Nigerian observer 24 11 2014 by Nigerian Observer

THE NIGERIAN

The Nigerian

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol . 39 NO.127 • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2 014 • N100.00

RELIGION Pg. 27

CMYK

How Far Is Heaven?

OPINION Pg. 14

Ebola: A Bowl Of Contradictions

Edo puts modalities in place

Handing over of former Army Barracks: BENIN CITY - Edo State Government is putting modalities in place for a formal handing over of the former Army Barracks Ikpoba Hill, Benin City to

Edo State Government by the Army Authorities. This was made known by the Hon. Commissioner for Lands and Surveys, Barr. Osikhena-Boih Donald

when he paid an inspection visit to the Former Army Barracks, lkpoba Hill, Benin City in Company of some

officers of the 4 Mechanized Brigade, Nigeria Army, Benin City. Barr Osikhena-Boih Donald said the visit was a continuation of the re Continues on page 2

“The commission is making arrangements with the Nigerian Air Force, Navy and other security agents to ensure safety of lives

and property during the 2015 general elections. “We expect Nigerians to understand that the engagement of security agents to maintain law

2015: INEC to use Airforce, Navy for elections - Commissioner

JALINGO – The Independent National Electoral Commission said it would engage the services of Nigerian Air Force, Navy and other security agencies for adequate security during the general elections in 2015. Mr Austin Okojie, the commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Taraba State, disclosed this while addressing Batch B corps members at

and order is to enable us to conduct free, fair and acceptable elections’’, he said. Okojie advised corps members to be patriotic

NYSC Orientation Camp in Jalingo yesterday. Okojie explained that the move was necessary given the level of insecurity in the country.

in the elections. Mr Freeman Tumba, the State Coordinator of NYSC, commended the role of corp members in Continues on page 2

Catholics celebrate Corpus his glorious By ROLAND OSAKUE/ Christi ascended throne as the ruler over IKPONMWOBA JOEL all the kings on earth

BENIN CITY- Catholic faithful worldwide yesterday trooped out to celebrate the ‘Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe’ also known as “corpus Christi” which led to their embarking on procession within their domain to proclaim the eternal kingship and authority of Christ in heaven and earth. The annual celebration handed down by the early universal church mark the power and authority of Jesus Christ in line with the demonstration of his kingship on earth in relation to peace and salvation of mankind came up immediately after the mass. On the procession, the congregation from St Francis and St Paul Catholic Church in the State capital, led by Very Rev Fr (Dr) Benedict Etafo and Rev Fr Paul Enow, respectively carried the “Holy Blessed Sacrament” converged on the Dr Samuel Ogbemudia

stadium to pray for peace and security of lives and property before, during and after the general election in the country. Similarly, the faithful at St Gabriel the Archangel and that of St Maria Goretti as well as other parishes in the Archdiocese of Benin City also marched through major streets yesterday to commemorate the celebration, proclaiming Christ the king. The procession, however, disrupted the free flow of traffic within the metropolis as the time coincided with the closing time of other churches who were hurrying to get to their various destinations. It took the combined efforts of volunteers and spirited individual to abate the traffic. In a homily taken from the book of Matthew 25: 31-46 by the Priest in residence at St Francis Catholic Church, Benin City, Rev Fr Jude Awua stated that Christ has

and in heaven, who has come to redeem man from sin. The Cleric further explained that the kings of the world had nothing to offer to mankind but rather to embezzle what belonged to their subjects or kill to retain the power of their throne, as he particularly called on politicians who would want to cling to power without ameliorating the plight of Continues on page 2

SOLEMNITY: Catholics worldwide celebrated the solemnity of Christ the King. Embarking on procession to mark the occasion, Rev. Fr. Celestine Yedeji, SMA, Assistant Parish Priest, St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, Ugbiokho, carrying the Monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament encased during the walk yesterday.

BENIN CITY - The General Officer Commanding 2 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Emmanuel Funsho Abejirin has

commissioned infrastructural projects executed by Headquarters 4 Brigade Nigerian Army. A press statement by

GOC commissions new soldiers accommodation Army Public Relations Officer, Captain

Abubakar Abdullahi said that the five projects

US committed to credible elections in Nigeria By INNEH BARTH ASABA – The United States of America has reiterated its commitment towards

ensuring that Nigeria organizes free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections devoid of violence, said United States Consul

- Hawkins General, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins. He pledged that USA will provide support for

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, civil society organizations and Continues on page 2

commissioned included newly constructed young soldiers accommodation of 12 self contained flats, which is meant to alleviate shortage of living accommodation in the Brigade Headquarters complex. Continues on page 2

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News

GOC commissions new soldiers accommodation Continued from page 1 Also the GOC commissioned a completed 1021 Brigade workshop complex which was abandoned 3 decades ago. The complex comprises of office accommodation, repairs segment, truck and other vehicle parking bay. Ministry of Defence civilian personnel unit was also not left out as the commander 4 Brigade constructed a well furnished office accommodation for them which also been commissioned accordingly. Besides, the GOC commissioned renovated abandoned 3 block classrooms at Command Children School Benin The classrooms is to expressed boost enrolment into the school and make access to education easier to soldiers wards. While commissioning the projects, General Abejirin commended the effort of the Brigade in providing basic infrastructures to its troops; saying it will go a long way to boost their morale and benefit the neighboring community, thereby maintaining the cordial civilmilitary relationship. Conducting the GOC round the entire projects, The Commander 4 Brigade, Brig Gen Okwudili Fidelis Azinta explained that the crave to embark on the project is to improve the accommodation and other infrastructures state. He commended the GOC for accepting to commission the projects and urged Soldiers and other beneficiaries of the project to

Army Barracks

Continued from page 1 establishment of the Army Barracks Land and that it will enable the State Government know the size of the land to be released for the benefit of Edo people. The Land and Survey Commissioner used the opportunity of the visit to hint that the handing over will be in about a month’s time and that any Army personnel still living in the Barracks will be relocated to Ekenwan Barracks. Those who accompanied the Hon. Commissioner for the inspection visit were the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Lands and Survey, M. E. Okojie, Esq the Surveyor General of Edo State, Surveyor Godwin Osayande and other management staff of the Ministry.

2015

Continued from page 1 the country’s electoral process so far. He said corp members were the best set of Nigerians to bring credibility to the nation’s electoral process.

make the best use of the facilities provided. The event was attended by Senior military officers both serving and retired including

Maj Gen Labaran, commander Nigerian Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers,

Director, Edo State Department of state security service and representative of state commissioner of Police.

Credible election in Nigeria Continued from page 1 groups involved in campaigns against violence, especially during elections. Disclosing this to journalists in Asaba, Delta State, Hawkins said the support became necessary in view of what he termed “an upstick in political jockeying among supporters of various candidates and rise in politically affiliated violence across the Niger Delta”. According to him, “I can say with little doubt that security and stability will continue to

be a challenge in the months to come”. While admitting that electoral institutions, civil society, the police and the youth have a role to play in ensuring peaceful and violence free elections, the politicians and candidates of the various political parties, he emphasized have major roles to play in determining whether political contests become violent or otherwise. The US Consul General who said Nigeria democracy will grow stronger when

parties and candidates accept that their defeats are not wholly as a result of the malfeasance of their opponent or opponents’ supporters, admonished losers in any electoral contest to concede defeat or in the alternative, seek redress in the law court. He particularly appealed to aspirants in Delta State and their supporters to stand against violence and promote peaceful participation before, during and after the 2015 general elections.

FG to link state capitals with rail LONDON - President Goodluck Jonathan said all system, says Jonathan state capitals would be linked with rail transportation to boost the nation’s economy. Jonathan stated this in London at the 17th meeting of the Honorary International Investment Council (HIIC) with the theme: Rail Transportation. He said that with such nationwide rail coverage, roads and highways would be better maintained, adding “if we do not link state capitals by rail, our roads will not last.’’ On upgrade and expansion of the nation’s public infrastructure, the President said, “we cannot mould the economy of the country without good infrastructure. “Quite a number of companies construct roads to their sites. This is not supposed to be so. We are committed to addressing this, we have been working hard and we have improved our road networks significantly.’’ He expressed optimism that government will resurface all federal road networks across the country within the next three years. “We intend to initiate some new ones that are very critical especially to link up Port- Harcourt city and Bonny, the major gas exporting terminal of our country’’, Jonathan said. The President also informed the HIIC members of government’s commitment to securing the nation’s air space and improving the quality of airport terminal buildings. Jonathan assured that government was determined to end security challenge facing the country. “We are improving in the area of security, for about a week now, no new story of Boko Haram holding territories. “Instead, we are reducing them by the day, before now, many local government areas in Borno State were taken by Boko Haram, but

now it has reduced. “We are working to put an end to the holding of territories by Boko Haram’’, he stressed. Baroness Lynda Chalker, HIIC Coordinator, said the council had focused on various sectors of the economy since inception. “But this 17th meeting will focus on rail transportation given its critical role to the economy.’’ She held that positive news about Nigeria was over shadowed by what is happening now. “We must work together to project positive news and achievements. “It is not in anybody’s interest to run Nigeria down’’, she said. Chalker lauded the nation’s response in tackling the Ebola disease and paid tribute to the late Dr Stella Adadavoh. She said her action

stopped what would have been a terrible devastation for Nigeria, “but unfortunately, she died.’’ The Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other topics discussed included opportunities and reforms in the power and construction sectors. The Ministers of Transportation, Power, Works, Aviation, Finance, National Planning, Trade and Investment as well as Defence made presentations. The HIIC, made up of prominent investors around the world, advises governments on economic development. The areas of the Council’s partnership with Nigeria include reducing corruption, attracting foreign direct investment and promoting a private sector driven economy.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Hoodlums invade Aruogba community By MIKE OSAROGIAGBON BENIN CITY – At least, one person was allegedly killed while several buildings and vehicles burnt down by hoodlums who invaded Aruogba Community in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, weekend, even as police arrested a person in connection with the mayhem. The invaders, said to be numbering over 40 and each of them armed with pump action and double barrel guns, stormed the community in the morning of Saturday, November 22, 2014 shooting sporadically as they unleashed terror on their targets. When our crime correspondent in company of some policemen visited the area shortly after the attack, relics and rumbles of the affected property littered the spots. Shops and most residential buildings were under lock and key. No fewer than five residential buildings and six exotic cars set ablaze while windshield of over seven vehicles were smashed by the rampaging thugs. Investigation revealed that the worst hit property, a luxury two flat bungalow with corrugated roofing sheets, four cars all surrounded by over six-feet perimeter wall fence that was razed belong to the chairman, Aruogba Community Development Association (CDA), Mr. Wilfred Aiyamenkhue. It was gathered that the crisis was triggered by the protracted leadership tussle rocking the community CDA. The CDA chairman Mr. Wilfred Aiyamenkhue alleged that one Okoro Ogbaretin led

his gang to attack the community in protest of the recent High Court decision that he, Aiyamenkhue should lead the CDA for the next for years. He further alleged that ever since the court pronouncement, the said Ogbaretin has been terrorizing the community in fulfillment of his vow to make the area insecure throughout the four year tenure. Mr. Aiyamenkhue also alleged that on that faithful morning, he was in his residence at Aruogba when, like a scene in a gangster movie, he sighted Ogbaretin leading over 40 armed youths to his house as he swiftly escaped. The youth chairman of the community Mr. Usinefo Omoregie corroborated Mr. Aiyemenkhue’s allegations, adding that the said Ogbaretin also led his group to damage 10 vehicles in the community, few weeks ago. They however, noted that several appeal for police and army patrol of the area have been made without tangible result. Responding, Okoro Ogbaretin who said he was in Lagos told our correspondent on telephone that he knew nothing about the attack which he said claimed the life of one of his aides. The commissioner of police in Edo State, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo stated that no life was lost in the mayhem as nine suspects have been apprehended. He added that one pump action with live ammunition was also recovered as he has beefed up security in and around the community to forestall further break down of law and order.

Delta police cautions politicians against violence By INNEH BARTH

ASABA – Ahead of the yuletide and the forthcoming general elections in the country, the Delta state Police Command has warned criminals as well as politicians in the state against involving in crimes and encouraging violence, vowing to deal decisively on anyone caught. The state Commissioner of Police, Alkali Baba Usman,

Catholics

Continued from page 1 the people. He however enjoined the faithful to rather put their trust on Jesus Christ, who remained the author and finisher of their faith, pointing out that the kings of the world were only out to impoverish the people.

handed this warning at Asaba, during a press briefing where the Command also paraded some suspected armed robbers and cultists arrested in November. “It is indeed another happy moment for me to welcome you to this press briefing and to showcase some of our major achievements in reducing crime in the Command since the beginning of this month,” he said. He said operatives of AntiCrime patrol team from Obiarukwu Division in Ukwuani Local Government Area, while on patrol along New Sapele, Agbor road, intercepted one Toyota Highlander Jeep with, Reg. No. ABH 629 AA with three

occupants, and on sighting the police, they abandoned the vehicle and fled into the bush. According to him, preliminary investigation

revealed that the said vehicle was snatched at gun point from its owner, Engr. Joseph Okolie in Warri the same day, noting that within this month, 12 suspects were arrested, 12 firearms recovered, six cartridges and four vehicles, as well as two motor cycles were recovered.

IG warns youths against ABUJA – The Inspectorcultism General of Police, Mr wastage of the lives of some Suleiman Abba yesterday in Abuja expressed worry over recent reports from some states on the involvement of youths in cult activities and thuggery. A statement issued by the force spokesman, ACP Emmanuel Ojukwu, said Abba expressed concern that the involvement of youths in such activities had led to the death of some while others sustained injuries. He said that as a parent, he was concerned about the

youths in the unworthy exercise. He added that he also felt the pains of parents whose children were following ways of destruction. The I-G urged the youths to make use of the several opportunities of development in the country, obey the laws of the land and focus on their academics and vocations. He said those were the things that would prepare them to lead the nation in the years ahead.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

News Cleric Urges Girls, Women To Shun Abortion LAGOS - A Catholic Cleric, Rev. Fr. Gasper Olanrewaju, weekend urged girls and women to shun abortion as it constituted a crime against humanity. Olanrewaju, who is also a former Parish Priest of Saints Joachim and Anne Catholic Church, Ijegun, Lagos, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Lagos. He spoke at the end of a rally on ‘’Walk for Life” organised by the church to sensitise public on the dangers of abortion to human life. Olanrewaju said: “abortion, in any form, is an irreparable harm

JTF Demolishes Stolen Crude Depot YENAGOA - The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, code named Operation Pulo Shield, said it had destroyed a depot for stolen crude and set ablaze two trucks with crude in Eleme community in Rivers. A statement signed by Lt.-Col. Mustapha Anka, the Spokesman for the task force issued in Yenagoa weekend said that the building housing the illegal depot was demolished during the operation. According to the statement, the illegal crude storage facility was connected to a 28-inch compromised Rukpoku-Bonny crude oil pipeline operated by Shell. The pipeline was breached at Elelewo Community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers and a hose connected to the illegal storage facility. The storage facility consisted of a well reservoir where the stolen crude was stored before loading to trucks between 12.00 am and 4.00 am. “Two trucks with 45,000 liters capacity each, loaded with stolen crude oil were intercepted and arrested during the operation. “One of the tankers arrested had registration number RV XA 356 BGM, while the second had no plate number. “The loaded trucks were about leaving the premises before the anti oil theft team of the task force intercepted them,” the JTF said. The JTF said that no arrest was made as the suspects absconded on sighting troops. “The trucks and contents with the hose were taken to a safe location and destroyed in line with mandate of the task force. “The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Security (DSS) and the SPDC surveillance team witnessed the destruction,” the statement read in part.

done to the innocent. “Any female, who procures a completed abortion, incurs excommunication by the commission of the offence as provided by Canon Law of the Catholic Church. “Human life must be respected and recognised by the civil society and the state from the moment of conception as an embryo until death, “ he told newsmen. The cleric also urged relevant authorities to provide appropriate sanctions for “every deliberate termination of human life”. He said that responsible parenthood would help both the family and society at large to curb the trend. Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of the church, Mr Martins Nwabuwa, said that abortion and other forms of forceful killings were “supreme dishonour to the creator”. “The culture of killing of innocent lives has grown far than ever imagined by the church and by God. “A state or an individual does not have the right to decide who has dignity to life and existence which is recognised by God from the moment of conception. “This walk is to sensitise the

public on the dangers of abortion as well as to educate the public that abortion is a sin in the sight of God,“ he said. Nwabuwa urged every citizen to imbibe the culture of respect for human life from the moment of conception. He described abortion, genocide, embryonic stem-cell research, condoms, contraceptives and same sex union as intrinsic evils on human life. Nwabuwa also advised parents to educate their children about their sexual experience, saying that sex education should start from home. “Life is sacred and that is why God holds it to a great deal. “Therefore, abortion in any

way is bad as nothing can justify

the act as the child is innocent,”

he said.

L-R: Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zannah Umar; Jigawa State Deputy Governor, Ahmed Mohammed Gmel; Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Rev. Ifeanyi Nwoye and Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Yomi Awoniyi, at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja recently.

Evolve Sustainable Entrepreneurial Devt, Jonathan Tells Varsities ZARIA (KADUNA) President Goodluck Jonathan has tasked Nigerian universities to evolve sustainable strategies for entrepreneurial development among the youth. He stated this weekend at the 37th convocation of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Samaru,

Zaria. Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Education, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, said entrepreneurial development was cardinal to national growth and must be pursued diligently. He said that government would continue to address the issue of

Minister of State for Finance, Amb. Basir Yuguda; Minister of National Planning, Abubakar Suleiman and Vice President Namadi Sambo, at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja recently.

employment for rapid economic growth. “I urge you to let your training be relevant to the competitive labour market and entrepreneurial space that our growing economy provides. “As graduates, you should apply your knowledge, skills and creativity to avail yourselves of the opportunities created by several policies of this administration,’’ he said. Jonathan also urged Nigerian universities to always pursue goals that would facilitate unity, growth and corporate existence of Nigeria. He described ABU as an embodiment of peace, unity and excellent service in view of its achievements in bringing people together irrespective of ethnicity and religion. He charged both the council and management of the university to sustain the training of young Nigerians who would in turn use their ability to contribute to national growth and development. While promising to increase

access to quality education, Jonathan said his administration had increase admission intake into universities from 400,000 to more than one million. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, said that the university produced 33 graduates with First Class degree 1,273 with Second Class Upper degree, 5,064 with Second Class Lower degree, 2,287 with Third Class degree and 183wit Pass degree. Other granduates are 2,136 in Post-Graduate Diploma, 2, 339 in Masters Degree and in Doctoral degree. He reminded the graduating students that by the conferment of higher degrees and diplomas on them, they had become members of more than 500,000 alumni that the university had produced in the last 50 years. “I implore you to conduct yourself on the basis of solid character defined by humanity, honesty, dedication, respect, tolerance, moderation and sacrifice for the sake of others and the society.

recorded setbacks in food supply in 2012. He urged Imo Government to setup Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) in all the 27 local government areas of the state. The director-general said that since most of the disasters occurred in the rural areas, there was urgent need for government to establish local machineries at the grassroots. He also called on the state government to ensure that all the drainage systems within its jurisdiction, especially in the state capital were functional to enable water flow in its normal direction. According to him, NAMA has

approved relief materials to support some flood victims in September in Orlu and some residents of Federal Housing in Owerri. Mr Anthony Awuka, the Secretary to the State Government, represented by Mrs Uche Eze, said the state government had inaugurated LEMC in some local government councils. “We have commissioned LEMC in some LGAs but before the end of this year, we are going to commission the remaining LGAs,” he said. Representatives of the Fire Service, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, NGOs and a cross section of youth corps members attended the workshop.

Disaster Control: NAMA Tasks Nigerians On

Early Warning Measures OWERRI Alhaji Mohammed Sidi, the DirectorGeneral, National Emergency Management Agency (NAMA), has advised Nigerians to join in the fight against disasters by applying early warning measures. The director-general gave the advice in Owerri weekend during a workshop organised by the agency with the theme: “Building Resilience of Communities and Community Managed Early Warning System”. Sidi, who was represented by the NAMA Coordinator, Owerri

Operations Office, Dr Innocent Ezeaku, also urged the people to be conscious of early signs of disaster. The NAMA boss advised that Nigerians must be wary of hazards of disasters, saying that the warning became imperative to avoid being victims of natural disasters. He said most of the disasters that occurred in the country were instigated by human actions. Sidi, however, said that many of the disasters could have been averted if people applied early measures. He said that the agency was

poised to carry awareness campaigns on early warning measures to every part of the country. He urged Nigerians to contribute their quota to such efforts by adhering strictly to the rules of maintaining the environment. Sidi said that natural disasters had caused many setbacks to Nigerian economy, including the loss of many of its resources to disasters. “In 2012, this nation spent billions of naira sending relief materials to victims of flood,” he said. He said that Nigeria also

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

News

NOA Inaugurates Voter Education BIRNIN KEBBI - The Campaigns in Kebbi National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Kebbi State weekend commenced voter education campaign as part of efforts to ensure that registered voters would elect credible leaders. The state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Shehu Sambawa, who represented Governor Saidu Dakingari, at the event, directed state owned media stations to ensure equal coverage of activities of all the political parties. Sambwa urged media stations to be fair and neutral in their coverage of political campaigns, stressing that state owned media stations had been so directed on the issue. He advised the media organisations to shun

Nile Varsity Law Faculty To Commence in 2015 - VC ABUJA - The Law Faculty of the Nigerian Turkish Nile University (NTNU) will commence before the end of 2015, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Hussein Sert, has said. Sert told newsmen weekend in Abuja on Saturday that NTNU had got necessary approval to establish the faculty from the National Universities Commission (NUC). According to him, all the facilities, including lecture halls, academic materials and lecturers are set. “Our law faculty is ready to start; we have got the approval from NUC and we are taking off, we will soon start admitting students to the faculty. “We have the structures and lecturers; we are ready to maintain our high standards in law as we do in other disciplines. “We keep expanding our facilities in physical standards and academics; whatever any student can get from any European university is available in our university. “What they pay is commensurate with what they get,’’ he said He said that 30 per cent of all academic staff in the institution came from countries such as Turkey, New Zealand, Russia, USA, Cameroon, Chad, Benin, Senegal and some Asian countries. He said the Faculty of Medicine would also commence January, 2015.

inflammatory messages for sustenance of peace and unity in the country. Sambwa advised the media to “give priority to enlightenment on policies and programmes and issues of unity”. He used the occasion to call on political parties to enlighten their members on the importance of peace and unity and commended the NOA for the campaign on voter education. “The campaign would ensure that issues of invalid votes were eliminated,” he said. The Acting Director of NOA in the state, Mr Joseph

Yaro, said the agency would ensure that the campaign reached rural dwellers, “in our quest to sustain democracy”. “The agency would also dissuade people from violence and thuggery in preference to dialogue in resolving issues,” he said. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Alhaji Mukaila Abdullahi, commended NOA for embarking on the voter education campaign. He, however, decried the failure of registered voters to collect their permanent voter cards, stressing that: “we hope people would not deny themselves of their civic duties”.

General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Nigerian Army, maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Funsho Abejirin cutting the tape to formally commission one of the newly constructed infrastructural projects executed by the Headquarters, 4 Brigade, nigerian Army, Benin City.

FG Demonstrates Rice Threshing Machine LAVUN (NIGER) -The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development weekend demonstrated the use of local fabricated rice threshing machine to farmers in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger. The Director, Rice Value Chain, Dr Victor Onyeneke, who introduced and demonstrated the machine to over 100 farmers, said the idea was to remove impurity

associated with paddy rice. Represented by Mrs. Ihecherem Nneka, an Assistant Chief Agricultural Officer, Onyeneke said the machine saves time compared to using manual method of processing the paddy rice. “Most of our processed local rice cannot compete favourably with foreign rice because of impurities such as stones and others from the farms. “The introduction of

thresher cleaner machine will ensure that our local rice compete favourably with any foreign rice,’’ he said. The director said the programme was part of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government introducing the mobile rice thresher to rice farmers across the country. He said the idea of fabricating the machine with local content was a collaboration of the ministry,

Africa Rice and National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation, (NCAM) Ilorin. Onyeneke said that the machine, which would be put into use by the farmers for one month, would be sold to rice producing community in the state at between N300, 000 and N700, 000 each. Mr Bello Salihu, the state Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the

LAGOS - The Managing Director, Mutual Benefits Assurance, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, weekend urged the Federal Governments to guarantee investments in the non-oil exports. Ogunbiyi gave the advice at the 2014 Nigeria Non-Oil Export and Investment Development Conference in Lagos. The theme of the conference organised by the Publishers of Business Journal is: “Nigeria: Beyond Oil & Gas’’. Ogunbiyi said that government should also pay attention to agricultural produce, agro-allied industries, manufacturing, development of solid minerals and revival of all aspects of the economy. He said that the fall in the price of oil in the international market called for urgent diversification of the economy. “The key issues in non-oil export is enabling environment that will allow money to be invested in those areas. “This will happen if the nation’s leaders will be sincere to give investors what is

required,’’ Ogunbiyi said. He said that currently, there was no framework to guarantee investments in the non-oil export. According to him, it is incumbent on us as a country to pay the much deserved attention to agricultural products. Ogunbiyi said Nigeria existed and cater for its population before the oil windfall, adding that the nation’s overdependence on oil over the years had adversely affected agriculture. He said the country could go back to producing palm oil, cocoa, cassava and other nonoil products as well as site manufacturing outfit to enhance their values. Also, Mr Robert Orya, the Managing Director of Nigerian-Export Import Bank (NEXIM), said that the issues of diversifying the economy should be taken seriously. Orya, represented by Mr Tayo Omidiji, Head, Strategic Planning in NEXIM, spoke on: “The Drive for Non-Oil Export: The NEXIM Perspective’’.

He said that NEXIM would guarantee credit facilities to exporters and business advisory to Small and Medium Scale Industries. The managing director said the bank would also intervene in the manufacturing, agroprocessing, solid minerals and services sector like transport, tourism and

entertainment industries. In his remark, Mr Prince Cockey, the Publisher of Business Journal, said that this was the time to discuss the way forward for the Nigeria’s economy without oil. He said that it was important to pay attention to the non-oil export to sustain the nation’s economic growth.

Non-Oil Export: Insurance Expert Urges FG To Guarantee Investment

machine was capable of threshing one tonne of paddy rice per hour. Salihu said that the manual labour would have taken between eight hours for the same processing. He said that the introduction of the machine was to address the challenges of production and processing faced by rice farmers in the country. He said the various rice producing communities that have formed cooperative societies were expected to place order for the machine through the ministry. He said that the machine could also thresh sorghum and maize. Alhaji Mohammed Chado, Chairman Sosa Rice Farmers Cooperative Society, commended the Federal Government for the gesture. Chado said that the machine would reduce the stress of rice farmers in producing neat paddy rice.

Accomodation facility for young soldiers recently constructed by 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army Headquarters, Benin City.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Across The Nation Boko Haram: Govt Urged To Provide ABUJA - The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Michika Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa have called on the Federal and Adamawa Governments to provide them with more security. Some communities in the LGA were recently dislodged by the Boko Haram insurgency which has been ravaging parts of the North-East. Leader of the IDPs, Michika Group, Mr Yohanna Zambwa, told newsmen that many of the IDPs had been rendered homeless due to the insurgency. He added that many of the victims had been made orphans due to the problem in the region. “None of us can be proud of anything, except the life God has given us. All what our fathers, grandfathers and ourselves toiled for have gone. “We are crying out to government and any group that can come to our aid. We cannot send our children to hospitals or schools,’’ Zambwa said. The leader of the group said the group had left the IDPs’ camp in Yola due to a recent Boko Haram attack and would want more security in the area. “This will encourage us to want

of the country, including More Security parts Abuja. to return to the area. Anything short of more security will not help our situation,’’ he said. Speaking earlier at a National Peace Conference organised by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) in Abuja, Zambwa alleged that the Boko Haram insurgents who attacked the Michika communities wore Army uniforms. He said some Michika residents who ran to the mountains when Boko Haram insurgents attacked them had not returned home. The group leader said the other victims had also fled to different

L-R: Acting Controller General, Federal Fire Service, Mr. Ademola Jolaoso; representative of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mr. William Alo; Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Amb. Nuhu Bajoga and representative of Minister of Interior, Mr. Ogbonaya Innocent, at the National Council on Fire conference in Kaduna recently.

Promote Ethics, Moral Values, Presidential Aide Advises Politicians

ABUJA - Mrs Sarah Jibril, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Ethics and Moral Values, has advised politicians to promote ethics and moral values to ensure free and fair elections in 2015. Jibril gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in

2 Computer Operators Arraigned Assault:

ABUJA - Two computer operators have appeared before a Grade 1 Area Court, Kado, Abuja, for allegedly stripping a customer naked. The accused persons Odulana Adeyemi and Emmanuel Chijoke of Block A, Shop 1, Sky Memorial Shopping Complex, Zone 5, Wuse, Abuja, were arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal force and assault. Prosecutor Osita Christopher told the court that the complainant, Araga Abdullahi, reported the matter at Nigeria Police out Post, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, on November 6. Osita told the court that the complainant gave the accused persons a typing job for which he paid N700. He said that when Araga returned to collect the job, the accused persons had not done the job, adding that the complainant demanded a refund of his money and the materials. The prosecutor said that the accused persons assaulted and forcefully push the complainant out of their shop after beating him up and stripping him naked. He said the offence contravened Section 266 of the Penal Code. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Judge, Malam Abubakar Mohammed, granted bail to the accused persons in the sum of N20,000 each with one surety in like sum. Mohammed said the surety

“Some of us who ran to the mountains cannot come back to the town. Some are dying on the mountains now. We are looking unto government and any group that can come to our aid. “We know that Abuja is better than our homes, but we are eager to go back to our homes because Abuja is not our home.’’ More than 180 members of the IDPs in different parts of Abuja attended the conference. SNG, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is also the largest registered coalition of human rights and pro-democracy organisations in Nigeria.

should not be lower than grade level 7 in the civil service. He adjourned the case till November 27 for hearing.

Abuja. She said for 2015 elections to be successful, politicians should not have selfish interest but ensure that ethics and moral values were promoted. She added that “politicians should not fight only for their own interest as that is unethical. “They should know that they are representing their people. “Our politicians should also know the importance of ethics and moral values and apply such during elections.’’

The special assistant said ethics and moral values helped people to make good choices in electing those to govern them in any political dispensation. “Leaders are expected to maintain a level of morality and integrity for the interest of the people. “The purpose of establishing the office of ethics and moral values is to ensure that ethics is promoted in the country,’’ she stressed. She said that the Federal Government was not unmindful of the negative

effects of corruption and evil acts “and its taking various steps to comprehensively address it, especially during the 2015 general elections.’’ The presidential aide identified the lack of ethical values as responsible for corrupt practices in the country. She stressed the importance of ethics and moral values to voting process, noting that voting done on ethical values would ensure free and fair elections and quality government. According to her, voting the right candidates will bring about quality representation and enhance development in

the society. She said that her office planned to create community centres nationwide where ethics and values would be instituted for human social transformation and check corruption. Jibril advised youths to be cautious about the kind of people they associate with, especially politicians, and advised them against being used to cause trouble by selfish politicians. She said Nigerians must learn to live in peace and be their brother’s keepers, while politicians must play politics by the rules for the growth and development of the country.

Robbery: Police Ordered

To Arraign Suspects

Participants at the National Council on Fire conference in Kaduna recently.

ABUJA - An FCT High Court has ordered the Nigeria Police to arraign Christopher Joseph, Jessey Thomas and Babatunde Ojo for alleged armed robbery. Justice Abubakar Umar gave the order after counsel to the prosecution, Mr Adams Osu, sought leave to arraign the trio. Osu said that the application was brought in pursuant to the provisions of section 185 sub section (B)

Enugu State Council For Arts, Culture Partners ABUJA - The Executive folklore, dress code and He said the state hold annual LGAs Secretary, Enugu State Council exhibition on arts, crafts and for Arts and Culture, Mr Eddy Okolo, has said the council is collaborating with its local government areas to promote arts and culture. Okolo told newsmen that the council was also working with the local governments to identify the cultural peculiarities of these areas. He said the drive was designed to improve and rebrand arts, crafts, cuisines, dance, music,

languages for the global market. “The collaboration has exposed us to even know that most council areas do not have culture and tourism departments and those that have do not know the benefits. “When we discovered this, we organise workshops for them to streamline their activities to improve and repackage our local tourism and culture content,’’ Okolo said.

The executive secretary said the council took the step to promote the state’s rich culture to greater heights, and indeed, package it for export. “The council had moved to coopt the local governments in the state to join in propagating the culture and traditions of the people of Igboland. “These traditions are described as among the richest and most profound in the country,” he said.

cuisines for all local governments during which talented craftsmen were selected for further training. “We are trying to encourage the various communities and the local government areas to constantly showcase what they have in terms of culture and tradition. “This year’s exhibition will start on December 8 and will last for two weeks.”

of the Criminal Procedure Code. ‘’ My lord, we have list of witnesses, proof of evidence as well as list of exhibits to support our case,” he said. Osu therefore urged the court to grant his application. The judge said, ‘’ having carefully gone through the application, I am convinced that the application has merit. ‘’ And a leave is hereby granted to the prosecution to arraign the suspects,” he said. The prosecution, however, craved the indulgence of the court to make some amendment in the charge sheet. He urged the court to adjourn the case, to enable him to make correction. Umar, however, adjourned the case to Wednesday November 26 for arraignment. He ordered that the suspect be remanded in police custody pending their arraignment.

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Opinion

Importance Of Information Technology By OGANA CHUKWUNEDUM ANTHONY

IT is an acronym that stands for Information Technology. It is the use of computer devices and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transfer and manipulate data, most times in the context of a business or other enterprise. The term is mostly used as a synonym for computers and computer networks, but it also carries other information media technologies, e.g. television, radio, mobile phones etc. The world today is taking a new shape and it’s fast growing towards a particular dimension. Take for example, 30 years ago. To communicate to a distance, one would write a letter and depending on how far the location of the recipient is, this written letter take at times as long as a week or even more to be delivered. Though some of the rich as at then had telephones. They were not wireless and they were quite heavy, so it was not mo-

bile. By not being mobile, I mean you can not carry it about. However, that gradually faded away and it came the era of mobile phones, though was made in large sizes at first and expensive to buy but was later made in smaller and more flat forms. Then lately was the introduction of smart phones like the android mobiles, Blackberry mobiles and windows phones etc. This made things a lot more easier, and gave people quicker access to information and what they want at a finger snap. And more are yet to come but all this will not be useful to people who are not computer literates. This is just a little rundown of where the world is now and where it will be in a short time. Schools in London, US and other developed countries make use of computers for learning and examinations. Most of their study materials are in soft copies(electronic copies). Today in Nigeria, schools like Covenant University and some other schools have already adopted similar tra-

dition where the students are thought with computers through the aid of projectors, they do their assignments and summit on online, which means every student must own an email account. Even Jamb (Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board) has already introduced an e exam format were candidates write their exams online using computers. With the full implementation of this, students who are not computer literates though intelligent will definitely not find things friendly in such system. Let take a look at the world and it’s ambition to go cashless. In most devel-

oped nations this has already been put into practice. People no longer walk around with money as they do most of their buying and selling online. In Nigeria we are heading towards same direction via introduction of ATM (Automated Teller Machine), were you have access to your money 24 hours of the day and 7 days of the week, though with limitation on amount allowed to be withdrawn per day. Probably in a few years time, most shops and malls will no longer accept pays in cash. They will have small machines were you can slot you cards and do your

shopping.Today, everyone needs a basic understanding of IT and how to make productive use of it, just to be good students, workers and citizens. IT competencies are increasingly important for most of our employers, regardless of role.For example a graduate who studied accounting in the university years ago when most of their accounting jobs were done on paper and with aid of adding machines at a very slow speed will find him or her self not relevant today because most companies with large accounting work to do on daily bases rely on accountants with good IT skills who make use of smart software applications like (TurboCASH, GnuCash, Invoice Expert XE, Adminsoft Accounts etc.) that can process this works faster with more accuracy. Most of this accountants at times did not even study accounting as a discipline in school, but only did a three months IT program on how to make use of this accounting smart application software. This is just the kind of edge your IT skill can give to you over others.Self employment: For example, a web designer can stay in his or her house and make money by creating of web pages. One can also start up a business center where people can come and print there work, browse the internet, typing jobs etc. Today in most western countries people no longer wait to be employed by the Government or Companies.In the 21st century, an ability to work with information and com-

munication technologies is becoming as essential to education, life and workplace success as “reading, writing and arithmetic. ICT Digital Literacy should be considered a basic skill by educational systems, something taught to and assessed for all students. ICT is used strategically in almost all businesses and industries. Most of them have developed specialised systems and uses of ICT, and many have specialised legal and regulatory requirements, quality control systems, integrations with production and research equipment and systems, security requirements, and software applications. For example, Bioscience industries rely on specialised ICT systems and applications to conduct research, analyse organic materials, produce biotech products and do necessary reporting. Financial services industries rely on ICT to maintain customer records, conduct trades, do business, do financial reporting, secure proprietary information and comply with regulations. Manufacturing industries use specialised computer controlled systems and robotics to design, produce and test products. Telecommunications, cable TV and other entertainment industries use ICT to store content, manage customers and deliver their services. So you see in one way or the other, having basic IT skills plays a huge role in making you a better student, worker and citizen. It also prepares you for the future and makes you more relevant in the labour market.

“ICT is used strategically in almost all businesses and industries. Most of them have developed specialised systems and uses of ICT, and many have specialised legal and regulatory requirements, quality control systems, integrations with production and research equipment and systems, security requirements, and software applications”

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Opinion

Repositioning RMAFC For Effective Service Delivery

AFTER listening to the presentations of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) at the justconcluded National Conference, members of the Committee on Public Finance and Revenue agreed that there was a need to amend the enabling law establishing the commission. The Chairman of RMAFC, Mr Elias Mbam, had told the committee that the commission lacked the powers to monitor how the funds it allocated was spent. Mbam was responding to questions about the fat salaries paid to political office holders, especially members of the National Assembly. He recalled that in 2002, the commission was taken to court for monitoring the use of money already allocated to a tier of government. Mbam said that the Supreme Court, in a lead judgment read by Justice Niki Tobi, ruled that the commission’s act was in contradiction of its mandate, which should be monitoring accruals into the Federation Account and ensuring that the beneficiaries got their dues. “The court ruled that it was not our responsibility to monitor how monies disbursed to the tiers of government are being spent. ‘Although it is not our wish to go against the ruling of the Supreme Court; we feel strongly that our job should not end in monitoring the disbursement of revenue. “We should be able to check how judiciously the recipients have applied the resources at their disposal, but unfortunately, the laws do not allow us to do that. “If the commission is to be able to satisfactorily deal with its responsibilities, there is need for its Act to be amended, while it is better funded and motivated,” he said. Sen. Adamu Aliero, the Chairman, Committee on Public Finance and Revenue, who agreed with Mbam, noted that his presentation reflected RMAFC’s readiness to perform its mandate. “Your commission is a very important agency of government and we will rely on your presentation, while also considering other presentations from the Central

By OBIKE UKOH

Bank of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. “We will make a recommendation that if the commission is to continue to perform its duties objectively and effectively; its independence must be guaranteed. “Allowing RMAFC to be under the control of the executive arm of government will mean that he who pays the piper dictates the tune,’’ he said. The presentation which Aliero alluded to was Mbam’s explanations regarding the remuneration of political office holders. Mbam informed the committee that RMAFC never approved fat salaries for political office holders, insisting that no legislator earned more than N1 million as monthly salary. He wanted the committee to propose the amendment of the Act establishing RMAFC, so as to grant it autonomy and enforcement powers to effectively monitor revenue utilisation. “Contrary to what is written on papers; from what is approved for senators and members of the House of Representatives, none of them receives up to N1 million per month and they can testify to that. “This is consolidated salary, it is not salary alone. All the allowances and take-home pay are not up to N1 million. Anything in addition to that is not known to the commission,’’ he said. Mbam said as far as the law was concerned, RMAFC still retained the power to determine the remuneration of political office holders,

adding that whatever was decided by the commission as remuneration for the National Assembly members was final. As for the executive and judiciary arms of government, the RMAFC chairman said that their remuneration was

“These are agencies of government responsible for monitoring the use of public funds,’’ he added. According to Mbam, the RMAFC is constitutionally empowered to: “Monitor the accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account. “Review, from time to time,

Elias Mbam, RMAFC Chairman.

subject to further approvals by the National Assembly. On the widespread allegations that a senator receive as much as N240 million as salaries and allowances, as against the recommendations of the commission, Mbam argued that it was the duty of the Clerk of the National Assembly to ensure compliance. He stressed that the Clerk of the National Assembly was the government’s accounting officer in the National Assembly, adding that anybody who contravened the provisions regarding remuneration and its disbursement could be charged to the court. “If any accounting officer fails in his function; of course, he should be held accountable and the same rule applies to the Auditor General of the Federation.

the revenue allocation formula and principles of operation to ensure conformity with changing realities; provided that any revenue formula, which has been accepted by the Act of the National Assembly, shall remain in force for a period of not less than five (5) years from the date of commencement of the Act. “Advise the Federal, State and Local Governments on Fiscal Efficiency and methods by which their revenue can be increased. “Determine the remuneration appropriate to political Officer Holders. “Discharge such other functions as may be conferred on the commission by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any Act of the National Assembly.’’ Mbam, however, stressed

“He wanted the committee to propose the amendment of the Act establishing RMAFC, so as to grant it autonomy and enforcement powers to effectively monitor revenue utilisation.” that in discharging these functions and responsibilities, the commission was guided by the appropriate provisions of the constitution and all the relevant enabling Acts of the National Assembly. “We shall be concerned more with how to increase the size of the ‘National Cake’ rather than dissipate all our energy on how to share a shrinking cake,’’ he said. However, in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling, RMAFC has refrained from monitoring how the funds it allocated were spent, even though it did not subscribe to the decision. The recognition of this glitch, perhaps, compelled the Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, to recommend the merger of Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) with RMAFC. In reaction to the proposed merger, Dr Sylvester Mordi, the Commissioner (Policy and Standards) in the FRC, argued that RMAFC was purely an advisory body. He stressed that the proposed merger would be counterproductive because the two agencies performed distinct functions. “The constitution says that RMAFC is an advisory body; it is to advise the President on the formula of sharing revenue among the three tiers of government and it should do this every five years. “Ours is to monitor and

“Moreover, he argued that challenges such as poverty, unemployment and insecurity facing the country, could be effectively tackled via the diversification of the economy to expand access to additional resources.”

enforce the Fiscal Responsibility Act, carry out financial and fiscal studies on the economy and publish the results for the public,’’ Mordi said. In 2012, the RMAFC, in line with its mandate of boosting the revenue generation capacity of all tiers of government, organised zonal workshops on “Economic Diversification and Enhanced Revenue Generation’’ in the six geopolitical zones of the country. In all the zones, Mbam underscored the need for states to reduce their dependence on monthly allocations from the Federation Account. At the South-South zonal workshop in Asaba, for instance, Mbam underscored the need for Nigeria to reduce its over-dependence on oil revenue. He stressed that the goals of the Federal Government’s programmes such as Vision 20-2020 and Transformation Agenda could only be attained via the adoption of effective economic diversification strategies which could provide steady, sustainable sources of revenue. He, nonetheless, urged the three tiers of government and the private sector to make pragmatic efforts to exploit the vast natural resources which abound in all parts of the country. Besides, Mbam underscored the need to place tangible emphasis on the development of agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals and tourism sectors, insisting that the sectors held the key to Nigeria’s economic prosperity. Moreover, he argued that challenges such as poverty, unemployment and insecurity facing the country, could be effectively tackled via the diversification of the economy to expand access to additional resources. Perceptive analysts, however stress the need to give RMAFC more powers to enable it to monitor how funds allocated to the different tiers of government are being spent.

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) AS AT FRIDAY(21/11/2014) Stocks

Open

Change

Deals

Units

Value

MULTIVERSE

0.5

600

300

7UP

149

51,180

7,285,327.50

NAHCO

4.47

4.69

0.22

708,445

3,280,357.97

ABCTRANS

0.6

0.58

-0.02

335,750

195,417.50

NASCON

7.2

777,877

5,643,362.48

ACADEMY

7,000

7,350.00

155

157.51

2.51

471,522

75,042,743.90

ACCESS

7.46

7.83

0.37

5,757,122

45,033,554.12

NEIMETH

0.92

1,174,903

1,079,955.42

AFRIPRUD

168,901

500,631.95

NEM

0.64

0.61

-0.03

992,621

605,596.49

AGLEVENT

1.3

13,698

18,185.52

NESTLE

855

44,774

38,967,636.41

AIICO

0.81

0.85

0.04

1,540,940

1,291,199.52

NEWGOLD

2017

2050

1,200

2,453,424.00

AIRSERVICE

1.66

11,700

18,486.00

NIG-GERMAN

100

665

ASHAKACEM

21.85

22.89

1.04

404,540

9,267,318.29

NIGERINS

0.5

123,000

61,500.00

AVONCROWN

1.59

1,171

1,861.89

NPFMCRFBK

0.86

444,962

389,223.82

BECOPETRO

0.5

19,000

9,500.00

NSE30

1510.32

1527.82

17.5

194,623,396

2,047,759,721.00

BERGER

8.7

242,566

2,084,957.87

NSE50

1647.23

1664.18

16.95

308,070,004

2,345,160,580.00

BETAGLAS

22.05

42,648

987,301.20

NSEASEM

1014.9

1036.13

21.23

54,000

36,180.00

BOCGAS

5.48

1,637

8,528.77

NSEASI

33428.76

33926.18

497.42

325,377,077

2,461,269,715.00

CADBURY

44.3

42.09

-2.21

525,822

22,167,676.98

NSEBNK

351.64

355.17

3.53

180,438,695

1,042,788,155.00

CAP

105,374

3,795,977.70

NSECNSMRGDS

850.77

846.1

-4.67

7,139,510

259,182,302.90

CAVERTON

3.44

15,000

51,600.00

NSEINDUSTR

1988.45

2054.21

65.76

2,531,208

220,048,689.00

CCNN

10.9

10.8

-0.1

297,080

3,165,727.48

NSEINS

143.72

144.18

0.46

6,185,943

4,404,920.03

CHAMPION

9.85

20,034

188,680.24

NSELOTUSISLM

2093.17

2124.64

31.47

5,353,920

344,252,189.90

CHAMS

0.5

1,000,000

500,000.00

NSEOILGAS

391.36

390.28

-1.08

6,804,509

202,624,296.10

CHELLARAM

3.95

130

488.8

OANDO

19.5

20.39

0.89

5,770,935

111,556,843.60

CILEASING

0.5

1,300,000

650,000.00

OKOMUOIL

25.7

26.8

1.1

267,397

7,069,638.96

CONOIL

49.23

1,500

70,155.00

OMATEK

0.5

980

490

CONTINSURE

0.89

127,000

113,130.00

OMOSAVBNK

0.64

0.67

0.03

54,000

36,180.00

COSTAIN

0.85

0.84

-0.01

195,394

162,565.85

PAINTCOM

1.6

3,200

4,906.00

COURTVILLE

0.5

50,000

25,000.00

PORTPAINT

5.04

25,000

119,750.00

CUSTODYINS

3.68

3.8

0.12

2,320,210

8,806,442.63

PREMBREW

3.98

8,232

31,199.28

CUTIX

1.54

1.53

-0.01

249,267

382,528.51

PRESCO

26.13

50,850

1,264,120.91

CWG

4.56

500

2,170.00

22.2

-0.8

926,326

20,515,873.72

DAARCOMM

0.5

7,080

3,540.00

REDSTAREX

4.2

21,583

86,332.00

DANGCEM

180

189

1,051,252

191,742,972.90

ROYALEX

0.5

2,375

1,211.25

DANGFLOUR

6.55

14,868

92,627.64

RTBRISCOE

0.85

0.81

-0.04

525,372

433,113.69

DANGSUGAR

6.11

5.82

-0.29

1,590,603

9,444,064.93

SEPLAT

442

426.01

-15.99

189,333

80,548,379.29

DIAMONDBNK

5.57

5.5

-0.07

9,784,690

53,834,229.81

SKYEBANK

2.47

9,040,760

22,782,615.16

DNMEYER

0.87

23,468

19,478.44

STACO

0.5

31,680

15,840.00

DUNLOP

0.5

46,170

23,085.00

STANBIC

28.2

128,220

3,616,242.51

EQUITYASUR

0.5

91,375

45,687.50

STDINSURE

0.5

10,000

5,000.00

ETERNA

3.14

2.99

-0.15

485,158

1,453,520.42

STERLNBANK

2.33

2.3

-0.03

73,270,506

169,491,142.20

ETI

17.05

0.05

4,019,611

68,361,162.68

STUDPRESS

2.3

223

488.37

EVANSMED

2.2

2,000

4,180.00

TANTALIZER

0.5

1,000

500

FBNH

9.1

9.32

0.22

47,981,469

441,541,446.20

TOTAL

147.4

72,645

10,926,483.54

FCMB

3.13

3.25

0.12

18,645,602

59,720,203.54

TOURIST

3.51

1,000

3,340.00

FIDELITYBK

1.62

1.7

0.08

4,051,662

6,783,785.85

TRANSCORP

3.7

3.88

0.18

16,275,889

59,991,457.77

FIDSON

3.4

123,920

429,005.00

TRIPPLEG

1.86

10,000

17,700.00

FLOURMILL

43.69

41.51

-2.18

1,362,598

57,489,133.97

UAC-PROP

11.03

10.52

-0.51

480,670

5,057,778.02

202

199

-3

182,188

35,386,780.07

UACN

41.99

-1.01

370,169

15,482,387.92

FORTISMFB

5.42

12,051

63,870.30

UBA

4.3

4.37

0.07

53,356,029

230,300,663.70

FTNCOCOA

0.5

105,500

52,750.00

UBCAP

1.63

1.61

-0.02

444,130

717,161.77

GCAPPA

14.46

13.74

UBN

8.12

8.35

0.23

745,348

6,034,620.43

GLAXOSMITH

2,500

128,950.00

UNHOMES

0.5

415,381

207,690.50

GUARANTY

23.12

23.4

0.28

5,517,529

128,394,950.70

UNILEVER

306,379

10,012,697.58

GUINNESS

160

37,704

5,875,223.60

UNITYBNK

0.5

10,009,000

5,004,500.00

HONYFLOUR

3.28

145,292

459,344.19

VETGRIF30

14.98

15.06

0.08

50,100

754,503.00

IKEJAHOTEL

3.65

3.61

-0.04

3,771,138

13,817,360.27

VITAFOAM

3.7

3.78

0.08

743,281

2,656,572.24

INTBREW

121,250

3,341,337.50

VONO

21,097

22,144.10

JAPAULOIL

0.5

45,772

22,886.00

WAPCO

110,281

8,497,249.04

JBERGER

60.66

113,299

6,530,599.55

WAPIC

0.68

0.69

0.01

3,248,233

2,208,334.52

0.95

0.92

12,926,614

11,801,979.86

LEARNAFRCA

1.43

1.36

-0.07

153,803

210,652.08

WEMABANK

LIVESTOCK

2.1

-0.1

1,132,023

2,307,252.03

ZENITHBANK TOP

LOTUSHAL15

10.06

10.38

0.32

300,015

3,018,155.70

MANSARD

2.86

20,114

58,142.00

MAYBAKER

1.5

1.43

-0.07

180,300

257,868.00

MBENEFIT

0.5

980

490

MOBIL

156.75

148.92

-7.83

288,583

43,044,313.45

MORISON

1.82

12,500

21,625.00

MRS

3,500

186,200.00

20.95 1021GAINERS

Stock

NSEASI 497.42 NSEINDUSTR NEWGOLD NSELOTUSISLM NSEASEM NSE30 NSE50 DANGCEM NSEBNK NB

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THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

IMMUNITY clause, taken in its literal sense, means that special provision in, a statute book conferred on an occupant of a seat, be it social, religious or political: to enable the occupant perform his/her assigned duties unhindered. IN the instant ease, immunity clause in the Nigerian contest, is one which has a longstanding socio-political, historical as well as judicial antecedents, before it became entrenched in our constitution as Section 308 of the 1999 document. AMONG others, it confers on an occupant of a public or political office, particularly in the capacity of President, Vice-President, Governor or Deputy-Governor, protection from arrest and prosecution, against any criminal or civil matter in official capacity, while still in office: an instrument which the drafters of the constitution have argued, would help in making such office holders to keep focus on their duties of governance without distraction from frivolities. BE that as it may, many Nigerian who occupy such positions over the years, have hidden under this constitutional provision to engage in untoward attitude while in office to loot, mismanage, kill, rape and deceive the people. THIS has been of serious concern to all Nigerians, hence efforts by successive administrations to find lasting solutions to such official corruption, while some concerned citizens have also called for the removal of such provision from the constitution, which they believe encourages official corruption.

THE NIGERIAN

Removal Of Immunity Clause THE ongoing constitution amendment exercise provides an opportunity to expunge immunity clause as proposed by the constitutional conference from the nation’s grand norm. We urge state Assemblies to exercise caution to endorsing the proposal. ORDINARILY, such a call is one that should attract the attention of all well-meaning Nigerians as the problem of corruption in high places, particularly among our political office holders has become a pandemic, with its cancerous effect ravaging the entire fabric of the Nigerian society. IMMUNITY clause is actually not the stumbling block in the light by the various antigraft bodies against official corruption; but the ineptitude, lack of conscience and diligent prosecution of the company, by those vested with the powers to do same. The NIGERIAN OBSERVER wonders why, inspite of the existence of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt and other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC), the nation still stinks of corruption in high places. THE rule of law doesn’t presuppose

continued protection of an indicted public officer, neither does it mean that such corrupt officers cannot be investigated while in office in the interim and prosecuted after they leave office. It is against the background that so many ex-governors and public officers who were accused of corrupt practices while in office, are now walking on the streets in Nigeria and abroad, as free men and women with no hope of recovering from them, the illegally acquired wealth and loot. AT this point, The NIGERIAN OBSERVER admonishes the public, the State Security Service and officials of the EFCC to see this war against corruption, as a priority and to fight it in all its ramifications, so that our already battered image both at home and abroad, could be redeemed. THE EFCC, ICPC, CCB and all other stakeholders in the anti-graft crusade, should device a means of taking preemptive and proactive measures of checking corruption rather then allowing it to take place first on a massive scale, before embarking on arrest and prosecution of offenders. Above all, rather than calling or waiting for the removal of the immunity clause, anti-grant bodies must be up and doing and diligently prosecute such and “protected officials” at the end of their tenures. ALSO, rather than publicly announce their strategies for combating financial crimes, they should keep such plans to themselves as “trade secrets,” so as to be successful in their operations.

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Landmark The Iconoclastic Chief Sam Odighi Udiniyiwe Igbe ON Saturday, November 22, 2014, all roads led to the venue of the 39th/40th Convocation ceremony of great University of Benin where one of the greatest minds the Almighty God has blessed Nigeria with was honoured - along with other iconic personalities - with an Honourary Degree of Doctor of Letters – D. Litt (Honoris Causa), for his hardwork, dedication to service as well as his contribution to the development of the community and society at large; a colossal personality whose trailblazing feats in all the stations he has occupied have become reference points – Chief Sam Odighi Udinyiwe Igbe, the eighteenth Iyase (traditional Prime Minister) of Benin Kingdom. Chief Sam Odighi Udinyiwe Igbe (MON) is an eclectic personality in every sense of the word; a man of multiple backgrounds; one of those rare species of men whose life and works have spurred myths and legends. Apart from being the highest ranking chief in Benin Kingdom - a position most of his contemporaries can only dream of occupying Chief Igbe has distinguished himself in all his past callings. From his initial stints as a tutor, a police man, before becoming the chief administrator of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe has navigated several waters. Sam Odighi Igbe was born on the 13 th of September 1929. He commenced his elementary education at the defunct Saint Matthew’s CMS Primary School in Sakponba Road, Benin City, in 1941, from where he proceeded to Saint Peter’s CMS School

By OBUSEH JUDE

in Iya Ero, in 1942, where he completed his primary education. After his primary education, he proceeded to the prestigious Edo College, Benin City, where he acquired the Cambridge School Certificate in 1952. St Andrews College, Oyo, in the old Western Region, was his next port of call where he underwent the prestigious Teacher’s Training course. After his academic pursuits, he joined the Colonial Service where he worked as a Third Class Clerk from 1952 to 1954. He then had a brief stint in the academia where he functioned as a tutor, after which he joined the Nigerian Police Force as one of the first set of cadet sub-Inspectors trained at the Ikeja Police College for 12 months. He retired from the force - of his own accord - in 1978, as a first class Commissioner. Sam Igbe has served in several other capacities where he distinguished himself: a commissioner in the defunct Midwest Public Service Commission; Chairman of the government boards such as Midwest Transport Service (Midwest Line), Agbede Warake Farms; and on the board of the defunct Midwest Hotels. He commenced the transition to his current hallowed position in 1979, when he was inducted into the service of the Oba of Benin, Omon N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa, as a palace staff, advancing steadily and

worthily to become the eighteenth Iyase - the chief administrator of the kingdom; the first among equals - through sheer diligence and hardwork. Chief Igbe is a passionate sports lover who has contributed immensely to sports developments in Nigeria, serving in several

no answers to his tireless work rate during matches. His relentless and industrious approach to the game earned him the nickname “ABILITY”; a name that depicted his allround effectiveness on the pitch. Chief Igbe is an ardent fan of Manchester United Football club, a club he passionately supports. His love for

works include: “The Nigeria of Our Dream”, “Random Thoughts” and several incisive newspaper articles and position papers on plethora of issues of national and international significance. Apart from his writings, his personal thoughts and opinions on human interest issues have inspired sterling literatures by other authors. Sam Igbe is blessed with seven grown up independent children who are carving their own niches in the various

Chief Sam Igbe, Iyase of Benin Kingdom

capacities such as: Chairman, Nigerian Basketball Association; Secretary, the defunct Nigerian Inter-Service Games; Member of the former Nigerian Football Association (NFA); and in other stations too numerous to mention for lack of space. Sam Igbe was a top notch footballer himself in his younger days; a nononsense defender of no mean repute; a threat to strikers most of who had

football led him to form the then Nigerian Rubber Board Football Club; a club that later metamorphosed into Flash Flamingoes Football Club, which became one of the leading lights in Nigeria’s football development. Chief Sam Igbe is a proven intellectual whose several impressive works can be found on the shelves of most renowned bookshops. He is an essayist, poet and satirist combined. Some of his

stations they’ve been called to serve. The proud father of the incumbent speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, and a High Court Judge, Chief Sam Igbe can be said to be a fulfilled man at the ripe age of 85. Chief Sam Igbe is an uncompromising purist, a proven administrator, an intellectual giant, a strict disciplinarian, a humanitarian per excellence, an incorruptible leader, a

“Sam Igbe was a top notch footballer himself in his younger days; a no-nonsense defender of no mean repute; a threat to strikers most of who had no answers to his tireless work rate during matches.”

cultural symbol and social commentator who has reached the Olympian heights he currently occupies by dint of hard work. A man of prodigious talents, he has become the giant he is today by ruggedly and doggedly braving all the odds that were stacked against him from his early years. Sam Igbe is the recipient of several awards, in recognition of his altruistic commitment to ameliorating the deplorable conditions of the less privileged members of the society. He is also the grand patron of several community based organizations working to complement the efforts of government, doling out large sums to support their programs. He is known to be a tireless giver who has been a shoulder for the poor to lean on in times of need. So, when on Saturday, the 22nd of November, 2014, the great University of Benin formally honoured Chief Sam Odighi Udinyiwe Igbe with an Honourary Degree of Doctor of Letters – D. Litt (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his tireless efforts at developing his community and society at large, it was a fitting tribute to a formidable champion who has left giant foot prints on the paths he has travelled on in the past 85 years; an honour that was due to an iconoclast whose meteoric rise to becoming the Prime Minister of the Powerful Benin Kingdom has become a reference point for intending administrators to draw inspiration from; another colourful feather in the cap of a mighty colossus in full flight. I like to join his numerous friends and well wishers in congratulating this man mountain: Congratulations, sir! • MR OBUSEH JUDE WRITES FROM BENIN CITY. TEL:08033510173. EMAIL:Syncado2006@yahoo.com.

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Opinion

A Bowl Of Contradictions

Ebola: THE hypothesized setting is a remote village in a remote part of the world. Mr Tuba, a 93 year old man with a known history of terminal cancer sadly succumbs to the disease and dies. He was from a long lineage of longevity. He had been intermittently ill for 3 years. Luckily, a doctor had been to see him and discuss with his family, extended and nuclear, informing that his was a terminal case. Coupled with his old age, he was unlikely to be alive in another 4 weeks. The doctor suggests that efforts be made where possible for the last periods of his life to be spent in relative ease and comfort. With 30,000 in cash, Mr Tuba could be managed properly and provided with items that will make him live in modest comfort until he breathes his last. Mr Tuba is a poor old man with 7 children and lived in a community that had taken advantage of his native wisdom in his prime. His community leaders and members are aware of his ill health. They had been aware for the past 3 years and have now been alerted to the doctor’s recommendation. In his old age, he has had no support and has had to do everything all by himself. Even his children, one of whom is a local businessman and has been successful trading in local fabrics, are of no help to him. Occasionally they pop in to say hello to him. When they do, he is often lying in his own faeces, in decrepit conditions. They see this but turn a blind eye. Some community members and friends also come to visit him and offer no help besides saying hello, some strangely blurting, ‘you seem to be doing well!’ His old acquaintances from other communities are also aware of

community delivered a moving speech; ‘It is a sad day not just for our community but the entire human race’, he began. ‘Our community is in deep mourning over the sudden and unexpected death of Mr Tuba’. ‘He will be sorely

international community. Since the outbreak of Ebola, the response of the world has been that of shock and dismay, much like the metaphor above where the old man died a sudden and unexpected death. Without a doubt, the catastrophe that Ebola has visited on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has

missed’. ‘The community town hall shall be named after him’. ‘He is to be given the highest title in the community posthumously’. ‘The biggest market in the community shall be named after him’. ‘The sports complex shall be named after him’…. Already this was the most extravagant burial ceremony in the history of the community. In the end, millions of cash had been spent. The above metaphor, for me strikes home the current Ebola situation and the response of the affected countries and the

been dire and when you witness it directly, you cannot help but be sad and desolate. However there are many questions which if asked will open a Pandora’s Box of thought-provoking albeit conflicting ripostes. Did we not know that the health systems of these countries were in dire shape? Did we expect these countries to have been able to deal with an outbreak of such proportions? Or did we just bury our heads in the sand hoping against hope that this will never happen. The Ebola outbreak

By WOLE AMEYAN

his poor state. They know of his suffering but have not deemed it fit to do anything. The old man is living his final moments in abject conditions, not fitting for any human. The problem is everyone could see it but have decided to do nothing to help. The glaring inevitable was about to happen. Mr Tuba finally passes on. He had been gone for 5 days. A member of the community is passing by his room on the way to a community ceremony and the smell of putrefaction alerts him to Mr Tuba’s passing. Then something strange begins to happen. The sounds of wailing and crying alert other members of the community to Mr Tuba’s death. Before long, hundreds of sympathizers had gathered and are crying and singing in sorrowful tunes. His children have also heard the news one of whom, a local politician, gives a brief speech to a surging crowd. ‘My father was the most wonderful father in the world’. ‘I will miss him terribly’. ‘In his prime, he was a worthy servant of the community and therefore I think it is important that the community donate money to give him a befitting burial’. Huge donations started pouring in. You would n’t believe this was the same old man rejected by all including his own. Now it is impossible to fathom that this was the same Mr Tuba who had been ill for a very long time, whose condition was known to everyone but ignored. Before long, the donations had come in the millions of cash. Others donated in kind. Indeed, other communities, far and near had begun to pitch in with contributions in order to give Mr Tuba a befitting burial. At the burial, the head of the

“The most striking evidence of the distortion of the concept of foreign aid has come from comments in the aftermath of the Ebola outbreak on who should shoulder the blame for the epidemic getting out of hand.”

makes grim discoveries and has revealed a cankerworm of decay in our society. It has revealed that many of the hospitals and clinics in the affected countries and beyond are nothing but glorified infection transmission centres with not even the most basic protective equipment or mechanisms for health workers. Is it acceptable that countries with oodles of natural resources and so called established democracies with years of experience as recipients of foreign aid in cash and expertise cannot provide even the most basic of commodities nor manage the basic health

not contributed to local expertise on some of the most common elements in managing public health emergencies? Foreign aid is needed, for sure; especially for developing even if potentially endowed countries. There is nothing wrong with the more developed and prosperous countries lending a hand and helping other countries. The point is that the help rendered has to be not just in terms of cash but also importantly to help these countries stand on their feet. Unfortunately, the concept and notion of foreign aid has become a parody of sometimes deliberate

needs of their population? Now is not the time for giving account but when this situation dissipates, then will come the time for sober reflection. It will be the time for Africa to come together and ask itself the most salient questions. How come years of donor funds and expertise have not made African countries self-sufficient to the point of managing the basic health needs of their people. What has happened here? The international community has provided millions and millions in aid over many decades to strengthen the health systems of the recipient countries. How has these monies not translated into basic equipment in clinics and hospitals? How come they have not translated into enduring mechanisms on infection prevention and control? How come they have

misconception and outright misinterpretation. It is sad that some forms of foreign aid have led to a substitution of in-country potential, means and resources. A country, after many years of aid, that cannot on its own initiate the most basic of public health protocols cannot be said to be learning useful lessons on foreign aid as a tool for rebirth, revival, regeneration, restoration and recovery. The most striking evidence of the distortion of the concept of foreign aid has come from comments in the aftermath of the Ebola outbreak on who should shoulder the blame for the epidemic getting out of hand. It has been common to hear otherwise respected and respectable persons and institutions blame the World Health Organisation for the problems. One of the most Continues on pg. 15

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Opinion Continued from pg. 14 common terms in the world of health programming is ownership, a concept that seeks to ensure that, in bringing in aid, the host countries lead and have control of the allocation of aid and that programs are planned and implemented according to the needs and necessities of the host countries as directed by the host countries. Since the outbreak began, I have barely heard or seen anyone or organisation lay the responsibility where it truly should lie. The duty of providing security and ensuring the wellbeing of the population is a critical criterion of sovereignty. The international community needs to begin to say it as it is. That is the only way lessons can be learnt. Even Nigeria’s success with curbing the outbreak needs to

be put in its proper context. No one is mentioning the reasonable permutation that the health care system in Nigeria is in as dire a state as many others in the sub-region and will also have likely been overwhelmed in the same way as Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have given the same scenarios. The truth is that part of the reasons why the virus has been defeated in Nigeria is because of the almost tailor-made way it was introduced into the country. Had Nigeria shared borders with any of the affected countries and Ebola introduced through any of the remote villages like it happened in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, there is every chance that the devastation Ebola has wrought will be just as severe as we have had in those three countries now. The country’s

....A Bowl Of Contradictions health system may not have been able to deal with an outbreak of such proportions. Such is the state of the health system in many a country. The international community has a critical role to play in mentoring weaker countries to prosperity. Part of this mentorship has to be done through forthright and sometimes blunt and plain speaking; saying it as it is in all ramifications. And not just in health. This forthright assessment and evaluation should include the current haphazard practice and culture of democracy in many countries today. A good electoral system begets good governance which begets accountability. Accountability begets increased availability of resources which then

begets good health systems, good roads, and good education. All of these start with free and fair elections. We have seen over the years how elections in many parts of the world have failed to inspire confidence. How can a government serve its people when it has not been properly elected? Unfortunately, we see a situation where even the champions of democracy turn a blind eye to this. Corruption at the ballot box leads to corruption in government. When corruption thrives, there are fewer resources left for the populace to enjoy good infrastructure and there is less available for good roads or well-equipped hospitals. It will be interesting for researchers to come up with methodologies on exploring

President Jonathan: Could

Supportive Therapy Help? By JOHN EGBEAZIEN OSHODI

As the Rain of Relentless Rebellion and Assorted Crises Pours on President Jonathan, could Supportive Therapy Help? SEVERAL people have asked me about the many pressures facing the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, and if these pressures call for the need of some form of supportive and mental health therapy. President Jonathan, have been known to have gotten spiritual or divine help from religious leaders with great property wealth, and that is very much okay if it gives the president some kind of comfort. We will never know if the President is heavily psychologically troubled, as there has been no direct psychological contact with him. But what if in private the President is suffering from having been a victim of selfinflicted or society-induced pains, emotionally and personally, and even physically, then could therapy help? There is the possibility that the President may be experiencing a typical form of presidential frustration like the mass Jonathan frustration(MJF), as many of his administration’s actions on security and safety in

particular are producing fewer and fewer results than they should. Mr. President, should you agree to this angle of thought, in terms of special help, there is what is called psychotherapy. It focuses on mental and emotional challenges that could be coming from inner pressures due to issues like instability in the nation. Therapy allows the individual in need to be listened to, and it makes that individual feel good to be listened to—to know that someone else cares about you and wants to assist unconditionally, and is someone who is not looking for something for himself or herself directly or indirectly. Therapy involves making the individual become more self-aware of realities on ground. It allows the individual to express thoughts and feelings, as well as worries weighing on the mind in regard to many of your battles and issues like the unending irregular power supply, pitiable accommodation, meagre transportation, poor traffic management and security challenges as well as issues of mass corruption and distrustful team members. On a deeper level, troubling the president could be unfinished

pains like the issues of oil/ fuel/kerosene scandals, the missing oil money, tragic death of job seekers during a government recruitment exercise, police pension theft,

to talk about these ongoing national problems and their effects on you as a person, but sometimes, we need help that the people around us aren’t able to give. This is especially

President Goodluck Jonathan

and the nonstop deaths from ethno-religious crises, and many other crises. Mr. President, it could be you have talked or are talking to close friends and family members, as it is very helpful

true when one needs extra support, an outside objective perspective, or some expert guidance, and this is when talking to a therapist becomes important.

probable associations between rigged elections on the one hand and good governance, accountability and availability of infrastructure and then the link of all of these to maternal deaths, infant deaths or even road traffic accidents due to bad roads etc. There has to be a link! Like Mr Tuba in the earlier metaphor, the current Ebola outbreak has revealed a bowl of contradictions. Like Mr Tuba whose community ended up spending so much more for his burial than for his well-being while alive, we may end up spending even so much more to revamp the damage that the Ebola outbreak has caused. Already a lot of the gains Sir, it is unknown at this time if you have been diagnosed with a mental health problem that would benefit from therapy but what is clear is that many people in therapy seek preventive-type help, as in the case with weight of Nigeria’s ongoing commotions. As a matter of fact, in times of possible job stresses like yours, or issues of self-doubt, or during difficult times, therapy becomes essential. Sir, the thought of taking a pill or being prayed for to solve many of our national problems, especially when they become an issue to one’s emotional/physical wellbeing, could come with side effects which may include other body-related ailments or external pressures for position, money, or contracts. Sir, one could argue that your collective frustrations could be coming from swelling disappointments, competing negative factors at all times, the perception that you are not doing much, when actually the reality could be less true. Sir, when repeated frustrations continue to drop on you, apathy sets in, personal suffering sets in, “wear and tear” sets in, and physical ailments follow and even death comes knocking. But, God forbid, we still need

made in many of the affected countries over many years are being reversed. It is sad. Ebola has come; it will go and may likely come again. The time will come for a nonpartisan and an all-inclusive discussion about what went wrong and how this has been allowed to happen. When this happens, it is my hope that responsibilities will be laid where they should and that valuable lessons would have been learnt to mitigate the impact of this terrible tragedy and to limit the damage of any future recurrence of the Ebola Virus Disease in our midst. Dr Wole Ameyan is a medical doctor working in Sierra Leone. woleameyanjr@yahoo.com <mailto:woleameyanjr@yahoo.com> . +23276704933.

you around! Sir, should you consider seeking therapy with the help of a professional therapist or certified psychologist(not a psychiatrist, whose treatment is mostly based in medicating humans); you could avoid the hidden pains of slow death. One major consequence of not seeking therapy with the help of a professional therapist is becoming afflicted with a long physical illness. As you may know, it is rare for the leader in other countries to die in office, but not in the case of Africa where it is much more common. Sir, the prevalence of longstanding emotional troubles or grief could affect life expectancy in Africa, especially in Nigeria which some may deny. Sir, in the light of your recent declaration for the 2015 presidency, the ongoing and recent extraordinarily stressful events, further compound the effects of your lingering grief in regard to the nation’s mounting challenges. Therefore, Mr. President, at this period of need, personal and supportive therapy for you could give some comfort. Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi is a Forensic, Clinical and National Psychologist and a former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association.

“Sir, one could argue that your collective frustrations could be coming from swelling disappointments, competing negative factors at all times, the perception that you are not doing much, when actually the reality could be less true.”

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Foot Print

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz: Ma Continued from last week THE Granma crash-landed in a mangrove swamp at Playa Las Coloradas, close to Los Cayuelos, on 2 December 1956. Fleeing inland, they headed for the forested mountain range of Oriente’s Sierra Maestra, being repeatedly attacked by Batista’s troops. Upon arrival, Castro discovered that only 19 rebels had made it to their destination, the rest having been killed or captured. Setting up an encampment, the survivors, including the Castros, Che Guevara, and Camilo Cienfuegos,http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Fidel_Castro - cite_note-90 began launching raids on small army posts to obtain weaponry. In January 1957 they overran the outpost at La Plata, treating any soldiers that they wounded but executing the local mayoral (land company overseer), who was despised by the local peasants and who boasted of killing one of Castro’s rebels. Osorio’s execution aided the rebels in gaining the trust of locals, although they largely remained unenthusiastic and suspicious of the revolutionaries. As trust grew, some locals joined the rebels, although most new recruits came from urban areas. With volunteers boosting the rebel forces to over 200, in July 1957 Castro divided his army into three columns, commanded by himself, his brother, and Guevara. The MR-26-7 members operating in urban areas continued agitation, sending supplies to Castro, and on 16 February 1957 he met with other senior members to discuss tactics; here he met Celia Sánchez, who would become a close friend. Across Cuba, anti-Batista groups carried out bombings and sabotage; police responded with mass arrests, torture, and extrajudicial executions. In March 1957, the DR launched a failed attack on the presidential palace, during which Antonio was

shot dead. Frank Pais was also killed, leaving Castro the MR-26-7’s unchallenged leader. Although Guevara and Raúl were well known for their Marxist-Leninist views, Castro hid his, hoping to gain the support of less radical revolutionaries. In 1957 he met with leading members of the Partido Ortodoxo, Raúl Chibás and Felipe Pazos, authoring the Sierra Maestra Manifesto, in which they demanded that a provisional civilian government be set up to implement moderate agrarian reform, industrialization, and a literacy campaign before holding multiparty elections. As Cuba’s press was censored, Castro contacted foreign media to spread his message; he became a celebrity after being interviewed by Herbert Matthews, a journalist from the New York Times. Reporters from CBS and Paris Match soon followed. Castro’s guerrillas increased their attacks on military outposts, forcing the government to withdraw from the Sierra Maestra region, and by spring 1958, the rebels controlled a hospital, schools, a printing press, slaughterhouse, land-mine factory and a cigar-making factory. By 1958, Batista was under increasing pressure, a result of his military failures coupled with increasing domestic and foreign criticism surrounding his administration’s press censorship, torture, and extrajudicial executions. Influenced by anti-Batista sentiment among their citizens, the U.S. government ceased supplying him with weaponry.http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Fidel_Castro - cite_note-102 The opposition called a general strike, accompanied by armed attacks from the MR-26-7. Beginning on 9 April, it received strong support in central and Eastern Cuba, but little elsewhere. Batista responded with an all-out-attack, Operation Verano. The army aerially

By OBUSEH JUDE

bombarded forested areas and villages suspected of aiding the militants, while 10,000 soldiers commanded by General Eulogio Cantillo surrounded the Sierra Maestra, driving north to the rebel encampments. Despite their numerical and technological superiority, the army had no experience with guerrilla warfare, and Castro halted their offensive using land mines and ambushes. Many of Batista’s soldiers defected to Castro’s rebels, who also benefited from local popular support. In the summer, the MR-26-7 went on the offensive, pushing the army out of the mountains, with Castro using his columns in a pincer movement to surround the main army concentration in Santiago. By November, Castro’s forces controlled most of Oriente and Las Villas, and divided Cuba in two by closing major roads and rail lines, severely disadvantaging Batista. Fearing Castro was a socialist, the U.S. instructed Cantillo to oust Batista. Cantillo secretly agreed to a ceasefire with Castro, promising that Batista would be tried as a war criminal,[107] however Batista was warned, and fled into exile with over US$ 300,000,000 on 31 December 1958. Cantillo entered Havana’s Presidential Palace, proclaimed the Supreme Court judge Carlos Piedra to be President, and began appointing the new government. Furious, Castro ended the ceasefire, and ordered Cantillo’s arrest by sympathetic figures in the army. Accompanying celebrations at news of Batista’s downfall on 1 January 1959, Castro ordered the MR-26-7 to prevent widespread looting and vandalism. Cienfuegos and Guevara led their columns into Havana on 2 January, while Castro entered Santiago and gave a speech invoking the wars of independence. Heading

toward Havana, he greeted cheering crowds at every town, giving press conferences and interviews. At Castro’s command, the politically moderate lawyer Manuel Urrutia Lleó was proclaimed provisional president, with Castro erroneously announcing he had been selected by “popular election”; most of Urrutia’s cabinet were MR26-7 members. Entering Havana, Castro proclaimed himself Representative of the Rebel Armed Forces of the Presidency, setting up home and office in the penthouse of the Havana Hilton Hotel. Castro exercised a great deal of influence over Urrutia’s regime, now ruling by decree. He ensured that they implemented policies to cut corruption and fight illiteracy and attempted to remove Batistanos from positions of power by dismissing Congress and barring all those elected in the rigged elections of 1954 and 1958 from future office. He then pushed Urrutia to issue a temporary ban on political parties; he repeatedly but falsely claimed that they would eventually hold multiparty elections.http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Fidel_Castro - cite_note-117 Although repeatedly denying that he was a communist to press, he began clandestinely meeting members of the Popular Socialist Party to discuss the creation of a socialist state. In suppressing the revolution, Batista’s government had killed between one and four thousand Cubans (grossly exaggerated to 20,000 by influential parts of the local press),\l “cite_note-121”http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Fidel_Castro - cite_note-121 and now popular uproar demanded that those responsible be brought to justice. Castro helped set up many trials, resulting in hundreds of executions. Although widely popular domestically, critics – in particular from the U.S. press

“Despite their numerical and technological superiority, the army had no experience with guerrilla warfare, and Castro halted their offensive using land mines and ambushes.”

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz

– argued that many were not \o “Fair trial”fair trials, with Castro responding by proclaiming that “revolutionary justice is not based on legal precepts, but on moral conviction”. Acclaimed by many across Latin America, he traveled to Venezuela where he met with President-elect \o “Rómulo Betancourt”Rómulo Betancourt, unsuccessfully requesting a loan and a new deal for Venezuelan oil. Returning home, an argument between Castro and senior government figures broke out; he was infuriated that the government had left thousands unemployed by closing down casinos and brothels. As a result, Prime Minister \o “José Miró Cardona”José Miró Cardona resigned, going into exile in the U.S. and joining the antiCastro movement. On February 16, 1959, Castro was sworn in as \o “Prime Minister of Cuba”Prime Minister of

Cuba. In April he visited U.S. on a \o “Ch offensive”charm offens where he met Vice Presid \o “Richard Nixon”Rich Nixon, whom he insta disliked. Proceeding Canada, Trinidad, Bra Uruguay and Argent Castro attended economic conference i “Buenos Aires”Buenos A unsuccessfully proposin $30 billion U.S.-funded “Marshall Plan”Mars Plan” for Latin Amer Appointing himself Presid of the \o “Instituto Nacio de Reforma Agraria”Natio Institute of Agrarian Refo in May 1959 Castro sig into law the \o “Agra Reform Laws of Cuba”F Agrarian Reform, limi landholdings to 993 ac (402 ha) per owner forbidding further fore land ownership. Aro 200,000 peasants rece title deeds as large l holdings were broken popular among the wor class, it alienated m

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Foot Print

averick Revolutionaire

d the arm sive dent hard antly g to azil, ina, an n \o ires, ng a d “\o hall rica. dent onal onal orm, gned rian First ting cres and eign und ived and up; king any

middle class supporters. Castro appointed himself president of the National Tourist Industry, introducing unsuccessful measures to encourage African-American tourists to visit, advertising Cuba as a tropical paradise free of racial discrimination. Judges and politicians had their pay reduced while lowlevel civil servants saw theirs raised, and in March 1959, Castro ordered rents for those who paid less than $100 a month halved. Although refusing to categorize his regime as socialist and repeatedly denying being a communist, Castro appointed Marxists to senior government and military positions; most notably, Che Guevara became Governor of the Central Bank and then Minister of Industries. Appalled, Air Force commander \o “Pedro Luis Díaz Lanz”Pedro Luis Díaz Lanz defected to the U.S. Although President Urrutia denounced the defection, he expressed concern with the

rising influence of Marxism. Angered, Castro announced his resignation as Prime Minister, blaming Urrutia for complicating government with his “fevered antiCommunism”. Over 500,000 Castro-supporters surrounded the Presidential Palace demanding Urrutia’s resignation, which was duly received. On July 23, Castro resumed his Premiership and appointed Marxist \o “Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado”Osvaldo Dorticós as President. His government emphasised social projects to improve Cuba’s standard of living, often to the

detriment of economic development. Major emphasis was placed on education, and under the first 30 months of Castro’s government, more classrooms were opened than in the previous 30 years. The Cuban primary education system offered a work-study program, with half of the time spent in the classroom, and the other half in a productive activity. Health care was nationalized and expanded, with rural health centers and urban polyclinics opening up across the island, offering free medical aid. Universal vaccination against

childhood diseases was implemented, and infant mortality rates were reduced dramatically. A third aspect of the social programs was the construction of infrastructure; within the first six months of Castro’s government, 600 miles of road had been built across the island, while $300 million was spent on water and sanitation schemes. Over 800 houses were constructed every month in the early years of the administration in a measure to cut homelessness, while nurseries and day-care centers were opened for children and other centers opened for the disabled and elderly. Castro used radio and television to develop a “dialogue with the people”, posing questions and making provocative statements.http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Fidel_Castro - cite_note-136 His regime remained popular with workers, peasants, and students, who constituted the majority of the country’s population, while opposition came primarily from the middle class; thousands of doctors, engineers and other professionals emigrated to “Florida”Florida in the U.S., causing an economic “Brain drain”brain drain. Productivity decreased and the country’s financial reserves were drained within two years. After conservative press expressed hostility towards the government, the proCastro printers’ trade union disrupted editorial staff, and in January 1960 the government ordered them to publish a “clarification” written by the printers’ union at the end of articles critical of the government. Castro’s government arrested hundreds of “Counterrevolution”counterrevolutionaries, many of whom were subjected to solitary confinement, rough treatment, and threatening behavior. Militant anti-Castro groups, funded by exiles, the “Central Intelligence Agency”Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the Dominican government,

undertook armed attacks and set up guerrilla bases in Cuba’s mountains, leading to the six-year “War against the Bandits”War against the Bandits. By 1960, the “Cold War”Cold War raged between two superpowers: the United States, a “Capitalism”capitalist “Liberal democracy”liberal democracy, and the Soviet Union (USSR), a MarxistLeninist socialist state ruled by the “Communist Party of the Soviet Union”Communist Party. Expressing contempt for the U.S., Castro shared the ideological views of the USSR, establishing relations with several Marxist-Leninist states. Meeting with Soviet \o “First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union”First Deputy Premier “Anastas Mikoyan”Anastas Mikoyan, Castro agreed to provide the USSR with sugar, fruit, fibers, and hides, in return for crude oil, fertilizers, industrial goods, and a $100 million loan. Cuba’s government ordered the country’s refineries – then controlled by the U.S. corporations \o “Shell Oil Company”Shell, \o “Esso”Esso and \o “Standard Oil”Standard Oil – to process Soviet oil, but under U.S. pressure, they refused. Castro responded by expropriating and “Nationalization”nationalizing the refineries. Retaliating, the U.S. cancelled its import of Cuban sugar, provoking Castro to nationalize most U.S.-owned assets on the island, including banks and sugar mills. Relations between Cuba and the U.S. were further strained following the explosion of a French vessel, the “Le Coubre”Le Coubre, in Havana harbor in March 1960. The ship carried weapons purchased from Belgium, the cause of the explosion was never determined, but Castro publicly insinuated that the U.S. government were guilty of sabotage. He ended this speech with “¡Patria o Muerte!” (“Fatherland or Death”), a proclamation that he made much use of in

“The Cuban primary education system offered a work-study program, with half of the time spent in the classroom, and the other half in a productive activity. Health care was nationalized and expanded, with rural health centers and urban polyclinics opening up across the island, offering free medical aid.”

ensuing years. Inspired by their earlier success with the \o “1954 Guatemalan coup d’état”1954 Guatemalan coup d’état, in March 1960, U.S. President Eisenhower authorized the CIA to overthrow Castro’s government. He provided them with a budget of $13 million and permitted them to ally with the “Mafia”Mafia, who were aggrieved that Castro’s government closed down their businesses in Cuba. On 13 October 1960, the U.S. prohibited the majority of exports to Cuba, initiating “United States embargo against Cuba”an economic embargo. In retaliation, “Instituto Nacional de Reforma Agraria”INRA took control of 383 private-run businesses on 14 October, and on 25 October a further 166 U.S. companies operating in Cuba had their premises seized and nationalized. On 16 December, the U.S. ended its import quota of Cuban sugar, the country’s primary export. In September 1960, Castro flew to New York City for the \o “General Assembly of the United Nations”General Assembly of the United Nations. Staying at the \o “Hotel Theresa”Hotel Theresa in \o “Harlem”Harlem, he met with journalists and antiestablishment figures like \o “Malcolm X”Malcolm X. He also met Soviet Premier \o “Nikita Khruschev”Nikita Khruschev, with the two publicly condemning the poverty and racism faced by Americans in areas like Harlem. Relations between Castro and Khrushchev were warm; they led the applause to one another’s speeches at the General Assembly. Subsequently visited by Polish First Secretary \o “ W + a d y s + a w Gomu+ka”W+adys+aw Gomu+ka, Bulgarian Chairman “Todor Zhivkov”Todor Zhivkov, Egyptian President “Gamal Abdel Nasser”Gamal Abdel Nasser and Indian Premier “Jawaharlal Nehru”Jawaharlal Nehru, Castro also received an evening’s reception from the “Fair Play for Cuba Committee”Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Back in Cuba, Castro feared a U.S.-backed coup; in 1959 his regime spent $120 million on Soviet, French, and Belgian weaponry and by early 1960 had doubled the size of Cuba’s armed forces. To be continued

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Issues

Nigeria’s Democracy In Reality By LAWRENCE OMORODION

DEMOCRACY in a lay man language and understanding is the government of the people, by the people and for the people, but over the years this meaning has not explain properly what a true democracy means and portrays. Democracy in the real explanation and understanding is a form of government in which the people govern themselves or elect representatives to govern them. Dictionary also put as a country, state or other body with such a form of government. The realities in Nigeria Democracy are therefore obvious in our day to day encounter with the government. Even there is a great reflection of what democracy is in Nigeria. Lets look at the issues of electing the representatives who govern the electorates. In Nigeria Society today, there is practically a different form of elections. Sometimes it seem the strongest, the most arrogant, and the ones relating to incumbency always assume the offices to control the affairs of the country which is also the affairs of the people. The people most of the times think their votes determine who they want and who will win, but in reality in some eases, it is not the truth,

2015:

because the candidates do what they think can put them in the office. Meanwhile, the true democracy take care of the people of the country, state or the environment depending the areas or aspects of government. True democracy highlight different ways a considerable and a responsible government is supposed to take care of the subjects, or rather the citizens. True democracy conducts credible elections where the electorates votes count and also being effective in putting credible people to stand as representatives in every political offices and platform. Even the so-called political legends in Nigeria also committed the offences of rigging. Election manipulations was one of the factors which caused an upheavals in Nigeria society which led to military coup and invasion in 1966. True democracy never give room for favouratism, but one aspect of this in Nigeria democracy is that many people are being favoured on the platform of nearness and relatively. Favouritism plays a large role in Nigeria democracy, to the end that oil well is being distributed to who are close to the top. Employment seems to be hard but are gift to some people who have no need of jobs despite

that many qualified graduates who yearn for the same positions or jobs but are being denied the opportunities to get what the right of the state. There have been lots of government programmes that were set up to help the needy, young graduates in financing any prospective business or establish one. However, the money that are supposed to be given to these people are diverted to political party members of the ruling party, and the beneficiaries are those

close or related to the party members who think they control the minds and affairs of the people (country). Tribalism is another reality in Nigeria democracy, the issue of tribalism came to Nigerian Society so easily but stand so difficult to eliminate and eradicate from the system and from our blood streams. Tribalism started when Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914, when some zones or states have to be known and regarded as minorities, though

the Government of the country does not give special preference to where the country’s revenue is coming from. In some offices, employments are being given based on tribe of the applicants, especially when the boss of the company have to favour his/her tribal man or woman. They made interview easy for those they want to favour regardless of professionalism. Inequality before the Law is one thing that pervade and is rooted in the minds, behaviours of the elected who feel that they are above the law of Nigeria. It shows in their manners and the ways they handle things relating to the government and the public. in Nigeria, you see politicians

fighting or constituting nuisance in the public. Some even go to the extreme of molesting and harassing the innocents citizens who voted them in and those who made them who they are. Considering what goes around in Nigerian Society, there are crimes and violence being perpetuated by our leaders who are supposed to stand as mentors and examples to the public. These crimes are done in the eyes of the public but no persecution and penalties to the leaders in order to serve as a corrective examples to the public. Some Lawyers and Judges are allegedly being bribed everyday to compromise judgement in their favour. Politicians pay lawyers and Judges to work for them and as well work against opposition parties. They bend judgement to favour incumbent government and punish those who are innocents. They denigrate the potentials and the abilities of the people and even burn out the zeal which gives the momentum for development and improvement. The reality behind failed democracy in the Nigeria lies within Nigeria. Freedom of the press is another thing or aspect advocated by a true democracy and when the press are free, that is when accountability and credibility can be found in the government aide. But Nigeria has not given total right to the press to explore their potentials and skills in probing investigating and exposing corruption and this in a large extent affects factual News reportage.

Politicians’ Quest For Positions

AS the storms of the 2015 general election’s in the country gather momentum, political parties and their aspirants are lobbying their party’s executives to win their heart as to emerge winners during party primaries for the available elective positions. The question is, how well is these aspirants known by their people at the grassroots. Today, election in Nigeria is beginning to reach a new crescendo and it is imperative to dissect the single most important factor that motivates electorates in deciding whom they cast their vote for. Glaringly, aside “stomach infrastructures” which some people believe can motivates those at the grassroot, other factors such as competency, previous antecedents and party affiliations are not less important. It is now glaring that people no longer vote for political parties but for a candidate that is suitable for the job and also a candidate that is attached to the people at the grassroot who can deliver to them the dividends of democracy. Gone are the days when a

city based politician will be coming to his people at the rural area to seek for their support where as such candidate is not known at home or carried out any meaningful development that is of benefit to the people. Ironically, we always fail to learn from other people’s mistakes. It could have been a lot better if political actors would possibly learn from the two last elections in the country that is Ekiti and Osun States governor’s elections. In the case of Ekiti State, people of the state voted for Ayo Fayose against the incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi. The people probably discovered that the incumbent governor was not with the common man who has the majority of the votes decided to seek for a change and favour in the eyes of Ayo Fayose. To me not because of Ayo Fayose is from PDP that made him to win but they see him as better alternative to the incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi. In Osun State election, Rauf Aregbesola Defeated Omisore despite the huge Federal Government support given to his opponent which was not able to alter the

By ONI GLORIA/OWOBU JENNIFER

wishes of people as it was definitely the triumph of power of incumbency over federal might. For Fayemi opined that despites his glaring achievements in the state, there was still a huge disconnection from the common man at the grassroots while others prefer to agree that the heavy presence of armed security personnel alien to the people of Ekiti affected the outcome of the election. Whatever the reasons for the defeat, it appears that the opposition party has gained some useful experience to propel them in future elections. A proof of this, is the victory recorded by the incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola to the dismay of the ruling party. Expectedly, the tides turned and mistakes of the Fayemi loss were effectively corrected at the polls. Security intimidation, arrest of party stalwarts, molestation of citizens perceived to be in the opposition, the use of federal power to intimidate junior election officers and many others were overcomed by the APC this time around.

The political terrain in Nigeria has change and gone are the days when federal might will always triumph over the will of the people, but in Nigeria of today, if a candidate is not popular he or she will always be defeated in elections and its only a leader that is close to the people that can know the problems the people are facing and also provide solution to those problems. It sounds so funny when some groups of politicians without political structure hope to win an election. These set of politicians have got nothing to do with the grassroot, and for that reason they cannot win in the election. As the political parties’ primaries are conducted prior to the 2015 election in the country, the parties should not field any unpopular and not sellable candidate for any elective position, else, such party will definitely not win such election. The people have learnt from the past that “when leaders chooses a candidate for the people, such may be rejected by the people. So, today, the electorates want

to determine who lead them. The democratic processes of electing these citizens into positions of choice are not novel in Nigeria. The Novelty in Nigeria electioneering processes, in the final conduct and in the outcome of the elections is the fierceness, intolerance, do or die inclination of politicians and to a large, extent, that confusion and tension it creates. Since 1999, it can be comfortably argued that no general elections had been conducted without loss of lives, destruction of property and wild criticism from the citizenry and local as well as international election observers. Nigeria is going to be once more tested by another blood sucking entity called general elections. Is it possible to conduct free and fair general elections, the type that is not grossly marred by corruption? Is it possible that general elections would hold in Nigeria without a Nigerian killed? Yes, it is! If politicians can display that the election of any of them is not worth the blood of any citizen of Nigeria; if money politics will be minimized in Nigeria; if the youth will not be held

hostage by the politicians to do the dirty jobs of stuffing of ballot boxes, multiple thumbprinting and intimidation/ killing of the oppositions in any stronghold of a party; if the opposition will be allowed to fully participate without hindrances; if the INEC will allow a level playing ground in the electioneering and result declaration processes. I believe that Nigeria is ripe for an intellectual revolution. I believe that Nigeria can do it right this time. I believe that it is time to take our destiny in our own hands. It is time, not only to say no to political thuggery; no to stereotyping our intellectual capacities; no to mismanagement and massive looting of God-given fortunes, no to ethno-religious gangsterism, no to electoral corrupt practices and to all of these that have become diehard in the main stream of our political lives. It is also time to rejuvenate the spirits of Sir Tafewa Balewa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir, Ahmadu Bello, and my own father Ajah Ogwu who was ever prayerful that one day faith and love would defeat wickedness and stop its reign in this country.

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Family Planning

With Eranga Isaac - 08059233001

“Lack of access to safe sanitation results in open defecation, or the use of shared toilet facilities. For women, this often takes place after dark, to retain modesty and privacy, making it more difficult to manage menstruation and exposing them to the risk of harassment, attack and rape.” women, says UNICEF/ WHO (2011). And the financial and opportunity costs of obtaining and

treating water, doing house work, and treating WASH – Related illnesses can consume a

Improving Maternal Health Via Water, Sanitation And Hygiene ALTHOUGH the estimated number of maternal deaths fell from 543,000 to 287,000 between 1990 and 2010, few countries are on track to meet millennium Development Goal 5, which aims to reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio, states WHO/UNICEF (2012) count down 2015. According to wateraid.com, further progress on maternal health will require a redoubling of efforts, especially as maternal deaths are most likely to occur within the most vulnerable and hard-toreach populations. For example, the partnership for maternal Newborn and Child Health (2011) PMNCH fact sheet: RMNCH continuum of care: Reproductive, Maternal, newborn and child health, states that African women’s risk of pregnancyrelated death, over their lifetime, is 100 times higher than that of women in developed countries. Efforts to tackle maternal mortality have focused on the continuum of care approach starting with

reproductive health, with specific interventions targeting the antenatal to postnatal stages but with little focus on wider social and environmental determinants. Achieving greater reductions in maternal mortality and improvement in reproductive health may require more integrated approach. One potentiality important consideration is the role of safe drinking water, safe sanitation, and the practice of good hygiene. There is currently a limited understanding of how water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) may influence maternal health and, partly as a result of this, it does not generally feature in existing global or national strategies for improving maternal and reproductive health. Access To WASH – Still

a Distant Goal According to UNICEF/ WHO (2013) progress on drinking water and sanitation: 2013 update, Globally, 768 million people lack access to safe water, while 2.5 billion people do not have access to a safe toilet and about 1 billion practice one defecation. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that inadequate WASH is responsible for almost one tenth of the global disease burden. The key risk associated with poor WASH is diarrhea disease mortality and acute morbidity. According to Liu L, Johnson H, cousens Setal (2012) ‘Global, regional, and national courses of child mortality, published in Lancet; 379 (9832): 2151-61, Diarrheal diseases account for 10% lf all

child deaths and are the second leading disease cause of under – five deaths. Morbidity has declined only slightly since 1990. There is good evidence for the effect of WASH on a range of other health outcomes, including acute respiratory infections, soiltransmitted helminth infections, and diseases associated with the chemical contamination of water. Wash and maternal health – Social and cultural determinants: Lack of access to water and sanitation a disproportionately affects woman and girls, who often bear the greatest burden in the absence of reliable water and sanitations services. Two-thirds of drinking water is collected by

significant share of poor families resources. In Africa, it is estimated that water collection accounts for 40 billion hours a year, says Bardsi E and Wodon Q(2006) in Measuring time poverty and analyzing its determinants: concepts and application to Guinea. World Bank, and Lawson D (2007) in A Gendered analysis of ‘time poverty’ and the importance of infrastructure, Global Poverty Research Group, Manchester, UK. In Pakistan, the long distance to water sources leads to reduce participation in incomegenerating activities by women. Lack of access to safe sanitation results in open defecation, or the use of shared toilet facilities. For women, this often takes place after dark, to retain modesty and

privacy, making it more difficult to manage menstruation and exposing them to the risk of harassment, attack and rape. Lack of separate and adequate sanitation facilities, including provision for management of menstrual hygiene in schools, may also contribute to absenteeism and drop out rates, which, in turn, are associated with a greater risk of early marriage and pregnancy. Direct Impact on Maternal and Reproductive Health There are many direct links between WASH and maternal and reproductive health. In a forthcoming systematic review, these links are broadly grouped under two headings: WASH – related contamination and infection, and behavioural factors related to the quality and location of facilities. Preliminary findings from this review suggest multiple and complex linkages between WASH and maternal and reproductive health.

“Reproductive, Maternal, newborn and child health, states that African women’s risk of pregnancyrelated death, over their lifetime, is 100 times higher than that of women in developed countries.”

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Political Platform OVER three decades ago, on the last day of 1983 to be precise, Major-General Muhammad Buhari thought he had brought down the curtain on Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (and his campaign manager -Umaru Dikko)’s government which was heavily plagued by allegations of corruption and the deterioration in the national finances as a result of a decline in world oil prices. The whole Nigerian public, the whole? Well majority of the public started prancing around the task master (Idiabon)’s war against indiscipline that emblematised a progressive landscape of Buhari’s pictography. It was the allegations of kickbacks to prominent politicians that was enfeebling the Ajaokuta/Delta Steel complexes and other Shagari’s programs; including the mechanical machinery in farming which actually was hampered by the prevalence of retired military officers, who had acquired land as parting gifts under Obasanjo 1st regime, and the unworking Shagari’s Economic Stabilization Program that moved Buhari into action on December 31, 1983. Inside the caucus of the newly formed Buhari’s ruling council, an ambitious onlooker started to put in place machinery of a long time fantasy that would become the Maradonic IBB Other than the New Masquerade Chief Zebrudaya look-a-like contest (Sorry Zebby) I don’t see how the money-tug politics we practice in this country would win a Buhari-Presidency. But this has not stopped the exarmy general trying to stage a referendum to allow the Nigerian people to bestow on him an all-encompassing and sweeping legislative power over the pretty understandable objections of his opponents – the PDP. In 2003, 2007 and 2011 more cunnier personalities triumphed and Mr Buhari lost. Do many people still say for how long for Mr Buhari? This individual might be refered to as an authoritarian and timeworn by some, but for most others, he is seen as a service deliverer, given his clinch of incorruptibleness in Nigerian political amphitheatre. Those who already refer to Buhari as a right-wing extremist will not have a full understanding of the converted democrat, unless Mr Buhari eventually gets the

A Service Deliverer Coming Back To Power?

Muhammadu Buhari: overall mandate he failed to win in 2011, 2007 and back in 2003. If Nigerians would put aside tribal and religious sentiments to give Buhari new power to sort things out for Nigeria and its people, If the Nigerian people could resist the PDP bribery and corruption and go to the poll with their hearts and not their head. If the voters could leave who is a Christian or Muslim, southern or northern and seek who will do better in government, then Buhari is more likely to sweep-clean this upcoming election. Majority of Nigerians believe that Buhari would set a stage for a feel-good country we deserved and hope for. But the PDP and little section of the elites are going to come out swinging, branding Mr Buhari a dictator and advertise Blood and Baboon on every bill board. They will do this …but why? PDP and its supporting elites are quick to jump at any opportunity to present portraiture of any leader whose policies do not brook their chop-alone big mannity. The PDP and its supporting elites now prey on some Nigerians’ misguided belief that any leader who shows strong leadership and overwhelming popular support must be coercing the public into some blind radical fealty. But who will blame these poor innocent citizens that want nothing more than patriotic public servants. With overbearing apathy and abject skepticism sweeping through the Nigerian populace as it pertains to politics and everything else, it seems absurd to these teeming masses that any political leader could be anything but a crook or a dictator. In Nigeria, there is only one particular leader who has scared and continues to scare the bejeezus out of our political bourgeoisies and that has always been Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari started on the road toward the presidency as a soldier. Buhari first came to widespread public attention in 1976 when he became the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources in Obasanjo first government. But before then, he had served as governor of one of the 12 created State by Murtala. Ok! Lets fast-forward to that last day in 1983 (December 31) when he was selected from heading the 3rdArmoured Division of Jos to lead the country after the dethroned

By FELIX OGUNSUYI VESCOVI

President Shehu Shagari. Buhari’s ephemeral government is celebrated for, above other things, its ability to keep the country afloat by making progress through sheer economic ingenuity even when it rejected IMF loan and refused to adopt IMF conditionality to devalue the Naira and curbing imports of needless goods, curtailing oil

policy began to show tangible dividends in almost everything –economy, infrastructure, education and even queuing at bus stops, a long term ambition of one of the SMC members –(then) Major-General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida began to spurt his daydreaming. Outside Buhari’s

have been geared toward putting power back in the hands of individual citizens, scaling back the overbearing powers and privileges granted to politicians. His policy would place control of oil and other money-generating sectors back into the hands of a true federal government for a true and fair disbursement. His government will end zoning-politics that’s

Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd)

theft and using counter trade policy to barter seized illegally bunkered crude oil for needful goods like machineries. However, some critics hold the view that Buhari’s attempts to rebalance public finances by curbing imports was impish as it led to many job and business losses. Although people might talk about one inaccessible incident of personal luggage through the customs but no one would deny the overwhelming admiration for Buhari’s uprightness and his stand against corruption. Buhari’s merits quash personal luggage at the customs and the package of a frauding minister in a crate from abroad. As Buhari embarked on his revolutionary WAI through his task-master -Idiagbon, many corrupt elements in the ruling Supreme Military Council (SMC) afraid of being caught as the WAI-

physiognomy, his melancholic Chief of Army Staff set his long term plan into action. With the prudishness Babangida strategically skilled over the years; mostly experience from the back-stab event of his once close friend; Col B.S. Dimka (1976) he voted Idiagbon to Mecca and struck afterwards with the same excuse Buhari evacuated Shagari. Buhari and his WAIdream were incarcerated in a heavily fortified prison in Benin City until 1988. After his 1988 release, he took a low political profile but worked under the red-apple killed Abacha at PTF; a body the New African publication praised as a rare Nigerian “success story”. Buhari rekindled his presidential political actions at the dawn of the third Republic (1999), as a more effective means of spreading his message to the populace. His policies since entering the presidential race

depriving Nigeria the best fitted men and women weather’s christian-christian or muslim-muslim ticket. His policy seems a kit to improve public welfare and national growth and certainly no attempt to consolidate power into the executive branch of the government Buhari policy will bring about a truly democratic electoral process and end the lucrative business of Nigerian monetized politics with a Constitutional reform that will mandate not more than 30 million naira annual remuneration including all ALLOWANCES and GRATUITIES for any elected and unelected public office. Buhari policy is more likely to bring about capital punishment for any legally and fairly convicted corruption cases both in public or private offices. Therefore, the difference between a dictator that people are afraid of, and where

Buhari stands right now is that, in his presidency, there will be rigorous checks and balances that would prevent him from ruling as a hegemon. While critics contend that Buhari would (re)institute an autocratic control, the reality is that the majority of Nigerians would vote him into power because he has and will continue to look out for their interests. It is not the average citizen who discards the rule of Buhari. It’s only the corporations and the wealthy elites that hate Buhari. His records promise an advancement fresco which dreads all his corrupt rivalries. His aims, while revolutionary, are driven by utilitarian ideals -improve the lives and the quality of life for as many Nigerians as possible. So, in essence, Buhari is only a dictator in the eyes of the greedy and thiefing politicians and businesses’ interests who would not be allowed to steal oil-money and rape the natives of their natural wealth when he’s there. He is a dictator to the educated who write Stealing Projects for the PDP governments. Buhari’s a dictator to the governments of the West who seemingly place more power in the hands of their representative elites who drive up profits for their cronies while neglecting the needs of the many. But for the majority of the Nigerian people, Buhari is a service deliverer who has only their interests in mind. Therefore, the sceptics’ illusions of Buhari’s dictatorial spirit are damned. Through the Gowon to the IBB/Abacha years, there now exist one truism, so obvious that to say it seems cliché -the Nigerian military coup is gone, but the military bureaucrats remain. And again, this has begun to change. Military persona is quietly being transformed by the inescapable logic of generational change. Would Buhari (being the next president or not) follow this generational change and seek a pupil (or pupils) to carry his CLOAK while he takes the back seat? Felix Ogunsuyi Vescovi Contacts: Tel: 08160118576 Email: fellus@gmx.com

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Archival Matters

Sound Of Silence HOW time flies!! On October 19, 1986 last month, it was 28 years ago that Dele Giwa, one of Nigeria’s finest journalists, was killed by a letter bomb. During this day, as a form of remembrance, I played an audio album released by Paul Simon and Garfunkel. These artistes play rock music that Dele Giwa in his life time was in love with. Of all the tracks in this album, there is one that appeals to me in these dire times we find ourselves in Nigeria. It is titled Sound of Silence. I played this hit track over and over again. Why? It is because it tells the selfeffacing story of a true patriot like Dele Giwa who was silenced forever by a letter bomb sent by a military dictator in 1986. It is true that following his death, Dele Giwa can no more write his ascerbic tirade against the ills in our society. But not to worry there is still loud social comment from his silent graveyard in UgbekpeEkperi in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. Remember, the existentialist writer Albert Camus. He says that the absence of comment is a comment in itself. Yes morgue silence is a sound comment, too. Like Dele Giwa, like Iconic Air Iyare the late celebral altruist universalist, humanist and unwavering social critic. In the seventies, the foremost educationist courageously confronted Ogbemudia with some incontrovertible truths about the lacuna in his administration as a military governor of Bendel State. On various occasion, Ogbemudia arrested and detained him for telling the truth. But Air Iyare couldn’t be cowed. When one recalls the valiant exploits of Air Iyare in the days of yore, you won’t

By MICHAEL ODIGBE

bother to argue with our juvenile critics of today each time they boast that they have been able to pull down the sick walls of Jericho in Government House. You keep silent. Talk is cheap, action expensive but praxis is unaffordable. Enter late Major Isaac Boro. He took to armed struggle in the sixties to sincerely protest the misappropriation of the oil wealth of Niger Delta people by Eastern Nigeria and the federal republic of Nigeria. His action was considered treasonable. He was arrested, tried and sentenced to death by the federal government with his brave compatriots. Later, they were granted reprieve. On release from jail, Isaac Boro enlisted in the Nigeria Army as a Major. He died thereafter gallantly in 1968 fighting on the side of Nigeria during the civil war in the country. Whenever I talk about Isaac Boro, I often break the logical rule of exclusive middle by celebrating him in superlative terms. How? I say without apologies that he remains our most honourable Niger Delta militant. This is because unlike the militants of today, he didn’t see the Niger Delta struggle as an opportunistic platform for self-enrichment as it is now the norm. Therefore, when you see people parading themselves as leaders of the Niger Delta struggle don’t bother to challenge the spurious empty attestations. Keep silent. Don’t waste you cognitive energy over them. Once upon a time, there was also a man called Tai Solarin who passed on in the early nineties. He was a secular humanist who ranked as one of the pioneers of private institutions in Nigeria with the establishment of his own school Mayflower

College Ikenne. As a true patriot lover of mankind and a cut-edge educationalist, he only charged affordable, cheap school fees. He wasn’t out to make abnormal profits from the educational industry. Therefore, today when you see self-professed religious afficinadoes turn the industry into ATMs, you only smile. No comment. Silence. In his days, Tai Solarin – who owns the unabridged

“injustice to man anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. So, he believed the dead need justice too by giving them decent burials. Unfortunately, today, our government neglect corpses on our roads. It takes media embarrassment before efforts are slowly made to remove them. Hence for the wise and prudent it is time to chuckle without comments when government proclaims from public minarets that they love

independence, they have allowed their eyes to be closed by the blinding lights of stomach infrastructure. Invariably, when Talakawa – brand messainc leaders came they don’t notice them. Gani Fawehinmi was one of such personages. Like Christ, he laid down his life for the Nigerians masses. The testimony for this is there for all to see. Between 1969-1996 alone Gani suffered torture 73 times through brutal arrests, detentions, incarceration in police cells, false imprisonment and arraignments before courts or

• Late Gani Fawehinmi

copyright of Khaki shorts, shirt and cap dress code – picked abandoned corpses from the streets for burial at his own expense. When he got angry with this routine, he began to dump the corpses at the gates of local government councils supposedly elected by the people to provide welfare services for both the living and the dead. Indeed, Tai Solarin was a follower of Dr. Martin Luther King (1929-1968) who said.

us. Oops, each time the poor masses of Nigeria complain they cannot find a good leader, some of us turn our ears elsewhere preferring to listen to the chirpings of the canary bird. Our action is not inspired by hatred for the masses. Rather it is because there is no basis for such complaint. See, the truth is that the masses are to blame for their predicament. Since

“His travails were not for selfish politic ideological reasons but to leverage the liberation of the masses from the grinding clutches of state terrorism.”

tribunals. His travails were not for selfish politic ideological reasons but to leverage the liberation of the masses from the grinding clutches of state terrorism. Subsequently, Gani founded the National Conscience Party as a platform for saving the masses. But they ignored him. Also Fela, the Afrobeat music legend, boldly came out as a leader of the hoi pollo armed with his messianic, revoluntionary lyrics and political party movement of the people. However, most Nigerians chastised him for his heretic lifestyle forgetting that the “devil” could speak truth which anyway is not an exclusive preserve of saints. Other Nigerians merely danced to his musical

rhythms leaving out his mobilizing critical conscientization message advocating that the masses should send their thieving leaders packing from office. Given our negligent attitude towards Gani and Fela, would anyone listen to the cries of the masses today that God should give them a King? No. What they would get is the sound of silence. Of course, there was also Abiola, presidential candidate of the SDP during the 1993 general election. We voted for him with our minds, not our hearts. Consequently, we abandoned him to die in Abacha’s gulag while fighting to reclaim his stolen mandate all alone with his treacherous foot soldiers and masses looking on. No convincing reason has still been given why Mandela was able to reclaim his mandate after 27 years in hellish jail in apartheid South Africa but Abiola died unable to get his mandate returned after only 4 years in jail in 1998. Meanwhile, the same masses and Abiola’s close aides who betrayed him have been all over the place since 1999 telling us that we should see them as our messiah. But discerning minds know that their fatuous claims are neither here or there. They are not even our Moses leading us out of the captivity of Pharoah. Yet they are propagating that they are our Aaron with the divine wand to ferry us to the promised land. In response, some of us merely say we hear. Then, we keep silent with the guiding candour of the graveyard. You cannot fool a prostitute let alone a milk maiden. Too true, silence is a potent anti-hypertension in the hands of those who don’t want to join the maddening undemocratic crowd sprouting like mushrooms in Nigeria. For these silent minority of Nigerians, their inspirations is Abraham Licoln, a former American President. Here are his marble words extracted from his letter to his son’s teacher. “Be gentle with gentle people and be tough with tough people. Be strong and don’t follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the bandwagon, close your ears to the howling mob. Stand firm and fight when you think you rights are being violated.

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Science

Behavioural Adaptations AN Aggregation is a group of Animals of the same kind living together. Animals live in groups because they need protection. this could be seen in a group of flocks of birds, ants, bees and termites, some animals like zebras, antelopes and gazelles. In aggregations of animals, members do have a way of communicating with their members, in case, there is food in abundance or whenever there is danger. Here are some of the behaviours these animals exhibits to other group members. WARNING CRIES Many social animals use this method to protect themselves from danger, like the weaver birds and baboons use this method to alert their members to flee from their enemies. The domestic hen do calls its young one to itself whenever there is danger, this will make the chickens run to the mother and she covers them up with her wings. It is not only the birds, hens and baboons that have such behavioural actions. mammals and many birds do produce contact notes in times of distress and in times of joy. Human babies when they are crying and in distress, the mother, comes to their aid immediately. So also when a kitten mews, on the other hand, the mother responds immediately. Likewise in times of pleasure sound like the laughter of the human baby and the purr of a kitten, mothers do also responds.

With OYAKHILOME CLEMENTINA

Some animals have on their own tried to survive environmental conditions which are not favourable to them at a particular time of the year. They are as follows. AESTIVATION Animals in the tropic are able to survive dry season by this method when conditions are not favourable for them. Aestivation is a condition whereby the whole body, processes of the animal is slowed down to a minimum. Snails at times they settle under logs or inside the soil, or withdraw into their shells and remain inactive until the rainy season begins. At this point in time, they form cysts. It is a white covering that covers the entire snails and prevents it, from drying up (in active stage), until when conditions are favourable it then breaks that cysts and comes out. HIBERNATION Hibernation occurs in temperate zones, here field mice and hedgehogs either sleep or remain inactive throughout the period of time. At this time, they sleep in prepared nests during this cold period, there is scarcity of food, great heat loss then when favourable conditions comes back the animal becomes active. MIGRATION Animals go over long distances to new habitats when conditions are unfavourable in their initial habitats. Lets take the cattle egret during the raining season, it is basically in the northern part of the country, but once it is dying season, they migrate from further north to the southern part of the country and move around with cattle’s but once the dry is over, they migrate back to their former locations. The niloticos fish will migrate to its former habits during breeding season. Whenever there is overcrowding, the bees will migrate from one place to another. Cysts of protozoa, spores of bacteria and seeds of many plants many remain inactive during unfavoruable conditions, when food is low in production, but when favourable conditions comes back, they develop their normal structures. EXPERIMENT TO DEMONSTRATE OSMOSIS IN A LIVING CELL MATERIALS NEEDED Yam or pawpaw, salt or sugar, distilled water, knife, petri dish, knife, petri dish METHOD Peel either the yam tuber or paw-paw and cut into two separate halves, with each having a flat bottom. In each yam, scoop out a depression to form a large cavity in each. Then place each yam to stand in a petri dish containing distilled water, which are of equal quality and marked accordingly. Inside one of the scooped yam, put in either the sugar or salt solution, while in the other, nothing is put there to serve as a control. Then mark the level of water with pins, then allow to stay for 2-6 hours. OBSERVATION After some hours the water level in the experiment A rose, while that in experiment B did not rise because it served as the control. CONCLUSION. This shows us that in Osmosis, water moves in a stronger solution through a living cell as semi permeable membrane. Therefore, Osmosis can be defined as the movement of water solvent from a solution of a lower concentration to that of a higher concentration through a semipermeable membrane. When the solvents from the less concentrated solutions flows into the solution of a higher concentration through the semi –permeable membrane with an equal concentration is gotten we say it is ISOTONIC. But in a situation when the solution loses water, it is said to be HYPOTONIC while the solution that gains water is said to be hypertonic The solution of higher concentration is said to have a higher Osmotic concentration and to exert a higher Osmotic pressure than the other solution.

“It is not only the birds, hens and baboons that have such behavioural actions. mammals and many birds do produce contact notes in times of distress and in times of joy. Human babies when they are crying and in distress, the mother, comes to their aid immediately. So also when a kitten mews, on the other hand, the mother responds immediately.”

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Public Health

Ending Open Defecation In Nigeria

THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently gave an indication that it would develop a road map for Nigeria to end open defecation by 2025. The organisation hold the belief that by eliminating open defecation, rampant cases of diarrhoea that kill many children of less than five years annually in the country, would reduce. Observers note that open defecation — the practice of excreting in public and around the local community—is rampant because not every citizen has access to toilets, latrines or improved sanitation, especially in developing countries. For instance, the United Nations states that no fewer than 82 per cent of the 1.1 billion people practising open defecation live in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Niger, Nepal, China and Mozambique. Health experts, therefore, solicit aggressive advocacy more access of people to basic sanitation during the World Toilet Day, usually celebrated on every November 19. In 2013, the UN recognised the Day to give global attention to the provision of basic sanitation and discourage the practice of open-air defecation.

By TOSIN KOLADE

The experts insist that the campaign in Nigeria, during the celebration, should aim at ending open defecation by 2025. They call on governments, civil society, business and international organisations to take collective actions towards ensuring that people have access to basic sanitation. They observe that open defecation causes contamination to water bodies and poses a serious threat to public health, particularly during flooding. UNICEF, therefore, underscores the need for pragmatic efforts at eliminating open defecation to ensure reduction in the cases of diarrhoea, especially among children. It states that no fewer than 90 per cent of diarrhoea cases among children of less than five years is related to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. “By improving sanitation, we can improve child survival as well as the environment,’’ it said. Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Chris Williams, the Executive Director of Water Supply and Sanitation

Collaborative Council, said that open defecation posed a serious health risk in the world’s poorer countries. “People who do not have access to a hygienic toilet and a place to wash their hands are exposed to an array of transmissible and potentially deadly diseases that are easily preventable with improved sanitation. “That is why we have to make equitable access to improved sanitation a key priority in the post-2015 development agenda. “An environment that lacks sanitation and clean water is an environment where achieving other development goals is an impossible dream,’’ he said. In the same vein, stakeholders at a recent workshop on “Ending Open Defecation’’ in Abuja,

resolved that Nigerian authority must provide mechanisms aimed at ending open defecation. They suggested that enlightening the communities on the need to maintain clean environment by using Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach would help in that regard. CLTS is a process of engaging and empowering community members, schools and traditional leaders in the campaign against open defecation by encouraging the use of toilets constructed by locally available materials. The participants also stressed the need for collaboration with relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, non-governmental organisations, donors such as European Union and UK Aid, to boost CLTS initiative. But one of the participants, Mr Samuel Ome, the Director of Water Quality and Control, Federal Ministry of Water

Resources, said government had put in place mechanisms to reduce the spate of open defecation across the country. “With continuous support from governments and other development partners in scaling up this approach, more Nigerians will live in open defecation free communities. “Although the current sanitation coverage is low at 31 per cent successful, models such as CLTS approach have already demonstrated that it is possible to achieve quick progress in access to sanitation,’’ he said. Ome said that with the right prioritisation of resources, political will and collective efforts, Nigeria would make substantial progress towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on sanitation. Stressing the significance of stopping open defecation, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative Jean Gough, said it would save the lives of thousands of Nigerian children that died annually from preventable water and sanitation related diseases. She said when people defecate in open places; the rain will wash the excreta into the rivers, streams or open wells, where the same people will fetch the water for their consumption. “A community where people defecate indiscriminately, domestic animals could feed on them, and when the animals come back into the house, they put the mouth into whatever they find open including water, food and kitchen utensils. “Sometimes, wind can blow the excreta into the food or water and the people drink, so the consequence is sickness,’’ Gough said. Corroborating her view, UNICEF Water and Sanitation Specialist Bisi Agberemi, observed that more than 49 million Nigerians still defecate openly. He said that Nigerian government must accelerate

efforts to eliminate open defecation in the country. He noted that while 64 per cent of the world’s population had access to improved sanitation, it was sad to note that Nigeria was still among the top 10 countries practising open defecation. He said that the National Demographic Health Survey in 2013 showed that only 28.7 million Nigerians had access to basic sanitation facilities. Agberemi called for the review of obsolete public health laws and implementation of policies to meet the target of achieving open defecation environment in 2025. He also called for increased funding of sanitation issues; saying that awareness should be promoted at all levels of government. “We must all work together to advocate for the harmonisation of sanitation policies and cultivate attitude of cleanliness at all times,’’ he said. Irrespective of various views of stakeholders, Mr Salisu Lonis, the Secretary of National Task Group on Sanitation, said that Nigeria was on track to ending open defecation before the 2025 deadline. Lonis said the country had keyed into the UN End-OpenDefecation and Global Hand washing Campaigns as processes to eliminate transmission of water borne diseases. According to him, the government is collaborating with development partners to create awareness on access to water and basic sanitation in public places. He insisted that the outcome of the National Council on Sanitation showed that Nigeria had made progress in its efforts at ending open defecation as targeted. All in all, health experts believe that effective implementation of CLTS project across the country would boost other efforts aimed at ending open defecation in Nigeria as targeted.

“They observe that open defecation causes contamination to water bodies and poses a serious threat to public health, particularly during flooding.”

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

International Features

2009 Massacre Haunts Philippines As Trial Slows FIVE years after gunmen flagged down a convoy of cars in a southern Philippine province and massacred all 58 occupants, including scores of journalists, the body count continues to rise. Just days before the Philippines marked yesterday’s anniversary of the carnage with prayers and calls to end impunity, another potential witness in the ongoing trial against the politically powerful suspects was gunned down. Here are some questions and answers about this case — the largest criminal trial in the Philippines since World War II and a litmus test for President Benigno Aquino III, a reformist who has vowed to punish the

perpetrators. Q: WHY IS THE CASE TAKING SO LONG? A: Justice Secretary Leila de Lima says the case has been slow because of its sheer size and complexity. Nearly 200 people have been charged for the deaths of the 58 victims, including 32 journalists and their staff in the largest mass killing of media workers in the world. The principal suspects are members of the Ampatuan clan, who had ruled Maguindanao province for decades. According to the prosecutors, their motive was to prevent rivals from challenging them in elections. Most of the victims were the Ampatuans’ political

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

REBUTTAL: RE CAVEAT EMPTOR OKOGBO COMMUNITY We act as Solicitors to the Odionwere and Elders of Evbuehia, Avbiugo and Agowie Villages in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Edo State, whom we shall hereinafter refer to as our Clients. This rebuttal is written on their authority and instructions. Our attention has been drawn to a publication made in The NIGERIAN OBSERVER of Friday, 19th September 2014 in respect of the above subject matter and to say that the content of the entire publication is false as Evbuehia, Avbiugo and Agowie Villages are not and have never been under the Enogie of Okogbo Village. For the avoidance of doubt the three villages under reference arc independent villages as they pay homage directly to the Oba of Benin. The publication in The NIGERIAN OBSERVER of 19/09/14 by HRH Prince Aghatise Akenzua, Enogie of Okogbo Community to say the least is a surreptitious way of enlarging his Dukedom. We hereby call on the general public to discountenance the said publication as it was done mala fide.

opponents and the journalists who accompanied them on their way to register their candidacy when they were stopped and killed. The Ampatuans have denied the charges against them. Prosecutors have presented 147 witnesses, while the defense has begun calling 300 more. Recent proceedings, which are held two to three times a week, have been tied up in bail hearings. At the start of the trial in September 2010, a prominent senator, Joker Arroyo, said that the volume of the case and the intense legal battle could make it last 200 years. He exaggerated to make a point — de Lima says she expects some of the principal suspects to be convicted before Aquino’s term ends in mid2016. As the trial drags on, however, families of the victims are increasingly frustrated. Complicating the picture is chronic insecurity in the southern region, where gunmen on the loose scare away witnesses. According to prosecutors, at least eight witnesses, potential witnesses and their relatives have been killed in an attempt to suppress testimony. The latest victims were Dennis Sakal and Sukarno Butch Saudagal. They had previously worked for the Ampatuans but agreed to testify against them, said Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, whose wife, three sisters

RECONCILIATION OF NAME The general public, First Bank Nigeria Plc and concerned authorities are hereby notified that Saniyo Sabastine Buguwei and Biokorogha Saniyo Boguwei are one and the same person. Henceforth, I now wish to be known as Saniyo Sabastine Buguwei. Former documents remain

and several political supporters died in the massacre. The two men were riding

prosecutors to submit witnesses’ statements in writing to save time. Many, however, continue to call

MASSACRE? A: A volatile mix of unlicensed firearms, private armies and gunsfor-hire, Muslim insurgent groups, weak law enforcement and a violent

Roman Catholic priest bless the wooden markers at the site where 58 people, 32 of them journalists, were massacred at a remote village in Ampatuan township, Maguindanao province in South Philippines. Yesterday. marks the fifth anniversary of the massacre, in Maguindanao.

a motorcycle when gunmen attacked them last Tuesday, killing Sakal and wounding Saudagal. Police have not identified the attackers. “Each killing of a witness creates a fresh injustice, while reducing the chances of justice being served for the families of the victims of this horrific massacre,” said Hazel Galang-Folli of Amnesty International in the Philippines. “Justice delayed is justice denied.” Human Rights Watch says the trial is in “effective judicial limbo” and the continuing attacks on witnesses “a shameful exemplar of impunity in the Philippines.” Q: WHAT HAS THE GOVERNMENT DONE TO SPEED UP THE TRIAL? A: Because of backlogs and an inadequate number of judges and prosecutors, the average case in the Philippines can take a decade to be resolved. To avoid this, the Supreme Court has created a special court just for the massacre. It assigned two judges to help the presiding judge. The special trial court has also encouraged

witnesses to the stand because they want to avoid additional paperwork. The government has strengthened its witness protection program, but in a country with rampant extrajudicial killings, testifying against the rich and powerful means taking big chances. For example, Esmail Amil Enog had testified that he drove dozens of gunmen to the site of the massacre from the residence of one of the suspects. A year later, in 2012, he was shot dead and his body chopped to pieces. He refused the witness protection, saying it was too difficult for him to live in hiding, according to justice officials. There’s also suspicion that the key suspects would prefer a court ruling after Aquino’s term ends in 2016, hoping for a more favorable outcome. The Ampatuans were political allies of Aquino’s predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has been detained on vote-rigging charges. Q: HOW HAS THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND CHANGED SINCE THE

history of clan wars has endured beyond the massacre. Out of the 197 massacre suspects, at least 84 mostly militiamen who were loyal to the Ampatuans remain at large and have reportedly joined other armed groups. Still, the government considers the arrests of the Ampatuans and their removal from power a change for the better. Some Ampatuan relatives still hold local posts, but are “more subdued and quiet,” said regional military spokesman Col. Dickson Hermoso. Maguindanao has shifted back to democracy, although the province of more than a million people remains under a state of emergency that was imposed following the massacre, to ensure “nobody can go walking around with an unauthorized gun and threatening everyone,” said Mangudadatu, the provincial governor. That massacre “will never happen again,” Mangudadatu said. • Courtesy: AP

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

60 German Extremists Killed In Syria BERLIN — The head of

Car Bomb Kill 7 People BAGHDAD — Authorities in Iraq say a car bomb explosion at an outdoor market south of Baghdad has killed seven people. Police officials say the attack took place yesterday morning in the busy market in the town of Youssifiyah, 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the capital. They say the blast killed seven people and wounded 16. A medical official confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. Iraq is facing its worst crisis since the 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops as the Islamic State group is in control of about a third of the country. U.S.-led airstrikes now target the militants in Iraq and in Syria.

Nuclear Talks May Focus On Extension

VIENNA — Iran says that if obstacles remain in the talks about its nuclear program, the discussion will have to shift to extending them beyond today’s deadline. A member of the Iranian delegation said if that is the case yesterday night, the negotiations will focus on reaching a “general political agreement” on what both sides are committed to resolving. He says talks would then be held in the near future to sign that agreement, leading to more negotiations on those outstanding issues. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as a condition for briefing the media. Six world powers at the talks have demanded stiff curbs on Iranian nuclear projects that could make weapons. Tehran seeks an end to sanctions imposed over its nuclear program.

International

Gordon Brown To Step Down As MP

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency says authorities now know of 550 people from the country who have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join extremist groups, and about 60 of them have died. The number of extremists given by Hans-Georg Maassen in an interview with yesterday’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper is up from the figure of 450 authorities previously used. He was quoted as saying that “about 60 of these people coming from Germany so far have been killed or killed themselves — at least nine of them in suicide attacks.” Officials in Germany and other European countries worry that radicalized extremists returning from Syria and Iraq could pose a risk to security at home. Maassen says authorities believe about 180 have returned to Germany.

Earthquake shook on Saturday night the mountainous area that hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics destroying more than half a dozen homes in the ski resort town.

BAMAKO - Suspected Islamist fighters kidnapped 10 children and killed two others who tried to escape near two towns in Mali on Saturday, capping a week of violence in the West African country’s desert north, a senior Malian military official said. Al Qaeda-linked Islamists seized northern Mali in 2012, forcing a French-led military intervention last year that scattered the fighters across a vast region with porous borders. However, they continue to carry out insurgent-style attacks. Lieutenant Colonel Diaran

Kone, an official at Mali’s defence ministry, said Saturday’s incident occurred in the morning at settlements outside the towns of Aguelhoc and Kidal. “It was a forced recruitment of child soldiers,” he told reporters. “Twelve were kidnapped. They shot and killed two who tried to escape.” The raids came the day after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a phosphate mine in the town of Bourem without causing any other casualties, according to

Suspected Islamist Fighters Kill 2 Children, Abduct 10 a government statement on Friday. The bodies of two Tuareg separatist militants were found near the village of Takabort, around 40 km (25 miles) outside Kidal on Thursday. “We found them with their throats slit like sheep,” Algabass Ag Intalla, head of the Tuareg High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA), told reporters. “They were both HCUA militants. Investigations are under way to find out who did

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to announce he is standing down as an MP at the May general election, reports say.

this.” A third round of peace negotiations began in Algiers on Thursday between the Malian government and a grouping of mostly Tuareg rebel groups, who split with their former Islamist allies ahead of the French offensive. The talks are meant to decide on the status of the north in the aim of ending decades of uprisings there that have destabilised the entire country.

Nuclear Deal Impossible By Today’s Deadline - Iran

VIENNA - Iran says it will not be possible by today deadline to reach a comprehensive deal with world powers aimed at resolving the stand-off over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, the Iranian Students News Agency ISNA reported yesterday. “Considering the short time left until the deadline and number of issues that needed to be discussed and resolved, it is impossible to reach a final and comprehensive deal by today, November 24,” reporters quoted an unnamed member of Iran’s negotiating

Earthquake: 37 Homes Collapse, Dozens Injured

TOKYO — Helicopter surveys yesterday showed more extensive damage than earlier thought from an overnight earthquake in the mountainous area of central Japan that hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics. At least 37 homes were destroyed in two villages, and 39 people were injured across the region, including seven seriously, mostly with broken bones, officials said.

The magnitude-6.7 earthquake struck shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday west of Nagano city at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The agency revised the magnitude from a preliminary 6.8 while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 6.2. Since the quake occurred inland, there was no possibility of a tsunami. Ryo Nishino, a restaurant owner in Hakuba, a ski resort village west of Nagano, told

Japanese broadcaster NHK that he had “never experienced a quake that shook so hard. The sideways shaking was enormous.” He said he was in the restaurant’s wine cellar when the quake struck, and that nothing broke there. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were reported at three nuclear power plants in the affected areas. All of Japan’s nuclear plants are offline following a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and massive tsunami

in 2011 that sent three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant into meltdown. Fukushima is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) northeast of where Saturday’s earthquake occurred. The hardest-hit area appeared to be Hakuba, which hosted events in the 1998 games. At least 30 homes were destroyed, and 17 people injured, the Nagano prefecture government said. Another seven homes were lost

LONDON - Former prime minister Gordon Brown is to announce he is standing down as an MP at the May general election, reports said yesterday. The former Labour leader, 63, returned to the limelight to make an impassioned case for his native Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom. An ally told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “Gordon has confirmed to friends that he will stand down at the election in May. “He wants to go out on a high after effectively salvaging the campaign to keep the UK together in September. He will focus on his charity work.” Brown still represents his home town of Kirkcaldy in the House of Commons, but is largely focused on his role as United Nations special envoy for global education. Brown entered parliament in 1983. He was the chancellor of the exchequer from 1997 until 2007, when he took over from Tony Blair as prime minister. He resigned after the May 2010 general election. He is credited with playing a key role in securing a “No” vote in the Scottish independence referendum in September with a passionate last-minute intervention. He had been tipped to stand for the Scottish Labour leadership following the result, but declined to stand, saying he had no intention of returning to front-line politics.

in Otari, a nearby village to the north. Non-residential buildings were also destroyed, with officials still assessing the extent. Japanese television footage showed buildings in various states of collapse, some flattened and others leaning to one side, and deep cracks in the roads. A landslide spilled onto a railroad track, forcing service to stop. About 200 people have evacuated to shelters, almost all from Hakuba and Otari.

team in Vienna as saying. “The issue of extension of the talks is an option on the table and we will start discussing it if no deal is reached by yesterday night,” the person said. The United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China began a final round of talks with Iran tomorrow, looking to clinch a pact under which Tehran would curb its nuclear work in exchange for lifting economically crippling sanctions. Iran rejects Western allegations that it has been seeking to develop a nuclear bomb capability. Iranian and western diplomats close to the negotiations in Vienna told reporters the two sides remained deadlocked on the key issues of Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity and the lifting of the sanctions. The Iranian official was quoted as saying the sides “were trying to reach a framework accord on major issues like ... the number of centrifuges, enrichment capacity and the timeframe of lifting sanctions.”

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

International Features British Muslims Tug Of Peace Stronger Than Pull Of War FOR some British Muslims, the path to jihad and the path to peaceful aid work can traverse much of the same terrain. From an office in Britain’s second largest city, Waseem Iqbal and a friend are planning a trip to the Middle East. In Jordan, they will bring food packages for Syrian refugees. Iqbal, 27, chose charity work not violence. “How do you save innocents in

traditional ankle-length robe-like garment. He has been on the staff of charity Human Relief Foundation for a month. In the preceding three years his charity work included opening a youth center in the basement of a local mosque. Before that, however, Iqbal says he led a different life. He worked as a night club bouncer, ran a music studio and did freelance security work. One night all

does it stop. I spent the whole night crying and realized that what I am missing is Islam,” he said. “I made a promise to be a better Muslim and quit all the things I had been doing cold turkey.” A main street in this central English city bustles with life. Travelers rush in and out of the train station,

out flyers. There are over 213,000 Muslims in Birmingham, making up over a fifth of the population according to the 2011 census. Neighborhoods like Balsall Heath, where Iqbal grew up, are predominantly Muslim and working class. They are also home to what he calls a “gang culture”.

Waseem Igbal poses for a photograph in Birmigham, Central England recently.

Syria? By going into a war zone and getting yourself killed? Or by... bringing people water pumps, schools and food packages? This is what saves innocents,” he said. Iqbal knows others who have taken a different path. Two acquaintances, young British men, were arrested and charged under Britain’s terrorism laws. They were a world apart, Iqbal says, but they had one thing in common: anger. For authorities struggling to prevent young Muslims from joining the wars in Syria and Iraq, understanding what drives these men is key. Over 500 British citizens have traveled to Syria, officials estimate. Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that militants could return to attack the West. Iqbal grows his beard long and wears a thawb - a

of that stopped. In the space of a few weeks in 2010, Iqbal’s older cousin, someone he looked up to, died of a drug overdose and his best friend was stabbed. “I was sitting there one night, smoking weed in my flat overlooking the city and started asking myself what the limit was and where

couples enter coffee houses and a man is performing freestyle rap. Three young men have a booth set up not five meters away from him. A stereo is playing Qu’ranic verse in Arabic followed by English translation. A verse detailing Islam’s version of the life of Jesus and Mary plays while the men hand

This macho mentality can drive young men to join gangs and sell drugs, or join jihadi groups and fight in the Middle East. “It is all about acceptance. He wants to feel part of something, he wants to be respected or feared, he wants to feel part of a cause and feel needed,” Iqbal explained.

Jihadi culture and the bravado that goes with it as well the sanitization of war and glamorization of weapons play a larger role in the rationalization of young Muslim men than Islamist ideology argues Jahan Mahmood, who mentors the community youth. That view is backed by academic studies. Researchers at Queen Mary University list those most susceptible to extremism: people suffering from depression, those who are isolated and those whose families have lived in Britain for several generations. Religious ideology does not appear to be a major influencing factor. Iqbal tells the story of one of the men charged under terrorism laws. He used to be a drug dealer before experiencing a similar change of heart to Iqbal’s. But unlike Iqbal he adopted increasingly radical views after he rediscovered his faith, which Iqbal attributes to a sense of guilt over past misdeeds. “An unsympathetic reading of god as a punisher rather than a forgiver and that the only way to be forgiven is to be on the battlefield and die,” is one of the reasons young men choose to join jihadi groups abroad, says Mahmood. The former drug dealer in Iqbal’s story was arrested in a car full of weapons on the way to a march by the antiIslamist far right English Defense League. Organizations like the English Defense League are a factor in driving young Muslims into extremism. Abdul Waheed, Iqbal’s colleague at their charity,

says as an eight year old he watched out of his window as his uncle was beaten up in the street of the predominantly white neighborhood his family had recently moved to. The family soon moved back to Sparkhill, which alongside Balsall Heath and Sparkbrook make up Birmingham’s majority Asian ‘Balti Triangle’ - a maze of rundown Victorian houses, workshops and curry houses. “As a child you don’t understand why this is happening, but it stays with you, and you get angry. The important thing is not to become the person they say you are,” says 22-yearold Waheed. Iqbal and Waheed have dozens of similar stories. The former has had pig heads and beer thrown at him in soccer venues and both men have had racial slurs yelled at them in the street. “Many young people don’t feel part of the mainstream anymore with the Islamophobia we see in the media,” says Mahmood. The isolation of the Muslim community led to it developing a siege mentality and out of that young people do not see themselves as part of the mainstream or Britain, instead they view themselves as part of a global Muslim nation and feel they have to “help their brothers” abroad. In their lunch break Iqbal and Waheed discuss the futility of fighting. They conclude, however, that if someone is told over and over again that they are something, say a terrorist, by the media, they will eventually become that thing. “The power of suggestion is strong,” says Waheed. • Courtesy: Reuters

“Many young people don’t feel part of the mainstream anymore with the Islamophobia we see in the media”

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Religion

How Far Is Heaven? By OMEIZA ROBINSON

HEAVEN is a location that is ment for Holy and selected people who do not have any attachment of iniquity associated with their lifestyle or social relationship whatsoever. The Holy Bible is God’s manual for Christians on earth, with guide lines that will assist them figure-out and comply, by choice, with conditions which would qualify them to occupy a ‘pride of place’ in heaven with eternal bliss, as promised through scriptural provisions. The condition provided in the scriptures that would qualify any human on earth to make heaven, is such that must be fused with the combination of the old and new testament if there has to be an establishment of balance in the total concept. The Old Testament has it that “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected – even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. “But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations of those who love me and obey my commands. You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. “On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea,

and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belong to your neighbor”. (Exodus 20:2-17 (NLT). Relating this portion of the Bible to the provision of the New Testament which has it that “then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (matthew 22:3540 (NKJV), it is obvious that the old testament cannot be discarded for the new, neither the new for the old in view of the consideration of the laws that one must abide by, in order to be qualified to make heaven after departing for the earth either by death or rapture. Most humans who profess to be Christians today, cannot meet these requirements because they still live in flesh and blood! It is written that “for whosoever shall keep the law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, do not commit adultery, said also, do not

kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law” (James 2:10-11 (KJV). Some Christians today may feel that they are on the right path. Some think that their pattern of Christianity is superior while others are inferior. There is a wide spread segregation, segmentation and fragmentation among

as it relates to Godliness. Some do not even believe that Heaven and Hell truly exist. Whatever belief people may hold unto, the context with which this composition is arranged, allows for the establishment of the fact that Heaven and Hell fire truly exist, and that the Holy Bible is the standard for true Christian practice. In the book “4 hour interviews in Hell”, written by

Christians. Most Christian denomination do not share common and corresponding beliefs in their practise and preaching, therefore they institute conflicting opinion, positions and interpretation to the provisions in the Holy scripture in such that, those who want to join the Christian fold may either be confused as regards the line to toe, or withdraw completely from becoming Christians as a result of the ‘too many’ conflicting Christian positions and practice that most Christian leaders hold today. Under this arrangement, it should be understood that some people on earth do not share the same beliefs

Yemi Bankole, he expresses in the content of the book how some things which people may consider as ‘minor’ kind of lifestyle, or “it doesn’t matter” conceptualised notion, metamorphosing into becoming the things that has made, and will yet make people to miss Heaven; which by interpretation, would be concluded upon that Heaven is really for because the things people may not expect, may eventually turn out to become the thing that would make them miss eternal bliss in Heaven. In the book, the writer tries to polarise between the prevalent skepticism of some people about hell, and the controversy of others against its existence. Using the book as a correcting fluid for both, the text in consonance with the scripture

“The main issue that makes heaven far in this context is that there is no man that would be able to stand if God should consider iniquity!”

dismisses as a trash, the ubiquitous doctrines of annihilation, purgatory, eternal security and the likes. Circling around characters of varying shapes of backgrounds, the arrangement of events in the text beam eternal truth about the reality of hell to Christians, Muslims, pagans, backsliders, agnostics, atheist, church leaders and members alike. The book gives an account of the event that took place on a Saturday evening in

July, 1974. Dare Matins was pursuing a grade II certificate in the Teachers’ Training College, and was visited by his friend Allen Bamgbose, a young Naval; Officer. By rule of thumb, these two friends were not less than thirty years of age as that time. When the two friends, met, as usual, the events of the past are always recalled. That was when Allen shared his experience as one topic led to another. Allen narrated his dream about hell which he had. In his speech, he talked about the shocking experience that he had in his dream concerning the things he saw and the reality in them. He concentrated more on how “little sins” that humans commit, turn out to become the source of great damnation. In his narration he talked about his former class mate Rita. Rita, according to him, was involved in organising concerts, carols and quiz competition in school fellowship. She was good at sword drill and impromptu speech. Rita yielded to a

sinful affair with a boy at home during a short break. She thought of repenting in the campus chapel when the school resumed. But on returning from home she had a motor accident. The next thing she discovered was that she missed heaven. He had so much to tell concerning his experience and how ‘little sins’ could lead people to eternal damnation. The main issue that makes heaven far in this context is that there is no man that would be able to stand if God should consider iniquity! Many people who profess to be Christians still tell lies, they still cheat, and engage themselves in known and unknown sins which comes with detrimental results. The Bible condemns the act of inequality among people in the church as recorded in the book of James chapter 2. Yet most reputable church leaders are guilty of this. The Bible condemns covetousness, yet most Christians still covet material things. The Bible advocates love as the hallmark of Christianity, yet some Christians still have segmented and segregated groups of common interest against others in the church. Some church leaders will speak “thus saith the lord” when in actual sense the lord did not speak; but they just want to achieve somethings based on their personal emotions and instinct. Some have turned the house of God into becoming a market place by way of selling anointed oil to people under false pretence, thereby making money for their private purse. There abound plethora of reasons why the context of this construction admits that heaven is far. All those areas cannot be exhausted because the conclusion of the matter is to the effect that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, if the lord will mark iniquity, no man can stand; if a man keeps the whole law and offend in one point, he is guilty of all. These factors, and many more, are the things that makes heaven far, and they take their foundation from. Biblical provisions. However, still according to the scripture, men, shall be saved by grace because no man can question God if he decides otherwise!.

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Gomis Absolved For Late Miss Against Manchester City

WILFRIED Bony initially put the visitors ahead at the Etihad Stadium with a cool finish after latching on to Nathan Dyer’s chipped pass before Stevan Jovetic levelled in the 19th minute.

Yaya Toure eventually secured victory for Manuel Pellegrini’s men in the second half but Swansea should have stolen a late draw through Gomis when the French forward failed to find the net in the 87th minute when one-on-one with Joe Hart. Though Monk feels that his side deserved a point, he told the press: “We win and lose as a team, simple as that. You don’t win by any individual and you don’t lose by any individual so no [I won’t blame him]. “Yes, you have to ride

a little bit of luck against teams like this but we were a credit. Against teams like this you have to do some last-ditch defending, which we did. “Our shape was very good and throughout the game, we competed very well and we were always in the game. Whether a team has more possession or shots than you doesn’t dictate what happens in a game. “They had a couple of good chances but, right at the end, we should have taken our chance and come away with a

point. “But it’s pleasing to see how far we have come. We’ve come here since being in the Premier League and not played

- Monk

anywhere near that, or had the closeness of competing for 90 minutes, so that shows

• Garry Monk

APOEL v Barcelona: Xavi Seeks Further Improvement MESSI, already Barcelona’s top scorer of all time, became La Liga’s leading marksman on Saturday as his hat-trick helped the Catalan giants to a 5-1 win over Sevilla. The Argentina star has now netted 253 top-flight goals in Spain, as he eclipsed the tally set by

legendary Athletic Bilbao forward Telmo Zarra almost 60 years ago. The Sevilla victory was Barca’s third in a row in all competitions, though Luis Enrique’s side remain two points behind leaders and

• Xavi

rivals Real Madrid. Away successes at Ajax and Almeria followed disappointing consecutive defeats to Real and Celta Vigo, and Luis Enrique’s men appear to be back on track ahead of their trip to Cyprus for the Group F fixture. Midfielder Xavi is confident his side will only to continue to improve after Saturday’s emphatic showing. “We played a great game,” Xavi is quoted as telling AS. “We have seen a great Barca - a very complete performance. We certainly enjoyed playing our football. “We’ve seen the best Barca of the season and

the best Messi. We have to continue on this path. We have to continue improving. “There are 25 players and we’re all compatible. The coach is responsible for picking who plays but we’re all compatible.” Neymar and Ivan Rakitic also scored for Barca, but all the attention was on Messi - who coach Luis Enrique described as a “unique” talent. Andres Iniesta and Jeremy Mathieu (calf) are both in doubt for Barca, while the match will come too soon for Thomas Vermaelen despite the exArsenal man returning to training after hamstring and thigh issues. Barca sit second in Group F, one point adrift of Paris Saint-Germain, but are assured of their progression to the last 16.

Messi The Best Ever - Luis Enrique MESSI became the alltime leading La Liga goalscorer by scoring a hattrick in Barca’s 5-1 thrashing of Sevilla on Saturday. Argentina captain Messi was coy over his future during an interview with newspaper Ole in his homeland this week, stating his desire to remain at Barca before adding that “things don’t always work out as you want them to”. But Luis Enrique

preferred to avoid the speculation, saying his focus was on the 27-yearold superstar’s ability.

• Messi

“I like living the present and this is marvellous with the best player of the history, to me, in our team,” he said. “We are not going to feed the talking. I trust his quotes I have heard from him and we have to keep on working for improving and trying to raise our level for reaching titles, which is the target we work on.” Messi opened the scoring in Barca’s rout of Sevilla before adding two late goals

to break Telmo Zarra’s record of 251 goals. Luis Enrique said the attacker was a unique talent. “Everybody has the clarity of telling I haven’t seen a player like Lionel Messi and I am fortunate for training and seeing him every day at the training field,” he said. “And even sometimes he surprises you with some good performances. There is not comparison with other players I have seen along my life. He is unique.”

the journey we are on as a team and the way we are improving. “Let’s not forget, people had us down as

relegation favourites at the beginning of the season and I’m just happy we are trying to prove people wrong.”

Madrid Won’t Take Foot Off Gas - James JAMES Rodriguez has urged his Real Madrid teammates to “keep playing at the same level” after recording a 14th straight win on Saturday. The 23-year-old scored the opening goal in the 4-0 win over Eibar - taking his goal tally for the season to eight in all competitions, as Los Blancos stayed two points ahead of Barcelona. “If we came out strong and got an early goal we were going to come out on top,” Rodriguez said. Madrid, whose last defeat came against city-rivals Atletico Madrid in September, must travel to Basel for Wednesday’s Champions League clash and then to Malaga in La Liga on Saturday. “Four-nil is a really good result and now we have two tough games coming up that we also have to win,” the Colombian international added. “We have to keep playing to this level, we have good players and we hope we can keep it up.”

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to set a new record of scoring against every La Liga side he has ever faced and Karim Benzema also found the net as Madrid made light work of Eibar in Ipurua. Luka Modric was missing for the match due to a thigh injury picked up on international duty with Croatia but James believes the team can cope with the midfielder ’s long-term absence. “It’s always hard when you’re missing a player like him, but we have players who can replace him and do well too.”

• James Rodriguez

Mourinho Guards Against Chelsea Complacency DIEGO Costa’s 11th Premier League goal of the season and an Eden Hazard strike were enough for the leaders to defeat Alan Irvine’s men 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The victory maintained Chelsea’s league unbeaten run and moved them seven points clear of secondplaced Southampton, who play Aston Villa on Monday. But manager Mourinho is keen to temper expectations despite his men being heavy favourites to lift the title. “Only John Terry and Didier Drogba have won things with Chelsea, no- one else in the team,” Mourinho said. “These guys have to win if they want to be seen as a great team. They have to win. It is not just about playing beautiful football or being autumn champions. “When they win trophies we can compare them with

other teams.” Mourinho also reserved praise for the Stamford Bridge crowd, who he had criticised for a lack of atmosphere in their last home league game against QPR. “The atmosphere in the crowd improved a lot,” he added. “There was no comparison. But they pay me to coach and win matches not to be critical of the crowd. I feel sorry for my comments of a couple of weeks ago. The difference was amazing.”

• James Rodriguez

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Simeone Lauds Atletico Display

TIAGO, Antoine Griezmann an Diego Godin were all on target at the Vicente Calderon as Atletico stayed within four points of city rivals and league leaders Real Madrid in a match that saw both teams reduced to 10 men late on. Malaga had won five league games in succession heading into Saturday’s clash but they were second-best in the first half as Atletico took a 2-0 lead into the interval. Tiago headed the home side into a 16th-minute lead from Koke’s corner and Atletico exploited Malaga on the counterattack, with Griezmann the beneficiary three minutes before half-time. Roque Santa Cruz reduced the deficit in the 64th minute, but Atletico centre-back Diego Godin sealed the points seven minutes from the end. Atletico captain Gabi was sent off for a second bookable offence with two minutes remaining, following Samu’s dismissal 15 minutes earlier. “They played very well. I think the team performed very seriously,” Simeone told reporters. “We understood very well that we had to erode Malaga’s defence as they were playing very well. “We closed up very well so our opponent couldn’t attack us. Then we managed to counterattack. We applied a very high pressure. “The ball circulated fluidly and we played a very complete match.” Atletico’s three-goal haul continued their purple patch on home soil, having defeated

Cordoba 4-2 last time out at Vicente Calderon on November 1. The Madrid club have scored 13 goals from their past four home fixtures in Liga. “Scoring three goals is not easy,” the Argentinean boss added. “The last game at home we scored four goals and today three. “The other day we scored one away, another more in Getafe. The most important thing is the team is creating chances. “Today we created danger in different ways. Firstly from set pieces which is something we do very well, but we have taken chances too. “For instance, the second goal was a great one.”

Totti Dedicates Win To Castan

Simeone

‘I Haven’t Seen It’ Wenger;s Predictable Answer Over Wilshere-Fallaini Headbutt Clash ENGLAND international Wilshere escaped punishment from referee Mike Dean when he appeared to headbutt Fellaini in the first-half of the clash at the Emirates Stadium, before an injury forced him off the pitch. Yet his manager, who also saw Wojciech Szczesny injured after a collision in the build-up to United’s first goal, played down the physicality of the game and claimed he did not see Wilshere’s incident. “I haven’t seen it because it was on the other side and I haven’t seen what happened there well enough,” he told reporters. “It was a fair game, physically committed but I

didn’t see any bad things on the pitch. “Wojciech is not bad [after his collision with Kieran Gibbs]. Jack I don’t know how bad it is because he tried to stay on and couldn’t. It could be an ankle problem, I don’t know how bad it is. Defeat means the Gunners have now lost 11 of their last 15 meetings against their Old Trafford rivals, winning just one, but Wenger does not believe his side play with a mental block in this fixture. “No [there is no mental block] because we played with freedom and we pressed them very high. We won balls back and we had plenty of

I Made A Quality Decision And Now I Can Laugh - Van Gaal WITH injuries continuing to plague his squad, the Dutchman deployed youngsters Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett alongside Chris Smalling in central defence, with Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw on the flanks. The Red Devils had seen an upturn in results since switching to a four-man back line in early September but Van Gaal now feels vindicated, though noting that he would have been castigated for the same decision if the result had gone the other

Louis Van Gaal

ROMA skipper Francesco Totti dedicated Saturday’s 21 win at Atalanta to teammate Leandro Castan, who will undergo brain surgery next month. The Brazilian defender was diagnosed with cavernoma clusters of abnormal blood vessels in the brain - on Thursday. Totti, 38, did not play in the victory due to a hamstring injury but wrote about the match on his blog. “Winning when coming from behind is always difficult and even more so in Bergamo, as Atalanta are tough fighters,” the attacking midfielder wrote.

way. “If Arsenal had scored in the first 20 minutes, you would be asking about why I picked three defenders - but now I can laugh,” he observed to reporters. “I am confident I made the right decision. To make it before the match, that’s a quality decision. I can say that now, that’s the life of a coach. The result always gives you the reason or not. “I have to say I cannot do other things because I don’t have many players. I think the players have done fantastic. Blackett, McNair

and Shaw - how old are they? “I hope some players come back from injuries because it’s unbelievably difficult to create consistency in the team,” he continued. “Every week I have to change my lineup. That is not always good to create ultimatism in the team.”

opportunities to finish this game off. “I think we made a big mistake on the first goal and when you’re 1-0 down you’re too impatient. We were not cautious enough and we gave the second goal away. “We missed a few opportunities in the second half. You have to be efficient

in top-level games and we were not efficient enough in our good periods, but there were a lot of positives in the game today. “Even if we are very, very disappointed, we have to keep that and rectify. At the moment, defensively, we are a bit naive.”

NAISMITH was withdrawn in the 89th minute of Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League home win over West Ham. And while the hamstring complaint is not considered serious, Roberto Matinez is not expecting to have the Scotland forward available for the trip to Germany, The Spanish boss said: “It was really late in the game, it was probably a little fatigue in the muscle. “He overstretched his hamstring but we’re going to assess it; it looks like he’s picked up a soft tissue injury. “He will probably he will

miss Thursday, but don’t expect him to be out for too long.”

Mixed News On Naismith For Everton

Gundogan:

BORUSSIA Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan believes things “can’t really get any worse” for the struggling Bundesliga club. Last season’s runners-up are just one point above the relegation zone and saw Marco Reus stretchered off injured as they collapsed to a disappointing 2-2 draw at Paderborn on Saturday. Dortmund led 2-0 at halftime through goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Reus, before Lukas Rupp and Mahir Saglik hit back for the hosts. “I don’t know if a Bundesliga club has ever had a worse second half than us today,” Gundogan told the Bundesliga.com website.

Steven Naismith

It Can’t Get Any Worse

“We were good in the first half and were clearly on top. We scored two goals and

Gundogan

deserved to be 2-0 up but we could have scored more and didn’t. “In the second half, we conceded a goal that began with our own corner, then Marco got injured and then we conceded another really poor goal.” Reus was making his return from his third ankle ligament injury in five months and was caught on the problem area with a strong challenge from Marvin Bakalorz. Gundogan, 23, said: “It can’t really get any worse. It’s tough for all of us, not just for Marco. We’re all hoping he gets some good fortune amidst all the bad luck.” Jurgen Klopp’s side have won just three Bundesliga games this season.

“But above all I offer an affectionate embrace for Leo. He’s a great man and will face this moment with the same grit he puts into each game. We are waiting for him.” Castan, 28, complained of acute dizziness after September’s match against Empoli, when he made his only appearance of the season. Earlier this week, Roma boss Rudi Garcia said the club would wait as long as it takes for Castan to return from the operation.

QPR Lack Pace For Away - Redknapp

A tightly contested game at St James’s Park came to life 12 minutes from time when Moussa Sissoko was on hand to fire home the winner, but Redknapp believes that the Rs, who now prop up the table, were suffering from two key absences. “When you play away from home, I think you need a bit of pace on the break and we’re not a team that’s overly blessed with pace,” he told reporters of QPR’s sixth away defeat this season. “I thought we missed [Eduardo] Vargas. He’s done very well for us. His wife went into labour and he wanted to be there, which was fair enough. “[Mauricio] Isla, who gives us a lot going forward, arrived late on Thursday and he looked absolutely out on his feet yesterday having had two games this week in South America. “So that took a bit away from us. Those two are very quick attacking players and I felt we missed them.” “I thought it was drifting off into a 0-0 draw to be honest,” he continued. “I couldn’t say I was on tenterhooks thinking they would score or that they were battering us but we didn’t create enough either. “We were solid enough without really being that creative and I felt that it was drifting on to a decent point.”

Harry Redknapp

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Medical Strikers FC Beat Rock FC 1-0

FCT League: MEDICAL Strikers Football Club on Saturday defeated Rock Football Club 1-0 in the knockout stage of the ongoing 2014 FCT League. In the match played at the Area 3 Sports Complex in Abuja, both teams displayed robustness at the onset of the game and tried to win. Rock FC dominated proceedings in the first half with an offensive game which kept the Premier League side on the back foot for most moments of the first half. Medical strikers’ FC fought back but could not convert their chances to goals. At the start of the second half, Rock FC again took control of the game with Madagi Japhet, Obinna Kalu and Dele Sunday, making a go for goals but to no avail. The trios were the architects of all moves upfront but erratic shooting and poor conversion rate were the bane of the Rock FC. Abdulsalam Salami of Medical Strikers broke the deadlock for his team through a penalty kick which was the only goal of the match in the 82nd minute which made them controlled the game. The best chance for the

Supreme fell to Paul Samsom in the 94th minute; after beating Andrew Ekawem in a one-on-one encounter, he narrowly missed target to the relief of Rock. Rock struggled until the end of the match but could not convert their chances to goals. Coach Ibrahim Bako of Medical Strikers said he was happy that his team won, adding that they hoped to perform better in their stage. “I am happy that we won, it was a though game I thank God we came out successful, my players played to instruction. “I am going back to my drawing board and work on my players because the next game might be tougher than this,’’ he said.

Rock FC Coach Victor Fadare said that he was not disappointed with his team’s loss. “In football there is always a winner and a loser, we were unfortunate that luck was against us this time. “We are out of the State League, we will go back to drawing board put our boys together, so that we will perform better next time,’’ he said. Reports say that the second match of the day saw NYSC defeat Castle Football Club 62. The first two winners from each group will qualify for the semi final, third place and the final. Eight out of the 16 teams will qualify from the knockout stage.

Female Cricket In Nigeria Has Improved Tremendiously - Abebe

DR John Abebe, a former President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), on Saturday in Abuja said female cricket has grown tremendously in the country. Abebe told newsmen on the sidelines of the 2014 Nigeria Cricket Female Championship that the

growth was very evident in the quality of the competition. “The quality of this competition is impressive, and there has been a huge improvement in the female game, better than what it was

FCT Beat Anambra By 5 Wickets As National Cricket Female Championship Begins FCT beat their Anambra counterparts by five wickets on Saturday in Abuja in the opening game of the 2014 Nigeria Cricket Female Championship for the Henry Abebe Cup. In the game played at the cricket oval of the National Stadium, Anambra batted first to score 75 runs for five wickets in 20 overs. But they could not defend better as FCT scored 76 runs for five wickets in 15 overs when batting, to take the game. Other teams taking part in the championship are Rivers, Kaduna and Ogun, with the five teams representing the five geo-political zones of North-Central, South-East, South-South, North-West and South-West. They had emerged as zonal representatives, after play-offs held last weekend in the zones. Only the North-East could not hold their zonal play-offs as a result of the insurgency in the area. Newsmen reports that the championship is being sponsored by Dr John Abebe, a former President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF).

Tammy Danagogo, Sports Minister

The competition is in honour of the late Henry Abebe, a former chairman of

the Edo Cricket Association, who died in 2013.

some years ago,’’ he said. The former NCF president said he was even optimistic that the game would be better in the next five years with what he had seen at the competition. “I am hopeful that, in the next five years or so, the female game will be better than what it is now, with what we have on ground now,’’ he said. Abebe who is sponsoring the Henry Abebe Cup for the championship praised the NCF leadership, saying it had

Can Full Of Praise For Gerrard THE German joined the Premier League side in July and has made a solid, if unspectacular, start to life at Anfield. Can may eventually replace 34-year-old Gerrard in central midfield for Liverpool, who are battling in 11th in the table ahead of Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace. But the 20-year-old said

Steven Gerrard

Gerrard still had plenty to offer Brendan Rodgers’ side. “Steven Gerrard doesn’t play because his name is Steven Gerrard,” Can said. “He plays because of what he brings in terms of performances. If that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t play. He is as good as he was and I have learned a lot from him. “Steven is the greatest captain Liverpool have ever

had and I feel comfortable on the pitch because I always know he is behind me. “If I make a mistake, he is always there helping me out. He is like a big brother.” Can, who made the switch to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen, believes he is suited to playing in the Premier League. He feels the physicality and pace of the league will help him. “I have always liked English football and believed I would be suited to it,” Can said. “I think it is the best league in the world to watch, possibly the strongest league, too. The conversation I had with Brendan Rodgers helped sway me, I could see he thought highly of me, but to be honest as soon as Liverpool showed interest it was a no-brainer. “What I like about English football is that it is very quick, very physical. You hardly have time to breathe. That suits my game, and I haven’t been disappointed.”

been doing well since coming on board. “I am delighted to be involved at whatever level, in spite of having been away from the administrative aspect of it in the last 10 years. “But I am more delighted with what I see the NCF board doing. It is doing well, and I am happy,’’ he said. The former NCF president however called for more

encouragement and support for the board, saying he was sure the federation could do better. “The board needs encouragement, and I am sure if it gets that, as well as support from sponsors especially, it will do more for the game,’’ he said. Report says that Abebe is sponsoring the competition in honour of the late Henry Abebe, a former chairman of the Edo Cricket Association.

GHANA striker Asamoah Gyan has declared himself fully fit to return to first team action at his club Al Ain. The Black Stars captain who turned 29 on Saturday has not played in over a month due to a thigh injury. The injury kept him out of Ghana’s final 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Uganda and Togo. He has also not been able to feature for his club during this period. But the former Sunderland

hitman says he now feels very good having contemplated playing for the Black Stars in the ultimate 2015 AFCON qualifier against Togo. “I feel very good now,” he said. “Even I wanted to play in the game against Togo but the doctor thought it was a big risk to take so I didn’t play. “I have been working with the ball for some time now and I think I am ready to play.”

Asamoah Gyan Declares Himself Fit

Asamoah Gyan

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

Champagne Demands FIFA Transparency

THE bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups must be looked at again if even one vote was improperly influenced, according to FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne. FIFA ethics judge HansJoachim Eckert said on Tuesday that a criminal complaint had been lodged with the Swiss attorney general over the possible misconduct of individuals in connection to the awarding of the hosting rights for those finals. However, FIFA president Sepp Blatter insisted that despite that, the investigation into the 2018 and 2022 bidding process would not be reopened. Now Champagne, who so far is the only person set to stand against Blatter in next year’s election, believes it is vital there is transparency surrounding how the bidding was conducted. “We need to know how the voting unfolded and how it was influenced. Even if one vote was improperly influenced that is too many,” he told the Mail On Sunday.

“Was it one or none? Or five? If it was five then is that enough to change the outcome? Yes. Qatar won 14-8 (over the United States in the vote to host the 2022 World Cup). The problem is we need to know and we don’t know.” Champagne is one of many to have called for ethics investigator Michael Garcia’s report into the 2018 and 2022 bidding process to be published in full. “I’ve consistently and

repeatedly called for transparency,” he said. “What has happened over the past week only reinforces the need for that, more than ever. “It continues to make me sad that the World Cup, the pinnacle of our game, remains tainted. We need to know what happened. “I am a strong defender of the principle of innocent until proven guilty but it is clear that what is at stake is enormous.”

Allegri Lauds Pogba Performance

• Jerome Champagne

Paris Saint-germain V Ajax

Dutch Outfit Quietly Confident

THE two sides meet in the French capital on Tuesday in Group F of the UEFA Champions League, with the hosts’ progression to the last 16 already secured. PSG have won three of PSG can win the group if their four matches in the they claim victory and group stages - their only blemish being a 1-1 draw at Ajax in September. That sees them top the pool with 10 points - one ahead of Barcelona - while Ajax sit third and are still after their first victory.

Barcelona lose at APOEL. For Frank de Boer’s men, who cannot progress in Europe’s premier competition, victory would at least confirm third.

Tevez Wants Domestic Form Replicated In Europe THE Argentina striker netted his ninth Serie A goal of the season in the champions’ 3-0 win at Lazio on Saturday, scoring the second to sandwich a double from Paul Pogba. Juve’s triumph in Rome was their third straight league win and followed the hugely impressive 7-0 demolition of Parma before the international break. However, yet again the Turin side have been inconsistent in Europe and their hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stages remain in the balance, with the club sitting third in Group A with two matches remaining. Three points in Sweden would leave them in a strong position ahead of their final group-stage match with

Ronaldo and Perez

Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, and Tevez is eager to maintain the winning feeling. “[If we] play like we did against Parma and Lazio it’s difficult to see us being beaten [by Malmo],” he told Sky Sport Italia. “There’s no harm in dreaming [that we can go far in the Champions League]. Let’s face Malmo and then we’ll see.” Pogba echoed the sentiments of his team-mate, but stated that Juve must show the same attitude that they did in the Stadio Olimpico. “We’ve got a great team and can get out of our Champions League group,” he added. “But we must be focused from start to finish and play as we did [against Lazio].”

• Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo Well On The Way To Smashing La Liga Record WHILE Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was busy breaking the all-time La Liga scoring record on Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo took a step closer to smashing the best for a single season of 50 goals also held by his Argentine rival. Ronaldo struck twice in a 40 win for leaders Real Madrid at Eibar and the Portugal forward has now scored an incredible 20 goals in 11 appearances in Spain’s top flight this term. If the World Player of the Year continues at his current pace, his tally for the season will be more than 60, comfortably surpassing Messi’s record set in 201112. The 29-year-old Ronaldo, who missed Real’s defeat at Real Sociedad in August due to injury, is the first player to reach 20 goals in the opening 12 rounds of La Liga. “A lot of people are envious about what he has achieved and about what he can

accomplish,” Real’s Brazil fullback Marcelo told reporters. “Cristiano always works hard, he’s a top professional with a huge desire to learn and help the team.” Since he joined Real from Manchester United in 2009, Ronaldo has netted 197 La Liga goals, while Messi’s record set on Saturday with a hat-trick against Sevilla is 253. Real’s victory at tiny Eibar, who are appearing in Spain’s top flight for the first time, maintained their two-point lead over second-placed Barca at the top. The European champions are next in action on Wednesday when they play at FC Basel in the Champions League having already qualified for the last 16. Ronaldo has scored 70 goals in Europe’s elite club competition, one fewer than Messi and former Real and Schalke 04 forward Raul.

With that comes a place in the UEFA Europa League and it is a position that the four-time defending Eredivisie champions are targeting. After a 4-1 league win over Heerenveen on Saturday that saw them keep the pressure on leaders PSV, Anwar El Ghazi is quoted as saying on the club’s official website: “Now we have won, the good work [continues] towards Paris. “I think there [we can] definitely get something. “We just need to be third [in the group]…it is an advantage that Paris is already [qualified].” Ajax trailed 1-0 with just 24 minutes remaining but were greatly benefited by Luciano Slagveer’s red card and an own goal from Daley Sinkgraven. El Ghazi, Ricardo Kishna and Arkadiusz Milik all scored in the latter stages for Ajax and although the performance was scrappy, midfielder Davy Klaassen shared his team-mate’s enthusiasm. “On the basis of today, we are not ready for Tuesday’s game. But I’m quite confident,” he said. PSG almost had their winning streak, which now stands at seven matches, brought to an end against Metz on Saturday.

THE France international produced two cool finishes, either side of a Carlos Tevez strike, as the reigning Serie A champions cruised to victory in Rome. The result means Juve have now gone 20 league matches against Lazio without defeat, while it also restored their three-point lead at the top of the table after Roma had momentarily moved level with a 2-1 win at Atalanta earlier in the day. Juve coach Allegri was full of praise for Pogba after the game and believes the 21year-old could go on to become one of the greatest players in the world. “Pogba had a great game, but he has the quality to do even better and become the strongest midfielder in the world,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “He moved with the right tempo in attack and defence. It was his best performance of the season so far. “The team did well, defended when necessary and I think we played fairly well with some good passing moves. “We struggled a little in the first half and misplaced a few too many passes, but sorted that out. “The lads worked hard and [Federico] Mattiello nearly scored when coming off the bench. It was important to get a win in such a difficult arena against a tough Lazio side, especially after Roma had won earlier.”

• Paul Pogba

Taylor Hints That Knee Injury Not As Bad As First Feared

TAYLOR limped out 34 minutes into Saturday ‘s 10 win over QPR with what seemed like another knee problem. The former Wigan Athletic man looked visibly upset having appeared to hurt his right knee and is set for a scan, but has suggested that the injury is not as bad as first feared. “Thank you all for your

positive messages,” he posted via his official Twitter account. “I appreciate them all, just to let you know I have no major problem an[d] I had to come off today…just to be on the safe side. “I was just gutted to come off that’s why I got so emotional as I’ve worked so hard to get back. Thanks again.”

THE NIGERIAN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014

CMYK

Immortality Of Comrade Festus Iyayi

Nigerian people today yearn genuinely for a drastic change. The present democratic dispensation has failed the nation abysmally; change is inevitable and it must come in Nigeria. The country is drifting towards a political, economic and social collapse, through insensitivity and ineptitude of an insane political class unwilling to change” – Quoted in WHERE WE ARE (Page 137). ago, on November 12th, On Monday 10 th of 2013, the deranged November, 2014, a enemies of our country, female suicide bomber who are satisfied with the sneaked into a school in mess they have turned Pokistum, Yobe State our country into, staged a and succeeded in cruel conspiracy that blasting herself to manifested in the debris along with about heartless murder of Prof. 50 innocent, peaceful Festus Iyayi, along Abujaand law abiding school Lokoja highway, at a children. place called Benda As I pen this piece, the Village. Thus, a ruling dreaded Boko Haram class intoxicated by terrorists are brazenly in violence and treachery, control of some Local insatiably fed upon one of Government Areas in the most precious eggs the North-East of the (Iyayi) a year ago. country. On Tuesday Because Festus Iyayi 11th of November 2014, was a towering giant President Goodluck during the four months Ebele Jonathan old ASUU strike that displayed high sense of paralyzed the ivory insensitivity to the gory towers in Nigeria; and slaughters that also that he stood against occurred in Pokistum a callous bestiality of the day earlier by going rich and the powerful ahead to declare his against the lowly and the intention to contest the poor in his several 2015 presidential cerebral postulations, the election as the sole ruling class thought they candidate of the could silence him. But in Peoples Democratic killing Comrade Iyayi they Party (PDP). have unknowingly made And on Wednesday him a magnificent hero in 12th of November, 2014, death. students, activists, That was exactly what comrades, lecturers, happened at the Akin friends and well- Deko Auditorium on wishers gathered at the Wednesday November, main auditorium of the 12 th 2014, when Prof. University of Benin for Omotoye Olorode (a the first Prof. Festus tireless activist of repute) Iyayi Memorial Lecture delivered his memorial tagged –Neo-Liberal lecture. As I was Siege against Nigeria. discussing with a guest at In remembering and the venue of the 1 st honouring one of its Festus I. O. Iyayi own the Academic Staff Memorial Lecture that Union of Universities day, the man said to me (ASUU) University of sarcastically that the Benin Chapter, struggle which comrade succeeded in bringing Festus Iyayi fought for to the fore again, the regarding the issues that has repositioning of the catapulted Comrade universities in Nigeria (i.e. Festus Iyayi into the adequate funding, better avenue of immortality. infrastructural How time flies, a year

development etc.) is being reaped bountifully by some corrupt and way ward Vice – chancellors in the Universities, who went to dine and sleep when the battle was being fought. But, I was quick to tell the guest that whatever the vice chancellors are savouring today is inconsequential to the prodigious energy, intellectual prowess and selfless service that

Olorode thundered out as follows:’’ regarding looting, privatization and deregulation the sector that had perhaps suffered the greatest assault in the last decade is the education sector. By underfunding and deliberated neglect of the public funded education sector in the last decade. The sector had been forced into the private sector mode

optimist of almost no comparison and a r e v o l u t i o n a r y intellectual”, Comrade Olorode was simply echoing what countless individuals have said about the fallen Comrade, who displayed uncommon courage and stoicism in the struggle

Late Prof. Festus Iyayi comrade Iyayi rendered to our fatherland. Prof. Omotoye Olorode in his lecture was brutally frank about the state of the nation when he averred thus: “The increased economic inequality between a very tiny, scandalously rich minority and the teeminig masses of the people in Nigeria has increased crime rate and insecurity and increased inter-community, Intra community, intercommunity, inter ethnic and inter-faith violence and antipathies generated and manipulated by the owners of Nigeria.’’ Talking about the privatization of the educational sector, Prof.

substantially. This is in spite of the generalized poor quality and inaccessibility (to most Nigerians) of the privatized sector of education’’. In describing Prof. Iyayi as “this illustrious son of Africa, a patriot, an

for a better Nigeria. Comrade Iyayi’s widow, Mrs. Grace Iyayi said the following about him. “Yow were an exceptional husband to me and a wonderful father to our children. You gave, gave and gave all of what you had. And alas in the end

you gave you life for the cause that you believed in’’. Born in 1947, Comrade Iyayi conquered poverty with his exceptional brilliance. After elementary education, he bagged his Msc degree from the Institute of Economics, Kiev in the then Soviet Union and grabbed his Doctoral degree in Management from the University of Bradford. He began his lecturing job in 1981 and rose to become a professor. As a writer, he wrote profusely and was President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) between 1995 – 1997, where i worked closely with him; then I was chairman (CDHR) Edo State (1995 – 1997). Comrade Iyayi needed epitomized a life of selfless service and in death took the sting out of the scorpion of the Nigerian jungle. Iyayi’s death challenges us all to drag our country from the morass of violence, impunity, corruption, bestiality and irresponsibility. Nowinta wrote, WHERE WE ARE- A CALL FOR D E M O C R AT I C REVOLUTION IN NIGERIA.

“In describing Prof. Iyayi as “this illustrious son of Africa, a patriot, an optimist of almost no comparison and a revolutionary intellectual”, Comrade Olorode was simply echoing what countless individuals have said about the fallen Comrade, who displayed uncommon courage and stoicism in the struggle for a better Nigeria.”

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