Nigerian observer 06 08 2013

THE NIGERIAN

The Nigerian

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol . 38 • NO.287 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 20 13 • N 100.00 BOTTOMLINE Page 15

Dialogue and information management

2012 flood, worst in 40 yrs JOS - The heavy flood that hit 33 states and affected more than seven million people is Nigeria’s worst flood disaster in 40 years, the Nigeria Red Cross Society has said.

Mr Umar Mairiga, the society’s Disaster

- Red Cross

M a n a g e m e n t Coordinator, told journalists in Jos yesterday that government and all stakeholders must put in everything to avoid a recurrence.

“The Nigerian Government must seriously entrench urban planning from the villages to the urban centres. It must also enforce building codes to reduce the rate of

building collapse in the country.

“Government must also ban the building of houses in high risk areas such as stream beds, steep slopes and floodprone areas to reduce the rate of casualties when Continues on page 2

newly inaugurated members of the A.A.U Governing Council, Comrade Oshiomhole said the constitution of the present council was remarkably different from the previous one because of the presence of demonstrated passion for quality university education among the new members.

He extolled the academic, professional research and to bear acumen of the various members of the council and urged them to bring same in the day-to-day running of the school.

“You should do everything at your disposal to reposition the institution for better performance,” He

AAU gets N500m boost ISSUES Page 22 Child Marriage

Another form of slavery?

By ADAMS OYIBOKE

BENIN CITY – Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole yesterday inaugurated the Governing Council, Ambrose Alli University (A.A.U) Ekpoma.

The rest are, Hon. Mrs. The Governing Council Esohe Jacob former which has Prof. G.I. member, Edo State Akenzuwa as Chairman House of Assembly, received a total of Prince Tony Omoaghe N500,000,000.00 from (JP) and Dr. Godwin the state government to Ogboghodo. enable the council begin While addressing the proper work.

Other members of the ASUU Strike Governing Council ANEEJ, stuinclude, Prof. T.O.K. Audu, Dr. Andrew dents want Iseguan, Prof. Imobighae and Dr. Andrew O. NASS mediaOkhuelagbe. tion BENIN CITY - Nigerian Students and members of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice have called on the National Assembly to revisit the ongoing industrial dispute between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The groups made the call after a roundtable meeting held at the International Secretariat of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice in Benin City. In a Continues on page 2

stressed.

He highlighted some challenging issues facing the institution to include issue of inadequate fund, management issue, transparency and accountability and the issue of accurate record keeping and called on the new members of the council to bring their wealth of experience to

bear in the transformation of the institution.

The state Governor used the occasion of the inauguration ceremony to remind the newly appointed chairman, Prof. G.I. Akenzuwa and his council members of the lopsidedness in appointment of nonacademic and academic Continues on page 2

WEDDING CEREMONY: Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Pius Odubu and the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Cromwell Idahosa at the wedding ceremony of the daughter of the Head of Service of Edo State, Princess (Mrs) Ekiuwa Inneh at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Benin City over the weekend. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE.

Abductors demand N70m for school teachers

By MIKE OSAROGIAGBON

BENIN CITY – Indications emerged that the gunmen who abducted three female primary school teachers last week have demanded N70 million ransom from the families of their victims.

The gunmen were said to have made the demand when they initiated contact with their

victim’s husbands over the weekend.

During the tripartite

telephone contacts, the gunmen were said to have shared the ransom

based on available information on the status of the husbands of their

victims.

It was gathered that the Continues on page 2

PHCN, Benin Zone, set to introduce new Business District is set to

By EIGBIREMOLEN Pre-Paid Meters roll out New Prepaid TUNDE/MERCY IYAHEN BENIN CITY – Power Holding Company of Nigeria (P.H.C.N), Benin

Metres, obtainable within 45 days of payment.

This was disclosed to The NIGERIAN

OBSERVER, by the Assistant General Manager, (AGM) Public Affairs, PHCN,

Babatunde Fadipe in an exclusive chat.

According to Fadipe, Continues on page 2

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

News

2012 flood, worst in 40 yrs

Continued from page 1

flood occurs,’’ he said.

The coordinator lauded NEMA’s aggressive awareness campaign on early warning signals, and commended its usually quick response to disasters.

He said that the disasters

were particularly hard on societal growth because it mostly affected the poor either killing them or leaving them even poorer.

According to him, more than 547 million people are affected by disasters globally every year, and that, the poor have

a much weaker capacity to recover.

“The fragile poor live in marginal areas exposed to disasters and they incidentally are the largest segment of the society,’’ he said.

Giving a breakdown of the disasters, he said that, an average of 296 million people

ASUU Strike: ANEEJ, students want NASS mediation

communique jointly signed at the end of the meeting by the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Reverend David Ugolor, Students Union Government Presidents of University of Benin, Comrade Osasere Favour Osifo, Ambrose Alli University, Comrade Asuenimen Joel Reason and the National President of the National

Association of Edo State Students, Prince Festus Otono, the groups said the National Assembly should revisit the issue despite the efforts made so far and ensure that the strike is called off.

The groups said the much talked about transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan would be a mirage if the federal and state owned universities in the country are continuously shut down.

The students and the human

rights activists also called on all religious leaders, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to join voice in calling on the federal government to put an end to the ongoing strike action so that Nigerian students can go back to school.

The unionists and activists emphasized that they would employ all avenues within the ambit of the rule of law to ensure that the strike action is called off.

Continued from page 1 wives of a serving police officer in Delta State and a public servant in a parastatal in Edo State would pay N20 million each, while that of the other personnel had N30 million ransom demanded for her freedom.

The gunmen were said to have been very blunt in their demand as they are yet to re-open the contact since last weekend, when they opened and closed it.

Meanwhile, the police in Edo State have assured

the victims families and the general public that the three primary school teachers would be released unhurt as investigation into the unfortunate incident has been intensified.

Spokesman, Edo Police Command, DSP Moses Eguavoen gave the assurance in Benin City yesterday.

It would be recalled that three primary school teachers Mrs. Momodu Aisha, Mrs. Patience Osadolor and Mrs.

Oroghene Patience were reportedly abducted by gunmen who stormed Orogbua Primary School at Upper Ekewan Road in Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo State, last Tuesday.

A parent said to have visited the school to check his ward was allegedly hit by bullet fired by the hoodlums.

They reportedly whisked the three women away in a vehicle belonging to one of the three abducted teachers.

Continued from page 1

Oshiomhole in the institution maintaining that all avenues would be explored to enhance the revenue base of the institution and called for proper funding by government.

According to the chairman, “every Kobo put into the institution will be expended with frugality, Judiciousness and Fairness.

Present at the ceremony were the Deputy Governor, Rt.

Hon. Pius E. Odubu, the Crown Prince, (HRH) Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof.

Julius Ihonvbere, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Rt. Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, members of the state executive council representatives of the Benin Monarch and close associates of council’s members among others.

SOKOTO - The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, in Sokoto yesterday condoled with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the death of three of its officers in an auto crash on Friday.

The sultan in a statement expressed grief on behalf of himself and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) over the death of the journalists.

The statement, signed by NSCIA Secretary-General, Prof.

Ishaq Oloyede, said: “We received with deep grief and sorrow the news of a road accident in Osun State which reportedly claimed the lives of three national officers of the union.

“Coming at this time of our national life, such a disturbing incident only amounts to additional agony for the entire country, especially with daily reports of callous killings in one form or another.

“The incident is unfortunate, although it had been ordained

by God and nobody could have stopped it.

“It is their time to go and we will soon join them. This shows the transience of life.”

Abubakar prayed God for the repose of the souls of the journalists, who died in active service to the nation.

The Sultan also urged Muslims: “to pray to Allah for our passage to be the easiest when our time comes.

“This also shows how the days of our lives are fast depreciating and we all know that we are here in this world temporarily.

“Therefore, we should help one another and live our lives as ordained by the two major religions of Islam and Christianity.”

It will be recalled that the three journalists, Adolphus Okonkwo of Voice of Nigeria, Kafayat Odunsi of Nigerian Television Authority and Tunde Oluwanike of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria died in an accident on Osu-Ilesa Road.

Continued from page 1

Abductors for school teachers

AAU gets N500m boost

staff of Ambrose Alli University (A.A.U) and urged them to bring in normalcy.

According to him “there are so many non-academic staff without enough academic staff, you need to appoint or employ more competent academic staff, pay them well to enable them carry out their job effectively,” he stressed.

He frowned at the upsurge of students traveling to places like Ghana for higher academic studies, maintaining that it does not go down well with the development of education in Nigeria and the future of “our children.”

In his remarks on behalf of other members of the governing council, Ambrose Alli University (A.A.U), the chairman, Prof. G.I. Akenzuwa expressed gratitude to the Governor Oshiomhole and the government of Edo State for the opportunity given them to serve the people of Edo State.

He assured the Governor and the people of meeting all the aspirations for the assignment.

In his words “We shall not rest in our oars until we bring A.A.U to the highest level of performance in every function of the university.”

Prof. Akenzuwa promised to improve on the already existing infrastructure put in place by Governor

Sultan condoles with NUJ

are affected by “strange’’ disasters like Tsunami, each year.

According to him, another 145 million by drought, while 106 million are affected by flood each year across the globe.

He also disclosed that poor people were six times more prone to disasters than conflict, with them accounting for the greater proportion of casualty that rose in frequency and impact after every incident.

The official decried the lack of good drainage system, poor sanitation and the building of houses on natural water ways.

He also noted that, out of the 547 million people affected by disaster, 80 to 90 per cent of the death occurred in underdeveloped and developing countries with high consequence on Growth Domestic Products(GDPs).

“Whenever disaster strikes, with the consequent loss of productive and social infrastructure, people are forced out of their homes in search of food and safety.

“They lose their means of livelihood, normal sources of food and water, and are prone to communicable diseases resulting from poor sanitation and overcrowding in camps,’’ he added.

PHCN, Benin Zone, set to introduce new Pre-Paid Meters

Continued from page 1 the unbundling of PHCN through the privatization policy of the Federal Government is geared towards effective service delivery, particularly in the Administration of the New Prepaid Metres; and other issues connected therewith, in line with the National Assembly Act of 2011.

In his words “The Metre cost is non-refundable but the metre cost will eventually be refunded it to consumers over a period of time. Within 45 days of payment, the consumer can access his or her prepaid metre. The implication is that more consumers will have access to prepaid meters without any difficulty whatsoever, unlike the previous arrangement.”

Fadipe further stressed that the “behemoth” called NEPA, of necessity, had to be unbundled for cost effectiveness and proficient service delivery, adding however, that Nigerians and foreigners alike, resident in Nigeria would be better for it, only with the right political will.

The Public Affairs Manager who commended the Federal Government for the policy, however, explained that the new policy was all about credit Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI), adding that the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) in charge of Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti States was poised to make the policy work and appealed to consumers to co-operate with PHCN in that regard by prompt payment of services rendered.

Oshiomhole swears-in new LG chairman BENIN CITY - Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has sworn in Mr. Saturday Ogbeide as the new Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area with an appeal to party leaders in the Local Government to rally round the new chairman.

Speaking shortly after subscribing to the relevant oaths, Governor Oshiomhole who expressed shock at the death of the former Chairman said there can be no vacuum in government.

According to him “in fact it is the extent of the shock that has made us almost to breach the constitution because under the law regardless of what we think, there can be no vacuum in governance. Under the law, immediately the Chairman passed away, we ought to immediately swear in the Vice Chairman as the new Chairman. That is the law and we are obliged to obey it”.

He advised the new leadership which was part of his leadership wound continue with those projects which you had all agreed on before he passed on.

The Governor urged the Chairman to have the courage and strength of character to deliver the promises of good governance to all the wards and across the local government area.

“I also know from my own limited experience that politicians have one disease. It is a serious disease, but it is not terminal, but it is one that is capable of weakening the strongest human being on this planet. The disease of rumour-mongering, half

truths, sometimes complete untruth, creating factions and creating division where there is no unity.

“I want to appeal to our party leaders and members to support the young man, I have just sworn in with honest advice and proper guidance, informed by what constitutes the greatest good of the greatest number of the people”, he noted.

Oshiomhole said “allow me to advice you publicly that since it has pleased God to make you the Chairman, I ask you to resist the temptation of undoing any of the things your predecessor has done. It was an open secret that at this level of our political evolution, we still pay attention to geo-political sensitivities and I am aware of the political difficulties you encountered in constituting your executive of Esan West Local Government. I ask you not to go from here and remove people appointed by your predecessor and replace them with your own.

You must resist the temptation of being moved to make changes. To do so is to suggest that you do not mourn the dead.

“On my part, I want to assure you that I will extend to you every support and I will give you every encouragement so on you can have peace and achieve progress and development”, the Governor added.

Responding, the Council Chairman Mr. Ogbeide pledged to work assiduously for upliftment of the Local Government Area.

Ogbeide was sworn in as Chairman of Esan West Local Government Araea following the death of the former Chairman Mr. Henry Irumudumu on July 26, 2013.

FG declares Aug 8 - 9 public holidays ABUJA - The Federal Government has declared August 8 and 9 public holidays to mark the 2013 Eid-el-Fitri celebration.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, on behalf of the Federal Government.

The statement was signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Fatima Bamidele.

It urged Muslim faithful to use the spiritual benefits of Ramadan to contribute to the development of the nation.

The statement also urged Nigerians to exploit the spiritual benefits of love, joy and peace in their daily living and to use the opportunity of the holidays to reflect on the imperative of peace in nation building.

It wished all Nigerians a rewarding and peaceful celebration.

LAGOS - President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has sent a message of condolence to the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola over the demise of his father Pa Ademola Fashola.

Senator Mark in the condolence to the governor, government and people of Lagos state noted that Pa Fashola lived an eventful and accomplished life worthy of emulation.

He said : “ I received the news of the death of your beloved father with shock and

sadness at a time his wealth of experience and wisdom is most needed. I am however consoled that your father lived an exemplary life and left a legacy of selfless service to the community.

“Your track record of achievements especially your excellent performance as the governor of Lagos State bears eloquent testimony that your father left a legacy of integrity and excellence.

“I can only urge you to continue in that stead and live up the billing as a further testimony that Pa Fashola lives.”

Senate President condoles Fashola over dad’s death

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

Inside Edo Taskforce Seize Frozen Chicken

LG Boss Commiserates With Family Of Late Council Chairman

By IJEOMA UMEH BENIN CITY- Men of the Edo State Unit of the National Taskforce (NATFORCE) to combat illegal importation of small Arms and Ammunition, Light weapons and other contraband goods at the weekend recorded a break through in their operations with the interception and seizure of a Huma bus loaded with barred frozen Turkey valued at over N21 million in Benin City.

Leading the operations, the state Director of the NATFORCE, Dr. Nosa Ighodaro stated that the bus, belonging to a private transport company was intercepted by men of the unit on duty at the Sapele-bypass axis.

According to him, on sighting the Task force officials the driver took a fast turn but was chased and arrested by the officials.

The NATFORCE Director, flaying the attempt of security agents whom he stated were supposed to be partners in progress to subvert justice, also enjoined importers of illegal goods to beware since NATFORCE would not condone any act of lawlessness, neither would it accept bribe or intimidation.

The bus load of frozen Turkey was towed to the Area Command Headquarters of the Nigeria Police where it was inspected and documented for onward investigation and prosecution.

FUGARThe Executive Chairman of Etsako Central Local Government Area Council, Hon. Emmanuel Momoh has Commiserated with the family of late Hon. Henry Irumundomon, former chairman of Esan West Local Government Area.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman Mr. Elias Inaede, the Etsako Central Local Government Chairman Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (right) and the Head of Service, Princess (Mrs.) Ekiuwa Inneh (middle) and her husband, Mr. Daniel Inneh at their daughter’s wedding ceremony in Benin City. PHOTO: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE described late Hon. Irumudomon as an asset who had the leadership qualities to pilot the affairs which was at the Custom of the people at the

By IJEOMA UMEH House, Aduwawa witnessed by grassroot Hon. Momoh Amos and Ahem Salihu officers of the Nigeria Police, stated that the demise Hon. BENIN CITY- The Nigeria Owerri of the NCS, Dinka officers in charge of Onitsh NAFDAC, Nigerian Security Irumundomon was a rude Customs Service (NCS) has Victor David gave the stated again bemoaned the smuggling indication at the weekend in Head Bridge axis and and Civil Defence Corps, shock coming at a time drugs Law when his services was of contraband Frozen Chicken Benin City as the men of the Documentation respectively National and Turkey through the unit in charge of the Onitsha- stated that the federal Enforcement Agency and the needed in the efforts to nation’s porous borders and the Head Bridge axis impounded a government policy on Department of State Security provide the basic health risks posed by the truck-load of 1,500 cartons of importation has placed a ban on Service the Asaba-Onitsha infrastructural facilities consumption of such products frozen chicken and Turkey the importation of the items Head Bridge. that would impart which were subsequently Speaking to reporters, the positively on the lives of to the public. along.

NCS, Zone boss stated that The Comptroller, Federal The NCS boss who was destroyed. the people at the grassroot.

The destruction exercise despite the effort by smugglers Operations Unit, Zone C, represented by Messrs Fatoba The local government to take advantage of the boss however prayed God nation’s porous borders and to grant the immediate smuggle contraband goods into predicated on the struggle for the immensely in achievement of our family values. the country, the superior family and the entire “If we have been able to emancipation and well-being of mandate” she concluded.

The high point of the event was intelligence of the NCS would people of Esan West Local identify the cause of the problem man and has always been won by the inauguration, lunching of the always come to play in Government Area the and God is sending people to those who profess sacrifice as an foundation as well as distribution ensuring the nations is rid of strength and fortitude to solve this problem for us, them article of faith”. This of gifts to widows and orphans frozen chicken and Turkey. consciousness has helped bear the irreparable loss.

I’m sure we will get excellent and

Customs Bemoans Smuggling Of Frozen Chickens

Family Value: Lawmaker Tasks Nigerians

By RICHARD EWEKA BENIN CITY - The member Representing Uhunmwode Constituency in the Edo state House of Assembly Hon. Elizabeth Ativie has called on Local, State and Federal government to join hands with Foundation For Family-values International (FFI), a faith-base Non-Government Organization (NGO) in building strong family values.

She made the call in Benin City as the weekend during Bishop Kelly Pastoral the inauguration and launch of the NGO. Hon. Ativie said family value affects every aspect of our daily lives as a nation saying that, “A well brought up child culminates in a well broughtup adult who in turn would have a positive impact on the development of the nation while a badly brought up child will affect the nation negatively”.

According to her, this NGO must be taken seriously for it is centered on building the family value”.

“Ninety percent (90%) of the problem we face today as a nation is a result of the break down in

quality result”, she concluded.

In her speech the President/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FFI, Dr. (Mrs.) Carol Dickson Olorunda, the vision bearer said the NGO focuses “on building up every aspect of the family and all about showing love and care to humanity.

“The family is known to be the building unit of the society but current survey has shown that family values have been greatly eroded and it has unfortunately brought with it increased vices in our society”.

Speaking further Dr. (Mrs.) Olorunda said FFI “seeks to build strong family values; coaching young people on how to create wealth through skills acquisition and workshop; taking care of orphans and less privileged; caring for the welfare of widows and given rehabilitation to abused girl child”.

“FFI conceptual idea and operational framework is

present at the occasion.

Some traditional rulers at the town hall meeting on Education sector in Benin City.

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Inside Edo Residents Lament High Cost Of Cooking Gas, Kerosene AUCHI (Edo)- Prices of kerosene and cooking gas have

risen in Auchi in the Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo

State.

A survey showed that price of kerosene had recorded about 100 per cent increase in the past one week.

According to the survey, one litre

of kerosene which sold for between N100 and N120 up till July 25, now sells for N200 at filling stations in the area.

At black market spots, a litre

Governor Adams Oshiomhole at a Town hall meeting on Education in Edo State in Benin City, yesterday.

Project Execution:

Contractors

By EMMANUEL EGOBIAMBU

BENIN CITY – the chairman, Orhionmwon Local Government, Rt. Hon. Chief Rowland Ibierufomwen, has urged Contractors handling

projects in the local government, to go back to site as they will pay any contractor that completes his project.

The chairman gave this charge at Egbokor when he paid an unscheduled visit to the construction site at Osaretin Primary School, Egbokor.

LG Boss Tasks According to him, the council administration is committed to the completion of projects including the ones started by the previous administrative, adding that it will amount to a waste of resource if ongoing projects are abandoned.

The chairman therefore ordered the contractor handling the three classroom project and headmaster’s office to report to his

LG Boss Bags Award

BENIN CITY- In recognition of his outstanding performance and selfless service to humanity, the Executive Chairman of Etsako Central Local Government Area Council, Hon Emmanuel Ozemede Momoh has bagged the Rotary Club of Oregbeni Honourary Award.

Speaking shortly after receiving the Award Hon. Momoh said that he was elated to be given the award, stressing that whatever a man is doing is being appreciated and noticed by others.

The Council boss thanked the Leadership of the Rotary Club for the recognizing his selfless Service adding that the award will spur him and challenge him to do more for humanity.

In his speech, the newly installed president of the Rotary club of Oregbeni District 9240, Rtn. Thomas Okhimamhe thanked members of the club for the honour done him and promised to Justify the Confidence reposed in him.

He solicited for the support and Cooperation of every

member of the club in order to take the club to a greater height.

Speaking with newsmen the Deputy Leader of Etsako Central Legislative Arm, Hon. Becky B.B Sule, Commended the Executive Chairman of Etsako Central Local Government Area Hon. Emmanuel Momoh for the Award and for his Visionary leadership qualities stressing that the Award will encourage the council boss to do more for the service of humanity and called on the people of the local government to join hand with him so that more dividends of democracy can be attracted to them.

The ceremony which took place at the weekend in Benin City attracted dignitaries from all walks of life.

High point of the ceremony was the presentation of the Awards and a Maze to the new president as a staff of office. The four way test of the Rotary Club of Oregbeni are, Is it the truth, is if fair to all concerned, will it build Goodwill and better friendships and will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Meanwhile Etsako Central Local Government Council, Fugar has held a tender Board Meeting with all contractors who applied for contracts with the local government council.

The meeting which was sequal to recent newspapers publication was attended by stakeholders including officials of the local government council and contractors.

The council chairman who was represented by the vice chairman of the council, Hon Charles Eshiesimua disclosed that the meeting was summoned to harness the agreement reached between the local government and the contractor.

The head of Local Government Administration, comrade Omokaro G. Broderick’s also commended the chairman of the council for the initiative to organize the Tenders Board Meeting .

Responding on behalf of the Contractors Mr. Jimoh Yusuf of Hay Bravo International Limited thanked the Council Boss for his (council boss) reception and transparency in his style of leadership.

office with relevant documents.

This he said will enable him assess the level of work done so far.

He said that though a large Chunk of the council’s revenue go into payment of teachers salary, his administration is committed to complimenting Governor Oshiomhole’s giant strides in education.

Speaking, the Odionwere of Egbokor, Mr. Igbinosun Obasogie, commended the Chairman for his concern while expressing dissatisfaction with the attitude of the contractor.

He also condemned the non-challant attitude of the headmaster towards pupils in the school.

of kerosene is sold for between N280 and N300.

The survey also showed that the price of cooking gas has risen by 11 per cent, with a 12kilogramme cylinder, selling for N3,500 as against its former price of N3,000.

Lamenting the situation, some residents of the area who spoke with NAN said the increase in the prices of the products had adversely affected them.

They described the development as sad, saying it had added to the hardship most families in the area were facing.

According to Mrs Kehinde Edigan, a housewife in Auchi, most of us make a lot of sacrifice to ensure that we provide food for our families, adding that the high cost of cooking gas and kerosene “is like killing us.

“I am managing to buy kerosene at the new price, because my husband is supportive but I imagine how many people can afford such amount for just a litre of kerosene.

“It is quite painful that the masses of this country are going through this type of stress and each time I reflect on this, I cannot help but wonder how people are suffering in this

country.”

She accused petroleum products dealers in the area of conniving with black marketers to “inflict hardship on the people”, saying that they were adding to the burden on the people.

Another resident, Mrs Hafsat Olubukoye, said she was embarrassed when she was asked to pay N3,400 to fill a 12kg cylinder.

She said she had only N3,000 on her, which she said, was the normal price she had bought the commodity three weeks earlier.

“I just wonder how long we will continue to wake up and discover sharp changes in things, especially rise in prices of items used daily for upkeep of families.

“The worst is that even the price of kerosene has gone out of the reach of the ordinary man,” she lamented.

At a gas dealer’s shop, the operator, Mrs Agatha Umoru, told NAN that the new price of the product was dependent on the cost at which it was being procured from the depot but declined to disclose the depot price.

On their part, filling stations dealers attributed the rise in the price of kerosene to “market situation”.

Council Pledges To Improve Health to report to his office as Services centres she was not available during the

By OPEYEMI OLUGBEMIRO

BENIN CITYThe chairman of the Orhionwon Local Government Area, Rt. Hon Chief Roland Ibievulomwen has reiterated his administration’s commitment towards good health services in the area.

He stated this during his unscheduled visit to the Okogbo and Evbarue Health Centres recently.

At Okogbe, the chairman mandated the lead of the health

visit.

Mrs. Blessing Ogbemudia, head of Evbarue health centres appealed to the chairman to intervene in the provision of drugs and other challenges militating against the delivery of good health services in the area.

Responding, the chairman assured the health centres of provision of drugs and also directed members of staff of the health center to stop using drugs made available for personal gain as the practice will no longer be tolerated.

L-R: Hon. Justice Peter Isibor, Hon. Patrick Aguinede and Hon. Washington Osifo, at the town hall meeting on education in Benin City. PHOTO: CHARITY OZIGBOESERE

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

South South LG Boss Donates Block Of Classrooms

OKPELLA – The Chairman, Etsako East Local Government Council, Hon. Abdulmalik Suleiman Afegbua inspected and

handed over the keys of a 6 classrooms block constructed at Iddo II Primary School Iddo, Okpella to the school authority.

Addressing the pupils of the school, the council chairman promised to provide seats and desks for the school during the next academic session.

He noted that education remains a top priority of his administration saying he will soon inaugurate the construction of 4 classroom

block at Iddo 1 primary school.

He added that similar projects will soon be completed in Ivianokpodi and Imiekuri noting that the 10 wards in the area are perfectly captured in the development schemes.

Responding, the Headmasters of the school, Mr. Okiti Kassim Amedu who was full of joy and praise for the chairman thanked him for the project.

He however, requested

for the provision of security in order to ensure the safety of school property and the new building.

He expressed the need for the provision of electricity in the school to ensure optimal utilization of the school’s facilities.

Speaking on behalf of other pupils, Benjamin Eshiokhe thanked the council chairman for the project.

The chairman was accompanied by Supervisors and Special Assistants.

Varsity Partners Govt On Flood Management

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Chief (Sir) Oseni Elamah briefing journalists on what transpired on the alleged closure of Benin Airport.

YENAGOA - The Bayelsa Post Flood Management Committee in collaboration with the Flood Research Group of the Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa, will hold a workshop on August 27 to address flooding in the state.

Ex-AFAN Chairman Predicts Bumper Harvest

ASABA - A former Chairman of the Delta State Branch of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Chief Gerry Ossai, has predicted that farmers in the state would enjoy bumper harvest at the end of the 2013 farming season.

Ossai, who spoke in an interview with newsmen in Asaba hinged his prediction on the early rainfall recorded across the state.

He said that farmers in the state had utilised the opportunity provided by the rainfall to plant their crops, adding that “even at the moment, farmers have started planting crops, especially corn, for the second time this year.

“In such a situation, I am comfortable to say that farmers in the state will be expecting good harvest this year,’’ he added.

The former commissioner for agriculture, revealed that although farmers whose farms were in low areas prone to flooding had begun to experience wetness on the soils, the situation might not be as bad as it was in 2012.

He said that the State

Government had taken some measures to forestall heavy flooding around the state by clearing strategic natural waterways.

“Since the State Government has done what is necessary and hoping that dams have been put under control, heavy rainfall may not result to flooding in this part of the country this year.

“So, I really do not think that there will be flooding this year that will rank with the kind of devastation recorded in the state last year,’’ Ossai said.

Some members of NUT present at the Town Hall meeting on Education at Imaguero College in Benin City recently.

Breastfeeding: UNICEF

Trains Counsellors

UYO - UNICEF has trained 155 community counsellors to assist in the exclusive breastfeeding programme in Akwa Ibom, an official of the state’s Ministry of Health, has said.

The official, Mr. Victor Bassey, who is the Coordinator of the BabyFriendly Initiative in the ministry, made the announcement in an interview with newsmen in Uyo. Bassey explained that

counsellors who benefited from the training programme were selected from the 31 Local Government Areas of the state.

He said that although UNICEF paid beneficiaries of the training N500 per week for the two months the exercise lasted, the counsellors’ duties were voluntary.

“They are expected to go into the communities and visit

nursing mothers, counsel as well as support them to continue exclusive breast feeding for six months.

“The beneficiaries were given counselling cards to log in information on the performance of the nursing mothers,” Bassey explained.

He said that the number of breast feeding counsellors was grossly inadequate for the state, appealing to the Local Government authorities to support the programme to

train more counsellors for comprehensive coverage of the state.

The coordinator explained that exclusive breast feeding of infants for the first six months was capable of preventing early sicknesses.

He also said that the 2013 Breast Feeding Week in Akwa Ibom would be flagged off officially by the commissioner for health in the second week of August.

It was learnt that the collaboration followed a prediction of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency which listed Bayelsa as one of the states that might experience flooding during the year.

The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Post Flood Management Committee, Chief Francis Doukpola, told newsmen in Yenagoa that the workshop was necessary to help educate the people on important steps to take during flooding.

He said it would provide a platform for learning best practices in flood management and technology and assist to draw up an action plan of collaboration between the state and federal governments as well as the private sector.

He said community dwellers were bound to be better off in terms of knowledge after the workshop. “ It will take inventory and review the interventions and shortfalls experienced during the 2012 flooding.

“The one-day interactive session will specifically look at flood control measures, causes of flooding in Bayelsa; flood mitigation, monitoring and evaluation.

“We will critically look at the enhancement of institutional measure through capacity building of ecological agencies and other aspect of flood management.

“The workshop will also showcase further intervention efforts planned by the state Post Flood Management Committee,“ he said.

He said the sub-theme of the workshop would be: Flood Management: A Collective Responsibility.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

Across The Nation Expert Wants Campaign Against Open Defecation

L - R: President, Odu’a Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (Odu’ ACCIMA), Chief Alaba Lawson; representative of National President, NACCIMA, Asiwaju Kayode Onafowokan and 2nd National President of NACCIMA, Chief Olatunji Osibamowo, at the Annual General meeting of the Chamber in Ibadan recently.

OSOGBO - Dr Mathew Olowokere of MercyLand Clinic Osogbo, has called on government at all levels to intensify its awareness campaigns against open defecation.

Olowokere made the call in Osogbo, while reacting to the nuisance and environmental hazards posed by open defecation in every community in Nigeria.

He said, “Open defecation, where people find convenience to answer the call of nature, has turned to a culture in every community and it calls for urgent attention by governments to curb the practise.

“Open defecation is not only

Breastfeeding: 37 Countries Pass Marketing Code Recommendations ABUJA - Only 37 countries have passed the laws reflecting all the recommendations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, a WHO report said.

The report is contained in a statement signed by Mr Daniel Epstein, Communications Officer WHO, Geneva, to commemorate the World Breastfeeding Week, which holds from August 1 to August 7.

The year’s theme, “Breast feeding Support: Close to Mothers”, highlights the importance of providing support to breast feeding families.

The statement said that the 37 were chosen out of the 199 countries reporting to WHO on the implementation of the code.

It said that for example, 69 of the countries had fully prohibited advertisement of breast milk substitutes, while 62 had completely prohibited free samples or low-cost supplies for health services.

It further said that 64 countries had completely prohibited gifts of any kind from relevant manufacturers of milk substitutes.

The statement said breastfeeding was the best source of nourishment for infants and young children and one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival.

According to the statement, people who are breast fed as babies are less likely to be overweight or obese later in life.

It said that the children would also be less prone to diabetes and perform better in intelligence tests.

It quoted Dr Carmen Casanovas, a breastfeeding expert with WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, as saying that “nearly all mothers are physically able to breast feed and will do so if they have accurate information and support.

“But in many cases, women are discouraged from doing so and are misled to believe that they are giving their children a better start in life by buying commercial

substitutes,” the statement said.

It added that with concern that breast milk substitutes were being marketed to mothers too aggressively, the 27th World Health Assembly in 1974 urged

member states to review sales promotion activities on baby foods.

The statement said that member states were also urged to introduce appropriate remedial measures, including advertisement codes and

legislation where necessary.

Casanovas was quoted as saying that “full implementation of the code is vital to reducing or eliminating all forms of promotion of breast milk substitutes.’’

It said WHO would support a comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition which aims at increasing the global rate of exclusive breast feeding for six months.

Gilford noted that the state government was also planning to setting up a processing plant close to the farm.

According to him, beneficiaries of the YCAD started as various cooperative societies.

He said that he had been given

the beneficiaries technical support on the programme.

He stressed that the programme was performancebased, adding that those who did not perform well would be screened out.

Gilford said that the Ekiti state would be willing to partner with

Fadama III on YCAD in the area of tractorisation.

“We always have tractors coming in here and going. We do not have a permanent tractor. But we will be happy if Fadama III can help facilitate that,” Gilford said.

productivity.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Mrs Idowu Jokpeyibo, the Director, Press, in the ministry and made available to newsmen.

The statement said that Odusote said this at a breakfast meeting of the College of Fellows of the society at IlokoIjesha, Osun.

According to her, there are many areas the society can partner with the sector to boost productivity effortlessly.

She cited an example of how information technology was responsible for the major successes recorded in the sector through the e-wallet initiative.

The permanent secretary stated

Expert Wants More Women In Agriculture AYEDE-EKITI (EKITI) Mr. Tayo Adewunmi, National Coordinator of the World Bank Assisted Fadama III project, has called for more women involvement in the Youth Commercial Agriculture Development (YCAD) Programme, in Ekiti-State.

He made the call when he led the Fadama III Technical Assistance Mission’s team to some YCAD sites in AyedeEkiti.

Adewunmi, who was represented by Mrs Bukky Adetoro, the Fadama III National Environmental Specialist, advised that the State Government should make the lifeline for the project softer for women.

He added that the location and accessibility to the project site should be well planned.

Adewunmi assured the state government on Fadama III support on the YCAD programme.

“You all know that World Bank project has its own procedure. And Fadama does not fund what is not profitable.’’

He urged the farm manager of the YCAD farm to always relate with the Fadama III team in the state.

In his remarks, Mr Miles Gilford, Technical Support Manager of YCAD, explained that the objective of the programme was to improve commercial agriculture.

He said that about 350,000 hectares of land had been cleared in Iyemoro-Ekiti for planting of cassava and maize under YCAD.

in the villages, where dwellers do not believe that it is essential to have latrines, but also common in urban cities and towns, even travellers defecate on road sides with impunity.

“Though failure on the part of governments to provide enough public toilets is part of what contributed to it.

“Even using the existing ones is difficult because you have to tiptoe inside available ones to avoid marching heaps of excretes due to lack of maintenance.’’

Olowokere further said the common problem associated with open defecation was water contamination, which could result to gastrointestinal diseases; outbreak of cholera and diarrhea, especially among children.

He, therefore, appealed to governments to intensify its awareness campaign in order to educate the general public on the danger and hazards associated with open defecation.

The reports say that wife of the Osun governor, Mrs Serifat Aregbesola, in an attempt to nib the problem of open defecation in the bud, has embarked on sensitization campaign to educate residents of the state against the act.

Aregbesola who is the state Ambassador for a Communityled Total Sanitation (CLTS) promised to make 157 communities free of open defecation soonest.

FG Seeks Partnership With Computer Experts ABUJA - Mrs Ibukun Odusote, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has stressed the need for Nigeria Computer Society to be more involved in the sector to enhance

President Odu’a Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (Odu’ ACCIMA), Chief Alaba Lawson (R), Addressing Stakeholders at the Annual General meeting of the Chamber in Ibadan recently.

that information technology had boosted farmers database and smoothen the distribution of inputs.

“The e-wallet scheme as a major driver of Growth Enhancement Support (GES) of the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) in distribution of fertilisers and other farm inputs, is a product of digital application,’’ she said.

Odusote urged the society to key into the activities of the ministry, pointing out that the partnership would eliminate corruption in the sector and empower a new generation of farmers.

She also solicited the society’s support to consolidate the success already recorded in agriculture in Nigeria, especially in the area of digital management of the new silos built across the federation.

Odusote said that she was optimistic that by so doing, the sector would be able to measure content, quantity and output of grains contained in each silo to enable the ministry efficiently manage and deploy the content.

The permanent secretary also observed that the recent approval of N10 billion cassava bread funds by the Federal Government was to further boost activities in the sector.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

News Beggar Arraigned Over N42,000 Theft

Fraud

Estate Agent Docked

LAGOS - An estate agent, Oluwaseun Bamisaye, who allegedly collected N540, 000 under the pretext of purchasing a car for a woman, was on Tuesday docked in Lagos.

Bamisaye, 35, who lives at No. 21, Aina Aladi St., Alagbado, a Lagos suburb, is facing a two-count charge of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing at a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court.

The Prosecutor, Insp.

Ignatius Okeke told the court that the accused committed the offences sometime in November 2012 at Falomo Police Barracks, Lagos.

He said Bamisaye collected N540, 000 from the complainant, Ms Chioma Ugwu, with a promise to help her to buy a Toyota Matrix car.

“Following the inability of the estate agent to deliver the car— after several weeks the complainant was forced to report the matter to the police,” Okeke said.

He noted that the offences contravened Sections 285(1) and 312 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused pleaded innocence of the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N100, 000, with two sureties in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mrs Y. R. Pinheiro, adjourned the case to August 12 for mention.

Reports say that the accused may be sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on conviction.

L-R: The author, Mr. Olubunmi Ajayi, representative of Osun Governor, Mr. Muyiwa Ige and Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Niyi Omole, at a Book launch in Lagos recently.

APC Will Grow Nigeria’s Democracy - Chieftain UMUAHIA - Chief Stanley Ohajuruka, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that the party’s registration by INEC will grow democracy in the country.

Ohajuruka told newsmen in Umuahia that the party would provide an alternative platform to advance development in the country. “We are going to witness a robust opposition anchored on constructive criticism and responsibility,” he said.

Ohajuruka, who represents Abia in the APC caucus, said the party would rely on

credible and transparent political stalwarts to win the confidence of the masses.

He said Abia would be one of the greatest beneficiaries of the move to enthrone positive change.

“If there is any state we are sure of winning, it is Abia because the state is fertile for the opposition to take over.

“We will ensure that people that will be given opportunity to serve have integrity because our party will not be controlled by one single individual or group of individuals,” he said.

Ohajuruka said it was not late for APC to close ranks with other opposition parties to ensure success in subsequent elections in the state.

“We are expecting directives from our national leadership to engage in mass mobilisation of support for the project,” he said.

He said the transparency shown by the INEC in the registration process was commendable.

“INEC has shown itself to be a neutral umpire and the onus now lies on politicians across the country to assist the

Traders at water melon section of Muda Lawal market in Bauchi waiting for customers recently.

electoral body achieve credible polls,” he said.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia has said that it is not losing sleep over the registration of the APC. Mr Onapuruagu Ukegbu, the chairman of the party in the state, told newsmen that such would not affect their success in the 2015 general elections.

“As far as APGA is concerned, APC is our least problem in Abia and there is no point wasting our efforts thinking about its quest to perform better than us in the state,” Ukegbu said.

IKEJA - The police in Lagos have arraigned a beggar, Mustapha Umar, 32, over alleged stealing of N42,000.

Umar, who begs at Conoil Filling Station, Ikeja, is facing a count charge before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

The Prosecutor, Insp.

Samson Ekikere, said that the beggar stole the sum on July 27 at the filling station.

Ekikere said that Umar stole the money from Mrs Margaret Nwachukwu, who trades near the filling station.

He said that Nwachukwu, a pregnant woman, kept the money in her shop in preparation for a check-up in a hospital.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

The Magistrate, Mrs Abimbola OshodiMakanju, granted him bail in the sum of N20,000 with one surety in like sum.

He adjourned the case to Aug. 12 for mention.

APC To Wage War On Corruption PORT HARCOURT - The National Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Tijani Tumsah, said the party would fight corruption with a view to eliminating it from the polity.

Tumsah made the promise during an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

He said the transformation of the country could not be realised without an uncompromised decision to eradicate corruption.

The national secretary said the APC had the required human resource to take Nigeria to a greater height. “APC has the human resource to turn Nigeria’s economy around through provision of regular power supply, creation of jobs, promotion of investment and

industrialisation.’’

According to him, APC is going to put the country back on track for effective utilisation of resources.

Tumsah, who decried insecurity and level of poverty in the country, said the party was determined to put smiles on the faces of the downtrodden.

He called on Nigerians to support the party’s programmes for a united and prosperous country.

He said there was no other country Nigerians could call their own hence the need for collective responsibility to transforme it.

Tumsah commended INEC for living up to its responsibilities by registering APC, and promised that the party would abide by the Electoral Act.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

Across The Nation

Fashola Condoles With Journalists

LAGOS - Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos has expressed shock and deep sadness over Friday’s death of three members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in an auto crash.

In a condolence message signed by Mr. Hakeem Bello, his Special Adviser on Media, the

governor said it was regrettable that the journalists died in the course of promoting the interest of the profession.

Fashola said his thoughts and prayers were with members

of the union at this difficult time and prayed for the peaceful repose of the departed journalists and the quick recovery of those injured.

Also reacting, the Lagos

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, described the incident as a big blow to the journalism profession.

He said it was unfortunate

that “our colleagues had to suffer this fate while on union assignment.’’

He prayed for the repose of their souls and asked God to grant the families they had left behind

Osun PDP Commiserates With NUJ OSOGBO - the Osun chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commiserated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the death of three journalists in an auto crash in Ilesha.

The state’s PDP Chairman, Alhaji Gani OlaOluwa, said in a statement in Osogbo that “the untimely death of the professionals was a great loss to the NUJ family and the country at large.’’

Reports say that the accident occurred at about 7 p.m. on Friday on Ilesa-Ileife Highway when the victims were returning to Lagos from Abuja where they went for a meeting.

It was learnt that one of the rear tyres of the vehicle they were in burst, making the bus to summersault many times before it landed in a bush.

Three of the 13 occupants, Kafayat Odunsi of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Adolphous Okonkwo of Voice of Nigeria (VON) and Tunde Oluwanike of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) died on the spot.

The other 10 journalists in the bus were seriously injured.

The injured were rushed to the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for treatment, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at the hospital morgue.

The Osun PDP chairman said the accident was unfortunate, describing late Aldolphous Okonkwo of VON, whom he said he knew as a former secretary of Lagos NUJ before becoming Financial Secretary of the National NUJ, as a refined gentleman.

The PDP Chairman commiserated with the FRCN Ibadan over the death of Tunde Oluwanike and NTA’s Kafayat Odunsi.

the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

It was learnt that one of the rear tyres of the vehicle they were in burst, making the bus to summersault many times before it landed in a bush.

Three of the 13 occupants, Kafayat Odunsi of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Adolphous Okonkwo of Voice of Nigeria (VON) and Tunde Oluwanike of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) died on the spot, while 10 others were injured.

The injured were rushed to the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for treatment, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at the hospital morgue.

Group Prays For Development

L - R: APGA South-East Chairmen, Enugu, Mr. Sunday Nwachuku; Ebonyi, Mr. Nwali Alphonsus; National Vice Chairman South-East, Dr. Elijah Onwuka; Imo, Dr. Emeka Ukaegbu and Abia, Chief John Agbara, addressing newsmen after their meeting in Enugu recently.

APGA Suspends Okorocha For Anti-Party Activity ABUJA - The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has suspended Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo from the party “for engaging in anti-party activities.’’

Notice of the suspension is contained in a communiqué signed by the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, at the end of the party’s National Executive Meeting on Saturday in Abuja.

The communique noted that “rising from an emergency NEC meeting in Abuja, APGA unanimously resolved to dissolve the Imo executive committee of the party.

“The party’s NEC has also

resolved to appoint a 21-man caretaker committee to oversee its affairs in Imo until a congress is held.’’

It regretted that a governor on the platform of APGA could decide to act contrary to the constitution of the party that voted him into power.

According to the communiqué, the party had approved electoral guidelines for the Anambra governorship primaries for 2013 and fixed its next sitting for August 31.

Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi, the National Vice Chairman of APGA South-West, who read out the resolutions of the NEC meeting, said the party leaders

had discussed preparations for the Anambra gubernatorial election.

Sowunmi said barely three weeks after the party invited aspirants who declared interest in the race, 14 of them had already picked the expression of interest forms.

He said that the male aspirants paid N10 million and female paid N5 million.

He also said those who had collected the expression of interest forms were expected to pick the nomination forms and then be screened for the primaries.

The communiqué also stated that women were asked to

L - R: Deputy National Secretary, United Progress Party (UPP), Chief Flint Obiekwe; National treasurer, Prince Ogorchukwu Akanegbu and National Chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, at a news conference on Anambra Governorship elections in Enugu recently.

pay N5 million as against the N10 million paid by their male counterparts in order to encourage them to participate actively in politics.

The APGA national vice chairman said the NEC had again restated that the party was not part of APC, adding that some governors had smuggled in the logo of APGA into their advertorials.

“We demand for an apology from Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos and the payment of N20 billion for doing that.

“We also demand N5 billion from Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State for same offence.’’

The communique urged all the parties involved in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election to stick to the code of conduct signed with INEC and shun negative acts.

Speaking shortly after the NEC meeting, Umeh said the meeting was summoned to prove that the party’s crisis and other important issues bordering the party had been put to rest.

He said that with the return of peace among key stakeholders, APGA would definitely regain the Imo governorship seat in the next election.

“APGA is set to retain the governorship of Anambra on November 16. We welcome all other political parties to engage us in the contest.

“We are calling for a level playing ground because with a level playing ground, we are sure of victory at the end of the day,’’ he added.

IBADAN - The Women Intercessory Network (WIN), the Oyo State Women Breakthrough Prayer Group, in Ibadan, held prayer session for continued transformation of the state.

Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, Wife of the Oyo State Governor, at the prayer session, which was held at the Government House Arcade, commended the group for supporting the administration with prayers.

She said “our administration believes so much in the power of prayers which has contributed a lot to the ongoing transformation of the state.’’

Ajimobi, who was represented by Mrs. Janet Adeyemo, Wife of the Deputy Governor, said prayer was a big weapon for continued success in the state.

She appreciated the prayer rally group and promised the administration’s continued commitment to the development of the state.

Evangelist Kemi Opatunde, in her speech, commended the government for the successes recorded in the education sector, adding that the state was now ranked 13th against its earlier 34th position in the country in terms of education.

She prayed for continued success in the sector and quick resolution of the ASUU-FG faceoff.

Mrs. Toyin Marinho, a member of the group, urged the government to construct public toilets and provide potable water for the populace, saying it would assist the people a lot.

Reports say that the prayer session and prophetic declarations on the state was led

by Rev. Omowunmi Popoola.

Reports also say that the programme was attended by Alhaja Adijat Olajide, wife of the Secretary to the State Government, Justice Badejoko Adeniji, the Oyo State Chief Judge.

Others were female members of the state executive council, wives of state assembly members, chairpersons of local government areas and a host of other women in the state.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

Abuja Skill Acquisition FCT To Empower Women

L-R: Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, Chairman, Technical Committee, National Council on Privatisation, Dr. Atedo Peterside and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power, Mr. Beks Dagogo-Jack, at the opening of bids for the privatisation process of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company Plc andn Afam Power Plc in Abuja recently.

KUJE (FCT) - The Minister of State for FCT, Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, has reiterated the Administration’s commitment to empowering women through skills acquisition to improve their livelihood.

Akinjide made the commitment at the inauguration and handover of the Women Development Centre in Kuje Area Council of the FCT. “We will do everything we can to support women in the FCT to make sure that they have finance and train them for a better living standard,’’ she said.

She said development centres had been built in places like Gwagwalada, Zuba and Iddo Sariki, and that two more were still under construction.

The minister said the centre

FG Pledges Support For Cote D’Ivoire

ABUJA - The Federal Government has reiterated its unwavering support to the Government of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire in its efforts at instituting lasting peace and security in the country.

The Vice-President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, stated the position in Abuja at a dinner organised in honour of the visiting Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, Mr Daniel Duncan He, however, urged the people of Cote d’Ivoire to support their government in ensuring national stability and stressed that their support was necessary to bring about the desired peace and economic emancipation of the country.

Sambo said that Nigeria would continue to cooperate with Cote d’Ivoire in the promotion of global peace and the development of the African continent.

He said Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire were among the largest economies in West Africa that

had common interests.

Sambo said that the two countries could add value to each other in areas of improved trade, commerce, exchange of information and capacity building.

He expressed delight that the cordial relationship between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire had grown to a Bi-National Commission level.

“There is no doubt that the BiNational Commission is capable of bringing our institutions closer together for collaboration and cooperation on many bilateral issues raised during the various sessions.

“It is the desire of our two governments that the agreements and MoUs of cooperation will further strengthen our relations.

“We are, indeed, pleased that within a short period thereafter, our two countries have met, first at experts’ level and now the realisation of the Bi-National

ABUJA - The Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has charged Assistant Inspectors General of Police in charge of Zonal Commands to redouble efforts in fighting rising crime.

Speaking at a meeting with the AIGs, Abubakar stressed the need to redouble efforts to tackle the rising wave of crime and criminality across the country.

“I urge you to pay more attention to the incidences of rising crime wave across the country; daily situation reports bear testimony to this phenomenon,’’ he said before they went into a closed-door session.

“In spite of the emergency rule in Adawawa, Borno and Yobe, the insurgents still inflict untold hardship on peaceloving resident of these states.

“The explosion in SabonGari area of Kano metropolis on July 29 is another painful reminder that the war against terrorism is not yet over.

“I hasten to add that you must redouble your efforts and restructure the existing crimefighting architecture at your

disposal to ensure that the zones, commands and formations under your watch are kept secured.’’

Abubakar directed the AIGs to collaborate with sister security agencies in their jurisdictions in the war against crime, noting that security was multi-tasking in nature and that a single security agency could not handle it alone.

“In the South-East and SouthSouth zones, armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes such as murder, assassination and political upheavals seem to be the order of the day.

“Hardly does a day passed by without one hearing tales of woes, of residents being robbed or kidnapped or of assassination of a political rival.

“I, therefore, charge you to sit up and tackle these menaces and ensure that the ordinary citizens get reprieve from those hell-bent on inflicting anguish and pain on them,’’ he said.

Abubakar urged them to mobilise men under their respective command to embark on robust intelligence gathering

Commission (BNC).

“The outcome of this epochmaking event, which will further cement the existing bond between our two countries and also be of tremendous benefit to the ECOWAS sub-region in which our two countries are members, cannot be overemphasised,” he said.

The vice-president called for the establishment of Special Implementation Committees (SIC) on both sides as mechanism to ensure the continuous implementation of the agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).

Sambo also narrated the achievements of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration in the last two years.

He said the government had continued to record impressive

Crime: Abubakar Urges AIGs To Redouble Efforts

and constant patrol to check crime and insecurity across the country.

“The challenges may be daunting but the task of making Nigeria crime-free is a mandate we must pursue with all the resources at our disposal,’’ he said.

results from its Transformation Agenda designed and vigorously implemented to bring about wealth creation and accelerated economic growth and development in the country.

“Satisfactory improvements have continued to be recorded in many sectors of the economy

such as Power, Agriculture, Transportation, Mining, Health, Education, Housing, Industry and Manufacturing.

“The public safety and security as well as the criminal Justice System in the country have been enhanced to ensure general peace and security as well as the rule of law.”

would train women in skills such as tailoring, hair dressing, catering, fashion designing and computer.

She applauded the Chairman of Kuje, Mr Shaban Tete, for his promise to assist in maintaining the centre.

“I am happy that the chairman has promised to help us maintain the centre; we will keep the facility running and in good shape,’’ she said.

Akinjide said Satellite Town Development Agency was currently building two markets which would be inaugurated in 2014.

She called on the women in Kuje to make good use of the opportunity to improve their lives.

Earlier, Secretary of the Social Development Secretariat, Mrs Blessing Onuh, said the centre was one of the many women empowerment projects aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty among women in the FCT. She said that the centre houses four vital vocational platforms for skills acquisition programmes.

They are the ICT room for computer literacy and skills development for women, hair dressing and demonstration component, fashion designing and instruction room as well as the catering and catering services facility.

Basic Amenities: Residents Call For Govt/Intervention child birth because of the distance

ABUJA - Residents of Rafindaji in Abaji Area Council of the FCT have called for government ‘s intervention in the provision of basic amenities to alleviate people’s suffering in the community.

Some residents, who spoke with newsmen in Rafindaji, decried the lack of portable water, road, health facility and a Junior Secondary School in the community.

Mr Bawa Shaba, a community leader, particularly decried the lack of medical facilities in the area.

Shaba said that many women had been lost to child birth as a result of the absence of health facilities in the community.

He said that people trekked

several kilometres in order to get medical attention in Abaji General Hospital.

“Whenever our women are in labour, we take them to, as far as Lapai, Niger state, which is about 30 kilometres from here to deliver.

“We have lost many women to

and the deplorable state of the road we have to travel on,” he said.

Shaba, who also decried the lack of potable water in the community, said the only source of drinking water in the community, was wells.

FCT, EHORECON To Partner On Hygiene, Sanitation

ABUJA The FCT administration has underscored the importance of synergy with the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) to promote hygiene and sanitation.

Chief Medical Director, Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, Dr. Yakubu Liman (left), receiving an award from Chairman, P a r e n t - Te a c h e r s Association of Usman Liman Primary School in Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State, Mr. Mohammed Illallah, in recognition of his contribution to the community in Musawa recently.

The Minister of State for the FCT, Mrs Olajumoke Akinjide, said this in Abuja when EHORECON officials, led by the Registrar, Mr Augustine Ebisike, paid her a courtesy visit, a statement made available to newsmen said.

The statement was signed by Mr kehinde Openibo, the Head, Press and Public Communications at EHORECON. Akinjide said in the statement:“ We have actually made provision for sanitary concessionaires in the satellite areas and we will make sure they all register with the council.

“We will also make them comply with some basic standards which are also for the protection of service health workers.

“These are one-off issues that need to be institutionalised and need a time frame in which to make them operational.”

The minister assured her guests that the FCT administration would do everything to support the profession to achieve its “laudable” goals.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

Across The Nation Compol Urges Govt To Fence Schools

Headquarters of Union Homes, at Onipanu Area of Lagos sealed up by Nigeria Labour Congress over Staff Welfare yesterday.

DUTSE - The Commissioner of Police in Jigawa, Mr Theophilus Kayode, has urged the state government to construct parameter fences in schools across the state.

Kayode gave the advice during a meeting with school principals in the state on Thursday in Dutse.

He explained that construction of the fences in schools was a crucial step to ensure security.

According to him, the government needs to take drastic measures to safeguard students and teachers due to recent attacks in schools in the neighbouring states.

The police boss also advised the government to recruit guards in schools to ensure safety of lives and property

Plateau Assembly Sets Up Committee JOS - The Plateau State House of Assembly has said that it was disturbed by the inability of the State Government to access funds from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) of the Federal Government.

The house, had therefore subsequently, inaugurated a special committee to investigate the delay and report back to plenary.

The government’s inability to access the funds came to the fore at the assembly’s plenary, following a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Pigana Constituency, Mr. Gondina Sambo.

Sambo said in his motion that the state was yet to access funds from SURE-P since its inception, noting that other states in the federation had accessed the fund.

He said that the development became worrisome since the funds were needed by government in the effort to work out its peace strategies.

He said that Plateau had not

On SURE-P

gone beyond the level of screening, short-listing and opening of accounts for beneficiaries.

“Nothing has happened in relation to the programme in Plateau State,’’ he said.

However, as the matter was debated, another member, Mrs. Zainab Dogo, representing Quanpan South Constituency, requested for a special committee of the house to look into the matter.

She said that funds from the programme were needed to douse tension in the southern part of the state by restive youths.

Following a voice vote, the Speaker, Mr. John Dabwan, announced a special committee of the house, headed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Mr. Dalyop Mwansat, to look into the matter.

The committee was given until Tuesday to submit its report to the house.

The speaker said that the house was worried because the programme seemed to be lagging behind in the state.

Passengers waiting for BRT buses at Onipanu Bus Stop in Lagos yesterday morning.

facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and robbery.

The Prosecutor, Insp Ignatius Okeke, had told the court that the accused and his accomplice, still at large, committed the crimes on July 27 on Durosinmi Etti Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

He said that Usli and his accomplice accosted a recharge card vendor, Ms Rachel Ogbodo, on her way home, beat her up and robbed her of recharge cards of different networks and values.

“Usli and his accomplice also robbed Ogbodo of two BlackBerry phones worth N35,

Sokoto Donates To Mosques

SOKOTO - Sokoto State Government on Thursday in Sokoto donated N15 million to 15 selected Mosques in the city for Muslims observing seclusion (I’itikaf).

The seclusion is being observed by Muslim faithful during the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan.

The Chairman of the Ramadan Feeding Programme, Alhaji Aliyu Attahiru, delivered the money to the Chief Imams of the Mosques on behalf of the state Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko.

Attahiru said the gesture was aimed at assisting Muslims observing the seclusion to have the required concentration.

He urged the beneficiaries to pray for sustainable peace and unity in the state and Nigeria in general.

Land Suit: High Court Overrules Area Court

ABUJA - Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court has ruled that the Grade 1 Area Court in Zuba, Abuja, lacked jurisdiction to entertain land suits.

Delivering judgment in a suit between Joshua Mannah and

Court Remands Cook For Robbery LAGOS - A Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has remanded a male cook, one Sunday Usli, 20, who allegedly robbed a woman of N100,000 worth of recharge cards and other valuables.

The Magistrate, Mrs O.M. Ajayi, ordered that the accused be kept in the Ikoyi Prisons pending advice of the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Consequently, the court did not take the plea of the accused.

Usli, who lives at No. 6, Haruna St., Ogba, Lagos, is

adding that the police was ready to train them.

Kayode stated that divisional police officers had been directed to embark on routine patrol to schools and offer additional security.

“All the principals should be vigilant and report any suspicious movement in their schools,” he said.

Responding, the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Haruna Wakili, thanked the commissioner of police for his concern.

Wakili pledged that the present administration was committed to ensuring the security of their students.

He said that henceforth, the government would sack guards that were not fit to perform their duties.

000.

He said that the accused and the accomplice equally made away with woman’s N4, 000.

“Usli was pursued and apprehended by other passers-by after Ogbodo raised an alarm,” the prosecutor said.

He said that the offences contravened Sections 297 and 294 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Section 294 stipulates that any person who commits robbery shall on conviction be liable to 21 years imprisonment.

The court adjourned the case till August. 28 for mention.

Jude Uchendu of Zuba, Halilu said that the Grade 1 Area Court, Zuba, did not have jurisdiction on issues bothering on titles.

“A court can only be competent when the subject matter of a suit is within its jurisdiction.

“Once there is a defect in competence, it is fatal, and proceedings, however well conducted, are a nullity,’’ he said.

Halilu said the question as to which court has jurisdiction on matters bothering on title was premised on division of jurisdiction between high court and area court.

“Jurisdiction is conferred on the high court in respect of land in urban areas, while the Area and customary courts are conferred with jurisdiction to entertain claims in respect of land in nonurban areas,’’ he ruled.

Halilu noted that since the Land Use Act that delineated urban and non-urban lands was inapplicable in the FCT, the division of

jurisdiction between the high court and the area court could not arise.

He also advised officers of the Nigeria Police to desist from dabbling into issues of land title.

“I also wish, for the purpose of caution, to advise the Nigeria Police within the FCT, to desist from asking people with complaints on land to produce documents.

“This is ultra-vires police function and a clear deviation from the Police Act,’’ the judge said.

Mannah had approached the court on May 6 to determine whether facts before the Grade 1 Area Court, Zuba, amounted to criminal trespass or land dispute.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr Christian Nwachukwu, prayed the court for an order directing the Grade 1 Area Court, Zuba, to stay proceedings on the suit.

He also urged the court to declare that the case before the

Grade 1 Area Court, Zuba, was not a criminal trespass but a land dispute, and sought an order that the Area Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Nwachukwu said the defendant was laying claim to a plot of land located at Zuba 2, which the plaintiff had possessed since 2001.

He said that the defendant reported the plaintiff to the Zuba Police Station where the case was investigated and the defendant was told that his own plot was located in Zuba 1 extension.

Nwachukwu said the defendant, subsequently, served him a ‘‘criminal summons’’ on allegation that he committed criminal trespass.

The plaintiff’s counsel argued that a person in possession of his own property could not be said to have committed criminal trespass.

The defendant did not show up in court throughout the proceedings.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

International Features

Egyptian Crisis And Foreign Mediation SEVERAL thousand Islamist supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi marched through downtown Cairo yesterday calling for his reinstatement and denouncing the army general who led his overthrow.

The protest took place as international envoys stepped up talks with leaders of both sides of the crisis in a bid to find a political solution and avert further bloodshed.

Marchers chanted “Mursi, Mursi” and “We are not terrorists”, and waved picture of the ousted leader.

Some sprayed graffiti on walls and statues calling army chief General Abdel Fattah alSisi, who led the overthrow of Mursi on July 3, a murderer and a traitor.

The protesters, nearly all men, marched 10 abreast and stretched back several blocks.

Security forces made no immediate attempt to disperse a crowd estimated by reporters at several thousand strong.

The protest showed tension is still running dangerously high in Egypt more than a month after Mursi’s removal despite the international mediation effort by the United States, the European Union, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Mursi became Egypt’s first freely-elected president in June 2012, 16 months after the overthrow of strongman Hosni Mubarak, who had ruled for nearly 30 years.

But fears that he was trying to establish an Islamist autocracy coupled with a failure to ease economic hardships afflicting most of its 84 million people led to

huge street demonstrations on June 30, triggering the army move.

The international mediation effort has so far helped to contain further conflict between Mursi’s backers and the security forces but has yet to broker a solution.

Thousands of Mursi supporters remain

whom they denounced as politically-biased. In a n t i - M u r s i demonstrations at the same place before his overthrow, protesters had demanded the removal of his appointee to the office, accusing him of ordering arrests of his opponents.

One protester, Mohamed Mustafa, 28, a

forces, according to Al Masry Al Youm newspaper.

Shater is deputy leader of the group that propelled Mursi to office last year. Seen as the Brotherhood’s political strategist, he was arrested after Mursi’s downfall on charges of inciting violence.

Shater told the envoys

he would only hold talks with them in the presence of Mursi because he was “the legitimate president”, the newspaper reported, citing a senior security source.

The military has laid out a plan that could see a new head of state elected in roughly nine months.

The

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of disposed Egyptians president Mohammed Morsi shout slogans and hold up posters during a rally marching back towards Rabaa- al-Adawiya

camped out in two Cairo sit-ins, which the government has declared a threat to national security and pledged to disperse. The armybacked interim government said on Sunday it would give mediation a chance but warned that time was limited.

Almost 300 people have been killed in political violence since Mursi’s overthrow, including 80 shot dead by security forces in a single incident on July 27. Mursi and much of the leadership of his Muslim Brotherhood are in custody.

Monday’s marchers halted outside the office of the public prosecutor,

Cairo University student, told Reuters: “Our president is Mohamed Mursi. He will be back.

He will complete his presidency. Day after day we stay in Cairo.

This is fight is not over.

Mursi will return.”

Mahmoud Isuafi, a businessman from the Nile Delta city of Mansoura, held a Koran in one hand and a picture of Mursi in the other.

“The military came and stole our country, they stole everything,” he said. “I want democracy.

Where is my vote? I can no longer elect my leader so I protest instead.”

In the early hours of Monday, the international envoys visited senior Muslim

Brotherhood official Khairat El-Shater at Tora prison, south of Cairo, state news agency MENA reported.

The delegation included U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and European Union envoy Bernardino Leon and were accompanied by members of the armed

Brotherhood, an Islamist movement that spent decades in the shadows before Mubarak’s downfall, says it wants nothing to do with it.

However, diplomats say the Brotherhood knows Mursi will not return as president and wants a face-saving formula for him to step

down that guarantees it a stake in the political future.

On Sunday, a Cairo court said the Brotherhood’s leader and two other officials including Shater would go on trial in three weeks’ time for crimes including incitement to murder during protests in the days before Mursi was toppled.

During a meeting with Burns and Leon on Saturday, a pro-Mursi delegation said they were willing to negotiate with politicians that backed Mursi’s overthrow.

But they are also seeking the restoration of a constitution suspended when Mursi was deposed and want the military, together with General alSisi, out of politics.

Mursi is being held at an undisclosed location and facing an investigation into accusations including murder.

Two U.S. senators, Republicans Lindsey Graham and John McCain, were heading to Cairo on Monday at President Barack Obama’s request to meet members of the new government and the opposition.

Before leaving, Graham said the Egyptian military must back out of politics quickly or risk a cut of the $1.5 billion in aid it receives from Washington each year.

“The protest showed tension is still running dangerously high in Egypt more than a month after Mursi’s removal despite the international mediation effort by the United States, the European Union, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.”

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

THE Federal Government has announced plans to purchase 30 new aircrafts for distribution to airline operators in the country. The Corporate General Manager of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Yakubu Dati made the disclosure during an inspection of the renovated Benin Airport recently. He explained that the move was to replace the old practice of aviation intervention funds which obviously was being misused.

THIS new move, expectedly has generated serious controversy among stakeholders as some supports the idea, while others still wonder why public funds should be doled out to private airlines without proper consultations.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER appreciates the sweeping reforms and massive development at the nation’s airports across the country since the current Minister of Aviation, Stella OduahOgiewonyi assumed office. The efforts have led to the transformation of over 18 Airports in the country bringing them to international standards while work is progress in several others. From Benin to Kano, Lagos to Sokoto, Port-Harcourt, Enugu, Kaduna the story is the same and cheery. We equally commend President Goodluck Jonathan who has equally given the needed political will for the transformation being experienced at the nation’s airports.

WE want to throw our weight behind the Federal Government on the planned purchase of 30 aircrafts for operators for

THE NIGERIAN

Aviation Reforms

several reasons: FIRST, we deplore a situation where over N200billion given to airlines in 2009 did not grow the industry. Those who probably lined their wallets and bank accounts with such funds, are probably the ones who want to kick against the new move by government. We believe that what the government has done is to plug the loop hole by rooting for a direct growth for a better impact than what obtained prior to the new plan.

SECONDLY, we believe that the Nigerian airlines had had their own fair share of crises, over the years which in our view may have compelled the Minister to seek ways of getting better results for all Nigerians and foreigners, particularly foreign investors and tourists alike.

THIRDLY, it is no longer news that the carriers have had to grapple with incompetent management, huge debts to banks, service providers, high cost of aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET A1, import duty waiver which was eventually removed after the crash of Dana Air by President Goodluck Jonathan to encourage them to bring in aircraft and spare parts.

FOURTLY, apart from the fact that they are heavily indebted, with their liabilities far outstripping assets, the airlines’ accounts are in the red, notwithstanding the cash flow. The implication is that the carriers lack the finance to acquire more aircraft and re-organise their operations.

HOWEVER, The NIGERIAN OBERVER will encourage the Minister of aviation to respond to some of the queries being raised by Nigerians, particularly stakeholders in the sector. For instance, “ Is the CBN a co-guarantor for the purchase of the aircraft? When the aircrafts arrive, hopefully in two years time, will they be warehoused in a leasing company set up for the purpose or will the aviation ministry dole them out to airlines in operation?”

ALSO, what functions are assigned to FAAN by its establishment Act as it relates to this plan? What is the role of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in matters like this? Are they being carried along?

IT is our believe that providing answers to these questions would go a long way in assuaging stakeholders singing discordant tunes to this plan, we consider appropriate, if for nothing for a trial. We hold strongly to these views because lessons learnt from the global financial and economic crisis saw how Europe and America intervened in various industries to save their economies. Nigeria cannot be an exception in a globalized and competitive world.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

What The Cutting Edge APC Must Do (1) With Edo 2016:

THIS is a triple pronged series. Part 1 examines how the All Progress Congress metamorphosed into the ruling political party in Edo State.

Part 2 focuses on the key stratagem that has so far given the party the competitive edge it currently enjoys over its rivals. Part 3 elucidates on how this unique selling point can be leveraged on in the coming years, especially in 2016, when elections come knocking at the door.

May 29th, 1999, is a date that will remain eternally etched in the collective memory of all lovers of freedom, democracy and good governance in Nigeria. It marked the end of an epoch and the onset of another. The tyrannical rule of the Jackboot boys had just ended, and a new order of civil rule was just emerging. It was the beginning of a new democratic experiment; a development that stirred a new wave of hope in the minds of Nigerians; hopes that had been as tin as tissues prior to all the pomp and pageantry that heralded that historic date.

Across the length and breadth of the country, there was renewed enthusiasm that at last Nigerians were free to determine their collective future; that they were free to decide the direction they wanted their ship of state to sail; that they could say “yes” to those they deemed fit to administer their affairs, and “no” to those unqualified to do so. Much were the high expectations of Nigerians that they gave their total, unalloyed support to all the processes that drove the emerging democratic order.

Back home in Edo State, everybody looked forward to better days; to a total break from the dark horrors of military rule; to a complete severance of ties with an era that could be likened to the dark ages of modern times; an opportunity to start anew. But this early enthusiasm was to be replaced by feelings of deep disappointment and regret, as unfolding developments later conspired to dampen the initial hopes expressed by the people, as the purported return of civil rule to Nigeria, in the post 1999 years turned out to be a mere ruse after all. In Edo State, in particular, there emerged a new ruling class that saw the state and its resources as its private properties and subsequently set about the inglorious task of commandeering them to gratify the selfish desires of its members. I am talking about

the self-acclaimed political godfathers who imposed a civilian brand of martial rule on Edo State and its people; the greedy scions, who turned Edo State into a vast slave colony that was to be exploited and violated at will to satiate their ravenous desires for fleeting material possessions; the stone-faced oligarchs without conscience.

From 1999 till 2007, the political history of Edo State was written in black ink; the sad story of a past defined by darkness and blood; darkness that was the handiwork of a Cosa-Nostra that was averse to the core ethos of popular rule; schemes of clueless half wits who mercilessly ravaged the people’s lands and resources to feed their insatiable appetites; evil machinations of mischievous marauders with a morbid hatred of the people; Satanic designs of Mountain Trolls who ran the state ragged for eight years; years of sweat, tears and blood; gloomy years of death and mourning; tragic years of weeping and gnashing of teeth; daunting years of hopelessness, helplessness and emptiness; a lonely sonata that was as uninspiring as it was annoying.

The general gloom that enshrouded the state during those trying times were premised on the damning realities of politics that were on full display prelude to the general uprising of 2007; a sad state of widespread cynicism in which a distrust, disappointed, decapitated, dejected, disoriented people were forced to welter in; a people who had lost all hopes of ever being rescued from the labyrinth of confusion they were lost in - a cul-desac from which there seemed to be no escape. Just like people shipwrecked on a cursed island, Edos helplessly submitted to the whims of fate; like people cast into a bottomless pit with bramble walls, they placed their hopes in the unsteady hands of fate; like a vanquished people, they lay sprawling at the feet of their conquerors.

Prior to 2007, Edo State could be likened to the land of the living-dead; a lifeless, jaded, disheveled land of horror from where peace had taken flight; an underdeveloped, rustic, and wretched scrap of land; a patched, scorched and hunted place; a foul-smelling,

repulsive cauldron of death; a rank, toxic piece of trash; a state where things totally fell apart and the centre could no longer hold; a failed state, simply put. Those were horrible times indeed; times when dark lords rode rough shod across the length and breadth of Edo land; times when Edo State was run like a kingdom; times when holding public office was seen as the birthright of a privileged few bad men and women, who turned governance into a tea party – the happy-go-lucky ones who restricted others from joining their revelry.

That was the subsisting order of politics in Edo State, before the erupting Volcano of

2007 spewed forth the hot lava that purified the system of all the noxious filth that had been corroding its development and growth; an eruption that commenced when a group of iconoclasts decided to take the collective destiny of the state into their own hands. Having been victims of the subsisting order of rank misrule - like their fellow brethren - for so many years, these individuals decided to lead the charge for change. When all hope seemed lost, it was this group of gladiators who came to the rescue of Edo State and its dispirited people. Burning with patriotic fervour, these pioneers decided that enough was enough; resolved that the time had come to put a summary end to the existing state of serfdom that they and their fellow brothers and sisters were being forced to wallow in. Fighting under the banner of the APC these Knights in shining amour came to salvage what was left

Obuseh Jude GSM: 08033510173 of Edo State; what was left of an empty, stinking, repulsive cadaver that was at the mercy of vultures; what was left of a directionless ship sailing towards an avoidable iceberg.

It was the heroics of these mavericks that saved the day and made a way, when there seemed to be no way out of the quagmire the state was thickly embroiled in.

The emergence of the APC as the ruling political party in Edo State qualifies as one of

nobody believed that Edo State and its people could one day be rescued from the strangulating sleeper-hold of its depraved drivers; nobody believed that the foolish ferrets running the show would one day be unceremoniously chased out of Government House with their tails in between their legs; nobody believed that a decisive end could be put to the vicious circle of decay, decadence and villainy that

the major wonders of the 21st Century. This is not an exaggeration; neither should it be construed as a case of verbal overstretch, or a grandiose play on words. Any perceptive, objective, nonpartisan, and roundly informed observer of the intrigues in Edo politics, prior to the events of 2007, and afterwards, will agree with my assertion. The events of that year and afterwards can be likened to a political Kamikaze of catalytic effect; as a forceful blizzard of apocalyptic proportions; as a winnowing fire of change that totally re-configured the traditional order of false politics that had held sway for so many years; as a revolutionary upheaval that massively uprooted the ancient regime, replacing it with a more refined, more acceptable, and more humane arrangement.

Before 2007, nobody believed it could be done;

ran riot across the state; none believed that Edo State would ever work again. That was the level of pessimism that pervaded the state in those dark times.

Today, thanks to the timely intervention of the APC, Edo State and its people are finally free; free from all the satanic devices of the self-proclaimed Cognoscenti of Edo politics; free from the suffocating grasp of false prophets whose sacrilegious sermons had helped maintain an unjust order that was as skewered as it was directionless; free from the evil designs of charlatans whose performances had become boring to their audience. Today, Edo State is working again, thanks to the sacrifices some individuals made, against all the formidable odds that were stacked against them, to put an end to all the falsities of a system that had made them slaves in the land of their fathers.

Anybody visiting Edo State

for the first time might be tempted into concluding that all has always been well with the state and its people; that the state has always been developed, peaceful and tranquil; that the state has always being an attractive tourist destination; that the state has always been an Eden of sorts; that it has always been a land of blissful splendor – a true land of milk and honey; a place where everything works. But the truth must be told that all the goodies Edos enjoy today did not come on a platter of diamond – they are not products of mere wishful thinking or blind chance.

They are the logical consequences of the fearless, selfless and determined actions of a group of individuals who saw the need for change and acted to bring it about; results of the purposeful, faithful, constructive, organized and timely actions of statesmen who had grown tired of stomaching the indecencies of the wily wild Wags, who had turned Edo state into a laughing stock in the national committee of states.

However, in the midst of the current state of ecstasy pervading the whole state, as engendered by the emergence of the APC as the undisputed ruling political party in Edo State, especially when one considers the landmark achievements the party’s chief banner-bearer, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomohle, continues to churn out since the onset of his stewardship in Dennis Osadebe Building, as governor of the “Heartbeat of Nigeria, one wonders how the current order of stupendous prosperity can be sustained in the coming years. As we approach 2016, what must the APC do to continue as the ruling political party in Edo State? What is the chief strategy that has so far given the APC the comparative advantage it currently enjoys over the opposition? How can this be sustained in the coming years?

Join me next week to find out what this strategy is and how it can be sustained. I sign off.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

Nutritional Health And Dietetics

Health Secrets

NERVOUS or depressed people are frequently addicted to foods that do harm to the skin. They reach for fats and sweets, in an effort to calm themselves or for coffee and chocolate, to try and boost their energy level. Addictions signals the presence of an imbalance trying to maintain itself. We must break the cycle of nervousness, depression and addictions that lead to low energy, poor digestion and more addiction.

Cut Your Additions in half If you crave sweets, cut your pastries in half. I mean literally eat half of the doughnut. If it is cigarettes, cut them in half. No matter whether it is carbohydrates, cream sauce or chocolate – cut them in half. Then fill in the rest with one of the skin cleansers.

Bitter cleansing herbs to reduce addictions and clear the skin, bitter cleansing herbs reduce sweet cravings and reduce impurities because, they cleanse the liver and blood. When your body is cleaner, you crave cleaner food. That is how additions work. They maintain our balance or imbalance. The trick is to develop healthy habits.

The best herbs for cleaning the skin are diuretics, antiinflammatory, blood and lymph-cleansing etc. these work well because impurities leave the body through the best route of exit. If diaphoretic herbs and foods are used for example, Echinacea or honey – a rash will get worse. These sweet – increasing foods make acidic impurities leave the body through the skin.

You can prevent or treat rashes by eliminating irritating foods and by adding herbal cleansers. Dandelion is a wonderful cleanser for the skin, blood and lymph system.

An especially good combination for cleansing the skin is honey suckle (an antibiotic herb) along with dandelion twice a day.

Make sure you take yoghurt anytime you take antibiotic herbs.

Sarsaparilla is a diuretic usually recommended because it reduces the itch of herpes, it is antiseptic and cooling.

Sugar, salt, coffee and alcohol: No Taboos.

Recommendations; Sugar: Don’t avoid it obsessively – but do go easy on high sugar foods.

Salt: If you have or are at risk for developing high blood pressure, cut down on salt to minimise your risk.

Coffee; if your blood cholesterol level is high, drink only drip filtered coffee or decaffeinated coffee to be on the safe side.

Alcohol; One or two drinks a day is fine, but more is not better and there is no reason to start if you are not a drinker.

These American favorites have been implicated in ills ranging from heart disease to juvenile delinquency. But they don’t deserve such a study reputation.

Sugar; it has long been accused of causing diabetes, depression, obesity, hyper activity and even criminal behaviour. In fact, for most people, the only real problem sugar contributes to is tooth decay (ken, 1999).

While sugar is not a nutritional demon, however, there are good reasons to eat it in moderation. Each year Stephen said that the average American eats tens of thousands of calories worth of sugars in candy, sweetened snacks, soft drink etc. These sugars provide empty calories that contribute energy but nothing else, and many sweet foods such as ice-cream and cookies are also, high in fat, which is a major player in weight gain.

For these reasons, government guidelines continue to urge people to rein in their taste for sweets and our experts tend to agree.

Salt; An anti-salt sentiment has been part of public –

health guidelines for decades.

The sodium in salt is clearly a problem of about half of the 60 million people in the US. With high blood pressure whose blood pressure changes in response to the amount of sodium in their diet. Since sodium can also interfere with the action of blood – pressure drugs, even patients who aren’t naturally salt – sensitive may benefit from cutting down on salt if they are taking medication.

National research council advises all Americans to reduce salt to 6

linked America’s favourite morning beverage to high blood – cholesterol levels, while other reports have failed to find a link. Studies showing the most consistent link between coffee and cholesterol have come from Norway, where people prepare coffee by boiling it.

When researchers compare the effects of boiled coffee to filtered coffee, as several studies now have, only boiled coffee raises blood cholesterol. Apparently, filtering removes some still –

gram a day.

While there’s no apparent harm in restricting salt intake as our experts suggest, medical consultants believe that cutting down on sodium is beneficial only for people who have hypertension or are at risk of developing it – those who have a family history of the disease or are overweight or elderly.

Coffee; Over the past three decades some studies have

unidentified component that has potent cholesterol – raising effects. Most studies now show that moderate amount of filtered coffee up to five cups a day are safe.

Our experts, agree that there is little evidence that drinking coffee – caffeinated or not increases the risk of coronary heart disease. A slight majority believes it would be ideal to limit caffeinated coffee to two cups a day, but

“The best herbs for cleaning the skin are diuretics, antiinflammatory, blood and lymph-cleansing etc. these work well because impurities leave the body through the best route of exit.

If diaphoretic herbs and foods are used for example, Echinacea or honey – a rash will get worse. These sweet – increasing foods make acidic impurities leave the body through the skin.”

With

O.C. Madu GSM: 08056379608 that’s not an urgent goal for most people. You probably don’t need to skip coffee breaks unless caffeine gives you the jitters or you have medical problems such as stomach ulcers or an irregular heart beat.

Alcohol; one of the most consistent research findings in the diet-health arena has the medical community in a quandary. It seems that having

recommended, people will think four or five are better say Peter Kwitero Vich chief of the lipid research and atherosclerosis unit at the John Hopkins school of medicine. He tells patients who already take one or two drinks a day that it probably won’t hurt and may indeed help. All our experts agree however, that pregnant women and people with

one or two alcoholic drinks a day reduces the risk of heart disease, alcohol appears to raise the levels of HDL cholesterol, the protective component of blood cholesterol that is difficult to improve by other dietary means. However, research has not been conducted to show that the raising HDL levels actually reduces heart disease risk. And alcohol abuse is a major public health problems.

For this reasons, nobody is eager to advise the public to take up drinking for health.

Although half of our experts believe there is strong evidence for the health benefits of moderate alcohol intake, virtually none recommend that people purposely start drinking even in moderation, to reduce heart disease risk.

If a drink or two a day are

personal or family history of alcohol abuse should abstain.

Vegetable and fruits; Eat all the various fruits and vegetables you can. There is nowhere you can get the injections of ant aging and antioxidant portions you get from eating fruits and vegetables.

They are not trivial creations of nature, but mighty forces to be reckoned with. They posses countless known and unknown agents that transform your cells into fortresses against the free radical forces of aging.

Remember, much of what we call aging is really a fruit and vegetable deficiency.

Fruits and vegetables are parked with so many known and unknown anti-oxidants.

Thanks for reading.

THE NIGERIAN

15

TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

WE live in a world of tales and rumours hence before we accept any form of information, we should be able to reflect and determine if what we have heard is true, good or useful. When I was a parish priest, some people will come to tell me all sorts of stories about others. Very often, the informant would say: Please, what I am telling you is confidential. Reflecting

and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble” (Proverbs 21, 23). It is therefore very important to “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34, 13). If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless (James 1, 26). For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him

institution or to the people who are receiving it. Must the information be used, and if so to what extent and to what end? Even though “the truth shall set you free”, the intention of the informant must always be evaluated.

Supposing you are in charge of formation and training of people, how do you manage the information the students tell you about themselves and

BOTTOMLINE With Fr. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua GSM: 08034006260

Dialogue And Information Management

on the principle that the ordinary minds discus people, simple minds discus events and great minds discuss ideas, I tried my best to ask myself, “Is this information really for me?” “What do I do with this information? Very often, some of the information I was given needed some management at the level of discernment. One day, a woman who often comes to my office to tell tales about her colleagues came with very damaging news about the president of her society. I asked her, would you like me to call the accused so that you can say these things in her presence? She replied, “It is meant to be confidential but I do not mind”. I sent for the accused woman who has been presented to me as a “devil incarnate.” When she arrived, I told the informant to repeat her story. I was shocked that she was telling a completely opposite story, and now praising the woman she had earlier destroyed, Fortunately I had the tape of what she had said and I played it back to her in the presence of the accused and she fell on her knees begging the colleague and saying that she was tempted by the devil to tell lies against her.

Any information that is not well managed can destroy a whole community or an institution. If we are interested in listening to gossips or tales and acting on the information, we make those living with us and/or working with us become insecure and remain suspects as long as we keep saying: “I heard that…” “I was told that….” As a matter of fact, matured and secure people do not talk and/or act that way. It is worse when leaders and ministers behave like that and even act on anonymous letters. Very often those who say, “They say”, “I heard” betray their own ignorance and insecurity and will end up causing confusion in the communities and institutions they manage; so let us heed the Word of God: “whoever keeps his mouth

keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit (1 Peter 3, 10).

In information management, the tongue must be properly controlled to reflect the character and integrity of the owner. It can be very embarrassing when some pastors because they have the opportunity and privilege to mount the pulpit dish out to the congregation the gossips they have pleasantly listened to. Some use the information they got from uncertified and unverified sources to insult people on the pulpit. It is worse when the preacher is speaking against people of other religions with the intention of causing religious acrimony. The mark of a gentle and self-confident person depends to a large extent on the ability to control the manner of speech as prayed by the psalmist: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141,3)! Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits (Proverbs 18, 21).

In dialogue, every information reflects on the temperament of people. How we react to the information can to some extent define the content of our character and maturity. Even dreams and visions have to be subjected to matured reasoning, examination and a critical testing of the spirit because some people may be manipulated by evil spirits in the form of dreams and visions. Even in dogmatic theology dreams and visions are not articles of faith; at best they can be treated as private opinions that must not be imposed on others.

Consequently, dreams and visions are not relevant in jurisprudence because they do not pass the rules of logic.

There is information that is a privileged knowledge.

Even if the information is true, the question is whether the information is useful for the community or the

others. Let us assume that you are aware that a person has committed adultery, do you need to go and tell the partner?

If you do, what will be your intention and motive? Would you be happy if your information (truth) leads to divorce; and disintegrate the

children reason to hope that you would allow them to repent of their sins (Wisdom 12: 19).”

A dialogue and information manager should be able to control the level of dialogue and strategy that can help bring about the intended consequences of positive building in relationship. This may include the courage and the skill of identifying the

you enjoy listening to people who bring you all kinds of tales about others. This can help you define your identity and maturity in dialogue and information management.

Some people have turned themselves into information machines whereby the speech is converted to plain text by the system’s input recognizer/decoder and simply executed like an

family including the innocent children? Will telling the truth here, lead to freedom or destroy the purpose of freedom? According to the sages God is always willing to bring the sinner to repentance: “You taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are righteous must be kind; and you gave your

reason for the information, the intention of the informant and what he or she hopes to achieve. Ask yourself if the informant wants something from you and would want to destroy someone else to get what he or she wants by gossiping about other people.

Also ask yourself if you have become a lover of gossips, or

output robot or avatar. It is not everything that the eyes see that the mouth must say therefore, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4, 29).

The most successful warrior

in the world is a person who has the capacity to conquer his or her own temperaments.

“We all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. Know that whatever comes out of your mouth speaks of yourself first, and then to others, who will judge you by your words.

It is said that it is not the person who insults the King in his back that is killed, but the one who relays the insults to the King. Therefore, be

careful of how you manage information and dialogue.

Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja; and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City.

“A dialogue and information manager should be able to control the level of dialogue and strategy that can help bring about the intended consequences of positive building in relationship.”

THE NIGERIAN

16

TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

Perspective

Continued from last week

CULTURE CULTURE was introduced in relation to nature and was derived from the Latin term “Colere” meaning to nurse, to care for, to cultivate. It also means people’s beliefs, fashion, knowledge, customs and skills etc.

Culture is a term that should connote different things to different individuals. As such, people often trivialize the limitless scope of the term with definitions of culture as simply music, singing and dancing. To them, the goal of culture is nothing but entertainment (Ayoade, 1989:5).

Most definitions of culture, describe it, as the way of life of a certain group of people in a particular society.

Ukeje (1992) saw culture as the totality of a people’s way of life as deduced from material and non-material aspects of their life such as clothing, values, beliefs, thoughts, feelings and customs. This should include traits imbibed by all healthy individuals in the course of growing in a specific society.

Andah (1982:4-5) presented a more embracing definition: Culture embraces all the material and nonmaterial expressions of a people as well as the processes with which the expressions are communicated. It has to do with all the social, ethical, intellectual, scientific, artistic, and technological expressions and processes of a people usually ethically and/ or nationally or supranationally related, and usually living in a geographically contiguous area; what they pass on to their successors and how these are passed on.

Culture could therefore depict glaring similarities between people within the same territorial space that fosters a feeling of oneness that they would wish to preserve for future generations. In addition, Shoremi (1999: 94) is of the view that “…any culture is a set of techniques for adjusting both to the external environment and to other men…cultures produce needs as well as provide a means of fulfilling them.” In essence, an individual born into a society would through social interaction, unconsciously imbibe certain traits that could build up personality or act as boosters for adjusting

in that society. Some other researchers (Oyeneye and Shoremi, 1985: 3) also highlighted certain features of culture as: • Culture is shared by members of a society; • Culture is not genetically transmitted; • It is historically derived and … transmitted from one generation to another; • Culture is created… through the process of adjustment to the social setting; • Culture is universal-found in every human society; • Culture is dynamic.

It was fashioned out to guide all aspects of people’s life and therefore touches every aspect of human, life, structure and systems.

Culture signifies everything that man in his will and competence created. Culture values hospitality, recreational festivals that promote unity and cooperation, social ethics of community, oral transmission’ through which one acquires knowledge of the past, present and future.

In summary, culture is a network of traits that could be learned, based on interaction or derived from history.

Whatever culture is, it definitely regulates our lives by unconsciously shaping our attitudes, values, goals, behaviour or personality.

From all indication, man is definitely nothing without culture. Little wonder that Dabaghian (1970: 103) stressed …the pride of any society lies in its culture since no society in the world could be considered great without reference to its tradition and culture.”

THE CULTUREDEVELOPMENT RELATIONSHIP For a clearer understanding of the culture development relationship, there is a need to briefly assess the activities and stance of the United Nations Educational Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the issue.

The organization (UNESCO) has from inception, stressed the connection between Culture and Development.

This is emphasised in its mission of “advancing through the educational, scientific and cultural relations of the peoples of the world, the objectives of peace and the common welfare of mankind.” Culture became increasingly important in the 1960s or postcolonial era with the evident deficiencies

Development Model Of F

to cultural diversity in the currently adopted development model. The liberated people had become aware of their mode of existence and persistently challenged the notion that modernization had to mean westernization rather than being based on their own tradition. In response, in 1966, the UNESCO General Conference in Article1 of the Declaration stated that “each culture has a dignity and value which must be respected and preserved” and that “every people have the right and the duty to develop its culture.”

The Intergovernmental Conference on the Administrative and Financial aspects of Cultural Policies was held in Venice in 1970 and spearheaded the process of introducing culture to the heart of policy making agenda. The hallmark of this conference, was Rene Maheu, then UNESCO Director-General’s message to the world: Man is the means and the end of development; he is not the one dimensional Abstraction of homo economicus, but a living reality, a human person, in the infinite variety of his needs, his potentials and his aspirations… in the concept of Development the centre of gravity has thus shifted from the economic to the social, and we have reached a point where this shift begins to approach the cultural.

Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies in Europe was held in Helsinki in 1972 and the major observation was that any growth that is based solely on the economic aspects of life, is definitely maladjusted or out of touch with the environment.

Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies in Asia was held in Yogyakarta in 1973 and advised member states to formulate their economic and social objectives within a cultural framework for healthy societal growth.

Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies in Africa was held in Accra in 1975 and stressed that cultural development is boosted when cultural authenticity and technical progress continually complement each other.

Imo State As

Based on the meeting, the Festac 77’ Festival was organised probably to collectively display the uniqueness of the African culture. But the whole idea was merely a waste of resources for the host country, Nigeria and like all projects initiated by Africans, there was a lack of continuity.

Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies on Latin America and the Caribbean’s was held in Bogotá in 1978 and emphasised that cultural development should be targeted towards alienating the living conditions or life of individuals.

The World Conference on Cultural Policies (MONDIACULT) was held in Mexico City in 1982 and came up with the unique definition that links culture to d e v e l o p m e n t : “culture…is…the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterises a society or social group. It includes not only arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs.”

To further fulfill the objective of making cultural factors the focal point of all strategies for development, the World Decade for Cultural Development was initiated and spanned between 1988-1997. Within those ten years, UNESCO, earmarked four key objectives: (i) Acknowledging the cultural dimension of development; (ii) Affirming and enriching cultural identities; (iii) Broadening participation in cultural life; and (iv) Promoting international cultural cooperation.

Within that decade, projects exceeding 1,200 were launched in almost every country worldwide. And more recently, the intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development came up with an action plan on cultural policies for development and identified some crucial principles for development. It must be

emphasised that man’s development is enhanced when man is both socially and culturally fulfilled.

Fostering the Culture – D e v e l o p m e n t Relationship There is a relationship between culture and development! For it would be unreasonable to think that, any development task would be successful if it does not have roots in a people’s culture. There is also the

By E

“does not necessarily involve instability, and provided change is gradual and innovations are steadily tested and absorbed, the stability of society and all its institutions is not seriously affected.”

In other words, any agent or advocate of change should be judicious enough to assess changing situations within the society, assess that

“ a r a th th p c s a f d

Gov Rochas Okorocha of Imo State

belief that culture is one basic assessment of whether a society is either developing slowly or rapidly.

Undoubtedly, no society exists in a vacuum, as such, existing cultural patterns of the people will determine whether and to what extent that society welcomes or rebuffs change.

In support of these assertions, Isamah (1996:31) reported that, “Numerous studies of anthropologists have shown that the traditional values of a people are closely related to the pace with which such people accept or reject the demands of modern industrial or commercial operations.”

While Morris (1976: 15) cautioned that change

change and adjust to it if it is relevant to that society’s development.

More so, how do we contemplate a mission of development when we are still weighed down by the shackles of ignorance, insufficient exposure and incompetent leadership?

Culture has daily played an invisible role in determining our customs, values, morals and growth in the society.

There is a need to awaken an interest in those countries calling for a cultural revolution to assist in suggesting strategies for packaging these cultural ideas to be shared with other continents.

A useful strategy proffered

by UNESCO (2000) could be

W cul ve ex de im rem co com Th and per ori dev be the tha acq hav cu sur ha de we exp

THE NIGERIAN

17

TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

Perspective

Fourth Tier Government

Case Study

EMILIA AYENI

“influencing tourist projects and policies through research, training and awareness-raising activities, he setting up of networks and he implementation of pilot projects, and also to clarify choices for decision makers, sensitise the general public and promote culture as a actor of peace and development.”

disintegration that only judiciously applied medication and therapy can repair. Nevertheless, some may argue whether Africa would ordinarily have had a faster development without the destabilizing interference of western colonization.

Communication and Development In development communication there are two words “development” and

When properly managed, lture could be an important hicle for intercultural changes and sustainable velopment. It would be mperative to always member that Africa is a ommunity-oriented mmunity. hus, the community moulds d nurtures an individual’s rsonality. As such, all-new ientations toward velopment for Africa must community focused. From e foregone, it can be deduced at contact with and quisition of western ideas ve contributed to Africa’s ltural identity crisis. Not rprisingly, a continent that so plessly neglects its own velopment paradigms to elcome alien outlooks will perience such progressive

“communication”.

The meaning of these two words is: Communication is a message understood or sharing of experience while Development is about change.

It is about changing for the better. It could be about social or economic change for improvement or progress.

When we refer to development communication, it is about such communication that can be used for development. It is about using communication to change or improve something.

The messages which are designed to transform the behavior of people or for improving their quality of life can be termed as development communication and these messages used to change the

socio-economic condition of people.

Therefore, development communication can be defined “as the use of communication to promote development”.

DEVELOPMENT Development is a contested concept.

When the modernization paradigm held sway, development was viewed as total transformation of a traditional or pro-modern society into the types of technology and associated social organization that characterize the ‘advanced’ economically prosperous and politically stable nations of the western world.

The dependency school forcefully maintained that the global economic structures make development unachievable by the periphery.

Generally development is related to the human capacity to improve the quality of life by transforming the way production and other human activities are carried out in order to eradicate poverty, unemployment and social inequalities.’

Dudley Seers (1972) defines economic development as the progressive elimination of poverty, unemployment and inequality” while Arnartya Sen (l999) places emphasis on the concepts of capacities and entitlements (or social rights).

In general, development has six components according to Goulet (1992) these are: An economic component dealing with the creation of wealth and improved conditions of material life, equitably distributed.

A social ingredient measured as well-being in health, education, housing and employment.

A political dimension including such values as human rights, political freedom, enfranchisement, and some form of democracy.

A cultural dimension in recognition of the fact that cultures confer identity and self-worth to people.

A full-life paradigm, which

refers to meaning systems, symbols and beliefs concerning the ultimate meaning of life and history.

A commitment to ecologically sound and sustainable development so that the present generation does not undermine the position of future generations.

Realm of Development Olutayo (1985:200) explained that Nigeria adopted and has since practiced “a model of development entrenched on the modernization theory”.

For Olutayo (1985), the implication is “Europeanization,” in which Europe is perceived as having the “higher” culture which the “lower” culture of the undeveloped nations to aspire to develop. If this “higher” culture is rightly imbibed, the undeveloped nations will, ultimately develop. In essence, undeveloped nations would need to imbibe the higher culture of the west to develop. This corresponds with Dabagan’s (1970) summation of acculturation: “ when an individual goes from one culture to another, he gradually superimposes the way of life of the second culture on top of the first. In some ways, he is still a member of the culture in which he is born, but in many ways, he has become a member of the culture in which he now lives.”

The modernization theory traces the root of Nigeria’s underdevelopment to absence of technology and incomplete disentanglement from primitive modes of life.

Osagie (1985:129) visualized “development” as multi-faceted with its cognate notions and Victorian terms of “growth” and “progress” respectively, thus: presenting an encompassing definition of development.

Development , is a more inconclusive concept with its social, political and economic facets. It is the qualitative and quantitative positive transformation of the lives of a people that does not only enhance their material well-being but also ensures their social well being, including the restoration of human dignity.

In other words, development cannot be

divulged from man’s culture, for culture makes a man and man cannot be developed in a vacuum.

One of the best known scholars of Development and Communication, Everette Rogers defined development ….as a widely participatory process of social change and material advancement (including greater equality, freedom and other valued qualities) for the majority of the people through their gaining greater control over their environment’ Inayatullah (1967:101), on the other hand, identifies the different aspects of development. He defines development as “‘change toward patterns of society that allow better realization of human values, that allow a society greater power over its environment and over its own political destiny, and that enables its individuals to gain increased control over themselves”.

These two definitions show that development is a multifaceted concept. It generally means different things to different people, ranging from the psychologist’s preoccupation with individual or personality variables as self reliance, achievement motivation, self worth and self-actualization, to the communicator’s concern for acquisition of new knowledge and skills, increased self confidence, control over oneself and one’s environment, greater equality, freedom, ability to understand one’s potentials and limitations, and willingness to work hard enough to improve on existing conditions.

However, the different perceptions of, and viewpoints on development are not mutually exclusive; they are interwoven.

Together, they stress the fact that development is a normative concept in that existing conditions are no longer conducive to human dignity and socio-economic advancement and, therefore, should be changed for the better.

Therefore, development, though seen from different angles, means one basic thing to all people, a change for the better in both the human, cultural, socioeconomic and political conditions of the individual and, consequently, of the society. It is not solely a matter of technology or of gross national product. More importantly, it is a matter of increased knowledge and

skills, growth of a new consciousness, expansion of the human mind, the upliftment of the human spirit, and the fusion of human confidence.

COMMUNICATION Communication is exchange of ideas. It is not the mechanical transfer of facts and figures as the mathematical model of communication (Shannon and Weaver 1949) would appear to indicate. It is also not talking at people. It is an interactive process that works in a circular, dynamic and ongoing way (Hiebert et al.

1985) . It is talking with people, a process with no permanent sender and no permanent receiver. In communication, the roles of sending and receiving change hands, depending on who is talking and who is listening.

This implies freedom, equality and shared interest.

Communication defined in this way departs from what Beltran (1974:13) identified as ‘the classical mechanicvertical model’, which sees communication as a process of transmission of thinking, feeling, and behaving from one or more persons to another person or persons.

In this model, the paramount goal of communication is persuasion, and the element of feedback is important chiefly as a message adjusting device to enable the transmitter of messages to secure the performance of the expected response from the receiver. This is the model which assigns actively predominant role to the communicator, and a very passive role to the communicated a sort of oneway(?) communication in which emphasis is on the effects that communication can have on people or on ways in which messages can use people. Our concept of communication, which I call the humanized, democratic interactive model, places emphasis on how people use communication or messages.

It stresses genuine dialogue, free and proportioned opportunity to exert mutual influences and rejects the idea that persuasion is the chief role of communication.

Here, feedback is imperative; its importance lies in the opportunity it creates for understanding the other person’s point of view and, therefore, for ensuring coorientational influences.

To be continued

THE NIGERIAN

18

TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

PUTME: A

Education

Blessing Or Burden?

“THEY were on their way to write the Post-Unified/ Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN) when their vehicle veered off the road and sped into the bush. Ten of them were in/the bus, but only one survived to write the test, with a heavily bandaged leg and wound6n his forehead.”

This was the report on one of the national dailies recently that has furt1er cast doubt and disbelief on the usefulness or otherwise of the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, popularly called Post UME. Before now, the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was all a prospective candidate needed to scale through the hurdles of gaining admission into a tertiary institution. However with the limitations and inefficiency of UTME, PostUTME, was introduce.

According to Ebiri (2006), “no one is happy that with” the ugly scenario in the Nigerian school system. “No parent will actually want to send his child to the university to come out with a third class or a pass degree or spend more than the stipulated number of years for his /her course of study”. With the quality of graduate produced annually, then Olusegun Obasanjo, recommended that further screening be put to candidates seeking admission to higher institutions. This was meant for those students who scored the approved points, normally between 180-200 which dependent on the university. The Post-UTME screening, was set rolling in the 2005/2006 academic year. However, many students of course

By EMMANUEL EGOBIAMBU

parents are not left out, have cried wolf about that filter known as Post-UTME. ‘Speaking, the former ViceChancellor, Federal University, Oye and Current Minister of power, Professor Chinedu Nebo said that about 1.1million youths are denied admission into tertiary schools yearly. He regretted that of the large number of admission seekers, placed about 1. 5 million on the average yearly, only 400,000 scale through the admission fence.

For Nnenna Ogbuenyi; a candidate seeking admission into UNN, she traveled from the seat of power, Abuja to Nsukka so as get the scratch card with which he took the examination. Nnenna noted that her efforts to gain admission last year, yielded no result as she had problems taking the examination due to late arrival from Abuja. Hear her “so this time, I had to conic earlier than scheduled”.

According to a lecturer at the Department of English Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ife. E.T.O Babolola, “With what I’ve seen as a university teacher since the Post- UIME screening started, abolishing the exam will set the Nigerian educational system back several years into quagmire’’. He continued that, “it is a pity that students nowadays go through mush stress before getting admission. But believe me, that is part of the sacrifices of the present times, else the universities will all crash under the v eight of appallingly poor intakes.

Supporting the Post—UTME, a political science student.

University Jos (UNIJOS).

Bello Lukman, said “the UTME screening exercise should be allowed I scored 263 in the UTME while applying for

UTME screening was introduced in 2005, there has been a noticeable improvement in the quality of candidates admitted into the Nigerian University system.

At the university of Ibadan, before the era of Post-UTME we used to ask about 19% of students to withdraw from their programme of study at the end of their first year. This has dropped to about 8% and we keep improving from year

higher education.

In same vein, a former registrar of JAMB, Professor Salim Bello, explained that doing Post UTME is not the remedy to lapses in the admission process. The lecturer, noted that instead of malpractices in the universities going down, in universities since the introduction of post-UTME it has increased. Again the chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities, university of Uyo, Nwanchukwu Ayim, explained that post –UTME has done a lot of good for the

Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, Minister of Education

Political Science in University of Jos. I also scored 79°/o in Post-UTME and I was given my admission by merit without knowing anybody. The screening helps screen out candidate that bought JAMB results”.

Corroborating the support for post-UTME, a staff of University of Ibadan, Kingsley Egumi, noted that there is a poor correlation between what students score in UTME and their academic abilities. “Since the post

to year “, he stated.

Regrettably, reports in the media have decried the fraud that is connected with the fitter called Post UTME. It is a fact that most students collaborate with their parents to cheat. This they achieve by proxy arrangements and payment of huge amount of cash to school officials, who help them in the act. Similarly, those unable to bribe their way through, are forced to travel out or go through predegree, diploma, accessing

“Regrettably, reports in the media have decried the fraud that is connected with the fitter called Post UTME. It is a fact that most students collaborate with their parents to cheat.

This they achieve by proxy arrangements and payment of huge amount of cash to school officials, who help them in the act.”

education system. He said that students. Anyim said “based on the autonomy of universities, the different universities” senate has the power to regulate the admission of students, without prejudice to the policies, of JAMB”.

Furthermore, the House of Representatives, said that the conduct .of Post-UTME, was part of admission requirements into Nigeria tertiary institutions, designed to function as internally quality control mechanism in these institution not to deny candidate admission of their choice”.

Another, who is a Petroleum Engineering student UNIBEN Ihechie A.E views the Post UTME conducted by various higher institutions, as a good development. He said, “The Post-UTME screening exercise should be left to stay because it has helped filter

fraudulent JAMB candidates” He also said that cultism issues has reduced drastically since its inception.

To this end, a student, Dayo Atolabe, regretted the challenges propelled by POSTUTME. “1 believe some universities increase the number of Post-UTME forms they sell to candidates to defraud them while some universities use it as a way to raise money for proiects.

Similarly, a lecturer in the Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Ladoke Akintoia university professor Poju Akinyanju. Said that the cost of purchasing postUTME forms, is high. He noted that though the government put the amount for the purchase of Post— UTME forms at NI000 but schools are charging on average of N2, 000. He regretted that in some private institutions, the price costs up to N 10, 000.

Aiding to him, “Each candidate spends a minimum of Ni 2000 and an maximum of N30.000. Even if she he limits herself/himself to two universities, the cost is NI 0.000. add to the cost of transport and accommodation, and the risk of travels on roads that are death traps. It then becomes clear that the programme as presently conceived is not affordable and should not be sustained”.

For Professor Sam Onuigbo of UNN, “Universities advertise so they can get a wide range to choose from.

These universities are in no way extorting money from candidates. Ii costs so much to organize post-UTME exams; pay invigilators; print forms and handle other logistics. The money these universities spends exceeds the total money got from the sale of Post-UTME forms According to the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, Post UTME is a blessing. She said, “At this time of Nigeria’s history, we are particularly interested in quality”. She further explained thus: “so that is why we are saying that Post UTME, at least for now, is something that we should continue. And we are pleading with all stakeholders for understanding.

As the all mission process of Nigeria’s Ivory Towers, gets started, students, parents and stakeholders are divided weather Post-UTME is indeed a blessing or burden?

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Drumbeats

How To Prepare for One’s Death Continued from last week

JESUS during his earthly mission said “He who lives by the sword shall perish by the sword.” The greatest tragedy in Christendom today is that Christian strives with one another because of money, position and fame.

Fools live in strife and desire to kill one another. If you sincerely desire to die peacefully and joyfully, then you must shun every act of strife and desire to kill people.

God is against shedding of blood and strife. Even the law enforcement agencies are against it. The court and its judges hate this flaws and judge in anger against any man or woman who kill his or her neigbour innocently, “And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

And she again bares his brother Abel. And Abet was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground and offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abet and to his offering.

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance felt.

And the Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?

If thou doest well, shall thou not be accepted”. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth the door.

And unto thee shall be his desire, am! thou shall rule over him.

And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.

And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not, Am I my brother’s keeper?

And he said, what hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

And now art thou curse from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her,’ strength, a fugitive and a vagabond shall thou be in, the earth. “Genesis 4v1-l2.

From the above passages of the scripture you will discover the pain, difficulties, curses and reproach that characterized the life and destiny of Cain due to his strife and killing of his

brother Abel. I pity so many Christians and none Christians who through strife and killings of innocent people have brought hardship, pain, curse, punishment and great difficulties to their lives and families.

Friends, the pain, reproach and difficulties that follow people who constantly derive pleasure through strife and killings of their neigbours are enormous. I therefore urge you to disengage yourself from this obnoxious act and killing of innocent people in our society.

Heaven is meant for people who are innocent of sins or accusation from God and law enforcement agencies and not for sinners and killers.

respect them, listen to their advice, give them gifts often and provide for them physically I have seen many people who for their lack of honour and respect for their parents and elderly people became barren in their marriages, businesses, lost the favour of their bosses, lost their jobs and their wealth I urge you my dear brothers and sisters to give ears and attention to the voice of your parents, obey them, honour them and make them happy.

What are the things that are

indulge in bearing false information about people and accuse others innocently.

“And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezrelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

And Ahab spake unto Nabotli saying, give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it, or, if it seem good to thee, I will give the worth of it in money.

driving people into hell fire, while others find peace and comfort with God and in heaven? The reasons are, those who God would cast into hell fire could have disregarded Gods instructions, failed to obey and honour him, while those who will be in heaven are those who would obey God, hear his instructions, honour him, serve him faithfully and worship him genuinely.

And Naboth said to Ahab; the Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my father unto thee.

And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth me Jezrelite had spoken to him, for he had said, I will not give the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

But Jezebel his wife came to hint, and said unto him, why is thy spirit so sad that thou eat no bread?

And be said unto her, because I wake unto Naboth the Jazrelite and said unto him, give me thy vineyard for money or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it, and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard And Jezebel his wife said unto him, dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry; I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrelite So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

And she wrote in the letters, proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

With Apostle Dr. Raphael O. Ayemere 08035459593

And set two men, sons of Beliah, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, thou didst blaspheme God and king.

And then carry him out and stone hint, that he may diet” 1st kings 2l vs l-13.

The above passage of the scripture reveals how Ahab and

HONOUR YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR FATHER AND ALL ELDERLY PEOPLE IN YOUR SOCIETY Your ability to honour your parents and elderly people in your society enhances your chances of dying peacefully, joyfully and gracefully.

Someone said, “Honour is reciprocal”. I totally agree with the philosophy that honour and respect are reciprocal. The truth is that such belief are only applicable to people of your peer-group or age group. When it comes into respecting and honouring your parents and elderly people it becomes very compulsory and a must or a duty we must observe If you constantly disregard, disrespect or dishonor your parents and elderly people in your society, be rest assured that you will have big problems with your age group, business partners, your wife and children, with God and with your pastor in church. Your lack of respect for your parents and elderly people will hinder your business, career and your political ambition.

He who wants to prosper and see his children, grand children and great-grand children must constantly respect his or her parents and elderly people and obey them always.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.

Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on earth. “Ephesians 6v 1-3 From the above passage of the scripture, it is certain that your success and longevity in life is tied to your ability to honour and obey your parents and elderly people.

He who desires success, happiness, prosperity, peace of mind and fruitfulness must honour his parents and elderly people. Obey their instructions,

BEAR NO FALSE WITNESS AND ACCUSE NONE INNOCENTLY People who live in pains, difficulties and experience reproach often are people who take delight in bearing false witnesses and accusing people innocently. “Someone said, what you sow, that is what you reap.”

You cannot destroy others, deny them of their blessings and happiness and expect God to bless you and protect you from all evil. If you earnestly desire to die peacefully, joyfully and gracefully, then you must as a matter of urgency shun every act of bearing false witness and accusing people innocently.

Our God, parents, law enforcement agencies and government across the world, hate and punish people who

Jezebel killed Naboth because of false witness and wrong accusation. If you read from 1st king chapter 21v 13-29 you will discover the anger of God and his harsh Judgment on Jezebel and king Ahab for their actions against Naboth. Folks, I urge you to avoid any act or association that will lead you into bearing false witness and accusing people innocently.

I will advice and admonish you to stand for the truth at all times. Those who live by the truth and speak the truth often enjoys the blessings and reward that God brings to those who cherish and honour it.

BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE AND ENVY NOT YOUR NEIGHBOUR OF THEIR SPOUSE OR MONEY Contentment is a thing of the heart.

Paradoxically however, the desire to build mansions, amass wealth, become popular and occupy exotic positions in private and in government establishment has driven millions of people across the world into the state of lack of contentment.

“Whoever wishes to die peacefully, joyfully and

gracefully must be content with what he or she has and stop envying neigbours for their spouse or money.

A lack of contentment for your spouse or money will drive you into divorcing your wife or husband and bring you to negative desires of acquiring more wealth without any effort will lead you into armed robbery.

Friends, if I may ask, why are you envying your neigbours for their spouse when there are many men and women with different sizes and shapes looking for who to marry? If for any reason your appetite for many women is driving you into sinning against God and humanity, then the best thing to do is to fast and pray and ask God to help you out of such trouble.

I have seen and read of hundreds and thousands of people who have ruined their lives and destiny because of lack of contentment over their wealth or riches.

Some because of weaknesses of character and negative desires to acquire more wealth and riches have resorted into stealing, killing of innocent men and women and taking over their possessions. He who kills and destroys others to enrich him self is a fool and he will never live to enjoy such wealth.

To be candid with you I see no reason why people should not be content with what they have.

God has given you two eyes, two hands, two legs and enough potentials inside you that will enable you to achieve any kind of wealth or riches and yet people still have the effrontery to negatively desire others of their wealth and spouses.

Friends, some of the things that gladden my heart are, the peace of mind over what I have and my ability to be content with Gods gift, wealth, fame and height which He has mercifully entrusted into my life. I am very much aware that whatever we possess or acquire in this world are never carried with us when we die and none can ever be compared to the glory and treasures that await us in heaven.

I will therefore admonish you to stop envying your neigbours for their spouses or money.

If for any reason you must envy anything or anybody then envy God. Envy Him for his creation.

Envy him for his love, hospitality, kindness, patient, tolerance, goodness, power and supremacy over the universe.

Aspire to be like him and do as he did.

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View Point A Word For Yerima And The Paedophiles In Power I expressed my concerns about the issue of paedophilia and child brides in Nigeria quite extensively in an essay that I wrote last week titled ‘’A Nation Of Perverts and Paedophiles’’ which was widely published and which attracted a lot of rejoinders and commentries from other writers and commentators from both sides of the divide.

I do not intend to cover the same ground or repeat the same arguements here but kindly permit me to make a final contribution to the debate in this piece.

The good news is that no matter what anyone thinks or says and regardless of whichever side of the divide one is on when it comes to this issue at least the Nigerian people are now talking about a subject which, hitherto, had been regarded as being ‘’off limits’’ and taboo and which had been essentially swept under the carpet. I commend the Nigerian press, the website magazines, the bloggers and the electronic media for standing firm, rising up to the occassion and bringing the matter alive and one can only hope and pray that they will keep the fire burning by continuing to reflect the heated discussions and various opinions on this issue.

I was particularly impressed with and encouraged by the editorials of some of our leading newspapers on this issue including ‘Thisday On Sunday’, ‘The Nation On Sunday’, ‘Leadership On Sunday’ and ‘The Sunday Vanguard’ which were all published on Sunday 28th July and which were titled “In Support Of The Girl Child’’, ‘’No Cover For Paedophiles’’.

By FEMI FANI-KAYODE

‘’Much Ado About Child Marriage’’ and ‘’Building Nigeria On Deceit’’ respectively.

With contributions like that from very serious and credible mediums like those there is still hope for the girl-child in Nigeria. I urge all those that have not read these contributions to please find them and do so.

Yet despite the outrage expressed by the overwhelming majority of Nigerians and indeed the wider world about the plight of the girl-child in our country, on Sunday 28th July a deeply defiant and unrepentant Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, who was the individual that sparked off the whole controversy in the first place by insisiting that section 29 of the constitution must not be removed, told the Sunday Trust Newspaper that ‘’if the vote on the child marriage issue came up in the Senate again’’ he and his supporters ‘’would win a million times over’’. Sadly, given the nonchalant attitude that has been displayed by a large number of our Senators to the plight of the girl-child, paedophilia and infant marriages in Nigeria and their obvious reluctance to step on Yerima’s big toes and thereby upset his religious sensitivities he may well be right.

If not for that how does one explain the fact that two female Senators, Aisha Jummai Alhassan from Taraba state and Zainab Kure from Niger state, both of whom I gather have daughters, actually abstained when that historical vote took place. To drive home the point the

Senate President himself, Senator David Mark, only last week admitted that he and the entire Senate had succumbed to Yerima’s ‘’blackmail’’ on the issue of the right of the child-bride to renounce Nigerian citizenship and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, accepted the

the sensitivity, the courage, the wherewithal or the political will to do the right thing and to not only delete the controversial Section 29 from our constitution but to also revamp and amend it in it’s entirety and insert a clause that specifically, clearly and categorically outlaws and bans any marriages that

because she made all the relevant points and consistently hit the nail on the head.

It is the inability of the Senate and other political stakeholders to introduce a new clause into our constitution and ban child marriages and their penchant for continously pampering and seeking to accomodate the strange fantasies and perversions of those that enjoy marrying and having sex with 6, 9, 12 and 14 year olds that informed Pastor

Senator Ahmed Yerima

fact that the matter ‘’needed to be revisited’’ in view of the outrage expressed by the majority of the Nigerian people.

Yet many of us do not expect anything to change in the near future simply because it is clear that the Nigerian Senate and indeed the Nigerian political class generally simply do not have

involve anyone under the age of 18 in Nigeria. Mrs. Roz Ben-Okagbue, in her article titled, ‘’Is The Removal Of Section 29 The Answer To Eliminating Child Marriage?’’ has made this point more eloquently than anyone one else. I consider Roz’s piece to be probably the most insightful contrbution so far in this this debate simply

“Yet despite the outrage expressed by the overwhelming majority of Nigerians and indeed the wider world about the plight of the girl-child in our country, on Sunday 28th July a deeply defiant and unrepentant Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, who was the individual that sparked off the whole controversy in the first place by insisiting that section 29 of the constitution must not be removed, told the Sunday Trust Newspaper that ‘’if the vote on the child marriage issue came up in the Senate again’’ he and his supporters ‘’would win a million times over’’.

Tunde Bakare to proclaim, in a characteristically powerful and explosive sermon, that ‘’Nigeria is suffering from the rulership of ‘PINP’ ‘’ (by which he meant ‘’Paedophiles in Power’’) and that the issue of child marriage has divided our country more than any other issue before it in our entire history. No-one could have put it better.

Yet the debate continues to rage and only last week the respected islamic scholar Professor Ishaq Akintola added his voice by saying ‘’there is no age restriction in islamic marriage’’. Most muslims would disagree with this because child-marriage is specifically banned by the laws and constitutions of 90

per cent of muslim countries in the world today but I respect the right of Professor Akintiola to hold his opinion about the tenets of his faith.

And regardless of his views and fervency I honestly believe that islam, like christianity, is a humane and compassionate faith which seeks to protect the weak and guide its adherents on the path of righteousness and light.

I must however point out that Nigeria is not a muslim or indeed a christian state. She is a secular state and she is governed by secular laws.

Religious laws have no place in our land or constitution.Our constitution is a secular docuement which specifically says that the state shall not adopt any religion. This must remain so if we do not want a divided country and if we do not want continued controversy, strife and possibly even a fully blown religious conflagration and conflict. We should all keep our religious sensitivities out of certain matters if we want continued peace.

Paedophilia, child sex, child slavery, child rape and child marriage cannot be justified under any circumstances in any civilised country. It is not a matter of religion. It is a matter of human rights, civil liberties and basic morality.

There is nothing more repugnant to the natural mind and wholesome soul than the prospect of a fully grown man mounting, defiling and having carnal knowledge of a child that is between the ages of 6 and 18.

Every child, whether she be a christian, a muslim, a pagan, an atheist or an agnostic has the right to be fully protected by the state and by the laws of our land from sexual predators, sexual deviants, statutory rapists, unrepentant perverts and child molestors.

That much we ought to be able to achieve and we ought to insist on. We are meant to protect our children and not bed them.

Like I said earlier on elsewhere in this debate, even animals don’t sleep with their own infants. Some may hate me for these words today but I speak nothing but the truth and tomorrow the people will Continues on page 21

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Continued from page 20

thank me for it. In the heat of this debate my dear wife, Pastor Regina Fani-Kayode, made a pertinent assertion.

She said ‘’knowledge comes to those who seek it’’. This is wisdom and I would suggest that our muslim brothers and sisters that share Yerima’s views on child marriage and that seek to defend those views on religious grounds like my respected sister Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, whose article titled ‘’Early Marriage?’’ I read with great interest, learn a little from this deep truism. Perhaps they could also learn one or two things from the following press report in a newspaper just last week which reflects the views of one of the most respected leaders and islamic scholars in that Saudi Arabia.

The report reads as follows‘’Saudi sheikh says child marriages are no longer justifiable -Prophet Mohammed’s marriage to young Aisha “cannot be equated with child marriages today because the conditions and circumstances are not the same”.

A member of Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body has said that Prophet Mohammed’s marriage to a nine-year-old girl does not justify marrying minor children today because circumstances have changed in the intervening 14 centuries. The comments by Sheikh Abdullah al Manie, who sits on the Council of Senior Ulema, follows other recent public criticisms of child marriage, suggesting the government may be preparing public opinion for legislation setting a minimum marriage age.

“They want to prepare the public to understand that the old days are not like today,” said Mekhlef al Shammary, a human rights advocate in Dammam. “It’s a crime to give a 12-year-old to be a mother and wife. “This is ridiculous. Even in Islam it’s not acceptable because the girl is not mature enough.

She’s a child - she’s not ready for sexual relations.” The marriage of young girls, often to much older men, has been at the forefront of public debate in Saudi Arabia for a

couple of years. It escalated early last year after it was reported that a man had contracted to give his eightyear-old daughter in marriage to a 47-year-old man in order to pay a financial debt. The contract was annulled after a public outcry.

Sheikh al Manie is believed to be the most senior cleric to unequivocally denounce the practice of child marriage.

Prophet Mohammed’s marriage to young Aisha “cannot be equated with child marriages today because the conditions and circumstances are not the same”, he said in

...

Issues View Point And The Paedophiles In Power

minors was a “grave error” and cautioned parents to “fear Allah and not marry their daughters by force” to men they do not want to wed’’.

Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, Professor Ishaq Akintola and all those that continuosly give the impression that child marriage is acceptable in islam and who erroneously believe that the honest criticism of such an abominable practice is an attack on their faith surely

that my dear sister Mrs. Toyin FaniKayode-Bajela wrote in a moving piece titled ‘’You Who Support Child Marriage’’ from London just last week. She wrote‘’You who for whatever ‘solid and noble’ reason have chosen to agree with legitimised child slavery, sexual abuse, psychological, emotional, physical and financial abuse under the guise of marriage. You who are silent about it or couldn’t care less as it’s not a topic

have much to learn from the contribution of this erudite Saudi Arabian leader and scholar. As a matter of fact we all do and it is contributions like that that make the rest of us appreciate what a beautiful religion islam really is when its tenets are properly understood and applied.

Permit me to end this essay by sharing a few poignant words

worthy of inclusion in the constitutional review. All of you have freedom to choose your position on this issue- the freedom to wax lyrical, or not so lyrical, as is most often the case, on this issue. You enjoy the freedom to hold and have your own opinion. The freedom to air your opinion irrespective of whether l care for that opinion or not.

David Mark, Senate President

remarks published in the Saudi Gazette and Okaz newspapers on Thursday. “It is a grave error to burden a child with responsibilities beyond her years,” the sheikh said. “Marriage should be put off until the wife is of a mentally and physically mature age and can care for both herself and her family.”

Sheikh al Manie’s comments came a few days after Sheikh Abdul Mohsen al Obaikan urged legislation making marriage illegal for girls under 18.

Waivers might be given in some cases by judges or the royal court, he added, according to reports in the same newspapers. Sheikh al Obaikan said the marriage of

A girl child has no choice.

A girl child has no opinion that anyone will listen to - a girl child learns quickly the horrific consequences of her unwanted opinion and her only goal is silent survival or only choice suicide. There is no point in appealing to an iota of empathy in you that agree with child marriage for whatever ‘noble’, ‘altruistic’ or patriarchal ‘reason’ as time and time again, on issue after issue, day after day, we are reminded that you have none.

Everything is reduced to politics, religion and gain financially or otherwise. For those of you who think we have spoken-’too much grammar’ on this isssue- you are dam right. I have just enough (grammar ) to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves or those for whom the consequences of speaking out would be unspeakable, but not too little grammar that l might be tempted to stay silent’’.

My heart missed a beat and a tear came to my eye when I read this and I commend Toyin for her admonitions to us all and for her touching words. I also commend Roz Ben Okagbue, Hanatu Musawa, Maryam Uwais, Stella Damasus, Aisha Osori, Helen Oviagbele, Oby Ezekwezile, Bisi Fayemi, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Gbemisola Saraki and the many other leading women that have stood up and made their voices heard through their articles, actions, concerns and various commentries on the girl-child and child marriage issue in what is essentially a deeply conservative, insensitive, anti-progressive and maledominated country and society which really does not offer much sympathy or hope to the plight of women

generally let alone that of the girl-child and infant bride.

Let me give a couple of examples of that insensitivity and our misplaced priorities.

In Yerima’s own northern region no less than 93 per cent of girls do not complete secondry school education and 70 per cent of women between the ages of 20 and 29 cannot read or write. Worst still the region has no-less than 47 per cent of the recorded vesico vagina fistula (VVF) cases (a terrible diesease which is caused by child-sex, child marriage and child-pregnancies) in the entire world. According to our Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Zainab Maina, Nigeria has 800,000 cases of VVF and we are adding 20,000 cases each year. All these cases are situated in the northern part of the country. Such a diseases, such suffering, such illiteracy and such high levels of poverty of the mind and soul should have no place in any part of our great nation in this day and age.

Our people, whether they be from the north or the south, christian or muslim, young or old and men or women, surely deserve better than that. After all we are living in the 21st century and not the 6th. Yet sadly these vices are more rampant in Yerima’s own northern region and constituency than anywhere else in the country and instead of attempting to improve on the lot, the education and quality of lives of the good people of the north all he thinks about is marrying little girls and bedding them. What a man and what a country.

Outside of this contribution I have nothing more to say on this vexed and contentious issue of the horrendous plight of the girl-child and child marriage in Nigeria.

“A member of Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body has said that Prophet Mohammed’s marriage to a nine-year-old girl does not justify marrying minor children today because circumstances have changed in the intervening 14 centuries.”

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Issues

Another Form Of Slavery?

Child Marriage: MARRIAGE in a contemporary African society speaks of a joyful celebration, and a wonderful time that puts smiles in the face of family and well wishers. It is a union ordained by God for the enjoyment of man.

God so enjoys this union that he uses it to explain his love and relationship with mankind. Marriage is a union between a man and a woman (forget the deception that those gay are into), sanctioned legally, religiously and socially. According to dictionary.com marriage is a legally, religiously, or socially sanctioned union of persons who commit to one another, forming a familial and economic bond. Money is spent, friends are invited and all forms of activities go with the birthing of this union, but there is a modification of this union that has caused uproar in recent times. It is called UNDER AGE MARRIAGE. It is safe to assume that there was a time, underage marriage could have been accepted, since it is a part of the culture in some traditions, but with advancement; the consequences that abound in this tradition have necessitated the scrapping of the act. In the same vein, there was a time slave trade was a legitimate business in the world (Nigeria), but increased knowledge about the situation helped save the

By OLUGBEMIRO O. MICHAEL

day, and now we can work freely. Hence even before the cultural and religious excuse backdrop begins to rear its head, I want to assert that if it has been before, seeing the consequences on the girl child; it should not continue.

I stumbled upon a report in the United UNFPA (Nations Population Fund) website that stated that Nigeria has some of the highest rates of early marriage in the world. “In Nigeria, particularly northern Nigeria has some of the highest rates of early marriage in the world. The child Rights Act passed in 2003 rose the minimum age of marriage to 18 for girls.

However, federal law may be implemented differently at the state level, and to date, only few of the country’s 36 states have begun developing provisions to execute the law. To further complicate matters, Nigeria has three different legal systems operating simultaneously- civil, customary and Islamic – and state and federal governments have control over marriages that take place within the civil system. Domestic violence is a widespread problem, some studies report that up to 81 percent of all married women admit

experiencing some form of verbal or physical abuse by their husbands( one study on demographic and Health Survey data suggests that the lower the age of marriage, the higher the risk of domestic violence”.

Also from the same

source (UFPA website), it was stated that nationwide, 20 percent of girls were married by age 15 and 40 percent were married by the age 18. And that about 48 percent of girls were married by the age 15 and 78 percent

married by the age 18.

After the unveiling of some statistics, I will like to establish that this form of marriage should not be practiced by any civilized society as it comes with some severe consequences.

“The suggestion that paedophilia has any place in any modern and decent

society simply because it was once practiced in the distant past is not only a despicable argument but it also does not make sense” in the words of Femi FaniKayode in his article on THE NATIONS newspaper.

Although, there are so

“It is safe to assume that there was a time, underage marriage could have been accepted, since it is a part of the culture in some traditions, but with advancement; the consequences that abound in this tradition have necessitated the scrapping of the act.”

many reasons why these acts abound, one of such might be poverty.

Sometimes these innocent girls are married of to provide money for the catering of the other members of the family.

Sometimes to people they know and at other times to strangers. The other line that is most times towed by adherents is that the holy prophet (SAW) married Aisha at the age of six and consummated the marriage before she was nine, hence this makes it not wrong for

of the classrooms, thereby limiting her opportunities in the midst of her peers. “virtually no married girls are in school, only 2percent of 15- 19 year old married girls are in school compared to 69 percent of unmarried girls, 73 percent of married girls compared to 8 percent of unmarried girls receive no schooling, and three out of four married girls cannot read at all” (UFPA).Child marriage from the available statistics hampers the efforts of these young ones from acquiring quality

Muslims who want to tow the same line, while to others it is the tradition of the land that was handed down to us by our forefathers and hence we have to continue. While all the above reasons make sense to an extent and can be logically presented, observing from the point of view of the innocent Nigerian Girl child, no reason is good enough to allow them go through such sufferings at tender ages.

Furthermore, majority of the times, underage marriage deny the girl child the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful walls

education as the demands of the home affects the proper attention needed for schooling.

Consequently, 70.8% of young women aged 20- 29 in the North West Zone are unable to read or write.

Lack of education in this dispensation of survival leaves you bereft of some important skills and knowledge such as adequate diet, healthcare, communication, and enlarging of horizons.

Without these women going to school, the amount of female professionals in the various discipline is Continues on page 23

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affected and these young girls most times do not get the opportunity to be what they want to be. Most times having a mother that is not properly educated affects the psyche of the children as regards literacy, and sometimes this increases the population in the cycle of illiteracy.

Away, from the educational consequence, it is against a girl child human rights to make her marry at a tender age, especially when it is without her consent. I added without her consent because, we could have cases of where the supposed minor is happy with the process, but it takes our guidance roles as parents fully aware of the consequences to stop it. She should not be made to do what she does not want to , as she reserves the right to choose to be associated with whomsoever she pleases and not been forced into the marital process. Every girl child has the right to education, which is most times cut short by marriage at an early age.

Executive Director of UFPA Babatunde Osotimehin captured this more succinctly: “Child marriage is an appalling violation of human rights and robs girls of their education, health and long time prospects. A girl who is married as a child is one whose potential will not be fulfilled”. To add to that, it takes extra effort, for someone who goes through such to live a fulfilled life.

Furthermore, child

marriage increases maternal and infant mortality rate. According to UNICEF, deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth account for 70,000 deaths yearly, and the risk of dying for infants born to victims of child marriage in their first year of life is 60 percent greater than that of an infant born to a mother older than 19.

“Even if the child survives, he or she is more likely to suffer from low birth weight, under nutrition, and late physical and cognitive development. UNICEF said. This is because the reproductive organs of these young girls are not developed enough to cope with the rigour and emotional requirements of childbearing. Studies have revealed that 54.8 percent of victims of Vesico Vaginal Fistula and Recto Vaginal Fistula (Leakage of faeces into the vagina) in Nigerian are below 20 and 64.4 percent of theses give birth at home or in poorly equipped clinics, as is common in the north where child marriage is most prominent. An article by Dimeji Daniels on the Daily Post explains that although there are other causes of VVF or RVF, the most prominent of these causes are sexual violence and obstructed labour arising mostly from underdeveloped pelvises in these young girls. In fact, obstructed labour have been found to be responsible for 76 percent to 97 percent of fistulas while obstructed

Issues ... Another Form Of Slavery? labour and obstetric fistula account for 8% of maternal death globally.

In addition, I believe it takes more than age for a girl to get married. Because we even have girls above 20 that are not fully matured to get married, hence dragging a young girl child into marriage at a point when she is not fully( p s y c h o l o g i c a l l y, emotionally, socially, and

imagine anybody more than 18 years of age going through similar things.

Marriage signals a transition from child to adulthood, and early marriage cuts short this transitional process, it does not allow the girl child to enjoy what she is supposed to enjoy at her teenage age as she is made to undergo an accelerated maturity by virtue of marriage.

extent of early marriage and the human rights abuse, it constitutes.

Encourage state level authorities to adopt the federal law that established 18 as the legal age of marriage for girls.

Engage communities through public campaigns , pledges or incentive schemes.

Raise the awareness of parents, community leaders and policy makers

them in school through the secondary level. Being in school during adolescence has important health and development benefit for girls Develop social and economic programmes for out-of-school girls, including non formal education programmes.

For further interesting readings on this matter, I will suggest you search for

physically) leaves a consequential effect on that girl child. A girl child most times, is not psychologically prepared for the hurdles that come along with marriage; those that are married know the kind of responsibility and attention that come along with marriage can you

I strongly believe that irrespective of religious, cultural and social backgrounds, child marriage should be discouraged because of its many consequences. I found the following recommendations on the UFPA website: Raise awareness of the

about the health and rights implications of young girls marrying such older men.

Develop special social and health support structures for young and first time mothers Encourage governments and communities to commit to getting girls to school and to keeping

these articles online: “My thoughts on child marriage” by Peregrino and Brimah( DR), senator Yerima and Constitutional Review by Maryam Uwais. They provide an interesting view points on some of the reasons and effects.

“In addition, I believe it takes more than age for a girl to get married.

Because we even have girls above 20 that are not fully matured to get married, hence dragging a young girl child into marriage at a point when she is not fully( psychologically, emotionally, socially, and physically) leaves a consequential effect on that girl child.”

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

International

Compiled By FAITH OKHUELEIGBE

Former Turkish Army Head Jailed For Life Over Conspiracy

A protester waves a Turkish flag as he is stopped by Turkish soldiers from marching to a courthouse in Silivri,where a hearing on people charged with attempting to overthrow prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad heads the plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling al-Baath party, in Damascus.

SILIVRI, Turkey - A Turkish court yesterday sentenced a former military commander to life in prison and dozens of others including opposition members of parliament to long terms for plotting against the government, in a case that has exposed deep divisions in the country.

Retired military chief of staff General Ilker Basbug was sentenced to life for his role in the “Ergenekon” conspiracy to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

Announcing verdicts on the nearly 300 defendants in the case, the judges also sentenced three serving parliamentarians from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) to between 12 and 35 years in prison.

Earlier, security forces fired tear gas in fields around the courthouse in the Silivri jail complex, west of Istanbul, as defendants’ supporters gathered to protest against the five-year trial, a landmark case in the decade-long battle between Erdogan and the secularist establishment.

Prosecutors say an alleged network of secular archnationalists, code-named Ergenekon, pursued extrajudicial killings and bombings in order to trigger a military coup, an example of the antidemocratic forces which Erdogan says his Islamist-rooted AK Party has fought to stamp out.

Critics, including the main

War,The Only Way To Crush Terrorism DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said crushing “terrorists” must come before any political solution to end the crisis in his country, dimming hopes of an international peace conference any time soon.

Speaking in Damascus, Assad praised recent gains by his military forces across the country and said Syria can finish off the insurgency “within months” if people fight with the army through a “popular war”.

“How can we put an end to this battle and turn the table on others and restore security and stability? ... It is through this way (popular war) ... unity between the army and people to terminate terrorism.”

For more than two years, Assad has been battling a revolt against his rule which turned into a civil war.

After looking close to defeat, his forces - backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants - have pushed the rebels outside the capital and made gains in the central province of Homs and others areas.

The United States, Russia and the United Nations are still working to convene a meeting in Geneva between the Syrian government and opposition groups to broker a peace deal.

Russia is an ally and arms supplier of Assad, and, along with China, has blocked several U.N. Security Council resolutions by

the United States and European powers to impose sanctions on the leader.

Attempts to organize a socalled “Geneva II” peace conference on Syria to revive a political transition plan agreed in the Swiss city in June 2012 have been futile.

U.N. diplomats say it is increasingly unlikely that such a conference will take place any time soon, if at all.

“Terrorism and politics are complete opposites,” said Assad, whose government refers to all rebel groups and many opposition figures fighting for his ouster as “terrorists”.

“There can not be political action and progress on the political track while terrorism hits everywhere,” Assad told prominent members of Syria’s clergy, business and arts community on Sunday evening at an “iftar”, or meal to break the fast during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

“No solution can be reached with terror except by striking it with an iron fist,” he added, in remarks run by the Syrian state news agency SANA yesterday.

Assad mocked the Syrian National Coalition, the westernbacked opposition, as being morally bankrupt and “unpatriotic”, chasing positions of power, changing its stance regularly and receiving Gulf money.

Assad, whose family have

- Assad

ruled Syria for more than four decades, has remained defiant throughout the conflict. As war rages on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, he has carried out day-to-day presidential duties and attended ceremonies.

His wife, Asma, was shown on pro-Assad television channels preparing a charitable iftar meal for orphans on Sunday.

The presence of foreign fighters has grown among rebel ranks and al Qaeda-linked groups have taken control of some opposition-held territory, worrying supporters of the opposition in the west and the Middle East.

Assad, wearing a suit and looking relaxed, said that most regional and Arab countries who supported the opposition have

“changed their view toward the reality” of events after two and half years of war.

He said that there are “no exceptions to any means” he would employ to help Syria out of the crisis.

U.N. investigators say Assad’s forces have carried out war crimes including unlawful killing, torture, sexual violence, indiscriminate attacks and pillaging in what appears to be a state-directed policy.

They say rebels have also committed war crimes, including executions, but on a lesser scale.

Over 100,000 people have died in Syria’s civil war and millions have been displaced. Protesters took to the streets in March 2011 to called for democratic reforms but were fired on by security forces, leading to an armed uprising.

opposition party, have said the charges are trumped up, aimed at stifling opposition and taming the secularist establishment which has long dominated Turkey. They say the judiciary has been subject to political influence in hearing the case.

“This is Erdogan’s trial, it is his theatre,” Umut Oran, a parliamentarian with the opposition CHP party, told Reuters.

“In the 21st century for a country that wants to become a full member of the European Union, this obvious political trial has no legal basis,” he said at the courthouse.

Erdogan has denied interfering in the legal process, stressing the judiciary’s independence. But he has criticised the prosecutors handling the case and expressed disquiet at the length of time defendants have been held in custody.

With main access roads shut and protesters’ buses prevented from reaching the area, hundreds of the defendants’ supporters attempted to cross fields to reach the court and prison complex, but police with riot shields blocked their advance.

“The day will come when the AKP will pay the price,” some chanted on the approach road to Silivri, where hundreds of riot police and gendarmes, a paramilitary force responsible for rural security, were on duty.

Among the 275 defendants accused in the case are military officers, politicians, academics and journalists. They deny the charges. Twenty-one of the defendants were acquitted as the court continued to announce individual verdicts.

Basbug criticised the court on his Twitter account on Sunday, saying the public would not accept the punishment of innocent people.

“The ‘court’ will announce its verdict in an atmosphere that was not even seen in times of martial law, with even families being banned from coming,” he wrote.

“They know they will smear a black stain on the glorious history of the Turkish state and army like never before.”

The threat of a coup is not farfetched: the secularist military staged three coups in Turkey between 1960 and 1980 and pushed the first Islamist-led government out of office in 1997.

TOKYO - A U.S. military helicopter crashed on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa yesterday, U.S. Forces in Japan said, an incident which may stoke anger over the concentration of U.S. military bases on the island.

The Japanese defence minister said three of the four people onboard were confirmed to have survived the crash, but the U.S. Air Force said in a news release that the condition of at least four people onboard was unknown.

There were no casualties among local residents, a Japanese official said.

Video footage showed smoke rising from a fire on a remote mountainside.

The air force said an HH-60 helicopter, based in Kadena airbase in Okinawa, crashed in a training area on the U.S. Marines’ Camp Hansen and U.S. fire and rescue crews were responding, adding that the helicopter was conducting a training mission at

the time.

A private broadcaster earlier said that the aircraft was a CH46 helicopter.

“This is really regrettable. We are asking the U.S. side for a speedy supply of information,” Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters. “We plan to strongly demand for investigation into the cause of the accident and measures to prevent a recurrence.”

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to move the U.S. Marines’ Futenma airbase to a less crowded part of the island, but stiff opposition from Okinawa residents is stalling the plan.

Residents of Okinawa, host to the bulk of U.S. military forces in Japan, have long resented bearing what many feel is an unfair share of the burden for the U.S.-Japan military alliance.

Many associate the U.S. bases with accidents, crime and pollution.

US Military Helicopter Crashes In Japan

Iran’s Rohani Vows Not To Surrender To Sanctions TEHRAN Pledging moderation at home and “removing tensions” abroad, Iran’s new President Hassan Rohani took the oath of office before legislators today in Tehran.

The veteran regime insider who was Iran’s top nuclear negotiator a decade ago vowed to improve the economy and lives of all Iranians.

But it was Rohani’s explicit reference to US-led sanctions and Iran’s controversial nuclear program that drew the loudest

applause and will be most closely followed in Washington. As nuclear negotiations over Iran’s program remained deadlocked, both wings of Congress last week took steps to add yet more sanctions, with the House voting overwhelmingly to tighten restrictions.

Iranians will “safeguard their national interests” and “cannot be made to surrender through sanctions; such a people cannot be threatened to war and fighting,” said Rohani, according to a simultaneous translation by

state-run PressTV. “The only way for interaction with Iran is a dialogue on an equal footing, confidence-building which should be mutual, and mutual respect as well as reducing antagonism and aggressiveness...

I want to clearly express, that if you want the right response [on the nuclear issue], it should not be through the language of sanctions, it should be through the language and discourse of respect,” Rohani said, prompting the loudest applause of his swearing-in speech.

Tasked with restoring the health and credibility of Iran’s Islamic system after eight years of the often-tumultuous presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rohani called on divine guidance to help him solve Iran’s problems.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei also called for “maximum cooperation” and support for Rohani’s government from all of Iran’s political factions at a smaller ceremony on Saturday at which Khamenei officially bestowed his endorsement.

THE NIGERIAN

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

International

Compiled By FAITH OKHUELEIGBE

Tunisian Police Disperse Protest With Gun Fire

People hold national flags as they shout slogans outside the Silivri jail complex in Silivri, Turkey,yesterday. Some 275 people - including military officers, politicians and journalists - are facing verdicts in a landmark and divisive trial in Turkey over an alleged conspiracy to overthrow Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. Security forces set up barricades around the courthouse in Silivri to tighten security after the supporters of defendants announced to hold a demonstration against the five-year trial.

TUNIS - Police shot into the air and fired teargas yesterday to break up demonstrators protesting against Tunisia’s Islamist-led government in the southern town of Sidi Bouzid, birthplace of the country’s 2011 revolution.

Witnesses told Reuters that police opened fire after protesters tried to prevent the governor from entering the town hall. The secular opposition, which is trying to topple the government, has called for civil disobedience and the occupation of government offices.

Tunisia is grappling with large pro- and anti-government protests as well as a growing security threat. Islamist militants have stepped up attacks in the past two weeks and Tunisian forces launched heavy air and artillery strikes on militant hideouts near the Algerian border.

The assassination of leftist figure Mohamed Brahmi on July 25, the second killing of an opposition figure in six months, sparked the worst political crisis in Tunisia since protests toppled

autocratic leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

The opposition demands the dissolution of the government and the Constituent Assembly, which is just weeks away from finishing a draft constitution and a new electoral law.

Ennahda, the Islamist party that is governing in coalition with other forces, says it will negotiate on changing the government but has refused to remove the prime minister or dissolve the Assembly, which it has called its “red lines.”

was snuffed out in 1952 by soldiers known as the Free Officers, among them Gamal Abdel Nasser, the man who would later take power and hold it until his death in 1970. British military advisers were expelled.

Revered by Egyptians as the revolution that gave birth to modern Egypt, it began in Cairo with a day of anti-British riots that razed hundreds of buildings, landmarks of the elite and Western influence.

Nightclubs frequented by Farouk, the Opera House, the Shepheard’s Hotel and the Rivoli cinema, where Keropian recalls an organist who “came up from the stage during the interval and played some very nice tunes”, went up in flames.

In a written ultimatum after months of political upheaval, the Free Officers told Farouk the army represented “the power of the people” and demanded that he step aside.

“Nasser let the king take all his fortune,” said Keropian. “They say there were lots of boxes of jewels, and he was saluted when he left the port of Alexandria.”

The Arab world’s most populous nation would be ruled by military men for the next six decades, until Hosni Mubarak was toppled by the masses in Tahrir Square in 2011 and Mursi, a devout Muslim, was freely elected in 2012 after another interim period of military rule.

A year on, Mursi is in detention, ousted by a general who said he too was acting on the will of a people who took to the streets in their millions to protest against Mursi’s perceived incompetence and autocratic, Islamist bent.

Army chief Abdel Fattah alSisi is the poster-boy of what the military and Egyptian liberals insist was a popular uprising, backed by military intervention to prevent civil war. He promises a return to civilian rule and democracy.

But history is against him.

“When the revolution stopped,” Keropian recalled of 1952, “(coup leader) General Mohammed Naguib said to Gamal Abdel Nasser, ‘Let’s go back to our barracks and leave the people to democracy.’ Nasser refused and said, ‘Egyptians are not yet ready for democracy.’

And he abolished all the parties.”

There are echoes of this narrative in Egypt today.

Egyptians “don’t know how democracy works”, Mohamed ElBaradei, vice president in a transitional cabinet appointed by the army, told the Washington Post last week.

“They don’t know the ingredients of a democracy. It takes time.”

ElBaradei described as “esoteric” the debate over whether or not Mursi’s overthrow constituted a coup.

History Weighs Heavy With Egypt’s Generals In Charge

senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood early yesterday as part of mediation efforts to end the standoff between Egypt’s military-backed government and protesters supporting ousted President Mohammed Morsi, Egyptian officials said.

The talks between U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Khairat elShater, the powerful deputy head of the Brotherhood, took place in the prison were the Islamist figure is being held, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Burns was accompanied by the foreign ministers of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as well as an EU envoy.

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Patricia Kabra declined comment.

El-Shater was among a host of prominent Islamists arrested by authorities after the army ousted Morsi, a

longtime Brotherhood member, on July 3. El-Shater has been charged with complicity in the killing of anti-Morsi protesters during the four days of protests that led up to the military coup.

The government officials did not say why Burns and the other diplomats visited elShater, who was widely believed along with the Brotherhood’s spiritual leader Mohammed Badie to be the source of real power during Morsi’s one year in power.

Supporters of Egypt’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans during a protest outside Rabaah …

But Burns and the three other diplomats are in Egypt as part of international efforts to end a standoff between Morsi’s supporters and the military-backed interim government.

More than a month after Morsi’s ouster, thousands of the Islamist leader ’s supporters remain camped out

in two key squares in Cairo demanding his reinstatement.

Egypt’s military-backed interim leadership has issued a string of warnings for them to disperse or security forces will move in, setting the stage for a potential showdown.

Already, some 250 people have been killed in violence since Morsi’s ouster, including at least 130 in two major clashes between security forces and Morsi supporters on July 8 and again on July 26 and early the next day.

Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, has been held at an undisclosed location since his ouster. Last week, he was visited by the EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and a group of African elder statesmen. Ashton said he was well and had access to TV and newspapers.

Morsi faces accusations of conspiring with the militant Palestinian Hamas group to escape prison in 2011.

CAIRO - Nubar Keropian was in his late teens when the Egyptian army last took power by force of arms, overthrowing King Farouk and casting him off from Alexandria to exile and an early death in Italy.

Still working in the portrait studio his photographer father opened 80 years ago, Keropian recalls the events of 1952 as if it were yesterday, leafing through black-and-white photographs of quiet, clean Cairo streets and the bare banks of the Nile.

“They said it was a bloodless revolution,” he muses, with no small dose of irony given events in Egypt 60 years on.

At least 300 people have been killed since the military deposed elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on July 3 following mass protests against him.

Keropian’s father was one of thousands of Armenians who fled killings in Turkey to Egypt during World War One, becoming a photographer at Cairo’s opulent Shepheard’s Hotel - high society’s sanctuary of choice from stifling North African heat.

Egypt was then under British military occupation although it became a notionally independent constitutional monarchy under Farouk, whom Keropian, 76, recalls as a “playboy and a womaniser”.

What passed at the time for a nascent democracy, with a parliament and political parties,

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani police scoured hills surrounding the capital Islamabad and sent additional units to protect key installations yesterday amid tightened security ahead of a major Muslim holiday and after a bomb wounded 14 people on a train.

Police and soldiers go on alert every year in the closing days of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which this year coincides with a global security alert issued by the United States which closed more than a dozen embassies in the Middle East and Africa following an al

Qaeda threat.

“We have beefed up security in Islamabad, particularly at the Faisal Mosque since there is a security threat,” Mohammad Rizwan, a senior police officer, told Reuters.

“We have also combed the Margalla Hills, setting up pickets at certain points.”

The mosque is the largest in Pakistan and sits at the foot of the majestic Margalla Hills, the first foothills to the Himalayas.

The bomb exploded on a train travelling between the southern financial hub of Karachi and the ancient city of Lahore, capital of Punjab

province. No one was killed.

It was unclear whether police were hunting a specific target or whether the increased security was a reaction to an embarrassing jail break last week in which more than 250 prisoners were freed from jail in a militant attack.

Pakistan’s police are notoriously under-equipped, poorly trained and underfunded. Security forces sometimes resort to blanket bans to counter potential threats, for instance by banning motorcycles or shutting down telephone networks.

Hardcore supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mursi shout slogans and wave flags in Giza

US Official Visits Senior Egypt CAIRO - A top U.S. Islamist In Jail diplomat met with a jailed

Bomb Wounds Train Passengers

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THE NIGERIAN

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Agriculture

ACCORDING to experts, Mushroom are macro fungi with a distinctive fruiting body which can be epigeal or hypogeal and are large enough to be seen with to un-aided eye and physically handled. They are highly nutritious and are also medicinal. Mushroom farming can generate in come for the resource poor farmer or can serve as a value addition crop.

Similarly, Prof. John Okhuoya of University of Benin, Benin City in his inaugural lecture defined Mushroom as a special group of fungi which are saprophytic in their life patherns. They lack chlorophyll and consequently can not use solar energy to manufacturing their food.

He classified or grouped mushrooms into four categories namely.

1. Edible Mushrooms, Examples of this group are Agaricus bisporous-the most cultivated mushrooms; lantinus edodes (shilitake) volvariella volvacea, Auricularia auricular, pluerotus, squanosullus, P. tuberreguim, Termitomy cetes africanus, etc.

2. Poisonous mushrooms.

Examples are Amanita phalloid, (the destroying angel).

A. Verna, A. Virosa, A. Gnuscaria 3. Medicinal Mushrooms: Examples are Pleurotus tuberregin, lentinus edodes schizophyhum cummune, etc.

4.

Miscellarreous mushrooms: Examples are strerum hrisutum, phallus indusiat Earthstars etc.

WHERE ARE MUSHROOMS FOUND? They are found in all sorts

Mushroom Farming environments. They grow on logs (Lignicolous), animal dungs (coprohylous), agricultural waste, saw dusts, burut grounds (pyrophylous), lawns etc. This explains why they are able to play prominent roles in the recycling of nutrients. They clean up the floors after man’s mess: of the environment. They are in fact the friends of the earth. They are very good recyclers.

What are its Nutritive value?

Most Nigerians in the rural areas (65% of population) eat mushrooms About 90% of these mushrooms are collected from the wild while the rest 10% is imported in form of pickled or canned materials usually from Britain, U.S.A, China and other countries from the far East (Okluoya, 1995).

Inaddition, experts after analysis in the laboratory have found out that on a dry weight basis, mushrooms morally contain 19 to 35% protein.

Mushrooms have loss total fat content, and the high proportion of polyunsatnrated fatty acids (72 to 85%) relative to total fatty acids is considered a significant contributor to the health benefit of mushrooms.

Fresh mushrooms contain relatively large amount of carbohydrate and fibre ranging from 51 to 88% and 4 to 20% (dry weight) respectively, for the major cultivated species (crisan and sands, 1978, Okhuoya, 1988b, Okhuoya and Ayodele, 2007 d)

EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA, or EB, is a very rare genetic connective tissue disorder that affects I child out of very 20,000 births (that means about 200 children a year are born with EB. (EB is actually a group of disorders that share a prominent manifestation of extremely fragile skin that blisters and tears from friction or trawma. Internal organs and bodily system can also be seriously affected by EB. The list of secondary complications can be long and may require multiple interventions from a range of medical specialists. As of today, there is no cure or treatment.

Daily wound care, pain management and protective bandaging are the only options available.

According to The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America (DebRA), the manifestations of EB, the symptoms the person suffers from, and the overall long term outcome on quality of life run the gamut from mild to devastatingly severe.

This is dependent on several factors including the type and subtype of EB and the inheritance pattern (autosomal dominant versus recessive). There are many people who are diagnosed with milder forms of EB, which, while they can be extremely difficult and painful to live with, are not disfiguring or lethal.

By OLUMESE MARK

Mushrooms also appear to be a good source of vitamins and of minerals.

Although most fresh mushroom are 90% water they can vary in their individual moisture content, so its best to look at them in terms of dry weight. Mushrooms are rich in protein, very low in simple carbohydrates, rich in high molecular weight complex carbohydrates (poly sacchaides), high in autioxidants and very low in fat. They lack cholesterol, vitamin A and

Six other persons who ate the meal were admitted in hospital but have since been discharged.

The business woman, identified as miss Iketi Oyakhire was aged 36 while the girl identified as Caro Ojie Kero was 10 years old

Mushroom vitamin C. They are a good source of some B Vitaminsbiboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and pantothenic acid (B5) as well as ergosterols which upon exposure to ultraviolet light convert to Vitamin (D2) MUSHROOM MEAL KILLS TWO There was a newspaper report in Okpokhumi-Emai in Owan East Local Government Area in 1986 that a family died after eating soups of mushroom. There are many such reports in the literature all over the world.

Here comes the real story.

A Business woman and a primary school girl have died after eating a meal served with mushroom soup at Okpohumi in Owan Local Government Area of Bendel State.

Health

primary four pupil of Uzebba primary school Uzebba.

Those treated in hospital were madam Oyakhire (aged 74), Mr. Ola Oyakhire, a farmer, Madam Aitata, a trader and her daughter Ijiene.

Others are Madam Ajerbunu Bodunrin Bello and Miss Abuogho Akpata, a student of Technical College Afuze.

Most of the victims belong to the same family. The reporter learnt that late Iketi

collected the mushrooms from a nearby bush for the meal and later played host to some members of her family and visitors.

Three days after the meal, reports said, all persons who took it developed belly ache while some of them started stooling and vomiting.

The business woman was said to have been rushed to the General Hospital, Afuze from where following doctors advice she was taken to her home where she died.

Caro also died at General Hospital, Uzebba.

The other victims were taken to a private clinic – fellowship Hospital Jattuwhere they were admitted and treated.

Reports from Okpohiun said this is the fist time people have died after taking mushroom meals.

This problem arose and will still arise as long as people depend on collecting mushrooms from the wild.

The practice is fraught with the danger of collecting edible with poisonous ones.

Be that as it may, our people of old had their own ways of identifying, differentiating poisonous from edible species.

While some edible species of mushroom are well known by them, most of the criteria they use are not reliable and in fact are best described as old wives fables.

In our next edition the writer will focus on the second article extensively on how to cultivate edible mushrooms.

The writer is the zonal manager, Edo State Agricultural Development programme central zone, Irrua Nigeria.

Coping With Epidermolysis Bullosa

By ISEMHENBITA FAITH In the above forms of EB, blistering of the skin may be limited to the hands and feet which may not result in any scarring or loss of function. In more severe forms there is generalized blistering of the skin as well as injury to many internal organs and bodily systems. These more severe forms of EB result in disfigurement, disability and early death, usually before the age of 30.

Infact, some forms of EB are lethal in the first few months of life.

EB is caused by mutations in the DNA code that makeup genes. Genes are responsible for making and expressing proteins. EB can result from one genetic mutation in any one of the 18 genes that have been found to cause the disorder.

These mutations, or errors in the genetic code, may not allow the affected gene to produce a specific protein, or it may result in the incorrect formation of that protein. Either way, the

mutation does not enable the affected protein to work correctly thus resulting in extremely fragile skin, and other manifestations of EB like: anemia, cancer, cardiomyopathy, syndactyly (fusion of the fingers and toes), renal insufficiency, dysphagia (difficult swallowing), malnourishment, constipation, osteoporosis, muscular dystrophy and pyloric atresia.

There are four types of genetically inherited EB: simplex, Dystrophic, junctional and kindler. These four major types of EB differ phenotypically (what physical manifestations look like) and genotypically (the genetic makeup) as well as by the area of the skin where there is blistering, otherwise known as “the site of ultra-structural disruption or cleavage”. There is also an autoimmune form of the disorder called, EB Acquisita.

Dystrophic Epidermohysis Bullosa Research Association of America (DebRA) said children with EB are known as Butterfly children because their skin is as fragile as the wings of a butterfly.

There are about 30,000 people with EB in the United States.

EB affects both genders and every racial and ethnic background.

THE NIGERIAN

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Wenger Prepared For ‘Stressful’ Month ARSENAL’s manager Arsene Wenger is preparing himself for what he expects to be a stressful month, as he is already turning his attention to his side’s crucial Champions League play-off ties.

Arsene Wenger

Second Wayne Rooney Bid Rejected MANCHESTER United have confirmed a second bid from Chelsea for striker Wayne Rooney has been rejected.

Rooney, 27, is the number one transfer target for returning Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho but he has seen his latest offer, believed to be in the region of £30 million, knocked back.

The Daily Telegraph originally reported of the second bid from the Blues, before United confirmed the report on Monday morning.

A United spokesman told Press Association Sport: “A bid was received yesterday and immediately rejected. Our position remains that he is not for sale.”

It comes just under three weeks after Chelsea had their first bid rejected, with the club denying they had offered David Luiz or Juan Mata in part exchange.

New United manager David Moyes has continually insisted the England international is not for sale and it could now be up to the player to submit a formal transfer request if he is to force through a move to Stamford Bridge.

The Times claims that Rooney could make his desire to leave Old Trafford official before the end of the week. So far he has been silent on Sir Alex Ferguson’s claims that he asked to leave United at the end of last season as well as the summer transfer speculation and links with a move to Chelsea.

Mourinho has made it clear that the former Everton forward would become the focal point of a new-look Chelsea attack and Rooney, who has become disenchanted at the Premier League champions, has reportedly decided that his future is in London.

Rooney is pencilled in to make his return from a hamstring injury, which has so far wiped out his pre-season preparation, against Swedish side AIK Solna.

back at Brendan Rodgers’ suggestion that Arsenal have shown a lack of class in their summer chase to sign the striker Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has defended the club’s actions in their summerlong pursuit of unsettled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

after Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was locked in advanced negotiations with Real Madrid executives over the forward’s £87million sale.

Real president Florentino Perez sent his right-hand man Enrique Sanchez Gonzalez to Miami to hear Levy’s final demands for Bale’s transfer.

Spurs and Madrid have also agreed to a schedule that will involve a meeting between Levy and Perez, one of the most powerful figures in world football.

Real’s financial situation

is so complicated that Levy is demanding additional bank guarantees to be inserted into the contracts between the two clubs.

Tottenham are still locked in a major dispute with the Spanish giants over the structure of the payments.

Spurs have agreed to the

between the two clubs over how the transfer money will be paid for the reigning PFA Player of the Year.

Levy would like the entire fee up front after learning that Real paid £80m to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.

Ferdinand’s testimonial.

With that clash coming less than 48 hours before the Community Shield clash, manager David Moyes is set to rotate players heavily in what should be a low intensity affair.

The match against FA Cup winners Wigan on Sunday will then mark the official beginning of the top flight season in England, with Premier League matches set to get underway the following weekend.

Gareth Bale

“We just want to be ready.

We have only 90 minutes now before we start the championship and it is important that we recover a little bit from the two days and prepare well for our next game against Man City, a friendly in Helsinki. Then we have to be ready.”

Wenger went on to confirm that he is about to offload two of his failed signings from recent years, with winger Gervinho set to join Roma and striker Marouane Chamakh on his way to Crystal Palace.

The Gunners have had two bids rejected for the Uruguayan, who has made no secret of his desire to leave the Anfield club this summer.

Arsenal’s latest offer was an unsuccessful attempt to trigger a release clause in Suarez’s contract with a £40,000,001 (+46m) bid, prompting Brendan Rodgers to suggest a lack of class from the club, but Wenger was

“We try [to act properly], we always try to act properly,” Wenger told reporters.

“But the transfer is always an agreement between three parties. We have always done that.”

Yaya Sanogo remains Arsenal’s sole new addition during the transfer window after missing out to Napoli for Gonzalo Higuain and Rodgers remains confident that they will also fail to sign Suarez.

... Defends Arsenal’s Action In Suarez staunch in his defence.

THE Gunners boss has hit Pursuit

Bale’s World-Record Move A Step Wales star’s sale. But there GARETH Bale’s worldCloser are huge discrepancies record move is a step closer

Busy Week For United MANCHESTER United will face AIK and Sevilla in friendlies this week before their FA Community Shield match against Wigan Athletic at Wembley on Sunday.

United face Swedish side AIK in Stockholm on Tuesday evening in a match where Wayne Rooney could make his return from a hamstring injury.

Then on Friday evening the Red Devils play host to Spanish side Sevilla in Rio

European play-off.

“It’s a stressful situation but we did fight very hard to be in that situation and now it’s time to take advantage of the fact we finished fourth and we have an opportunity to qualify.

“Of course it’s always very tricky to qualify but we have the experience of having done it before. I think we have enough quality to achieve it

After watching the Gunners lose their Emirates Cup decider against a Didier Drogba-inspired Galatasaray in front of their home supporters, Wenger again conceded he may not make a major signing before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

Yet it is the prospect of a two leg European tie that appears to be more prominent in his thoughts than any further bids for Liverpool’s Luis Suarez or other high profile transfer targets.

“It’s very difficult to predict if something will be sorted out before we play in the Champions League qualifier,” he told reporters when quizzed on the prospects of making additions to his squad ahead of Friday’s draw for the

with the players we have in at the moment and if we can have some more in before then, it’s even better.”

Wenger emphasised the need for Arsenal to be ready to explode out of the blocks in the first Premier League game of the season, with the Champions League play-off inked into the diary just a few days later.

“It’s important that we start strongly in the championship because that will have an influence on our performance in the Champions League,” he added.

Chelsea Through To Champions Cup Final CHELSEA will face Real Madrid in the final of the International Champions Cup after defeating AC Milan 2-0 in their semi-final on Sunday.

Goals to Kevin De Bruyne and Andre Schurrle continued Chelsea’s impressive pre-season run, with the Blues preparing to clash with Jose Mourinho’s former side on Wednesday.

Chelsea dominated proceedings early, with Branislav Ivanovic involved in a flurry of early chances, his header from an Oscar free-kick flashing just wide.

De Bruyne had his 19thminute strike ruled out for offside and Ivanovic did well to clear as Mario Balotelli looked set to score down the other end just minutes later.

Oscar fired wide shortly before De Bruyne opened the scoring in the 29th minute, rounding off a neat passing move by taking a pass from Eden Hazard and sidefooting home from 16 yards.

The chances continued for the Blues in a second half which again saw boss Jose Mourinho take the opportunity to use his entire

squad.

After Ramires had unselfishly tried to set up Romelu Lukaku in injury time, Chelsea got their second goal when Schurrle impressively volleyed home from 15 yards after receiving the ball from Moses.

In Sunday’s other match, Valencia eased to a 4-0 rout over Inter Milan in the losers’ semi-final.

Walter Mazzarri’s woes continued just weeks out from the Serie A season, with the Nerazzurri now forced into a seventh-placed playoff against Juventus.

It took just seven minutes for Valencia to open the scoring, with Ever Banega darting through the Inter defence and curling the ball into the top right corner of the net.

The Spanish side doubled their lead in the 34th minute when Jonathon Viera pounced on a loose ball from a corner and had his shot deflected in off Marco Andreolli.

Valencia rounded out the victory with second-half goals to Jonas and Viera and will now face Everton for fifthplace on Tuesday.

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Villas-Boas Sees Bale As Part Of Spurs Future Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas upped the stakes in the Gareth Bale transfer saga when he insisted the Welsh star was not for sale and even pictured him still in a Spurs shirt this season.

Bale is widely expected to complete a world record move, valued at around 100 million euros, to Real Madrid next week.

But Villas-Boas said that the suggestion the 24-year-old is on the brink of leaving White Hart Lane is just speculation.

“These rumours of an imminent transfer are not true,” said Villas-Boas, after seeing his side lose 5-2 to Monaco in a preseason friendly on Saturday.

Bale, who has a foot injury, remained in London where he reportedly had already said his farewells to his Tottenham teammates.

“Normally this kind of situation is monitored by the Football Association. The only thing we can say officially is that the player is not for sale,” added Villas-Boas.

“Gareth is a guy I really like.

We are talking with Real Madrid

because there is respect between the two clubs following the transfer last season of Luka Modric.

“We are building a great team for next season. We envisage the future with Gareth. But we know that in football anything is

possible.”

As Bale works on his fitness, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was due to sit down for his first face-to-face talks with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in Miami next week, possibly on Wednesday, The

Mourinho Reveals England Snub Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has claimed he was close to taking charge of England in 2007 before realising he would be bored by the low-key nature of international management.

The Football Association maintained Fabio Capello was always their first choice to succeed Steve McClaren following England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

But Mourinho, who returned for a second spell in charge of Chelsea in June after leaving Real Madrid, insists he was in talks with the FA six years ago and briefly considered accepting the job.

However, with only a relatively small number of internationals scheduled for each season, the Portuguese coach decided he would miss the frenetic pace of club management too much.

“My plan at that time was just to try to motivate myself for a job (with England) that doesn’t fulfil me,” Mourinho told the Independent.

“What do I do? During the day I’m not training players, so I have to go and see them train in their clubs. I have to send my goalkeeper coach to work separately. I have to do this, I have to do that.

“At weekends, I see every match. I need a good apartment.

I need to analyse and monitor the players.

“When they were speaking to me, the next match was France against England, a friendly in Paris. I thought, ‘FranceEngland’ (is an attractive prospect)’.

“After that, what’s the next game? The next was one month later against Kazakhstan - no, no, no, no. We have contact and I thought about England. I was very young and I was very proud.”

Gareth Bale

Manager Arsene Wenger has hit back at Brendan Rodgers after the Liverpool manager insisted Arsenal’s bid for Luis Suarez fell well short of the player ’s valuation.

Rodgers claimed Suarez’s qualities meant he should be valued in similar terms to Gareth Bale, the Tottenham forward who has attracted a near £100 million approach from Real Madrid.

Speaking after his side’s 2-2 draw with Napoli on the first day of the pre-season Emirates Cup tournament, Wenger confirmed the club had made a formal bid for Suarez - believed to be in the region of £40 million.

But he also insisted

negotiations would remain inhouse and admitted he was perplexed by Rodgers’s decision to speak out.

“I do not understand this kind of thinking and would not like to talk openly about negotiations, because that is not my target in (this) press conference,” he said.

“We have one month in front of us and we will work very hard to strengthen our squad, without naming any specific names, because I do not believe that will make negotiations easier.

“After that, you can make all kind of thinking about the price of the players, and you can say as well they are all overboard anyway.

international marketplace,” Moratti told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Look, for years Italian football – and I must take a fair share of the blame – won on the pitch in Europe, but, in financial terms, we played entirely at home. And we’ve lost. (Italian) Football has been living off money from TV rights and impressive transfer dealings.

“But today we find ourselves unable to create a system. We have outdated stadia, no format that can realistically attract world-wide interest. Building a solid market outside Italy is a long process. A difficult and costly process. And we are up against tough opposition. The arrival of a shareholder from

Asia, for example, makes that market much more approachable.

“Inter will (now) be managed in a modern, international fashion.”

Moratti said he could understand the apprehension from some of the club’s supporters – even the criticism from Pellegrini – but he maintained Inter must remain focused on the ‘future.

“I understand the fans very well,” he said. “My first thoughts are for them because Inter belongs to those who love the club. Believe me; I’m doing this for them. I also understand Pellegrini’s position. “(But) This club is worth a lot more than its turnover suggests.

It has to develop its brand on an international level if it wants to have a future to match its tradition.”

experienced coach and for sure will get the best out of him.”

On Saturday, Tottenham were also without new 30 million euro recruit Roberto Soldado and also saw Jermaine Defoe limp off with a hamstring strain.

Monaco, now coached by former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, were promoted back to the French top flight last season.

They were worthy winners with Radamel Falcao, their 60 million euro signing from Atletico Madrid, grabbing two goals.

Monaco were a goal ahead after 15 minutes when Italian defender Andrea Raggi volleyed beneath Hugo Lloris in the Tottenham goal.

Two minutes after the interval, Argentine winger Lucas Ocampos got in front of Harry Kane to head home.

In the 49th minute Falcao scored his first goal of the night, a simple tap in from a pass by Ocampos.

Kane pulled one back for 3-1 just before the hour, but Falcao restored the three-goal cushion with a 15-yard drive which screamed past Lloris.

It was 5-1 after 71 minutes when midfielder Mounir Obbadi finished off a three-man break.

Andros Townsend hit a fierce long-distance strike with five minutes left to reduce the deficit to 5-2.

“It is like you go to your neighbour and say: ‘I want to buy your house, so get out tomorrow morning.’ He will not be necessarily happy about it.

“What is important is we focus on the players we have, that we are not too much drawn into these stories.

“I can understand they are interesting for people who love football, but it is not the most important (thing) in the game.

“We will treat every transfer with the rules we have always done until now, that is in a fair and respectful way.

“That is our club. That other

clubs do differently is their problem, but we will be completely faithful to the values we think are important here.”

And asked if he believed his current squad could win the Premier League title, Wenger said: “Yes, of course. I am confident. Why should I sit here and say to you we can absolutely not win the title with the players we have?”

The Gunners trailed to first half goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Goran Pandev on Saturday before recovering after the interval to level through Olivier Giroud and an 87th minute equaliser from Laurent Koscielny.

Wenger, who hopes to conclude the sale of strikers Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho next week, said: “It was a good game overall at a good pace against a good side.

“I feel overall over 90 minutes we played going forward. It took us time to adjust defensively.

And as well it was a good mental test because from two-nil down to come back for two-two is very impressive.”

Napoli manager Rafael Benitez was back in London for the first time since his departure from Chelsea at the end of last season after his spell as interim boss and he declared himself satisfied with his new side’s display.

“The game went well for us.

We clearly showed what we wanted to do, how we wanted to play and were up to it,” Benitez said.

Wenger Hits Back At Rodgers Over Suarez Bid

Moratti To Sell Inter Stake

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti is on the threshold of selling 70% of the club to Indonesian business magnate Erick Thohir for a reported +300 million.

Moratti, who previously played down reports of a potential sale, is said to have been locked in talks with Thohir for some time.

The development comes amid warnings from former Inter president Ernesto Pellegrini that “the Indonesian is only interested in business”.

But Moratti believes that Inter have fallen behind their European rivals in the global market place, losing in their gamble to “play entirely at home”, and need “serious innovation” to again return the club to its glory days.

“What I’m worried about is the future of the club. Irrespective of the building of the brand on the

Times suggested on Saturday.

Real are keen to see Bale at the Bernabeu ahead of their opening league game against Real Betis on August 18.

Bale is set to become the most expensive player of all time, an honour currently held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved from Manchester United to Real for 94 million euros ($125 million, £82 million) in 2009.

Levy is reportedly holding out for a transfer fee in excess of £105 million while Real are looking to strike a deal at around £85 million with a makeweight, possibly Fabio Coentrao, thrown in.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho revealed on Saturday he told Real to sign Bale when he was still in charge at the Bernabeu last season.

Mourinho, who joined Chelsea in June and has since been replaced at Madrid by Carlo Ancelotti, told ESPN: “I asked the club to buy him last season but it was not possible.

“It looks like it is happening this season so I am happy for them because they get a fantastic player but, of course, the numbers are huge numbers and the kid has to go now and there’s pressure to prove that he’s worth that investment.

“I think he’s a fantastic player and the way my Real Madrid was playing, I think it was an easy player to fill a space and to get into that tactical dynamic.

“I don’t know what Carlo is thinking now but Carlo is an

“I never said we have made a bid to Liverpool, now I can tell you we have made one, so at least that is some information. All the rest, I would like to keep to us.

“If we progress in that situation, we will inform you. At the moment, that is where we are.”

Wenger and his club’s board have once again come in for criticism in recent weeks after failing to secure any of their high-profile transfer targets, but the manager insists the club’s approach to conducting business will not change.

“When you want to buy any player, you need the agreement of the club, of the player and you need to agree a price, so you need three agreements,” Wenger said.

Arsene Wenger

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Aneke Out To Improve Chuks Aneke admits he rejoined Crewe on loan from Arsenal because he believes he can maximise his potential at Gresty Road.

The 20-year-old midfielder proved a hit with the Alex last year, winning the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy while at the club, and he is now keen to emulate that success after arriving on a six-month deal.

Aneke featured in Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Rotherham and told Crewe’s official website: “It is really good to be back and when I knew that Steve (Davis, manager) and Crewe were interested in getting me back, then I was very interested as

well.

“I really enjoyed it last year.

It was a great experience and it was my first real year in football really.

“To play at Wembley and win a trophy is something I will always remember. I just want to come back and carry on from where I left off.

“There will be no resting on my laurels. I want to get better and improve and I felt I was doing that by playing regular football.

“I just enjoyed the whole experience and everyone in Crewe makes me welcome.

The reception I got on Saturday was unbelievable really and I can only thank the fans for that.”

Kehinde Fatai Fires Brace Former Nigeria U20 striker Kehinde Fatai was Astra Giurgiu’s hero when his brace helped them to a 52 victory at hosts Corona Brasov.

Astra lead the Romanian league table with six points from two games.

Ex-JUTH FC of Jos striker gave his side a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute and he completed his brace in the 33rd minute to give Astra Giurgiu a comfortable 4-0 lead.

Elated Fatai, who has been a prolific goal scorer in Romania, told MTNFootball.com he is happy to open his goals’ account in the league after the second game of the season.

“It was a good game for us as a team and I was happy to have got those goals. It was my first set of goals this season. We have started well winning both games we have played so far,” he said.

The 23-year-old striker scored 14 goals in the league last season.

Ronaldo Hits Back At Mourinho

Didier Drogba scores a penalty at the Emirates Stadium in North London on August 4, 2013

Nigeria, Spartak Fight Over Emenike Nigeria have asked Spartak Moscow to release Emmanuel Emenike for an August 14 friendly in South Africa even though it is not a FIFA-free day.

“The NFF will not accept any of such claims that it’s not a FIFA free window, because it is and as I speak with you the NFF secretary has also made his position known to Spartak,” team sources declared.

Meanwhile, there are Indications that all invited players for the friendly against South Africa in honour of Africa’s foremost nationalist, Nelson Mandela, will be

available for the encounter as the NFF are determined to counter any move from foreign clubs to deny Nigeria the services of the players.

“Don’t forget that the game is also a dress rehearsal for the September World Cup qualifier against the Flames of Malawi and we can’t afford to let anything to chance,” said NFF general secretary Musa Amadu.

The build-up to the August 14 Mandela Challenge prestige clash between the Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana has started to reach the real actors of the game, with Chelsea star Victor Moses declaring that he

Messi Would Cost 580m Euro -Rosell THE Barcelona chiefs says the Argentine ace is the only player he could not allow to leave and revealed they have abandoned their Thiago Silva pursuit Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has claimed Lionel Messi would cost any potential suitor 580 million Euro - but insists he is the one player he would not allow to leave Camp Nou.

Messi

Barca recently sold Thiago Alcantara to Bayern Munich after the player requested the chance to move and Rosell has made it clear he will not stand in any player’s way if they do not commit to the Liga champions - with the exception of their Argentine ace.

“All players who want to leave can leave - all but Messi,” he told Sport. “They’d have to give Messi 250m Euro to pay the LFP

clause, then they’ll have to pay more than 56 per cent in taxes.

This would be about +580m.

“Thiago has gone because he wanted to. He asked in writing to be allowed to leave. We do not want players who do not think of Barca first.”

Rosell also conceded defeat in the club’s pursuit of Paris SaintGermain defender Thiago Silva and revealed he has personally written to the Manchester United hierarchy to ward them off any further bids for Cesc Fabregas.

“The player we wanted [Thiago Silva] is unattainable and unfeasible, because the other side do not want to sell. It is impossible under these conditions. From here we have to look at other options, to see what we can do,” Rosell continued.

“He wants to stay and there is no argument from us. I sent a letter to the president of United to say that Cesc was not for sale.”

New signing Neymar impressed on his Camp Nou debut in the 8-0 friendly rout of Santos, but Rosell warned people to be patient with the

Brazil star during his first season in Europe.

“Ronaldinho helped change the history of this club. Neymar doesn’t need to do this, he must help maintain the current level.

Neymar will need time,” he said.

“As of today, Messi can help Neymar more than the other way round. That said, Neymar can help distract defences to allow Messi one less opponent. If he had four [before], now he has three.”

Finally, Rosell commented on Real Madrid’s efforts to land Tottenham star Gareth Bale, insisting that only the player’s success in the Spanish capital could determine whether the proposed 120m Euro transfer fee was appropriate or not.

“Time will tell if 120m Euro for Bale is cheap or expensive,” the 49-year-old added. “We have to put the player’s age, his titles, his salary, his career to date and his abiliy into the mix. That will tell us if he is expensive or cheap.

“Bale, who will play, is much cheaper than players who have not even played for one minute.”

has missed his colleagues in the national team and cannot wait for the Mandela Challenge to reunite with them.

Super Eagles official Dayo Enebi Achor disclosed that Moses was the first player to put a call through to the team to say he will be available for the game and will be among the first players to arrive South Africa for the game.

In consonance with renewed interest by the national team stars for the game, Obinna Nsofor, has been making desperate enquiries about his return to the national team and has also promised to be early for the game in South Africa’s warmest city of Durban.

Other players who have been making concerted enquiries about the friendly so far include power-playing Lazio midfield ace Ogenyi Onazi, wing wizard Ahmed Musa and Brown Ideye.

Arrival for all the players according to the NFF remains Sunday, August 11 in South Africa for the game scheduled for Wednesday, August 14.

Emenike

THE Portuguese is bemused by his former coach’s latest remarks, refused to give his Gareth Bale opinion and said he is yet to agree terms over a new deal Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at Jose Mourinho following the Chelsea manager’s belittling comments about the Real Madrid star at the weekend.

Mourinho has previously criticised the attacker’s attitude when he stated that the Portugal international struggles to deal with criticism and the flamboyant coach took another swipe at the 28-year-old this month by claiming that he is not the ‘real’ Ronaldo.

“There are certain things in life that are not even worth commenting on,” the Madrid attacker said at a press conference when questioned about Mourinho’s remarks.

“I will not say anything else about it for obvious reasons. I have always respected all my coaches and learned from them.

“I have gotten used to people saying bad things about me. As we say in Portugal: ‘I do not spit on the plate I’m eating from.’

That’s all I want to say about it.”

Ronaldo was also questioned about the potential arrival of Gareth Bale from Tottenham, but remained coy on the Welshman’s proposed transfer.

“I have my opinion about Bale, but I will not go public with it”, he added. “These kind of issues are not my responsibility. I do not talk about new signings or player issues.”

The prolific forward then went on to discuss his contract renewal with Madrid and hinted that there could be new developments shortly.

“I still haven’t signed a new deal,” Ronaldo continued. “The situation is yet to be resolved. It’s not the right moment to discuss this. I might have some concrete news later on.

“I cannot confirm that I will retire at Madrid. I don’t know what my future looks like. I’m a Madrid player for now and happy here.”

Ronaldo’s current deal with Madrid runs until June 2015, with former club Manchester United having been linked with a move for him this summer by reports in England.

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IAAF World Championships

Coach Warnss Okagbare Against RICHARD Ogunleye, Sports Science, noted that Losing Focus and the Head Coach (Athletics), such comparison could affect

3SC ace Oladapo Olufemi in action during the match with Lobi Stars

the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kaduna, on Sunday urged Blessing Okagbare to stay focused at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.

Reports say that the championships would hold from Aug. 10 to August 18 in Moscow, Russia.

Ogunleye told newsmen on telephone that although Okagbare was growing in confidence, she must not lose focus like she did at the London 2012 Olympics.

“Okagbare is undoubtedly the country’s brightest medal prospect at the world championships and Nigerians would be expecting the best from her.

“She has made the country proud in recent times, especially at the justconcluded Diamond League where she set a new African 100m record of 10.79 secs.

“I expect her to do well, at least be among the first three, but she must not lose focus like she did at the last Olympics, where she finished poorly,” he said.

Ogunleye warned Okagbare not to see the world championships 100m race as a contest between just herself and World and Olympics champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica.

The coach, who holds a Doctorate Degree in Exercise

her psychologically and dent the country’s medal hopes in the women’s 100m.

“If Okagbare wants to win, she must not see the championship as a contest between just herself and Fraser-Pryce; that will be a big mistake.

“She must get everything right, both tactically and psychologically, and must perfectly take off from the blocks.

“If she sees this championships as a showdown between herself and the Jamaican, she might lose it all and we will miss a medal in the women’s 100m,” he added.

Taekwondo Boss Quthines Goal Of PANAMAI Tourney THE Osi-Ferguson Taekwondo Poomsae Classic and belt award ceremony, held on Saturday in Lagos, are to prepare and promote fighters that would participate at the 11th PANAMAI championship, according to an official.

Ferguson Oluigbo, the Oluigbo, who awarded belts President, Taekwondo to taekwondoists that Association of Nigeria, told graduated to higher belts at the newsmen after the classic classic, commended the that the PANAMAI fighters, saying that they championship would hold deserved the promotion. from Aug. 19 to Aug. 25 in The president said that 60 Osogbo, Osun.

Lobi Outshine Struggling 3SC

HOSTS Lobi Stars pipped struggling 3SC 1-0 in a Nigeria league match in Katsina-Ala on Sunday.

The Oluyole warlords held on till the 74th minute, when Barnabas Imenger Junior scored the back-breaking match winner.

3SC are now in relegation zone, 17th on the table with 27 points, while Lobi are now 15th on the table with 29 points.

Lobi Stars coach Evans Ogenyi told MTNFootball.com that they work hard to beat 3SC who came with defensive tactics

as he lauded the match officials.

“It was a good game, 3SC actually came with a defensive tactics but we work our way through and got the needed goal through a substitute Imenger,” Ogenyi said.

“I must commend on the match officials, they allowed the teams to express themselves and if officiating could be like this in every game, no one will have reason to complain.”

Ndubuisi Ekwuribe’s 22nd minute goal was all Kaduna United needed to beat Heartland in Kaduna.

Weekk 23 Results Kwara Dolphins Wikki Lobi Gombe Kaduna Wolves Nembe Pillars

0 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 vs

Sharks ABS Bayelsa 3SC Sunshine Heartland Rangers Nasarawa Akwa

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (PP)

taekwondoists from seven clubs in Lagos attended the occasion which, he said, was also geared towards the grassroots development of the sport in the country.

The clubs, he said, were Pan Africa Marshal Arts International (PANAMAI), Savic, Flower-Gate, Jibadex, Salamat, STK and HomeSchool. ‘‘The promoted taekwondoists have moved to the next stage of the belt they previously occupied,’’ Oluigbo said.

He said that for example, those in the White Belt (beginners’ stage), have been promoted to the Yellow Belt

and Yellow Belt holders promoted to the Blue Belt, among others.

Oluigbo said that he foresaw improvements in the fighters’ form, especially the young ones, saying that they were the ingredients that would make up the national team in future.

“From what I see, the young taekwondoists are getting ready to make their mark at international competitions,” he said.

Oluigbo added that the young talents were the promising ones expected at the PANAMAI championships in Osogbo.

Road Crash

NFF Commiserates With Kano Pillars THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Sunday in Kano commiserated with the management of the Kano Pillars over the Aug. 1 road accident involving their technical crew.

Reports say that the crew had the accident on their way back to Kano from Ilorin after the club’s Federation Cup match against Warri Wolves.

NFF’s Director of Competition, Dr Sanusi Mohammed, who represented NFF’s President, Aminu Maigari, delivered the condolence message when he visited Kano Pillars’ Technical Adviser, Babaganaru Mohammed, at Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, Kano.

Mohammed said that Maigari had earlier made

contact with the team to ascertain the extent of the accident.

The director, who said that he was deeply touched by the unfortunate incident, however, thanked God for sparing the lives of the accident’s victims.

He prayed to God to grant them quick recovery to enable them to quickly return to their duty posts.

“This is what all the clubs face regularly as we go round the country to honour away matches.

“May Allah protect us from all dangers associated with road accidents,’’ Mohammed said.

Kano Pillars are the current leaders of the current 2012/ 2013 Glo Premier League, now in its week 23, with 39 points.

Nigeria League Matches NIGERIA league Week 24 Shifted games have been moved on account of this weekend’s Muslim Sallah celebrations.

According to the release made available to MTNFootball.com and signed by league spokesman Kasali Obanoyen, the league will resume in the weekend of

August 10 and 11 with Week 25 fixtures.

Meanwhile, the inconclusive Week 16 clash between Akwa United and Warri Wolves will now be played on Wednesday, August 7 at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri.

Weekk 24 Fixtures 3SC Sharks Nasarawa Akwa ABS Sunshine Heartland Rangers Enyimba Bayelsa

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Pillars Gombe Wolves Wikki Lobi Dolphins Kwara Kaduna Nembe El Kanemi

THE NIGERIAN

CMYK

32

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IGERIA has invented a new political system that seems to thrive on threats and impositions rather than appealing to the better sentiments of the people; added to this is a political elite that sustains itself in power by threats of violence. It is obviously working for them: when it seems like one group is about to lose its grip on power, it commences a litany of threats and warnings of dire consequences.

These people do not really care that the consequences of their actions would be tragic for most Nigerians; evidently, Nigerians have never been the focus of their programmes and actions.

If anything, most Nigerians have become mere pawns in a vicious struggle for power amongst those whose rise to political leadership have been on the back of violence and fraud.

We have seen how even subtle indications of interest in the presidential seat has pitched state executives against the presidency in a battle that seems to get messier by the day. supporters on both sides vow to stand firm against each other but do not even suggest the relevance of the electorate to the choice of who emerges as their preferred candidate.

Veiled threats and warnings by Alhaji Asari Dokubo and Kingsley Kuku, two frontline supporters of President Jonathan’s 2015 reelection bid, have exposed how much disregard these public figures have for the country’s political process and how easily we forget the principles that guide a truly civil system that is hinged on popular choice.

They also expose a flagrant disregard for public opinion, by insisting on the return of Jonathan as the only way to ensure peace in the country, while ignoring the desires of the electorate. Thanks to such statements, the relevance of our democratic process is lost. Since war cries and clear threats have become the determinants of a candidate’s chances in winning or keeping political power, we have finally chosen to discard the pretentious garb of a democracy and expose the scam that we have practiced as a political

system ever since.

For those who do not consider Asari Dokubo’s statements inflamatory enough to stir the kind of public outcry it has, I am convinced that they do this out of ignorance and not anger directed at a northern cabal that is devising all means to stoke ethnoreligious conflict, as they claim. It is evident in Asari Dokubo’s rants, and Kuku’s

TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2013

federal government for years makes his remarks more of a real danger than any other; also, Kuku sits at the helms of political power as a presidential aide who runs the federal government’s amnesty programme for ex-militants.

Some would assume that these individuals may posses vital information that informed their statements.

It is either they have spoken

Seeking Votes By Force, The Game Plan For 2015

unreasonable spurts, that their opinions have been shaped by ignorance rather than reason: for one, it is this same group of the president’s supporters that once voiced their unflinching commitment to democratic principles and a generational change that engendered a reexamination of the political structures that fostered impunity. Today, these same group of people have turned around to become the voices in support of perpetuating those same vices. I do not speak directly of Kuku and Dokubo here but those who have remained completely silent on this topic while they allow such voices to have unbriddled access to the presidential palace.

There are statements that presidential aids and confidants do not make publicly so as not to compromise the neutrality of the presidency: where they fail to realise this, they stand the risk of provoking public anger and exposing their mediocrity and lack of political craft. This is what has happened. To harp on the fact that such statements have been made before by some northern leaders, whose political pedigree have always been questionable, exposes the level of puerility that defines political arguments in this country. Beyond such references to the impunity evident in previous speeches of similar import, we do not realise that one of the key issues here is the reputation of the individuals involved: While I agree that the statements by Buhari, Atiku and other northern leaders were as inflammatory as those made by Dokubo and Kuku, I do not see much else to base a comparison on: Dokubo’s position as the former leader of a militant organisation that embarked on a violent confrontation with the

to warn Nigerians of a lurking danger or they speak as voices of an emerging force that intends to entrench itself in

that any government that comes to power would consider the import of not sustaining it. Kuku’s

ethno-religious sentiments to define how we function.

So far, I do not see the traits of responsible

President Goodluck Jonathan power regardless of the consequences. Whatever role they play, they should have shown more decorum.

Kuku, on his part, has denied ever threatening violence if President Jonathan is not reelected.

He says he only called for a reelection of President Jonathan so that the amnesty programme would achieve its aims. While I cannot argue with his statements, I must say that an assumption that Jonathan’s defeat at the polls would mean an end to the amnesty programme, is a bit presumptious-even if I would support such a scenario because I find it unproductive. Since the programme is already operational, I am certain

assumption is most likely hinged on a belief that government policies are implemented on ethnoreligious sentiments.

I do not support the calls for arrest of Dokubo or Kuku, but I believe it is incumbent on the state security service to commence the monitoring of such individuals to ensure that their statements are not linked to a real plot. As much as I agree that such statements have been treated with levity in the past, I do not think that justifies the demand for same here. It is important for us to decide whether we intend to act as a responsible government that is committed to strengthening the structures of governance than allow

governance where evidently provocative statements are made without a firm response from the country’s leadership. One would expect that a warning of dire consequences (not his exact words) by Kuku, in his position as a presidential aide, would instantly be condemned by the Presidency. Where such statement is seen to suggest an attempt at fostering fear, the Presidency should be responsible enough to sack such an aide. However, ethnic sentiments and geopolitical balancing ensures that this will not happen.

Even worse is the recent talk by Dokubo that the country would go up in flames if he is arrested; he

even dares the security agencies to arrest him.

Such blatant show of impunity exposes his disregard for state authorities. He cannot be blamed for that; I have always known that the decision by the Presidency to build a close relationship with former militants and to allow them unrestricted access to presidential ears would lead to such indiscretions.

These ex militants have never really considered themselves to be under the control or dictates of Nigerian laws and still do not. They have lived, and survived, on the fringes and have have enjoyed immense benefits for that.

I have always believed that their relevance to this political dispensation has been defined by this reality only and nothing else, and that makes them more like a private army that is not confined by laws.

If this campaign of threats is allowed to continue, Nigerians may find themselves openly canvassing the use of violence as the only means to gaining political leadership. It is not like this has not been happening before, but the unrestricted use of blatant threats and warnings may finally make any peaceful change of leadership impossible. We do not seem to fully comprehend the dangers inherent in such mispeaks: for many people, the issue starts and stops with a battle of wits between the north and the south-south. However, it is more a battle between the forces of change and those bent on maintaining a corrupt status quo. Until an appreciation of the prevalent choice becomes most relevant in deciding our political path it is impossible that a structural change will ever be effective.

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