Nigerian observer 11 07 2013

THE

NIGERIAN

The Nigerian

1

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 SOCIETY Page 14 Indecent Dressing

A Social abnormality

MAN AND NATURE Page 27

Love, the greatest gift of God

• Vol. 38 NO.272 • THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2 0 13 • N100.00

Edo IGR drops to N1.5bn

By VICTOR OMOALU BENIN CITY – An average of N1.5b monthly, is being generated as IGR unlike the initial N2.2b generated monthly by

the Edo State Government.

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service, Chief (Sir) Oseni Elamah disclosed this

Ramadan

Edo State has urged the Muslim faithfuls in the state to pray for the

STOP OIL BUNKERING

·

· · · · ·

Act (PITA) by the yesterday while fielding Federal Government questions from newsmen which granted huge in Benin City. relief to tax payers According to the EIRS under the PITA. boss, the drop was largely Chief Elamah noted due to the amendment of the Personal Income Tax Continues on page 2

Teachers suspend . CSOs hail strike decision

BENIN CITY - Teachers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Edo State who embarked on a strike on June 1, this year, to press home their demand for the full implementation of the 27.5% Teachers’ Special Allowance (TSA) from the 17% which the state Government currently offers, yesterday called off the strike action.

NUT Chairman in the meeting with the State, Comrade Patrick government in Benin Ikosimi announced this City. yesterday after a Ikosimi said having

Oshiomhole urges Muslims to pray for BENIN CITY-Governor peace Adams Oshiomhole of

·

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

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

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

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

All vehicles and equipment used will be burnt.

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

Join Government to rid the State of enemies of progress.

Edo State must continue to move forward.

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

continued peace and prosperity of the state as they undertake the Ramadan fast.

In his Ramadan message to the Muslim Ummah, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, Comrade Oshiomhole said “as the faithful undertake personal restitution, piety and renewed commitment to Allah, they should also remember the poor and needy in the society.”

Comrade Oshiomhole urged the Muslim Ummah to use the opportunity afforded by the sacred month to deeply reflect on the core

Continues on page 2

reached an agreement with the national body of NUT on what the state government presently pays and on the continued discussion on how to pay the balance, “the strike is hereby called off and all

teachers are herby directed to report at their duty posts from Thursday (today), July 11.”

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Oshiomhole thanked the

of paying teachers better than the rest of the civil servants, which was why Edo State is one of the first to implement the teachers Special Allowance of 27.5%. While we were

Continues on page 2

MEETING: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and Comrade Patrick Ikosimi, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at a meeting between the NUT and the State Government on Teachers Special Allowance, yesterday.

Rivers Assembly Fracas:

By JOSES SEDE ABUJA - Amidst frayed nerves, the Senate yesterday condemned the crisis rocking Rivers State House of Assembly and resolved that its Committee on States and Local Government Administration investigate the cause and report back in one w e e k .

They also enjoined all the warring parties to maintain the status”-quo and sheath their swords

Union for suspending the strike, adding that government recognizes the legitimacy of strike actions.

According to the Governor “I remain convinced about the merit

so as not to derail the nation’s democracy.

The resolutions which were the outcome of about two hours closed doors meeting were read out by the Senate Majority

Senate calls for probe

Leader, Sen. Victor N d o m a - E g b a .

However, the aspect which concerns the Nigeria Police activities in Rivers State jolted the peaceful conduct of the

session, when those against the point that “the Inspector General of Police, take

immediate steps to address the issue of broken relationship between Governor Rotimi Amechi of River state and the commissioner of police in

Continues on page 2

EDHA wants Edo to take over dump site

By KEN ABU/ WINIFRED OSASOBO BENIN CITY- Edo State House of Assembly has adopted a resolution urging the

state government to take possession of the dump site generated by the National Petroleum

Development Company (NPDC) in Okanaruovia Community in IkpobaOkha Local

Government Council Area.

The acquisition of the Okanaruovia toxic waste site by the state government was

Continues on page 2

THE

NIGERIAN

2

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

News

Teachers suspend strike

Continued from page 1

implementing, more than 50% of States were not paying. We implemented because of who we are, not that we are richer than those States but we are convinced about the merit of paying Special Allowances to teachers if that would encourage more brilliant people to go into the profession”.

He explained “we were paying these when a new minimum wage was adopted.

In Edo State, we agreed that consequent upon the implementation of the new minimum wage we had to adjust wages across the board for all civil servants including teachers. While we adjusted our wages upwards many States refused to implement across the board the increase in the basic pay of civil servants.

“Having increased the wages across the board we found that the cost of implementing the 27.5% was now such that majority of our local government were not going to be able to afford it even they were to resolve to do nothing else but pay salaries, he added.

Oshiomhole disclosed that Government agreed with the NUT to pay the same amount that the teachers were being paid before the minimum wage was adjusted, adding “by the time the rate was applied it translated on the average to about 17%.

“We all agreed that we would watch finances of the State and the Local Government and as soon as they improve we would revisit the issue with a view to paying the balance of 10.5%.

He said “unfortunately the national union of the NUT decided to take a blanket decision that did not take into account whether or not you were paying anything or whether you had implemented the minimum wage”.

The Governor said that Edo State did not fall into the category of States that were mentioned in the NUT resolution adding “I had thought with the understanding reached between the Labour Union and the Government, they were not to lump us with the States that have not implemented”.

“Even now we have made the point that those States that have not been paying who have since returned to work, all that have been offered them is 15% on the basis of promise.

Yet in Edo State where we are already paying 17.5%, our own people were on strike. For me these were the issues”.

The Governor maintained that the adjustment of the Secondary Schools Allowance was to reward and motivate them as they were teaching while the negotiations were on.

“What we have done was a conscious way to make a point that you don’t need to be on strike in Edo State for us to listen and the fact that you are working does not devalue the weight of your grievances or the merit of your case. You can get what you want without strike”, he noted.

Oshiomhiomle declared “now that the strike is suspended, the teachers will be back to school, that is not the end of the matter.

are happy over the suspension of the strike action.

“This is a welcome development and we thank all stakeholders who worked untiringly to ensure the resolution of the crisis. At the Urhokpota Hall Town meeting we organised, all stakeholders agreed that our children must not remain at home any further as a result of the dispute and now that the strike is suspended, we are happy,” Ugolor said.

“We thank the Government of Edo State, NUT Union Leaders, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Edo State, and of course, and my colleagues, Civil Society Organisations who worked hard to bring about the end of the strike,” he added.

The Chairman of Gani Fawehinmi Movement for Good Governance, Comrade Kaduna Eboigbodin thanked the Edo State Government for heeding the plea of Civil Society Groups in the state to enter into dialogue with the NUT.

“It is a good thing that the town hall meeting held and it has yielded result because one of the reasons for convening such a meeting was to initiate the dialogue process between Edo State government and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State, this we have achieved. We are happy that we have overcome this initial challenge and that dialogue on the issue has commenced in earnest and we are optimistic as well that at the end of the negotiation, the matter will be resolved and our children will go back to school,” Eboigbodin said.

“As a former labour leader in Edo State, I know that for strike action of this nature to be resolved, stakeholders must first meet and agree on the way forward, that was what we initiated with the town hall meeting”, said he.

He however urged both parties not to stick to the hard line but be prepared to shift ground so that the matter can be resolved amicably.

principles of Islam while promoting its core message, as a religion of peace, love, tolerance and forgiveness.

The Governor acknowledged that the Muslim faithful have contributed immensely, in all sectors, to the growth and development of the state, saying government

appreciates their contributions.

He assured the Ummah of the state Government’s commitment to ensuring that development gets to every nook and cranny of the state.

The Governor reiterated his administration’s gratitude to the Muslim Community for their support and prayers and

people of other faith in the state.

He assured that the state government is committed to the sustenance of this peaceful co-existence as development can only be attained under a peaceful atmosphere. The Governor wished the faithfuls a blessed and joyful Ramadan Kareem

Continued from page 1

motion but, The Senate President retorted, “if you disagree, you can go to the tribunal”.

Bringing the motion the Senate earlier, Sen. Magnus Abbé (Rivers SE) regretted that five out of the 32-member RSHA had disrupted the proceeding on Tuesday with thugs under the watchful eyes of the police, purportedly impeached the speaker.

He further told the senate that futility of their efforts was

later shown when the remaining 27 members met and passed the Appropriation Amendment Bill which was forwarded to the House by the governor.

Moreso, Sen. Abbé observed that the commissioner of police in Rivers State appeared incapable to maintain peace and order in the state and called for urgent attention of the National Assembly to curb the threat to the country’s democracy.

Continued from page 1

The findings further indicated that the chemical waste generated by NPDC on the land which according to the company was not toxic in nature had been evacuated thereby posing little or no threats to livestocks and vegetation while the land is presently littered with household waste.

Parliament therefore approved the four-points recommendations of the report by urging the state government to take full possession of the Land for the purpose of industralisation, while ensuring that fair and adequate compensation is provided for the community in line with the provisions of Land Use Acts of 1078.

The assembly also urged the people of the community to desist from dumping household waste on the land while NPDC should take urgent steps to assist the community reactivate the borehole in the area to make it functional and maintain same for a period of 10 years.

This has now created a peaceful environment for the Stakeholders to look at how to find lasting solutions to these problems of between 17.5% and 27.5%.”

Meanwhile civil society groups in Edo State have hailed the suspension of the strike action embarked upon by the Edo State wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) following conclusion of dialogue between the Edo State Government and Leaders of the Primary School Teachers.

In a press statement jointly signed by the Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice Rev David Ugolor, and Chairman, Gani Fawehimi Movement for Good Governance, Comrade Kaduna Eboigbodin, CSOs thanked all stakeholders who worked during and after the town hall meeting organized on Monday to resolve the issue.

According to Reverend David Ugolor, the civil society groups

Oshiomhole urges Muslims to pray sustaining cordial and Continued from page 1 for peace for harmonious relationship with

Senate calls for probe

the state, Mr. Joseph Mbundu” shouted nay!

Presiding Senate President David Mark ruled in favour of the “ayes” but was challenged

by Sen. Babajide Omowurare (Osun East) who cited Order 73(1-4) that deals with Division of the Senate and the Committee of the Whole, and called for physical counting.

At this point, the senators disolved into several cells lobbying one another in support of their respective positions on the matter. In the interlude, Senate President Mark wanted to speak but was interrupted by some senators who approached the desk to whisper to him.

Among the senators who besieged the presiding officer were Senators Abdullahi Admu, Joshua Dariye, Aisha Allassan, George Akume, Gbenga Ashafa, Andy Uba, Abiye Sekibo, Kabiru Marafa and Jajere among others.

When Sen. Mark put the question the third time, the distinction between those for and those against was yet unclear and individual voice votes were taken. While awaiting the clerk of the Senate to announce the votes, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Senate Leader Ndoma-Egba approached the table, canvassed with the SP. By the time they returned to their seats, Sen. Mark had resolved to announce the results by himself and declared thus: Abstention 3; Absentees 7; Nays 47; Aiyes 50.

The result was greeted with a buzz by agitated senators who felt that it was doctored to suit those in favour of the

EDHA wants Edo to take over dump site

gathered would enable its utilization for maximum industrial capacity development in accordance with the original intent of government during the acquisition of the land by the defunct military regime in the state.

The resolution as sequel to the consideration of the report of the joint committees on Lands, Survey and Housing and the Oil and Gas on a petition signed by Mr. M.I Ebose at the committee of the whole.

The petition titled, “An appeal for intervention” was written by the Okanaruovia Community on the dumping of toxic waste in the community.

According to the 10-points findings of the report, the purpose of industrializations for which the Land in Okanaruovia Community was acquired by the defunct military regime of the state, was however abandoned, prompting the Ministry of Environment to give approval to NPDC to use the Land as dump site.

Albert Legogie for burial July 18/20

By ADAMS OYIBOKE BENIN CITY- The final burial arrangement of the Late Senator Albert Osuma Legogie has been fixed for 18th, 19th and 20th July, 2013.

The ceremony begins on the 18th with requiem mass at the residence of the Senator, 27 Ruben Agho Road G.R.A Benin City.

Speaking with “The Nigerian Observer”, the elderst daughter, Miss Jennifer Legogie said there will be lying-in-state at the High Court of Justice where a memorial service will be held in his honour on the 19th, thereafter the corpse will be taken for final burial rites before the body will be committed to mother earth on the 20th July, 2013.

In an interview, the member representing Etsako –Central Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Johnson Oghuma said all necessary machinery has been put in place by both the local, state and federal governments towards a successful burial ceremony for the Late Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Senator. Legogie had demonstrated high sense of industry both in the private and government circle” Oghuma said.

With that sense of industry, he served the people in the private sector and carried same to public service.

And even at a particular time in the history of Nigeria, when real men were needed to play particular role, he sacrificed personal interest for the interest of the nation.

“Infact, he was a selfless political Icon who a great deal of the people of Edo State will miss badly especially people of Edo North Senatorial district.

Hon Oghuma said that a befiting burial ceremony has been put in place for all his activities and contribution towards the development of his community

and democracy in Nigeria, maintaining that the senator was a man whose pedigree must not be swept under the carpet.

Meanwhile, members of Uhunmwonde Local Government Legislative are led by the Leader of the house, Hon. Douglass Eki Idahor has paid a courtesy visit to Hon. Uyi Igbe yesterday at the State House of Assembly.

The House Leader, Hon Idahor briefed the speaker of series of bills at various stages in the floor of the Legislative Chamber as well as resolutions Passed in their few months of assumption of office.

He said that the Local Government Council Legislative arm has presented a debating bill on Road Maintenance Agency, adding that when passed it will ameliorate the suffering hitherto experienced by the Electorate in transporting their fair produce to the urban centres.

Hon Idahor stressed that the import of the bill was to pave way for frequent maintenance of earthroads in the Locality.

Responding, the speaker, Hon Uyi Igbe thanked the Local Government Law makers for their visit assuring them of necessary support when the need arises.

He particularly connected the leader and other members of the Local government legislative arm for their focus and vision stressing that the leadership of Edo State House of Assembly is currently planning a workshop/ Seminar for the seventeen local government councils on the art of Legislation/ Legislative business stressing that the workshop would come up soonest.

Edo IGR drops to N1.5bn

Continued from page 1

that the present administration was keen on attracting development to the people so much that it eliminated all forms of illegalities in the tax system and put in place various machineries like task force to checkmate illegal collection of taxes on the road with a view to ensuring a tax-friendly environment/transformation.

He explained that the EIRS agency is productivity friendly, saying that, “we do not only collect taxes we also ensure that government provides tax-friendly environment, just as he acknowledged that the agency is now witnessing voluntary compliance from responsible individuals.

Based on speculations making round that the agency imposes tax on individuals who have boreholes, the EIRS boss urged the people to disregard such speculation adding that though the law urges the state to seek other sources of revenues the Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole led

administration does not impose any tax on such boreholes executed by individuals.

He said, “the government is bent on providing potable water to the people and if anybody out of his will decides to sink water borehole to assist the government in providing water for the people, the government does not impose tax on such service unless for commercial purpose”, states the EIRS chief.

He pointed out that the Tax Identification Number (TIN) which he said contains all tax information and eliminates double/multiple taxation is a vital form of tax payers identification and taxpayers must register to obtain.

Asserting that as one of the oil producing states, Edo State is getting the least allocation from the federation account which he noted is not enough to meet the developmental challenges, Chief Elamah, praised the people for complying with the tax administration and encouraged them, especially those who have not been remitting tax to do so.

THE

NIGERIAN

3

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Inside Edo Minister Identifies Solution To Economic Problem learnt so that they can

By EMMANUEL EGOBIANMBU/OYENMWEN OMOROGBE

Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly (right) and Hon. Councillor Hilary Ozogo, Leader, Owan East Legislative Arm shortly after the Leader and Councillors observed the House plenary session recently. Photo: GODWIN ISEGUAN.

BENIN CITY- Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajia Binta Tijjani Jubril, has identified women and youths as those capable of propelling the economic growth of the nation if empowered.

She made this known during the empowerment of 1150 women who had undergone training in vocational skills by the Kano State government.

According to her,

Edo Neighbourhood Watch Begins Sensitisation Tour

By NDIDI OJIEH

BENIN CITY- The Chairman of Edo State Neighbourhood Watch, MajGen Charles Omoregie (rtd), has inaugurated the neighbourhood Watch sensitization and courtesy tour to the 18 Local Government Area in the state.

Speaking at the Oredo Local Government Council Secretariat in Benin City, Major General Charles Omoregie said that Neighbourhood Watch is seeking the council’s collaboration which would in turn aid the Neighbourhood Watch in carrying out its statutory duties.

The duties include assisting the police in community policing and the security of

lives and properties.

He congratulated the council boss, Hon. Osaro Obazee on his election and subsequent swearing in and therefore urged him to provide members of the Neighbourhood watch the enabling environment to operate.

Responding. Hon. Osazee Obazee thanked Maj- Gen Omoregie and his team for their achievements especially, at ensuring the security of lives and property across the state.

He said the council is proud to identify with the Neighbourhood Watch, promising to support the organisation in its operations.

HIV/AIDS: EDSG Pledges To Support Organisations BENIN CITY- Edo State Government said it would continue to support organisations whose intentions are geared towards providing facilities and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in the state.

The Commissioner for the state Ministry of Budget Planning and Economic Development, Honourable Lawrence Aghedo gave the assurance in his office when members of Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (AHNI) paid a courtesy / advocacy visit to the ministry.

Honourable Aghedo while commending the efforts of AHNI for the various

programmes carried out towards achieving good Health in the State, stated that the ministry would continue to partner with AHNI in formulating and executing programmes and polices that would impact positively on the health status of people in the state, especially those living with HIV/AIDS. Mrs. Victoria Nor-Ugor the Programme Manager of AHNI had informed the commissioner that the visit was to seek support and assistance of the state government in the provision of basic facilities to hospitals, expansion of services and other logistics.

At Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Maj-Gen Omoregie also solicited for the council’s cooperation to enable the neighbourhood watch function more effectively and efficiently in the locality.

The chairman of Orhionmwon Local Government Council, Chief Roland Ibierutomwen commended Maj- Gen Omoregie for his stewardship and exemplary qualities, stressing that he was happy to see that the Neighbourhood watch has come to stay, promising the council’s partnership in ensuring that the people of Orhionmwon are secured Maj- Gen Omoregie and his team also visited Egor, Igueben,

Uhunmwode and Esan North East Local Government Areas where the authorities assured of their partnership with the neighbourhood watch in their locality.

empowering women will lead to more jobs, increase in income level and drastic reduction in crime rate.

She equally explained that it will create a better environment as an empowered person will not be idle given rise to economic activities and in turn, economic advancement.

Hajia Binta whose address was monitored in Benin City stated that the nation’s vision 2020 will be achieved only when women are given the chance. She noted that women empowerment will reduce infant mortality, create gender equality and reduce poverty, she therefore advised the trainees/ beneficiaries of the programme to put into practice all that they have

become job creators.

The participants were trained in rabittery, cake making livestock farming among others.

BNCL Co-operative Society Holds AGM Today BENIN CITY - The Bendel Newspapers Company Limited Company (BNCL Multipurpose Co-operative Society will today hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Venue is the Newsroom of the company, 24 Airport Road, Benin City beginning at 2pm.

A statement by the Secretary, Mr. Ese Amadasun enjoins all members to attend without fail.

Edo Govt Urged To Cushion Effect

By INNOCENT OMOAKA Of Ban ‘Okada’ BENIN CITYThe Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sunbeach Resort Centre Prince Bob Aiwerioba has called on Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to provide meaningful palliatives that would cushion the effects of the ban on use of motorcycles popularly called “Okada riders” in Benin City.

He made the call in Benin City in a chat with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER.

According to Prince Aiverioba, the ban is affecting business outlets in the city, most residents in Benin rely on such means of transportation for mobility.

According to him, before the ban on the use of motorcycles, there should have been in place, proper alternatives to address the challenges that occasioned the ban.

Prince Aivlerioba said Keke NAPEP or private taxes should have been provided as better

alternatives to alleviate the current hardship being faced by the people.

Similarly, he added that the ban has a tendency of affecting the economic viability of the city as most recreation centres now have to contend with drastic reduction in patronage.

He however pleaded with the state government to reconsider the ban policy by providing viable alternative to help check the present hardship on the people.

Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly (arrowed) in a group photograph with the Leader and members of Owan East shortly after the Leader and Councillors observe the House plenary session recently. Photo: GODWIN ISEGUAN.

THE

NIGERIAN

4

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Across The Nation Nasarawa Masacre

Govt Donates 13 Patrol Vehicles To Security Agencies LAFIA - The Nasarawa State Government security agencies has donated 13 Hilux Toyota vans to the security agencies in the state to boost their operation.

Gov. Umaru Al-Makura, who donated the vehicles in Lafia, said they were to replace those destroyed during the Ombatse killings of policemen at Alakyo village on May 7.

Reports say that 11 of the vehicles were donated to the police, while 2 were given to the State Security Service (SSS) in the state.

He said the gesture would assist the security agencies in their efforts to ensure a crimefree state and also boost their morale in curbing crime.

Al-makura said that the government would continue to render necessary support to security agents to enable them to perform diligently.

He said the patrol vehicles would help in facilitating quick response to distress calls by innocent people.

“What happened at Alakyo recently should not discourage you from performing your duties and responsibilities as spelt out in the constitution.

“It is expected that you play your role of providing security to protect the lives and property of the people of the state.

“I can assure you that the perpetrators of the deadly act would not go unpunished.

“All Nigerians and particularly the people of this state are touched by the devilish act,” he said.

Al-Makura described the incident as “unfortunate, ungodly and uncalled for ’’, urging the family members to consider the incident as an act of God. “It has been destined that the officers would die that day, even if they did not go for the operation, as such, we should have faith in God Almighty,” he

Dethroned Olofa Takes Case To Supreme Court

OFFA (KWARA) -Mufutau Gbadamosi, the dethroned Olofa of Offa, on Wednesday said he will challenge Tuesday’s Court of Appeal judgment nullifying his appointment at the Supreme Court.

The Court of Appeal in the judgment delivered at its Ilorin Judicial Division had upturned the July 2012 decision of Justice S.M Akanbi which had validated Gbadamosi’s enthronement.

The court also ordered the monarch to vacate the throne with immediate effect.

Justice Obande Ogbuinya in the judgment had faulted the judgment of the lower court and granted the reliefs sought by the appellant, Alhaji Abdulrauf Keji, having found them meritorious.

Reports say that the atmosphere in Offa town was, however, calm on Wednesday as residents went about their normal business without any threat to peace.

said.

He prayed God to grant the slain officers eternal rest and also give the family the grace and fortitude to bear the loss.

“The government will not fold its hands over the ugly incident that led to the killing of the security personnel and the affected civilians in the state.

“Their souls will not go in vain as the state government will do everything humanly possible to bring those behind the killings to book,” he said.

Responding, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Umaru Shehu, thanked the governor for the gesture and assured that the vehicles would be judiciously used.

He said that his men would be more determined to surmount the security challenges in the state.

Barr. Olusegun Adu-Peter, National Legal Adviser Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) (centre) conducting the election of Edo State House of Assembly Chapter recently at the Edo State House of Assembly, Main Chamber, Benin City. Photo: GODWIN ISEGUAN.

Alleged N47.1bn Theft

Akingbola Asks Court To Quash Charges

IKEJA - A former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc, Erastus Akingbola, has asked an Ikeja High Court to quash the N47.1 billion theft charge preferred against him.

Akingbola made the request in an application dated July 4, which was filed by his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.

Reports say that Akingbola is being prosecuted alongside Bayo Dada, the General Manager of Tropics Securities Ltd. They were charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly stealing the money belonging to the bank.

Moving the application, Olanipekun asked the court to strike out the charge

against his client dated May 4, 2011, which was brought in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Olanipekun said the accused persons were charged to court by the EFCC for stealing under Section 390(7) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

According to him, the EFCC

has no power to prosecute accused persons in a state high court, without a valid fiat issued to the agency by the state’s attorneygeneral.

He said: “Section 211 of

JOS - Members of staff of Diamond Bank in Plateau have joined their counterparts in another nationwide strike declared by the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE).

The union, had on May 15, declared a nationwide strike over what it termed “undue attitude’’ of the management of the bank on the plights of workers.

Reports say in Jos that as early as 7.30 a.m., officials of the state branch of NUBIFIE went round all branches of the bank and picketed them.

The ATM service of the bank in Jos had also been shut down.

Workers and customers were not

allowed into the banking premises as all the gates were under locks and key with the union officials chanting labour solidarity songs.

The union officials and some aggrieved workers had tactically deployed themselves in the various branches of the bank within the Jos-Bukuru metropolis before the commencement of work at 8.00 a.m.

Mr Sunday Akinfolarin, the National Senior Assistant G e n e r a l - S e c r e t a r y, NUBIFIE, told newsmen that the action was due to alleged bad conditions of

the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives the attorney-general of the state power to initiate criminal proceedings in the state high courts and other

Union Pickets Diamond Bank

The newly elected Edo State House of Assembly Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Edo State Chapter Executive (left) being sworn-in by Barr. Olusegun Adu-Peter, National Legal Adviser for PASAN at the House Main Chamber recently.

Photo: GODWIN ISEGUN.

service and the uncompromising posture of the bank’s management.

“When we picketed the bank on May 15, 2013, the bank took us to an Industrial Court in Abuja which ruled that we should go back to the drawing board and amicably settle the matter.

“But do you know that since then, the management has been playing tricks and refusing to discuss or renege on some of its “draconian’’ ways and manner of treating its staff.

“For about three years now, we have been struggling with the management of Diamond Bank to improve on the conditions of service of its staff, but to no avail,’’ he said.

Akinfolarin said that the only option left for us “is to declare an industrial strike in all branches of the bank to press home for an improved welfare package for members of staff.’’

He alleged that 85 per cent of the banks staff were casual workers who were mostly graduates being paid a paltry N18,000 monthly in spite of over time working hours.

“These are the bulk workforce of the bank, yet there is no career pack, no condition of service and none of them can access a single naira as loan.

“Among the whole banks in Nigeria, Diamond bank has the worst condition of service for its workers, this we cannot allow to continue because it is unconstitutional, inhuman and demeaning,’’ he alleged.

lower courts.

“We are talking about a constitutional issue, we are talking about a fundamental issue; we are talking about a recondite issue.

“We are saying the Federal Government cannot prosecute a case of stealing before a Lagos High Court under the Lagos State Criminal Code.

“If Your Lordship overrules us on this issue, it means the Federal Government can come before the state high court to prosecute a case of reckless driving or environmental offences.”

Olanipekun further argued that the proof of evidence did not disclose the offence of stealing against Akingbola.

However, the EFCC counsel, Mr Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the application.

Ukala said: “The Constitution does not say that the attorneygeneral has monopoly to initiate criminal proceedings before a state high court.

“The EFCC has the power to initiate proceedings in any matter relating to financial and economic crimes contemplated by the EFCC Act.” He further drew the judge’s attention to Section 260 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2011.

“My Lord, the section states that an objection to the sufficiency of evidence shall not be raised until the close of the prosecution’s case.”

The judge adjourned the matter till July 15 for ruling.

Reports say that Onigbanjo dismissed a similar application filed by Dada’s counsel, Prof.

Taiwo Osipitan.

THE

NIGERIAN

5

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Across The Nation Suswan Blames Parents For Homosexuality, Lesbianism Among Youths MAKURDI – Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue blamed parents for homosexuality and lesbianism among youths in the state.

Suswam laid the blame during the marking of the 2013 International Day of the Family, which has the theme “Advancing Social Integration and Inter-generational Solidarity’’.

Reports say that the day is celebrated every May 15 but was shifted to July 9 in Benue due to what was described as “unavoidable circumstances’’.

The governor said “since the family is the nucleus of any society, the consequences of anything that goes wrong with the family will be felt in all segments of the whole society.’’

He blamed parents for the depreciating family values, pointing out that societal value would be eroded if parents would not control their children.

“How on earth will a man want to marry his fellow man and a woman her fellow woman?’’ Suswam asked.

He pointed out that God’s creation was perfect and appealed to Benue people to desist from imbibing foreign culture but try to impose their own culture on foreigners.

Suswam said that parents had failed the society, and urged every parent to ensure that he or she contributes to the enhancement of the core values so as to redirect the society.

Also speaking at the occasion, the governor’s wife, Mrs Dooshima Suswam, lamented that “much of social and economic transformation, as well as a number of global events, have dislocated the family structure and interfered with its much-coveted family values and beliefs.’’

FG Begins Impact Assessment For New Port Harcourt City Project - Minister

Youths protesting over Rivers House of Assembly crisis on Azikiwe Road in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Security men erecting barricades against protesting youths over Rivers House of Assembly crisis in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Counterfeit Medicine NAFDAC Calls For Global Partnership

ABUJA - The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called for global partnership in the fight against counterfeit medicine and other products.

Dr Paul Orhii, the DirectorGeneral of the agency, made the call when the Executive Officer of the Sierra Leone Pharmacy

Board, Mr Wiltshire Johnson, paid him a courtesy visit.

Orhii said it was necessary for neighbouring countries to collaborate with Nigeria, to make it impossible for fake medicine manufacturers to shift base from one country to another.

“The fight against manufacturers of counterfeit

Oil Spil: DPR Doesn’t Pay

Compensation - Official

EKET (AKWA IBOM) - The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said on Tuesday that it was not responsible for the payment of oil spill compensation.

The Unit Commander of the Agency, Mr Francis Umoeka told newsmen in Eket, Akwa Ibom, that, “We are regulators and not in the position to pay oil spill compensation to anybody.’’

PORT HARCOURT - The Federal Government has began an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) exercise of phase 1A of the new Port Harcourt city project in Rivers.

The Minister of Environment, Mrs Hadiza Mailafiya, said this at a public review meeting on the phase 1A of the project tagged “Greater Port-Harcourt”.

Mailafiya said the exercise would focus on the economic and health impact the new city would have on the environment and the people of the area.

The minister, represented by Mr Abba Suleiman, an official of the ministry, said the phase 1A city project review included Ikwerre, Oyibo, Obio-Akpor,

“Rather, what DPR does is to make a case and investigate what the person is looking for; we can now recommend him, if he is to be paid compensation or not.’’

According to him, the agency could only recommend any oil spill affected communities to be paid for compensation and not responsible for the payment of the compensation.

Reports say that DPR is to

regulate activities of operators of oil and gas in the petroleum industries in order to ensure standards, compliance and best international industry practices.

“After thorough investigation, we now recommend him or her to the company and the company may think otherwise, is not automatic, but we as a regulators we do such recommendation.

medicine cannot be won alone.

It is not about who got the credit, but we should learn from each other’s experiences so that we can strengthen efforts.

“If Nigeria is successful in pushing out counterfeiters from its country, they will definitely run to other neighbouring countries and then improve their strategies to either come back or go elsewhere.

“It is so important to work together to achieve success in the fight. The diseases’ burden in Africa is high. With counterfeit medicine, it becomes more complicated,’’ he said.

Orhii, while giving the definition of counterfeit medicine by the World Health Organisation (WHO), explained the difference between counterfeit and sub-standard medicine.

“Counterfeit medicine is a deliberately and fraudulently mis labelled product with

respect to source or identity, while substandard medicine are products whose composition and ingredients do not meet the correct scientific specifications and which are consequently ineffective.’’

Eleme and Etche local government areas.

Mailafiya said that Rivers government applied to the ministry to conduct the review to allow it to commence construction of the city project.

She said the state aimed at constructing two mass rapidtransit expressways, 300 residential areas, business district and an electricity substation on about 5,000 hectares of land.

“The entire project will be in phases; however, phase 1A of the project being considered today comprises 3,000 low and medium residential units, schools, churches, light commercial/industrial areas, a Golf course and active open space of about 500 hectares of land.

“Proper town planning have been relegated in our urban development for sometimes now and (which is) the reason for the slums, clumsiness, untidiness, bad networking in our township and cities today.

“The proposed project is aimed at addressing all these issues and ensuring proper interconnectivity and management of infrastructures, waste management and aesthetics of the new city.

“The anticipated advantage of this project should not becloud the attendant impacts the expanse of land being acquired may generate in the future if not properly handled at this phase.”

Mailafiya said the ministry had constituted a panel of experts drawn from the industry and relevant regulators to evaluate the Draft Report submitted on the new city project.

She expressed optimism that the new city project would reduce housing deficit as well as improve living standard of Nigerians.

In her remark, Mrs Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, the Administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA), said the state government had addressed compensation claims of legitimate landowners.

Women Empowerment, My Priority - Lawmaker AWKA - A member of the Anambra House of Assembly, Mr Chitos Ohazulike (PDPIhiala 1), has identified women empowerment as his priority in the legislature.

Speaking with newsmen in Awka Ohazulike said it was his long-time ambition and that he would not waste the opportunity to actualise it.

He said that empowering women, especially the poor widows, with capacity building for a better living would reduce their sufferings to make the difference.

Ohazulike said he would use his resources to touch every woman in the area to have a feel of the dividends of democracy.

The legislator described women as good managers of funds and added that a greater percentage of them should be encouraged with capacity building.

“I am glad that I have gotten this chance to put smiles on the faces of mothers, aunties, sisters and relations.

“I intend to add glow to the life of the rural women in my constituency by empowering them the much I can do,’’ he said.

THE

NIGERIAN

6

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

South West

FRSC Arrests 1,800 Offenders In 6 Months - Official

ITORI (OGUN) - The Itori Unit Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said it arrested 1,800 motorists between January and June for various traffic offences.

The Unit’s Commander, Mr Fatai Bakare, said this during its Ramadan Special Patrol on

Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

Bakare, whose jurisdiction covers Abeokuta-Lagos expressway, said 300 of the offenders were prosecuted.

He said on conviction, the offenders bagged various jail terms with options of fine.

Bakare expressed the

readiness of the unit to reduce road traffic crashes to the barest minimum.

“We have a joint mobile court in Ota for Ota, Agbado and Idiroko unit commands.

“We have prosecuted not less than 300 offenders from January to date through our mobile court and we have arrested about 1,800 offenders this year.

“The essence of today’s

special patrol is to prevent accidents or road crashes; we don’t want to record a single road crash during this Ramadan period.

“We know that people will be moving from one place to the other during this period.

“That is why we are doing our best to make sure that the road is safe for all users this period and beyond,’’ he said.

Speaking further Bakare said no fewer than 50 motorists were arrested for violating traffic rules during Tuesday’s special patrol.

He said the offences committed by those arrested ranged from tyre violation,

brake light, windscreen, drivers’ license and seat belt violations, among others.

Bakare also said penalties imposed against them ranged from N2,000 to N10,000, adding that any motorist arrested for dangerous driving would be fined N50,000.

“But as you know, we are not after the fines; FRSC is not a money-making organisation.

“What we are after is to save lives and property on our roads; it’s that change in the attitude of the motorists that we are interested in and not the money,” he said.

He also said that his unit had embarked on “Beyond the Road” campaigns, meant to effect attitudinal change in motorists toward ensuring that road crashes were reduced.

N4.7bn Transfer

Court Fixes Sept For Ruling

L-R: Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Ado Mohammed; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mohammed Pate and Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra during the presentation of Award to the Governor as the Best Performer of the Nigeria Immunisation Leadership Challege in the South-East by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in conjunction with Nigeria Governors’ Forum in Awka recently.

IKEJA - An Ikeja High Court has fixed Septber 23 to rule on the application by the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Ltd., Wale Babalakin, to quash charges preferred against him.

Reports say that Babalakin is standing trial for allegedly transferring N4.7 billion on behalf of convicted former Delta

Afe Babalola, A Living Legend

IBADAN - President Goodluck Jonathan has described legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola, as a living legend in the legal profession.

He said this in a message to the 50th anniversary celebration in the legal profession held for Babalola in Ibadan.

The president, who was represented by Alhaji Ahmed Yola, the Solicitor-General of the Federation, said Babalola was a most distinguished and decorated legal practitioner.

Jonathan commended the doggedness, courage, perseverance, humility and strong determination of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), saying “ only a few men are accorded the chance to celebrate their achievements.’’ also speaking, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said Babalola’s tenure as prochancellor of the University of Lagos was a success.

Obasanjo, who was the chairman of the occasion, said that the appointment made the university the best.

He described Babalola as a man who had achieved successes in all endeavours, adding that he was one of the few good Nigerians.

“There are many Nigerians but there are not many good Nigerians,” Obasanjo said.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State described Babalola as an epitome of excellence and hard work as well as a great

leader.

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, in his remarks, said that Babalola was a man whose virtue was worthy of being emulated.

Fayemi said that the grace that God had given Babalola was worth celebrating.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, on his part, described Babalola as one of Nigeria’s best leaders, adding that he had mentored many.

Reports say that the occasion featured the presentation of

- Jonathan books written by Babalola.

They are “Current Legal Issues in Contemporary Nigeria’’ and “Thoughts of a Legal Icon.’’

It was also reported that Chief Caleb Olubolade, Minister of Police Affairs, Prince Bola Ajibola, Chief Segun Oni, former governor of Ekiti State, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru

Akinruntan, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim and Chief Folake Solanke (SAN) attended the forum.

Chief Akin Olujimi, former Attorney-General of the

Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) also attended the forum.

Ramadan: Fayemi Warns Traders Against Price Increase ADO-EKITI - Governor.

Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti has warned traders in the state against increasing prices of foodstuff during the Ramadan period.

Fayemi gave the warning in a statement made available to the

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Habiba Lawal; the Minister, Hajiya Zainab Maina and the Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni during the advocacy visit by the Minister in Abuja recently.

newsmen in Ado-Ekiti by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode.

According to the governor, such acts negate the spirit of the season.

He described Ramadan as “the glory of all months in the Islamic calendar.”

He said that the Ramadan fast was one of the five pillars of Islam that Muslims must strictly adhere to in line with the injunctions of the Almighty Allah.

The governor noted that Ramadan offered an opportunity for Muslims to move closer to Allah and deepen their relationship with him in submission to his will.

He also urged the faithful to use the period to pray for peace to reign in all the troubled spots in the country.

He urged them to use the Ramadan season to pray for the success of his administration to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

He prayed that the holy month would bring abundant blessings for the faithful.

State Governor, James Ibori.

He is being prosecuted alongside Alex Okoh and their companies — Stabilini Visioni Ltd., Bi-Courtney Ltd. and Renix Nigeria Ltd., before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.

The defendants are facing a 27-count charge bordering on conspiracy, retention of proceeds of a criminal conduct and corruptly conferring benefit on account of public action.

At the resumption of proceedings, the judge said that ruling on the separate applications, filed by the defendants on June 5, was not ready.

Onigbanjo said:“There are four separate rulings I have to deliver and I don’t want to deliver them in piecemeal.

“There are also some developments from the court of appeal relating to the applications which I must take into consideration.”

Earlier, Babalakin’s counsel, Dr Abiodun Layonu (SAN), apologised for his client’s absence from the dock.

Layonu said Babalakin who was within the premises of the court had a temporary health challenge which was restricting his physical mobility.

“It is extremely painful for him to endeavour to move.

“At the moment, he is on crutches, My Lord,” Layonu said.

In the applications, the defendants had urged the court to quash the charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They had argued that the EFCC had no power to institute criminal proceedings at a state high court, without a valid fiat duly issued to them by the state attorney-general.

THE

NIGERIAN

7

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Lagos

Politicians Back Plans To Scrap SIECs

LAGOS - Politicians in Lagos have continued to react to the House of Representatives’ plan to abolish State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), describing it as a welcome development.

A cross section of them told newsmen that SIECs existence amounted to a duplication of the functions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review had on July 4 recommended that the commissions should be scrapped.

Chief Gboyega Adeniji, the Secretary-General of SouthWest Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), alleged that state commissions were manipulated by controlling authorities to the disadvantage of the opposition parties.

“The recommendation is a good development for our

democracy. State electoral bodies are manipulated by some state governors during council elections.

“If they are scrapped, INEC should take over their

functions for fairness,’’ he said.

Bishop Gabriel Omoruyi, the spokesman for the Lagos State Chapter of the All Nigeria Peoples Party

(ANPP), also supported the recommendation.

He said: “I support the scrapping of SIECs and that INEC should take over the conduct of local government elections.

“This will promote free and fair elections in the country, particularly at the grassroots.

“Hardly can you find opposition parties win councillorship and chairmanship polls in the

L-R: Traditional Ruler of Umuoji community, Igwe Cyril Enweze, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and Anambra Commissioner for Works, Mr. Callistus Ilozumba during the inauguration of Nkwo-Eke-Abatata Road construction by Governor Obi in Idemili North LGA in Anambra recently.

ASUU Strike: NANS Appeals to FG, Lecturer LAGOS - The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to the Federal Government, university lecturers and polytechnic teachers to resolve their faceoff for the sake of students.

The President of NANS,

Mr Yinka Gbadebo, told newsmen on telephone that students had continued to be victims of conflicts between lecturers and governments.

Reports say that university teachers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)

Flood: Researcher Calls For Collective Effort

Lagos - A researcher, Dr Stella Smith, has called for collective efforts of government at all levels and corporate organisations to mitigate the effect of flooding during this year’s rainy season.

She made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Smith, Head, Emergency Response and Preparedness Research Group, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), said that flooding, if not properly controlled, could trigger health crises such as malaria, cholera, diarrhoea, and other infectious diseases.

‘Actually, there are different hazards that occur when there is flooding, possibility of drowning is quite high and apart from that infectious diseases, cholera, diarrhoea diseases.

“People are also exposed to malaria, because you have stagnant water all over the places.

“And apart from that, there are

mental health effects that people are actually traumatised because it came suddenly to them.

embarked on an infinite strike on July 1 to protest non implementation of a part of an agreement it had with the Federal Government in 2009.

The agreement includes adequate funding of universities and university autonomy.

Lecturers in polytechnics, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have been on strike for months,

also over Federal Government’s non implementation of an agreement.

Gbadebo said that NANS members were angry at the lingering face-off which crippled academic activities in universities and polytechnics.

He said that the union was not in support of ASUU, ASUP or the Federal Government, and wanted an

end to the strikes which, he said, made the students idle.

He said that the students were suffering unjustly.

“Students were not part of the plans for the strikes; we were not consulted before the action.

“The strikes are causing setbacks for students who must have planned their future; we cannot condone this anymore.

“We shall no longer accept strikes, as we are always at the receiving end,” he said.

states.’’

A former member of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Mr Mohammed Oyefeso, described SIECs as a waste of public funds.

“Some governors make unnecessary trips abroad under the pretext of printing ballot papers for their commissions.

“If you observe all the elections so far conducted by SIECs in some states, parties in power usually sweep all the council seats and leave one or two for the opposition.

“But if pressure is put on INEC, I believe it can do better because facts and figures have shown that INEC is a bit fair in the conduct of elections,” he said.

Oyefeso, a lawyer, said that INEC had not declared all the results of the 36 states in the previous elections for the ruling party – the PDP. “For instance, the ACN won six states; Labour Party won one; APGA two, ANPP has three, PDP 23 and CPC one.

“The reverse is the case in elections conducted by state commissions where the ruling party wins all the wards and chairmanship seats.”

The former National Youth Leader of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Malam Abdulrahman Bafa, also said: “It is a good idea to do away with SIECs, but INEC should be truly independent.

“I wish to suggest that members of INEC should be appointed by other arms of the government and not the executive, to make it truly independent.’’

Bafa suggested that funding of INEC should also reflect the independent status being

Lagos Ports To Receive 97 Ships

Students from Girls Secondary School, Umuoji, presenting a souvenir to Governer Peter Obi of Anambra State during the inauguration of Nkwo-Eke-Abatata Road construction

by Governor Obi in Idemili North LGA in Anambra recently.

LAGOS - The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said that 97 ships carrying various cargoes would sail into Lagos ports from July 9 to July 29.

The NPA disclosed this through its daily publication, Shipping Position, which was made available to newsmen in Lagos.

The publication indicated that the ships would be conveying petroleum products, bulk fertiliser, new and used vehicles as well as frozen fish.

It also said that some of the ships would sail in with steel products, bulk malt, boats, general cargo, bulk urea, bulk wheat and containers.

The NPA said that three other

ships, laden with bulk salt and bulk fertilizer, were waiting to berth.

The three ships are to discharge their cargoes at the ENL Consortium Terminal, the Josep Dam Terminal and the Apapa Bulk Terminal Ltd. The ports authority also stated that nine fuel-laden ships were also waiting to berth to discharge their contents.

“The nine ships are carrying petrol, base oil and kerosene.

“The ships will berth at Single Buoy Mooring (SBM), Atlas Cove Jetty (ACJ), Bulk Oil Plant (BOP), Ibafon Terminal and Petroleum Wharf in Apapa.“

THE

NIGERIAN

8

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Across The Nation

ASUU, ASUP Strike Students Threaten Mass Protest

Deputy Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Rear Adm. Samuel Alade (left), discussing with Deputy President, Nigerian Institute of Management, Mr. Nelson Uwaga, at the Induction ceremony of members of Senior Course 35 of Armed Forces Command and Staff College, into Nigerian Institute of Management, in Jaji, Kaduna State recently.

ABAKALIKI - A former Minister of Power and Steel, Chief Sylvester Ogbaga, on Tuesday called for dialogue to end the current face-off between the ASUU and the Federal Government.

Ogbaga, who is also a former Permanent Secretary in the Ebonyi Scholarship Board, told newsmen that the union and the government should go back to the negotiation table to resolve the impasse.

He said the interest and future of the Nigerian student should be the ultimate concern of the warring parties, adding that dialogue was the only way out of the present imbroglio.

He described strike as an evil wind that blows no one any good, saying that only a genuine round table discussion would usher in a

Illegal Immigrants: Immigration

DUTSE -The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Jigawa said it had repatriated 387 illegal immigrants from the state.

The Comptroller of the service in the state, Malam Abubakar Bamalli, told newsmen in Dutse.

Bamalli said Jigawa was one of the states in the federation that shared border with the Niger Republic, adding that those repatriated were all Nigeriens.

He said 697 persons were

Repatriates 387

arrested, but that 310 persons, with genuine documents, were freed after a thorough screening.

“The Nigeriens and foreigners with genuine documents who were arrested before were released to continue their normal businesses,” he said.

According to him, the immigrants repatriated were

SURE-P Health Programme Takes Off AWKA - The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) Maternal And Child Health Programme pilot scheme has commenced in Anambra.

Dr Chukwudi Okoye, the Director of Primary Health Care in the state, announced the commencement at the inauguration of the 11-member steering committee in Awka on Tuesday.

He said the health facilities for the project were at Nnobi, Ebenesi, Akwaeze, Oraeri and Awka Etiti, while the General Hospital, Ekwulobia, was to serve as the referral centre.

Okoye said the Okija General Hospital, earlier selected as the referral centre, had been dropped.

He said the committee would coordinate the conditional cash transfer and recommend additional health facilities in other local government areas that would participate in the programme.

According to him, the committee will also monitor and track the implementation of the cash transfer.

He said the pilot programme, which will last for one year, would be extended to other areas, saying that only those who

met the required conditions would receive the stipulated funds to be paid every two months to the beneficiaries.

The director stressed the need for local governments to be carried along in the programme implementation by signing a memorandum of understanding with them for effective participation.

This, according to him, is one way to ensure the success of the programme.

Reports say that the programme is to mitigate the impact of the fuel subsidy reduction on the vulnerable population in Nigeria through the use of conditional cash transfers, CCT initiatives and improved primary health care facilities across the country.

The objectives of the programme also include reduction of maternal and infant mortality by encouraging pregnant women to go through ante natal care until delivery.

Another objective is increasing the welfare of pregnant women by providing them with cash support to reduce the impact of economic barriers toward accessing health services.

The other benefiting states are Ebonyi, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Niger, Kaduna, Ogun, Zamfara and the FCT.

arrested in Kazaure, Babura, Dutse, Birnin Kudu , Ringim, Kafin Hausa , Auyo and Taura local government areas.

He said that other local governments where the persons were arrested are: Guri, Malam Madori , Birniwa, Kirikasamma and Maigatari areas of the state.

Bamalli stated that the

operation to flush out illegal immigrants would continue after the Ramadan fast in other council areas in the state.

He urged citizens of the state to cooperate with the service, be vigilant and report any foreigner that visited their areas for proper documentation.

The comptroller said that anyone who intended to do business or reside in Nigeria from other countries must have full valid documents.

lasting solution to the crisis.

He decried the fallen standard of university education which he blamed on recurrent strikes by various trade unions in the universities as well as students’ unrest.

“There is a decline in the standard of university education in Nigeria and this is due to incessant strikes either by ASUU or NASU or worse still from violent demonstrations by students.

“This ugly scenario is no doubt affecting the product of our universities and has lowered the rating of the nation’s ivory tower in the international circle.

“There is need for

concerted efforts among stakeholders to stem the tide,’’ Ogbaga said.

The former minister noted that qualitative and functional university education was critical for the country’s socio-economic and political development, adding that recurrent strikes in the apex education sector posed setback to the overall development of the country.

He said the strike which entered its ninth day and that of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics already in its seventh week was not acceptable and called for quick resolution of the crises for the interest of the students in the institutions.

NAWOJ Decries Rising Rape Cases DUTSE - The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has decried the spate of cases of rape in the northern part of the country.

This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a three-day NAWOJ North-West zonal meeting signed by the Vice President, Hajiya Zainab Rabo, and made available to newsmen in Dutse.

The union said the rise in rape cases among underaged children in the region

was disturbing.

It urged governors in the region to collaborate with women organisations and other relevant agencies to fight the menace.

“Our women, especially the minors, are the victims of rape these days and we will not tolerate that,” it said.

The association commended Gov. Sule Lamido of Jigawa for the introduction of free education for the girl child in the state.

Ramadan: Etsu Nupe Calls On Muslims To country to refrain from BIDA (NIGER) -The Pray For Peace using provocative Estu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has called on Muslims in the country to use the period of the Ramadan to pray for the peace and progress of Nigeria.

Abubakar, who made the call in Bida in an interview with newsmen stressed the importance of prayers, especially against the backdrop of the current security challenges facing the nation.

“Fasting is not only abstaining from drinking, eating or abstinence from committing sins.

“It is also a time to emulate the good deeds of Prophet Muhammad during his life time on earth and how he related with others,’’ he said.

The monarch also urged Muslim faithfuls to show love and concern for the less-privileged in the society by offering them assistance to cushion their hardship during the period.

Abubakar said that both Islam and Christianity, the two major religions in the

country, preached peace, love and unity among Nigerians.

He therefore urged Nigerians to imbibe the teachings of the two religions in the interest of the nation’s development.

He appealed to Muslim parents to give their children and wards Islamic and Western education in order to equip them for the challenges ahead of them in life, as leaders of tomorrow.

The monarch urged religious clerics in the

utterances during the Ramadan fast lectures to forestall any issue that could lead of crisis.

He said, “as preachers, they should serve as a guide and guide the people well and desist from selfish and inciting preaching,’’ he said.

L-R: Deputy Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI), Lt.-Col. Tukur Gusau, Deputy Director, Public Relations, 81 Div. Col. Kingsley Umoh, Commandant, NASPRIL, Col. Rabe Abubakar and Chief of Staff, Directorate of Islamic Affairs, Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Mukhtar Adamu, at the graduation ceremony of News Reporting and Video Course in Lagos recently.

THE

NIGERIAN

9

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Abuja Flood Environmentalist Canvasses Pragmatic Approach

Strike

ASUU Walks Out On NASS, Ministers ABUJA - The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Abuja walked out on the joint National Assembly Committee on Education at a meeting.

The meeting was also attended

by Ministers of Education and Labour, Prof. Ruqquayatu Ruf’ai and Mr Emeka Nwogu respectively.

The NASS joint committee on Education had called the aggrieved unions in the nation’s higher institutions for a dialogue on the way forward in their ongoing industrial action.

The meeting was convened by the joint committee on education of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The joint committee had invited ASUU, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Education (COEASU) to a dialogue to resolve the strikes.

Reports say that the ASUP strike had entered into its eight week, while the ASUU strike began on July 1.

The committee had asked ASUU to excuse it, while it interacted with ASUP and COEASU, which was viewed as a slight by ASUU. The representatives of the ASUU left the National Assembly Complex in annoyance, saying they were slighted.

One of the members, who declined to give his name, told newsmen that they had another appointment to attend to.

Another said, “asking us to excuse them is a slight; why should they ask us to excuse them; what is it that they want to discuss that we cannot be part of.’’

The Chairman of the Senate Committee, Sen. Uche Chukwumerije (PDP-Abia), tried to defend ASUU’s actions, but members said there was no rationale for ASUU to leave.

Chukwumerije said that the committee would intensify its negotiation with the government to ensure that the issues at stake were resolved.

“All we are urging is that you call an emergency meeting with 24 hours because the students are getting restive.

“We need to understand that if these students go out of hand, it will cause more problems for the country. ‘‘Please trust us to keep to this two weeks we have given you to try and implement your demands,’’ he said.

Sen. Sunny Ugbuoji (PDPEbonyi), said it was unacceptable for ASUU to walk out on the committee as this showed a disregard for the entire parliament.

“ASUU has walked out on us and this should be said in plain terms. What meeting can be more important than this meeting?’’ Ugbuoji asked.

Rep. Farouk Lawan (PDPKano), said that no matter what other meeting ASUU had, “it was wrong to walk out on us, we were trying to resolve a matter concerning the unions.’’

Lawan said ASUU should have been patient and waited to hear from the members and the ministers, noting that no other meeting could be more important.

L-R: Minister of Education, Prof. Ruquayyatu Rufa’l; Permanent Secretary, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, Chairman, Governing Council, University of Calabar, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, at a Retreat for Governing Councils of Nigerian Federal Universities in Abuja recently.

Electricity Thieves To Face Prosecution

L-R: Chairman, Governing Council, University of Lagos, Prof. Jerry Gana, Chairman, Governing Council, University of Calabar, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Chairman, Governing Council, Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Prof, Anya O. Anya, at a Retreat for Governing Councils of Nigerian Federal Universities in Abuja recently.

Ramadan: Jonathan

Urges Muslims To Pray For Nigeria

ABUJA President Goodluck Jonathan urged Nigerian Muslims to offer special prayers, during the Ramadan, for greater peace, security, unity and rapid socioeconomic development in the country.

This is contained in his Ramadan message issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati.

The statement said that while wishing adherents of the Islamic faith successful and spiritually gratifying Ramadan fast, President Jonathan called on them to offer prayers for the nation.

“The President calls on all Nigerians, Muslims and nonMuslims alike, to strive to imbibe in greater measure, the virtues of piety, self-discipline, tolerance, equity, fairness and sympathy for the less privileged which the Ramadan fast promotes.

“President Jonathan also

urges all persons of the faith who may have been misled by extremists and agents of international terrorism into taking up arms against their fellow countrymen, women and children to re-open their minds, during this Ramadan season, to Islam’s true lessons of love and peaceful co-

existence with others.’’

It said that the President prayed that God Almighty will grant the prayers of the faithful during Ramadan.

He also prayed that God will reward them bountifully and grant the nation greater peace, security, unity and national harmony.

ABUJA - Nigeria needs N319 billion to fill the funding gaps in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a report.

This is contained in 2013 Report on Monitoring Nigeria’s Progress on High Level WASH financial Commitment and prepared by WASH Media Network and Society for Water and Sanitation in Nigeria (NEWSAN).

The report noted that the annual investment on WASH

capital projects at the federal level was N71 billion in the 2012 budget, while N113 billion was proposed in 2013 budget for WASH projects. “ A substantial chunk of the funds budgeted by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) in 2013 is allocated for irrigation and construction of dams.

“This will not increase access to drinking water supply or sanitation services but boost agricultural productivity.

ABUJA - Mr Sam Amadi, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), said on Tuesday in Abuja that the commission would soon commence the prosecution of power theft by consumers.

Amadi made this known at the 3rd National conference on “Effective Prosecution of Crimes in Nigeria’’.

He said the power sector was inefficient due to the tampering of its infrastructure by unscrupulous persons.

He said that the commission, in collaboration with relevant agencies, was working hard to ensure passage of the Electricity Offences Bill to deal with such offence.

“We are at the verge of having an Electricity Offences Act to criminalise theft of power and to create a different tribunal or an efficient court system that can understand such specialised kind of crime.

“The goal of this reform is to make the sector financially viable in order to attract strong foreign investment,’’ he said Amadi, who was the keynote speaker at the event, said the rising case of vandalism and other factors had led to the drop in power supply on several occasions.

ABUJA - The Ministry of Environment has stressed the need for Nigerians to take urgent steps to prevent flood disasters in their environs.

Mr Ekong Ekanem, the Deputy Director, Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management of the ministry gave the charge in Abuja in an interview with newsmen.

He noted that flood disaster could be avoided if residents could only take proper care of their environments by ensuring that proper channel of flow of rainwater was maintained.

“Our warnings will not stop flood but will rather prevent disasters if people are ready to take the necessary precautionary measures.

“We always send warnings five days ahead to any disaster area we foresee will occur.

“Our warnings will not stop the flood but will always prevent disaster.”

Ekanem noted that the loss of lives and property as a result of the 2012 flood would have been prevented if adequate measures were taken by the citizenry.

He said that flood could not be totally eliminated but measures were available to control and minimised the damages.

He added that soil and water resources users and operators must adhere to appropriate designs, specifications and construction maintenance procedures so that erosion and flood can be minimised.

“It should be noted that soil and water operators must strictly adhere to the appropriate specifications in the constructions and maintenance of erosion and flood.

“It is however, important that these operators must accept all relevant warnings given to them by the ministry to avoid flood and erosion disaster.’’

He however, advised stakeholders to develop reliable and up-to-date data base and integrated management system as a tool to support all erosion and flood control programmes.

He said that the data base would provide information in print and electronic media vide Internet Website for public awareness, research and extension services.

He urged the stakeholders to refrain from putting people and property at risk by avoiding development in flood plain areas when other alternatives are available.

Water: Nigeria Needs N319bn ‘It is therefore obvious that the FMWR devotes more funds to promotion of irrigation and water resources management, rather than drinking water supply and sanitation services.

“Most of the core drinking water and sanitation projects under the ministry are donor driven. implying that the Federal Government has not initiated any new project to tackle the poor access to WASH services,’’ it stated.

It further noted that the

allocation of the Federal Ministries of Water Resources and Environment in 2013 budget would not be adequate to address sanitation problems in the country.

“The 2012 budget of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) does not have a separate line for sanitation.

“On the other hand, that of the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) has an allocation of N25.3 million for sanitation.

THE

NIGERIAN

10

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Business+Economy

Food Prices Soar In Lagos

LAGOS - Price of basic food items have increased in most markets in Lagos as the Muslims fasting period (Ramadan) started yesterday.

The Ramadan will last for 30 days from July 10, 2013.

Reports say that the price of fruits and other basic food items like beans, yam, pepper, tomatoes, oranges and water melons have increased.

Newsmen who visited markets in Mile 12, Oyingbo, Oshodi and Ojuwoye in Mushin where food items are mostly sold, reported that the price have increased by nearly same percentage.

A small-sized tin of beans, which was between N180 and N200 last week, has increased to N300.

A medium-sized basket of tomatoes, which before now went

for 6,000 naira, is now 12,000.

Price of a five-litre keg of palm oil has also increased from N1,000 to N1,400, while the 10litre keg has increased from N2,000 to N2,300.

A foodstuff seller, Mrs Rukayat Abiodun, said that she could only buy half bags of rice and beans to resell instead of the two bags she had been buying weekly.

“It is because of Ramadan that food items are expensive and it is usually like that.

“Since most of our foodstuffs come from the North, so it is the price they sell to us that we buy and resell,’’ Abiodun said.

Mrs Taibat Borokini, the Secretary, Ojuwoye Market, Mushin, attributed the recent increase in prices of foods to insecurity in the North.

Borokini told newsmen that many people had been

complaining about the increase in the price of basic food items.

She said that most food items like pepper, tomatoes, cows, goats, onions, ginger were brought from the North, adding that the security situation in the

North had made things difficult.

A customer, Mrs Beatrice Akudo, expressed displeasure at the hike in the price of foods as a result of the Ramadan.

“Every time the Ramadan is approaching, food items will begin to increase, while some of

the items will become unaffordable.

“Medical practitioners always advise us to take fruits and balanced diet, but when you get to the market you can’t afford it.

“A small size of pineapple that

Disconnected Lines

NATCOMS Advises Subscribers LAGOS - The National Association of Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n Subscribers (NATCOMS), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, has advised subscribers, whose lines were recently disconnected, to speed up their revalidation to avoid losing vital information.

Ogunbanjo gave the advice in an interview with the newsmen in Lagos.

He said that quick reconnection of lines would enable telephone subscribers to regain vital information stored in them.

Reports say that some telecommunication companies recently disconnected telephone lines which were not registered by June 30.

The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) gave June 30 as the deadline for subscribers to register their lines or risk disconnection.

As at July 1, some telecommunication companies began to comply with the directive.

According to the NATCOMS president, the NCC granted the association’s appeal that an opportunity be provided for affected subscribers to revalidate their lines.

He said that lines could only be revalidated from customer care centres of telecommunication companies.

“NCC has agreed that anybody whose line was disconnected can revalidate it with the operator that disconnected the line,’’ he said.

He urged affected subscribers to make good use of the opportunity.

L-R: Bauchi State Director General on Projects, Mr. Aliyu Jibrin, being conferred with fellowship of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) by the President of the society, Mr. Mustafa Shehu at the society’s 2013 2nd Quarterly Dinner and Conferment of Fellowship in Abuja yesterday.

went for N100 is now N200,’’ Akudo told newsmen.

At the Mushin market, a bag of beans now sells for N26, 500 against the old price of N21,000 in June.

A bag of rice of various brands sells between N9, 500 and N10, 500 compared with the cost price of N8, 500 in June.

A big bag of garri costs N9, 500 compared with the former price of N8, 600.

The small bag of garri now costs N3, 700 compared with the former price of N3, 300.

At Oshodi market, a 25-litre keg of palm oil is N6, 600, up from N5, 400 four weeks ago.

A 25-litre keg of vegetable oil costs N8, 500 compared with the old price of N7, 800, while the five-litre keg of the commodity is now N2, 200 against N2, 000 in June.

Also a piece of beef which was N650, now sells at N950.

The cost of 5 kg Honeywell semolina is N9, 500, compared with the former price of N9, 000, while the Golden Penny brand of semovita costs N1,750 up from N1,350 in June.

Customs Intercept Goods Worth N83.2m

LAGOS - The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone “A“ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has intercepted 243 contraband valued at N83.2 million in July 2013.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, Mr Uche Ejesieme, said this in an

interview with newsmen in Lagos on yesterday.

Ejesieme recalled that the command had also intercepted 267 contraband valued at N107 million in the corresponding period of 2012.

He said the seizures were made possible by the efforts of Mr Isa Nuhu, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command.

He said that the controller had also introduced mass

enlightenment of the public on the dangers of smuggling.

“For last year, we had 267 and now the same period we are having 243.

“The Federal Operations Unit, despite the challenges, has been working assiduously toward enforcing the fiscal policies of government in terms of trade, irrespective of the fact that we had a marginal difference in number of seizures.

“It’s just as a result of the fact that we are winning the war on smuggling.

“There is a strategy that we’ve just put in place and that is mass enlightenment.

“This mass enlightenment is targeted at sensitising and educating the people on the dangers of smuggling.

“We also engaging other critical stakeholders like the Customs Consultative Council, the freight forwarders, importers’ and their representatives to collaborate with us in the fight against smuggling.“

Fake Cement

Coy Advises Builders

L-R: Chairman, Kuje Area Council, Mr. Shaban Ishaku-Tete; Chairman, Kwali Area council, Mr. Daniel Ibrahim; Chairman, Abaji Area Council, Mr. Yahaya Garba and Chairman, AMAC, Mr. Michah Jiba, at FCT Area Councils Joint Account Allocation Committee Meeting in Abuja recently.

LAGOS - Mr Joseph Makoju, the Managing Director of Dangote Group, yesterday advised building engineers across the country to be wary of fake cement in the markets.

Makoju, in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, said that fake cement had infiltrated the markets.

He said that use of fake cements was one of the major causes of incessant cases of collapsed building.

Makoju urged the builders,

Sokoto Purchases N8m Toilet SOKOTO - The Sokoto State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Jabbi Kilgori, on yesterday said the state government had purchased 30 mobile toilets worth N8 million to discourage open defecation.

Kilgori told newsmen say in Sokoto yesterday that the ministry had already taken

delivery of 12 of the 30 toilets.

“The balance of the 18 of these toilets will soon be received and they will be deployed to various private and public places like motor parks, schools and road inter-sections in Sokoto metropolis and its environs.

“The state government is deeply concerned about the

menace of open defection and these mobile toilets are just to discourage that obnoxious habit.”

Kilgori also announced that the government would procure additional 20 refuse collection bunkers and 200 refuse collection skips to complement existing ones.

According to him the

government had earlier installed 10 refuse bunkers and deployed 100 skips across the city and its environs to help with refuse collection.

“The state government is seriously concerned about the indiscriminate dumping of refuse by some of the residents; some people even dump refuse in the drains and on the streets.

who were still patronising fake cement products in the bid to cut costs, to desist from such act.

“We are trying as much as possible to ensure that our cement products are properly sealed to prevent faking, but reports state that substandard products are still in the market.

“This calls for security agencies to be more alert as some of the people who are repacking the product are doing it openly.

“Nigeria is set to be a netimporter of cement with the intervention of the Backward Integration Plan by the Federal Government.

“At the same time, fake products, if not urgently addressed, will frustrate these efforts,” Makoju said.

It would be recalled that eight people were, on June 26, arrested at a fake cement factory in Ewekoro area of Ogun repackaging the product.

THE

NIGERIAN

11

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT YESTERDAY(10/07/13) Stocks

Open

Close

Change

Deals

Units

Value

MAYBAKER

2.7

2.7

0

28

270,700

714,924.15

0.5

0.5

0

1

75,000

37,500.00

7UP

53

53

0

17

9,835

529,040.30

MBENEFIT

ABBEYBDS

1.53

1.53

0

1

100

153

MOBIL

107.1

117.81

10.71

61

385,145

45,270,261.54

ABCTRANS

1.24

1.19

-0.05

23

715,952

835,244.80

MORISON

2.01

2.01

0

1

200

396

ACADEMY

2.04

2.04

0

5

20,080

38,807.20

MRS

17.8

17.8

0

9

10,595

201,843.91

ACCESS

10.95

10.9

-0.05

232

6,018,116

65,525,201.07

NAHCO

7.1

7

-0.1

62

613,503

4,314,778.45

AFRIPRUD

1.85

1.85

0

45

90,292

159,482.57

NASCON

12.58

12.6

0.02

94

3,663,231

46,113,861.56

187,765.74

NB

162

162

0

210

792,327

128,373,094.03

AGLEVENT

1.59

1.6

0.01

6

117,459

AIICO

0.9

0.92

0.02

57

10,261,465

9,259,705.62

NCR

18.7

18.7

0

2

850

14,305.50

AIRSERVICE

4.21

4.6

0.39

16

703,493

3,204,980.53

NEIMETH

1.3

1.3

0

9

63,235

79,017.87

ARBICO

6.22

6.22

0

2

2,950

16,526.20

NEM

0.71

0.71

0

43

12,034,400

8,510,198.00

ASHAKACEM

25.2

25.56

0.36

72

559,327

14,281,255.52

NESTLE

1000

1000

0

69

80,635

80,628,399.00

ASOSAVINGS

0.5

0.5

0

2

1,200

600

NIG-GERMAN

8.17

8.17

0

2

1,342

9,877.12

AUSTINLAZ

2

2

0

1

3,000

6,600.00

NIGERINS

0.5

0.5

0

3

38,600

19,300.00

AVONCROWN

1.71

1.71

0

1

5,000

7,700.00

NNFM

26.5

26.5

0

5

12,210

329,025.00

BERGER

10.25

10.94

0.69

16

369,663

3,884,271.97

NPFMCRFBK

1.06

1.06

0

9

312,827

307,045.46

BETAGLAS

11

11

0

6

67,040

736,488.00

OANDO

12.3

12.2

-0.1

244

5,894,627

71,646,779.93

BOCGAS

7.5

7.5

0

5

6,527

48,577.50

OKOMUOIL

48

48

0

46

317,871

14,683,017.20

CADBURY

54.53

54.53

0

74

250,574

13,319,997.29

PAINTCOM

1.9

1.9

0

3

52,000

93,700.00

CAP

51.41

51.4

-0.01

34

269,847

13,737,970.28

PHARMDEKO

2.07

2.07

0

3

16,203

33,540.21

CAPOIL

0.5

0.5

0

2

1,100

550

PORTPAINT

6.5

6.39

-0.11

30

496,096

3,219,313.57

CCNN

10.1

10.13

0.03

16

197,956

2,006,829.28

PRESCO

38.97

38.97

0

62

458,013

17,498,130.94

CHAMPION

7.07

7.07

0

1

15,000

116,550.00

PRESTIGE

0.53

0.52

-0.01

14

471,374

257,314.08 7,759,301.88

CHAMS

0.5

0.5

0

2

430,000

215,000.00

PZ

39

39

0

51

200,284

CHELLARAM

4.41

4.41

0

3

50,360

199,929.20

REDSTAREX

4.89

4.64

-0.25

13

529,287

2,455,838.38

CILEASING

0.5

0.5

0

3

12,000

6,000.00

ROADS

9.06

9.06

0

1

10,000

99,600.00

CONOIL

23

23

0

10

6,902

162,185.06

ROYALEX

0.55

0.55

0

6

178,465

99,263.80

CONTINSURE

1.28

1.28

0

7

173,800

201,680.00

RTBRISCOE

1.64

1.53

-0.11

30

866,758

1,393,425.90

CORNERST

0.59

0.63

0.04

26

1,054,166

623,286.29

SCOA

5.32

5.32

0

10

18,316

87,733.64

COSTAIN

1.43

1.42

-0.01

27

840,852

1,190,251.68

SKYEBANK

4.94

4.8

-0.14

71

3,259,295

15,681,862.37

COURTVILLE

0.6

0.6

0

18

1,916,500

1,149,900.00

SKYESHELT

100

100

0

1

20

2,000.00

CUSTODYINS

1.48

1.59

0.11

26

540,840

828,697.17

SOVRENINS

0.5

0.5

0

3

529,632

264,816.00

CUTIX

2

1.98

-0.02

6

196,534

389,795.66

STACO

0.5

0.5

0

2

48,345

24,172.50

DAARCOMM

0.5

0.5

0

11

70,200

35,100.00

STANBIC

15.3

15.3

0

25

268,105

4,102,417.41

DANGCEM

189

190

1

86

478,574

90,955,833.54

STDINSURE

0.5

0.5

0

2

2,000

1,000.00

DANGFLOUR

9.5

9.42

-0.08

61

1,079,387

10,218,755.92

STERLNBANK

2.59

2.6

0.01

71

9,661,250

25,000,487.99

DANGSUGAR

11.72

11.7

-0.02

119

8,622,197

102,938,984.92

TANTALIZER

0.5

0.5

0

2

100,400

50,200.00

DIAMONDBNK

6.75

6.8

0.05

73

3,075,948

20,761,835.18

THOMASWY

1.19

1.19

0

1

1,011

1,091.88

159.99

159.99

0

7

3,269

509,068.21 204

DNMEYER

1.47

1.47

0

6

116,226

186,387.26

TOTAL

DUNLOP

0.5

0.5

0

2

2,900

1,450.00

TOURIST

4.08

4.08

0

1

50

ELLAHLAKES

4.26

4.26

0

1

300

1,152.00

TRANSCORP

1.32

1.35

0.03

117

10,244,145

13,780,500.95

2.51

2.51

0

1

3,000

6,780.00

EQUITYASUR

0.5

0.5

0

2

47,000

23,500.00

TRANSEXPR

ETERNA

3.18

3.15

-0.03

31

750,818

2,369,037.84

TRIPPLEG

2.29

2.29

0

2

1,404

2,906.28

ETI

14.59

14.67

0.08

135

1,520,282

22,288,740.20

UAC-PROP

14.9

14.9

0

18

190,062

2,832,783.60

1,538,335.34

UACN

54.55

54.55

0

55

191,007

10,536,963.40

EVANSMED

3.48

3.35

-0.13

24

475,510

FBNH

17.4

17.5

0.1

591

14,422,055

252,439,142.02

UBA

8.25

8.28

0.03

306

8,704,190

71,999,491.62

FCMB

4.76

4.74

-0.02

51

1,331,486

6,314,435.85

UBCAP

1.16

1.14

-0.02

70

2,672,480

3,057,781.15

FIDELITYBK

3.12

3.03

-0.09

147

17,031,776

52,286,412.25

UBN

11.93

12

0.07

93

911,792

10,948,215.78 2,612.00

FIDSON

2

2.01

0.01

32

1,708,210

3,466,415.17

UNIC

0.5

0.5

0

2

5,224

FIRSTALUM

0.5

0.5

0

1

3,500

1,750.00

UNILEVER

58

58

0

84

3,869,264

223,976,185.83

0.6

0.6

0

79

10,982,997

6,617,623.65 1,400.00

FLOURMILL

85

85

0

69

103,398

8,802,872.14

UNITYBNK

FO

20.34

20.34

0

27

30,868

690,254.30

UNITYKAP

0.5

0.5

0

2

2,800

FORTISMFB

6.6

6.6

0

1

50,000

330,000.00

UNIVINSURE

0.5

0.5

0

1

40,000

20,000.00

4.77

4.77

0

6

43,017

207,065.40 15,373.67

FTNCOCOA

0.5

0.5

0

1

2,000

1,000.00

UPL

GLAXOSMITH

60.3

60.3

0

21

103,537

5,625,482.97

UTC

0.65

0.65

0

10

23,973

GUARANTY

25.45

25.84

0.39

475

26,435,037

690,532,768.48

VITAFOAM

4.51

4.49

-0.02

18

243,854

1,093,222.00

1.71

1.71

0

1

44

67.76

GUINEAINS

0.5

0.5

0

1

100,000

50,000.00

VONO

GUINNESS

251

251.11

0.11

85

428,348

107,530,534.71

WAPCO

98

100

2

133

6,578,159

653,883,905.52

HMARKINS

0.5

0.5

0

1

100

50

WAPIC

0.9

0.93

0.03

61

2,788,089

2,528,250.50

HONYFLOUR

3.29

3.25

-0.04

30

684,406

2,190,317.77

WEMABANK

1.15

1.11

-0.04

48

3,467,198

3,863,894.82

IKEJAHOTEL

0.88

0.87

-0.01

7

548,554

454,293.82

ZENITHBANK

20.45

20.3

-0.15

316

9,200,901

187,203,923.61

INTBREW

25.5

25.5

0

28

151,461

3,627,134.74

IPWA

0.69

0.75

0.06

9

372,387

250,488.40

JAPAULOIL

0.52

0.52

0

72

3,365,306

1,750,497.78

JBERGER JOHNHOLT

66 1.55

66.5 1.42

0.5 -0.13

29 7

209,326 74,640

13,906,866.20 106,168.34

LASACO

0.5

0.5

0

2

361,169

180,584.50

LEARNAFRCA

1.78

1.78

0

7

85,720

149,097.50

LINKASSURE

0.5

0.5

0

1

27,000

13,500.00

LIVESTOCK

4.89

4.9

0.01

56

1,620,092

7,923,164.22

MANSARD

2.1

2.1

0

18

945,223

1,976,843.84

TOP 10 GAINERS Stock MOBIL WAPCO DANGCEM BERGER JBERGER AIRSERVICE GUARANTY ASHAKACEM CUSTODYINS GUINNESS

Close 117.81 100 190 10.94 66.5 4.6 25.84 25.56 1.59 251.11

TOP TOP 10 10 LOSERS GAINERS Gain

Stock

10.71 2 1 0.69 0.5 0.39 0.39 0.36 0.11 0.11

REDSTAREX ZENITHBANK SKYEBANK EVANSMED JOHNHOLT PORTPAINT RTBRISCOE NAHCO OANDO FIDELITYBK

Close 4.64 20.3 4.8 3.35 1.42 6.39 1.53 7 12.2 3.03

Loss -0.25 -0.15 -0.14 -0.13 -0.13 -0.11 -0.11 -0.1 -0.1 -0.09

THE

NIGERIAN

12

IN what appears a desperate move by the Federal Government to establish a national carrier for the country this year, the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Odua, and other officials from the aviation sector reportedly met with the Governor of Central Bank, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, in Abuja last week over plans to raise $500million to actualise the project.

THE Federal Government, it was also reported is planning to partner with Irish Airline to have the plan sail through. It is almost an open secret that the government had been in a desperate search for investors among foreign airlines to partner with it to establish a new national carrier in the past one year. The resort to the Irish airline for partnership is borne out of the fact that, last year, Lufthansa German Airlines and Air France separately turned down offers by the government, asking them to become its partners for the proposed project.

WE are, however, strongly opposed to the plan by the Federal Government to establish a new national carrier for a number of reasons. First, Nigerians cannot forget in a hurry reasons adduced by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 while liquidating Nigerian Airways which included the drains it inflicted on national coffers due to corruption as it was solely owned by the government.

UNARGUABLY, Nigerians and investors are very much abreast with unending policy summersaults and inconsistencies in the aviation sector over the years. Determined to introduce a private partnership as being currently pursued by Ms. Stella Odua, the same Federal Government entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with British Airline mogul and Founder of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson and how the

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

THE

NIGERIAN

New National Carrier? government went ahead to terminate the MoU, an action which many Nigerians believe may have dissuaded Lufthansa and Air France to reject current offer from government.

ONLY last year, the Federal Government 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 announced during an inspection of the renovated Benin Airport. He explained that the move was to replace the old practice of aviation intervention funds which obviously was being misused. This move, expectedly generated serious controversy among stakeholders. Perhaps, it is that same idea that has been transformed into this new plan to establish a new national carrier, so that such budgetary vote would be expended at all cost.

SECONDLY, we are also aware of a number of litigations around agreements and MoUs in the nation’s aviation sector which keeps off respectable investors.

THIRDLY, Nigerians have not forgotten the cliché from our current reformists led by Dr. Nngozi Okonjo-Iweala that “government has

no business in business.” Lessons from the privatization of the power sector which has guzzled several billions of dollars without any appreciable headway and the failed privatization of NITEL and others readily comes to mind.

IT is against this backdrop that we fear that the $500million being pursued by the Aviation ministry may go down the drain given the massive corruption which currently surround doing government business.

WHILE we wholeheartedly acknowledge the transformation currently going on in the aviation sector with the on-going reconstruction and upgrading of the nation’s airports, we equally believe strongly that it is not yet an uhuru, as a lot still has to be done with regards to safety of our airspace, acquisition of modern aviation equipment and above all, the urgent need to create the right investment atmosphere to attract foreign Direct Investment. It is after creating the enabling competitive atmosphere for investment and win the confidence of foreign investors that the Federal Government can begin to reconsider establishing a national career.

IT is for these reasons that we want to call on the Central Bank of Nigeria not to release the whooping sum of $500million and the Federal Government should vire that amount if appropriated in this year’s budget to agriculture to boost food production or water resources to make more Nigerians have access to potable water or alternatively to fund hire education, may be, a better way to end current nationwide strike action embarked upon by members of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU).

THE

NIGERIAN

13

Argue Respectfully With Your Spouse

CONFRONTATIONS are unavoidable in marriage. But the most important factor in marital harmony isn’t whether you get into a confrontation, but how you handle the confrontations. James gives us God’s formula for handling marital debates: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19).

Learning to fight respectfully is extremely important. When a fight does happen, compromise is the best friend of the relationship. If your partner cannot tangle the idea that the two of you may often have different opinions, the relationship will not the last long-term. Avoiding conflict is about realizing that opinions constantly change. Provided both parties are respectful of the ability of each other have different viewpoints, and any relationship can be saved.

Avoiding confrontation with your partner is always very important in any relationship. This is about allowing your partner the freedom to have his or her own opinions regardless of what the other person is willing to do. This means that you should always talk through any issues you are having with your partner as it is happening. This also means that you should be willing to change your opinion if you are convinced that doing so is in the best interest of the relationship to.

It is very important to be ready to accept the fact that people are constantly changing. If you noticed that your partner is not interested in spending as much time with you, you should ask if there is anything that you can be doing differently to save the relationship. Spending time together is one of the ways that relationships remain going in a positive direction.

This means that you should be spending time thinking about what your partner is looking for from you whenever possible.

Common Mistakes in Approaching Your Spouse Showing disrespect: You can’t change a person by tearing him or her down. There’s only one response for that kind of approach: negative. Think about it. How do you feel when others treat you disrespectfully? Does it make you want to do something for them? Does it make you want to show affection? No. Showing disrespect will only alienate your spouse to the idea of seeking help.

Losing control of your anger: Anger is often as a way of punishing your spouse, when he or she does not give you what you want. It’s not only ineffective in producing a longterm change in how your spouse behaves, it also destroys any threads of love or feelings that may still be evident.

Sure, if your spouse doesn’t respond to your requests, the temptation exists to respond in anger; but if you don’t get the response you want, getting angry and sparking a heated argument won’t help.

Stop blaming your spouse: Never accuse, or point fingers at your spouse’s face. Don’t resort to exaggerated or overgeneralized language such as: “You always act like this!

You never do what I ask you to do. You just don’t care anymore. It’s always your fault. You always do this or always do that.” That type of language isn’t valuable in solving the problem. It only creates more issues to deal with and more wounds to heal in the future.

Don’t practice avoidance. Do you avoid all conflict with your spouse? Perhaps you are frightened of your spouse’s

anger. Perhaps you don’t want to lose an argument or you’re afraid an argument will ruin your marriage. Could it be that you’re terrified you’ll have to admit something about yourself that you’d rather keep silent. Or are you so afraid of seeing a problem inside you that makes you to retreat?

Avoiding conflict never solves conflict; it only postpones the inevitable. You may stuff it and repress it, but your stomach will keep score. Don’t practice avoidance. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6).

Don’t practice appeasement. Some people don’t avoid conflict; they appease. They automatically concede, in every

discussion. One person always wins; one always loses. One person always dominates; the other simply gives in and gives ground. Godly compromise happens when both spouses give a little. But appeasement is something else.

Appeasers may think they solve problems, but they don’t.

Appeasement smolders in the heart like oily rags in a closet.

They can break out and burn the house down. What’s more, appeasers are given to self-pity. They develop martyr complexes. They feel trapped because they know they’ll never win. And while marriages with appeasers may stay together, they often suffer from emotional divorce, which is as tragic as physical divorce.

Don’t practice aggression. You must face your partner, but don’t attack. There are few problems husbands and wives can’t solve if they will attack the problem, rather

“Stop blaming your spouse: Never accuse, or point fingers at your spouse’s face. Don’t resort to exaggerated or overgeneralized language such as: “You always act like this! You never do what I ask you to do. You just don’t care anymore. It’s always your fault. You always do this or always do that.” That type of language isn’t valuable in solving the problem. It only creates more issues to deal with and more wounds to heal in the future.”

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Relationship With IMOISILI EDITH 07089364470

than each other. The Bible says, you must speak the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15). To attack the problem, choose your time wisely.

Psychologists say that 90 percent of family arguments begin just before mealtime, when your blood sugar is low.

Another time not to bring up problems is on the way to a social event or to church. “A soft answer turneth away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1).

Practice accommodation. We all want our partners to change. But we need to focus on ourselves. The most effective way to change your partner is to change you.

Because when you change, your partner has to react to someone different. To change yourself, practice accommodation.

Practice acceptance. By practicing accommodation, you say, “I change.” By practicing acceptance, you say, “My spouse might never change. I accept it. I accept my partner.”

There are simply certain things we have to accept about others. We’re different.

Practice adjustment. This is the best “do” of all. In accommodation, I change. In acceptance, I make up my mind to love my spouse despite the fact that he or she can’t change.

But in adjustment, we both change together. And when that happens, it’s wonderful.

Practice accommodation, practice acceptance and practice adjustment. Those are the ways to resolve conflicts.

Approaching Your Spouse the Right Way Begin by approaching your spouse at the right time and in the right manner. Choose a time when he or she is not distracted or too stressed or tired. Approach your spouse in a non-confrontational manner. An angry tone of voice or condescending “parent to child” approach will only cause him or her to shut down.

Make sure you bring up the topic in a non-threatening way. If your communication pattern has digressed to the point that when you bring up this topic, your spouse becomes defensive and “blows up,” you may consider writing him or her a letter to be read when you are not present. This gives your spouse time to think about what was said and respond without all the emotions.

Don’t say, “You need counseling.” Recognize and admit that “we” have a problem, and it must be addressed as a team.

THE

NIGERIAN

14

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Society

A Social Abnormality

Indecent Dressing: AS a young and charming girl, Tracy, had the best of moral upbringing. Her father was a disciplinarian while her mother held a “very sensitive position” in her church. Seventeen-yearold, Tracy upheld the “best practices in terms of dressing decently. This was how she grew up (her parents drummed the African moral value into her).

However, beam the searchlight to sometime later, about two years, and the Tracy of old, had been “turned into another man.”

She was now on campus and couldn’t resist the pressure from her friends to be a “happening babe on campus”. Trace as she was fondly called by her friends jettisoned her long skirts and occasioned wrappers to skimpy dresses that exposed sensitive parts of her body as bumper shorts, armless, miniskirts, low-waist and all manner of provocative and body-revealing wears.

While coming back from a friend’s party in school, Tracy if not for the timely intervention of security personnel, narrowly escaped being raped to death by a gang of robbers who had been monitoring her skimpy dressing (it was an invitation to the gang).

Apart from this, there was the story about a lady whose provocative attire always drew the attention of the neighbourhood. Each time she passed all eyes “stand at attention” to have a “look” at her revealed body. The story, however, turned sour.

What happened? It was one of the rush hours that day.

As the lady rummaged through the crowd, all that she prayed for was to get an “okada” to take her home.

Luckily for her, she got one after some minutes. As happy as she was that she

would now be finally home, it was turned to sadness.

Raising up her leg, her skimpy skirt (mini) tore into two; revealing her nudity. It was just a little part of the skirt that was still in place.

She could not believe her

of passing across messages to others just as facial expression and other mediums of communication. Dressing from a Biblical stand point,

is a practice that is contrary to the acceptable norms and values of the society.

This menace, is “copied” from the media and “pasted” in the society. Now, with the

eyes; she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her as she received the “greatest embarrassment of her life with passers-by laughing from ear-to-ear.

These are a few instances of indecent dressing among Nigerians, especially youths. Psychologists have identified clothing as means

started from the beginning of times when Adam and Eve used leaves to cover their nakedness.

Although defining indecent dressing is not easy, an attempt would be made to provide one. Indecent dressing is the deliberate exposure of one’s body to the public. Indecent dressing

advent of satellite channels and modern technology, people replicate costumes meant for stage performance as normal dressing code.

Experts have said that this malady his eaten deep into the fabrics of the society.

Young men and women, even older people, are not left out.

By EMMANUEL EGOBIAMBU

“The consequences of this latest form of indecency by way of dressing, is multiple in nature. The most visible is the debasement of the human folk. Wearing clothes that expose private parts is not the best of way to portray humans as “higher animal”.

The nature of indecent dressing has even made the religious houses not to be left out of the drama. Most often people dress indecently to worship God all in the name of fashion and being among the happening babes and guys in town. Anything tradition is often seen as “old-school” and archaic and thus it would be harder to put food into one’s mouth than to differentiate an indecently adorned lady from a

dressing shabbily is a magnetic pull that attracts mynads of sexual abuse and assault. Experts have noted that the rising cases of rape and other sexual crime, is a direct consequence of indecent dressing. It is more disheartening in campuses as indecent attires have caused unpalatable stories, especially between lecturers and students. Most often, lecturers get “distracted” by the immodest wears that students put on.

Bringing down this

prostitutute.

For the ladies, they are often swollen-headed when they put on these clothes and one complimented as “hot”.

The fact is that a man would hardly marry anyone that exposes her sensitive parts.

If it is their sister, they would do anything to make sure they stop dressing indecently.

The consequences of this latest form of indecency by way of dressing, is multiple in nature. The most visible is the debasement of the human folk. Wearing clothes that expose private parts is not the best of way to portray humans as “higher animal”.

As in the story above,

menace known as indecent dressing, requires that the mass media that show most of these wears, adopt a better approach. They should reduce the level of exposure of indecently clad individuals. They should also launch campaigns that are aimed at stabbing it at the back.

Again, parents should also watch what their ward/ children put on. Most times, students, because they see tertiary institutions as a place of freedom, as nobody checks them, put on “rubbish” as clothes. The religious centers must also stand against this ugly trend by preaching against it as one cannot be addressed the way he/she is not dressed!.

THE

NIGERIAN

15

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Economy

The Tale Of Two Foolish Acts In The Nigerian Financial Market A review of the Inaugural Lecture Series 133 delivered by Venerable Professor Ifuero Osad Osamwonyi at the University of Benin.

PROFESSOR Ifuero Osamwonyi has traversed the practical and academic terrains of Finance. A former Head of Research at the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and former Managing Director of a mortgage bank, before he plunged full time into academia, first at the Igbinedion University and later at the University of Benin. He is therefore very well grounded in theory and practice of finance.

I have known Prof.

Osamwonyi from childhood and we served together on the Editorial Board of the Securities Market Journal (SMJ) which I was privileged to chair then as Director of Research and Planning at the Securities and Exchange Commission. I was impressed by his tireless efforts and passion to link the Mortgage Industry and the Securities Market, a linkage that many still do not quite appreciate.

He has remained a great apostle of the development of Mortgage-backed securities in the Nigerian financial system and continues to use the platform of academia to profess it.

As I listened to his 63page four-chapter inaugural lecture, I was not surprised that he brought practice and theory to bear in the presentation.

Essentially, his lecture titled: “The Nigerian Financial Market and a Tale of Two Foolish Acts” examines the travails of the mortgage and securities markets.

According to him “My thesis is that the major contributor to the failure of our financial market, especially the capital

market is the foolishness of both investors and intermediaries in their intermediating behaviour. To present these views so that the uninitiated can understand, we assume a function – separable intermediation process: shares traders on the one hand and mortgage institutional lenders on the other hand. Within the framework, I now embedded two theses: going to sleep after buying shares and refusing to lend for low income housing”.

After a historical and an academic perspective, Prof.

Osamwonyi concluded that the general behaviour in the Nigerian capital market was particularly Herd mentality (blind imitation and followership). He noted that during booms, individuals, both low and high income earners, educated and uneducated, urban and rural dwellers, small and large organizations, rush to purchase publicly issued shares without considering or even understanding the fundamentals.

The herd instinct, he added, was further fueled by rampant use of margin loans by collusion of banks and stockbrokers to artificially push up their stock prices.

He did talk of regulatory failure but focused more on the failure of the Abuja Securities and Commodities Exchange, the unending impasse between the National Assembly and the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, existence of illegal fund managers, lack of depth of the

By Sylvester Akele

market and other issues.

Considering the contribution of regulatory failure to the recent down-turn of the Market, I had expected a more in-depth look at it in the light of the fact that the regulators did

Adequate rules on margin trading, effective enforcement of the rules and regulations governing the market by both the statutory and nonstatutory regulators would also have saved

Prof. Ifuero Osad Osamwonyi

not even have rules for margin loans and that many infractions by intermediaries were unresolved and thereby contributed to the down turn.

The weight of the foolish Acts by investors and intermediaries as presented by Prof.

Osamwonyi, in my opinion, could have been moderated by the Central Bank of Nigerian in its regulation of banks.

a lot of investors from the losses they suffered.

Why did the Central Bank of Nigeria allow banks to give such loans to stock brokers and investors? Why did the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nigerian Stock exchange not have rules governing Margin Trading in place?

The prophetic predictions by Prof.

Osamwonyi are worthy of note. He says “This is the best time to invest

in the capital market as the recession has bottomed out and market correction is over”. The recovery, he says, is on its way with market fundamentals positive. He says you can beat the market if you have information and stay awake to it and that all stocks are good investments depending or your resources, status, attitude to risk and objectives.

In his tale of the mortgage market, as I expected, Prof.

Osamwonyi did a historical perspective highlighting such issues as Housing and E c o n o m i c Development, low income housing, Direct Build or Direct Construction, Employee Housing, Slum and Squatter Upgrading, Building Materials and the Housing Deficit.

Speaking on the eclectic story of housing provision in Nigeria and low-income housing, he said referring to mortgage creation, “I provided evidences that such supply strategy failed like in other developing countries because of low output, high costs, substantial subsidy, inefficient misallocation, poor attention paid to cost recovering and corruption”.

On the fallacies of the current response strategy, Prof.

“As I listened to his 63-page four-chapter inaugural lecture, I was not surprised that he brought practice and theory to bear in the presentation. Essentially, his lecture titled: “The Nigerian Financial Market and a Tale of Two Foolish Acts” examines the travails of the mortgage and securities markets.”

Osamwonyi postulated that direct build is the best solution to meet existing huge housing deficit. He predicted that the Abuja Housing bubble would burst soon as it is not built on fundamentals adding that surpluses are already emerging in large unit housing while the lack of mixed development is growing the satellite areas.

Deregulation of interest rates, he says, has resulted in driving rates beyond affordability, adding that the Federal Mortgage Bank has failed in many ways and that the most serious failure is that of the National Housing Fund now called National Housing Trust Fund.

Multiple taxes – capital gains tax, land use charge, withholding tax, probate tax, consent tax, stamp duty, registration etc. are disincentives to the development of the mortgage industry, according to him.

Speaking finally on the linkage between the capital and mortgage markets, Prof.

Osamwonyi noted that securitization was the option that could provide huge funds for the mortgage industry.

Mortgages, he said, require huge amount of funds, longer term, are relatively affordable and that such funds are only available especially for the majority in the capital market and pension market.

The numerous issues raised in the lecture are, no doubt, worthy of attention by the financial sector regulators. He has also raised or alluded to some very important issues that the academia must continue to examine in order to continue to contribute positively to the growth and development of the financial sector.

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

THE

NIGERIAN

16

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Society The neighborhood’s best-known restaurants were failing, its crime rate was on the rise, and for the first time that anyone could remember there were foreclosures, with once tidy bungalows sitting empty and dark.

This is the first of two articles that look at hard times through the lens of science.

For all that, the social scientists studying Chicago neighborhoods in 2010 were betting that the middleclass enclave of Chatham, on the city’s South Side, would remain stable through the recession. It had done so for decades, while surrounded by impoverished areas. It had somehow absorbed a wave of newcomers from recently demolished housing projects. And the researchers’ data suggested that its strong identity and scores of active block groups had helped protect residents from larger economic threats and offered clues about how to preserve threatened urban communities all over the country.

Chatham should hold, barring some unforeseen cataclysm.

The cataclysm hit on May 19 of that year. That night, a group of assailants jumped Thomas Wortham IV, an off-duty police officer and Iraq war veteran, as he was leaving his parents’ house. He resisted and was shot, bleeding to death on the street where he grew up.

The entire city seemed to stop for breath, holding a memorial attended by hundreds of fellow police officers and citizens, Mayor Richard M. Daley and Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois.

“We were blindsided by this; blindsided by what happened to Tommy,” said his mother, Carolyn Wortham. “And yes, you begin to question everything.”

In Chatham, it seemed, all bets were off. Many residents began to think the unthinkable, that maybe it was time to escape the place they had done so much to build.

The community’s response to the crisis would test a theory emerging from an ambitious, nearly decade-long study of all of Chicago’s neighborhoods — that a neighborhood’s character shapes its economic future at least as much as more obvious factors like income levels and foreclosure rates.

“If Chatham could maintain its relative stability despite such great challenges,” said William Julius Wilson, a professor of sociology and social policy at Harvard and the author of the 1987 classic, “The Truly Disadvantaged,” “then I think this concept of a neighborhood effect will be a landmark contribution, helping us understand how to prevent the out-migration of citizens and strengthen neighborhoods” at risk of falling into poverty.

In the days before he died, Officer Wortham was on an East Coast swing, attending a police memorial service in Washington, and later participating in a fund-

Diagnosis: raising race in New York. On May 19, he was just back and eager to see his parents, to catch up and show off some photographs from the trip.

Fraying at the Edges Chatham looked the same as ever, but residents were nervous. The recession seemed to be deepening that spring, and local businesses were hanging on for life.

Ken Blow, who runs Bull’s Eye Barber Shop on East 79th, said that his revenues were down almost 40 percent in the first years of the downturn. He rented out his office to a tattoo artist to help pay expenses.

“For a while there, we would keep the lights off until our first customer walked in, to save money,” Mr. Blow said.

Captain’s Hard Times Dining, across the street from the barbershop, also saw business dwindle. The owner, known as Mother Wade, said she has had to branch out and do catering to stay open. “Some of what’s going on here is that people are not supporting their own, not sitting down to a meal like we used to do,” Ms. Wade said. “They’d rather go eat fast food.”

Older residents, perpetually anxious that the younger generation is losing their values of tidiness and mutual respect, now had visible evidence of social erosion.

They saw it in the habits of their new neighbors, many of them moving from the Robert Taylor Homes, which were torn down in the mid-2000s.

“The big change going on is that the grandparents are moving out, and some of the younger kids coming in here are picking up behaviors that you would never have seen in Chatham before,” said Worlee Glover, a salesman who runs a blog called Concerned Citizens of Chatham. “Loitering out on 79th. Walking up and down the street, eating out of a bag. Eating out on the porch. Those kinds of things.”

The numbers tell part of the story. Chatham historically had a waiting list of would-be buyers, but during the recession its foreclosure rate was 14th highest among some 80 Chicago neighborhoods, according to data gathered from all of the city’s neighborhoods to determine which local factors shape behavior.

“Chatham and neighboring Avalon Park are both working class communities, not core ghetto areas, and both were hit hard by recession, particularly Chatham, which got hit economically and with incidents of violence,” said Robert J. Sampson, a sociologist at Harvard who led the Chicago study and wrote a recently released book based on it, “Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect” (University of Chicago, 2012).

“In Chatham, it seemed, all bets were off.

Many residents began to think the unthinkable, that maybe it was time to escape the place they had done so much to build.”

Battere

By BENEDICT CAREY

Twice in previous weeks, young men from outside the area had fired shots into the scrum around the basketball courts at Cole Park, just across the street from the Worthams’ house. Cole Park, all picnics and playgrounds when Thomas IV was growing up, now resembled a street party on most evenings, with

assa W on t here was beyo “W even

teenagers coming just to hang out, Mrs. Wortham said.

Seniors and parents of young children stayed away.

A view of Chatham from the Bull’s Eye Barber Shop on 79th Street at the start of the day. The shop’s owner said the economy hit them hard enough that they would keep the lights off until the first customer arrived.

This is the first of two articles that look at hard times through the lens of science. Next week: the psychology of borrowing.

“People came from all over the South Side to play at Cole Park for the very reason that it was a safe park,” said Thomas Wortham III, his father. “But it got to where no one was controlling it.”

After a short visit with his parents, the younger Mr. Wortham said goodbye around 11 p.m. As he walked along South King Drive to his motorcycle, he had company: someone approaching fast — no, two men — and a car trolling, close by.

The next few moments are snapshots in time. A confrontation over the motorcycle. The elder Mr. Wortham yelling from his porch. Gunshots. The father ducking into the house and back out, now with his own gun. More shots. The screeching of tires as two of the

of it T just bare Cha voic neig Wha Th Offi the neig In neig chil No. coh toge fairs it ra Sou A C

THE

NIGERIAN

17

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Society

ed But Vibrant

ailants fled.

When it was over, three men were down and bleeding the 8400 block of King Drive, near the playground, e in the Mayberry of the South Side. One assailant s wounded, another dead. Officer Wortham was ond help.

We were up all night,” Mrs. Wortham said. “I don’t n remember what we did. You just can’t believe any

t is happening.” he police arrived in minutes, and the news spread as fast. “When I heard, it hurt me so badly I could ely talk,” said Keith O. Tate, president of the atham Avalon Park Community Council. “I had no ce. A lot of us who’d been working to preserve the ghborhood thought, ‘What are we doing all this for? at on earth are we doing here? Are we done here?’ ” hey weren’t, and what unfolded in the weeks after icer Wortham’s death was partly foreshadowed in research done by Dr. Sampson and the Chicago ghborhood research team. n their surveys, asking residents how highly their ghbors valued and enforced respectful behavior from dren, the researchers found that Chatham ranked 1, above all other similar neighborhoods. On social esion, a measure of how regularly people work ether to achieve common goals — organizing street s to raise money for a senior home, for example — anked second among black communities on the uth Side, behind Avalon Park, just to the east.

Array of Advantages Chatham has more than a hundred block groups,

citizen volunteers who monitor the tidiness of neighborhood lawns, garbage, and noise, as well as organize events, Mr. Tate said.

The neighborhood has something else that many nearby areas do not: uniformly small buildings. Neat rows of one-story brick bungalows and ranch houses stand shoulder to shoulder, at attention, astride modest commercial strips, with few buildings more than three stories tall.

“This is what I call ecological advantage,” said criminologist Peter St. Jean, the author of “Pockets of Crime,” an analysis of the physical spaces criminals occupy. “In a community with small buildings — single family houses, like here, for instance — it is relatively easy for the old lady next door to walk over and tell you there’s trash on your lawn, or to turn down the music. It is much more intimidating to approach troublemakers in a larger apartment building; you don’t even know where in the building they live.”

Smaller structures provide another advantage in a recession, Dr. St. Jean said: If a building is vacated and boarded up, it’s a small blemish on the face of the community, not a large one. “You do not see any large empty lots or abandoned buildings in this neighborhood,” he said.

In the wake of Officer Wortham’s death, residents of Chatham didn’t wait long to act.

My own father wanted to go to the park by where Tommy Wortham was killed, just to be there,” said Mr. Tate, the community council president. “And I told him no, I didn’t want to worry about him falling. He said, ‘Look, I’m going, with or without you.’

Others felt just as strongly, and soon there was a neighborhood gathering to “take back the park,” Mrs. Wortham said. Not long after, about 20 police officers, many former colleagues of the Worthams, father and son, showed up at Cole Park and spent the day, in support. “It was a hot day, and all I can remember is running back and forth from the house to get water for everyone,” Mr. Wortham said. “These were officers from all over the city, not just from here. They organized it themselves.”

This is the first of two articles that look at hard times through the lens of science. Next week: the psychology of borrowing.

It’s far too early to say that Chatham has rebounded, but there are encouraging signs. The Bull’s Eye barbershop is busy again. The neighborhood successfully lobbied a billboard company to remove a gaudy sign advertising cigarettes, Mr. Glover said.

Several new businesses are now thriving, including

Garrett Popcorn, a boutique popcorn shop that on most days has lines out the door.

Mr. Tate has started an investment pool with other residents who have the means, to buy up foreclosed houses and sell them to “people who will make good neighbors.”

And according to an analysis by Dr. Sampson, crime around Cole Park almost stopped in the months after Officer Wortham was killed. Crime crept back up in 2012, especially near the neighborhood’s borders, but it has been a violent year in Chicago, with homicides up 16 percent over 2011. The crime rate in Chatham remains well below that of nearby areas.

For the social scientists, these findings apply far beyond Chatham, and beyond Chicago. Other South Side neighborhoods, with similar poverty rates, scored significantly lower on these measures of social cohesion and “efficacy.” And these neighborhoods — West Pullman, to the south, for instance, and Greater Grand Crossing to the north, which has newer developments and more young professionals — have been slower to rebound from the recession, and crime rates remain elevated. The study seems to have zeroed in on the mostly invisible factors that immunize, or at least help protect, a neighborhood from internal wounds, as well as trauma from global economic convulsions.

“The specific neighborhood has a personality that affects virtually all aspects of social life, the choices we make about where to live, about how much disorder we’ll tolerate, about how we raise our kids,” Dr. Sampson said. “Large-scale forces like the recession of course matter, but they are moderated by local neighborhood factors, whether you’re in Chicago or Stockholm” or other cities.

The ultimate verdict, for Chatham and for the neighborhood effect, may lie in what the Worthams and people like them do in historically cohesive urban communities threatened by creeping poverty and violence. “I sure did consider leaving when Tommy was killed,” Mrs. Wortham said.

She took a deep breath. “But you know, whenever something like this happens, there’s plenty of blame to go around. People want to blame the city, the community organizations, the churches, all that. But nothing changes unless people look after their children, and the neighbors do, too. If people aren’t behaving, you say something. When I went to school, if I did something wrong, by the time I got home my mother knew about it.”

So did friends’ mothers, Mr. Wortham added. Then he gave her a look: it was time for dinner, and to head for home.

More than two years after their son was killed, the Worthams still live across from the park. For now, like many of their longtime neighbors and friends, they’re staying put.

Source: New York Times.

“The specific neighborhood has a personality that affects virtually all aspects of social life, the choices we make about where to live, about how much disorder we’ll tolerate, about how we raise our kids.”

THE

NIGERIAN

18

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013 With OBUSEH JUDE 08033510773 franeaich@yahoo.com

Security Issues Multi-Track Diplomacy And 21st Century Peace Building (1)

THE rising incidences of violent conflicts around the world, is posing grave challenges to the security establishments of most countries. Clear pointers to the upsurge in this phenomenon are the closely related issues of the globalization of terrorism, increase in cross-border crimes, escalating cases of civil wars, upsurge in armed militancy, rising cases of drugs and arms trafficking, the AIDS pandemic, etc developments that pose, perhaps, the gravest challenges to global peace and security. From the Middle East to Africa, from South America to Europe, from the Orient to other far flung corners of the world, the cauldrons of violent conflicts continue to boil ferociously, spewing forth bitter concoctions of destruction, despair and death, in the process.

Former United Nations Secretary General, BoutrosBoutros Ghali, in his Magnus Opus, An Agenda For Peace (1992:7), estimated that “since (and despite) the formation of the United Nations Organization (UNO) in 1945, over 100 major wars have occurred all over the world, leaving in their wake over 20, 000,000 people dead, several millions wounded, and produced over 17,000,000 refugees, and approximately 20,000,000 displaced persons”.

Another estimate puts the average number of wars around the world per year “since 1989, at an average of 30 to 34; and that majority of these wars occurred in third world countries – especially African countries”. (Conflict Management Training Manual, 2001: Pg 1).

On the African front alone, violent conflicts are estimated to have produced over 9 million refugees and internally displaced persons (Shah. A: Conflicts in Africa; www.globalissues.org). In the Congo alone, over 5 million people have died since 1998, while South Sudan’s decade-long rebellion is thought to have cost more than two million lives according to the International Rescue Committee (See Gettleman.

J: Africa’s Forever Wars; www.foreignPolicy.com) From incidents as recent as the East African Food Crisis, North African Unrest, Cote d’Ivoire Crisis, the Niger Delta Crisis and Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria, the Sierra Leonean and Liberian Civil Wars, Conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Rwandan debacle, the AIDS Crisis, to countless other crises lost in antiquity, Africa has been a bloody theatre of war. This is the sad story across much of Africa, where nearly half of the continent’s 53 countries are home to an active conflict or a recently ended one. Quite places like Tanzania are the lonely exceptions; even tourist-filled Kenya blew up in 2008.

This piece examines an evolving approach to Peace Building - a subject that has formed the fulcrum of my discourses on both global and national peace and security on these pages, since the birth of this column - the main theme of my treatises, from which all the topics on these pages have been drawn. I am talking about Multi-Track Track Diplomacy, the most comprehensive approach to contemporary peace building. It my contribution to growing interests in this field, and an addition to already published works in this area of peace studies and practice. It became expedient in the face of growing concerns over the continued failures by stakeholders to find more effective solutions to the burgeoning challenges posed by violent conflicts to nations across the world,

• Barrack Obama, US President

• Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General

especially in the Third World. In the following lines, I briefly define Multi-Track Diplomacy and PeaceBuilding, and proceed to outline how each aspect of the former works in ensuring the success of the later.

Now, what is Multi-Track Diplomacy? Multi-Track Diplomacy is a multi-disciplinary view of peace building. It assumes that individuals and organizations are more effective working together than separately, and that ethnic and regional conflict situation involves a wide and intricate web of parties and factors that requires a systems approach. Each track in the system brings with its own perspective, approach, and resources, all of which must be called upon in the peace building process (Conflict Management Training Manual, 2001: Pg 48).

Peace Building on its path is an intervention initiative that is meant to bring about peace. It is one of the major categories of intervention – others are peacemaking and peace-keeping – apart from other initiatives that are projected towards providing humanitarian aid or emergency assistance, provide immediate means of survival for populations at risk, etc. peace-building does not focus on conflict behavior, but on the underlying structural, contextual and attitudinal causes of violent conflicts, such as unequal access to employment, hostility, fear, human right abuse, marginalization of certain groups, etc. It is low-profile work that can continue throughout the stages of a conflict. But it is more effective at the deescalating stages of conflicts or in the earlier stages before the conflict becomes open. The multi-Track Diplomacy spectrum, as treated in this discourse, is as it operates across all stages of the peace-building process.

The Multi-Track procedure is a nine-level (initially eight-level) response technique that explains the utilitarian values of collaboration in peace practice – the effectiveness of a coordinated approach to peace building. These nine-level multi-track analyses

include: Track 1, Government; track 2, Nongovernmental/Professional; track 3, Business; Track 4, Private Citizens; Track 5, Research; Track 6, Activism; Track 7, Religion; Track 8, Funding; Track 9, Media. We now move on to examine the functions of each track/approach and their relevance to the peace building process.

Track 1, Government, sets agenda for other tracks, due to the preeminent position it enjoys as the engine hub of a given political system. It involves the utilization of command functions and the deployment of political institutional capabilities to conflict and peace intervention and management. It entails the use of the state’s instruments of coercion in ensuring peaceful relations and stifling all likely threats to the peace. This approach is reliant on the use of force, and gives less room for creativity in conflict situations.

It is very rigid, but has the advantage of having resources that could be readily mobilized in response to crisis situations. The track consists of the security forces and other administrative apparatuses of the state.

The Non-governmental and Professional approach constitutes Track 2. This track covers inputs from individuals and groups working from outside state institutions – such as civil society groups or non-state actors, organized labour, faith-based groups, identitybased groups, issue-based groups, media and other critical stakeholders – local NGOs, peace practitioners acting as facilitators of the peace process. The flexibility of this track creates room for it to either complement government’s efforts in a particular area, or assume full responsibility for finding solutions to some critical issues that government is undecided about. Apart from the challenges of funding, unregulated conduct and lack of resources, this track offers a lot of resourcefulness, flexibility, and a relative degree of transparency.

(To be continued next week)

THE

NIGERIAN

19

This theorem helps us to find the = -1 + 2 - q - 6 remainder in a polynomials Collecting like terms, q division without having to perform = -5 Answer the division. In polymials (1), example 4, we saw how Example 3 cumbersome it was to divide 2x3 Find the remainmder when

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

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

Polynomials 3 - The Remainder Theorem

3x2 + 5x + 4 by x - 2 to get the remainder 18. To apply this theorem, simply equate. the divisor, in this case x - 2 to zero.

Find x. Next substitute for x in the polynomial and the result follows!

That is, x - 2 = 0 or x = 2. :- remainder

3x3 + 5x2 - 11x + 4 is divided by x 2b = 2 or b = 1 [i.e. equ (1) - equ (2)] + 3 (UME, 2004).

Substituting for b in equ---- (1) & Solution: (3): we get: Let Q(x) = 3x3 + 5x2 - 11x + 4 a + c = 0 ------ equ (4) and 8a + 2c = -3-----equ (5) Let x + 3 = 0 or x = -3 :- Remainder = Q(-3) = 3(-3)3 + (4) x 8: 8a + 8c = 0----- equ (6) 8a + 4 = 0 5(-3)2 ==(-3) + 4 2 = P(2) = 2(2)3 - 3(2) + 5(2) + 4 = 18 8a = -4 or a = -4/8 = -1/2 = -81 + 45 + 33 + 4 = 1Answer NOTE: Remark: You can verify this, Hence, required solution is: (1). If the division is by (x + a), using the long division method. a = -1/2, b = 1 and c = 1/2 then the remainder is P(-a). See the example abhove Example 4 Example 5 (2). If the division is by (ax + b), If (x - 1), (x + 1) and (x - 2) are When a polynomial is divided then the remainder is P(-b/a). For factors of the polynomial ax3 + by c + 2, the quotient is 3c - 3 and example dividing a polynomial by 2 + cx 1, find a, b, c, bx (3x + 2), the remainder = P(-2/3). the remainder is 5, find the respectively (UME, 2000).

(3). This theorem is most helpful, polynomial (P/Jamb, 1991) Solution: when Hint: To get a, b, and c, three Solution: We recall that generally, if P(x) equations need to be set, by APPLICATION EXAMPLES considering the value of x from = polynomial the respective factors. Thus, Q(x) = Quotient, D(x) = divisor Example 1 Let (x - 1) = 0 or x = 1 and R = Remainder Find the remainder when 3x3 - x2 Let (x + 1) = 0 or x = -1 then P(x) = Q(x)D(x) + R. + 2x + 6 is divided by x + 2.

P(x) = (3c - 3)(c + 2) + 5 Solution: Let x + 2 = 0 or x = -2 and Let (x - 2) = 0 or x = 2 values Expanding and collecting like :- Remainder = P(-2) = 3(-2)3 - (- Substituting the respective of x into P(x) = ax3 + bx2 + cx - 1, 2)2 + 2(-2) + 6 terms we get: = -24 - 4 -4 + 6 P(x) = 3c2 - 3c + 6c - 6 + 5 P(1) = a + b + c - 1 = -26 Answer 2 or P(x) = 3c + 3c - 1 Answer or a + b + c = 1-----equ (1)

P(-1) = -a + b - c - 1 Example 2 or -a + b - c = 1-----equ (2) If the function f(x) = x3 + 2x2 + qx - 6 is divisible by x + 1, find q. P(2) = 8a + 4b + 2c - 1 or 8a + 4b + 2c = 1-----equ (3) (UME, 1997).

Solution: From equs (1) and (2): Let x + 1 = 0 or x = -1 a+b+c=1 :- f(-1) = -13 + 2(-1)2 + q(-1) - 6 -a + b - c = 1

Drills (1). If x + 1 is a factor of x3 + 3x2 + Kx + 4, fdk.

Ans = 6 (2). For what value of K is x - 4 a factor of x3 + 3x2 - 5x + K? Ans = -87

THE

NIGERIAN

20

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Motoring

Driving Lesson: IT takes sometime to coordinate all the various tasks which are associated with moving a vehicle from rest. The tendency is for the fresh learner to forget one procedure or the other and then to suddenly remember it when it is almost too late.

The essential thing is to take the task in easy stage.

To start learning how to drive, a beginner in driving should know that driving is an artificial skill in a way, an agent of death.

In acquiring that skill therefore, he should be ready to minimize the risk involved by learning first and foremost, how to preserve lives, particularly on the road.

He should know the functions of both the hand and the foot brakes. He should know that both serve as rein for the vehicle in different ways. One (the brake pedal) is used when the vehicle is on motion and the (hand brake) is used to anchor the vehicle when it finally stops”.

Brake is one of the most important functionaries of a vehicle. And the risk of its unavailability in a vehicle is much more than that of the hand brake. The sources of power of the two brake are also different.

For Beginners

While the brake pedal is powered by the cylinder connected to the servo and made functional by brake fluid, the hand brake is simply powered by a cable called cables. But the function of each ends with the brake pad which grip the tyres and put a final stop to the movement of the vehicle. For a well experienced driver, however, a vehicle can be driven without a hand brake (although it is not advisable).

After the theoretical knowledge of the functions of the brake, a beginner should be taught the use of the three pedals under the feet of the driver.

The three pedals stand parallel and almost equidistantly to one another.

The first is to the left, the second is in the middle and the third is to the right. The one to the left is called the clutch pedal. Its functions is to facilitate the change ability of the gear. It has to be preserved before gear can be manipulated to put the vehicle on motion.

The middle pedal is the brake pedal with which the vehicle in motion is stopped.

This has been briefly described above. It is next to the accelerator pedal in

frequency of use especially in the cities where there are traffic jams.

The third pedal which is to the right is called the acceleration pedal. It is the pedal that a vehicle can be made to speed or slow down. But this pedal does not work in isolation. Its function is mostly dictated by the gear.

Except for the brake pedal which draws its power from master cylinder and serve the other pedals, powered by cable named after them (i.e clutch pedal and accelerator).

However not all vehicles• use the three pedals. There are some automatic vehicles (especially cars) which do not need two of those pedals (clutch and acceleration) to move around, but in all circumstances, all vehicles need brake pedal since technology has not produced a vehicle without brake.

After these, the new driver will seek to know the function of the steering. On enquiry, he will discover, that the round object called steering which is very close to the chest of the driver has a very significant role to play in the motion vehicle.

It is used to direct the

movement of the vehicle towards the destination of the driver. It directly controls the two front wheels of the vehicles which the two rear wheels automatically follow.

Steering can be automated or manual. It is said to be powered when it is automated. And that makes it easier and more convenient for the driver as powered steering, but it certainly has its own advantages. Besides, it’s easier to maintain manual steering serves as a means of exercise and it encourages concentration on driving. It is always better for a beginner in driving to start with manual vehicles.

Closely connected to the steering is the horn which is vehicle’s means of communication with other vehicles on the road especially to warn them.

There are other means of communication which will be discussed as we go ahead.

But it is important for a beginner to know that in almost all vehicles, especially cars, the horn is fixed to the steering and anytime there is need to communicate in motion, through the horn, the steering is to be contacted.

Usually, the convenience

“The three pedals stand parallel and almost equidistantly to one another. The first is to the left, the second is in the middle and the third is to the right. The one to the left is called the clutch pedal. Its functions is to facilitate the change ability of the gear. It has to be preserved before gear can be manipulated to put the vehicle on motion.”

of steering manipulation is determined by the sitting position of the driver. And that is why the correct positioning of the driver’s seat is very important for a learner.

From the seat, the driver views his rear through the inner mirror which is slightly above his head though the side mirrors fixed mostly to the two front doors, these mirrors assist the driver to monitor vehicles coming behind him.

Also closely related to the driver seat is the safety belt expected to be destined by the occupant.

These belts are there to protect both driver and his immediate passenger who are prone to high danger in case of accident. These belts will not only prevent them from being hauled out

08023412452 With OSAGIE AIFUWA

through the windscreen, they will also assist them to stabilize and absorb any shock arising from any accident.

REQUIREMENTS AS A LEARNER Letter “L” in front and back My vehicle is properly licensed.

My insurance is in order A licensed driver is by side when driving My learner’s permit is not out of date No passenger at all.

Auto Tip Safety Checks DAILY CHECKS I) Check tyres’ condition and pressure. ii) Check door locks and windows winder. iii) Check engine oil level and condition. iv) Check radiator water level and its condition. v) Check fan belts tension and condition. vi) Check brake oil level. vii) Inspect battery connection. viii) Check power steering and automatic transmission oil level (if fitted). ix) Check wiper and windscreen washer water lever. x) Check hand break and foot brake operation. xi)Clean interior and exterior of the car or bus.

WEEKLY CHECKS i) Carry out aft daily check and: ii) Check/inspect engine for oil or water leakage. iii) Check battery water level and general condition. iv) Check spare tyres, tools and lifting hack. v) Check steering free-play. vi) Check brake performance. vii) Check fire extinguisher, “C” caution signs and vehicle particulars. viii) Check electrical system and accessories. ix) Wash underneath the vehicle every two weeks.

Especially during the rainy season.

MONTHLY (i) carry out comprehensive daily and weekly checks and effects necessary clean up. (ii) Check speedometer reading and compare, with regulars next service label figure and sure reign maintenance service. (iii) Secure all tools and equipment in the respective positions. (iv) Inter-change the tyres in the order specified in the owners handbook. (v) Prepare and send the vehicle condition report to the owner or officers in charge of the fleets.

If all these checks are carried out as specified the vehicle be in good condition always free from breakdown, unnecessary in the repair workshop and prolonged service life.

THE

NIGERIAN

21

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Issues Combating Corruption

Challenge Before Nigerians

By SOLOMON ASOWATA/ADEROGBA GEORGE, ECONOMISTS rate corruption as one of the factors that impede the accelerated socio-economic transformation of developing countries such as Nigeria.

The government’s perception that the country’s wealth has withered with little to show in living conditions of the average human being, has informed its determination to fight corruption through various weapons.

According to observers, the slow pace of court process in the attainment of judgment is giving the accused the opportunity to view offences bordering on corrupt practices as insignificant.

The observers say that even with good instruments for fighting the vice, there are various impediments to total elimination of corruption in the country.

On April 17, 2012, a Crown Court in London sentenced a former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, to 13 years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to corruption and money laundering.

However, the same Ibori had on December 18, 2009, been discharged of a 170count charge by Justice Marcel Awokulehin of a Federal High Court sitting in Asaba.

The former governor was convicted by the UK court on the strength of the same criminal charges which were dismissed by the Nigerian court.

Thus, Ibori’s conviction and subsequent sentencing by the London court was an indictment on Nigeria’s judiciary.

As the third tier of government and often referred to as the last hope of the common man, the judiciary is supposed to guarantee equal access to justice and equity for all citizens.

It should ensure that the rights of citizens are adequately accommodated, and judgments handed down without fear or favour, but in accordance with the law.

The global corruption watchdog, Transparency International, in its 2012 corruption perception index, ranked Nigeria as the 35th most corrupt country in the world.

Analysts believe that this is the time for the judiciary to rise to tackle corruption headlong through adequate interpretation of the law.

They are of the opinion that the rule of law must be upheld strongly and the judiciary impartial, before Nigeria will win the fight against corruption.

According to the immediate-past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, when the rule of law is weak, corruption will remain a nagging problem.

“Corruption in the justice sector is a keystone to corruption throughout society.

“Without an honest criminal justice system, the wealthy, especially the corrupt, can escape the consequences of their crimes.

“Such impunity reduces the perceived cost of corruption.

“The gains from corruption are, therefore, not discounted and there is, thus, little reason beyond personal integrity not to engage in corrupt acts, the chief justice says.

He believes that independence of the judiciary is a sine qua non to achieving an effective justice system.

Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) also believes the judiciary must purge itself of all forms of corruption and discharge its duties without fear or favour.

He says: “The court which is a final arbiter in our criminal justice system, must be well-positioned and prepared both intellectually and otherwise to handle the great challenge posed by the ever-changing dynamics in the face of corruption’’.

A professor of Law, Itse Sagay (SAN), blames thriving corruption in Nigeria on lack of political will to prosecute high-profile corruption cases.

He is convinced that

corruption has permeated every sector of the Nigerian economy.

He expresses regrets that even arraigned suspected corrupt persons file frivolous applications to delay their trials.

“The problems associated

“Commenting, a human rights activist and lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, says lawyers, especially those in the inner bar, have a share of blame for the thriving corruption.”

Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), the supposed leaders of the legal profession.

“Legal practitioners must rise up to challenge their actions because they are ruining the legal system.

“It is only when you deprive them of their resources that you will be able to force them to stand trial,’’ Lamorde says.

Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, Executive Director, Socio-

Ibrahim Lamorde, EFCC Boss.

Mohammed Abubakar , IGP.

with interlocutory applications have become a major source of concern in this country.

“Indeed, we are currently faced with a grave crisis in our justice delivery system because of this cheap vehicle for adjourning justice permanently,” he says.

Commenting, a human rights activist and lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, says lawyers, especially those in the inner bar, have a share of blame for the thriving corruption.

He alleges that these lawyers manipulate the criminal justice system to protect their high-profile clients from conviction.

“All those cases that have brought the judiciary to shame have been handled by

says ethnicity and tribal sentiments are some of the impediments to fighting corruption.

“This is evident in a situation where people from the same ethnicity find it

They are exposing Nigeria to ridicule,’’ he remarks.

Mr Akpan Udofia, an Abuja-based human rights layer, claims the war against corruption is ineffective because the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have not done enough in the areas of investigating financial crimes and prosecution of offenders.

According to him, for effective fight against corruption, political offices holders at all levels, especially the governors, must be held accountable for all allocations collected for their respective states.

Mr Kuyik Usoro, a lawyer,

“According to him, another concern is in the area where the judiciary gets direct funds from the executive, noting that such may affect the independence of the judiciary.”

difficult to prosecute his fellow man in the law court,’’ he notes.

According to him, another concern is in the area where the judiciary gets direct funds from the executive, noting that such may affect the independence of the judiciary.

Mr Dambisa Moyo, an economist, calls for proactive measures at checking the excesses of some public officials who have the penchant to compromise.

It is in the light of this that Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, the Chairman of EFCC, highlights the commission’s constraints to score high at prosecuting high-profile cases, noting that the ‘plea bargain’ is a setback for the commission.

He blames the overwhelming wealth of suspects as well as the alleged compromise of the judiciary for the commission’s failure in securing convictions in high-profile cases.

“The commission has been able to establish a very strong assets forfeiture unit to recover and confiscate the assets of individuals that were involved in corruption.

Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), urges the judiciary to use the opportunity of the ongoing trials of some high profile individuals for alleged complicity in fuel subsidy fraud to redeem its image.

“It is not enough to bring these people to court. The EFCC must ensure that these cases are prosecuted and concluded in a timely manner,” he advises.

In evolving a virile process of eliminating corrupt practices in the country, analysts believe that the antigraft agencies should be autonomous in their functions.

They also suggest the establishment of independent special courts which will be free from interference of other arms of government.

Analysts are also convinced that a bold, courageous, impartial and independent judiciary will help Nigeria to win the battle against corruption and put the country on the path of greatness.

Most of all, every Nigerian must be involved in the fight, they add.

Courtesy:

NAN

THE

NIGERIAN

22

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Encounter

THE truth is that all of us attain the greatest success and happiness possible in this life whenever we use our native capacities to their greatest extent – Dr Smiley Banton.

THE first attraction was his cosy but highly academic office setting. It was not the ‘normal’ setting of a police officer’s office, even that of the rank of the AIG. This one was typical of a member of an elitist academic background, what with volumes of books lined up on both sides of the giant office desk.

What would a police officer, even the rank of an AIG, be doing with these voluminous books, the curious reporters thought in unison, and one of them poked at him.

“Sir, are you a teacher?”

He smiled and gave the reporters an over view of his sojourn in the knowledge impart world, from being a National Certificate of Education (NCE) holder to attaining the Bachelor in Education qualification.

Having spoken, flawlessly and without meaning to impress anyone, his rating and the perception of him in the eyes of the reporters changed dramatically!

Beyond being regarded as an academic, he flourished in the reporters’ minds’ eye as an intellectual of no mean standing, a communicator par excellence and a wordsmith extra ordinaire!

The 16th AIG, Zone 5 Police Headquarters, Benin, AIG Salihu Argungu, mni is, indeed, a scholar!.

“Perception and reality are two different issues”, he said “your perception is

abstract, intangible, a mirage”.

Surely, the reporters thought, their perception of him was not intangible, nor a mirage! This man was a substance, a tangible figurine of no mean repute!.

If they thought they had known him enough, the reporters were mistaken, infact, the revelations that followed were as shocking as they were benumbing!.

And they came to the pen pushers in piecemeal.

“I went on to read law…”

The breaking news! The reporters had their mouth agape, trying hard to hold back the scream that desperately wanted to escape their palates. They saw right there, another quality, the polished airs of a statesman with a modest background. He was humble, yet he had all that would necessarily make the everyday mortal to be haughty and gagged with pride. Why didn’t he just say “I am a lawyer” like is heard on the walkway everyday?

Humility wouldn’t let him, not just humility, but his personal, almost lack-lustre regard for mundane accouterments.

He went on, after the reporters had survived the shock, to tell them how he went on to read law after his bachelor’s degree because someone threw a challenge in the air and he caught it!.

Other Side Of A Fine Police Officer Argungu:

Did he just go to read law?

No! He was called to the bar and you would think that would rest the matter. No way! AIG Salihu Argungu, mni, 16th AIG of the Zone 5 Police Headquarters proved his mettle as a resilient being and went ahead to read the Masters in law and the thesis was right there in the office to prove it!.

Now, with the whole transformation initiatives

By IJEOMA UMEH

new agenda for policing the nation through men and machinery who are equally imbued with the needed

has also been using the period of his service to nearly perfect officers and men under his command.

“Did he just go to read law? No! He was called to the bar and you would think that would rest the matter. No way! AIG Salihu Argungu, mni, 16th AIG of the Zone 5 Police Headquarters proved his mettle as a resilient being and went ahead to read the Masters in law and the thesis was right there in the office to prove it!.”

Mohammed Abubakar, Police IG

being orchestrated at the top echelon of the Nigeria Police Force by the IGP, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, mni, who on assumption of office vowed to reinvigorate the entire Police Force, create a whole

us to develop ourselves. He would tell us that first Degree is now synonymous to ‘pure water’ and that we should be desirous and actually be determined to

capacity to sail the agenda, it is therefore clear, that AIG Argungu is a right peg in the right hole.

Is AIG Argungu resting on his oars after almost nearly perfecting his personality as a fine officer? Not at all! He

Some of his personnel, under the condition of anonymity, told the reporters that he has been the brain behind their quest for personal and professional development.

“He continues to challenge

improve ourselves, academically and career wise. He continues to sound it in our ears that we shouldn’t be satisfied with the statuesquo and he provides the opportunity for us to improve ourselves through training and retraining of officers and men”.

An Officer stated.

With the state of in security in the nation and all efforts geared towards eradicating crime and criminality in the society by various security agents, there is no doubt that with the crop of officers in the same category of AIG Salihu Argungu, the Nigeria Police Force, a major agent in crime control and security, would be said to be on the onward march to delivering quality, effective and adequate policing to Nigeria as a nation which is almost on the brink of total breakdown in social order.

“He continues to challenge us to develop ourselves. He would tell us that first Degree is now synonymous with ‘pure water’ and that we should be desirous and actually be determined to improve ourselves, academically and career wise. He continue to sound it in our ears that we shouldn’t be satisfied with the statuesque and he provides the opportunity for us to improve ourselves through training and retraining of officers and men”.

THE

NIGERIAN

23

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013 With REV. DR. A. A. OPARA

Religion Questions And Answers On Prophecy What should a Prophet of God Prophesy?

HE should prophesy what God says no matter the message, for it is from God; in as much as God has opened his mouth. The Prophet Amos said, “? The Lord God has spoken who can but prophesy?” Amos 3:8. When prophet Micaiah was requested by the servant of the king to prophesy to please the king like other prophets had done, he replied: “As the Lord lives, what God says, that I will speak”. 2 Chi. 18:13. A prophet should be bold to speak what the Lord says.

13. Should a Prophet be Afraid?

I like to talk on this issue clearly. Prophets are human beings and therefore they exhibit human traits especially when the spirit is not fully resting on them. Otherwise how would you explain the situation of Prophet Elijah running from Jezebel for his dear life?(1 Kings. 19: 1 -3). Notice that Elijah was not afraid of death for he asked God to even take his life (1 Kings. 19:4), what he was probably a voiding was an ignominious death in the hands of a ‘mean woman like Jezebel. What do you say of Prophet Jonah who was asked to go to the Land of Nineveh to prophesy but he was fleeing instead for his dear life. (Jonah 1:1-3). He was simply exhibiting a human weakness. There are prophets in the Bible who had allowed their human weaknesses to distort their mission. But how can you match their actions with the boldness of Prophet Jeremiah who even at the face of death prophesied the word of God (Jer. 11:18-23) or the Prophet Micaiah who stood before King Ahab to denounce him and he was arrested (1 Kings 22:26-28) or Prophet Daniel who refused to worship a human image - the king himself (Dan. 6:12) and was cast into the den of Lions. Dan. 6:1 6. it’s obvious from these numerous examples that a prophet ought to be bold to speak the message of God once directed. The Bible says, “God did not give us the spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control”. 2 Tim 1:7. You see, when you the prophet speaks do so with power and love and self-control. It is indeed good for a prophet to be zealous for the Lord (Ps. 69:9) but the zeal should be enlightened. The Bible talks about zeal without knowledge.

Apostle Paul calls it “Zeal for God” which is not enlightened (Roms. 10:2). The Prophet Hosea prophesied: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Hosea 4:6. Thus for a prophet it is important he works as directed by the Lord.

Prophets of God exhibit different behavioural patterns as the Lord wills. While Elijah stood before Ahab and condemned him over his acquisition of the vineyard of Naboth in very strong terms, 1 Kings 21:17-24; Nathan the Prophet used a more subtle approach - ‘a parable’, to prophesy to King David over his adultery with Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 12:1-15. Samuel the Prophet, when he was requested to go and anoint David in the stead of Saul who had already been rejected as King by God; Samuel feared that Saul would kill him 1 Sam. 16:2. But God then instructed him “Take a heifer with you say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord’. And invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me whom I name to you”. I Sam. 16:3. You see Samuel did not just march to the spot. God led him to adopt a more reasonable way.

So when God gives a prophet a message he (the prophet)

should wait upon the Lord to direct him as to how to deliver the message; so that he would be doing the will of God. In all, a prophet of God should not be afraid to deliver God’s message no matter how hard if God has sent him. He must obey. This is the admonition of the Lord: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves do not fear those who kit/the body but cannot kill the soul,’ rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in he/I.” Matt. 10:28 (further reading: Jer. 26:10-16; 20-24. These verses show some contrasts).

14. Who are the False Prophets the Bible talks about: It is indeed pertinent to understand who these false prophets are. Jesus our Lord warned: “Many false prophets

the Sabbath days (Col. 2:2: 16): those insisting on human precepts and doctrines: “Why do you submit to regulations?

‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch’ (referring to things which all perish as they are used) according to human precepts and doctrines (Col 2 21), those who insist on the severity of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:23) those who preach different doctrines from the doctrines of Christ and teaching controversies. “Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies.’ 2 Tim. 2:23 “If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed for I did not receive it from man nor was I taught it, but came through the revelation of Christ. Gal.1:9 12.

will arise and lead many astray.” Matt. 24:11. Let us see the following groups of false prophets. (i) False Teachers or Heretics: Heresy has been described as one of the signs of the last days. “In the last days there will come times of stress.

For men will be lovers of self ... holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.” 2 Tim. 3: 1-5. False teachers or heretics include vain talkers and deceivers (Titus 1 10). “Those who subvert whole house teaching things which they ought not.” (Titus 1:14) who prescribe their own philosophies - the commandments of men Those who go about insisting on their own philosophy and their, own tradition instead of God’s (Col. 2:8); those who go about judging others on what to eat or drink. criticizing other Christians in respect of any festival or of

“See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition ... and not according to Christ.” Col. 2:8 “I appeal to you brethren to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught, avoid them.” Roms 16:17 “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings.” Heb. 13:9.

“No longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. Eph. 4:14 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” Eph. 5:5.

It is thus very clear who the false teachers are in the midst of believers, some of them are church leaders, church founders, pastors, evangelists, even apostles and Reverends or could just be the lay Christian next door. But watch carefully that you do not be a victim of such and lose the glory of God. About heretics or false teachers the Bible says clearly: “they are accursed (Gal. 1:8), do not associate with them for they are self-condemned, Titus 3:10; shut their mouth or silence them when they come to you. Titus 1:11. Do not even associate with them Eph. 5:7; 2 Tim. 3:5, 2:23. Finally the Bible warns you the believers: “THE FAITH THAT YOU HAVE KEEP BETWEEN YOURSELF AND GOD.” Roms. 14:22

“It is thus very clear who the false teachers are in the midst of believers, some of them are church leaders, church founders, pastors, evangelists, even apostles and Reverends or could just be the lay Christian next door. But watch carefully that you do not be a victim of such and lose the glory of God.”

THE

NIGERIAN

24

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Tribute

International Mudslide In Western China Buries Dozens Of People northern China, including the capital, Beijing.

There was no immediate word on the chances of survival for the 30 to 40 people buried in the landslide in the city of Dujiangyan in Sichuan province, but rescue workers with search dogs rushed to the area, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Mudslides and flooding are common in China’s mountainous areas, killing hundreds of people every year.

Deforestation has led to soil erosion and made some parts of China prone to mudslides after strong rains.

In nearby Beichuan county, flooding destroyed buildings and destroyed exhibits at a memorial for the earthquake five years ago that left 90,000 people dead or missing. The quake left the Beichuan county seat unlivable. The town was abandoned and 27 square kilometers (10 square miles) of ruins were turned into a memorial and museum.

The flooding also caused the collapse of an almost 50-yearold bridge in a neighboring county, sending six vehicles into the raging waters and leaving 12 people missing.

Since Sunday, flooding in

MOSCOW - A month after the US joined France and Britain in accusing the Syrian government of using sarin gas weapons on its own people, Russian officials have also concluded that sarin was used in Syria – but by the Westernbacked rebels.

Deutsche Welle reports that on Tuesday Russian envoy to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin gave UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Russia’s 80-page report, which he said “established” that rebel forces fired a sarin-loaded rocket at Khan al-Assal, a suburb of the battleground city of Aleppo, on March 19.

Russian investigators at a laboratory certified by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said the rocket – known as a Basha’ir-3 – was not a military-standard chemical weapon, and “Therefore, there is every reason to believe that it was armed opposition fighters who used the chemical weapons in Khan al-Assal,” said Mr. Churkin.

The Associated Press writes that Churkin said the Basha’ir3 rocket is a product of “the socalled ‘Basha’ir al-Nasr ’ brigade affiliated with the Free Syrian Army,” with production starting in February. He continued that the sarin

appeared to be made recently as well.

Churkin said the results indicate [the sarin-loaded rocket] “was not industrially manufactured and was filled with sarin.” He said the samples indicated the sarin and the projectile were produced in makeshift “cottage industry” conditions, and the projectile “is not a standard one for chemical use.”

The absence of chemical stabilizers, which are needed for long-term storage and later use, indicated its “possibly recent production,” said Churkin.

UN spokesman Martin Mesirky said that the Russian report would be “studied,” adds Deutsche Welle.

The March 19 attack on Khan al-Assal left at least 27 people dead and dozen injured, reports BBC News, and both Britain and France told the UN in late March that evidence and witnesses suggested that chemical weapons were used on the site. However, both nations and the US last month pointed the finger at the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

Both the US and Britain expressed doubt about the Russian findings, the BBC adds.

Following Mr Churkin’s announcement, a UK government spokesman told the BBC: “We will examine

whatever is presented to us, but to date we have seen no credible reporting of chemical weapons use by the Syrian opposition, or that the opposition have obtained chemical weapons.”

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US had also “yet to see any evidence that backs up the assertion that anybody besides the Syrian government has the ability to use chemical weapons, [or] has used chemical weapons”.

“Our ability as an international community to investigate the use of chemical weapons in Syria is hampered

by Assad’s refusal to allow a United Nations investigation.”

That Syrian rebels made their own sarin gas, as implied by the Russian report, is not beyond possibility, however. Multiple articles on the Internet describe the process as not difficult, including this November 2001 story by Scientific American which says there are several “well-known” recipes for the gas. Still, the process is highly dangerous – in a 1995 article concerning that year’s sarin gas attack on a Japanese subway, chemical weapons expert Gregory Jones told the Boston Globe that “It’s not so hard to manufacture sarin. It’s hard to stay alive while making it,” as even a single drop of the substance is lethal.

MOSCOW - NSA leaker Edward Snowden accepted Venezuela’s offer of political asylum, according to a posting Tuesday on the Twitter account of a Russian lawmaker with close ties to the Kremlin. However, the tweet disappeared a few minutes later.

It was not possible to immediately reach Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee who has acted as an unofficial point-

man for the Kremlin on the Snowden affair.

Snowden, who revealed details of a U.S. intelligence program to monitor Internet activity, came to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on June 23 and was believed to be headed for Cuba. But he did not board that flight and has not seen publicly since. He is widely believed to still be in the airport’s transit zone.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said

Saturday his country hadn’t yet been in contact with Snowden, who has been unable to travel further because the U.S. annulled his passport.

For Snowden to leave for South America, he would need for Venezuela to issue him travel documents and he would need to find a way to get there. The only direct commercial flight from Moscow goes to Havana, Cuba.

BEIJING - Flooding in western China, the worst in 50 years for some areas, triggered a landslide that buried up to 40 people yesterday and destroyed a high-profile memorial to a devastating 2008 earthquake.

Meanwhile, to the northeast, at least 12 workers were killed when a violent rainstorm caused the collapse of an unfinished coal mine workshop they were building, said a statement from the city government of Jinzhong, where the accident occurred. The accident Tuesday night came amid heavy rain and high winds across a swath of

Russian Report Says Sarin Used In Syria By Rebels

Ewesor Francis: An Excellent Gentleman With Enviable Reputation THE achievements recorded in the life of any man is the testimony of his stewardship while on earth and this is also predicated on hardwork, commitment and sheer determination to succeed in life.

This is why the desire of any man in life is to break even in whatever capacity or Endeavour he finds himself and this explains why some persons have made their marks in various human endeavours.

One of such men is Pa Ewesor Ankuri Francis, an accomplished gentleman who hails from a humble background from IkpeJattu in Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State. He is married to Mrs. Mary Ochuwa Ivbalualobe Ewesor Ankuri, nee Igbafe of blessed memory who slept in the Lord on the 3rd of April, 2010.

Pa Ewesor Ankuri Francis, an illustrious son from Afenmai land has been involved in a lot of activities which had imparted positively on the lives of his people and indeed the people of Edo State. Baptized in 1956, Ewesor Francis, a Catholic was born in 1934 in Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Although he had no formal educational background, Pa Ankuri Francis, having realized the importance of

education in the life of a man decided to acquire adult education apparently to cover the gap that was lost during his early days in life.

The challenges faced by Pa Ankuri Francis also compelled him to travel to Ibadan where he learnt so much about life including his adult education.

“This is why the desire of any man in life is to break even in whatever capacity or Endeavour he finds himself and this explains why some persons have made their marks in various human endeavours.”

Pa Ewesor Ankuri Francis, a God fearing community leader belongs to Eghiesei age-group in Jattu-Uzairue in Etsako West.

His community fought and won several wars to be where they are today with the divine assistance of Efua-Shrine which the community still serves till date.

Pa Ankuri is a great man

Snowden Accepts Venezuelan Offer The Moscow-Havana flight goes over Europe and the U.S., which could cause complications.

Some European countries refused to allow Bolivian President Evo Morales to fly through their airspace on his way home from Moscow last week because of suspicions that Snowden was on his plane.

The presidents of Bolivia and Nicaragua also said over the weekend that Snowden was welcome in their countries.

who believe seriously in the culture and activities of age-grades, the traditional setting and administration of Ikpe-Jattu and a host of others.

His children, Engr. Peter Ogetomhegbe Ewesor and Mrs. Victoria Odugwime described their father as caring and loving, adding that they have benefitted

Mr. Ewesor Francis

from his wealth of experience and wisdom over the years.

A retired army officer who is a member of his age-group Daniel Momoh and Hon. Lucky Idode also spoke of the man, Pa Francis Ankuri Ewesor and of course, the Chief priest of Efua shrine, Cletus Jimmy popularly known as Papa hinted that Efua is still very much active.

THE

NIGERIAN

25

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

International

Compiled By ESE AMADASUN

Syrian Rebels Disperse Food Protest Information Office, DAMASCUS - Syrian With Gunfire showed men at the protest

In This Photo Provided By Queensland Police, Staff Members Hold A Large Python Caught While Slithering Amongst Clothes In A Charity Store, In Ingham, Queensland, Australia.

rebels fired into the air to disperse a protest by civilians in a rebel-held district of Aleppo against a blockade preventing food and medicine reaching government-held areas of the northern city of Aleppo, residents said yesterday.

Rebel fighters have stopped supplies entering western Aleppo for weeks.

The tactic is aimed at weakening the supply routes of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces but thousands of civilians are now left hungry, residents say.

Video footage posted on the Internet on Tuesday showed dozens of civilians in the rebel-held neighborhood of Bustan alQasr protesting at a rebel checkpoint which prevents supplies from entering the western part of the city, home to 2 million people and held by the army.

Although insurgents and the army control different parts of the country, civilians are normally allowed to cross freely to shop or meet family members and friends.

The footage, posted by the opposition Bustan al-Qasr

PUBLIC NOTICE

JESUS CHAMBERS OF DELIVERANCE MINISTRY

Supporters Of Ousted Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi Protest As Army Soldiers Guard At The Republican Guard Building In Nasr City, In Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. After Days Of Deadlock, Egypt’s Military-Backed Interim President Named A Veteran Economist As Prime Minister On Tuesday And Appointed Pro-Democracy Leader Mohamed Eibaradei As A Vice President, While The Army Showed Its Strong Hand In Shepherding The Process, Warning Political Factions Against “Maneuvering” That Impedes The Transition

19-Foot Python Breaks Into Australian Charity

CAIRNS, Australia Australian police were mystified by a chaotic crime scene including a hole in the ceiling and a smelly pool of vomit-like liquid — until they found the culprit was a 5.7meter (19-foot) python.

The massive snake weighing in at 17 kilograms (37 pounds) was captured a day after a suspected burglary was reported at a charity store in Queensland in northeastern Australia.

“Its head was the size of a small dog,” Police Sgt. Don Auld said yesterday.

Before they found the python, investigators’ working theory was that a human burglar with an appetite for destruction — and a serious illness — had gone on a rampage inside the St. Vincent de Paul store in the small town of Ingham.

“We thought a person had fallen through the ceiling because the roof panel was cut in half,” Auld said. “When they’ve hit the floor, they’ve vomited and then staggered and fallen over. That’s what we thought anyway.”

Police now suspect the python

entered the store through the roof, which was damaged in a cyclone two years ago.

The animal then plummeted through the ceiling, knocking over dishes, clothes and other items, before relieving itself on the floor. It somehow managed to hide from officials until staff spotted it lying alongside a wall the next day.

A local snake catcher was called in to capture the reptile, which has been relocated to nearby wetlands.

Boston Bombing Suspect Heads To 1st Public Court Tsarnaev’s arrest stunned those Hearing BOSTON — Survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing will watch as the young man who could face the death penalty for the attack appears in court for the first time since he was found bleeding and hiding in a boat in a suburb days after the April 15 explosion.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s arraignment was scheduled for yesterday afternoon in federal court in Boston. He has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction in the bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 260.

The courthouse is expected to be jammed for 19-year-old Tsarnaev’s appearance. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office said space is being reserved in the main courtroom for victims’ families,

but she wouldn’t indicate how many planned to attend. Court officials have set aside an overflow courtroom to broadcast the hearing for the media.

Tsarnaev has yet to appear publicly since his April 19 arrest.

His initial court appearance took place at a hospital, where he was recovering from injuries suffered in a shootout with police the day before in the Boston suburb of Watertown.

Authorities say he had escaped in a hijacked car after running over his brother and alleged coconspirator, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died following the shootout with police. But he was found the next day after a lockdown in Watertown was lifted and a local homeowner noticed blood on the dry-docked boat.

who knew him as a likable high school athlete in Cambridge, where he lived with his older brother after his parents left for Russia.

His parents were in Makhachkala, in the southern Russian province of Dagestan, on Wednesday. His mother declined to comment.

Prosecutors say Tsarnaev, a Muslim, wrote about his motivations for the bombing on the inside walls and beams of the boat where he was hiding.

He wrote the U.S. government was “killing our innocent civilians.”

“I don’t like killing innocent people,” he said, but also wrote: “I can’t stand to see such evil go unpunished. ... We Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all.”

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No.1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1. Pastor Success Adologie - Trustee 2. Deacon Patrick Uyi Igbineweka - Secretary/Trustee 3. Deacon Solomon Okoro - Trustee 4. Pastor G. Eriamiatoe - Trustee 5. Deacon Friday Ekhator - Trustee AIM AND OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. To teach the undiluted word of God in its fullness 3. To set mankind free from every bondage of the Devil.

Any objection to the registration should be directed to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Maitama District, P. M. B. 198 Garki, Abuja, within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: TRUSTEES CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

AGANMWONYI – I, formerly Miss A g a n m w o n y i Osarumen Faith now Mrs. Aimuan Osarumen Faith. All former documents remain valid. General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.

ALIU – I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aliu Aminat Kadijat now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Peter Omozen Blessing. All former documents remain valid. General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

MMADU – I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Peace Mmadu now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Peace Mmadu Oyinbo. All former documents remain valid. General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.

AGUARIVE – I, formerly Miss Tina Aguarive now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Tina Ukato. All former documents remain valid. General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

MOMOH – I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Jeminatu Glory Momoh now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Jeminatu Momoh Bruchner. All former documents remain valid.

General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.

UDIE – I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Elizabeth Ukonyema Udie now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Elizabeth Ukonyema Eric Onyenobodoe. All former documents remain valid.

General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.

chanting, “the people want an end to the blockade.” A rebel fighter brandishes a pistol and then a gunshot is heard as the video ends.

An opposition activist group called the Aleppo Martyrs said rebels fired at the protesters, killing one person and wounding several others. But a resident at the protest said the man was killed prior to the protest by army sniper fire as he tried the cross between rebel and government-held territory.

Reuters was not able to confirm the report due to media and security restrictions in Syria.

More than 100,000 people have died in Syria’s two-year conflict. It started because Assad’s force fired live ammunition against pro-democracy protests, leading to an armed revolt.

Rebels who now control many parts of the country are blamed for similar abuses by rights groups, including torture and harsh punishments imposed by religious courts.

A sign displayed by rebels at the Bustan al-Qasr checkpoint reads: “Food, medicine, oil, babies’ products, milk, vegetables, meat, bread: completely forbidden (from crossing).”

Residents in western Aleppo say food prices have jumped to more than ten times their original level and basics such as bread and flour have become harder to find.

Civilians say they are stockpiling food, such as bulgur wheat and rice, which are still regularly available. They say some perishable vegetables are still being sold in markets.

CHANGE OF NAME

ODIASE – I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Bridget Amen Odiase now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Bridget Amen Odiase Deng. All former documents remain valid.

General public and all concerned authorities should please take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

I, Braimoh Nefisa wish to bring for the information of the general public that I am the same person as Braimon Nefisa as appeared in my NECO Certificate. And that the name Braimoh was spelt in error as Braimon. It should be known therefore that I am properly known and called Braimoh Nefisa. All former documents remain valid.

All concerned authorities and NECO should please take note.

THE

NIGERIAN

26

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

International Features “mutually agreed” upon with the government.

From there, phone companies developed detailed fee schedules and began billing law enforcement much as they do customers. In its letter to Markey, AT&T estimated that it collected $24 million in government reimbursements between 2007 and 2011.

Verizon, which had the highest fees but says it doesn’t charge in every case, reported a similar amount, collecting between $3 million and $5 million a year during the same period.

Companies also began to automate their systems to make it easier. The ACLU’s Soghoian found in 2009 that Sprint had created a website allowing law enforcement to track the location data of its wireless customers for only $30 a month to accommodate the approximately 8 million requests it received in one year.

Most companies agree not to charge in emergency cases like tracking an abducted child.

They aren’t allowed to charge for phone logs that reveal who called a line and how long they

The Price Of Surveillance

Govt Pays To Snoop

HOW much are your private conversations worth to the government? Turns out, it can be a lot, depending on the technology.

In the era of intense government surveillance and secret court orders, a murky multimillion-dollar market has emerged. Paid for by U.S. tax dollars, but with little public scrutiny, surveillance fees charged in secret by technology and phone companies can vary wildly.

AT&T, for example, imposes a $325 “activation fee” for each wiretap and $10 a day to maintain it. Smaller carriers Cricket and U.S. Cellular charge only about $250 per wiretap. But snoop on a Verizon customer? That costs the government $775 for the first month and $500 each month after that, according to industry disclosures made last year to Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.

Meanwhile, email records like those amassed by the National Security Agency through a program revealed by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden probably were collected for free or very cheaply. Facebook says it doesn’t charge the government for access. And while Microsoft, Yahoo and Google won’t say how much they charge, the American Civil

Liberties Union found that email records can be turned over for as little as $25.

Industry says it doesn’t profit from the hundreds of thousands of government eavesdropping requests it receives each year, and civil liberties groups want businesses to charge. They worry that government surveillance will become too cheap as companies automate their responses. And if companies gave away customer records for free, wouldn’t that encourage uncalled-for surveillance?

But privacy advocates also want companies to be upfront about what they charge and alert customers after an investigation has concluded that their communications were monitored.

“What we don’t want is surveillance to become a profit center,” said Christopher Soghoian, the ACLU’s principal technologist. But “it’s always better to charge $1. It creates friction, and it creates transparency” because it generates a paper trail that can be tracked.

Regardless of price, the surveillance business is growing. The U.S. government long has enjoyed access to phone networks and high-speed Internet traffic under the U.S. Communications Assistance for

Law Enforcement Act to catch suspected criminals and terrorists. More recently, the FBI has pushed technology companies like Google and Skype to guarantee access to real-time communications on their services. And, as shown by recent disclosures about the NSA’s surveillance practices, the U.S. intelligence community has an intense interest in analyzing data and content that flow through American technology companies to gather foreign intelligence.

The FBI said it could not say how much it spends on industry reimbursements because payments are made through a variety of programs, field offices and case funds. In an emailed statement, the agency said when charges are questionable, it requests an explanation and tries to work with the carrier to understand its cost structure.

Technology companies have been a focus of law enforcement and the intelligence community since 1994, when Congress allotted $500 million to reimburse phone companies to retrofit their equipment to accommodate wiretaps on the new digital networks.

But as the number of law

enforcement requests for data grew and carriers upgraded their technology, the cost of accommodating government surveillance requests increased.

AT&T, for example, said it devotes roughly 100 employees to review each request and hand over data. Likewise, Verizon said its team of 70 employees works around the clock, seven days a week to handle the quarter-million requests it gets each year.

To discourage gratuitous requests and to prevent losing money, industry turned to a section of federal law that allows companies to be reimbursed for the cost of “searching for, assembling, reproducing and otherwise providing” communications content or records on behalf of the government. The costs must be “reasonably necessary” and

talked — such as the documents the Justice Department obtained about phones at The Associated Press during a leaks investigation — because that information is easily generated from automated billing systems.

Still, the fees can add up quickly. The average wiretap is estimated to cost $50,000, a figure that includes reimbursements as well as other operational costs. One narcotics case in New York in 2011 cost the government $2.9 million alone.

The system is not a true market-based solution, said Al Gidari, a partner at the law firm Perkins Coie who represents technology and telecommunications companies on privacy and security issues.

If the FBI or NSA needs data, those agencies would pay whatever it takes. But Gidari said it’s likely that phone and technology companies undercharge because they don’t want to risk being accused of making a false claim against the government, which carries stiff penalties.

Online companies in particular tend to undercharge because they don’t have established accounting systems, and hiring staff to track costs is more expensive than not charging the government at all, he said.

“Government doesn’t have the manpower to wade through irrelevant material any more than providers have the bandwidth to bury them in records,” Gidari said. “In reality, there is a pretty good equilibrium and balance, with the exception of phone records,” which are free.

Not everyone agrees.

In 2009, then-New York criminal prosecutor John Prather sued several major telecommunications carriers in federal court in Northern California in 2009, including AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, for overcharging federal and state police agencies. In his complaint, Prather said phone companies have the technical ability to turn on a switch, duplicate call information and pass it along to law enforcement with little effort.

Instead, Prather says his staff, while he was working as a city prosecutor, would receive convoluted bills with extraneous fees. The case is pending.

“They were monstrously more than what the telecoms could ever hope to charge for similar services in an open, competitive market, and the costs charged to the governments by telecoms did not represent reasonable prices as defined in the code of federal regulations,” the lawsuit said.

The phone companies have asked the judge to dismiss the case. Prather’s lawsuit claims whistle-blower status. If he wins, he stands to collect a percentage — estimated anywhere from 12 percent to 25 percent — of the money recovered from the companies.

“To discourage gratuitous requests and to prevent losing money, industry turned to a section of federal law that allows companies to be reimbursed for the cost of “searching for, assembling, reproducing and otherwise providing” communications content or records on behalf of the government. The costs must be “reasonably necessary” and “mutually agreed” upon with the government.”

THE

27

NIGERIAN

Love, The Greatest Gift Of God

THE magic power which every person during his whole life on earth has at his disposal in constant readiness to help, which also, originates from the same union of generative power with the spiritual power and which can liberate from all Karma is the Love.

It is not the demanding love of material world (lust), but the high pure love which only knows and wishes the welfare of the beloved one and which never thinks of itself.

This love also, belongs to material creation and it demands no renunciation, no asceticism but only wishes what is best for the other. It fears for him, suffers with him, but also, shares in his joy.

The basis of love according to Abid-ru-shin the author of “Grail Message” is similar to the intuitive longing for the ideal which unsullied youth has when its generative power sets in. But it also spurs on the responsibilities, i.e., the mature human being to the full power of all his abilities, even to heroism. So that, the creative and competitive powers are exerted to their utmost extent. In this, no limit is set as to age. As soon as a human being opens his heart to pure love.

Pure love, whether it be man’s love for a woman or vice versa or the love for friends, parent or children, it is all the same. If only it is pure, it will bring its first gift, the opportunity to cast off all karma which will then only be redeemed “symbolically”, so that the free and conscious which can only strive upwards, may blossom forth as a natural consequence, ascent will then begin that is, redemption from the unworthy that hold him down.

The first intuitive feeling which stirs the heart at the awakening of pure love is thinking oneself unworthy of the beloved one. This can be described in other words, as the dawn of modesty and humility, thus, the acquisition of two great virtues. With this comes the desire to protect the other so that, no possible harm could come to him from any direction, so that, his way should lead over flowery,

sunny patts.

Inherent in this is the surrendering of one’s personality, a strong desire to serve which a lone suffice to cast off all karma in a short time, provided the volition remains upper most and does not give way to mere sensual instincts. Finally, with pure love comes the ardent desire

deep he may have fallen, frees himself and thus, quickly and easily regains and undimmed free will, which leads him upwards.

If he had fallen to such a depth as to make him despair, love is able to sweep him upward with the impetuosity of a whirlwind to the height, to God. Who

conscious of it.

Through this, he becomes more of an unselfish given and this serving sets him free. Genuine pure love needs no further explanation. For without genuine love, there can no longer be any free will for man. If a man would observe himself and the happenings in the whole of creation, more closely, no karma could prove stronger than his spirit, as it comes to full

to do something really great and noble for the beloved one, not to offend or hurt him by look, thought or word much less by an unworthy action. That is why, Christ refers again and again to the supreme power of love.

Love alone can overcome and accomplish all things always, provided however, that it is not the earthly demanding love, which harbours jealousy and kindred evils.

With this, the creator in his wisdom has thrown a life buoy into creation, with which every individual comes more than once into contact during his life on earth, so that, he may grasp it and swing himself upwards. This help is there for all. No distinctions are made in either age or sex between rich or poor, high or low.

Therefore, love is the greatest of God’s gift. He who grasp this can be certain of salvation from every tribulation and however

himself is love. As soon as the pure love stirs within a man, no matter what has caused it, he obtains the most direct connection with God, the strongest help. But should a man possess all things and have no love, he would be but sounding brass or tinkling Cymba”. Without warmth, without life … nothing.

However, Abdn-shin says, if he does find true love for some fellow beings, a love striving only to bring light and not to drag him down through senseless desires, but a love that protects and uplifts him, then, he serve the other without being

strength when the generative power connects it firmly with the world of matter to which such karma belongs.

Even if man misses this opportunity, if he entangles himself, sinks deeply, despite all this, a further opportunity is offered him …. Through love. It is not the covetous love of the world of cross matter, but the sublime, pure, love which has no other thought, no other desire, but the welfare of the beloved one. This love also belongs to the world of matter and it requires no renunciation, no ascetism, but always and only wills the best for the other. And the

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Man And Nature With O.C. MADU 08056379608

volition, which never thinks of self, also, offer the best protection against any interference.

The basis of love even in people of the most advanced age is always the idealistic yearnings, which unspoiled youth feels when generative

power begins to exert itself in them. But it shows itself differently of mature persons is spurred on to the height of his ability even to deeds of heroism, in this, no limit is set as to age.

As soon as a man gives room to pure love, whether it be the love of a man for a woman or the reverse, love for a woman or a man, friend, for parents or for children, it is all the same.

So long as it is truly pure, it will bring as a first gift the opportunity for casting off karma, which can be redeemed very quickly in a symbolical’ manner. It dries up” because, evil no longer

finds any affinity with him and receives no further nourishment within him.

Thus, he is set free can begin his ascent through redemption from the unworthy fetters that hold him down.

The first intuition this love awakens is the feeling of being unworthy to the one beloved. One can call this the beginning of modesty and humility, thus, the acquiring of two great virtues. This is followed by the urge to hold one’s hands protecting above the other, so that, no harm may be fall him from any side.

Pure love engenders the ardent wish to do something really great and noble for the loved one, never to hurt or offend him by thought or word much less by an unfair action, thus, always showing him the most delicate consideration.

The creator in His wisdom has thereby, thrown out lifebelt to mankind and offer each human being during his time on earth more than one opportunity to grasp and lift himself up to by it. This help is available to all. It makes no distinction as to age or sex. Whether a person is rich or poor of high or lowly birth. Hence, love is the greatest of all God’s gifts. He who grasps it is sure of salvation from every sorrow, every depth.

Like a whirlwind, love can seize and uplift him to the height, to God who is Love Himself. As soon as love stirs in man’s heart and joy to another, rather than drag him down through impure thoughts but to protect and uplift him, he thus, serves the other without being conscious of it, for he thereby, becomes a selfless and joyful giver. And through such serving he frees himself.

Thanks for reading.

“Pure love, whether it be man’s love for a woman or vice versa or the love for friends, parent or children, it is all the same. If only it is pure, it will bring its first gift, the opportunity to cast off all karma which will then only be redeemed “symbolically”, so that the free and conscious which can only strive upwards, may blossom forth as a natural consequence, ascent will then begin that is, redemption from the unworthy that hold him down.”

THE

NIGERIAN

28

Transfer Window Extended

THE Premier League has confirmed to ESPN that the summer transfer window will be extended to Monday, September 2, this year, as August 31 falls on a Saturday.

As yet there is no decision on what time the window will close in England, with the cut-off time in the past being at close-of-business of 5pm and on other occasions right through to midnight.

Earlier this summer, Italian football authorities also confirmed they would extend

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

the deadline to Monday at 11pm local time. The French Ligue 1 and the Spanish La Liga are also expected to allow transfers to happen through to the end of the day.

But the Bundesliga is presently planning on closing its window at 6pm, meaning German clubs will only be able to sell internationally on Monday evening and not sign players.

It means it is likely to be a frantic day for many players as they try to rush through moves on the same day they are due to link up with their national sides ahead of a crucial round of World Cup qualifiers on the Friday.

Terry’s Father Charged With Racist Attack

THE father of former England captain John Terry has been charged with racially aggravated assault after an incident in London earlier this year.

Ted Terry, 59, was arrested after a fracas on Fenchurch Street in London’s Square Mile last March and was

formally charged at Bishopsgate Police Station on Tuesday.

Two other men, Tudor Musteata, 47, and Stephen Niland, 36 were also charged.

A police spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “As charges have now been brought we are unable to comment

Zaha In Man Utd Tour Of Asia, Australia

MANCHESTER United manager David Moyes has confirmed that new signing Wilfried Zaha will join the squad for their pre-season tour of east Asia and Australia.Zaha only began pre-season training on Monday after taking time off to recover from England’s European Under-21 Championship campaign and Moyes wanted to talk to the former Crystal Palace man before deciding whether to take him along on the trip which sets off later Wednesday.”He will travel with us on the tour,” Moyes told talkSPORT.”He has only been with us for two days but I will take him away, see how he goes and have a look.”This club has a great record of putting young players in the team. Hopefully Wilfried can be one of them.”Wayne Rooney will also be part of the tour, although there has been no further developments on his future, with Moyes again insisting that the 27-year-old striker was not up for sale.”The club have already stated Wayne is not for sale,” Moyes said.”I have met Wayne two, three, four times. A lot has been said about myself and Wayne over the years but we have a really good relationship. He came to my house, I have been to his

Wilfried Zaha

recently to have a chat. Also he is here every day.”I will say he is training great. They are telling me it is the best shape they have seen him in for a long time.”From that point of view I am taking it as a positive and I am going to try and get the best Wayne Rooney I possibly can.”United’s tour takes them to Thailand, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong before they return home for a further friendly in Sweden and then Rio Ferdinand’s testimonial against Sevilla at Old Trafford on August 9 and the Community Shield two days later.

Ted Terry

further on the nature of the incident.”

Last season Chelsea star John Terry was banned for four games and fined £220,000 by the FA after being found guilty of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League fixture in October 2011.

Terry had been found not guilty in a magistrates’ court of a racially-motivated public order offence for the same incident with the prosecution unable to prove he had called Ferdinand a “f****** black c***” as an insult.

Terry admitted using the words, but insisted he had only been repeating words he thought Ferdinand had accused him of saying.

However, the burden of proof of the FA’s own action was lower than that of the magistrate. Terry was found guilty on the balance of probabilities, rather than the measure of beyond reasonable doubt used by the law courts.

Terry’s mother Sue and his mother-in-law Sue Poole were also cautioned for shoplifting in 2009.

Moyes Shops For The ‘Best’ In Market

MANCHESTER United manager David Moyes has told talkSPORT the club is “working hard behind the scenes” to bring in the “best players in the world”.

“Don’t be kidded by the United are expected to lodge an increased offer for lack of activity,” the Scot Everton full-back Leighton told talkSPORT. “Take it Baines, while they remain from me, we are working interested in Barcelona hard behind the scenes to midfielder Thiago try and improve the squad.

“The big thing is that Alcantara.

And Moyes has stressed Manchester United will that, despite the lack of always be in for the best arrivals so far, the Red players in the world. We are Devils are actively seeking also very interested in developing our own players reinforcements. and bringing in potential players for the future. We are working on that just now.”

Moyes also confirmed Wilfried Zaha will be part of United’s squad for their pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia.

Zaha, 20, started preseason training on Monday after being given extra time off following England’s European Under-21 Championship campaign.

The forward has sufficiently impressed Moyes in training and will be included in the United party when it leaves for Bangkok later on Wednesday.

“He will travel with us on the tour,” Moyes said. “He

has only been with us for two days but I will take him away, see how he goes and have a look. This club has a great record of putting young players in the team.

Hopefully Wilfried can be one of them.”

- Blog: Welbeck waiting in the wings for Rooney Wayne Rooney will also be there, although it appears there have been no further developments on his future, with Moyes virtually repeating what he said at Old Trafford on Friday, when he insisted the 27year-old would not be sold.

“The club have already

stated Wayne is not for sale,” the Scot said. “I have met Wayne two, three, four times.

“A lot has been said about myself and Wayne over the years but we have a really good relationship. He came to my house, I have been to his recently to have a chat.

Also he is here every day.

“I will say he is training great. They are telling me it is the best shape they have seen him in for a long time.

From that point of view I am taking it as a positive and I am going to try and get the best Wayne Rooney I possibly can.”

Chelsea Sign Aussie Keeper Schwarzer AUSTRALIAN goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has joined English Premier League giants Chelsea on a one-year contract.

The 40-year-old former Fulham and Middlesbrough player signed on a free transfer after leaving Fulham at the end of last season after five years.

“It’s a phenomenal club. It’s one of the biggest and best clubs in the world, and it’s an honour to sign for Chelsea. I didn’t take much convincing to come here,” Schwarzer told chelseafc.com.

Schwarzer moved to England in 1996 to join Bradford before making 367 league appearances in 11 years with Middlesbrough.

He won the League Cup with ‘Boro in 2003 and appeared in the 2006 UEFA Cup final against Sevilla.

During his time at Fulham he became the first overseas player to make more than 500 Premier League appearances and reached another European cup final as the Cottagers lost out to Atletico Madrid in 2010.

Schwarzer’s contract with Jose Mourinho’s Blues runs until the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where the veteran keeper will hope to add to his 108 caps given Australia’s qualification for the tournament.

The signing appears to have solved Chelsea’s goalkeeping dilemma.

The Europa League winners were on the lookout for a support keeper to Petr Cech following the release of Ross Turnbull and Hilario at the end of the season and Premier League rivals Norwich this week confirmed rejecting two formal offers for England stopper John Ruddy.

Schwarzer revealed returning Blues boss Mourinho had helped persuade him to join “one of the best clubs in the country” after speaking to the Portuguese about his future options.

He told Sky Sports News: “I’ve spoken to the manager at Chelsea and it was very easy to make the decision that Chelsea was the right club for me.

“The size and ambition of the club and the opportunities at the club ticked all the boxes. It was an amazing opportunity to join a fantastic club.

“It’s one of the best clubs in the country, if not one of the best clubs in the world, so it was very easy to make the decision after speaking to the manager.”

Walcott Wants Emirates ‘Fear Factor’ ARSENAL forward Theo Walcott hopes the squad can instill the “fear factor” into the Emirates Stadium for the upcoming Premier League season.

The Gunners suffered an inconsistent campaign last season, falling out of the Champions League to eventual champions Bayern Munich while their domestic form failed to fire.

But a 10-game unbeaten stretch towards the end of the season helped the club to finish inside the top-four and earn another shot at European glory.

And Walcott wants to begin the season with that type of form, believing fortress Emirates could lead to a break in the club’s silverware drought.

“It is quite frustrating at

times, because we should have done that at the start of the season,” he told Sky Sports. “Who knows where we would have been.

“We need to remember those moments that we had and make sure we do it from the start, because we could be challenging for anything.

We could beat anyone.

“We want that sort of fear factor, especially at the Emirates.”

THE

NIGERIAN

29

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Tevez Told To Shed Weight

Villa Excited By Atletico Move

FORMER Barcelona striker David Villa says he is looking forward to starting a new chapter in his career at Atletico Madrid.

The 31-year-old recently completed his move to the Vicente Calderon for 5.1 million euros and he says he wants to repay the club for having faith in him.

“I am excited and happy to start this new phase, especially for all the affection that Atletico Madrid have shown me in recent days,” he told reporters.

“They have bet on me and I am eager to get to work as soon as possible and start this new adventure.

“Among the many key reasons for coming here was Diego Simeone’s

David Villa

confidence from the outset.

“I am eager to work under him and return in every training session and every game the confidence that both he and all the people at Atletico have given me.”

The Spain international says he is aware that he will have to fight for his space in a team which includes the likes of Diego Costa and new signing Leo Baptistao.

“I have to earn a spot in the team,” Villa added.

“They are a winning team that has achieved a lot in recent years.

“I come here as one more, from the start to try and help the group to become more competitive and even better.”

Carlos Tevez

Roma Return Under A Cloud

ROMA’S players were greeted by angry fans as they turned up for the first day of pre-season training in Trigoria on Tuesday as a leaked conversation between the club’s directors brought further unrest.

Only Francesco Totti, doubt as to the fans’ new signing Medhi feelings about last season’s Benatia and coach Rudi failure to qualify for Garcia avoided the Europe and, above all, the supporters’ fury as they defeat to arch-rivals Lazio received warm applause, in the Coppa Italia final. but the rest of the players Pablo Daniel Osvaldo and staff were left in no was missing from the

Djukic Confident About Keeping of his captain and most VALENCIA coach Soldado hold prolific marksman.

Miroslav Djukic believes Roberto Soldado will be a Los Che player come the start of the new season, amid speculation linking the striker with a move to Tottenham.

Soldado, 28, has been tipped to leave the Liga club this summer, with the Spain international having said last month that he would consider a move away from his native country.

Spurs were reportedly keen on the former Getafe player, but with Valencia unwilling to negotiate, the

Roberto Soldado

CARLOS Tevez has been told by the Juventus coaching staff that he is overweight and must drop six kilos ahead of next season, according to media reports from Argentina.

Last month, Tevez completed his move from Manchester City to Juventus on a three-year deal, thus ending a sevenyear stay in English football to join the reigning Serie A champions.

Juventus reportedly paid City £10 million for the Argentine striker.

Tevez, who scored 34 goals in two seasons at

North London side refused to meet Soldado’s buy-out clause of +30 million.

“I think Roberto Soldado will stay here. He wants to be involved and has been asking what’s been going on,” Djukic, who spoke to the striker while he was on Confederations Cup duty, said. “Soldado is a very important player and I want him to be the leader of this team.”

The Valencia boss, who has been in the job barely a month, will be eager to keep

Djukic, a former Los Che player, claimed he was “relaxed” about the subject, while revealing he was not anxious about making any new signings either.

“We have a squad full of quality,” he said. “We can grow with what we have.”

session as he was still on holiday, sparking a scandal in the process. It was not Roma’s intention for Osvaldo to avoid the insults - it emerged the club had wanted him to be there more than any other player.

ASRomaradio.it had broadcast club director Claudio Fenucci and director of sport Walter Sabatini discussing Osvaldo, Daniele De Rossi and Marquinhos in private.

The conversation is understood to have been recorded after Sabatini forgot to hang up his mobile phone, following

Barca Begin La Liga Defence At Home BARCELONA, Real Madrid and Sevilla will begin their 2013/14 La Liga campaign with home fixtures on August 17.

Defending champions Barcelona will host Levante at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid will welcome Real Betis to the Santiago Bernabeu, while Sevilla will face Atletico Madrid at the Ramon-Sanchez Pizjuan.

The anticipated ‘Clasicos’ between Barcelona and bitter rivals Real Madrid will take place on 27 October

2013 and 23 March 2014 with the first leg taking part at the Camp Nou. Segunda Division winner Elche will mark their return to the top division with a trip to Rayo Vallecano, while the other newcomers, Almeria and Villarreal, will face each other.

an interview with the online radio channel.

For over two minutes, Fenucci and Sabatini were heard discussing Roma’s transfer plans, revolving around Osvaldo, whom they wanted back in the country in time for Tuesday’s training session.

They hoped that he too would receive the fans’ wrath, and that it would be enough to convince the player to accept an offer from Premier League club Southampton and leave this summer. They also openly discussed the sale of De Rossi and Marquinhos, for whom they expect to receive +25 million.

Roma released a statement on Tuesday evening, saying they had “made the authorities aware” of the incident, while reminding that recording conversations “is a crime” and that further action will be taken against “any further use of the recordings”. However, they did not deny that the conversation took place.

La Liga Week 1 Fixtures August 17/18

Barcelona Valencia Real Madrid Sevilla Real Sociedad Valladolid Osasuna Celta Rayo Vallecano Almeria

-

Levante Malaga Betis Atletico Getafe Athletic Granada Espanyol Elche Villarreal

Manchester United 73 during his four seasons at City, is due to report to camp on Wednesday for a series of medical tests, according to Clarin.

The Argentina international is scheduled to make his pre-season debut on July 31 against Everton in San Francisco during Juventus’ U.S. tour, which also includes fixtures against L.A. Galaxy, Real Madrid, Valencia, Chelsea, Inter and Milan.

According to Clarin, Tevez was overweight during his medical last month and was admonished by coach Antonio Conte, who is reported to demand a high level of fitness from his players.

Alonso Lauds Rodgers Influence

XABI Alonso believes Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is steering his former club in the right direction and will soon lead the Reds back into the Champions League.

A top four finish proved elusive last season as Liverpool ended a mediocre campaign in seventh spot, 12 points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and 28 behind champions Manchester United.

But Alonso, who was part of Liverpool’s Champions League winning campaign in 2005, insists the Anfield club are not far away from returning to the heights of Europe.

“Well I think, especially at the end of the season, we could see the fruits of his work,” he told estoesanfield.com. “When Brendan arrived we knew it was a project for a few years, and step by step he started the season trying to establish his methods.

“Maybe he found it a bit harder than he expected, but at the end of the season with the new signings the team played quite well. So we trust that in the next years, the team will come together, become more competitive and reach the Champions League. That is where we want to see it.”

Despite Alonso denying rumours that he could return to Anfield earlier this week, the Spain international revealed his fondness of Reds fans when quizzed about their affection for him since he left England.

“Well, it is the same affection I have for them,” he added. “I enjoyed five wonderful years, we had great nights and great games. We achieved a Champions League, and I think that will remain in the history forever, so I was a little part of history.”

THE

NIGERIAN

30

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Bayern Sure On Lewandowski Arrival

CONCACAF Gold Cup

Wondolowski Hits Hat-Trick CHRIS Wondolowski For US notched a first-half hattrick to set the United States on the road to a 61 triumph over Belize in their opening match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Wondolowski scored in the 12th, 37th and 40th minutes to give the United States a 3-0 lead. Ian Gaynair pulled one back for Belize in the 42nd minute, but veteran Landon Donovan converted a penalty in the second half and delivered decisive passes to scorers Stuart Holden and Michael Orozco as the United States wrapped up the rout.

In the first-ever meeting between the two countries, San Jose Earthquakes striker Wondolowski became the third US player to tally a hat-trick in a Gold Cup match, joining Brian McBride and Donovan.

In the first match of the night’s Group C doubleheader at Jeld-Wen Field, Michael Barrantes scored two second-half goals to spark Costa Rica to a 3-0 victory over Cuba.

Barrantes fired a leftfooted shot past Cuban goalkeeper Odelin

Molina to open the scoring in the 51st minute. Jairo Arrieta doubled the score in the 70th and Barrantes made it 3-0 in the 76th.

The regional tournament continues on Thursday in Seattle when Panama face Martinique and Mexico and Canada square off in Group A. Both Mexico and Canada will be trying to bounce back from opening upsets.

Panama stunned two time defending Gold Cup champions Mexico 2-1 last Sunday, when Martinique edged Canada 1-0.

Chris Wondolowski (left) celebrates his third goal against Belize with US teammate Joe ‘Corona on July 9, 2013.

Falcao Aims To Steer Monaco To ‘Euro Summit’

MONACO’S newly-acquired Colombian striker Radamel Falcao said Tuesday that he wanted to steer the ambitious newly-promoted French Ligue 1 side “to the top of European football”.

“I’m delighted to be part Falcao, 27, joined the principality outfit from of this project, we want to Spanish side Atletico bring Monaco to the top of Madrid at the end of May European football,” said for a French record 60 Falcao as he was presented million euros ($77.2 to the media on Tuesday.

“We have great players, million), as Monaco signalled their intent great desire and lots of following the club’s return ambition. We want to build a strong and close-knit to the top-flight.

Qatar to Spend Staggering £134b On World Cup THE final cost for the London Olympics came in at just under £9 billion and when we published that story back in October it certainly angered plenty of you.

However, that expense is nothing but a drop in the ocean when compared to just how much oil-rich Qatar is planning to spend on the World Cup in 2022.

According to Deloitte, the country is preparing to spend a quite staggering $200 billion (£134.3bn) – or roughly 15 times more than it cost London to host the Olympics.

The Deloitte report claims that $140 billion of that will be for transportation infrastructure including a new airport, roads and a metro system.

A further $20 billion will be spent on “tourism infrastructure” The population of Qatar is under two million but they expect 400,000 people to visit the country during the World Cup. FIFA’s decision to award the World Cup to Qatar was controversial for a number of reasons - not least because

temperatures in the tiny gulf state can reach more than 40 degrees Celsius in the summer months.

Historically, the World Cup has always been held in June and July and any change could lead to a major scheduling headache with the major European leagues normally playing through the winter.

Qatar’s right to stage the 2022 World Cup if the event is moved

to the winter months would also be open to a legal challenge.

The country is racing to develop efficient solar-powered cooling technology to counter the searing heat in their stadiums.

Qatar plans to construct its stadiums with modular technology so it can downscale them after the tournament, and donate seating to countries with little sports infrastructure.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter urged Israel on Tuesday to ease restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and officials that have long dogged the development of football in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Blatter said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had retorted that the sport should not become a political tool in the Middle East conflict but had agreed to the formation of a joint task force to look into the issue.

“I explained to him the content of the mandate I’ve been given by the FIFA Congress in May — in a nutshell, to ease the movements of teams, referees, but also football equipment, in and out of, and within, Palestine,” Blatter said

after their meeting in Jerusalem.

I’ve asked for the prime minister’s help and he said yes, but with truth and fair play. He also asked me to help him so that football is not used as a political tool.”

Blatter said that the planned task force, which would include representatives of FIFA and the European and Asian governing bodies as well as the Israelis and Palestinians, would meet before the next meeting of the FIFA executive committee in October.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office made no mention of the task force.

It said the prime minister had

team with the desire to excel and win lots of trophies,” added the Colombian.

Monaco sporting director Vadim Vasilyev admitted the acquisition of one of the game’s top strikers was a real coup for the club.

“We had a lot of competition for the signature of Radamel Falcao. That’s normal and it’s fantastic that he chose to join Monaco.

“We hope to build a team around Falcao. He represents everything we like, he’s a great person and a great player,” concluded Vasilyev.

Falcao’s international teammate James Rodriguez and Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho were also unveiled to the press following their arrivals from Porto.

“I wanted to discover a different league. Ligue 1 is

Israel Urged To Free Up Palestinian shown the FIFA chief pictures Game which provided “concrete evidence” of the abuse of football facilities by Palestinian militants to fire rockets at Israel.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel was asking that FIFA give it fair play and not allow itself and the sport to be used for the dissemination of mendacious propaganda against Israel,” it said.

FIFA pledged in November to help rebuild the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, after it was partially destroyed in Israeli air strikes during an eight-day flare-up of violence.

The Israeli military charged that the stadium had been used for launching rockets towards Israel’s two major cities.

evolving right now and has quite a few good teams such as Paris, Marseille, Lyon and now Monaco,” said the 26year-old Moutinho.

“The medium-term project of qualifying for the Champions League from this season onwards and the presence of great players, all that appealed to me. We want to show ourselves in Europe,” he added.

Monaco also announced Tuesday that they would appeal their two-point deduction for next season, according to a club source.

The Mediterranean outfit were deducted two points, with a third suspended, and ordered to play a game behind closed doors as punishment for their supporters’ behaviour during a Ligue 2 match at home to Le Mans on May 17.

Fans set off bangers and flares and invaded the pitch, while one such fan attacked the referee.

Monaco will appeal against the Professional Football League’s decision claiming the punishment was “severe” and didn’t take into account “the work done by the club over several years for the best organisation of home matches”.

BAYERN Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Tuesday he is sure Poland striker Robert Lewandowski will join the club in 12 months time.

Bayern have been trying to prise the 24-year-old from their main Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dormund in the current off season but have so far been thwarted by the 1997 European champions’ determination not to lose their star striker to their fiercest competition.

“I am absolutely optimistic that the player will be transferred to Bayern Munich next year,” Rummenigge said from the German and European champions’ pre-season training camp in Riva Del Garda in northern Italy.

Lewandowski has made clear his desire to join Bayern but Dortmund are loath to lose a player who was crucial in their back-toback title successes in 2011 and 2012 to the side that have just deposed them.

Last month Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke ruled out any chance of a deal being done this summer.

“Robert will definitely play for Borussia Dortmund next season. We need some clarity in our planning,” he told Munich’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

Dortmund’s refusal to sell Lewandowski this year will cost them heavily as he is believed to be able to command a fee of around 25 million euros ($32 million).

But having already lost talented playmaker Mario Goetze to Bayern after the 21-year-old’s 37-millioneuro release clause was triggered, Dortmund refuse to be further weakened by their closest rivals.

“Our plan is not to play football in the shadow of Bayern Munich, we want to be stronger than last season,” coach Jurgen Klopp insisted last week.

Losing out on money is one thing but more painful to Dortmund will be losing out on the 46 goals Lewandowski plundered in the league in the past two seasons.

Lewandowski

THE

NIGERIAN

31

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Teams Suspended After Huge Scores NIGERIA’s top football authority has suspended four teams who reported “mind-boggling” results from their play-offs matches, describing the scores of 79-0 and 67-0 as “scandalous” tallies that must be probed.

Plateau United Feeders and Police Machine FC both details, including whether needed convincing wins to any money changed hands, earn promotions to the are not yet known.

“We are setting up an Nigeria Nationwide League, but officials immediately investigation. We don’t know rejected the eye-popping results.

In a statement, the country’s Football Federation described the scores as “a mind-boggling show of shame never previously witnessed in Nigeria.”

“Plateau United Feeders somehow manufactured a 79-0 victory over Akurba FC while Police Machine FC demolished Babayaro FC 670.”

Federation spokesman Ademola Olajire told AFP a deal was certainly struck among the sides, but the • Mike Umeh

exactly what happened. We just feel scandalised,” he said.

“The four teams involved are suspended immediately and indefinitely,” federation chairman Mike Emeh said in

a statement.

Everyone involved in the Monday matches, including officials and staff at the pitch in northern Bauchi state, could face sanctions, the federation said.

Niger Plans Big For 2014 Sports Fiesta

DANIEL Shashere, Niger Commissioner for Sports, says the state intends to use the forthcoming U-17 National Games to regenerate its athletes for better performances at future competitions.

Shashere told newsmen in Lagos yesterday that necessary arrangement had been put in place to ensure steady flow of grassroots talents.

“We have a developmental

plan for Calabar 2014, and in sports that we have one relative advantage over.

“And also training towards performing since we have about a year to go.

“The development that the sports commission has brought up in respect of the U-17 is a welcome development because it was an event that has been in the calendar. “ That is the U-17, and the

essence of that was to replace aging athletes.

“Somewhere along the line, we jettisoned that and therefore it is a welcome development that we are bringing it back on board.’’

The commissioner said that the reintroduction of the Youth Games would serve as an

FCT Set To Introduce Abuja Marathon THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration says it is set to introduce a Marathon race in Abuja this year.

The FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Muhammad Sule, yesterday in Abuja.

The statement said the initiative was aimed at rejuvenating sports development in the FCT, in tune with the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.

It said the administration in 2012 under sports tourism, equally introduced the FCT PRO-AM Golf Championships which had remained the highestprized golf tournament in the country.

“Plans are underway by the FCT Administration to expand the scope of the championships, especially by attaching prizes that will attract professional players from abroad.

“The administration has resuscitated the FCT Minister’s U-17 Football Competition in which more than 8,280 students from 760 public and private secondary schools within the

FCT participate in,’’ it said.

The statement noted that the FCT U-13 Primary School team won the National U-13 football competition early this year.

It also disclosed that approval had been granted for the winning team to represent the country in Europe, before the end of year, based on the invitation by the Nigeria Football Association.

The statement said the minister had ordered the Social Development Secretariat to

introduce an inter-organisational tournament for public, private, military, para-military, educational institutions and clubs.

“The initiative will no doubt widen the scope of the competitors in preparation for the 2014 National Sports Festival in Calabar, Cross River.

“The Six Area Councils of the FCT will now compete along with the organisations for the best representatives to be selected for the Elite Games,” it added.

avenue to expose budding and potential future stars to the rigours and intrigues of competitions.

“We are bringing it back on board; we expect that we will not have a dearth of athletes anymore.

“We will always have athletes that will replace the aging ones; so, generally, we are on course.

“You are aware that Niger State is such a state that is known for its performance in sports.

“And since we don’t discriminate, we don’t have anyone that is neither an indigene nor non indigene, so anyone that is here performs to the glory of Niger State.

“That is also towards achieving our vision 2020, this is on course and we will continue to pursue that course to its legitimate end.’’

The Youths Games is scheduled to commence September 19 to September 29 in Abuja.

U-17 Youth: Emehelu Not Surprised SAMUEL Emehelu, a Golf consultant, said yesterday that the exclusion of golf from the U-17 National Youth Games did not come to him as a surprise.

Emehelu told the newsmen in Lagos that the sport was gradually sliding into a complete state of inactivity.

The sport was excluded from disciplines to be featured at the Games, the same way it was excluded from the 2012 National Sports Festival (NSF) in Lagos.

Over Exclusion Of Golf It would be recalled that the 2011 NSF, tagged “Garden City Games,’’ was the last time the sport was featured at the national sports fiesta.

“I was not surprised that golf was not included again at the amateur level; things are not moving as they should.

“They have not been having competitions; players are not encouraged to train and get better, so I think the National Sports Commission (NSC’s)

decision was justifiable.

“I hope that things will change because their exclusion from major competitions is beginning to disturb we stakeholders.

“It should be a collective effort, so we need to put our house in order,’’ Emehelu said.

The Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) is currently being reshuffled for better performance.

Emehelu was a member of the immediate-past NGF board.

Top 10 Nigerian Players Of 2013 GOAL is in the process of choosing its top 50 players of 2013 and Goal Nigeria highlights the top 10 Nigerian players that could make that list in alphabetical order.

AHMED MUSA Ahmed Musa has definitely had more joy with CSKA Moscow than with the Super Eagles, where he was relegated to the bench in favour of Victor Moses.

In Russia, he reigned supreme – finishing as the highest goal scorer for his club in the league and helping his team win the league after seven barren years. He was also prominent during the Cup run which they won on penalties. For the coming season, he needs to consolidate his form at club level and translate that into the Super Eagles for greater effect.

EFE AMBROSE Another serial winner in 2013, Efe Ambrose even scored for the Super Eagles against Liberia to help the team get to the Nations Cup. In South Africa, he proved a wise choice at right back.

At Celtic, whom he joined at the beginning of last season, he proved himself in the Scottish League and in the Champions League and was part of the Celtic team that famously beat Barcelona 1-0 at Hampden Park.

He ended the season with the Nations Cup and the Scottish League and Cup. He could move in the transfer window to the Premiership.

EMMANUEL EMENIKE Emmanuel Emenike finally made the promise count for the Super Eagles in South Africa in January. He scored Nigeria’s first goal at the tournament and also scored a blaster against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in the quarter finals.

Though he has had to battle two injury stints this year, the Super Eagles have missed his bustling runs and power. Now back from injury, he will be hoping to make up for lost time by powering the Eagles to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. GODFREY OBOABONA The Sunshine Stars defender has been an ever present in the Super Eagles first XI in all their matches in 2013. Cool, calm and collected, Oboabona is no doubt the revelation of the home-based Eagles under Stephen Keshi.

He is the captain of Sunshine Stars who rose through the team’s academy and Oboabona’s humility is second to none in the present Eagles’ squad. Despite his growing profile, the Akure Gunners’ centre back still keeps a low profile.

He was also one of the few players that distinguished themselves at the Fifa Confederations Cup where he was the highest rated Nigerian – at No. 32; ahead of Mikel Obi. JOHN MIKEL OBI Mikel Obi has been the most experienced outfield player for the Super Eagles in midfield and he finally came good in 2013. He helped the national team win a third Nations Cup and was undoubtedly the outstanding player for the team and in the whole tournament.

Over the last 15 months, he has won the Uefa Champions League, Uefa Europa League, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and the English FA Cup. Another good showing at the Fifa Confederations Cup where he scored a delightful goal against Uruguay showed a player who is ready to assume a more offensive posture.

And like he said, he needs to find a balance between his performances for club and country and he is a definite contender for the 2013 Caf Africa Player of the Year award.

KENNETH OMERUO 19-year-old defender Kenneth Omeruo came to the fore in the nick of time for the Super Eagles. A former U-17 silver medalist, he came on for Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo at the Nations Cup and there has been no looking back.

He has put in many credible performances – from the Nations Cup especially when faced with the might of Didier Drogba and recently at the Fifa Confederations Cup where his partnership with Godfrey Oboabona almost nullified the threats of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez has further elevated his reckoning.

On the evidence of these good outings, he has been recalled by Chelsea for pre-season training.

OGENYI ONAZI Former U-17 player Ogenyi Onazi has come on in leaps and bounds since breaking into the Lazio squad at the beginning of the 2012/13 season.

About 12 months ago little was known of the player who has now become the lynchpin of the new Super Eagles midfield and for Lazio.

His trademark is the boundless energy he possesses and he is now known for long range shooting. A winner of the Nations Cup and the Italian Cup with Lazio - a measure of his growing importance was the gap that was left in midfield as he succumbed to injury just before the Confederations Cup. SUNDAY MBA One of the two home-based players to make it to Goal’s Top 10 Nigeria players, Sunday Mba will be famously remembered for his heroics at the 2013 Afcon where his two crucial goals handed the trophy to Nigeria. He was also a junior international at some time in the past.

Currently, the unresolved issues concerning his future have affected his form and he was a shadow of his former self in the 2014 World Cup qualifying game played against Kenya in Calabar and at the recently concluded Fifa Confederations Cup. However, he showed that he still has a lot to give to the team by leading the demolition of Cote D’Ivoire in the CHAN qualification game recently.

If he moves to Europe where he can play consistently, he would become an outstanding player.

VICTOR MOSES Victor Moses, the Chelsea forward was one of the major ingredients in the Super Eagles’ surprise win in South Africa in February at the Nations Cup. He also helped Chelsea win the Uefa Europa League with his many crucial goals. A player who is inventive in tight spaces and a good header of the ball, Moses has proved a hit in the Super Eagles.

He was sorely missed at the FIFA Confederations Cup in his preferred wide position. He is also a player that will blossom even more on the world scene if he increases his work rate in the coming years.

VINCENT ENYEAMA Vincent Enyeama, the ever consistent goal minder for the national team was brilliant for the team in South Africa where he was the substantive captain after Yobo was exiled to the reserves’ bench.

He left Lille on loan to play regularly in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv and he won the Cup with them. He has been trying to move to a club in mainstream Europe for some time now but wherever he plays, he is absolute quality.

THE

CMYK

NIGERIAN

32

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

Let who is Dying Die Quickly

We see aspects of misinformation, and sometimes, outright disinformation, in the Edo hanging row. When we woke up on Tuesday, 25 June 2013, the newsstand was awash with the news, “Four death row prisoners – Chima Ejiofor, Daniel Nsofor, Osarenmwinda Aigbokhai and Richard Igagu – in Edo State, were, yesterday, executed, despite their pending appeals at the Court of Appeal.”

The veiled impression is created here that the cases of these suspects were hurriedly terminated at the High Court level and they were led to the gallows, without exhausting the judicial remedies of going to the Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The truth is that the cases went through the thorough judicial process from the High Court to all the appeal processes and the verdict everywhere was death sentence. This was 16 years ago.

Lately, though, the Legal Defense and Assistance Project, LEDAP, approached the Federal High Court, Benin City, on behalf of the condemned felons, arguing that “to execute them after 16 years of trauma, suspense and imminent death would amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”

They asked the court to order the Edo State Governor to commute their death sentences to life imprisonment.

However, judgment was delivered against the felons by Justice A.M. Liman for lack of sufficient facts to substantiate the relief sought. LEDAP proceeded to the Court of Appeal in Benin City to appeal against the judgment and also to ask for stay of execution, pending the determination of the appeal.

Meanwhile, all the death row prisoners in the country (Association of Felons?) are, in the case of Godwin Pius & ors Vs. Governor of Abia State & ors, challenging the decision of the State Governors to sign their execution warrants.

LEDAP is representing the inmates in both appeals.

People must understand

the division of the labour arrangement inherent in every execution exercise: State Governors do not execute anybody. The Courts determine the criminal status of the individual; in the case of condemned felons, the Governor as the Chief Security Officer of the State, signs the death warrant; and it is the prison authorities that carry out the execution. This clarification has become necessary against the backdrop of insinuations that the Edo condemned felons

his duties in just the same way that a chief executive who refuses to implement a law duly passed by the legislature commits an impeachable offence.

In the Edo hanging row, the human rights community may as well be fighting a good fight – that capital punishment is barbaric in this age. This column has argued relentlessly along the same line. But the human rights advocates are clearly in the wrong battle field. The best time to prevent a death

yet abolished in Nigeria. All those against it must proceed to the National and State Assemblies with a view to getting them to change the law so that capital punishment can be abolished. To that extent, too, we see the current LEDAP battles raging at the Federal Courts of Appeal in Lagos and Benin City as wrongly situated. Capital punishment cannot be abolished through the back door.

Meanwhile, the human

life and the achievement of their potentials under the law are savagely terminated by the deviants.

The human right advocates must have in their fold, victimologists who will constantly remind them of the need to create a balance between criminology and

• Mariam Aloma Muktar, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) were executed by the Governor.

Those who sit in judgment also stand in judgment. Even the most humane and “nonbarbaric countries” of the world; the home countries of the human rights activists, still visit the death sentence on certain classes of crime.

This is where the stance of the human right advocates, particularly Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch soon bothers on meddlesomeness for trying to prevent the execution of the judgments of the courts of competent jurisdiction.

As at now, any Governor who refuses to sign a warrant of execution for a duly condemned felon reneges on

sentence and its execution is before the sentence is pronounced, not when the condemned felon is already being led down the alley, destined for the guillotine.

Capital punishment is not

rights advocates are clever by half. They stick to the rights of the deviants without caring about what happens to the human rights of the innocent members of the lawabiding public whose right to

victimology because there are human rights issues to be satisfied on either side.

When a person takes the law into his hands and brutally terminates the life of another, the system has a

duty to bring the offender to justice. This should also be of great concern to human rights advocates. It is the only way to reassure the victims’ families that the law is fighting for them, thus averting the propensity for self-help and leaving the strong moral message that crime does not pay.

Justice delayed could be justice denied. It is still difficult to understand why the condemned felons have remained on death row for 16 whole years. There are aspects of double jeopardy here: instead of promptly executing the felons, you must first punish them in prison for 16 years before presenting them to the hangman, eh?

Again, this is reminiscent of the overall rot, which Oshiomhole inherited in Edo state. Rather than attract opprobrium, the signing of the death warrants should portray the Governor as a man who is truly on a rescue mission; and a man who realizes that in the process, the hard decisions must also be taken. After all, this is not the first of its kind – those educational institutions that have now been revamped had been comatose for more than 30 years before his arrival while those fantastic road networks that now adorn the entire state constituted death-traps.

Truly, the execution of a death sentence in Nigeria is not time-barred. But if the punishment for an offence is death, after due process of trial, let who is dying die quickly!

“Justice delayed could be justice denied. It is still difficult to understand why the condemned felons have remained on death row for 16 whole years. There are aspects of double jeopardy here: instead of promptly executing the felons, you must first punish them in prison for 16 years before presenting them to the hangman, eh?”

Printed and published by Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, 24, Airport Road, P.M.B. 1334 Benin City. Telephone; Lagos: 01 4930929, Benin: 052 257492, 257531 Editor. BARR. SOLOMON IMOHIOSEN (KSJI) - (07030699646), Marketing Manager (08023457566), Advertisement Manager (08023808856) Lagos Office: 3/4 Amode Close, Kudirat Abiola Way, By Olushonsun Bus Stop, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. Abuja Office: Floor 1, Edo House, 75 Ralph Shodeinde Street, Central Business District, Abuja. Tel/Fax: 095237631. All correspondence to: 24 Airport Road, Benin City. E-mail: nigerianobserver@yahoo.com (ISSN 0331-2674)