Nigerian observer 15 12 2014 by Nigerian Observer

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol . 39 NO.142 • MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2 014 • N 100.00

Ministry Delivering On Mandate

CMYK

ISSUES Pg. 14

Austerity Measures And The Yuletide

BENIN CITY - Edo State Ministry of Lands and survey is delivering on assigned functions as evidenced in the huge strides recorded during the period June 2013 till

date, during which Barr. Osikhena-Boih Donald has held office as H o n o u r a b l e Commissioner. This remark was made in the Office of the Hon.

-Commissioner

Commissioner when management staff of the Ministry met to review the progress recorded during the period at a

ceremony to mark the 41 st Birthday of Barr. Osikhena-Boih Donald. The Hon. Continues on page 2

Impending Oil Sector Strike

ARCHIVAL MATTERS Pg. 21

Security Tips During Festive Season

TUC Begs FG

LAGOS - The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday advised the Federal Government to address grievances of oil workers unions that threatened to embark on indefinite industrial action from today, Monday, December 15. This plea was jointly signed by the TUC contained in a President, Comrade communiqué issued at Bobboi Kaigama, and the end of the Congress General Secretary, Mr of the National Executive Musa Lawal. Council (NEC) meeting in The National Union of Lagos. Petroleum and Natural The communiqué was Gas Workers

(NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) had issued a notice to commence an indefinite

strike on Monday if their grievances were not addressed. The communiqué said that the industrial action

would cripple the economy and bring untold hardship to millions of Nigerians who were managing to cope under the current

economic condition. “The NEC in session expressed concern on the reported attitude and response of the Continues on page 2

...Demands New Minimum Wage

LAGOS - The Trade Union Congress (TUC) said the congress would demand for wage increase for workers in the New Year, following the devaluation of the naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The National President of the Congress, Alhaji Bobboi Kaigama, disclosed this at the end of the Congress’ National Executive Council Meeting in the early hours of Sunday in Lagos. Kaigama said wage hike had become necessary because the current devaluation had started impacting negatively on Nigerian workers. He added that “the issue of wage is a

dynamic thing. In stabilised economies, wages are directly proportional to the inflation trend of that country. “So, it is expected that following the devaluation of the naira and its resultant rise in inflation, salaries of workers should automatically be increased too. “But in this country, even after devaluation of the currency, there will not be any increase in workers’ salary and that is bad. “The moment devaluation is put in place the prices of goods and services surge, there should be a proportional increase in

TIT BIT “Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny. All the strength and succor you want is within yourself”. -SWAMI VIVEKANADA

the workers’ pay.’’ He, therefore, said “if the issue on devaluation persist, the Congress will have no option but to enter the New Year with a demand for increase in workers’ pay.’’ The TUC boss added that the fall in crude oil price in the international market should be translated into a fall in the price of refined products in the country. Kaigama explained that the price of petrol should be brought down Continues on page 2

CONVOCATION: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (left) and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Minister of Education at the 50th Anniversary and 22nd convocation ceremony of the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State during the weekend.

Choice of APC Presidential Running Mate

We ”ll be democratic -Lai Mohammed LAGOS - The All Progressives Congress (APC) has assured

Nigerians that its choice of presidential running mate will be made within

the context of the best democratic ideals like that of its presidential

candidate. The party said this in a statement issued

Auchi Poly Graduates 8,735, Marks 50th was the conferment of By MORRISON HAYBLE Anniversary Honorary Fellowship of

AUCHI - A total of 3,748 Higher National Diploma, (HND) and 4, 987 National Diploma, (ND) 2014 graduands of

Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo state formally received their certificates and prizes weekend at a colourful ceremony

which climaxed the institution’s 50th anniversary of its foundation. Also at the ceremony

the Polytechnic on two distinguished Nigerians: the President of the Senate, Senator (Dr) Continues on page 2

yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. Mohammed then urged the public to ignore any rumour about the choice of APC’s presidential running mate. According to him, the party has not met yet and Continues on page 2

News Auchi Poly Graduates 8,735, Marks 50th Anniversary

Continues from page 1

David Mark who was represented by Senator Odion Ugbesia and the President, Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), Barr Augustine Alegeh. Addressing the gathering, Chairman, Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Professor Gabriel Yomere appealed to the Federal

government to consider allocation of special grants to the institution to meet replacement of all obsolete instructional materials and equipment in the system. Yomere observed that some of the Polytechnic’s facilities and instructional materials at the age of 50 had become

TUC Begs FG

Continues from page 1 concerned management and government agencies to the barrage of national issues, oil and gas policy and institutional issues as well as cases of unfair labour practices. “The NEC also notes the strong efforts made by NUPENG/PENGASSAN to internally resolve the reported grievance at the instance of the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources and other agencies which the concerned managements severally frustrated. “ NEC therefore urges government to attend to all the reported issues as a matter of urgent national importance to avoid the backlash on the Nigerian public,’’ the communique said. It said that the global fall in the crude oil price should be translated into the reduction in the pump price of refined products in the country. “The congress expresses dismay that the prices of refined petroleum products have remained unchanged despite the significant fall of crude oil prices which the CBN Governor acknowledges as a steady one. “We call on the government to direct the appropriate agencies to respond by adjusting the pump price of petroleum products as this will go a long way In ameliorating the impact on the purchasing power by the devaluation of the naira,’’ it added. The congress also urged

TUC Demands New Minimum Wage In 2015

Continues from page 1 to N50 per litre. “If government says that the price of crude oil has fallen in the global market, it means that the price of products will also fall in the country. “If truly we are working with the dynamics of market principles, we expect that the price of products should drop. “We want N50 per litre for oil,’’ he said. The Congress boss also said that the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill on the floor of the National Assembly would push unions and Nigerians to the wall for a corresponding action.

the Federal Government and the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the PIB into law. It said that the congress would be left with no other option than to embark on an industrial action to press for the PIB passage. The congress, however, commended the initiative of the Federal Government on the local content policy aimed at developing the entrepreneurial and manpower capacity and expertise of Nigerians.

obsolete while spares to keep them running were difficult to procure and at huge cost if available. Prof Yomere also raised alarm over the abysmal performance in the secondary school certificate examination adding that the Polytechnic was concerned about the development because it was an end user of the products of the secondary school system. While also urging government to strengthen the inspectorate division of the various ministries of education for effective monitoring as well as ensure regular retraining of teachers, he emphasized his appeal to parents and guardians to take active interest in supervision of academic and leisure activities of their children. Also addressing the convocation, Rector of the

Poytechnic, Dr Mrs Philipa Idogho while congratulating the graduands, enjoined them to remain good ambassadors of the institution wherevere they were. “Those who graduated before you held afloat the worthy banner of this school. You can do no less” the Rector reminded the graduands. Dr Mrs Idogho disclosed that the Polytechnic currently has 37 doctorate degree and 402 masters degree holders in its staff complement, describing the development as considerable improvement as against only four doctorate degree holders as at 2007. She recalled that staff of the institution had successfully carried out research in various areas as a result of improved training and new orientation for academic work which according to her include: development and construction of a prototype biogas facility, construction of a prototype solar refrigerator and construction of a furnace.

Ministry Delivering On 047,130.02 (One billion, one Mandate hundred and forty six million, Commissioner for Lands

Continues from page 1

and Survey specifically identified the achievements of the Ministry in the period under review among others to include the purchase of modern equipment, like Total Stations, Scanner & Plotter, Digital Theodolites, Safety Kites etc. to make survey easy, speedy processing and issuance of Certificate of Occupancy within thirty (30) days, similarly, the facilitation of the release of the Former Army Barrack, lkpoba Hill, Benin City to Edo State Government by Military authorities, elimination of Double allocation of land and duplication of Certificate of

Occupancy on property. He also identified other achievements to include the reclamation of all encroached Government Lands and acquisitions, facilitation of compensation to acquire lands in various Communities. Barr. Osikhena-Boih Donald used the opportunity of his Birthday to commend staff of the Ministry for their dedication to duty. The Land and Survey Commissioner also added that significant progress was recorded in revenue generation by the Ministry. The sum of N1, 146,

forty seven thousand, one hundred and thirty naira two kobo.) was realized by the Ministry from March, 2013 to November, 2014. In his responses, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands & Survey, Michael Okojie Esq. on behalf of the management and staff commended the Hon. Commissioner for his leadership qualities which ensured the uncommon transformation and the giant strides recorded in the Ministry. He equally wished him more fruitful years in the service of mankind especially, to Edo people.

Terrorism Will Never Prevail -Buhari

LAGOS The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Kano and Jos. This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos by the APC. Buhari, in the statement, said that the two historic cities were known for their rich cultural and religious heritage. “Once again, those who seek to influence our way of life, modify our faith and our most sacred core values, have struck, leaving in their wake lives brutally cut short, limbs badly broken and dreams forced to fade away. “But these people, whose actions are not sanctioned by any religion and who subscribe to no known decent values, will not succeed. “Our people are resilient and strong, and our nation is capable, based on our rich human and material resources, of successfully tackling these nihilists.

“No religion condoles the killings of such innocent people; hence we are sure these terrorists profess to none of the world’s great religions, much as they seek to mask their actions with the cloak of religion,’’ he said. Buhari commiserated with the victims and their family members and prayed that Allah would grant repose to the souls of the departed and

comfort those who lost loved ones. “I urge all of us to demonstrate our time-tested compassion by providing support and succour to those affected one way or the other in their hour of need,’’ he said. Buhari said that terror would be defeated, saying that all it required was the political will, uncommon courage and unrelenting determination.

We ”ll be Democratic has not picked a running mate. He said “we are using this opportunity to tell Nigerians to pray for us as we get set to pick a running mate for our presidential candidate. “This is because this choice is not just for us but for all Nigerians.’’ The APC also said it was glad with the feedback it received from Nigerians on the transparent and rancourfree manner in which its presidential primary was organised and conducted.

Mohammed said “we are assuring Nigerians that the choice of our presidential running mate will also be guided by best democratic ideals. “We appreciate the nationwide interest that the choice of our presidential candidate and his running mate has generated. “It is a mark of the confidence that Nigerians have in us and we want to assure Nigerians that we will not disappoint them.

VGN Edo Chapter Clears Air On Authentic Body BENIN CITY – The Edo State chapter of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria has said that the recognised executive of the body in the state is the one led by Daniel Akeme who is the state Commandant while Festus Balogban is the deputy Commandant with the approved office at No. 71 Textile Mill Road, Benin City. In a statement signed by the deputy CommandantGeneral, Intelligence, South-South, Prince S.E. Eweka, the state chapter said its attention had been drawn to the activities of some dissident groups parading themselves as the authentic executive members of the state chapter.

The statement said the dissidents do not have the mandate of the National body of the group led by its founder, Alhaji Sokoto Alli. It declared that some of the persons had since been dismissed by the National body of the group because of their divisive role. The statement said the current move by the dissidents to form a parallel body with the name of Vigilante Group of Nigeria with same uniform is illegal, unconstitutional and should be disregarded by members of the public. It equally declared that the training programme purportedly carried out in Western Boys High School, Benin City was fake, illegal and therefore a fraud.

ABUJA The Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Nigeria (ASLIN) has urged broadcasting television stations and government to engage the service of language interpreters to ensure that hearing impaired persons in the country were informed. The National President of the Association, Mr Timothy Tinat, made the call in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Abuja. He said Nigeria had a large population of people with impaired hearing that needed to be carried along. Tinat added that the interpreters’ association work as a bridge in communication between the deaf and the public, as well as act as advocate for the deaf. He noted that although the media was doing a lot for people with disabilities, more still needed to be done to address the existing gap being suffered by persons affected by hearing loss. He said “we have approximately six to seven million persons affected with hearing loss of different

kind and the only way to get them informed is through visuals. “It is only those that are educated that can read through text messages and the braille. Those that are not educated strongly rely on sign language interpretation. “This is why we are calling on television stations to carry information through sign language interpreters, so that the deaf audience can be carried along.’’ The ASLIN president also urged government to engage the service of sign language interpreters during national broadcasts and public gatherings. Tinat, however, said this could only be achieved when the disability bill was signed and passed into law. “The disability bill has a provision that sign language interpreters should be made available at all public gatherings,’’ he added. He said members of the Association sometimes voluntarily go to public functions to communicate to people with hearing loss. “By the time the bill becomes a law, you will find out that if there is presidential broadcast, there will be an interpreter.

Association Urges Media, Govt To Enage Language Interpreters

Orhewere Postpones Launch Of ‘The History Of Ora’ SABONGIDDA-ORA – The author of the book “The History of Ora”, Chief E.T.O. Orhewere and the organising Committee has announced the postponement of the HOME-FRONT launch earlier scheduled to hold December 27, 2014. A statement issued in Sabongidda-Ora yesterday by the organising committee attributed the indefinite postponement to u n a v o i d a b l e circumstances. While it regretted any inconveniences caused by

the postponement, the organising committee said a new date would be announced later. The HOME-FRONT launch of “The History of Ora, 1472 – 2002” was earlier scheduled to hold on Saturday December 27th at the Sir Akin Arumemi Johnson Hall of the Ora Ekpen Development Association ODA Social Centre Complex at Sabongidda-Eme Road, Owan West Local Government Area, Edo State.

News Foundation President Wants Support For Charitable Initiative By VICTOR OMOALU

BENIN CITY – The President of First And Prisoners Care Foundation, Ambassador Efe Martins has advised government at all levels and corporate institutions and individuals to always support charitable initiatives that would improve the overall wellbeing of the people, especially the less privileged in the society. He gave the advise during the formation’s South-South Widows Empowerment Programme in Benin City. Ambassador Martins who harped on the important role of women towards nation building noted that though the government owe it a responsibility to ensure the protection of women’s rights, especially widows, it is imperative for everyone to ensure that the enabling resources get to the women in order to be economically self reliant. This, he said prompted the foundation to embark on the training of widows across the

Souht-south geo-political region in vocational skills acquisition as well as empowering them financially to enable them start a trade. He lamented the predicaments associated with widows in the society and stressed the need for gender e q u a l i t y / w o m e n empowerment with a view to ensuring even transformation and development across the nooks and crannies of the society. The Senior Special Assisitant to the Edo State Governor on Culture/Tourism, Daniel Eromosele (Pikolo) described the initiative as a welcomed development. He stressed the need to always support such initiatives that would help turn the fortunes of the widows around for the better. On his part, the special guest of honour at the occasion, Bar. Daracot Osawe, commended the organizers, saying such initiative would go a long way in touching the lives of the less privileged in the society.

The foundation’s publicity secretary, Dr. Ovie Emmanuel, said there cannot be any meaningful development without the women’s contribution, hence the need for women empowerment/gender equality which he said tops the foundation’s agenda. Highpoint of the event was the presentation a dummy cheque of N100,000 each to ten widows who recently passed through the training acquisition programme of the foundation.

Engineer Osagie Bobby Agbonlahor recently bagged a second class Honours degree in Petroleum Engineering from Aberdeen University, Scotland. L-R: Abiemwense Agbonlahor; Dr. George .O. Agbonlahor; teh celebrant, Engineer Osagie Bobby Agbonlahor; Josephine mure Agbonlahor and George O. Agbonlahor (Jnr.).

Medical Practitioner Calls For Provision Of Quality Health Care

AUCHI - A Medical Practitioner in Edo state, Dr Gabriel Ogah has called on government at all levels in the country to ensure the provision of good health services as a basic necessity for Nigerians to aspire to economic development. Dr Ogah made the plea weekend at the 22nd convocation /50th anniversary lecture delivered at Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi entitled:

“Health in National Development” The guest lecturer who is a consultant Urologist explained that health was not just the absence of disease or infirmity but the complete physical, mental and social well being, pointing out that good and reasonable income whose value was not grossly vitiated by poor monetary policy, inequality and corruption would lead to development.

While emphasizing the World Health Organisation’s declaration to all nations that provision of primary health care to all peoples shall be the bedrock of health care systems which include amongst others: To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; reduce child mortality and improve maternal health, he lamented that none of these goals had been met in Nigeria. Ogah observed that peculiar health problems as ignorance, poor health funding, gross inadequacy of manpower and functional inadequacy arising from under use had continued to plague the system.

He recalled that in spite of the profuse endowment of human and material resources, Nigeria had failed to make progress as it continued to be mired inexorably in corruption, degradation, oppression and authoritarianism. Dr Ogah, therefore advocated increased health funding, engagement in massive health education, improved health manpower, viz establishment of School of Health Technology in every senatorial zone and privatization of all health training institutions as solution that could usher in a healthy and developed nation in the near future.

By ERANGA ISAAC

vacuum, but, let us not forget that death is a debt everyone must pay despite the fact that the case of your son, brother and father’s price was untimely.” “I implore you to resettle your minds and come together as quickly as possible to build up this broken wall. “The ministry would assist any of the late Director’s children that is qualified for appointment when the opportunity comes,” the commissioner said. The Chief Fire Officer of the State Fire Service – Mrs. Ekhator Rachel O, describes the news of the death of Mr. Osunde as shocking and excruciating to the staff of the Fire Service – where the late Director served till he died. Mr. Osunde was her most disciplined and respectful leader, brother and a friend. “Let me remind you that the children of late Mr. Osunde Destiny are rightful members of the Fire Service Family and you are therefore their parents,” she told her colleagues. She advised the children to cooperate with each other and to dwell together in love for stability to fill the vacuum.

Funeral For Late Director Of Edo Fire Service Held

Christmas decoration at the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja yesterday.

BEDC Apologises To Customers BENIN CITY - The Over Power Outage Management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company apologised to customers who have been experiencing disruption of electricity supply to their areas in last five days. The disruption according to a statement by BEDC, has been due to a faulty 60 MV

transformer serving the areas from the Transmission Company of Nigeria at Sapele Road. The areas affected include Federal Housing & environs, WAEC Office & environs, Agbor Road,

Federal Secretariat & environs, Aduwawa, Eyaen, Upper Mission & Extension, New Benin, Ugbowo, Uselu, parts of Sapele Road and Nekpenekpen Street. BEDC appealed for the understanding of its valued

customers while the outage last as the authorities are presently liaising with the Transmission Company of Nigeria to see how power can be restored to the affected areas as quickly as possible.

BENIN CITY – The funeral for the late Director of the Edo State Fire Service, Mr. Destiny Abusomwan Osunde who died November 22, 2014 has been held in Benin City. Describing the death of Mr. Osunde, the state commissioner for Transport – Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo, said it was a bitter pill to swallow. He said in his maiden meeting with Directors of the ministry when he assumed office as Commissioner for the Ministry, he saw in Mr. Osunde the spirit of an articulate and dynamic officer who was ready to perform and to deliver. “I have this singular pride to mention here that within the short period he served under me, he extremely proved his expected worth.” “Of truth, he is gallant, proactive and intelligent; what a fallen hero,” the commissioner said. Omo-Ojo urged colleagues of the late Osunde to take solace and continue from where the late Mr. Osunde stopped. “To the family of the deceased, I know it is an irreplaceable

News 2015: Minister Assures

INEC Of Support

BAUCHI - Mr Tanimu Turaki, Minister for Special Duties, has said that the Federal Government has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all that it required for a successful conduct of the 2015 general elections. Turaki stated this weekend in Bauchi, while fielding questions from journalists on preparations by the Federal Government for a successful conduct of the polls. “Mr President had ensured that INEC was given every support that they wanted in terms of funding, in terms of logistics arrangement for them to make adequate preparations for this election. “Is something we have done in 2007, people have come to say, yes, there is a remarkable improvement in election in 2007 and when we supported INEC to conduct the 2011 election, people came to say yes,’’ Turaki said. He assured that 2015 election would be much better

than that of 2011. Commenting on the state of insecurity in the country, Turaki said that Nigerians should know that the problem of insecurity is not the problem of security agencies alone. “All of us are stakeholders, so we must do our own best, even in term of giving useful information to security agencies that could help to solve a lot of problems. “But Mr President in his acceptance speech last Saturday, when he was elected, said that election will be conducted in every state in Nigeria.’’ He assured that Nigerians would not be disenfranchised during the 2015 polls. The minister said that “as far as issue of security is concerned, there is a lot that has been achieved, we know that there is still a lot that can be done, we are working to do a lot, and we will continue to do a lot and we did not only need the support but also the prayers of all Nigerians,” he stressed.

Senior Citizens at the 13th Annual Pensioners Day celebration in Abuja recently.

Chidoka Restates FG’s Commitment To Transform Aviation College

ZARIA (KADUNA STATE) - Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, said transforming

Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria to meet 21st century aviation challenges, was one of the topmost priorities of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Chidoka spoke to newsmen in Zaria, after inaugurating projects in the college, as part of the activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the school. “As you can see, it is part of the present administration’s giant stride to reposition the college that we commissioned three projects today. “We have commissioned Visual Tower Simulator for the training of Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots, Aslim

Simulator and two new Helicopters Bell 206 and many more are on the way. “I believe that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has shown foresight and trust in the capabilities of the people managing aviation sector,’’ he said. Chidoka said that currently, 22 airports owned by the Federal Government were at various stages of becoming world class airport terminals, with the state-of-art equipment and infrastructure. “The Federal Government has made tremendous progress in repositioning the country’s aviation sector with completion of the first phase

of airport rehabilitation project. “The N38 billion worth of projects, which involves remodeling of 11 airports are nearing completion and the second phase has progressed very swiftly,’’ he said. The Rector of the College, Capt. Samuel Caulcrick, said it was the desire of the founding fathers, for the college to be a famous aviation institute in Africa and among the best in the world. He said in the last 50 years the college had worked tirelessly to achieve its mandate by significantly improvement to become a centre of excellence.

NSUKKA (Enugu State) Mr. Elijah Mohammed, Registrar, Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), has urged 112 newly inducted pharmacy graduates of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to pay attention to saving lives, instead of mad rush to make money. Mohammed gave the charge in Nsukka weekend during the oath-taking and induction ceremony of the 2013/2014 pharmacy graduates of the university. He said the first aim of pharmacy profession was to save life and attributed the rise in fake drugs to unguided ambition of some people to get rich overnight. “As you join the pharmacy profession today, your first mission should be to save life and in the course of saving life money will get into your hands. “The PCN will not hesitate to sanction and withdraw the professional license of any member denting the image of the profession.

“It is because of mad rush for money that fake drugs has been on daily increase, which has claimed many innocent lives as well as made it impossible for certain illness to be cured,’’ he said. He said the council was putting measures in place to ensure that before 2016, registration of members would be online so as to monitor the activity of every pharmacist in the country. Mohammed regretted that some members, through their unethical acts, were painting the image of the profession black. “Ensure you abide by the ethics of the profession by respecting the dos and don’ts of the profession,’’ he urged the new pharmacy graduates. Earlier in his remarks, the Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Prof. Chinedu Ibezim, said the pharmacy profession was going through a period of positive transformation by trying to key into her proper place in the health sector. Ibezim urged staff and

students of the faculty to contribute their quota to ensure a successful reaccreditation of the faculty next year. He congratulated the newly inducted graduates on the feat of becoming members of PCN. In a keynote address entitled: “Networking: A tool for Digital Wealth Creation,” Mr Clifford Emenike, Chief Executive Officer of Eaglevision Investment Concept Initiator, urged the inductees to be team players if they want to be successful in life. “Professional colleagues as you go into the world, if you must make real money, if you must create digital wealth that will trickle down to generation of unborn, be prepared to be consummate team players. “This is why banks and other financial institutions prefer to give loans to cooperatives instead of individual. “If you do well, we shall certainly meet at the top,” he said.

Council Tasks pharmacy Graduates -Registrar

APC Presidential Aspirant, Rochas Okorocha casting his vote, at the party’s presidential primaries in Lagos recently.

Agency Donates Relief Materials To JALINGO - The National Displaced Persons Biotechnology Development Agency has donated relief Materials to displaced persons from Madagali, Mubi and other places in Borno and Adamawa states, who are camping in Jalingo. The Director General of the agency, Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, presented the items to the victims on Sunday in Jalingo. She said the agency was deeply concerned about the plight of the victims and prayed to God to intervene in their situation. She said “we are here today to identify with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the time of your need, we are deeply touched about what you are passing through.’’ Represented by the agency’s

Assistant Director, Administration, Mr Adio Emmanuel, Ogbadu urged the victims not to give up hope for brighter future. She added that “no matter what you are passing through, I urge you to remain hopeful, do not give up on yourselves, do not give up on Nigeria.’’ Dr Jummai Adamu, the agency’s Director, North East Zone, said she was overwhelmed with joy to see smiles on the faces of the displaced persons, saying most of the food items donated were harvest from the agency’s farm in Jalingo. Adamu called on wellmeaning individuals and corporate organisations to

come to the aid of the victims to make life meaningful for them. Responding on behalf of the displaced persons, Rev. Zaphanial Manyi, thanked the agency for identifying with them at the most trying moment of their lives. Manyi said most of the children in the camp did not know the whereabouts of their parents. He added that “many of the children you see here did not know where their parents are, but we continue to encourage them to look at God as their father and mother.’’ Items donated include bags of maize, rice, cottons of indomie noodles, milk, wrappers, among others.

News Okonjo-Iweala, Others Bag Award Of Excellence

ABUJA - The Minister of Finance, Mrs Ngozi OkonjoIweala was among personalities who were at the weekend in Abuja, conferred with the Ohuhu Welfare Union (OWU) award of Excellence and Achievement. Other awardees included Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), AIG Chintua Amajor-Onu and Chief Uzo Nwosu. The chairman of the occasion, Chief Enyinnaya Onokala, presented the award to the minister in absentia. Onokala said that the award was in recognition of the minister’s steady contribution and courage in tackling the country’s economic challenges. “She has been a steady hand, endowed with relentless courage and intellect. “ Ohuhu people thank you for all you have done in addressing many perplexing and complex problems of the country’s economy. “We appreciate her hard work’’, Onokala said. He, however, urged members of the union to collectively strive to strengthen and encourage youths in their communities to develop leadership skills to ensure a better future for the country. He also tasked members of the union to broaden and deepen their political consciousness to enable them secure their community. In his address, Mazi Daniel Ugwu, President of the union noted that the presentation of awards to the recipients was an expression of gratitude for their contribution to the development of the country. Dr Ngozi Udodirim, Chairman/Chief Judge, Investments and Securities Tribunal, one of the awardees, thanked the union for recognising her hard work. She said this recognition would motivate her to work harder for the development of the country and the union. “I am very happy to be recognised today by this union. “I am in total support of education, entrepreneurship and culture, therefore I promise to support the women wing of the union and the entire union to ensure onward growth of Abia State,’’

Udodirim said. Other highlight of the ceremony was award of scholarships to seven students

of Ohuhu community. The scholarship covers tuition fees throughout the students’ university

University, Umudike, Abia, one of the beneficiaries. thanked the union for their kind gesture on behalf of other

beneficiaries. “We will take this opportunity seriously and do our best to make you and the country proud .’’

Customs Deny Molest Allegation

A victim of bomb explosion at Plateau specialist hospital in Jos during the weekend.

Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa (left) on arrival at his Palace in Mubi during the weekend

Governorship Candidate Lauds Peaceful Conduct ABUJA - The All Of APC Primaries “Diogenes Laertius, a Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Enugu State, Mr Okey Ezea, said the recent peaceful

conduct of the party’s primaries nationwide was a clear affirmation of its

5 Docked For Robbery, Rape

KANO - Five men have been arraigned in a Noman’s Land Magistrates’ Court, Kano, for alleged armed robbery and rape. The accused, Yakubu Abdullahi, Ado Abdulrahman, Shaibu Gambo, Yahuza illyasu and Likita Malam, live at different neighboring villages. According to the first information report, the case was reported at Tudun Wada

education. Mr Nwaegbu Chiemeka, a computer science student of the Michael Okpara

Police Division on November 16, by one Alhaji Basiru Abdulkarim of Burum village, Tudun Wada Local Government Area, Kano state. The report said Abdulkarim reported that the accused robbed him of four cell phones, a bed sheet and about N2.46 million cash. Abdulkarim said the accused had after robbing him, forcefully had carnal knowledge of his two wives,

Hadiza Basiru and Lami Basiru. The offense contravened sections 6 (a,b,1) and 283 of the penal code. The accused, however, denied the charges and the presiding magistrate, Ibrahim Khaleel, ordered them to be remanded in prison custody. Khaleel adjourned the case until to December 31, for further mention

progressive policy. Ezea said this during an interview with newsmen yesterday in Abuja. He said this would manifest in the administration of all sectors when the party won election and assumed office. Ezea, who expressed confidence that the party would form the next government in Enugu state, lamented what he described as the abject neglect of youths. “It makes my heart bleed to see our youths roaming the streets jobless, even after acquiring higher education. He stressed the need for governments at all levels to plan for the future of the youths.

biographer of Greek philosophers, said that the foundation of every state lies in the quality of education of its youths. “So, education will occupy a prime place in my administration. “In the immortal words of former American President, Franklin D Roosevelt, ‘we cannot always build the future for our youths but we can build our youths for the future’. “I believe that implementing a well-articulated programme for the youths is the surest means of laying a solid foundation for the youths of today to become the responsible leaders of tomorrow,’’ he said.

IKEJA - The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, weekend said that its personnel were not involved in the molestation of an official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Thursday. An official of FAAN had on Thursday been beaten up over parking fees at the cargo section of the MMIA. Mrs Thelma Williams, Public Relations Officer, Airport Customs Command, told newsmen in Ikeja that the allegation that the official was beaten up by a Customs officer was untrue. She said that Customs had investigated the incident and found that its officers did not molest the FAAN official. According to her, the officers around the car park resumed work in the early hours and attempted to park at the facility, when a misunderstanding ensued over the conditions attached to the facility. She said that the officers, however, did not molest the FAAN officials. “The officials only drove into the car park, arising from failure of FAAN officials to grant them access, having introduced themselves and displayed their identity cards,’’ she said Williams said that the Customs had engaged the management of FAAN on its mode of operations at the airport as it affects the use of public facilities, such as car parks. She said that the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Mr Folorunsho Adegoke, had in a letter dated December 5, communicated to the airport manager the position of the command on FAAN’s request for toll payment. According to her, the Controller had explained to FAAN that the entire airport area, from the end of the tarmac, apron, cargo section and the airside was designated in the Customs Excise Management Act. She said the same legal document required FAAN to provide accommodation for the Customs Service at the airport, which included accessibility to offices for its officers.

News 84 Traffic Offenders Convicted In Delta ASABA - The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), has secured conviction of 84 traffic rule violators in Delta State, the Head of Operations, Delta Sector Command, Mr David Doherty, said. He told newsmen in Asaba, Delta State on Sunday that the offenders were convicted for violating rules and regulations on light signs, overloading and use of worn-out tyres, among others. He said 56 of the convicts were among the 61motorists apprehended in Asaba, while 28 were among the 31 offenders arrested in Issele-Uku.

- FRSC

The head of operations said eight persons were cautioned and discharged. He added that fines for the offences ranged between N500 and N1,200, adding that the conviction would serve as deterrent to other road users. Doherty said the command had embarked on operations aimed at reducing road crashes in the state, especially during the yuletide. He advised motorists to endeavour to obey traffic rules and regulations to avoid being arrested or getting involved in road traffic crashes.

...To Expose Reckless IJEBU-ODE (OGUN) - The Convoy Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has warned that convoys found guilty of disregard for traffic laws and reckless driving will henceforth be exposed and be prosecuted. The FRSC Assistant Corps Commander, Isah Seidu, gave the warning while speaking with newsmen in Ijebu-Ode on Sunday during the inauguration of the ‘Ember’ months road safety campaign. Seidu, the Ijebu-Ode FRSC Unit Commander, said the action became imperative to curtail the excesses of convoy drivers whose actions endangered the lives of other road users. “Experience has shown that during the festive period, because of the heavy vehicular movement, convoy drivers show their impatience by unjustified blaring of sirens and reckless driving. “Tracking them down has always been very difficult, but this time around, rather than trying to track them down, we will expose them through our new ‘Show of Shame’ directive. “We have designated cameras on the highways to film convoys violating the law whose video clips would be sent to media houses for the public to judge. “We are indeed serious with this threat and want to appeal to all motorists to be law abiding so as to make our job easy by avoiding things that will undermine their own safety,” he said. The corps commander said that penalty for offences would be strictly enforced during the festive period and that offenders would have the option of going to court to seek redress. He also advised motorists to avoid embarking on journeys during the harmattan hazy weather, citing poor visibility as a risk. “Motorists, especially those with visual challenges must avoid taking to the road during the night or early morning periods. “Crashes are more difficult to manage at night due to the logistics involved and rescue

efforts may take longer than usual because of poor visibility. “They must ensure to put their vehicles in proper working conditions as all lighting systems must be functioning,” Seidu said. He said the FRSC would be fully operational along the IjebuOde/Ore corridor to ensure free flow of traffic during the festive period and that they would be fully equipped to facilitate rescue operations, should crashes occurred.

L-R: Representative of the Minister of Information, Mrs. Folashade Esan; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Stephen Oru and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Fatima Bamidele, at the Niger Delta Affairs Ministerial Platform in Abuja recently.

Capital Market Registrars Seek Strict Implementation Of Austerity Measures LAGOS - The Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR), weekend said there would be hard times in the equities market in 2015 unless the Federal Government ensures strict implementation

of the austerity measures. Dr David Ogogo, ICMR Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, spoke in an interview with newsmen in Lagos. Ogogo predicted that the equities market would be

L-R: FRSC Corps Marsahl, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi; representative of the Vice President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Chairman, Board of FRSC, Mr. Felix Chukwu, at the 12th National Summit of Special Marshals in Abuja recently.

turbulent in 2015 because of persistent drop in crude oil price at the global market. He said that the government should ensure full implementation of its austerity measures to cushion the effect of the oil price fall on the economy and as well boost investors’ confidence. The Federal Government had, on November 16, announced a package of austerity measures as part of fiscal adjustments designed to mitigate the negative impact of lower global oil prices on the Nigerian economy. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance, and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, said that the belt tightening initiative was the first of other policies that the government intends to implement if the fall in oil prices persists. Among the austerity measures is the restriction on foreign travel by public officials. Henceforth, foreign trips

Insurgency: Adamawa Expresses Satisfaction With MUBI (ADAMAWA) Adamawa State government has expressed satisfaction with successes recorded so far in dislodging insurgents, who occupied some areas in northern part of the state. Alhaji Chubado Tijjani, the Chief of Staff to Governor Bala Ngilari, made this known in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Mubi. Tijjani, who was in Mubi on behalf of the government to assess situation in the area said government was happy with

Military Success

the steady recovery of areas occupied by the insurgents. “Apart from Mubi, Gombi, Maiha and Mararaba we learnt that the military have also taken over Uba and Michika”, Tijjani said. He noted that the state government would soon call for a meeting with security agencies for possible suspension of vehicular movement in areas where the insurgents had been flushed out for the people to return.

“As you know last week we reviewed the initial 9.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. curfew in the state to 12 midnight to 5.00 a.m. due to the improvement in security. “We will soon have a meeting with security agencies with the view to suspend the restriction of vehicular movement in the areas for people to return home,’’ Tijjani said. He explained that government had commenced a poverty alleviation programme

where people from the northern part of the state who were worst affected by the insurgency would be given priority. Meanwhile, the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa, who returned to his palace on Friday has said that the palace was inhabitable because most of the facilities including doors had been vandalized by the insurgents. “Three of my cars were also stolen. I have to stay somewhere for the vandalized equipments to be replace,’’ the emir said.

will be permitted only when they become compellingly, while local travel will also be curtailed drastically. Okonjo-Iweala said that the measures would not affect salaries of public sector workers and key initiatives in education, health and other critical areas vital to the development of the country. According to Ogogo, the capital market will experience a little growth in 2015 if the measures are implemented rigorously. He said that the market performance in 2015 would depend on the developments in the crude oil market, due to dominance of foreign investors in the Nigerian capital market. Ogogo said that there was a need for the country to diversify in its economy and not to focus attention on only oil production. He called for more support for the non-oil sector to enable it to contribute effectively to the growth of the economy. The registrar said that the institute would embark on more public enlightenment programmes in 2015 to address the issue of unclaimed dividends in the Nigerian capital market. Ogogo said that ICMR’s major aim was to reduce the quantum of unclaimed dividend in the market. He said that investors should embrace the e-dividend platform introduced by the Securities and Exchange Commission by giving their account details to their various registrars.

Lagos Cybercrime

Estate Agent Docked Over Theft

Group Stresses Need For Accountability LAGOS - The Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) has said there is need for accountability in solving the challenges of Cybercrime in the country. Mr Bayo Banjo, the President of the group, made the assertion in an interview with newsmen in Lagos. He said that a country in which people could not account for their wealth, could not effectively attack cybercrime. “The truth is that we cannot effectively attack cybercrime in a nation where people do not account for their wealth. “It is also certain that if you smoke, you cannot tell your son not to smoke and so, fighting the crime will be difficult,’’ he said. Banjo suggested that the only way cybercrime could be stopped was to motivate security agents to do their jobs well. He urged the government to make the implementation of the cybercrime laws effective on defaulting persons. In another interview, Mr Rogba Adeoye, the President, Information Technology System and Security Professional (ITSSP), urged people to be security

conscious whenever they are surfing on the internet. “It is better you talk with someone face-to-face or on telephone than relating personal information on the internet,’’ he said. Cybercrime is a term for any illegal activity that uses a computer as its primary means. It also includes any illegal activity that is carried out using a computer for the storage of evidence. The passage of cybercrime bill is also part of the measures to safeguard the nation in the cyber space, while ensuring protection of critical national information infrastructure.

APC Presidential Aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar casting his vote at the party’s presidential primaries in Lagos

LAGOS - An estate agent, Kehinde James, 40, has appeared before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over an alleged theft and obtaining N300,000 under false pretences. James, who resides at 41, Shifawu St., Surulere, in Lagos State, is facing a twocount charge of stealing and obtaining under false pretences from one Mr Francis Ifebi . The prosecutor, Insp. Gabriel Ekundayo, told the court that the offences were committed on September 9 in the Surulere area of Lagos State. Ekundayo said that the

Activist Urges NASS To Forward Disability Bill

LAGOS - A lawyer, Mr Danlami Basharu, has urged the National Assembly to send the National Disability Bill to President Goodluck Jonathan for assent. Basharu, a blind, told newsmen in Lagos that the bill would alleviate the sufferings of Persons with Disabilities (PWD). According to him, when the bill is signed into law it will eradicate discrimination, increase access to education and health for PWDs in the

country. • Cue in audio “The most important thing is that the bill is going to outlaw discrimination. “This is because Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution did not make room for outlawing discrimination against persons with disabilities, and we have struggled to put it into that section. “Then, it will recognise the

issue of accessibility of persons with disabilities, people using wheelchairs, blind people using mobility canes and so on. “So, accessibility will be a very core aspect of the National Disability Bill. “So that when you are planning, you will have to take into consideration that whatever you are planning will be for the benefits of all Nigerians regardless of their

physical status. “We have areas regarding education, health affecting people with disabilities. They need to be given special consideration. “Obviously, we need the bill; it is more or less like a saviour for persons with disabilities.’’ He said that the bill, which had been on for about 13 years, went through the National Assembly, but was not assented to by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. “No reason was given, and it came back again in 2007; we worked hard with the National Assembly; it was passed but never assented to. “In 2010, the National Assembly passed it again, but the president did not assent to it and no reason was given. “And now, it’s back with the assembly and it has also been passed. I think it’s yet to be sent back to the president for his assent,” Basharu said Basharu is also a member of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

accused told the complainant, one Mr Francis Ifebi, that he was the caretaker of a shop. “The accused collected the sum of N300,000 from the complainant, under the pretext of renting a shop to him. “The complainant wanted to move his things to the shop but the accused stopped him from entering because he was waiting for the landlord’s clearance. “However, the accused diverted the money into other uses, without renting out the shop to him,” Ekundayo said. The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the accused contravened Sections 285 and 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. Section 285 prescribes a three-year imprisonment for stealing. Also, Section 312(3) says that any person who obtains money under false pretences is liable to 15 years’ imprisonment. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The chief magistrate, Mrs M.O. Olajuwon, granted the accused bail in the sum of N150,000 with two sureties in like sum. She ordered that the sureties must show evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government. Olajuwon also ordered that the sureties must be resident in Lagos and show genuine means of livelihood. The chief magistrate then adjourned the case till December 16, for mention.

Absenteeism: Judge Berates

L-R: National Trustee, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Alhaji Audi Mohammed; Deputy President, Alhaji Musa Ayuba and General Secretary, Elder Actor Zal, at the 13th Annual Pensioners day celebration in Abuja recently.

Driver, Others In Court Over Burglary

LAGOS - A driver and two others, who allegedly broke into the house of their employer, Mrs Budo Osoagbaka, and stole items valued at N126,500, have appeared before an Apapa Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. The driver, Chinonso Ochuba, 26; Nicodemus Ifediba, 27; and Paul Ifediba,23, all residents of Apapa area of Lagos, are facing a three-count charge of

conspiracy, burglary and stealing. The prosecutor, Cpl. Kingsley Jackson told the court that the accused committed the offences on December 5 at AmuwoOdofin area of Lagos. Jackson said that the accused broke into the complainant’s house to steal

her television set, HP computer and DVD player. He said that Ochuba, the complainant’s driver, conspired with the other two to break into Osoagbaka’s house to steal the items, all valued at N126,500. The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 285,305 and 409 of

the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. However, the accused, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them. Section 285 prescribes three years imprisonment for stealing. The Magistrate, Mr Mukaila Fadeyi, granted N50,000 bail to each accused with one surety each in like sum, and adjourned the case till January 9, 2015 for trial.

LAGOS - Justice Olabisi Akinlade of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, in Lagos has berated Mr Kazeem Lukman, a defence counsel , for not showing up in court over a matter. Lukman, a lawyer from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), is the defence counsel for one Monday Obi. Obi, 29, is on trial for alleged armed robbery. The trial which came up for adoption of final written addresses on December 10, was stalled due to the absence of the defence counsel in court. Akinlade said, “the defendant has been in prison custody for so many years and you did not deem it right to tell the court that you will be unavailable because you had a seminar to attend”. She sternly told Lukman that he had to defend his matters diligently.

Counsel

“If you want to defend people, who have been in custody for so many years, you have to be diligent. “Some prisoners who have been languishing in custody for so long need to know their fate, at the moment I have no dates in January and February, only in March.” Akinlade said. The judge threatened to personally report the lawyer to the Attorney-General of Lagos State. “I used to admire you because of the way you normally conduct your matters before the court but if this repeats itself again, I will report you to the AttorneyGeneral of the state,” she said. The accused, who has been in prison custody since 2005, sobbed openly in court, following Lukman’s action. Akinlade adjourned the case to March 12, 2015 for judgment.

Across The Nation C/River Spends N2.47bn On Scholarship CALABAR The Commissioner for Education in Cross River State, Prof. Offiong Offiong, on Sunday, said the state government spent over N2.47 billion on payment of scholarship in the last six years. He told newsmen in Calabar that the state government had increased the number of scholarship awards and other financial assistance to students in the state during the period under review. He said that the present administration in Cross River decided to do this to enable students to pursue their careers without hindrance. The commissioner said the scholarship awards were given to undergraduate and post-graduate students in tertiary institutions within and outside the country. He explained that “from 2008 till date, a total of 303 students have benefited from the overseas financial assistance; 166 from full oversea scholarship awards and 5,412 from full local scholarship awards. “The Cross River Government spent a total of N2,475,168,096

2 Hotel Employees Docked For Forgery, Theft LAGOS - Two hotel employees, who allegedly forged a receipt and stole N343,090 from their employer, has appeared before an Apapa Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. Danley Nwagbara, 47, and Philip Ezeoke, 28, both residents of Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos, are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and stealing. The Prosecutor, ASP Soji Ojaokomo, told the court that the accused, both employees of First View Luxury Hotel Nig. Ltd., committed the offenses on March 12, at Sunfit Hotel, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos. Ojaokomo said the accused with one other at large, forged a receipt to steal N343,090, property of First View Luxury Hotel Nigeria Ltd. He said the two hotels were owned by one Mr Emmanuel Ishola. The prosecutor said the offenses contravened Section 285, 363 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. Sections 285 and 363 each prescribes three years jail term for stealing and forgery. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Oluyemisi Adelaja, granted each of the accused bail in the such of N100,000 with one surety each in like sum and adjourned the case untill Jan.12, 2015 for trial. Christrian group sensitises Nigerians to political reality

on scholarship in the last six years.’’ Offiong said physicallychallenged persons also benefitted from the scheme and students were encouraged to study Medicine, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Engineering to stand the chance of benefitting from the scheme. “With more scholarships awarded for studies in these critical sectors, Cross River now depends less on other states for manpower in key sectors of the state’s economy,” he said.

Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris (left), exchanging pleasantries with Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka at the 50th anniversary of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), in Zaria, Kaduna State recently.

2015: Jonathan, Buhari Told To Focus On ABUJA - Ahead of the 2015 polls, the presidential candidates of the PDP and APC, President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari were urged during the weekend to base their campaigns on issues. A cross section of the people that spoke at separate interviews to newsmen in Abuja, appealed to the contestants not to use foul

language. They said that the presidential candidates should base their campaigns on issues rather than resorting to insulting each other According to them, the two political figures must keep to the rule of law as outlined by the Electoral Act. Mr Anacletus Afiko, a civil servant said the country’s democracy had moved from being nascent to a developed

one, adding that “the politicians must be seen to grow with similar speed. “What we want is a president that can be accessible and be our friend,’’ he said. Mallam Abdullahi Michi, a car dealer in Nyanya, said that the 2015 campaigns should be devoid of abuse and direct defamation of the characters of the two personalities. “Buhari should know better, having served as Military

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State being conferred with award of fellowship of Shehu Shagari College of Education by Alhaji Shehu Malam during the convocation of the College in Sokoto recently.

Head of State; and Jonathan as sitting President that the sanctity of Nigeria should be uppermost and not the position,’’ he said. He further said that the camp of the two contestants should ensure that their bosses were not instigated to throw caution to the wind. “We need peace and development, violence only breeds retrogression and pain,’’ Michi said. Mrs Janet Achadu, a teacher, said both candidates must ensure that their promises were achievable, adding that Nigerians are maturing very

governance and encourage leaders to use resources of the people for the good of the people,’’ he stated. Alozie said that the forum’s desire was to dissuade Nigerians from being apathetic towards voting as recent developments had changed the tide of elections management. According to the vice chairman, Christian leaders have a role to play during the forthcoming elections, adding that they must not sit on the fence and watch the democratic process derailed.

Earlier, Datiri said that governance in the country was bedeviled by corruption and other vices which were caused by greed and there was need to enthrone righteous people. He commended the forum’s officials and pledged to support the group 100 per cent in its vision to sensitise Christians to participate in politics. “Do not be discouraged; as a church we will support and partner with you 100 percent because your vision is clearly the same as ours.

fast and they are beginning to decipher the capacities of their political leaders. “As for me, our leaders should form the right synergy to take the country from the wood like it is done in the U.S., where former presidents are handy to assist the incumbent,’’ she said. She further said that the processes leading to the 2015 general election had been peaceful so far, adding that Jonathan and Buhari should not deviate from that path.

Teenager Docked For Alleged Fraud SANGO-OTA (OGUN) - A teenager, Igbinovia Michael, has appeared before an Ota Senior Magistrates’ Court in Ogun , for allegedly obtaining N270,000 under false pretence. Michael, 18, who resides at No. 27, Oju-Ore St. in Ota, Ogun, is facing a one-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence. The prosecutor, Sgt.Itaita Ebibomini, told the court that the accused committed the offence on August 8 at 2 p.m. at a spot

Christian Group Sensitises Nigerians On JOS - Rev. Chuks Alozie, “There are certain monsters Political Reality Vice Chairman, Christian we need to fight and one of Forum for Governance in Righteousness, has said that the group was out to sensitise Nigerians to wake up to the realities of the present political dispensation. Alozie said this when Rev Dachollom Datiri, President, Church Of Christ In Nations (COCIN) received him in Jos. “We are to promote peaceful and rancour free electoral process through available channels, social media platforms and other media. “We will continuously advocate for righteousness in

Issues

them is corruption, which is threatening to destroy Nigeria,’’ he said. “We passionately seek your support in galvanising your colleagues, church leaders and others within your spiritual influence to synergise with the forum, to achieve the aim of mobilising Christians both at home and in Diaspora,’’ he said. He advised Nigerians in general, to vote out those who failed in their first tenures but vote back those who performed well like President Goodluck Jonathan.

opposite Adeojo Nursery and Primary School, Igberan in Ota. Ebibomini said that the accused collected N270,000 from one Adepoju Michael under the pretext that he would supply him used batteries, but he failed to do so. The offences, Ebibomini said, contravened Sections 390 (9),and 419 of the Criminal Code Revised Law of Ogun , 2006. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence. Chief Magistrate Titi Bello granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200,000 with one surety in like sum. Bello said that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must show evidence of gainful employment. She said that the surety must also produce evidence of one year tax payment to Ogun State Government, as part of the bail conditions.

CHANGE OF NAME AIFUWA – I formerly Miss Kemisola Aifuwa now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS. KEMISOLA A D E T U T U FALEGAN. All former documents remain valid. Keystone Bank and the general public should please take note.

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT FRIDAY(12/12/2014) Stocks

Open

Change

Deals

Units

Value

MRS

3,350

178,220.00

7UP

153.85

22,279

3,448,639.54

MULTIVERSE

0.5

22,000

11,000.00

ABCTRANS

0.6

0.57

-0.03

29,016,393

16,539,835.80

NAHCO

4.44

4.24

-0.2

13,181,973

55,891,673.90

ACADEMY

1.13

1,000

1,130.00

NASCON

6.62

6.29

-0.33

377,718

2,378,664.88

ACCESS

6.43

6.13

-0.3

13,607,641

83,173,146.40

153.25

145.59

-7.66

8,429,488

1,228,486,780.00

AFRINSURE

0.5

24,000

12,000.00

NEIMETH

0.86

40,214

34,594.10

AFRIPRUD

2.82

2.74

-0.08

406,159

1,105,835.86

NEM

0.59

525,950

319,389.50

AGLEVENT

1.31

15,572

19,465.00

NESTLE

812.97

775

-37.97

926,469

717,544,624.60

AIICO

0.8

0.77

-0.03

192,077

147,822.22

NEWGOLD

2121

2144

17,152.00

AIRSERVICE

1.73

1.81

0.08

386,302

682,778.68

NPFMCRFBK

0.85

59,813

48,662.00

ASHAKACEM

24.6

2,103.30

NSE30

1416.29

1397.45

-18.84

189,928,025

4,009,260,496.00

BETAGLAS

24.3

-0.3

7,150,000

173,730,000.00

NSE50

1551.51

1529.39

-22.12

291,664,501

4,309,140,637.00

CADBURY

40.86

145,988

5,856,555.45

NSEASEM

1057.36

1,388

1,957.08

31062.03

30763.38

-298.65

390,607,900

4,678,653,513.00

CAP

36.1

36.22

0.12

117,295

4,272,656.80

NSEASI

CAVERTON

3.17

6,500

19,825.00

NSEBNK

329.37

323.95

-5.42

183,818,840

1,214,888,798.00

CCNN

9.27

109,965

973,913.60

NSECNSMRGDS

810.23

788.45

-21.78

18,866,200

2,143,155,205.00

CHAMPION

7.29

6.93

-0.36

176,290

1,221,689.70

NSEINDUSTR

1852.9

1854.92

2.02

11,773,685

639,248,949.20

CILEASING

0.5

20,811

10,405.50

NSEINS

144.63

141.23

-3.4

10,429,053

6,379,713.18

CONTINSURE

0.92

0.88

-0.04

337,212

299,285.68

NSELOTUSISLM

1990.68

1987.85

-2.83

8,611,807

1,278,791,686.00

CORNERST

0.5

11,111

5,555.50

NSEOILGAS

390.37

378.8

-11.57

2,713,335

90,860,423.89

COSTAIN

0.88

73,884

63,285.30

OANDO

17.9

17.07

-0.83

2,438,934

42,191,793.74

COURTVILLE

0.5

155,436

77,718.00

OKOMUOIL

26.7

25.37

-1.33

159,051

4,036,105.40

CUSTODYINS

3.28

3.44

0.16

41,402,227

131,028,111.80

PAINTCOM

1.47

78,000

109,200.00

CUTIX

1.3

10,000

12,500.00

PORTPAINT

4.75

-0.25

100,000

475,000.00

CWG

4.34

217

896.21

PRESCO

26.93

25.59

-1.34

516,088

13,206,692.92

DANGCEM

157.99

160

2.01

1,983,173

299,275,507.90

30.78

7,586

221,890.50

DANGFLOUR

5.09

4.84

-0.25

170,511

825,273.24

REDSTAREX

11,000

41,800.00

0.54

17,000

8,840.00

DANGSUGAR

5.7

5.42

-0.28

4,331,937

23,482,020.54

ROYALEX

DIAMONDBNK

4.84

4.89

0.05

60,426,909

278,207,513.90

RTBRISCOE

0.82

12,840

10,015.20

DNMEYER

0.87

1,000

900

SEPLAT

324.83

8,711

2,688,127.49

ENAMELWA

31.82

3,120

94,317.60

SKYEBANK

2.45

2.33

-0.12

43,236,262

100,785,638.40

EQUITYASUR

0.5

2,000

1,000.00

SOVRENINS

0.5

8,500,000

4,250,000.00

ETERNA

3.11

10,000

29,600.00

STANBIC

28.21

28.5

0.29

1,630,000

46,405,842.04

ETI

18.2

18.21

0.01

8,765,669

159,624,217.00

STERLNBANK

2.34

2.32

-0.02

10,840,593

25,473,988.44

ETRANZACT

2.55

51,000

136,170.00

TOTAL

155

158

82,749

12,941,445.00

FBNH

8.8

8.63

-0.17

15,572,528

134,613,386.80

TRANSCORP

3.2

3.05

-0.15

16,731,498

50,990,144.90

FCMB

2.98

0.02

2,600,834

7,689,297.57

UAC-PROP

10.2

129,337

1,330,146.40

FIDELITYBK

1.52

1.5

-0.02

8,808,196

12,931,432.70

UACN

135,987

4,909,899.60

FIDSON

3.25

3.09

-0.16

32,183,185

100,767,948.90

UBA

4.29

4.08

-0.21

12,716,435

51,895,618.50

FLOURMILL

43.73

237,806

9,923,528.75

UBCAP

1.59

1.6

0.01

1,594,632

2,526,438.36

7.6

-0.4

1,154,517

8,775,204.19

218.5

207.58

-10.92

145,260

30,772,140.80

UBN

GLAXOSMITH

2,530

124,982.00

UNILEVER

34.01

0.01

1,928,762

65,783,836.02

GUARANTY

22.8

22.49

-0.31

14,323,066

322,133,261.30

UNITYBNK

0.5

95,221

47,610.50

GUINNESS

129.06

122.61

-6.45

641,169

78,911,222.51

UPL

3.88

4.05

0.17

666,475

2,522,047.62

HONYFLOUR

3.2

3.1

-0.1

1,046,050

3,261,731.64

UTC

0.5

250

125

IKEJAHOTEL

3.85

3.81

-0.04

286,000

1,085,480.00

VETGRIF30

14.15

13.82

-0.33

510

7,253.20

INTBREW

12,147

300,069.90

VITAFOAM

3.85

412,000

1,508,678.05

IPWA

0.5

2,000

1,000.00

VONO

0.91

0.87

-0.04

3,375,950

2,937,152.50

JAPAULOIL

0.5

28,547

14,273.50

WAPCO

72.98

-1.02

2,201,020

160,199,354.70

JBERGER

60.66

4,898.55

WAPIC

0.59

0.57

-0.02

490,078

279,847.78

JOHNHOLT

0.98

4,000

3,760.00

WEMABANK

2,282,072

2,230,827.05

LEARNAFRCA

1.47

12,794

17,911.60

ZENITHBANK

17.5

17.25

-0.25

9,939,552

171,888,777.50

LIVESTOCK

2.33

8,250

19,463.00

LOTUSHAL15

9.75

9.28

-0.47

46.4

MANSARD

3.05

2.9

-0.15

368,125

1,075,562.50

MAYBAKER

1.54

70,301

106,342.47

MBENEFIT

0.5

250

125

MCNICHOLS

1.48

1,388

1,957.08

MOBIL

151.05

33,042

4,747,224.35

TOP 10 GAINERS Stock NEWGOLD TOTAL NSEINDUSTR DANGCEM STANBIC UPL CUSTODYINS CAP AIRSERVICE DIAMONDBNK

Close 2144 158 1854.92 160 28.5 4.05 3.44 36.22 1.81 4.89

TOP TOP 10 10 LOSERS GAINERS Gain

Stock

Loss

23 3 2.02 2.01 0.29 0.17 0.16 0.12 0.08 0.05

NSEASI 298.65 NESTLE 37.97 NSE50 22.12 NSECNSMRGDS 21.78 NSE30 18.84 NSEOILGAS 11.57

30763.38

775

1529.39

788.45

1397.45

378.8

THE core premise of the 2014 Human Development Report, launched in Tokyo, Japan recently by Prime Minister of Japan Shinzô Abe, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark and Director of the Human Development Report Office Khalid Malik focuses on persistent vulnerability as a major threat to human development, and warns that unless it is systematically tackled by policies and social norms, progress will be neither equitable nor sustainable. ACCORDING to income-based measures of poverty, 1.2 billion people live with $1.25 or less a day. However, the latest estimates of the UNDP Multidimensional Poverty Index reveal that almost 1.5 billion people in 91 developing countries, including Nigeria are living in poverty with overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards. And although poverty is declining overall, almost 800 million people are at risk of falling back into poverty if setbacks occur. WE believe that by addressing vulnerabilities, all people may share in development progress, and human development will become increasingly equitable and sustainable globally and Nigeria must key into various development processes to be part of solution and also be in position to benefit from same. IT is equally heart-warming to know that the 2014 Human Development Report comes at a critical time, as attention turns to the creation of a new development agenda following the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It is therefore an imperative for the post-2015 SDGs to have a standalone Goal to address vulnerability in the next 15 years.

THE NIGERIAN

2014 Human Development Report: Implication For

Nigeria

THE Report holds that as crises spread ever faster and further, it is critical to understand vulnerability in order to secure gains and sustain progress. It points to a slowdown in human development growth across all regions, as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI). It notes that threats such as financial crises, fluctuations in food prices, natural disasters and violent conflict significantly impede progress. OBVIOUSLY , the Boko Haram insurgency poses a great threat to human development in Nigeria and the global community must come to the rescue of the country beyond skeletal military assistance from some developed countries of the world. Boko Haram insurgency alone is not only leading to heavy losses of human lives and property, millions are already rendered homeless and are refugees in their homeland. Livelihoods of over six million persons have been affected and economic life in North Eastern Nigeria have been crippled. Investments in Nigeria are already threatened even though government grandstands that it has what it takes to curtail the threat. BESIDES, floods and desertification occasioned by Climate Change have continued to wreak havoc and render millions homeless destroying livelihoods and exacerbating food crisis in the country. AT the moment, the President, Goodluck Jonathan is seeking $1bn to combat terrorism

in the country. This request must not be politicised by anyone and we urge the National Assembly to expeditiously approve the request. The President must demonstrate prudence, transparency and accountability in the use of such funds to assuage the fears of those opposed to the securing of such a facility given our past history as a nation. Additionally, government needs to make conscious efforts to mitigate impact of Climate Change and tackle ocean surge, desertification and flooding in Nigerian coastal communities. There should be clear cut plans and actions for rehabilitation, resettlements and empowerments for affected and vulnerable persons and communities. IT is also instructive to point that reducing both poverty and people’s vulnerability to falling into poverty must be a central objective of the post-2015 agenda. For us, eliminating extreme poverty as roundly canvassed by the report, is not just about ‘getting to zero’; it is also about staying there. FINALLY, the Report calls for governments to recommit to the objective of full employment, a mainstay of macroeconomic policies of the 1950s and 1960s that was overtaken by competing policy goals following the oil shocks of the 1970s. It argues that full employment yields social dividends that surpass private benefits, such as fostering social stability and cohesion. We believe that Nigeria, having had its fair share of the oil shocks during the era should abide by recommendations and prescriptions of the 2014 Human Development Report, if it hopes to overcome its vulnerability challenges by 2030.

Seminar

SEVERAL reasons have been adduced for different categories of conflict in line with the scenario painted above. It is easy to discern and qualify the causes of conflicts between the party and member. This is most common when the party subvert the opportunity of a member by dumping him or her ticket fraudulently. This could also be conflict between the candidate and the Electoral body, when the body is accused of rigging and fraudulent electoral process. The reason for electoral conflicts are but not restricted to the following: (a). RIGGING:- This is when the electoral process is skewed to the advantage of an opponent. (b). IMPOSITION OF CANDIDATES:- This is the situation whereby parties in deference to due Process picks a non popular candidate as against the popular one. (c). CORRUPTION OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS:- This could take place in the process of electing candidates by the various political parties or through the Independence Electoral Commission (INEC) or the state Electoral Commission which likely involves gratification or other malpractices. (d AUTOMATIC TICKET:- This situation arise where democratic principle of allowing people to elect those they want to represent them are disregarded. The system first gives the ticket to anyone favoured to contest thus denying a more qualified person. This normally breeds conflict. (e). FAVOURITISM:- This can be done by the party acting on the influence of the state or the skewing of the electoral process to favour the preferred state candidate. (g). CONSENSUS:- This

In stating the role of the media or journalist, it is pertinent to define what the media and journalists means. WHAT IS THE MEDIA The means by which news information and other news material etc are communicated to the public. The media generally play a critical role in the society. It has the principal role of informing, educating and entertaining the citizenry. The media can be broadly classified into the print- ie Newspaper, Magazine, and Periodicals, Electronic media which include the Radio, Television as well as the Social media which is the latest entry into the journalism practice. The media has always been at the forefront at any given time for the nations struggle. From Independence through the trying times of the civil war, the military dictatorship and the advent of democracy in 1999, the media and the Journalists have just been there contributing through their reports, opinion and commentary to the growth of the nation. WHO IS A JOURNALIST Igbinedion J.N.E (1987), referred to journalist as “The engineers of public opinion and for them to be effective, they must be trusted by a significant proportion of the public. They should be above reproach”. It could also be said that the Journalist is the person who is in the business of gathering information and using the various tools of the mass media to disseminate such information to the general public or citizenry. As the 2015 general election draw nearer, the media and the journalist should be more vigilant as there would be conflict among from the issues raised earlier in this paper. It therefore calls for more responsiveness to the ethics of the journalism profession. This is the only

Role Of Media In Managing Conflicts By SAM EGBALA

ETHICS OF THE PROFESSION: In journalism, ethics is taken seriously, because as a set of principles guiding and regulating the conduct of men and women of the noble profession it is generally binding and must be religiously observed. A violation of any the ethics in our reporting can promote conflict. So this must be adhered to in order to assist in managing conflict. (2). OBJECTIVITY: This

care and where if his possible to support them with proofs and reasons, where they are well founded on facts. This means news presentation or elections issues should be balanced in order to avert conflict. (3). TRUTH: This is another way of reporting the election that can help in managing conflict. In reporting elections, consideration should be given to the fact that the public deserve unreserved trust to accept the media reports of the

is one of the most important Journalistic ethics. lgbinedion said of objectivity, “journalists should present news in a fair and unbiased manner: keep your biases and opinion out of the news stories”.

election. If trust is build in the media reports, conflicts can be managed or eliminated. The truth of a story should neither be suppressed nor distorted for example, if an election result in a particular unit has not been formally announced

“As the 2015 general election draw nearer, the media and the journalist should be more vigilant as there would be conflict among from the issues raised earlier in this paper. It therefore calls for more responsiveness to the ethics of the journalism profession.” issue of consensus in allocating political offices to the political class sometimes does not go down well with political opponents. Thus could result to conflict. ROLE OF THE MEDIA AND THE JOURNALISTS IN MANAGING CONFLICTS

way we can assist in managing the conflict that may arise from the election. The various ways the media or Journalists can manage conflicts — In this case electoral conflict are but not limited to the following; (1). STRICT OBSERVANCE OF THE

According to Slavej Heskovec and Jorostar, objectivity is attained through a “methodical factuality of balanced news reporting such that facts and figures introduced into news items are checked and double checked, such that evaluating terms are used with utmost

by the electoral body, the media or journalist should not report same. Doing same will result to conflict if at the end another result is announced. (4). ACCURACY AND FAIRNESSS:- Since the public holds the media or journalist in high esteem, they also have the right to know

factual, accurate information. It is only in reporting the election based on accuracy and fairness that electoral conflict can be managed. If for example, an opponent in an election has been announced and the other candidate complains, it is just fair for the media to give the same space to the two of them to react. This will not only reduce conflict but will give credence to the story and build confidence and public trust. (5). AVOID SENSATIONAL OR SENSATIONALISATION OF ELECTORAL

all about. A deep knowledge of election will enable the electoral participants to see it as a game and not war. (9). SETTING AGENDA: If the media agenda role setting is properly followed, it will give direction to the public on how to handle the issues of election and thus avert or help in managing electoral conflict. CONCLUSION The media or the Journalist must recognize that the responsibility imposed on them by the society is a sacred one and they must be guided by the dictates of truth,

REPORTS In reporting to avert conflict, the media should as much as possible try to adhere to the social responsibility theory. This places the interest of the society first. The media should not announce election result as observed or gotten by them. (6). REWARD AND GRATIFICATION:- In reporting election, the journalist should not solicit nor accept bribe, gratification or patronage to publish unofficial results of election. This done, can avert electrical conflict. (7). HONESTY:- The media or journalist should present facts as honestly as possible especially in reporting elections. This will in a long way avert conflict. (8). PROMOTION OF VOTERS EDUCATION:- If the media through their reportage educate the citizens on citizen participation in election, it would help them to understand what election is

honesty, sincerity, integrity, accountability and transparency. It is harmful for the media to assume the role of collaborators and conspirators with politicians, the electoral body, ethnic or religion group to misinform or misguide the general public in election issues. This if done, will surely promote violence rather than help in managing conflict that will arise from election. So as we approach the 2015 general election, the media, journalists, should be more proactive in their reporting. The media should in exercising its statutory role of informing, educating, entertaining reports only facts, data based on truth, objectively, fairness, honesty accuracy and integrity. This is the only way the media and journalist can contribute to managing conflict especially on the electoral process come 2015 and even beyond.

Issues “THAT man is prudent who neither hopes nor fears anything From their uncertain events of the future” ANATOLE FRANCE (1844-1924) Procurator of Judea The reason for the Christmas season is the commemoration of the glorious birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ. Although, the exact date of His birth remains an issue of great scholastic saber-rattling, one infallible truth that stands with unshakeable firmness is that Christ is the immaculate quintessence of love. The commemoration of his birth is supposed to be a season of spiritual and physical retreat for stocking about how well we have lived a Christ-like life. The synoptic and hedonistic zeitgeist that has now become the idiosyncratic concomitant of Christmas celebrants redounds to the pasteurized truism that, the monolithic spiritual epiphany of Christmas is now sunken in the quagmire of Dionysian exuberance. Hence the Greek philosopher Socrates said in his “PLUTARACH” that “bad men live that they may eat and drink, where as good men eat and drink that they may live”. The bacchanalian debauchery during Christmas season is morally nauseating. The penumbra of darkness enshrining the subject of “Christmas Day” is further silhouetted by the avalanche and pyrotechnic of lies unleashed by religious harlequins. One school of thought said in the Encyclopedia American that “the reason for establishing December 25

as Christmas day is somewhat obscure, but it is usually held that the day was chosen to correspond to the pagan festivals that took place to celebrate the birth of the sun. The Roman saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture and to the renewed power of the sun). Some Christmas customs are thought to be rooted in this ancient pagan celebration. All this not withstand, the concern of this writer is the ghoulish way and manner in which Nigerians and nay the people of the world celebrate Christmas with prodigal intemperance and saturnalian revelry. There is no concern for the spirit of truth, peace, honesty and love, attributes that constitute the hallmark of Christ’s life. How can one explain a situation where through random sampling our President, 52% of our legislators, 49% of our Governors, 50% of our Ministers, 50% of our local government chairmen, 60% of our councilors, 25% of our commissioners and 52% of Nigerians are Christians. Yet we still luxuriate in corruption of monumental proportion. Christians are cocooned in filthy lucre, homosexuality, and sodomy, grotesque terpsichorean fits in places of worship, assassinations, kidnappings, bribery and corruption, cultism, depraved economic and political prebendalistic graft. Which Christ are we celebrating? Which God are we celebrating? Which Holy Spirit are we celebrating? How can we truly be celebrating Christmas when we walk past dead bodies, lepers the poor and needy without

Austerity Measures And The Yuletide By BOBSON GBINIJE

batting an eyelid and sparing a through for them. Adam Smith posits that “no society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part, of the members are poor and miserable.

Christ admonished us to strive for the lofty and high ideals of a noble conscience and humanism, and that life is not all about money! money!! money!!! But about lifting up mankind, about sacrificing our lives to lift up mankind, about being Christ-like in conduct, about sparing a thought for the poor and about giving generously to mankind.

Our churches, ecclesiastical hierarchy and Christmas alike, have made a very little impact on the moral growth of society because, they build their church close to St. Peter and yet worship at

the gates of hell. A symphony of lunacy. Christmas is not a season for jejune insipidity in spiritual matters. It is not a period for perfidious and Machiavellian disingenuousness. It is a period for our leaders and the citizenry at large to heighten the vibrancy of our cerebral virtuosity and eviscerate pragmatic solutions to the problems

“The penumbra of darkness enshrining the subject of “Christmas Day” is further silhouetted by the avalanche and pyrotechnic of lies unleashed by religious harlequins.”

of mankind by being sober and musing on how, why and what Christ lived for. We must desist from walking, dancing strutting and drinking from the frills and thrills of libertines. Jesus Christ is love and all our utterances and actions should be propelled by

must live for Christ and in Christ Jesus by serving mankind in truth and love. Finally, we must see the world as one big philharmonic and symphony orchestra in which we are all players and so long as we pick our tunes man and keys right,

love. We must realize and be ever conscious; of the fact that life is fugacious and ephemeral. It is volatile and evanescent. We must walk steadfastly with humility and fear of God, for no condition is permanent and nobody knows tomorrow. Hence, essayist and poet, Matthew Arnold said “….for we are all like swimmers in the sea, poised on the top of hunge wave of fate, which hangs uncertain to which side to fall. And whether it will roll us out to sea to the deep wave of death, we known not and no search will make us know: only the event will teach us in its hour”. Therefore we

the musical configurations and rhythms will be melodious. But once one or two players degenerate to a discordant tone, the whole graceful symmetry and grandiose sublimity of the rhythm will precipitate a symphony of lunacy with no granule and scintilla of integrity in it. Let us celebrate Christmas by sparing a thought for the poor as Christ did and not saturnalian debauchery. HAPPY CHRISTMAS CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE MANDATE AGAINST POVERTY (MAP) WARRI.

Opinion

Much Ado About Town Planning

WITH several urban centers that are rapidly growing into metropolis with increasing population and socio-economic activities seems to be grappling with inappropriate town planning issues that are daily making modern life very difficult for Deltans. From Asaba the Delta State Capital, through Agbor, Sapele, Ughelli, Kwale, and most importantly Warri and its environs like Ekpan, Effurun, Ugboroke, Ugborikoko, etc., all of which are daily becoming sore sight of cities in dire need of redemption of re-engineering and reconstruction of their entire existence, so as to make them look like urban cities that they truly are. Most of the areas of Warri and its environs for instance, have over the years been like ‘glorified ghettos’ that depicts pictures of haphazard town planning, disorganized waste management process, and improper drainage systems. Despite the established ‘oil wealth’ that goes into government circles of Delta State over the years, especially into its Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Development, and the Waste Management Board, and even private property developers; these stated urban centers do not have anything to suggest they are metropolitan cities of the State. A drive through the nooks and crannies of the oil city of Warri and its environs, will present a scenario of deprived areas’ that are more like “decorated slums” characterized by near or complete absence of good accessible roads; blockage of natural waterways; overcrowding of certain areas; complete absence of efficient drainage systems and reliable waste management activities; absence of public car parks; destroyed natural habitat and water ways and so many other things that makes the stated areas not to be seen as urban centers. This has been the deplorable situation in Warri and environs for decades. It was only some few months back that the Delta State Special Sanitation Team went on rampage in urban cities of the State and destroyed what it described as “illegal structures” (which mostly affected traders), aimed at giving urban cities like Warri and environs appealing looks. The exercise, which was described by the government as a process of cleaning up the “filth in Uvwie, Udu, Warri and environs, involved the removal of all illegal structures, granite sites, dump sites, clearing of vehicles unlawfully parked along the road, clearing of containers etc.” all aimed at restoring environmental order in these areas. While we appreciate the efforts of the Delta State Government and the said Special Sanitation Team in this regard, however, it appears the stated removal of illegal structures has brought with it and made worse; an already established problem within the state, which is the erection of improper structures. One would have expected the Delta State Government and its relevant authorities to put measures in place, like contracting modern shopping malls and stores/markets with necessary parking space, for business owners, whose supposed illegal structures were destroyed, to fall back on and re-

start their business. We refer to the destroyed illegal structures as “supposed” illegal structures because most of them were constructed/erected/mounted by business owners having been approved by the same government authorities. Though, a rampant problem in Warri, Effurun, Ugboroke, Ugborikoko, Ekpan, Ovwian, e.t.c, the erection of improper structures and conversion of residential areas to business premises have been made worse by the stated illegal structures destruction exercise in urban areas of Delta State. Having had their supposed illegal structures destroyed; most traders and business owners in Warri and environs were left with no choice but to look for every available store to re-start their businesses. This has made landlords/house owners to see this as an opportunity. And today, there is hardly a residential building, recently constructed in Warri and environs for instance, that the frontal section is not converted to stores/shops for all manner of businesses. To the extent that some people are converting their buildings fences into extended stores/shops for rent. And some of these stores/shops are constructed quite close to very busy roads, which makes parking space, not only a problematic experience for customers who patronize such shops/stores, but also, the indiscriminately parked vehicles constitute obstructions for other road users/motorists. This is the exact situation we find in places like Ugboroke Layout, Izapka road, in Effurun, Delta State etc. We can see how a singular neglect of required action-in terms of city planning, can create a circle of problems for all. It is only in this part of the world that things are haphazardly done without adequately putting into consideration the present and future repercussions of such actions. Let us recall that some time last year, the Delta State government, through the Ministry of Environment, was reported to have marked houses (allegedly obstructing water channels), it wanted to demolish in the cities of Warri and Effurun, to avert flood disaster in the State. It was said then that the said marked houses were blocking water channels and causing flood whenever there was heavy downpour. The government was said to be acting in this direction based on a report it got some time ago that indicated that there would be torrential rain and flooding in Warri, Effurun and to avoid the ugly situation in Lagos State, it had to demolish houses built on water channels, than allow them to dislocate the entire citizenry. But the big question we have often asked: was it not the Delta State government officials that approved and signed these buildings to be constructed on water channels in the first place? What about the regulatory and supervisory agencies of government that is responsible for guiding private developers on doing the right thing as pertains to the type of structures to build and where to do so? For us, we believe all these removal and destruction of supposed illegal structures in

By ZIK GBEMRE

Delta State is like taking medicine after death or putting the cart before the horse. The firebrigade approach of doing things has always been synonymous with the Nigerian governments at large. They usually wait for things to terribly go bad or near disaster before they tend to react and respond. But why wait for serious issues pertaining to the environment to get complicated before the steps are taken to ‘amend’ what could have been prevented, in the first place. The situation painted above concerning marked houses to be demolished in Warri and Effurun points to gross negligence of duty by the regulatory and supervisory agency/ministry. Cases abound where government officials of the town planning division approve plans for the development of certain property in areas/places that are unthinkable to the ordinary mind.

inappropriate structural plans of cities creates a whole lot of problems for all. Such problems range from flooding, which is occasioned by blocked natural waterways, and complicated by inadequate and disorganized network of drainage systems. Not to mention heavy traffic on major roads caused by indiscriminately parked vehicles that are doing business with stores that were built from converted fences of residential buildings. Even when contracts are given by the government to address the issues of good access roads and drainage systems, the problem of corruption complicates everything. Looking around us, the poser we cannot help but raise is: are there no city developers/planners, Supervisory and Regulatory Government Agencies to pioneer and check these excesses and the near neglect of supposed urban-

engineered-drainage systems and mechanisms that are required in these different parts of a city. In cities and towns of England for instance, you can easily differentiate business areas from residential areas. In fact, most streets are planned in such a way that they have parks (with flowers and trees) that have chairs for both children and adults to relax. They also have an established system where wastes are ‘daily’ taken care of appropriately, both residential areas and public places. Even before day light, streets are swept and washed neatly. Also, gathered wastes are managed appropriately through proper ‘recycling’. There are places such as Murphy’s Waste Management & Recycling Centres, where all manners of gathered wastes are sorted out and recycled for Re-use, ranging from plastics, glass, metal scraps, papers etc. In other words, wastes have been converted to wealth in these advanced countries, simply

development of cities across the country? It is only in most parts of Abuja and some high-class areas in Lagos that we see some degree of well-planned urban centres. There is no state across the country that does not have a town planning division that is most times, under the State’s Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Development, just like we have in Delta State. However, it appears those in this section of government circles seems to have lost focus, and have succeeded over the years, to creating more problems for all stakeholders with their misguided practices and policies. We believe every urban city should be well-planned in such a way that they will become “tourist attraction” centres for visitors, both foreign and domestic. We believe urban cities should have residential areas as different from business areas/ districts, so that it will be easier to ‘manage’ all other attributes associated with modern-living like the different kinds of wastes generated in these areas and their management and recycling; location of car parks and relaxation parks; management of traffic and even the sort of

because the appropriate ‘system’ and ‘policies’ are been pioneered by those in relevant authorities of urban development. You do not see houses built under high tension lines in England and advanced countries like you see in Nigeria. Most of their power lines, electricity cables, domestic gas supply lines and pipe born water supply, are all neatly constructed and passed underground, especially in the advanced nations; all of which contributes to the attractiveness of their urban cities. Unlike what we find in Nigeria, particularly in Warri and environs of Delta State, where Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) electric lines are dangerously hanging over residential and business premises. Potential disasters waiting to happen, nothing seems to be done according to spelt out ‘plan’. But in England for instance, nothing is allowed to be done, regarding developmental structures, without having a plan that should be followed. You do not even alter the plan of a residential house without first applying to relevant city councils to notify those concerned before approval is granted.

Gov Uduaghan Town Planning officials are known to have collected kickbacks to approve property development in places/areas that are not meant to have structures on them. Sometimes such approvals are made for some government big wigs and politicians to the detriment of the overall good of the cities. At the end of the day, strategic waterways are blocked by these structures. It is wrong for such approvals to be given to property developers (no matter who they are) to build house on places like access roads, link roads, natural water ways etc. There is hardly any building or property developed in these cities of Delta State that have not been certified/ approved by the town planning office. It is repletion of the fact that these government officials concerned are driven by parochial interests, greed and personal aggrandizement than the need to render people-oriented services to the state and to the nation at large. The dangers of having improper and inappropriately planned or distortion of the master plans of cities are unimaginable. The nefarious act of approving and certification of

In Nigeria, even some of the well-planned parks that were existing during the colonial era have all been taken over by government officials and private individuals for their self-use. The ones designed by the colonial masters, for instance, in Obahor street, Warri, Delta State, have been converted to government offices and some parts sold to individuals use. In our younger days, when Gowon was Head of State and Ejoor/Ogbemudia were the Military administrators of the then Bendel State (now consisting of Delta and Edo States), we had a big Public Park with leisure and relaxation facilities like flowers, sitting areas and light stands to lit the place at night hours in Obahor street, Warri. But today, they have all been converted to offices and residential houses, one of which belongs to the Delta State Fire Service. The bottom line is that everybody is doing whatever pleases him or her and building structures at any place they like in Delta State, simply because the government, over the years, is not obeying or following any established Town-planning policy. Some have argued that Warri and environs for instance, did not grow or develop as model cities; rather they grew and are still growing as ‘make shift’ settlements. But the fact is that there is need to revisit the master plan of the cities in Delta State (and if there is none, one should be drawn), and start getting things straight. Recently, it was reported that the Delta State Government, through the Ministry of Environment, will demolish houses in the cities of Warri and Effurun, allegedly obstructing water channels to avert flood disaster in the State. In Delta State, the usual monthly sanitation across the entire state is nothing but a share waste of precious time, man hours and economic gains. Sand and dirts for instance, often gathered from gutters and drainage systems, are left by the road side. Once the rains come in, the whole thing are washed back into the gutters/drainage systems. As a result of the absence of a systematic wellengineered waste management mechanisms in cities of Delta State, refuse and all manner of wastes are usually left to pile-up to unimaginable heaps. Making them constitute public-healthhazards. A civilized modern society that is developing should have a “daily” system in place for the management of both public and domestic wastes, just like we see in advanced countries. Town planners and wellintentioned stakeholders in government and public private circles should advocate the ‘right attitude’ on what should be done, and understand the inherent dangers in by-passing and mutilating city ‘master plans’ and modern waste management practices. The ‘re-engineering’ of our cities is a responsibility for all. But those in government circles concerned must load the way. If not, we all will not only have ‘mega slums’ as cities, we will also expose ourselves to (natural) environmental disasters unimaginable. We ask that the right thing should be done in all the areas mentioned above.

Focus

Between Culprit And Survivors

Human Rights Standpoint In Nigeria: ON December 2, the world stage snowballed into one common agitation ground with stakeholders drawn from both civil society and government clamouring for ‘real freedom’ in all ramifications as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery was observed. Exactly eight days later, on December 10 to be precise, again, concerned individuals, corporate entities, particularly members of the civil society groups and related coalition agencies rolled out the drums to commemorate the International Human Rights Day. For some stakeholders, these twin celebrations, coming head-to-head,, are important memorials, clear reminders of a people’s stand-point in the social equation of give and take. For others, they are sad reminders of the lacuna, or gaps, that exist in the social regimen of a people’s existence. Two distinguished members of the civil society group, Humphrey Arheghan, Senior Pastor, Church of God Mission International and Head, Beshan Youth Organization, and David Ugolor,

Executive Director, African Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) himself a survivor of human rights abuse, spoke to our Principal Features Writer, Ijeoma Umeh, on the basis of these two remarkable events and what the commemorations portend for Nigeria’s corporate existence. Excerpts: It’s class Failure By All Responsible – Humphrey Arheghan On The Relevance of both international celebration to Nigeria. It’s really difficult to make a summary, I will however state that both events are relevant, but not very relevant. Relevant in the sense that it keeps to memory the twin evil which need urgent and appropriate response from every segment of the society. Looking at the events with regard to these two problems in our nation, the celebration is nothing but a broken record. Slavery is man’s inhumanity to man which is against the principles of God. Human Rights are inherent benefits of God which every human being ought to enjoy without any subjugation, either by Government or powerful individuals. The celebration

By IJEOMA UMEH

reminds us of the debt that government and society owes to everyone, especially the vulnerable ones. On the status of Nigeria

rights of her citizens both by government agencies and self acclaimed powerful individuals. Even more worrisome is the

the future of those young ones concerned, especially the psychological effect or trauma. It robs them of their self worth and dignity. On the assumption

Passing Shot Both government and parents/guardians should understand that it is a responsibility entrusted to them by God and therefore should know that they

Rev Humphrey Arheghan

with regard to slavery, servitude or human rights abuses. It’s unfortunate, but the Nigerian Community has done very poorly with respect to the dignity of individuals. We are constantly faced with slave trade, both local and international, and also the abuse of the fundamental human

involvement and connivance of both parents and guardians in these evil practices. Involvement of Parents/Guardians: Extent of culpability We have heard parents or guardians either ‘sell’ or ‘lease’ their children/ wards with the intention of reaping material benefits to better their lives without regard to

“Human Rights are inherent benefits of God which every human being ought to enjoy without any subjugation, either by Government or powerful individuals.”

that the Denial by the ruling class of the citizens basic amenities is a rape on their fundamental Human Rights. I totally agree with that assumption. Knowing well that the primary purpose of government is to save the poor from the oppression of the rich, and establish an enabling environment for individuals to express themselves without fear or intimidation. It is high time leadership becomes more defined in Nigeria in deference to rulership.

all will give accounts of their actions or inactions. They should also understand that the greatness of a nation is not dependent on the material wealth, but rather on the quality of persons in that nation. They owe every citizen education, both formal and informal, to give the people the understanding of their role, responsibility and duties. The parents owe the children security and respect and the duty of care to every child they bring to the world. Parenting is more of a duty than a matter of

Focus In Any Highly Corrupt Society, We Cannot Be Talking Of Human Rights -David Ugolor

On Nigeria’s Human Right Status “BASICALLY, I think the political situation in the country would give you the human rights profile of the country. for any state to be

able to provide the enabling environment for citizens to enjoy their fundamental human rights, the state should be able to muster the capacity to do so. Unfortunately we lost that capacity.

In the world government index of 2010, 2011-2013, where countries are rated on the basis of 6 indicators, among the indicators are the consideration of people have the voice to express

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly “WHEREVER men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must, at that moment, become the centre of the universe”. Eliewisel Records indicate that Nigeria Human Rights status remains poor and that government officials at all levels continue to commit serious abuses, despite the practise of uninterrupted democracy since 1999. Human rights in Nigeria are protected under the most current constitution of 1999, Nigeria has made serious improvements in human rights under this constitution though the Human Rights report of 2012 notes areas where significant improvement is needed. The report discusses abuses by Boko Haram, killings by government forces, lack of social equality and issues with freedom of speech. In the period between its Independence in 1960 to 1998, Nigeria had in terms of heads of state, two elected, one appointed, one military successor and 7 coups d’etat powers. In 1979, they moved to a presidential system in order to properly instate the right of choosing who rules them with a new constitution. This guarantees fundamental human rights that are constantly in violation. There was a crusade for human rights in 1985 when General Ibrahim Babangida took power. Though short-lived, there were changes under Babangida both for the positive as well as for the negative. Freedom of expression was way down low when General Babangida took power in 1985 and repealed Decree No. 4 of 1984, a law that made it criminal behaviour to publish any material that was considered embarrasing or against the interests of government. There was renewed hope for freedom of expression both by the people and the media. Within the Babangida regime political tolerance occurred for sometime. However, this brief foray into human rights broke down when the regime began jailing its critics and firing employees who did not promote their views and ideals. This regime closed down more newspapers and banned more popular organizations than any other in Nigeria’s post-colonial history. The press in Nigeria was, and is still, often subject to scare tactics and intimidation.

Journalists were subjected to “chats” with the state security service that involved threats and possible imprisonment. There were continually newspaper shut downs. In 1990, The Republic, Newbreed, Lagos Daily News, The Punch and various other newspapers were shut down at some point by the federal government. Critics maintain that though measures of freedom of the press have improved, there is still room for improvement. Nigeria was described as “partly free” in the Freedom of the Press 2011 report published by the Freedom House. Till date, Journalists are still subject to abuses by security forces on October 11, 2013, four senior editors of the Nation were arrested “by proxy” under charges of forgery. The editors who were being originally looked for had published a letter from the former President of Nigeria to current President Goodluck Jonathan recommending the termination of some officials. The police were forced to release the editors after the media, politicians and other civil rights groups protested and put pressure on the police force. The Nigeria Police Force has also severally been fingered in human rights abuse. The Joint Task Force (JTF) has provided inadequate and violent response to the Boko Haram attacks, killing suspects without fair trial as well as killing random members of communities suspected in involvement with Boko Haram. This heavy handed approach violates human rights with its lack of access to fair trial and use of discriminatory techniques of violence. The UN declares everyday Human Rights Day, the universal reach of Human Rights should not be restricted to one day alone but extended to everyday of the year it’s therefore, them: Human Rights 365 – it encompasses the ideas that “everyday is Human Rights Day and that “each one of us everywhere at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights. “We declare that human rights is for all of us at all the time whoever we are wherever we are from, no matter.” says the United Nations. Quote “Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of

imprisonment, fear of torture, fear or death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small daily acts of courage which help to preserve man’s and woman’s self respect and inherent humanity. By it note it is easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again for far is not the natural state of civilised humans.” Aung San Suu Nigeria has the label of one of the world’s highest corrupt countries. This is especially seen within the public sector, including stealing public funds and accepting bribes. It is estimated that between 1999 and 2007, Nigeria has lost around $4 billion to $8 billion yearly due to corruption. Politicians of ten siphon public funds to further their political career and also pay gangs to aid them in rigging elections. The elections since the end of military rule occurring in 1999, 2003, and 2007 were bloody affairs and were openly rigged. In 2007, ballot boxes were visibly stuffed by paid gangs and in some cases, elected results were simply made up. The Human Rights watch estimates that at least 300 were killed due to the 2007 elections and that is considered to be a conservative estimate. Nigeria put measures in place to reduce the corruption levels. The Independent Corruption Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as well as the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were established in an attempt to combat the menace of corruption in Nigeria. It is the hope of every well-meaning Nigerian that these agencies lived up to their billings in the fight against corruption.

themselves, accountability and then state capacity to provide regulatory machineries and the rule of law, political stability as well. When you consider these, Boko Haram, in security, privatization, when the entire national wealth of the citizenry are passed on to private individuals, then we understand the status of human rights in Nigeria. Based on the Anti-Money Laundering Index 2012, 2013 and 2014, Nigeria was rated as a highly risky country; it indicate that Nigeria is very vulnerable to money laundry. INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY 2 DECEMBER “In the 19th Century the International Community, came together to declare

slavery an affront to our common humanity. Today, governments, civil society and the private sector must unite to eradicate all contemporary forms of slavery, including forced labour. Together, let us do our utmost for the millions of victims throughout the world who are held in slavery and deprived of their human rights and dignity,” says the UN. The International day for the Abolition of slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the general assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the suppressions of the Traffic In persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others (resolution 317 Civ) of 2 December 1949). The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary

forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. Today 21 million women, men and children are trapped in slavery all over the world. the International Labour Organization (ILO) has teamed up with prominent artists, athletes and advocates in its new campaign to end slavery now. In 2007 the UN marked the 200th Anniversary of Abolition of the Trans Atlantic slave. Trade on 25 March. In 2008 the International Day of Remembrance of the victims of slavery and Trans Atlantic Slave Trade became an annual observance.

Rev David Ugolor

Child Marriage As Human Right Violation Child marriage as Human Rights violation. Around 43% of women are married under 18 years of age. One popular source of legislation that was first brought forward in 1991 and became national law in 2003 is the Child Rights Act. Among other factors to protect children from abuses and discrimination even

sexual violence (defilement, rape) section 21 and 23 of the Act made it illegal to marry off a child below the age of 18. If a man consummates marriage with a child, it is considered rape. The Child Rights Act competes with the sharia law in some Northern States of Nigeria as well as with customs and cultural

expectations in different regions. The Act has still not been enacted in 13 of Nigeria’s 36 states where other cultural factors are largely influencing the laws that are enacted. Stakeholders also finger child marriage as culprit in the high rate of vesico vaginal fistula occurring in women.

“The UN declares everyday Human Rights Day, the universal reach of Human Rights should not be restricted to one day alone but extended to everyday of the year it’s therefore, them: Human Rights 365 – it encompasses the ideas that “everyday is Human Rights Day and that “each one of us everywhere at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights.”

Gender Issues

The Turbulence Within Human Trafficking:

Human Trafficking is the trade in humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others, or for the extraction of organs or tissues, including surrogacy and Ova or uterus removal, or for providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage. Human trafficking can occur within a country or trans-nationally. Human trafficking is a crime against the person because of the violation of the victim’s rights of movement through coercion and because of their commercial exploitation. Human trafficking is the trade in people, and does not necessarily involve the movement of the person from one place to another. The scourge represents an estimated $31.6 billion of international trade per annum in 2010. It is thought to be one of the fastest – growing activities of transnational criminal organizations, and is condemned as a violation of human rights by international convention. In addition, human trafficking is subject to a directive in the European Union. Although it can occur at local levels, it has transnational implications, as recognized by the United Nations in the protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children (also referred to as the trafficking protocol), an international agreement under the UN convention

By JENNIFER OWOBU/GLORIA ONI

against Transnational Organized Crime (CTOC), which entered into force on 25, December 2003. The protocol is one of three which supplement the (CTOC). The Trafficking Protocol is the first global, legally binding instrument on trafficking in over half a century, and the only one with an agreed – upon definition of trafficking in persons. One of its purposes is to facilitate international cooperation in investigating and prosecuting such trafficking. Another is to protest and assist human trafficking’s victims with full respect for their rights as established in the universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human trafficking differs from people smuggling, which involves a person voluntarily requesting or hiring another individual to covertly transport them across an international border, usually because the smuggled person would be denied entry into a country by legal channels. Though illegal, there may be no deception or coercion involved. After entry into the country and arrival at their ultimate destination, the smuggled person is usually free to find their own way. According to the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), people smuggling is a violation of national immigration laws of the destination country, and does not require violation of the rights of the

smuggled person. Human trafficking, on the other hand, is a crime against a person because of the violation of the victims rights through coercion and exploitation. Unlike most cases of people smuggling,

victims of human trafficking are not permitted to leave upon arrival at their destination. While smuggling requires travels, trafficking does not. Trafficking people are held against their will through acts of coercion, and forced to work for or provide services to the trafficker or others. The work or services include anything from bonded or forced labour to commercial sexual exploitation. The arrangement may be

structured as a work contract, but with no or low payment, or on terms which are highly exploitative. Sometimes the arrangement is structured as debt bondage with the victim not being permitted or able to pay off

the debt. Bonded labor, or debt bondage, is probably the least known form of labour trafficking today, and yet it is the most widely used method of enslaving people. Victims become “bonded” when their labor is demanded as a means of repayment for a loan or service in which its terms and conditions have not been defined or in which the value of the victim services is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt. Generally, the

“Human trafficking differs from people smuggling, which involves a person voluntarily requesting or hiring another individual to covertly transport them across an international border, usually because the smuggled person would be denied entry into a country by legal channels.”

value of their work is greater than the original sum of money “borrowed.” Forced labor is a situation in which victim are forced to work against their own will under the threat of violence or some other form of punishment; their freedom is restricted and a degree of ownership is exerted. Men are at risk of being trafficked for unskilled work, which globally generates 31 billion USD according to the international Labour

trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation. Child Labour is a form of work that is likely to be hazardous to the physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development of children and can interfere with their education. According to the International Labour Organization, the global number of children involved in child labour has fallen down during the past decade – it has declined by one third, from 246 million in

Organization. Forms of forced labour can include domestic servitude, agricultural labor, sweatshop factory labor, and begging some of the products produced by forced labor are: clothing, cocoa, bricks, coffee, cotton, and gold, among others. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the single largest global provided of services to victims of trafficking, report receiving an increasing number of forced labour. A 2012 study observers that “2010 was particularly notable as the first year in which IOM assisted more victims of labour trafficking than those who had been

2000 to 168 million in 2012. Sub Saharan-Africa is the region with the highest incidence of child labour, while the largest numbers of child – workers are found in Asia and the pacific. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has further assisted many nongovernmental organizations in their fight against human trafficking. The 2006 armed conflict in Lebanon, which saw 300,000 domestic workers from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and the phillipines jobless and largest of traffickers, led to an emergency information campaign with NGO caritas Migrant to raise humantrafficking awareness. Continues on page 19

Gender Issues

... Turbulence Within Continued from page 18

Additionally, in April 2006 report, Trafficking in persons: Global Patterns, helped to identify 127 countries of origin, 98 transit countries and 137 destination countries for human trafficking. To date, it is the second most frequently down loaded UNODC report, continuing into 2007, UNODC supported

The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) was conceived to promote the global fight on human trafficking on the basis of international agreement reached at the UN. GIFT was launched in March 2007 by UNODC with a grant made on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. It is managed in cooperation with the

institutional frame-work, criminal Justice response and victim assistance services. UN. GIFT, works with all stakeholders – government, business, academic, Civil Society and the media – to support each other is work, create new partnerships, and develop effective tools to fight human trafficking.

coordinate efforts already underway, increase knowledge and awareness, provide technical assistance, promote effective rights – based responses, built capacity of state and non-state stakeholders, foster partnership for joint action, and above all, ensure that everybody takes responsibility for this fight.

initiative like the community vigilance project along the border between India and Nepal, as well as provided subsidy for NGO trafficking prevention campaigns in Basnia, croatia, and Herzegovia. Public service announcements have also proved useful for organizations combating human trafficking. In addition to many other endeavours, UNODC works to broadcast these announcements on local television and radio stations cross the world. By providing regular access to information regarding human – trafficking, individuals are educated how to protect themselves and their families from being exploited.

International Labour Organization (ILO); the International Organization for Migration (IOM); the UN children’s Fund (UNICEF); the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Within UN. GIFT, UNODC launched a research exercise to gather primary data on national responses to trafficking in persons world wide. This exercise resulted in the publication of the Global Report on Trafficking persons in in February 2009. the report gathers official information for 155 countries and territories in the areas of legal and

The Global Initiative is based on a simple principle: Human Trafficking is a crime of such magnitude and atrocity that cannot be dealt with successfully by any government alone. This global problem requires a global, multi-stakeholder strategy that builds on national efforts throughout the world. to pave the way for this strategy, stakeholders must

By encouraging and facilitating cooperation and coordination, UN. GIFT, aims to create synergies among the anti-trafficking activities of UN agencies, international organizations and other stakeholders to develop the most efficient and cast – effective tools and good practices. UN. GIFT aims to mobilize state and nonstate actors to eradicate human trafficking by reducing both the

vulnerability of potential victims and the demand for exploitation in all its forms, ensuring adequate protection and support to those who fall victim, and supporting the efficient prosecution of the criminals involved, while respecting the fundamental human rights of all persons. In carrying out its mission, UN. GIFT will increase the knowledge and awareness on human trafficking, promote effective rights – based responses, build capacity of state and nonstate actors, and foster partnership for joint action against human trafficking. UNODC efforts to motivate action launched the Blue Heart Campaign Against Human Trafficking on March 6, 2009, which Mexico launched its own national version of it in April 2010. The campaign encourages people to show solidarity with human trafficking victims by warning the blue heart, similar to how wearing the red ribbon promotes transnational HIV?AIDS awareness. On November 4, 2010, U.N. Secretary – General Ban Ki-Moon launched the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of Trafficking in persons to provide humanitarian, legal and financial aids to victims of human trafficking with the aim of increasing the number of those rescued and supported, and broadening the extent of assistance they receive. In December 2012, UNODC published the new edition of the Global Report on Trafficking in persons. The Global Report on Trafficking in persons, 2012 has received their 27 percent of all victims of human trafficking officially delete global

between 2007 and 2010 are children, up to 7 percent from the period 2003 to 2006. The Global Report recorded victims of 136 different nationalities deleted in 118 countries between 2007 and 2010, during which period, 460 different flows were identified. Around half of all trafficking took place within the same region with 27 percent occurring within national borders. One exception is the middle East, where most detected victims are East and South Asians. Trafficking victims from East Asia have been detected in more than 60 countries, making them the most geographically dispersed group around the world. There are significant regional differences in detected forms of exploitation. Countries in African and in Asia generally intercept more cases of trafficking for forced labour, while sexual exploitation is more frequently found in Europe and in the America. Additionally, trafficking for organ removal was detected in 16 countries around the world. The Report raises concerns about low conviction rates – 16 percent of reporting countries did not record a single conviction for trafficking in persons between 2007 and 2010. As at August 2014, 164 countries have ratified the United Nations Trafficking in persons protocol of which UNODC is the guardian. Significant progress has been made in terms of legislation: as of 2012, 83 percent of countries had a low criminality trafficking in persons in accordance with the protocol.

“Countries in African and in Asia generally intercept more cases of trafficking for forced labour, while sexual exploitation is more frequently found in Europe and in the America.”

As Yuletide Beckons, Random Musings With The Mad Rush Begins! Ijeoma Umeh IT’S nor dementia. No. The masses, and those who by reason of circumstances would devise a close affinity with them would no more lose their minds more than they already have, with austerity measures’ whirling, with the drones of insecurity’s armoury blaring’s and driven to the labyrinths by the changing vicissitudes of life. No. It couldn’t be dementia. But could someone help us adduce reasons why within only a few days the entire 36 states of the Federation and Abuja snowballed into a bedlam where commuters seem to run in endless circles, criss-crossing the precincts and adjuncts, over-shooting their bounds, ignoring traffic rules, traversing Apian ways, plunging into and navigating hazardous terrains, areas hitherto abandoned, plunging in and out of potholes and the familiar water logs, pulling out with vehicle bumpers dangling and hitting the nearest exit? Why, dare tell? Now, what is the driving force? What’s making people hyperactive and giving rise to this helter-

skelter way of life? What is pushing vehicles off the roads and converting human limbs to rollercoasters? Just the other day, a tuke-tuke (commercial bus) driver rammed into a transformer! Thank God, the BEDC was slumbering at that time! Why has the b u s - s t o p s metamorphosed into a club where all classes of people congregate – from top company executives (friends of the masses) to up-beat young bankers who had luckily reached the outrageous headbelow water targets set for them by their employers? We hear the transport welfare unions are driving commuters crazy with outrageous levies! It’s not dementia, neither could it be the mad rush to beat the yuletide’s moneyspinning deadline; of course the underlying factor could be part of it, but the anxiety by commuters to fix up a twelve month financial lacuna in a few weeks before Santa Claus left the South-Pole is not what makes then head for different directions at a go, like one who had suddenly chanced upon a phantom raging

spirit being! There is yet another kind of chase in town …what … what is it? Hmph! Aha! It has struck now! It’s the men in black! They are ahead! No wonder! members of the Nigerian Police, friends of the masses,

there and … the best time to ‘donate’ charity to the police through your own short-comings. Everyday, more check-points spring up, there could be up to eleven on a twentytwo pole road, no defaulter would go

they are everywhere now, across the length and breadth of the country; heard they’re conducting the popular annual checks, one of the tell-tale signs that Santa claus is coming to town, a significant indication that not all people at the steering wheels of vehicles should be

untapped; something must drop, depending on the height of your offense, your offense is your kind of automobile – how foreign, how expensive, how fairly used, how marketable, how demure the man at the steering looked and how vulnerable he is – without a driver’s

“ It’s not dementia, neither could it be the mad rush to beat the yuletide’s money-spinning deadline.”

licence. This annual police check exposes also, how in a hurry Nigerians are, both the extreme poor, the average and the very rich. The poor man is in a haste to make ends

driver or rider, that is the standard, the demarcating yardstick; he is in a hurry to show off his prize to envious eyes; he is amassing more wealth, his fleet of cars is expanding, straight from dealer shops to the garage at

met, driven hard by hunger, a nagging wife and by watching his neighbour climb steadily up he leaves home, scampers about the city, even meanders through the interiors of the rural areas until he finds someone who is ready to give him a bike or taxi-cab, even a tuketuke on a balance and carry basis or on a daily or weekly balance … he comes home, purchases several shots of ogogoro and hurray! The next day off he goes, an employed man, a ‘professional’

ho me. He has no

experience, no driver’s licence, he won’t give a hoot. It’s easy to part with N200 or more at the normal check-points. That’s nothing at all. Now, it’s gone beyond the normal N20. The police means business. New cars are flocking the country; depending on how ‘fairly’ used yours is, you could pay dearly. Now the rich and the poor are congregating at the bus stops. The police is scouting for them.

Archival Matters

MOST journalists practise what is branded as “media Afghanistanism,” according to Mr. Sonata Olumhense, an elderstatesman in journalism. What he means is that many journalists ignore relevant, human interest news and features during prime time for them in preference for other drab ones. For instance, December 1, 2014 was World HIV/AIDS Day. However, only a few media houses spotlighted this event. One of them was NTA, Abuja. Since the arrival of good morning Nigeria anchored by Claire Adelabu Razak Bello and Kingsley Osadolor in 2014, the NTA added more fillip to discussing periodic events like World HIV/AIDS Day and all other similar occurrences. First principles Certainly, NTA understands the professional discordance “Media Afghanistanism”. That is why it takes all the pains to keep its holy grail of giving ambience to promotional stories on periodic events. Right now, we are in the mainstream of one of such events with festive character, yes, Christmas is around the corner. When we pass the bend and look ahead, a new year 2015 will be staring at us. Hence the seasons greeting in the air now is happy Xmas, a prosperous New Year. Therefore, what should be of relevance to us presently is security before any other thing. Well, since God only helps those who help themselves, here are security tips for making your Xmas happy and New Year, prosperous. Let’s face reality instead, no time to shy away from relevant issues of engaging in Media Afghanistanism. Always think security Let’s not deceive ourselves. Criminals always increase their tempo during festive seasons. Since Christmas and New Year celebrations are the world’s greatest events we should expect criminals to be on the prowl too unlike deceit men. This implies that we must all be security conscious during the period between December 2014 and January 2015. Now the rule should be: Always think security in all you do. Any lapse in your security architecture could

Security Tips During Festive Season

bring you so much pain in life that you will never forget. It is true security prayers are needed this season. Again we know the bible tells us that unless God protects a city, the watchman watches in vain. But common sense informs us that prayers alone without good security ends in calamity. Furthermore, we must not forget that initially we have to build a city where, as the name signifies, everything including security is functioning before God would bless it with his providence. All said, the point being canvassed here is that God only blesses the labour of our hands. If we plan our security well, God’s seal on it would make it water – tight and impervious to criminals during this festive season as well as throughout our lives on earth. Anyone who think God will descend from heaven to build a security architecture for him is living in a fools paradise. Crime is a virus An encyclopaedia cannot contain all of criminals’ tactics. This is because criminials are like viruses. Every scientist knows viruses are self-limiting organisms that mutate continuously. Hence, it has been difficult to develop a cure for viruses. Imagine, as soon as you spend millions of dollars to get a vaccine for attacking and destroying a virus it transforms its structure into another form. This development has rendered science incapable of coming up with a curative therapy for viruses like Ebola, HIV and hepatitis. Following the absence of full-proof cure for viruses, all that is available to a medical doctor is managing them. Similarly, criminals are like viruses No police on earth can completely ride them from the society. Infact sociologically – speaking it is impossible to have a society without crime just as there are no rivers without fishes. Invariably, what the police is doing is working towards reducing criminality in a society – not

totally eradicating it. So be wise. Don’t therefore be among the category of people that assume the police can tame all criminals this festive season. Raise your security alert to A – class because there will always be a criminal next door no matter how hard the police works. Police no be God-ooo.

By MICHAEL ODIGBE

travelers of their valuables. Some of them lost their lives or got raped in the process. The police got to know of the nefarious criminal act amongst others, in Edo State. It quickly announced the activities of the one chance robbers to the public in the form of public enlightenment.

outside Benin metropolis can equally be used for onechance robbery. That is transformational mutation in criminality for you. This explains why we need to be brainwise to think faster than the crooked criminals in our midst. Or else we will fall into

recent tactics adopted by festive season robbers that were uncovered by Edo Police Command in Benin Metropolis. Firstly a member of the robbery gang will collide with a passerby in a busy area of the city. During the arising altercation between the passerby and the gang member, the former is then

Moreover, Edo Police Command went underground and snuffed out their atrocities. During this festive season, one cannot say whether or not one-chance robbers haven’t returned to business. All I can state is that all Edo people should assume they are still in the state. Also, be warned!! Tuke-tuke buses; commercial tricycles; and okada used

their snares. Not long ago, Edo Police Command informed Edo people of how three mai guards abandoned their duty posts at night in Ugbor Area of Benin Metropolis. Their destination? A fashion store. They dug a hole on its sidewall and entered it, carting away its wares. The lesson here is that we should try as much as possible to use professional security guards. Additionally, we must realise that we live in times when we should be alert night and day. That iron gate high prison perimeter fence around our houses and the fawing, innocent – looking security details we so trust with our lifes and property may fail us in the end. This brings to mind three

robbed at gunpoint. Secondly, some robbers now pose as customers in a store and the thereafter attempt to rob it in broad-day light. An incident of this nature took place at Adesuwa Road, Benin and was reported by EBS, Benin news of November 27, 2014.The culprits were arrested. Later on December 5, 2014 the same media outfit reported that a 29-year-old man was arrested for entering and robbing residents in Siloko Area of Benin this was after gaining enterance into their apartment posing as a Jehovah Witness preacher!! How smart the man was. But you could be smarter, wiser and more intelligent if you were security conscious.

IGP, Suleiman Abbah

Be abreast of information CP Foluso Adebanjo of Edo Police Command is very generous with security tips since the beginning of the year. Each time criminals are arrested their new tactics is communicated quickly to the public. During the festive season of last year, criminals were adopting the strategy of one-chance robbery to dispose unsuspecting commuters or

“Right now, we are in the mainstream of one of such events with festive character, yes, Christmas is around the corner. When we pass the bend and look ahead, a new year 2015 will be staring at us. Hence the seasons greeting in the air now is happy Xmas, a prosperous New Year.”

Issues

Problem Of The African Child

THE word “problem” implies unsettled situation. It is a situation that is not easily or handily resolved which means that, it is a bad situation that is the story of the African child. An African child is that child that is mainly from the black continent, the child could be from either Nigeria or any other country within the African continent. The black child is beset with a history of sad tales, from conception to transition. These problems start from 5 or 6am” every morning when the child has to get up in the early hours to go to school. While one child is blessed to be going to school in the first place, another child is not so blessed for he starts off the day, pushed by events not his making, to go earn a hiring, either for his own survival or that of others, or both. Elsewhere, another child is introduced to preparatory classes after normal school hours and after school lessons, the question I keep asking is, what happened to the national drama, music and sports competitions, but I have never gotten an answer. And I also keep asking this question, when do this child rest, when does child play, why is that child called a child? Is it from obesity, and its related health problems to exposure to inappropriate television programmes

and internet pages, to sexual abuse, or by relatives and other caregivers or house-helps to whom we entrust our children? It is to general lack of social skills, recently, saw a video tape that features a primary school party and stars, a little girl not more than 10 years old dancing with a boy who looks a bit younger than her for me. I have no words to describe the way she was dancing, it was highly sexual and supper obscene and extremely stomach turning, is that African child not in grave danger? This is a child who is housed, fed, clothed, and educated, but obviously not parented. However as parents, teachers and guidance of the future of our country, we need to be careful that we are not dropping the ball on our children, we do a lot of things ostensibly for the good of our children, and our families. But we need to occasionally step back and really, evaluate our actions. We will be foolish to be meeting at grand’s hotel to solve the problem of street children, when there are more pressing problems like child labour, child trafficking, poverty and unparenting . Secondly, I believe talent alone will not make a success, Neither will being at the right time, unless you are ready. The important question is that,

BY AMBROSE OFEMILE

are the African Children ready? Are they ready to seize the opportunity now? On your marks! Get

self for life even big organization hunts for one, because they are competent hands. In life, and as a child we have to ready. If they have developed learn yearn, and earn. And their talents, they should every child yearning

will give them its best. Finally, I believe one day not far away, every child in Africa will live a healthy life, and contribute to the

ready! I am also confident that there is a door of opportunity flung open, they should get ready to run into it infact, if the opportunity does not come, they should make

not wait for their ship to come in. they should swim cut to it, that is, the child has to dig a well before he/ she is history. Also, the African Child, should improve his/her

power should be greater than his/her earning power. An African Child have to yearn for leaving to increase his/her earning. They should put their best into life, and life

emergence of a peaceful, democratic and prosperous African that can overcome marginalization in a globalizing world.

“However as parents, teachers and guidance of the future of our country, we need to be careful that we are not dropping the ball on our children, we do a lot of things ostensibly for the good of our children, and our families.”

Issues Delta Beyond Oil: NEVER have we seen or witnessed a government that loves to use all manner of publicity stunts to make itself look good in the eyes of the world, like we have seen exhibited by the current Delta State Government led by Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan. In fact, such publicity by the Delta State government are often coated with ‘sweet talks/write ups’ that are pleasing only to the eyes and ears but all aimed at deceiving the public. It is even sadder to note that the democratic attributes of ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ embedded in ‘good governance’ have practically eluded Delta State in all ramifications within the past fourteen years or so. This has made Delta State Government to be branded by well-meaning Nigerians and social critics as a “self-perpetuating government” of the ruling party, which ultimately makes whatever the government does, a welldecorated ‘white lie’ specifically designed for ‘deception’ - for the benefit of some few but to the detriment of many. Like every of its past and present agendas, the above explanation is how best we can describe the current Delta Beyond Oil (DBO) initiative of the Delta State Government led by Dr. Uduaghan. The said DBO Initiative according to the Delta State Government, portends “diversification from only one source of revenue and exploring other potent sources of revenue capable of creating more wealth than the single source and by so doing, exploring other sectors like agriculture, tourism, transportation etc, all geared toward increasing internally generated revenue.” And during the 2nd South-South Economic Summit in 2012, many wellmeaning Nigerians like us were perplexed by the contents of the welcome address of the Delta State Governor who was the host of the said event. Our perplexed state of mind is hinged on the fact that the contents of the said welcome address, with its ‘usual’ colourfully flamboyant words of expression, did not represent, justify or commensurate the “realities” on ground in Delta State, as regards having a diversified economy. Before we go any further, let us make it categorically clear here that we are not using this to witch-hunt or castigate anyone. We do not belong to any political party neither are we affiliated or linked to any political interests. Our aim here like always, is to praise that which is worthy to be emulated by our political leaders and to equally condemn (where necessary), that which is bad and unworthy, without fear or favour. Our deepest desire here is to bring to limelight some of the pressing issues in our polity, specifically in Delta State, with the hope that those concerned will change their ill-advised ways as custodians of state resources for the general good of all and sundry and not for some selected few.

Let us also state here; not that we have anything against the Delta State Government, far from it and completely out of the question. As a matter of fact, the said DBO Initiative and some (not all) of the other programs and agendas of the Delta State Government are worthy steps we believe, if honestly carried out can turn things around. But the problem with this administration and even that which came before it, has always been their “insincerity” in holistically and honestly “implementing” most of their agendas, especially in the management of the huge Federal allocation and State revenues that accrues to the State. This is where the problem lies. And as such, most of the programmes, projects and agendas initiated by the Delta State Government and its Agencies and arms are more like avenues through which State public funds are misappropriated and mismanaged. In fact, some of the projects embarked upon by the Delta State Government, which we would explain further here later, are more like ‘after thoughts’ that demonstrates how ‘visionless’ the administration is. Even the structure, composition and adopted style of administration of the Delta State Government Development Intervention agencies like DESOPADEC, is nothing to write home about as it is ‘designed’ to fail and achieve practically nothing concrete right from its inception. The truth is that we are even confused as to where to start xraying and analyzing some of the anomalies evident in the entity called Delta State and its present administration. The issues are so much that it makes one sick to the stomach and tired of it all. But we have to try our best, no matter how lengthy this write up may seem, to paint a clear picture of what is being considered here and we plead and hope that relevant stakeholders will have the patience to read everything and get the message. Without mincing words, the situation in Delta State is so sad and pathetic that one can only hope for some “divine intervention or the miraculous”, for any major positive and wholesome change to take place. Delta State is a practical example of the unfortunate status most African countries finds themselves in presently; where the political leaders over the years have practiced “voodoo democracy” by using every trick they can muster to remain in government circles and refuse the peoples’ voice, votes and interests to count or matter in their development. And when the people are denied the right to choose their preferred political leaders, what we have evident over the years are political leaders without vision and sacrificial commitment. It is even more saddening to note that majority of Deltans as “followers,” are adding fuel to the fire. It is rather unfortunate that the culture of impunity and

X-Raying The Agenda Under mediocrity has become the acceptable norm in Delta State, and the majority of the populace in Delta State as “followers”, are not helping matters. Though a national phenomenon, it is in Delta State that ‘thieves’ in political circles are celebrated and exalted without any iota of shame, rather than condemned and told the truth. People tend to ‘worship’, adore, and respect those that are in government circles who, obviously, from their lavish lifestyle and affluence in wealth, indicates that they have been stealing public funds under their care. To make matters worse, our political leaders in Delta State usually bask in such euphoria of ‘pubic praises,’ especially when they ‘manage’ to execute one project/programme or the other; making it look as if they are doing Deltans a favour. But this is not how things should be.

The Lens Of Realities

awarded and even ‘re-awarded’ severally to misappropriate more public funds, and the list continues. The really sad part about all of this is the fact that when one considers the enormous amount of revenues that comes to Delta State Government coffers; one would continue to wonder the level of greed exhibited by the past and present administrations. To give us a glimpse of what we are saying here, Delta State, which is one of the ‘major’ states of the oil and gas producing Niger Delta region, is amongst the highest earners of Federal allocation in the country. Let us consider some facts and figures from 2012. Following the promise of President Goodluck Jonathan at the inception of the

Gov Uduaghan, Delta State Governor. Every time one looks around Subsidy Reinvestment and Delta State, compare what one Empowerment Programme sees with what the State earns and (SURE-P), on commitment to accrues as revenue on a monthly transparency and accountable basis, one is left seriously implementation of the disturbed as to how long must we programme, the Federal Ministry remain in such pathetic condition. of Finance, through the Minister, But of course, those that are Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, started ‘gaining’ and ‘benefitting’ from making available the breakdown the system (no matter how of subsidy savings allocated to distorted it is), will argue here and the Federal, States and Local tell you otherwise that “all is Government. For instance, for well”. In fact, since the inception August 2012, Delta State got N1, of Democratic rule from 1999, it 249, 164, 421.92. This amount seems like Delta State has included the 13% derivation practically been run under ground while in the subsidy savings at by past and present political N97 per litre, Delta State got, leaders; for nothing seems to be N188, 148, 007.01. For the working. It is like a vehicle with distribution of revenue allocation a knocked engine on the highway to state governments by the and is being pushed to start. Federation Account Allocation Every sector of the state is Committee for the month of July, bedeviled with one problem or 2012 which was shared in the other, all of which are August, 2012, Delta State made indications of “cumulated years up of 25 local government areas of bad governance.” got a Total Gross Amount of N20, Infrastructural projects are 550, 712, 001.30 and a Total Net usually poorly and haphazardly Amount of N17, 962, 569, 852. carried out; institutions and 75. Ughelli North, Warri South agencies of government and their and Burutu Local Government activities are heavily-influenced- Areas had the highest revenue politically; government contracts allocations to local government figures are usually bloated to Councils for the month with satisfy various interests, not to N213, 668, 720. 95, N203, 854, talk of the preferential way such 422.70 and N185, 375, 240.96 government contracts are respectively, while the lowest

were allocations to Patani, Bomadi and Aniocha South Local Government Councils that got N130, 719, 212.28, N185,375,240.96 and N141, 446,624.83 respectively. From the Federation Allocation, Delta State gets N24billion monthly aside the N4billion Internally Generated Revenue, of which presently has risen to about N50.4 billion according to the Chairman of Delta State Internal Board of Revenue, Hon. Onowakpo. Further facts showed that a total of N8.8 trillion was actually accrued to the three tiers of government from the Federation Account between January and December 2012 from the statutory and VAT allocations. According to a report, this amount is exclusive of other

allocations such as Derivation (for oil-producing states), Excess Crude Account, Domestic Crude Account, Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation refund and foreign exchange differentials. And from statistics provided then by the Federal Government, South-South states received the highest allocations, with Akwa-Ibom receiving N217,776,188,886.07, followed by Rivers State which received N177,488,261,117.17. Bayelsa State got N115,743,144,031.67; and of course, Delta State got a total of N156,052,071,645.19, while Edo State got N68,169,040,433.24. Cross River State N63,894,575,941.74. Then for the month of March 2013, the gross revenue from the Value Added Tax (VAT) witnessed an increase of N1, 492 billion. The sum of N64, 199 billion was available as against N62, 707 billion distributed in the preceding month. A breakdown of the distribution showed that for the month of March 2013 alone, the Federal government got N232, 529 billion (52.68%) as against N209, 856 billion received for the month of February. The State governments

shared a total of N117, 942 billion (26.72%) as against N106, 442 billion received for the previous month. The Local governments shared N90, 928 billion (20.60%) against N82, 062 billion received for February. The oil producing states, which includes our dear Delta State, shared the sum of N55, 008 billion as 13% derivation revenue for the month of March 2013 as against NN47, 484 billion collected for February 2013. Of more recent is the summary of distribution of SURE-P and other Federal allocations for the month of May shared in June 2014, as published by the Office of The Accountant-General of The Federation, Federal Ministry of Finance, which showed that Delta State got N1, 027, 490, 326.44 (for SURE-P including 13% derivation), and is amongst the South-South States like Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa with the highest figures received for just that month alone. And the total gross amount for the same month for Delta State stood at N14, 867, 591, 158.05, and so on do the figures go. Let us bear in mind that these staggering figures of federal Allocations come into Delta State Government coffers on a ‘monthly basis’. We decided to take our time to present summary of some these figures to give us an idea of the sort of public funds available to various to Nigerian political leaders, in this case Delta State, to transform their respective States. And let us not forget that all these monies are different and separate from the State’s internally generated revenue that nobody has any idea of what is really the monthly amount that comes into government coffers. The question begging for answer is: Why are states like Edo with N8billion monthly allocation (from August 2012 allocation), are moving on the “fast lane of development” but Delta is grappling with infrastructural development with poor road network across the state which shows that the amount received monthly is not commensurate with what is on ground? Even when questions are asked and calls made for more accountability (like we have always been doing all these years), satisfactory answers are never given/provided, neither does the government change from its misguided ways. Rather they are quick at defending themselves and justifying their ill-advised and deceptive actions, which we are very certain they will do as soon as this write up is made public. Whereas, when we look around Delta State, it is as if everything seems to be in a standstill. It is as if the government has gone to sleep, as there is practically nothing concrete that is happening in Continues on page 27

International News

Dozens Killed In Afghanistan Fighting

KABUL - The Afghan Taliban killed a Supreme Court official, a dozen mine clearers and several national and foreign soldiers but also suffered heavy losses from intensifying violence ahead of the withdrawal of most international troops in the next two weeks. In Kabul on Saturday, a bomb ripped through a bus carrying soldiers in Kabul, killing at least

seven of them, mangling the vehicle and sending a column of black smoke over the capital. “A suicide bomber on foot detonated his explosives at the door of a bus carrying army soldiers,” said Hashmat Stanekzai, a spokesman for Kabul police chief. Earlier gunmen shot dead senior Supreme Court official

Atiqullah Raoufi as he left his home in the city. The Taliban, ousted from power by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001, claimed responsibility, but did not say why it had killed him. The hardline Islamist insurgents run their own courts in parts of the country and consider the official judiciary to be corrupt.

Heavily fortified Kabul has seen multiple attacks in recent weeks, including several on army buses and a suicide bomb that killed a German citizen in a French cultural center during a performance of a play that denounced suicide attacks. Fatalities and injuries among Afghan security forces and civilians peaked this year to the highest point since the U.S.-led war began in 2001, as foreign forces rapidly withdrew most of their troops from the interior of mountainous nation. About 5,000 Afghan police and soldiers have been killed, and more than 1,500 civilians were killed in the first half of the year. A rump of about 13,000 foreign soldiers will remain in Afghanistan next year, down from a peak of more than 130,000. Fighting has extended long

beyond the traditional summer season, with the Afghan government also inflicting heavy casualties on the Taliban. The army and police say they killed more than 50 militants nationwide in the past 48 hours. The Taliban have been fighting a guerrilla war ever since their 5year regime was toppled. They now have a strong presence in most of the provinces surrounding Kabul. Just outside the city and close to the U.S.-run Bagram airfield, the Taliban detonated a roadside bomb on Friday night, hitting a convoy of foreign troops and killing two American soldiers. The blast left a 3-meter (10foot)-long blackened fissure in the road, a Reuters witness said. Helicopters buzzed overhead on Saturday morning. “Two International Security Assistance Force service

members died as a result of an enemy forces attack in eastern Afghanistan on Dec. 12, 2014,” a coalition press release said on Saturday. The coalition, as per its policy, declined to give the soldiers’ nationality but a U.S. defense official in Washington confirmed the two soldiers killed were American. The Bagram attack came two days after the United States closed a prison that held foreign detainees on the airfield, which is in Parwan province, the only province adjacent to the capital that is usually relatively peaceful. It also followed a NATO air strike on Thursday that killed five people in the same province. Afghan officials said the casualties were civilians. The coalition said it was investigating the allegations, but that they were identified from the air as militants before the “precision” strike.

Police Raid Media Offices Of Erdogan’s Rival

Afghan security forces inspect at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul recently.

ISTANBUL - Turkish police yesterday launched a sweeping operation to arrest dozens of supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rival, USexiled imam Fethullah Gulen, including a raid on the offices of the Zaman daily, which is close to the cleric. The operation came just two

Largest Oil Export Port Closed BENGHAZI, Libya Libya’s eastern Es Sider oil export port, the country’s biggest, has been shut due to fighting nearby between forces representing the country’s competing governments, an oil official said yesterday. Air strikes on Saturday by forces loyal to Libya’s recognized government hit targets near the port, aiming to stop an advance by troops of the rival administration in Tripoli seeking to take control of oil facilities in the country’s east. Clashes were continuing near Es Sider, Tripoli-based al-Nabaa television station said yesterday, adding that a force allied to the government in the capital was at the gates of the terminal. The Ras Lanuf port east of Es Sider was still operating but the al-Waha Oil Co running the Es Sider port had halted work, the official said. A worker said staff had left the site for security reasons. The company had been producing around 200,000 barrels a day, data from the state-run National Oil Corp (NOC) showed earlier this month. NOC had previously put the OPEC member’s output at around 755,000 bpd, though this included some 140,000 bpd of refined products partly consumed locally. Libya’s oil industry had seen a modest recovery from a wave of protests until last month, when the 340,000 bpd-El Sharara oil field in the

Oil Official

south closed due to clashes and a pipeline closure. The fighting near the Es Sider port is part of a struggle in the North African country between competing governments allied to armed factions 3-1/2 years after the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi. The recognized prime minister, Abdullah al-Thinni, has been forced into the east since a group called Libya Dawn seized Tripoli in August and set up its own government and parliament. Ibrahim Jathran, head of a petroleum protection force guarding Es Sider and three other eastern oil ports, said his force had repulsed the advance. “We confirm to the Libyan people that their resources are secure and under the protection of their sons,” Jathran told a local television station. Appearing in military uniform, he said he remained loyal to Thinni and the House of Representatives, the

assembly elected in June which also works out of the east. Last month, Libya Dawn took control of El Sharara after a force allied to Thinni

had withdrawn. But production remains shut down due to a pipeline closure by a rival group. Jathran has threatened to call for eastern secession should world powers recognize the General National Congress, the rival assembly based in Tripoli.

days after Erdogan signalled a new crackdown against the supporters of Gulen, who Erdogan blamed for orchestrating a corruption probe almost exactly a year ago against members of his inner circle. Counter-terror police conducted early morning raids in 13 cities across Turkey, including Istanbul, and detained at least 14 people including a top executive, producers and directors of a television channel close to Gulen, the state-run Anatolia news agency said. Arrest warrants were issued for a total of 32 people, including Ekrem Dumanli, the chief editor of Zaman, the country’s top selling newspaper. A huge crowd gathered outside the offices of Zaman on the

Egyptian fishermen row their boat near a warship as it crosses the Suez canal on its way to the Mediterranean sea on May 15, 2013 at Egypt’s port town of Ismailia.

Collision Kills 13 Egyptian Fishermen, 13 Missing

CAIRO - A dawn collision between two vessels in the Gulf of Suez left at least 13 Egyptian fishermen dead and 13 others missing yesterday, officials said. The vessel that struck the fishing boat carrying 40 men failed to stop following the accident, said Bakri Abul Hassan, the head of Egypt’s main fishermen’s trade union.

The accident occurred in the Gulf of Suez between Ras Ghareb on the Egyptian mainland and El-Tor on the Sinai Peninsula, he told AFP. The bodies of 13 fishermen were retrieved from the Gulf, which links the Red Sea to the Suez Canal and Mediterranean.

Another 14 fishermen were pulled from the water and a search and rescue operation was underway for those still missing. A Panamanian-flagged vessel suspected of involvement in the collision was later stopped near the port of Safaga, south of the Gulf, said Abdel Rahim Mustafa,

spokesman for Public Authority of Red Sea Ports. A man who survived the accident, Al-Sayyed Mohamed Arafat, told reporters that he had jumped from the fishing boat before the collision with the other vessel. He said he had drifted in the water for four hours clinging to a wooden crate before being rescued.

outskirts of Istanbul, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene, forcing the police to leave the building without detaining any newspaper employees. “The free press cannot be silenced,” the crowd chanted, as Dumanli defiantly addressed them, challenged the police to come and detain him. As in almost all the previous raids — which targetted mostly police officers — the details of the swoop were leaked by a mysterious Twitter user named Fuat Avni before it was even carried out. Last week Fuat Avni warned his supporters that police were set to detain some 400 people, including 150 journalists. Late Saturday, he went on to publish the names of those journalists, some of whom were among those rounded up. The government has repeatedly tried to shut down Fuat Avni’s Twitter account but the user simply moves to another address. The swoop was the latest in a series of raids since July against Gulen supporter as the government cracks down on what Erdogan has described as a “parallel state” within the security forces seeking to topple his government. It came a year after a vast corruption scandal probe was launched on December 17, 2013 that saw dozens of leading businessmen and political figures close to Erdogan, including the sons of three ministers, detained. Erdogan managed to stall the investigation by sacking thousands of police and scores of judges and pushing through laws tightening state control over the judiciary and the Internet. The president last Friday signalled a new crackdown against Gulen supporters, saying he would “pursue them in their lairs”. “I want my dear nation to know that we are not just faced with a simple network, but one which is a pawn of evil forces at home and abroad,” he said. “We will go into their lairs again. Whoever is beside them and behind them, we will bring down this network and bring it to account,” he added.

International Features Washington - The US Congress passed a $1.1trillion spending bill for fiscal year 2015, capping a week of acrimonious wrangling while averting a government shutdown and sending the measure to President Barack Obama. The bill, which narrowly cleared the House of Representatives on Thursday and survived a series of procedural hurdles to pass the Senate 56 votes to 40 during a rare weekend session, funds nearly all federal government agencies through next September. But by funding the Department of Homeland Security until only February, it sets up a showdown over Obama’s controversial immigration plan early next year, when a Congress under full Republican control will take another shot at rolling back the executive order shielding millions from deportation. Despite the sometimes dramatic bickering between — and within — the two parties in the special session, the bill needed bipartisan cooperation to pass the Democratic-led chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the bill was an imperfect but necessary compromise. “Since 2011, Congress has lurched from crisis to crisis, with the country constantly under threat of a shutdown or financial catastrophe. It is a bad habit, and the American people are sick of it,” he said. Referring to America’s tax and environment agencies, number two Senate Republican John Cornyn noted how the legislation “slashes spending for some of the president’s most overreaching agencies like the IRS and EPA (and) blocks the administration’s plan to transfer dangerous terrorists onto American soil” from the Guantanamo military prison. Of the 40 no votes, 22 were Democrats, many of them furious that negotiators inserted deeply controversial policy riders into the package, including one that rolls back key financial regulations on Wall Street banks. Another eviscerates parts of existing campaign finance law by allowing wealthy donors to contribute dramatically more money to political campaigns than currently allowed. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal voted no,

Congress Passes 2015 Spending Bill

saying the package was “poisoned by special favors flagrantly contrary to the public interest.” The White House has indicated Obama will sign the

against the plan, but it was rejected by a 22-74 vote. Cruz, widely accused by Democrats of causing last year’s 16-day government shutdown, appeared in no

had been stalled by Republicans. “It will have the end result of causing nominees whom I

Us Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (centre), and Speaker of the House John Boehner, attend a ceremony at the US Capitol, Washington, DC recently.

bill. The battle over funding has been a bruiser. It included a revolt by House Democrats that nearly sank the measure earlier this week, and procedural delay tactics in the Senate. Congress needed to pass funding extensions twice in as many days to keep government from tumbling into a shutdown, as leaders struggled to get the funding across the finish line and bid farewell to the 113th Congress, one of the least productive sessions in modern history. In the Senate, the measure survived a largely symbolic Republican challenge to Obama’s immigration order. Conservative firebrand Senator Ted Cruz brought a constitutional point of order

hurry to ease passage of the spending bill a day earlier, giving a fiery floor speech attacking congressional leaders for their failure to stand up to Obama’s immigration order. But the political tempest triggered by Cruz and fellow conservative Senator Mike Lee may have backfired, bringing criticism from several in their party. It enabled Reid to launch a series of votes on Obama’s nominees for judgeships and executive branch positions, some of them controversial. “I haven’t seen Harry Reid smile like this in years. I don’t like it one bit,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, who rued his party’s “missteps” that allowed a vote on surgeon general nominee Vivek Murthy, whose nomination

think are not well-qualified to be confirmed, so I don’t understand the approach that he is taking, and I think it’s very unfortunate and counterproductive,” Senate Republican Susan Collins said of Cruz, according to The New York Times. “This reminds me very much of the shutdown last year, where the strategy made absolutely no sense and was counterproductive.” The funding contains $1.014 trillion in discretionary domestic spending, plus $64 billion in military overseas contingency operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The measure provides $5 billion for operations to counter the Islamic State extremist group, and $5.4 billion in emergency funding

Voters cast votes in Japan’s general election at a polling station in Tokyo yesterday.

was secured to respond to the Ebola crisis — slightly less

than the $6 billion Obama requested.

TOKYO - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s party looks set for a huge win in an election yesterday that will allow him to claim a fresh mandate for his reflationary policies to revive Japan’s economy, although voter turnout appeared headed for a postwar record low. Abe has cast the snap election as a referendum on his “Abenomics” strategy to end deflation and generate growth. Media exit polls, which have proved reliable in the past, will come out at 8 p.m. (6 a.m. EST). The conservative leader called the vote after just two years in office in a gamble originally seen as potentially costing his party seats. But media projections have said his long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) could win more than 300 seats in the 475-member lower house, possibly its biggest victory since its founding nearly six decades ago. Together, the LDP and its junior partner are forecast to keep their two-thirds “supermajority”. Experts cautioned before the election that any mandate for Abe might be smaller than it first appears since disaffected voters who are increasingly dubious of Abenomics but wary of the opposition could stay home in large numbers. At 2 p.m., voter turnout was 22.7 percent, down almost 5 percentage points from the same time in the last general election in 2012, government data showed. Turnout hit a postwar record low of 59.3 percent in that poll, which saw Abe return to power for a rare second term on pledges to reboot an economy plagued by deflation and an aging, shrinking population. “This is not so much a vote of confidence in Abe and the LDP as a vote of noconfidence in the political opposition,” said Columbia University professor Gerry Curtis. Hopes for Abe’s “Three

Arrows” of hyper-easy monetary policy, government spending and reforms such as deregulation were tarnished after the economy slipped into recession in the third quarter following an April sales tax rise. Recent data suggest any rebound is fragile. Abe decided last month to put off a second tax hike to 10 percent until April 2017, raising concerns about how Japan will curb its huge public debt, the worst among advanced nations. “I worry that Japan’s public finances will get even worse,” said Akihiro Fujihara, 38, who planned to vote later yesterday. “I wish there was a party out there that would come up with actual proposals to make Japan a better place to live.” Media forecasts suggest the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has been unable to gain traction, largely due to voters’ memories of a 2009-2012 rule plagued by policy flip-flops, infighting and three premiers in three years. Abe called the election in a bid to strengthen his grip on power before tackling unpopular policies such as restarting nuclear reactors taken off-line after the 2011 Fukushima disaster and a security policy shift away from post-war pacifism. The expected LDP victory could make it easier for Abe to be re-elected in a party leadership race next September, boosting the chance he stays in power through 2018 and becomes one of Japan’s rare long-term leaders. Aside from local elections in April, his coalition will probably not need to face voters until a 2016 election for the upper house, where the LDP and the Komeito party now hold a majority. “If Abe wins big, he will at least have a free hand on policy until the 2016 upper house election,” said Hideyuki Ishiguro, senior strategist at Okasan Securities.

Abe’s Party Eyes Big Win In Japan’s Election

International Russia Denies Military Jet Near Miss With Airliner Over Sweden

Japan Heads To Polls With Abe On Course To Retain Power TOKYO - Japan was voting Sunday in a snap general election which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has billed as a referendum on his economic policies after the success of his first two years faded and the country slumped into recession. The premier is seeking public blessing for “Abenomics” — his signature plan to fix the the country’s flaccid economy — with observers expecting that an underwhelming and underprepared opposition will be routed. Opinion polls predict his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito will sweep the ballot, probably with an unassailable two-thirds majority which would give them the power to override the upper house. “I have been pushing for Abenomics, the policies designed to create jobs and raise salaries,” Abe told hundreds of voters in Tokyo’s neon-lit Akihabara electronics district on the eve of the election. “Japan can be much richer,” Abe said, sporting a knee-length white windbreaker emblazoned with his campaign slogan: “This is the only way”. Abe, 60, was only halfway through his four-year term when he called the vote last month. The first two of his “three arrows” of Abenomics — monetary easing and fiscal stimulus — have largely hit their targets; the once-painfully high yen has plunged, sending stocks higher. And prices have begun rising after years of standing still — proof, says Abe, that this is the beginning of a virtuous circle of economic growth, with higher wages soon to follow. However a sales tax rise in April snuffed out consumer spending, sending Japan into the two negative quarters of growth that make a recession. Economists say more important than the temporary highs offered by easy money and government spending is structural reform of Japan’s highly-regulated and protected economy — the third arrow of Abenomics. Critics say Abe has not been bold enough in taking on the vested interests that are the real key to reversing nearly two decades of economic underperformance. A four-year mandate from the electorate may embolden the prime minister’s hand and see off opposition from within a vast and ill-disciplined LDP, too often given to bouts of regicide. But heavy snow across swathes of Japan on Sunday looked set to further dampen enthusiasm among alreadyuninspired voters, raising fears of a record low turnout.

A Russian Antonov An-124 Ruslan Strategic airlift jet aircraft flies above the Kremlin’s cathedrals in Moscow during a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade.

MOSCOW - Russia’s defence ministry yesterday denied a report by Swedish military that a Russian military plane nearly collided this week with a passenger plane over Sweden. Russia’s defence ministry did not deny that its plane was in the area at the time of the incident on Friday, but said that it was at a safe distance of more than 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the flight path of the passenger jet. The incident happened amid growing concern in the Baltic region over signs of more assertive Russian behaviour, including Russian planes skirting or violating the national airspace of neighbouring countries. “There were no conditions for an aviation incident connected to

the flight last December 12 of a Russian military plane in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters. “The distance from the flight path of the passenger jet that took off from Copenhagen was more than 70 kilometres,” he added. The spokesman confirmed the Swedish defence ministry’s statement that the Russian plane was flying without an electronic identification device called a transponder that would have made it visible on the radar of a commercial plane. Sweden’s Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist described flying without a transponder as “irresponsible”.

Kerry Heads To Talks On Palestinian Statehood Bid

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State John Kerry left early Sunday for a series of meetings in Europe seeking to head off an end-of-year UN showdown over a Palestinian bid for statehood. His first stop was to be Rome where he will meet separately with both Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Diplomats say negotiations on a UN resolution to revive IsraeliPalestinian peace prospects are making little headway, with Europeans waiting for a US response to proposals. Jordan last month circulated a draft Palestinian text to the Security Council setting November 2016 as a deadline for the end of the Israeli occupation. But the text ran into opposition from the United States, which has veto power, and other countries that felt it lacked balance, diplomats said. It was never put to a vote. France stepped in last month to try to cobble together along with Britain and Germany a resolution that would win consensus at the 15-member council. And the Palestinians have said they would like a draft resolution to go to a vote before the end of

the year. The text would call for a return to negotiations with a view to achieving a two-state solution by which Israel and a Palestinian state would co-exist. Negotiations have hit hurdles over whether to include a twoyear deadline for talks on a final settlement to be completed. France is also proposing to host an international conference to launch the new peace track. Kerry met Thursday with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius on the sidelines of climate talks in Lima, to discuss the tensions in the Middle East. Supporters of a UN resolution

are now hoping to win US backing or at least ensure Washington will not oppose the measure — which would be the first text adopted by the council on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2009. “There is a window of opportunity,” said a European diplomat. “There is a willingness from the Americans to consider options at the UN.” Kerry led dogged efforts earlier this year to try to reach an Israeli Palestinian peace deal, but the bid collapsed amid bitter recriminations by both sides.

Relations between the US and Israel have been uneasy since, amid a series of spats and behindthe-scenes name-calling. Kerry is due to meet Lavrov yrsterday, shortly after arriving in Rome. Talks with Netanyahu follow today, after which the top US diplomat is expected to travel on within Europe although no stops have yet been announced. Russia responded angrily on Saturday to news that US senators had passed a bill calling for fresh sanctions against Moscow and the supply of lethal

US Secretary of State John Kerry delivers a speech in Lima on December 11, 2014

military aid to Ukraine. The eight-month conflict in Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian separatists has left at least 4,634 dead and 10,243 wounded, while displacing more than 1.1 million people, according to the United Nations. Deputy Russian foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said however the main focus of the Rome meeting — the 17th between the two diplomats this year — would be the Middle East. The talks come as European parliaments in Britain, France, Spain, Ireland and Portugal have asked their governments to recognize Palestinian statehood — a move that would bypass negotiations. And the campaign for snap Israeli elections in March is also complicating the regional political landscape. “There are a lot of different folks pushing in different directions out there, and the question is can we all pull in the same direction,” Kerry said Friday, when asked about his meeting with Netanyahu. “We’re trying to figure out a way to help defuse the tensions and reduce the potential for more conflict, and we’re exploring various possibilities to that end.”

Congo’s Mining Heartland Crisis: UN, Aid Groups PWETO, Democratic Republic of Congo - Faced with a dearth of United Nations peacekeepers, lack of funding and competition from other global crises, relief agencies are struggling to contain a growing humanitarian disaster in Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining heartland. More than a decade after the official end of a 1998-2003 war that killed millions of people in Congo, mostly from hunger and disease, donors are keen to switch from emergency aid to longer-term development projects in the vast central African country.

But the deteriorating situation in the copper and cobalt-rich southeastern province of Katanga, which the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) labeled “catastrophic” last month, throws into sharp relief the gaping humanitarian needs. The number of displaced people in Katanga has leapt to nearly 600,000, from 55,000 three years ago, mostly due to violence by armed groups, including the secessionist movement Bakata Katanga. The crisis has taken Congo’s humanitarian community by surprise after a decade spent

Overstretched

focusing on the eastern border provinces of North and South Kivu, a volatile patchwork of rebel and militia fiefdoms that never fully emerged from the war. “Suddenly, we turn to a zone where there is a major crisis in the process of developing but where there are not enough humanitarian actors,” Moustapha Soumaré, the U.N.’s humanitarian coordinator in Congo, told reporters. One major obstacle is the lack of basic security. The U.N.

refugee agency (UNHCR) has urged Congo’s U.N. peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) to increase its presence in Katanga. Of 21,000 U.N. soldiers in Congo, only around 450 are deployed in Katanga. After a decade and a half of operations, the U.N. mission aims to start scaling down its force in Congo next year, despite the persistent violence in the country’s east. “We have been requesting frantically for more troops but so

far it has been very difficult,” said Alessandra Trabatoni, MONUSCO’s chief of office in the northern Katangan town of Kalemie. “There is no real appetite for sending more troops.” The violence, mainly clustered in a so-called “Triangle of Death” between the towns of Manono, Mitwaba and Pweto, has so far left the province’s vast industrial mining operations farther south almost entirely unaffected. But the constant stream of displaced people has strained humanitarian resources beyond the breaking point.

Issues Continued from page 23 terms of needed developmental efforts. Our road networks are all virtually in a terrible state of abandonment with unspeakable pot-holes and gullies. For instance, major roads in Warri, Effurun, Ugboroke and environs, are in a state of disrepair. The rainy season has even made them worst, as there is no proper drainage systems and waste management processes to ease the situation. Take for instance the all-busy and commercially viable Airport Express Road, which was recently resurfaced from the New Internal Board of Revenue building down to St. Mary Junction, the said resurfaced areas of Airport Road was so poorly done that the rains have practically washed off the resurfaced layer. Some areas like Ugboroke junction are even worst off as the resurfaced layers of Airport Road emit dust when dry, leaving motorists and road users to suffer greatly. Many have even argued that the Airport Express Road would have been left the way it was (which was still manageable) before the so called resurfacing job. Other road networks in Warri and environs that are seriously begging for attention include the incomplete Udu road rehabilitation, the abandoned Oruwhoroun Road, the several damaged portions of PTI Effurun Road, the incomplete Okumagba Avenue Road, the forgotten Giwamu, Ugborikoko and Apalla Roads, the developing pot-holes in several areas of Ugboroke layout road, etc. This is just the few examples in Warri and environs. The situation is the same in other cities of Delta State, including the State Capital Asaba. Then there is the ongoing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Lane on the famous Warri-Sapele Road that presently runs from Japka Junction to Enerhen Junction. The said BRT Lane Project, which can best be described as an “after-thought” and “unplanned” project of the Delta State Government, has been replete with a lot of problems that have made it a nightmare for road users and motorists. Because of the size of the Warri-Sapele Road, the said ongoing BRT Lane Project is making life hell for motorists that are now forced to squeeze themselves and use the little space remaining on the side. The issue of ‘Side-Walk’ by pedestrians is completely out of the question, as people are seen treading on any available space close to buildings to get their destination. One cannot help but wonder how a State Government and its Contractor can initiate a BRT Lane Project on an existing narrow expressway without first “expanding the road” (with good drainage system) to adequately accommodate the BRT Lane and other road users by the side? Who starts such a huge project that would deface existing structures without first sitting down to appropriately plan and strategize each stages of the project and how best to go about it? It was after the project was initiated that it became clear that adequate plan was never made to address a lot

of things. Even though the Delta State Government was reported to have promised to expand the said Warri-Sapele Road before work would continue, that has remained to be seen up till now. Also, with the current width/size of the said BRT Lane, it will be hazardous and even dangerous for the Delta State Government to use the usual big Marcpolo buses for its BRT Transportation because it will not be safe for such Bus sizes to pass on opposite sides on its lane. Not unless the Government intends to use a smaller type of Buses for its BRT Transport scheme. Let us also remember that the Delta State Government had embarked and completed the construction of several Bus Stop Terminals/Shades in major cities of the State, which were never used by Deltans or public transporters till date. Not that these Bus Stops Points are not good, but the fact is that they were never needed in the first place by Deltans, going by the dynamics of the transport sector in Delta State. But our Delta State Government and its cabinet are very good at copying what they see in other States like Lagos, without first considering if such projects will work in the State or accepted by the people; thereby making such projects a complete waste of public funds. We are however not surprised by these unfortunate developments in the infrastructural developments of Delta State because of the issue of “vested selfish political interests” in government circles, which has made the appointment, award of contracts and job execution to be heavilyinfluenced politically. Take DESOPADEC for instance, despite the fact that it is supposed to be an interventionist Development Commission of the Delta State Government that is meant to use 50% of the 13% Derivation funds of Delta State to develop oil-producing areas of the State, the Commission cannot boast of any meaningful concrete and sustainable project/ programme it has executed since inception, especially in recent times. This is because DESOPADEC is heavilydominated by politicians and political interests at its Management level. It is therefore impossible for DESOPADEC to actualize what it was established to do in the first place. It is as if DESOPADEC has gone to sleep and has become a conduit pipe through which State public funds are misappropriated by some selected few. We have advised the Delta State Governor on several occasions that If the Delta State Government truly desires to develop the state beyond the wildest imagination, it should borrow a leaf from its Rivers State counterpart by restructuring DESOPADEC like that of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA). Although it is fashioned in the concept of DESOPADEC, the RSSDA works in a partnership arrangement with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). Going by this

...X-Raying The Agenda Under The Lens Of arrangement, Shell (SPDC) The Rivers State Governor, in Effurun RoundRealities Fly-over personnel who are largely Amaechi allows the RSSDA to run about, the Streetlights that are no indigenes of the state are seconded to manage and execute all capital-intensive infrastructural projects/ programmes of the state. The beauty of it all is that these Shell staffs are all in the payroll of their parent company and not the government. It is equally worthy of mention that all the personnel so drafted are technocrats and experts in their respective fields, and not politicians. Although the first Director-General (DG) of the Agency was a Shell Staff by name Bolaji Ogunseyi, however a native of Rivers State, Mr. Noble Pepple, also a Shell staff, was appointed to take over in January 2010. One Roosevelt Eki, another staff of Shell and an Ijaw from Bayelsa State (who was the Project Manager for the Osubi Airstrip Project), was appointed to assist the DG.

on its own without any government intervention or influence. To spell it out clearly, Shell personnel are given a free hand to manage all activities of the Agency. The Rivers State Government does not interfere with the administration/ management of the Agency. If you look at the RSSDA Board, none was appointed or recommended by the Rivers State governor. This is the opposite of what we find in Delta State with DESOPADEC that is heavily influenced by the Delta State Government. When the RSSDA got wind of the Divestment of oil and gas assets in Delta State, they immediately started floating a private company called Treasure Energy Resources Ltd. And if you look at the Management Board of the company, which include Rev. Precious Omuko, Prof. Nimi Briggs as members, and Dr. Eddie Wikina (a former GM of Local Content in Shell), as Managing

that there is no smoke without fire, and for every rumour, there is an atom of truth in it. The fact remains that the Udughan administration is a failure when compared to its neighbors of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. However, it is all not bad in Delta State. To be fair, the present Delta State Government led by Dr. Emmanuel Udughan, has tried in the renovation/ refurbishing of some State primary and secondary schools in the Urban areas of the State. The remodeling and reconstruction of strategic roundabouts like Enerhen Junction and Jakpa Junction. And also, the provision of Urban Mass transit buses for transportation within the State. However, even these ‘good’ attributes of Governor Uduaghan administration, are executed on ‘selective’ grounds. Take the

Gov Uduaghan of Delta State Mr. Noble Pepple, who is on secondment from Shell (SPDC), came to the job as DG/ CEO of RSSDA with his strong expertise and pedigree in sustainable development, change management, personal and organizational leadership. He is responsible for the major transformation that RSSDA has undergone since 2010, which has seen the Agency achieve key delivery milestones and placed it on sound footing for even greater success. Under his leadership, RSSDA won in the Gold category the prestigious 2012 International Star Quality in Leadership Award given by the Business Initiative Directions, an international organization which champions the global promotion of better business reputation and excellence. Other key experts that make up RSSDA include Boma Jack, a lawyer and an expert in sustainable development in Shell. All the departments are being managed by Shell Staff. All recruitments for the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency are carried through Shell, without an iota of influence from the government.

Director/CEO, and Chamberlain O. Oyibo (a former Group Managing Director – GMD of the NNPC) as Chairman, one would see that these are professional technocrats and experts in their various fields of sustainable development. None of them is a politician nor were they appointed or under the influence and dictates of the State Government. Rev. Precious Omuko, a former Director in Shell, is the Vice Chairman of Treasure Energy Resources Ltd and also Chairman of RSSDA. The interesting part is that at the moment, Treasure Energy Resources Ltd vision is to buy a stake in Shell’s divestment in the Eastern Operations of Rivers and Bayelsa States, so as to develop these oil and gas assets locally. This is different from what we observed in Delta State with Shell Divestment in the Western Operations. In fact, it was alleged that the Delta State Government had used fronts to try to acquire Shell oil and gas assets for their selfish interests and not the interest of the people. In order words, they were more interested in buying oil blocks for themselves, just the way they were said to have been buying several investments in Asaba, Abuja and Lagos. Some might say these are rumours, but we all know

renovation/refurbishment of State Primary and Secondary Schools in Urban areas of the State for instance, one would notice the lopsided upgrade of educational structures and see the discriminatory interest in favour of his native Itsekiri against the neglect of other tribes like the Urhobos in Warri and environs. Go to Dom-Domingos College, see Nana College and others around Itsekiri strongholds, he has transformed them into mini universities, but go to Urhobo College, Hussey College, Unity College of Commerce - UCC (by Igbudu Market), Esi College and even Government College Ughelli, you will see the neglect. These schools are amongst the oldest in Delta State and very high notable people from the South East and South West were products of these schools that neglected today. The schools that have Itsekiri names are given attention by the Uduaghan administration while those with Urhobo names are left in squalor. More so, for a government that barely has five months to exit from office, one begins to wonder what will the faith of some of the ongoing projects in the State, especially in Warri and environs. These include the BRT Lane, the

longer sustainable, The Osubi Airstrip that needs to be upgraded to international standard but appears to have been abandoned, the countless numbers of bad road networks, etc. Take the Osubi Airstrip near Warri for instance; the Osubi Airstrip is currently being underutilized because of its size. You cannot get a flight from Abuja to Warri at the weekends except you pass through Benin. There is nothing wrong with the Airport in Asaba, especially since it is located in the State’s Capital. But one would have espected that by now, the Delta State governor ought to have asked the federal Government to take over the Osubi Airstrip and upgrade and expand it to an international Airport since it is strategically located in urban Delta. As we all know, the Osubi Airstrip is a standard Airstrip privately owned by Shell. However, it ought to have been taken over by the government and upgraded/ expanded to make it more commercially viable. But because of the location of the Osubi Airstrip, the Delta State Governor is playing politics with it and not doing anything. There is also the Warri Industrial Park often talked about with so much publicity, but this is merely more on paper than in reality. In fact, most of this administration’s projects/ programmes are mere propagandas and publicity stunts aimed at scoring cheap political points for “future political ambitions” of the State Governor and his supporters. The crux of the matter is that Deltans, especially those in political circles, should stop all the praise-singing and sycophancy for things to change for the good of all. We should stop deceiving ourselves by telling our political leaders the truth and nothing but the truth. The few people that praise the Delta State know in their deep hearts that this administration in not performing as expected. But they will prefer to praise the governor because of what they are gaining or expected to gain from the system. We simply cannot continue like this. Praises and sycophancy did not make Europe and America what they are today. Praising Governor Uduaghan for doing nothing will not take us anywhere as a people. If we most move ahead as the people of Delta State, then this culture of widespread celebration of mediocrity, no matter how long it has been with us, has to be uprooted and done away with; both from the political leaders and the followers. No matter how hard or daunting this task may seem, we believe there is no problem that has no solution. But we must acknowledge the fact that we have a problem as a people in this regard, and then we can take the necessary steps in addressing it. Not acknowledging that we have a serious problem in Delta State with our present crop of political leaders, will be the greatest self-delusion of all. Zik Gbemre, JP

Chelsea March On But Lampard Weighs

CHELSEA felt Cesc Fabregas’ absence against Hull City on Saturday but Jose Mourinho would not be caught admitting as much.

Heavily On Mourinho’s Mind His response to the suggestion is difficult to transcribe. “We never miss the players that don’t play,” he said. “We miss, but we don’t miss, do you understand? We miss, but we don’t miss. We miss, but we say we don’t miss!” Mourinho seemingly meant that his team can be missing players in the simple sense that they are not available, but will not bemoan their unavailability, or use it as an excuse. “Our philosophy is not to speak about the ones that are not playing. John Obi Mikel did well, Nemanja Matic did well, Oscar did well. Fabregas did nothing,” he joked. Starting Mikel in the Spaniard’s place seemed a remarkably cautious decision against Hull, who have now won one in 15, and sure enough,

• Jose Mourinho

Ferdinand Has No regrets Over QPR Move

THE 36-year-old centreback penned a one-year deal at Loftus Road ahead of the 2014-15 campaign, after a trophy-laded 12-year spell at Manchester United came to an end. Ferdinand was initially a mainstay of the first-team and he has started seven Premier League games for the club. However, a Football Association ban coupled with fitness concerns have seen the former England international drop out of the team, with his last appearance coming on October 5. Despite a lack of playing time, Ferdinand remains content with his decision to reunite with manager Harry Redknapp - who he also played under during his time at West Ham. “No footballer worth his

salt likes sitting on the bench. So I would be lying if I said I’m perfectly okay about being left out of the QPR team recently,” he told The Sun. “When you have enjoyed all the success of being at a club as big as Manchester United for more than a decade, there is no hiding the

fact that my current circumstances are a bit of a comedown. “But do not make the mistake of thinking I have any regrets about my move to Loftus Road - because I don’t. “I knew what I was getting

myself into and knew I’d be at a club where you would mostly spend your time looking up at teams rather than down at those below you. “And I was well aware that I probably wouldn’t play every game. I’m realistic that, at the age of 36, that was never going to happen.”

Garcia Calls For Roma To Move On THE Serie A outfit were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, beaten 2-0 by Manchester City to finish third in Group E. Garcia is eager to see his team move on, sitting three points adrift of league leaders Juventus ahead of the trip to Genoa. “We were all disappointed after the game [with Manchester City] and of

course also the day after the game,” he said. “But as I told the team, we now must turn the page and that’s what we’ve done because the league is back and we must play a difficult game against Genoa who are fourth at the moment and historically are tough to beat at home.” Genoa have surprised in the league this season, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s men sitting

fourth. Garcia is wary of Gasperini’s men, who have been led by Milan loanee Alessandro Matri (six league goals) this season. “They play very direct football, they like to play tough and generally speaking it’s always difficult to face them,” he said. “That’s why we need to place all our focus and energies into this game only, and nothing else.”

Hinguain Must Become A Leader At Napoli

Rafael Benitez

RAFAEL Benitez has urged Gonzalo Higuain to prove that he can be a real leader of men and inspire Napoli to victory over AC Milan on Sunday. Higuain has established himself as a fan favourite at the San Paolo, having hit 24 goals in 46 Serie A games since joining the Partenopei from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 for +37 million. However, Benitez wants more from the Argentina international, arguing that the forward must understand that he is not only obliged to put the ball in the back of the net, but also lift everyone around him. “Gonzalo must understand that he’s our most important player,” the Spaniard is quoted as saying by the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He must be the leader of the squad and drag all of the lads along with him, which he has the ability to do.” Napoli are sixth in the standings heading into the Serie A clash, just one place and three points above their hosts. The Rossoneri are coming off the back of a 1-0 loss at Genoa but Benitez has the utmost respect for the San Siro side and believes their pace up front is a particular threat. “Filippo Inzaghi’s team have quality and energy in every department,” he added. “They have so many fast players in attack that could put us in real difficulty. “Beyond the tactical formation, they have so many quality individuals, so it will be an intriguing encounter.”

much of the game became a midfield scrap. Chelsea did not have their usual fluency despite Eden Hazard’s early goal, and Hull were quite content to stay in the game by helping to ensure no rhythm was established. The problem is there is not an obvious alternative. Ramires might have offered more impetus going forward but is not the kind of thoughtful passer of the ball who might have smoothed Chelsea’s build-up play out. Beyond him there are the teenagers Lewis Baker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, neither of whom have ever played a Premier League game. One hundred miles up the road, Manchester City called on a man of rather more experience against Leicester. Frank Lampard’s winning goal was his 175th in the division, drawing him level with Thierry Henry, and keeps the defending champions in touch with a side

many were labelling the champions-elect as early as September. If not having the ideal backup central midfielder is top of your list of problems, things are pretty good, but for a number of different reasons it will frustrate Mourinho to see Lampard make such an impact with a rival. The manager himself seemed to hope to renew the contracts of Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole at the end of last season. Various reports suggested powers above Mourinho were holding back on offering those players anything more than performance-related, one-year deals, and they can count themselves extremely fortunate that Terry accepted without too much fuss. He has been the Premier League’s best central defender and you sense it will not take them until May to extend his contract this time.

UCL: Perfect Time To Face

United - Lambert BRENDAN Rodgers’ men exited the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, drawing 11 at home to Basel to finish third in Group B. Lambert, 32, said the trip to Old Trafford came at the ideal time for his side, who are ninth in the Premier League. “I’m not saying everything can click into gear in one game and then it will all be fine,” he said. “But, after the week we’ve had, it is the perfect match to get the team rallied and get us going again. “If we can’t get ourselves up for United, we can’t get ourselves up for any game.” Lambert told his team-mates they needed to understand the criticism after their disappointing Champions League campaign. “The flak is flying,” he said. “It’s something that you can’t get away from being a Liverpool player, something you have to accept. “We were all expecting it after

Rickie Lambert

Tuesday and you have to put that on your shoulders and move on. Believe me, we are hurting just as much as the fans – and will try to rectify it. “There is not much more I can say because the performance and the result against United is all that matters now.” With Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli injured, and Fabio Borini out of favour, Lambert has started six straight matches in all competitions. He is excited about featuring in a Liverpool-United clash and said there was hatred between the two clubs. “It has turned into probably our most important game over the years. It’s brilliant to watch, the atmosphere; the intensity of the game,” Lambert said. “There’s a lot of respect but a bit of hatred as well. It’s everything we want in a game. Two good teams, two top clubs going head to head. It’s something I’m looking forward to.”

Autumn Title Means Nothing Bundesliga:

BAYERN ensured they-Lewandowski would top the German championship means standings going into the nothing, we have to be mid-season break with first at the end of the two games to spare thanks season. to Saturday’s 4-0 win at “There are plenty of Augsburg. games still to go.” After a goalless first Midfielder Bastian half, Pep Guardiola’s side Schweinsteiger made his ran riot after the interval, first league start of the scoring four times in the season at the SGL-Arena space of 13 minutes as he continues to recover through Mehdi Benatia, from knee surgery, and Lewandowski and twice had praise for the Arjen Robben. approach of Augsburg Having been crowned arguably this season’s the Bundesliga’s surprise package in the ‘Herbstmeistern’ Bundesliga. (Autumn champions), for “It wasn’t easy, but we a fourth successive played very well in the season, Bayern will be half,” the expected to go on and win second Germany captain a third straight league explained. title. “There are good reasons But Lewandowski is keen to retain focus with why Augsburg are third. “They’re very two games before the passionate, very break still to come as aggressive and their firstBayern look to continue tactics were their dominance over the half excellent. Bundesliga. “After we went 1-0 up, “We really went for it in Augsburg tried to play a the second half and played very well,” he more attacking game. “We made good use of said. the gaps that opened up “Four goals in one half and went on to score our is a good performance. “The autumn goals.”

Dortmund Without Mkhitaryan Until 2015 THE Armenia international limped out of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Hertha Berlin with the scores goalless, having initially impressed in midfield. Mkhitaryan’s replacement, Jakub Blaszczykowski, coughed up possession for Julian Schieber’s winner as the former Dortmund striker came back to haunt the club he left for the capital in July. And Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp expects to be without Mkhitaryan for their final two games before the mid-season break - against Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen - as the Ruhr club look to arrest a dismal season which sees them currently sat in the Bundesliga’s relegation play-off place. Klopp said: “He felt a tweak, which isn’t good in a three-game week. “It’s very likely that he’ll miss the rest of the first half of the season.”

Dortmund host Wolfsburg on Wednesday before rounding off their first half of the campaign at Bremen’s Weserstadion.

Frank Ribery jumps in celebration after scoring a goal in a match

I Could Leave Bayern Munich For USA, Qatar Or UAE -Ribery

BAYERN Munich ace Franck Ribery has revealed that he could see himself moving to the United States, Qatar or United Arab Emirates before he retires. The 31-year-old winger is a club in Europe but my heart key cog in Pep Guardiola’s is beating too much for starting line-up and is under Bayern. contract to the Bundesliga “But I could imagine going champions until June 2017. However, while Ribery insisted that he is settled in Bavaria and has little interest in leaving for another European side, he is drawn to the idea of a new experience in Asia or the States. LUIS Enrique’s side “I’ve been here for almost eight years,” he told Welt am stumbled off Real Madrid’s Sonntag. “Bayern and I are pace at the top of the league in a frustrating outing at the like a married couple! “I bought us a house here. Coliseum Alfonso Perez - a My son was born here. I raised day after Real had beaten my daughters here. They Almeria 4-1. Lionel Messi saw chances speak better German than me: go begging, with goalkeeper articulate and grammatically Vicente Guaita and the perfect. crossbar denying the “I could play for another

to the US, Qatar or Dubai for a new experience.” Meanwhile, Ribery admitted that he is desperately awaiting the release of former Bayern president Uli Hoeness, who was sentenced

to three-and-a-half years in prison in March. “We all want him back here,” the ex-France international added. “I miss him, just as everyone else here does.”

Argentinian. And Camp Nou skipper Xavi was left to rue his side’s inability to break through a stubborn Getafe backline, hinting a lack of tactical flexibility may have damaged their efforts. He said: “This is a step backwards. We tried it all in the kind of game we’re used to facing, but if you can’t break the deadlock things get difficult. “We had three or four really good chances, especially the Messi free-kick onto the bar, but the ball didn’t want to go

in. “The most important thing is to win, more than the system, and we weren’t able to do that.” The failure to win leaves Barca four points off Real at the top, but Xavi’s midfield partner Sergio Busquets was keen not to get too carried away with negative thoughts. “Of course we’d rather be top,” he added. “But there’s a lot of league still to play. “We have to take things game by game and start cutting away at the difference bit by bit.”

scored twice in the first half as the 10 men of Valencia defeated Rayo 3-0 at the Mestalla. Valencia - fifth in the standings - had gone four league matches without a win before kick-off on Saturday. “The three points from this game were vital for us,” Nuno said post-game. “I am satisfied with how Rodrigo de Paul played, coming in for Dani Parejo. “We played well, we scored goals and we created chances. We showed that Alvaro Negredo and Paco Alcacer can play together, along with

Rodrigo, and whoever plays will depend on the game.” Hosts Valencia played the final 20 minutes with a man less after Andre Gomes was sent off for a second bookable offence. “All of our red cards this year have come when our player has been fighting for the ball and has been grabbed,” Nuno added. “The opposition player stops our man chasing the ball by holding him back, and we end up with a player sent off. I don’t want to comment on refereeing, but I will say this: we are not a violent team.”

Xavi Laments A Step Backwards For Barca

Nuno Hails Valencia NUNO hails Valencia’s Vital Win ‘vital’ win Sofiane Feghouli

Xavi and Lionel Messi.

Bruce Unaware Of Ben Arfa Whreabouts

Arsenal A Bridge Too Far

NEWCASTLE travelled to the Emirates Stadium on a run of just one defeat from 10 matches in all competitions and buoyed by the confidence of an excellent 2-1 victory over league leaders Chelsea the previous weekend. However, Arsene Wenger’s men proved too big of a challenge as both Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla scored twice in a comfortable 4-1 home victory. Manager Pardew retains belief that his side can compete with any opponents, but conceded that Arsenal were too good on the day. “I still felt even at 3-1 the game was in the balance, I just felt that the demons might return from Anderlecht,” he said. “But we couldn’t get ourselves in that position and perhaps didn’t deserve to. “We didn’t give up today even though we weren’t playing at our best. “Overall our team has really had great belief. They believe they can get something out of any game but today it was a bridge too far for us.” Pardew also confirmed that Jak Alnwick will continue to deputise in goal until January with first-choice Tim Krul and understudy Rob Elliot sidelined through injury. “We go on with Jak and we’ve got a big week ahead of us,” he added. “Hopefully he can handle it until such a time when we get can goalies in.”

REPORTS in Ben Arfa’s native France last week suggested the Newcastle United attacker - on a seasonlong loan at the KC Stadium - had returned to Paris to work with a fitness coach. Mounting rumours have claimed Bruce will look to send Ben Arfa back to Tyneside when the transfer window reopens after a disappointing spell in Yorkshire. The attacker has failed to score in nine Hull appearances, and has not featured in a matchday squad since being hooked in the first half of last month’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester United. Saturday’s 2-0 reverse at Premier League leaders Chelsea left Hull second from bottom after a ninth game without a win.

Aaron Ramsey

Wenger Confirms Ramsey, Koscielny Injuries RAMSEY and Koscielny sat out Saturday’s 4-1 Premier League win over Newcastle United with respective hamstring and calf complaints. And it seems the players few weeks and Koscielny as will struggle to play any part well,” Wenger said after the in next weekend’s trip to Newcastle match. “They Liverpool and the festive will not be back next week.” London derbies against Ramsey is alongside QPR and West Ham. fellow midfielders Mikel “Ramsey will be out for a

Vorm ‘Very Happy’ At Tottenham VORM surprisingly swapped life as the number one keeper at Swansea City to become Hugo Lloris’ understudy at Tottenham. The Dutchman has played second-fiddle to Lloris throughout the 2014-15 campaign so far, but he has no complaints about linking up with Mauricio Pochettino’s side. “A lot of things happen in football,” said Worm, ahead of Sunday’s reunion with Swansea at Liberty Stadium. “You make decisions and only when my career is finished will I know if it was the right decision or not. “When I left Utrecht for Swansea, people asked me why I was going there because they were going down. Well look where they are now. “They are an established Premier League club. It’s hard to say whether I have made the right decision or not. Only time will tell. “Hugo is doing very well, which also makes it easier to accept than if your competitor is not doing quite so well. “But for me the only thing that matters is to keep fit and make sure Hugo feels I am at his back. “The only way I can do that is by training well and when I get the chance to play make sure I do the best I can. I think

in the games I have played I have done well and I am satisfied with my work.” Worm added: “I took my decision to leave and I am proud to play for Tottenham.

“People don’t always understand the choices you make in football, but I am very happy to be here. Sometimes you need new challenges and want to see

ARSENE Wenger has confirmed Aaron Ramsey will miss Arsenal’s trip to Anfield to face Liverpool next Sunday. The Wales international scored twice in midweek as Arsenal beat Galatasaray in the Champions League but was forced off with a hamstring injury that subsequently ruled him out of Saturday’s win over Newcastle. Ramsey is now set for a spell on the sidelines along with Laurent Koscielny with Wenger unable to say when the duo will be fit to return to action. “Ramsey will be out for a few weeks and Koscielny as well,” he told reporters. “They will not be back next week.” Arsenal’s injury problems saw Mathieu Debuchy deployed as a centre-back in the 4-1 win over Newcastle, but Wenger says his side were much improved from

Saturday’s defeat to Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. “I’m a bit scared to say that, but at Stoke we missed the start of the game and defensively,” he added. “You look at the chances we had at Stoke and we could have scored four or five there as well and we finished the game with 10 men. Defensively we were not at the races from the start and we paid the price for that. “The fluency going forward was not disastrous, it was our defending that was not good.” The Gunners have now scored 10 goals in their last three outings but Wenger has denied his team are the most creative in the Premier League. “We try. I don’t think we are the most,” he explained. “It’s always the same in football - you try to attack to go forward and if you win everybody says well done, when you don’t win

Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Mesut Ozil on the sidelines, while Calum Chambers and Nacho Monreal’s absences alongside Koscielny leaves Wenger similarly depleted defensively. In light of these problems, the Arsenal boss was pleased the with quality and character on display as his team bounced back from last week’s 3-2 loss at Stoke City in style. “We can score goals, we’ve shown that again,” he said.

“Defensively, despite the fact we were a bit depleted at the back we were quite solid. In the end we won in a convincing way. “The response was strong after the Stoke game and let’s go well over Christmas.” Olivier Giroud scored twice having recently come out the other side of his own lengthy injury absence. “I think he’s still not 100 percent there but he has a presence, plays good onetwos, defends the ball well and when we have to kick it long he has a good chance to win the ball.” Wenger added.

Ramsey To Miss Arsenal’s Clash With liverpool everybody says you’re not realistic enough. “I think our target is to

Frank Lampard

combine keeping our style and defending well as well - that’s what we did today.”

And Bruce’s reported exasperation came to the surface after Saturday’s defeat in west London, as he claimed Ben Arfa did not deserve to feature in his plans. “I don’t know if Hatem is in Paris, that’s the truth,” Bruce said of his loanee. “As for not playing for Hull City again – at the moment he’s not in the squad. “The transfer window opens in January, so there’s still conversations to be had with him. “But at the moment he’s not in the squad and he hasn’t earned the right to be in the squad.” Having also fallen foul of Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, Ben Arfa is widely expected to leave St James’ Park when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Lampard Agreed To Stay At City THE former England international agreed a switch to New York City - an affiliate club of the Premier League champions - in July, but has been at the Etihad Stadium since with the next MLS campaign not beginning until March next year. Though expected to remain in England until December, Lampard has shown his top-flight qualities remain with six goals in 14 appearances - only Sergio Aguero has more for City this term. Lampard’s winning goal in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Leicester City was his 175th in the Premier League, drawing him level with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. While Pellegrini has been clear about his desire to keep the former Chelsea man in Manchester beyond the New Year, the Chilean now believes Lampard wants the same. “We know exactly what we must do,” Pellegrini said. “Frank wants to stay, we want to keep him. Now we must resolve the problem with New York City and the MLS.” Edin Dzeko picked up a calf injury in the warm-up at the King Power Stadium, and Pellegrini revealed after the win he expects to be without his three senior strikers - the Bosnian, Aguero and Stevan Jovetic - for the remainder of the festive period. Pellegrini hinted afterwards he would delve into the transfer market in January to ease the burden on his front men, but dismissed any notion that his lack of options up front was a driving force behind the pursuit of Lampard’s longer-term signature. He added: “The decision about Frank can have nothing to do with the injuries. Dzeko could be fit and Aguero and it would be the decision of Lampard. “He will not stay with us because we have injured strikers. He’ll stay with us because he us a very important player.”

Yaba Tech Wins 2014 NIPOGA

Copa Lagos: CIV Halt Sand Eagles Domination COTE d’IVoire Beach Football team on Saturday defeated hard fighting Nigeria’s Sand Eagles, 5-4 in their first ever loss in the ongoing 2014 Copa Lagos competition. Cote d’ivore wasted no time in showing their determination to beat three times champions as they recorded an early lead at 4-1 at the close of the second period. A more determined Eagle came fighting back in the third and final period scoring a brace through Olawale Isiaka and another through Najere Isiaka. However, Assouan Kablan strike ensured the visitors maintained their lead at 5-4 and kept the defending champions from scoring till the end of regulated time. Coach Audu Adamu of the Sand Eagles team told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the sidelines of the match that loss of concentration had caused their defeat. “We lost the match due to loss of concentration, we tried to fight back but Cote d’Ivoire was too solid at the defence for us to break. “Having won the competition in the last three editions, we have no reason to be sad but go back to the

drawing board and prepare better next time,’’ Adamu said. Meanwhile, speaking through an interpreter, Coach Soro Jean of the Cote d’Ivoire team said that his team was well prepared for the competition and were happy to beat Nigeria. “We worked very hard and achieved a great result, it is our first time in Copa Lagos and we hope to do well in our next match and hopefully emerge as champions,’’ he said.

• Amaju Pinnick

Ahead AYC

Flying Eagles Invite 9 Foreign Pros

THE Flying Eagles have invited nine foreign-based professionals including Kelechi Iheanacho and Isaac Success ahead of next year’s African Youth Championship in Senegal. Portugal), Daddy Moses, Iheanacho is on the Kingsley Madu (AS books of English Premier Trencin/Slovakia), Musa (Tottenham League champions Yahaya Hotspur/England) and Manchester City, while Success has already Musa Muhammed. According to coach broken into the first team at Spanish La Liga side Manu Garba, the players are expected to join up Granada CF. The other invited pros with the Flying Eagles are Chidiebere Nwakali when the team’s training reopens on (Manchester City/ camp England), Taiwo Awoniyi December 27. He also said he has (Kalmar/Sweden), received assurances for the Chidera Eze (FC Porto/

release of the players by their clubs. The AYC will kick off on March 8 in Dakar, Senegal. The eight-team tournament will produce

Africa’s four representatives to the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand.

THE Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, has emerged the overall winners of the 18th Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA), tagged BIDA 2014, held at the Federal Polytechnic, Bida. The college won 34 medals, made up of 17 gold, eight silver and nine bronze. The second position went to The Polytechnic Ibadan, with 14 gold, five silver and 11 bronze. Abia State polytechnic Aba, took the 3rd position with 11 gold, four silver and seven bronze. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that out of the 42 polytechnics that took part, 29 got medals while 13 did not secure any medal.

Copa Lagos: Barca Captain Attributes RAMIRO Amarelle, Captain of Barcelona FC of Spain beach football team, on Saturday attributed the team’s victories in the ongoing Copa Lagos competition to their experience over others. Barcelona FC defeated Stationary Stores FC of Lagos, 6-4 in the second game of the competition

Club W/Cup: Adeleke Crashes With Sydney Wanderers NIGERIAN defender Seyi Adeleke failed to reach the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup with Australian club Western Sydney Wanderers as they crashed 31 to Cruz Azul on Saturday.

The former Lazio player started the game for the Australia side before he was substituted in the 72nd minute with Golec, his team led till 89th minute when Torrado equalised.

Cruz Azul scored two more goals in the extra time. A foul on him by Gimenez earned the Cruz Azul player a caution from the referee. La Rocca scored Western Sydney Wanderers goal of the

game in the 65th minute. Cruz Azul will now face Real Madrid in the semifinal. Adeleke has played for Pergocrema, Salernitana and FC Biel-Bienne.

THE defender came in for criticism over his leadership of the Brazilian team at their home tournament, which culminated in a 7-1 semi-final defeat to eventual champions Germany. And Blanc believes the experience is still having an adverse effect on Silva’s performances. “He doesn’t speak about the World Cup,” said the PSG boss ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 trip to Guingamp. “But you can be affected by something without having to talk about it. “That’s a bad period during his career. He knows about it. We all had to go through a phase like that, you just have to be able to keep going forward.

“The most important thing is that the technical staff, and more importantly the head coach, help him to go through that. “The environment is not going to help him. It needs to be him, the players, the head coach and the club who have to help him. “He will then be able to

come back to his level of performance. Easy.” PSG suffered their first defeat in all competitions since May when they lost 3-1 to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Asked whether he felt any pressure following the loss,

Blanc said: “There is always a risk. Of course there is more after your first defeat in seven months. “In seven months, one defeat. Honestly, even If my president would like no defeat at all, for one in seven months I would sign straight away for the same thing over the next seven months.”

THE draw for next year’s African Youth Championship (AYC) will be conducted on December 21 at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. Hosts Senegal will be seeded to top Group A of the competition which will kick off on March 8 in Dakar with the final slated for March 22.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, who have won the U20 continental competition a record six times, will be one of eight finalists. They defeated Tanzania and walked over Lesotho to qualify for the tournament proper. They finished third at the last tournament hosted by Algeria. Defending champions Egypt

Silva Still Haunted By W/Cup Woe - Blanc

Victory To Experience

having spanked Pepsi Academy, 7-3 a day earlier. Amarelle told journalists on the sidelines of the match that the team was well prepared for the competition and was growing in confidence. “We are happy to be here, the competition has been worthwhile and victories have come through our experience in the game. “We play in the top Beach Football league in Europe and not the regular football known to our opponents; so we play more games and adapt easily to the techniques needed,’’ Amarelle said. Meanwhile, Tyson Ojukwu of Stationary Stores FC said that they fell to the

... 2015 AYC Draw Fixed For Dec 21

will not be at Senegal 2015 after they were eliminated by Congo Brazzaville. Other finalists are Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, South Africa and Zambia. The semi-finalists of the AYC will represent Africa at the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand from May 30 to June 20.

• Issa Hayatou

superiority of Barcelona because of experience. “Barcelona is more experienced than us; we play the regular football and are very new to beach football. “However, we gave a good fight in the match and enjoyed playing against an international side. We hope to do better in the next edition,’’ Ojukwu said. In another match played at the Eko Atlantic in Victoria Island, the venue of the competition, Senegal thrashed Ghana, 5-2 to record their first victory. The competition which began on Friday December 12 with eight teams competing will end on Sunday December 14.

CMYK

Adopting Protective Measures Against The Effects Of Harmattan CLIMATOLOGISTS describe harmattan as a hot, dry and dusty wind that blows over West Africa. They note that this northeasterly wind blows from the Sahara Desert into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March. On its passage over the desert, the wind picks up fine dust and sand particles, while the air is particularly dry and desiccating when the wind blows over the region. At morning, low temperatures can easily be as low as 15 °C (59 °F) or 20 °C (68 °F). At afternoon, high temperatures easily soar to more than 30 °C (86°F) and can reach as high as 40 °C (104 °F) sometimes, while the relative humidity drops under 10 per cent. In a nutshell, harmattan induces desert-like weather conditions: it lowers the humidity, dissipates cloud cover, prevents rainfall formation and sometimes creates big clouds of dust or sand which can even result in violent dust-storms or sandstorms. However, when the haze effect is weak, this dry wind creates beautiful sunny days with plenty of clear skies Medical experts, nonetheless, insist that the dry weather conditions, which are associated with harmattan, have various health implications on humans, affecting their respiratory system, skin and eyes. Dr Sopuru Chineke, a general physician at Mary’s Catholic Hospital, Gwagwalada, says that harmattan predisposes people to upper respiratory tract infections. He adds that such

infections could be contracted through dust inhaled during the harmattan season. Besides, Chineke says that people can also contract gastroenteritis or infectious diarrhoea during the season because of scarcity of

such people use their tainted hands to prepare meals, such meals could be contaminated. “These are some of the ways through which infections can spread during the harmattan season,’’ he adds. The medical doctor,

would be admitted in the hospital and given fluids, so as to restore the fluids which the body system have lost due to vomiting and stooling. “There is also the need to treat the cause of such infections because bacteria are usually

water, saying that once there is inadequate water supply, environmental hygiene is usually poor. “The harmattan season is the dry season and during that period, a lot of things happen. “The wind is usually dusty and a lot of infections also take place; some people end up contracting upper respiratory tract infections. “During the season, people inhale dusty air. By the time the dust gets into the nasal tract, the respiratory defence system tries to treat the substances and remove the dust. “Unfortunately, people inhaling dusty air can catch upper respiratory tract infections, which can be transmitted from one person to another,” he says. Moreover, Chineke says that some people usually do not remember to wash their hands after using the toilet; adding that when

however, says that upper respiratory tract infections can cause catarrh, nasal congestion (nasal discharge) and cough, adding that if there is a bacterial infection, fever may also occur. “Furthermore, the symptoms of gastrointestinal infection include vomiting and frequent stooling as well as abdominal pain, while its treatment depends largely on the severity of the condition,’’ he says. Chineke explains that in event of severe gastroenteritis infection, the infected person

involved. Antibiotics and other supportive therapy could be given to stop the vomiting and stooling if the infected person is an adult,’’ he says. Chineke, however, says that antibiotics and antipyretics are usually used for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. He says that the drugs would help to control the fever, while efforts should be made to ensure that “the patient does not continue to take cold drinks or get exposed to cold’’. He also says that

MATTERS IN FOCUS By NAOMI SHARANG/JACINTA NWACHUKWU consumption of fruits and foods that are rich in Vitamins C and A will help to boost the people’s immune system, thereby preventing infections. Chineke, however, underscores the need to keep infected persons in isolated areas, so as to guard against the spread of the infection to others, particularly children. Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Kennedy Ishaya, Gombe State’s Commissioner for Health, advises the public to adopt precautionary measures to prevent the occurrence of ailments associated with the harmattan season. He lists conjunctivitis and skin problems as some of the infections that usually occur during the harmattan season. Ishaya urges the people to wear protective eye glasses that can prevent dust from entering their eyes. He, however, warns the people against bush burning in order to ensure the preservation of trees, which are wind breakers and protectors of the ecosystem. Speaking on the effects of harmattan on the skin, Dr Olanrewaju Falodun, a Senior Consultant Dermatologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, says that human skin can become dry during harmattan season as a result of the dry wind. His words: “When the skin is dry, it becomes wrinkled; the skin can also

“He also advises the people to use emollient creams which help in moisturising the skin. If one has bad cracks on the skin, there is the need to wear clothes that will cover the feet and other parts of the body prone to dryness.”

have cracks which can degenerate into bruises and lesions.’’ Falodun says that people also have a tendency to develop skin rashes during harmattan season, adding that the skin rashes can also induce itching. “When the weather is dry, a lot of itching takes place and when people scratch the itchy skin, they may inadvertently introduce infections to the skin,’’ he says. He emphasises that harmattan can also predispose people to asthmatic attacks, sneezing and coughs. Falodun, however, underscores the need for the people to be wellhydrated during the period, saying: “It is a period when people should drink a lot of water because water helps to hydrate the skin.’’ He also advises the people to use emollient creams which help in moisturising the skin. “If one has bad cracks on the skin, there is the need to wear clothes that will cover the feet and other parts of the body prone to dryness,’’ he says. All the same, Falodun urges the people to refrain from wearing clothes that can generate excessive heat during harmattan since the season is typified by the two weather extremes. “The harmattan period is usually characterised by heat during the day while it gets very cold at night,” he adds. Funny enough, the dermatologist calls on people to avoid excessive use of antiseptic soaps, insisting that the use of very strong antiseptics tends to make the skin to dry up.

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