Nigerian observer 16 01 2014

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 38 • NO.399 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 20 14 • N 100. 0 0

ROYALTY Page 19 Celebrating Prince Igbinosa Erediauwa

INTERNATIONAL FEATURES

Page 24 Swedish Doctors transplant wombs into 9 women

Christians throng CCCG Int’l for holy water

By ROLAND OSAKUE/ INNOCENT OMOAKA

BENIN CITY – The premises of the Holy Cathedral of Christ Chosen Church of God International was filled to capacity yesterday as thousands of Christian faithful, irrespective of

their denomination nationwide took advantage of ongoing progamme to get the holy healing water.

The ongoing seven days programme

renowned men of God, as well as the healing of the sick, distribution of holy healing water among others.

Meanwhile, the Crowd Control Unit of the Church including Security Operatives

entitled “Beauty for Ashes” had attracted faithful and new converts within and outside the country as it packaged ordination and promotion of Pastors in the Church, carnival, ministration from

Continues on page 2

one.

“I want to acknowledge my appreciation for the support and commitment

of our officers and men in uniform. Our officers and men are doing everything possible

Jonathan, Oshiomhole, others honour fallen heroes

BENIN CITY – President Goodluck Jonathan and Edo State Governor were united on the future of Nigeria yesterday as they eulogised the nation’s fallen heroes. Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable even as he commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their defence of democracy. negotiable.

The Governor who “We can talk on how stated this yesterday at to grow the economy, the grand finale of the we can talk on the best Armed Force time to create jobs, we Remembrance Day can lament what we Celebration in Benin City have not done right, said “Presidents will but we cannot discuss come and go, Governors whether Nigeria is a will come and go, but the reality.

On this Nigeria nation will remain occasion, which forever.

On this coincides with the occasion, it is important celebration of that we pledge our Nigeria’s centenary, I continued commitment think all Nigerians to the indivisibility of should use this Nigeria.

I am opportunity to unrepentant in my recognize that people conviction that the unity died to keep Nigeria of this country is non-

across the country to ensure that the rest of us are able to sleep with our eyes closed.

“In Edo State, the armed forces have been a pillar of support in the Continues on page 2

Call off your strike, Govt urges Doctors

BENIN CITY – The Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Aihanuwa Eregie has appealed to the striking Doctors in Edo State to call off their strike and go back to their duty post so as to avoid the hazard that will be associated with the crisis in the health sector of the state.

The commissioner made this plea yesterday in her office while briefing the Press

on the outcome of the meeting held yesterday between the State Government and representative of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Edo State branch over the strike action declared by the State branch of the association following the 5 days salary deduction of doctors in the state services who took part in the last 5 days warning strike called by the national body of NMA.

TIT BIT “Give a man alcohol to tell just one lie, it would take further daily alcohol for him not to reveal the truth”.

- Kingsley Ogbeide-Ihama

Dr. Eregie said that the State Government in a meeting with Chairman and representative of NMA yesterday has agreed to pay back the deducted 5 days salary of doctors, adding that the decision has since been communicated Continues on page 2

ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY: Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole laying a wreath at the Cenotaph during yesterday’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Benin City. Photo: CHARITY OZIGBO-ESERE.

PDP Crisis: Tukur

resigns

ABUJA -The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has

finally resigned as chairman of the troubled party.

It was gathered that the 36 State Chairmen of the party and Abuja had on

Tuesday after a marathon meeting passed a vote of no confidence on Turkur and went to brief President Goodluck

Jonathan on the outcome of their meeting.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP had been seriously divided over the

Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development C o m m i s s i o n ( E D S O G PA D E C ) ,

Barrister Vincent Osas Uwadiae has allayed fears over the abandonment of any project embarked upon by the commission.

He gave the assurance yesterday while inspecting projects in the local government area under

its jurisdiction the EDSOGPADEC boss who is on projects inspection in company of Continues on page 2

We’ll not abandon projects, EDSOGPADEC BENIN CITY – boss assures Communities Chairman, Edo State

leadership of Tukur and had called for his resignation for sometimes now.

Sensing danger in the air, Tukur was said to have resigned from his position as the National Chairman of the PDP yesterday and avoided being suspended by the NWC of the party.

Tukur had been suspended by about Continues on page 2

News

Christians throng CCCG Int’l for holy water

Continued from page 1 however, failed in their primary assignment as faithful anxiously thronged out in large number with rubber buckets and jerry cans, ostensibly to get healing water from fetching point.

There were also various activities within the church premises as the sales of rubber buckets and containers that used to sell between N50 and N60 were sold for N80 and N100 respectively. Hawkers of sachet water and cold soft

drinks however had a field day following the sales of their wares.

In a brief exhortation by the Spiritual Leader General Overseer of the Church, Most Snr. Apostle Joshua Osasuyi (MFR) said the essence of the programme was to deliver the captives from the shackles of the enemies and expansion of the faith to every member in the New Year, 2014.

Apostle Osasuyi, who noted that enemies were on the prowl to lead the faithful astray, pointed out that it was impossible for a true Christian to be under the bondage of the devil even when temptation arises.

He therefore enjoined the congregation to take advantage of the programme, particularly on the fetching of the healing water which he

said should be administered to all members of their households.

The Cleric further stressed on the relevance and powers of the holy healing water administered at the Cathedral Complex of the Christ Chosen Church of God International to include the curing of infirmities, bareness, sanctification among others.

It would be recalled that the administration of the holy healing water by the church is an uncommon ritual which comes up every five years.

We’ll not abandon projects, EDSOGPADEC boss local government area on the assures Communities Board of the Commission, the Grassroots Newspapers Continued from page 1

Network; South South Zone visited four of the commission’s projects.

The first port of call was the site of the ongoing construction and asphalting of the 10 Kilometres EgunIwtsan-Utesi-ObagieNokerikporoUyinmwendin-

Azagba roads in Ikpoba-Okha local government area, where it was discovered that the asphalting of the road has commenced.

Barrister Uwadiae expressed satisfaction at the quality of the job so far done by the Construction Company

handling the project and sued for it’s sustenance in line with international standards and best practices.

The Member representing the local government area on the Board of the Commission, Mr. Victor Ekhator, member representing Orhionmwon

Jonathan, Oshiomhole, others honour fallen heroes Continued from page 1 p rovision of security in

ensuring that violent criminals are put in check and Edo State is no longer safe for criminals. It is important that on occasions like this we remember those who have paid the supreme price in Edo State in the cause of combing the bushes and forests and going after those criminals who have tried to make Nigeria ungovernable”, he said.

Oshiomhole noted: “it is appropriate to salute the efforts and commitment of the Nigerian Armed Forces in combating the incidence of terrorism which, five or six years ago, many of us

Tukur resigns

Continued from page 1

eight members of the NWC, while the National Executive Committee (NEC) is expected to meet on Thursday to ratify the suspension, but Tukur has quickly resigned to avoid such embarrassment.

It was gathered that President Goodluck Jonathan has been briefed about the matter and would officially disclosed it to national caucus of the party today.

Call off your strike, Govt tells Doctors

Continued from page 1

to the NMA who has also agreed to call off the strike.

The Health Commissioner, further stated that other issues raised by the doctors in their ultimatum were being addressed as she enjoined NMA to always allow room for dialogue with a view to averting further strike, this she said will be for the overall benefit of the people of the State.

would have sworn that there would never be such a thing in Nigeria. As we speak, many officers and men are engaging terrorists to give them a check and to make Nigeria safe.

“In the process, many have paid the supreme price. I want to assure officers and men that the people of Edo State recognize your contribution, your defence of democracy.

You have become one of the strongest pillars of democracy, subordinating yourself to civil authority.

“In spite of all the weaknesses of the political class, you have remained apolitical and you have put Nigeria over and above any other consideration. By your conduct, by both your officers and men, you have shown that you know the difference between the Nigerian nation and the interest of any political party.

It is important to remind ourselves that this country is greater than any individual”, the Governor

remarked.

Governor Oshiomhole donated the sum of five million naira to the Nigerian Legion on behalf of the state government and made a personal donation of one hundred thousand naira in support of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem Appeal Fund.

In a remark, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Colonel Osawaru Awanbor (rtd) commended the Governor for the job opportunities given to the legionnaires to be in charge of renovated schools in the state.

He noted that all the achievements that have been recorded in the state are attributed to the support of the Comrade Governor, adding “we the members of the Legion are proud to associate with you, because you are a person who has human feelings”.

The high point of the event was the laying of wreath by the Governor and other dignitaries on the occasion.

Hon. Fidelis Okunzuwa, Member representing Edo North Senatorial District in the Board of the Commission, Hon. Lugman Muhammad as well as the local government area’s Community liaison officer in charge of the road project, Mr. Agbontaen Eboigbe were all full of praises for the Contractors diligence and quality of materials used.

They however) unanimously called for the speedy completion of the project.

While fielding questions from the visiting Journalists earlier, the Chairman of the Commission Barr. Vincent Uwadiae allayed fears over the abandonment of any project embarked upon by the Commission and stressed that on Completion, the road is expected to ease human and Vehicular Movement within and between the affected Communities adding that it will also bring about a reduction in the cost of transporting farm produce from the locality to the urban centres in Edo State and beyond.

The Chairman and his team also visited the ultramodem abattoir recently built by the Commission in Ukhiri, the ongoing Construction of a Health Centre at Idogbo as well as the skills acquisition Centre in Ukhiri, all in IkpobaOkha local government area of Edo State.

The tour of projects sites by the Board is expected to continue today.

Bomb Scare: NAF

By JOSES SEDE

ABUJA - Senator Ali Ndume representing Borno South at the Senate of the Federal Republic has rejected alleged refutal of an earlier statement by the Nigeria Air Force on alleged aerial attack on his convoy in Pulka, Borno State.

Leadership newspaper had in its Edition of yesterday, (15/01/14) reported NAF denial of their earlier misadventure on Senator. Ndume, stressing that their personnel were well trained and knowledgeable enough to differentiate between right and wrong targets.

Addressing a press briefing yesterday, Senator.

Ndume affirmed that the incident happened at Pulka village while on his way to

lied

- Senator Ndume

Gwoza local government area to commiserate with the people of his constituency over the death of some of his kinsmen, stressing, “it was by sheer providence that all the people in the convoy escaped unhurt”.

He submitted that if the NAF insists on their denial, it then means that there was a strange aircraft hovering in Nigerian airspace throwing bombs even at a senator of the Federal Republic.

“When I arrived Maiduguri, I notified the Nigerian Army to give me a detachment for security purpose which they did. I equally notified the police and they gave me a detachment in order to move to those volatile areas.

Unfortunately, at exactly 2.10pm, I was in Pulka waiting

for the remaining stakeholders so that we can move together.

As we moved towards Gwoza, I heard explosions at the back but initially, I thought it was Boko Haram that planted bombs because I passed a culvert. We even suspected some people that were waiving us from the roadside; we thought they were the ones that detonated the bombs”, he continued.

He said for 15 minutes, the Air Force jet was patrolling the area, adding, “we are lucky to be alive. I truly want to believe that it was an operational problem. I think the military did not handle it well. You don’t just see a convoy on a federal highway and you just bomb them like that”.

BTC Secretary Bags

By RAYMOND OSOGBE Award BENIN CITY – The Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Secretary Benin Traditional Council (BTC) Mr. Frank Irhabor has been presented with the ‘Man of the Year 2014” award by the Senate and executive members of Niger Delta Students Association.

Speaking on the occasion, Simon Sheyi Sonya, Senate President of the association described the awardee as an epitome of humility and a catalyst of success who drives a positive process that impacts on people who come his way.

He related positive tales of Irhabor ’s in the area of philanthropy and other laudable areas of assistance to the masses, saying that these and so many other attributes qualify the BTC Secretary for what he referred to as a ‘well deserved award.’

Responding, Irhabor said he felt humble that the little he is doing in BTC could attract such monumental award, just as he immediately dedicated the award to the Benin

Oba Erediauwa.

He emphasized that, the Oba created the enabling environment for him to flourish and attract the much deserved award. While also dedicating same to dedicated staff of BTC whose unalloyed loyalty enhanced the efficiency of his job, that attracted a regional attraction.

Reflecting on the award, the Accountant of BTC, Mr. Hubert Osifo said the award was well deserved.

Similarly, Prince Clifford Irowa Eweka described Irhabor as a complete gentleman and a seasoned technocrat who is committed to his duties.

However, Irhabor has reiterated his determination to sustain drive for excellence at all times as a result of the inspiration drawn from the award.

Niger Delta Students Association comprised of students of Niger Delta origin in tertiary institutions in the states of the Niger Delta Region.

has called on public and private broadcast stations in Nigeria to obey the law by paying royalty for music that they broadcast, a statement said.

The statement, issued by the Senior Executive Media of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) , Miss Mayree Uket, in Abuja on Wednesday, said Oshiomhole made the call at a meeting with COSON. COSON is the government approved arts collecting organisation for musical works.

Oshiomhole stressed the need to enforce the copyright laws on payment of royalty to deserving musicians as obtained in other parts of the world.

He said democracy was basically about the enforcement of laws, stressing: “If we are in a democracy, then we must enforce laws as it affects intellectual property rights.”

He said Edo had a lot of television stations.

‘We also have a lot of hotels and the obituary industry that thrive using musical background for advertisement just as the hotels play live music and sometimes invite disc

jockeys.

“They copy your works, they make the money while your people are labouring for the next album. “ It is something I believe Nigeria should take on seriously. “ What we need is to enforce the law the way the American Government enforces laws on copyright, the way the British Government and the European Union deal with those who violate copyright. “ We need to send people to prison. People think laws are advice, they are not advice. You don’t sermonise to people to desist from crime, you sanction them. “ That is what the so-called rule of law is all about, the ability to reward good behaviour and also to sanction negative behaviour, including theft of intellectual property, calling it by its proper name,“ he said.

Oshiomhole promised to support COSON in its bid to achieve its goal.

“If there is any role you want me to play, if there is any campaign you want me to join, I will join you because I believe that there are a lot of our young people whose only talent is music.

BENIN CITY- Edo State Commissioner for Transport, Ambassador Orobosa Omo-Ojo(JP) has summoned all Chairmen of motor parks in Benin City, towns and villages within Edo State(intra-state) to an emergency meeting.

The meeting, scheduled for tomorrow Friday January 17, 2014 in the Commissioner ’s office, Ministry of Transport,

Forestry road, Benin City, will commence at 9:00am prompt.

This is contained in a Government Special Announcement signed by the Commissioner for Transport, Honourable Orobosa Omo-Ojo made available to The NIGERIAN OBSERVER in Benin city yesterday which also advises the chairmen to be seated at 8:45am without fail.

Oshiomhole urges broadcast institutions to pay royalty on ABUJA - Governor. musical works Adams Oshiomhole of Edo

Transport Commissioner invites Edo Motork Park Chairmen to emergency meeting

Business & Economy Binza LG Distributes 600 Bags Of grains BUNZA (KEBBI) - Bunza Local Government Council in Kebbi has distributed 600 bags of grains to the needy and the less privileged as Zakkat for the current Islamic year.

The council Chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Raha, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Bunza, Kebbi.

He said 350 people benefited from the gesture, selected by the Committee on Zakkat.

According to him, the beneficiaries include the blind, lepers, widows, as well as the aged.

The chairman said N3.5 million had been disbursed to the beneficiaries, with each receiving N10,000 to cushion the effect of the present economic realities.

Raha commended the donors of the Zakkat, collected from farmers and public-spirited individuals in Bunza, Zogirma, Maidahini and Raha districts of the area.

He said fairness and equity were the guiding principles in

sharing the Zakkat.

The chairman said the council had provided office accommodation and an 18 seater bus to the alms collection committee to facilitate its activities.

The committee’s activities include enlightenment campaign on importance of Zakkat.

In a related development, the Chief Imam of Bunza, Malam Abubakar Ladda, had stressed the need for Muslims to give Zakkat to the needy, reminding them that it is one of the five pillars of Islam.

According to him, every abled Muslim is ordained by God to donate for the purification of his or her wealth, as well as empower the needy.

He urged beneficiaries of Zakkat to make judicious use of both the cash and the food stuff given them.

The chief imam said the scope of the Zakkat would be expanded in future to cover a larger number of beneficiaries.

LAGOS - Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu, President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), has urged insurance brokers to consider mergers as survival option in 2014.

Shoderus told newsmen that the advice became imperative following challenges confronting insurance business worldwide.

According to him, the council is already looking seriously at the need to continually sensitise brokers on the option of mergers, strategic partnerships and shared services.

“No one will continue to do things the same way and expect different results.

“Brokers must begin to be creative and ingenious in their

operations and survival strategies,” he said.

The NCRIB president said that the council would also encourage brokers to expand their scope of operations and revenue earnings through enlightening on risk management.

He said that the idea was to ensure the growth of insurance broking firms, which would enable them employ more hands and reduce unemployment in the country.

Kebbi Govt Purchases 5,000 Motorcycles

Senior Apostle (Dr.) D.E.O. Unuefe and other ministers of God at the 2014 International Conference of Christ Chosen Church of God International in Benin City.

NCRIB Sensitises Insurance Brokers

Properties destroyed by unknown people in Shonong, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau recently.

Agriculture: NGO Wants More Allocation To Agriculture

ABUJA - Actionaid Nigeria, an NGO, has called for more budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector, to ensure food security in the country.

Dr Hussaini Abdu, the

Country’s Director of the organisation, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Abdu said that in the last five years, only 3.5 per cent of the national budget had been

Ogun SURE-P Appoints L/G Coordinators ABEOKUTA - The Ogun Implementation Committee of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), has appointed 20 local government coordinators to coordinate its activities at the grassroots level in the state.

Chief Kayode Ajibola, the Chairman and the State Coordinator of the programme inaugurated the coordinators in Abeokuta.

Ajibola advised the coordinators to ensure the overall success of the programme, particularly at the grassroots level.

Ajibola said that the new appointees were selected from

BIRNIN KEBBI - The Kebbi Government has bought 2,000 tricycles and 5,000 motorcycles for distribution to unemployed youths free of charge in its drive to reduce unemployment in the State.

Alhaji Bashir Mera, the Senior Special Assistant on Youth Matters to the State Governor, announced this in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the cycles would be distributed in 225 electoral wards as part of the state government’s economic empowerment programme on poverty eradication and promotion of self-reliance.

Mera called on those responsible for the distribution of the cycles to be guided by principles of justice, equity and fair play and warned that any act of injustice would not be condoned.

He called on government critics to be fair in their assessment, stressing that N200 billion had been spent on the provision of infrastructure as roads, schools, hospitals and water supply in the last six years.

He said it was unfair to say that the government had achieved nothing in the last six years.

‘Such critics are economical with the truth as performance of the state government is glaring especially in agriculture, education, roads, water supply, health and development of human capital.

many qualified candidates and advised them to shun acts capable of derailing the objectives of the programme.

He explained that the main task of the coordinators was to facilitate grassroots delivery and execution of the empowerment scheme.

The Chairman of PDP in the state, Chief Bayo Dayo, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for reinvesting the savings from the partial removal of subsidy from petroleum products into the economy.

He said that the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration was the first to address the economic

challenge of the nation in real terms.

He, therefore, enjoined the coordinators to regard their appointment as a call to service and thereby work selflessly to ensure the success of the programme.

Responding on behalf of the local government coordinators, Mr. Kayode Ogunyemi, from Ijebu-North local government, expressed appreciation over their appointments.

He pledged their support for the programme and gave assurance that they would use it to enhance the success of the transformation agenda of the federal government.

allocated to agriculture annually.

He noted that the Federal Government had increased attention to agriculture in recent years with the introduction of policies to boost productivity but that budgetary allocation and spending on the sector had remained woeful.

“Nigeria’s budgetary allocation and actual spending on agriculture are woefully inadequate to reduce poverty, especially on the key services needed by smallholder farmers.

“Nigeria spends little on agriculture, a sector that is a major branch of the economy, which provides employment for 70 per cent of the population.”

According to him, the

agriculture sector is the largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), contributing about 40 per cent “yet it faces massive challenges”.

The NGO’s director stressed that the government was neglecting smallholder farmers, particularly women, who constitute the majority of that category of farmers in the country.

He blamed the widespread poverty in the country on the failure of successive governments to fund agriculture appropriately.

He faulted the government‘s recent drive towards private sector investment focusing on commercial agriculture, saying it was unrealistic and would further increase poverty.

According to him,

smallholder farmers, who are not being encouraged in the process, produce 90 per cent of Nigeria’s food.

Abdu claimed that most poverty alleviation policies in the country lacked special provisions for women, especially those involved in agriculture.

He said that only fractions of the agricultural research budgets were targeted at women.

“Although the government has a number of schemes that promote credit, none as far as we are aware, specifically target women farmers.’’

He therefore, advised that government should increase agricultural spending and reduce “leakages and corruption, and provide appropriate training as well as access to finance for smallholder women farmers”.

South South Navy Arrests 21 Persons, Impounds 2 Oil Vessels

Development

Tipper Drivers Boss Commends Oshiomhole

By MATTHEW OKAKHA BENIN CITY – The Edo State Chairman of Tipper Drivers Association, Comrade Godwin Omogiomwan has commended the state Governor’s inspiring leadership style which culminated in the massive infrastructural development of the state.

Comrade Omogiomwan made the commendation while exchanging views with newsmen in Benin City.

According to him, Governor Oshiomhole has restored the pride of Edo people through the urban renewal programme of

Comrade Godwin Omogiomwan

the administration as Benin City, is now ranked among the fastest developing cities in Nigeria.

Comrade Omogiomwan posited that Edo State has been better off since the advent of the Oshiomhole-led administration, adding that more investors now see the state as investment friendly.

He commended the governor for taking practical steps towards reducing the crime rate in the state, pointing out that recent statistics by the police authorities, indicated that Edo State is one of safest in the South-South region of the country.

He called on all segments of Edo people to continue to support the efforts of the Oshiomhole-led administration by paying their tax promptly to enable the government get the needed resources to develop the state to an enviable height.

Comrade Omogiomwan pledged the unflinching support of tipper drivers in the State to the programmes and politics of the state government, which are geared toward the development of the state and the well-being of the people.

The Abattoir at Ukhiri in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State recently built by the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC).

Below is the inside view of the Abbatoir

A/Ibom Govt Raises C’ttee On Accreditation Of Courses

UYO - The Akwa Ibom State government has set up a technical committee to ensure that all courses run by the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) were accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

AKSU started academic activities in 2010 and is

grappling with the challenges of getting its courses accredited.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sunday Peters, confirmed to newsmen in Uyo that a technical committee raised by the state Ministry of Education was currently assessing facilities at the institution.

Delta Receives N1.13trn As Statutory Allocation In 6yrs - Commissioner ASABA - The Delta State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Kenneth Okpara, said the state received N1.13 trillion as Statutory Allocation,

Value Added Tax and 13 per cent Derivation between January 2007 and September 2013.

Okpara made this known at

a ministerial press briefing organised by the state Ministry of Information in collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) in Asaba.

The on-going construction and asphalting of the 10 kilometres Egun-Iwusan-UtesiObagie Nokenkporo-Uyinmwen-Azagba Road being executed by EDSOGPADEC.

He said the state received N46 billion in 2007 as against N163 billion in 2008, N53 billion in 2009 and N158 billion in 2010.

The commissioner said that in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the state got N288 billion, N215 billion and N161 billion, respectively.

On expenditure, Okpara said that the aggregate expenditure incurred by the state between May 2007 and September 2013 was put at N1.4 trillion.

He said that the figure comprised N773 billion recurrent expenditure and N676 billion capital expenditure.

Okpara said N48 billion and N42.7 billion was incurred as recurrent and capital expenditure in 2007, while N77.7 billion and N110 billion was incurred as recurrent and capital expenditure in 2008.

He said that the recurrent and capital expenditure was N85.4 billion and N98 billion in 2009, N116 billion and N114 billion in 2010, N17billion and N113billion in 2011 and N159 billion and N118 billion in 2012.

The commissioner said the recurrent and capital expenditure in 2013 were N116 billion and N78.3billion.

“We have a lot of facilities on our campuses, we have massive infrastructure here. In the next three months you can visit us and see what we have done,” Peters said.

The university has over 35 courses spread across seven faculties and none of them has received interim accreditation from NUC. A don in the Faculty of Arts of the university, who craved anonymity, told newsmen that the university had yet to recruit the cadre of academic staff as demanded by NUC. The don said the NUC officials were not impressed by what they saw during their first visitation to the institution last year.

“You could recall that the State House of Assembly had to interfere in the recruitment by the university last year.

YENAGOA - The Nigerian Navy said it had arrested 21 suspects and seized two vessels at the waterway and creeks of Agbami Oil field and Obi Creeks in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

A statement signed by the Flag Officer Commanding the Central Naval Command, Rear Adm. Sidi-Ali Hassan Usman, said the suspects were Nigerians.

The statement, released in Yenagoa, said the vessels lacked the necessary permits to lift crude oil.

“The two vessels were laden with 2.1million litres of crude oil at the time of arrest.

“The vessels were intercepted at separate points along the Ebi Creeks and Agbami Oil Field between December 26, 2013 and January14.

“They were unable to tender relevant documents such as Nigerian Port Authority bunkering permit and the NNPC nomination for crude oil lifting.

“And they lack the certificate of registration with the Joint Military Task Force. They did not have the Naval Headquarters approval for the movement of petroleum products within the command area of responsibility.

“The determination of the Nigerian Navy and the Central Naval Command to completely eradicate oil theft, illegal bunkering and other illegality in the Nigeria waters is total.”

The Navy also vowed to sustain the tempo of activities in the waterways and creek in the Niger Delta region.

NDLEA Arrests 244 Suspects

YENAGOA The National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it had arrested 244 suspected drug traffickers and seized 223.2 killogramme of hard drugs in Bayelsa State in 2013.

The Commander of the Agency in the state, Mr. Frank Hanacho, who disclosed this to newsmen in Yenagoa, said the suspects included 191 males and 53 females.

He said that the agency in 2012, only seized 132.73 killogramme hard drugs and arrested 219 suspects.

The commander also announced the arrest of a 23year-old suspected drug

dealer, Loveday Eferebo, in Yenagoa.

“Loveday Eferebo, as at the time of his arrest, was in possession of 39 grammes of cocaine and a drug distribution paraphernalia, including a drug weighing scale, amongst others,” he said.

Hanacho said that the agency would take appropriate measures against anyone found involved in the illicit trade.

He urged those involved to withdraw from such illegal and nefarious trade, assuring that the agency would not hesitate to deal with anyone found in the illegal business.

South West LG Creation Bill

Osun House Defers Consideration

OSOGBO - Members of the Osun State House of Assembly have deferred further consideration of the Local Government Creation and Administration Bill 2013 due to petitions.

The Speaker of the House, Mr Najeem Salaam, disclosed this at the plenary in Osogbo.

Salaam said the bill would not be considered for second reading for now due to petitions from members of the public on the creation of additional local governments.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola had on December 16, 2013, presented a bill to the House for the creation of additional 27 local government areas in the state.

The bill scaled through its first reading on January 8.

Salaam said the technicalities

and petitions arising from the bill would have to be resolved before considering it for the second reading.

“Due to the technicalities and petitions arising from the bill, it cannot be considered for the second reading for now.

“The second reading of the bill will lead us to presenting it to the committee of the whole House, which will lead to passage of the bill.

“But before that, there are some other assignments which we have to do before the consideration of the bill”, Salaam said.

Reports say that the bill, when passed, would raise the number of local government in the state to 57.

The bill seeking to amend the State University Development Fund and State Independent

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire releasing pegeons at the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Lagos yesterday.

NCP For Ekiti Guber Election ADO-EKITI - The National Conscience Party (NCP), has declared its readiness to participate in the governorship election in Ekiti State in June.

The National Chairman of the Party, Dr Tanko Yinusa dropped the hint at the Special Convention of the State chapter

of the party in Ado-Ekiti.

According to him, the NCP, in continued pursuit of the vision of its founder father, late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, would strive to eradicate poverty.

“It will also strive to bring the rich and the poor at par in terms of living standards and equality

Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Records 59 Accidents - FRSC SANGO-OTA (OGUN) - A total of 59 accidents occurred in 2013 on the LagosAbeokuta Expressway and some other roads under the Itori Unit Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Ogun.

The Itori Unit Commander, Mr Fatal Bakare, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Ota, Ogun.

Bakare said that the figure dropped from 74 recorded in 2012.

He said that 30 people lost their lives to the accidents, noting that 50 people were killed in accidents on the roads in 2012.

The commander told newsmen that 168 persons sustained injuries from the

accidents, a reduction from 290 in 2012. ‘’Most of the accidents were due to over speeding and tyre bursting. ‘’As part of measures to prevent road accidents, the management of FRSC has directed the unit to embark on aggressive enlightenment of drivers and other road users,’’ Bakare said.

Bakare said that over speeding and tyre bursting contributed much road accidents.

He told that cordial relationship between the FRSC and Ogun State Government had resulted in purchase of a brand new ambulance for the command for timely medical assistance to accident victims.

if elected into office.’’

He berated those angling for the return of two-party system in the country, saying they were enemies of the people.

Yinusa also berated INEC for de-registering some political parties for not winning any seat in past elections.

He said, “instead of killing such parties, INEC should have put money into them to make them stronger.

“It is not fair for INEC to use public money to fund some parties and isolate others considered to be weak.’’

Earlier, the Acting Chairman of the party, in the state, Mr Olakunle Omotayo, called on Ekiti people to support the party “so as to deliver the state from the circle of mismanagement and oppression.’’

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra, laying a wreath at the tomb of unknown soldier at Ekwueme Square in Awka during the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Awka yesterday.

OSOGBO - The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, on Monday said the achievements of Governor Rauf Aregbesola would ‘speak’ for him in the campaign for the forthcoming governorship

election.

Mr Kunle Oyatomi, the State Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of APC, made said this in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo.

Oyatomi said the governor

Aregbesola’s Achievements Will Speak For His Re-Election -APC

Lawyers Blame Drug Trafficking On Unemployment

LAGOS - Some lawyers in Lagos have blamed drug trafficking on unemployment, and urged creation of more job as a strategy to check the menace.

The lawyers told newsmen in Lagos that many youths would prefer lawful jobs to drug trafficking but did not have the former.

A social critic, Mr Anthony Makolo, also told newsmen that drug trafficking would continue to increase until the youth were positively engaged.

He urged governments to create more jobs to divert the attention of the youth from vices.

“The increase in drug trafficking stemmed from the level of unemployment, as many graduates are roaming the streets aimlessly.

“The government should address the issue,” he urged.

Makolo also urged the mass media to promote programmes that would sensitise the youth to

the dangers of drug trafficking.

Another lawyer, Mr Ogedi Ogu, regretted that idleness had pushed many youths into drug trafficking and other crimes.

He, therefore, called for orientation of the youth on the evils of drug trafficking.

Ogu also attributed the menace to alleged compromise by some law enforcers, saying that effective enforcement would deter many people from

engaging in the crime.

Mr Oladele Adeleke, also a lawyer, said that there was a lacuna in the penalties stipulated for illicit drug-related offences.

He said that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, 2004 provided for a life imprisonment for drug trafficking and 15 years imprisonment for ingestion of restricted narcotics.

Adeleke called for review of the Act to provide for equal sanctions for the offences.

would not involve himself in any campaign of calumny but would showcase the good works he had done since the inception of his administration in 2010.

It would be recalled that the governor, who was declared winner of the disputed April 14, 2007 governorship election by the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, assumed office on November 27, 2010.

“We have done so much and preparation for election has to do with what this administration has been able to put in place to justify the mandate given to the governor.

“Our service delivery to the people is our evidence of preparation for a fresh mandate and there are enough achievements recorded by

Aregbesola to make him seek re-election”, he said.

The director listed the major achievements of the governor to include stoppage of perennial flooding which had caused incalculable damage in some parts of the state.

Oyatomi recalled that before Aregbesola became governor, flooding had swept away people and property whenever it rained.

According to him, this made the governor to declare a 90-day emergency period on the environment to enable him to tackle the menace.

He said Aregbesola had turned education around as teachers no longer signed their names at schools and went away while students now wore befitting uniforms with renewed commitment to studies.

Lagos

Teenager Dies In Fire LAGOS - A teenager was on Sunday confirmed dead in an early morning fire, which razed some shanties in the Oworonshoki neighbourhood of Lagos State.

Mr Rasaq Fadipe, the Director of Lagos State Fire and Safety Service, confirmed the incident in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

He said that his men were mobilised to No. 35 Oke-Orin St, Oworonshoki, the scene of the incident, adding that when the firefighters arrived there, the teenager had already been burnt to death.

“It was so unfortunate that

we got a late call and by the time we got to the scene, the buildings in the compound, mainly wooden shanties, had been razed down.

“A teenager was burnt to death in one of the razed buildings. We gathered that he was the only one at home as at the time of the incident, as his parents were away.

“We are yet to know why he was trapped and killed in the fire, while the occupants of other shanties within the same compound escaped unhurt,’’ he said.

Fadipe, who said the cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained, said that the

Court Remands 2 Persons Over Alleged Car Theft LAGOS - An Oshodi Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has remanded two men, Adeleke Ogunsanya and Ahmed Ramon, charged over alleged car theft, at the Kirikiri Prisons, Apapa.

The Magistrate, Mr Akeem Fashola, remanded Ogunsanya, 26 and Ramon, 28, after they admitted stealing the car.

The accused confessed that they specialised in stealing cars and that that was what they did for a living.

Fashola adjourned the case till January 21, for facts and sentencing.

The duo, who are of no fixed addresses, were arraigned on a one-count charge of stealing.

The Prosecutor, Cpl. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused and others at large, committed

the offence on December 28, 2013 at Charity bus-stop, Oshodi, Lagos.

He said that the accused and others stole a saloon car valued at N800, 000 property of one Mr Idowu Ojo. “The accused attacked the complainant on his way home, forced him to drop his key and made away with his car,” he said.

Olatunde said that the accused lived in an uncompleted building at Charity, Oshodi, where they always snatched cars.

“They used to hide in the uncompleted building to perpetrate their evil acts,” he said.

According to him, the offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Section 285 provides for three years imprisonment, if the accused is convicted.

LAGOS - Two men, who allegedly broke into a house and stole property valued at N3.4 million, have appeared before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

The accused — Mustapha Adamu, 25 and Rabiu Sanni, 23 - whose addresses are unknown, are facing a twocount charge of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen property.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Friday Ekundayo, told the court that Adamu with others still at large had committed the offences sometime between December 12, 2013 and January 10.

According to him, they broke into a residence at No. 3, Apapa Lane, Dolphin

Estate, Ikoyi.

Ekundayo said Adamu and others stole 500 dollars, jewellery, a camera and clothes valued at N3.4 million, property of Dr Ajose Funmilayo.

He alleged that Adamu gave Sanni the stolen camera.

The offences, he added, contravened Sections 307, 326 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

The Magistrate, Mrs Linda Balogun, granted the duo bail in the sum of N500, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

The case was adjourned to January 5 for further hearing.

2 Men Docked For Alleged Conspiracy, Theft

victim’s corpse had been deposited at a hospital’s morgue.

He, nonetheless, advised residents to immediately notify emergency agencies as soon as fire broke out.

He warned the people against self-help efforts in such emergencies; saying that they should rather notify appropriate authorities so as to avoid preventable losses.

Besides, Fadipe warned the residents that fire spread faster during the Harmattan season, urging them to take precautions against fire outbreaks, particularly during the dry season.

He said that his men had responded to five different fire outbreaks within the last 24 hours, which included the one at a male hostel at Oriwu College, Ikorodu, last Saturday.

Most Snr. Apostle (Dr.) Joshua Osasuyi, the Spiritual leader, Christ Chosen Church of God International flanked by Rev’d (Mrs.) M. Unuefe (left), Snr., REv’d Grace Osasuyi and Rev’d (Mrs) Onaghise at the 2014 International Conference of the Church in Benin City.

Residents Want Tank Farm Relocated

LAGOS - Some residents have appealed to the Federal Government and the Lagos State Governments to urgently relocate tank farms, currently sited within residential areas in the Apapa neighbourhood of Lagos.

They made the plea in separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos, while reacting to the January 8 petrol tanker accident in Apapa, which killed not less than 15 people.

Mr Gbenga Egunjobi, the Manager of Beachland Estate, Apapa, said that tank farms were not supposed to be located within residential areas.

He said that most of the tank farms were built long after the construction of the estate and other residential buildings.

Egunjobi called for the immediate relocation of tank farms from residential and port areas, saying that many people, including

workers and residents, had experienced explosions from the tank farms.

“I advise government to relocate the tank farms from the residential areas because tank farms are supposed to be at least 25 kilometres away from where people are residing.

“It is only in Nigeria where tank farms are situated within residential areas. They are too close for comfort and we want government to yield to our call,’’ he said.

A Marine Consultant, Mr Alex Brain, said that there was need for tank farm operators to be extra vigilant, while upholding safety measures because of the volatile environment they operated in.

He said that tank farm operators ought to be security conscious because of the volatile nature of their environment.

“The tank farms are a disaster; there is no security

of lives and properties.

Government should urgently relocate tank farms from residential areas so that we can have some measure of peace and security,’’ he said Besides, Mr Rasaq Fadipe, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, urged the Federal Government to relocate the tank farms from Apapa to other parts of Lagos.

Fadipe said that the tank

farms were highly combustible, adding that any slightest fire could snowball into a serious disaster.

He said that the Apapa neighbourhood was choked right now, stressing the need to relocate tank farms in the area to fallow lands.

“We have lands in the Ibeju-Lekki and Badagry axis, if the tank farms are relocated to such areas, it will open up development in those places,’’ he said.

Crime: Women Leader Advises Parents

LAGOS - Mrs Francisca Obasuyi, President, Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) of Saints Joachim and Anne, Ijegun, Lagos, has urged women to improve on the monitoring of their children to keep them away from crime.

Obasuyi, who made the remark while speaking at the first gathering of women of the church in the New Year, said that women held the success or failure of every family.

“If women carry out their

Col Osawaru Awanbor (rtd), Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Edo State decorates Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State with the Remembrance Emblem during the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Benin City yesterday.

responsibilities as home builders, the success of the nation is assured,’’ she said.

According to her, women should guide and teach the children morals before they become adults, and even beyond.

Obasuyi also advised women to keep themselves busy with dignified jobs that would fetch them a living, so as to assist the men in the family.

“There is dignity in labour. It is better to use your hands and legs to work and earn a living than waste time with prostitution and gossips,’’ she said.

A National Executive Officer of CWO, Dame Rosemary Azimi, also advised women to empower young girls and widows to reduce cases of child labour, child trafficking and prostitution.

“Those women who are financially buoyant should assist young girls, orphans, and widows with either some trade or education to keep them out of criminal activities,’’ she said.

Azimi urged women to plan their year positively along with their children and make prayer a basic activity in their homes this 2014.

News Lawyer Charged With Demolition of criminal Code Cap.

By OSE EHEBHA Of Building 451 48 Vol. 11 Laws of defunct President Goodluck Jonathan laying a wreath at the tomb of unknown soldier during the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Awka yesterday.

Lawmaker Calls for Attitudinal Change By Varsity Lecturers ABUJA - As lectures resume in public universities after more than five-month-old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), lecturers have been advised to have a change of attitude to their jobs.

Mr. Raphael Saka, the Chairman Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Education, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Saka said that the ball was now in ASUU’s court to ensure that its members lived up to their responsibilities through dedication to duties and discarding negative attitude that could contribute to the decay in

the sector.

He called on the university lecturers to ensure that their students covered their course contents to enable them make up for the lost grounds caused by the industrial dispute.

The lawmaker said that ASUU was a strong union and as such had the powers to ensure that erring members were not allowed to misbehave in a way that could put the integrity of the union in jeopardy.

Saka, however, appealed to the Federal Government to honour the agreements they had reached with the union to forestall any industrial dispute in the future.

ONITSHA (ANAMBRA) The new Commander of 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Col. Jibrin Fagge, has solicited the cooperation of members of the public and media in fighting crime and vices in Anambra.

Fagge spoke in Onitsha when he took over the command from Brig.-Gen. Taritimiye Gagariga, who had been redeployed to National War College, Abuja.

He said the doors of regiment would be open to public complaint and enquiries.

“I remain grateful to the media and the general public for their support and cooperation to the success of this regiment, especially to the outgoing commander.

“I would, however, plead that you extend same gesture to me as I am prepared to put more sacrifice for the nation as well as the good people of Anambra.

“We cannot do it alone, we shall count much on your support and cooperation to enable us uplift the status of the Army and image of the

regiment,’’ he said.

He enjoined officers and soldiers to be more dedicated to their duties, adding that “whatever you are doing, do it well’’.

The outgoing Commander had thanked the public, especially members of the media for their support during his tenure in office.

“You people have been wonderful, starting from the public, the journalists and even the state government.

“I knew how I met this place when I assumed duty and the great changes here today. Even as I am about leaving, am grateful to the state government,’’ Gagariga said.

He appealed to officers and soldiers to extend the same hands of friendship to the new commander.

“You must not forget to obey civil authorities and ensure you carry out your internal security duty operations professionally,’’ he advised.

In a related development, both the outgoing and incoming

He also advised the government to address issues raised by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), are currently on strike.

The lawmaker also advised students to also have a change of attitude to their studies and shun vices that were capable of impacting negatively on their academic excellence.

He charged students to desist from acts capable of encouraging and influencing lecturers’ attitude toward them as a result of their quest for cheap certificates.

EKPOMA - A legal practitioner, Gabriel Akhigbe has been dragged before an Ekpoma Magistrate’s Court, Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State by two separate complainants over alleged demolition of buildings.

The complainants, Mark Oribhabor and Shaibu Lukeman in charge numbers MEK/52C/2013 and M E K / 6 6 C / 2 0 1 3 respectively, accused the legal practitioner of unlawful damage to their buildings.

While Mark Oribhabor valued the cost of damage to his building at N3, 500, 000, Shaibu Lukeman is claiming the sum of N4, 000,000.

According to both

charges, Akhigbe along with three others now at large unlawfully damaged building properties, belonging to the complainants, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 451 of Criminal Code Cap. 48 Vol. 11 Laws of defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976 now applicable in Edo State.

Second count of charge No. MEK/52C/2013 instituted by Oribhabor read: “that you Gabriel Akhigbe ‘m’ and three others now at large on the 19th day of August 2013 at Ehanlen Quartes, Ekpoma in Ekpoma Magistrate District willfully damaged the building of one Oribhabor Mark valued at N3, 500, 000 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section

Bendel State of Nigeria 1976 now applicable in Edo State”.

That of Shaibu, with charge number MEK/66C/ 2013, on the other hand, read: “that you Akhigbe and others now at large on the 3rd day of September, 2013 at Ekpoma, in Ekpoma Magistrate District willfully and unlawfully damaged an uncompleted building valued at about N4, 000,000, property of one Shaibu Lukeman and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 451 of criminal Code Cap. 48 Vol. 11 Laws of defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976 now applicable in Edo State”.

The case has been adjourned till February 19, 2014.

Crime: Army Solicits Cooperation commanders, decorated 33 newly promoted soldiers from various ranks.

Reports that Jibrin was formerly the Deputy Chief of Staff Operation in 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri.

Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), officials presenting relief materials to victims of attack in Shonong, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau recently.

LG Boss Swears-in Councillors

ILOFFA (KWARA) – Mrs. Aminat Yusuf, the Chairperson, Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara has swore-in four newly appointed supervisory councillors to take charge of some key departments in the council.

Swearing-in the councillors, Yusuf charged them to rededicate themselves to the service of their communities and shun idleness and corrupt practices.

They are Michael Ajamu, who is to serve as the Supervisor for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Adegboyega Ashaolu, Supervisor for Health and Medical Services.

The others are Kayode

Bamidele for Works, Lands and Housing and Adebayo Adeleke, Education and Social Service.

The appointments have been ratified by the council’s legislature.

The council’s boss said the nation’s local governments needed a vibrant workforce to tackle the socio-economic and security challenges.

Yusuf said that with dedicated, honest and committed personnel at the local government level most of the challenges confronting the councils’ administration would become history.

“I think it is time the welfare of the local government personnel is placed among the

top priority list for them to be able to make the desired impact at their duty posts.

“It is only up and doing and committed staff that will make the council to embark on an aggressive revenue generation drive needed to achieve success.

‘This becomes necessary in order to reposition the Internally Generated Revenue base of the local councils which remains a vital factor in the socio-economic development of their areas.

“With such a vibrant workforce, the issue of inadequate funding for healthcare services, roads rehabilitation, empowerment, education and security would become a thing of the past,’’

Yusuf said.

She urged the supervisors to shun pettiness and sentiments in handling all official assignments before them so as to enhance the progress of the area.

“Your major concern should be to work together with other stakeholders as a united and indivisible team to take the council to an enviable height,’’ she said.

Yusuf thanked the traditional rulers within the council area for working for peace and development in their domains.

Responding on behalf of the supervisory councillors, Ajamu pledged their support to the administration toward improving the living conditions of the people.

Abuja FG Offers Overseas’ Scholarship To N/Delta Youths

Chief Jailed For Stealing ABUJA - An Abuja Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a chef, Yohana Friday, of Durumi, Abuja, to two weeks in prison for stealing 50,000 dollars and 600 Euros belonging to his employer.

The Magistrate, Mrs Grace Adebayo-Eisape, sentenced Friday after he pleaded guilty to stealing his boss’ money.

She sentenced the convict without giving him an option of a fine.

Adebayo-Eisape said the punishment was to serve as deterrent to others.

The convict, in his plea, urged the court for mercy, adding that he was an asthmatic patient who needed constant medical care.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Cpl. Monday Akor, told the court that Mr Afolabi Ajidohun, of No. 43, Colorado Street, Maitama, Abuja, reported the case to Maitama Police Station.

Akor said that the complainant returned from work on that day with the foreign currency and the convict stole 50,000 dollars and 600 Euro from the complainant.

Akor said the offence contravened the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old house girl, Blessing Ochigbo, of Mpape, Abuja, has appeared in a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing money and jewelries worth over N1 millon from her employer.

The prosecutor, Sgt Mohammed Ahmed, told the court that on January 7, Ms Amina Othman, of No. 11, Nun Street, Maitama, Abuja, lodged a report against the accused at the Maitama police station.

He told the court that Othman had reported that on January 6, she discovered that the accused who was her house girl, entered into her bedroom and stole some of her properties.

Ahmed said that some of the items reported to be stolen included N150,000 cash and different types of jewelries worth over N1 million.

He said that the accused is standing trial for the offence of “theft by servant” contrary to provisions of Section 289 of the Penal Code.

The section stipulates that “Whoever, being a servant commits theft in respect of any property of his employer, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of seven years or with fine or with both’’.

After the charges were read to her, the accused pleaded not guilty.

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Chinyere Nwacheonwu, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100,000 with one reliable surety in like sum who must live within the FCT, She adjourned the case to February 3 for hearing.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State inspecting the parade at 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Benin City yesterday.

2014: Vice-Chancellors Call For Stable Calendar

ABUJA - The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities has called for stability in the 2014 academic calendar of the university system.

Prof. Michael Faborode, the Secretary General of the committee, told newsmen in an interview in Abuja.

He said the agreement reached between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) after the five - months long strike should be faithfully implemented.

“I believe with what has been laid on the table, the agreement to fund the university over the next five to six years, there should be stability across the university system.

“I believe it is a foundation for

a lasting peace and solution in the university system.

“I think if everybody is faithful to the implementation on all the sides, we should be able to use the current funding, which by no means is all that is required “It is adequate to prepare a good foundation so the universities can then be more robust and respond to their civic responsibilities and create alternative funds that will sustain whatever reforms they are doing now.

“Definitely in five years’ time we are going to have better universities than what we had in the past 10 to 15 years,” he said.

Faborode said that the

committee was pleased that the strike had finally been put to an end.

He noted that the committee was pleased about the resumption that nobody could have envisaged the sort of damages that the strike would have done to the education sector.

He said that when the strike

was declared, people expected that it would rapidly be brought to an end; unfortunately it lasted almost five months which was half of a session of an academic calendar.

“I believe the time has now come for all hands to be on deck. There must be faithful implementation of the agreement because I believe that what has been agreed on is in the best interest of the university system.

ABUJA - The Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs said it had offered scholarships to 35 Niger Delta youths.

The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Kingsley Kuku, said the scholarships were for under graduate and post graduate programmes in universities in the United Kingdom.

Kuku said this at the Offshore Orientation and Departure Programme organised for the beneficiaries.

Kuku, who was represented by the Head of Reintegration Department in the office, Mr Larry Pepple, said the purpose was to develop the capacity of youths in the area.

He said 31 Itsekiri and four Ijaw youths were the latest group of beneficiaries in the scheme offered by his office.

The presidential aide urged the beneficiaries to behave well while pursuing their studies.

He said the beneficiaries got the scholarship because their communities were affected by militancy and oil exploration.

Mr Eugene Abels, Head, Education Unit in the office, urged the beneficiaries to always save some money to avoid hardship in the event of delay in the payment of their stipends.

Violation Of EIA Provisions

C’ttee Set To Review Penalties ABUJA - The Ministerial Committee on the Review of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act No. 86 of 1992 is set to review penalties

The Chairman, Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Commission (EDSOGPADEC), Barrister Vincent Uwadiae (left), exchanging pleasantries with the Contracting firm Project Engineer, Raykon Nigeria Limited, Hussein Daher handling the 10 kilomentres Egun-IwusanUtesi-Obagie Nokenkporo-Uyinmwen-Azagba Road. Middle is Mr. Victor Ekhator, member representing Ikpoba Okha on the Board of EDSOGPADEC.

and issues bothering on flouting the provisions of the act.

The Chairman of the committee, Dr Oluwole Ameyan, said this in Abuja during an interview with newsmen.

He said the committee would also consider the administrative machinery needed for the proper implementation of the act.

Ameyan said that the committee would work in line with the Terms of Reference (TOR) given to it by the Federal Ministry of Environment.

According to the TOR, the committee is also to review the powers of states and Local Government Areas (LGAs), in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ‘’The committee will recommend and replace missing sections in the current Act and address areas of conflict with other laws such as the Town Planning Act, the demand for EIA by other bodies, among others. ‘’It will review the Act to cover areas such as policies and plans which have long term effects on the environment and also review provisions for

project exclusion. ‘’It will also review enforcement powers and bodies, violation charges and make provision for repeals of all other Acts in conflict with the EIA Act,’’ the document stated.

According to the document, the new act should define the role of the public, private and civil society in the EIA process. ‘’It suggests the need for an EIA Commission to take care of all Environmental Impact Assessment, Audit and issues as a single body in the country. ‘’Reviews and recommends legal backing for regulations and statutory Instruments to govern the day-to-day affairs of the provision of the EIA Act,’’ it added.

It would be recalled that the Supervising Minister of Environment, Mr Darius Ishaku, had on January 9, inaugurated the review committee with the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry to serve as the secretariat for the work of the 10-man committee.

The committee is expected to submit its report by the end of

Impact Of Infidelity On Marriage

WHEN a marriage is affected by an affair or infidelity, it can be like dropping a pebble into water.

The ripples of devastation grow wider and wider and can last literally for generations. Thus, as couples who want to have extraordinary marriages, it would be wise to learn about infidelity, what happens, and why, and then find out what YOU can do to keep your marriage affair-free.

To understand how affairs start, a couple needs to understand a few key concepts. Envision the love of a marriage like a campfire.

First there is a time and place for marriage just as there is a time and place for a campfire.

It’s made in the fire pit and rocks are put around the fire to protect it. You don’t do a campfire during dry season, during the rain, or in wind near grass as there is a chance that the fire could go “out of control.” And it’s the same for a marriage. Marriage is for people who make a very serious commitment to each other (a covenant) and then put rocks in place to protect the fire. Next, there are actions a person can do to build the fire–call those Love Kindlers. When people first start dating, they spend every free moment together, they get to know each other and talk long into the night, they do fun activities together and laugh together, they send each other love notes or buy silly stuffed animals or write poems, and they are attracted to each other and express that physically (usually with holding hands, kissing, hugging, and some degree of making out). These are actions that kindle love and make the fiery passions of love blaze! BUT there are actions that a person can do to put out the fire too–call those Love Extinguishers. Some are like a little drip from the bottom of a holey bucket…some are like pouring a bucket of water on the fire…and some are like dumping a swimming pool! However, if a bucket had enough small holes and the water constantly dripped and drizzled onto the fire, that fire would never be able to blaze would it? Some common Love Extinguishers are things like never really severing that tie with mom

the pressure to provide for a family, so he starts working two jobs. When he is home, he’s tired and wants to relax by watching TV. They don’t do fun things together or talk as often, and she misses that so she says something, and they argue because he feels like she’s blaming him. Then in year four she’s pregnant again and this time it’s a daughter. She doesn’t lose any of the baby weight and in fact, she’s stopped even

house, and kids crying! More and more they argue, and lately, when they do, the words said are more spiteful, hurtful, and frankly hateful.

One night, while he is playing video games and ignoring her yet again, she logs onto Face-book and has a friend request from her long lost old flame from college–freshman year. Oh she had SUCH a crush on him and it’s nice to hear from him again, so she approves the friend request and sends him a message saying how good it is to hear from him–how is he? He writes back that he’s going through a divorce and

trying to wear nice clothes– just wears sweats and a tee shirt with her hair up in a knot. She wants him to help and he “never does” so she nags. She wants some romance, hugs and kisses and gets pecks or demands for sex. She wants to sit up and talk all night with him, and he wants her to stop talking and leave him alone.

He wants her to look up to him and admire his promotions but all she thinks of is the kids. He wants her to be the curvy sexy mama and she falls into bed exhausted. He wants to come home to a clean, quiet, well-maintained home and every night he comes home to a pile of bills, a messy

that he found her by luck just surfing around–how is she?

She writes about her hubby ignoring her and he’s understanding and comforts her. He sends her a friendly little Face-book daisy and then a hug saying “hope you feel better” and she gets a little love zing out of it. Back and forth they go on, starting as friends at first, just catching up and being a little more than friendly…but not much. They exchange photos and treat each other really nicely, and she thinks, “He actually cares about me and gives a rip.” Then he says something really tender and caring, and she’s touched.

Meanwhile her husband has no idea about the old flame

By DAVID AND CINDY J. TAYLOR

and dad, angry explosions (attacking your spouse), being critical or judgmental (finding fault with everything your spouse does), keeping score, treating your spouse like it’s “your way or the highway”, holding an error over their head forever, being a bottomless pit (enough is never enough), or growing too comfortable (neglectful, taking your spouse for granted).

So let’s follow a typical married couple through their relationship. They meet when they are young and either through friendship or attraction, they have some interest in each other–they catch each other’s eye or there is a very initial, little spark. They are trying to maybe start a love fire! So to the little spark, he adds a love poem, flirts with her, and gets her a little gift (adding Love Kindlers); she flirts with him, admires his muscles, and takes the time to get dressed up to see him (more kindlers).

Pretty soon they are dating and keep adding more and more Kindlers like he’s finishing his degree in a good field so he’ll have a good job…and she touches him and kisses him and physically wants him. And after a year of nothing but Love Kindlers, they are so deeply in love they can’t see straight and he proposes– they’re getting married.

After the wedding, a small Love Extinguisher or two pops up. He had no idea she left her face goo all over the bathroom and she had no idea he squeezed toothpaste in the middle! She isn’t the greatest cook and he doesn’t help with chores. So that first year or so after the wedding is an adjustment but they also keep up all the Love Kindlers so they still feel really in love.

Then in year two she tells him, she’s pregnant. They have their son and she spends a lot of time with the baby. She’s always too tired for sex every night but they still have some, and well…she gained a little weight but she lost about half of it. Meanwhile he’s feeling

“When people first start dating, they spend every free moment together, they get to know each other and talk long into the night, they do fun activities together and laugh together, they send each other love notes or buy silly stuffed animals or write poems, and they are attracted to each other and express that physically (usually with holding hands, kissing, hugging, and some degree of making out).”

Relationship With IMOISILI EDITH 07089364470 from Face-book, or maybe she’s told him and he has forgotten about it, and he continues as he had been. He gets home from work and immediately ignores her and goes to watch TV (or play a game). He still gets mad about the credit card bill, and he still tries to demand sex without even trying to romance her. And feeling a little guilty about the Facebook friend, she might suggest maybe they need some counseling or say “this isn’t working for me” but her

thing we MUST do is stop looking at what our spouse is doing wrong and look at ourselves! At the deepest level, marriage is an example of the covenant that God makes with us, loving us even when we were unlovely, and in a similar way sometimes we have to make a commitment to our spouse– to look at ourselves and humbly admit our own weaknesses and issues and then do the work to fix ourselves, even when they are unlovely. One option is to

husband dismisses it and says they don’t need help. Or worse–she brings it up and he argues with her about it and it ends in a big screaming match.

This marriage is actually in the first stage of an affair: Vulnerability! One of the hardest things we are called to do as married people is take our eyes off of the faults of our spouse and instead take personal responsibility for ourselves.

As you can see, up to this point, neither spouse was “right” or “wrong” but rather both were contributing to an environment that made their marriage vulnerable.

Each one may have had individual weaknesses that made the individual susceptible to extramarital attention, and in addition, they both contributed to making the marriage vulnerable. To create an extraordinary, affair-free marriage, the most expedient

honestly look in the mirror and acknowledge that we have done the Love Extinguisher, but another option that can be really helpful in a marriage is to ask your spouse to tell you what Love Extinguishers you’ve done that have hurt them the worst. Now this can be a big risk for your spouse to open up and be honest with you, especially if you’ve told them to be honest in the past and then blow up at them when they were honest! But if they are willing to be honest and tell you, please listen with an open heart, and if it gets hurtful, rather than being defensive remind yourself to ONLY say, “Thank you for being honest. I’ll think about what you’ve said.”

This demonstrates that they have a safe place to truly be honest and they can tell you what is actually on their heart even when it isn’t all ‘loveydovey’ that you can take the sting of honest truth in a mature way.

WHEN the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Mr. Peter Voser recently raised the red flag that security situation in Nigeria had worsened, not many Nigerians were taken aback. Voser in a speech posted on the company’s website noted “the stealing and sabotage of crude oil intensified during the year under review thereby threatening its multi-billionaire-dollar business” and opined that shell alone cannot tackle the issues. THE Company’s chief executive recommended a multi-stakeholder approach as they have pushed for several years which has gone unheeded by the Nigerian authorities.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER, is disturbed over the security situation in the country as the United States of America recently raised alarm over escalating insecurity of lives, property and businesses necessitating in its restricting the movement of its citizens within some states in Nigeria.

WE are even more worried over the implications of corporate citizens’ perceptions of our security on larger businesses and in particular, growth and development of the country.

Unfortunately, efforts by Nigerian security to address the challenge have not yielded the desired results.

IT is an incontrovertible fact that there could be no meaningful development in any society where security of lives and property is heavily under threat. Shell’s expose reveals of colossal sums of money lost through oil theft by criminals who, in our view act in concert with powerful and well connected Nigerians including even some unscrupulous

THE NIGERIAN

Tackling Oil Theft And Insecurity officials of the nation’s security organisations.

THE sad situation the nation finds itself is an attestation of the lack of political will by government over the years to deal decisively with the various security challenges that have arisen with one leading to the other, some of which now have ethnic, and religious colourations.

Kidnapping of multinational oil workers in the Niger Delta went on for too long unaddressed until it metamorphosed into kidnap of innocent low income earners, a situation which speaks volumes of our unpreparedness to tackle the menace of kidnappers until the mother of the Finance Minister and Head of the economic team of Mr. President was kidnapped by hoodlums to the utter embarrassment of the whole nation.

TERROR groups in Northern Nigeria have, since the inception of the Jonathan administration unleashed mayhem on innocent citizens in most parts of the region with security agencies and the presidency promising almost on a daily basis to deal with the insurgence without any headway till date.

CLEARLY, the Nigeria Police Force have failed woefully to live up to its responsibility as from every indications, the police themselves, including the high authorities are either involved in criminal activities or are pre-occupied in shielding perpetrators of criminal offences.

THE political class have equally not helped the situation as most of them are involved in arming youth groups to do their political billing who in turn go back to the trenches with such arms to perpetrate criminality against the people and the state.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER is strongly of the view that if Nigeria must attain its national goals and objectives, the present administration must take proactive steps to fight insecurity in the land and restore hope and confidence amongst all stakeholders.

BUT in all, we believe the President needs to exercise the political will to make this happen. Mr. President needs to throw away ethnic, sectional and other sentimental garbs and wear his nationalistic apparel to deal with insecurity in the country.

GOING forward, we join shell Petroleum Plc to recommend a well organised, multi-stakeholder approach to dealing with insecurity in the country. The Nigerian Army, Navy, Air force, Department of State Security Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Nigerian Immigration, Nigerian Customs and most importantly, the Nigeria Police Force need urgent overhaul. All outfits need better coordination to arrest the situation and make the country safer for all.

Issues

AFRICA is greatly underdeveloped. Poverty plays a major role in her poor development.

Poverty is caused by many factors which include corruption, greed, indiscipline and lack of patriotism by inept political leaders. Policy inconsistency also inhibits socio-economic and structural development in Africa.

Nigeria must jettison poverty by choice through well articulated programmes and properly executed projects that will progressively and seriously reduce poverty.

The policies, programmes and projects articulated by Delta State Government for Poverty Alleviation are strongly targetted at poverty reduction.

The Commissioner in the Ministry Dr A. ASHIEDU has made the vision and mission of Government a success story. The execution of many macro and micro projects by the Commissioner has greatly reduced the gargantuan level of poverty in the State. The projects have direct bearing on the lives of people in health, security and in particular poverty reduction, job and wealth creation. They provide ample evidence which stimulates a catalyst for agricultural revolution being a fundamental precondition for economic development. Candidly, poverty reduction is a major key to development.

The operational coverage is fair, universal,

Delta State Success Story

Poverty Reduction: transparent and equitable.

The distribution and utilisation of available resources are equitable.

There is no discrimination or apathy on the part of Government officials and the citizenry. Many people are currently involved in agriculture.

Agricultural activities are often concentrated in lessdeveloped rural areas where there is the critical need for rural transformation, redistribution, poverty reduction and socioeconomic development. A strong and efficient Agricultural sector enables a Country to feed her growing population, generate employment, provide raw matedals for Industries and earn foreign exchange. The multifunctional nature of Agriculture has a multiplier effect on a Country’s socioeconomic and industrial fabric. The efforts of Ministry officials have continued to sustain the effective management of renewable natural resources and to contribute greatly to the viability of many rural areas. By the different activities of the Ministry at both the macro and micro levels, the Agricultural Sector is being strategically positioned to have high multiplier effect on the State’s quests for socioeconomic and industrial development The Policy,

By PRINCE OYAKHIRE programmes and projects are highly instrumental in the rapid rural transformation, empowerment and the reduction of poverty.

The good programmes,

of many people. Youth restiveness, joblessness and issues associated with insecurity have correspondingly declined.

Society is, therefore, seemingly stable and the

verifiable physical achievements, consistent commissioning of vital projects and an improved intellectual environment.

Dr A. ASHIEDU apparently knows how to get things properly done, is versed in modern management practices, well groomed and is an emotionally intelligent individual with sound

• Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State

vital targets and visibly executed projects have continued to immensely reduce poverty, hunger, diseases, inequality, injustice and reinforce social reintegration in most places in the State.

They are continuously adding probative values to the lives and well-being

apprehension of citizens is seriously reduced, The Commissioner has performed excellently, must continue to execute the mandate selflessly and diligently, must continue to demonstrate leadership traits in terms of tangibles with clear records of impressive performance,

The good programmes, vital targets and visibly executed projects have continued to immensely reduce poverty, hunger, diseases, inequality, injustice and reinforce social reintegration in most places in the State.

diction and has a good command of English Language. Delta State, in terms of poverty reduction, policy and visible projects on poverty reduction represents good governance in Nigeria.

Other States should emulate Delta. This Policy must be sustained and the regular execution of vital projects must be consistently reinforced.

The good news is that the act of good governance in a Democracy is dynamic, pro-active, allows free participation, advocates freedom of choice and the

right to seek power by all qualified people. Indeed, the general development of Delta State and Nigeria and the real progress of Nigerians will be quickly achieved from the wellbeing of Nigerian people as a result of good policies, serious poverty reduction, improved levels of health, opportunities for employment by earning a fair reward (wages) for labour, access to qualitative education and adequate security for lives and property. The actualisation of the inspirational programmes and projects in Delta State in poverty reduction by the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation has made the achievements attestable, real, tangible, visible and ubiquitous.

The Media tour of States in Nigeria with the Minister of Information during the visit to Delta State also eulogised the Commissioner for the efforts of the Delta State Ministry for Poverty Alleviation. There is zero tolerance for corruption in the Ministry for Poverty Alleviation. Corruption impedes formal process, weakens democracy, undermines the rule of law, subverts patriotism and harms society. It must be drastically reduced so that it ceases to impede development by creating institutions, traditions and laws which will make it extremely difficult for people in public positions to corruptly acquire, steal or peculate public funds.

The tyranny a Prince in an Oligarchy (Government of a few powerful people) is not as dangerous to public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a Democracy.

The survival of Nigeria’s democracy depends largely on patriotism, integrity, commitment, effective performance and good governance.

Spotlight

How Sincere Are We With

EVERYWHERE you go, anywhere you are, the brazen air is blowing; everybody is in festive moods counting blessings and losses in retrospect and looking forward to a more brighter, “cleaner”, meaningful and happy 2014.

But the question that needs to be asked is, “How sincere are we with our God and the new year resolution we do make”?

Some make it and abide with it while some almost immediately break the “covenants” and they do so with their creator! During Christmas and New Year there was palpable anxiety so to say about what to wear’ what to eat, how our looks should be. Some celebrated it where it met them, while some travelled to their villages. Business men, entrepreneurs traders alike and transporters made brisk business more than ever, before, during, and after the Yuletide season.

From experience, Christmas, and New Year means different things to different people, apart from the one house belief that it is a period of merry making.

We have heard about Christmas and January 1st and the yuletide seasons generally. Some of which are: time for merry making, time for sober reflection of what happened in the immediate and the extended years about making new resolutions or covenants to our creator about doing well what we kept doing wrong, time for forgiveness, overlooking, forgetting and forgiving our foes or enemies about the bad things they did to us; assessing critically the present situation condition, or circumstances and looking forward to the future, by packaging and repackaging ourselves for

growth. Going closer to the Almighty God who created heaven and earth and the good things on planet earth and we whom He made in his likeness and image and made us have dominion over every other thing not minding the sins of our first father and mother, Adam and Eve who were kept in the Garden of Eden and something terrible happened along the line. They were both deceived by the great torment or by himself – Satan, and man began to lose his glory before the almighty God. That notwithstanding, the almighty God in his infinite mercies benevolence, unconditional love and abundant grace forgave us our sins, trespasses, iniquities and misdeeds.

With the birth of Jesus Christ whom we celebrate during the Christmas and for seeing the New Year, we ought to a matter of spiritual importance, believe in his only begotten son – born spiritually through the virgin because whosoever believeth in him shall never perish but have everlasting life.

This is the reason why we are on this earth: to worship him; praise, and glorify him and to see him as our personal Lord and saviour so that every other thing shall be added unto us.

But also, rather than towing the line he had received and carved out for us, all of us went on our ways. Hence, every one of us have come short of the glory of God, hence the

imperative of the birth of Jesus Christ.

While some believe that Jesus was born in December as at this date others do not.

While some believe that the birth of Jesus Christ is sufficient reason for this season, others do not, especially the date, December 25th. They see it as a date set aside by ourselves in the calendar, for merriment and stock taking, after all, it is a few days before the end of the year.

An example of this people are the Jehovah Witnesses who apart from this, believe they ought to separate themselves from others in other doctrines. Some still believe but with a different date and some don’t believe in the birth of Jesus Christ at all.

Worshippers of different gods and through different religions see Christmas and New Year periods, differently. We have the African traditional religion, the Christians, the Hindu etc.

Different folks, different strokes. Even to the extent that the interpretation of the versions of religion that sees Jesus as a shepherd is being viewed differently.

Like I have said, it is different people with different religions, but let’s keep this aside,” some don’t even know and don’t want to know that Jesus - the son of God - whether he is existing at all, not to talk of celebrating his birth day or worshipping him.

But no matter how you look at it, man’s existence dates back to ages by God the creator of heaven and earth, ocean divider, the I am that I am, the Alpha and Omega, etc that is worthy to be celebrated. It is only a mad

“Worshippers of different gods and through different religions see Christmas and New Year periods, differently. We have the African traditional religion, the Christians, the Hindu etc. Different folks, different strokes. Even to the extent that the interpretation of the versions of religion that sees Jesus as a shepherd is being viewed differently.”

By ABAYOMI SHOYOMBO

man that would say there is no God. It is from this premise that one should look at the date or not depending the angle from which you are viewing it but see him as somebody who was on earth and should be celebrated.

Therefore, the recognition of his birth and what he stood for on this earth and what he expects us to do as his children informed this writer to write this features.

Apart from recognition and celebration of his birth, there were things he did while on earth and which abound witnesses to and testimonies even up till now and forever more, hence the need not only to celebrate him but to see him and take him as our Lord and personal savior by desisting from our evil ways.

Regrettably, all these motives have been discarded only by a few, while others are still amassing worldly things to our own peril to the extent that some men and women of God now preach prosperity affluence in them etc without preaching salvation.

God himself said we should worship him in truth and in faith and all other things shall be added unto us. For example: Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, some of us know and can even recite it at will. The inherent danger in this Psalm is the superficiality of it. We know it but we don’t attach necessary importance to it so as for it to be useful to us as a person or collection of individuals not to talk of the country for national and ideal purposes and development.

The same thing applies to December 25th, Christmas day and January 1st. We indulge in merriment, eat, dance and celebrate it to an inexcusable point that what supposed to be a time or period of relief from stress comes another way round as extra burden on our physical bodies, souls and spirit.

If we had taken time to

reflect on the usefulness of this day and the yuletide period generally, life itself would have been better for all of us.

The Psalm 23 chapter and verses are under consideration here. The wordings from the chapter to the verses have stuck to

us ever since, that the danger of knowing the words so well is that they tend to lose their meaning and potency right from time immemorial.

This writer has been an advocate and solicitor for the government to consider the urgent need for everything we learn, do or hope for to be translated to our local languages and dialects. This is to conform with our ideal that though tribe an tongue may differ in brotherhood we stand. The possibility of the prayer verse of our national Anthem becoming a reality and achieving the aim and objectives or purposes on which it is being created also rests on this.

The Japanese, for example, did that. They rewrote the 23rd Psalm, made it relate more to them and their culture development and national growth. The whole world now can enjoy

a different version of the psalm 23.

For us, it is the Lord is my shepherd. To the Japanese the lord is my pacesette instead of, I shall not wan they wrote, I shall not rush instead of, he makes me to lie down in green pasture, in the Japanese language to suit their culture and national ideals, they wrote He makes me stop fo

intervals As against, he lead me beside the still water they wrote. He provides me with images of stillnes which restores my serenity Instead of, he restores my soul, Japanese said, he lead me in the way of efficiency through calmness of my mind and his guidance i peace. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, as it ha been handed to us in English in the bible, they wrote I wil fear no evil, because you are with me the Japanese side even though I have a grea many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret fo his presence is here. Hi timeliness, his al importance will keep me in balance, your rod and you staff they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activities by anointing my head with oils of tranquility

Spotlight

h New Year Resolutions?

e

y e, r nt h o n o d e. r

s s e s y. y s y y s k e s h ll e e, at h or s ll n ur u e e d y y y.

My cup of joy, our energy, overflow so said the Japanese.

Nigerians, on their own part read in the bible thus: You anoint my head with oil.

My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This is the last version of the 23rd psalm that we know

branching or re-modelling it, not only to suit our individual purposes on earth but the natural upliftment, knew exactly what they wanted and went on to apply it accordingly.

The Japanese went further to achieve what they want through that chapter and its verses. We should all bring our minds

while for the Japanese it is written thus: Truly, harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruit of my hours, for I shall walk in the pace of my lord and dwell in his house forever, Amen.

This Psalm, according to how it is viewed in Christendom revolves round David in the Bible who knew exactly what he was talking about when he related his relationship with God that’s between a shepherd and his sheep.

This time around, I mean this time around, I mean this End time; most of this can not relate to pastoral living of old; we live in the well celebrated modern age.

You can see that the Japanese, unlike their Nigerian counterpart who took everything in that Psalm as it was ever being handed over to us, hookline and sinkers without re-

back from those goddamned places and reflect seriously, especially on these days when the world is rushing to nowhere and yet spinning around in vicious cycle! The big lesson to learn from the Japanese is that they came together to carve a different niche from others by seeing God as the ultimate pace setter, and therefore, there is absolutely no need to rush or going on and doing things anyhow without minding the negative result or consequences as we would do and behave in a given circumstances in which the whole world already know, for that some other misdemeanor if we are truly sincere with ourselves and true Christians and reformers and want every promise we make on new year resolution or the rethinking or re-orientation of the new year, we should

realize and know that God is the pace setter seeing that he already knows where we are going and can and will readily set the pace of our travel in the journey of our life.

We are so desperate that we take on our targets with lies, without consideration for other human lives! We have lost our touch with humanity all in a mad rush to achieve satisfaction and success. We lose the essence of living until the almighty God makes us to hold break by force which is either redeemable or otherwise.

Every one deems it necessary or otherwise to alienate themselves and becomes little monsters all in a bid to prefect or prevent themselves from getting hurt for now, and henceforth, except if we go on consonance with our new year resolutions to do better, everyone is hurting of a little more, more delusion of happiness; so we party and drink to a stupor or level of no return, thereby causing untold damages to ourselves, forgetting that too much of everything is bad.

We seek for more money even if we have to claim other peoples’ lives to make us rich with little or no regard for human lives and in search of more money, so we work hard too, sometimes three jobs without much concentration on one to make us perfect all of which are fulltime: more, more, more.

In the search for more, we never truly enjoy or appreciate what little we have. We are never contented with what we have until we lose it,

bearing in mind that though human wants are insatiable and unlimited, the need to focus on spiritual things is inalienable.

In such a scenario, God makes us top for quiet intervals to enjoy the view from low or high pedestal, to enjoy the beauty of the world around us.

Despite he who provided us with ways of stillness which restores our serenity, unfortunately calmness, tranquility have largely eluded us, hence we know no peace even to those who claim spirituality, religiousness and make us believe that they are men of God, they do not enjoy time of serenity and peace to really communicate with their God during this set time. We appear not to have a source from which to draw this peace from God who can provide us this source.

Despite the hurdle and burstle of life, trying to make ends meet, we juggle things and make mess of every other thing which we had carefully done in the spirit of the almighty God, we would have come out successful or glorious, but alas!

Japanese version, once again, claim we can enjoy efficiency through calmness of mind and enjoy God’s guidance which is represented by peace and which directly translates to balance, harmony and effectiveness.

The Japanese version of Psalm 23 points directly at our overly active modern life, a life which loses sight of spiritual contentment and fulfillment and rather focuses on material wealth and accomplishment

A life which values the mundane and the ordinary as opposed to the celestial and supernatural. A life where even the holy places of worship do not provide for the individual quality and essence, but focuses on activities and the physical, we do not seek to see and feel God any longer, what we focus our attention on is how big our church is and how large the congregation or how well we are known nationwide, whether or not we are connected to God, is not important, so for as we are called pastors and men of God, even without qualifying or having attributes or qualities required to be so called not only that we don’t preach salvation again, but how to make it in terms of riches, wealth power, influence, affluence, control etc, forgetting that we should first of all be seen for the kingdom of God and every other thing shall be added onto us.

It is painful to see our derailment from the normal track which eruditely show us how carefree, unrepentant and ungodly we are. The irony of religion vis-a-vis Christianity and Christiandom is that many do not perceive the Christianity and morality exist on the same plane, any where moral obligation and values have paled in the face of the so-called modern age and more so now, man has created a more human face or evil and atrocity, we all are in it. We all have almost embraced it; very very soon, there will be no grey spot between religiousness and the other side.

No doubt we are

celebrating men and New Year and we make New Year resolutions, we must ask ourselves some basic questions and be bold enough to answer them. This is because truth has come far from being objective.

No one truly believes in the ideal any more and even the ability or capacity to prove to the whole world that they meant what they said is no more there! No one follows through on activities that may prove the point.

Hear what Attah Deborah, a philosopher said, “we are more focused on grey points between the good , and the bad) more focused on compromising and bridging the gap, even complementarily which has become the subject of discussion in places where it has no right to feature.”

According to a wise saying, if you are sure of God, you are sure of everything, but I do not think it is like that today any more. May God, the omnipotent, omnipresence, omniscience, the creator of heaven and earth, ocean divider, the I am that I am, have mercy upon us. This year 2014, we must play by the rules and regulations of the Almighty God, in every way, capacity circumstances or conditions we find ourselves. We must desist and stop the thing we have been doing, including behaviors, habits, characters and focus our mind and belief on the Almighty God, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that he can not do for us if we believe and act in faith according to his will himself, having fulfilled it on our behalf.

Happy New Year to you all!

“A life which values the mundane and the ordinary as opposed to the celestial and supernatural. A life where even the holy places of worship do not provide for the individual quality and essence, but focuses on activities and the physical, we do not seek to see and feel God any longer, what we focus our attention on is how big our church is and how large the congregation or how well we are known nationwide, whether or not we are connected to God, is not important, so for as we are called pastors and men of God, even without qualifying or having attributes or qualities required to be so called ...”

Security

Between Containment, WarMaking And Joint Problem Solving

WHAT is the most effective strategy for fighting terrorism?

This question became pertinent in the face of the globalizing trend of this phenomenon, which seems to have so far defied all the strategies adopted by nations afflicted with this scourge to check it. From the United States to Britain, Spain to India, Israel to Nigeria, from one troubled part of the globe to the other, terrorism continues to withstand all the overt and covert attempts to crush it.

There seems to be no available strategy that can effectively stem the forceful tide of this apocalyptic Tsunami.

In this piece, I juxtapose the two major strategies currently being employed in the global war on terror – Containment and War-Making Approaches – and suggest a method that is often overlooked, but which constitutes the most effective solution to this problem. The Containment approach is a nonadversarial method that is aimed at limiting the damage caused by terrorist attacks. It involves the arrest, trial of terrorists as criminals. It is a reactionary approach to fighting terrorism, which leverages on existing anti-terrorism legislations to limit the effects of terrorist attacks. Terrorists detonate bombs in a crowded area, resulting in several deaths, some scapegoats are arrested, trial commences ending in the conviction or release of these suspects, life goes on after all the fuse. That is how the Containment approach works.

Spain, Italy, India, France et al, use this method.

The major weakness of the Containment approach is that it does not deter would-be terrorists from embarking on their deadly missions - it rather enamors them. You arrest a terrorist, prosecute and convict him, and after a few months another terrorist more vicious than the one in the gallows carries out a deadlier bombing mission in defiance of whatever effect you think the conviction of his brother has had on him.

Just like common criminals who, despite been aware of the existence of laws prohibiting their illegal conduct, still go ahead to commit those same crimes, damming the punitive consequences of their actions, most terrorists attacks are carried out by extremists versed in the intricacies of the laws prohibiting their activities. The citizens of countries that belong to the Containment school are usually at the mercy of terrorists. Like the victims of natural disasters, they pick up the pieces and continue with their miserable lives after all the noise surrounding a particular

terrorist act has died down, until another bomb goes off somewhere else.

Another strategy for fighting terrorism is the War-Making approach, which is a punitive method. Revenge is the driving force behind this approach. It has the advantage of satiating the desire to immediately and decisively strike back at perpetrators of terrorist acts wherever they may be located.

Israel, United States of America, Britain, and Russia adopt the Confrontational method in their wars on terrorism. Targets of this approach also include states that aid and abet acts of terror.

The US-led war against the AlQaida-backed Taliban Government in Afghanistan, which commenced after 9/11; the IsraeliMOSSAD-led “Operation Black September” mission, which was meant to liquidate the terrorists that carried out the Munich Olympic massacre, together with its bombing campaigns against terrorists targets located in some of the mostly hostile countries surrounding it, and are classic cases of the use of the WarMaking style of countering terrorism.

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

America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Britain’s MI5 and MI6, Israel’s MOSAD, are some of the secret service organizations that have fought – and are still fighting - proxy wars against terrorist organizations the world over.

However, the War-Making approach has the disadvantage of causing collateral damage in the event of a terrorist act, as the perpetrators of most terrorist acts usually die in such attacks, leaving no one for the victim country to physically punish, as was the case after 9/11. The quest for revenge most times results in the death of individuals who had nothing to do with the terrorists. The war in Afghanistan has so far resulted in the death of so many innocent people – including

By OBUSEH JUDE

women and children. Israel’s airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut has not resulted in the death of members of this group alone, but of other casual bystanders. So, in the quest to punish terrorist offenders, innocent lives are sometimes lost. Separating the actual perpetrators of terrorist acts

Containment and War-Making approaches to countering terrorism have not succeeded in wiping off this problem. The globalization of terror, which we are all witnesses to, attests to this fact. This has necessitated the need for the adoption of another approach - a time-tested approach that has been used

Nigerian State and Boko Haram are not going to disappear overnight. The USA, its allies and Al- Qaeda are not going into extinction in the twinkling of an eye. Neither are the State of Israel, Hezbollah and its backers going away. All the parties involved in these wars of attrition are going to be there for a long time. We can throw around all the high-sounding

from casual onlookers poses, perhaps, the greatest challenge for exponents of the punitive method. Again, the ricochet effect of the careless application of this approach is that thousands more enemies are unnecessarily created than you started out with, as some unintended victims of most reprisal strikes form a new army of mass murderers seeking revenge to offset their own loses.

From the excursion so far, one singular fact stands out like an ugly gash: that both the

since ancient times to effectively resolve human conflicts: the Joint-ProblemSolving approach, which will involve the granting of concessions by the combatants – national governments and terrorist groups; negotiated settlements of the burning issues at stake by the stakeholders; a non-adversarial method that leaves both parties satisfied.

The truth remains that whether we accept it or not, none of the combatants involved in these internecine wars are going to vanish overnight. The

grammar we want about “defeating terrorism”, “chasing Boko Haram into the desert”, but the painful truth remains that if the right things are not done, the issues that have kept us apart for so long will continue festering like ugly sores.

No matter how many times we “crush” terrorist groups, they will keep regenerating. There are too many frustrated people in the world who have nothing to lose, and too many relatives and friends of the dead, asking to be avenged. Both sides are gulls for provocation, looking

for any excuse to overreact and make things worse for everybody, except the undertakers. No one wants to accept the inevitable – that at some point they must make a deal, no matter how much they say it is against their principles or religion.

It may take years, decades or more, but the time will come when all the combatants will

start experiencing battle fatigue; time when they will all get tired of the whole nonsense; time when they will realize that there was no need for all the bloodletting after all; that the issues at stake would have been easily resolved if they had given room for dialogue. When that time comes, all the parties will sit down and jaw-jaw on solutions to their common problems.

Brothers and sisters, let’s make those deals… for peace, tranquility and the continued progress of humanity! The earlier, the better, Shalom!

“Apart from the ability to punish perpetrators of terrorist acts, the War-Making approach is also a very proactive style of countering terrorism, as countries adopting this method can leverage on their “First Strike” capabilities to sniff out and annihilate would-be terrorists and their backers.”

Royalty

Celebrating Prince Igbinosa Erediauwa

THE celebration of the annual Ugieoba festival (Ugie) may have come and gone but the celebration continues in the royal household of the revered monarch of the ancient city of Benin kingdom Omo N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Erediauwa, who was blessed with a grandchild recently, named Prince Igbinosa Eradiauwa in a grand ceremony held at the palatial garden of the heir apparent to the throne of Benin Kingdom Crown prince (Amb) Eheneden Eradiauwa Edaiken N’Uselu who happens to be the lucky father of this bundle of blessing.

At the resident of the Crown Prince (Amb) Eheneden Eradiauwa venue for the naming ceremony guests were treated to both continental and Africa delicacies, deliciously prepared and severed to the satisfaction of all present at the naming of the newest prince to be added to the royal home.

The venue for the naming was filled to capacity with well wishers of the royal household and the immediate family of the heir apparent Crown prince (Amb) Eheneden Eradiauwa. It was all celebration and thankgiving to God for the latest addition to the royal family. Various cultural troupes were on ground to add glamour and colour to the event and treat guest present to the very rich cultural tune of the great Benin people, it was a sight to behold for those present.

At the ceremony, thanks and praises were offered to God and the ancestors for

this great blessing upon the royal household and little Prince Igbinosa Erediauwa acknowledged this as he appeared calm, quiet and excited for the large gathering to honour him.

Crown prince Eheneden Erediauwa was clothed in red royal regalia beaming with smiles all through the event as he watched joyously his little handsome and cute prince who is the reason for the gathering and celebration.

The atmosphere was carnival like, with melodious cultural tune to set the arena alive for the joyous occasion. As the melodious tune was on, the little prince was brought into the venue majestically by the eldest wife of the crown prince supported by members of the royal family present at the event to the applaud of all guest present.

Izomo, the rite of naming of a child in Benin culture and tradition is one significant event that is not taken for granted, it is a ceremony a child must go through irrespective of the family of the child. The parent will decide whether the ceremony should be big or small. The new born baby is given a name by which he or she will be called or known for the rest of his or her life. The name given to such child is always significant, important and means a lot for it goes a long way to shape the destiny and future of that child.

The Oba of Benin who was ably represented at the occasion by a high palace chief publicly announced the name of the cute and

By RICHARD OKORO-EWEKA

handsome little prince.

“The name our father brought to be given to this child is PRINCE

success and to achieve the good things of life.

According to Alhaji Enabulele, “this child that

prince Igbinosa Erediauwa, he is the child of the Oba, the child of the Oba does not die, and this baby will live long”.

Other, elderly members of the royal home also

crown prince and the Benin royal family for this bundle of joy.

The ever smiling crown prince Eheneden Erediauwa was joined by the little prince. The infant prince expresses through his smile his readiness to take the world by surprise and making it a better

• Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa

I G B I N O S A EREDIAUWA. Prince Igbinosa Erediauwa is the name given to this infant prince born to the crown prince Eheneden Erediauwa.

The Chief Imam of Benin, Alhaji Fatai Enabulele and Ohen Osa Harrison Okao of Holy Arosa who were guests at the naming both offered the infant prince prayer for longevity, good health,

has brought joy to the royal household will live long enough with the parents and continue to be a symbol of joy to the Benin royal family. On his part, the Ohen Osa Harrison Okao prayed for God’s protection and blessing for the new prince. The deputy governor of Edo state also offered prayer for the new prince. He prayed for the protection of the baby. “We have named this baby

joined in praying for the little prince Igbinosa.

At the occasion of the naming of little Prince Igbinosa Erediauwa, the state government was ably represented.

Although, the governor of the state was not personally present, a high powered government delegation was led by the deputy governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Pius Odubu.

He congratulated the

“The venue for the naming was filled to capacity with well wishers of the royal household and the immediate family of the heir apparent Crown prince (Amb) Eheneden Eradiauwa. It was all celebration and thankgiving to God for the latest addition to the royal family. Various cultural troupes were on ground to add glamour and colour to the event and treat guest present to the very rich cultural tune of the great Benin people, it was a sight to behold for those present.”

place to live in.

The joyous occasion was brought to an end at Holy Arosa Cathedral as prince Igbinosa was presented to God in His holy altar for protection, guidance and secured destiny. The Ohen Osa Harrison Okao was on ground to lead the little prince to safety under God’s protection and guidance. He prayed for protection and longevity for our infant prince. And also to live a fulfilled life which is the prayer and dream of every parent.

At the church ceremony, the crown prince was not found wanting as he recognises the blessings of God in his life as such danced to the admiration of all and to appreciate God for his bountiful blessings.

Motoring

With OSAGIE AIFUWA 08023412452

Knowing Your Car Inside-Out IF a man knows himself he will hardly fall into temptation that will either make him fail out rightly or make him compromise to the extent of denting his image or coming into untimely ruin.

Just as it is true of man’s nature, so it true of all our possessions and in particular mechanical contraption we possess, called cars or motor vehicles. If we know our car, know when it is suffering in time to arrest the tendency before it degenerates into tuberculosis like ailment that will surely gulp large sums of money from you before the car would be repaired or reconditioned to its original serviceable state.

The benefits that will accrue if you know your car inside out are numerous: but I will endeavour to recount some very important ones. If you know your car, you will

be able to detect early any malfunction of any component before it develops into a costly damage or affect other relating components in the car to the point of causing expensive damage.

For example, a mere squeaking noise from the fan belt, caused by slack fan belt tension: which if not stopped as quickly as possible, may result in either twisting of the belt and eventual snapping off whiles the vehicle is in motion or cause excessive slip on the pulleys of the water pump and the alternator, lowering

drastically the efficiency of those two vital components and these effects will bring about engine overheating and battery not being effectively charged and hard starting in the mornings.

Again, if you know your car, you will carry out regular p r e v e n t i v e maintenance service since you will be able to interpret what you see accurately when you carry out daily check-ups and therefore appropriate

“A mere squeaking noise from the fan belt, caused by slack fan belt tension: which if not stopped as quickly as possible, may result in either twisting of the belt and eventual snapping off whiles the vehicle is in motion or cause excessive slip on the pulleys of the water pump and the alternator, lowering drastically the efficiency of those two vital components and these effects will bring about engine overheating and battery not being effectively charged and hard starting in the mornings.”

maintence service at the nick or time thereby ensuring trouble-free motoring and naturally the car’s utility value will be

enhanced.

You will also be able to carry out simple repairs of adjustment in your car personally

using simple hand tools, which you must endeavour to have in your possession and know how to use.

Auto-Tips REQUIREMENT AS A Vehicle LEARNER 1. My vehicle is properly licensed 2. My insurance is in order 3. My learner’s permit is not out of date 4. A licensed driver is by my side 5. When driving, letter ‘L’ in front and back 6. No passenger at all.

ADVANTAGES OF USING COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) • They reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 95% compared to gasoline, hydrocarbons emissions by 80% and nitrogen oxides’ by 30°/ o.

• CNG engines decrease noise pollution by having a smoother and more silent performance than gasoline engines and especially diesel ones.

• The fuel circuit for natural gas is hermetic and has no air inside.

Therefore there is no spontaneous ignition. On the contrary, in liquid fuel tanks, there is always flammable mixture, since they are open to the atmosphere.

• Natural gas for vehicles has higher octane numbers than gasoline (125 vs.

90), what provides combustion without self-ignition, even in engines of higher compression and efficiency.

• Furthermore, combustion is total, because the mixture between CNG and air is perfect at any ambient temperature.

• The oil that lubricates the engine is less contaminated if natural gas is employed, and intervals between oil changes are twice as long.

• There are no sediments and the spark plugs are kept clean. The walls of the engine cylinders are not washed, what results in better and more effective lubrication.

• Combustion gases are not corrosive.

By not damaging metals, the life of the exhaust pipe and silencer is longer.

• The gaseous nature of the fuel eliminates the scanning actions in the cylinders during fast acceleration periods, with the advantage of reducing the corrosion of metal surfaces.

• Converted vehicles may switch from using CNG to gasoline by simply pushing a button or turning a knob while driving.

Opinion POVERTY can be defined in many different ways: a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including “food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information”.

When people are unable to eat, go to school, or have any access to healthcare, then they can be considered to be in poverty, regardless of their income. According to wikihow.com here are some easy steps how to decrease poverty and make the world a better place.

STOP CONSUMING TOO MUCH: - A study says that a billion of people is overweight while another billion is dying of huzger.

Maybe you think that throwing away food doesn’t really do anything to the children in Africa but if people just stop buying too much just because they can, then the world will be a more balanced place.

SHOW YOU CARE: People often forget about poverty because the media glorify wealth. But if you want to make the world a better place then talk about it, make a deal out of it! then the people around you will be more aware of the true world, not the ideal one where everybody has

THE dictionary definition of priority means a thing that is regarded as more important than another. It also means something important that must be done first or needs more attention than something else.

Prioritizing is an essential skill that you need in order to make good use of your time. It is also a skill that you need to create calmness and space in your life so that you can focus your attention on things that really matter.

Prioritizing is important because time is limited and demands are unlimited. It helps you to allocate your time where it is mostly needed, freeing you from less important tasks that can be attended to later or even dropped. Prioritization helps you to achieve your goals and objectives.

When you don’t set your priorities right, you end up

Reducing Poverty And Improving Social Justice everything and more.

IF YOU REALLY, REALLY CARE, THEN WORK AS A VOLUNTEER FOR ORGANIZATION: - That actually does something for those who needs help! Or why not start your own? If you feel that it’s not really your thing, just donate a coupe of dollars, gifts etc.

BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE: Decrease the time you spend watching the television. Rich people want you to buy things you don’t need so that they become richer, making you consume more than you needs.

HELPING FARMERS: - Raising farm incomes is described as the cure of the antipoverty effort as three quarters of the poor today are farmers.

Estimate show that growth in the agricultural productivity of small farmers is on average, at least twice effective in benefiting the poorest half of a country’s population as growth generated in non-

agricultural sector.

Improving water management is an effective way to help reduce poverty

REDUCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: The human and social costs of domestic violence our country are

If conditions for marketing agricultural produce do not favour the cultivator, the increase in production will not alleviate the problem of agricultural unemployment.

The

among farmers with better water management they can improve productivity and potentially move beyond subsistence –leve farming.

incalculably high. We must support personal, institutional and government interventions to break the cycle of abuse.

organization of the agricultural market will increase the income of the cultivators as well as improve the situation with

By ALEXANDER GBENEDIO

Prioritizing Wisely

By OLODIAMA S. EBIAKPO

living life to chance. If you don’t determine what you Want to achieve, you will experience frequent changes in your plans. You will experience a decision dilemma.

There will always be a constant tension between two priorities. One says you must get this done today or this week, the other says, get this done flow! New

distractions seem to require your immediate attention and consume your energy and focus.

There will always be more things to do than time to do them. Sometimes you must forego something you would like to do in favour of something that has to be done in order to accomplish your objectives.

As a Christian, your

priority should be to make heaven. Walking in obedience of the word should be your utmost goal.

Seek God first and every other thing will fall in place (Matthew 6:33). In reference to the story of Mary and Martha, Martha did not set her priorities right but Mary did. She put the things of the Lord before every other thing.

Make God number one on your list of priorities.

“Prioritizing is an essential skill that you need in order to make good use of your time. It is also a skill that you need to create calmness and space in your life so that you can focus your attention on things that really matter.”

People tend to neglect the growth of their spiritual life. They devote little or no time to worshiping God, studying the bible, praying or even attending Christian gatherings. When we seek spiritual priorities, we discover relationships, activities and pursuit that should precede others in terms of rank and order.

There are daily activities that consume your time.

Some of these are necessary while others are not. The unwanted ones should be eliminated in order to have a healthy spiritual life.

Some of which are: Television: an average person wastes between 15 to 40 hours a week, watching worldly programmes that consume time as well as harming the spirit.

Sleep: sufficient sleep is necessary for the health, but some people obtain more than necessary. If you are

regard to unemployment.

There is need to strengthen all the poverty alleviation programmes, particularly poverty alleviation programmes and IRDP. All the organisation deficiencies in an execution of the programme such as the shortage of technical and expert staff, delays in release of funds and inadequacies in funds, lack of proper co-ordination should be removed. It is essential to see that the target groups are not wrongly selected to ensure leakage of benefits to the non-co-operative attitude of the officials, corrupts practices in sanctioning of loans should also be taken into consideration.

Eradication of poverty needs a multiplied strategy.

But as things stand the most important, indeed the central one, has to be the creation of massive wage employment opportunities both on private and public accounts in rural areas.

Then other programmes will provide opportunities for the able and the enterprising. It is time resources organization and skill is directed to this end, if poverty is to be tackled in the decade to come. Let us all puts on desk-for the betterment of the nation.

getting nine hours or more, you have to decrease your sleeping time in order to have more time for higher priorities.

Eating: some people spend more time than the required eating (junk food or fast food). Only spend the necessary time to eat at the table.

Reading: some readers spend more time reading magazines and some other books that do not edify their spirit. Desist from worldly books, especially when it competes with God’s word.

Playing: people get occupied in entertaining activities that have little or no benefit. Be on guard against negative entertainment that can lead you astray or waste your time.

Endeavour to prioritize wisely so as to achieve great results.

Health

Health Risks Of Smoking YOU can eat five portions of fruit or vegetable a day and exercise regularly-but healthy behaviour means little if you continue to smoke according to net doctor.

The message that “smoking is bad for you” is an old one, so not everyone gives it their full attention.

Below are the health risks of smoking.

WHY QUIT SMOKING? Most people know that smoking can cause lung cancer, but it can also cause many other cancers and illnesses.

Smoking directly causes over 100,000 deaths in the UK each year and contributes to many more.

Of these deaths, about 42,800 are from smoking-related cancers, 30,600 from cardiovascular disease and 29,100 die slowly from emphysema and other chronic lung diseases, and the term cardiovascular means the heart and circulation, whose disease causes chest pains, heart attacks, stroke etc HOW DO CIGARETTES DAMAGE HEALTH? Cigarettes contain more than 4000 chemical compounds and at least 400 toxic substances.

When you inhale a cigarette burns at 700oC at the tip and round 600C in the core. This heat break down the tobacco to produce various toxics.

As a cigarette burns, the residues are concentrated towards the butt. The products that are most damaging are: · Tar, a carcinogen (substance that causes cancer) · Nicotine is

addictive and increases cholesterol levels in your body. · C a r b o n monoxide reduces oxygen in the body · Components of the gas and particulate phases cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD).

The damage caused by smoking is influenced by: · The number of cigarettes smoked. · Whether the cigarette has a filter. · How the tobacco has been prepared.

S M O K I N G AFFECTS HOW LONG YOU LIVE Research has shown that smoking reduces life expectancy by seven to eight years. Did you know? On average, each cigarette shortens a smoker’s life by around 11 minutes.

Of the 300 people who die, everyday in the UK as a result of smoking, many are comparatively young smokers.

The number of people under the age of 70 who die from smoking-related diseases exceeds the total figure for deaths caused by breast cancer, AIDS, traffic accidents and drug addiction.

Non-smokers and exsmokers can also look forward to a healthier old age than smokers.

MAJOR DISEASES CAUSED BY SMOKING 1 .

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death due to smoking.

Hardening of the arteries is a process that develops over years, when cholesterol and other fats deposit in the arteries, leaving them narrow, blocked or rigid. When

By BEAUTY OBAMWONYI the arteries narrow (atherosclerosis), blood clots are likely to form.

Smoking accelerates

in the arteries supplying the heart, which can lead to a heart attack, around 30 per cent are caused by

legs may lead to gangrene and amputation Smokers tend to develop coronary thrombosis 10 years earlier than non-

the hardening and narrowing process in your arteries; it starts earlier and blood clots are two to four times more likely.

Cardiovascular disease can take many forms depending on which blood vessels are involved, and all of them are more common in people who smoke.

• Coronary thrombosis: a blood dot

smoking.

• Cerebral thrombosis: The vessels to the brain can become blocked, which can lead to collapse, stroke and paralysis. Damage to the brain’s blood supply is also an important cause of dementia.

• If the kidney arteries are affected then high blood pressure or kidney failure results.

• Blockage to the vascular supply to the

smokers, and make up 9 out of 10 heart bypass patients.

2. CANCER smokers are more likely to get cancer than non-smokers. This is particularly true of lung cancer, throat cancer and mouth cancer, which hardly ever affect nonsmokers.

The link between smoking and lung cancer is clear.

• Ninety percent of lung

cancer cases are due to smoking.

• If no-one smoked, lung cancer would be a rare diagnosis-only 0.5 percent of people who have never touched a cigarette develop lung cancer.

• One in ten moderate smokers and almost one in five heavy smokers (more than 15 cigarettes a day) will die of lung cancer.

The more cigarettes you smoke in a day and the longer you have smoked, the higher your risk of lung cancer. Similarly, the risk rises the deeper you inhale and the earlier in life you started smoking.

For ex-smokers, it takes approximately 15 years before the risk of lung cancer drops to the same as that of a non-smoker.

If you smoke, the risk of contracting mouth cancer is four times higher than for a non smoker. Cancer can start in many areas of the mouth, with the most common being on or underneath the tongue, or on the lips.

OTHER RISKS CAUSED BY SMOKING • It raises blood pressure, which causes hypertension.

• For couples who smoke are more likely to have fertility problems • It worsens asthma • It can easily damage the blood vessels in the eye that are sensitive.

• Smoking stains your teeth and gums and also affects your looks.‘

“Research has shown that smoking reduces life expectancy by seven to eight years. Did you know? On average, each cigarette shortens a smoker’s life by around 11 minutes. Of the 300 people who die, everyday in the UK as a result of smoking, many are comparatively young smokers. The number of people under the age of 70 who die from smoking-related diseases exceeds the total figure for deaths caused by breast cancer, AIDS, traffic accidents and drug addiction.”

Religion

With REV. DR. A. A. OPARA

Supernatural Provisions FOR such Christians who can pray and trust God absolutely; I can say categorically that when such is dire need of finance they can still trust God for his supernatural provisions.

This is the clear lesson one can get from the instance of Christ in Capernaum.

“And when they have come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, Doth your master pay tribute? He said yes..’ Matt 17:2425.

Jesus wanted to please the authority in paying his tribute and that of peter, but he probably had no money on him. It was obviously an emergency financial demand. Have you ever experienced an emergency financial demand on you? Or a financial demand on you that came out of necessity? I had an ugly experience once during my missionary activities. I had gone to a city - a Portuguese speaking community to preach and establish the gospel and plant a church there. I went with a missionary assistant and both of us had no inclination towards the Portuguese language.

We needed an interpreter. A brother in disguise made himself available. We did not know him before but he pretended to be a

Christian brother. He served briefly with us and 1 made the greatest mistake in my missionary work out of inexperience to entrust my finance in the hands of an unknown person.

No sooner that he became the keeper of my missionary team accounts than he disappeared to the thin air. For the first time in my life, I experience the horror of penury in foreign land. I was going to be reduced to the status of a beggar but I resisted hat, as I could not see any biblical example of a preacher have read the testimony of David that the righteous shall not be forsaken nor their seed beg for bread (Psalm 37:25) therefore I was not going to beg for bread. I thought of the “Par line” approach, which is to attempt to do some work with your hands to be able to Feed yourself. For he has said if you do not work with your hands then you don’t deserve to eat (2Thess 3:10). He himself laboured with his hands. While being engaged in missionary activities. (Acts 20:3334, 2Thess 3:8. But my case was simply pathetic - because 1 was not just employable in the community because of language barriers. I had my rent to pay; I needed to equip my missionary team though we were

just two; I needed to pay for transportation cost within the city; and so much was needed financially to settle down but all the money had been given to this swindler! At this juncture the only grace needed, was the grace of God through his supernatural provision.

supernaturally.

Wherever I remember this experience I am strongly convinced that in the hour of great financial necessity or financial emergency of a genuine need, the lord can provide also supernaturally. This is the message Jesus taught us in the aforementioned

provision that visited the widow of Zarephath during the era of the prophet Elijah. It was a period of draught and famine. Elijah the prophet had been sent to her by God to sustain him, and Elijah found her - and she had the last meal to cook for herself and the son to “eat and

sound mind. Paul put it this way: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind” 2Tim 1:7. That means there is a spirit in charge of fear - that is demonic, then there is a

How did we start? we commenced fasting and prayers, clay and night.

We were praying to the specific - divine intervention in God’s supernatural provision.

For days I would stay without food, faithfully praying to God for his provisions and surely in that hour of great financial necessity God can move in the supernatural. He did in my case and began to rain down financial blessings and support

example, when suddenly they asked him to pay his tribute money and that of Peter. What did he do? He applied his authority in the supernatural. He told Peter: “Go thou to the sea and cast an hook and take up the fish that first cometh up, and when that hast opened his month, thou shalt find a peace of money; that take and give unto them for me and thee” Matt 17: 27.

The supernatural

die” “And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, 1 have not a cake, hut a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse and behold, I am gathering two stakes that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, hat we may eat it and die” I Kings 17:12.

This was an obvious case of desperation. A need had arisen out of great necessity! God was going to intervene by sending the spirit of abundance – s u p e r n a t u r a l intervention. But Elijah said unto her “fear not”, because God has not given his children the spirit of fear but of power, love and of a

spirit of power that is godly, there is a spirit of care that is also godly; there is a spirit of sound mind is also godly. So when Elijah prophesied to the widow thus.

“For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse, of oil fail until the day that the lord senderth rain upon the earth’ I kgs 17:14.

The spirit of abundance followed henceforth and there was supernatural provision. When the spirit of abundance falls on you when you cry fervently to God out of a dire need arising from the point of necessity, you shall experience a To beprovision. continued supernatural

“For he has said if you do not work with your hands then you don’t deserve to eat (2Thess 3:10). He himself laboured with his hands.

While being engaged in missionary activities. (Acts 20:33-34, 2Thess 3:8. But my case was simply pathetic - because 1 was not just employable in the community because of language barriers.”

International Features

Swedish Doctors Transplant Wombs Into 9 Women

STOCKHOLM - Nine women in Sweden have successfully received transplanted wombs donated from relatives in an experimental procedure that has raised some ethical concerns.

The women will soon try to become pregnant with their new wombs, the doctor in charge of the pioneering project has revealed.

The women were born without a uterus or had it removed because of cervical cancer. Most are in their 30s and are part of the first major experiment to test whether it’s possible to transplant wombs into women so they can give birth to their own children.

In many European countries, including Sweden, using a surrogate to carry a pregnancy isn’t allowed.

Life-saving transplants of organs such as hearts, livers and kidneys have been done for decades and doctors are increasingly transplanting hands, faces and other body parts to improve patients’ quality of life.

Womb transplants — the first ones intended to be temporary, just to allow childbearing — push that frontier even farther and raise some new concerns.

There have been two previous attempts to transplant a womb — in Turkey and Saudi Arabia — but both failed to produce babies. Scientists in Britain, Hungary and elsewhere are also planning similar operations but the efforts in Sweden are the most advanced.

“This is a new kind of surgery,” Dr. Mats Brannstrom told The Associated Press in an interview from Goteborg.

“We have no textbook to look at.”

Brannstrom, chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department at the University of Gothenburg, is leading the initiative. Next month, he and colleagues will run the first-ever workshop on how to perform womb transplants and they plan to publish a scientific report on their efforts soon.

Some experts have raised concerns about whether it’s ethical to use live donors for an experimental procedure

that doesn’t save lives. But John Harris, a bioethics expert at the University of Manchester, didn’t see a problem with that as long as donors are fully informed. He said donating kidneys isn’t necessarily life-saving, yet is widely promoted.

“Dialysis is available, but we have come to accept and to even encourage people to take risks to donate a kidney,” he said.

Brannstrom said the nine womb recipients are doing well. Many already had their periods six weeks after the transplants, an early sign that the wombs are healthy and functioning. One woman had an infection in her newly received uterus and others had some minor rejection episodes, but none of the recipients or donors needed intensive care after the surgery, Brannstrom said. All left the hospital within days.

None of the women who donated or received wombs has been identified. The transplants began in September 2012 and the donors include mothers and other relatives of the recipients. The team had initially planned to do 10 transplants, but one woman couldn’t proceed due to medical reasons, university spokesman Krister Svahn said.

The transplant operations did not connect the women’s uteruses to their fallopian tubes, so they are unable to get pregnant naturally. But all who received a womb have their own ovaries and can make eggs. Before the operation, they had some removed to create embryos through in-vitro fertilization. The embryos were then frozen and doctors plan to transfer them into the new wombs, allowing the women to carry their own biological children.

The transplants have ignited hope among women unable to have children because they lost a uterus to cancer or were born without one. About one in girl in 4,500 is born with a syndrome, known as MRKH, where she doesn’t have a womb.

Lise Gimre, 35, who was born without a womb, said she thought many women with MRKH would be interested if the operation proves to be safe and effective. Gimre runs an

organization for women with the syndrome in Norway.

“If this had been possible when I was younger, no doubt I would have been interested,” she said.

Gimre, who has two foster children, said the only option for women like her to have biological children is via surrogacy, which is illegal in many European countries, including Norway and Sweden.

Fertility experts have hailed the project as significant but stress it’s unknown whether the

Transplant UK, which is trying to raise 500,000 pounds ($823,000) to carry out five operations in Britain.

He said removing a womb for donation is like a radical hysterectomy but it requires taking a bigger chunk of the surrounding blood vessels to ensure adequate blood flow, raising the risk of complications for the donor. Smith said British officials don’t consider it ethical to let donors take such chances for an operation that isn’t considered life-saving.

Smith said the biggest

Smith said data from women who have received kidney transplants doesn’t suggest their babies are at any increased risk from the drugs.

Brannstrom said using live donors allowed them to ensure the donated wombs were functional and didn’t have any problems like an HPV infection.

Doctors in Saudi Arabia performed the first womb transplant in 2000, using a live donor, but it had to be removed after three months because of a blood clot.

Brannstrom said he and his colleagues hope to start transferring embryos into some of their patients soon, possibly within

women can stop taking the anti-rejection drugs, which can cause high blood pressure, swelling and diabetes and may also raise the risk of some types of cancer.

Other experts said if the operations are successful, womb transplants could be an alternative for women who have few choices.

“What remains to be seen is whether this is a viable option or if this is going to be confined to research and limited experimentation,” said Dr. Yacoub Khalaf, director of the Assisted Conception unit at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ hospital in London, who was unconnected to any of the womb transplant projects.

Photo mace available by the University of Coteborg in Sweden, the Swedish research team practice before the operations to transplant wombs at the Sahlgrenska Hospital in Goteborg Sweden.

transplants will result in healthy babies.

The technique used in Sweden, using live donors, is somewhat controversial.

In Britain, doctors are also planning to perform uterus transplants, but will only use wombs from dying or dead people. That was also the case in Turkey. Last year, Turkish doctors announced their patient got pregnant but the pregnancy failed after two months.

“Mats has done something amazing and we understand completely why he has taken this route, but we are wary of that approach,” said Dr. Richard Smith, head of the U.K. charity Womb

question is how any pregnancies will proceed.

“The principal concern for me is if the baby will get enough nourishment from the placenta and if the blood flow is good enough,” he said.

All of the women who received womb transplants will need to take antirejection medicines, but

months. The Swedish researchers and others have previously reported successful uterus transplants in animals including mice, sheep and baboons, but no offspring from the primates were produced.

After a maximum of two pregnancies, the wombs will be removed so the

Brannstrom warned the transplants might not result in children but remained optimistic.

“This is a research study,” he said. “It could lead to (the women) having children, but there are no guarantees ... what is certain is that they are making a contribution to science”.

“Life-saving transplants of organs such as hearts, livers and kidneys have been done for decades and doctors are increasingly transplanting hands, faces and other body parts to improve patients’ quality of life. Womb transplants — the first ones intended to be temporary, just to allow childbearing — push that frontier even farther and raise some new concerns.”

International THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE CHANGE OF NAME

ADEDIRAN – I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adediran Olagbenjo Damilola now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Abiodun Damilola Olagbenjo. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

IBIZUGBE – I, formerly known and addressed as Iziegbe Ibizugbe now wish to be known and addressed as Iziegbe Happiness Isenalumhe.

All former documents remain valid. Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note CHANGE OF NAME

IBIZUGBE – I, formerly known and addressed as Ibizugbe Tessy Ikponmwosa now wish to be known and addressed as Enabunlele Tessy Ikponmwosa. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note

PUBLIC NOTICE ADDITION/CONFIRMATION OF NAMES I, Engr. Mrs. Dupe Bello wish to bring for the information of the general public that Bello Victor Imuetinyan and Bello Ruth Nadiakhe are my biological son and daughter respectively. The word “Victor” and “Ruth” were inadvertently omitted from their names in their international passports earlier hence this public notice for the formal confirmation of the actual names. They are now properly known, called and addressed as Bello Victor Imuetinyan and Bello Ruth Nadiakhe respectively. Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note. All former documents bearing the omitted names remain valid.

Signed: Engr. Mrs. Dupe Bello.

(Mother)

SARAH Weds ERICSON

PUBLIC NOTICE Be it known by all Men that Eyaen Community, Uhunniwode LGA, Edo State is a peace loving Community.

Be it further known by the general Public and particularly all Land owners in Eyaen Community, Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Edo Stare that the Enogie of Eyean, HRH Dr. Osazuwa Aiwerioghene Iduriase (JP) and the Enogie-inCouncil have never and have no plans to dispossesses any Land owner in Eyaen Community of any portion of land acquired in accordance with the mode and procedure for acquiring Land in Eyaen Community.

Be it also known that the placement of palm fronds on any parcel of Land in Eyaen Community is a customary order of injunction pending the determination of the dispute of ownership over such parcel of Land reported to the Enogie-in-Council.

Whoever has any complaint should report directly to the Enogie in accordance with Benin Customary Law. The general public should please take note.

Signed: A. OSAYOMWANBOR ESQ. FOR: OSAYOMWANBOR LAW CHAMBERS (SOLICITORS FOR PLAINTIFFS) 63A, FIRST EAST CIRCULAR ROAD, BENIN CITY

The solemnization of marriage between former Miss Sarah Aigbirewon (based in Belgium) and Mr. Muhammed Ericson Tijani Bello (A Businessman) took place on Wednesday 15th January, 2014 at the Oredo Local Government Council Marriage Registry in Benin City. Amongst those present were Mr. Kenneth Osayi, Mr. Ogbevon Johnbull, Mrs. Ngozi Ogbevon, Miss Okoekpen Henlen, family members, relations, friends and well wishers. Picture shows the couple at the Registry. Congratulations. Photo: SONNIE. E.

Fire At Chinese Shoe Factory Kills 16 - Xinhua

BEIJING - A fire at a shoe factory in eastern China killed 16 people and injured five, state media reported, the latest disaster to highlight China’s poor workplace safety record.

The fire broke out at the factory in Wenling in the

Suspected Jewish Vandals Torch DEIR ISTIYA West Bank Mosque Suspected Jewish extremists torched the entrance to a mosque in the West Bank early yesterday, in an apparent revenge attack for Palestinians beating and detaining Israeli settlers last week.

The attackers scrawled “Arabs out” and “Revenge for blood spilled in Qusra” in Hebrew on the walls of the mosque in Deir Istiya village, which lies next to the sprawling Ariel settlement in the northern West Bank, an AFP correspondent said.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement the attacks were “nationalistically”

motivated.

Palestinians beat and detained around a dozen settlers last week in the village of Qusra, near the northern city of Nablus, and released them after negotiating with Israeli soldiers.

Seven of the settlers were arrested on suspicion of provoking the violence when they entered Qusra from Esh Kodesh, an illegal settlement outpost nearby.

The January 7 incident in Qusra has already sparked other revenge attacks, when suspected Jewish extremists torched two cars near Nablus and cut down

trees belonging to Palestinians in an ArabIsraeli town east of Tel Aviv.

Palestinian property is often targeted by Jewish extremists who carry out so-called “price tag” attacks, usually for state

moves against unauthorised settlement activity in the West Bank.

Perpetrators of the attacks have also targeted Muslim and Christian sites, as well as Arab property in Israel.

MAKHACHKALA, Russia — A shootout between security forces and militants in the volatile Russian region of Dagestan killed five people, authorities said.

The gunbattle broke out after militants barricaded themselves

inside a home in the village of Karlanyurt, Dagestan Investigative Committee spokesman Rasul Temirbekov told The Associated Press.

The fatalities included three security force members and two militants. It wasn’t

wealthy coastal province of Zhejiang on Tuesday, the official Xinhua news agency said.

More than 20 people were rescued and the injured were all in stable condition in hospital, it said. The cause of the fire was being investigated.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, has a bad record on workplace safety. Fire exits in factories, office buildings and shops are often locked to prevent workers taking time off or

stealing, or even blocked completely.

A fire at a poultry slaughterhouse in the northeastern province of Jilin in June 2013 killed 120 people. That blaze was blamed on poor management, lack of government oversight and locked or blocked exits.

Many industrial accidents happen in the huge coal mining industry, in which hundreds die every year from explosions, mine collapses and floods.

Half Of Syria Population Needs Urgent Aid - UN Chief KUWAIT CITY - Nearly half of Syria’s population needs urgent humanitarian help as the situation deteriorates due to armed

5 Killed In Shootout In Russian Region Of Dagestan immediately clear if there were other militants at the house.

The village is about 550 kilometers (340 miles) from Sochi, which will host the Winter Olympics from Feb. 7-23.

conflict, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Syria donors conference in Kuwait yesterday.

“Half of the total population of Syrian people, nearly 9.3 million individuals urgently need humanitarian aid,” Ban said, pointing out that more than three million people have fled.

“When we met a year ago, four million Syrians needed aid ... A year later, we face a regional crisis and a humanitarian crisis,” Ban said.

The one-day second International Conference for Humanitarian Pledging for Syria aims to collect $6.5 billion to aid Syrians.

International Features

Israeli Settler Attacks Up 4-Fold

THE annual rate of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians has almost quadrupled in eight years, U.N. figures show, buttressing claims that Israeli security forces have largely failed to stem the so-called “price tag” campaign in which thugs cut down trees, deface mosques and beat Palestinian farmers.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly denounced such attacks ó the defense minister last week branded them “outright terrorism” ó and the military says soldiers are under strict orders to stop them.

Still, critics say Israeli governments stacked with pro-settler politicians have often been reluctant to confront settlers, even those seen as a hardline fringe.

“There is not enough pressure from the prime minister, the defense minister, the interior minister to prevent this,” said Gadi Zohar, a former senior army commander in the West Bank.

A dramatic incident near this Palestinian farming village last week highlighted the potential of such attacks to escalate and jeopardize fragile U.S.-led peace efforts. “Price tag” refers to settler attacks on Palestinians in response to army actions against any of dozens of West Bank settlement outposts.

Last week’s events began when troops uprooted olive trees planted on private Palestinian land by settlers from the Esh Kodesh out-

post.

Later that day, about 20 Israelis moved toward nearby villages, including Qusra. Palestinians said the settlers damaged olive trees, and were caught by villagers after a stonethrowing clash and held by them for more than two hours before being handed to the army.

Footage of the settlers surrounded by an angry crowd led the TV news in Israel that day, with commentators saying serious bloodshed was averted by Palestinians who shielded the settlers.

Seven Israelis were questioned and placed under house arrest, police said.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon warned he would show zero tolerance, but Palestinians are skeptical.

So far, there have been at least two cases of vandalism in apparent response to the Qusra incident. On Wednesday, residents of a village in the area reported that the door of a mosque was set on fire and some of the carpet was burned.

Graffiti read, “Blood for blood, Qusra.”

Settlers have damaged hundreds of trees in Qusra, killed 18 sheep, torched six cars and set fire to a mosque in dozens of attacks, said Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi. The village has lost half its lands to settlements.

The mayor said Israeli soldiers either stand by during settler attacks or fire

tear gas, rubber bullets and occasionally live rounds at Palestinians if the attacks escalate into stone-throwing clashes. A Qusra man was killed by army fire and dozens were wounded by

- UN

security, and paves their streets?” said Qusra resident Abdel Hakim Odeh, referring to the govern-

video that appears to show soldiers watching as nearby settlers throw stones at Palestinians, he said.

Israeli military correspondent Amos Harel said

said.

In Qusra and two neighboring villages, residents filed 21 police complaints between 2011 and 2013, but none led to indictments so far, said Yesh

Injured Israeli settlers are detained by Palestinian villagers in a building under construction near the West Bank village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus.

settlers and soldiers, he said.

Palestinians say “price tag” is part of Israel’s policy of cementing control over the West Bank, the largest of three warwon areas the Palestinians want for a state. They note that Israel has been providing practical support for outposts even though they were set up without formal government permission.

“Who gives them water, electricity, who gives them

“Palestinians say “price tag” is part of Israel’s policy of cementing control over the West Bank, the largest of three war-won areas the Palestinians want for a state. They note that Israel has been providing practical support for outposts even though they were set up without formal government permission.”

ment’s policy toward the outposts. “These gangs are used by the government against the Palestinians.”

Col. Eran Makov, deputy commander of an Israeli army division in the West Bank, said soldiers have clear orders to stop any violence between civilians in the territory. “The policy of the IDF ... is to interrupt and stop every incident when a person attacks another person,” Makov said.

He said soldiers can’t be everywhere at once to block attacks and that it’s sometimes difficult to respond rapidly in rocky terrain. In last week’s incident, soldiers responded within 15 minutes, he said.

Makov acknowledged that young conscripts aren’t necessarily trained for policing jobs, but that those who fail to intervene face disciplinary action.

The army is still looking into a Palestinian amateur

the army faces a problem of mindset among young soldiers who view their basic mission as protecting settlers. “When extreme fringes among the settlers commit violence against Palestinians, few soldiers can internalize this and change their behavior,” Harel wrote in the Haaretz daily, saying it’s up to the senior command to set a different tone.

The military has overall authority in the West Bank and soldiers are usually the first to respond to unrest, while Israeli police deal with Israeli civilians, including investigating settler violence.

Indictments were only filed in 8.5 percent of 825 completed police investigations monitored by the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din. In most cases, investigators failed to locate suspects or collect enough evidence, Yesh Din

Din. Twelve cases were closed, including a February shooting in which 28year-old Hilmi Hassan was seriously wounded in a confrontation with settlers.

Yesh Din said police were given photos of Israeli civilians who participated in the incident.

Hassan said a settler shot him in the stomach from about 20 meters (yards) away. Hassan was flown by helicopter to an Israeli hospital. There, police questioned him, but Hassan refused to sign a statement, fearing officers were trying to portray him as the instigator.

“If a settler was shot, they would have imposed curfew on the entire area, but when a Palestinian like me is shot, they accuse him of provoking the settlers,” said Hassan.

Police did not provide arrest statistics or comment on the Hassan case.

Man & Nature

With O.C Madu

DO Not Fall In Temptation WATCH and pray that you do not fall in temptation. Up till now, men have regarded this warning from the light as nothing, but kindly advice given by the son of God, Jesus, in view of the weak nature falsely imputed to the Son of God as a consequence of mankind’s pronounced conceit.

The advice from the Son of God is God’s demand to you men, if you want to save yourselves from the poisonous fruits of your wrong opinions and conceptions.

God does not lift you out of swamp through gratitude that you at last show some signs of being willing. Oh no, you must work yourselves out of it, just as you allowed yourselves to sink into it. You must exert yourselves, exert yourselves honestly and with great diligence, so as to be able to come up again on to healthy ground only when you do this will you be given the strength you need, but always and only in the same measure as your volition. This is inexorably demanded by the justice which lies in God. And therein lies the help which is promised to you, the help you will receive in the very moment when your inner volition has become deed not before.

To help you achieve this, however, the word has been brought to you as a gift from God, the word which shows in all clearness the path you must follow, if you wish to be saved yourselves.

In the word lies the Grace which God gives in this incomprehensible love, as has already happened once through Jesus.

The word is the gift. The great sacrifice of God, however, is the deed to send the word as far as to the Gross Material Worlds, to you men here, a mission always connected with great suffering because of man’s attitude, which through his stubborn conceit is one of hostility towards the light. And nobody else, can give the true word to mankind but a part of the word itself.

The Bringer of the living word must therefore, also, be from the word itself.

Abd-ru-shin the author of the Grail message says that if the word had not been given to them after the darkening had taken place among men on earth, they would have had to sink into disinterraction nation together with the darkness which closely surrounds them.

And for the sake of small number nevertheless still carrying within them the yearning for the light in spite of the Darkness which men had formed for themselves. God in his justice and love once again sent the living word into this Darkness, so that, for the sake of justice the few should not be lost with the others, but may still save themselves by following the path shown to them in the word.

However, so that the word could indicate the path leading out of darkness. It first had to learn to know and experience the affects of the darkness upon itself. It had to sink itself into this Darkness in order to read the path out of it first and those men who want to follow it.

It was only because the word could trod the path out of this Darkness that it could also, explain and thus bring the path closer to mankind. Men would never have been able to do this of their own accord without this help. Understand then, you men, that such a decision, which became necessary only for the sake of a small number of men, was indeed a great sacrifice of love, such as only God alone can consummate through his unswerving justice.

That was the sacrifice which had to be fulfilled in complete accord with the law for the sake of justice and love in the inviolable and adamantine perfection of the will of God. But

this is no excuse whatever for men, since the need for this sacrifice only arose out of the failure of mankind through turning away from the light.

Although, the sacrifice came about through the lawfulness of the Holy will of God Himself, the guilt of mankind does not become less but, even heavier still, because, through the distortion and confusion of all that God entrusted to them, they want to only make everything more difficult. Therefore, the great sacrifice stands for itself alone as a consequence of the God – perfection of the All – Holy Will.

Whether you really still wish to save yourselves is solely your concern, for this God perfection, which made the great sacrifice of God a necessary consequence, now also, demands the destruction of everything in the entire creation that cannot voluntarily adjust itself according to the laws of His Will.

There is neither mercy nor escape in this matter, no exception or deviation, but solely the outworking according to laws in creation through the closing of the cycle of all past actions.

Hence, the demand watch and pray, so that, you do not fall in temptation. Watch calls for the alertness of your intuitive perception and thus, demands mobility of your. Spirit this alone harbours true vigilance. And it is here, too, that womanhood must again take the lead, because she is given a more extended and more delicate ability of intuitive perception.

Womanhood must be vigilant in the strength of her purity, which she must serve if she faithfully wishes to fulfill the task of womanhood in this creation. But this she can only do as a

“ And for the sake of small number nevertheless still carrying within them the yearning for the light in spite of the Darkness which men had formed for themselves. God in his justice and love once again sent the living word into this Darkness, so that, for the sake of justice the few should not be lost with the others, but may still save themselves by following the path shown to them in the word.”

priestess of purity.

Watch and pray are the words which you are once more given on your path. The watching concerns your life on earth, during which you must at any moment be ready of your own accord clearly to perceive the impressions assailing you and also, to weigh and scrutinize them, as well as carefully to examine before hand everything emanating from you.

Praying, however, ensures the maintenance of the connection with the luminous heights and the opening of oneself to holy

streams of power for earthly application. That is the purpose of prayer Abd-ru-shin says, which compels your mind to turn away from this earth upward. Hence, this demands, the fulfillment of which will bring you nothing but inestimable gain through strong help, to supply of which you otherwise close yourselves by not observing the laws in creation.

If you fulfill both, you can never fall in temptation, interpret this hint a right also, for when it is said to you “that you do not fall in temptation”. This does not perhaps mean that you will no longer be afflicted by temptation, that such keeps aloof from you if you watch and pray, that is, that you do not come into temptation, but it signifies that if you always remain alert and pray, you can never fall when temptation approaches you and you are able to face all dangers victoriously.

Therefore, do not put the stress on the word “temptation”, but on the word “fall” then you have immediately grasped the right meaning. It says “watch and pray so that you do not fall in temptation”. Thus, watching and praying is protection against falling, but here amid the Darkness do not rule out the approach of temptation. Indeed, temptation can only strengthen you if your attitude is right, under the compulsion of the necessary resistance, it will kindle your spirit to become more glowing and burst into flames and thus, is bound to bring you great benefit.

All this however, will no longer endanger mankind but become a joy to them, an agreeable spiritual activity which only furthers rather than hinders, as soon as womanhood faithfully fulfils the task granted to her by the creator, for which she was very specially equipped.

Thanks for reading.

Seedorf Could Not Refuse Milan

CLARENCE Seedorf has admitted that he ‘couldn’t say no’ to being named Milan’s head coach after he was

confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.

The Dutchman announced his retirement from playing with immediate effect in order

to take over from Massimiliano Allegri as the Rossoneri’s new head coach.

The former Diavolo player, who spent ten years

at the San Siro, said the offer to return to Milanello was too good to refuse.

“The sacking of Allegri was decisive in my

decision making,” he told reporters. “[Adriano] Galliani called me just yesterday [Monday].

“I could not say no to Milan after spending 10 years with the Rossoneri.

“I like challenges, and coaching Milan will be another challenge in my career. I made the decision to join Milan today, but last night was a difficult night for me. But I’m sure I made the right choice.

“When I told my kids that I would be returning to Milan, they went all quiet. But they aren’t

against it.

“I don’t know which formation I will use at Milan. I’ve played with seven of them, and that will help me.

“The contract I signed is for two and a half years. I’m delighted with the opportunity the club have given me and I’m very motivated to do well.”

Seedorf is the first black coach in Milan’s history and is expected to be on the bench for Sunday evening’s game against Hellas Verona at the San Siro.

FORMER Manchester United forward Diego Forlan looks set to move to Cerezo Osaka of Japan, reports said yesterday, with hopes that the Uruguay international can rev up the J-League.

The 34-year-old is in the final stages of talks with the Japanese outfit, the Nikkan Sports and Yomiuri Shimbun among others reported.

Cerezo will make an official announcement in a few days, the Daily Sports said.

Forlan, winner of the Golden Ball award as the

media’s best player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, currently plays for SC Internacional of Brazil. As well as Manchester United, his former clubs include Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid.

The J-League has lost many of its top talents to European clubs.

“He will surely attract the attention of people other than Cerezo fans. The Forlan effect could jazz up the Jleague as a whole,” said the online edition of the Sports Nippon.

YAYA Toure has revealed that he will be back in ‘a few days’ after he limped off during Manchester City’s 20 win over Newcastle.

The Ivory Coast midfielder is believed to have suffered with the problem for a couple of weeks, which subsequently resulted in him having to be replaced during last weekend’s victory.

The 30-year-old has insisted that his latest knock will not keep him off the field for a long period.

“Off the field for a few days because of a back injury.

Hope to be back on my feet soon,” he wrote on Twitter.

Toure has scored 10 goals in 20 Premier League appearances this season.

Uruguay’s Forlan Set For Japan Move

Frank Ribery

FIFA Balton d’Or Fall-Out

Ribery Consoles Himself FRANCK Ribery has stressed that winning the Fifa Ballon d’Or was not an important objective for him as he has set his sights on winning silverware with Bayern Munich and France.

The 30-year-old had to stress that missing out on settle for third spot in the the trophy was not too prestigious individual much of a award behind winner disappointment for him.

Cristiano Ronaldo and “I am not a selfish runner-up Lionel Messi, player and the Fifa but Ribery was quick to Ballon d’Or was not an

objective of mine,” Ribery was quoted as saying by Bild.

“I would rather win it all again with Bayern Munich and win the world title. That is what really matters.

“Of course, I would have liked to win the award, but what else

could I have done than winning all trophies with Bayern?

“I’m alright with it.

Winning the Ballon d’Or was not the most important thing for me.

I’m glad it’s all behind us. I now want to win a lot of trophies with Bayern once more.”

helping the team.

“I have to continue working hard and earning my playing time both in games and in training sessions.”

The La Masia graduate is currently being nurtured to fulfill the role that is being played by Xavi but he says he is

just hoping to learn from the veteran midfielder.

“He is one of the best players in the world and I’m just starting my career with the first team,” he said.

“There are very few like Xavi. I’d be happy to be just a small part of the player Xavi is.”

Yaya Out For Few Days

Sergio Looking Up To Xavi

BARCELONA midfielder Sergi Roberto says he is happy with his decision to stay with the club and hoping to emulate Xavi Hernandez.

The 21-year-old has battled to break into the squad since joining the first team but has been

getting regular game time as a substitute under coach Gerardo Martino.

“Tata Martino is very important for me,” said Sergi. “During this time I haven’t given up and I work hard every day.

“Now I hope to make good on his confidence by playing well and

Yaya Toure

United Face Key Month - Vidic

Mourinho Desperate To Beat City On Title CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho has claimed winning the Premier League title this season would be the “greatest achievement” of his decorated coaching career.

Mourinho has reiterated his belief that Manchester City are the favourites for the title, such is the talent at their manager Manuel Pellegrini’s disposal.

The Portuguese feels his current Chelsea squad is in transition, whereas the majority of City’s players are playing during the peak of their careers.

“It would be my greatest achievement if we beat City to the title this year,” Mourinho is quoted in the Daily Mirror.

“We were champions before, but we were the team [ready] to be champions, to attack the title, especially in our second season when we killed it from day one.

This [current Chelsea side] is a team in development and if you win titles in this time, it is not handed to you. It would be a super achievement.

“City, in terms of power of the squad, are in another dimension.

You can’t compare their

Arsenal Ready For Revenge Says Podolski

LUKAS Podolski believes Arsenal will be ready to set the record straight when they take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 next month.

The Gunners were eliminated by eventual champions Bayern on away goals last season after losing 3-1 at home and winning 2-0 at the Allianz Arena. Bayern are one of the favourites to retain their crown this season and become the first club to defend the title since the competition was revamped in 1992.

Podolski, who played for Bayern between 2006 and 2009, is bidding to prevent that happening and seal Arsenal’s progress through to quarter-finals for the first time in four years.

“We know them well and Bayern are one of the best teams around, but we are also playing a good season and we’ll try all we can to turn around the result from last season this time around,” he said.

“Of course I know them and am friends with them - I know the bosses (president) Uli Hoeness and (chairman) KarlHeinz Rummenigge and everybody who works at the club, but when the game approaches and we get out onto the field, then you are only focused.

Lukas Podolski

situation with any other club.

Some people disagree or some managers feel they shouldn’t say it, but I say what I feel: City are different.

“It’s not about having quality players, other clubs also have quality, but Man City are in the perfect moment. They don’t have old players or young players — the only young player is Matija Nastasic and he plays sometimes. After that, all of them are between 25 and 29, with everyone in the best moment.

“They have a couple of players that are smaller and very talented, but they have a number in the team that are big, physically. They have four strikers, all of them are top class and the one [chosen to be] on the pitch is always scoring.”

He added: “I think City have to do the same thing Chelsea did.

Chelsea won three Premier Leagues in six years, the Double, many FA Cups, Champions League semifinals and finals,” he added.

“They built a team for that with huge investment for three-four consecutive years, transfer window after window, improving their squad. They are in another dimension, but football is more than that and because of that no one knows what is going to happen.”

NEMANJA Vidic says Manchester United will be in a better position to judge their season progress in the next month.

Reigning champions United are currently seventh in the Premier League, five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

United play five top-flight matches between now and mid-February, a sequence that starts with Sunday’s trip to third-placed Chelsea and ends with a clash with current table-toppers Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

And Vidic is aware United will have to find some consistency during this spell if David Moyes is to collect some silverware in his first season in charge at Old Trafford.

“We have to win regularly and in the next month we will know exactly where we are,” Vidic said in Inside United magazine.

“By the end of January and start of February we will

John Mikel Obi

Mikel World Class, Hails Lampard

CHELSEA legend Frank Lampard has described Mikel Obi as a world-class player who has helped him to play well. players at ‘The Blues’ who “It’s very good playing quickened his integration at alongside Obi,” Lampard the top English club. told the Chelsea official “Coming into a big club website. like Chelsea, as a young “He’s a top holding 18-year-old from Africa, it midfield player, and for was a dream come true,” he me personally being more recounted. attacking in my game it “I remember coming into helps to play with the dressing room and I someone who has was shaking all through the discipline and moves the first week. The players in ball quickly, which Obi can do.

“He’s one of those BORUSSIA players who will not Monchengladbach striker make headlines, but he’s Luuk de Jong remains happy to go unrecognised Newcastle United’s top in his work and he has a transfer target in January, huge worth for the team with the two teams when he plays.” currently in talks Interestingly, Mikel has according to SkySports revealed that Lampard News. was one of the senior The English news source have reportedly been informed that the two sides are in talks about a possible loan move, with the main obstacle being whether the German outfit can find cover for the Dutch international.

The 23-year-old has struggled for game time in Germany and is reportedly keen on to move.

Magpies officials are currently in

there really helped me settle in - John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and the other African players that were there at the time.

“I looked at these guys every day and I learned a lot from them, how they act on and off the football pitch, which helped me

develop and mature as a person. It was a growing up stage which I never had with any other team. I just jumped straight into this team so I had to learn that way.”

Mikel has scored four goals in all competitions since he arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2006.

Magpies Eager ToSign De Jong Monchengladbach negotiating a deal for the striker, reports suggest he will first join the Tyneside

Luis Garcia

club on-loan until the end of the season before joining the Geordies fulltime in the summer.

show what our position is and what our capability is in the Premier League.

“Then, of course, the Champions League starts up again. This is an important time for us and we all want to do well.”

The 32-year-old insists Moyes should not be solely responsible for United’s stuttering season, and that the players have to be held accountable as well.

“You have to always be together as a team,” Vidic added. “That’s important. If you have a bad result you have to concentrate on doing the right things - in training and with your behaviour, then in the matches.

“You try to lead by example first in the dressing room, then out on the pitch.

“We are lucky here because there are so many players who are experienced and mature people, they help the team try to achieve what we want to do.”

Garcia Retires From Football FORMER Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia has announced his retirement from football.

The 35-year-old has put an end to his career which has spanned over 17 years, which included the dramatic Champions League triumph in 2005 where Liverpool came back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties.

The Spaniard scored 30 goals in 121 appearances for the Reds and also won the FA Cup with the club in 2006.

He was also in the books of Atletico Madrid, Panathinaikos and most recently Mexican outfit Pumas.

“Today I’ve decided to retire as a professional footballer,” he announced on his official website.

“Thanks for the interest from the teams that spoke with me in recent weeks, but I think the time has come to end this important chapter in my life and move to the next page.

Keshi’s 40 Players For World Cup

WHO will be the midfielders Keshi should consider for Brazil 2014 as MTNFootball.com continues a 4-part series on players who deserve to be on a 40-man shortlist.

Chelsea star Mikel Obi and very well under Keshi. He Ogenyi Onazi from Lazio was outstanding at AFCON have formed a great 2013 and the FIFA partnership in the Eagles Confederations Cup midfield, but there is still thereafter. room for other midfielders to John Ogu (Academica De be part of the team’s engine- Coimbra, Portugal) room in Brazil in June.

The big defensive Keshi’s 40 for World Cup midfielder has impressed Mikel Obi (Chelsea, since he debuted for the England) Eagles. He is calm on the ball He is the star man in and his shooting is a plus for Nigeria midfield. He has the Nigeria, even though he free role to dictate the pace could be a lot more accurate. of the game for the team and His first-team chances in the he has been playing that role Eagles have been limited by Mikel but he will be a good cover for the Chelsea ace in Brazil.

Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio, Italy) The industrious midfielder has formed a great understanding with Mikel in the midfield. He is a great marker and decisive in his action. He broke into the first team at AFCON 2013 when Fegor Ogude was injured and Mikel Obi he has never looked back ever since.

Sunday Mba (CA Bastia, France) He was outstanding at the AFCON, where he scored two important goals to eventually crown Eagles champions again. He has not lived up to expectations after that exploit and that may not be unconnected with the fact he was not playing at his club.

He should now get some much-needed match fitness at Ogenyi Onazi

CA Bastia in the French second division enough to get him into the Eagles training camp at least.

Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain) The skilful midfielder was part of AFCON squad. He needs to work harder when he returns fully from a groin injury which needed surgery were he to fight his way back into top reckoning. The Eagles midfield is in dire need of his creativity.

Raheem Lawal (Turkey) The workaholic midfielder is an all-round player who marks well and has great dribbling skills. He has good shooting ability and vision for goals. He is a good option in the Eagles midfield and deserves a recall after he was surprisingly axed for the AFCON. But the fact that he has quit his Turkish club and has yet to sign for another club could work against him.

Ramon Azeez (Almeria, Spain) The former Flying Eagles skipper has been a revelation this season in the Spanish La Liga for Almeria. Still uncapped at full international level, Ramon plays with a big heart and deserves a chance now leading up to the World Cup. Michael Olaitan (Olympiacos, Greece) He was one of the shining

Paranoid Serena Survives Heat To Advance In Melbourne THE thought of playing a

long match in the extreme Melbourne heat resulted in a sleepless night for Serena Williams, but the world number one need not have worried as she strode swiftly into the Australian Open third round.

The American, trying to win

Djokovic Marches Into Third Round

NOVAK Djokovic took a tumble in the first set but returned to his feet quickly to complete a 6-0 6-4 6-4 trouncing of Argentine Leonardo Mayer and march into the third round of the Australian Open.

Players have grumbled about the conditions, and a Canadian in the men’s draw described the tournament’s organisers as “inhumane” after he fainted on Tuesday when temperatures peaked at 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit).

In 2009, a 21-year-old Djokovic was criticised by players and pundits for pulling out of his quarter-final when trailing American Andy Roddick on a day of extreme heat, having earned a reputation for retiring when the going got tough.

the title for a sixth time, dispatched Vesna Dolonc of Serbia 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour on Rod Laver Arena before scurrying back to the cool sanctuary of the locker room.

“I kept waking up in the middle of the night last night, just paranoid,” Williams said of her disrupted sleep.

“I just wanted to stay hydrated.

The last thing I want to do is to cramp in this weather. It can happen so easy. I was just drinking a tremendous amount of water.”

With temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for a second successive day, Williams was never troubled by the world number 104 and cruised to victory.

On Tuesday, defending champion Victoria Azarenka said being on court was like “dancing in a frying pan”, while Canada’s Frank Dancevic slammed organisers for forcing players to compete in inhumane conditions after losing his first round match.

Williams said she tried not to change her game-plan because of the conditions and said the weather was just about bearable.

“I think I probably feel it more in my head, not necessarily in my

chest,” she said of the heat. “But so far I have been OK. “I have been training for a long, long time in the heat in Florida and I have been coming to Melbourne for years and years.

“So you just have to be ready for those hot conditions and just try to get through it.

“I think the conditions today in my match was OK. I wasn’t here yesterday. I heard they were a little bit extreme (but) I didn’t really even go outside yesterday.

For my match today, it was OK to play.”

The victory was her 60th in the main draw at the tournament, which tied her with Australian Margaret Court for the most wins in the event’s Open era.

Williams, who now plays either 31st seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia or Czech Karolina Pliskova, said the heat can affect players differently on any given day.

“That definitely can be true, she said. “I’m not sure.

Sometimes my body just says ‘no’ to hot weather. Sometimes I have no reaction.

“I’m just happy that I was able to play today before it got super hot and it felt really good.”

lights for Nigeria at the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey. He is a good dribbler, has good passes and shoots well. And playing for Olympiacos in the Greek league and the UEFA Champions League have given him the needed exposure.

Lukman Haruna (Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine) He has been outstanding for his Ukrainian club and there has been a clamour for his recall to the Eagles. He was one of the few impressive players for Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He now needs a second chance in the team.

Stephen Keshi

NBF To Comb States For Talented THE Nigeria Boxing Boxers - Laguda Federation (NBF) will comb the states to scout for talents in order to reposition the sport in the country, an official said on Monday.

The Assistant Secretary, NBF, Tunde Laguda, newsmen in Lagos that the programme was one of its priorities for 2014.

Laguda said that the near comatose state of the sport in some states was unhealthy hence the plan to arrest the slide.

“Boxing is one of the six sports Nigeria will be participating in at the forthcoming Commonwealth

Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

“Most state associations are not part of the preparation and this is mostly because they do not have representatives in the list of boxers to be invited to camp for selection for the event.

“The few regular states of Lagos, Ogun and Delta have continued to dominate the national scene without contributions from others,” he noted.

The Commonwealth Games is scheduled to hold from July 23 to Aug. 3.

According to him, there are

many unidentified boxing talents in the states who can be of immense benefit to the nation if discovered.

Laguda appealed to the state associations to brace-up for the planned in-depth talent hunt which would be held in form of an interregional championship.

He said the planned championship would aid the development of the sport at the grassroots.

There are indications that NBF will open camp for the Commonwealth hopefuls in February in Abuja.

Webb Among 2014 World Cup Referees HOWARD Webb, the re feree for the 2010 World Cup final, has been selected on FIFA’s list of 25 officials for this year’s tournament in Brazil.

Webb attracted attention for his performance in South Africa four years ago when he handed out a record 14 bookings during Spain’s 1-0

Howard Webb

victory over Netherlands, including one to Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong for his flying, studs up challenge on Xabi Alonso which many considered warranted a red card.

The Rotherham official — along with regular assistants Darren Cann and Michael Mullarkey — was selected

ahead of his Premier League counterpart Mark Clattenburg to represent England at the 2014 finals.

Webb, who also took charge of that year’s Champions League final, is joined on the list by the referee for last season’s European showpiece, Italy’s Nicola Rizzoli.

According to FIFA, referees were selected ‘’on their personality and their quality in football understanding by being able to read the game and the teams’ tactical approaches towards each game.’’

In all there are nine referees representing Europe, five from South America, four from Asia, three each from Africa and North America and one from Oceania selected for this year’s tournament, which kicks off in Sao Paulo on June 12.

A further eight referees and eight assistants will go to Brazil as reserves.

Nigeria League Hotshot Namo Joins Libyan Club

Basketballers In Lagos Laud Suki Grassroots Sports Centre SOME Lagos-based basketball players on Tuesday lauded the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government in Lagos for providing a sports centre where they sharpened their skills.

They told journalists in Lagos the provision of the Suki Grassroots Sports Centre in FESTAC Town had made them to be training regularly.

The players said that replication of the facility in other parts of Lagos State would facilitate sports development.

Yinka Oyesanmi of Trinity Basketball Academy, FESTAC Town, said that regular training at the centre had improved his shooting skills. “ I am able to accurately make three-pointer shots with ease,” he said.

Oyesanmi said that an athlete needed to practice on a regular basis to be able to become a professional.

“The centre has made it possible for aspiring athletes to make their dream come true by training regularly,’’ he said.

Morocco Aiming For Burkinabe Victory

MOROCCO will be hoping to secure their first win of the CAF African Nations Championships when they meet Burkina Faso on matchday two at Athlone Stadium on Thursday evening.

The Burkinabes enter their second match in the Mother City winless and fresh off a 2-1 defeat to a surprisingly impressive Ugandan side last Sunday evening.

Cryille Bayala’s goal two minutes from time merely proved to be a consolation strike after Yunus Sentamu put the central of Africans two-goal up after 77 minutes.

Their performance was a bit off the pace from the refreshing displays they displayed in last year’s African Cup of Nations in South Africa, but one that they will push to improve on.

George Olomi of the Hawks Basketball Academy, Satellite Town, said that training at the centre had made him a better player.

“I come to the centre to train on a regular basis because I will like to improve on my dribbling skills to be relevant in the basketball academy I attend.

“It is necessary for a basketball player to know how to dribble appropriately to be able to make way for the forward pointers to dunk the ball,” he said.

Olomi commended the Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Mr Ayodele Adewale, for providing the sports facility for talent development.

Jinadu Akande of the Best Basketball Academy, FESTAC Town said that the centre had also afforded him the opportunity to watch training of footballers and martial art athletes.

Akande advised other local governments to emulate Amuwo-Odofin by providing sports facilities in their areas to develop talents at the grassroots.

Victor Namo (left) fights for the ball.

Nigeria League Player To Earn N150,000 Minimum Pay THE league and club managers have agreed that each player registered for the Nigeria championship will earn at least 150,000 Naira monthly (less than $1,000).

This followed the Salihu Abubakar has said.

Several clubs including abolishment of sign-on Kaduna United, Shooting fees in the league.

Stars and most recently “We have agreed that the Heartland have already minimum pay for a player cancelled sign-on fees and in the league will now be now pay hefty monthly 150,000 Naira as clubs will no longer pay sign-on salaries.

Monday’s meeting in fees,” the league Chief Abuja between the League Operating Officer (COO)

management company (LMC) and the club managers was described by many of the participants as “mutually beneficial to

Jurgeh Klinsman, US Coach

Sao Paulo FC club’s training facility, rated as one of the best in Brazil.

The former star from Germany said his squad includes many young players “who have a point to prove, that they can all go to

the World Cup”.

Klinsmann said he came to Sao Paulo on a scouting tour two years ago and decided that Brazil’s economic capital was the best place in terms of hotels and training facility to set up the US base camp for the two-week tournament that will open here June 12.

After conducting daily workouts and two private scrimmages over the next 12 days, the US team plan to play a friendly against South Korea in Carson, California on February 1.

Klinsmann acknowledged that team USA face a tough group against Germany, Portugal and Ghana and must beat Ghana in the opening game in the northeastern city of Natal on June 16.

“We badly need three points against Ghana and one point

all parties”.

The parley addressed the issue of a bank guarantee of a 100 million Naira by

each club, among the various basic requirements to be fulfilled by the clubs before they will be registered for the new season.

The new Nigeria league season will kick off on February 23.

Delta Tennis Coach Advocates Introduction Of State Leagues HENRY Ubochi, the Head Coach, Delta Tennis Association, on Tuesday advocated introduction of state leagues to enhance the growth of tennis in Nigeria.

Ubochi told that state

US Football Squad Opens World Cup Training In Brazil

THE US national football squad kicked off a 12-day training session in Sao Paulo on Tuesday as part of their “dry run” for the upcoming World Cup. Under tight security, coach Jurgen Klinsmann held an initial practice with his 26 players at the

NIGERIA league hotshot Victor Namo has joined Libyan club Al Ahly Benghazi, report.

The report says further says the Nasarawa United striker will earn 250,000 dollars a year for this deal.

Namo, who scored 19 goals last season to emerge as the top scorer of the league, completed his medical on Tuesday in Benghazi and will now join the rest of the squad for pre-season training in Egypt.

The Jos-born star, who has featured for Kano Pillars, joins another Nigerian, Moses Orkuma, at the club.

“Victor (Namo) has signed for Ahly Benghazi in Libya. He has completed his medicals, so he is my teammate now,” Orkuma revealed Nasarawa United chairman Isaac Danladi accompanied Namo to Libya and so was conspicuously missing at a crucial meeting between the League Management Company (LMC) and the club managers in Abuja on Monday.

against Portugal,” he said.

Travel to northeastern World Cup venues such as Natal, Recife and Manaus will be a major challenge although American players are used to travel long distances at home, he added.

He also expressed confidence that Brazil will rise to the challenge of hosting their first World Cup since 1950 despite concern about delays in readying stadiums and infrastructure projects.

“I’m sure Brazil will make it work,” he said.

As to who will win the World Cup final in Rio’s iconic Maracana stadium on July 13, Klinsmann said: “Brazil, Spain and Germany have these expectations...We don’t.”

But he stressed that the US squad aim to be “in the top 10, 15 in the world” in the future.

“We are not there yet, but we are working on it...It’s not going to happen overnight,” he told reporters.

leagues would reposition and popularise the sport at the grassroots.

According to the coach, it will enhance the discovery of budding talents from all parts of the country.

“There is nothing wrong if every state association can come up with a league to promote tennis in the country.

“This is one of the measures we need to revamp and popularise the sport.

“More talents can be identified and nurtured to

represent the country at international competitions, through a feasible league,’’ Ubochi said.

He said that organisation and sustenance of state leagues would accelerate introduction of a national league by the Nigeria Tennis Federation.

The coach, however, said that inadequate funding would be a major challenge to state associations in organising feasible leagues.

PRESIDENT of the Ugandan FA, Moses Magogo, has said the Cranes team are like ‘orphans’ at the 2014 Africa Nations Championship.

“We are the only team that is not supported by the government and yet all the other 15 taking part in this tournament have support from their respective governments,” the bitter President said on Tuesday.

The Cranes, who have not been facilitated by the government, started the tournament on a winning note by beating Burkina Faso 2-1 in a Group B game played on Sunday.

The team, handled by coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic, stands a high chance of making it to the quarterfinals if they beat Zimbabwe tomorrow.

Magogo explained that although they sent a budget to the government to fund the team, the FA has fully sponsored the team that represents all 37 million Ugandans.

He called upon the government to get serious and support the football team because it has the potential to do even better and market the country in tourism as well.

Uganda Cranes Are Like ‘Orphans’, Says FA President

CMYK

Igue, The Ultimate Thanksgiving TO this villager, going to Benin City from Oghada, a distance of some 64 kilometers, was an annual pilgrimage of sorts.

From an early age, I accompanied my parents to the city where they sold yams, the main product from the farm.

At the close of sales, I got my fringe benefits, my Christmas clothes.

I wore them so proudly because, whereas they were the superior materials from Benin City, the abode of the Oba, my contemporaries in the village had the cheap products hawked by Yoruba traders who worked out deferred payment plans for them under the “osun meta” (three months) scheme.

History books are replete with the origin and history of the Igue festival. We are particularly fascinated by the pains-taking research of our kinsman, Prince (Dr.) Ademola Iyi-Eweka, who carefully chronicled the events around the Igue from its inception during the reign of Oba Ewuare to the present day.

In its original form, Igue was non-religious.

In just the same way that President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”, the founding fathers of the Edo Nation had proclaimed Igue as the “Ultimate Thanksgiving to OSANOBUWA, O S A N U D A Z I , OGHODUA – the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Alpha and the Omega… the protector of the human race against the vicissitudes of life.”

And in just the same way that Thanksgiving

is celebrated by Americans irrespective of their religious affiliation, the Igue festival was meant for all Edos of all religions. But incidentally, the African traditional religion, which predates Christianity and other religions here, was the only thing on ground when the other religions arrived.

Christians should have done well to key into the celebration. Rather,they became preoccupied with trying to indoctrinate the locals into Christianity.

Understandably, the Igue festival is celebrated with greater intensity in the rural areas than in Benin City. The ruralites who are mainly farmers faced greater hazards in the course of the farming year.

For instance,in those days, there were no motorsaws. As a result, those big trees were brought down either with fire or with the axes. In the case of the latter, able-bodied men tied scaffolds around the big trees and hewed them from the top of the scaffolds. It was quite a hazardous job and the few who survived it had to celebrate big.

We also invaded the animal kingdom without being hurt by the wild animals – the lions, the tigers, the elephants, the gorillas and the rest. Since our farms were too far from home, we slept in the farms for an entire native week of four days and only visited home on the native Sunday – the Eken market day. We survived all the dangers through the mercies of Osanobuwa and Igue provided an opportunity to thank Him. The Americans celebrate their Thanksgiving with turkey meat. We celebrate the Igue with dried bush meat collected over a three-month period prior to the Igue and preserved in the fire place. As children, the meat eyed us once in a while and we pinched it.

This did not qualify for stealing; just an honest

confession.

We recollect, with nostalgia, that on ordinary days, attempts could have be made to share one crayfish for two children, the erroneous belief being that children did not require meat; but on Igue day, each of the two children was sentenced to two legs of a big grass cutter with a big bowl of pounded yam

between the African traditional religion and Christianity would not arise. At the Church Thanksgiving, people’s heads are anointed with olive oil and at Igue, people’s heads are anointed with coconut oil and water.

The Edos believe that the best way of understanding where you

The spiritual content of the Igue festival is enormous. At the village level, the ceremony culminates in the “Ubi” in which the villagers dance

• Oba Erediauwa, Oba of Benin

to match! We ate almost to a saturation point; went to play for a few hours; and came back to deal with the balance.

In fact, a few days before Igue, we were de-wormed with purgative to clean up the stomach, preparatory for the heavy food ahead.

If only people knew the similarities in their lives, much of the controversies

are going is to constantly remember where you are coming from, hence the strong attachment to our ancestry. This is not any different from the Bible’s continuous references to the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Essentially, the more things change, the more they remain the same.

round every house down to the village square hitting the ground with palm fronts to exorcize evil spirits from the village, chanting songs like “Azen…… Olelubirie”; “Oso…..

Olelubirie”; “Okpokpomwan…..

O l e l u b i r i e ” ; “Ologhomwan…..

Olelubirie” – meaning, witches, wizards and all

workers of iniquity are gone with the “Ubi”. At the end, the palm fronts are either burnt at the entrance of the cemetery or simply deposited in the cemetery.

There are dire consequences attached to the non-celebration of the Igue in any particular year and it is only major catastrophes that can cause the non-celebration.

That explains the noncelebration of Igue during the period 1897-1914 when Oba Ovonramwen was on exile in Calabar, an era of deep melancholy to the Edos.

At the restoration of the monarchy in 1914, Chief Aghowho was the right hand man of Oba Ovonramwen became the Iyase of Benin. It was during the reign of Oba Eweka II. Christians quickly moved in to try to convert the duo to Christianity. While Oba Eweka II resisted them, Chief Obaseki was converted. In protest to Obaseki’s action, Oba Eweka II aborted the Igue festival of 1916/17, saying, “I cannot celebrate Igue without my Iyase. When you took my Iyase away, you took the Igue festival with him”.

As a consequence of the failure to celebrate the Igue, a great epidemic, which took the lives of thousands of Edos, struck the Kingdom in 1918. The rest is now history.

“In its original form, Igue was non-religious. In just the same way that President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”, the founding fathers of the Edo Nation had proclaimed Igue as the “Ultimate Thanksgiving to OSANOBUWA, OSANUDAZI, OGHODUA – the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Alpha and the Omega… the protector of the human race against the vicissitudes of life.””

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