THE NIGERIAN
The Nigerian
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PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 38 • NO. 347 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2 013 • N100.00 NUTRITIONAL HEALTH AND DIETETICS
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The deadly diseases of civilization
DRUMBEATS Page 19
Power of focus
Anglican Bishop tasks FG on security
OWERRI - The Bishop of Egbu Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Okorafor, yesterday advised Nigerians to be more security conscious as the year draws to a close. Okorafor made the call in his address to the Third Session of the Sixth
Synod of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, at St. John’s Anglican Church, Ihiagwa, Imo State,. The theme of the synod is “My Grace is
sufficient for you’’. The bishop urged the Federal Government to beef up security in the country, adding that all citizens should be alert as the Boko Haram threat
had become a “hydraheaded monster”. “The Federal Government should not relent and the Joint Task Force (JTF) should be more vigilant, to avoid being caught unawares. “Security alertness Continues on page 2
effort will be spared” to halt the embarrassing drift in the education sector, saying “I am upbeat that this strike will be called off this week.” Meanwhile, ASUU yesterday warned that the threat of forceful re-
opening of universities by the Federal Government will not end the present strike. The union in a statement by the Secretary of the University of Ibadan (UI) chapter, Dr. Ayo Deji Omole, cautioned
ASUU, Jonathan meet to end strike By TUNDE EIGBIREMOLEN
ABUJA – Strong indications emerged yesterday, that the four-month old strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) would soon be called off, following a crucial solution-finding meeting between President Jonathan and the University Lecturers. A close source at the months ago, began at Federal Ministry of about 2:30pm and Education who spoke on observed a 15-minute condition of anonymity break at 6:30pm. As at disclosed to newsmen press time, the meeting that plans have been was said to be on-going. Asked if the President concluded to get the striking lecturers back to would make new offers aside the N30 bn for class-rooms. The meeting, which is enhanced allowances the first between and the N200bn to bridge President Jonathan and social-infrastructural gap the ASUU officials, since in federal universities, the it commenced four- source said “no legitimate
President Jonathan to toll the path of honour by implementing the agreement reached with ASUU in 2009. He maintained that the planned forceful reopening of the Universities would be the
highest form of authoritarianism which would deepen the present crisis in the education sector. Omole added that the step would also portray the federal government Continues on page 2
Govt sponsorship of pilgrimage, unconstitutional sponsorship of ABAKALIKI pilgrimages was Governor Martin Elechi of - Elechi desirable because the Ebonyi yesterday said that the government’s sponsorship of religious pilgrimages was a fundamental breach of the nation’s constitution. The Governor said this in Abakaliki, while addressing the 369 intending Christian pilgrims from the State, who were travelling to Israel for this year ’s pilgrimage. He said that the sponsorship of such programmes was
tantamount to the use of public funds to satisfy the wishes of a small section of the population. “The majority of our people are pagans; so, we, Christians and Muslims, are using our educational status to satisfy our own interests. “If this pilgrimage issue is put into vote, one would discover that we would be the losers,” he said. Elechi, however, noted that if viewed from another angle,
TIT BIT “If the job you are currently doing has nothing to do with the welfare of others; you are yet to find a honourable job.” - Kingsley-Ogbeide-Ihama
religious programme was aimed at transforming the lives of the people to serve the society better. “When we go there to renounce our sins, pray for change from our bad ways and then return home to practice all we have learnt, the funds spent on sponsoring the pilgrimage would be Continues on page 2
MEETING: L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan; Vice President Namadi Sambo, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Vice President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi and the ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge during a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday.
Excess crude funds:
ABUJA - Senate Committee on Appropriation and the Minister of Finance yesterday disagreed over the whereabouts of $1.03 billion Excess Crude
Funds. The disagreement followed the disclosure by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi OkonjoIweala that the balance in the Excess Crude
TARABA The Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa is died.
He died of an undisclosed ailment yesterday morning, at the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo in the state
By JOSES SEDE
Senate, Okonjo-Iweala disagree
Account amounted to $4.3 billion. The minister did not however state the total
accrual to the account at a Joint Senate Committee of Finance and Appropriation meeting on the 2013
capital. Tsokwa reportedly took ill last Thursday and was rushed to the hospital. The late Speaker, who
was a staunch supporter of the acting state governor, Garuba Umar, in the on-going battle for Continues on page 2
Taraba Speaker, Tsokwa is dead
budget and Federal Government revenuegenerating agencies. A member of the committee, Senator Ita Enang, who was apparently unimpressed by the minister ’s disclosure noted that records available to the committee showed the total inflow into the Escrow account was $14.06 billion while the total outflow from the account was $9 billion. Continues on page 2
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News
Anglican Bishop tasks FG on security
Continued from page 1
should be beefed up as they (Boko Haram) employ every tool at their disposal including disguising as fruit sellers and military officers to foist terror on Nigerians.” Okorafor implored the
government to tackle the sources of those uniforms and bring the culprits to book. The bishop also warned politicians to be civilised and
reasonable in their actions and ambitions. “Ambition is human; it is natural but inordinate ambition
Excess crude funds: Senate, Okonjo-Iweala disagree
Continued from page 1
Enang said that he left a balance of $5.06 billion. The minister did not counter the figures released by Enang but insisted that the balance in the Escrow account is $4.03 billion. Enang had demanded from the minister how much the
country has in the Escrow account, how much is paid into the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) and what the Escrow account is used for. Okonjo-Iweala said that the balance in the Escrow account stood at $4.3 billion.
Taraba Speaker, Tsokwa is dead Continued from page 1 the state, escaped death on September 19, following an ambush by unknown gunmen, along the Jos-Abuja road. Although he escaped the ambush unhurt, some of the policemen travelling with him sustained gunshot wounds. The governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, has commiserated with the family of the Late Speaker describing his death as a loss, not just to the state, but to Nigerian democracy. A statement by the office of the governor lamented that the speaker died at a time when Taraba State was confronted with mild political
crisis expected in a vibrant democracy such as that of the state. “A Politician of considerable standing, Hon. Tsokwa represented Takum 1 constituency in the state House of Assembly since 2007 and has performed creditably well,” the statement read. The Statement issued by the state’s spokesman, Hassan Mijinyawa, pointed out that late Hon. Tsokwa would be remembered for his ability to stand firm by any cause he believed in and his contributions to the democratic experience in Taraba State.
Cholera outbreak: Wateraid to partner Plateau
JOS - WaterAid Nigeria, a community -based nongovernmental organisation, is to partner with the Plateau Government to find a lasting solution to the cholera outbreak in the State. The cholera outbreak in Namu Community in Quan’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau has claimed nine lives. Several persons have also been hospitalised due to the outbreak. The Programme Coordinator of WaterAid, Mrs. Vou Shem, gave the assurance of the partnership on Monday in Jos at a stakeholders’ meeting. Shem said that WaterAid’s core mandate was sanitation and water supply, and promised to partner with State Government to provide clean water to the affected community. According to the programme coordinator, WaterAid has visited the community, assessed the situation and discovered that lack of clean water and poor sanitation are the major causes of the epidemic. “We are here to find out from the State Government the areas it wants us to assist in addressing the issue,’’ she said. Mr. Idi Waziri, Plateau Commissioner of Water Resources, who presided over the meeting, said that the State Government had taken
various steps to address the situation. “The Government has rehabilitated some of the broken down boreholes in the community and is still working on repairing all boreholes as an interim measure. “A more permanent solution to the water problem of the community is to build a treatment plant and reticulate water to the community. “This is the area we want you to partner with us because we believe that if that is done, the water problem in Namu will be addressed permanently,’’ he said. Alhaji Alhassan Barde, Executive Secretary, Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, said that the agency, in collaboration with some other organisations, had provided temporary solutions to the epidemic. According to Barde, the agency got water tankers from Shendam Local Government Secretariat, army barracks in Shendam and Catholic Diocese of Shendam to supply water to Namu. “We also took more than 150 bags of sachet water to people in the community,’’ he added. Reports state that the meeting was attended by representatives of the Plateau Ministries of Health, Environment and Water Resources as well as representatives of relevant agencies.
She also told the committee that Escrow account is primarily used for payment of oil subsidy for the country. The funds, she added, “goes in and comes out almost immediately.” The minister said, “Excess Crude Account is a federation account matter. It belongs to all tiers of government. When we pay subsidy, it belongs to all tiers of government. So, the Federal Government, States and Local Governments are all partakers.” On the status of the SWF, she noted that “the SWF has $1 billion. She added that “there have not been further payments into the SWF as far as I know.” The minister noted that though there are leakages in the economy, government had launched actions to block the leakages.
is dangerous; it can lead to a lot of evil. “There is nothing wrong in politicians strategising their plans positively to win elections; “It is bad when they embark on insinuations, unguarded utterances and threats to heat up the polity. “Our politicians should realise that any position they occupy today is transient. “Nigeria and its indivisibility are above any inordinate ambition; We encourage those Christians who are interested in politics to join with the aim of sanitising the system and not to spoil it.” The bishop, who also spoke on other national issues, urged Nigerians to return to agriculture and reduce the dependence on oil, describing it as “unacceptable”. Furthermore, Okorafor called for an end to the ongoing ASUU-Federal Government face-off. He called for an immediate end to the incessant strikes in all public institutions, saying that such actions had resulted to an increase in social vices such as armed robbery, prostitution, kidnapping, and rape.
Govt sponsorship of pilgrimage
Continued from page 1 justified. “We do not imbibe the attitudinal change tenets that are preached here everyday but the pilgrimage is, therefore, expected to make the necessary difference in our lives,” he said. The Governor, nonetheless, warned the prospective pilgrims that they might be disillusioned on arrival in Israel, as there were no significant differences between the country’s environment and that of other places they might have visited. “There is not much difference in the buildings, roads, industries, lifestyles of the Israelis, among others, but the experience would surely reaffirm your faith and belief in God. “Most of the historical sites you have dreamt for long to see are no longer in their original forms, as
they have undergone several renovations with modern architectural designs,” he stressed. Elechi charged the intending pilgrims to pray for the peace, progress and unity of the State and Country. Rev. Fr Vincent Odom, the Chairman of the State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, thanked the Governor for consistently demonstrating his commitment to the cause of Christianity in the State. He noted that the State Government had continued to sponsor pilgrims to the Holy land in spite of the other needs of the people, which the Government was striving to provide. “I want to inform you that all arrangements to ensure a smooth and successful pilgrimage have been concluded,” Odom said, pledging that “we will be good ambassadors of the State and Country.’’
ASUU, Jonathan meet to end strike Continued from page 1 as anti-democratic. He said while the union welcome the decision of ASUU for a meeting, it would be unacceptable to members of the union, if government failed to come out with a clear agenda for implementing the 2009 agreement reached. The ASUU scribe called on President Jonathan to set good example and be guided by the principles of honoring agreement, justice and industrial
harmony. Reports indicate that following President Jonathan’s personal intervention, the strike may be called off anytime this week. In attendance with the President at the meeting were the Vice-President, Namadi Sambo, the Secretary to the Federal Government, (SGF) Senator Pius Anyim, the Supervising Minister of Education, Nysom Wike and other top officials in the Presidency.
EDHA wants FG to make Obadan Health Centre functional By KEN ABU BENIN CITY - Edo State House of Assembly has adopted a resolution calling on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency open and manage the Obadan Comprehensive Health Centre at Uhunmwode Local Government Area in the State in the interest of the people of Obadan and Uhunmwode Local Government Area. The resolution also urged the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of University of Benin, and the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) through its department of Community Health Services to urgently take-over and manage the Obadan Comprehensive Health Centre for the purpose of training medical students and render medical services to the people of Obadan and Uhunmwode. The adoption of the resolution is sequel to the consideration of a motion calling for the Opening of Obadan Comprehensive Health Centre by the Federal Government and its take-over by authorities of UNIBEN and UBTH brought to the floor of the House by Hon. Elizabeth Ativie, the member representing Uhunmwode Constituency under matters of urgent public importance. Presenting the motion, Hon. Elizabeth Ativie described as unfortunate a situation where the well-equipped Obadan Comprehensive Health Centre built by the Federal Government has been lockedup without making use of it, stressing that Uhunmwode is the only Local Government Area in Edo State without a General Hospital, hence, adequate measures should be put in place to make judicious use of the health facilities at Obadan. She lamented the poor state of the place to its utilization and advocated for the conversion of the centre to an Outreach Medical Centre while urging the authorities of the University of Benin to make use of it as a training centre for students. On his part, the Deputy Speaker Hon. Festus Ebea urged the Federal Government to open the Health Centre and
send personnel, to it in order to meet the purpose of its establishment, noting that it is the duty of government to provide Health Facilities for the people. Other Lawmakers whom include Honourable Philip Shaibu, Foly Ogedengbe, Johnson Oghuma, Kingsley Ehigiamusor and Bamidele Olorotunba frowned at the Abandonment of the Health Centre which in their views would have served the Health needs of the people of the area and its environs and therefore sued for the immediate opening of the Health Facility for the benefit of the people. They urged the Lawmakers representing the constituency at the National Assembly to move a similar motion at the Houses of Senate and Representatives. However, Honourable Kabiri Adjoto and Friday Ogieriakhi urged the House to further seek more information before passing the resolution particularly the reasons the project was abandoned and the initiator of the project, but the lawmakers representing Uhunmwode federal constituency gave clarifications on their submissions. Following the arguments and various submissions by the Lawmakers, parliament as part of the resolution adopted the motion and urged the National Assembly member representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency and the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District to move a similar motion at the National Assembly. Summing up deliberations, the Speaker Edo State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe re-echoed the call for the immediate opening of the Obadan comprehensive Health facilities by Federal Government and authorities of University of Benin (UNIBEN) and University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). He directed that clean copies of the resolution be sent to the appropriate authorities for immediate action.
Pomp, as Edo Artistes festival begins
By ISEMHENBITA FAITH BENIN CITY – The Edo State Capital, Benin City was on Monday agog amid pop and ceremony when the Edo Artistes Association of Nigeria (EAAN) commenced the celebration of its 2013 annual festival. The festival with the theme: “Traditional Arts, a veritable tool for Economic Transformation and Youth Development,” according to the President of EAAN, Evangelist Nofe Igbinomwanhia was aimed at reawakening the awareness of the cultural heritage of people in the state. Evan Igbinomwanhia said the festival was to revive the endangered cultural heritage in the state through effective awareness among the people. He also disclosed that the association is partnering with the State Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism in reviving the cultural heritage of the people.
Speaking with newsmen at the occasion, the Commissioner for Arts Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Aanena Elizabeth Jemitola said the festival is incline with the vision of the State Government to transform the human and maternal resources of the state. The Commissioner said the ministry was partnering with the association to promote and develop the cultural heritage of the state in ensuring sustainable economic growth and development. She gave the assurance of the state government to partner with individuals and groups in ensuring the revival of the rich cultural heritage of the people. Mrs. Jemitola, however urged cooperate organizations to partner with the state government in repositioning the rich cultural heritage of the state, stressing that government alone cannot do it all.
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Edo Legal Year Begins Nov 13 BENIN CITY- The ceremony marking the opening of the 2013/ 2014 legal year in Edo State would hold on Wednesday November 13 to Friday November 15, 2013. A statement endorsed by the chief Registrar of the state High Court, Hilary Enemaku (Esq) indicated that the ceremony would begin with a fitness walk on Wednesday November 13 from the High Court Premises-Specialist Hospital (Sapele Road), Oba Ovonramwen square-Airport RoadEzoti Street and finally to the High Court promises, from 6:307:30 am. This would be followed at 1:30pm with a presentation of the Chief Judges Award to deserving members of staff, venue is High Court 1, Sapele Road, Benin City. On Thursday, November 14, 2013, there would be unveiling of the new edition of the state judiciary Newsreel magazine and an
interactive session between the Barr and the Bench at the High Court 1 (New Court Hall) Beginning at 10am. The statement indicated that the ceremony would climax on Friday November 15, 2013 with a special Service at the St Peter’s Anglican Church, Lagos Street to mark the formal opening of the 2013/2014 Legal year from 9:30am-10:45 am. At 11 am there would be Inspection of Guard of Honour by the chief Judge of Edo State Justice Cromwell Idahosa and a special Court Session from noon-2pm at the High Court Premises and High Court 1 respectively.
News
Hon. Annena Jemitola, Edo State Commissioner for Art, Culture and Tourism (Left) with Comrade Desmond Agbama, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council during a courtesy visit to NUJ Press Centre in Benin City yesterday. Photo: LUCKY AGIE.
Owan West To Collaborate With NABTEB BENIN CITY – As part of efforts to reduce unemployment in Owan West Local Government Area, Edo State the Chairman, Hon. Godwin Aigbodion has concluded plans to collaborate with the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) on ways
to establish and train and certify the teeming youths in the area. The Local Government is the first to go into such collaboration for the youths within the shortest possible time to be able to start up their own businesses. Hon. Aigbodion gave the hint when he paid a
courtesy visit to the Registrar and Chief Executive of NABTEB, Dr. Olatunde Aworanti at the headquarters of the examination body in Benin City. He said the issue of
Edo HOS Expresses Commitment To Duty BENIN CITY- The Head of Service, Princess (Mrs.) Ekiuwa Inneh has re-affirmed her eagerness to discharge her responsibilities to the public at all times. Princess Ekiuwa Inneh stated this when she played host to
representatives of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, (CIB) Edo State Branch who paid a courtesy call on her in her office in Government House. She acknowledged that in 2012, the National Council on
Establishments resolved that the Institutes certificate be for proficiency purpose. Princess Inneh however pointed out that nothing was sacrosanct as issues could be
Hon. Annena Jemitola, Edo State Commissioner for Art, Culture and Tourism (4th front right) with Comrade Desmond Agbama, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council (3rd right) and other members of the union in a group photograph, during a courtesy visit yesterday. Photo: LUCKY AGIE.
re-examined at the National Council on Establishments (NCE) next meeting, saying that after due study of the document presented to her, she would speak in their favour if the condition is favorable. Speaking on behalf of the chairman of CIB the General Secretary, Mr. John Otalor appealed to the Head of Service to lend her support to their request at the next meeting of the National Council on Establishments. Mr. Otalor disclosed that the institute has met the necessary requirements and therefore appealed to the Head of Service to support their move. Saying that of the institute could be employed in the civil service as Accountants, Administrative, and procurement officers. He told the Head of service that the institute is mobilizing its members nationwide to actualize their dream. At the courtesy were the Permanent Secretary for Establishments and Finance, Mr. Alfred Olaye and Mrs. Antoinette Esele, Barr. Isaac Enobhayisobo, Sir Monday Osemeke and Sule Yahaya from the Chartered Institute of Bankers.
unemployment is a global problem that needs concerted effort of all stakeholders for the scourge to be reduced. This, he said informed the initiative to empower the youths through training and skill acquisitions adding that it is better to teach them (youth), “how to fish, rather than giving them fish”, which will go a long way in helping them to be somebody in the society. The Council chairman then used the occasion to commend the Registrar of NABTEB for his effort to promote technical education, describing it as the bedrock of any economy in the world. Responsing the Chief Executive and Registrar of NABTEB, commended the council chairman, for the initiative, saying the local government is the first to key into the programme of NABTEB to train youths to be self reliance. He pointed out that the acquisition of skills would go a long way to reducing the rate of unemployment in the society and therefore enjoined stakeholders to avail themselves the opportunities offered by NABTEB in this direction. The Registrar and Chief
Executive, while promising to work out partnership with the council to positively affect the lives of the people in the community, assured that the institution would continue to live up to its billing by providing the necessary technical support that would help in upgrading the youths in Owan West Local Government Area.
Edo To Host JNC Conference
BENIN CITY- Edo State Government is to host the meeting of the Public Service Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) from today till Thursday November 7, 2013. A statement signed on behalf of the Head of Service, Directorate of Establishments, Training and Management Service Mr. Alfred Omorogbe Olaye stated that members of the council expected at the three day meeting would be drawn from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Princess Ekiuwa Inneh appealed to the organised labour in the state to be on ground to welcome their colleagues from other states to the event. She added that the meeting will take place at the Imaguero College Hall, Sapele Road, Benin City.
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South-South FRSC Advises Motorists On Safety
Ember Months: UYO - The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has urged motorists in Akwa Ibom State to adopt safety precautions in order to stay alive. The Sector Commander of the FRSC in the state, at the 2013 ‘Ember month’ Road Safety Awareness Campaign, held at Itam Motor Park in Uyo, He said that the 2013 awareness campaign was “unique in theme and strategy”. The 2013 ‘Ember Months Awareness Campaign has as its theme, “Attitude; the Change we need on our Roads. “The campaign is intended to reawaken our safety consciousness so as to willingly jettison all sorts of risky behaviour on the roads that have become habitual over the years.” “Such bad habits have often resulted in preventable Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) that have claimed valuable lives and properties in our country. “This year’s campaign”, he said “is all inclusive as the carnival floats and motorcade commenced simultaneously today at our unit commands in Eket, Ikot Ekpene, Abak and Mbak with the grand finale
taking place in Uyo. “The essence is to reach more road users and create the desired impact,” The sector commander said there was nothing mysterious about the ‘Ember months’ period, “except that the festive season and end of year activities were associated with increased vehicular movements.” He said that there was also increase in risky habits on the roads such as overloading, overspeeding, drunk driving, use of phone while driving, dangerous driving and so on”. Ameh said that such habits “have naturally resulted in crashes. “The rate of killings on our roads in recent times is unacceptable. “Research also indicates that about 90 per cent of the causes of RTCs are human-related, implying that such risky behaviours can be avoided only when we accept to make the expected change.” The commander said that “in Akwa Ibom State, for instance, 82 road traffic offenders were booked for seatbelt violation in September, 2012 and only four
offenders have been booked for the same offence in September, 2013.” “The 90.6 per cent reduction is as a result of aggressive public enlightenment and the resolve of the corps to prosecute erring offenders.” Ameh, who described the change as appreciable, assured that it must be sustained without undue persecution and coercion. He called on participants at the event to take the challenge of attitudinal re-orientation, to practice and preach safer road use culture among road users. Ameh said that the command was poised to redoubling its commitment to public enlightenment and enforcement. In his remarks, the Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer of the state, Dr Clatus Inyang, said the State Government would continue to partner the FRSC in its safety programmes. The member representing Nsit Ubiom in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Onofiok Luke, State Chairman of NUJ, Mr. Patrick Albert and representatives of transport companies in the state were present at the event.
L-R: Former Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Mu’Azu; Bauchi State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hajia Amina Katagum; Vice President Namadi Sambo and Governor Isa Yuguda during the inauguration of fertilizer blending company in Bauchi weekend.
DELSU ASUU Embarks On Mass Rally By BETTY IDIALU
ABRAKA - Since the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian University (ASUU) over four months ago and the Federal
L-R: Bauchi State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Alhaji Aminu Hammayo; Vice President Namadi Sambo and Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State during the inauguration of Ministry of Lands and Housing in Bauchi weekend.
Chairperson Inaugurates Measles Ministry of Health, Edo State SABONGIDDA – ORA – stressed on the importance of The Chairperson Women Campaign the immunization exercise Development Programme (WDP) Owan West Local Government Council, Hon. Mrs. Ruth Aigbodion has inaugurated Integrated Measles Campaign with a call on women not to rest until their babies receive all the necessary immunization antigens. Hon. Ruth Aigbodion in an address delivered at the inauguration ceremony at Eruere Primary Health Centre informed the mothers that the
government gives the health of the people, especially children and pregnant women the deserved priority. Hence he said the call on them to take advantage of the opportunity of the exercise to get their children immunized in order to ensure that Owan West Local Government Area does not records any measles out break. The Chairperson while stressing on the importance of
the immunization exercise urged the people to help mobilize other communities around to ensure that the campaign is successful as well cooperate with the health officials in order to record 100 per cent success. She also urged them to imbibe the habit of cleanliness. In a brief remark, Mrs. Nancy Kadiri, the representative of World Health Organization (WHO) and
with target being children from the age of 9 months to 59 months. She said the strategy employed is to move from vaccination post to another in order to ensure that no child is missed in a community during the exercise, according to her. High point of the ceremony was the administration of the measles vaccines by Hon. Aigbodion on some of the children present.
Government’s refusal to heed to the demands of the Nigerian university lecturers, the Delta State University, (DELSU), Abraka Branch of ASUU has embarked on a mass rally in the university community of Abraka to sensitize Nigerian tax payers on the issue at stake. The peaceful rally, which was well attended by the lecturers, started in the morning from campus I of the university through major streets saw lecturers carrying various placards and posters with inscriptions like, “we must support ASUU to save Universities in Nigeria”, “say no to illiteracy”, “kill public Universities to fund N250 million cars, among others. Reacting to the latest Federal Government ‘No work No Pay’ policy, and the Delta State Government’s announcement of its intention to follow suit, the DELSUASUU members said they are determined and would not give in to intimidation of any form, saying that, “No Work No Pay” would give rise at the end of the day to ‘No Pay No Work’ because, according to a statement, every action begets an equal reaction. In a press release signed by the DELSU-ASUU chairman Dr. Emmanuel Nwafor Mordi and made available to the press, the union stated that “the rally became imperative to sensitize the Nigerian tax payers to an awareness of the issues at stake, since Federal Government has resorted to cheap blackmail, and whipping up sentiments against the union and its patriotic struggle to uplift the Nigerian University system
from its comatose state”. DELSU-ASUU said that, “in the 2009 ASUU/FG Agreement, the funding requirement provides that all Federal Universities would require a total sum of N1.5 trillion spread over three years (2009-2012) to address the rot and the decay in the universities. Three years period lapsed without any serious efforts to implement provision of the agreement. It is against this background that ASUU embarked on strike towards the end of 2011, leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in January 2012. With the coming of the MoU in January 2012, government promised to “stimulate the process of revitalizing the university system with an initial sum of N100 billion for 2012 which would be built up to a yearly sum of N400 billion in the next three years (2013-2015) as intervention. Government he said, however insisted that it would need to conduct a Needs Assessment and a Committee which conducted the exercise was set up. Coincidentally, the needs technical Committee on the Needs Assessment report (set up by the National Economic council) also came up with 800 billion as the estimated amount needed to revitalize the Nigerian public universities in short run of the two years ,translating into an annual intervention of N400billion,” the release stated.
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South-South Develop Industrial Estate, Association Urges Members ASABA - Chief Uju Udeme, President, Delta State Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mines and Agriculture (DACCIMA), has urged individuals allocated plots at the Asaba Industrial Estate to develop them. Udeme told newsmen in Asaba that the industrial estate was allocated to the beneficiaries more than 10 years ago. He said the site was overdue for development and appealed to the beneficiaries to ensure a speedy development of the site for the purpose it was meant. The association president said the development of the industrial estate would enhance economic activities in the state, expressing optimism that there would be adequate power supply to the area. “I know that with the recent privatisation of the power
sector by the Federal Government, the power situation will greatly improve for the private sector to do business. “The privatisation of the power sector will bring about a boom in business as businessmen and industrialists will not be spending much money on powering their generating sets,’’ he said. Udeme commended the Federal Government for successfully executing the amnesty programme, which brought about peace and development in the SouthSouth geo-political zone of the country. On some of the achievements of the association in the last one year, he said some members were sponsored to various entrepreneurship trainings across the country.
EKET (AKWA IBOM) Bakassi returnees in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, have decried the impact of the November 19, 2012 oil spill from Idoho platform offshore, belonging to Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN). The spokesman of the returnees, Mr. Friday Udohuyo, told newsmen in Eket that the oil spill destroyed aquatic life on the shore line of the communities. Udohuyo said the oil spill affected the source of livelihood of the fishermen operating under the aegis of Bakassi Returnees in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. He said the oil spill ravaged their fishing pots, gears, boats and nets, adding that it caused untold hardship to their members. He decried the development, pointing out that their members borrowed money to buy the fishing equipment. “We can no longer feed our family again, our children cannot go to schools and our drinking water and farmland
have been polluted. “Since then we are suffering, live has become so difficult for us and there is no money at all,’’ he said. He said the hazard cause by the oil spill affected the health of members, adding that many of their children were suffering from malaria and typhoid. Udohuyo said several appeals to the oil company had not produced any positive result, stressing that the group demanded N732 million as compensation from ExxonMobil. He called on Akwa Ibom and the Federal Government to come to their aide.
“Some members have attended training at the PanAtlantic University in Lagos and, presently, some of our members are attending some training programmes at the Benson Idahosa University in Benin City. “More than 20 members who are already participating in the training will graduate before the end of the year, while more members will still take their turn,’’ the association president said. Udeme said the essence of the training programme was to groom the beneficiaries on entrepreneurship management skills and on how to improve their businesses.
Students observing the partial Solar Eclispe at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja on Sunday.
Bakassi Returnees Decry Effect Of Oil Spill
L-R: Chairman, Oyo State Chapter of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mrs. Foluke Shem; Representative of the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Abosede Abioye and representative of the Oyo State chapter of Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA), Mrs. Funke Olaseide at the inauguration of Oyo State chapter of Civil Defence Officers’ Wives Association in Ibadan recently.
Flooding: Expert Calls For Proactive Measure CALABAR - A climatologist, Prof. Imo Ekpoh, has called for proactive measures by government and other stakeholders to curb flooding which has now become a yearly occurrence in the Niger Delta region. Ekpoh, a lecturer in the Department of Geography and
Environmental Sciences at the University of Calabar, made the call in an interview with newsmen. He told newsmen in Calabar that a vigorous policy of zero gas flaring, tree planting and forest conservation programme was needed to check flooding in the region.
The climatologist blamed the combination of high temperature, as a result of global warming, and high tropical humidity for the recurring flood in the region and contiguous areas. “Contemporary catastrophic flood events are said to be the direct impact of climate change. “Accordingly, mitigating the
Price Of Cement Stabilises In C/River CALABAR - The price of cement is now stabilising in Cross River State as the product now sells for between N1,500 and N1,550 per bag, newsmen reports. Following a protest by cement dealers, the price of the product increased in the state from N1,400 per bag to N1,800 in September and this had led to a scarcity. They had decried the increase
in Road Maintenance Levy by the state government from N500 to N12,800 for each truck of cement loaded at the United Cement (UNICEM) depot in Calabar. However, unlike during the period of the impasse, the commodity is now available in major sales outlets in the state capital and environs. A dealer in Calabar, Mr. Asuquo Okon, told newsmen the reduction in price was however
out of other considerations and not as a result of a reduction in the levy. “Since the state government has not heeded the appeal of the transporters to bring down the levy, the dealers have no option than to adjust,’’ he said. Okon said the failure of government to reduce the levy had meant that the consumers were to pay more, adding that that was the only way to make the
commodity available. He said all efforts to make the state government see reason with the transporters proved abortive, and “we had to obey the law’’. It will be recalled that the transporters had protested the increase and threatened to source the commodity elsewhere, but the government had maintained its stand. UniCem is the dominant brand of cement found in parts of Cross River.
incessant occurrence of historic floods which have catastrophic impact on man, society and environment will involve the mitigation of climate change,” he said. Ekpoh said climate change could be mitigated through reduced green house gas emissions caused by insatiable fossil fuel consumption, increased industrial processes and deforestation. “Nigeria needs to be an active member of the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “We can do this by pursuing more vigorously the policy of zero gas flaring in the Niger Delta by encouraging serious tree planting and forest conservation programmes,” he said. Ekpoh also called for periodic dredging of silted rivers and regular de-silting of urban drainage channels, both artificial and natural, to check flood. He also called on relevant
authorities to provide an adequate and sizeable drainage network for effective evacuation of runoff water after heavy rainfall. “Town planning laws should be enforced to avoid the construction of structures on drainage channels. The amount of paved surfaces in urban and built-up areas should also be reduced. “There should be increase in urban open spaces, such as lawns and parks, to encourage infiltration and to forestall flood. “Dumping of refuse in gutters should be prohibited and offenders severely punished,’’ Ekpoh said. The lecturer said also that infrastructure development and climate change were some of the causative factors for the yearly flooding in the Niger Delta. He also said rapid urbanisation in cities like Calabar in recent years had resulted in the expansion of economic activities to lands classified as marginal and flood-prone.
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News Nursing Mother Accuses Husband Of Drugging Her By RAHEEM IBRAHIM LAGOS - It was a big shock for spectators at Ejigbo Customary Court in Lagos when a nursing mother, Mrs. Glory Ojuala, hinted that her husband, Alex Ojuala, drugged her for three days in order to have sex with her a few days after she was delivered of a baby at her matrimonial home in the state. The mother of three children made the shocking revelation while testifying before the court following a petition she filed before the court for dissolution of their 15-year marriage claiming that two days after she gave birth to their child, her husband started pestering her for sex in the presence of her mother, who was on a visit. The 30-year old housewife told the court that she denied her husband sex because she was still recovering from pangs childbirth and was breast feeding, but he accused her of having extramarital affairs and cut the family’s daily feeding allowance to N100 to punish her. Glory alleged that she did not know that her husband had an ulterior motive when he gave her a soft drink while she was eating on the day her husband drugged her. The nursing mother alleged that after she took the soft drink, she couldn’t explain what happened afterwards until she was revived in a hosptial three days later. She said that she later knew that her husband drugged her to have sex with her when he confessed that he did so because she was denying him sex and was sleeping with other men. She told the court that after the incident she moved out of his house and since then they have been living separately, while her husband abandoned their children for her to take care of them alone. The embittered woman had petitioned the court seeking for
the dissolution of their 15-year marriage on the grounds that her husband was threatening her life, did not take care of her and their children and beat her, adding that she does not love him anymore. Glory narrated in court how Alex Ojuala, an indigene of Edo State, came to her village in Eket in Akwa Ibom State and married her at a tender age and she accepted him despite her age against her family wish, only to be maltreated by him after they started living together. She told the court that she believed that he charmed her to marry him and her suspicion was confirmed when she started attending church.
The Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Job Creation, Josephine Washima (4th right) in a group photograph with members of the Telecom Operators and Technicians Association of Nigeria (TOTAN) led by its President, Lord Osunde (4th left) during a meeting with the SA in Abuja.
FG Expresses Support For Programme
TOTAN SHELTER: By VICTOR OMOALU BENIN CITY – Following the recent launch of TOTAN SHELTER at the palace of the Benin monarch the Federal Government recently pitched its empowerment tent with the Telecom Operators and Technicians Association of Nigeria (TOTAN) in its effort
towards empowering the youths across the country through phone business operations under its to TOTAN SHELTER programme. To ensure that due process was followed, the TOTAN recently met the Special Assistant to the
President on job creation, Josephine Washima where the presidency entered into an MoU with TOTAN. The SA while speaking expressed the belief that the MoU
Logistics: Trad Medicine Practitioner By JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM
EVBUOBANOSA (Edo) - A member of the National Association of Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Edo State, Dr. Edward Onyeajam has tasked the three tiers of government on the provision of logistics support for the processing of roots and herbs into refined products. Dr. Onyeajam’s position was expressed in a chat with The Nigerian Observer at Evbuobanosa, Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State said traditional medicine play an indispensable role in the scheme of things. He therefore advised traditional medicine practitioners, to practice their act with a sense of purpose and sincerity to evolve strategies
Tasks Govt
that could enhance their contributions to the society. Dr. Onyeajam noted that
recently, traditional medicine is gaining greater patronage by increasing number of people due to its efficacy in the cure of various ailments.
will open a new vista towards a sustainable engagement of the youths in the near future. Commending the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on his achievements so far aimed at advancing youth empowerment in the present generation, the SA, however disclosed her office’s planned visit to the Comrade governor and the Benin monarch tomorrow which is expected to be co-hosted by the commissioners for Commerce and Industry and his
local government and Chieftaincy Affairs counterparts. She described the TOTAN’s national president Lord Osas Osunde’s initiative as the first of its kind in the country and charged the association not to lose sight of its set goal of engaging the youth to be economically self empowered, just as she assured the organisation of total support from the presidency. She urged the leadership of the TOTAN to involve youth empowerment initiative that would help drive home empowerment value in the present generation.
Man Nabbed For Parading Himself As Doctor By RAHEEM IBRAHIM LAGOS - A 46-year old man who allegedly has been parading himself as a doctor and operates a hospital at Isheri-Olofin area of Lagos State has been apprehended by officials of the Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), with the support of the State Taskforce. The joint team led by HEFAMAA Executive Secretary, Dr. Jimmy Asuni acted on a tip
off, stormed Bucknor Street at Jakande Estate, Isheri-Olofin area of Lagos recently and arrested the suspect, Mr. Billy Nkechinyere, who hails from Imo State. It was alleged that Mr. Nkechinyere was operating a health facility without any identification, where he allegedly employed the services of auxiliary nurses to treat people. The auxiliary nurses fled when they saw the HEFAMAA officials and taskforce officials
approaching, while Nkechinyere was arrested alongside a guard in the house that was converted to a hospital. The suspects were detained at the taskforce office at Alausa, while the hospital was shut by the government officials. Nkechinyere was said to have denied the allegations, claiming that he was not a doctor and he was not the one operating the facility. The Taskforce Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman, Chief
Superintendent of Police, who spoke to our correspondent on the suspect said that the guard arrested along with the suspect had given useful information that would be used as evidence against the suspect in court. He revealed that before the taskforce could get to the location of the hospital, the suspect had informed his staff to flee, saying that the man’s house was also visited where the police got useful documents to prove that the suspect was operating an illegal hospital.
Mixed Reactions Greet Iyaloja General’s Installation By RAHEEM IBRAHIM Edo State Commissioner for Special Duties, Oil and Gas, Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo (right) in a handshake with Chief Dr. Leemon Ikpea, MD of LEE Engineering and Construction Company Ltd, during the C o m m i s s i o n e r ’s courtesy visit to the company in Warri yesterday.
LAGOS - Mixed reactions greeted the installation of new Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo as all major markets in Lagos State were on Tuesday morning, shut for business in honour of the head head of market women. While some are condemning the ceremony they described veto power imposition by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, some said the move was to not to creat a vacuum which can lead to chaos in many markets within the state. The official installation which coincided with the 70th birthday anniversary of the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty Rilwan
Akiolu 1, took place at the Iga Idunganran palace of the monarch. Some market places like Ayobo-Ipaja, Iyana-Ipaja, AbuleEgba, Dopemu, Ogba, Egbeda, Agege, Balogun, Oke Arin, Idunmota, Martins Nnamdi Azikwe, Oyingbo, Oshodi, Mushin and Ikotun which always burble ever on Sundays and Public holidays were completely deserted Some traders who spoke with our correspondent at Nnamdi Azikwe and Oke-Arin market respectively claimed that they were been forced by the state government not to open their shops for the occasion that was politicalised.
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Across The Nation Army Destroys Boko Haram Operational Vehicles
Kwankwaso Counsels Imams
Partisan Politics:
KANO - Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso of Kano State has advised Islamic scholars and Imams of Juma’at mosques in the state against engaging in partisan politics. The advice is contained in a statement issued by the Director of Press, Malam Halilu Dantiye, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Kano. According to the statement, Kwankwaso gave the advice while addressing Imams of Juma’at mosques from the 44 local government areas of the state at the Government House. “It is not appropriate for Ulamas and Imams to turn their pulpits into platforms for political comments and inflammatory remarks,’’ the governor counselled. He reminded them that their partisanship could be misunderstood, degenerate into misgivings or even lead to unrest. He therefore urged them to preach peace, tolerance and mutual understanding as leaders of the people. “It is annoying that some Imams use their sermons to blackmail political leaders. They have turned into politicians in disguise and this is not the best for our society,” he lamented. He assured them that his
doors would remain open for constructive advice, pointing out that he is bound to make mistakes as a human being. “As religious leaders, you have the right to seek audience with me and I will be ready to listen to you so that together, we can move the state forward.’’ The governor also enjoined people to avoid rumour mongering in order to ensure that peace and harmony reigned supreme in the state and the country at large.
Chairman, PDP Enugu State, Chief Vita Abba, casting his vote at Ede Oballa ward of Nsukka LGA, during Enugu State Local Government elections in Enugu on Saturday.
Voters Queuing to cast their vote at Ede Oballa ward of Nsukka LGA, during Enugu State Local Government elections in Enugu on Saturday.
FG To Patronise Bauchi Fertilizer Plant
BAUCHI - Vice President Namadi Sambo in Bauchi has said the Federal Government would patronise the 50,000tonne capacity Bauchi State Fertiliser Blending Plant. The vice president made the pledge at the inauguration of a newly-installed granulator at the plant, stressing that “government will patronise the plant to ensure its sustainability.’’ He said the patronage would be through the involvement of the plant in Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES), aimed at transforming the agriculture sector. Sambo said that under GES, registered farmers were being provided with fertiliser at 50 per cent discount. He commended the Bauchi
State Government for establishing the plant, saying the initiative would assist in making fertiliser accessible and affordable to rural farmers in the state and beyond.
He expressed optimism that the plant would serve the purpose for which it was established.
The vice president urged other states to emulate the initiative, adding that it would assist in meeting the high demand for fertiliser in the country.
The vice president was conducted round the plant by Governor Isa Yuguda. The governor commended the Federal Government for its support to the state.
MAIDUGURI - The Nigerian Army has said it had destroyed two suspected operational vehicles of the Boko Haram sect in the ongoing operations in Maiduguri. The spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Lt.-Col. Mohammed Dole, announced this in a statement. Dole said that the destruction was to clear the insurgents terrorising motorists on high ways in Borno. “We have been able to identify camps used by the terrorists in planning attacks against motorists and innocent villagers in Kaga Local Government Area of the state. “Troops of the division, supported by the Nigerian Air Force, have been able to destroy these camps since we began the operations this week,” Dole said. He said three surveillance motorcycles believed to be used by the sect in planning attacks had also been recovered. “They mostly used the motorcycles in spying to plan for attacks on innocent people. “The General Officer Commanding the division (GOC), Maj.-Gen. Obidah Ethan, is happy with the cooperation of the public towards supplying vital information on the movement of the terrorists. “I therefore wish to express our gratitude to the public for the support and cooperation extended to us so far. “We have been able to dislodge the terrorists from their camps which have been their hiding places. “They are now in disarray, trying to save their lives instead of planning attacks on innocent persons,” Dole said. He said the division had created patrol teams on major high ways in the state to prevent isolated attacks on motorists.
Voters Apathy, Late Arrival Of Materials Greet Enugu Council Election ENUGU - Late arrival of materials and apathy in most places marked Saturday’s local government elections in Enugu State. Reports state that with the candidates of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) unchallenged in most of the wards and councils, the exercise was merely a rubber stamp. Reports from some areas, however, indicate that the elections took off smoothly and witnessed large turnout, especially in the constituencies of chairmanship candidates. A correspondent who visited
Umabor, the hometown of the chairmanship candidate for Nsukka, reports that a large crowd showed up to affirm the candidacy of Mr. Charles Ugwu, the only contestant. A civil servant in the area, Mr. Festus Aleke, told newsmen that it was incumbent on the people to show solidarity with their own. “Charles is our son and we have to support him. Even if he doesn’t have an opponent, we have to come out and support him,’’ Aleke said. Conversely, voter apathy was recorded in most of the
polling stations in Achara Layout, Enugu South Local Government Area. He voters were yet to arrive for accreditation at the Igbariam Primary School polling station and others as at 10 a.m. One of the presiding officers, Mr. Chibueze Chukwu, told newsmen that the election materials had not been supplied just as the voters were yet to show up. “We are still waiting for the supervisor to come with the materials. Whenever they come, we will start
accreditation after which the voting will start,’’ he said. In Udenu local government, the outgoing chairman, Dr Godwin Abonyi, told newsmen that the turnout was impressive and that the election was going on smoothly as at mid-day. At Ikem, headquarters of IsiUzo local government, voting started late as the APGA councillorship candidate for Ward 2, who is the incumbent councillor, insisted on the right way of doing things. An eyewitness told newsmen that there were skirmishes between the
supporters of the APGA candidate and their PDP counterparts, which held up voting in the area. As at 1 p.m., however, a civil servant in the area, Mr. Fabian Ogbu, told newsmen that voting had commenced and that things had normalised. Ogbu said there was no queue of voters as people just trickled in to vote and go. It was also observed that a combined team of the police, civil defence and peace corps were on ground in most places to provide security for the exercise.
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Abuja
840 Fish Farmers To Benefit From GES BWARI (FCT) - No fewer than 840 fish farmers in Abuja will benefit from the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme for the Aquaculture Value Chain, a top official has said. Mrs. Folake Areola, the Director of Fishery, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this at the launch of the programme at Lato and Hatchery Farm in Bwari, FCT. Areola said at the programme that 500 juveniles (fingerlings) and five bags of feed were given at subsidised rate to the registered fish farmers in the FCT. Represented by the GES Coordinator, Mr. Babatude John, the director said the aquaculture
programme was timely and would help boost fish production in the country. The director urged farmers to make proper use of the feeds given to them by the government, saying the ministry was expecting a feedback from them. ‘‘We want a feedback on what we are giving you. If we give 500
juveniles, we are expecting that in the next five months, you must have grown them out. “We are coming back for the results. Do not go and sell the feed, make use of them,’’ the director charged. Addressing the farmers, Dr Charles Momo, the state Director, said that the programme was
aimed at improving fish production, food security, creation of employment and boosting the income of the farmers. He described the aquaculture programme as a strategy to fight hunger, malnutrition and poverty in the country. He said that each registered
Deputy Director, Basic and S e c o n d a r y Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Akinwale Adebisi (left), with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Ethics and values, Dr Sarah Jibril, at a forum with secondary school students on Ethics and value in Abuja recently.
Man Remanded For Rape ABUJA - A Mararaba Upper Area Court in Nasarawa State has remanded a 25-year-old man in prison custody for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl. The accused, who lives in Angwan Hausawa, Masaka, is charged with having canal knowledge of the teenager after administering her with drugs. The prosecutor, Insp. Joseph Ahua, told the court that the victim’s parents reported the matter at the New Karu Police Station on October 26. He said that the offence contravened Section 283 of the Penal Code. According to the section, whoever has canal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 14 years, or fine. The accused pleaded not guilty, and the Presiding Officer, Mr. Vincent Gwehemba, ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody, pending final investigation into the matter. He adjourned the case to November 20 for further hearing.
farmer was expected to pay N12,500 for the feed instead of N25,000 while the government would pay the balance. He urged the beneficiaries to redeem the input and use them properly, advising that they should see their investment as a business rather than a vocation. According to him, there are
Don’t Over Stretch Environment, Environmentalist Admonishes Nigerians ABUJA - Prof Kenneth Iwugo, a water and environment specialist, has called on Nigerians to avoid over-stretching the environment to avert negative effects on the future generation. Iwugo, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, stressed the need for sustainable conservation of the environment. He attributed the cause of climate change to the abuse on the environment comprising land, air and water, leading to economic problems and health issues, among other challenges.
‘’The environment is the resource base of our living, which consist of the physical environment, air, water and land and all there is in it including ourselves. “Unfortunately, human nature militates against the environment because you can see that all the time, human beings are used to doing one thing or the other without thinking of the consequences. “Population is growing, industrialisation and also a lot of things are happening so the environment is becoming over
loaded; we are exceeding its capacity. “So sustainable development is the concept which says we should try and go back to the basics of nature so that we can conserve our resources.” He said that the country was endowed with many resources but what was lacking was proper management of them and that could come through education, good leadership and governance. “ Education is very important because except people have good quality education, they would be unable to do things properly.
“ It is when you can think and understand a system that you can bring about a change. In the villages, how many of them know about or have heard of sustainable development, MDGs? Probably not so many. “ We also need good leadership; of course there must be people who must lead on these things,” the environmentalist said. Iwugo also expressed concern over the educational sector, saying that when things were taught, especially in technology and sciences, the implications should be taught too.
three redemption centres in the FCT located at Yuby Farms in Karshi, Lato and Hatchery Farm in Bwari, and Kuje Town Hall in Kuje. Also speaking, Alhaji Ovurevu Ademoh, the Deputy Director, Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat, FCTA, commended the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for the special attention accorded to fish farmers.
Water Access Will Reduce Water Borne Diseases -Specialist
ABUJA - Availability and access to good quality water will reduce water-borne diseases and enhance hygiene, says Prof. Kenneth Iwugo, a specialist in water and environment issues. Iwugo said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja. “It has been proven scientifically that any community where there is water, the infants have less incidence of typhoid than where you don’t have water. “Good health is by personal hygiene and that is why we have water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme.” According to him, when water is made available, some of these water-borne diseases would be reduced just as when personal hygiene is practised too. Iwugo noted that the problem with the country was good management of the resources given by God in abundance. “ What we need most is how to manage our resources; the problem is not the unavailability of resources.” Iwugo underscored the urgent need for water and toilets in villages, public places and schools to help reduce some of the environmental challenges confronting the nation.
All Is Set For Sagi Nupe ABUJA - The National Day - NICO Institute for Cultural Participants at a forum on Ethics and values for secondary s c h o o l students in A b u j a recently.
Orientation (NICO) has said all is set for the 2013 Sagi Nupe day. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Mrs. Gloria Ochewechi, the Head of Research and Documentation Department, NICO Minna. The statement said that the Sagi Nupe Day celebration was scheduled for November 8. Reports state that Sagi Nupe Day is a day set aside annually to celebrate and felicitate with the women leader of the Nupe people. It further said that Hajiya Aishatu Makama, the current Sagi Nupe, would be
celebrating the 3rd Sagi Nupe Day. ‘She will be celebrating the homogeneity of the culture and tradition of the Nupe people amidst pomp and pageantry. Activities to mark this year’s Sagi Nupe Day include, lecture and book launch slated for Friday, 8th November by 9 a.m. at Wadata Palace. ‘While dinner with the Sagi Nupe will be held by 8 p.m. at the Federal Polytechnic Auditorium, Bida, Niger State,” the statement said. The Nupe people live in the heart of Nigeria, spread over the low basin formed by the two rivers Niger and Kaduna popularly referred to as Edu and Lavun, respectively.
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Business + Economy ICPC Not After PPPRA -Secretary ABUJA - The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has dismissed allegations that the ICPC was investigating the agency over some alleged infractions. Reacting to the allegation made by an online publication, the Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, Mr. Reginald Stanley, described the allegation as false, malicious and a smear campaign. The executive secretary, who spoke to reporters in Abuja on the activities of the PPPRA, dismissed the allegations as cheap blackmail by fifth columnists, working to undermine the transparency regime in the PPPRA. ‘PPPRA hereby unequivocally states that the news making the rounds is a figment of the imagination of the people peddling it. ‘The agency is not under any investigation whatsoever by the ICPC or any anti-corruption agency for that matter,’’ he was quoted as saying. “The public is hereby assured that the allegations in the publications are completely false and a violation of the code of ethics of journalism, which enjoins journalists to refrain from publishing inaccurate and misleading information. “Nigerians are aware that the Federal Government through the Minister of Petroleum Resources has put measures in place that consistently prevented corruption in the downstream in recent years. “This has enabled government to save a whopping N409 billion in subsidy claims in 2012 alone from reduction in volume from 60.25 million litres a day in 2011 to 39.66 million litres a day in 2012. “We achieved up to 67 per cent reduction in the number of participants in the subsidy scheme, ensuring that only owners of downstream facilities participated in the scheme. “This resulted to a reduction from 128 marketers in 2011 to 38 marketers in 2012. “We also took steps to boost the Local Content Initiative of government by encouraging indigenous participation in downstream activities and this has attracted investments to the Nigerian economy in excess of N60 billion in the past 18 months. “Our resolve to support the Minister of Petroleum Resources to make the difference has naturally attracted odium, hatred and campaigns of calumny in some quarters, giving rise to headless chickens like Ledisi Dagogo-Jack, who exists only on pages of newspapers. “Allegations that PPPRA management is under investigation is completely false and we hereby re-assure the public that no amount of intimidation or smear campaign can make us to derail in our resolve to serve our fatherland with integrity and honesty of purpose. ‘We challenge whoever goes by the name, ‘Ledisi DagogoJack’, to show his face and substantiate his mindless claims and misleading information. “The entire allegation is bunkum, crafted merely to destroy reputations but we shall remain focused in our goal to make the difference in sanitising
the downstream. Stanley said that the PPPRA had often been unduly attacked by blackmailers, mischief makers and disgruntled elements, wanting to take their pound of flesh on the management of the agency for refusing to toe the wrong line in executing its mandate. “The PPPRA under its current leadership remains a responsible organisation, committed to enthroning transparency, accountability and international best practices in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. “The discerning public is hereby enjoined to continue to support the agency in its efforts at enthroning a transparent, accountable and effective supply and distribution system in the downstream,’’ Stanley stated.
Embrace Training, NDE Urges Youths
driver, Mr Tajudeen Hassan, who plies the Oshodi/Orile-Iganmu route, claimed ignorance of the exercise, saying that government should have given room for adequate sensitisation before its enforcement. Hassan said that if the registration exercise was properly coordinated, there would be sanity in the transport sector, which he claimed was regarded by the society as job for
miscreants. “I am a graduate of economics from a Federal University in the country, but after fruitless efforts in searching for white collar job, I opted for driving a bus bought for me by my parents. “Transport business would have been more honourable like any other job if there is proper monitoring by the government and sanity by the transport union members themselves,” he said.
YENAGOA - The Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Bayelsa, Mr. Apakasa David, has urged unemployed youths in the state to embrace skills acquisition training. David told newsmen in Yenagoa that youths in the state were not enthusiastic about NDE’s skill acquisition programmes. The co-ordinator reminded the youths that the Federal Government was tackling youths’ unemployment and making them self-reliant through the directorate’s training programmes. “You have to build yourself to be a boss of your own. It is not good roaming the street when there are skills acquisition centres to equip yourself. “NDE is doing well in reducing unemployment in Bayelsa and we have carried out many training programmes in the state. “We have rural farming skills development scheme, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training, as well as trainings in bakery, sewing and others,” he said. David, however, said inadequate funding was a very big challenge to the performance of the directorate in the state. “Many unemployed youths do not participate in skills acquisition programmes because they feel that they will not have the money to venture into what they have been trained for. “They come for a programme with the aim of getting money in the end, but get discouraged when they see there will be no money for them to start the business,” he added. The co-ordinator said if adequate fund was available, many youths would participate in the directorate’s training programmes. David urged private individuals and organisations to support government’s efforts by assisting the trainees with funds to start business after their training. He said government alone could not tackle unemployment, adding that everyone had a role to play for the nation to overcome the dangers of unemployment.
LAGOS -The Lagos government will distribute 5,000 life jackets to commercial boat operators in the state for commuters’ use. The Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, made the disclosure at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos. He said the state government decided to buy and distribute the life jackets because of the
frequent boat mishaps and the attendant loss of lives. According to him, Governor Babatunde Fashola has agreed to supply the jackets for the use of citizens. “The aim is to assist operators who cannot afford to buy life jackets for the safety of the people, “ he said. Ojelabi added that “once the jackets are distributed to
operators, anybody caught commuting on any water transportation without a jacket will be prosecuted according to the law. “The state will not wait until there is a disaster before it enforces the use of the jackets.’’ The commissioner urged council administrators to educate their people on the importance of using the jackets and to enforce its use in their respective areas.
L - R, Chairman, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Vincent Asalu; South-East Zonal co-ordinator, Mr vincent Davidson and National President, Comrade Emmanuel Asagha, speaking at a National meeting of COEASU in Nsugbe, Anambra, on Sunday.
L-R: Commander, FRSC Omu-Aran Unit Command, Mr. Suleiman Mohammed; Omu-Aran Unit Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Isiaq Ganiyu; Kwara Sector Commander of FRSC, Mrs. Mary Wakama and Area Commander, Omu-Aran Police Command, Mr. Olatunji Ayodele at the launch of Ember months campaign at Oke-Oniobin in Omu-Aran in Kwara recently.
Motorists, Commuters Differ On Registration Of Bus Drivers, Owners LAGOS - Some motorists and commuters in Lagos have expressed divergent views on the commencement of registration of commercial bus drivers, their assistants and bus owners in the state. In interviews with newsmen, some lauded the state government’s initiative in sanitising the transportation business, while others said it would impose additional burdens on transporters. Reports say that the state government had in October directed commercial bus drivers, bus owners and conductors operating in Lagos, to register with the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI) with effect from November 1, in line with provisions of its traffic law. Mr. Kayode Opeifa, the state Commissioner for Transportation, told leaders of the various transport unions that the new system would include the reintroduction of Commuter Bus Routing Scheme. “It is in conformity with the State Road Traffic Law, 2012,
aimed at improving the availability, safety, security and the quality of service delivery of public transportation.” Opeifa said, “From the commencement date, all commercial bus owners, drivers and conductors are to visit any of the 21 zonal offices of the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) for accreditation and documentation— free of charge. “The process involves the physical examination of vehicles and particulars to ascertain their road worthiness status, and the submission of detailed personal data of the commercial vehicle owner, who thereafter will be issued a public transport operator licence. “Drivers and conductors are to visit any of the five Lagos State Drivers Institute, (LASDRI) centres across the state. “They will be accredited and issued with Lagos Commercial Passenger Vehicle Driver’s and Conductor ’s Badges, after completing the mandatory LASDRI training,” he said. However, a commercial bus
Lagos To Distribute Life Jackets To Commercial Boat Operators
THE NIGERIAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Issues
Curbing Corruption Among Nigerian Leaders CORRUPTION in high places has been a major factor impeding Nigeria’s economic development since we got our Independence. This cankerworm has eaten so deep that one continues to wonder if it will ever come to an end. Nigeria is a corrupt country. Corruption may never end. All efforts by the government so far to fight corruption, seem to be an illusion. Fighting corruption is one of the most urgent tasks facing Nigeria today. The core issue before our President and every Nigerian Citizen is to confront how to significantly reduce corruption. It is only an exemplary leadership that can significantly reduce corruption in Nigerian. Without a great leader, Nigeria will continue to wallow in corruption. ‘’Corruption cannot be stopped from the bottom because those at the bottom often react to the impunity at the top. Only a leader with enormous discipline and restraint can solve Nigeria’s corruption problem. It is not the place of EFCC or ICPC, but the place of the number one leader in this country’’. When Olusegun Obasanjo was President of Nigeria, he persistently impressed it upon Nigerians and the international community that the uniqueness of his administration lies in his single-minded commitment to fight corruption. According to him, “Nobody, nobody, I repeat nobody, is above the law. If you commit any criminal offence, I will not arrest you. The Inspector General of Police will do that’’. He followed this up by setting up the national anticorruption commissions like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial
By FAMOUS IGUISI
Crimes Commission (EFCC) to fight corruption to its barest minimum. But most unfortunately, the anticorruption stance of the past and present administrations has not yielded positive results. Almost on a daily basis, we hear billions and now trillions of Naira either allocated or voted for roads rehabilitation or construction, but year in year out not one road has been rehabilitated; rather more and more are allocated. The issue of corruption in Nigeria has become a societal malice. This is a classical case of a sign of a failed state, especially when people who arrogate to themselves the authority to lead, turn around to steal people’s common wealth Thank God President Jonathan has equally vowed that his administration will not shield any corrupt person from investigation or prosecution by the anti-graft agencies in the country. He has promised that government would continue to support and encourage the EFCC and other anticorruption agencies to confront the monster of corruption more decisively and charged them to spare no culprit regardless of his status or position. According to him, “We will give all the necessary support and encouragement to all the anticorruption agencies to vigorously enforce the enabling anti-corruption laws. I urge these agencies to do their work fairly but firmly within the ambit of the law without regard to position or status. There shall be no sacred cow. This government will not protect any so-called sacred cow. The wheel of justice must run its full course in tackling anti-corruption cases”.
It is my expectation, that our President is concerned about the economic future of all Nigerians, including himself, such that instead of being distracted by uncertainties about his future, he is busy building the future for all Nigerians. “All well-meaning Nigerians must, therefore, not only say no to corruption but also do something about it.
contribute to strengthening accountability and transparency in the public sector’’. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, once said that corruption in high places will continue to mar the nation’s development. He said that Nigeria has been governed in the past 30 years by “very unserious characters.” According to him, “there is no record of how much the
was an item on it which says unspent funds. These are monies to be returned to the National Assembly at the end of the year and it was N21 billion. “This is a budget of over N650 billion and you are returning N21 billion. What this means is that the budget must have performed over 95 per cent. “The budget apparently performed about 30 to 40 per cent just like every other budget. I went to see the late President to tell him that I was not going to agree to this because where I come from; they will ask me about the money. “Within six weeks, N21 billion became N450 billion that was returned to the treasury’’.
Ibrahim Lamorde, EFCC Chairman
Every little effort counts; whistle blowing, vigilance in budget implementation and projects monitoring, calling public officers to account; all go a long way towards assisting the anti-corruption effort. The historic signing of the Freedom of Information Bill into Law in 2011 has provided citizens with a veritable instrument to
nation earns and spends’’. He recounted how the Ministry of Works brought a budget of N100 billion to spend and later discovered that N40 billion of that money was dedicated to roads already built and completed. “A week after I became Speaker, the late President brought a budget to the National Assembly and there
“Therefore, it is critical for the EFCC and other financial Agencies to brace up and carry out their constitutional responsibility without fear or favor; stop the international community from accepting looted funds from government officials. Corruption in government must be nip in the bud if Nigeria must achieve its vision 2020:20.”
If this is true, then one would like to know what could have happened to the balances within the last 12 years of our Democracy. Since corruption constitutes the greatest bane of all vices hunting Nigeria it is high time that National Assembly began to explore legislative intervention as well as constantly build workers’ capacity in order to enhance their wellbeing and productivity as well as facilitate industrial peace and harmony. Until Nigeria changes and undergoes a reform, the future for Africa’s development is bleak since Nigeria represents a regional influential. Greed in government officials is thriving in a way
we as a people do not and cannot approve of. It is heartbreaking to continue to hear of the unending craze among government officials to loot public fund without a blink of the eye or even considering the effect this could have on the people. Most government officials and other public officers have created a tradition: “get to the scene, loot and disappear from the scene.” They do this without a genuine desire to serve. There is no doubt that there cannot be any meaningful economic development if government officials continue in their illicit looting activities. We will definitely not go beyond being a developing nation, while other developing countries, especially in Asia, who had the same economic indices with Nigeria have all gone ahead; because they have a sense of purpose. Therefore, the relevant anticorruption agencies, EFCC and others must step up their game. Nevertheless, I must give it to them for the several land mark achievements in this regard especially the indictment of the former speaker of the house of Representative and his deputy over a controversial loan scam. But there is need for them to do more. There should be no sacred cow in this fight. It requires courage and selfless service to be able to break the big head of corruption in Nigeria. I quite agree with former president Obasanjo’s comments recently in Geneva Switzerland when he accuses the EFCC and ICPC of ineffectiveness and inefficiency because the EFCC was supposed to have gotten him arrested the moment he left office and investigate his obscure dealings while in office. There are indeed a score of corrupt public officials who walk the streets freely today with impunity. Therefore, it is critical for the EFCC and other financial Agencies to brace up and carry out their constitutional responsibility without fear or favor; stop the international community from accepting looted funds from government officials. Corruption in government must be nip in the bud if Nigeria must achieve its vision 2020:20. Otherwise, I see an upsurge of the kind of revolution that is currently swiping across the Arab World in Nigeria very soon.
THE NIGERIAN
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THE Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Mr. Peter Voser recently raised the red flag that security situation in Nigeria worsened last year, 2012. Voser in a speech posted on the company’s website noted “the stealing and sabotage of crude oil intensified during the year under review thereby threatening its multi-billionaire-dollar business” and opined that shell alone cannot tackle the issues. THE Company’s chief executive recommended a multi-stakeholder approach as they have pushed for several years which has gone unheeded by the Nigerian authorities. THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER, is disturbed over the security situation in the country as the United States of America recently raised alarm over escalating insecurity of lives, property and businesses necessitating in its restricting the movement of its citizens within some states in Nigeria. WE are even more worried over the implications of corporate citizens’ perceptions of our security on larger businesses and in particular, growth and development of the country. Unfortunately, efforts by Nigerian security to address the challenge have not yielded the desired results. IT is an incontrovertible fact that there could be no meaningful development in any society where security of lives and property is heavily under threat. Shell’s expose reveals of colossal sums of money lost through oil theft by criminals who, in our view act in concert with powerful and well connected Nigerians
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
THE NIGERIAN
Nigeria’s Investment Climate
including even some unscrupulous officials of the nation’s security organisations. THE sad situation the nation finds itself is an attestation of the lack of political will by government over the years to deal decisively with the various security challenges that have arisen with one leading to the other, some of which now have ethnic, and religious colourations. Kidnapping of multinational oil workers in the Niger Delta went on for too long unaddressed until it metamorphosed into kidnap of innocent low income earners, a situation which speaks volumes of our unpreparedness to tackle the menace of kidnappers until the mother of the Finance Minister and Head of the economic team of Mr. President was kidnapped by hoodlums to the utter embarrassment of the whole nation. TERROR groups in Northern Nigeria have, since the inception of the Jonathan administration unleashed mayhem on innocent citizens in most parts of the region with security agencies and the presidency promising almost on a daily basis to deal with the insurgence without any headway till date.
CLEARLY, the Nigeria Police Force have failed woefully to live up to its responsibility as from every indications, the police themselves, including the high authorities are either involved in criminal activities or are pre-occupied in shielding perpetrators of criminal offences. THE political class have equally not helped the situation as most of them are involved in arming youth groups to do their political billing who in turn go back to the trenches with such arms to perpetrate criminality against the people and the state. THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER is strongly of the view that if Nigeria must attain its national goals and objectives, the present administration must take proactive steps to fight insecurity in the land and restore hope and confidence amongst all stakeholders. BUT in all, we believe the President needs to exercise the political will to make this happen. Mr. President needs to throw away ethnic, sectional and other sentimental garbs and wear his nationalistic apparel to deal with insecurity in the country. GOING forward, we join shell Petroleum Plc to recommend a well organised, multi-stakeholder approach to dealing with insecurity in the country. The Nigerian Army, Navy, Air force, Department of State Security Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Nigerian Immigration, Nigerian Customs and most importantly, the Nigeria Police Force need urgent overhaul. All outfits need better coordination to arrest the situation and make the country safer for all.
THE NIGERIAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
One Church, One God OF all the preposterous practices in the body of Christ, today, the most annoying is the open rivalry among the various church denominations for superiority. These unbridled competitions for dominance and recognition among churches constitute the greatest challenges to the proper conduct of God’s work on earth: Preparing the elect for their onward transition from this world of matter to an everlasting heavenly paradise. Today, it is not uncommon to hear some so-called Christians utter blasphemies such as: “my church is the best church;” people speak in tongues in my church more than in other churches because the holy ghost moves more in my church”; “God is in my Church”; the God of my church is the only true God”; “come to my church and be saved”; my pastor is the holiest, richest, and best preacher around”; the God of my pastor is my God”; “members of my church are the most successful Christians on earth”. These are just a sprinkling of the sacrilegious expressions that spew forth from the tongues of some supposed Christians on a daily basis in their vain attempts at promoting their ministries’ ahead of others. There is obviously a brewing popularity contest among most contemporary churches. These contests are openly promoted by both the heads and overzealous members of these congregations. In the former case, you have church heads whose commercial orientations to church establishment, organization, and administration has created a domineering demeanor in them; attitudes that are spurred by their profit-making motives – the quest to advertise their churches with intent to win more potential offering and tithe contributors to their assemblies; while in the later case, you have brainwashed members of these congregations whose overzealousness drives them to extreme lengths in their vain attempts at justifying their
membership of particular denominations. Some Christians have the mistaken impression that because “miraculous signs and wonders” occur on a regular basis in their assemblies, they are more acceptable to God than others. But on the contrary, most miracle churches are actually detestable to God in reality, due to the worldly conduct of the heads and members of these churches. Any church of Christ where miracles occur constantly, but where most of its members are doomed due to their worldly practices, is no church of Christ; for even the devil himself is known to be a great miracle worker – miracles he uses to manipulate even the elect. He masquerades as an angel of light to mislead the children of the Most High God. It is better to belong to a congregation where the gospel of salvation is preached undefiled, than to be in one where miracles abound without any guarantees for your tomorrow – your place in the afterlife. Another mistaken idea currently making the rounds in our churches is the belief that the size of a church building is the mark of God’s presence in that church. To keep up with this false impression, most churches go the extra mile to stay ahead of others. Nowadays, churches collect huge credit facilities from financial houses to put up gigantic buildings in order to outshine their competitors. But the truth is that the size of a church building or its congregation is not proof of its acceptability before God. In fact, most large churches are empty shells without substance. There is absolutely no correlation between the size of a church and the amount of saved souls within its walls. For instance, the Great Cathedrals of the prereformation Church of Rome were awe-inspiring buildings with very feeble spiritual foundations; mere centers of empty religious rituals
Cutting Edge
without divine approval. The same is true of most big churches in the postreformation years. The segregation among churches is often times taken to extreme lengths by some fundamentalist adherents of the faith. For instance, when a Christian brother with a serious, life-threatening problem approaches a church for help, the first question he is asked is: are you a member of this church? If the answer to this question is not in the affirmative, that brother had better forget about getting any kind of help from that church. This is the standard practice in most churches around, with a
bear to watch the pains and trepidations of their fellow men and refrain from rendering them available assistance. The divergences among churches, is a satanic design to keep the children of God apart; a grand stratagem by the devil to stall the spread of the gospel
his foiled rebellion against Jehovah, he has being involved in a self-declared vendetta against God and his earthly children. Through subterfuge and other covert and overt means, he is working tirelessly to derail God’s loving plans for his children. Unfortunately, Christians have failed to see
by all the various church denominations in the world to beware of the divisive schemes of the devil as practically demonstrated by the deep cracks in the relations amongst churches, especially in these end times. Deliberate attempts must be made by the members of all true, bible-
few exceptions. I wonder how we can claim to love a God we cannot physically see, when we cannot practically demonstrate empathy towards fellow human beings we can see, and who are created in the image and likeness of a God we claim to hold in worshipful esteem? One wonders what some of our pastors preach when they mount their pulpits, when they have no intentions of matching their words with commensurate action. One wonders how some people can justify their claims to being true Christians, when they can
of salvation. Towards this end, he has injected the unbiblical codes currently governing relations among churches, creating the misleading impression that it is “each church for itself and God for them all”. He has sown tares – seeds of confusion – within the body of Christ. The devil is a liar and father of all lies. He is a master strategist who is full of schemes; an incarnation and initiator of mischief; the grand master of evil and an arch enemy of God’s church. Since his expulsion from his heavenly estate, consequent to
these devilish designs. However, one outstanding truth that every practicing Christian must come to grips with is the fact that on the last day, we shall all be judged based on the seamlessness of our personal relationships with God, as demonstrated by our conduct while on this earthly plain – and not on the grounds of the churches we attended. We shall all be weighed on the same scales, and only those who pass this winnowing exercise will make heaven. There will be no separate heaven (or hellfire) for Catholics, Baptists, Wesleyans, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pentecostals, and for the members of other denominations: only one heaven for all true children of God. Here is calling on the entire body of Christ - as represented
believing and practicing churches to cast off all the negative impressions about one another and unite in faith for one common course – the task of preparing the children of God for an immortal existence in the afterlife, after judgment day. There is a saying that “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. The true church of Jesus Christ is one indivisible entity constituted by several parts. It is like an organism that depends on the smooth functioning of all the parts constituting it to stay healthy. The deep cracks within the body of Christ must be immediately mended for God’s work to proceed fluidly and lucidly, with practical results in form of saved souls, to show for it. This is the only kind of Christianity that is acceptable to our heavenly father. God is watching us!
With Obuseh Jude GSM: 08033510173
“However, one outstanding truth that every practicing Christian must come to grips with is the fact that on the last day, we shall all be judged based on the seamlessness of our personal relationships with God, as demonstrated by our conduct while on this earthly plain – and not on the grounds of the churches we attended.”
THE NIGERIAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Nutritional Health And Dietetics
With
The Deadly Diseases Of O.C. Madu Civilization
ACCORDING to Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, Hydra is a monster with many heads stain by Hercules, whence, any multiplicity of evils is termed as hydra. In Greco-Roman mythology it fell to Hercules as one of his twelve labours to slay the Hydra, an enormous beast with a dog like body and a writing cluster of snakes heads. Hercules drove the beast from its lair and began to bash at its many heads with his club, but no sooner had he destroyed one head than two or three replacements sprang from its bleeding stump. Hercules doubled his efforts and summoned his nephew lotus into the fray and together with Hercules slashing and bashing the heads and lotus cauterizing the stumps before new heads could sprout, they reduced the Hydra to its last and supposedly immortal head. Hercules took it off with one mighty swipe and the deadly Hydra was gone forever. The myth of the Hydra is a perfect metaphor for the diseases of civilization. Conventional Medical wisdom has unfortunately approached the treatment of these interconnected diseases in much the same way that Hercules first attacked the Hydra – one head at a time – usually, with the same results. Other heads springing up to confound and frustrate doctor and patient. Just as Hercules finally discovered, however, it is only by going for the immortal head – insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, that medical science can hope to complete the Herculean task of ridding the patient of the diseases of civilization. Treating one disease at a time will at best merely hold them at bay, at worst it will actually contribute to the formation of other diseases. How? By worsening the underlying insulin problems, which in turn aggravates high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and
all the rest. Dr. Kaplan in describing his version of the Hydra, first presents the traditional view that glucose intolerance a precursor of diabetes, hypertension and high triglycerides – excess fat in the blood are usually found in conjunction with upper – body obesity. This view holds that as a person develops upper-body obesity the hypertension, glucose intolerance and excess triglycerides start to become evident, leading to the conclusion that upper body obesity causes these disorders. It makes sense, first you get fat, then you develop all these other problems, therefore, the excess fat must be causing them, right? When Dr. Kaplan examined the data closely, he found that upper-body obesity is not necessarily the cause of the other three but is simply found in conjunction with them most of the time. He goes on to demonstrate that hyperinsulinemia, which has been found to co-exist with each of these conditions, can be more realistically represented as the root obesity, glucose intolerance, triglycerides – the deadly quarter of his articles title. Excess body fat, the first thing most people notice doesn’t come first, it comes after and as a result of the hypersulinemia. The inevitability of this health progression first hyperinsulinemia, followed by any or all of the related disorders. Obesity, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease – may not be pleasant to contemplate, but you can take comfort in the fact that if all have one root cause and we can effectively deal with that single trouble maker, we can solve them all at once. Dr. Ralph DeFronzo M.D. Professor of Medicine uses this metaphor to explain the disorder. At meetings he draws a picture of a huge iceberg with peaks labeled hypertension, heart diasease, high cholesterol, diabetes
and obesity protruding above the water. The great mass of the iceberg extending deep into the water, the part hidden from view, he labels hyperinsulinemia’s doctors and patients chip away at the tips, the great dangerous mass remains hidden from view. The Hydra, Dr Kaplan’s deadly quarter, Dr. DeFronzo’s iceberg, all are
Based on the standard height – weight tables, Arnold Schwarzenegger would be considered overweight, but he obviously isn’t over fat or obese. Although, obesity is almost always attributed to excess calories, obesity is more related to the multifaceted actions of insuling and glucagons on the storage of fat.
pathway are active to some degree all the time, one pathway usually predominates. What is important is the net direction of fat flow over time, that is, are you mainly
chips and expect to lose fat. Obviously, if the direction of fat flow is from our mouths to our fat cells for storage, we are going to gain fat, if this pathway predominates, in time we
simplistic descriptions of the somewhat complex medical problem of hyperinsuliemia which until recently hasn’t even had a name. The important thing is to realize that these diseases of civilization are in reality only different manifestations of one complex disorder. Always keep in mind that they are interrelated through hyperinsulinemia. How we get fat – obesity is defined simply as the accumulation of excess fat in the body, obesity has nothing to do with excess weight.
The two homones insulin and glucagons exert a profound influence on all the metabolic pathways, but especially on those involved in the burning and storing of fat and the development of obesity. When you eat food, your body either, breaks it down and burns it for energy or stores it away as body fat in the fat calls (or as glycogen, the storage form of glucose, in the muscles for later use. Both functions occur simultaneously and although both the storing and burning
storing fat or mainly burning it for energy? Which pathway predominates most of the time? If you mainly store it, you develop obesity, if you mainly burn it, you lose weight. The flow of fat is composed of the fat you eat, the fat released from storage in your fat cells and the fat you make from excess protein and carbohydrate. Yes, the body can make fat from carbohydrate and plenty of it. That is why you can’t eat fat – free cookies and ice cream and potato
will become obese. Conversely, if the fat flows in the opposite direction, from the fat tissue to the muscle cells and other tissues to be burned for enegy, we won’t, in fact, we will lose weight. If our goal is to remain or become slender and fit, obviously this second pathway is preferable. Is it possible to change the flow of fat and redirect it from the fat tissue to muscle cells? The exciting answer is Yes.
GSM: 08056379608
To be concluded next week.
“This view holds that as a person develops upper-body obesity the hypertension, glucose intolerance and excess triglycerides start to become evident, leading to the conclusion that upper body obesity causes these disorders.”
THE NIGERIAN
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Service To Humanity: THE age long axiom that a leader or prophet is not respected at home was broken on Saturday 17, August. 2013 when the Benin Forum organized a cocktail party in honour of the Edo Slate Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu and the Chairmen and councilors in the seven Local Government Areas in Edo South Senatorial district. They include Hon Osaro Obazee Oredo, Hon. (Mrs.) Itohan Osahon Ogbeide, Ikpoba—Okha, Comrade Victor Osayande Enobakhare, Egor, Hon. Roland Alari, Uhunmwode, Chief Roland Ibierutomwen, Orhionmwon Mrs. Lucy Omoagbon, Ovia North-East and Hon. Harrison Okunrobo Ovia South-West Local Government Council. The Benin Forum is a social-cultural organisation and an umbrella body for the Binis at home and in the diaspora. According to the President of Benin Forum and the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri, the forum decided to honour the State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dr Pius Odubu because of his contributions to the progress and development of Benin Kingdom in particular and Edo State in general As the saying goes, if a child washes his hands clean, he can eat and drink with elders. That further explain why the elders and leaders of Benin Forum decided to invite Dr. Odubu and his colleagues in the local government to dine and wine with them at the palace of the Oba of Benin. Indeed, it is the height of honour, recognition and acceptance for a man to be so honoured by his kinsmen, in the courtyard of His Royal Majesty, an event which is first of its kind in the annals of Bini kingdom Dr. Odubu is not just the Deputy Governor of Edo State, he has also become a rallying point for Edo People, especially the progressive minded politicians and non-politicians alike. His sagacious and detribalized nature has endeared him to many. Without doubt, the decision of the Benin Forum to honour the State Deputy Governor alongside the Chairmen and Councilors from the seven local government councils in Edo speaks volume. First, it shows that the Bini people are One United and indivisible race. It shows that Dr. Odubu has been able to provide purposeful leadership and direction for not just the Chairman and Councilors, but for the entire people over the years. importantly, it is a way of appreciating the State Deputy Governor for being a loyal ambassador of the Bini people and for supporting the Comrade Governor in his quest to transform and develop Edo State. At this point, it must be realized that the ability of a leader to improve on the life of the people is not based on his affluence. History is replete with leaders who displayed uncommon character and determination by positively impacting on the people and their society, whether rich or poor. Dr. Odubu says he remained indebted to the Oba of
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
View Point Benin Forum Honours Odubu By DESMOND AGBAMA
Benin, the Benin Forum and entire Binis for their show of solidarity, honour and acceptance. According to Dr. Odubu, the honour will spur him to continue to do more for the peace, unity and progress of Benn Kingdom particular and Edo State in general. He equally expressed his resolve to render unalloyed support and loyalty to the Comrade Governor in order to successfully achieve his vision and mission for Edo State and her citizens. On the part of the local government Chairmen and Councilors, they are expected to rally round Dr. Odubu,
“At this point, it must be realized that the ability of a leader to improve on the life of the people is not based on his affluence. History is replete with leaders who displayed uncommon character and determination by positively impacting on the people and their society, whether rich or poor.” councils. They should apply wisdom and political will in bringing about the desired development in the local government areas.
Dr Pius Odubu
while their loyalty to the Oba of Benin, the Benin Forum and the people should be sacrosanct. This is so, because there is greater strength in the unity of a people, especially those with common progenitor like the Binis or Edo people. The local government Chairmen and their Councilors should emulate the Oshiomhole and Odubu experience in the governance of their respective local government
“It is quite disturbing and unfortunate to hear people referring to local government councils in Edo South, with exception of Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Egor, as the least developed when compared with those in Edo Central and Edo North Senatorial districts. This is quite obvious due to the lack of motorable roads, electricity, water supply and good health care facilities in many towns, villages and communities in Uhunmwode, Orhionmwon, Ovia North-East and Ovia South-West local government areas.”
It is quite disturbing and unfortunate to hear people referring to local government councils in Edo South, with exception of Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Egor, as the least developed when compared with those in Edo Central and Edo North Senatorial districts. This is quite obvious due to the lack of motorable roads, electricity, water supply and good health care facilities in many towns, villages and communities in Uhunmwode, Orhionmwon, Ovia North-East and Ovia South-West local government areas. Needless to remind the Council Chairmen and their Councilors that if they serve the people creditably, more honour awaits them in future and if they perform to the contrary, they will be blacklisted. Therefore. it behoves on the Chairmen and Councilors to join forces with the Comrade Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu in order to chart a new course for the development of Edo South and indeed Edo State. Desmond Agbama is the Chairman NUJ Edo State Council
THE NIGERIAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Perspective
DEFINED broadly, citizen journalism, sometimes called online journalism or reporting is the kind of journalism in which the users or audience create content through the internet rather than wait to be fed by the traditional media outlets. In her article titled News Quality Differences in Online Newspaper and Citizen Journalism Sites. In Public Journalism 2.0-The Promise and Reality of a Citizen, Serena Carpenter, described as an individual who intends to publish information meant to benefit a community. Citizen journalism was described as the individual “playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information.” The wave of a democratized media world has caught on in Nigeria. Millions of Nigerians have signed up for social networking sites and numerous audience-driven online citizen journalism sites and discussion forums. A lot of excitement now surrounds the perceived empowering potential of citizen journalism. As in most parts of the world, the promise of participatory media is being delivered faster than envisaged since the global democratization spirit took hold. It is this same new media technology that has given international broadcasters like the CNN, BBC, VOA and German Radio the platform to reach a global audience. The birth of information and Communication Technologies, ICTs, has created a new era of new media tools signaling unbounded possibilities for citizen journalism. Through the instrumentality of the internet, emerging sites that aggregate views, information, news, comments and diverse opinions have opened a new frontier of possibilities in the way news is produced, distributed and consumed. More importantly, it has brightened the hope for a
participatory and interactive process. On May 5, 2006 media leaders from the Mainstream Media (MSM) gathered in London to brainstorm how to respond to the marching troops of citizen journalism. The conference sponsored by two media giants, BBC and Reuters, had a single agenda: how to “nail down the big issue” with regard to citizen journalism. For the gurus of the mainstream media, their organizations needed to work out a template for collaboration with citizen journalism because of recent events that year that showed the potential of citizen journalism in enhancing their coverage. While their first instinct was turf protection and self-preservation, they also wanted to explore ways in which the old and the new media could work together. The importance of the rise of citizen journalism to the London group was underscored in 2006 from the thousands of text messages, emails and mobile phone images during the July 7 bombings in London, to simple day to day information on news events. In Nigeria, we twice saw the power of citizen journalism demonstrated: first, when Sahara Reporters used crowd sourcing to obtain the picture and exclusive information of the December 25, 2009 bomber, Umar Farouk Mutallab who almost blew up an American airline over American skies. Again, it was citizen journalists that captured the moment in history and also used MMS and their blackberry phones to send the first raw footage and pictures of the Abuja bomb blast in Nigeria on October 1, 2010 when Nigeria celebrated its 50 years of political independence citizen journalism websites like Sahara Reporters and Nairaland. In Nigeria, these developments are not lost on the media as they have also had to depend on the new material produced by the social media to report
Citizen Journalism And government corruption, cover international events and the spiral of bombings that have been taking place in Nigeria since October 2010. Suffice it to say however, that citizen journalism has caught up in Nigeria and bridged the media gap. Uche Nwora, a Nigerian who has written extensively on citizen journalism argues that, “the advent of the internet and independent/ alternative media has ensured that Nigerian citizens can now practice their own journalism from wherever they are”. He argues further that full citizens’ involvement in the media can only help to improve the vibrancy while ridding it of the docility that has gradually become a feature. Fackson Banda in his exploratory study of citizen journalism and democracy in Africa asserted that, “the institutionalization of the practice of online journalism into MSM has since begun.” For Nigeria, the growth of citizen journalism platforms and the infusion of user generated content into traditional media content in the past five years attest to this development mentioned by Banda. The traditional media holds tenaciously to its claim that it is tested and trusted because it is the professionals at work and not accidental journalists who have had no training. In Nigeria, the position of the traditional media as the custodians of news and information on which the society must rely upon or surrender to is one that is shared with their counterparts worldwide. However, with the practice of citizen journalism gradually taking root in Nigeria and globally due to the increase in the production of affordable Smart phones, the hold of the traditional media on this claim is presently at best not concrete. LESSONS FROM NIGERIA Even in Nigeria, opinions
are divided about the value of citizen media and what recognition the traditional media should accord it. Professor of Journalism, Olatunji Dare, a member of the editorial board of the Nation newspapers and a renowned journalism scholar, subscribes to the value of new media and citizen journalism to bringing about the development of democracy in Nigeria and more importantly, the encouragement of independent journalism free from the shackles of the Piper who dictates the tune. “I think its speed of dissemination is one of the advantages. The fact that the start-off capital is small and the fact that it can reach a large audience in a short time, without suffering from the contracts of the old media are the major strength… It’s a new media; you don’t need a huge printing press. You are not beholden to any money interest, because of that which gives you potentially the opportunity to be more certain, at least potentially, to be less disinterested in outcomes. And of course, it gives speed and faster response time.” Prof Olatunji talks further about the power of citizen journalism and how it is putting pressure on persons in power in Nigeria: “You are monitoring power. You are publishing the kind of materials that traditional media would think twice before publishing. That is why they have targeted the new media and in journalism, the worst that can happen to you is to be ignored. People are paying attention to you because you are a target. You are hitting the right targets.” Adebayo Onanuga, editor in chief of one of Nigeria’s leading weekly magazines, The News looked at the citizen journalism practice as popularized by Sahara Reporters and said, “Sahara reporters is like Wikileaks: all the news fit and unfit to
“Uche Nwora, a Nigerian who has written extensively on citizen journalism argues that, “the advent of the internet and independent/alternative media has ensured that Nigerian citizens can now practice their own journalism from wherever they are”.
By SUC
print. No inhibitions at all. No consideration for the ethics of the profession, the subtleties expected from the practitioners, the sense of social responsibility and the restraints that trained journalists normally exhibit”. This position is reinforced by the argument that citizen journalists are not trained to subscribe to the traditional journalistic standards of objectivity, fairness and
accuracy found in news organizations. Professor Dare took a hard look at user generated content and declared that the products do not enjoy the benefit of the rigorous checks and balances that you find in traditional media. “The material doesn’t pass through a chain of editors that would take a second (look) or for somebody else to correct an error that has been made.” For him, the sense of responsibility that goes with the journalistic profession must not be glossed over or sacrificed for the sake of achieving speed in dissemination. This is a view shared by Professor Adebayo
Williams of The Nation newspapers’ editorial board who welcomes the citizen journalism genre in Nigeria but cautions against reckless journalism. For him, bloggers have stepped up to the plate in areas where the traditional media slept at the switch due to what he describes as “internal contradictions as well as historical
m re w in vu de af re en ch
developments” within the journalism profession and the Nigerian state. He celebrated the bloggers, and especially their contribution to fighting corruption. “It is not the blogger who will put an end to this elaborate charade, this sustained chicanery and macabre musical chairs. But blogging will help. The defenestration of some important sectors of the Nigerian press as a result of corporate corruption and individual greed has assured the blogger of a great historical platform”, said Professor Adebayo Williams. Yet if he is to fulfill this historic mission, the blogger
per me gat ope eng pro fun and of me In new jou ove on are Nig in i T sho bec citi
jo st
THE NIGERIAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Perspective
The Traditional Media
CCESS OSAYI
must conduct a constant eality check and come up with a profound intellectual nterrogation of his own ulnerability in a web of elite eceit and mischief. It is only fter this that the blogger can econnect with the ndangered forces of genuine hange in the home country”. The fact that citizen ournalism lacks the tructure, resources and
however, seen citizen journalism rise up to address some of its shortcomings particularly with regards to quality control and gate keeping issues and the general ethical conduct of their newsgathering operations. An example of such is Sahara Reporters. The site implores citizens to ensure that the information they supply is factual, but also gate keeps by verifying every
rsonnel the traditional edia invests in news thering and overall news erations limits its ability to gage professionals, set up a ocess of verification, invest nds in long investigations d turn out the same volume stories that the traditional edia produces. n Nigeria only a few online ws sites practice citizen urnalism full blast; a host of er 20 other sites rely heavily user generated content and e low in news production. geria’s blogosphere is still infancy. Thus, stepping into the oes of the traditional media comes an arduous task for izen journalism. We have
material sent to it except for commentary. “We sometimes delay publishing a piece until we are able to confirm the details of the story”, according to the publisher, Sowore. The site has also lined up a number of experienced journalistic hands to help verify and investigate stories and also edit. Sowore will not however, let the attacks from the traditional media go unchallenged. He insists that it has failed in performing its watchdog role because many of those who sit on the editorial chairs do not want to give up the privileges they have, “Somehow, Nigerian media
practitioners have become a power block”. While the issue of how professional the news produced by citizen journalism will linger, Sowore argues that the sheer independence and investigative aggressiveness empowers it and sets it apart, enabling it to do more in making government accountable and in giving voice to the people.
Prof Olatunji Dare echoes Sowore’s concern about the susceptibility of the traditional media to corruption and compromise due to its nature of ownership. “You own a newspaper and you are bidding for contracts. Your paper is to that extent circumscribed. They can’t write on anything that touches on your business interests, even though they are
of public interest”. Sahara Reporters is not beloved by many professional journalists in Nigeria because they argue it lacks editorial oversight and it is too combative. Sowore disagrees and said he often engages with some of them who according to him seek to “trash” the site. C I T I Z E N JOURNALISM OVER TRADITIONAL MEDIA Perhaps no other medium provides a more leveled playing field for all classes of Nigerians. During and after the 2011 general elections in Nigeria, Sahara Reporters served as some sort of parliament flooded with petitions by politicians and ordinary Nigerians complaining about rigged election primaries. Though sometimes controversial, being online and operating from New York, beyond the reach of powerful politicians and the security forces, has served these citizen journalism sites well in their works. Thanks to new media, the political space has a new transparency and accountability created by the public. In Nigeria today, political leaders fear they will be embarrassed or exposed if their activities get published by these websites especially Sahara Reporters, considering how the Ibori story went down. They are wary and fearful because it can go viral easily and become international news. In the past they could shut down media houses or confiscate whole print runs or even declare the publication illegal to stop bad news from spreading. That has been taken away. Now, news is without frontiers or boundary. For a practice still very much in search of a theory, citizen journalism has come a long way and altered our way of news consumption and production. BENEFITS OF
C O L L A B O R AT I O N BETWEEN THE NEW AND THE TRADITIONAL MEDIA Though the amount of academic work on citizen journalism is still small, the few academic researches and papers done so far have all reached agreement that there is so much to gain by having the traditional media and citizen journalism work together in a mutual relationship. Already, many professional reporters now use open media to locate sources, communities and audiences. Evidence from multiple sources, video clips from citizen journalists can all be combined with materials from the professional journalists to produce compelling investigative stories. It is evident that the future of journalism lies somewhere in the social media cum citizen journalism ecosystem which will increasingly rely on user generated content. However, before the full benefits of the proposed mutual relationship can be harnessed by both parties, there are practical issues that need to be addressed. Nick Newman, in his work on social media lists the outstanding issues thus: “editorial control; ownership of intellectual property; the blurring of professional and personal spheres; as well as concerns about the representative or unrepresentative nature of the networks shouting for attention”. By exploring areas they can work together, some of these issues can easily be addressed. Take for instance the fact that the mainstream media will get better at covering breaking news from timely and comprehensive angles if it encourages and monitors twitter and Facebook communities. Twitter especially with its 140-character limit is a wonderful platform for
breaking the news and for distribution. Twitter is also a reporting tool, a great marketing tool and useful for conversations and building communities. This collaboration could also enhance citizenship empowerment and the accountability of government. After a careful survey of the media landscape in Africa and democratic challenges Richard Sambrook agrees that citizen journalism can contribute to better journalism: “I think it has a very strong role to play - particularly in a continent like Africa. BOTTOM LINE Citizen journalism in Nigeria is still growing. It has arrived but it is not yet fully developed with millions of citizens and the legacy media yet to embrace its full potentials. Nigeria still has a lot of catching up to do. So also do the traditional media. The traditional media need to invest in this partnership and see that new media technology is cutting deep into their territory. According to Kevin Kelly, traditional media must make adjustments, “You can deny technology, but you can’t stop it.” The Fourth estate of the realm must recognize the emerging Fifth estate that is the internet and related digital technologies. Together they empower what William Dutton identifies as, ‘…space for networking individuals in ways that enable a new source of accountability in government, politics and other sectors’. That Fifth estate is citizen journalism and the user generated media community. It is a community that is deploying citizens as an alternative source of authority to the traditional media and doing so at blinding speed. It is an estate the mainstream media in Nigeria will want to partner with in order to ensure both relevance and survival in the future.
“Perhaps no other medium provides a more leveled playing field for all classes of Nigerians. During and after the 2011 general elections in Nigeria, Sahara Reporters served as some sort of parliament flooded with petitions by politicians and ordinary Nigerians complaining about rigged election primaries.”
THE NIGERIAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Discourse
Okpe Development OKPE DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES “Looking at the institutions in our society, the very vehicles for Carrying out our Revolutionary principles, what do you find? We find old, faded and rusty machines creaking along most Inefficiently and delaying the people’s progress and the Progress of the Revolution”. AHIARA DECLARATION (EMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU) IN consequentialist Ethics it is posted with mathematical exactitude that deontological and axiological rudiments are critically crucial for leadership success, organisational efficiency and institutional progress. Hence, the leadership and institutions fail when they lack this foundational equipoise. Is this what is happening to the Okpe Union? The Okpe Union is a Pan-Okpe Socio-Cultural-Quasi political organisation founded on the 16th May, 1930. But formally inaugurated, on the 16 th July, 1930. It’s constitution states inter alia, that its aims and objectives are to (NOT VERBATIM) foster the spirit of love, mutual understanding and brotherhood amongst the Okpe people and sensitize them on the need to live together as one family, eviscerate the zeitgeist of progressive change and have cordial relationship with their neighbours. To defend Okpe people against hostile neighbours, economic and political marginalization, using brinksmanship and the dynamics of “lobby-power” to attract development to Okpe Kingdom, promote massive education for the Okpe people, to ensure integrity of the Okpe people and to promote multicultural and crosscultural integration. To ensure that the Okpe nation is a formidable stakeholder, player and partner in the globalization phenomenon and to bring all-embracing development to the grass-roots of the Okpe kingdom. In these set objectives and pragmatic dreams, the Okpe Union, the Umbrella of the Okpe Nation, has worked over the years with Spartan equanimity to promote the unity, progress and development of the Okpe people within and outside Okpe land. After the passing unto glory of Esezi 1, Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, there was a period of Orodjeship abeyance and interregnum which almost precipitated anarchical entropy in Okpe kingdom. But great Herculean and Trojan intervention by the Okpe Union led to the rekindling, rebirth and resuscitation of the Orodjeship with the installation of Esezi II. It has continue to promote Okpe customs and tradition, through dress codes, festivals, book publications, songs and dances (Mr Evwighademu of Okwokpokpo, Late Egbikume Azanor of Ughoton and Mr Laya Akpaboro etc). The Okpe Union still continues to be the Okpe political think tank and lodestone. It has continued to advice Okpe political leaders and aspirants on the way and manner of carrying out socio-political strategic repositioning of the Okpe nation for effective developmental strides. Indeed, Okpe Union has done well in its set objectives under some of its past and present leadership, like Presidents Ake of Mereje, Ero of Ughoton, Sam Emujeta of Okwidiemor, Taire of Okwitaire, Agbiwan of Jeddo, Agala of Ughoton, Chief Phillip Ewetuya of Adagrassa, Oha and Ugolo, Egbejumi, Chief Dick Gberevwie, Arch Ralph Karienren and Mr John Ekpoke (Ag. President General). Etc. But, it must be noted that in the past few years the
Challenges By CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE
bubble got bust as the peace and tranquility in the Okpe Union got rubbished by the inter and intra schismatic turpsy-torvydom precipitating tenebrous melange, acrimonious media wrangling and apocalyptic revisionism. This has introduced the behemoth of malice, legal prestidigitation and diabolical manipulations amongst brothers.
Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta State Governor
As peace, efficiency catalyst and crisis management strategy the ODOGUN OKPE (OKPE SUPREME COUNCIL) in a consultative meeting held on the 14th July 2012 with the Okpe Union and HRM thought it fit and proper to relocate the Headquarters of Okpe Union to Orerokpe (The ancestral home of the Okpe people, Headquarters of Okpe Local Govt. Council and the abode of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom). The relocation of Okpe Union to Orerokpe has its positive and negative sides. But it will help to bring the activities of the Union closer to the grassroots, it will create a nexial dovetailing with local and international branches on issues affecting the Okpe kingdom, it will be more prone to explicitly articulate on the developmental challenges of the Okpe nation and the relocation will bring leadership closer to the Okpe people. But some have the suspicion that it will barricade and create barracoons against the Okpe nation, because it will be too far from Lagos, the commercial capital and Abuja the political capital. The concern of this writer is that a crisis-befuddled Okpe Union being relocated will carry over it
accoutrements and appurtenances of destabilization and it cannot stand. We must reconcile the warring factions, conduct a free, transparent and fair election in the Okpe Union, ratify its constitution, get a certified audit report, bank reconciliation, secretariat hallmarks, organogram surgeonization and personal grieviances sorted out. We should allow the former Headquarter Office in Lagos to remain a branch of Okpe Union and we must open a liaison office in Abuja and Lagos to help Okpe kingdom have outreach to the international community. Otherwise, the relocation from Lagos will magnetise communication blackout, political dwarfishness and developmental erebus to Okpe kingdom. The quality of the leadership that will come on board when it is relocated to Orerokpe will be fundamentally important. Will the Okpe Union not be hectored and hounded by self-seeking power mongers in their theatrics of political rascality? We call for the urgent ratification of the draft constitution on or before June 24th, 2013 and a fresh election conducted on or before September 5th, 2013 and the new Executive sworn-in immediately. Without slips of prolixity, it is indeed, a platitudinous truism that the Okpe nation has been forgotten by the march of civilization as we are in a state of troglodyte backwardness, socio-economic underdevelopment and crass marginalization, even as an oil, gas, timber producing nation/kingdom with our numerical superiority in population. We have not been able to harness and husband our resources as a nation and as a people. We are being radically bemused by our neighbours and our lands are being legally and forcefully taken over whilst we luxuriate in intra/inter Okpe Union squabbles and relocation blues. There is no federal presence in terms of schools and industries in Okpe kingdom. We are not appointed into Federal or State’s administrative cabinets. We have no water, no roads, no houses or shelters, no light, no industries and no viable tertiary institutions. We attend our neighbour’s schools and we have sold all our fertile lands to our neighbours who are now reselling back to us. We lack the labenstraum and positive audacity to hold our heads high in the comity of nations. The challenges of our growth, development and progress are colossal and leviathan. We must develop a revolutionary stand and a bellicose reorientation to move the Okpe nation from the gangrenous labyrinth of an apocalyptical epicenter. We need total radicalization of our struggle to bring development to our land. Our first clog to the wheel of our progress is the “Modern Day Okpe Man” who betrays cowardice in all things unlike our courageous forefathers. The Okpe union must be built into a fighting machine and no more the habitue of jobless politicians and hungry artisans. The challenges ahead are enormous. Okpe kingdom is the land of the rising sun, we love and cherish it. Beloved homeland of our forebears. We must defend our own or shall perish. We shall and must protect our hearts and lands from all our foes. But if the price is death for all we hold dear, then let us die without a shred of fear. We fear too much in Okpe land that is why all our neighbours walk on our heads. It must stop. We can no more afford the luxury of Okpe Union’s Continues on page 27
“We should allow the former Headquarter Office in Lagos to remain a branch of Okpe Union and we must open a liaison office in Abuja and Lagos to help Okpe kingdom have outreach to the international community. Otherwise, the relocation from Lagos will magnetise communication blackout, political dwarfishness and developmental erebus to Okpe kingdom.”
THE NIGERIAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Drumbeats
Power Of Focus
GOD is the originator of focus, everything about God speaks of focus, infact He is focus personified. It is only a manufacturer of a product that can effectively advice you on the advantages and disadvantages of his product and its usefulness to humanity. A thorough and a careful study of the Solar system will tell you about the nature of God and his perfection of a focused life in creation. “The Solar System consists of the sun and the nine planets. The sun is at the centre of the Solar System and all other planets revolve around it in their elliptical orbit. The sun- the sun is the largest star in the solar system and has a surface temperature of well over 6,000°C with an interior temperature of over 20,000,000°C. in size, the sun is about 300,000 times as big as the earth. The stars which appear singly when viewed from the earth actually exist in groups or clusters which are better referred to as galaxies or nebulas. The Solar System consist of mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter. Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The earth in which we live in has a population of about seven billion people of all that God has created none has ever diminished or reduced in size. After his creation He made us in his image and likeness and told us “to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth”. Genesis 1v28. It takes a man who is articulate and focused to achieve great success on earth. The reason God achieved all these is because of His focus, greatness and sovereignty over the universe. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord made: and be said unto the woman, yea, bath
God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the garden. But of the fruit of the free which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said ye shall not eat it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die And the serpent said unto the woman ye shall not surely die; For God doth know that In the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that It was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat and the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew both they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apron. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the tree of the garden and the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him,, where are thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself And he said, who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to he with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the woman what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go and
dust shall thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enimity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy heel, and thou shall bruise his heal”. Genesis 3v 1-5. From the above passage of scripture you will discover that Adam and Eve fell from grace to grass because they lost their focus on God’s instruction and allowed the serpent to distract their attention. Infact, they lost their pride, grace and
enjoyment and resorted to pains, anger and death. God who is the master planner and originator of focus knew the consequence of their act and what the serpent led them to do. He immediately placed a curse on the serpent and made alternative for man’s redemption. Friends, if you want genuine success, please learn from God’s principle and live a focused life and see if success, security, fame and peace of mind will elude you. What is your purpose of existence and how focused
are you in achieving that goal? The purpose of your existence is to enjoy what your heavenly father has laboured for. Ignorance of this fact has led many people astray, due to lack of focus of the purpose of their existence. Every man and woman has a purpose which he or she came to fulfill on this earth. Some years ago a friend of mine in Lagos State, Nigeria: said “there are people you can kill, but you cannot kill their dreams” I quickly replied by
saying Sir, there are some people you cannot kill and you cannot kill their dreams. The purpose of God in the life of Samson and David was to deliver the children of Israel from the hands of the Philistines. Though Samson could not finish his assignment because of the negative role Delilah played in his life, but at the end the bible says those people Samson killed at his death were more than those he killed when he was alive. “If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that
“Discover the purpose of God in your life and put an end to all these years of sufferings and slaving. Don’t attribute your failures in life to the enemies.”
With Apostle Dr. Raphael O. Ayemere 08035459593
there should not he day and night and that there should not be day and night in their season. Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne and with the levities the priests, my ministries. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured, so will I
multiply the seed of David my servant and the levities that ministered unto me. “Jeremiah 33 v 20-22. Won’t you be glad to hear God boasting about you as he boasted about David? Then do what David did. The purpose of God concerning John the Baptist was to announce the person of Jesus and to preach repentance of sin. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than 1, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. “Matthew 3 v 11. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said,
after me cometh man which is preferred before me, for he was before me,. “John 1 v 2930. The purpose of God in the life of Moses was to take the children of Israel out of Egypt to the land of Canaan. Did you see the circumstances that surrounded the birth of Moses? The enemy tried to eliminate him during and after his birth but God’s purpose in Moses life must be fuifilled. Moses succeeded in taking the children of Israel out of Egypt. but Joshua later completed the assignment by taking the children of Israel to the promised land. Moses and Joshua fulfilled the purpose of God concerning their lives. Jesus fulfilled the purpose of God by dying on the cross of Calvary to redeem man back to God. The question now is, of what purpose were you
born and how do you go about fulfilling that purpose? My purpose is to reveal Jesus to the whole world through his saving and healing power. The Bible makes us to understand in Hosea 4 v 6. “My people are perished for lack of knowledge.” Discover the purpose of God in your life and put an end to all these years of sufferings and slaving. Don’t attribute your failures in life to the enemies. A discovering of the purpose of God in your life, will give you a recovery of all that you have lost in the past. Having discovered the purpose of God in your life, how focused are you in achieving your purpose on earth. A lack of focus can prevent you from achieving your goals and dreams in your life. I urge you to shun and avoid any thing that will distract your focus of achieving the purpose of God in your life on earth.
THE NIGERIAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Issues NIGERIA has all the endowments needed for greatness but corruption, cupidity, indiscipline, i n e p t i t u d e , incompetence, mediocrity and lack of patriotism have seriously inhibited her desire to achieve greatness. These vices must be drastically reduced so that they can no longer impede development and growth by creating strong Institutions, Traditions and Laws which will make it extremely difficult for people in public positions to corruptly acquire, steal or peculate public funds. Institutions must be strong and made accountable to citizens but citizens must also have the education, knowledge and training needed to hold Institutions accountable. Three things are basically wrong with Nigeria. The trio are, political stability, social harmony and economic growth. They are paripasu mutually reinforceable. The electoral process must be fair, free, peaceful and transparent as per option A4 to produce credible leaders. It will produce generally acceptable leaders who will ensure strong political stability, promote economic growth and strengthen social harmony. The System will reduce corruption greatly to insignificance. Sadly, Nigeria is one of the six in Africa out of the ten most corrupt Countries in the World where clueless, greedy and deficient politicians
are majorly in leadership positions. A free society that cannot help many despondent and poor people cannot definitely save a few who are rich. Nigeria in 2012 scored 0.471 in human development index which fell below the SubSaharan Africa average of 0.475 and far below the World’s average of 0.694. Social security is still a miracle to Nigerians. The Country’s Federal Office of Statistics also attests to the fact that over 67 million Nigerians now live in poverty unlike in 1980 when the figure stood at only 18 million. So, it is very lamentable that 53 years after Independence, Nigerians who have no employment cannot look up to Government for any benefits. Of course, it is popularly known that in Europe and America people who do not have jobs get unemployment benefits. On the average, Nigeria is 37.17 years less than the current norm when compared with Monaco which has the highest life expectancy of 89.63 years for the entire population. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana, an African Country, transformed herself from one of the poorest Countries in the World to a middleincome Country with a per capita GDP of $16,800 in 2012. Nigeria can do better. Fortune favours the brave. N I G E R I A N CONSTITUTION. Decree No. 24 of 5 May, 1999 as amended is the Constitution of the
Nigeria’s 100 Years Of Slow Development By DR PRINCE OYAKHIRE OON, Ph.D, NPM
Federal Republic of Nigeria. In Chapter two which deals with fundamental objectives and directive principles of State Policy, No. 22 particularly deals with the obligation of the Mass Media. The Obligation of the Mass Media which
ethics shall be Discipline, Integrity, Dignity of Labour, Social Justice, Religious Tolerance, Self reliance and Patriotism. Security in Nigeria is generally not healthy. In recent times, Boko Haramists in particular
President Goodluck Jonathan
includes the Press , radio, television and other Agencies shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of Government to the people. Beside, No 23 deals with National ethics. The National
have continuously come under fire for a catalogue of tragic and serious failings. The unislamic activities of the Sect have brought the impeccable reputation of Islam in Nigeria into tartars. Islamic Tradition has since the emergence of Boko Haram insurgency been seriously vilified and Believers severely
“Three things are basically wrong with Nigeria. The trio are, political stability, social harmony and economic growth. They are pari-pasu mutually reinforceable. The electoral process must be fair, free, peaceful and transparent as per option A4 to produce credible leaders.”
castigated. Many citizens have been slain by Boko Haram Terrorists anywhere and. everywhere including Holy places of Worship in many States mostly in Northern parts of Nigeria. Indeed, Boko literally means “Book (i.e Education) and Haram
Prophets including Moses, Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, Jesus Christ and Muhammad. Islam strengthens the FAITH of true Muslims. Faith is the tree of life. By faith, Believers have access to grace. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith secures
Arch Namadi Sambo, Vice President
means abomination (evil)”. Education and abomination are incompatible, uncomplimentary and are at variance in philosophy and practice. Islam is not against Western Education. Slam compels mankind to seek knowledge as far as to China. Prophet Muhammad states clearly that the ink of a scholar is more precious to Allah than the blood of a martyr. Boko Haramists are ignorant of Islam which regards life as sacred. Islam is God’s Religion. It is also the Religion of all the 25
God’s presence and obedience sustains it. Faith is mentioned in both the Bible and Quran in the following chapters — Q385&116 Q4136, Q839 and Hebrews 11:1-40. MEDIA IN NIGERIA NEED RADICAL AND U R G E N T IMPROVEMENT The Press has a Constitutional mandate to call Political office holders to order in terms of accountability, integrity and performance. Ordinarily, the Press has a conventional and a primary duty to educate, Continues on page 21
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Issues Issues Continued from page 20
inform and entertain Society. By implication, the Press is expected in all ramifications to be well educated so as to be able and be capable to educate, inform and entertain society adequately and correctly. Education per se particularly of the Media goes beyond mere literacy. A well-educated and happily disposed Press is a true reflection of a healthy Society. Qualitative and all- round education implies education of the mind, soul and body. Education is a fundamental catalyst for knowledge acquisition. Knowledge gives confidence and enhances the capacity to perform. Knowledge is not sold in Mr. Biggs or Kingsway Stores but acquired through Continuous learning and research.. Acquire knowledge fully and be well-informed. Education is for public good because it is a resource, an empowerment and is the greatest investment in mankind. Educated and well informed people are powerful. If we cannot live comfortably and directly in the heart of knowledge by tomorrow, then, what is there in tomorrow to be lived? The Media need to be constantly and properly educated, trained and retrained so as to avoid common errors and be in a vantage position to be able to significantly educate, inform and entertain society accurately and satisfactorily. Indeed, ignoratia stilae Mediae
est populi calamitia - the ignorance of the Press is the calamity of Society. It is shameful and ridiculous to observe that many Press officials are unable to pronounce Nigerian names correctly and properly. It is as if they did not study A,B,D in elementary school. We must be able to present ourselves in a manner analogous to what the CNN reporters symbolise or epitomise in their network. Candidly, we need to be up and doing and to actually work harder. We need to learn more and more because only the grave terminates the acquisition of knowledge. It is desirable here to give some specific examples of errors often committed by the Press. He was speaking at the occasion instead of he spoke at the occasion because the ceremony has since last week or yesterday ended. The individual gained “entry” not entrance. Lots of people have gone home and not a lot of people have gone. It is wrong to say a lot of people have gone. “A lot” is the subject in the sentence and not the word “people”. A lot is collective and is reflective in singular in the sentence. It is advisable to avoid the use of “a lot” as many people do today wrongly. It is better to use words like some, many, most and so on. “A lot” is wrongly used daily by many educated people. The potency or strong use of English language in recent years in Nigeria has greatly declined.
... 100 Years Of Slow Development
Other examples include, seek for funds instead of seek funds, Reach out to the people instead reach the people. Solicit help and not solicit for help. Other; include between John and I instead of between John and me; travel and not travel out; return and not return back; reverse and not reverse back; provide for and not provide to etc, etc. Surprisingly, the Press often refers to the Nigeria Police Force as the Nigerian force. There is nothing like Nigerian Police. It is not known to Law. What is immutably known to Law is Nigeria Police Force. It is NOT described like the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force. Nigeria’s success in democracy will depend
largely on effective p e r f o r m a n c e , commitment, integrity and patriotism. Currently, Nigeria’s democracy is troubled by many factors and is indeed seriously on trial. Nigeria will be a good Country when governed by leaders who are truly, freely, fairly, peacefully and transparently elected. Such leaders shall be selfless and committed to the Service of the people and shall be willing to sacrifice self interests for the common good of Nigerians. They will open their ears, eyes and hearts to the needs of people. They will be strong, compassionate, courageous, competent,
“A good political arrangement in Nigeria will fundamentally ensure that there is cohesion, peace and stability that will enhance sustainable development and growth. It should be such that accommodates plurality of views, opinions, ideas, interests and choices.”
knowledgeable, merciful, pragmatic and God fearing. Besides, Nigeria will indeed perform better in her body polity by the involvement of tried, tested and trusted persons with attestable track records of patriotic service. All the three Arms of Government, notably, the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary shall truly be independent and strong in the execution of their duties. They shall be supported by a free and responsible Press and an enlightened citizenry. A good political arrangement in Nigeria will fundamentally ensure that there is cohesion, peace and stability that will enhance sustainable development and growth. It should be such that accommodates plurality of views, opinions, ideas, interests and choices. Basically, it should be rooted in compromise, freedom,
persuasion and tolerance. I may not have the strength of a lion or the resistance of a tiger but I have the indomitable courage of a spider whose webs are found inside the King’s (or Emir’s) Palace without the King’s permission. Brothers and sisters, if you belong to the right caucus, you must ensure that you are and you take an honest insurance policy, no weapon fashioned by detractors against you including the EFCC will prosper. The ideas expressed in the above synopsis by a mere messenger, Prince Oyakhire, CON, PhD, NPM, AIG, LLD-honoris causa etc, etc, represent in a summary the best of goodwill and the most honest of intentions for mankind. May, Allah continue to protect preserve and provide our needs. Thank you for your decorum, patience and time. Oba ghato okpe e ise
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Political Platform Issues SENATOR Aisha Jummai Alhassan who is representing Taraba North in the upper legislative chamber is one of the aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that openly aligned with the Abubakar Baraje faction since the split in the ruling party on Augustt 31, 2013. senator Alhassan had every reason to be aggrieved with the national leadership of the ruling party. She was one of the members of the Taraba state chapter of PDP that were sidelined during the flawed congresses in Taraba State and has explored everything avenue within the provisions of the constitution of the party to seek redress. Senator Alhassan was one of the members of the party that sent petitions to the leadership of the party to revisit the Taraba congresses which even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a letter to the PDP national chairman dated March 5, 2012 acknowledged congresses took place. The other affected states with flawed congresses are Sokoto, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Lagos, Yobe, Anambra, Yobe aid Katina States. PDP national secretariat tactfully ignored the INEC letter and the electoral umpire had to write several reminders to PDP. The commission insisted that for the state congresses to be constitutionally recognized, the wards, local government and states congresses in the affected states must be conducted afresh. The commission, in a letter dated April 2, 2012 signed by its Secretary, Abduallhi Kaugama, reminded PDP of the need to conduct fresh congresses in the affected states. The third letter from INEC on the flawed congresses read: “you may recall in the course of recently conducted wards, local government, states and zonal congresses of your party, the commission wrote to advice on the non-compliance with relevant provisions of the PDP constitution and guidelines in some states. “I am to further remind you that your party is yet to reschedule the congresses in the affected states except Lagos and Nasarawa. You are accordingly advised to reschedule the ward, local government and state congresses in Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Jigawa, Anambra, Katsina and Yobe States including part of Cross River State for the emergence of a constitutionally recognized party executive at al1 levels.” Unfortunately and coincidentally, the leader of the “New PDP”, Alhaji Ahubakar Ikawu Baraje, on whose watch a the PDP Acting National chairman the flawed congresses were conducted never attended to INEC letter and complaints arising from the kangaroo congresses. When Bamanga Tukur took over from Baraje he only conducted fresh congresses in a few states. including his own Adamawa, and like his predecessor, ignored all entreaties by senator Alhassan and other aggrieved members of the party to revisit the Taraba congress. Early this year when members of the Taraba PDP led by the former state chairman, Alhaji Abdulmumini Vaki stormed the national secretariat of PDP to again lay their complaints Tukur promised to attend to their complaints but ten months down the 1ine he never did anything about it In the meantime PDP Senator Alhassan, naturally illegal executive committee joined the 21 other senators in in Taraba state led by Victor the New PDP since they Bala Kona (who was a cannot get justice in the member of ANPP until 2007) mainstream PDP. The decision to demolish at every turn have been attacking Senators Aisha A-Class Park, located in a Alhassan and Abubakar hitherto black spot used by Tutare (Taraba central) and criminals to terrorize residents their supporters. They are of the nation’s capital before completely alienated by the the site was given to Senator party leaders in the state and Alhassan jar a garden/park in are neither invited to PDP March 2010, was taken 24 meetings or functions. Any hours after Baraje and member of the party who members of the New PDP the national associates with these two stormed incumbent senators are assembly. The following day promptly sanctioned by a demolition notice was Taraba state chapter of the served on her to quit the site party and lose any position despite the fact that the letter they hold either within the of approval for her to develop party or the state government. and manage the site gave her Not even their ward chairmen minimum of “five years in the are allowed to associate with first instance, renewable after these people they gave satisfactory performance”. Senator Alhassan was mandate to represent them in originally allocated park the national assembly. When Abubakar Atiku, G7 number 102 A00 located Governors and other opposite command Guest aggrieved members of the House, a predominantly party rebel led about the military environment, on injustice they have been February 8, 2010 by the parks suffering within the PDP and Recreation Department of
Politics Of Persecution
PDP Crisis: By MUSA AGYO
the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council vide letter reference number AMMC/P&R/S.500. Unfortunately, when she started developing the plot the Nigerian Army stopped work at the site on the ground that the land belongs to them. When she went back to the FCDA authorities to report they gave her another site on March 17, 2010.
permanent buildings like toilets are being constructed on the site. In the letter to the Director, Park and Recreation dated April 29, 2010 with reference number FCT/TS/ DOT/709/37 signed by Engr. K.N. Okafor, the transport secretariat wrote: “Our recent visit to the site revealed that the allottee is constructing permanent buildings on the site which may be difficult to
they will “remove all building at the site whenever the Authority deems it fit at your own cost without any form of compensation” The following day, May 20, 2010, Senator Alhassan sent the letter of undertaking to remove all structures as requested to the Development Control Department and continued with the development of the park. Along the line -the matter and all contentious
Bamanga Tukur, PDP National Chairman The approval with the caption ‘Letter of Intent to develop and Manage a Park site in the FCC’, which was signed by the Director, Parks and Recreation, Isa M. Shuaibu for the Honourable Minister FCT, read in part: “I am directed to convey to you approval to develop and manage the park on a site measuring approximately 3.0 Hectares on the transit way corridor in Maitama A06 District. “The new site -is a replacement for Park number 102, ADO District earlier allocated to you but found to be encumbered. “Please note that this is a temporary allocation pending identification of an alternative site. “All conditions contained in the earlier letter apply in this case! When Senator Alhassan eventually commenced development of the A- Class Park the FCTA Transport Secretariat made an observation that some
remove in the nearest future. “In order to confirm the temporary nature of the allocation there is urgent need to secure a letter of undertaking from the developer M/S A-Class Event Management Services Ltd that they will remove all buildings constructed on the site whenever the authority deems it fit to develop the Transit way at no cost to it.” Based on this letter, the FCTA Development Control department sent a letter to the Manager of A-class on May 19, 2010 with reference number AMMC/DC/54244 requesting for undertaking that
issues were amicably resolved and the Park commenced business and engaged almost 200 unemployed Nigerian youths in the past three years. The sudden decision of the FCT Authorities to demolish the park on the excuse that they want to start the Maitama light rail from the spot A-Park is located smacks of political persecution for aligning with the Baraje faction of PDP. The FCTA claimed that they want to commence work for the maitama light rail when they have not even done 50
percent of the Outer rail that will connect all the Area Councils in Abuja. The Maitama rail site job will only commence after the Outer rail has been completed. In addition to that no money was appropriated for the Maitama transit line in the 2013 budget that may warrant issuing such a quick demolition order even when the allocation is expiring in two years time. Assuming the FCTA actually wants to commence work on the Maitama railline, Nigerians expect the FCTA to fulfill their own side of the agreement by giving her an alternatives site as contained in the letter of allocation dated March 17, 2010 earlier quoted above, since the allocation is for five years initial period. The move to demolish Senator Alhassan’s Park also runs counter to the position of the - National chairman of the PDP that nothing should be done by members of the party to jeopardize the on-going peace talks in the party. Tukur even emphasized when he inaugurated the PDP National Disciplinary committee headed by Umaru Dikko that members of the Baraje faction will not be dragged before the panel since this will adversely affect the reconciliation efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan and the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih. No matter the excuses given by the authorities of the FCTA to demolish A-Park; it will be almost impossible to convince Nigerians that this lady is not being persecuted for belonging to the Baraje faction of PDP. It is not by happenstance that the quit notice came 24 hours after she and the other- 21 New PDP Senators received Baraje in the national assembly. FCTA authorities will also succeed in panting President Jonathan as an undemocratic vindictive leader if they go ahead on the pernicious mission, moreso, since the President is constitutionally the governor of the Federal Capital Territory on whose behalf the FCT Minister acts on delegated powers.
“The decision to demolish A-Class Park, located in a hitherto black spot used by criminals to terrorize residents of the nation’s capital before the site was given to Senator Alhassan jar a garden/park in March 2010, was taken 24 hours after Baraje and members of the New PDP stormed the national assembly.”
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
Opionion
Thank You, Tony Nyiam WHEN President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan announced the constitution of a Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference and Dialogue in his October 1st Independence anniversary message, many Nigerians saw it as an opportunity to discuss and renegotiate the basis of our existence as one united and indivisible nation built on principles which give and confer equality, respect and dignity on all. Many also saw it as an opportunity to ventilate their anger and disappointment at the way they and their ethnic groups, particularly the socalled minorities, have suffered neglect, marginalisation, oppression and suppression over the years. They believed that given an opportunity to be heard would put their case on the front burner of national discuss once again with the hope that a lasting solution would be found to their case. To some southern minorities, this may well be a last chance to right the wrongs of the past and put a stop to further agitations for fair treatment. Some criticisms have also trailed the constitution of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference and Dialogue. Many Nigerians point to the past, reminding us that such talk shops as is being planned by President Goodluck Jonathan had been held with no result. They fear this one may well be another jamboree, an avenue to drain the nation’s ‘’lean’’ purse into
By BLESSING YAKUBU private pockets after which everybody goes home ‘’to enjoy the fruit of their labour’’. Perhaps, the major plank of the argument of the critics is that a national dialogue at this time of political hustling towards 2015 is
revealed. For instance, they point to the fact of the committee’s mandate to formulate its own agenda for the conference and insist that collating the views of Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones could take more than five months
would come from the people, a reason the conference committee is undertaking a nation-wide tour to ascertain the views of the people as to the duration of the conference, content of the agenda, choice of delegates and legal framework. The ugly incident on
President Goodluck Jonathan
diversionary, unnecessary and a calculated attempt to obfuscate the salient issues of economic mismanagement, corruption, power and energy and the 2015 presidential election which is heating up the polity dangerously. It is also the view of critics that there is a hidden agenda behind setting up the Presidential Advisory Committee which is yet to be
while the conference itself could last over a year by which time 2015 would be on us. All the expressed fears and criticisms against the national conference have been spoken to by the conference, Senator Femi Okorounmu, who said that Nigerians would be allowed to talk about anything, everything as there are no no-go areas. He has repeatedly said that the agenda for the conference
Monday October 28, during a meeting of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference and Dialogue in Benin City, Edo State, may have surprised not a few Nigerians both in the country and in diaspora including foreigners. It was expected that the Committee would listen to ALL Nigerians who have something to say irrespective of age, gender, level of education, social status, or ethnic origin as
“The incident in which an acclaimed performing state governor like Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, could be shouted down by even a conference committee member, Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd), for making contributions not agreeable to him, reinforces the stand of those who say the conference has a hidden agenda behind it and, therefore, unnecessary at this point in time.”
“Comrade Oshiomhole’s pessimism has percolated through the populace so much that only those who think Nigeria should be carved into bits and pieces are optimistic about this national conference.” promised by conference committee chairman, Senator Okorounmu. The incident in which an acclaimed performing state governor like Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, could be shouted down by even a conference committee member, Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd), for making contributions not agreeable to him, reinforces the stand of those who say the conference has a hidden agenda behind it and, therefore, unnecessary at this point in time. If the conference committee would not listen to all persons no matter what they have to say and no matter how bitter, unreasonable and idiotic such contributions may appear to be then there is a pre-conceived, prearranged and predetermined end which the committee is working towards. Is it a situation of working from the unknown views of Nigerians to the known outcome by President Goodluck Jonathan? What interest or agenda was Tony Nyiam executing in Benin City when he so violently, along with hirelings from Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, shouted down Governor Adams Oshiomhole, a situation which put an abrupt end to the meeting? Is this display of arrogance, impunity and intemperate disregard for others’ right to their opinions but a tip of what to expect when the conference eventually gets under way? Governor Oshiomhole’s views which, he pointed
out, are “my personal views’’ may well represent the views of discerning Nigerians who believe there are more pressing issues to be addressed by the government. According to the Comrade Governor, “I will be surprised if anything changes. Sincerely, I have no business to deceive or mislead anyone. I believe that the outcome of this conference will not be different from that of other conferences we have had in the past.’’ Comrade Oshiomhole’s pessimism has percolated through the populace so much that only those who think Nigeria should be carved into bits and pieces are optimistic about this national conference. Col. Tony Nyiam, a key player in the events in the Nigerian Army in the 1990s, falls into this category of Nigerians who regard themselves more as ethnic warlords than Nigerians. True, patriotic Nigerians must appreciate where Tony Nyiam comes from, and, is coming from to situate his “command’’ outburst in Benin City last Monday. He was appointed into the conference committee to execute and defend an agenda which he inadvertently revealed in Benin City on Monday. That agenda is that the outcome of this conference will truly not surprise Governor Oshiomhole of Edo State. Rather than condemn him, Nigerians must thank Tony Nyiam for exposing unto us the “Conference Book of Revelations.” Blessing Yakubu, a Public Affairs Commentator, wrote from Yenagoa
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International French, Malian Forces Hunt Suspects Behind Journalists Killing PARIS - French and Malian forces are questioning suspects in northern Mali to find a small group of militants who carried out the killing last week of two French radio journalists, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Monday. Claude Verlon, 58 and Ghislaine Dupont, 51, both journalists at RFI radio, were found dead in northern Mali on Saturday after being kidnapped in the city of Kidal. Their bodies are due to arrive in France later yesterday. Fabius declined to confirm a report from Europe 1 radio, citing Malian sources, that French forces had arrested five suspects and transferred them to the city of Gao. “Yesterday, on Sunday, operations were launched to identify a number of people in camps, and they are ongoing,” Fabius told RTL radio. “Suspects have been questioned.” Europe 1 reported that the arrests had taken place on Sunday evening in camps where former rebels of the MNLA militant group are being held. France’s Defence Ministry was not immediately available for comment. A Malian gendarme in Gao said he had no information about the arrests or suspects being transferred to the city. French forces declined to comment on reports of arrests. A French-led military intervention helped to expel most al Qaeda-linked militants from Mali, but the killing on Saturday highlighted security risks and incomplete control of the country by French and Malian forces. Kidal, the birthplace of a Tuareg uprising last year that plunged the country into chaos, is a desert city where militants have been able to circulate despite small contingents of
United Nations and French troops stationed there. France has about 3,000 soldiers in the country, alongside Malian troops and U.N. peacekeepers (MINUSMA), although it only has about 200 troops in Kidal and another 100 in Tessalit, several hundred kilometres away in the northwest. The RFI journalists, who each had more than 10 years of experience reporting on African conflicts, were killed by gunfire after being abducted in front of the house of a tribal leader they had just interviewed in Kidal. Verlon’s body was found some 12 km from the town shot three times in the head, while Dupont had been shot twice in the chest, Fabius said. No group had claimed the killings. French officials suspect the involvement of an Islamist
militant group, either al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) or MUJAO (Movement for Unification and Jihad in West Africa), Fabius said. “At the moment I’m speaking, there has not yet been any precise identification (of the hostagetakers),” said Fabius, adding it was unclear who carried out the killings. RFI said that Dupont, a reporter, and Verlon, a radio technician, were working on stories on northern Mali for a special broadcast the station was planning for November 7. It has been canceled. The kidnapping happened four days after four French hostages kidnapped in Niger by AQIM were released following secret talks with officials from the West African country, ending three years in captivity.
Francois Hollande France President
Indoneslan Hacks Australia Sites
Illustration: hackers from Anonymous, who often wear Guy Fawkes masks similar to the one pictured when making public statements, said they had targeted Australian websites to protest reports of spying on Indonesia.
Egypt: Judge In Morsi’s Trial Adjourns Hearing
CAIRO-Egypt’s deposed Islamist president was brought from the secret location of his four-month detention to face trial yesterday on charges of incitement of violence and murder. It was Mohammed Morsi’s first public appearance since his ouster in a coup on July 3. The start of the hearing was delayed by nearly two hours over what security officials inside the courtroom said was a dispute over Morsi’s refusal to wear a prison uniform, part of his rejection of the trial’s legitimacy. The session later got underway — though it was not immediately known how the issue of Morsi’s attire was resolved — but the proceedings were soon adjourned because the defendants — Morsi and 14 other Muslim Brotherhood figures — started chanting and disrupted the hearing. The adjournment, ordered by presiding judge Ahmed Sabry Youssef, was likely to last till later on Monday. Since his ouster, Morsi has been held at a secret military location. He was flown by helicopter early
on Monday to the trial venue — a police academy in an eastern Cairo district. His co-defendants were taken to the venue from their jail in a suburb south of the city in armored police cars. If convicted, Morsi and the other defendants in the case could face the death penalty. The trial is fraught with risks and comes amid a highly charged atmosphere in a bitterly polarized nation, with a deepening schism between Morsi’s Islamist supporters in one hand and Egypt’s security establishment and the nation’s moderate Muslims, secularists, Christians and women on the other. In a last-minute change, authorities on Sunday switched the trial’s venue in a move apparently aimed at thwarting mass rallies planned by Morsi’s Brotherhood. Security was tight around the police academy, with hundreds of black-clad riot police backed by armored vehicles deployed around the sprawling complex. Police helicopters hovered over the site. The final stretch of road leading to the academy was sealed off, with only authorized personnel and accredited
journalists allowed to approach the facility. The academy is also being used for the re-trial of Morsi’s predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, whose 29-year regime was toppled in a 2011 popular uprising. Mubarak is charged with failing to stop the killing of some 900 protesters during the 18-day uprising. Several hundred Morsi supporters rallied outside the police academy, carrying posters with his photo and banners depicting an open palm with four fingers — the symbol commemorating a pro-Morsi sitin that was violently cleared by security forces in August. They also chanted slogans against Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the military chief who led the July coup. Across town, several hundred Morsi supporters also rallied outside the Supreme Constitutional Court and the capital’s main court complex in the downtown area. “I came here to witness this farce,” Gamal Azab, a Morsi supporter, said outside the police academy. “I am not afraid of the police, but I am worried about my
country.” Since his detention, Morsi has had little communication with the outside world. He will likely represent himself in the trial, the first public figure to do so in the host of trials of politicians since Mubarak’s ouster, Brotherhood lawyers have said. Morsi will also likely use the platform to insist he is still the legitimate president of Egypt, question the trial’s legitimacy and turn it into an indictment of the July coup, further energizing his supporters in the street. During four months of detention, Morsi has been extensively questioned by prosecutors and has not been allowed to meet with lawyers. He has spoken at least twice by telephone to his family and received two foreign delegations. Brotherhood supporters have called the detention an outright kidnapping, and Morsi has refused to cooperate with his interrogators. Morsi will face charges along with 14 other Brotherhood figures and allies — including top leaders Mohammed el-Beltagy and Essam el-Erian — in
connection to clashes last December outside his presidential palace that left at least 10 dead. In those riots, Morsi supporters set upon peaceful protesters camped outside the Cairo palace. Day-long clashes followed and video clips posted on social networks showed Morsi supporters detaining and torturing opposition protesters outside the walls of the palace. The Brotherhood claims that most of the victims were Brotherhood supporters, but that assertion is disputed. Unlike Mubarak’s first trial, the proceedings against Morsi are not likely to be aired live. After Monday’s session, Morsi will probably be taken back to the secret location he has been held at, instead of being transferred to a normal prison, for fear his supporters would turn the prison surroundings into a “focal point of endless protests.” The judge in Mubarak’s retrial has ruled that those hearings would not be televised, a move seen as a reaction to the chaos that defined the first trial, when Mubarak and his security chief
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Activist group Anonymous Indonesia yesterday claimed it had defaced more than 170 Australian websites to protest at reports of Canberra spying on its nearest neighbour and strategic ally. “Hundreds of Australian Websites Attacked for #OpAustralia By Indonesian Hackers,” it posted on Twitter, listing the sites which appeared to be mostly small businesses that ended with the Australian domain .au. Calling up the web pages was met with the message: “Stop Spying on Indonesia” underneath an Indonesian flag imprinted with a black graphic of the face of Guy Fawkes, whose image is used as a mask by Anonymous internationally. The sites appear to have been selected at random, covering businesses involved in everything from catering to dry cleaning and bouncy castle hire. Australia’s relationship with close neighbour Indonesia is under pressure after reports last week that Canberra’s overseas diplomatic posts were involved in a vast US-led surveillance network. Missions in Indonesia, as well as embassies or consulates in China, were reportedly used to monitor phone calls and collect data, sparking demands for an explanation from Jakarta and Beijing. On Sunday, The Guardian newspaper cited a document from US whistleblower Edward Snowden showing Australia and the US also mounted a joint surveillance operation on Indonesia during the 2007 UN climate change conference in Bali. The Australian government has said it does not comment on intelligence matters. Anonymous is believed to be a loosely organised hacker collective that conducts online attacks internationally, most recently in Singapore on Friday when a newspaper website was defaced over Internet freedom in the city-state.
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International Features
I Acted Alone, Gunman Tells Police
THE gunman accused of shooting employees and terrorizing travelers at Los Angeles International Airport accomplished two of his goals: kill a Transportation Security Administration officer and show how easy it is to get a gun into an airport. Paul Ciancia’s deadly rampage left investigators to piece together what motivated his hatred toward the agency formed to make air travel safer after the September. 11 terrorist attack, but could
ultimately lead to changes in the way airports are patrolled. Ciancia was shot four times by airport police, including in the mouth, and remains heavily sedated and under 24-hour armed guard at the hospital, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The official was not authorized to speak publicly on the case and requested anonymity. The FBI said he had a handwritten letter, stating that
CHANGE OF NAME
CHANGE OF NAME
OSEMWENKHA – I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ehisumwen Constance Osamwenkha now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ehisumwen Constance Eriamiantoe. All former documents remain valid. University of Benin, concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.
AYO – I, formerly called Miss Josephine Ayo is now known and called Mrs. Josephine Obarein. All former documents remain valid. Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.
he made the conscious decision to try to kill multiple TSA officers and “instill fear in your traitorous minds.” The unemployed motorcycle mechanic who recently moved to Los Angeles from the small, bluecollar town of Pennsville, N.J., had a friend drop him at LAX last
assault rifle from his duffel bag and fired repeatedly at 39-yearold TSA officer Gerardo I. Hernandez. He went up an escalator, turned back to see Hernandez move and returned to shoot him again, according to surveillance video reviewed by investigators. He then fired on two other
briefed on the investigation. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The screed also mentioned “fiat currency” and “NWO,” possible references to the New World Order, a conspiracy theory that foresees a totalitarian one-world government.
purchased in Los Angeles. Ciancia also had two additional handguns that he purchased in Los Angeles, but which weren’t at the crime scene, a law enforcement official said. The official, who has been briefed on the investigation, was not authorized to speak publicly
CONFIRMATION OF NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH I, Mr. Gabriel Omongiate wish to bring for the information of the general public that Miss Promise Omogiate is my biological daughter and her actual date of birth is 11th March 2012, born at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City and to state further that she is neither called Gabriella Omosefe Omogiate nor Gabriella Udoka Omogiate as purportedly named by the mother. It should be noted therefore that Promise Omogiate is her actual name and no more. Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.
Signed: GABRIEL OSARIEMEN OMOGIATE (Father)
OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
This is to inform the general public that, as a result of the on-going renovation of the first cemetery by the Local Government, all tomb owners are hereby notified that such tombs may be affected by the on-going renovation exercise. Accordingly all tomb owners are requested to come forward and meet with the council’s town planner for discussion. This announcement is the final notice to such owners.
A masked policeman stands guard outside of a police academy compound where the trial of ousted President Mohammed Morsi is held in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. Egypt’s deposed Islamist president was brought from the secret location of his four-month detention to face trial yesterday on charges of incitement of violence and murder. It was Mohammed Morsi’s first public appearance since his ouster in a coup on July 3. If convicted, Morsi — Egypt’s first freely elected president — could face the death penalty. Friday just moments before he pulled a .223-caliber assault rifle from his duffel bag and opened fire, killing one TSA officer and wounding three other people, including two more TSA workers. Officials do not believe that the friend knew of the shooter’s plans. Ciancia arrived at the airport in a black Hyundai and was not a ticketed passenger. Ciancia is facing charges of murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport. The charges could qualify him for the death penalty. It was not immediately clear when he would make a first court appearance given his medical condition. In court documents and interviews, authorities spelled out a chilling chain of events, saying Ciancia walked into the airport’s Terminal 3, pulled the
uniformed TSA employees and an airline passenger, who all were wounded, as he moved methodically through the security checkpoint to the passenger gate area before airport police shot him as panicked travelers hid in stores and restaurants. It wasn’t clear why Ciancia targeted TSA officers, but what he left behind indicated he was willing to kill any of them that crossed his path, authorities revealed. The letter in his duffel bag refers to how Ciancia believed his constitutional rights were being violated by TSA searches and that he’s a “pissed-off patriot” upset at former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. “Black, white, yellow, brown, I don’t discriminate,” the note read, according to a paraphrase by a law enforcement official
CHANGE OF NAME
CHANGE OF NAME
OTTAH – I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ottah Theresa Uwaoma now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Theresa Uwaoma Azuma. All former documents remain valid. Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.
MOFFAT – I, formerly Miss Sarah Akpan Moffat now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs. Sarah Christopher Allanah. All former documents remain valid. National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the general public should please take note.
The letter also talked about “how easy it is to get a gun into the airport,” the law enforcement official said. When searched, the suspect had five 30-round magazines, and his bag contained hundreds more rounds in boxes. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, RTexas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that Ciancia’s actions show how difficult it is to protect travelers at a massive airport such as LAX. The terminals are open and easily accessible to thousands of people who arrive at large sliding glass doors via a broad ring road that fronts the facility and is designed to move people along quickly. “It’s like a shopping mall outside the perimeter, it’s almost like an open shopping mall,” McCaul said. TSA Administrator John Pistole said the agency will need to work with each airport’s police agency “to see how we’ll go about in providing the best possible security.” The FBI has served a search warrant on a Sun Valley residence where Ciancia lived, Ari Dekofsky, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said Sunday. Agents are still interviewing people, she said. Authorities believe the rifle used in the shooting was
and requested anonymity. The purchases themselves appeared legal, although authorities were still tracing them, and it’s unclear if the shooter used his own identification or someone else’s, the official said. “He didn’t buy them on the street. He didn’t buy them on the Internet,” the official said. “He bought them from a licensed gun dealer — the rifle and the two handguns.” Hernandez, a three-year veteran of the TSA, moved to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 15, married his sweetheart, Ana, on Valentine’s Day in 1998 and had two children. The TSA said the other two officers wounded in the attack — James Speer, 54, and Tony Grigsby, 36 were released from the hospital. Brian Ludmer, a Calabasas High School teacher, remained in fair condition at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center and will need surgery for a gunshot wound to the leg. Two other people suffered injuries trying to evade the gunman, but weren’t shot. The FBI was still looking into Ciancia’s past, but investigators said they had not found evidence of previous crimes or any run-ins with the TSA. They said he had never applied for a job with the agency.
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International Iran: Protesters Swarm Former US Embassy
President of the Political Wing of the Rebel Group M23 Berthand Bishman speaks to journalists, in front of their headquarters in Bunagana on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda recently.
TEHRAN, Iran - Tens of thousands of demonstrators packed the streets yesterday outside the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran in the biggest anti-American rally in years, a show of support for hard-line opponents of President Hassan Rouhani’s historic outreach to Washington. Such protests occur every year outside the former embassy compound to mark the anniversary of the 1979 takeover following the Islamic Revolution. But the latest demonstration is the largest in years after calls by groups such as the powerful Revolutionary Guard for a major showing, including chants of “death to America” that some of Rouhani’s backers have urged halted. The crowds also send a message to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
Dr Congo Pounds Rebels Despite Truce Call NTAMUGENGA (DR Congo) - Democratic Republic of Congo’s army yesterday pounded the remaining hilltop positions of M23 rebels in the country’s troubled east despite a truce call by the beleaguered insurgents. Troops used heavy arms to attack the estimated 200 diehard fighters holed up in the hills after a military offensive forced them from their last stronghold last week. The fresh assault came a day after the leader of the beleaguered rebels, M23 president Bertrand Bisimwa, called for a ceasefire. “We order all the forces of the Congolese revolutionary army to immediately end hostilities with the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC),” Bisimwa said in a statement on Sunday. He said his aim was to “allow the continuation of the political process” with Kinshasa in a bid to end the insurgency rocking the long-troubled region since April 2012. Bisimwa urged rebel chiefs to “ensure the strict observance of this order by elements under their command.” But yesterday, the M23 said in a statement that troops had launched a new assault using “heavy arms.” The order was issued amid fierce fighting in the mountainous region bordering Uganda and Rwanda, where the army has pinned the rebels who fled to the hills after their base was seized Wednesday in the town of Bunagana, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the regional capital Goma. According to AFP correspondents in Ntamugenga, close to the battle zone, the fighting raged for about eight hours on Sunday and had appeared to intensify after the ceasefire order. “We are pounding Mbuzi,” one of three mountains in eastern
DR Congo where the rebels are hiding, General Lucien Bahuma told AFP by telephone early Sunday. “After the artillery we will send in the troops.” A DR Congo captain, speaking anonymously, said the army was “claiming back the hills. There is shooting in the mountains of Ntamugenga, Mbuzi and Runyonyi. The rebels are fleeing.”
The lush green hilly region has been rocked by heavy fighting for the past 10 days as FARDC troops battle to stamp out the insurgency once and for all in the restive, mineral-rich North Kivu province. The clashes have forced thousands from their fields and
homes, and aid agencies estimate about 10,000 refugees have streamed into Uganda. The head of the UN mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO), Martin Kobler, said he considered the M23 order “a good first step”, adding that it “must be followed by declaring an end to the rebellion.”
While the UN forces have not directly participated in the battle since October 25 against the M23 rebels, they have supported the Congolese army with logistics, intelligence and planning. The M23 movement was founded by ethnic Tutsi former rebels who were incorporated into the Congolese army under a 2009 peace deal but then mutinied in April 2012, claiming that the pact had never been fully implemented.
Former National Security Agency system analyst Edward Snowden looks over his shoulder during a boat trip on the Moscow River in Moscow, with the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in the background.
No Clemency For Snowden - US
WASHINGTON - The White House and the leaders of the congressional intelligence committees are rejecting former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden’s plea for clemency. “Mr. Snowden violated U.S. law,” White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday about the former systems-analyst-turnedfugitive who has temporary asylum in Russia. “He should return to the U.S. and face justice,” Pfeiffer said when pressed about whether
clemency was being discussed. Snowden made the plea in a letter given to a German politician and released Friday. In his one-page typed letter, he asks for clemency for charges over allegedly leaking classified information about the NSA to the news media. “‘’Speaking the truth is not a crime,” Snowden wrote. Snowden’s revelations, among them allegations that the U.S. has eavesdropped on allies including German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, have led to calls by allies to cease such spying and moves by Congress to overhaul U.S. surveillance laws and curb the agency’s powers. Bu the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee said if Snowden had been a true whistleblower, he could have reported his concerns to her committee privately. “That didn’t happen, and now he’s done this enormous disservice to our country,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. “I think the answer is no
clemency.” The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, called clemency for Snowden a “terrible idea.” “He needs to come back and own up,” said Rogers, R-Mich. “If he believes there’s vulnerabilities in the systems he’d like to disclose, you don’t do it by committing a crime that actually puts soldiers’ lives at risk in places like Afghanistan.”
who cautiously has backed Rouhani’s overtures to the U.S. and efforts to end the impasse with the West over Tehran’s nuclear program. Opponents of thawing relations with the U.S. say they will not back down, opening the prospect of deeper internal rifts and tensions that could put pressure on Khamenei to reconsider his backing of Rouhani’s groundbreaking exchanges with the U.S. In September, Rouhani accepted from a call from U.S. President Barack Obama following the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York, where U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Iran’s foreign minister. Ties between the two countries were severed after the embassy siege, which began a hostage crisis with 52 people held for 444 days. Critics of the dialogue made their views immediately known, hurling insults and eggs at Rouhani’s entourage upon their return from New York. Late last month, huge banners appeared around Tehran depicting the U.S. as a sinister and deceitful adversary that seeks to weaken Iran. Tehran officials ordered the signs removed, but they appeared in poster form at the demonstration yesterday outside the former embassy compound. Protesters also stomped on images of Obama and the U.S. flag. Others carried well-known banners reading “We trample America under our feet” and “The U.S. is the Great Satan.” One image showed Obama in a wrestling uniform with Star of David earrings, symbolizing Israel. On Sunday, Khamenei appeared to chide hard-liners by denouncing any attempts to undermine Iran’s nuclear negotiators. Talks with world powers are scheduled to resume Thursday in Geneva. Diplomats “are on a difficult mission and nobody should weaken those who are on assignment,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state, as telling a group of students. Iran seeks to have painful economic sanctions eased in exchange for concessions in its nuclear program to address concerns by the West, which fears Iran’s uranium enrichment could eventually produce weaponsgrade material. Iran insists it only seeks reactors for energy and medical applications, but has not made public its possible confidence-building offers at the talks. Outside the former embassy’s brick walls — covered with antiU.S. murals — students carried a model of a centrifuge used in uranium enrichment. A slogan on it read: “Result of resistance against sanctions: 18,000 active centrifuges in Iran.” Another banner quoted Khamenei: “The aim of sanctions is to make the Iranian nation desperate.”
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Continued from page 18
imbroglio and nay Okpe kingdom’s political ventriloquisms. We must call the spade of underdevelopment and marginalization in Okpe land a spade and not a mere gardening tool. The Ijaws did it and today they have freedom, liberty and development to show. The trees of liberty must be watered with the blood tyrants and there cannot be great strides in history without sacrifices. WHITHER GOETH OKPE? We must start today to start finetuning logistics, orchestrating actions and perfecting our renaissance machine (The Okpe Union) with a view to shaking away all excess luggages and possessing our possessions. Let us not falter, for Shakespeare asserts that “the fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in us that we are underlyings”. We shall emerge triumphant from these chains of penury and through the hot cauldron we will pass unscathed. After the battle, we shall remember those who died in mass. Then shall our trumpets sound the glorious song of victory we scored over might and wrong. We cannot continue to remain one of the largest dialectical amalgams in Delta State, Oil and Gas producing kingdom and one of the largest contributors to the commonwealth and continue to luxuriate in abject underdevelopment. We must crystallize these cherished ideas into palpable fruition. But we cannot start the revolution if and when “Okpe Union” is in disarray. We must put our house in order to enable us face the gargantuan challenges ahead. Indeed, principles are principles. They can only be
Discourse ... Development Challeges transformed into reality through the institutions of society. Otherwise they remain inert and useless. It is our firm
Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan
Overcoming Prejudice
PREJUDICE is baseless and usually negative attitude toward others common features of prejudice include negative feelings, stereotyped beliefs, and a tendency to discriminate against members of the group. While social scientists often differ, most agree that it involves prejudgments (usually negative) about members of a group. According to About.Com prejudice can be based upon a number of factors including sex, race, age, sexual orientation, nationality, social-economic status and religion. Some of the most well-know types of prejudice include: Racism Sexism Classicism Homophobia Nationalism Religious prejudice Agism PREJUDICE AND STEREOTYPING When prejudice occurs, stereotyping and discrimination may also result. In many cases, prejudice are based upon stereotypes. A stereotype is a simplified assumption about a group based on prior assumptions. Stereotypes can be both positive (“Women are warm and nurturing”) or negative (“teenagers are lazy”). Stereotypes can lead to faulty beliefs, but they can also result in both prejudice and discrimination. According to psychologist Gordon Allport, prejudice and stereotypes emerge in part as a result of normal human thinking. In order to make sense of the world around us, it is important to sort information into mental categories. The human mind must think with the aid of categories. “Allport explained. Once formed categories are the basis for normal prejudgment. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends upon it. “This process of categorisation applies to the social world as well, as we sort people into mental groups based on factors such as age, sex and race. However, researchers have found that while when it comes to categorizing information about people, we tend to minimize the differences between people within groups and exaggerate the differences between groups. In one classic experiment, participants were asked to judge the height of people shown in photographs people in the
By ESTHER USOBOH
experiment were also told that: “In this booklet, the men and women are actually of equal height. We have taken care to match the heights of the men and women pictured. That is, for every woman of a particular height, some where in the booklet, there is also a man of that same height. Therefore, in order to make as accurate height judgment as possible, try to judge each photograph as an individual case, do not rely on the person’s sex”. In addition to these instruction, a $50 cash prize was offered to whoever made the most accurate judgments of height. Despite this, participants consistently rated the men as being few inches taller than the women. Because of their prejudgment that men are taller than women, the participants were unable to dismiss their existing categorical beliefs about men and women in order to judge the height accurately. Researchers have also found that people tend to view members of outside group as being more homogenous than members of their own group, a phenomenon referred to as the out-group homogeneity bias. This perception that all members of an out-group are alike holds true of all groups, whether based on race, nationality, religion, age or other naturally occurring group affiliation. WAYS TO REDUCE PREJUDICE In addition to looking at the reasons why prejudice occurs, researchers have also explored different ways that prejudice can be reduced or even eliminated. Training people to become more empathetic to members of other groups is one method that has showed considerable success. By imaging themselves in the same situation, people are able to think about how they would react and gain a greater understanding of other people’s
conviction that in the tapestry and projectiles of the Okpe Union it has the potentials to kineticise the struggle into a tangible reality and it is the duty of all Okpe people and their sympathizers. Looking at the institutions in our society, the very vehicles for carrying out revolutionary principles, what do you find? We find old, faded and rusty machines creaking along most in efficiently and delaying the People’s Progress and Progress of the Revolution. We hope and pray that the Okpe Union should be disemboweled from this cocooned state. Finally, as we heed this call to rise to take our destiny in our own hands, we beseech God Almighty to protect us from the clandestine and furtive dungeon, guide all our movements lest we go astray, give us the zeal and strength to heed this glorious call. To give and not to count the cost. Bless those who will win the Okpe Union elections and the totality of our leaders in Okpe kingdom to serve with altruism and resoluteness and to make Okpe kingdom a land of milk and honey laced with patriotism and righteousness. God save Okpe Union and bless Okpe kingdom. UMOGUN!!! WUNE SU TOR Chief Bobson: Gbinije Mandate Against Poverty (M.A.P) WARRI – 08023250378 actions. Other techniques that are used to reduce prejudice include: Passing laws and regulations that acquire fair and equal treatment for all groups of people. Gaining public support and awareness for anti-prejudice social norms. Making people aware of the inconsistencies in their own beliefs. Increased contact with member of other social groups. PREJUDICE CAN BE LESSENED BY FOCUSING ON SOCIAL CONTEXT. People have prejudices toward others that they are sometimes unaware of and therefore cannot easily control or change. It doesn’t have to be this way, according to social psychologists who examine the plasticity of attitudes. A new study finds that automatic non conscious negative attitude (prejudice) can be altered more easily by changing the social environment that people inhabit instead of relying on the prejudice person to be motivated to change their internal beliefs. Specifically, when people repeatedly see images of admired individuals from stigmatized groups and disliked individuals from esteemed groups their non conscious attitudes toward those groups are affected. Two experiments conducted by psychologists Nilanjana Dasgupta, Ph.D., of the New school University and Anthony G. Greenwald. Ph.D of the University of Washington examined how exposure to positive images of stigmatized groups can alter a persons opinion about the group. An example would be that repeatedly showing people images of famous members of a stigmatized group (admired African Americans like Martin Luther King) or unfamous members of a valued group (disliked white Americans like Timothy Mcveigh or serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer) affect those with prejudice attitude. Experiments suggest that preconceived or non conscious group biases may be changed at least temporarily with interventions that focus on changing the social environment highlighting admired members of stereotyped groups. This type of intervention may over time make these admired group members come to mind more easily and override pre-existing biases.
“Specifically, when people repeatedly see images of admired individuals from stigmatized groups and disliked individuals from esteemed groups their non conscious attitudes toward those groups are affected.”
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Jol Slams Ruiz Abuse
MARTIN Jol has told Fulham fans to get off Bryan Ruiz’s back after seeing the playmaker jeered off against Manchester United. Life at the west London club is tense right now, with Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to United their third loss in the space of a week. The poor run has seen a number of fans turn on manager Jol, as well as some of the Fulham players. Ruiz, signed to much fanfare from FC Twente in 2011, has struggled this term and his 74thminute substitution was met by loud cheers, followed by boos. The Costa Rica international tweeted later that night: “I want to thank those who are supporting in this difficult time.” And Jol was angered by his treatment. “It was very disappointing,” Jol said. “That [kind of abuse] is something I can cope with because I know football. I have been involved in 1,300 games and I know if people are not happy, they will give you stick. “Bryan is a player that came back from Costa Rica’s game against Mexico, he scored, they won 2-1 and he goes to the World Cup. “Then to come here and get that sort of contradiction [in reception]: over there he is a hero and here they boo him off the park. “That is very, very frustrating for him and very disappointing for me. I wanted my supporters to stay behind my players. “He is an unbelievably nice person so I had to whisper a few words in his ear. “I said he is arguably my best player and that he should know that. “It doesn’t mean anything but at least a couple here, and I am one of them, trust him.” Ruiz’s lack of consistency and knack of losing possession has frustrated many, but Jol warned Fulham would miss him if he left. “Sometimes he is a my best player and sometimes gets caught on the ball,” he said. “There are a few other players in the past like him and I think one of my heroes is Glenn Hoddle. “People never gave him credit because sometimes he was a bit like Bryan. “They have to get used to him and if they don’t get used to him, we’ve got a problem because I need Bryan Ruiz.
AVB Critised Over Lloris Injury ANDRE Villas-Boas put Hugo Lloris’ long-term health at risk with his “dangerous” and “irresponsible” decision to let the Tottenham goalkeeper play on at Everton after being knocked unconscious, according to a brain injury charity. With 12 minutes of the 0-0 draw remaining, Lloris was accidentally caught on the head by the knee of Romelu Lukaku as he dived to collect a stray ball. The Frenchman required lengthy treatment after the incident, and looked set to be replaced by Brad Friedel, but he insisted he was fit to continue and Villas-Boas decided against making a substitution. The Tottenham manager’s actions have been condemned by brain injury charity Headway. “We are hugely concerned that a professional football club should take such an irresponsible and cavalier attitude to a player’s health,” said Luke Griggs, spokesman for Headway. “When a player - or any individual - suffers a blow to the head that is severe enough for them to lose consciousness, it is vital they urgently seek appropriate medical attention. “A physio or doctor treating a
Arsene Wenger
Wenger Eager To Avoid Complacency
ARSENE Wenger has admitted his surprise at Arsenal’s Premier League run since the opening day defeat at Aston Villa, but continues to play down expectations of the Gunners’ title challenge. Saturday’s impressive 2-0 win if I had told you that [this would against Liverpool banished the happen] I would have to run away notion that Arsenal’s early season because you would have killed surge in form was aided by a me,” Wenger told reporters. “It relatively gentile set of fixtures, shows you that things can change but Wenger is eager to avoid quickly. “Still, that should as well alert complacency. us that it can go the other way. With tough away games against Borussia Dortmund and We must keep good focus, Manchester United on the continue to develop our team as horizon in the next few days, there’s room for improvement. “At the moment, with 10 Wenger suggested his team have merely overcome the first hurdle games played, you can say 25 of their season after picking up per-cent of the season [has gone]. the pieces from a 3-1 humbling You see the first tendencies and trends but it’s still not settled. By against Villa in August. “After the Aston Villa game, the end of November you will have a clearer idea.”
Coutinho Key To Reds Season
PHILIPPE Coutinho’s return from shoulder surgery can keep Liverpool in the Premier League title race, according to teammate Kolo Toure. Coutinho, 21, missed six matches as he recovered from the injury sustained during a 2-2 draw at Swansea on September 16. The Brazilian made his return as a half-time substitute against league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday. And although Coutinho could not prevent a 2-0 defeat — Liverpool’s first away from home in the league since March — his creativity will be vital to keeping alive the club’s hopes of a first league title since 1990, according to Toure. The defender told the Daily Mirror: “I call Coutinho my
- Toure
player, my best player, because I think he is amazing. He makes the difference. “This season he has been injured and when he will come back, I think he’s going to be amazing this season, definitely. In training, he is one of the hardest to mark, definitely.” Toure feels that Coutinho’s ability to create chances will benefit Reds strikers Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. He said: “Suarez is amazing, too. When you have a player like that [Coutinho], you know that you have this magic and people haven’t seen that yet and they will because he is young, definitely. “In Suarez and Daniel
Sturridge we have two of the best strikers in the world. They are amazing. I think when Coutinho came on in the second half it showed there’s not much difference between us and Arsenal.” Defeat left Liverpool third in the Premier League, five points behind leaders Arsenal, but former Gunners centre-back Toure insists the title race is far from over. He added: “Arsenal are not the title favourites. The season is long. We all want to be champions. This is only November. They will have a hard time as well. The season is not done yet, definitely. “Both Arsenal and Liverpool definitely have what it takes to win the title.
Wenger has described his side’s trip to face Dortmund as “huge” to the Gunners’ Champions League ambitions, with the run of games they are about to embark on certain to test their trophy winning credentials. “Its very, very important now to continue our run and respond well against Dortmund because everybody will look at that game,” added Wenger. “Dortmund is going to be a very different game to Liverpool,
as they play a very different game. We have more belief and are starting to create a bit of fear in the opposition, and that gives us a better chance. When you are on a good run and the confidence level is high, it makes everything much easier. “I didn’t think Dortmund were the better team when they won at the Emirates last time round. We conceded a goal when we were on top of the game and looking more likely to score a second to kill off the match.
Cabaye Is A Top Player NEWCASTLE United manager Alan Pardew hailed midfielder Yohan Cabaye as a “top, top player” following the Magpies’ crucial 2-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday. Goals from Yoan Gouffran and Loic Remy secured all three points for Newcastle at the end of what was a tough week, following defeats to rivals Sunderland and Manchester City. Gouffran’s header opened the scoring following a brilliant ball into the area by Cabaye. Prior to the free-kick, Pardew was pictured in discussion with the Frenchman about the delivery of the set-piece. “I just asked him [Cabaye] to hit it on the back of their back four with shape and a bit of pace because we weren’t really getting any joy from balls going into their box,” Pardew told Sky Sports News. “He went for glory, really, but he executed it on the money I am not going to try to take any credit for that. “You have to be a top, top player to hit that ball in, and Gouff
- Pardew
connected brilliantly and gave us a platform then.”
Joe Hart
player on pitch simply cannot accurately gauge the severity of the damage caused to the player’s brain in such a setting as there may be delayed presentation of symptoms. “By continuing to play, the player may have caused greater damage to his brain. He should have been removed from the game immediately and taken to hospital for thorough tests and observation.” Villas-Boas conceded after the game that Lloris could not remember a single thing about the incident. But the Portuguese defended the decision to keep the player on the pitch, citing a good late save from Gerard Deulofeu as evidence that he was correct to do so. The Tottenham manager praised the goalkeeper’s “great character” for wanting to continue, but Headway believes Lloris should have been withdrawn immediately and rested for three weeks.
Hart Must Work Harder
- Fernandinho FERNANDINHO has told his Manchester City teammate, Joe Hart, to work harder should he hope to earn back his place as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper. The England international was dropped from the Citizens’ starting line-up in the club’s 7-0 win against Norwich City on Saturday afternoon, following numerous questionable performances throughout the season. Costel Pantilimon was present in between the sticks for the Platt Lane outfit and the Brazilian has urged Hart to come good. “If the quality is a bit off you must work harder to recover your position and your best quality,” Fernandinho told the media. “If he at the moment is not [at his best], he must work harder. But they are very good keepers, he and Pantilimon. I think his career will be better for it. “The manager must choose the best team, and the best keeper for the team.”
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Capello Keen To Stay As Russian Coach
Guardiola Wary Of Dortmund Threat BAYERN Munich are gearing up for a two-horse race in the Bundesliga this season, with Pep Guardiola saying his side and Borussia Dortmund are among the finest teams in the world. With third-placed Bayer Leverkusen suffering a 1-0 defeat at bottom-of-the-league Eintracht Braunschweig at the weekend, the victories for Bayern and Dortmund saw the top two begin to move clear. Guardiola felt his side were fortunate to claim a 2-1 victory at Hoffenheim on Saturday, but the win keeps Bayern a point clear of Dortmund, who thrashed Stuttgart 6-1 on Friday night. Bayern’s success also saw them equal Hamburg’s 30year record of 36 consecutive Bundesliga games without defeat, and that record is oddson to be broken against Augsburg next weekend. However, Guardiola already has his sights set on the meeting with Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion in three weeks’ time. “Dortmund and Bayern are two of the best teams in the world, not only in the Bundesliga,” he said in Abendzeitung Muenchen on Saturday. “That is a good challenge for us, but we are ready.” Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, meanwhile, is already predicting a “big duel” with Dortmund this season, while captain Philipp Lahm said: “It appears that we are showing again that both teams play at a constantly high level — the only question is for how long. It will come down to a duel between us and them.” Meanwhile, Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos has told kicker that he is in talks over a contract extension. The Germany international, who has been in excellent form this season, is contracted to the club until 2015. “We are in talks, which of course will intensify once we get closer to the contract’s expiry date,” he said. “It is not like that is an eternity away —
everybody knows that. “There is a general eagerness to prolong the deal. If I continue to play like I have been, it will all fall into place.” Kroos — who has played every league game under Guardiola despite preseason predictions he would struggle for first-team opportunities — revealed he may consider a move away from the Allianz Arena at some stage. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to say I’ll be at Bayern in 10 years’ time,” he said. “A lot can happen, and, in the past, five-year contracts have been terminated after only one season.” When asked whether a move abroad is part of his career plan, he said: “That’s an option — either during my career or when I have retired. All of the players who have made that step, such as [Lazio forward] Miro Klose, have said it furthers them.”
Gabriel Reuben
SUPER Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has defended the return of Gabriel Reuben to the team, saying the player is fit again and has been missed. “I am very happy that Gabriel Defensive midfielder Reuben has suffered a long-term groin has returned to full fitness. It’s injury and has yet to play for being a while we had him on the Scottish club Kilmarnock since team. We gave him time to he moved from Kano Pillars early recover fully from a nagging groin injury and now they he is this year. However, Keshi has told fully back and fit, let’s see what MTNFootball.com Reuben he brings to the team,” he said. Keshi also said the same regained full fitness to earn his place in a squad for a final World applies to Kenneth Omeruo, who Cup playoff against Ethiopia and last played for Nigeria at the FIFA a friendly against Italy in Confederations Cup in Brazil in June after a shoulder injury. London.
“Kenneth has returned to full fitness and played for the Chelsea’s reserve at the weekend and I feel it’s only right for me to see how far he is measuring up,” he said. “We have missed him in the team and now that he is back to action why not we have him for the next game?” The Eagles coach, who is in Benin, further told MTNFootball.com he expects all 25 players to have arrived the team’s training camp in Calabar by the Tuesday next week.
THE Somalia FA has revealed that FIFA has approved two main development projects for the country, Somalia Football Federation (SFF) Secretary General, Abdi Qani Said Arab, announced in a press statement issued at the SFF headquarters in Mogadishu on Friday. “This year FIFA has approved another artificial turf project for Somalia which will be fitted with the Somali University Stadium,” Arab told MTNFootball.com Arab said the facility is an open ground that hosted many competitions and in a bid to make it an international standard stadium, the Somali FA requested FIFA to help. “FIFA has also approved the
Skiing Federation Opposes 2022 Winter W/Cup THE international skiing federation has called on all winter sports governing bodies to oppose any plan to stage the 2022 World Cup in the winter, fearing it will damage their own competitions. Following a council meeting late on Sunday FIS said it planned to agree on a resolution with the other six winter sports federations in a combined attack on FIFA’s plans to switch the dates of the tournament in Qatar.
flight. In his first season, he banged in 21 goals in 22 matches, an average of 0.954 goals per match. Last season, Gyan raked in 31 goals in 22 league appearances for the Boss. “My move to Al Ain has been great,” Gyan simply said. Gyan has previously played for Udinese in the Italian Serie A and with French side Rennes.
discussion,” he said. “There are plenty of points that we shall discuss because it’s a long-term contract. I’d like to stay in Russia if we manage to work out a joint point of view.” Capello also said that Russia will play friendly matches with Serbia and South Korea in the United Arab Emirates on November 15 and 19 respectively. “There had been plans to play Argentina and Brazil in the United States, but I decided against this idea because the flights to the USA and back are too long.” “I also took into consideration the plans of the clubs that are playing in the Russian Premiership and the Champions League.”
FIFA Approves Second Goal project For Somalia
Keshi Defends Reuben Recall
Gyan Delighted Over UAE Move ASAMOAH Gyan says his rich-vein of scoring form has vindicated his ‘unpopular’ move to the United Arab Emirates two seasons ago. The Ghana captain moved from Sunderland to Al Ain in much-publicised move reported to be worth 6 million pounds for a season’s loan spell. Many questioned why the 27-year-old would swap the elite English Premier League for the obscure UAE top-
RUSSIA manager Fabio Capello has said he will discuss the details of a new contract on Tuesday with Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko. “I was flattered by the fans’ desire to see me at the helm until the 2018 World Cup. But I think we shouldn’t make plans too early because it’s a very long term,” Capello told the daily Sport Express. “Currently I want to focus on my team’s immediate problems.” The much-travelled, 67-year-old Italian coach said that nevertheless he fully intended to stay on in Russia until 2018 although the finer details of a new deal needed to be looked at. “Money is not the key question. That is just one of the points of
“FIS will submit a proposal to monitoring FIFA’s one of the dates under discussion the other six International Winter deliberations, fearing that a could also affect their own winter Sports Federations to sign a World Cup in January of 2022 - Olympics that year. resolution against organising the World Cup during the winter sports season in 2022,” it said in a brief statement. FIS has long viewed FIFA’s plans with suspicion, aware that the football World Cup, the world’s biggest and most popular single sports event, would take away viewers and sponsors from the skiing season. Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup at the expense of rival bids from the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea. FIFA President Sepp Blatter has since said it was a mistake to award a summer tournament to Qatar and is now looking for dates in the winter. A date for the tournament has yet to be finalised and the expected switch to a winter tournament to avoid the searing summer desert heat in the Gulf state has also angered other leagues and clubs. FIS President Gianfranco Kasper has repeatedly warned such plans would impact the skiing competition and has called on FIFA to respect other sports federations. The International Olympic Committee is also closely Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s President
second goal project for Somalia to build headquarters and a technical centre for the FA at the Somali University. We are fully grateful to FIFA under the leadership of president Joseph S. Blatter for its continued financial and moral support assistance to Somalia,” said Arab. He also highlighted that the authorities of the Somali National Universities this year donated the University field to Somalia Football Federation in an agreement that was jointly signed by the civil service development ministry. However, Abdi Qani Said Arab declared that the SFF was welcoming all international construction companies who are in contract agreements with FIFA to the country. “Somalia is open to every construction company in the FIFA tender agreement,” he added.
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Klopp Admires Arsenal’s Style JURGEN Klopp has spoken of his admiration for Arsenal ahead of their Champions League clash but insists he would never allow his side to play their style of football. The two sides go head-to-head in Wednesday’s Group F tie level on points, with the winner looking likely to advance into the knockout stages. But ahead of the game Dortmund coach Klopp has expressed the respect he has for his opposite number Arsene Wenger in an interview with several national papers. “He is really something. I love him. For me, he is Sir Arsene Wenger,” said Klopp. But the German explained that his Arsenal counterpart’s personality was the antithesis of his own. “He is ‘hello’,” Klopp said while miming a polite handshake. “But I’m this guy,” he added, miming a high five and then making a “boom” noise. “I always want it loud!” But despite the eccentric Klopp’s admiration for the Arsenal boss, he states that he would never coach his side in the same manner as the Frenchman. “He likes having the ball, playing football, passes. It’s like an orchestra,” he continued, going on to mime someone playing a violin. “But it is a silent song, yeah? I like heavy metal.” “I like (Arsenal’s philosophy). I love it but I cannot coach it because I am a different guy. If you watch me during the game I celebrate when we press the ball and it goes out. “He can win, he can win, post, goalkeeper, save — that is what I love.” Klopp’s evident love of exciting football extends even further than that: he is clearly appalled at the rise tiki taka football, and claims that it’s enough to put people off the game. [LINK: Tiki taka or totally tedious?] “If, in the last four years, Barcelona were the first team I saw playing when I was four years of age — this serenity of football, they win 5-0, 6-0 — I would have played tennis,” he said. “Sorry, that is not enough for me. What I love is that there are some things you can do in football to allow each team to win most of the matches. “It is not serenity football, it is fighting football – that is what I like. What we call in German – English [football] … rainy day,
Jurgen Klopp
heavy pitch, everybody is dirty in the face and they go home and can’t play football for the next four weeks. This is Borussia.” Despite his reverence for Wenger, Klopp did take a swipe at Arsenal’s eight-year trophy drought. “When I watch Arsenal in the last 10 years, it is nearly perfect football, but we all know they didn’t win a title. In Britain they say that they like Arsenal but they have to win something. “Coaches will say that it’s not important for their team to run more and they prefer to make games the right way. I want to make games only the right way AND run 10km more. “It’s a rule to give all and it can make the difference if you work more. If you don’t have to give all and you still win, what’s this? You don’t like this game? It’s like this,” he continued, miming a yawn. Klopp also alluded to offers that he’d had to leave for other clubs - Chelsea and Manchester City were both thought to have offered him the managers’ hot seat - but that he will not move on until the end of his contract, which following a recent new deal will now mean the summer of 2018. “Borussia Dortmund is the only club in the world where if I speak to a young player, he knows that I am his coach for the next fourand-a-half years,” Klopp said.
UCL:
Mourinho Wants Improvement Against Schalke
CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho, who said he made “11 mistakes” in his team selection after Chelsea lost to Newcastle United on Saturday, will not want to get it wrong again when Schalke 04 visit Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Wednesday. Mourinho told reporters after Chelsea won 3-0 at Schalke two weeks ago and are top of Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at St James’ Group E by virtue of that win, Park that he was angry and with both teams on six points worried by the performance that ended their run of six successive from three games.
Jose Mourinho, Chelsea’s Manager
wins in all competitions. “I made 11 mistakes, 11 mistakes. I should have picked another 11 and not this one,” he said. “When my team plays so badly, it’s the feeling I have. I am angry because I don’t understand why we lost,” he said, adding that he was also “worried” about their away form which has produced one win in five away league games. It would be a real upset if Chelsea failed to secure the win that would put them within touching distance of the Champions League knockout round and Mourinho plans to make changes to the team. “I will be making a lot of changes for sure,” he said before leaving St James’ Park. Schalke’s players got their own wake-up call from club president Clemens Toennies last week and they responded by bouncing back from successive defeats to Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga to win 2-0 at Hertha Berlin on Saturday. The players, who kept a clean sheet for the first time in five games, ran more than in any other league game and coach Jens Keller was pleased with their defending. “What my team can take out of this game is that, when they are compact and defend setpieces well, it’s hard for anybody
Bayern Eye Last 16 With Win Over Plzen They face a Plzen side that has
BAYERN Munich will look to seal a spot in the last 16 as they face Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League. The German side, who have ridden Franck Ribery’s hot start to the season, have scored 11 goals and conceded only one in their three Group D games to stay three points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table. Coach Pep Guardiola had Spain international Javi Martinez and German midfielder Mario Goetze back in the starting lineup for the first time in months after the pairs’ long injury breaks when they equalled a 30-year-old Bundesliga record with their 36th
game without defeat since October 2012. Bayern were by no means dominant in their 2-1 win against Hoffenheim on Saturday but they controlled the pace and are yet to lose any game this season in any of the three competitions they are in. Central defender Dante was also back after a two-week injury break. “It certainly was not one of our best performances,” Guardiola said. “Not everything worked well and we need to correct that.” The holders are expected to have Dutchman Arjen Robben
PSG will book their ticket for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League if they defeat Anderlecht today at the Parc des Princes in match day four of the group phase. The Parisians are the undisputed leaders of Group C after maintaining a perfect record of three wins in as many games, five points clear of Olympiakos and Benfica halfway into this first round. And the Ligue 1 leaders, who are still unbeaten this season, will be the great favourites against the Belgians, whom they thrashed 50 in Anderlecht a fortnight ago, and should not miss this opportunity to book their ticket for the next round with two more games to go in the group stage. “If we win we will advance to the round of 16 as leaders of the group and it would be the ideal,” declared Paris Saint-Germain’s
midfielder Thiago Motta after their 4-0 win over Lorient on Friday in the Ligue 1. Slightly injured against the ‘Merlus’, Edinson Cavani is doubtful for this encounter, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic should make his comeback after being put on rest this weekend following a minor knee concern. Anderlecht have failed to collect a single point so far in this competition and will have no choice but to win in Paris if they want to keep any chance of going through to the next round. The Belgian side has just enjoyed two back-to-back victories in the Jupiler Pro League, but it is a different mountain they will have to climb at the Parc des Princes. In the other Group C encounter, Olympiakos and Benfica will fight for the second place in Athens.
PSG 90 Minutes Away From Knockout Stage
back for the away game after he missed Saturday’s win with a minor injury. “We have the occasional situation where we play really well and cannot score,” said Goetze. “We need to push more but the team is really good at coming back and that is important.” In their previous meeting, Bayern ran rampant with Ribery leading the way with two goals in a 5-0 mauling of the Czech champions. A fourth win on the trot in the Champions League group play, combined with a Manchester City victory over CSKA Moscow, would send Bayern into the round of 16.
Lamrent Blanc
not taken a point yet in Champion’s League play and have had an uneven start to their domestic league season. Plzen has suffered numerous defensive break-downs this season that has cost them points and the team only managed one win during the month of October. The Czech holders seemed to reverse their fortunes over the weekend with a 6-1 drubbing of Jablonec but face a far tougher task against an intimidating Bayern side. “Were we in a crisis?” Czech manager Pavel Vrba said after the Jablonec game. “I did not feel anything like that in the lockerroom and I’m glad we cruised through the match in such a way.”
to score against us,” he said. Keller will have Kevin-Prince Boateng fit after the attacking midfielder returned to action on Saturday following a knee injury. “We’re in London and we know what quality they’ve got,” Boateng said. “We’re looking to get at least a point there. We’re going to have to keep a clean sheet.” Boateng, who joined late in the transfer window from AC Milan, said he was gradually getting back to his top form. “The knee is getting better by the game,” he said. “You just need games to get to full fitness and sharpness.” Although Chelsea will start as the strong favourites, Schalke will certainly not be overawed. They can take heart too from their last visit to London just over a year ago when they beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates on their way to topping their Champions League group before going out in the last 16 to Galatasaray.
Joe Faces Further Absence
JOE Hart is likely to remain on the bench as Manchester City look to take another stride towards the Champions League last 16 this week. The England goalkeeper lost his place in the City side on Saturday as manager Manuel Pellegrini decided his costly mistake in the previous week’s loss at Chelsea was one error too many. Hart could only watch as City crushed Norwich 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium, a game in which his replacement Costel Pantilimon was hardly called into action. On that basis it would seem harsh to axe the Romanian and so Hart may again find himself playing back-up for today’s visit of CSKA Moscow in Champions League Group D. Midfielder Fernandinho believes what has happened to Hart - hailed as the world’s best just a year ago - is a strong reminder of the high standards demanded at Eastlands. The Brazilian said: “If the quality is a bit off you must work harder to recover your position and your best quality. “If he at the moment is not (at his best), he must work more hard. “But they are very good keepers, he and Pantilimon. I think his career will be better for it. “The manager must choose the best team, and the best keeper for the team. “I am sure if he played Joe Hart or Costel Pantilimon the team would be superb because they are both very good goalkeepers.” City can all but clinch a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time by repeating their success over the Russians of a fortnight ago. They will go into the game in good heart after sweeping the Canaries aside.
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FIFA U-17 S/Final Cracker: Some football enthusiasts has commended the Golden Eaglets for their 2-0 victory over Uruguay at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The enthusiasts, in separate confidence that the team would interviews with newsmen in qualify for the final. Lagos, also expressed
Eaglets Will Make Africa Proud
Festus Allen, a former coach of 3SC Football Club of Ibadan, commended the team for qualifying for the semi-finals of the competition “in style’’. “This is a commendable
victory for the team. The players’ display on pitch has shown that the boys prepared adequately for the competition. “The technical crew is also
Oliseh with Eaglets in UAE
Oliseh Warns Eaglets, They Are Not Champions Yet EX-Nigeria skipper Sunday Oliseh has warned the Golden Eaglets against complacency as they aim for a fourth World Cup. Nigeria are now favourites to win the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup and face group rivals Sweden in Today’s semi-final. But Oliseh has warned the team they should not start thinking they are the champions already. “Working with FIFA, you have made me very proud because of your playing style and overall conduct in this competition,” said Oliseh, who is on the FIFA Technical Study Group for the U17 World Cup. “But be that as it may, I don’t want you to start counting
because nobody remembers the team that comes second next day except the champions.” Oliseh said the Golden Eaglets should therefore not regard themselves as favourites yet to lift the trophy despite playing some of the best matches at this
championship. “You don’t start counting until the battle is won and I want you to learn from a team like Brazil who are already out of the competition because they started counting before the job was done.
ABUJA - The Senate on Sunday says it has committed the Golden Eaglets to God ahead their Semi-finals of the FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirate (UAE). The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang,
made this known when he reacted to the Golden Eaglets 20 defeat of Uruguay in Abuja on Sunday. “Whenever Nigeria has a match, the Senate President, David Mark, always calls for special prayer, in fact constituting prayer warriors to be on duty.
Senate Commits Eaglets To God
Idowu Out Of Sweden Clash EAGLETS ace Akinjide Idowu has been ruled out of Today’s semi-final against Sweden after he bagged his second booking against Uruguay. However, the defensive midfielder said the confidence of the coaches in the players has rubbed off on the entire team so much so he would not be sorely missed against Sweden. He said: “I feel sad that I won’t be playing against Sweden but that would not change anything because we have others who can do the job. “Like the coach has said,
“In my village, we were told that you cannot be dancing and look at your buttocks. What that means is that you need to listen to your coaches because they are the ones that can look at your back while you on the pitch playing.”
we have so much confidence going into this match and by the grace of God, we are going to win.” Meanwhile, Brazilian referee Heber Roberto Lopes, who was in charge of Golden Eaglets’ 4-1 thrashing of Iran, in a Round of 16 match, will again handle the Eaglets semifinal against Sweden at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai. The list of officials for the match is completed with his two compatriots, Allesandro Rocha and Marcelo Van Grasse who incidentally served as first and second assistants the last time. Norbert Hauata from Tahiti
and Tevita Makasini from Tonga would serve as fourth and reserve assistant referee. Lopes is one of the elite referees in the South American Confederation (CONMEBOL) and a Brazil 2014 World Cup designated official. He was at the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Finland and was named as Brazil Referee of the Year in 2009. Like it was the last time he handled the game against Nigeria, the Golden Eaglets would be wearing their white jerseys while the Swedes would be on yellow top with blue shorts.
“He will tell them to pray for Nigerian team to win. The senate president also appeal to Christians and Muslims to jointly pray for Nigeria team to win,’’ Enang said. According to him, the Eaglets progression at the tournament was an indication that all is well with Nigeria and Nigerians. He said the team’s brilliant performance in UAE had given Nigerians something to cheer for, adding that their performance had not given room for the negatives. “Sports in Nigeria are like a neutraliser; whenever Nigeria is participating in any sporting event, even Boko Haram will soft-pedal. “With sports, hatred will stop; the divide between the North and South, Muslim and Christian will all disappear until we win. “Now that we have celebrated them getting to this stage, we should all pray for them to bring the cup. Enang said the National Assembly would ensure that the national teams get the maximum supports needed to win the trophy for the fourth time. He noted that Nigeria’s centenary celebration in 2014 would be memorable if the Eaglets could lift the U-17 World Cup.
doing a great job, I must confess. The boys are playing as a well co-ordinated team,’’ he said. Ndaks Lawrence, the Head of Football, National Institute for Sports (NISports) in Lagos, said the Eaglets have made the country proud so far in the competition. Lawrence urged the team to remain focused to ensure it gets to the final of the competition, saying it is one of the best under-17 teams this Nigeria has produced. “But the players should not be carried away with their good run in the competition. The most important thing for the team now is to qualify for the final,” he said. Also, Adamu Ejor, the coach of the SuperSand Eagles, urged Nigerians to give the team the needed support to qualify for the final. “We are almost there, and the boys should be given more support at this crucial stage of the tournament. “I believe we can defeat Sweden in the semi-final match if the boys put in their best to book a place in the finals,” Ejor said. Meanwhile, Nduka Ugbade, an Assistant Coach with the Golden Eaglets, has assured that the team would make Africa proud at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in the UAE. Golden Eaglets defeated their Uruguayan counterparts 2-0 on Saturday to qualify for the semi-finals of the competition. Ugbade told reporters on telephone on Sunday from the UAE that the Eaglets would ensure they win the competition. “Other African countries are now looking up to Nigeria, as the only African team left in the competition, to win the event. “We are now saddled with the responsibility of making not only Nigeria proud, but Africans as a whole, as the only team left in the competition from the continent.
Manu Garba
“It is unfortunate that Cote d’Ivoire lost to Argentina eventually. But they played so well and fought relentlessly not to lose out. “We are gradually getting to the end of the competition and winning is our utmost goal, and we are not relenting till we achieve this,’’ he said. Cote d’Ivoire, the other African country in the quarterfinals, had lost 1-2 to Argentina on Saturday. Ugbade who led Nigeria to its first win in the competition in 1985 said the Eaglets had been playing to instructions and this had led to its success so far. “They have been doing well and we are also concentrating on ensuring that they are physiologically fit to play because that is also an important aspect of their training. “Constant talking to the players, both collectively and individually, has also helped. They are young lads and need to be constantly guided,” he added. Ugbade, however, allayed fears over Akinjide Idowu missing the next match due to two yellow cards from two games, saying he would be replaced by someone who can equally attack. “Let panic not be in the air. We have another player who can take over his position. The attack will not be left open, but be filled with someone capable,” he said. The coach also said the injured Success Isaac was getting better, and assured that he would be back in the starting line-up once he was fit to play. “We want the injury to heal well, because straining it now can become a major problem in future. If missing the next match will put him in proper condition, it won’t be a bad idea,’’ he said. Reports say that the Eaglets will take on Sweden on Tuesday, November 5 in the semi-finals. It will be recalled that Nigeria had won the 1985, 1993 and 2007 editions of the competition.
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CMYK
THE recent outburst by one of the members of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, Colonel Tony Nyiam, against the Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the committee’s sitting in Benin City has gone a long way to expose the true intentions behind this initiative. The violent streak of Colonel
here that the idea of a “National Dialogue” is an aberration- as the very definition of a dialogue suggests a discourse between separate parts and rides on the preconception that there is a dichotomy. It is also important to note that the decision would rubbish the expensive and time consuming efforts at constitutional review embarked upon by the
Nyiam was not only an indication of the tilt towards rascality that may come to define the spirit of the National Dialogue, but also a forewarning of its intended goals. When Mr President announced his decision to commence a process towards a national conference, there were many Nigerians who, quite naturally, assumed that it would discuss ways of resolving the many challenges hindering national cohesion and security, and addressing pressing issues on fiscal federalism. Many people say they have welcomed the decision in the hope that genuine solutions to the nation’s challenges would be found. However, there are also many who have questioned the rationale behind this move, especially coming at time when tensions have already been stirred by deep seated political rivalries. I am one of those who question the timing and rationale as much as I do the motive. For me, if the president’s aim was as genuine as his supporters have made it out to be, this has not been evident so far. First, we are not sure if this national discussion is about a devolved constitution or whether it would strictly adhere to constitutional rules by which its submissions would be referred to the national assembly. We also are not sure if the intention is to drive a discourse on strengthening the country’s union through relevant suggestions to further entrench national cohesion or to allow critical appraisals of our geopolitical make-up, or both. It is important to point out
national assembly and thirty six state legislatures. Unless Mr President clearly intends to undermine the efforts of all Nigerians who have been involved in that process, I do not see the reason behind this new initiative. If the committee he has set up is intended to travel across the country to collate opinions and ideas on what areas the intended conference should address then it is just a repeat of the same process that the National Assembly spent billions on recently. Also, it would seem like Mr President is subtly expressing his disapproval of that process and suggesting that he would disregard the very same structures that have granted him the legitimacy to govern. I should make clear here that the intention is not to disregard public calls for some form of platform on which serious socio-political issues that have stirred animosities could be addressed, but I must state some important personal opinions: first, I believe these challenges are stirred more by our social inequalities than by our religious and ethnic differences, and our discussions should be shaped by this reality; Secondly, just like Oshiomhole has also explained, such calls for national conferences-or dialoguescontribute immensely to our social and economic stagnation because I do not see how we would justify the call on foreign investors to put their money in a country that is still not sure of its existence. This point is further illustrated by this same government’s protests in 2010 against predictions by a former U.S ambassador of an imminent split. The government’s grouse was that such statements were potentially harmful to all its efforts at
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
building investor confidence; we can only imagine how much more the indication of presidential stamp on questioning the basis of our union would have on investor confidence. In case some of us do not realise this, such actions could stir far more discord than they intend to address because of the obvious insinuation of personal whim in deciding the
A Spurious National Dialogue
President Goodluck Jonathan nation’s fate. Beyond that, there is the danger that such initiatives could rekindle sentiments that have been dormant for many years: the possibility that the public would perceive this decision as an indication of the president’s tacit support for a possible split is very real. Already, these insinuations are inferred from television and newspaper reports as critics and apologists jostle to offer contradictory opinions of the president’s intentions. The thinking is that such moves clearly suggest a disapproval of the current political structure just as it questions the legitimacy of our geographical make up. We cannot deny that such doubts have always been expressed, and were the basis on which this nation witnessed serious political infractions that resulted in a civil war, but it is imperative that we also realise the sacrifises of all those who have sought to build on the
finer points of national cohesion. As president of a federal entity, sworn to office on the dictates of the Nigerian constitution, it would be expected that Dr. Jonathan would rather accede to a constitutional process of reform and submit to the dictates of the recent constitutional review. If his decision is truly hinged on encouraging a national debate on what social and political structure best serves our union, I guess there are a number of committee reports he could take off the shelves, dust and implement. There is the report of the Justice Belgore committee and the Mohammed Adoke committee on the political reform conference, which would make relevant input in the ongoing constitution amendment process. If the president intends the dialogue to focus on electoral issues in an attempt to address our bellicose electoral system, there already exist the
recommendations of the Uwais Commission; if the aim is to revisit the thorny issue of fiscal federalism, there is already the report of the National conference of February 2005, organised during Obasanjo’s administration, which recommendations have never been implemented. Even the President admits that his administration has benefited from the political reform conference of 2005 and the Belgore committee report of 2010 from which bills have been sent to the National Assembly. So it beats the imagination why such a conference- or dialoguewould be suggested at this time. Also, the president says “This National Discourse will strengthen our union and address issues that are often on the front burner, and are too frequently ignored”; I would like to ask, is that not what constitutiinal reforms are supposed to address? Besides, from the townhall meetings that have been organised so far where the president’s committee is supposed to seek public opinion on what the name, membership and focus of the conference will be, nothing has suggested that this initiative is well thought out or even half as coordinated and serious minded as we are made to believe. At the event in Ondo, we were completely befuddled by Mimiko’s show of unflinching support for the president’s initiative in a speech that sounded more like endorsement of the president’s political ambitions than anything else. In my opinion, this decision by the President is purely political and devoid of any altruistic intentions. It is obviously designed to achieve some set personal goals, and the evidence is there. This is
obvious from the timing of the decision, as I mentioned earlier, and, most worrying, as it appears to be the culmination of a sequence of self-exposing events. The President had always been opposed to the idea of any National Conference on the grounds that there is the National legislature whose members were elected by Nigerians to articulate the interests of their different constituencies. His sudden about-face, at a time of serious political and security challenges that would best be doused by stemming provocative plots therefore comes as a surprise to many Nigerians. The President is simply doing what the Nigerian political class has always done well; play on base emotions to create distractions from their foibles. What seems to be the true purpose of the President’s strategy has already exposed itself in the actions of Tony Nyiam, and this cannot be easily ignored. For those who remember Col Nyiam, his antecedents clearly expose in what direction he tilts on the issue of preserving the Nigerian state. Col. Nyiam was one of the top coup plotters involved in the botched attempt to overthrow the General Ibrahim Babangida regime and who finally exposed his true goal as the break-up of Nigeria. I do not see the rationale behind the inclusion of such a person as one of the President’s key men in building a platform for discussing Nigeria’s future without stirring public perception of preconceived goals. If the President intends to kick off the national conference/dialogue on this note, then, I am sorry to say, the whole programme will end up a dog and pony show.
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