he has gathered and prepared on the 6.00 and 10. 00pm broadcasts. These television sports reporters alternate coverage of weekend athletic events as they are scheduled. The part

sport’s reporter, let’s then assume that this sports reporter is responsible for all sports events in the Heritage television station, and a larger TV station can employ between three and five sports reporters and sportscasters. But the Heritage station does not have the resource a larger station has, can only budget for one part — time or full — time reporter.

The larger station can afford to employ one part — time and two full — time sports announcers. The duties of these television sportscasters may be arranged as follows:

time sports reporter responsible for the weekend broadcasts and is on standby status during the week should a need be.

The television sports reporter is responsible for producing sports footage for airing during broadcasts, which are scheduled as a part of a stations show. The television reporter is expected to produce a weekly aired either within or outside of regular scheduled newscast Today, television sports casters are often invited by national and local professional teams to serve as play — by — play or colour announcers.

The team sports reporters

Media

ts Broadcast that is, individual specially employed by professional or semi —professional clubs, travel with their teams and broadcast from the stadiums or areas where games take place.

Network sports reporters do not travel with teams but

prepared to hit up the field with the players they report on, says Ishola Folarusho” once a distinguished sports announcer with NTA, Nigeria “It is a goal”.

In-respective of their willingness to be a part of action on the field, sports

style popular in other areas of announcing, is also effective in sports broadcasting. It is true that those who are interested in being sportscaster should not try to announce parse. They should talk the game to viewers A contrived forced

rather fly or go on their own to where the game of the week is to be played.

The sports voice performer must be an expert on the team and on the sport he is covering. Some professional team sports reporter or announcer can still carry his tape recorded to the broadcasting station for airing on special commercial. He represents his team.

Sports Voice Performer The love of athletics is a prime motivator for broadcast sports voice performers. “To be honest, there are many sports announcers who are

announcers and reporters take very seriously their responsibility behind the microphone and the chief among them, is the vocal presentation voice control, breathing inflection — all must be up in standard form, in English language which is required in general good announcing basics.

The sports announcer should avoid style over solid oratory. Style is however great when it is great, but you must first be clearly understood and not aggravating to listener says Steve Shortz, sports Director Arcata California.

The natural conversational

sports announcer type of delivery should not be brought to the business of sports caster. Sports presentation is a call. It is natural any of you should be yourself Interest In The Game Sports casting need

interest, energy capacity and enthusiasm always to be able to carry out the job. There must be intense interest the sports caster has developed in the game or sports. There is nothing worse than an indifferent or apathetic sports reporter.

He must by all means of enthusiasm reflect the same excitement and appreciation for the action as the fans.

Such excitement does not mean the shouting or screaming by the fans until the transmitter explodes, but be upbeat and involved. He should maintain certain balance and perspective by exhibiting a joy for the game.

A healthy respect for the sport needs to come through whether it is foot ball, base ball basketball, cricket or hockey. Yes, a voracious sports caster’s appetite for sports information must exist. The sports voice professional dress not just leave the game when it is over and forget about it. He continues to ‘lives’ athletics by listening to and watching other sports broadcasts, reading athletics books, newspaper and magazines and talking to The Game Voice As in every area of broadcast voice performance (announcer for sports casters) voice quality is a factor. A good voice as we have said, severally in this book is always a plus, even if, you don’t have to have a real voice boomer to get a job of broadcaster. It takes as while to develop your voice and the more you works on it, then it gets the best quality. Definitely a sports or broadcast person must possess a good strong voice.

The voice does not actually necessarily need to be really

deep or very resonant even though these are needed things that are marketable, but they should not be too strong for the game.

However, situations sometimes occur in tournament play where a sportscaster must call several games in row, sometimes during the same day o r evening. If a voice is not strong enough it would not hold up such a kind of pressure and strain, but what it wants is to be pleasant to the car.

It is very important that the sportscaster learn how to effectively use his voice in order to maximize his natural voice.

The Word Game Work power is the ability to turn a phrase in a colourful imaginative way. This is very necessary in sports announcing in radio and TV. hi play-to-play, the sports caster is really dealing with words in variety of languages and forms. The sports announcer must have the ability to speak the English language fluently.

He must possess a strong repertoire of relevant adjectives in our stock in trade because sports involved so many descriptions and you must know how to use them.

The announcer must have a good knowledge of vocabulary and descriptive terms, which are integral to any game calling and not just sports terms either. A wide understanding of the English language is required. You must try to have a deep well of words, quotes, terms and phrases where to draw from, and this will make you a heck of a lot more interesting to listen to.

The Plan of The Game Sports reporting or sports caster or sports announcer

requires an agile mind, a person who is able to think quickly on his or her feet and the ability to think spontaneously as things happen fast in the field.

Many things happen and any thing can happen which the sports announcer can deal with on the sport without putting the audience on hold while he collects his impression.

He got to be there with the starts, insights and observations on the spot taking with him the listeners and viewers keeping them informed without losing control.

To provide the audience with comprehensive coverage, requires a system which means that on-air sports caster should keep some type of running note on any game covered.

This unlike print reporter’s note, allows the sports announcer to spot trends. Not that it is easy to write and at the same time speak, but in the long run, it is very helpful for any sports caster doing this system.

It is also very important that a sports caster should report the score of the contest at a regular intervals, though this is less important on television when graphics can convey information, but very essential in radio. It is unfair to wait for more than two minutes on radio before giving the score of any game covered. The radio must be talking and be fast too, taking along the right track.

Know your score sheets and know ahead of time what you are going to do, in all possible situations Anticipate, keep your playby-play organized by making it easy for the listeners to know where the ball or puck is. Keep the game flowing. Avoid herky-jerky broadcasting which creates an atmosphere of uncertainly.

“To provide the audience with comprehensive coverage, requires a system which means that on-air sports caster should keep some type of running note on any game covered. This unlike print reporter’s note, allows the sports announcer to spot trends.”

With OBUSEH JUDE

Security Issues TODAY’S piece analyses the burgeoning intensity of violence in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, consequent to the apocalyptic campaigns of Boko Haram — a fundamentalist Islamist group that has been engaging the country’s security forces in an internecine war of attrition since 2010 when it officially declared an all-out war on the Nigerian State and its citizens. It is a zero-sum war game in which both parties are committed to mutually destroying each other several times over, using the most forceful means available to them.

The new face of BH, which has seen it transform from a local religious pressure group into an insurgent group with suspected links with foreign extremist groups, has attracted the attention of a once docile international community and stimulated a multinational campaign to check its violent activities; a development that is based on the conviction among security watchers across the globe that the activities of BH does not constitute threats to the Nigerian State alone, but has wider regional and global security implications. This conviction is based on the alarming acceleration of its campaigns of calumny which has witnessed the launching of attacks on both local and multinational targets - soft and hard. The well coordinated car bombings of the Nigerian Police Forces Headquarters and the United Nations Building, the recent Iyanya bus terminal blasts; abductions of both Nigerian and foreign nationals — especially the recent kidnapping of over 200 girls from a school in Chibok, Borno State; shootings; arsons; are just a sprinkling of the extreme tactics this group has adopted since its declaration of war — acts that have attracted international attention and condemnation.

That the activities of BH have increased in scale and intensity - since its reemergence in 2010 - is there for all discerning observers of the macabre trail of blood and iron in the country’s NorthEast to see. Gradually, what started as isolated attacks in pockets of towns in Borno State — its home base — and its environs, has metamorphosed into a full of the North, and even threatening to engulf the rest of the country, if care is not taken; a campaign of mindbending terror that has left

thousands dead in its wake.

From 2010, the group’s activities appeared to be spreading across the NorthEast, but in 2013, after President Jonathan’s imposition of martial rule in the hotbeds of the group’s activities — Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states - the group’s activities seemed to be retreating towards this geopolitical zone. However violence has since intensified in the group’s stronghold and action has spilled over the border into neighboring Cameroon. Despite claims to the contrary by the authorities, the B.H insurgency is light years away from being “crushed”, especially in the light of the increasing scale and frequency of its attacks on specially selected targets in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States over the past year — a classic case in point being the recent vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) attacks targeting the outskirts of Abuja, the country’s capital, as it prepared to host the World Economic Forum.”

Between January and February, 2014, alone, the searing violence has claimed over 650 lives in Borno and Adamawa States alone.

Lately, Gwoza, Bama, Konduga and Damboa towns and all the neighboring villages around them have become ghost towns; lands hunted by the phantoms of fear and uncertainty. The activities of BH have obviously left deep imprints of death, destruction, confusion and terror on their paths. The sad truth is that death has become such a natural phenomenon in Nigeria’s North-East to the extent that people no longer shudder at screaming headlines churning out gory details of the group’s deadly campaigns of death; a war that has become a traditional hallmark of life in the NorthEast and its environs The increasing scale of violence in the country’s North-East is obviously a demonstration of B.H’s resolve to continue undermining the capabilities of the country’s security forces by randomly striking at targets located within their core areas of operation — FCT and the states under marshal rule; a strategy that is geared towards calling the bluff of Jonathan’s administration, increasing the state of insecurity in the country and telling the rest of the world to go to hell! For instance, Borno State, the group’s spiritual home where

Boko Haram:

Changing Dynamics Of An Insurgency

the “struggle” is said to have began, has remained a major theater of its activities. This is based on the thinking by the eggheads of the group that losing the war to government forces on this front will effectively signal the end of their uprising; a worst case scenario they would prefer not to imagine. That is why the scale of violence in the state has been more ferocious - attacks that are, most times, random, but well coordinated; a curious development for a state under martial rule. Adamawa and Yobe the two other states under emergency rule - have

forces have put into buffering the activities of this group, BH has continued to up the ante in its engagement with the state’s security forces. Not even the strategic partnership Nigeria has purportedly brokered with other international stakeholders United States of America, France, China etc seems capable of diffusing tensions in this troubled part of the country.

However - in fairness to the country’s security forces - from a purely strategic

approach, involving all stakeholders, as has being repeatedly and loudly canvassed by this column; concerted efforts that should be both hard and soft. The soft measures should be a simulacrum of non-violent peacemaking initiatives that are geared towards addressing the issues raised by the insurgents. It will involve some form of bargaining between the authorities and the insurgents.

Whether anybody accepts the

raising the morale of security personnel, through improved remuneration; advanced training on modern intelligence gathering and processing procedures; training on the use of information and other relevant technology; to other significant skills that are required to wage successful anti-insurgency campaigns, the country’s security setup must be brought up to date.

The lopsided manner the

not been spared the fatal scars of BH’s violent dispositions.

It hard to believe that in states under martial rule, insurgents can boldly launch coordinated attacks on targets in villages and towns for hours, without any kind of intervention by the country’s security forces; a practical demonstration of the asymmetric nature of the conflict as demonstrated by the fact that none of the opposing forces enjoys any form of strategic advantage over the other. The truth is that in the midst of the tears, sweat and blood that have defined the evolution of this war, one undeniable fact that stands out like a festering sour is the fact that the Nigerian military has been overstretched, overawed and roundly embarrassed by the rising intensity and frequency of Boko Haram activities.

Despite all the relentless efforts the country’s security

standpoint, the major stumbling block that has limited the country’s security forces in their anti-terror campaigns, is the asymmetric tilt of the ongoing war which gives the insurgents a strategic advantage as they can easily blend in with the civilian population, making it difficult for their easy identification, extrication and elimination.

For the insurgents, their virtual invincibility gives them the advantage of easily identifying and striking at the vulnerable security forces.

That is why it would be quite out of order for anyone to expect so much from the country’s security operatives who, apart from being illequipped, are facing this kind of enemy for the first time.

The current security challenges in the country’s North-East are surmountable.

What is urgently required is a multifaceted home-grown

need for dialogue or not, it remains an option that cannot just be wished away.

Confronting the insurgents through the use of military force, with intent to annihilate them, is a strategy that has obviously failed; a fact clearly demonstrated by the upward escalation of the crisis despite the amount of force that have been directed towards this end, ab initio, which necessitates a new approach.

On the other hand, the country’s national security framework should be comprehensively overhauled and updated to face modern security challenges. The current system - despite all the noise that is being made about “reforms” - is no longer adequate. From: providing adequate training on fighting modern guerrilla warfare — an inadequacy that has tilted the scale of the conflict to the advantage of the insurgents;

counterterrorism campaign has been executed by the country’s security units has exposed the weak underbelly of security system. BH is better armed, better informed and better motivated than the country’s security personnel.

That is the truth of the matter!

In all, a coordinated approach to resolving the ongoing insurgency in the country’s North-East, remains the only way out of the present quagmire. No single solution can, in any way, suffice as an iron cast panacea to a crisis that has become Nigeria’s Albatross.

In the same manner that two heads are said to be better than one, synchronized approach towards checking the ongoing security challenges in the North East, remains the only plausible solution to this asseverating and emasculating national embarrassment. God save Nigeria!

INTRODUCTION we get: In the previous lectures, we a2 - 4b2 - ac - 2bc discussed the factorisation of = (a + 2b)[(a - 2b) -c] monomials, perfect squares, or (a + 2b)(a - 2b - c) Ans difference of two squares as well as quadratic expressions. In this

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

Factorising Expressions Containing we get: (a - b )(x + y) edition, we shall be discussing or a x - b y - b x + a y expressions with four and five Four Terms 2

2

terms.

To factorise an expression with or containing four terms, group the terms in pairs so that each pair has a common factor. The other factor can be found by division.

B].APPLICATION EXAMPLES Example 1 Factorise ax + ay - bx - by.

Solution: Grouping in pairs, we get: (ax + ay) - (bx + by) = a(x + y) - b(x + y) With common factor written first, we have: ax + ay - bx - by = (x + y)(a -b) Ans Example 2 Factorise m3 - 2m2 - m + z (UME) Solution: Grouping in pairs, we have: (m3 - 2m2) - (m - z) = m2(m -2) - (m - z) With the common factor written first we get: m3 - 2m2 - m + z = (m - 2)(m2 - 1) or (m - 2)(m -1)(m + 1)Ans Example 3 Factorise a2 - 4b2 - ac - 2bc Solution: Grouping in Pairs, we have: (a2 - 4b2) - (ac + 2bc) or (a2 - 22b2) - (ac + 2bc) = (a -2b)(a + 2b) -c(a + 2b) With common factor written first,

Example 4 Factorise completely 4abx - 2axy - 12b2x + 6bxy (UME, 2003) Solution: Grouping in pairs, we have: (4abx - 2axy) - (12b2x - 6bxy) = 2ax(2b - y) - 6bx(2b - y) With the common factor written first we get: (2b - y)(2ax - 6bx) = (2b - y)(a - 3b)2x Ans

2

2

2

2

= (a - b)(a + b)(x + y) Ans

Example 7 Factorise a2 - b2 + 3a + 3b.

Solution: Grouping in pairs, we have: (a2 - b2) + (3a + 3b) Applying difference of two squares, we have a2 - b2 + 3a + 3b = (a - b)(a + b) + 3(a + b) With the common factor written first, we get: Example 5 a2 - b2 + 3a + 3b Factorise completely = (a + b)[(a - b) + 3] 2 2 ac - 2bc - a + 4b (UME, 2004) or (a + b)(a - b + 3) Ans Solution: Example 8 Grouping in pairs, we have: Factorise (a + b)(x + y) - 2x - 2y. c(a - 2b) - (a2 - 4b2) Solution: or c(a - 2b) - (a2 - 22b2) (a + b)(x + y) - 2(x + y) Applying difference of two squares With the common factor written we get: c(a - 2b) - [(a - 2b)(a + 2b)] first, we have: with the common factor written first, (x + y)[a + b - 2] Ans we get ac - 2bc - a2 + 4b2 = (a - 2b)[c -(a + 2b)] Example 9 or (a - 2b)(c - a - 2b)Ans Factorise m2 - n2 - 4m + 4.

Solution: Example 6 By observation, we have the Factorise a2x - b2y - b2x + a2y trinomial m2 - 4m + 4. So that (UME). m2 - n2 - 4m + 4 = (m2 - 4m + 4) -n2 Solution: or (m - 2)2 - n2 Rearranging, we have By difference of two squares, we get: a2x - b2x + a2y - b2y [(m - 2) - n][(m - 2) + n] Grouping in pairs, we have: or (m - 2 - n)(m - 2 + n) Ans x(a2 - b2) + y(a2 - b2) Until next week, stay blessed solving Maths!

With the common factor written first Remember to watch EBS TV (live) at 4pm.

Basic Safety Rules For Motorists

1 KEEP your vehicle in good condition. Pay 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 them.

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 signs and road marking and obey them.

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

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

10. Be polite and courteous to other road users.

DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER. STOP WITHIN YOUR RANGE OF VISION..

REMEMBER: Heavy trucks

usually require longer distance to come to a stop.

SEE AND BE SEEN: You must use your lights, parking lights or head lamps to aid your visibility and to be seen.

Keep your windscreen clean.

NOTE: Do not hang on to much more slowly if the road is wet or if there is moist..

WET ROADS: Remember that your vehicle

may also be glidding along when the road is wet also vehicles in front of you, especially large or speeding vehicle may raise a film of dirty water to further reduce visibility for you. Keep your wipers working.

DRIVING AT DIPPING HEADLAMPS: Dip your headlamps when meeting other vehicles or road users, and before the dazzle traveling in the same direction in front of you.

DAZZLING LIGHTS: If you are dazzled by approaching headlamps, slow down or stop and keep an eye on the right kerb edge and stay close to it. Do not stare into headlamps.

IN BUILT-UP AREAS: Dip your headlamps at night in built-up areas.

F L A S H I N G HEADLAMPS: Flashing of headlamps means as sounding your horn-to let another. road user know you

are there. You should not sound your horn except in case of extreme emergencies.

SAFETY TIPS DO YOU KNOW THAT: Nigeria has the highest rate of road accidents in Africa?

Road accidents are the highest killer of people in Nigeria?

Road accidents will overtake HIV/AIDS by

BE MORE SAFETY CONSCIOUS. • Do routine check on your vehicle.

• Always fasten your seat belt • Observe speed limit • Give due consideration to other road users.

• MORE LIVES ARE SAVED WITH LESS NIGHT TRAVELLING. THE LIFE SA VED MA Y

killing 5.1 million people yearly by the year 2020?

• Youth more vulnerable to road accidents worldwide?

• Road accidents occur every minutes sending many to early grave and millions becoming disabled yearly?

• Age; Colour, Sex and Title have nothing to do with road accidents?

• Road accidents have no respect for anybody-either literate or illiterate?

• Single mistake or disobedience to traffic rules and regulations can send you and other road users to early grave?

BE YOURS! AVOID NIGHT TRA VELLING • Avoid overloading • TALKING AND LISTENING DISTRACT C O N C E N T R AT I O N USING YOUR MOBILE PHONES WHILE DRIVING IS DANGEROUS . Imbibe safer road culture.

ROAD RULES FOR MOTORISTS What is the role of traffic lights?

The correct sequences of traffic lights are: red, Red and Amber, Green, Amber and Green

Motoring With OSAGIE AIFUWA 08023412452

Arrow.

Red means stop and wait behind the stop line on the carriageway. Red and amber also means stop. Don’t pass through or start until green shows.

Green means I may go on if the way is clear. I will take special care if I am to turn right and give way to pedestrians who are crossing.

Amber means half at the stop line. I may only go on if the amber appears after I have crosses the stop line or I am so close to that stop that a pull up might cause an accident. Green arrow means I may go in the direction shown.

All Motorcars operate on hydraulic principle and one of the major and common faults a motorist normally encounters is spongy braking effect. This is caused by the presence of air in the active section of the braking system.

DIAGNOSIS (CAR BRAKING SYMTEM) 1. Check the level of brake fluid in the reservoir. If the level had dropped below the orifice or mouth of the brake pipe connected to the brake master cylinders, air would have found its way into the pipe line, causing spongy effect, or the need to pump the brake pedal a few times before the brakes can be active.

2. Check to find out if the there is leakage of fluid along the brake pipe line or at wetness around the lower end of the brake drum or inner side of leakage you must ask your mechanic to check further to locate the actual point of leakage and rectify it as appropriate before driving the vehicle on the road even when a few jabs at the brake pedal can still produce some degree of

braking action.

3. if there is no leakage along the pipe lines but the brake is spongy, then it is every likely that the brake master cylinder rubber seals are either worn out or weak or swollen and no longer effectively acting as seals in the system; then the brake master cylinder or the wheel cylinder rubber seals must be replaced with genuine ones (note: there are many fake products in the market) and then the system will be bled to ensure the hydraulic column is free of air. This operation is what is referred to as overhauling the brakes.

Brake pulling to one side: Brakes will pull to the side that is more active than the other; but it must be pointed out right at the consent that this symptom can be caused by unequal front tyre pressures, or by fitting different makes of tyres to the front wheels and because they have different road holding characteristics, you could be experiencing this types of symptom. Pulling to one side when brakes are applied could also be caused by wrong wheel alignment setting; however in all the above mentioned cases not connected with the braking system directly; the car will tend to put the same side if one is on s straight road and the steering is slightly held in a straight ahead position.

But if the brake pull happens only when the brakes are applied, then the following items should be checked and necessary remedial action taken.

CHECKS: 1. Tyre pressure 2. Wheel Alignment 3. Damaged Break Pipes 4. Check Master Cylibder For Fluid leakage.

“All Motorcars operate on hydraulic principle and one of the major and common faults a motorist normally encounters is spongy braking effect. This is caused by the presence of air in the active section of the braking system.”

Spirituality Lessons From The Lives Of Saints: BY 1500, the news of Columbus discovery had spread all over Europe and Vasco de Gama’s feat of sailing around the, African continent opened up the Orient that Columbus had hoped to find. An age of exploration. discovery and conquest was started and every country in Europe was anxious for trade and conquest.

Imagine the school boys of those days hearing stories that filtered back to quiet little towns and villages. For sure Francis Xavier, born in 1506, heard of them but as a boy he had no idea that he too would be an explorer and conqueror —but one for Christ. His plans were set for him. He was the baby of the family —there were six children —and his father and mother wanted him educated as a lawyer in the finest university of Europe. The University of Paris; then to return to administer the Xavier legacy.

His parents were of nobility, albeit minor, and his older brothers were heirs to the family fortune. But a special grant from the King gave Francis the Xavier castle and he alone of the family bore that name. As a boy he saw war, saw his family despoiled of their fortunes, learned of a battle to regain family fortunes that was almost lost but won when one of the enemy heroes was wounded — Ignatius Loyola, his future friend, mentor and superior. By nineteen, peace was established in his life but his father died leaving his future to his brothers and mother.

So, off to Paris he went. A dapper young man, well dressed, tall, handsome. His plan was to earn his degree at the University of Paris and return to a good life in the rocky Basque country. He would find his future with the Church, hoping, of course, that eventually he would be named a bishop and be assigned a good diocese. He went to Paris as a cleric but not with high spiritual ideals. When he left home, it was the last he was to see of his mother and family. At nineteen, he had done preliminary studies and was ready for the heady life of a university don.

Paris was a lively city even then. Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte Chappelle that so many of our day have seen were already landmarks.

So was the Latin Quarter where the students studied, at Francis’ time four-thousand of them. This lively young man with an outgoing magnetic personality started his studies and was a good student —not a scholar and yet not a dullard.

But he also entered the full fun of college life. With a valet to care for him, and finely dressed

he would enter the sports — riding, the hunt, crossbow shooting and jumping. Ignatius said of him: “He was one of the finest high jumpers on the island ( of Notre Dame).”

This was the age of Luther, Calvin and the Renaissance.

New ideas were rocking the ancient boat of the Middle Ages

By DITTANAY CARIN

St Francis Xavier

would say to Francis: ‘What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul.’ Loyola’s secretary later wrote: “l once heard it said by our great shaper of souls (Ignatius Loyola) that the toughest dough he ever

Having been born, the Jesuits had to grow up; official approval was needed before they would function. In this period of waiting, Francis first spent a year at Bologna and then two years at Rome. Inside of him burned a fire for souls

kneaded was, at the start, the young Francis Xavier, whom God had used, nevertheless more than any other subject of our time.” Ignatius ‘needled’ him into holiness.

Pierre Favre was ordained a priest and established spiritual ties with Ignatius. But he left to visit his family and Francis had the full attention of his spiritual mentor. Francis finally capitulated, gave up his fancy wardrobe, his valet and horse: now he would work entirely for Christ with lgnatius. Favre returned and on August 15, 1534, Ignatius, Francis, Favre and four others who joined their group solemnly pledged poverty and chastity. The Jesuits were born.

but it had to wait till it could be realized and then only by accident.

Portugal was prominently interested in exploration. Vasco de Gama’s exciting trip around the tip of Africa opened up the Indian Ocean and vast countries beyond. A colony was settled in India and the King of Portugal asked for two members of the newly formed group to got here. Two were chosen, but not Francis who was secretary to Ignatius. But the illness of one caused Ignatius to select Francis.

Would he go? “Forward” he said, “I am ready. “So on to Lisbon to prepare for the trip to India. He was thirty-four years old.

After ten months of waiting,

St Francis Xavier

and the Church was about torn assunder, then reformed and purified by the Council of Trent. An age much like the modern one after Vatican II. Freedom was the watch word of the day, change was the norm.

At the beginning of his studies, Francis shared a room with Pierre Favre (later a Jesuit too!), but five years later another one was assigned to their room, Ignatius Loyola. He was twice the age of Francis, serious and dedicated and burning with an ideal. Little did Francis share life with this serious older man — Francis wanted his velvet cloak, his fine horse and a full life of sport. So for five years the three —future founders of the Jesuits — shared a room but pot ideas.

Francis was getting up in the world — he got his Master of Arts degree and was made a professor at the age of twentysix. Life was good for him and the future looked good. But gradually Ignatius got to him — but not without difficulty. He

the expedition was finally ready and on a bright day of April —actually Francis’ birthday April 17th, 1541 — sails were raised and the long voyage was started. Not only was he going as a missionary; though only ordained four years, he was named Papal Nuncio to India.

It was a long and perilous voyage —Francis suffered from sea sickness. But that was nothing in those days —a voyage was considered successful if two-thirds survived! Food would go bad, water brackish and storms swept many from the decks!

First a stop and stay at Mozambique: then on to Goa. The voyage had taken thirteen! months and finally Francis was to start the apostolate for which he is renowned. From now on many letters —a goodly number written while seated on a coil of rope aboard ship would chronicle his journey.

Immediately he started to work for souls —visiting prisons, hospitals: and teaching catechism — rather interestingly, by setting his teaching to music so it could be sung. With his breviary under his arm, [ and carrying a parasol, he went his way of bringing Christ to souls, teaching, baptizing with little preparation (his baptisms numbered some say fifty visiting homes of sinners to convert them, playing dice with sailors with the hope that the game would end up in conversions. He became all things to all men.

But Francis was not meant for a quiet life, and, to boot, he did not like India. His apostolate would be to open up territories, make the first inroads for the Faith and then move on while others consolidated his work. First, Goa, a colony on the south tip of India, then on to Ceylon, the Moluccas, Malaysia, Japan and finally with his eyes on China, he would die on the Island of Sancian within view of the China mainland.

We think of saints as beings without emotions —but they too are human, Francis was very disappointed in his first stop, the Malaysian Peninsula.

The people were firm in their Mohammedanism and not about to be converted. So away, past Sumatra and Celebes to the Moluccas, the Spice Islands.

On one island alone he baptized one- thousand and laid the ground work for the missionaries who would come after him. Of course, There were the Portugese sailors and settlers to be helped and in one case he had converted a Jewish scholar. But it was for him to open up new fields for Christ.

How strange the ways of God. There lived in Japan a young man of a noble and wealthy family who searched for a philosophy that would give him peace. By a strange quirk, he met a Portugese sea captain that offered to take him to meet Francis. Meet they did and eventually Anjiro was baptized, Paul of the Holy Faith, and through him, Francis’ way to Japan was open. At first, barefooted, poor, with breviary under arm and parasol over head. But when he was advised that the real impact must be made another way, he dressed in silks and. fancy leather, was borne on a litter and brought expensive presents—a clock that struck the hours, a music box, a mirror, a musket, brocade, spectacles, finely bound books, crystal and finally kegs of port wine. This brought him an entre-centre to the Emperor— he, the Papal Nuncio, the first white man to enter Kyoto, then the capital of Japan. But not only Nuncio —also emmissary from King John of Portugal.

This turned the trick, Christianity was authorized to be publicly taught and Christ finally was proclaimed in Japan — converts made that sired martyrs and persisted even to modern times, the present Cardinal of Japan being a descendant of the early converts made by Francis.

With inroads made in Japan, he returned to resolve problems of the Jesuits and of the Church and then set out again, this time with the hope of reaching China. There was a colony on Sancian and plans were made and hopes were raised —but fever burned Francis till in utter weakness, he gave his soul to God. It was Saturday, December 3, 1552. He was forty-six years old but spent. He died alone —alone except for a servant and the consolation of brethren or the Last Rites of the Church. But his soul was ready for immediate union with the God he served so well.

HE AND ST. THERESE ARE THE PATRONS OF THE MISSION.

“This was the age of Luther, Calvin and the Renaissance. New ideas were rocking the ancient boat of the Middle Ages and the Church was about torn assunder, then reformed and purified by the Council of Trent. An age much like the modern one after Vatican II”.

Encounter

All Progressive Congress (APC) Edo State Chapter, recently conducted the state congress to elect the state executives that will direct the affairs of the party in the state for the next four years. The congress was well conducted as it was peaceful.

In this chat with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER a chieftain of APC, political analyst, commentator and the co-ordinator of Edo State Progressive Solidarity Forum a social-political pressure group, Mr. Odaro IzeOmoregie said those that were waiting to discredit the process have nothing to hold unto and urge party faithful to continue to support the party as 2016 is a year for APC to produce Oshiomhole’s successor.

He said those that defected from the party to the opposition party will soon come back in the shortest time as APC is a party for development and a party for the future. He spoke on these and other political issues as anchored by FAMOUS IGUISI and RICHARD OKORO EWEKA for your reading delight.

Excerpts: What is your take on the political situation in Edo State?

The political situation in Edo State is stable and fine. The only issue on ground is the defection of some members of All Progressive Congress (APC) to the opposition party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This is not new in politics; and as such it is not really an issue.

Defection is part of politics; politicians are free to move to whatever political party they desire.

But the defection of members from the ruling party to the opposition party will not affect the progress of the party in the state. APC is growing stronger and will remain stronger in the state and resolute to win the 2016 governorship election. The defection is not surprising; those that moved did that on their own political ambition. We should be rest assured that those that left the party are still coming back when the dust has settled and PDP has shown that they are not the party for the future. Don’t be surprise to see a twist shortly. Just imagine that those that left at the moment are already coming back saying that they were not adequately carried along and put into the true picture. People are looking for a place where they will find a greener

pasture instead of the movement for the common good of the people and for the general public. I believe those that left did so for there own personal interest and reasons best known to them and it’s good for the party.

Will this affect the political future of the party in the state?

The political future of APC in Edo state is no way threatened by the defection; in fact it is good for the party. APC is a party that has come to stay in the state, a party to beat in any future elections. The party is founded on the premise of good governance, human capital and infrastructural development, changing the state from the stethoscope of under development in our time to massive development that has benefited the citizens, the state and those that do business with the state.

These are what PDP could not achieve for the state and her citizens in the 8 years they occupy the seat of power in Edo state. It is only in Nigeria that people find it difficult to walk away from what has caused them so much pain, we tolerate so much as a people. We should realise that PDP as a party did not bring the dividends of democracy to the people and throughout the period they ruled the state, the people were at the receiving end with decay infrastructures. The cry

Edo APC’s Future Not Under Threat - Ize-Omoregie

that APC has not done well is uncalled for, I forsee it in PDP that their days are numbered.

Has APC got it right this time with the conduct of the state congress?

They never got it wrong when they conducted both the ward and local government congress in the state. Those that cried and accused the government of picking candidate rather than electing them raised false alarm over what was not the true situation. The state

people. All the congresses were peaceful and members came in their large number to elect their leaders in free and fair elections. Politics is a game of numbers and the candidate with the highest number of votes win. Those that failed to win decided to cause trouble to discredit the credible exercise. In politics and election, all can not be winners, we have winners and losers.

Whatever happens, either you win or lose As a patriotic member of a party, you should stay rather than leave the system. So far the

Mr. Odaro Ize-Omoregie government has always got it right with the conduct of ward, local and state congresses.

Those that cried out accusing the government are not truthful to themselves and have not told their followers the truth as well. Whatever decision they took was for their selfish interest, not for the interest of the

governor of the state has done well in handling the issues raised. Those that don’t believe in the ideology of the party have left the party but those that believe in it are still there.

Those that left did so on their personal reasons than that of the people whose interest they claim to be protecting.

Can APC retain the

“2016 belong to APC; no party can defeat APC in Edo state.

The people can never be deceived again; the governor has proved that Edo can work. The work is there and even the blind can see the good work of the Oshiohmole led administration in the state.”

governorship seat come 2016?

2016 belong to APC; no party can defeat APC in Edo state. The people can never be deceived again; the governor has proved that Edo can work. The work is there and even the blind can see the good work of the Oshiohmole’s led administration in the state. APC has come to stay; it’s a party to beat.

The governor has been phenomenon in his developmental achievement and development in the state.

He has shown that Edo state is not poor as against what the PDP government made us to believe. The foundation has been laid, whoever will take over from the governor can not fool the people because they will asked question about what is done with their resources? They will as well monitor it through whatever means they deem feet and necessary. Who ever will take over from the governor must be someone to be trusted, a person with experience and person that is presently in government who have been studying the leadership style of the Comrade Governor.

Will there be a good successor that will follow the leadership style of Oshiomhole to develop the state?

Certainly yes, the governor has men in his cabinet working with him, he should be careful with sycophancy around him.

The governor’s work is highly appreciated and he came to power with broad based support of the Edo people. In the same way he needs to hand over to someone who will enjoy the same broad base support. This can only be achieved through continually providing good governance to the people of the state. This is the right time for the governor to start the process and culture of grooming qualitative leaders and leadership structure where his successor will build on and continue to develop the state when the governor would have left office.

There is no doubt that we have made series of mistake in selecting successors and leaders in the past in Edo state, but we have reached the stage where we can no longer afford to make such monumental mistakes again that will take us back a hundred years. We believe that Comrade Oshiomhole’s successor should not be outside his immediate members of his kitchen cabinet. I plead with the governor to continue to work closely with the party and the people in ensuring the successor grooming process commence immediately.

The issue of successors have been a problem in Nigeria, will this not happen in Edo state?

I don’t see that happening in Edo state, the Comrade Governor is capable and equal to the task of finding a good successor to take over the leadership of the state and move it to the next level of development. The problem we have in Nigeria is that some people got into leadership position without strategic government experiences.

The powers that be just pick them to occupy seat they don’t merit and this become a problem because they actually contribute nothing to the development of the nation.

But in Edo state such should not be allowed to happen. Whoever will take over from the governor must have the interest of the common man at heart; the person must have the social cultural appeal of the Edo people. The successor must be able to relate well with the people.

The governor has done well and he has set a good standard for his successor to follow, never again will Edo be cheated, never will our treasury be looted, never again will they lie to us that it is impossible for Edo to develop, thanks to the Comrade Governor who has set this all important standard that will serve as a measuring tool for whoever will govern the state come 2016.

Religion

With REV. DR. A. A. OPARA

End Time Christian Mothers

“One generation shall praise Thy works to another and shall declare Thy mighty acts.

Psalm 145:4 Definition of Terms Generation: A generation refers to people that are born about the same time. It also refers to people within a particular population who experience the same significant event within that particular given period of time. Generation could also refer to what we commonly refer to as Age Group. This age group experiences the same social change that will eventually be considered as the dominant feature of their age group.

Usually, the average period considered for a generation is between 25-30 years which is considered as a time a child should grow up, become adult and have children of their own.

Next Next refers to what comes immediately after in order or space or time. It refers to the one immediately following.

Generation Next therefore refers to our children in future that we have to teach all the knowledge of God to affect their social, cultural, religious and academic life so that they can continue in the knowledge of God better than us.

A generation that fails to plan for the next generation is a failure — The Bible says in 1 Tim. 5:8 “if any provide not for his household, he has denied the faith and worse than an infidel.” This includes — the future.

The next generation are the people we will hand over the baton to continue the race.

In the text that we read, God expects us to hand over His praise and His mighty works to the next generation in the Ch so that the knowledge of Him will not go into extinction.

In the Western world, the following generations were marked out from 1883.

1. The Lost Generation These are between 1883 1900. Those who fought the 1st World War 2.

The Greatest Generation -Known as G.1.

Generation. These were veterans who fought World War I and were born between 1901-1924 3. The Silent Generation - Those who were too young to join the World War I born between 1925—1945. The were also born during the Great Depression.

4. The Baby Roomers Generation - Known as the worst generation. They were born between 1946 — 1964, which was marked by increase in birth rates.

By A.K. OJO

5. Generation X — Those born between 1960s - 1980.

Those born after the baby boom. Those born into the computer age.

6. Generation Y - Also called the Millennial Generation. Those born from early 80s —2000.

7. Generation Z is used for those born from the early 2000 to the present day.

If we have to look at this vis-ã-vis, the Bible we see a great impact.

Samson, Barak, Deborah etc. the Book of Judges.

12.

The Prophets Generation. Prophet Eli, Samuel-1 Sam, 1-9.

13. The Kings Generation — Saul, the first King, David and Solomon.

14. The Divided Generation — The split into southern and northern kingdoms in the days of Rehoboarn through the action of Solomon. I Kings 11 —13. Israel versus 15.

The. Idolatry

23. The Reformation Generation. AD1517 — 1648AD — This is where we have the Martin Luther and protestants and the rise of the Church of England when King James assembled scholars who brought out the authentic Bible called King James Bible in 1611 to rescue the Bible from distortion of the Catholic Church. This has helped generations of Christians.

24.

The Revival Generation. 1648 — 1789

1. The Origin Generation — from Adam to the fall.

Gen. 2:4-25 and Gen. 3:1-24 2. The Washed Away Generation - from Noah to the Flood. Gen. 6-10 3.

The Covenant Generation - from Abraham to Isaac. Gen.12-26 4.

The Rehoboth Generation — Isaac. Gen. 26:22 5.

The Favoured Generation - Jacob vs Esau.

Gen. 25 — Gen.32 6. The Coat of Many Colours Generation — Joseph and his brothers. Gen. 37—49 7. The Mixed Generation — Jacob’s curse to his children to the time of slavery in Egypt. Gen. 49, Exodus 14.

8.

The Exodus Generation. Moses and the escape from Egypt - Exodus., Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

9. The Joshua Generation — Deut. 31 — to the book of Joshua.

10. The Lost Generation Joshua appointed no successor, Joshua 24:31 11.

The Judges Generation - Gideon,

Generation — Beginning from Jeroboam - they followed other gods and the next generation suffered - I Kings 12:25-33 16. The Faded Generation Israel faded into Assyria. IL Kings 17:1 — end. Hoshea became the last king of Israel.

722— 721BC 17. The Captive Generation — Daniel, Shedrach, Meshach, Abedncgo. Jer. 39, Daniel I — end. Judah was besieged and captured by Nebuchadnezzar in 587BC. 18.

The Messiah’s Generation — The birth of Jesus and His time - the Synoptic Gospel - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

19. The First Church Generation - 33AD - 7OAD. This is the birth of Christianity – Acts of Apostles to the Book of Revelation.

I will not want to dwell much on what happened after because we had the: 20.

The Catholic Generation. 70AD— 312AD 21. The Roman Empire Generation. 312- 590AD 22. The Middle Age Generation. Where the Catholic began to decline. 590 —1517AD

— when there was a new awakening of Christianity when the Americans were involved.

25.

The Proven Generation. 1789 — 1914 AD — the greatest Christian movement of ages.

26. The Ideological Generation. Where God is challenged by Maxism, Socialism, Communism, Islamism, Globalization and Terrorism. 1914 till now.

In Nigeria However, we have: 1. The Missionary Generation — in the 19th Century, the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1840, the presbyter in 1846. * The Roman Catholic — in 1862 * The Wesleyan Methodist in 1842 etc.

2. The African Church Generation — early 1890s, e.g. the United Native African Church — 1900s.

The African Church 1901, United African Methodist in 1917.

3.

The Prayer

Generation —1923, which brought about prayer groups to counter the influenza disease which broke out and defiled modern medicine Thus: The Faith Tabernacle which later became Apostolic Church, CAC and Aladura Churches were founded.

4. The Pentecostal/ Evangelical Generation followed in the early 1950s because of deviation from the Bible by the Aladura Churches.

We have The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Foursquare Gospel Church in this category.

5. The ‘S.U.’ Generation — This was in the 1970s when everybody who became a Christian was labeled anmeaning Scripture Union.

6. The Born Again Generation - This began in the early 80s in Nigeria and has been on with the Bible and holiness — e.g. RCCG, Deeper Life etc.

The Present Generation The present generation of Christians could be described as: The Hip Hop Generation: They are after music and are largely influenced by the worldly music.

They are the sexually wired generation because of the influence of television, internet and G.S.M., they a exposed to sexually explicit content and are high volatile and susceptible to many things. However, this their knowledge could be used for the Lord.

Planning for the Generation Next The devil we should know

is catching them young and he is always after the godly seed to corrupt — Mal. 2: The plan for the next generation should he from the family.

We should let them know the family values that God want * One man, one wife — Matthew 19:5—6 * No divorce— Mal. 2:1416 * No sex before marriage — Heb. 13:1 — Chastity of the Marital Bed. We shall give account to God if we fail to handover good things — I Cor. 5:10.

Why do we prepare for the good academic future for them and never prepare good spiritual future — godly wise? We should teach and inculcate in them the following: * Be Born Again -John 3:3 * Be holy—l Peter * BegroundedintheWordofGod.llTim.2:15 * FaithinGod-Heb.11:6 * Fellowship within Brethren — Heb. 10:25 * Be prayerful — Phil. 4:6.

The Next Generation should be taught the knowledge of God. They should taught to talk to Cod about everything and everything to God and rely on Him only to answer I Thess. 5:17 * Not marrying an unbeliever –II Cor. 6:14 * Expect the coming of the Lord — I Tim. 4:7-8 The Next Generation should be warned about the anti of the devil not to follow miracles as signs will follow them if they are holy — Mark 16:17 Not to follow after fake pastors arid prophets – Matt.

24:11 Not to follow multitude to do evil — Exodus 23:1 - e.g nude dressing, worldliness, cultism etc. - lJn. 2:15,16.

They should be warned and taught the weapons that the devil uses now to destroy people:* Sex—lCor.6:1S * Homosexuality Romans 1:27-28 * Lesbianism Teach them to wait on God as He will bless them. We should handover the baton of holiness to the next generation because the Jihadists have handed over terrorism to their children to blow up themselves for nothing but God is watching us what we are to ham over.

References: 1. The Holy Bible: King James Version, 1611 2. The Holy Bible, New International Version, Study Bible, 1984 3. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 4. The Holy History in Plain Language - Bruce L Shelley, Wand Publishing, 1915 5. The RCCG Bible College Manuals

International Obama Gives Backing To Ukraine’s WARSAW - U.S. President New President Barack Obama endorsed Ukraine’s president-elect Petro Poroshenko yesterday, offering Kiev financial and security help and saying he was the right choice to lead the country locked in a stand-off with Moscow.

At their first meeting since the billionaire confectionary magnate was elected last month against a backdrop of armed clashes in Ukraine’s east, Obama said he was impressed

by Poroshenko’s vision for pulling his nation out of crisis.

“What Ukrainians said in the elections is that they reject that path. They reject violence,” and want the opportunity to determine their own future, Obama told reporters after meeting Poroshenko in the Polish capital.

“That’s the hope that President Poroshenko represents,” Obama said. “In my discussions with him today it’s clear he understands the hopes and aspirations of the Ukrainian people.”

He said they had discussed Poroshenko’s plans for restoring peace and order in Ukraine and reducing its dependence on Russia for energy. “I have been deeply impressed by his vision,” Obama said.

Speaking after their talks, Poroshenko said he was ready to present a plan for “the peaceful resolution of the situation in the east” very soon after his inauguration on Saturday. He gave no details but he has backed a military crackdown on the rebels.

Known to some Ukrainians as the “chocolate king”, Poroshenko won a May 25 presidential election called after the previous Kremlin-backed head of state, Viktor Yanukovich, fled to Russia in February after an uprising against his rule.

Russia seized control of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, home to Moscow’s Black Sea fleet, and annexed it in March, sparking the most severe eastwest crisis since the end of the Cold War. Poroshenko takes over a country that is deeply troubled.

Armed pro-Russian separatists are battling security forces in the east of the country, Russia is threatening to switch off Ukraine’s gas supplies for nonpayments of debts, and Kiev must conduct painful economic reforms as a condition for Western aid.

Heavy fighting raged in eastern Ukraine yesterday for a third consecutive day, with casualties on both sides. The Ukrainian army pressed an offensive against the separatist stronghold of Slaviansk.

The White House said in a statement that Obama had approved an additional $23 million in defense security assistance to Ukraine since early

March, including $5 million for “the provision of body armor, night vision goggles, and additional communications equipment”.

Obama later delivered a keynote speech in Warsaw’s Castle Square as part of celebrations to mark 25 years since it held its first partially-free election, shaking off decades of Soviet domination and Communist rule.

The U.S. leader drew parallels between Poland’s achievements since then, including its strong economic growth and democratic system, and the prospects for Ukraine under its new leaders.

He also assured east European NATO allies which were once part of the Soviet Union or its Warsaw Pact military bloc that the United States would defend

their territorial integrity.

“Poland will never stand alone.

Estonia will never stand alone.

Latvia will never stand alone.

Lithuania will never stand alone.

Romania will never stand alone,” Obama declared.

Obama will fly to Brussels later in the day to meet leaders of the biggest industrialized nations for a Group of Seven summit from which Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been due to host them in the Olympic city of Sochi, was excluded.

Putin is due to hold separate meetings with Germany’s Angela Merkel, Britain’s David Cameron and France’s Francois Hollande on the sidelines of events in France this week commemorating the 70th anniversary of the World War Two D-Day landings.

TRIPOLI — A Libyan general who has been leading an offensive against Islamists dominating the country’s political scene survived a suicide attack on his residence in the eastern city of Benghazi yesterday, military officials said.

The bomber drove up to the residence of Gen. Khalifa Hifter in Benghazi and detonated his explosives-laden vehicle when guards stopped him at the compound’s gate, the officials said. The site is less than a mile away from Benghazi’s military command in the suburb of alAbyar.

Hifter was unhurt in the explosion, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

He would likely hold a news conference later yesterday, they said.

According to the officials, four people died in the attack, along with the bomber, and at least three were wounded. The Libyan air force’s chief of staff, Saqr alGaroushi, was lightly wounded in the explosion and taken to the Benghazi hospital, the officials said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which bore all the hallmarks of Islamic militants whom Hifter has vowed to crush since launching his offensive last month.

A former army chief under the late dictator Moammar Gadhafi, Hifter and army units loyal to him have been battling Islamist militias, mainly in eastern Libya.

He has rallied support from the country’s weakened military, anti-Islamist politicians, tribes and diplomats, vowing to crush the Islamist militias he blames for Libya’s instability.

Since last weekend, helicopters flown by pilots loyal to Hifter

have bombed Islamist militia camps in Benghazi, the birthplace of the uprising that led to the toppling and killing of Gadhafi in Libya’s 2011 civil war.

The fighting has paralyzed the city, with schools postponing end-of-term exams and hospitals calling for blood donations.

Libya’s Rogue General Survives Suicide Bombing

CHANGE OF NAME

BAZUAYE – I, formerly known and addressed as Bazuaye Osayi Longman now wish to be known as Enatama Iyosayi Green. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

C O N F I R M AT I O N OF NAME I, Ilobhogbe Eghonghon Precious wish to bring for the information of the general public that I am the same person as Ilobhogbe Oghogho and Ilobhogbe Precious as appeared in my various documents. Henceforth, I am now properly known and addressed as Ilobhogbe Eghonghon Precious. All former documents remain valid. Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

AREWO – I, formerly Miss Ofure Omozee Arewo now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs. Blessing Ofure Omozee Osarobo. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

International Features

LAST week Edward Snowden popped up from his exile in Moscow for an exclusive interview with NBC News anchor Brian Williams. Like much of the public narrative that has emerged since Snowden absconded with reams of classified documents from the National Security Agency, the interview further muddied the waters about what his historic leaks have revealed.

Snowden claimed, for example, that “the Constitution of the United States has been violated on a massive scale” and that “the Fourth Amendment as it was written — no longer exists.”

That’s simply not true.

He said the “government” had “gone too far and overreached.” That is true, but not in the way Snowden means. He described how metadata could be used to get a clear picture of someone’s life while failing to provide evidence that the U.S. government is compiling such comprehensive profiles of American citizens without legal permission.

Finally, he asked: If the U.S. government “can’t show a single individual who’s been harmed in any way by this reporting, is it really so grave?”

This was one of the interview’s most unintentionally revealing moments because, while the agency’s domestic data gathering raises serious privacy concerns, Snowden’s question can be turned back on him. Can he point to a single American who’s been harmed by the NSA’s actions?

One of the more striking takeaways from a year of stories about the NSA is that they have turned up no evidence to suggest that Americans’ privacy rights are being systematically violated or that NSA-collected metadata is being used to target political enemies.

None.

Even Glenn Greenwald, the lead reporter for the Guardian newspaper on the NSA leaks

Real NSA Scandal Is Overseas story, has acknowledged as much, noting in a recent NPR interview that there is no evidence that the NSA used “online activities to blackmail people or ruin their reputations, or otherwise coerce and threaten them.”

It is “a scandal in search of a victim,” says Joshua Rovner, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University.

This is one of the great paradoxes of the Snowden story. Public attention has been focused, by and large, on a domestic data-gathering program that is legal, wellregulated and constrained by

integrity,” says Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

But as new safeguards and reforms of domestic data gathering are being debated in Congress, there has been far less conversation about the NSA’s ever-expanding global footprint. By law, the NSA is mandated to gather foreign intelligence, and much of what has been revealed is consistent with the agency’s mission (which is detailed on the NSA’s website).

What is disconcerting, however, is how far the NSA has pushed the envelope. The

perceptions of a surveillance state out of control. In short, the agency and its political bosses must do something that hasn’t been done enough since 9/11 — think not only of the benefits of stopping the next terrorist attack but also of the costs.

When it comes to gathering domestic intelligence, the NSA must follow a very clear set of rules and legal mandates.

But internationally, it can and does operate with far fewer legal constraints and virtually no significant congressional or judicial oversight. In the spying game, any piece of

Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, speaks to NBC News anchor Brian Williams during an NBC exclusive interview.

judicial oversight. While there are legitimate and very real concerns about the potential for NSA abuse, what we’ve learned so far is that no actual abuse is occurring. If anything, the system, by and large, has been shown to work. “What impresses me is that when nobody was watching, the NSA caught big mistakes, reported them and had a significant dialogue with the FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] Court on fixing them. The process is not perfect, but it has

agency remains an essential tool for protecting U.S. national security, but the disclosures of the past year also suggest that its zeal in pursuing its mandate risks undermining the same interests it is seeking to protect. In an era of rising privacy concerns, more frequent and larger leaks of classified material, and diminishing confidence in public institutions, the NSA and its political overseers must do a better job of weighing the need for security versus the growing

“Snowden claimed, for example, that the Constitution of the United States has been violated on a massive scale and that the Fourth Amendment as it was written, no longer exists.That’s simply not true.”

intelligence is considered fair game — and that’s been the agency’s modus operandi.

This has translated into an astounding set of operational capabilities. In the last year we’ve seen revelations about NSA activities that fall into the realm of traditional intelligence gathering, like tapping phones, spying on foreign intelligence services and collaborating with other governments to collect data.

But there are also activities that have raised eyebrows, like the NSA’s efforts to break widely-used Internet encryption standards; plant devices, backdoors and malware from afar on target computers; and develop a broad and sophisticated set of tools that allow it to obtain information from computers, phones and gaming systems.

Some of what we’ve learned is simply mindboggling. Recent revelations indicate that the NSA is recording all the phone records from the Caribbean

island of the Bahamas. That it can collect and store so much data is amazing. What is downright shocking is that it can reportedly download the content of every phone call made on the island and store it for 30 days.

None of this is illegal under U.S. law, but it is demonstrative of the ardor — even brazenness — with which the NSA does its job.

In the post-9/11 world, the NSA has adopted a maximalist position and sought to get its hands on as much data as possible.

In a 2007 speech, thendirector of the CIA (and former head of the NSA) General Michael Hayden boasted that he “had a duty to play aggressively — ‘right up to’ the line. ... I made it clear I would always play in fair territory, but that there would be chalk dust on my cleats.”

Hayden’s words were an indication of how serious many inside the intelligence community perceive threats to the United States to be. But bureaucratic politics figures in here as well. If there is another major terrorist attack, fingers will again be pointed at the intelligence community. Where was the incentive to be anything but as aggressive as possible?

According to Spencer Ackerman, who shared in the Pulitzer Prize won by the Guardian for its coverage of the Snowden leaks, you had a situation post-9/11 in which there is this “enormous bureaucracy, which has long been accessing mainly phone communications, and now all of a sudden there is a broad vista of digital information available to them.” Since “you don’t know what you need, you think ‘let’s get our hands on everything’” and the result is the most “powerful technologyadvanced bureaucracy” in the U.S. government with a broad directive to stop the next attack. “I don’t buy nefarious explanations for what the NSA has done.

There is no mustachetwirling villain [a popular phrase on Team Snowden].

The problems are much more institutional than they are purposeful,” says Ackerman.

This mandate appears to have seeped into everything being done by the NSA — an organization that already had a culture of developing

capabilities because it can, not necessarily because they are needed. The challenge of seeing how the NSA could manipulate the latest digital technology for its own purposes seems to have, in some cases, superseded questions of efficacy.

To be clear, this does not mean that the NSA is an agency that is completely out of control. The lion’s share of Snowden’s revelations describes legitimate intelligence-gathering activities. Moreover, the publication of the specifics of these programs has done significant damage to U.S. national security interests.

There is, “not a single region of the world where U.S. operational capabilities in intelligence gathering have been unaffected,” says a former administration official who is familiar with the leak damage assessments done by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “The impact is off the charts.” The intelligence community is even seeing specific incidents where terrorists have been heard telling each other “we must stop communicating like this,” one senior government official told me.

But at the same time, the leaks have also identified specific examples of an agency that is overreaching and demonstrating a lack of political judgment. We can see this in stories related to U.S. spying on key allies and their leaders (such as Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel), surveillance of foreign companies (like Brazil’s Petrobas and China’s Huawei) and, above all, weakening Internet encryption standards — something that allows the NSA to get information from everywhere but in the long run may put ordinary citizens at greater risk of having their online communication purloined.

This has undermined cooperation between the NSA and the private tech industry and has done serious near-term damage to U.S. relationships with key allies. Public trust in the U.S. government has also been significantly affected, which is driving the push for reform of the NSA at home and harming America’s reputation overseas.

The Gods, Olympus And Valhalla II

THE Greeks, the Romans and the Teutons, for instance, could see still further. Their inner seing reached beyond the world of matter into the Animistic sphere lying above it. In their more advanced development they could finally even see the Lords of the Elementals and of the Elements (Abdeu-shin –in the Light of Truth).

A few mediuustic in individuals among them, by virtue of their ability, could even enjoy a closer relationship with them, because these created beings of the conscious Arimistic sphere have a certain affinity to that animistic substantiality of which man also carries a part with in himself in addition to the spiritual.

Abd-ru-shin says to see, to feel and to hear the elementals was the highest the peoples could achieve in their stage of development at that time. It is only natural that these peoples should then look upon the mighty Lords of the Element, whose activity and nature were so different from their own, as the highest possible, calling them gods and their high impregnable fastnesses, which really exists, olympu and Valhalla.

Any outward expression of the inner seeing and hearing of men is always dependent upon their personal ability to comprehend and to express at the times. Thus, it is that the Greeks, the Romans and the Teutons depicted the same Lords of the Elements and of all that is animistic in form and conception, but always in accordance with the views prevailing in their surroundings. Despite some differences in their descriptions they were the same, however.

If today, for example, five or more really good clairaudients are assembled and all of them simultaneously hear a very definite sentence in the beyond, then only the sense of what they heard will be rencered uniformly but not the actual words. Each will report the words differently,

even in the reception much that is personal makers itself felt. It is the same as with music, which is perceived quite differently by the various listeners, yet recognized as being fundamentally the same. I must only gradually reveal the details regarding the farreaching secondary phenomena in the relation between earth –man and the universe, as today it would divert us too far from the subject under discussion.

Abd-ru-shin opines that when later times called people, that is, those who were most highly developed inwardly (intellectual development does not count in these matters), were able to burst through this boundary of the Animistic sphere as they matured through their experiences, their seeing or perception penetrated to the threshold of the spiritual Realm.

The natural consequence was that they had to dethrone the past gods and replace them with what was higher.

Despite this, however, they unfortunately did not advance so far as to become able to see what is spiritual.

Thus, the spiritual Realm remained closed to them, because the normal course of development was halted at this point, restrained by the ever-increasing growth of intellectual ceonceit.

Only a few exceptions saved themselves from this standstill, such as Buddha and a few others who, by renouncing the world, succeeded in continuing their development in a normal manner and in seeing spiritual to a certain degree.

This renunciation of the world or turning a way from mankind for the purpose of further spiritual development, became necessary only through the onesided training of the intellect, which generally increased its domination more and more and is antagonistic to all that is spiritual. It was a natural

form of self –protection against the increasing spiritual decline, which would not be necessary at all if the general development is normal.

On the contrary, for when a man reaches a certain height

(which had halted and partly retrogressed spiritually) stood only at the open door to the spiritual world, where they could perceive certain things vaguely, but could never see clearly. Yet they distinctly

in his spiritual development he must continue to strong then himself through further activity, otherwise he will become lax, which would quickly put a stop to further advance, standstill would then ensue, speedily followed by retrogression.

Although, the further spiritual development of Buddha and others succeeded only to a certain degree, i.e, it was incomplete, still this greatly increased their remoteness from their fellow men, so that such normally developed human beings came to be regarded as Divine Envoys, whereas what in fact, happened was that only a new conception arose quite naturally through their further spiritual progress.

Those human beings who had risen above the masses

sensed and intuitively perceived a powerful conscious uniform guidance coming from above, from a world into which they were never able to see.

Yielding to this intuition they now, formed the idea of the one invisible further about Him. It is therefore, understandable that they regarded this God, whom they had merely sensed, as the highest spiritual being, because the spiritual region was new to them and they were still standing only on its threshold.

Thus, it was that their new idea of an invisible God was only correct as to the fact, but not as to the conception, for their conception of Him was wrong. The human spiritual has never envisaged the God as He really is. Man thought

“The natural consequence was that they had to dethrone the past gods and replace them with what was higher. Despite this, however, they unfortunately did not advance so far as to become able to see what is spiritual.”

Man And Nature With O.C. MADU 08056379608 of Him merely as the Highest spiritual Being. And this gap in the further development even shows itself today in that many human beings

persistently cling to the idea that they have something in that many human beings persistently cling to the idea that they have something of the same nature as they perceive to be their God’s Abd-ru –shin says the fault lies in the standstill that occurred in the spiritual development. Had this development continued then maturing mankind, during the transition from the old gods of Animistic sphere, would not have thought next of this one God as an Invisible God but would first of all have been able to perceive, Elements called gods, the spiritual primordial Beings who have their seat in the Grail castle, the highest fastness of the spiritual world have again considered these primordial Beings as gods, until they had developed themselves inwardly to such an extent that they would not merely have been able to perceive the primordial I Beings, who are the true images of God, but also, to hear them spiritually through mediators. From these, they would have received

information of the existence outside of cration of the “one supreme God”.

Had their intuitive perception being directed in this manner, they would through further spiritual maturing and development, have finally become capable of joyfully receiving Divine message out of actual Divine sphere from a messenger of God, i.e., form outside of creation and therefore beyond their capacity to see. That would have been the normal way.

As it was, however, Abd-rushin explains that their development came to a halt on the threshold of the spiritual sphere and even declined quickly through the fault of man. Thus, this time came when, as an act of emergency, a strong envoy from God had to be incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth, in order to bring to a humanity still too immatured for it a message from the Divine sphere to help and enhlighten them, so that seekers lacking the necessary maturity could for the time being at least pin their faith in it.

For this reason, the Son of God, who had been sent to the aid of erring mankind, could do nothing more than demand faith and trust in His word. A desperate task. Christ could not say everything He wished to say. Therefore, He did not speak of many things, such as reincarnation and so on. In these matters He was confronted with too great a spiritual immaturity. And He Himself sorrowfully said to His disciples. “ I would say many things unto you, but you would not understand”.

Thus, even His disciples misunderstood Him in many things And if Christ Himself already knew while He was on earth that He was to understood by His disciples it is obvious that later on there arose during the transmission of His word many errors to which, unfortunately, even today man tries to cling tenaciously. Although, Christ demanded only faith in His word on account of the immaturity of that time, yet He requested from those who were of serious volition that their initial faith should also become “alive” with in them.

Beckham Hints At Playing Return David Beckham has hinted he might come out of retirement and start playing football again.

Former captain of England soccer team David Beckham arrives at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing April 21, 2014 The former England captain, who retired last year after a short stint playing in France for Paris Saint Germain, admitted he had “a tough time” after calling a halt to his career.

Appearing on the new BBC documentary David Beckham: Into The Unknown, the 39-year-old said he had gone through “a stage of enjoying the rest” but was now tempted to go back.

He said: “Now I go to watch a basketball game and, when you are watching athletes play at the top of their game, for me it gives me that itch again and I want to be back in the game then and I start thinking to myself ‘Could I play again? Could I go back? Could I come out of retirement and start playing again?’”

Beckham is currently trying to launch his own Major League Soccer team in

Miami and hinted he might turn out for them.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder said: “There’s never been a player-owner but maybe.”

The former footballer travelled 800 miles (1,287km) into the Amazon rainforest for 12 days to make the documentary which goes out at 8.30pm on BBC One next Monday.

He was joined by three friends to fly into Rio de Janeiro and then continue their journey by motorbike, canoe and plane to meet the remote Yanomami tribe and spend the night in their isolated village.

Cazorla Luring Fabregas To Arsenal

Luis Suarez Wants To Be A Role Model David Beckham

Luis Suarez has told Sports Illustrated that he has made a conscious effort this past year to change the public perception of him, with the Uruguay striker keen to be seen as a role model rather than a bad boy.

The 27-year-old’s image attempting to recover from a had reached an all-time low knee injury in time for the last summer, with the striker World Cup. agitating for a move away “I want to change the bad from Liverpool and serving a boy image that has stuck for lengthy ban for biting a bit because I don’t think I Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. am at all how I have been Suarez, though, has portrayed,” Suarez told managed to put the negative Sports Illustrated. “I would headlines behind him, netting like that to change because 31 goals in a remarkable campaign in which he swept up the end-of-season awards.

Furthermore, there has been a vastly improvement in the behaviour of the Uruguay international, currently

it’s awful to hear and read what is said of you.

“On the field, sometimes passion overwhelms you and you do things you regret afterward. At the same time, you have a chance to learn from those things.

“I think I [have] been a role model since last summer; I have been professional, and I have the desire to forge ahead and play well regardless of what is said to

Chelsea Linked With Juergen Damm

Chelsea are interested in signing winger Juergen Damm, Pachuca vicepresident Andres Fassi has told Medio Tiempo.

Fassi claims Chelsea officials could travel to Mexico on Thursday to hold talks about bringing Damm, 21, to Stamford Bridge.

Damm, who holds Mexican/German dual nationality, has been linked with a move to the Premier League before, with the Daily Mail reporting in 2013 he had a trial at Manchester United.

“Yes, there is interest but we have to see how much they are interested,” Fassi told Medio Tiempo.

“In principle we have a sporting plan for Juergen and we hope he stays, but if something comes up from abroad, we have to take it into account and if it’s serious, we have to respond, we will have

news in the next 48 hours.”

He added: “Chelsea are the club interested, but we have to see how much they are interested, we can’t go ahead of ourselves, we have to wait and see.

“When it comes to us, it’s a matter of sporting project.

We want him to stay and we will see how much Chelsea are interested.

“There is a belief they arrive in Mexico on Thursday to talk with us.”

Eden Hazard

Luis Suarez

me.”

Asked if, like former NBA player Charles Barkley once suggested, athletes should not be role models, Suarez said: “Of course they should be. Many times, [athletes’] attitudes are reflected in their performance on the field.

“I’ve had some attitudes on the field that weren’t very good for my image. But those weren’t really me — outside the field, I’m very shy. I realised I had to adjust my attitude on the field, to continue to play well but without the bad attitude.”

Part of that change has seen Suarez make more of an attempt to stay on his feet since moving to the Premier League — not that he thinks his reputation for diving his fair, anyway.

“How many yellow cards do I have for diving? I have a lot of yellow cards in my career, but most are for arguing, for fighting, for giving a kicking — not for diving,’’ he added.

“Sometimes I fall, but it’s to get a penalty because I have been kicked.”

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla would love to see Spanish compatriot Cesc Fabregas rejoin the London side with a return to the Premier League mooted for the Barcelona player.

Fabregas, who came through the Barca youth system but left to join Arsenal at 16 before returning to the Catalans in 2011, has been linked with the FA Cup winners, as well as Chelsea and Manchester United.

“I have read that Cesc could go to Chelsea but I prefer that he comes to Arsenal. He has given a lot to the club and he knows it well,” Cazorla told a news conference on Tuesday in Washington, where the Spain team are finalising their World Cup preparations.

“I hope that he is happy, he chooses his club well and is comfortable there.”

Fabregas has played 151 games for Barca in three seasons, scoring 42 goals, but has grown tired of criticism from fans.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu has publicly said that he is not for sale it is thought that he would welcome the money to bring in new players.

Barca missed out on all three major trophies this season and are ooking to invest, especially in defence.

Cazorla added: “I don’t see any differences between his performances in the Premiership and with Barca.

His record is spectacular at Barcelona and he has demonstrated that he has adapted but they haven’t given him the same value as in England.”

Cesc Fabregas

Hazard Handed Chelsea No 10 ` Shirt Next Season

Chelsea have announced Eden Hazard is to wear the

number 10 shirt next term, effectively scotching media reports that the Belgium World Cup winger could be leaving the club in the close season.

Hazard had been tipped to join team mate David Luiz at Paris St Germain. Terms have been agreed between the clubs and the Brazil World Cup defender is on the brink of completing a move to the Ligue 1 champions.

“I am very pleased to be able to wear the number 10 for Chelsea,” Hazard told the club’s website (www.chelseafc.com) on Tuesday.

“It is my favourite number and is one I am used to wearing for the national team, as well as the one worn by some of my heroes from when I was a kid, like (former France playmaker) Zinedine Zidane.

“I hope it brings me a lot of luck in the future and I look forward to the fans seeing me in it next season,” added Hazard after taking over the number 10 shirt from Juan Mata who was sold to Manchester United in January.

Belgium have been drawn in Group H for the World Cup in Brazil later this month, alongside Algeria, Russia and South Korea.

CMYK

Thiago Silva Denies Ibra Rift hiago Silva denies the suggestion that there is a rift between himself and Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic Thiago Silva has revealed that he avoids riling Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic as he is

aware of how the combustible Swede can explode.

Spanish media claimed last week that Silva, 29, was hoping to leave PSG this summer following a falling out with Ibrahimovic, 32, during a training session.

Thiago Silva

However, in an interview with Placar, the Brazil captain explained the incident during which tempers flared, and added he now understands how to cope with his temperamental team-mate.

“During a training session, Ibra made a mess of five consecutive passes and no-one told him anything.

When I made a mess of one, he shouted at me. We had an exchange of words. After training, he came to apologise, and told me it was the first time in his life that he’d been wrong,” said Silva, who played alongside the Swede at AC Milan for two years before the pair moved to the French capital in 2012.

“We’ve not had any other problems. Our relationship is very good. When Ibra gets annoyed, I prefer not to reply because I know how he can react. I prefer to calmly count to ten.”

Napoli Want Mascherano On Loan

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says he would welcome Javier Mascherano on loan for a season, although he is keeping an eye open for alternatives, saying he will not overpay for Lyon’s Maxime Gonalons.

The Azzurri are set to invest heavily in their squad this summer in preparation for a title tilt next term and De Laurentiis is making no secret of his targets.

Gonalons was on the verge of joining in January, but his transfer fee remains a stumbling block. That too would be an obstacle to signing Mascherano, but De Laurentiis has another plan in mind for the Barcelona midfielder.

“I would have nothing against signing Mascherano, but if the whole deal were to cost us 40 million euros over three years, then I’d have to say no,” De Laurentiis said at a book presentation in Rome on Tuesday.

“But we’ll just have to see — if Mascherano realises that he’s not playing regularly at Barcelona, then I would hold the best cards.

“It’s up to Barca. Either they want him to rot on their bench or they want to send him out on loan for a year, maybe then to return to Barcelona reinvigorated by the marvellous atmosphere here in Naples.”

De Laurentiis is not only looking at the 29-year-old former Liverpool midfielder, however.

He added: “If I say to a film director ‘do you want Brad Pitt for your film?’, he’ll say yes straight away, but maybe I spot a young actor in a TV series, find him the right role and win the jackpot three times because he’s younger, I’ve paid less for him and maybe he would be able to do all the sequels too.”

The club’s pursuit of Gonalons appears trickier, though, with De Laurentiis saying he is no longer on speaking terms with his Lyon counterpart Jean-Michel Aulas.

“They would have to serve Gonalons on a silver platter now,” he said. “Aulas sent me a text message, but I’m not talking to him any more.

“I spoke to him until I was blue in the face last winter. If they want to sell him, then they will have to do so on our conditions, otherwise the player can just stay where he is. His agent’s one of Aulas’ partners so he’s got the club’s interests at heart too.”

De Laurentiis has nevertheless promised new faces at his club this summer, which will be positive news for coach Rafael Benitez who has regularly requested new arrivals.

“I can confirm that we want to make three new signings,” said the Napoli president. “We’re still a work in progress, but we’re putting

our faith and belief in Benitez, who is a great coach who we took a gamble on last summer.”

Barcelona and their former president Sandro Rosell have been called by a judge to give evidence in a court over charges of tax evasion involved in the Neymar transfer.

The club were forced to backtrack having initially said the Brazilian forward arrived at the Nou Camp for 57.1 million euros (£46.5

Barca To Answer Tax Changes Over Neymar Transfer In Court million) after the case was taken to court by a fan seeking to reveal the full figures.

The club then said the deal was nearer to 100 million euros (£81.4 million), and the prosecution case against them refers to unpaid

Neymar

tax on this amount.

Judge Pablo Ruz has called for representatives of the club and Rosell to appear in court on June 13.

They will be asked to “quantify the amount withheld by FC Barcelona for the income payable in relation to the professional athlete Neymar Da Silva Santos for Income Tax of Non-Residents (IRNR) and (regular) income tax”, according to a court order.

The non-payment allegation refers to 2.4m euros (£1.95m) for 2011, 6.7m (£5.5m) euros for 2013, and the possibility of a further 2.6m euros (£2.1m) for 2014.

In February, Barcelona paid an extra 13.5m euros (£11m) to the Spanish treasury after they were charged with tax fraud, restating that they had not committed any offence but that the payment was due to a “possible difference of interpretation” over how much was owed.

Ozil Can Compete With Ronaldo

Marco Reus believes Germany teammate Mesut Ozil has the quality required to compete with Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or. Ozil, who left Real of doing so.

Madrid for Arsenal last “For Ozil’s part, he summer, made the 23-man certainly has the class to shortlist for the 2013 award compete with Ronaldo,” but had not been a serious Reus told Sport Bild. contender for the prize, Ozil’s prospects of which Ronaldo claimed winning the 2014 award ahead of Lionel Messi and currently appear remote after Franck Ribery. a difficult second half of the However, the 25-year- season with Arsenal and old recently underlined his persistent questions being desire to be crowned the raised as to his role with world’s best player, and Germany.

Reus believes he is capable There have been calls for

Lazio Close To Basta Capture

Lazio are reported as in advanced negotiations with Udinese for the transfer of winger Dusan Basta.

Lazio’s Senad Lulic (R) and Udinese’s Dusan Basta fight for the ball during their Italian Serie A soccer match at the Olympic stadium in Rome August 25, 2013 (Reuters) Sky Sport Italia report that the Serbia-capped 29year-old is just ‘a step away’ from a move to the Olimpico, to end six years on the books at the Zebrette.

It is understood that Basta’s move may be included in the two clubs’

continued negotiations for full ownership of Antonio Candreva, with both players falling under the same representation.

Sky believe that an economic agreement between the clubs for Basta is reached and that only contractual terms between player and Lazio must now be reached.

H o w e v e r , Lalaziosiamonoi.it believe that the Aquile are yet to agree a fee with Udinese for Basta, but that figures are close to the Udine outfit claim they value him at +7m (£5.7m).

Reus to take the Arsenal man’s place in the centre for Die Nationalmannschaft but the Borussia Dortmund star insists he is happy to remain out wide.

“I have played the World Cup qualifiers on the left wing, and that position suits me fine,” Reus said. “The Bundestrainer [Joachim Loew] also knows that I can play in the middle, on the right wing and in attack. I don’t care which position I play. My goal is to play at the World Cup.” On Sunday, during Germany’s 2-2 draw with Cameroon, fans at the Borussia Park in Moenchengladbach whistled Ozil when he was substituted in the 64th minute.

Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng defended the midfielder, and head coach Loew said that Ozil “did not have his best day” but that the world “will see a strong Mesut at the World Cup.” Former Germany captain Michael Ballack, though, is unsure what to expect from Ozil in Brazil this summer.

“It’s difficult to say where his head is going to be

at the World Cup — I saw him play for the national team at the weekend and I was not surprised, not scared, but a little bit concerned, by his performances actually,” Ballack said, according to the Daily Mirror.

“He has done well for Germany, and he played well during the qualifying campaign, but in the last few months - since his move to Arsenal - he has not been the same player, in terms of his confidence, that we used to see in the national team.”

Loew recently said that Ozil should improve his body language and Ballack agrees with the national coach.

“He is not a leader on the pitch, like a captain,” the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea star said. “People expect so much of him, but he can improve his body language massively because he is now at an age where he is no longer a young talent or a promising player.

“As one of our best players he has to take more responsibility, and we expect more from him at the moment. Hopefully, when the World Cup starts, we will see a different player.”

2014 FIFA World Cup Count Down FOOTBALL greats Ronaldo, Pele, Maradona, Matthaeus, Maldini... and Whiteside have something in common - they are all World Cup record holders.

Number of goals scored at one World Cup finals Just Fontaine (France), 13 goals in 1958 Every four years, the same question is asked: will this be the tournament when Just Fontaine’s incredible record of 13 goals scored will be beaten? Every World Cup since 1958 the answer has been the same: no.

And the signs are that that will continue to be the case, as more sophisticated defensive philosophies and less rank outsiders have led to tighter scorelines in general since those early days of the tournament. Perhaps only a freak in the mould of a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Lionel Messi is now capable of toppling Fontaine’s benchmark.

Total number of goals scored Ronaldo (Brazil), 15 goals from 1998 to 2006 A goal in the fifth minute against Ghana in 2006 secured Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima’s place in the pantheon of football as he surpassed Gerd Mueller’s previous mark of 14 to become the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history. Yet unlike Fontaine’s record, that of Ronaldo’s is under threat: Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who drew level with Mueller in South Africa in 2010, has been selected in Joachim Loew’s provisional squad for this summer’s tournament in Brazil.

Ronaldoblog Number of matches at the finals Lothar Matthaeus (West Germany/Germany), 25 matches from 1982 to 1998 To play in 25 matches in a competition that only takes place every four years is a remarkable achievement and a fine example of extraordinary longevity in the game. Yet that is what Lothar Matthaeus realised in a World Cup career spanning 16 years, five tournaments and the reunification of a nation, testament not only to his own personal ability to remain at the top of his game for so long, but also to his team’s perennial success on the biggest stage.

Number of tournaments appeared at Antonio Carbajal (Mexico), five from 1950 to 1966 Lothar Matthaeus (West Germany/Germany), five from 1982 to 1998 Perhaps it is no surprise that Matthaeus is joined by a goalkeeper, Mexico’s Antonio Carbajal, in having featured at five separate tournaments, given that keepers’ careers can generally span longer than those of outfield players. With that in mind, Matthaeus’ achievement seems even more impressive.

Number of finals played in Cafu (Brazil), three from 1994 to 2002 If every little boy’s dream is to play in a World Cup final, then Cafu better pinch himself. Three times the Brazil defender has contested the title match, twice coming away a World Cup winner. It’s a quite amazing individual record for the always-reliable right-back, and one that will take some player and team to repeat.

Number of matches captained at the finals Diego Maradona (Argentina), 16 from 1986 to 1994 Over four tournaments, Diego Maradona made his mark on World Cup history in many ways, but one detail of the diminutive genius is overlooked: he captained Argentina in three editions. He wore the

Roger Milla against England in 1990 World Cup

11 Remarkable World Cup Records

armband seven times in 1986, seven more in 1990 and another two in 1994 before the drug testers caught up with him and sent him back home. A true leader, both on and off the field of play.

Number of minutes played in the World Cup finals Paolo Maldini (Italy), 2,150 minutes from 1990 to 2002 Despite having featured in two matches fewer than Matthaeus, Italy’s defensive master Paolo Maldini spent 102 minutes more on the field of play than the German during the four World Cups he disputed between 1990 and 2002. Sadly for the AC Milan player - he was a one-club man throughout his 24-year career - he retired from the international scene without a trophy to show for all that time invested.

Number of titles Pele (Brazil), three from 1958 to 1970 Pele isn’t the king of the World Cup for nothing: from the tender age of 17 the Brazilian legend lit up the tournament with his own unique blend of technique, speed, opportunism, intelligence and vision.

He backed up those personal attributes with a record haul of three trophies, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, becoming the youngest player to win a World Cup in that first one, a record that still stands today. Pele is truly O Rei. Youngest player to appear in the finals Norman Whiteside (Northern Ireland), 17 years and 42 days Pele might be the youngest player to have won a World Cup, but he is not the youngest to appeared at a finals. That honour belongs to Norman Whiteside who, having just turned 17, travelled to Spain with the

Northern Ireland squad for the 1982 edition of the tournament. In Zaragoza on June 17, the Manchester United midfielder made history, making his debut for his country against Yugoslavia on the biggest stage.

At the time, Whiteside had just two club appearances, and a goal, to his name.

Number of appearances by a team at the finals Brazil, 20 from 1930 to 2014 Think the World Cup finals, think Brazil. The football-mad South American nation is a Pele leap above the rest of the world in terms of number of appearances at the planet’s greatest sporting event.

From Preguinho, the side’s captain in 1930, through to Neymar, on whose shoulders a nation’s hopes rest in 2014, via Leonidas, Ademir, Gilmar, Pele, Garrincha, Rivelino, Zico, Socrates, Bebeto, Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, the Selecao have never missed an edition of the World Cup. Brazil, which will again host the tournament this summer, simply cannot be separated from the fabulous history of World Cup football.

Oldest goalscorer at the finals Roger Milla (Cameroon), 42 years and 39 days Officially, Cameroon striker Roger Milla was 42 years and 39 days old when he walked onto the pitch at Stanford Stadium in the US on June 28, 1994. When he went on to score against Russia in a 6-1 defeat, that was enough to claim the record as the oldest player to have found the back of the net at the World Cup finals. That some sceptics question Milla’s true age, claiming that he is indeed older than advertised, would only lend more worth to his efforts.

2014 FIFA World Cup Count Down

Brazil’s Scolari ‘Demanding More’ Ahead Of World Cup

Brazil turned on an impressive second half performance in their drubbing of Panama but have a way to go before they are ready for their World Cup opener, according to manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Brazil struggled in the to talk him up.”

Brazil’s players react to early minutes of their penultimate friendly until a their impressive friendly win goal from Neymar in the 27th over Panama.

Neymar was injured minute and another from Dani Alves 13 minutes set them on their way.

Hulk scored his team’s third within seconds of the restart and substitute Willian concluded the scoring during a 4-0 win that Brazil dominated.

“We still have a week and a half left,” Scolari, referring to Brazil’s World Cup opener, said after the match. “There’s a good way to go. But keep calm, we’ll get there. Today was reasonably better but I am still demanding more.

“We had problems with the transition,” Scolari added.

“It was off in the first 20 minutes of the match and things could have been different against a better team.

“If I had to choose one half it would be the second in which we showed more movement, better possession and more agility. I liked the end of the first half and the whole of the second.”

Scolari praised Neymar, one of the day’s outstanding performers. In addition to Neymar celebrates scoring the game’s first goal, the 22-year-old Barcelona striker had a hand in two more and was at the fulcrum Owners of sports shops at the of Brazil’s play all afternoon.

“Neymar is an athlete National Stadium, Lagos, on who does something different Tuesday said that there had every day,” said Scolari. “He been an upswing in patronage improvises well, he is quick, of the Super Eagles’ jersey agile and any coach is going ahead of the World Cup.

twice this season, his first in Europe, and Scolari said he would play him in Friday’s friendly against Serbia to get him back into form.

The Panamanian players

sought out Neymar after the final whistle for souvenir photographs but when the ball was in play they did not spare him and Scolari warned his young star he

cannot get caught up in incidents.

“We’re working on that aspect,” he said. “If the opposition provokes him he can’t react, the one that has to take action is the referee.”

Neymar brushed off the provocations and said he was

ready to lead Brazil and deal with the weight of expectations.

“I’ve been under pressure since I was a kid,” he said. “I am ready for it.”

Brazil open the World Cup, the first to be played in Brazil since 1950, against Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12.

Sales of Eagles Jersey On Upswing In separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos the traders said that the increase in the demand for the jersey had not affected the costs.

A Sales officer at VCN

NFA Hails Keshi’s Final 23-Man THE Nigeria Football invited 30 players had List Association (NFA) on displayed skillful Tuesday in Abuja commended Stephen Keshi, the Super Eagles Head Coach, for his selection of final 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup. Mike Umeh, the first Vice Chairman of the NFA, told newsmen in Abuja that the football house was not surprised at the list because of the pedigree of Keshi who was always eager to achieve good result.

“We are not surprised about this team list; we expected it. We have to congratulate Keshi because it’s not easy to draw such a list out of the 30 boys he is having in his camp.

“So, we have to

congratulate those who made it. Those who didn’t make it, let them wait for their turn because there is a football revolution in Nigeria.

“By the time they finish this one month tournament we have to start preparation for the African Cup of Nations which is coming up in Morocco.

“Thereafter, there are many tournaments we are going in for, so there is no problem; those dropped and those playing, we can only support,’’ Umeh said.

Musa Amadu, the Secretary-General of the NFA also praised Keshi for surmounting the pressure of selection especially when the

performances.

“I have nothing to say other than kudos for the coach for coming up with the 23-man list.

“I am sure he was under immense pressure particularly given the level of eagerness of all the players to make the squad for the Brazil 2014 World Cup. “I am confident that these are players he has chosen that will do Nigeria proud in Brazil; so, I am quite confident that he has mixed experience with a lot of youth and enthusiasm.

“I am quite sure that the boys are patriotic enough to go and do the job in Brazil,’’ Amadu said.

Sports Plaza, Chinenye Obi, said that with the World Cup her shop had experienced 95 per cent rise in the demand for the national team’s jersey.

“The demand for the Super Eagles’ jersey went up as the World Cup approaches.

“It has been basically Nigerians not based in the country who have been demanding for the jerseys,’’ she said.

Another saleswoman at Masev Sports plaza, Peace Ekpemadu, told NAN that the demand was basically for the jersey itself and not the shorts.

According to her, it is the new jersey that we have in stock.

“We have the new jersey and the demand for it has been tremendous, especially recently,’’ Ekpemadu said.

Another Sales official at Zicotex Nigeria Ltd., Roseline Isaac, said the shop had ran out of stock of the Super Eagles’ jersey due to the high demand.

“Presently, we do not have any because they have all been bought and it has not really affected the prize of

the jersey.

“A quality Super Eagle’s jersey goes for about N3,500 to N5,000, while a complete jersey can be sold between N7,500 and N10,000,’’ she said.

Ekene Ndubueze of Hot Sporting Plaza told newsmen that the Eagles’ jersey had been sustaining sales in his shop.

The 2014 World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 12 in Brazil.

Super Eagles, Greece Drawn Barren

Greece and Nigeria battled to a scoreless draw on Tuesday in Philadelphia in an international friendly match which served as a 2014 FIFA World Cup warm-up for both teams.

Greece had their fair share of chances early, but couldn’t get past Nigeria’s goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who made a superb double save on Georgios Samaras and Dimitris Salpingidis.

Greece had the majority of the opportunities in the first half as well, with Lazaros Christodoulopoulos firing a 30-yard rocket which just went high in the 21st minute.

Ioannis Fetfatzidis was also turned away in the 28th minute by Enyeama.

Early in the second half, Nigeria picked up their attack with the vibrant Victor Moses

dictating the pace, but his runs from the left wing came to nothing.

In the 90th minute, Moses belted a shot from just outside the box that went wide.

Nigeria were coming off a 2-2 draw with Scotland in a friendly in London on May 28.

The African champions will now meet the U.S. in Jacksonville, Florida, in another friendly on Saturday.

They will kick off their 2014 World Cup games in Brazil against Iran on June 16 in Curitiba, before facing Argentina and BosniaHerzegovina in Group F. Greece will play Bolivia in Harrison, New Jersey, on Friday before heading for their base camp in Brazil at Aracaju.

CMYK

In The De-worming Of Edo State APC (2) SAINT Thomas: Occupy till I come.

Decampees: OK Boss but you must continue to do all the collateral damage from within so that the party shall be totally decapitated by the time you leave.

BASED on this covenant, Saint Thomas is carrying on like a big bull in a China Shop. He is working to specification. He has just installed a partially moribund State Executive for the party through his diabolical impositions and interference.

By far the most celebrated decampees are the four legislators.

Their calculations make sound economic sense. These are people who will expire with their tenures. Truly, how many of them stand any chance of winning nomination to re-contest any position? The answer is zero point naught (0.0).

In a situation of that nature, why don’t they grab the purchase price and vamoose from the APC? Any investment on these decampees is like time spent in sleeping with a barren woman. They have no added value and there is the growing disenchantment among the original PDP members that these interlopers are coming to push them out of their houses and take over the masters’ bedrooms. They will soon explode!

100,000 people in one room! There is a lot of rabble-rousing in Edo South. We shall soon see how the decamping merchants expose themselves with their cheap lies.

We are made to understand that the

decamping enterprise has suddenly become highly capital-intensive.

Chief Solomon Edebiri is perhaps right that the population that followed him at defection was 100,000.

Chief must have been very active in the “Renta-crowd” market. We

from the APC affect the fortunes of the party?

So quickly, he is stepping down the political transformer. We hear he has littered the entire PDP Secretariat with his posters. He wants to go to the Senate, even where those ebullient PDP politicians have their

the Secretary to Edo State Government under Governor Lucky Igbinedion. Clearly, he could not have been the Secretary of a PDP Administration and at the same time a member of an opposition party in the same State.

As a matter of fact, Ize-

eyes on the same position. He must be another “mune mune joker”. One of them was caught thinking aloud the other day when he said that this man should go and seek relevance at the Ward level. Certainly, IsiSouth PDP does not forbid having a good Publicity Secretary in the Ward Executive.

Enter Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, et al: We have waited in vain for this Man of God to say he has been severally misrepresented by those who say he is a founding member of the APC in its original form.

The claim would be as unpastoral as it is fraudulent. Pastor was

Iyamu was a ranking member of the group that dubbed our party at the time, AC, “An AC without compressor”. As the “AC without compressor” became attractive, he and his co-travellers jumped into the band-wagon, after 29 May 2007, apparently with the sole

Chief Dan Orbih

hear that the going rate per day is N1000. By simple mathematics, Chief must have invested N100 million on his “followers” on the decamping day.

Yet, it sounds absolutely ludicrous that as a gubernational candidate in the immediate past election, Chief scored less than 3,000 votes statewide.

And he has forgotten that he has never really been in the APC train and not even a single vote from his “millions” of supporters has ever entered into the ACN/ APC victories. Where then is the support and how does his empty exit

aim of becoming the Edo State Governor after Adams Oshiomhole. He came with this mindset.

As soon as signs began to emerge that the gubernatorial ambition was not immediately attainable, they must collapse the party and return to base. That’s what is now playing out.

It is instructive that all along, many of the Pastor’s converts did not genuinely depart from the PDP. In the main, they were political jobbers who feigned one annoyance or another immediately before every election, for which they were settled on both sides, after which they still voted PDP, only to pretend to return to the party after the election.

In essence, their pretentious departure from the APC has removed nothing from APC, and has also added nothing to the PDP. After all, that’s where they have always been!

What goes around comes around. We have always believed in the aphorism that failing to plan is planning to fail. As usual, the game has started in earnest. The APC is busy planning how to better the lot of Edo people and how to organize purposeful and issue-driven campaigns for the forth-coming elections; while the PDP is busy celebrating empty defections. They will suddenly wake up and

want to win the elections, oblivious of the fact that the electorate in this part of the world is highly enlightened. They are no longer exited at the prospect of APC members who are replicating their defections with the busybody state leadership of the PDP following the decampees to perform the same pseudo-rituals at the Ward, Local Government and State levels, as if they are different defections.

Mr. Dan Orbih is boring the people stiff with his new job. Some of the defectors are no longer worth their purchase price. In a short spell, they have moved round all the political formations and for some, this is about their fourth movement in and out of the PDP. Their memories fail them. They are returning to the PDP with the same oft-abused reason for which they left in the first place – “lack of internal democracy”.

For all we know, by the time a man makes himself a purchasable commodity, he becomes an article of trade, like salt and pepper. If the market price falls, he falls along; and when the stock market fails, he fails along. He then becomes repugnant to genuine people. That is the fate of professional decampees.

Edolites are too seriousminded to be moved by their antics!

“Any investment on these decampees is like time spent in sleeping with a barren woman. They have no added value and there is the growing disenchantment among the original PDP members that these interlopers are coming to push them out of their houses and take over the masters’ bedrooms. They will soon explode!”

Printed and published by Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, 24, Airport Road, P.M.B. 1334 Benin City. Telephone; Lagos: 01 4930929, Benin: 052 257492, 257531 Editor. BARR. SOLOMON IMOHIOSEN (KSJI)-(07030699646). Deputy General Manager (Marketing) (08023457566), Assistant General Manager (Advertisement) (08023808856) Lagos Office: 25A Alli Street, Off Tinubu Square, Lagos Island, Lagos. Abuja Office: Floor 1, Edo House, 75 Ralph Shodeinde Street, Central Business District, Abuja. Tel/Fax: 09-5237631.