Weekend observer 25-05-2013

THE WEEKEND

1 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

Weekend

PUBLISHED SINCE OCTOBER 6, 1990 • Vol. XI NO. 3,185• SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013 • N 100.00

WEEKEND DISCOURSE

Latent Causes Of Social Unrest In Nigeria - Pages 15 -

18

Gov Oshiomhole Conferred With An Award Of Excellence

By CLIFFORD AGBAJOR

AN award of Excellence has been conferred on

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by members of Edo State Association of International Students, United Kingdom (UK).

Receiving the award, by the state Deputy Comrade Oshiomhole Governor, Rt Hon. (Dr.) who was represented Pius Egberanmwan

Odubu enjoined the students from UK to shun criminal activities so as not to tarnish the image of the state and that of the country in general.

He stressed the need for them to continue to be good ambassadors,

and assured of government’s readiness to ensure that Edo sons and daughters in the UK do not suffer unduly.

The governor

informed the student delegation that the state government’s development effort cut across all strata of human endeavour, including education and

electricity.

Earlier, the President, Edo State Association of International Students, Philip Onwumah said the association has among

other objectives the need to assist themselves in research and to help provide accommodation for new members from Edo State.

Be Fair, Oshiomhole Advises Media

By CLIFFORD AGBAJOR EDO State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has advised the media to always be fair in their reportage.

He gave the advise when the management team of Silverbird, Benin office, paid him a

courtesy visit in Benin City, yesterday.

The governor who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Pius Egberanmwen Odubu urged the media to report facts as facts don’t lie.

Comrade Oshiomhole

NATION PAGES 24 - 25

Violence

A Major Threat To Nigeria’s Unity

assured that the state government will continue to do its best for the overall development of the state.

He similarly expressed the willingness of the state government to work with the broadcasting outfit for the overall advancement of Edo State.

Earlier, the Business Manager, Silverbird, Benin Office, Macdonald Peter-Anyangbe, expressed the readiness of Silverbird to cooperate with Edo State government with a view to promoting the positive activities of the Oshiomhole-led administration in the state.

FUNERAL SERVICE: L-R: Senator Tunde Ogbeha, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and Senate President, David Mark at the Funeral Service of Dame Merry Oritsetimeyin Ehanire in Benin City yesterday.

POLITICS Hon. Patrick Aguinede

A Modernizer Of Our Time - Page 8

MOMENT OF SCRUTINY Curbing Terrorism In Nigeria - Page 5

THE WEEKEND

2 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

CRIME

NEWS

Court Remands Teenager Over Alleged Theft Of Laptop A teenager of Government Secondary School, Rabochi in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT, was remanded in prison over an alleged theft of a laptop.

The order for the remand of the 17-year-old was given by the Judge, Alhaji Babangida Hassan, of the Gwagwalada Upper Area Court.

He gave the order after listening to the plea of the accused who is facing a two-count charge of house breaking and theft.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr. Iliya Maji, told the court

that the accused broke into the computer room of his school and stole a laptop valued at N150,000.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges and begged for forgiveness, saying he was tempted to commit the offence because he wanted to settle his school fees’ problem.

Following the plea of guilt, the prosecutor prayed the court to try the accused summarily.

The judge reserved sentencing the accused, and adjourned the case to June 5, 2013.

Police Arrest 2 Land Speculators Over N7.3m Deal Group of Mobile Policemen maintaining law and order

Police Arraign Taxi Driver, 29, For Alleged offence under this Act THE police has Manslaughter and liable to arraigned a taxi driver, because of Sani’s Okpeyemi Sani, 29 of Games Village, Abuja, in a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, for alleged manslaughter.

The Prosecutor, Mr. Paul Anigbo, told the court that, on May 17, 2013, at about 7.30 p.m., Sani drove his Nissan Almera vehicle with registration number KUJ 385 AS in a dangerous manner.

Anigbo said that the vehicle was driven along Musa Yar’Adua Way, Abuja.

He added that

excessive speeding, he knocked down a pedestrian, Kingsley Joshua, a staff of CCECC Construction Company.

The prosecutor said Joshua sustained severe injuries as a result of the accident which eventually led to his death on the same day.

He noted that after the accident, Sani drove off with his vehicle without rendering any assistance to Joshua.

He said that Sani was

arrested later on May 17 by some police officers on patrol along Games Village, Abuja, and taken to police station.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 28(1) and 34(a)(b)(c) of the Road Traffic Act. Section 28(1) of the Act states that a person who drives a motor vehicle on a highway recklessly or negligently, or at a speed or in a manner which is dangerous to the public, is guilty of an

Police Warn Public Against Procession In Rivers THE Commissioner of Police in River, Mr. Joseph Mbu, has warned that individuals or groups who embarked on illegal procession in the state would be arrested and prosecuted.

Mbu gave the warning in Port Harcourt at a news conference called by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 6, Mr. Jonathan Johnson.

“As from today, there

will be no peaceful or violent procession without applying to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.

“Anybody, who takes the law into his hand and comes out to protest will be arrested and prosecuted.

“The police will use minimum force to make sure that defaulters are picked and prosecuted,’’ Mbu warned.

In his comments,the

AIG defended the action taken by Mbu who was accused of exempting counter-terrorism personnel from guard duties.

He said the action as proper, saying the personnel was not meant for guard duties.

“The unit is meant to tackle terrorism, so the commissioner decided to replace them with the Special Protection Unit,’’ he said.

imprisonment or fine or both.

Sani, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence.

The Senior Magistrate, Mr. Usman Shuaibu, granted him bail in the sum of N1 million with a surety in like sum.

Shuaibu said the surety must be a civil servant of not less than Grade Level 10 and should reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

He adjourned the matter to June 18, 2013.

THE police in Lagos State said they have arrested two fake land speculators who allegedly defrauded some military personnel of N7.3 million.

This is contained in a statement signed by spokesperson of the Special Fraud Unit, DSP Ngozi Isintume-Agu, made available to newsmen in Lagos.

The statement said the arrest followed a petition dated March 8, alleging that the suspects had in September 2010, approached and offered them a large expanse of land for sale at Ofada in Ogun.

“The military personnel, having indicated their interest, paid N7.3 million to them with the expectation that the land

Man, 30, Bags 6 Months Imprisonment For Stealing 12 Goats AN Ibadan Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 30year old Patrick Robinson to six months imprisonment with an option of N5,000 for stealing 12 goats.

The prosecutor, Cpl Folake Ewe, had told the court that the convict was arraigned on a two-count charge of unlawful possession and stealing.

She said Robinson committed the crime at Podo Village, Ibadan, on December 11, 2011 at about 7.00 a.m.

She said the convict

drove a dark blue Primeria car with registration number QB 656 KJA, carrying 12 native goats suspected to have been stolen.

Ewe said the offence contravened the Criminal Code of Oyo State, 2000.

Robinson pleaded not guilty to the charge.

After series of adjournments and crossexaminations, the Magistrate, Mrs. Nafisat Abdulsalam, found him guilty of the second charge of theft but discharged him on the first allegation.

will be sold to them.

“Suspicion started when they requested for title document and they were provided with forged survey plan.”

It said the suspects were arrested and investigation revealed that one of them was a graduate of Yaba College of Technology and the Managing Director of Ampris Global Resources.

“He said that he registered his company in 2009 to sell and develop estates and that he had an agreement with a family to purchase 200 acres of land.

“He confessed receiving the money from the complainants but that he had no intention to defraud them since he allocated some plots to some of the buyers.

“He also confessed that he had not processed the Certificate of Occupancy with Ogun Government.”

The spokesperson said the other suspect, a 30year-old graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, started work with Ampris Global Resources as Property Consultant and rose to the post of Business Development Manager.

“She marketed the land to the complainants and provided them with the company’s account number, where they paid in their money for subscription.”

The statement said that the suspect collected some cash from the buyers.

THE WEEKEND

3 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

NEWS

Political Parties Push for Local Government Autonomy THE National Chairman, Accord Party, Malam Mohammed Nalado, said that civil unrest in Nigeria could be curbed by granting financial autonomy to operators of the local government system.

Nalado told newsmen in Abuja that youth unemployment would also be tackled if the local governments had financial autonomy.

He said that more than 70 per cent of the populace resided in the rural areas, and that the youths were in the majority.

Nalado said that many youths were not gainful employment, adding that their idleness largely accounted for vulnerability to unscrupulous individuals in need of those to perpetrate terrorism and insurgency.

He argued that financial autonomy for the 774 local government councils would go a long way towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in addition to the provision of other basic amenities for the rural dwellers.

Nalado said that when the local governments had their funds directly they would be able to embark on various projects and improve the agricultural development.

He said further that the agricultural sector would offer the largest opportunities to the unemployed if it was well harnessed to generate income.

Nalado said that small holding farmers needed to be given the necessary support considering their contributions towards the economic development of Nigeria and ameliorating hunger and poverty.

He said that the local

government system was a catalyst to mass agricultural production and would enhance food insecurity, as well as “create a wave of prosperity and stability across the country by lifting millions out of poverty”.

“Considering the poverty and unemployment level in the country, it is time for the law makers to take a decisive action to make the local governments achieve financial independence,” he said.

Also speaking, the National Chairman of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr Yunisa Tanko, said the issue of granting the local governments autonomy was long overdue as this would facilitate development at the grassroots level.

He said that the responsibilities of the third tier of government should not be usurped by the state government under the guise of joint state accounts.

Tanko said more than 66 per cent of the nation’s populace residing in the local government areas had not had access to basic necessities in the local communities because the closest tier of government to them lacked the wherewithal to make their lives more meaningful.

He said that if the local government autonomy should be granted autonomy, it would certainly restore confidence of the people in democratic governance at the grassroots level.

“Local governments having their own financial autonomy does not make them equal to the state, rather it will quicken development process, and if they are not doing it right the state governments can checkmate them.

Deaconess (Mrs.) Endurance Odubu, wife of Deputy Governor, Edo State (4th left), with wives of Chairmen of local government , Edo State shortly after their courtesy visit to the Oba’s palace.

Oshiomhole Commissions Block Of Classrooms GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state yesterday commissioned a block of eight classrooms and a headmaster’s office renovated by the New Covenant Bible church at Evbuobanosa, Orhiorhwon Local Government Area.

Speaking shortly before commissioning the project, Oshiomhole said Government will take development to the communities and demonstrate that the people in the rural areas are not inferior to those in the urban areas.

According to the governor, deliberate steps will be taken to take development to the rural communities.

Insecurity Hinders Tourism Development ALHAJI Saleh Rabo, the In Nigeria - NANTA President, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) has said that the insecurity in the country was hindering the development of tourism sector.

Rabo told newsmen in Abuja that political stability and security were a prerequisite for tourists’ attraction to any country.

“Violent protest, social unrest, civil war, terrorism, perceived violation of human rights, or the mere threats of these activities can cause tourists to alter their travel behaviour.”

The NANTA president said that the instability in the country had also hindered the free flow of investors into the country, stressing that the country’s economy was equally affected.

“The concepts of terrorism, political instability

and other forms of conflicts appear unrelated to tourism, even though that is not the cause.”

Rabo commended the Federal Government for the state of emergency declared in the three states in the North.

He said that with the committee set up for the implementation of this rule, the country would in no distant time return to normal.

He added that the move would revive tourism activities at the affected states.

“We are hoping that with the committee and the state of emergency, the country will come back to normal.”

Rabo urged Nigerians to join hands with the government to ensure that the country was a better

place by reporting any unsuspected movement in any area.

“When we politicians and leaders lament about rural drift, people moving away from villages, rushing to the cities only to get stranded and we sermonize about the need for people to remain where they are, those sermons will amount to nought if we do not take deliberate steps to bring development to our rural communities and one of the

key issues of rural development is access to infrastructure,” he noted.

While commending the President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Rev. Felix Omobude for renovating the school for the community, the governor said men with means should find the way to reconnect and to identify with their community

Igbanke Community Appeals To EDSG IGBANKE community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State have appealed to Edo State Government to intervene in the Public Power Supply suffered in the area due to the fault of

The late Mr. Endurance Ogboi who was electrocuted in Igbanke recently

the PHCN. The appeal is coming on the heel of a number of persons who were electrocuted due to power surge in Igbanke recently, the latest being the death of one Endurance Ogboi.

According to an eye witness who spoke under unanimity the Late Endurance had returned home from the farm that fateful day, when he discovered that there was electricity supply after five days of power failure.

The Late Endurance who is a Professional Welder was said to have died instantly as he attempted to do some work in his workshop.

The incidence had thrown the people of Idumuodin into mourning as the tragic event became too much for them to bear, after losing four other persons in the same circumstance within a week.

“You have started something which I believe many others will like to copy to the glory of God and to the benefit of our great nation.

When people say how they should be immortalize, by naming street and houses after them. The best way to immortalize oneself is by what you do while you are alive and the people you touch to the extent that they always remember.

“Rev. Omobude has impacted on his environment and not a few will copy. I want to thank you for reducing the burden of government.

Even if government has all the money on the planet government alone does not have the executive capacity to do all the things that we ought to do, to make all the changes that we desire,” he added.

The governor also commissioned a hostel and block of Engineering workshop at the light house polytechnic Evbuobanosa Earlier, the President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN Rev. Felix Omobude commended Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the developmental strides throughout the state.

According to him, “the people can politicise whatever but the good works you have done all over the length and breadth of Edo state will speak for you. Let me thank you my Excellency, there is no doubt that you mean well for Edo people, we pray for God’s strength and God’s wisdom, God’s grace, that the God who started it with you, He will also finish with you.”

THE WEEKEND

4 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

N e ws Property Consultant Says Policy Inconsistency Is Bane Of Housing Sector A property consultant, Mr Chudi Ubosi, on Friday said that policy inconsistency was the bane of development in the housing sector in Nigeria.

Ubosi, President, International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI), Africa Regional Chapter, said that the problem in Nigeria was unstable policies.

“An administration that formulates a housing policy never accomplishes it``.

He told newsmen in Lagos that housing sector had been known for contributing to the economic renaissance of many countries.

“Unfortunately, in Nigeria, we have been experiencing governments that never accomplished what they set out to achieve.

“Policy inconsistency is

Communities Enjoined To Take Advantage Of ACT Drugs THE Coordinator of AFRIPRIDE a Non Governmental Organisation Ehis-Bright-Omoruyi has enjoined the people of Isiuwa community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State to take advantage of ACT drugs available in Government and healthcare centres and not to fall victim of dubious patent medicine dealers who sell the drugs at exorbitant prices.

The coordinator gave the charge while on a sensitization visit to the community.

He said that the Nigerian Government and Global Fund has joined hands together to ensure that the drugs are sold to the people at a cheap and affordable rate.

He implored the people to always look out for the price tag and the green-leaf logo on the pack to ensure the authenticity of the drug.

The coordinator observed that malaria has continuously plagued people because they fail to keep their environment clean as mosquitoes breed in an unhealthy and dirty environment.

He charged them to always conduct Rapid Diagnosis Test (RDT) to ensure that they have malaria parasite in them.

Responding, the Community Development Chairman Imafidon Stephens thanked the coordinator for the awareness and ensure compliance of his people to his directives.

The highlight of the visit was a drama presentation and the demonstration of the use of ACT drugs and Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Net (LLIN).

Also visited were Ugbokun, Adebayor and Guoguo camps.

unhealthy for the growth of any country’s housing sector,” he said.

Ubosi advised the Federal Government to adopt strategies that developed nations had used to optimally provide accommodation for their citizens.

“Promoting security of tenure is a prerequisite for sustainable improvement in housing and environmental conditions, “ he said.

Ubosi also urged the

Federal Government to focus more on the development and maintenance of road and provision of potable water.

“The Federal Government and local authorities should design, adopt and implement pro-poor city development strategies and ensure sufficient availability of land for housing development.“ He suggested that emerging economies like Nigeria should pool resources together to overcome the challenges confronting their housing sectors.

“Nigeria has the capability of being one of the world largest economies in the next 20 years,” he said.

Retired Officers Will Be Given Recognition In The Scheme Of Things - EDSG

By CLIFFORD AGBAJOR

EDO State Government has said it would do all within its reach to ensure that retired Officers of the Department of State Services in the state are given a sense of belonging in the scheme if things.

The state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole gave the assurance when the Association of Retired

Fayemi Tasks Africa To Take Control Of Its Destiny Africa Day Celebration:

GOVERNOR Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State yesterday stressed the need for the African Continent to take control of its destiny in the international arena.

Fayemi made the call at the 50th African Day Celebration of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU) and the 4th Tajudeen Abdul-Rasheem Memorial in Abuja.

He urged African leaders to change the nature and character of the political system operating in the continent with a view to improving the peoples’ quality of life.

He said, “There is the need for Africa to take control of its destiny, because there are many things going wrong with most African countries.

“We should struggle to change our political system to be more people-oriented.

This was what late Tajudeen stood for throughout his life time.

“We should see the struggle to reposition the African continent in global affairs as a serious struggle to fight for.’’

The governor regretted that 50 years after colonial rule, the continent was not where it ought to be as a result of the lack of collaboration and cooperation among countries.

Fayemi emphasised the need for African countries to see themselves as “people of a single continent’’ in order to take its rightful position in global affairs.

He challenged youths to emulate the virtues and

legacies of late Tajudeen, who died on African Libration Day in 2009 in an auto accident in Nairobi.

Tajudeen was the loudest and most effective advocate of Pan-Africanism in recent times, Fayemi added.

On his part, Prof. Okey Ibeanu, a professor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), said that the philosophy behind PanAfricanism was geared toward the restoration of the dignity of African persons across the globe.

Ibeanu urged Africa to return to the original Africanist ideals which encouraged hard work, good moral values and equitable reward system.

The OAU or Organisation de l’Unité Africaine (OUA) was formed on May 25, 1963 when the Casablanca bloc, led by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and the Monrovian bloc, led by Leopold Senghor of Senegal, resolved their dispute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The OAU started its operations on Sept. 13, 1963 when its Charter was adopted and signed by 32 independent African states.

The OAU was established on the principles of state sovereignty and noninterference and 22 states joined gradually over the years, with South Africa becoming the 53rd member on May 23, 1994.

On Sept. 9, 1999, the organisation adopted, at Sirte, Libya, the resolution to create the African Union to succeed the OAU. The Constitutive Act of the African Union sets out the codified framework under

which the African Union is to conduct itself.

The OAU was disbanded on July 9, 2002 by its last chairperson, South African President Thabo Mbeki and replaced with African Union (AU), The AU was launched in Durban on July 9, 2002 by its first President, South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki at the first session of the Assembly of union.

The only African state that is not a member of the African Union is Morocco, which left the AU’s predecessor, the OAU, in 1984, when many of the other member states supported the Sahrawi nationalist Polisario Front’s Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Morocco’s ally, Zaire, similarly opposed the OAU admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Mobutu regime boycotted the organisation from 1984 to 1986.

The AU is committed to bringing about change and freedom to many African countries and restore dignity of African people.

The May 25 celebration as Africa Day marks the beginning of a quest for the unity of the continent and for the political and economic emancipation of its people as well as co-operation among them.

Over the years, the AU, modelled after similar organisations in Europe and elsewhere, has strived to increase economic, social, cultural and political cooperation.

It also seeks to provide common policies among African countries.

Officers of Department of State Services of Nigeria (ARODSSON), Edo State Chapter, paid him a courtesy visit in Benin City yesterday.

Represented by the state Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Pius Egberanmwen Odubu, Comrade Oshiomhole acknowledged their contribution towards the advancement of society, taking into consideration the nature of their job.

He noted that the state government will ensure that they are recognized, adding that the state government will continue to do its best to ensure that the state remains crime-free.

The Comrade Governor solicited their support, particularly in prayer to enable him continue to function

FG Plans New Tariff Regime For Industrial Sector A new tariff regime aimed at increasing local manufacturers capacity and boost investments in the industrial sector is underway, The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said.

Mrs. Yemi Kolapo, the Special Assistance to the Minister on Corporate Communications, said in a statement that Aganga made the plan known when he inaugurated a committee on the matter.

The statement said as part of efforts to achieve the goal, Aganga inaugurated a 12member committee to work out appropriate tariffs to support the implementation of the country’s industrial policies.

The aim is to reposition the manufacturing sector and increase its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from its current four per cent to 10 per cent over the next four years.

The committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr.

Canada To Partner Edo State Govt

Vocational Education:

By OSAZUWA AKONEDO CANADIAN High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Chris Cooter says the Canadian Government will partner Edo State government in the area of vocational training.

The Canadian High Commissioner, Mr. Chris Cooter stated this yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Reverend David Ugolor at his office in Benin City.

According to the Canadian High Commissioner, the Canadian Government decided to assist Edo State Government in the area of vocational education on the ground that unemployment is

not the problem in Nigeria but the skills to get the employment.

He said when he visited the Technical College in Benin City he was told that the school was built in the 1970s, adding that the school looks like the one he attended in the 70s in Canada. Therefore, he said that the school may have had the support of foreign government hence the need for the Canadian Government to invest in the school.

He said the Canadian Government would provide vocational training teachers, equipment and all other vocational learning facilities to boost the vocational training system in the state.

He added that the funding of the school would be sustained by the Canadian Government.

Also, he urged human rights activists to be more committed in their struggle for good governance in the country.

“Civil society is critical to the protection of human rights in the society. We are opposing to death sentence. We need a government that will lead to a country we all will be proud of”, said the High Commissioner.

He said the Canadian Government as a way of promoting democracy in Nigeria have budgeted 25 million dollars and have started working with the

effectively.

Earlier in an address read on behalf of the chairman of ARODSSON, Edo State Chapter, Chief Pius Obinyan by the Secretary of the body, Henry Williams, said they were in Government House, Benin City, for a familiarization visit as well as to congratulate the governor over his victory at the governorship election of July 14, 2012.

While appreciating the developmental strides of the Comrade Governor, Chief Obinyan informed him that during a recent general meeting of the body, the governor was appointed as the first Grand Patron of ARODSSON, Edo State Chapter, and that he would be informed when it is time for his inauguration.

Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC so as to strengthen the institution ahead of the 2015 general elections.

He said the security situation in the country needs a holistic approach, adding that resolution is the best way to address terrorism.

Responding, the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Reverend David Ugolor thanked the Canadian government for the assistance it has been rendering civil society in the country in deepening democracy and fighting human rights abuses.

He however urged the Canadian Government to continue to provide support for the civil societies with a view to enable them help build the country for the good of all.

Dauda Kigbu.

Other members of the committee are the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Chief Kola Jamodu, the executive secretaries of the National Sugar Development Council Others are the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the directorsgeneral of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and National Automotive Council, among others.

Their terms of reference are to propose strategies and measures that will increase the capacity utilisation and contribution of the industrial sector to GDP in line with the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan.

The committee is also to propose tariffs for every sector under the purview of the ministry, identify major gaps between existing tariff regimes and the Common External Tariff regimes and propose solutions to smuggling.

The minister stressed the need to ensure that the right tariffs were proposed and implemented in order to move the nation’s manufacturing sector forward.

He said that members of the committee had been selected to serve on account of their relevance to the development of manufacturing in the country.

“They are expected to use their experience and skills to add value to the important work that they are called upon to perform as part of our ongoing efforts to reposition manufacturing in our country,” Aganga said.

He noted that the need to have a manufacturing-friendly tariff regime was borne out of the realisation of the fact that the growth and development of the sector depended to a large extent, on the use of appropriate tariffs.

THE WEEKEND

5 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

“Thus, more importantly, what the federal government ought to aim for at this material time is to create and begin to cultivate a new paradigm today, based on the greater appreciation that what unites us is by far greater than the differences that divide us.”

NIGERIA for many decades have been failing, invariably and failing conspicuously by it bondage to underdevelopment, corruption, violence and terrorism, without looking beyond into how to attain a harmonious perfection as a nation state. Events in the past two years or so has shown that the nation is certainly drifting towards anarchy.

Evidently, this is so, evidently also most Nigerians have been left with nothing but a nation that has lost its rudders, even as there exist palpable fear across the entire length and breath of the beleaguered nation.

Thus to most Nigerians these days, the fear of the terrorist, insurgent, is the beginning of wisdom.

Though Nigeria has also enjoyed a period of relative peace in the preceding decades, there had arisen a wide spread feeling of rising and growing inequalities in the land.

The rich in Nigeria seems richer than ever before, while the poor people in their rank and file continue to decline on the scale of qualitative measure of inequality.

By and large, Nigeria has become more unequal and segregated in recent times.

Today across Nigeria cities and towns abound squalid slums, which are filled with a vast number of unemployed men and women and youths with nowhere to turn to, nor a home to call their own.

Meanwhile, most of these people have become tinder boxes of

Curbing Terrorism In Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan

anger, hopelessness, frustration and silent hatred.

Also there are millions of young unemployed graduates roaming the streets, even as they continue to wallow in despair and poverty they soon become recruiting grounds for the terrorist.

According to many an analyst, terrorism, thrives on poverty, though violence is not pathology of the poor.

However, the compound of poverty, powerlessness, lack of o p p o r t u n i t y, suppression, repression and injustice are volatile mix that sparks off terrorism world wide.

Strangely though, there has been an unprecedented increase of terrorist attack especially in the northeast of Nigeria in recent times.

Also there has been an increase in insurgency attack in recent times, that the

Nigeria government had no alternative but to declare a state of emergency in Borno.

Yobe and Adamawa States. Apart from this however, the federal government has to accept long term political obligation, because if the government is determined to root out terrorism and insurgency, it must be deprive of the soil in which to grow. And this is the gut of this piece.

Like I stated earlier experts world wide are of the view that apart from the fact that the act of terrorism form our common vulnerability, but most importantly,

Senator David Mark

only through the development of a united alliance against international injustice and social injustice will it be possible to render useless and impossible act of desperation by victims of the system who would easily resort to violence and terrorism. But this is certainly not an easy task, even as the federal government had earlier resorted to the idea of dialogue and granting of amnesty to the terrorist group, before the declaration of state of emergency in the three states.

At this most crucial and critical time in the annals of Nigeria, for

the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government must steer clear of the situation in which it would define the country in terms of modes of loyalty into “coalition members” and the “enemies” and on that basis distributes rewards and blames.

According to Javad Zarif “the need for an enemy is so strong for government that at times enemies are forged as a managerial tool. This approach to… politics has brought bloodshed and devastation to human society suppressed much potentials wasted much precious human capabilities and scarce

national resources and instead give rise to domination, violence a n d underdevelopment”.

Thus, more importantly, what the federal government ought to aim for at this material time is to create and begin to cultivate a new paradigm today, based on the greater appreciation that what unites us is by far greater than the differences that divide us.

In essence, the Federal Government must not demonize all oppositions in the name of “internal security and the war against terrorism”.

Rather what the federal government should be emphasizing seriously is how to remove the soil in which terrorism is thriving in the country. In this wise the Federal Government need to brain storm with experts, views on ways in which terrorism can be curbed and made a things of the past.

In the light of the foregoing the federal government has to formulate enlightened policies and programmes of action that would truly hasten the development of this beloved nation in order to confront terrorism in a broader partnership for human development.

“According to many an analyst, terrorism, thrives on poverty, though violence is not a pathology of the poor.

However, the compound of poverty, powerlessness, lack of opportunity, suppression, repression and injustice are volatile mix that sparks off terrorism world wide.”

THE WEEKEND

6 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

o

P litics

The Imperatives Of States’ Creation

REQUESTS for the creation of more states in Nigeria have been made on many occasions.

There have been requests for the creation of Okura out of Kogi; Aba from Abia; Njaba and Orashi out of Imo; Adada from Enugu State; Toru-Ebe from Delta, Edo and Ondo states; Hadejia out of Jigawa and Katagum from Bauchi State.

Similarly, there have been requests for the creation of Tiga out of Kano State; Karadua and Kafur from Katsina State; Lagoon from Lagos State; Oke-Ogun and Ibadan out of Oyo State; Kwararafa from Taraba and Amana out of Borno.

Some people have also solicited the creation of Adamawa, Taraba and Savannah states out of the current Adamawa State; Edu, Gurara, Kainji and Borgu from Niger; Apa from Benue, New Delta from Delta and Oduduwa out of Osun, among others.

The requests for states’ creation became so rampant to such an extent that Mr Wole Oke, the former Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Defence, once announced that the House had received more than 50 requests for the creation of new states.

Observers, therefore, wonder why various ethnic groups across the country have presented a plethora of requests for the creation of more states.

However, some political analysts contend that the sustained campaign for the creation of more states in the country is not because Nigerians have a penchant for promoting divisions of the polity.

Rather, they note that the proponents of new states are only seeking the expansion of the scope and platform for more citizens to express themselves and utilise their potential under a federal system of government.

Political historians recall that state creation began in Nigeria on May 27, 1967, when the administration of Gen. Yakubu Gowon abolished the regional structure of the country and created 12 states.

They note that the administration of Gen. Murtala Mohammed created additional seven states in 1976, while 11 more states were created by

former military President Ibrahim Babangida between 1987 and 1991.

They add that the administration of Gen. Sani Abacha created additional six states in 1996, which brought the current number of states to 36.

Observers, nonetheless, note that the existing states were all decreed into existence by military governments without consideration for the citizens’ consent, as stipulated in the constitution.

They recall that although former President Shehu Shagari initiated a move for

By KAYODE OLAITAN (NAN)

said that it had collated the views of Nigerians on the proposed constitution’s review across the country, stressing that states’ creation was one of the salient themes of the people’s proposals.

Nevertheless, some cynics kick against plans to create more states in Nigeria, stressing that virtually all the existing states depend solely on

• Aminu Tambuwal

• David Mark

the creation of 30 additional states through the machinery of the National Assembly; the move was scuttled, following the 1983 military intervention.

All the same, some cynics have, on several occasions, queried the wisdom in making requests for more states at this point in time.

In spite of such viewpoints, the Senate announced in 2010 that it would set up a subcommittee within its Constitution Review Committee to specifically consider various requests for the creation of more states across the country.

The Senate has assured the public that the proposed sub-committee would consider the requests and make recommendations.

Besides, the House of Representatives recently

contained in the 1958 Willink Commission Report, arose from the concern of minority groups that their interests were not protected in the then Northern, Western and Eastern Regions.

“The report correctly noted that states creation would in fact not be a solution to the fears of minorities, as additional states may not guarantee the creation of

maintain the present number of states since collapsing them is unlikely, while creating several functional local governments.’’

Lawal’s sentiments notwithstanding, Mr Joseph Gumbari, a former member of the House of Representatives, said in a media interview that: “I look at these requests as coming from people who are desirous of development.

“Looking at the history of the creation of states, it has been an exercise that has brought about development; it has also brought government closer to the

allocations from the Federation Account for their survival.

They insist that states’ creation should not be a priority project because every new state will mean an extra burden on the Federation Account, as some of them may not be self-sustaining.

Mr Qudus Lawal, a public analyst, wrote in Daily Post, an online publication, that the quest for states, as

another minority group in the new states.

“Some of those craving for new states opined that new states will curb persistent ethnic clashes being experienced in some parts of the country, an example that readily comes to mind is Kaduna South.

“If our aim is to use state creation to settle disputes; then, we should be ready to create at least 250 homogenous states. “ My suggestion is that we

people.

“From the three regions to the four regions after independence; from the 12state structure to 19 states and to the present 36-state structure; it is very obvious that development has come to those areas.

“It is expected that some of these people who feel the need for development would always be engaged in demanding for new states.

“We expect that whatever

demands that are to be submitted to the National Assembly, all requests will be treated dispassionately, while taking into consideration the realities on ground.’’

Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Yakubu Ugwolawo, the Coordinator of the National Association of State Movements (NASM) said that states were universally accepted as the building blocks of development in a federal system.

“Creation of more states will spread development across the land and help bring the much touted dividends of democracy to the door steps of the average Nigerian; the creation of more states will also create new jobs,’’ he said.

Ugwolawo said that as part of efforts to convince sceptics on the need for more states’ creation, NASM, in collaboration with the Coalition for Responsive Governance, would organise a seminar on May 27 to stimulate public understanding of the advantages of having more states.

Ugwolawo stressed that the creation of more states in the country would ensure more rapid and even development of rural and urban areas, while enhancing the citizens’ living standards.

He noted that many Nigerians wanted the creation of new states to satisfy their political and development aspirations, calling on the National Assembly not to fail them in that regard.

All in all, analysts urge the National Assembly’s committees on state creation to evaluate all the requests for the creation of more states and make positive recommendations on those that meet the constitutional requirements.

They say this will enhance the citizens’ confidence in the legislature and boost democratic governance.

“Creation of more states will spread development across the land and help bring the much touted dividends of democracy to the door steps of the average Nigerian; the creation of more states will also create new jobs.’’

THE WEEKEND

7 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

e

R lationship African Men, White Women:

What Is The Attraction?

A

F R I C A N marriage to the whites also known as interracial marriage is now very prevalent worldwide.

Interracial marriage occurs when two people of different racial group marry.

This is also known as exogamy (marrying outside one’s social status).

In the western world, there were laws put on ground restricting interracial marriages.

Countries like Germany, The United States Of America and South Africa under the apartheid once frowned at this form of marriage.

It is now something of great joy that people are becoming more open minded about finding a partner outside their race.

But the question is what the attraction is?

The attraction between the whites and the blacks which leads to marriage could be attributed to several reasons. Some people are of the view that black men are attracted to white women just to build up their social status. There is the desire for social approval especially from whites. The desire to be treated and perceived as equal tends to intensify this attraction. In achieving this, the black men imitate the white in every sphere of life.

Some African men are of the view that African men are raw and unrefined. The alternative becomes women who in their opinion are stylish, sassy and nontraditional. In other words, they seek women who are liberal.

Most black men feel white women are fun to be with and accommodating. They feel white girls are free of the high and low drama associated with black women and that white

women are also easily manipulated.

Most African men have degraded Africa to the extent of hooking up with white women, just for personal gains. Some of which are: stronger legal basis to remain abroad.

More freedom to move and change jobs. To appear to be more successful, as Africans are of the opinion that whites are rare gold and also very important.

Most African societies, measure the level of one’s success to his level of association with whites.

Though, the above may be true to an extent, but most African men, get attracted to white women just out of genuine love.

There are African men who love white women for no apparent reason. They love them not for their skin, race or nationality.

Another funny reason is simply because of the need to have children of mixed race. Most African men are obsessed with the idea of their kids been citizens of Western Countries and also been referred to as “half-caste”.

The demand for white women by Africa men has been on the increase since Barak Obama became the first African-American President of United State of America about few years ago. The Kenya father of American President never knew his son will become the world president one day.

Despite all these, most African men forget that even if love is involved, race will inevitably become a hurdle that needs to be jumped repeatedly.

Black men forget that dating outside of one’s race opens the possibility of not just heartbreaks, but dealing with the bitter truth that in most cases what the

By CASSIUS LAMAI/ ODINUKAEZE NNENNA

person really wants is not actually you but one particular feature which she finds exciting, and that cannot be described as love.

Also, the case is vice versa, African men are not the only ones who are attracted to white women, white men are also attracted to black women.

Is it surprising?

Most white men, find the dark skin of a woman very exotic. Some white men believe dark skinned women are natural and beauty. They prefer women of color because they feel warmer and sweeter. Some white men feel the faces of dark women are much more attractive, likewise the skin. It is of no wonder that married Russian billionaire Vladimir Doronin loves dark skinned girls. It is known that he dated

Naomi Campbell, a dark skinned British model and also dated another dark lady after her. The attraction is simply because of the skin color.

Most black women date white men simply as a result of past experience of rape, lies, cheatings and assaults from African men.

There is the general feeling towards all black guys and there is the tendency to be with someone who is considered smooth and respects women. Most white guys are considered to be smooth by black women. These black women often forget that men will be men, whether they are black or whites.

Furthermore, it is believed that seeing opposite skin color in bed, heightens the excitement.

Somehow they feel they

“Most black men feel white women are fun to be with and accommodating. They feel white girls are free of the high and low drama associated with black women and that white women are also easily manipulated”.

are doing something naughty or forbidden.

Approaching a black woman is no different from approaching a white woman to some white men.

Just that he makes sure she is worth it. A woman who is typically friendly and has a common courtesy is attractive to men irrespective race. So they don’t treat black women differently from white women. It is sometimes very frustrating when white men cannot tell if black women are attracted to them.

African women hook up with white men for two reasons: they may genuinely love white men and they may also try using white men as substitute to alleviate the shortage of available black men. Many black women are angry with black men for choosing non blacks, so been with white men, helps them get back at them, and also to maintain their pride and dignity. It is very obvious that they get married to white men for their resources and protection. They believe that marrying a white man will improve their status.

There are few African women who find white men more attractive and prefer them better. This occurs simply because in their childhood, they had whites are friends, in other words, there has been an exposure to the way white men reason and do things.

They find white men powerful, wealthy and knightly.

On the other hand, a white man can be attracted to any type of woman as long as he finds her interesting and sexy. It is not unusual for a white man to become attracted to a black woman. Black women are very sexy, strong-willed, and more voluptuous and have lots of confidence.

The search for a life partner can be very tricky.

It mainly entails someone who fits into the list of an individual irrespective of race.

Relationships between blacks and whites can work out perfectly and even last forever till death.

The most important ingredient is love. It is better to be in matrimony with someone who is loving, wonderful and perfect, instead of ending up in the courtroom for divorce.

THE WEEKEND

8 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

e

P rspective Hon. Patrick Aguinede: A

Modernizer Of Our Time

BY ISAAC IKHINAEDE

HON Patricic Aguinede, the Honourable Commissioner for Basic Education, Edo State is a great modernizer whose modernizing policy always bothers on success. Leaders are leaders but each leader is different from the other by virtue of the varied disposition, attitude, character, decisions, to matters affecting leadership, courage, wisdom, and the fear of God in discharging duties can be called some of its ingredients. It is precisely these ingredients plus a host of others that is combined in good combination to make Hon. Aguinede a good leader.

Hon Patrick Aguinede hails from Ekpoma, the administrative headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo-State. He is a man that is greatly loved by his people. The people of Esan West Local Government called on him to come and contest for the seat of the Edo State House in Assembly to represent the good people of Esan—West Constituency in the State House of Assembly. He was massively voted and he won the election. He therefore represented the good people of Esan West in the House of Assembly between 20042007 (during the period) Honorable Friday Itula who is currently in the house of Assembly was the speaker of Edo State House of Assembly.

While in the House of Assembly, he was

appointed Deputy Chief Whip and Chairman House Committee on E d u c a t i o n .

The former Lawmaker of Edo State House of Assembly was very vocal, imaginative and vibrant in the house. During this period in reference he was able to initiate numerous bills and many of the bills were passed into law. In short, he represented the good people of Esan-West Constituency creditably well in the house.

For the fact, that education is one of the most vital professions and it deals with the sharpening the characters/future prospects of human beings; and any attempt to appoint any individual that is not vast in knowledge and wisdom to heed the sector will go long way to affect the state and the Nation in general.

The Edo State House of Assembly then under the leadership of Hon. Friday Itula carefully spread out a magic search light to search out a Lawmaker that the cap of leadership at the Committee of Education fits. Hon. Patrick Aguinede was searched out by the magical search light.

Hence he was unanimously appointed by the House Committee Chairman on Education.

As the Chairman of House Committee on Education, he brought about numerous changes in education in the state.

Discovery that without

enough teacher in the schools, that the standard of education can never improved, he made sure that the House influenced Chief Lucky Igbinedion, the then Executive Governor of Edo State to employ teachers to feel the vacancies in the schools in the state. He also made sure that House influenced the Governor to make the salaries of teachers and promotion regular.

Recently, the Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole saw the need to appoint the Basic Education Commissioner to make the administration of education in the Edo State very easy and smooth for administrative purpose.

As we all know Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole is a digital performing governor, in the same way he need, digital performing individuals in his cabinet.

He (Comrade Adams Oshiomhole) sets his mental register into motion thinking about a digital performing individual to appoint as the Basic Education Commissioner.

The mental register of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole supplied the name Hon. Patrick Aguinede as the firstclass name among the Dictionary of names from the mental register of the Comrade Governor.

Hence, on the 8th of March, 2013, the name Hon Patrick Aguinede was announced as the Commissioner f Basic Education in Edo State.

Since he has been sworn in as the Basic E d u c a t i o n Commissioner in Edo State, precisely two months and six days now, he has rolled out numerous monumental achievements in Basic Education in the State.

Some of the achievements are as follow: Hon. Patrick Aguinede knows that there is something in a name.

The heads of the eighteen local government areas representing the Ministry of Basic Education were formerly called Zonal Inspectors of Education (ZIE). For this name looks some how inferior to the heads of Senior Secondary Schools, technical schools and Higher Education who are called Chief Inspectors of Education (CIE). He therefore changed the former name Zonal Inspector of Education (CIE) for Basic Education while the others arc now called Chief Inspector of Education (CIE) for Senior Secondary Schools, Techrcal Schools and Higher Education.

Secondly, he has been holding frequent meetings with Heads of Personnel Management (HPM) who eventually are the acting education secretaries of the eighteen Local Government Education Authorities in the State, and the principals of the Junior Secondary Schools in the State. This is done to know the

“As we all know Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole is a digital performing governor, in the same way he need, digital performing individuals in his cabinet. He (Comrade Adams Oshiomhole) sets his mental register into motion thinking about a digital performing individual to appoint as the Basic Education Commissioner.”

Hon. Patrick Aguinede, Commissioner for Basic Education

problems of their various areas of leadership and to proffer solutions to such problems in order to move the educational standard of the state to a progressive level.

Furthermore, as I said earlier in this write up, the Comrade Governor of Edo State delights in individuals that are performing in their various areas of leadership while he detest individuals who are performing short of their expectations. For the fact, that the education secretaries and the chief inspectors of education in the eighteen local government areas in the state when performing below average in their areas of leadership, the Comrade Governor sacked them from their offices about six months ago. It is he (Hon. Patrick Aguinede) that pleaded greatly on their behalf just like the way a lawyer would pleads for his client in the court of law. Hence, the Comrade Governor changed his decision for sacking them to now allow them to come back to their primary areas of assignment. Before this time — Prominent Royal Fathers in the state, Bishops, Rev. Fathers, Community Leaders, Politicians have ventured into pleading for them but to no avail. Hon. Patrick Aguinede is really a great man who is concerned to fight for the right of humanity.

Again, for the fact, that examination malpractice

is a contagious disease — which if not really dealt with would ruin the future lives of our young boys and girls and therefore render their future useless and Edo-State which is highly respected as the heart-beat of Nigeria. The basic education commissioner has closed the miracle centre in the state that always promotes examination malpractice. He is very ready to deal with any principal, teacher, supervisor, invigilator or any individual that is caught promoting or aiding and abetting examination malpractice in the state.

Considering the fact, that without vehicles that the Basic Ministry can not do its work effectively, he has embarked on repairing all the abandoned vehicles he met in the ministry. He is working laboriously with the Comrade Governor to see that more vehicles are purchased for the Directors, the Quality Assurance Officers and the Basic Education Chief Inspectors of Education to make the work in his ministry very effective and efficient.

In compendium with the analysis of all that is enumerated about the man Hon. Patrick Aguinede, one will agree without any element of doubt that he is a modernizer whose modernizing policy always bothers on huge success.

THE WEEKEND

9 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

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P litics

The Battle For 2015

AS the battle for the 2015 presidential elections begins, there has been lot of intrigues and controversies associated with it. As it draws, 2015 or the apocalypse as been described by a few, there is the need to know how the tussle began.

It all began in early January when posters of President Goodluck Jonathan flooded the streets of Abuja, as an evidence of his seeming interest in the 2015 election. But this was vehemently denied by President Jonathan through his special adviser on media and publicity, Ruben Abati that the president had nothing to do with the campaign posters.

Furthermore, it is now very obvious that the people’s Democratic Party, plans on adopting Goodluck Jonathan as it sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election.

Supporters of the president have relentlessly tried convincing stakeholders on the need for him to remain in office in 2015.

This has not gone down well with some northerners who believe that the north was robbed of its political right in 2011.

Most northerners thought that after the demise of their kinsman, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, power should have remained in the region.

After the tenure of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the north hoped that it would be its turn to govern the affairs of the country for the next 8years but this was a mirage. Jonathan

emerged as the president in accordance with the constitution after the demise of President Musa Yar’Adua.

As the clock tick tocks towards 2015, the presidential race is getting tougher among stakeholders.

Although, President Jonathan has not through words showed any interest about 2015, the north has opposed any plan by the PDP to choose him for its primaries. According to the Arewa Consultative Forum, the PDP does not have the ultimate say on who becomes president in 2015.

There has been issues bordering on whether elections will be held in the north as a result of the security issues in the north. It is against this backdrop that Governor Aliyu Babangida of Niger state who is also seeking to be made president stated that “to those toying with the idea of not conducting elections in the north because of the security challenges” that there will be no election in Nigeria if there is no election in the north.

The trouble between the president and governor Rotimi Amaechi, may not be far from the 2015 elections. While it seems Jonathan is desperate for a second term in office, Amaechi who has been a close friend and supporter, is campaigning for himself a bigger role at the federal level in 2015.

Additionally, there has been a clamour in the north for a Sule LamidoRotimi’s ticket against

By ODINUKAEZE NNENNA

• President Goodluck Jonathan

• Gov Rotimi Amaechi

2015 and posters to this effect has flooded Kaduna state. This may not have gone down well with the president. The possibility sounds not just appealing at the polls, but must have sent shivers to Jonathan’s camp and these must have brought about the recent attacks from the presidency on the man in charge of rivers state.

One special feature of the Lamido and Amaechi ticket is that, Lamido is a staunch loyalist of chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who has stated times without number that Jonathan must not be allowed beyond 2015.

Also, Rotimi is the Chairman of Governors’ Forum and he has been able to enlist the support of some governors in the forum. It is because of this, that President Jonathan agitated for the

Jonathan pardoned him because he needed him to persuade the Niger delta militant on the need to support him, as he, Alamieyeseigha has a very good standing relationship with the militants.

Tension is already building up across the country towards 2015.

Some prominent politicians and top Niger delta militants have already endorsed Goodluck Jonathan for 2015, threatening fire and brimstone for whoever would dare to stop him.

Something similar, happened in 2011 when Alhaji Kaita a founding member of PDP made a statement that if Jonathan emerges as president of the country, “the north is determined if that happens to make the country ungovernable for president Jonathan or any other southerner who finds his way to the seat of power on the platform of the PDP against the principles of the party’s zoning policy”.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Kaita spoke recently on the possibility of President Jonathan running in 2015. He stated that if the country should remain as one, the north will be

formation of the PDP’s governors forum which saw chief Goodswill Akpabio as its chairman.

The fire and brimstone melted down on the governor from Abuja suggests that the battle line has been drawn between these Ijaw men.

Recently, the private jet of Rotimi was grounded.

The question then arises, “does Amaechi not have the right to aspire to be president of the country?

President Goodluck should not use state machinery against governor Rotimi, but rather win him into his camp.

Facts have also emerged that the reason for the presidential pardon granted Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was as a result of Jonathan’s 2015 ambition.

It is very evident that

“With the northerners and Niger delta militants ready to do anything to take over and maintain power without considering the consequences it will have on the country, the drums of war are gradually beating hard.”

prepared. But if it does not, everyone should be prepared to go his way.

Also, the middle belt has made it clear that if the presidency should come to the north, it should be given to them. Thus betraying the seemingly “unity of the north”.

Furthermore, the Igbo are also clamouring to take over the presidency after General Aguiyi Ironsi in 1966. The president general of Ohaeneze Indigo, Ambassador Raph Uwechue has stated that a president of Igbo extraction in 2015 “is not a favour wanting to be granted but logically due and legitimate and political right justly accruing to it (Ndigbo) within the Nigerian family in a true federal character setting”.

With the northerners and Niger delta militants ready to do anything to take over and maintain power without considering the consequences it will have on the country, the drums of war are gradually beating hard. Nigerians should not sit and fold their arms and watch the prophecy by American diplomats about the possible breakup of Nigeria come true.

THE WEEKEND

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10 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

P litics Is Gov Orji Intending for Reconciliation With The Probe Of Kalu IT was Hubert H. Humphrey (American 38th US Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson (196569) and US Senator from Minnesota (1949-64, 197178). 1911-1978), who said that the essence of statesmanship is not a rigid adherence to the past, but a prudent and probing concern for the future.

But Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State does not want to focus for the future without the unremitting calls to Probe his predecessor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu. Perhaps, Gov. Orji wanted reconciliation with Kalu, without knowing how to go about it, hence the probe.

Nonetheless, information has it that Kalu has constantly responded that he has nothing to quiver for the affront called probe; he is

By ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE

fact that the Governor Orjiled Government of Abia State does not know what Due Process is and if it knew, it does not keep to such. Else, how could it not have properly invited Kalu for the probe, instead of addressing him like one loafer in the country? Although, what is the gobbledygook of a probe is this?

In his chase after Kalu inter alia, Orji had said that the probe was to look into the running of the state’s newspaper outfit while Kalu was in government; but in a statement by Kalu, he urged Orji to go collect his towel where he took his bath and stop distracting him, as his

Uzor Kalu, former Governor of Abia State newspaper outfit, Sun only concerned that Publishing Limited which Governor Orji has slighted operates in Aba, Lagos and him so much, beyond Abuja, was financed by parsimoniousness, by saying Guarantee Trust Bank Plc, that he should appear before and all the equipments it the Probe Panel, as if he is purchased had been fully Orji’s apprentice. paid.

Dr. Kalu’s infuriation was It is preposterous how Orji noticed after the newsflash has made governance to look on Nigeria Television like, without a direct Authority on May 15, 2013, approach to the rule of law, has it that Governor Orji, which Kalu is highly who set the panel, was committed to, and has asking him again to appear vowed that it would be a before it. It is therefore shame to all the people who imperative to say that the may be involved in the vulgarity in the statement on kangaroo probe if they fail the television by the to invite him in order to put government of Abia State his actions as Governor of has further exposed a known Abia State between 1999

and 2007 straight, and stop this government’s distractions of his activities, because he has a lot to do, if the government is less busy in the midst of plenty works to do in Abia State.

As Abia people knew, Kalu had noteworthy achievements during his tenor of which Gov. Orji cannot compete. If he is in doubt, we henceforth challenge him for a debate.

How come that since 2012, the major work that Gov. Orji has known to do, is the call to probe Kalu? This has gotten to an irritating stage.

Who does not want Kalu to speak about Abia State and her government again and who is afraid of Kalu?

We have to remind Orji that he should own up that he is not at peace with his conscience for all the perceived malevolence he has meted out against Kalu whom he once served his government as Chief of Staff, hence the makebelief probe. Abia people are very sure that Orji is heading to the gulag from where he became governor, if by peradventure Kalu is duly invited and he comes to open the Pandora’s Box containing unprintable things about Orji.

Last time, it was the irritant that the Abia State Government circulated that it wanted to probe Kalu, because according to it, “there has been a lot of anger, irritation and agitation within the Abia populace as a result of the unguarded false utterances being credited to a former governor of the state, Chief Oriji Uzor Kalu”.

Nonsense!

Arrant nonsense!! Which Abia

people were angry over Kalu? Was it Kalu who has been pelted severally in Abia State by the same populace or Governor Orji?

Of course, Governor Orji.

This is how Abia people have started to probe Governor Orji, while he is still taking Kalu as cover for his non-performance in the Government House, Umuahia, Abia State capital. What an off-beam news state!

Orji is inviting Kalu to help him address his ineffectiveness in governance.

The present government in Abia State is very funny – it has knack in diverting attention – in lieu of probing into why there are many ramshackle roads, infrastructure, dead commerce/industry, dead education. Which sector is alive in Abia State under

Governor Orji, Abia State How one wishes that Gov. Orji? Yet, Abia people traders from Aba will also be cannot see where the proper invited to the ground of the use of the monies due to probe and let us see who Abia, since 2007 till date of would be pelted, booed, Governor Orji, is channeled jeered again for his clueless, to. Are the monies where? visionless and clownish Because, many unbiased embarrassment of Abia people are yet to see governance, and because of any laudable thing that his misplacement of Governor Orji has done with aggression and misplacing the monies. governance with nastiness.

It is only in this present What is Orji going to probe government in Abia State Kalu for, when the present that many are regretting that government has been a they are cursed with nonpayer to virtually all the leadership, and they start to workers in the state? Maybe, equate Governor Orji with a

magician, because of his ability to deflect concentration from actuality.

It is only in this Orji government that such statement as “this administration is seriously seriousless” is being heard of.

Whether Governor Orji wants to probe Dr. Kalu or reconcile with him, Abia people of good will had already said that Kalu is by 85% better than Orji. The only information that Orji has kept flowing is how to probe Kalu, whereas Abia people had expected the government to flow information to the Federal Government that all the Federal and state projects in the state are in ruins, and instead of travelling to Europe and USA and Abuja that do not add meaning to the wellbeing of our impoverished people.

A bad worker is always quarrelling with his or her good or bad tool. Under Orji, political appointees have cried and cried and are now sacked, amongst others. By mentioning that he would probe Kalu, Orji has started the initiation of probe against himself, being Kalu’s Chief of Staff for 8 years. Why was Orji cooling his feet in detention for alleged financial crimes before 2007, whereas there has not been any case of such against Kalu?

In a state like Rivers State, where the successor had respect for his predecessor, what was constituted was a reconciliatory panel, which brought about the once elusive peace back to the state. Nevertheless, let us not keep out our minds to what Hubert H. Humphrey had said: The essence of statesmanship is not a rigid adherence to the past, but a prudent and probing concern for the future.

“As Abia people knew, Kalu had noteworthy achievements during his tenure of which Gov. Orji cannot compete. If he is in doubt, we henceforth challenge him for a debate”.

THE WEEKEND

11 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

i Shun Ethnic Bias, Embrace Unity, Culture Institute

V ewpoint

DR. Barclays Ayakoroma, the Director, National Institute of Cultural Orientation (NICO), has advised Nigerians to detach themselves from ethnic origins and embrace national unity.

Ayakoroma said this at a one day Media Arts Writers workshop organised by the institute at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the workshop was “Culture as a Panacea for Peaceful Coexistence in a Multi-ethnic Nation: The Role of Media”.

The director noted that Nigeria’s multi-ethnic and religious composition posed a serious challenge to national development.

“Rather than celebrate our unique cultural identities, emphasis are still placed on our ethnic and cultural differences.

“The present ethnic, political and religious intolerance in Nigeria can be addressed, if the media was encouraged to play a vital role in educating the citizenry.

“The immense benefits of embracing peaceful co-existence are very vital for the country, if all hands are on deck to make it work,” Ayakoroma urged the media to help promote and project the country’s rich cultural values of honesty, hard work, sanctity of human life, respect for elders and constituted authority.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Femi Osofisan, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, observed that Nigerian cultures were interwoven and should be harnessed.

Osofisan, who was the c hairman of the occasion, added that Nigerian culture was not archaic and urged the media to assist in promoting it.

Tasks Nigeria

“We should use what we have to develop our country through arts and culture.

“So, the media should report arts more than other vices, including Boko Haram and kidnapping,” he said.

Also speaking, Prof. Foluke Ogunleye, Dramatic Arts Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, said that cultural beliefs and values were about how “we communicate these values and ideas“.

She said that surroundings, family, friends, schools, offices and neighbourhood, among others, shaped individual identities to community level and the society.

“Mass media like radio, television and newspapers have political and persuasive power over everything and can manipulate the whole society; but they should endeavour to project the arts and culture of the country.

“The media have interacted and mixed with pre-existing cultures, forms and values, especially in the development of the country, “ she said.

Ogunleye expressed regret that political propaganda had taken over the media to the detriment of arts and culture, which could be used to develop the society.

In his remark, the Associate Editor, The Sun Newspapers, Mr Alvan Ewuzie, said that the dynamic nature of culture encouraged cross-breeding, such that it had made certain parts of the country to evolve in other parts.

“A ready example is ‘Aso Ebi‘ which is largely a culture of the Yorubas of the South West Nigeria.

“Today, this culture has evolved in many parts of the country, especially in the South East, where it bears the same name.

“Such cultural cross-breeding should be consciously highlighted and encouraged by the media, “ Ewuzie said.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Money: Good Servant, Bad Master

By UTI ANIEKAN UDOH

MONEY is a pivot around which the whole world revolves. It is an indispensable tool that no one can live without. All over the world today, people require money to get the basic necessities of life. Money gets people foods, clothes, accommodation, cars, and many other good things in life. The subject of money has fascinated man from the time of Aristotle to this present day. One may be forced to ask, what is the difference between the paper labeled 100 naira or 100 dollar from the piece of the same size torn from a magazine or a newspaper? The answer is, money is a legal tender, it is what the law says it is, giving it the power to command buying and selling, and also the discharge of debts.

Money is a basic necessity in a modern society. It is one thing that every living person desires to have. Money can be described as something which is freely used and generally

accepted as a medium of exchange and as a unit of account. According to Ayn Rand, a cult author and controversial propounder of objectivist philosophy, “money is a tool of exchange which can’t exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value”.

She went further to say that “money is the source of survival”.

There have been various opinions about the status of money. Many people have the notion that money corrupts, that having large amount of money will surely intoxicate a person.

Ram Piparaiya, the Chairman of Aridhi Hitech Industries, Mumbai disagrees with this notion.

According to him, “money does not corrupt. It depends on the user.

Corrupt people become more corrupt with it”. The fact is that, it is those who get money on a platter that

are easily corrupted by it.

Money has dual nature; there is a dark side, and a good side. Money can be a servant or a master. So

chapter of the Bible is saying is that, when you become too obsessed about money, you make money your god, and this

happiness. A person who sees money as only a means to satisfy needs will be relaxed and more benevolent than

we should use money, but not believe in it. Jonathan Swift wrote that, “A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart”. There is a popular Bible quotation that says, “The love of money is the root of all evil”. This Biblical quote has led to a misconception about money; many people misinterpret this chapter of the Bible. But what this

leads to all things evil.

Pradhyot Somaiya, Management Accountant with Davnet Telecommunications in Sidney, said that “your attitude towards money has a significant reflection on your attitude to life.

Some people see money as a means to an end, some as a tool to wield power, some as an end in itself, thinking it will bring them

one who craves money for providing selfworth, security or power”.

Though money may get you everything that can make you happy, you should never make it assume the role of a master. As Francis Baron puts it, “if money be not thy servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so

properly be said to possess wealth, as that may be said to possess him”. Many people may use the statement, “money is everything”. Yes, money makes the world go round, but money is not everything. When we make which are statement, we make money a god. Since money cannot buy these three things such as ‘the breath of life’, ‘love’, and ‘salvation’, it is definitely not everything.

Money should not be your purpose in life, but a way to have a better life, and have control over your life.

The point is that money is very important in life.

Whatever we feel about money, people with money, or the pursuit of money, we will all agree that money is necessary, because having money buys you a comfortable life. Though money is important, we should know that, “we make money while we live, and not live to make money”. The founder of General Motors and Chevrolet, Williams Crapo Durant stated that, “Money is only loaned to a man. He comes into the world with nothing, and leaves with nothing”. Let us remember that, money can be a very good servant, and a really bad master. It can buy you a clock, but not time.

THE WEEKEND

o Checking Insecurity Via Youth Empowerment

12 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

S ciety

By FRANCIS ONYEUKWU PARTICIPANTS of the Abia Youth Empowerment Summit (A-YES), which was recently held in Umuahia, underscored the need for government to give priority to youth

country. “ Unemployment rose from 15 per cent in the period between 2002 and 2008, to over 20 per cent in the period between 2009 and 2011,’’ he said.

the NUJ’s national executive council meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

“While that was being sorted out, 15 innocent school children were

model in their efforts to tackle the menace of unemployment and insecurity.

“The integrated approach of empowering the youths

on my side, I now have a foundation to make progress as a man,’’ Ibe said.

Other speakers at the summit commended the state government for

operators, as well as others who had benefitted from the government’s empowerment programme, not to sell their means of livelihood.

Two hundred vehicles and 700 tricycles were given out to beneficiaries of the programme.

Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, who chaired the summit, commended the governor for embarking on youth empowerment programmes.

He stressed that the youth empowerment programmes would facilitate the growth of the state’s economy and the national economy.

“By focusing on youth empowerment, the governor has planted a veritable seed to cure many social malaise and address the economic needs of the state; posterity will always remember that as part of his legacies,’’ Wabara

kidnapped in September, 2010,’’ he noted.

Chief Sam Onuigbo, the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, said that apart from giving support to individual beneficiaries, the youth

in areas of agriculture, transportation, commerce and skills’ acquisition was a veritable means of addressing unemployment, which is now breeding insecurity across Nigeria,’’ he said.

introducing the youth empowerment programme, reiterating that it would boost employment and check the rising crime rate in the state.

They, however, urged the government to sustain the

said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Hyacinth Okoli, the NUJ Chairman in Abia, commended Orji for initiating the youth empowerment programme, adding that it had helped to reduce kidnapping and other crimes in the state.

He noted that kidnapping was so rampant in the state a couple of years ago.

“On July 10, 2010, four journalists and their driver were kidnapped while returning to their destinations after attending

empowerment programme would also boost the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GPD).

“The beneficiaries of the empowerment programme, apart from making money to take care of themselves; will equally pay tax and other levies, which will boost the government’s Internally Generated Revenue,’’ he said.

Onuigbo said that the overall gains of the youth empowerment were enormous, urging other states to emulate the Abia

Messrs Uzoma Ibe and Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, both beneficiaries of the youth empowerment programme, commended the governor for initiating the empowerment scheme.

“Since my graduation from the Abia State University eight years ago, I have been without a job. I found it extremely difficult to cope without any means of livelihood.

“With this vehicle I received as an empowerment tool, I feel revived morally and economically. With God

programme to enable more youths to benefit.

Observers also commend the government for introducing the programme but they urge the beneficiaries to ensure the fulfilment of the programme.

They also advise those who were given taxis and tricycles to handle their vehicles with care, while refraining from having the erroneous notion that the government’s gesture is their own share of the national cake.

“The integrated approach of empowering the youths in areas of agriculture, transportation, commerce and skills’ acquisition was a veritable means of addressing unemployment, which is now breeding insecurity across Nigeria’’

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State empowerment programmes.

They attributed the high crime rate in the country to unemployment, adding that youth empowerment was the panacea to the rising wave of insecurity.

The CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who delivered a lecture at the summit, said that active participation of youths in economic activities would facilitate the reduction of crime in the country.

In his lecture titled, “Youth Empowerment as Panacea for Insecurity in Nigeria’’, Sanusi said that governments at all levels were not investing adequately in youth empowerment programmes.

He said that this had resulted in breeding an army of youths that were engaged in unprofitable activities.

“The aggregate of individual insecurity, which can be either financial, job, marital, economic, and psychological or a sum of them, translate into overall insecurity in the society when they are not adequately addressed,’’ he said.

The CBN governor also bemoaned the increasing rate of unemployment in the

Also speaking, Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia said that the introduction of the youth empowerment programme by his administration was a direct response to the confessional statements made by some repentant kidnappers who terrorised Abia residents between 2009 and 2010.

“Conscious of the positive and negative roles which youths play in the society, it is imperative for the youth to be integrated in the politics, development, security and total emancipation of the nation,’’ he said.

Orji said that the N1 billion agricultural loan given by the CBN to farmers was disbursed in such a way that it particularly favoured youths participating in agricultural activities.

He said that the state government had commenced the development of its “Liberation Farms’’ across the state’s 17 local government areas, adding that the farms would provide employment opportunities for young farmers and entrepreneurs.

Orji, however, advised commercial township taxi and commercial tricycle

THE WEEKEND

13 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

o

S ciety ‘‘AN excellent wife who can find, she is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar’’.

Virtuousness is a conduct that conforms

diligent. She might not be the best and most well dressed woman but her inner beauty speaks louder than talking drums. The scent of a virtuous woman is uncommon and it lasts longer than a body perfume because she leaves a mark on the heart of everyone around her.

Like the mother hen

to an accepted standard of right and wrong. To be virtuous means having or showing high moral standards…. Many women have fallen from this set standards, few are struggling to hold on, while only very few are holding on tightly. Those that have fallen are of the opinion that those holding on tightly are naïve and primitive; but they are not.

The virtuous woman is that woman that cannot be found anyhow and anywhere.

She might not be the very educated and may not be fluent in speaking English, but she is confident and

spreads her wings to chase enemies from hurting her chick and as she also uses her wings to cover her chick to provide warmth in cold season, so is the attitude of a virtuous woman. She never forsake her family, she protects and stands for her household. This quality cannot be found in most women today who will immediately pack their bags and abandon their husbands and children over a slight misunderstanding (which can be settled).

The virtuous woman is not that woman who expects so much from

The Virtuous Woman

By EGHWRUDJE PRAISE

her husband and offers little or nothing to help. According to the above quotation, ‘the heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.’ This means she adds value to the man.

When he gives her, she is expected to

good means is what makes her virtuous. To be a governor ’s or president’s wife does not make you virtuous because you can occupy such positions and lack the qualities of a virtuous woman.

A lot of women sell their bodies to get money for their lustful

double it, that is, to bring gain. Some women are like a curse upon their husbands, instead of using the little they have being given, they rather waste it, not to talk of bringing in profit. A virtuous woman does not demand so much and give little or less in return.

Wearing expensive cloths, earrings, perfume and driving the latest and most expensive car is not what makes a woman virtuous, rather it’s her attitude and works that makes her virtuous.

The willingness to produce good result with her hands and via

desires and try to hide it under the shadows of providing for their families but that act alone has cut them off from being virtuous.

The good book says ‘‘a wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.’’ How much can that man who you sell your body to can give.

The question is can he afford rubies (precious stone), and even if he can, your worth is more than ruby.

The virtuous

woman, according to the quotation above, she selects wool and flax and work with eager hands (willing hands). She can trade things for profit; some women go to the extent of hawking things in order to support their family. She does not sit at home doing nothing but peddling gossips about people. She urges her husband to set up business for her even if he is insisting for her not to work. A virtuous woman makes food, cloths, drink; readily available with the little she has been given. She covers the nakedness of her husband and children from the public. I have seen situations, where the woman is always the one disgracing her family….where then is that inner beauty?

The strength of a virtuous woman cannot be measured. Proverb 31:15 says, she gets up while it is dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girl. A virtuous woman does not have servants who she wants to maltreat but servants that will support her because their house-chore and business is too much for her alone to handle.

Many women today have lost sight of what true beauty is. There seems to be an unspoken rule that women are not worth being seen in the public unless they are dressed to the gills, with over done makeup and flashy clothing.

The beauty of a woman is not only to be found in their fancy hair style, expensive clothing, or excessive jewellery,

rather, their beauty should be seen in their ‘‘hidden person’’ (or the person they are on their inside). It should also be noted that if the beauty is only skin deep, there is no real lasting beauty to be found.

When a woman grows older, the evidence of her age will begin to appear. This is the natural process, a result of the fall of mankind. But it’s her wisdom that will continue to make her attractive long after the physical beauty fades.

The following are the qualities of the virtuous woman: She is prudent She has self confidence She is a good steward She is generous (to her household and outsiders) She is honest, humble, kind, loyal, obedient, patient and forgiving.

She has the virtue of discretion She believes in her home She has self control She is faithful to her husband and family The truth is, there is nothing wrong with a woman doing things to keep her looking beautiful and well groomed. Tying her head and ears every day, making herself look unkempt does not make her virtuous. But whatever she does is to be done in moderation so that her focus does not become imbalance.

It is therefore advisable for women to groom their inner person and this can be achieved by reading books, attending good programs, mingle with women with the qualities above.

“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of grain.”

THE WEEKEND

14 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

oStrenghtening Love Among Families

S ciety

THE pivotal roles of families in promoting purposeful living and better society, perhaps, inform the United Nation’s decision to declare May 15 as the International Day of Families.

The aim of the UN action is to raise global awareness on the challenges facing families, while providing policy guidance on how to strengthen family-centred components of policies and programmes, as part of a comprehensive development approach.

Therefore, the UN says that day provides an opportunity to promote public awareness of issues relating to families, while increasing knowledge of the socio-economic and demographic processes affecting families.

Stressing the importance of the day, UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon says, in his message on this year’s celebration, that “families hold societies together and intergenerational relationships extend this legacy over time.

This year’s International Day of Families is an occasion to celebrate connections among all members of the constellation that makes up a family.

“It is also an opportunity to reflect on how they are affected by social and economic trends – and what we can do to strengthen families in response.’’

The UN insists that it is imperative to foreground issues relating to family connections because changes on the global economic landscape and its effects on the most vulnerable members of the society – the children — have been largely overlooked.

It, therefore, says that the International Day of Families is certainly an occasion to attract global attention for the children’s plight.

Besides, the UN stresses that those working with more than two million of the world’s most vulnerable children and their families have provided a unique insight

into the issues affecting families.

Supporting the idea that a good family is one that is nurtured under the atmosphere of love and care, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) observes that children in their tender years treasure their families and feel that they are special and irreplaceable.

“Families provide children with a sense of belonging and a unique identity; they are, or should be, a source of emotional

support and comfort, warmth and nurturing, protection and security,’’ the academy says.

Stakeholders are also of the opinion that the family is the basis for all other existing units in the society.

Mr Eghosa Erhumwunse, the National Director of the SOS Children’s Villages, Abuja, says that childhood plays a critical role in adulthood.

“The quality of one’s childhood could either be a plus or hindrance in life; adult life reveals the nature of one’s childhood.

“The quality of our

For Better Society childhood is what set the stage for our future development, loss and hurt or love and respect.

“We all know that childhood is a decisive stage but many children are still ignored, manipulated, abused and abandoned,’’ he says.

Erhumwunse underscores the need for Nigeria to address the

conveys is the most extraordinary experience a child or an adult can have.

“A family picnic, doing crafts together, cuddling up to your parents on the sofa; these and many other small day-to-day family moments mean a lot more than spending time together regularly.

“They make sure that children flourish and form

something wrong.

“I have learnt to talk to my children; in the past, I beat them when they did not do their chores. I now talk to them; I am now aware of the benefits of the new approach, as I have started seeing the impact,’’ she notes.

Speaking on factors hindering the evolution of good family ties, Mr Charles Adebayo, a businessman, believes that a lot of challenges are

plight of orphans and other vulnerable children, while stressing the importance of promoting healthy family units.

However, Mrs Ijeoma Aduba, a housewife, says that the International Day of Families presents an occasion for members of families to reflect on their joint and individual responsibilities within the families.

“Every child deserves to have a family where he or she belongs, feels loved and secure; the value of an intact family is infinite and the emotional security it

strong relationships which help them to cope even with difficult living conditions, while engendering a better society,’’ Aduba says.

But what are the lessons which the society has learnt from the past editions of the day’s celebration?

Mrs Monica Adeoye, a civil servant, says that she has been able to jettison the habit of beating her children impulsively; adding that she now shows love and care to them even when they have done

causing the breakdown of family values in the country.

He says that for instance, poor living conditions and the struggle for economic survival have created undue pressure and despair for several family heads.

“Breadwinners often worry about their ability to pay bills, the search for better income and the chances of losing a job; all these create social pressure which threatens the unity of most families,’’

By TOSIN KOLADE

“Families provide children with a sense of belonging and a unique identity; they are, or should be, a source of emotional support and comfort, warmth and nurturing, protection and security.’’

he adds.

However, Ms Ene Ujah, a psychologist, argues that some of these challenges could be tackled through proper guidance and counselling, insisting that investing in the lives of one’s children is necessary in efforts to ensure their survival later in life.

She observes that the children in strong family units usually stand a better chance of doing well in the society.

“The psychological cost of poverty is humiliation, despair and a sense of shame and failure; this particularly contributes to feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness.

“Such feelings, in turn, increase the people’s vulnerability and undermine their belief in their ability to be good parents,’’ he says.

A human rights lawyer, Mr Yemi Ajayi, nonetheless, has a different viewpoint on how to tackle some challenges militating against the nurturing of a good family.

He stresses that government at all levels has a legal duty to support families with good housing, good sanitation, food security, good health care delivery and education.

Ajayi, however, agrees that issues such as pitiable living conditions and the struggle for economic survival often provoke feelings of despair in people.

Nevertheless, Malam Musa Abdallah, a Muslim cleric, insists that a family’s socio-economic empowerment is quite essential for the family’s survival.

He, however, underscores the need for family heads to adopt the virtues of hard work and diligence in efforts to take care of their families.

“Every man knows it takes a lot of hard work to keep the family going as an effective, adaptive and functional unit.

“In the Qu’ran, it is stated that a man should do whatever he can, within the legal limits, to meet all the needs of his family’’.

All the same, experts believe that the lot of families could be improved via the provision of a variety of support such as vocational training for men and women as well as job opportunities.

They, however, urge the government to adopt a holistic approach in its education, health, nutrition and economic policies so as to promote the wellbeing of Nigerian families, in line with the salient objectives of the International Day of Families.

THE WEEKEND

15 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

e

W ekend Discourse

Latent Causes Of Social Unrest In Nigeria

NIGERIA is a heterogeneous society made up of politically and ethnically exaggerated census projected figure of l6Omillion with a vast army of women, children and youths conveniently occupying the highest percentage of the population- old news.

This country with its growing statistical figure which is not prepared to decline in another decade or so, has been of recent so submerged in crisis and chaos that so many assertions has been made such as ‘Nigeria is a failed state’, ‘Nigeria is passing through a phase and will come out of it’, ‘2015 will decide whether Nigeria will remain as an entity or not’, ‘Nigeria is just a hundred years old compared to Egypt’, ‘Let us pray for Nigeria’ e.t.c. it seems that the government of the day has become either confused, in a kind of

dilemma or has given up in exasperation and so is now calling for prayers for the nation. One wonders the number of the developed societies [especially those that are free thinkers, atheist and other divers sort of religion], that came out of the woods and became giants today through religiosity.

However, with the recent massive deployment of troops to the three northern states that is currently under state of emergency rule now, I feel relieved that Mr. President did not buy the prayers as an alternative. But come to think of it, I think there is s o m e t h i n g

By OBODE ABRAHAM INOSEZILO

• President Goodluck Jonathan

• Aminu Tambuwal

fundamentally wrong with Nigeria and Nigerians.

Not too long ago, Nigeria though known to occupy a ‘prestigious’ level of one of the most corrupt countries in the world, ‘won the award’ of being the happiest and the most religious country on planet earth.

For crying out loud, this is a country where there are churches and mosques in every nook and crannies of a state; a country where most

offices in the north and parts of the south, are either scanty or close as from 12noon on Fridays; a country where the ever busy streets, are free and quiet on Sundays because most of the population are in their various churches. Time will not allow me to highlight the piousness that greet and go with the religious festivals and the holidays declared by government to enable faithful to celebrate and come

together.

But the reality on ground is very different.

For as some Muslim clerics try so hard to pitch their faithful against Christians [unbelievers], thereby fawning the seed of hatred and discord; the majority of the so called Christians that habour idols and all sorts of evil under their beds, just come back to work on Monday morning after being fired up by their pastors or whatsoever name/title the spiritual leader has coined for himself that ‘they are the head and not the tail’, that ‘the riches of the Gentiles is theirs’, that ‘this year God will restore the years the locust has eating from you’ and they come back to work all charged up busy sniffing around the place for ways and avenues to defraud their employers with prayers and fasting [still believing it is God’s will], in other to ‘claim the promises postulated by the spiritual leaders’. It is an amusement to see even the very low ranked in offices and the high ranked that has so planned their lives badly and are presently in deep shambles and miserable state all laying claims to the ‘promises of being the head and

not the tail’, ‘claiming to have breakthrough in phases’, ‘burning and killing their enemies with fire’, ‘covering their house and business with the blood of Jesus’ as if it were a blanket. It becomes more fun to see these same people passing from one year to another still remaining in their helpless state though the churches keep changing every new year’s slogan- ‘my year of victory’, ‘I will take what belongs to me this year’, ‘my year of divine break through’ ‘my year of favour’, e.t.c. setup certain goals and so institutionalizes them that it has becomes a crime and a “sin” if the average Nigerian cannot attain the set out goals.

Due to the absolute significance attached to the attainment of these societal goals, immerse efforts, importance and urgency has been placed in attaining these goals, hence , men, women, youths and even children are in a mad rush to attain the goals with no rules attached along the path of goals attainment.

The importance attached to attaining these defined societal goals, has greatly affected Nigeria and Nigerians and the psychic of the average Nigerian man/woman when analyze, is pathetic as it does not translate into the basic tenets of the Bible, Quran or any other religious book. The average Nigerian man do not believe in the

Continues on Pgs 16 & 17

THE WEEKEND

16 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

e

e

W ekend Discourse

W

Causes Of Social Un Continued from Pg 15

English proverbs which says- ‘as you lay your bed so you lie on it’, ‘if you fail to plan you have planned to fail’. Destiny is the driving force here and those that though have planned to fail [due to their pattern of living] and eventually fail, rationalize or blame witches and wizards for their failures. It has become almost impossible for most Nigerians to take responsibility of their actions without fawning the embers of religion, ethnicity, or other devised sentiments that would help him/her escape blame. For instance, the Nigerian man loves to drive the best car, organize the best marriage, burial, have a sort of house that has never been built before, be the latest in fashion and have the latest cell phones, club the way you like and have as many children and wives/husbands as the case may be without due recourse to his level, social strata and financial capability.

Even among the pastors or whatever name they chose, it is a mad rush and competition among themselves for exotic cars, fashion, glorious, befitting and elaborately built posh churches and of recent, the boys are now being sieved from the men as the fashion for private jets have taken the central stage.

The question we should be asking is who are the people donating and giving the pastors these monies? Are they not Nigerians? Where do they work? How much do they earn? The ‘men of God’ as they prefer to be called in other to wipe up some level of religiousness, are very good at psychologically pushing the citizens to a state/ euphoria of affluence without recourse to the social strata these persons occupy in the society.

This is why some of the employees of the banks will go out of their way to buy the almighty Camry, or SUVs of all sorts and rent posh houses ranging from N350,000.OON450,000.OO, living extravagant lives but immediately they are sacked, they fall like a collapsing building.

What about some of the employees of the Edo Youth Empowerment Scheme [Edo Yes], that for example find it very difficult to come to work or stay in their duty post but they have two or more black berry phones or Galaxy Samsung, rent a mini flat, dress to kill to work and boast that he/she does not rely on the salary, all in attempt to just show off to his/her colleagues. As for many of the Civil Servants especially the older folks, that heavily rely on the rituals and routines of the Civil

Service work and oppose or resist any new ideas or initiatives to drive the work force to a redefined socioeconomic standard, they just idle away, amass their house with wives, children and sniff around government loopholes to siphon monies to be able to meet up with the expenses they have

and playing a fast one.

Time will not allow me to also enumerate the waste of resources we see being foolishly spent and sprayed during occasions by Nigerians just because they want to fulfill the goals and expectation of the societal psychic.

Unfortunately, the churches are worse off

message’ but coated with a rebranding style of fire, wicked prayers, anointing services, what have you. So from the sign post or bill boards advertising the Pastor and wife, sorry Papa and Mama, Daddy and Mummy, Reverend, Dr, Prophet, Apostle, Arch Bishop [or whatsoever name they decide to coin

more’.

In the early 80s through the 90s when Nigeria began its downward decent, security agencies, religious, political and traditional groups were too busy and awash with diverse new means of acquiring their primitive wealth hence none of them could detect or

incurred for themselves.

When there are no avenues to ‘eat’ government monies, they turn around and blame the government of the day or relations for their self inflected misfortunes. What about many of those in the business world such as the contractors, dealers, artisans or shop owners that build their foundations on cheat

as it has become a business centre and currently serving as an alternative for the unemployed in the society. As divers of them enter the terrain, the clever ones package themselves in a unique style different from those already in the trade and harp on loopholes in the lives of the unsuspecting members just like the politicians and present the same ‘gospel

for themselves], to the hall/auditorium being used as the worship centre, the shrewd ones have done a very good packaging and just wait for the public to come in and pay their titles and offerings after what is being seen as a systematically packaged praise worship, severely laden with emotions, stage managed but heart rending testimonies, a vibrant/ colourful choir presentations, an energetic display but electrifying sermon, followed by a tithe/ offering dance with an open display of fashion, latest dance steps and wealth; the worship is then psychologically geared and channeled towards pushing the members further to ‘sow more so as to reap

predict that one day, Nigeria would come to the point where a handful of people that have acquired modern techniques of warfare would hold the state to ransom with their demands and make security challenges a nightmare for the government of the day.

While in the south, armed men have helped to redefined night burials, night travels and security consciousness, as early as the 90s, the government and Nigerians were still unable or refused to investigate, explore and project what and how the future would look like.

Today we are where we are now and I wholeheartedly agree with those that always say to both local and

“Unfortunately, the churches are worse off as it has become a business centre and currently serving as an alternative for the unemployed in the society.”

i k a o t c i s i s w s i g d h a s n w p n m p g t u h t t k G p a a t r s k f H t m w c n m q s g o

f w c i

THE WEEKEND

17 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

ekend Discourse

rest In Nigeria

nternational media that idnapping, terrorism nd militancy is not part f our culture but come o think of it, which ountry of the world has t as its culture? It all tarted as an emerging dea and philosophy in ome countries of the orld when the issues at take where treated as rrelevant and it radually became a ominant practice that as now spread abroad nd come to stay. I trongly believe that by ow, some evil genius ould have in their ipeline or be devising a ew and more deadly ethodology to ersuade people and overnment of the world o accept their terms. Let s not be quick to forget ow a sitting President in his country supervised he Nigerian police in the idnapping of a sitting overnor opposed to his rinciples and way of his dministration. The ttempted bombing of he American plane by a ich Nigerian youth ome time ago, the idnappings that spread rom Warri and Port arcourt to other parts of he country and the odernize militancy hich began in the two ities above which has ow spread to the north, akes it appropriate to uestion the way that the ociety is structured, overned and rganized.

If we want to be very air with ourselves, we ill note that the ountries where we mported this social

unrest of kidnapping, militancy and terrorism are places where the aggrieved citizens or groups are questioning the system of governance. Probably when dialogue failed to solve the issues agitated for, the people then turned the other way. But what makes the whole process unfortunate is that the Nigerian government and its security agencies see the events happening in these countries but do not or cannot make plans for exigencies even though they are not ignorant of the fact that Nigeria and Nigerians are good importers of anything new; so when the ideology finally finds its way into the country, the government initially rationalizes before it acts.

Though I appreciate the fact that most of these groups are acting out Karl Marx’s scripts which states that ‘the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.

The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES UNITE’ [Feuer 1959:7, 41], I think they are taking it to a higher level that Karl Marx never imagined.

We must therefore seek appropriate means and techniques of being able to predict, detect, understand the root cause of issues to enable us resolve the

crisis before it escalate into an anomic situation.

It becomes very difficult and worrisome however when the ruling class always wants you to see

in mind that the leaders [whether democratic or not] of some unstable countries of the world today such as Somalia,

the average Nigerian youths can access information, watch emerging and evolving new trends globally, access their remote causes and interpret them, analyze actions of governments and the groups it is in conflict with, understand their various weakness and mistakes and develop new and more deadly high tech and sophisticated methodology of improving on their collective weakness and mistakes. This fact is what the government and security agencies of the developed societies have come to appreciate and hence plan ahead with groups, corporate and private security agencies as well as

the issues the way they present and dictate them and also want the issues resolve along their terms. We need to bear

Iraqi and the current one now Syria, wanted its citizens to see the issues from their own perspectives and today they are where they ared i s j o i n t e d psychologically and socio economically.

It is heart rending to note that the Nigerian government, its security agencies and public has failed to realize that with the advent of the latest cutting edge technology,

youths recruited so as to tap the minds of the ever busy, resourceful, innovative, and ingenuity of the youths rather than rely on the obsolete and rusty advise and mentality of the older security and government operatives.

I honestly do not understand why recent events in the country has taken people by surprise and what Nigerians were expecting when the

• Senator David Mark

“If we want to be very fair with ourselves, we will note that the countries where we imported this social unrest of kidnapping, militancy and terrorism are places where the aggrieved citizens or groups are questioning the system of governance.”

Nigerian government of the day and politicians have being busy doing nothing to improve the socioeconomic standard of the country, enjoying the abuse of judicial and electoral process, setting up committees and releasing white paper reports that have never been implemented, refusing to prosecute those responsible for the killings in the Kano, Kaduna and Jos incidents, covering up assassinations, killings, massive and continuous mind bogglingly corruption on an unprecedented scale, practicing mediocrity, paying lip service to e x a m i n a t i o n malpractices, insisting on paper qualification irrespective of the deficiency of the individual(s), nepotism, tribalism e.t.c.. We are where we are today because we deserve to be here. We put ourselves here because

we have worked and planned hard to be here.

So why are we surprise?

The gradual build up and arrival of the multidimensional problems collectively facing us and threatening our existence today, and the surprises on the face of the security agencies would lead us to question our security intelligence gathering and preparedness.

Continues on Pg 18

THE WEEKEND

18 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

e

W ekend Discourse

Causes Of Social Unrest In Nigeria Continued from Pg 17

Though so much was said when the former National Security Adviser [NSA], to the President publicly expressed the country’s security shock and surprise at the new wave of terrorism and militancy, Nigerians are yet to come abreast to the fact that the tight corner the politicians have boxed us into due to their leaders) 2(P failures is just the beginning of the Nigerian woes. This should bring the nation to the fore that the way we live as Nigerians as have being highlighted above, is hazardous, life threaten and demands a re-definition of our attitudes and way of life as these are what constitutes our multidimensional problems.

But unfortunately, we are not in a hurry to sort out our problems, as issues that are potentially volatile are customarily rationalized, politicize or spiritualized, that is why any structure on ground targeted at rehabilitation and disaster preparedness does not w o r k .

However, there are other considerations that the government and Nigerians are yet to consider. If the military is successful in their crusade over the latest insurgent group-Boko Haram, would the members of the group just give up their perceived struggles and beliefs? Will the group wait for the military to apprehended them if they see their strong holds are being quashed like toys, remember our military has problems with the rules of engagement. Will the group move into the neighbouring countries to regroup at a later date and come back more fierce and deadly? Will Boko Haram resort to the dreaded Iraqi and Afghanistan reprisal

attack on the general population; or will they somehow push down south and come to foment trouble for us here. I hope the government and the security agencies are considering these options and doing something about it.

The implications of a reprisal attack from this group if the security agencies do not manage the situation properly would be better imagined than said. For instance, if they move

currently involved in.

The Nigerian government and its citizens must come to realize the fact that the time for ‘eating’ government money and expecting your love ones to bring government money to your family house is old school. The time for rationalization and trivializing of issues and problems is past. The time for putting idiots and goats in positions of authority that by their foolish actions and

judge them well. Now is the time to seek a good name, hunt, track and crack down any lazy, indolent, ghost worker, student, contractor and thieves from the cleaner to the President under any guise name of corruption and ensure they pay the ultimate penalty for their satanic acts. Now is the time to make Nigerians value every single kobo that come to them by tightening every loose end of government resources, minimize

re-define the goals of the s o c i e t y .

However, I am very much aware that the government and people are not just yet ready for this re-definition of the Nigerian values, so I can as well paint the picture of other latent problems patiently but reluctantly waiting in turns to overwhelm us. The first is the problems the Edo community youths are quietly creating through the sales of both government and peoples’ lands to the

down south for reprisal attacks, possible targets in Benin would be the Palm house, Secretariat building, New Benin, Ekiosa and Ikpoba Hill Market days amongst other densely populated place that would make a huge statement for them. I will leave you to imagine the psychological impact and fear that will grip us here. I am terribly sorry if this jots anyone as I am not a prophet of doom, but am just doing an analysis. I think though the government appears justified by the present line of actions, it should be more involved in preventive rather than the curative mood it is

decisions create havoc on the citizens is long gone. The time for the manipulation of the media to sharpen public opinion is dead and an obsolete tactics. Now is the time for people and government to rise up and shine for posterity to

wastage, making them pay taxes and for the services rendered by government agencies.

When this is done, sanity and rapid development will return to Nigeria, business centre churches will naturally fold up and Nigerians will

unsuspecting public and these has made them instant millions in SUVs. Though many of them cannot even spell their names, they are already warlords in their various communities and control their ‘territories’ under the nose of government

and the security agencies that come in once a while to collect.

The second is the army of illiterate children and youths being breed by broken families and homes. The men and women that engage in promiscuity and whatever arrangement they have for themselves are gradually filling up the population space with potential foot soldiers that can be manipulated later on in their live time.

There are also those Nigerians that are being repatriated and come back stranded.

Then we have the functional illiteratesthose that claim to have passed through a school system but cannot even write an application letter. These are the worse set of people to deal with as they would always claim to know but muddle things up and create or compound the problems. These are the upcoming generations that are already finding their way into the Civil Service, business world, as contractors, politics, and banks! corporate organization.( These educated but functional illiterates that lack the ability to apply the A basic principles of their disciplines and lack the ability of critical analysis of issues, are the ones that would soon be making policies for the nation, taking decisions that will affect you and I, as well as represent us in local and international forum. Hey, Nigeria is just warming up!

“The Nigerian government and its citizens must come to realize the fact that the time for ‘eating’ government money and expecting your love ones to bring government money to your family house is old school.”

THE WEEKEND

19 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

s

I sues

Managing Natural Disasters Through Space Technology

BY most accounts, mitigation is the most cost-efficient method of reducing the impact of natural disasters.

Experts insist that if Nigeria has properly utilised its space resources, the impact of the natural disasters that ravaged the country last year would have been significantly reduced.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes and cyclones often occur unexpectedly.

However, the 2012 flooding in Nigeria, which wrecked considerable havoc across the country, was predicted by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

According to a NEMA report, 7,705, 398 persons were affected by the floods, while 2,157, 419 persons were displaced from their homes.

“A total of 363 persons died, while 18, 282 people were treated for injuries they sustained during the flooding,” the report stated.

Alhaji Muhammad Sidi, the DirectorGeneral of NEMA, however, said that for disasters to be managed effectively, emphasis must be placed on adequate preparations.

He also said that emergency management was a continuous process, stressing that mitigation remained the best option to reduce the impact of disasters.

“Mitigation is the most cost-efficient method of reducing the impact of natural hazards and disasters,” he said.

Sidi suggested that that the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) should

always be ready to make available images covering the whole country at no cost to facilitate disaster prediction and management.

Prof. Victor Olunloyo of the University of Lagos said that NASRDA

and obtaining images as required input into the disaster management system.

“Also, the choice of

Nigerians to adopt space science and technology as a tool for boosting defence and security, as well as socio-economic development.

should play a vital role in providing accurate geospatial data (geographical analysis) on Nigeria.

He underscored the need for collaboration between the space agency and disaster management agencies, particularly in the areas of earth observation and monitoring, as well as data acquisition.

“This will require that the database, which is maintained by NASRDA on geospatial data for the country, must be comprehensive and up to date.

“For this, the fleet of satellites owned and managed by the space agency should provide a platform for monitoring

NASRDA as the repository of all geospatial data for the country establishes it as a one-stop shopping centre for acquiring additional data needed for processing and analysing large-scale disaster management models.

“NASRDA has been active in establishing and maintaining these databases,” he said.

Prof Ita Ewa, the Minister of Science and Technology, emphasised that Nigeria should effectively use space technology applications for disaster management and economic growth, just like the developed countries.

He stressed the need for

“Due to the low level of public awareness and u n f o r t u n a t e misconceptions, many have viewed Nigeria’s aspirations to go to the space as a needless venture.

“Almost every aspect of human problems can be tackled with relevant satellites and sensor platforms and applications,’’ Ewa said.

However, Mr Seidu Mohammed, the Director

By IFEANYI NWOKO

General of NASRDA, said that the agency is delivering on its mandate.

He said that the agency had already commenced work on the possibility of using space technology in disaster- management efforts.

Mohammed said that NASRDA supported NEMA in August 2011 with the mapping of the areas affected by flood in Oyo State.

“The map showing precisely the areas affected by flood enabled other national agencies and the Oyo State Government to rehabilitate those affected by the flood.

“Lokoja was one of the flooded areas during the

2012 flooding. NASRDA visited the flood area and produced a flood plain and vulnerability map for the affected areas.

“The map was used by NEMA to rehabilitate those affected by the flood.

“As a result of the opening of the Lagbo Dam by Cameroon on the 24th of August, 2012, floodwaters affected the d o w n s t r e a m communities in Adamawa.

“NASRDA visited the flooded area and produced a flood plain and vulnerability map for the affected areas,” he said.

The director-general stressed that NASRDA’s role was, however, not limited to only postdisaster assistance, adding that its major role was to predict disasters in order to forestall huge losses.

He said that the development of a Flood Plain Geospatial Information System for Nigeria by NASRDA was underway.

Besides, Mohammed said that NASRDA, in partnership with NEMA, would develop a Flood Vulnerability Geospatial Information System for Nigeria, using NigeriaSat-2 satellite imagery.

All in all, stakeholders want NASRDA to sustain its efforts to enable the country to reap from the huge investments it has made in the space sciences.

“Almost every aspect of human problems can be tackled with relevant satellites and sensor platforms and applications.’’

THE WEEKEND

20 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

i Between Skill Acquisition And Paper Certificates

V ewpoint

BY FOLASADE FOLARIN THE craving of Nigerian youths to acquire paper qualification at all costs became a focus of public discourse during the recently concluded orientation programme of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

It was learnt that some desperate youths paid various sums of money to be awarded degrees by unaccredited educational institutions.

Sixty-two of the “graduates’’ were arrested at a fake NYSC orientation camp in Nasarawa State.

When quizzed, they confessed that they paid some money to acquire degree certificates so as to enable them to participate in the NYSC scheme and subsequently secure employment.

“We paid between N120,000 and N200,000 to be admitted into the camp,’’ one of the fake graduates said.

They said that after acquiring the degree certificates, they also needed NYSC discharge certificates to complete the circle, as NYSC certificate was a prerequisite for employment.

Stakeholders and experts have blamed the growing obsession for paper

qualification on the type of education that was bequeathed to Nigeria by the British colonialists.

They also attributed the high unemployment rate in the country to the preference for the acquisition of certificates instead of skills.

Mr Edmund Onwuliri, the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), said that one of the problems facing the country was the erroneous emphasis placed on paper certificates.

“Everybody believes that you can only be productive when you have gone to school, but then what is education? Education is what arms you with the right language to give expression to your natural talents,’’ he said.

Mr Bayo Omoboriowo, a graduate of chemistry from the University of Lagos, urged the people to desist from undue obsession with certificates.

“A certificate is a document which simply certifies the completion of a course. It places power in your hands to enable you to access what the certificate has the tendency to offer,’’ said

Ruqayyatu Rufai, Minister of Education Omoboriowo, who is now a professional photographer, He stressed that the acquisition of certificates should not be a do-or-die affair, adding that a person could still make it in life without necessarily possessing a certificate.

Omoboriowo said that he developed an interest in photography at a very tender age, adding that he

later decided to adopt photography as a profession even though he studied chemistry in the university.

He conceded that his education had somewhat helped him to harness his latent potential.

“Young people don’t have to worship certificates; all they need to do is to ensure that they get enough knowledge to

“Your skill and talent would always make a way for you. In a case where the acquisition of a certificate seems to be problematic, then skills’ acquisition might be a way out.

Emeka Wogu, Minister of Labour make them relevant in this time and age.

“Your skill and talent would always make a way for you. In a case where the acquisition of a certificate seems to be problematic, then skills’ acquisition might be a way out.

“It is observed that many people who are not so good in regular school work could be very good in technical education; so, there should be provision for technical education and human development in our scheme of things,’’ he said.

Mr Samson Agboko, a civil servant, urged parents to refrain from forcing their children to study particular courses.

He said that although parents ought to guide their children in making career choices, their courses of study should be determined by their individual ability.

Nevertheless, Onwuliri said that efforts to address the high level of unemployment in the country required a shift of emphasis toward skills’ acquisition and technical education.

“The fact that you have a university degree does not guarantee that you are going to get a good job or live well. All the same, anyone who knows how to apply his hands to work in a pragmatic way will live better.

“White-collar jobs are in short supply nowadays and the economy is struggling.

“It is only when the economy is vibrant that you begin to see more room being created to absorb the labour force but if the economy is wobbly, what do you expect?’’ he asked.

Onwuliri noted that most of the artisans who engaged in housefinishing tasks like tiling, Plaster of Paris (POP) fittings, among others, were from neighbouring countries like Togo and Republic of Benin.

He stressed that the foreigners were usually preferred to their Nigerian counterparts because they were very competent and resourceful.

“We have been advocating the incorporation of entrepreneurship development into the curriculum at all levels of education, particularly in secondary and postsecondary institutions.

That is a veritable way of promoting skills’ acquisition.

“We are also encouraging graduates to learn skills after graduation and that is why the NDE is establishing skillacquisition centres all over the country.

“We have up to 80 different trades that we offer training on and so we counsel you first and after the counseling, you select what you want and you will be trained in that area.

“NDE has offices in all the states of the federation and the FCT, so you are free to walk into any of the offices to make enquiries,’’ Onwuliri added.

All the same, analysts insist that the government and other stakeholders should play greater roles in efforts to check the perceptible mania for paper certificates.

They argue that measures should be put in place to enable the youth to harness their latent potential and check the endless search for whitecollar jobs.

THE WEEKEND

21 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

c

S ience

Brain Interrupted TECHNOLOGY has given us many gifts, among them dozens of new ways to grab our attention. It’s hard to talk to a friend without your phone buzzing at least once. Odds are high you will check your Twitter feed or Facebook wall while reading this article.

Just try to type a memo at work without having an e-mail pop up that ruins your train of thought.

But what constitutes distraction? Does the mere possibility that a phone call or e-mail will soon arrive drain your brain power? And does distraction matter — do interruptions make us dumber? Quite a bit, according to new research by Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Lab. There’s a lot of debate among brain researchers about the impact of gadgets on our brains. Most discussion has focused on the deleterious effect of multitasking.

Early results show what most of us know implicitly: if you do two things at once, both efforts suffer.

In fact, multitasking is a misnomer. In most situations, the person juggling e-mail, text messaging, Facebook and a meeting is really doing something called “rapid toggling between tasks,” and is engaged in constant context switching.

As economics students know, switching involves costs. But how much?

When a consumer switches banks, or a company switches suppliers, it’s relatively easy to count the added expense of the hassle of change. When your brain is switching tasks, the cost is harder to quantify.

There have been a few efforts to do so: Gloria Mark of the University of California, Irvine, found

that a typical office worker gets only 11 minutes between each interruption, while it takes an average of 25 minutes to return to the original task after an interruption. But there has been scant research on the quality of work done during these periods of rapid toggling.

We decided to

By BOB SULLIVAN/HUGH THOMPSON

investigate further, and asked Alessandro Acquisti, a Professor of Information Technology, and the Psychologist Eyal Peer at Carnegie Mellon to design an experiment to measure the brain power lost when someone is interrupted.

To simulate the pull of an expected cellphone call or e-mail, we had subjects sit in a lab and perform a standard cognitive skill test. In the experiment, 136 subjects were asked to read a short passage and answer questions about it. There were three groups of subjects; one merely completed

the test. The other two were told they “might be contacted for further instructions” at any moment via instant message.

During an initial test, the second and third groups were interrupted twice. Then a second test was administered,

dismal, especially for those who think of themselves as multitaskers: during this first test, both interrupted groups answered correctly 20 percent less often than members of the control group.

In other words, the distraction of an

but this time, only the second group was interrupted. The third group awaited an interruption that never came. Let’s call the three groups Control, Interrupted and On High Alert.

We expected the Interrupted group to make some mistakes, but the results were truly

interruption, combined with the brain drain of preparing for that interruption, made our test takers 20 percent dumber. That’s enough to turn a B-minus student (80 percent) into a failure (62 percent).

But in Part 2 of the experiment, the results were not as bleak. This time, part of the group

“In fact, multitasking is a misnomer. In most situations, the person juggling e-mail, text messaging, Facebook and a meeting is really doing something called “rapid toggling between tasks,” and is engaged in constant context switching.”

was told they would be interrupted again, but they were actually left alone to focus on the questions.

Again, the Interrupted group underperformed the control group, but this time they closed the gap significantly, to a respectable 14 percent. Dr. Peer said this suggested that people who experience an interruption, and expect another, can learn to improve how they deal with it.

But among the On High Alert group, there was a twist. Those who were warned of an interruption that never came improved by a whopping 43 percent, and even outperformed the control test takers who were left alone. This unexpected, counterintuitive finding requires further research, but Dr. Peer thinks there’s a simple explanation: participants learned from their experience, and their brains adapted.

Somehow, it seems, they marshaled extra brain power to steel themselves against interruption, or perhaps the potential for interruptions served as a kind of deadline that helped them focus even better.

Clifford Nass, a Stanford sociologist who conducted some of the first tests on multitasking, said that those who can’t resist the lure of doing two things at once are “suckers for irrelevancy.”

There is some evidence that we’re not just suckers for that new text message, or addicted to it; it’s actually robbing us of brain power, too.

Tweet about this at your own risk.

What the Carnegie Mellon study shows, however, is that it is possible to train yourself for distractions, even if you don’t know when they’ll hit.

THE WEEKEND

22 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

o

C unselling

With

The Ability to Listen DURING the darkest hours of the civil war, Lincoln wrote to an old friend in Springfish, Illinois, asking him to come to Washington.

Lincoln said he had some problems he wanted to discuss with him. The old neighbour called at the White House and Lincoln talked to him for hours about the advisability of issuing a proclamation of freeing the slaves. Lincoln went over all the arguments for and against such a move.

Lincoln read letters and newspaper articles, some denouncing him for fear he was going to free them and others denouncing him for not freeing the slaves. After talking for hours, Lincoln shock hands with his old neighbour and said good night and sent him back to Illinois without even asking for his opinion.

Lincoln had done all the talking himself. That seemed to clarify his mind.

“He seemed to feel easier after talking,” The old friend said.

Lincoln hadn’t wanted advice. He had wanted merely a friendly, sympathetic listener to whom he could unburden himself. That’s what we all want when we are in trouble. That is, frequently all the irritated customer wants and the dissatisfied employee or the hurt friend.

Isaac F. Marcosson, a journalist who interviewed hundreds of celebrities declared that many people fail to make a favourable impression because, they don’t listen attentively. “They have been so much conceived with what they are going to say next that, they do not keep their ears open… very important people have told us that, they

prefer good listeners to good talkers, but the ability to listen seems rarer than almost any other trait”. And not only important personages crave a good listener, but ordinary folk do too. As the reader’s digest once said.

“Many persons call a doctor when all they want is an audience.

One of the great listeners of modern times was Sigmund Freud. A man who met Freud described his manner of listening: “It struck me so forcibly that I shall never forget him. He had qualities which I had never seen in any other man.

Never had I seen such concentrated attention.

There was none of that piercing soul penetrating gaze business. His eyes were mild and genial.

His voice was low and kind. His gestures were few. But the attention he gave me, his appreciation of what I said, even when I said it badly, was extraordinary. You have no idea what it meant to be listened to like that”.

If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is the recipe: Never listen to anyone for long. Talk incessantly about yourself. If you have an idea while the other person is talking, don’t wait for him or her to finish; burst right in and interrupt in the middle of a sentence.

Do you know people like that? I do, unfortunately and the astonishing part of it is that some of them are prominent. Bores, that is, all they are, bores intoxicated with their own egos, drunk with a sense of their own importance.

People who talk only of themselves think only of

themselves and those people who think only of themelves. Dr Nicholas Murray Butler, longtime President of Columbia University said are hopelessly uneducated.

They are not educated said Dr. Butler, no matter how instructed they may be.

So, if you aspire to be a

person than a famine in China which kills a million people. A boil on one’s neck interests one more than forty earthquakes in Africa. Think of that next time you start a conversation.

Years ago, a poor Dutch immigrant boy washed the windows of a bakery shop after school to help support his family. His

good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested.

Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.

Remember that the people you are talking to are a hundred times more interested in themselves and their wants and problems than they are in you and your problems. A person’s toothache means more to that

people were so poor that in addition, he used to go out in the street with a basket everyday and collect stay bits of coal that had fallen in the gutter where the coal wagons had delivered fuel. That boy, Edward Bok, never got more than six years of schooling in his life, yet eventually he made himself one of the most successful magazine editors in the history of American journalism.

How did he do it?

O.C. Madu GSM: 08056379608 That is a long story, but how he got his start can be told briefly. He got his start by using the principles advocated.

He left school when he was thirteen and became an office boy for western union, but he didn’t for

themselves. He wrote General James A. Garfield, who was then running for presidency and asked if it was true that he was then running for presidency, if it was true that he was once a tow boy on a canal and

one moment give up the idea of an education.

Instead, he started to educate himself. He saved his car fares and went without lunch until he had enough money to buy an encyclopedia of American biography and then, he did an unheard thing. He read the lives of famous people and wrote them asking for additional information about their childhoods.

He was a good listener.

He asked famous people to tell him more about

Garfied replied. He wrote General grant asking about a certain battle and grant drew a map for him and invited this fourteenyear-old boy to dinner and spent the evening talking to him.

Soon, the Western Union messenger boy was corresponding with many of the most famous people in the nation: Ralph Wablo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Atomes, Mrs. Abraham Lincoln and so on. Not only did he correspond with these distinguished people, but, as soon as he got a vacation, he visited many of them as a welcome guest in their homes.

This experience imbued him with a confidence that was invaluable. These men and women fired him with a vision and ambition that shaped his life.

“if you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.”

THE WEEKEND

23 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

“If you still feel less than on top of the world, your diet may well need a change. Never under estimate the importance of diet. A good diet would do well for your looks than the most expensive cosmetics!”

Shop

Beauty With Gloria Omoruyi

Balanced Diet:

Key To Feeling And Looking Good DIET is the lynch pin of our health and beauty. If you are feeling well you are probably eating a balanced diet.

Healthy people are usually energetic, good natured and mentally alert. They have a clear skin, shiny hair and a good appetite. Good health depends upon our eating the right kinds, right amounts and right combinations of foods. If you are not sleeping well, be sure you are not suffering from any disease such as malaria and be sure you are getting enough sleep. If you still feel less than on top of the world, your diet may well need a change.’

Never under estimate the importance of diet.

A good diet would do well for your looks than the most expensive cosmetics!

Most people especially those in third world countries, have a monotonous diet base on starch which is augmented once in a while by feasts that help to make good its deficiencies.

In the industrialized countries, multinational companies make huge profit by making infinite range of food and drinks which they persuade the

ordinary woman who does the shopping for the household to buy by seductive advertising and attractive but expensive and useless packaging.

Overeating of these processed foods leads to unhealthy fat, which has encouraged other fast growing industries to get rich by producing diet foods, laden with other chemicals.

Correcting the eating pattern by cutting down on fried foods, the white flour and white sugar products; eating less fats and salt; giving up soft drinks and processed foods – will help you get slimmer.

You will certainly feel healthier.

Are you snacking between meals? If the craving for a little something is irresistible go for a fruit or a carrot.

If you are longing for something sweet, try apple, oranges, slices of pineapple, raisins or dried apricots all of which are rich in vitamins.

Most of us feel we would look better with the loss of a few poun ds. We cannot afford to abuse our bodies either by over-eating nor by starvation. Crash diets never work for longer than a few weeks,

usually because we revert to our old eating habits. Balance in our diet is the key, unprocessed whole foods are the answer.

So having cut out or given up all those delicious foods what on earth are we left with?

The six most important nutrients our bodies need are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. These act and react on our bodies in very complicated and subtle ways. The balance of these vital elements is the key to feeling and looking great.

The six most important nutrients our bodies need are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. These act and react on our bodies in very complicated and subtle ways. The balance of these vital elements is the key to feeling and looking great.

THE WEEKEND

24 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

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N tion I N recent times, the most disturbing of all the problems of Nigeria is terrorism with the advent of Boko Haram.

With it, Nigeria has become a country where violence is immortalized as a trademark, where merciless murdering of innocent people is daily news. In the last 20 years, Nigeria has been at the centre of news for religious violence, ethnic clashes and bad governance.

Violence has attained an alarming proportion, provoking great fear and instability in the country. An average Nigerian is consistently searching for peace and has not found it yet. When Nigeria got independence in 1960, there was optimism about the future of the country, with the hope that Nigeria will continue to emerge as the leader and giant of Africa. But political, economic, ethnic and religious crisis have rendered this hope unrealistic. A religious divide separates Christians and Muslims, and longstanding intra-religious conflicts further divide the people. What’s the way out?

In this paper, we will review religious and ethnic violence in Nigeria in relation to Boko Haram and its recent nefarious bombing activities. We will take a snapshot at the helplessness of the government and the involvement of some politicians in supporting and sponsoring Boko Haram. We will also take a snappy ride at the implications of terrorism on international relations, conflict resolution and the way forward.

Religious And Ethnic Violence Nigerians are very religious people, but what is our benefit in being so religious, when in the name of religion we fight and kill? Nigeria’s multiethnic, multi- religious and

multi-cultural richness is supposed to be richness in diversity, but they are being turned into a curse by the long and unending violence. “Since the late I 970, however, religion has become as disruptive as ethnicity. There have been more than a dozen serious religious riots, each claiming many lives and wreaking mass destruction of property and places of worship. .underlying the riots has been the issue of religious dominance.” In a country that is already economically and politically unstable and on the brink of collapse, a religious tension on top of that is a great peril. But is violence in Nigeria simple religious conflict?

Boko Haram And Recent Attacks Nigeria and Nigerians are made to face a terrible Islamic fundamentalist terrorist movement tagged Boko Haram. It is loosely translated from Hausa language and it means:” Western education is evil or sacrilege”. Its ideology is to refuse western education and abolish the secular system of government, but ironically, Muhammad Yusuf, the founder of the group was very educated, lived a lavish life and had a car. In reaching their goal, they kill and damage property as much as they can. They want to implement forcefully the application of sharia law throughout the Nation.

Before now, the agitation for the strict application of Sharia law was confined to northern Nigeria, but in recent times, the Islamic fundamentalists want to extend it to everywhere in Nigeria, a multi-ethnic nation of more than 160 million people split largely into Muslim majority north and Christian majority south east. But the annoying part is that this is done through force and violence. What God will win followers through cohesion and destruction of life?

Violence: A Major

By FR IDUO P. JOHN OMV

Boko Haram is loosely modelled on the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan and may have a strong connection with Al-Qaeda in North Africa. Some people believe that AIQaeda operatives have helped to transform Boko Haram into a terrorist group capable of carrying out multiple, intelligent and carefully coordinated bomb attacks with sophisticated weapons. Yahaya lbrahim Shinko, a retired Nigerian army officer and security analyst once commented on the activities of the group saying: “Their weapons and tactics are clearly superior to those used by the Nigerian police,” But who sells these arms and ammunition to them? Who sponsors and trains them? These are the unanswered questions begging for answers, and until these questions are answered, the battle against Boko Haram remains unrealistic.

Boko Haram was founded in 2002 but came to prominence in 2009

when many of its members were killed as they attacked police stations in Maiduguri. Its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, was arrested and later ‘died’ in police custody. Since then, members of the group have caused a lot of havoc on life and property. It loves attacking defenseless Christian congregations, government institutions, police stations, schools, security forces and recently, universities and media houses for “committing crimes against Islam.” In June 2011, it bombed the Abuja police headquarters. In August 2011, Boko Haram suicide bomber hit the UN headquarters in Abuja killing about 25 people and maiming many others. In November 2011, it lunched a well-co-ordinated bomb and gun attacks in Yobe and Borno states.

On Christmas Day 2011, they carried out multiple attacks on churches, including a bomb at Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madala that killed

more than 37 people, and this orchestrated a state of emergency in many parts of the north. Since the 2011 Christmas Day deadly bombing of Saint Theresa’s and other Christian churches, the group’s bombings have multiplied in Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri and Abuja. The dreaded group demonstrated its new dynamism when it bombed Abuja and Kaduna offices of This Day newspaper on the same day, claiming that media and journalists have not been objective and fair in their report about the sect. In one of his speeches, Goodluck Jonathan admitted that the terrorism of Boko Haram is even worse than the country’s I 960s civil war.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Implications Of Terrorism The ‘institutionalization’ of violence in Nigeria brings so many negative impacts on the country in regards to international relations. We should know that the terrorism that is

happening in Nigeria has a far-reaching impact and international implication on the global community. In foreign relations, terrorism is not tolerated because it is a phenomenon that brings about distrust between States. After the 9/I I terrorist attack of the twin towers in the United States of America, the direction and style of foreign policies changed in regard to terrorist countries. Terrorist States do not enjoy the mutual pact and benefits that other countries enjoy. I went to Brazil recently for a meeting in preparation for the World Youth Day, which is going to take place next year in Rio de Janeiro. I was given a 30 day visa, and my American colleagues who also went for the same meeting were given 10 years visa. Why? Nigeria has been labelled a terrorist country, and once a country is labelled a terrorist country, it remains so. As a consequence, every Continues on pg. 25

“In the last 20 years, Nigeria has been at the centre of news for religious violence, ethnic clashes and bad governance.

Violence has attained an alarming proportion, provoking great fear and instability in the country.”

THE WEEKEND

25 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

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N tion

Threat To Nigeria’s Unity Continues from pg. 24

Nigerian in diaspora is treated with suspicion and contempt. International relations between states are based on mutual interest, cooperation and trust. There is no confidence in Nigerians.

NATIONAL UNITY? “Like the United States, a united Nigeria is seen as vital to the country’s integrity and future development. On the other hand, as economic (religious) and political conditions have deteriorated in Nigeria, many Nigerians from all ethnic groups are questioning the sentiment that national unity is sacred and that secession is illegitimate.” The Boko Haram threats are seen as “a repeat of the massacres that led to the original declaration of Biafran secession.” There are fears that Boko Haram threats might ignite a sectarian civil war. Do we still believe in one Nigeria?

In early January this year, Boko Haram issued a warning threat to Christians living in the north, ordering them to leave immediately or face persecution. It is gathered that more than 35,000 Nigerians have left their homes to avoid the Boko Haram destructive violence. If we still believe in one Nigeria, then every Nigerian should feel safe and protected wherever he/she is in Nigeria.

Certainly Nigerians are greatly disappointment by the helplessness of government in the midst of this spiral violence. Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, our president, is indecisive and helpless, and when he tries to act, that is when he even becomes more helpless.

He keeps promising that those who are responsible for these pogroms will “face the full wrath of the law”. But when will this happen? Mere words, promises, desire, long speeches will not stem the tide of violence.

Government needs to do more to provide its citizens with security.

The government of Nigeria should procure adequate security mechanism to protect all citizens against

active terrorism. The president is the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces whether he accepts the title or not.

Our constitution states that the President shall be the Head of State, the Chief Executive of the Federation and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation. But even if he may not accept the title, he should accept the responsibility. Innocent Nigerians are suffering and dying in the hands of some wicked elements. How can the federal government remain largely powerless to provide security to its citizens?

Beyond condemning the attacks, the Nigerian government must be more decisive in hitting the harmer on the nail, by being more forthright in confronting Boko Haram.

We should know that the terrorism that is happening in Nigeria has a farreaching impact and international implication on the global community.

Helplessness Of The Government If we still believe in one Nigeria then every Nigerian should feel safe and protected wherever he/she is in Nigeria.

Politically Motivated Violence Boko Haram is not just religiously motivated but politically and economically manipulated.

“The case clearly suggests that acts of violence by such groups as the Boko Haram have their own underpinning in social and political imperatives …”

President Goodluck Jonathan once revealed in one of his speeches that there are Boko Haram sympathisers and supporters in his government. Have these people been made to face the law? If we are to arrive at a concrete solution, can we not mention their names and prosecute them?

Boko Harem is totally committed to their cause, and to respond to it, there has to be an equally total commitment by government and security agencies. That is why a political solution may be

required to end the Boko Harem madness. There has to be investigation, arrest, interrogation, and trials to bring out the culprit to book. If government does not ‘nip’ Boko Harem in the bud, the country is heading to a revolution.

Conflict Resolution And Way Forward We have to admit that

ways to manage our diversity. Positive aspects of our diversity should be promoted. “In one sense, ethnicity and religion remain Nigeria’s “political migraine” that seems to lack any definite cure. On the other hand they are the bedrock of the country’s strength and vitality that should be harnessed and

how to adapt and live peacefully in the midst of cultural pluralism.

Organizations, educational institutions, the church, professionals and trade organizations should be involved in this project.

Discussions on issues of ethnicity and religious tolerance should be part of school curriculum. To

• President Goodluck Jonathan Boko Haram is one of the greatest challenges to our national security and unity.

The way forward is not simple but possible: dialogue and tolerance.

We have to promote discussions about national unity and provide an enabling ground for them to mature and bear fruit in future. There should be reasonable and persistent efforts to arrive at concrete

well managed for peace and development.” To accomplish the goals of mutual peaceful coexistence and social development in Nigeria, there should be conflict resolution, skills training programme, organized by the government for ethnic, religious and community leaders. It should be a pedagogy whereby participants are trained on

move from discussion to practice, government and voluntary organization should organize cultural interactive programmes aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence and friendship among cultures and religions. Prizes and award should be given to local and national promoters of peace.

Rotational presidency should be encouraged to

ensure justice, equity and ethnic balance. With these, Nigerians can reap the benefit of peace, progress and nation building despite the reality of ethnic diversity and religious plurality.

Conclusion Nigeria has suffered so much violence in the past and continues to suffer today under the merciless grip of Boko Haram.

Suicide bombing was never part of our ‘culture’.

It used to be something we watch in news on foreign scenes and in the movies, but now, we watch our relatives and friends being slaughtered while worshipping God in the Church. We never thought that suicide bombing would arrive Nigeria, an on-going type. When Nigerians copy something, they exaggerate.

So Boko Haram is taking things out of proportion.

But come to think of it, Boko Haram may just be a clear example of how political interests gain religious and ethnic undertones. I think the proponents of Boko Haram and the consequent violence want to cause political distraction.

Sponsored by some politicians, they want to unseat the “rival religion” and impose their blind values in order to selfishly dominate and control the entire nation.

If government (some politicians) is not part of it, then let there be stronger response because the common man there on the street is fast losing confidence in government’s ability to protect him.

Culled from The Nigerian Catholic Encounter

“Beyond condemning the attacks, the Nigerian government must be more decisive in hitting the hammer on the nail, by being more forthright in confronting Boko Haram.”

THE WEEKEND

26 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

e

H alth Curbing The Rising Menace Of Hepatitis Via Effective Management

THE National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) recently raised concern on the perceptible increase in reported cases of hepatitis B among voluntary blood donors.

Medical experts have also expressed concern over the upsurge in hepatitis cases, saying that the development poses a threat to the health of future generations of Nigerians if not managed effectively.

They observe that hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver, is categorised into types A, B, C, D and E. They, however, note that the most common categories are hepatitis A, B and C. Dr Baba Ahmed, a public health physician at the NBTS, says that hepatitis B is the main communicable disease that is often discovered during the screening of voluntary blood donors

by NBTS. He recalls that in a blood screening by NBTS in 2012, hepatitis B alone accounted for 15 per cent of the d i s c o v e r e d communicable diseases,

HIV accounted for 4.2 per cent, hepatitis C accounted for 6.3 per cent, while syphilis accounted for 0.89 per cent.

Ahmed adds that the hepatitis virus was

detected in the blood of persons with ages ranging between 18 and 30 years old.

“These are people who came willingly for blood donation, they did not know that such virus is in their system and they

Master Mohammed el-Amin Braimah was one year old on May 21, 2013. Happy Birthday from mum and dad!

represent just a small fraction of the society,’’ he says.

Ahmed, nonetheless, stresses that hepatitis cases are so rampant because hepatitis has

“But if given vaccination at birth, the incidence is reduced to 20 per cent; the vaccine reduces the babies’ chances of becoming chronic carriers,’’ he

says that in some cases, the virus would not manifest immediately as an acute infection and as a result, some people could retain the virus as chronic carriers.

Obende, however, warns that if the infection

not attracted much public enlightenment campaign just like HIV and AIDS. “To prevent it, people need to ask questions; let there be increased public awareness on hepatitis; mode of contracting it and how it can be prevented.

“Once you are aware, then, you know what to do; after all, it will take six months to treat those who have hepatitis without symptoms, while those suffering with symptoms would be managed based on the symptoms,’’ he said.

Ahmed, therefore, urged the public to strive to know more about the disease, noting that more than 10 per cent of people screened at any given time are usually infected with hepatitis B. On its mode of spread, Dr Kayode Obende, a gynaecologist at Garki General Hospital, Abuja, said that hepatitis B can easily be transferred from positive mothers to newborns during childbirth.

says.

He, nonetheless, emphasised that the virus could not be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy, saying: “It cannot cross through the placenta; the transfer can only take place through the process of delivery.

“It is contagious and can be transferred through blood product; one can get the virus through blood transfusion, sexual intercourse and sharing of needles, among others,’’ he added.

All the same, Obende advised pregnant women to undergo routine checks for hepatitis B whenever they attend ante-natal clinic, so as to know their health status.

He stressed that more than 400 million people worldwide are hepatitis positive, adding that the major problem with the virus is that some people may not even be aware that they have contracted the disease.

The gynaecologist

becomes chronic, it could lead to destruction of the liver and cause death instantly.

Recounting his ordeal, Mr. Chukwu Emmanuel, an Abuja-based businessman, said that he once had hepatitis about 12 years ago, adding that the disease nearly killed him then.

He recalls that he initially had some malaria symptoms and after much treatment, it was discovered through blood screening that he had hepatitis, typhoid and pneumonia.

“The virus had even affected my kidney before I got to hospital but I thank God that I am still living,’’ he said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr. Godwin Solomon, another Abujabased businessman, recalls that when he fell sick in July last year, he was later diagnosed of hepatitis B. His wife, Mrs. Uchenna Solomon, however, said that she did not contract hepatitis B in spite of the fact that it is a

By JACINTA NWACHUKWU

communicable disease.

What then are the measures which could be put in place to control the growing menace of hepatitis infections?

Mr Theobald OwusuAnsah, the President of Theobald Hepatitis B Foundation, Ghana, and a columnist, underscores the need to

incorporate counseling into any medical procedures used in the therapy of hepatitis.

“When a person is diagnosed of hepatitis, he or she might suffer great psychosocial and psychological stresses through a fear of rejection, social stigma and the uncertainties associated with it; counseling can minimise morbidity and reduce its occurrence.

“There is no specific treatment for an acute hepatitis infection; symptoms are usually treated with supportive care.

“Treatment for chronic hepatitis does not cure the disease but suppresses it or manages it like diabetes.

“The goal of treatment is to improve quality of life and survival by preventing progression of the disease and reduce the ability of the virus to reproduce in the body; medications do not cure it,’’ Owusu-Ansah wrote in an online publication.

THE WEEKEND

27 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

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T

day’s Diet

God’s Sovereignty With PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise: But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Psalm 115:3 Read: Psalm 115:1-3 Bible in one year: Ezekiel 34-36

IN John 5:2-9, the Lord Jesus Christ walked into the colony of sick folks by the pool of Bethazatha, healed one man and took His leave. Why just one man?

What about the rest? Would He not have received a greater level of glory by healing all the sick folks there? From this we learn that the Lord just wanted to establish His sovereignty.

Psalm 115:3 says, but our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”

We understand from the scriptures that He prayed for Peter to overcome a most trying moment (Luke 22:31), whereas He told Judas Iscariot to speedily execute his evil intention (John 13:27). May God’s sovereignty work in your favour and not against you in Jesus name.

During major programmes of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, such as the Congress, Convention or Special Holy Ghost Services, we usually see God at work, performing spectacular miracles, healing d i v e r s e sicknesses, setting the captives free and saving souls. On a p a r t i c u l a r occasion, the Lord said He would heal 144,000 people in one night. That year, at the end of the Congress, I saw a man who was brought in on a wheel chair returning in the wheel chair. Later in my office, after thanking God for the great things He had done I asked Him why the man who returned on the wheel chair was not healed. That he came to the camp alone

shows that he had faith, and I told God I knew He could do everything.

Thereafter the Lord replied, “So that you may know that you are not God. It does not matter how mightily you are being used. You are still a human being. If you don’t like it, sue me”.

This is why anyone who has common sense at all should fear Him. Some people think they can keep something from God. In the true sense of it, you cannot. He gave you all you have and He can take anything He has given to you.

He owns you and everything you have, so what can you really keep from Him? If He wants to take anything you call your possession, nothing can stop Him. He only allows you to use your freewill so that He can bless you.

God’s sovereignty simply tells you to fear God beyond everything else, do you?

ACTION POINT: Thank God for making you who you are and for giving you all you’ve got. Pray that His purpose for your life might never be defeated.

N

e ws Extra Group Decries Employers’ Attitude To People Living With Down Syndrome

CENTRE for Children with Special Needs (CCSN), an NGO, has decried the attitude of Nigerians, especially employers of labour toward people living with Down Syndrome and other related ailments.

Down syndrome is a congenital disorder arising from chromosome impairment and physical abnormalities.

Mr. Dare Adebanjo, the Service Director, CCSN, stated this in Abuja on Thursday at skill acquisition

training in Ushafa community, FCT, for people living with Down syndrome.

He said that most employers of labour refused job placement for people living with disability, especially those with Down syndrome.

“After training these people they should assist in providing those jobs, but employers tell them they cannot employ such person.

“There is no university in this world that plans employment, but we have to

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given to the general public, especially the Honourable Commissioner for Lands and Surveys that a portion of a parcel of land measuring 200ft x 200ft, carved out of the entire parcel of land measuring fifty seven (57) plots of l00ft x l00ft each, lying and situate at Evbuomoma Area, Edo State, and more particularly described and delineated in Survey Plan No. AU/ED/034/2004, bounded by Survey Beacon Nos. SC/ED 8579L, SC/ED 8580L, SC/ ED 8581L, SC/ED 8582L, SC/ED 8583L, and SC/ ED 8584L, belonging to Edegbe Ugbogbo Company Nigeria Limited, which entire parcel of land as mentioned above being a subject of grant of statutory right of occupancy, as cited in The NIGERIAN OBSERVER of Monday, June 13, 2011 at page 9, had been transferred to Mr. Busari Jubril, by virtue of Deed of Transfer dated 21st May, 2013.

CHANGE OF NAME AIDENAGBONI formerly known and addressed as Miss Grace Osor Aidenagbon now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Grace Osor Imoobe. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities, National Youth Service Corps (N.Y.S.C) and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME IGBINEHI - I, formerly called Miss Vero Edamwen Igbinehi is now known and called Mrs. Vero Edamwen Otamere. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, UBTH and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME IZIEGBE- I formerly known and addressed as Miss Favour Iziegbe now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Favour Omokaro. All former documents remain valid.

Concerned authorities, Higher Community Health Extension Worker (H.C.H.E.W) and general public should please take note.

include that in what we are doing.

“It is however expedient that employer of labour gives employment opportunity to these people regardless of their ailment,’’ he said.

He stressed the need to provide educational support for people with developmental challenges, stating that it would ease the learning method.

Adebanjo said that the support would go a long way in establishing them, adding that it would further make them to be independent and self sufficient.

He said that the skill acquisition training came at the right time, stressing that it would focus on a platform where the students after the training programme could showcase their work at the arts and craft village.

“We at the centre are looking at a shelter workshop where they can work collectively and get a sales outlet at the Arts and Crafts village where whatever they produce can be sold.

“They come to school, they learn a lot, produce something and sell and with the support of their parent, set them up for their work to be sold.’’

Adebanjo however, called for support from the Federal Government in the area of finance and also to further place its staff on the nominal payroll of government.

He added that placing staff on the nominal payroll would help provide total concentration on the students.

“We face a lot of difficulties in training them which include problem of transportation to bring the students to the pottery centre.

“When you talk about disabilities, it varies because when you teach a skill today and you don’t follow up, there is a big challenge because you have to teach it over.

He called on the government to give priority to the welfare of their staff.

He said that the government should take the interest of people living with the condition and other disabilities seriously for the overall good of the society.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Ayobore Esther wish to bring for the information of the general public that I am the same person known and called Ayeobore Esther and to affirm that the two spellings “Ayobore” and “Ayeobore are of the same meaning and implication with my family mode of spellings and usage in terms of root or origin, considering the extended family. It should be emphasized that Ayobore Esther and Ayeobore Esther is one and the same person. Concerned authorities and the general public please take note

THE WEEKEND

28 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

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A ric

Agriculture For Youth Empowerment And Poverty Alleviation (II) THIS second edition is focused on Poverty and the concept of a youth club.

What is Poverty?

Vision 2010 defined poverty as a condition in which a person is unable to meet the minimum requirement of the basic needs of life such as food, shelter, clothing and health care services.

According to World Bank (1996), “Poverty in Nigeria has been described as widespread and severe.” In spite of the country’s vast resource, its known with low Gross Domestic Product Per capita, high unemployment rate, low industrial utilization capacity, high birth rate and low agricultural development (Jhingan, 2005).

Poverty is a subject studied in sociology in relation to social classes.

In the first place, it is defined in terms of ‘absolute deprivation’; that is lack of basic necessities and in the second, in terms of the ‘relative deprivation; that is the inability to maintain the living standards customary in society.

According to Ogwumike (1988), evidence in Nigeria showed that the number of those in poverty has continued to ‘increase.

For example, the number in poverty increased from 27% in 1980 to 46% in 1985, it declined slightly to 42% in 1992 and increased very sharply to 67% in 1996.

By 1999, estimates hadit that more than 70% of Nigeria live in absolute

poverty.

The prevalence of poverty has continued to be a recurring decimal in Nigeria, hence the recent effort by the World Bank and the Federal Government of Nigeria to embark on the new National Fadarna Development Project (NFDP) III of or Fadama III. Despite the objective of the Fadama 1 to reduce poverty through group effort by creating the Fadama user Association (FUAS) in the phase I and Fadama Community Associations (FCAS) in the phase II of NFDP as well as boost food production, encourage rural food insecurity, the fight against poverty have not yielded the desired results as farmers continued to generate low income from their farming enterprises. Edo State is a case study on people living below the poverty line using the number of people that can make equiavalent to Naira value per household per day.

What is the Concept of a Youth Club?

What is the concept of youth club?

It an organized group of people under the guidance of extension workers in ADP and local leaders. Members elect their own officers, plan and conduct club programmes, hold regular activities,. The club is regarded as the forum for bringing members together with

their local leaders for purpose of capacity building. Club meetings, activities, etc afford a definite opportunity to train and develop leaders as well as members in group action.

favourable environment in terms of acceptability by the community, meet the needs of the community and have adequate logistics or facilities.

The five stages in the process of organizing a

the recommendation of the local leader who also works under the guidance of professional youth leader or your extension/change agent,. The project is said to be the heart or core of rural youth movement and the entire club programme is supposed to be built

Organization and Administration of Youth Programmes: The steps involved in the organization of a youth club are: a. Organization of a youth club. The following conditions should be ensured for the success of a youth club. b. Profit from the support of its community c. It must function in a

club for Agricultural transformation are: i.Choice of locality ii. Contact with village iii. Contact with parents iv. Official launching or inauguration.

Project Work in Youth Extension Programme A project in the context of youth programme is a form of home or farm activity which a member chooses to do following

around it. Project can be organized around almost any farm or home or school tasks and activities.

What is the Purpose of Project Work in Youth Extension Service? a. To help members to learn new and better methods of farming, home making, etc. b. To give youths the

By OLUMESE MARK

“Poverty in Nigeria has been described as widespread and severe.” In spite of the country’s vast resource, its known with low Gross Domestic Product Per capita, high unemployment rate, low industrial utilization capacity, high birth rate and low agricultural development . . .”

initiative to work and achieve the feeling that they are useful members of the community and the society at large c. To give youths the pride and satisfaction of ownership. d. To give youths the feeling of achievement, satisfaction or accomplishment.

e. To enable youths to learn how to make wholesome, useful and profitable use of their time. f. To give youths the opportunity to participate in the core activities of the youth club and enjoy the benefit of group programmes.

In the next edition, the writer will focus on: How Agriculture can help to reduce poverty in Nigeria and overview of A g r i c u l t u r a l D e v e l o p m e n t Programmess (ADPs) for youth empowerment and poverty alleviation.

The writer is a staff of Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

THE WEEKEND

29 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013

Zlatan Linked With Manchester City, Chelsea

Germany Coach Says UCL Finalists Show Way Forward GERMANY boss Joachim Low has told L’Equipe the only way to achieve success in modern football is to adopt the “attractive and quick” style of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and the German national team.

The Bundesliga duo face each other at Wembley in the Champions League final on Saturday evening - and neither is likely to compromise on the forward-thinking approach that has got them so far.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes and his Dortmund counterpart Jurgen Klopp have encouraged their squads to attack throughout the competition, most notably in their respective semi-finals against Barcelona and Real Madrid.

And Low, who has been at the heart of a German FA-led initiative to encourage creativity in younger players over the last decade, said: “For a long time, Germany relied on strength, tackling, physique, discipline.

“That’s all well and good - but football has changed since, and that’s not enough any more.

“I’ve always said you can’t win titles without playing good football. Once, ten years ago, Greece won [the European Championship] with a destructive playing style. But that was the exception. If you’re not able to have an attractive and quick playing style, you don’t stand a chance any more.”

Low said there were

Jurgen Klopp

Bundesliga coaches who “have different ideas to that”, but that Bayern, Dortmund and his Germany team have all succeeded with bright, attacking football.

He explained that, in the international game, “you need solutions in attack, because other nations, and particularly the supposed smaller nations, still rely on defensive values”.

Bayern had the best defensive record in the Bundesliga, setting a new league benchmark by conceding only 18 goals in 34 games - but their prolific attack, which fell just two goals short of a century, propelled them to the title in spectacular fashion.

Dortmund, back-to-back Bundesliga winners coming into the 2012-13 campaign, finished runners-up, 25 points adrift, but Low believes that difference will not be quite so evident at Wembley, even though the injury-enforced absence of Mario Gotze is a setback for Klopp’s side.

Chief Michael Platini

Platini Warns Of Dangers Threatening Sports * Calls For Sports Police Force MICHEL Platini, the president of European football’s governing body UEFA, yesterday called for action against the three dangers threatening football: matchfixing, discrimination and financial excess.

“The main problem is mafia-type organisations match-fixing and betting,” that use some games, and said Platini at the UEFA therefore our sport, to congress in London. launder dirty money.

“Our match monitoring “One game rigged is one systems and network of match too many, as it integrity officers in each strikes at the soul of our country are of course sport, the very essence of useful and even essential, the game. but they are not enough.

“I ask at least that each “We are not dealing with country adopts a specific petty criminals looking to national law on matchmake ends meet. fixing to finally provide the “It seems that we are in necessary legal tools to some cases dealing with c o n d e m n

Matuidi Sued Over Contract Breach

PARIS Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi is being taken to court by his former agent, who claims he was poached by a rival.

Jean-Pierre Bernes, 56, has brought a case for breach of contract against Matuidi, 26, who wrote to him to end their working partnership on March 16.

Bernes, whose agreement with the France international had been due to expire on June 30, is demanding 3.5 million Euro in damages from Matuidi and a further 5 million Euro from rival agent Mino Raiola, whom he believes provoked the situation.

“According to FIFA and French rules, an agent must not contact a player under contract [with another agent].

Mr Matuidi was approached

by Mr Raiola. That’s an established fact,” L’Equipe reported Bernes’ lawyer, Carlos-Alberto Brusa, as saying.

“While Mr Bernes pays his taxes in France, he is up against an Italian agent

whose licence is held in the Netherlands and whose company is based in Monaco.

“The sums Mr Raiola receives in France do not produce a single cent of tax.

This absurd situation has to be resolved.”

Raiola, who represents Matuidi’s PSG team-mates

Blaise Matuidi

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Maxwell and Gregory van der Wiel, potentially also faces investigation by FIFA and the French Football Federation (FFF).

Bernes is determined to level the fiscal playing field for agents, echoing the stance being taken by many Ligue 1 presidents on the tax status of newly-promoted principality club Monaco.

uncompromising cheats.”

In his speech, Platini also tackled “the recurrent problem of discrimination, whether racial or sexual, which still exists in football.”

Beyond “prevention and education,” the French UEFA president also stressed the need for sanctions.

Later on Friday, the UEFA Congress will vote on a resolution strengthening sanctions against the perpetrators of racist acts in stadiums, whether they are players, officials or supporters.

Platini also put UEFA’s Financial Fair Play scheme in the spotlight

and spoke of the worrying financial situation at certain clubs in Europe.

“To ensure that the current system doesn’t collapse and the bubble doesn’t burst, it is the duty of UEFA to intervene and it shall be the duty of independent bodies to punish the few clubs who have not realised that football cannot live above its means,” he insisted.

Barcelona Eyeing Win In Catalan Derby BARCELONA will continue with their pursuit of the La Liga points’ record when they visit neighbours Espanyol at the Cornella-El Prat Stadium

Real Out For Redemption Against Sociedad REAL Madrid will look to bounce back to winning ways and end their season on a positive note when they visit Real Sociedad at the Anoeta Stadium for their penultimate La Liga clash on Sunday night.

The Whites have been doing well in the league in recent weeks, winning four matches in a row before they were held to a 1-1 draw by Espanyol to surrender the title to Barcelona.

However, Jose Mourinho’s men will go into this game desperate for maximum points as they look to put Friday’s Copa del Rey final loss to city rivals Atletico Madrid behind them.

Real broke the deadlock through Cristiano Ronaldo, but goals from Diego Costa and Joao Miranda saw them

ZLATAN Ibrahimovic, one of the finest players in Europe could finally grace the Premier League, according to the Daily Star.

The Sweden forward has played all across Europe, and has just completed a season with Paris Saint-Germain, but is reported to be considering his future.

Reports have linked him to a return to Italy, but the 31year-old’s wages could make such a switch prohibitively expensive.

Manchester City and Chelsea would have no such financial restrictions, and Ibrahimovic could be tempted to conquer yet another of Europe’s top divisions.

The Star suggest that while PSG are not keen to sell, they will be more receptive to losing Ibrahimovic if they can land Wayne Rooney from Manchester United. Talks, the paper reports, are already underway for that deal to come off.

Ibra, meanwhile, is quoted as saying: “Anything can happen. City were interested when I was at Barcelona – but then I was more interested in Milan.”

Does a move for Zlatan tie in with each club’s ambitions?

According to another report in the Metro, Chelsea already have their eyes on another striker – Burak Yilmaz of Galatasaray, who notched 32 goals last season, and impressed in the club’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Meanwhile at Manchester City it looks as the Sky Blues will be holding on to Sergio Aguero. The Daily Mirror reports that chief executive Forran Serriano, flatly denied all the rumours linking the Argentine to a return to Spain with Real Madrid.

ending up on the wrong end of a 2-1 score line.

The cup final loss was soon followed by the confirmation of Mourinho’s exit at the end of the season after a disappointing third season where the club failed to win a major trophy.

Whether or not the Portuguese coach will be on the bench for the last two matches of the season remains to be seen.

Madrid are currently in second place with 81 points from 36 matches and are guaranteed to finish ahead of third-place Atletico.

Real Sociedad on the other hand have more than pride to play for as they are currently involved in a battle with Valencia for the fourth spot, which guarantees Champions League qualification.

on Sunday night.

The Catalans have already been crowned as champions for the 2012/13 season, but will still go all out to win the remaining two games.

Tito Vilanova’s men sit comfortably at the top of the table with 94 points from 36 matches, but collecting maximum points from their next two games will see them ending the season with 100 points.

This is the record that was set by bitter rivals, Real Madrid, last season and the newly-crowned champions have confirmed that they are hoping to match it.

Barcelona enjoyed a comfortable 2-1 win over Real Valladolid last Sunday but will be expecting a tougher encounter against their neighbours, although they have dominated the Catalan derby in recent years.

Espanyol on the other hand are currently in 11th place with 44 points and will also be looking to end the season with back-to-back wins as they look to climb up to eighth place, which could be enough to send them to the Europa League.