Weekend observer 13 07 2013

THE WEEKEND

Weekend

1 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

PUBLISHED SINCE OCTOBER 6, 1990 • Vol.XI NO.3,192• SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013 • N100.00

FOCUS ASUU, ASUP Strike: One

Strike Too

Many

- Page 7

Kudirat’s Murder

Appeal Court Dismisses Murder Charges Against Al-Mustapha

THE Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos, on Friday discharged and acquitted Major Hamza AlMustapha, who was sentenced to death over the conspiracy and murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola on June 4, 1996. existed huge shadows of Our Correspondent doubt in the case of the reports that Justice prosecution, which ought Mojisola Dada of a to be resolved in favour Lagos High Court had on of the appellants.

January 30, 2012, “In a criminal trial, the sentenced Al-Mustapha burden of proof is and Lateef Shofolahan beyond reasonable to death by hanging over doubt and this is a chain the murder. that cannot be broken.

Al-Mustapha was the “The prosecution listed former Chief Security four witnesses PW 9, 10, Officer to the late Gen. 11 and 12 as witnesses, Sani Abacha, while which it intended to call Shofolahan was an aide in the trial, but never to the late Kudirat. called any of them.

Justice Rita Pemu, who “PW 1 (Dr. Ore Falomo) read the lead judgment, testified before the lower said that the prosecution court that the bullet totally failed to establish extracted from the the charge of conspiracy forehead of the and murder against the deceased, was white appellants, including and of a special kind, but Shofolahan. the prosecution failed to She said that it was tender the bullet as an foolhardy and exhibit and this is fatal to unreasonable for the their case. lower court to have so “The prosecution also swiftly convicted the called PW 4 appellants, when it was (Investigating Police very evident that the officer) who investigated prosecution had a bad the death of the case. deceased, but this Pemu held that there witness was never

produced for crossexamination by the defence, as he never showed up in court.

“This renders the evidence of the police officer inconclusive as it denied the defendants their right to a fair hearing, and no reasonable court can safely make a conviction on such inconclusive testimony.

“PW 2 (Sgt. Rogers) and PW 3(Mohammed Abdul) in their confessional statements to the police said they were enjoined by the first appellant, to murder kudirat, but this statement was later retracted by them in court.

“PW 2 and PW 3, in retracting their earlier statement to the police, told the court that they were cajoled by the prosecution to indict the appellant, with a promise to give them monetary compensation.

“This is a contradiction in the testimonies of the witnesses, it raises doubt in the case of the prosecution, and it is unimaginable that the

lower court did not expunge this evidence.

“For an offence like murder, I wonder why the Nigerian police did

not do a proper investigation.

“Jabila, who was initially arrested as a co-defendant, was later

called a prosecution witness; witnesses who ought to be called were never called, the bullet

extracted was never tendered before the court.

“Once there is doubt in the case of the prosecution, as Continues on page 4

COURT OF APPEAL: Al-Mustapha (centre) surrounded by security agents shortly after he was discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal in Lagos yesterday.

LANDMARK

A Celebration Of Courage And Excellence Barr K. S. Okeaya Inneh (SAN):

- Page 6

MOMENT OF SCRUTINY

Providing An Efficient Transportation System - Page 5

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CRIME

Court Dissolves 3-Year-Old Marriage Over Childlessness AN Ilorin Area Court has dissolved a three-year-old marriage between Kudirat Alade and Alade Muftau over childlessness.

Kudirat, 31, a resident of Osere Area, Ilorin, had earlier prayed the court to dissolve her marriage to Muftau, due to childlessness.

The petitioner told the court that her husband was not giving her attention as expected of him in their childless condition.

“My husband does not care about our childless misfortune because he hardly spends time with me at home,”

Man, 23, Docked For Stabbing Another Person

A 23-year-old man, Oluwaseun Babalola, was arraigned before an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stabbing another man, Yusuf Abiodun.

Police prosecutor John Idoko told the court that the accused had on July 8 at Oluode in Osogbo attempted to kill one Abiodun, when he stabbed him on his left hand.

Idoko said the offence committed is contrary to and punishable under section 320(1) of the Criminal Code cap 34 Vol.11 Laws of Osun, 2003.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and his counsel, Mr. Segun Komolafe, applied for his bail.

The magistrate, Mrs. Habbibat Basiru, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 with two reliably sureties in like sum.

Basiru said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, swear to affidavit of means, and provide tax receipts and two clear passport photographs to the court.

The case was adjourned to July 22 for hearing.

“My Lord, I want an end to this marriage because I’m tired of my husband’s I do not care attitude, ” she said.

According to her, their marriage is contracted in 2010 and is yet to produce any child.

The respondent did not object to the prayer of his wife, saying she was free to go and try other places as it pleased her.

“I am not God that produces child, so I wonder why she is complaining as if I am the one responsible for our childless misfortune,” he said.

He prayed the court to grant the prayer of his wife without any claim.

The Presiding Judge, Mr. Yusuf Abdul-Kareem, dissolved the marriage and issued a certificate of divorce to the plaintiff.

Cross section of 677 displaced victims of Armed Robbery Comprising 232 women including 30 pregnant women, 380 children and 65 men who left their villages in Faskari Local Government Area since July 7 and relocated to Faskari Model Primary School in the Council’s headquarters for fear of Reprisal attack after two of the suspected armed robbers were killed.

NHRC Calls For Arrest, Prosecution Of Killers Of Students In Yobe

THE National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for the arrest and prosecution of those, who killed some students at Government Secondary School Mamudo, Yobe State.

The call is contained in a statement issued in Abuja, issued by the Deputy Director of Communication of the agency, Mr. Muhammad Ladan.

The Executive Secretary of NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe, said the masterminds of the evil act should be made to face “an open and transparent

trial in a court of competent jurisdiction”.

The statement quoted the executive secretary as saying that “the killing of the students and a teacher of Government Secondary School, Mamudo, Yobe State, is dastardly and horrific.”

Angwe expressed the readiness of the commission to collaborate with relevant authorities towards ensuring peace and reconciliation in the region.

He said the step became necessary to prevent further violations of people’s rights in the area

He added that the commission would do everything possible to ensure that Nigerians whose rights were violated could seek redress through the commission.

Court Discharges Man Who Allegedly AN Abuja Senior Abducted Teenager Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday discharged a driver, Yakubu Yahaya, 25, alleged to have abducted a 15-year-old girl.

Yahaya, of Angwan Sarki Village, Karmo was tried for

abducting the teenager from her home at Angwan Cement Village on June 1.

The Senior Magistrate, Mr. Abdullahi Illelah, struck out the case and discharged

TUC Criticises Killing Of Students In Yobe

THE Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has described as unacceptable the killing of 29 students and a teacher in Yobe by gunmen.

This is contained in a statement signed by the President of the TUC, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, and the General Secretary, Mr. Musa Lawal, in Lagos.

According to the Congress no nation develops in a situation where its youths are embroiled in strife and killed for no just cause “We also decry similar

incidents of violence and wanton destruction of lives and property in Benue.

“We charge the perpetrators of these acts to desist from such course and allow peace to reign in the country,” it said.

The statement said it was bad enough that the dilapidated infrastructure, especially the pothole-ridden roads were claiming thousands of lives every year.

“A recent newspaper report puts the annual death toll from

Police Dock Wood Dealer For Allegedly Buying Stolen CAr A 35-year-old wood dealer, Obinna Achifuna, appeared in an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court for allegedly buying a stolen Toyota Corolla car, a charge he denied.

The police arraigned the accused on a one count of receiving stolen property.

Police prosecutor Abiola Oyewusi told the court that one Tony Mohammed and two others, not identified, stole the car and sold it to the accused for N600,000.

Oyewusi said that after their arrest on February 21 at Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, the suspected car thieves confessed to stealing the

and other parts of the country.

Angwe pointed out that the commission had been proactive in human rights monitoring, protection and promotion.

vehicle and selling it to Achifuna.

He said the offence contravened Section 317 of the Penal Code.

Section 317 says “whoever dishonestly receives or retains a stolen property knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen property shall be punished with imprisonment.’’

The offence carries a maximum jail term of 14 years with an option of fine or both.

Senior magistrate Bashir Alkali granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with two reasonable sureties in like sum who must be civil

servants not below grade level 08.

He adjourned the case to August 7 for hearing.

road accidents at an average of 5,000 persons,” it said.

The TUC said it was regrettable that people who escaped road accidents, air mishaps or shipwrecks ended up being killed by fellow humans.

“The situation is sad, and we urge those involved to sheath their swords and embrace dialogue.

“We call on the Federal Government and governors of the affected states to investigate the crisis between the Tivs and Hausa Fulanis in Benue State,” the statement

said.

It noted that the armed conflict between the two tribes had re-occurred too often and for too long.

The statement advised that a committee involving credible representatives from amongst indigenes of both tribes be set up to probe the issues at stake and address them at once.

The statement said that law enforcement agents should step up their act and apprehend and prosecute all identified culprits.

The statement urged leadership at all levels to be proactive to prevent future destruction of lives and property.

Be Cautious In Signing Death Warrants, CAN Scribe such cases,” Fawenu said.

Advise Govs He said that rather than

REV. Cornelius Fawenu, the Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kwara, has appealed to state governors to exercise caution in signing death warrants of convicts.

Fawenu made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin, saying governors should not rush into signing death warrants to avoid executing innocent people.

“We should be very careful

It would be recalls that 29 students and a teacher were killed in Mamudo, about 92km from Damaturu on Saturday.

Yobe is one of the three states, where a state of emergency was imposed

by President Goodluck Jonathan.

in signing death warrants so that we don’t pass capital judgment on the innocent.

“The nation’s judiciary should be more meticulous in the discharge of its constitutional duties, particularly in the area of criminal cases.

“If anybody must face death penalty, our judiciary should be meticulous in handling

issue death warrants governors should consider clemency in cases that were not clear to them.

“Clemency should be given to those that will not constitute further threat to the security and peace of the nation.

“God punishes the unrighteous, but we must make sure we don’t punish the innocent,” Fawenu said.

the accused following a pronouncement by the police prosecutor, Cpl. Simon Emmanuel.

“Yahaya, charged with alleged abduction of Malachy, has been under investigation and report has confirmed that she has been found to be with another man, “In view of the present situation, we urge the court to terminate the First Information Report (FIR) of the accused, as further investigation continues to arrest the culprit,’’ Emmanuel said.

Senior Magistrate Abdullahi Illelah said, “The FIR, No CR/356/2013, against Yakubu Yahaya, a driver of Anguwan Sarki, Karmo, Abuja, is hereby terminated and the accused discharged.’’

Earlier, Emmanuel had told the court that Mr. P Malachy of Angwan Cement Village, FCT, reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station, Abuja, on June 1.

He said the complainant reported that Yahaya went to his house and abducted his daughter and ran away to an unknown destination.

The prosecutor said the accused claimed to be the boyfriend of the abducted child and that both of them were seen together on several occasio

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CRIME Jonathan’s State Visit To China Not A Jamboree - FEC

Participants at the meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Road Infrastructure, Finance and Justice in Abuja yesterday.

Nigeria, China Sign Agreement On Comprehensive Financial Cooperation NIGERIA, and China have signed agreement on comprehensive financial cooperation between the two countries after talks between President Goodluck Jonathan and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

President Jonathan and his Chinese counterpart Xi had during their meeting in Beijing presided over the signing of five agreements to boost financial, trade, economic, technical and cultural relations between Nigeria and China.

The details of the agreement reached at the talks between the two leaders are contained in a statement issued by Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, made available to newsmen online in Abuja.

The statement said that the

agreements signed after bilateral talks between the two leaders and their delegations included the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Financial Cooperation in Support of Nigeria’s Economic Development and a Preferential Buyer Credit agreement for Nigeria’s Four Airports Expansion Project.

Others are a new agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between Nigeria and China, an agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries as well as an agreement for the Prevention of the Theft, Illicit Import and Export of Cultural Property.

President Jonathan in remarks before the talks started thanked President Xi

and the people of China for the warm reception accorded him and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan since their arrival in Beijing on Tuesday.

The statement said Jonathan assured President Zi that the Federal Government is fully committed to sustaining and developing the strategic partnership between Nigeria and China for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their people.

It quoted the president as also saying that in spite of the many positive developments in the the bilateral relations between the countries in recent years, there is still ample scope for increased trade and direct investment from China in Nigeria.

The state saud in response, President Xi assured President Jonathan that

China would continue to work with Nigeria in all possible areas in furtherance of the development agenda of both countries.

According to the statement, earlier in the day, President Jonathan met with Senior Executives of several Chinese conglomerates to initiate fresh investments in Nigeria or increase existing ones.

“The Federal Government Is committed to doing all within its powers to expand Nigeria’s domestic manufacturing capacity,” the statement quoted the president as saying during the meting with the Chinese industrial leaders.

Those the President met with included top executives of Huawei Technologies Limited, China Great Wall Industries, ZTE Corporation,

Judge Suspends Judgment Indefinitely On Monarch’s Rape Case

JUSTICE Oyejide Falola of the State High Court, Osogbo, has announced an indefinite adjournment for judgment on the rape case instituted by an ex-corps member against a traditional ruler.

The plaintiff, Helen Okpara, had accused the monarch, the Alowa of Ilowa-Ijesha, Oba Adebukola Alli, of forcefully defiling her.

The judge said his decision was based on the fact that on the last given date for judgment, newsmen kept calling his lines disturbing him a day before the judgment.

Falola said this was because the newsmen wanted to know where the pendulum would swing.

He said he had decided to

adjourn the case indefinitely to keep the pressure from the media down.

The judge said a new date would be communicated to

the parties and their counsel through hearing notice.

It could be recalled that the judge did not deliver his ruling at the last adjourned date

following the extension of time for judgment.

The extension was to allow for further defence which the counsel for the monarch, Mr. Taofeeq Tewogbade, applied for at the last hearing.

Ramadan: Cleric Tasks Muslims On

Behaviour, Peaceful Co-existence

THE Gombe State Grand Khadi, Alhaji Usman BabaLiman, has urged Muslims to fear God in their daily activities, especially in the month of Ramadan for them to have abundant blessings.

Baba-Liman made the call in Gombe, at the opening of the 2013 Ramadan lecture, which was on the first day of

the fasting month.

He said that those who fear God would be blessed with paradise in the hereafter.

The grand khadi added that the Ramadan period is the most blessed month in the Islamic calendar “and every Muslim needs to redouble his or her efforts toward doing good deeds and prayers”.

He called on Muslims not to worship anything apart from Almighty God and advised them to accept challenges in life as tests from God. Newsmen reports that after the lecture, questions and answers, special prayer was offered for peace in the state and the country at large.

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) said that President Goodluck Jonathan’s state visit to China was not a jamboree.

Prof. Viola Onwuliri, the Minister of State 1 for Foreign Affairs, disclosed FEC’s position on the visit after the Council meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

It would be recalls that Jonathan has led a highpowered team to China for talks with Chinese leaders and captains of industry to canvass for increased direct Chinese investment in Nigeria’s economy.

Onwuliri said the Council noted that the visit was in line with the administration’s vision to strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and other nations and expressed satisfaction with it.

She also faulted a claim in certain quarters, that the reception accorded Jonathan, who was received by a junior minister on arrival at the Beijing airport, was a slight on him.

The president was reportedly received at the Capital Airport in Beijing, by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Yucheng and Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, Alhaji Aminu Wali.

“When you have a high powered team visit like that, there is always division of labour.

“If a particular minister is engaged to do a particular job he will do it.

“Like when the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, came here, I was the one that received her.

“In international relations we do not see it the way the ordinary people see it.

“We are talking about a

nation that is not Englishspeaking. Again, you have to know whom to send to receive a president from a particular country in terms of language, in terms of cultural relationship and in terms of the person’s job,’’ she explained.

The minister restated the importance of Nigeria in the comity of nations, adding, “our country is highly rated around the world and China will never slight Nigeria’’.

“No country will want to have problems with Nigeria for now, because on the African continent we are still number one and that is why we have more and more people coming here.’’

Speaking in the same vein, the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, said that in line with international best practices, visiting Heads of State have designated government officials who receive them.

He stressed that with the status of Nigeria, China or any other country would not hold the country and its president in low esteem.

“I think that Nigerians should very anxiously await the outcome of the state visit of the president and weigh the results of the trip.

“We should look at the strategic arrangements that have been made to enhance the partnership between the two countries, before we jump into conclusion as to whether the visit is in the best interest of the country,’’ he said.

The delegation included the First Lady, Dame Patience, some governors, members of the National Assembly and ministers as well as representatives of the private sector.

Gowon Foundation Moves To Manage Post Crisis THE Yakubu Gowon Trauma Foundation (YGF) has taken steps to help Plateau citizens to manage the traumas many were subjected to following several years of violence.

In one such step, the foundation in Jos held a workshop for thousands of trauma victims aimed at sensitising them to how it could be handled.

Mr. Dan Tenshak, YGF chief executive officer, said in a remark that the aim of the workshop was to help the people to return to their normal selves.

Tenshak, who was represented by Mrs. Uzoma Akobundu, YGF’s head of administration, noted that the crisis had ended but that many people were still traumatised.

“The trauma is still in the

people and it can trigger off unexpected situations at any slightest provocation.

“Some traumatised persons are still holding grudges against other people, and there is the tendency for unwarranted occurrences and hence the need for the workshop.”

Mr. Peters Maji, Coordinator, Care Fronting Nigeria, who was one of the facilitators, described trauma as “an overwhelming experience human system cannot cope with”.

According to Maji, participants will be taken through what trauma is and how to deal with it.

He lauded the YGF for the initiative, and stressed the need for more of such efforts to help Plateau people.

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Hon Momoh’s Developmental Agenda Receives Support From FPU

BY LAMAI CASSIUS/ WINIFRED OSASOBO THE National Executive Council of the Fugar Progressive Union have supported and endorsed the developmental agenda of the Executive Chairman of Etsako Central Local Government Council, Hon Emmanuel Ozemede Momoh as presented at the stakeholders’ conference held at St John’s College Fugar, the administrative headquarters of the local government.

In a communiqué signed by the National President, Mr. Peter Imhoagene and the National Secretary, Mr. Roland Abike Onebamoi congratulated the executive chairman for his well deserved victory at the April 20th 2013 local government polls.

Appeal Court Dismisses Murder Charges Against Al-Mustapha Continued from page 1 in the instant case, it must be resolved in favour of the accused, and this doubt is accordingly resolved in favour of the appellants,’’ Pemu said.

According to her, it is clear that Kudirat was shot, but the question is: who pulled the trigger?

The communiqué among other issues condemned in a strong terms the wanton killings and destruction of property by some alleged cultists in the onetime most peaceful community called Fugar prior to the election.

Its however called on the state governor, comrade Adams Oshiomhole to as a matter of urgency set up a high power commission of inquiry to investigate and unravel the clashes that resulted to the death of two parents in the community.

The communiqué read further that a five man committee was set up to recommend way to reduce if not completely the incidence of cultism in the community as it noted that there is no any tertiary institutions within the community that used to attract these vices to host communities.

According to the communiqué, another 3 man committee was also set up to investigate the mayhem with a view to unearth the remote and immediate causes and to take appropriate steps towards bringing sucour to the concerned families The conference however thanked participants for the dedication and their sense of patriotism in promoting the interest of the community

while appealing to all Fugarians to eschew any bitterness and other divisive tendencies and urged all to rededicate themselves for the service of the community.

As a way of inculcating discipline, hard work and sincere of purpose among the youths in the community, the national executive council of the body have been mandated to organize a workshop for secondary and tertiary institution students in the community.

New Benin Community Visits Commissioner For Transport THE Commissioner for Transport has assured the New Benin Community that they would be carried along in the development of their Community.

Hon Isimeme lriogbe gave this assurance when he played host to them in his Office. He assured them that he would look into the issue of unemployment as he intends to employ some youths in the Community to help in the control and Management of traffic.

Mixed Reactions Trail Appeal Court’s Acquittal Of Al-Mustapha, Shofolahan MIXED reactions yesterday trailed the acquittal of Hamza Al-Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan for the alleged murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola by the Court of Appeal in Lagos.

Mr Fred Agbaje, a human rights activist, told our reporter in Lagos that the decision of the appellate court was not surprising.

Agbaje said: “The level of evidence in that case left too many loopholes for the defence counsel to take advantages of and that is exactly what they have done.”

According to him, the judgment has shown that there is no reasonable ground to detain Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan for almost 15 years.

“It is good for the development of the rule of law in this country. The innocent shall not be unjustly punished . I hope the matter will now rest, except the Lagos State Government wants to pursue an appeal.

“Lagos State must not only be ready to pay damages for unlawfully and unconstitutionally detaining and prosecuting an innocent citizen for 15 years, but must be ready as well to offer apology to Al-Mustapha and co,” Agbaje said.

Also, a criminal defence lawyer, Mr Yemi Omodele, said the judgment was a good development for both the bar and the bench.

Omodele said: “AlMustapha has rightly exercised his constitutional right and he has got what he wants from the Court of Appeal.

“If the prosecution is not satisfied with the decision, they can file an appeal at the Supreme Court.

“But I believe that the appeal court’s judgment was very sound.”

On his part, Mr Onyekachi Ubani, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, told NAN that the judgment was a temporary relief for Al-Mustapha.

He said: “I am yet to be abreast of the reasons for the reversal of the judgment, but it is within the purview of the appeal court to review decision of a lower court.

“It could be that they found out that the lower court erred either on the side of law or on the application of fact.

“However, the government may appeal to the Supreme Court. So for now, it is a temporary relief for AlMustapha.”

A constitutional lawyer, Prof.

Itse Sagay (SAN), cautioned that there should be no impunity in the country.

“That principle must be established in this country that anybody who infringes on a person’s right, particularly the right to life, must pay fully for it under the law.

“That is what I want to say,” Sagay emphasised.

A paediatric Dr. Dominic Osaghae, has emerged as one of four other medical doctors who will grace the 2013 Edo State Personality Almanac.

Dr. Osaghae who operates one of the best children’s hospitals in Nigeria, was the Former National President of Nigeria Medical Association.

He is brilliant, competent and humble, with a long history of philanthropic work.

It is no surprise that he will be appearing with such as the Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the revered Oba of Benin Omo N’oba N’Edo UkuAkpoloKpolor, Oba

Mr Bamidele Aturu, a human rights activist, said he would need to thoroughly review the judgment before commenting on the merits or demerits of the decision.

He advised them to educate their youths to key in to the developmental strides of the Comrade Governor, help enforce “no street trading” and traffic rules.

Earlier, the chairman Mr. Tony Owie who led other members of the C o m m u n i t y Development Agency Stated that they were in his office to congratulate him in his elevation to the exalted position of a Commissioner and solicit his assistance in the employment of their youths as they have many skilled and unskilled youth.

As they do not have lands for sale they are not involved in land speculation hence the appeal for employment and financial assistance to furnish their Secretariat.

Commissioner Task Staff Of EDSTMA STAFF of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA) have been charged to beef up their activities at the Kings Square.

The charge is coming of the heels of the traffic build up now being experienced at the Kings Square.

The Hon. Commissioner, for Transport Hon. Isimeme Iriagbe gave the marching order at the weekly meeting with the staff of the agency. He expressed his displeasure at the traffic build up and wondered why they allowed the situation to degenerate to that level, noting that traffic control/ management was the

primary reason why they were employed.

He also advised the Vehicle Inspection Officers (V.1.0) to be civil in their dealings with members of the public and that at no time should they drive any vehicle that have contravened the traffic rules.

Earlier, the EDSTMA, stated that their poor performance was attributed to the rains. He stated, that the V.1.0 could drive the vehicle when the traffic offender refuses to drive, adding that when the vehicle is under repairs and being driven by a mechanic, there should be a “Testing” sign boldly displayed on the vehicle.

Paediatric Doctor To Top Personality Almanac Erediauwa.

Other from the medical sector, are Prof.

M.O. Ibadin Chief Medical Director UBTH, Dr. Morrison Edema (DMP) former chairman association of Nigeria and private medical practitioners of Nigeria Edo state chapter an accomplished doctor and a great philanthropist, Chief Medical director Central Hospital Benin city Dr. Mrs. Kayode Iyesere, Chief Dr. Stephanie Ighedosa who is the first female medical graduate of the University of Benin, and Chief Prof Osato Frank Giwa Osagie, who is a world well-known gynecologist.

These doctors, having gone through the screening of the committee, have

CORRECTION OF NAME I, AHMED ABRAHAM wish to bring for the information of the general public that I am the same person as AHMED IBRAHIM as appeared in my First Bank Plc Account.

It should be known therefore, that I am properly known and addressed as AHMED ABRAHAM. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and First Bank Plc should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME IMAH - I formerly known as Miss Rita Osatohamwen Imah now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Rita Osatohamwen Imhoagene. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME EKHOUTOMWEN – I formerly known as Miss Precious Osarumwense Ekhoutomwen now wish to be known, called and addressed as Mrs. P r e c i o u s Osarumwense OjoOsahon. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME ODIGIE – I formerly known and addressed as Miss Odigie Irene Uyi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Irene Oduagbon Asuen. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

been adjudged of good moral standing, competence in their professional calling and fit to be emulated by the youth and society at large. In a release issued from the secretariat of the screening committee, there was indication that two or three medical doctors who are based over-seas, could be included in the latest Almanac, but they can not be named now, until their profiles and curriculum vitae are screened and confirmed by the committee, who are strictly under instructions that only very credible Nigerians of Edo State stock are included in the Almanac.

Speaking the publisher Mr. Steve Omwueme commended the screening committee for a job well done, adding that they should not compromise with the selection of personalities into the Almanac.

CHANGE OF NAME AKHIMIEN – I formerly known and addressed as Miss Akhimien I. Juliet now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ehichioya I. Juliet. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME GEORGE – I, formerly called Miss Ibiobeleari Dumoteyim George is now known and called Mrs. Ibiobeleari Godwin Dumbi. All former documents remain valid. The Nigerian Immigration Service and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME IBRAHIM – I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ibrahim Rizqat now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Musah Ibrahim Rizqat. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME IKHELOWA – I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ikhelowa Nanashat now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Danjuma Shuaibu Nanashat. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities, NYSC and the general public should please take note.

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IN Nigeria, transportation trends have relied heavily on cars, (taxis) trucks and buses.

closer home still to Nigeria is negligible.

In today’s Nigeria, the major means of transportation is the

the towns and urban centres across all parts of Nigeria.

Furthermore, the bike popularly referred to as

has evidently led to increasing traffic congestion in the towns and cities, creating increasing noise and

Providing An Efficient Transportation System

Only recently, air travel has been on the increase, even as the railway system has become relatively less important over the years. Also the use of water ways has also become less important.

However, the use of road traffic has tripled over the years on a nation wide scale.

Today, precisely, road traffic has continued to dominate the transportation trend, though air transport is increasingly becoming a major player in the transportation system in Nigeria.

Transportation volume is often measured in “passenger – kilometers” or to kilometer” unit that encompass the number of passenger or the weight of cargo goods multiplied by the distance they are moved.

For instance global air p a s s e n g e r transportation has risen from 928 billion passenger – kilometer in 1950 to more than 2.6 trillion passengers – kilometers in 1998.

Since 1960 global air passenger traffic has grown at an average yearly rate of 9 percent, air freight of 11 percent a year”… As with road traffic however, the African continent is largely missing the entire picture.”

In comparison, car production has almost risen linearly since the end of the Second World War. As a result the volume of global car fleet should be heading toward a trillion or even more than a trillion today.

On the other hand, the story of transportation in Africa, and coming

motorbike. Meanwhile the use of the bicycle has declined considerably while cars, trucks still predominate having supplanted the motorbike for longer trips.

Motorbikes, cars and trucks have helped in no way to change the structure of our towns and cities, which has in turn contributed to road use.

Ironically due to the massive decline in the nation’s economic fortunes in the mid 70’s

to the 80s, 90s and the millennium, bikes have been much cheaper than the car, and have became one of the most available means of transportation in Nigeria.

Today, the bike forms the primary transportation system in most parts of Nigeria as it traverses the hinterlands, to the towns and cities and anywhere people lives.

Also the motorbike is largely used for bringing raw materials, food stuffs and other wares from the hinterland to

Okada, now form the basic means of transportation for people in urban and rural centres. Such is the magnitude and wide use of the bike and its ubiquity that it cannot be undermined both as a means of transportation and its contribution to the socio-economic activities of the people.

However, in spite of its vast usefulness as a means of transportation,

its draw back is enormous.

The growing number of motorbike in the towns, cities and villages nationwide is truly of an alarming proportion. This

pollution.

More perplexing is the rate of accidents in which the motorbike is involved on a daily basis, having many people killed, leaving many injured and numerous others maimed for life.

Environmentally and health wise motorbikes emits carbon that is contributing to rising global temperatures.

Toxic ingredients in motorbikes includes

carbon monoxides, sulphur dioxides, nitrogen oxides and many other pollutants.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in a

report published sometime ago noted that “… highly polluting two-three wheeled vehicles which are prevalent in many towns and cities are powered by simple but dirty “twostroke” engines in which most of the fuel goes unburned and is released with the exhaust”.

Beyond this, these “two-stroke” engines is the cause of the prevailing acid rain, carbon intensity that is

responsible for climate change, and causing all kinds of diseases and damages to the people and the environment.

A World Bank report

suggest that “two stroke engines emit more than 10 times the amount of fine particulate mater per vehicle-kilometer as a modern car and only slightly less than a diesel truck”.

Further more, here in Edo State as well as in other parts of the country, motorbikes are now being used in carrying out all sorts of vices, crimes and criminal activities which was not augur well for the peace and security of the people.

Hence kudos must be given to the Comrade Governor of Edo State in his effort to reform the transportation system in the state following the ban on motorbike.

Examined critically there is nowhere on earth that bike riding for commercial purposes is regarded as a worthwhile profession or an occupation.

Nigeria as a developing nation has reached the state when it should certainly phase out the use of motorbike as a means of transportation.

Patriotic leaders like Comrade Adams Oshiomhole should be encouraged to help us improve our transportation system so they better serve the people, the environment, and the people will need to work with the government to attain this goal.

“In today’s Nigeria, the major means of transportation is the motorbike. Meanwhile the use of the bicycle has declined considerably while cars, trucks still predominate, having supplanted the motorbike for longer trips.”

THE WEEKEND

6 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

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Barr K. S. Okeaya Inneh (SAN): A Celebration

SEVERAL Years ago, he distinguished himself as a of forensic advocacy expert in the legal profession and made his mark and profound impression in the noble procession. He is a pillar and icon in the legal profession in Nigeria. For 5Oyears, having been called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1963 and 29 years as a senior Advocate of Nigeria having been conferred with the prestigious rank of senior Advocate of Nigeria on 13th July 1984, he bestrode the Nigerian legal profession like a colossus. His name is Barrister Kolawole Shola Okeaya-Inneh, SAN. Weekend Observer had the rare privilege of interacting with this first Benin man to be conferred with the rank of senior Advocate of Nigeria and a former member of the Legal Practitioners’ Privilege committee in his house in Celebration of his outstanding and notable achievements in the noble p r o f e s s i o n .

Asked to comment on how he feels on the occasion, the learned silk had this to say “I want to appreciate God for the gift of life and for his grace upon me all these years. I studied law in England and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1963 that was 5Oyears ago. I was conferred with the prestigious rank of senior Advocate of Nigeria on 13th July, 1984, that was 29 years ago. During these years, the almighty God has been good to me. I am very happy and excited on this occasion more so when many distinguished lawyers, Judges and captains of industries have passed through me. It has not been an easy Journey, but I must inform you that with determination, hard work, tenacity of purpose and the grace of God, I was able to surmount obstacles and challenges on my way to attain this position in life. Indeed, I am fulfilled, I am a happy

Of Courage And Excellence

man” Barrister Kolawole Shola Okeaya-Inneh, SAN had handled highly contentious cases in the past that have become locus classicus in the Nigerian legal jurisprudence. In the case ARASE VS ARASE, a case which he handled, the issue of the distribution of a Benin man’s estate, if he died intestate was well addressed and laid to rest.

In another contentious case which the highly respected learned silk handled, OKEAYA-INNEH VS AGUEBOR, a locus classicus, the case laid down the precedent that a party must comply with before acquiring land under Benin Native law and custom after 1960.

It must be noted that Barrister Kolawole Shola Okeaya-Inneh SAN was among the first group of human right lawyers that this country has produced.

This legal Icon has to his credit an impeccable and brilliant record of human rights activities.

These are his words “I am a man who abhors oppression and human right violation and I have always stood against and opposed it on several occasions. I believe strongly that we all are created equal and as such our rights must be protected and a level playing must ground must be provided for everyone. I will only talk about one cases, among many others in this regard. In a case that bothers on the violation of Human Right of a citizen, I took out writ of habeas corpus proceedings against the defunt Bendel State Government and the military Government of the federal Republic of Nigeria in 1969 for unlawfully arresting and detaining citizens during the Civil war in 1969. A Judgment was delivered in favour of the detained citizens by Hon Justice .J. Irikefe”.

Barrister Kolawole Shola Okeaya-Inneh SAN has always been at the fore front in the battle

against corruption in this country. His words on this. “Corruption wrecks and destroys a nation and I detest in strong terms. Great Countries of the world were not built on corruption but on sound principles and ideals of governance. I have also done a lot in this area to salvage this Country

seven days of the delivery” It is note worthy to mention that this legal giant, Barrister Kolawole Shola Okeaya-Inneh SAN is the first Legal practitioner to build his personal building designated as his law chambers, which was described by this Royal Majesty, the Oba of

which lasted for four years opened door for others.

An author of authoritative books, Barrister K.S Okeaya Inneh SAN is the author of “Benin Native law and Custom at a glance,” an expository book on the legacy system of the Benins in terms of “Igiogbe” and

Barr. Kolawole Shola Okeaya-Inneh, SAN

from the evil claws of Corruption in my Capacity as a lawyer. In 1974, I wrote a petition, consequent upon a confirmed investigation that judgment delivered in my client’s favour was altered by three Judges in Lagos. These Judges were later retired by the Military Government at that time. The incident was described in the print media as “The stained Scarlet robes”, and “The case of two my serious Judgments”.

This Case prompted his bosom friend of blessed memory, chief FRA Williams as Chairman of the 1979 Constitution Review Committee to insert in the 1979 Constitution, Section 294 (1) thereof on the rights of litigants to be furnished with duly authenticated Copies of the decision (Ruling and Judgements) within

Benin as imposing as the ancestral building in Erie Street popularly referred to by the Benins as Egedege Nokaro” and described by the revered Monarch as a real and historic feat. He had the honour as the first Benin man to be Conferred with the highly coveted and prestigious rank of Senior Advocatef Nigeria, and immediate appointment as a member of the legal practitioner’s privileges Committee in 1984

“United Baptist Mission, Nigeria 8’ Anniversary Celeberations”, a book that chronicled the activities of the mission, which he wrote in his Capacity as the chancellor of the mission.

Commenting on the legal Profession as at today, the highly respected learned Silk Speaks “The legal profession is a noble and respectable profession and those who aspire to be members of the profession and those

already in it must learn to maintain high level of professionalism. They must shun any conduct that is infamous in nature that could bring our profession into disrepute. Lawyers are social engineers and nation builders and as such, should strive constantly at developing themselves in terms of continuous legal education through Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Seminars and workshop as well as through other conferences within Nigeria and abroad” On his advice and words of encouragement to young lawyers, the learned silk speaks.

“The legal profession calls for hardwork and impeccable conduct.

Lawyers who must succeed in this noble profession must learn to be hardworking. It not a profession for lazy people. For young lawyers, they should endeavour to learn the ropes of the profession under a senior for some years before setting up their chamber. They should not rush into setting up their chamber immediately after being called to the bar. With hardwork and dedication to duty, they will be well compensated. They should remember that the first goal of a lawyer is the pursuit of justice.”

A silent Philanthropist and lover of peace, Barr. K.S. Okeaya Inneh SAN brokered peace between three (3) high Benin Chiefs and the palace in 1991. He is happily married with children, some of whom are lawyers namely Barrister Adetokunbo Omoregie OkeayeInneh SAN, Barrister Osahon Imatitikua Okeaya Inneh, among others.

“A silent Philanthropist and lover of peace, Barr. K.S. Okeaya Inneh SAN brokered peace between three (3) high Benin Chiefs and the palace in 1991.”

THE WEEKEND

7 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

oASUU, ASUP Strike: One Strike Too Many

F cus

By TAYO DEMOLA

THE essence of education to the growth and development of any nation cannot be over emphasized. Education is so crucial to economic growth that any nation that genuinely hopes to develop must vehemently and consistently appropriate a large chunk of its budget to developing its educational sector. This is because without education, no nation would attain meaningful economic and sociopolitical development.

Now when we talk of our leaders being responsible, what we are saying is that they should stop paying lip service to the educational sector.

There is no doubt that the best legacy any parent can give to their children is quality education, so our leaders should realize that there is urgent need to overhaul the comatose educational sector in Nigeria because we cannot develop if we as a nation do not have a sound educational system. The fact is that there is hardly any segment of our educational system that does not require urgent attention. From the primary, secondary to the tertiary education in Nigeria, the same story of neglect abounds. But this time around, we are tired of promises, so we want action on the part

of government.

Two months into the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Academic Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) the Academic Union of Universities (ASUU) has now embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike over the failure of the Federal Government to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with ASUU with respect to paying lecturers ‘‘EARN’’ allowance of N12,500 per month. While several moves had been made on the part of ASUU to ensure the government implements the agreement, these had yielded no results over the years hence their decision to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike as a last resort.

The Nigerian education sector is presently in a state of rot and perennial neglect by successive governments and one wonders how we can attain the vision 20:2020 if education is not given utmost priority in the scheme of things.

ASUU on their part had reduced the ‘‘EARN’’ allowance, which is the bone of contention, to 80% but the Federal Government had agreed to pay 50%. The issue here is why would government legally enter into agreements and renege on such

agreements? It beats one’s imagination that matters regarding education are handled with utmost levity by the government. Yet we cannot develop if education is relegated to the background in the scheme of things. There is no equality in a system

Nigerian government understands? When are we going to get to a time when lecturers will no longer embark on strikes in Nigeria?

It is evident that strikes are really paralyzing the already comatose education sector. With the current insecurity in Nigeria, why would government allow our

Prof. Ruqayattu Rufai, Minister of Education

where a local government councilor earns three or four times the salary of a university lecturer. Any system that relegates teachers’ welfare to the background will definitely produce halfbaked graduates and graduates who cannot prove their mettle in the labour market. Why would government wait until lecturers embark on strike before taking action? Does it mean that strike action is the only language the

tertiary institution students to waste their talents at home or roam the streets when they can be meaningfully engaged in the classrooms? Some of these students who are now idle hands could be tempted to engage in nefarious activities or join criminal gangs to perpetrate crimes. An idle mind is definitely the devil’s workshop so the government must as a matter of urgency act to ensure it resolves the issues with the

“While several moves had been made on the part of ASUU to ensure the government implements the agreement, these had yielded no results over the years hence their decision to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike as a last resort. The Nigerian education sector is presently in a state of rot and perennial neglect by successive governments and one wonders how we can attain the vision 20:2020 if education is not given utmost priority in the scheme of things.”

polytechnic and university lecturers so that these students can go back to school. The strike actions will not do anyone any good; it will only end up crippling an already ailing education sector. We were recently told by the Federal Ministry of Education that only about 500,000 applicants will

emergency in the education sector is long overdue and this should be done to forestall a total collapse of the sector. A lot of reforms are urgently required in the educational sector and I believe that the government can do this if it is really serious in addressing the problems

Isa Fagge. ASUU President

eventually get admission into our tertiary institutions in 2013 out of about 1.7 million that sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in April 2013.

Many eligible applicants are denied admission placement due to shortage of space in our institutions due to the fact that these institutions lack the requisite facilities to accommodate them.

One of the reasons why the education sector has degenerated to this sorry state is that the government keeps paying lip service to issues concerning education without taking proactive steps to forestall a crisis. I think declaring a state of

in the education sector.

We are a country where so many talented people abound. But one sure way to discover and tap these talents for the benefit of the nation is through sound education for the people.

The Federal Government should urgently call ASUP and ASUU to a roundtable and iron out the issues with them so that they can call off the strike as soon as possible to avoid the negative consequences of these avoidable strike actions.

We want action now from the government and not mere promises.

It is high time we discouraged strike action as the only tool that can coerce government into action on matters of public concern.

THE WEEKEND

8 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE WEEKEND

9 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

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You Chop Alone You Die Alone

WHEN poor people cry about marginalization by the rich and powerful, it takes too long to take them seriously. But when former head of state, an oppressor himself, Obasanjo warned against revolution, they look behind their shoulders.

Prof. Nwabueze warned of the same while Danjuma warned that revolution does not discriminate between victims and oppressors.

Gov. Aregbesola of Osun State is warning of Boko Haram in the South.

President Ebele and those surrounding him have decided that since the money being spent is oil money, the legitimate custodians must be those from Niger Delta. Reserve is running low in cash and products. So it will be a disaster if the well runs dry without much to show for it except environmental degradation in the Southsouth. The internal policy is to direct as much loot as they can towards that region. You blame them?

The other regions that have gotten used to free generous allocation, see through the internal policy and they are demanding their equal share.

Otherwise those that chop alone will die alone. Boko Haram wants its share and some Yoruba leaders claimed marginalization because every administration including that of their son ObJ the “most detribalized Nigerian” took them for granted.

Now, the Association of old retired politicians is crying marginalization.

They are led by Joseph Wayas, General Gowon, Gen.(?) Diya, Umaru Dikko, Adamu Ciroma, Jim Nwobodo to name a few. They claim Nigerians are not grateful after risking their life serving the Country. In a country flowing with milk and honey, more than they realized when they were in office, those of you chopping alone must die alone.

Unless you can assure the Government that your militia can keep the oil

pipelines safe from your vandals, no contracts waiting for MASSOB in the East, OPC in the West, Arewa Youths in the North and of course MEND in the South-south.

If you want a contract, go

By FAROUK MARTINS ARESA

you have not noticed the increasing amount of younger and desperate prostitutes recruited locally and internationally.

Unfortunately, women the

• Gen. Gowon

• Jim Nwobodo

and form your own militia association. Otherwise you are not getting anything from the Federal Government. Security is job number one at the expense of sanity.

Well, many university graduates are doing exactly that. They form armed robbery gangs, kidnapping groups, drug mules and 419 associations. The women cannot be left out unless

keeper of our community, culture, children and families cannot even take care of themselves.

When women, the creators of life and managers of families are left to fend for themselves, some of them become prostitutes as we point four fingers at ourselves for the loss of our society that went awry. Any society that cannot protect its women and children

has lost its bearing. It is as good as dead. Indeed, it may perish when other culture, other countries and other continent absorbed and treat our women and children as their second class citizens.

The damage of all these is crowding out legitimate businesses like lawyers defending crooks, doctors as personal physicians of crooks treating gunshots wounds, accountants cooking books for politicians, banks, contractors and funny businessmen.

Every foreign business men will tell you there are high returns on business in Nigeria. The only problem is that they have not benefited the average man or lifted up the masses.

It is getting hotter.

Young men are invading the houses and offices of their local council representatives and beating the heck out of them. It started with Oba that sided with certain politicians and made it worse by offending sensibility or the culture.

These boys have an ant bigger than what we see on the surface. When community starts falling apart, it starts from the youths disrespecting their elders, norms and culture of greed.

May be the revolution is already here, it is just silent until a member of our family is kidnapped.

While warning one another to be careful, a friend made it clear those boys are university graduates that invest the little they have in kidnappings. They are not foolish enough to waste their investment on somebody that will not produce returns on meager savings. Those that kidnap contract out to those that house and feed victims.

Some months ago four senators including Babafemi Ojudu and Oluremi Tinubu ran into youth protesters in Ibadan that vandalized their cars.

They were lucky, it could

have been worse. During the Occupy Lekki protest, we thought that was it, the revolution we were hoping for has arrived. Some of the protesters went to occupy Bourdillon but it was subdued, not for ever.

Next time it might be worse. See it here.

Those on seat remind them that: you chop alone, you die alone.

During the time of Tafawa Balewa, OkotieEboh was the richest man in the cabinet as the Minister of Finance negotiated by NCNC. By the time Obasanjo

• Adamu Ciroma

• Joseph Wayas

You Chop Alone You Die Alone starts from the greedy Oga At The Top commandeering all the contracts, allocation and infrastructure meant to better the dire situation of the masses. They get acclimatize to certain way of life because of easy money and spend it within their families lavishly.

Even when they retire or are no longer on seat, they come back for more.

became the military President, the richest man was Babangida. So was it during the time of Shagari: Umaru Diko and Akinloye were amongst the richest men. Situation has changed since then, and we have the heads of state richer than god these days.

As long as he obeyed the golden rule that you chop alone, you die alone like Abacha.

THE WEEKEND

10 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

o Sexual Revolution

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THE effects of societal value system on human sexuality are profound. All societies have faced the problem of reconciling the need of controlling sex with that of giving it adequate expression, and all have solved it by some combination of cultural taboos, permissions and injunctions. Before the modern era, most eyes turned to heaven, but with the advent of modernism, many turned their eyes from heaven to earth in order to address this singular issue. And so doing, humanity pitted its mind against the heart of God; old laws were broken and new ones were

created, status quos were undone and revolutions were born. Yet they were not without a grievous cost.

Revolution literally connotes a novel departure from, or a challenge to the established order or status quo, and the eventual establishment of a new order radically different from the preceding one.

The great revolutions of European history changed not only the system of government but also the social system in its entire ramification: economic, social and cultural. It fueled a development in the modern world which

. . . Detriment To The Young Nigerian

By ORJIEBELE MALACHY

saw the significant loss of power by the values of morality rooted in the Christian tradition and the rise of permissive societies, of attitudes that were accepting greater sexual freedom and experimentation that spread all over the world and were captured in the phrase “free love.”

Be it separate free love, sexual liberation or sexual revolution, it is a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to

sexually and interpersonal relationships. It is a drastic relaxation in general standards of sexual behavior. It is in fact a revolution or rebellion against such nineteenth century ideals as devotion to family life, earnestness, public and private responsibility and respectability, and obedience to the law; an era characterized with a morality which was much more conservative.

Sexual revolution has, in the light of the above, been accepted to be of two phases, known as the first and second sexual revolution. In the first phase (1870 - 1910), this nineteenth century ideals lost its universal appeal.

However, it did not lead to the rise of a ‘permissive society,’ exemplary for this period is the rise and differentiation in forms of regulating sexuality. But more pronounced is the second phase, starting with Otto Gross and Wilhelm Reich, who developed “sociology of sex” in the 1910s to 1930s and famously coined the phrase “sexual revolution.”

Sexual revolution includes increased acceptance of sex outside of traditional heterosexual, m o n o g a m o u s relationships (primarily marriage). And it is fueled with the invention of mass communication devices, which could broadcast information in a matter of seconds to millions of people, while only a few wealthy people would control what millions of people would watch and listen to, especially at the infantile stages of the

invention. Hence the broadcasting of new ideas to the population was radical, and during the late 1960s the counterculture was becoming well known on radio, newspaper, TV, and other media outlets.

The growth of science and technology, medicine and health care resulted in ‘better ’ contraceptives being manufactured; advances in the manufacture and production of rubber, made possible the design, and production of condoms that could be used by hundreds of millions of men and women to prevent pregnancy at ‘little cost’.

Advances in chemistry, pharmacology and knowledge of biology, and human physiology led to the discovery and production of the first oral contraceptives also known as The Pill in 1960.

Purchasing an aphrodisiac and various sex toys became ‘normal’ and divorce became legal

and easier to obtain in many countries during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Public nudity or pornography, the ‘normalization’ of homosexuality and ‘alternative’ forms of sexuality and the legalization of abortion in most developed countries followed. Pre-marital sex which was once stigmatized became no longer an issue. And so was the revolution in sexual behavior, that by mid 1970s the majority of the newly married couples in the western world had experienced sex before marriage.

In the midst of all these, the church continued in a strenuous fight; it opposed the revolution (eg.

Humanae Vitae), being a beacon to a directionless based technological world.

Despite these, the larger society led a parallel movement of secularization and exile from religion to the honor

“Purchasing an aphrodisiac and various sex toys became ‘normal’ and divorce became legal and easier to obtain in many countries during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Public nudity or pornography, the ‘normalization’ of homosexuality and ‘alternative’ forms of sexuality and the legalization of abortion in most developed countries followed.

THE WEEKEND

11 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

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Sexual Revolution. . . of man and reward in the material world called ‘humanism’; championing the philosophy of Karl Marx and other such philosophers, and mixing it with the chant for freedom of sexual rights and release in modern culture.

Hence old values were cast aside as people continued to feel alienated from the past and adopted the life styles of modernizing westernized cultures. Herbert Marcuse for one emphasizes “freedom for all and many having recourse to what John Milton said in The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates’ (1649) that ‘revolution is vitally linked to the realization of freedom.”

In this same light, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI rightly notes in his homily at the Synod of Bishops Inauguration (Oct. 4, 2009) that “there is absolutely no doubt that the so-called ‘first’ world has exported up to now and continues to export its moral and spiritual toxic waste that contaminates the peoples of other continents, in particular those of Africa. In this sense, colonialism which is over at a political level has never really come to an end.” All clamor for “free love,’ ‘sexual liberation,’ and ‘sexual revolution’ which differentiates itself into indecent dressing, indiscriminate sex and sexual relationships,

artificial birth control; ranging from the Pill to several kinds of prophylactics for male and female alike, legalization of gay marriages and homosexuality is obviously present in our African soil, though on different levels as some countries have legalized some of the above while others have not, but their practices abound in all.

These toxic wastes are infiltrating rapidly into the beings of Nigerian youths, and they have been brought to us couched misguidedly in the words of “The Academy of Evolutionary Metaphysics” (2005) in the chapter twelve (Sexual Morality) of their ‘Shattering the Sacred Myths.’ It reads: “outlawing sex before marriage forced young people to rush into unsuitable partnerships.

Outlawing birth control and abortion drove women to risk death in backyard abortion clinics. Outlawing divorce promoted violence against women and children.

Outlawing homosexuality only led to the widespread blackmailing and imprisonment of otherwise ‘innocent’ men and women. Legalization of pornography led to a massive decrease in violent sexual crimes against women...’ All of these above are immanent with contradiction and are obviously misguided and

beguiled.

Let us examine these statements of theirs. In the first place, couples who are joined together in the institution of marriage the Holy Matrimony, which Pope Pius XII describes as the wise institution of the

marriage, as always, should be shunned.

When not shunned, they sometimes lead to pregnancies which they term ‘unwanted,’ hence leading to issues of birth control, the Pill, condoms and abortions.

creator, to realize in mankind the designs of his love are not called partners but spouses. Partners meet, and at anytime depart, but spouses stick together till death do them part. And more importantly, sex or lust, do not keep people together, but friendship, understanding and love do. So sex before

The Pill, condoms and abortions, have all come into place in the bid to preventing conception, birth and the transmission of venereal diseases, but have ultimately become harmful. They give one a misguided assurance to jump from partners to partners, hence increasing the spread-rate of sexually transmitted diseases, encouraging the killing of human beings in the womb through abortions, in the name of population control.

The truth here is that any means of birth or population control that is not natural is in contradiction with human rights and the rights to life.

And more so, it trivializes the seriousness and devalues the role of

childbearing.

As for homosexuality, much ado should not be made about it, because it is perse notum’ a wrong and unnatural act. In physics, it is understood that like- charges repel, and so it is with the body chemistry. Homosexuality

cannot be overcome by the distribution of any kind of prophylactics. The success already obtained by programs that propose abstinence among those not yet married, and fidelity among the married should be recognized and upheld.

Such a course of action not

becomes a clear sign of insanity. Further, they uphold pornography and prostitution. These have contributed to the many problems of marital homes; lack of child birth as a result of low sperm count, and many other weaknesses and malfunctions of the reproductive organ, as a result of unduly use of hormones and subsequent indiscriminate discharge of them.

On the whole, the young who have flare for novelty and adventure should indeed live out their prime to fullness and not to detriment. As to issues of venereal diseases and population control, obviously the problems

only offers the best protection against the spread of such diseases but also builds the human morality aright and helps in a holistic development and formation of the youth, which better enables the young person to live a fulfilled adult life. Let nobody then deceive the youth into thinking that they cannot control themselves. Let us who are young listen to how Rudyard Kipling puts it in his poem, ‘If.’ It reads: ‘if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you. ...lf you can trust yourself when all men doubt you... yours is the earth and everything that’s in it. And which is more You’ll be a Man my son”.

Courtesy: SAGE

“In this same light, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI rightly notes in his homily at the Synod of Bishops Inauguration (Oct. 4, 2009) that “there is absolutely no doubt that the so-called ‘first’ world has exported up to now and continues to export its moral and spiritual toxic waste that contaminates the peoples of other continents, in particular those of Africa.”

THE WEEKEND

12 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

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Internet Fraud: Five Ways To Safeguard

ONLINE fraud is one of the major problems people face online especially in Nigeria. Some Nigerians (Yahoo Boys) have taken advantage of the internet to scam a lot of people, both black and white recently.

Therefore, in order to avoid it or minimize it (we can’t be full proof) risk, the knowledge of online security cannot be over emphasized.

Although the major fear involved in the on line transactions is the loss of money. There are other things which need protection, like identity theft which constitutes a major portions in online fraudsters, activities.

The online thieves are everywhere and looking for anything which can be used or sold, we need to follow some simple steps which will ensure better safety for us and give us better surfing experience too. Before I state the ways to follow to be on the safe side, I would like to ask “what are we protecting online?” is it content?

Money? Software? Or and other kind of intellectual property? No. though we are protecting these too we can do it better, we can protect our username and password. Yes, the most important thing is the login information of an individual.

If we are successful in protecting it, , then everything else will automatically be protected. We need to secure our credit card, identity and online information. So let’s discuss the 5 ways to safeguard yourself, of being victimized by fraudsters!

Secure Your Computer In order to keep your internet security to date and keep your computer in the best shape, you should do some maintenance on a regular basis: Delete cookies. Delete history. Re-configure the computer.

Delete Cookies: On your internet tool bar, you will find an icon for internet tools.

When you press on this icon, you will be given options on what you would like to do.

You can delete cookies. cookies are placed on some

sites that you visit that will hold your password or other information. They are supposed to make things easier for you when you go online, especially if you frequent a certain site all of the time. Sometime, cookies are placed on your system by sites without you knowing it for data purpose and usually to send you ads. You should delete cookies once a week from your browser.

Delete History: You can also delete the past history of where you have gone online. This can help protect your internet security in case you do happen to have a virus that infect your computer and travels to where you last were online you can delete your history on a daily basis. You use the same icon on the toolbar to delete your history as you do cookies. It takes a bit longer to delete history than it does to delete cookies in addition to helping you with internet security; it will also make your computer run faster.

Re-Configure the Computer: There should be reconfiguring tool for your computer.

This will reconfigure all of your files and compress them. You should refer to your computer manual on how to accomplish this. It normally takes several hours the first time you reconfigure your computers, although if you do this regularly, it will not take hardly anytime at all. In addition to getting rid of corrupted files, it will also make your computer run faster by keeping all the files together. When it comes to internet security; most people worry about computer viruses that can get into a computer and wipe out the hard drive or do harm to the computer. Virus protection is one way that you can prevent this from happening to your computer. You should also run as scan on your computer periodically to see if there are any problems with your system.

Anti-virus software is an important tool to fight viruses and worms who are trying to infect our computer. Regularly updating the software is

Yourself

By MATTHEW ENARUNA

also an important task as every now and then new viruses are being created and in order to terminate them we need to be loaded with the new virus definitions.

If you have Norton AntiVirus, you will be asked to run as scan for corrupted fields on a regular basis.

This can correct any problems with the computer, such as viruses, software and hardware, and also eliminate them. By understanding how to secure your computer, you can keep it working properly and also keep it free from viruses that can cause it to crash or even compromise your identity online.

To learn more visit: http:11www.

Safernetworking.com.

Transaction only with trusted sites: This is the foremost and the most important point. Sometimes what hackers do is that they spoof the web address of the website and will access the spoof and enter the confidential information which is

“Keep changing your password. As the saying goes “change is the only thing permanent”. This means everything is temporary, even your password. Keep updating your password or else you are making your account more and more vulnerable. Also never write them anywhere for your reference.”

directed straight towards the hacker in technical terms, it is know as ‘phasing’. In order to avoid this type of attack always remember to click the padlock icon at the

right bottom corner of bombers and check the certificate which is issued to the website by the certified authority.

Anyone who is interested in shopping online needs to look at the security offered by the site. Although the site may be legitimate and make good on purchases, they need to offer customers who are using electronic payments some type of security that their information they provide will be private if a site does not have such a privacy statement and a safe checkout, it is not a good idea to shop there.

I will ensure that my identity is passed through HTTPS protocol. Here I would like to talk a bit about encryption. Encryption is a process by which simple text is transformed into unreadable text also known as cipher text. Actually when we send data via HTTP than it is easy for the hackers to capture the text and read it but, when we are using the HTTPS protocol, the data being said is not possible to comprehend as it is encrypted. Therefore, always look for the HTTPSD site as they are far more secured than HTTP. 3. Create Complex pass-

words: Not only hackers but anyone close to you can get an idea about your password if you create passwords which are related to your family, name, birth date or any other related thing.

Even if you are creating these types of passwords then be sure to use some special characters like hypne, under score, amper-

steps’.

- Don’t trust mail which say they are from bank.

- Don’t trust links in e-mails, they might be fraud.

- Don’t respond to mails asking for personal information.

- Don’t trust any mails asking for help or charity purposes.

- Don’t get trapped in greed

sand, exclamation mark e.t.c. never use password that is related to the account or user name. This is the most common mistake committed by the majority of people.

Keep changing your password. As the saying goes “change is the only thing permanent”. This means everything is temporary, even your password. Keep updating your password or else you are making your account more and more vulnerable. Also never write them anywhere for your reference. If your reference falls in the wrong hands then your security will be compromised. Also try to use different passwords for all the accounts.

(4) Beware of Unsolicited Emails: emails is an inexpensive way and popular method for distributing fraudulent message, so you should never respond to mails that seek personal information or involves money issues. Do not pay heed to the mail and attachment from anonymous address as they may contain “Trojans’ and will send out the confidential information from your computer to the hacker” den. So to avoid email fraud do follow some

factor e.g. business transactions runs into millions of dollars.

- don’t respond to mails that says you won or offer big money reward for lotteries or processing fee when you did not apply for one.

(5) Use The Public computer cautiously: This is the most dangerous place to carryout any kind of transaction online. Most of these computers are on an untrusted network and anyone’s identity can be easily compromised. What if the public computer has some software like key logger to record the keystrokes as we type? Therefore, never use a public computer for exchanging sensitive information. Moreover, as an extra step for safety, we can delete the cache, cookies, history and other private files from the browser and history of the computer ensure you log out and close the browser window.

If you are like most users on the internet chances are, you are if you are like most users on the internet chances are, you are vulnerable to the activities of internet fraudsters! As a security precaution, if you adhered to the rules above, you will be safe.

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Negative Impact Of Corruption...

• Gen. Ihejirika Continued from Pg 17

Goodluck Jonathan?

Other than catalogs of overlapping political upheaval and unabated sirens and multilateral convoys of thieves parading their ill-gotten wealth even political appointees in government ministries and parastatals, all now move in convoys creating environmental commotion with their sirens and police escort and special police attached to the rich, these were things we never saw in the 1970s, the 80s and even the 90s.

If the government fix the right things at the right time then there will be no wastage, no Boko Haram or MEND, in fact there will be no robbers and the issue of kidnapping will be history and until then the Nigeria security agents will always try and braze up for all the overlapping chain of negative situations up coming caused by the government inability to put structures of employment on ground over the years.

Even now, the Nigerian security agents are over loaded with outrageous bag wagon of work loads

• Mohammed Abubakar, IG-P

as a result of criminal activities despite over seven hundred billion naira on security votes, and as I write today, million of graduates are being turned out from various institutions of higher learning without jobs and it is not a funny scenario.

Soonest the president will lead Nigerians into another monumental celebration - that will gulp substantial amount of money, I mean the 1914 amalgamation ceremony coming up in another six months from now. It is a centenary celebration of unity of Northern Southern Nigeria and the common man up till now do not have access to affordable drinking water, masses are always waiting for either World Bank or United nations, U.N. to provide water, one hundred years of lootings, need not call for c e l e b r a t i o n s .

The cost of celebrating independence for the past 52 years is enough to give Nigerians potable water.

It is no longer news that the P.I.B petroleum industry bill is now a ping pang affair, a bill that

would have removed a lot of youths, and graduates from streets, which in the last nation wide protest made the civil society groups of Nigeria call for a swift passage of the bill yet the content of the bill is delaying it’s passage.

Because of it’s colouration to suit presidency and the petroleum minister therefore this bill remains in the air.

Though, they all swore oath by the Bible and Koran to serve Nigeria with all their energy and synergy, they steal, loot and subject the masse/of this nation to unreasonable hardship.

The elders of the North have broken their silence accusing the Federal Government of genocide,

the Federal government rehabilitating suspect of insurgency called Boko Haram is unthinkable, what about victims of the dastardly sects and owners of properties destroyed is clear that the President is under pressure especially having the intents on 2015 elections otherwise there should be no amnesty for criminals and a situation were some of the Nigerian security agents gave secret information to the Boko Haram sect shows a divided ideology and betrayal.

I expect the Federal Government to set up a strong security network in these affected states when the state of emergency is over but if government will pride

herself in spending multibillion naira of our national resources in fighting rather than engaging in policies and strategies that will expunge poverty, frustrations from the millions of the unemployed youths then Boko Haram is a tip of the ice berg.

Vision 2020 died simultaneously with the late President Yar’Adua though extra 20 was added to it to make vision 202020. It died again unfortunately no replacement has been done, the level of the last document was in August 2009, was enormous covering 29 segments prepared to take Nigerians out of the wood christened Nigeria’s opportunities for growth-

Agric and Food security; Business environment; corporate governance; culture, journalism; education; employment; environment and s u s t a i n a b l e development; finance; foreign policy; health; housing; human development etc.

But the Director General of Nigeria Economic summit group, Mr. Frank Nweke Jn, last December ruled out Nigeria’s Chinese of being the world 2O largest economy by 2020 based on projections and using the 1.M.F. world economic out look data base in fact he gave it to Saudi-Arabia with a G.D.P. of 1.2. Trillion US dollars purchasing power parity in 2020 and Nigeria in 2035.

“If the government fix the right things at the right time then there will be no wastage, no Boko Haram or MEND, in fact there will be no robbers and the issue of kidnapping will be history and until then the Nigeria security agents will always try and braze up for all the overlapping chain of negative situations up coming caused by the government inability to put structures of employment on ground over the years.”

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Macabre Dance In Rivers State

Preamble SIR Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist.

He is the only British Prime Minister in history to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was also the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of the United States.

It is to this great man’s quotes that I want to start this piece with. According to this great leader of all times, “There is no limit to the ingenuity of man if it is properly and vigorously applied under conditions of peace and justice”. In another breath; he stated that, “Battles are won by slaughter and manoeuvre.

The greater the general, the more he contributes in manoeuvre, the less he demands in slaughter”. After testing great wars and the results of diplomacy this great Statesman who has both British and American citizenship declared and I quote, “To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war”.

The Ongoing Macrabre Dance In Rivers State And Its Implications The main aim of this treatise is to critically examine the present macabre dance currently going on in Rivers State and possibly offer suggestions on the ways out of the avoidable imbroglio in the State if adhered to. But before embarking upon this venture, permit me my dear reader to take you a bit back on the State of Rivers State prior to the coming in of the administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

According to the Human Resources Unit of New York based Marsh & McLennan Cos report of 2006, “Port Harcourt the capital of Rivers State is the world third most dangerous cities in the world to live in ranked after Baghad, Yemen’s capital of Sana’a and Khartoum in Sudan for foreign workers as criminal gangs and militia groups seeking greater control of energy revenue step up attacks against the State”.

By EZE CHUKWUEMEKA EZE

• President Goodluck Jonathan Whenever I have to write on the security situation of Rivers States or whatever that may prompt it again, three great minds’ descriptions of that period will always come to my mind, Mr. Ogbu of Thisday Newspapers, late George Onah of Vanguard Newspapers and of course Prof Okey Ndibe of Sahara Reporters . Ahamefula Ogbu described one of the scenes in the State at this period in these words ‘Rambo could not have done better. With automatic rifles in their hands and hate, revenge and murder hanging around their necks, warring cultists took Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by storm yesterday for the second day running.

Pandemonium broke out as residents ran for safety. It was sorrow, tears and blood.

At the end of it all—or, more aptly, at the interval, for no one knows the end yet—15 persons had been dispatched to their early graves’.

But if Mr. Ogbu’s description is not okay by you then listen to late Mr. George Onah, “For many residents, the capital of Rivers State, hitherto the Garden City where life was lived to the fullest is no longer the place to live in as rivers of blood flow ceaselessly following an unending siege by militants,

kidnappers, cultists, and criminals of other hue.

Violence in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has gone full circle and the guns are still booming. The casualties are pilling, even as blood of defenseless citizens’ flow endlessly. Neither the Police nor the government has answers to the brigandage.

Security outfits do not have official figures, record or reliable estimates of casualties in the Rivers State orgy of killings. Even the number of deaths during the Nigerian Civil War had a consensus of informed opinion on the number of deaths, on both sides, which hovered, realistically around 600,000 and below. But the rapidity of casualties in the onslaught by gunmen on Rivers State cannot simply be pigeonholed.

The currency of killings is alarming and the growth of the economy of the state is heading for the deep”.

You may wish to listen to Prof. Okey Ndibe in case Onah and Ogbu failed in their descriptions of what Port Harcourt used to be; according to him in his article titled ‘A Blood Soaked City’; ‘That the once idyllic Port Harcourt was now a scarred place, a war zone, a city soaked in blood; the city under siege with thousands of citizens displaced; that its

• Governor Rotimi Amaechi once quiescent boulevards and avenues were now ruled by marauding militiamen and by the fierce soldiers deployed to dislodge them.

Sudden death by bullet was now a generalized hazard for the city’s trapped and hapless residents’.

Recreating The Above Ugly Past Reading through the letter by the Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly to Mr. President I start to wonder if we are about to go back to the era of 2007. Rt. Hon. O Amachree in an open letter, titled ;Disruption of Democracy and Rule of LawAnarchy Looms in River State’, dated 11th May 2013 and addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan reads, “The situation in Rivers State has reached a fever-pitch, as there are strong indications that the governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the legislators, and prominent government officials have been marked for assassination. To this end, 18 prominent robbery and kidnap kingpins presently in custody are to be released from detention to launch the planned mayhem at the government officials and innocent citizens and residents of the state”.

According to the Speaker, “ since 15th of April 2013 when an Abuja High Court

upturned the election of a legitimate and duly elected state Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Chief G.U.AKE, all has not been well in Rivers State. It is important to note that since this development, Rivers State is witnessing, with unending shock and awe, the creeping fashion of daylight illegality and disorder. As stakeholders in the Nigeria democratic project and legitimate representatives of our people as well as strong collaborators in your Excellency’s emergence as President, Federal Republic Of Nigeria, we seek to use this medium to intimate you with the developments, their implications for Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole and pray your presidential intervention”.

Six days after the letter to Mr. President the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Otelemaba Dan Amachree reported, “Recall that I have earlier expressed my fears about plans to withdraw Security Operatives from the Governor and top officials of the Rivers State Government, including me, making us vulnerable to attack by hoodlums. Now my fears are made worse by the recent murder of an Aide to Chief G. U. Ake, Mr. Eric

Ezenekwe, at his Home Town in Erema, Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State”.

According to another report from online news site, Saharareporters quoting a source in Abuja that the police and state security services have been told to withdraw the security of the governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi anytime from next week.

Thisday Newspapers in its edition of 15th May, 2013 reported that dynamite was thrown into a building housing the generating set that supplies electricity to the secretariat of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council in Rivers State, a development that ignited the fire which razed the building; sending jitters across the state as the crisis rocking the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepens.

I got more frightened when I read the international dimension to this new effort to reincarnate the evil past.

According to the petition by the Centre for Advancement of Justice and Peace in Emerging Democracies (ICJAPED) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), petitioned the UN to investigate alleged Rivers State security siege.

Continues on pg. 16

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Macabre Dance Continues from pg. 15

According to their petition signed its Co-ordinator for African Region, Dr. Stephen Briggs and Secretary General, Chike Nwokobia, the group urged the UN to avert anarchy in Rivers State, “For emphasis, the past three weeks has portrayed Rivers State as being in a season of societal lunacy and political deadlock with very embarrassing actions meted on the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Ameachi, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, political office holders and other officials of government.

These actions are considered highly repressive and against the tenets of a true democracy. As a major civil society group, we resolutely and explicitly condemn the repressive actions and characters behind the Rivers state situation as we believe that the present political deadlock in the State is already having devastating effect on many things including business to social order. Also, we strongly believe that unless this deadlock is broken, Rivers State may witness serious breakdown of law and order, with a high probability of being another centre for violent crimes which may be worse than the present Boko Haram terrorist activities in some Northern states of Nigeria.

The alleged altercation between President Goodluck Jonathan, the Commander in Chief and elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governor Chibuike Ameachi, the Governor of Rivers State began late last year following rumours that Governor Ameachi would be seeking a higher political position. This, even though regarded as mere speculation, did not go down well with Presidency because ever since then, the Rivers state governor, Chibuike Amaechi has no doubt witnessed a series of embarrassing castigations from mostly those loyal or sycophantic to the Presidency. Consequently, to the above stated, we also seek the immediate intervention of the International community to investigate the above stated issues and call to order all erring persons for the preservation of Nigerian people, sustenance of Nigeria’s democracy and restoration of order”.

2015: Rivers State, Its Politics And Its Strategic Status The strategic status of Rivers State in the socioeconomic, political future of the nation may not be over-

• Wike Nyesom emphasised. One may not be surprised of the political intrigues, manoeuvres currently going on in the State in order to capture the soul of the State knowing very well that whoever that takes the State is sure of the Government at the centre.

Let me therefore use this opportunity to highlight the major gladiators and those holding the key to restore sanity in the State President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCON Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is of the extraction of the Ijaw Nation in the South-South region of Nigeria and the first Head of State of Nigeria from the region; graduated from UNIPORT with a Second Class Upper Division Honours Degree, Zoologist, a University Don and the first Nigerian Head of State with a Doctorate Degree. He is the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON and presently the President and Commander –In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He has the singular honour to be the first Nigerian to be a Deputy Governor, Governor of Bayelsa State, Vice President and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria less than six years, a feat that does not come that easy. The heat in Rivers State is being generated by those that feel that every obstacle to his second bid to

the Presidency must be routed out. A quiet and unassuming gentleman but a deadly tactician when pushed to the wall; they are many great politicians that have tasted his bitter pills that can attest to this. His strength leans more on his perceived weakness.

Some people erroneously assume that he is vindictive but records of those that have undermined him in the past currently benefitting so much under his administration proves that otherwise. He is not the ambitious type but fate continues to thrust on him higher responsibilities that he never schemed for. If he listens to some of the appeals on the on-going macabre dance in Rivers State, he has the sole key to put an end to the dance if he wants to.

Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi OON Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi an indigene of Ubima Nkwerre in Rivers State. His rise to his present status is as mysterious and miraculous as that of President Jonathan. A Master ’s Degree holder, Amaechi was the first Nigerian to be the Speaker of a State House of Assembly for a whopping eight years and later becoming the Chairman of Conference of Speakers Forum an umbrella body of all Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria.

His assumption of office as the Governor of Rivers State, though his political party PDP dumped him after convincingly winning the ticket of the party during the primaries of the party until the Supreme Court restored him as the Governor of Rivers State still seems a mystery to many political watchers in the country. By May 2015 he may have spent eight years as the Governor of Rivers State. He is currently the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and maybe re-elected by the next few days.

His unprecedented feats in transformation of Rivers State have won him many international and local awards and respect of great world and Nigerian Leaders.

His resolve to re-contest the office of the Chairmanship seat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and his perceived lack of support to the perceived candidature of President Jonathan come 2015 is the main cause of the on-going macabre dance in Rivers State.

He was the rallying force behind mobilising the Governors under PDP to support the presidential aspiration of President Jonathan during the PDP Presidential Primaries that produced Jonathan as the PDP Flag-bearer and during the 2011 presidential election proper ensured that President Jonathan got over 2million votes from Rivers State the highest by another State in Nigeria.

A misunderstood but an amiable personality; his forthrightness and boldness to stand by the truth attracts so much enemies to him particularly those who can’t withstand his manner of approach to result oriented feats. His numerous ‘sins’ will be highlighted later.

Chief Barr. Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike Chief Nyesom Wike an indigene of Rumuwike Nkwerre is a lawyer by profession, a political tactician of note and strategist of the first order. He was the National President of All Local Government of Nigeria from 2003 - 2006 (ALGON), the umbrella Forum through which all the 774 Local Government Council Chairmen in Nigeria

• Princewill Prince Tonye interface and interact on issues affecting the Politics and policies of Nigeria, while from 1999-2007 he was the Executive Chairman of ObioAkpor Local Government in Rivers State, an office he used to redefine and exhibit his special brand of governance.

He constructed the Local Government Secretariat that stands as one of the best in Nigeria and a great edifice to behold. His tenure witnessed various developmental initiatives in the local government and he is remembered most especially for empowering a lot of youths, elderly women and men, the physically challenged. An ardent hand at grassroots mobilisation, He is credited together with Governor Amaechi of founding the formidable political vanguard in Rivers State - the Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM) that decides and determines to a large extent the political tide in the state. He later was appointed the Chief of Staff of Governor Amaechi from 2007 to 2011 and from 2011 appointed by President Jonathan as the Minister of Education State of Federal Republic of Nigeria, a post he currently holds.

He is touted as the next Mr “Fix It” when the original executor of the office and currently the BOT Chairman of PDP, Chief Tony Aneinh may have retired. It is in that capacity that he was

“The strategic status of Rivers State in the socio-economic, political future of the nation may not be over-emphasised. One may not be surprised of the political intrigues, manoeuvres currently going on in the State in order to capture the soul of the State knowing very well that whoever that takes the State is sure of the Government at the centre.”

appointed to oversee the PDP Gubernatorial Primaries of Sokoto, Adamawa and Edo States a feat he performed most stupendous to the admiration of those that sent him. Apart from Edo State gubernatorial election which PDP lost to ACN, PDP candidates won in Adamawa and Sokoto States.

Currently, he is at the centre of the macabre dance currently going on in Rivers State as according to him, “I am defending the injustice meted to Bro Felix Obuah the PDP Rivers State Chairman to secure back his office as the Chairman of the PDP in Rivers State, this is in line with how I fought when Gov. Amaechi found himself in similar situation in the past”.

Being the Director General of the Campaign Team that executed successfully the second bid venture of Gov. Amaechi to the Rivers State Government, it will be assiduously on his side to come out from this dance unscathed no matter how hard he tries. How far he can go in this his latest move will be determined in future. He has warned the Obuh led Executive and his supporters not to disrespect Amaechi as he remained the governor and leader of the party in the State. “By the constitution of the party, the state governor is the leader of the party in the state, so you must respect the governor and carry him along in everything you do. If not, you are not being fair”. The Hon. Minister recently donated his salary for six months to the foundation of Tompolo.

Prince Tonye Princewill Prince Tonye Princewill an enigma as the three characters mentioned above which modus operandi politically is a study in mysticism as the more you try to study him the more he

W

de stra the dy kin tra exc wit fro po col gia the the wa PD gub In po de pet cho wit Am Go stra bee con nat he and pol var the Pri dec als Fed Se app Pre Co De col rep sta Wi the ma wil Go sus pe env Nig O ap illu me Go Co su Ch Su De fro in on Kin Re ad und De ab me pa ma cha In gre wh esc res are UN Ha Jon

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W ekend Discourse

In Rivers State

velops other confusing ategies. Born a prince of e renowned Amachree nasty in the Kalabari gdom of Rivers State and ined as an aristocrat par cellence and bestowed th an uncommon wisdom m God. He stormed the litics of Nigeria like a ossus dispatching political ants like Seregent Awuse to e cleaners and clinching e AC ticket and sent shock aves to the marrows of the DP giants during the 2007 bernatorial election. n an unprecedented litical manoeuvre, he cided to withdraw his tition at the tribunal and ose instead to join forces th Governor Rotimi maechi in a Unity overnment based on ategic partnership that has en hailed as a model of nstructive opposition in the tion. This move proved that placed the state’s stability d growth first over his own litical ambition. Maligned in rious quarters and within e ranks of the AC then, incewill stood by his cision. His dynamism has so been recognised by the deral Government with his eptember 2008 pointment into the 45 man esidential Technical ommittee on the Niger elta with the mandate to llate and review all past ports on the Niger Delta, arting from the 1958 llinks Report, appraise eir recommendations and ake other proposals that ll help the Federal overnment to achieve stainable development, ace, human and vironmental security in the ger Delta Region.

On 18th April, 2009 he was pointed alongside other ustrious Nigerians, as a ember of the Federal overnment Vision 2020 ommittee, where he was bsequently appointed hairman of the bcommittee on the Niger elta. A position he resigned m on the 19th May 2009 protest of the JTF slaught on Gbaramatu ngdom in the Niger Delta egion. Popularly known and dressed as the disputable Prince of Niger elta Politics based on the ove feats. He is being entioned here not as a rty to the on-going acabre dance but maybe a annel in stopping it. nterestingly these four eat sons of Niger Delta on hose shoulder lie either calating or finding how to store peace in Rivers State e all alumnus of the great NIPORT and the Port arcourt big boys. President nathan and Princewill are

• Chief Tony Anenih, Chairman, Board of Trustees, PDP of the Ijaw extraction while Amaechi and Wike are of the Nkwerre extraction. Jonathan is the eldest of the four while Princewill is the youngest.

Amaechi, His Sins And The Causes Of His Current Travails Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi knew where his problems are coming from, according to him when the Catholic Bishop of Port Harcourt Diocese, Most Rev. Camillus Etokudoh, led over a hundred priests and 1,000 Catholic faithful in a prayer session in Government House, Port Harcourt recently, he stated, “Pray for me for the chairmanship of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) because that is what this entire (political crisis in the state) is all about.

But whether I win or not, I will contest for the Chairmanship of the Forum.

I believe in the power of prayers. If you look at my political history, you cannot divorce God and prayers from my political history, if you remember how I became speaker, it was through prayers. Before I became speaker, I was already married to my wife (Dame Judith Amaechi) and she knew how we prayed and fasted together to be speaker. You know the story of the governorship race.

What I ask God is that, why should I go through crisis like this all the time, why are people not honest in life? My political problems stemmed from my truthfulness and inability to tell lies and that people had mistaken that for pride, brashness and arrogance.

When I’m asked a question, people expect me to tell a lie or bend it a bit, and suddenly it comes out straight. And when it comes out straight, people don’t like it. As a result, my Catholic priest told

me that it is only me that will account for my soul before God, not even my wife will help me to account for my soul. So if because of you, I bend it a bit, how will I answer to my God?” Throwing more light on the perceived sins of Gov Amaechi one of his closest allies, former Commissioner of Works and presently the Chairman of the Petroleum Downstream Committee of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chief Dakuku Peterside recently in an interview stated, “Some persons also claim that he is too forthright and I don’t know what crime that is called.

However, the biggest unsaid problem is the perception by certain persons in the presidency that Governor Amaechi has ambition to aspire to higher office. The attempt to criminalize ambition, if any, is the root cause of the perceived problem in NGF. The second strand is speaking truth to power as can be seen in Governor Amaechi’s comments on sovereign wealth fund, excess crude account, Rivers-Bayelsa oil well issue, fuel subsidy, EastWest road, Adamawa PDP amongst others”.

It has been stated in various write ups that the presidential bid of President Jonathan will suffer a setback should Amaechi emerges as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in their next election. How this is possible is what I don’t understand as the Chairman is just first among equals in the Forum as the Chairman of the Forum cannot influence or force another sitting Governor what can be done in their States.

Apportioning unwarranted powers that the Chairman of NGF does not have is creating something else just

to overheat the polity.

IS AMAECHI THE MAIN PROBLEM OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN IN 2015?

INSTEAD, HERE ARE THE MAIN PROBLEMS! 1.

2015 PDP PRESIDENTIAL TICKET Though the egg heads within the President’s camp have not come out with the strategy they hope to adopt to clinch the PDP Presidential ticket come 2015 in the midst of formidable forces aligning to confront him including Atiku Abubakar amongst others. 2015 is surely going to be a different ball game than what happened in 2011, so instead of wasting energy the camp will need come 2014 on Amaechi they should be thinking on how to clinch the ticket and leave Amaechi alone. Assuming that clinching the ticket is concluded, let us discuss other serious challenges.

2. THE CHALLENGE OF CONFRONTING THOSE ALLEGING THAT MR PRESIDENT HAD AN AGREEMENT TO RUN FOR ONLY ONE SINGLE TERM The people concerned may have retreated and may regroup by 2014, what strategy is the President’s camp coming up with to diffuse this when it gathers momentum? Or is attempting to undermine Amaechi sorts out this?

3. POOR HANDLING OF THE RIVERS STATE PROJECT Sadly, those pursuing the current Rivers State agenda will be thinking that they are doing a great job on behalf of the President not considering the harm they are doing to the realisation of his bid come 2015. Other regions are putting their acts together and we are here dissipating our energy pulling ourselves down, making ourselves laughing stock before the outside world!

Fighting or trying to malign Amaechi is a great disservice to the aspiration of Jonathan in case he decides to run come 2015 if the key role Amaechi played by his 2011 emergence are anything to go by. Instead of fighting Amaechi serious minded people should be concentrating on how to get him back. The way the strategists in Jonathan’s camp are going they will only succeed in forcing him to align with those that do not want Jonathan by 2015.

Should we look down on what Amaechi is capable of doing then the strategists in Jonathan’s camp need some briefing.

4. THE APC CHALLENGE The threat posed by APC in 2015 is not only real but

• Gen. Buhari rtd. has the capacity to stop PDP come 2015. Those that need to know about this have already confirmed it including both the BOT Chairman and National Chairman of PDP. What strategy to adopt to curtail this moving force should be of concern to any serious strategist in the camp of Jonathan instead of wasting energy to pull down a force that should be of help in whatever calculation they are advancing! In case those fighting Amaechi do not know what APC portends, then they can read what the PDP BOT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih thinks while addressing some of PDP Chief Wigs recently in Asaba, “We must not live under the illusion that our party is invulnerable. Although, the existing opposition parties are still too small, fragile and sectional, we must not ignore the possibility that a merger of these parties may constitute a threat to our current dominance of the political terrain”. Anenih told his party men, “We must not labour under the illusion that we can be spectators in the bold and necessary drama of national reconstruction, or, worse still, align with those who seek power for its own sake rather than for the good of our people. We, therefore, have a strategic obligation to put our house in order so as to sustain the peace which we have enjoyed in the last 14 years”. Is fighting Amaechi who is a pillar of the party how to put the house in order?

5. THE EAST-WEST FEDERAL ROAD AND THE SECOND NIGER BRIDGE If these two major projects at the heart of the SouthSouth and South East are not completed before 2015, its potential of posing a serious setback need not be overemphasized.

6. THE UNWARRANTED EXCHANGE OF WORDS WITH THE NORTHERN LEADERS Any thinking that threats in whatever form will intimidate any section of this country over 2015 general elections does not know about the politics of Nigeria. Chief Edwin Clarke recognized this fact when he stated that Jonathan cannot be elected by the Ijaws alone. Calling our people that make inflammatory statements to order need be overemphasized if truly they want the candidature of Jonathan to be sellable come 2015.

Hear what Prof Tam David West said in this regard, “The way Jonathan is going, if he does not restrain the people who are speaking for him, he will lose 2015 in 2013” 7. Who are the notable politicians from other regions that still think of Jonathan come 2015. Apart those from South East which other region is speaking seriously about his candidature? Read some of these leaders’ comments and understand that Amaechi should be the least of Jonathan’s worries at this time.

8. THE THREAT FROM THE NORTH A. “2015: BUHARI WOOS IBB, GUSAU”.

“The desire of northern leaders to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from retaining his seat after the 2015 election has received a boost with the acceptance of a former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, to bury his differences with his then successor in office, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) and form a formidable alliance that will give victory to the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) at the next Continues on pg. 18

THE WEEKEND

18 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

e

W ekend Discourse

Macabre Dance In Rivers State

Continues from pg. 17

polls”.

To achieve reconciliation with Babangida and other northern leaders in his camp, like former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Mohammed Aliyu Gusau, Saturday Sun gathered that Buhari has set up an eight-man highpowered committee “that will not only work on smoothening the relationship between him (Buhari) and a section of the northern elite but also seek their support for his nomination as APC presidential candidate and at the election proper” B. NEF: THE NORTH WILL NOT PLAY SECOND FIDDLE IN 2015 The NEF argued that though Northerners threw away the presidency a few years ago by some political errors; elders in the region had decided that it was time to return the presidency to the North. According to the organization, “we are not happy that the North is not playing active role in the present day. That is why we decided to bring together our surviving elders. We resolved that something must be done, that the North ought to do more than it is currently doing now in the affairs of the country”. The group also maintained that any discussion that will not bring back power to the North in 2015 is not in the interest of the North and its people.

Instead of the egg heads in Jonathan’s Camp strategizing and strengthening their base, they think by fighting some elements is the best strategy to sell Jonathan to other regions after all these obvious threat!

THE PEACEMAKERS It is gladdening to note that Senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP have resolved to intervene in the rift between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State “To that effect we have set up committees to engage the dramatis personae in the two states, and those committees will get to work immediately.” The earlier these Committees start to work the better for our country. The South-South, South East Governors have also decide to intervene.

Most pronounced in this regard is that of an ally to the three major players in the ongoing confusion in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill who has in several moves stated his resolve to bring peace amongst these three great characters that he shares a lot in common. “I have said it, time and time again that any true Nigerian should be focused on how to help Jonathan and Amaechi succeed. My dilemma now comes when these two

• IBB people are now at logger heads with each other, what do we do? I have done a lot to bring the two of them together and even though I have not succeeded till this point, I think at some point in spite of any interventions by third parties, two of them will realize that they and they alone need to settle this matter. I know Jonathan’s thinking on the matter and I also know Amaechi’s thinking on the matter and I believe that at the fundamental root of it is a gross misunderstanding between the two. Who supported Jonathan most when he was Vice President? Amaechi!

And who gave Amaechi free rope in 2011 when many asked him to clip his wings based on the perceived leanings in Rivers state?

Jonathan does not hate Amaechi and Amaechi does not hate Jonathan.

In fact secretly if they are honest, they both like each other. Amaechi might have been a product of God but so was Jonathan. To defeat evil, you must be good. When two miracles of God face each other, show us the evil. If in the event you have to become evil to eliminate good, what is the point? In the end the President will realize at a point that Amaechi is really not his problem. Of this I have no doubt, what I am not sure of is how much damage would have been done by then”.

Let us pray and hope that these efforts will bring peace to Rivers State CONCLUSION AND APPEAL From the much I gathered in the course of this research most of the aides of both Mr President and that of Gov. Amaechi are all amiable to peace but how to go about this is the challenge. As much as I commend all those who have intervened either through prayers or whatever form I plead with Mr President as the elder to

Amaechi and leader of PDP not only to summon but call his younger brother, Amaechi considering all the past positive deeds done by him and get this issue resolved once and for all and avoid the gathering of the storm in Rivers State. If my appeal is not acceptable then the cry of the Rivers State Speaker can be attended to “Your Excellency Sir, the situation in Rivers State has reached a fever-pitch, as there are strong indications that the governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the legislators, and prominent government officials have been marked for assassination, following series of reported nocturnal meetings held in a neighbouring State and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The situation is exacerbated with the planned release from detention of 18 notable robbery and kidnap kingpins currently in custody to carry out this planned mayhem on the government officials and innocent citizens and residents of the state”.

Your Excellency Sir, we fear for the survival of our democratic structures; and the freedom to carry out our legitimate legislative duties have been greatly hindered and interrupted. We make bold to say that we now live in uncertain times, lives and properties can no longer be guaranteed in Rivers State as a result of these chronicled events in a state

that has just regained its peaceful status from the recent past from being the hotbed of cultism and kidnapping. Silence over this planned and calculated destabilization of security apparatus in Rivers State is an “evil wind” that will blow no one any good and is capable of contributing to fostering anarchy on the Nigeria Stateline, especially, when those charged with upholding the law, ignore and conspire to undermine it, unmindful of the implications”.

Your Excellency sir, you may wish to read this quote extracted from the Editorial of the Nation Newspaper titled “PLOT AGAINST AMAECHI” of 17 May, 2013, “The presidency should do everything to prevent bloodbath in Rivers State.

Nigeria, in recent times, has had enough shedding of innocent blood emanating from the condemnable acts of the Boko Haram Islamic sect and some notorious cultists, especially in the northern part of the country.

The president cannot afford to have another flashpoint now, especially in the aftermath of his declared emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states”.

Your Excellency sir, assuming that the Speaker is not making any sound statement coupled with the Editorial of the Nation Newspaper, what of our own revered Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka plea; “before the irretrievable point of escalation is reached, we have a duty to sound a collective alarm, even without the lessons of past violations of constitutional rights and apportionments of elected representatives of the people, and their consequences. There is an opportunity in Rivers state to break this spiraling culture of executive impunity manifested in both subtle and crude ways – that is fast becoming the norm in a postmilitary dispensation that fitfully aspires to be called a democracy. Even a child in this nation knows that the police derive its enabling and operational authority from the dictates of the Centre, so there can be no disguising whose will is being executed wherever democratic norms are flouted and the people’s

• Prof. Wole Soyinka rights ground to mush under dictatorial heels.”

My Leader, in case Prof Soyinka stand is not in order what of our own elder Prof Tam West and his proverb, “The Nigerian Governors’ Forum, which is a forum of all state governors, does not belong to the Peoples Democratic Party, and should not be under the control of the President. I’ve told Jonathan before, I can reveal it. There is a proverb in Ijaw which says that if you chase a chicken too much, you will fall down and the chicken will go. If all Jonathan is doing is to guarantee 2015, I tell you, Jonathan may lose 2015 by fighting 2013. Amaechi has controlled the state very well.

They expected action and reaction from the state which would have led to a crisis and then they would have declared a state of emergency. But if they are not careful, the way they are going, they will plunge this country into a serious crisis.

It happened in the West, when (Ladoke) Akintola and (Obafemi) Awolowo were fighting. How did it end?”

Your Excellency Sir, while I was trying to conclude this treatise that if adhered to is capable of making you the greatest democrat that have ever ruled this country, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe (Rivers East) and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) alerted me to summarize all that I was

“They expected action and reaction from the state which would have led to a crisis and then they would have declared a state of emergency. But if they are not careful, the way they are going, they will plunge this country into a serious crisis. It happened in the West, when (Ladoke) Akintola and (Obafemi) Awolowo were fighting. How did it end?””

trying to convey to you when he started that, “I would like to repeat that what is going on in River State is not in the interest of the South-South, it is not in the interest of the President and definitely not in the interest of Rivers people.

I will say that and I will say it anywhere” I started this piece with quotes from one of the greatest Leaders of the world, Prime Minister Churchill Winston and would have loved to conclude with him with his following quotes, “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results” and in another breath this greatest war strategist of all times counselled once again “Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.

And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen”! But no Your Excelency, I will not conclude with the great Winston but the words of He who picked you out of nothing and made you to preside over one of the greatest nations of the world!

The Gospel according to Saint Mathew Chapter 5 verse 9, says, “Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of GOD”. Psalm Chapter 62 verse 11 may interest you as well – “GOD hath spoken once; twice I have heard this; that power belongeth unto GOD”!

Sir, before I rest my case and thank you for your precious time, permit me to say kudos and congratulations on your decisive step in declaring the state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States!

No matter the rattling of some funny disgruntled elements only God knows what would have been our state by now as a nation if you have not acted accordingly!

THE WEEKEND

19 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

a Do Maritime Laws Reflect The Realities

M ritime THERE is no gainsaying the fact that shipping serves as a catalyst for the economic development of any country with a thriving maritime sector.

The importance of shipping and its contribution to a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can never be underestimated because it enables the country to engage in large-scale imports and exports.

It is, therefore, not surprising that tangible efforts are always made by the government and all the stakeholders to develop a thriving and business-friendly maritime sector.

In a bid to fast-track the development of Nigeria’s maritime sector, the Federal Government initiated the reorganisation of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) to create a more efficient port system, as part of efforts to boost the national economy.

The NPA reforms are aimed at reducing the turnaround time for vessels, while enhancing the security of cargoes and reducing cargo dwell time.

Perceptive economic analysts note that these reforms have resulted in improved cross-border trading within the West African sub-region.

Mr Hassan Bello, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), said that the reforms had induced changes beyond Nigeria’s borders.

He stressed those maritime ties between Nigeria and some

countries like Niger and Chad, which ceased over 10 years ago, had been restored via the instruments of the reforms.

“Now, shippers from those countries have realised that Nigerian ports are efficient and more competitive than the ports they were hitherto using.

“We informed them about the opportunities and the competitive nature of our ports and they think we should work on how the

movement of transit cargoes will be restored.

“If we do that, we’ll have about three million tonnes of cargo coming through Nigeria and the advantage is that it will boost our economy “Reports obtained from Nigeria Maritime Ports

In The Sector?

By FOLASADE FOLARIN

and Terminals (NIMPORT) Conference indicates that shipment of cargo into the country has grown significantly in recent times as a result of the reforms.

“The number of vessels that called at the ports has increased significantly.

“Similarly, the cargo throughout increased from 46,150,518 tonnes

experts have been asking questions as to whether or not the extant maritime laws reflect the current realities in the sector.

Bello said that some of the maritime laws are not addressing the current trends in the maritime industry, stressing that the laws ought to be reviewed to maximise the potential of the sector.

in 2006 to 82,763,384 tonnes in 2011.

“This performance is a direct result of the Federal Government’s reform policy, which has reduced the diversion of cargo to neighbouring ports,’’ Bello said.

However, maritime

He stressed that the statutes establishing the nation’s maritime agencies, for instance, were no longer in tune with current realities.

“The need for the reform of Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act is imperative because it is

“Here, we are in the age of electronic interface, we are in the age of multimodernism, door-to-door cargo delivery and so many other nuances of trade and a law has to codify such developments,’’

an old Act which was enacted in 1978, more than 35 years ago.

“You will agree with me that there has been passage or a fusion of time since that time and international trade has grown in leaps and bounds.

“Here, we are in the age of electronic interface, we are in the age of multimodernism, door-to-door cargo delivery and so many other nuances of

trade and a law has to codify such developments,’’ he added.

Bello said that the statutes establishing the agencies as public authorities did not take into account the fact that they could be run by the private sector.

He noted that although the NSC Act gave the council some regulatory functions, the functions were largely advisory.

Bell particularly stressed that the government could no longer manage the roads, the railways, freight and sea ports without encouraging private participation which, he said, was never envisaged by the

laws.

All the same, in spite of these reforms and their accompanying success stories, the general consensus of opinion is that without efficient laws, the reforms will not be able to fully achieve its desired goals.

Mr Lucky Amiwero, a freight forwarder, said that the port reforms would not be effective if they were not duly legalised.

“This is because the existing laws are not in consonance with the Federal Government’s port reform policy.

“Ports’ concession, for example, is not backed up by law; it is outside the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Act 38 of 1999.

“Besides, ports’ concession without a commercial regulator to monitor the shipping companies and the concessionaires will not produce tangible results.

“Without a commercial regulator in place, government might as well go back to the other models specified in the NPA Act of 1999,’’ he added.

Amiwero, nonetheless, argued that the port reforms had not justified all the promises made by the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) with regard to a reduction in the cost of doing business in the country.

“If government is serious about generating jobs and wealth in the maritime industry, it needs to review some of its policies.

“Port concession is a new tool; the policy document does not specify functions of the various government agencies,’’ he said.

All in all, stakeholders insist that the success of the government’s efforts to strengthen the country’s maritime sector largely depends on if existing reforms, policies and laws are restructured in line with global maritime practices.

THE WEEKEND

20 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE WEEKEND

21 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

e

P rspective

Against The Nigerian Child

NIGERIA on Monday, May 27th 2013 celebrated yet another Children and Youth Day during which the Nigerian Children and Youth were admonished by government officials, made up essentially of the same old people that have presided over such events in the last five decades, to be of good behavior and imbibe the essential leadership qualities of honesty, loyalty to fatherland, patriotism, fear of God and respect to constituted authority including their parents and guardians. It must be noted however that majority of the political leaders today are deficient in these virtues of good leadership which they inevitably mouth out at the various children and youth parade ground.

In some instances, Children in their colorful school uniforms were conscripted by their school authorities and made to stage carefully choreographed match passes during which the political administrators of the various levels of government took the salute while some private and public television stations also hosted series of Children programs aimed at entertaining the large number of children that were in every convivial mood in the spirit of the Children’s Day celebration.

These same broadcasting stations have in all honesty failed to play their social corporate role of naming and shaming serial abusers of the rights of the Nigerian children.

At the level of state governments, it is expected that the 36 state governors were in frenzy mood to

outshine each other in rendering some flowery speeches to pour unrestrained encomiums on themselves and their wives [known as First Ladies] for implementing what they cleverly but deceitfully call Children friendly projects and programs. Some of these so-called First Ladies in the 36 states of the Federation are already used to running very expensive pet programs some of which claim to be championing the human rights of the Children of their beloved states but most people in the states know that these first ladies are only serving their selfish interest by using the influence of their husbands’ offices to extort money hugely from contractors and other dubious business entrepreneurs who do regular business with these state governments.

I will however state that Nigeria as a nation and the political leadership over the last fifty years since Nigeria became an independent political entity from Britain, have not being fair to the Nigerian children because there are so many that exist in the body politic that severely affect the enjoyment by the Children of their fundamental human rights and these will not be addressed or redressed by simply organizing colorful match passes and parades as was witnessed on May 27th 2013 of every year.

The Nigerian Children who are caught up in areas whereby terrorism and civil unrests have flared up over the years are usually the worst affected victims of these violence even as

By LAMAL CASSIUS

most of these children in these troubled spots and flashpoints of terrorists attacks especially in the Northern part of Nigeria are denied of their fundamental right to good and quality education in addition to the fact that their parents or guardians are put out of job because of the violence or are even killed thereby exposing these children to the vagaries of growing up in very harsh and hazardous social environment. In other parts of the country where there is relative peace and quiet, most of the children are faced with excruciating poverty because most parents of these children are either out of work or are too poor to enroll these children in good educational institutions.

They are often left with no

alternative but either hawking bread, pure water or other variety of wares for their parents or guardians to make a living or they are compelled by circumstances of hunger to loiter around at bus stops to beg for alms. Two things normally happen to these categories of children of the poor. These two things are either the children are sexually violated by adult predator or they are recruited into the world of crime and criminality and used by adults to perpetuate evil and other manifestations of crime in the society.

A major inequity in all of these atrocities committed against the innocent Nigerian children born into poor and disadvantaged homes is that the state governments and the federal government have no effective remedy in the event that they suffer such monumental crimes against humanity such as violent rape and other violations such as initiating and recruiting them into the World of crime and by so doing destroy their life chance forever.

In The Guardian of Sunday May 26th 2013 the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development was quoted as saying that the Nigerian Children have been denied the full enjoyment of their rights in their states because the state Houses of Assembly have failed to pass the

Nigerian Child Rights Act even as she stated that the Child Rights Act was introduced because Nigeria’s national Government felt the need to give a legal backing to the commitment made by Nigeria under the United Nations convention on the Rights and welfare of the Nigerian Child. Why have these state governments failed to domesticate the Child Rights Act to fulfill Nigeria’s obligation to the International humanitarian laws or are these component of the Nigerian federation not part of the whole federation? Again, since the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is so weak to wage advocacy programs in the 36 states of the Federation to successfully convince and persuade them to pass the Nigerian Child Rights Law in their respective states to benefit their children, why do we still waste so much tax payers money running that office of the Federal Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development?

What is the relevance of this ministry when Nigeria does not have functional social welfare departments across the Federation thereby allowing all criminal syndicates and charlatans to invade the sacred responsibility of running motherless homes and other child welfare schemes as business enterprises and most of these private children home owners are now in the illegal business of turning these homes into babies factories whereby couples with issues of childlessness can pay huge price for their choice babies? Why do we sell and buy little babies in this modern age even with the abolition of slave trade?

Government at the respective levels have spectacularly disappointed the Nigerian Children and unfortunately, these government officials dished out some lies during the public events to mark the Children and Youth Day celebration on May 27th 2013.

The state Governors that have failed to persuade their state Houses of Assembly to pass the state version of the Nigerian Child Rights Act should ask themselves the soul searching question of why

they are deceiving their people by staging Children and youth Day parade when deep inside their hearts they hate these Children? To show how hypocritical these state governors are, one only need to know that their children are all schooling in Europe or America whereby these nations have long promulgated and are enforcing strict child rights laws but they have failed to give the children of the poor the opportunity of enjoying their human rights just like what their children are enjoying abroad.

The children of the poor are all out of school because the state governors have diverted the Universal Basic Education fund which ought to be used to provide free, compulsory and quality primary and junior secondary educational opportunities for the children of the poor. The rate of boys drop out of school is a major national catastrophe which must be addressed and redressed fundamentally before we stop producing a generation of youth that are half baked educationally and therefore cannot drive the process of information technology and industrialization that will see Nigeria through in an increasingly competitive World.

But, how can Nigeria benefit from the strength of her large army of Children when the majority of these children are born into poor homes whereby they are brought up in such a way that they are denied the educational opportunities that children of the rich gets on a platter of gold? No nation will make it in our contemporary times if it fails willfully to educate its people and empower the children with the requisite skills to competently compete with their peers around the globe. We must make hay while the sun shine or we will forever regret this inequities that we have criminally failed to dismantled, so our children can have the best things that money derived from our rich natural resources can afford. Let us stop stealing our national treasury, but invest wisely in the educational and skill empowerment of our children.

THE WEEKEND

22 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

o The Need For Counselling

C unselling

With

O.C. Students In The Classroom Madu

TODAY’S youth in Nigeria are growing up in a complicated and fast changing society. This is an information age and people’s behaviour and life style change with new information. Youths in Africa are today, caught in a web of change, as they are bombarded with new information everyday.

The resultant effect of this is a complex need of personal and social adjustment, academic and career and vocational awareness that can best be met through a comprehensive, well integrated counseling curriculum.

Secondly, counselors in schools cannot effectively use a one-to-one counseling approach alone, as it provides services to only a few students at a time. Guidance and counseling curriculum taught in the classroom enables counselors to impact a larger number of students in their personal, academic and counseling curriculum taught in the classroom enables counselors to impact a larger number of students in their personal, academic and career development.

This approach also, has the added advantage of providing cost-effective counselling service to all students in the classroom setting.

Counsellors must begin to view counseling curriculum taught in the classroom as a veritable tool in providing an efficient counseling service in our schools.

Today’s counselors must see the classroom as the “front line” of their work.

Counselors must be provided with professional skills needed to fulfill all the roles they may be called upon to perform, such as, teacher, therapist, group facilitator, career specialist, crisis manager, consultant, administrator, researcher, test interpreter etc.

There is an urgent need for a comprehensive guidance and counselling curriculum offered in the classroom. Counseling can be made available to all students in the school, not just to a few who can be aided through individual or group counseling. Through

GSM: 08056379608

counseling curriculum, students at the junior and senior secondary school can be taught and provided with the information that takes care of their developmental and personal needs.

Such curriculum must be centred on the developmental needs of the students or pupils. It must be based on the concept that children pass through

need assistance throughout their school years in accomplishing developmental tasks.

Successfully achieving these sills can lead each student to a sense of personal fulfillment and enhance the quality of life as a productive person in society.

A curriculum of counselling provides a systematic approach for

develop healthy ways to cope and deal with situations that arise during their life’s journey. Students can work through developmental and situational crisis if they are able to call upon the skills they learned to confront difficulties when they arise.

The Following Are Some Of A Good Counselling Curriculum

student’s cognitive and emotional development allows. All students can benefit from lessons that promote positive self – esteem, for example, but the way the counselor approaches this will be quite different, depending upon the class level of the students.

various developmental stages as they grow and mature. For children to develop in a healthy manner, they must successfully progress through certain kinds of learning and development.

Counselling curriculum should therefore, be based on the competencies identified in the child as the child develops, student competencies differ from one location to another and from school to school.

Typically, student competencies are organized around three domains of development namely: - Personal, social - Career/vocational - Academic/learning.

Characteristics Of A Good And Counselling Curriculum A curriculum of counseling is based on the premise that all students

exposing students to lessons appropriate to their developmental level. The lessons are presented so that students are able to learn, understand and eventually, master aspects of personal/social development, vocational.

Career development and academic/educational development.

The primary goal according to Professor Alfred A. Adegoke is to present learning in these areas so that students can

Like any other curriculum in the educational scheme, a curriculum of counseling must be comprehensive and ongoing, sensitive to the readiness of students to learn in the areas of personal – social, vocational and academic development.

Lessons emphasizing prevention for example should begin at the elementary level and progress to more difficult or abstract levels as the

One way this can be done is to establish monthly themes or topics for each class level each year. The themes are then broken into small units, units taught each month reflect the theme in a developmentally appropriate lesson. For example, a school may adopt the following themes for each month of the year.

January Getting acquainted/orientation/ transition.

February - Academic

fitness/self evaluation/goal setting March - Choices and consequences/decisionmaking April - Liking me/selfesteem/self-image.

May - Family.

June - Wellness/lifestyle/ stress management July - Friendship/ interpersonal relationship e.t.c (CASSON, 2004).

The curriculum must have organisation and format.

Activities in the curriculum should be sequential and follow a simple and consistent format. Goals related to student competencies should be set for each class level and the outcomes observed.

When students understand the meaning behind their educational programming and know what to expect, they will benefit and will likely become the program’s most avid supporters.

A curriculum in counseling must be flexible.

As new areas of need arise in a program, the curriculum should be amendable to revision and embellishment without beginning again.

As curriculum in counseling must be accountable. Goals and objectives for the curriculum should be written in behavioral and measurable terms. An evaluation should be done at the end of each lesson or unit to determine if the students understood and grasped the topic or issue presented.

A counseling curriculum represents a structured, sequenced, large – group activity, directed to the needs and interests of all students in the school.

Thanks.

“When students understand the meaning behind their educational programming and know what to expect, they will benefit and will likely become the program’s most avid supporters.”

THE WEEKEND

23 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

MOST western women today do not consider a wig to be a vital necessity, but for many of us black women, it is an important part of our wardrobe because if we wish to vary our

own hair in texture, weight and colour. A few manufacturers do create human hair for the black woman, but most of them that are on the market are oriented toward a strictly Caucasian

your eyebrows and your eyelashes. Sharp contrast especially with your complexion, simply look incongruous.

Style: Do not imagine you have to settle for exactly the

hairstyles, constant processing is not only costly but potentially damaging to the hair shaft and follicle. The woman who owns a selection of well-made wigs not only can save the expense of frequent visits to the beauty salon, but she can also suit her hair to her mood or activity quickly and simply.

There are two distinctly different types of wigs available to the Black woman. (a) Human hair wigs made from Caucasian or oriental hair are not only expensive but have to be treated before they can come near to matching our

buyer. (b) Synthetic wigs made from modified acrylic fibre can be suited and styled to match our hair. If correctly constructed, should not lose their shape, are washable, and are relatively unaffected by extremes of weather.

How To Choose A Wig Texture: The sheen as it appears to your eyes and the feel as it relates to your touch should closely match that of your hair.

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THE WEEKEND

24 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE WEEKEND

25 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE WEEKEND

26 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE WEEKEND

27 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

i

L ving

The Power Of Self Control

SELF control is the ability to control one’s emotions, behaviour, and desires in order to obtain some reward, or avoid some punishment.

“The Greek word translated Self Control” egkrateia, is derived from two other Greek words en and kratos. En means “in” and Kratos means “strength’ or ‘ p o w e r ” .

Self control is vital for overcoming obsessions, fears, addictions, and any kind of unsuitable behaviour. It put you in control of your life, your behaviour, and your reactions. It improves your relationships, develops patience and tolerance and is an important tool for attaining success and h a p p i n e s s .

Self-control is a key factor in every man’s life that needs to be given keen interest. The inability for a man to control himself in the area of his thoughts and actions has brought more harm than good to humanity.

The book of James l vs.

23&24 says “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror. 24”For he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was”.

In life, we see people who are highly placed in the society, and those who have contributed to the lives of humanity involving themselves in an unseen act, which is capable of damaging their good name and destroying their precedent benevolence to the society.

Over the years, there have been stories following our newspapers headlines and also on our television screen about stories of president, governors, senators and even clergymen who the world and the society look unto for direction being entangled in devilish act. Most of these persons involve

themselves in crimes ranging from murder, rape, money laundering (theft), drug and human trafficking, assault of persons and so many other offences. They end up bringing shame and disgrace to their family and country at large. We all face temptations to sin all our lives, when confronted with temptations, we must

strive as far as possible, to get away from them even if you think you have a lot of self control, don’t put it to the test unnecessarily.

We need self control to avoid not only outright evil but also too much of the good things Pros. 25 vs. 16 “Have you found honey? Eat as much as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit.

People often lack the self-restraint to stop when they should.

People over eat, over drink, overspend and over indulge in lots of things. We must rule over our appetites rather than letting our appetites rule us. Over indulgence can lead to intoxication or and addiction. In either case, the person is then really out of control.

Our law courts are filled up with cases upon cases, law suit pilling on one another of incidents

By IFASUYI HELEN OSASERE

done by persons who are unable to control themselves emotionally and otherwise. Benjamin Franklin quote “Educate your children to selfcontrol, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will; and you have done

We hear issue of a man sleeping with either his house help or his secretary in the office under the disguise of my wife is not performing her m a t r i m o n i a l responsibility. On the other hand the woman cheating on her husband with the excuse of her husband is not caring,

much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.

In our homes today, we see the effect of lack of self control playing a damaging role to the lives of married couples, siblings and the extended families at large. Most married couples/spouses trade their integrity for instant gratification and desire.

loving and so on.

This scenery leads to the destruction of home that may have been built for a long time. We hear cases of 35 years old marriage being dissolved in court over infidelity from both parties. There are also instances, where a father is having canal knowledge of his own

daughter, a 2-year-old baby raped by a 60years, old man. a brother accused by his sister of rape. These entire immoral-acts are as a result of lack of self control.

In government and politics, we hear of former governors being arranged in courts for stealing public funds for personal interest and

bribery and corruption here and there. The high rate of criminal activities in our society and armed robbery attack in broad day lights. People are being killed with or without any reason.

Our religious houses which most persons see as the hope for the common man in the society is not left out. Our Clergy men involve

themselves in theft, rape, sexual abuse of their members after preaching their sermon 1Cor 9 vs. 26 Apostle Paul said “Therefore I run thus not with uncertainty, thus I fight not as one who beats the air. 27’ But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. Clergy men because they preach one thing and do otherwise, they are unable to exercise their sermon in themselves “I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself” —Robert. F. Lee said.

The scenery behind lack of self-control is that most persons lack the knowledge and understanding of what self control really means.

They have strong and uncontrolled emotional responses.

People sometimes react to outside stimuli without thinking first. Some persons lack selfdiscipline and ill power.

Most persons lack the desire to change and improve in the weakness.

Some persons see self-control as a limiting and unpleasant activity.

Why others belief that self-control eliminates fun. This should be noted that anyone without selfcontrol is like a city without defence. And a society that is controlled by people without selfcontrol is doomed for failure.

“We need self control to avoid not only outright evil but also too much of the good things”

THE WEEKEND

28 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

n The Rise Of Private Schools,

I sight

The Fall Of Public Schools

ACADEMIC institutions in Nigeria are categorized into private and government institutions.

These two categories of institutions are responsible for the education of the Nigeria citizens (young and old) The government schools (institutions) are the schools the government established by the constitutional provision, this is one of the avenues where the common man otherwise known as the ‘down-trodden’ in Nigeria can benefit from the national cake otherwise known as the ‘dividend of democracy’.

However, in or around the approach of independence in October 1960, and soon after that, the effects of falling standard of education was glaringly noticed especially in the primary school education caused by the problems associated with the Universal Primary Education introduced in the then regions. This was confirmed by one of the commissions of enquiry set up in the pre-war period to review educational system in Nigeria. This commission known as Adefarasin Committee revealed the greatest impact on the control of education especially as it relates to the service conditions of the teachers.

On record, it is noticed that for many years before the Nigeria civil war, the service conditions of the teachers had been a constant argument between the federal, the state and local governments on the one hand and the Nigeria Union of teachers, NUT on the other.

This was one of the reasons that led to the general strike action by the voluntary Agency teachers spear headed by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (N.U.T) in the year 1964.

The inability of some states and local governments to pay their teachers’ allowances and salaries had been the most serious symptoms of the crises that hit the education sector in both primary and secondary school levels.

The industrial action to back up their demand became more prominent in 1981/82 which eventually gave rise to the emergence of private schools.

Private schools became strengthened in the early ‘90s when strike action was almost becoming rampant.

As private schools are academic institutions setup by individuals or group of individuals to maximize profit, by minimizing expenditure, they employed unqualified workforce, substandard equipments, filthy classrooms, unhealthy academic environment and congestion of pupils/ students in few classrooms. At the end, they went to an unbridled length to make sure that their students passed the external examination by applying the crooked means (examination malpractices) hence the persistent falling standard of education in Nigeria today.

Suffice it to note that some of these private schools are illegally operated by uneducated proprietors and proprietress who had not enough education and experience to meddle in educational business, while some sadly enough are government approved.

In spite of all these short comings, over seventy five percent (75%) of our educational institutions is privately owned.

The reasons are not far fetched. They include Starvation of public schools at the expense of private schools. Most of the government owned schools are starved of funds and workforce. It is in the government schools today that one teacher teaches ten subjects.

Some of these schools have one teacher and an auxiliary. If one of them has a reason for being absent, and the other one is on official assignment that day is considered wasted hence parents and guardians seize or grab this opportunity to moving their children/wards from the government schools to private schools where there are more teachers,

By IMONOFI TANUTI MOMODU

though not qualified and uninterrupted school calendar.

Lack of proper utility of educational budget Although government budget much money every year, there is nothing to show for this, as

Nigeria, one wonders how responsive our leaders are to their responsibilities. It is indeed unfortunate that educational institutions are being treated like criminal institutions. Hence most of their products are Arm robbers, 419, kidnappers,

leaders children/wards in the government schools.

If all our leaders children attend the government schools with the peasant’s children our public institutions would be given due attention.

Taxation of the private schools – Government encourages private

• Prof. Ruqayyattu Rufa’i, Education Minister

stakeholders divert these funds into their personal accounts. I visited South Ibie Secondary School, Iyakpi South Ibie, where our leaders of tomorrow receive lessons recently, it is better likened to an oven where bread are baked.

How many of our leaders would be pleased to see their children under this academic situation. Seeing the staff rooms of some government schools and condition of teachers in

cultists etc.

Government lukewarm response to teaching profession is another set back.

Government feels that investment on education has no immediate dividend and therefore treat it with a wave of hand, by dishonouring people who impact knowledge and neglect the institutions were knowledge is impacted.

Non attendance of our

institutions because of the immediate revenue as tax it gets from them.

To subject the common man to perpetual slavery: Our leaders discourage public schools. They know that one teacher to one hundred pupils or students, one teacher to teach ten subjects, students without the core subject teachers (English, mathematics and science teachers) teaching without the deserved teaching aids, teachers)

teaching without the deserved teaching aids would turn out half baked products. In this case our leaders deliberately nurture undeveloped, misdeveloped and under developed minds which is the kingdom of ignorance and error, a congenial abode of morbid desire, confused memory and of course injurious affliction in our society Nigeria.

Bearing in mind that history is the record of our deeds, our leaders should recall in mind that which ever position we are holding today is ephemeral and they owe the people they are representing a duty they must be accountable for before their almighty creator.

I remember vividly that not quiet long ago, the governors and President Goodluck Jonathan told the masses that the removal of oil subsidy and increased taxation would ameliorate economic situation in Nigeria. The masses reluctantly succumbed and what is the outcome?

Hardship, hyper inflation, unemployment, strike actions by the unionists, chaos, multiplication of criminality in the society and insecurity became the ultimate outcome.

If our leaders fear their almighty creator, have human sympathy and conscious of the day of accountability, they will not allow those who impact knowledge to go hungry for even an hour. Knowing full well that a nation without education is like a beast without a heart, an engine without petrol, a motor car without an engine, and of course a trailer lorry without break.

“Bearing in mind that history is the record of our deeds, our leaders should recall in mind that which ever position we are holding today is ephemeral and they owe the people they are representing a duty they must be accountable for before their almighty creator.”

THE WEEKEND

29 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

Guardiola Confirm Thiago Interest

David Haye

Tyson Fury

Haye, Fury Fight For Sept 28 At Manchester Arena

DAVID Haye and Tyson Fury fight has been confirmed and will take place at the Manchester Arena on September 28th as expected.

The fight will be shown exclusively on Sky Sports Box Office. Tickets went on sale yesterday.

Former WBA heavyweight hampion Haye said: “I’m still the best fighter around and have nothing to prove, but Tyson likes to talk a lot and this is my chance to silence him. I’m in great shape and

ready to go. It’s time to put an end to rumours that there’s anyone in Britain that can beat me.”

Fury believes Haye’s glory days are behind him: “This event is about me, a worldclass boxing star, taking on Haye, a has-been.

“Haye has been running scared of me ever since the possibility of the match came

about, and now I’ve earned my shot. I’m going to prove that I’m

club didn’t want him? That’s perhaps the case too.

“You can imagine anything and everything. But whether the decision came from Leonardo himself or whether it was from the club with his agreement, it’s a catastrophic moment to do it.

“Imagine yourself in the shoes of a player who’s contacted by PSG. It’d be normal he ask himself some questions. Ancelotti, one of the best coaches in the world, decides to leave, now the sporting director. What’s going on at that club?”

Roche concluded: “It’s complete instability. When you have Ancelotti who decides to leave even though he’s at a club with an exceptional project, you have to ask yourself what’s happening with the owners.”

Despite the announcement of his imminent departure, French media reported Leonardo had met Edinson Cavani’s agent at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday to finalise details of the Uruguayan’s move from Napoli to the French capital where a five-year contract worth an annual +10 million reportedly awaits him.

Long-serving centre-back Zoumana Camara, 34, who signed a one-year contract extension last month, said Leonardo’s absence would be

be left in peace. They didn’t keep their word.

“Using the Tito’s (Vilanova) disease to damage me is something I will never forget It was in very bad taste. I didn’t expect it” Respected radio station Cadena Cope earlier reported that the young Barcelona midfielder had agreed a contract with the Champions League winners as he looks to join up with his former boss.

The report claims that Thiago will earn +4million-ayear – or +77,000 (£66,572) a week with the Bundesliga giants.

Thiago was initially reluctant to join Bayern because of the depth of midfielders at the club but Guardiola has assured him of regular first team football with Javi Martinez likely to drop to centre back to accommodate him. “Nobody will leave Barcelona, unless they feel they won’t play much.

...Arrest Warrant Issued For Herbie Hide

THE BBC is reporting that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of former WBO heavyweight champion Herbie Hide after he failed to attend court to face allegations of conspiring to supply cocaine.

Leonardo Exit Catastrophic For PSG FORMER Paris SaintGermain player and backroom staff member Alain Roche has called Leonardo’s decision to quit the French champions “catastrophic” and warned it could harm the club’s summer transfer policy.

The club announced on Wednesday they had been informed by their Brazilian sporting director, 43, of his decision to leave his post come the end of the transfer window on September 2.

Having re-joined the club as part of their recruitment team in 2003, Roche who played alongside Leonardo at PSG, initially worked with his former team-mate following Qatar Sports Investments’ (QSI) purchase of the club in summer 2011 before eventually being asked to leave in August 2012.

The former defender, who played at the Parc des Princes between 1992 and 1998, notably winning the 1995-96 Cup Winners’ Cup, told RTL he was not surprised Leonardo had now joined him in heading for the PSG exit, but added the public announcement could not have come at a worse time.

He said: “I’m always a little wary of press releases having worked at the club.

Is it really a resignation? Is it an agreement between the two parties because the

a future world champion by beating a former one. David Haye is the past.”

NEW Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has confirmed he wants to beat Manchester United to the signature of Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara.

“Yes I hope to sign him but I don’t know what will happen,” Guardiola told a press conference.

“I’ve talked to Karl Heinz (Rummenigge) and Matthias (Sammer). There is nothing new. Thiago convinced me as a player at Barcelona. We will see, what will happen.

“Matthias and Karl Heinz know my point of view and know why I want Thiago.

Either Thiago or no more players will join us.

“He is a super player. He can play on three to five different positions and is strong playing one-on-one. I know his skills.”

Guardiola also had some stinging words for Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, claiming he tried to damage his reputation while on sabbatical.

“I asked only one thing of the Barca president. I was 6,000km away and wanted to

felt even if PSG would continue to progress under new coach Laurent Blanc and its ambitious Qatari owners.

“The club’s more important than anything. The officials and players are just passing through. It’s a personal decision, and we respect it,” the former Saint-Etienne defender told RMC. “We thank him for everything he’s done for PSG. The life of the club continues. Leonardo is very professional, very committed, very intelligent. He speaks several languages and gives a lot of himself to his work. He’s very thorough in what he does. The fact he’s leaving at the end of the transfer window proves his professionalism.”

At an earlier hearing, Hide, 42, was given permission to leave the country but is now in breach of his bail terms.

His barrister Michael Clare told the court: “His wife Helen telephoned my instructing solicitor to say he was suffering from malaria and was in a clinic in Nigeria.

“Last night a doctor who said he was treating Mr Hide in Nigeria called and said he would email a medical report this morning.

“No medical report has been forthcoming yet.”

Hide was arrested earlier this year after a undercover sting operation by the Sun newspaper in which he was reported to offer former News of The World journalist Mazmeer Mahmood details of how to obtain the class A drug.

Hide’s co-defendant, Norfolk resident Ben Sharman, 22, admitted conspiracy to supply a class

A drug, offering to supply a class A drug and offering to supply a class B drug.

Sharman denied another charge of supplying cocaine to Hide, and was remanded in custody.

Muntari Happy With First Milan Pre-Season GHANA’s midfielder Sulley Muntari is delighted to have his first pre-season with AC Milan.

The 28-year-old, who was signed in January 2012, sat out last season’s pre-season with the Rossoneri after suffering a careerthreatening knee injury while playing football with friends in his native country.

Muntari tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was sidelined for five months after undergoing surgery.

“The rain yesterday (Tuesday) wiped out everything for us to start well.

We are very motivated and

Fiorentina Stadium Barrier-Free FIORENTINA are to introduce Next Season a barrier-free Stadio Artemio Franchi next season after the prefecture governing the district passed legislation authorising the removal of glass screens between the crowd and the pitch.

Turin’s Juventus Stadium, which opened in 2011, is currently the only sports venue in Italy without tall fencing separating the fans from the pitch, and the Artemio Franchi will become the first publiclyowned arena to follow suit.

“This is a pilot project that we are proud of,” Luigi Varratta, the

prefect of Florence, said.

“Florence can now be a model for other sports venues.

“We have reached this result thanks to the good work carried out by everybody and the efforts undertaken by Fiorentina in terms of security.

Our aim is to ensure that football matches are real spectacles, to be seen in total liberty.”

The reinforced glass barriers which previously separated the fans from the field of play have been removed and will be replaced with low fences.

Thiago Silva

Sulley Muntari

want to do well this season,” Muntari told AC Milan’s official website.

No Barca Agreement For Thiago PARIS Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has denied a deal has been struck for him to join Barcelona.

The Brazilian international has been consistently linked with a move to the Camp Nou over the past few months, with a report in Spain this week claiming an agreement with the Catalans has already been reached.

However, Thiago Silva moved to put the record straight with a statement issued through his agent, Paulo Tonietto, saying there has been no official negotiations with the Spanish giants and that he has not even met with their representatives.

Also, in an interview with calciomercato the player’s agent reiterated his client’s comments.

“I know nothing and it’s absolutely not true,” declared Tonietto.

Thiago Silva, currently on holiday after his exertions at the Confederations Cup, joined PSG from Milan last summer for +42m and is under contract for four more seasons at the Parc des Princes.

THE WEEKEND

30 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

Brazil’s Maracana Stadium Gets New Rules Of Etiquette BRAZIL’S Maracana football stadium, one of the sport’s most hallowed and raucous grounds, has some new rules of etiquette: remain seated during games and please wear a shirt.

Another: no musical instruments such as drums or bamboo poles to wave flags.

The code of good conduct at South America’s largest stadium was devised after the home team Fluminense signed a contract to play there another 35 years, stadium officials said Thursday.

It is a common sight at Maracana to see throngs of young male fans shirtless in the steamy South American heat, standing and screaming throughout games, and occasionally fighting with each other in spats with rival team supporters or rival Fluminense fan clubs.

Now, fences will be set up to separate them this season starting later this month. The barriers will be removed when Brazil hosts the World Cup next year.

During that period, football’s world governing body FIFA will essentially be in charge of the stadium “We are going to talk to the teams to change habits,” said Joao Borba, president of the consortium that runs the legendary arena.

Not everyone likes the segregation.

“It is a shame to put up bars at Maracana to separate fans. They have to live together in harmony,” said former Brazilian star Bebeto on Twitter. He is on the World Cup organizing

committee.

Sports journalist Edgar Catoira said the “FIFA pattern” does not take into account “carioca patterns.”

Carioca is the local word for people or things from Rio. The stadium has undergone a $536 million overhaul with an eye to being the centerpiece of the World Cup. That kind of spending was one of the sparks for massive protests last month by people complaining that funding for things like education and health care are getting short shrift while Brazil spends heavily to get ready for the World Cup and its hosting of the Olympic Games in 2016.

Juventus Sign Ogbonna

Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State

U-18 Football Championship

Aishetu Oshiomhole Commends FEYSOC

By KEHINDE OSAGIEDE THE mother of Edo State Governor, Alhaja Aishetu Oshiomhole has commended the Federation of Youth Soccer Clubs (FEYSOC) for organising a successful maiden football championship in her honour.

The Comrade during which Mr. Isokpehi Governor’s mother made presented to her a the commendation on certificate of honour as Wednesday when she well as medals and other received some executive souvenir. members of FEYSOC led She thanked the group by its state Director Joseph for a well done job and Isokpehi who paid her a promised to support them courtesy call in her in the 2014 edition. residence at Iyamoh, The Governor’s mother

Cavani Set For PSG Medical On Monday EDINSON Cavani is set to have a medical at Paris Saint-Germain on Monday before completing his move to the French club.

L’Equipe have claimed that the Napoli striker will fly to Paris over the weekend and will then undergo an examination by the team’s medical staff.

Laurent Blanc’s men are set to officially announce the deal on either Monday or Tuesday next week, pending the results of the medical.

PSG are set to pay the Partenopei +63m for the Uruguay international, beating off the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea for his

signature.

Napoli are closing in on Leandro Damiao after Internacional warned “if they want him he’s going to cost 25m Euros.”

The Brazil international seems to be the heir apparent Edinson Cavani, who is on the verge of joining PSG for 63m Euros.

also thanked the championship’s host local government council and sponsor, Esan West Local Government Area as well as all the teams that participated in the football

fiesta.

Esan West Local Government Council’s male and female teams won the championship on Sunday in Ekpoma, Edo State.

Edo Governor’s Cup Results Yesterday Rising Stars Ogun United Stars Ine Stars Oredo

0 - 1 Etsako Central 0 - 2 Esan North-East 0 - 0 Pace Setters 1 - 2 Igueben 4 - 0 Efe Bombers

Female Etsako Central 3 - 0 Esan North-East Fugar Osi 3 - 0 Oredo

Today’s Matches

Etsako West Etsako Central

v v

Orhionmwon Etsako East

Female Fixtures Fugar Osi Oredo

v v

Orhionmwon Etsako West

Ghana FA Bans Ref Cobbina

Edinson Cavani

THE Ghana Football Association has banned referee Franklin Cobbina for one year with immediate effect for gross display of p r o f e s s i o n a l incompetence.

He also refused to appear before the Match Review Panel.

The Executive Committee banned the referee on Thursday after he failed to honour an invitation and several calls by the Match Review Panel.

Cobbina was to answer on his performance in the match

between Guan United and Bechem United in the just ended Zone 1 Middle League.

The ban notwithstanding he would have to appear before the Match Review Panel to answer on his performance in the said match before he can be reinstated as a referee.

JUVENTUS have finally concluded the transfer to sign Angelo Ogbonna from Torino in a deal worth +13m.

The defender arrived at the club on Thursday to undergo a medical and has subsequently, upon passing it, has finally scribbled his signature on paper in order to complete his switch to the club.

The 25-year-old has been purchased outright by the Bianconeri for an initial +13m fee, payable in installments across the next three years.

A further +2m could be paid to Torino through performance based achievement clauses over the course of his initial five-year agreement.

Ogbonna is expected to significantly bolster Juventus’ defensive options for the upcoming 2013/2014 season.

Angelo Ogbonna

Messi Salutes Ronaldinho LIONEL Messi has credited former Barcelona star Ronaldinho for helping him to settle into the first team.

The Argentine made his professional debut as a teenager in 2005/06 and he says the Brazilian facilitated his played a big role during his induction to the Blaugrana.

“It’s never easy to go into a changing room at the age of 16 especially with my character,” Messi told reporters. “Ronaldinho was the star of the team and he really helped me a lot.

“I’ve always said that from the first moment I entered the changing room, Ronaldinho and the rest of the Brazilians Deco, Sylvinho and Mottawelcomed me and made things easier for me.

“But above all, him (Ronaldinho), because he was the star of the team. I learned a lot by his side”.

“Ronaldinho made everything much easier for me. I had the good luck to experience him at first hand and to share many things with him.

“I can say that he’s a really great person and that’s the most important thing.”

Ronaldinho joined Barcelona from Paris-Saint Germain in 2003 and spent five years with the club before departing to join AC Milan.

THE WEEKEND

31 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

Man City Reveal Stadium THE 2012 Premier League Plans champions, Manchester City is the demand for more seats

Rooney Gutted After Injury Ends Asian Tour WAYNE Rooney said he was “gutted” after a hamstring injury forced him out of Manchester United’s Asian tour on the very first day with questions still unanswered about his future.

The England striker insisted the small tear, which flared just hours after United touched down in Bangkok and looks set to rule him out for a month, was not serious.

But Rooney’s departure will not help new boss David Moyes’s attempts to win over the highly paid star, who has not confirmed his intentions after departing manager Alex Ferguson said he had asked for a transfer.

“Gutted to have picked up a niggling injury especially as training was going so well, heading back to Manchester to have it assessed fully but early indications are nothing to worry about,” Rooney wrote on his Facebook page.

Rooney will now miss United’s friendlies in Thailand, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Sweden, and is in doubt for the Community Shield on August 11 and even the Premier League opener at Swansea on August 17.

The 27-year-old Liverpudlian might also be sidelined for England’s friendly against Scotland on August 14.

The injury, announced in a two-line statement on the club website, comes after Moyes said Rooney was in his best shape in years and spoke glowingly about his relationship with his former Everton protege.

“I have met Wayne two, three, four times,” he told talkSPORT radio this week. “A lot has been said about myself and Wayne over the years but we have a really good relationship.”

Moyes added: “I will say he is training great. They are telling me it is the best shape they have seen him in for a long time.”

Reports have linked Rooney with possible moves to Arsenal, Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea, who coincidentally arrive in Bangkok on Friday at the start of their pre-season Asian tour.

Wayne Rooney

aim to add another 12,000 seats at their ground and hope the development will be complete by the start of the 2015-16 season.

It would make the Etihad Stadium the third biggest ground in the Premier League after Manchester United’s Old Trafford and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

The FA Cup finalists have opened a public consultation period, including an exhibition at the Etihad Stadium, to gauge the reaction of fans and local residents and might submit a planning application by the end of 2013.

But City, who had an average attendance of 46, 974 last season, believe there

and say this would allow them to introduce a new, cheap £299 season ticket.

There are two elements to City’s proposed redevelopment. If they just expand the South Stand by a further 6,000 seats, capacity would go up to 54,000. If they do the same in the North Stand, it would reach 60,000.

Pete Bradshaw, head of infrastructure and corporate responsibility, told the club’s official website: “Manchester City Football Club strives to provide its supporters and visiting fans with one of the best possible matchday experiences in the Premier League and European football.

Bony Hoping To Emulate Drogba

SWANSEA recruit Wilfried Bony is hoping to emulate the exploits of countryman Didier Drogba’s time at Chelsea after signing a four-year deal with the Welsh club.

Bony, 24, became the Swans’ record signing after

Thiago Alcantara

I Never Said Thiago Was A Target MANCHESTER United manager David Moyes says he is happy with how the club’s summer transfer deals are going even though it looks like Thiago Alcantara is set for Bayern Munich.

Barcelona youngster Thiago has been linked with a move to Old Trafford all summer but Bayern now appear in pole position after Pep Guardiola confirmed he had instructed the club’s board to bid for the player.

When asked about if the player was a target, Moyes was deliberately vague saying: “I never said at any time that he was (a target).”

United have added two players to their squad this

summer: Wilfried Zaha who was actually purchased in January before returning to Crystal Palace on loan and Uruguayan defender Guillermo Varela, and Moyes admitted they are looking at other players.

“We’re on with targets that we are chasing at this moment in time,” he confirmed from Banghok in Thailand where they are for a pre-season friendly.

“There are people we are actively chasing and, at this moment in time, we’re happy with how things are going.”

Moyes also reiterated that he plans to keep Wayne Rooney at the club despite Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho talking about his

Rooney’s injury. Though the problem is evidently much worse than when it first surfaced at Carrington prior to departure on Wednesday, the United boss feels Rooney could be fit by the time his team-mates return home at the end of the month.

It seems skipper Nemanja Vidic is another who will play no part in the tour, even though United’s initial response to his absence from their flight out of Manchester was to say the Serbia defender would eventually join up. Vidic is presently undergoing a series of injections to ease a problem with the sciatic nerve in his back.

- Moyes admiration for the England striker earlier on Friday.

“I’m sure Jose has been asked about lots of players as well. I’ll keep repeating myself: Wayne is a Manchester United player and he’ll remain that,” said Moyes.

“I have really covered all the things on Wayne. You mustn’t forget Manchester United is about a team, not any one individual. In lots of ways I am only interested in the team and some of the questions are reverting back to stuff I covered last week.”

At least Moyes was able to deliver some positive news on

Wenger Coy On Suarez Interest ARSENAL’s manager Arsene Wenger has refused to rule out bringing Liverpool striker Luis Suarez to the club.

The Gunners have already made a £30 million bid for

Suarez, 26, only to see it rejected by the Reds.

The North London club, though, are reportedly set to return with an improved offer of around £35 million, but Liverpool maintain that they will only listen to offers of £40 million for the Uruguay international.

Although the former Ajax man is currently on holiday following his participation in the Confederations Cup, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers says he is in contact with the striker “nearly every day” in a bid to persuade him to stay at the club.

When asked about a potential deal for Suarez, Wenger, who has just arrived in Indonesia with Arsenal for their pre-season tour, said at a press conference: “Suarez?

As you know the transfer period demands secrets and confidentiality, so I can’t answer the question.”

Wenger did say that the Gunners are pleased to be in Asia and are preparing for four tough games, kicking off with a clash against an Indonesian XI on Sunday.

“I don’t know much about the Indonesian team, but I expect them to make us suffer!” he said. “Because Asian players are quick, agile and mobile and we are at the start of the season.

“We are very happy to be here. We’ve never been here before so we want to give happiness to all our fans here.

I’m sure we can leave here with great memories.”

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere added: “I have a lot

of Twitter followers from Asia.

You guys wake up in the middle of night to watch our Champions League games so we want to put on a show for you.”

Luiz Suarez

securing a transfer from Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem for 12 million Euros on Thursday.

That figure was more than double what the club spent on Pablo Hernandez last season, but is likely to pay dividends for Michael Laudrup’s side if the Ivorian can match his tally of 36 goals in the Netherlands last season.

Bony revealed his international compatriot Drogba, who scored 157 goals in 341 appearances for Chelsea, encouraged him to move to the Liberty Stadium and admitted he is hopeful of etching his name into Premier League history like the Galatasaray striker.

“Didier had a big career and scored a lot of goals in the Premier League, but I hope to do the same or more,” Bony said, according to the Mirror.

“I have spoken to him. He said congratulations and he is proud of me. He is a big inspiration for me. I have to listen to his advice and try to do what I can by giving my best.

“I will have to work hard because the Premier League is the next level up. He knows that if I believe then I can do well. Didier said Swansea was a good team who play very good football. There are not many teams in the UK who play like that. He said he knows how I play and I will enjoy playing for Swansea. He thinks I have made a good decision.”

Despite the attention he attracted last season and the hefty price it took to prise him away from Vitesse, Bony insists he will not be fazed by the pressure he faces to perform.

“It is a big transfer fee, but it is only a number.

CMYK

Weekend Sport

THE WEEKEND

32 SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

Ghana’s Assifuah Sets Sight On U-20 World Cup Goal King GHANA’s striker Ebenezer Assifuah wants to win the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup final Golden Shoe award.

The Liberty Professionals ace is joint top scorer of the competition with five goals alongside Bruma and Jesse who exited the competition at the first knock-out stage.

But there are promising contenders outside the top three which include Nicolas Lopez of Uruguay and France striker Yaya Sanogo on four goals.

Also, Iraq’s Farhan Shakor and Florian Thauvin are in contention with three

Ebenezer Assifuah, Ghana’s U-20 Golden Shoe hopeful

France, Uruguay Battle For First U-20 Title Today

FRANCE and Uruguay will battle for their first FIFA U-20 World Cup title when they meet in the final in Istanbul, Turkey, today. Kick-off at the Turk Telekom Arena is at 20h00 CAT. to arch rivals Argentina.

While France have long As for Les Bleuets, 2013 been ranked as one of the marks their debut tournament favourites, appearance in the final. the same cannot be said The French have had of Uruguay, who have a relatively smooth path often lived in the shadows to the final through the of Argentina and Brazil tournament, finishing (neither of whom qualified second in Group A for the finals in Turkey) in (where they lost their this age group. last match to Spain) Nonetheless, La before crushing host Celeste have at least side Turkey and appeared in an U-20 Uzbekistan in the World Cup final before, quarter- and semifinals having reached the respectively. ultimate stage in 1997 in Ghana presented Malaysia where they lost more of a challenge in

the semifinals, but a brace from Florian Thauvin handed France a deserved 2-1 win.

“I was lucky enough to grab two goals today and to help my country qualify for the final,” Thauvin told FIFA.com after the win over the Black Satellites.

“If I created a bit of history in the process, that’s all the better, but now what we have to do is make sure our name ends up on the trophy.”

Uruguay also finished

FIFA Warns Thailand Amid FA Election of FIFA bodies at all Reform Row times,” the report quoted

THAILAND risks facing FIFA sanctions if polls to elect a football association president are held before the implementation of electoral reforms backed by the world governing body, local media has reported.

FIFA executive committee member and FAT chief Worawi Makudi has dismissed the demands of leading Thai sports administrators to hold the election first and has set an August 8 date for further discussions over proposed changes.

Worawi’s term as FAT president ended on June 16 and critics said that the reforms, which include slashing the number of eligible voters by more than half to 72, was a ploy by Worawi to retain his seat amid growing unpopularity.

Worawi has set September 23 as the new election date, which

has angered the majority of member clubs with 108 of the 179 signing a petition demanding the election takes place on July 23 or they will hold it themselves in early August.

The 61-year-old Worawi, who lost to Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa in the Asian Football Confederation presidential elections in May, said he was simply following FIFA guidelines.

The Bangkok Post reported that FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke had warned the FAT against going ahead with any such plan, strengthening Worawi’s stand.

“We would like to remind you once again that the FAT is required to comply with the statutes, regulations, directives and decisions

the letter as saying.

“By holding elections prior to the revised FAT statutes being adopted, the FAT would be in violation of the decision of the FIFA Associations Committee.

second in their group before going on to edge out Nigeria and Spain in the quarterand semifinals respectively, and then they squeezed past surprise package Iraq, drawing 1-1 after extra time before winning 7-6 on post-match penalties.

Much like the senior Uruguayan side, Juan Verzeri’s La Celeste have shown an unyielding spirit and a determination to do whatever it takes to win.

While their football may not have the style of the French, they will be more than capable of upsetting the Europeans in this battle between two teams seeking their first U-20 World Cup title.

ago. I never expected to emulate that, but now I actually have the chance,” he exclusively told FIFA.com.

“I’m praying I can score again and win the award.

Hopefully my teammates will remember to think of me when we get near the opposing goal.”

Ronaldo In Talks With Monaco REAL Madrid Owner

superstar Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly met with Monaco’s Russian billionaire owner last week to discuss a possible move next summer.

The Portuguese forward has been the subject of continued speculation for the past year and into this summer transfer window amid rumours of stalled contract talks with Madrid.

On from Manchester United and Paris SaintGermain’s believed interested, reports in France have now added Monaco into the equation.

Whilst the player was out on vacation and promotional duty in the principality last week, it is believed that the 28year-old met with the Stade Louis II outfit’s

owner, Dmitry Rybolovlev.

The billionaire reportedly took the opportunity, say Le10Sport to try and convince Ronaldo to sign with his team come next summer, when, should he not renew his deal with Los Blancos, he would be entering the final 12 months of his contract.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Beckham Tipped For PSG Advisor Role

DAVID Beckham could be the man to help fill the void left by Leonardo’s impending departure from Paris SaintGermain, Le Parisien reports, as the French champions’ president vowed “nothing will slow us down”.

Beckham, 38, ended his playing career by winning Ligue 1 with PSG last May, and both parties have talked about

extending their relationship beyond the five-month cameo the global superstar played at the Parc des Princes.

Though the former England captain would unlikely replace Leonardo, 43, post-forpost as the club’s sporting director, Le Parisien claims he could be installed as special advisor to PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi.

FA To Introduce Tougher Rules To Check Unpunished Challenges

THE FA is to introduce tougher rules to deal with dangerous challenges that are missed by officials, and therefore not punished, during matches.

The move comes after the furore over a high and dangerous tackle by Wigan midfielder Callum McManaman injured Newcastle defender Massadio Haidara in a game at the DW Stadium in March.

The challenge was missed by referee Mark Halsey, whose view was obscured by another player. But the FA said retrospective action could only have been

goals each.

Assifuah will hope to score more in the third place match against Iraq and wish his other contenders fire blank in the final match between France and Uruguay.

“My fellow countryman Dominic Adiyiah won the Golden Boot four years

taken if none of the officials had seen the incident clearly, finding that one had “seen the coming together, but not the extent of it”.

“Where one of the officials has seen a coming together of players, no retrospective action should be taken, regardless of whether he or she witnessed the full or particular nature of the challenge,” the governing body said. “This is to avoid the re-refereeing of incidents.”

The McManaman controversy - he was not charged over the incident

- deepened when Halsey said he would have shown the Wigan man a straight red card had he seen what had happened.

The Premier League, Football League, Professional Footballers’ Association, League Managers Association and Professional Game Match Officials - the socalled “stakeholder” group - had agreed that such challenges could not be retrospectively dealt with except in “ e x c e p t i o n a l circumstances” - which did not apply to poor tackles.

“We’re talking to him about his future career choice,” Al Khelaifi, 39, told the paper late last month. “He could be an ambassador or an advisor.”

Such a move would most likely see Beckham collaborate with coach Laurent Blanc with regard to potential purchases in the January transfer window, and would also afford Al Khelaifi room to manoeuvre should he succeed in fulfilling his reported long-standing

David Beckham

ambition of convincing Arsene Wenger to take a role at PSG after his Arsenal contract expires next summer.

The Qatari told L’Equipe on Friday, however, he was “going to take [his] time regarding the question of replacing Leo”. He added that though he regretted the fact the Brazilian will step down come the close of the current transfer period on September 2, the work towards achieving the lofty goals of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) - put in place when they took charge of the club in summer 2011 would continue apace.

“The project stops for no one,” he said. “PSG today has more than 200 employees, including the players. The club is growing very quickly, and nothing and no one will stop that growth from continuing. Nothing can slow us down. We’re continuing to build our team and our club to become a major European challenger in the years to come.”

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