Nigerian observer 13 03 2014

THE NIGERIAN

The Nigerian

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 38 • NO.439 • THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 20 14 • N 100.00 SECURITY ISSUES Page 18

Fighting terrorism in Nigeria

Natural Disaster NERMA gives relief materials to victims

By MORRISON HAYBLE

AUCHI - The National Emergency Relief management Agency (NERMA) has provided succour to victims of rainstorm and erosion

disasters drawn from seven communities in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State with the

distribution of relief materials to them.

The victims who are from Auchi, Afowa, Afasho, Jattu, South-Ibie,

Ikabigbo and Jagbe were displaced as aftermath of rainstorm between January and April, 2013.

The items included 60 bags of parboiled rice, several cartons of soap Continues on page 2

Boko Haram

MOTORING Page 20

Mastering the gears

Army calls for prayers, understanding

MAIDUGURI - The 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri yesterday appealed to Borno residents to intensify prayers as it continued the onslaught against suspected Boko Haram hideouts in the state. cooperate and The Spokesman of assist with useful the division, Col. information that Muhammmad Dole, could help in the made the appeal success of our during an interactive operations.’’ session with newsmen He commended in Maiduguri. the local vigilance He said “we are group popularly appealing to residents called Civilian JTF to continue praying for for assisting the us in our ongoing military in its operations against the operations. insurgents.

He said “I must “We are also calling commend the on the people to efforts of the Civilian

JTF toward assisting us in ensuring that we succeed in the operations.

“The Civilian JTF is actually adding colour

to what the military is doing in the fight against the insurgents.’’

Dole said although there were some minor lapses on the part of the

Civilian JTF, the overall performance of the vigilance group had been commendable.

“One important point is that members of

Civilian JTF are not professionals, but surprisingly they have been able to live up to their expectations,’’ he added.

Navy demands release of N4.5bn capital vote

By JOSES SEDE

ABUJA - The Nigerian Navy has expressed fear that if the outstanding N4.5 billion capital appropriation for the service in 2013 is not released, the contractual agreement it entered into for the supply of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) would be breached.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Usman Oyibe Jibrin, who disclosed this

yesterday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Navy to defend the 2014 budget of the service, also said that any spending by the Nigerian Navy should be seen as investment which is capable of addressing the dwindling resources in the country.

He said that if the budget to the service is improved reasonably, it will help to empower the

TIT BIT “Even before your accusers, a right attitude and kind words are bound to earn you more friends”.

- Kingsley Ogbeide-Ihama

Nigerian Navy to have presence around the Nigeria’s territorial waters, adding that through this, they would be able to take care of the oil theft, pipeline vandalism, which he said, has

FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING: L-R: Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Bello Adoke; Minister of State for Niger Delta Development, Mr. Darius Ishaku; Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Minister of Environment, Mrs. Lawrencia Laraba-Mallam, at the Federal Executive Council Meeting in Abuja yesterday.

INEC warns against double voter registration

Continues on page 2

ADO-EKITI - The Independent National E l e c t o r a l Commission (INEC) y e s t e r d a y commenced its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in

Ekiti State in preparation for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

The six-day exercise which is expected to end on March 17 is to take care of eligible voters who

attained the age of 18 years, and adults who missed the 2011

nationwide voter registration.

Our correspondents

EDHA wants Rubber Plantation privatised

BENIN -The Edo State House of Assembly has called on the State Government to privatise the

Urhonigbe Rubber Plantation in Orhionmwon Local Government Area.

The House made the call in Benin City in a resolution after

considering the report on the plantation by its Committee on Agriculture.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr. Patrick

Iluobe (APC, Esan North-East), had accused members of the five Caretaker Continues on page 2

who monitored the exercise observed that there was a large turn-out of people for the exercise.

Some of the local governments monitored by our correspondents included Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti West, Ikere, Emure, Ekiti South-West, Irepodun/ Ifelodun and Ijero.

Many eligible voters besieged the registration centres as early as 9.00 Continues on page 2

THE NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

News

NERMA gives relief materials to Continued from page 1 victims

and toiletries, 60 bags of cement, 60 bundles of roofing sheets, roofing nails, 100 pieces of towels, mattresses and blankets.

Chairman of the council, Hon. Hassan kadiri while giving out the items thanked the federal government for the support to the victims and urged the recipients to make judicious use of them.

The council boss however

through regular evacuation of debris from the drains that could cause flooding, adding that the local government had also provided relief materials to the victims.

He used the medium to advise residents in the area to cooperate with the council in its effort to enhance environmental

cleanliness by avoiding dumping of refuse into the drains, especially as the rains approach.

A representative of the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mr. Taiye Erhabor who witnessed the disbursement said it was the federal government concern to identify with the victims to enable them cope with the exigencies occasioned by the incident.

Patrol Vessels, even as he said that the initial N23.1 billion proposed for overhead, was reduced to N5.1 billion due to the envelop system being operated currently.

He said the N5.1 billion, which represents 30 percent, is not

as he said this would cause constraint in 2014 programmes of the service.

He added that in 2014, the Navy would spend N56.1 billion on personnel cost, even as he emphasised the need to establish naval base at Oguta Lake, saying the presence of navy there is highly needed.

a.m. as INEC’s ad hoc staff conducted the exercise.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Halilu Pai, who also monitored the exercise warned against multiple registration and registration by proxy, saying it was criminal to do so.

“Anyone who engages in double registration will be detected by INEC machines and will have himself completely deleted from the

Commission’s data for a long time, in addition to prosecution.

“Such a person will automatically miss the opportunity to vote for the candidate of his or her choice in the forth coming governorship election and those to come after it,” Pai said.

He explained that for an eligible voter to

qualify for registration, the individual would provide a brief data on his or herself, evidence of voting age, and two passport photographs, after which his thumb-print would be taken Both the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), and the opposition parties were wooing their members to use the opportunity to obtain their voter cards.

continue in oneness as only so can they achieve much for the local government area.

He expressed satisfaction over the level of infrastructural development embarked upon by the local government, stressing that

the quality of projects executed are of standard.

Chairman of the local government council, Hon. Saturday Ogbeide expressed joy over the visit .

In the

appealed to NERMA to consider upward review of the quantity of relief materials for the large number of victims as the provision was often not enough to go round.

Hon. Kadiri explained that the council was taking necessary steps to ameliorate the effects of natural disasters in the area

Navy demands release of N4.5bn enough to take care of the capital vote Continued from page 1 needs of the service, even been affecting the Nigeria economy negatively.

“It is the interest of the nation to equip the Navy to patrol the seas of the country.

In the 2014 budget, we will need ships, helicopters, we also have to spend on baracks rehabilitation.

Expenditure of the Nigerian Navy should be seen as investment that would help the economy”, he said.

At this point, the Chief of Naval Staff advocated for the establishment of Naval Trust Fund, saying that funds realised through this approach would go a long way towards meeting the needs of the Nigerian Navy and develop the service.

“This is one way that Nigerian Navy could be developed, it is the way to develop the Navy as it is done in other oil producing countries”, according to him.

Meanwhile, in the presentation which he made to the Senate committee, the Naval boss said that in 2014,

the sum of N171.4 billion was proposed by the service for Capital budget, but due to constraint of the envelop system, it was reduced to N7.9 billion, representing 4% of its proposal.

He also said that out of the N7.9 billion, N5.2 billion would be spent on Offshore

INEC warns against double voter Continued from page 1 registration

Commissioner inspects LG projects

BENIN CITY - Edo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Lucky James has paid a routine projects inspection visit to Esan West Local Government Council.

Speaking during the projects inspection tour, the commissioner said the visit was to ascertain what the council has done with the allocation accruing to it since the present dispensation, as the state government is ready to supervise the council’s in the state to ensure the people get the benefit of good governance.

Chief James also noted with satisfaction the peace and cordial relationship existing among the council staff and the political office holders.

He prayed them to

RMAFC urges states to dev areas of comparative advantage ABUJA - The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has urged state governments in the country to exploit their areas of comparative advantage to promote economic diversification.

This is contained in a

EDHA wants Rubber Plantation privatised Continued from page 1

Committee managing the

plantation of misappropriating its internally generated funds.

At the end of the deliberation, the House resolved that the Ministry of Agriculture should take charge of the management of the plantation pending the time it would be privatised.

It also disbanded the

commissioner’s entourage were the Executive Director Local Government Monitoring and Restructuring, Hon Charity Amayaenevbo and the Director, Inspectorate and Monitoring services in the Ministry, Barrister James Otoikhila

caretaker committee and referred the misappropriation of funds to the Commissioner of Police for investigation.

The lawmakers directed the State Internal Revenue Service to monitor all transactions in the plantation and ensure that revenues generated are remitted into government coffers.

statement by the Commission’s Head, Public Relations, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, yesterday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Elias Mbam made the call when he received a high powered delegation from Katsina state government.

Mbam said that it had become necessary for states to reduce their over dependency on oil revenue for realistic development, such as job creation and improved livelihoods, to take place.

He said that for state governments to effectively harness their resources, they needed to leverage on areas of comparative advantage for optimum productivity

rather than waste energy and resources on non-viable sectors.

Comparative Advantage refers to the ability of a state to produce goods or services at a lower cost and sell at a higher price than the other state.

“The Commission is willing to avail states desirous of diversifying their economy of the commission’s Diversification Blueprint for states.

“We will also help states draw funds from the Natural Resources Fund domiciled in the Central Bank for the development of natural resources like agriculture, tourism, solid minerals and the manufacturing sectors.

“This fund is to help states and local governments invest in the identified areas of diversification with a view to enhancing their revenue base so as to reduce the over dependence on oil revenue,’’ he said.

Senate Committee rues

non-release of appropriated funds

By JOSES SEDE ABUJA - Senators yesterday frowned at the yearly non release of funds appropriated for capital projects in Budget in the Country.

This followed an observation

by Senate Committee on Aviation during the 2014 budget defense that the Ministry, Departments and Agencies under it complained of partial releases of funds for project execution even where such funds have been appropriated in the budget.

Almost all MDAs who appeared before various Senate Committees, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, to defend their budgets complained of inadequate releases of funds.

Most of them faulted the envelope system in the budget process through which the budget office allocates whatever figures to the MDAs regardless of their needs.

The MDAs lamented that apart from the facts that funds were not being released in full, where funds were released it may not have cash backing by the Ministry of Finance.

Consequently, the projects for which the funds were meant suffer as execution were either slow or rolled over into the next budget.

The Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau for instance said 35 million Naira was budgeted for the Construction of Flight Equipment Laboratory but all the money was not accessed in 2013, sequel to which the project has been rolled over into the 2014 Budget.

It’s Commissioner, Engineer Felix A. Abali told the Committee that only 4.5 million Naira was released for the project last year and in the 2014 budget, 45 million Naira has been proposed for its completion, saying, when completed , accident investigation would be faster.

When the Committee on Aviation put the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Aviation, Jemila Shuara, to task over the non cash backing syndrome, she declined to comment saying only the Ministry of Finance could offer explanation.

Fuel Scarcity: IPMAN urges finance ministry to step up payment LAGOS - The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) yesterday urged the Federal Ministry of Finance to stop delaying payment to marketers of petroleum products.

The association attributed the current scarcity of petrol to the delay and non-payment of marketers’ entitlements.

Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadiri, the National President of IPMAN, said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Abdulkadiri said the current scarcity of petrol was due to the delay in payment of marketers’ entitlements.

He said that both major and independent oil marketers had received allocation to import products.

“Presently many marketers have exhausted their account and we cannot go beyond this point until our money is paid by the ministry.

“We are been owe Q3 subsidy payment, which is last year, another Q4 and Q1 piling up to about nine months unpaid subsidy to marketers.

“We need to be paid this money because we are in business,” he said.

The IPMAN President said that NNPC would continue to

import as an agency of government, but private marketers could not do so because of liquidity issues.

He appealed to the ministry of finance to commence payment immediately to allow marketers import the product.

“Shortage in supply today is as a result of non-payment of marketers’ oil subsidy, partly in third quarter.

“Quarter four has not been paid and we are in the first quarter.

“For our national consumption today, NNPC supplies 50 per cent of the national consumption.

“It is only the 50 per cent of NNPC product that is in circulation.

“They have stepped up their supply, trying to do what every stakeholder is doing, but it is evidently clear that they cannot do it alone.

“I therefore use this medium to appeal to the minister of finance, as a matter of urgency, to intervene and pay marketers accordingly so that the augmentation can be achieved in a short while,” Abdulkadri said.

Queues in some filling station in Lagos metropolis are still on, while some stations are still shut.

Gusau has not resigned A BUJA - The Presidency yesterday in Abuja said there was no iota of truth in the rumoured resignation of Gen. Aliyu Gusau as the Minister of Defence.

He was sworn in on March 5.

Mr Reuben Abati, the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media, and publicity said reports that Gusau had left office after an altercation between him and military commanders were false.

“It is not true that he has resigned,” Abati told newsmen.

Similarly, in a statement

- Presidency

signed by the Mr. Shehu Maikai, Director Press, the Ministry of Defence also denied the reported resignation of Gusau. ‘’The attention of the ministry had been drawn to a media posting on the social network that the minister had resigned.

“I wish to state, categorically, that the minister has not resigned his appointment.

“We thank all those that have called to verify the rumour and reassure you all that Gusau remains the Minister of Defence,” the statement said.

THE NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

News NAWOJ Inaugurates Credentials committee unveiled the

By BERNADETTE IDALU C’ttee modalities and timetable for ABUJA – The National President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ), Comrade Asaba Baba Nahaya has in Abuja inaugurated a 10 man Credentials Committee to conduct elections into the executive of the association.

In a release made available to The NIGERIAN OBSERVER, the NAWOJ President stated that the success of the election depended on committee members who double as distinguished members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Urging them to work as a team in the discharge of their assignment without fear or favour, Comrade Nahaya expressed gratitude to the NUJ President, Mallam Garba Mohammed who was represented by Mallam Shuaibu Leman, the union’s secretary.

She appreciated him for his untiring support for NAWOJ. Chairman of the credentials committee, Comrade Muktar Gidado in his response, upheld that members of the

committee were experienced women of integrity who he opined would execute their assignment creditably despite the enormous responsibilities and challenges associated with the discharge of the assignment.

Members of the credentials committee are Alhaji Muktar Gidado (Chairman), Comrade Amina Ebor (Secretary) with Binta Ibrahim, Doyin Christie, Juliana Okoro, Jamila Abubakar, Fibi Kafi, Lilian Okonkwo, Dupe Olaoye and Felicia Ogo Chukwurah as members.

The first meeting of the

the election.

Accordingly, nomination for various positions starts March 10 and ends on March 31, 2014.

Aspirants are expected to submit their completed forms not later than 5pm of March 31, 2014.

The delegates conference and elections is scheduled for May 16-18, 2014.

Completed forms according to the release are to be addressed and returned in duplicates to the secretary, credentials committee of NAWOJ.

BENIN CITY - The monthly meeting of the Catholic Media Practitioners (CAMP) comes up today Thursday March 13, 2014, at The OBSERVER headquarters, 24 Airport Road, Benin City..

According to the notice of meeting issued by the Secretary, Comrade Flora Bossey, members are adviced

to be punctual as important matters, including the commemoration of the 2014 World Communications Day, shall be discussed.

Members are expected to be seated by 12.45pm while the meeting will commence at 1.00pm.

By VICTOR IMADE/FAITH ISIKHUEMEN

belief and participation in the Lenten activities which he said is not mandatory, but very important to believers.

Ogbomwan noted that the significant of the Lenten season is a time that believer get closer to God, increase devotion, forgive others, count on nothingness of this world and it is also a time to repent from sin, abstinent from food, hatred and worldliness.

According to him, the Lenten season is not Biblical, because Jesus Christ never brought it as a pattern of life.

He stressed that it is a commemoration of our Lord Jesus fasting for 40 days and 40 night in order to have the backing of God which he needed to carry out his ministry effectively.

Dr. Ogbonmwan in his reaction to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) statement that the Boko Haram activities will cause division in Nigeria, said that the nation would remain indivisible by God’s grace.

Reacting to the escalating violence in Nigeria, he stated that the only solution is God and admonished the political class to stand by the truth while urging everyone not to relent in prayers for the peaceful co-existence of the Nation, irrespective of religious belief.

Catholic Media Practitioners Meeting Holds Today

Lent: Ogbonmwan Admonishes Belivers On Attitudinal Change

BENIN CITY – The General Superintendent of Christ Apostolic Church of God Mission (CACGM), Rev. Dr. Godspower Ogbonmwan has advised believers on the need to look inwards and change their attitudes during the season of lent.

Rev. Dr. Ogbonmwan gave the advise while speaking with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER in Benin City.

Dr. Ogbonmwan described the lent season as a time for sober reflection and consecration so as to gain the backing of God in order to succeed in the Christian race.

He affirmed his church’s

Rev’d Dr. Godspower Ogbonmwan

Council Boss Lays Foundation Stone For Finance, Treasury Dept BENIN CITY – The Chairman, Akoko-Edo Local Government Council, Hon. Folorunsho Joseph Akerejola has laid the foundation stone for a new Finance and Treasury Department.

He also directed that the existing administrative block be given a facelift and redesigned with the supervision of the Head of Department of Works of the council.

According to him, the new Finance and Treasury Department block was informed by the need to centralize all the businesses and operations of the council.

The council boss disclosed during the foundation laying ceremony that the move which is in line with his electioneering promises is aimed at making service delivery a priority of his government.

He appreciated the cooperation and support of members of the council’s executive arm of government, adding that the support of the council staff was necessary for his government to succeed.

The building project is expected to be completed in two months.

THE NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

News Report Electrical Fault To BEDC - GM

exorbitant bill. Engineer Akpor appealed to AGBOR (DELTA) – residents to be patient The General Manager, with BEDC so that it Benin Electricity can settle down.

The business Distribution Company Manager promised that (BEDC), Engineer Akpor has charged Ika very soon, the people people to report will start to enjoy electricity fault to the electricity in the area as nearest BEDC office for a result of the federal quick attention, saying government’s power they should be law programme.

Engineer Akpor abiding. thanked the people of He also advised them to have their personal Agbor and appealed to metres to avoid them to co-operate with the BEDC staff.

BY JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM

Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly (arrowed) in a group photograph with some teachers and students of Intellect Group of School shortly after the school observed the House Plenary recently. Photo: GODWIN ISEGUAN.

Boko Haram Plans To Bomb TB Joshua’s Church Averted

By RAHEEM IBRAHIM LAGOS - A plan by the Boko Haram terrorist sect to bomb Prophet T.B. Joshua’s church in Lagos has been averted, following a confession by a member of the dreaded sect at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Ikotun area of the state.

According to him, in a broadcast beamed on Emmanuel TV, the suspect said: “My name is Mustapha. I come from Yola, Adamawa State. I am a member of Boko Haram. We are five in number and were on a mission to bomb the church.”

The confession sent the congregation into an uproar when he added “Boko Haram is

a cult. We have killed many souls”.

Probed further about the process through which he joined Boko Haram, Mustapha said: “When I joined this cult, they wrote something with Arabic Language. After writing it, they washed it and I drank it. That is the day I had the mind to kill souls.”

Asked by T.B. Joshua as to his intention of being in the church, he explained it was his first time in Lagos.

We were five in number. We dropped at the junction opposite the church. There was a man who used to sell something opposite the church here. He is selling sweets, soap and cigarettes. I met the man and

asked him to help me keep the bag I was carrying. It contained some instruments – bombs, to destroy people.”

Mustapha said the local trader refused to collect the bag, adding that, “We decided to sit down and eat before going on our mission here. Our plan was to take souls, to destroy at this Synagogue Church.”

The Boko Haram member explained that activating the bomb was a matter of joining wires, adding that they had the ability to time the bomb, “We can set it to explode in one minute or ten minutes. We planned to set it for five minutes and immediately leave the place. All the souls will go”.

However, whilst sitting down to eat with his colleagues at a

restaurant opposite the church in Ikotun-Egbe, Mustapha recounted a strange incident.

“They brought food for us and we were eating, at that place, they had television. We were watching the television and discussing. It was Emmanuel TV., I saw you (T.B. Joshua) preaching to people”.

He continued: “By the time you prayed and laid hands on the screen, it was like you were there with us and you joined our midst.

As you laid your hands on the screen, you laid your hands on our face. That was when confusion came between us; everybody scattered.

“Since that day, I wanted to go home but I am not fit. Any time I lie down, I will be seeing

solidly behind the Commissioner, whose work he said could not be confined to Edo State, especially as he had done so well in all spheres of human endeavour.

Enumerating some of the commissioner ’s achievements include, clearing the walk ways of

street trading, reintroduction of bus-stops, effective implementation of commercial vehicle colour code, transformation of Edo State Traffic Management Agency and sanitised vehicular movement on the roads in Edo State, the NDYC President encouraged him not to be deterred by any criticism.

Responding, Hon. OmoOjo thanked the Congress for the honour, saying that he was impressed and encouraged by the award.

He emphasised that the award would spur him to do more for Edo State, especially as there was room for improvement.

He pointed out that a well-organised, safe and sanitized transportation system would be one of the lasting legacies he would be remembered for as the Commissioner for Transport in the state.

Youth Congress Honours Edo Commissioner BENIN CITY – Edo State Commissioner For Transport, Ambassador Orobosa Omo-Ojo (JP) has been honoured with an award of excellence in recognition and appreciation of his hard work, innovation and good work in the ministry since he assumed

office few months ago.

The award was presented to him by the Niger Delta Youth (NDYC), Congress in Benin City by the President of the Congress, Comrade Simon Sawyer.

Comrade Sawyer declared that the youths are

Secretary to Edo State Government, Professor Julius Ihonvbere signing the condolence register in honour of a former Commissioner representing Edo State in the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) when the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu led the state delegation on a condolence visit to the family. Photo: MOSES OBOH.

you (T.B. Joshua) in my dream.

You are disturbing me. I don’t know what I did to you. The thing is bothering me too much.”

When asked to explain further, Mustapha revealed: “In my dream yesterday, you told me that the group of Boko Haram would not exist again. I want to go but I don’t have the spirit to do it again. I don’t sleep in the night; I always see you. You are disturbing me.

You keep praying for me and laying hands on me. I want to sleep well. I cannot close my eyes without seeing you (T.B. Joshua). Please, help me.”

Several hours later, Joshua addressed the issue and brought the young man forward again, stating that God had warned him of the impending attack several weeks ago, prompting him to go into intense prayers.

“I have been in a serious battle for the past two weeks.

Those who looked at my knees yesterday will know that this is what I wore last week,” Joshua stated, explaining that he wore the same jeans for the past few weeks which were clearly soiled from prayer sessions.

“It was not a surprise to me because I have seen it. My mission is to separate him from the spirit that is controlling him

to do that. We are not to fight mere flesh and blood,” the pastor explained.

Mustapha reiterated his plight: “I cannot sleep or close my eyes. Even now, I am feeling a headache because I have not slept at night. Anytime I lie down and I want to sleep, I will see you in my dream, praying for me and disturbing me.”

As T.B. Joshua prayed, the Boko Haram member fell violently on the floor. He managed to get up but fell again at the prayer of Joshua.

He then began to vomit some strange substances. Joshua noticed the tattoo of a scorpion on his shoulder and asked for its meaning. “This is the tattoo they gave to me in the cult. All of us have this tattoo.”

Asked whether he had ever encountered such a scenario before, Mustapha, who explained it was his very first time in a church, confessed, “We have never failed before. There is an operation we did at an Airforce Base in Maiduguri recently. Even we went to Adamawa State in Michika two weeks ago. We have never failed.”

Mustapha was yet to be handed over to the police at the time of this report.

Birthday BENIN CITY – The birthday celebration of little Master Onosetale Felix Leonard will hold on Sunday March 16, 2014.

The ceremony is scheduled to hold at No 13 Izekor Street, Off Irhiri Road, Benin City.

Little Onosetale is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard.

Little Master Onosetale Felix Leonard.

THE NIGERIAN

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South-South Nat’l Confab:

Group Flays Exclusion Of Itsekiri Nationality

By BETTY IDIALU

WARRI - A group under the aegis of Volunteers for the Protection of Itsekiri Rights (VPIR) has expressed dissatisfaction over what it termed the ‘shrewd exclusion’ of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality from the recently released list of prominent Nigerians expected at the National confab by the Federal Government.

The group faulted what its members regarded as the decision of the presidency to deliberately exclude the Itsekiri, describing the selection criteria as one that was rigged from inception to favour one ethnic group above every other ethnic groups in Nigeria.

A release jointly signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Robinson Ariyo; Comrade Leleji Augustine (national secretary); Comrade Okpeyegahn Toju, PRO and Ayions Augustine national treasurer, said the development is coming barely eight months after the reported senseless killing of Itsekiri sons and daughters in the creeks by attackers identified as Ijaw militia while expressing dismay that this is coming from the presidency, the group alleged conspiracy by the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

The group decried a situation whereby the Itsekiri nation has the highest contribution of natural resources the nation’s Commonwealth and yet relegated in the scheme of things.

“Now, the reason we are here today! We were woken up to the sadness of the exclusion of the

Itsekiris from the list of delegates scheduled to brainstorm on the details of a new arrangement for Nigeria as the National Conference set to commence on the 17th day of March, 2014.

“How is this possible?” some of us have asked without any answer; not even a senseless one.

“We recall that after several weeks of preparation, the Federal Government released the names of 483 prominent Nigerians who are expected to hammer out the details of how we are to live together as a nation after 100years of forced union.

“As expected, resource control and devolution of powers are key items on the agenda of the conference. Let us keep in mind that as at today, Delta State is arguably the topmost on the chart of oil producing states in Nigeria.

“It is not in dispute that in Delta State, the Itsekiri ethnic nationality accounts for the highest proportion of this national treasure,, This fact Presidency and indeed our detribalised Governor know very well.’ The release stated.

The VPIR wondered why the presidency chose a different criteria rather than adopt Prof.

Ben Nwanbueze’s position which recommended that selection of delegates to the

proposed national conference be done along the lines of ethnic nationalities, which according to him is the “soul” of the nation, because, it felt it is not in favour of the Ijaw ethnic nationality To go along the line of ethnic nationalities will not allow the “discretion” that has sustained this mass scale of rigging. The Presidency would not have been able to justify that Ijaws have well over 20 slots While the Itsekiris have none.

The group opined that the selection is lopsided in favour of the Ijaw ethnic group, adding that where both the Itsekiri and the Ijaws qualify to be selected for various categories , ‘discretion’ was used to give preference to an Ijaw nation.

The group said that in an attempt to pre-empt this exclusion, and in rejection of the presidency’s excuse, it members wrote to their representative .

“The cripple excuse given by the Presidency was that there are too many ethnic groups in Nigeria.

We had anticipated this strategy hence we very quickly reacted in our representation to the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue/Conference in Benin City, Edo State on October 28, 2013.

Now that the Presidency has gone ahead to execute its strategy of lopsided representation of delegates to

suit the President’s ethnic group, we call on all other ethnic groups in Nigeria to peruse the list of delegates against the alleged criteria and determine how much each has

Delta State Governor to order before it is too late, adding that the Itsekiri nation is a key stakeholder in deciding the future of Nigeria.

A cross section of participants at the International Women Day Celebration organised

by Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) on Monday in Benin City. L-R is Ambassador Femi Okuo, Acting Permanent Secretary, representing Edo State Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Lucy Obaseki and Comrade (Mrs) Victoria Edoyin. Photo: SOLOMON ENAIGBE.

APC ‘ll Bring Transformation

By JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM UMUNEDE (DELTA) – The former chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC) in

APC Registration Successful

- Party Chieftain

Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, Rev’d Ignatius Ogboi said the party will bring changes to the state and Nigeria in general.

He said the party’s registration exercise was free and the turn out showed that APC will come out victories Ogboi also stated that for those cross-carpeting from other

parties to the APC should know that APC has been sanitised.

According to him, APC will deliver dividends of democracy to the nooks and crannies of the nation.

He also advised the electorates not to mortgage their conscience in exercising their franchise.

Rev’d Ogboi urged candidates not to buy votes but should allow people chose their leaders freely.

Mrs Ilekhomon For Burial

- Chieftain

By JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM U R H O N I G B E (ORHIONMWIN) – A political leader in Urhonigbe South Ward in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, Hon. Itohanmwen Emmanuel (aka Ahead) said the All Progressive Congress (APC) registration exercise in the area was successful.

He therefore thanked the party members in the ward over the peaceful registration and advised them to be loyal.

According to him, the party will bring changes to Edo State and other States of the federation.

The APC chieftain thanked the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, his deputy, Dr. Pius Egberamwen Odubu for their development strides across the nooks and crannies of Edo State, and appealed for infrastructural development in Urhonigbe community.

been cheated in this scheme before we proceed any further with the conference.

The group therefore called on all well meaning Nigerians to call the presidency and other

Hon. (Mrs.) Esohe Jacobs, former member, Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) (middle), addressing participants at International Women Day Celebration, organised by LAPO, while she is flanked by Prof. (Mrs.) Eghafona Kokunre of UNIBEN (left) and Dr. Ono’Ohomhen Ebhohimhen (right), both guests Speakers at the event. Photo: SOLOMON ENAIGBE.

EWOHIMI – The family of Francis Ilekhomon of Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State has announced the burial ceremony of late Mrs. Philomena Ilekhomon (Nee Imhanluohan) who died at the age of 58 years.

A statement signed by Okosun H.I., Sunday Ilekhomon, Luke Omozokpia and Dr. Michael Imhanluohan indicated that the burial ceremony will commence on Thursday April 3, 2014 with service of songs at her residence, along Agadaga

Clergy Admonishe Nigerians Against Fear

By JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM

EWOHIMI – A clergy, Revd Paul Okei has advised Nigerians, particularly Christians not to entertain fear over the killings of people in some parts of the country.

Rev’d Okei who gave the

advise in a chat with newsmen in Ewohimi, Edo State posited that, rather than fear, Nigerians should be committed to God. According to him, it is God alone who can put a stop to the killings and other vices presently going

on in the world.

In a related development, Rev’d (Mrs) Okei said with the different happenings in the world, particularly in Nigeria and especially the killings in parts of the north, some people are already gripped with fear of the unknown.

Rev’d (Mrs.) Okei also admonished Nigerians to deepen their commitment to God as he alone can deliver man from every calamity.

He appealed to political leaders to lead well to enable them achieve more from God.

Road, Ewohimi beginning at 7pm.

Friday April 4, at 9pm her body will be taken from Godswill Mortuary to her residence, thereafter, funeral service will hold at the Assemblies of God Church, along Agadaga Road at 1pm, Internment follows immediately at Okede, along Agadaga Road.

On Saturday April 5 at noon, there will be reception for guests at Okede Primary School and a thanksgiving Service on Sunday April 6 at the Assemblies of God Church beginning at 10am

Late Mrs Philonian Ilekhomon

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Across The Nation Embrace Vocational Training, LG Boss Urges Youths

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu (left), with Vice President Namadi Sambo, during the presidential summit on Universal Health Coverage in Abuja recently.

Insurgency: IBADAN - An Islamic group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has advised the Federal Government to improve the welfare of soldiers in the three States in the NorthEast under emergency rule.

Prof. Ishaq Akintola the Director of the organisation, gave the advice in Ibadan in a statement issued to newsmen.

Ekiti REC

Group Seeks Improved Welfare For Soldiers

He said that improved welfare package would boost the morale of the soldiers in the area.

Akintola said that if the soldiers were motivated

and well equipped, they would be able to tackle the sect members.

The director warned that if the welfare of soldiers

fighting the Boko Haram sect was not improved, the sect would continue on its killing spree.

IBADAN - The Nigerian Army in Ibadan commenced a week-long practical promotion examination for 300 soldiers of captain cadre.

The officers, who would be promoted to major cadre if successful, were drawn from all the formations of the Nigerian Army.

registration during the continuous registration exercise scheduled to take-off on March 12, is also liable to one-year jail term or N100,000 fine.

The Resident Commissioner said that the newly issued Permanent Voters card would last for 10 years.

Pai also urged voters to guard their cards jealously and avoid being cajoled by anyone or group to sell them.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner said INEC

Permanent Voters card, which ended on March 9.

He, however, urged residents who missed the exercise to go to INEC offices in their various local governments, where they would be guided on the procedure to follow to collect their cards.

A member of the directing staff involved in the exercise, Maj. Yusuf Dodo, told newsmen that the exercise was part of the requirements for promotion to the next rank.

The officers, he said, would tested in map reading, an aspect of the examination aimed at assessing their ability as well as professional competence.

According to him, the map reading examination is compulsory for every eligible combatant officer.

“We believe that the stability of the North is very crucial to the stability of Nigeria,” he said.

Promotion Examination: 300 Soldiers Converge In

Warns Residents Against Trading not extend the date The Voter’s Card would allowed for the collection the

ADO-EKITI Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, has said that anyone caught selling or buying the new voter’s card in the state would be prosecuted.

Pai told newsmen in AdoEkiti, that the voter’s card was a security document that should not be patented for sale.

He said any person caught selling or buying the voters card was liable to two-year jail term or a fine of N500,000 or both.

According to him, In the same vein, anyone caught engaging in multiple

OGBOMOSO (OYO STATE) - The Caretaker Chairman of Oriire Local Government Council in Oyo state, Mr. Jacob Bamigboye, has urged youths in the country to embrace vocational training.

Bamgboye made the call on Monday in Ikoyi-Ile, headquarters of the council, while empowering some people within the council area.

He said: “I want to use this occasion to solicit for your support to government as well as employ legal means of sustaining your living.

“My administration will

Ibadan

“If the men are under attack, you have to trace your commander through map reading.

“These officers are the ones that have direct contact with the enemy.

You make your plans, you strategise under rain or sun, you have to go out to execute,” he said.

Reports say that the examination is being held at the Leutmack Barracks, Mokola.

passed on him by his ward as well as allegation of anti-party activities.

He said that the suspension would be in place until the State Disciplinary Committee presented its findings.

“The action is in line with section 57 (3) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party 2012 as amended,” Ajao added.

Tokyo Edobor Dies At 59 BENIN CITY – The death has occurred of Elder Tokyo Amenaghawon Edobor at the age of 59.

Elder Edobor died on January 11, 2014.

Until his death, he was a community leader, a party Chieftan and family spokesman.

He is survived by wife, children, grand children, brothers, sisters and Aunty.

Late Elder Amenaghawon Edobor

Sylvia Odese Weds James Osaigbovo

Osun PDP Suspends Secretary OSOGBO - The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has suspended its state Secretary, retired Maj. Raphael Towobola.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bola Ajao, and made available to the newsmen in Osogbo.

Ajao said the secretary was suspended as a result of a vote of no confidence

continue to empower youths in line with the transformation agenda of the Governor Ajimobi-led administration in the state.”

He commended the Governor for his rapid transformation of the state to an enviable position.

The beneficiaries were Mrs. Victoria Adegbile from Oniyo village whose husband was killed by herdsmen and Miss Mistura Alao, a graduate of the council’s vocational training centre.

It will be recalled that the council’s vocational centre had graduated and empowered over 150 youths in different vocations.

Queue of vehicles for petrol as scarcity of the product persists in Abuja recently.

BENIN CITY – The Solemnization of Holy matrimony between Sylvia Joy Odese and James Lucky Osaigbovo, comes up on Saturday, March 15, 2014.

Venue is Dayspring Gospel Centre International, No. 31, Benin Agbor Road, beside Hotel Doris Dey, Benin City beginning at 10am.

Reception follows immediately at Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) Football field, Aduwawa, Benin City.

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Lagos Fashola Signs Consumer Protection Agency Bill Into Law IKEJA-Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has in Ikeja signed a bill establishing the state’s Consumer Protection Agency into law.

The reports state that the agency has the mandate to promote the rights of consumers and protect them against exploitative business practises.

It will also handle complaints of breach of consumer rights and take steps, including exploring legal options, to get compensation for losses.

Assenting to the bill, Fashola

said the legal intervention was to ensure that consumers got real value for their purchases and services rendered.

He noted that it was the norm in advanced countries to treat consumers as kings and in a state aspiring to be one of the world’s model mega cities, the government could not afford to do otherwise.

“In every good economy, the consumer is king, so the purpose of the law is to protect consumers and ensure they get value for

their money “Goods sold to them must fit the purpose for which they are put on sale.

“Consumers must be able to seek remedy against manufacturers who put substandard goods not fit for

their purposes on sale.

“I think what this law should do for us is that consumers should not be helpless against manufacturers or vendors or service providers who have breached their rights.

“This law will assist in raising the quality level of products and

services as manufacturers now know there is a minimum quality standard expected in the market,” he said.

Earlier, the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye, said the agency would enforce rights of

N25.7bn Theft

Court Dismisses Atuche’s Application

IKEJA- An Ikeja High Court has dismissed an application by a former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Francis Atuche, asking the court to stay further proceedings of his trial.

Justice Lateefat Okunnu in her ruling, held that Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) prohibited her from entertaining the application.

The judge said Section 40 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act also compelled her not to determine the application.

According to her, Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that a criminal charge should be concluded in a timely manner.

“I hereby strike out the application in its entirety,” she said.

The judge consequently adjourned the matter till March 11, for continuation of the trial.

The reports state that Atuche and his wife, Elizabeth, are being prosecuted for allegedly stealing N25.7 billion belonging to Bank PHB. They were charged to court by the EFCC, alongside a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu.

Moving the application earlier, Atuche’s counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), urged the court to stay proceedings on the trial.

Idigbe said the stay was necessary pending the determination of the various appeals filed by both the EFCC and Atuche before the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.

He said the EFCC had filed an application for stay of proceedings at the appeal court and had also petitioned that the panel of judges should be reconstituted.

“The prosecution has filed a stay of proceedings against our appeal at the Appeal Court.

“They want the court to stay hearing of our appeal pending the determination of their own appeal against the ruling delivered by the Appeal Court on November 21, 2013 at the Supreme Court.

Idigbe said the Appeal Court, had in the ruling struck out the theft charges preferred against a former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Okey Nwosu, by the EFCC. According to him, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, also of an Ikeja High Court, has adjourned another matter involving Atuche on the same grounds indefinitely.

He further accused the EFCC of frustrating Atuche’s appeal at the Appeal Court by seeking a

stay of proceedings and demanding the reconstitution of the panel of judges.

Idigbe said it was, therefore, proper and in the interest of justice for the court to wait for the decision of the apex court.

Responding, the EFCC counsel, Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), said the application should be dismissed for being an abuse of court processes.

“The law as it stands mandate the court to uphold Section 40 of the EFCC Act.

L-R: Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan; Chairman, Planning Committee, International Maritime Conference and Exhibition, Margaret Onyema-Orakwusi; Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authority, Malam Habibu Abdullahi and Executive Secretary, Nigeria Shippers Council, Hassan Bello, at the International Maritime Conference and Exhibition in Lagos recently.

L-R: Chairman, Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Commerce, Transportation and Industry, Mr. Bisi Yusuf; Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, at the signing of a Bill Establishing Lagos Consumers Protection Agency in Lagos recently.

Critically Examine Health Bill Before Passage,CSOs Urge Reps LAGOS- The Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (CSOs) has urged the House of Representatives to re-examine the National Health Bill (NHB) 2014 before passing it.

The organisation said at a news conference in Lagos that the Senate, which had earlier passed the bill on February 19, had done so without addressing many contentious articles.

Mrs Ifeyinwa Awagu, Secretary of the organisations said: “The NHB 2014 that was re-drafted, re-presented and passed by the senate, is essentially a replica of the NHB 2008/2012 with little alterations.

“Our concern is that the NHB 2014 is not explicit on key issues surrounding the removal of body parts and products, leaving room for dangerous interpretations.“ Awagu urged the House of Representatives to ‘critically’

examine some articles in the bill before passing it, to reflect the interest of Nigerians.

Also speaking, Dr Nkechi Asogwa of Doctors’ Health Initiative noted that Articles 48, 49, 51, 52, 53 and specifically article 1, should be X-rayed.

Asogwa said that issues pointed out by some groups and concerned individuals were not reflected or reviewed in the bill passed by the senate.

“Last year, individuals and groups made sacrifices to present the concerns of Nigerians over certain sections of the bill in the public hearing of February 11, 2013 in Abuja.

“The expectation was that the concerns would be taken into account when the bill would be re-drafted and re-presented, but sadly, it was passed with little or no amendments,’’ she said.

Asogwa, however, called on the House of Representatives to re-assess the bill critically before passing it.

In his remarks, Dr Philip Njemanze, the President, Global Pro-Life Alliance, said Nigerians needed a health bill that would reflect the realities of their lives, beliefs, morals and cultures.

Njemanze said that Articles 51 and 53 should be erased from the bill as they would legalise sale and trafficking of human organs.

“If these articles are permitted, they will have genetic and social repercussion in the society as being currently witnessed in developed countries.

“Nigeria needs a health bill that ensures quality healthcare for all by making health services affordable, accessible and effective.

“That will put an end to the

enormous waste of resources going on presently through health tourism,“ he said.

Njemanze urged President Goodluck Jonathan to also ensure that the bill protected the interest of Nigerians before giving his assent when it eventually came before him.

The reports state that in 2013, Jonathan returned the NHB 2012 to the National Assembly for proper review of some sections following calls by some concerned Nigerians.

Reports state that members of the CSOs include Project for Human Development, Association of Catholic Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, and the Islamic Platform of Nigeria.

Some others are: Foundation for African Cultural Heritage, Global Pro-Life Alliance and Doctors’ Health Initiative.

consumers to fair pricing of products and protect them against consumption of unfit products.

He said that Lagos was a thriving commercial city and it was important to place appropriate machinery in place to protect the interests of consumers.

Ipaye restated the commitment of the government to ensure the protection of the rights of all residents.

He said that the signing of the bill was a demonstration of that commitment.

ETI Inaugurates Committee For New Board Members LAGOSEcobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) says it has set up a new committee to search for new board members as agreed at its extraordinary general meeting on March 3 in Lome, Togo.

This was contained in a statement by Mr Odidison Omankhanlen of the bank’s Brands and Communications Department in Lagos It said that the seven member committee had two former chairmen of the bank, Mr Gervais Djondo and Chief Philip Asiodu.

The statement said that the committee also included two representatives of the current board and three shareholder representatives.

It also said that the agreement was arrived at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held at Ecobank’s pan African Centre in Lomé, Togo on March 3.

It added that the search would be assisted by an external search firm.

The statement read: “The move to reconstitute the board at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated follows recommendations made by West African regulators of the Stock Exchanges where Ecobank is listed.

“Its move was supported by a report from the Global Board Center of the renowned Swiss Business School and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

“The IMD report by their Global Board Center followed a review of ETI’s corporate governance, including the size and constitution of the board, “It is also based on its procedures for managing related party transactions as well as its committee structures and incentive policies.

“The search committee will recommend potential board members to the shareholders of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated at the Annual General Meeting in June”.

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Across The Nation Money Laundering: EFCC

Begins Trial Of Fani-Kayode LAGOS- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced trial of a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, at a Federal High Court, Lagos.

Fani-Kayode is standing trial on an amended 40-count charge bordering on money laundering.

At the re-arraignment of FaniKayode, the prosecutor, Mr Festus Keyamo, called his first witness, Mr Okechukwu Okeke, to give his testimony.

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Okeke, a relationship officer with the First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB), told the court that the accused maintained an account with FCMB, adding that his account had become dormant.

He alleged that the account of the accused was first domiciled with First Atlantic Bank before it was acquired by Fin Bank which was later acquired by FCMB. According to the witness, as a relationship officer with the bank, he had the account history of customers.

He said he was given a letter by the legal department of his bank to verify the account history of the accused.

The witness, however, told the court that although the account was inactive, he still had details of transactions stored in the computer.

At this point, the prosecutor then tendered a statement of account of the accused between August 2008 and September 2012.

He informed the court that he was unable to produce the statement of account of the accused between 2004 and 2008 when he served as a minister.

He said he had written a letter to the bank to obtain the statements, and was told to come back in one week.

The Defence Counsel, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe, did not oppose the submissions of the prosecutor.

Following this development, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourned the case to March 18 for continuation of trial.

The reports state that FaniKayode was first arraigned in December 2008 on a 47-count charge.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and Justice Ramat Mohammed

granted him bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum.

He was re-arraigned with Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako as the trial judge following the transfer of Mohammed out of Lagos Division.

Reports state that Fani-Kayode was again re-arraigned the third time on February 11, 2013, with Justice Ajumogobia taking charge following the transfer of Murtala-Nyako.

The EFCC had dropped seven of the original 47-count charge in the five-year-old trial.

Fani-Kayode was alleged to have accepted cash payments to the tune of N100 million, while he held sway at the Ministries of Aviation as well as Culture and Tourism.

The offences contravened the provisions of Sections 15(1), (a), (b), (c), (d) and 15 (2) (a), (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, the EFCC said.

President Goodluck Jonathan (2nd right), switching on Automated construction equipment to perform the ground breaking for the construction of second Niger Bridge in Onitsha recently. With him are: From left: Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze; Governor Peter Obi of Anambra; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolomemen and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works, Rep. Ogbuefi and others.

Patients Protest None Supply Of Anti-Retroviral Drugs

MAKURDI- Some 500 patients living with HIV and AIDS in Benue held a protest over the non release of antiretroviral drugs to hospitals in the state in the past two months.

The reports state that the aggrieved patients besieged the premises of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Makurdi, to press for government intervention.

Mrs Kasevhemba Aondoakaa, the spokeswoman of the group expressed shock that the government had decided to abandon them at this critical moment.

Aondoakaa, a teacher said that the apparent insensitive position of the government toward their plight had left them with no option than to embark on the protest.

“For two good months now no single drug has been given to us.

Our regular test has not been carried out either.

“They keep on telling us that there are no drugs to give us. We are tired of hearing all these stories, we want the president and the minister to do something about this issue.

“We are being maltreated, according to them, U.S.

Presidential Emergency Plan for Aids Relief in Africa (PEPFAR) has withdrawn its sponsorship for the programme.”

However, the Head of Clinical Services, Dr Petelu Inunduh, said the issue was beyond the hospital management.

Inunduh explained that the programme was initially handled by the Aid Prevention Initiative Nigeria (APIN).

He said that as a result of the regionalisation exercise in 2013, the centre was handed over to Centre for Integrated Health Programme (CIHP) by Centre for Diseases Control (CDC).

“From the beginning of the programme, our centre was under APIN but was later handed over to CIHP in 2013 as a result of the regionalisation exercise.

“We are only hosting the programme here, though 110 of our members of staff are currently working for the programme, while 55 members of staff were employed by PEPFAR. “We have over 15,000 patients on ART list and over 27,000 who

are also collecting their drugs at our centre.

“When we were handed over to CIHP in 2013, they declined to take over on the grounds that they lacked capacity to run the centre.

“Subsequently, we were again handed over to the Institute of

Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN) but the marriage has failed to yield positive result.

“Since their takeover, there has been erratic supply of drugs, laboratory reagents, and lack of funds to manage the laboratories,” he said.

He disclosed that the management had already held a series of meeting with stakeholders with the aim of addressing the problem.

It will be recalled that the Benue Government recently denied distributing expired antiretroviral drugs to HIV and AIDS patients in the state, in spite of the contrary claims by patients.

Group Commends Jonathan Over Second Niger Bridge fulfilled’’.

It reiterated the group’s

LAGOS- The Ndigbo Cultural Society of Nigeria (NCSN) has commended President Goodluck Jonathan over the ground-breaking ceremony of the “Second Niger Bridge’’.

In a statement issued in Lagos by its President, Chief Udo Udeogaranya, the NCSN expressed profound gratitude to President Jonathan over the inauguration of the bridge.

The group noted that the bridge, when completed, would advance robust economic activities in Igboland by facilitating easy access into the region.

“With this commencement of work on the second Niger bridge and for achieving this milestone, Jonathan has proven an uncommon leadership quality of matching his promises with actions.

“The president has also redefined himself as a man with exceptional integrity, striding on golden characters of dedication, devotion, allegiance, loyalty and total commitment to public service,’’ it said.

According to the statement, Jonathan is a believer in “a promise made is a promise

continued gratitude to the President over the appointments of Ndigbo into political positions.

Jonathan would also be remembered for giving international status to the Enugu Airport, giving Anambra an oil producing state status, and the rehabilitation of the LagosOnitsha highway, among others.

The NCSN, however, assured the president of its support in the 2015 elections, should he decide to run.

AWKA- Governor Peter Obi of Anambra has ordered a 24hour patrol and surveillance at the Orient Petroleum Resources Plc at Aguleri-Otu in Anambra

businesses as normalcy had been restored.

Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of the host community, Igwe Alex Edozieuno, has expressed shock at the magnitude of damage to lives and property by the invaders.

“I personally visited the scene of the attack and was dumbfounded by the gross brutality to the citizens, the company staff and the quantum of damage to property.

“What baffled me most was how the hoodlums were able to wreck such magnitude of damage to life and property undisturbed with the presence of security personnel,’’ Edozieuno, who was at the news briefing, said.

He appealed to the state government and the authorities of the petroleum company to ensure adequate security in the area.

Governor Obi Orders 24-Hour Patrol At Orient Refinery

Constructionlkkl equipment at the site of the ground breaking for second Niger Bridge in Onitsha recently.

East Local Government Area.

The order came on the heels of a recent attack on the refinery which led to the destruction of some facilities.

Briefing newsmen in Awka, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, said the governor gave the order to forestall further destruction of the facilities.

He said the state government was not happy with the security breach and was already appraising the situation.

He said the extent of damage and casualties were still being collated to address same soon.

He, however, urged the people and contractors to go back to their

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Abuja FG Seeks Secret Trial For 3 Boko Haram Suspects

ABUJA -The Federal Government has asked an Abuja Federal High Court to conduct “secret trial’’ for the three men charged with alleged links with the Boko Haram insurgents.

A Chief State Counsel, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mrs N.B Jones Nebo, who made the application, said it became necessary to protect the identity of its witnesses.

Three accused persons, Mohammed Yunus, Musa Umar and Salami Abdullahi, were arraigned on an eightcount charge bordering on terrorism.

They were arrested and detained in October 2013, for allegedly holding various meetings aimed at carrying out insurgency across the country.

Nebo also said that the prosecution’s motion was brought pursuant to Sections 33 and 34 of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2013, as amended, and Section 115 of the Evidence Act. She argued that the

application complied Sections 36 and 203 of the Criminal Procedure Act which supported the non-disclosure of identities and names of witnesses.

Mr Hassan Liman, SAN, Mr James Ocholi, SAN, Mr Abdul Mohammed, counsel to the first, second and third accused, respectively, opposed the application.

They urged the court to dismiss the application, contending that it lacked merit.

Ocholi, specifically said: “this application is in conflict with Section 36 (4) of the 1999 Constitution, which pertains to fundamental rights and fair hearing.

“Fundamental rights, public hearing and fair hearing cannot be separated.

“It is easier for a person to tell a lie in secret than in public as there will be nobody to correct them in secret, and also where there is no publicity, there is no justice.’’

The judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, adjourned the case to March 18, for ruling.

National Conference Will Proffer Solutions To Nigeria’s Challenges - Party Scribe ABUJA - Mr Gilbert Agbo, the National Secretary, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has said that the National Conference would “proffer solutions to Nigeria’s challenges”.

He said this in a phone interview with newsmen, in Abuja.

Agbo said there was no better way to address the challenges Nigeria was facing other than the national conference.

“The only way for us to tackle issues, as a country, is for us to sit and discuss the issues head long.

“So, the national conference is in the right direction.

“It is expected that if the delegates to the conference have the interest of Nigerians at heart, they should be able to proffer far reaching solutions to our numerous challenges”.

Agbo identified the numerous challenges bedeviling the country to include “insecurity, decaying infrastructure and nonexistence of government at the various levels.

“Governors see themselves as umpires, they determine what happens in the state which is not acceptable to the universally known tenets of democracy.

“We call for true federalism to decentralise power at the top so that the units will be able to participate in the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people”, he said.

Agbo, however, faulted the age brackets of some of the delegates saying they were too old to contribute anything meaningful to the conference.

“These are people who are no longer active even in their thinking.

“We call for the youth to be

allowed to participate in this process.

“If you allow the younger ones who know that they have no other country except Nigeria, they will take this country forward.”

He also said that the choice of Justice Idris kutigi as chairman of the conference was a “good step.”

Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta (left) with Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, at the ICPC Good Governance Forum in Abuja recently.

FG Committed To Universal Health Coverage - Jonathan ABUJA- President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed the determination of the present administration to enhance the quality of Nigerians through Universal Health Coverage.

Jonathan said this at the first Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) held at the Banquet hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, he reaffirmed the commitment of all tiers of government towards achieving 30 per cent health insurance coverage by the end of 2015.

“Our gathering here is to reaffirm our commitment as

political leaders both at federal and state levels that we will do all within our powers to provide Universal Health Coverage for our people.

“As a member of the United Nations, Nigeria subscribes to the 68th General Assembly resolution calling on member nations to accelerate efforts toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

“In 2010, we also set the bold target of achieving 30 per cent health insurance coverage by the end of 2015.

“Since that commitment we have, at both Federal and State levels, explored and implemented various

FG Urged To Reconstitute Board Of Minerals Fund mining industry had been in ABUJA- Mr Sunday Ekozin,

President of Progressive Miners Empowerment Association, has called on the Federal Government to reconstitute the Board of Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) to enhance its operations.

Ekozin made the call during interview with newsmen in Abuja.

“If we are to reap the benefits of the SMDF, it is very critical that we reorganise its board. I have stressed this from the very day the board was inaugurated’’, he said.

The president said the association supported the concept of the SMDF, which was incorporated through the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007.

Ekozin said that nothing had been forthcoming from the board since it was inaugurated about two years.

“Instead of generating funds for the development of the solid minerals sector; the board members are involved in extraneous things.

“Something drastic should be done. The presidency should urgently intervene and reconstitute the board.

“When you have a board which is composed mainly of

people doing things in the archaic way; what do you expect?

“The same people are still there. Do you expect something different from what they achieved in the past?’’ he asked.

Ekozin stressed that the

comatose because of the recycling of people who had never helped in the development of the sector.

“I think we should be sincere and patriotic enough to address the issue frontally; we should engage people who can produce results in the sector.

programmes to meet this target.’’

Jonathan noted that the government had invested very much in strengthening human resources in the health sector by enhancing the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS).

He said that the government had also provided additional health facilities and had started other component programmes under the Subsidy ReInvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

According to him, at the primary care level, government is working closely with its partners to improve access to essential medicines, other lifesaving commodities and also improving infrastructure.

“At the secondary and tertiary levels, we are improving and expanding the service delivery packages available at the General Hospitals, Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, and Specialist Hospitals.

The president stated that government’s open and supportive investment and

partnership policies were yielding results.

He said Nigerians in the Diaspora were now returning home to invest in the nation’s healthcare system.

“Our tertiary hospitals are also partnering with the Diaspora to provide highly specialised surgeries that are previously only obtainable in more developed countries.

“We have progressively improved healthcare financing and priority interventions.

“Social Health insurance is also gaining ground.

Participating hospitals can attest to the increase in their patients and revenue pools as a result of health insurance.

“Through fee exemptions schemes such as free health services for pregnant women and children under five years in various states specific health conditions, conditional cash transfers, both Federal and State governments have also improved access to quality healthcare.’’

Some teachers filling forms during State Universal Basic Education Board Documentation of Teachers in Bauchi recently.

THE NIGERIAN

10

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Business + Economy Capital Market Stakeholders Allay Fears Of Crash Market Downturn:

LAGOS- Some capital market operators have allayed investors’ fears on the current downward swing in listed equities on the nation’s bourse.

They told newsmen in separate interviews in Lagos that the swing being experienced in the market was not a sign of crash, but a normal trend in any developed market.

Mallam Garba Kurfi, the Managing Director, APT Securities and Funds Ltd., attributed the trend to the exit of foreign investors who were the major players in the market.

Kurfi said that foreign investors were off loading their holdings in the market because of the development at the foreign exchange market.

He said that the investors were not comfortable with the continuous depreciation of the naira and the depletion of external reserves.

According to him, the investors are skeptical that the naira can be devalued on the long run if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) can no longer protect it.

Mr Sunny Nwosu, the National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, attributed the development to profit taking by some investors.

Reports state that the AllShare Index dropped by 606.42 points or 1.53 per cent last week to close at 38,952.47 against 39,558.89 posted in the previous week.

Also, the market capitalisation lost N195 billion or 1.93 per cent to close at N12.512 trillion compared with N12.707 trillion achieved in the preceding week due to price losses.

A total of 2.15 billion shares worth N18.49 billion were recorded in 22,697 deals last

week against 1.81 billion shares valued at N26.69 billion exchanged in 25,342 deals in the preceding week.

The financial services led the activity chart with 1.72 billion shares valued at N11.15 billion in 12,303 deals.

The conglomerates sector followed with a turnover of 236.71 million shares worth N1.05 billion achieved in 1,773 deals.

The consumer goods sector had 52.82 million shares worth N3.49 billion traded in 3,664 deals.

The NSE All-Share Index and market capitalisation depreciated by 1.53 per cent to close on Friday at 38,952.47 and N12.512 trillion, respectively.

L-R: Mr. Emmanuel Okodugha, Regional Coordinator, Edo/Delta Skybank Plc, Mr. Eme Chimene Eleonu, Deputy Project lead shared Service Central Bank of Nigeria and Mr. Laz Kabuoh, representing branch controller, Central Bank of Nigeria, Benin during the banks sensitization programme organised in Benin City on the cashless policy. Photo: LUCKY AGIE.

Operator Urges Practitioners To Create Micro Insurance Products LAGOSMr Akin Ogunbiyi, the Group Managing Director of Mutual Benefits Assurance, has urged insurance operators to create micro insurance products for the informal sector.

Ogunbiyi gave this advice at the First Business Journal Insurance Summit and Exhibition 2014 in Lagos.

The theme of the summit was: “Closing Insurance Awareness Gap for Business Growth.”

Ogunbiyi, who spoke on “Prospects & Challenges of Micro Insurance in Nigeria,” said that the informal sector would boost insurance penetration in the country.

“The industry needs to take strength in the informality of the sector and create affordable products that will meet their needs.

“To do this, the operators have to create a structure by organinising those in this sector into cooperative societies.

“And from experience, this group of people never fail in repayment of whatever assistance given to them either as loans to enable them buy insurance products,” he said.

Ogunbiyi said that Mutual Benefits Assurance had benefitted from the product and had accumulated huge sums as premium from it.

He said that the coming together of the operators to offer micro insurance products would help to institutionalise it.

Mr Kayode Lawal, the President of Chartered

Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), said that micro insurance was the future of the industry in Nigeria.

He said that once it was achieved, it would help to move insurance from cities to all nooks and crannies of the Federation.

Lawal said that the industry would continue to work together to ensure that the insurance penetrated deep into the country.

A cross section of participants at a stakeholders meeting organised in Benin City by the Central Bank of Nigeria to sensitize members of the public on the banks cashless policy which begins in Edo State and serve others states July 1, 2014. Photo: LUCKY AGIE.

Seplat To Float Shares On LSE, NSE

LAGOS – Seplat Petroleum Development Company has announced its intention to float its shares on both the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

This is to be done through its application for admission of its ordinary shares to the standard listing segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the LSE’s main market and to the Official Trading List of NSE. The successful listing will make SEPLAT the first Nigerian Oil and Gas Company to have its ordinary shares dual-listed on both the LSE and NSE. The Oil and Gas operator disclosed that it intends to use part of the proceeds of the global offer which is $48 million to repay in full, all outstanding amounts under its shareholder loan from Maurel And Prom International (MPI) S.A and

the remaining part of the net proceeds will be available for acquiring and developing new acquisitions and or both onshore and shallow offshore acreages, assets or Joint Venture (JV) farms-ins.

The main source of acquisitions is expected to come from divestitures by various International Oil

Companies (IOC).

Seplat is targeting gross operated oil production from its existing assets of 85 million barrels per day (Mbpd) by the end of 2016, having being founded in 2009

by Shebah Petroleum Development Company Limited and Platform Petroleum (Joint Ventures)

Limited for the purpose of investing in Nigerian oil and gas opportunities.

Maurel & Prom, a French independent oil company subsequently acquired a 45 per cent equity interest in SEPLAT which was later spun-off to form Maurel & From Nigerian S.A. (Now

Maurel & Prom International.

With an average gross operated oil production of 51, 400 barrels per day (bpd) as at 31st December, 2013 and an average gross gas production of 99 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfpd), SEPLAT ranks among the leading indigenous oil and gas operators in Nigeria.

FG Promises To Develop Seaports LAGOSPresident Goodluck Jonathan has said the Federal Government would develop deep sea ports to check congestion at the existing sea ports.

Jonathan stated this in Lagos at the opening of a three-day 2014 Nigeria Maritime Expo (NIMAREX) with the theme:“100 years of Maritime Development in Nigeria’’ .

Jonathan said that developing deep sea ports was the only way to solve the problems associated with

port congestion and sustain the ongoing implementation of 24-hour ports operation.

He said that the Federal Executive Council had approved the development of the Lekki deep sea port in Lagos to handle bigger vessels and create employment under the Public-Private-Partnership arrangement.

The president, who was represented by the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, also said that the steering and project delivery committee had submitted a

draft report on the Ibaka deep sea port in Akwa Ibom.

He said that discussion was ongoing among the Federal Ministry of Transport, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Lagos State Government and some investors on the development of Badagry deep sea port.

He said that similar arrangement was also being made with the Ogun, Bayelsa and Ondo State governments to develop the Olokola deep sea port and Agge deep sea port, respectively.

The Chairaman of

NIMAREX, Mrs Margaret Onyema-Orakwusi, said that the focus of the expo was to harness the country’s abundant maritime resources.

Onyema-Orakwusi said that Nigeria would “take over the world” if the country’s marine resources and mineral wealth were properly harnessed.

“For us to take on the world, Nigeria must develop her shipping industry to aggregate the facets of her economic niche within the comity of nations,’’ she said.

THE NIGERIAN

11

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Woman THEY stepped out. It was their feet first, legs so elegant, glittering with the steam of a scented bath, carefully tucked into designer heels that must have cost quite a fortune.

Their hips swayed to the rhythm of a song they only sang and heard, like a sensual dancer to the beats of a music. The sun shone on their jewelleries and it glittered, with the shine of gold. They swayed their head in that slow appeal and their hair gave a bouncy wave to their audience. They were out to impress and they did.wow!

Uuuuh!

Permeated the serenity of the hall. ‘’those girls have got some class’’ came the mumbled whispers. They appealed to my eyes too, believe me. But hey! Let’s not get carried away. I’ve heard those words before, quite a number of times. I have seen people pride themselves with forced and shallow mechanism in the name of class. ‘’My people perish for lack of knowledge ‘’, so says the bible.

Classy refers to quality or premium. Premium products are products of class that undergo series of production process from research to packaging. They are refined to offer the best of services.

It’s not just about the packaging, but it starts from the component parts used in the production process that gives it that unique characteristic distinct from its competitors. A lady of class is like a premium product. It’s not just about her looks, but more of what the eye can’t see which makes a statement on the outside. A statement so clear but not loud, so appealing yet not competitive, so distinct, yet the audience are left to ponder in awe. Some people call her diva.

Everyone claims to be a diva. Is everyone really a diva?

According to Michelle McKinney Hammond in her book titled The diva

principle, ‘’divas command attention without demanding it. There’s an air of finesse, confidence, originality and style. Divas never just walk into a room, they arrive. They never exit a room without leaving a part of themselves behind. A rich deposit of wisdom, an encouraging word, something seemingly intangible yet profound, that leaves a lasting impression on the heart of those who interacted with them’’ Alright, let’s take a look at what flashy entails. Bright, blinking, bold, colourful, sometimes beautiful, but however of poor quality. Ever seen fake gold jewellery before, it has a blinding shimmer on the shallow but if you put it on for two days, that outer layer disappears, the real rusty fake stuff shows and then you have to throw it away. There has been a lot of juxtaposition between the two words ‘’classy’’ and

every time I see her’’. That grace is divine and supernatural. Only God can give that kind of grace. If you aren’t birthed in his presence, you don’t carry that grace.

You can’t say you’re classy.

Most flashy women are worldly. By flashy here, I don’t mean wearing flashy clothes. She lives, loves and revels in all that the world has to offer. When she enters, everyone glances at her blinking figure. She draws attention with her flattery.

From her appearance, to her speech, downright to her mannerism, but it doesn’t take long for someone to notice that it’s not the real thing and look away to focus on more important things. It’s simply embarrassing. Others sigh in disgust discovering that their effort in giving her the initial attention wasn’t worth it.

Did I tell you that classy women are prayer warriors?

Classy Or Flashy:

By NWACHUKWU CROWN

‘’flashy’’. It’s time to establish the real deal on four dimensions. So, here we go.

The first dimension is the spirit of class. A woman of class is spiritual. Oops! Are you surprised? Don’t be.

True divas walk in grace because they embrace the power of being pure in heart.

They leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that they harbour the best of intentions. Believe me, the human nature can’t attain such purity of heart because even God who created man said that the inclination of man’s thoughts in his heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6 vs 5). There is a grace that accompanies class and the author of that grace is God Almighty. That inward grace that makes others say ‘’there’s something about her. I don’t just know what but I feel it

‘’There she goes again’’.

Someone would probably be murmuring. But that’s the truth. Why do I say so?

Because classy women are carriers of power while flashy women are seekers of power. Flashy women seek to acquire power by whatever means. Only prayer can give you the power to rule your present and future. Flashy women acquire power to rule their present. Their future is never guaranteed.

The second dimension is the attitude of class. A woman of class is not interested in hogging the limelight; she’s fiercely determined to shed the light.

For a flashy woman, it’s all about appearing in the limelight, so everyone could notice. She is not interested in being the light. How can she be the light anyway if the light of the world, Jesus, is

Which Is The Real Deal?

not her lord? The attitude of a classy woman is not self centred. That’s the opposite of a flashy woman. A flashy woman is self centred, acquiring more and more, in search of power and prestige and ending up being a figment of the real thing.

Every diva should purpose in her heart to step into the fullness of her purpose and exercise her maximum potential.

Lastly for her attitude, a woman of class lets a man be a man and understands her place as a woman, irrespective of her status. On the contrary, a flashy woman flexes her muscles, challenges a man’s authority and constantly bruises his ego just because she’s probably born into some wealthy family, occupies a certain position or is

“Lastly for her attitude, a woman of class lets a man be a man and understands her place as a woman, irrespective of her status. On the contrary, a flashy woman flexes her muscles, challenges a man’s authority and constantly bruises his ego just because she’s probably born into some wealthy family, occupies a certain position or is surrounded by a lot of material possession.”

surrounded by a lot of material possession.

Let’s get downright to the third dimension, the fashion of class. This is where the controversy lies. You have the latest channel Lego clutch bag or the Louis vuiton version of it, your suit was tailored in London, your stilhetto heels, a product of Dona collections and you find yourself on the steering of a Rolls Royce. That’s cool.

Sweet is the word. Fabulous look, quality possessions I must say. But those are qualities of the exterior; class comes from a quality interior. If you have an interior quality, combined with all these exterior quality possessions, then you are simply Diva-classic. But if that expensive look is all you’ve got, come off it girl, you are all flashy, not classy.

Get the difference. Divas set fashion trends, they don’t follow blindly. Classic, simple, affordable and complementary are the keywords. They don’t wear themselves out or do things below the standards to join the moving trend. Their wants are subject to their needs and their means. For the flashy girls, it doesn’t matter how they get it, they

just have to belong. Never believe that a great outfit could make up for a horrible disposition. There’s an emptiness in living a fabulous life for yourself.

The fact is, it’s simply not fabulous.

The last but not the least dimension is the profession of class. A woman of class knows that she is first, a child of God, a woman and then a creation created to give something of herself to bless her world. She owns a profession, her profession doesn’t own her. It doesn’t come in the way of her relationship with her creator, her loved ones or the people around her. A flashy woman allows her profession to own her. She prides herself on it.

It doesn’t matter to her what is involved, as long as it affords her all the vanity that the world can offer.

We will be stopping here for now. It doesn’t just end with the women, men are also a part of this confusion.

Its applicable to both gender.

There’s a real difference between classy and flashy.

Tell yourself the truth; where do you belong and where exactly do you want to belong?

THE NIGERIAN

12

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014 EXPECTEDLY, by yesterday, March 12, Nigerians looked forward to the the much awaited National Conference expected to last for three months. Various stakeholders, Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora are looking up to the conference to resolve most of the nation’s multifaceted challenges since the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates by Sir Lord Lugard.

WE recall that on the occasion of the 53rd independence anniversary of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan in a nationwide broadcast announced an Advisory Committee mandated to establish modalities for a national conference aimed at resolving issues that currently cause friction in the polity.

PRESIDENT Jonathan said that the committee, which will have Dr. Femi Okurounmu as its Chairperson and Dr. Akilu Indabawa as its Secretary will advise him on the scope and agenda for the national conference.

WE welcome the decision of President Jonathan since it takes into cognizance suggestions over the years by well-meaning Nigerians on the need for a national dialogue on the future of our beloved country. There is consensus that there has been discontentment in the land. The discontentment and alienation has fueled extremism, apathy and even predictions of catastrophe for the country. This means that, if one united Nigeria is still cherished, the bases for such unity must be negotiated and agreed upon.

WE must be quick to point that the conference must not be the soap opera that was organized by former President Olusegun Obasanjo or Abdulsalami Abubakar which select friends and well wishers were the attendees.

WE are also in agreement with Mr. President that “when there are issues that constantly stoke tension and bring about friction, it makes perfect sense for the interested parties to come together to discuss.” We are also glad

THE NIGERIAN

As The National Confab Kicks Off that the Senate President, David Mark who is well known opponent of a national conference with the argument that “there cannot be a sovereign within a sovereign,” was the harbinger of the President Jonathan’s announcement. Mark, while welcoming senators from their seven-week annual vacation, said “every matter about the union of ethnic groups that made up the country should be opened to discussion but warned that the dismemberment of the country should be a no-go area for the conference.”

ASIDE the unity of Nigeria which everyone seems to be alluding to, we believe that there should be no restrictions as to the issues to be discussed by the conference. Even at that, we believe that Nigerians must be in agreement to remain as one indivisible entity. Nobody can force a union that so many have questioned in the country on the people. That should be the beginning point of discussions. If at the end of the discussions, Nigerians from various backgrounds decide to go their separate ways peacefully, no one should halt them. Professor Ango Abdulahi, Spokesman for the Northern Elders Forum has said the north is not afraid of a break up. Chief Uwazuruike of MASSOB has offered their willingness to go their own way.

The people of Oduduwa, have equally aired their position. Nigerians know the benefits of our diversity but we must agree as a people to continue with the union or not.

SECONDLY, if we agree to remain as one Nigeria, we must also look at the current structure if we are satisfied with the military balkanized country. Thirty six states, with only four viable is not sustainable. The conference

must review and agree on either a return to the 1963 constitution that provides for regional government or a reviewed structure of such, so that with or without crude oil, the regions can survive. We also recommend that the local government structure should be discussed. We cannot continue with military contrived states or whatever nomenclature the federating units may assume should determine how many local governments or counties they can sustainably put in place, perhaps through a plebiscite after the conference.

THIRDLY, we expect a loose federation if Nigeria is to remain one at the end of the day, whereby the regions or states will observe strictly the true fiscal federalism, producing and generating their incomes and paying an agreed percentage to the centre. We believe that for sustainable economic productivity and faster development, we must make the centre less attractive to avoid the “do or die” politics currently witnessed at the centre.

There should be devolution of powers to the federating regions or states to further make the centre less attractive.

FOURTHLY, parliamentary system of government is desirable for a country like Nigeria because, the presidential system of government is very expensive to maintain.

Good enough the Edo State contingent to the conference is proposing part-time parliamentarians. Interestingly too, Nigeria has experimented this system in its early days post- independence and could jolly well return to the arrangement haven tasted the expensive presidential system as well.

LASTLY on expectations at the conference proper, Nigerians look forward to a new constitution at the end of the day if they agree to be one or a number of constitutions for the number of countries that may emerge. We believe that if transparently and honestly executed, the planned conference would resolve once and for all the myriad of problems buffeting the Nigerian state.

THE NIGERIAN

13

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Issues Onojieship: AS the battle over the legitimacy of Ewu traditional stool heightens up and as millions of people all over the world watch with keen interest who the mantle eventually falls on to rule the four hundred years old kingdom, which for the past seventeen years has been ruled by HRH, Abdul Rasaq Yusuf Isesele Ojiefoh 111, though in contention. There is need therefore to focus on the day to day development as the community currently sits on a time bomb ready to explode timelessly.

While HRH, Abdul Rasaq Ojiefoh, the community kingmakers and the royal family in the likes of high chief Robert Omosu, (the oldest surviving man in the community), the Oshodi of Ewu, chief Emmanuel Okonoboh Ojiefoh, Pa. Oni Igiebor Ojiefoh, Malam Muhammad Ojiefoh, Malam Usman Salami Ojiefoh and Alhaji Sufianu Ojiefoh, maintain that the community has made the right decision in crowning the Onojie, going by customs and tradition of the land, prince Jafaru Ojiefoh, the challenger in the court, disagrees saying the throne belongs to him according to primogeniture.

This contending issue began in the lower court and later landed in appeal court where judgement was given in favour of prince Jafaru, while majority of the ruling house of the community including the kingmakers, elders and youth publicly rejected the judgement arguing aloud that its a rape on the aged long customs of the land to the succession of the throne. According to high chief Omosun, onojieship in Ewu, is by lineage which fell on HRH, Rasaq Ojiefoh, when the vacuum was created in 1997. Even at that, the late Onojie, HRH,

Ensuring Peace In Ewu

By INNOCENT OKOH

Issesele Ojiefoh, whose demise created the vacuum for Rasaq, was a grandson when he assumed the throne and it is the same manner the present Onojie was crowned though no uncle objected the late Onojie but today, there is an uncle challenging the current Onojie.

On the ground of only surviving son, even though the line has been well followed and an Onojie has long been crowned after due consultation and traditional processes has been well observed.

High chief Omosun, distance prince Jafaru, from the throne, saying that it is not with the right precept that Jafaru, is claiming the throne, which according to him, “it does not fall on him and moreover, it has passed him and it is bigger than him”. Though the matter has shifted ground to supreme court, the people are saying that they have an Onojie, in the person of HRH, Abdul Rasaq Yusuf Isesele Ojiefoh.

While prince Jafaru, continue to speak from afar, HRH Abdul Rasaq Ojiefoh, has thrown his doors open to whosoever wishes to hear from him, and in a recent media discussion in his palace, he matains that he has been duely installed by the people specifically on the 3rd of November, 1997, by the kingmakers who in Ewu are refered to as Egbemiohan, he disclose that the Ewu people have always been emphantic about it that he remains their Onojie, come rain come shine.

While reacting on some claims by Jafaru, in a publication on some national dailies, he said that its “unfortunate he lied to the world, he went to high court in Ekpoma, saying I shouldn’t earn my stipend but

the court threw the case away, saying that I have been duely enthroned as the Onojie of Ewu, and I should continue to earn my salary till the determination of the case in the court of law and by the special grace of God, I remain the Onojie of Ewu kingdom, and nothing stops that”.

On the issue about Bendel state legal notice of 1979,

grandson has never been the king in Ewu, is a malicious lie because if his father was not an Onojie, as a grandson, could he have layed claim to the Onojie, as it is today. So the Ewu people are saying the issue of primogeniture is not the rule to succession because you may have an over ambitious prince who is number three or four on the line of succession, what does he do if he wants to become

prince Jafaru Ojiefoh, and all his children they were all given birth in the palace, they lived in the palace, they dine and ate with the then Onojie, and our people are saying that it is a taboo and it can’t happen. Our customs are distinct and clear and in as far this customs has never been decleared to be repugnant to equity, natural justice and good conscience it is a law of our people and so it remains.

.HRH, Abdul Rasaq Yusuf Isesele Ojiefoh 111.

HRH, Abdul Rasaq Ojiefoh, has this to say “right from the beginning, the issue of primogeniture has never been used in Ewu. Let me go into memory lane, Issesele Ojiefoh 11, who is my grandfather, and Jafaru’s father was a grandson when he became the Onojie, his father whose name was Igiebor Ojiefoh, did not reign as an Onojie and his grandson, Issesele, came in as the Onojie, under the same circumstances which I have been enthroned. So for Jafaru to tell the whole world that a

Members of the royal family/ruling dynasty. Left to right-chief Emmanuel Okonoboh Ojiefoh, Pa. Oni Igiebor Ojiefoh, Malam Muhammad Ojiefoh, Malam Usman Salami Ojiefoh and Alhaji Sufianu Ojiefoh.

the Onojie, one way or the other he will eliminate his elder ones. So when it now boils down to the issue of succession he will now say I am the first surviving son, so I should become the onojie.

The Ewu people are saying no. In Ewu, a king is given birth to, when a king is born the whole community knows that a king is born and that has been the line right from beginning. When a king to be is born he is taken to Ikokogbe, a quarter in Ewu that takes care of the onojie, traditionally, morally and otherwise they train up the Onojie and once the throne is vacant and to be filled up these people are called upon to present the Onojie to be.

My late father passed through that process, I also passed through the process but Jafaru never passed through the process .In Ewu, it is an abomination, a taboo for the Onojie to see eye to eye with his first grandson, I never saw my grandfather throughout his reign and lifetime but

So when this issue started he went about saying the state government doesn’t recognise him, it’s the responsibility of a good government to investigate issues especially issues that relate to traditional stools because it is something that can trigger off and before you know what is happening the whole community is engulfed in fire. And in 1999, the government then under chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, set up a panel after much petition from the same Jafaru, to look into the Onojieship dispute in Ewu, the governor refered this issue to the three traditional rulers in Esan central Local Government Area, which comprised of the onojie of Irrua, Ugbegun and Okpoji, Jafaru was invited three times, Ewu community was invited including the kingmakers, the council of elders and chiefs and the members of the royal family, and they all attest to the fact that I am the Onojie, and so

it remains.

He further disclose that during this period, “the Ewu people kicked against the Edo state legal notice of number 70 of 1979, saying that the edict doesn’t represent the custom of the land, it was full of contradictions and in 2004, in yielding to the request of the Ewu people, the state government came and the edict was amended and it was based on the amended edict that I was recognized as the Onojie of Ewu kingdom, in 2004. So for Jafaru to come publicly and start brandishing an edict which doesn’t represent the custom and tradition of Ewu people is unfortunate.

He also mentioned that he performed the burial ceremony of the late Onojie, HRH, Issesele Ojiefoh, that is a blatant lie. I have always said that burial ceremonies are matters of fact, they are what you see. I conducted the burial ceremony of my late grandfather, according to his own wish because Jafaru, has been a desperate prince right from the onset and of course the late Onojie saw the desperation in him and that was why he called the kingmakers before his death and told them in the presence of Jafaru that the throne of the Onojie doesn’t belong to him and in that same meeting it was agreed that my late father, haven met the custom of succession to the Onojie of Ewu, should be interred at the king’s cemetery. My father was born as the first born son and that is the custom of Ewu people, a king is given birth to, a king is not a matter of circumstances you don’t become a king by circumstances, circumstances cannot make Jafaru a king and thats why the entire Ewu people has rejected him, he can’t come to Ewu, he lives in exile outside Ewu and throw stones from outside, how can you be an Onojie in exile, its not possible”.

And conclusively he has this to say “I am aware as a lawyer that the law is supposed to reflect the wishes, custom and tradition of a people, you don’t import the law upon the people they will reject it and that is why the Ewu people has rejected the judgement of the appeal court in Benin, we have appeal against that judgement in the supreme court, all necessary paper has been filed and all parties served as well though no date has been fixed for hearing but we are sure of victory”.

THE NIGERIAN

14

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Ajuwaya

NYSC Scheme: THERE is an adage which says that, What makes a man is what he can do to proffer solution to a problem. If the foundation of a house lose its qualities, automatically the house will be devastated, this best describes the NYSC scheme. And when a house is devastated, it needs a reconstructure or renovation.

National youth service corps (NYSC) as conceived by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon’s lofty ides is worthy of its aims because the nation just emerged from a civil war, a war that could have been averted if all the principal actors in it had a genuine love for the nation called Nigeria.

What more would a country that is just coming out of a self – induced war need than peace.

Understanding our differences as said by the late Northern premier is the fulcrum behind the establishment of NYSC. Its establishment in 1973

Need For Reformation

By MBA PRISCILLIA

can not be faulted as youths of different ethnic groupings or background transverse the nooks and cronnies of this country.

Youth as it were are tools for peace.

Living in a dynamic world like ours is a challenge and the earlier we realize this dynamism, the better for all of us. The idea behind the establishment of NYSC may have been eroded by the present hardship that abound in every area of our life, the lack of accommodation for corps members in various States of the Federation make a huge mockery of the whole scheme, poor sanitary situation and the lack of portable water in different orientation camps makes the whole scheme a charade and this call for reform.

A tour to different orientation camps is a testimony to the fact that the scheme has turned a moral burden on our leaders, in fact, discussing experience with fellow

corps members from different States shows a uniformity of feelings and it calls for alerm. The Government should know the best Ideas to put in place to obtain success of the scheme. Otherwise abolishing the scheme would be more meaningful to youth who are exposed to illtreatment emanating from lack of accommodation, poor sanitary condition and harsh weather.

The establishment of a governing board to me, may not be the turning point the scheme needed, but a genuine approach to it by those concerned is all that matters.

Recently Government are contemplating on how

to make the scheme two batches instead of the three batches that was formed. The scheme should be reform and make it more valuable and attractive to prospective corps members. It is ironical for corps members to be subjected to unpleasant situation simply because they have to serve their father land. In fact, the four cardical points of NYSC are defeated and when the foundation of a house is destroyed the house cannot stand and this best describes the scheme. Decree 51 of 1993 by the then military President. Gen. Ibrahim Babagida which made it mandatory for graduates below 30 years to partake in the scheme is due for

reform. Nevertheless, the urgency it deserves can only be likened to the urgency in reforming the economy.

Furthermore, NYSC as we all know, was established after the civil war as one of the vehicles for National integration.

After existing for so long, it is imperative to review the scheme against it original objectives and the prevailing realities in the country need to make NYSC more relevant; need to ensure that there is commensurate return on investment to all it stakeholders..

Research shows that people are querying the relevance of NYSC because they are no longer certain about the value NYSC scheme is adding to the participating corps members, their families and the country at large.

This is strong case for reformation. So, need to reposition the scheme makes it more effective and align it with present realities.

Moreso, Looking at the scheme in a holistic way and trying to identify and confront issues that are standing in the way of its effectives.

The first is to look at the area where needs to be served, of course National integration is still relevant, but is no longer a sufficient justification.

There should be need for value addition. Also there should be need on how to shift NYSC to something that people look forward to, the only way we can answer both questions, is to ensure that the programme adds value to

the country and the participating corps members.

According to This day Newspaper 23 may 2013, the Federal Government was committed to restructure the National Youth Service Corps to reposition it as a tool for national transformation and encouragement of self-reliance among corps members.

Furthermore, the minister of youth Development, Mr. Inuwa Abdulkadir gave this assurance when he inaugurated the NYSC National governing board in Abuja where he said that the government was particularly interested in promoting vocational training and entrepreneurship development to encourage selfreliance among graduates.

Abdulkadir added that the scheme needed to be repositioned as a tool for National integration especially at this critical period in the national politics. “One of the urgent steps needed is to explore ways to facilitate memorandum of understanding (mou) with employers especially in the private sector for them to retain corps members after their service year”; “The practice where corps members are regarded as a source of cheap labour who can be discarded annually should not be allowed to continue”.

In a nutshell, if all these are highly re-engineered and NYSC is properly reformed serving the father land will be a thing of joy to the corps members.

“National youth service corps (NYSC) as conceived by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon’s lofty ides is worthy of its aims because the nation just emerged from a civil war, a war that could have been averted if all the principal actors in it had a genuine love for the nation called Nigeria.”

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Child Health & You Continued From last week BY the 17th November 2010, the momentum of the celebration of the International Prematurity Awareness Day had become phenomenal culminating in the second International celebration on that day.

Instructively and of note was the nominal internationalization of the 2010 celebration with the participation of other relevant interest groups committed to the unique difficulties of premature babies and their encumbered families. These International Groups included, among others, March of Dimes in the USA, the National Premmie Foundation in Australia and the Little Big Souls in Africa.

Thus, the second International Prematurity Awareness Day celebration was, indeed, an international collaboration nominally and programmatically.

The Australian and African Organizations were both members of the ‘Global Alliance’ for the commitment to prematurity and its myriad of difficulties and challenges.

The World Prematurity Day was first jointly founded in May 2010 in New York by EFCNI of Europe, March of Dimes of USA and the Little Big Souls International Charitable Foundation for Africa. Further progress on the celebration Initiative culminated in a nomenclatural metamorphosis with the birth and formal launching, together with the Australian National Premmie Foundation, of the first World Prematurity Day (WPD) on the 17th November 2011. The Global Alliance also galvanized the world impact of the celebration through the social interactive and networking media using the ‘Facebook’.

Effective Information Communication on the matters related to the prevention, critical care, peculiar difficulties, the unique challenges of survivors of premature births and the unenviable burden of the families of these infants was facilitated through the Facebook and such other celebration activities and innovative events.

The second WPD was celebrated on the 17 th November 2012 with more global participation and the

desired impact. More countries actively got on the campaign to celebrate the heightening of the awareness to the peculiar circumstances and the unique needs and demands of premature babies.

The critical situation of the families of these premature infants occasioned by the birth of such babies was also highlighted. Also brought to the fore is the comprehensive support needed by these families, and their premature babies, to achieve the desired quality of life denominated in useful and productive life. In different countries, the WPD is celebrated with imaginatively innovative activities, actions and events that are capable of drawing public attention to the peculiar problems of premature babies.

These include public sensitization lectures/ seminars, video shows, road walks, visits to Intensive Care Units for Premature Babies, Prematurity Awareness Campaigns and Shows by Performing Artistes and Celebrities, Media Shows and Poster Displays. Also, the use of various Social Network Media, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, among several others, has increased the thrust and impetus of the celebration of the WPD. These interactive media add an international dimension to the celebration with an effortless ease and with a seamless overlay.

The Institute of Child Health, University of Benin, Benin City participated in the celebration of the World Prematurity Day for the first time in 2012. In collaboration with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), the Institute was featured on the 17 th November 2012 on a National Network Programme: ‘AM Express’. During the Programme, the discourse on Prematurity was comprehensively addressed and effectively communicated by the author of this presentation, a Professor of Child Health and Neonatology in the University of Benin and a Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, for the desired effect on the public; the rekindling of the awareness regarding the peculiar issues of premature babies. The NTA, in collaboration with the Institute, featured other

Ensuring Survival Of Premature Babies

By PROF. C.O. EREGIE

similar presentations of the author on Prematurity for continued and enhanced impact to address the problems of premature babies and their families. The Institute discharged this celebration of the 2012 WPD under its innovative Intervention: the Public Enlightenment and Mobilization Programme

interventions, future outcomes/ abilities and disabilities of premature babies. The Institute also plans other Interventions with the NTA and other collaborative partners to celebrate the 2013 WPD to continue the thrust to draw public attention to the peculiar circumstances of premature babies and their burdened

(PEMP) through its Action Network, the Perinatal Action Network for the Newborn (PANN).

This presentation today under the Thursday Weekly Feature, ‘CHILD HEALTH AND YOU’, is part of the Institute of Child Health PEMP and PANN for the celebration of the 2013 WPD. This is in collaboration with the Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, Publishers of ‘The Nigerian OBSERVER’. In subsequent publications of ‘CHILD HEALTH AND YOU’, the specific matters and difficulties relating to the prevention, recognition, difficulties, needs,

families.

Going by 2012 statistics, 1 in every 10 babies is born premature world-wide.

Globally, this translates to a public health burden of about 15 million premature births every year with over 1 million deaths and over 75% of the premature births preventable.

This is a huge population of critically challenged infants and a significant proportion of children population with the plethora of attendant and potential morbidities and resultant mortality. Indeed, this represents the largest child-patient group worldwide. With cutting-edge technologies and interventions, increasing

“Dimes in the USA, the National Premmie Foundation in Australia and the Little Big Souls in Africa. Thus, the second International Prematurity Awareness Day celebration was, indeed, an international collaboration nominally and programmatically. The Australian and African Organizations were both members of the ‘Global Alliance’ for the commitment to prematurity and its myriad of difficulties and challenges.”

numbers of premature babies are surviving but with varying degrees of physical and neuro-maturational and neurodevelopmental compromises and disabilities.

Indeed, there are also other incapacitating impairments confounding the overall public health burden and challenges of Prematurity.

Increasingly, we are faced with the enlarging task of providing diagnostic,

highlighted the origin, relevance and the desired impact of celebrating the World Prematurity day on the 17th of November of every year dating back to the first celebration in 2011. In the subsequent or future publications of the Thursday Weekly Feature, ‘CHILD HEALTH AND YOU’, we will discuss the very many difficulties and peculiar disorders of premature babies

therapeutic, rehabilitative and preventive interventions and care for such difficulties, among several others, as: cerebral palsy, chronic ocular and pulmonary disorders, chronic motor deficits, chronic sensory defects, longterm learning disabilities, disturbing emotional and behavioural afflictions. These are difficulties and disorders enough to challenge and stretch our public health resources and preparedness for comprehensive Global Health.

Some of the premature babies also have a greater predisposition to the development of noncommunicable adult diseases encapsulated in the public health moiety including, among others, Diabetes, Obesity, Hypertension, Ischaemic Heart Disease, Dyslipidaemia and Insulin Resistance Syndrome. This discourse will be explored further in future presentations on Prematurity.

This Presentation has

making keeping a date with us the task for a ‘Must Read’.

P R O F E S S O R C.O.EREGIE, Professor of Child Health and Neonatology, Institute of Child Health, University of Benin Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist, University of Benin Teaching Hospital ‘CHILD HEALTH AND YOU’, a Weekly Thursday Feature in the Nigerian Observer, is a collaborative initiative between the Institute of Child Health, University of Benin, and the Bendel Newspapers Company Limited (BNCL), Benin City.

Comments on this page should be forwarded to The Editor, Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, Benin City or Director, Institute of Child Health University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State.

THE NIGERIAN

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Media

WE have so far spoken about gathering the news, writing the news, accuracy and ethics in news reporting, writing about people and now covering speeches and other special events plus developing the news in the next chapter — we are talking about special events is all about speeches parades, dedications and other special events that may produce front page news or share boredom.

The problem is that the reporter usually cannot be sure of what he will find until he covers the story. . A speaker, who is expected to deliver nothing but platitudes, may drop a verbal bombshell on his audience who are expecting to hear beautiful speech where they can learn a lot and take something home.

A parade that is seen as merely a repetition of last year’s March may turn into riot because of hecklers or other factors. Nothing is certain in journalism says M.L Stein (1972) and the news man must always be alert for the unanticipated. Some events which should be gala civic occasion can turn to become tragedy. There could be a fight where bottles, knives and other dangerous weapon could be freely used resulting in lost of lives. The police can make even innocent arrest who may end it up in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Event: The occurrence which give rise to media coverage will be amalgam of news values. In the analysis of media, different forms of event can be identified. Primarily there is the KEY EVENT an air crash with loss of many lives, a bomb explosion in the heart of a capital city, a collapsed four story building in Lagos Nigeria, railway accident, and many other fatal accidents. Such an event is very often the cause of, or signifier of crisis, a threat to the smooth operation of community, national or international activity, the coverage of events especially if the topic of such events give ground for concern about the causes and consequences of such events, stimulates the activities of pressure groups who see an opportunity of gaining media attention, since their concerns fit in with the established topic. Consequence is an increased number of mediated and staged events.

Equally, such coverage tends to event “pressure” upon decision makers in politics, business and administration etc. Kiplinger and Habermeir in European Journal of Communication (1995) says, coverage of key events will enhance the coverage of similar or related events and add interest and urgency to events thematically linked.

The nature of coverage they say will vary. Between media — for example between daily and weekly newspapers or between broadsheets and tabloid, or television and radio.

The Speech Story In this public relations age, there is often little suspense in a speech. Advanced copies of talks are prepared by PRO — personnel for prominent figures in government, industry, the military, education, science and medicine. The newsman just follow the script. Taking notes only when departure are made from it. This will make it difficult for him when he has to cover the speaker who announces that he always talks “off the cuff’ which means he has scrawled a few notes on the back of an envelope or his menu. In this case the writer’s cramp is inevitable for the journalist.

An advanced text usually has a release time, with permission, the speech may by printed or broadcast before it’s actually made. If so, the explanatory phrase “In a speech prepared for delivery, Senator Osagie Ekue said “ “is used. This is to protect the news, medium if the speaker strays from the text or, because of some mishap, doesn’t give the talk at all. If the speech is broadcast or published after its made, the reporter might find discrepancies between the hand out text and what was said from the dais.

The difference between the speech and what the speaker said out of the paper or text issued out earlier, can be resolved by nothing in the story that the speaker added or omitted words passages from the advanced copy. If he had said something particularly news worthy or value in the prepared text but failed to say it during the speech, the newsman is justified in using versions, unless he previously had agreed to use only the last one. Occasionally, the speaker or an aid will ask the newsmen not to release certain portions of the prepared text because they are being withdrawn. In doing this, the newsman will quickly inform editor to remove the very portion of the text if they had been placed in the tabloid.

Writing the Speech A speech is written like any other news story. The most important thing, the speaker said goes at the top but there should be supportive paragraphs below, if a man delivers a radical shocking or provocative statement, there ought to be some enlargement by him. A writer looks foolish and stupid if he puts the shocker as his lead and then does not refer to it there after. It is however perfectly proper to approach the speaker after his talk and ask him to explain the doubtful points.

If he had declared that “Mayor Ode Okechukwu of Enugu State is dead” with no evidence to back the news, the reporter is flirting with bad journalism to say nothing of libel by repeating the speakers news.

The reporter must know that there are two kinds of news: Hard news, which is the reporting of important events which have taken place. A speech by a leading political figure,. an important government announcement, a crime, a disaster, a significant court verdict, all these come under the heading of hard news and will surely find their way into the news bulletin.

Soft news is the news of a more informational nature and not as immediate or, in the opinion of a news editor as important as hard news. Much of the material used in magazine programme and in some talks can be put in the category of soft news. The programme broadcaster is therefore much concerned with soft news. The speech story — must definitely hang together, if the writer or broadcaster switches to a new topic in the speech, a fitting transitional word or phrase is needed.

An example “Turning to the college of Education housing problem, the provost Prof. Isah Tolu Odemwigie “said that two new dormitories are planned, one of which will be started in November this year”. A speech story gains flavour by the intelligent use of quotes and colour.

The speaker’s outstanding remarks are quoted with the remainder being paraphrased. “A story consisting of only quotes is not a story but merely a clerical reproduction” says M.L. Stein (1972). The speakers routine of banal sentences need not be dignified by quotation marks. But a solid punchy, well worded passage adds amenably to the story interest.

Unveiling Today’s Print And Br

Colour is fine only when it is available. The speakers gestures audience reaction, the setting — all make for good copy. The reader or broadcast listener can get a feeling of being there if a speaker makes a fateful announcement and a hush falls over the crowd. This is recorded. When a political candidate is joined on the platform by a hillbilly band and his grand mother, this too, can go into the story.

Basically, however, the purpose of the speech story is to inform.

The reader, listeners in radio and television is less concerned with trapping the study with what was said. This story: Nigerian Navy Secretary Bandquik Obosa said on Thursday that “public castigating of the military man” is seriously affecting the effectiveness of the nation’s armed forces Addressing the world Affairs Council at the Abuja, Obasa said; “ the abuse being given the serviceman is undeserved and unfair and he should not be called upon to tolerate it. ‘Infact, he won’t and isn’t. He is getting out of the armed services of Nigeria in large numbers to their great detriment”.

Banquik Obas two time governor of Hill State, said he recognized that such “hostility” to men in uniform is such a phenomenon which historically occurs in cycles, particularly during and after the unpopular Nigerian Civil War” He said that the reduction of 300 major tactical air installations “available for our use” abroad 200, now 100 in the Dofore Region have resulted form: “…… Increasing national pride on the part of some host nations and a rising state among our people to foreign military commitment of any kind.”

More importantly Banquik Obasa stressed, is the fact that the Nigerian Navy “is simply not attracting nor retaining enough qualified young men”. He said that the first-term enlistments are only one — quarter. What they should be, Marine Corps officer procurement is only two thirds of those required. Retention of unclear submarine officers is “well below what is necessary” and “we need to keep about twice as many of our pilots beyond their obligated services The location of the speech and the group to whom its made, are seldom part of the lead.

These facts are usually not important enough to clog the opening which is designed for maximum impact. That the talk was given at the Nigerian Hilton Hotel before the Association of General Contractors is nothing that won’t keep until the third, fourth and fifth paragraphs. Take note too, that this write up is only prepared for you to study. It was never made any where by the Nigerian Navy.

The names are not referred to any particular person. It is a passage for your study.

Covering Parades Covering parades is one of the events we had earlier described in this chapter, especially if the occasion is on, for example the Nigerian Independence Day October 1, the Ann forces Day, May day or any important day in your country. The newsman knows what to do. He gets an estimate of the crowd size, the number of units in the March, it is Arm forces Day names of the dignitary present, the parade route and other details. Are these enough? Not at all if he wants to write a story that was different than last year’s of the same event. The city newspaperman particularly had pressed to come up with something new. Television cameras can show the colourful parade to its audience, thereby poling the best efforts of the pencil reporter to recreate the spectacle.

Still the enterprising newsman need not surrender completely to video reporters. A parade offers a number of varied angles. Brilliant stories have been churned out by men and women who looked beyond the marchers, band music, the drummers of different cultural groups from different ethnics in the country, the labour, the school children march past and the general splash of colour. They concentrated instead on such minutia as the commonest of the onlookers, the jockeying for position on the reviewing stand and the selling of window perches by residents along the route. A hilarious piece was done, a motorist who arrived in a city not knowing there was a parade but became a part of it, perhaps none of these possibilities is enough to carry the story by its self, but they can dress it up, give it a new look.

Visiting Dignitaries The arrival of dignitaries or important personalities received with red carpet rolled out either in the airport, luncheon, format dinners tours etc. at times there is a real carpet depending who he is, and the people receiving him. A newspaper reporter, a television reporter with his video cameras and a photographer will likely be assigned to the visitor the entire day and longer if he stays around longer papers and broadcast stations may put three or four or more persons on the story if the guest is important enough. In addition the television crew would include technicians and camera men.

The reporter obtains as much date on the official in advance.

Morgue clips and standard reference material ought to supply enough materials. He also checks with city officials and police on the arrangements, including the days schedule from the secretary to the president, or governor. The press secretary can be reached. If elaborate security measures are taken to protect the visitor, the police will usually ask the news media to withhold the details from the public to foil would-be assassins or cranks. It is hoped however that responsible newsmen should avoid being too requesting. In many instances there is opportunity for the colour quotes and anecdote which can be woven into the story. But the newsmen should avoid triviality when the dignitary had launch, his small talks, comments from spectators, motorcade problems which contributes to human interest.

Street Rallies This day, street rallies are very common in cities, communities and villages. Politicians can hold rally in the parks and campuses.

Some of these rallies produced marmot crowds in a matter of hours.

Covering these rallies calls for level — headed thinking and sound news judgment. Speaker after speaker may say the same thing in different words many of which have been said in previous rallies particularly when it is a political campaign rallies. The reporter must winnow out repetitions and also evaluate the significance of the gathering whether the issue be war. Street rallies are sometimes full

By OSAYOMWABO O. ERO

of noise, shouting and charting which may stir up emotions but when it is all over, there may be little to write about.

Some rallies and demonstrations are rich news worthy which may affect the society in several ways, A country may have a rally where she may take a decision to go to war with another nation. This kind of rally will last for centuries even after the war had been won thinking on the lost of lives of the citizenry and destructions. Riots in various universities in many countries have serious damage affecting their academic sessions.

The reporter should not be misled by crowd size alone.

Many persons attend rallies merely to see or hear what’s going on. They have no commitment to the issue, frequently they don’t even know what’s is all about, but by thorough investigation, a journalist can get a fair idea of the number of spectators and true supporters and antagonists. He also aught to interview the leaders attempting to pin them down on the size of their organization, its hierarchy, aim, plans, etc. In such interview, the reporter would observe that both right and the left-wing groups will tend to exaggerate their strength, proclivity for which some leaders also think nothing of dishing out misinformation, slander and libel if they feel it helps their cause. Newsman must be very wary of charges and accusations by adversaries in a political or social controversy.

The most difficult obligation is to remain neutral and objective despite his own biases yet, no matter the neutrality and the objectivity of the journalist, emotions may range and someone must remain above the clamor to report events clearly and dispassionately advocates are in minority. We journalists should realize that the readers and listeners seek information and not partisan viewpoints.

They want the facts nothing but the true facts presented to them fairly and accurately so that, they can make up their own minds.

This is important and essential for a viable democracy. Although absolute objectivity may not be possible, but the professional reporter must strive for it and for fairness.

DEVELOPING NEWS It is not everyday that a reporter, an editor can start their business of news reporting collecting and news writing with great success. At times, they may have a very dull day searching for news or breaking news, but even if there is a fire out break or accident such as that which occurred in California in October 2007, flood disaster in 17 states in Nigeria, and Diana Air Crash in Nigeria there probably will be a reporter left over in the newsroom who may not be involved early enough in the business of the day.

One possibility of developing news is to send some reporters into the streets searching for news, stories which if he succeeds he will use as developing into news. The reporter develops stories, which are not handed to him in the form of scheduled interviews, press releases, meetings and rallies.

Developed news is not the same

as the breaking variety (accidents, plane clashes, riots etc) but may emerge from it.

Developing news stories lie beneath the surface of known events and institutions. To get them, the reporter of (radio, television and newspaper) must dig beneath the obvious.

Sometimes, the yield would be a rich one, and one, at another time, he will find nothing in the later case, he will have to hunt further or drop the probe and move on to something else.

The process starts with an idea in the mind of an enterprising reporter or editor, based on his own observations, suspicions or an outside tip.

The reporter may investigate the minister of Agriculture because he heard that there was

rights o Youths, sexual a child ab etc. Man into a imagina a reporte quotes supporte M sometim unneces gone bey his stor examine series o health a knew ab them wh the infor have trie newspap experts.

A re

Journalists on duty “something funny going on” about the awarding of construction of site of Federal Government’s Rice and Maize farm contract in Gongola state, Nigeria.

The reporter may nose round a local public hospital to check out a rumor that patients were being ill-treated or poorly fed.

The checking in either case may take days or even months. There is no deadline because no one can be sure there will be story, when there is, it may take the form of any newspapers article which may give long-term investigations that may give a newspaper several awards.

Different Development The development or enterprise story need not always involve investigation of wrong doing. Some reports of wrong doing may be focused on various aspects of social structure of an organization. Instead of a reporter helping to send some one to join, it is better for him to uncover a situation in the schools, hospital, welfare agencies, programmes etc, which merits public attention and action. Or he should write the kind of story, which questions long-held convictions or procedures. A newspaper reporter can write why the police or courts have ignored cases of assault, mugging and even murder which may be happening in their sight and hearing.

They can investigate why some people accused of certain offences are kept in the prison for many years without being charged or tried. Write series on the effects of drugs addiction, on the youths, examine women

inaccurac accepted w further ex has said a Inform The r by talking may come or broadc originate All in accuracy exclusive from sour must be t discussed fails to es The sta often lie, the report less vulne value.

Regard experienc senators congressm as a politi is not to t readers an In con no source hangers-o hoodlum be compl General a also must large-volu and railro One pl the “outs” supply th politics, l different p 10-2 on m looked if More tha television decided to unloading

THE NIGERIAN

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roadcast Journalism (6)

f juvenile Sexual abuse of children Violent special investigation on criminally insane, abuse, drug, liberation movement, trafficking, buse, child labour, fundamental human right, ny such and more related stories do not fall reporters lap. They require thought, ation and legwork. in addition to the bare facts, er must round out the piece with illustrations, and anecdotes. The main thesis must be ed. any investigative stories printed, are mes not interesting because they are full of ssary “Quotes” when the reporter should have yond quotes and ask questions as to illustrate ries. For example, if a reporter wants to e the Nursing Homes in his state and writes on it, he must first go to the experts on the and welfare council and ask them what they bout nursing homes in the state or area, ask hat they don’t know and would like obtain rmation by this method, which many experts ed, is the best form of research that makes a per man or reporters in the media to become

eporter must however be aware of certain

Updating The Breaking Story Facts may change rapidly in such stories as plane clashes, riots, shootings kidnapping, demonstrations, motor accidents or battles.

Such event as the traffic picture, court trials, labour, negotiations weather, which can also change in dimension and character, it is relatively easy for a story up- to-date, hour per hour even minute by minute, for its audience. Lets say for instance that a radio station in its 4pm news broadcast report that a commercial airline crashed in Brazil. Twenty minutes later the stations news ticker flashes a bulletin that 108 persons died in the accident and 25 survived. To announce this latest development, the station need only interrupt the current disc jockey programme with a bulletin of its own.

Television net works and stations may switch over to the newsroom or run trailers at the bottom of the screen, changing a story in a newspaper involves for more complicated editorial and mechanical problems. This is one of the reasons that it cannot compete with electronic journalism in getting the spot news to the public. Newspapers and wire services have various devices for up dating news. One of these is the news lead which replaces the top of the original story.

Where it is not having newspaper being published, the wire agencies can write and file a number of news leads on breaking stories. These are fed to their clients as fast as possible in series.

Study the imaginary lead stories by the author: as A-U-P Associated Unity Press — Nigeria.

cies that might occur in reporting, largely because he what he was told by the interview and fails to ask for xplanations and he fails to repeat what the interviewee and to ask: “Is it what you mean?” mation Sources reporter must in all circumstances develop his own g to people. The idea or tip for the article or series e anonymously or from someone known to the paper cast station or mentioned before or the story may with the reporter or an editor. nformation anonymous or not, must be checked for before it is used. The newsman cannot write an , expose type of story solely on the basis of a report rce. Usually the tip is only the first step of story. It tracked down and verified. A libel suit (which was d in volume 1 chapter 20) awaits the reporter who stablish the truth of what he hears. atements of some individuals against records, people but documents seldom do. The more such evidence ter has, the more authentic will be his story and the erable to attack. He accepts no statement on its face

dless of the source, one of the sad educational ce of a reporter is the fact that governors, mayors, honorable member of house of representative men and even presidents, will lie or distort the truth ical expediency. The news man’s primary obligation the source, however exalted he may be, but to his nd listeners nfirming his report, a thorough reporter over looks who might help him, clerks, secretaries, taxi drivers, on hawkers, motor parks and even ms. A series on the Nigerian main system, would not lete if the reporter talked to only the Postmaster and a few key postmasters around the country, he get the views of letter carriers, clerks, general public, ume business mailers and officials of the air lines oads which transport the mail. loy in chasing, down a controversial story is to query ” and the “ins” (Stein 1972). Dissident factions may he most revealing information in stories involving labour education and other areas where there are points of view. A city, or District council may live up most votes, the minority of two should not be over the reporter is poking into some councils papers. an one front-page story or headline in radio or n has emerged because members of an outside faction o tell where the bodies were buried” as a means of g their grievances.

AUP 20 protest (Lead) A large detailed of uniformed patrolmen and 20 mounted Nigeria policemen were stationed at Bamakula City Hall this (Mon) morning and barriers were put up around the perimeter of the City Hall Park because of reports that Aiamagba Construction workers and Abukele men would demonstrate at noon” police officials said. They had no official word that any such demonstration was planned by either of the two groups.

There also was a large number of detectives assigned in and around Bamakula City Hall which was the scene of wild demonstration last Friday.

The demonstrators forced the city officials to raise the company’s flag above the City Hall to full staff It has been flying at Hall-Staff in memory of the seven students who were slained by the police at Uzuakoli State University in Katsina.

The construction workers attacked passers-by and antiwar demonstrators in the Sokoto Wall Street area and some of them invaded kanijin College across the street from the city hail, punching and kicking, smashing window panes and causing other damage to the respected Emirate.

AUP 22 PROTEST (second lead) City Hall prepared today (mon) for a mass demonstration

by Abukele men who reportedly were gathering on the Water Head Station to demonstration support for Nigeria soldiers in Dafur in Sundan.

A spokesman for, the Emir’ s office said there were reports that as many as 500Abukkele men would go to the City Hall at noon.

“The Emir’s end of the City Hall would be closed to visitors in case of disorderly demonstration” the spokesman said. Police enacted a double row of barriers in front of City Hall to prevent a massing of demonstrators on City Hall Plaza itself.

The creasy part of the City Hall Park was left open to the public. Helmeted and shield uniformed policemen manned the barriers and the front door City Hall was closed.

AUP 24 PROTEST (2) folo second lead.

Police Headquarters received reports that Abukele men were together at an East Park shortly before noon, and will march to the City Hall for a demonstration. Workers would join the Abukele men for the noon time rally.

The report at police headquarters was that the Abukele men were to meet at Park 40, East River Niger at Egbusi Street, Onitsha.

AUP 25 — PROTEST (3) folo second lead Police reported that 300 Abukele men began a march from Park 40 about l0.3Oam and were proceeding along South Aspien Street with the apparent intention of going to Egbusi Street, Onitsha.

Bulletin

Media AUP 30 PROTESTS (Third Lead) More than 800 workmen, many of them in Construction Labour, wore hats, paraded noisily around the City Hall Park at noon today (Mon) shouting “Nigeria all the way” AUP 31 PROTEST (2) Folo Third Lead.

Shouting insults at students looking out through the windows of Pace College near —by, the workers march counter clock wise around the City Hall, walking along the South Bond lane of Park Hill. The crowd paused at east of the City Hall to cheer the sight of a flag carrying bridge to join the demonstrators AUP 32 PROTEST (3) Folo third lead Some of the men in the march handed out leaflets demanding the resignation of Aihaji Dawudu Okafor, the Mayoral aid who relowered the flag to half-staff atop the City Hall after a postal worker had moved it to the top last Friday. Mayor Alhaji Dawudu Okafor had ordered the flag lowered to half- mast in honour of four students killed at Uzuakoli State University Katsina. Subsequently, the Abukele men staged an unruly demonstration.

Bulletin AUP 33 PROTEST (Fouth Lead) Chanting “Nigeria all the way” and “Aihaji Dawudu Okafor must go” more than 1000 workmen marched in the streets around the City Hall today (mon) in a noon demonstration.

AUP 34 PROTEST 2 Folo Fouth Lead The marchers, carrying scores of Nigerian flags, snarled traffic on broad way as they marched clockwise around the City Hall Park.

Note: (The story has now picked up paragraphs above in PROTEST 3) AUP 35 PROTEST 3-Folo Fourth Lead Mean while, a lawyer who claims he suffered a bounded nose and a smashed Toyota car during the construction workers rampage in low River Niger Friday, was to visit violent melee to Mayor Alhaji Dawudu Okafor.

A spokesman for David Osadolor an Associate of Kpako and Rakin, 100 East Street, said that the lawyer was beaten up and his Toyota car damaged when he went to aid a young woman making a peace sign and being threatened by a construction workers as police stood by.

The spokesman said that the lawyer David Osadolor was pulled out from his car, pushed against it and hit in the face by another worker. Another one used a stick to smash his car as he jotted down names of patrolmen, whom he said refused to arrest his first assailant.

At the lawyer insistence, his second assailant was arrested on a complaint of a simple assault No arrest was made on the smashed of his car’s windscreen. David Osadolor was treated at Lulu Down Town Hospital.

AUP 36 PROTEST 4 Fob Fourth Lead About 200 construction men carrying Nigerian-flags and shouting of Aihaji Dawudu Okafors, name, marched through the commercial district, at the launch hours today.

They were greeted by cheers whistles, enthusiastic applause and even some ticker tape were thrown from upper windows at them. No student demonstrators were found in the area. A large gathering of Aspen Hills, the scene of disorders for several days last week AUP 38 PROTEST (A) fourth lead The demonstration at the City Hall become confused during the noons hour as groups marched in opposite directions around City Hall Park.

Salesmen and clerks in suits joined the Black-collar workers in the mass demonstration directed as much against Alhaji Dawudu Okafor as against past demonstration.

“I am here because the people have been getting one sided idea from peace demonstrators” said Ajegule .B. Udofia, an Abukele man. He carried a cloth banner reading “God Honour And Nigeria”, Udofia said Mayor Alhaji Dawudu Okafor makes heroes out of kids who ran to London to avoid even the young men dying for their country in Dafur Sudan” (more).

The story underwent several other changes as they were on, the new leads were written on the basis of reports filed from the scene by Associated Unity Press reporters who phoned editors as the event built up. There is no substitute for having some one where the news is happening. A rewrite man can phone various sources as the police, but this method is as rewarding as the report from a trained newsmen who, in addition to supplying the account interest and depth.

When I (the author) watched the fire out break in Calfornia in October, 2007 one enjoys journalism as CNN reported by her reporters in the scene, CNN is superb!

I repeat again that names and places mentioned in this chapter particularly the imaginary lead stories, has nothing to do with your name if by coincident your name was mentioned.

This involves clipping out the story and pasting it in 1- colunm strips on copy paper, top paragraphs which are being superceded by the new materials are crossed out.

The markup shows exactly where the story is picked up. In other words, the unmarked part of the story will remain as it is. But the news lead writer makes sure that his copy is warded so that it’s last paragraph provides an easy transition to the rest of the story.

This is true if the new lead is one paragraph or six.

SUBS, INSERTS AND ADDS Sometimes a story changes to comply that a new lead alone will not do. It must be rewritten entirely. In this case, the reporter crosses out the whole original story which will be replaced by the sub, thus, the slug line for the new story would be “SUB PROTEST” or “SUB CRASH. Inserts go inside the story. They are new items of information which while not important enough to warrant a revision of the leady, nevertheless belong in the story.

They should be written so that they slip smoothly into the main body of the piece. If there are more than one inserts, they should be labeled “INSERT A” “INSERT B” “INSERT C” etc. in this manner.

Insert “a” Air Crash Adds to a story at the end. The add is slugged “ADD AT END — AIR CRASH and the place is indicated on the copy markup. The add material can be anything which fills out the story. In obituaries, the add tells the place and time of the funeral, facts which were not available when the story was first written. Sub insert is not as difficult in radio and television as it is in newspaper. An hourly news bulletin can take inserts in radio and television but not so in newspaper.

Newspaper Updating Writing a news lead for a newspaper story is normally only possible and interesting when there are multiple editions. Small dailies, which publish only one edition a day usually, must wait until the next day to correct or update a story. By then of course, it may be too late to bother with.

The newspaper men after writing a new lead, submits it to the city desk with a “fix” made in the story already in print.

Assignments As important as this chapter is, developing news in journalism, we suggest here some assignments 1. Write the 500 words on a situation in your community which calls for necessarily involve the police or the chairman of a council.

2. Clip out a newspaper story, paste it up and mark it for a new lead, insert and add at end. Write each of them making sure they march with the story 3. Bring in two stories which you feel necessitated digging beneath the surface by the writers. If possible phone the reporters, verify your conclusions 4. Begin your interview for the above in depth story. First list the possible sources and then track them down.

THE NIGERIAN

18

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Security Issues

Fighting Terrorism In Nigeria

SINCE the onset of the insurgency in the Northern part of Nigeria, spearheaded by the fundamentalist Islamist sect, Boko Haram (Western Education is Sin), against the Nigerian State, the Nigerian government, through the instrumentality of its security establishment, in tandem with contributions from other local and international stakeholders, have applied plethora of strategies in efforts aimed at whittling down the activities of this group.

Some of the measures so far taking to check terrorism in Nigeria include: signing into law on June 3rd, 2011, the Terrorism Prevention Act (TPA) 2011, and the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011; forwarding a bill seeking amendment to the Terrorism Prevention Act, in order to strengthen the legal framework for fighting terrorism; creation of the position of a CounterTerrorism Coordinator in the National Security Adviser’s Office, to coordinate efforts of the counter-terrorism units in all security agencies; setting up a Fusion Center to serve as processing point for all-source intelligence and deployment of appropriate technology; coupled with other steps that have been taken outside public domain for security reasons.

However, despite all the efforts, time and resources that have been expended by the authorities in fighting terrorism, the phenomenon continues waxing stronger.

According to available statistics, since the commencement of the insurgency in the Northern part of the country, more than 1,000 lives have been lost to Boko Haram attacks on drinking joints, places of worship, military and police facilities, media houses, buildings housing multinational organizations, et al (Nigerian Punch, Monday 4, March, 2012).

The recent (Monday 19th of March 2013) multiple bomb blasts in the Sabon Gari section of the ancient city of Kano, which left over 100 persons dead and maiming several others in their wake, are the latest classic cases of the obduracy of this group.

The major reason that can be adduced for the escalation of this crisis is the slow

response and poor strategic thinking on the part of government and other stakeholder organizations towards addressing this conflict at its embryonic stage. With the exception of the recent, and rather belated, attempt by the Nigerian government to engage this group in dialogue, through the setting up of an “Amnesty Committee”, all initial peace initiatives have tended to be confrontational. The present scenario could have been avoided had dialogue been adopted as the chief conflict handling strategy to address all the pertinent issues raised by the Bokites, at both the latent and manifest stages of the insurgency.

G o v e r n m e n t ’s confrontational approach to the resolution of the insurgency - which is a conflict handling style borrowed from the West - has revenge as its driving force.

The state of Israel, United States of America, Britain, and Russia adopt the Confrontational method in their war on terrorism. Apart from the ability to punish perpetrators of terrorist acts, the confrontational approach is also a very proactive style of countering terrorism, as countries adopting this method leverage on their “First Strike” capabilities to sniff out and annihilate would-be terrorists and their backers. It involves taking the fight to the turf of terrorist groups, and not waiting to be struck before reacting. Using mostly clandestine methods, which involve massive intelligence gathering and the use of advanced technology, terrorist activities are closely monitored and appropriate action expedited to stop them from executing their missions.

Had they critically examined the effectiveness of this strategy in the countries adopting it, those at the helm of Nigeria’s security establishment would have seen a not too encouraging picture. The U.S and Israel, for instance, have been fighting both covert and overt wars against Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas and sundry other apocalyptic groups across the globe for

decades, spending billions of dollars in the process, with no seeming end in sight to these conflicts, despite the snatches of success they have recorded overtime against these groups. Rather than abate, these conflicts have tended to escalate as these groups, rather than surrender to force,

continues to pose the greatest challenge to Nigeria’s security operatives.

The questions that spring forth at this stage are: Does Nigeria possess the resources to engage in long-drawn guerrilla warfare with a terrorist group that continues to exhibit its mastery of the use of violence in the same manner the U.S, Israel and other rich Western countries have done? Does Nigeria

With Obuseh Jude 08033510173 Had proper care been taken by the authorities to understand the core nuances of this conflict from the onset, before deciding on the intervention strategy to be adopted in addressing it, the worst case scenarios we are witnessing today would have been averted.

Boko Haram is one of the contemporary questions surrounding the sanctity of the Nigerian state system as currently constituted; a question about the authenticity of Nigeria by a group of persons who feel estranged from the system by

President Goodluck Jonathan have become more emboldened and determined to further spread terror.

However, one basic fact about the confrontational conflict handling style , which the eggheads of Nigeria’s security establishment are obviously oblivious of, is that it has the disadvantage of causing collateral damage in the event of a terrorist act, as the perpetrators of most terrorist acts usually die in such attacks, leaving no one for the victim country to physically punish, as has been the case in the North since the Bokites commenced their attacks.

Thus, in their war against the insurgents, the Nigerian security forces have on some occasions unwittingly cut down innocent bystanders – including women and children. So, in the quest to punish terrorist offenders, innocent lives are sometimes lost. Separating the actual perpetrators of terrorist acts from casual onlookers

have a huge chest of funds to prosecute a capital intensive anti-terrorism campaign like these countries? Does it have the patience to wait out on the siege currently being laid on its citizens and institutions in the same manner these countries have so far done?

The blanket answer to these questions is a resounding “no”!

With a little bit of hindsight, the adoption of the confrontational model by the authorities in dealing with the issues in the North obviously stems from a poor assessment and understanding of the true issues at stake – the lack of proper analysis’ of the history, dynamics, and dimensions of the conflict.

Questions such as: What is the genesis of the conflict?

Who are the real stakeholders? What are the real concerns raised by these stakeholders? What are the true positions, interests and needs of these stakeholders?

Who are the shadow parties?

the current political arrangement; an attempt by some Nigerians to gain recognition in the present political configuration by force. They are the same questions millions of Nigerians ask every day: What is the Nigerian State system all about? What is our stake in this system? How well are our interests being represented in the scheme of things? How can these interests be improved? What is our future in this system?

That is why any approach to finding solutions to the insidious effects of the activities of this group to the health of the Nigerian State must be located within the realities of its politics. No solution can be found outside the purview of the practical realities of the country’s politics.

In all, dialogue remains the only way out of the bloody spectacle currently facing Nigerians. The use of force to confront force has

obviously failed, thus, necessitating a new approach.

The setting up of a Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on Security Challenges in the North (Amnesty Committee) to negotiate a peace agreement with the insurgents is a welcome development. My only advice to government is to be transparent in its dealings with this group - it must desist from any attempt to turn the peace process into another comical affair as has been the case in the past. Care must be taking to painstakingly address all the issues that will be raised in the course of negotiations to ensure that any agreement reached at the end of the day is comprehensive enough to snuff out the monster of violence currently gnawing at the very soul of this country.

There is need for the authorities to immediately engage the services of seasoned peace practitioners to help drive the peace process.

Political expediencies, as has become the tradition in this country, must be completely jettisoned in choosing those to animate the processes of transforming this conflict. A multi-track approach will suffice in this wise; an approach that will draw individuals from different spectrums of the society. The present committee overseeing negotiations with the insurgents has to be reconstituted to pave way for more professional hands to contribute their quota to the peacemaking process.

The use of force is only but a short-term solution to the insurgency in the North, whether anybody accepts this assertion or not. Agreed that so many innocent lives and properties have been lost to the violent activities of this group, thus, eliciting calls for a more forceful stance by the authorities, a negotiated settlement seems to be the only light that can ride really this country of the dark clouds of death that currently enshrouds it and its citizens.

If things are done right, this phantom of violence currently hunting the Nigerian State can be summarily sent back to the abyss where it belongs, and Nigerians can continue the nation-building process that has been stunted by the sad events of the past couple of years.

God save Nigeria!

THE NIGERIAN

19

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

INTRODUCTION: terms is +9 X +4 = 36 Perfect Square trinomials are of Product (+36) Sum of factors the form x2 + 2xy + y2, when factorised +4 x +9 +4 + 9 = +13 gives (x + y)2. In Otherwords, (x + y)2 -4 x -9 -4 - 9 = -13 is the same as (x + y)(x + y). +6 x +6 +6 + 6 = +12 Applying the rules: 1st to 1st; 1st to -6 x -6 -6 - 12 = -12 2nd. 2nd to 1st; and end to 2nd in

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

Factorising Perfect Suqare Trinomials expanding to two brackets (as indicated Replace middle term to get: Replace middle term with factors by the arrows) 2x2 + 4xy - 3xy - 6y2 to get 9a2 - 6ab - 6ab + 4b2 Grouping the 4 terms in pairs we get: Pair the 4 terms to get: 2nd 1st 1st 3a(3a - 2b) - 2b(3a - 2b) 2x(x + 2y) -3y(x + 2y) (x + y)(x + y) or (3a - 2b)(3a - 2b) 2nd or (x + 2y)(2x -3y) 1st 2nd

9a2 - 12ab + 4b2

We get: x2 + xy + xy + y2 Example 3 or x2 + 2xy + y2 (collecting like terms) NECO, 2002 Similarly, x 2 - 2xy + y 2 when What are the factors of factorised gives (x -y)2. check this out 2x2 - xy - 3y2?

2 by expanding (x - y) to get the Solution: trinomial x2 - 2xy + y2 We observer that the extreme B]. APPLICATION EXAMPLES coefficients are not squares, so we multiply them to get: +2 x (-3) = -6 Example 1 Factorise x2 + 6xy + 9y2 Product (-6) Sum of factors Solution: -2 x +3 -2 + 3 = 1 Looking at the extreme terms, we +2 x -3 +2 - 3 = -1 observe that x2 is the square of x -6 x +1 -6 + 1 = -5 9y2 is the square of 3y. +6 x -1 +6 - 1 = +5 The middle term 6xy is twice the Replace the middle term to get: product of x and 3y.

2x2 + 2xy - 3xy - 3y2 2 2 2 x + 6xy + y = (x + 3y) Grouping in twos the terms we get: To verify this, expand (x + 3y)2 2x(x + y) -3y(x +y) i.e. (x + 3y)2 = (x + 3y)(x + 3y). or (x + y)(2x - 3y) Using the above rule, expand the 2x2 - xy - 3y2 = (x + y)(2x - 3y)Ans brackets and collect the like terms to get back x2 + 6xy + y2.

Example 4 Example 2 Factorize 2x2 + xy - 6y2 Factorize 9a2 of 3a and 4b2 Solution: Solution: 9a2 is the square of 3a and 4b2 is the Step 1: Multiply the coefficients of square of 2a. The middle term 12ab is extreme terms to get: (+2) x (-6) =-12 Step 2: twice the product of 3a and 2b.

9a2 - 12ab + 4b2 = (3a - 2b)2.

Aliter: As in the previous editions, we could also apply the method of “product and sum�.

Thus, the product of the coefficient of 1st term and lost term or extreme

Product (-12) -4 x +3 +4 x -3 +2 x -6 -2 x +6 +12 x -1 -12 x +1

Sum of factors -4 + 3 = -1 +4 - 3 = +1 +2 - 6 = -4 -2 + 6 = +4 +12 - 1 = +11 -12 + 1 = -11

2x2 + xy - 6y2 = (x + 2y)(2x-3y)Ans Example 5 Factorize u2 - 15uv + 54v2 Solution: Observe that the coeficient of extreme terms are +1 and +54 respectively.

The product of the coeficient is + 54.

Now: Product (+54) Sum of factors +6 x +9 +6 + 9 = +15 -6 x -9 -6 - 9 = -15 -27 x -2 -27 - 2 = -29 +27 x +2 +27 + 2 = +29 +54 x +1 +54 + 1 = +55 -54 x -1 -54 - 1 = -55 Replace the middle term to get: u2 - 6uv - 9uv + 54v2 Grouping the 4 terms in pairs we get: u(u - 6v) -9v(u -6v) or (u - 6v)(u - 6v) u2 - 15uv + 54v2 = (u - 6v)(u - 9v) Ans Drill Factorize: (1). x2 - 10xy + 25y2 Ans = (x - 5y)2 (2). 25p2 - 30pq + 9q2 Ans= (5p - 3q)2 Until next edition, remain blessed solving maths. Also at 4pm (Thursdays), Watch EBS TV Live!

THE NIGERIAN

20

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Motoring gradient such driving condition is terrible on the brakes pads and shoes. So it is’ often more relaxing to change down to a lower gear and cruise at a manageable speed.

With OSAGIE AIFUWA 08023412452

Safety Tips DO YOU KNOW THAT: • Nigeria has the highest rate of road accidents in Africa? * Road accidents are the highest killer of people in Nigeria? * Road accidents will overtake HIV/AIDS by killing 5.1 million people yearly by the year 2020?

• Youths are more vulnerable to road accidents worldwide?

• Road accidents occur every minutes sending many to early grave and millions becoming disabled yearly?

• Age; Colour, Sex and Title have nothing to do with road accidents?

• Road accidents have no respect for anybody-either literate or illiterate?

• Single mistake or disobedience to traffic rules and regulations can send you and other road users to early grave?

Mastering The Gears

A driver changes up or down in order to take account of the vehicle changing speed. He changes up to select a gear which is appropriate to the vehicle changing speed while he changes down to select that gear which is necessary for the vehicle’s reduce speed.

Improper use for the clutch is responsible for the stop start jackrabbit driving of many learners. The vehicle jerks may stall, if the clutch is engaged suddenly. It is quite understandable if learners jerk the vehicle on his first few trials at gear selection. It takes a time to co ordinates all the various task, which are associated in moving a vehicle from rest.

The tendency is for the fresh learner to forget one procedure or the other and then suddenly remembers it when it is almost too late. The essential thing is to take the task in the easy stage. Master engaging gear one from rest first and then go on from there to learn how to shift into gear two and from two to three and so on. Since the introduction of synchomesh gear boxes gear changing has become an almost careless art. There are two other things, which should be resisted. Taking your eyes from the road to look at the pedal and resting your foot on the clutch. When the left foot is not operating the clutch, park it off the pedal.

If everything fails and a learner still cannot select gear properly after many trials he

should listen to the sound of the engine which softly when the clutch is almost completely engaged. At this point the vehicle might not move but it would need just a little more “give” on the clutch pedal before it dose. So all the learner dose is select gear one allows the clutch pedal to come up, the engine noise change and then use the opportunity. Braking is an art and it can be mastered by-any one who is sufficiently interested in it. But it is certainly not just a matter of identifying the right pedal and depressing it at the appropriate moment.

Braking is much more than this ironically. One of the most important issues under this subject is strictly not a technical problem at all this is talking about drivers anticipation or lack of it. On the highway good driver anticipation is almost as necessary and valuable as a set of fresh pads. It is particularly used for the learner’s, driver to incorporate the life saving idea of thinking ahead into armory of his driving skills. In most large cities there are areas with a large concentration of schools. When this institution closes and kids head for home.

Drivers of vehicles on road near them need to be extra careful and alert so as to prevent fatal knockdowns. A driver who thinks ahead will automatically reduce his speed on approaching the place where the children cross or congregate. If he had been going at 90kph he might down to 30kph which is more manageable. But a driver who

lacks this anticipation faculty would rush through at a high speed if a careless child runs into the road in front of him at this speed.

Even given the best brake in the world, or state or the art ABS system it might still be impossible to avoid hitting the child. The brake pedal is the central one or the trio in the floorboard.

It is usually the size as the pedal. The hinged pedal activates cable or lever which in turn works the front disc pads and the rear drum shoes: With a high proportion of the vehicles manufactured the days the brake are operated with engine generated vacuum or servo assistance. The most significance effect of servo assistances is to reduce the pedal effort required to work the brake.

It is almost like getting something for free. It is easy to find out what braking is all about without servo help. Park on a slope facing forward, switch off the engine and let the vehicle coast. Apply the brake continuously by the fifth or sixth application all the servo assistance is gone and you can then experience unassisted braking once a learner becomes proficient enough to take the vehicle into the high way he or she needs .to advance his knowledge of brakes. Above a certain speed it is, more efficient to “pump” rather than apply one hefty push.

However, at slower speed there is nothing absolutely wrong with “one time” breaks application. One major advantage of interrupted breaking is that it helps brake seizure, fading or vehicle skidding. It should be added that the increase fitting of antilock brake system (ABS) to all manner of’ cars has simplified braking a great deal. During a typical panic, stop a driver. A driver has no time to think of applying brake progressively he simply breaks. With ABS the vehicle will still keep a great course and the driving wheel will not lock there is no doubt that all the ABS is a very useful invention. While the floor brake pedal act on all the four braking points. The hand break usually acts only on’ the rear brake and it is normally use only to secure vehicle at rest. Additionally, it ensures smooth driving when staring up a hill from rest and in traffic hold ups. I have also seen the hand break used as an emergency stopper during a driving lesson. Also it can be said that the gear themselves constitute brake. As such they can be used to control the speed of the vehicle although not in a precise manner. For example if a car is in gear three and running about 50kph, the driver can slow it down without using the brakes. All he has to do is change down to gear two and the car will lose its speed.

Naturally throttle is left alone during maneuver, which is known as gear braking. It can be quite useful especially when driving along a sloping

BE MORE SAFETY CONSCIOUS • Do routine check on your vehicle.

• Always fasten your seat belt • Observe speed limit • Give due consideration to other road users.

• MORE LIVES ARE SAVED WITH LESS NIGHT TRAVELLING. THE LIFE SAVED MAY BE YOURS! AVOID NIGHT TRAVELLING • Avoid Overloading • TALKING AND LISTENING DISTRACT CONCENTRATION USING YOUR MOBILE PHONES WHILE DRIVING IS DANGEROUS •. Imbibe safer road culture.

Vital Information For Vehicle Owners Relevant papers, private vehicle drivers must be equipped with a. drivers license b. vehicle license, insurance papers d. if your vehicle is tinted , you must have tinted glass permit RELEVANT PAPERS COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DRIVERS MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH A. drivers license B. vehicle license C. insurance papers [comprehensive or a minimum of a third party insurance] D. certificate of road worthiness E. hackney permit for bus drivers [ that designate routes] F. if your vehicle is tinted, it is advisable to get tinted glass permit, However, commercial vehicle operators [ intracity] are advised to dismantle their tinted glass for security reasons.

FOR OPERATOR OF UNREGISTERED VEHICLE [ NEW OR FAIRLY USED] A; DRIVERS LICENSE B. OTHER PAPERS THAT WILL ESTABLISH OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, NOTE; M O T is NOT part of the statutory documents police officers are expected to asked from motorists ADVISE TO MOTORISTS THAT FALL VICTIMS TO FRIVOLOUS DEMANDS BY POLICE MEN A. call either the commissioner of police, area commander in charge of where you were arrested, police public relations officer, the divisional police officer in the area B. tactically take note of the identity of the policeman that stopped you, the area and whatever inscription on the vehicle that stopped you.

THE NIGERIAN

21

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Relationship

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

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

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

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

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

Common Mistakes in Approaching Your Spouse Showing disrespect: You can’t change a person by tearing him or her down. There’s only one response for that kind of approach: negative. Think about it. How do you feel when others treat you disrespectfully? Does it make you want to do something for them? Does it make you want to show affection?

No. Showing disrespect will only alienate your spouse to the idea of seeking help.

Losing control of your anger: Anger is often as a way of punishing your spouse, when he or she does not give you what you want. It’s not only ineffective in producing a long-term change in how your spouse behaves, it also destroys any threads of love or feelings that may still be evident. Sure, if your spouse doesn’t respond to your requests, the temptation exists to respond in anger; but if you don’t get the response you want, getting angry and sparking a heated argument won’t help.

Stop blaming your spouse: Never accuse, or point fingers at your spouse’s face. Don’t resort to exaggerated or overgeneralized language such as: “You always act like this! You never do what I ask you to do. You just don’t care anymore.

It’s always your fault. You always do this or always do that.”

That type of language isn’t valuable in solving the problem.

It only creates more issues to deal with and more wounds to heal in the future.

Don’t practice avoidance. Do you avoid all conflict with

By IMOISILI EDITH your spouse? Perhaps you are frightened of your spouse’s anger. Perhaps you don’t want to lose an argument or you’re afraid an argument will ruin your marriage. Could it be that you’re terrified you’ll have to admit something about yourself that you’d rather keep silent. Or are you so afraid of seeing a problem inside you that makes you to retreat? Avoiding conflict never solves conflict; it only postpones the inevitable.

You may stuff it and repress it, but your stomach will keep score. Don’t practice avoidance. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6).

Don’t practice appeasement. Some people don’t avoid conflict; they appease. They automatically concede, in every discussion. One person always wins; one always loses. One person always dominates; the other simply gives in and gives ground. Godly compromise happens when both spouses give a little. But appeasement is something else.

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

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

They can break out and burn the house down. What’s more, appeasers are given to self-pity. They develop martyr complexes. They feel trapped because they know they’ll never

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

win. And while marriages with appeasers may stay together, they often suffer from emotional divorce, which is as tragic as physical divorce.

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

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

Psychologists say that 90 percent of family arguments begin just before mealtime, when your blood sugar is low. Another time not to bring up problems is on the way to a social event or to church. “A soft answer turneth away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1).

Practice accommodation. We all want our partners to change. But we need to focus on ourselves. The most effective way to change your partner is to change you. Because when you change, your partner has to react to someone different. To change yourself, practice accommodation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make sure you bring up the topic in a non-threatening way.

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

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

THE NIGERIAN

22

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014 With Bamidele Michael 08064496136

Leadership

Principles For Effective Leadership

“IF women would realize what an influence they have, they would be filled with pride, if men recognized how influential women are, they would be scared to death.”

It is said that we all influence at least 250 people in our lifetime. We each have the responsibility of leadership.

Even woman can be a leader. Yet results of surveys show that most women greatly underestimate their influence.

At home it can be organizing our children to clean the house or, more important, instilling values and morals into their lives.

At the workplace, it can be motivating people for sales.

We influence others by what we say and do—and by how we do our work.

We recognize that Mother Teresa was one of the great religious and humanitarian leaders of the world. When we aspire to be leaders, we must learn to discern between fame and greatness.

Fame is Madonna; greatness is Mother Teresa. There is a tremendous shortage of and need for truly great leaders leaders who are trustworthy, ethical, good, honest and who have high personal standards. The world is looking for honest and upright leaders.

Who is a leader? “A leader is a person who influences people to accomplish a purpose.” How do you become a leader? “A leader correctly assesses a situation and knows how to take the next step.”

Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not you’re a leader-an influencer. Your opinions are listened to and acted upon.

The following nine principles will help you make the most of your influence: 1. Have a dream that will leave this world a better place “‘Is there anything worse

then being blind? Yes! The most pathetic person in the whole world is someone who has sight but has no vision.”

So said Helen Keller.

Leadership is simply the ability to turn a dream or a vision of a desired future state into a reality with and through the cooperation of other people. To throw your life into something worthwhile, your dream must be worth dying for.

What do you get excited about?

Have a big vision; something beyond your capabilities to keep you challenged. If we have aimed our efforts for this moment only—for ourselves, for the accumulation of material things. for pleasure we will soon become dissatisfied and disillusioned with life.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said, “There is little hope for democracy if the hearts of men and women cannot be touched by a call to something greater than themselves.”

Have a dream and vision that is greater then yourself—one that will leave this world a better place.

2. Know what your strengths are To be leaders, we need each other to reach our goals.

Each of us has some of the skills needed to do a great job. We need to surround ourselves with people to fill in our gaps. Seventy- nine year-old Muriel Tower, an experienced entrepreneur, said, “You get things done through other people.

Number one in business is get the best person for the job. Number two, delegate.

Number three, supervise— go back and see that they did it.”

In order to be effective, you need a team to work with. We lead on the basis of our strengths we gather our team on the basis of their strengths.

What is your leadership

style? Are you a visionary?

A person who can see the big picture and take risks? Or are you a detail person—an administrative type? You see the need for systems and order. You do things right and at the right time. You are efficient. Perhaps you are more of a sales person—a people gatherer. You love people and can sell anything to anyone, but don’t care about details. Or maybe you just love working by yourself. A hard worker- a

you work toward. Review it often with your staff so you don’t lose your focus. Set short and long term goals, and evaluate two or three times a year to see how you are doing. Your team will be motivated toward reaching your goals together. Give credit where credit is due.

Say “thank you” to the people you are working with.

Encourage them often!

Understanding your strengths and the strengths of others is a key to effective

invitations. However, when they were printed and we looked them over, we discovered -to our dismay— that the logo for our organization was printed upside down. It was a costly oversight.

After much discussion, we decided to reprint them even though we knew that the majority of the women would not even notice the mistake.

We wanted to influence leaders and we had to do

and kindness that surrounded her, I felt I was in the presence of the most powerful, focused and determined person I had ever met.” Determination and Perseverance is the number one essential qualities for Women’s success in business. In order to leave this world a different place, you have to be persistent.

Leaders don’t grow in a comfort zone. Leaders are not people with exceptional talent; they are people who

producer. Let someone give you a track to run on and you’ll do it.

Before you are thirty years old, you can probably do all of those jobs without too much difficulty. But once you are over thirty, you realize you don’t want to do the things you aren’t good at.

It uses up too much energy.

When you know what you are good at, surround yourself with a team who are good at the other three.

When you have that team, meet with them regularly and have a purpose statement that

leadership.

3. Strive for excellence The people you want to influence will not rise to a higher standard of excellence than what they observe in you. The authors of Megatrends for Women write, “Male or female, the effective leader wins commitment by setting an example of excellence.”

We were hosting a dinner for influential women in three cities with a wellknown, successful speaker.

Of course we were eager to make a good impression, so we spent hours wording the

things right, not only do the right things. Leaders must strive for excellence.

Strive for excellence and you will motivate others to do the same.

4. Be persistent Mother Teresa was a determined woman.

Margaret Thatcher was a determined woman. The key to being a good leader is endurance—being a nonquitter. You will be tempted to quit and be encouraged to quit by those who are friends and enemies. Be unwilling to throw in the towel. Be determined.

One journalist wrote of Mother Teresa: ‘When I met Mother Teresa, I discovered she was very tiny less than five feet tall—and kept her head cocked to one side. She had gnarled hands and thick peasant feet that protruded from under her coarse white sari. Although there was no mistaking the aura of warmth

have learned from their mistakes and get up and try again.

Persistence is a key to effective leadership.

5. Be willing to stand alone If you have a passion, a dream or a mission, set measurable goals and work toward accomplishing them. You will find that many times you may have to work alone. You will probably he lonely.

People are looking for leaders who are willing to give it all they have, and they will follow for a while.

However, when the going gets tough, when pleasure and comfort compete with responsibility and long hours, followers will drop away. That is when you have to be sure that what you are doing is right, so that you will keep going.

James Cook said. ‘A person who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.”

“Before you are thirty years old, you can probably do all of those jobs without too much difficulty. But once you are over thirty, you realize you don’t want to do the things you aren’t good at. It uses up too much energy. When you know what you are good at, surround yourself with a team who are good at the other three.”

THE NIGERIAN

23

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Religion

Divine Prosperity (4)

I don’t teach nouveaux riche’ principle to wealth. I even believe that nouveaux riche’ principle which is the quick rich syndrome can lead an individual to hell. God must first prove you if you would be qualified to enjoy his divine blessing of riches- because riches have become snares to some people who are not deep rooted in Christ or in the word of God. In the parable of the pounds Jesus Christ told the story of the nobleman going to a far country to establish his kingdom with the hope of returning. He called his ten servants and gave them each a pound. On his return he called them to render an account of their stewardship. It is important to note that the first servant who invested his onepound and gained ten pounds was told by his master: “Thou has been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities” Lk 19:17.

Now you have to be faithful to God in little before he can extend his greater blessings unto you in terms of riches wealth,. authority and power.

These ingredients serve as tonics or intoxicants if not properly managed by a balanced mind! God will not likely pour a manna of riches on you without first proving you if you can be faithful in a little, then he can give you authority over “ten cities”. In proving you, you must start from somewhere. You must have a point of contact which may be in terms of service production or material production. God will touch that service that you render or that material you produce, then your blessings shall flow. You must graze in the wilderness before you begin to pasture.

God was going to bless Isaac with riches and wealth even in the time of great famine in the world as at then. Isaac move from canaan where he had sojourned and wanted to go to Egypt- but the lord did not permit him to go to Egypt- for that was not where God was going to bless him. He obeyed and God led him to a poor and hungry city called Gerar, where the people were lazy and were loafers. Now how many of us will believe God’s leading in this manner? You want to do what is in your mind not the mind of God. (Isaiah 55:8) “Egypt” may look to you a better place but God will say to you go to “Gerar” a poorer and an unknown city -there lies your blessing. Lets not forget the psalmist said”- the lord is my shepherd I shall not want” Psalm 23:1. Now Isaac got to Gerar he did not just fold his hands and waiting to expect a windfall as some Christians would do today; for after all

God had told Isaac “Sojourn in this land and I will be with thee and I will bless thee..” Gen26: 3 Isaac had to seek a point of contact? He had to start “grazing” before “pasturing” God was going to prove him by his hard work and faithfulness. Grazing means cattle or sheep eating grass in the field; and pasturing means a suitable graze land i.e land rich with grass for grazing animals. That means you MUST START FROM DRY LAND TO LAND OF MILK AND HONEY. While you are on the “dry land” the lord is proving you, you are working hard, the lord is blessing your labour; that is your point of contact. So Isaac did just the same thing; he sojourned in the land by divine grace, he cultivated the land as his point of contact; and God blessed the labour of his hand. You must seek from God your point of contact. (Eph 5:17) When God blesses that point of contact., then you shall prosper.

“Then Isaac sowed in the land and received in the same year an hundred fold and the lord blessed him Gen 26:12.

Isaac had been faithful in a little: then the lord multiplied the blessing.

“And the man waxed great and went forward and grew until he became very great: for he had possessions of flock and possessions of herds and great store of servants and the philistines envied him” Gen 26: 13-14. When God begins to bless you, the “philistines” shall envy you. The philistines are your distracters! God must first prove you in a little thing then lift you when you are faithful in that little thing, by touching or blessing your point of contact For “though the beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase” Job8:7 Now you must have faith in God to have a financial breakthrough because without faith it is impossible to please God and you cannot receive anything from him (Heb 11:6).

You must learn to absolve yourself from the poverty mentality syndrome and learn to work hard. The lord shall bless the labour of thy hand and shall “Shake the heavens, and the earth and the sea and the dry land” for your sake (Hag2:6) EXPERIENCING A GREAT SHAKING When God shakes the heavens, the earth, the sea and even the dry lands, then I call this a great shaking from the lord. He told the people of Israel he would bring this kind of shaking to them through his prophet, - the prophet Haggai!.

“For thus saith the lord . . . .yet once, it is a little while, and

With REV. DR. A. A. OPARA

I will shake the heavens, and the earth and the sea and the dry land.” Hag 2:6. Now on what ground will God for once as he said bring this great shaking?

Now the house of God is the epitome of the presence of God. We know in the religions history of ancient Israel, when they had no temple built for God and God was worshiped in moveable tents; the ark of God was the symbol of the presence of God. And we know the story of Obededom in whose house the ark of God was kept“And the Ark of the lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months and the lord blessed Obededom and all his household” 2Sam6: 11 David the king had to move the ark from

poverty level. Nothing was going well with them because they had forsaken the bidding of which was to build house of God, a symbol of his presence even though God is present everywhere. But the house of God stands out as a symbolic edifice of God. The people of Israel did not prosper.

“Now therefore thus saith the lord of hosts consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring little, ye eat but ye have not enough, ye drink but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it unto a bag with holes” Hag 1 :6.

and the lord sent his messenger back to the people assuring them, “I am with you”. (Hag 2:4) And for a little while he was going to bring upon them a great shaking that would bring about financial prosperity on the people of Israel for” the silver is mine and the gold is mine; saith the Lord of hosts” (Hag 2:8). I believe and I recommend that if you want a shaking financially in your circumstances, contribute towards uplifting the presence of God; Do something to uplift his name; do it prayerfully; contribute generously in cash and in kind towards the house of God. He can bring a shaking in your situation; for remember God does not change (Mal 3:6) He brought a financial shaking to the people of Israel for uplifting his presence through the building of his house. He can do so again with any believer

the house of Obededom to the City of David with gladness” 2Sam 6:12. .3. Now there is great gladness in the presence of the lord. There is no ark of God today for the modern churches of Christ; but the ark of God which is a structure symbolizing God’s presence is akin to a house built for God and dedicated to God as a place of worship where his presence dwells continually and perpetually. So if the ark of God can bring blessings, then the house of God dedicated to God can cause God to release his blessings on his people. This was exactly what God did with the people of Israel in the generation of Haggai the prophet. The people of Israel under zerubbabel the governor of Judah were reluctant to rebuild the temple of God. They delayed saying the time had not come and God sent his massager Haggai to them saying; “Thus speaketh the lord of hosts saying, this people say the time is not come, the time that the lord’s house should be built” Hag 1:2. But the lord was not happy and what was the effect they began for flow in the

Oh friend you see why some Christians labour and labour in vain! They refused to support God’s building plan and so God allows the canker worm to eat from them. They may fast and pray yet they rigmarole in the spiritual arena of poverty. The lord is vexed with you, because you have refused to uplift his presence. God’s house is God’s presence; it is the modem symbol of the covenant ark of God. Please uplift it, God will surely uplift your life and change your situation. God so much delights in the building of his house. Do you know after the prophetic instructions of Haggai the messenger of God, the lord stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel the Governor of Judah, Joshua the son of Josedech the High priest and the remnant of the people of Israel “and they came and did the work in the house of the Lord of hosts their God” Hag 1:14. This caused great joy in the heart of the Lord,

who has faith in His financial provisions.

WHAT IS A SHAKING? It is good to understand what a divine shaking is. It is a serious divine intervention by God. God will bring about a divine shaking to show his might and power. Do you know that the temple Solomon built which was a “divine house’ for the lord was noted through archeological findings to have lasted about four hundred and twenty years. The temple was pillaged by Nabuchadnezzar and his babylonian army and Israel went into babylonian captivity as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah (2 kg25 :9, 2Chron 36: 19, 1sa 45 :45:1).

The Lord brought Israel freedom from babylonian captivity through the king of Persia-king Cyrus. The rebuilding of the pillaged and destroyed temple after many years of captivity was to be done by Zerubabbel of the tribe of Judah. He had a commission to rebuild the temple. God raised the prophets Haggai and Zecharia to encourage Zerubabbel who

was the governor of Judah. But after he had started the rebuilding with the remnants of the Jews from captivity, they abandoned the work, and this obviously grieved the Lord; and the blessings of the people were shut up. Haggai the messenger of God was sent by God to the people to reawaken their consciousness to arise and build; they accepted and in reciprocity, God was going to bring about in short while a shaking in four- dimensional levels.

“I will shake the heavens, and the earth and the sea and the dry land” Haggai 2:6. When God shakes the heavens what happens? The supernatural is

released from heaven.

Supernatural events begin to follow. When the earth is shaken what happens? The lords anointing flows on the surface of the earth making it fruitful and replenishing; farmers rejoice grazers rejoice and hunters have many games to carry home. When God shakes the dry land what happens? The dry land is a land without resources - when God shakes it He releases an anointing into the land to be a rich land, no longer a poor land: that is a land that flows with rich mineral resources.

And when God shakes the sea what do you expect? The seas become rich with sea creatures, good for food for the people. The sea will be rich with fishes —and fishermen bring home bails of fishes.

What a wonderful God who reversed financial blessings for Solomon, that in Solomon’s time, money became as plentiful as stones in Israel.

(2Chron 1:15). “And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones..” 2Chron 1:15.

THE NIGERIAN

24

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

International Assad Visits Displaced Syrians Outside Damascus

DAMASCUS - President Bashar al-Assad visited displaced Syrians in the town of Adra yesterday, state media said, in a rare public appearance outside the heart of Damascus.

State television said Assad inspected a shelter for people displaced by fighting in Adra, which lies about 12 miles northeast of central Damascus and was partly captured by rebels three months ago.

A picture on the presidency’s Twitter account showed Assad, in a dark jacket and white shirt, talking to a group of women at a building identified as the Dweir shelter.

Syrian television said Assad

US astronaut Michael Hopkins, Russian Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky at the Baikonur cosmodrome on September, 2013.

Strikes Hit Greece As Austerity Deal Proves Elusive

ATHENS - A 24-hour strike by civil servants disrupted public services in Greece yesterday as the country’s government struggled to hammer out a deal on further austerity measures with international creditors.

The strike by public sector unions hit services at tax offices, local government and elsewhere. A protest march is planned in central Athens later in the day, while civil servants have penciled in another 48-hour strike on March 19-20.

Demonstrators gathered at two squares in central Athens, including cleaning staff fired by the Finance Ministry, who marched holding up buckets and mops.

The latest disruptions have come as negotiations with rescue lenders have dragged on for months, with the government reluctant to impose more economic pain in a country already exhausted by a six-year recession.

“We believe that they will be concluded by Sunday,” government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told private Antenna television. “We are near the end

of the crisis, and this is the last major consultation.”

Greece has been hammered by a vicious financial crisis since late 2009 that developed into an economic depression. The economy has shrunk by around a quarter while unemployment has soared to over 25 percent.

Since May 2010, Greece has been dependent on billions of euros in rescue loans from the other European Union countries that use the euro, and from the International Monetary Fund. In return, successive Greek governments have had to slash spending, increase taxes and enact wide-ranging economic reforms.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad speaks during his meeting with the leadership al-Baath party of Damascus countryside, in Damascus March 8, 2014 in this handout released by Syria’s national news agency SANA

Americans, 2 Russians Return Back To Earth K A R A G A N D A (Kazakhstan) - Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut on Tuesday landed back on Earth in Kazakhstan after a stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) of over half a year, which saw the Olympic torch paraded in space.

Russians Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky and NASA

astronaut Mike Hopkins touched down in their Soyuz capsule at 0324 GMT outside Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan, mission control said.

The textbook landing in difficult weather conditions underlined the strength of space cooperation between the United States and Russia, despite the soaring diplomatic tensions over Moscow’s intervention in

Ukraine.

The undocking and landing had initially been postponed due to bad weather with heavy snow and high winds at the landing site. But just hours before the undocking, they were allowed to go ahead and mission control said that the landing had proceeded on schedule.

The three spacemen were

delegation of Iranian leaders.

The two leaders discussed “bilateral cooperation” and “building good relations” between their countries, Oman’s official ONA news agency reported.

The sultanate is reported to have hosted secret talks between Iran and the United States ahead of the signing in Geneva last November of an accord between world powers and Iran on its nuclear programme.

A government official said Rouhani would also hold talks during his visit with senior Omani officials, the sultanate’s top cleric Ahmad al-Khalil and members of the business community.

Before departing Tehran for Muscat earlier yesterday, Rouhani hailed the “good relations” that exist between Tehran and Muscat.

“During this trip, we want to implement contracts (signed) in the field of trade and economy,

especially those linked to oil and gas,” as well as in finance, banking, and culture, he told reporters at the airport, as cited

by IRNA, Iran’s official news agency.

Tehran’s ambassador in Muscat, Ali Akbar Sibeveih, said ahead of the visit that Oman and Iran are seeking to expand trade, which reached $1 billion last year, as well as bilateral investments which they expect will top $10 billion by the end of this year.

Rouhani In Oman To Boost Ties

MUSCAT - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held talks in Muscat with Sultan Qaboos yesterday as he kicked off a twoday Oman visit aimed at boosting economic ties between the longtime allies.

Rouhani went into the meeting with Sultan Qaboos, who has acted as an intermediary between Western countries and the Islamic republic, soon after he arrived in Muscat accompanied by a

was “listening to their needs” and told them that the state would continue “to secure basic necessities for the displaced until they can return to their homes in Adra and elsewhere”.

Assad has made few public appearances since Syria’s conflict began three years ago.

Yesterday’s trip underlined his increasing confidence just 18 months after rebels appeared to be challenging his control over the capital.

Adra, close to rebel strongholds east of Damascus which are under siege by Assad’s forces, is located by the main highway running north from Damascus to Homs which the army has fought to secure from rebel fighters over the last year.

Many residents fled Adra in December when mainly Sunni Muslim rebels took over part of the town and killed 28 people in a sectarian attack targeting Druzes, Christians and Alawites - the same sect to which Assad belongs.

Adra had a population of about 100,000 including Alawites, Druzes, Christians and Sunni Muslims before the conflict erupted.

The Syria crisis, which began with protests against more than 40 years of Assad family rule, became militarised after authorities cracked down on demonstrators and has descended into a civil war in which 140,000 people have been killed.

extracted from the capsule in good shape and wrapped with blankets to protect them from the fierce early-morning cold on the snowy Kazakh steppe.

During their mission Kotov and Ryazansky had, in a spacewalk watched around the world, carried into space the torch that was used to light the Olympic Flame for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Kotov, one of Russia’s most experienced cosmonauts, has notched up a total of 526 days in space, including previous expeditions in 2007 and 20092010.

Ryazansky and Hopkins were making their maiden flights.

The trio underwent medical checks on the spot before being loaded into an all-terrain vehicle that took them to a helicopter for the flight to the Kazakh city of Karaganda.

From there, the three are parting company, with Hopkins to be flown back to Houston and

the two Russians to Moscow.

“You see the sparks flying, it’s pretty neat. It’s pretty exciting, incredible,” Hopkins, sat in a chair to deal with the effects of the return to Earth after months of weightlessness, said in comments heard on NASA TV. “The one thing that hurts are my knees,” he added.

NASA TV said that the number of personnel around the landing zone had been kept to a minimum due to the poor weather conditions. Rescue crews stumbled around in the heavy snow.

Television pictures showed the burns and damage sustained by the capsule’s heat shield during re-entry.

The Soyuz capsule started undocking from the ISS at 2345 GMT Monday, with the departing astronauts leaving on board the station Koichi Wakata of Japan, the new ISS commander; American Rick Mastracchio; and Russian Mikhail Tyurin.

THE NIGERIAN

25

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

International

Japan Marks 3rd Anniversary Of Tsunami TOKYO - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to boost rebuilding efforts as the country marked the third anniversary Tuesday of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that left nearly 19,000 people dead, destroyed coastal communities and triggered a nuclear crisis.

Japan has struggled to rebuild towns and villages and to clean up radiation from the meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.

Reconstruction plans are finally taking shape, but shortages of skilled workers and materials are delaying the work.

The triple disasters known in Japan as 3-11 killed 15,884 people and left 2,636 unaccounted for on its northeastern coast. The country has earmarked 25 trillion yen ($250 billion) for reconstruction

through March 2016.

Three years later, nearly 270,000 people remain displaced from their homes, including many from Fukushima prefecture who may never be able to return home due to radioactive contamination.

During a ceremony in Tokyo, officials and representatives of the survivors offered a minute of silence to mark the moment, at 2:46 p.m., when the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the Tohoku coast. It was the strongest quake recorded in Japan’s history.

Abe has visited disaster-hit areas regularly since taking office in late 2012, and said Tuesday he has seen signs of progress. Farming and fishing resumed in some areas, and some people have moved to public housing from shelters, he said, promising to do more.

“We must further speed up the

reconstruction so that everyone affected by the disasters can return to ordinary life as soon as possible,” Abe, wearing a dark formal suit, said during the solemn ceremony.

Abe has promised to move hundreds of communities along that ravaged coast to higher ground to avoid future tsunamis, and build thousands more public housing units within a year in

Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.

In Fukushima, reconstruction has lagged further behind in some areas because of the nuclear disaster.

Several towns are still offlimits due to high radiation.

The plant has stabilized substantially, but is still plagued by frequent leaks of radioactive water and other mishaps, triggering concern about

whether it’s really under control.

The leaks are hampering the plant’s decommissioning, which is expected to take about 40 years.

Yukari Tanaka, a resident of Futaba town, where the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant is located, told the ceremony she couldn’t look for her father after the tsunami because they were ordered to evacuate. Weeks

later, her father was found dead under the roof of their tsunamitoppled house.

“I never forget how I regretted that I had to evacuate, leaving my father behind,” Tanaka said.

Emperor Akihito, who also attended the ceremony, said that his heart breaks when he thinks of the Fukushima residents who have no idea if they can ever return home.

Turkish Coup Trial Convicts Freed Amid Political Tumoil ISTANBUL (Turkey) Turkey ordered the release of five men convicted of plotting a coup, days after an exmilitary chief was freed in a case that has come to highlight a power struggle between Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and a U.S.-based Islamic cleric.

The five - a journalist, two lawyers, a retired colonel and a convicted gang leader - were among hundreds convicted in the “Ergenekon” case, which played a central role in Erdogan’s drive to break the political power of Turkey’s military.

Cleric Fethullah Gulen is widely believed to have helped Erdogan by using a network of supporters in the judiciary and police to drive the Ergenekon trial forward. But the two men have since fallen out and the government now suggests the defendants may have been unjustly treated.

In emotional comments on his release after six years jail, journalist Tuncay Ozkan said:

“Turkey is today in a very dramatic situation, resembling a country on the edge of a cliff.

We cannot leave it in the hands of thieves and murderers.”

Retired General Ilker Basbug, the former chief of Turkey’s armed forces, spoke with similar bitterness about his incarceration on his release last Friday.

Murat Yetkin, columnist for Hurriyet daily, saw the release as symptomatic of a new political atmosphere in the country stirred by conflict between Erdogan and Gulen “This new atmosphere seems like it will have further effects on political life as Turkey heads for critical local elections on March 30,” he wrote.

Erdogan’s feud with Gulen now poses one of the biggest challenges to his 11-year rule after a series of audio recordings anonymously posted on the Internet purportedly revealing corruption and other malpractices in the government.

PUBLIC NOTICE NEW PARADISE IN CHRIST MINISTRY

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act No.1 of 1990 .

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 1. Pastor Mrs. A. Musa 2. Pastor Joseph Iboi 3. Bro. Humphrey Ewohon AIMS & OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the Gospel and win souls for the Kingdom.

2. To propagate the gospel of Christ.

3. To undertake Gospel responsibilities within the power conferred on the Ministry by law.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar- General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. .

Signed: Barr (Mrs.) Isoken Osa Guobadia for the trustees

Dock workers and port employees protest against government plans to further privatise the harbor of Piraeus, Greece’s busiest in Piraeus recently.

Israel PM Blasts World ‘Hypocrisy Over Iran Arms Ship’

EILAT (ISRAEL) Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the world of “hypocrisy” over Iran on Monday as he unveiled a shipment of arms allegedly dispatched to Gaza by Tehran.

Standing in front of a vast display of weapons seized last week from a vessel in the Red Sea, Netanyahu launched a blistering attack on the West over its apparent disregard for Iran’s alleged attempts to supply longer-range rockets to Palestinian militants.

In a highly-publicised speech from Eilat port, where the weapons had been unloaded, Netanyahu said he had only heard a handful of “softlyworded condemnations of Iran” over its “murderous delivery” which came to light just days before EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton made a landmark visit to Tehran.

“We have been witness to the smiles and the handshakes between representatives of the West and the heads of the Iranian regime in Tehran, even as these missiles were being unloaded here in Eilat,” he said.

There were some in the international community who did not want Israel to expose “the truth behind the false smiles of Iran,” he said, dismissing President Hassan Rouhani, who has spearheaded

Iran’s opening to the West, as nothing more than “a PR man.”

“They want to continue perpetuating the illusion that Iran has changed direction. The facts that we are showing here, on this platform show the complete opposite,” he said.

Ahead of the speech, hordes of journalists and foreign military attaches were shown the weapons found on board the Panamanian-flagged Klos-C, including 40 longer-range M302 rockets, 181 mortar rounds and approximately 400,000 rifle cartridges.

Also on display were sacks of cement under which the weapons had been hidden. On the sacks, written in English, were the names “Fars and Khozestan Cement Co” and “Hormozgan Cement Company” - both names of Iranian firms.

M-302 rockets have a range of 160 kilometres (100 miles), and if fired from Gaza could easily reach Tel Aviv, which lies just 60 kilometres to the north.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said Gaza militants have around 8,000 rockets, including 200 M75s, named for their 75-kilometre range.

The Islamist Hamas movement ruling Gaza unveiled a statue of the M75 Monday to showcase its ability to strike deep within Israel. M75 rockets fired during the last conflict with Israel in November 2012 struck near Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Analysts have said the discovery of the ship was unlikely to change the West’s limited rapprochement with Iran or its willingness to negotiate over Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme.

Netanyahu compared the international community’s silence on the Iranian ship with its haste to condemn Israel over its construction of settlements

Oscar Pistorius arrives at the high court in Pretoria, South Africa, recently.

THE NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

International No English Please, We’re Gambians - President

Gambian President Yahya Jammen walks on November 24, 2011 in the capital Banjul

9 Arrested Over Stabbing Of Hong Kong Newspaper HONG KONG - Police in All nine were Hong Kong known for its investigative Editor Hong Kong and China have residents. Tsang declined to give reports, was stabbed in the back arrested nine men with suspected links to organized crime for the stabbing of a prominent Hong Kong journalist, the territory’s chief of police said on Wednesday, an attack that was seen by many as an assault on press freedom.

Thousands of protesters dressed in black and wearing blue ribbons, symbolizing press freedom, marched in condemnation of the attack this month. Protesters held up banners saying “They can’t kill us all” and “Protect press freedom”.

Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, is a freewheeling capitalist hub which enjoys a high degree of autonomy and freedom, but Beijing’s Communist Party leaders have resisted public pressure for full democracy.

Two men had been arrested in China, and seven in Hong Kong in connection with the attack on Kevin Lau, a former editor of the respected Ming Pao newspaper, who was seriously wounded.

“We suspect the assailants were hired and they have a triad background,” said Andy Tsang, Hong Kong’s commissioner of police, referring to Chinese organized criminal gangs.

specific grounds for making the arrests, but said preliminary inquiries suggested the attacks had nothing to do with Lau’s journalistic work.

“We will not rule out any motive at the moment, but according to the information at hand there is nothing to suspect it is related to journalism at all,” he told reporters.

Suspicions had spread that powerful individuals from mainland China or pro-Beijing allies opposed to the city’s push for full democracy may have been involved in the attack.

The two men were arrested in China’s Guangdong province by Chinese police, with whom Hong Kong police have been co-operating closely on the case, Tsang said.

The lack of a rendition arrangement between Hong Kong and China, however, meant that it wasn’t yet clear whether the men could be brought back to the city to face trial, he added.

“We will continue investigating this crime. We don’t rule out more people being arrested,” said Tsang.

Lau, speaking from his hospital bed where he’s now in stable condition, said earlier he hoped police could crack the case swiftly “to restore journalists’ confidence in the

rule of law”.

Lau, who until recently had been chief editor of Ming Pao, a Chinese-language newspaper

and legs several times by a man in a helmet on February 26. The assailant rode off on a motorcycle with an accomplice.

A NATO AWACS plane takes off the NATO Airbase in Geilenkirchen, Germany, Wednesday.

nations — thus not crossing either into Ukrainian or Russian airspace, a spokesman for NATO’s operational headquarters said in Belgium.

“The planes can observe over 300,000 square kilometers (115,000 square miles) and will primarily be looking on air

Two in five Gambians speak Mandinka, while Fula or Wolof are used by another 34 percent. Jammeh himself is from the minority Jula tribe, which speaks a Manding language most closely related to Bambara, spoken in nearby Mali.

Gambia, a country of about 1.8 million, is a finger of territory flanking the Gambia River, with Senegal on either side and a narrow Atlantic coastline.

In 2008, Jammeh gave an ultimatum to gays and lesbians to leave his country, saying he would “cut off the head” of any homosexual found in Gambia.

Two years later the European Union cancelled 22 million euros ($30 million) of aid because of concerns over human rights and governance issues.

Gambia stunned the Commonwealth mainly grouping former British colonies by withdrawing from the 54-nation bloc in October, branding it “an extension of colonialism”.

Jammeh said Britain had “no moral platform” to talk about human rights anywhere in the world.

“What brought the British in the first place to Gambia... was trade in ivory because Gambia had a lot of elephants,” he said.

“They ended up wiping out the elephants and then turned around and started selling Africans. The British instituted slavery.”

“The only thing they left us with is unfortunately the English language,” he said.

Israel MPs Pass Law To Conscript UltraOrthodox Jews

JERUSALEM - Israeli MPs on Wednesday voted through a law which will compel ultraOrthodox Jews to either serve in the military or perform national civilian service.

The bill was voted through by 65 to 1 in a poll broadcast on

Israel’s parliamentary television channel.

The lone dissenting vote was cast by an MP from the far-right Jewish Home who broke coalition discipline to oppose

NATO Deploys Surveillance Planes To Ukraine “Regardless, we can observe, BERLIN — NATO deployed The surveillance flights won’t Border we can look a very long way.” two surveillance planes to fly leave the airspace of its member over Poland and Romania on Wednesday to monitor the crisis in neighboring Ukraine.

The military alliance said two AWACS, or Airborne Warning And Control System, reconnaissance planes took off from bases in Germany and Britain.

DAKAR - Gambia will drop English as its official language, President Yahya Jammeh said in his latest diatribe against former colonial power Britain.

“We’re going to speak our own language,” he said, without specifying which of the poor west African country’s indigenous tongues would replace English.

The 48-year-old Gambian strongman is often pilloried for rights abuses and the muzzling of the press, and members of the diaspora have set up critical news outlets against Banjul.

A video of his latest broadside against Britain, delivered in English during the swearing-in of a new chief justice on Thursday, was uploaded on YouTube.

The country has several languages to choose from as a replacement for English.

activity and the sea,” Lt. Col. Jay Janzen said, adding that one AWACS aircraft already went on a surveillance mission to Romania on Tuesday and that more missions were being planned.

“Our flights will not leave NATO airspace,” Janzen said.

NATO’s 28 member states decided Monday to intensify the assessment of the possible threat the Ukrainian crisis poses to the alliance by sending AWACS planes. The decision comes after deployments of U.S. fighter planes to eastern European nations bordering Russia, such as Poland and Lithuania.

the law. Opposition parties within the 120-seat parliament had earlier announced they would not participate in the vote.

The cabinet last year agreed to end a practice under which tens of thousands of ultraOrthodox were exempted from military service if they were in full-time study at a Jewish seminary, or yeshiva.

The new legislation stipulates that ultra-Orthodox men must either join the army or perform civilian service, in a law which will go into force in 2017.

The law also includes a clause stipulating sanctions against draft dodgers — including

imprisonment — in a move which has enraged the ultraOrthodox leadership who said it would be tantamount to jailing people for practising their faith.

Military service is compulsory in Israel, with men serving three years and women two.

Earlier this month, more than 300,000 ultra-Orthodox took to the streets of Jerusalem in a mass prayer vigil to protest against the impending legislation.

The new law is seen by many Israelis as amending the historic injustice of an exemption handed to the ultra-Orthodox in 1948, when Israel was created.

At that time they were a small segment of society.

THE NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Man & Nature

With O.C Madu

All That Is Unhealthy Will Be Swept Out Of Creation THE time has arrived, when everything unhealthy invented by the human brain will be swept out of Creation, so that, it can no longer suppress the enlightenment that the truth wears different aspect from the unsteady images which boastful conceit and commercialism, morbid imagination and hypocrisy, in a craving for earthly power and earthly admiration have ceased out of the sultry swamp of base narrow mindedness (Abd-rushin).

Acused now are those, who through leading millions of people astray have so enslaved them, that today, they no longer are to open their eyes to the light, but blindly revile anything coming to their knowledge that sounds different from what they have hitherto heard.

Instead of at last listening attentively and examining inwardly to see whether the new does not come nearer to their understanding, than what they have learned in the past. Their ears are stopped and anxiously they see to it that no breath of fresh air penetrates to them.

Actual, just out of laziness and fear that their fresh air, through the ensuring recovery implies spiritual activity, demanding and forcing self-exertion. In contrast to the present apparently comfortable spirituals lumber, which is followed by the heavy permanent sleep and thereby, only gives a free hand to the canning of the distorted, debased intellect (Abd-rushin) But, it is no avail to stop your ears against the new word, to shut your eyes, lest, the light dazzles and startles you. You will now be forcibly aroused from this deplorable stupor. Indeed, it is all easy to believe the unbelievable, for then, you need not trouble to think and examine for yourselves. Just

because, it cannot stand up to any test that is in accordance with the Divine Laws of Nature you simply have to believe.

Without questioning the why or where fore, you have to believe blindly and this you imagine to be great. You feel happy, secure, noble, pious and sure of a place in Heave.

Only the impossible demands blind unreserved faith, for whatever is possible immediately, stimulates independent thinking. Wherever there is truth which is always charactenseby naturalness and consistency thinking and deep intuitive sensing automatically set in This only ceases, where it no longer finds anything natural, thus, where Truth does not exist. And it is only, through deep intuitive sensing that anything can become conriction which alone brings value to the human spirit (Abd-ru-shin).

So now, along with everything else, the cycle which begins with the Holy Night in Bethlehem is also, closing And the closing of this cycle must cast out all inaccuracies in the transmissions and in their stead to bring the truth to victory. The Darkness created by humanity is dispelled by the penetrating Light.

All legends which in the course of time have women around the life of Jesus must fall away so that, it may at last, emerge in purity, in accordance with Divine Laws, as indeed it could not have been otherwise, in this creation.

You have credulously and wantonly denied the perfection of the Creator, your God, with your self –establish cults.

You deliberately and consciously represent Him in these cult as imperfect in His Will. Do not honour God by blindly believing in things

that are not in accordance with the primordial Laws of Creation.

On the contrary, if you believe in perfection of the Creator, then you must know that nothing can happen here in Creation that does not also, precisely, conform to the logical sequence in the firmly established Laws of

for granted, especially, in the life of Christ.

A bd-ru-shin. The author of Grail message admonishes us to wake up from our dreams at last and become inwardly true. Let it be said once more that according to the Laws in Creation it is impossible for bodies of earthmen ever to be born

is perfect from the very beginning and this, also. His Will which lies in the Laws of Creation.

Whoever still dares to think otherwise, doubts this perfection and thus, ultimately also, doubts God. For God without perfect would not be God. There can be no subterfuge. No human

God. Only there, in can you truly honour him.

He who thinks otherwise, doubts the perfection of the Creator, his God. For where alteration or further improvements are possible, there is not and never has been perfection.

Development is something different. This is provided for and intended in this Creation.

However, it must follow unconditionally as alogical sequence of the effect of already existing Laws. But all this cannot produce such thins as many believers take

without previous physical procreation and equally impossible for a physical body to be raised into the ethereal realm after its earthly death, still less into the Arnimistic or even the spiritual realm. And since Jesus had to be born here on earth, this event was also, subject to the gross material Divine Law of a previous procreation.

If it had happened with Christ as transmission report, God would have to act against His own Laws. But, this He cannot do, since, He

spirit can quibble about this simple certainty, even if the foundations of many a former opinion must now be shaken thereby. Here, there is only either or all or nothing. There can be no compromise, because nothing incomplete or unpunished can exist in the God head. Nor in anything concerned with God. Abd-ru-shin says that Jesus was procreated physically, otherwise, an earthly birth would not have been possible. At that time, only a few recognized the star as the fulfillment of the prophecies.

Among them were many herself and also, Joseph who deeply stirred, had his fate.

Three kings Abd-ru-shin says found their way to the stable and presented earthly gifts but then they went

“To protect Jesus during His life on earth was actually part of their mission. The necessity for this protection, ordained from the huminous Height, was demonstrated by the events that transpired shortly after the birth of Jesus. The flight of His parents with Jesus into Egypt, Herod’s massacre of the innocents, then later on the atackes and persecutions instigated by the priest and finally, the arrest and violent death of Jesus.”

away, leaving without protecting the child. Whose earthly path they should have smoothed with their wealth and power, so that, no harm might befall Him in the fulfillment of His mission, Although, they received enlightenment enabling them to find the child, they did not fully recognize their sublime call.

To protect Jesus during His

life on earth was actually part of their mission. The necessity for this protection, ordained from the huminous Height, was demonstrated by the events that transpired shortly after the birth of Jesus. The flight of His parents with Jesus into Egypt, Herod’s massacre of the innocents, then later on the atackes and persecutions instigated by the priest and finally, the arrest and violent death of Jesus.

From those holding position of power in His nature Land, Jesus found no protection and His earthly life would perhaps have taken a quite different course, at all events a better one, had the Three kinds been true to their mission and not deserted Him.

THE NIGERIAN

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

Kompany Drawing Inspiration From 2012 Title

Our Priority Is Top Four L I V E R P O O L fullback Jon Flanagan says although their target is finishing in the top four, he is also dreaming about winning the title.

The Reds are currently in second place on the table, seven points behind leaders Chelsea, who have played one game more, and Flanagan says they will continue doing their best.

“It is on my mind and I think it’s on a lot of the lads’ minds that we could be up there at the end, but our priority was top four and if we can push on I’d

Jon Flanagan

- Flanagan

be delighted with that,” he said.

The 21-year-old has featured regularly for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season and believes he has settled well into the squad.

“I’m feeling more confident now I’ve had a run of games,” he said.

“Maybe last year I didn’t feel like part of the squad but now I’m in the team and having a good run so I’m feeling a lot better and more confident.

“To be a local lad and support Liverpool all your life and to go on to play for them is a dream come true for me, really.

“Steven Gerrard was my hero from a young age so to run out and play with him… Him and Carragher are local lads, they know what it’s like.

They gave me massive help coming through.”

VINCENT Kompany is taking inspiration from Manchester City’s 2012 Premier League title win in order to turn the tables on Barcelona.

City face a huge task in overturning their twogoal deficit on the Catalan giants when they meet for the return leg in the Last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

It is the first time City are taking part in the knockout stages of the

Vincent Kompany

Wenger Slams Robben As Arsenal Exit Europe

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger blamed Wojciech Szczesny’s first-leg red card for the Gunners’ Champions League last 16 exit and slammed Arjen Robben for provoking the red card as the Gunners bowed out at Bayern Munich.

Holders Bayern Munich A second-half Bastian booked their place in the Schweinsteiger goal gave Champions League’s quarter- Bayern a brief lead before finals, despite Arsenal earning a Arsenal’s Lukas Podolski 1-1 draw in Bavaria in Tuesday’s equalised with a thunderbolt of last 16, second-leg clash.

a shot as the tie finished 3-1 on aggregate.

Arsenal failed to overturn their 2-0 deficit from the first leg three weeks ago, which still riles Wenger.

The Gunners finished with ten men in London after Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli sent off

Pardew Ban Begins At Fulham

ALAN Pardew will start his record seven-match ban by missing Newcastle’s trip to Fulham this weekend.

The Newcastle manager was handed the seven-game ban - including a three-game stadium exclusion - for headbutting Hull midfielder David Meyler.

Pardew, who has accepted the punishment, has also been fined £60,000 and warned about his future conduct by an independent regulatory commission after admitting a misconduct charge.

It is the longest ban ever handed out to a Premier League manager, and not

Alan Pardew

since Brian Clough was banned from the touchline from February 1989 until the end of that season for hitting fans, who invaded the pitch has a boss at a league club been given such a stiff punishment.

Pardew, who has also been fined £100,000 and given a formal warning by his club, said he will not appeal against the sanction.

The Newcastle manager said in a statement: “As I have made clear, I deeply regret the incident and again wholeheartedly apologise to all parties for my conduct, which I understand was not acceptable.

competition and even though they have little experience to draw from, Kompany remembers how they struck twice in the closing minutes of the final game against QPR to win the Barclays Premier League crown.

“If anything gives you belief about chasing lost causes it should be that day,” he told reporters.

“Football is made out of nights like this, it is why you play football.”

“I will accept the punishment handed down by the FA today. My focus now turns to preparing the team for this weekend’s game against Fulham and finishing the season as strongly as possible.”

Pardew will be banned from Craven Cottage this weekend, and then from St James’ Park for the home games against Crystal Palace and Everton.

The touchline bans will kick in for the games against Southampton (away), Manchester United (home), Stoke (away), Swansea (home).

The 52-year-old appeared at a personal hearing in front of a three-man commission. It is believed the panel also looked at recent incidents over the last two seasons.

Pardew was given a twomatch touchline ban and £20,000 fine in August 2012 for pushing an assistant referee, and was also warned about his conduct in January this year following a heated exchange when he was caught on camera swearing at Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini.

The clash with Irish midfielder Meyler occurred during Newcastle’s 4-1 win at Hull on March 1, which led to Pardew being sent to the stands by the referee.

Arsenal Wenger

Rooney Eyes United, England Captaincy

WAYNE Rooney has revealed his ambition to captain not just Manchester United but also England on a permanent basis.

With Nemanja Vidic leaving the club in the summer for Inter Milan, United manager David Moyes is heavily tipped to name Rooney his new skipper for next season.

The striker is also in contention to succeed Steven Gerrard — who could retire from international football after this summer’s World Cup — as England captain under Roy Hodgson. Rooney has worn the England armband twice in his 89 caps.

“I’ve captained a few times for United and if the manager wants me to be captain, I’d have no problem with that,” Rooney told club magazine Inside United.

“I’d grab it with both hands.

“It’d be a great honour to captain my country but, again, it’s the manager’s call and I’m sure he’ll have a few contenders.

You don’t know what Steven is going to do in the summer, only he knows.”

Wagne Rooney

Gunners goalkeeper Szczesny for conceding a spot-kick with a foul on Robben.

“Overall in the two games what made the difference was the decision to send our goalkeeper off,” said Wenger.

“I felt it was not a red card as simple as that.

“Robben is very good at getting something out of nothing, he’s a good diver, but that’s part of his game.

“I have to congratulate the (Arsenal) players for their heart and effort.

“We wanted to come out of that tie qualified, but we came up short.

“Good luck to Bayern, but I think they are a bit more vulnerable than last season.”

Robben angrily rebuked Wenger’s diving claims.

“I expect more of great managers, they don’t need to resort to claims like that,” said the Dutch winger.

“I don’t want to have to defend myself against remarks like that.”

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, who failed to convert a crucial penalty in the first-leg, endured another miserable night in Munich.

The Germany attacking midfielder came off at half-time with hamstring trouble and made way for Tomas Rosicky.

“Ozil has a hamstring injury and it looks quite serious,” revealed Wenger.

“He will miss (Sunday’s) Tottenham game for sure, he needs a scan. He’s out for at least a few weeks.”

CMYK

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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014

We Controlled The Game - Guardiola

Ousted Zenit Manager To Carry On Living In St. Petersburg

ITALIAN coach Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked by Zenit St Petersburg last week, said Wednesday he intended to settle permanently in the Russian city.

“I have spent four wonderful years in Saint Petersburg,” Spalletti wrote in his letter to the club posted on Zenit’s official site.

“With our players, those, who have worked with us at the club’s base, with all of our supporters I have shared the unforgettable victories, the moments of joy and disappointment, which will always remain within my heart.”

“The love that surrounded me in Saint Petersburg all the time has made me its true resident, its citizen.

Petersburg is my home and I will stay on here.”

Last Tuesday Zenit, owned by state-controlled gas giant Gazprom, sacked Spalletti, who arrived from Italy’s Serie A giants Roma in December 2009 and led the Saint Petersburg outfit to two Russian league titles.

Spalletti achieved domestic success with the Russian side, but failed meet the ambitious demands of the club’s owners on the European scene espvially after several bigmoney signings like Brazil’s Hulk.

The prominent former Russian footballer Sergei Semak had been named Zenit’s interim manager.

Sacking the 55-year-old Spalletti leaves Russia’s most financially powerful club without a fixed coach just ahead of the crucial stage in the battle for domestic success.

BAYERN Munich coach Pepe Guardiola says his side were not under any real threat during Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

Lukas Podolski cancelled Bastian Schweinsteiger ’s opener as the tie ended 3-1 on aggregate following Bayern’s 2-0 first-leg win at the Emirates.

“We enjoyed a 2-0 advantage from the first leg,” said Guardiola. “Arsenal had prepared for this game and decided to play on the counterattack.

“We managed to minimise the number of mistakes we made.

We played in a very intelligent way. I am very pleased with my team.

“We played at a very high level and have now reached the quarter-finals. They were only better in the first eight minutes of the first leg, other than that we were the better side.

“Arsenal did not have any chances in the first half today and then it was over.

“We wanted to control the game and not allow them to

spring any counterattacks.

They dropped very deep and defended with many players.

“Nevertheless, we managed to totally control the game and did not allow them much more than their goal.

Guardiola also explained his team selection, which saw players like Mario Mandzukic, Toni Kroos and Rafinha starting from the bench.

“There is no best eleven at Bayern,” he added. “Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos, Claudio Pizarro, Rafinha, they all deserve to play.

“I see them every day and they train very hard. It is very difficult for me to leave out those very good players, but we have to see how best to approach a given match.

“If I had opted for another starting eleven, you would have asked me why I had left out other players.

“It is just a tactical question. I analysed our game at Arsenal and then selected my team accordingly. We just have that much quality in our squad.”

a salary paid to the player, which should have been declared in the Catalan club’s income tax returns.

Barca maintain these sums were actually a business-tobusiness payment made to the Brazil-based company, and therefore taxes would be due in the South American company. Bartomeu claimed this week that the tax authorities in the two countries would agree among themselves on where the payment should ultimately be made.

Any agreement over the tax issue would not immediately stop the criminal investigation currently ongoing under Judge Pablo Ruz of Spain’s high-ranking Audencia Nacional court, according to the El Pais story.

Ruz could still bring different criminal charges related to “simulated documentation” in the deal, which involved former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, Neymar Senior and the player’s former club Santos.

Barcelona Deny Neymar Agreement

Neymar

Luciano Spalletti

BARCELONA have denied reports the club has already agreed a deal with the Spanish tax authorities to avoid any fraud charges being pressed due to the controversial transfer of Neymar to the Catalan club last summer.

Barca have already made an Barcelona would like to extra 13.6 million euros categorically deny that they payment to the taxman, have communicated to the Prosecutor a although current club Public president Josep Maria commitment to reach an Bartomeu maintained at the agreement confirming the of any time that no fraud took place, existence and said he expected the misdemeanour in relation to money to be returned the tax authorities, in order to close the case brought before eventually.

The 13.6 million euros is the the National Courts relating tax which would be due on to the signing of Neymar. payments totalling 37.9 “On Wednesday March 5, the representatives million euros made to a legal company controlled by appointed by the Club Neymar’s father as part of the appeared before the Jutjat complicated deal which was Central d’Instruccio n. 5 in worth at least 86.2 million order to appear under procedural representation of euros in total.

El Pais have claimed court solicitor, counsel and sources say Barca would designated representative in admit wrongdoing in line with the request received exchange for possible further from the court. penalties against the club or “During this hearing, a courtesy visit was paid to the individuals being set aside.

The club reacted with an Court Prosecutor, solely in official statement denying order to inform his office of any such agreement had been the current state of the legal sealed. It read: “In response process described above and to various stories published to establish legal positions in over the last few hours, FC the conviction that legal

Yohar Cabaye

IT has been just over two months since Yohan Cabaye left Newcastle United for French outfit Paris SaintGermain.

Cabaye, who was one of the Magpies’ star players, finally joined Laurent Blanc’s men in the January transfer window and he insists he has no regrets about leaving Tyneside despite his struggle to pen down a starting spot.

The 28-year-old has struggled to establish himself in Blanc’s starting XI but has no regrets on moving to Parc des Princes, even though he now has to fight for his place

Cabaye Enjoying Life In France

in the side.

“I want to focus on the positive aspects – they (PSG) are a great club and I’m training with great players,” Cabaye told RTL. “I have gone from a situation at Newcastle where I was an automatic starter, to one where I don’t know when I will next play.

“However, I absolutely don’t regret my decision. I have come here to win and climb the hierarchy.”

Cabaye could be in action for the French giants in their Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen this evening.

debate currently occurring will be resolved by the administrative arm of the tax authorities. At no point did the Club’s legal representative have any mandate to accelerate the closing of the case nor of any admission of any tax misdemeanour leading to criminal action in the terms alleged in the above mentioned reports.”

The tax issue arose as the Spanish authorities view the payments to Neymar’s father’s company [N&N] as

Pepe Laughsup Off Jose’s Mirror Jibe to give a good image for PEPE has laughed off Jose Mourinho’s comments about Real Madrid’s players being vain, while saying the “killer” chants he receives at opposition grounds are a much more serious matter.

Former Madrid coach Mourinho, now at Chelsea, raised a storm recently when he claimed that players at the Bernabeu often left the referee waiting to start games while they preened in front of the dressing-room mirror.

The centre-back told El Primer Toque that such comments made no impression on him or his teammates, while joking that Mourinho might take a look at himself in the mirror sometimes too.

“Mou must be the only human being who gets up in the morning and does not look at himself in the mirror,” Pepe said. “We do not criticise, these are things that everyone does each day. It did not affect us at all.

“It is normal we fix ourselves

the club we represent. We are at Real Madrid, when we go out there are cameras and all the media. I believe it is totally normal.”

Less of a laughing matter for the Portuguese defender are the “Pepe, assassin” chants which opposition fans often direct at him because of the infamous 2009 incident when he received a 10-game ban for kicking Javier Casquero while the Getafe player lay on the ground.

Pepe, 31, said his family should not have to hear such abuse directed at her son.

“It is not easy for a mother to hear a stadium call her son a killer,” he said. “I committed no crime for them to call me that. I am very clear, the people close to me know how I am. I try to improve every day to be able to play. When I do play I try to be the best to help my teammates.”

Madrid’s own fans often chant “Pepe, kill him” during games at the Bernabeu, in

praise of his abrasive style, but the Brazil-born Portugal international said he was actually proud of how he had cleaned up his act in recent seasons.

“I try and play as clean as possible and not commit fouls,” he added. “But in my position it is not easy to play without giving away free kicks. Sergio (Ramos) does not have as good as a record as me. I do not remember when they sent me off last.”

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Agyei Ready For World Cup Spot FREE State Stars goalkeeper Daniel Agyei wants to fight for a place in Ghana’s World Cup squad after his return from injury.

Agyei began training last week after being sidelined by a hernia problem which saw him undergo surgery.

He was on the bench at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa and believes he is fit to contest for this June’s showpiece.

“I am feeling really comfortable after I

recovered from the injury and I am in good shape,” the 23-year-old told an Accra-based radio station.

“For me I am always ready to give my best to the Black Stars more so now that I am fit.

“All that I am praying for is that the coach looks to my direction and give me a chance to stake a claim again.”

Agyei started 14 Absa Premiership matches for Free State Stars before his injury and was the first choice.

Asia Champions League

Utaka, Kalu Uche Score

Daniel Agajei

Player Turned Coach Simeone Revives Atletico Fortunes

WHEN Atletico Madrid were knocked out in the Champions League quarter-finals by Ajax Amsterdam in 1997, midfielder Diego Simeone could scarcely have imagined it would be 17 years before they reached the last eight again.

Almost two decades later, 1-0 first-leg win at the San Siro, Simeone is now coaching the La showed why Spain coach Liga side and Tuesday’s Vicente del Bosque was so keen dominant 4-1 home victory to secure his services and he now against seven-times winners AC has seven goals in five Milan, which put Atletico Champions League appearances through to the quarter-finals 5-1 this season. on aggregate, was the latest As the game wore on, Atletico evidence he has moulded his began to exert an impressive unfancied squad into genuine control over the Italian side on a European contenders. near-perfect night for the club’s In much the same way as he long-suffering fans and they are did as a combative midfielder for now just four games away from Argentina and clubs including May’s final in Lisbon.

Atletico, Inter Milan and Lazio, They are also still in with a Simeone’s players harried and chance of winning La Liga for hassled Milan from the start and the first time since 1996, again they looked dangerous nearly with Simeone in the side, and every time they broke forward. lurk three points behind leaders Brazil-born forward Diego Real Madrid in second with 11 Costa, who scored twice to games left. follow up his goal in last month’s Ajax needed extra time to

dispatch Atletico 4-3 in 1997 and it is a measure of how far the Spanish side, unbeaten in the latest edition of Europe’s elite club competition, have come under Simeone that if they failed to reach at least the last four it would be a disappointment.

“There will be seven top teams and one humble one which will irritate,” Simeone told a news conference when asked about the March 21 draw for next month’s quarters, when Atletico could face Real or Barcelona if their La Liga rivals make the last eight as expected.

“I am happy because I have a group of men who play football in an extraordinary way and who have enormous passion for the game,” added the 43-year-old.

“Let’s see who our opponent is, I don’t care if it’s another Spanish team. Remain calm and recuperate well.”

Spain More Than Tiki-Taka

SPAIN coach Vicente del Bosque has said that his side have evolved from their tikitaka style and have built a solid foundation going into the 2014 World Cup. Spain’s unique system of short passing has ensured that they have become the only international team to claim

Vicente Del Bosque

-Del Bosque

three major tournaments back-to-back [Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012] and they are favourites to become only the third team to defend their world title after Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.

However, Del Bosque told Sport Bild that the game has moved on. “The final pass is as important,” he said.

“Football is not only short passing. Long balls are as important. And a certain depth.”

The 63-year-old also faces a selection dilemma ahead of the tournament as, in the recent friendly win against Italy, players like Juan Mata, David Villa and Alvaro Arbeloa did not make the squad.

“If I had called up those players, I would have had to pass on others,” he added.

“And then maybe players from the under-21 will be an option as well. Isco, [Alvaro] Morata, Jese. And I have already called Koke up.

“We have a good foundation right now. Not too many young players, rather a good mix. You need experienced players to have success.”

Del Bosque was also asked by the German football magazine which German player he would like to have on his team.

“That’s a utopia,” he said.

“But to be honest, I really, really like Toni Kroos. He is a great player. Add [Thomas] Mueller, [Philipp] Lahm and [Bastian] Schweinsteiger to it. But as you know, we also have many great players.”

Simeone has already tasted success in continental competition with Atletico, leading them to the Europa League title in 2012 when the goals of Radamel Falcao secured the team’s second triumph in Europe’s second-tier club competition in three years.

Costa has stepped up to fill the prolific Colombian’s outsized shoes since he departed for AS Monaco and he now has 29 goals in all competitions this season, including 21 in La Liga.

“He can keep improving,” Simeone said of the 25-year-old.

“He has a very impressive physical and mental strength and I am sure he still has a lot of room to grow.

“His participation in the Spain team will help him develop due to the different way they play and the way he adapts so well to all styles.

“He is destined for great things and everything he is achieving is thanks to his humility.

“Nobody has gifted him

anything, he came out on his own and everything he has done is a result of hard work and desire.”

Atletico’s next game is at home to Espanyol on Saturday, when they can open a four-point lead over third-placed Barca, who host Osasuna on Sunday.

Real are at Malaga on Saturday.

AMERICAN investment firm Baron Capital has acquired a quarter of Manchester United shares available in the New York Stock Exchange.

Baron Capital has been buying up stock and now owns 24 per cent of all the United shares that were sold by the Glazer family in 2012, though that still only represents 2.5 per cent of the club.

Analysts believe the accumulation of shares reflects the firm viewing United as a good long-term investment, rather than Baron Capital making any bid to secure a controlling interest in the club.

The Glazer family only released 10 per cent of the club on to the stock market - they still

retain 90 per cent and control the vast majority of votes.

Nevertheless, Baron Capital’s actions explain why the share price has been slowly rising despite the club’s struggles on the pitch. This has also been fuelled by expectation of an announcement of a new Nike kit deal worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Baron Capital’s United shareholding was confirmed in a securities and exchange commission filing on the Manchester United investor relations website. It says Baron Capital now owns 9,581,636 shares, which were worth £90m at the close of the market on Monday.

Baron Capital says on its

PETER Utaka and Kalu Uche scored for their clubs in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.

Utaka scored for Beijing Guoan (China) in a 1-1 draw with FC Seoul of South Korea. Utaka put his team ahead in the 19th minute before they were pegged back.

He has now scored two goals in two Asian Champions League games.

Utaka has score 10 goals in Chinese Super league so far.

Kalu Uche, on his part, scored the winner for Qatari club Al Rayyan in a 1-0 win over Esteghlal.

He struck in the 14th minute.

He has scored three goals in three days following his brace in the league on Saturday to help his side beat Qatar SC 3-0.

Diego Simeone

US Firm Buys United Shares

website the company remains positive about United’s future.

“Shares of Manchester United dropped... due to a delay in the signing of a new global merchandise deal with Nike and the team’s poor performance on the field.

“The Nike deal is still expected to be signed, but has been pushed out from this fiscal year. We remain positive on the company’s prospects going forward.”

London-based financial analyst Andy Green, who writes a blog on football finance and advises the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, said the move

by Baron Capital appeared to be purely an investment strategy and was not the start of a takeover bid.

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2014 World Cup Hayatou Sets Target For Africa ‘Big 5’ PRESIDENT of the Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana’s

Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, has nudged African teams heading to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil to strive to reach the last four.

PANA reports that no African team has ever gone beyond the quarterfinals stage of the global football extravaganza.

But Hayatou said a lastfour berth at the June 12 to July 13 event by any of Africa’s flagbearers in Brazil would be an icing on the cake.

He said this would be for the successes African football has recorded, especially in the past 26 years of CAF. “What will make me happy now, after all these achievements, will be to get even more successes for African football,” CAF’s media outlet quoted Hayatou to have said.

“We continue with massive strides on all fronts of football development and, going into the 2014 FIFA World

Cup, I do not see why Africa cannot have one or two of our representatives reach the semi-finals or indeed even the final of the World Cup during my time as President.’’

Africa’s five representatives at the tournament are the Desert Foxes of Algeria, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions, the Elephants of

Black Stars and Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

PANA reports that only three African teams — Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal — have ever reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup. This was since Africa’s first representation by Egypt at the 1934 World Cup in Italy.

THE Nigeria Football Association (NFA) on Monday said it was budgeting about N3.9 billion for its 2014 activities different from the Super Eagles’ Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup appearance.

Musa Amadu, the Secretary-General of the NFA, announced this in Abuja while defending the football body’s 2014 budget before the Senate Committee on Sports.

Amadu said the budget, when approved, would take care of other national teams’ competitions since the Super

Michael Olaitan

Sports Minister Harps On Need To Generate Funds

SPORTS Minister Tamuno Danagogo on Tuesday in Abuja said activities. the 2014 sports budget defence was an eye-opener on the need “It is a task that must be done, for more funds generation for sporting activities in the country. and it is true that we have a lot of Danagogo said this at the 2014 companies and organisations sporting activities for the year. budget defence of the National “But I am sure that my need to key into supporting and Sports Commission (NSC) and sponsoring sporting events so predecessor (Bolaji Abdullahi), the Nigeria Football Association Director-General that we can merge the NSC’s (NFA) before the Senate enthusiasm of our populace with (Gbenga Elegbeleye), Directors Committee on Sports. performance,’’ Danagogo said. and other staff of the ministry The NSC has presented a He promised that the ministry have done so much. budget of N5.54 billion, while “They have helped to bring our would overcome the challenge the NFA has budgeted N3.9 of coping with limited funds in sports men and women to a high billion. a year clustered with sporting level of preparations and what I NFA’s budget, however, does not include the N2.08 billion which has been budgeted for the Super Eagles’ appearance at the 2014 World Cup finals.

“It is an eye-opener and the presentations by the various agencies tell me a lot about the need for serious efforts in funds generation for sporting activities in this country.

“It also tells me that indeed Nigerians are very desirous to see that laurels are won. But all hands must be on deck.

“Government has done what it can do within the limits of the available facilities. But we all know that what has been provided is not enough to get sports to the level we want to get it to in Nigeria.

“We know that all over the world, sports development is not a business for government alone.

“So, corporate entities and other sports-loving individuals, Tamuno Danagogo, Sports Minister

am coming to do now is to consolidate on the gains they have made.

“We will now try and raise the bar to ensure that we are able to take on the challenges and come out victorious in all competitions we will participate in.

“We want to win more laurels and we know that expectations are high. But we are also ready to achieve a high mark and live up to expectations,’’ Danagogo said.

NFA Fixes Elective AGM For August 27 Eagles’ World Cup campaign already has a separate budget.

The NFA has already submitted a separate budget of N2.08 billion for the Super Eagles’ World Cup campaign.

“NFA’s events for 2014, as well as overhead costs and capital projects like the furnishing of its new secretariat and personnel matters would also be catered for in the main budget,’’ Amadu had said.

He said the non-approval of NFA’s capital budget for 2013 had thwarted the plan by the association to relocate to its new secretariat since the completion of the building last year.

“It’s unfortunate that we did not get a single penny for capital projects last year.

Although we were handed a brand new secretariat, but we have not been able to move into it.

“This is because of the paucity of fund. The football house decided that whether we have funds or not, we must put a strategy in place to be able to move into the building.

“However, we will need about N80 million to be able to move into the new secretariat, beginning from April,’’ Amadu said.

The NFA secretarygeneral also said the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) proposed for Aug. 26 or Aug. 27 in Abuja would gulp part of the money being asked for.

He explained that the 2014 AGM was important to the NFA since it was an elective meeting.

Amadu had earlier told the Senate Committee that the NFA would need about N2.08 billion separately to

prosecute the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup scheduled to begin on June 12.

He said part of the money would be expended on the Super Eagles’ international friendly with Scotland on May 28 and its three-day training tour of Philadelphia, U.S. The NFA official added that the Eagles’ friendly matches with Greece and USA on June 3 and June 8 respectively would also consume part of the fund.

Adamu Gumba, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, assured the NFA of adequate funding, saying this was because its 2013 budget was properly utilised.

“We will request to come to your aid. Whenever I have the opportunity, I have always been requesting government to come to your aid and support.

“We will continue to do so, so that you can have sufficient money to run your programmes. Nigerians are very happy that you have performed creditably.

“So, I think the Minister and the National Assembly will have to sit together and see how we can support you so that you will continue with your good works,’’ Gumba said.

He commended the leadership of the NFA for the laurels the country won in 2013 and 2014, among which was the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The appearance of the NFA, National Sports Commission (NSC) and the National Institute for Sports (NIS) before the Senate Committee formed the 2014 budget defence for sports.

A similar activity had taken place at the House of Representatives on Monday, March 10.

Senate C’ttee Rues NSC’s 2014 Capital Budget

THE Senate Committee on Sports on Tuesday in Abuja said the 2014 capital budget of N1.4 billion for the National Sports Commission (NSC) was too small to yield results.

Chairman of the committee, Adamu Gumba, said this after the commission’s DirectorGeneral, Gbenga Elegbeleye, presented the 2014 budget proposal to the committee.

Gumba said the capital budget was embarrassing and not up to the cost of feasibility projects for some other ministries.

N5.54 billion was budgeted for NSC’s activities in 2014.

The sum of N4.11 billion in the budget estimate was for recurrent cost while capital items would gulp N1.42 billion.

Of the recurrent cost, N2.92 billion was for overhead cost, while N1.19 billion would be

spent on personnel cost.

“Quite frankly, this capital budget is too small because all those projects you started in 2013 are now abandoned.

“The ones you wanted to complete last year have not been provided for this year. So, they are now abandoned.

“If you show somebody that these are all the capital projects in the Ministry of Sports for 2014, it is very embarrassing and shameful.

“This is not up to the cost of feasibility study for one project in the FCT or Ministry of Works,’’ Gumba said.

The senate committee chairman said the commission should, in view of limited costs, prioritise its 2014 projects.

He said the NSC should either complete the projects already

started or spread the funds across the projects.

Gumba however advised that the NSC should ensure that the completed mini-stadiums were handed over to the local governments for grassroots sports development.

“Since the Federal Government has shown interest in developing our sports from the grassroots and some of the ministadiums have been completed, they should be handed over.

“The NSC should ensure that the stadiums are handed over to the various local governments so that they can be used and, as a result, talents will be discovered just as we expected.

“This is to ensure that the benefits of constructing these mini-stadiums will be yielded as soon as possible,’’ he said.

CMYK

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Abacha Loot: Unborn

Tomorrow, Dead Yesterday

STRONG man, Sani Abacha, had no reason to begin to provide for failure since he was sure that nothing was going to prevent him from transforming himself to the life president of Nigeria. Such a man had no cause to begin to disguise his loots. He was, therefore, an archetype of a Nigerian thief who could steal with impunity.

In local parlance, it is held, “Na dead man sell him wife”. When Abacha was alive, no one would have dared go near his property, talk less steal it.

His was akin to the case of the cloth that the witch is drying in the sun; no one would dare go and remove it. But now that Abacha is dead, people are looting and re-looting his loots with impunity.

This should serve as a good notice to grabbers without borders that after they die, all the s t u p e n d o u s accumulations are useless.

Our Finance Minister and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, so called, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, should have known that there is no way of easily wishing away the Abacha loot; at least not in this life time.

The mention of the infamous Abacha loot brings bitter memories and the more Madam struggles to extricate herself from culpability, the more she gets deeply immersed in it.

The issue resonated on Wednesday, 26 February 2014, in Sonala Olumhese’s open letter titled “Dear Mrs. OkonjoIweala”.

Perhaps unwittingly, Madam has promoted the Abacha loot above all other issues, to the extent that even where Olumhese handed down the most damning verdict on the economy, which Madam coordinates, she was only perturbed by his passing mention of the

Abacha loot.

It is clear to us that the treasurer of a political party treasures nothing.

Every money that comes already has a given destination. Similarly, the coordinator of a warped economy coordinates nothing. Her position is akin to that of the proverbial man, who is put in-charge of counting the Oba’s money.

If government is such that virtually every department has become a cesspool of corruption, then, some shadow of doubt must be cast on whosoever is charged with the coordination of that economy. Yet, one cannot easily admit that this erudite scholar, a real PhD in Economics, a former President of the World Bank who has behind her many years of cognate experience; and one who has helped in shaping the economies of many other third world countries, has been promoted above her competence.

All the same, no organization ever grows much higher than the environment in which it exists. In her posturing as the counter of the Oba’s money, she could be undermined by more powerful colleagues and Ogas who are above questioning, however perfunctorily they may be performing in their equally powerful ministries.

In a coordinated economy, there should be no argument whatsoever on the country’s bank account vis-à-vis how much the NNPC generated and how much was remitted to the federation account.

These are figures that should be available at the touch of a computer button, even at midnight.

Sadly, virtually every funding initiative of this administration has been reduced to an avenue for fraud: Just about when you are looking at the

volume of the fuel subsidy scam, the multi-billion Naira pension rackets are staring you on the face; as you are looking at those, the NNPC and CBN scams are bursting loose; meanwhile, authorities of the National Teachers Institute, Kaduna, are raising an alarm that they have just got a bank alert over N791 million unsolicited payment; while the Budget Office is

this economy and its coordination?

We have long passed the level of talking of the amount involved in the Abacha loot because even Abacha himself might not have known how much he stole.

Nigerians were elated on hearing that part of the loot was being repatriated. Theorists went to work. Some reasoned that since the

connote in ending corruption.

Then came the breaking news that the money had been spent posthaste, in a manner similar to the retirement of a touring advance, “When eventually the money was

loot was part of the common wealth, it might be equitable to plough it back into the federation account where it would be redistributed; while others thought that it should be spent on clearly separated projects that would be of historical significance to all, given the symbolism it could

repatriated in 2005, the Finance Minister told them that the money had been spent in the 2004 National budget and that N65 billion bond was raised to pre-finance projects in anticipation of the repatriated loot” – Unborn tomorrow, dead yesterday!

Listen further to Rev.

• Late Gen. Sani Abacha

claiming that N5 billion has been paid to NAFDAC, the same NAFDAC is saying it only received a paltry sum of N365 million; and the NDLEA says it has not received even one kobo of the N65 million said to have been paid to it. What a rumble in the jungle!

Who is still talking about

David Ugolor, “Most of the projects verified began before 2004 and some were completed in that same year… In a particular case, the Local Government where a project was said to have been carried out did not exist… Contracting firms mismanaged the funds and projects were simply abandoned… Only 28 of the 51 projects were completed….”

Yet, Iweala has the temerity to continue to maintain that the money was spent in developing the rural areas. Hear this very height of absurdity: “The World Bank had written about this in a 2007/2008 Handbook on Stolen Asset Recovery where the case was cited as a best practice example….”

In essence, Madam waited to return to Washington, DC, to personally issue her own testimonial – an exercise in the exportation of Nigerian dishonesty! To Nigeria, the Abacha loot provides a Pyrrhic victory. It would have been better to leave the loot where it belongs – in the Abacha family – rather than taking the trouble of repatriating it only to be re-looted by new looters.

“Our Finance Minister and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, so called, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, should have known that there is no way of easily wishing away the Abacha loot; at least not in this life time. The mention of the infamous Abacha loot brings bitter memories and the more Madam struggles to extricate herself from culpability, the more she gets deeply immersed in it.”

Printed and published by Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, 24, Airport Road, P.M.B. 1334 Benin City. Telephone; Lagos: 01 4930929, Benin: 052 257492, 257531 Editor. BARR. SOLOMON IMOHIOSEN (KSJI) - (07030699646), Deputy General Manager (Marketing) (08023457566), Assistant General Manager(Advertisement) (08023808856) Lagos Office: 3/4 Amode Close, Kudirat Abiola Way, By Olushonsun Bus Stop, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. Abuja Office: Floor 1, Edo House, 75 Ralph Shodeinde Street, Central Business District, Abuja. Tel/Fax: 09-5237631. All correspondence to: 24 Airport Road, Benin City. E-mail: nigerianobserver@yahoo.com (ISSN 0331-2674)

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