THE NIGERIAN
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The Nigerian
PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol . 39 NO. 236 • MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2 015 • N100.00
OPINION Pg. 15
cmyk
Xenophobia Or Afrophobia?
ARCHIVAL MATTERS Pg 21
Jega: Our
Nietzchean Superman
Taraba APC Guber candidate rejects results, head for Tribunal JALINGO – The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the justc o n c l u d e d
governorship election in Taraba, Senator Aisha Alhassan, has rejected the results of the poll as announced
by INEC yesterday. Addressing a press conference in Jalingo shortly after the announcement of the
results, Alhassan described the entire elections process as a “daylight robbery’’ and Continues on page 2
Be transparent, Cleric urges Buhari
LAFIA – An Islamic cleric in Nasarawa State, Malam Ishaq Adudu, has called on the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and other elected leaders, to be transparent in the discharge of their duties. Adudu, who is the discharge of their Chief Imam of Kidi duties. “As religious Magoron Mosque in Lafia, made the call in leaders, our role is to an interview with newsmen yesterday in Lafia. He said it was imperative for all elected leaders to ensure prudence in the management of public resources and be transparent in the
preach peace and unity because no m e a n i n g f u l
development can be achieved in any society without peace.
“Peace is priceless and non-negotiable and Nigerians must embrace peace for speedy development to be achieved. “I also want to task our president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu
Continues on page 2
Shell to train 60 Niger Delta youths
2015 BENIN Business Diary Annual Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, the publishers of The Nigerian Observer and Polished Brass Media – Info Management Organization are putting together 2015 BENIN Business Diary Annual. The Annual will focus on top 100 Organizations, namely, Companies, Churches and Private Schools boosting the socioeconomic life of Benin City. Cost: The participation cost is N375, 000 VAT inclusive. Publication: The date of publication is June, 2015. Deadline: Friday June 5, 2015 is the last day for the submission of: Organization profile (2 pages typewritten) Passport size photograph of the head of the organization Color Advert material(s); and Payment.
For participation enquiries, contact: Solomon Imohiosen (the Editor) on 07030699646; or David Babundo (the Consultant) on 08101790223.
Buhari and other incoming leaders on the need to be prudent and transparent in the discharge of their duties. “Corruption, injustice, violence, among other social evils have affected the socio-economic development of the
L-R: Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, Mrs. Grace Ihonvbere, wife of the SSG and Prof. Julius Ihonvbere exchanging pleasantries during the burial ceremony of Late Pa John Ihonvbere.
ASABA – The Shell P e t r o l e u m Development Company (SPDC) said it had enrolled 60 young artists from the Niger Delta at the Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya Training Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta, for training in arts and crafts. Continues on page 2
WHO Is WHO Grace Pa Ihonvbere’s Burial By QUEENNETH OROBEDO
UZEBBA – It was a gathering of who is who at the burial of the father of Secretary to Edo State Government, late High Chief John Obuhoro Ihonvbere. Dignitaries from all walks of life and the Diaspora poured in to pay their last respect; amongst whom were; Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, former
State Governor, Prof. Oseriemen Osunbor, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration, Dr. Matt Aikhionbare, Senator Domingo Obende, Senator Elect, Edo North
constituency, Mr. Francis Alimikhena, and head of service, Edo State, Mr. Jerry Obazele. Also present were permanent secretary, heads of parastatals, traditional rulers and other top government
functionaries. Pa John Ihonvbere was laid to rest over the weekend, at his home town, UkhuseOsi, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State. Earlier on Friday, Uzebba was at a
stand still as the young and old came out to honour the late Pa
BENIN CITY – The Governing Council of the University of Benin has appointed Mrs. Otasowie Oshodin as the Eight Substantive Registrar
of the University. A statement by the Registrar of the institution, Mrs. Gladys Ogboghodo indicated that the appointment takes
effect from May 7, 2015 when the five years tenure of the incumbent Registrar expires. Mrs. Otasowie Oshodin, spouse to
the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Osayuki Godwin Oshodin brings to the job vast experience
Ihonvbere as his remains was being conveyed in a motor cade, amidst cultural dance troops from the morgue to his Continues on page 2
UNIBEN appoints Oshodin as Registrar
Continues on page 2
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
News Be transparent, Cleric urges Buhari
Continued from page 1 country negatively for too long; there is need for all hands to be on deck to redirect the affairs of this country. “For Nigeria to achieve speedy development, all incoming elected leaders, political office holders, civil servants and ordinary Nigerians in general must do away with sentiments,
corruption, injustice, abuse of office among others social ills. “We must all imbibe the culture of transparency in the discharge of our duties in order to improve on the standard of living of the ordinary people.’’ According to Adudu, henceforth, every public office holder will be expected to exhibit exemplery traits in the management of public
resources. He called on leaders at all levels to be fair and just in order to earn the confidence of the public, adding that people would account for their actions before God on the Day of Judgment. The cleric urged Nigerians to pray for the new leaders to take up the task of restoring the glory of Nigeria with vigour.
Taraba APC Guber candidate rejects Continued from page 1 results yesterday in Jalingo, said said the party would challenge the results in the elections petitions tribunal. “The combined governorship elections in Taraba were characterised by violence, massive rigging, ballot snatching and abuse of the card readers in substantial parts of the state by the PDP and their allies,” she said. She contended that results ascribed to Wukari, Donga, Takum, Sardauna, Zing, Yorro, Kurmi and some parts of Ussa, Karim-Lamido, Bali, ArdoKola and Lau local government areas were not acceptable as they did not reflect the true results of the election in Taraba. Alhassan said all the complaints on the irregularities and abuse of
the election guidelines were promptly reported to INEC, but that no action was taken. The INEC Returning Officer for Taraba Prof. Kyari Mohammed, who declared the results on
By TUNDE EIGBIREMOLEN
BENIN CITY – LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited, (LMFB) a subsidiary of Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO), at the weekend organized Scholarship Ballot Exercise for 750 Secondary
advised the wife and children of the deceased to take solace in the fact that their late father led an enviable life that is worthy of emulation. While praying for the protection of the family members of the late Imoukhuede for the repose of his soul, the Head of Service who was represented on the occasion by the Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Central Administration Mr. Timothy Idahosa presented a letter of condolence on behalf of the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the Head of Service to the family.
Shell to train 60 Niger Delta youths
Continued from page 1 Shell’s spokesperson, Bamidele Odugbesan, said in a statement made available to newsmen in Asaba, Delta State yesterday that the training would last for two weeks. The statement said that the training, jointly organised by the oil company and the Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation, would focus on metal construction, ceramics (pottery) and leather crafts. It said that the resource person, Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, a renowned Nigerian printmaker, painter
UNIBEN Continued from page 1
gained as Deputy Registrar, Council and Committee; Deputy Registrar, Staff Training and Labour Relations which was her immediate last posting, amongst several others.
LAPO holds scholarship ballot for 750 students
Edo Govt condoles family of late Perm Sec BENIN CITY – The Edo State Government has described the death of Dr. Godwin Iluobe Imoukhuede as a great loss to the people of the state. The State Head of Service, Mr. Jerry Igbaekemen Obazele stated this when he paid condolence visit to the family of late Dr. Imoukhuede, a retired Permanent Secretary in Edo State Civil Service. Mr. Obazele described the late Permanent Secretary as a generous person who gave so much to the development of the state, saying he was an astute officer. The Head of Service
Ishaku scored 369,318 votes to emerge victorious. He said Senator Aisha Alhassan came second with 275,984 votes, while Chief David Kente of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), polled 29, 966 votes.
He said the leaders would need God’s guidance to execute laudable projects, alleviate poverty, reduce youth restiveness and unemployment as well as boost the country’s economy. The cleric enjoined people of the state and all Nigerians to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations, for the overall development of the country.
and sculptor, would provide the participants with entrepreneurial opportunities and mentoring, during the training. According to the statement, the training tagged: “Arts of the Delta,” is in realisation of Shell’s commitment to achieving sustainable development through youth empowerment in the Niger Delta. It added that the participants, some of whom had acquired formal academic training in arts, were drawn from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and Rivers.
School Students, who are children of LAPO Clients nationwide, even as 59 of such students were given the scholarship slots in Benin region. Welcoming guests at the event, Director, Corporate Affairs Services, LMFB, Moses Ehigiamusoe representing the Managing Director, LAPO, Dr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe, explained that Balloting for scholarship was organised to ensure transparency in the system, adding that LAPO supports children of clients through credit and scholarship to secure the future of indigent ones amongst them. In Benin region, 40 slots were allocated to children of clients, while 15 slots went to LARDI clients and 4 slots given to Council leaders. Earlier in her remarks, chairperson of LAPO Scholarship Board, Prof.
Christiana Okojie, represented by a member of the Board, Grace Osakue, asserted that so far, a total of 5,039 students have been offered scholarship at both secondary and university levels. The University don, however, urged clients to continue to encourage the Board and Management to continue to do what they have been doing in the best interest of the clients. Also speaking, Director of Operatiions, LAPO, Mr. Osadebamwen Elijah advised clients to ultilise the scholarship funds judiciously and urged the direct beneficiaries to reciprocate LAPO’s kind gesture with dedication to their studies. Highpoint of the programme was the selection of lucky beneficiaries through balloting.
New lawmaker wants 8th Assembly reduce cost of Governance ABUJA – A newly-elected member of the House of Representatives, Mr Mike Etaba, said the 8th National Assembly must facilitate Bills and oversight activities that would lead to drastic reduction in cost of running government. Etaba, who was elected on March 28, to represent Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency of Cross River, stated this on Sunday in Abuja. He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “The 8th Assembly must, as a matter of priority, facilitate Bills and oversight activities that will lead to drastic reduction in the cost of running government. This, the new lawmaker
said, was necessary to enable government have the resources to revamp the education sector and undertake massive infrastructure development across the country. “The education sector needs to be reviewed to address the current challenges of the 21st century,’’ he said. Etaba also expressed the need for the 8th Assembly to focus on providing legislation that would facilitate national unity, particularly with regards to the issues of state of origin, place of birth and residence. According to him, such clauses, in official forms and documents, do not portray the nation as one indivisible entity.
Continued from page 1
church, the need to uphold good morals in the society was reiterated and people were urged to pursue the needful, which is having Christ in one’s life. In a brief remark, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere thanked all for their show of solidarity and support. He described his late father as a man who believed in family, community friendship and goodwill. The SSG said late Pa John Ihonvbere lived the kind of life he wishes for all, adding that it’s a lesson he will carry all his life and recommend to others. Chief John Ihonvbere died at the age of ninety-eight (98) on 2nd February, 2015.
WHO Is WHO Grace Pa Ihonvbere’s Burial
residence at Ukhwe-Osi, where a service of songs was conducted in line with the Anglican faith. At the funeral service held at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Ukhuse-Osi, Diocese of Sabongidda Ora, Venerable T.U. Eguaoje admonished all to be contented with what they have, live well and uphold a good name; saying; “death is a leveler, death can kill anybody, but not a good name”. Taking his text from Hebrews 9:22, Ecclesiastes 9:10 and 2 Corinthian 5:10, he enjoined all to prepare for eternity. At the thanksgiving service on Sunday, held at the same
Drivers claim ignorance of speed limit device LAGOS – Some commercial bus operators in Lagos yesterday claimed ignorance of the newlyintroduced Speed Limit Device by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). The drivers who spoke with
Friends celebrate Moses Ehigiamusoe @ 50 By TUNDE EIGBIREMOLEN BENIN CITY - Friends, Associates, colleagues and relatives of a top management staff of LAPO, Mr. Moses Ehigiamusoe and Director, Corporate Affairs Services of LAPO Micro Finance Bank Ltd, (LMFB), gathered yesterday at the LAPO Institute Office, Uselu, in Benin City, to celebrate a man they roundly described as “Honest, Hardworking and disciplined.” A visibly elated Moses Ehigiamusoe, flanked by his wife, Mrs. Uyimwen Ehigiamusoe, and elder brother and founder, LAPO, Dr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe, said though life at 50 had been tough, the last 12 years of his life had proven to him that focus, determination, honesty, carving a niche for himself, being transparent and hardworking matter very much in life, adding that, those were the virtues that had taken him
thus far, besides the fact that God’s faithfulness had kept and preserved him. Chairman on the occasion, and Founder/Managing Director, LAPO, Dr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe in his brief remarks described his younger brother and celebrant, Moses, as an epitome of patience, hardwork and discipline, maintaining that the three things a man needs in life to succeed include hardwork, Honesty/Integrity and selfdiscipline, all of which he said, Moses had exhibited over the years. Also in her remarks, wife of the celebrant, Mrs. Uyimwen, a businesswoman and fashion designer, described her husband as very amiable, lowly in heart, God-fearing and honest, saying when she takes her mind back to the beginning of their marriage, she feels fulfilled that God gave her the exact type of man she had always desired as a husband.
On his part, James WisdomAbhulimhen, Manager, Media and Communications, LAPO, and a colleague of the celebrant asserted that “Moses, humility and approach to issues are inspiring. He is a very simple, unassuming and dedicated colleague who does not like to boss over anyone, though he is a top-ranking staff of LAPO. We call him Elder, because of his fatherly disposition to all. Indeed, he is a chip of the Elder brother, Dr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe, who is our Managing Director and a perfect example of a servant – Leader.” A citation read on the celebrant, Moses Ehigiamusoe showed clearly that since joining LAPO as a staff over two decades ago, he had risen through the ranks and served in various capacities very meritoriously, for which friends and associates devoted yesterday to celebrate a man who clocked 50 years in January 2015.
newsmen in Lagos said they were hearing about the device for the first time. The FRSC had since 2014 announced that from June 1, 2015 the enforcement of the device would commence. Mr. Kamilu Salaudeen, who plied Idumota-Oshodi route, said he had never heard of any such device like the speed limit or its enforcement by the FRSC. “I am hearing of the speed limit device from you for the first time; how can FRSC start enforcement in June when the people involved are not aware of the device,” Salaudeen asked. Another commercial bus driver, Mr. Collins Chuka, who plies OjuelegbaLawanson route, said that the device may not be for intra-state commercial bus operators, as nobody had called their attention to it. “I am not sure this device you have just brought to my notice is for us drivers who ply our vehicle within the state, maybe it is only for inter-state buses alone,” Chuka said. An inter-state commercial driver, who simply identified himself as Biodun and plies Ijora to Ibadan, also claimed ignorance of the device.
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
News
APGA Agent Questions Obingwa Result
Abia Governorship Poll:
L-R: Senator-elect, Edo North Senatorial District, Barr. Francis Alimikhena, Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Domingo Obende and former Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, at the burial ceremony of the SSG’s late father over the weekend.
UMUAHIA- Chief Ahamdi Nweke, the agent of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the supplementary elections in Abia State, has questioned the authenticity of the result from Obingwa Local Government Area. Raising objections to the results of Saturday’s re-run election in nine Local Government Areas, Nweke said that the Obingwa result sheet bore the stamp of Umuahia LGA. The result showed that PDP polled 82,240 votes as against 1,952 scored by APGA. Nweke pleaded repeatedly with the Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, to “take a look at the result sheet,
which is with you here. “All I am asking is for the returning officer to look at the result sheet from Obingwa in the presence of the two INEC national commissioners and commissioners of police. “The result sheet bears the stamp of Umuahia, which is in another senatorial district; please show it for the world to see,’’ Nweke, a legal practitioner, said. He also protested the result from Osisioma polling area, saying that the figures in the results sheet were at variance with the results from the polling units. The result sheets from the polling units were later
IDPs through advocacy. “The exercise will increase access to the underserved population hard to reach and the mobile population in the country,“ he said. Speaking on the World Malaria Day, Muhammed said that malaria had devastated the people’s health and livelihood. He, however, said that that the agency had made huge gains in the fight against the disease. He said that new drugs had been made available for the
treatment of the disease. According to him, the vaccine against malaria will soon be made available. The Sir Emeka Offor Foundation donated health kits containing such consumables as antibiotics in support of the planned opening of health camps in the IDPs settlements. Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has also provided mobile clinic facilities in furtherance of activities planned for the Week.
Vaccination: Board Targets 14,000 IDPs
ABUJA- The FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, said weekend that 14,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in seven camps in the territory would benefit from its free medical outreach. The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Rilwanu Muhammad, made this known in Abuja during the inauguration of the April 2015 National Immunisation plus Days organised to mark the Africa Vaccination Week (AVW) and the World Malaria Day. Muhammad said that the Africa Vaccination Week, with the theme: “Vaccination, a Gift of Life“, had been scheduled for between April 24 and April 30. He said that the main goal of the event was to help in
strengthening immunisation systems through advocacy, education, and outreach services. The executive secretary said that to commemorate the week, seven of the camps located in three area councils (Abuja, Kuja, and Bwari) had been selected to have health camps for the duration of the AVW. He said: “Arrangement to ensure the availability of the relevant services and supplies to meet the demand created for the interventions have been made. “This is to ensure that the health care needs of this group are met.“ He, therefore, urged the displaced persons, especially women and children, to take advantage of the opportunity
offered by the event to access medical care. Speaking during the inauguration also, Dr Ado Muhammed, the Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said that Nigeria had not recorded any new case of the wild polio virus in the past nine months. Muhammed, who was represented by the Advocay and Communication Officer of the agency, Dr Adamu Nuhu, however, said that it was apt to reach out to the
Commissioner For Transport Visits Happinex Foam BENIN CITY – Edo State Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Idehen Uwuilekhue at the weekend, paid a condolence visit to the chief executive officer of Happinex Foam situated at Upper Mission Extension road, whose company was gutted by fire. The Hon. Commissioner sympathized with Mr. Okafor, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company for the loss the inferno has caused. He prayed God to provide for the company in order for them to be back to business fullswing. According to a release by the Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Transport, Francisca Iyagan, the Commissioner urged the company to always make sure that they put fire extinguishers in place to tackle fire incidents whenever it occurs. Earlier, Mr. Okafor thanked the Hon. Commissioner for coming to sympathize with them and also appreciated the effort of the Edo State Fire
Service officials who stopped the fire from ravaging the whole building. He added that he couldn’t ascertain the cause of the inferno, and took the Hon. Commissioner and other management staff of the ministry round the affected areas of the fire outbreak. Present during the visit were Mrs. Ekhator the Director of Edo State Fire Service and other officials of the department.
L-R: Sister to the SSG and daughter of the deceased Grace Ojeage looks on as the SSG exchanges pleasantaries with the Senator representing Edo North, Senator Domingo Obende at the event. Photo: QUEENETH OROBEDO.
presented to the collation officers for verification vis-àvis the collated results. The APGA agent at the rerun election, who identified himself simply as Uzor, claimed that the results from Osisioma were not collated at the ward level, in spite of his protest. Uzor further claimed that the electoral materials were forcefully conveyed to the local government collation centre where he was barred by security agents from entering. “The state returning officer wanted to confirm the allegation with copies from other agents but no other agent was available at the collation centre.’’ Uzor added that the returning officer proceeded to announce the disputed results as collated.
Peaceful Election:
Committee Salutes Edos By ROLAND OSAKUE BENIN CITY –The Chairman, Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee, Chief Eduwu Ekhator Obasogie has commended the people of Edo state for their peaceful disposition demonstrated throughout the general elections period. The Obasogie of Benin kingdom made the commendation through a release made available to newsmen in Benin City yesterday. He also commended the state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, traditional rulers and chiefs for their comportment during the elections, saying that there was need for all hands to be on deck if a violence must be eschewed. The ESPCRC assured of his committee’s unwary determination to always preach the gospel of peace, maintaining that no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of rancor. He therefore called on the people always support relative peace so far enjoyed in the state in view of sustaining the ongoing developments across the state.
IDPs Commend Borno On Feeding, Welfare
MAIDUGURI- Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State yesterday commended the state government for its free feeding arrangement for displaced persons in the state. About 100,000 IDPs, from 16 out of the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, are currently in refugee camps in Maiduguri. A cross section of the IDPs who spoke with newsmen in Maiduguri expressed satisfaction with the feeding
arrangements at the camps. Malam Modu Farama, an IDP at Federal Training Centre (FTC) camp, said he was happy with the feeding arrangement at the camp. “We are fed three times daily by the government with good food; some of us cannot afford such back home. “We thought that the feeding was to prepare ground for the election, so we are surprised that it has continued even after the
election. “I think the government deserves commendation for this; we pray to God to reward officials of the state government abundantly for this,’’ Farama said. Malam Bukar Mala, an IDP at the Arabic Teachers College, also commended the state government for the feeding arrangement and providing health facilities at the camp. “I want to commend the
state government for providing clinics at the camps; it has been very helpful. “My wife and daughter were sick last week, so they visited the clinic, they were given free drugs after being treated free by the officials,’’ Mala said. He commended officials of the camp for providing the inmates with wears. “Sometimes they provide wrappers to the women in the
camp and sometimes guinea brocade is provided to the men,’’ Mala said. Mr Simon Usman, an IDP at the Wulari Christian Centre, also commended the state government for the gesture. “The state government has really tried here; sometimes, they give the inmates some stipends to take care of their immediate needs. “For many of us, this has been quite helpful,’’ Usman said.
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South West Lagos: LAGOS - No fewer than 25,400 candidates weekend sat for the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) organised by the National Examination Council (NECO) in Lagos. The council’s head, Lagos Zonal Office, Mr Niyi Aribisala, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Lagos. The examination was for admission into the JSS 1 arm of the 104 Unity Colleges around the country. According to Aribisala, the candidates are spread across 110 centres in the state, with all the necessary logistics for the smooth conduct of the examination fully in place. He said that so far, the examination had continued to win the confidence of parents nationwide going by the way it was being conducted. Aribisala said the standard
25,400 Candidates Take Common Entrance Exams of the examination was in line with best practices and added that with the requisite logistics in place, it would be difficult to compromise the process. “So far, I want to say that the examination is going on smoothly by the reports I have received from my supervisors from the various centres across the state. “I also want to commend the Lagos State Government for the support it had been giving to the council in the course of conducting the examination over the years. “Its support has been quite tremendous in terms of facilities and otherwise. “On several occasions, the state had gone a step ahead to even cancel their monthly environmental sanitation exercises, all in a bid to ensure a hitch-free conduct of the examinations. “Such understanding by the
Adeshina Re-Elected NGE President IKEJA- Mr. Femi Adeshina has been reelected unopposed as the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). Adeshina, along with some executive members of the association were returned unopposed during the 2015 Biennial Convention of the NGE held in Lagos. The other executive members re-elected were Garbadeen Mohammed as Deputy President, Mr Suleiman Gaya, as Vice President North; Mr. Victor Agusiobo, as Vice President East and Mr Steve Ayorinde as Vice President West. Others are, Asst. General Secretary, Mrs Mary Atolagbe; Treasurer, Mr Ogbang Akwaji and Social and Publicity Secretary, Mrs Funke Egbemode. However, the post of National Secretary was contested for by Mrs Victoria Ibanga and Mr Mustapha Isah. Ibanga won the position with 115 votes against Isah’s
103 votes. A Deputy Editor-in-Chief with the News Agency of Nigeria, Malam Sani Adamu was among the seven persons who won membership of the Guild’s Standing Committee.
SANGO-OTA (OGUN)Dr Babajide Puddicombe, the President, Malaria Society of Nigeria, (MSN) yesterday called on the Federal Government to provide more funds to effectively tackle malaria scourge in the country. Puddicombe made the call in an interview with newsmen in Ota, Ogun after a public campaign to mark World Malaria Day. The campaign, with the
theme “Invest in the future defeat of Malaria’’ was organised by the association in collaboration with the Primary Health Care Department of Ado Odo, Ota Local Government of the state. During the campaign, free drugs and treated mosquito nets were distributed to people in Ota and its environs to prevent spread of malaria. He explained that malaria was a major disease that had
state government has indeed assisted the council in the dispensation of its duties in the state. “We shall forever continue to appreciate the gesture as we partner to move the country forward,” he said. Meanwhile, Journalists who monitored the examination, reports that the accreditation of the candidates commenced at 8 a.m. in most of the centres across the state. Parents took their children to their various centres as early as 7 a.m. since the monthly sanitation exercise had been cancelled by the government. At the the Ogba Junior Grammar School, Ikeja, Ojodu Junior High School, the examination commenced at 12.30 p.m. after the accreditation of the candidates had been carried out. Mrs Mabel Chinye, a parent whose child also participated in the examination, described it as “well organised’’, and added that with the necessary logistics in place only the best would make it. “I like the way the examination is organised. I am not bothered by the fact that we are locked out of the school premises where the examination is holding.
“I know that it is for the good of the children. You know as typical Nigerians, most parents will want to even go into the hall with their children and wards but that is
not possible here today. “I think the organisers of the examination are doing a great job and I pray that they continue in this light to get the best from our children
whom we are looking up to as our future leaders,” she said. At Ikeja Junior High School, one of the invigilators who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen that the conduct of the examination was one of the best in recent times as it was devoid of hitches,’’ he said.
L-R: Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, his wife, Grace Ihonvbere their son and Daniel Ihonvbere, sibling to the SSG, during a thanksgiving service for late Pa John Ihonvbere, father of the SSG. Photo: QUEENETH OROBEBO
Ondo Bans Production, Consumption Of “Ogogoro”
L-R: Mr. Dele Ihonvbere, Mrs. Grace Ojeage, siblings of the SSG and other relatives during the thanksgiving service for the late fahter of the SSG. Photo: QUEENETH OROBEDO
AKURE- The Ondo State Government has banned the production and consumption of locally-made gin, commonly called ‘ogogoro‘ in the state. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Akinyanju, announced this at a news conference in Akure weekend. The commissioner attributed the ban to the outbreak of an unknown disease two weeks ago in Irele Local Government Area of the state. “Our clinical analysis reveals the fact that there were no known viruses, while toxicology reports have confirmed our prime suspicion of methanol poisoning. “We have reviewed our
claimed the lives of many people including pregnant women and children in the country. “The death rate from malaria from year 2000 to date has been on the decrease due, largely, to public awareness efforts by federal, state and local governments as well as NGOs like the MSN. “There is need to continue to sanitise people, through public enlightenment, on how
deaths from malaria. “The ACT treatment method has helped to reduce the number of deaths from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa from 1.2 million to 600,000 per annum. “The control of malaria cannot be handled by government alone. “We will require collective efforts which should involve credible NGOs like the MSN to truly defeat malaria in Africa,’’ Puddicombe said.
Society Urges FG To Tackle Malaria to curb the disease because deaths that result from malaria can be prevented. “That is why we set aside this day to educate people on the dangers of malaria.’’ Puddicombe noted that the treatment of malaria had been changed from mono-therapy to combination therapy using Artemicine Combination Therapy (ACT). He added that the new treatment method had helped to reduce the number of
strategies and embarked on sensitisation to let people know that locally-made gin is prohibited. “We will also embark on searches because this batch of methanol-containing gin must have gone round because 4 cases: 2 alive and 2 dead have been found in Odigbo Local Government Area,“ he said. Akinyanju said that stakeholders such as religious leaders, transporters, youths, market women, and the relevant association would be informed of the development. He said, “We will start with the entire South Senatorial District, then move to the Central Senatorial District. According to the commissioner, the unknown disease has so far claimed 23 lives with ten other people receiving treatment. “Two of them have regained their sights and are back home. “We appeal to the general public to desist from drinking the gin until we are able to identify the source of contamination or find out how the methanol got into the drinks,“ he said. The commissioner said that the state government was working closely with the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control and the National Orientation Agency to sensitise members of the public to the dangers of consuming such drinks.
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Across The Nation Dentist Advises On Teeth Check-Up JALINGO - A dentist at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, Taraba, Miss Joy Joseph, has advised residents of the state to go for teeth check-up after every six months. Joseph told newsmen in Jalingo that the check-up would prevent tooth decay and mouth odour. According to her, food particles that sticked to the teeth over time were responsible for most cases of tooth complaints by patients. “A combination of glucose and protein present in the saliva which is formed readily after brushing the teeth enhances food substances to form that whitish substance on the tooth surface. “If the plague or whitish substance is left for long without removal, it hardens and formed some dark dents called calculus. “The presence of the calculus overtime destroys the gums and loosens the tooth from its socket,” she said. Joseph said most of her patients were not brushing their teeth properly.
“The upper jaw is supposed to be properly swept downwards from the gums to the teeth, while the lower jaw should be swept upward, taking three teeth at a time. “When you brush the teeth in these ways, you are not only massaging the gums but also ensuring that food particles that sticked to the teeth are removed. “However, tooth brush must be disposed once its bristles scatter and brushing should be done after breakfast and dinner,” she said. On dietary mouth odour, the dentist encouraged people to always gargle their mouth with water, especially after taking beverages and eating spicy foods.
Warri Residents Complain Over Acute Power Outage
WARRI (Delta) - Some residents of Warri, the commercial city of Delta state on Sunday said that the persistent power outage in the area has become unbearable. The residents, who live
Rescheduled Election Holds In 4 Constituencies In Anambra AGULU (ANAMBRA STATE) - The re-scheduled election in four state constituencies held in Anambra State amid tight security on Saturday. The constituencies are Anaocha 1, Anaocha 2, Aguata 1 and Ekwusigo where elections were cancelled due to
Executive Chairman, Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Chief Oseni Elamah (2nd left) flanked by the Executive Director, EIRS and deceased son Prince Felix Isuku (2nd right), Personal Assistant to Edo State Governor, Mr Andrew Momodu (left) and a guest during the burial ceremony of the late Obaika of Ihievbe Kingdom, Chief Jimah Isuku in Ihievbe recently.
irregularities on April 11. Accreditation of voters started at about 8a.m. The electorate conducted themselves peaceful during accreditation of voters while the card reader machines were effective in every polling unit monitored in Agulu and Obeledu.
Willie and Etuwewe areas of the city, told newsmen in Warri that the prolonged blackout had crippled their businesses. Mrs. Rukevwe Amoma, a hair stylist, described the persistent power outage as “a very big obstacle” to her means of livelihood. Amoma said: “the continuous power failure is affecting my daily income and I do not find the situation funny. “I now spend so much in fueling my generating set in order to do my business and retain my customers. I spend between N1,200 and N1,500 daily on fuel.’’ A welder, Mr. Mike Tony, said the situation had affected his trade resulting in
loss of customers. “My job is welding and some of my customers have retrieved the jobs they gave to me because there is no light to do the work. “Sometimes I take some of the work to my friends’ workshops in Ekpan and it costs me money to do that. I don’t have a generator and there is no electricity. “I don’t know what to do now other than to beg BEDC to restore electricity supply to this area because the blackout is affecting my job and family.’’ he said. Another resident, Mr Simeon Asowota, said the problem started in 2014 but became worse last month. Asowata noted: “Of course we all know that the power
Prince Felix Isuku, Executive Director, Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) and son of the late Obaika of Ihievbe Kingdom (middle) flanked by the representatives of the Emir of Borgu, Alhaji (sen) Dantoro during the burial ceremony of late chief Jimah Isuku, in Ihievbe recently.
situation in the whole country is bad but our experience in this area is more worrisome. “Since March this year, we have been in total darkness and there is no hope of getting out of the mess in the nearest future. “The BEDC officials shut us out and we don’t even know what is happening as I speak to you.’’ Mrs. Morenike Adebayo, a new tenant in Etuwewe said that she regretted moving into the place. “Since we packed into our apartment, we have not
enjoyed public power supply even for one day and the weather is very hot. “We run our generator throughout the night and so do our neighbours too. This makes the whole compound terribly noisy at night. BEDC should do something,’’ she said. Contacted, Mr. Edmond Gbinwi, the Public Relations Officer of BEDC, Warri South Business Unit, said that the transformer serving the area was faulty. Gbinwi told NAN that the transformer had been taken away by the company for repairs, but added that he did not know when the repairs would be completed.
Church Emphasises Need For Biometric Data Base By VICTOR OMOALU
BENIN CITY –The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint has reminded the people on the need to have biometric data base of their family origin and history. The church made the emphasis during its Roots Tech Family Discovery Day programme held at the weekend. Speaking on the event president of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint, Ihogbe stake, RC.N Okeke described the event as an annual one aimed at raising the necessary awareness on the need for people to have a full knowledge and data base of the roots history of their forebearers as well as their connections with the present /future generations.
He said the event tagged, “Roots Tech Family Discovery Day: Celebrating families across generations” was to enable the people document their family history, using the technology. The event amchorer, Samson Osariemen Eguavoen, said the event afforded the people, including members and nonmembers of the church avenue to trace back their history and know who their ancestors were. According to him, “it will enable them document and create history on them that will be handed down for generations yet unborn”. The event featured various classed for the church members, nonmembers and children wher e they were taught on how to trace their family roots history.
THE NIGERIAN
7
MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
News Confraternity Of Christian Mothers Exco Inaugurated
BENIN CITY – A 13 man National Executive that would pilot the affairs of confraternity of Christian Mothers for the next three years has been inaugurated in Benin City, Edo State with a charge to evangelize and bring peace to the church and world at large. The charge was given by the officiating priest, Rev. Fr. Pascal Omono in his homily while calling on Christian mothers and the group to be upright and evangelize to “lost souls and win them to Christ.” Rev. fr. Omono who represented the Arch-Bishop of Benin Archdiocese, His Grace, Austin Akubeze said women are artist who write the literature of godliness in their heart. “Women are wonderful set of creature; that is why when you come to the church, they are more; they are active in church activities like prayers; you can’t push them aside; they are important in our lives and that of the nation.” He called on the women to respect the sacrament of matrimony as that qualifies them to be Christian Mothers. “For you to be a Christian
Mother, you must be properly married in the church and this will earn you dignity which you can’t buy with money. “We should live responsibly so that our life will radiate like light that we are in this world,” he said. Rev. fr. Omono further said that as Christian Mother, “We must be faithful to God at all times, no matter the circumstances and challenges facing us as individuals or as a body.” He said they should continually show love, not only to the church members but all that cross their path in life. “The society is not for the executive alone, we all should
join our hands together to ensure that these executive members succeed in their various offices.” National President of the group, Lady Marcella Aizeyobabo Cele said her focus is to build the spirituality of the group and ensure that the group spread and gets a solid base across the country. She said that at the end of her three years tenure, she wants to see that the Christian Mothers grow spiritually. She thanked all that made the occasion a success and assured members that she would work and do her best to ensure the growth of the group in the country.
Inauguration: The National President of Confraternity of Christian Mothers’ Lady Marcella Aizeyosabo Cole (3rd right) take her oath of office, flanked by other memebrs of the newly inaugurated National executive in Benin City.
NGO Spends $150,000 On Malaria Annually, Says Director
IBENO (AKWA IBOM) - Africare, an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working in Eket and Ibeno areas of Akwa Ibom State, said it spends $150, 000 yearly on malaria control programmes in the state. Dr Patrick Adah, Africare’s
Director of Malaria Programme disclosed this in an interview with newsmen at Ibeno, headquarters of Ibeno Local Government Area of the state.
Adah said that the organisation started operations two years ago in the two benefiting communities during which over 3,000 persons benefitted its services. “We have mobilised two Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with N300, 000 each in the benefiting communities, to assist in mosquito net hanging campaign. “The CSOs, each of which is made up of at least 15
persons, move from house to house to demonstrate how to hang long-lasting insecticidal nets. “They also encourage people to go to clinics for malaria test so as to receive proper treatment if infected,” Adah said. Adah said that Africare had assisted the communities with new treated nets and replacement of old ones. “We have also reached the communities with over 150, 000 health messages delivered
at health events and through the media,” he said. The director added that apart from malaria programme, Africare was also involved in HIV/AIDS control projects as well as providing care to orphans and the vulnerable people. He explained that under its programme for orphans and vulnerable people, the organisation had helped to enroll the beneficiaries in schools and offered skills training to others.
Monthly Sanitation Holds In Benin By RICHARD EWEKA
Sanitation: The General Manager Edo State Waste Management Board, Gilian Ochugbe (middle) speaking with newsmen on the success of the enhronment weekend statemde monthly sanitation Exercise in the stake . with her is the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Environment Mrs. Tessy Otene (left) looks on.
Malaria: Society Tasks FG To
Provide More Funds
SANGO-OTA (OGUN) - Dr Babajide Puddicombe, the President, Malaria Society of Nigeria, (MSN) on Sunday called on the Federal Government to provide more funds to effectively tackle malaria scourge in the country. Puddicombe made the call in an interview with newsmen in Ota, Ogun after a public campaign to mark World Malaria Day. The campaign, with the theme “Invest in the future defeat of Malaria’’ was organised by the association in collaboration with the Primary Health Care Department of Ado Odo, Ota Local Government of the state. During the campaign, free drugs and treated mosquito nets
were distributed to people in Ota and its environs to prevent spread of malaria. He explained that malaria was a major disease that had claimed the lives of many people including pregnant women and children in the country. “The death rate from malaria from year 2000 to date has been on the decrease due, largely, to public awareness efforts by federal, state and local governments as well as NGOs like the MSN. “There is need to continue to sanitise people, through public enlightenment, on how to curb the disease because deaths that result from malaria can be prevented. “That is why we set aside this day to educate people on the
dangers of malaria.’’ Puddicombe noted that the treatment of malaria had been changed from mono-therapy to combination therapy using Artemicine Combination Therapy (ACT). He added that the new treatment method had helped to reduce the number of deaths from malaria. “The ACT treatment method has helped to reduce the number of deaths from malaria in subSaharan Africa from 1.2 million to 600,000 per annum. “The control of malaria cannot be handled by government alone. “We will require collective efforts which should involve credible NGOs like the MSN to truly defeat malaria in Africa,’’ Puddicombe said.
DESPITE the nonrestriction of human and vehicular movement order by the Edo State Government during Saturday’s state sanitation exercise, the Waste Managers were sighted at various spot across the Benin City metropolis evacuating refuse from major streets for the purpose of keeping the environment clean. Monitoring the exercise, The NIGERIAN OBSERVER observed some residents at Uwelu, Siluko Road, Akpakpava Road, New Benin, Iyaro and other areas in the city observing the exercise as they were cleaning their surroundings and drainage system. Speaking with newsmen in Benin City, the General Manager of Edo State Waste Management Board, Gilian Ochugbe said the April sanitation exercise went well as resident came out to clean their environment, while waste managers evacuated refuse across the metropolis. She said that all those include in sanitation exercise
were on ground to ensure Benin City environment is kept clean. She said the non-restriction of movement does not affect the exercise as people have complied and cleaned their environment. According to her, sanitation exercise for the waste managers is a daily affair. She therefore called on all residents in Benin City to join hands with the state government to ensure “we
have a cleaner environment.” Speaking with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER, a resident at Uwelu who gave her name as Rose commended the waste managers for a good job by keeping the environment clean. She while, calling on other residents to ensure that they join hands together to ensure a cleaner environment, knowing that “cleanliness is next to godliness.”
Consultant Urges Govt To Engage Local Waste Mgrs LAGOS - A Waste Consultant to the Delta Government, Mr. Keluo Chukwuogo, has appealed to governments at all levels to engage the services of local waste managers instead of expatriates in waste disposal. Chukwuogo, who made the call during an interview with newsmen in Lagos said this would assist in creating more jobs in the country. “Indigenous waste managers understand the uniqueness of waste generated by the people and
are in a better position to manage them. “All the equipment we use in Delta are locally made by our own engineers. “We have the manpower in the sector but unfortunately some people prefer to engage the services of expatriates. “If more indigenous waste mangers are engaged there will be technological growth, employment opportunities and capital retention,’’ the consultant said.
THE NIGERIAN
8
MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Family Planning
With Eranga Isaac
“There was attempt in June, 2013 to float the Nigeria Independent Accountability Mechanism (NIAM) by an independent body- the Accountability Mechanism for Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria (AMHIN), in Abuja. After a meeting of AMHIN to discuss the modality for operation, in 2013, no one heard of them again.” DAC to agree on how to improve the creditor reports system so that it can capture, in a timely manner, all reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health spending by development partners. 10. Global oversight: Starting in 2012 and ending in 2015, an independent “Expert Review Group” is reporting regularly to the UN on the results and resources related to the Global Strategy and on progress in implementing this commission’s recommendations. One of the recommendations is the establishment of a national accountability mechanism which includes a transparent and inclusive mechanism, ensuring all key stakeholders, including civil society and communities, are well represented to ensure progress on implementing the commission’s recommendation at country level and to
Establishing Accountability Mechanism For Maternal Health
THE need for accountability mechanism as a strategy for women’s and children’s health propelled the United Nation (UN) to come up with a commission on information and accountability for women’s and children’s health. The UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health was established by WHO at the request of the United Nations Secretary-General to accelerate progress on the Global strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. The Commission was chaired by H.E Jakaya Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, with the Director-General of WHO and the Secretary-General of ITU as vice-chairs. The commissioner brought forth, a final report on accountability frame-work and proposed ten recommendations focused on improving information for better results, improving tracking of resources and stronger oversight of both results and resources at national and global levels. The following are the ten recommendations. 1. Vital events: The report has it that by 2015, all countries would have taken significant steps to establish a system for registration of births, deaths and causes of death. 2. Health Indicators: By 2012, the same 11 indicators on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, disaggregated for gender and other equity considerations, are being used for the purpose of monitoring progress towards the goals of the global strategy. 3. Innovation: By 2015, all countries should have integrated the use of Information and Communication Technologies in their national health information systems and
health infrastructure. 4. Resource tracking: By 2015, all 74 countries where 98% of maternal and reporting, at a minimum, two aggregate resource indicators: (i.) Total health expenditure by financing source, per capita, and (ii.) Total reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health expenditure by financing source, per capita. 5. Country Compacts: By 2012, in order to facilitate resource tracking, “compacts” between country governments and all major development partners are in place that require reporting, based on a format to be agreed in each country, on externally founded expenditures and predictable commitments. 6. Reaching Women and Children: By 2015, all governments have the capacity regularly review health spending (including spending on reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health) and to relate spending to commitments, human rights, gender and other equity goals and results. 7. National oversight: By 2012, all countries have established national accountability mechanisms that are transparent and that are inclusive of all stakeholders. 8. Transparency: By 2013 all stakeholders are publicly sharing information on commitments, resources provided and results, achieved annually, at both national and international levels. 9. Reporting aid for women’s and children’s health: By 2012, development partners request the OECD-
“In Nigeria, we also lack assess information whether health gains and investments are equitably distributed. There is also absence of periodical review and analysis of barriers in access to health services for women, especially young women and children.”
recommend remedial action as required. Nigeria participated in the WHO, COIA multi-country workshop which was held in Harare, Zimbabwe October 2012 and a roadmap template was developed to implement the accountability framework according to country specific needs and priorities. Between December 2012 and April 2013, the national steering committee held meetings in preparation for a country level workshop. In April 2013, the National Workshop was held to orient key country stakeholders about the context and implications of the commendations of the commission on information and accountability for women’s and children health, share and discuss the results of the assessment and finalize the country roadmap to strengthen accountability for 2013-15, building upon the initial roadmap developed at the multi-country workshop. CSOs were mobilised to input into the country roadmap and the need of an independent expert review group was deliberated and agreed upon. There was attempt in June, 2013 to float the Nigeria Independent Accountability Mechanism (NIAM) by an independent body- the Accountability Mechanism for Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria (AMHIN), in Abuja. After a meeting of AMHIN to discuss the modality for operation, in 2013, no one heard of them again. We are now in 2015, Nigeria cannot boast of a virile independent accountability mechanism. There is specific body to review progress against the strategy on women and children’s health at national, state and LGA levels, a role which NIAM was supposed to perform. Nigeria lack review of progress and performance in the health sector at least twice a year against country health plans, particularly the roadmap on women and children’s health and international goals. In Nigeria, we also lack assess information whether health gains and investments are equitably distributed. There is also absence of periodical review and analysis of barriers in access to health services for women, especially young women and children. Nigeria also lack structures that will facilitate the establishment of National state and community level accountability mechanism and also to identify and promote success stories in policy and programme implementation related to women and children’s health.
THE NIGERIAN
9
MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Science
Venier Caliper
Some Laboratory Equipments
WE have three types of Bunsen Burners. They are (A) Town gas burner (B) natural gas burner and (C) Bottled gas burner. All Bunsen burners are used for the same purpose, but they differ in the main jet through which gas enters the burners vary in diameter. Gas burner has a jet hole of about 1.3mm and that of bottle burner or natural gas has a jet hole of about 0.4mm. Their body is nicked, plated burner tube with rotateable air regulator, tapering riffled connector which is mounted on an enameled pressed steel base. They are mainly used for heating CARE AND MAINTENANCE Make sure the rotateable air regulator is always freely rotateable in a situation where there is a little friction, little oil can be applied Do not allow chemical to drop into the Bunsen burner tube, because it will easily block the jet hole. A new rubber should always be used to replace tubes which have cracks or are leaking. Leakages should be
prevented hence rubber should be well connected. REPAIR If there is any leakage, tighten the tube at the point of connection. If the adjustment of rotateable air regulator fails to produce blue flame tube is removed and cleaned, but a situation when the jet is partially blocked, it can be cleared by using a suitable copper wine but if in case it is a stubborn dirt a steel wine is used to correct the diameter, so that the operation does not enlarge the original hole. RESISTANCE BOX Only one type exist, that is the plug pattern Resistance Box. It has a set of resistance made up of Eureka wire placed in a box of which each end are soldered to brass bars in succession fixed on a bakelite plate. The blocks are usually separated from each other by gaps which the brass plugs can be inserted blocks and plugs have negligible resistance.
FUNCTIONS It is used to calibrate instruments For the measurement of electrical values like voltage and current It provides a range of resistance valves. MAINTENANCE Pay attention to the recommendations in the companies leaf guide for example there are safe limits imposed by manufacturers in the passage of current through the various coils of a resistance so as to ensure that the standardized resistance values are adhered to, to prevent it from been burnt. Make sure you do not
have a resistance box as an adjustable resistance where there is excessive current passing through the coils. Make sure you do not tough the tapered brass portion with your fingers, because the fingers grease will introduce high resistance to contact the surface where the resistance ought to be. The resistance box should always be kept clean all the time, and store them in damp and dust free environment. REPAIRS Clean surface of high resistance socket terminal contact with either a fine emery cloth or methylated
With Oyakhilome Clementina
spirit. VENIER CALIPER Two types exist, they are the mechanical and digital venier caliper. FUNCTIONS It is used to measure internal and external diameters and also the depth gauge like the diameter of a rod, thickness of a plate, internal diameter of a tube, depth of a cavity and for accurate measurement of 0.1mm. COMPONENTS They are made up of main scale, venier scale, clamping screw, depth gauge, sliding jaw, internal jaw, external jaws clamping screw. How To Use A Venier Caliper It has two sets of jaws which is used to clamp the work piece and two scales, the main and the Venier scales use these to clamp the work piece. The venier scale which slides on the main scale is a smaller scale which enables us to be able to measure a fraction of the smallest division on the main scale, which is usually graduated in centimeters and millimeters. As for the digital venier caliper it directly displays the measurement from a digital display. MAINTENANCE Read the instructions carefully which is accompanying the calipers and keep them handy for future references. The instrument should be kept clean and dry some cheaper ones may rust easily with salt present in perspiration. Therefore one must always clean and apply this coating of
Vaseline before storage. Do not force jaws on the work piece and do not over tighten clamping or locking screws. MICROMETER SCREW GUAGE We have two types namely mechanical and digital USES It gives a fine measurement like diameter of a wine, diameter of a small ball or the thickness of a paper some micrometers measure depth, across screw threads, inside and outside dimension various sizes do exist, but the most popular micrometer measures outside dimension of 0 to 25mm. COMPONENTS They have the following components, main scale, circular venier scale, Anvil, Adjustable spindle knurled thumble, Rachet knob, frame, sleeve and lock NUT. MAINTENANCE Read the instructions carefully and keep them handy. Instruments should be handled with care. Use the ratchet when choosing the spindle on the work and never close spindle on work using the knurled thumble. Store instrument in a dust and damp free area and if it is going to be stored for a long time, apply a thin film of Vaseline on all the exposed parts. Avoid any kind of shock if it produces stiffness of the screw movement, please check if the locknut is in the release position, also check if thumble is fouling on the barrel. If it is so these may be need to dismantle instrument to correct the fault.
“Store instrument in a dust and damp free area and if it is going to be stored for a long time, apply a thin film of Vaseline on all the exposed parts.�
THE NIGERIAN
10
MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Healthy Living
A Common Enemy To Public Health Medication
Biofilms: BIOFILM is a community of cells irreversibly attached to either a biotic or abiotic surface embedded in a self-produced exopolymeric substance (EPS). The formation of biofilm begins when free-living (planktonic) bacteria first reversibly attach and then irreversibly attached to a surface, divide, and recruit additional planktonic cells that are attached to the cells already on the surface, which gives rise to a biofilm. The emerging biofilm can be a single species bacterium or a combination of composed of different species. Single species bacterium is rarely found in a natural environment. More frequently, biofilms are composed of different species of bacteria, yeast, fungi, algae, and protozoa. They anchor themselves more permanently using cell adhesion structures such as pili, fimbriae,cillia, and flagella. Bacterial biofilm may contain spoilage bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Enterocccus spp. as well as pathogens such as Listeria m o n c y t o g e n e s , Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli 0157:H7 or Salmonella. Any surface that contains abundance of moisture and nutrients is susceptible to biofilm formation if microorganisms are present. A wide variety of surfaces including living tissues, indwelling medical devices, industrial or potable water system piping and natural aquatic systems support biofilm formation. Biofilm formation is a survival strategy microbe adopt to enable them survive unpredictable environmental conditions such as temperature change, desiccation, ultralviolet radiation, cleansing agents such as biocides and disinfectant, and pressure. Biofilms are present almost everywhere and impact all aspects of our lives. In many cases their presence leads to prosthesis colonization, product contamination,
biofouling, and equipment damage. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 90% of infections in humans and 65% of nosocomial infections are caused by biofilms. Biofilms are responsible for plaque formation on teeth, gum disease, ear infection in children, fibrosis, legionnaire disease, among others. Biofilms contaminate many household surfaces such as toilets, sinks, and cutting boards. In industrial settings, biofilms adversely impacts many processes leading to a decrease in process efficiency and end-product purity. Biofilms also contaminate water source and cause pipe plugging e.g. Helicobacter pylori, an organism responsible for gastric ulcer, has been found in drinking water systems. Biofilms implication on public health Biofilms have been implicated in different nosocomial infections associated with medical devices, hospital equipment, and other hard surfaces. It has been estimated that biofilms are associated with 65 percent of nosocomial infections. In addition, fruits and vegetables, household and workplaces surfaces such as sinks,countertops, toilets, cutting boards and water pipes can all act as vehicles for the transfer of biofilm-associated infections to man. Food borne biofilms and food safety Generally, food has been identified to be a very efficient vehicle which brings a large number of people into contact with a potential hazard. Foodborne exposure may be the most critical pathway for transfer of biofilm-associated infections to humans. Fruits and vegetables are particularly noted in this regard as high risk because most of them are eaten raw or minimally processed. Multispecies biofilms including human pathogens attach to plant surfaces from the soil and environment
By ODIGIE AUSTINE BRIAN
before harvest. This biofilm form on plant tissue so firmly that they are not easily removed with simple washing techniques. Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables or when partially processed could be responsible for food-borne illness. Cantaloupe melons are excellent source of beta carotene and vitamin A and B, but on many occasions, melons contaminated with Salmonella enterica has been medically
involve severe stomach cramp, diarrhea, and vomiting. Some victims suffer more severe complications. Many individuals rely on consumption of fresh salad for slimmer physiques. Prepackaged salads and minimally processed leafy greens may be important for a reduced calorie (fat). Recently, they have also been the most frequent source of food-borne illness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
linked with Salmonellosis outbreaks. Symptoms include abdominal cramping, diarrhea and fever. Although, most victim recover without treatment. Infection usually last for 4-7 days. Apple juice or apple cider contaminated with E. coli0157:H7 during industrial process or harvest has been associated with Escherichia coli infections. Symptoms are usually mild and frequently
have linked 18 outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 to lettuce and one to spinach, basil, cabbage, green onions and parsley are also responsible for recent occurrences of food borne illness. Biofilms and medical deviceassociated infections Microorganisms commonly attach to indwelling medical devices e.g., urinary catheter, central venous catheter, medical heart valve etc and
“Generally, food has been identified to be a very efficient vehicle which brings a large number of people into contact with a potential hazard. Food-borne exposure may be the most critical pathway for transfer of biofilm-associated infections to humans.”
form biofilms. Scanning of medical device and transmission electron microscopy has shown that virtually all indwelling central venous catheters are colonized by microorganisms embedded in a biofilm matrix. These organisms may be acquired from the skin of patient or health care workers, tap water to which ports of devices are exposed, or other sources in the environment. Colonization of these devices can occur within 24 hours and may be a function of the host conditioning films
e.g. lipid, protein, plasma etc. As a result of biofilm formation, 10 to 50% of patients undergoing short-term urinary catheterization (7 days) and patients undergoing longterm catheterization (less than 28 days) become infected. The types of organisms that develop biofilms are quite broad and a number of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Biofilm poses a serious problem for public health because of the increased resistance of biofilm associated organisms to antimicrobial agents and the ability for these organisms to cause infections in patients with indwelling medical devices. Naturally, microorganisms exist primarily by attaching themselves to and growing on living and nonliving surfaces. These surfaces include those found in soil and aquatic system, those on the spectrum of indwelling
medical devices, and those on living tissues such as tooth enamel, heart valve or lung, and middle ear. The common feature of this attached growth is that the cells develop a biofilm. Biofilm have a great significant on public health, because biofilmassociated microorganism’s exhibit decreased susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. This susceptibility may be intrinsic (as a natural outcome of growth in the biofilm) or acquired (due to transfer of extrachromosomal elements to susceptible organisms in the biofilm). Prevention and control Toothpaste with antibacterial ingredient such as triclosan and mouthwash with chlorhexidine or mixture of essential oils in alcohol are
effective in reducing dental plaque and gingivitis. Effective cleaning of potential growth site, equipment design, temperature control, and reduction of nutrient and water are essential for biofilm control in the food industry. Disinfectants such as chlorine, chloramines, and ozones are commonly used for treating biofilm forming microbes in water. The use of sanitizer and detergent such as quaternary ammonium compound, acidbased sanitizer and hydrogen peroxide are effective against wild arrays of microorganisms. Odigie Austine Brian, Reseacher, Environmental and Public Health write from Benin City.Tel: 07066998584 E m a i l : brian.van43@yahoo.com
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
THE NIGERIAN
12
MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
THE Nigerian Education Bank Bill which has passed second reading at the Federal House of Representatives, as explained by the initiator, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila proposes to establish the Nigerian Education Bank, with the primary duty of granting interest free loans to poor students seeking higher education in Nigeria. THE Bill seeks to make available to each benefiting student, a sum of five hundred thousand Naira (N500,000) repayable in two years after graduation. The repayment, according to the proponents would take the form of direct deduction of ten percent monthly deductions at source from salaries of beneficiaries or from the profits in the case of self employed graduates until the loan is liquidated. According to the provisions of the Bill, “applicants must have secured admission into any Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of education or any vocational school established by the Federal Government or the Government of the States of the Federation.” THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER commends the initiators and promoters of the Bill, which we consider progressive in a country where more than 70 percent of its population live below the 1 USD per day poverty line. For most Nigerians who have had to go through hell to obtain higher education, this is a watershed Bill not only welcomed by the poor, but groups marginalised by society such as orphans, physically challenged persons among others who do not have anywhere to turn to for higher education. IT is not much of news that students of tertiary school-Universities, Polytechnics,
THE NIGERIAN
Pass Higher Education Bank Bill Before End Of 7th Assembly Colleges of Agriculture and Colleges of education and others have gone through untold difficulties over the years to pass through such institutions. We are glad that the Bill is currently being considered by the lawmakers. IT is equally heartwarming to note that, with the proposed law, Nigeria is on the right track to join the rest of the world in subsidizing education for the poor. It is important to note that Scandinavian countries such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have developed sound qualitative education and almost tuition-free higher education from cradle to grave. In fact, in Denmark, the tuition is free and, international students also enjoy free tuition provided they could show evidence of $6,000 feeding and upkeep fee per annum. Although tuition In Australia is not free, there are a lot of grants, scholarships and bursaries instituted for both the brilliant and poor students. These are best practices that this bill seeks to emulate. WE recognise that schooling anywhere in the world is net easy and hardly cheap, it is against this backdrop that we welcome the move by the
Federal House of Representatives to introduce a law that would take such a load off parents’ shoulders. We equally wish to call on the upper legislative chamber, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to concur the Bill as soon as it is passed by the lower house so that it can become a law in Nigeria. OUR support for the bill notwithstanding, we are of the opinion that Section 22 of the bill must be recouched to read that “beneficiaries should be made to pay back the loan as soon as they are employed” , not the two years contained in the bill, given the high rate of unemployment in the country. In our view, Sub-section 4 of the bill which stipulates punishments for offenders of the law in a case of default also requires a review to avoid the culture of impunity among young Nigerians who would take undue advantage of the benefits derivable from the law. Two years imprisonment or an option of fine of N500,000 being the same amount benefited by the beneficiary is not sufficient deterrence. We recommend five years imprisonment for offenders or a fine of N700,000 instead. WE believe the Bill also throws up the need for government at all levels to take urgent steps to improve the employment market in Nigeria to absorb the army of unemployed persons roaming the streets in search of jobs. Government should redouble efforts towards guaranteeing constant electricity supply, potable water supply, roads, railway system and other infrastructure needed to boost the nation’s industrialization, as a major way of making the law work efficiently when It eventually passed and assented to by the President.
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Opinion
When Federal Polytechnic Auchi Students Honoured Their Rector WHILE the rest of the country were engaged in frenetic preparations for the historic General elections, in which the incumbent president lost and conceded defeat even before the final count so as to keep the country intact, the Management of Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State used the period to formally admit the new intakes for the 2015 Academic Session. The star attraction of the Matriculation Ceremony was the Conferment of Award tagged; Education Award for Excellence by the School Students Union Government on their Rector, Dr (Mrs.) Philipa Idogho. The award which is historic by any standard was presented by the President of the Students’ Union Government, Comrade Sani Kafeel Abdul. In his remarks, after the presentation, the SUG Comrade President, who held the audience at the Matriculation ground spellbound by the vigour and impact of his oration poured encomium on the Rector, Dr (Mrs.) Phillapa Idogho whom he described as an achiever per excellence. Dr (Mrs.) Idogho, though not exactly new being honoured, having been severally honoured in recent times for her inspirational performance and exemplary leadership. This particular award must be unique in the sense that for the first time in a long while, a prophet was being recognized and honoured by her folks and in the presence of her kith and kin, for transforming Auchi Polytechnic into one of the most preferred institution in the country. Under her watch, the
By SAM DADA AYOKHAI examinations and early school grew in leaps and within bounds, with special dressed for the event. alumnus of the school, registration stipulated period as some emphasis on In her speech, Auchi informed inductees of the of the rules which is not infrastructure, contents Polytechnic Rector, Dr institution’s commitment enrichment, human (Mrs.) Idogho said the and resolve to strictly be compromised. She capital development and others. Comrade Kadri, speaking the mind of his constituency, acknowledged the Rector’s prowess, saying her singular acts of “uncommon courage, service and leadership” will ensure her name is cast in gold as the Rector who came, saw and conquered. If one considers the strained relationship that usually exists between students and the authorities, one may not totally miss the point in concluding the award is indeed historic. The genuineness of purpose by the students is not only real but also convincing, despite the heightened unrest and rivalry in our campuses. The award investiture did not, however, completely take the shine off the main event, much as the students’ body tried hard to steal the show. Auchi Poly Rector, Dr. Mrs. Phillipa Idogho flanked by officials of the Students The matriculation Union Government. ceremony, held in early matriculants should count implement the rules and also advised against use December, was the 32nd themselves as worthy to regulations as it of fake credentials to in the history of the have been admitted into concerned appropriate secure admission, saying school and it drew large the school and urged code of conducts. While the school has a way to audience of dignitaries, them to flee from any stressing the sanctity of detect and sanction including the parents and vice that can truncate the rules, she listed 75% culprits with rustication guardians of the their future. class attendance as or expulsion, whichever inductees, all gally Dr. Idogho, herself an eligibility to write is regarded as most
“... the SUG Comrade President, who held the audience at the Matriculation ground spellbound by the vigour and impact of his oration poured encomium on the Rector, Dr (Mrs.) Phillapa Idogho whom he described as an achiever per excellence.”
appropriate at the specific time. Promising to deal ruthlessly with any staff who found to be involved in the nefarious act of intimidation, extortion, making unofficial demands and harassment of any sort, she encouraged parents and others alike to feel free to step forward to blow the whistle. Drawing loud applause from an excited audience, the Rector assured the inductees of good times ahead, stressing management had invested a lot on facility upgrading and enjoined them to ensure such new facilities placed at their disposal is used judiciously. Some of the facilities are: A Library Annexe in the Philipa Idogho Campus; Completion of Laboratories, Workshops and a Bakery for Food Technology Department; Workshops for the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development and Offices for Chemical Engineering Department couple with 12 Classrooms; Four elearning centres. To compliment the school effort in enhancing academics, a friend of the school Chief Abu InuUmoru has extended a hand of fellowship. In her words “I am very excited to announce to you that a distinguished friend of the Polytechnic, Chief Abu Inu-Umoru, has instituted an annual scholarship scheme for the best graduatingstudent in Engineering to do a Masters degree programme in America University Beirut, Lebanon. This is a great challenge to all HND II Engineering students to work hard”. The 32 Matriculation Ceremony will go down in history as one which the students loudly acknowledged their rector.
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Issues Continued from pg 32 like the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) that has taken over divested oil and gas assets in Delta State (which includes OML 34) should build Gas-To-Liquid Plants close to the existing facilities in Utorogu areas. This is hinged on the fact that there are enormous gas reserves in Utorogu. In fact, the largest natural gas reserve and condensate reserve in West Africa is in Utorogu. Utorogu Gas Plant for instance is described by Shell (SPDC) as the “gas hub of West Africa”. Utorogu can best be described as the “life wire of Nigerian Power Stations and domestic industries”, and is also where gas is supplied to neighbouring West African countries through the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project (WAGPP). All these important Utorogu oil and gas assets are currently being operated by NPDC with excellent results to show forth. They can do more if given the needed financial support by the Government. Though, the local content law had made provisions to compel IOCs operating in the country to establish refineries that will refine petroleum products, however, we believe the prescribed 1000 barrel stream per day is too small and is one-sided on petroleum products expansion, hence the suggestion above. When half of the crude products they produce are refined in the country, and other chemical Plants built, the finished products will be more than enough for export purposes and to service domestic demands. And ultimately, Nigeria will become less dependant on imported refined petroleum products and petro-chemical products in due time. Besides, it is about time we stop exporting crude oil and natural gas at a cheaper price and import the refined products at a higher cost. This is counter productive to the nations’ economy. The truth is that successive and present Nigerian Government has not harnessed the enormous potentials of crude oil and natural gas reserves in the country to develop other sectors of the Nigerian economy. All the Nigerian Government and its parastatals/Ministries are known for all these years is to depend more on crude oil and natural gas revenues to run their administration. This is what we hope the new government under Buhari will holistically address. We cannot continue to sit and wait for crude oil/natural gas revenues without taking practical steps to harness the “refining potentials” of these
natural resources for the good of all. The Nigerian Government should stop all the dilly-dallying and take the bold initiative/steps to reorganize the oil and gas industry and the nation’s refineries, as suggested here. We are aware that in 2007, attempts by the previous administration were made to facilitate the sale of the refineries, which were reversed due to pressure by the Unions and NNPC Management renewed commitment to revamp the refineries, but there is need for us to start doing things differently in the new government to see the needed changes we seek. While Nigeria continues to squander a fortune on importing petroleum products, we know that attempts by governments to offload the existing refineries to competent private investors remain hampered by misguided policies, corruption and the lack of political will to confront entrenched, short term interests and fears, such as the unions like the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), whose fears are proven to be largely unwarranted. Savings from the reduced cost of import in the form of tariffs and demurrage on landed vessels can ease the need for budgetary allocations to oil subsidy funds. But it is in the public’s best interest for these refineries to be sold to competent private hands and not government cronies or fronts. And there is no better time to do so than now, which will raise the much needed revenue, conserve foreign exchange, reduce corruption and augment national security by reducing our vulnerability to imported oil and gas products. It will be for our mutual and collective benefit as a nation. It is a shame that Nigeria with her abundant oil and gas reserve, is still heavily dependent on the importation of refined petroleum products, when rather, it is the country that is supposed to be doing the exporting of refined products. As a nation, we do not make much money if we only export our natural crude oil and gas to other nation’s who after refining them, we now import back into Nigeria at a higher cost; thereby putting the Government in the precarious situation of having to ‘subsidize’ petroleum products for Nigerians. There is absolutely no sense in this. We therefore employ the new government that will be coming in next month government to create the enabling environment to encourage private investors to go into the oil and gas sector,
Renewed Effort To Pass PIB.... to build refineries and pay taxes to government, rather than allowing ex-public officials to do same in other countries in Africa and across the globe. All of this should be addressed in the PIB, for it is the best way forward. Another thing the PIB should address in the restructuring of the current system of doing things between the NNPC Board and it the Executive arm of the Ministry of Petroleum. The
NNPC’ devoid of any infiltrating tendencies from the Executive Arm of the Ministry. Each of the NNPC Subsidiaries should also have their own separate and independent Boards without any interference from the Executive Arm of the Ministry. Still on the renewed effort by the National Assembly to pass the PIB, some experts in the oil industry said the incoming legislators would
lawmakers are returning to the National Assembly, the new legislators should tap from their wealth of experience to expedite action of the oil sector reforms. In his words: “They should focus more on the contentious areas that have generated concerns, because we really need to move forward with the PIB. There must be a framework for people to put their investment in this country and that is something that must be
NNPC Board and its operations should be separated from the Executive Arm of the Petroleum Ministry. The current situation where the Minister of Petroleum Resources is also the Chairman of the NNPC Board is unacceptable and not good for the neutrality and functionality of the NNPC and its subsidiaries. There is need to maintain the ‘neutrality’ of the NNPC Board, as separate and different from the Executive Arm of the Ministry for adequate ‘checks and balances’ in the system. To this end, the Group Managing Director (GMD) should be the NNPC Board Chairman and the NNPC Board should only be answerable to the Presidency and not to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. This is the best way to sustain an ‘independent Board of the
need to garner enough political-will towards resolving the controversial aspects of the bill which is the main driver of the reforms, and ensure that the country is rescued from imminent cash crunch. The stakeholders have come up with different figures Nigeria is losing due to the non-passage of the PIB. For instance, the NNPC had disclosed that Nigeria loses over $287 million from the Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), monthly, following the non-passage of the PIB. However, the International Oil Companies (IOCs) under the aegis of Oil Producers Trade Section said Nigeria risks losing $185 billion within 10 years, as higher taxes proposed by a new law will deter investment in the country. The Managing Director, Danvic Concept, Afe Mayowa believes that since about 25 per cent of the
done quickly by the incoming government, if these incumbent legislators fail to do it. “There are issues raised by the IOCs and I think what they should do is to listen to them. The NEITI report, entitled ‘Financial, Physical and Process Audit: An Independent Report Assessing and Reconciling Financial, Physical and Process Flows within Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry – 2012’ found that Nigeria lost 2,842,116 barrels per day valued at N1, 960,607,108 to export crude theft and sabotage. Within the same period, Nigeria also lost around N31,771,108,795 to the nefarious activities of pipeline thieves and vandals. The report frowned at the NNPC, which acts as agent to, and sells crude oil on behalf of the Federation. NNPC is also customer for Nigeria
“Reacting to the findings of the audit report, a collation of more than 100 civil society groups under the auspices of Publish What You Pay Nigeria (PWYP) has called for the urgent passage of the PIB to reposition Nigeria’s oil and gas sector for future challenges.”
crude oil and sells crude oil for domestic refining to itself through one of its subsidiaries – Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC.) It noted that whereas there are executed Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPAs) between NNPC and other crude oil customers, there is no contract in place for the crude oil sales to NNPCPPMC for domestic use. The report also found that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) could not provide any data on gas production or gas stock data due to some inherent difficulties associated with gas production and storage, coupled with the lack of proper equipment to handle such problems, that maintenance of accurate gas production and stock figures may only be attainable in the future. NEITI audit 2012 also discovered that there were no bid rounds in the period covering 2012 under review, saying the examination of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statements and DPR records did not reveal any payment of Signature Bonus during the period under review. It added that domestic crude oil losses reported by PPMC in its populated templates were 3,045,625 barrels per day with an estimated value of USD$304,562,474.00 in 2012. All of these are sensitive issues the nonpassage of the PIB ought to have addressed. Reacting to the findings of the audit report, a collation of more than 100 civil society groups under the auspices of Publish What You Pay Nigeria (PWYP) has called for the urgent passage of the PIB to reposition Nigeria’s oil and gas sector for future challenges. Its National Coordinator, Faith Nwadishi, said in Abuja recently that the coalition still believes that the PIB can still be passed before the end of the current National Assembly as a comprehensive framework to remove executive discretion and restoring sanity to the management of the sector especially in view of fast declining oil revenues. We therefore employ that while it is expedient for the PIB bill to be passed as soon as practicable, we however urge that all the issues raised above should form part and parcel of the PIB before its eventual passage into law. These measures as suggested above are for the benefit of the Nigerian people and relevant stakeholders in the industry. We ask the new Government that is coming in under Buhari to put all of these issues raised into proper perspective for adequate implementation.
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Opinion
UNTIL 1994, for over a century South Africa was locked against the rest of Africa and indeed the country and her people were not easily accessible to the rest of the world as the white minority used their might to impose racial segregation, which denied the majority black of everything, including quality life and the rest of the world rose in support of the majority black in popular agitation for the liberation of a country held in the worst and unusual form of domination in all spheres of life. The “support” given by the rest of the world was not because it was South Africa. It was because a part of humanity with legitimate rights to their land have been deprived and decimated only because they have resources of global economic values, and not just because of the colour of their skin. Everyone saw the anti apartheid struggle as a liberation struggle, an integral part of the global struggle against oppression, all forms of oppression. South Africa and her exceptional experiences in severe oppression and exploitation, even before the advent of apartheid, is one country whose people got the best global solidarity during the years of the struggle against apartheid. No one saw that struggle as “their” struggle. It was our collective struggle. The leading anti apartheid organisation, the African National Congress, ANC, maintained offices in several countries abroad, including Nigeria. Not a few South African citizens attended public schools, including universities in Nigeria, with full scholarships/fellowship paid for by the Nigerian government. There were several organisations involved in mobilising people and resources, organised by Nigerians, in our voluntary quest to be part of the liberation struggle. Indeed, there was the Nigeria-African National Congress Friendship and Cultural Association, NAFCA. There was the Youth Solidarity on Southern Africa and Nigeria, YUSSAN. YUSSAN was in most campuses of Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions, mobilising students across the country against apartheid South Africa. Other organisations, including the Nigeria Labour Congress, National Association of Nigerian
Xenophobia Or Afrophobia Students, Women In Nigeria as well as the Government of Nigeria were actively involved in mobilising people, opinions and resources against apartheid. Nigeria was certainly not the only country whose citizens and governments actively participated in the international struggle against apartheid. Many African countries indeed provided cover for leading South African activists in exile. That some South Africans have decided to unleash deadly violence on immigrants, especially of African extraction is nothing but a failure of post apartheid leadership who have done very little to reorientate, rehabilitate and effectively empower the people in a way that reconnects them with the reality of their history and culture as Africans and position them for the socio economic and political challenges of post apartheid situations, situations that posits them in a world of fierce social, economic and political realities of our collective contemporary predicament. Most South Africans have been made to think or believe they are not part of Africa. References to other African countries is often derogatory. In fact, President Jacob Zuma sometime in October 2013, while defending his government’s introduction of e-tolls on roads in the Gauteng Province during the ANC Gauteng Province Manifesto Forum held at the famous University of Wittswaterstrand in Johannesburg said “we can’t think like Africans in Africa. Its not some national road in Malawi.” Though his spokesman, Mac Maharaj struggled to moderate that statement after some diplomatic skirmishes with the government of Malawi, it however captured the impression of most South Africans. This is why, in the so called xenophobic attacks, which first occurred in 2008 and left about 60 people dead, the targets are Africans, from other African countries mostly Nigerians, Mozambicans, Somalians, and Congolese. Most businesses in the informal sector are operated
By: Denja Yaqub
by immigrants from these countries, particularly Nigerians. There are immigrants also from India, Pakistan and even Britain. In fact, British citizens don’t require a visa to enter South Africa. These
Ramaphosa are involved in telecommunications, minning and service industry. The people see Cyril, the country’s Deputy President as part of their problems. His alleged involvement in the
GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, Nigeria President
category of immigrants are carefully exempted from the attacks. This gives clear indication that it is an extension of afrophobic beliefs of the leadership. The country’s political leadership seem to have ignored majority of the citizens in economic empowerment as the citizens still see imbalance in the socio economic life of the country. They are yet to see the dividends of the liberation struggle as the minority white population either as citizens or immigrants get the priority in blue chip businesses except in few cases where those who were in key leadership positions during the apartheid era, like Cyril
is in politcal leadership in an alliance with those who should have been leading voices of the ordinary people to lead the country to final liberation. With ANC in power and in an alliance with the South African Communist Party, SACP and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU, two main organisations, aside the ANC who fought apartheid. SACP and COSATU were in the main centre of actions that blew off apartheid. The alliance worked
economic warfare, and its sweeter for capitalism when the poor take on themselves. The circumstance that led any Nigerian to leave his/her country for another is the same circumstance that led neglected South Africans to attack immigrants. Lack of good governance is the father of all frustrations in citizens. The only solution to the phobias, whether it is xenophobia or afrophobia is for the South African people to re-discover and re-focus themselves. The alliance South Africans need, like most countries, is an alliance
JACOB ZUMA, South Africa President
Marikana massacre reminds the people of the emergence of a new bourgeoise class that have privatised the collective benefits of the liberation. The frustration of the economic disempowerment of majority of the citizens gives them the impression that immigrants who control informal sector of the economy are their obstacles. And its easier for them to get at these immigrants as they do business and live in areas easily accessible to the victims of economic exclusion. To the ordinary South African, apartheid is yet to end. The system only assume a different shape and coloration. Yes, a black man
against apartheid, but since apartheid ended, this tripartite alliance have only worked against the South African people as socio economic and political policies of the government are mostly driven by interests other than those of the majority. Global neo liberal interests drives the way, policies and directions of the government, leaving majority of the citizens widely ostracised from benefits of the bloody struggles of more than a century. South Africans fought against oppression and exploitation but lost power and leadership to compradors of contemporary global
of all oppressed people against the anti-people alliance of our various governments with institutions that create the wedge between our governments and our people. South Africa, like Nigeria and most African countries need a second liberation against second slavery which the alliance between our various governments and global anti people neo liberal institutions represent. If the people live well, they won’t care where the next person comes from. Yaqub is an Assistant Secretary at the headquarters of Nigeria Labour Congress, Abuja.
“The frustration of the economic disempowerment of majority of the citizens gives them the impression that immigrants who control informal sector of the economy are their obstacles.”
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Foot Prints FOOT PRINTS, today, periscopes the life and achievements of a British politician, widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century. He was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was the first person to be made an honorary citizen of the United States - Sir Winston Leonard SpencerC h u r c h i l l , KG, OM, CH, TD, DL, FRS, RA (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Churchill was born into the aristocratic family of the Dukes of Marlborough, a branch of the Spencer family. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a charismatic politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer; his mother, Jennie Jerome, was an American socialite. As a young army officer, he saw action in British India, the Sudan, and the Second Boer War. He gained fame as a war correspondent and wrote books about his campaigns. At the forefront of politics for fifty years, he held many political and cabinet positions. Before the First World War, he served as President of the Board of Trade, Home Secretary, and First Lord of the Admiralty as part of Asquith’s Liberal government. During the war, he continued as First Lord of the Admiralty until the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign caused his departure from government. He then briefly resumed active army service on the Western Front as commander of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He returned to government as Minister of Munitions, Secretary of State for War, and Secretary of State for Air. In 1921– 1922 Churchill served as Secretary of State for the Colonies, then Chancellor of the Exchequer in Baldwin’s Conservative government of 1924–1929, controversially returning the pound sterling in 1925 to the gold standard at its pre-war parity, a move widely seen as creating deflationary pressure on the UK economy. Also controversial were his opposition to increased home rule for India and his resistance to the 1936 abdication of Edward VIII. Out of office and politically “in the wilderness” during the
1930s, Churchill took the lead in warning about Nazi Germany and in campaigning for rearmament. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was again appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain on 10 May 1940, Churchill became Prime Minister. His steadfast refusal to consider surrender helped inspire British resistance, especially during the difficult early days of the war when the British Commonwealth and Empire stood alone in its active opposition to Adolf Hitler. Churchill was particularly noted for his speeches and radio broadcasts, which helped inspire the British people. He led Britain as Prime Minister until victory over Nazi Germany had been secured. After the Conservative Party lost the 1945 election, he became Leader of the Opposition to the Labour Government, and publicly warned of an “Iron Curtain” of Soviet influence in Europe. After winning the 1951 election, Churchill again became Prime Minister. His second term was preoccupied by foreign affairs, including the beginning of the Mau Mau Uprising and Korean War. Churchill retired in 1955. Upon his death, Elizabeth II granted him the honour of a state funeral, which saw one of the largest assemblies of world statesmen in history. Named the Greatest Briton of all time in a 2002 poll, Churchill is widely regarded as being among the most influential people in British history, consistently ranking well in opinion polls of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. Born into the aristocratic family of the Dukes of Marlborough, a branch of the noble Spencer family,http:// e n . w i k i p e d i a . o rg / w i k i / Winston_Churchill cite_note-2 Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, like his father, used the surname “Churchill” in public life. His ancestor George Spencer had changed his surname to SpencerChurchill in 1817 when he became Duke of Marlborough, to highlight his descent from John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Churchill’s father, Lord Randolph Churchill, the third son of John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, was a politician; and his mother, Lady Randolph Churchill (née Jennie Jerome) was the daughter of American millionaire Leonard Jerome.
Sir Winston Churchill: Churchill was born on 30 November 1874, two months prematurely, in a bedroom in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire. From age two to six, he lived in Dublin, where his grandfather had been appointed Viceroy and employed Churchill’s father as his private secretary. Churchill’s brother, John Strange Spencer-Churchill, was born during this time in Ireland. It has been claimed that the young Churchill first developed his fascination with military matters from watching the many parades pass by the Vice Regal Lodge (now Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of Ireland). Churchill’s earliest exposure to education occurred in Dublin, where a governess tried teaching him reading, writing, and arithmetic (his first reading book was called ‘Reading Without Tears’). With limited contact with his parents, Churchill became very close to his nanny, ‘Mrs’ Elizabeth Ann Everest, whom he called ‘Old Woom’. She served as his confidante, nurse, and mother substitute. The two spent many happy hours playing in Phoenix Park. Independent and rebellious by nature, Churchill generally had a poor academic record in school, for which he was punished.http:// e n . w i k i p e d i a . o rg / w i k i / Winston_Churchill cite_note-britannica-11 He was educated at three independent schools: St. George’s School, Ascot, Berkshire; Brunswick School in Hove, near Brighton (the school has since been renamed Stoke Brunswick School and relocated to Ashurst Wood in West Sussex); and at Harrow School from 17 April 1888. Within weeks of his arrival at Harrow, Churchill had joined the Harrow Rifle Corps. When young Winston started attending Harrow School, he was listed under the S’s as Spencer Churchill. At that time Winston was a stocky boy with red hair who talked with a stutter and a lisp. Winston’s nickname at Harrow was “Copperknob” for his hair colour.http:// e n . w i k i p e d i a . o rg / w i k i / Winston_Churchill cite_note-13 Winston did so well in mathematics in his Harrow entrance exam that he was put in the top division for that subject. In his first year at Harrow he was
recognized as being the best in his division for history. Winston entered the school, however, as the boy with the lowest grades in the lowest class, and he remained in that position. Winston never even made it into the upper school because he would not study the classics. Though he did poorly in his schoolwork, he grew to love the English language. He hated Harrow. Churchill was rarely visited by his mother, and wrote letters begging her either to come to the school or to allow him to come home. His relationship with his father was distant; he once remarked that they barely spoke to one another. His father died on 24 January 1895, aged 45, leaving Churchill with the conviction that he too would die young and so should be quick about making his mark on the world. Churchill had a lateral lisp that continued throughout his career, reported consistently by journalists of the time and later. Authors writing in the 1920s and 1930s, before sound recording became common, also mentioned Churchill having a stutter, describing it in terms such as “severe” or “agonising”. Churchill described himself as having a “speech impediment” which he worked to overcome. The Churchill Centre and Museum says the majority of records show his impediment was a lateral lisp, while Churchill’s stutter is a myth. His dentures were specially designed to aid his speech (Demosthenes’ pebbles). After many years of public speeches carefully prepared not only to inspire, but also to avoid hesitations, he could finally state, “My impediment is no hindrance”. Winston Churchill met his future wife, Clementine Hozier, in 1904 at a ball in Crewe House, home of the Earl of Crewe and Crewe’s wife Margaret Primrose (daughter of Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, and Hannah Rothschild). In 1908, they met again at a dinner party hosted by Susan Jeune, Baroness St Helier. Churchill found himself seated beside Clementine, and they soon began a lifelong romance.http:// e n . w i k i p e d i a . o rg / w i k i / Winston_Churchill cite_note-22 He proposed to Clementine during a house party at Blenheim Palace on 10 August 1908, in a small
The Mav By OBUSEH JUDE
Temple of Diana. On 12 September 1908, he and Clementine were married in St. Margaret’s, Westminster. The church was packed; the Bishop of St Asaph conducted the service. The couple spent their honeymoon at Highgrove House in Eastcote. In March 1909, the couple moved to a house at 33 Eccleston Square. Their
First World War. In the early days of August 1921, the Churchills’ children were entrusted to a French nursery governess in Kent named Mlle. Rose. Clementine, meanwhile, travelled to Eaton Hall to play tennis with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster, and his family. While still under the care of Mlle. Rose, Marigold had a cold, but was reported
was lear He 150 he infa wis cav cor Que 189 of b of t was Wa
• Sir Winston Churchill first child, Diana, was born in London on 11 July 1909. After the pregnancy, Clementine moved to Sussex to recover, while Diana stayed in London with her n a n n y . h t t p : / / e n . w i k i p e d i a . o rg / w i k i / Winston_Churchill cite_note-26 On 28 May 1911, their second child, Randolph, was born at 33 Eccleston Square. Their third child, Sarah, was born on 7 October 1914 at Admiralty House. The birth was marked with anxiety for Clementine, as Churchill had been sent to Antwerp by the Cabinet to “stiffen the resistance of the beleaguered city” after news that the Belgians intended to surrender the town. Clementine gave birth to her fourth child, Marigold Frances Churchill, on 15 November 1918, four days after the official end of the
to have recovered from the illness. As the illness progressed with hardly any notice, it turned into septicaemia. Following advice from a landlady, Rose sent for Clementine. However the illness turned fatal on 23 August 1921, and Marigold was buried in the Kensal Green Cemetery three days later. On 15 September 1922, the Churchills’ last child, Mary, was born. Later that month, the Churchills bought Chartwell, which would be their home until Winston’s death in 1965. After Churchill left Harrow in 1893, he applied to attend the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He tried three times before passing the entrance exam; he applied to be trained for the cavalry rather than the infantry because the required grade
Col rese fam Ch in th How leas £55 of li the allo repe biog reas corr foll prom rath of m fam arra His of th add corr new abou
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Foot Prints
verick Statesman
s lower and he was not required to rn mathematics, which he disliked. graduated eighth out of a class of 0 in December 1894, and although could now have transferred to an antry regiment as his father had shed, chose to remain with the valry and was commissioned as a rnet (second lieutenant) in the 4th een’s Own Hussars on 20 February 95. In 1941, he received the honour being appointed Regimental Colonel the 4th Hussars, an honour which s increased after the Second World ar when he was appointed as
onel-in-Chief; a privilege usually erved for members of the royal mily. hurchill’s pay as a second lieutenant he 4th Hussars was £300 annually. wever, he believed that he needed at st a further £500 (equivalent to ,000 in 2012 terms) to support a style ife equal to that of other officers of regiment. His mother provided an wance of £400 per year, but this was eatedly overspent. According to grapher Roy Jenkins, this is one son why he took an interest in war respondence. He did not intend to low a conventional career of motion through army ranks, but her to seek out all possible chances military action, using his mother’s and mily influence in high society to ange postings to active campaigns. writings brought him to the attention he public, and earned him significant itional income. He acted as a war respondent for several London wspapers and wrote his own books ut the campaigns.
In 1895, during the Cuban War of Independence, Churchill, and fellow officer Reginald Barnes, travelled to Cuba to observe the Spanish fight the Cuban guerrillas; he had obtained a commission to write about the conflict from the Daily Graphic. He came under fire on his twenty-first birthday, the first of about 50 times during his life, and the Spanish awarded him his first medal. Churchill had fond memories of Cuba as a “... large, rich, beautiful island ...”.http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Winston_Churchill - cite_note-38 While there, he soon acquired a taste for Havana cigars, which he would smoke for the rest of his life. While in New York, he stayed at the home of Bourke Cockran, an admirer of his mother. Bourke was an established American politician, and a member of the House of Representatives. He greatly influenced Churchill, both in his approach to oratory and politics, and encouraging a love of America. He soon received word that his nanny, Mrs Everest, was dying; he then returned to England and stayed with her for a week until she died. He wrote in his journal, “She was my favourite friend.” In My Early Life he wrote: “She had been my dearest and most intimate friend during the whole of the twenty years I had liv Churchill, in early October 1896, was transferred to Bombay, British India. He was considered one of the best polo players in his regiment and led his team to many prestigious tournament victories. Churchill came to Bangalore in 1896 as a young army officer, before leaving three years later for the North West Frontier to fight in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. In his book, ‘My Early Life’, he describes Bangalore as a city with excellent weather, and his allotted house as a ‘a magnificent pink and white stucco palace in the middle of a large and beautiful garden’ with servants, dhobi (to wash clothes), gardener, watchman and a water-carrier. It was in Bangalore he met Pamela Plowden, daughter of a civil servant; she became his first love In 1897, Churchill attempted to travel to both report on and, if necessary, fight in the GrecoTurkish War, but this conflict effectively ended before he could arrive. Later, while preparing for a leave in England, he heard that three brigades of the British Army were going to fight against a Pashtun tribe in the North West Frontier of India and he asked his superior officer if he could join the fight. He fought under the command of General Jeffery, the commander of the second brigade operating in Malakand, in the Frontier region of British India. Jeffery sent him with fifteen scouts to explore the Mamund Valley; while on reconnaissance, they
encountered an enemy tribe, dismounted from their horses and opened fire. After an hour of shooting, their reinforcements, the 35th Sikhs arrived, the firing gradually ceased and the brigade and the Sikhs marched on. Hundreds of tribesmen then ambushed them and opened fire, forcing them to retreat. As they were retreating, four men were carrying an injured officer, but the fierceness of the fight forced them to leave him behind. The man who was left behind was slashed to death before Churchill’s eyes; afterwards he wrote of the killer, “I forgot everything else at this moment except a desire to kill this man. However, the Sikhs’ numbers were being depleted, so the next commanding officer told Churchill to get the rest of the men to safety. Before he left, he asked for a note so that he would not be charged with desertion. He received the note, quickly signed, headed up the hill and alerted the other brigade, whereupon they then engaged the army. The fighting in the region dragged on for another two weeks before the dead could be recovered. He wrote in his journal: “Whether it was worth it I cannot tell. An account of the Siege of Malakand was published in December 1900 as The Story of the Malakand Field Force. He received £600 for his account. During the campaign, he also wrote articles for the newspapers The Pioneer and The Daily Telegraph. His account of the battle was one of his first published stories, for which he received £5 per column from The Daily Telegraph. Churchill was transferred to Egypt in 1898. He visited Luxor before joining an attachment of the 21st Lancers serving in the Sudan under the command of General Herbert Kitchener. During this time he encountered two military officers with whom he would work during the First World War: Douglas Haig, then a captain, and David Beatty, then a gunboat lieutenant. While in the Sudan, he participated in what has been described as the last meaningful British cavalry charge, at the Battle of Omdurman in September 1898. He also worked as a war correspondent for the Morning Post. By October
1898, he had returned to Britain and begun his twovolume work, The River War, an account of the reconquest of the Sudan which was published the following year. In this work, Churchill warned against what he perceived to be the dangers of the influence of Islam: “Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step, and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it (Islam) has vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”] Churchill resigned from the British Army effective from 5 May 1899. He soon had his first opportunity to begin a Parliamentary career, when he was invited by Robert Ascroft to be the second Conservative Party candidate in Ascroft’s Oldham constituency. Ascroft’s sudden death caused a double by-election and Churchill was one of the candidates. In the midst of a national trend against the Conservatives, both seats were lost; however Churchill impressed by his vigorous campaigning. Having failed at Oldham, Churchill looked about for some other opportunity to advance his career. On 12 October 1899, the Second Boer War between Britain and the Boer Republics broke out and he obtained a commission to act as war correspondent for The Morning Post with a salary of £250 per month. He rushed to sail on the same ship as the newly appointed British commander, Sir Redvers Buller. After some weeks in exposed areas, he accompanied a scouting expedition in an armoured train, leading to his capture and imprisonment in a POW camp in Pretoria (converted school building for Pretoria High School for Girls). His actions during the ambush of the train led to speculation that he would be awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest award to members of the armed forces for gallantry in the face of the enemy, but this was not possible, as he was a civilian.
He escaped from the prison camp and, with the assistance of English mine manager, travelled almost 300 miles (480 km) to safety in Portuguese East Africa. His escape made him a minor national hero for a time in Britain though, instead of returning home, he rejoined General Buller’s army on its march to relieve the British at the Siege of Ladysmith and take Pretoria. This time, although continuing as a war correspondent, he gained a commission in the South African Light Horse. He was among the first British troops into Ladysmith and Pretoria. He and his cousin, the Duke of Marlborough, were able to get ahead of the rest of the troops in Pretoria, where they demanded and received the surrender of 52 Boer prison camp guards. In 1900, Churchill returned to England on the RMS Dunottar Castle, the same ship on which he had set sail for South Africa eight months earlier. He then published London to Ladysmith and a second volume of Boer war experiences, Ian Hamilton’s March. In 1900 he retired from the regular army, and in 1902 joined the Imperial Yeomanry, where he was commissioned as a Captain in the Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars on 4 January 1902. In that same year, he was initiated into Freemasonry at Studholme Lodge #1591, London, and raised to the Third Degree on 25 March 1902. In April 1905, he was promoted to Major and appointed to command of the Henley Squadron of the Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars. In September 1916, he transferred to the territorial reserves of officers, where he remained until retiring in 1924, at the age of fifty. After his resignation from the government in 1915, Churchill rejoined the British Army, attempting to obtain an appointment as brigade commander, but settling for command of a battalion. After spending some time as a Major with the 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding the 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers (part of the 9th (Scottish) Division), on 1 January 1916. Correspondence with his wife shows that his intent in taking up active service was to rehabilitate his reputation, but this was balanced by the serious risk of being killed. During his period of command, Ploegsteert was a “quiet sector,” and the battalion did not take part in any set battle. Although he disapproved strongly of the mass slaughter involved in many Western Front actions, he occasionally exposed himself to danger by making excursions to the front line or into No Man’s Land. Lord Deedes opined to a gathering of the Royal Historical Society in 2001 why Churchill went to the front line: “He was with Grenadier Guards, who were dry at battalion headquarters. They very much liked tea and condensed milk, which had no great appeal to Winston, but alcohol was permitted in the front line, in the trenches. So he suggested to the colonel that he really ought to see more of the war and get into the front line. This was highly commended by the colonel, who thought it was a very good thing to do.” (Near the end of his life, a new MP asked the former prime minister if he would like some tea. Churchill replied, “No. Don’t be a bloody fool. I want a large glass of whisky!” To Be Contd
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Political Platform
Ekiti And Agbero Politics A popular Yoruba proverb says it is weird to find oil in a place where you expect water. This proverb succinctly captures the reaction of many Nigerians when Ayodele Fayose emerged as the governor of the ‘’Fountain of knowledge’’ state for the second time in 2014. It would be recalled that his first outing as governor ended unceremoniously via an impeachment. The manner he defeated the incumbent, eloquent Fayemi, proved beyond reasonable doubt that poverty can be worse than cancer. This is due to the dire consequences of having too many people in the society who are struggling to get three square meals. The self acclaimed ‘’spirit who eats jollof rice’’ not only proved political pundits wrong, but also made the outcome look like a scene from a Hollywood movie that looks too good to be true. Over the next few months, the reality of the situation dawned on Ekiti people and Nigerians as whole. This is because Fayose proved beyond reasonable doubt that no matter how many times you take a pig to the shower, clean it up and spray perfume on the pig, it will still wallow in the mud and garbage. Fayose began his tenure by creating the office of Special Adviser on Stomach Infrastructure, an unknown office and phrase in Nigeria’s political dictionary. Stomach Infrastructure to my understanding is another name for corruption. It involves normalizing abnormality by sharing money to people instead of using it to build roads, schools and hospitals. The way and manner he read his speech at the inauguration defied the glamour and honour associated with such event. This is because he not only rubbished scholars of speech and public speaking like……. but made the event look like the ‘’parapo of Agberos’’ in Oshodi . For non Yorubas, agbero refers to ‘’motor park tout’. Justifying his rape of democratic process and norms a step further, he told hundreds of his supporters
By ABDULRAFIU LAWAL to pass the night in any of the rooms in Government house Ado Ekiti and also use the swimming pool because it belonged to them. His emergence underscored one thing, someone can have good education, but it may not be of any use, if one goes to bed hungry. Hence, the saying that education is a vehicle to a better life may not always be true, at least in the case of Nigeria. This is because there is a difference between being educated and being literate. A literate person only knows how to read and write, while the educated person can read,write and also evaluate information at his disposal before acting on it. Fayose’s emergence as governor whether through ‘’Stomach Infrastructure’’ or votes of aggrieved Ekiti electorate wishing to humble Fayemi and his elitist politics rubbished the state’s claim of being a ‘’fountain of knowledge’’ . The pride of Yorubas as people who had early contact with western education through Christian missionaries was also badly bruised. One cannot say because a ram is not behaving well and then you replace him with a monkey. How does one explain that in a state like Ekiti with so many intellectuals famous across Yoruba land for their unlimited capacity to write petitions against their leaders chose to give the business of piloting their affairs to a ‘’literate Agbero’’? Their case is like giving the job of a pilot to a roadside barber who lacks finesse nor knows the meaning and value of leadership. This is because few days to the election, many Ekiti people were seen on national television
queuing up for Fayose’s rice, seasoning cubes and kerosene. This is a thing that is unusual in Yoruba land because it denigrated the ‘’omoluabi’’ concept. In addition, yorubas are known to be very proud, independent and industrious people that queuing up to
lawmakers to pass his budget and screen his commissioners. While this might look like a child’s play, what transpired in Ekiti will make the likes of Late Professor Chike Obi to turn in his grave because he would not fathom that a governor will emerge that will know mathematics better than him. This is because a primary three in
Ayo Fayose, Governor of Ekiti State collect what they could afford like ‘’Almajiris’ stinks to the high heavens. The next thing he did was to instigate crisis at the state house of assembly by running the nineteen All Progressives Congress( APC) lawmakers out of town and replacing them with his seven People’s Democratic Party (PDP) legislators. Like a scene from the politics of stone age, he got the seven
pupil in public school despite the decay in our education system knows that nineteen is greater than seven. Fayose’s invasion of a court premises last year with thugs assaulting the judge and other court officials and nothing happened underscores the belief in some circles that thugs have hijacked power. This is unbelievable in a country whose constitution upholds
the doctrine of separation of powers in a democracy. It is an undisputed fact that every Nigerian governor swears to uphold and protect the constitution before assuming office. His crime is not only against the constitution, but also the people of Ekiti state who as a matter of right are entitled to good governance. Though, I am not a lawyer, but by my layman’s understanding of the Nigerian constitution Fayose is guilty of ‘’gross misconduct’’ the minute he led thugs to a court of law. recently, the same Fayose used thugs blocked all major roads leading to the state capital and house of assembly just to prevent the nineteen lawmakers from sitting to deliberate on his impeachment. It is appalling that President Jonathan and National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Adamu Muazu did not see anything wrong in what Fayose did. Perhaps, their silence encouraged him to foul the polity with ‘’hate speech’’ and libelous statements during the presidential campaigns. The president has had the rare privileged of being a deputy governor, governor, vice president and president within a span of sixteen years and is expected to understand and protect the constitution more than any other elected official. As if adding salt to injury,Muazu was governor of Bauchi state for eight years where he excelled, a feat yet unparalleled by any civilian governor in that state, but sees nothing wrong in one of his governors raping democracy and the constitution. This is why some people believe Nigeria is a sick country because it accepts things which people during the stone age will not condone. Perhaps, this accounts for why some doctors in the past had
advocated the need for people seeking elected office in Nigeria to pass psychiatric test as a condition for contesting. However, they have no reason to complain now that the ‘’Enfant Terrible’’ has given them a fair share of what they bargained for. After all, you do not deliberately walk into snow without warm clothing, gloves and begin to complain of cold. This is because one will look stupid before the whole world. Ekiti people knew Fayose’s antecedents as a ‘’violent governor’’ without any sense of decorum, yet they voted for him for the second time. It is not only Ekiti people that should be blamed for the mess the state has found itself, but also the former governor ,Kayode Fayemi. I have had the privileged of meeting Fayemi at Harvarvard University about two years ago when he came to present paper at the ‘’ Nigeria in the World Series’’ lecture with the Weather head center and hosted by Professor Jacob Olupona of the Divinity school. During his presentation, question and answer session he struck me as an intelligent leader with a passion for service as’’ the phrase ‘’paradigm shift’’ in government business and politics in Nigeria was the major theme of his presentation. On the other hand, he cut the picture of someone who because of his education has lost touch with certain ‘’Nigerian realities’’ like taking so many things for granted. The reason is not farfetched. In Nigeria, it is the masses in Oshodi, Mushin, Arochukwu, Rann and Albasu that vote and not ‘’ipad and iphone’’ carrying elites in Victoria Garden city who speak English like ‘’okro soup’’ with overdose of potash. Any politician who refuses to make them Continues on pg 20
“However, they have no reason to complain now that the ‘’Enfant Terrible’’ has given them a fair share of what they bargained for. After all, you do not deliberately walk into snow without warm clothing, gloves and begin to complain of cold.”
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Society Project Charelove: An Abode For HAVE you ever God’s creation. Special Children found yourself in the midst These people need of the physically challenged persons? To exhibit love and care most times we called them the special children or persons in other not to degrade their values, especially the deaf, dump, blind, and the mentally retarded? They are special because of the various disabilities they shoulder as individuals. Some are born with it, life circumstances cause it for some while human errors inflicted it on others. If you have been lucky to find yourself in their midst you will love them for their simplicity and courage to face life challenges and difficulty without complaining or regretting their present state. They are enjoying life to the fullest, thanking God for every day they have lived. But unlike the abled ones who complain of virtually in every situation they pass through. The abled in our society complain when it rains, when its sunny, when they don’t have money, clothes and other basic necessities of life, forgetting to thank God for the gift of life, acknowledging the fact that when there is life there is always hope for a brighter and a better future ahead. It is wonderful to see these special ones maximise the non-verbal form of communication were they fully utilise the sign language in passing information to one another. They have so perfected these signs that you find it amazing when you watch them communicating with one another and wonder what they are saying. Among themselves they discuss freely using the sign language. They gesticulate, using almost all parts of their bodies to pass information to one another to the point that they even laugh when communicating, but to those who don’t understand these signs, they marvel at the mighty wonders of
special attention and care but the society we find ourselves today throws at us very demanding and challenging situations that we don’t even have enough time for ourselves or those around us. The society and the governments have neglected the responsibility of catering for them and have successfully pushed them to the statues of second class citizens in the nation.
BY RICHARD EWEKA/EDOGUN BLESSING/EDEMA ALERO
Project Charelove’s domain. They decided to celebrate life with the children of the home by raising fund to complete one uncompleted building in the premises of Project Charelove so as to give more values to the well being of children in this home while honouring one of their own, a former Chairman of Edo State Civil Service Commission,
society. Speaking at the all important occasion, the chairman of the event and the Chairman of Project Charelove, Rotarian Richard Iyasere thanked all those that have identified with the club in performing a special activity to improve the lives of the physically challenge persons in the society. He said it is the main duty of
and the other one we are yet to start but have the approval to do so, but for now we run three schools here”. “We also provide soup kitchen for our brothers and sisters at Osiomo to ensure that the children of the ex-lepers and even those who are still in the Institution as patient go to school on a daily basis. We provide one meal a day for them, as of today we do that for about 300 pupils daily, we do this from Monday to Friday. We also provide food once
hall and will be relevant not only for the pupil of the home, but will also be useful to the clients and the Rotary Club of Benin. “Rather than building special structure like Hostels, we need to complete this big building here in the premises of Project Charelove. The Rotary Club of Benin has volunteered to help the home roof this said building so that it can be use as hall and a meeting place. “We are here today to join our strength with Project Charelove to raise
a day for our pupils here, clients here and some very indigent patients at the Central Hospital”. Speaking further, the chairman of the occasion said what is needed urgently is the completion of an abandoned building which when completed will become a multi-purpose
fund for the completion of this building. The club is in the fore front of this event to ensure that the project succeeds. I want to appeal to our entire invited guest and those present here today to donate generously to help bring this dream to reality. “The other reason why we are here is to recognise, appreciate and honour a man that has made a difference in our world. We are here to honour a Rotarian per excellence, a man who has contributed in no little way for the development of man kind. Eddy Ikponmwen is a man with unquestionable character and a man to be
Special children at Project Charilove’s home Unlike other bodies that spend their resources on issues they will benefit on, the Rotary Club of Benin King’s Square decided to be different and chose to stand where others decide to walk away. The Club led by its president Christ Omusi decided to give much love to these special children in
former Rotary President, Assistant Governor, District Governor and a Chairman of the District Rotary Foundation Committee Eddy Ikponmwen who was honoured with the annual role model personality award for his personality, character and contribution to the development of the
the Rotary Club to help provide services for the society. “This particular Rotary Club has chosen this place we are today, Project Charelove that takes care of the less privilege ones in our society. This place runs four special types of schools namely; school of the blind, deaf, innocent
“These people need special attention and care but the society we find ourselves today throws at us very demanding and challenging situations that we don’t even have enough time for ourselves or those around us. The society and the governments have neglected the responsibility of catering for them and have successfully pushed them to the statues of second class citizens in the nation.”
Continues on pg 27
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Political Platform
Continued from pg 18 the focal point of his policies and programmes will in no time kiss the dust. In Yoruba land, attending weddings, naming and burial of people especially the masses add value to one’s political career. This is because it establishes a bond between the leader and the led and gives them a sense of belonging. This is one reason why the late founder
of ‘’Amala and Gbegiri’’ politics, Lamidi Adedibu became the undisputed godfather of Ibadan politics . This is why the likes of Richard Akinjide(SAN) with his knowledge of law and all the quotations of famous philosophers around the world could not march him politically in spite of his little education. This is not to say that he has to go to every social event in his neighborhood, but should
... Agbero Politics have a found a way of connecting with the masses through his numerous aides. With what we have seen in Oyo state under Rasheed Ladoja, Alao Akala with Late Adedibu and now Ekiti, the Yorubas need to wake up from their slumber or what Late Hubert Ogunde calls ‘’Yoruba r’onu’’. Anything short of this will lead to the
race loosing the moral right to criticize any wrong doing in other parts of Nigeria through the biased ‘’Ngbati” press. It is shameful that people of Ekiti with their level of sophistication are now practicing and nurturing ‘’Agbero’’ politics. Or how does one explain the role of the state’s council of
traditional rulers pleading with lawmakers and opinion leaders in the state to halt the impeachment process ? Allegations of gross misconduct with consequences of impeachment if proven are basic ingredients for nurturing democracy. Thus, the lawmakers should be allowed to go
through with the process. It is expected that once the house of assembly is able to do away with Fayose. The people of Ekiti will learn from their mistakes , redeem their image in the eyes of Yorubas and Nigerians in general. This is because the state is so endowed with so many intellectuals that it is unbelievable that they are presenting one of their ‘’worst eleven’’ in the person of Ayodele Fayose.
Badaru, Gov-Elect Of Jigawa State
HE was a consistent challenger who never rest on his oars. He is focus, purposeful in his undertakings and meticulous in his political designs. So far, his steadfastness and lucky streak has paid off as he waits to be sworn-in to sweep away about a decade old of arrogance, malignant self-seeking and boast. In this piece, Ahmad Muhammad, a seasoned media practitioner, looks at the hurdles that the Governor-Elect faced and skillfully surmounted with his political dexterity and well balance spiritual intervention. lh the weeks leading to the election, out-going Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa in his usual boisterous manner was the cheer leader of a sponsored televised montage of a campaign train of his anointed successor, Alhaji Aminu Ringim. The governor, in a manner reminiscent of Nietzschean canticle that rationalizes market place accomplishment over spiritual blessings, asked a motley crowd of supporters, “who knows Badaru” that he will come and seek this coveted seat of governorship. Like most things Lamido, his holier than thou attitude took the center stage. To him, Badaru, who does not belong to the ‘almighty’ Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not fit to even contemplate gunning for a seat an intrepid like him has held for eight years. His thoughts, as was reflected in his dubious character smudge, were: “who the heck does this guy think he is? What gives him the audacity to thread where an emperor like me
holds forte? How does he think he can replicate my feat here?” What ran through the politically humbled governor’s mind may have been: “where was he when I was an apprentice of NEPU politics? Who was he when I was a member of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic? What was his pedigree when I helped shaped the outcome of the stormy and botched Third Republic as the scribe of the of the defunct SDP? Who knew him when I, along with late Abubakar Rimi, single-handedly bequeathed Jigawa its first democratically-elected governor, Ali Sa’adu Birnin Kudu? Was Badaru anywhere near the corridors of power when I (Lamido) started my ascent to the zenith of power when I was in charge of Nigeran Agricultural Cooperative Bank (NACB)? Was he ever a minister, not to talk of a portfolio as unique and global as that covering the foreign pitch? All these may have flown across the mind of the Governor. And the answers that he got, from his opaque and unidirectional delusion of grandeur were all selfflattering negations. So, his verdict was: “nobody knows” Badaru. But Allah replied in His mysterious ways that: “I know Badaru.” The divine declaration manifested in a gale of love and political quest for change that blew across the precincts of power in the country. The search of that Holy Grail was embodied by the person of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, for whom Jigawa people massively voted for March 28, thus pummelling the
By BELLO MUHAMMAD
Goliath status of Lamido. Allah said he knew Badaru when Lamido’s. Intimidation of Hon. Farouk Adamu Aliyu and Hon. Sabo Mohammed couldn’t subdue their political sagacity and acceptance by the people of
know” Badaru when the April 11 governorship election came. As results started spinning out, Lamido was forced to swallowed his tetanus thronged towering ego. All along Allah knows Badaru. But he brought him
Alhaji Abubakar Badaru
Birnin Kudu constituency. The marshalling of the police repression of political actors failed to yield the political space to the incumbent governor. He lost all the three senatorial seats to the ‘unknown’ APC to which Badaru belongs. Allah also said: “I
to the notice of we, meremortals, 53 years ago. He sowed his seed and brought it to fruition in Babura town straddling the border of Nigeria and Niger. Allah illuminated his path by steering his educational pursuits towards the bagging of a
B.Sc in Accounting from the famous Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria. A couple of decades later he joined the elite ranks of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). He capped this with a national honours of the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON). While Lamido sought the prebends of politics as pathway to political glory, Badaru chose entrepreneurship and economic empowerment of youths through job creation via Talamiz, his flagship business group for more than two decades. Talamiz, a conglomerate with vast interest in Automobile distribution, Logistics (including Maritime and Road Transport), Haulage, Real Estate and Manufacturing, Construction, Agriculture and Agro-allied, Commodity distribution etc, has a star-spangled tentacle that reaches across the globe in such countries as: Nigeria, Niger, Egypt, Holland, Saudi Arabia and Belgium. The group comprises of Talamiz Nigeria Limited, Talamiz Motors, Talamiz Consumer Company, Talamiz Transport, Talamiz Commodities, Talamiz
Properties, Talamiz Poultry and Farms, and Talamiz Petroleum, Talamiz Oil Mill Ltd, Socar Talamiz Ltd, RMR shipping Bv (Breda Holland), AML BONDED TERMINAL and ALUAFRIC Cairo Badaru is also a Director of Sahih Nigeria Limited. Badaru is also a member of the National Council on Privatization, the Second Vice President of the Federation of West Africa Chamber of Commerce (FEWACCI) which is the regional body of Chambers of Commerce in the West African region and the ex President of the Nigerian Association Of Chambers Of Commerce, Industry, Mines And Agriculture (NACCIMA). Adorning the twin caps of the Sardauna of Ringim Emirate and the Wali of Jahun in Jigawa State, the Governor-elect is a philanthropist of note, a team player, a community leader of high repute and a lover of sports. And Allah told the people of Jigawa, who shunned the emperor to give him their votes, that: “he is my servant. I know him.” And it came to pass. And there is none unto the credo of Allah’s certification.
“While Lamido sought the prebends of politics as pathway to political glory, Badaru chose entrepreneurship and economic empowerment of youths through job creation via Talamiz, his flagship business group for more than two decades.”
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Archival Matters
Jega:
Our Nietzchean
By MICHAEL ODIGBE
IF you read the philosophy of the German, Nietzche, you won’t fail to notice that he said dire circumstances throw up supermen and women. That is why, for instance, you might explain the rise of people like Napoleon Bonaparte in France who stepped in to stem the distortions of the French Revolution. Also, in a similar way Oliver Cromwell rose to attempt to end the nattering nabobs of royal negativisms of English Kings. Infact, he executed one of them after his successful coup against him. In Nigeria’s case, our dismal condition since independence in 1960 have equally precipitated the emergence of supermen and women. Examples of the abound. For instance, we have the likes of Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu, Isaac Boko, Papa Awo, Col Saliba Mukoro, Dr. Edwin Madunagu, Prof. Festus Iyayi, Dele Giwa, Prof. Ayodele Awojobi, Dr. Bala Usman, CP Olayinka Balogun, Fela Anikulapokuti and Dora Akunyili of recent, I cannot forget to mention General Muhammadu Bahari (rtd) and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili. Both of them are also in the Nietzchean superman/ woman category for working tirelessly to midwife the fall of the inglorious PDP government of President Goodluck Jonathan. Enter Efe Osafuonmwan anchor man for the MAN AROUND TOWN Programme of Independent Radio, Benin. Undisputedly, he is a media superman. To cap it all, our latest Nietzchean Superman
is Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC’s chairman. At the juncture, you may be wondering at my categorization of superman and womanship. What is my reason for this? Here it is. A superman/woman is a person with spiritual poise, courage, gritty determination, steely principles, doggedness, unblemished conscience, fearlessness and a locomotive drive to succeed in all he or she does. Ultimately, his or her goal in life is to add positive values to society so as to make it a better place than he or she met it. No woman, no cry. No superman/woman, no progressive change in Nigeria’s current stasis of underdevelopment. None. A Goliath giant with feet of clay won’t take us anywhere. Bula superman and woman will. When Prof. Attahiru Jega, a former ASUU president, was appointed as INEC chairman in 2011, I told a confidant that he would grow into an adult Nietzchean superman. Alas in 2015, my secular prophecy has come full circle. It has been fulfilled. Well, let’s begin from 2014. That year, Jega declared that to avoid rigging of elections which Nigerians has been engaged in since 1960 only Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) backed up with biometric Smart Card Readers (SCRs) would be used in the 2015 general elections. Despite the multifarious challenges posed by our sick country, where nothing seems to work, Jega achieved 81.2% PVC, distribution as at March 13, 2015. That is
Superman
fifteen days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for March 28, 2015. This wasn’t all. Jega imported 180,000 card readers for use in the elections with 30,000 of them as back-up. Also, he ensured that the ICT Department of INEC was given all the requisite training in the use of the
Each imported card reader came with a spare battery. All the batteries have a lifespan of 12 hours and are rechargeable. Therefore, each one of the batteries can serve each polling unit from 8am – 8pm on an election day. Furthermore, each card reader was configured to read the biometrics of eligible voters in a
• Prof Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman
card readers by their Chinese manufacturers. Only qualified hands were recruited into this highly technical ICT Department. No god-father sends were allowed into it as we find all over the country. If you are an Nothing To Offer (NTO), Jega has no time for you. Only a superman of his status has this character profile that roots for excellence, not mediocrity.
designated polling unit to prevent multiple and crosspolling unit voting. Alas, the superman in Jega had created realpolitik innovative game changers into Nigeria’s electoral system unknown in its history. Don’t forget too, he customised all the sensitive materials for the elections. Progress!! Again, Jega took his card reader innovation for fitness test
“Despite all these Herculean challenges posed by these Liliputtian Esaus in Nigeria, superman Jega triumphed over them. Well, the Esaus never relented. Immediately, the presidential election was held, they went to town with the story that the card reader failed woefully as earlier predicted by them.”
abroad. Behold, the card reader passed it with an acceptable statistical error margin. Nothing made by man is ever perfect. Afterall, even man created by a perfect God is imperfect, sui generis. So, why should we expect Jega’s card reader to be perfect. However, the fear of the tested card readers soon become the beginning of wisdom to diabolical, rigging minds in Nigeria’s political system. The babel in certain circles was that the card reader won’t work in Nigeria given our crooked telecommunication highway and the subsidiary issue of our proverbial digital incompetence. Jega chuckled. Therefore, he set out to prove the critics of the card reader wrong. In February 2015, he took it to the National Assembly for another test. Once again, the card reader did not disappoint. Cynics of the digital device were filled with profound admiration for it in the assembly. Jega didn’t stop here. On March 7, 2015 he took the card reader for open field tests in statisticallygenerated geo-political areas of Nigeria. Specifically, 171, 857 PVCs and the card readers were used for the tests in 225 polling units and 358 voting points distributed in 12 states within the nation’s six geopolitical zones. Nothing spoil. The card readers passed this test. Well, once there is society trust there must be sin, crime and detractors. Nigerian society was not different. So while Jega was working hard to domicile the PVCs and card readers for the 2015 elections, some Esaus raised by Jacob set out to shoot them down. Invariably, on April 4, 2015, fifteen political parties led by the Advance Congress Party began a virile protest to stop Jega from using the PVCs and card readers in the elections. Later, five presidential candidates joined them in the protest. Meanwhile, a case instituted by 4 parties against the use of the PVCs and card readers had been in court since March 20, 2015. Then, of course, three weeks to the presidential
election, a nondescript spoiler, Young Democratic Party, sought a court order for INEC to register it for the elections when all materials for the elections had already been printed and warehoused by INEC in preparation for the elections. As if all these distractions for INEC weren’t enough, a remote PDP senatorial aspirant, Walihu Taiwo, joined the fray. On the eve of the Presidential election of March 28, 2015 he was in the court presided over by Justice Ademola Adeniyi seeking to stop Jega from deploying the card reader for the presidential election holding the next day. He failed to secure his evil wish. The case was adjourned to April 24, 2015 when the general elections must have ended 13 days afterwards!! Despite all these Herculean challenges posed by these Liliputtian Esaus in Nigeria, superman Jega triumphed over them. Well, the Esaus never relented. Immediately, the presidential election was held, they went to town with the story that the card reader failed woefully as earlier predicted by them. But Jega ignored their porous public, gallery intellectualism. He explained with statistical depth that out of 150, 000 card readers used in the election only 374 of them malfunctioned which worked out at a meagre 0.25% non-performance. No one disputed Jega’s statement, including Godsday Orubebe whose Goliath’s behaviour to taint Jega’s image later on failed woefully at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. So far, so good, we have Jega as our superman today. But by June 30, 2015 he will leave office. When he does, will INEC keep the superman clean slate achieved by him in 2015? This is the question. A very disturbing one, why? It is because methinks, INEC is not yet a full-blown, strong institution. Hence, discerning critics with mathematical minds are now saying that in post-June 2015 INEC - Jega will be equal to zero. Well, I hope this equation is wrong.
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
View Point
Adamu Muazu, PDP National Chairman
President Goodluck Jonathan
Presidential Election: How PDP Plotted THE Presidential and National Assembly Elections of March 28 has come and gone, but its outcome will continue to be subject of discussion in months and years to come. Apart from being a keenly contested race, it is also an election that terminated the dream of the outgoing ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of ruling the country for 60 years. So, its defeat is truly a giant feat achieved by the opposition. However, it is right to take an introspective look at some of the blunders responsible for the fall of the party. Before the polls, the leadership of the party embarked on what social scientists called “Selfdestruct mechanism” by deliberately chasing its best brains away, all in the name of sacrificing meritocracy on the altar of mediocrity. President Goodluck Jonathan lost the election not because he did not try his best in governance, but he lost because his political party advertently plotted for his downfall through series of actions and inactions taken by the leadership of his party. Instead of complementing his efforts in governance, they constituted a cog in the wheel of his progress. For example, it is only the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose that was able to deliver his state to the PDP in the entire South West GeoPolitical Zone, but this is a man the leadership of the party never wanted to be governor in the first place.
While the Presidency wanted the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Bamidale Opeyemi, the leadership of the party through consensus arrangement chose another candidate who is currently a serving minister in the outgoing government, it took the wisdom and skills of the National Coordinator of the defunct PDP Project Reloaded, Chief Richard Lamai to convince the Presidency on why the party must not abandon its umbrella in Ekiti, the way it did in Anambra by throwing its full weight behind the candidate of another party. Instead, he suggested that, the leadership of the party should be made to reverse its decision on consensus arrangement, by allowing internal democracy to determine its flag bearer in the state. To this end, the popular Edo-born Politician deployed the structure of PDP Project Reloaded in Ekiti to deliver Fayose at the party’s primary. Rather than celebrate a man who helped in reversing the misfortune that would have befell the party if it had not fielded Fayose, the opposite became his case. For a start, they ensured that no member of PDP Project Reloaded, be it at the National Advisory Council level or the National, Regional and State Executive level was included in the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization. Also, they used skullduggeries and political phantasmagoria to ensure that both he and his allies across
Its Downfall By EDWIN UHARA
the country never got the tickets of party in the last rounds of primaries. In the midst of all these persecutions, he remained a loyal party member. In January when General Muhammadu Buhari sent Hon. Dino Melaye, now Senator-Elect to appeal to him to join the APC in protest of the wrong done to him, he turned down the offer. Instead, he mobilized all the aggrieved aspirants who ran for elective posts in the last party primaries using PDP Aspirants Forum (PAF) as a platform to bring them together. After several meetings of PAF members in Abuja, it agreed to meet with President Jonathan to modify his election strategies. This came on the heels when the President was meeting
various interest group and organizations. But, for the simple reason that Chief Lamai was the leader and main financier of the group, the forces in PDP against him frustrated the meeting. On the 10th of March; about two weeks to Presidential election, President Jonathan was to meet with PAF members by 7: pm, and all of it members came from the 36 states of the federation and gathered at its headquarters in Abuja, waiting for the right time to move to the villa, but, some minutes to the said time, a report came from the villa that President Jonathan had shifted the meeting indefinitely. What actually happened was that, the forces in PDP against the group in connivance with their cohorts at the villa facilitated the meeting of another group with
President Jonathan in the name of PDP Aspirants Forum. While the original PAF members gathered at its headquarters in Maitama yelling and threatening hell, some electronic media carried it in their news line that President Jonathan had met with the group. When the group got to know this, their anger became uncontrollable with some threatening to stage a protest march to the villa, but knowing the implication of such move, they decided to invite high-ranking leaders of party as well as members of the Presidential campaign organization, but knowing what they have done, they refused to come. Subsequently, they all switched off their phones. It was only the DeputyDirector General of the Campaign, Professor Tunde Adeniran who was innocent of the whole matter that showed up. Before he could arrive, it was already late.
While some of them took the last available flight to Abuja were stranded, others had no enough cash to take care of their accommodation challenge. All attempts made by Professor Adeniran to connect to the villa to help out in the accommodation challenge failed. The financial burden of the accommodation fell on the convener, Chief Lamai. While he footed the hotel bills of many, others passed the night in his office. The following day, nobody, at the villa or in the PDP cared to ask how PAF members fared, let alone saying thank you. It was after the incidence that the popular politician and his supporters, both in PDP Project Reloaded and PDP Aspirants Forum decided to dump the party for All Progressives Congress (APC). That is why in the entire South-South GeoPolitical zone, it is only his Edo North Senatorial District where the PDP denied him the senatorial ticket that APC won. And as a card carrying member of the APC, the politician is planning big for his new party.
“President Goodluck Jonathan lost the election not because he did not try his best in governance, but he lost because his political party advertently plotted for his downfall through series of actions and inactions taken by the leadership of his party.”
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
Healthy Living
Basic Principles Of Healthy Living By BRIAN ODIGIE INTRODUCTION THE incidence rates of sexually transmitted infection among adolescents; and youth is alarming in our society. Sero-prevalence surveys in Nigeria has always shown that the population with the most STI and HIV/AIDS infection is in the 15-to-30 years age range and infection rates among the population segment of below 15 years has also grown very rapidly in the last decade. The effect of STI on infected person(s) goes beyond the individual(s) that has it, but also on the family, friends, community and society at large. STI has registered indelible marks on many relationships and marriages. Children are credit and joy of marriages. Infertility in married home is full of fighting, and devoid of joy. If incidence of beating and fighting are not properly handled may eventually lead to divorce. Medical experts have linked the cause of infertility in many married homes to sexually transmitted infection. Meanwhile, the number of death as a result of STI, especially HIV/AIDS infection has significantly increased overtime Sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS have not only become a threat to lives, marriages, families, but also a threat to our present society by reducing the available human resources such as manpower (labor force) as well as the country’s development. The menaces of STI and HIV/AIDS on the masses are better imagined than being told. Good knowledge on this would go a long way in reducing the scourge. Youths are the countries tomorrow leaders Basic education on STIs modes of transmission is the surest preventive measures. Chapter One Understanding Personal hygiene By way of definition, personal hygiene may be described as the principle or act of maintaining cleanliness and grooming the external parts of the body. People often undermine the practice of personal hygiene in their daily routine activities. In fact, hygiene is actually a scientific study that applies to life, little wonder why the ancient Greeks spent many hours bathing, using fragrance and make up in an effort to beautify themselves and be presentable to others. Maintaining a high level of personal hygiene will help to increase self-esteem and confidence, while minimizing the chances of developing imperfections and low self-esteem. One of the most effective ways we have to protect ourselves and others from illness is good personal hygiene. Ways to practice self-hygiene • Washing your hands and body regularly. • Being careful not to sneeze on others. • Cleaning things that you touch if you are ill because of possible transmission of pathogens (disease causing bacteria). • Putting items such as tissues (that may contain germs) into a bin.
• Using protection (like gloves or condoms) when you might be at risk of contracting an infection. Poor personal hygiene Failure to keep up a standard of hygiene can have many implications. Not only is there an increased risk of getting an infection or illness, but there are many social and psychological aspects that can be affected. Poor personal hygiene in relation to preventing the spread of disease is paramount in preventing outbreaks of diseases. Simple hygiene practices could help prevent many coughs and colds (communicable diseases) from being passed from person to person. Impacts of poor personal hygiene and social implications • Poor hygiene is capable of causing illness. • It causes social embarrassment; social aspects can be affected as many people would rather alienate themselves from someone who has bad personal hygiene. • It has significant implications on the success of job applications. • It has implications on the chances of promotion in a company. Food hygiene • Ensure that your food is properly cooked. • Make sure that your plates, spoons and cups are properly cleansed, rinsed with clean water, air dried and kept away from flies and insect to guide against contamination. • Proper covering of food before and after eating Overcrowding When there are too many people in any house, the likelihood of them getting disease is greater than if the house is not overcrowded. This is because people in an overcrowded house will be much closer to each other and it is therefore easier for any germs to spread from one to another. For example: • Sneezing and coughing in crowded rooms makes it easier to spread cold and flu germs.
• Sharing towels can spread trachoma germs and other germs which cause eye infections (runny or sore eyes). • Several children sleeping in the same bed makes it easier to spread a scabies infection. Body odour Body smells are caused by a number of factors working in combination, including; • Chemicals in sweat, including pheromones, which are made by the body and sexually attract (or repels) other people. • Waste excreted through the skin, such as metabolized alcohol. • The actions of bacteria that live on the skin and feed on dead skin cells and sweat. • Unwashed clothes such as underwear and socks. Ways to prevent body odour • Regular bathing which include thorough washing of hidden parts of the body. • The use of good body spray. • Regular washing of underwear including socks to prevent unpleasant smells. Hand washing, how essential Most infections, especially cold and gastroenteritis are caught when we put our unwashed hands, contaminated with germs in our mouth. Some infections are caught when other people’s dirty hands touch the food we eat. Hands and wrists should be washed if your finger-nails are dirty. Dry your hands with clean paper towels of hot air dryers. You should always wash your hands after; • Using the toilet. • Before making or eating food. • After handling dogs and animals. • If you have been around someone who is coughing or has a cold. Personal hygiene for women The vagina is able to clean itself; no special care is needed other than washing the external genitals. The following tips should be regularly observed by women to keep safe of germs and injury; • Do not use any sharp object on the vagina, as the delicate skin can be damaged. • During menstruation, wash your body and genital area as usual. Change sanitary napkins regularly, at least four to five times a day. • Always wash your hands before and after handling the sanitary pad. • Some soaps and detergents can irritate the skin of the vagina and are capable of causing thrush. So, use mild soap and unperfumed toilet paper. • Avoid tight and synthetic underwear. Try cotton underwear and change regularly. Personal hygiene for men A build-up of secretions called smegma can form under the foreskin of uncircumcised men. Important tips for men include; • If you are uncircumcised, gently pull back the foreskin and clean with water. Use soap and make sure you rinse it off well. • Wash other hidden parts of the body thorough when having your bath and rinse adequately. • Practice regular shaving and a sterilized clapper. • Use clean underwear and regularly wash and sundry them to kill germs. Things to remember • Good personal hygiene is one of the most effective ways to prevent ourselves and others from many illnesses such gastroenteritis, thrush, cold, cough etc. • Wash your hands regularly, especially before preparing your food, after eating food and after using the toilet. Children and personal hygiene Children should be taught the importance of hygiene as early as possible; with oral care, washing and regular bath, toilet hygiene and hair care being taught as part of everyday routines. Bath time will provide an ideal opportunity for spending quality time together and teaching about the importance of cleanliness. Bad breath Good dental hygiene includes regular brushing and flossing. Bad breath can be caused by diseases of the teeth, gums and mouth. Most people have bad breath in the morning because saliva is not made while sleeping. Some foods that can cause bad breath include garlic and onion. Regular mouth wash, mouth spray and flavored chewing gum can make your breath smell better for a while. But if you have a breath problem in your mouth, you need to visit the dentist.
“By way of definition, personal hygiene may be described as the principle or act of maintaining cleanliness and grooming the external parts of the body. People often undermine the practice of personal hygiene in their daily routine activities.”
THE NIGERIAN
24
MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
International Ukraine And Pro-Russian Separatists Trade Accusation
Former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi sits behind bars with other Muslim Brotherhood members at a court in the outskirts of Cairo.
KIEV/MOSCOW - The Ukrainian military and proRussian separatists in eastern Ukraine traded accusations on Saturday, reviving concerns that a peace deal signed in Minsk in February may collapse, although monitors said the violations were still relatively limited. One Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two were wounded when separatists shelled Ukraine’s National Guard on Saturday at Shyrokyne, a village east of the port of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov in Ukraine’s southeast, Kiev’s military said. “Today at 0625 hours, the adversary used 122 mm artillery. They are banned under the
Egypt’s Trial Of Mursi Badly Flawed - Human Rights Watch
CAIRO - The trial of former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, deposed by the army and sentenced to 20 years in jail, was “badly flawed” and appears to have been politically motivated, Human Rights Watch said yesterday. A court on April 21 convicted Mursi and 12 other Muslim Brotherhood members of violence, kidnapping and torture over the deaths of protesters in 2012. They were acquitted of murder, which carries the death sentence. The rise to power of the Brotherhood, a decades-old Islamist movement, after the Arab Spring uprisings polarized Egypt’s population and led to months of unrest. The army ousted Mursi in mid-2013 after mass protests against his rule. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, army chief at the time, went on to win presidential elections last year. Human Rights Watch said Mursi’s detention without charge for more than three weeks after his removal from office violated Egyptian law, and it criticized the prosecution’s heavy reliance on the testimony of military and police officers. “Whatever political responsibility (Mursi) may have, the prosecution didn’t establish his criminal guilt in this case”, the rights group said in a statement entitled “Egypt: (Mursi) Trial Badly Flawed”. It also cited a spokesman for the defense team saying the lawyers were only allowed to visit Mursi once in November 2013. Another lawyer was cited as saying the defense did not call
witnesses out of fear for their safety. Reuters could not immediately reach a foreign ministry spokesman for comment on the report, but a government statement last week rejected criticism of the Mursi’s sentencing as “unacceptable interference in (Egypt’s) internal affairs, let alone disrespect of the rulings of the Egyptian judiciary.” Mursi and his codefendants deny the charges against them and are expected to appeal. Their case is part of a wider crackdown on the Brotherhood launched after the army overthrew the Islamist president. Harsh rulings against thousands of Mursi supporters, including death sentences handed down in mass trials, have been widely
condemned abroad, including by rights groups, the United States and the European Union. HRW also said the authorities had not investigated the killings of Mursi supporters at the 2012 demonstrations, creating “an appearance that the case was
politically motivated against the Brotherhood”. Mursi faces charges in four other cases including leaking secrets to Qatar, conspiring with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to destabilize Egypt, and organizing a jailbreak during the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak.
Minsk agreements,” spokesman Dmytro Gorbunov told the television channel 112. The commander of the battalion that came under fire was separately quoted as saying the serviceman had been killed when a medical vehicle taking him to hospital was fired on. Rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine also stepped up accusations. “Today a rather explosive situation has formed, which demands the urgent intervention of the international community,” rebel spokesman Eduard Basurin said, according to the Donetsk News Agency. Basurin said Ukrainian forces had fired on an aid convoy from Russia, killing one person. He later accused them of increasingly frequent attacks and indiscriminate fire on populated areas, Interfax reported. Gleb Kornilov, head of the Foundation for Aid to Novorossiya, a Russian aid organization, told Reuters that an aid column had come under fire from Ukrainian troops near Shyrokyne on Thursday when it accidentally strayed from an agreed route, and that a Russian citizen had been killed. “The convoy didn’t try to hide,” he said. It was in broad daylight, with flashing lights, with our stickers on all sides. All the same, they opened fire.” The Organisation for Security
and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is monitoring the ceasefire, said the violations were still limited. “We are not in a phase of very active conflict like we have seen in previous months,” OSCE Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier told Reuters on the sidelines of a security conference in Estonia. “It looks like it is the local commanders but I agree that, if we don’t take these things under control, there is a risk of a larger deterioration, so we have our teams heading back or are already back in that area to engage with the commanders.” Another rebel representative, Denis Pushilin, said a fresh build-up of military hardware by Kiev in showed that it was intent on a “military solution of the conflict”, according to the Russian news agency RIA. He said the rebels were not opposed to the deployment of international peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine - a long-standing demand by Kiev - but accused Ukraine of violating the Minsk deal by failing to discuss constitutional changes with the rebels. Attending military exercises in southwestern Ukraine, President Petro Poroshenko said: “Ukraine is strictly implementing the Minsk agreements, therefore the Ukrainian armed forces will never attack first.”
Looming Executions: Indonesia Defiant
As UN Leads Condemnation
JAKARTA - Indonesia signalled it was determined to push ahead with the execution of eight foreign drug convicts, despite a growing wave of global condemnation led by United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon. Authorities on Saturday gave formal notice to the eight — from Australia, Brazil, Nigeria and the Philippines — that they would be executed by firing squad imminently, along with an
Indonesian prisoner. However, a Frenchman also on death row for drug-related crimes was granted a temporary reprieve after Paris stepped up pressure on Jakarta. The group have been moved to the high-security prison island of Nusakambangan, where Indonesia puts condemned prisoners to death, and Jakarta says the executions could be as early as Tuesday, although no
Protesters hold signs reading “Save Serge Atlaoui” during a rally near the city hall in Metz, Eastern France, in support of the French national on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficiking.
official date has been set. The convicts recently lost appeals for mercy to President Joko Widodo, who has taken a hard line against drug traffickers and refused to back down on the executions despite mounting international criticism. The UN’s Ban added his voice to appeals for the convicts to be spared. “The Secretary General urges President Joko Widodo to urgently consider declaring a moratorium on capital punishment in Indonesia, with a view toward abolition,” a spokesman for Ban said. Australia, which has mounted a sustained diplomatic campaign to save its two citizens in the group, also renewed appeals following Saturday’s news. “Nothing can be gained and much will be lost if these two young Australians are executed,” said Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. “I again respectfully call on the president of Indonesia to reconsider his refusal to grant clemency. It is not too late for a change of heart.” France has stepped up pressure on Jakarta in recent days, with President Francois Hollande warning of “consequences” if its citizen, Serge Atlaoui, is put to death. The warning came shortly before it was announced that Atlaoui had won a temporary reprieve to allow him to pursue
a further legal appeal. Brazil vowed to press Indonesia not to execute the Brazilian man among the group, Rodrigo Gularte, for humanitarian reasons, saying that he suffers from schizophrenia. Despite the appeals, Indonesia has shown little sign that it is willing to back down and the foreign ministry indicated Sunday that Ban’s statement would not change their plans. “We note the statement by the UN but we also note that there was no similar statement made when recently two Indonesians were executed,” ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told AFP, referring to executions this month of Indonesian domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. Executions were carried out recently “by other countries and we did not see any statement made by the UN,” he added. He added that it was “not the intention of Indonesia” to damage bilateral ties with other countries. The executions have been delayed for weeks, with Indonesia coming close to carrying them out in February, but then agreeing to let final legal appeals be resolved following an international outcry. However Saturday’s announcement signals they are finally going ahead.
THE NIGERIAN
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
International
South Africa Suspends Parliament To Fight Xenophobia JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s parliament will be suspended next week to enable lawmakers to return to their constituencies to spread the antixenophobia message, in the wake of deadly attacks on African migrants. The move is the latest in a series of government initiatives aimed at quelling weeks of violence against foreigners which has left at least seven dead and driven thousands from their homes. “We can’t carry on at Parliament like it is business as usual,” National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete said, adding that lawmakers were being released to take part in
“appropriate” activities. A statement issued by the parliament stressed the need for tolerance. “Parliament adds its voice to the all-round condemnation of violence against foreign nationals, racism and forms of intolerance in our country,” it said. “The dignity and respect we should give to all people was shown to us many times over by particularly the people of Africa during our own struggle for nonracialism, non-sexism, freedom and human rights,” it added. On Friday, President Jacob Zuma — who has also condemned the violence — met over 50 leaders of organisations representing foreign nationals
government’s effort to find “collective solutions so that these attacks do not happen again.” “We have to ensure that permanent solutions are found, so that all our people can continue to live side by side together like we have done for years,” said Zuma. More than 20 years after the
A demonstrator holds a banner in Johannesburg recently during a march gathering several thousand of people to protest a recent wave of xenophobic attack.
The meeting with migrants’ leaders was also told that a total of 132 people had been convicted for the 2008 wave of xenophobic attacks that claimed 62 lives and that a total of 140 years jail sentences had been handed down for those crimes. This is contrary to widespread reports that only one person had been convicted over those attacks. “These cases are a clear demonstration that government is committed to bringing perpetrators of attacks on foreign nationals to book,” said the presidency in a statement. Soldiers were deployed in Johannesburg this week to aid police in raids on hostels housing South African men who are accused of targeting migrants from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and other African countries. The violence has brought condemnation from the governments of those countries, which have bused home thousands of their nationals who fled the attacks. The unrest has also been widely condemned in South Africa itself, with large turnouts at anti-xenophobia rallies in cities across the country.
to hold the biggest hydrocarbon resources discovered in West Africa for the last decade. Ahead of a final ruling on precisely where the maritime border lies, the tribunal ordered both parties to “pursue cooperation and refrain from any unilateral action that might lead to aggravating the dispute”. Both Ghana and Ivory Coast have denied that the lawsuit signalled a change in relations between the two countries, which are west Africa’s secondand third-largest economies respectively.
Ghana is a major producer of gold and cocoa and began commercial oil production in 2010 from the Jubilee oil field along its western border, which produces 100,000 barrels per day. Russia’s Lukoil and its US partner Vanco are running the offshore sites. Ivory Coast, which is the world’s largest producer of cocoa, is looking to boost its existing offshore oil production as well as to encourage a revival of its mining and agriculture sectors after a decade of conflict.
living in South Africa in what the presidency described as “very cordial” talks. He has pledged to tackle antimigrant sentiment and to address deep-rooted problems behind the attacks. Zuma said he had called the meeting with the migrants’ representatives as part of his
end of apartheid, however, high unemployment and a lack of opportunities for young blacks have made impoverished and crowded townships a powderkeg of frustration. Immigrants have found themselves being blamed for taking jobs from locals, and for high crime rates.
S/Africa Braces For Economic Backlash From Xenophobic Attacks JOHANNESBURG - A wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa could provoke reprisals from neighbouring countries, raising concerns among South African business leaders and officials that the violence against foreigners could further damage the weak economy. Calls for a boycott of South African products have multiplied amid anger in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and elsewhere on the continent over their citizens being attacked by mobs in Johannesburg and Durban. At least seven people have been killed in the violence and thousands of immigrants forced to flee their homes, making headline news around the world as soldiers were deployed to restore order in the impoverished townships. “Since the start of the attacks, our country has lost billions of rands in export foreign revenue,” trade and industry Deputy Minister Mzwandile Masina said Wednesday, without giving further details. Calling the situation “untenable,” he added that the government was “worried about the cost and the negative impact of the attacks on foreign nationals on the country’s image and its economy”. “We cannot have these attacks continuing,” he said. Nigeria’s foreign ministry
summoned South Africa’s high commissioner over the attacks, while influential Zimbabwe National Students Union president Gilbert Mutubuki called on youths to target local South African businesses. Mutubuki was reported to have named the supermarket chain Pick n Pay as one possible target. Other South African brand names operating across southern Africa include such giants as the MTN telecoms group, Shoprite, Old Mutual insurer and the Standard Bank and Nedbank. “We are appealing to different African countries not to retaliate... because it won’t help anybody,” Bene M’Poko, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s ambassador to South Africa, said this week.
CHANGE OF NAME ELFREDA – I, formerly known, called and addressed as Ogbonmwan Iyobosasere Elfreda now wish to be called, known and addressed as Ogbonmwan Iyore. All former documents remain valid. University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, United Bank for Africa Plc and the general public should please take note.
Suspend New Oil Drilling In Disputed Waters, Tribunal Tells Ghana
FRANKFURT - An international tribunal on Saturday ordered Ghana not to carry out any new oil drilling activities in waters disputed with Ivory Coast, pending a final judgement. The African oil-producing neighbours took their case to the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea after months of fruitless negotiations. Abidjan had asked the body to suspend all ongoing oil exploration and exploitation by Ghana, but the interim ruling
did not go as far that, saying doing so would risk “considerable financial loss to Ghana” and could possibly harm the marine environment. The body instead told Ghana to “take all necessary steps to ensure that no new drilling... takes place in the disputed area”. The maritime border between the two countries cuts through offshore oil fields that both nations are eager to exploit, but there are claims the boundary has not been properly demarcated. The area in dispute is believed
PUBLIC NOTICE DUNAMIS ASSEMBLY FOR ALL NATIONS The general public is hereby notified that the above named Organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Apostole Precious Funsho-Wise - Chairman 2. Prophetess Divine Funsho-Wise - Member 3. Pastor Jerry Udabor - Member 4. Pastor Yemi Adeniyi -Secretary 5. Pastor David Wealth -Treasurer AIMS & OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the good news of Christ everywhere. 2. To propagate the gospel of Christ in the earth. 3. To proclaim the kingdom of Christ on earth. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar- General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. SIGNED: Destiny Osazuwa Omoregie, Esq. 08031981119
Beatrice Yordolo, declared the last survivor of Ebola, shakes hands with family during a visit by the director of the World Health Organisation for the Africa region, Matshidiso Moeti to Zuma Town, on the outskirts of Monrovia, recently.
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International Palestinians Shot Dead After Jerusalem, West Bank Attacks
Rescue workers search for bodies as a stretcher is kept ready after an earthquate.
HEBRON (Palestinian Territories) - Israeli security forces have shot dead a Palestinian man who stabbed an officer in the West Bank hours after a knife-wielding teenager was killed at an east Jerusalem checkpoint. The two incidents were the latest in a spate of apparent lone wolf attacks by Palestinians targeting Israeli civilians and security personnel since last October. They were followed by a suspected deliberate hit-andrun in east Jerusalem wounding three police officers, and a Molotov
Nepalese Dig For Quake Survivors As Toll Exceeds 2,200
KATHMANDU - Rescuers dug with their bare hands and bodies piled up in Nepal after an earthquake devastated the heavily crowded Kathmandu Valley, killing more than 2,200 people, and triggered a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest. A big aftershock between Kathmandu and Everest unleashed more avalanches in the Himalayas. In the capital, hospital workers stretchered patients out onto the street to treat them as it was too dangerous to keep them indoors. “Another one, we have an aftershock right now. Oh shit!” said Indian climber Arjun Vajpai over the phone from Makalu base camp near Everest. “Avalanche!” he shouted. Screams and the roar of crashing snow could be heard over the line as he spoke. The tremor, measured at 6.7, was the most powerful since Saturday’s 7.9 quake - itself the strongest since Nepal’s worst earthquake disaster of 1934 that killed 8,500 people. The aftershock rocked buildings in the Indian capital New Delhi and halted the city metro. “There is no way one can forecast the intensity of aftershocks so people need to be alert for the next few days,” said L.S. Rathore, chief of India’s state-run weather office. In Everest’s worst disaster, the bodies of 17 climbers were recovered from the mountain on Sunday after being caught in avalanches. A plane carrying the first 15 injured climbers landed in Kathmandu at around noon local time. “There is a lot of confusion on the mountain. The toll will rise,” said Gelu Sherpa, one of the walking wounded among the first 15 injured climbers flown to Kathmandu. “Tents have been blown away,” said Sherpa, his head in bandages. With Nepal’s government overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, India flew in medical supplies and relief crews, while China sent in a 60-strong emergency team. Relief agencies said hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were overflowing and running out of medical supplies. Army officer Santosh Nepal and a group of rescuers worked
all night to open a passage into a collapsed building in Kathmandu. They had to use pick axes because bulldozers could not get through the ancient city’s narrow streets. “We believe there are still people trapped inside,” he told Reuters, pointing at concrete debris and twisted reinforcement rods where a three-storey residential building once stood. Among the capital’s landmarks destroyed in the earthquake was the 60-metre (200-foot) Dharahara Tower, built in 1832 for the queen of Nepal, with a viewing balcony that had been open to visitors for the last 10 years. A jagged stump was all that was left of the lighthouse-like structure. As bodies were pulled from the ruins on Saturday, a policeman said up to 200 people had been trapped inside. Bodies were still arriving on Sunday at one hospital in Kathmandu, where police officer Sudan Shreshtha said his team had brought 166 corpses overnight. “I am tired and exhausted, but I have to work and have the strength,” Shreshtha told Reuters as an ambulance brought three more victims to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Bodies were heaped in a dark room, some covered with cloth, some not. A boy aged about seven had his face half missing and his stomach bloated like a football. The stench of death was overpowering. Outside, a 30-year-old woman who had been widowed wailed: “Oh Lord, oh God, why did you take him alone? Take me along with him also.” “Both private and government hospitals have run out of space and are treating patients outside, in the open,” said Nepal’s envoy to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyay. Prime Minister Sushil Koirala is back from abroad and will soon address the country. Save the Children’s Peter Olyle said hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were running out of storage room for bodies and emergency supplies. “There is a need for a government
decision on bringing in kits from the military,” he said from Kathmandu. Some buildings in Kathmandu toppled like houses of cards, others leaned at precarious angles, and partial collapses exposed living rooms and furniture in place and belongings stacked on shelves. Rescuers, some wearing face masks to keep out the dust, scrambled over mounds of splintered timber and broken bricks in the hope of finding survivors. Some used their bare hands to fill small white buckets with dirt and rock. Thousands of people spent the night outside in chilly temperatures and patchy rain, too afraid to return to their damaged homes. On Sunday, survivors wandered the streets clutching bed rolls and blankets, while others sat in the street cradling their children, surrounded by a few plastic bags of belongings. The 7.9 magnitude quake struck at midday on Saturday at a busy time of year for the tourism-reliant country’s trekking and climbing season, with an estimated 300,000 foreign tourists in the country, home to many World Heritage sites. Police put the death toll in
Nepal at 2,152, with 5,463 hurt. At least 700 were killed in the capital, a city of about 1 million people where many homes are old, poorly built and packed close together. Some 49 people were reported killed in neighbouring India, which has sent military aircraft to Nepal with medical equipment and relief teams. It also said it had dispatched 285 members of its National Disaster Response Force. In Tibet, the death toll climbed to 17, according to a tweet from China’s state news agency, Xinhua. Four people were killed in Bangladesh. Pakistan’s military is sending four C-130 aircraft with a 30bed hospital, search and rescue teams and relief supplies, the army said. There were nearly 1,000 climbers and sherpas on Everest when the first avalanche struck, claiming the highest toll of any disaster on the world’s highest mountain. Climber photographs on social media sites showed tents and other structures at Everest base camp flattened by rocks and snow. The first reported photo of the avalanche showed a monster “cloud-like” mass of snow and rock descending down the mountain.
cocktail thrown at an Israeli bus in the West Bank. Earlier Saturday a border police officer shot dead a Palestinian man who was stabbing a colleague at a checkpoint near the Tomb of Patriarchs, or Ibrahimi Mosque as it is known to Muslims, in the southern West Bank city Hebron, police said. Spokeswoman Luba Samri said the policeman was in moderate condition with stab wounds to the head and chest. The 20-year-old suspected assailant, named by Palestinian media as Assad alSalayma, died of his injuries en route to hospital in Jerusalem. Just before midnight on Friday, Israeli police shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian who tried to stab their colleagues at a checkpoint in annexed Arab east Jerusalem, Samri said. The youth from the Al-Tur neighbourhood, identified by Palestinian activists as Ali alGhannam, managed to get past one checkpoint but was brought down at a second near Al-Zaim after charging it armed with a cleaver. There were no police casualties. Al-Zaim checkpoint, where the suspect was shot dead shortly before midnight (2100 GMT Friday), lies on the main highway east from Jerusalem. - East Jerusalem clashes Clashes broke out in Ghannam’s home neighbourhood on Saturday as young Palestinians in AlTur protested against his killing. Dozens of protesters threw stones and rolled burning tyres at Israeli security forces, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, an AFP correspondent reported. More than 25 Palestinians were taken for medical treatment, the correspondent said. Samri said one officer had suffered minor injuries from a stone to the face and police
Israeli security forces clean the pavement at the site where a palestinian was shot dead after stabbing a border policeman near the Tomb of Patriarchs in the West Bank City of Hebron.
had used “riot dispersal means” to quell the protest. She told AFP no arrests were made. In fresh incidents late Saturday night, an unidentified assailant rammed a car into a group of police officers in Al-Tur, moderately wounding a women and lightly wounding two men, Samri said. The car was found without its driver, who fled the scene. And on the West Bank highway 443, which connects Tel Aviv with Jerusalem, a bus went up in flames, with the army saying the fire was the result of a Molotov cocktail. The army said only the driver was on the bus at the time and he was unhurt. Palestinians in east Jerusalem declared a general strike on Saturday. A Palestinian information centre said that police were refusing to release Ghannam’s body for burial unless the family agreed to restrictions on the number of mourners. The boy’s father rejected the Israeli terms, the Silwan information centre said on its Facebook page. Israel routinely places restrictions on the funerals of Palestinians killed in suspected political violence in a bid to prevent them becoming the focus of protests. There was no immediate claim of involvement by any Palestinian militant group in Ghannam’s actions and he had no known affiliations. The Palestinian Authority condemned the killing of the “youth in Hebron”, blaming Israel of a deliberately “leading the region to a cycle of violence.” The PA said Israel’s “crimes” in Hebron and east Jerusalem Saturday “will not go without punishment,” noting in a statement it had reached out to “international bodies” to halt the “Israeli escalation.” Tensions have been running high in and around Jerusalem since the killings of Israeli and Palestinian captives in tit-fortat kidnappings by Palestinian militants and Jewish extremists last summer. Earlier this month, an Israeli man was killed and a woman seriously hurt when a Palestinian driver deliberately rammed his car into a bus stop. In March, five Israelis were injured when a Palestinian drove into a group of pedestrians before getting out of his car to try to stab people. In November, an Israeli border policeman was killed and several people wounded when a Palestinian drove his vehicle into passengers waiting at a tram stop. A three-month-old IsraeliAmerican was among two people killed in a similar attack last October.
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Society Continued from pg 19
emulated in terms of his good deeds to humanity.” On his part, the president of the Rotary Club of Benin King’s Square Rotarian Chris Omusi thanked guest who made out time from their busy schedule to attend the program but however frown at the low turnout of those invited saying it shows how we order our priority as Nigeria. He said event of this nature shows how much we care for those who are truly in need, how much we are willing to give to those who will not be able to rise up to say thank you, how much we are ready to give to those who will not give back to us in return. I want to assure you and all our guest present here today that whatever we give here we will surely get our reward in geometric proportion because we are giving to God and God who is the giver of all things knows how to pay us back in hundred fold. Speaking further, Rotarian Omusi said the Rotary Club has decided to show love to these special children in their own little way. “As Rotarians, we believe that showing love to the less-privileged ones and reaching out to those in need in this manner is the most important service you can give or render to the society”. How much love do you need to give love? Rotarian Omusi said “I think we have all the love we need to give love. The question should be, are we excising and utilising this love to affect the lives of
others positively? Many of us are not doing that as such humanity is suffering from our negligence. Rotarian Omusi commended Rotarian Eddy Ikponwmen who has tourched the lives of humanity and has received an award for his excellent character and personality and for his ability to contribute is own quota to the development of the society. The awardee, a former Chairman of Edo State Civil Service Commission, former Rotary President, Assistant Governor, District Governor and a Chairman of the District Rotary Foundation Committee Eddy Ikponmwen thanked the Club for remembering him and his little contribution to the development of the society. He called on all those present at the occasion to make better use of any position they find themselves. “Whatever positions you find yourself, be humble and do your best to touch humanity. “I want to thank the president and members of this club for the award. The award they gave without expecting anything in return will propel him to put in his best and serve humanity better. They should have picked someone from Abuja or Oil Company but this they did not do but rather believed in me and honoured me with this award, I will for ever cherish this honour. “An award that has to do with character and good conduct is priceless. I thank God Almighty for this honour. I want to take pride in my Catholic up
President of the Rotary Club of Benin King’s Square Rotarian Chris Omusi (Left) presenting the annual role model personality award to a former Rotary President Rotarian Eddy Ikponmwen recently.
...For Special Children bringing and that is what have taught me the virtues of hard work, selfless service, discipline, consideration for others and above all contentment. As a Club, I want us to know that we have endless opportunities for service. The opportunities you have for service is endless and in doing this do not undermine little things. Mother Theresa said the
smile you can give to somebody in a day; you can not imagine how much it will do to the person who receives it. “I want to remind this club that all we have to do as a Rotarian is to be catalyst in the environment in which we are situated. We should continue to develop the society; we live by ensuring that those in needs in our domain get our attention. I appeal to the
larger society to develop the spirit of benevolence, it is exact opposite of selfishness and selfishness is the root of evil. The cure to that selfishness is benevolence. It is not what we get for ourselves that makes us rich, it is what we give out that makes us rich. We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give. “My little book of poems “The Lily” where I
talked about money, I concluded by reminding everyone of us particularly those who pursue money as if it is the beginning and end of life, those who do not know where to draw the limit when they are accumulating money. One thing I want you to know fellow Rotarians and guests is the ultimate gift; we need to appreciate, we are all mortals whether we live for a 100 years or not. Our motto is “be prepared” any day, any time. We are encouraged to work daily”.
“How much love do you need to give love? Rotarian Omusi said “I think we have all the love we need to give love. The question should be, are we excising and utilising this love to affect the lives of others positively?”
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FIFA Gives May 15 Deadline For Squad List
CBN Tennis:
U-20 W/Cup:
Mary-Love, Angel Win Championship MARY-LOVE Edwards and Angel Maclord on Saturday won the girls U-14 and U-16 CBN Junior Tennis Championship respectively,. Which ended at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club. reports that, the duo who are eying the CBN Senior event in May, displayed class in all their matches to achieve the feat. Edwards, who employed lob shots, snap shots and drop shots to the delight of the spectators, defeated Timipre Maxwell 9-0 while Maclord outwitted her friend Edwards in U-16 to win. Commenting on her victory, Maclord said that, it would have been disastrous if Edwards had stopped her from starring in the senior category. “I am a three time winner of this event alongside Edwards who has already been given a wild card to participate in the senior; moreover she has won in U-14 class. “I have my eyes on the senior circuit and this is the opportunity I have been looking for,” Maclord said. Other champions of the 9th edition were Daniel Adeleye who defeated Fortune Joseph 92 to win the U-10 category while Temipre Maxwell beat Iye Onoja 9-3 in girls U-12. In the boys U-12 David Daurariye defeated Usman Kushimo 9-5 to emerge winner while in boys U-18 Martins Agamu humbled Chris Bulus 91 to carry the day.
Tammy Danagogo
players who were at the African Youth Championship in Senegal last month, while the likes of Isaac Success (CF Granada,Spain), Wilfred Ndidi (Genk, Belgium), Moses Simon (Gent, Belgium) and kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England) have been included and will join the squad in Germany. Nigeria are drawn with Brazil, Hungary and North Korea in the first round of the competition.
Jennings’ efforts to overcome that, relying on swift sidemovements and dynamic tactics, were impressive, and took him the distance with the Ukrainian. But it was nothing like enough to get close to victory, with judges scoring the bout 116-111, 116-111, 118-109 in favour of the reigning champion. And after the bout the victor said that Fury will be his next opponent, as he will be obliged to defend his WBA title. “I just got the news that I am obligated to satisfy my mandatories (title defences),” Klitschko, who holds the WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO and Ring Magazine belts. “The way it looks, Tyson Fury is going to be my next challenger.” Klitschko improved to 64-3 with his victory at Madison Square Garden. Fury is 24-0. Klitschko said he would prefer
adding the last belt, the WBC one held by American Deontay Wilder, to complete his collection but would have to wait until next year for that chance. The Ukrainian, who has held a share of the heavyweight crowns for nine years running, said negotiations would begin soon on a fight against Fury. “Obviously a fight with Tyson Fury is not going to be in the United States,” he said. “I think this fight needs to happen in Europe. I know that he’s the WBA mandatory. It’s something that I have to do. “Fighting Fury in Germany or in Great Britain, that’s something we have to figure out. It’s something we have to work out.” Klitschko also praised his beaten opponent, Jennings. “He was really mobile and it was really tough to hit him,” said the 39-year-old, who was taken
the distance for only the 11th time in his 67-fight career. “Jennings was challenging he was trying in his own way and I need to give respect for that. But there were no questions at the end of a 12-round fight who was the winner. I could have done better.... “He would have beat a lot of top heavyweights tonight. I welcome him to the top of the heavyweight division.” For his part, Jennings was not happy with the way the fight went - or the way the scoring came out. “Every time I started working he held me,” said the American. “When he was holding I was hitting him to the body. I must have hit him with about a hundred body shots, but not much to the head. “I think the margin should have been much closer.”
CAMEROON skipper Stéphane M’Bia has voiced his support for national head coach Volker Finke, whose contract will expire next month. The Sevilla midfielder has called for the German to be offered a new contract at the helm of the Indomitable Lions, who will kick off their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Mauritania in June. Appointed coach of
Cameroon in May 2013, Finke managed to qualify the four-time African champions to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 AFCON finals, with a first round exit at both competitions. “After our FIFA World Cup failure, Cameroon launched a reconstruction plan. It implied a change of mentality and the renewal of 95% of the team. I fully agree with the idea of him carrying on with the group
Vladimir Klitschko
Vladimir Klitschko To Fight Britain’s Tyson Fury
WORLD heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko’s next bout is likely to be a mandatory WBA clash with Britain’s Tyson Fury, the Ukrainian said atfer his latest successful defence. Klitschko was not at his best in the win over American Bryant Jennings at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, but
used his three inch height and 20lb weight advantage to their full as he kept his opponent at bay.
Chukwumerije Was A Pillar Of Taekwondo In Nigeria -Danagogo
THE Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Tammy Danagogo, has described late Sen. Uche Chukwumerije as a pillar of taekwondo in Nigeria as well as “an epitome of statesmanship and sportsmanship’’. Danagogo said this at the residence of the Chukwumerijes in Abuja where he had gone to pay them a condolence visit on the death of the taekwondo black belt holder.
NIGERIA’S Flying Eagles have up till May 15 to submit a final 21-man squad to FIFA for the U20 World Cup in New Zealand. The African champions are due to fly out of the country on Wednesday for a training tour in Germany. A 35-man provisional squad has already been named for the tournament, which kicks off on May 30. The squad has all 21
The NSC Chairman said the Commission saw the late Sen. Chukwumerije as part of the sports family. “We are particularly touched because, apart from being an expert in taekwondo, he imparted the skills of the sport on his children and other Nigerian athletes. “We saw him as one of the pillars of taekwondo in Nigeria,” he said.
Danagogo who is also the Minister of Sports further said the late Senator was an ardent advocate of more funds for sports for the effective administration of the sector. “We have lost somebody, and it pains us, because we didn’t need to lobby him to fight for more funds to be given to sports”. Responding on behalf of his siblings, including Olympic bronze medalist Chika, the eldest son, Che Chidi, thanked the Minister for the visit especially as it was coming from the sports family. “My dad wanted to see that Africa is united through sports. Many people wouldn’t know that my father started as a tennis player, ran the marathon and was involved in swimming and that taekwondo came much later.” He disclosed that his late father still jogged even after he attained 70 years of age. “We are glad that during his lifetime, he saw the seed he sowed in taekwondo yielded fruit, when Chika won an Olympic medal. “We are inviting all the people who appreciated him and feel the pains of his loss with us to join us in giving him a befitting burial on May 22,” the late Senator’s son said.
M’Bia Backs Volker Finke To Remain Cameroon Coach he put in place,” Stéphane M’Bia told RFI. “We must remember that we lost only one game at the Africa Cup of Nations, against future champions Côte d’Ivoire. For me, it is obvious that he must stay on. “In our game against Côte d’Ivoire, we lacked experience. Several young players were new to the competition. It was not easy. “I believe that by 2017, the youngsters will have gained enough experience.”
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Malmo Hotel To Open Zlatan Ibrahimovic Suite ONE of Malmo’s top hotels is to open a new luxury suite in honour of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Paris Saint-Germain star, who was born in the city in southern Sweden, is set to be immortalised in a new suite at the Clarion Hotel. The room, measuring 1,076 square-foot and overlooking Malmo
harbour, will have its walls adorned with images of the 33-year-old and will be available to book from May 2 onwards for a price of close to +960. Hotel sales manager Lotta Pieplow hopes to have the man himself visit in the near future after he gave his approval for the suite. “There is only one president in Malmo, and it’s
Zlatan Ibrahimovic,” she is quoted as telling local newspaper Sydsvenskan. “We have received his approval. Of course, we hope Zlatan will be one of our guests.” Ibrahimovic sat out Paris Saint-Germain’s 6-1 thrashing of Lille on Saturday as he serves a suspension for ranting at a referee.
Premier League since the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at the beginning of March. As revealed by Goal, the French midfielder, who retired from international duty after his World Cup 2014 snub, is one of a number of underperforming City stars that the club are actively looking to offload when the transfer window reopens. Nasri himself has previously admitted that he will ‘pack his bags’ if City do not want him to remain at the Etihad Stadium, while he suggested back in March that he would be keen on a switch to MLS. “Marseille would be the only place that I’d like to play in France, but I think it’s not realistic,” the 27year-old told Sport Magazine. “My dream is to play in the MLS maybe, because I love the lifestyle in America.
want the big city. I would prefer the sun, but I’ll take whatever!” The former Arsenal star delivered arguably his most important moment in a City shirt earlier in the season, scoring with a stunning long-range strike against Roma to send Pellegrini’s men through to the Champions League last 16. And the Serie A club are now considering a summer move for Nasri, with City holding out for a £21 million fee for the player they initially signed for around +35m from Arsenal in 2011. Rudi Garcia’s men are currently third in Serie A as they aim to finish amongst the Champions League spots, although question marks remain over the future of some of their key performers, including Radja Nainggolan and Kevin Strootman.
Roma Line Up £15 Million “It doesn’t matter [which Nasri Move club] - New York, LA - I
ROMA are weighing up a summer bid for Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri, Goal understands. Nasri has struggled to claim a regular place in Manuel Pellegrini’s starting XI this season and has not started in the
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Vermaelen Regains Fitness Nine Months After Joining Barcelona BARCELONA can finally call upon defender Thomas Vermaelen, fully fit at last for the first time since joining the
Liga club. The Belgium international joined the Catalans in early August last year but has been
Thomas vermaelean
unable to make his debut after picking up an injury at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. But after training sessions during the week and then another on Sunday morning, he finally got the all-clear from club doctors and is now available for selection just short of nine months after making the move to La Liga. “Five months after injuring his right leg, FC Barcelona’s Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen has received medical clearance,” Barcelona said on their website. “He underwent surgery back in December and will
now be fully available for Luis Enrique in the home stretch of the season. Vermaelen was given the medical all-clear following Sunday morning’s workout at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.” Vermaelen sustained the injury before he signed for Barca from Arsenal, prompting some to question why the club completed the deal to sign the 29-year-old. Barcelona host Getafe on Tuesday at 7.00pm BST and then go on the road to face Cordoba on Saturday at 3pm.
Guardiola Focus Elsewhere With Bundesliga Almost Secure
BAYERN Munich coach Pep Guardiola says the club will now focus on the UEFA Champions League and the DFB-Pokal, with the Bundesliga title all but secure. Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the only goal of the game in Bayern’s 1-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday, which moves them 15 points clear of Wolfsburg, who have five games remaining. Wolfsburg are in action on Sunday at Borussia Monchengladbach, and anything less than a win will see Bayern lift a third successive Bundesliga trophy. Now, Guardiola is turning attentions to Bayern’s hopes
of a domestic and European treble, with a Pokal semi-final against Borussia Dortmund to come on Tuesday, before a meeting with his former club Barcelona in the last four of the UEFA Champions League next month. “For the game after the Champions League we had a lot of youngsters in the team,” Guardiola said. “We knew it was going to be tough. We have lots of playing time in our legs and we’ve had very few breaks. “My team are magnificent. I’m incredibly proud of my players, because it wasn’t easy after the Champions League. We’re running on empty. “A big challenge lies ahead.
We’re almost champions already, so now we have to concentrate on the other competitions. “Hertha parked the bus and strung everyone across the edge of their own penalty area, so you need a moment of magic like the one for the goal,” added goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. “I hope we were keeping our powder dry for Tuesday. It’s not easy when you have games every two or three days. “We’ve used up a lot of energy and that’s why it might have looked a bit turgid in the first half. At the end of the day, the result is totally okay.”
Pep Guardiola
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Inzaghi Apologises To Milan Fans After Udinese Defeat FILIPPO Inzaghi apologised to the Milan fans for an ‘embarrassing’ performance after they slumped to a 2-1 Serie A defeat at Udinese. put Udinese in command at Second-half goals from the Stadio Friuli on Saturday Giampiero Pinzi and before Milan scored a late through Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu consolation Giampaolo Pazzini. The defeat further dented Milan’s slim European hopes, with Inzaghi’s men sitting six points adrift of Fiorentina in -Elijah
Brazil Can’t Stop Flying Eagles
IBADAN - Sam Elijah, a former Flying Eagles player, says Brazil cannot stop the Flying Eagles from winning honours at the upcoming 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand this June. Elijah, the Coach of Kwara Football Academy, said on Saturday in Ibadan that the Nigerian under-20 men football side were too qualitative to be pushed aside by their Brazilian counterparts. The coach, who was a member of the legendary “Damman Miracle’’ team coached by Tunde Disu, said the Flying Eagles were too compact and disciplined for the Brazilian team to beat. He observed that the present Flying Eagles team were a replica of his 1989 squad in terms of team spirit, adding that the team was capable of winning the competition. Elijah said he saw the same resilience of the Tunde Disu team in the Manu Garba-led team. “Whenever I look at the team, I see their doggedness and resilience and I am sure they will go far in the tournament like we did then. “This is a team made of boys, who are highly bent on doing Nigeria proud and not those playing for money,’’ he said. On his team, the coach said Kwara Football Academy was a young team of under-18 players, who combine football with academics. Elijah said it was a team in progress, and it would be difficult for now to say whether or not they would win the national edition of the Federation Cup competition. the former defender ’s Kwara Football Academy defeated Maracana Football Club of Ekiti 3-2 in a 2015 Federation Cup playoff match. The match was played at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Wednesday.
sixth place - which is likely to be enough to seal UEFA Europa League football due to Juventus and Lazio’s presence in the Coppa Italia final. And Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia: “The objective is to earn our place at Milan. This was a bad performance and I was very, very angry at the attitude I saw.
“There are no excuses. In the other games Milan had always tried to fight, but this time I saw nothing. It looked like Udinese were playing a Champions League final compared to us. “I can only apologise to the fans. Thankfully we’ll be playing again in a few days and we must wipe this performance from the
memory as soon as possible. “When a team plays like this, the first person responsible is the coach. We have to roll our sleeves up, do well on Wednesday against Genoa and try to end this season in a dignified manner. “We had done some good things for our last nine games, losing only once, and I never expected such a complete lack of desire, strength or intent. “We were fortunate to end the first half on 0-0 and during the break I tried to tell the players they had the wrong approach. “Perhaps after the derby a light went off and such an
Garcia Rues Sloppy ROMA coach Rudi Garcia Build-Up lamented his team’s sloppiness in possession after their 2-1 loss to Inter on Saturday. Mauro Icardi scored an 88thminute winner at San Siro as Inter claimed a surprise win, moving into seventh and staying in the hunt to qualify for Europe. Garcia felt Roma, who are third in Serie A, struggled with their build-up play and missed chances when they presented themselves. “The strikers mustn’t lose
• Filippo Inzaghi
Icardi Destined For The Top -Mancini
INTER coach Roberto Mancini is adamant that Mauro Icardi’s attitude will take him to the top following a match-winning display in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat of Roma. The Argentina international saw several chances go
begging over the course of the match at San Siro, proving uncharacteristically wasteful as Roma looked set to take a point back to the capital. But the 22-year-old kept battling away and eventually found the net two minutes
from time, smashing home from close range after a neat turn in the area. Icardi’s persistence paid off and Mancini believes that such a trait can take him to the pinnacle of the game. He told Sky Sport Italia: “He’s [Icardi] already a great striker, but he can become a champion. “He has the opportunities; sometimes he scores and sometimes he does not, but the great quality is that he shakes off those failures and gets right back out there. “Today he missed a big chance and soon after scored in a similar situation. Not everyone has that mentality.” Radja Nainggolan’s goal 27 minutes from time had the match heading towards a stalemate, a result that would have done little to help either side with their end-of-season
aspirations. And Roma coach Rudi Garcia, who is coming under increasing pressure, thinks a draw would have been the deserved outcome before Icardi added to Hernanes’ 15th-minute opener. “I think a draw would have been a fairer result, but we know at this level a game can be decided by a single incident,” the Frenchman said. “I have nothing to complain about when it comes to the attitude and desire to win in the second half from my lads. We do not have time to complain as we have another game on Wednesday [at Sassuolo].”
Mauro Icardi
I Work Hard As Anyone -Hamilton LEWIS Hamilton says he will keep looking to improve in 2015 and insists he works “just as hard as any other driver does”. The double world champion has started the new season in impressive form, taking four consecutive pole positions and three victories, scoring a total of 93 points from a maximum of 100.
important fixture took something out of us, even though I’ve been telling the squad since Tuesday not to underestimate Udinese. “Until today we’ve always had the right attitude in training and during the games. Today it was just wrong on every level. I will try to understand what caused it, as without the right attitude you’re going to lose. “If I could’ve made 10 substitutions at half-time, then I would’ve done. I have little else to say. We are Milan and cannot embarrass ourselves with a performance like this.”
Following last weekend’s win in Bahrain, Hamilton says he will be looking to learn what he could have done better as he seeks to strengthen his title defence. “I don’t know how people in the paddock get a perception of what you do as a driver,” Hamilton said. “I work just as hard as any other driver does, with my engineers. We all do our
things, maybe you write your column in ten minutes, and it takes someone else an hour to do it, you do it differently, it doesn’t mean that its worse. “There was a point when people said Nico was the doctor of this, or someone else was, or Jenson was the doctor of his tyres. I’ve ticked all the boxes off, I’ve worked to try and tick all those boxes
off. “The results I get are not only from my raw ability. I study hard. I’ve worked hard to understand my tyres, I make notes about every single thing that I do. I’ve done that since Formula 3. “Ultimately I don’t care what people say about me, I do the job.”
• Rudi Garcia
confidence, the problem was the way we built the play from the back. We misplaced too many passes between the goalkeeper and defence,” he told a media conference. “It was a good performance up front, especially [Victor] Ibarbo, who was unlucky to hit the post. “We need to be more clinical in front of goal. We could have scored a second goal and maybe gone on to win it.” Radja Nainggolan had cancelled out Hernanes’ 15thminute opener, but Icardi restored Inter’s lead late on. Garcia urged his men to put the loss behind them with a clash against Sassuolo awaiting them on Wednesday. “It was a good match tonight and the lads need to keep their heads up,” he said. “We play again in four days. We need to show the same desire and performance as tonight, but we’ll need to be more efficient at the back and in front of goal against Sassuolo. “Inter have good players and there’s always a chance they’ll score, but we could have done better defensively. “We’ve not lost anything, though - we just need to win on Wednesday.”
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
My Trophy Record Can Be Broken -Ferguson
ALEX Ferguson said he wants his trophy record to be broken by a Manchester United manager. “Now I’d love someone else The legendary Old Trafford to come in and establish a long boss collected 38 trophies in 26 years in Manchester, including run of success because that’s what this club is all about.” 13 Premier League titles and the 73-year-old also said he two UEFA Champions League revelled in the ‘Fergie Time’ crowns. goals his side managed to Usually ever competitive, score, with United famous for Ferguson revealed his desire their late shows under the for another United boss to Scotsman’s watch. outdo him. Among the notable instances “We had a wonderful run of of crucial late goals for United success when I was here and included Steve Bruce’s 97thwe won a lot of trophies,” minute winner in 1993, the Ferguson told The Mirror. 1999 Champions League final “But I really hope someone when two stoppage-time goals comes along and breaks my saw them deny Bayern Munich record here, I really do. 2-1 and Michael Owen’s 96th“I’d like to see another minute winner in the United manager come in and Manchester derby in win 45 trophies in 25 years. September 2009. Nothing would make me “The one thing that I will happier. “Why? Because it’s a food always take from my time here as manager will be those lastchain at this club. First there minute goals,” Ferguson said. was the great Sir Matt Busby “I considered it was my job and then there was me.
Hazard Worth £200m
CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho has told Real Madrid only £200m and one of their best three players would get them Eden Hazard. Hazard, 24, has helped Chelsea to within touching distance of the Premier League title - sitting nine points clear at the top ahead of Sunday’s trip to Arsenal. The Belgium international has been linked with a move to La Liga giants Real, but that is no chance of happening if Mourinho is to be believed. “£100m each leg - he’s very young,” the Portuguese tactician said. “Plus one of their [Real’s] three best players.” Mourinho played down the speculation, saying he believes his former club would call him if they were interested in Hazard. “If they want him I think I would be the first one to know because my relationship with the president and with the CEO doesn’t give space for something to happen behind
Eden Hazard
-Mourinho
me,” he said. “I trust them completely. If they want him, they get on the telephone and they call me to tell me they want him. “It’s the way I feel about president [Florentino] Perez and [Real director general Jose Angel] Sanchez.” Hazard has been shortlisted for the PFA Player of the Year Award after a standout campaign. But Mourinho said the star attacking midfielder had retained his modesty. “He knows that he’s a special player for us and that we need him in many occasions to be decisive for us, but he’s such a normal boy that he doesn’t belong to that glamour,” he said. “He wants to be a special player and a normal person. He’s a fantastic boy, a golden boy. “He doesn’t cheat. He doesn’t dive. Nothing. So I think, even for opponents, he’s a fantastic kid.”
to send everyone home happy when they came to see us play and nothing did that like a lastminute goal. “And I’m not just talking about the 1999 Champions League final. The number of last-minute goals we scored was incredible. “The effect on everyone was something I still remember. I’d get back to the dressing room and my players would be jumping all over each other, my staff would be embracing one another, and the fans would leave the ground and head to the pub on a high. “Those goals gave me the greatest memories and the impact they had on people made it the best part of the job for me.” Alex Ferguson
Falcao Has Had Chances To Impress
MANCHESTER United manager Louis van Gaal has given the strongest indication yet that Radamel Falcao will not stay at Old Trafford next season. The Dutch manager was asked about the misfiring Colombian,
who has struggled ever since his loan arrival on deadline day last summer, and his words offered no crumb of comfort to a player who has struggled with form and fitness for two full seasons now. Van Gaal confirmed that the
Radamel Falcao
29-year-old has been given ample chance to make his mark, yet failed to do so - though he did soften the blow by suggesting that fortune had played a part. “Falcao has been given the chance to be in the team this season. You can say he is unlucky – he has the quality to play,” said Van Gaal, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. “I like him and the way he played against Chelsea last week. He was unlucky he didn’t score.” Van Gaal then went on to clarify that there is no animosity between them - but that it would not stop him from waving goodbye, as he has done with other players. “I like Falcao as a human being, just as I like Danny Welbeck and Chicharito - they are always professional,” he added. “But when you are not in the team for season after season,
- Van Gaal there comes a time when you need a challenge. “That’s why I have said goodbye to Welbeck and Chicharito. And now I have to talk with Falcao.” The Manchester Evening News also printed quotes from Monaco chief Vadim Vasilyev, insisting that no decision has yet been taken. “I saw the Manchester United people last Sunday and they have not yet decided if they would exercise the option,” the Russian said. “It’s not his best season, but they kept the opportunity to make a decision at the end of the season. “We are not in any other negotiations, even if big clubs are interested. The decision is with Manchester, then we will discuss with the player what he wants.”
Pochettino Hoping To Strengthen Tottenham
MAURICIO Pochettino is hoping for significant activity in the close-season as Tottenham aim to return to the UEFA Champions League. With four games of their Premier League campain remaining, Spurs look set to miss out on a top-four finish. Pochettino reiterated after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Southampton that qualification for the Europa League was “not my dream” and highlighted the need for his club to strengthen in order to regain a place among Europe’s elite. “It [the Europa League] is not the competition that is your dream, my dream is to play with Tottenham in the Champions League and for that we need to prepare, a big summer,” said Pochettino.
“I think we need to build a strong team to be realistic and try to fight for the top four next season. Because I think our dream, for our supporters and the club, is to fight for the top four and try to reach the Champions League. “After my experience here I think that it’s very tough to play in the Europa League. “I think for the players it’s very, very tough. If we reach the Europa League we need to try to do better this season, to try and fight for the top four and to try to win the Europa League, but it is not my dream.” Pochettino was given cause for concern at St Mary’s Stadium when Ben Davies was taken off on a stretcher in the
second half with a shoulder injury. However, the Tottenham head
Mauricio Pochattino
coach said: “Ben is much better now. We hope that it’s not a big issue. We need to assess him in the next few days, but we hope it’s not a longer problem.”
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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015
CMYK
RENEWED EFFORT TO PASS PIB: MATTERS IN FOCUS
Matters Arising
WITH recent reports that there are indications that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led National Assembly is in talks with the leadership of the Assembly to ensure that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed before June 4, 2015 when a new legislative body will be inaugurated, we believe it is high time that the long-over-deliberated and dilly-dallied PIB is passed without any further delay. But before this is done, there are still areas in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas industry that needs to addressed in the PIB before it is finally passed into law. According to reports, the man, especially those in the said renewed effort to pass Niger Delta region that one the PIB came as the latest bearing the brunt of the audit report of the Nigeria extractive industry. Extractive Industries According to an industry Transparency Initiative observer; with Nigeria losing (NEITI) said Nigeria lost a revenue and investments from whopping N1.960,108 uncertainties over PIB passage, trillion to crude oil theft and and given the rising incidence sabotage in 2012. It was of crude oil theft and illegal gathered that, still smarting bunkering as well as well as from the loss of the insecurity, the country’s oil and presidential election, the gas sector is slipping into the ruling party may have situation which took Mexico launched a last-minute effort about 50 years to recover from at ensuring the passage of the when it faced similar challenges bill as a parting gift to in its oil industry. The bottom Nigerians. The party also sees line is that we are where we are the possibility of the All today in the country’s oil and Progressives Congress gas industry due to the actions/ (APC), which will assume inactions, policy execution and the Majority party in the practices of the Petroleum National Assembly from June Ministry under the current 4, passing the bill in record Nigerian Government and time. Since the PIB is seen as National Assembly members, a major revolution of the oil especially in the last three years and gas sector, the PDP has or so. However, we strongly reportedly told its members hope and pray that the in the Senate to ensure its President-Elect, Gen. passage. Obviously to make Muhammadu Buhari, when he itself look good in the eyes fully takes over the new of the Nigerian public and Government, would take these also to score cheap political warning signals from industry points as part of build-up observes seriously, and start strategies towards 2019. taking practical steps to redeem We believe the National us from an imminent doom. Assembly should not make it One area, which we look like they are doing strongly believe the PIB should Nigerians a favour with the address is the issue of making passage of the PIB because Nigeria to be an exporter of the essence of them being in refined petroleum products the Legislative Arm of rather being an exporter of Government as elected by the crude oil and natural gas while people; is to promptly pass an importer of refined bills that will improve the petroleum products. It is sad and living conditions of the a pathetic situation that a populace. It is also sad that country like Nigeria, despite our lawmakers are using such being blessed and endowed a sensitive bill in the with so many mineral resources, extractive industry to play in this case, crude oil and politics. This is a bill that has natural gas, that has the been with them for countless propensity to catapult and months. What have they been transform the country into a doing in all these years to world class economy to reckon have waited up till now to with, is still struggling to attain start rushing things to pass the judicious use of these the PIB? Why all the dilly- abundant resources for the dallying all these years in benefit of its citizenry. Despite passing the PIB? Nigeria’s over 50 years of crude The Petroleum Industry oil and natural gas discovery, Bill (PIB), which has been the country’s technological and before the National Assembly scientific stance and for God-knows-how-long, is advancement have not been planned by the government to able to holistically capture the clarify industry policy and ‘refining capacity’ that is entrench a level ground for all stakeholders. But rather than inspire confidence, the Bill has not gone down well with International Oil Companies (IOCs), especially the aspect dealing with fiscal terms. For us, certain necessary provisions of the Bill, like Local Content adherence for example, have either been expunged, watered-down and bombarded with clauses rendering them of no effect and beneficial to the common
required to properly make her benefit from these mineral resources on the global market. We consider it as an abnormality that Nigeria, with a population of over 170 million, and is blessed with abundant oil and gas resources, is still facing the woes of “refined petroleum product availability.” Reasons for this have been traced mainly by
strategy has obviously not been helping us as a nation. Despite previous TAMs that had been initiated by the NNPC, Nigerians have remained dependent on imported Petroleum products to service domestic requirements, not to mention export demands as well. It is really unfortunate that Nigeria, said to be Africa’s
With
ZIK GBEMIRE rehabilitation, the four refineries continue to operate at an average of 22.9% of installed refining capacity in 2012 (NNPC Annual Statistical Bulletin). The simple fact is that Nigeria has to import nearly 80% of its requirement of refined petroleum products. In 2011 and 2012, Nigeria spent between 12 and 15 billion
Deziani Alison-Madueke, Minister for Petroleum stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to the continued comatose nature of the nation’s four refineries. All that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) knows how to do is to engage in Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) to revive the nation’s ailing refineries. The reliance on TAM every now and then to resuscitate the ever ailing four refineries in the country has proven not to be the best solution in addressing the availability of petroleum products once and for all in Nigeria. The use of TAM on the nation’s four refineries, is not only costly, but has become a channel through which public resources are misappropriated and mismanaged. The TAM
leading crude oil exporter and a regional leader in installed crude oil refining capacity, sadly, remains the continent’s largest per capita importer of refined petroleum products. The country’s four crude oil refineries, with a combined refining capacity of over 445,000 barrels of oil per day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), should easily be able to meet the current domestic demand in refined products (excluding export). EIA estimates this is about 270,000 barrels of oil per day. However, in spite of promises by successive governments to improve the performance of the refineries and commit significant resources to their
“One area, which we strongly believe the PIB should address is the issue of making Nigeria to be an exporter of refined petroleum products rather being an exporter of crude oil and natural gas while an importer of refined petroleum products.”
dollars annually to meet the deficit – something that, frankly, deserves sober reflection. It is also instructive that the cost effectiveness of the crude for oil SWAP deals (that is swapping crude oil for refined petroleum products), has raised more questions in recent times. The process, designed to mitigate the depletion of Nigeria’s Foreign exchange reserves, diverts potential foreign exchange reserves that can potentially be used to bolster local infrastructure. For the obvious fact that Nigeria, despite being ranked 7th in the world in terms of oil and gas reserve, is still dependent on the importation of refined Petroleum Products, is enough reason for The Federal Government, The Ministry of Petroleum Resources and The NNPC to change their strategy of only relying on TAM on the nation’s four refineries to address inadequate supply of petroleum products. Like we have reiterated before now, the Federal Government should, more importantly, compel the existing (exploration and production) IOCs as well as indigenous oil and gas
companies like the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) in the industry to refine at least, 50% of whatever crude oil or natural gas they produce. These IOCs and indigenous oil and gas companies should construct/set up such refineries (plants) beside their existing production facilities, to refine natural gas and crude oil for domestic use in the country and for export purposes. Aside the fact that this will provide enormous employment opportunities for our teeming youths/graduates, the IOCs and indigenous oil companies will also benefit immensely from the huge profit that will be abound from the export of petroleum products and its domestic usage. It will also address the issue of shortage, unavailability and affordability of cooking gas for the common masses and at the same make the importation of Kerosene less lucrative and attractive. This will not only ensure the “transfer of technology” on the part of IOCs, it will also make IOCs to be more involved in refining petroleum products for domestic and export purposes, other than being only in the extractive industry. All of this will bring about more industrialization and increased employment opportunities for the countless idle youths on our streets. We believe the IOCs need to be more involved in the growth process of Nigeria’s economy other than focus solely on exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas for export. It might interest us to know that Royal Dutch Shell, for instance, currently has the largest Gas-To-Liquids Plant in the world in Ras Laffan industrial city, which is about 80km North of Doha, Qatar. Apart from producing diesel, petrol, and kerosene the said Plant is also producing base oils for top-tier lubricants; a chemical feedstock called naphtha used to make plastics and normal paraffin, which is used to make detergents as well. Why can’t Shell and other IOCs equally establish such Plants in Nigeria? What stops them from doing so? Why can’t the Nigerian Government think and act towards these lines of action? We hope the new government under Buhari will think towards these lines and act accordingly. For instance, there is need for the expansion of the current gas facilities in Utorogu (OML 34), in Iwhrekan Community, Ughelli South LGA, Delta State, to include Gas-To-Liquids Plants just like S hell has done in Doha, Qatar. In other words, IOCs and other indigenous
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