Nigerian observer 12 08 2013

THE NIGERIAN

The Nigerian

1

cmyk

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968

ECONOMY Pg. 18 Promoting ManufacturingBased Economy

• Vol. 38 NO.291 • MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 20 13 • N100.00

VCs demand Ministry of Higher education

ABUJA The Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities yesterday urged the Federal Government to establish a Ministry of Higher

Education in the country.

The SecretaryGeneral of the association, Prof.

Michael Faborode, told newsmen that the proposed ministry would give the needed

attention to the challenges facing the sector.

Faborode said the call was part of the Continues on page 2

Poverty Assessment

INT’L

FEATURES Pg 25 China Promoting Breast Feeding Amid Tainted Milk

FG faults AfDB

ABUJA -The Presidency weekend faulted the African Development Bank (AfDB)’s report on Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts.

Special Adviser to the significantly in the President on Media and country.

Publicity, Dr Reuben He recalled that the Abati, said that the Food and Agricultural report was “devoid of Organisation (FAO), a truth and political’’.

UN body, at its 38th Abati said that it was Session in Rome in inconceivable that late June gave an AfDB’s report came award to Nigeria as barely a month after the one of the nations that UN gave an award to made significant Nigeria for its efforts at progress in reducing reducing poverty hunger.

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, represented President Goodluck Jonathan in

receiving the award on behalf of the government, he stated.

Adeshina presented the award to the

president during a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

Abati said that such a negative report from the

AfDB some weeks after the FAO award was “suspicious and laced with falsehood and political’’.

Teachers Certificate not enough for registration - Council ABUJA -The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) yesterday said that presentation of certificates and degrees would no longer suffice for teachers’ registration.

The TRCN Director, P r o f e s s i o n a l Operations, Dr Steve Nwokeocha, told journalists that teachers would now write professional qualifying examinations.

“Teachers will no longer get registered by mere presentation of their certificates, but they will have to write p r o f e s s i o n a l examination.

“Teachers are to resume professional qualifying examinations, and the models are being developed and finalised,’’ he said.

Nwokeocha said the council was developing a standard syllabus as a professional body and would present it to stakeholders like National Universities

Commission, among others, for validation.

According to him, once it is validated, we will set a date for the examination, and from there henceforth, there will be no registration without an examination.

He said that in 2008, a pilot examination was written and over 50,000 candidates wrote the examination in all states of the federation.

The director said this would be the second edition of the examination, adding that the first was experimental and recorded huge success.

He said that the council collaborated with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in the first edition, stressing that it

was written in the same manner that JAMB was written.

Nwokeocha said about 25,000 out of the 50,000 teachers that wrote the examination failed and this was reflective of the quality of training that they were getting.

“We had to suspend the pilot examination because the council did not have a syllabus at that time.

By MORRISON HAYBLE IYAKPI (SOUTH-IBIE) – Gully erosion is now threatening Iyakpi, South-Ibie in Etsako West Local Government

Area as some residents are already losing their houses while others are relocating.

The people of the community said they have become helpless

BENIN CITY - Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, has said that the command should not

be blamed on why some suspected criminals often return to the society without prosecution.

Adebanjo told journalists in Benin on Sunday that there was need to overhaul the justice department to

correct the anomaly.

He said the police mandate was to prevent crime and to arrest Continues on page 2

Continues on page 2

SALLAH HOMAGE: President Goodluck Jonathan (right), receiving Sallah card from Vice President Namadi Sambo (2nd right) during a Sallah homage to the President led by the Vice President in Abuja on Thursday. With them are FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed (2nd left), and the Minister of State for FCT, Mrs. Olajumoke Akinjidi.

Gully erosion threatens community

CP calls for overhaul of Justice dept

after making concerted efforts to curtail the devastation.

They appealed to both the local and state governments to visit the site with a view to alerting the federal government.

Speaking with newsmen on behalf of

the community leader, Alhaji Aminu Omosah expressed fears that the problem which started few years ago may soon become intractable in the absence of timely intervention.

Alhaji Omosah also drew the attention of prominent sons and daughters of South-Ibie as well as those of Afemai land to urgently seek partnership with Continues on page 2

THE NIGERIAN

2 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

News

VCs demand Ministry of Higher education Continued from page 1

resolutions at its conference on “Consultative Higher Education Policy Dialogue’’, held in Abuja recently.

“At that particular conference we said there is need for a ministry of higher education to look at problems of higher education different from what it has always been.

“Ministry of Education is so large, that we can divide it to tertiary education and other levels of education, Universal Basic Education (UBE) secondary education, there is enough challenges there, everywhere needs attention.

“But for a country to have left the gains of modern development, a knowledge society, you need higher education to deliver that.

“I think the National Economic Team has looked at it and supported such an initiative; it will now go to Federal Executive Council.

“And I think it should be approved because that is the way forward for countries that are moving properly on the ladder,’’ he said.

Faborode said the ministry if created would also serve as a fulcrum for the transformation of the sector.

According to him, there is global understanding that higher education is the driver of growth and development as it engenders the creation of knowledge and innovation

which are vital in steering sustainable development.

He said these include reduction of poverty, improve global health and enhancing national and global prosperity and competiveness.

He noted that the higher education institutions in Nigeria had increased from seven in 1962 to 323 in 2012 and the universities from five to 124, adding this growth had not led to the realisation of the objectives of the institutions.

He said there were concerns that universities and university education were no longer promoting democratisation, nor laying enough emphasis on citizenship, resulting in their products reinforcing, rather than rejecting old stereotypes.

He said over the years, there had been constant restiveness, including violent confrontations, which characterised relations

between students and the host communities of their institutions leading to civil unrest and disruptions to the academic calendar.

Furthermore, he said there were challenges of weak governance structure and processes in the Nigerian higher education sector.

“These have contributed to disruptions of academic calendar owing to the constant bickering between the Academic Staff Union and university management and government.

“This has stunted the

culture of robust debate and collaborative engagement between government, university management and staff for a common vision and progress,’’ he added.

Faborode said that Nigeria needs to holistically plan the growth of its higher education system.

He said this was in terms of mix, typology and functionality in relation to relevance, niches, matching labour market, development needs and the desire to nurture globally competitive institutions.

Continued from page 1 “And people asked that a few more things like a model, among others, should be put in place before the examination will be conducted again,’’ he said.

He said that the council had done its research and had developed a standard model, syllabus among others.

He added that the examination would be written

twice yearly and that the council was making efforts to ensure standard and quality in the system.

Nwokeocha noted that writing of the professional examination was one way of eliminating quackery in the teaching profession even though it is multi-faceted.

He said prior to this time, a Nigerian Certificate of Education or a degree suffices, but experience “tells us that it is always good to validate the certificate that people hold.

“So this will address the quackery from that angle but not that it would address all aspect of quackery in the profession because we are making efforts to address other angles of quackery.’’

He said that the professional qualifying examination would be an international benchmark for teachers just like other countries.

Teachers Certificate

Gully erosion threatens Continued from page 1

the state government with a view to tackling the menace to prevent sacking of the entire community.

A resident in one of the buildings under threat, Mr. Oboh Gracious who narrated his ordeal said they were living precariously in the area as they are faced with the danger of being forced out soon, saying that self help so far in the form of concrete walls and sand filled bags could not help the situation.

When Our Correspondent visited the sites at the ‘Small London’ area of the community, a deep valley stretching over one thousand metres had been created, while several houses were being washed away or near collapse as a result of the devasting effects of the flood.

Also pathetic is its effect on the South-Ibie-Agenebode road where it crossed to the other side leaving the road at the risk of being separated.

CP calls for overhaul of Justice dept Continued from page 1

suspected criminals, adding: “we are not responsible for any reason why arrested suspects often return to the society.

“That observation was made when I took over as the commissioner in the state and I promptly reported this observation to the governor who was angry over the incidents.

“I suggested the need for the overhaul of the justice department and we met with the Commissioner for Justice as well as the Chief Judge of the state on our observation.

“We are now collaborating on this in our determination to reduce acts of criminality in the state. This observation is not likely to reoccur again,’’ he said.

The commissioner said the command arrested no fewer than 100 suspected criminals in the last two months for alleged rape,

cultism, armed robbery and kidnapping.

On the aiding of crime by officers and men, Adebanjo said that anyone found wanting would be disciplined, adding: “we have no place for corrupt and indisciplined officer in the command.

“I have often preached the need for everybody in the command to follow the

Inspector-General’s directive of zero-tolerance for crime at all times.

“So, if any officer is found to run foul of the law, he or she will be disciplined according to the laws,’’ he said.

“The Edo command is determined to ensure that it continues to make the state uncomfortable for criminals

at all times and to assure the people of their safety and security “I, therefore, expect my officers to be up and doing in carrying out this mandate.

I often lead patrol to the forest and other criminal hideouts.

“So, I do not expect anything less from any officer of the command,’’ he added.

ABUJA - The Acting Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr AbdulRahman Sambo, said adequate funding was needed to attain universal health coverage in the country.

Sambo told journalists in Abuja yesterday that there was the need for special funds to take care of the health needs of vulnerable persons in the country.

He said the scheme had developed key elements to achieving universal health insurance through

could afford health care and subsidy payment.

The subsidy payment, he explained, would ensure that the indigent were taken care of from some of the contributions of those who could afford to pay.

“The major challenge that we have is our law, which makes participation under the health insurance scheme optional, voluntary; number two, the non-logging in of the programmes of the NHIS by states and local governments; these are the two major areas that have

been impeding the NHIS in attaining universal coverage.

“One other major thing that has been clearly defined by us and other stakeholders is the absence of a fund that will provide contribution or pay for the contribution of the vulnerable, the poor, the indigent and those with some forms of disease vulnerability.

“We have identified two key elements that are required to ensure universal coverage, and those elements are compulsion - compelling individuals who have the means to pay for their contribution to do so.

RCCG ends 61st convention

By IKHUREIGBE ERNEST THE Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) yesterday ended its 61st Convention. The event which kicked off Monday, August 5, 2013 at Km 46, the venue of the Convention witnessed a behive of activities as people with diverse challenges of life thronged the camp.

Also present were many anointed men and women of God, who have distinguished themselves in their areas of calling.

As at Friday, August 9, 2013, a total of 72 children were delivered with many people attesting to the power

of Jesus Christ in their lives.

The General Overseer of the Church, Pst E.A. Adeboye solicited for assistance to build a New Auditorium as the present one could no longer contain the ever-increasing turn-outs.

He said, the present one would be for the children while the yet to be built one would serve the adults.

According to him, the proposed auditorium would be 3km by 3km, adding that it would be completed by the 62nd Convention. Highlights of the convention included the ordination of Assistant Pastor (ALP) as Pastor, being the highest rank attainable in the (RCCG).

Disaster mitigation begins with adequate pplanning - Akinkugbe IBADAN - Emeritus Prof.

Oladipupo Akinkugbe has called on the Federal Government and stakeholders in disaster management to inculcate the habit of planning to mitigate the impact of disasters.

Akinkugbe, said this in Ibadan weekend at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association , Oyo State Chapter.

According to him, preparedness preempts effective disaster management.

“We are doing well, but we need to be better coordinated as regards disaster management; we are protected for now by providence.

“Disasters such as fire, air and road traffic crashes, flooding and building mishaps cannot be compared with major natural disasters such as tsunamis.

“We are lucky not to have had a major occurrence that can affect hundreds of thousands because we probably won’t be able to cope,’’ Akinkugbe, who presided over the meeting, said.

According to him, there are two major components needed in curtailing disasters which are: preparation and

management.

Akinkugbe said one could have a lot of preparation but fail in the area of management and vice versa, adding that the two needed to be well coordinated.

“All the stakeholders in disaster management must have regular meetings to review areas for improvement.

“Not knee jerks meetings that occur only when disasters happen.

“Proper disaster management is an on-going process,’’ he noted.

The former chairman of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Governing Council, challenged Nigeria’s policy makers and leaders to create adequate environment for development.

“My vision for the nation is optimistic because I believe things will work out well for the country in the future; but we have to put ourselves in order.

“It is important that we create an environment where fortune can smile on us because we have all the resources that can be provided in any country.

“We need a critical hand of leadership to help us along and leadership is just not one man, it is a team,’’ Akinkugbe said.

Universal Health coverage: NHIS seeks more funds compulsion for those who “The second one is the touchy issue of subsidy, we believe that there have to be some subsidy payments for those who can’t afford to make their own contributions.”

Sambo said the NHIS currently covers only 7.5 million Nigerians, adding that the law establishing the scheme was being amended by the National Assembly.

He said it was also important for Nigerians to change their mentality on the notion of health insurance as the advantages out-weighed the disadvantages.

“We currently have covered about 7.5 million persons; the NHIS law is going through amendment in the National Assembly and the amendment will strictly look at making it compulsory and identifying some form of financing mechanism or options to give cover to the poor and the indigent in the society.

“We are going round the country sensitising people, paying advocacy to states governors and local government chairmen, to political leaders, traditional leaders and religious leaders, across the country.

THE NIGERIAN

3 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

News FG Registers 360,000 FG To Construct Rail Line To Niger Republic Farmers

YOLA - The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Adamawa Branch, said 360,000 farmers in the state were registered under the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Scheme.

The Chairman of the association, Mr Venantius Jiddere, said this in an interview with Journalists at the weekend in Yola at the commencement of the e-wallet based agricultural scheme in the state.

“This is a remarkable event in the lives of over 360,000 farmers who have been registered.

“But out of the total, only 201,555 farmers have been captured and are the beneficiaries of the e-Wallet for the 2013 farming season in the state,’’ Jiddere said.

He said that the remaining un-captured farmers would be recorded in 2014 and would also benefit from the agricultural subsidy enjoyed by their colleagues.

The chairman said the ewallet exercise was smoothly going on in the state, adding that many peasant farmers who had not benefitted from farm inputs subsidy were now

receiving.

“Over 30,000 farmers have received similar subsidy assistance from the state government in the past three years.

“These farmers have also received training and acquired skills in various agricultural ventures,’’ Jiddere said.

He said that the sustenance of agricultural sector was not only about the distribution of fertilisers and the rest, but the transformation from traditional farming to mechanised system.

Jiddere said that there was need for farmers to shift from traditional farming to the advanced system of farming with the support of agricultural research institutes.

He said that the proposed expansion of national agrobased industries would not be realistic if governments at all levels continued to neglect and politicise the agricultural sector.

Jiddere said that most of the agricultural loans given by commercial banks were not getting to the common farmers.

He urged the government to

Flood Unearths 20 KANO - No fewer than 20 corpses were unearthed at the Corpses Yan Kaba Cemetery in Kano metropolis following floods which occurred after a heavy rain fall.

The flood occurred on Friday night after a down pour in the city.

A resident of the area, Malam Audullahi Musa said that the corpses were discovered outside the cemetery in the morning by the residents of the area.

“At the moment there are 20 corpses awaiting reburial at the cemetery,’’ he stated.

Musa called on people of

the area to come out and assist to rebury the corpses, to avoid possible outbreak of diseases.

The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Board, Alhaji Ali Bashir, confirmed the incident in an interview with Journalists.

He also said that the flood affected some houses in the metropolis.

Bashir said that the agency had deployed some officials to the area to ascertain the situation.

look at the issue of agricultural insurance, pointing out that due to the poor insurance policy, a lot of farmers lost billions of naira yearly.

Jiddere said there was need for government to ensure the realisation of national food security and agricultural development through proper agricultural insurance policy.

He said that Nigeria had the potential of feeding itself and exporting foods, but due to the poor agricultural policy and implementation, the country still imported foods from other nations.

ZARIA (KADUNA) The Federal Government is to construct rail line to Niger Republic, Vice President Namadi Sambo has said.

Sambo said this during a reception organised by the Zazzau Emirate in honour of Governor Muktar Yero of Kaduna State at the Emir’s palace in Zaria on Saturday.

“I am glad to inform you that rehabilitation of the rail line from Zaria to Kauran Namoda has commenced.

“I am equally happy to state that rail services from

Kano to Lagos are in progress.

“The survey on the new rail line from Kauran Namoda to Sokoto to Birnin Kebbi has begun. We hope to link the rail line to Niamey in Niger Republic.

“In the same vein, the standard-gauge rail system from Abuja to Kaduna has already reached 60 per cent completion.

“It will be extended to Lokoja and to Warri Port.

By the grace of God, the new standard-gauge rail

L-R: Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, mother of President Jonathan, Mrs. Ayi Eunice Afeni Jonathan, Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, President Goodluck Jonathan , Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Otuoke, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko and Minister of Niger Delta Ministry, Elder Peter Orubebe at the Commissioning of Two Buildings of Twenty Self Contained flats donated by the mother of the President to the newly established Federal University in Otuoke weekend.

system will commence operation by next year, “ he said.

He said the water scarcity in Zaria would soon be over, as the entire city would be provided with portable water.

The vice president assured the people of the readiness of the federal government to partner with the Kaduna State government to ensure rapid development.

In his speech, Yero appealed to the people to pray for peace to reign in Kaduna State.

“Peace is extremely vital in our homes, families, society, state and the nation at large.

“We must do everything possible to ensure that peace reigns in the state, because when Kaduna state is peaceful, certainly Northern Nigeria and Nigeria at large will remain peaceful.

He commended the Zazzau emirate for the honour and promised to do his best to transform the state.

The Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, said the reception was organised to glorify God Almighty and encourage the governor to do more for the people.

Independent Candidature

Politicians Hail Approval LAGOS - Former Governor Donald Duke of Cross River and some other politicians have hailed the House of Representatives’ approval of independent candidature for future elections.

The Two Buildings of Twenty Self Contained flats donated by the mother of the President to the newly established Federal University in Otuoke weekend.

The politicians told the journalist in interviews that the approval would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and promote the right of an individual to vote and be voted for.

The House of Representatives approved independent candidacy on July 24 during a clause by clause voting on the report of its Adhoc Committee on Amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

Duke described the lawmakers’ decision as a step in the right direction.

He said that America was doing same, and that Nigeria needed to take any steps that would deepen its democracy.

“It will be a good development if we should have it; if a candidate goes for an election and loses, he or she will have to go and rest,’’ he stated.

The former governor, however, advised that the initiative should be properly implemented to make it a success.

“Before you qualify for election, you must have a certain number of people to endorse your candidature.

“Otherwise, you find out that there are 200 people contesting an election,’’ the former governor said.

A former Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs in Lagos State, Mr Rotimi Adesoye, said that independent candidature would make Nigeria’s democracy more interesting.

He, however, expressed doubts that Nigeria’s democracy was ripe for it.

The Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Mr Ayodele Adewale, said that independent

candidature would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.

“Independent candidature is good; it will help to strengthen our democracy.

Adewale said that independent candidature would enhance the credibility of Nigeria’s elections.

“However, you must not forget the fact that you need to network even though you are an independent candidate,’’ he advised.

Sen. Babafemi Ojudu, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, also told newsmen that independent candidature would impact positively on Nigeria’s democracy.

“So if it passes through the Senate and becomes a law, it will be good.

“For now, it cannot become a law because it is only passed by one leg of the National Assembly, ‘’ he said.

THE NIGERIAN

4 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Inside Edo Don’t Legalise Gay Relationship, Rector Cautions

By MORRISON HABLE

AUCHI - Rector, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Dr. (Mrs.) Philipa Idogho has cautioned against pressure to legislate legalizing gay relationships in the country.

Dr. Idogho who spoke in an address while declaring open the maiden National conference/Exhibition of the school of Art and Industrial Design of the institution expressed worry that the

unhealthy revolution of gay relationships was fast overwhelming the African continent.

She noted that the typical Nigerian society abhorred and frowned greatly at gay relationships but was hovever disturbed that “the dictates of modern development appears to want to compell the Nigerian society to sign on to legislation legalizing homosexual, bisexual,

lesbianism, and gay relationships.

The need for modern developments, and the series of cultural humiliation attending to it in some societies, according to Dr. Idogho took precedence over the cultural values which guaranteed a stable, peaceful and moral society as a result

of pressure, persuasion and even threats of withdrawal of aids by Nigeria’s development partners.

The Rector therefore express the need to fashion ways of achieving development within the cultural settings and also without loosing cultural values as they guaranteed a

research were being carried out in the country, adding, “ I am not sure that conscious efforts to make use of these researches have ever been made by the Nigerian governments|” The four day conference had as its, theme “The Synthesis of Art and Culture for Peace, Stability, and National Developments” was attended by participants from tertiary institutions across the country

LG Boss Urges Preservation Of Culture

Group Visits Council Boss

AGENEBODE – The Christian Youth of Nigeria For Transparency, Accountability and Good Leadership Association, has paid a courtesy call on the Etsako East Local Government Chairman, Hon. Abdulmalik Suleiman Afegbua.

Leader of the group, Reverend Samuel Enaboakpe who described the association as a faith based organisation said it recently relocated from Kano to contribute to the development of Etsako East.

He identified health, Anticorruption, environment and human trafficking as areas of focus of the organisation, adding that they will provide support group for people living with HIV/AIDS. He stated that the fight against corruption cannot be left for government alone, saying the crusade has to begin from childhood and family units in order to build integrity in the society.

He said the organisation is planning, to create awareness on environmental sanitation, afforestation and climate change.

He further stated that they are in partnership with NAPTIP to tackle issues of trafficking in persons.

While congratulating the chairman on his electoral victory, Rev. Enaboakpe advised him to remain focus in his determination to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the locality.

Responding, the council boss congratulated the organisation for its foresight for Etsako East and the entire Nigeria society.

He said that the areas of operation of the organisation cut across every segment of the society, adding that it has ingredients of truth.

While expressing his disgust for sycophancy, Hon. Afegbua maintained that it is not only through governance that one can contribute to societal development.

much more stable society.

Chairman on the occasion, Barr. Austin Ainabor lamented the neglect and the levity with which research works were treated by Nigerian governments, pointing out that there was a compelling need for the leaders to pay serious attention to research if Nigeria was to attain development.

Ainabor noted that a lot of

L-R: Port Harcourt Area Deputy Manager, Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Bola Odeniyi, Area Manager, PPMC, Mr. Emmanuel Anam; GOC 82 Div. Enugu, Maj.Gen. Adebayor Olaniyi and Commander, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, Brig.-Gen. Osasogie Uzamere during inspection of JTF Operational Base at Gokana in Rivers recently.

LG Boss Inspects Projects AGENEBODE – The

UNEME-EKPEDO Traditional institutions and their rulers have been urged to maintain the culture in their domain in order to prevent its extinction due to infiltration of foreign ones.

The charge was given at Uneme-Ekpedo, in AkokoEdo local government area of Edo State by Hon Folorunsho Akerejola Joseph Chairman of the Local Government Council.

The chairman who spoke through his chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daodu Matthew said he is always happy to identify with people who are not carried away by conflicting culture which they are known for over the years.

Akerejola said, “My good and great people of Ekpedo, people who in the past are valued for what they are known for, I want to implore you to remain as responsible people of our great cultural values, no matter the environmental luxury.

You must be consistent in upholding of your forefathers culture for the generation next

to meet,” he said.

Meanwhile, His Royal Highness, the Onose of Ekpedo, Oba J. O Obabori said “We are doing this to preserve our culture so that our prized culture will not go into extinction, which is why I called on all parents, home and abroad to indoctrinate in their children the values of culture that cannot be bought like education”.

The traditional ruler blamed none participation in cultural activities on the infiltration of religion and socialization.

“In the past, there was low turnout because many do longer believe in traditions that go against their religion, but 13 years ago, we have to change it to Ekpedo Day to bring everybody home.

“Since then, it has been fantastic” he said and therefore called on fellow traditional rulers to obey the laws of the land because no traditional rulers has the right to disobey existing laws, rather make people obey them”.

Supervisors, Special as scheduled.

Chairman, Etsako East The Chairman was Assistants and other senior Local Government Council, accompanied by council officials.

Hon. Abdulmalik Suleiman Afegbua has inspected the ongoing reconstruction of 6 classrooms block at Okpodi primary school, Ivianokpodi.

The Council Chairman expressed satisfaction with the quality of job but however frowned at the delay, saying the project ought to have been completed within one week.

He therefore directed the contractor to speed up work on the project with a view to completing it scheduled.

Speaking on behalf of the community, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Chairman of the school, Mr. Bello Enu, expressed happiness with the chairman, hoping that the project would be completed GOC 82 Division, Enugu, Maj.-Gen. Adebayor Olaniyi (left), and Commander, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, Brig.-Gen. Osasogie Uzamere (right), during an inspection tour of JTF Operational Base at Gokana in Rivers recently.

THE NIGERIAN

5 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

News Group Demands Apology From UMUAHIA- The Civil LiberChief Judge ties Organisation (CLO), Abia chapter, has called on the acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Shadrach Nwanosike, to apologise to the people for falsifying his age.

Mr Pedro Azuogu, the Chairman of the organisation, made the demand during an interview with newsmen in Umuahia.

Azuogu was reacting to the directive by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for Nwanosike to proceed on compulsory retirement after he was found guilty of age falsification.

“It is unfortunate that His Lordship towed that inglorious path to elongate his stay in office.

“On the side of law, what has happened is a case of perjury and I sympathise with him,” the chairman said.

He said the NJC was right in taking such decision after proper scrutiny of all available documents.

Azuogu said the council had already given him a soft landing by telling him to resign instead of outright dismissal, which he said would have been a colossal loss.

“It is not fair that he who protects the law defiles it. He should apologise to Nigerians and the NJC on its part should let the matter be,” he said.

He said the crime of false declaration of age was phenomenal in the country, adding: “It is not such offence you curb by law but through ethical re-orientation.”

Azuogu advocated for an ethical re-orientation on the issue of false declaration of age by public servants.

Meanwhile, the Judiciary Monitoring Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Aba branch, has called for the prosecution of Nwanosike over the matter.

Chief Ukpai Ukairo, the Chairman of the committee, said such disciplinary action would serve as deterrent to others who might contemplate doing same.

He said the action of the acting chief judge had brought to fore the rot in the state judicial system.

“The acting chief judge should not only resign but also be prosecuted because falsification of age is a criminal offence.

“We commend the NJC for the steps it has taken and this will serve as a deterrent to other judges involved in criminal activities,” he said.

The news of the compulsory retirement of Nwanosike came when he was billed for a jail delivery in Aba Prisons.

Efforts to get the Chief Registrar, Mrs Nnena Ndukwe, to comment on the development failed as she declined comments.

The NJC, under the chairmanship of Justice Aloma Mukhtar, had during a two-day meeting in Abuja established that the acting chief judge falsified his age and subsequently recommended his compulsory retirement.

R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, former Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake (middle), during the 3rd Day Fidau prayer for Governor Fashola’s father, Late pa Ibrahim Ademola Bayo Fashola at Ladipo Labinjo Street, Surulere recently.

Culpable Homicide: Court Remands

MAKURDI- A Makurdi Magistrates’ Court has remanded two men standing trial for alleged criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.

The police prosecutor, Patrick Sunday, told the court that one Hannah Boshen of Yandev Street

in the Wadata area of Makurdi, reported the matter to the police.

“Boshen’s sister-in-law, Nnena Boshen of the same address, reported that her husband, Mr Tertsea Boshen, went to Udei village but called later to say he had been kidnapped.

2 Persons

“Boshen told his wife that he was taken to a bush in Adaka village by some persons who conspired with one Torhide Akosu, a friend of his, and forced him to drink mixture sus-

Electoral Commission To Introduce Call Centres ENUGU- The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) has said that it would introduce call centres during the November 2 council polls in the state.

The ENSIEC Chairman, Dr Boniface Eneh, who spoke at the release of the 2013 election timetables in Enugu, said the centres would help to ensure free, fair, credible and violencefree elections.

Eneh said the centres would be equipped with communication gadgets to receive complaints from electorate with a view to tackling them.

“We are trying to liaise with an international organisation to help us in organising call centres, where we will be attending to the challenges of the electorate as they come.

“It is going to be a replica of what INEC is doing,’’ he said.

He said the commission, with the approval of INEC, would

introduce more polling units in the state to bring them closer to the electorate.

Eneh said the commission had visited the 2,959 polling centres in the state to ensure that they were actually polling centres.

“We will make sure that election materials are not delivered to anybody’s house, which has been disguised as polling centre,’’ he said.

The chairman said that candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship posts would

pay a non-refundable fee of N200, 000 and N50, 000, respectively.

He said that the processes for the elections would last from September 20 to October 29.

Mr Steve Oruruo, Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Enugu state chapter, commended the commission for the early release of the timetable.

Oruruo assured the citizens of the state of the party’s commitment to present reliable candidates, who would deliver dividends of democracy if elected.

“We will make choices that will be of interest to our people.

We want to continue enjoying peace in this state.

“We will sensitise our people appropriately to work according to the guidelines,’’ Oruruo assured.

Mr Thompson Orji, who represented APGA, Enugu State, said ENSIEC should ensure that enough policemen were on duty at the polling centres.

“We want a free and fair election. If we see that the elections are free, fair and credible, there will be no point writing peti-

tions or going to court.

“We hope that security agencies will work effectively to ensure that opposition parties are not stampeded,’’ Orji said.

Some members of the civil society group, who spoke at the occasion, appealed to the commission, stakeholders, media and security agencies to ensure that the elections were peaceful.

pected to be poison.

“The victim was later found unconscious and taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, where he died.’’

The police said that investigation led to the arrest of Akosu of No. 24, Yandev Street, Wadata, and Tersoo Abayol of No. 12, Zaki-Biam Street, Wadata, over the alleged crime.

The prosecutor said that chlorine and alum were recovered in the home of Abayol following police investigation.

When the case came up for mention, the plea of the accused persons was not taken for lack of jurisdiction.

The prosecution said investigation into the matter was still in progress and requested for another date to mention the case.

The Magistrate, Mrs Lillian Terseer-Tsumba, adjourned the case to September 19 for mention.

Use Pilgrimage For Spiritual Transformation, Commission Advises of the North-West zone of the KADUNA- The Executive he visited Governor. Mukhtar October 28.

Nigerians Secretary of Nigeria Christian Yero of Kaduna State to Opara added that arrange- commission.

Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr John Okpara, has urged Nigerians to use pilgrimage as tool for moral and spiritual transformation.

Okpara made the call when

sensitise Christians pilgrims to the Holy Land in 2013.

“Ours is to use pilgrimage as a tool for moral and spiritual transformation. We are using it to bring families together and

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (3rd left), first lady of Lagos State, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola (4th left), widow of late pa Ibrahim Ademola Bayo Fashola, Mrs. Cecilia Fashola (2nd left), Alhaji Bintu Tinubu (left) and Governor Fashola’s siblings, Mrs. Arinola Fuwa (3rd right) and Ms Yinka Fashola (right) during the 3rd Day Fidau prayer for Governor Fashola’s father, late pa Ibrahim Ademola Bayo Fashola at Ladipo Labinjo Street, Surulere recently.

to pray for our nation’’, he said.

He said the Federal Government had approved the exchange of one dollar to N146 for Christian and Muslim pilgrims. “ This has helped us to bring a reduction in the cost of the holy pilgrimage to Israel.

Those that will be going to Israel alone would enjoy 12 per cent reduction.

“Those that will be going to Rome or Greece and Israel combined will enjoy 20 per cent reduction. “ This brings the package to Israel to N358,000, while those that will be going to Rome or Greece will pay N421,000.

“The physically challenged and elderly persons will pay N365,000, that is another nine per cent reduction in the total cost of the pilgrimage’, he said.

According to him, the commission allocated 1,000 seats to Kaduna state pilgrims in the exercise scheduled to start in

ments were in place for Kaduna pilgrims to take off from Kaduna rather than from Abuja in order to minimise hardship and security challenges.

He said the commission had introduced family pilgrimage to instill moral values in the society, particularly among youths.

“We are losing our family values and system. Most of the crimes committed today are mainly committed by youths.

“We believe that we can get them right. The Bible says if the foundation is not right, what can the righteous do? “ We believe that if 3050,000 Nigerians undertake this pilgrimage, and each and every one of us comes back to affect 10 to 20 lives in no distant time, millions will be affected morally and spiritually.’’

The executive secretary appealed to the State Government to redeem its bus and land pledge as part of the requirements for establishment

Responding, Governor Yero assured the commission of the state government’s support, adding that it would provide a bus and land for the north-west zone to be located in Kaduna.

He emphasised the need to strengthen the relationship between Christians and Muslims, adding that such would promote peace and the development of the state.

The governor expressed satisfaction with the introduction of the family pilgrimage, urging parents to use as an instrument to instill good moral upbringing in their children.

“Family value is the only way we can restore our country back to the path of greatness. This is an area that we have so much neglected.

“We have set aside our good cultures and traditions and have accepted some values and traditions which do not add value to us. They only destroy us’’, he said.

THE NIGERIAN

6 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Across The Nation Group Donates To Project Charilove

LG Boss Justifies Staff Audit

BY INNOCENT OMOAKA

BENIN CITY - The Edo Organisation of New York Inc. USA has donated materials and items worth over 700 thousand naira to Project Charilove in Benin City.

The materials and items included fifty 2-in-1 classroom desks, four white chalkboards, sundry food items, cash donation among other items.

Speaking during the donation at the weekend, the organisation’s president, Mr. Charles Eke, described the donation to Project Charilove as part of the mandate of the 20man Edo Organisation of New York Inc. based in the United State of America, to better life back at home.

Mr. Eke added that the collective mandate of the organisation is to provide aids to persons and groups in dire need through funding and provision of infrastructure.

He however, called on other socio-cultural organisations abroad to provide assistance to the less privileged at home in such a way that would truly transform lives and better the society at large.

“Despite the challenges with identifying foundations with genuine interest of serving humanity, there are trustworthy foundations in Nigeria such as Project Charilove, that can be used to reach out to the less privileged,” he said.

Responding to the group’s donation to the foundation, the director, Project Charilove, Mr. Chris Omusi, lauded the donation of the organisation for its effort in reaching out and catering for those in need and the physically challenge in the society.

Also, accompanying the Edo Organisation of New York team, are the executive members of other foreign Edo socio-cultural groups based in the USA

The SSA to the Governor on Culture and Tourism/Convener, “Dream Alive with Pikolo”, Daniel Eromosele, aka Pikolo, exchanging pleasantries with the Edo State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Chika Alpha Ikpeamonwu during a visit to the NSCDC boss in Benin City recently.

The President, Edo in New York, Mr. Charles Eke in a handshake with Mr. Chris Omusi, Co-ordinator General, Project Charilove during the donation of food items and chairs to the Centre in Benin City at the weekend, while others look on. Photo: OSADEBAMWEN SUNDAY.

Cleric Decries Loss Of Lives, Property KEFFI (NASARAWA STATE) - The Catholic Bishop of Lafia Diocese, Most Rev Matthew Audu, has decried the wanton destruction of lives and property in Nasarawa State and parts of Nigeria.

Audu said this at Dutse-Uku Village, near Keffi, Nasarawa State, at the funeral service of his mother, Mrs. Mary Audu.

The Bishop said that the violence that had claimed many

CCCG Convention Begins Today

BENIN CITY - The year 2013 International Convention of Christ Chosen Church of God (CCCG), begins today at the Central Cathedral Complex, kilometer 8, Benin Agbor Road, Benin City.

In a release signed by the spiritual leader of the church, Most Snr. Apostle (Dr.) Joshua Osasuyi and made available to The Nigerian Observer indicated that the Convention will commence today August 12, and end on Monday August 19, 2013.

IGARRA- The Chairman, Akoko Edo Local Government Council, Hon Akerejola Joseph has said the council’s staff Audit committee was set up to take proper stock of the council staff as part of efforts to enhance effective administration of the council.

The administrative strategies, he said are encapsulated in the councils Development Programme, including staff redistribution and economic planning.

Inaugurating the committee, the council chairman stated that the staff auditing would enable the local government authorities ascertain the actual number of staff in the council.

According to him, “This is to enable us know how to strategize the development of both human and infrastructural needs of the council.

He noted that development without strategic planning cannot achieve good result, saying the exercise was aimed at improved staff welfare.

“Our desire to embark on staff verification exercise is to plan ways to meet the needs of staff members and to improve their conditions for better service delivery” he said.

The committee, is headed by the council’s vice chairman, Mr. Godson Haiyaye (Esq), while members include the supervisory counsellor for information, Mr. Collins Ekhafe, the majority leader of

The Convention has as its theme, “Amazing Love” and will run two sessions, 9am, and 4pm daily.

The spiritual leader of the church, Most Snr. Apostle (Dr) Joshua Osasuyi will be joined by the 1st Vice Chairman Church Council, Snr. Apostle David Unuefe, 2 nd Vice Chairman, Church Council, Snr. Apostle (Dr) Joseph Onaghise and a host of other anointed men of God who will be present at the occasion to bless souls of faithful that will be present.

lives and property worth several millions of naira were unnecessary and unhealthy to the growth of the state and the nation at large.

Audu said the situation in Nasarawa state and parts of the country were regrettable, adding that Nigerians must pray for peace and unity in the country.

“When I look at the people that are gathered here today to bury my mother, I am overwhelmed with joy.

“But when I look at the situation facing us in this country, and especially in Nasarawa State, the killing of innocent people and destruction of property, my heart bleeds.

“Up till now, people are being killed in parts of the state and

this is a sad development,’’ he said.

The clergyman urged political and community leaders in the state to unite in the interest of peace and development.

He said that leaders across different borders should detach themselves from tribal, political and religious affiliations and work for the good of the entire society.

Audu said that crime and impunity had persisted in the society because of most leaders’ attachment to tribal, religious and political interests.

“When we become attached to our tribes and despise other tribes, then it becomes tribalism and this is not good for our developmental aspirations.

“Let us learn to live together

irrespective of our differences,’’ he said.

The bishop urged religious leaders in the state to guide members of their congregation to the path of righteousness and honesty in the interest of peace and development.

Earlier in his message, the state governor, Alhaji Tanko Almakura, urged the family of the deceased to bear the loss of Mrs. Audu with fortitude.

Represented by the deputy governor, Mr Luka Damishi, Almakura said the demise of the mother of the bishop was a great loss to the people of the state.

Also, Information minister Labaran Maku, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the interment, extolled the virtues of Madam Audu.

Shift LG Election, APC Urges KWSIEC

ILORIN – Mr. Kayode Olawepo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission to shift the date for the local government election in the state.

Olawepo, who made the call while speaking with newsmen

in Ilorin, said the call became necessary to enable the new party to take part in the poll.

He said no member of the new party had collected the party’s card, adding that nobody could contest election without party membership card.

“We are going to contest the

coming local government election under the banner of the APC. “KWSIEC has no choice than to shift the election date and adjust its timetable to accommodate us in its programmes.

the legislative arm, Mr. Joshua Suberu, Council Internal Auditor, Murana Izuagie and Mr. Victor Jaiyeola who will serve as secretary to the committee.

Besides ascertaining the actual staff strength of the council, the committee is also to recommend ways for propers staff deployment in a manner that would enhance optimal productivity.

The council boss however prayed the support and cooperation of the council staff for the committee to discharge its assignment effectively.

NGO Set For Talent Show

BY VICTOR OMOALU BENIN CITY- A Non – Governmental Organization, ‘Dream Alive With Pikolo” has concluded plans to organise a talent hunt show between August 27 and 29, 2013 to harness musical talents across South South Nigeria.

In a chat with newsmen in Benin City shortly after paying a courtesy call on the Edo State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), Mr. Chika Alpha Ikpeamonwu, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Culture and Tourism/ convener, Dream Alive With Pikolo, Daniel Eremosele (aka pikolo) noted that the talent hunt project was aimed at discovering talents that abound in the streets.

The SSA noted that the project was part of his effort as the SSA to the governor on culture/Tourism at augmenting the monumental achievements of the comrade governor by way of identifying and grooming young talents that abound in the state.

He stated that the event will witness the auditioning of talents in the various categories of music, comedy and dancing with prize winners in the three categories.

He Highlighted the project’s objective to include fostering participation in the entertainment industry, elevating the popularity of local stars, raise role models in the industry as well as leveraging the entertainment industry as a viable tool towards the promotion/sustenance of peace amongst the teeming youths.

Eminent Nigerians, including entertainment scholars, top government officials and statesmen are expected to grace the grand finale billed to hold on Sunday September 27, 2013.

THE NIGERIAN

7 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

News Jigawa Secures Employment For ABUJA- The Jigawa State 70,000 Youths Government has said it had secured employment for no fewer than 70,000 youths into the Nigeria Paramilitary service from 2007 to 2013.

Mr Umar Kyari, the Chief Press Secretary to Jigawa State Governor, said this to newsmen in Abuja.

Kyari said the employment had helped to reduced unemployment rate among the youth in all the local governments of Jigawa state.

In addition, he said thousands of youths were also trained on different skills acquisition programmes such as Carpentry, Clothes knitting and Photography among others.

“There is no local government in Jigawa where you will not see lady photographers, and they are doing well in this profession,” he said.

He said Governor. Sule Lamido had been able to cater for the physically-challenge persons in all the local government areas in Jigawa with monthly stipends to each since he assumed office.

He recommended Jigawa as a conducive place for investors, adding that “the land is blessed with mineral resources and with peaceful people that are living har-

moniously with one another.

“World Bank and some donor Agencies confirmed that Jigawa is the best place for investors to do business,” he said.

Reports say that Jigawa State is blessed with minerals such as kaolin, marl stones, potash, iron ore, copper, gold, white quartz, refractory clay and antimony.

Livestock is also an important aspect of the economy of the state as large numbers of cattle are reared in the state.

AKURE- The Ondo State Government has commissioned two Fadama youths villages in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo and Ondo West Local Government area of the state.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Lasisi Oluboyo, said at the occasion that the measure geared toward curbing the menace of unemployment and attract young people into farmin.

Oluboyo, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Kole Ogunsuyi, noted that the Fadama programme had impacted positively on the communties by providing various infrastructure such as market stalls and roads, among others.

“The effort of the state government through the Fadama lll project has resulted to an increase in the income of at least 75% of the targeted beneficiaries.

“As part of the effort in ensuring food security and wealth creation through agriculture, the state government has released 200 million to Agricultural Input supply Agency (AISA) for the purchase of agricultural inputs for sale to farmers at between 30 per cent and 50 per cent subsidy.”

Oluboyo said the state government, under Fadama lll project, had so far disbursed over N500 million to farmers in the state since its inception with more than 50,000 households benfitting.

In a remark, the acting state Coordinator, Mr. Olusuji Olatunji said the youths in two villages had been organised into 11 groups comprising over 220 youths in each village, engaged to various agricultural activities such as grasscutter rearing, snailery, piggery and poultry production.

Olatunji, however, said that over 28,000 farmers had been trained on record keeping, agricultural business manage-

ment and improved technology for both crops and livestock.

Also speaking, the South West Zonal Coordinator of the project, Mr. Rasak Ademosu, advised the youth groups to see this assistance as a life-transforming venture and be diligent in the business.

Mr. Akinwatimi Akintade a benefiary from Asejere Fadama User Group in IleOluji/Oke Igbo commended the effort of the state government in implementing the programme, adding that it would encourage the young people to embrace farming business.

SABONGIDA-ORA Chairman of Owan East Local Government Council. Hon (Barr) Jimoh Ijegbai has given contractors handling various projects in the local government area, 28 weeks to complete them or risk revocation.

The council boss said there will be no excuse on the part of any contractor not to complete his project on schedule as all contractor have been mobilized to the tune of 25 percent of the

total contract sum.

He advised them to adhere to job specification in the execution of their jobs, stressing that his administration will not compromise standard or execution of any shoddy job.

Barrister Ijegbai gave this directive when he inspected the on-going electricity projects in Afuze, the administrative headquarter of the local government, construction of Uanhumi Primary School and the renovation

of adequate potable water supply, in spite of the destruction of some water equipment during the 2012 flood disaster.

Mr Musa Baba, the Director Planning Research and Statistics of the Taraba State Water Supply Agency, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Baba said that the government was rehabilitating the damaged equipment and in addition, would soon construct new water treatment plants, to ensure adequate water supply in the state. “ Taraba Government has not overlooked the impact of the flood disaster on the public water system.

“Taraba was one of the states hit by the flooding incident

which affected almost all the water works.

“The state government is making effort to resuscitate the affected water works so that people can have access to drinkable water.”‘ Baba told journalists that the Lau and Ibbi-Wukari Water Works had been completely repaired and water supply restored.

He further said that state government had embarked on the sinking of new boreholes in Lau Water Works, in collaboration with MDGs Office.

“The Ibi-Wukari axis is already enjoying water supply now while we are putting finishing touches at Lau Water Works to restore water to Lau town.

“And for other towns which were also affected by the flood, government is handy to intervene.”

Baba added that the pipe networking which were eroded, thereby cutting off some residents from having access to water had been replaced.

He reassured the residents that as soon as the repair works were completed, access to water in the affected areas would be restored.

The director further assured the residents that the rehabilitation and construction of water intakes had been done to prevent any damage, should there be another of flood.

Ondo Inaugurates Fadama Youth Villages

L-R: Representative of the Minister of FCT, Dr. Mulam Godit presenting a Certified International Managers Certificate to Mr. Zeph Agwu during the inauguration of Board of Directors of African Project and Programme Management Board (Nigerian chapter) in Abuja recently. With them is President, Direct Leadership Institute in Ghana, Dr. Donald Agumenu.

Queues at Automated Teller Machines (ATM) at Oyingbo, in Lagos State weekend.

LG Boss Gives Ultimatum To Contractors

Govt Assures Of Adequate JALINGO - The Taraba GovWater Supply ernment has assured its citizens

of Evbiamen Secondary School.

The Council boss, who expressed satisfaction with the projects inspected, assured the contractors of prompt payment on certificates presented, as his administration will not owe any contractor.

According to him, “it does not make any sense to add a man’s woes if you can assist him, hence all contracts will be

paid for”.

He explained that the 15 primary school projects to be sited in the various wards, will be paid for at every stage of completion.

The council chairman who said his passion for education is responsible for his administration’s huge investment in the child is investing in the future of the child as leader of tomorrow.

He disclosed that the primary schools will be equipped with

desks and chairs in line with the Comrade Governor’s policy of one child, one desk and chair, just as he said that over 2500 desks and chairs have been procured for distribution to schools in the local government.

The procurement of desks and chairs is going to be a continuous one until every child in the primary school has a desk and chair to himself,” the chairman assured.

Ekiti Spends N861m On Indigent areas of the state.

ADO-EKITI-A total sum Students ment Besides, Ojo said N123 of N861 million has so far been spent by the Ekiti Government to assist indigent but brilliant students to pursue their education in the last three years.

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Kehinde Ojo, said this in Ado-Ekiti at a forum where Governor.

Kayode Fayemi presented scholarship awards to six brilliant Ekiti students.

He said Fayemi gave approval for the release of the sum at various stages of need so as to enable the students

realise their ambition.

Reports say that the beneficiaries recently gained admission to Oxford and Harvard Universities as well as some Chinese universities for post graduate programmes.

While giving a breakdown, he said government committed N381 million on funding bursary awards to its students in various higher institutions in the country.

Another N95 million, he said, was also paid as bursary to indigent students spread across all the 16 local govern-

million was spent on 155 indigents of the state studying law in various Nigerian universities.

The commissioner said another N262 million was spent on scholarship awards to brilliant students from the state studying abroad.

He called on students from the state to take a cue from beneficiaries by displaying exceptional academic prowess to benefit from government’s gestures.

THE NIGERIAN

8 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Across The Nation

Plateau Records 58 Percent Success Exclusive Breastfeeding:

JOS - Plateau has recorded 58 per cent success in exclusive breast feeding, according to Dr Elias Pede, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health.

Pede, who quoted figures from the National Demographic and Health Survey, told newsmen in Jos that the state was targeting 99 per cent exclusive breast feeding “in view of its health benefits’’.

The official said that the state government, in collaboration with UNICEF, had trained 400 community volunteers in eight local government areas toward attaining the desired target.

He said that the state had also trained 150 health facilitators on

Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF).

“We shall continue to encourage exclusive breast feeding because it has various health benefits to both the mother and the child.

“It protects infants from gastro-enteritis and respiratory infections and is the best way to provide newborns with nutrients they need to build their immune system.

“Breast milk, especially the first yellow thick milk, called colostrums, contains anti-bacterial and anti-viral agents and high levels of vitamin A that protects the infant against diseases,” he said.

INEC Uncovers Fraud In Voters’ Register

By JOSES SEDE ABUJA - Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has announced that the Commission has detected 93,526 multiple registrations in the Voters Register ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State.

Jega made the fact known during an interactive session with civil society organisations and the media on voters’ registration optimisation.

He said the figure, which had been removed from the voters’ register, represented five per cent of the registered voters in Anambra.

He said the offenders would be prosecuted as INEC was collaborating with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to bring the perpetrators to book.

“This exercise is starting with Anambra and would be done nationwide before the 2015 general elections,’’ the newsmen quoted Prof. Jega as saying at the interactive session.

The INEC chairman identified underage registration as a major problem affecting smooth registration in the country.

He expressed concern that in many communities where multiple registrations occurred, INEC officials were helpless after threats by some members of the communities.

He said, henceforth, all voters’ cards would be issued and collected at the local governments with age identification by the electorate to minimise electoral fraud.

Pede said that children, who enjoyed exclusive breast feeding, had higher developmental scores as toddlers and higher intelligence quotient (IQ) as children than those that do not enjoy breast feeding.

The official said that breasting feeding also reduces the risk of pre-menstrual breast and ovarian cancer in women.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breast feeding for the newborn in their first six months and also encourages continuos breast feeding with nutritious complementary foods till the infant is two years old.

A cross section of Muslim faithful during the Eid-el-Fitr prayer in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday.

SEMA Warns Against Diversion Of Relief Materials

MIKANGH (PLATEAU) Alhaji Alhassan Barde, Executive Secretary, Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has warned the agency’s personnel and other stakeholders against diversion of relief materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Barde gave the warning in Mikang while supervising the

distribution of relief materials for 3,808 IDPs in Quan’Pan and Mikang local governments of the state.

Newsmen report that the people were displaced by violent attacks by unknown gunmen and various communal clashes that rocked some parts of Southern Plateau.

“No one should tamper with these relief materials because we

Taxation: Institute Call For Accurate LAGOS – Mr. Adesina Adedayo, Treasurer, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), has said that lack of accurate knowledge of incomes in the informal sector was antithetical to the sector’s taxation.

Adedayo told newsmen in Lagos that the issue of taxation of the informal sector would continue to generate controversy, except income levels could be determined.

He said a more accurate approach to ascertaining the actual income of taxpayers in the sector was necessary to stop allegations of “over-taxation“.

“It is not good to adopt judg-

Knowledge Of Income

mental analysis or across the board assessment in the informal sector to determine their Income Tax. “A shop owner or a market trader may be making more than a small scale businessman with no less than 25 members of staff.

“If incomes are not at par with taxes, there is likely to be accusations and counter accusations in our tax system,“ he said.

“For instance, it is a minus to our economy if carpenters were given across the board tax assessment of N2, 500 because

their incomes could not be estimated.“ He urged the tax authorities in the country to evolve strategies to determine incomes of participants in the informal sector, to increase governments’ net earnings from tax.

“Computerisation of all activities in our economy will greatly perfect the taxation of those in the informal sector.

“Government has to also strengthen its Taxpayers Identification Numbers (TIN) policy,“ he said.

think this is inhuman; anyone caught will never be spared,’’ he said.

He regretted reports that relief materials meant for IDPs sometimes do not reach the target groups, and hinted that SEMA had set up some internal mechanism to fish out those engaged in such practises.

“Such very unbecoming acts are against government’s untiring efforts aimed at ameliorating the sufferings of victims of violence and should be condemned totally.’’

Mr Theophilus Dakas-Shan, Management Committee Chairman, Quan’Pan Local Government Council, in his remarks, said that that the local government was hosting 2, 804 IDPs from neighbouring communities.

Represented by the Secretary of the Council, Mr Ignatius Miaphen, the Chairman disclosed that most of the displaced persons live in worship centers, schools and homes of relatives.

Dakas-Shan, who collected the materials for onward distribution to IDPs, commended the

state government’s proactive steps to alleviate the sufferings of the displaced persons.

Mr Isah Kongwai, Mikang Local Government boss, in his remarks, informed the SEMA team that his local government was hosting 1,004 IDPs. Kongwai lauded the government’s gesture and assured the people that the council would do everything possible to ensure that the actual IDPs got the materials.

The Chairman said that the local government had earlier provided some food items to the IDPs before the intervention from SEMA. Mr Duuda Dunyep, one of displaced persons in Mikang, thanked the government for assisting them, and prayed for the return of permanent peace to enable them return to their homes.

Among items donated to the victims were building materials, bags of rice, beans, maize, palm and vegetable oils, mattresses, blankets, detergents and wrappers.

Kebbi To Spend N1.7bn On Schools BIRNIN KEBBI - The

People relaxing at National Arts Theatre in Lagos State as part of Eid-el-Fitr holidays on Friday.

Kebbi State Universal Basic Education Board (KSUBEB) said it would spend N1.7billion on the provision of furniture, laboratories,and computers to Primary and Junior Secondary Schools(JSS) in the state.

The Chairman of the board, Alhaji Haruna Dan-Katsina, said this in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday when he spoke to contractors that would handle the projects.

He said the meeting with contractors was to enable the Department of Engineering of the board caution them against bad execution of projects.

“The shoddy execution of any project would not be accepted and may affect future relationship between the contractors and the board”, he said.

Dan-Katsina later told newsmen in an interview that a total of 68 blocks of staff rooms with stores and offices would be provided in primary schools.

The chairman said the projects were contained in the 2012 budget while submissions for the 2013 projects had been presented and awaiting approval.

He said the 68 schools would also be provided with additional classrooms while 36 blocks of classrooms, 12 laboratories ,14 computer rooms and staff quarters would be provided in 12 JSS schools .

“The schools would also be provided with befitting staff quarters to boost moral”, DanKatsina further said.

THE NIGERIAN

9 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

News Intern, Driver Accused Of Stealing N471,000, Ipad

Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa (left), being welcomed by Governor Murtala Nyako, during his Sallah homage to Government House in Yola, Adamawa State on Friday.

Late LG Boss Laid To Rest

By OSE EHEBHA

EKPOMA (Edo State) The remains of the late chairman of Esan West Local Government Council of Edo State, Hon. Henry Irumundomon have been laid to rest in Ekpoma, with the new chairman, Hon. Saturday Ogbeide announcing council’s resolve to take full responsibility for education of the bereaved children that are schooling in Nigeria.

Ogbeide who made the pledge during the lying state of the late chairman at the council secretariat, pledged to keep constant touch with the family with a view to offering needful assistance.

He expressed his commitment towards fulfilling the campaign promises of the late chairman to the people as a mark of respect.

He equally made passionate commitment towards the resolution of the party crisis in the local government chapter, which he said has created two rival factions.

He paid tribute to his late boss, describing him as an amiable leader who had uncommon passion for transformation of the local government and its people.

“I am sure those of us that were fortunate to be part of honourable Irumundomon’s administration, share his dreams, hope and vision for the local government, before the cold hands of death took him away from us.

“I therefore want to assure you that his campaign promises which he was so passionate about will not die with him, as no stone will be left unturned to fulfill all the social and infrastructural amenities he promised the good people of this local government area.

In the same vein, the crisis

in our party, Esan West Local Government Area which has degenerated into rival faction with its attendant consequences will, by the grace of God be amicably resolved as a mark of respect and honour to Hon. Henry Irumundomon.

“To this end, all necessary machineries would be put in place to settle the contending issues that led to the conflicts in the party”, he said.

Dignitaries, including the mother of the Edo State Governor, Hajia Aishetu Oshiomhole, State chairman of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, Hon. Thomas Okosun, former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembley, Hon. Bright Omokhodion, state legislator representing Esan West Constituency, Hon. Mondya Ihighalua, council chairmen, politicians from diverse political parties,

Breast-Feeding: Govt

Trains 150 Counsellors security.

AWKA - The Anambra Government has said it has trained 150 infant and young child community and 800 breast feeding supporters on lactation management.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Lawrence Ikeako, made this known at a press briefing to mark the 2013 World Breast Feeding Week in Awka.

Ikeako said that the trainees were expected to counsel and support mothers on the appropriate infant feeding practises.

“The period when mothers do not visit health care facility is the time when a community support system for them is essential.

“Even, when mothers are able to get off to a good start, all too often in the weeks or months after delivery, there is a sharp decline in breast feeding rates and practises,” he said.

Ikeako said that exclusively breast fed children were not likely to develop Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

According to him, exclusively breast fed babies are more intelligent, better composed, strong, and have more love for the family and neighbours and have saense of

“Exclusive breast feeding for six months also reduces risk of pre-menopausal breast and ovarian pregnancy of mothers and as well protects mothers against anaemia,” Ikeako said.

The theme of 2013 World Breast Feeding Week is: “Breast Feeding Support: Close to Mothers”, while the slogan is “Exclusive Breast Feeding: Support the Mother, Support the Child’’.

council officials and many others, graced the burial ceremony.

At the funeral service which held at St. David’s Anglican Church, Obhoakhua, Ekpoma, the officiating priest Venerable Anthony Taiwo Akande, described late Irumundomon as an advocate of truth.

He praised the deceased’s chairman for his contribution to the church, and called on others to emulate him.

He equally enjoined the children to maintain the legacies left behind by the father, with a view to portraying the shinning examples of their late patriarch.

Highpoint of the burial ceremony was interment of the late council boss at his residence in Ebhoakhaula, Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

It would be recalled that the late Chairman was sworn in as the Executive chairman on Friday,April 26, 2013 and died on Friday, July 26, 2013.

Fun seekers defy warning at barbeach in Lagos on Friday.

LAGOS Ahmed Agbetoba, 32, and Kunle Agboola, 21, have been arraigned at a Yaba Magistrates’ Court, Lagos charged with stealing N471,000 and an Ipad.

The duo, driver and intern with Bertola Machines Ltd, Lagos, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

Agbetoba and Agboola reside at No. 3, Oguntolu St., Shomolu, and No. 3 Unity Close, Ogudu, Lagos, respectively.

The prosecutor, Mr. Oliver Nwangwu, said the accused committed the offence on August. at the company’s premises at No. 296, Ikorodu Road, Lagos.

Nwangwu said the two men broke into the company’s accounts office and stole N471,000 and an Ipad tablet.

“When the theft was discovered, the management

of the company invited the police who arrested the men after investigation.’’

The prosecutor said the offences contravened sections 409 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Section 285 provides that any person who steals property is guilty of felony and is liable to three years imprisonment.

The Magistrate, Mrs B. Folarin-Williams, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

She said that one of the sureties must be a blood relation and the two must show evidence of payment of tax to the Lagos State Government.

Folarin-Williams adjourned the case to October, 8 for mention.

FG Urged To Discuss Port Security With US LAGOS - The Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES) has advised the Federal Government to urgently discuss with the American Government on ways to improve security in Nigerian ports.

The President of AMES, Mr. Charles Uwadia, gave the advice at a news conference in Lagos.

He said: “It is just 21 days left to the ultimatum given by the American Government for Nigeria to implement the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.”

The U.S. gave the 90-day ultimatum in June.

“We (AMES) strongly suggest that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) takes full responsibility,’’

Uwadia said.

He said that NIMASA should discuss with the International Port Security Liaison Officer Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard, Mr David Gates, to ensure a satisfactory level of compliance.

“While the discussion is going on, NIMASA should embark on accelerated reforms that will not only demonstrate its authority but provide the foundation for sustainability.

“AMES believes that a well-fashioned process from the evolving changes occasioned by the U.S. Coast Guard intervention will assist in the reforms,” the marine engineer said.

Uwadia said that the reforms by NIMASA should include sponsoring legislation or developing appropriate regulations to check unlawful acts against maritime navigation.

He said that the reforms should also include identifying and designating contact authority in accordance with the ISPS Code.

The engineer said that quick updating of existing information with the International Maritime Organisation through the Global Integrated Shipping Information system should be part of the reforms.

He urged that capable hands should be put in the right position of administration and given the opportunity for continued training to become experts in their designated responsibilities.

THE NIGERIAN

10 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Business + Economy Contribute Towards Multi-Donor Trust Fund, Forum Urges FG ABUJA - The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) has called on the Federal Government to contribute to its Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) in order to reinforce African ownership of the forum.

Dr Akinyemi Akinbamijo, the Executive Director of the forum said this during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr

Akinwumi Adesina in Abuja.

Akinbamijo was accompanied by Dr Jimmy Smith, the Director-General of International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)and Dr Nteranya Sanginga, the Director-General of International Institute of Agriculture (IITA) on the visit.

According to Akinbamijo, FARA was created to serve as a continental forum enhancing

coordination of agricultural research.

He explained that the activities of the forum had been funded by international organisations in the past five years, adding that the funding would end by December 2013.

He emphasised the need for new donors to fund the project for the next five years which, underscored the reason for the

L-R: Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Mr. Yahaya Miya; Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sagir Saleh; Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu; Wazirin Bauchi, Alhaji Bello Kirfi; Galadiman Bauchi, Alhaji Ibrahim Jahun and other Muslim faithful during the Eid-el-Fitr prayer in Bauchi State recently.

visit to Nigeria.

The executive director said that the forum made Nigeria its first port of call, because of the believe that the Federal Government and the private sector were capable of providing the needed support.

He said that Nigeria had the capacity and potential to show the way for other African countries to contribute to FARA and to strengthen Africa’s contribution to the MDTF. Akinbamijo observed the need for Africa to be fully involved in the funding of the forum, adding that support from the international bodies may not continue in the long run.

“Until Africa contributes immensely in terms of funding, it will not be fully Africa-owned and Africa-driven.

“Thus, not only will the initial investment by Nigeria leverage more investment into FARA, it will also increase the returns from increased investment.’’

The executive director Akinbamijo urged the Minister to become the “African Ambassador of Repute” that would help the forum along its challenging road, to ensure African support for the forum.

“Secondly, we would like to request the possibility of Nigeria championing a call for African countries to provide support for the functioning of FARA.

“Thirdly, through the same partnership of Nigeria, calling a meeting of development partners to discuss future support for continent-wide and regional programmes in agricultural research,’’ he said.

Adesina, in his remark, commended the activities of the forum and accepted to be the African Ambassador of Repute of FARA. He said that Nigeria would support the activities of the forum because it was very crucial to research and development in Africa.

“FARA is crucial for Africa because it can help us to train the next generation of scientists that are going to help the frontier of Agriculture to grow in Africa.

“Also, it can help to bridge the gap between the international, national and regional research

Gombe To Disburse N1.5bn Loans To Traders, Farmers GOMBE - The Gombe State Government said N1.5billion would be disbursed as loans to traders and farmers respectively to boost their ventures in the State.

Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo announced this in Gombe during a reception organised for government offi-

Expert Advocates Govt Intervention In Tourism ABUJA - Mr. Samuel Alabi, President, Hotel and Personal Services Employers’ Association of Nigeria (HOPESEA) has called for the provision of intervention funds for the tourism industry to revive businesses and tourism sites.

Alabi told the newsmen in Abuja that if funds were not provided tourism sites that had been abandoned would remain dilapidated and incapable of providing any income for the country.

He said restaurants, hotels, parks and other businesses in the sector in need of financial assistance to revive them would also remain crippled if the Federal Government did not pay attention to them.

“As long as government treats tourism with laxity and abandonment problems will continue to occur.

“Once tourism is sidelined you will continue to see dilapidated structures and crippled businesses.

“That is one of the reasons the industry needs the intervention fund to make it rich and revive areas that have been abandoned,” he said.

He expressed regret over the lack of care and proper investment that had rendered many tourist sites in the country useless thereby making the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic product meagre.

He said if the sites were not refurbished and made the country’s source of pride investors would be reluctant to invest as they would not get a return on such investments.

“People are withdrawing from such investments and these places are left to rot away. Most of our tourist sites do not get any care hence people also stop vis-

iting them.

“Another problem is that some Nigerians prefer to travel abroad than visit various parts of the country for site seeing and relaxation.

“We have many cultural festivals in the country but we do not go there rather we prefer to go to Ghana or other countries.

“If government is taking care of these places and we do not patronise them the problem will still not be solved,” he said.

Alabi said the gestation period of the industry was long and most people thought the hotels made huge turnovers.

He said there had yet to be a hotel in the country that made an annual turnover of N20 billion adding that the industry could collapse soon if problems were not being solved.

cials to mark the Eid-el-fitr celebration.

The governor explained that N1billion had earlier been given to the farmers, adding that the N500 million would be an addition.

He said the disbursement would commence in the next two months and called on farmers to be calm and avoid clashes with shepherds.

The governor said the loans were aimed at boosting commercial activities in the state.

Dankwambo advised people to avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse in order to stave off possible flooding.

He urged Muslim faithful to imbibe the teachings of Ramadan by tolerating each other irrespective of religious and ethnic differences.

Ogun Woos US Investors

Cross section of Muslim faithful during the Eid-el-Fitr prayer in Bauchi State recently.

Body Criticizes Low Patronage Of Hotels

ABUJA – Mr. Tomi Akingbogun, President, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) has criticised low patronage of hotels, parks and other relaxation sites in the FCT during festive periods.

Akingbogun told newsmen in Abuja that during the festive period residents preferred to travel outside the territory to celebrate rather than patronise relaxation spots.

He stressed the need to improve the tourism potential of the city to encourage people within and outside the territory to make the FCT their relaxation destination.

According to Akingbogun, there is virtually no area in the FCT where residents can have fun and relax with friends and family hence the urge to travel

centres.’’

The minister underscored the fact that agriculture could not be separated from research for the sector to grow.

“When you talk of agriculture, you fundamentally have to address the issue of research and development.

“If you look at the experiences of other parts of the world like Asia that were able to get agriculture going and feed their citizens, they took advantage of research and development.”

Adesina further said it was high time Nigeria took take advantage of the international research community, to help it drive the activities of the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA).

“Without science and technology, agriculture will not get anywhere; for us to meet the ATA goal in Nigeria, we have to invest in research.

outside the territory.

“Anytime there is fasting there is reduced patronage of hotels and relaxation spots in the FCT. “During festivities and holidays most residents prefer to travel outside the territory so there is little patronage of relaxation spots and tourist sites,” he added.

He expressed optimism that the situation would soon change as the association hoped the FCT administration would heed its advice and make things better for residents and the industry.

“We have been asking the FCT administration to look into the situation but we are yet to receive positive response,” he said.

The president said to improve the tourism potential of the city there is need to create fun ac-

tivities such as water sports and improve the condition of the parks.

“There is also need to improve the condition of Jabi Lake and other water fronts and create activities so that people from other states will come into the FCT to relax, have fun and engage in other activities.”

Akingbogun said instead of most parks serving as drinking venues they could be places where families go to have a gettogether.

He said the FCT stadium was not being used to its full potential as it could serve many purposes and generate extra income for government.

“The stadium is empty and weeds are growing there. Dur-

ing holidays the stadium can host football matches so that people can come to relax and enjoy,” he said.

The president said most parents and teachers abandoned facilities in the country to seek fun and relaxation in other countries with their children and wards.

He said the act was ‘killing’ tourism in the FCT and the country.

Akingbogun said there was need to sensitise the public to the dangers of neglecting tourism facilities and sites in the country.

“We need to talk to the media and make them aware of the consequences of such actions.

“Investors need to be sensitised to the need to diversify the industry by investing in other areas of tourism, includ-

ABEOKUTA - Governor.

Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has called on the U.S. to partner with his administration in its ongoing rebuilding agenda.

Amosun made the call in Abeokuta when he received a delegation of the U.S. Congress, led by Mr Jeffrey Hawkins, the U.S. Consular-General to Nigeria.

The governor particularly solicited the U.S. to invest in the non-oil sector in Ogun.

He said that the state was blessed with many mineral deposits in commercial quantities, and said the resources include bitumen, kaolin phosphate, granite and limestone.

Amosun, who urged the U.S. Government to take advantage of the business opportunities in the state, said that Ogun was open to genuine investors.

The governor also described the state as the investment destination of choice, and assured the team of a conducive business climate and encouraging returns on investment.

Hawkins had earlier said the team was on a mission to know more about Nigeria, adding that the delegation was in Ogun to witness the ongoing infrastructure development in the state.

THE NIGERIAN

11 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Judiciary Restoring Citizens’ Confidence In Nigeria’s Judiciary

BY most accounts, the wind of corruption is blowing across virtually all the facets of human endeavours and national life in Nigeria.

However, concerned observers lament that the social problem has also affected the judicial arm of government, which is largely regarded as “the last hope of the common man’’.

Such worries are aptly captured in the comment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mukhtar, at a recent function in Abuja.

Mukhtar was quoted as saying at the opening of the 2013 Refresher Course for Judicial Officers, organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), that in Nigeria, “the rich get bail, while the poor get jailed’’.

Naturally, the chief justice’s comment is thought-provoking and it elicits some reservations about justice delivery in the country, while motivating concerned stakeholders to start thinking of how to tackle the menace of corruption in the judicial sector.

This is more so as the observation about the emerging trends in the country’s legal system was made by the CJN – Nigeria’s foremost judicial officer.

Mukhtar anchored her sentiment on perceptible anomalies in the country’s judiciary, stressing that the negative development had resulted in “a public uproar or placard-carrying scenario against the judgment of a court of record’’.

According to her, the phenomenon does not augur well for the judiciary.

She, nonetheless, warned: “Where, therefore, a judge is found to be complicit in writing and delivery of judgment, the National Judicial Council (NJC), as the constitutional regulatory

By DADA AHMED/FRIDAY IDACHABA

body, will not hesitate to wield the big stick.’’

Sharing similar sentiments, many observers believe that the country’s judicial system is not what it ought to be, insisting the review of the entire system is long overdue.

As part of efforts to sanitise the judicial system, the NJC announced the suspension of two judges and placed four others under observation for allegedly compromising their professional standards.

Specifically, the NJC is investigating one of the judges, Justice Abubakar Talba for the judgment he delivered in the “EFCC versus the Police Pension Commission’’ case, involving Mr John Yusuf, a Deputy Director in the commission.

The judge sentenced Yusuf to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of N750, 000 for his role in the N32-billion police pension fund’s scandal.

As expected, the judgment provoked widespread resentment, particularly among advocates of justice, and it also marked the onset of the citizens’ appraisal of efforts made by the leadership of the judiciary to check corruption and other aberrations in the judicial sector.

In a swift reaction, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, a former governor of Anambra State, commended Mukhtar for her avowed determination to sanitise the judiciary.

He, however, urged the chief justice to investigate more areas of corruption among the country’s judicial officers.

All the same, legal experts urge the Federal Government not to limit its current efforts to sanitise the judiciary to the suspension, investigation and dismissal or retirement

of judges.

Mr Mohammed Adams, a Lokoja-based legal practitioner, particularly urged the government to

long way in boosting the government’s efforts aimed at ensuring that the judiciary, which represents the hope of the common man, is indeed bearing its

convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour.

“In the same court, another person, who allegedly stole N40 billion, was granted bail because he has strong connections,’’ he added.

However, Malam Mohammed Musa, the

Musa called on the Federal Government to ensure the full autonomy of the judiciary, in line with the provisions of the constitution, while addressing issues relating to the remuneration, training and retraining of judicial officers.

He, however, stressed

• Justice Marian Aloma Muktar, CJN

• Mohammed Adoke, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice

revisit the report of the Justice Kayode Eso Panel of 1994, which indicted 47 judges.

He underscored the wisdom in the proposed action, saying that many of the indicted judges were still administering justice across the country, many years after the panel’s report.

“It is quite unfortunate that some of the judges, who were indicted by the Kayode Eso-panel many years ago, are still dispensing justice.

“Their retirement from public service will go a

Chairman of the Lokoja chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), attributed the alleged corruption in the judiciary to factors such as poor remuneration of judges, undue political influence in the appointment of judges and “godfatherism’’.

He said that other factors included the intellectual bankruptcy of some judges, especially at the lower levels of justice administration, and the domineering influence of some traditional rulers in the country.

name to the letter,’’ Adams said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Johnson Alabi, a civil servant, said: “We should commend the nation’s number one legal officer for raising her voice against the negative trend in the judiciary in such a courageous manner but her observation reinforces the desire to straighten out things in that arm of government.

“We have seen a situation in this country where an unemployed person, who was arraigned for stealing a paltry sum of money, was

that the employment of more capable officers into the bench and the strengthening of internal mechanisms aimed at checking the activities of “inept and corrupt judges’’ would go a long way in addressing the menace of corruption in the judiciary.

All in all, observers underscore the need for all the stakeholders to make concerted efforts to tackle all the perceptible aberrations in the country’s judicial system so as to preserve its integrity and restore the people’s confidence in it.

“Naturally, the chief justice’s comment is thoughtprovoking and it elicits some reservations about justice delivery in the country, while motivating concerned stakeholders to start thinking of how to tackle the menace of corruption in the judicial sector.”

THE NIGERIAN

12 AUGUST 12, 2013

THE recent registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) despite all odds is indicative of the dawning of a new era in Nigeria’s political history. It is the first time we would witness the merger of political parties to form one in Nigeria.

WE wholeheartedly welcome the official registration of the APC by INEC as it has opened the way for a dominant two-party system for the country, and heralds the possibility that the current domination of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will come under intense challenge.

WE find the ideology, formation, and recent registration of the APC, which is the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) a turning point in Nigeria’s political trajectory as it provides the opportunity for a genuine contest between the PDP, as it were, and the new party.

THE registration of the APC undoubtedly answers the prayers of many Nigerians who have been clamouring for a return to a two-party system to douse the political tension and join nations such as the USA and Britain which are advanced democracies. It is instructive that given the deregistration of over forty political associations that could not win any office in all elections conducted by INEC and the State Electoral Commissions, the stage is fully set for the trial of a two-party system as the nation witnessed during the era of the National Republican Convention

MONDAY, THE NIGERIAN

Registration Of All Progressive Congress (NRC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The initial experiment produced great results that were widely acknowledged until the unfortunate annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election presumably won by late Chief M.K.O Abiola of the Social Democratic Party.

IT is quite incontestable that democracy will not have the right opportunity to flourish without a viable opposition and the registration of the APC provides Nigerians that opportunity. It will also be more interesting for Nigerian political growth if the other smaller parties, most of which are unviable begin to merge with the two major parties (PDP and APC) so that Nigerians could once more begin to savour the wider benefits and opportunities of a two-party system.

WE commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for dousing the tension generated around the registration of the party. It shows that Nigeria’s democracy is on the right track of growth.

We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to continue to continue to show this democratic maturity as an unbiased umpire. WE urge INEC to continue to provide level playing field to all parties and contestants, in all future elections as an improvement on previously organised elections.

WHILE we congratulate members of the

APC for making history, we urge it be prepared to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians in many ways. It should come up with a people-centred manifesto, which will help fight all the ills of the society starting with corruption, insecurity, and unemployment. It should demonstrate an ideological departure from politics of the past and come up with a blue print on how to develop Nigeria’s ailing infrastructure to wit: electricity, roads, railway and potable water. It should show how it will permanently end strike actions by public university and polytechnic teachers and give education a new lease. The nation’s health sector currently in a comatose state equally needs the surgical attention of any political party that seeks the confidence of Nigerians.

THE newly registered APC must also show that It has the x-factor to participate in the political firmament and should ensure sufficient gender sensitivity. The APC must throw up candidates with energy, candour and spirit to surmount the nation’s myriad problems.

THE thrust of APC emergence must be for Nigerians to get away from unfulfilled promises of the past, break away from poverty, disease and squalor and return confidence to citizens. It must commit to put the nation back on the track of development to catch up with the rest of the world in science and technology, democracy and governance as well as social order in a globalized world.

THE NIGERIAN

13

The Waste Lands Of Human Rights Law MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

I am the legal ace in an unnoticed land of austerity, ignorance and simplistic personalities. A land of manically settled ignorance with an unending toll of violence and ingenious prospect. This is a land with more of shanties, slums as well as crofts. The untold hardship that has been in the business of ravaging the entire populace in this local has evidently dealt a telling blow on the face of universally entrenched human rights principles.

These people have all it takes to live heaven on earth but, the greatest brickbat has been the factor of seemingly would help wishful thinking. I have stayed with these people at the brink of violence, hard work, pain, but never knew what it felt like to relate a tale of despair and ordeal though survival had become their watch word and adaptation a second certainty like the sureness of old age to a growing child. The bulk stops at our table and this is my tale at moonlight.

It gleamed like chrysalides, when the sun fell on the faces of inglorious men who wittily appreciated the pensive alter of Justice. They stood as watchmen at the city gates of different African nations. who forbade both entry and exit jazzily with no duke to gratify the dukedom of his ever enduring national strength.

We are no preachers but the custodian of light justice, equity, good conscience and protectors of human rights ingrained in every earthly entity. Savaging the edge and mounting an insurmountable garrison on the course bullets began to

rebel against the trigger just as advocacy began to prevail.

Africa has become a cemetery of hopeless dreams. This was not what we bargained for and all of a sudden the bright days are fast wading away unceremoniously. Is it that we are pushing our luck?

Or our leaders have taken our caps of patriotism off our heads by deliberate attempts to birth disinclined derelicts.

Surely, this is a pulsating scud of operational issue.

Our assurances are no longer sure and our beliefs have become apiece of pizza to be eaten and metabolized into effluents.

It’s a weakening tale to relate but, we must turn the hands of time back even if, it means us endangering our comfort zones. A whole lot of dove tales have taken common place all around the African comity and we sit as though a torrent wave of discord is not prowling in the air. I founder in a bug to the awareness that the African Union, commonwealth, United Nations and the international realm at large think that they can bring the insurgent groups to a grinding halt. A mind teaser is that these persons are not paranoid of death itself let alone the bringer of its endemic spread.

Now I speak to the world at large, such that if understood will provocatively invoke the breaking of a generational ice.

The world can take the fight out of the war, but will never address the core of the issue. We must become international learners to

know the fight is an accessorized component of the war, so are inextricably linked. This in its self is a motherboard for senseless and virulent negotiations.

To this end, to short circuit the fight is to stop the physical exhibition of the war. However, it is condign of note that, the war is externally inmate. It is in

the heart of each reason to be aggrieved. So the prominent duty of whatever leadership and at whatever level of dispensational horizon, is to take the fight out of the war by settling the war from a mental negotiation stead of understanding.

Stop the war and the fight will never abound, let alone

seeking various methods of peaceful resolutions. This is pensively encrypted, lets decrypt it together. Peace is our only channel to just rewards.

It is my point that, the end of political independence is diplomatic resolutions, while the end of economic independence is diplomatic negotiations. The egress of

global untidiness is not in the fact that the international community lacks the dynamic decoy to polarize global tranquility but, in the cliché that diplomacy is for national and continental sloppy peace. However, I have chosen my line in the sand that, global tranquility can only be fronted through the

“It is my point that, the end of political independence is diplomatic resolutions, while the end of economic independence is diplomatic negotiations. The egress of global untidiness is not in the fact that the international community lacks the dynamic decoy to polarize global tranquility but, in the cliché that diplomacy is for national and continental sloppy peace.”

Law With IKHUEBOR VIKRAM OSARUMEN threshold of international insensitivity dying on the sea shore. It therefore, behooves on the international community to cycle the parameters of their excesses by deploying well guarded garrisons on all decisions of policy ascertained onwards. As if,

the socio-political ado taking a huge toll on the nations of our world are not enough astride the nativity of national impasse and the violations of universally entrenched human rights principles. A recognition that the juniper of international politics is a well breasted approach to ensuring stronger political ties as a panacea to the ranging conflagration and inferno looming our world.

We must not get ourselves entangled in the web of self disillusion at the expense of the underdogs who are preyed on at the slightest opportunity by the big wigs. I do not mean to be modest that the viral global

insurgency has spread its tentacles like the hydra and is taking over the whole scene like pirates. The epicenter of the whole issue is that all and sundry seem to be at home with the toll of insurgency wrecking the docks of international stability. I must confess am at sea. By this we lay credence to the preposition that a great chunk of persons want to strike the big drums, so many are at large from dancing to the music and a handful wants to play second fiddle. I am full of the joys of spring, when I look at this cosmos through a rose colored spectacle and thereafter discover that the world is not all together spherical but dynamically orchestrated to engender both peace and doom depending on which cord we strike and where we stand on the circuit. I refuse to be twisted around the little finger of ingenious ignorance. The global ethnic blast is such that a whole lot of persons bestride the greatest solution to universal problems as against running full pelt for well bleated and sounded trumpet of solutions.

Against this back drop, the comity of nations has blown muted trumpets without acknowledging same. Yet has the world blathered on the rostrum of public speaking, frustrated the power of the altar, submerged the density of advocacy and blown away the baseline and saddle of continental crossbar. We must put on the raiment and helmet of selflessness as a mass exodus of international recidivist will be held incommunicado.

The world is a geographical abstraction that consists of the emptiness of mans thoughts amidst circumstances that defile the insignia of pointless imaginations. I submit that not on untill we become decisively incisive and seductively instructive there shall be no way.

THE NIGERIAN

14 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Political Platform

PDP And Public Sentiment WITHIN every social stratum in society there are lamentations about the political spectrum, leadership ineptitude and challenges we collectively face as a nation.

The battle for 2015 has heated up the polity, and the political juggernauts and serial electoral marauders are gearing up for what seems to be the most contentious battle in not only the history of our nation, but a battle for its subsistence.

Unfortunately, what is at stake transgresses not just the socio-political but the ethnoreligious, as most of the populace are clamouring in unison on one mater- the urgent need for change.

Between now and 2015 we are going to witness deft political manoeuvrings and gerrymandering, as some of us pray the diabolical game of innocent bloodshed would cease.

Sentiments aside, if elections were held at this very moment, the PDP would win based on its national spread and ‘covert’ electoral tendencies, but the emergence of APC- a worthy opposition with a substantial national outreach, changes the political dynamics. These calculated political machinations have gradually metamorphosed into a political duopoly that will definitely challenge the electoral monopoly of the incumbent PDP. In all honesty, I resented the PDP based on antecedents, but later I realised it wasn’t about the party itself but its composition. But, as long as the nation remains in a state of torpidity under its stewardship, majority of the citizenry would remain critical of the PDP. The PDP has been ruling since 1999, a period long enough to initiate the foundation of solid economic policies that ideally should have propelled Nigeria into the league of developed

nations. But, what the ruling party has had as its major priority is power elongation and resource squandering, rather than facing the real task of governance.

This power thirst and drunkenness can be traced back to Obasanjo- a figure loathed more than loved, especially by his own ethnic folk, as the South West refused to vote for him in the 1999 elections. Obasanjo is also seen as an ingrate in certain quarters, considering he didn’t duly acknowledge the main political figure, M.K.O Abiola, who paid the ultimate price for him to be considered and eventually emerge as the ‘selected’ candidate by his political benefactors. These same benefactors were oblivious of his yearning quest for political relevance and prominence and misconstrued his supposed loyaltybecause he dramatically refused to reciprocate political gestures and overtures on tasting the realms of power again.

Obasanjo still has his loyalists, but is considered a failure in some quarters; the unsavory circumstances of his failed third term bid and the privileged opportunity to serve as president thrice, without the envisaged impact aren’t exactly positives.

He has succeeded in imposing himself a supposed kingmaker and foisted an incompetent leadership on the nation, a ‘selection’ feat he is determined to repeat for the 2015 elections.

As you rummage through the PDP ranks for positives, a depressing culmination ensues in Goodluck Jonathan’s string of executive gaffes, and the need to define the constitutional role of the ‘First Lady’.

I wouldn’t overstate the obvious, but would warn of the imminent dangers of this regime continuing governance in such a manner

By IRABOR P. ODION

– those that would suffer the consequences aren’t even born yet, but those of us still around in future may regret being in existence- as our patriotism in the midst of perpetuated squalor would definitely be questioned.

Hitherto, some PDP apologists touted the political potentials of Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

However, the battle between Amaechi and the incumbent has taken a Nollywood dimension. The latest being the Rivers State impeachment fiasco: deadly fight scenes including the ‘mace’ armament crescendo,

Evidently, the on-going power tussles and imbroglios within the PDP may eventually be its Achilles heel.

As for the APC, congratulations on scaling through the obstacles supposedly laid by obvious detractors; from the faction saga of one of the parties involved, to the acronym fiasco at INEC, from the challenges of the respective party conventions, to the manifesto alignment and eventual birth, you have overcome.

Please do not celebrate yet, because the arduous journey

fast moving vehicles and gun trotting operatives, all that was missing were the film production credits. We mustn’t forget the discontented Northern Governors and the Port Harcourt airport ambush.

On a lighter note, the saga of NGF election even added a new word to our sociopolitical lexicon: ‘Janging’.

of saving the nation from the clutches of its desperate stranglers has officially begun.

It would be wise to be aware of certain shadowy characters ready to align or dine with any political association for the purposes of prolonging their looting culture. They will infiltrate your ranks in an attempt to

“The birth of APC is healthy for our political landscape and democratic process, but those involved must realise this is bigger than their concerted apparatchiks- it is the battle for not just the soul, but the future and ultimate salvation of a nation in declivity.”

scuttle your successremaining within your fold to spread their cancer.

APC critics say they are dead on arrival and have been accused of being a congregation of strange bedfellows or disgruntled elements, whatever they are, I believe they are aware of the enormity of the task ahead of not just them but the nation.

The general public sentiment is to make do with APC as an alternative and be relieved there is going to be a semblance of a real and hopefully formidable opposition, one capable of giving the PDP a good democratic fight at the polls.

Honestly, there are certain

block vote of the ACN dominated states.

Mathematically it seemed possible and people actually conceptualized possibilities of an actual ‘breath of fresh air’.

On that note, I seriously hope the protagonists of that failed merger have learnt from their previous mistakes, as they have another opportunity with APC. However, they should not make the mistake of believing they can take over the helm of affairs to perpetuate the impunity and impudence characteristic of those running the show at the moment.

I hope the APC leadership

elements within APC I can’t stand, as there are characters of questionable morals within the fold. I am however consoled by the performances of a few within the party, Governor of Lagos State; Babatunde Fashola is a good example.

At this juncture, one cannot but reminisce on the intrigues of the proposed 2011 merger and if it had succeeded. When discussions were initiated on the ACN -CPC merger, many termed it a “slam dunk”. The merger was meant to capitalise on the growing discontent within and without the PDP, take advantage of the popularity of the incorruptible Muhammadu Buhari amongst the masses, and secure the automatic

take heed to the warning from the Nigerian masses, youths especially- if for any reason whatsoever the lot of you don’t swallow your pride, pocket your egos and put national interest over personal interests or ambitions for this merger to succeed – posterity will judge you all and will not forgive you for not halting the protracted inertia initiated by the PDP in modern times.

The birth of APC is healthy for our political landscape and democratic process, but those involved must realise this is bigger than their concerted apparatchiks- it is the battle for not just the soul, but the future and ultimate salvation of a nation in declivity.

THE NIGERIAN

15 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Issues

Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week

EVERY year, from August 1st to 7th, the world breastfeeding week is celebrated by more than 120 nations.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the week is mapped out to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

This year is no different from the previous year’s celebration. With the theme, Breastfeeding support: close to mothers, highlighting counseling; it is set to add another dimension to the resuscitation of breastfeeding.

The objectives of the 2013 World Breastfeeding Week are: To draw attention to the importance of peer support in helping mothers to establish and sustain breastfeeding.

To inform people of the highly effective benefits of peer counseling and unite efforts to expand peer counseling programmes.

To promote breastfeeding supporters, regardless of their educational background, to step forward and be trained to support mothers and babies.

To identify local community support contacts for breastfeeding mothers, that women can go to for help and support after giving birth.

To call on

babies who are breastfed.

In addition, breastfeeding mothers are reported as having lower chances of developing high blood pressure (hypertension), later in life. This is more applicable to those who do exclusive six-months

children are closer to their mothers than fathers?

Yes, it is true, thanks to the emotional bonding that exists between a mother and child. Studies have revealed that the physical closeness, the skin-to-skin touching and also eye contact, help the baby feel secure and thus creating emotional tie between the mother and

breastfeeding.

For nursing mothers who are bent on reducing their weight, there is good news. Research have unveiled it that breastfeeding burns extra calories in the mother, thereby helping to lose weight from pregnancy faster than imagined.

Having wondered why

child.

Most nursing mothers are always worried that their child does not poo (stool) as he/she is supposed to do.

Breastfeeding loosens a newborn child’s mucus and acts as a laxative which helps with the passage of the first stools.

Again, numerous

By EMMANUEL EGOBIAMBU

governments and maternity facilities globally to actively implement the Ten steps, in particular step 10, to improve duration and rates of exclusive breastfeeding.

For many mothers, breastfeeding is not an option. To them, it is “unsocial” to breastfeed as it can lead to sagging of the breast and all that.

However, the avalanche of benefits inherent in breastfeeding both to the mother and child, cannot be underestimated (American Academy of Pediatrics).

According to studies by health experts, women who breastfeed experience reduced rates of breast cervical and ovarian cancer later in life.

Similarly, breastfeeding has proved, through studies by experts, that it is a great wall of defence against diseases. Experts have noted that there are antibodies present in breast milk that helps in fending off diseases in children. Babies who are breastfed have been found to be far less prone to diarrhea, chest infections and ear infections.

According to reports, “there is a good evidence that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death, is less common in breastfed kids.” This is attributable to the lesser health challenges suffered by

“Indeed for those who are yet to come to terms with the avalanche of benefits that breastfeeding presents, they should have a rethink and start canvassing for exclusive breastfeeding by nursing mothers.”

studies in the health sector have shown that those who are breastfed have lesser chance of developing obesity and overweight, high blood pressure; high cholesterol level; eczema; type 2 diabetes; asthma and others. This often happens at a later stage in the life span of a breastfed child.

In these days of cut throat competition, people with high level of IQ (intelligent quotient), are needed to scale through the hurdles such stiff competitions present.

contains the perfect mix of proteins, vitamins and fat. This is all that a child needs to grow and breastmilk is more easily digested than infant formula.

Aside the above, breastfeeding mothers can be guaranteed the release of a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin aids the return of the uterus to its prepregnancy size and also helps in reducing uterine bleeding occasioned by birth.

Also, it has been noted that breastfeeding

According to a health organization, mothering from the heart, breastfed children develop higher IQ’s and have improved nervous system development; IQ advantage of 10-12 points are gained by breastfed kids. Breastfeeding is regarded as the fourth trimester in brain growth and development. This is connected to the specific proteins in human milk.

In same vein, there is no other food supplement that a child can take for him/her to get the required nutrients to grow.

According to WebMd.Com, breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It

presents a reliable, clean and most hygienic food for the child’s growth. No risk of unstenlized food and unhygienic conditions that are associated with other food supplements.

Indeed for those who are yet to come to terms with the avalanche of benefits that breastfeeding presents, they should have a rethink and start canvassing for exclusive breastfeeding by nursing mothers.

Breast milk has all that will give nursing mothers and babies all-round benefit. It is the best bet for babies and baby sitters!

THE NIGERIAN

16 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Focus NIGERIA is made up of 250 ethnic and sub-ethnic groups of peoples with a population of between 150 and 170 million. Of the 250 different peoples there are three major ones; Igbo, Hausa/ Fulani and Yoruba. Each of the three big ones has a population of more than 30 million.

Distinct cultural, religious and linguistic differences clearly separate these ethnic nationalities from one another.

The differences are so pronounced and practically irreconcilable in many ways such that there are no bases on which these peoples can possibly stay together and build a unified and functional society or country.

Yet, in spite of the clear and unbridgeable mortal differences, through the accident of colonialism, these very divergent peoples were forced into what is today known as one Nigeria. One hundred years ago Britain which was the colonial power that conquered and administered the area we call Nigeria today, for its administrative convenience and economic profit amalgamated these mutually antagonistic peoples into a union state. Starting from the later part of the 19th century up till January of 1914 the British had ruled separately the different sections of what is today known as Nigeria.

There were Southern and Northern British Protectorates which had separate colonial administrative governors.

However by the beginning of 1914 the colonial Governor Frederick Lugard had finalized the arrangement to merge the two very politically, religiously and culturally different peoples into one central administration without taking into cognizance the incongruousness and dissimilarities of the peoples.

Of course, for a temporary, colonial expediency and for the maximizing of profitable returns on investment to the colonial treasury, that arrangement worked well and was reasonable. But by October 1, 1960 Britain granted political and administrative independence to the area and mistakenly left intact the first arrangement where these irreconcilable peoples are expected to continue to be administered indigenously as a single entity.

The terribleness of this mistake would not take long to be proved. In less than six short years after the departure of the British the atrocities of ethnic/religious cleansing, pogroms and genocides started taking place, and have continued till date, against a

section of the country – the Igbo people and their fellow Southeasterners. The killings of Igbo people and other Southeasterners in the mid1960s were so severe (over 100,000 children, women and men were killed) and continued unabated for a period of one year in 1966/67.

This prompted the Southeasterners to declare the independence of their section from the Nigerian union the following year, on May 30, 1967. They named their new country Republic of Biafra.

Biafra was defeated by Nigeria in 1970 and forced back to remain part of the union. However, ever since, most of the indigenous people of Biafra who survived what later became known as Biafra genocide have continued to agitate for what they consider the inalienable right of their people to self-determination, freedom and independence.

Yet there are a few people who feel that their personal temporal comfort and greed are guaranteed under the existing Nigerian arrangement.

These individuals hide behind the smokescreen of a dishonest “unity” slogan. Thus intoxicated by greed and anticipated personal gain at the expense of those of the collective use the “unity” mantra to mortgage and squander the future and wellbeing of their children in a one Nigeria that is both hopeless and unnecessary.

At this point we need to remind readers that genuine positive unity and brotherhood of all human beings should not be confused with this impossible and deceitful kind of “unity” that has been used to keep the entire peoples in Nigeria and other parts of the African continent underdeveloped. As creative human beings no one needs to be forced into any singular political Hobbesian jungle in order to achieve real unity and mutually beneficial cooperative engagements with their regional neighbors.

We will try to further clarify this point by using a familiar example. Over the years the discovery of the DNA structure has further helped humanity to substantiate the truth of the oneness of all human beings and why we should accept each other as equal members of the human race with a common ancestry. The nature and structure of DNA (Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid) as the building blocks or primary blueprint from which all lives take their different shapes and exhibit their unique, peculiar and diverse characteristics was discovered

Cultural And Religious Differences through the works of Francis Crick and James Watson in 1953. Since then, as a result of the discovery, many new vistas of knowledge that would have been unthoughtof have opened up to life and social scientists. These exciting new frontiers, as well as shedding lights on some areas of our understanding of the meanings of life, have also elicited a lot of speculations and debates which have raged and reverberated across the world. Perhaps the most contentious one in the recent time is in the area of behavioral science. What drew most people into the debate is no doubt the fact that it was Watson one of the discoverers of DNA that started the argument in the first place.

In the heat of the debate Watson came under a barrage of criticism across many spectrums and in most part by anti-discrimination activists.

From the level of emotions generated by the debate it is easy to see how sensitive the world has become about the issue of racial classification, generalization and stereotyping. From available evidences it shows that much part of the world would rather encourage the emphasis of those things that unite humanity over those that divide us. Watson had expressed in public what some people thought should be a private, personal opinion. In an interview when he was asked to comment on whether there are fundamental structural differences in the composition of the DNA of the different branches of human race and if such contribute to the perceived differences in their patterns of behavior, Watson based his point on the behavioral pattern of Black people at workplace on what he said their employers say.

From this narrow perspective he, atypically of the scientist, speculated that perhaps Black people may have less ability than others in dealing with their environment and social issues. In an effort to anchor his argument on some sort of pseudoscientific premise he claimed that the assumed basic attitudinal differences of the different races in reacting to environmental stimuli and dealing with social interactions may be attributed to what he believes to be some slight differences in the general DNA structures of the different races.

Some science historians have compared the radical insights gained by humans in understanding the nature of

By OSITA EBIEM

life through the DNA work of Watson and Crick with the equally revolutionary work of Charles Darwin’s theories in biological evolution. And just for that reason alone people are bound to take what Watson says seriously, especially in the area of human nature and what he thinks typically informs people’s behavior in given environments and social settings. In the interview, Watson may have been in haste or that he spoke from the position of personal opinion rather than of the science expert but many of Watson’s critics have descended heavily on him. The controversy his statement stirred has also caused him personally and he has suffered some sanctions as a result.

A lot of interesting works

by DNA experts are in progress in various laboratories around the world.

The results of some of these experiments are expected to eventually answer many questions human beings have always asked about themselves. One example is the race to map out the entire human genome and help humans to better understand several reasons of how and why we live and act the way we do. But given the much that is already known it can safely be said that humanity of all races are basically the same and are basically structured alike.

All perceived differences are only skin deep and, in the opinion of most reputable thinkers, do not get past the superficial cosmetic pigmentation.

Some readers may be saying by now; if all humanity is created alike and equal as supported by the DNA story, then why can’t all the peoples in Nigeria simply continue to live together in one country.

This probably would have been the logical thing to do if we lived in an unsophisticated one dimensional world where two and two always add up to four. But we inhabit a world that is dynamic and we are part of an evolutionary path that is capable of deviations from predictable logical results. As a result, some simple beginnings do turn out to become complex and diverse down the road. It is so majorly due to the fact that human beings are rational beings who are capable of contemplating about themselves and their environment. For this reason they are capable of deliberately affecting and controlling themselves and

their world in the direction that their evolution would take.

Human beings achieve this conscious, deliberate control through the agents of culture, religion, learning, environment and time. Most of our human social behaviors are the combined products of these elements which is why they vary from place to place.

It is in human nature therefore, for peoples to maintain separate and unique cultures and religions even if they are sometimes in direct conflict with those of peoples in other places. But any group of

existing natural demarcat will the various peo experience any leadership, sense of direc progress and prosperity. L separate the various peopl Nigeria into sma progressive independent sovereign nation states an new countries will s working harmoniously w themselves.

One major reason w society functions in harm is because the majority o people in it see eye to ey major issues that affect t collectively. The people a that level of teamw operation because they ha

people with friction-prone cultures, as they come in contact with others should find ways to relate with them with very minimal conflicts while adopting civilized methods in resolving resulting conflicts.

From the preceding point it should not be difficult to see why it is natural and right for the peoples within the Nigerian enclave and elsewhere, whose ways cannot function in harmony with each other to live separately. So, insisting on a united Nigeria is in direct opposition to the natural order of things. Igbo people’s, Yoruba people’s and Hausa/Fulani people’s natural social evolution has for several centuries developed separately and it is by maintaining these

unified way of life an common worldview. every sincere, objective honest observer knows th a result of the prevalent na cultural differences amo the Igbo, Yoruba and Ha Fulani in Nigeria, the cou will never attain that lev harmony in a thousand y To achieve a succes society or country, the m effective deciding factor creating boundary lines social geographical rather physical geographical lin There is much confu and lack of leadership tod Nigeria and the rest of African continent becaus the cultural mismatch of peoples in the diffe societies or countries. Ins

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THE NIGERIAN

17 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Focus

Key To Solving Nigeria’s Problem of feeling awkward about these differences we should rather accept the fact that they are the things that make us human. They help us to live in harmony with ourselves and identify with our individual uniqueness as a people. These fundamental socio-cultural differences help us to know that we cannot treat all as a lump and faceless mass or pretend that there is an imaginary state of seamless and meaningless oneness amongst the Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani. When we appreciate this fact then we can easily live with this unassailable truth which is that

African readers, it may be necessary to explain further that the differences we are talking about here are those same things that define and differentiate the Igbo person from the English person. They also define and differentiate the Igbo from the Yoruba or Hausa/Fulani and so on. When the reader contemplates how absurd and chaotic it will be to lump Igbo people in the same country with English people and insensitively ask them to learn to exist together as one while each group is encouraged to jealously preserve their unique sociocultural identities then the

the imagined sameness of all the tribes is not there in Nigeria. Then honestly we can embrace without feeling embarrassed that the ethnic peoples in Nigeria, over a period of several millennia, had followed different paths of social, cultural, political and religious evolution to become the different peoples that they are. The peoples in the present Nigeria do not need to exist together as citizens of the same country in a meaningless and permanently dysfunctional one Nigeria in order to relate well with their neighbors in business or other matters of mutual interests.

For the benefit of our European and other non-

point we are stressing here will be better appreciated.

Yes, it is exactly such absurdity that took place when Igbo and Yoruba, Hausa and Fulani were put together, without any referendum, in one country and today they are being to learn to be one.

As anyone can imagine, the price for such absurdity and chaos is one Nigeria’s permanent state of hopelessness, poverty, bad governance, hatred, intolerance, death, destruction, mind boggling political corruption and overall retrogression of all the peoples so subjected to a meaningless forced unity.

The differences that exist

amongst these ethnic peoples must be acknowledged by all well-meaning individuals and organizations, no matter how much preaching we hear from some mischievous individuals or politicians about the oneness of a Nigeria which for genuine reasons will remain in a perpetual state of confusion and forever divided.

In the foreseeable future, a day will not come when these existing differences will suddenly disappear from amongst the peoples of the world. Of course that is, or it should be, the ultimate goal of the human society; the obliteration of all negative traces of discriminations that are based on looks or race. The major reason for these obvious and fundamental differences that exist between the Igbo and the English, the Igbo and the Yoruba and the Igbo and the Hausa/Fulani are the differences in culture, religion and environment and these are basically the things that define a people. They determine how any group of people perceives the world and reacts to it.

It is the English culture, religion and environment that define a person as an English person. In the same way it is the Igbo culture, religion and environment that define a person as an Igbo person. Take any of these peoples and put them elsewhere and expose them to a different set of culture, religion and environment over a prolonged period of time they will become whatever the others that had been so previously exposed are.

Therefore it becomes quite unrealistic and dishonest for anyone to think that cultural, religious and environmental differences do not matter in designing societies or countries. It is this deliberate and insensitive pretense by some who continue to insist that these differences do not matter that has kept Nigeria and the other parts of the African continent from experiencing peace, political stability and sane leadership, social order, prosperity and development.

Colonial rulers had, without necessarily meaning any harm, but purely for the maximization of their economic benefits and administrative convenience while it lasted, erroneously lumped the different peoples in Nigeria and other parts of Africa into unitary countries.

At the termination of the colonial era, which in the case of Nigeria happened in 1960,

the indigenous peoples should have reverted, in their own interest, to the pre-colonial national boundaries.

After fifty years of wasted generations of the peoples in Nigeria, it should be enough time to show, especially with the huge price of so much pain and the genocidal murder of 3.1 million of Igbo people and other Southeasterners collectively known as Biafrans, that there are indeed irreconcilable and mortal differences that exist amongst the peoples. The different peoples in Nigeria in particular and in Africa in general are fundamentally different from one another and these differences must be duly recognized for any meaningful development and progress to begin to take place in the Nigerian enclave and elsewhere on the Continent.

As long as policy makers, politicians and others continue to stress the policy of the impossible “unity” of mutually antagonistic peoples and tell them to learn to live together as one, there will never be any peace, development, prosperity and progress in what we know today as Nigeria. This assertion is supported by the fact that as long as the human society will continue to exist and exhibit any form of order and progress; honesty and sincerity will still be recognized as, no matter how imperfect, the best policy when interacting with one another. Unfortunately, there is complete absence of these essential social elements in Nigeria as it is presently constituted hence it is incapable of working.

The honest truth is that Igbo people are different from Yoruba people just as these two are also different from the Hausa/Fulani people. For peace and progress to take place in the place these different nations and peoples must be separated into different independent and sovereign countries. They can live as good neighbors with clearly defined national, independent sovereign boundaries. It remains pointless if for any reason whatsoever, we continue to try to force the peoples to transform into good citizens of the same country. Such transformation is impossible.

These differences are just as fundamental as those that exist between the French and the English peoples. Whatever it is that made these two peoples

of Europe to maintain and exist in two separate countries is also what should make the Igbo to exist separately in a different country from the Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani.

If such divisions did not demean or define the two European countries as primitive or stopped them from running large and prosperous economies and engage in trade with each other as neighboring countries, the same will not stop the Igbo from relating amicably with their Yoruba, Hausa and Fulani neighbors after they are divided. No one needs a big for nothing size or a population of hopeless peoples such as in Nigeria to run successful and prosperous economies or businesses.

What the different peoples need is creativity and enabling leadership; two impossible elements that will never happen in Nigeria so long as it remains one country.

In every human interaction there will always be frictions and disagreements but a functional society or union is that which has found a way to maintain a tolerable level of differences without breaking down completely under the strain of conflicting interests and dislikes of one another. But readers who are familiar with the Nigerian situation know that that desirable tolerable level of social friction has forever eluded the Nigerian union.

So much time and energy is spent in chasing after an elusive unity and no time is left in working on creative and progressive projects. Such unnecessary waste of energy can be illustrated with the ongoing yearlong celebration by the government of the centenary anniversary of Nigeria’s unfortunate colonial amalgamation of the various irreconcilable peoples. For a sincere and honest society it is easy to see that what an amalgamated Nigeria calls for is separation instead of celebration. It is only dishonest and insincere people that celebrate failure and a perpetual state of hopelessness which is what it is when anyone is celebrating any aspect of Nigeria’s existence.

In trying to make sense of what have always taken place in Nigeria, especially the current Islamic terrorism against non-believers in Islam, it will be necessary to state that the Nigerian situation cannot be fixed by continuing to force a unity which cannot happen.

A people’s culture is who and what they are. In other words

no one can disassociate themselves from their religion or culture. A people’s culture or religion is all they have learned as a group from cradle to grave. The people’s education or learning establishes how they do things, why they do things, etc. Wrong or right indoctrination is prevalent in one religion or culture based on how the culture or religion has been taught over an extended period of time. The people imbibe the religion or culture the way it has been passed on to them and the people ultimately become that culture or religion.

In other words, a genuine critic does not condemn or eulogize any generation of a people for being the way they are since they had been conditioned over time to be that way. They are who they are because of their education, environment, culture, religion and time. If a person or people are doing the wrong thing as in the case of Northern Muslims: killing the rest of Nigerians of other faiths, it is because of who they are or the way they are. Their religion or culture has conditioned them to be that way and there is only one reasonable way to solve the problem. The most appropriate and sensible way to solve the problem for Igbo people, for instance, is to remove themselves from the Nigerian union. From a safe distance they can try to work out means, mostly through dialog in letting the Northern Muslims see how wrong they are. Igbo people should not stay too close to their source of harm by remaining as members of the same union and risk being killed without any chance of helping their neighbors to reform.

It is quite naive and selfdelusional for anyone to pretend that Northern Nigeria Muslims will act differently and be able to practice their religion outside of themselves in any foreseeable future. The truth about all cultures and religions is that anyone who practices their culture or religion different from the general norm is always considered a deviant or an apostate by the mainstream.

This is why it is often said that in a lawless society it is illegal to be law abiding. Let Nigeria be divided along the peoples’ religious and cultural differences. Cultural/religious intolerance is the problem and not poor political leadership.

And the disintegration of Nigeria is how to solve Nigeria’s problem permanently.

THE NIGERIAN

18 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Economy

Promoting Manufacturing-Based Economy

EXPERTS agree that no nation can achieve industrial and economic growth by mere exportation of raw materials alone.

They also say that practical efforts must be made to reposition Nigeria from an economy that exports mainly raw materials to a manufacturing economy.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, restated this when he spoke at the 2013 Ministerial Platform, organised by the Ministry of Information.

“History shows that no country has ever become rich by exporting raw materials without also having an industrial sector, and in modern terms an advanced services sector.

“The more a country specialises in the production of raw materials only, the poorer it becomes,’’ the minister said.

He said that the Federal Government introduced the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) in order to boost industrialisation.

According to Aganga, it is the nation’s first comprehensive, integrated, and strategic roadmap to industrialisation.

He said that the NIRP had identified strategic industry groups where Nigeria already had comparative advantage, with a view to increasing capacity and production in the mid-term.

The minister noted that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSNEs) were the engine room of any economy that was production oriented.

“We have developed the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) implemented by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (SMEDAN), Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and Bank of Industry (BOI).

“It takes industry to the grassroots as SMEDAN will be located in all the states of the federation.

“We are driving enterprise in schools and universities so that students can graduate with the requisite skills and entrepreneurial acumen.”

He also said that MSMEs were being moved from the informal to the formal sector, while local SMEs were being linked to SMEs in the Diaspora.

Aganga noted that efforts were on top gear to increase youth entrepreneurship skills and participation in the mainstream economy.

“Currently, there are 32 million Nigerians employed by MSMEs. NEDEP aims to increase MSME employment by 16 per cent over three years.

“NEDEP aims to reduce the spread between Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

“By formalising the micro enterprises, there is the potential to reduce poverty, unemployment rate and create wealth.’’

The minister also announced that BOI and SMEDAN were spearheading the conversion and upgrade of some

By CHIJIOKE OKORONKWO

Industrial Development Centres (IDCs) to specialised industrial business parks.

“New industrial park structures to be developed in line with comparative and competitive advantages that exist in the locations where they are situated.

“Industrial business parks will be shared working spaces for enterprises, and will have capacity to conduct industrial skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training programme “Financing and resources for the industrial parks will be sourced from BOI and State Matching Fund.’’

On sugar production, he said that the Federal Government had approved a New Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

Aganga said that Nigeria was previously among the top five importers of sugar, and only produced about three per cent locally for domestic consumption.

“On September 19, 2012, the Federal Executive Council approved the New Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) and implementation commenced January 2013.

“History shows that no country has ever become rich by exporting raw materials without also having an industrial sector, and in modern terms an advanced services sector. The more a country specialises in the production of raw materials only, the poorer it becomes.’’

“NSMP has stimulated investments of $3 billion thus far; NSMP is targeting the production of 1.7tonnes of sugar; creation of 117,181 direct jobs and generation of 411.7MW of electricity.

“It also targets total forex savings of up to $565.8 million annually, from savings from sugar production and fuel importation.’’

He said that the drive to restructure the economy towards manufacturing was yielding positive results, as shown in significant improvement in balance of trade; with reduced importation and increased export value.

Aganga added that there was a decline in reliance on revenue from oil exports as revenue from the non-oil sector improved.

“In the first quarter of 2013, non-oil exports accounted for N305 billion.

“The country recorded a 43 per cent decline in imports

between 2011-2012, resulting in savings of about N4.2 trillion in foreign exchanged.

“In the first quarter of 2013, industry contributed 66.9 per cent of the FGN’s non-oil earnings.

“Import, as a percentage of total,trade fell from 35.7 per cent in 2011 to 20 per cent in 2012, the minister stated.

The minister, at a recent meeting with officials of General Motors, also unfolded the country’s automotive policy.

“We are working on a new automotive policy that will prioritise the patronage of vehicles assembled in Nigeria.

“The policy is part of the Integrated Mass Transit Policy of President Goodluck Jonathan, which is aimed at providing efficient and affordable mass transit for Nigerians”.

“We want to leverage the policy to develop our local automotive industry by ensuring that we patronise vehicles that are assembled here in Nigeria.

“By so doing, we will be able to boost the productivity of our vehicle assembly plants, create jobs, generate wealth and transform our economy,’’ the minister restated.

Analysts want the government to take practical steps to boost industrialisation, as Nigeria is trailing behind other D8 countries like Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Egypt that were at par with Nigeria at the inception of the group in 1987.

THE NIGERIAN

19 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

View Point

Creating Comfortable Settlements Via Efficient Town Planning

NIGERIA has a population of about 162 million people and a large percentage of the inhabitants dwell in urban centres.

However, many of these cities lack basic facilities that could give comfort to all the residents. Some of the amenities were originally provided, while a lot of them have, over time, become defective due to lack of maintenance.

Recently, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) declared Abuja as the only “real city’’ in Nigeria.

This declaration tacitly underscores the deplorable state of other Nigerian cities like Lagos, Ibadan and Kano, among others.

Even in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is a relatively modern settlement with a lot of contractions going on, several slums are springing up in the territory.

Observers maintain that a large percentage of the Nigerian populace resides in settlements and neighbourhoods with little or no basic utilities.

They also note that in some cases, there is no clear demarcation between residential areas and commercial settlements, resulting in human and traffic congestion, flooding, crime and other social problems.

They add that several settlements in Lagos, Ibadan and Kano, among other cities, have serious town planning problems, which have somewhat affected the standard of living of the average Nigerian.

Town planning authorities in most states appear ineffective with regard to fostering the evolution of planned settlements via purposeful regulations on structures’ construction right from the outset.

Experts note that this deficiency tends to explain why structures are continually demolished by

town planning agencies, such as development control departments, in several neighbourhoods across the country.

They stress that appropriate urban and physical planning procedures ought to have been adopted when such settlements are being developed in the first instance.

Mr Oluwatoyin Ayinde, Lagos State’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, underscored the need for all tiers of government to adequately fund town planning activities so as to put in place a sound urban and physical planning system in the country.

His words: “We plan because we have dreams and visions, and we want to avoid problems in future. Physical planning is a means of achieving physical, social and economic growth and it also aids efforts to curb risks, crimes and anarchy on the long run. This implies that adequate funding is required for the sector. “ Generally, physical planning is underfunded in Nigeria and this is because those in government do not really understand the concept of planning.’’

Ayinde suggested the creation of physical planning departments in all the tiers of government to maximise the fulfilment of existing town planning strategies, while enhancing the service delivery of the urban and regional planning sector.

“Plans are in hierarchy; there is supposed to be a national physical plan; state regional plan; master plans of urban centres; district plans; action plans and subject plans.

“All these levels require funding; first to be planned and then, for the plans to be implemented, because the

By ABDULRAHMAN KADIRI

essence of planning is implementation,’’ he said.

Ayinde, who is also a professional town planner, noted the massive rural-urban migration in the country was due to nonexistent planning in the rural areas, urging governments to create linkages between rural and urban areas to control the

and return within an hour without stress, most of them would prefer to remain in the rural areas because of their serene nature,’’ he added.

However, Chief Anthony Obi, the President of Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC), advised town planners to avoid sharp

the society were somewhat delicate.

“This is a profession that is visible and delicate in a way; every decision of a town planner must, therefore, be widely engaging and carefully planned.

“You will do well to shun any irrational decisions that may bring you wealth, as this is dangerous and could destroy you; wealth will

Amma Pepple, Minister of Housing

trend.

“People are not leaving rural areas because of electricity; they are leaving because of opportunities.

“If people know that they can move from their dwelling in rural areas to the urban centres to transact businesses

practices and uphold the tenets of the profession.

Obi, who gave the advice during the induction of 297 new town planners by the council in Abuja in July, stressed that town planners’ decisions should be wellthought-out, as their roles in

“People are not leaving rural areas because of electricity; they are leaving because of opportunities. If people know that they can move from their dwelling in rural areas to the urban centres to transact businesses and return within an hour without stress, most of them would prefer to remain in the rural areas because of their serene nature.’’

definitely come if you are diligent in your professional duties,’’ he advised.

All the same, Obi noted that problems of congestion, neighbourhood decay and flooding, usually associated with urban areas in Nigeria, often occur as a result of improper town planning procedures and regulations.

“Such problems can only be addressed with proper town planning because if there is no order; then, the whole place becomes rotten,’’ he said.

Dr Emmanuel Nze, a former president of TOPREC, nonetheless, said that one of the major challenges facing town planners was the growing

trend of urbanisation and its attendant problems.

“This is a worldwide phenomenon but it is worse in developing countries, including Nigeria.

“In the past, the percentage of urban population was negligible and majority of the world’s population resided in rural areas,’’ he added.

Nze urged the government at various levels to make concerted efforts to develop the rural areas so as to make them attractive to the people.

“Our plans should take cognizance of developing rural areas along with existing urban integration plans in order to provide the same, or almost the same, opportunities, attractions and facilities as those in the urban areas for the rural areas.

“This will give the present and future rural population the option to stay in any of the two sides,’’ hev added, Nze, nonetheless, advised town planners to strive to give quality service delivery so as to avert disasters.

“Town planners invite disasters when they fail to plan or when they plan badly,’’ he added.

He also urged town planners to promote comprehensive regional, urban master and structure plans, which were based on the knowledge of “existing and possible future terrain features’’.

Nevertheless, Malam Idris Suleiman, the Chairman of the FCT Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal, stressed that the rapid rate of urban growth and the need to effectively guide and control urban development processes necessitated the creation of the tribunal.

He said that the primary function of the tribunal was to resolve disputes, which might arise between the development control department and property developers, along with other land use contraventions.

Idris said that the tribunal was also set up to ensure that professional town planners, particularly those in the public service, did not compromise their professional code and ethics while performing their duties.

All in all, observers underscore the need to create and nurture comfortable settlements for the citizens via the adoption of purposeful town planning procedures.

THE NIGERIAN

20 AUGUST 12, 2013

DUE to new developments in our consciousness and sense of identity, I feel it is worth mentioning today the spiritual heritage of Olokun or if you like the spirituality of okunism. Through this exercise, one will highlight the spiritual dimension of Olokun as well as get to the root of a critical component of African Traditional Religion. It is hoped that by my effort, Africans will develop a new consciousness and spiritual experience which will enable them truly search for God and eventually develop their faith.

There are different world views of Olokun spiritual heritage. However, this notwithstanding all of these views have necessary roles to play in human development now lost to us because we no longer follow divine instructions. Indeed, we now disobey them as a result of our current economic depression which is making men interprete Olokun spiritual heritage in their own hazardous ways.

Hence, what is happening is the twisting of their spiritual consciousness out of proper context. The result is that more social problems are being created, today, in Nigeria.

Meditation in Olokun worship is one of those aspects of African Traditional Religion that is now receding away from our lives because of the misinterpretation of Olokun spiritual heritage. I know what I am talking about. In case you don’t know I have spent more than twenty – five years of my life in actively experiencing both small/big as well as visible and invisible Olokun worship ceremonies. Given my rich background, I know that meditation in Olokun worship is a private séance from where one can easily go into a trance and transcend beyond the material universe. Unfortunately, this

MONDAY,

Religion

is no longer so.

The unimagined success achieved through true Olokun meditation and ceremonies depend on the various divine powers of persons detailed catalogues of this divine power gives a deeper understanding of the structure of the spiritualities of our past primal or archetypical ancestors.

I need to mention here furthermore that during the much-talked about Olokun ceremonies, a person can be taught certain words through countless repetitions, dancing, singing and signs.

He is also taught about principles of life which he must obey for the benefit of mankind. When he fails to obey them, he becomes like a dry leaf blown by the wind and dragged along a road or down the hill. During this period of his life, he often collides with unexpected objects in the spiritual realm.

The consequence is that he gets lost on earth. He becomes a wanderer and experiences misfortunes, pains and bitterness of life.

Imagine, he is facing so much trouble in life all because he refused to keep Olokun’s spiritual principles.

In other words, if you want to avoid the numerous tragedies of life, learn to adhere to them. Two of these principles teach conscience and love of our neighbours.

This means avoiding the habit of creating enemies for ourselves.

The understanding is that the expression of conscience love and good neighbourliness empowers Osamukumyan, the unseen intellectual that uses Isusu (serpent) to perpetrate evil on earth, to run away from us.

Therefore, let your conscience, brotherly love and good neighbourliness be your regulating ideal. This attitude will not only help you to survive on earth, it will prevent humanity from destroying those who could help mankind with special

Olokun Spiritual

knowledge or experience.

Remember the future is with anyone who loves his neighbours is pure at heart, is truthful and respects the dignity of others. Such a person has his path paved to old age. His is heart is filled with spirituality which he utilises for mankind’s benefit.

At this juncture, I want to emphasize that Olokun spiritual heritage teaches that there is a great difference between spirituality and

witchcraft. To start with, witchcraft is a specialized science practised secretly but spirituality is openly practised and is acquired through inspiration proceeding from the Supreme God’s and Olokun’s theosophy mediums.

True Olokun worshippers or Okunists have this spirituality. That is why there is a great desire and inner

Heritage prepare ourselves properly in humility, Olokun and the Supreme God will make themselves available to us.

We need also patience, courage and a clean conscience that devotes itself

spiritual rebirth, direction as well as knowledge.

One tradition of Olokun spiritual heritage is that it involves the science of training the mind to be able to contact invisible forces.

Through them are revealed the true universal evolution from the beginning which provides us with new ideals for living today. In the past, the ancient Bini scientists and philosophers in their own stage of evolution were

to speaking the truth always to hook on to them.

Invariably, if we have the knowledge of Olokun spiritual heritage, we will be in a better position to resolve all the problems in the world, today.

Additionally, Olokun spiritual heritage teaches that love and worship of God go beyond the physical level to the spiritual. The more you dedicate yourself to worship God in the spiritual the more you will rediscover power inspiration from God. Olokun spiritual heritage equally teach that we have leaders, both male and female, who worship God in love and spirit, thus providing true guidance for others to follow. These leaders give us hope, comfort, help and sustenance in our life struggle for

able to use their minds to profound unquestionable theories that became a basis for human development as well as the socio-political administration of Benin Kingdom.

Our challenge, today, is to individually unveil, Olokun spiritual heritage, possess and share it together so that we can become each others’ benefactor. Yes, let us revive our ancient Olokun religious tradition spiritually in these times when there is an emergence of continental consciousness about our tradition. Let’s discover with experience and knowledge the wisdom of the past and present and make them useful for the future. Let’s make Olokun spiritual heritage flourish as a civilisation if we want to get out of our present mess.

By EKAIWE OMO OMOREGIE

urge in them to assist others and understand their plights as well as viewpoints. Also, that is why Okunists reveal the inspirations and divination received to people without keeping them secret.

Behold! As you can see

Olokun is benevolent love. It upholds service to people.

Therefore Olokun spiritual heritage promotes the offering of human service as a progression toward Olokun and the Supreme God. If you want to benefit from this heritage, then be humble in learning. Then, you will from God’s vast divine wisdom. If you live a life of characterized arrogance, you will lose out. But if we

“Our challenge, today, is to individually unveil, Olokun spiritual heritage, possess and share it together so that we can become each others’ benefactor.”

THE NIGERIAN

21 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Archival Matters

Opinion

The Story Of Nigerian Observer THE other day I heard some people saying certain unprintable things about The Nigerian Observer. From the way they spoke, it appeared that they didn’t know the story of the Edo State-owned newspapers. Neither were they asking the right questions about the paper.

So what I intend to do today, therefore, is to tell these ignorant people the quintessential Nigerian Observer untold story. My term of reference are the current editorial strengths of the paper as well as the roles it has played as a launch pad; waiting port; newspaper midwife and a training ground for several enterprising people who were once staff. If you don’t know your history, you cannot access your present and future.

To start with, I want to put on record that the paper parades a crop of seasoned columnists. For instance, there is Nowinta Badtur, Mrs. O.C. Madu, Mike Osunde, Ikhuebor Osarumen, Hon. Josef Omorotionmwan and a host of others. All of them are well educated, knowledgeable and experienced persons. In passing, be informed observer critics that Mrs. O.C. Madu is doing a Ph.d programme with UNIBEN. If you meet this woman, you will bless God for creating her. Her kind are very rare to find in Nigeria now being taken over by professional mediocres and crankajacks.

Now, hear this. Observer has always played the role of a port for Nigerians waiting to catch the flight of life to their destinies. Remember, Prince Edun Akenzua; High Priest Osemwegie Ebohon, an African connoisseur of art and culture; and Dr. Ekhomu, one of Nigeia’s best –known security experts. They were once in Observer in its early

age. The paper was their departure hall to their various callings. Had Observer not given them boarding passes for the journey, what would have happened.? Ask God. How about Senator Albert Legogie and Steve Osemeke?

They were also labourers in Observer vineyard.

In a similar vein, Observer mentored Prince Nduka Obiagbena,, Elueme Izeze, and a superstar journalist like Andy Akorugo. In case you don’t know, Prince Nduka Obiagbena owns ThisDay newspaper. He cut his entrepreneurial teeth in journalism at Observer as a back page cartoonist using the title LEKELEKE. On his part, Elueme Izeze learnt hard-work in media practice at Observer. This attribute has catapulted him today to become the managing director of The Guardian newspaper from being a junior staff at Observer. How about Andy Akporogu who ended up as one of the executive directors of The Guardian? He started his real journalism career with Observer. Thereafter, he moved to Daily Times before migrating to The Guardian.

This isn’t all. Observer has been the training ground for a countless number of serious journalists too many to mention. Nevertheless, I must not fail to say that Ima Niboro, once Chief press secretary to President Goodluck Jonathan, was at Observer in his younger days.

So were Ted Iwere, Sunny Biaghere and Sir. Odafe Othihinwa, all seasoned journalists with the big pen.

I must not forget to also point out that Ike Okonta worked for Observer soon after graduating with his master’s degree from UNN. He left Observer for Lagos in the nineties where he took up appointments with two media

By MICHAEL ODIGBE

houses before jetting out to Britain for safety reasons, during the Abacha days.

While practicing journalism there, he studied for and obtained his doctorate degree. Before he flew out of Nigeria, we once met at the premises of Weekend Classique edited by Ben

Charles Obi, later detained by Abacha. There as soulmates we discussed, as we always did, Nigeria’s endless problems. I was happy reuniting with one of the most radical, fearless and firebrand journalists Nigeria has ever produced.

When you talk of Ike Okonta, then of course the name Mac Amarere pops up.

He was equally at Observer.

Today, he is with AIT. He

anchored the stations radio/ television interview segement featuring the Edo governorship candidates in the July, 20, 2013 election in Benin City.

Enter John Langley – Osaze, an easy-going, debonair media hand. Before he passed on some years ago,

he was one of the journalism makers at Daily Independent Newspaper. He joined it from the stable of The Guardian to which he had migrated from Observer. At Observer, he was initially its features editor and later founding editor of Weekend Observer.

In his lifetime, he was a gentlemen journalist to the core, not a roughneck as you now find all over the place like sickly mushrooms.

“Therefore, like Julius Caeser, the newspaper can say: “I came… I saw… I conquered,” Afterall, it is apparently the only surviving state-owned newspaper still on the stands today. Observer is doing its best in the circumstances it finds itself. That is the truth.”

Akido Shittu was also at Observer. While there, the no-nonsense man from EleleUzairue in Edo North was popularly known as ONE MAN RIOT SQUAD: During his stint at Observer, he gave the paper one of best sports pages in Nigeria as Group Sports editor. No half measures. None. Like Akido Shittu, like Miss Uwa Izekor.

This great, iron lady was equally at Observer. She left the newspaper for LAPO where she made her mark as a deputy to Mr. Godwin Ehighiamusoe, the founder and Chief executive of the orgnization.

Unlucky woman!!! She passed on during childbirth. This notwithstanding, because of her legacy of achievements while in the service of LAPO, the organization keeps memory of her alive by mounting her portrait in its library at the Uselu headquarters of its office.

At this juncture, let’s turn our attention to intellectual scholarship. Unknown to the critics of Observer, the newspaper helped out as a footstool to many of its staff to enable theme to progress to academic fame. Among the long list of staff are Felix

Oriakhi, Dr. Monday Igbafe; Greg Igbinomwanhia and Clara Ogbiti.

These Observer pikin are lecturers in Benson Idahosa University, Ambrose Alli University, University of Benin and Federal Polytechnic, Auchi respectively.

Lest I forget, the pioneer staff of POINTER Newspaper, Asaba in Delta State originated from Observer. While the defunct Concord newspaper and others poached journalists from Observer to take off.

TOM BEE, a former Sunday Observer editor, was one of these journalists who crossed over to Concord with vintage, cured editorial skills that Observer empowered him with.

Before this clime, Observer ran two editions. The first was distributed to distant parts of Nigeria while the second one was circulated within Bendel and neighbouring states. In 1993, the newspaper was one of those closed down by Babangida during the June 12 crisis because of its fearless, investigative journalism.

Incredible! There is so much to write about Observer but little space to do so. Well, there is no cause for worry. I am done. Atleast, I have showcased the potentials, abilities and capabilities of Observer.

Therefore, like Julius Caeser, the newspaper can say: “I came… I saw… I conquered,” Afterall, it is apparently the only surviving state-owned newspaper still on the stands today. Observer is doing its best in the circumstances it finds itself.

That is the truth.

Critics should therefore take time to understand them instead of trying to suffocate the newspaper with their unkind compliments.

Well, no mortal can kill the soul of a good man the germ of a mustard seed or the spirit of a strong willed institution.

Hence, Robert Kenedy said when James Earl May shot and killed his elder brother President John F. Kenedy: “Assassins have never changed history.”

So, critics have your say but note you can NEVER stop Observer history.

THE NIGERIAN

22 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Science

Estuarine Habitat

AN estuary is a semi enclosed coastal body of water where a big river enters into the ocean.

Estuaries are affected strongly by tidal waves.

Here salt water from the ocean mixes with the fresh water to result in an intermediate water which is reffered to as brackish water salinity fluctuates with either a high or low tide or with a dry or rainy season. Examples of estuaries are river mouths like the Niger Delta, coastal bays, tidal marshes, and bodies of water behind barrier beaches.

Characteristics of estuarine habitat There is a fluctuating salinity due to seasonal variations. Organisms here have a wide range of tolerance to the salinity situations they find themselves.

They are transitional zones between the fresh waters and marine habitats.

They are highly productive habitats due to abundance of nutrients present all the time which are equally circulated, the phenomenon is reffered to as nutrient trap, which has resulted due to the partial mixing of heavier sea and lighter fresh water.

It has a broad mouth of river that makes the coast line push inland to form a bay.

The river is really shallow, bringing about sechments that pile up yearly forming dumes.

There is mild wave action.

The water rises, when there is high tide and falls when there is low tide.

The buttom is made up of soft mud that is saturated thereby lacking oxygen content.

Three kinds of organisms occur here. The zone

close to the sea, is the marine and invariable habited by only marine organisms.

The inland zone which is the fresh water zone, it is habited by only by fresh water organisms.

The in between zone is the brackish water or the true estuary which is habited by estuarine organism.

Temperature changes are fairly small and last for short periods because of constant inflow and outflow of water.

Types of Estuary Estuaries can be classified into types due to the writer depending on the basis for classification and stratification.

Geomorphological Classification Drowned river valley They are developed along the coastal lines with relatively low and wide coastal plains.

Fjord – type estuaries They are the U-shaped coastal indentures gouged out of glaciers which have silt at their mouth formed by terminal glacial deposits eg the famous Fjords of Norway.

Bar – Bult Estuaries

With OYAKHILOME CEMENTINA

They are shallow basin that are partly exposed at low tide but enclosed by a chain of off-shore bars broken at intervals, allowing free connection with sea water.

Estuaries produced by tectonic process They are coastal indentures that are formed by geographical faults.

River Delta Estuaries They are estuaries formed at the mouths of large rivers like river Niger, Nile, Mississippi.

Water circulation and stratification Salt wedge estuary Inflow of fresh water is dormonent over tidal action. It is always found in the mouth of large rivers. The fresh water tend to over flow the heavier salt water that form a wedge which extends along the bottom through a distance up stream. They exhibit a salinity profile with a sharp zone of change in the salinity from top to bottom e.g. Mississippi river.

The partially mixed estuary They occur where fresh water and tidal water inflow are almost equal. Here there is turbulence caused by periodic tidal action. Here, the vertical salinity profile is less sleep because there is adequate mixing which is vertical resulting in the creation of complex pattern of layers and water masses crowd.

The completely mixed estuary There is a strong action of tidal waves which makes the water in the estuary to mix very well, from top to bottom with a relatively high salinity.

Distribution of organisms in an estuary Plants Plants found here are the white and red mangrove plant, plankton, and algae.

Adaptations of estuarine organism plants The white mangroves trees have breathing roots that allows the intake of air while their leaves are able to excrete salts.

The reel mangrove trees have stilt roots which enable it to withstand strong ocean winds and keep standing rather than falling or tilling side ways.

Seeds germoviate on parent plant.

Animals Barnacles and starfish have shell like covering that prevents them from desiccation (drying up).

The starfish, have tube feet, which it uses as a hold fast to hold unto any substratum (weed, rock) to avoid been washed away by the action of wave currents.

The crabs have air – breathing lung – like structures for breathing.

“They are highly productive habitats due to abundance of nutrients present all the time which are equally circulated, the phenomenon is reffered to as nutrient trap, which has resulted due to the partial mixing of heavier sea and lighter fresh water.”

THE NIGERIAN

23 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Agriculture

Investments In Research And Technology

By SALIMAT GARBA

THE participants at the 6th African Science Week held in Accra, Ghana, between July 15 and July 20, underscored the need for African countries to adequate finance researches and promote traditional technologies.

The experts said that if research was sustained, it would boost food production and food self-sufficiency on the continent.

Dr Kanayo Nwanze, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), who spoke at the occasion, stressed that Africa must make concerted efforts to push the frontiers of science and innovation.

“Africa must be bold in pushing the frontiers of science, innovation, knowledge and experimentation; it should not shy away from questioning the logic and sequence of events and processes.

“We must also be careful not to get carried away by a desire to always be at the cutting edge of modern technology. Certainly, new breakthroughs have their place in agricultural development.

“Agricultural bio-technologies, including markerassisted selection and marker-assisted breeding as well as tissue-culture and embryo-rescue techniques offer many benefits.

“They can boost productivity, improve the tolerance of seeds and plants to drought, temperature, stress and pests, and make nutrient use more efficient.

“But we must recognise that technology is only a tool; it is not an end in itself. As a scientist, I understand the excitement of new discoveries.

“As a development practitioner, I have seen the miracles that take place when we give farmers the tools to enhance existing and, sometimes, traditional technologies,” he said.

Nwanze, who highlighted the potential of biotechnol-

ogy in boosting agricultural productivity, said that research in natural resource management, conservation agriculture and simple agronomic practices would boost production beyond imagination.

“Often, simply optimising conventional approaches, such as the use of fertilisers and micro-irrigation, or using trees to improve soil fertility and moisture content, yield dramatic results,’’ he added.

Nevertheless, the African Union (AU) reiterated its determination to end hunger in Africa by 2025 via the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

Mrs. Rhoda Tumusiime, the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture in the AU Commission (AUC), said that CAADP was an African-led initiative to increase food security, reduce poverty, promote economic growth and create wealth through agricultural development.

“The AU is reaffirming the significant role of education, training, research and development in the evolution of African agricultural science, technologies and innovation platforms in advancing the vision of a food-secure Africa,’’ she said.

Tumusiime said that the AU was collaborating with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) to promote PublicPrivate-Partnerships, as the African private sector was currently under-utilised.

She also stressed that science and technology would stimulate the improvement of agricultural productivity in Africa.

“Africa must get out of poverty and this can only be done through investments in the agricultural sector, especially research and development,’’ she said.

Also speaking, Dr Denis Kyetere, the Executive Director of the AATF, said

that the foundation was established to address Africa’s food security challenges and prospects via technological interventions.

He listed the mandate of the foundation as linking up African farmers with practical technology solutions; using appropriate

technological and processbased solutions.’’

He said that the foundation was working on a couple of biotechnologybased projects that were designed to improve agricultural research and development, while encouraging the use of science and technologies in agriculture so

qualities; these varieties of cowpeas have protections against Maruca damage in the field,’’ he added.

Kyetere said that Maruca was a pest that preyed upon cowpea plants in many African countries, thereby causing huge damage on the plants.

“The Maruca moths lay

technology to reverse low agricultural productivity in Africa and unlocking the potential of African smallholders, among others.

Kyetere, nonetheless, noted that technologies varied in relation to the priority needs identified by farmers, adding: “The needs can be chemical, mechanical, biological, bio-

as to boost productivity.

“For instance, we are working on the Maruca-resistant cowpea, which we expect to be commercialised in Africa by 2017. Maruca-resistant varieties were developed from traditional varieties.

“The varieties will only be improved by adding the Maruca-resistant trait so they will retain all their

eggs on cowpea plants and the emerging caterpillar feed on the plants; this damages and affects the quality of leaves, flowers and seeds; leading to severe yield loss,’’ he explained.

All in all, the participants at the African Science Week called on African governments to devote adequate resources to finance

agricultural researches.

They bemoaned the current level of funding and underscored the need for increased private-sector participation in agricultural research and production.

They noted that most of the researches on the African continent were funded by international organisations.

“Development is by choice, nobody can help

Africa to grow. Africa must be ready to feed Africans; only Africans can develop Africa,” some the participants said.

“They can boost productivity, improve the tolerance of seeds and plants to drought, temperature, stress and pests, and make nutrient use more efficient. But we must recognise that technology is only a tool; it is not an end in itself. As a scientist, I understand the excitement of new discoveries.”

THE NIGERIAN

24 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

International Features

Surveillance Debate Intrudes Into Obama’s Agenda

FOR President Barack Obama, August was supposed to be the time when a major immigration bill landed on his desk.

There was hope for movement on a deficit deal with Republicans, and in the optimistic early days of his second term, even a belief that he would have achieved stricter gun laws.

Instead, Obama finds his fifth year in office beset by distractions, perhaps none with broader implications than the revelation of secret government surveillance programs.

That matter dominated Obama’s hourlong news conference Friday. The issues that the White House had hoped to be promoting this summer? They played a diminished role, if at all.

The president set the tone, opening the session by announcing that he would work with Congress to make “appropriate reforms” to the National Security Agency surveillance programs. He also made clear that he had no intention of stopping the daily collection of Americans’ phone records.

“Given the history of abuse by governments, it’s right to ask questions about surveillance, particularly as technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives,” he said, one day before leaving for a weeklong vacation on Martha’s Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast.

Even without the NSA disclosures, Obama still would face the same political dynamic with congressional Republicans that stalled progress on immigration, vanquished hope of a long-term budget bargain and defeated gun control and other administration priorities.

It’s a reality of any administration that unexpected challenges can arise and shake up the carefully laid plans.

But the scope of the surveillance programs, leaked by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden, makes this an issue that’s probably will be more than a temporary distraction.

Obama’s poll numbers have dropped since the programs became public, and that could hamper his political leverage. Advisers say privately that the revelations are particularly problematic because the issue strikes a chord with Obama’s base and can’t simply be dismissed as partisan-driven.

Seeking to address critics of the secret programs, the president acknowledged at the news conference that he may have underestimated the public’s concerns.

He outlined steps that he said he hopes will increase public confidence in the programs.

One step is the creation of an independent attorney to argue against the government during secret hearings of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which reviews requests for surveillance inside the U.S. Obama also is forming an outside advisory panel to review U.S. surveillance powers.

The president says he welcomes the debate over

government surveillance, though his national security team has said it never intended to tell Americans about the highly classified programs.

“There’s no doubt that Mr. Snowden’s leaks triggered a much more rapid and passionate response than would have been the case,” Obama said.

The NSA revelations have more than intruded on Obama’s second-term domestic agenda; they are entangled with some of his foreign policy priorities.

Snowden fled the U.S. first for Hong Kong, a semiautonomous region of China, and then Russia. Both China and Russia have complex and sometimes prickly

He appeared keenly aware of how other countries are viewing the surveillance and privacy debate in the U.S. “To others around the world, I want to make clear once again that America is not interested in spying on ordinary people,” he said. “Our intelligence is focused above all on finding the information that’s necessary to protect our people and, in many cases, protect our allies.”

The issue of government surveillance had been largely dormant until June, when stories broke in the Guard-

President Barack Obama pauses during his news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington recently.

relationships with the United States.

Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum, leading Obama to cancel plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in September.

While relations with the U.S. and Russia were deteriorating, the Kremlin’s decision on Snowden pushed them to a new low and underscored Russia’s willingness to thwart the White House’s demands.

Leaders in Europe, where many countries have stricter privacy laws than in the U.S., have criticized the surveillance problems. Obama has been pressed on the issue in meetings and phone calls with European leaders.

ian newspaper and The Washington Post detailing secret programs to track U.S. phone and Internet records.

Every day, the NSA sweeps up the phone records of all Americans. The program was authorized under the USA Patriot Act, which Congress hurriedly passed after the September 11 attacks.

The NSA says phone records are the only information it collects in bulk under that law. But officials have left open the possibility that it could create similar databases of people’s credit card transactions, hotel records and Internet searches.

“Obama also is forming an outside advisory panel to review U.S. surveillance powers. The president says he welcomes the debate over government surveillance, though his national security team has said it never intended to tell Americans about the highly classified programs.”

THE NIGERIAN

25 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

International Features China:

Promoting Breastfeeding Amid Tainted Milk

WITH her 1-day-old son propped against her in a hospital bed nursing, Qi Wenjuan says she has no desire to feed her child with infant formula.

“I don’t trust baby formula,” the first-time mother said, lying in the maternity ward of Beijing’s Tiantan Hospital. “There are too many quality problems.”

Qi, however, is in the minority in China, where most newborns are fed — sometimes exclusively — with infant formula within the first six months of their lives.

China’s rates of breastfeeding are among the world’s lowest. But health workers and the government are trying to revive the practice, and a drumbeat of safety scares over commercially produced milk is giving them new leverage. Visitors to Internet forums for new parents are posting comments about the benefits of breast-feeding and the potential hazards with formula.

“The risks of formula feeding are increasingly clear to the Chinese public,” Dr. Robert Scherpbier, chief of health and nutrition for UNICEF China, said in an email this week. His comment came after China’s government ordered a recall of formula imported from New Zealand because of contamination fears.

“How many infant formula crises do we still need to convince mothers and policy makers that breast is best?” Scherpbier said.

Only about 28 percent of Chinese infants younger than 6 months are breast-fed exclusively, well below the global average of about 40 percent, according to UNICEF China.

China’s Cabinet has announced a goal of raising that to at least 50 percent by 2020. Official initiatives include a joint effort by UNICEF and the government’s National Center for Women’s and Children’s Health to encourage Chinese employers to add rooms for new mothers to breast-feed in hopes of encouraging the practice.

“Breast-feeding is safe, universally available and

free,” Scherpbier said. “So there is no reason why mothers should use infant formula when they can breast-feed.”

Health experts say breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for newborns, increasing babies’ immune systems and reducing their

months of maternity leave.

Women from the countryside who move to the city to work leave babies with grandparents who have no choice but to use powdered formula.

Tiantan Hospital encourages breast-feeding by putting mothers and their new-

cally promote formula. Free samples are widely available in maternity wards despite laws prohibiting the practice. Advertising encourages parents to see it as helping children become stronger and smarter.

A report this year by Save

2015.

Parents who could afford it switched to more expensive imported formula after six babies died in 2008 and thousands were sickened due to Chinese-produced milk that was tainted with the industrial chemical

Chinese new mother Qi Wenjuan breastfeeds her 1-day-old son at Tiantan Hospital’s maternity ward in Beijing, China recently.

chances of obesity in adulthood. They also say breastfed children have higher IQs and are less likely to have chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Breast-feeding rates in China began to drop in the 1970s with the introduction of baby formula and hit a low in the ’80s, according to a study by Dr. Colin Binns of Australia’s Curtin University and his Chinese colleagues published in the International Breastfeeding Journal in 2009.

“Probably because of aggressive marketing of imported baby milk powder, people thought the baby formula was more nutritious,” said nurse Yang Xiaoping, a 24-year veteran of Tiantan Hospital’s maternity ward.

China’s exclusive breastfeeding rates might have declined in recent years, Scherpbier said. However, data that would make the trend clear are not available.

Many Chinese workplaces give new mothers no way to nurse. Urban mothers usually get no more than four

borns in the same room instead of putting infants in a nursery. The nurses’ station has pamphlets promoting breast-feeding, and diagrams on the walls of patient rooms show postures for nursing. Each morning, nurses using dolls show mothers how to breast-feed in one-on-one sessions.

“No mother can get it right on their first try, so our nurses always adjust postures by hand to make sure they do it right,” Yang said.

Elsewhere, many Chinese hospitals fail to encourage breast-feeding.

Dairy companies energeti-

the Children, a British charity, said 40 percent of the Chinese mothers it interviewed had been contacted directly by salespeople for baby food companies.

Rising rates of obesity among Chinese children also might be linked to use of infant formula, said Binns.

“They are bombarded with baby formula ads, and the mothers want the best for their children,” he said.

China’s infant formula market has grown from about $1 billion in 2002 to $9 billion this year, according to UNICEF. That is forecast to rise to $13 billion by

melamine.

But confidence in foreign supplies was shaken this week after Beijing ordered a recall of formula from Fonterra Co-operative Group after the New Zealand supplier said it might be tainted with bacteria that can cause botulism.

The recall has sent shockwaves through New Zealand. The dairy industry is a key part of the country’s economy, and China is its biggest milk export market.

Use of wet nurses — women who breast-feed other families’ children — also is on the rise. These

women are sought out by young mothers who don’t want to use formula but cannot produce enough milk of their own or worry about the impact of nursing on their figures.

“It’s been growing at 20 percent every year,” said Jia Xixian, an agent in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen who helps clients find wet nurses.

In Beijing, Qi breast-fed her baby for the first time shortly after birth.

“I let him find the nipple, and he found it instinctively,” Qi recalled. “There was a little pain, but I could take it. It was an oddly nice feeling, and all of a sudden I felt like a mother and that I could not be separated from the child.”

A tiny bolster propped up the newborn as Qi described what she saw as other benefits of breast-feeding: It saves money and will help her recover from childbirth, and she believes it will help the baby to grow better.

But Qi, an intensive care nurse at the same hospital, worries about what will happen when she returns to work about four months from now.

“I think it will be more troublesome to feed him after that,” Qi said.

“Tiantan Hospital encourages breast-feeding by putting mothers and their newborns in the same room instead of putting infants in a nursery. The nurses’ station has pamphlets promoting breast-feeding, and diagrams on the walls of patient rooms show postures for nursing. Each morning, nurses using dolls show mothers how to breast-feed in one-on-one sessions.”

THE NIGERIAN

26 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

THE NIGERIAN

27 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Health

Promoting Hepatitis’ Prevention, Diagnosis And Therapy

MEDICAL experts say that Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E can cause acute and chronic infection as well as inflammation of the liver, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

They note that these viruses constitute a major global health risk, with about 240 million people in the world infected with hepatitis B and about 150 million people having hepatitis C infection.

The theme for the 2013 World Hepatitis Day is: “This is hepatitis. Know it.

Confront it.”

July 28 of every year is designated as the World Hepatitis Day to commemorate the birthday of a Nobel Laureate, Prof.

Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus.

This year’s observance underscores the fact that hepatitis remains a serious health hazard in the world This is because most of the people who are afflicted with hepatitis B or C are not aware that they carry the virus; hence they are at the risk of developing severe chronic liver disease and they can unknowingly transmit the virus to other people.

Medical experts say that that hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterised by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ.

They say that the condition can be selflimiting (healing on its own) or can progress to fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis.

Hepatitis can occur with limited or no symptoms but it often leads to jaundice,

anorexia (poor appetite) and malaise, some of the experts say.

Hepatitis viruses cause most cases of hepatitis worldwide but hepatitis can also be caused by toxic substances (notably alcohol, certain medications, some industrial organic solvents and plants), other infections and auto immune diseases, they add.

However, Dr Gabriel Ogunyemi, a member of the Society for Gastroenterology and Herpetology of Nigeria (SOGHIN), says that early vaccination is paramount in hepatitis prevention efforts.

He insists that that the increasing number of liver cancer cases in Nigeria could be attributed to undetected and untreated hepatitis infections.

Besides, Ogunyemi says that hepatitis virus could survive outside the body for at least seven days, reiterating that vaccination is the only way of preventing people from being infected.

“Hepatitis B virus is transmitted between people through direct blood-to-blood contact or semen and vaginal fluid of an infected person.

“The modes of transmission are the same as those for HIV but the Hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious as it can survive outside the body for at least seven days.

“During this time, the virus can still cause infection if it enters the body of a person who is not

By FRANCA OFILI

protected by the vaccine,” he says.

Ogunyemi stresses that Hepatitis B has acute and chronic stages, with few or

develop into liver cancer,” he says.

All the same, Dr Tajudeen Salami, a General Practitioner at General

Hepatitis B could be treated with drugs; the treatment could cost thousands of dollars per year, adding that most of the drugs are not even available in many developing countries.

Prof Onyebuchi Chuwku, Health Minister

no symptoms during the previous stages.

“If acute hepatitis is not treated as soon as possible, it can cause chronic liver infection, which can later

Hospital, Isolo, Lagos, insists that prevention of hepatitis is cheaper than its treatment.

He says that although people with chronic

“Hepatitis viruses cause most cases of hepatitis worldwide but hepatitis can also be caused by toxic substances (notably alcohol, certain medications, some industrial organic solvents and plants), other infections and auto immune diseases, they add.”

Salami, nonetheless, advises people with highrisk sexual behaviour, those injecting drug users and health workers, whose occupational risks include contacts with patients suffering from of Hepatitis B infection, to get vaccinated.

“People should also avoid sharing sharp objects and toothbrushes; not even couples, as they are at a high risk of getting infected.

“People should also get tested regularly, so that if

they have the disease, they can be treated early before it degenerates into the chronic stage,” he says.

Beyond that, Dr Olaleye Adewale, a Gynaecologist at the General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos, stresses that mothers should vaccinate their babies at birth since prenatal hepatitis transmission is common among them.

“Mothers should, therefore, ensure that their children are vaccinated immediately, four and 24 weeks after birth, especially in the areas where mother-to-child transmission of the virus is rife.

“Children and adolescents under 18 years, who are not previously vaccinated, should also receive the vaccine.

“The complete vaccine sequence induces protective antibody levels in more than 95 per cent of infants, children and young adults.

“Vaccine protection lasts at least 20 years and is possibly life-long,’’ he says.

The last World Hepatitis Day provided an opportunity to focus on specific actions, such as strengthening prevention, screening and control of viral hepatitis and its related diseases.

The celebration also aimed at increasing Hepatitis B vaccine coverage and integrating vaccination schemes into national immunisation programmes, while coordinating a global response to viral hepatitis.

Analysts say that even though the burden of disease as to hepatitis infection is very high, structured efforts should be made to tackle the health problem in a more pragmatic way.

“It is important for everyone to know his or her hepatitis status to facilitate early detection, prevention and proper management of the disease,’’ they add.

THE NIGERIAN

28 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Spurs Show Off New Signings In Draw

Balde Goal Sees Celtic Beat Liverpool AMIDO Balde scored with Celtic’s first chance of the game as the Scottish champions beat Liverpool 1-0 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Liverpool controlled a huge amount of possession and created enough chances to have won but could not break through Celtic’s defence.

The Hoops already have five competitive matches behind them thanks to Champions League qualifiers, while Brendan Rodgers’ side are still a week away from opening their Premier League campaign.

Liverpool went into Saturday’s game on the back of six friendly victories, conceding just once against Valerenga on Wednesday, with Daniel Sturridge returning from an injured ankle to play a promising 45 minutes in the second half for Liverpool.

He replaced summer signing Iago Aspas, who looked lightweight up front and gave Reds supporters more reason to fret over the looming departure of Luis Suarez.

Balde gave young centre-back Andre Wisdom — deputising for Daniel Agger who was left on Merseyside — a tough time for over an hour before he was substituted having done the hard work.

In the 13th minute, the Portuguese striker easily turned Wisdom after being put through by Anthony Stokes and drilled in a low shot which caught the underside of Simon Mignolet’s body but bounced up and over the line.

Stewart Downing almost equalised immediately with a shot which was blocked while

Philippe Coutinho latched onto Glen Johnson’s through-ball only for Lukasz Zaluska to save.

The goalkeeper was also required to palm Downing’s shot around a post after the winger had cut in from the right and he also denied Johnson.

Sturridge was sent on for the second half in place of Aspas and within three minutes he did what the Spaniard had failed to do in 45 by producing a threat with an early shot.

Coutinho somehow managed to completely miss Downing’s cross and shoot wide having created an opening for himself either side of Sturridge forcing a near-post save from substitute goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

Late on, Sturridge’s lob from another inch-perfect Coutinho pass drifted wide of the far post and a fierce strike from the edge of the area rippled the side-netting.

Wilfried Zaha of Manchester United and Stephen Crainey of Wigan Athletic tussle for the ball during the FA Community Shield match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium in London, England yesterday.

RVP Calls On Wayne Rooney To Stay Put

ROBIN van Persie has urged his Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney to remain at Old Trafford.

Rooney’s future has been unclear for some time, with former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson claiming in May that the England international had asked to leave the club for the second time.

Chelsea are desperate to land the forward this summer, although they have so far had two bids rejected for the player by the Red Devils.

But Van Persie, who arrived at Old Trafford from Arsenal last

year, is hopeful that Rooney can sort out his problems and get back to his best this season, after struggling at times last term.

Sign up for ESPN FC’s free fantasy league game for the Premier League. Pick your 15-man squad and take on your friends and colleagues right now. Play “Everyone wants Wayne to stay and deep down I think he feels the same,” Van Persie told The Sun. “One of the reasons I joined

Watford Smash Six In Championship, QPR Held TROY Deeney claimed a second-half hat-trick as last season’s beaten play-off finalists Watford crushed Bournemouth 6-1 on Saturday to surge to the top of the fledgling Championship standings.

Deeney found the net 20 times last season and he already has four strikes to his name this term after helping Gianfranco Zola’s side put promoted Bournemouth to the sword at Vicarage Road.

Gabriele Angella, a summer signing from Udinese, gave Watford a 13th-minute lead and then restored the hosts’ advantage early in the second half after Lewis Grabban equalised for Bournemouth.

Deeney opened his account with a deflected shot in the 56th minute and after Lewis McGugan, another new signing, made it 4-1, Deeney slammed home Watford’s fifth goal before completing his treble with a 90th-minute penalty.

Watford are top of the table on goal difference from Blackpool and Nottingham Forest, both of whom claimed 1-0 victories with dramatic late goals.

Blackpool prevailed thanks to an injury-time own goal from Barnsley’s Scott Wiseman, while Darius Henderson exploited a stoppage-time error by Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper

Jake Kean to earn Forest a first league win at Ewood Park since 1999.

Queens Park Rangers, favourites for promotion following their relegation from the Premier League last season, were held to a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield Town.

Former Everton striker James Vaughan gave the Terriers a 35th-minute lead from an Oliver Norwood cross, but David Hoilett levelled just three minutes later for Harry Redknapp’s visitors.

New signing Charlie Austin came close to snatching victory for QPR shortly before the hour, but his header came back off the crossbar.

Brighton and Hove Albion saw a forgettable week come to an end with a 2-1 defeat at home to Derby County.

Losing semi-finalists in last season’s play-offs, Brighton were dumped out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Newport County in mid-week and were beaten again after Chris Martin replied to Jose Ulloa’s opener with a brace.

Like Brighton, Millwall remain without a point to their name following a 3-0 defeat at Ipswich Town, while Charlton Athletic have also lost twice after Lukas Jutkiewicz scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for visit-

ing Middlesbrough.

Yeovil Town’s first ever home game in the second tier ended in disappointment as they lost 1-0 to Birmingham City, but there was better news for Burnley, who won 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday.

In the day’s other fixture, Nick Blackman earned Reading a 11 draw at Bolton Wanderers with a 51st-minute penalty after the hosts had taken an early lead through a Darren Pratley header.

Wayne Rooney

Manchester United was to play with Wayne.

“I hope he stays. Not only is he a great goalscorer, he does so much work across the pitch. He hates to lose - that’s why you see him one minute pressing for goal, the next minute defending ferociously.

He is an asset to any team. He will come good again. He is a strong lad.’’

Despite currently struggling with a shoulder problem, Rooney has been selected in England’s squad for their friendly with Scotland on Wednesday.

However, United boss David Moyes has moved to calm fears regarding the former Everton player’s fitness.

“I had a long conversation with [England manager] Roy [Hodgson] about it last week,’’ Moyes told MUTV. “Wayne has had a shoulder injury. He has been sore with it, which has meant he has not been able to have any contact, so he hasn’t trained with us [the first team].

“He has trained a little bit with the reserves as a non-contact

player, a floating player, so at least he got a little bit of football work. He trained with the first team today [Saturday] and he did a bit of extra work, so he is probably more likely to be ready for England than he will be for us.

“You’ve got to remember he has had no football practice. I explained all this and I would only expect Roy to play him for a short time.’’

ROBERTO Soldado and Paulinho impressed in their debuts for Tottenham but Gareth Bale was still absent as Spurs concluded their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Espanyol on Saturday.

Soldado put the home side ahead from the penalty spot, but David Lopez equalised just before half-time with a powerful header.

Bale, the subject of a summerlong pursuit by Real Madrid, was not at White Hart Lane, officially excluded from the squad because of a foot injury - although he was expected to report for international duty with Wales yesterday.

Even without Bale, Tottenham have reason for optimism, with summer signing Nacer Chadli looking sprightly and long-term injury victims Younes Kaboul and Sandro both featuring.

After being paraded in front of a capacity crowd at White Hart Lane, Tottenham’s three new signings impressed early on.

Paulinho thought he had given Tottenham the lead with a glancing header from Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick, but the effort was ruled out for offside even though replays showed the Brazilian was level.

Soldado then went close with a header from Sigurdsson’s cross before the pressure paid off just before the half-hour when Javi Lopez tripped Danny Rose in the box and Soldado beat Kika Casilla from the spot.

Espanyol were struggling to get in to the game but they stunned the home side by equalising on the stroke of half-time.

Lopez coasted to the near post to get between Soldado and Sigurdsson before thumping a header past Hugo Lloris.

Lukaku Strike Late In Chelsea Win

SUBSTITUTES Frank Lampard and Romelu Lukaku scored second-half goals as Chelsea overturned an interval deficit to sink Roma 2-1 in the final game of their United States tour on Saturday night.

Erik Lamela put the Serie A side ahead after 20 minutes at Washington’s RFK Stadium, capitalising on an error by new Blues signing Mark Schwarzer.

But manager Jose Mourinho rang the changes at the break and Lampard - one of six halftime substitutes - drove home a fine equaliser on the hour before Lukaku grabbed a deflected winner a minute from time.

Mourinho’s side started brightly, Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis pulling off a smart stop to deny Michael Essien what would have been a superb breakaway goal with less than two minutes on the clock.

But it was the Eternal City club who opened the scoring courtesy of a blunder by Schwarzer. The former Fulham goalkeeper failed to deal with Ryan Bertrand’s back-pass and left Lamela with a simple tapin from a yard out after the ball had hit the post.

Schwarzer partially made amends soon after with a sharp save low to his right to keep out

a low drive from the lively Pablo Osvaldo.

De Sanctis was again on hand early in the second period, diving to his left to turn away John Terry’s powerful header.

The equaliser did arrive just after the hour mark, though, as the much-changed Chelsea lineup picked up the pace. Eden Hazard’s slick pass found its way through to Demba Ba and he helped it on towards Lampard, who moved forward and lashed a fierce shot past De Sanctis from 20 yards.

The game was starting to open up, with De Sanctis blocking a Ramires blast and 19-year-old substitute goalkeeper Jamal Blackman called upon to keep out an Osvaldo effort moments later.

Mourinho’s frustration was evident on the touchline when penalty claims were waved away after Hazard had been clattered, and further appeals also fell on deaf ears shortly afterwards when Ba too went down in the box.

The Portuguese will have been appeased at the death, however.

Hazard created an opening down the left which led to Ba setting up Lukaku, who had not long been on the pitch in place of Terry, and the Belgium striker via a slight deflection - duly slotted home the winner.

THE NIGERIAN

29 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Lyon Crush Nice

Ince Was Resigned To A Draw

AT the Stade Gerland, seven-time champions Lyon coasted to a 4-0 win over hapless Nice after taking a 13thminute lead when Alexandre Lacazette won a battle in the box before banging home from what replays appeared to indicate an offside position.

Clement Grenier then doubled the lead for Remi Garde’s men nine minutes inside the second half after good work from former French player of the year Yoann Gourcuff, as the team got the ideal preparation to face Real Sociedad in the final round of Champions League qualifying in the first leg on August 20.

Lacazette added a second and guaranteed top spot albeit on goal difference with his second of the match with 22 minutes remaining, before Gourcuff put a gloss on the score line with a late fourth.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored Real Madrid’s second goal in their final game of the pre-season

Real Madrid Finish US Tour Unbeaten

CRISTIANO Ronaldo scored another memorable goal and was dominant as Real Madrid cruised in their pre-season finale with a 3-0 victory over Inter Milan on Saturday. eral minute in the second half Kaka’s header started the when several fans dashed onto scoring in the 11th minute for the field to shake hands with or Real Madrid, who were 5-0-1 in even hug Real Madrid players, pre-season and conceded one or the second straight Real game fewer goals in all but one game. such an incident has occurred.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored Real Madrid’s second goal in their final game of the pre-season.

Play was interrupted for sevEMMANUEL Riviere threatened to upstage Monaco’s expensive summer imports in Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Bordeaux - but 60 million Euros man Radamel Falcao had the last word.

A bumper crowd at the Stade ANGEL Di Maria has Chaban Delmas came both to rubbished reports he could leave usher in the new Ligue 1 season Real Madrid this summer, insistand to check out the wealth of ing he is happy at the club. talent recruited by ambitious The arrival of Isco and the Monaco in the few months since emergence of Jese have thrown their promotion in May. the Argentine winger’s future Falcao was the star attraction into doubt withTottenham said while James Rodriguez, Jeremy to be interested.

Toulalan and Ricardo Carvalho But the 25-year-old is confialso stepped out in principality colours, but it was the underdent he will stay at Santiago stated Riviere who finally Bernabeu. opened the scoring nine minutes “I have three years left on my from time. contract,” he told reporters. “I In the dying stages Colombian am staying. I am very happy hitman Falcao, who had been here. bought on the strength of his for“I just want to try and start the midable scoring record at League campaign in the best way Atletico Madrid and Porto, possible.” would deliver his first goal for Claudio Ranieri’s men to rubber-stamp the victory.

Alexandre Lacazette scored twice as Lyon enjoyed the biggest winning scoreline of the first day of the Ligue 1 season with a 4-0 thrashing of Nice.

Lacazette opened the scoring after just 12 minutes but Remi Garde’s side raced away with the match in the second half.

Clement Grenier added a second eight minutes after the break and Lacazette got his brace after 67 minutes with Yoann Gourcuff adding a stunning freekick in injury time.

Di Maria

Di Maria Staying At Madrid

The delay came shortly after a corner kick deflected into the net off defender Ricardo Alvarez to make it 3-0.

The attendance of 54,184 was the largest ever for a soccer game in St. Louis, though about 13,000 shy of capacity at the

Monaco Off To Winning Start Valenciennes opened their season with an emphatic 3-0 win over 10-man Toulouse at the Stade du Hainaut.

The Nord region club impressed and surprised on their way to an 11th-placed finish last term and the early signs point to another successful season following a one-sided encounter.

There appeared to be a case of mistaken identity when Uros Spajic was dismissed for a foul in the 35th minute. Maor Melikson converted the penalty but Steeve Yago had been the man under suspicion from the VA players in the build-up.

Perhaps rattled by the events

of the first half, Toulouse allowed their hosts to pull away to a comfortable victory as Jose Saez and Gregory Pujol helped themselves to a goal each after the break.

A goal by Filip Djordjevic and a Julian Palmieri own goal saw Nantes claim a 2-0 victory over Bastia in their first match back in Ligue 1 as both teams finished the opening match of the season with 10 men.

Nantes’ Jordan Veretout was given a second yellow card for arguing with the referee before Bastia were reduced to 10 men when Araujo Ilan was sent off for violent conduct.

BARCELONA midfielder Cesc Fabregas will undergo tests to determine the extent of an ankle injury picked up in the club’s 3-1 victory over a Malaysia XI. Fabregas, who this week pledged his future to Barca after a summer of being pursued by Manchester United, was forced off in the 82nd minute of the pre-season clash in Kuala Lumpur.

The Spain international is now a doubt for the Catalans’ Primera Division opener next Sunday, with the reigning champions confirming they will receive a prognosis on the injury after further tests.

Fabregas was the man of the match in the 3-1 victory, scor-

ing the opener and creating goals for Neymar and Gerard Pique.

It was the Malaysian hosts who nearly took the lead after 20 minutes as Norshahrul Idlan Talaha burst through on goal but Victor Valdes made a fingertip save to deflect his shot onto the post.

The Primera Division champions were ahead just after the half-hour as Jordi Alba’s cross from the left found Fabregas who headed home to open the scoring. But the lead lasted just eight minutes as hesitancy in the visitors’ defence allowed Amri Yahyah to fire home from 18 yards.

Barca’s response was even

Edward Jones Dome. It topped standing-room attendance of more than 48,000 in May for Manchester City’s 4-3 comefrom-behind victory over Chelsea at Busch Stadium.

More fans dashed onto the field after the game ended, testing the depth of security staffing.

Inter tested Real Madrid backup keeper Diego Lopez several times in the second half, including two good chances from Alvarez and one rifled over the crossbar by Rodrigo Palacio.

Ronaldo played the first half, virtually all of it in the Inter end, and made it 2-0 in the 38th minute when he took a stretch pass from Casemiro at the box in stride and ripped a one-timer past the diving Samir Handanovic.

Three days earlier, Ronaldo went the distance and scored twice in the title game victory over Chelsea in the Guinness International Championship Cup, including a free kick looped over defenders that then curled just under the crossbar.

Fabregas Injury Mars Barca Win more swift as three minutes before the break Fabregas found Neymar who got round his man and slotted past Farizal Marlias.

The inevitable deluge of substitutions came in the second half but it did not knock the Spanish champions off their stride and in the 75th minute Pique made it 3-1 after latching onto a Fabregas pass following a corner.

Lionel Messi was missing for Gerardo Martino’s men with a thigh strain but his absence was thought to be merely a precaution ahead of the start of the season.

BLACKPOOL manager Paul Ince admitted he had all-but given up on victory before Scott Wiseman’s stoppage-time own goal saw the Seasiders edge out Barnsley 1-0 at Bloomfield Road.

After a cagey affair in which Blackpool failed to fire it took a slice of luck late in the game to ensure Ince’s men maintained their 100 per cent Sky Bet Championship record.

Trying to clear a long throw-in into the danger area from on-loan Liverpool defender Jack Robinson, Wiseman could not sufficiently clear the ball and it bounced across the line off the bar.

While Ince conceded he would have settled for a point in the circumstances, he was delighted his players kept going until the very end.

“I’d pretty much resigned myself to it being a goalless draw to be honest,” said the former England international.

“Though I was disappointed because I felt we created the better chances over the 90 minutes.

“You’ve got to keep your mind sharp, though, and you never know, a chance is always likely to come at the end like that.

“We started well and I thought that if we had scored early on when we were on top, then the floodgates may have opened.

“But credit to Barnsley. They stuck at it and as the clock ticked past 90 minutes I would have taken a point.

“Jack Robinson is dangerous with those long throw-ins, they can be a real weapon.

“I’ve seen it a lot in training and I’ve said to him ‘why don’t you use it in match situations?’

“He’s not just about long throwins, though. Jack is a very good player and I know him very well because he came through the Liverpool academy side with Tom (Ince).

“He’s quick, he’s got that quality you need and his decisionmaking is exceptional.

“We’ve ground out a result but some days you need to do that.

“The spirit and the togetherness is there in the camp, everyone can see that, and I can’t for anything more than six points from our opening two games.”

Barnsley have now lost two in two in the league following an opening-day mauling at home to Wigan but were vastly improved with striker Chris O’Grady twice going close either side of the break.

Boss David Flitcroft admitted defeat was a bitter pill to swallow.

“If Chris O’Grady goes and sticks that chance away just after half-time then it could have been such a different game,” he said.

“As we worked hard we’re all gutted. It was looking like whoever scored the first goal would go on to win but to lose it like that is sickening really.

“Up until that late stage in the game we had defended so well.

We’d had to withstand throw-ins, corners, free-kicks, everything, but we’d defended heroically.

“It’s a difficult one to swallow.

“We created a few chances but we’ve not been as slick or nearly as clinical this season yet.

“That’s something we’ll be working hard on, on Monday morning.

“It’s been a horrible way to lose but I was always surprised at how

THE NIGERIAN

30 AUGUST 12, 2013

MONDAY,

Moyes Wins Maiden Trophy As Man Utd ROBIN Van Persie scored risk to read the former Manager twice against Wigan to give David Moyes his first trophy as Manchester United manager in a comfortable 2-0 Community Shield win at Wembley.

There was no Wayne Rooney in the United squad as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury with Ashley Young and Nani also rested due to various niggles.

But United won without too much fuss courtesy of their predatory Dutch forward, who netted his eighth goal in six games against last season’s FA Cup winners.

Van Persie flicked a pass out to Patrice Evra before dashing into the opposition area to direct a header into the corner of the net that left Wigan goalkeeper Scott Carson with no chance on six minutes.

He killed off Wigan with a second goal on 59 minutes when he turned on the edge of the opposition box before sending a shot crashing beyond Carson, who was left with no chance as the ball wrong footed him via the foot of the unfortunate James Perch.

Wigan Athletic have now beaten Manchester United only once in 18 attempts in all competitions, losing the other 17.

Owen Coyle’s side could not really grumble with this outcome.

The first half was not exactly overflowing with chances at either end, but United could easily have moved two to the good on 16 minutes when Leon

Everton Target Elderson

EVERTON have identified £1.5million-rated Elderson Echiejile as a possible replacement for Manchester United target Leighton Baines.

Elderson has already told Portuguese club Sporting Braga he wishes to leave this summer.

Baines, 28, continues to be linked with a switch to Old Trafford which would see him reunited with his former boss David Moyes, according to mirror.co.uk.

Toffees boss Roberto Martinez is privately bracing himself for the departure of the England full-back and is drawing up contingency plans.

Echiejile, 25, was part of the Nigeria squad who took part in the Confederations Cup this summer and has 33 caps for his country.

Braga have a £4m release clause in Echiejile’s contract, but accept they will have to sell at a fraction of that price as the defender has just a year remaining on his contract.

Elderson has been linked to Norwich City, Fulham and Besiktas.

Barnett did wonderfully well to cut out a cross from Wilfried Zaha with Danny Welbeck threatening to score from close range.

Wigan did little or nothing in attempting to unsettle United, but James McClean did produce a piercing cross on 35 minutes that saw Grant Holt foul Evra in trying to connect with the loose ball.

United lost Rafael to injury early in the first half and his replacement Chris Smalling was almost caught out when he mistimed the bounce of the ball before half-time.

McClean hammered across the face of goal, but there were no takers on hand to convert for Wigan in the middle with too many of the Championship club’s player failing to take a

Sunderland player’s movements.

A fairly tepid first period ended with Carson plunging to his left to repel a Welbeck shot after some clever approach work

by Cleverley, but United assumed control for large swathes of the second period with goalkeeper David De Gea having no saves of note to make.

United open the defence of their Premier League at Swansea on Saturday.

Moyes confirmed afterwards that the absent Rooney - who apparently continues to prompt interest from Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea - could feature for England against Scotland at the national stadium in midweek despite being deemed unfit for this match.

Whether or not he will return in Wales six days from now remains to be seen.

Robin Van Persie of Manchester United (2nd left) celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening goal during the FA Community Shield match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium in London England yesterday.

Farah Claims Dramatic 10,000m Gold Medal

OLYMPIC champion Mo Farah won the 10,000 metres gold medal at the World Championships in Moscow.

“I had the experience from two Briton Farah, who stole the years ago,” Somalia-born Farah hearts of the British public with told the BBC. his double distance success over “I knew I just had to cover 10,000m and 5,000m at London every move and the guys were 2012, sprinted home from going to go out there to take a Ibrahim Jeilan to win in 27 minlot out of me. utes 21.72 seconds.

I was just digging in, digging Ethiopian Jeilan, who beat in. “I saw him coming and it was Farah to gold in Daegu in South important to have something Korea in 2011, looked to chase left. I didn’t want to lose again. him down - but Farah’s rapid A couple of years ago I was secpace down the final stretch saw ond. I kept looking across… “I him triumph. only realised I had won when I

Emenike Targets Turkish League Crown

NEW signing Emmanuel Emenike has told MTNFootball.com he hopes his goals crown Fenerbahce champions of Turkey again.

The Istanbul giants have won

“I have seen him over a period of time and I know it is not the Luis Suarez we know and I have to protect the fans and the players because they deserve more than that.”

Even if Suarez stays, Sturridge’s return is timely with the South American banned for the first six games of the season after biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during the last campaign.

Asked about Sturridge, Rodgers said: “I thought he was

excellent. He made a difference when he came on with that power and pace and that linkup play with (Philippe) Coutinho was great.

“He is working hard to get fit and after those 45 minutes we have a behind-closed-doors game in midweek and we’ll assess him after that.”

The loss to Celtic was Liverpool’s only defeat in seven pre-season friendlies and only the second goal they had conceded.

the Turkey league 18 times with their last triumph being two seasons ago.

“My target is to win the league title with Fenerbahce and if possible the double with the cup. It is my duty to score goals as striker and that I will do my best to get as many as I could for Fenerbahce,” Emenike told MTNFootball.com “I love this club and will do all I can to make the fans happy.

The reception was great and I am ready to give my best.”

The AFCON 2013 top scorer has been assigned jersey number 29.

He has featured for Delta Force (Nigeria), Mpumalanga Black Aces, FC Cape Town (Both South Africa), Karabukspor in Turkey and Spartak Moscow of Russia.

CESC Fabregas looks set to pull out of the Spain squad to face Ecuador on Wednesday after picking up an ankle injury during Barcelona’s tour of Malaysia.

Fabregas, 26, was forced to leave the pitch following a heavy challenge ten minutes before the end of Barca’s 3-1 win against a Malaysia XI on Saturday.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “Cesc

Fabregas had a number of tests this morning after arriving back from Malaysia to measure the extent of the ankle injury he picked up in Saturday’s match.

“It has subsequently been confirmed that the player has sprained a ligament in his right ankle.

“Club doctors have contacted the Spanish FA to recommend

friendly against Ecuador so that he can undergo treatment in Barcelona.’’

Fabregas, who this week pledged his future to Barca after a summer of being pursued

by Manchester United, is one of five players from the Catalan club to have been called up by Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque for the Ecuador friendly.

Farah

Sturridge Return Boosts Reds LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers has welcomed one striker back into his squad and shortly hopes to be able to do the same with another.

England international Daniel Sturridge made his first appearance of the summer on Saturday when he returned from an ankle injury sustained in May to play 45 minutes in a pre-season friendly against Celtic.

The 23-year-old’s return will be a welcome boost for Rodgers given the ongoing furore surrounding Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan has been told to apologise by Rodgers in the wake of his repeated attempts to force a move from the club amid interest from Arsenal, and has been training away from the first-team squad.

“Initially there will be a recognition that (there needs to be) an apology to his team-mates and the club,” said Rodgers when asked on Saturday what Suarez needed to do next.

Cesc Fabregas Set To Miss Spain that the player should not join Game the national squad for the

crossed the line.”

Jeilan’s time of 27:22.23 put him less than half a second clear of Kenya’s Paul Tanui in the bronze medal position.

Hot favourite Farah won the 5,000m gold at the 2011 championships to go with his 10,000m silver. That left the world 10,000m gold the only one of the four top distance titles including the Olympics - he had not previously won.

“It was nice to come out here and win it and that was the one missing,” he added.

“I’ve been training really hard and spent a lot of time away from the family.

“Winning makes it more tasty because as a parent you don’t want to be away from your kids.”

Farah, who was competing in his first race over the distance since winning gold in London Games, looked calm and collected throughout the final on a sultry evening at the Luzhniki stadium.

Knowing he could outsprint the opposition, Farah was happy to settle into the pack for most of the race, leaving the Kenyans and Ethiopians to set the pace before making his move on the penultimate lap.

The 30-year-old, who plans to defend his 5,000 metres title, moved to the front and began to wind up the pace but there was still a leading group of six at the bell.

Farah kicked again and was followed by Jeilan but coming down the home straight the Ethiopian knew he was beaten.

Results 1. Mohamed Farah (Britain) 27:21.71 2. Ibrahim Jeilan (Ethiopia) 27:22.23 3. Paul Kipngetich Tanui (Kenya) 27:22.61 4. Galen Rupp (U.S.) 27:24.39 5. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) 27:25.27

THE NIGERIAN

31 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Mikel Arrives South Africa Tomorrow CHELSEA star Mikel Obi will join the Super Eagles on Tuesday ahead of a friendly against hosts South Africa in Durban.

Mikel, who has been busy with his club’s pre-season build-up in the USA, said he will leave London for South Africa on Monday night.

“I will be in South Africa on Tuesday morning because I will leave London Monday night. It will be an interesting game for both sides as we have World Cup qualifiers coming up soon,” Mikel told MTNFootball.com He played a pivotal role when Nigeria won a third AFCON title in South Africa in February.

Meanwhile, Elderson Echiejile was one of the early birds in South Africa

ahead of this Mandela Challenge match as he flew into the country on Sunday morning.

The Sporting Braga of Portugal star said on his official website www.elderson3.com that Wednesday’s match venue Durban reminds him of his first goal for the Eagles against Mali in the semi-final of the AFCON. He also said he remembers the beautiful 85,000-capacity Moses Mbhida Stadium as well as the energetic Zulu dance that preceded the match against Mali in February.

The bulk of the Eagles squad are due in South Africa on Monday morning.

Wednesday’s friendly will kick off at 6.30 pm Nigerian time.

Aluko Scores For Hull City

Mikel Obi

Stakeholders Hail IAAF’s Return To 4-Year Ban

Doping:

STAKEHOLDERS in athletics, on Saturday hailed the plan by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to return to four-year bans for athletes found guilty of serious doping offences.

IAAF cut the ban from four The IAAF announced the return after a meeting with to two years in 1997 to bring the Executive Board of the it in line with other leading International Olympic Com- sports.

The body has, however, mittee on Friday in Moscow.

According to the IAAF, the been under increasing pressanction will take effect from sure to restore the stiffer penalty in the wake of incidents January, 2015.

The meeting was held of high-profile doping cases.

Tony Urhobo, a former ahead of the World Athletics Championships scheduled to President, Athletics Federabegin on Aug. 10 and end on tion of Nigeria, told NAN in Lagos that the return was Aug. 18 in Moscow.

necessary.

“It is a good initiative; I think they can even do better than four years. Doping is cheating.

“Doping is a conspiracy.

Those handling those athletes should also be held responsible; the ban should not be for athletes alone,” he said.

Urhobo hoped that the sanction would serve as a deterrent to offenders.

“I believe that it is a big loss to an athlete, who is in his prime. It is a good development,’’ Urhobo said.

Christian Aiyegbeni, a

Wale FC Win Nwafor-Orizu Under-15 Tournament WALE FC of Kaduna on Saturday in Abuja defeated Waco Boys Academy of Abuja, 2-1, in the final of the NwaforOrizu Under-15 tournament.

The tournament which is in its second edition ran from Aug. 3 to Aug. 10.

The competition which ended in Abuja had 15 teams with Wale FC of Kaduna clinching the trophy.

The match which was played at the Old Parade Ground Sports Complex, Area 10, Garki, Abuja, saw Udoka Nwabuike open scoring for Waco Boys Academy in the 67th minute.

However, Richard Iko got the equaliser for Wale FC in the 77th minute while Enoch Bala added the winning goal in the 87th minute of the tough encounter.

At the end of the match, Coach Wale Abayomi of Wale FC expressed joy at winning

the competition, adding that his players were underrated at the start of the competition.

“Nobody gave us a chance at the group stage of this competition, but we thank God that we were able to prove our critics wrong at the end of the day.

“We surmounted all the hurdles during the competitions and are proud victors today,’’ he said.

Waco Academy’s Assistant Coach, Jonathan Simon, on his part said although his boys gave a good account of themselves but were unfortunate to have lost the game.

He noted that his boys lost concentration toward the end of the game and paid dearly for it with a late goal which gave their opponents victory.

“We however accept the defeat in good faith; to come second was not a mean feat after all,’’ he said.

N150,000 was given to the

winners, N100,000 to the runners-up, while Northern Warriors of Kaduna got N50,000 for placing third.

former decathlete, also hailed the decision.

“I also think there should be more orientation against the use of drugs. Drugs destroy the body,” he added.

Also, Isaac Osagie, a sprint coach, equally hailed the decision.

“I believe any athlete who loves the sport will reconsider actions that can keep them away for four years.

“We are aware that the sport has its age limit,” he said.

The sprint coach said that any athlete worth his salt should not engage in doping.

Kola Adebayo, a jump coach, told NAN that the two-year ban had been ineffective.

He said that the four-year ban would make coaches and athletes to become more disciplined.

“There is nothing wrong in re-introducing the four-year

ban because the two-year ban has not been effective.

“I do not see any athlete that will love to miss out from an Olympic year which is every four years.

“Also, four years out of an athlete’s career is a lot,” he said.

Adebayo appealed to the regulatory bodies of other sports to also take steps to reduce doping.

However, Uruemu Adu, Athletics Head Coach, Lagos State Grassroots Sports Development in the Governor’s Office, suggested a life ban.

“Life ban would have been better. Four years and two years are almost the same thing.

“Cheating should not be allowed because cheats deprive others of their glory.

“Even the money awarded to the doper should be collected back. The sports should be clean,” he said.

Former Champ Urges Proper talents by exMgt Of School Sports ofposedbudding ones to help the young YUSUF Alli, a former Commonwealth long jump champion, on Saturday urged proper management of school sports to enable adequate exposure of young talents for excellence.

Alli told newsmen in Lagos that school sports remained the bedrock of Nigeria’s sports development.

He urged that talents discovered from school sports should be nurtured through sustainable programmes.

“When I went to the 1980 Moscow Olympics, I was still a student.

“We need to show more interest in what happens in our schools; we should make school sports as competitive as they used to be,’’ he told newsmen.

He said that discovering and developing talents through school sports would make it difficult for players to falsify their ages.

Alli also urged mentoring

ones to make careers in sports.

He urged the National Sports Commission to come up with a long-term sports development plan for Nigeria.

“We should have a pyramidal structure, whereby a distilling process is adopted to pick out the very best talents from the thousands invited for various competitions,’’ he advised.

NIGERIA international Sone Aluko was among the goal scorers as Hull City thrashed La Liga side Real Betis 3-0 at the KC Stadium on Saturday.

Aluko scored Hull City’s second goal in the 31st minute in superb style when he curled the ball into the top corner of Real Betis net from the edge of the penalty area after receiving a short pass from the freekick he won for his team.

A Danny Graham header after just three minutes gave ‘The Tigers’ the lead.

Betis, who finished last season seventh in La Liga, were rarely capable of troubling City, and substitute George Boyd added a third with a cheeky finish 10 minutes from time.

In a fixture to celebrate 10 years of service to former defender Andy Dawson, manager Steve Bruce could toast a hugely satisfying end to pre-season in front of 7,991 fans.

The Tigers’ best had certainly been saved for last.

With eight days to go before City begin their Premier League season against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Bruce selected arguably his strongest starting XI. Aluko was replaced by Matty Fratty in the 73rd minute, while his compatriot Nosa Igiebor was not listed for Real Betis.

J-League To Produce Budding Talents THE Lagos Junior League (J-League) on Saturday promised to strive to discover budding talents between 17 and 20 years for development.

The Technical Director, Tunde Disu, told newsmen in Lagos that J-League would continue to feature only talents in its competitions.

He said that the league which is in its third year - had maintained its objective of nurturing talents at the grassroots.

“The J-League is now an avenue for football agents to scout for genuine budding talents.

“We have made sure that only the right ages are allowed to participate in the competitions.

“Our products can fit into the U-20 and U-17 national teams and compete favourably with their counterparts from other countries,” Disu told NAN. “Most of the players featuring in the competition are from Surulere and its environs.

“We are trying to bring in more players from other local government areas,’’ Disu said.

THE NIGERIAN

CMYK

32 AUGUST 12, 2013

I

N 1978 when I first met Robert Mugabe there was no inkling that 35 years hence the man would still be pursuing the same passion of resting power from those he perceived as enemies of his country and Africa. He sounded like one in such a hurry to get the enemies out of the way, not one that would perpetuate himself in office. Then he was neither sophisticated nor grandiose. He was plain, the rough and hard-looking freedom fighter who had been made look so by years of fighting the enemies from the trenches. And he looked honest-to-God a Pan-Africanist with no room for nonsense but ready to do battle with any such enemy of his nation or any other country in the African continent for that matter.

Our meeting was per chance that Friday evening way back in 1978. Before the meeting I had only read and heard stories told about the man Mugabe and his co-traveller in the liberation struggle, the big Joshua Nkomo of blessed memory. Then, it would appear that Nkomo was the better known and more popular candidate to lead the new nation of Zimbabwe. But Mugabe was favoured by the then Federal Military Government of Nigeria, and so he was in Nigeria. He was housed in the Federal Government guest House in Victoria Island. I was sent after him by my editor, the late Mr. Tunji Oseni. We had very interesting interview that hit the headlines of the Sunday times two days after.

Mugabe was welcoming, and appears to me gregarious. Looking back to the event of that evening, I am now wondering what I, the young senior reporter from the times group could have said to make Mugabe have a good laugh as he did in that encounter 35 years ago. They all seem vague now but I recall that I felt intimidated just before the meeting.

There was no previous appointment and all I knew was that he was a guest of the Federal Government and was

housed at the beautiful guest house. I faced the first hurdle at the reception when I was asked if I knew what room he was in. Apparently, his stay there was a secret to those in charge. Then, came the second hurdle; I needed to get his per-

know about Mugabe today. He was emphatic and gesticulated a lot to press home a point. That he is a sit-tight leader today is a wonder to me and I find the picture being painted of him odd. What went wrong these 35 years? I have worked my

mission if he wanted to talk, and the only way was

ass out this past 35 years and my employers said I

MONDAY,

Robert Mugabe, 35 Years After Neil Xavier O’Donogbue wrote: For the first time in

Robert Mugabe, in an interview with this columnist 35 years ago

to talk to him on the intercom. I did and he wondered how I knew he was in town and why I wanted to see him. He probably was carried away by my innocence and asked me to come up. Mugabe must have sized the little me up when I appeared on the front door and concluded that I was no terrorist and even if I were, could do him no harm. We had our interview and a good laugh in the midst of it all.

Looking at the photograph of that encounter I wrote this piece yesterday, Mugabe still conveys a simplicity that certainly is not what we speak or

must go rest. Mugabe says no and he tries to persuade us that his employer, the people of Zimbabwe are not tired of seeing the same face, leading the affairs of State. There must be something wrong. May be he should read the story of the Catholic Pontiff emeritus story about going when the ovation is loudest. I read this myself and want to share same with you this Monday.

In an article titled ‘’Benedict’s Lesson’’ published the May edition of the international edition of the magazine ‘’Messenger of Saint Anthony’’,

“Looking at the photograph of that encounter I wrote this piece yesterday, Mugabe still conveys a simplicity that certainly is not what we speak or know about Mugabe today. He was emphatic and gesticulated a lot to press home a point.”

mant centuries a Pope has resigned. Now we rejoice in our new Holy Father, pope Francis, while his predecessor,

Benedict XV1 (now Pope Emeritus), is living in retirement. The writer said the journey to retirement began on February 11, 2013, when Benedict stunned his audience, announcing his retirement. The Pope’s reason was this: ‘’after having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. For this reason, I am aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom, I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 th April, 2005, in a such a way that as from 28th February 2013, at 20.00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a conclave to elect the new supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is’’.

The news of the retirement was of course not received with equanimity.

Various reasons were imputed. Some conjured the conspiracy theory in the Vatican, others said politics was at play. But the truth was that Pope Benedict knew what he was doing and did what he had to do to retire to continue in prayers for the flock he led for about eight years. So, we now have a new Pope Francis, bringing with him a new life to the Papacy and the Church.

What Benedict would only be acting out what the gospels says if he insisted on staying on despite his failing health and of course mind.

What has he not achieved? All would have been vanity upon vanity. Mugabe should learn from Pope Benedict. He has been President only God knows how many times.

Jesus came and died and left the work he could not complete to his successors like Benedict who has now passed it on to Pope Francis. Mugabe, all is vanity.

Robert Mugabe, 35 years after

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