Nigerian observer 27 11 2013

THE NIGERIAN

The Nigerian

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

PUBLISHED SINCE MAY 29, 1968 • Vol. 38 NO.363 •WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 . N100.00 ISSUES Page 15 How govt can monitor activities of CDAs

Oshiomhole assures NYSC of support

BENIN CITY - Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said his administration would continue to encourage the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)

scheme in the state.

Governor Oshiomhole disclosed this during the closing ceremony of the 2013 Batch ‘C’ Corps

members orientation course at the NYSC Orientation Camp Okada, Ovia North East Local Government Area

of the state.

The Governor who was represented by the State Commissioner for Youth, Sport and Social Mobilization, Hon Omorede Osifo directed Continues on page 2

Five Governors dump PDP for APC

POLITICS Page 25 Success by evidence

Lessons from Imo State

ABUJA - Late yesterday morning, at about 11:46am, the National Chairman of the New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, formally announced the merger of the party with the All Progressives Congress (APC) even as the two PDP Governors of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu and Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, have reportedly backed out of the said merger.

The merger was a meeting between the contained in a leadership of New PDP communiqué which and that of the APC held Alhaji Baraje read to at the Kano Governor’s journalists at the end of Lodge in Abuja.

... Presidency not threatened

ABUJA The Presidency yesterday said that it was not threatened by the defection of the splinter group in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the

EDO STATE

GOVERNMENT SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Edo State Government has observed that despite several warnings in the past, some unscrupulous individuals and groups have continued to encroach on the land belonging to Edo State Broadcasting Service.

The government can no longer condone this illegality. Consequently, it is hereby announced for the information of the general public and those who have encroached on Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) land at Aduwawa, Ivue, Auchi and other parts of the state in particular, that they are for the last time, given two weeks from the date of this announcement to vacate the encroached premises as failure to do so will attract severe penalties.

Signed: LOUIS ODION, HON. COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION AND ORIENTATION, EDO STATE

. Tell Jonathan to start writing handover notes The communiqué signed by Bisi Akande the APC National Chairman and Kawu Abubakar Baraje the National Chairman of

NPDP reads, “A meeting of the leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC, and the new PDP met this morning at the

residence of the Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in Abuja and after exhaustive deliberations the two

parties agreed to merge in order to rescue our fledgling democracy and the nation” With this development, Continues on page 2

- Gulak

opposition party, APC. The Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, made this known when he spoke with the State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa.

The splinter group and the APC in a communiqué yesterday agreed to merge.

Gulak, who reacted to the development, said neither the presidency nor the ruling party felt threatened.

“The presidency does not feel threatened and the PDP does not feel threatened.

“PDP is the party to beat.

We have had it before even people who had occupied higher offices left the party and came back.

“Outside there, there is Continues on page 2

COURTESY VISIT: Hajia Aishetu Oshiomhole, mother of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, flanked by Oloi Esther Erediauwa (right) and Oloi Osarugue Erediauwa during a courtesy visit of the Governor’s mother to the royal father in his palace yesterday.

Benin Monarch urges continued prayers for peace

BENIN CITY - The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba Erediauwa has urged mothers in Edo state to keep praying for the peace and tranquility in the state.

He made the call yesterday when Hajia

Aishetu Oshiomhole, mother of Governor Oshiomhole led other

women in the state, including the APC Woman Leader in the state, Mrs

Modino Emovon, to pay homage to him in his palace.

Continues on page 2

the suspension on Hon. Roland Alari, the

Chairman of Uhunmwode Local Government Council.

the Chairman, Mr. Continues on page 2

EDHA lifts suspension on Uhunmwode The resolution also

By KEN ABU directed that the Special chairman Assistant on Security to BENIN CITY - Edo State

House of Assembly has passed a resolution lifting

The royal father who told the Governor ’s mother not to relent in her prayers for the Governor and the state said: “as a Muslim leader, keep using the Koran to pray for the Governor and Edo State and for the peace and progress of the state.”

The royal father thanked Hajia Oshiomhole for the visit and praised her for her Continues on page 2

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

News

Five Governors dump PDP for APC

Continued from page 1

the G7 Governors of New PDP, namely, Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), are now members of the APC. The merger thus shoots up the number of APC State Governors to 18 while PDP’s shrinks to 16, with All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Labour Party having one governor each.

A similar permutation exists in the National Assembly where we now have the majority with PDP and its allies in minority.

The simple meaning of this is that APC is now the majority party in the country while PDP has become a minority party.

In the circumstances, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan must now start writing his handover notes because his ambition to manoeuvre the party structures so as to get a third term in office in 2015 has suddenly collapsed.

What a sudden change of fortune! What a sad day for the PDP, a party which we laboured to build, which was viciously taken away from us but which, out of our great love for it, we did everything humanly possible to save but were frustrated by the unpatriotic elements that have usurped the leadership of the party.

Nigerians could recall that several meetings had been held between the APC leaders and the leaders of the New PDP. The APC had visited each of our seven New PDP governors in their states to convince them to join its fold but all these notwithstanding while the PDP Leadership on their own side were plotting on daily basis on how to frustrate us out of the party we suffered to nurture.

The fact remains that we did all within our powers to reconcile with PDP to no avail and sadly our dear President allowed the hawks within the Presidency and PDP Leadership to convince him to abort our last Sunday’s meeting that would have brought a lasting peace to

our party which the PDP leadership under Alhaji Bamanga

Tukur frustrated, so we have no other option than to formally announce the death and burial of PDP. Day and night we cried out, begging whoever loved PDP to join us to rescue the party from imminent doom but we were conveniently ignored and abused.

Just last night, we issued the last in a series of passionate appeals to PDP Elders to take urgent steps to save the troubled party in the face of their unbelievable silence in the face of the chain of developments instigated by factional National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, which has put the party at the edge of the precipice.

Now, we have reached the

stage that we can only say: “PDP, your sinking ship has been abandoned to you! You brought this misfortune upon yourself, now you must bear it alone!”

As for us, we are happy to belong to the APC, where our value is appreciated, where we are made to feel truly wanted, and where we can now join forces with like minds in our struggle to liberate Nigeria from PDP’s misrule, which is soon to end.

Among those at the yesterday historical merger meeting were APC leader and former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande; Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso: former Kwara governor and serving senator, Bukola Saraki; former Nasarawa

governor and serving senator, Abdullahi Adamu; former Bayelsa governor, Timipre Sylva; and Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako.

Others were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari; Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi; National Secretary of the PDP, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Abia governor, Ogbonnaya Onu; former PDP vice chairman, Sam Jaja; Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed; and Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu.

Meanwhile, in a swift reaction last night, the two PDP Governors of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu and Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, dissociated themselves from the merger, thus signalling a set-back.

focused to build our party because a lot of people are waiting for this moment.

“A lot of people in the APC have contacted me severally that they want to come back to PDP. ‘They said they were just waiting for what happened today to happen, and to us, it is a good development,’’ he said.

Gulak, however, said if the group decided to return to the PDP fold, they would be welcomed back.

“We are talking about peace

and reconciliation as an ongoing process.

“If they go outside there like those that went there before them and taste that the outside there is empty they are always welcomed back home like we did before,’’ he said.

Adams Oshiomhole of APC, was also at the Presidential Villa shortly after the announcement of the merger.

The governor, who did not spend up to 30 minutes in the Villa, declined to speak with the newsmen.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that your prayers and suggestions have been largely responsible for the rapid development that is taking place in the state. I also want to thank the Chiefs and to everyone and say welldone”, she said.

The Governor’s mother also paid a visit to the Queens in their harem where she thanked them for their care for the Governor.

Oloi Esther Erediauwa who responded on behalf of

governor is doing and thanked God for what He is using him to do for the state.

She urged Hajia Oshiomhole “to keep praying for him (Governor). What he is doing, he is not doing it for himself but he is doing it for everybody”, she said.

Other women on the entourage were Mrs Blakky Omoregie, market women leader, Women Leader in Ikpoba Okha, Madam Philomena, Mrs Esohe Adams, among others.

... Presidency not threatened Continued from page 1 nothing, it is empty. PDP is the only party,’’ he said.

He added that the party and the presidency welcomed the development because it would end the distractions that had been going on.

“For a long time, I have said it that their hearts have not been in PDP. It is good that they have told the world that they have taken a stand so that PDP will not be distracted.

“PDP as a party will be

Benin Monarch urges continued prayers Continued from page 1 for peace the queens acknowledged the good works that the

motherly disposition and care for the governor.

Earlier, Hajia Aishetu Oshiomhole said she went to pay homage to the royal father for taking the Governor as his son and for offering him quality advice which have helped in moving the state forward.

She said: “I am here to greet you for all you have been doing for the governor.

I want to thank you for your prayers, for your cooperation and royal advice that you have always given him.

EDHA lifts suspension on Uhunmwode chairman

Continued from page 1 Osarinmwenda Ajayi be sacked with immediate effect while his services are not to be engaged by the council in any capacity due to his misconduct at the Chambers of Council’s legislative arm.

The adoption of the resolution lifting the suspension of Hon. Alari is sequel to the consideration of the report of Adhoc Committee set up to investigate the alleged invasion of the chambers of the council legislative arm by thugs allegedly supporting Hon. Alari.

Parliament, while considering the five point findings and two recommendations of the Adhoc committee, noted that it was the impeachment of the leader of the Uhunmwode Legisative arm that went awry, an indication that there was fracas at the legislative chamber of the council.

The report also revealed that Mr. Ajayi, a special assistant to Hon. Alari was the culprit who had incurred the wrath of his boss, earning him a suspension for a period of two months without pay for his unruly behaviour.

The report further stated that Hon Alari was not present at the scene of the incident neither at the premises of the

council secretariat on the said day, hence, the committee recommends that the suspension on Hon. Alari be lifted while Ajayi be sacked.

Parliament adopting the recommendation with an amendment that the authorities of Uhunmwode local government council be mandated to disengage the services of Mr. Ajayi in

Oshiomhole assures NYSC of support Continued from page 1 all school principals and other Corps’ employers to be on ground to receive corps members posted to their establishment with a view to ensuring that they are accommodated and adequately taken care of.

Governor Oshiomhole urged the corps members to feel free with the good people of Edo State who are by

nature friendly, accommodating and very hospitable as they settle down in their various places of primary assignment.

He advised them to guard against vices such as truancy, absenteeism, disobedience, lawlessness and other forms of misconduct and adhere to the lesson of selfless service and humility which they learnt during the orientation course.

whatever capacity so as to serve as a deterrent for abusing the sanctity of the legislative chambers.

The lawmakers however frowned at the conduct of the members of the Uhunmwode legislative arm who had appeared in one of the television stations in the state, accusing Hon. Alari of unlawful invasion of the chambers of the legislative arm of the council but however denied their action before the adhoc committee.

Furthermore, Hon. Peter Aliu who expressed dissatisfaction with the action of some members of the Uhunmwode Legislative arm, called for sanction on them, saying that they can not fool the people. However, the Speaker, Hon. Uyi Igbe appealed to the Lawmakers not to impose sanctions on the members of the Uhunmwode Legislative arm but should let their conscience be the judge in the matter.

Neighbourhood Watch not scrapped - Ihonvbere

By KEN ABU BENIN CITY - Secretary to Edo State Government, Prof.

Julius Ihonvbere has clarified that the Neighbourhood Watch Committee, has not been scrapped but only disbanded so as to allow for the restructuring of its various units for effective protection and security of property and lives in the state.

Prof. Julius Ihonvbere stated this at the Chambers of the State House of Assembly while presenting his briefs on the activities of the State Government and agencies on the implementation of the year 2013 appropriation law as part of the on-going ministerial briefing.

He disclosed that out of the sum of N2.2billion approved for the Directorate of Government and Protocol for the year under review, the

sum of N1.6billion has been expended, while the sum of N877.8 million has been expended from the sum of N1.5billion approved for the office of the Governor in the 2013 Appropriation Law. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere also informed parliament of the appointment of Mr. Jerry Obazele as the new Head of Service while assuring that a formal letter would be forwarded to parliament for approval.

In the same vein, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Aihanuwa Eregie presented her briefs to parliament, where she expressed resolve of government to enhance health facilities in the state.

She stated that the ministry has so far generated the sum of N31.8 million out of the N52.1 million target of the ministry as Internally Generate Revenue (IGR) in the 2013 appropriation Law.

Transport Ministry, Egor partner on traffic control

BENIN CITY - Edo State Ministry of Transport and Egor Local Government have formed a synergy to extend the newly enthroned vehicular traffic decorum to all the roads in Benin City.

This came to the fore when the Commissioner, Ambassador Orobosa OmoOjo(JP) led the Ministry’s management team and heads of para-military agencies under the ministry on a visit to Egor Local Government Council, where he met with people of the locality at the Council Secretarial, Uselu, Benin City yesterday.

According to Ambassador Omo-Ojo, there is a remarkable difference in the vehicular traffic in the metropolis since he assumed office few days ago, hence he has come to seek the support of the council in order to extend the horizon of control over street- trading so as to ensure free-flow of vehicular traffic in the area.

He appealed to the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Victor Enobakhare to ensure that the council revenue collectors do not connive with traders to perpetrate streettrading by displaying their wares for sale on the walkways, while urging him to

construct a vehicle parking lot close to the Uselu Market for motorists especially as the council could generate reasonable revenue from it.

Commending the Egor Council boss for being a leader in a hurry to deliver good governance to the people of the area, the Commissioner also encouraged him to extend his good will to the needs of the ministry.

Responding, the Chairman of Egor Local Government Council, Hon Victor Enobakhare said the council and the ministry were partners in progress and gave assurance that the council would ensure free flow of traffic in the area.

He emphasised the need to educate motor traffic control agents to always apply wisdom and caution while on duty, stressing that such agents should control vehicular movement in order to avoid chaotic traffic rather than waiting for any motorist to default before going into action.

Hon. Enobakhare however commended the commissioner for being pro-active and introducing innovation for the smooth flow of traffic.

The commissioner and his team had before the visit embarked on a walk along Uselu-Lagos road to control vehicular traffic.

Police Corporal shoots Inspector to death

By MIKE OSAROGIAGBON BENIN CITY – An enraged police corporal has allegedly gunned down an Inspector in Benin City.

Another Police Corporal was said to have been seriously wounded during the shooting.

Though it could not be ascertained at press time yesterday, whether the police Corporal ran amok or acted under the influence of alcohol, source disclosed that he is on the run with the loaded police rifle.

The unfortunate incident occurred at Wahala Street, off Benin – Agbor Road, Oregbeni, Benin City, at about 8:06pm on Monday night.

Neither his division, Oregbeni Police Division, nor the State Police Headquarters, Benin City knew why the killer Police Corporal acted so dastardly as sources disclosed that he fled without a word or note.

They were said to be on patrol when the ugly incident occurred.

It was learnt that members of the embattled patrol team were

said to be en-rapport when they left their division.

Another version of the episode revealed that the late Inspector was on his way to his duty post at a bank in Benin-Agbor Road when he was shot dead by the Corporal.

The killer policeman was said to have swiftly boarded a passenger vehicle in which his fellow corporal coincidentally was.

It was further stated that when the innocent Corporal alighted from the bus and demanded for his change from the driver, the killer corporal thinking that his colleague is aware of his misdeed, shot at him and commanded the driver to zoom off the scene.

The corpse of the late Inspector identified simply as Ayinla from Gombe State has been deposited in an undisclosed hospital while the wounded Corporal is said to be receiving medical attention at the same hospital.

Contacted, the spokesman, Edo Police Command, DSP Moses Eguavoen stated that his office is yet to be briefed of the sad incident.

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

News

CSR: Community Protest Neglect By

By ESTHER JOSEPH/ years now.

Oil Coy BEAUTY OBAMWONYI BENIN CITY -The Orogho Community for Youth Development Association in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State has called on the government to urgently address the negligence of host communities by Seplat Petroleum Development Company.

The call was made by the

secretary of the group, Mr. Omoruyi Osagie, yesterday during a protest march to the State House of Assembly.

According to Mr. Osagie, urgent attention should be given by all levels of government to address the negligence of the social responsibility of Seplat Petroleum Development Company which has operated in the area for two

BENIN CITY- The rate and level of development in any community can be attributed to the State of Security as well as the protection of lives and properties within the community.

A prominent youth activist and Chairman of Ulemon Community Development Association, Iyekogba-Oredo Ward 2, Comrade Julius Iredia Adun, made the assertion while reacting to the spate of violence, killings and destruction of properties in some communities in recent times. He maintained that violence and shedding of blood is an evil which retards

the peace and progress of the people.

Comrade Adun commended Governor Adams Oshiomhole for his developmental strides and urged him to prevail on the authorities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC), to complete the asphalting of lyekogba Road, while calling on property owners in Ulemon Town to remove blocks, sands and stones on the right of way as grading and maintenance of earth roads will soon commence towards complementing the rural/urban transformation agenda of the present administration. He

By RAYMOND OSOGBE

palace Chiefs in council, while requesting for royal blessing from the monarch.

Praying on behalf of the Oba, Chief Amos Osunbor, called on God and the ancestors to guide and sustain the Governor to enable him complete the good works he has started.

In the same vein, the monarch expressed gratitude to the Governor’s mother for the good works the governor is doing in the state and charged her to pray ceaselessly for the success of her son.

The Governor’s mother also visited the Oba’s Queens.

She was accompanied to the palace by Mrs. Modinor Emovon, APC Edo State woman leader, and other party members.

He said, “we don’t have any of our indigenous contractor on the Seplat list or contract and indigenous contractor should be patronized”.

He therefore urged the government to prevail on the company to provide basic amenities and infrastructural facilities for the community as well as put a stop to oppressive tendency in the community.

Ulemon Community Leader Tasks NDDC On Completion Of Iyekogba Road Project

admonished Edo People to be peace-loving and law-abiding, in order to attract investors and development to their areas in particular, and Edo State in general.

Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, CFR (left) receives Hajia Aishetu Oshiomhole, mother of Governor Adams Oshiomhole during a courtesy visit of the Governor’s mother to the royal father in his palace yesterday.

Man Charges FG, States On Made In Nigeria Goods

By INNOCENT OMOAKA BENIN CITYThe Manufactures Association of Nigeria (MAN) has tasked both

the federal and state government to implement policies that encourage the patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods.

The call was made by the

National Vice President (West ) of MAN, Dr. Lazarus Asimonye during the association’s General Meeting in Benin City.

Dr. Asimonye however,

Governor’s Mother Enlist Public Support In Appreciating Oba Erediauwa

BENIN CITY – Hajia Aishetu Oshiomhole, mother of Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday enlisted members of the public to join her thank the Benin Monarch, for his tenacious support and prayer for his son, Governor Oshiomhole.

She made this position while addressing the Benin Monarch during her courtesy visit to the palace.

Hajia Aishetu appreciated the monarch for what she referred to as wonderful support for Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

She summarized the support as “constant prayers and councelling”.

She expressed gratitude to the

Oloi Esther Erediauwa, wife of the Oba of Benin (left) and Hajia Aishetu Oshiomhole, mother of Governor Adams Oshiomhole during a courtesy visit of the Governor’s mother to the royal father in his palace yesterday.

highlighted the challenges facing industries to include the lack of commitment on the part of government to encourage industrialization and making it impossible for made-in-Nigeria goods to strive.

He added, “lack of policy frame work to stimulate growth in industrailisation has encourage infrastructural decay”.

He called on both federal and state government to develop industrial zones in various towns, in addition to effective provision of roads, power and other amenities that would encourage industrailisation.

In addition, he called on government agencies to adopt good fiscal policies, continuous financial support system and industry protection policy.

The Edo/Delta Chairman of MAN, Humphery Masodje in his remarks called for the implementation of strengthen made-in-Nigeria products as well as contribute to the transformation of states into major industrial economy, that is market Oriented, technological and private sector driven and with government providing the enabling environment.

Hw charged state government to sign into law its state industrial policy as a document that would serve as policy guidance for the states government and other stakeholders.

Edo Technology Day: The Simba Infrastructure Experience

BENIN CITY - Simba Infrastructure participated in the 2013 annual Edo State Technology fair, an event that serves as a premium stakeholder platform bringing together policy makers, industry players, technology experts, innovators and investors, to share ideas and experiences.

Simba Infrastructure supports the drive of the

Edo State government under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to explore opportunities and strategies for the utilization of technology, and charting the way forward on how best to mainstream technology in governance and its development process.

This year’s theme of the fair was: Fostering

Governance with Technology. The Keynote address was delivered by Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication and Technology with Mr. Hakeem Bello-Osagie, Chairman Etisalat, as chairman of the event.

The fair provided ample opportunity for Simba Infrastructure to collaborate with the Edo State

Government to showcase ICT and its many applications for both government and private establishment.

Simba Infrastructure, a major player in IP Based communication, leveraged on the event to bring to the fore the endless possibilities and inherent advantages in the latest communication and data switching solutions

from Avaya.

Simba Infrastructure is an Avaya Business Partner.

Avaya is the world leader in IP Telephony for office and branch communication, Call Centre and Video Conferencing Solution.

Avaya has recently acquired Nortel, a world leader in Data Switch Solution and is now offering lifetime warranties to

prospective clients for Avaya switches.

Simba Infrastructure, currently, one of the organization with fully accredited Avaya engineers for Unified Communications solution and with up to six years experience in the deployment of Avaya’s cutting edge communication.

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

News Firewood Vendors Record High Sales In Jigawa HADEJIA (JIGAWA) Firewood sellers in Hadejia, Jigawa, are recording huge sales due to high demand of the commodity in the area.

Scarcity and high cost of kerosene and other sources of energy have compelled most families to rely on firewood for domestic use.

Firewood that is usually outsourced from tree felling, is a popular commodity among the residents due to its cheaper prices, in spite of its negative impacts on the environment.

Checks in Hadejia showed that high cost of kerosene, coupled with its growing demand, attracted many people into the trade.

A litre of kerosene is sold at N175 at the ‘black market’ outlets while prices of firewood have also shot up by about 50 per cent in the last few weeks.

A bunch of firewood is sold at N100 as against N50, while a measure of charcoal sells for N150 as against its previous price of N100.

Malam Aminu Dauda, a

firewood vendor, said the trade was lucrative, adding that vendors were enjoying appreciable patronage.

“I am making good sales; prices will further go up as the cold season sets in,” Dauda said.

Alhaji Muntari Buhari, a resident, said he used firewood due to its cheaper prices, in spite of its cumbersome processes.

“Unlike kerosene, firewood is cheaper and readily available,” Buhari said.

Mr. Ahmed Abubakar, an environmentalist, decried indiscriminate felling of trees, saying that the trend was

depleting forest resources and ravaging the ecosystem.

Abubakar said urgent measures were necessary to check the trend, to control desert encroachment, erosion and protect the environment.

He urged the Federal Government to adopt practical measures to ensure adequate distribution of kerosene and development of alternative sources of energy at the grassroots.

Reports say that hundreds of hectares of forest resources have been depleted through tree felling in spite of the desert encroachment ravaging the area.

ABA (ABIA) - The inaugural President, Eastern Nigeria Union Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Dr Bassey Udoh, has called on the Church to pray actively, for the success and participate in the proposed National Conference.

Udoh made the call in Aba in an interview with newsmen.

He said that through fervent prayers and encouraging Godfearing members to participate, the outcome of the conference would be enriched.

The Cleric added that the participation of “the Church of Jesus Christ in Nigeria”, would ensure enrich outcome and a

L-R: Director, Citizen Right, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Omotilewa Ibirogba, Component Manager, Justice for All, Nigeria, Jeff Ansell, Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Wale Oke and Representative of Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Risikat Akinyode, at the inauguration of Mirabel Centre in Lagos recently.

Cleric Urges Members To Pray, Participate In Nat’l Confab result-oriented application of the outcome of the conference.

“The role of the Church would be to pray for our leaders, and encourage our members in the political class to participate actively and do their best.

“A national conference is okay because it will give the peoples of Nigeria the opportunity to come together and say their minds and make their inputs for a better and progressive country.

“They say impression without expression leads to depression.

People are depressed because they are not allowed to express themselves. Let them express their impression and things will be better for the country,” Udoh said.

He, however, warned that the

country would be wasting scarce resources if it convened such a conference and the outcome was ignored.

The inaugural President urged government to incorporate the outcome into laws and policies to build the nation better.

“We are saying that it has become a tradition for us to have a lot of conferences and congresses and nothing is done about them.

“There are many people who have positive ideas to improve the status of Nigeria and Nigerians. Let us listen to them and make good use of the inputs given”.

He said the elevation of the

Seventh - day Adventist (SDA), Church Eastern Nigeria zone; from a Union Mission to a Union Conference, was in recognition of the zone’s progress over the years.

Udoh added that the elevation of the church in the zone, from a union mission to a union conference, showed that it had matured to help others with financial and human resources.

The cleric said that the new position also meant a higher responsibility for the church.

“We want to do more through God’s power, pray more through Gods power. We would want to improve our people and our workforce and our membership through God’s grace”.

NASS Expresses Willingness To Promote Cultural Carnivals

The former Commissioner for Oil and Gas and now Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo (middle), in a handshake with his sucessor Hon. Isimeme Iriogbe former Commissioner for Transport during the official hand over ceremony. With them is the Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr. Dan. Aigbavbua (left). Photo: BEN IBIZUGBE.

ABUJA - The National Assembly has expressed its willingness to promote cultural carnivals in Nigeria so as to boost the country’s economic growth and development.

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, said this in Abuja at the ongoing Abuja International Carnival.

He said that the National

FRSC Adopts New Strategies To Reduce Road Crashes KADUNA - The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said it has adopted new strategies to reduce crashes during the ember months.

The Kaduna State Sector Commander, Mr. Mike Olagunji disclosed this during the inauguration of “Operation Total Forces on Road Crashes’’ in Kaduna.

The operation, according to him, which would be anchored in collaboration with the state NDLEA, would test motorists to ensure they

were free from any harmful substance, before embarking on their journey.

He said they have deployed 200 marshals and 75 officers for 22-hour routine patrols to monitor speed and driving compliance to traffic rules by motorist.

“During the operation, we will make sure all offenders are documented and enlightened on the dangers of over speeding”, he said.

Olagunji said the patrol would cover Kaduna-Abuja,

adding that the road marshals would be stationed at Kakau toll gate, Alheri camp and Katari.

He said similar patrols would be conducted on Kaduna- Kachia- Kafanchan road.

“We want to reduce car crashes to the barest minimum this December, especially night journey which is a challenge on our roads and we hope all drivers will cooperate with us”, he said.

The corps commander advised road users to avoid over speeding, over loading, use of mobile phones while driving and wrong over taking, as they are major causes of road accidents.

He reminded motorists that only the living celebrates, and urged drivers to reduce their speed so as to save peoples’ lives.

Reports say that the 52-day operation will run from November 25 to January 15, 2014.

Assembly was ready to partner with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation to promote national carnivals.

Tambuwal noted that the Abuja carnival had engendered global attention and influx of tourists, adding that the National Assembly’s partnership would further boost the country’s tourism potential.

“We are ready to partner with the ministry to boost the tourism potential of the country.

“The sector has a huge potential to contribute immensely to the development of the national economy,’’ he said.

Tambuwal noted that the Abuja carnival promoted unity, peace and harmony in the country, with the different states showcasing their cultural potential.

Earlier, Chief Edem Duke, the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, said that the sector ought to be elevated to become part of the major contributors to the growth of the economy.

He said that currently, tourism currently generated about four per cent of the country’s income.

The minister, however, said that the culture and tourism sector was one of the top four sectors that contributed to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“There are lots of prospects in the sector that needed to be harnessed for economy development.

“Tourism is the second largest sector of the economy in the world,’’ he said.

Duke said that the carnival would boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings, adding that it also had helped in repositioning and transforming the culture and tourism sector.

“Abuja carnival is a selling point in marketing and showcasing the country’s tourism and cultural potential to the world,’’ he added.

Duke said that the carnival would also boost the country’s tourism potential; while making Nigeria one of the preferred tourist destinations in world.

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

News Oshiomhole’s Aide Loses Mother FUGAR - The remains of Chief (Mrs.) Scholastica Alice Musa who passed on

Late Chief (Mrs) Alice Musa

September 3, 2013 will be interred Friday, November 29, 2013 at Iraokho, Etsako Central Council, Edo State.

Thanks giving service takes place Sunday, December 1, 2013 at St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Iraokho at 8:300am.

Chief (Mrs.) Scholastica Musa who passed on at the age of 80 during a protracted illness is survived by many children and grand children, among whom is Mr. Ebomhiana Musa, Senior Special Assistant (Media) to Comrade Adam Oshiomole of Edo State.

Trad Ruler Commends EDSG Devt:

BY JOEL CHUKWUAGHONIM OTTAH - A traditional ruler in Ottah Igbanke in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, H.R.H (Dr.) Julius Chukwuyem Isitor, the Enogie of Ottah (Igbanke) has commended the Edo State government Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for its tireless effort in ensuring that democracy dividend go to the grassroot.

He also thanked the Edo State Governor for the 2.5km road contract awarded in Igbanke community, particularly Ottah. Oligie community has not benefited in road construction, as a way of having a sense of belonging.

He appealed to the contractor handling the project to expedite actions for quick completion of the job.

H.R.H (Dr.) Isitor who made the call in the palace with THE NIGERIA OBSERVER said the comrade governor has tried in the area of distribution of democracy dividend across the state. As he has also approved the renovation of the General Hospital in Igbanke community.

He thanked the Ottah youths (Ikoro) for their meaningful contributions towards the development of Ottah community.

Also thanked the Ottah Community Chief for their meaningful assistance to the community.

President Goodluck Jonathan (right) receiving letter of credence from the high commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria, Dr. Peingeonjabi Shipo at the Presidential Villa Abuja yesterday. With them is the Supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri.

Abia Airport For Commissioning By May UMUAHIA- The Abia Emeka Ananaba, has already airport and felt it can embark 2015 Commissioner for Transport, received land offers from on the project,” he only said.

Chief Ikechukwu Emesobum, more than seven communities Emesobum advised the yesterday said an airport would be constructed in the state before May 29, 2015.

Emesobum told newsmen in Umuahia that all the formalities for the acquisition of land and other preliminary arrangements to get the site ready had been completed.

He said the location would soon be announced to the public.

“A committee, under the chairmanship of the Abia Deputy Governor, Chief

across the state.

“Because the people love and welcome the idea, they are willing to offer their lands and government is making its choice based on the template for the establishment of an airport,” the commissioner said.

He said further that Abia had met all the requirements for the construction of the airport.

Emesobum said the proximity of the airports in

challenges are in the areas of inadequate fire-fighting machines and other equipment critical for our job.

“More fire stations should be created in the 13 local government areas (LGAs) of the state for efficient service delivery,” Nkpuma said.

He said the unit had embarked on public enlightenment campaigns on the prevention of fire incidents.

The director called on residents to always put off electrical appliances while leaving their homes and offices.

Owerri, Port Harcourt and Enugu does not invalidate the viability of an airport in Abia.

“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has basic set standards for the construction of an airport and, by all the considerations, Abia is qualified,” he said.

The commissioner however did not reveal the total cost of the project.

“The state government has already considered the financial implications of the

Abakaliki Records 108 Infernos ABAKALIKIThe Director of Fire Service in Ebonyi, Mr Simon Nkpuma, on Monday in Abakaliki said the state capital recorded 108 fire incidents between January and November, 2013.

Nkpuma told newsmen that the timely intervention of the organisation through rapid response to distress calls had averted colossal damage from the incidents.

“Between January and November, our office has received no fewer than 108 fire calls from different parts of the city and its environs.

“Through the rapid response by our officers, we were able to contain the incidents with less degree of damage and only four lives lost from them,” Nkpuma said.

He said the service had also enhanced the capacity of its personnel through training and retraining.

The director, however, called for adequate firefighting equipment, saying the efforts of the service were greatly hampered by lack of modern equipment.

He also called for adequate funding to enable the organisation improve upon its service delivery.

“We have enough manpower to execute our mandate and serve the public better.

“But our greatest

He also appealed to landlords and tenants to keep fire extinguishers in their apartments.

“As we enter into another fire season, it is pertinent we utilise various fire outbreak prevention tips to avert fire disasters,” he said.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle inspecting guard of honour mounted by the Nigerian Army when he came to present his letter of Credence to President Goodluck Joanthan at the Presidential Villa Abuja yesterday.

people of the state to have faith in the administration of Governor Theodore Orji, adding that they would not be disappointed in the long run.

Late Williams Igbinovia For Burial Nov 29

By INNOCENT OMOAKA

BENIN CITY - The funeral of Late Williams Aigbeosuria Igbinovia (aka Dj Sexy Bele) has been fixed for Friday, November 29, 2013 in Benin City.

In a statement signed by his son, Ikpomwosa Williams Igbinovia, the remains of the late Igbinovia will leave Suyi Hospital to his residence at No. 5, Osagie Street, Off St. Saviour Road in Benin City same day, for service of songs in his honour by 9.00am.

The statement added that the service of songs will be followed immediately with the interment of his remains at the same residence.

Late Williams Igbinovia

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

South-West Unveil Killers Of Osun Monarch, Lawmaker Urges Police

EJIGBO (OSUN) - The Speaker of Osun House of Assembly, Mr Najeem Salaam, has called on security operatives to arrest the hoodlums who killed Oba Adeshina Anibijuwon, the traditional ruler of Ilashe in Osun Salaam made the call while speaking with newsmen in Ejigbo, Osun.

He also urged the police to ensure the release of an industrialist, Mrs. Yinka Obaleye, who was kidnapped in the state by hoodlums.

It would be recalled that the assailants had on November 21, invaded the palace of the 80-yearold Anibijuwon, and strangled him before setting his palace on fire.

As for Obaleye, she was abducted by hoodlums in Ilesha on November 20.

The speaker, who described the two incidents as shocking, urged the police to get to the root of the matter as fast as possible. “‘This is an ugly incident and least expected in the state.

“Despite the effort of the government to secure the lives and properties of its citizenry, some people are still bent on destroying the peaceful

atmosphere in the state. “‘The killing and burning of the monarch’s palace is against Yoruba’s tradition, and it is indeed strange and unbelievable.

“This incident is very sad and unfortunate; the people behind it

must be made to face the wrath of the law,’’ he said.

He called on the

Commissioner of Police in the state, the Director of State Security Service and other security operatives to get to the

President Goodluck Jonathan in a handshake with Prof. Jerry Gana who led a team of Foreign Investors to the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.

Rape: 2 Men Docked ABEOKUTA - Two men, Muyideen Jubril and Lanre Sofela, who allegedly raped a teenager at night, have appeared before an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court sitting at Isabo.

The police charged Jubril and Sofela, aged 23 and 22 respectively, with raping a 17year-old.

The Prosecutor, Insp Sunday Eigbejiale, told the court that the accused committed the offences on November 8 at Ago Oko in Abeokuta.

“They convinced the girl that they will take her home on their

root of the matter. “‘They should ensure the arrest and prosecution of those who perpetrated this evil acts to serve as a deterrent to others,”

Salaam said.

The speaker, however, said the government would not relent in its effort to eradicate crime in the state.

Help Rehabilitate ExConvicts, Judge Pleads With Lawyers IBADAN - Justice Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo, the presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division, has advised lawyers to take active part in the rehabilitation of their clients who had become ex-convicts.

Obaseki-Adejumo said this while delivering judgment in a case of 11 Indian hemp sellers who were sentenced to various jail terms at the court sitting at Adeoyo in Ibadan.

Reports say that drug-related cases have been on the increase in recent times in the law courts.

This had generated many reactions on the solution to be employed in tackling the menace.

Obaseki-Adejumo said the society was experiencing an upsurge in hard drugs-related crimes because most of the criminals were jobless.

“When the convicts complete the jail terms, lawyers who are their counsel do not do a follow-

up on how they are positively reabsorbed into the society,’’ she said.

The judge further stated that lawyers should not only be concerned about their pockets, but should also fulfill the duty of helping in the reformation of convicts.

“As partners in social reformation, you have the duty to help rehabilitate ex-convicted drug addicts and Indian hemp traders by helping to provide lawful trades for them,’’ she said.

Obaseki-Adejumo said the exconvicts would not go back to their old bad ways when they were empowered and gainfully employed.

“The court has encouraged the Nigerian Prisons Service to provide convicts with trade and vocational training before the completion of their respective jail terms,’’ she said.

bike; on their way, they blindfolded her with a piece of cloth and raped her,” he said.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 516, 357 and 358 of the Criminal Law of Ogun, 2006.

The court did not take the pleas of the accused because they did not have legal counsel.

The Magistrate, Mr Matins Akinyemi, however, granted them bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each.

Akinyemi adjourned the case to February 13, 2014 for mention.

Man, 26, Imprisoned For Drug Trafficking ADO-EKITI - A Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced one Ayodeji Ogunsanya, 26, to one year in prison for dealing in 1.5 kilogrammes of Indian hemp.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Adamu Hobon, sentenced the convict without an option of fine.

“In considering his case and age, his sentence will run from the very day he was arrested.

“I have considered the accused person’s plea of guilt alongside the exhibits presented by the prosecution and I find him guilty as charged and convicted thereof.

“He is hereby sentenced to one year in prison without an option of fine to serve as deterrent to like-minded individuals,” Hobon said.

Mr Iliya Waji, the Counsel to the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),

told the court earlier that the convict was caught with 1.5 kilogrammes of Indian hemp.

He said the convict was arrested on June 25 at Oke-Ila area of Ado-Ekiti.

The NDLEA counsel said the offence contravened Section 11(C) of NDLEA’s Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Waji presented to the court, the bulk of the unanalysed substance and the confessional statement made by the accused.

He also presented the certificate of test analysis, a request for Scientific X-ray and a drug analysis report, which he said confirmed the substance to be Indian hemp.

Reports say that the convict, who pleaded guilty to the charges, was not represented by any counsel, but prayed for leniency.

Cross section of Investors during a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Monday.

JABU To Graduate 366 Students

IKEJI-ARAKEJI (OSUN) Prof. Sola Fajana, the Vice Chancellor, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), IkejiArakeji, Osun State, said that 366 students would be conferred with degrees at the university’s 4th convocation.

Fajana told newsmen in an interview at Ikeji-Arakeji, during the unveiling of programmes for the convocation slated for November 25 to November 30.

He disclosed that 12 graduating students made first Class, 104 students in Second Class Upper division, 207 in second Class Lower division while 44 students made third Class.

He said that the university runs 44 academic programmes in architecture, humanities, natural science, civil engineering, social science and management as well as entrepreneurship among others.

Fajana, who noted that all the courses were accredited by the National University Commission (NUC), said cultism was not in JABU due to the high level of discipline maintained by the university authorities.

“We have professional accreditation in architecture, accountancy, insurance, building technology and estate management.

“Architect Registration

Council of Nigeria has just approved automatic professional membership for our graduates,’’ Fajana said.

According to the VC, the private institution is making impact on students, communities and the state particularly in the entrepreneurship training programme for self-employment and eradication of poverty in the society.

Fajana said the university was in training agreement in agriculture with the Osun State Government under its “O YES’’ programme to tentatively train 20,000 people in entrepreneurship, while Ekiti State Government had indicated

interest.

“In terms of intellectual achievement, JABU is big because the university is blessed with intellectuals; our studentteacher ratio is 1 – 6; our graduates have been doing very well outside; we have good welfare package for staff, apart from prompt payment of salary,’’ Fajana said.

The Acting Director of Academic Planning, Dr Kehinde Eniola, also told newsmen that JABU graduated 203 students at its first convocation, 309 at the second , 215 at the third session.

JABU is owned by the Christ Apostolic Church worldwide.

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Lagos Scam: Court Remands IKEJA - An Ikeja High Man

L-R: Manager, Deep Water Esso Exploration and Production, Nigeria, Mr. Goodluck Adagbasa; Head, Department of Geology, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Dr. Akaha Tse and representative of UNIPORT Vice Chancellor, Prof. Etiebet Nduka, at the inauguration of laboratory at the Department of Geology, UNIPORT on Monday.

Court has ordered that Nifemi Ayinla, 23, be remanded in prison custody, pending the hearing and determination of his bail application, fixed for December 2.

Justice Kudirat Jose, gave the order after Ayinla was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, charged with defrauding Ms Gina McCoy, an American woman of $25,000.

Ayinla, who lives at No. 115, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, is facing a four-count charge of possession of false documents and obtaining money by false pretences.

The EFCC counsel, Mr Taqiyudeen Aribi, alleged that the accused had committed the offences between January and May in Ikeja.

Aribi alleged that Ayinla had claimed to be Andrew

EFCC Re-Arraigns Fund Manager Over N390m Fraud

IKEJA - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) rearraigned a fund manager, Segun Bright, at an Ikeja High Court, charged with N390 million fraud.

Bright, 36, is facing a 21count charge, bothering on stealing before Justice Olutoyin Ipaye.

Reports say that the accused was previously

arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru on July 18, 2012.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge and the judge granted him bail in the sum of three million naira with two sureties in like sum.

The re-arraignment was

necessitated by the elevation of Abiru to the Court of Appeal, and the matter was subsequently, transferred to Ipaye.

The EFCC Counsel, Mr Abba Mohammed, said that Bright collected N390 million

Doctor Has Case To LAGOS A Yaba Answer - Court Magistrate’s Court in Lagos Murder:

held that a 35-year-old Medical Doctor, Edeye Monday, had a case to answer over his alleged murder of a 22-year-old pregnant woman, Tolani Aderoju.

The Police Prosecutor, Insp. Godwin Anyanwun, while arraigning Monday in court on July 31, 2012, said the accused on May 29, 2012, injected Aderoju with some unknown drugs, while attempting to abort her pregnancy.

The prosecutor had told the court that Aderoju’s mother, in her complain, said her daughter had informed her that she was pregnant for one Mufutau Alonge.

She said that Alonge had taken her daughter to Monday’s private clinic for an abortion.

According to the prosecutor, the accused, after injecting Aderoju with drugs, but could not terminate the

pregnancy, rushed her to another hospital, where she died.

Anyanwun said that the offence contravened Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, and that the penalty was a death sentence.

But the court adjourned the matter till November 25 to await the advice of the State Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) on the matter, while it ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, the Magistrate, Mrs Adekorede Ajibade, said: “a murder case has been established against the accused.

“Consequently, his case will be transferred to a court of superior record”.

She said that legal advice from the DPP had established a prima facie case of unlawful killing against the accused.

Ajibade consequently ordered that the case file be transferred to the High Court, for trial.

from 40 people between January and December, 2010 at Abule Egba, a Lagos suburb.

Mohammed said that the accused, through his company, Wexford Global Resources Ltd., had committed the offences by floating an investment company.

He said that Bright collected various sums, ranging from N10,000 to N615,000 from different people with the promise to reinvest the funds for high returns.

The prosecutor named those

swindled as Mr Toyin Peter, Mr Afolabi Oluwaseun, Mr Amos Ogunsanwo, the Rev. Olusoji Adegboyega and Mrs Victoria Salako.

He said that the offences committed by Bright contravened Sections 383 (1), and (9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

Reports also say that the offence of stealing attracts a minimum of seven years imprisonment, if an accused is convicted.

Bright, again, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The judge permitted him to enjoy the bail terms granted him by Abiru and adjourned the matter till January 15, 2014 for trial.

Health official administering vitamin ‘A’ to a young lady during a health week in Gombe on Monday.

Edmund, an Italian American businessman, to defraud McCoy, through an internet love scam.

He said Ayinla had obtained $25,000 from McCoy, under the guise of using it to finish his project in Nigeria, where he claimed to be on a business trip.

The prosecutor said the accused also had in his possession, documents containing false pretences, with numerous fraudulent scam e-mails, addressed to McCoy. According to him, Ayinla’s alleged offences contravened Sections 1(1), (a), (3) and 6 (6) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.

Reports say that the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

NGO Plans Science Festival LAGOS NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO), Home Edutainment Network, is set to host a science practical training festival that would address lack of interest in research by students.

In a statement issued in Lagos, in which the NGO said that the festival, to take place at the Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, would stimulate interest in science from the primary school level.

It said that pupils and students would be the major participants at the event slated to hold from November 27 to November 29.

According to the NGO, the event will highlight the Lagos State Government’s Energy Conservation Initiative by training participants on energy conservation, using household items.

It said that students who registered for the festival before its commencement would be trained free.

It said that the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, would be the special guest of honour at the event expected to produce ‘scientific stars‘.

Home Edutainment Network said that participants at the festival could win part of the N1.5 billion research fund set aside by the Lagos State Government.

The NGO said that the research fund was set aside for creation of innovations and proffering of solutions in science.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

North Military Transformation On Course - Ihejirika KADUNA - The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.- Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, says the transformation of the military for efficient service delivery, is on course.

Ihejirika gave the assurance at the opening of the 2013 Convention of Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSM), in Kaduna.

Represented by Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Abubakar, the Army chief said the transformation was also to reposition the military to discharge its constitutional responsibilities more effectively, to meet the growing demands for a secured country.

“This gathering and theme could therefore not have come at a more auspicious time than now.

“This is more so considering the nature of security challenges the Nigeria Army is grappling with, alongside the expectations of the citizenry,” he said.

Ihejirika added that the changes would affect all segments of the army including the Warrant Officers.

He said the convention, with the theme, “Enhancing the Capacity of the RSM Towards Effective Administration in the NA”, was meant to aggregate the inputs of RSMs for inclusion in the policies of the army.

“I urge you not to view this forum as a mere academic exercise or mere get-together, but a means of imparting positively on the system.

“Your suggestions could assist in the changes required to entrench regimentation.

“Such regimental activities, if successfully implemented, would yield greater and more permanent impact on professionalism”.

He assured the participants that the army would not compromise on their welfare, adding, “you will continue to get the best from the leadership”.

Earlier, Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, said the convention would address “issues of regimentation and professionalism”.

He expressed optimism that the outcome of the convention would assist the army in tackling the current security challenges in the country.

Wahab added that it would broaden the knowledge of the participants “to understand the seriousness of the security challenges facing the system and come up with ideas to deal with them.

L-R: Zonal Co-ordinator, West Africa Network for Peace Building, Gombe Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim, Commissioner for Justice and Grand Patron, Human Right Coalition, Gombe, Alhaji Abdullameed Ibrahim and Special Consultant for National Association for Peacefull Election in Nigeria (NAPEN), Mr. Joshua Kusheen, at a two day workshop on Sensitisation of Youths Toward a Purposeful Life, Security Consciousness and Violence-free Democratic Society in Gombe recently.

Principal Advocates Introduction Of Press Clubs In Schools

MALUMFASHI (KATSINA STATE) - Alhaji Shehu Bature, the Principal of Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Dayi in Katsina State, has urged schools to introduce press clubs to educate students on current developments.

Bature made the call during the college’s Press Club Day and Lecture, with the theme “Role of Secondary Education in Nigerian Developmental Process’’.

The principal said the clubs would enlighten students on current issues happening in and around their environment and the world at large.

He noted that the press club

in the college had always informed the students on latest happenings in the country during the school assemblies.

Bature explained that the club had served as a medium of informing, educating and preparing the students for debate and quiz competitions.

The principal commended the club patron, Mr. Olowe Oluwambo, on his effort, and advised other schools to emulate the initiative.

Bature urged individuals and organisations to provide more assistance to the club to enable

NSCDC Arrests 4 Suspected Pipeline ILORIN - Four persons arrest was aided by some Vandals suspected to have damaged commercial motorcyclists, who NNPC pipelines in Afon, Kwara, have been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state.

Mr Gana Yerima, the commandant of the agency in the state, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to newsmen in Ilorin, said the people were arrested on a tip-off.

Yerima said the suspected vandals were about syphoning petroleum product into a waiting oil truck at about 1.30 a.m. when official of the command, who were on surveillance duty in the area, arrived at the scene.

He said the suspects opened fire on the NSCDC team when they sighted them, adding, however, that they escaped with gunshot injuries after they were overpowered by the “superior firepower of my men”.

Yerima said that aside from the truck, with reg. no. OYO XA 773 WEL, 18-seater bus with reg. no.

XB 954 AME, and a Toyota Corolla, marked AR 351 KEY, were found at the scene.

According to him, a generator, a pumping machine and three long hoses were also found at the scene.

The commandant said the

carried them earlier as they were escaping.

He said that the command had maintained a 24-hour surveillance of pipelines in the area since he assumed office in the state in 2012.

The commandant warned vandals still operating in Kwara

to relocate, saying the state would no longer be conducive to their activities.

He urged members of the public to continue to support the command by supplying useful information that would lead to the arrest of people that destroy public facilities in the state.

it achieve its goals.

The Guest Lecturer, Malam Dahiru Biso, described secondary education as the stage of preparing individuals for future challenges geared toward actualising their dreams.

Biso, who is the Manager News, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Katsina, said that the scheme remained paramount in the country’s building process.

He said that secondary education contribute a lot to national development and appealed for collective support from parents and teachers to ensure standard.

He further urged authorities to ensure adequate posting of qualified teachers, provision of instructional materials and other infrastructure that would facilitate good learning at all levels of education.

Another speaker, Malam Habibu Harisu, said national development was a collective responsibility of all citizens and advised the school management

to support the club’s activities in view of its importance to students upbringing.

Harisu, a Correspondent has expressed appreciation over the club’s performance on news, features and commentary presentations.

The District Head of Malumfashi, Justice Mamman Nasir, who was represented by the Village Head of Dayi, Alhaji Lawal Dayi, commended the Federal Government for citing the school in the area.

The monarch said the school’s

presence gave opportunity to residents to access education especially vocational training and promised more support to the school.

Reports say that the event witnessed competitions on commentary writing, story writing and news cast among three participating schools.

The schools were the FSTC Dayi, Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Bakori and the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Zaria, Kaduna State.

The FSTC Dayi emerged overall winners of the competition.

Calm Returns To Kukah Village After Attack JOS - The Plateau Police Command in Jos has said order had been restored to Kukah village of Shendam Local Government Area after Saturday evening’s attack by unknown gunmen.

Eye witness reports had claimed that four people were killed and many houses burnt by

Youths at a two-day workshop on Sensitisation of Youths toward a purposeful Life S e c u r i t y Consciousness and violence-free democratic Society in Gombe recently.

the armed attackers who stormed the village on Saturday around 5.20 p.m.

Mrs. Felicia Anselem, the command’s spokesperson, told newsmen that normalcy had been restored in the area by security agents posted there.

Anselem however said three people were killed by the attackers.

“Investigations to unravel the identity of the attackers, with a view to arresting them, have since commenced,’’ she said.

Capt. Salisu Mustapha, the spokesman for the special security task force in the state, also confirmed the attack.

“I can only confirm two deaths. The attackers were however estimated to be about 100 in number.

“They burnt some houses. But they have been repelled and calm has returned to the area,’’ Mustapha said.

Reports say that the attack was the second in about five days in the state.

Before the latest attack, two other persons were killed during an attack in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Abuja Stakeholder Urges Promotion Of Tourism ABUJA - Chief Margaret Fabiyi, President, Webisco International Federation of Nigeria Entrepreneurs of Tourism, says that developing tourism potentials in Nigeria will create 20,000 jobs in two years.

Fabiyi announced this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja at the ongoing 2013 Abuja Carnival with the theme “The centenary carnival”.

“Nigeria is blessed with lot of tourism attractions that can turn her to one of the best tourism destinations in Africa and as

well create jobs if well harnessed.

“The government should think of turning the tourism to a revenue generation sector for the country, aside oil.

“We should turn our cultural and tourism potentials to implement the strategies and plans towards developing the country.

“If we give adequate attention to the cultural and tourism sector, the country can reduce the poverty level to the barest.

“Nigeria has over 500 tourist sites that if properly tapped, will

lead to the advancement of the country.

“We have tourist sites like Yankari Game Reserve, Obudu Cattle Ranch, Ikogosi Warm Springs, and National Parks.

“All these and the rest, if well

and adequately harnessed and developed, will create jobs for people at the grassroots and many unemployed Nigerians,” she said.

Fabiyi stressed the need to also improve the security

situation in the country, as this would be an advantage to tourists across the globe.

She advised state governments to develop the Eco-Tourism potentials in their locality to reposition their

tourism image.

The president called for private-public partnership to be involved in the development of national carnivals to meet up with international standards.

2 Men Jailed For Constituting Public Nuisance ABUJA - A Kubwa Upper Area Court in Abuja has sentenced Amaechi Maxwell and Eze Ihuoma to nine months in prison each for constituting public nuisance.

The Presiding Judge, Alhaji Lawal Munir, sentenced Maxwell and Ihuoma after they pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of constituting public nuisance.

Munir, however, gave the convicts an option to pay a fine of N200, 000 each.

“In sentencing you, the court puts into consideration the plea of the convicts because they are first-time offenders, who admitted committing the offence and did not waste the time of the court,” Munir said.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Cpl Egwusigwo Charles, told the court that on July 20, the patrol team attached to Area Command Headquarters, Kubwa raided Zuba Motor Spare Parts market where Maxwell and Ihuoma were

arrested.

He said that it was observed that Maxwell and Ihuoma constituted public nuisance by loitering, smoking Indian-hemp, and snatching people’s luggage, “knowing full well that they do not have any business in the market’’.

He said that the convicts also injured some shop owners in the market.

The offences contravened Section 198 of Panel Code.

L-R: Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide; Director-General of NYSC, Brig-Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Affia and Chairman, NYSC FCT Governing Board, Mrs. Blessing Onuh at the Closing ceremony of the 2013 NYSC Batch ‘C’ Orientation Course at Kubwa in Abuja yesterday.

Recharge Cards Marketer Arraigned For Breach Of Trust ABUJA - The Police have arraigned a recharge card marketer, Mr. Fidelis Agabi, in a Kubwa Magistrates’ Court in Abuja for breach of trust.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Lucas Ephraim, told the court that the accused was standing trial for criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The prosecutor said the matter was reported at the police station by Mohammed

Abudullahi of Levotel Grass Nigeria Ltd. Ephraim told the court that Abudullahi reported that he gave the accused recharge cards of different networks worth N6.1million sometime in May to sell.

He said the accused gave him N400, 000 and refused to pay the balance as agreed.

The prosecutor said the

offences contravened sections 312 and 322 of the Panel Code, but said he had no objection to bail request for the accused.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Elizabeth Jonnes-Wanni, granted the accused bail in the sum of N300, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Jonnes-Wanni said each of the sureties must have means of livelihood, and should

Rescuers taking away a Corps member from the parade at the closing ceremony of the 2013 NYSC Batch ‘C’ Orientation Course at Kubwa in Abuja yesterday.

present two utility bills, a photograph and be resident in FCT with fixed residential address.

She also directed that the two sureties must fill a bond form, and adjourned the case to December 4.

Police Arraign 3 for Smashing Car Windscreen ABUJA - The police has arraigned Abdullahi Mohammed, 25, Tersoo Orban, 27, and Stephen Augustine, 26, before a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court for smashing car windscreen.

The accused persons, who live in Lugbe, Abuja, were said to have committed the crime on November 20 and were charged for joint act criminal force assault and mischief.

The prosecutor, Insp.

Jeremiah Elijah, told the court that Mr. Stephen Rabo, lodged a report against the accused persons at the Lugbe Police Station on November 20.

According to the prosecutor, the complainant told the police that the accused jointly assaulted him and his brother while they were driving to Lugbe on the Airport Road, Abuja.

He said that the accused persons intentionally broke their windscreen valued at N16, 000.

Elijah said that during police investigation, all the accused persons confessed to committing the crime.

The offences, he said contravened the provisions of sections 79, 265 and 327 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, when the charges were read to them, they pleaded not guilty.

The Senior Magistrate, Ms Binta Dongoyaro admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N50, 000 each with one reasonable surety each in the like sum.

The magistrate ordered that the surety must be resident within the court jurisdiction.

She adjourned the matter to December 2 for commencement of hearing.

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Business + Economy Kaduna Spends Over N155m On Community Development

KADUNA - More than N155.2 million has been spent on the provision of access roads and portable water to 40 communities in Kaduna State under the Community-Based Agricultural and Rural Development Project (CBARDP).

The State Coordinator of the project, Alhaji Sani Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen.

He said the projects involved the construction of 30 bore holes and a total of 54 kilometres of feeder roads in nine local government areas of the state.

Mohammed said N36.6 million was spent on the drilling of bore holes to rural village areas in Zaria, Sabon gari, Ikara, Jaba, Kachia, Sanga, Birnin Gwari, Igabi and Kaduna South Local Government Areas.

The Coordinator also

said N118.6 million was used to rehabilitate and construct 10 feeder roads, spanning 54 kilometres in the nine local government areas.

He said two new roads linking Acade School to Agunu Dutse and Doka to Amale Junction in Kachia, were constructed under the programme.

According to him, eight other roads were rehabilitated under the programme since it started in 2006.

He listed the roads as the 4 km Kurmin JatauGaladimawa and 3.5km Ankung-Gora in Jaba; as well as the 7 km GwarajiBugai road in Igabi; He said three other roads were rehabilitated in Birnin Gwari local government area.

These were the 6 km GSS Birnin Gwari-Bagoma Daji; 8 km Kutemeshi-Ungwar

NDE Trains 150,000 In Adamawa YOLA - The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has announced that more than 150,000 persons benefited from its skilled acquisition training since inception in Adamawa.

The Director-General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, announced this in Yola at the launching of Sen. Ahmed Barata Strategic Empowerment Scheme.

Barata is representing the Adamawa South Senatorial District.

Mohammed, who was represented by the Adamawa Coordinator of NDE, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, said 45,000 of the beneficiaries were trained in Rural Agricultural Training Scheme (RATS) and Rural Handicraft Scheme (RHS).

He said more than 100,000 persons in the state were trained in vocational and technical trades like fashion designing, carpentry, tailoring, auto mechanic, hair dressing and electrical installation.

According to him, more than 10,000 were trained in landscaping and e n v i r o n m e n t a l beautification.

The coordinator said that 600 of the beneficiaries had so far been resettled

with seed funds to enhance quest to be self employed.

He commended Barata for partnering with NDE in alleviating the hardship of members of his constituency through the training of 360 beneficiaries.

Barata said the beneficiaries would be provided with inputs as part of his poverty alleviation programme.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that beneficiaries were presented with sewing machines, grinding machines and water pumps.

Kanawa Magaji and 8 km Gonar Alhaji Muntari-Kurgi Sarki roads.

Others rehabilitated were

the 6 km Kofar GaladimaWuccirin Abba and 3 km Dutsen Abba-Dalatu roads in Zaria local government.

He said the project was being implemented in collaboration with the African Development Bank, the Federal, State and participating local governments, and the

communities.

The coordinator urged the participating communities to be more alive to their responsibilities by contributing the required one per cent to attract funding from other contributors.

A Corps member claiming her luggage at the close of the 2013 NYSC Batch ‘C’ Orientation Course at Kubwa in Abuja yesterday.

ASHON Links NSE Recent Growth To Increased Investors’ Activities LAGOS - Mr Emeka Madubuike, President, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), has attributed the recent growth in the capital market to increased activities of retail and institutional investors.

Madubuike told newsmen in Lagos that the new confidence of investors in the market was noticeable in the equities market.

He said that renewed investor confidence was due to significant returns on investment by quoted companies.

Madubuike said that the new market strategies like

market making, securities lending and investors’ clinic contributed to the market growth.

He advised local investors to take advantage of the new growth by increasing their stakes in the market.

Madubuike said that the new strong fundamentals posted by quoted companies and stable national economic policies would ensure that the market maintained the upbeat trend.

Meanwhile, investors last week traded 3.69 billion shares worth N29.08 billion in 28,386 deals against the 1.59 billion shares valued at N15.85 billion exchanged in 23,453 deals in the preceding week.

Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide inspecting the parade of Corps members at the closing ceremony of the 2013 NYSC Batch ‘C’ Orientation Course in Abuja yesterday.

The Financial Services Sector emerged the most active on the activity chart with 2.11 billion shares worth N10.93 billion traded in 12,178 deals.

The Conglomerates accounted for 948.06 million shares valued at N4.76 billion in 3,713 deals.

Investors exchanged

318.70 shares in the oil and gas sector worth N5.37 billion in 4,901 deals.

Transcorp, Equity Assurance and UBA Capital were the most traded shares, accounting for 1.68 billion shares worth N5.14 billion achieved in 3,945 deals.

The NSE All-Share Index

ILORIN Prof.

AbdulGaniyu Ambali, ViceChancellor, University of Ilorin, has said that a moringa processing factory set up by the university would produce moringa-based food products and health supplements on commercial basis.

Ambali disclosed this in his address on Monday at the second Moringa at the Leading Edge (MLE), conference organised by the Moringa Plantation Management Committee of the University.

The four-day conference has the theme: “Emergent Moringa: Roles in Heath, Wellness, Sustainable Development, Environmental Protection and Global Food Security”.

The VC pointed out that the university was keenly interested in the potential of the moringa plant.

He said that this was because of its contributions not only to health and wellbeing but also to diverse areas of the economy.

Ambali said that the conference offered an ample opportunity to unlock

knowledge and provide information about the plant.

“The university is equally interested in the plant with a view to demystifying it against the backdrop of many fanciful claims made about it.

“This mystery creates scepticisms among those who are scientifically-minded about its validity,” he said.

He warned that the product had attracted abuse from unscrupulous agents and quack practitioners, hence the need to tighten the control over the production of herbal products including moringa.

In his own address, Alhaji Bature Masari, the Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), said there should be a deliberate linkage between the academia, industry and government for efficient partnership to drive innovation.

Masari, who was represented

by Dr Friday Okpara, Head, Public Private Partnership (PPP) at SMEDAN, said this would help achieve food security, employment generation and effective response to rawmaterial needs.

UNILORIN To Boost Nation’s Economy With Moringa

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

View Point

A Tool For National Development Education:

EDUCATION in a broad sense is a process by which an individual acquires the many physical and social capabilities demanded by the society in which he/she is born into to function. In an ideal sense, education is an ultimate values and hence, through the provision of social service, it is an agent of change. It is to a nation what the mind is to the body, just as a diseased mind is handicapped in the coordination and direction of the bodily activities. Therefore, the single most significant complex of social-control tools for national development is found in the educational system be it formal or informal.

In ancient Greece, the cradle of Western Scholarship, education was a highly functional search-light beamed on society, it transcended reading and writing. While the Nigerian state were still under colonialization, modern education had already taken place in advanced countries which brought about successful engendered industrial revolution and breath-taking development.

Development on the other hand, is a progressive unfolding of the potentialities of a given reality. As it applies to human, it is the integration of the various giving, natural, physical, acquired, by human towards the full working out, permanently and cumulatively of their being, as persons of their nation and their real productivity the essence of education whether formal or informal is to produce a person who will be a useful member of a society.

According to Joe F. Dogle, it must engender in the individual a disposition of personal autonomy, responsibility and relevant forms of life thought and action. The word relevant as used by her is the matter of cultivating individual interest and potentialities while autonomy stands for a person who is able to judge, act and think accurately as well as rationally. For me, educational standard is supposed to be designed to suit the requirement of a society, hence in the precolonial era when Nigeria communities were small and largely rural and self-sufficient the system of education was with a few exceptions, not specialised.

Education also helps in nation building whereby nation building which is the implementation of processes that are geared towards recomposing the nation’s institutions so that they can

reflect the wishes, needs and aspirations of the wider society.

Since education is the pathway to any nation-building enterprise, it provides the following goodies to nationbuilding and development.

Firstly, education creates an enlightened society. This is a crucial prerequisite to nation – building because the more the people become enlightened the more they would refrain from doing practices that will endanger the nation secondly, nation – building requires a ‘meritocratic’ bureaucracy in order to make the state’s institutions effective.

Therefore, with education, the

is allayed.

Fifthly, education creates a large middle-class ‘professionals, teachers, doctors, technicians etc). This class is very important to nation-building because they provide the necessary expertise that is needed to building a nation. This is the more reason why emphasis has been laid on education because an educated society is always a strong society, and a society that is set for development.

It has been observed in the life of every child, that there are

duties. Thus, it can be effective if properly anchored in the philosophical and cultural ethos of its society.

Unfortunately, in our case it is not quite so. Our education system is still culturally alienating to black people.

Thus, if we could get education right we could solve all other problems that exist in our society such as crime and unemployment. More often than not, our schools are a reflection of the communities in which they are located.

If the surrounding community

idle talk if the supposed participants can hardly do a simple act like voting without being helped.

Have you ever thought of the humiliation and helplessness visited upon our people by being unable to read and write?

This imposes on them a condition of perpetual dependency. To break the backbone of illiteracy is a mammoth task that requires commitment and dedication from all of us. Otherwise the noble project of nation building is immensely weakened.

Judging from the first post-

country will have the best human resources that are competent enough to carry the day-to-day affairs of the state.

Most states collapse as a result of a low level of education because the human resources is so weak that it is incapable of filling state institutions. But with education, this problem is averted.

Thirdly, nation-building requires a democratic society that allows the contribution of all, rich or poor. With education, there will always be an increase in democratic participation. And this participation will in turn enhance nation-building initiative because the participation of all the citizen is counted in nation-building.

Fourthly, education is very crucial in the formation of cross-cutting cleavages that embrace diversity. Accepting differences is very important to nation building because until we accept our differences and come together to build the nation, progress will never be made. With education, this fear

three important institutions that play a crucial role in shaping its outlook and future prospects. These are the family, the school and the community.

It is these institutions that socialize, inculcate values and norms, as well as anchoring the child.

They educate, train and shape the young both formally and informally into a valuable adult. We all are therefore products of our society. If we are successful in life, we owe that success to our families, schools and society and if we fail, our society must take a certain amount of the blame.

There is no educational system in the world that is culturally, politically and ideologically neutral. Every educational system in every country serves the philosophical, economic and cultural needs of its society.

Often, times, public schooling which ought to make a major contribution by providing appropriate education needed for effective development of the people is lacking in its

is stable, the school may enjoy some degree of stability.

Because, public schools are essentially community schools, these schools have to play a direct role in the development of our communities.

The public schooling system and adult education have to confront the challenge that threatens to reverse or slow down the process of nation building. Research carried out have shown that about six million of our citizens cannot read and write. This, unfortunate situation has and continues to have disadvantages to our people in their quest to better the quality of their lives. Unless we help our people out of this quagmire, our efforts at nation building will be severely hampered.

Illiteracy excludes our people from the mainstream activities that are geared towards building the nation. They become marginal to the nation building project. That is why the much-vaunted deepening of democracy becomes mere

independence National Educational Nigerian Conference on curriculum development organised in 1969 by the Nigerian educational council with the following resolutions: (1) provisions and expansion of educational faculties to ensure education gets to the door step of every Nigerian child. (i) Overhauling and reforming the context of general education to make it more responsive to the socio-economic needs of the country. (ii) Development and consolidating the nation’s higher education in response to the manpower needs of the country.

Developing technological education in order to meet the growing needs of the nation.

All these resolutions failed to achieve its purpose in the

By IYORE ENADEGHE/MARY OKOSODO

educational system because several attempts were made for the nation to evolve in a systematic, workable and stable national development programme, the defects in our implementation and adoptive style has compounded its success. As a result of this there are many quack graduates, incompetent leaders with selfish motives , an act gotten from the colonial masters, they are just there creating more problems for the impoverish and the nation at large, I am of the opinion that government should review this existing curriculum because higher education, particularly university education, is the bedrock of research for development. Therefore the shelves in the various should be dusted off and their recommendations used as veritable materials for solving

many of our developmental problems.

Finally, education correlates with nation-building. Both of them complement each other.

A nation cannot be built without education. When you build a house you do not expect to finish it in one day and occupy it the same day.

With education, professionals are nurtured that will enhance nation-building. In the same vein, education leads to efficient usage of a nation’s resources which in turn is very crucial to nation-building because without efficient usage of a nation’s resources, nation – building will not be successful. This is evident in the development nations. To continue to build their nations, they educate their citizens, because education shapes the attitudes, behaviours and values of citizens. These are qualities that are needed for nation- building and it is only education that will bring those mechanics.

THE NIGERIAN

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THE renewed effort of the Edo State Government to sanitize the Oba Ovoramwen Square otherwise called Ring Road, Upper Mission, Oba market road and other areas in Benin City, Edo State, from the activities of street traders and other hawkers of assorted wares is not only timely but commendable.

LAST week, the Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole had to personally supervise the ridding of Benin Metropolis walkways of street traders whose activities have become irritable.

UNDOUBTEDLY, street trading which is the act of engaging in the buying and selling of goods and services, in undesignated and unauthorized centres by traders and their customers alike has assumed a worrisome dimension, especially in parts of Benin City.

IN recent times, street trading in Nigeria especially in our towns and big cities has become one of the menacing social and commercial activities of some Nigerians.

IN both traditional and modern Nigerian societies, certain areas are reserved as centres for commercial activities and designated and built as markets for traders to go and occupy for purposes of displaying their wares and engaging in the buying and selling of same, and this was well organised.

BUT today, what we find is wanton blockade of major streets and centres meant for other purpose by traders, who, with impunity and effrontery engage in their businesses without due consideration for other road users, or the health implications of their actions. Centres like Ojuelegba in

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

THE NIGERIAN

Curbing Street Trading In Benin Lagos State, Ore in Ondo State, Obolafor in Anambra State, Dugbe in Oyo State, New Benin, Lagos Street and the popular Ring Road in Edo State to mention but a few, have been notorious for acts of street trading overtime, FACTORS responsible for the use of undesignated centres for trading are not farfetched; the lack of respect for constituted authorities by such traders; the fact that the society has become highly organic in nature, thereby attaining a level of sophistication that human activities are getting more and more complicated; the fact that there is population explosion to the extent that Nigerians now migrate enmasse from the rural to urban centres; the effect of urbanisation and development with all its attendant advantages and disadvantages, the high level corruption on the part of our law enforcers, who, after collecting gratifications, financially or otherwise from these traders, leave them undisturbed to carry out their illegal street trading.

BEING that the disadvantages of street trading far outweigh the advantages, governments and concerned Nigerians have individually and collectively kicked against the act, calling for a halt to such attitude.

FOR instance, there have been instances where vehicles with mechanical faults, crushed traders who display their wares very close to the road; an experience which have in the past, left relatives of victims in pains and agony.

ALSO, street trading in undesignated centres in our cities and towns, have added in no small measure, to bastardization of the aesthetic value of such areas, even as it has also contributed to the depreciating health status of the people who live in and around such market areas, due to the high volume of filth generated from the activities of such illegal traders.

AGAINST this background, The NIGERIAN OBSERVER in addition appeals to market women to abide by and listen to wise counsel from government by moving into vacant stalls inside the markets, to help add to the aesthetic value of our cities, even as they are also admonished to help enhance their health status.

IT is something worthy of note to see how the city centre (Ring Road) looks like when it is devoid of any street trading. The fact is that the scenario provides a beautiful atmosphere to behold and equally something of pride that Benin City could be equaled to any beautiful city in the world.

HENCE, we enjoin all residents to continue to maintain the standard that has been set by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led administration who is desirous to ensure that a befitting infrastructure base is put in place that will be something of pride to everyone.

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Perspective THE Boko Haram group was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri

by Mohammed Yusuf. In 2004, it moved to Yobe State, where it set up a base called “Afghanistan”, used to attack nearby Police out posts, killing Police officers.

According to them the war would continue for long, if the political and educational system was not changed. On 30th July, 2009, allegations were made that Yusuf (the leader) himself was killed by Nigerian security forces after being taken into custody.

Boko Haram is seen as an outcome of Nigeria’s internal political, social, economic, and to some extent religious controversy. Boko Haram is a controversial Nigeria militant Islamist sect that seeks the imposition of Sharia Law in the northern state of Nigeria.

The issue of Boko Haram has been a threat to the Nigerian security especially the southerners who are residing in the Northern part of the nation. In January 2012, over 190 deaths were recorded by the terrorist action of Boko Haram.

According to research, the Boko Haram situation erupted when the present president, Goodluck Jonathan became the acting president on 6 May 2010. As a president who hailed from the southern part of the nation, the northerners did not approve the position as being the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It has been stipulated by the federal government that any member of Boko Haram sect found would face 20 years jails term, also with their sponsor if caught. The Boko Haram is an Islamist sect, it remain quite unique in all ramification, the sect claimed responsibility, of several bombings in Northern and central Nigeria, especially in states like Jos, Borno, Nassarawa, and Yobe.

It has been allegedly said that some top government officials are the sponsor of the Boko Haram group in Nigeria, few officials have been suspected but their names have not been known yet. Nigerian force, have intensified attacks against Boko Haram since May, when president Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three states.

This group is seen as the biggest security threat to Africa and they have bombed

Stemming The Tide Of Insurgency In Nigeria

Lessons From The Boko Haram Sect

President Goodluck Jonathan

the capital territory Abuja at least three times, including a deadly attack on the United Nation head quarter in 2011.

This issue is an intensify threat to the unity of the nation, however it is the single biggest security nightmare to confront Nigeria since after amalgamation of both southern and northern protectorate by the British in 1914. The Boko Haram issue can be solved when the federal government reform and enhanced effective Poverty alleviation policies and enforcement by the various agency concerned, the federal government should make good policies to promote effective and efficient leadership, good governance transparency and a mechanism to check, prevent and totally eliminate corruption.

The group is known for attacking Christians and government offices, bombing churches, attacking schools and police station, but has also assassinated members of the Islamic establishment.

Violence linked to the Boko Haram insurgency has resulted in an estimated 10,000 deaths between 2001 and 2013 and roughly 3,600 killed, including 1,600 civilians between 2009 and 2013. Populace believe the group is motivated by interethnic disputes as much as religion, and that it founder believe there was a campaign in “ethnic cleansing” by plateau governor against the Hausa and Fulani people.

President Jonathan, for whom the Boko Haram leader promised “more troubling times ahead,” the Christian Association of Nigeria (C.A.N)in the after math of recent bombings, and individuals opposed to the group including those that see it as a “cancer among the people”.

It is difficult for anyone to suggest an alternative to go underground for the group after the treatment experienced the Yar’adua administration in 2009. Instead of abiding to the rule of Law, like arresting its leader and charging him to maximum prison treason, the authorities deliberately chose to provoke the group. The group promised to retaliate after Ramadan in 2009. What happened after that Ramadan when the group protested necessitate an all-out war against it. Many groups have attacked the police before but they were handled by normal means without resorting to extreme measures like

massacre.

The over whelming opinion among muslims then was that the group was indeed treated unjustly. Public commentators from the north openly accused Yar’adua of playing “Animal farm” with his brothers. The killing of Boko Haram members came just some few months after the president negotiate “and granted a lucrative amnesty to more destructive militants in the oil rich Niger- delta. Beneficiaries of the amnesty were placed under a welfare package and chunks of the federal government expenditure was sunk into the development of that region in addition to the “Lion share” that it’s state government collect from statutory allocations, which is greater than the receive 13% of Nigerian revenue earnings. Finally, as it was clear in 2011, its 86% of federal project are now allocated to that region.

However, for Boko Haram, the government chose to negotiate with them. It is not surprising, therefore that the group replied it in its own language. In this context, one can easily understand it’s resort to violence as a means of survival. If Yar’adua was wrong in treating Boko Haram in the 21st century with the same strategy that Shagari and Buhari used to overcome in the 1980’s, Jonathan did little to correct that mistake. He has not shown any interest in dialoguing with the group so far. The group has many times cited this as another reason for continuing it’s struggle. Appeal to it’s member to put down it’s weapons format: “How can we trust any negotiation with people who are amassing arsenal to attack us”.

All that Jonathan did was to constitute a committee to study the group and matters related to it. When it was insinuated that the mandate of the committee included negotiating with the group, the secretary to the federal government quickly dismissed any such mandate. Months after the committee submitted its report, its recommendation for peaceful negotiation between government and the group continues to remain frozen. This is in sharp contrast to what happened in the October 1st , 2010 bombing. President Jonathan laboured hard in public to exonerate the perpetrators who claimed to

“However, for Boko Haram, the government chose to negotiate with them. It is not surprising, therefore that the group replied it in its own language. In this context, one can easily understand it’s resort to violence as a means of survival. If Yar’adua was wrong in treating Boko Haram in the 21st century with the same strategy that Shagari and Buhari used to overcome in the 1980’s, Jonathan did little to correct that mistake.”

belong to the movement for the Emancipation of NigerDelta. They said they did it, and he said they didn’t.

Security officials told the nation that they have evidence linking Raymond Dokpesi, the presidential campaign manager of Ibrahim Badamusi Babagida and Owner of AII, to the attack.

Boko Haram stated to selectively kill people that assisted the authorities in identifying them, issuing a warning that they would go after all those that aided the authorities in persecuting them.

The government has been unable to protect its informants and other citizens from these attacks. This partially explains the silence of the muslims community over Boko Haram. Generally, though, it could be argued that it has not been the tradition of communities in Nigeria to criticize their own militants.

The Niger Delta and the killing of muslims in Plateau and Kaduna States are the bad examples that readily come to mind. Though the group would gain the advantage of instilling fear in the populace.

It stand the chance of losing public sympathy and gaining the benefit of correction as it is called in Islam. Islam which the group is linking it cause to is very wide and it opinions on the same issue.

Up to last charismas, Boko Haram has not clearly claimed attacking any church. It is possible to see the angle from which the group justifies its attack on security personnel.

Some journalist were planning to visit Gombe, Yola to investigate the recent attacks on christians because of the widespread belief that those attacks could not have been the work of muslims.

Meanwhile, the attack have introduced some favourable development in MuslimChristian relationship in the country, some muslims have taken extra measure to protect the christians every Sunday in their church service and vice versa.

The government may today succeed in subduing Boko Haram by arms or negotiation. But unless we meet the above challenges, another group will come up tomorrow to face us, with similar or greater challenges.

THE NIGERIAN

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Opinion

Ideal Leaders: What

LEADERSHIP in its simplest form can be depicted as the ability to inspire, direct, motivate and encourage others positively to targeted end. Also, leadership is about rising up to the occasion by organizing and adequately coordinating the resources of time, relationship, skills, expertise and finances to achieve a goal for the common good of all.

It is true that Nigeria is broken. Our leaders have become more interested in personal profit than national progress. The welfare of our families has taken a back-seat to corruption and patronage.

Our democratic system need full transparency and accountability to ensure good governance.

Quite unfortunately, our leaders play machine politics and the politics of God fatherism, thereby manipulating the system to producing leaders with no connection to the governed. These leaders therefore proceed to use government resources to build up personal wealth. Our leaders need to be open and transparent, be able to ensure that government policies reflect the will of the people and the best interests of our nation. Our budgetary records and leaders’ personal financial disclosure forms should be posted on the government website, open to investigation by journalists, political organizations, and ordinary Nigerians.

Our leaders need to be servants to the people, committed to shared ideals and honest, open government.

The term ‘servant leader’ has to be used genuinely as a manifestation of an intention to serve the people and not just campaign rhetoric to be discarded after being sworn into office.

We can’t expect the same corrupt players to take us in a new direction. We need to bring into political life a new

class of leaders – people of integrity and proven track records of service, honour, and competence. ‘’We need a democratically elected team that will collaborate, poll their intellectual capabilities, and make a road map for progress in Nigeria. We need the best and brightest to accomplish a quantum leap in progress that can take Nigeria from “Paradise deferred” to “Paradise reclaimed”. We seek to draw from the “Principled Centered School” of leadership in preparing a legion of people of character as new leaders who are passionately committed to the advancement of the Common Goodwill of our national endeavour’’. ‘’We need a movement of millions of young people that will collectively stand-up and say “enough is enough.” We need to take politics away from the corrupt elites and give it to the people. We need a new generation of Nigerians to demand change, to take responsibility, and to become the foundation for a new Nigeria – a generation that passes on a better nation to its children’’.

According to McFarland, a leader “is one who makes things happen that would not happen otherwise. If the leader causes changes that he intended, he has exercised power, but if the leader causes changes that he did not intend or want, he has exercised influence, but not power”.

Sidney Hook shares a similar view as McFarland. In his work, The Hero in History, Hook depicted a heroic leader as one who makes things happen that ordinarily would not have happened.

Leaders have duties too.

John Gardner has pointed out that the task of leaders is to help societies “understand the problems that all must face, to aid in the setting of goals and priorities, to work with others in finding paths to those goals

“We need a movement of millions of young people that will collectively stand-up and say “enough is enough.” We need to take politics away from the corrupt elites and give it to the people.”

By FAMOUS IGUISI

Nigeria Needs

chosen, maintaining public morale, and motivation and nurturing a workable level of public unity”.

Leaders must also help people know how they can be at their best with malice toward none, with charity for all. In a free society leaders perform these functions within a framework of

tribal sentiments. Fifty years after, Nigeria has not still recovered from the loss brought about by that avoidable conflict’’.

We need somebody that is neutral and who did not contest against Jonathan.

Revolution normally brings out people who were not known at all. What we need

constraints. This includes an uncorrupted electoral process, the rule of law, institutional checks and balances and a free press Instead of putting the national interest first, most of our leaders who have key roles to play in uniting and promoting democratic ideals in this country are known to have indulged in defending their nocturnal interests.’’ It was through such negative culture that tribalism and corruption took root and destabilized the Nigerian nation immediately after gaining political independence from Britain in 1960. There is no gainsaying that the Nigerian Civil War of 1966 to 1970 was ignited by unreasonable political and

is somebody who is radical and ready to lay down his life for the country.

In essence, if a leader does things according to the way of the leader then, he is truly a leader in fact and indeed.

There is a correlation vis-à-vis name and actuality. Thus, an individual may be popularly called a leader, but if he fails to carry out the responsibilities of a leader as his name implies then he is not actually a leader.

Therefore, the Confucian virtue affirms that every name in social relationship denotes certain responsibilities and duties. Leadership position is saddled with the responsibility of fulfilling its duties according to its nomenclature. The leader of men essentially thinks of his

character, self-cultivation, nomenclature, and is humble, and deferential to superiors, generously kind and always just. Also, leader promotes those who are able and instruct those who do not have it and they will be anxiously willing to be led.

Many of these so-called leaders since 1960 rather than tackle the very serious and pressing need of nationbuilding and developing the

diverse nationalities into a cohesive and dynamic country, decided to engage in self-aggrandizement, ethnicjingoism or simply lacked the required leadership qualities.

So, whilst we had gallant and able leaders who collaborated effectively to push the case for and eventually succeeded in attaining independence for the Nigeria State, we have not had anything close since 1960 in terms of determined leadership to forge and transform Nigeria into a cohesive nation state. ‘’Leadership is a sacred trust like the priesthood in civilized, humane religions.

No one gets into it lightly or unadvisedly, because it demands qualities of mind and discipline of body and will far beyond the needs of

the ordinary citizen. Any who offers himself or herself or is offered to society for leadership must be aware of the unusually high demands of the role and should, if in any doubt whatsoever, firmly refuse the prompting’’.

The ability to lead is generated within the context of a person’s ethical and philosophical framework in consonance with one’s followers and constituents; it

is a function of character, not an accident of birth or a prerogative of position. This character of strong and ably leader can be developed only through careful, intentional practice.

Our leaders and all of us must be patriotic, hardworking, and selfless.

Candidly, we are the only ones responsible for cleaning our stable; to do that we must, in order that we can walk hand-in-hand with other nations as we seek to improve the quality of our lives as a people. Our past experiences have shown that old paths must be abandoned and new ones found, and old traits and values must be reassessed and some discarded, while new ones are imbibed.

THE NIGERIAN

15

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Issues

How Govt Can Monitor Activities Of CDAs - Sunday Osaro Evbonaye

OVERALL national development cannot be said to have been accomplished without a deliberate policy thrust that can integrate grassroot requirements into national development framework.

In other words, the dream of rural-urban integration and community development will continue to remain a fleeting illusion until government realizes the need to assist communities in their development efforts.

Community Development Associations, an initiative that seeks to entrench the culture of self-help and promote cooperate efforts has today come to be a living reality of our times.

What role is a Community Development Association expected to play in community life.

To get answers to this question, The NIGERIAN OBSERVER engaged the chairman of Evbotubu/ Evbeodaiyi Community Development Association.

Mr. Sunday Osaro Evbonaye in an encounter. According to him: “We owe it a duty to promote and ensure peaceful coexistence in our community. I say this because no development can take place without peace.

Therefore, the first thing for me is to ensure we live in peace and conduct our activities within the confines of law.

When asked what his vision for Evbotubu/ Evbeodaiyi community is, Mr. Evbonaye said: “When I came into office as the new chairman, I articulated my vision based on the needs of the community. Against this backdrop, the following are my areas of priority. “(1) To laise with Egor Local Government for the rehabilitation/grading of bad roads, thereby enhancing and promoting commercial and economic activities” “(2) We intend to go into transportation business by purchasing buses to ease the transportation problems of our people.

The need to fill the gap created by the ban on commercial motorcycles has become very compelling”.

(3) We will also call on the result-oriented Comrade Governor to come to our aid

in the area of road rehabilitation. Our primary school has almost been rendered unaccessible by severe flooding of the roads.

So, we are appealing to the Comrade Governor for help.

“Our problem is further compounded by the condition of Owina-Evbotubu Road which has gone completely bad. Infact we need government’s help in this area”, the chairman said.

In recent times, the activities of some Development Associations have been characterized by arson, murder and bloodshed. All these criminal indulgences are caused by land deals. Some people have, in the light of the foregoing suggested that Community Development Associations be scrapped.

How does Mr. Osaro Evbonaye feel about this suggestion?

In his reply, he stated emphatically; “I don’t think it is reasonable to scrap Community

Mr. Sunday Osaro Evbonaye

“Government should establish a machinery for coordinating and overseeing the operations of CDAs through the instrumentality of Peace and Conflict Resolution Commission headed by Chief Eduwu Ekhator and should hold monthly meetings with all CDA Executives where issues bordering on security and peace will be discussed.”

Development Associations.

Scrapping them will create more problems and heighten the level of crisis in communities. So it is better to allow them operate within a well articulated framework that can instill discipline in their activities”.

How can this be done and achieved?

“Government should establish a machinery for coordinating and overseeing the operations of CDAs through the instrumentality of Peace and Conflict Resolution Commission headed by Chief Eduwu Ekhator and should hold monthly meetings with all

CDA Executives where issues bordering on security and peace will be discussed.

Mr. Evbonaye speaks further: “Of a truth, there is need to sanitise the operations of some CDAs and the attainment of this goal depends on the extent to which government can effectively use its machinery to checkmate the excesses of some members. Therefore, I want government to consider this suggestion because the monthly meetings of CDA Executives with Peace and Conflict Resolution Commission will also be used as a platform for discussing development issues. For us in

Evbotubu/Evbeodaiyi, we are peaceful and law abiding. We are not involved in illegal transactions.

We are respecters of law and order.

We enjoy peace here because we know our limitations and the rule of law. We cannot and can never take laws into our hands. We are enlightened and every transaction we execute here follows due process.

Therein lies our strength pride and integrity. I recognize the fact that my position as chairman is to ensure that the resources of the Association are utilized for the development of the community. Anybody that sees his position in CDA as opportunity to eat the people’s

money is not fit to be elected.

Here in Evbotubu, I have honest members in my executive. They are law abiding. My Vice Chairman and Secretary are very loyal, resourceful and intelligent and they are fully assisting me in my day to day activities”.

In retrospect, the election that brought Mr. Osaro Evbonaye into office as Chairman was not without the usual bickerings, struggles and tussles associated with politics. At the end of it all the matter was resolved in his favour by the highly revered palace of the Oba of Benin.

In two separate letters Ref: Palace 113/Vol XI/S/329 dated 3rd September 2013 and

palace 113/Vol xi/S/243 15th November, 2013 both signed

by Secretary to Oba of Benin, the Omo N’Oba recognized Mr. Sunday Osaro Evbonaye as duly elected and accepted Chairman of Evbotubu/ Evbeodaiyi Community Development Association and advised the chairman and his Exco to respect the elders of the communities.

Mr. Evbonaye expressed gratitude to the Omo N’Oba for the amicable resolution of the problem and pledged to respect the three odionweres in the communities by ensuring that they get their dues.

On the monthly meeting, he earlier suggested, he said it will also be necessary to replicate such at local government levels with overall harmonization by the state government through the Conflict-Resolution Commission headed by Chief Eduwu Ekhator.

In his closing remarks, the chairman advised members of his community as well as the general public never to take laws into their hands, but to follow due process in their quest for justice.

Born, weaned and raised in Evbotubu Mr. Sunday Osaro Evbonaye was formerly Youth Chairman of the Association for about 12 years during which period, he is said to have displayed rare leadership qualities that have today thrown him up to higher pedestal of stewardwarship.

He is also said to have been very loyal to the former Chairman.

Now 58 years old, he is happily married with children.

While thanking God for His mercies he advised that recognized CDA chairmen should have certificates given to them by their local governments.

On the inauguration of Peace and Conflict Resolution Commission on Monday, Mr. Evbonaye said: “I will like to use this medium, on behalf of my executive and family, to congratulate the chairman of the commission, Chief Eduwu Ekhator, I pray that God will continue to endow him with wisdom to discharge his duties”.

THE NIGERIAN

16

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Midweek Magazine LET me not waste time with intellectual gymnastics, definitions and unnecessary grammar. The issue before us is “economic bliss and good governance.” I have changed it to “good governance and economic bliss” because it is good governance that makes economic bliss possible.

The truth is that if you put N50 billion daily into an unstable, violence-ridden. corrupt and undemocratic environment, it will not produce any growth or development. Even if it produces some growth, it will surely not produce development.

What exactly is ‘economic bliss”? Is this situation of “bliss” not idealistic? Economic bliss, in my view, would refer to a situation where the economic structures, processes and institutions are operating effectively, efficiently and at over seventy per cent capacity in the interest of the larger society and the people. The deliverables of such an economic environment would involve a steady and systematic process of structural change or transformation that moves the people toward meeting their basic needs and guarantees social security, almost full employment, reduced corruption, respect for contracts and the rule of law. Under conditions of economic bliss, crime and criminality, including kidnappings, hostage taking, assassinations, armed robberies, endless strikes and political violence either do not exist or are reduced to the barest minimum, This is what all nations are aspiring to achieve or attain. The socalled developed nations, by most indicators, are closer to some of these goals. For the Third and Fourth worlds, they are very far from these goals.

In fact, most of them are on the reverse and may never achieve these goals in the next fifty years unless they have good governance.

What then is good governance?

The best way to understand good governance is to contrast it with bad governance. We are all familiar with bad governance and bad leadership. The truth is that governance is about people — how to mobilise, organise, empower and deepen their socio-political consciousness as they work to better themselves and society. Good governance is about leadership and peoplefocused political institutions, working with the people to empower them to reach the highest points of their productive and creative abilities. Good governance is about democratising politics and economic opportunities, and opening sustainable option and possibilities for peace, harmony, unity, collective work, and collective progress. Good governance is about improving the general environment in ways that make it possible for the people, their communities and constituencies to value themselves, their culture, values, and communities and to develop a culture of working to promote peace, positive leadership and commitment to peoplecentred sustainable development.

Good governance can be said to exist when the norms of sensitive leadership, social justice, transparency, accountability, due process, and prudent management and deployment of scarce resources to serve the people become institutionalised.

Good governance, therefore, is opposed to corruption, indiscipline, violence, rascality, political opportunism and grandstanding, and the manipulation of the fears and needs of the people to serve narrow and personal interests.

It is my argument that unless we have such a good governance environment that is anchored on constitutionalism, positive leadership, and the people, there is no way that a people

Good Governan B

or nation can enjoy any form of economic bliss. Of course, good governance does not-fail from the sky or come from prayers alone.

We all need to work for it.

In the process of working for good governance, the enemies of democracy will devise all sorts of strategies to distort, delay, distract, confuse, manipulate and if possible destroy any effort at establishing and consolidating a culture of good governance. This is why we must not take any chances and must stop experimenting with loyalties, sentiments, leaders and policies. We must all remember that one year of bad governance sets a community back by ten years at the minimum. So, four bad years of bad, noisy, visionless, opportunistic and delinquent governance will set a community back by 40 years in sustained growth and development.

This should give us serious cause for concern.

What factors and forces can promote economic bliss or to put it mildly, economic progress and prosperity? In its most elementary form, how can we meet the basic human needs of the majority for security, shelter, health care, water, education, child and maternal mortality, food and employment?

In addition to wellthought out pro-people policies, science and technology and ICT, provision of basic facilities and infrastructure especially schools, roads, water, energy, markets, and housing and encouragement to private initiatives and investments; is the issue of sensitive, responsible, disciplined, sound, educated, exposed, enlightened, courageous, and God-fearing leadership.

Let us take this brief discussion down to Nigeria so as to have practical dimensions to our theories

and postulations.

Governance, Economy and Leadership in Nigeria Nigerian leaders, ok, most Nigerian leaders, do not fear God or respect the people.

Forget their numerous speeches and fancy political foot works. They are just grandstanding or pretending. How can they explain that in 49 years of political independence, this is how far they have taken us as a people? I believe we could have done much better. I feel ashamed when I think of missed opportunities, mind blowing corruption, waste, mismanagement, the abuse of power, nepotism, plan discipline, and total disregard for law and order and the constitution, I feel embarrassed when I see leaders joking around and making light the very serious problems that our people face. I feel pained when I see those that begged us to put them in leadership positions giving lame excuses for their failures and incapacity to bring about promised changes. The criminal fixation on the capture and abuse of raw power Nigeria has very few parallels in the world. The fixation on primitive accumulation of capital is unbelievable. The level at which mediocrity is celebrated is difficult to comprehend. They seem to enjoy seeing poor people around them so they celebrate their ill-gotten wealth by just dolling out offerings and sacrifices here and there. I challenge all of you here to tell me: in almost five decades of independence, in which area or sector can they say they have succeeded?

How can these so-called leaders sleep well at night with all the pains, poverty, disillusionment, abandoned projects, squalor and dilapidated infrastructure and insecurity around them?

How do they manage to

“The so-called leaders have demonstrated their incapacity to establish concrete foundations for good governance, thus eliminating or compromising opportunities for socio-economic prosperity given their penchant for corruption, short cuts, the privatisation of opportunities that should be meant for all, and pretentious sensitivity to the plight of our people.”

smile and crack jokes and pretend to be simpletons with children hawking in the streets day and at night? Do they ever think of the thousands they render homeless and unemployed with some of their halfbaked policies and actions?

These are not conjectures.

They are the realities that we live with. Bad governance and bad leadership are bedfellows and we must fight both together.

The so-called leaders in Nigeria have no sense of history, no sense of mission and sense of nation. To be sure, there are some Islands of integrity that are struggling daily not to be contaminated, compromised and consumed by the mostly corrupted majority that revel in incompetence. This corrupted majority has also corrupted the followers and their organisations. They usually find excuses in saying “Nigerians are not easy to govern” as if the needs of Nigerians are fundamentally different from those of other nations.

Food is the cure to hunger in Nigeria as it is in America, Europe or the Middle East. Education is the cure for illiteracy all over the world. Energy is the solution to slow business practices, low capacity utilisation and darkness all over the globe. Good infrastructure is the cure to very bad environment for business, transactions, and social engagements in any society. Good leadership is the cure for bad followership.

The so-called leaders have demonstrated their incapacity to establish concrete foundations for good governance, thus eliminating or compromising opportunities for socio-economic prosperity given their penchant for corruption, short cuts, the privatisation of opportunities that should be meant for all, and pretentious sensitivity to the plight of our people. Else how do we explain why they have failed to improve our lives and environment in almost 50 years of independence, collection of taxes, foreign aid and grants, collection of trillions of naira in oil and gas revenues and so on?

Was it farmers or students or poor people that looted, mismanaged and ran down Nkalagu Cement factory, Bendel brewery, Okpella

By PRO

cement factory, NiconHilton Hotel, Nigeria airways, Nigeria National Shipping Line, Okou-Iboku Paper Mill, NITEL, MTEL, Eleme Petro-Chemicals Limited, Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Plant, National Iron Ore Mining Company of Nigeria, Nigeria railways, Delta Steel Company, the

trade men conc accom and m I Anam killin cross are o no r

Prof Julius Ihonvbere

Catering rest houses, the burnt brick factories, the universities… the list of embarrassment from inefficiency, ineffectiveness, incompetence, corruption, waste, mismanagement, and the inability to think out of the box to enhance innovation is endless. Is it students or traders that handled the over 20,000 abandoned projects that dot the nation’s landscape?

Certainly the very wrong way to economic bliss.

Can any Nigerian leader confirm at anytime, even in this technological era, how many teachers, civil servants, professors, soldiers, and even citizens we have in Nigeria?

The IG even recently declared that he did not know how many police officers we have in Nigeria just as he has complained that officers that were supposed to ensure public safety and security are busy carrying handbags for

ho re Ho job tod Lo lib be jou su glo ho pu ha to un mo fin W ha mu oth hu do em sat fin Cr far run or

THE NIGERIAN

17

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Midweek Magazine

nce And Economic BIiss

OF. JULIUS IHONVBERE

ers, touts, so-called big or their wives and cubines? They even mpany them to salons markets! just got back from mbra State. Erosion is ng the East. Once you s the Niger Bridge, you on your own. There are roads. Look at the

ospitals, after the VAMFD furbishing of Teaching ospitals, that was it. The b was even politicised and day, it is not completed. ook at the schools. The best brary is at least ten years ehind in relevant books and urnals and our kids are upposed to compete obally. Private schools and ospitals have taken over as ublic sector institutions ave become too dangerous patronise. How can niversities be closed for onths and we are not nding a solution?

What would happen if we ad an earth quake, typhoon, udslides, wild fires or her disasters? We spent undreds of millions of ollars to set up an mergency system plus tellites, yet we could not nd a missing airplane in ross Rivers State until rmers found it? We can’t n proper political parties conduct violence free

elections even in three wards as we saw in Ekiti State or one Local Government as we saw in Akoko-Edo recently. The parties still revel in imposition of candidates, manipulation of elections and voting figures, and the corruption of the political infrastructure. Even to

review our constitution, we have wasted over a year on who should be chairman until a divorce took place between the two arms of the National Assembly. Clearly, the two sides were dancing to music being played elsewhere, certainly not by the people.

Then the banking sector.

We all hailed consolidation only to discover under Sanusi that the innovation has created room for hightech financial malfeasance.

The agricultural and the textile sectors claim to have huge loans or grants for investment. But where is the money for the real farmers?

The banks managed to rig a loan for a former president only for him to-discover that what he got was not available to other farmers.

Our police force is run down and we rely on state governments to buy vehicles etc. The conditions

of service remains shameful. The civil service that some like to call the “evil service” remains backward and totally disconnected from modem bureaucratic practices in spite of reforms upon reforms. Look at the products of our schools, especially the public schools. Many just manage to write their names and many schools abroad only admit first class and maybe second class upper degree holders because of declining quality.

We ignored the Niger Delta despite several reports and studies until militants put the fear of God in our leadership. Now we are begging them and spending over N50 billion to get them to surrender their weapons. In typical fashion, we remain Silent on the reasons for the militancy in the first place.

The elites are buying bullet proof cars and installing bullet proof doors, burglary proofs and spending money on huge dogs and private security to protect them from the terrible society they have created. Rather than restructuring the society, giving people hope, reducing their pains, and building faith in government, they go about destroying hard-earned properties, harassing the poor, and building personal prisons with all facilities that they call homes: the walls are higher than those of “kirikiri”. Then they abandon the public sector and keep their wives and children abroad, sink their own bore holes, buy two generators for day and night, use courier services, and even travel abroad to consult opticians and dentists. They have no shame in buying houses abroad while demolishing those of poor people at home. They have no shame to be thinking the most expensive champagnes

when our taps are dry. They have no shame to be flying British Airways and other foreign-airlines after running down Nigeria Airways. They have no shame to be sending their kids abroad to school while killing local schools with. unpaid salaries, wage cuts, heavy taxation, and confused policies. They have no shame to be eating imported foods when their agricultural policies lack content, direction or context. They are always abroad at public expense roaming the streets like beggers yet we do not see the results of those trips.

How many American governors have visited Nigeria in the last ten years?

America was built by human beings and not spirits.

These are just some of the indicators of bad governance. I have not said anything new but you are all living witnesses to all that I have catalogued. A leadership that is ignorant, not computer literate and does not read cannot move a people anywhere. It has never happened in history. A leadership that does all the talking, does not take criticism of any type, assumes to know all, and trivialises serious issues by acting like comedians can take the people no where.

Look at our political campaigns, it is all about abusing the opposition, singing and dancing. No serious issues and no concrete plans. We make promises and follow up with excuses when we get into office: no money, nothing left in the treasury, federal government is cheating us, it is rainy season so we can’t fix roads, no bitumen in the world, leaders are pressuring me, my Commissioners are bad as if they were chosen by foreigners!. It is time to say “no” to such deceptions, misdirections and political

infantilism.

So what do we do and where do we go from here? After indigenisation, privatisation, structural adjustment, several development plans and rolling plans, Operation Feed the Nation, War Against Indiscipline, ICPC, EFCC, new LGAs, new states, new parties, a new constitution, military and civilian leaders, bank consolidation, Reform Agenda, and now re-branding and 7-Point Agenda, then there is not much to celebrate.

We can thank God for keeping us alive and keeping Nigeria together. That is all. Nothing else. We don’t need the same long speeches or meaningless parades. We need the truth, justice, commitment, mobilisation of the people, the deployment of scarce resources to the needs of the people, social security and if those that have seized power by hook and crook cannot assure us of these, they should please leave us alone.

In conclusion, I believe that good governance emerges from the right leadership: Leadership in the home, at work, in government and indeed, everywhere. Nigeria is abundantly blessed with all that we need to move forward but we must go beyond diversions and distractions like re-branding. We must develop the courage to tackle our challenges, contradictions, and future squarely. We need real and true and God-fearing leaders. Not leaders that are made by TV or radio and newspaper articles written by aides or journalists on payrolls. Not leaders that are built on the basis of meaningless and useless awards given by dubious organisations and individuals.

Not leaders that begin to study our problems after forcing themselves on us which means they were unprepared for leadership. They cover up the time with travels, jokes, fake actions, and inflicting pain and distress on already impoverished and frustrated people, Not leaders that recruit hundreds of sycophants that laugh and clap when the socalled leader coughs and blows his nostril. God will

help us to go far beyond such leaders. God will separate us from such leaders. God will clear our way and future away from such leaders. God will remove such characters from our midst and increase our joy.

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, declared that the main problem of Nigeria was leadership. As he put it the “concept of leadership has been bastardised in Nigeria, and people use leadership positions to show arrogance, oppress others and misappropriate resources meant for the generality of Nigerians instead of serving them as directed by God” (Leadership August 1,2008, p. 3). What more can an ordinary citizen say?

The leaders that we pray for and must work for, should in the perspective of John C, Maxwell, have character, charisma, commitment, ability to communicate the truth, competence, courage, vision, focus, initiative, be responsibly generous, have a high capacity to listen, have passion for the people in a real and true sense, have a positive attitude, be responsible, have selfdiscipline and distance themselves from making life even more difficult for the people they are supposed to serve. They must not be shy to admit their weaknesses and failures: know they are human.

But they must not lie to the people to cover their failings.

Government is about making life better for the people and anyone that cannot make life better, ensure and assure security, give hope to the people, manage our society and resources well, abandon confrontation for collaboration, build lasting institutions, and allow us to feel and see a bright future anchored on love, justice, and gratitude to God, should leave us alone. This is the time to come together and struggle for the future.

Only such leadership can generate the political will to tell the truth, fight corruption, mobilise the people, support constitutional and electoral reform and carry the people along in real terms by building sustainable confidence in government and leadership.

I thank you all for this opportunity to speak the truth.

May God continue to bless this church, bless our homes and make our state and nation better than they are today.

“The leaders that we pray for and must work for, should in the perspective of John C, Maxwell, have character, charisma, commitment, ability to communicate the truth, competence, courage, vision, focus, initiative, be responsibly generous, have a high capacity to listen, have passion for the people in a real and true sense, have a positive attitude, be responsible, have selfdiscipline and distance themselves from making life even more difficult for the people they are supposed to serve.”

THE NIGERIAN

18

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

International Analysis

Future Of US Troops In Afghanistan

AFGHANISTAN’S President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign a security deal with the United States, the White House said, opening up the prospect of a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from the strife-torn nation next year.

Karzai told U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice in Kabul on Monday that the United States must put an immediate end to military raids on Afghan homes and demonstrate its commitment to peace talks before he would sign a bilateral security pact, Karzai’s spokesman said.

The White House said Karzai had outlined new conditions in the meeting with Rice and “indicated he is not prepared to sign the promptly”.

“Without a prompt signature, the U.S. would have no choice but to initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no U.S. or NATO troop presence in Afghanistan,” a White House statement quoted Rice as saying.

The complete withdrawal, called the “zero option”, would be similar to the pull-out of U.S. troops from Iraq two years ago.

On Sunday, an assembly of Afghan elders, known as the Loya Jirga, endorsed the security pact, but Karzai suggested he might not sign it until after national elections next

spring.

The impasse strengthens questions about whether any U.S. and NATO troops will remain after the end of next year in Afghanistan, which faces a still-potent insurgency waged by Taliban militants and is still training its own military.

Karzai’s defiance has surprised the many who had attended the Loya Jirga, which he had proclaimed would have the final word on the security deal.

A senior politician in Kabul said it appeared that Karzai’s reluctance to let the deal go through stemmed from his eagerness to keep his hands on the levers of power in the run-up to a presidential election in April, when he is due to stand down.

“He is now in confrontation with his own nation as well as the United States,” said the politician, who asked not to be named.

He added that the president’s demand for no U.S. meddling in the coming election suggested that Karzai could be looking to ensure he has room to influence the outcome himself.

RESIDUAL FORCE U.S. and other foreign troops have been in Afghanistan since the ousting of the Taliban regime by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in late 2001.

Just over two years ago, U.S. President Barack Obama pulled

the plug on talks with Iraq about keeping a residual American force there after that war. In October 2011, when he announced that decision, there were more than 40,000 troops in the country. By the end of the year, they had all been withdrawn.

In Afghanistan, there are still 47,000 American forces. The United States has been in discussions

signed by year-end to begin preparations for a post-2014 presence.

Rice, who made a three-day visit to Afghanistan to visit U.S. troops, told Karzai it was “not viable” to defer signing the deal until after the election, the White House said.

The delay “would not provide the United States and NATO allies

directly under threat - but it would not take effect until 2015.

This issue is particularly sensitive among Afghans after a dozen years of war between Afghan and foreign forces and Taliban militants.

“It is vitally important that there is no more killing of Afghan civilians by U.S. forces

presidential election, while his opponents accuse the president of using the pact to ensure his influence in next year’s polls.

U.S. officials have appeared exasperated by Karzai’s stance on the security agreement, which they say is needed to help them plan a future mission that will assist Afghan forces fight

the clarity necessary to plan for a potential post2014 military presence”, the White House said.

CONDITIONS Karzai spokesman Aimal Faizi said the Afghan leader laid out several conditions for his signature to the deal in the meeting, including a U.S. pledge to immediately halt all military raids on, or searches of, Afghan homes.

The Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) includes a provision allowing raids in e x c e p t i o n a l circumstances - when an American life is

and Afghans want to see this practically,” Faizi said.

Karzai also called on Washington to send remaining Afghan detainees at the U.S. military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, back to Afghanistan, saying that the Loya Jirga had endorsed the pact with this condition.

Faizi said Karzai also asked the U.S. officials to guarantee that the United States would refrain from endorsing any candidate in next year’s election.

Karzai blamed the United States for meddling in the 2009

militants and that will allow for future aid crucial for the impoverished nation.

The Obama administration has not said when it would make a decision to abandon the talks and commit to pulling all of its troops out of Afghanistan at the end of 2014, as it did in Iraq.

Faizi said the Afghan president had asked his American visitors to return to the U.S. president with his message.

“The ball is in your court now, and get back to us,” he said.

Courtesy: REUTERS

Hamid Karzai

with Afghan officials about keeping a small residual force of about 8,000 troops there after it winds down operations next year.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, have said the bilateral security deal with Afghanistan must be

“Karzai’s defiance has surprised the many who had attended the Loya Jirga, which he had proclaimed would have the final word on the security deal.A senior politician in Kabul said it appeared that Karzai’s reluctance to let the deal go through stemmed from his eagerness to keep his hands on the levers of power in the run-up to a presidential election in April, when he is due to stand down.”

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Natural Medicine

With

Dr. MAO

08030717341

Menopausal Syndrome

MENOPAUSAL syndrome is the constellation of symptoms which menopause gives rise to in women.

Before we discuss them, let’s first of all know what menopause is. Briefly, menopause occurs when woman stop menstruation naturally in their postadult age of between 45 and 55years.

Before the onset of menopause, the woman experiences irregular menses and bleeding pattern.

Because some women are not prepared for the development, the experience traumatizes them. But it shouldn’t. Afterall, it is a natural event. Every menses with a beginning has an end. Life is a continuum.

Not all women experience menopausal syndrome.

Studies show that 35% of women don’t have it. In contradistinction, 65% of women encounter the syndrome.

Out of this, 15% of women have severe symptoms while 50% others suffer mild attacks of the syndrome.

The fundamental reason why menopause occurs is that when a woman approaches the median age of 50, ovaries shrink leading to a drop in or total stoppage of the secretion of a hormone called estrogen. Invariably, progesterone, a twin ovarian hormone, now predominates child-bearing is no more naturally possible as a result.

As I have said earlier on, menopause can be caused by the natural age progression of a women in her later years. However, there are unnatural reasons why menopause may step in. One of them is the surgical removal of the ovaries, maybe, because of breast cancer or other illnesses.

Below are the syndrome associated with menopause. Firstly, a woman begins to experience sudden tiredness. Unlike before, she now suffers from fatigue, frequently.

Secondly, her hair loses their gloss mass and texture.

They break more easily resulting in poor hair distribution pattern on her head.

Sometimes, she has bald patches like those of men.

Thirdly, she suffers from heart palpitation which exposes her to an elevated risk of heart problems.

Fourthly, her libido drops. Sex does not interest her as much as it did before. This condition is worsened if she experiences pain/injury during intercourse. The pain/injury arise from poor vaginal lubrication; and her thinner vaginal cell wall due to her menopause. These are responsible for her frequent urinary/ reproductive tract infections.

Fifthly, a woman in menopause suffers from loss of fat in the skin and poor skin elasticity. Because

of these developments, she experiences wrinkling of the skin which no cream can fully remedy. Or has old age any medicine? Of course, no. Furthermore, her skin is thinner. Thus, it cannot offer as much protection against environmental factors as it did previously.

Sixthly, she suffers from joint and muscle pain arising from the wearing away of her joints/ muscles.

Linked to this is her new status of osteoporosis given the fact that her blood estrogen hormone has either

because this habit will damage her liver or kidney over time.

She will experience cold night sweats. It is a condition in which she wakes up all night only to find her body soaked in cold sweat. Certainly, this can be embarrassing. However, when she is aware of this sysmptomatic effect of menopause, she will be able to cope with it.

Tenthly, she also will have what is called hot flushes or flashes. Here, there is an elevated blood flow to

dropped significantly or has been phased out by her non-functioning ovaries.

Seventhly, she begins to put on weight with more of it deposited around that waist line. Her growing weight means that her physical movements slow down. This results in further building up more weight.

If she doesn’t exercise and modify her diet, she ballons with time migrating from overweight to obesity. she is also prone to recurrent body heat, which interpret as malaria or typhold fever. Hence, the need for differential diagnosis by a health care giver to know what is really wrong with her. It isn’t enough for her to be popping pain or fever medications

her skin for some minutes. Therefore, the skin becomes warmer. She feels a sensation of general warmth under her skin for a fleeting moment.

Her breasts are equally affected by her menopause.

Her once relatively saggy mass of breasts now lose form, dropping and becoming flat and slipper-like on her. Chest. Hence when she walks or runs they flap with pendulous attractive A main reason why her breasts take on this new profile is because her ovaries doesn’t produce estrogen or significant amount of it required for stimulating her breast tissues. To reverse this trend, some women undertake estrogen replacement therapy or breast transplants.

Well, these procedures have their own benfits and shortcomings. Take your pick.

Women in menopause also experience memory loss. Thus, they tend to misplace things during this season of her waning but interesting life.

On a final note, she now also has to battle with depression, irritabity, anxiety, loss of dynamic exuberance, difficult breathing and poor sleep at night What a load of health challengers for a woman in her menopause. Well, there is no cause for alarm.

Natural medicine is well stocked with resource to manage the syndrome accompanying this phase of her life

“The fundamental reason why menopause occurs is that when a woman approaches the median age of 50, ovaries shrink leading to a drop in or total stoppage of the secretion of a hormone called estrogen. Invariably, progesterone, a twin ovarian hormone, now predominates child-bearing is no more naturally possible as a result.”

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International Features KIM Jong Il left as his legacy great exploits which guarantee the everlasting foundation and bright future of socialist Korea.

He raised the Juche idea and Songun idea as the eternal guiding ideology of Korea and as the great guiding ideology of the era of independence. Being endowed with the outstanding ideo-theoretical wisdom, he launched energetic ideo-theoretical activities from his early years, during which he systematized the revolutionary ideas of President Kim Il Sung, founding father of socialist Korea, as the integral system of idea, theory and method of Juche.

He published many works including On the Juche Idea (March 1982) to further develop the idea.

By developing and enriching the idea of giving priority to the arms, the idea of attaching importance to military affairs put forward by the President, to meet the requirements of the new era, he formulated the Songun idea and raised it as the invincible sword for accomplishing the cause of independence. Thanks to this, the Juche idea and the Songun idea became the great guiding ideology in the era of independence and the immortal KimilsungismKimjongilism. This ideological and theoretical wealth is the most precious legacy bequeathed by him for the Korean people and progressive mankind.

Kim Jong Il developed the Workers’ Party of Korea into an ever-victorious guiding force, the DPRK into a powerful socialist state and the Korean People’s Army into invincible armed forces.

The 50-year history of his leadership of the WPK was a period when he created a model of building a socialist ruling party.

Thanks to his energetic leadership, the WPK developed into a militant party, in which unitariness of ideology and leadership is firmly secured and the sense of organization

Legacy Of Kim Jong IL and discipline is strong beyond comparison, into a motherly party, which takes responsibility for the destiny of the masses, into a veteran and sophisticated party, and into a party, in which inheritance of leadership is firmly secured.

In the end of the last century when socialist Korea was faced with the worst adversity on account of the collapse of socialism in several countries, the vicious schemes of the US-led imperialist allied forces to stifle it and the natural calamities that hit it for several consecutive years, he administered Songun politics in a comprehensive way, with the result that the DPRK demonstrated its might as an invincible bulwark of socialism and the KPA developed into formidable armed forces. By attaching top priority to strengthening the national defence capabilities, he strengthened the might of the KPA to the maximum through his incessant field guidance and turned the whole country into a formidable fortress by materializing on a new, higher level the policy of arming all the people and fortifying the whole land. Under his leadership Korea became a nuclear possessor, with which nuclear threat by the imperialists cut no ice, and the KPA displayed its might as an army strong in idea and faith and a-match-for ahundred army which is ready both for defence and attack.

Kim Jong Il turned the whole society of Korea into a grand harmonious family with his politics of love and trust, and the whole country into a political and ideological power in which all the people are united single-mindedly.

Thus, in the DPRK everlasting cornerstone was laid for accomplishing the cause of socialism, unperturbed by any upheavals of history. It is not coincidental for the Korean people to have held Kim Jong Il in high esteem as the eternal General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and eternal Chairman

of the DPRK National Defence Commission.

Kim Jong Il laid solidly-built foundations for building a thriving socialist country. He drew up a bright blueprint for building a thriving socialist power and created every condition to put it into reality through his devoted field guidance. By opening up the era of knowledge industry with the introduction of CNC technology into the machine-building industry, he led the effort to stoke the flames of industrial revolution of the new century across the country and make the overall national economy modern and knowledge-based.

Under his leadership in the DPRK an amazing reality was unfolded of switching over to knowledge economy; cuttingedge CNC machine tools are being mass-produced, Juche iron production system that uses no coking coal and scrap iron, a revolution in the world’s metallurgical industry, was established and modernization of the production of vinalon and introduction of DCS system of the fertilizer production through coal gasification were materialized. Many factories and enterprises including the Huichon Ryonha General Machine Factory and the Taedonggang General Fruit Processing Factory were newly built or renovated as worldclass ones. The DPRK is now one of the few artificial earth satellite producers and launchers in the world. Everywhere including Pyongyang across the country has been refurbished in a modern way, unfolding the prospect for the Korean people to enjoy all the benefits of socialism.

The immortal exploits Kim Jong Il achieved by devoting his whole life will shine for ever as the most valuable legacy which guarantees the triumph of the cause of Korean-style socialism and the cause of independence of mankind.

Migrants Flee Hardship In Eritrea

TEN years ago, Eritrean migrant Habtu hunkered down on the vomit-stained deck of a creaking trawler on the Mediterranean Sea, making the final stage of his perilous bid to reach Europe.

It is a trip thousands of Eritreans attempt each year, fleeing one of Africa’s poorest and most isolated nations, a place where army conscription with pitiful pay can last years.

Many die on the trek. Probably all of the more than 360 migrants who drowned in a shipwreck near Italy’s coast in October were Eritrean, though many are still unidentified.

So the computer science graduate felt fortunate when his journey across a quarter of Africa via the scorching Sahara brought him to Malta - even if he had hoped to reach Italy, a former colonial power in the Horn of Africa.

But his luck ran out when his asylum request was rejected and he was sent home. Now 32, Habtu remains undeterred and wants to make the treacherous trip again, rejoining the flow of often welleducated Africans dreaming of a new life in Europe.

“Your only choice is to fight, and one way to fight is to make such journeys,” Habtu told Reuters in Mai-Aini, one of six refugee camps in Ethiopia housing 79,000 Eritreans. “You can’t continue this way.”

Officials say about 40 or 50 Eritreans cross into Ethiopia a day, using camps as way stations on their longer journey north.

Camp officials asked that only first names of refugees be used to protect families back in Eritrea, where rights groups say freedoms are trampled on by the state.

Asmara denies this.

Yet, even if Habtu makes it on his second attempt, he may still face disappointment in Europe. Activists there say those who survive the dangerous trek often end up in badly paid and illegal work, scraping by as house helps or hawking on streets.

For some, it can be worse than back home.

“Europe is a mirage,” said Kossi Komla-Ebri, 59, a doctor who immigrated to Italy from Togo in the 1970s and who now works with the Afro-Italian community.

“People are drawn to Europe with a positive image in their heads. It’s a fatal attraction. They don’t realize they will be eating scraps under the table,” he said.

But Habtu’s case highlights the difficulty in stopping the illegal migrants, even when they have first hand experience of the dangers.

Others have also not been deterred, even as news of the October shipwreck off Italy’s Lampedusa island filters back.

IN TRANSIT Many Eritreans who spoke to Reuters in Mai-Aini said quietly they still planned to make the journey to Europe from the camp, which lies perched amid craggy hills about 1,200 km (750 miles) north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

“We need to do everything possible to stop this risky adventure,” said Moses Okello, who is the representative for the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR in Ethiopia, which manages the camps with their rows of cement block huts.

“However, no amount of positive intervention in the

Migrants escorted by Italian Guardia di Finanza at the Italian island of Lampedusa. camps can stop those refugees who come with the intention to use Ethiopia as a transit point,” he said.

Many like Habtu have fled from compulsory military service, a requirement for everyone aged 18 to 50. It can run indefinitely. Habtu described a life of virtual servitude in the army, saying he earned a meager $20 a month.

Most Eritreans live in poverty. The country’s annual gross national income per capita in 2012 was $450, far below the $1,345 figure for subSaharan Africa, World Bank figures show.

Eritrea’s fiercely self-reliant government has turned down aid from the United States, saying such handouts will breed dependency in the nation of 6.1 million people, one of the least developed in the world with an economy based on

agriculture.

Abdulkadir spent 10 years in Eritrea’s military, including serving in trenches on the frontline of a 1998-2000 war with Ethiopia. He said he was not paid enough to feed himself so he started an illegal trade in food to make ends meet.

He was caught and locked up in a makeshift cell - a metal shipping container in the searing heat of Eritrea’s Red Sea coast.

Released after a year, he fled the country and reached Egypt. He was shot when trying to cross to neighboring Israel.

“We suffered a lot,” Abdulkadir said, rolling up his trousers to show a wound that means he now walks with a cane.

“We were also regularly

beaten by the traffickers and the women among us were raped,” he said, describing treatment at the hands of Sinai Bedouins who had initially promised to help him and others across. He was then shot at the border and later sent back to Ethiopia where he had been registered as a refugee.

The route through Egypt to Israel was until a few years ago a common one for Eritrean migrants, but rising insecurity in Egypt’s Sinai which borders the Jewish state and a new Israeli fence with more patrols mean many now head westwards to Libya.

ESCAPING From there, traffickers offer berths that can cost more than $1,000 each on barely

seaworthy vessels to Europe. Most migrants aim for Italy, though tiny Malta is where many also end up.

Of more than 32,000 migrants to reach southern Italy by boat this year, about a third are Eritrean, the United Nations says.

The final sea journey can be the most dangerous stage as the Lampedusa sinking highlighted last month. Habtu was on his boat for 34 hours being buffeted by waves before making it to Malta.

Eritreans blame their government for the tragedies.

“It is well known that the only person responsible for the shipwreck is the Eritrean dictator,” said Magda, 20, a political science student in Rome and daughter of two Eritrean immigrants.

“If there weren’t a dictatorship in Eritrea, 16-year-olds would not be escaping,” she said during a protest in Italy.

Eritrea dismisses charges of rights abuses. It says it has indefinite military service due to the festering border dispute with Ethiopia. It says conscripts also do development work.

After the Lampedusa sinking, Eritrea said the United States encouraged human traffickers to undermine the country.

“The prime responsibility for the gross loss of human life, as verified by concrete evidences, squarely rests on the U.S. Administration,” Eritrea’s Information Ministry said.

Washington, which has accepted 5,547 Eritrean refugees from the Ethiopian camps since 2009, rejects the charge.

“I think that’s nonsense,” Anne Richards, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration, told Reuters at the MaiAini. “This problem that prompts them to leave is completely the doing of the Eritrean government.”

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Success By Evidence: 2015 election is fast approaching, so one is not surprised at the propaganda and pull him down campaign going on against notable politicians. politics as we know is generally assumed to be unclean game.Indeed,it is unclean in so many aspects and senses to the extent, that most politicians and their unsuspected followers often present a feature that do not clearly debit the reality concerning the distinguish achievers as a means of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it. This is as a result of how nondirectional leadership which has dealt blow to masses of Nigeria.

When there happens to be evolving leader in our society, who really feels the sufferings of his/her people, and understands the need to create positive changes for them, there is equally a need for us to give him/her great words of praises. It is good to appreciate a leader who struggles to create better life for the entire society than one who only fights to help just a handful of individuals.

Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the governor of Imo state is at the receiving end of so many media propaganda by people who want to see him out of government house Owerri in 2015, by all means. They way these propagandists throw out falsehood and denigrates truth baffles me. The have embarked on a mission of massive misinformation against the government programs for Imo state.

The latest propaganda against the Imo state governor is that he took a loan of 73billion naira from banks using Imo local government area allocation as collateral. Others say he mobilized miscreants to take to the streets to protest against federal government. The questionis, why will Okorocha mobilize anyone to protest for him against the federal government?

Tracing his background, a great philanthropist of no equal measure, teacher, educationists, and orator and a trouble shooter.

Born on the 22nd, September, 1962, in ogboko, ideato south, Imo state.Rochas Okorocha is a father to the poor Nigerian youths, standard bearer of a new Nigerian, an accomplished administrator, a politician who in his political career, has this ambition to become a top leader in Nigeria. His ambition led him to the running of the April 26, 2011 gubernatorial elections.

Being the people’s man, due to his catchy manifestoes was voted for and declared the winner.

So far, efforts being made

by the Okorocha’s government to bring life back to Imo state are palpable. And when one considers the fact that this governor and his subordinates have done all these within a very short period of time of taking over the government of Imo state (May 2011-october2013), we need to give him lots of kudos and commendations. He requires no introduction as he is a leader who is diligently and humbly serving his state Imo.One can recall that the ascendance of Okorocha to government house owerri as governor of a politically sophisticated state as Imo is spectacular.

Within a space of two and half years, the people of Imo state have witnessed the tremendous Impact of okorocha’s government. His leadership in Imo so far has impacted on both the state and her people. such positive impacts includes, the areas of road network, the rehabilitation of public utilities, peaceful co-existence in the state,security,heath,agriculture,youth empowerment, infrastructure improvements, societal reorientation and free education from primary to tertiary schools.

A government that has declared free education from primary to tertiary schools in the state so that the children of the poor can go to school should be commended. Tracing the state’s history, this is the first time free education has ever been given to the pupils and students of Imo state. As an educationist, the governor knows that education is very important in our society.

Education helps us to gain and acquire knowledge. It teaches us how to live our lives by mingling in the society and turning out to be good citizens. Education also makes us capable of interpreting rightly the things perceived. The notion that an investment in education and human capital promotes economic growth can be traced to (Adam smith, 1776), the Scottish philosopher in his famous study of what constitutes the “wealth of nations” the modern history source book.

The government of okorocha increased subvention to Imo state university from 57.56million to100, 000,000million naira monthly.

He reversed the Imo state university fixed school fees 150,000naira to an affordable payment. His administration released 138,000,000million naira for payment of arrears of academic and non-academic staff’s entitlements in Imo state university. The government distributed thousands of school desks to secondary schools in Imo state and has renovated

Politics Lessons From Imo State

By CHUKWUKA IFUNANYA

several schools in the state. In addition, the government is also building several modern secondary schools in the state.

The governor established Imo state college of advanced professional studies. He also secured approval of 922.000, 000million naira from the education trust fund (ETF) to be used for projects in educational institutions

during working days and weekends, rather than experiencing the hassles associated with unmotorable roads.

It is commendable to note that Rocha’s government has stopped political godfatherisim in the state. He changed government house to look like what is seen abroad. He is re-

Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo State in Imo state. His administration commissioned a well –equipped information communication technology (ICT) laboratory at girls secondary school Ikenegbu owerri.He also secured approval for the establishedment of national teacher’s institute (NTI) study center in Imo state. To make things easier for the parents and guardians, the state government is also providing school desks, uniforms, sandals, books, for Imo pupils.

Allocation of imprest is made to the authorities of all primary and secondary schools in the state for the purpose of carrying out routine maintenance in their respective schools.

We have seen and witnessed the immediate and prioritized rehabilitation of old and dilapidated roads across the state. A clear example is the transformation of Orlu and okigwe town in Imo mega cities. An opinion sampling conducted by me, shows that Imo citizens are happy with what the government is doing, many said that the roads enables them to drive about smoothly around the state

“A government that has declared free education from primary to tertiary schools in the state so that the children of the poor can go to school should be commended. Tracing the state’s history, this is the first time free education has ever been given to the pupils and students of Imo state.”

absorbing the returnee teachers, civil servants off loaded by Abia, Ebonyi and Benue state governments.

Within two years, Imo state is to the envy of his critics. It is highly commendable.

Unfortunately, at this advanced age of human existence, we all still find ourselves in a Nigeria rife with so many forms of short sightedness in leadership. We find ourselves in a country where the rehabilitation of roads is still considered a big political score that the political office holders even find it difficult to carry out such projects, then to think of construction of new roads. We are yet in a Nigeria where governments still finds it difficult to work in the interest of the citizens of their state.

Some concerned Imo state citizens, argues that the way government is going, carrying the whole projects together, hence doing a lot of spending, He may end up exhausting the capital of the state. But to some, it’s better for the government to continue that way, even if the pocket of the state is emptied.

So long as he is carrying out a good cause.

The case of Nigerian leadership as a whole, where for ages we have not seen a political office holder who really wants to affect the lives of Nigerian citizens positively, it is very good for us to welcome the efforts of few who

are trying to redirect the leadership of the country towards the right channel. Governor Rocha’s okorocha is one of such people. The good work he is doing is manifesting at a rapid pace.

However, no human being is perfect. And while governor okorocha is on the right track of leadership, while we support and congratulate him on areas where he is performing well, there are few areas where his decision may not really be in proper order.

He should look deeply and remember other election promises he made to Imolites.Some certain decisions he made may cause up and down in the state.

One of such, is the issue of establishment of two more universities in the state. His decision was actually born out of the general opposition of his idea of uprooting Imo state university from its present site to another place. Setting more universities in the state may be a good idea, but it really is not the problem solver for the achievement of more educational height in the state. The appalling thing is that we want every child to attain the level of university education in Nigeria, but in reality, this is not feasible. The establishment of some lower educational institutions is more ideal. For instance, the setting of entrepreneur and skill acquisition colleges in the state will be more economy boosting.Every western country is fighting to strengthen its middle class citizens. The middle class citizens are highest spenders in every economy. If for example, the government establishes skill acquisition centers and colleges, in Imo state which will achieve two year training of furniture makers, machine operators, fashion designers and stylists, bricklayers and so many others, it will be to the state’s advantage.

These days, we lack auto mechanics that are up-to-date with the electronics mechanism of modern day cars. Diploma certificate training could help us overcome this defect. And when we have plenty of well trained professionals of this nature, these individuals will work even as private practioners earn money and in turn help to fine-tune the economy of the state. This is how economy boosting is achieved, and not necessarily only through training of a mass of university students. Many Nigerian university trained persons, are on streets going back to the level of wheelbarrow pushers. That is why the government needs to reconsider this issue.

The second issue is that of lack of public water supply scheme in the capital city of owerri.It is quite surprising that in a state where its governor is performing well, its capital has no water to drink. Looking back in the 80s according to history, thanks to the presence of the very clean otamiri river. The Mbakwe government set up excellent water treatment plant.the remnants of the plant and reservoir should still be intact.

Because of the transparent

cleanliness of the Otamiri River and the absence of water polluting industries along the bank of the water, the treatment of the water was and will always remain cheap. The okorocha government should try and reinitiate this pipe borne water project so as to solve the state capital’s water problem. Borehole water is good, but its cleanliness depends on the cleanliness of the individuals who sell it to the people. And its consumption is very expensive for the people.

There is need for more affordable water scheme for the people of the state.Honestly, it would not be to government’s credit that while owerri capital city has good natural water resources to exploit, its citizens are in need of drinking water.

Meanwhile, the government should also lubricate the Imo state economy by creating enabling environment for business to thrive.

Unemployment rate is high.

People will be alive to enjoy all the good things he is providing.

The government should stop the capital flight from Imo state by giving jobs to indigenes.

The government should also look into the settlement arrears of former councilors and political office holders at the local government councils. Even though it was another administration that incurred the debts, government is a continuous process. The governor should be able to pay for contracts done by his predecessor because, after his tenure, his successor expected to pay for those he may not be able to pay.

Okorocha’s government made a mistake by scrapping the existence of developmental centers. The existence of developmental centers brought government at the door steps of the rural settlers in the state.

Pointedly however, since he has decided and created community government council, he should not conduct elections into them, but should do appointment into them.

Furthermore, the government should build industries to employ the plethora of graduate turn out every year by the universities. This will ensure the immediate employment of graduates in the state. And this will also give under graduates the assurance that as soon as they are through with the university, they will surely get a job.

Naturally, as human being, governor okorocha like any other politician has his own flaws, weakness and areas he is not doing well as pointed earlier, but despite these flaws, the fact still remains that he is doing his best to take Imo state to a greater height.

Propaganda, evil machinations and ill-feelings from opponents and counterparts against the Imo government cannot ease the Imo state government achievements.

Critics could always have say, while truth will eventually have its way. The question is will the critics overtake the truth about Imo government in 2015 election?.

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EVERY WEDNESDAY, WEEK 20, 2013 LUCKY 1.2. X SELECTIONS 5 INTERNATIONAL NOS. HOT PAIRS 7 8 10

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19 HOT

2. PLYMOUTH

41 TIP

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2 BBC

4. HUDDERSFIELD

16 UKB

CREWE

21

5. ROTHERHAM

28 NAP

NEWPORT

39

6. NEWCASTLE

7

7. TRANMERE

31 PAY

WIGAN A.

20

8. STIRLING A.

49 NAP

9. WEST HAM

10 XOX

10. CHARTON

14 XOX

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12. NORWICH CITY

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46 OKP

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16. NEW PORT CO.

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19. SWINDON

30 CBK

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HUDDERSFIELD

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5

DEP

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By SAM EHEBHA GSM:08056626091

SATURDAY RITUALS

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EVERY WEDNESDAY, WEEK 20, 2013 WATSON WEST 1.2.X FORECAST

By SAM EHEBHA GSM:08056626091

Your Star

EDITOR’S NAP NAP 7 XX 7 XX 7 PAIR 5 OR 20 LET IT BE

RICHWELL NAP

MURPHY NAP

NAP 8 XX 8 XX 8 PAIR 19 Vs 41 GOODLUCK

NAP 48 XX 48 XX 48 PAIR 31 OR 14 EXECUTIVE

J. B. NAP

SUNNY NAP NAP 21 XX 21 XX 21

PAIR 8 OR 9 WATCH OUT

OKUNS NAP

PAKER NAP

NAP 20 XX 20 XX 20 PAIR : 18 or 19 BE A WINNER

ODION NAP

PAUL NAP

NAP 10 XX 10 XX 10 NAP 39 XX 39 XX 39

PAIR 34 OR 40 THERE IS HOPE

NAP 14 XX 14 XX 14 PAIR 25 OR 28 FOR SURE

PAIR 16 0R 17 DRAW IS DRAW

NAP 30 XX 30 XX 30 PAIR 10 OR 11

GUESSING GAMES

21

5

20

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39

7

23

19

SMOKING GUN BEWARE

3* 4 6* 9 12 17

27 26 28 29 35 36 46 FOR THREE DRAWS?

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Munich Disaster Survivor Passes Away

Ron Vlaar Praises Aston Villa Spirit ASTON Villa captain Ron Vlaar saluted his team’s spirit after they recovered from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with West Brom.

The Baggies and Shane Long in particular caught Villa cold early on as two fine strikes from the striker put them clear.

It could have been more too, with Stephane Sessegnon in particular guilty of a bad miss that may have settled the issue, but Villa stayed in the game and after Karim El Ahmadi pulled one back, Ashley Westwood got a stunning second to earn a point.

“I’m very happy. We showed some mentality,” Vlaar told Sky Sports 1. “The first half was not good at all. If you start the way we did, you’re in trouble. They scored two in the first 10 minutes and had a good chance of a third. We are lucky they didn’t score.

“In the second half we turned it around and I’m very proud. The mentality we showed shows what we are capable of.”

Manager Paul Lambert’s introduction from the bench of Gabriel Agbonlahor, Fabian Delph and Andreas Weimann — all on the road back from injury — gave Villa the impetus they needed.

“I thought we were fantastic,” the Scot said. “We were terrific when we got going and were resolute. We were 2-0 down in 10 minutes and knew we had to hang on to half-time.

“We spoke about the subs at length and I thought we had to get them on quickly as we knew we needed a goal. To lose the three when we did was a blow and they only started to train on Friday.”

After witnessing Long’s early brilliance, Albion boss Steve Clarke was disappointed to let the three points slip.

“I think, when you’re leading 20 midway through the second half, you feel you should get the three points,” he said. “Villa made a few changes, the energy of the subs unsettled us and we gave away a bad goal. They took advantage.

“We missed one clear-cut chance to make it 3-0 and if it goes 3-0 it’s probably over. In a local derby you never know. At halftime we knew the next goal would be crucial and sometimes chasing at 2-0 down you get a bit of luck.”

FORMER Manchester United defender Bill Foulkes, a survivor of the Munich air disaster, has died, aged 81.

United said Foulkes passed away in the early hours of Monday morning.

Foulkes made his debut for United in 1952 and went on to play 688 times for the club - a figure only surpassed by Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton and Paul Scholes.

Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward paid tribute to Foulkes, saying: “Bill

Bill Foulkes

Wenger Denies Henry, Pires Moves ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger has ruled out signing former stars Thierry Henry and Robert Pires.

Henry and Pires have team, because they come in returned to their former and work on fitness.

“When we have some club in a bid to stay fit room we invite them to during their absence from play with us but usually first-team football. they train separately to us.”

Henry, Arsenal’s allThe Gunners boss also time leading goalscorer, is ruled out the idea of Henry in the off-season with his MLS side New York Red returning to the club in a position, Bulls, while Pires has not coaching believing the 36-year-old played top-flight club football since appearing still has a lot to offer as a player. for Aston Villa in 2011.

“No, at the moment he is But despite the duo’s invited just to practice involvement with the when he wants,” Wenger north London club, continued.

Wenger has denied “We have a big staff, a rumours linking the club very competent one, and with a loan move for either we have the right number player. to support the team to “They like to come back to Arsenal, to practice,” Wenger said. “When they can join in, they do. They integrate well with the ARSENAL striker Nicklas spirit of the team, nothing Bendtner has been cautioned for criminal damage, according to a more than that.

“They have no real report in the Daily Mirror.

The newspaper alleges that target to bring something, they just want to enjoy Bendtner was questioned by themselves and keep their police after “doors to a gym were fitness. Usually they don’t kicked in and a window smashed practice with the first at his apartment block in Bushey,

“Thierry is a player. One day,

certainly, it will be different but, at the moment, no.”

Robert Pires and Thiery Henry

Nicklas Bendtner Arrested

Everyone Is Devastated

TOTTENHAM Hotspur skipper Michael Dawson has explained that everyone at the club is devastated in the wake of their humiliating 6-0 thumping at the hands of Manchester City.

Spurs were on the back foot from the onset, conceding 14 seconds into the encounter following a mistake from Hugo Lloris.

Dawson, who recently signed a new contract at the North London club, expressed that there are no words to describe

achieve their targets.

was a giant character in the post-war history of Manchester United.

“He was a very gentle man, who I was privileged to meet on several occasions, including most memorably with his team-mates at the Champions League final in Moscow, 50 years after his heroics in the Munich air crash.

“Bill’s contribution over almost 700 games and nearly 20 years will never be forgotten.

The thoughts of everyone at the club - directors, players, staff and fans - are with Bill’s family.”

Foulkes, whose father and grandfather had both played rugby league for his home town St Helens, started work as a coal miner and was still going down the pit at Lea Green Colliery in the mid50s, by which time he was a regular member of Matt Busby’s United first team and had won his only England cap, in 1954.

After the Munich tragedy, he took over the captaincy and became the leader of the ‘Busby Babes’.

He played for United for his whole career, the highlight coming near the end of his playing days when he was part of the 1968 European Cup-winning team, aged 36.

Foulkes had played a key part in the semi-final too, scoring the winning goal against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

how bad the team feels following the loss.

“There are no words to describe how we all feel after losing 6-0. I can’t explain it.

It is a bad day,” Dawson told tottenhamhotspur.comfollowing the loss to the Citizens.

“You don’t say a lot after losing 6-0. Everyone is devastated. The fans travelled in their thousands again and it’s a hard day for everyone.”

The Lilywhites had an opportunity to square things up after Navas’ early strike

- Dawson

but Erik Lamela’s poor effort was cleared off the line by Martin Demichelis.

It was all downhill for Spurs from there though, as they slumped to their worst defeat in the Premier League since 1996.

“We came back into the game until they scored the second goal,” added Dawson.

“We maybe could have nicked a goal to go to 1-1 but after that there was only one winner.”

- Report

Herts.”

A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire police is quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying: “A 25-year-old man from Bushey has been cautioned for criminal damage.

“He was released and is no longer in custody.”

Bendtner posted a response to the reports on his Instagram account: “On Saturday night after our win against Southampton I went out with my family and friends for dinner. After our dinner we all wanted a night swim in my gym so we changed to shorts and brought towels down.

“As we arrived at the gym my key fob changed the colour from red (locked) to green (open) but the door remained closed. We thought the door was stuck so we tried to open it and it caused some damage.

“I apologise for any inconvenience for my neighbours and I have paid in full. We had no part in damaging anything else in the building.

“The matter is closed with the police, and my focus is on tonight’s match.”

Bendtner, 25, is back at Arsenal after two seasons on loan at Sunderland and Juventus, but he has struggled for first-team football so far this campaign, failing to start for the

Nicklas Bendtner

Gunners in the Premier League.

In February 2012, Bendtner, along with Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole, was charged with criminal damage after cars were allegedly vandalised close to the home of their arch rivals.

And in March 2013, the Denmark international was fined 842,000 kroner ($147,000) for drunk driving and had his driver’s licence suspended for three years.

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Bayern Hope ‘Mole’ Stays Silent KARL-Heinz Rummenigge has said he hopes the Bayern Munich “mole” who leaked tactics to the media ahead of the 3-0 win at Borusia Dortmund will “fall into hibernation.”

Bayern coach Pep He described the leak as Guardiola said “heads “an unlikeable topic” and will roll” after his team “something that is not OK for the game against from a moral or ethical point Juergen Klopp’s side of view.” appeared in German “I hope that whoever did it tabloid Bild before the will now end it,” he added. match.

“Anything else would And as the club surprise me with this team, prepared for their which otherwise has a great Champions League character.” match at CSKA Moscow “That is not positive, there on Wednesday, CEO are rules. We will need to talk Rummenigge said: “I about it,” captain Philipp have the faint hope that Lahm was quoted as saying the mole will fall into by Bild.

Bayern’s hibernation with the first Netherlands winger Arjen snow, that we can end Robben added: “It’s a shame, this really soon.” it’s sad, but nothing new. A

big team does not need anything like it.”

But club president Uli Hoeness was more relaxed, telling reporters: “The players are dying of laughter because of your headlines.

“I can also only smile about it. Should that be our only problem, we can perfectly well live with it.”

On Monday, Guardiola reportedly warned his

...

Rubbish Messi’s A record-shattering $250m offer for Lionel Messi has Fee been rubbished by Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Despite reports suggesting the Champions League holders could attempt to reunite the Argentinian star and manager Pep Guardiola.

Lionel Messi

Ancelotti Motivated By Champions League Chase REAL Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says the club’s quest for their tenth Champions League title serves as motivation for him and the players.

The Whites won their ninth title against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 and have since failed to reach the final, something the Italian says is unacceptable for a club of this stature.

Real trust in Ancelotti’s calm to rekindle success “The club hasn’t spoken about what happened last year with (Jose) Mourinho and I haven’t asked,” he told The Times.

“To reach the semi-finals of the Champions League is not bad. It’s not good enough for some clubs but it’s not bad.

“Winning ‘La Decima’ (tenth title) is not an obsession but it’s a

players that, if the mole was traced, he would never play for Bayern again.

A Bild report quoted him as saying: “No matter who it is, heads will roll. The person will be thrown out.

He will not play any more games under me.”

Following the victory at the Westfalenstadion, the Treble winners are now unbeaten in their last 38 Bundesliga games, and have been hailed as the “best team in the world” by many, including Dortmund CEO Aki Watzke.

motivation. For the club it’s very important.

“The last time Real Madrid played in the final was 2002. For a club like Real Madrid this is not good.”

Madrid will look to confirm their qualification for the knockout stage of the Champions league when they host Galatasaray at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

Reports in Spain suggested that the Bundesliga leaders could activate Messi’s £209m release clause in an effort to further strengthen their already blossoming squad, with honorary president Franz Beckenbauer adding fuel to the speculation after admitting Messi would be a “good fit” for the Bayern squad when speaking to Bild.

But Rummenigge has spoken out to rubbish the move claiming that the fee is simply too much for any club to afford, despite the four-time Ballon d’Or winner reportedly considering his options at the Catalan club according to further reports coming out of Spain in recent weeks.

“Messi? We are talking about figures here that are simply absurd, a transfer fee that is even higher than what we spent on Javi Martinez. We won’t go there,” Rummenigge said when speaking to Sky90.

“Plus I know Sandro Rosell.

Barcelona would never sell Messi. He is a saint at Barcelona and they will not sell him.

“And I think it would be in Messi’s best interest to stay at Barcelona. He fits in perfectly there.”

Carlo Ancelotti

THE French Senate voted on Monday to reject the government’s proposed 75 percent rate of income tax that clubs say will damage French football.

President Francois Hollande wants to tax all revenue over one million euros at 75 percent. The levy would be paid by employers and affect some 14 Ligue 1 clubs, bringing in an additional 44 million euros to the government.

Clubs had threatened to boycott games in France’s top two tiers at the end of November as a means of raising awareness over the issue, which they claim will lead to French clubs being less competitive in Europe and see established stars and promising talents go elsewhere.

However, France’s upper House of Parliament has voted against the measure. The lower house, the National

French 75% Tax Rate Proposal Rejected Assembly, has yet to have its say on the issue.

Socialist Senator Francois Marc had attempted to add an amendment, which would have meant Monaco — currently exempt from French tax laws — also being subject to the measure.

The Principality club have already made it clear they will not accept the French Football League’s demand that all affiliated clubs be based on French soil for tax purposes come the end of the 2013-14 campaign.

With the Senate’s rejection of the bill, however, the amendment is rendered null.

Ex-Parma Players Could Be Investigated SEVERAL former Parma players could be questioned as part of an investigation into fraudulent activity during the bankruptcy of Italian food giant Parmalat, then the club’s biggest backer, in 2003.

Parmalat’s demise was brought about by fraud and false accounting, and it has been alleged that some leading Parma players of the time filed invoices for non-existent publicity appearances.

Gazzetta dello Sport has

reported that investigators would like to talk to former players including Juan Sebastian Veron, Faustino Asprilla, Enrico Chiesa, Lilian Thuram, Dino Baggio, Hernan Crespo, Hristo Stoichkov and Tomas Brolin as part of their probe into the case.

They are part of a group of 26 individuals accused of extorting around 10 million euros from Parmalat during the company’s decline.

Parma were heavily funded by the food giant during the 1990s — the most successful era in their history, during which they won the European Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Supercup and the UEFA Cup and finished second in Serie A in 1997.

In 2004, as a result of the Parmalat scandal, Parma were declared insolvent, re-forming without the big names and the spending power and suffering their first relegation to Serie B in 18 years in 2008.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

UCL Shows Philippines Solidarity

‘No Pressure To Vote For Qatar’ GERMAN chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected claims that pressure was put on German FIFA executive members to vote for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup. Merkel’s comments came after FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed Germany and France had put pressure on their FIFA executive members, saying: “Two countries who put pressure on the FIFA electors were France and Germany.”

He added: “They have to explain what they make of this situation,” and alleged that both countries had urged a vote for Qatar because they had economic interests there.

But Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, rejected Blatter’s claims and said: “For the chancellor, I can clearly say that at no time was there a recommendation to vote for Qatar as the host for any German FIFA executive member.”

Earlier, Franz Beckenbauer, a member of the FIFA executive at the time of the vote, had told football talk show Sky90 he did not feel there had been any pressure on him or his fellow FIFA executive members.

On the same TV show, Bayern Munich CEO KarlHeinz Rummenigge, also the chairman of the European Club Association said that while it was known that former France president Nicolas Sarkozy was a major friend of Qatar, “similar stories are unknown to me from Germany.”

Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines (right) fights Brandon Rios of the US during a Welterweight boxing bout in Macau on Sunday.

Manny Pacquiao’s Speed Would ‘Overwhelm’ Maywealther MANNY Pacquiao would “overwhelm” unbeaten WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather with his lightning speed if the fight that fans crave takes place in 2014, according to trainer Freddie Roach.

After Pacquiao returned to 34, and “Pretty Boy”, 36, could winning ways by demolishing meet, a fight that could generate former world lightweight a record $300 million in pay-perchampion Brandon Rios in view revenues, is next September.

Macau on Sunday, talk turned “It’s a fight that should happen inevitably to the long-awaited and where there is a will there is mega-fight against eight-time a way,” said Arum, following world champion Mayweather.

Pacquiao’s big points victory Promoter Bob Arum confirmed over Rios for the WBO to AFP that Pacquiao, the only International belt. man to have held world titles in “Particularly after that eight weight divisions, would performance.” next fight on April 12 in Las Roach said he would prefer a Vegas, with one of his conquerors fifth meeting with Marquez, who from last year — America’s knocked out Pacquiao on the WBO welterweight champion most recent of their epic Timothy Bradley, or Mexican encounters almost a year ago, “to arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez shut him up”.

— the likely opponent.

But then Roach wants victory After that they would try for over Mayweather. “That’s the Mayweather, who already has a fight the world wants to see,” fight scheduled against an as yet Roach told AFP. unnamed opponent on May 3.

“Mayweather in his last two The earliest that “Pac-Man”,

fights has been slow, he doesn’t move as much as he used to. I think Manny’s speed will overwhelm him. Mayweather is not good against southpaws. And he has trouble with speed.

“Manny Pacquiao, he’s back, but I never really had the thought he went anywhere.”

Pacquaio told reporters he was ready to go toe-to-toe with Mayweather, but that the decision rested with the American.

“My job is to fight and I will fight anybody who will fight me,” Pacquiao said. “I am willing to fight Floyd. So it is up to him.”

Rios, wearing dark glasses to cover his battered features, agreed that Pacquiao’s blistering speed of punching and his fast reflexes had taken him by surprise.

“He’s much faster than I thought he was,” Rios told a press conference. “He was great. I tip my hat to Manny Pacquiao. He

was at Ajax.”

The current Mpumalanga Black Aces center-back had the chance to become nationalized as a South African citizen and was a keen target by then Bafana Bafana coach, Carlos Alberto Perreira, to join South Africa’s 2010 World Cup team.

Ferreira added that his decision to join the Nzalang Nacional was due to his desire to play for a country, but that his opportunities to join the Selecao are limited.

“They asked if I wanted to represent them and I said ‘yes’. I feel the same playing for them as Brazil,” he went on to explain.

“It is very difficult to get into the Brazil team and when Perreira was here, as a coach, he wanted

me to play for Bafana. That was in 2008 or 2009, so close to the World Cup. “Brazil has some of the best defenders in the world and I couldn’t get in. So I said ‘why not?’ to Equatorial Guinea.

“I took the decision and I feel good about it. I played against Spain- against some of the biggest players in the world-and I feel great.

“The people here have given me support and it is a great feeling. I am surprised from what I see there and they make me happy.”

Over 40 Brazilians have been naturalized to play with their goalkeeper, Danilo, being the most notable player of all.

still has it.”

Rios’s trainer Robert Garcia also paid tribute. “I think everyone had that question after the Marquez fight: ‘Which Pacquiao are we going to see?’ I think we saw the best Pacquiao.”

Pacquiao took more than two hours to get to his post-fight press conference, after having to supply two urine samples for dope testing by VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Organisation) and the sanctioning body, the World Boxing Organisation (WBO).

One of the biggest sticking points preventing Mayweather facing Pacquiao in the past had been the American camp’s insistence on strict drugs testing.

That may have been removed now, with Pacquiao being tested frequently.

So did Pacquiao foresee any other obstacles in the way of the fight? “You’ll have to ask him,” he said, referring to Mayweather.

Ferreira Explains Equatorial Guinean Surprise

FORMER Ajax Cape Town defender Eduardo Ferreira has talked about his surprise outing in the Equatorial Guinea colours where he featured in a friendly against Spain.

The Brazilian shocked everyone when he unexpectedly came off the Equatorial Guinea bench against the World Champions in an international friendly match two Saturday’s ago.

And upon further digging, MTNFootball discovered that the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation had been naturalizing foreigner passports in order to help improve the standard of playing quality for the country.

Ferreria, whose surname is of Spanish ties, which happens to be

a colony of Equatorial Guinea, has revealed all to MTNFootball, saying he had been monitored by the African nation for some time.

“The guys there have been following me for some time now.

They have seen me in the PSL because the games are shown there on TV through SuperSport,” he reveals to MTNFootball.

“They [the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation] were looking to see my relations with my grandfather, my mom, my dad...

“They started looking and for three or four years now they have been interested. They saw me play at Ajax and Sundowns and they especially liked me when I

“There are a few Brazilians and Spaniards in the team,” added the 30-year-old. “Danilo has been playing there for a few years now and, for us, it is easy because we understand Spanish because of Portuguese. “[Equatorial] Guinea is trying to do things. They have a good national team and some of the players are wanting to come back now and play for them. I am comfortable being with them.”

Sampdoria starlet Pedro Obiang is one notable player who is of Equatorial Guinean decent, but has been naturalized by Spain, while Juventus’ Paul Pogba has Guinean relatives but plays for France.

A banner supporting victims of the Philippines typhoon will be raised at every Champions League football match this week, UEFA announced on Monday. “‘You are not alone, Philippines’ will be the message on a banner at each UEFA Champions League game this week,” the European footballing body said on Twitter.

“The whole European football family will stand united on the pitch this week before the matches to express our deep compassion and our unfailing support for the people of the Philippines,” UEFA’s chief Michel Platini said in a statement.

“We wish them the strength to face the consequences of this tragedy,” said the former French football star.

More than 5,200 people have been confirmed killed and another 1,600 are missing after Super Typhoon Haiyan tore across some of the country’s poorest islands, generating tsunami-like waves that left dozens of towns in ruins.

Zambia Files 2019 AFCON Bid THE Football Association of Zambia on Monday officially filed its bid to host the 2019 Africa Cup. FAZ general secretary George Kasengele travelled to CAF headquarters in Cairo over the weekend to lodge in Zambia’ bid to host the 32nd edition of the tournament.

“The Football Association of Zambia is pleased to announce that we have successfully lodged the bid to host the Africa Cup of Nations finals of 2019,” FAZ stated.

“The Zambia bid was filed at CAF headquarters in Cairo Monday afternoon 25th November 2013 by FAZ General Secretary George Kasengele.”

Zambia has already won the rights to host the 2017 CAF African Youth Championship that it hopes to use as a dress rehearsal for the 2019 Africa Cup should their bid succeed.

Meanwhile, Zambia is in the race for the 2019 AFCON together with Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Gabon, Guinea and Algeria.

Zambia’s last successful bid to host the Africa Cup was in 1988 but later withdrew due to financial reasons.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Hockey Coach Calls For Structured Programme COLLINS Iheanyi, Head Coach, Rivers Hockey Association (RHA), on

Anichebe Gets World Cup Life Line ENGLAND-based striker Victor Anichebe will be considered by Nigeria for next year’s World Cup, the country’s coach has said.

Anichebe has not played for Nigeria since 2010 and he has said he would rather put his club ahead of his country after he suffered a long-term shin injury in the build-up to the last World Cup. However, Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has now thrown the West Bromwich Albion striker a chance to feature at his first World Cup. “It was Anichebe who chose not to play for Nigeria at a point in time, so if he decides he is ready to play, why not?,” Keshi told Complete Sports.

“If he calls me today that he wants to play for the Eagles again, of course I will give him a chance to prove himself and possibly go to the World Cup in Brazil next year.”

The 25-year-old Anichebe, who was also eligible to play for England, debuted for Nigeria in 2008 and featured at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

The big, direct-playing centre forward has a goal in a dozen appearances for the Eagles.

A shin injury caused him to miss a final cut for the 2010 World Cup.

Victor Anichebe

Monday urged the Nigeria Hockey Federation (NHF) to introduce well structured programmes that would reposition the sport in the country.

Iheanyi told newsmen in Lagos that the stagnation that had pervaded the sport in recent times was due to the absence of viable development programmes.

He stressed that it was only through a structured programme that the progress of budding talents could be monitored to fruition.

“The problem is that they need to go back to the grassroots. I mean a structured programme such that there will be Under-12 tournament, there will be Under-17.

“Now, if I get to other tournaments and you see that I am consistent in my performance, I can now move on to the national side.

“That is one of the things we are lacking. We should be able to have a structured plan.

The coach also urged state hockey associations to complement the efforts of the NHF in promoting the sport at the grassroots through regular talents discovery programmes in schools.

STAYA 2013 Sports Fiesta Ends In Benin

BY INNOCENT OMOAKA BENIN CITY The physical competitive component nature of sporting events has been described as an effective tool in the development of the child.

This view was expressed by the initiator and coordinator of

Sporting Talents At Young Age (STAYA), Mrs. Victoria Ilona

during the 2013 Grassroots Sports Fiesta held recently in Benin city.

According to Mrs. Ilona, “the Grassroots Sports Fiesta was aimed at stimulating sporting interest among students of primary and secondary schools”.

The Coordinator, Mrs. V.A. Ilona speaking during the 2013 STAYA Sports Fiesta in Benin City. Photo: SOLOMON ENAIGBE.

Iheanacho Opts For Man City

FATHER of Golden Eaglets star Kelechi Iheanacho has told MTNFootball.com the final

choice of Manchester City was because God will lift him there

after the family prayed over the matter.

Iheanacho

James Iheanacho told MTNFootball.com:”We prayed yesterday and after due consultations with family members, we came up with Manchester City believing he has a future there. That is where he will be uplifted.”

The family meeting, which was attended by the football star, went on past midnight on Monday.

Last week, there was a major falling out between father and son over the choice of a European club for the MVP of the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup. Kelechi had insisted on Portuguese champions FC Porto, which would have also taken Eaglets teammate Chidera Ezeh as part of the bargain.

But his father wanted him to take up the offer from Manchester City or Chelsea.

Kelechi finally got home in Owerri Monday morning after he left home for several days without the consent of his father.

The father had to go on radio to say his son was missing.

Top Football Official Banned For Corruption A senior Nigerian football official has been banned for 10 years for corruption, the country’s football federation announced late Monday.

A Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) emergency committee handed Leye Adepoju the sanction excluding him from all football-related activities following an investigation.

Adepoju was a member of the NFF executive committee and also the chairman of the football

association in Oyo state, southwest Nigeria.

He was alleged to have received a cash payment of 1.5 million naira ($9,400) before a disciplinary hearing against Shooting Stars, from the Oyo state capital Ibadan, after they abandoned a league match against Sunshine Stars earlier this year.

He was said to have received money to find in favour of Shooting Stars after their players refused to take the field in the second half when the

score was 0-0, claiming that one of their officials had been attacked.

Shooting Stars were fighting relegation at the time. A subsequent hearing awarded Sunshine Stars the three points from the match.

The NFF also banned another senior official for 10 years for claiming he was attacked in the game and also referred to police an allegation that the chairman of Enugu State Football Association was an imposter.

Chidi Ofo Okenwa was told to step down from his role pending the outcome of the police probe.

Match fixing and corruption is a problem in Nigerian football and has led to sanctions against a number of clubs, referees and officials.

Four clubs were suspended earlier this year after two teams vying for promotion won 67-0 and 79-0 respectively with the NFF calling it a “scandal of huge proportions”.

She added that such interest in sports was important to the growth and development of the children outside the school curriculum.

Mrs. Ilona said, “The physical aspect of sports which is instrumental in the development of a child helps in bringing out the spirit of friendliness, quick judgment, self control, alertness and fair play. “The grassroots sports fiesta which is an annual event in the state has assisted the state in producing and encouraging young athletes”, she added.

She however appealed to government and nongovernmental organizations for financial assistance to enable STAYA achieve its fundamental objectives.

In addition, Mrs. Ilona appealed to parents and school authorities in collaborating with STAYA in building a viable future for the children.

Highlights of the sports fiesta were sporting games including football and athletics among primary and secondary school students representing Oredo, Ovia North East, Egor and IkpobaOkha Local Government Areas.

NFA Holds AGN Nov 28

THE Nigeria Football Association (NFA) said on Monday that arrangements had been concluded to ensure success of its 69th Annual General Assembly (AGA) billed for Nov. 28.

Mr Ademola Olajire, the NFA Assistant Director of Media, said in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja that the AGN would hold at the Brown Hill Events Centre in Warri.

Olajire said Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta would declare the assembly open, while the Minister of Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, would be the special guest of honour.

He said the event would also witness a Charity Shield match between Kano Pillars, the winners of the 2012/2013 Premier League, and the 2013 Federations Cup winners, Enyimba of Aba, at Warri Township Stadium.

Olajire said the meeting would also be used to celebrate the achievements of Nigeria football in 2013.

He said that with the Super Eagles winning the Africa Cup of Nations and picking a 2014 FIFA World Cup ticket, “the year 2013 has been a magnificent one for Nigeria football’’.

“Golden Eaglets won their 4th FIFA U-17 World Cup title and the Eagles Team B qualified for the first time ever to participate at the African Nations Championship for home home-based players.’’

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013 CMYK

Countdown Calendar

550 Goodluck Jonathan Days To Go

TODAY, President Goodluck Jonathan has 550 days left on his oath of office.

I would like to suggest resignation to him as a patriotic and honourable course of action, but I use both adjectives with a deep sigh.

When I first penned my first Countdown Calendar on his presidency, in July 2011, he had almost 1400 days. On November 27 of that year when I offered the reminder again, he had 1,278.

In the past two years, I did not write the calendar at all in order to avoid sounding like a heckler.

Today, with just one and a half years left, most of which will fall into the noman’s land of preparing for the 2015 election, I think it is only fair to remind him again that Time does everything but wait.

What Mr. Jonathan does next, politically, could maim his legacy, or make it. In my view, the only way for him to make a significant impact on Time may be to resign his office, or at least resist the temptation to seek reelection. If he respects his country—and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)—more than he loves himself, he ought to consider these options.

For certain, nobody in the presidency will tell him that under his leadership, Nigeria is a defeated country and the laughing stock of the international community. Nigeria is defeated because Mr. Jonathan is defeated.

And the irony and the agony is that he has been defeated more by his friends than by his opponents.

As he left for London last week for a meeting of the Honorary International Investors’ Council (HIIC), Mr. Jonathan held in his bag his latest defeat, by his own Minister, Stella Oduah. The HIIC aims to advise Nigeria on development issues, in the course of which it is heavy on political corruption and other challenges to investment such as crime, violence,

poverty and political instability.

Mrs. Oduah has been embroiled for nearly two months in extremely scandalous corruption allegations that have taken on a life of their own

in London last week.

Perhaps it was no surprise the Nigeria leader opted for the safety and security of a London hospital bed. Had that event been in Nigeria and he had to contemplate a

Jonathan the PDP—old or new—can win the next presidential election is lying to him. Worse still, anyone who tells him he can win re-election is merely flattering him.

Nigerians who voted for him in 2011 did on the basis of his potential, but also because of his

President Goodluck Jonathan internationally. But even while the thunderous allegations went off hourly like bombs on an old Beirut street, Mr. Jonathan neither fired nor suspended her.

Even when he finally succumbed and set up a presidential panel allegedly to probe the matter, he took the Minister with him on a foreign tour for the first of the panel’s two-week lifespan, along with a member of the three-man panel.

You did not need anyone to tell you the president was not really looking for the truth, and it is no surprise the panel has since receded into irrelevance, with no report, no presidential action, and no resolution. The Minister remains a member of the federal cabinet, and Nigeria is the butt of jokes around the world, many of them certainly heard by members of the HIIC Mr. Jonathan was due to meet

hospital bed, I am certainly he would have leapt off the ambulance into the conference hall like the Under-17 football captain Musa Mohammed after a crunchy tackle.

In other words, while Mrs. Oduah may well be innocent, corruption, incompetence and indolence again won the latest battle.

Regrettably, under Mr. Mr. Jonathan, they have won every conceivable ethical confrontation so far, and I challenge any presidency official to contradict this.

This is why no government official dwells on the Transformation Agenda ruse any longer.

As I continue to say, there is neither transformation nor agenda, certainly none of an ennobling or positive character.

I have no love for the PDP, everyone knows, but anyone who tells Mr.

ruthless armada of political promises.

Those conditions have changed drastically, and I do not see Nigerians falling for any further “I once had no shoes” stories. Mr. Jonathan’s demonstration of considerable weakness, along with his romance with the seedier dimensions of politics is certain to yield only grief at the polls. The PDP, like Nigeria, would have a far better chance with someone else that has a chance at seeking believability on his own.

Once upon a time, Mr. Jonathan dismissed WikiLeaks revelations about the corruption in Nigeria of which he was a part, as “beer parlour gossip.” At the time, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi OkonjoIweala, also called the revelations, one of which involved her, “fiction.”

There is neither fiction nor gossip about Ministers who face extensive fraud allegations, just as there is neither fiction nor gossip about looming anarchy because a chief of state cannot summon the character to enforce discipline.

Not only is Mrs. Oduah neither “beer parlor” nor “fiction,” the menace she represents can damage Mr. Jonathan’s presidency irretrievably. She confirms the advancement of Nigeria’s lootocracy while Mr. Jonathan’s inability to act decisively confirms the worst possible advancement of his political impotence, and his defeat.

The quality of Mr. Jonathan’s defeat as a leader is even more pronounced when one considers that he is unable to identify the relationship between his inability to lead and his unsuitability for leadership.

I am prepared to cheer a leader who pursues the best interests of his country, but when a leader is dragging that country into the depths of despair, the only thing a citizen can do is ask to be set free. That is why I advocate for Mr. Jonathan a graceful, quiet exit.

Think about it: anywhere else in civilization, Mrs. Alison-Madueke, claiming to be “deepening reforms and rooting out corruption” would be one of those hilarious jokes to which you wake up laughing in the middle of the night, but not in Nigeria.

I have written elsewhere that Mr. Jonathan’s biggest fear on the corruption file is that he cannot control what might fall off the branches should he shake the tree. Nigerians who wander about the future may want to keep in mind that during the street protests of 2012, the Nigerian leader actually sent armed soldiers into the streets in what I thought was a dangerous powersharing arrangement with the military And yet…and yet this is the year, 2013, that he promised Nigeria would see performance wonders from him. At his Media Chat in June 2012, he dismissed his critics as people who would be humbled in 2013. “No matter the abuse, we must plan. And after the abuse, people will see the results by 2013 and things will change,” he said.

Really? 2013 is all but over, and Nigeria is doing worse, not better. Mr. Jonathan may want to remember that it is the mark of a man to be able to look into the mirror and simply say, “No more!” No more recycling of hopes and promises.

Save yourself, Mr. Jonathan: resign.

Alternatively, please remember that with 550 days, miracles are still possible.

Can you summon the character?

I am not holding my breath.

• sonala.olumhense@gmail.com • T w i t t e r : @SonalaOlumhense

TOMMORROW’S ON THIS PAGE

“

Excess crude is excess fraud. It is a veritable source of slush funds of all sorts, particularly campaign funds.

It is like stolen money for which no proper account can be expected.

- Hon. Josef Omorotionmwan

”

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