Nigerian observer 19 08 2014

The Nigerian

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol . 39 • NO. 059 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 20 14 • N100.00 CUTTING EDGE Page 13 Between The APC and the Wily Greeks

Why we witheld Nano silver approval - FG

ABUJA - The Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, yesterday said that the Federal government was withholding its approval for the AntiEbola drug Nano-Silver produced by a Nigerian.

Chukwu made this

known when he received the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, in his office in Abuja.

He said that the Nano Silver drug, which was

made available to the Emergency Operations Centre in Lagos on August. 14, did not meet basic research requirements.

“The experimental

drug, Nano Silver did not meet the requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code.

“Accordingly, the approval was withheld by the National Health Research Ethics Committee,” Chukwu Continues on page 2

No Ebola case in - EDSG Edo

By FRIDAY OBANOR

NUTRITIONAL HEALTH AND DIETETICS Page 14 The mysterious and magical properties of plants

BENIN CITY - Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Louis Odion said yesterday that no Ebola case has so far been recorded in the State eventhtough the state government is not resting on its oars in putting necessary machinery in motion to check the prevention and control of the virus in the event of outbreak.

Speaking at the is more dangerous and Inauguration of the State deadlier than the Rapid Response Committee put in place by the state government to curtail the spread and control of the virus in the event that it spreads to Edo state, Mr. Odion urged media practitioners to be accurate in their news reportage so as not to mislead the general public with falsehood.

Mr. Odion who acknowledged that Ebola

dreaded HIV/AIDs, however charged media practitioners in the state to always cross-check

their facts before going to press.

He reiterated that Ebola virus is not a death

sentence since there are Information that some medical personnel who have been placed on surveillance list have been given clean bill of

... inaugurates 44-member committee

By FRIDAY OBANOR BENIN CITY – The Edo State Government yesterday inaugurated a 44-member Edo State Rapid Response Committee Charged with the responsibility to create awareness and sensitize members of the public on the control and prevention of the Ebola Virus in the event of outbreak in the state.

Inaugurating the committee in Benin City, the State Commissioner for Health Dr. (Mrs.) Aihanuwa Eregie who is also the chairperson of the 44-member

committee, expressed the state government’s commitment towards ensuring the control and prevention of the disease in the event of its outbreak in the state.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Peter Ugbodaga, the commissioner revealed that Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin City has been designated as on Isolation Centre for victims of Ebola disease.

Dr. Eregie who debunked the insinuation that the state government is not doing anything in Continues on page 2

TIT BIT

“It is the first responsibility for every citizen to question authority.”

- Benjamin Franklin

DOCTORS’ STRIKE: Senate President David Mark (right), welcoming the President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Kayode Obembe to a meeting of NMA Executives with the Senate President at APO in Abuja on Sunday night.

Health.

Mr. Odion who is also a member of the 44-man state Rapid Response committee on Ebola virus however called on media practitioners to partner with the state government in sensitization and awareness campaign towards the prevention and control of the virus in the event of outbreak.

On his part, the State Chairman Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti called for life Insurance scheme which would properly spell out remuneration for Health providers who will be volunteers for the treatment of the virus in the event of outbreak in the state.

Prof Omoti who hinted that the NMA has already, lined up a large number of volunteers in the event of outbreak of the virus in the state further revealed that medical doctors in the state inspite of ongoing strike have already volunteered to participate fully in the treatment and control.

Also speaking the Chief Medical Director (CMD), University of Benin Teaching Hospital Prof. Michael Ibadi said the Hospital has already set up a committee on the Ebola virus in the event of its out break in Edo State.

Represented by Dr.

Oshiomhole wants tough action against oil thieves BENIN CITY Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says the Federal Government must take drastic action against pipeline vandals and oil thieves to serve as deterrence to others.

The Governor who expressed worry during a courtesy visit to him by the Joint Task Force on

Protection of Oil & Gas Pipelines led by the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Ade Abolurin at the

Continues on page 2

Government House said “we are very worried about the scale, not only

of oil theft but the seeming ease with which pipelines are vandalised

by all kinds of criminals leading to huge losses.

“What they steal is nothing to compare to the Continues on page 2

Revenue Service (EIRS), Chief (Sir) Oseni Elamah has said that the

governor Adams Oshiomhole – led administration is building

youths are gainfully Continues on page 2

EDSG building strong economy for youth ema strong economy ployment - EIRS boss towards ensuring that the

By VICTOR OMOALU

BENIN CITY – The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Internal

News

Why we witheld Nano silver approval Continued from page 1 said.

He said the ambassador’s visit was an opportunity to share ideas and information on Ebola virus.

“He is the spokesperson for the United States’ government here in Nigeria, and so he came to me as the Chief Public Health Officer of the country to exchange views with me,’’ he said.

The minister said Entwistle also visited to know if there was any new development that recently cropped up on the Ebola virus.

Entwistle had commended the efforts of the Federal Government in curbing the spread of the Ebola virus in the country.

He said the aim of the visit was to discuss further on the anti-Ebola cooperation between the U.S government and the Nigerian government.

The ambassador also praised the work done at the emergency operation centre

and the isolation centre, saying he understood that they were working hard.

“You have all seen the headlines over the weekend, this is an issue that we have to keep working hard on, it may be with us for a while but there are some encouraging signs.

“Your government is doing a good job on contact tracing; I noticed when I flew back here on Thursday night into the country, before I left the plane I filed in the questionnaire.

“I was very impressed because I had to put in my seat number which is a very good idea, so that if you have to trace the guy who was seating next to me you will know where I am.

“I have been very impressed by this thing so I encourage the government of Nigeria to keep at it, which I know they will,’’ he said.

Entwistle said the two countries had a broad partnership to keep

collaborating, cooperating and working hard to make the world a better place.

He said he could not think of a more important example of cooperation than the Ebola cooperation.

On the U.S experimental drug on Ebola, Entwistle said there were no sufficient quantity for now to be given to Nigeria, therefore, the focus should be on isolation, screening and prevention.

Continued from page 1

Co-ordinator of World Health Organistion (WHO) in Edo State, Ms. Kate Okungo said the organisation is in contact tracing and collaborating with Newspaper vendors in disseminating information on the Ebola disease through hand bills, posters vest and other printable materials inserted inside Newspaper for distribution to the general public.

Mrs. Okungo further Informed that WHO is also making use of disease control officers in the Local Government Areas across the state as well as Immunization officers for the purpose of disseminating information to create awareness for the control and prevention of the disease.

No Ebola case in Edo

Osimhe, the CMD who called for rightful information dissemination on the disease by the media however urged the state government to create an Isolation centre in the state adding, according to him, the earlier the Isolation centre is created, the better in order to avoid fire brigade approach.

He therefore advise that Isolation centre set up by government should not be in densely populated area just as he canvassed for life Insurance policy for Health providers that would be involved in the treatment of Ebola cases.

On her part, the representative of the State

... inaugurates 44-member committee

Continued from page 1

terms of preparation in the event of its outbreak in the state, however noted that the state government has procured a state-of-the –Art Ambulance to convey infected victims to the Isolation Centre.

She said the State Ministry of Health has procured personal equipment for Health Care providers that would have a direct contact with anywould-be victims.

According to the commissioner, “Edo State Government is putting in place, a domestication information on Ebola in our local languages so that those in the rural communities can get abreast information about the dreaded Ebola disease.”

Continuing, the commissioner however stated that the Ebola disease is not a death sentence, but victims have a 50/50 chances, of survival as some persons who initially were alleged to have contacted it have been

certified free of it.

Noting that the state ministry of Health has started training Health Providers on best practices on how to prevent and control the disease, the commissioner reiterated that it is not true that the state government has not be proactive on putting measures in place to contain the disease in the event of outbreak in the state.

She therefore hinted that before the weekend, Irrua Teaching Hospital shall receive more equipment from the federal government to further fortify its department of Disease Control which is to be used as Specimen Centre.

Earlier, in a welcome address, the State Director of Disease Control, Dr. Osamwonyi Irowa who is also a member of the committee said since the onset of the outbreak and declaration of National Emergency for Ebola disease in Nigeria, everybody

has been learning in palpable fear because of the its highly contagious and deadly nature with mortality that can be as high as 90 percent.

Dr. Irowa further informed that Ebola Virus disease is a highly contagious and deadly viral haemorrhagic disease caused by Ebola Virus which was first discovered in Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) in 1976.

The virus, according to Dr. Irowa is transmitted to humans from animal and from infected person to another, adding that it is usually presents symptoms that include fever, body pains, sore throat, vomiting and at least either of bloody diarrhea, vomiting of blood, unexplained bleeding from the gum, vagina, eyes etc.

He however, listed risk factors for Ebola Virus disease to include; contact with infected wild animals (dead or alive), close contact with

infected persons or corpses, poor personal hygiene, preparing and eating of infected animals, inadequate infection control practices in health care facilities as well as poor management.

“This disease can be prevented by using basic disease prevention and control principles which include; mass awareness.

Campaign at all levels; sensitizations of health workers to increase their diagnosis and management acumen as well as good personal hygiene and good sanitary condition of the environment,” he said.

He hinted that the strategic location of Edo State cannot be ignored in a situation of international and national public health emergency as this since the people of the state are highly mobile just as the state is a gateway to other parts of the country.

Oshiomhole wants tough action against oil thieves

Continued from page 1

net loss arising from those activities. Many communities and many villages have been ruined, including my village”.

Oshiomhole argued, “I am told that a lot of the vessels that seized in the course of tracking these characters whether at sea or around the riverine areas or in the creek, they try to preserve the exhibit for legal purposes. In the cause of these, one thing leads to another. Either they are able to manipulate the system and you have interventions from some quarters and you are asked to let the people go or that they succeed in turning round to again recover what is taken from them.

“My argument then and it still my argument today that rather than put a man in prison for ten years, I will rather sink his ship that is worth millions of dollars because at the end of the day, the judicial process can be quite difficult in dealing

with this kind of criminals especially when huge sums of money is involved. So the exhibit should be completely destroyed as soon as it is taken before they start manipulating their way and try to find a way to get round the system.

“We do need to make a statement that we can’t hand over this country to criminals and as we have seen, from security issues in some part of the country, when criminals made so much money from activities like this, they become so rich that they can afford sophisticated weapons with which they now use to overwhelm the formal security system and that compound the issue of national security so be assured of my support and I have no doubt that your visit to Edo will be of benefit to all of us in this state and indeed Nigeria.

“I appreciate the efforts of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence in the protection of government properties, not only from what I have seen on television but your men in Edo have been doing a fantastic job to the best of my knowledge and they have been very active in our state security council meetings, bringing very useful suggestions on varieties of security related matters”.

Oshiomhole said, “We are not an oil producing community but there is a pipeline that passes through my village and some of these criminals couple of years back came into my village and burst one of the oil pipes and we had a spillage which contaminated the only stream which is the source of water in my community but for the fact that I had to do a borehole

before becoming governor, and have done several more boreholes now, the community will had have no water to drink”.

He maintained, “So the activities of these pipeline vandals are not just in terms of the loss, the huge economic loss, in terms of what is stolen and what is spilled but the environmental devastation that arise from oil spillage and the activities of illegal refineries.

Earlier, the Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Ade Abolurin said the Federal Government set up a committee on oil theft for the protection of national infrastructures, including gas.

He said the Government was concerned over oil theft and illegal tampering of oil facilities which necessitated the setting up of the committee, adding that the Committee is on inspection of oil facilities across the country to know how best to secure them.

Senate President appeals to NMA to end strike ABUJA - Senate President David Mark has appealed to the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to end the current strike in the interest of all Nigerians.

A statement issued by Mr Paul Mumeh, Mark’s Chief Press Secretary, in Abuja on Monday, said that the Senate President made the appeal during a meeting with officials of the association.

Mark, according to the statement, reminded the striking doctors of their strategic role in the life of the citizens and said that they could not continue to look the other way when Nigeria was facing health challenges.

He was of the view that the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease, now declared a national emergency, was enough reason for the doctors to suspend the strike.

Mark told the NMA officials that the government was not insensitive to the doctors’ demands but that the current situation called for patriotism on their part in the interest of the people.

The Senate President promised to take their grievances to President

Goodluck Jonathan in order to find solutions to them.

The statement said that NMA President Kayode Obembe, who led the delegation to the meeting, listed some of their grievances to include improved hazard allowance for medical and health workers, about 10 months unpaid arrears and the appointment of a SurgeonGeneral of the federation.

The NMA president said that the association was also asking for an immediate reversal of the Federal Government’s decision to sack over 16,000 resident doctors as a basis for further negotiation.

He maintained that doctors were not insensitive to the current health challenges occasioned by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease.

“We are demanding that government should do the needful to improve healthcare services in the country,” Obembe said in the statement.

According to the statement, the Senate president will meet with the association again on Tuesday when both parties will report the progress made so far to resolve the impasse.

Ebola: US to deploy 100 medical

personnel to West Africa

ADDIS ABABA - The United States Government has announced the deployment of 100 medical personnel to help in the fight against the Ebola Virus outbreak in some parts of West Africa.

U.S. Ambassador to the African Union (AU), Reuben Brigety stated this yesterday in Addis Ababa at an information sharing session on Ebola at the AU Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC).

Brigety said the U.S would

deploy 25 medical doctors and 75 nurses to the four countries affected by the virus, including Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria.

He, however, said the deployment to the Ebola affected countries was subject to the AU approval, as the U.S government was ready to assist.

The envoy advised African countries to also send doctors and medical personnel to provide the services needed to tackle the disease in the affected countries.

EDSG building strong economy for youth employment

Continued from page 1

employed through entrepreneurship.

Chief Elamah disclosed this when he played host to the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Edo State Chapter who were on a courtesy call in his office, Benin City.

To this end, Chief Elamah noted that the state government has concluded plans for the disbursement of credit targeted at young entrepreneurs in the rural areas.

The EIRS boss who noted that before now the state was backward in terms of infrastructural facilities and lack of employment opportunity, however, asserted that the present government was doing everything possible to improve the economy, especially at the rural level to enable them to be self reliant and contribute to the developmental growth of the state by fulfilling their civic responsibility of paying tax to the state government.

He said part of the EIRS’s mandate is to educate the people on their tax responsibility, adding that the state government was

building a tax-friendly environment that is responsible to the people.

He said the visit indicated the kind of followership the association has demonstrated over time and urged them to take advantage of the window loan by the state government, just as he assured the association of his agency’s support.

The chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade Ajayi Innocent said the visit was aimed at faminiliarising the new executive with the Executive Chairman and to appreciate him for his phenomenal track record towards the revenue administration of the state.

He said, “We wish to on behalf of the entire youths say a big thank you for consolidating the administration of the Comrade Governor by ensuring that tax payers money is put into judicious use in our state.”

He used the medium to appeal to the Executive Chairman for support towards the associations planned programme slated for 2014 – 2015 respectively.

Inside Edo NDIC Commends Edo Govt Over Improved Micro-finance Banks

By ANNETTE EDO BENIN CITY - The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, has commended Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for recognizing the significant role of microfinance banks in the state. Sunday Ade Oluyemi, the Controller/Zonal Officer, NDIC, Edo state, made the commendation, during the NDIC Special Day at the ongoing

Edo 2014 Trade Fair in Edo Hotel, GRA, Benin City.

Oluyemi who represented Umaru Ibrahim, the Chief Executive Officer, NDIC, at the ceremony, said the provision of enabling environment for the banks to operate minimally in the state has not only minimized the stress of banking for those in small and medium scale industry, but has also greatly improved the lives of the people.

Oluyemi who observed that about 40 percent of the Nigerian population is operating outside the formal financial system, said the NDIC key mandate is to protect funds of depositors of insured institutions by way of guaranteeing the payment of their deposits in the event of imminent or actual failure of any financial institution and as such, the corporation is capable of bringing those financially excluded into

the formal financial system thereby, making available more resources and opening up numerous avenues for investment and economic development.

According to him, “the NDIC operates as a “risk minimizer” through rigorous supervision of the issued institutions. Hence, the NDIC pays a crucial role in ensuring the safety, soundness and stability of the Nigerian Financial system.

He revealed that in the event of bank failure, each depositor or Deposit Money Banks, DMB, is entitled to claim up to a maximum guaranteed sum of N500, 000 each and a maximum of N200, 000 each for depositors of Microfinance Banks, MFB and primary Mortgage Banks, PMB, adding that a depositor with a claim above the issued amount is paid dividends from the proceeds raised from the sale

Ebola

Parents Advised On Precautionary Measures

By MORRISON HAYBLE AUCHI – Parents in the state have been admonished to teach their children the act of constant hand washing with soap and water as a prevention measure against the dreaded Ebola Virus.

The advice is coming on the heels of the on-going campaign by the Federal Ministry of Health, including text messages urging Nigerians to dial certain designated phone numbers for help.

At a lectured at the weekend during the formal installation of the 9th President of Rotary Club of Auchi Metropolitan, titled: “Ebola Virus: Facts and Falacies,” Rotarian abdulazeez Elamah explained that the virus is capable of being transmitted by infested person, either dead or alive and stressed the need for regular hand washing with other agents as alcohol based sanitizer.

He disclosed that the disease is not spread through food, water or casual contact but through contact with sweat fluid as semen or blood of infested person.

According to him, caution and improved hygiene would keep people on the safer side.

Rotarian Azeez Elamah called for sustained enlightenment on the Ebola scourge to keep the public, especially the rural populace abreast of the disease and its implications.

L-R: Service Chiefs arriving for security council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday.

Rotary Installs New President

By MORRISON-HAYBLE AUCHI – Rotary Club of Auchi Metropolitan, District 9140 weekend formally installed Dr. Sule Olohi Ohikhena as its 9th President for the 2014/2015 Rotary year.

The occasion also witnessed the

introduction of its new Board of Directors for the 2014/2015 as well as the admission of eight new members.

Six other persons, including one female, Amidat Ilegar and two serving members of the club, Yekini Sadoh and Yakubu Musa were honoured for their

committed service to humanity.

Also at the occasion was the recognition and decoration of the Paul Harris Fellows, members for their financial contributions of one thousand US dollars each to the club.

In a brief remark, Chairman, installation committee, Rtn Yekini Sadoh told the gathering

L-R: Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Usman Jibrin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah and Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh at the security council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday.

that Rotary was a very serious business for serious people committed to selfless services for the good of society.

He appealed for public support in the club in executing its projects for the good of the people for whose interest it exists.

The new President, Dr. Sule Ohikhena (PHF) in his inaugural address explained that Rotary was a Non Government/Political Organization united world wide in providing humanitarian services, helping to build goodwill and peace and encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations.

Dr. Ohikhena disclosed that Rotary’s target in this 21st Century was to meet the changing needs of society, expand its service effort to address such pressing issues as environmental degradation, illiteracy and hunger.

He stressed the need for the existence of Rotary in every local government area of the state for it to be able to forge a common idea and galvanize positive actions for societal development.

Responding over the award, the only female beneficiary, Miss Amidat Ilegar noted that the honour was a responsibility to remain focused in her philanthropy for the less privileged, adding that her admission into the club would further propel the pursuit of this goal.

of assets and recovery of debts owed to the closed banks.

While commending the state government and the state Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the organisation of the trade fair and its tireless effort and commitment towards opening up new economic partnerships to boost business activities with a view to attracting foreign investment into Nigeria, Oluyemi called on the state government to take full advantage of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s credit guarantee scheme for small and medium scale Enterprises, SME in order to encourage the establishment of microfinance banks in the areas.

In a bid to ensure a hitch-free financial institution in Nigeria, Oluyemi revealed that the corporation had done a lot in promoting genuine financial institution. He said apart from the NDIC stickers that are conspicuously displayed in the banking hall of financial institutions, NDIC had embarked on enlightenment campaigns through the media, pamphlets and so on to sensitize Nigerians.

He, however, warn the general public against money swindlers which has currently become a bane in the society, saying that one of the major things to look out for to show that a financial institution is genuine is the logo of NDIC. “Let me use this opportunity to caution the banking public to be wary of unlicensed fund managers or wonder banks to avoid being swindled of their hard-earned resources by fraudsters.

“Rather, depositors should save funds in NDIC-insured licensed deposits-taking financial institutions in the country to benefit from the Deposit Insurance Scheme,” he said.

2014 Edo Trade Fair Ends

By CLIFFORD AGBAJOR BENIN CITY –The 2014 Edo Trade fair formally came to an end yesterday.

In his remark at the closing ceremony, the chairman of the steering committee, 2014 Edo Trade fair, Barr. Austin Atakpu, assured that next year’s edition of the trade fair would be better.

He noted that the lapses observed in the 2014 Edo trade fair would be corrected in the next edition billed for April, 2015.

According to him, the secretariat of the steering committee of this year’s (2014) Edo trade fair will remain open for suggestions aimed at making the 2015 Edo trade fair better.

Barr. Atakpu stated that the Oshiomhole-led administration have not fully tackled the issue of infrastructural decay in the state, saying he is now poised to reshape the fortune of the state in the area of industrial development.

The steering committee chairman further stated that effort would be made to put the permanent trade fair site in Aerodrome Close, Off Goodwill Street in Ekenwan Road axis of the state capital in good shape ahead of the next edition of Edo trade fair.

Across The Nation

Security Agents Strategise For 2015 General Elections

BY BETTY IDIALU WARRI, Delta - Ahead of the 2015 general elections, security agencies last weekend met in Warri to strategies towards ensuring maximum security of lives and properties before, during and after the elections.

The meeting which held at the Warri Area Command had in attendance representatives of various security agencies ranging from the Nigerian Police, Navy, Air force, Customs, Immigration, Prisons, Civil Defense Corps and the State Fire Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Briefing the press after the meeting, the Warri Area Commander, ACP Rabiu Hussain said the meeting was apt particularly with the commencement of the issuance of the permanent voters’ card across the State.

He assured INEC staff of maximum security as the exercise continues as well as during subsequent elections.

According to Rabiu Hussain, the meeting was about synergy among the various security agencies to check criminal tendencies in Warri and environs as well as ensure a hitch free elections in the State.

On the reduction in crime rate, the Police boss said security agencies were not relenting, as they were doing everything possible to ensure that the crime rate remains abysmally low while striving to achieve zero tolerance to criminality in Warri and environs especially as the ‘ember months’ were drawing close. He said they were strategizing in case of any eventualities.

The Warri Area Commander while warning those with criminal tendencies to desist, said “those who refuse to repent will meet their waterloo, I want to use this medium once again to call on residents of Warri and environs to furnish the security agencies with useful information because

they are the ones living with these criminals, they know them .The police are not magicians”.

Representative of the Nigerian Navy, who also spoke in the

same vein as representatives of other security agencies, Navy Captain Rotimi David Oderemi, Executive Officer NNS Delta,

said the security agencies have resolved to be more pro-active in terms of support and always be ahead of situations, so as to be able to seize the initiative from the beginning before any ugly situation gets out of hand by maintaining law and order at all times.

Senator representing Adamawa South Senatorial District, Senator Ahmed Barata and the Adamawa State APC Woman leader Mrs. Binta Garba during the declaration of the Senator to contest the Adamawa Governorship bye-election in Yola weekend.

Commissioner Directs Establishment Of Co-Op Societies CALABAR- The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Cross River State has directed immediate establishment of 10 cooperative societies in each of the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr James Aniyom, gave the directive at an agriculture stakeholders’ meeting in Calabar.

“The purpose of the cooperatives is to coordinate and monitor all projects within and those coming into the state for such cooperatives.

“We need real farmers and not imaginary ones who benefit from farm produce and collect loans, yet have no farm to show for it,” he said.

He said such cooperatives should cover rice, cassava, fishery, vegetables, livestock and aquaculture.

Aniyom also directed the publication of all cooperatives in the state, including their location, saying that this would stimulate synergy among the

Proposed isolation ward for the treatment of Ebola virus patients at the Kuje general hospital in Abuja.

Lagos Curbs Ebola Virus Spread

By RAHEEM IBRAHIM LAGOS- The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has said that the state government has curbed the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) that has

Babatunde Raji Fashola, Lagos State Governor

so far killed four people.

In a state broadcast on August 17th, 2014, Fashola assured residents that the state had the capacity to contain the spread of the disease, saying, “The disease is perhaps our biggest challenge to public health and the safety of human lives”.

The governor admitted that “Ebola poses a threat to the primary purpose of our government which is to save lives and has been tackled with utmost urgency. This address has become necessary to respond to a series of text messages, e-mails and telephone calls that I have received in order to reiterate some of what you may already know, to share information about what you may not know, and to keep everybody safe”.

“This has become the moreso

in the light of allegations that are making the rounds, either that victims are being neglected, or that a useful drug or vaccine is being rejected or that there is a shortage of funds.

I wish to state very categorically that none of these is true. What is true is that we should perhaps never have been in this situation, but we are now in it. What is true is that the Ebola virus did not break out from within Nigeria, it was imported into Nigeria,” he explained.

The governor stressed further, “What is true is that we have followed all the contacts that we know who have had primary and secondary contacts with the patient who imported the virus into our state, or with people who had contact with him.

Because we had to react to an unexpected situation, we had to

react in a proper and methodical way, according to acceptable global health standards.”

He revealed that the state have been working very closely with international health bodies to understand the dynamism of the disease. “I can now tell you that in the last one week, with the help and advice of our technical partners, such as the World Health Organisation, the Centre for Disease Control and the Medecins Sans Frontiers, who have tracked this virus and studied it for decades, our response is a lot better than when the news first broke; and our capacity is increasing daily.”

According to him, “Although we have suffered very painful losses of lives, I think it is fair to say that we are not yet at an epidemic stage and we are

determined to do everything not to get to that stage; because of the grave consequences to the safety of human lives. We have provided information to the public on all state-owned media, while the private media have commendably joined in this effort. There is also information available on the social media platform”.

Since Monday last week, precisely on the 11 August, I commenced meetings on an almost daily basis with stakeholders in our society, religious leaders, traditional rulers, market men and women, community development associations, to brief them of the risk, to re-assure them that we are daily gaining control, to advise them and all of you to be cautious but not to panic”, he remarked.

cooperatives societies.

According to him, the Cross River Government is keen on having a database of farmers in the state and what they produce.

He promised to reach out to all ‘genuine’ farmers and monitor their farms with a view to providing them with logistics support when necessary.

Aniyom called for synergy among the heads of agencies under the ministry.

“As a ministry, it behooves on all head of agencies and relevant stakeholders to collaborate with one another,’’ he said.

Improper Documentation Denies Access To Intervention Funds - TETFUND

ABUJA- Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), has identified improper documentation and problems associated with financial reports as the major reasons hindering tertiary institutions from accessing intervention funds.

The executive secretary stated this in Abuja in an interview with newsmen.

“In the past, TETFund observed with dismay that one of the major problems associated with accessing funds is improper documentation and rendition of financial returns.

“It is this problem that necessitated the fund to come up with a draft format on efficient and effective guidelines for projects, programmes and financial reports.

He said TETFund’s insistence on adherence to the guidelines was posing a challenge for the institutions to easily access funds.

Borogo said TETFund was taking a second look at the guidelines to ease the hurdles for intervention funds without total disregard to due process and laid down rules and regulations.

“It was in view of this development that TETFund recently held stakeholders’ interactive workshop and Town Hall Meetings in tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones in the country.

He said the workshop helped in sensitising the stakeholders on the needful with the Public Procurement Act, owing to complaints about inability of beneficiaries of TETFund to comply with the act.

Bogoro expressed the fund’s commitment towards effective and efficient delivery of its projects, in keeping with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

News Group Holds Rally For Jonathan AWKA -The popular Ekwueme Square in Awka was filled beyond capacity as the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), held a rally to persuade President Goodluck Jonathan to contest 2015 presidential election.

The rally was the first in the South East in the series of rallies planned for the six geopolitical zones to urge Jonathan to contest for second term as well as enlighten Nigerians on the achievements of his administration.

Prof. Chinedu Nebo, the Minister of Power, said the Transformation Agenda was still on course, adding that Jonathan had done well to propel the economy of the country to greatness.

Nebo said the energy sector, which had been privatised, was now better positioned to

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supply power to drive the economy.

According to the minister, alternative energy sources are also being harnessed to take care of the rural areas.

“President Jonathan has created stable macroeconomic environment, best destination for Foreign Direct Investments and a business environment with best return on investments.

“Our energy sector has been transformed through the privatisation and more than 1000 engineers have been employed in the sector’’, he said.

A chieftain of PDP, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, said Jonathan had done a lot for the Igbo people to deserve their support.

Iwuanyanwu said successive governments had paid lip service to the principles of rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation which formed the bedrock of postcivil war Nigeria.

He noted that it was only Jonathan that had demonstrated genuine effort and political will to give every part of the country equal sense of belonging.

Governor. Willie Obiano of Anambra said he was impressed by the turnout of people at the rally, adding that it was a sign of huge

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acceptance among the people.

Obiano, represented by Mr Oseloka Obaze, the Secretary to the State Government, assured the President of the support of Anambra people and urged him to continue his good work as contained in the transformation agenda.

Responding, President Jonathan thanked TAN and the entire South East and assured them that his government would continue to be focused in order to build a better nation.

The President, represented by his Special Assistant on Inter-Party Matters, Sen. Ben Obi, said he would consider their demands.

Other dignitaries present at the rally were Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Governor.

Theodore Orji of Abia, Chief Peter Obi, and Chief Patrick Uba. Also present were Sen. Uche Chukwumerije, the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, Mrs Uche Ekwunife, Mr Chris Azubuogu and Chief Ken Emeakayi, PDP Chairman in Anambra, among others.

Uduaghan Mourns Aziza

By BETTY IDIALU WARRI, Delta - Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has described the death of President General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Maj. Gen. Patrick Aziza, as an irreparable loss.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sunny Ogefere,the governor described the death of General Aziza as a big blow and irreparable loss to Nigeria, Delta State and the Urhobo nation especially at this time when the invaluable contribution and experience of the Late general were needed at the critical period of the Nation’s history.

“In General Patrick Aziza we have lost one of the finest military officer administrator peace builder, nationalist and more fundamentally a statesman of repute.

“My administration enjoyed unparalleled support and cooperation from General Aziza as President General of the UPU, who was always there to share his wealth of experience with me anytime I called on him,” he said.

The Governor also described the late General Aziza as an industrialist whose business interests, ranging from hospitality, oil and gas among others helped to create employment for a sizeable number of Deltans.

“We will miss General Aziza’s calm demeanour, wise counsels and stabilising role in the politics and governance of Delta State,” he added.

News Land Speculator Docked For Duping Friend

ABUJA - A Grade 1 Upper Area Court, Karu, Abuja, yesterday granted one Ameh Sylvanus of Gwagwalada, Abuja, bail in the sum of N1 million for allegedly selling fake land to his friend.

The court, presided over by Malam Hassan Ishaq, also directed the accused to produce a reliable surety in like sum.

It said the surety must be a civil servant on grade level 10 and above and his address must be verified by the court.

The court also said that the surety must submit his driver’s licence or national identity card to the court registrar.

The police prosecutor, Silas Nanpan, had earlier told the court that one Abel Sunday of Nyanyan, Abuja, reported the matter at Nyanyan Police Station on August 15.

Nanpan said Sunday had complained that sometimes in September 2013, the accused deceived him and sold an uncompleted three bedroom bungalow to him.

“The accused sold the property situated at

Gwagwalape, Nyanyan, at the cost of N1.1 million; N910,000 was paid to him by the complainant on the same date he was shown the land.

“But he handed over to the accused fake land documents. “ Some months later, the complainant went to the said property to start work but was confronted by someone, who laid claim to the property by tendering real documents which were later verified to be original by the necessary authorities,’’ he said.

Nanpan said the house had since been completed and is being occupied by the real owner.

Nanpan also told the court that the accused confessed to committing the crime during police investigations.

The accused is being charged for criminal breach of trust and cheating contrary to sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

After listening to the charges, the accused pleaded not guilty and the matter was adjourned until November 11, for hearing.

ABUJA - The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has attributed the slow pace of agricultural development in Africa to poor implementation of policies.

The FAO representative to Nigeria, Mrs. Louise Setshwaelo, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja yesterday.

Setshwaelo, said that the continent did not lack of good policies to promote agriculture, “but the will power to implement those policies’’.

She said that better implementation of policies was one of the areas FAO was collaborating with various governments in Africa to address malnutrition in the continent.

“We develop a lot of policies in Africa and honestly what I can say is that most African countries have good policies.

“What is lacking is implementation of those good policies and I think the political will has to be there,’’ she said.

The FAO representative

The Executive Chairman, Edo State Internal Revenue Service, Chief (Dr.) Oseni Elamah, left, receiving a survenier from the organiser of the 2014 Edo Movie/Music Academy Award, Ogie Ebenovbe Elvis during a courtesy call on the Chairman in Benin City.

Ebola: Bishop Advises Govt To

ABUJA - The Anglican Bishop of Ngbo, Ebonyi, Rt. Rev Christian Ebisike, has urged the Federal and State Governments to spend more resources on research, to find possible cure for the Ebola virus.

Invest In Research

Ebisike, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, applauded the Federal Government N1.9 billion

FAO Seeks Improved Agric Policy also stressed the need to strengthen infrastructure to support agriculture in Africa, adding that irrigation was most under-utilised in the continent.

She urged African governments to ensure that investments in the agricultural sector were sustainable.

Setshwaelo said that increased access to land, credit and capacity building would further encourage the participation of youths and women in agriculture.

“We have women who make up to 50 per cent of the

The Executive Chairman, Edo State Internal Revenue Service, Chief (Dr.) Oseni Elamah, middle flanked by the Executive Director of the Agency, Prince Felix Isuku, left, and the Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Edo State, Comrade Ajayi Innocent during a courtesy call on the Chairman in Benin City.

agriculture labour; women who are farmers themselves.

“Women actually have very limited access to resources, first is the issue of land and secondly is the issue of credit, they are the least people who are able to access these resources they need for production,’’ she said.

She urged youths to avail themselves of the opportunities in agriculture to become actively involved in developing the sector.

The FAO representative said there was need to build the capacity of young people to add value to the value chain.

“We need to build the capacity of not only the older population but also to encourage young people.

“It is not just about production, they can also be service providers, they can also be input providers, marketers and they add value to every knot of the value chain they can go into.’’

According to her, if agriculture receives improved participation of youths and women, it will reduce post harvest losses recorded in the sector.

“Because if you are producing little and 30 per cent of that is lost as post harvest losses, the chances of really reducing hunger also go down,’’ she said.

intervention fund to contain the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria.

“The government has not told us what portion of the intervention fund would be spent on research to find a possible cure for the disease.

“We have seen a lot of awareness and publicity and I commend the state and Federal Governments’ efforts for that.

“But I want them to encourage more research from Nigeria and indigenous scientists, the outbreak of Ebola started in Africa and I think the solution will also be in Africa,’’ he said.

The Anglican cleric also called for judicious use of the fund, and advised the government to consider involving faith-based organisations and nongovernmental organisations in its intervention programme.

“I have served as the National Coordinator of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) on HIV and AIDS and we know the controversy associated with some of these charity funds.

“Often, the people who need help do not get it and the money ends in endless workshops. I pray that Ebola fund will not go that way,’’ he said.

Ebisike said the Church of Nigeria recognised Ebola outbreak as an international public health concern and had taken precautionary measures to support national efforts to control the outbreak.

“We advise Ebola patients or those who think they have made contact with patients to seek medical help but we are not ignorant of the power of

God to heal.

“We have also reviewed our order of worship in the Holy Communion service by advising on exchange of peace (handshake) and the manner we administer communion bread and wine,’’ he said.

Ebisike urged Nigerians not to panic but follow standard practices issued by the health authorities on how to avoid, detect and monitor the outbreak of the virus.

Also, Ven. Ben Idume , who spoke at a Church service at St. Matthews Anglican Church Maitama, explained to worshipers the provisional advice issued by the Church of Nigeria to contain the spread of Ebola.

Idume said the Primate of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, had directed that handshakes during Holy Communion service be suspended.

According to him, Okoh also directed that disposable cups should be used to administer the wine during Holy Communion service while communicants will be provide an option to dip communion bread into the cup.

He added that the leadership of the Church had also advised that more nonHoly Communion services be conducted in the church during the period of the Ebola outbreak.

The cleric said the new directive had not foreclosed the age-long tradition of the Anglican Church, which recognised Holy Communion as a core sacrament.

Across The Nation

Nigerians Advised To Spread Facts About Ebola Virus ILORIN- A pharmacist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Kwara Stat, Mr Lanre Alege, has charged Nigerians to

spread facts and not rumours about the Ebola virus.

Alege made the call weekend during an “Ebola

virus awareness campaign” as part of the monthly keep-fit exercise for staff of the hospital in Ilorin.

He cited the example of a

reported case of the virus at a private hospital in Ilorin, involving a seven-month-old child, which was later

discovered to be untrue.

“People should tell others the truth about the Ebola virus and not peddle rumour about it,” he said.

He advised against the consumption of bitter-cola and kolanut as remedies against the virus, saying that there was no proof of their efficacies.

Alege urged Nigerians to quickly go to medical centres when they developed symptoms like fever, tiredness, headache and nausea.

He said that no vaccine had been developed for the

treatment of the virus, adding that about 90 per cent of people who contact Ebola would die.

According to him, zmapp vaccine, developed by a Canadian laboratory scientist and made available by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nano Silver, developed by a Nigerian scientist, are only experimental drugs.

The Chief Medical Director of UITH, Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, commended the organisers of the keep-fit exercise, and for creating awareness about the Ebola virus.

Minister Assures Of Rehabilitation Of Roads L-R: Vice Chairman, Navimor Group, Mr. Roman Kinda; First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Minister of State for Agriculture, Mrs. Asabe Hamed at the inauguration and christening of Federal Ministry of Agriculture newly acquired fishing vessel in Poland recently.

Ebola

I Never Mentioned Doctor’s Name

- Health Minister ABUJA- The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has said that he never mentioned Dr Adadevor as the female doctor who was treated and discharged of Ebola virus as reported by some sections of the media.

The minister’s reaction was contained in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Mr Dan Nwomeh.

“It has been brought to the attention of the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, that the first Nigerian to be diagnosed of Ebola Virus Disease, a female doctor who treated the index case and who was discharged to go home yesterday, is being reported in some of the media to be one Dr Adadevor.

“The minister wishes to clarify that the name of the patient is not Dr Adadevor, this should be noted,’’ the statement stated.

Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health

Members of National Council on Power at their inauguration in Abuja recently.

GEF-UNDP To Spend N21m On Energy Projects KARU (NASARAWA STATE)-The Global Environment Facility – United Nations Development Programme (GEF-UNDP) said it would spend N21 million on the provision of sustainable energy-related projects in selected communities in Nasarawa State.

The National Coordinator of GEF-UNDP, Mr Etiosa Uyigue, said this at Karu, Nasarawa State in an interview with newsmen.

Uyigue told newsmen that the project would be executed in collaboration with the Energy Commission of Nigeria and National

Orientation Agency (NOA).

The coordinator said that the intervention would be on renewable energy and energy efficiency in the selected communities of Roguwa, Lower and Upper Uke in Karu Local Government Area.

He said no fewer than 400 households in the selected communities would benefit from the replacement of incandescent bulbs with energy-saving ones. “ We are going to give five energy saving bulbs to each household in the three communities of the 400 households in the areas connected to the national grid.

“The project will include

provision of solar powered light for selected households in the areas not connected to the grid,’’ he said.

Uyigue also said that the project would include the installation of a solar water pump to power the existing water borehole in Roguwa community.

The coordinator said that the bulb-replacement activities would start in the third week of August.

The objective of the project is to increase communities’ access to sustainable energy sources, reduction of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) emission and increased access to potable water.

ISE-EKITI (Ekiti State)Minister of State for Works, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, has assured that most federal roads in the country would be made motorable before the end of May, 2015.

Adeyeye said that President Goodluck Jonathan is committed to ensuring that all federal roads are either reconstructed, repaired or rehabilitated before the end of his first term in office.

He spoke to newsmen at his country home Ise-Ekiti, in Ise/Orun Local Government Area of Ekiti State at a reception organised for him by the governor-elect, Mr Ayo Fayose.

He said that the affected roads cut across all the six geo-political zones of the country, among them AkureIlesa Federal Highway, which cut across Ondo and Osun states, as well as Ifaki-Ikole-

Omuo Road in Ekiti State.

Adeyeye said the president was committed to quality jobs to ensure that roads constructed during his tenure last for many years.

“It is the resolve of the president to make all roads in the country motorable and durable.

“This is evident in what the Federal Ministry of Works has done since the administration came into being and what is still in the pipeline to be carried out in few months time”, Adeyeye said.

The governor-elect who organised the reception thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for appointing Adeyeye as minister.

He called on the new minister to justify the confidence reposed in him by being above board in the discharge of his duties.

INEC Extends Distribution Of Voter Cards By 2 Days ABUJA- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has extended the ongoing distribution of permanent voter cards in the FCT and 11 states by two days.

The extension is contained in a statement issued in Abuja

by INEC’s Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Okezie Nwankwo.

According to the statement, the extension is expected to give more people the opportunity to get the cards.

It stated that the time for the collection of the cards remained between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The states are Yobe and Bauchi (North East); Jigawa and Sokoto (North West); FCT and Kwara (North Central); Anambra and Ebonyi (South East); Ondo

and Oyo (South West), and Delta and Cross River (South South).

The exercise which began on August 15 and initially scheduled to end on August 17 will now end today August 19.

Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman

Youth Perspective One generation shall praise Thy works to another and shall declare Thy mighty acts Psalm 145:4 Definition of Terms Generation: A generation refers to people that are born about the same time. It also refers to people within a particular population who experience the same significant event within that particular given period of time.

Generation could also refer to what we commonly refer to as Age Group.’ This age group experiences the same social change that will eventually be considered as the dominant feature of their age group.

Usually, the average period considered for a generation is between 25-30 years which is considered as a time a child should grow up, become adult and have children of their own.

Next: Next refers to what comes immediately after in order or space or

time. It refers to the one immediately following. Generation Next therefore refers to our children in future that we have to teach all the knowledge of God to affect their social, cultural, religious and academic life so that they can continue in the knowledge of God better than us.

A generation that fails to plan for the next generation is a failureThe Bible says in 1 Tim. 5:8 “if any provide not for his household, he has denied the faith and worse than an infidel.” This includes -the future.

The next generation are the people we will hand over the baton toto continue the race.

In the text that we read, God expects us to hand over His praise and His mighty works to the next generation in the Church so that the knowledge of Him will not go into extinction.

In the Western world, the following generations were marked out from 1883.

1. The Lost Generation -These are between 1883 -1900. Those who fought the 1st World War 2. The Greatest Generation - Known as G. I. Generation. These were veterans who fought World War I and were born between 19011924 3. The Silent Generation - Those who were too young to join the World War II, born between 1925 -1945. They were also born during the Great Depression.

4. The Baby Boomers Generation - Known as the worst generation.

They were born between 1946-1964, which was marked by increase in birth rates.

5. Generation X- Those born between 1960s -1980. Those born after the baby boom. Those born into the computer age.

6. Generation Y - Also called the Millennial Generation. Those born from early 80s -2000.

7. Generation 7 is used for those born from the early 2000 to the present day.

If we have to look at this vis-à-vis, the Bible we see a great impact.

1. The Origin Generation — from Adam to the fall. Gen. 2:4—25 and Gen. 3:1-24 2. The Washed Away Generation - from Noah to the Flood. Gen. 6-10 3. The Covenant Generation — from Abraham to Isaac. Gen. 12-26 4. The Rehoboth Generation - Isaac. Gen. 26:22 5. The Favoured Generation — Jacob vs Esau. Gen, 25- Gen.32

Generation Next

Who Are They?

By WOLE JOSHUA

6. The Coat of Many Colours Generation — Joseph and his brothers. Gen. 37—49 7. The Mixed Generation — Jacob’s curse to his children to the time of slavery in Egypt, Gen. 49, Exodus 14.

8. The Exodus Generation. Moses and the escape from Egypt -

Exodus., Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

9. The Joshua Generation — Deut. 31 — to the book of Joshua.

10. The Lost Generation — Joshua appointed no successor. Joshua 24:31 11. The Judges Generation — Gideon, Samson, Barak, Deborah etc, -the Book of Judges.

12. The Prophets Generation. Prophet Eli, Samuel - I Sam.1—9.

13. The Kings Generation — Saul, the first King, David and Solomon.

14. The Divided Generation — The split into southern and northern kingdoms in the days of Rehoboam through the action of Solomon. I Kings 11 —13. Israel versus Judah.

15. The. Idolatry Generation — Beginning from Jeroboam — they followed other gods and the next generation suffered- Kings 12:25-33 16. The Faded Generation — Israel faded into Assyria, II Kings 17:1 — end. Hoshea became the last king of Israel. 722—721BC 17. The Captive Generation —. Daniel, Shedrach, Meshach, Abednego. Jer. 39, Daniel 1 —end, Judah was besieged and captured

by Nebuchadnezzar in 587BC. 18. The Messiahs Generation — The birth of Jesus and His time - the Synoptic Gospel - Matthew; Mark, Luke and John.

19. The First Church Generation — 33AD — 70AD. This is the birth of Christianity - Acts of Apostles to the Book of Revelation.

I will not want to dwell much on what happened after because we had the: 20. The Catholic Generation. 70— 312AD 21. The Roman Empire Generation. 312— 590AD 22. The Middle Age Generation. Where the Catholic began to decline. 590-1517AD 23. The Reformation Generation. AD1517-1648AD - This is where we have the Martin Luther and protestants and the rise of the Church of England when King James assembled scholars who brought out the authentic Bible called King James Bible in 1611 to rescue the Bible from distortion of the Catholic Church. This has helped generations of Christians.

24. The Revival Generation. 1648- 1789 -when there was a new awakening of Christianity when the Americans were involved.

25. The Proven Generation. 1789- 1914 AD - the greatest Christian movement of ages.

26. The Ideological Generation. Where God is challenged by Maxism, Socialism, Communism, Islamism, Globalization and Terrorism. 1914 till now.

In Nigeria However, we have: 1. The Missionary Generation — in the 19th Century, the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1840, the presbyter in 1846. * The Roman Catholic — in 1862 * The Wesleyan Methodist in 1842 etc.

2. The African Church Generation — early 1890s, e.g. the United Native African Church-1900s.

The African Church- 1901, United African Methodist in 1917.

3. The Prayer Generation — 1923, which brought about prayer groups to counter the influenza disease which broke out and defiled modern medicine - Thus: The Faith Tabernacle which later became Apostolic Church, CAC and Aladura Churches were founded.

4. The Pentecostal/Evangelical Generation followed in the early l950s because of deviation from the Bible by the Aladura Churches.

We have The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Foursquare Gospel Church in this category.

5.The ‘S.U.’ Generation — This was in the 1970s when everybody who became a Christian was labeled an - meaning Scripture Union.

6.The Born Again Generation - This began in the early 80s in Nigeria and has been on with the Bible and holiness — e.g. RCCG, Deeper Life etc.

The Present Generation The present generation of Christians could be described as: The Hip Hop Generation: They are after music and are largely influenced by the worldly music. They are the sexually wired generation because of the influence of television, internet and G.S.M., they are exposed to sexually explicit content and are highly volatile and susceptible to many things. However, this their knowledge could be used for the Lord.

Planning for the Generation Next The devil we should know is catching them young and he is always after the godly seed to corrupt — Mal. 2:14. The plan for the next generation should begin from the family.

We should let them know the family values that God wants. * One man, one wife — Matthew 19:5-6 • No divorce — Mal. 2:14-16 * No sex before marriage — Heb. 13:4 — Chastity of the Marital Bed. We shall give account to God if we fail to handover good things — 11 Cor. 5:10.

Why do we prepare for the good academic future for them and never prepare good spiritual future — godly wise? We should teach and inculcate in them the following: * Be Born Again-John3:3 * Be holy—lPeterl:16 * Be grounded in the Word of God. II Tim. 2:15 * Faith in God—Heb.11:6 * Fellowship within Brethren — Heb. 10:25 * Be prayerful — Phil. 4:6. The Next Generation should be taught the knowledge of God. They should be taught to talk to God about everything and talk everything to God and rely on Him only to answer - 1 Thess. 5:17 * Not marrying an unbeliever - 11 Cor. 6:14 * Expect the coming of the Lord— 1 Tim. 4:7-8 The Next Generation should be warned about the antics of the devil not to follow miracles as signs will follow them if they are holy — Mark 16:17 Not to follow after fake pastors and prophets - Matt. 24:11 Not to follow multitude to do evil - Exodus 23:1 — e.g. nude dressing, worldliness, cultism etc. – 1 Jn. 2:15,16. They should be warned and taught the weapons that the devil uses now to destroy people:* Sex—lCor.6:18 * Homosexuality — Romans * Lesbianism Teach them to wait on God as He will bless them. We should handover the baton of holiness to the next generation because the Jihadists have handed over terrorism to their children to blow up themselves for nothing but God is watching us what we are to hand over.

References: 1.

The Holy Bible: King James Version, 1611 2.

The Holy Bible, New International Version, Study Bible,1984 .3 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 4. The Holy History in Plain Language - Bruce L. Shelley, Wand Publishing, 1915 5. The RCCG Bible College Manuals

Health Integrating Health Education With Microcredit Service Delivery:

The LDF Example

HEALTH Education integration with microcrefit service delivery is a programme that enables LAPO credit clients also receive health education on issues such as HIV/AIDS, family planning, malaria and diarrhea prevention in children during credit union meetings. The programme has helped to save extra cost and time that would have been spent pursuing the

dangers of teenage pregnancy and abortion.

In 2008, 136 pupils of Olua Primary Schools (1-7) and 681 students drawn from Garrick Memorial College, Evbuotubu Grammar School, Eyaen Secondary School, Ugha -Obagie Secondary School in Benin City were reached through peer education and direct health sensitization programmes. Many of the

AIDS (PLWHAs) As at December, 2008, a total of 95 PLWHAs in Edo State have benefited from the positive living training and economic empowerment services of LDF, ranging between N20, 000 and N 140, 000. in 2008 alone, 59 PLWHAs received microcredit to set up and grow their businesses. Many of them are now operating voluntary savings account with LDF,

treatment of preventable diseases. In 2008, 2,765 LAPO microcredit beneficiaries were reached with health information.

In -School HIV/AIDS Programme Youths in Nigeria are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to insufficient knowledge about the ailment. Even young persons below the age of 14 are also currently exposed to HIV/AIDS infection in Nigeria as a result of early exposure to sex. LDF is therefore working hard to reduce ignorance about HIV/AIDS among students in primary and post primary schools in Benin City.

Under the programme, selected students are trained to become peer educators on HIV/AIDS, self- esteem,

pupils appreciate the useful health information and positive values that have been imbibed in them through the programme.

Economic Empowerment Support for PLWHAs In Africa, many people infected with HIV/AIDS are left poorer than before on account of the disease.

Recurrent opportunistic infections and dearth of resources required to manage the ailment (as most of them often lose their sources of livelihood due to stigma and discrimination) always pose severe financial strain on the family. Economic empowerment has been identified as an effective weapon for mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on people living with HIV/

which to a very large extent signify significant improvement in their family income. Analyses of the monitoring forms administered on beneficiaries shows that the level of poverty amongst them has reduced.

Care and Support Programme The provision of care and support to people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in

target communities is aimed at reducing the burden of the ailment on them. In 2008, Home-based Care (HBC) volunteers were trained and provided with HBC materials and transport stipends to enable them provide care and support services to identified PLWHAs within target communities. 138 PLWHAs were provided with psychosocial and counseling

services, out of which 56 were referred for nutritional support and infant feeding, 49 for microcredit and 33 for treatment support. Also, a new support group of 20 members was formed in Auchi community, to expand access of PLWHAs in Edo North to care and support services. Similarly, 41 HIV-infected persons drawn from three support groups in Oluku (Pillars of

Hope), Ekpoma (Eseose) and Auchi (God’s Gift) were trained on positive living issues like drug adherence, self-stigma prevention, good nutrition hygiene and PMTCT. HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) Promoting knowledge of HIV status in target communities will reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS including the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), which is why free HIV screening was accorded priority during the year. The capacity of 14 community health workers and 10 LDF programme officers in Edo, Lagos, Delta, Kogi, Rivers and Nasarawa states were built on practical HCT while HIV kits for 2400 tests were supplied to nine community health facilities upgraded for HCT services. Many people in target communities have now known their status and those affected now have access to HCT services within their communities.

Promoting Sexual Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention (PSRHH) Many Nigerian youths are exposed to HIV infection daily through risky behaviour and only less than 25% of this number have adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS. The infection was discovered to be spreading fast among youths and adults between the ages of 15 and 49.

In 2008, activities comprising community sensitization, rally, interactive forum, quiz competition and i n t e r p e r s o n a l communication were organized to reach 50 youths

and adults directly in Oluku and Ogida communities in Benin City.

The beneficiaries were supported to form three CommunityBased Organizations (CBOS) namely Community Health Development Association (CHDA) located in Oluku, United Youth Health Association (UYHA) and Freedom Health Development Association (FHDA). Also, members’ capacity for programme organization and management was developed through training and mentoring.

Also during the year, CBOs in Ogida community sensitized 200 and 220 community members during the 2008 World Malaria Day and World AIDS Day celebrations respectively, while the Oluku CHDA collaborated with LDF to organize rally and community seminar during World Malaria Day, reaching 552 community members with malaria messages.

Workplace Policy on HIV/ AIDS In recognition of the fact that only a healthy workforce can be productive, health information centre was established during the year where LAPO staff now easily access HIV/AIDS’ health information and basic health care services, including general drug dispensary. 227 staff received services like malaria treatment, HIV/ AIDS and family planning counseling and referral to health facilities for adequate treatment during the year.

Courtesy LDF Annual Report Bulletin

“Also during the year, CBOs in Ogida community sensitized 200 and 220 community members during the 2008 World Malaria Day and World AIDS Day celebrations respectively, while the Oluku CHDA collaborated with LDF to organize rally and community seminar during World Malaria Day, reaching 552 community members with malaria messages.”

Issues Family THE Communication inventory attempted to explore this problem by having Participants respond to the following statement: “My partner listens attentively to what I have to say.” Forty-seven percent said their partner listened attentively “some of the time;” “rarely,” or “never.” Fifty-five percent admitted their partners accused them of not listening all, most, or some of the time.

Heart listening: A way to show you care.

Listening is the most neglected and least understood of the communication arts. Perceptive listening doesn’t require a degree, but it does require learning. “Listening Know-how is communicating Know-how”. When involved in a conversation, we have to bear in mind that the person we are talking to is much more interested in himself; his needs, and his problems, than in us and our own problems.

2. POOR LISTENING HABITS. Interruption: Interrupting is the most detested listening habit.

Interrupters spend their time not listening to what is being said but in forming a reply. Interested only in their own ideas, they pay little attention to the words of others.

• Lack of Eye Contact: Lack of eye contact came in second on the “most irritating” list. Listeners who fail to look at the person, speaking to them convey disinterest, distrust, and a lack of caring.

• Boredom: The bored listener has heard it all before.

• Selection: The selective listener picks out bits and piece of conversation that interest him and rejects the rest.

• Defensive: A defensive listener twists everything said into a personal attack on self.

• Insensitive: The insensitive is One who can-not catch the feeling or emotion behind the words.

The most important function of talking is not the giving of information but the establishing of a relationship. By opening up and sharing, you can turn a stranger into a friend.

1. MAINTAIN GOOD EYE CONTACT Focus your full attention on your partner.. Turn off the television and put down the newspaper: 2. SIT ATTENTIVELY For a few minutes, act as if nothing else in the world matters except hearing out your partner. Block all other distractions from your mind. Lean forward in your chair as if you are hanging on every word.

3. ACT INTERESTED Act interested in what you are about to hear.

Raise your eyebrows, nod your head in agreement, smile, or laugh when appropriate..

4. SPRINKLE APPROPRIATE PHRASES Sprinkle your attentive listening with appropriate phrases to show interest and understanding. “1 agree.” “Is that so?”

“Great!” “I hear where you are coming from!” Your partner wants to know you understand the ideas being presented.

5 ASK WELL-PHRASED QUESTIONS Give encouragement by asking questions that illustrate your interest.

6. NEVER INTERRUPT You must let the speaker express completely his or her though’ before conveying yours.

7. LISTEN A LITTLE LONGER Just when you think you are through listening, listen thirty seconds longer! The most important Function of talking is not the giving of information but the establishing of a relationship.

By opening up and haring, you can turn a stranger into a friend.

VOICE PITCH, VOLUME, TONE AND SPEED 1. TONE AND EMOTION A word may be a word, but how it is received depends on how it is said. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous

Listening:

A Problem In Marriage

By H. E. ATEKHA-ODEMWINGIE

words stir up anger...Pr. 15:1; 16:24; 25:15 2. SPEED Even the rate of speech can alter and affect meaning.

3. VOLUME Volume can be used either to soothe or irritate. A loud, angry voice is an effective weapon in most arguments. However, lowered, subdued tones can be used to gain attention.

John Powell, in his book Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? Describes five levels on which we can communicate. An understanding of these levels is essential when conversing. High-level talks: .

Level 1: Deep Insight: The deepest and rarest level is deep insight where complete emotional and personal self-disclosure takes place. You feel secure enough: in the relationship to throw yourself open to view. It is risky because you become in danger or become very vulnerable.

Level 2: Feelings and Emotions: You now feel secure enough to share the feelings that lie underneath the ideas and opinions expressed at level 3. You describe what is going on inside

you—how you feel about your partner or a situation.

Level 3: Ideas and Opinions: Real conversation is approached here as you describe ideas and opinions. Because you feel free to express yourself and verbalize personal ideas, your partner has a better chance to know you.

Level 4: Factual Conversation: This reads like the evening news cast: Information is shared but no personal comments along with it.

You talk about the day’s events, but you don’t tell how you feel about them.

Level 5: Small Talk: At this level, shallow conversation takes lace: “are you?” “Watch been up to?” “How are things going?’’

A word may be a word, but how it is received depends on how it is said.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL CHANCES

“Listening is the most neglected and least understood of the communication arts. Perceptive listening doesn’t require a degree, but it does require learning.

“Listening Know-how is communicating Know-how”.

1. WORK AT TALKING Make time to talk and create things to talk about.

2. MAINTAIN A DAILY TALK TIME Set aside time each day to talk about non controversial marriage matters.

3. USE PILLOW TALK When your heads actually hit the pillow, instead recounting the horrors of the day talk about some pleasant memories.

4. TRY THE WALK TALK. 5. COMMUNICATE USING CAR TALK Another way to utilize time together is to use commuting time to full advantage even while driving.

6. PLAY TABLE GAMES TOGETHER Playing table games creates a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere in which a couple can banter without undue pressure to communicate seriously.

7. MAKE THE MOST OF MEALTIMES Table time can be one of the most pleasant or most hated times of day, depending on the atmosphere.

8. Deliver A VERBAL BOUQUET

A verbal bouquet is any affirmation which shows acceptance, appreciation, or respect for your partner. .

9. WHAT COUPLES ARGUE OVER: INFLUENCE OF ROLES Role conflicts-who do what, why, when, and where-are affecting an increasing number of couples where both partners enter the work force.

According to Robert O. Blood: Sociologists Robert O. Blood, Jr., and Donald M. Wolfe surveyed more than 700 couples and found that almost all of them fought about the same issues in the following order: 1. Money, 2. Children, 3. Recreation, 4. Personalities, 5. In-laws, 6. Roles, 7. Religion, 8. Politics, and 9. Sex Influence of the Time Being Married: According to studies, the frequency of conflict and the issues do not remain constant over the years.

According to Our Survey: The Communication Inventory turned up similar findings, with slight variations in perceived sources of potential stress.

Viewpoint

MOST of the time, when enquiries are being made from a rape victim, one of the questions frequently asked is, “Did you shout or cry for help” in other words, did you raise your voice.

Some of us can be quiet to a fault.

Probably that was what happened to Sapphira! She knew her husband did not sell the land for the amount stipulated by him, but because she refused to raise her voice in the contrary, she lost her life too.

It is quite impossible for some people to raise their voices when evil is being perpetuated because they are sycophants themselves. There is a Yoruba proverb that says that, “it is a thief that knows the footpath of another thief. “If someone is a thief, he/she would not want to give his/ her friend up for any reason but it may backfire in the end.

One thing we use our voices for is to express an opinion or desire. It is however unfortunate that, some of us think or believe that we are voiceless, we believe we do not have the voice to express our opinion or desires. As a result,

we suffer in silence or better still, we graduate to the suffering and smiling high school.

Irrespective of our gender, academic qualification, financial status etc, we must learn to raise our voice when n e c e s s a r y .

Sometimes, an opinion may not be taken heed to at a point in time but because it has been stated, it is on record, and with time, it may be considered.

As citizens of our various nations or residents in a particular community, some of us always, “mind our business” by refusing to raise our voice when our leaders do what is wrong or even when we have a good idea that counts, we would rather keep quiet than offer a reasonable suggestion. Why? We often castigate ourselves before anyone does. Some of us have very low self esteem that, we not only look down on ourselves, we think down and talk down about our person before anyone does.

We must always remember that, we don’t have to be rude or saucy before we

Raise Your Voice!

By BUKOLA AKINWANDE

can raise our voice or make our opinion known One may be courteous and the fellow’s words will still count. The most important thing is to

about most activities in our immediate community or Nation at large. Some of us keep quiet physically and even go numb spiritually. What I

proffer a sensible solution to a problem or to let people know that we have a good intention which may help move our institution or community forward.

Most of the time, we seem unconcerned

often tell people is, even if you are not within the corridor of power, you can still raise your voice in the corner of your room and tell your Creator to bring about a change in what is happening around

“As citizens of our various nations or residents in a particular community, some of us always, “mind our business” by refusing to raise our voice when our leaders do what is wrong or even when we have a good idea that counts, we would rather keep quiet than offer a reasonable suggestion.”

“The most important thing is that you should never be quiet when there is no need for you to do so. Stand as an intercessor and learn to praise others and correct in love.”

you. Don’t sit on the fence always; let people know where you stand when it is needful for them to know.

Learn to cry out to God for help and if there is a need to say some important things, say it out and make sure you cry out, If you have someone you call a close pal, then raise your voice in praise if the fellow does what is right; at the same time, if the fellow is

walking in error, raise your voice in correction or better still raise it in prayers.

The most important thing is that you should never be quiet when there is no need for you to do so. Stand as an intercessor and learn to praise others and correct in love. Don’t just sit still till things get out of hand and then begin to clasp your hands in sobriety when you should have done the right thing. Raise your voice now. It goes a long way you know!

SINCE, Doctors in Public-owned hospitals commenced their indefinite strike on Tuesday, July 1, 2014 to press home their demands for improvements on their welfare thousands of infirm Nigerians have died unattended to. The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) President, Dr. Kayode Obèmbe while making the announcement in Abuja on Monday, June 30, 2014 said the decision to go on strike followed the expiration of a two-week ultimatum which NMA earlier gave the federal government to meet its 24 - point demand.

OBEMBE who described the strike as “total and indefinite” also said that negotiations with the federal government had failed to yield the relevant results, hence the NMA had to take the painful route of an indefinite strike as its” silence and gentle approach to contending issues had been taken for granted.”

SOME of the major issues in contention according the NMA include reserving the position of Chief Medical Director (CMD) to only Medical Doctors, appointment of Surgeon General of the Federation, passage of the National Health Bill and Providing Security for Doctors most of whom have become unwarranted victims of kidnapping.

OTHER demands are increase in duty, hazard and specialist allowances, as well as budget for residency programme, reintegration of its members into the IPPIS - platform and reserving the title of Consultants to only Medical Doctors, among others. No doubt, these demands are genuine and understandable.

FEELERS from the health sector are so disturbing that students in Medical

THE NIGERIAN

The On-Going Doctors’ Strike Schools are now reportedly unable to find places for their housemanship; the mandatory training that attaches them to medical facilities. This in itself is a sad reflection of the weak economy.

HOWEVER, while the members of the public fully appreciate the need for doctors to have a fair deal from the federal government, because of their most essential services to humanity, there can be no denying the fact that even the public is more concerned about the quality of medical services, both in the private and public hospitals. Obviously, the public has a longer list than the 24 demands which doctors are making. While the public can understand the pains and frustration of the doctors arising from their unmet demands, the same public cannot understand the logic behind the on-going avoidable loss of lives induced by this current doctors’ strike.

THE Hippocratic Oath, to which all doctors subscribe, places saving of lives above every principle or consideration in the conduct of medical doctor. That being so, The NIGERIAN OBSERVER expects the doctors to respect this oath while at the same time we call on the federal government to use the same well laid down best practices which have worked perfectly well in other climes for both doctors and

members of the larger society in such a manner to arrest unending or incessant strikes.

MORE often than not, governments do not respect the agreements they voluntarily enter into with unions while they expect unions to abide by those aspects of the agreement that are binding on them. This is most uncharitable. For instance, the current NMA strike is being embarked upon despite a court order forbidding the strike by health workesr an order which the federal government had obtained from the National Industrial Court, Abuja. The court order also halted the implementation of agreements reached with government until the substantive case before it is resolved. So, before the federal government and the law, the on-going strike is illegal. But, to the doctors, you can tell that to the marines! And where does this stalemate lead us?

WE are bothered that the federal government has taken a path that will make the amicable resolution of the impasse far-fetched. How do you approach a court to halt implementation of an agreement you freely enter, and expect the other party to take you serious?

IN the light of the above, we call on the federal government to urgently return to the negotiating table and make conscious effort at meeting some, if not all of the demands of the doctors, rather than playing the ostrich. The lives of Nigerians should be of paramount importance to both the government and the doctors, hence a quick and pragmatic resolution of the on-going crisis is recommended.

Between The APC Cutting Edge And The Wily Greeks IT is now the fad for every Tom, Dick and Harry to badmouth the Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole and the ruling All Progressive Congress; the vogue for the most despicable desperados to pour nauseating vituperations on the harbinger of light to Edo State; the fashion for clanging cymbals to pour invectives on, unarguably, the greatest leader Edo State has ever had. That is the sad scenario the good people of Edo State have been forced to be spectators to in recent times. Suddenly, Oshiomhole has become the most “vile” human being to have ever stepped foot on planet earth. What a laugh!

On a more serious note, nothing is more painful and exasperating than when a supposed friend betrays your trust; nothing more irritating than knowing you could have avoided being stabbed in the back by a professed ally wearing velvet gloves; nothing more infuriating than realizing you could have avoided a worst case scenario from rearing its head, after it has already occurred. These scenarios are the truest replications of the condition of the Trojans in Homers Iliad, after realizing they had been deceived by the Willy Greeks through the gift of a wooden horse; an outcome that could have been avoided had they been cautious of the cosmetic diplomacy of their Greek foes – an oversight that consequently resulted in the infiltration and destruction of a fortified city that had, until that great blunder, withstood the relentless siege of the concert of Greek City States.

Troy’s destruction could be adduced to tactical error on the part of its leaders in believing that a Greek army that had relentlessly laid siege on its walls for several years could capitulate suddenly and start waving an olive branch.

A similar scenario to the Trojan tragedy was almost replicated in Edo State when a group of mercenary politicians, having jumped from the weather-beaten opposition Canoe to sail in the Cruise Ship of the ruling All Progressive Congress formerly Action Congress of Nigeria - attempted a civilianstyle putsch to capsize the ship of unfettered democratic governance in the state; a poorly stage-managed,

amateurish attempt to derail the moving train of unfettered popular rule in the state. Had this treacherous ploy succeeded, Edo State would have been thrown back to the gilded age of darkness when shady figures rode roughshod across the state, trampling the popular will to coma – a regressive return to the status quo ante.

Thank God it didn’t succeed!

From the moment the life of the current Adam’s Aliyu Oshiomhole-led Government kicked off, the defeated members of the chief opposition party in the state have been unrelenting in their morbid attempts to turn back the hands of the clock. In a series of frantic maneuvers, they have engaged the ruling party in an internecine political war of attrition; a cutthroat struggle for the resources and minds of Edo State and its citizens; a war in which the antagonists have refrained from adhering to any civilized rules of political engagement; a war which has witnessed the use of the most extreme and arcane weapons by the opposition. Employing a large dose of propaganda, outright threats, sabotage, infiltration, in conjunction with other covert and overt strategies that are directed at marring the democratic process, the opposition has laid a relentless siege on the bastion of governance in the state.

The recent spate of crosscarpeting - from the APC to the chief opposition party in the state - by some disgruntled fifth columnists from the opposition camp, who had infiltrated the ruling party under the guise of solidarity, is actually the unfolding of a grand stratagem that had been designed for that purpose a long time ago; an alternative plan in the event of events going awry for the opposition at the 2008 polls – which they ultimately did; a plan B that was to be deployed when other options to continue the reign of infamy failed; a final Joker that was to be unleashed when the four Aces failed – a monster master stroke so to speak.

The first phase of this master plan was to, first of all, “feign acquiesce” in other to make inroads into the party structures, secondly, “after gaining the trust of the party’s

top hierarchy, to work from within to gradually take over the party structures,” with the sole purpose of re-inventing themselves and, thirdly, when all else failed, to “pull out from the party” and publicly discredit it – all geared towards sabotaging the party’s success in future polls.

However, what these modern-day Greek failed to put into consideration, before proceeding with their demonic plot, was the kind of opponents they were dealing with. They made a tactical error by taking on opponents

With Obuseh Jude GSM: 08033510173

plethora of crude censorships the governor and the ruling party are being subjected to by the unmasked “EFULEFUS” in our midst as simply the empty quips of frustrated Greeks whose poisoned chalices were rejected by Trojans they vainly attempted

Gov Adams Oshiomhole that were more versed in the art of war; hasty in challenging proven gladiators, who saw through their treachery from afar, to a duel; stupid in taking on mighty warriors who had perfected their fighting skills over the years; battle-tested soldiers who were not deceived by the pseudo gifts of their Greek visitors – modern heroes who had learnt from the mistakes of the Trojans of old. These master strategists accepted the propositions of then prostitutes from the opposition to join their winning camp, without letting down their guards. Thus, when these lecherous invaders tried to stealthily strike, their alert hosts were waiting for them. It is the failure of these leeches to run the APC-led government through with their tainted daggers that has resulted in the ongoing brouhaha in the state.

That is why I see the

to deceive; hollow shenanigans of Mountain Trolls who have been exposed for who and what they truly represent; weak blasts of hot air from the lips of loquacious Goebbels; distressed squeals of empty shells. Having failed in their cockeyed bid to disrupt the democratic process, they have resorted to mudslinging, backbiting and witch-hunting - strategies that are projected towards executing their self declared vendetta against the APC and its chief flag bearer in the state; a completely preposterous, absolutely rank and villainous attempt to make Edo State ungovernable; a totally shallow ploy to discredit the APC and all the astounding achievements of its banner bearer since 2008; a halfwitted, brash, rash and mischievous gambit that failed from the very day it was conceived.

Any right-thinking, roundly educated and informed

observer of the unfolding drama in Edo State can see through this charade; a macabre dance of death that has exposed the pitiable depths over ambitious politicians are willing to condescend in their vain pursuits of fast receding dreams. The handwriting is on the wall for all discerning eyes to see. From doctoring public shows, which have been unashamedly christened “defections”, to create the false impression of an internal crisis in the APC; sponsoring protest marches to supposedly prove the level of disenchantment within the populace; instigating the ongoing crisis in the state House of Assembly – an impasse that has resulted in the bifurcation of the legislative arm with lawmakers holding parallel plenary along party lines; coupled with other manufactured disruptions that are targeted at stalling the smooth rolling of the wheel of governance in the state, the bushwhackers of Edo politics have left no rocks unturned in their morbid determination to wrest power from the APC, using all fowl means at their disposal.

Edo State is at the mercy of bloodsucking vermin who have the penchant for reaping what they did not plant; lazy vultures who traditionally feed off the hard work of others; shameless Ostriches who should be hiding their heads in the sand for having failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to their people, when they had the chance; opportunistic conflict instigators and entrepreneurs - modern day Neros is more appropriate - who fiddle while Edo burns. These are the people shouting themselves hoarse on Radio, Television and other communication mediums - regular and social - trying vainly to convince Edos of why they should accept a return to the hellish order of serfdom they once subsisted in – a throwback to the gilded age when fair was foul, and foul was fair.

The so-called born again

political harlots in Edo State, by their latest indiscretions and infamies, have vindicated the old saying that “a leopard cannot wash off its spots”, no matter how hard it tries; they are born with spots and die with those spots – labels that mark them out for what they really are: damned souls who are beyond redemption of any sought; men who have been made mad by the gods prelude to their ultimate destruction.

These enemies of light will never change because they abhor change itself; Philistines who are set in their dark ways; witch hunters who will never stop chasing shadows; damned dummies who, like the hunter’s dog who refused to listen to its master’s whistle, will definitely get lost in the labyrinth of confusion they have created in Edo State.

That is the most just reward for these enemies of democracy – these enemies of development and growth.

As we approach the 2015 General Elections, prelude to the 2016 Gubernatorial Polls - the year the itinerant skunks in the opposition expect power to be ceded to them without a fight - more damning schemes to bludgeon the popular will should be expected from these evil Medusas in their last ditch attempts to capsize the ship of unfettered democratic governance in the state. We must all remain on guard to spot and frustrate all attempts by these Warlocks to undo the good works of the current administration, for according to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, “the price of liberty is eternal vigilance”. Power belongs to the people, the political sovereign, without whom governance loses its substance. It is our collective duty to save Edo State from the perfidious designs of these sniveling monsters. “Away with these Greeks”! God save Edo State!

MR OBUSEH JUDE WRITES FROM BENIN CITY.TEL:08033510173.E-MAIL: syncado2006@yahoo.com

Nutritional Health And Dietetics THE mysterious and magical properties of plants and flowers have for centuries, been used for healing and magic spell.

Plants have a personality and individuality, they go through phases and moods

distinguishing habito characteristic and proclivities. He seemed to have the ability to converse with them.

A former engineer, Leonid Panishkin became Gunar’s chief assistant, when asked

just like people, sometimes, they are active, other times inactive.

Research shows that before a tree is chopped down, it actually experiences fear, some plants and flowers are more sensitive than others and react to people’s energy and words.

Flowers and plants feel the energy of love and all plants thrive in a calm and happy environment, they especially, enjoy music and have varied tastes depending on what species they are, the emotion they release is dictated by their surroundings.

They have auras and react to people’s moods, becoming tense if around loud or erratic energies, they have an awareness and feel empathy.

Tests were conduct in the 70’s, the discovery was that when plants were subjected to undue stress, they fainted and remained non responsive for a time.

In October, 1970 an article was published in Russia proclaiming that plants talk, they not only talk, they scream, they stoically bare pain and accept misfortune, it was written in the article that a barely sprout attached to very sensitive electronic equipment cried out when its roots were plunged into hot water. This sound was registered by the electronic instrument attached to the barely sprout, also revealed was a bottomless value tears on a broad paper hand.

The recording pen zigzagged crazily out on the white track documenting the agonizing death throws of the barely sprout. Some kind of brain cells within were telling those conducting the experiment what was happening.

Professor Ivan Gunar, along with his staff conducted hundreds of experiments on plants. These confirmed the presence of electrical impulses in plants similar to the nerve impulses in man.

Professor Gunar talked about plants and their

why he gave up technology to work on plants alongside Gunar in his laboratory, he said there is life in plant and that plants also have short term memory.

In Bengal India University, there are some buildings made of gray and purple sandstone that contain instruments to measure the growth and behaviour of plants by magnification processes.

In England, Bose conducted an experiment using highly sensitive instruments the specimens he tested were Minosa Pudica and Desmodium gyrons. His demonstration shows how plant touched on one side would shiver and react on the other.

Rudolf Jakob was the first botanist to reveal that flowering plants have sex and that pollen is necessary for fertilization and seed formation. He stated that plants have female organs in the form of vulva vagina, uterus and ovaries, serving the same functions as they do in women, as well as male organs in the form of penis and testes, designed to sprinkle the air with billions of spermatozoa and like animals and women flowers exude a powerful and sedative odour when ready for mating, triggering bees, birds and butterflies to join in these rites.

Flowers that are not fertilized will emit a strong fragrance for up to eight days or until the plant withers, once the flower is impregnated, the powerful fragrance ceases.

In the 1900’s, Gustav Frecher came to a profound understanding that plants possessed soul and had undreamed of sensitivity. He believed that all things in different ways express a cosmic soul. He said there are likely souls (plants) which bloom in calm and stillness exhaling fragrance satisfying their thirst with

dew, all this while communicating with each other by the perfume they exude and becoming aware of each other by voice.

Flowers recognize each other by scent.

For centuries, philosophers

sadness. Flowers and death are synonymous with a history of use on graves and in funerals. They also celebrate the birth of a new soul, a small baby coming into the world about to embark on a journey of

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O.C. Madu GSM: 08056379608

The Mysterious And Magical Properties Of Plants and seers alleged that plants, animals and human beings have fields of protoplasmic energy which permeate the solid physical bodies of molecules and atoms. In ancient iconography the “aura” depicted around the bodies of saints with golden halos around the head, has been claimed by those with

discovery. The scent of a flower can take you back to a time of sadness or happiness. We use flowers as a part of many rituals, the sight and smell of flowers in the home always evokes a feeling of well being.

In our day to day life, flowers are used naturally and they are seen as a symbol of life. They are beautiful and

the psychic gift since historical documentation began.

The kirlidans discovered how to photograph on aura of plants. They found that rays of energy and swirling fireball of light shot out of plants into space.

The well known Austrian natural scientist and clairvoyant Rudolf Steiner believed that cosmic enteric forces must exist if only by the fact that some plants will only germinate no matter what amounts of heat and water are given to them during other times of the year.

Flowers he said can be a symbol of happiness and

they are fragile. There are many myths and superstition about flowers, if you plant flower on the evening of a new it is lucky and the ancient Egyptians believed that giving flowers would bring them good luck.

If a flower is removed from the site of a grave and thrown away, the place where the flower lands will be haunted ever after.

Always, give red flower to someone who is ill as red represents life and healthy red blood cells, under no circumstances giving white flowers to a sick person, it is back luck. Giving a flower to someone you care about is a loving gesture and there is an

art to choosing the right flower for that person.

During Victorian times, flower giving was particularly symbolic due to strict social guideline, emotions and thoughts could not readily be expressed between men and women.

They relied on communication using elaborately created symbolism in the form of flowers. A language that all

scented handkerchief could be sent. For a woman to drop a scented handkerchief purposely in close proximity to a man was considered quite seductive.

In modern times, flowers are still sent to those who are ill or recovering from an accident or ailment. To welcome the birth of a baby or celebrate a marriage, to mourn a death or offer congratulations for birthday

men and women courting or otherwise understood succinct messages, conveyed as eloquently as the spoken word were sent via flower.

Research also shows that thoughts, feelings and emotions were understood by the recipient depending on what type of flower was sent, whether there was a bunch of flowers or single flower.

Everything that could be adorned with flowers during the Victorian era, was the home, wall paper, jewellery, stationary, crockery, hair, clothing.

Adding to the elaborate language of flowers was the significance of their scent, instead of a gift of flowers, a

anniversaries, house – warming to celebrate holidays and is a simple gesture of friendship.

Bachelor Button – Spiritual significance or symbolism is hope in love.

Rose Clove – remembrance – beauty). The rose is always associated with love and romance, the meaning of roses, red-passion, whitepurity, pink-happiness. Be careful who you give a yellow rose to, yellow infidelity.

Sun flower – adoration, haughtiness, reference to sun god (helios) they turn their heads to the sun.

Peace and Love.

Issues

Harnessing The Potential Of Nigeria’s Young Professionals FOR Nigeria to realise its quest of being among the top 20 economies by the year 2020, stakeholders say that the full potential of the country’s young professionals must be harnessed.

Demographic experts put the population of Nigeria’s young people (18 years to 35 years) at over 67 million, almost half of the country’s 170 million population.

Regrettably, about 38 per cent of the youths are either under-employed or unemployed; while many jobs in the technical/special areas where Nigerian professionals have the requisite know-how, are given to expatriates.

The Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF), an NGO, at its recent summit in Abuja, appealed for the review of Nigeria’s expatriate quota, in order to create an enabling environment for young Nigerian professionals.

The Chairman of NYPF, Mr Moses Siasia, who made the appeal, stressed that young Nigerian professionals ought to be encouraged.

The theme of the summit was “Fostering National Integration and Purposeful Leadership’’.

Siasia said young Nigerian professionals were in special fields, including chemical, robotic and aeronautics engineering.

“We have built a database

By CHIJIOKE OKORONKWO

for all young professionals globally; we want a situation where we will use young people to build Nigeria.

“As young people, we have been nourished by a generation of broken promises; so, we appeal to the president to give young professionals 35 per cent affirmative action in governance.

‘We believe the president will do justice to this request,’’ he said.

Siasia said that research conducted by the group indicated that no previous president matched President Goodluck Jonathan in terms of youth empowerment programmes.

According to him, Jonathan is empowering youths through programmes like the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin), the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (Sure-P), among others.

He said that NYPF had documented 13 million young professionals in 15 countries around the world, and had engaged many of them in activities aimed at providing educational support for the less privileged young people.

“We have been able to reach 2,300 young children in primary and secondary

schools.

“The NYPF has given scholarship to these children and we are glad to say that they are doing exceptionally well in their various skills and talents.

“We believe that the movers and shakers of world economy are below 35 years; so, we have organised exchange programmes where Nigerian young professionals can adequately fit into the global space of controlling the economy.’’

President Jonathan, who addressed the summit, urged the youths to rise up to the challenges confronting the nation, especially insecurity.

He explained that government’s education policies was designed to empower the youths.

“We know that education has power to liberate people; that is why we have established 14 new

universities; we believe that to take Nigeria to the moon, we need young people like those of you at NYPF. “In addition to our presidential scholarship, there are various schemes to empower youths to thrive in our economy; we have discovered that young people are now interested in agriculture and we are investing more.

“We are also working on our local content policy for ICT,’’ Jonathan said.

On 35 per cent affirmative action in governance, Jonathan said granting such request would limit their chances of advancement, as they had boundless opportunities.

“The youths have no limit in terms of number and capacity to lead this country to greatness.

“The only limit is that for youths to contest as president, they need to be 40.

“If Gen. Yakubu Gowon was able to rule this country

at 32, there is no reason why the youths should not be given the chance.

“So, don’t ask for per cent because by that request you are limiting yourselves.

“I think what the youths should do now is to come together, and I will support you, and take a bill to the National Assembly to amend some discriminatory provisions of the constitution in terms of age.’’

Jonathan described the provision as discriminatory against young Nigerians, who had the energy, ideas and other qualities to lead the country to greatness.

He said through programmes, such as YouWin, SURE-P, Graduate Internship Scheme and the Community Service Programme, his administration created opportunities for young people to harness their potential.

“These programmes and many more we are doing is to make sure we give opportunities to our young people, because we appreciate the young people; they have made this country proud.

“I always say that whenever you read newspapers, watch television or listen to the radio, those who preach hate, quarrel and try to divide us on the basis of ethnicity and religion are not the young people but grandfathers.

“The youths live with whomever they are comfortable with regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation; they want to marry whomever they love.

“They are not like those old people who are disturbing us, who want to divide us based on religion and all kinds of sentiments.

“But listening to you here gives me hope that this country is beginning to change, and it is changing for the better,’’ Jonathan said.

On her part, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala, said that a lot of young people had benefitted from the various empowerment programmes of the government.

According to her, monetary

grants have been given to many youths who set up thriving businesses.

“We help them register their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control.’’

She said that more than 100,000 candidates applied in the second phase of the Graduate Internship Programme, where they would work for a year and enjoy monthly stipend of N25,000, while gaining working experience.

Okonjo-Iweala also said that the Federal Government launched a 25-million dollar Information Communication Technology (ICT) capital venture fund for businesses owned by young people.

She said that the government would continue to provide favourable environment to assist Nigeria’s young professionals to harness their potentials.

In a communique issued at the end of the summit, participants recommended the setting up of: “A wellstructured entrepreneurial training programme to be included in university programmes. “ A policy initiative to drive and ensure accessible funding, thereby eliminating the stringent requirements on loans and grants.

“Initiating the formulation of fair employment policies as well as give priority to the employment of young people.

“An efficient programme and project management to increase sustainability and continuity, while reducing the likelihood of uncompleted projects and unwarranted variations,’’ the communique stated.

Observers say that Nigeria has professionals in all fields of human endeavour, spread across the world in search of greener pastures.

They say that the talents of the professionals should be tapped maximally for the economic development and industrial growth of the country.

(NAN).

“We believe that the movers and shakers of world economy are below 35 years; so, we have organised exchange programmes where Nigerian young professionals can adequately fit into the global space of controlling the economy.’’

Perspective ONE of the common things known about the men and officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), is the fact that when it comes to the Force relations with the public and how officers treat civilians, not much is left to be desired.

Though, there is a popular slogan of the NPF that “The Police is Your Friend”, however, not many Nigerians believe in this; neither has the police force exhibited friendly attributes and dispositions at all times to suggest that indeed, they are friends of the public. In as much as there are a lot of factors responsible for this somewhat ‘cold and distant relations between the public and the NPF, some of which we would highlight here, however it raises a lot of questions regarding the code and ethics of the NPF. We were compelled to think in these line of thoughts when recently, it was reported that Police officers in the UK had backed a new code of ethics that could see them punished for being rude to the public.

The Police Federation in the UK, which represents rankand-file officers, said it fully supported the code, which also includes warnings about the use of drugs or alcohol, and having sex while on duty.

The move, for officers in England and Wales, comes as controversies such as Plebgate and alleged corruption are said to have shaken public confidence in UK Police officers.

According to the report, the new ethics and codes for officers has already gone before the Parliament. The code is based around nine core principles, including accountability, fairness and honesty.

Unlike the traditional police oath to act “without fear or favour” it applies to officers and civilian staff, a total of around 220,000 people. They face disciplinary action and possible dismissal for breaching the code, which also urges officers to speak out about rule-breaking colleagues of all ranks.

In a statement, the Police

Federation, said: “We fully support the code of ethics that further enhances the standards of professional behaviour, and sets out clearly exactly what principles and standards that the public and colleagues are entitled to expect from all within the policing profession.” Under the new code of ethics, police officers in England and Wales will be required to treat the public with ‘courtesy and respect’ or face disciplinary actions, including the possibility of losing their jobs. In addition to the strict sex, drugs and alcohol code, should officers become aware of other officers breaking the code, regardless of their rank or position, they will be encouraged to report the matter.

The police themselves have issued a statement supporting the new code of ethics. It reads: “We fully support the code of ethics that further enhances the standards of professional behaviour, and sets out clearly exactly what principles and standards that the public and colleagues are entitled to expect from all within the policing profession,” the Police Federation said in a statement. The new code of ethics will be made up of ten points, which will require officers to be polite and respectful to both the public and their colleagues.

Policeman will also be required to be accountable, fair and honest – although presumably they were already required to behave like this.

The final version of the code has been drawn up by the College of Policing and has already been put before parliament. The policing minister, Damian Green, and Home Secretary Theresa May both support the changes. The codes will set out that officers must always “remain composed and respectful” and avoid treating people in an “abusive, oppressive, harassing, bullying, victimizing or offensive” way. Officers must make sure they do not engage in “sexual

Nigeria Police Force: conduct or other inappropriate behaviour while on duty”, and must not use their position to “pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship” with a“vulnerable” person.

Officers will also be told they must “uphold the law regarding human rights and equality.” James Clappison, a Conservative member of the Home Affairs select committee said that the code will be good for the police and the public.

This is one development we would gladly like to see happen in Nigeria; where men and officers of the NPF and relevant stakeholders concerned, would agree with the fact the NPF seriously needs a reappraisal and update of its ethics and code of operation. After which, men and officers of the NPF would be seen to embrace such new ethics code for officers and improve its current deplorable relations with the Nigerian public, with it.

However, it is worthy to note that the Nigerian Police Force does have a wellestablished Code of Conduct, which is quite elaborate and detailed about what is expected of men and officers of the NPF. For instance, the Nigeria Police Code of Conduct document states that the Vision of the NPF is “to make Nigeria safer and more secured for economic development and growth and to create a safe and secured environment for everyone living in Nigeria. Its Mission statement is To partner with other relevant Security Agencies and the public in gathering, collating and sharing of information and intelligence with the intention of ensuring the safety and security of the country; To participate in efforts to address the root causes of crime while ensuring that any criminal act is investigated so as to bring the criminals to justice in a fair and professional manner. Its

Values include: Working together with people irrespective of religious, political, social or economic affiliations to-: a. Deliver quality police service that is accessible to the generality of the people; b. Build a lasting trust in the police by members of the public; c. Protect and uphold the rights of persons, to be impartial and respectful in the performance of Police duties; d. Continuously evaluate and improve Police services; e.

Provide equal opportunities for career developments for all members of the force; f. Cooperate with all relevant government Agencies and other stakeholders. g. Liaise with the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Police Service Commission to formulate and implement policies for the effective policing of Nigeria.

It is also clearly noted that, “To achieve the Mission and Visions as well as imbibe the values illustrated above, it is expedient to formulate a Code of Conduct for all Police officers employed into the Service of the Nigeria Police Force. The code will be regarded as an accountability code that will apply to all officers (irrespective of rank) and will reflect International conventions for Law Enforcement Agents, the provisions of sections 353368 of Part XV of the Police Act (cap 359) and other relevant Force Orders as well as Public Service.” Under Rules, it noted that, “The purpose of having a code of conduct is to provide all members of the Nigeria Police Force with a set of guiding principles and standards of behaviour while on or off-duty. It is intended to be used by Police officers in determining what is right and proper in all their actions.

The code should set an outline which every member of the Force can easily

“Though, there is a popular slogan of the NPF that “The Police is Your Friend”, however, not many Nigerians believe in this; neither has the police force exhibited friendly attributes and dispositions at all times to suggest that indeed, they are friends of the public.”

Need To Upd

understand. It will enable Policemen to know what type of conduct by a Police officer is right and what is wrong.

The code will encompass the following: Primary Responsibilities of a Police Officer; Performance of duties as a police officer; Discretion; Use of Force; Confidentiality; Integrity; Cooperation with other Police

By ZIK

firm, or institution and other persons, special publics, or the community at large through the distribution of interpretative material, the development of neighbouring interchange, and the assessment of public reaction.

The police rely upon the general public reaction, and

Suleiman Abba, Acting Inspector General of Police

Officers and Agencies; Personal Professional Capabilities; etc. There are equally several other Principles, Rules and ethics enumerated in the said Code of Conduct document meant for the men and officers of the NPF. The question now is, how come the current image of the NPF and its relations with the Nigerian public, is nothing to write home about?

How come we still have so many police officers who blatantly abuse and misuse their office and rank by being ‘overzealous’, disrespectful, rude, impolite, intimidating and corrupt in the discharge of their statutory duties? Why are the relations between the public and the NPF so distant?

Webster ’s Dictionary defines public relations as the promotion of rapport and goodwill between a person,

they also rely upon the general public for a minimum of level of support or noninterference to accomplish their mission.

Public information is perhaps the most routine activity in which the police and most other organizations engage. It is a strongly held value in our culture that the informed and educated citizens are the best participants in democratic government. Alienation exists between the police and society, and attempts have been made to bridge the gap between the police and the citizens. One often hears police officers say that the community does not understand the role of the police. But why does this misunderstanding exist?

Some commentators blame police; they argue that the police themselves fail to understand the police role, and how they relate with the

Perspective

date Ethics Code For Officers community.

In the past, the police considered themselves as pure ministerial officers, enforcing the law evenly and without the use of discretion.

Modern concepts of police administration recognize that discretion is an important part of the police role, yet the

Nigerian web of “having laws and principles only on paper without necessarily practicing them in reality.” If the situation were different, we would not be talking about this subject here and calling for the need to reappraise and update the ethics code for officers of the NPF. As it is with the Nigerian Police Force, so also is it with other

historical view point that the police must be impartial in the enforcement of the law still carries the most weight. As a result, the police officer himself, is confused about his exact role. This confusion alienates him from the citizenry because he cannot explain why he believes he should enforce the law impartially when, in actuality, he is practicing discretionary enforcement.

Time and space here, will not allow us to recount so many examples of actions demonstrated by men and officers of the Nigerian police Force, which clearly illustrates the picture we are trying to paint here. Which leaves us to wonder if the stated Code of Conduct meant for the NPF are just there on paper for fancy. The NPF, like most government establishment/agencies in the country, are just caught in the

arms of the Nigerian Armed Forces, which comprises the Army, Navy, Airforce and other paramilitary security agencies. However, that of the NPF is more obvious and seen by all because they are regarded as the closest to the Nigerian public.

The crux of the matter is that there is need for relevant authorities to broaden and initiate more training for men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force on ethics code bothering on how to improve its relations with the Nigerian public. Now that we have a new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Suleiman Abba, who took over from MD Abubakar, this is one areas the new IGP needs to focus on and address.

Fighting and preventing crime goes beyond the use of guns and ammunitions to get criminals. To achieve this, there is need for ‘public

GBEMRE JP

confidence’ on our security operatives to be maintained at all times. This is where accountability, fairness, integrity, honesty and respect for people (irrespective of tribe, religion and ethnicity), comes into play. And like the UK example above, men and officers of the NPF should equally be made to face disciplinary action and possible dismissal for breaching such new codes, including the ones already established, which should also urge police officers to speak out about rule-breaking colleagues of all ranks. All of this will help improve the current deplorable reputation of the NPF and its services in the face of the Nigerian public.

The Nigerian Government on its part has a major role to play in all of this to make it happen. A critical look at the Nigerian Police Force and its operational challenges/ handicaps, one would weep for the nation’s security outfit.

So, it is not enough to increase the salaries of men and officers of the NPF like what was done in 2012, there is need to address some of its challenges. One of which is the adequate provision of ‘working tools’ and ‘operational costs’ that will make the average policeman be independent of complainants support in the investigation of reported cases for instance. We find it appalling that police officers are not given budget to expend on investigating criminal cases. Most times, they depend on complainants and even suspects to augment or pay for their cases to be investigated. This includes the provision of many items like top-up (recharge cards), transportation etc. Some Police Stations even collect money from complainants and witnesses that wants to make Police Statements in order to buy pen, writing sheets and files. It is inappropriate to expect police

officers to fend for themselves and take care of their operational costs while investigating a criminal or civil case. Such logistics should be adequately budgeted for.

We believe every Police Station should have the budgets that will primarily be meant for the operational costs and other logistics for investigating any case. This will make men and officers of the NPF to stay focused and committed without any bias in investigating a case. In a situation where suspects are expected to support the police for such operational costs, it will be difficult to get timely justice. Like they say; He that pays the piper, calls the tune.

Similar to this, another area that needs to be sorted out is the logistic costs of police officers that are transferred from one station/state/ command to another.

Transferred police officers should be given enough funds to fend and accommodate themselves, immediately they get to their new stations, before their permanent accommodations and stations are sorted out. The NPF should have Guest Houses in each state to address this. It is appalling to find Transferred Police officers looking for places to squat and squeeze themselves together since the logistics for their accommodation are not considered.

The outlook of most police stations is also not encouraging for cases to be given the needed attention, and for the public to respect the image of the police. With no decent chairs and tables, electronic appliances and communication gadgets, it becomes difficult for the average police officer to find the job interesting. Even their homes, that is Police Barracks, are bedeviled with so many dilapidated structures that have been neglected for years. The case is not different when it comes

to what the police put on as uniform. Nigerians are sometimes confused with identifying the exact uniforms of some police officers. You sometimes see some colours, different from another, from pure black, navy-blue to faded black.

Even the newly launched camouflage uniforms have not been made to go round every officer. It has been reported that Police officers are made to pay for their own uniforms and shoes by themselves. Therefore what is meant to be a “uniform” is no longer a uniform, because every officer is expected to get their own uniform free of charge, and equally get their own shoes. And most times, our police officers look so unkempt and tattered in their uniforms. It makes one wonder what is happening with their operation cost. The stated issues are some of the problems that need to be addressed, concerning the overall welfare and effectiveness of the Police, to complement their need for updated training and practice of established ethics code for officers.

Having said that, there is need for police officers to uphold elements of ‘confidentiality’ in the discharge of their duties, especially in investigating a case. We have heard of cases where people who come forth to give information about a particular case, are themselves locked up in police cell, just to extort bail money from them. There are also cases where officers are known to have exposed informants to those who are the primary suspects in the same case being investigated on. Such bridge of public trust does not help the police in the discharge of their duties. If the citizens do not trust the police, they will not talk to them when it comes to giving sensitive information that would help their cases. The

public would rather keep the information to themselves, and will avoid police contact.

Therefore, if distrust causes avoidance and failure to communicate, the implications for the police organization are really very dramatic. The result is inefficiency in security assurance, which is unsafe for the community.

There is also the observed attribute of Police officers viewing everyone first, as a criminal suspect before anything else. If the police organization views the community it has sworn to protect as a dangerous place full of people who are criminals and who are hostile to them, it is to be expected that the police will react in a negative way and they will not feel free to build close relations with the community.

The police will be carefully guided when they have contact with the citizens they are expected to be protecting.

As a result, the police themselves will contribute in widening the gap between the police and the community because their belief system will be reinforced by negative community contacts.

Eventually, the police will become afraid and hostile to the very people they are supposed to be protecting and serving. Some police officers do not even know to what extent police brutality, extortion, and excessive tendencies damage its image in the eyes of the public.

Other problems policemen face in carrying out their legitimate duties, bothers on remunerations, promotion, accommodation, staff training, equipment, transportation, poor communication etc. This is where the government and relevant stakeholders come into play again. There is need to ensure that the NPF transforms its operational strategies and physical outlook to reflect “modern trends” in scientific and technological advancement in crime fighting.

“Having said that, there is need for police officers to uphold elements of ‘confidentiality’ in the discharge of their duties, especially in investigating a case. We have heard of cases where people who come forth to give information about a particular case, are themselves locked up in police cell, just to extort bail money from them.”

TeensIssues And Mothers

Issues On Delinquency

OH yes! Here is another edition we must have expected.

I’m really happy to be here again. Today we are still gonna dwell on issues about teenagers. We are still maintaining the same dance step and so you are highly welcome on board.

“Really good parents expect their children to be noisy, messy, Bouncy, Squabbly, whingy and covered in mud” said Richard Templar. It’s true of course, yet there is no seconds, no minute, no day, no season, no year, no condition or circumstances a good parent would welcome, embrace or encourage delinquent acts among his or her offspring.

This is because delinquency is a canker worm.

Delinquency is a concept that has got many definitions. This is based on an individual’s idea about it. However, some see it is as a legal concept, as a behavior by non-adults which violets specific legal norms or standards of a particular social group with such frequency or seriousness that the delinquent individuals are marked by the society as bad dubious character (Onyejiaku, 1991) and so on and so forth.

Be that as it may, Delinquency is a wrong doing commonly committed by young ones as such can be termed Juvenile Delinquency because it portrays the age characteristic of the offending individuals.

In line with the above, Juvenile Delinquency involves to a large extent the socially unacceptable behavior which include truancy, running away from home, the use of illegal drugs, loitering, assault, armed robbery, murder etc.

Juvenile Delinquency as seen in our society today is digging more deep among the young individuals between the ages of 14-18 who are teenagers.

Many of these young ones commit these offences, yet there is to a great extent under reporting of delinquent act in our society and so no much concerted effort has been made to curb the menace.

People see these offences when committed by these young ones as minor since they (teenagers) are not more than 18 years of age. Our people therefore sweep these acts under carpet considering that they (offenders) are not up to the age to vote and to be voted for. Hence the offenders are not arraigned before a law court for

such offences. As such our society gets filled with citizen over loaded with corruption and criminal minds.

Delinquency is a serious crime Hoo ha! Individuals that commit these are law breakers!

The acts are contrary to the law irrespective of the age of the offender. Laws are rules, regulations and expected acceptable behaviours in the society and so should on no account be neglected by anybody.

Violation of any of these laws is a crime and when neglected will get to unmanageable status and our society will be losing and living in fears.

Juvenile delinquency is a menace among teenagers. It has greatly eaten up our young ones. This is more among secondary school students between 15-’17 years of age usually found in the senior secondary (SS Classes). Many of them are seen loitering around the school and even the streets. Some bully the younger ones (JS Students), fight, take alcohol and drugs (lgbo or Marijuana), while others engage in illicit sex, abortion, cultism, smoking, vandalization of school property, rape and even murder.

Despite the wide range of delinquency among adolescents, three types tend to enjoy near universal coverage.

According to Okafor and Ugwuegbulam, (2000) they include the following: • Unsocialized-psychopathic delinquent • Socialized-subcultural delinquent • Neurotic delinquent Unsociallized-psychopathetic delinquent results in a situation when a young individual is characterized with aggression.

The offenders are usually impulsive and assaultive and so are usually seen to quarrel, fight, get anxious, and generally antisocial in behavior. Such an individual is termed wicked. He disobeys rules and regulations.

By CYNTHIA JIWUEZE

Socialized-subcultural delinquency is exhibited usually by an individual (young sters) based on the circumstances surrounding him/her. Situations which include parental activities towards antisocial behaviours, neighbourhood and peer pressures.

which of the classes would you group yourself? Are you actually delinquent? Change your behavior today. You can be better than what you think if only you can make a U-turn today. Delinquency can lead to if not death, deformation; it may ruin your future, your destiny.

today, try it. You don’t have to inculcate delinquent attitudes in you. If it follows you to adulthood, your own is gone.

Stop it now!

Remember, there is a limit to what you can change or control. Now listen there is what is called ‘juvenile court’; its not usually heard of or mentioned yet one day you may be used as an example.

Some of the teenagers that involve in this type of delinquency usually form group call it ‘Partners in crime’. They commit this crime in an organized and stable manners. They maintain closer relationship. Some of them have physical courage, ability and are violent in nature. Some of them are drug users, gang sters etc. Notably an individual may portray characteristics of the three classes of delinquency yet there is usually dominancy in one.

However, you as a teenager

There is every need to stop quarrelling, fighting on the day of school vacation common among secondary school students especially those in the rural areas. There is a need to stop breaking lockers or vandalizing school and government properties; you’ve got to start obeying teachers, elders, parents, rules and regulations. Avoid peer pressure you will be able to stop taking drugs and alcohol.

There is no gain in robbery or “guying’ as you call it. No gain in victimizing the junior students. You can be descent

Stop delinquency!

Our teachers are really trying.

Isn’t it? They are, but are advised to do what Igbo call “ Ike aju n’ume”. This would enable them to do more towards helping these individuals curb delinquency. “ Onye a si ya jide nke o ji nke o ji di mma.” Ride on.

And you our parents, mothers in particular, do not think it does not matter. It really does.

In fact, listen, your daughter and your son have gone farther than you may think. Some of them have tried Cigarette if not lgbo, but have no evidence to

“Remember, there is a limit to what you can change or control. Now listen there is what is called ‘juvenile court’; its not usually heard of or mentioned yet one day you may be used as an example. Stop delinquency!”

show it. What would you do to this? Running after them doesn’t help matters; in fact, you better don’t stand in front of a moving train. In other words yelling isn’t the answer not to talk of confronting them.

I have mingled with teenagers so so much, not just in my seminars with them. I have got to study them in books and at homes, churches and in schools. Beating or yelling at them doesn’t help. I know you have your own personalworked-out principles that have been helping you all the

way. Yet to these principles, add prayer, love, understanding and care.

During family prayer mention the name of your delinquent son or daughter. This action can make that child of yours remorseful. If you add this ‘Tonic’ definitely they are much more likely going to open up. They are going to come and tell you if anything gets out of hand or is a real problem for them. And that’s the really important point. If you maintain this relationship with them, then they will feel they can trust and talk to you without fear of an irrational response. Your correction and advice this time, you will see holds water.

Government and other constituted authorities especially our judiciary should as a matter of urgency make these ones be familiar with laws of the land. They should be exposed to the knowledge of juvenile court and what it stands for. By means of media and other informative and communicative means teenagers can be discouraged from indulging in Delinquent act of any level.

Drumbeat

None Shall Be Barren (1)

BARRENNESS means different things to different people, but according to Oxford Dictionary, it means unfruitfulness.

From the definition above you can see that barrenness can cause a lot of negative side effects in people’s lives if it is not addressed early it could cause hypertension, anxiety and untimely death.

Now looking at barrenness in marital perspective we have seen the damage it has caused in many homes in our society.

Look at the trauma, the pain, isolation, rejection and separation it has caused in many marriages in our society.

Whether you believe it or not barrenness has an infection and if is not addressed properly and early enough, it could destroy our lives, society, nation and the world at large.

“There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren in thy land, the number of thy days I Will fulfill. Exodus 23: 26 Now if barrenness is not an issue that should border our minds, why was God addressing it and offering solution to it.

“And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children or else I die.

And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel and he said, Am I God’s stead, who hath withhold from thee the fruit of the womb?”Genesis30: 1 2.

Now it is evident from the above scripture that Rachel was willing to die because of her inability to bear children for Jacob. But thank God she later gave birth to children.

“And God remembered Rachel and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

And she conceived and bare a son, and said God hath taken away my reproach.

And she called his name Joseph; and said the Lord shall add to me another son” People of God, can you see the joy and gladness that Rachel exhibited because the Lord has delivered her from barrenness?

Undoubtedly, there is joy in fruitfulness. The God who remembered Rachel can also remember you and fill your life with Joy that will last the rest of your life.

Now lets consider barrenness from other perspective. Take example from a Pastor whose ministry is experiencing barrenness. Why are some Pastors going to patronize native doctors and asking them for assistance to enable them have numerical growth in their church is because of barrenness in the life of the pastor.

Why are some business men and women using other people’s children for rituals in other to acquire wealth or increase in their businesses? It

is because of barrenness in their lives.

Why are some politicians using people for rituals and killing others while in offices to safeguard their lives and offices because they are barren.

A fruitful business man or a politician or a pastor does not kill or involve in fraudulence activities to gain influence and acceptance from people. His or her life attracts others to them.

A good and fruitful man or woman does not blow unnecessary trumpet telling people that he or she is good, their words and works tell others who they are.

Fruitfulness in marriage, banking, pasturing, academics, business, politics and in government will attract good things and people to us and make us relevant in our society.

Causes of Barrenness The causes of barrenness are numerous, but below are some of them.

1. DISOBEDIENCE Disobedience to God, our parents, husband, wife, government and constituted authority can cause a lot of barrenness in our lives.

“Samuel also said unto Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel; now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.

Thus saith the lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

And Saul came to a city of Amalek and laid wait in the valley: And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with then, for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when thy came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

And Saul smote ate the Amalekites from Havilab until thou comest to shour that is over against Egypt.

And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatling, and the lambs and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was vile and refuse, that at thy destroy utterly.

Then came the word of the

Lord unto Samuel, saying, it repentant me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments, And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the lord all night.

And Samuel said, hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the lord?

Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, an to hearken than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because thou hast rejected the word of the lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

1st Samuel 15:22 23

and coming in will be blessed.

2. REBELLION You can’t live in rebellion to your husband, government and to God and expect God to bless you and deliver you from every barren spirit.

“Now korah the son of Izhar, the son of kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the son of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, Sons of Reuben took men; And they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princess of the assembly famous in the congregation; men of renown.

And they gather themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto

Now you can see what led to Saul’s barrenness. God who chose Saul and made him a king expected him to live in obedience, but when he began to live in disobedience God rejected him and that singular act left him barren, the rest of his life.

You and I cannot substitute disobedience for obedience and expect God to bless us. What led to the defeat, failure, hunger, pain and difficulties the children of Israel experienced in the wilderness? It is obvious that the disobedient of Saul led to his barrenness.

Be you a business man, house wife, politician, banker, pastor, fashion designer and a business man; note that the moment you begin to live in disobedience to God, Husband, government and constituted authority barrenness will take over your life and that will lead to your failure, sickness, pain, sorrow, difficulties and early or painful death. But the moment you begin to live in obedience, God will ensure that your going out

them, ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them; wherefore them lift ye up yourself above the congregation of the Lord? And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face.

And be spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, even tomorrow the Lord will show who his and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him; even him whom be hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

This do; take you censer Korah, and all his company; and put fire therein; and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

And Moses say unto Korah, hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi.

Seemeth it but small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the

With Apostle Dr. Raphael O. Ayemere 08035459593

congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

And he hah brought thee near to him and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee and seek ye the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all they company are gathered together against the Lord; and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every did, and Dathan and Abiram came; out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives and their sons, and their little children.

And Moses said, hereby ye shall know that the Lord hark sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after

And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the Sons of Eliab; which said we will not comes up.

Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that flowth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness; except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us.

Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields vineyard, will thou put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.

And the Lord spake unto the Moses saying speak unto the congregation saying get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan, and Abiram. And Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

And he spake unto the congregation saying, depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye he consumed in all their sins.

the visitation of all men, then the Lord hark not sent me.

But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and shallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the lord. And it came to pass as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them.

And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and their goods they and all that appertained to then, went down alive into the pit. And the earth closed upon them; and they perished from among the congregation.”

Numbers 16:23-33.

The consequences of rebellion are bad, the earlier we stopped rebelling against our God, husbands, governments and those in our society the better our lives and businesses.

To be contd

Opinion Nigeria’s Jobless Growth And The Challenge Of Youth Productivity

RECOGNIZED as the most active segment of the population, the youths are also, literarily speaking the oil that lubricate the engine of economic growth, and the powerhouse that energise the pace of productivity. As workers, and through their direct involvement in production and service offerings, they help to create conditions for continuing workplace productivity, and also effect actual productivity increase through introduction of innovations, better work methods, and also the deployment of higher human intellectual faculty. As citizens, they support the increasingly growing class of dependents: retirees, old people, children, full-time housewives, handicaps etc.

In advanced countries of the world, the celebrated economic growth had largely been credited to the economically-active youths.

In Nigeria, unfortunately, youths (defined as individuals between ages 18-35- years), are yet to live up to their celebrated billings. Indeed, given the overwhelming challenges they face, it is not entirely hyperbolic to describe them as being seriously at risk, vulnerable and socially disadvantaged.

That unemployment of young people is a serious problem in Nigeria is stating the obvious. The total unemployment rate is reported to be 10.8%. Youth unemployment rates exceed adult unemployment rates.

The country’s youth dependency rate is an all-high 83.1%, higher than Kenya’s 78.6% and Indonesia’s 42.1% (both 2006). The problem is more severe in urban areas.

Among those privileged to work, what they call “work” hardly merits the description.

Many are exposed to indecent work conditions, dominated by long laborous hours, earning low wages. The bad situation is compounded by the menace of child labour, and casualisation. The situation is particularly worse

in the largely unregulated informal sector, a sector notorious for all manners of work indecency (poor work condition, low incomes, lack of social protection etc). The womenfolk even though a large proportion of the working population, faces gender social, cultural and even gender discrimination, with large chunk of their work go unreported, or, as in the case of full-time housewives, unrewarded.

For those looking for jobs, their prospects of getting one is no less gloomy. Many are seriously lacking in employable and transferability skills so crucial for success in 21st Century World of Work. Many analysts contend that the latter problem is a direct fall-out of poor quality standard of Nigeria’s educational system — a system notorious for churning out half-baked graduates.

Taken in totality, it is hardly surprising that Nigeria’s overall economic performance is unimpressive, to say the least. At $2,100, our labour productivity (per value added) is below even poorer countries like Cameroon, and Cape Verde, according to recently released “Nigeria: An Assessment of the Investment Climate”: That Nigeria’s economic now ranked number one (thanks to recent GDP rebase) is, to the informed, hardly cheering news. If anything is cheering at all, it is the long overdue recognition of the Nigerian service sectors (notably, telecoms and film industries, “Nollywood”) as key contributors to GDP — never mind if some, far-sighted watchers had long recognized this. Beyond the hullabaloo that trailed our so-called Africa’s number one economy is the hidden harsh reality: our so-called new foundeconomic power, is largely factor-driven (capital accumulation fuelled by oil) and NOT due to higher productive performance. In short, and contrary to standard neoclassical theory (“a

By OLUMUYIWA THOMAS

sufficiently high growth rate automatically reduces poverty and unemployment).

Nigeria’s high output growth has not led to employment growth. This of course has giver rise to concern that Nigeria is actually experiencing “jobless growth ‘ which translates to employment growth lagging substantially behind output growth. The consequence, of course is high unemployment.

There are other no less worrying consequences of poverty, which with 68.0% of

hands of recruiting criminal gangs — armed robbers, thugs, hired killers, militants, miscreants etc.

The productivity costs of such mindless waste is mindblogging, to put it mildly.

Among others, poverty, youth unemployment, poor quality products and services, and low productivity. Add all these to the brain drain that has resulted in massive numbers of Nigerians taking risky exit (many are crammed in rickety illegal boas which often capsized, leaving the

Nigerians living below $1.25 daily remains below the Human Development threshold. Furthermore, on the Human Development index Nigeria was ranked among countries with low development index at 153 out of 186 countries that were ranked.

Of greater (and graver) consequences of rising youth unemployment is the youth’s disposition to social instability, increased drug abuse and crime. Many become handy tools in the

vast Mediterranean, polluted with wasted youthful blood).

Then, you have a disturbingly convincing reason why youth unemployment is serious issue, and why concerned Nigerians keep sounding the alarm bell. On the dangers of the bulge that refuses to budge, the instructive report, Nigeria: The Next Generation flashed the red flag, “If unemployment is to be brought to 7% by 2030 the labour market needs to nearly double in size, creating almost

“Taken in totality, it is hardly surprising that Nigeria’s overall economic performance is unimpressive, to say the least. At $2,100, our labour productivity (per value added) is below even poorer countries like Cameroon, and Cape Verde, according to recently released “Nigeria: An Assessment of the Investment Climate ...”

50 million jobs. Clearly there is a crisis in Nigeria’s labour market — and this could worsen rapidly” How then can we tackle the challenge?

To be sure, the youth job challenge facing us is multifaceted, ranging from creating jobs for those who want to work, to improving aspects of the work people are engaged in, do, as well as making the youths more productive.

Tackling the problems therefore requires specific measures aimed at these issues. A key lesson that emerged from Nigeria’s

“jobless growth” dilemma is that economic growth alone does not automatically translate into human development progress, or generate more jobs.

Government should therefore adopt a broad-based job strategy that is firmly rooted in reconciling the mismatch between high economic growth and the inability of individuals — especially youths — to find adequate employment. Economic growth, living standards and employment growth can indeed move together, and they often do — as in the remarkable experience of Korea and East Asian economies. Faced with a disconnect between economic growth and employment, Korea adopted a job strategy, the “National Employment Strategy with a clear target of

increase in the employment rate. Government also has a catalyst role to play in job creation through the fostering of an environment conducive to domestic and international business to invest, grow, increase trade and generate job opportunities. Investment Climate reforms helped explain China’s achievement in lifting 400 million people out of poverty, India’s success in doubling its growth and Uganda’s ability to grow eight times the average of other sub-Saharan countries over the last decade. Premised on a strong public- private partnership, such an enabler must also be strong enough to attract Nigerians in Diasporas

to return home and invest.

Also at the heart of any meaningful job creation strategy should be the diversification of the largely monolithic base of the Nigerian economy. Country experiences have shown that a high rate of growth of manufacturing in relation to overall GDP growth is potentially conducive to a high rate of employment growth. It also has the added benefit of creating conditions for transfer of surplus labour from sectors characterized by low labour productivity to those with higher productivity. Some countries of East and South East Asia (ESEA), especially, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, were able to achieve this kind of Contiunes on pg 21

Opinion Issues Contiuned from pg 20

manufacturing-intensive and employment- growth pattern.

To improve work and its conditions, there is also the need to reform the obnoxious aspects of the Nigerian labour laws. The 1aw, as it is currently, did not give adequate protection to workers rights, particularly the vulnerable groups such as women, In the case of women, while there are noted areas of marked improvement (for example, access of women to maternity leave in the formal sector), some aspects are still begging for attention. For example, the issue of harmonizing dual roles of women as workers and mothers. It is imperative we find the right balance between career and matrimonial commitments. Many young women, particularly those in the private sector in Nigeria has either lost their jobs or forced to give it up due to the difficulty of Managing work time and wifery duties. While the public sectors appears to be less intolerant of nursing mothers, public managers are actually at their wit’s end; having to contend with the often frustrating challenge of managing female workers of “divided loyalty’ who has to divide her time between work (she often leaves offices at 1pm. to school run, usually the peak hours of office duties) and home commitments. A good starting point to minimizing the pains of our young female workers is, as is it done in many western countries, provide inplant child care centres, where children of working mothers are taken care of while she works nearby. It is noteworthy that such a remarkable innovation is already in place at Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) office at Ijora, which operate an in-plant child care facilities, to take care of children of its female workers.

Creating new jobs should not be the only concern of the government job strategy.

There is also the necessity of not only protecting the

existing jobs, but more importantly ensuring that those working are able to retain the jobs by providing them with right training, right skills and right education. The building blocks of any skills strategy must be solid foundation skills and stronger links between the education and the world of work International experiences shows that countries that have succeeded in linking skills development to higher productivity, employment and development have targeted skills development policy towards the key objectives of matching supply to current demand for skills, building and sustaining competences for future labour market needs, as well as helping workers and enterprises adjust to change. The use of schoolbased structures for impacting workplace skills has developed in the last 15 years and many countries have now adopted a system whereby skills training occur in tandem with the regular school curriculum. A good example is the German Apprenticeship System which has been very successful in facilitating the transition from school to work. Indeed, the fact that German’s youth unemployment has consistently fallen below adult unemployment rates is a testimony to how successful this innovative school-linked skills development programme had been.

Skills training must also incorporate the informal sector, where a large segment of the country’s vulnerable (particularly those out of formal school) find solace. A commendable programme in this regard is the NDE’s National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS) that is designed to provide technical and vocational skills to unemployed and underprivileged youths. For more meaningful impact however, NOAS scope should be extended to the rural sectors of the economy. This has the added benefit of checkmating the alarming

... Challenge Of Youth Productivity rural-urban drift.

The National Productivity Centre (NPC), another Federal Government agency, has taken up the challenge of not only imparting skills training, but more importantly imparting relevant 20 cc skills and competencies. Under its time- tested Productivity Awareness Campaign (PAC), the Centre has particularly targeted the youths, with the aim of improving their work output, as well as imparts the relevant and demand-led productivity improvement skills and competences. There is also the NYSC Productivity Lectures Series which provides productivity education to

concluded its 2014 PIA, with a befitting final of the InterSchool Productivity Debate championship. Also mindful of the huge skills gap in the informal sector, the Centre, through its Productivity Training Series (PTS), has conducted productivitycentered training at some vocational institutions, notably the Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI), (an NGO providing free auto-mechanic training to vulnerable girls in Nigeria)), and the Nigerian O p p o r t u n i t i e s Industrialization Centers (NOIC), a vocational training institute. Under the PTS, vocational trainees/students in these institutions these

President Goodluck Jonathan corps members in their various Orientation Camps as they prepare to enter the real world of work ProductivityIn-Action (PIA), (a variant of the PAC), is directed at the secondary schools, and has the primary objective of introducing the students, early in their teen years, to productivity, particularly as it relates to their academic studies. In Edo State, for example, the Centre just

schools are exposed to rudiments of productivity, particularly on how it can improve their marketable, employable and transferability skills on completion of their training.

The private sectors, needless to say also has important role to play both in job creation and skill training.

As stakeholders in job creation, they should not merely complain about “talent

“Ever wonder why the Ali Babas, Basket Mouths, Eddie Murphys of this comical world always smile to the bank, the same way they always make you laugh? But this is not just for the asking. Youths should also realize and accept that responsibility for selfdevelopment is solely one’s own responsibility.”

shortage” (despite growing ranks of well- educated unemployed), or merely “cannibalise” the brightest from rival companies, they should be seen to be actively involved in developing human capital by investing more and providing more and continuous on-the-job training (for those currently working), encouraging learning within enterprises, and promoting the inclusion of disadvantaged youths in their training schemes.

The role of youths themselves in improving their dire job situation is certainly not in question. First and foremost, there is need for a radical shift in youth’s

newer and higher skills, requiring newer and higherskilled, knowledge-driven workers.

Therefore, to survive and remain productive in this globalised —driven world, Nigerian youth should be selfreliant, independent and selfemployed. They should imbibe the ‘I-Can-Do Spirit”, the creative instinct that creates rather than look for non-existent jobs; the innovative spirit that craves for “what I can do for myself” and “what I do best”.

Welcome, talent. Ever wonder why the Ali Babas, Basket Mouths, Eddie Murphys of this comical world always smile to the bank, the same

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance pervading mindset, many of which are rooted in unfounded unrealities. Many still cling to the fallacious notion of “securing that dream job on graduation is a certainty’ because “I am highly educated’ and that “white-collar employment is the ultimate dream job” because “it guarantees security’ Of course, it’s usually a matter of time before the harsh labour market jolts them to reality. The reality of today’s Nigeria is that the educated are no more likely to get a job as the uneducated or unskilled, and even if you have one, you may no longer have the privilege of keeping it for long, as the jobs are continuously in a flux, increasingly impermanent, and insecure, bringing with it

way they always make you laugh? But this is not just for the asking. Youths should also realize and accept that responsibility for selfdevelopment is solely one’s own responsibility. Our government, parents, even teachers can only provide the enabling environment for our creativity to be unleashed.

And when such environment exists? I tell you, sky is often not the limit. Only few weeks back, some creative Nigerian undergraduate of UNIBEN and UNILAG respectively did us proud at an international Innovation contest with a winning proto type vehicle that was wholly locally crafted. Kids like those talented bunch rarely looks for job. Jobs look for them.

Discourse Food Security And National Development

IT has been predicted that there would be a catastrophic widespread food famine, the type the world has never witnessed before the year 2020.

It is of common knowledge that the quality of the food a people eat is a reflection of their lives. In African setting, one of the achievements of a man is his ability to provide quality food for his family, an idea which the Holy Bible also prescribes.

By extension, any country that is self — sufficient in food production, and does not depend on other countries for the provision of food for her citizenry has reasons to be proud among comity of Nations.

Considering the abundant agro-opportunities around our country, Nigeria, there is no justifiable reason for her to be part of the over 1 billion people currently experiencing hunger across the world, despite the governments resolve to make the country one of the top 20 economies by the year 2020.

Food Security is an essential tool for national development. It might interest you to know that with little co-coordinated efforts to utilize the abundant human and Natural Resources, Nigeria can be reposition on the map of the world as a leading food producer. Most of what Nigeria needs to attain this enviable height is within her reach.

Compared with any country of the world, Nigeria has one of the best climate and land resources for produce would be enough for consumption, exportation and industrialization. There is a wide range of crops in which it enjoys comparative advantage.

Achieving food security in Nigeria is pivotal to national development. This is because it serves as boost to other sectors of the economy. It is a common saying that a hungry man, is an angry man, therefore a nation with a fragile food security will have a fragile internal security that could produce nothing better than a population of people with bottled anger, awaiting exposition.

It is a common knowledge that good food enhances immunity and good health, a well fed child can develop intellectually to justify investments in his education.

Besides, the nutritional values and industrial potentials, food is an International Identity, as world-class exported food tends to become cultural

By OJO ESTHER OFUJE ambassador for a country and its people.

According to a food expert, Mr. Kennedy Nwakapa, “food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary and food preferences for an active and healthy life style”. This is a fact that tends to have ended the intelligence of leaders of this nation, Nigeria.

Nigeria is predominantly an agrarian society, as a reasonable percentage of the population engages in Agricultural production though at subsistence level.

Agriculture holdings are generally small and scattered.

It provides about 41 percent of Nigeria’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1999 this percentage represented a normal decrease of 24.7 percent from 65.7 percent GDP in 1957. The decrease is still ongoing because, as economic development occurs, the relative size of agricultural sector usually decreases?

The fertility of the Nigeria soil and the wide range of varieties in climate allow it to produce a variety of food and crops. The staple major food crops include yam, cassava, corn, plantain, rice, sorghum and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The leading cash crops are cocoa, citrus, cotton, groundnuts, palm oil, palm kernel, beans seed and rubber; they form part of Nigeria’s major exports commodities in the 1960s and early 70s. Chief among the export destinations for Nigeria’s agricultural products were Britain, USA, Canada, France and Germany.

Other aspects of the nations agricultural sector involves cattle herding, fishing, poultry and lumbering which contributed more than two percent to the GDP in the 1980s.

According to the United Nations food and Agricultural Organization (UN-FAO) 1987 estimate, there were 12.2 million cattle, 13.2 million sheep, 26 million goats, 1.3 million pigs, 700,000 donkeys, 250,000 horses, and 18,000 camels, mostly in Northern Nigeria and owned mostly by rural dwellers. Fishing out pet range from 600,000 to 700,000 tons annually in the 70s but statistical data indicated that all these aspects

of our agricultural sector have dropped to it’s lowest ebb due to numerous factors which must be overhauled if the nation must be on course for vision 202020 No country can truly be a truly great nation if it is not capable of feeding its citizens. Recent estimate put the number of hungry people in Nigeria at over 50 million, just less than 30 percent of

proffered. If Nigeria truly takes food security seriously.

This is because developments go hand in hand with the issue of food security in every nation of the world.

Although agriculture contributes about 42 percent of the country’s GDP. Provided employment means of livelihood for more than 80 percent of the productively engaged population, it receives less than 10 percent of the annual budgetary allocations.

Under funding in this regard is central to the crisis

Akinwumi Adesina, Minister for Agriculture the country’s total population in food production and food of about 160 million out of security in Nigeria which which about 52 percent live explains the high incidence under the poverty line. of poverty and As earliest stated in this underdevelopment. write up, Nigeria was self Akin to this problem is the sufficient in food production seemingly irresolvable and was indeed a net exporter incoherence in governments’ of food to other regions of the policy formulation and world. However, things implementation strategies. changed dramatically for the The fact remains that the worse following the global Nigeria agriculture is still too economic crisis that hit feeble to compete with the developing countries forces of Nature and the beginning from the late 70s, dynamics of the International coupled with ;the discovery of Market. The farmers are crude oil and subsequent incompetent to contend with rising revenue from the the challenges of the climate nations petroleum sector. change.

These provided a platform for With too little or too much the neglect of the agricultural rains, the Nigerian farmers sector and turned Nigeria into are still the losers because an a net importer of food. average farmer has no By 2009, for example, the stabilizing factors to cope Federal Ministry of with the challenges. The Agriculture and Rural farmers, still depends largely Development estimated that on traditional implement.

Nigeria was spending over 3 The Nigerian farm is still a billion Dollars annually on model of incompatible food Importation. marriage between new ideas Numerous factors are such as improved crop responsible for this ugly trend varieties and crude age-long in the nation’s agricultural working tools of bare — foot sector, these must be revisited old farmer. and appropriate solution

More so, with so many Agricultural and research institutes, Nigeria hardly needs more paper work.

Nigeria needs to move from crude to mechanized farming.

The machines can produce better than the crude method of farming by the fast ageing population of the poverty — ridden rural dwellers, struggling to feed million of Nigerian people.

Basic infrastructural facilities like good roads to access the rural areas where the bulk of the agricultural crops are cultivated are inadequate; lack of farm labour due to rural — urban drift, trade restrictions, illiteracy on the part of farmers, little or nongovernment assistance in providing some basic facilities like fertilizers, dams for Irrigation, storage facilities and credit facilities coupled with acts of nature such as drought and flooding are some of the factors militating against food security in Nigeria. The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Ayo Adesina recently in an interview with newsmen identified the appalling level of financing in Agriculture in comparison with their African Nations.

According to him “Nigeria spends only 3% or less of her entire budget on Agriculture.”

Other countries, much smaller than Nigeria do far more than this. Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique spend between 10-15 percent or more in agriculture.

The Minister pointed out that agricultural production low, nothing that yields of farms in Nigeria are extremely low, with the average yield of seed crops in Nigeria still at approximately one ton per hectare compared to the global average of five tons per hectare. The minister went on to say that “as big as Nigeria, only one percent of our farmers use modern seeds.” He pointed out that Nigeria is presently using 13 killogramme. Per hectare of fertilizer,” According to him “Now the global average is 100 killogramme, China is close to 400 per hectare. Most of the food we produce comes from expanding cultivated areas, not from increasing productivity per unit area.” In addition, he said a lot of what we produced is lost due to lack of proper storage and processing facilities, explaining that Nigeria farmers have been poor managers of agricultural resources due to poor planning. The Minister concluded that, Nigeria is now the largest importer of tomatoes paste from China

and Italy when we have tomatoes in abundance, wasting away on a daily basis due to no storage facilities.

The ongoing co-ordination between the ministry and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the efforts to reposition the agriculture sector is enjoying the support of industry analyst who seek enhanced Agriculture Productivity and the attainment of food security.

Attention was again drawn to the abysmal performance of the nations agriculture sector when the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi reeled out the facts and figures on why existing agricultural policies should be reviewed with the aim of improving out put from the sector.

Just as the CBN governor’s revelation show that Nigeria is incurring a total food import bill of $4.2 billion (about N638.4 billion) annually due to the neglect of agriculture, the governor proposed a completely new agriculture policy.

With all these problems bedeviling the nation’s agricultural sector, it must be reiterated that no government in Nigeria has displayed ignorance of the possibilities of food security in National Development. Whether their policies and programmes have been mere white elephant protect or paper tiger, whether they are blue print or mere political statements, whether they are genuine intentions or mere channels of siphoning public money are puzzles Nigerians have found difficult to give accurate definition.

It is high time Nigeria translated the country’s huge agriculture potentials into realities by encouraging local production and strengthening the value chain so as to make Nigeria self-sufficient and generate income and wealth for the Nigerian farmers.

If country must move from its current level to higher heights in food production and, if she desires true national development, then, food insecurity which is as a result of the under performance in the agricultural sector can only be turned around with more commitment on the part of policy makers.

In this is a sure way to put the nation on the part to attaining the millennium Development Goals and the transformation agenda of Mr. President. Besides, food security should be given greater priority in order to enhance self sustainability which is one of the prerequisite for National growth and development.

Environment “The Care of human life and happiness, And not their destruction, is the First and only legitimate object Of good government”. [Thomas Jefferson] AS the quintessential epitomization of satyriasis lies and dovetails into saturnalian debauchery, so, nature abused, fights back with odium. Hence, Jean Louis Agassiz (1807-1873) observed that “The study of Nature is an intercourse with the Highest Mind. You should never trifle with Nature”.

Man, has horrendously abused Nature over the years and now Nature is vengefully fighting back with and through CLIMATE CHANGE”.

The climate change phenomenon has led to the horrid depletion of the Ozone Layer and has also precipitated disastrous climatological consequences on the planet Earth.

Resulting in delugial floods, droughts, tornadoes, gales, hurricanes, dermatological cancer, optical diseases and other multidimensional socio-economic aftermaths.

In Nigeria, the weatheriological and meteorological bodies have warned of the coming of floods of biblical proportion in over 30 states of the Federation. In the last flood disaster the Federal Government doled out Billions of Naira to statutorily obligated institutions charged with alleviating and checkmating the effects of the floods and to the State Governments.

Indeed, the Ministry of Works got 2.6Billion and an additional 556 Million, NEMA got 1.1Billion plus 1.24Billion, Ministry of Environment got 250Million plus 95Million, National Committee for Refugees got 150Million and Technical Committee on Flood Impact Assessment got 100Million.

These monies are exclusive of what the Federal

Government disbursed to the States and what various State Governments injected into the fight against floods, structures and compensations etc.

The torrential rainfall, the opening of the Lagdo Dam by the Cameroonian Authorities as it happened Last Year, the slow pace of work on the Kashimbilla Multipurpose Dam being constructed by the Federal Government in Taraba State, the Collective Leadership inertia in most States of the Federation and the lethargic pace of the 23 Dams being constructed across the country will definitely precipitate terribly horrendous floods.

The fight to checkmate the coming killer floods is on-going in Delta State, as illegal structures along drainage paths and waterways are being pulled down in Asaba, Warri, Sapele, Ughelli, Effurun, Agbor, Orerokpe, Aladja etc. In Warri the opening-up of culverts, bridges, waterways, gutters etc has gained intensive acceleration. The bridge along Lower Erejuwa Road, Ogboru/Nelson/Deco/ Avenue/Okandeji/Ope/ Omoine and Father Healey Streets are receiving commendable attention and personally supervised by Chief Omare, the Commissioner for Environment.

In short, I saw the Commissioner hired an engine boat (watercraft vessel) and went to superintend the quenching of a fuel barge conflagration on the warri River Opposite Warri Club/Naval Base and there were two water hyacinth tractors doing cleansing of the Warri

Countdown To The Killer-Floods

Delta State:

By CHIEF BOBSON IGBINIJE

River. These efforts must be commended.

But we must admonish the Commissioner and His Excellency Governor Uduaghan, that this is a Molehill in a Mountain and a tip of iceberg. They must note that Delta State, River State, Akwa-Ibom State, Edo State, Ondo State, Lagos State etc as litoral States experience more rainfall and hence floods than other states in Nigeria and must be fully prepared for the in-coming killer floods.

The sand filling and building of a Model School on the Warri Prison Rice Farm along Esisi Road by the Okere Bridge is wrong. That Rice Farm acted as a shoreline protection measure, flood comber, rain chamber and speed breaker to floods. We also wish to draw the attention

of the Hon. Commissioner and His Excellency to the Warri drainage plan brought from Holland by Late Chief (Dr) Esiri in 1963 and being executed by the then Warri Divisional Council, the Igberaja/Abeke Drainage plan for Sapele Urban Area of 1961 and the 1962 Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh sponsored Bill on flood exigencies and the creation of the Mid-Western Region etc.

We call for attention to be given to the Delta Development and Planning Authority Area Effurun (DDPA) and the NPA/Niger Cat/Ugbuwangue/Ughoton/ Jeddo/Ubeji and Ogbokodo as these areas have no viable and functional drainage systems and the existing ones are blocked by dirt. There is

“They must note that Delta State, River State, AkwaIbom State, Edo State, Ondo State, Lagos State etc as litoral States experience more rainfall and hence floods than other states in Nigeria and must be fully prepared for the in-coming killer floods.”

need for the channelization of the area and its environs into the Edjeba/Ugboroke/ Effurun etc Rivers and their tributaries. We admonish the commissioner and His Excellency that the Upper Ogunu, Okere Road/ Ajamimoghan, Esisi, Pessu, Alawuru, Agbassa, Mccliver Roads be channelized to the Warri river based on proximity to various points.

There must be massive sensitization based virtually on propaganda hype through Delta Television, Pointer Newspapers, Delta Fm radio and other communication medium to the people of Delta State on how to be prepared like the people of Oklahoma before the disastrous tornado in America. We are yet to see Waves/Flood breakers in our rivers. We call for the construction of flood/wave breaker in all our rivers in Delta State to forestall inundation due to flood breaker absence.

The Methuselah Sapele market that has been undergoing construction for over 8 years now after being burnt down should be dredged and beveled into the Sapele river to avoid floods getting into the town, if the

river Ethiope over shoots its Banks. The Sapele Urban Area should be channeled to the Sapele River and Ughelli town and its environs should be adequately channelized.

This is not Government effort alone. All hands must be on deck to forestall the in-coming devasting and killer floods.

We still call on Government to setup, exclusive of existing bodies, Delta State Flood Monitoring, Emergency, Rehabilitation and Refugee Assistance Body [DSFMERAB] to work with the People and all relevant Government Agencies to alleviate the shelter, refugees, health and food supplies problems etc.

Finally, the tidal surge of force majeure is no respecter of lives and properties. We admonish the Delta State Government and the Nigerian Government to do their best and we hope that their best will be good enough to forestall the draconic tentacles of the killer floods. Abraham Lincoln [1809-1865] posited that, “Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us victories”. We deserve the best from an Oil Producing State and it’s Leadership.

International

Infected Ebola Patients Flee After Attack On Liberia Clinic MONROVIA - Seventeen Ebola patients in Liberia who fled from a guarantine centre after it was attacked by clubwielding youths were missing on Sunday, striking a fresh blow to efforts to contain the deadly virus.

The attack on the Monrovia centre late Saturday highlighted the challenge faced by health authorities battling the epidemic that has killed 1,145 people since it erupted in west Africa early this year, spreading panic among local populations.

Doctors and nurses are not only fighting the disease, but a deep mistrust in communities often in the thrall of wild rumours that the virus was invented by the West or is a hoax.

“They broke down the door and looted the place. The patients have all gone,” said Rebecca Wesseh, who witnessed the raid in the Liberian capital’s densely populated West Point slum.

The attackers, mostly young men armed with clubs, shouted insults about President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and yelled “there’s no Ebola,” she said, adding that nurses had also fled the centre.

A health ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the youths took away medicines, mattresses and bedding from the high school which had been turned into an isolation centre to deal with the rapidly spreading virus.

The head of the Health Workers Association of Liberia, George Williams, said the unit housed 29 patients who “had all tested positive for Ebola” and were receiving preliminary treatment before being taken to hospital.

“Of the 29 patients, 17 fled last night (after the assault).

Nine died four days ago and three others were yesterday taken by force by their relatives” from the centre, he said.

Ebola is spread by contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, such as sweat and blood, and no cure or vaccine is currently available.

Victims in their final days are

wracked by agonising muscular pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and catastrophic haemorrhaging described as “bleeding out,” as vital organs break down.

Fallah Boima’s son was admitted to the ward four days ago, and seemed to be doing well, but when the distraught father arrived for his daily visit on Sunday his son was nowhere to be seen.

“This morning I came and the security man told me that I cannot enter because the people here attacked the place,” Boima told AFP. “I don’t know where he is and I am very confused. He has not called me since he left the camp. Now that the nurses have all left how will I know where my son is.”

In Monrovia, residents had opposed the creation of the quarantine centre, set up by health authorities in a part of the capital seen as an epicentre of the Ebola outbreak.

“We told them not to (build) their camp here. They didn’t listen to us,” said a young resident, who declined to give his name. “This Ebola business, we don’t believe it.”

Neighbouring Sierra Leone has also battled to get patients to comply with quarantine measures as myths spread about the virus.

On Sunday, a 25-year-old patient suspected of having Ebola broke out of his isolation centre “for about an hour” before being escorted back, said health ministry spokesman Yahya Tunis.

Last month thousands tried to storm the main Ebola hospital in the eastern city of Kenema, threatening to burn it down and remove patients.

Local police chief Alfred Karrow-Kamara said the panic was caused by a former nurse who reportedly told people in the nearby fish market that Ebola was a pretence for “carrying out cannibalistic rituals”.

Some 1,500 police and soldiers have been deployed in the worst-hit areas of Sierra Leone to prevent raids, but they are powerless in the face

Building Collapse, Kills 5 In South Africa JOHANNESBURG Five people died when a building under construction collapsed in a South African town south of Johannesburg, emergency workers said.

“It’s not clear what might have caused the building to collapse. Five people were killed as a result of the fall,”

said Santi Steinmann, the spokeswoman for private emergency services Netcare 911.

The victims were likely to be workers on the site, and it was unclear how many more might still be trapped underneath the rubble, she said.

Eight people have been hospitalised with injuries.

of the suspicion and fear of poorly educated traditional communities.

Health workers’ pleas that relatives stop bathing the dead — who are highly contagious — have also increased suspicions, as many in traditional communities see ritual washing as a way of

honouring the departed.

Former Sierra Leone youth and education minister Lansana Nyallah, who lost nine of his family to the virus, tried to address myths about it head on, saying: “To those who still believe that Ebola does not exist, please take heed.”

Folk cures for the disease

have proliferated. In Nigeria two people died and some 20 were hospitalised after they ingested an excessive amount of salt believing it could prevent Ebola.

There have also been reports in Liberia of people drinking chlorine in the hope that it will keep the disease at bay.

The Ebola outbreak, the worst since the virus first appeared in 1976, has claimed 413 lives in Liberia, 380 in Guinea, 348 in Sierra Leone and four in Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization’s latest figures released August 13.

Health workers catering for an Ebola patient.

Unidentified War Planes Pound Libyan Capital TRIPOLI - Unidentified war planes flew over the Libyan capital Tripoli early and explosions could be heard, residents said.

A Libyan TV channel said planes targeted positions in Tripoli where militias have been fighting for control for over one month. None of the militias is believed to own war planes.

Government officials could not be reached for comment.

Tripoli residents said they could hear several explosions but said the cause was unclear.

The city was quiet afterwards.

Militias from the city of Misrata and fighters allied to the western town of Zintan on Sunday again traded gunfire in parts of Tripoli, part of growing chaos in the oil producing nation three years after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.

Three years since Gaddafi’s rule ended, Libya’s fragile efforts towards democracy are close to chaos. A month of fighting in Tripoli and Benghazi has further polarised the political factions and their militia allies.

Libya’s weak government has no functioning national army and almost no control over Tripoli, with most officials working from Tobruk in the fareast where the new parliament has set-up to escape the violence.

Most of the fighting has raged over the international airport in Tripoli, which fighters from Zintan have controlled since sweeping into the capital during the 2011 war.

The militia battles have forced the United Nations and

Western governments to evacuate diplomats, fearing Libya is sliding into civil war.

On Sunday, the U.N. Mission in Libya said in a statement that it “deeply regrets that there was no response to the repeated international appeals and its own efforts for an immediate ceasefire.” The new U.N. special envoy Bernardino Leon, who is due to start his job officially on Sept. 1, said he was aiming to end fighting and might travel to Tripoli as early as this week.

South Africa President, Jacob Zuma

International

Israel Destroys Homes Of Palestinians Suspected Of Killing Israeli Teens

JERUSALEM- Israeli troops have demolished the homes of two Palestinians it suspects of the abduction and killing of three teenagers in the occupied West Bank in June, the army said.

Troops set charges to destroy the homes of Hussam Kawasme and Amar Abu Aysha in the southern West Bank before dawn and sealed off the home of a third suspect, Marwan Kawasme, the army said.

Israel accuses Hamas Islamist militants of the abduction and killing of Jewish seminary students Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali

Fraenkel and Eyal Yifrah, who went missing on June 12 and were discovered dead a couple of weeks later in the West Bank.

Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied the accusations.

Hussam Kawasme, a 40-yearold resident of Hebron, was arrested on July 11 but the other two suspects remained at large, the army said.

The killings set off a cycle of violence that led to a month-long offensive between Israel and militants in Hamas-dominated Gaza.

Israel carried out air strikes and

Nepal Floods Kill 101 As Cholera Fears Mount KATHMANDU - The death toll from landslides and flooding in Nepal has risen to 101 after rescuers found four more bodies, officials said yesterday, as they battled to prevent a cholera outbreak.

Another 126 people are missing after torrential rain last week triggered multiple landslides and flooding, devastating entire villages, stranding thousands and damaging roads across the country’s western plains.

As the weather cleared Sunday after three days of incessant rain, the government deployed more than 3,400 workers and four helicopters to rescue stranded people and deliver emergency supplies, said Jhankanath Dhakal, chief of Nepal’s National Emergency Operation Centre.

“We have found three more bodies this morning, bringing the total death toll to 101,” Dhakal told AFP, adding that another body had been recovered overnight.

In the worst-hit districts of Surkhet, Bardiya and Dang, officials scrambled to provide clean drinking water kits to distraught villagers to try to avert a possible cholera outbreak.

“We have diagnosed a few cases displaying symptoms of cholera,” said Tulashi Prasad Dahal, who is coordinating the health ministry’s efforts to prevent an epidemic.

“People suffering from fever, dysentery, diarrhoea are being treated at nearby health posts: the problems arose because of impure drinking water and food,” Dahal told AFP. Cholera, a potentially deadly disease which causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration, is contracted by consuming food or water contaminated by human faeces.

As water levels gradually recede, allowing rescue workers to use land routes instead of relying entirely on helicopters, thousands of people have been evacuated to temporary shelters.

In Surkhet district, which suffered the worst damage with roads still underwater, officials said workers were struggling to locate the 106 people reported missing.

Another 20 were reported missing elsewhere.

“The flood has destroyed our water pipes, our roads and cut off our electricity, making it difficult for us to carry out necessary search and rescue operations,” district official Jagat Bahadur Basnet told AFP. The deaths come two weeks after the worst landslide in more than a decade smashed into

hamlets in the hilly northeast and killed 156 people.

Meanwhile, heavy rain in neighbouring India’s Uttarakhand state has claimed at least 24 lives since Friday, reviving memories of a deluge last year that killed more than 5,000 people in the same region.

Hundreds die every year in floods and landslides during the monsoon season in South Asia.

a ground offensive in the enclave to counter militant rocket fire and to blow up a network of tunnels dug under the border to infiltrate the Jewish state.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says 1,980 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict.

On the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and three civilians have been killed.

A ceasefire that brought fighting to a halt is due to expire later on Monday and Egyptianmediated talks to end the conflict are not certain to succeed, according to Palestinian delegates participating in the talks in Cairo.

Hussam Kawasme’s arrest was made public for the first time earlier this month in a document from a court case over whether houses belonging to him and two other suspects should be destroyed as a punitive measure.

It said Kawasme had admitted helping to organize the

kidnapping - securing funding from Hamas and buying weapons which he passed on to the two other suspects who carried out the

attack.

He also helped to bury the bodies of the teenagers in a plot of land he had bought a few months earlier, it said.

The military statement said

Israel’s supreme court had affirmed the military’s wish to demolish the homes and had rejected three appeals by the suspects’ families against their destruction.

Palestinians look at the home of Amer Abu Aisheh, one of three Palestinians identified by Israel as suspects in the killing of three Israeli teenagers, after it was demolished by the Israeli army in the West Bank City of Hebron.

Somali: 14 Die As Peacekeepers Battle

MOGADISHU - African peacekeepers and Somali troops battled militants in a suburb of Mogadishu launching a joint offensive that killed at least 14 people, police said.

The attack was part of an armed campaign by government forces and African Union peacekeepers in response to a recent surge in gun and bomb attacks in Mogadishu by militias, primarily the al Qaeda-linked al

Shabaab group.

“At least 14 people, mostly militia(men), died in the fighting this morning. The government’s aim is to secure the city,” Major Abdullahi Farah, a senior police officer, told Reuters.

It was not clear if the militants targeted on Friday were members of al Shabaab, but Farah said the group was colluding with other militia groups in the city.

Officials of al Shabaab, whose

NAIROBI Kenya’s internationally funded antiterrorism police have carried out a series of killings and “enforced disappearances” following a string of attacks in the country, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

“Kenyan counter-terrorism forces appear to be killing and disappearing people right under the noses of top government officials, major embassies, and the United Nations,” said HRW’s deputy Africa director Leslie Lefkow.

“This horrendous conduct does not protect Kenyans from terrorism – it simply undermines the rule of law.”

The unit receives funding from the United States and Britain, HRW added, with Washington providing $19 million (14 million euros) in 2012.

HRW said it had documented evidence of “at least 10 cases of killings, 10 cases of enforced disappearances, and 11 cases of mistreatment or harassment of terrorism suspects,” with strong evidence of a police involvement.

“Suspects were shot dead in public places, abducted from vehicles and courtrooms, beaten badly during arrest, detained in isolated blocks, and denied contact with their families or access to lawyers,” HRW said in its report.

“Donors need to carry out their

own investigations of these abuses and suspend their assistance to abusive forces, or risk being complicit in Kenya’s culture of impunity,” HRW added.

Several Muslim clerics have been shot dead on the coast, including radical leaders accused of backing Somalia’s Al-Qaedalinked Shebab insurgents.

Kenya’s Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) was set up in 2003

Militants fighters have recently targeted legislators as well as attacking the presidential palace, were not immediately available for comment.

Ahmed Hussein, a Mogadishu resident, said he was awakened by mortar rounds and that the militiamen appeared to be

moving back under the peacekeepers’ attack.

“The death toll is sure to rise,” Hussein told Reuters from the Madina suburb which has residential homes, markets and schools.

Another resident said peacekeepers had attacked three politicians’ houses.

Omar Mohamed, a legislator and former warlord, said his

Kenya Anti-Terror Police Killing Suspects - HRW

following a bomb attack on the US embassy in Nairobi in 1998, and on an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa in 2002.

“The ATPU has been conducting abusive operations for years, sometimes very openly, yet the Kenyan authorities have done nothing to investigate, much less stop these crimes,” HRW added.

Kenya has been hit by a series of attacks since invading Somalia in 2011 to battle the Shebab, later joining an African Union force battling the Islamists.

The Shebab claimed responsibility for last September ’s assault on Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall in which at least 67 people were killed.

house was attacked by tanks and troops. “I do not know why (they).. attacked me.... I am fighting and defending myself,” he told Reuters.

A second resident, Siyad Mowlid, said most of the militants under attack had managed to flee further into Madina.

Al Shabaab controlled large sections of Mogadishu until 2011 when African forces drove them out. But the militants have since staged guerrilla attacks in parts of the capital.

As part of the crackdown by the government, three men were executed by firing squad on August 3 after a Somali military court found them guilty of killing civilians in a series of recent attacks in the country blamed al Shabaab.

Somalia has faced turmoil for more than two decades since the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre tipped the country into chaos.

Nepalese villagers grieve following the deaths of family members in a landslide at Lamo Sanghu on the Sukoshi river, some 80 kms Northeast of Kathmandu.

International

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe gives an address during celebrations for the country’s 34th independence anniversary.

Iran To Reject Nuclear Restraints ‘Beyond IAEA Rules TEHRAN - Iran will reject any restraints on its nuclear operations outside the international rules set by the industry watchdog, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday.

“We will only accept the legal controls of the IAEA within the framework of the NonProliferation Treaty,” the president said during a visit by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano.

“Any monitoring beyond those rules would be a precedent, against the interests of all developing countries,” Rouhani said.

Amano made a one-day visit to Tehran ahead of an August 25 deadline for Iran to answer decade-old allegations of past nuclear weapons research.

Mugabe Opens Southern Africa Summit With Call For Growth

HARARE - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has opened a summit of southern African leaders by calling for countries to drive growth by exporting more finished goods instead of raw materials.

The 90-year-old leader took over as chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) from Malawi’s Peter Mutharika after almost a decade of being excluded from positions of power in the 15-member bloc.

He is also in line to lead the 54-nation African Union from

next year.

Southern Africa must “wean itself from exporting raw materials and create value chains that will lead to the exportation of finished products,” he told the opening of the two-day summit.

“Our region has abundant resources, which instead of being sold in raw form at very low prices must be exploited and beneficiated to add value to the products which we export.”

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 but a series of economic crises, flawed elections and brutal crackdowns that have brought UN sanctions and turned the former revolutionary into a Western pariah.

He was the only leader from southern Africa not invited to attend a major US-African summit in Washington earlier this month, which included some 45 of the continent’s

heads of state.

Rights groups last week urged southern African countries to address abuses and uphold individual freedoms at the meeting in the Zimbabwean resort town of Victoria Falls.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights deplored “serious human rights concerns” in Angola, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

They accused Harare of

dragging its feet to prosecute perpetrators of political violence in past elections, and denounced secrecy around mining rights and the country’s lucrative diamond fields.

Speaking in the Zimbabwean resort town of Victoria Falls on Sunday, Mugabe said the SADC the bloc prides itself in an impressive track record in peace, security and democracy.

Regional security and socioeconomic development are at the top of the agenda of the meeting, which ends on Monday.

Fate Of Gaza Truce In Balance As Death Toll Rises GAZA CITY (Palestinian Territories) - The Gaza death toll rose over 2,000 yesterday as the clock ticked towards a midnight deadline and negotiators in Cairo strove to hammer out a decisive end to weeks of bloodshed.

As millions in and around Gaza enjoyed an eighth day of calm brought on by two back-to-back truce agreements, tensions were once again on the rise ahead of a new deadline ending a five-day ceasefire which expires at 2100 GMT. But there was little sign of any workable consensus emerging from ongoing talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Cairo who have just 12 hours to left to either reach an agreement, accept a further extension or risk a resumption of the fighting which has wreaked destruction across the denselypopulated Mediterranean coastal enclave.

The aim is to broker a longterm arrangement to halt over a month of bloody fighting which erupted on July 8 although both sides have largely lowered their guns since August 4 thanks to a series of brief truce arrangements.

Ahead of the deadline, Palestinian president Mahmud

Abbas was to travel to Doha where he was to meet with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Tuesday and also hold talks with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Qatar is a key backer of Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry said the death toll rose over 2,000 as more people succumbed to injuries sustained since the fighting began.

The figures showed 2,016 people had been killed and another 10,196 wounded.

Among the dead were 541 children, 250 women and 95 elderly men - or around 44 percent of the total number of victims.

Separately, the Israeli army confirmed that five of 64 soldiers killed in combat had died as a result of “friendly fire”.

Despite the concern over the looming deadline, the streets of Gaza City and the northern town of Jabaliya were relatively full, bustling with women and children shopping for food, as men sat outside in the shade, chatting or watching the world go by.

Elderly people could be seen hitching a ride on a donkey cart,

as pedestrians picked their way past piles of rubbish and debris from damage of the war.

As the negotiations entered their final stretch, with meetings at the Egyptian intelligence headquarters resuming around 0900 GMT, there was little indication that either side was willing to back down on its demands.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would only accept an agreement which contained “a clear answer” to its security needs, while Hamas has insisted there will be no deal without an end to Israel’s eightyear blockade on Gaza.

Following talks with Meshaal in Doha, Abbas will travel to Cairo on Friday for talks with

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a day later, a Palestinian official told AFP. In Israel, in absence of concrete information coming from the talks, most commentators were pessimistic about the warring sides reaching an agreement by midnight, saying the gaps are simply too big.

He held morning talks with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif before meeting Rouhani, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported. He later also met with Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation.

As part of the implementation of the interim deal it struck with world powers last November, Iran handed the IAEA documents in April and May relating to its past research, the first time it had done so in six years.

The submissions were in response to a November 2011 IAEA report that it had intelligence that Iran had until 2003 and possibly since then conducted research into developing nuclear weapons.

Addressing these claims, long refuted by Iran, would be an important element in the comprehensive accord over Tehran’s nuclear programme that Iran and world powers want to strike by November 24.

The IAEA has raised a number of questions relating to the submissions and Tehran has until August 25 to reply to these.

Amano had said in a May report that Iran showed information to the agency that “simultaneous firing of EBW (Explosive Bridge Wire detonators) was tested for a civilian application”.

At a press conference on Sunday in Tehran, Amano broached the issue again, saying Iran had provided information and explanations to the IAEA on Tehran’s decision, in early 2000, to develop safer detonators.

“Iran has also provided information and explanations to the (IAEA) on its work post-2007 related to the application of EBWs in the oil and gas industry which is not inconsistent with specialised industry practices,” he added.

“The IAEA will need to consider all past outstanding issues, including EBWs, integrating all of them in a system and assessing the system as a whole.”

U n i d e n t i f i e d international Atomic Energy Agency inspectors and Iranian technicians seen at a nuclear power plant at Natanz, some 300 kilometres south of Tehran.

Encounter

Gov Oshiomhole Has Done Veey Well For Edo State - Hon Becky Sule HON. Becky. I. Sule is the Councillor Representing Ward Eight in Etsako Central Local Government Area and the deputy leader of legislative arm. She is the Chairman, House standing Committee on Information, Youth, sport and Culture.

In this chat with NIGERIAN OBSERVER,

through RICHARD OKORO EWEKA, she spoke on the achievements of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the council area and the rumoured impeachment saga against the Council ‘s chairman.

Excerpts: What effort is the leadership of the House making to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party?

Well, that I an area I will commend the executive chairman of the local government how responsibly he has handled the issue. We are all aware of what happened at the congresses.

There were a lot of disagreements of who emerges as the chairman and so on and so fort. But the chairman of the local government handled the issue in a matured way. He separated himself from politics and from being the chairman of the council. He brought both parties together where he preached peace and unity among members of the party. It is just that people were misinforming the public, arrogating to themselves powers they do not have. But we are the people on ground. The chairman is a complete party man and he is one of the founding members of APC in the state.

He started the party from the beginning, you cannot build a house and destroy it.

If you do that, you are a wizard. It is those in the minority group seeking for political relevance that are trying to destroy the party.

The chairman is a kind –

hearted man who believes in leaving lasting legacies. It is those who feel they are supposed to be where the chairman is now that are trying to destroy the party.

But one thing they do not know is that power belongs to God and He gives it to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party, he needs to be commended. I am appealing to the state government and the leadership of the party to put these people in their proper place rather than allowing them to destroy the party’s legacies that people have laboured over the years to build. As an individual, I will not allow that to happen.

I also want to use the medium to appreciate the Executive Governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and urge him to continue his good works. I want the governor to be rest assured that the elites of the state know what is going on and we are solidly behind him because he has done very well for the state.

How do you access the present administration in the local government under the leadership of Hon. Emmanuel Momoh?

Well, I am very happy to be part of this administration.

Infact, I am lucky to be part of what is going on in the local government. There is no ward that he has not touched.

He has done two to three projects in every ward of the local government. There are ten wards in the local government, you can go round and see for yourself.

The projects are visible for everyone to see and appreciate ranging from health centres, provision of school desks and chairs, provision of free exercise books and infrastructural materials, training and re – training of staff, provision and renovation of markets across the local government, giving incentive to the political class and civil servants and above all,

provision of adequate security, building of primary schools and renovation of existing ones. For instance, in my ward, he has done up to three projects like the modern market of Udaba in ward eight where women even come from Auchi to buy and sell. In my own community, Osomhegbe, he built a new maternity and some other projects going on in other

would you be fighting him?

Things are not done like that.

I must tell you my friend that even though they say the legislative arm of this local government has the youngest councillors, most of us are educated, we know the law, we have the Nigeria Constitution and we have our standing order. You don’t go about criticing when there is

lives positively. I always ensure that the interest of my people is being represented in the council. The chairman is not bias. Initially, people will say he is from Fugar, and Fugar is the headquarters. We were sceptical at the beginning when we came into office whether the chairman will extend the dividends of democracy to the revering

• Hon Becky I. Sule, Deputy Leader, Etsako Central Legislative Arm.

communities. I am proud to be serving in this present administration.

What is your take on the relationship between the executive and the legislative Arms?

You see, when a system is working, there must be cordial relationship. The legislative arm is a part of the system. We must definitely work in cordial relationship with the executive because the chairman is performing.

We have no cause to go against the chairman because he is delivering on his electoral promises. So, why

no need for it when the executive is doing well.

How have you touched the lives of the people of your ward?

Well, as a councillor, I have touched the lives of my people; I am not going to talk about that because it is a personal issue. I am here to represent my people. It is not very nice to ask how you touched the lives of your people. For me, I feel that is not fair because my job as a legislator is to represent the interest of my people when it comes to policies and budget making that will affect their

“I want the governor to be rest assured that the elites of the state know what is going on and we are solidly behind him because he has done very well for the state.”

areas. I must tell you that the chairman started his projects in ward seven and that is a ward that is not even from his clan. That goes to show that there are still good people who understand their administrative job and I am happy that Hon. Emmanuel Momoh is one of those people. I am happy that you came in a day when something is going on in the council secretariat, and I have just mentioned to you all the projects that have been done by the executive chairman. I am also glad that we have a chairman who is highly principled, who has priorities and you know without principles and priorities in life, a man is worthless. We have empowerment programmes going on in the council secretariat. The chairman has bought over one hundred motorcycles to be distributed to the youths

and civil servants across the local government. As you know, the local government is predominantly made up of farmers. That gesture of the chairman is to assist them to carry their produce from the farm to their homes. The chairman has told us that starting from now, he is going to build on human capacity.

Only few months ago, the council boss embarked on farmers’ empowerment programme where he gave out soft loan to our peasant farmers.

What is your message to the people concerning the administration?

Well, my message to the people of the local government is simple. They should continue to support the Emmanuel Momoh led administration. We know that no matter what you do there are those that will never be satisfied and I am still appealing to them to stop fabricating lies against the chairman simply because he is delivering on his promises.

People should know that the chairman is representing everybody in the local government because if you build a maternity in my community, it is everybody that will use it whether APC or PDP or any other party or if he builds, or buy desks for pupils, it is everybody that will benefit from it. I appeal to the people to join hands with the chairman to enable him bring more dividends of democracy instead of throwing stones here and there against the government.

I am happy that the people of Etsako Central to a very extend are educated people.

What is your take on the rumoured impeachment plot against the chairman?

Well, it is just a figment of the imagination of those spreading the false rumour.

The chairman has not committed any impeachable offense and he is performing above the people expectations and we have no reason to be antagonizing him. Rather, we are making laws that will better the lives of our people. I urge the people to disregard such false rumour being spread by the detractors of this administration. We will continue to join hands with the chairman to move the local government forward.

AFCON 2015 CAF Disqualifiers Rwanda For Fielding Ineligible Player

THE Organising Committee of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), on Sunday disqualified Rwanda from the 2015 AFCON qualifiers.

A statement from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), said the decision followed a protest lodged by the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT), after their match against Rwanda on July 20.

With this development, the Super Eagles will play Congo instead of Rwanda in their AFCON qualifiers on September 6 in Calabar.

“The protest followed the first leg match of the second round of qualifying played against Rwanda on 20 July 2014 in Pointe-Noire.

“It contested the eligibility of a player, Birori Dady aligned with Rwanda, who plays for AS Vita Club of Kinshasa with Congolese (DRC) passport as Etekiama Agiti Tady, and a different age.

“The disqualification decision followed investigations by CAF and on the basis of documents provided by the federations of

Rwanda, Congo and DR Congo, and hearing the player ’s testimony on August 11.

“CAF established that the two identities only referred to a single person.

“The Rwandan Football Federation (FERWAFA) maintained that to their knowledge the player had one identity.

“However, investigations revealed that he was summoned as Etekiama Agiti Tady by FERWAFA to join the national team of Rwanda”, it said.

The statement said the organising committee, in accordance with Article 41 of the regulations of AFCON, and Articles 82 and 83.1 of CAF Disciplinary Code, suspended the player until further notice.

“We immediately suspend the player, Etekiama Agiti Tady /

Birori Dady until further notice and ban him from playing for club and the national team.

“Rwanda are declared losers of the match against Congo, and consequently been eliminated from the competition.

“Also, we consign Congo to the group phase of the 2015 AFCON in Group A, as replacement for Rwanda.

“We reserve the right to confirm the exact length of the player ’s suspension and to impose additional sanctions if necessary at the next meeting of the organising committee scheduled for September 1, 2014 “So, we urge players and stakeholders to regulate the situation of dual identity,’’ the statement said.

Reports state that the 2015 AFCON is scheduled to hold in Morocco from January 17 to February 8.

MANCHESTER City striker Edin Dzeko is set to extend his

contract with the club, manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed.

TOTTENHAM will make another attempt to prise Morgan Schneiderlin from Southampton as their pursuit of the midfielder goes down to the wire.

Goal understands that Mauricio Pochettino remains determined to land his former player and has sanctioned a bid of around 21 million euro.

Spurs are confident that Schneiderlin is still determined to make the move to White Hart Lane, despite playing the full 90

minutes against Liverpool after it had initially been suggested that he would pull out of training and matches.

However, Southampton are refusing to grant the Frenchman an easy exit from St Mary’s Stadium, with manager Ronald Koeman reiterating that he is not for sale.

Speaking after the 2-1 defeat at Anfield, where Schneiderlin was denied a late equaliser only by an outstanding Simon

Marco Reus

Dzeko For New Manchester City Contract Goal exclusively revealed on Sunday that the Bosnian and Joe

Tottenham Plan 21m Euro Schneiderlin Bid

Only Money Trophies Can Keep Rues At Dortmund, Says Kohler JURGEN Kohler believes that Borussia Dortmund will have to spend big if they are to persuade Marco Reus that they can challenge Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title on a regular basis.

The Germany international still has three years to run on his current contract with BVB but speculation is rife that their Bavarian rivals will make a move for the attacker next summer, with FCB president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge having gone public with his belief that the player’s release clause will drop to +25 million at the end of the 2014-15 season.

Dortmund have repeatedly reaffirmed their desire to hold onto Reus but Kohler believes that Bayern’s bigger budget could ultimately prove decisive.

“For Dortmund it is getting harder and harder to keep Marco,” the former BVB centrehalf told Bild. “The club can only keep hold of Reus if they invest properly for the next four or five years.

“Bayern will not let up in their spending. At the end of the day, I’m sure it is a question of money.”

Kohler’s fellow ex-Dortmund defender, Christoph Metzelder, is also of the opinion that the Signal Iduna Park side will struggle to keep Reus happy if

they cannot prove themselves capable of competing with Bayern.

“Marco has the personal ambition to win titles,” he told Bild. “I believe that this is possible with Borussia Dortmund.

“But, on the other hand, of course, everyone knows that if Bayern are really serious about him, it is difficult.”

Mignolet save, Koeman explained that he had no concerns about the France international’s commitment.

“He’s a player of Southampton,” the Dutchman told reporters. “He wants to play for us – he changed his mind and his mentality last week.

“He was tired in the last 10 minutes but he is a good player and he is important for us.”

Following a summer of bigname departures from the south coast that has brought over 100m euro in transfer fees to the club, Southampton do not need to cash in on Schneiderlin and are reluctant to let another of their major assets go.

The player has claimed that he has a gentleman’s agreement with the club to allow him to leave and Southampton’s resolve could be tested by Spurs’ final attempt to sign him.

Tottenham lead the race to

capture Schneiderlin after the 24year-old rejected an offer from Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger refused to offer any guarantees of a starting role at the Emirates Stadium, something that is believed to be more likely in Pochettino’s side.

Spurs could allow Sandro to leave White Hart Lane if they are successful in their pursuit of Schneiderlin, with Napoli among the Brazilian midfielder’s admirers. Sandro was not in the squad who beat West Ham 1-0 on Saturday.

No Quick Fix For Manchester United, Warns Meulensteen THERE is no “quick fix” for Manchester United’s problems, warns former coach Rene Meulensteen.

After fresh optimism at Old Trafford following Louis van Gaal’s appointment as manager, the Red Devils were brought back to earth on Saturday as Swansea City recorded a surprise 2-1 win in their Premier League opener.

Meulensteen - who left the club after Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013 and went on to have a short spell in charge of Fulham last term - argues that United need “at least four top players” in order to get back to where they were.

“This is not going to be a quick fix,” the Dutchman told

talkSPORT. “They have still got two weeks to go in this transfer window.

They definitely need to maximise the opportunities in this window and probably do something in January as well. This process will take a long, long time.

“We need to strengthen at the back, we need to strengthen in midfield and that is foremost the two areas they need to look at.

“In my opinion, they need to bring in at least four top players to crank up the level.”

United have signed Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera so far this summer and, as exclusively revealed by Goal, have agreed a deal worth 20 million euro plus a loan for Nani to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Marcos Rojo.

Edin Dzeko

Hart are to be the next first-team pair to have their futures at the Etihad Stadium secured, after a busy summer of consolidation from the Premier League champions.

Dzeko played the majority of City’s 2-0 Premier League win over Newcastle on Sunday, setting up David Silva for their first goal with a sublime backheel, and Pellegrini says that the performance showcased why they want him to stay.

The Chilean told the press: “He finished last season playing very well and was one of the best players in this game. He worked hard and won a lot of aerial duels.

It was a complete game from him.

“It’s not strange for me to see him play like that - he finished last

season playing very well. He has grown. He’s a team player.

“I’m very happy for him. That’s why he is renewing his contract here - he has a very important duty in our team.

“I don’t think it’s 100 per cent finished but, yes, he will renew his contract. He’s a very important player for us.”

Stevan Jovetic played alongside Dzeko from the start at St James’s Park, with Sergio Aguero coming on to score the late second, while Alvaro Negredo is out injured – and Pellegrini says that all four are key figures for his team.

“It is important that we have four top strikers because we have so many games in four competitions,” he noted.

Wonderkid Sinan Kurt Wants To Play For Bayern Munich B O R U S S I A Monchengladbach wonderkid Sinan Kurt remains convinced that he can secure a move to Bayern Munich before the end of the transfer window. .

The potential transfer of the 18-year-old has caused friction between the two sides, with Gladbach vice president Rainer Bonhof convinced he will remain with Die Fohlen for next season.

Despite being under contract until 2016, Kurt, who is currently playing for Borussia’s U23 side, is still seeking a move to the Bundesliga champions in this window.

Bonhof stated in a recent interview: “We will hold on to the boy.”

But speaking to reporters in

Germany, Kurt made his views on the move very clear: “I’ve made my decision in favour of Bayern, and nothing will change. I stand by it!

“I’ve always been honest with [Director of Sport] Max Eberl about my intentions.

Therefore I have nothing to feel guilty about.

“I am convinced that it will still happen. These are now, of course, crucial weeks for me. I want to get my way there. I would not do this if I did not believe that this will be the case.”

Kurt has been courted by teams such as Arsenal and Liverpool in the past, and his playing style has been compared with Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus.

Bayern Munich players celebrate their recent goal

Rooney Accepts Blame For Loss

MANCHESTER United captain Wayne Rooney knows he started life in his new-found role “badly” but the striker is determined to bring success back to the club.

New manager Louis van Gaal “I just had a bad game and I endured a poor start to the was the first to say that when I Premier League season as United got into the dressing room,” limped to a 2-1 defeat to Swansea on Saturday; the first time in more than 40 years the club has lost an opening top-flight fixture at Old Trafford.

Rooney, who was named new United captain by Van Gaal just days before the start of the season, admitted shouldering the blame for such losses is something that comes with the armband.

Despite scoring an overhead kick and hitting the post in the loss to Swansea, the striker Wayne Rooney pinpointed a need to improve.

Rooney said in the Daily Telegraph. “I didn’t play well.

You have those days but being captain is always a responsibility I have had in me, especially on the pitch.

Manchester City won the title but did any of their players make this top 10 of goals?

“It will be a little bit different now off the pitch with new responsibilities. I have always felt I am a leader on the pitch so it won’t be a major difference on the pitch to what I normally do and that is to help us win games.

“I have always been vocal either on the pitch or in the dressing room. There have been times both for England and United when I have been told to be quiet. It has always been a part of my game and I think it is

Manchester United Agree 20m MANCHESTER United have agreed a 20 million euro deal for Euro Deal For Rojo Sporting defender Marcos Rojo, with Nani going the other way on a season-long loan.

Rojo is to move to Old Trafford after extensive negotiations between the two clubs, against the backdrop of the Argentina defender going on strike before apologising to his team-mates and supporters.

With United covering the majority of Nani’s salary - one of the highest at the Premier League club - the deal is something of a triumph for Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho.

He had refused to accept United’s initial +20m offer for Rojo, drawing the ire of both the player and Doyen Sports, an investment fund who own 75 per cent of the Argentine’s economic rights.

With Sporting contractually obliged to pay 20% of any fee over 5m euro for Rojo to his former club Spartak Moscow, and 75% of the income going to Doyen, a 20m euro sale would have effectively seen the World Cup finalist leave for free.

In bringing Nani back to the club where the forward began his professional career, De Carvalho has landed one of Portugal’s most prominent footballers at minimal

salary cost to Sporting.

De Carvalho was determined to play hard-ball with Rojo’s agents after the player refused to train with the club in order to help push through a move to Old Trafford, insisting he would not be held to ransom.

Rojo himself apologised for his behaviour in an interview with the club’s television channel on Sunday evening, though it is understood it is partly designed to facilitate the transfer.

“It was all a misunderstanding, I was a hothead,” he said. “I’m sorry for what happened because I feel that I was unprofessional.

“I want to tell the people that I didn’t behave correctly, but I’m am very fond of this club. They are the ones that will decide my career, and I hope it will be the best both for me and the club. But I want to stress that I’m very happy at the club, and I like the way I’m treated and the care they give me.”

The deal underlines United’s desperation to provide Louis van Gaal with personnel capable of playing the high-risk 3-5-2 formation their new manager is attempting to introduce at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman began his first Premier League campaign with just three experienced central defenders and one international left-back in his squad, duly falling to Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Swansea City.

Rojo, 24, is comfortable operating as one of the three centre backs in a 3-5-2 or as the left wing-back. During his two season at Sporting he was used primarily as a central defender.

Nani has four years remaining on the highly lucrative contract United awarded him early last summer. Though then manager David Moyes considered persuading the Portugal international to remain with the club as a key element in structuring his squad, the pair rapidly fell out and Nani rarely made the first XI in subsequent months.

Liverpool have made Portugal Under-21 international Tiago Ilori available for loan as they attempt to rebalance their squad for the new season. Ilori, an initial 7.5m euro signing from Sporting last summer, has yet to start a game for the Reds but had expected to be part of Brendan Rodgers’ first-team plans this season.

important that players speak to each other. You have to communicate.

“That is the only way you are going to help each other. The time is right for me to be captain and I am ready for the responsibility. Only time will tell whether I can be a successful captain but I will certainly be

giving everything I can to help this club win trophies.”

United’s struggles, particularly last season’s seventh-place finish under David Moyes, have been well documented, while several of the club’s former players have spoken out about United’s current predicament.

Paul Scholes was the latest to

pass judgement from the television studio and hinted that several of United’s current crop would struggle to break into the successful sides of recent years.

Rooney believes the jibe is par for the course and is keen to prove last season’s failings were a “one-off.”

ARSENE Wenger admits Arsenal are “desperate” to qualify for the lucrative group stages of the Champions League - and challenged his side to beat Besiktas “no matter what it costs”.

The Gunners flew to Istanbul yesterday following a dramatic stoppage-time 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on the first day of the new Barclays Premier League season.

There is, however, little opportunity for Wenger’s squad to regroup before their focus turns to extending the record of reaching Europe’s elite club competition for each of the last 16 campaigns.

Qualification would bring with it some 8.6 million euros (£7million) in prize money, with each subsequent group home match worth around £3m of additional matchday revenue.

Wenger knows all too well

what is on the line against Slaven Bilic’s side, who defeated Feyenoord 5-2 on aggregate in the third round of qualifying when former Chelsea striker Demba Ba scored a hat-trick in the second leg.

“We are desperate to do it because we want to play in the Champions League and we know how big these games are,” said Wenger.

“We are desperate to go through.

No matter what it costs we want to go through.

“We always have a difficult draw, we had Fenerbahce last year, this time we have Besiktas, so it is difficult.”

Wenger added: “The preparation for us was a Premier League game we had absolutely to win, that’s the best preparation for confidence.

“Now the preparation will be mainly to recover and to study Besiktas.”

With Besiktas’ Vodafone Arena ground being redeveloped, Tuesday night’s match will take place at the

72,000-seater Ataturk Olympic Stadium, where Liverpool famously beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final.

Reports in Turkey suggest the home fans are preparing a hot reception for Wenger, whom they feel was critical of the club following their 8-0 defeat at Liverpool during the 2007/08 group stages.

“They are specialists at doing that. I never said that. They always create things like that. I am used to playing Turkish teams and I never said that,” Wenger replied.

Captain Mikel Arteta believes the players will relish the intimidating atmosphere.

“They will be in our face, but I like playing in atmospheres like that,” he said.

“It is different to what we are used to here in England and it’s attractive to the players.

“The pressure is on us to get through because they are expecting us to get through but we are facing a tough opponent with good players and experience in the Champions League, so it won’t be easy there.”

Arsenal will assess both defenders Kieran Gibbs (hamstring) and Laurent Koscielny (Achilles), which could mean an earlier than expected recall for German World Cup winner Per Mertesacker.

Wenger confirmed: “It was our plan to bring the Germans back in contention for Everton, but in case of emergency I will take Mertesacker.

“It is a bit early for him.

Ideally we would need one more week preparation, but he is willing to play, no problem.”

Desperate Arsenal Must Qualify ‘At All Costs’ - Wenger

Arsene Wenger

Serena Wins Cincinnati Title

WORLD number one Serena Williams finished her last US Open tune-up in style by blowing away Serbian Ana Ivanovic 6-4 61 to win her first title at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati on Sunday.

For the top-seeded American, the triumph marked her first in six visits to Cincinnati and sent a message that she is in top form heading into the year’s final grand slam, where she is the two-time defending champion.

“It’s just amazing to finally win here,” said Williams, who fired a dozen aces and broke her opponent four times. “The fans were amazing and it’s so wonderful to be here.”

After falling behind early, Williams broke her ninth seeded opponent’s serve in the sixth game of the first set to pull even and then broke again four games later to wrap up the opener in 38 minutes after consecutive double faults from Ivanovic.

A year removed from losing the Cincinnati final in a third set tiebreak to Victoria Azarenka, the world number one left nothing to chance in a dominant second set.

Williams broke Ivanovic to open a 3-1 lead in the second set and then relied on her powerful serve to carry her the rest of the way.

It marked the fifth title of the

year for the 32-year-old American following wins in Stanford, Rome, Miami and Brisbane.

The Cincinnati tournament is

the last of the key tune-ups ahead of the Aug. 25-Sept. 8 U.S. Open in New York.

For 26-year-old Ivanovic, a

former world number one who was chasing her fourth title of the year, her run to the Cincinnati final will put her back in the top 10 of the world rankings for the

first time in five years.

“It’s been a great week for me in Cincinnati,” said Ivanovic, who was coming off a nearly three-hour win over fifth seed Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s

semi-final.

“I really want to congratulate Serena. I think I got a lesson on how to serve today. Maybe after you retire you can give me some tips.”

Manchester City Grind Out Win At Newcastle

Serena Williams

MANCHESTER City started their Premier League title defence with a gritty 2-0 win over Newcastle at St James’ Park.

David Silva latched onto a sublime backheel from Edin Dzeko to slot home the opener as the visitors grabbed the advantage shortly before the break.

Newcastle pressed for an equaliser after the restart but, for all their promising positions, struggled to test Joe Hart as the match threatened to fizzle out.

But the arrival of substitute Ayoze Perez sparked the hosts into life, and they almost drew level when the youngster ’s deflected effort flew narrowly wide before Moussa Sissoko blazed over with time running out.

With Newcastle committing men forward, City found space in injury time and wrapped up victory when Sergio Aguero

reacted quickest to fire home after Tim Krul had saved his initial effort.

Newcastle United’s Mike Williamson (R) challenges Manchester City’s Stevan Jovetic.

17’ – TRIBUTE. The stadium bursts into applause in memory of the two Newcastle fans who lost their lives on flight MH17.

38’ – GOAL! Newcastle 0-1 City. Dzeko latches onto a long ball in the inside-left channel before taking out two defenders with a sublime backheel. Silva marches onto the loose ball and slots home. The champions lead!

50’ – DOUBLE CHANCE! The corner skims all the way across to Gouffran. The Frenchman controls the ball with his chest, but it just won’t drop in time. City suffocate the midfielder and successfully protect their goal. Moments later, Cabella slices over the bar.

household names, but these players are good enough and the manager believes in them.

“All you need is a platform to go and perform and I’m sure they’ll definitely go and prove people wrong.

“This whole club is about bouncing back from adversity.”

Van Gaal has lost experienced heads like Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra from his playing squad this summer.

But Fletcher thinks the players that remain are strong enough personalities to fill the void.

He said: “People talk about the players that have left but I see it in the eyes of the young players, they’re ready for it and

determined to show people how good they are and we’re determined to show people how good the team are.

“You have to be a big character to play for this club.”

Wayne Rooney equalised for United following Ki Sungyueng’s opener with an overhead kick from short-range.

But the striker’s first outing as captain ended up being one to forget thanks to Gylfi Sigurdsson’s 72nd minute winner.

Rooney admitted it was a far from ideal way to start the season, but the striker trusts Van Gaal to pick the team up in the coming days.

“This is a really bad result for us, but we will learn, especially with the manager we have got,” Rooney said.

“He is strong and he wants 100 per cent every game.

“We know last season was a disaster. It wasn’t good enough and we were ready for the start of this season.

“Maybe after a good preseason we were a bit over confident.

“But we just have to look at the bad points and cut them out. If we do that we will win games.”

Sigurdsson, meanwhile, could not think of a better place to score on his second debut for Swansea.

“Getting three points at Old Trafford is always special, but to score the winner here has been a dream for me ever since I was young,” said Sigurdsson who returned to Swansea this summer following a two-year spell at Tottenham.

“It is one of the biggest stadiums in the world.”

Fletcher Hits Back At McManaman After United Jibe

DARREN Fletcher thinks Steve McManaman, who branded the current Manchester United side the worst he had seen in 20 years, will be eating a large portion of humble pie come the end of the season.

McManaman laid into United at the club as a consequence of following their 2-1 defeat to their recent success.

And the United vice-captain Swansea on the opening day of thinks the former England the season.

The former Liverpool and Real international will be eating his Madrid man, who was a pundit words at the end of May. “People have been waiting for for BT Sport at Old Trafford this weekend, claimed Louis van an opportunity to have a go at Gaal possesses the worst United United for years and this is the squad he had ever seen in two perfect time (to do it),” the Manchester United midfielder decades.

Fletcher thinks McManaman, said.

“It’s a long season and I don’t and United’s other critics, have been desperate to take pot shots think they will be saying those

things at the end of it.

“I believe we’re going to have a very good season.

“All the players believe that too.

“Comments like that give us a greater determination, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Having been part of the United team that finished seventh last year, Fletcher knows how it feels to be on the receiving end of some scathing criticism.

The midfielder may have just been 11-years-old at the time, but he also remembers when former Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen told Sir Alex Ferguson

PSG Confirm Motta Has Broken Nose

PARIS Saint-Germain have said Thiago Motta suffered a broken nose when he was headbutted by Bastia striker Brandao after the match between the teams on Saturday.

The defending Ligue 1 champions secured their first Ligue 1 win of the season with a straightforward 2-0 home success — but the points came at a cost as Motta, star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Gregory van der Wiel were all hurt.

A statement on the official PSG website said: “Further medical examinations... have confirmed the following diagnostics: “A fractured nose for Thiago Motta following the assualt after the match by Bastia player Brandao; “A partial tear of the left oblique muscle of the 12th rib for Zlatan Ibrahimovic;

“A fracture of the second lumbar vertebra for Gregory van der Wiel following a knee in the back from the Bastia player Brandao in the first half.”

The statement said PSG’s medical staff would monitor “the evolution of these injuries under treatment over the next few days” before estimating recovery times.

PSG defender David Luiz criticised Brandao, and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said he hoped the Bastia man would be banned for life.

Brazil international Luiz said: “As footballers, we have the best job in the world. However, part of that job is to set a good example and especially to the children watching.

“What happened after the game does not set a good example, and that sort of attitude is something that you don’t want young children to see.

“It is not part of football. It is something that should not be allowed to happen, not only in football but also in life.

“He [Brandao] is not a young guy, he has played for a number of teams in France. He needs to have a bit more respect and also to remember that he is setting an example with his behaviour.”

Ibrahimovic was substituted in the first half after suffering his injury — but Luiz said he hoped he would not be sidelined for long.

He added: “He is a fantastic player and provides a lot, so let’s pray [that he recovers.”

“you can’t win anything with kids” in 1995.

Ferguson won the league that year and scooped a further 10 titles after building a team around a group of youth players from the famed ‘Class of ‘92’.

Fletcher thinks Van Gaal’s squad has a similar look to it as the one that contained the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and a young Ryan Giggs just over a decade ago.

“To be honest it felt like that in the dressing room today,” said Fletcher, who played alongside debutants Tyler Blackett and Jesse Lingard on Saturday.

“It did have a feel of that in terms of people looking at the squad and maybe not seeing

Darren Flectcher

Farah, Rutherford Lead Gold Rush OLYMPIC heroes Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford led an incredible day for Great Britain, who won five gold medals on the final day to top the table at the European Athletics Championships.

Farah won 5,000 metres gold to add to his 10,000m title in Zurich, while Rutherford added the European long-jump title to his Olympic and Commonwealth golds.

There was also unprecedented success for Britain in the relays, with the men winning both 4x100 and 4x400 titles, and the women stunning favourites France to claim 4x100 gold, setting a British record of 42.24 seconds.

Farah has had a difficult season, with his ill-fated attempt at the London Marathon followed by an illness which ruled him out of the Commonwealth Games.

But, safe in the knowledge he is the fastest finisher in distance running, Farah stayed at the front of a slow tactical race before searing away from Azerbaijan’s Hayle Ibrahimov.

“There have been some down times this year but I’ve got over it,” Farah told BBC Sport.

“Training has gone well in the last couple of weeks and that gave me confidence.

History is important to me and it feels great to make my country proud.”

It is Farah’s fifth European championship gold, and he is now reigning double European, World and Olympic champion.

Watch Mo Farah race away for 5000m gold Mo Farah did what Mo Farah does by searing away to win the 5000m at the European Athletics Championships.

His British team-mate Andy Vernon took bronze to add to his silver medal in the 10,000m.

Earlier in the day Great Britain’s claimed 4x400m gold. Conrad Williams, Matt Hudson-Smith, Michael Bingham and Martyn Rooney powered to victory in two minutes 58:80 ahead of Russia and Poland.

Britain soon topped the table in Zurich and were also ensured of a best ever European Championships as 200m champion Adam Gemili anchored his 4x100 team to claim yet another gold, pulling away from Germany’s Lucas Jakubczyk with 60m or so remaining.

British men win 4x100 gold Adam Gemili powers Great Britain to victory in the 4x100m relay at the European Athletics Championships.

Meanwhile, Rutherford

was busy proving that his Olympic exploits were no fluke by dominating the long jump, his best effort of 8.29 a full 14cm ahead of Louis Tsatsoumas in silver. Indeed, the Milton Keynes star’s second best jump of 8.27 would have won easily.

“It is a real sense of relief because I was seeing how well the British team was doing and everybody was saying to me, ‘You have to go out and do it.’ I was so pleased I could.”

And the Brits were not finished, as the women ran a brilliant relay to destroy the highly-fancied French in the 4x100. GB had taken bronze in the women’s 4x400 earlier.

Mo Farah

Napoli At Deep End With Bilbao Clash

NAPOLI’S first game of the season could be also be one of their most difficult and important as they host Spain’s Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their Champions League playoff tie today.

Arsenal, who visit Besiktas, will be aiming to reach the lucrative group stage for the 17th consecutive season while, at the other extreme Slovan Bratislava, Ludogorets Razgrad and Malmo are all trying to qualify for the first time.

Millions of euros are at stake for the clubs involved in this week’s 10 matches thanks to the huge appearance fees, performance bonuses and television money handed out

by UEFA to those who reached the group stage.

Last season, UEFA awarded each of the 32 teams 8.6 million euros just for taking part in the group stage, with more thrown in for wins and draws.

Napoli’s participation last season brought them 38.6 million euros, including 4 million in the so-called performance bonuses and 26 million euros their share of the television market pool.

Failure to beat Athletic, Europa League runners-up in 2012, could put immediate pressure on Napoli coach Rafael Benitez, whose debut season last season was regarded as only satisfactory.

A third place Serie A finish and the Coppa Italia title were the bare minimum expected from the Spaniard at Italy’s biggest-spending club who performed only in fits and starts last term, repeatedly dropping precious Serie A points against lower-placed opposition.

“Those two matches can shape a season because it’s true that the Champions League provides a different dimension to the club, the city and to us players,” said Napoli forward Marek Hamsik.

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez,

“Among the five possible opponents, with Athletic we have been landed with the most difficult,” warned Benitez. “They’re a team who play good football and, at home, the 50,000 at San Mames give them a big push.

It will be a very good, and very intense game.”

Arsenal will have played one Premier League match before they visit Besiktas in Istanbul on Tuesday, although last season’s 5-0 aggregate

win over Fenerbahce suggests they should be able to cope with the Turks.

Slovan Bratislava host Belarus champions BATE Borisov on Wednesday as they attempt to emulate MSK Zilina, MFK Kosice and Petrzalke by representing Slovakia in the group stage.

Ludogorets Razgrad begin their attempt to become only the second Bulgarian side to qualify when they visit former European champions Steaua Bucharest today.

Malmo, runners-up in the old European Cup, visit Austrian champions Salzburg

yesterday, hoping to become the first Swedish team to qualify for 14 years.

Salzburg themselves have not qualified since the takeover by the Red Bull energy drinks manufacturers in 2005 although they did qualify in 1994-95, back in the old days when they still played in violet and white.

Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel will return to his old club with Zenit St Petersburg when the Russians, led by Portuguese coach Andre Villas-Boas, visit Standard Liege tomorrow.

Nigeria Maul New Zealand 4-1 To their spark and both teams Reach Semis losing THE Super Falconets of struggling to control possession Nigeria defeated New Zealand in the quater final of the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women World Cup in Canada.

Nigeria started quickly, just as Peter Dedevbo’s side did against Korea Republic in the group stage, and proved to be too strong for New Zealand as Asisat Oshoala’s brace gave the Super Falconets a 4-1 win and passage into the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014.

Oshoala scored just 31 seconds into the game, finishing an attack that began when Nigeria kicked off. Ugo Njoku sent in an inchperfect cross from the right to find the No4 in between two New Zealand defenders, who calmly headed home from six yards.

Oshoala’s opening goal is the second-fastest goal at a U-20 Women’s World Cup, only bested by team-mate Courtney Dike’s strike 18 seconds into Nigeria’s second group stage game.

With the African side clearly in charge, Oshoala doubled Nigeria’s lead 11 minutes later.

Chinwendu Ihezuo sent a delightful ball into space, beating four Kiwi defenders with the pass, for Oshoala to chase down.

The speedy forward took one touch towards goal and finished through the Lily Alfeld’s legs. An enthusiastic dancing celebration with Oshoala and her team-mates ensued near the corner flag.

New Zealand, who were playing in their first quarter-final at a U-20 Women’s World Cup, looked out of their comfort zone throughout the first half and were never able to trouble the Nigerian backline. After the second goal, Dedevbo’s team quieted down as well as both teams looked to navigate the wet conditions in Moncton.

After that the action quieted down significantly with Nigeria

on a rainy pitch in Moncton. It was much of the same after the break, though Emma Rolston nearly gave New Zealand a way back into the game in the 54th minute. The No14 was strong in the air and flicked on a hopeful long ball, which nearly caught goalkeeper Sandra Chiichii by surprise at the far post, but she was able to get a hand on it.

MANCHESTER United target Marcos Rojo has apologised to Sporting Lisbon for refusing to train in an attempt to force a move.

United are interested in the Argentina international and reportedly bid 16 million pounds for the World Cup finalist, who seemed to be doing his best to secure an exit.

But the 24-year-old defender confirmed he would return to training with the Portuguese club on Monday after accepting that he was out of line, telling the club’s official website: “It was a misunderstanding and I was hotheaded. I regret what happened, because I feel like I didn’t act professionally.

“Now I am going to try and

fix the situation. We have spoken, we have understood each other and I am back in training at the Academy.”

United turned to Rojo after two of their main defensive targets — Mats Hummels and Thomas Vermaelen — eluded them, with Van Gaal keen to reinforce his back line following an opening day home defeat to Swansea.

The left-back has also been at the centre of a row between Sporting and sports investment company Doyen, who reportedly stood to earn 75 percent of the proceeds from his sale.

Sporting terminated the agreement with Doyen after accusing them of conspiring with other clubs to ensure bids came in for Rojo.

Marcos Rojo Back In Sporting Training

Courage; Comrade Adams Oshiomhole

In my earlier article published on the back pages of ‘The Nigerian OBSERVER’ of 1st & 2nd July, 2014, I gave reasons why you are not qualified for the Crucifix. In this article, I am here to encourage you. Happy reading please.

POEM/SONG Courage Brother, Do not stumble. Though thy path be dark as night, There is a light to guide to ‘morrow, Do your best and leave the rest.

The foregone is one of the infantile songs thought us in the Elementary School days. They were songs meant to teach us the philosophy of life. This particular one tries to let us know that no matter how seemingly dark our path may be in life, we should make use of the light of God to tread safely and do the best we can.

In this my piece of encouragement, I will use the experience of a Hero past. This Hero was David in the Bible. Before he ascended the throne of Israel he first tasted the wilderness experience as a result of persecution from his master king Saul Kish out of share jealousy of success which was not David’s making but God’s. this led him to be fugitive in the wilderness.

As if this was not enough, a day dawned when David and the Six hundred men with him went out for an occasion only to return and met their settlement invaded, raided, burnt, and all their wives, children, belongings carted away by warriors from Amalek called the Amalekites.

The record went on to say that both David and all his 600 mighty men started to cry and weep for their families until there was no more strength for any of them to weep. The record went further to say that “THE PEOPLE TOOK UP STONES WITH THE INTENTION TO STONE DAVID TO DEATH”, but a beautiful note came up and that is “BUT DAVID

E N C O U R A G E D HIMSELF IN THE LORD”.

This is the issue - David encouraged himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:1-19).

The Six hundred men with David were made up of his kinsmen, the oppressed, the poor, the needy who for fear of what king Saul might do to them ran to David for refuge and safety in the wilderness, but with a shaking they turned their back against him. You need to learn from David’s experience and do likewise. Don’t be discouraged. Be strong in your inner man.

Comrade Governor, you came to Edo State when there was full scale of rottenness, dilapidation, break down of law and order, underdevelopment, in all sectors of the economy and infrastructure. School buildings were not habitable. Roads were not passable. Potable water was not possible. Youths were largely unemployed almost 95% leaving 5% degree of freedom given to immediate past administration according to social scientists in place of human error or imperfection. Transport facilities were scanty.

Gultars were silted. All major roads in the State capital of Benin City were already too narrow to cope with the present day increase in vehicular traffic. Absence of a single asphalted road in especially Orhionmwon, Uhunmwode, all the Ovia Local Government Areas.

But for your coming I do not know of anytime when the rocky hither land of Etsako land would have had their bush paths asphalted. Your network of asphalted roads are

testimonies all over Edo State. Only one State University existed before you came, but you have made it three. All these are a very few of the numerous no-go areas before you came, which you have made go-areas.

of your good works speaks volumes.

The insignificant number of your close confidants who recently turned against you, casting aspersions on you are not to deter you at all when you juxtapose them with the

MATTERS IN FOCUS With REV. DR. RAPHAEL U. OIZIMENDE JP overtook them and recovered all their wives, children and possessions from them. Recently, I was so thrilled to read of about 3,000 members of the opposition party decamping to join your party, APC. As David

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Governor of Edo State I join the plenty Edo people to say “Thank you Baba God” for bringing you to us. However, when you came God helped you and you fixed up what some unscrupulous Edo enemies thought were impossible. The testimony

numerous Edoites who love, appreciate you, and your works.

In that David’s encounter he asked God for a recovery of all he had lost to the Amalekites. At God’s bid, he and his men pursued the Amalekites,

pursued and recovered all, so you will recover all who have left you either in persons or in other persons more than their number from the opposing and other parties. Amen.

Before I conclude, I want to recall a parable and the

story of a boy’s question on what courage was. a) The parable of an Agama Lizard who fell from an Iroko tree. It waited for a while for someone around to praise him but none did. Afterwards it praised (encouraged) itself b) The story of a child who asked his Mum one day “what is courage; is it like our little pussy cat, when tired goes to rest under the table”? “I’ll answer you later,” the mum said.

Few days later, while both were driving along a country side road, the Mum cited a Rose flower blossoming in the midst of a burnt bush. She yelled to her son, “son! Look at that flower, that is “COURAGE.” Yes in the midst of scorchy sun, in a burnt bush, yet the Rose sprung up inspite of the harsh condition.

Obafemi Awolowo did it in the old Western Region.

Samuel Ogbemudia did it in the Midwestern State, Ambrose Alli did it in Bendel State, Agbazika Innih did it and Adams Oshiomhole is doing it in Edo State.

Adams Oshiomhole keep doing what you are doing. We who are for you are by far more numerous than those who are against you. I say again “Courage’, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Rev. Dr. Raphael U. Oizimende JP P. O. Box 10244, Benin City.

08055375303, 07033227427 rafelide@gmail.com

“Adams Oshiomhole keep doing what you are doing. We who are for you are by far more numerous than those who are against you. I say again “Courage’, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.”

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