The Nigerian
PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol . 38 • NO.475 TUESDAY, MAY 6, 20 14 • N100.00 NUTRITIONAL HEALTH AND DIETETICS Page 14
Stroke and what to do
Nigerian, Kenyan first ladies seek peace in Africa
ABUJA - The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and her Kenyan counterpart, Mrs. Margaret Kenyatta, have pledged to work towards ensuring peace in Africa.
They made the pledge when Jonathan played host to Mrs. Kenyatta in Abuja. She said all African First Ladies needed to work together to achieve a peaceful continent.
“As you go back home, please plead with other First Ladies in your region to take the African First Ladies Peace Mission activities seriously because the men cannot do it alone.
“We, the women, cannot fail. Peace issue is a collective effort. We have to work together to make sure peace reigns in our countries, our nations and in Africa,’’ Continues on page 2
World Economic Forum
BOTTOMLINE Page 15 Understanding the nature of violence
Those recurring issues
13 Heads of State, other 1000 delegates expected
ABUJA - No fewer than 13 Heads of states and over 1,000 delegates are expected to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa beginning from tomorrow in Abuja. Ms Elsie Kanza, countries. “We are expecting over Director, Head of Africa, disclosed this at a pre- a thousand participants event briefing on the from over 70 countries, WEF yesterday in Abuja. more than half will come She said the number from African countries was one of the largest the and many will come from business forum had witnessed in the the many years it had communities, NGOs and been hosted in different religious groups,’’ she
said. She listed some of the country’s heads of state
that would be participating as China, Republic of Benin, Cote
d’Ivoire, Togo, Rwanda, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal,
Niger and the U.S. She said that Nigeria Continues on page 2
Procurement Agency Board
EDHA confirms nominee
By KEN ABU
BENIN CITY –The Edo State House of Assembly yesterday confirmed Moni Mike Modesty as member of the state Procurement Agency Board. The state executive arm of government forwarded the name to parliament as nominee for the agency Board seeking lawmakers confirmation. The Comrade Modesty followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Philip Shaibu on a letter from the governor requesting the confirmation and
s u b s e q u e n t consideration of the report by parliament. Hon. Philip Shaibu while presenting the report for consideration said the nominee was found fit and proper to be appointed into the Board as accomplished unionist and academician. He stated that the nominee had served in various committees where he served creditably and also a serving executive member of the state branch of the Nigeria
TIT BIT
“ Even if love is offered to you as a precious jewel; it would still be your decision to wear.” - Kingsley Ogbeide-Ihama
Labour Congress (NLC). Hon. Shaibu who doubles as the House Majority Leader appealed to the House to confirm the nominee for appointment as member of the Agency’s Board. The Speaker, Hon. Uyi Igbe rising from the committee of the whole affirmed members support for the recommendation which advices that the nominee be confirmed.
2013 HAJJ REPORT: President Goodluck Jonathan (right), receiving 2014 Hajj Report from the Head, Federal Government delegation and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’Ad Abubakar III, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday.
Confab committee abandons resource control By JOSES SEDE
ABUJA - Confab Committee on Devolution yesterday, abandoned resource control for derivation formulae for all natural mineral exploration in the country. The Committee also adopted reduction in the Federal government monthly share in the
Federation Accounts from its current 52.68% to 42.5%, while the States and the Local Governments shares
have been increased from 26.72% and 20.60%
to 35% and 22.5% respectively. The issue of “horizontal sharing” has been deferred till today. B r i e f i n g
correspondents yesterday, Chairman of the Committee, Chief Victor Attah, explained that the Committee’s Continues on page 2
Nigeria to host 37 African ministers ABUJA - Nigeria is to host 37 African Ministers and 500 delegates from around the continent at
the 5th African Regional Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction between May 13 and May 16, an official said.
Mr. Aliyu Sambo, the Acting Director, Disaster Risk Reduction, National Emergency Management
Agency (NEMA), made the disclosure at a news conference in Abuja on Continues on page 2
News
Nigerian, Kenyan first ladies seek ? ‘’I ?apologise for not taking Continued from page 1 peace in Africa part in the activities of the Jonathan said. She said that as the President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), she had visited almost all the regions of Africa and gave them relief materials
AFLPM all the while and I promise to be more active henceforth,’’ Kenyatta said. The Kenyan first lady is in the country with her husband who is on a five-day official visit to Nigeria.
and scholarships for displaced children and indigent women. ? Jonathan said: ‘’The African First Ladies Peace Mission has done a lot to ensure peace in Africa by visiting crisis zones
across the continent but we still need to do more.’’ In her response,the Kenyan First Lady promised to ‘’fully participate in the next activities of the Peace Mission for a better Africa.
unemployed, adding that private sector participation would help to create job opportunities. “The forum as you already have seen will focus on inclusive growth, how to get policies change and better business modules that can help create jobs. “It will look at how to make citizens to participate in making decision that can help change communities,’’ she said.
On security, she said that WEF was concerned about the abduction of the school girls in Chibok and prayed that they would be rescued soon. She noted that terrorism was a global trend that was not peculiar to Nigeria, adding that it had become a growing concern to the region too. She assured that conversation on issues of insecurity in the region would also come up as one of the topic on the agenda at the meeting.
The Federal Government had assured all delegates that adequate security measures would be put in place during the forum. Public offices and schools had been mandated to close down from Wednesday, May 7 to Friday May 9, to ease traffic during the forum in the capital territory. Meanwhile, most Nigerian journalists may not have access to cover the forum because of unconfirmed accreditation.
we should increase the per cent-age of derivation, we should scrap NDDC, we should scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta and.... We also acknowledged that parts of this country have been neglected and that is why we are very pleased with ourselves when we resolved the issue of item 39 in the exclusive list that there must be a special fund to be
created. Funds must be created to make it possible for those undeveloped parts of the country and those undeveloped minerals to now be developed. So that, this derivation we can see is going to be in every body’s interest. I therefore expect that we are going to look at it very sensibly, in agreeing what
should be the governing per cent-age for all derivations. We believe that when we meet again tomorrow (today), even the thorny issue of dichotomy will be resolved. So, you will have to give us up-till tomorrow to be able to give you a final decisions on these things that we have discussed”, Chief Attah told journalists.
Conference sitting in Abuja was yesterday hit by another death of a delegate, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar Jumare, from Kaduna State. Dr. Jumare who came to the Conference as an Elder Statesman died in the early hours of yesterday in Abuja and was buried later in the day in Zaria. The late Dr. Jumare was born on August 20, 1943 in Kwarbai, Zaria City. He attended Town School Number 1 in 1949 -1952; Middle School, Soba Senior Primary School, Katsina Teachers College and Ahmadu Bello University where he bagged the Doctor of Philosophy in 1989. He started out as a primary school teacher in 1960 at the Zaria Local Authority and later
transferred to the Treasury as Clerk in 1962. He rose to the position of Emirate Supervisor of Accounts and then Head of the Local Authority between 1973 and 1975. After the local Government Reforms, he became the first Principal Assistant Secretary and Head of Administration. He worked with the Ahmadu Bello University between 1986 and 1992 as Senior Lecturer and Senior Administrative Consultant. He was the General Manager Personnel and Administration at Peugeot Automobile Limited, Kaduna, between 1993 and 1999; and Chairman, Kaduna State Water Board between 2003 and 2004. Dr. Jumare had also
Sambo said Nigeria was among the 168 signatories to the Hyogo framework of action. The acting director noted that the HFA outlined five priorities for action, and offered guiding principles and practical means to achieving disaster resilience. The framework was to substantially reduce disaster losses by 2015 by building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters. He said the framework was also aimed at reducing loss of lives and social, economic, and environmental assets when hazards occurred. Also expected to attend the conference are academic and technical institutions, the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and N o n - G o v e r n m e n t Organisations. Sambo said “they are expected to be joined by states and local governments, community leaders, parliamentarians, youth, media and the private sector.’’ He noted that participants would discuss and share a common commitment to forge an African position on a post2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. The framework would also focus on building the resilience of African communities in line with sustainable development goals.
Committee at the National Electoral Commission. He was also the Chairman of the 15-member National Advisory Committee on Delimitation of Constituencies constituted by INEC in 2008. His tenure at INEC lapsed in 2009. He was reappointed Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission in Kaduna State in 2011, a position he was until his demise on Monday, May 5, 2014. His burial was attended by the Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Ramalan Yero and the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji (Dr.) Shehu Idris. The National Conference was represented by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Assistant Secretary in charge of Finance and Administration. Dr. Jumare once threatened to leave public service if there was an attempt to introduce another interim government in the country. While announcing INEC’s plan to hold a national conference on the 2007 general elections, Dr. Jumare was quoted as telling Journalists that politicians should go and canvass for votes from the electorate instead of looking for short-cut to governance. “There is nothing like Interim National Government (ING). Many of us will leave if the government comes up with something like that”, he had declared.
13 Heads of State, other 1000 delegates expected
Continued from page 1
as the largest economy in Africa has a great role to play in the region to ensure positive economic growth. According to her, Africa by 2040 would have larger work force than China. Kanza said the major focus of the forum would be on how best to ensure that Africa with its positive growth rate could be inclusive. She noted that 59 per cent of African youths were
Confab committee abandons resource control
Continued from page 1
decisions were not just “consensual agreements, but unanimous by the entire committee”, stressing, “we have deferred the issue of horizontal sharing till tomorrow” (today - 06/05/14). He further noted that a lot of progress and understanding were achieved unlike in the past, stressing, “one thing that has guided us is the spirit of wanting to create a new Nigeria and launch it properly on the understanding that quite honestly, development has been very uneven” Attah also regretted that Constitutional provisions which vested ownership of the Country’s mineral resources in the federal government has made it impossible for resource control agitation, adding, “we went into serious business of discussing resource control; Committee members acknowledged and accepted that the existing Constitution of Nigeria should form a point of departure” “We decided therefore, that we should concentrate more on derivation rather than resource ownership by the areas where the minerals are found. So, from that point-on, we decided that every member of the Committee should state his or her position again on the issue of derivation because at the beginning, there were some suggestions that we should reintroduce dichotomy,
National Confab loses another served as a National By JOSES SEDE Commissioner in charge of delegate ABUJA - The National Information and Publicity
Nigeria to host 37 African ministers Continued from page 1 Monday. He said the conference would hold in Abuja, aimed at identifying key priorities to be presented by African countries at the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2015 in Japan. “The 10-year Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) came out of the World Conference held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, from January 18 to January. 22, 2005,” he said. He added that the HFA was the first plan to explain, describe and detail the work required from all different sectors and actors to reduce disaster losses by 2015.
Edo Line new boss, Chief Adun assumes duty
BENIN CITY – The newly appointed sole administrator of Edo Line Transport Company Limited and a prominent Chief in Benin Kingdom, Chief Dr. John Osamede Adun JP, has finally assumed his duty post and inspected facilities. Chief John Adun was appointed by the Executive Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to revive the transport company, which was closed down in 2010 following workers involvement in union affairs. Speaking to newsmen at the premises of Edo Line, the elated Chief Adun, thanked the Governor for finding him worthy of that position and assured the governor of his tireless efforts geared toward revamping the state owned transport company to remain in its place of pride as number one transport company in Nigeria. Addressing workers of Edo Line, the Managing Director of Bob Izua Conglomerate Worldwide thanked the workers for their patience and perseverance and sought their cooperation and support to lift the transport company to a greater height. He noted that there was a flaw in the management of the state owned transport company prior to his appointment as the sole administrator and cautioned workers against dereliction on duty and warned them to imbibe the culture of hard-work and discipline. He also advised them to avoid unionism which hitherto led to the closure of the company by the state government in 2010. Chief Adun, posited that he
would work on three points agenda to resuscitate Edo Line Transport Company, as a transport guru. He therefore gave reabsorption forms to over one hundred and eighty workers of the transport company that were present and promised to use his position to roll out over fifty buses in addition to over forty buses he had put in good working condition in the premises, for the first quarter to enable work commence in full scale, and to restore the confidence reposed in him by the governor. In a related development, the national Vice President of the Butcher’s Union in charge of the South, South Zone, Prince Peter Ogiugo has commended the appointment of Chief John Osamede Adun, as the sole administrator of Edo Line Transport Company Limited, by the Edo State Governor, Comrade Oshiomhole and described it as well deserved. He however, congratulated Chief Adun on the appointment and opined that he would use his wealth of experience in the transport business to rejuvenate the transport company. He solicited for the cooperation of the workers and all stakeholders in the state to work with Chief Adun to actualize his dreams. In the same vein, Hon. Melo Edokpolo described the appointment of Chief Adun as meritorious and congratulated him on the position. He prayed God to grant him wisdom and understanding to pilot the affairs of the company to a greater height.
Electricity Consumers Lament Inability To Buy Recharge Cards By FAITH ISIKHUEMEN / JENNIFER KELUBIA
BENIN CITY – Electricity consumers in Benin City are viewing the multiplier effects of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) picketing of Electricity Distribution Companies since last week due to their (consumers) inability to purchase recharge cards for their prepaid meters. A visit to some recharge card vending centres, including New Lagos Road, Etete and Ikpema offices of the Benin Electricity Distribution Companies (BEDC) and a designated bank in Sakpoba Road, Benin City revealed a large number of anxious electricity consumers waiting to purchase recharge cards for their prepaid metres. The disappointed customers who gathered in clusters to discuss their plight alleged that the Benin Electricity Distribution Company may be encouraging illegalities through electricity connections, saying that by passing the meter might be the only
way out of getting power supply. Some said that they were left unattended to due to the NLC and TUC’s threat to sanction the attendants, should they attend the consumers. It was observed that gates to the distribution companies were under lock and key for over a week now while the attendants were reportedly adamant in telling consumers who had come to purchase recharge cards the true nature of things. It would be recalled that the NLC and the TUC have picketed the Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) offices in 14 States, include Edo for the past I week due to the failure of the BEDC to meet up with a seven days ultimatum given it to pay up all the entitlements of all disengaged staff that the companies inherited from the former Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Contacted on telephone, the Acting Public Affairs Manager of BEDC, Mr. Curtis Nwadei declined comment.
Inside Edo Vigilante Boss Appeals For Support
Council Boss Refutes Allegation Of Non-Performance By MORRISON HAYBLE
AUCHI - Chairman, Etsako West Local Government Council, Hon. Hassan Kadiri has refuted insinations that his administration has remained in limbo and without tangible impact on the life of the people. Kadiri who spoke with newsmen explained that it had become necessary to put the records straight following what he referred to as rumours by political detractors designed to blackmail and pull down his administration. The Chairman clarified that no one had been dismissed from service by his administration since assumption of office in the past one year and therefore called for understanding and cooperation of everyone, irrespective of political divide to move the council forward. Describing the rumour as most unfortunate, he stated that his administration had done remarkably well in touching the lives of the people by citing meaningful projects in all the 12 wards in the local government area. He noted that the administration had so far not fallen short of his electioneering promises.
The local government boss disclosed that aside renovation of existing facilities in the area, the council had worked out a comprehensive programme for all sectors in a way that every political ward would have not less than two projects with some already completed and others awaiting completion. Hon Kadiri used the medium to call on the electorate for understanding and patience assuring that a programme designed to ensure uniform development was already in place.
The Acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service/Chairman, Joint Tax Board delivering a speech while the Executive Chairman of the EIRS Chief (Sir) Oseni Elamah looks on.
BENIN CITY - The newlyelected President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Kayode Obembe, has called for adequate security for its members, to curtail the incessant kidnapping of doctors in the country. Obembe made the call at a news conference at the end of the NMA’s 54th Annual General Meeting and Delegates Conference held in Benin City. “It is common knowledge that doctors are the most vulnerable group when it comes to kidnapping.
“It is time for us to ask for police escorts for members wherever we are going because it is a proven fact that we are delivering services to all Nigerians and we are not protected. “We want government at all levels to provide police protection for doctors in the course of their duties, including in their various health institutions. “Judges are protected roundthe-clock, even in their houses, so why can’t the government do the same for the doctors,” he said.
By JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM
NMA Seeks Police Protection For Members Obembe said that by ensuring the safety of doctors, it would also be beneficial to the public, stressing that when doctors are kidnapped, patients would also feel the pains. On the decadence in the Primary Healthcare centres, he said that the passage of the National Health bill (NHB) would proffer the needed solution. The new NMA president said that the bill allowed for a certain amount of money to be geared towards primary healthcare development in the country. Speaking on the perceived gap in public sector doctors receiving more benefits, Obembe said that the Community Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS),
when fully operational, would bridge the gap. He said that under the scheme, every community would have a doctor who would be the Primary Healthcare Provider for that community. The NMA President said that with the Health Insurance coverage in place, every citizen would have access to “promotive, curative and rehabilitative health services”. He also called for more cooperation from the media in the coverage of the association’s assignments. Obembe added that the association was poised to promote Universal Health Coverage for all Nigerians.
IRU-EGBEDEThe Commandant of the Vigilante Group in Iru-Egbede Community, in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, Retired W02, Alfred Okwube has appealed to the three tier of government philanthropists, NonGovernmental Organizations (N.G.O) and Church to assist the group perform its assignment. According to Mr. Okwube, the vigilante group is a voluntary organisation which must not be allowed to face danger because they are people who volunteered to do the job but have no money to finance it. He appealed to philanthropist who are security conscious to donate generously to help the group purchase Security equipments to enable members combat crime in the area. Mr. Okwube, also informed traditional rulers and chiefs in the community to encourage the vigilante by contributing their quota to assist them. According to him, since the inception of the group, people could move freely without molestation by criminals as crime has drastically reduced to its barest minimum in the area. Mr. Okwube advised his men not to use the influence of the group to intimidate the people, anybody caught in the act would be severely dealt with.
Alfred Okwube
Onojie Of Ewatto Celebrates EWATTO - This year annual Annual Festival Ukpebakor Traditional Festival State, including top government
Cross session of the Joint Tax Board members comprised of the 36 state Boards of Internal Revenue Chairmen.
of Ewatto, Esan South East Local Government Area of State was held last week at the Royal Palace ground of the Enojie of Ewatto, His Royal Highness Sylvanus Ikhumhen I, JP. This festival which is celebrated annually by the Onojie and the people of Ewatto was to usher in favourable planting season and proposals for the coming year. This year’s event witnessed a very large turn-out of dignitaries from within and outside the
Legal Practitioner Advocates Implementation employment or otherwise for a Of WAEC Act period of say ten years, that is conviction.
AUCHI- A legal practitioner in Edo State, Barr. Anthony Atemoagbo has urged
the Federal Government to concentrate more on implementation of the existing WAEC Act to ensure that suspects are actually convicted and not necessarily raising the fine. The observation is coming on the heels of the current move by the House of Representatives seeking to amend the Act to raise the fine from N2,000 to N200,000 on
Barr. Atemoagbo who is the immediate past Chairman, Nigeria Barr, Association (NBA) Auchi chapter while exchanging view with our correspondent in Auchi argued that the magnitude of the fine was not the problem but ensuring the applicability of the law to reflect the deserved stigma on the convicts so as to serve as deterrent. He noted that on conviction, the culprits reputation was already at stake as employers of
labour and the public would then be scared to engage such a person. Atemoagbo explained that the most important consideration was to ensure that culprits are convicted and not raising the fine as being proposed by the House of Representatives, as the average Nigerian would always be able to pay the fine. According to him, if for example, the law provides that a convict should not get recognition either in
sufficient stigma”. The former NBA Chairman therefore cautioned the nations leaders to be morally up right in their dealings and against indiscriminate granting of amnesty to persons of questionable character, saying that this would not help the system in the search for a decent society. The legal practitioner noted that even if the conviction is underplayed right thinking members of public would always be there to take record of the stigma.
officials, traditional rulers, chiefs and highly placed business men and women. It was also an opportunity for the Chiefs and people of Ewatto Kingdom to showcase their cultural/traditional dance and as well pay homage to the Onojie. His Royal Highness Ikhumhen I. commended the people for their response and prayed for peace, unity and development of Ewatto while appealing to all sons and daughters of Ewatto to unit and be committed to the development of the town. While enjoining the youths to endeavour to always embark on meaningful ventures that will brighten their feature the Onojie further advised to see themselves as agents of positive change rather being use as thugs and agents of destruction of lives and properties during electioneering period . Worried by spate of insecurity in the country, Zaiki Ikhunhen flayed the frequent killings innocent Nigerians and destruction of property by Boko Haram. He said that the devilish act should give every right thinking Nigerian a great concern, adding that the activities of Boko Haram
is not only affecting the Northerners but the entire Nigerians. He pleaded for the release of the recently abducted innocent school girls in Borno State without harm, saying, “We, the traditional rulers strongly condemn these acts of terrorism and wanton destruction of live and property in the country”. His Royal Highness Ikhumhen also called on all Nigerians to cooperate and come together to fight the Boko Haram insurgency, irrespective of tribes, religious or political affiliations, as he commended the federal government and security agents for their efforts so far.
His Royal Highness Sylvanus Ikhumhen I, JP.
News Promote Trad Medicine, Practitioner Urges Govt
Transport Ministry Sacks 2 EDSTMA Officials BENIN CITY-Edo Sate Ministry of Transport has sacked two officials of the State Traffic Management Agency (ESATMA) for fighting in public while on duty at the New Benin area Benin City. The officers are Agbonlahor Owens Peter and Okhuire Sunday.
By JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM NDEMILI – Government has been called upon to show greater interest in the promotion of traditional medicine practice for its many benefits. Dr. Sunday Ogwezi, a traditional medicine practitioner in Ndemili-Ndokwa-West Local Government Area of Delta State, made the call recently while commending the federal government on its support of the efforts of the Association of Tradomedical medicine practition, especially with the recent plan by the federal government to introduce traditional medicine courses into the Nigerian universities. Dr. Ogwesi said there were many possibilities in the use of herbs to cure mental problems, snake bites, scorpion bites, poisons, epilepsy, barrenness, and many more common diseases. He said having being in the traditional medicine profession, for over 40 years, he had observed areas of urgent need which the government can play a vital role to tackle; he sited examples to include a need to pay more attention to inmates of some psychiatric home run by tradomedical doctors who need incentives and social amenities from the host communities and the government to perform optimally in their service delivery. He specifically appealed to the state government to provide his own psychiatric home with social amenities, pointing out that people from afar and near with mental cases are regularly admitted by him for therapy.
Dr. Sunday Ogwezi
Church Ends Revival Programme Tomorrow President Goodluck Jonathan (4th right) and Vice President Namadi Sambo (5th right) with members of the Federal Government delegation during the submission of 2013 NAJJ report in Abuja yesterday.
Group Flays Media Report from a sustainable impact on the students, staff and Against UNIBEN VC management the teaching and learning BENIN CITY- The Edo Unity League, a cultural cum intellectual pressure group, has vowed to promote and protect Edo intelligentsias whose dutiful and meritorious service have become sour-spots in the hearts of “Nigeria’s enemies of progress”. The group in a statement endorsed by its Vice-Chairman, Edo North chapter, Arc.Augustus E. Obadan, decried a publication in a natinoal daily against Prof. O.G Oshodin, Vice Chancellor, University’s system”. The group noted that the publication titled: “Ghost workers scandal rocks UNIBEN”, which emanated from the content of a petition addressed to the EFCC and ICPC as well as the Police were based on the tiny fragments of imagination. It argued that the University of Benin has a time-tested Financial Records-Audit system (FRAS) which has the blessing of the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNESCO and the Presidency, adding that the summary of “the mischievous
Auchi Poly Holds 3rd Inaugural Lecture May 8 BY MORRISON HAYBLE AUCHI-Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo state is to hold its 3rd inaugural lecture on Thursday, May 8, 2014. The lecture with the topic: “Expanding World Limits Through Language. Memoirs of A Teacher of English Language” will take place at the polytechnic’s new auditorium beginning at 3.pm. prompt. To be delivered by the Deputy Rector, Administration, Dr. Sunny Eshiotse, the occasion will be chaired by the Rector of the institution, Dr. Mrs. Philipa Idogho. Meanwhile, Governing Council
A statement from the ministry indicated that the sack of the two officers which was due to normal official posting is with immediate effect. The statement added that the disciplinary action is to serve as deterrence to other serving personnel while still in the employment of the agency.
of the Polytechnic has approved criteria for service awards for non-teaching staff, following recommendation of the Joint Committee of Council and Academic Board. A release from the office of Information and Public Relations Rector ’s office and made available to The Nigerian Observer listed punctuality neat appearance, self discipline good relationship with the public, integrity and rliability as some of the criteria for the award. Others, the release said included respect for constituted authority, loyalty, dedication to duties and special contribution to the Polytechnic and the country at large.
publication is an attempt to investigate Prof O.G. Oshodin or the management of UNIBEN on the pages of newspaper.” The group further pointed out that “the said publication is a diabolic attempt to divert the attention of UNIBEN
infrastructures which are the core administrative concerns of Prof O.G. Oshodin that has endeared him to President Goodluck Jonathan, the host states of Edo, Ondo, Delta and Anambra as well as the concerned public”.
BENIN CITY-The four day revival service of the New Benin Baptist Church New Benin, Benin City which commenced on Sunday May 4, 2014 to end tomorrow Wednesday May 7, 2014 The programme with the theme “Behold, my Extraordinary miracle” has Rev’d Wellington Jesurobo as host. The revivalist, Bishop Emmanuel Ufuah in his sermon told the congregation that irrespective of the tide in their affairs, God has come to give them extra ordinary miracles. Drawing reference from the
story of Naaman, the Syrian Captain who through a great warrior and a man of valour was a leper whom God did extra-ordinary miracle in his life when he harkened to Elisha instruction to bath in River Jordan and was cleaned of his leprosy status. Drawing another inference from the shunamite woman who was a wife to a rich man but was barren until God gave her a son in an extra ordinary way. The Minster therefore asked the cogregation to trust in God and obey His words so that they could be partakers of Gods extra-ordinary miracles.
Head of Political, EU, Mr. Henry Prankerd (left), and Head of the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Michel Arrion at a media chat in Abuja yesterday.
OBSERVER Loses Another Staff
Kester Osazee Ogiesewu
BENIN CITY – Barely a week after the remains of the Abuja circulation officer of The Nigerian OBSERVER newspapers and a victim of the Nyanya Motor Park, Abuja bomb blast, Mrs. Macelina Omon Iyogun was laid to rest in Ekpoma, Edo State, the newspaper weekend lost another staff. He is Kester Osazee Ogiesewu, a Reporter I in the Editorial Department of the company who, until his death in the early hours of Sunday
May 4, 2014 works as a subeditor. Kester was admitted in an undisclosed hospital for an undisclosed illness and later discharged on Friday. He had performed his father’s burial ceremony on April 4 and 5, 2014. A consummate and hardworking man, Kester turned 46 years on April 24, 2014 having been born on April 24, 1968. He attended Eghosa Grammar School, Benin City
from 1979 – 1984 and later joined the services of Bendel Newspapers Company Limited (BNCL), publishers of the Observer titles on January 3, 2000 as Reporter Grade III. He rose through the ranks to the position of Reporter I, functioning, as sub-editor, a position, he held till he died. He is survived by aged mother, a son, sister and other relations. His remains has since been interred.
South-South Eket Residents Decry High Electricity Bills
L-R: Past President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Dipo Fashina; ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa and ASUU Abuja Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Suleiman Mohammed, at a news conference on the state of the nation in Abuja yesterday.
SME Key To N/Delta Development - Oteh YENAGOA- The DirectorGeneral of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh, said Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the development of the Niger Delta region. Oteh, who made the assertion in an interview newsmen in Yenagoa, said that SMEs had the potential to create jobs and attract bigger investments. The director-general explained that SMEs would transform the economy of the region by gradually growing small scale entrepreneurships into large scale ones. Oteh who was in Bayelsa for the 2014 International Conference on Small and Medium Scale Enterprise, applauded Bayelsa Government for using SMEs to drive its
developmental plans. “We are very excited that Governor Seriake Dickson has made small and medium scale enterprises a pillar for his restoration programme for Bayelsa. “We believe that given that 95 per cent of the world’s population is driven by SMEs, the problems of the country’s income distribution and unemployment can be addressed same way. “It is very heartwarming that Bayelsa government has devoted its energy to growing small scale investments; it has focused on a very important aspect of the nation’s economy,” she said. Oteh said the ecosystem approach which focused on providing finance through the SME development fund and skills development partnership
was a recipe for transforming the region. She said that with business support services to SMEs, Bayelsa had the potential to become Nigeria’s Silicon Valley. “Bayelsa has the ecosystem to become Africa’s Dubai, given the strategy that the state government has adopted. “We feel that this should be emulated across the Niger Delta region and indeed across the nation,” she said She said that job creation through SMEs would engender economic growth and development. “If we must have inclusive growth, we have to meet our challenge of unemployment by job creation. “If we want economic inclusion with the rest of the world, the only
CALABAR- The immediatepast Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Cross River, Mr Njom Nyambi, has described the conditions of pensioners in the state as poor and alarming. Nyambi made this known while speaking on the plight of pensioners in an interview with newsmen in Calabar. He said that before he retired, he used to think that complaints by pensioners were being exaggerated but now he knew better as a retiree, yet to get his gratuity. “I told the Governor during the 2014 May Day celebration that I have not been paid my gratuity. “It is unfortunate that after working for 35 years for government, one finds himself in such a situation,’’ Nyambi said. He urged those in positions of authority to do something to change the situation. “We know that those in government are Politicians; they should know that retirees are supposed to be treated well,” Nyambi said. The labour leader advised those
still in service to prepare well for retirement, adding that life outside was difficult. “I want them not to think that there is still time. When you say there is still time in the civil service, you may well end up not
getting anything. “As a civil servant, whatever you get, eat and keep something for the rainy day, because when you retire, it may be very difficult to eat and keep yourself and your family,‘’ Nyambi added.
way to do it is to support small and medium enterprises. “Nigerians are hard working and enterprising. What is needed is for Nigerians to realise their potential to change their fortune,” she said.
EKET (AKWA IBOM)- The residents of Eket, Akwa Ibom State, have decried what they alleged as exorbitant electricity bills they received from the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED). The residents laid their complaints in an interview with newsmen in Eket. Mr Samuel Amos, a businessman in Eket, alleged that the consumers were not getting commensurate services from the company. Another resident, Mr Uko Emmanuel, observed that since the handing over of the power sector to the privately owned companies, there had not been noticeable improvement in power supply. Mr Etorobong Inyang, a journalist, said six month into privatisation of the power sector, electricity consumers had yet to witness the much anticipated improvement in the sector. “Unfortunately the new owners including the PHED are not showing that they are
private companies in the way they are handling the power sector. “They have not improved power infrastructure in their areas of operation; we still have dilapidated transformers, system failures and corruption in the way bills are given to consumers,’’ he said. He called on the National Electricity Regulation Company to monitor and regulate the performances of the power companies to ensure efficiency. But Mr Mandu Reginald, the Uyo Unit Manager of PHED, said the challenges faced by the consumers were being addressed. Reginal said that since he assumed duty in the area, he had been working to ensure that customers were supplied with meters. “I want to assure my customers that they will get satisfactory services; without the customers we won’t be in business; so I am pleading with everyone to be patient,’’ he said.
Ex-Labour Leader Laments Condition Of Pensioners
Illegally refined diesel in Gbekbo Community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta yesterday.
Bayelsa Residents Commend Establishment Of Drug Distribution Centre
YENAGOA- Some residents of Bayelsa state have commended the state government for establishing a central drug distribution centre in the state. The residents who spoke with newsmen in Yenagoa said the centre would ensure the supply of genuine drugs. They also called for strict enforcement of drug laws to curtail the menace of fake drugs in the country. Mr Ebimo Clement, a civil servant, said that the establishment of the centre had led to a new dawn in the state
government’s healthcare programme. Clement said that the measure would improve health services in Bayelsa. “I heard that the centre will serve as a distribution centre for sellers; I urge the government to sustain the initiative. “We are happy because the involvement of government in distribution of drugs will guarantee the supply of sufficient and genuine drugs,” Clement said.
Mrs Jennet Depriye, a teacher, said that the establishment of the central drug distribution centre would benefit the people, especially the poor masses. Depriye said that it would enable poor residents to have access to cheap and genuine drugs. “The drugs will be cheaper than they would have been if they were sourced directly from the open market. “I know that the centre will
not only help to checkmate supply of fake drugs in Bayelsa but will contribute immensely to quality health services. “The state government should try to employ professional healthcare personnel in the management of the centre,” she said. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Ayibatonye Owei, said the centre would commence distribution of drugs by the end of the month.
“The centre will serve as a checkpoint for every drug that comes into the state; it will also serve as a point of distribution to retail and wholesale drug dealers. “The centre will receive drugs directly from the manufacturers all over the globe. This will really go a long way in the fight against fake drugs in the state,” he said. Owei also said that the state would soon commence the registration of pharmacies and chemists in the state in line with its campaign against fake drugs.
South-West Apply FOI With Sense, Don Urges Journalists
L-R: Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Mr. Sagir Saleh; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III and Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State during the Oba’s visit to the governor in Bauchi yesterday.
IBADAN- A Senior Lecturer at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Mr. Kolawole Olomide, urged journalists to apply the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act with a sense of responsibility. Olomide gave the advice at a forum organised in Ibadan by the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to mark the 2014 World Press Freedom Day. He said journalists should, as the world marked the Press Freedom Day, be aware that freedom could not be separated from responsibility. “While on one hand journalists demand for freedom of information, they should also be responsible with such information.
Association To Hold Lecture On Good Governance
IBADAN- The Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates’ Association says the theme of its 10th annual public lecture will centre on good governance. A statement issued by the association in Ibadan said the lecture would be the contribution of the association to the ongoing national discourse on good governance. It said the lecture, entitled: “Islam and Good G o v e r n a n c e — N i g e r i a ’s Legislative Agenda’’, would hold on May 10 at the Oduduwa Hall of the university. Signed by its National President, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, the statement said the Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, would deliver the lecture. It said Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, SecretaryGeneral, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, would be the special guest of honour and chairman of the lecture respectively. It said further that the lecture would be a part of the three-day national re-union of the association between May 9 and May 11. The statement stressed that the re-union would feature the awards of scholarships to 50 students of the Obafemi Awolowo University in addition to the previous 204 students who had been
awarded similar scholarships. It noted that N13.7 million would be spent on the scholarship awards by the
association to the 254 students. “The re-union will feature empowerment programme for
the graduating students, family retreat, novelty match and facility tour of the central mosque of the university
under construction, among others,’’ it said. According to the statement, more than 200 delegates are expected to attend the reunion from all the chapters of the association.
“The gathering, processing and disseminating of news items must be professionally handled in the sense that truthful accounts of events must be presented and not just criticisms,’’ Olomide, who is of the polytechnic’s Department of Mass Communication, said. He, however, praised the Nigerian media on its development in spite of the challenging environment. Some individuals were conferred with awards at the occasion by the Oyo State NUJ. Mr. Bamidele Samson, an architect and Chairman of Bovas and Company Limited, was inaugurated as the Patron of the Oyo State NUJ. Both Mr. Bamidele Dada, a former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Mr. Akin Alabi, a publisher, received the Media-Friendly Awards. The forum, chaired by Mr. Lekan Alabi, the Oota of Ibadanland, was attended by journalists and family members of the awardees.
NUT Commends Gov For Elevating Principals
ADO-EKITI- The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), in Ekiti State yesterday commended Governor Kayode Fayemi for the recent elevation of some secondary school principals to Grade Level 17. This is contained in a letter to the governor signed by state Chairman and Secretary of NUT, Mr Kayode Akosile and Mr Ola Idris respectively, and a copy given to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti. The letter described the gesture as a “clear testimony that the welfare and well-being of teachers are paramount to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III (6th left), Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State (10th right) and State Government.’’ According to the statement, the others during the Oba’s visit to the governor in Bauchi yesterday. governor’s gesture will spur teachers to continue to put in their best in the collective efforts to improve the standard of ADO-EKITI- The Ewi of education in the state. Fayose is the Peoples candidates of all political parties, blessings. Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, Democratic Party (PDP) including Fayose, to be peaceful Fayose praised the Ewi for It also pledged continued has said that the relationship governorship candidate for the in their campaigns, so as not to being magnanimous in forgiving support for government’s between him and a former Ekiti 2014 gubernatorial election in throw the state into violence. him his wrong doings of the past, programmes and policies geared State governor, Mr Ayodele Ekiti. “We do not want fighting, adding that he was now a better toward uplifting the standard of Fayose, was cordial. The traditional ruler noted that violence and killing in Ekiti State, person, more responsible, mature education in the state. Adejugbe made this known he was not thinking or talking what we want is peace and and responsive. The NUT, however, drew the when he received Fayose, who about the past, adding that the progress”, the Oba said. The governorship candidate governor’s attention to the plight was on a campaign tour of Ado past had gone with its Earlier, Fayose told the Oba promised never to allow anybody of graduate teachers in primary Local Government Area, in his inadequacies. that he was in his palace to pay to stand between him and the Ewi schools that are also looking unto palace at Ado-Ekiti. government for their elevation. He, however, enjoined homage, as well as seek his royal again.
Monarch Denies Conflict With Fayose
Lagos Adopt UNESCO Recommendation, NUJ Urges FG Education Budget:
LAGOS (LAGOS STATE)The Lagos State chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has urged the Federal Government to start allocating 26 per cent of national budget to education in line with UNESCO’s recommendation. Chairman of the union in the state, Mr Segun Raheem, made
the call during interview with newsmen in Lagos. Raheem said the call had become imperative in order to improve the standard of education in the country. He also called on the government to “invest on teachers’’ as recommended by the National Economic Summit.
NCAA Summons Arik Air
IKEJA- The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has summoned the management of Arik Air to an urgent meeting over the delay of more than 14 hours of Flight W3 077 (FNA/ BJL). This is contained in a statement made available to aviation correspondents on Sunday in Lagos. The statement reads: This meeting is consequent upon several complaints received by the Directorate of Consumer Protection (DCP) of the NCAA from passengers, who were scheduled for Arik Air ’s combined service to Freetown and Banjul on May 2. “The Flight scheduled for 8.00hrs was delayed till 21: 35hrs, with an announcement that the flight was delayed due to operational reasons.’’ It said that at that stage, the NCAA’s Consumer Protection Officers, who were on hand to intervene and caused the airline to serve the passengers light
refreshment. The statement said that when it became clear that the flight would not depart at 21:35hrs, the passengers who had become enraged took over the Boarding Gates. It noted that the action thereby prevented the commencement of boarding of another Arik Air service Flight W3 103 to Johannesburg. The statement also said that NCAA’ s DCP officers had a hard time restoring order before Flight W3 077 (FNA/BJL) eventually departed at 23:46hrs. “Another Arik Flight W3 792 scheduled service from Ibadan to Abuja was similarly delayed at Ibadan Airport on May 3,” the statement said. It alleged that the Arik Air officials said calls were earlier put across to all passengers on the service to inform them of the rescheduled time of departure, a claim hotly disputed by the passengers.
He said that its implementation would improve the standard of education and end incessant strikes. “If we improve on teachers’ welfare and the ratio of teachers to pupils put at 40-1 in a class, the rate of assimilation will improve and teachers encouraged to discharged their duties”, Raheem said. The NUT Chairman commended the government for the prompt payment of teachers’ salaries. He, however, pleaded with the Lagos State Government to pay the 2012 arrears of the 11 per cent of the Teachers’ Specific Allowance and urged teachers to be dedicated to their duties. The federal government allocated N493.45 billion or 10.69 per cent of the N4.69 trillion 2014 budget to education.
Gov Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State (left), in a handshake with the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education, Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, at an Advocacy meeting on the Promotion of Girl-Child Education among the Nomads in Northen Nigeria in Kaduna yesterday. With them is the representative of Minister of Education, Dr. Olu Ayemoh (2nd right).
Comply with Licensing Law, Assoc Tells Hotel Owners
LAGOS- The Hotel and Personal Services Employers Association of Nigeria (HOPESEA) has appealed to hotel owners to comply with the Lagos State Hotel Licensing Law for the security of lives and property. The association’s president, Mr
Particiipants at an advocacy meeting on the promotion of Girl Child Education among the Nomads in Northern Nigeria in Kaduna yesterday.
Samuel Alabi, told newsmen in Lagos that the law was a necessity in the light of existing security challenges across the country. “This law will give operators the guidelines on how to operate their business successfully in keeping with the saying that ‘where there is no law, there is no offence’,” Alabi said. Reports state that the Lagos State Hotels Licensing Authority (LSHLA) on Sept. 23, 2013 gave a notice to tourism establishments in the state to register under the provisions of the State Hotel Licensing Law 2003. Alabi said that the Lagos State Government should take legal action against establishments that failed to register with the authority. “It is mandatory that all hospitality and tourism establishments operating within Lagos State get registered. “The exercise will provide a database for planning, marketing and research. “The Lagos State Hotel Licensing Law will help to sanitise the hospitality and tourism industry,” he explained.
Chinese Premier To Visit Nigeria LAGOSChinese Premier, Li Keqiang, will today, May 6, commence visits to Nigeria, Ethiopia, Angola and Kenya. Li, who disclosed the planned visits in a statement made available to newsmen by the Chinese ConsulateGeneral in Lagos, said the visits would be his first to Africa since his assumption of office. The Chinese premier said that he would spend two days in Nigeria before going to Ethiopia, Angola and
Kenya. “In a few days, I will pay an official visit to Ethiopia and the Headquarters of the African Union (AU), Nigeria, Angola and Kenya. “This is the first time I will be setting foot on Africa as Premier of China’s State Council, and it is my first foreign visit this year. “I believe this visits will be one of cooperation and solidarity on the basis of our past traditions. “I will tread the path of friendship previously paved
by the older generation of Chinese and African leaders,’’ he said. The Chinese premier expressed optimism that the visits would strengthen the existing China and Africa relations. Li said that the visits would give him the opportunity to hold fruitful discussions with the countries’ Presidents on China’s new planned areas of strengthening bilateral ties with them. The Premier added that he
would also be addressing the AU on his country’s approach to and position on advancing China-Africa relations. “I hope that through my visits, the 1 billion Africans will better understand that the 1.3 billion Chinese people are always their sincere friends and reliable partners,’’ he said. Li said that the visits would also give him the opportunity to meet with Chinese nationals and companies in the countries to be visited.
Alabi said that such registration would make Lagos State the preferred destination for tourism, business and leisure in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. “Hotel registration will provide accurate information to prospective clients on the quality of facilities available in every hotel and security,” he said. He decried the multiple taxes and charges imposed on hotel proprietors, saying that it had adverse effect on their operations. Alabi said that the charges by federal, state and local governments could destabilise
many operators. The president listed the taxes as consumption tax, value added tax, company income tax, withholding tax, health certificate, and waste operation permit. He said that hotel operators were facing “daunting challenges” and that the association was losing members to harsh economic environment. Alabi urged the relevant authorities to reverse the trend, explaining that multiple taxes had contributed to the increase in hotel charges.
Lawmaker Advocates LG Autonomy LAGOS- A Lagos Lawmaker, Hon. Muyiwa Jimoh, representing Apapa constituency, has advocated for Local Government autonomy. He made the advocacy during his interaction with Lagos Assembly correspondents at press centre Lagos State House of Assembly. He remarked, ‘‘Local government autonomy is an advantage to achieve true federalism’’. Hon Jimoh, who is also vice chairman of the House committee on local Government and Chieftaincy affairs, explained that local government autonomy would put local councils into the hands of federal government where council officials would report directly to federal
government instead to state government. He cited Heathrow Airport as an instance of property controlled by local government in London. Hon. Jimoh stated, ‘‘I want local government to be financially independent and generate money’’. Speaking on challenges of his local government area, Hon. Jimoh said the challenges are that many young people are unemployed. He therefore appealed to different stakeholders to accommodate youths and employ them, noting that local governments are incapacitated by the little fund they receive from federal government. Local people expect more from local government and their representatives within a short time.
Across The Nation Compol Warns Officers Against Corruption, Indiscipline ONITSHA (ANAMBRA)The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Mr. Usman Gwari, has warned police officers and men against corruption and indiscipline. Speaking at the Fegge Police Division in Onitsha South Local Government Area, Gwari warned the officers and men that they would not be spared in the event of any act of indiscipline. “The command will not condone any act of indiscipline, especially as it bothers on collecting money to bail any suspect. “Once you are caught collecting money for bail you are as good as sacked. “You should desist from service to self and maintain a good reputation. I will not tolerate indecency and indiscipline in the course of your duty,’’ he said. He said that four policemen had been dismissed for collecting money for the bail of suspects while two others were facing orderly room trial in Anambra. The commissioner urged members of the public to report any policeman who collected money to the command with clear evidence. Earlier, the Divisional Police Officer, Mr Rabiu Garba, expressed satisfaction that through proactive measures the command had succeeded in reducing crime. “Due to the commercial nature of the division, all manner of people are attracted here and this makes the area volatile. “But our proactive measures like extensive patrols and intelligence gathering have made the area relatively crimefree,’’ Garba said.
P l a t e a u Commissioner for Information, Mrs Olivia Dazyam ( s t a n d i n g ) , addressing staff of Plateau, Printing and Publishing C o m p a n y , publishers of Nigeria Standard Newspaper during her visit to the company yesterday. With her are: P e r m a n e n t Secretary, Ministry of Information, Mr. Emmanuel God win (left) and the new i n t e r i m administrator of the publishing company, Mrs. Yankat Wannang.
Cross-section of staff of Plateau, Printing and Publishing Company, publishers of Nigeria Standard Newspaper during the visit of the Plateau Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Olivia Dazyam to the company yesterday.
GURE (KWARA)-A former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Kawu Baraje, has urged Nigerians to engage in activities that promote peace and foster unity. Baraje, who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said in a message to the 13th Gure Day celebration in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara that peace was necessary for development. Represented by Rep. Rafiu Ibrahim of the Ifelodun/Offa/ Oyun Federal Constituency, he urged other communities in the area to emulate Gure in celebrating peace and unity among their people. In his address, the Chairman of the Gure Descendants’ Union, Alhaji Salihu Woru, stressed the need for the people to contribute to the progress of the community. Woru advised the people to see education as a treasure, hence the need to strive hard to attain quality education. “Everybody should work hard and identify with a means of livelihood; identify with something that will impact on your community, the state and the country at large. “We are not unaware of the spate of insecurity in the country. It is now pertinent for everyone to be security alert and endeavour to report any suspicious movement to security agencies,” he said. He also preached against violence in the forthcoming general elections, saying that the electoral exercise should not be taken as a do-or-die election. Woru, however, lauded the recent centenary celebration in the country and called on the delegates to the national conference to discuss what would take the country to the next level.
NAWOJ Presidential Aspirant Pledges Assistance To Members
ILORIN- Mrs. Ifeyinwa Omowole, an aspirant in the forthcoming National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) elections, in Ilorin pledged to provide the platform for members to excel. Omowole, who is aspiring to
the association’s National President’s position, made the pledge while briefing members of NAWOJ in Ilorin. “Our association, which was
basically set up to empower women journalists, has unfortunately lost its course. “Due to the edge male
explosion in Nyanya, a suburb of the FCT, which claimed more lives, showed that the nation was under attack. He called on President Goodluck Jonathan to mobilise stakeholders in the country, irrespective of political affiliations, to tackle the challenges thrown by the Boko Haram insurgency.
The governor said that the delegates should begin to ask some fundamental questions on the nation’s security with the aim of proffering answers. He said the Boko Haram menace should not be politised but be seen as a national scourge that demanded all hands to be on deck. Okorocha said this was not
Haram problem was more serious than Nigerians anticipated, adding that it should be confronted headlong. “Nigerians of goodwill should come together to fight the Boko Haram insurgency because it has become an ill-wind that blows no one any good,” he said.
Face Security Issues, Okorocha time to apportion blame Advises Confab Delegates theonHeanybody or group. explained that the Boko
OWERRI- Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has called on delegates at the national conference to concentrate on matters that will improve the country’s security challenges. Okorocha made the call in a statement from his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, in Owerri . He said the second
Embrace Peace, Baraje Urges Nigerians
journalists have the need for women to form their organisation so as to provide equal opportunities for women arose. “But what we have now is not what we bargained for,’’ she said. Omowole, a one-time National Deputy President of NAWOJ, said the association had over the years lost track and had not become very relevant in the scheme of things. “I promise to bring back the former glory of this association,” she said. The aspirant promised to ensure that the association carried along all its members in its activities. She said, if elected, she would be particular about training and retraining of members. “We will also ensure skills acquisition in soap and beads making, tie and dye, among others, for members after retirement,’’ Omowole said. A Senior Editor with the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Omowole assured that her tenure would be an opportunity for her to ensure sisterhood among women journalists. “It will also be an avenue to foster better relationship and love among women in the country,’’ she said. The aspirant lamented the fact that an association like NAWOJ, after 25 years of existence, has no records of its activities and members. Also addressing the NAWOJ members, Mrs Salamatu Babatunde of the Kaduna State Council, urged members to vote for an aspirant who was ready to take the association to greater heights. Babatunde said the association had lost its former glory, alleging that it lost its partnership with John Hopkins University in the U.S. because of embezzlement by some members. She charged members to support Omowole to bring a positive change to the association.
Abuja Albinos Seek Release Of Chibok Girls
Chibok Abduction Saga: Falana Declines Appointment By JOSES SEDE ABUJA - Lagos Lawyer and human right activist Femi Falana has declined his appointment into recently announced Presidential Fact Finding Committee on the abducted chibok school girls in Borno state, North-East Nigeria. The retired Bigadier General Ibrahim Sabo led Committee is scheduled to be inaugurated this morning by President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Aso Rock Villa. Falana predicated his rejection to serve in the committee on the fact that committee of concerned Nigerians and parents of the kidnapped girls had already engaged him as their lawyer in the matter pending before a law court. Federal government in its effort to rescue over 200 girls of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State kidnapped by Boko Haram appointed Retired General Ibrahim A. Sabo as the Chairman of the fact finding committee. According to the list of committee members released by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, the Permanent Secretary (Special Services Office) OSGF will serve as secretary to the committee. The composition of the committee include: Barrister Femi Falana (SAN), who has declined to serve in the committee, Hajia Hawa Ibrahim, Hajia Fatima Kwaku, 2 representatives of National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), 2 representatives of the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (one whom shall be a female), 2 representatives of the National Parents Teachers Association, 2 representatives of the Nigeria Police, 2 representatives of the State Security Service and 2 representatives of the Nigerian Army. Others are 1 representative of the Federal Ministry of Information (who shall be the Committees’ Spokesperson), 1 representative of the Federal Ministry of Justice, 3representatives of Borno State Government (2 of whom, preferably, shall be women),2 representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, one representative of the United Nations, one representative of ECOWAS (who shall be a woman). The terms of reference of the committee according to Anyim include: To liaise with the Borno State Government and establish the circumstances leading to the School remaining open for boarding students when other schools were closed;
Residents of Trademore Estate in Abuja stranded due to a downpour yesterday.
Minister Lauds Nigerians For Donating Blood To Bomb Victims ABUJA- The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has commended Nigerians for the voluntary blood donation to the Nyanya bomb blast victims. Chukwu, and the Minister of State for Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, visited the victims on admission in the FCT. Chukwu also lauded the National Blood Transmission Services, for prompt response in giving blood to the victims, adding that other security personnel and the Red Cross Society did well too. “Nigerians really did well for responding to emergency like this, many people willingly presented themselves to donate blood for the victims. “I am also impressed at the level of care the patients are receiving at the various hospitals we have visited,’’ he said. He cited the need for
building of trauma centres as a necessity for emergency such as the bomb blast. He urged hospitals to upgrade their emergency unit and training of healthcare workers. The minister said the total number of victims who had injuries were 73, while 20 were dead. Also, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, expressed appreciation to all development partners who supported government to take care of the victims. He gave the assurance that government would ensure that the patients were well treated. “The issue of security is the responsibility of all citizens, therefore I urge Nigerians to be vigilant and security conscious,’’ he said. After checking the patients at
the Maitama and Nyanya General Hospital, Alhassan said the patients were responding well to treatment. Dr Abubakar Ahmadu, the Medical Director of the Asokoro General Hospital, said 27 injured victims were brought to the hospital with 11 dead. Ahmadu said the dead bodies were yet to be claimed by relatives, adding that those on
admission were responding to treatment. He said that the hospital had taken the responsibility to feed the victims three times a day. In his response, Mr Tayo Haastrup, the Head of Department, Management Information Service, National Hospital, Abuja, said nine victims were at the hospital with six dead bodies brought in.
ABUJA- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has called on all states, societies and individuals to actively defend press freedom as fundamental rights. This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs. Sylvia Iwuchukwu, UNESCO Assistant Programme Officer on Education, made available to
newsmen in Abuja. The statement said that the World Press Freedom Day was celebrated in more than 100 countries around the world every May 3. It said celebration was part of UNESCO’s activities to raise awareness on freedom of expression. It said that the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day is tagged: “Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the Post2015 Development Agenda’’. It said that defending the freedom of expression and press freedom was vital for human dignity, social progress and inclusive development. “This year, the international community has a once-in-ageneration opportunity to prepare a long-term agenda for sustainable development to succeed the Millennium Development Goals when they end in 2015. “Successfully implementing that agenda will require that all populations enjoy the fundamental rights of freedom of opinion and expression. “These rights are essential to democracy, transparency, accountability and the rule of law,’’ it said. It further called on member states to provide a platform through which journalist across the globe would be protected.
ABUJA- Mr. Jake Epelle, the founder of the Albino Foundation has appealed for the release of the abducted girls at Chibok, Borno. Epelle told newsmen in Abuja that President Goodluck Jonathan should deploy every resource and whatever it would cost the country to get the girls released. “Let us spend it, our security personnel are well trained, if they are properly empowered and equipped, they can handle the situation. “We strongly condemn this act; we will stand and ensure that there is peace and prosperity in this country. “The insecurity of the country is our insecurity; in fact, the vulnerable groups are always worst hit,’’ he said. He said that the foundation was using the opportunity to call on the government to tighten up their security strategy. “We need a proactive strategy measures such as good information management within the security agents. “They should be able to manage every information well because the result is the impact that we get. “The president should also address the security team and arm them with the necessary tools to discharge their functions and the earlier the better for us.’’ Epelle said.
Defend Press Freedom, UNESCO Urges States, Societies
Trademore Estate, Airport Road, in Abuja flooded due to a downpour yesterday.
“Journalism provides a platform for informed discussion across a wide range of development issues. “This issues ranges from environmental challenges and scientific progress to gender equality, youth engagement and peace building. “Only when journalists are at liberty to monitor, investigate and criticise policies and actions can good governance exist,’’ it said. The statement said that the current grave threats to press freedom around the world must be confronted. It said that the UN General Assembly had condemned all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers around the world. It, however, called on governments to act by condemning the killing of journalists while carrying out their duties. “In many countries journalists and other media workers face systematic obstacles to reporting the truth, ranging from censorship, arrest and imprisonment to intimidation, attacks and even assassination. “These outrageous abuses show that press freedom and the human rights it underpins are extremely fragile and must be actively defended.
Business + Economy Imo To Strengthen Partnership With IFAD OWERRIThe Imo government has said that it will strengthen its partnership with
Indonesia, Nigeria Trade Climb To N80.4bn
LAGOS - The Director of Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), Mr. Pontas Tobing, has announced a trade volume of $588.2 million (about N80.4 billion) between Nigeria and Indonesia in 2013. Pontas told newsmen in Lagos that trade between both countries increased by 31 per cent in 2013, from $448.6 million (about N71.8 billion) that was recorded in 2012. “Relationship between Indonesia and Nigeria dates back to the 1960s. Since then and until now, both countries’ bilateral and mutual relations have been waxing stronger. “In 2012, total non-oil and gas trade between Nigeria and Indonesia stood at $448.6 million (about N71.8 billion). “This is with the aim of increasing the figure by 31 per cent at the end of 2013, which eventually got to $588.2 million (about N80.4 billion),’’ he said. The ITPC director also said that the Indonesian Government was working hard at promoting and encouraging more investment in Nigeria. Pontas added that the government was also willing to create a conducive environment for Nigerians to invest in Indonesia. He said that there were presently over 15 active Indonesian companies “waxing stronger and stronger by the day” in Nigeria. Pontas said that his government had also established the Indonesian African Trade Association (IATA), to boost trade relations with Nigeria and other African countries. The director said that IATA was an initiative of some Indonesian businessmen and African entrepreneurs to promote trade between them. He expressed the ITPC’s commitment to boosting the development of the Nigerian nonoil and gas sector through market penetration, expansion, as well as promoting business relations between both countries.
the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to widen its reach in community based natural resources management. Addressing a delegation of the donor agency in Owerri the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr.
Eze Madumere, said the IFAD programme was in line with the state government’s Community Government Council whose main goal was to bring development to the rural areas. Madumere said the government stood to promote and
encourage programmes geared to empower the people and eradicate poverty in the society. He said the state government had laid more emphasis on even development in its 27 local government areas, adding that the
IFAD project would help to strengthen the effort to eradicate poverty. “This government has set up a community government council aimed at bringing its presence close to the communities. “We are happy that IFAD is here to augment what the government is already doing. “We will do everything possible to sustain this project in Imo State,” he said. Earlier, the Country Programme Manager of IFAD, Ms Atsuko Toda, told the deputy governor that the agency’s mission was to seek partnership with the state government. She said IFAD would play a major role in empowering the people, especially vulnerable youths. “The Imo government stands to
Kogi Approves N400m For Micro-Projects Participants at the 4th session of the Nigeria-Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Abuja yesterday.
ICHALA-AJODE (KOGI)The Kogi government has approved N400 million to fund micro-projects by its Community and Social Development Agency. Governor Idris Wada announced the approval at the inauguration of two blocks of
China Donates Air Conditioners To Bauchi BAUCHI- The Bauchi State Government has received a donation of 5,000 units of airconditioners from the Peoples’ Republic of China. A statement from the Permanent Secretary in the state
ministry of environment, Alhaji Hassan Jumba, in Bauchi said the donation followed a series of visits by state officials to China to establish cordial relationship with the country. He said the state was expecting
other technical aids from the country, including 100 tractors to boost agriculture. Jumba said that Governor Isa Yuguda had approved the allocation of the items to general hospitals, tertiary institutions, ministries, departments,
agencies, local government councils and traditional councils. He said the youth would be engaged in the installation of the items and urged the beneficiaries to use them judiciously.
Participants at the 4th session of the Nigeria-DPRK Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Abuja yesterday.
Stakeholders Urges Govt To Establish Special Micro-Finance Banks
LOKOJA- Participants at a small-holder women farmers town hall meeting called on the federal and state governments to establish special micro-finance banks for women farmers. The participants made the call at the end of the one-day meeting in Lokoja, saying it will enable them to access micro credits for seasonal cropping. They called on the governments to encourage other micro-finance institutions to
benefit a lot from this programme because it is community-based. “Since the government has started a community government programme, we will help to attract more projects to the state,” he said. She commended Governor Rochas Okorocha for embarking on infrastructural development in Imo which had gone a long way to alleviate the sufferings of the people. The National Programme Coordinator, Mrs Irene Ibeabazie, said the only way the programme would yield fruits in Imo was for the government to pay its counterpart fund. Ibeabazie urged the government to fulfill its part of the partnership, saying the IFAD will always work to alleviate poverty in Imo.
assist women farmers in view of their meagre resources and smallscale status. They argued that as a result of administrative bottlenecks, “the government credit or monetary assistance comes when the farmers are out of cropping season. “Farming is season-based and once you cannot access credit facilities at the right time, the objective of applying for it is defeated,’’ they said.
The stakeholders discussed the myriad of issues affecting women farmers in the country and Kogi in particular and called for increase in the number of redemption centres for the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) in the state. They called for realistic subsidy on seeds and fertiliser as well as enhancement of land redemption and ownership by women. Mr Victor Adejoh, the
Executive Director of Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change In Development, the organisers of the meeting, said it was aimed at closing the communication gap between the government and women farmers. He urged the government and individuals to change their attitude toward farming, saying: “If we do not want hunger to besiege our land, we must change our attitude and begin to see
farming from a brighter perspective.’’ Adejoh commended Gov. Idris Wada’s agricultural transformation agenda and said it should be translated into ‘’food on the table’’. “There is no better way to face death than facing hunger and family insecurity,” he said. The meeting was attended by delegates from the federal and Kogi ministries of agriculture and women affairs, women in agriculture, small-holder women farmers associations, NGOs and the civil society.
classrooms and a motorised solar-powered borehole in IchalaAjode village in Ibaji Local Government Area. The governor said the state government approved the money because the International Development Association (IDA) had stopped providing funds for the agency in 2014. “We have retained the status and structure of the agency for 2014. “We have been informed that there will be little or no IDA funding to such agencies in all the states of the federation. “We are therefore harnessing resources so that we commit at least N400 million to fund community projects,” he said. Wada commended the agency’s community development approach, saying it is a reliable instrument for the development of the rural areas where about 70% per cent of the people lived. The governor reiterated that the agency was vital to the state because rural dwellers had access to less than 20 per cent of the state resources. “This government strongly believes in the restoration of the dignity of man, which can only be achieved by stamping out the causes of poverty, disease and ignorance,” he said. Wada also promised to construct a road linking IchalaAjode with Echabi Junction from Idah-Onyedega road to ease the transportation challenges facing the community. Earlier, Mr James Odibla, the agency’s General Manager, said the World Bank had so far given it N1.2 billion to execute community development projects in the state. Odibla said the state government had paid N421.5 million as its counterpart funding and recently directed the payment of N1 million as the state’s contribution to the agency. He said the state government had also awarded a contract of N47.5 million for the construction of the agency’s secretariat. Odiba said that 260 microprojects had been approved and N751 million disbursed directly to the communities as of March. He added that 226 out of the 260 micro projects had been completed.
NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT YESTERDAY (05/0514) Stocks 7UP ABCTRANS ACCESS AFRINSURE AFRIPRUD AFROMEDIA AGLEVENT AIICO AIRSERVICE ALEX ALUMACO ARBICO ASHAKACEM ASOSAVINGS BECOPETRO BERGER BOCGAS CADBURY CAP CAPHOTEL CCNN CHAMPION CHAMS CHELLARAM CONTINSURE CORNERST COSTAIN COURTVILLE CUSTODYINS CUTIX CWG DAARCOMM DANGCEM DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR DIAMONDBNK DNMEYER DUNLOP EKOCORP ELLAHLAKES ETERNA ETI ETRANZACT EVANSMED FBNH FCMB FIDELITYBK FIDSON FIRSTALUM FLOURMILL FO FTNCOCOA GLAXOSMITH GNI GUARANTY GUINNESS HMARKINS HONYFLOUR IKEJAHOTEL INFINITY INTBREW INTENEGINS INTERLINK JAPAULOIL JBERGER JOHNHOLT JOSBREW LEARNAFRCA LIVESTOCK MANSARD MAYBAKER MBENEFIT MOBIL MORISON MRS MTI MULTITREX
Open 90 0.8 8.59 0.5 3 0.5 1.44 0.77 2.14 10.5 7.75 5.3 18.18 0.5 0.5 8.75 6.47 71.32 40.35 4.55 9.25 13.79 0.5 3.95 1.01 0.5 1.5 0.71 2.42 1.85 5.48 0.5 226 7.78 9.2 6.28 1.06 0.5 3.72 4.26 3.61 13 2.32 2.46 12.94 3.55 1.9 2.75 0.5 68.43 148.99 0.5 69.5 0.5 27.15 170.5 0.5 3.69 0.63 1.61 26 0.55 4.9 0.5 69.13 1.21 3.59 1.66 3.14 2.31 1.78 0.5 115 1.91 51.72 0.5 0.5
Close 90 0.83 9.01 0.5 2.91 0.5 1.5 0.79 2.14 10.5 7.75 5.3 18.75 0.5 0.5 8.75 6.47 71.32 40.35 4.55 9.05 13.79 0.5 3.95 0.96 0.5 1.43 0.71 2.52 1.77 5.48 0.5 226.51 7.78 9.16 6.25 1.06 0.5 3.72 4.26 3.61 12.81 2.32 2.46 13.03 3.5 1.9 2.62 0.51 68.5 148.99 0.5 69.5 0.5 26.8 175.2 0.5 3.66 0.63 1.61 25 0.53 4.9 0.5 69.4 1.21 3.59 1.66 3.14 2.2 1.78 0.5 115 1.91 51.72 0.5 0.5
Change 0 0.03 0.42 0 -0.09 0 0.06 0.02 0 0 0 0 0.57 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -0.2 0 0 0 -0.05 0 -0.07 0 0.1 -0.08 0 0 0.51 0 -0.04 -0.03 0 0 0 0 0 -0.19 0 0 0.09 -0.05 0 -0.13 0.01 0.07 0 0 0 0 -0.35 4.7 0 -0.03 0 0 -1 -0.02 0 0 0.27 0 0 0 0 -0.11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Deals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Units 8,000 925,966 10,894,493 500 1,461,405 5,000 196,814 1,499,606 43,800 200 90 130 836,588 15,000 100,000 14,198 2,650 163,785 107,409 100 339,429 20 1,406,667 92,257 2,146,000 667,850 979,236 5,050 14,774,117 634,472 3,500 30,000 360,578 96,213 1,628,671 2,771,403 7,343 29,837 11,486 500 1,500 3,216,515 100 2,600 24,829,650 8,999,338 5,628,566 147,716 234,700 320,707 17,913 75,000 116,993 1,500 7,635,610 268,301 1,500 840,938 122,650 500 702,845 92,000 50 173,900 256,405 14,636 500 241,846 24,030 80,000 68,714 51,000 45,819 1,633 5,128 22,000,000 1,683,495
Value 684,000.00 766,331.12 97,940,097.82 250 4,286,519.69 2,500.00 294,560.30 1,177,808.46 95,032.00 1,996.00 663.3 655.2 15,817,952.53 7,500.00 50,000.00 126,689.43 16,297.50 11,369,319.24 4,186,273.23 433 3,076,659.86 262.2 703,333.50 346,886.32 2,100,198.20 334,263.00 1,407,700.68 3,434.00 37,446,633.11 1,121,585.56 18,235.00 15,000.00 81,611,335.06 762,442.90 15,018,435.41 17,236,284.93 8,130.75 14,918.50 40,660.44 2,025.00 5,145.00 41,191,661.14 221 6,084.00 318,278,657.80 31,615,001.87 10,736,454.16 387,015.92 119,798.00 21,949,713.55 2,535,585.15 37,500.00 8,054,268.00 750 204,788,153.30 47,451,687.92 750 3,093,486.76 76,590.00 765 17,635,931.25 48,800.00 233 86,950.00 17,737,880.90 16,831.40 1,710.00 398,686.64 71,849.70 176,080.00 122,295.22 25,500.00 5,442,628.35 2,972.06 251,989.92 11,000,000.00 841,747.50
MULTIVERSE NAHCO NASCON NB NEIMETH NEM NESTLE NEWGOLD NIG-GERMAN NIGERINS NIWICABLE NNFM NPFMCRFBK NSE30 NSE50 NSEASEM NSEASI NSEBNK NSECNSMRGDS NSEINDUSTR NSEINS NSELOTUSISLM NSEOILGAS OANDO OASISINS OKOMUOIL OMATEK PORTPAINT PRESCO PRESTIGE PZ REDSTAREX REGALINS ROYALEX RTBRISCOE SCOA SEPLAT SKYEBANK SOVRENINS STACO STANBIC STDINSURE STERLNBANK TOTAL TOURIST TRANSCORP TRANSEXPR TRIPPLEG UAC-PROP UACN UBA UBCAP UBN UNIC UNIONDAC UNIONDICON UNITYBNK UNITYKAP UNIVINSURE UPDCREIT UPL UTC VETGRIF30 VITAFOAM WAPCO WAPIC WEMABANK ZENITHBANK
0.5 4.56 11.75 151 1.18 0.75 1072 1988 7.36 0.5 0.5 22.01 0.85 1744.39 1891.52 950.94 38572.2 397.11 956.75 2491.93 138.71 2694.95 314.98 15.9 0.57 33.5 0.5 4.2 39 0.6 36 4.16 0.5 0.62 1.14 5.06 630 3.5 0.5 0.5 23 0.5 2.18 153.14 4.08 3.59 2.13 1.97 24.52 55.25 6.98 2.14 10 0.5 0.5 14.11 0.5 0.5 0.5 11.02 3.8 0.53 17.5 4.3 108 0.72 0.98 22.7
0.5 4.7 11.46 149.41 1.18 0.75 1070 2019 7.36 0.5 0.5 22.01 0.85 1736.21 1882.3 950.94 38452.11 394.83 953.55 2497.57 136.52 2693.51 311.73 15.5 0.55 33.95 0.5 4.2 37.05 0.58 36 4.26 0.5 0.62 1.19 5.06 632.03 3.5 0.5 0.5 23 0.5 2.22 150 3.88 3.66 2.13 1.97 24.1 55.25 6.76 2.04 9.85 0.5 0.5 14.11 0.5 0.5 0.5 11.02 3.99 0.51 17.44 4.3 108 0.72 0.98 22.55
0 0.14 -0.29 -1.59 0 0 -2 31 0 0 0 0 0 -8.18 -9.22 0 -120.09 -2.28 -3.2 5.64 -2.19 -1.44 -3.25 -0.4 -0.02 0.45 0 0 -1.95 -0.02 0 0.1 0 0 0.05 0 2.03 0 0 0 0 0 0.04 -3.14 -0.2 0.07 0 0 -0.42 0 -0.22 -0.1 -0.15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.19 -0.02 -0.06 0 0 0 0 -0.15
TOP 10 GAINERS
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1,000 393,950 399,910 1,197,758 5,000 11,591,700 109,805 17 4,232 1,000 3,250 100 21,000 145,598,529 184,395,478 1,000 258,408,898 71,887,743 6,316,182 2,700,535 28,714,331 4,445,248 2,399,055 2,260,896 3,276,080 373,629 10,000 2,000 168,561 56,800 221,280 150,940 770,000 1,100 514,375 19,787 25,136 8,097,770 200 316,285 98,298 200 3,306,061 26,839 3,164,556 32,902,044 957 9,240 731,743 106,529 28,365,412 18,670,448 443,109 347,860 100,000 200 504,694 10,000 101,500 290 107,744 1,096,439 3,030 166,804 405,861 12,516,975 1,474,775 3,360,090
500 1,861,282.97 4,583,814.86 177,737,863.80 5,850.00 8,730,348.90 116,985,355.50 34,323.00 29,624.00 500 1,625.00 2,091.00 17,640.00 1,772,835,646.00 1,907,111,549.00 1,280.00 2,014,394,118.00 676,413,626.00 435,095,048.20 149,755,629.60 21,648,657.94 345,182,252.00 49,485,847.17 35,310,282.25 1,901,504.80 12,733,919.95 5,000.00 8,820.00 6,245,185.05 32,944.00 7,858,677.28 643,098.40 385,000.00 649 606,221.69 95,175.47 15,906,102.79 28,253,043.18 100 158,142.50 2,190,707.31 100 7,191,810.70 4,073,357.02 12,278,477.28 121,572,535.90 1,955.48 17,371.20 17,910,866.55 5,808,536.05 194,702,920.60 38,505,881.35 4,401,803.70 173,930.00 50,000.00 2,682.00 252,347.00 5,000.00 50,750.00 3,036.30 428,860.48 568,224.31 53,263.20 708,215.08 43,806,313.91 9,019,315.38 1,433,438.86 75,729,768.31
TOP TOP 10 10 LOSERS GAINERS
Stock
Close
Gain
Stock
Close
Loss
NEWGOLD NSEINDUSTR GUINNESS SEPLAT ASHAKACEM DANGCEM OKOMUOIL ACCESS JBERGER UPL
2019 2497.57 175.2 632.03 18.75 226.51 33.95 9.01 69.4 3.99
31 5.64 4.7 2.03 0.57 0.51 0.45 0.42 0.27 0.19
NSEASI 120.09 NSE50 NSE30 NSEOILGAS NSECNSMRGDS TOTAL NSEBNK NSEINS NESTLE PRESCO
38452.11
-
1882.3 1736.21 311.73 953.55 150 394.83 136.52 1070 37.05
-9.22 -8.18 -3.25 -3.2 -3.14 -2.28 -2.19 -2 -1.95
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. LITTLE wonder then that the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Mr. Peter Voser raised the red flag that security situation in Nigeria had worsened in the last two years. 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-billionairedollar 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.
THE NIGERIAN
Going Tough On Terror Groups 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 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. 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.
Issues Leadership Lessons Cutting Edge From Jesus Christ LEADERSHIP is servant hood. Observance of this truth keeps your motives pure and protects you from ambition. It also makes you like Jesus – John C. Maxwells Easter has come and gone with all the fanfare that accompanied it. This year’s celebration of the exemplary life, glorious death and victorious resurrection of the God-man, Jesus Christ, the “Redeemer” of mankind, was, as usual, marked by elaborate church services across the world. For a man whose life and works while on this earthly plain continues to define the currents of the present age thousands of years since his physical demise, this year’s festivities were sincere expressions of man’s gratitude to his creator for sending His only begotten to save him from the consequences of sin: eternal – spiritual, relational and physical - death in all its ramifications. However, in the midst of all the razzmatazz accompanying the marking of the life of this colossus, the leadership lessons that can be drawn from His exemplary conduct while on His earthly missionshould be of prime importance forcontemporary leaders in all ramifications of human endeavour. This piece is not a biographical account of Christ’s life from the cradle to the cross. It is not an attempt to correct or counter the differing views that have been expressed from several quarters about this man and His stewardship as the “good shepherd” while on earth. Rather than engage in any lyrical sounding off, this piece succinctly examines some of the leadership qualities of Christ, juxtaposing them with those of contemporary leaders secular and religious -and suggesting how present-day leaders can draw from the
outstanding examples set by this Giant – lessons in selfless, transparent and accountable stewardship. The First leadership attribute that can be gleaned from the glittering life of Jesus Christ was that of blazing faith, which was the chief cornerstone of His ministry (Mark 11: 2224).He was a man with an iron cast faith habitude; a man who was selfmotivated to succeed in the divine task he had been mandated and born to carry out. At the age of thirty, when he kicked off His ministry, He never looked back until all His programs had been executed to the letter. JC was a man with a large dose of belief in His earthly mission; a man who was ready to go the whole hog in the formidable task of reaching out to the lost souls with the message of salvation for the wayward sheep of God’s flock; a man with fire burning in His bones. Without belief nothing worthwhile can be achieved. All great feats are achieved by people with positive mindsets. Nothing can stop people of great faith from reaching their goals. JC, during His earthly ministry, consistently demonstrated that great feats that can be performed with the right mental attitude. Both in His spiritual and everyday existence, Christ demonstrated His mastery of the principles of faith, never wavering from the task before Him, even in the face of the formidable opposition – both from the kingdom of darkness and the power-hungry ecclesiastical establishment – he had to contend with. Buoyed by His conviction of the sacredness of His mission, JC pressed on towards His mark, regardless of the
With Obuseh Jude
intransigencies of these distractive forces. Modern-day leaders should take a cue from JC by developing ironcastcommitments to succeed in any office they are called to man. Like Christ, they must be driven by obsessive inclinations to thrive and succeed in any station they are privileged to occupy. As arrowheadsbearing the standards of their organizations, they must detest failure with smoldering passion.They
faith, which was consistently exhibited by JC, was smoldering passion for the gospel.For any venture to succeed, thrive and grow, the driver must put it before every other consideration. Christ lived, ate, slept, worked, walked, talked and
must develop indefatigable resolve to overcome all obstacles standing in their paths;must see themselves as trailblazers who should talk, think, envision and live success; goal-getters with unquenchable commitment to excellence; movers and shakers of mountains with unyielding mindsets. Another quality related to
dreamt the gospel. It was His center of gravity around which every other activity revolved. Just like an athlete who goes the extra mile in training for an event with the hope of setting or breaking world records, Christ went the whole hog in ensuring the success of His ministry. He became the very best because he wasn’t average in
GSM: 08033510173
“Without belief nothing worthwhile can be achieved. All great feats are achieved by people with positive mindsets. Nothing can stop people of great faith from reaching their goals.”
His commitment. Lack of passion and enthusiasm on the part of leaders is one of the major causes of leadership failure. Most leaders, especially those in this path of the world, lack the unflinching
commitment that is required to succeed in office. They are too busy doing so many other things, rather than concentrating on the requirements of their offices; they have their hands in so many pies, rather than in one, at the same time. These distractions are responsible for the leadership deficits that are strewn all over the place today. Zeal -a fervor consistently demonstrated by Jesus (John 13:4-8) - is a very crucial ingredient of good leadership. Boldness is another leadership quality admirably demonstrated by JC, a nononsense leader who stood up to the obduracy of the priestly order of the times; a
man who openly carpeted the sacrilegious hypocrisies of the charlatans misleading the people; a man who stood toe to toe with the rabble rousers and trouble-courters who were averse to change. On commencing His ministry, Christ had to contend with many Goliaths; the itinerant Philistine giants who continually threatened the success of His ministry; had to constantly slug it out with a bunch of religious oligarchs who were committed to preventing the spread of the truth that would set mankind free from the wages of sin. Unlike some contemporary leaders, who chicken out in the face of challenges, Christ was a born warrior, who was ready to do battle with the most deadly foes; a fearless Spartan trained in the art of warfare; a well-rounded fighting machine who was ready to take as much as he could dish out to His detractors; a soldier-hero in words and in deeds.Modern-day leaders must endeavor to develop Christ-like boldness; warrior spirits who can stand up to be counted. Again, JC was an honourable man who practiced what he preached. Unlike most modern-day leaders who engage in a lot of double speak - with intent to deceive their followers Christ never spoke from both sides of His mouth. He acted out all the heavenly virtues – love, tolerance, empathy, charity, forgiveness, faith etc. - He constantly ministered to the flock, never subtracting nor adding to the truth as stated in the scriptures. He was a man with high moral standards, unlike some of today’s leaders who will intentionally lie to their people without blinking; propaganda masters who say one thing but do something else; masters of misdirection without shame; specialists in Continues on page 15
Nutritional Health And Dietetics
With
O.C. Stroke And What To Do Madu
ALMOST anything can happen when a person suffers a stroke. The whole side of the body may become paralyzed. This condition often comes on during the night without the patient even being aware of it. He awakens in the morning and finds he cannot move one of his legs or move one of his arms. His face may be paralyzed on one side. His mind may be perfectly clear, but he may not be able to speak. If he may speak, he may use the wrong, words. If another part of his brain is affected, he may be confused and not know who he is or where he is. He may be come unconscious and his breathing is perhaps a little deeper than normal. Usually, he is not in pain (Charles, 2000). Such a situation might develop suddenly during the day time. On the other hand, it may be a very slow process, beginning with weakness and numberness in the face, hand or foot. This may gradually spread during the next few hours, until one whole side of the body is involved. If he is a right-handed person and the thrombosis occurs on the left side of the brain, he may not be able to speak clearly or recall anything about himself. If the occlusion is due to an embolus or if the vessel has ruptured, resulting in bleeding into the brain tissue, the symptoms are likely to be more severe. There may be headache, vomiting, paralysis and loss of consciousness. Victims of thrombosis or embolism usually survive. But a brain hemorrhage may lead to death in a relatively short time. Much depends on which part of the brain is involved. The patient may not be able to see more than half of the normal visual field. If the arm and leg are not paralyzed, their movements may be awkward and poorly controlled. This condition is known as ataxia (Ezeh, 2000). If the patient manages to survive the acute attack, some improvement can always be expected in that part of the
body. As the swelling in the brain subsides, blood flows in from collateral channels, and the affected part. Considerable effort may be required to re-educate the muscles so that they will be able to carry on. In some cases the recovery may be practically complete. But because of disease conditions in the heart and major blood vessels, the patient is likely to have other disturbances in the blood supply to his brain. One stroke may lead to another, unless the patient is under proper care. Small strokes – many patients suffer from small strokes that are more or less temporary in their effects. Even younger people may have them. Sometimes, they are a warning of more serious conditions to come. At least, they deserve a full examination, to rule out less common conditions that could lead to more serious consequences. A person may notice he has some weakness in his wrist or fingers or perhaps a numbness and lack of feeling on one side of his face. In this case, there might have been thickness and slurring of speech for an hour or two prior to the beginning of the stroke. Such warning signs must not be ignored. The use of proper treatment at this time might help avoid a much more serious situation later. Strange things happen to people at times. A woman may be hanging curtains when she suddenly falls and bumps her head. Those around are naturally more concerned with the bump, not realizing that a small stroke could have been responsible for her fall. In all cases, a doctor should be called. A stroke can come in two major forms (1) A blood clot in a blood vessel in the brain which reduces or stops blood flow to parts of the brain (2) An haemorrhage or bleeding in brain tissue. When blood flows to the brain, cells can die or become damaged from lack of
oxygen. Brain cells can also, be damaged if bleeding occurs in or around the brain. The resulting neurologic problems are called cereborvascular disorders, because of the brain (cerebrum) and blood vessel vascular involvement. The risk of a repeated stroke, which is more likely to be disabling or fatal than a first stroke, remains high long after the first episode, unless, major lifestyle and dietary changes are undertaken. Risk and prognosis – stroke patients have a significantly
fish that’s being broiled or baked appears to have lower stroke risk, but frying the catch of the day may increase it. Investigators found that people aged 65 and old who ordered frequently servings of tuna or other types of broiled or baked fish were up to 30 percent less likely than people who ate fish less than one per month to experience a stroke over a 12 years period. It stroke that robbed as woman of her dreams, may help pin point where and how dreams are born in the brain.
higher risk of fracturing a hip or thigh than people who have not had a stroke. One in four people who have a stroke will likely die within one year. From any cause and about one in ten will have another one soon. The risks are higher for African – Americans compared to whites and increases with age and the number of other aliments. A stroke patient has neurological stroke, research studies show that high fat and high sodium diets are both risk factors for stroke. For seniors, eating tuna or
Scientists found that the stroke had damaged areas deep in the back half of the brain, which is involved in the visual processing of faces and land-marks. Writing in the Annals of Neurology, they said the finding suggests that this area was crucial for dreams. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with an increased risk of severe stroke. The results of individual traits have produced inconsistent results explain Dr. S. Philip and Laura J. Gray of the University of Nottingham,
“A western diet rich in red meat, white flour and sugar increases the risk. Those with high intake of fibre have a reduced risk. Try to reduce your body weight if you are overweight. Excess weight increases stroke risk and the heavier a person is, the greater their risk.”
GSM: 08056379608 UK in the British Medical Journal Eating dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure, boost normal responses to insulin to keep blood sugar level down and improved blood vessel. Have a healthy diet, increase intake of fruits, vegetables, fish and certain herbs such as garlic. Eating oranges and
attack or stroke. While taking the pill, however, the risk is reduced or disappears after discontinuation. Reduce stress as much as possible. Any type of stress including job stress, can make it more likely. Reduce the use of NSA IDs, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. More evidence that fish consumption reduces the
other citrus fruits may help reduce stroke risk, perhaps due to compound called flavonone. A western diet rich in red meat, white flour and sugar increases the risk. Those with high intake of fibre have a reduced risk. Try to reduce your body weight if you are overweight. Excess weight increases stroke risk and the heavier a person is, the greater their risk. Eating too much before going to sleep also raises the risk. Reduce hypertension naturally. Reduce cholesterol level with diet and supplements. Reduce or eliminate smoking. Reduce alcohol intake. Aspirin is a much more cost effective way to treat patients at risk of having a second heart attack or stroke than the new drug. Contraceptives are at an increased risk for a heart
chances of having a stroke comes from an analysis of results from several large studies. In fact, the findings suggest that the incidence of Is chemic stroke (mini stroke) might be significantly reduced by consuming fish as seldom as 1 to 3 times per months, Ischemic stroke refers to a blockage of blood supply to the brain, as opposed to hemorrhageic stroke, which is caused by bleeding in the brain. Stroke prevention – stroke is one of the feared conditions in old age and fortunately much can be done to reduce the risk, for once, how a food is prepared can make a difference. There are so-many herbs for paralysis, discuss with your doctor before making any changes to your regimen. For counseling, the writter will be of help to you.
...Lessons From Jesus Cutting Edge Christ Continued from page 13
the art of deception; dishonourable tricksters without conscience, who, unlike Christ, have very low moral standards; completely undisciplined individuals who developa proclivity for compromising the truth. Unlike Christ, these individuals betray public trust and are never accountable for their conduct;shady characters whose actions are always hidden from public scrutiny; individuals who don’t gauge the possible effects of policies on the public before implementing them; those leaders who refrain from consulting with the public before making crucial decisions. Humility was another strong point of JC’s stewardship on earth. He was a servant-leader who believed that one can lead only when he agrees to serve the members of his constituency. Though recognizing His divine roots as the lamb of God – an omnipotent position in every imaginable ramification – He never allowed this to get to His head, unlike some present-day leaders who will, as soon as they assume their privileged positions of ephemeral authority, done the garbs of gods, who are to be seen, but not spoken to; supreme masters with cathedral like egos who should be served and,at the same time, worshipped into the bargain; not humble servants committed to seeing to the needs of the flock. He travelled on an Ass, washed the feet of His disciples, empathized with the sick and poor, ate with commoners, played with little children and conducted Himself in such a manner, as bellied His divine status as the SON of the ALMIGHTY GOD (Mark 10: 13-16; John 13:48; Mark 11: 7). JC was a catalyst for change; a mighty colossus whose coming altered - and continues to define - the
currents of man’s life on this plain thousands of years since his Physical demise; a revolutionary who brought about a new way of worshiping Jehovah by opening up the eyes of the once blind Jews – and later the Gentiles, through the works of the Apostles – to the rank hypocrisies being bandied around by the religious leaders of His day; a winnowing fork that exposed the heresies, halftruths and blatant lies being peddled around to enslave the largely ignorant flock who could not tell their right from their left; a man who moved to redress all the damning anomalies in the manner the worship of Jehovah was being practiced. That was the kind of leader Christ was. He was unlike some of today’s leaders who continue from where their predecessors stopped without carrying out any form of reform; a striking contrast from some kettles who cannot call pots black because they are black themselves. Again, JC was, also, a roundly educated leader, unlike some of today’s leaders; a completely enlightened man imbued with an eclectic mindset; somebody educated from the cradle; a man who brought all the lessons garnered from childhood to bear on his earthly assignment when the time came. He was a supremely illuminated mind whose knowledge of scripture belied His true age – the Bible records He was 12 when He disputed scriptural issues with the teachers of the law (Luke 2: 46-49), and 30 when He officially kicked started an outstanding earthly ministry that lasted for just 3 years. In several Biblical analogies, He constantly confounded the Professors of theology with His in-depth knowledge and interpretation of the scriptures, pointing out the errors of these scribes and exposing their apparent ignorance of the scriptures
With Obuseh Jude
before the public. Through His parables, He displayed an uncanny knowledge of man and nature,dishing out solid moral lessons in the process. The truth is that most contemporary leaders are functional Tabula-Rasas; empty shells without substance who know next to nothing about their job descriptions; empty-headed incarnates of stupidity who
be shell-shocked. They are leaders only by association because they lack what it takes to occupy this hallowed position.
demeanour that is rare among the leaders of today. In several Biblical analogies, His self-sacrificing nature is exhibited: from feeding
contribute next to nothing to their constituencies – they come in empty, remain empty throughout their stewardship, and leave empty, adding nothing to the system. When you listen to some so-called leaders offer their cockeyed views on crucial issues bordering on their responsibilities to their chief constituencies, you will
Finally, JC was an altruistic leader; a committed individual who was dedicated to the onerous task of attending to both the physical and spiritual wellbeing of His disciples; a good shepherd who put the wellbeing of the flock before any other consideration. He had a sacrificial disposition towards others; a selfless
multitudes (Luke 9: 13-17; Mark 8: 1-9; Matthew 15: 32-38), travelling long distances to attend the needs of others, to going out to streets to heal the sick, Christ was a classic example of unselfishness of the rarest kind. His ultimate crucifixion on the cross of Calvary - victim of a judicial coup de grace – a fate He would have been able to avoid if He wanted to – an act that most of today’s leaders cannot dream of performing, even if they are promised better lives in the hereafter – crowned His brief, but glorious, life on earth.The leadership
GSM: 08033510173
“Regardless of religious creed, today’s leaders have a lot to learn from the exemplary conduct of Jesus Christ while on this mortal plain; lessons in burning faith, unwavering focus, obsessive passion, dovelike humility and several other leadership virtues not mentioned here.”
qualities exhibited by JC during His earthly ministry are legion. However, for reasons of limited space, we shall limit ourselves to the few aforementioned ones. Regardless of religious creed, today’s leaders have a lot to learn from the exemplary conduct of Jesus Christ while on this mortal plain; lessons in burning faith, unwavering focus, obsessive passion, dove-like humility and several other leadership virtues not mentioned here. The likes of Mahatma Gandhi – a force of change in his own time – et al took out time to study the leadership styles of Christ, regardless of his religious leaning or credo, and we know the results of such efforts. The practical lessons garnered from Gandhi’s painstaking studies of the life and works of Jesus Christ inspired his nonviolent Satyagraha campaigns which ultimately resulted in India’s independence in 1947. Thus, I am calling on all occupiers of leadership positions, in any area of human endeavor, to endeavor to study, reflect and act on the inspiring life and works of the man Jesus Christ of Nazareth: your success in office might depend on it. In all, the impressive leadership qualities displayed by Jesus the Christ while on his Earthly mission offers humanity,in general, highly effective practical guides to responsible and successful leadership; a road map that can drive human societies towards the fulfillment of their earthly goals; a panacea to this agelong search for human guides inspired by God. Happy Easter to you all! Mr. Obuseh Jude, a peace researcher and practitioner, writes from Benin City, Edo State.
Perspective
Understanding The Nature Of Violence: IT was at a workshop and a research topic was tabled before us. Issues regarding violence top the list, we had to proceed. The implication of our wanting to discuss definitions of violence in the research was that it would only ever be narrowly described as behaviour and injuries that are physical in nature. The focus group discussions indicated however, a broad awareness of the term violence and that it moves beyond just the physical. (‘violence takes many forms and varies from culture to culture) There is an understanding that it involves behaviour, injuries and impacts that are psychological, (‘actions that are purposely made to kill one’s soul, not just through beatings, but also through words that will be remembered for the rest of your life and sexual in nature. [‘some men knowing very well that they have venereal disease, yet force girls to have sex with them’] For many, it also incorporates elements of traditional practises identified as harmful and degrading to women, [‘the man’s relatives will go through all the motions of preparing delicious foods for the widow only to burst into tears the moment she attempts to put a morsel of food into her mouth’. The wife is not permitted to eat once someone begins to cry at the mourning of the husband. … ‘according to the beliefs of the community, a boy or girl could be forced to marry a person he or she did not love’] and acts of economic irresponsibility that result in deprivation and need for women and children. [ Going after other:’ women when they claim they have no money for the upkeep of the house’] Respondents described a range of behaviours in the discussions of definitions and types of violence. Generally, the behaviours fall into two broad, but related categories. In the first instance, an act is considered to be violent when the perpetrator uses force and/or coercion. [ violence is a forceful way of getting something front someone’] Such acts are perceived to be associated with the absence of consent, brutality, aggression, acts aimed at humiliating or denigrating the person, inhumane treatment and pain and harm or injury inflicted upon the body. [Violence is living with someone and being forced to do things you don ‘t understand and things that hurt’] The second category is comprised of acts that do not directly resort to the use of force but constitute behaviour that is controlling and dominating. While controlling and dominating behaviour may also be present when force is used, they are distinguished as separate in this categorization because the actions are rendered without the person directly resorting to force. [‘Placing impediments in the way of a person
achieving his or her objectives] According to respondents, controlling and dominating behaviour generally centres around such themes as deprivation of opportunities and essential needs, discrimination, financial neglect, disrespect and acts that frustrate freedom of movement. [‘long hours of work for maid servants and step-children, will: no food or left over food and having to sleep on the verandah’] Violent behaviour is generally perceived to reinforce one’s position of power and another’s powerlessness. [‘being made to fret helpless’] Acts of violence are further seen to be those actions that
have a harmful physical [infliction of pain on an individual] or mental effect [to do things that cause displeasure]on the victim. Significantly, definitions and types of violence described are quite broad when violence is discussed as a general term, but they
“According to respondents, controlling and dominating behaviour generally centres around such themes as deprivation of opportunities and essential needs, discrimination, financial neglect, disrespect and acts that frustrate freedom of movement.”
By KATHY CUSACK
T
became much more restrictive and ambivalent when women and children became the focus of discussion. Quite often the teams experienced some level of resistance to centering the discussion on women and children and when they did a broader range of activities were justified for violent behaviour.. In order to get a clearer picture of the full range of behaviours associated with the different forms of violence, five (5) main categories were used to group behaviours including, physical, psychological, sexual, socio-economic and traditional. in this
‘Inf help o ‘Ch Some cover Phy thus f and e action to the Five t repres
exercise we were seeking information about what the respondents understood to be acts of physical, sexual, psychological, socio-economic and traditional forms of violence, rather than exploring the context within which this violence occurs. These groupings are used purely for analytical purposes, done so with the recognition that these distinctions can create false boundaries and that women’s and children’s lived experience of violence or coercion cannot be so easily categorized as one type or form of violence. Often women and children’s experiences of abuse are much more complex and can involve an overlapping of numerous ‘types’ of violence and coercion. PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
i) ii) iii iv v) Ch we exa foo gen acco deg chil dow bod
Perspective
hose Recurring Issues
flicting pain or causing harm: to somebody with, the of a hand, knife, stick, belt or rope’ hildren need guidance to become responsible adults. e parents over do it by putting children in ovens and ring them’ ysical violence was one of the most frequently cited and familiar types of violence for respondents. Definitions xamples of types of violence centred around a range of ns that are generally inflicted upon and/or of consequence e body, resulting in varying degrees of physical damage. themes emerged in the perceptions of physical violence, senting this broad range of actions:
Cruel punishment and physical torture ) Forced labour i) Beatings v) Assault with a weapon, and ) Death hildren were cited as the main targets of behaviour, which defined as cruel punishment. The most commonly cited amples of cruel punishment included starving children or d rationing and inserting pepper and ginger into the nitals of children. The acts of physical torture were often ompanied by details that exhibited elements of cruelty, gradation, coercion and excess, ‘hanging or locking ldren up while beating them’ or ‘making students kneel wn in the sun, raise one leg, and support the rest of the dy with one finger’. The forms of punishment described
“‘If a man refuses to take good care of his wife and always insults her and refuses to talk to her, it hurts her more than if she has been beaten. Such behaviour upsets the women and leaves them thinking all day thus culminating in mental problems’” have to do with power and control. They are used because they can be used rather than because they fit any act of disobedience. Acts of discipline accompanied by elements of torture in discussions were at times identified as excessive, more often they were not. In the case of forced labour, examples were again usually limited to children in the form of maidservants, stepchildren, and orphans. Two factors were paramount in the discussions here including the lack of choice and the lack of protection. Forced labour capture situations and descriptions of work in which the person is given no choice in where they are sent and what work they are assigned. The most common examples were situations in which male heads of household or families made decisions to send a young female family member to work for a relative without consulting the child. Maidservants and orphans, but also stepchildren are forced to work long hours, at work described as hard, without pay and with little time off, all in exchange for food and shelter. The quantity of food and type of shelter is arbitrary, left up to the provider. Often, both were described as insufficient. Indeed, abuses associated with this type of commodity exchange were often related to poor housing, small quantities of food, exhaustion and little tithe of their own. A complete lack of control over their lives, few if any options for protection, no respect or recognition of work done or for the needs of the child were also prevalent in descriptions of this type of work. Orphans were identified, by children and others, as the most vulnerable group of children in relation to these and other abuses. They are often asked to perform the most difficult tasks and have few alternatives or places to turn for protection. One child described the effects of too much work on children thus, ‘killing the spirit of children through overwork’. Yet another form of abuse in this category was identified as teachers use of female students to do personal work. Again a lack of consent features in requests that are often accompanied by unspoken threats that schoolwork will suffer if they refuse. Women were rarely identified as victims of cruel punishment or forced labour despite being the frequent targets of punishment, discipline and chastisement and
despite the fact that they are expected to perform much of their work without wage. The exception to this generality was in discussions of traditional practises, in which certain elements were experienced or perceived as punitive. Widows being forced to bath in cold water three times daily as part of the mourning rites for male partners, female children being offered to fetish shrines as atonement for the crimes of ancestor and the mutilation of female genitals to prevent sexual ‘promiscuity’, are but a few or such examples.. Beatings were described with various degrees of physical injury, descriptions of which increased in a. severity (stab wounds) if weapons were used. Beatings could range from isolated slapping using a hand, to the regular use of fists, feet and weapons in attacks that targeted any part of the body. No part of the body was immune. The most extreme example of physical violence cited was death, not an unfamiliar possibility in our discussions of violence. Psychological Violence ‘If a man refuses to take good care of his wife and always insults her and refuses to talk to her, it hurts her more than if she has been beaten. Such behaviour upsets the women and leaves them thinking all day thus culminating in mental problems’ A large range of behaviours were identified as psychological violence, representing various elements of emotional abuse. Generally, all the behaviours described are either directed at an emotional level or they have an emotional impact, such as an ‘inability to eat or sleep’. Regardless of the intent or result of the behaviour, the abuse is used to force someone’s compliance or obedience, and/or to control them. To organize and analyse the many examples of psychological violence cited we again looked for themes, four emerged, exhibiting variations in the behaviour that is perceived to be emotional abuse and different impacts: i) Threatening behaviour ii) Objectification iii) Verbal abuse iv) Infantalization of women.
“Orphans were identified, by children and others, as the most vulnerable group of children in relation to these and other abuses. They are often asked to perform the most difficult tasks and have few alternatives or places to turn for protection.”
Gender Issues
Enhancing The Role Of Women I have always told the parents that I encountered in the course of my counseling project as a social worker that although do’s and don’s are necessary requisites in child upbringing, their extent should still be weighed along the lines of the characteristics of the particular child. By characteristics, we won’t be addressing the psychosocial components that are unknown from a distant, rather we will be critically analyzing those traits of a child which by continuous interactions could be deciphered both by parents, distant relatives and neighbours. It is easy to dish out instructions with the same excitement by which steaming porridge is dished out, but the assimilation of such instruction is not as the satisfaction with which such food is relished. To avoid this scenario, therefore, parents should ask themselves few simple questions about their child, among these fact-finding questions are: (1) what’s the sex of this child (2) who is this child (3) what personality does this child embody (4) is this child ill tempered, moderate tempered, distempered, temperate or calm and condescending. Answering these questions without appearing to pander to the child’s emotions or being protective, insincere or nursing that proud feeling of ‘I am the parent, the one in charge!’ would not help matters. It is important to regard the child as a personality, identical (having inherited some character traits, characteristics through gene transfer) but separate as an individual, with all the thought processes that the mind could muster, including ideas hidden in biological faculties all over the brain. Moreover, understanding
Traditional Versus Modern Roles By SOLOMON ALUFOHAI
those shared traits which the child inherited from both parents and even forebears would also help the parents know or understand the behavioural patterns of the child and how not to easily pass the baulk on the child. The sex of the child is imperative because dealing
children. Knowing who a child is means understanding that separate personality of the child aside that which is inherited from the parents. It could be either mental or physical or both. We have
Parents may both be gentle and introverted while the child maybe extroverted and rough. We have seen parents who seared three children with highly deviant characteristics, yet they have always been ‘this nice
with deviancy is a peculiar phenomenon in child upbringing. The sex of the child determines the frequency of erratic behaviour since it is said that females are reflective and impulsive while males are inert and withdrawn. While females are expressive males are passive communicators and act more than they express. Infact, for males actions speak louder than words, even for growing
heard it said that a child is as means as (even more than) the father. If there are shared biological traits that same child could at times be seen as being loving and attentive, dotting and caring as the mother, or vice versa. It is therefore imperative to understand that clearly before the age of proper discipline sets in. Erratic behaviours could be externalized, beyond what parents could understand.
couple’ genes could go haywire, or trace elements were found somewhere, externalized and later internalized. You don’t blame the child even for those that were gotten from peer pressure. Having said all that, and knowing who your child is, give them instructions, directions, advice and appeal to their invisible traits rather than the visible ones. Don’t by any means command
“Parents may both be gentle and introverted while the child maybe extroverted and rough. We have seen parents who seared three children with highly deviant characteristics, yet they have always been ‘this nice couple...”
them. All genes reject commands. They do not hear commands. Commands bare it all. Commands express your feelings and give you away, but instructions, advice and subtle appeals give you the aura of a potential punisher rather than the vicious guardian.
control, if you are nervous yourself or find that the child is restless, you may stand up and pace around, up and down, while still insisting the child looks up to you. Your power is defined and stable that way, but it is unnerving if you appear too powerful and overbearing. Help the child to repent, recover and be reintegrated. Assist them through their
Parents and guardians should develop a special bond of true friendship with their children and wards. Let the smile of the one who cares emit currents of love and understanding towards the one that is cared for. Sometimes let the tone of your voice be loving, sometimes let it be cold but do not let love be lost in the wilderness of anger. Often time let the menacing and reprimanding tone be tucked inside but let it simmer around. Because of their peculiar characteristics you maybe tempted to want to stand at the door or sit down quietly to give instructions to a child, but it is better to have a child, sit down side by side with you or directly opposite you, and request mildly but clearly that you want them to look into your eyes. For better
worries, let the communication channel remain unbroken. Let the bond of friendship grow stronger. Know the child’s play group or peers. Adolescents learn from peer assimilation and easily baulk to its pressure. Let the child keep a tab on members of the group and give them opportunities to play around you. Instinct will enlighten you on their own character traits. Enjoy listening to your child talk about the members of the group, joke over them and take the vital points, be fast in working on them. You could also help the other child and his/her parents in the process. That is the essence of these ideas, they must be translated into action, transmitted from point to point. Please, let the word go round!
Drumbeats
Secret Of Billionaires (6)
THE failure and success which billionaires have experienced over the years are not to their advantages alone they also use them as a lesson to guide them for future references. Some years ago someone ask Thomas Edison, “how he managed the 99,000 times he failed to achieve the result he wanted”. The renowned scientist simply told the man that he did not fail 99,000 times, he only discovered the ninety nine thousand times of not achieving the success he desired. I learn more from my failures, than any success. Billionaires use their failure as a guide to enable them avoid more mistakes. There is no Billionaire who has never failed before or lost money during or after business transaction due to inexperience on their part. Some years ago Donald trump owed $9.2 billion dollars to a hundred banks. How would a Billionaires owe such amount of money to so many Banks and still have the courage to eat, sleep and move about in the city? His indebtedness came as a result of the failure he experienced in business. I read in a newspaper sometimes ago about a major Billionaire in Nigeria how he owed over one hundred and thirty billion naira to three banks and because of his failure to pay the money they then decided to take him to court. Most billionaires are five hundred billionaire dollar or naira rich in asset and two hundred billion dollar or naira in debt financially. Billionaires use debt to achieve their aims and objectives. Charles J. Givens tells a story in his book, “wealth without risk” on how he made so much millions at his early age, but lost all due to lack of experience and guidance from established Billionaires. “Three times in eight years I had created a million dollar fortune in less than 18 months starting with nothing”. I knew how to make money, I just didn’t seem to be able to keep it”. Robert T. Kiyosaki lost great fortune in his business transaction. Dr. David Yonggi Cho’s failure in ministry almost made him to abandon the call of God in his life and run away. But today he has the largest congregation in the world. Robert H. Schuller in his book tough time never last, but tough people do! Tells a story of how he almost abandoned building Crystal Cathedral, due to lack of money, courage and failures he encountered during the project. In difficult times, ability to face the begin to think people too often lose the future optimistically. They about their tomorrow negatively, forgetting that the tough times will pass. They concentrate on the problems of today rather than on the opportunities of tomorrow. In the course of this, they not only lose the potential of today, they also throw away the beauty of tomorrow. That’s the real tragedy of tough times”. Anybody seeing Donald Trump today will ‘lot know that he once owed $9.2 billion dollar to a hundred bank due to numerous successes he has accumulated over the years. Hear Charles J. Givens as he rejoiced over his successes. “I felt fortunate to have the financial success coupled with good people to run my business so that I can afford to devote most of my time to teaching my strategies. It was for that purpose that I created my non-profit education foundation, with 150,000 membersfamilies who depend on us for all their financial help and advice”. Don’t allow your failure or success to retard your growth, rather use them to build lasting legacies for generation yet unborn to benefit from. They learn through the failure and success of other millionaires and billionaires The failure of other millionaires and billionaires prevents them from making the same mistakes and why they use the success of other Billionaires to serve as a guide to enable them achieve more successes. No Billionaire is a fool, they use the failure and success of other to achieve their goals and dreams in life. Some years ago in Kwara State the Lord sent a prophet to tell me to study the lives of great men and women of God in the bible and find out why some failed, why others succeeded. To be sincere with you this has become my pattern and guide to my live as a ministers of God and it has helped me to avoid many mistakes and allow me to experience some successes. Robert Kiyosaki tells how he overcame his failures by reading Donald J. Trump book. “In early 1980, 1 lost my first major business. Losing everything was as horrible as you might expect. Losing everything gave power to the loser in me worst of all, had lost confidence in myself I knew what I had to do, but for some reasons I simply did not do what I knew I had to do. My personal battle between 1980 and 1990 was to gain power over my own thought. to regain power over my thoughts, I began reading and listening to great thoughts from great people and them made those thoughts mine slowly but surely, my business life began to turn and I began to win again in 1987 just after the stock market crashed, I came across Donald’s book. “The Art Of The Deal”, my wife Kim and I put aside everything we were doing and read that book. As the world was crashing down, we had the opportunity and benefit-through Donald’s thoughts, words, and actions-to see the world of business by 1994, Kim and I were financially free. In our quite moments, Kim and I often discuss how Donald’s book inspired us to go on, even though the world was crashing down around us”.
Robert Kiyosaki one of the leading expert on financial matters across the world had sold over twenty six million copies in his books. Dr David yonggi Chos tenacity, courage and daily answers he received from God through his prayer strengthens me to move on in spite of failure I encountered in ministry. Robert H. Schuller strategy of court to ten and win had helped me to achieve some major successes in my relationship with God. “Many years ago I discovered a formula for solving insolvable problems. The year was 1955. I had accepted an invitation to come to California to begin a new church. I was told that the sponsoring denomination would finance the purchase of two acres of land at the cost of four thousand dollars. In addition, I was given five hundred dollars, that was it. I was expected to come up with my own financing for the first little building. After it was built, I could start holding services and hopefully collect a nucleus of charter members. I suggested that I could start holding services in some empty hail while we were putting the financial package together and designing the first simple little chapel. “There isn’t an empty hail around the town,” my advisor replied. It’s impossible to find an empty hail or an empty building in garden grove”. Such were the premises when family into our 53 Chevrolet
Chicago to California. I was in a café in Albuquerque, new Mexico, with my wife, my six month old baby boy, Robert Anthony and my four year-old daughter Sheila. My mind was wandering, racing ahead to my California destination, now only two days away. “There must be an empty hall somewhere in that town!” blurted out to my wife, sitting across the table. Then I did something quite intuitively and impulsively. I picked up the paper napkin, and on the back side I wrote the numerals “I” to “10” vertically on the left my imagination run wild, my list looked like this. 1. Rent a school building 2. Rent a Masonic hall 3. Rent a mortuary chapel 4. Rent an Elk’s lodge 5. Rent an empty warehouse 6. Rent a community club building 7. Rent a seventh-day Adventist church 8. Rent a Jewish synagogue 9. Rent a drive-in theater 10. Rent an empty piece of ground, a tent, and folding chairs. Suddenly what had seemed totally impossible sounded irresponsible, extreme, reactionary, and unintelligent this list was my first rudimentary effort in playing a game that I would play many times in the next thirty years.” I. “Get I person to give $ 1,000,000. 2. Get 2 people to give $5,000,000. 3. Get 4 people to give $250,000. 4. Get 10 people to give $l00,000. 5. Get 20 people to give $50,000. 6. Get 40 people to give $25,000. 7. Get 50 people to give $20,000. 8. Get l00 people to give $10,000 9. Get 200 people to give $5,000.
With Apostle Dr. Raphael O. Ayemere 08035459593 10. Get 1,000 people to give $1,000. Through Robert II. Schuller Court to Ten and Win he has solved numerous problems that would have hindered him from obeying God and achieving his aims and objectives in life. No billionaire alive or dead who has not benefitted from the failures and successes of other millionaires and Billionaires. I urge you to learn from the failures and successes of others They manage time judiciously and place much value on it One of the qualities of billionaires is that they manage their time judiciously and Place much value on it. Billionaires don’t joke with their time. Just as protect their money, they also protect their time. Some years ago a group of people gathered themselves together to find out the most expensive treasure or gift given to man to enjoy by God. After their research and findings they discovered that none can be compared with time. Everyone of us has different identities, but God gave everybody
equal time. Billionaires having discovered the value of time, make judicious use of it and use it wisely to achieve their goals and dreams in Life. “To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and time to pluck, up that which is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to buildup. A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to cast away stone and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embrace. A time to get, and a time to Lose, a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to read, and a time to sew, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate, a time to war, and a time of peace”. Ecclesiastes 3v 1-8 From the above passage of the scriptures you can see how important and valuable time is. If you study the lives of Billionaires carefully you will discover that greater part of their time is spent on business transaction and things that will generate more income and enhance their destiny. They don’t spend time carelessly. Billionaires understand that each time spent carelessly can alter their life and destiny. Friends I will urge you to spend your time well and avoid being careless with it. Don’t allow your friends, relations, co-workers and irrelevant business activities to steal away your time. Success can meet you at a time you least expect. When you study the bible very well, you will consider that God does all his things at a particular time and for a specific purpose. All the bible prophecy were fulfilled at a particular time. If God could made adequate use of time and use it wisely, then I see no reason why you and I should spend our time carelessly.
Focus MANY factors are usually taken into consideration when establishing formally, pension plans through “retirement plans” that qualify under the Internal Revenue Code or with the Approval of Joint Tax Board. Some of these factors are: The employer’s contributions to a Plan or Scheme are deductible as business expense for tax purposes; Any interest on the Pension Funds is not subject to income tax. Retirement benefits of employees are not taxable to the recipient. Any qualified organization in Nigeria may choose to establish a pension plan that is either funded or unfunded. Under a Funded Plan, the employer makes payment 1. To a funding agency, such a trustee (an independent third party) who, in turn, makes payments to the recipients as they qualify and their payments fall due; or, 2. To an insurance company which assumes all obligations for making payments to the beneficiaries when due. An organization may set up it sown, special internal fund for pension plans. However, if the Fund is under the control of the employer, the Plan may be classified as a Non-funded Plan. A Non-funded Plan is one in which payments to retired employees are made directly from operations by the company as they become due with§out accumulation of funds. A pension plan may be contributory, where the employees bear part of the cost (i.e. employees pay 10% of gross monthly income; whilst employer pay 15% of gross monthly income of employees); or noncontributory, where the employer bears the entire cost. Organizations specify in their pension plan, the number of years an employee has to serve before he/she qualifies for pension. In Nigeria, most companies allow a minimum of 10 years for qualification. An employee’s right to receive a present or future pension benefits is said to vest when his right eventually receive the benefit is no longer contingent upon his remaining an employee of the company or organization. It
Pension Plan Fundamentals
should be noted that vesting occurs when the employee retires, but it may occur prior to that date. For example, an employee at African Continental Bank Limited will have his rights vested after serving for 9 years and seven months which approximates to ten years; whilst a Federal Government employee’s rights become vested after putting in fifteen years. Vesting may also occur after attaining a specific age, e.g. 45 years. A pension plan may be initiated under one or two different circumstances. Each different circumstance will have significant effects on pension costs, funding requirements and accounting, viz: A pension plan may be started at the inspection of the company in which case every employee that puts the minimum number of years specified in the plan becomes covered. The Company incurs Normal Pension Costs each year thereafter; A pension plan may be started or established some years after the company or organization has gone into operation. In this circumstance, the present employees, as well as the new employed, would qua1ify for the Normal Pension Costs would be incurred (each year) by the company for both groups of employees. An additional pension cost also would be incurred at the date of inception of the pension plan. All the employees working for the organization or company at the date of the inception of the pension plan generally are given past service credits under the plan for prior years’ employment with the company. Therefore, the company must bear a onetime pension cost (in addition to the normal pension cost incurred on a year-to-year basis). This one-time pension cost is generally referred to as PAST. SUPPLEMENTS: THE PUBLIC SECTOR In the Public Sector Pension Schemes are noncontributory. This is contained in the pension decree No. 102 of 1979 as amended ( but the
By ANI WILSON UCHENNA
new contributory pension scheme is now being worked out) The following key terms require explanation for proper understanding of pension and gratuities in Nigeria.
1. When retired in public interest 2. On compulsory retirement for the purpose of facilitating improvement in the department 3. On compulsory
2. For pension and gratuity the officer must serve at least 10 years. 3. pension is payable when ‘the officer reaches the age of 45 years except on outlined in section 4 above when pension becomes payable immediately. The officer would not then work until he
point is the declaration by the president in May 29, 2000 that Biafran. soldiers dismissed after the civil war would have their dismissal committed to retirement. It remains to be seen however how this would be worked out. Generally the following ruler are employed:
is 45 years. Military/War Service This caught the attention of the authorities consequent upon the civil war that ravaged the country between 1967 and 1970. Accordingly the following provisions apply: 1. Service in the Armed Forces between the start of the war, 25/5/69 to the end on 16/ 01/70. 2. Service in connection with internal security of maintenance of law and order. 3. Any other service as may be declared from time to time by the President. A case in
i. For each completed year of war service, it is counted the two years. ii. Period of war service exceeding 4 months but below 6 months is counted as 6 mounts. iii. Period of war service exceeding 4 months is counted as 6 months. iv. Period of war service exceeding 6 months is counted as 1 year. 4. A period of service (other than war service) for a period over 6 months would be approximated to one year, provided the officer has served the qualifying service in the first instance.
Men at work 1. Gratuity: This refers to the bulk sum of money receivable by a retiring officer who has put a minimum of ten (10) years in service. 2. Withdrawal from service: An officer is said to have withdrawn from service if he has served for a minimum of 10 years but below 15 years. 3. Retirement: This is a cessation of service after an officer has served for a minimum of 15 years. 4. Conditions for Granting Retirement Benefits: A Public Officer shall be deemed qualified for retirement benefit with immediate effect.
retirement after attaining the retiring age of 60 years. 4. On voluntary retirement after qualifying service period. 5. When retirement is consequent on total or permanent disability while in service. 6. When retirement is on health ground. 5. Qualifying service for pensions and gratuity: With effect 1st June 1992, the following rules apply: For gratuity the officer must have served 5 years.
“A pension plan may be started or established some years after the company or organization has gone into operation. In this circumstance, the present employees, as well as the new employed, would qua1ify for the Normal Pension Costs would be incurred (each year) by the company for both groups of employees.”
Issues
Practical Consideration In Election Reporting
ELECTION reporting is, in essence, no different to any other form of reporting. But during election campaigns, the media, as well as politicians, come under even more intense scrutiny than usual, as politicians and the public follow the news with far greater interest than normal. Any report is monitored for possible bias, distortion or inaccuracies. In such an atmosphere, journalists and editors have to maintain even more care and diligence than usual. This is when the good habits of impartial reporting, fact-checking and reliable sourcing really come into their own. The media plays four key roles in a democracy: • It relays the information required to enable citizens to make informed judgments. • It seeks to represent and crystallise public opinion to the politicians. • It gives politicians a space to respond to public concerns and to set out their own policies. • It provides the space within which public debate takes place. All these functions are absolutely vital in order to enable democratic elections to take place and journalists therefore have to be committed to fulfilling all these tasks as best they can during election campaigns. However, there are additional functions that fall upon the media during elections, First and foremost, they have an obligation to report the campaign itself as fully and fairly as possible. This sounds straightforward, but that is rarely the case. During election campaigns, politicians who in the preceding years might have treated journalists with hostility, suspicion and downright rudeness, suddenly become the journalists best friend. There is nothing fundamentally malevolent about such behaviour after all democracy is about winning the trust and confidence of the electorate, and what better way to achieve this than through the media? Nonetheless, it can place journalists in difficult situations. There is a vibrant and expanding media environment. Presidential contestants and their parties were given equal access to discussion programmes, aired on state as well as private broadcast media, facilitating informed chokes of votes. However, there was a failure to adhere to the legal requirements to provide balanced coverage by stateowned media which showed bias in favour of the incumbent party, and more generally by broadcast media,
which focused on a small number of parties only. Generally, journalists were able to operate in an environment of relative freedom, given the systematic weaknesses that characterise the media sector. First, there is a natural tendency to seek to maintain good relations with which ever party looks like winning. Hence, with an eye to the next few years, as opposed to the next few weeks, journalists can, quite subconsciously, find themselves favouring the
favourites. Equally, because many journalists are naturally contrary and iconoclastic (some would argue that this is an essential part of the journalists makeup), they can, equally subconsciously, find themselves using the campaign to settle old scores with those politicians who, for the past years in government, have been giving them a hard time. Another pitfall to watch out for is accepting articles and reports from freelancers who are working (either on a paid or voluntary basis) for one of the competing candidates or parties and who are hoping that their journalistic output will find its way into the media without being identified as coming from a partisan source. An important function of the media during
“However, before and during the campaign, journalists play a vital role in keeping voters informed, not just about the campaign, but also about the electoral process itself. This means, in the early stages, collaborating with the electoral authorities to provide full and accurate information about registration, monitoring the process and taking up complaints when it appears not to be functioning properly.”
campaigns is to ensure that the voices and views of those representing minority interests are heard. These may be minor parties, special interest groups or marginalized sections of society (the poor, ethnic minorities and, in some societies, women). In addition, the media plays a vital role in not just reporting communications from the politicians to the people but also vice versa - they are the ones who are
able to tell the politicians about the concerns of people in different localities. It is in this aspect that the local and regional media are particularly important - as they are in their role of creating a space for the election debate to take place. However, before and during the campaign, journalists play a vital role in keeping voters informed, not just about the campaign, but also about the electoral process itself. This means, in the early stages, collaborating with the electoral authorities to provide full and accurate information about registration, monitoring the process and taking up complaints when it appears not to be functioning properly. When it comes to the actual vote, Journalists then have a duty to tell electors where and when to vote, to monitor the voting process and to report any problems. Finally, at the count and the declaration of results, the media has a duty to report the results and to monitor and report any allegations of malpractice. An effective framework should be established to ensure that the mass media provides equitable access and coverage to political parties and candidates during the campaign period. (Courtesy IPC)
Law
GENERALLY, only the parties to a suit can appeal or be to an appeal arising from the proceedings. though a party to the suit, can be an appellant or be made a respondent to the appeal, if he is not directly is not interested in the part of the judgment or some out of several plaintiffs or defendants may appeal or be made respondents according to the appeal. An appeal in the name of a party except on his instructions; and so if a person cannot himself appeal in a case, he cannot launch an appeal in the name of a party to the suit. And a person cannot be authorised or given leave to prosecute an appeal in the name of a party who does not wish to go on with the appeal. It follows that where a party abandons an appeal, another person cannot be authorised to prosecute the appeal, no matter his interest in the matter. A person having an interest in the matter cannot launch an appeal in the name of a party to the suit nor be allowed to prosecute such pending appeal which was abandoned; his remedy is to obtain leave to appeal in his own name. Similarly, a person to whom a deceased party’s interest in the subject matter of the proceedings has not been transmitted on the death of the said party, will not, on his own application, be substituted as a party to the appeal in place of the deceased The phrase “parties to a suit” assumes a wider dimension for purposes of appeal. Where an order is made in a suit against a third person, he thereby becomes a party to the suit so as to appeal against such order. Any persons, such as a group community in a town, who are caught and feel aggrieved, by the order of the court, when on the face of the suit they were not parties, are
Parties Notice To An Appeal Civil Procedures:
entitled as of right to appeal against such order: and an appeal by those on record for the purpose of protecting the interest of those others, is invalid. But
the issue of representation should not be allowed to be re-opened by this process by a person who stood by and allowed another to fight his battle. Where a person, such as a beneficiary in a will, might have been a party to the suit, he may be granted leave to appeal against a judgment affecting his interest. For this purpose a person may be added as a party to an existing appeal. Any person who had an interest in the subject matter which could have made him a party to the suit is entitled, by leave, to appeal in the case A pending civil appeal does not abate merely for the death of the parties. A proper person may substitute a party to such appeal for purposes of prosecuting or defending the appeal. But to do so the
By A. OBI-OKOYE
court must be satisfied of the transmission of the deceased party’s interest in the subject matter to the
appellant. Where there is express provision to commence an appeal otherwise than by notice,
between a Notice of Appeal which is defective and a valid Notice Appeal with its contents defective. In the former case, there is no appeal at all, the notice
person applying to be substituted. Notice of Appeal Unless otherwise specifically provided by statute or applicable rules, every appeal as of right in civil proceedings, shall be originated by a notice in
such as appeal by motion, or by an informal written complaint, any such appeal lodged by notice would be invalid. Similarly, an appeal prescribed to be by notice shall be invalid if lodged in some other manner. The Notice of Appeal is
is incurable and cannot be amended. In the later case, there is an appeal and the defective contents may be cured by amendment. Instances of the former are where a wrong form altogether was used such as lodging a civil appeal
it ought to have been lodged. Instances of the latter are where the proper form was erroneously filled or where there is a failure to attach to the notice a particular document prescribed by rules. The Notice of Appeal must be in the prescribed form and validly signed by the appellant. It must be lodged in the proper court within the period prescribed by law, and after due compliance with all conditions precedent such as the payment of the assessed fees or obtaining leave where one is necessary. A notice of appeal in a wrong form is invalid; so also is an un signed notice or one signed by an unauthorised person. As regards signature, the rule in criminal appeals that the notice must be signed by the appellant himself does not apply to civil appeals: accordingly the party’s solicitor may sign his notice of appeal, and, it is sufficient compliance for the solicitor to sign his business name if he is registered as a firm such as Lardner and Co. A notice of appeal filed in a wrong court is invalid, also is one filed without leave where leave is necessary, or of time without first obtaining an enlargement of the time.
“Unless otherwise specifically provided by statute or applicable rules, every appeal as of right in civil proceedings, shall be originated by a notice in prescribed form duly lodged in the registry of the court in which the judgment appealed against was given.” prescribed form duly lodged in the registry of the court in which the judgment appealed against was given. An appeal with leave shall not be filed unless, by a motion, leave has been obtained by the
a very important document be cause it is the foundation of the appeal and if it is defective, the court has inherent power to strike it out on the ground that it is incompetent. Distinction must, however, be drawn
with a criminal form, or altering the form to the extent that the appeal appears to be lodged in a different court than the one to which it in law lies, or where the notice is lodged in a court other than where
The notice may be lodged by post, but in such case, the effective date is the date the notice is received by the registry, not date it is posted. Power to enlarge time for appeal is that the appeal court, not court below.
Science
THE main differences between the human brain and that of other mammals are, first, the extra ordinary large size of the cerebral hemispheres in the human brain, and second, the way in which the surface area of the human brain is increased as much as possible by being folded and wrinkled. The hemispheres are made up of the grey cerebral cortex and the white fibres supplying it; the grey matter of the cortex itself accounts for about half of the weight of the whole brain. The cerebral hemispheres overlap the rest of the brain so much that only a small part of the hind-brain is visible, and this in side view only (see Fig. 169). Beneath the cerebral hemispheres the same general plan of the vertebrate brain can be traced; Fig. 170 shows a surface view of the right half of a human brain bisected down the middle line. Use this figure to follow the text. The hind-brain: As man is an erect animal, the spinal cord is vertical and the hind-brain is also in this position. The cerebellum grows out from the dorsal side as a massive organ; it is concerned with the sense of balance and position of the body, receiving sensory nerve fibres from the organ of balance in the ear and from muscles and tendons via the spinal cord; it is not, however, so important as in the bird brain. The cerebellum is also connected to the cerebra cortex, which no doubt accounts for our sensations and knowledge of the position of our bodies relative to gravity. In the side-walls and floor of the hind-brain are the important motor-nerve centres through which all impulses to muscle systems must go out, via tracts in either the cranial nerves or the spinal cord. Some of these centres
The Human Brain
contain very large motornerve cells which may serve up to 200 fibres in a major muscle. Many of the outgoing motor impulses are reflex actions, giving quick responses which we cannot control, but many are voluntary responses directed by impulses coming into the motor centres by the tracts of fibres from the motor areas of the cerebral cortex. Sensory centres, which receive fibres from sense organs of heat, cold, pain, muscle tension, hearing,
over the work of interpreting the impulses from the optic nerves. The cavity’ now runs horizontally and becomes a narrow but deep cleft between the two thalami on either side. The thalami are much larger and more complicated than in other mammalian brains, so that they become fused in the middle by a bar of transverse fibres. The thalami receive all sensory tracts from head, body, hind-brain and cerebellum, and they relay impulses to the sensory parts of the cerebral cortex. There is also a complete two- way association between thalami
of what was a third eye in the middle of the head of our primitive vertebrate ancestors. The cavity ends
blindly in front, except for a small slit near the floor; here the floor itself funnels down to form the stem of the important pituitary
enormous area They are joined together in the middle line by a mass of fibres called the corpus callosum Neurologists
etc., via cranial nerves or spinal cord, are situated in the hind-brain, and impulses are passed on to the cerebral cortex via the thalami of the mid-brain. The mid-brain: In midbrain the cavity narrows and the brain stem begins to b forward to the horizontal. Here the optic lobes are situated, and compared with those of other vertebrates they are small because the ‘cerebral cortex has taken
and cortex, so that in some unknown way the thalamus modifies the work and reactions of the cortex; possibly its action contributes to the emotional levels (that is, how strongly we feel and care) in our thinking and behaviour. The roof of the narrow cavity in the mid-brain is thin except where, at its hinder end, it grows out into a stalked knob, known as the pineal body. The pineal body is thought to be the remnants
gland which so profoundly controls growth and development. The fore-brain. The fore-brain in man consists of the very small olfactory bulb (cf the large olfactory lobes in fish and frog) and the two enormous cerebral hemispheres, which resemble two soft halfmelons, overlapping all the brain structures on each side. The cerebral hemi spheres are much folded and fissured, and their
have studied the work of the cerebral cortex in man and other mammals. This can be done not only by careful surgical and anaesthesia experiments, but also from a careful study of the effects of damage through accidents to different areas of the brain; but a great deal still remains to be discovered. Although the cortex of the brain works as a unit, different areas over the surface of the hemispheres
surfaces are very wrinkled or ‘convoluted’; this gives the cortex at the surface of the hemispheres an
seem to have different functions to control; moreover, similar and corresponding zones can be mapped out on the cerebral hemispheres of man, monkeys and other
“Sensory centres, which receive fibres from sense organs of heat, cold, pain, muscle tension, hearing, etc., via cranial nerves or spinal cord, are situated in the hind-brain, and impulses are passed on to the cerebral cortex via the thalami of the mid-brain.” higher mammals. Sensation areas are shown for sight, hearing, speech, skin and muscles. An almost vertical band for the control of motor centres is shown and those for the legs, arms, face, eyes and head can be distinguished at dif ferent levelson the band Some of the motor areas are not so definite as the sensory ones, and results of experiments are conflicting since the function of one damaged motor area can be taken over by another. Quite large areas of the cortex in man, notably that over the frontal area and a wide band in front of the sight area, are not engaged in the immediate control of any sensory or motor centre, but are concerned with further extension and correlation of the work of the cortex itself. These areas are called silent areas and they are completely missing in all other mammals, even the higher apes. The cortex in these other mammals is completely engaged with either motor or sensory centres. It is believed that these silent areas may well account for the refinements of sight, speech and hearing by which man alone is able to build up language and other intellectual faculties, such as music and mathematics, which require the use of symbols and abstract thought.
International
Pistorius ‘Torn Apart’ After Shooting Girl Friend
JOHANNESBURG - Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial resumed yesterday with a neighbour and friend giving a heart-wrenching account of finding the “broken” athlete coming down the stairs, holding his dead girlfriend in his arms. After a two-week break in the trial, the Pistorius defence called Johan Stander, the first man to arrive at the crime scene after the Paralympic gold medallist shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year. “Oom (Afrikaans for uncle) Johan, please, please, please come to my house, I shot Reeva,” Stander says Pistorius told him over the phone.
When he arrived at Pistorius’s upmarket Pretoria home, Stander described seeing the athlete carrying Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, down the stairs. “He was screaming, he was crying, he was praying,” said Stander, a man with grey hair and glasses who spoke in a hoarse voice. “The expression on his face, an expression of sorrow, an expression of pain, he’s crying, he’s praying,” said Stander. “It was as if he was torn apart.” Stander, who said he considered himself a friend of 27-year-old Pistorius, said the
night was not something he would want to experience again. Pistorius was “broken, desperate, pleading,” said Stander. “How he begged God to keep her alive.” “I saw the truth that morning, I saw it and I feel it,” he said. Pistorius’s lawyers will spend at least the next two weeks trying to firm up the athlete’s account of the killing and counter the state’s claim he shot his girlfriend after an argument. Under days of ferocious crossexamination last month, Pistorius appeared to change his defence, casting doubt on his credibility. The runner initially told the court that he shot Steenkamp
through a locked toilet door, thinking she was an intruder coming to attack him in the dead of night. But buckling under pressure, the Paralympian — who soared to international fame as the first double-amputee to run against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 London Olympics — changed his testimony to say he fired the four shots accidentally. State prosecutor Gerrie Nel has accused the athlete of “tailoring” his evidence, calling his account of the killing “a lie”. “Your version... is a lie,” said
CHANGE OF NAME
Weds
TONY The solemnization of marriage between former Miss Pamela Inehmezele Ehiemua ( A final year student at A.A.U) and Mr. Tony Osadolor Enosobata (A Business man) took place on Saturday 3rd May, 2014 at the Oredo Local Government Council Marriage Registry in Benin City. Amongst dignitaries present were Mr. & Mrs. Sonni Ehiemua (Bride’s parents) Mr. & Mrs. Solomon Sylvester Enosobata (Groom’s parents) Pastor Frank Amegor, Mr. Frank .O. Enosobata, Mr. Marvin Ehiemua, Mr. Michael Ehiemua, family members, relations, friends and well wishers. Picture shows the couple at the Registry. Congratulations. Photo: SONNIE. E.
EHIEMUA – I, formerly Miss Pamela Inehmezele Ehiemua now Mrs. Pamela Inehmezele Enosobata. All former documents remain valid. General public and all concerned authorities should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME/ CONFIRMATION OF DATE OF BIRTH I, Oviasuyi .F. Adagbonyi wish to bring for the information of the general public that I am the same person as Osakue Francis. Henceforth, I am now known and addressed as Oviasuyi .F. Adagbonyi. Also my date of birth was stated in error in my international passport as 18 th September, 1980 but my correct date of birth is 18th September, 1983. All former documents remain valid. General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
UZAMA – I, formerly Mrs Margaret Uzama now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs. Margaret Aikhigbe. All former documents remain valid. General public and all concerned authorities should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME
The solemnization of Holy Matrimony between Miss Ruth Nkwor and Mr. Patrick Chimekwele took place last Saturday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Chimekwele after the ceremony.
lavatory door, killing Steenkamp who was in the cubicle inside the athlete’s house in an upmarket housing complex in the capital Pretoria. Prosecutors have argued that the Valentine’s Day shooting came after a row between the couple who had been dating for around three months. Among the witnesses expected to give evidence this week is a psychologist who will speak to the athlete’s physical vulnerability, after details emerged in court of his obsession with guns.
11 Crew Missing After Ship Collide Off Hong Kong
HONG KONG - Eleven crew of a Chinese cargo ship are missing following a collision with a large container ship in the waters off Hong Kong yesterday, authorities said. Hong Kong is one of the
PAMELA
Nel, who has earned himself the moniker “pit bull” because of his aggressive style of questioning. Beginning his crossexamination of Stander, Nel him if Pistorius ever said to him if he shot the so-called intruder by mistake. “He never said I accidentally shot her,” said Nel. “He said... thought she was an intruder.” Pistorius, nicknamed the “Blade Runner,” faces up to 25 years in prison if he is found guilty of premeditated murder. He fired four bullets through a
- Friend
OTOKUEFOR - I, formerly known and addressed as Dr (Miss) Roli Esther Otokuefor now wish to be known and addressed as Dr (Miss) Roli Esther Johnson. All former documents remain valid. General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.
world’s busiest shipping channels, although serious accidents are rare. The cargo ship Zhong Xing 2 sank after the collision with the 300-m- (984-ft-) long Marshall Islands-registered MOL Motivator about two nautical miles southwest of Po Toi Island, a spokeswoman of the Hong Kong Maritime Department said. “Zhong Xing 2 is suspected to have sunk after the collision, and it is reported there are 12 crew onboard,” said the spokeswoman, who declined to be identified in line with department policy. “One of them was picked up by a fishing vessel navigating close by,” she added. The remaining 11 crew of the Chinese ship were reported missing. Rescue efforts were being coordinated by the Guangdong Rescue Co-ordination Centre as the incident happened outside Hong Kong waters, the spokeswoman said. Hong Kong’s Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre is assisting
the rescue and has deployed one helicopter, five marine police launches and three fire service department launches. MOL Motivator, which has a dry weight tonnage of 79,400 metric tons (1 metric ton = 1.1023 tons) according to Thomson Reuters data, was travelling from Hong Kong to Yantian port in southern China. Hong Kong is the world’s fourth largest container port, after neighboring Shenzhen, which occupies third place. Vessels navigating near the collision site have been warned there may be a sunken ship nearby and have been asked to stay away. The Hong Kong Observatory issued an amber rain warning, signaling expectations of heavy rain in parts of the territory overnight. Thirty-nine people died in the city’s worst maritime disaster in more than 40 years in October 2012 when a high-speed ferry and a pleasure boat collided.
Malaysian Plane’s Likely Path Gets Second Look SYDNEY, Australia — An international panel of experts will re-examine all data gathered in the nearly two-month hunt for the missing Malaysia jet to ensure search crews who have been scouring a desolate patch of ocean for the plane have been looking in the right place, officials said yesterday. Senior officials from Malaysia, Australia and China met in the Australian capital to hash out the details of the next steps in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which will center around an expanded patch of seafloor in a remote area of the Indian Ocean off Western Australia. The area became the focus of the hunt after a team of analysts calculated the plane’s likeliest flight path based on satellite and radar data. Starting Wednesday, that data will be re-analyzed and combined with all information gathered thus far in the search, which hasn’t turned up a single piece of debris despite crews scouring more than 4.6 million square kilometers (1.8 million square miles) of ocean. “We’ve got to this stage of the process where it’s very sensible to go back and have a look at all of the data that has been gathered, all of the analysis that has been done and make sure there’s no
flaws in it, the assumptions are right, the analysis is right and the deductions and conclusions are right,” Angus Houston, head of the search operation, told reporters in Canberra. Investigators have been stymied by a lack of hard data since the plane vanished on March 8 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. A weekslong search for surface debris was called off last week after officials determined any wreckage that may have been floating has likely sunk. “Unfortunately, all of that effort has found nothing,” Australian Transport Minister Warren Truss said. “We’ve been confident on the basis of the information provided that the search area was the right one, but in practice, that confidence has not been converted into us discovering any trace of the aircraft.” Houston has warned the underwater search is likely to drag on for up to a year. Houston and Truss met with Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Chinese Transport Minister Yang Chuantang in Canberra on Monday to map out the next steps of the underwater search, which will focus on a 60,000 square kilometer (23,000 square mile) patch of seafloor.
International Features
Pro-Russians Storm Odessa Police Station
PRO-RUSSIAN militants stormed a Ukrainian police station in Odessa on Sunday and freed nearly 70 fellow activists as the country’s leaders lamented a police force they said was widely undermined by graft or collaboration with separatists. Militants chanted “We will not forgive!” and “Russia!” as they smashed windows and broke down the gate at the compound two days after over 40 pro-Russian activists died in a blaze at a building they had occupied after clashes with pro-Kiev groups. Odessa police said 67 activists were allowed to walk free. Some officers were offered the black and orange St. George’s ribbon, a Russian military insignia that has become a symbol of the revolt, and were cheered by the crowd of several hundred. Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, speaking in the Black Sea port, was pointedly critical of the Odessa police: “If the law enforcement system in Odessa had worked not exclusively on the ‘Seventh Kilometre’ and had protected people, then these terrorist organisations would have been foiled,” he said. The Seventh Kilometre is an open market on the edge of Odessa, associated in the popular consciousness with the corruption and black market business that have blighted Ukraine’s 23 years of post-Soviet independence. Addressing hundreds of supporters of the Kiev authorities who gathered near the site of the blaze late on Sunday, newly appointed police chief Ivan Katerinchuk promised to bring those behind Friday’s deaths to justice, whatever their allegiance: “Like you, I want to restore law and order to Ukraine,” he said. Friday’s clashes were the deadliest since Moscoworiented president Viktor Yanukovich was forced to
flee in February and proRussian militants launched uprisings in the industrial east. They also marked the first serious disorder far to the west of those eastern areas, heralding possible trouble for Kiev. Friday’s deaths occurred after running clashes, involving petrol bombs and gunfire, between supporters and opponents of Moscow on the streets of Odessa, where
Turchinov said in a television interview, employing the term Kiev applies to antiKiev militants who have set up strongpoints in a string of eastern towns. “This is a colossal problem.” Turchinov said Russian special forces were working with success to destabilise Ukraine, helped by “guest
implications for countries around, not least for Russia and for NATO states bordering it. As rebellion simmered, questions were raised about the ability of the army as well as police to confront insurgents. Police in the eastern port of
prisoner along with four automatic rifles, a grenade launcher, a machinegun and ammunition.” The five soldiers were freed after negotiations. Yatseniuk dismissed Russian accusations that his government was provoking bloodshed in the east with an operation to restore Kiev’s authority in a series of cities under rebel control. “The process of dialogue
An Armed Pro-Russian fighter stands guard
the majority of people speak Russian. The pro-Russian activists were trapped in a building as it burned down. Acting President Oleksander Turchinov said separatists had met resistance in Odessa but that police forces in the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions, focus of support for pro-Russian militants, were in disarray in the face of rebellion. “In these regions ... there are whole structures working together with the terrorists,”
stars from Transdniestria” - a breakaway territory in eastern Moldova, 50 km (30 miles) from Odessa, that hosts a Russian military base. NATO commanders have warned that Russia might hope to control a swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine, including the annexed Crimea, all the way to the border with Transdniestria. Outright civil war in Ukraine and the division of a country the size of France would have serious
Mariupol said pro-Russian rebels posing as sympathisers had presented soldiers at a checkpoint with gifts of food. “It turned out that the food contained a substance that induced sleep among the servicemen,” the acting head of Mariupol criminal police department, Alexei Paniotov, said. “After about half an hour, about 20 unidentified people arrived in three cars and, taking advantage of their helpless state, took them
“However, as things stand, it would have trouble conducting the vote in many parts of the east, a circumstance that would allow Russia to declare any government emerging as bereft of legitimacy.”
had begun, only it was drowned out by the sound of shooting from automatic rifles of Russian production,” he said. There was renewed diplomatic activity on Sunday. Russia said it would try to organise talks between Kiev and representatives from the south-east: “It appears that without external help the Kiev authorities are not capable of establishing such a dialogue,” Russian deputy foreign minister Grigory Karasin told Rossiya-24 television. Germany’s foreign minister said he was pressing for a second international conference at Geneva to bring Russia and Ukraine together with the United States and European Union
to settle the dispute. Moscow and Kiev accuse each other of wrecking a four-way accord to end the conflict signed at Geneva on April 17. Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the Ukraine crisis in a telephone call and stressed the importance of “effective international action” to reduce tension, the Kremlin said on Sunday. A German government spokeswoman said they had also discussed a visit to Moscow on Wednesday by the head of the OSCE, the European security body which has been trying to mediate on the ground but saw some of its monitors held for a week by rebels. Ukraine is divided between a largely Russian-speaking population in the industrial east and Ukrainian-speaking west, where more proEuropean Union views prevail. Moscow says Russian-speakers face threats from Ukrainian nationalist militants, an accusation Kiev denies. There were no signs of Ukrainian forces pushing their declared campaign to remove separatists from eastern cities including Kramatorsk, Donetsk and the rebel stronghold of Slaviansk. Kiev is organising a presidential election for May 25. However, as things stand, it would have trouble conducting the vote in many parts of the east, a circumstance that would allow Russia to declare any government emerging as bereft of legitimacy. Russia denies ambitions to seize eastern Ukraine as it has annexed the Crimea peninsula but reserves the right to send troops to defend Russian-speakers if it deems necessary. Separatists who have declared a “People’s Republic of Donetsk” are planning a referendum on secession next Sunday. The capital Kiev has remained quiet since the protests that forced Yanukovich to flee to Russia. But celebrations this week marking the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War Two could be a source of tension.
Community Development A Technical Report On ‘Sexual Reproduction Health And Right Education Programme And HIV/AIDS/Malaria Awardeness Campaign’ INTRODUCTION THE 4-day highly participatory Community Outreach Programme(COP) which imparted over 6000 youths and adolescents in four communities in Ovia North/East of Edo State, took place in four communities namely Ekosodin, lgue-lheya, Oluku and Iguosa Communities. The event which was flagged off on 23rd of January 2014 by Comrade Adams A Oshiomhole-Executive Governor of Edo State represented by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Community Youth Development, Comrade Collins Amadin Osaghea was organized and hosted by Youth Empowerment and Development Centre- YEDEC with support from Achieving Health Nigeria InitiativeAHNI, Society for Family Health- SFH and Seven-U P Bottling Company Nigeria Limited. This Community Outreach Programme (COP) is a follow-up of the communiqué on a 2-day highly consultative and participatory dissemination workshop which had about 113 participants from NonGovernmental and Civil Society Organisations, Health Institutions, M DAs, Secondary Schools and Voluntary(uniform) Organizations within the length and breadth of Edo State which took place at the Orientation hall, National Orientation Agency, 39 Boundary Road, GRA, Benin City, hosted by Youth Empowerment and Development Centre (YEDEC). Mr. Aisiri Christian, founding CEO of YEDEC was sponsored to Namibia in September, 2012 by Ford Foundation-West Africa, to participate in the 5th African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights Themed “Sexual Health and Rights in Africa: where are we?” hosted by the Namibian Planned Parenthood Association (NAPPA), an affiliate member of the International Parenthood Federation (IPPF). OPENING FORMALITIES The highly participatory Community Outreach Programme (COP) had its official opening at the Ekosodin Community town hall with interactive session coordinated by the organisers to test participants depth of knowledge on the subject of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights issues, after which the event was in few hours flagged off with an official opening ceremony having dignitaries and high level personalities across Edo State. Some personalities amongst others that were present were Comrade Adams Aliyu OshiomholeExecutive Governor of Edo State represented by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Community Youth Development, Comrade Collins Amadin Osaghae; The Honorable Commissioner of Youth, Sports and Social Mobilization, Edo State represented by Mr. Joshua I. Uduebor- Acting Permanent secretary, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Mobilization; Mrs. Sabina Idowu — General Manager, Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) represented by Rosemary Okwuobi; Princess QF Ojiekere Founder and CEO — Roseline Ifeta Foundation; Mrs. Ronke Ojiekere- lkoroh. Cordinator- National Council of Child Rights Advocates of Nigeria, Edo State Branch; the Odionwere and Youth Chairman of Ekosodin Community; the Super Kids performed in a music drama presentation. The ceremony was chaired by the Honorable
“The highly participatory Community Outreach Programme (COP) had its official opening at the Ekosodin Community town hall with interactive session coordinated by the organisers to test participants depth of knowledge on the subject of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights issues, after which the event was in few hours flagged off with an official opening ceremony having dignitaries and high level personalities across Edo State.”
Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Mobilization, Edo State represented by Mr. Joshua I. Uduebor, Acting Permanent Secretary, ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Mobilization, keynote address was delivered by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-Executive Governor of Edo State represented by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Community Youth Development, Comrade Collins Amadin Osaghae, welcome address was delivered by Aisiri Christian- Founding CEO, Youth Empowerment
teacher) to have sex, or to try to have sex with you. What is safer sex? Safer sex means sexual contact that does not involve any blood, semen or virginal fluids being passed between partners. We say safer sex rather than safe sex because sex can’t be guaranteed 100% safe. The best way to have safer sex is to be in a relationship where neither of you have sex outside that relationship and where you are both
and Development Centre(YEDEC) and convener. Goodwill messages came from the following persons amongst others: Princess Ojiekere, Founder and CEO of Roseline Ifeta Foundation, the Community Chairman. The vote of thanks was delivered by an associate member of YEDEC following the chairman’s closing remarks. OUTCOME FROM PRESENTATIONS DELIVERED BY RESOURCE PERSONS. 1ST PRESENTATION BY RONKE OJEIKERE OKOROH: (LEAD PRESENTATION) TOPIC: SAFER SEX AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AMONGST ADOLESCENTS AND YOUTHS IN NIGERIA To begin with, we must first define the term sex • What is Safer Sex? • Safer Sex means sexual contact that: • Shows respect • Is pleasurable • Is freely consented to by both partners • Reduces the risk of an unwanted pregnancy • Is safe emotionally .Sex is never an obligation- each partner has the right to say the right to say no, if a partner asks you to stop, you must respect this. Many young people know that if they are considering having sex, it’s really important to make sure it is a safer sex. It isn’t always easy and it can be embarrassing, but talking about safer sex is a sign of respect. The Law: In Nigeria, if you are eighteen (18) years or over, you can have sex with another person• As long as that person is also 18 years or over, and he or she agrees to have sex with you. • The law is the same for heterosexual sex (i.e. Sex between two people of the opposite sex) • If you are under 18 years, it is against the law for a person in a position of care and authority (for example, a
free of any sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and you use contraception if you do not want to become pregnant. Some people say the only form of safe sex is to abstain totally (not to have sex at all) but most people would see this as being unrealistic. Even when using condoms for protection, some STIs such as genital warts and genital herpes can be passed on because the condom does not always cover the affected area. Being ready for SEX Young people can feel a lot of pressure to have sex. Friends may tell you they are all doing it (sometimes even if they are not) you see it on the television and in the movies. You might also feel [pressure by particular persons). Or you might feel that it’s expected to you from a girlfriend or boyfriend. Practicing safer sex means looking after you emotionally. This means that you choose when to have sex and when not to have sex, who with and how to have sex. There is more about this in the topic. Are you ready for sex? Safer sex activities Some safer sexual activities (no exchange of body fluids) • Massage • Hugging • Touching • Masturbation • Social kissing (Kissing with closed mouth) • Fantasy (just thinking about sex) • Kissing the body (clean skin, not sexual areas or open sores) • Saying no to anything you don’t feel comfortable with. Courtesy: YEDEC.
View Point
IT is clearly not possible to enumerate and discuss all the gains that have been made in the country since the inception of democratic governance in 1999. We can at least discuss some of them. These can be examined from the political, social and economic perspectives. We shall examine each of these in turn. Political Gains It must be admitted that some modest gains have been made on the political frontier since the onset of the present democratic dispensation. What easily stands out as the most striking achievement on this count is the air of freedom that has been engendered by the dispensation. For example, the political landscape has been significantly broadened, although we cannot as yet claim that it has been deepened. Political parties are in place, although the reach of many of them remains questionable. The Executive, Legislative and the Judicial arms of government are in place and are active and have attained some measure of robustness since 1999. The doctrine of Separation of Powers is in place. In particular, we note the existence of the Legislative arm of government, which was completely banished prior to 1999. Today, the Senate and the House of Representatives, the two Houses that make up the national Assembly are in place. And unlike what prevailed prior to 1999, issues of national importance are actively debated in the National Assembly. A typical case of the gains that have been made on the political frontier is that the Commander in-Chief, in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution, each year, sends Appropriation Bill to the national Assembly for deliberation and passage. This is a remarkable departure from the culture that preceded 1999 when the military junta that was onboard ruled without recourse to the representatives of the people. Thus, one of the significant milestones that has been recorded since the onset of democratic governance is the jettisoning of the culture of impunity in the running of the affairs of the country. And across the country, the State Houses of Assembly are in place. The elected members are there to represent the interest of their constituencies in the business of lawmaking and in the overall business of governance. We consider this a modest gain, having regard to the fact that it represents a significant departure from what prevailed hitherto.
Gains From Democratic Governance
The Judiciary That the Judiciary has clearly become more vibrant since the restoration of democratic governance can easily be appreciated by anyone who is familiar with what prevailed prior to 1999. Indeed, it can safely be argued that under the military regimes that ran the affairs of the country prior to 1999, judicial activism was in the limbo. The vibrancy of the Judiciary, especially with respect to cases involving the government at that time, more so with suspension of the Constitution under the military was seriously constrained. Moreover, judgments that did not favour the government were disregarded with impunity. The culture of impunity has, to a large extent, been brought to a halt with the restoration of democratic governance in 1999. Accordingly the culture of treating judicial pronouncements with disdain by the Executive has largely disappeared with the restoration of democratic governance in the country. The philosophy of adhering to the rule of law which the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua strongly propagated when he was in the saddle largely helped to give fillip to the newfound vibrancy of the Judiciary. The role the Judiciary has played in the resolution of disputed outcomes of election under the present dispensation easily show that there is indeed a marked difference between what prevailed prior to 1999 and what has happened thereafter. Although I have decided not to list specific cases here, I am, however, sure that we can all easily acknowledge the role the Judiciary has played in this regard when we reflect what happened in Edo State. And in view of the critical role of the Judiciary in the interpretation of the Constitution, the carriage of justice and indeed as the institution of last resort for the aggrieved in the quest for justice, the wider latitude within which the judiciary has been operating since the restoration of democratic governance in 1999 can be considered a significant milestone of the gains from democracy. The Press The restoration of democratic governance has also brought in
By UCHE IBE
its wake some greater freedom for the Press. This was almost unthinkable while military dictatorship lasted in the country. Today, it is possible for pressmen and women to report and even possibly x-ray the activities of government officials. Indeed, that
if it embarrasses a public officer or brings a public officer to disrepute” if we had been in the era that we are in today in 1984.. It is true, though very unfortunately, that we in recent times lost some journalists. For example, we lost Bayo Ohu on
of a country. Being the fourth estate of the realm, it plays the critical role of the watchdog of the society. The new found freedom the Press has enjoyed which the restoration of democratic governance in 1999 has helped to usher into the polity can be considered a significant milestone of the gains from
President Goodluck Jonathan the Freedom of Information Bill (F o I Bill) is before the National Assembly is an indication of the wider space within which the Press operates today. The culture of repression of the Press which was the norm when the country was under the jackboot of the military clearly, has abated since 1999. Those who are familiar with Decree 4 of 1984 which was christened Public Officers (Protection Against False Accusation) Decree would appreciate the point we are making here. For those who are not familiar with it, the Decree made it a criminal offence to publish any article that brought the Government or any public official into disrepute. I am convinced that nobody would have told Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor or indeed any journalist for that matter that even true publication can be an offence
the 20th of September 2009. It must be acknowledged, however, that the circumstance of his death like the other ones we have lost since 1999 are quite different from those that surrounded the death of Dele Giwa, one of the foremost, finest and brilliant journalists of our times on the 19th of October 1986. The circumstances that surrounded his death easily epitomize the culture of torture and harassment within which the gentlemen of the Press operated prior to the restoration of democracy in 1999. Those who are aware of what (Ita Oko) Island stood for will furthermore appreciate the hostile terrain in which the Press operated prior to 1999. Today, Ita Oko Island is no longer an issue at least as far as we know. A Free Press is critical to social, political and economic progress
“That the country has made some modest gains on the economic frontier since the restoration of democratic governance is not a contentious issue. What is at issue is the extent of the gains so made and the distribution of such gains to the citizenry.”
democratic governance. The Economy That the country has made some modest gains on the economic frontier since the restoration of democratic governance is not a contentious issue. What is at issue is the extent of the gains so made and the distribution of such gains to the citizenry. We are of the strong opinion that whatever gains that we can claim that have been made on the economic front can at best be considered negligible. Yes, some claims of progress on the economic front have been made. And statistics are rolled out to hack tip these claims. We are told about impressive growth rate that the country has recorded, a fall in the rate of inflation, a rise in foreign reserve holdings, etc. We consider these claims to have been seriously exaggerated. I have decided not to start dwelling on these published official statistics because to me, every government and whatever claims of achievements it makes must he judged in practical terms. Accordingly, we should be asking ourselves if our welfare can be said to have improved since the restoration of democratic governance in 1999. By this I mean, I am asking if it can he argued that we are better off in terms of electric power supply, water supply, if the roads are better off, if the schools and
hospitals are better off, If the answers to these questions are strongly in the affirmative, then we can obtain an insight into the magnitude of the progress that has been made and the distribution of the gains from such progress. And if not, we can also form an intuitive idea of the progress that has been made on the economic frontier. Notable economic milestone, however, is the success that was recorded at negotiating the exit of Nigeria from the Paris Club of debtor nations. While we are of the view that the civilian regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo that negotiated the exit (although at terms that were somewhat unclear to the generality of the citizenry) must be commended for this achievement, we must bear in mind also that Nigeria joined the league of debtor nations under the military regime of the same Olusegun Obasanjo. Indeed, Obasanjo was the first Nigerian leader to get the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan in 1979. And according to Mr. Godffery Kalinga of the IMF, as at the time General Olusegun Obasanjo got the loan, Nigeria did not need it. Mr. Kalinga was the Division Chief in the African Department of IMF. He said this in August 28, 2003 at the Afrikafe forum held in Washington DC (Oduyela. 2006). Some analysts simply see it as a situation where Obasanjo simply came back to clear the mess he had created in the first place. It is, however, worrisome that the culture of external debt accumulation has again started to assume a center stage with numerous loan agreements that have been signed in recent times between the FGN and foreign governments and bilateral and multilateral agencies. For example, it was reported recently that the FGN had concluded an agreement to borrow some $500 million to resuscitate? the power sector? in the country. On the economic front too, the reported significant rise in the country’s external reserve position represents a significant milestone of the gains that have been made since 1999. Closely related to the economic sector is the telecommunications sector where significant gains have equally been made. With the licensing of GSM service providers in 2001, there has been a significant upswing in the teledensity in the country. Prior to 2001, NITEL was barely able to provide 600,000 functional telephone lines. NITEL customers were subjected to harrowing experiences in an effort to obtain telephone services from the organization while it held sway as a monopoly. The introduction of GSM in the country changed all that. Today, the country can boast of about 30,000,000 active telephone lines. And thus it is that the telecommunications.
Suarez Named Football Writers’ Player Of The Year
Ashley Cole In Tears After Match
ASHLEY Cole wiped away tears as he, Frank Lampard and John Terry walked a lap of appreciation around Stamford Bridge after Chelsea’s 0-0 draw on Sunday. While all three players have been rumoured to leave the Blues over the summer, Terry and Lampard are likely to stay. Not so for Cole, who at 33, started only 14 matches in the Premier League this season, losing his starting role to Cesar Azpilicueta. Jose Mourinho ignored Cole for large parts of the campaign,
Ashley Cole
but the left-back has started the past four matches, including the Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid. Cole, Lampard and Terry saluted the Matthew Harding stand after Sunday’s match against Norwich, but Mourinho said he thought all three Chelsea veterans will return next season. “Again, they are with the club on their future,” Mourinho said. “I think they will play here [for Chelsea] again. I think so. “But now it’s time to wait a little. The summer is a long summer for us. For you, the media, with the World Cup, it’s a different story. For the players involved in the World Cup it’s a different story. But for us, as a club, it’s a long time to be calm and to sit and to discuss and to analyse options and the market and possibilities. It’s a long summer for us.” Cole has played for Chelsea for eight seasons.
Luis Suarez
Title Race Tough On Toure Family - Yaya MANCHESTER City midfielder Yaya Toure admits family loyalties are being stretched to the limit after the title race took another potentially decisive turn. City’s 3-2 win at Everton put would take them three points them in control of their own clear at the top of the table, City destiny and meant Toure’s have two games still to play and brother Kolo and his Liverpool a superior goal difference. side — favourites for the “Oh yes, it’s been really championship before last difficult. You can’t imagine how weekend — are unlikely to win difficult,” Yaya Toure said of the it without help from other teams. fight within the family. “Your The Reds play their family have to try to be balanced penultimate match of the season — they are divided. Sport is at Crystal Palace on Monday unbelievable in that it can break night and, while victory there hearts.
Abou Diaby Thought Career Was Over
ARSENAL midfielder Abou Diaby has told L’Equipe he thought of ending his career during his year-long recovery from a serious knee injury. Diaby, who turns 28 on Sunday, was on the bench for the Gunners’ 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, but did not get to feature for the first time since rupturing the cruciate ligaments in his left knee during a training session 13 months ago. And the France international has revealed there were times during his rehabilitation that he considered never returning to the pitch at all, finally beaten by the latest in a long line of injuries that have stunted his career growth. “You ask yourself whether you’re going to still be a footballer. You think of giving up
Abou Diaby
everything. I said to myself: ‘I’m sick of this! I’m quitting!’ I spoke about it with my parents, my brothers, my sisters, my friends...Then, I got up one morning: ‘No, out of the question!’” said Diaby, who would have returned earlier only for an infection in his knee requiring further surgery in October. “I had to start from scratch. But given where I’d been, it didn’t really matter. It’s been tough because I’ve had a lot of injuries. I’m religious, and in my belief, despair doesn’t exist. You must never give in. Also, I’m only 27, soon 28. I still have five or six years ahead of me, perhaps more.” The former Auxerre man has not featured in an Arsenal shirt since a 2-0 win over Swansea City on March 16, 2013. He does hope he can play some part in the final Premier League game of the campaign against Norwich City on Sunday, before featuring in the FA Cup final against Hull City on May 17. “If my black season could end with a cup final victory, that would be marvellous,” said Diaby, who has all but given up hope of adding to his 16 international caps at this summer’s World Cup.
“If it is my brother who wins it I would still be happy for him. It would be amazing for him, but whatever I’m doing I always try to win — I’ve always been the same. I will only lose if someone is better than us. “But it’s still so tight. Liverpool still have a chance and so do Chelsea — they beat us twice, don’t forget. It’s going to be exciting. “The family don’t want to choose a side. We don’t know how it will end. They just say ‘the best team will win it’. They know that both teams have the quality to do it so let’s wait and see.” City have been here before, famously winning the title on goal difference with virtually the final kick of the 2011-12 season. That experience will stand Manuel Pellegrini’s side in good stead as they seek the two wins at home to Aston Villa and West Ham which should clinch a
second title in three years. Asked whether City would be happy to win it by a similarly tight margin again, Toure added: “Of course we would. “We know at this club how important goal difference is... but I don’t want to live through something like that again. We had QPR at home when it was almost too much for my heart. Going right to the last minute — it was unbelievable. “I think the supporters would say, like me, that we don’t want to live through that again. I hope this time, in these two games, we can make a difference earlier and get the wins early. “Aston Villa and West Ham are coming. We need to be sharp. We need to be ready. We need to be well prepared for these games and not make it so close as last time, but we cannot just think we will finish on top. Premier League games are always tight, always difficult. “Even if teams are defending
they can go on the counterattack and score goals. We are aware of that but with the players we have and the experience we have of 2012 we can keep on going — we are just two games away.”
LUIS Suarez has been named the Football Writers’ footballer of the year. The Liverpool striker, who had already claimed the Players’ player of the year award, had his second gong confirmed after claiming 52 per cent of the vote. Suarez’s team-mate Steven Gerrard came second in the Football Writers’ Association poll, while Manchester City’s Yaya Toure finished third. The controversial Uruguayan striker, who missed the first five matches of the season due to his ongoing ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic last year, has scored 30 goals in 31 league matches this season, including three hat-tricks.
Yaya Toure
LFC Can Win On Goal Difference - Rodger BRENDAN Rodgers insists Liverpool have the attacking threat to overturn Manchester City’s goal difference advantage in the final week of the Premier League title race. Both teams have 80 points with two matches to play, and both have scored 96 league goals to date. But City have conceded nine fewer than the Reds, and so top the table with a superior goal difference. If Manuel Pellegrini’s side win their final two league matches, at home to Aston Villa tomorow and West Ham on Sunday, few would give Liverpool a chance of overhauling that goal difference deficit. Yet Rodgers, whose side visit Crystal Palace on Monday before finishing the season at home to
Newcastle on Sunday, thinks it can be done. He told British national newspapers: “If there is any team that can score goals and turn it around, it will be us. “That will be our aim. We aim to score goals and be defensively strong.” Liverpool did beat Palace 9-0 in a First Division match in September 1989 — and while Rodgers is not claiming his side will repeat that feat, he did point to the example of Chelsea winning by a big score when under pressure to claim the title in 2010. He said: “I have seen it before. Chelsea beat Wigan 8-0 in the last game of the season. “I am not paying any disrespect to Newcastle at all — but what we are saying is if there is a team
that has shown it can score goals, it is us. “We are not a 1-0 team. That is what gives us the chance. It’s the team that scores the goals that will win. “Manchester City won the league on goals scored a couple of years ago. That’s why, when I came in here, I spoke about a team that could score goals because ultimately that is what it could come down to. “We scored 47 goals in the first year I was here and now we have 96. That is what gives us the chance. We could sit and get the team to defend and not want to score but ultimately it’s the team that scores the goals that will win.” City secured their third successive league win as they triumphed 3-2 at Everton on
Saturday, but Rodgers thinks they may yet slip up. He added: “City’s result won’t deflate us because we know we have to win against Palace no matter what. We know we have to win at Palace and win against Newcastle. That hasn’t changed and that is our focus. “Manchester City need to win all their games. They will have won five games in a row and have only done that once this season, so it will be a wee bit new for them as well. It is not over by a long way. “I just believe that if we can win our two games, then it will go a long way to deciding whether we finish at the top. “But the first thing is concentrating on our game, which we have done all season, and that is Crystal Palace.”
Jerome Boateng To Be Fined For Slap
BAYERN Munich continued their dominance of the Bundesliga with a 4-1 win over relegation threatened Hamburg.Tags: Bayern, Munich, Hamburg, Claudio, Pizarro, Bundesliga Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng is to be fined for slapping Hamburg midfielder Kerem Demirbay, according to CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Boateng was sent off for his slap in the face of Demirbay in the final minutes of Bayen’s 4-1
Boateng Jerome
win at struggling Hamburg on Saturday. As well as receiving a customary suspension, the centre-back’s third red card in 163 Bundesliga matches is also set to bring about a hefty fine. “Getting a red card five minutes from time, 4-1 up, you can indeed call that brainless,” Rummenigge told Abendzeitung. “He will get a high five-figure fine. “If you don’t want to listen, or at least draw your consequences from it, find out the hard way. Thus, you need to show the player that if wearing the FC Bayern Munich jersey, you have to act clean and reputable.” Boateng is the third Bayern player to have slapped an opponent in the face over the last month. While Rafinha was sent off for his violent conduct against Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Franck Ribery went unpunished when he struck Real Madrid’s Daniel Carvajal in the
face in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal. Boateng admitted he was in the wrong after the Hamburg game, and was quoted by Bild as saying: “That was stupid. I can only apologise.” Fellow Bayern centre-back Dante told kicker: “It’s a shame. We wanted to have the ideal preparation for the [DFB-Pokal] final [against Dortmund on May 17], and that’s why it would have been better if he had been able to also play against Stuttgart [in the final Bundesliga match of the season].” Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos added of Boateng’s slap: “That was unnecessary.”
LA Liga president Javier Tebas and Spanish players’ union (AFE) chief Luis Rubiales have clashed over whether thirdparty “incentive payments” to teams should be allowed. The payments, referred to as “maletas” (“suitcases”) in Spain, are typically used when a team involved in the title race or relegation struggle offers a bonus to a mid-table side to motivate them to beat one of their rivals at the top or bottom of the standings. The issue arose again this week after an apparent joke made by Levante youngster Ruben Garcia ahead of his side’s surprise 2-0 win over league leaders Atletico Madrid on Sunday as he said: “Why not take a little present for winning the game?” However, while the bonuses have been a regular topic in La Liga in seasons past, Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) president Tebas insisted it was a serious breach of the rules,
Spain Debates Controversial Payments tweeting before the match: “Levante player Ruben must know that taking money to win a game is forbidden and seriously punished.” AFE head Rubiales, though, told Canal Plus after Levante’s victory that his association was in favour of making such bonuses legal as they could then be regulated and transparent. “Ruben is a sensational kid who I know well,” Rubiales, a former Levante, Xerez and Hamilton Academicals defender, said. “He has said himself his choice of words was perhaps wrong, but what he wanted to say was he always goes out to win and if, on top of that, someone wants to give a gift... “If there is no negative attitude on the pitch, of laziness or indifference, or of match-fixing, what is the problem? We would regulate it, avoid defrauding the
Loss ‘Best That Could Happen’
Draw Not End Of The World -Ancelotti REA Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted to disappointment at a huge missed opportunity after Sunday’s 2-2 home draw with Valencia but said he had always expected the title race to go down to the wire. There was a series of surprises in Liga at the weekend as Barcelona drew 2-2 at home to Getafe before leaders Atletico Madrid lost 2-0 at Levante and then Real missed their chance to take advantage as they were held by Los Che at the Bernabeu. Ancelotti said the title winner would only emerge after the final day’s fixtures, when Madrid host Espanyol at the Bernabeu while Atletico travel to Barcelona’s Camp Nou. “La Liga is a tough championship, as it always has been,” Ancelotti his postmatch news conference. “It was a difficult weekend for the three top teams. Now is more open than ever. I have always said that this Liga was going to be decided in the final games.” Valencia took the lead at the Bernabeu just before half-time through Jeremy Mathieu’s header and, though Madrid equalised through Sergio Ramos, former Bernabeu youth-teamer Dani Parejo restored the visitors’ lead. It seemed Valencia were set for all three points before Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning late equaliser, which Italian coach said could be vital come the season’s climax. “We missed a good opportunity, but it is not the end of the world,” Ancelotti said. “By winning today, Atletico would have needed a win in Barcelona [on the final day] but now a draw would be enough for them.
Cristiano’s goal was very important. Losing today would have meant losing La Liga. Now we’re still in the fight. It was a crucial goal.” Ancelotti said the physical and mental energy used up in Tuesday’s 4-0 Champions League semifinal second-leg win at Bayern Munich had taken a toll.
taxman and make it transparent. We must sit down and discuss it. We are in a democracy, we think in one way, and this does not need to be a problem. “There is a debate every year when teams are fighting for the title, against relegation, or a thousand different things. You should make things as clear as possible.” Asked if he himself had ever received a bonus for winning a game from a third party, Rubiales said: “As a player I always went out to win, but then of course it did not bother me if someone wanted to give a little present — not a problem. “I believe you must be intelligent in this. What we need to do is regulate it. The most important thing for a professional is to be a professional, to always go out onto the pitch to give their maximum. You can win or lose but go back into the dressing room knowing you have given everything. I believe it is good now that we are talking about this, and not match-fixing. That is the feeling I have.”
-Simeone
Diego Simeone
Rummenigge Warns Bayern Stars BAYERN Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says any players unhappy at the club should seek talks with him to discuss their future, amid speculation Thomas Mueller is set for a move to Manchester United. “I won’t comment on any Following the fallout of the 40 Champions League thrashing rumours,” he said. And when directly questioned by Real Madrid last month, several Bayern players were about the United link, Mueller linked with a move away from replied in English: “No comment.” the Allianz Arena. Despite Bayern officials On Friday, Javi Martinez was linked with a switch to Barcelona reiterating several times that by kicker, while Mueller was also Mario Mandzukic will be offered among those players named as a new contract, kicker reports that possible candidates to leave the the club have yet to stay true to their word. club. The attacker could become According to kicker, Mueller surplus to requirements by the could consider joining United should Louis van Gaal be made imminent arrival of Borussia Robert the next manager at Old Trafford. Dortmund’s Lewandowski, who is set to join But Rummenigge told Bild: “Should anyone not be happy at the German champions on a free FC Bayern Munich he should transfer this summer. With 18 come to my office. Then we’d goals each, both players currently are joint-top in the Bundesliga need to talk about it.” Confronted with the scoring charts. Mandzukic was not allowed to speculation, Mueller refused to add to his tally at Hamburg on discuss his future with Bild.
Saturday, where he sat on the bench for the full 90 minutes. Instead of the former Wolfsburg man, veteran attacker Claudio Pizarro was brought on for the final 20 minutes, getting in amongst the goals with an overhead kick. After the game, Mandzukic refused to commit himself to Bayern. “Soon, you will all find out,” he was quoted as saying by kicker. Elsewhere, on Friday, Mario Goetze voiced his discontent about his status at the Bundesliga champions. “Of course, I am not happy. But I will continue to step on the gas. I hope that I will get the trust of the coach soon,” he told Bild. On Saturday, Goetze started for Bayern and put two goals past Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler. The former Borussia Dortmund player has now scored 10 goals in his debut
campaign at the Allianz Arena, equalling his record tally from his final season at BVB. “That was a good reaction from him. We are glad to have him. Should he have made a statement in the sense that he is not happy when he does not play, that’s part of it all. That’s OK,” Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer told Welt. Bayern centre-back Dante added: “Mario is a phenomenon, the FC Bayern future is his. He is an intelligent lad and has a good attitude. With his technique he could as well be from Brazil.”
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
DIEGO Simeone looked on the postive side after Atletico Madrid lost to Levante on Sunday, saying, “This defeat is the best thing that could happen.” All three La Liga title contenders dropped points this weekend, but whilst Barcelona and Real Madrid managed draws, Atletico lost 2-0. With two games remaining, Atletico lead Barcelona by three points, while Real are four points back with a game in hand. Los Rojiblancos also have the Champions League final to look forward to after the domestic season ends, and Simeone said Sunday’s defeat will help prepare his side for the final weeks of the season. “This defeat is the best thing that could happen,” Simeone said, according to AS. “We expect three weeks with very high intensity and emotion. It is the ideal time for men, for players. We expect three fantastic weeks.” Simeone welcomed the fact that the title race remains in Atletico’s hands. “Yes, and we expect three weeks, including the game on May 24 [the Champions League final] to be fantastic,” he said. “We expect three finals and we have to focus on the first one, which is Malaga on Sunday. “We have always maintained the same line and balance. We have always said that we played two powerful competitors and it’s difficult for them to lose matches. “On this occasion we had to lose. Ahead is three weeks of excitement, pure football. Now the league is much more fun.”
Olympic Relay Medals In Jeopardy After Gay’s Ban THE International Olympics Committee (IOC) will have the final say on whether Tyson Gay’s 4x100 metres relay team mates will be stripped of their London Games medals in the wake of the sprinter’s doping ban, the IAAF told Reuters. Gay received a one-year understands that it was a suspension on Friday after mistake. That’s why they’re testing positive for a banned allowing me to run this year.” The American 100 metres anabolic steroid in 2013. All his results from July 2012 record holder is eligible to onwards have been annulled race again beginning June 23 and he has already returned and, Reuters has learned, is his relay silver medal to the making plans to return to competition in July. U.S. Olympic Committee. Still to be determined is whether his team mates - Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin and Ryan Bailey - will also lose the Olympic silver medals they won in London in 2012. “Although our rules say clearly ‘team forfeits medals’, the IOC has control of the medals for the Olympics,” Nick Davies, deputy secretary general for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said by email. Athletics competitors must follow rules of the IAAF in the Olympics but the IOC has the final say on matters including medals. Gay was banned by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) subject to appeal by the IAAF or the World Anti-Doping Agency. Davies said the IAAF would reserve comment on Gay’s suspension until its doping review board had a chance to see the judgement from USADA and either accepted or rejected the reduced sanction. Tyson Gay Gay, the joint second fastest man of all-time, could have been suspended for two years for his first doping offence but received a shorter ban because of his substantial assistance in the investigation of his case, USADA said. FORMER British “There’s a lot for me to tell, my side,” Gay, 31, said women’s number one Elena on Saturday in an interview Baltacha has died at the age with his hometown of 30 from liver cancer, the Tennis Association newspaper, the Herald-Leader Lawn announced on Sunday. of Lexington, Kentucky. “The news of the death of “But under the rules of Elena Baltacha, one of the USADA, they didn’t want me shining lights of British to speak on the case. But they women’s tennis of recent definitely understand what generations, is devastating to happened, and USADA everyone who has ever had the
The IOC welcomed the decision to suspend Gay. “We will take all necessary steps with regard to the Olympic Games in line with our zero tolerance policy, and our full commitment to the protection of the clean athletes,” it said in a statement. The IOC is expected to wait for the IAAF to make a decision on disqualifying the
U.S. team before taking action on the medals. Should the Americans lose their medals, third place Trinidad and Tobago and fourth-place finisher France could move up in the London results. The IOC has varied in the past on stripping medals from relay squads. All members of the U.S. men’s 4x400 metres relay at the 2000 Olympics lost their
medals after doping cases involving Antonio Pettigrew and Jerome Young. But the Olympic committee allowed U.S. runners in the 2004 Olympic women’s 4x400 metres relay final to keep their gold medals even though squad member Crystal Cox, who competed only in the preliminary round, was stripped of hers after admitting in 2010 she had used anabolic steroids. The IOC had also stripped the U.S. women’s 4x100 and 4x400 relays of their medals at the Sydney Games after Marion Jones’ doping admission but the Court of Arbitration for Sport reinstated medals for all but Jones after an appeal. The IAAF rule in place in 2012, however, stated clearly that all relay members would lose their medals if there was a doping violation. USA Track & Field will not decide whether the U.S. team’s performance of 37.04 seconds in London will be considered a national record until the IAAF and IOC have determined the status of the medals and results, spokeswoman Jill Geer said.
CORINTHIANS general manager Edu Gasper will aide Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz during the country’s World Cup campaign next month, according to Iranian media. Iran will also hold a training camp at the Brazilian club’s ground before the June 12-July 13 tournament where the Asian side face Argentina, Nigeria and Bosnia in Group F. The 35-year-old former Arsenal and Valencia midfielder retired from playing in 2010 after a short second playing stint with Corinthians, where he began his career before moving to Europe.
Carlos Queiroz
Murray Ponders Hiring McEnroe As Coach W I M B L E D O N champion Andy Murray would consider hiring seventime grand slam winner John McEnroe as his coach, saying the controversial American would have plenty to offer his game. World number eight Murray, playing this week at the Madrid Masters, has been without a coach since he split from Ivan Lendl in March. Before the split Murray had a successful two-year
Tennis
Former British No. 1 Baltacha dies Of Cancer
Elena Baltacha
Edu To Assist Iran World Cup Boss
privilege to know her, play against her, or call her a friend or team mate,” a statement on the LTA website said. “It leaves a huge hole within our sport. Bally gave new meaning to the word ‘fighter.’ She fought tirelessly during her career against opposition on court, and never gave in to the struggles she endured off it.” Baltacha, who was born in Kiev but moved to Britain where her father Sergei was a professional footballer for Ipswich Town, turned professional in 1997 and reached a career-high ranking of 49 in 2010. She competed at the 2012 London Olympics but retired at the end of the following year because of persistent knee injuries. She married her coach Nino Severino in December 2013 before being diagnosed with cancer in January this year. “We are heartbroken
beyond words at the loss of our beautiful, talented and determined Bally,” said her husband. “She was an amazing person and she touched so many people with her inspirational spirit, her warmth and her kindness.” ‘Impossibly sad’ tweets Laura Robson about Baltacha Even before quitting the Tour, Balatcha had set up an academy for young players in Ipswich. “Words simply cannot express how saddened we are by this news. All our thoughts are with Nino and the rest of Elena’s family. We will miss you Bal,” LTA Head of women’s tennis Iain Bates said. Annabel Croft on sad news: ‘We won’t forget her fighting spirit’ The 30-year-old grew up in Scotland when her father, a footballer who represented the
USSR, signed for Perth-based club St Johnstone. Her mother was also a successful athlete, representing the USSR in the heptathlon at the Olympics. At the age of just 19, she was diagnosed with a liver condition called Primary sclerosing cholangitis, which is known to lead to complications including cancer later in life. Few doubt that she would have gone much further in the game were it not for the numerous injuries which constantly dogged her progress. Yet she refused to let that dampen her passion for the game. Baltacha won 11 ITF titles in her career and made the third rounds of both Wimbledon and the Australian Open, with career highlights including 2011 and 2013 Nottingham victories, and 2010 victories over Chinese star Li Na and then-reigning French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.
spell under the Czech tennis ace, during which he won two grand slam titles and gold at the 2012 Olympics. “Every player would consider someone with his credentials,” the 26-year-old Scot told the BBC on Sunday. “I like listening to him commentate and he has a lot to offer as well. It’s interesting but if anything comes from it, who knows? “When you are very competitive as a player, you are likely to be the same as a coach and that’s also a benefit. “He was a great player and he’s always kept an interest in the game, which is important. He has a great knowledge of the sport.” American McEnroe, 55, indicated this week he would be willing to help Murray in spite of having a number of media commitments and a lack of professional coaching experience. Murray, however, is in no rush to make an appointment. “It depends how I do in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
Andy Murray
Turkish Envoy Tips Super Eagles To Excel At Brazil 2014
TURKEY’S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mustafa Pulat, on Sunday in Abuja said Nigeria’s Super Eagles have “a good chance’’ of excelling at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June. the second round at least. From Pulat told newsmen his there, anything can happen,’’ he submission was on the basis said. of Nigeria’s pedigree in The ambassador also said the football, as well as quality of Super Eagles would get it right players and the element of by being motivated by the fact luck. that they were playing at the “Nigeria is a strong football highest level of the game. nation, and with this it has a “The World Cup is the strong chance of doing well highest level of all football at Brazil 2014. competitions, and teams get “Moreover, Nigeria has a motivated into doing better at rich football tradition, going that point. by what the likes of Daniel “This can happen to Nigeria, Amokachi, Austin Okocha, and then the element of luck Uche Okechukwu and Joseph comes into play too,’’ he said. Yobo have done. Pulat however tipped Nigeria “Nigeria also has a to join Argentina in picking the qualitative player in two second round tickets from Emmanuel Emenike, and Group F, with Bosniawith luck coming into it, the Herzegovina having an outside Super Eagles can make it to
chance of dislodging Nigeria. “Argentina is sure for a ticket, with Nigeria picking the second ticket. But BosniaHerzegovina can spring a surprise too to challenge Nigeria for the other ticket,’’ he said. The Turkish diplomat said further that it was going to be difficult to predict the competition’s winners. “It is difficult to tell who will lift the Cup after the final on July 13, but it is usually normal to expect it to be between Brazil and Spain. They are always one of those at the top. “But it is hard to assess now, until the end of the first round. This is because most of the players expected there are still in their various leagues and it is difficult to assess them for
now,’’ he said. Pulat was however unsure of whether an African team would be able to win the trophy this time around. He said it needed more than being competitive for an African side to win the World Cup. “The draws, for one, always have a strong impact on what
the African teams can do. But it is a fact that African teams are always good and competitive. However, football is always full of surprises. “But it will be good for the Cup to come to Africa, only that this will take a lot to
happen,’’ the ambassador said. Nigeria’s Super Eagles are in Group F at the 32-team FIFA World Cup scheduled for June 12 to July 13 in Brazil. They have been grouped alongside Argentina, BosniaHerzegovina and Iran.
AYC Qualifier F/Eagles Not Deterred By Loss To Benin Republic
FLYING Eagles Coach, Manu Garba yesterday said that the team would put their loss to Republic of Benin behind as the prepare for the African Youth Championship (AYC) qualifier. poor first half but, Garba’s reaction is contained in a statement by the team’s Media Officer, Samm Audu, issued from Cotonou on Monday after the Republic of Benin counterparts defeated them in a warm match. The Republic of Benin U-20 national team on Sunday in Cotonou defeated the Flying Eagles 1-0 in the game ahead of the AYC qualifier. The statement quoted Garba as saying that the Flying Eagles had a
The Flying Eagles will be away to Tanzania in the first leg of the AYC qualifier match slated for the weekend of May 9 to however, controlled the May 11. The return leg will be in game in the second half. “The home team Nigeria two weeks later. adopted delay tactics after they scored and the referee ought to have THE Federal Road Safety given the goalkeeper at Commission Football Club was least a yellow card for on Sunday in Abuja crowned the time wasting, but he did champions of the 2014 FCT Federation Cup after defeating not. “All the same, we will FC Abuja 1-0. The News Agency of Nigeria put this loss behind us (NAN) reports that the tourney, and shift our attention to which is in its 32nd edition, the match in Tanzania this featured 28 teams, and kicked off on April 16. weekend. Alhaji Bala Mohammed, the “We hope to win in Minister of the FCT, was Tanzania so that the represented at the final by Alim second leg in Nigeria will Musa, the Director, FCT Sports be a mere formality,” it Council, and the Chairman, FCT Football Association, Musa said. Talle.
Steven Keshi
FRSC FC Lifts 2014 FCT Federation Cup
Dignitaries at the final match
included Mrs Dilichukwu Onyedinma, the Chairperson, Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL) and Ahmad Kawu, the Chairman of the Nigeria Nation-Wide League (NNWL). The others were Godwin Bamigboye, the Chairman of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA), FCT Chapter, and Moroof Oluwa, Secretary-General, Nigeria Referees Association (NRA). The match, which was played at the Old Parade Ground Sports Complex, saw Shammah Tanze scoring the only goal in the 57th minute. The final match between the
Nigeria National League (NNL) side, FRSC FC and Nigeria Nation-Wide League (NNWL) team, FC Abuja lived up to its billing as both teams gave a good account of themselves. FC Abujagiant killers for knocking out some ‘big teams’ in the Nigeria National League (NNL) along the way to the final, began the game on a bright note. They attacked their NNL opponents from all sides, and could have taken an early lead after ten minutes, but FC Abuja’s skipper, Emmanuel
Council Chief Tasks YSFON On ALHAJI Alhassan Bagudu, Female Athletes Chairman, Kaiama Local
Manu Garba
Government Area of Kwara has urged the Youth Sport Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) to develop young female talents through its activities. Bagudu gave the advice in an interview with newsmen at the closing of the 5th Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker’s Cup in Kaiama on Sunday. “I want to encourage YSFON to discover talents among our young girls through various sporting activities,’’ he said.
The council chairman said that large turn out of youths at the tournament showed that the development of friendship through sports was being achieved. Bagudu lauded the council for hosting the competition and showing its concern for youth development in the area. The chairman said he felt elated that by hosting the tournament, the council was
carrying the youth along and also make them to feel that they were concerned about their welfare as a government. The former Kwara legislator pledged the continued sponsorship of sports to discover talents at the grassroots. Bagudu said a mini stadium would be constructed in the council area before the end of his tenure.
Icha’s effort was thwarted by goalkeeper, Cyril Nwonye. FRSC FC also had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the 25th minute, when they were awarded a free kick for a foul just outside their opponent’s box. However, Olayinka Yusuf, saw his shot unfortunately crashing against FC Abuja’s post. In the second half, both teams also had scoring chances of their own but could not take them. However, Tanze of FRSC FC, broke the dead-lock in the 57th minute when he benefited from a goal-mouth scramble, after a defensive error from Abdulkareem Abubakar, to slot home the decisive goal. FRSC FC was presented with the winner ’s trophy by the representative of the FCT Minister, Alim Musa, while FC Abuja received theup medals. Awards and certificates were also presented to the top four teams of the tournament, with Sammy Timothy, carting away the sum of N15, 000 as the tourney’s highest goal scorer. NAN also reports that both the winners and runners-up will represent the FCT at the national edition of the Federation Cup on a date yet-to-be confirmed.
CMYK
May 4th 2012: What It Connotes
For Olaitan And Ugolor
“JUST About 24 hours to the official flag off ceremony of comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s Edo South Senatorial campaign for re-election as Governor of Edo State Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, the Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor was brutally cut down in his home on May 4th 2012. It was a tragic reality that shook the whole nation, particularly Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who called the late Olaitan his son” –Quoted in ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE: CONQUEROR OF THE GODFATHERS (page 89). Two years ago, on May 4th, 2012, a tragic event of monumental proportion took place in Benin City. Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde then, principal private secretary to comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole was murdered in his home. Immediately, the news of his death got to me, one question that came to my mind was: why comrade Olaitan? Why Olaitan of all persons, why Olaitan, Why Olaitan, why would any one silence a character like Olaitan, a Private Secretary to a sitting Governor of Edo state? Well, at that time, it was really hard to believe, but the fact of the matter is that comrade Olaitan Oyerinde is no more, we have lost him in a manner that still calls for more questions. Sunday, May 4th really marked the second anniversary of his gruesome murder. Before I will discuss what that day MAY 4TH 2012, connotes for Olaitan Oyerode and Rev David Ugolor, I want to express my disgust at the way and manner mindless terrorism has overtaken the affairs of our country in the last fourteen day or so. Even as the outrage over the missing girls of Government secondary school, chibok, in North East of the country continues, the bomb
blasts that have become regular occurrence at Nyanya area of Abuja calls for greater worry. The bomb blast that occurred on May Day (that is May 1st 2014) is one too many. According to the report reaching us, those that ignited the bomb drove all the way, very close to a check point manned by security officials in Nyanya suburb of Abuja. What a brazen attempt to ridicule the security operative stationed in that area by individual one can only described as savaged and monsters? What set of people who derives absolute joy and satisfaction in killing and maiming innocent, law abiding citizens but hopeless vampires and cowards? Agreed that this period is a challenging one for the Jonathan Presidency, but from what we have been told by those who know or knows best, this current war being waged by Boko Haram adherents is a fallout of a class war. A class war because it is grievances associated with those stealing sour common wealth blind that has led to the present mindless blood letting in a section of the country. It is a class war that is now claiming poverty stricken Nigerians who have no single hand in how the spoils of power are being distributed. My candid advice to those in power at the centre is to
deploy all their security might at those distributing mayhem, tension, blood and confusion in a section of the country. If truly that those that kidnapped some girls from Government Secondary school, chibok, are presently include in Sambisa
difficult for some stiff necked politicians to want to die or go to war in the name of zoning formula obtainable in a particular political party? Indeed, if the electoral system is clean, transparent, credible and could be accessed by anyone willing to since his or her fatherland that is a
naturally. When Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde was cut down, we know the investigation by the police will be messed up, because that was what happened in high profile murder cases like Alfred Rewane, Funsho
Mohammed Abubakar, Inspector General of Police
forest, the federal Government should move in militarily and solicit for superior international security network to capture these foot soldiers working for those who feel the nation is their birth right to rule till eternity. That is why some of us have been canvassing for the blanket sanitation of the Electoral process in this country. If the electoral system is overhauled, by making the necessary announcements in the Electoral Act to, include Electronic voting system such as we see happening in civilized clines, it will be very
level playing field for everybody, political terrorism, assassination and what have you will be drastically reduced. This is the point I am portion. It is sad and nauseating seeing innocent citizens being traumatised for political sin they did not contribute to, it is worrisome to see families being flung apart because some tiny portion of the population want to have their ways at all times. We all must join in the crusade to sanitise the electoral kingdom of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Once this is done every other thing will fall in place
Williams, Harry Marshall, Bola Ige to name a few. We knew the police will disappoint us as usual, we not surprised at all that the usual killers of Comrade Olentain are yet to be fished out. We were not surprised too, when Rev. David Ugolor, Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) was roped in as the sponsor of the murder of his bossom friendOlaitan. We were only surprised at the manner in which the police brazenly, concocted lies against Rev. David Ugolor. But, God almighty
who sits on the throne and watches over all of us mortals, clearly vindicated Rev. David Ugolor for what he know nothing about, thereby exposing the Nigeria police, as crude, unimaginative, retrogressive organization that is ready to sacrifice and finish off anybody championing the cause of a political, social environmental are sanitized country. Two years ago comrade Olaitan left us suddenly, but by the manner which he was snatched away violently, his memory will continue to be with us. Olaitan was committed, intelligent and compassionate comrade. I knew him in 1995, when I became chairman of the committee for The Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) Edo state. Comrade Olaitan was equally a great friend of Rev. David Ugolor, infact he died in the hands of Rev. Ugolor, at the Central Hospital on May 4 th 2012 what a great loss! May his soul continue to rest in peace. May 4 th 2012, connotes for Olaitan and Ugolor that, the Nigerian system must be changed drastically, that an ethical revolution is needed to change our ways of doing things; the police, political, social, electoral systems must be altered without delay. Nowinta wrote A D A M S OSHIOMHOLE CONQUEROR OF THE GODFATHERS
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