Peoples Daily Newspaper, Saturday 01, September, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com www.peoplesdaily-online.com

VOL. 1 NO. 105 SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

. . . putting the people first

SHAWWAL 14 - 15, 1433 AH

COVER: New N5,000 notes: Dead on arrival?

Currency restructuring best for economy — CBN New currency review represents further devaluation — Organised Labour

N150

Adamawa flood: The untold story >>Pages 2 & 3

29 Perish, 16 injured in Yobe road crash

>>Pages 9 & 10

>>Page 4

MAN IN THE NEWS

ISSUES

Who becomes Exit of a controversial next Attah of Igala?

Professor Barth Nnaji

>>Page 12

>>Page 38

INTERVIEW

Why we don’t have Sabon Gari and Tudun Wada in Katsina

>>Page 14

WWW.PEOPLESDAILY-ONLINE.COM

Sani Lugga

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Special Report

Adamawa flood: The untold story From Blessing Tunoh, Yola

M

aryam Ibrahim is an eleven year old primary five pupil of Limawa primary school in Jimeta metropolis, heart of the Adamawa state capital, she would be in class six when school resumes next week.

Maryam is the fifth out of the nine children of her parents; all of her eleven years on earth Bakin Kogi has been the only home she has ever known with her fisherman father Mallam Ibrahim and mother who does petty trading. She enjoys the variety of fish meals her mother prepares for the family each time Mallam Ibrahim returns home from his fishing outing; and so she would always sit in the kitchen with her mother or run errands until the meal is successfully served.

She did not have the perfect or comfortable life being enjoyed by other kids her age but she was quite happy with her life, never felt deprived of anything and was still basking in the euphoria of the recently celebrated Eid il Fitri and the long August vacation until disaster struck last week.

"All of us were sleeping on that fateful night when mama woke us up in the midnight that we need to get away because plenty water was coming into the house with so much force; that night we moved and slept by the roundabout but in the morning when we went to see if we can pack some of our things from the house, it was completely submerged and we were left with nothing."

Maryam told Peoples Daily Weekend at the Gwadabawa camp for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP).

Maryam however wishes the government would "buy a hook and fishing nets for my father, he lost all his tools to the flood, my school uniform and books are also gone, even my new clothes for the Sallah; my mother's petty trading items and all the food we had is gone, I really don't want to return to that place again I wish my parents had enough money to take us away."

Maryam is in camp with 995 others, mostly residents of Bakin Kogi like her. Azumi Audu a fish seller and mother of five is one of the IDPs and she shares her experience thus:

Some LDPs at a centre "It was around 2am Saturday morning when my kids who usually slept on the floor woke me up and said flood was entering the room; so we all squeezed ourselves on the bed thinking it will subside but by 3am it had soaked us on the bed so we had no option than to escape for our dear lives."

Mrs. Audu confessed that she had never experienced a flood of this magnitude all her life and claimed the trauma made her Blood Pressure to rise while expressing regret that the family would still have to return to their riverside houses unless the government assists them to relocate to a higher land.

Zainab Hassan mother of seven, Hamsatu Mohammed mother of eight and Rabiu Mohammed, orphan, 29 however say they are worried about diversion of relief materials donated by the state government, individuals and other relevant agencies.

While calling on public spirited individuals to assist

them with sleeping materials and food, they however unanimously appeal to the Federal and state government to come up with a programme that would help them live normal lives again and get back on their feet when the crisis is over as according to them the flood has stripped them of all they ever possessed.

However the NEMA official in charge of the Gwadabawa camp, Kabiru Idris Moriki denied the accusation of diversion of relief items by officials but maintained the items yet to be shared are kept in the store because it would not go round.

He also advised public spirited individuals as well as government agencies to always make their donations through NEMA to ensure proper disbursement to the victims rather than reaching out directly to the victims who end up fighting over the items and destroying them.

It may be recalled that at least 125 communities spread

across 13 local governments in the state were sacked last weekend by a flood which resulted from the release of excess water by the Cameroonian authorities from their Lagdo dam into the Benue.

The affected local governments include Fufore, Yola North, Yola South, Demsa, Numan, Lamurde, Guyuk and Shelleng; others are Girei, Michika, Mubi North and Mubi south.

At least 17 people are feared dead in the disaster while properties lost cannot be readily estimated, however displaced persons are taking refuge in government owned schools across the state with NEMA and Red Cross officials attending to them.

Rising from a meeting with local government Heads of service of the affected council areas who presented reports of the extent of damage of the flood in their respective locations, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Mr.

Kobis Ari Thimnu during the week had blamed the disaster on the republic of Cameroun and insisted that they must be

Contd on Page 3

“

Maryam however wishes the government would "buy a hook and fishing nets for my father, he lost all his tools to the flood, my school uniform and books are also gone, even my new clothes for the Sallah; my mother's petty trading items and all the food we had is gone

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 3

Special Report ...The untold story Contd. from Page 2 made to compensate the state over losses suffered.

Mr. Thimnu recounted that the trend has become a yearly affair but said this year's volume is unprecedented and blamed the disaster on the authorities of Cameroun Republic whom he said released water into the Benue at a short notice.

"The unfortunate aspect is we were only informed on Friday that they would release the water on Saturday so there was no time for us to warn our people to move to higher lands; they took us unawares," the SSG lamented.

He also regretted the absence of a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and Cameroun to assist the state adding that Adamawa cannot have talks with them just as he urged the Federal Government to call them to order.

"The truth is the state is in crisis, we are totally submerged some local governments are almost completely gone and we are now in fear because they said they are releasing the second phase again, they must contribute their own assistance and relief materials to our people they displaced." He stated.

In the ensuing pandemonium, the state had played host to a high powered Federal Government delegation which included the Minister of Water Resources Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe and her Environment counterpart, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya with the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mohammed Sani Sidi to assess the impact of the flood.

While Ochekpe subscribes to

A man sacked by the flood the idea that construction of buffer dams between the Nigerian and Cameroonian borders would be the permanent solution to the reoccurring flood, she expressed dismay that plots were being allocated to people in flood prone areas to build houses.

She however assured that the project which has been in the cooler for some time would be treated with all the urgency and seriousness it deserves, from where the predecessors of the Ministry stopped and a report would be submitted to the Federal Government

accordingly.

She expressed dismay at the habits of the people and the town planning section of the state government as regards their attitude towards the environment.

Environment Minister on her part said "the Federal Government is already working on the issue of dredging, but the truth is no matter how advanced a country is there must be natural disasters at some point; our case is not different because of our attitudes and obstinacy."

Speaking, Hajiya Mailafiya described the situation as unfortunate and regrettable and therefore called on Nigerians to change their attitude and begin to safeguard their environment with a view to leaving a good environment for posterity.

Deputy Governor and Executive chairman of SEMA Barrister Bala Ngillari, who conducted the delegation round some of the affected areas in the state capital, said the state has never experienced such flooding since creation and urged the Federal government to as a matter of urgency prevail on the Cameroonian authorities to stop further release of water.

NEMA's DG on his part said the effect is devastating and assured that relief materials are being shipped into the state from the agency's zonal office situated in Maiduguri to cater for the needs of IDPs at various camps in the state.

Some of the items received include blankest, foodstuff, zincs and building materials, detergents and clothing materials among others.

While the IDPs continue to lament their living conditions at their various camps, the state Governor Murtala Nyako has assured that government will reach out with aids and relief materials to the victims but however sounded a warning concerning those who had returned to their houses sequel to improvement of the prevailing situation.

"The public are once more alerted and warned that the end of such flooding due to releases from the Lagdo Dam has not been heard as authorities in the Cameroun have re-emphasized that intermittent releases will continue if heavy rains are further experienced so all affected persons are therefore advised to stay away from such houses until further notice."

“

The unfortunate aspect is we were only informed on Friday that they would release the water on Saturday so there was no time for us to warn our people to move to higher lands; they took us unawares Maryam Ibrahim misses her school uniform

PAGE 4

News Bakassi: NBA asks FG to apply for judgement revision

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

I

n view of the gross abuse of fundamental human rights of the Bakassi people by both the governments of Cameroon and Nigeria, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the Federal Government to apply for a revision of the unjust judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the Bakassi Peninsula.

In a communiqué at the end of its 52nd Annual General Conference held at the International Conference Center in Abuja, the NBA noted that “the gross violations of the rights of the Bakassi people have the potential of spiraling into major insurrection spawned by the excessive abuse of the right to self determination”.

The immediate past president of the association, Joseph Daudu who read the communiqué, said there are grounds upon which the Nigerian government can apply for a revision of the ICJ judgment delivered on October 10, 2002; adding also that the Federal Government has six weeks (up till October 9, 2012) to so apply for the revision or be forever shut out in line with Article 61 (5) of the ICJ Statute of 1946 which provides that, “No application for revision may be made after the lapse of 10 years from the date of the judgment”.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

29 perish, 16 injured in Yobe road crash

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem with agency reports

2

9 persons were yesterday burnt to death as two buses collided and burst into flames in Yobe state along Pokistum- Kano road.

Nine of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition while 16 others were injured.

Police sources said the accident happened at around 1:00 pm in the state’s Nengere area and the injured were taken to a hospital in Potiskum.

The Federal Road Safety

Commission (FRSC), confirmed the accident and casualty yesterday.

The state Sector Commander, Shehu Umar, said that two buses travelling on the opposite direction had a head on collusion about 10 km from Potiskum and killed all the passengers on board.

“The buses went up in fire as they collided, killing the 29 victims with nine burnt beyond recognition,” he said.

Mr. Umar attributed the accident to reckless driving and over-speeding.

“Accidents on this road are

mostly associated with reckless driving and over-speeding,” he said.

Mr. Umar said that one of the vehicles involved in the accident belongs to Borno Express Bus Service.

“We are yet to determine the destination of the vehicles that is where they took off from and where they were heading to because we are still concentrating efforts on depositing the corpses at the General Hospital, Potiskum,” he said More than 17,000 people died in about 31,000 road accidents

across the country between 2007 and 2009, according to the FRSC's 2010 report.

Mr. Osita Chidoka

900 passengers cheat death in Lagos train accident

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem with agency reports

I

n what would have been another national disaster months after the illfated Dana aircraft crashed in Lagos and killed over 100 passengers on board, about 900 train commuters escaped death yesterday morning when the 10coach train they were travelling in ran into a trailer truck at Ilupeju railway crossing, Lagos.

The accident however caused a huge traffic gridlock along the Ilupeju/Oshodi road for several

hours.

It was the third time in the month of August that passenger

Sen. Idris Umar

trains would ram into vehicles at railway crossings in Lagos metropolis.

Confirming the accident, the Lagos District Public Relations Officer of the Railways, Ademuyiwa Adekanbi regretted that efforts by the railway authorities to enlighten the public through campaigns on the use of the railway crossings appear to be falling on deaf ears.

A witness said that the vehicle blocked the railway crossing when the train was already close by.

The loaded trailer had crashed into the double barriers on the

railway crossing shortly before the train arrived.

The trailer driver reportedly jumped out of the vehicle as the Iddo-bound train headed to ploy his truck. The train then dragged it for some distance, scattering it cargo–mostly empty cartons of Malta Guinness drink– along the track, as badly shaken passengers scurried for dear lives.

The drag caused damages to some vehicles parked along the rail track by mechanics. The engine of the locomotive and the track were also damaged.

Abandoned projects worry PDP, mum on state police, N5000 note

By Lawrence Olaoye

A

s the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) celebrates its 14th year anniversary, the party has expressed concerns over the number of abandoned government projects across the country due to change in government.

The party in a world news conference held by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, chronicled its achievements in the last 13 years, but regretted that projects

Alh. Bamanga Tukur

embarked upon at the state and local government levels are mostly abandoned at the inception of new administration.

He said government activities should be a continuum irrespective of change in government just as he noted that abandoned projects have contributed to the woes of the nation’s infrastructure.

Metuh however disclosed that the PDP Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has begun moves to engage President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and all concerned stakeholders in the polity to ensure that projects initiated by their successors are completed.

The PDP spokesman said the party decided to celebrate its anniversary silently without funfare because it chose to concentrate on its programme of rebuilding the party.

Asked about the party’s position on the argument for the creation of state police and the introduction of N5000 note by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Metuh said the party has yet to deliberate on the two contentious issues.

Commenting on the recent loss to the opposition in Edo state governorship elections held recently, Metuh said “PDP believes in one-man-one-vote; it cannot win all elections in Nigeria.

We will not interfere with the choice of the people. There are some places where the opposition parties have better candidates.

We are not an army of occupation; we are not going to interfere in the electoral process; people must be allowed to choose their leaders.”

The party also reiterated its determination to ensure that non performing officials elected on the platform of the party are not allowed to fly its flag in the 2015 general elections even as the PDP stressed its determination to ensure strict adherence to internal democracy.

PDP acknowledged that though it has delivered reasonable dividends of democracy in the last 13 years, there is still a lot of room for improvements.

According to the party, its leadership has been able to stabilize the nation and create wealth in the way of foreign direct investments in the country in the

years it has held the reign of power.

Olisa said the party, through its widespread membership has been able to forge unity among many ethnic groups in the country.

He added that the party has also ensure that the democratic practice of separation of powers and the rule of law in the country even as it enthroned accountability, probity and transparency by creating two antgraft agencies: EFCC and the ICPC to investigate and prosecute any public official suspected to be fraudulent.

The party also stated that it fast-tracked the nation into the digital world of information and communication technology through the GSM revolution just as it remarked that the country now has the fastest growing market for information technology in the world.

The PDP added that it has been able to revamp the nation’s comatose infrastructures, dredged the River Niger, introduced Inland Container Ports, resolved Niger Delta restiveness through the Amnesty Programe, conducted world acclaimed free and fair elections

as well as carried out civil service reforms and the minimum wage among other achievements.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that the PDP must focus its attention on the fulfillment of its social contract with the people as it celebrates its anniversary.

He said “As our party marks its 14yrs anniversary today, our attention must not only focus on how old our Party is today but how well has our party fulfilled its social contract with the electorate who has kept us going for the last 14yrs & how best we can do more.

“The 14yrs Survival of PDP cannot be written without a big salute to the strong efforts put in by people like you in seeing that our party flag continues to fly high. No matter the ups & downs, we must remain committed to the PDP vision of building a strong nation where economic & sociopolitical growth has no boundary & the only way we can survive the years ahead is by insisting on electing our leaders and not allowing others to impose them on us, no matter the influence, threat or inducement.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 5

News

Minister implores traditional medics to improve quality of drugs

By A’isha Biola Raji

T

he Minister for Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has called on traditional medicine practitioners across the country to improve on quality of their products.

The minister gave the charge in Abuja on Thursday at a symposium organised by the Federal Ministry of Health to

commemorate the 2012 African Traditional Medicine Day with the theme, “Decade of African Traditional Medicine Day, What Impact?”

According to a statement signed by Markus Mangai of the health ministry, the minister was represented by the Director, Hospital Services, Dr. Wampada

Balami.

Chukwu said traditional medicine practitioners should develop medicines that are evidence based.

He advised them to desist from advertising products that have not been registered with NAFDAC, adding that advertisements of their products

should be regulated and be within the confines of the laws.

While urging them to collaborate with the National Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) to come up with evidence based drugs, he said traditional medicine practitioners are still under Medical and Dental Council of

Alleged threat to life: Journalist petitions

Husband refuses to swear for allegedly divorcing wife 3 times

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

he Deputy Editor of National Accord newspaper, attached to the Presidential Villa, Yusuf Ozi-Usman, has sent a petition to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim over an alleged threat to his life by a naval officer, Bolaji Iraoya.

In the letter, dated August 28, 2012, the journalist drew the attention of the naval chief to text messages which the said officer sent to him over a domestic misunderstanding he had with his (Ozi-Usman) wife, who happens to be Bolaji’s elder sister.

The petition contained the transcripts of text messages exchanged between Ozi-Usman and his in-law with undertones of threats from the latter to the former.

The petition also stated: “As a family man for nearly 35 years now with grand children, I have never been so threatened and embarrassed, much less, on account of how I relate with my wives and children. Besides, I never came across where “intervention” in matrimonial matters is part of the constitutional, legal and even enforced duty of the Nigerian Navy.”

The journalist therefore sought the attention of the military authorities to the alleged threat of the naval officer and his siblings.

A

This is the photos of allege murderers of Oshiomhole Aide, Olaitan in court, yesterday.

Mixed feelings as Tarabans commemorate 21st anniversary From Yusha’u Alhassan, Jalingo

T

he people of Taraba state have continued to express mixed feelings on the 21st anniversary of the creation of the state.

While some say the state has attained some level of development others saw nothing good since the creation of the state.

The chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Victor Bala Kona, told our reporter in Jalingo that the achievements recorded in the state

NDLEA arrests 4,241 persons

T

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said it arrested 4,241 persons for drug-related offences in the first half of 2012.

Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, the Head of Public Affairs of the agency, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a phone interview on Friday.

He said the figure was the total arrest made in the 36 states and Abuja.

Ofoyeju said that 3,979 of those arrested were male, while 262 were female.

He said that drugs worth1.08 million kilogrammes were also

Nigeria pending when the Traditional Medicine Council would be established.

Speaking at the occasion, the National President of the National Association of Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), Prof.

Oman Oleabhiele, called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of traditional doctors by establishing mega traditional medicines manufacturing stations in every state of the federation.

confiscated from drug traffickers during the period.

According to Ofoyeju, the drugs include 50,294 kg of cannabis, 149,399 kg of heroin, 58,026 kg of cocaine and 823,877 kg of psychotropic substances.

The NDLEA spokesman said that 978 of the 4,241 persons arrested had been convicted and were serving jail terms.

“The reason why more people are yet to be convicted is because the courts are on recess.

“Once the courts are back in session, the other cases in court would be tried”, Ofoyeju said.

(NAN)

particularly during the five years of the Danbaba administration are too numerous to mention.

Kona observed that the development recorded in road construction, education, health, agriculture and above all security were glaring and cannot be disputed.

In his comments, the chairman Jalingo Youth Development Association (JAYDA), Misah Njiddah who agreed that the state has recorded some level of development in spite of the numerous socio-economic,

political and security challenges, however said more needs to be done.

He said that while more schools were established there were not enough teachers in such schools and the state continues to regress in national and international examinations such as WAEC, NECO and NABTEB. A former Speaker in the State House of Assembly, Hamidu Suleiman, said nothing commendable has been recorded particularly by the present administration in the state.

Bauchi govt committed to reconciliation of Fulani/Sayawa From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

T

he Bauchi state government yesterday assured the citizens of the state that it would continue support any initiative aimed at restoring permanent peace not only in the state but in the entire country.

Press Secretary to Governor Isa Yagudu, Mr. Ishola Michael Adeyemi, made the disclosure in Jos, Plateau state capital where he met with some journalists.

He commended the peace initiative taken by the Sayawa and Fulanis in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa local government areas of the state who

resolved to live in peace with one another and putting the past behind them in the interest of peace which he described as a welcome development.

According to him, “I have it on a very good and reliable authority that already the Fulanis have started returning to Bogoro and the government will continue to support such initiatives aimed at bringing lasting peace to the communities and the state at large”.

He disclosed that already the state government has set-up rebuilding committee to help rebuild all the houses destroyed during crises in those communities.

34-year-old-man, Abubakar Nuhu of Abakwa Quarters, Kaduna, on Friday refused to take an oath that he divorced his wife three times, insisting that he divorced his wife, Aisha twice.

Islam recommends that if a person divorces his wife three times he will not be able to renew the marriage unless she marries another person.

The complainant, Aisha of the same address, appeared before a Kaduna Sharia Court on Aug. 27, seeking for the confirmation of divorce from Nuhu.

Aisha told the court that her husband had served her divorce notice three times but that he had denied the allegation, saying that he only divorced her twice.

“My husband has denied giving me divorce notice three times, which is contrary to Islam for a man to stay with his wife after giving her the third divorce”, she said.

Aisha pleaded with the court to ask her husband to swear if really he had not given her the third divorce notice.

Nuhu, however, told the court that he still loved his wife and wanted her back to his house.

He denied divorcing her three times, saying that he only divorced his wife twice and her parents are aware of that.

“There is no need to take oath. All I know is that I only divorced her two times”, he said.

The judge, Ibrahim Inuwa, said since the husband had failed to swear to justify his claim the court would take a position on the case on the next adjournment.

He adjourned the case to Sept. 7, for judgment. (NAN)

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

News NIPR urges FG to dialogue with Boko Haram UBA

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has decried the poor security situation in the country, calling on the Federal Government to continue efforts to engage belligerent groups in dialogue.

NIPR in a press statement signed by its president, Mohammed Ahmed Abdullahi, stated: “The security situation in the country, especially the

engages new staff

Northern part of it should give all right thinking patriots enough cause for concern”.

The body warned that politicising the crises only “stokes the embers as arguments over what it is and what it is not rage on”.

The institute therefore welcomed the news of “government engaging the leadership of the Jama’atu Ahlissunnati Wadda’wati lil Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram, through

whatever channel”.

It expressed belief that such is a necessary step in the quest for a solution to the problem. It urged the government not to relent or be blackmailed into abandoning this quest; and appealled to the leadership of the sect to avail itself of the opportunity to bring its grievances to the table with a view to bringing to an end the nightmare that the issue has become for people living in so many parts of the country.

IGP M. D. Abubakar

environmental problems.

The minister who stated this, yesterday in Katsina at the opening ceremony of the 2nd stakeholders forum/zonal ECOFAIR, called on states to give attention to this important component.

Similarly Mailafiya urged state governments to accord priority to issues that relate to the environment and ecology

and make adequate budgetary provisions to cater for the selected programmes and projects.

According to her, the Federal Government alone cannot deal with the magnitude of ecological funds, promising the equitable and judicious use utilisation of the ecological fund for projects in all states.

Speaking at the ceremony, the state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, represented by his deputy, Barrister Abdullahi Garba Faskari, said the state has recorded some measure of success on its forestry programme which includes 99 forest reserves and 33 nurseries scattered across the state.

By Isa Abdulwahab

Awareness key in preventing environmental problems – Minister From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

T

he Minister of Environment and chairman committee on ecological problems, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya, has observed that awareness creation constitutes a key ingredient in preventing

Sokoto signs MoU for N35b rice project – Official

T

he Sokoto state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a N35 billion rice production, processing and marketing company.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the firm is being established under a public private partnership (PPP) agreement with a Geneva-based company, Novel Management Services – S.A., Switzerland and an indigenous firm, Novel Commodities Ltd .

A statement signed by Dr. Jabbi Kilgori, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, said that the state targets the production of about 200,000 tonnes of milled rice per annum that would create 10,000 direct jobs.

According to the statement, the MOU was signed sequel to

Gov. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko the recent approval of the project by the State Executive Council.

“This is in the council’s determination to rapidly utilise the vast fertile irrigable Fadama lands in the state for large-scale production of rice in line with the national

Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA)”.

The statement also said that under the arrangement, Novel S.A. would source for development funds and provide the technical and managerial expertise for the design and implementation of the project.

On its part, the state government would provide and secure and suitable lands (25,000 hectares), infrastructure and partly shoulder feasibility studies, the statement said.

It said that a joint venture company, Sonovel Rice Ltd, with equitable shareholding of the partners, has been incorporated to manage the joint venture partnership.

“The project planned for implementation in two phases,

would be located within the River Rima basin, involving a nucleus farm, an out-grower, seed multiplication as well as production system for two rice crops production per year and a 40-tonne per hour rice milling facility”.

It quoted Kilgori as said that the state government had already intimated the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and that of Water Resources about the project and called for their support in actualising the partnership.

The Managing Director of Novel Management services, Mr. Djack Kane, gave assurance that the company would fulfill its obligations in the partnership. (NAN)

9

3 new employees have joined the UBA Group having passed out from a sixmonth intensive training programme that is mandatory for all entry level employees of the bank.

The graduands from the UBA Academy Banking School, were formally welcomed to the UBA family at an induction/ awards ceremony which held at the Amphitheatre of UBA House, a statement by UBA said.

The training programme is part of measures to entrench sound banking practices, strong ethics and professionalism in the operations of the bank that is widely regarded as one of the leading financial institutions in Africa with operations in 19 African countries including Nigeria.

Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Managing Director, UBA Plc, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, said the programme was designed to enable the institution implant the UBA DNA on the trainees as well as helping to determine the areas where the bank’s operation would best fit the inductees.

“The Management Trainee Programme was conceptualised in line with the bank’s service excellence initiative and a people strategy geared towards engaging the best personnel”.

UBA, he stated, has been actively recruiting top African and non-African talents from the continent and in the Diaspora to support the bank’s growth and expansion plans. He charged the graduands to be focused and committed in their new responsibilities.

Courts convicts 36 for ACF berates call to ignore proceeds from oil violating traffick laws in Edo By Jamila Nuhu Musa people pay tax out of the misguided change places. It also knows that

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

3

6 persons were on Thursday, convicted by the IkpobaOkha and Oredo Mobile Magistrate Courts in Edo state for defaulting in the state’s traffic laws.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole

Magistrates Alfred Osamudiamen and Aibeku A. Ihenyen of Ikpoba-Okha and Oredo mobile courts respectively, had found the accused liable for defaulting by driving with expired vehicle particulars, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 7 of the Traffic Law Cap 148, law of the Bendel State of Nigeria 1976 now applicable to Edo state and punishable under section 42 of Road Traffic Law. Addressing newsmen, the executive chairman, Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Oseni Elamah, stated that the exercise was a routine one, adding that the exercise was only aimed at ensuring that the people comply with the law.

T

he Arewa Consultative Fo rum, (ACF) has said that sug gestions in some quarters that northern states should diversify their economies rather than look up to the Niger Delta oil for survival runs contrary to common sense.

The ACF in a statement signed

by Anthony Sani said, “in any case, oil money and consciously directed socio economic development by way of diversification are not mutually exclusive. This is why Norway, Brazil, Russia etc are striving in socio economic development despite possession of oil in abundance.

The forum noted, “It is true that Nigeria is a trust fund state whereby the beneficiaries have no say in the management. But this has more to do with refusal of leaders to make

fear that payment of tax would make Nigerians hold their leaders accountable as well as make judicious use of their democratic rights and vote credible leaders. For example, Brazil’s tax is 36% of the country’s GDP, despite huge exports of iron ore, soya beans and governments are complacent in tax collections for obvious reasons”.

It pointed out that Lagos is in the vanguard of agitations for resource control because it enjoys the advantage of VAT, and revenues from ports that are not results of the state’s consciously directed efforts.

According to the ACF, the north knows that over the long lives of individuals and long history of the nation, the powerful and the powerless, the rich and the poor often

defeat and victory are never final in democracy which is a contest of ideas and reason. The abolition of onshore/offshore dichotomy came from Act of parliament that was in turn inspired by agitations and can bring about review of the constitution as well as amendment of an Act. It added that the agitations for restoration of onshore/offshore dichotomy has been informed by the trite that offshore is not result of efforts of any state and does no violence to environment of any oil producing community . Therefore the issue of using it for compensation cannot arise. What is more, wide gap in incomes among states in the same country cannot make for the desired unity needed by a strong country like Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 7

Kada News

Muslim, Christian clerics brainstorm on peaceful co-existence in Kaduna Stories by Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

A

cross section of Muslim and Christian leaders from across the country rose from a oneday workshop in Kaduna with a resolve to promote peaceful coexistence irrespective of religious or ethnic differences.

National Peace Makers Initiative Forum (NPMIF), in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Foundation organised the programme as part of efforts to find solution to the

current security challenges in parts of the north and in the country at large.

According to NPMIF president, Comrade Bello Sa’eed, Muslim and Christian leaders should in the course of their preaching, insist on telling their followers the truth.

According to him, “we have to understand ourselves, assist ourselves and love one another, irrespective of our differences as we are all Nigerians and we do not have any other country.”

On his part, Pastor Yohanna Margif, from Jos, noted that those who perpetuate violence are

neither Christians nor Muslims, adding that adherents of both religions should not see one another as enemies.

“We want to change people’s mentality and announce to the world that Muslims and Christians can join hands to do anything.

Also speaking at the programme, the president, Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Ibadan, Bishop Goodluck Akpede, said: “We are going to prove to the world that things are not as bad as they are made to believe”.

According to him, those who are aggrieved for whatever reasons

Kaduna records fresh cases of wild polio virus

T

e n new cases of the wild polio virus have been reported in Birnin Gwari, Ikara, Igabi, Kubau and Zaria local government areas of Kaduna state.

Chairman of the State Action Committee on Polio Control and Routine Immunisation Campaign, Malam Mustapha Jumare, who confirmed the report said three cases were recorded in Birnin Gwari local government area, three in Ikara, two in Igabi, and one each in Kubau and Zaria local governments.

According to Jumare, the total figure represents 10 percent of the 70 cases recorded in Nigeria as at last week even as he traced the fresh cases of polio in Kaduna to “migrant nomads.”

He said that his committee was partnering with the National Commission for Nomadic Education and neighbouring states to identify Fulani settlements and cattle routes for the immunisation campaign while September 22 has been fixed for the next round of the

immunisation exercise in the state.

He regretted further that the new cases may not also be unconnected with identified cases of “missed children” Jumare added that identified cases of “missed children” as well as lack of cooperation from some parents, during immunisation days.

“Nigeria achieved 95 percent reduction in polio cases in 2010 and Kaduna state had consistently remained polio-free for three years until now”, Jumare said.

should channel their grievances through the normal way of dialogue while government should endeavour to give a listening ear to the aspirations of the people.

“Somebody must have been wronged and somebody must have been cheated somehow, so, winners in electoral process should not take all and losers must embrace the winners”, Akpede said.

Climax of the ceremony was presentation of gift items to some lessprivileged persons as well as an award of Peace Advocate, to Sa’eed, by students of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

KASU: Kafanchan campus begins undergraduate programmes October

A

L-R: Sheikh Tajudeen Oyebanji Secretary, PACRONG, Covener, Alhaji Muhammed Bello Sa'idu and Chairman of the occasion and President, PACRONG, Bishop Goodluck Akpede.

uthorities at the Kaduna State University (KASU), say full undergraduate programmes will commence at the Kafanchan campus of the school in October.

The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Quirix Barnabas William, disclosed while conducting Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa on an inspection visit to the school.

Already, according to William, about 250 students are currently undergoing various programmes at the institution’s School of Basic Studies, in preparation for the commencement of the degree programmes.

In his remarks, Yakowa said his government was committed to making KASU a model for others to emulate.

According to him, “I am saying that with the highest sense of responsibility and I know how hard the Vice Chancellor and the Council are working hard to bring the best of facilities to this campus.

Small-scale industrialist laments crippling bottlenecks in investment

A

small-scale industrialist, Hamza Imam Bakori, says g o v e r n m e n t ’ s bureaucratic bottlenecks make it virtually impossible for small and medium scale enterprises to thrive.

Having spent over 20 years in Germany, Bakori returned to Nigeria two years ago and invested his savings in the establishment of Bakori Metal Works in Kaduna.

According to him, “I decided to come back home because of what the present government and late President Umaru Yar’Adua said, asking Nigerians in the Diaspora to return home and help salvage the economy.

“But with my experience in the past two years, I doubt if government really wants small and medium scale industries to thrive because there is no encouragement and this is contrary to the impressions the government gives.

“We are a metal fabrication outfit and the word fabrication does not just imply one or two things but anything metal construction, we are into it. If given any specification, we will deliver but government outfits like NERFUND and SMEDAN claim they give assistance to encourage outlets like ours but they give virtually impossible conditions.

“If it were in Europe, with all I have here in the company, it is good enough for any bank without any delay to offer me any credit so that we can start production.

“I have a partner company in Germany that is willing to come to Nigeria but they want to see us making headway before they can come in.

“People who are willing to invest will go anywhere and invest and all the talk about security challenges is not true. The Americans, British and French still go to Afghanistan, Pakistan to invest. There are businessmen going to these countries in spite of the fact that there is a lot of fighting going on in these places and Nigeria’s case is not the worst”.

KDSG signs N56 million contract with civil society organisations

T

he Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board has engaged 12 civil society organisations (CSOs) to revive the School Based Management Committees (SBMC) and train 8,640 members in 480 primary schools across 10 local government areas in the state.

The local government areas are, Giwa, Igabi, Jaba, Jema’a, Kaduna South, Kubau, Sabon Gari, Zangon Kataf, Lere and Ikara.

Speaking during the

ceremony, Executive Chairman of the Board, Ishaya Dary Akau, said that the training would equip the participants with the necessary skills to improve the quality of teaching and learning and help the children secure a successful future.

“This initiative will pave way for 8,640 members of the SBMCs from these 480 schools to be trained on their roles and responsibilities using the Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) model so that they can

adequately represent, protect and serve as the voice of their communities,” he noted.

“The decision to engage the CSOs was inspired by the performance of the 165 SBMCs they have supported their revival in seven local government areas of Kajuru, Kachia, Kaura, Kauru, Kaduna North, Makarfi and Kudan, leading to tremendous increase in school enrolment.

“The increased enrolment rate as seen in the schools within these

seven LGEAs has been between 4.9 percent – 200 percent within a space of two years.

“Based on the efforts of the state for having functional SBMC in place, a nine-man delegation from UBEC was sent to Kaduna state in May 2011 to share experience and best practices on SBMC which led to the adoption of the ESSPIN model in resuscitating SBMCs across the federation.

The CSOs engaged are, ABANTU for Development, GAWON Foundation, Life Line

Education Development Centre, FANTSUAM Foundation, Hope for the Village Child, Millennium Hope Programme, Gender Awareness Trust (GAT), JEBI Educational Services Ltd, Support Health and Education for Development (SHED), Waje District Development Association (WDDA), Women of Vision Development Initiative (WVDI) and Youth in Action Supporting Community Initiative and Development (YOTASCID).

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Focus

Cynthia: Facebook tragedy and matters arising

By Jamila Nuhu Musa and Nasiru Mua'zu Isa

M

o s t often, hotels are responsible for providing and maintaining adequate standards of security for their guests. In legal terms, that's a "duty of care" standard which translates into making sure doors are secure and, where appropriate, monitored; keeping your room number confidential, making sure that window and door locks work properly, and such other precautionary measures but is this the situation in most hotels in Nigeria?

Reports of how some face book friends gruesomely murdered a young lady, Cynthia Akuzogwu Udoka is still fresh in our memories.

The search for the 24 year old, who was declared missing since the 24th of July, 2012 ended when her corpse was discovered recently.

Giving more insight into the dastardly act, the Nigeria Police Force Spokesperson, Mr. Frank Mbah, while speaking during a programme monitored in Abuja, revealed that after she was strangulated, her killers took time to wash the bed sheets and cleaned the scene of crime to remove any trace of their brutal deeds.

The submission further that the corpse of the girl was discovered after two days throws up unsavoury questions about our hospitality industry, making the hotel in this case culpable even though the CCTV cameras in the hotel were instrumental in the identification of the suspects.

Mbah said part of the strategy used in arresting the culprits was through phone calls made by the suspects as well as scrutinising the facebook and Black Berry phones . He said despite the disadvantages of the social media, it equally enhanced investigations into the case of the late Cynthia. According to him, despite the huge advantages of social media, it has been frequently used to perpetrate crimes in Nigeria.

Mr. Mbah however, implored the public to be careful in sharing information on the internet and also take precautions when going to see someone you had met online.

Part of the blame for the young woman's death was also placed on the management of the hotel for negligence and lack of proper security

Cynthia Akuzogwu Udoka measures.

According to Country Director of Global Rights network, Biodun Bayewo, "the hotel is culpable.

It is only in Nigeria that you can walk into any hotel without giving your real identity. Most Nigerians, even if they do not have international passports as a sign of identification should have a driving license or some form of identification". Bayewo said, also as guest of the programme.

This brings to the fore the lack of proper checking- in procedures and security strategies of the hospitality industry in Nigeria which all stakeholders including the tourism sector should look at, said the speakers.

However, many hotels now place full-time surveillance cameras in their complexes and public areas surrounding their outfits but there is still more to be done bearing in mind that the CCTVs are not mandated in many places. But if a hotel is in a known dangerous location, management has a responsibility to warn its guests, more so people with

criminal tendencies could bribe hotel staff to have their ways.

Hotels are generally liable for damages to or assaults on guests by its employees.

However, problems caused by other guests are generally not the hotel's responsibility unless some form of obvious contributory negligence was involved.

Investigations revealed that Cynthia met her killers through Facebook, one of the many social networking sites available to the public. She had been chatting with her new friends for some time and loyal friendship was established with some young men who were allegedly, also University students even though the universities have denied this fact.

Cynthia was cajoled by these young men to come to Lagos and purchase the stock for her boutique with them. On arrival they took her to a hotel in Festac Town where they raped and later strangled her after realizing she had no money with her.

In a bid to avoid being connected to the murder, the

men removed Cynthia from their Facebook friends.

The hotel management which later found her lifeless body deposited her body at a Lagos mortuary. Since her IDs and mobile phone have been stolen, there was no way they could contact her family.

Hotels are generally required to maintain their properties in a safe condition.

That means removing or isolating hazardous conditions.

Hotels should monitor, fence off, or otherwise protect guests, especially children from

"attractive" hazards such as swimming pools. Also, hotels must adhere to all local building codes and requirements, fire regulations, requirements for nonhazardous upholstery materials, and such other things.

They are also responsible for providing a room in good condition for occupancy. That includes sanitary bathroom facilities, adequate ventilation of air conditioning, keep insects or mosquitoes and other pests at bay, and other similar basics.

According to reports, hotels are responsible for damage, loss, or theft of personal property in guests' rooms.

These days, however, most hotels guarantee such property only if it is deposited in a hotel's safe, which the hotel must provide to avoid in-room liability. Many hotels post "not responsible for loss or damage to personal property" notices, but as far as many people know, those don't really reduce the hotel's liability.

Clearly, not all valuables can be stored in a hotel safe, including such high-value items as computers, fur coats, cameras, and such. Here, the standard of hotel responsibility seems to depend on whether or not the hotel can be considered "negligent" in its security procedures. Also, hotels are generally allowed to confiscate personal property to pay a current unpaid bill.

The development questions the issue of proper identification of individuals in Nigeria. Despite efforts of the government in ensuring people are properly identified for record keeping, there are still a lot of Nigerians who lack proper form identification while the gross abuse of drugs by youths and even adults is another matter for concern as well as incessant raping of women.

“

Part of the blame for the young woman's death was also placed on the management of the hotel for negligence and lack of proper security measures.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 9

Cover

New N5000 notes, dead on arrival?

By Aminu Imam, Abdulwahab Isa, Abdulrahman Abdulraheem & Agaju Madugba

L

a s t week's announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to introduce new N5, 000 notes with effect from next year comes less than a decade after the introduction of N1, 000 naira notes and this will be the fifth time in 13 years that new denomination notes will be added to the country's currency notes.

It would be recalled that after weeks of speculation, the CBN finally confirmed last week that it has concluded arrangements to restructure the naira, which would see all denominations of the currency redesigned with new features and the introduction of a higher denomination of N5, 000.

Under the new structure, the existing denominations of N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1, 000 will be redesigned with new security features while the lower banknote denominations of N5, N10 and N20 will be coined.

The CBN governor said that new currency would be introduced early next year under the CBN's currency re-design programme tagged 'Project Cure.'

The planned N5, 000 note front design would carry the portraits of three prominent Nigerian women- Margret Ekpo, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba while the back would bear the pictorial portrait of the National Assembly complex.

According to Sanusi, though the apex bank routinely restructures the currency, this particular exercise was planned to overcome several challenges, which came from the currency restructuring carried out by his predecessor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, few years back.

In announcing the new denomination, Sanusi said the new N5, 000 notes would help the country's economy by providing a "befitting currency structure."

The proposal, according to some experts, does have logistical upsides. Large purchases in Nigeria often involve bricks of 1,000 naira notes carried around in black plastic bags. Banks throughout the country must have "bulk counting rooms," where tellers wearing surgical masks run piles of bills through counting machines.

Bank ATMs also can quickly run out of cash over weekends.

Financial analysts say that although, higher denominations, if introduced, would make it easier to move large quantities of cash, the CBN's plan has come

under fierce attacks from eminent Nigerians, political parties and public institutions, with most commentators calling for a rejection of the whole idea saying it would worsen the nation's economic problems.

Some critics however, say the proposed N5, 000 notes will be inconsistent with the monetary policy position of the CBN over the past two years and, in particular, this year.

Industry experts have also expressed worry that the move would not only speed up the devaluation of the currency and hurt the nation's lower class but would do more harm than good to the Nigerian economy.

They say the effect the new currency regime could have on those buying goods in the many local markets, in a nation where most earn less than $1 a day, could be a tremendous pinch on pockets.

Speaking to our correspondent, a senior management consultant and chartered accountant, who didn't want to be named, wondered why the N5, 000 notes should be introduced now when naira has lost considerable value. "What CBN should be thinking is how to raise the value of naira like other countries are doing", he said, noting that there is no wisdom in that introduction, which definitely will fuel

inflation with adverse effects on our economy.

He stated that by the policy, CBN only aims to reduce the cost of printing the naira.

Inflationary impact Many have expressed the worry that the new note will invariably accelerate the disappearance of low denomination notes and coins and engender an inflationary push. Sanusi himself noted the higher-value notes will mean there's less currency in circulation throughout the country.

Professor of Economics and former Director-General, Nigeria Institute of Economic and Social Research, Ibadan, Mike Obadan, is another financial expert who spoke against the proposal.

He said: "It is totally unnecessary. The conditions that could necessitate the introduction of large denominations of the naira are not in operation, for example, hyper inflation. The government has consistently given official inflation figures in the lower double digit range, suggesting a non-hyper inflation."

Former President of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu however

Contd on pages 10&11

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Cover

New N5000 notes, dead on arrival?

Contd from page 9 differed on the insinuation that the plan is capable of increasing inflation, insisting there was no relationship between high denomination and high inflation.

"I don't support the argument that it would fuel inflation. This is because there is no study anywhere that has shown that higher denominations increase inflation.

"The only problem is the nature of our economy which is characterized by low productivity, low manufacturing processes, high interest rate regime and so on. If the economy was strong, there would be no reason to worry about higher denomination fuelling inflation.

"Look at a country like Japan for instance, they have the 10,000 Yen as a single denomination, yet it is not causing inflation. This could be due to the strong economy. That does not mean that we need higher denominations right now.

What I think the CBN should be considering is revaluing the currency or redenomination like they did in Ghana," Unegbu said.

Also, a chartered accountant and managing director, NetCorp Consulting based in Kaduna, Mr. Leke Fakayode said the introduction of the N5, 000 notes will lead to the coinage of N100, which "going by the Nigerian experience, is next to being consigned to oblivion" and warned that Nigerians should be guided by the history of our experience in minting higher denominations of the naira.

"Printing higher denomination devalues the currency and is an indirect acknowledgment that our currency is not doing well in the foreign exchange market," Fakayode said.

"There are many other implications of printing higher denominations of the naira. First, it will render the talk about a cashless society a farce and a matter of lip service only.

"Second, large denomination will aid the perpetration of fraudulent financial activities and counterfeiting. Third, it will also facilitate corruption in government business. Fourth, the conversion of 5 and10 naira notes to coins may promote inflation in the economy as the public's aversion to high denomination coins may drive prices of small items of goods and services up," he stated.

He also said it is inconsistent with the current CBN's "cashless" economy. "The talk about large naira bill is inconsistent with the cashless society policy of the CBN. A cash-less society policy implies less use of cash for transactions while preference is for electronic means of payment and transfers.

"The government cannot be de-emphasizing the use of cash with one hand and promoting the opposite with another. This is what a larger denomination of

President Goodluck Jonathan naira bill would entail," he said.

According to him: "The expenditure for notes design and its printing are adequate seed capital for a number of small and medium business schemes. The N5, 000 currency note is not a priority item for economic management at this time."

He advised the CBN not to countenance the introduction of any higher denomination of the naira or embark on another major reform at the moment in order to avoid the problem of one reform too many without consideration for the absorptive capacity of the economy.

In his remarks, Sanusi said that "inflation in Nigeria is a monetary phenomenon," while pointing to the nations of Germany, Japan and Singapore as nations with large denomination notes and low inflation rates.

However, analysts have argued that those nations have manufacturing bases unrivaled

by Nigeria, which has a weak industrial sector and remains almost entirely dependent on crude oil exports for government spending.

A financial expert and Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Society for Analytical Economics, Dr. Godwin Owoh said that if the policy is carried out, it would not only lead to inflation but would increase the ability to carry out cash transactions.

He said the activities of the CBN were becoming more commercial in nature, suggesting that this was more of a fiscal policy than a monetary one and that it should be decided by either the Minister of Finance or the President.

Owoh said: "If this policy is carried out, it will only give the bank's management the capacity to award more contracts, making

CBN Gov. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi it a purely selfish and commercial endeavor. The CBN has been carrying out commercial activities, which are normal banking operations - they set rules on how to withdraw or not to withdraw money."

Though the CBN has invested a lot into the cashless policy and point of sale terminals, 100,000 units of hardware for etransactions have been installed in different places. These would likely suffer due to switch of attention to printing of new notes.

"The process of printing money is clearly a fiscal issue.

Embarking on this policy would indicate a lack of harmony between the fiscal and monetary policies," he said.

Implication on cashless policy Though he did not disclose the cost implication of the new higher note and the re-designing of the old ones, in justifying the introduction of higher bill, Sanusi said the bill would complement the bank's cashless policy as it would substantially reduce the volume of currency in circulation, particularly in the long term.

But financial critics have suggested that it would be a contradiction to the CBN policy to migrate to a cashless economy.

According to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the move will not only increase corruption and inflation but it will also negate the cashless economy policy.

Former CIBN President, Unegbu also said: "I don't see the basis for the plan by the CBN to introduce the N5,000 denomination particularly with the on-going cashless policy."

"The aim of the cashless policy is to fight corruption and money laundering and also reduce the high cash movement.

The introduction of higher

denomination would only be encouraging the very things that the cash-less policy is fighting against," he opined.

Also, an economist, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives, said that there was no need for high denomination notes with the cashless policy in place, but added that it would not negate the policy.

"The fact is that the plan was conceptualized about four years ago before the introduction of the cashless policy. Now, with the cashless policy on ground, we don't need the high denomination notes as everybody is going cashless," he said.

Also, as the cashless policy is extended to five other states as well as Abuja from next year, analysts believe that higher denominations, if introduced by the CBN, would surely result in more people paying more and more processing fees for both lodgments and withdrawals as there would be more cash to contend with in the system.

Coins Usage Changing smaller denominations to coins represents a risk as well. Critics have argued that the value of minting coins in the financial system is higher than their metal value. Sanusi himself acknowledged the "public apathy" that greeted coins already in circulation. By making up to N20 a coin, there will be pressure among those in Nigeria's informal economy to raise prices to avoid accepting the coins. That could mean rising prices on everything from tomatoes in the local market to rides on taxis and achabas (or okadas).

A chieftain of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mr. Denis Aghanya has also said that

the conversion of the lowest denominations to coins would not work because Nigerians would abuse it and melt it into aluminum products for commercial purposes.

Opposition's stance Politicians from across the country have also urged the apex bank to carry Nigerians along in the processes leading to the implementation of the policy.

Nigeria's foremost opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has asked the CBN to have a rethink on its intention, stressing that its demerits far outweigh the merits.

In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party warned that though the introduction of this new high denomination may serve the dual purpose of raising revenue for government on the one hand and reduce the cost of transactions on the other hand, the unintended consequences and collateral damage of introducing the N5,000 may far outweigh the benefits.

According to the party, there is strong historical evidence that the introduction of higher and higher face value currency notes in an economy often signifies a regime of increased and sustained fiscal deficit financing.

The party said that the close relationship between inflation and the issuance of high value currency notes is perhaps best illustrated with real life experiences of a number of countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Poland, Angola, Zaire/DRC and Zimbabwe.

The Secretary of an NGO, the Campaign for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (CCHR), Mr. Toyin Raheem also said that government needed to enlighten the people before introducing a

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 11

Cover

New N5000 notes, dead on arrival?

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa

Contd from page 10

currency review policy in Abuja on Thursday, Okarafo argued that the introduction of N5, 000 notes will not cause increase in the prices of goods as is being insinuated since the apex bank is not increasing the money supply.

"The talk of inflation cannot be backed by any economic theory. I challenge those who are saying this to come forward with their facts," he said.

Asked if the bank is coming up with a direct policy to avoid inflation that may arise from the currency review, he insisted that the CBN does not have the magic wand to stop inflation, urging Nigerians to patronize locally made goods which will lead to more local production, as part of ways to control inflation.

"It is being a long time we restructured our currency and this time, we believe the currency is due for a comprehensive restructuring. We have to stay ahead of counterfeiters. We also need to move with the world."

"Aside the new security features, we also need to assist the visually-impaired Nigerians because the new currency will be printed in such a way that blind people can tell the difference from other notes by merely touching it."

He continued: "We also intend to give the currency good aesthetic value because it is our own and we have to do our best to make it exciting. It is also part of the plan to honour our heroines using the currency. That is why we have great women like Gambo Sawaba, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti and Margareth Ekpo on the N5, 000 note."

Speaking further on the gains of the new currency, the CBN spokesman said it will assist traders in reducing the volume of cash they carry about to conduct their businesses.

new denomination.

According to him, the introduction of a higher naira denomination always brings about unanticipated challenges.

Meanwhile, former Governor of old Kaduna state and Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, (CNPP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa have called for the removal of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi over new N5,000 controversy.

Musa, a professional accountant, described CBN's introduction of N5, 000 currency notes as an economic suicide that would hit Nigerians hard.

The elder statesman, while speaking in Kaduna, said opposition parties were too weak to challenge Federal Government's negative policies against the masses.

He said: "The CBN governor has engaged in so many symbolic issues in this country. The N5, 000 note announced by the CBN is unnecessary at this critical time.

"Secondly, the N5, 000 note will aid Nigerian politicians to steal money easily even more than before. Thirdly, there will be more inflation.

"What you have in Nigeria is civilian dictatorship; not positive but negative dictatorship. It is only in this country our so- called leaders wake up and announce what they want to do without due consultations.

"The Federal Government did it in the name of privatization and got away with it and this N5, 000 note too they will succeed because there is no strong opposition to challenge government's negative policies."

National Assembly opposes move

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions has opposed the proposed introduction of N5, 000 notes by the CBN without the approval of the National Assembly.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Bassey Otu, who made this known while fielding questions from National Assembly correspondents last week said that the Senate believed that the project required parliamentary approval because it had numerous and fiscal implications on the economy.

Also, the House Committee on Banking and Currency has summoned the CBN Governor over the issue. Chairman of the committee, Chukwuma Jones Onyeriri stated that they summoned the CBN to provide further clarification on its proposed plan.

CBN remains adamant Insisting on the policy, CBN's Director of Corporate Communication, Ugochukwu Okarafo however said that the leadership of the National Assembly had been briefed informally about the policy, adding that whenever the apex bank's management is invited to the chambers, the lawmakers would be briefed officially.

He also disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the policy since December 19th, 2011, adding that the implementation of the policy will go on as planned.

The CBN spokesman noted that Nigerians opposing the new naira restructuring policy needed to settle down and understand the gains of the policy, adding that it is best for the country's economy.

Briefing newsmen on the

He contended that most Nigerians ask for higher denomination of currencies when they go to bank and wondered why they are criticizing the N5, 000 notes.

"In the CBN, we are sure a good number of Nigerians will need this denomination, that is why we are introducing it and if it is not needed, it won't be in circulation. So, the critics should not bother. In the US, the 100 dollar note is more in circulation because most people do not ask for the higher notes," Okarafo argued.

He argued further that the country will save a lot of tax payers' funds in printing N5, 000 notes than the lower denominations, saying that it costs the CBN a lot to produce, process and transport currencies.

He however debunked the insinuation that the new policy will cost the government N40 billion.

Okarafo also denied the argument that the new higher notes will ease corruption, saying those who have reasons to conceal the amount of money they carry about do not need N5, 000 notes as they are already using the dollars.

He noted that the dollarization of the economy is part of what the CBN wanted to reduce by the new policy.

Organised Labour retains opposition The General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Issa Aremu, who also doubles as the Vice President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) vehemently opposed the currency review in an interview with our Kaduna correspondent "NLC We are strongly opposed

to the proposed introduction of higher banknote of N5000 next year as announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under its currency redesign programme tagged `Project Cure.' Lower banknote denominations of N5, N10, and N20 will also be coined according to the Central Bank of Nigeria. The current highest banknote of N1000 was introduced in 2005. We had currency review in 2007 and 2009. It should not be customary for every CBN governor to change the nation's banknotes.

Incessant turning out of higher banknotes is an attempt to legitimize the devaluation of the Nigerian currency. There is a direct relationship between higher banknotes and devaluation of the currency."

He continued: "The CBN should concentrate on stabilizing the value of the naira rather than legitimizing the devaluation of the currency.

CBN under Sanusi Lamido Sanusi should continue with the good work it is doing with respect to revival of manufacturing sector and management of inflation and interest rates. The double digit inflation rate as we currently have cannot take us out of the economic crisis.

Psychologically, for the working people, it means they work so much for little notes with introduction of N5000. This may fuel crisis of expectation for more wage increase as bigger banknotes will be chasing fewer goods. Nigeria is better with smaller banknotes that can deliver goods and services rather than higher bills without any value."

Corroborating his deputy's position, NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, who spoke at the 8th Biennial Delegates' Conference of the Metal Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (MEPROSSAN) in Lagos same day, insisted that the policy was designed by external interests to destroy the nation's economy and called for collective action against it.

His words: "Comrades, the recent proposal by the Central Bank of Nigeria is one of those policies we must be prepared to vigorously oppose. We see in the proposal a policy contradiction that completely exposes our policy makers as playing the devil's advocate.

"Most of these policies are clearly not designed by them but obviously by institutions outside our shores. Comrades, we must collectively oppose this and we must not allow the CBN continue with this clearly unnecessary project.

"We believe the CBN should not supervise the total collapse of our economy with the introduction of a policy that has historically led to the total collapse or subjugation of the economies of some countries in Africa, Europe and South America."

Contd on page 13

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Man in the News

Exit of a controversial Professor

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

U

n l i k e most Nigerians who were born without spoons at all, he was born 51 years ago with a fairly good spoon. He had the best education in the best schools and in the best country.

He studied, lived and taught in the country known as the God's own state where he also for several decades and going by his success as an academic, he is regarded as one of Nigeria's best exports who are invited by government at crucial moments for important assignment such as ailing economy.

Going by his educational background and exposure as well as his public posture, he is expected to know more than a little about global best practice, ethical standards and conflict of interest.

Up till few days ago, he was one of the movers and shakers of this country. A super minister, heading a key ministry, he is also seen to be so crucial to the government's Transformation Agenda that no one would ever think he could be booted out in such manner.

He was booted out of power by the same hurricane that catapulted him to stardom because he fumbled when it mattered most.

He wanted to have his share of the proverbial national cake in his hand and in his pouch. The same cake he still wanted to eat.

Almost throughout the years of his public service, he had a running battle with the electricity workers' union and Labour in general. So many times he was embarrassed and locked out of the gate of the PHCN headquarters in Abuja.

It all had to do with the ongoing privatisation of the seven successor companies and his alleged reluctance to pay workers their complete severance pays.

The workers also accused him of having personal interests in the whole privatisation process. The same issues have now consumed his tenure. The workers were right.

He fought back because he had a case.

He accused the PHCN union leaders of stealing pension funds contributed by workers over the years instead of remitting them to government coffers.

He called them saboteurs. As far as he was concerned, they were enemies who were hellbent on scuttling the progress he was bringing to the power sector He carried on his duties with this air of self-assurance and the arrogance associated with power.

He travelled all over the world and signed MoUs with virtually all known and unknown energy firms but all Nigerians saw was darkness and no light.

If it is not gas shortage, it has to be something else. They kept promising unending power supply.

Even when Nigerians saw a slight improvement in power recently, they dashed our hope by saying it won't last and that, we would return to the status quo after the rainy season.

Now that the man has fallen from his Olympian height like a pack of badly arranged cards, everybody is jubilating.

TUC is dancing, NLC is singing while NUEE is rejoicing.

Even Labaran Maku has expressed confidence on behalf of the Federal

Professor Barth Nnaji

Government that the development will bring credibility to the privatisation of the power sector as well as reassured foreign investors that Nigeria is ready to wipe out corruption.

This is interesting really. For the first time, government is admitting that there has never been anything close to credibility and transparency in its business in the last two years or so.

Barth Nnaji, Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, former Presidential candidate, former Minister of Science and Technology, former Presidential Adviser on Power and now former Minister of Power, had biten more than he could chew and the President showed him the exit door.

Announcing the development on Tuesday, Dr Reuben Abati's statement that his resignation had been accepted confirmed that the man didn't really resign by himself. In fact, the emphasis on "with immediate effect" showed that the Presidency was actually through with him.

It went thus: "President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has accepted the resignation with immediate effect of the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji.

President Jonathan thanks Prof.

Nnaji for his services to the nation under the present administration and wishes him well in his future endeavours."

Few hours later, it was an opportunity for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) through its mouthpiece, Labaran Maku to brag that the government is serious about restoring credibility to the privatisation process of the PHCN companies.

He explained that coming at a time that the country was working hard to attract foreign investors, Prof. Nnaji's resignation would reassure such investors all over the world and reinforce their confidence in the process.

According to him, "he resigned to give credibility to the process of privatisation

of the power sector."

"It will not hamper the process but reassure investors all over the world.

This is the intention of the minister following conflict of interest. It will reinforce confidence in the process."

The issues are simple. His unceremoniously exit was widely believed to be connected with the not-sohonourable role he played in the privatisation of the successor companies unbundled from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) currently undergoing technical evaluations by prospective bidders.

Since Friday last week, Nnaji has found himself in the midst of a conflict of interest scandal over the planned privatisation of Afam power plant in Rivers state.

According to reports, he told the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) meeting that he had interest in a consortium that bid for the lucrative plant, starting a chain of events that led to his ouster.

The council meeting, headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, was held to conduct an appraisal of the evaluation of the bids for Afam, Geregu, Kanji, Shiroro, Sapele and Ugheli power plants.

Speaking on the issues, Nnaji said he opted to resign in order to save the privatisation and reform programme from those who might want to use ulterior motives to bring down the programme.

Nnaji said he had met with the President Tuesday afternoon, during which he (President) informed him (Nnaji) that he was using his company as a proxy to buy shares on behalf of the President in Afam power station through the privatization process.

On hearing this, he informed the President that rather than drag him (Jonathan) and the entire process through the mud, he would prefer to resign but reminded the President that

he had brought it to his attention two weeks ago that a company he owned was part of a bidding consortium that had submitted bids for Enugu Distribution Company.

Nnaji explained that there have been all sorts of efforts to bring him down since his appointment as Special Adviser to the President on Power and later Power Minister, but decided on Tuesday that it was best to leave rather than allow 5th columnists mar the entire process.

"It is a huge conspiracy to scuttle the programme, but rather than drag the President and the programme down, I decided to tender my resignation," he said.

When asked if the independent power company he owns, Gemetric Power, would withdraw from the consortium bidding for Enugu Disco, Nnaji said: "As far as I am concerned, the bid is still alive.

"I know that they set up a new committee to re-evaluate the bids, but I don't know if the process will still be fair after what has happened."

There was however, no doubt, that if his resignation letter had arrived the President's table a minute later, his dismissal letter would have met him in the office.

The President was said to have been very disappointed that Nnaji, who should have known better, had gone ahead to bid for Enugu Distribution Company, despite the Code of Ethics of the privatisation process which bars staff of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and members of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) from buying shares in companies being privatised.

Participation by two companies linked to Nnaji in the power privatisation process had compelled the NCP to cancel the technical bid evaluation process conducted for Afam and Enugu Disco last week.

While celebrating Nnaji’s exit, the NLC has gone ahead to accuse him of more fraudulent practices and called on the President to go a step further to investigate his alleged financial malfeasance while in office.

No one is sure if the authorities will take up such challenge, after Barth Nnaji, who is next?

“

Even Labaran Maku has expressed confidence on behalf of the Federal Government that the development will bring credibility to the privatisation of the power sector as well as reassured foreign investors that Nigeria is ready to wipe out corruption.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 13

Vox pop

Nigerians slam currency review policy Nigerians who spoke to our reporter, Aisha Biola Raji unanimously criticized the decision by the Federal Government to introduce N5,000 notes, saying it will cause inflation, ease looting of funds by government officials and make life more unbearable for the masses.

Chris Ajayi, Entrepreneur We are dancing to the tune of IMF I am not in support of the N5000 notes, what for? It will only create inflation. People will suffer for it; we don't have to keep dancing to the tune of IMF all the time. We should start thinking of policies that will benefit the masses not those that would make things more difficult than they really are right now. I don't see how it will help boost our economy; it is not a wise decision.

Williams Emmanuel Nigerians are tired of monkey de work baboon dey chop strategy Bringing N5000 note into circulation is not what the present day government should be looking at.

I expect this government to see to the issue of fuel subsidy, we are tired of this monkey dey work, baboon dey chop strategy. How far have they gone with subsidy money embezzled by a handful of Nigerians? They should not keep making life unbearable for us that do not have any knowledge of how or where to get this national cake.

Life is difficult for youths; bringing such high denomination will not do any good but further devalue our already devalued currency.

Bilikisu Isiaq , Trader It will make things more expensive I do not support this N5000 notes, it will increase the price of things in the market and people will start blaming traders. If somebody is selling goods worth N4000 and he is given N5000, he or she may find it difficult to get balance for the customer because what he or she is selling is not up to that amount. It will affect us badly.

Thelma, Beautician It will be difficult to get change for your customer If such denomination is introduced, traders will have difficulties in getting change. People will even become stingy, no more tips as they will find it very difficult to part with their N5000 and it will be embarrassing to start going about looking for change.

Kabir Muhammad Bello, Businessman What good did N1000 do for the economy?

"Maybe the government needs the denomination for good packaging or why will they introduce a policy that will only bring hardship to the people?

We don't want this denomination

Bilikisu Isiaq

Williams Emmanuel

Chris Ajayi

Mallama Wasilat Yusuf

Kabir Muhammad Bello

Thelma

even if they say it is for the good of our economy. What good did the N1000 do for the economy? Why have they continued to take us for a ride? This government has always been dictatorial.

How can a government introduce a policy without seeking the opinion of the people? We wake up every day with different policies that only increase the suffering of the masses while they keep smiling to the bank at our expense. We are still waiting for the outcome of the subsidy report; let them see it to end of that before they completely devalue our naira notes.

Mallama Wasilat Yusuf

Pure water will be sold for N20 It is sad that this government is thinking of introducing the N5000 note at this critical period. Pure water will be selling at N20 since there won't be N10 and N5 again. We all know that anytime they change these currencies to coins, people stop using them, they will disappear and the smallest unit of item will be selling for N20. I hope they intend to double workers' salaries because this is inflation staring the people in the face. Who are these economists? Has N1000 note improved our economy?

How is N5000 going to improve it?

We are tired of this cock and bull

stories they keep telling us when they want to rob us of our peace of mind.

If my voice actually counts, I am not in support of the N5000 note.

Mrs. Fatima Idowu Sambo, Housewife We don't want it, government should solve more serious problems The Federal Government should think of how to solve more serious problems facing the nation and should not heap more suffering on the masses. We are not interested in using higher denomination; they are doing it in their selfish interest to ease looting. We don't want the N5000 naira note.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Interview Why we don’t have Sabon Gari and Tudun Wada quarters- Wazirin Katsina, Lugga Wazirin Katsina, Dr. Sani Abubakar Lugga, at a function recently in Katsina state, provided the historical perspective on why Katsina did not comply with a directive during the colonial era in 1919, for the 24 provinces across Nigeria to adopt a policy of carving special quarters called Sabon Gari and Tudun Wada for non indigenes.

Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, was there.

D

r. Lugga said that in 1919, the Colonialists tasked the 24 provinces across Nigeria to adopt a policy of carving special quarters called Sabon Gari for the Christian minorities living in Muslim dominated areas and for Muslims living in Christian dominated areas.

Similarly, Tudun Wada quarters were carved out for non-indigenous Muslims living away from their homes.

When this was going on across the country, the founding fathers of Katsina, according to the Waziri, rejected the idea and allowed all communities in the area to live as door to door neighbors. He said, “So in Katsina we have no places like Sabon Gari or Tudun Wada where the non-indigenes live”.

Here, every one whether indigene or non-indigene lives in the same quarters as neighbors. This has eliminated crisis because if you decide to burn the houses or shops of non-indigenes it would equally affect your brother’s shop because they live side by side”. This is the reason behind peaceful co-existence among various communities living in Katsina State today, he emphasized.

The Wazirin Katsina who is also a specialist on peace and conflicts, buttressed his point based on the history of Islam and the life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and argued that while in Madina, the Holy Prophet lived side by side with the Christians and Jews, where he said due to the Islamic justice and the exemplary life of the Prophet, their rights, lives and property were protected by the Islamic state. He stated, “The Prophet of Islam Muhammad (SAW) was reported to have been visiting the Christian and Jewish neighbors in Madina, shared meals with them and as a leader dealt

with them justly and fairly”. He similarly noted that among the beneficiaries of Zakkat were friendly Christians and Jews, and Islam encouraged marrying the daughters of friendly Christians and Jews and to interact socially and commercially with them”.

Digging further into Islamic history, Dr. Abubakar Lugga disclosed that when the Muslims in Mecca were persecuted by their kinsmen in Mecca, the Holy Prophet encouraged them to migrate to Abyssinian Kingdom in the year 617 AD. The Kingdom of Abyssinia which is today called Ethiopia was ruled by a Christian ruler where the Holy Prophet said “they would get sanctuary and justice from the Christian king”. He also stated that the then King Ac%ama ibn Abjar, Negus of Abyssinia described the difference between Islam and Christianity as, “ only a thin line like this” using the royal staff of office he was holding in his right hand to scratch the floor and make a thin line.

Lugga argued that Allah (SWT) encourages Muslims to deal justly in all transactions with all persons particularly the people of the book.

According to him “Allah (SWT) never derogates Christians and Jews as Idolaters or pagans. He refers to Christians and Jews in the Glorious Qur’an as “people of the book”.

Dr. Lugga recalled that the first

Wazirin Katsina, Dr. Sani Abubakar Lugga

major religious conflict in Nigeria was recorded in 1987, where Muslims and Christians clashed due to a crisis ignited by a Christian preaching session at the College of Education, Kafanchan, Kaduna State. He noted that since then every conflict be it political, economic, social, and ethnic has always been given religious coloration. The Katsina monarch lamented that today bombs are used to kill innocent people. He stressed that armed robbers, kidnappers, assassins now used bombs. He said the problems are multifaceted and calls for decisive action by the authorities concerned.

Similarly, Dr. Lugga while calling on leaders at all levels to desist from inflammatory remarks that could fuel the embers of hatred among their people wondered why peace is eluding Nigeria despite the fact that the majority of Nigerians are either Muslims or Christians. He noted that the Arabic word for Islam is Salam, which literally translates to peace while he said Christianity was built on the platform of peace, adding “the Christians called Jesus Christ (AS) the Prince of peace and he established a kingdom of peace”. The Wazirin Katsina therefore wondered why peace continues to elude Christians and Muslims despite the fact that

“Here, every one whether indigene or non-indigene lives in the same quarters as neighbors. This has eliminated crisis because if you decide to burn the houses or shops of non-indigenes it would equally affect your brother’s shop because they live side by side”.

their religions were built on the foundations of peace.

Wazirin Katsina as a conflict scholar observed that no conflict can be resolved through violence and war. He recalled that despite the power and might of America; it could not win the wars it started in Vietnam in 1959-1975, Russian war in Afghanistan 1979-1988, Iraq-Iran war of 1980-1989. All these were resolved through dialogue. He added that even the America’s so-called war on terror has now shifted attention to dialogue.

Wazirin Katsina therefore, called on Nigerians, both the leadership and the led to shift their attention to dialogue. He said although prayers work miracles but it must be combined with doing things right, changing bad ways, doing righteous deeds and obeying Gods commandments. To support his argument Wazirin Katsina quoted verses from the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Bible. Quoting from the Qur’an, Waziri quoted (Qur’an 16:97 “And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female and is a believer.

We shall surely give him a goodly life in this World and we shall reward such according to the best of their deeds (in the Hereafter). Also quoting from the Holy Bible, Wazirin Katsina quoted (Leviticus 26:3-6) “if you follow My decrees and are careful , to obey My commands I will send you rains in its season and the ground will yield its crops and trees of the field (shall yield) their fruits. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest shall continue until planting, and you will eat all foods you want and live in safety in your land.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 15

Peoples’ Page

How I met my wife: Tourism Minister

By Miriam Humbe

W

hen you meet p e o p l e , it is not possible to read their thoughts to know what lies beneath their countenance.

This was the case recently when veteran journalist and minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Chief Edem Duke broke the ice on the most guarded secret of his life, his love life precisely. Venue was the Capital Science Academy, located in Kuje area council, Abuja.

The assembly hall of the school was filled to capacity.

Participants of the 13th annual Digital Peers International's summer and guests alike were already seated and being entertained to various cultural dance steps from some parts of the country, performed by a collection of participating pupils from 34 schools across the country.

While the bonafide students of the science school were away on summer holiday, their school played host to the 250 participants of and volunteers in the 13th edition of the Digital Peers International's annual summer camping programme tagged: DIGITEST 2012. It is an annual ICT training programme for youths in the hope of securing their future in this era of global information technology.

Because it was a cultural night, the minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Chief Edem Duke was understandably the special guest of honour.

The participants aged between 8-18 years old and the guests alike all looked forward to the arrival of the minister with much enthusiasm. For most of them, the occasion provided a lifetime opportunity to catch a glimpse of a serving minister of the federal cabinet for the first time. No one however, expected the dramatic outcome that was later to trail the minister's visit and the comedic influence it was later to bear on the entire evening.

Chief Duke did not quite keep the guests waiting. While the cultural dancers were still on stage, the veteran journalist turned politician walked through the rear entrance into the hall accompanied by some key officials in the ministry. As soon as he was ushered to his seat at the 'high table,' the anthem taken, the event commenced in full swing.

Permanent secretary in the tourism and culture ministry, and National Coordinator of DIGITEST, Mrs Ibukun Odusote promptly delivered her official

Minister of Tourism, Chief Edem Duke

address and took her seat after receiving a rousing applause for her efforts. The next speaker was Chief Duke. He walked slowly but steadily to the platform with an air of confidence. He received the microphone and addressed the audience with very few but precise words of exhortation.

Having ended his speech, the minister went back to his seat only to be called out again for an interview session by the next moderator, teenaged Miss Folafoluwa Oginni.

The interview segment turned out to beam a searchlight on the private life of the soft spoken minister most people are not aware of. The minister immediately made himself comfortable on the 'hot seat' and prepared for the session. The first, second, third and fourth questions soon came pouring in.

They all bothered on his childhood, early education and what the youth could learn from his experiences in life. Chief Duke tackled all her questions with ease as if writing an examination he was well prepared for.

The next question which was

'according to popular demand', as announced by the youthful moderator, was one that got the erstwhile confident Chief Duke shifting on his seat. The guests all became quiet, even the children did not utter a sound in distraction as though they understood the magnitude of the answer that was to follow. Chief Duke smiled calmly and playfully, but couldn't help laughing himself. He adjusted and balanced his frame more comfortably this time, crossed his legs together. He was going to talk about the love of his life; no other person than his wife of

25 years.

While appearing to be enjoying every moment of the show, the youthful moderator bluntly and calculative, asked the minister to narrate the story of how he met and married his wife. Duke cleared his throat, sat up as though taking a passport photograph and composed himself for the response he was about to offer.

It was a very exciting moment.

The audience watched his every move with anticipation as if waiting for the next scene in a movie. Suddenly the entire hall became quiet; one could hear

“

the noise of a pin drop to the ground.

At last, he found his voice.

"Well, the answer to your question is as interesting as the question itself", Duke said. He narrated how as a young man, he grew up as an only child. His lingering bachelorhood soon began to get his mother anxious. His grandmother on the other hand, wanted to have him married since he was an only child. "One good day, while I was just whiling away the time in the house, my mother called me and asked, 'when are you going to bring your wife to this house?' upon saying that, I showered, changed my clothes and drove to my cousin's house.

I told myself that today, I will not go back home until I find my wife".

So the ultimate search began. Upon getting to his cousin's house that day, Duke's request was simple; that was, to be introduced to a good, marryable girl. His cousin armed him with the addresses of three of her friends. When he got to the home of girl number one, he was told she had gone out. So the search continued and took him to the home of girl number two. When he got to her house, she was holding lessons with some children in the neighbourhood. He stood there for a while, watching her closely from a distance. "And she was stunning", he said.

This brought the entire hall back to life as cheers from the audience filled the air. Duke said he watched until the children had dispersed then walked up to her with the request that he be allowed to enrol his child in her lesson class. The lady went into the house and informed her mother of his presence and request. "She invited me into the house and we all shared a little drink, and three months down the line, we were walking down the aisle", he said, displaying a wide smile depicting contentment. The happy marriage is blessed with four children, three boys and a girl.

So the search continued and took him to the home of girl number two. When he got to her house, she was holding lessons with some children in the neighbourhood. He stood there for a while, watching her closely from a distance. "And she was stunning", he said.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Interview

I am in consultation to leave ANPP —Sen. Aruwa Senator Mohammed Muktar Aruwa represented Kaduna central senatorial zone at the National Assembly under the platform of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), between 1999 and 2007. But he is set to dump the party at a ceremony expected to hold in Kaduna tomorrow. In this interview with Agaju Madugba, Aruwa says the overall interest of the north informs whatever actions he takes.

Excerpts:

Sen. Mohammed Muktar Aruwa

D

o you have a rough estimate of how many followers you are likely to pull from the ANPP? I do not tell the future. Until it is done then we will know. Now, we are consulting and we have not concluded the consultations.

Why did you decide to leave the ANPP? I have the choice and the right to leave.

Should I broadcast my right, what belongs to me? Who did I consult before I joined them? Nobody. I consulted myself and I decided. Now, I have also decided and in the course of my decision, I am consulting with the people I know and whoever wants to go with me is welcome. It is not by force and there is no reason why I should give explanation why I am leaving. It is unfair.

But it appears they are already jittery about your movement?

That is their business and there is nothing I can do about that.

Given your experience at the National Assembly, what is your view on the proposal by the House of Representatives to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan over alleged non-implementation of the budget?

Impeachment has its causes and the word impeachment should not be taken lightly because once it is sounded, it must be followed by facts. Members of the House do not represent themselves. They represent all of us. If they chose to go that way, they should first of all convince those they represent as to the grounds for the proposed impeachment. But if it is a nonimplementation of the budget then it is a nonstarter. It does not have the weight to impeach the President.

But the budget is law so does nonimplement constitute a violation of the law?

I am looking at the core issue that justifies an impeachment and certainly, partial implementation of the budget cannot be enough reason to impeach the President.

Some other people are also suggesting that the president should be impeached for his alleged inability to handle the Boko Haram issue. I think it is everybody's responsibility to handle Boko Haram. It is not the responsibility of the President alone. He did not create Boko Haram, did he? And he is not happy with what they are doing in a country that he is the President. There are issues that the National Assembly can take the president on but certainly, not these ones. Everybody is doing his very best to

get to the bottom of this unfortunate development and how do they want the President to handle BokoHaram? Is there a set rule of handling Boko Haram that Jonathan has failed to follow? I am not trying to defend Jonathan but there are so many other issues that affect Nigerians and Boko Haram is just one of them. Is that what the National Assembly should be telling us now? Are there no other core issues which they need to bring to light?

But it appears the Boko Haram issue has apparently gone out of hand?

The main job of terrorists all over the world is to make governance impossible.

Under the circumstances, the government is doing its best but maybe there are some approaches that need to be re-examined.

Will impeachment solve the Boko Haram problem? Certainly not. There are issues that the National Assembly should talk about and they are not talking about them.

You and I and a lot of people know about Boko Haram and the menace and harm they have continued to cause and it is not new. When a catastrophe of this nature begins to brew, we all turn the other way and begin to bring religion into it. But they have now proved to the whole world that they are not after Christians only.

Christians and Muslims, nobody is spared and we all believe it is a Muslim sect. So, the focus of the authorities had gone to the wrong direction not until the Boko Haram, planting bombs in the mosques, planting bombs in churches. So, they have told us that they are not what the security people think they are. They have proved that they want to make governance impossible whether you are a Christian or Muslim.

So, is that why you want to empanel some people to impeach the President?

But the President was quoted sometime ago as saying that members of Boko Haram have infiltrated his administration yet he refused to name those involved?

I support those asking him to name them. But you see, initially, nobody took this Boko Haram as serious as we later found out. We had thought it was something that was hanging out in a section of the country and that it would remain there. I am sure the President made that statement out of context because for a President to say that they infiltrated his government and was not able to fish them out of his government leaves a lot to be desired. But I feel it was a slip of the tongue. They did not give him the correct picture of what they call Boko Haram in the first place. But now that he must have realized that they are not what we thought they are, he should listen to Nigerians much more than to those socalled advisers. He should not enclose himself with the very few advisers. He

should listen to every statement made by majority of Nigerians and have them analyzed and follow them up. But where the sources of information are limited to a section of the people who do not even mix with the people, then there is bound to be problem. I feel sorry for the President and until he gets out of that cage and starts listening to Nigerians, he may never get it right.

Some people also believe that activities of Boko Haram may deny the north the presidency in 2015. Do you hold the same view?

No. How do they identify themselves and how many of them are registered voters? The only authorities that can deny any section the presidency are the people of Nigeria and it is a matter of votes and number. What the north needs is to unite.

Once the north is united, the leadership of this country is nothing to fight over. It is naturally residents of the north that will determine where and who becomes the President, if democracy is about number.

But where the north is not united, the results will be scattered. You do not wrestle with leadership; the number gives it to you.

Anybody from any part of the country can be President as long as there is consensus.

As long as Nigeria is concerned, the number is here in the north. The leadership resides here. To take it anywhere else, there has to be consensus and agreement of people from the north. There is no question about that.

It is a question of understanding the politics of democracy. But I am not saying that power should reside in the north forever.

It would appear as if the level of reported corruption at the National Assembly is much higher now than during your days there. What do you think?

When we were there, there was corruption but nobody drummed it as it is being done now. Corruption has been there right from the military era. As long as there are civil servants in Nigeria, unreformed the way they are, corruption will never be stamped out of Nigeria. People talk about corruption and relate it to politicians but the biggest corruption lies with the civil servants. No politician will go to an office and start corruption without those people he met there, putting him through what has to be done. If a minister is appointed for a particular ministry, he does not know what is what and where is what. The civil servants are his coaches. They alone know the tricks and intrigues to get to the corrupt means. I am not saying that politicians are not corrupt but the biggest ones are the civil servants.

So, during our time, civil servants were also there. Those who decided to follow their sermons got corrupted and those who did not remained uncorrupt. It is the same thing up till now. As long as we leave the civil service intact, we would be chasing shadows.

Would you say the Executive is more corrupt than the Legislature?

The Executive arm carries along civil servants. How do you perpetuate corruption without having an insider

whether Executive, Legislature or Judiciary? All the arms of government are corrupt and the corruption spans from those workers called civil servants in the various organs.

How then do you begin to reform the civil service to eliminate corruption?

The first thing is to look at the civil service rules and amend it because it is too archaic and the powers given to those officers, from deputy director up to the permanent Secretary are so dangerous.

They can make or mar a Minister no matter how powerful that minister may be. If he does not follow their way, they know the way to plot his downfall. They are the ones behind the big corruption. They should be graded and rated by performance and transparency and they should not be promoted indiscriminately. They should have a record of what he has done since he joined the service and how long can a civil servant be in a juicy office. Where you have a director for donkey years in the ministry, he knows how every kobo comes in and how it will be spent and how every kobo will not be spent and how it can be taken out. They become consultants to the politicians. Some politicians go into that office without knowing a thing about corruption but by and large they get corrupted. So, first, reform the civil service, make those offices unattractive and see if it does not address corruption.

Are we expecting a more vibrant Aruwa now that you are joining another political party?

Aruwa will never change as far as the interest of Nigerians and Nigeria is concerned. Wherever I see wrongdoing, I will expose it. When I hear about wrongdoing and confirm it, I will expose it.

I do not witch-hunt, I do not envy and I know that collectively if we put our heads together with the fear of God, this nation has great things to offer everybody. But there must be the fear of God, transparency, the love of one another, regardless of creed, tribe or religion. That is when we will have the kind of Nigeria Aruwa will die for.

Do you still nurse gubernatorial ambition?

You see, the governorship thing is a function of age and I look at myself overshooting the age for which one should be a governor. Again, I never had the ambition; I am always drafted into the contest. So, it is not Aruwa sitting here and then I ask you to go and campaign or market my interest to contest the governorship election. I have never done it. The two times I contested, it was due to agitations from the electorate and I accepted their pleas but it was not Aruwa's decision. If they come again, thank God I have reached an age where I can tell them to look for somebody younger. At 64 years, what else am I looking for in that rigorous and terribly demanding office? I want to be a jolly old man who will advise if they care to listen otherwise; governorship has never been Aruwa's application.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 17

Weekend

Cocktail

I planned to marry Jamila Nagudu, but it didn’t work out —Adamu

KIDDIES: CREATIVITY

>>> Page 22

Tony Scott: Days of Thunder

>>> Page 24

>>> Page 29

Glitz Africa >>> Page 32

>>> Page 24

Foluke Daramola breaks Pastor’s home

CUSINE: Nuts about nuts?

>>> Page 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 18

Relationship Don't share your relationship problems with whoever will listen (1)

Heart Matterz With A'isha Biola Raji E-mail: rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com Phone: 08082071393

My man locked me in the toilet

We've all had one of those conversations. You know the when another girl came calling kind that start with "You won't believe what (enter partner's Hello A'isha, my name is Angela, I live in Ilorin Kwara state, and 22 years old. Am in love with a man who is 12 years older than name) did" or "It annoys me so much when they (enter Imeamand for this reason I look up to him as a wise and intelligent man. I do whatever he asks me to without any doubt. current annoying behaviour or habit.)"

My man though a graduate, teaches at a secondary school in our neighbourhood, he lives several blocks away from my house, so for me, going to see him requires setting a date to do so which normally falls on weekends.

One day I went to see him as usual but after some time, I heard another female's voice approaching his room. My man quickly pulled me into the toilet and locked it up.

I was in the toilet while they were cracking jokes and laughing for only God knows how long. Suddenly, I stopped hearing her voice. He opened the toilet door for me and I left in anger.

Who does he really love? I hope am not acting the fool because I support him financially too. Readers please advise me!

My boyfriend beats me but I still love him

I

know I have in the past, and I certainly hear plenty of them when I'm within social gatherings.

Soon enough you have one or more people unraveling an exhaustive laundry list of all the things their partner does to upset, annoy or frustrate them as those listening nod, agree and chime in with their own stories.

It can seem like a wonderful bubbling hub of support and allegiance but I encourage you to think carefully about who and how you share the nitty gritty of your relationship.

With the prevalence of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, promoting an ever increasing acceptance, and even expectation, of transparency, it has become far too easy to share every little thought, whim, detail and outburst with whoever you have following your profile.

For many, their relationships are just as worthy of exposing, as what they

Hi, I'm 20 years old undergraduate in one of the Nigerian universities; my boyfriend and I are in the same school. We both love each other dearly but he always beats me up.

He is a very kind guy but he gets provoked easily and when he is angry, he finds it difficult to control his hot temper.

Most of my friends have advised me to leave him but we have become so close that, its difficult to do so.

Whenever I try to leave him, he becomes sober and promises to stop since he would not want to lose me. But soon after, he would forget all his promises and resume the beating. I love him so much and I don't want to lose him too but am tired of being beaten all the time. Is there anything I can do to make him stop the habit completely? thought of the latest movie they saw.

It's not just Facebook and Twitter that encourage oversharing though. Modern society has charged towards a lack of discretion with other influences such as Reality TV amassing audience by sharing all the gory details of the lives of those seeking fame and attention, and an intimate moment or an intense fight between partners is perfect trash TV fodder.

While I know this is all in the name of entertainment, and these people have agreed to this exposure, I encourage anyone in a 'real' relationship to think about the boundaries that should be respected when considering sharing intimate details with people who probably have no business knowing your intimate information.

Not doing so signals a lack of respect for your partner, and your relationship.

I'm not suggesting that you

keep all your deep dark secrets to yourself and close yourself off from good support or assistance but I do suggest you carefully choose people to talk to who have earned the right to hear what goes on with you and your partner behind closed doors.

It is important to have support from your friends and family as you navigate the course of your personal relationships, and the people that are close to you and can be trusted will provide you a safe place to turn to in times of trouble.

But if you are sharing every single argument, frustration, shortcoming and criticism about your relationship with people you don't know well, and don't know if you can trust, you are opening up the doors for all to see what's going on between you and your partner and it might be helpful to ask yourself what you are looking for from these disclosures.

I can't do without 'sagging' but my girlfriend hates it Good day. As a home boy, I love having my real swag on by sagging my trousers like most guys do. But my babe is not just down with it, I love her but I can't stop having my swag on like every other guy in my hood. I've tried making her understand but she won't just listen to me. How do I make her realise my mode of dress does not have anything to do with our relationship?

If you have any relationship story you want to share with our esteem readers, please send to the above address. Let's share your love story.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips

What is your eye shape?

Determining your natural eye shape is just as important as finding the most flattering colours for your lids. Knowing how to apply eye shadow and liner will help you better translate trends and techniques to fit your face. We turned to makeup guru, Jeffrey Paul (who has worked with Christina Applegate and Zooey Deschanel) to discover tricks for each specific eye shape so you can make the most of your peepers!

Close set Close set eyes are less than one eyeball width apart. "Creating the illusion of more space is simply a matter of using light eye shadows in the inner corners," says Jeffrey. Try frosty white or sparkling nude hues. "Dab extra mascara or add individual lashes to the outer corner to pull the focus outward."

Mono-lid

Mono-lids are flat on the surface and don't have much of a crease, if any. "The brow bone is less defined," explains Jeffrey. Create definition and the illusion of dimension on your flat surface with a gradient of eye shadows, dark to light. "Shade the darkest color closest to the lash line, the soft neutral hue in the middle, and the shiny color at the brow bone," says Jeffrey.

Always curl lashes for a lift.

Hooded

Deep set eyes are large and set deeper into the skull, creating the illusion of a more prominent brow bone.

Jeffrey suggests brightening up the natural shadowing by dusting on a beige or warm metallic hue on the lid and highlighting under your arches with an illuminating crayon. Because the ends of your lashes likely graze your lids, be sure to apply waterproof mascara to prevent smudges.

Protruding Protruding eyes create the appearance of projected lids in the eye socket area. Luckily, the bulge gives you plenty of lid space to play with! "To keep the lid from overpowering your look, blend darker tones all over your eye," says Jeffrey. "Because dark tones recede by space and size, smoky eyes work great with this eye shape!" Apply thick liner along your upper lash line to further diminish some of the space.

Upturned The upturned eye takes the form of a classic almond shape, with a natural lift at the outer corner. "The lower lid has more emphasis and looks longer than the top lid," explains Jeffrey.

To even out the upper and lower proportions, he suggests applying dark shadow or pencil along the outer lower corner to bring down the lifted effect. Whether you're creating a standard smoky eye or a vibrant masterpiece, always use the mirror effect by swiping the colors along the bottom lash line.

Downturned Downturned eyes have a slight dropping on the outer corners. This is the perfect shape for creating a sexy cat's eye shape. "Apply a liquid liner along the top lid and extend outward and upward at a 45 degree angle," says Jeffrey. This effect will create symmetry and add va-va-voom!

Deep set

Hooded eyes feature an extra layer of skin that droops over the crease, causing the lid to appear smaller. "To draw the focus upward, diffuse darker shadow over and out past the crease," says Jeffrey. Tight-line the top waterline to intensify and enlarge your eye shape and thicken the lash base, which also can disappear under the lid fold.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Learning Book Review

With Augustine Aminu 07038749120 julius2001_a@yahoo.com

Mobile Phone Charging Faults

Up from slavery

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ineteenth-century African American businessman, activist, and educator Booker Taliaferro Washington’s Up from Slavery is one of the greatest American autobiographies ever written. Its mantras of black economic empowerment, land ownership, and self-help inspired generations of black leaders, including Marcus Garvey, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, and Louis Farrakhan. In rags-to-riches fashion, Washington recounts his ascendance from early life as a mulatto slave in Virginia to a 34-year term as president of the i n f l u e n t i a l , agriculturally based Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. From that position, Washington reigned as the most important leader of his people, with slogans like “cast down your buckets,” which emphasized vocational merit rather than the academic and political excellence championed by his contemporary rival W.E.B. Du Bois.

Though many considered him too accommodating to segregationists, Washington, as he said in

Hard Times

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his historic “Atlanta Compromise” speech of 1895, believed that “political agitation alone would not save [the Negro],” and that “property, industry, skill, intelligence, and character” would prove

necessary to black Americans’ success. The potency of his philosophies are alive today in the nationalist and conservative camps that compose the complex quilt of black American society.

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avid Timson reads Dickens’s last complete novel with a sense of fun.

As always, Dickens creates a fabulous array of characters: the nouveau riche Veneerings, the dwarf who makes doll clothes, the bizarre schoolmaster, and the abysmally poor that trawl the Thames for bodies or daily sift the dust and dirt of Victorian England for a skimpy living. Timson’s dramatic talents add dimension to each personality-just the sort of acting that makes an audio experience so satisfying.

Naxos has done a fine job of abridging the book.

Not much is lost in terms of plot and characterization, and Dickens’s great satiric and social themes come through clearly: the plight and misery of the poor and the greed and heartless stupidity of the rich.

If the abridgment seems a bit disjointed, it simply follows the novel’s narrative style. This is a wonderful listen for Dickens fans and novices alike.

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obile phone charging faults are usually easy to diagnose and quite easy to rectify most of the time. Mobile phone charging faults can be identified by the following symptoms: You are unable to charge the phone.

The phone charges for a short period of time only.

The charger will not fit correctly into the charging block.

The phone shows a full charge but the charge lasts only a short time.

Should your mobile phone display any of the above symptoms, the first thing to do would be to ascertain that the problem is indeed with your mobile phone and not with the battery or charger itself: ·Have you tried a different battery or charger?

The most common cause of charging faults is a faulty battery or charger. If you have a friend or relative who has the same mobile phone and could loan you a

battery or charger, this would help you to discover if the problem is indeed with your mobile phone. ·Is the charging port clean?

In a vast amount of cases the problem is dirt and grime on the charging points of the phone. Using a soft toothbrush or similar implement to clean the charging points on the phone will usually rectify the problem, however be careful as the charging points are very fragile and easily damaged. ·Are you inserting the charger correctly?

This may seem like a silly question, however it is common for people to insert the charger incorrectly. The main culprit is not inserting the charger far enough into the block, however do not force the charger into the charging block as you may damage either the charger or the phone.

If after reading the above you are sure that your mobile phones charging circuit is faulty, it may need to be repaired or replaced. On most mobile phones this is an easy and inexpensive repair, however there are exceptions.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Healthy Living

New Research: Which herbs and What you need to know about anxiety disorders spices improve your health?

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easonings have been used since time immemorial to perk up the flavour of food.

What’s new: research showing that some of them can enhance your health.

Pepper and mustard seed contain lots of protective substances called phytochemicals, which may inhibit the growth of existing cancer cells and help prevent normal cells from turning into cancerous ones. The following herbs and spices also have some amazing attributes, including reducing risk of heart attack or cancers.

Turmeric This herb of the ginger family provides the yellow colour in curries. It’s a powerful antioxidant and has been used in Indian and Chinese medicine for centuries. Preliminary studies suggest it may help prevent or even treat Alzheimer’s disease. In some

Coriander Indian villages where turmeric is popular, there are unusually low rates of Alzheimer’s.

Turmeric also enhances immune function, improves digestion and may reduce your

risk of heart attack. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, scientists are studying curcumin, one of the most active substances in turmeric, as a possible treatment for cystic fibrosis.

Ginger You may know that studies have demonstrated that ginger is effective in preventing the symptoms of motion sickness, especially seasickness.

In addition, it can be useful in

Rosemary reducing the nausea and vomiting brought on by pregnancy. To get the stomachcalming benefits, simply steep an ounce or two of fresh gingerroot in a cup of hot water.

Ginger also contains an inflammation-fighting substance called gingerol, which may help reduce pain and improve function in people who have arthritis.

Rosemary This common herb contains substances that have an antiinflammatory effect, which may improve immune function and circulation, and reduce the severity of asthma attacks. Used as aromatherapy, it may

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Ginger enhance memory and cognition.

Coriander Also called cilantro, coriander is rich in protective phytochemicals and is a good source of iron, magnesium, and manganese.

Cinnamon One of the oldest spices known, cinnamon seems to reduce inflammation and recent studies show that it may also be especially beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes. In one study, consuming less than a 1/ 4 a day reduced blood sugar in

Cinnamon people with diabetes by about 20% and lowered triglycerides, LDL (“bad”) and total cholesterol. In another, chewing cinnamon gum, or simply smelling the spice.

Restaurant secrets that may mar your health Waiters don’t wipe the menus between customers

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r salt and pepper, bottles of ketchup and others. It may come as no surprise to a germaphobe that restaurant kitchens are bacteria paradise. But bugs dwell on tabletop items too. A team of scientists recently swabbed the items on the tables of 12 restaurants in the US, including the items mentioned above. They found that menus carried the most germs, with an average count of 185,000 bacteria—nearly 16 times that of the second most germinfested item, pepper shakers.

(Everyone looks at the menu.

Not everyone loves pepper.)

Next time you’re out, place your order. Then wash your hands before you eat.

Waiters get sick too, sneeze, cough but serve your food But taking a sick day is not always the reality. According to a recent study by The Food Chain Workers Alliance, 53 percent of food chain workers reported going to work when sick. “A lot of poor, transient people work in restaurants,” says Peter Francis, coauthor of

industry exposé How to Burn Down the House, in Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney.

“They’re not giving up the money they’d make in a shift because they’re sick.” Keep an eye out for chefs sitting on the sidewalk smoking, sneezing, and coughing but would still serve you food, says Chris Gesualdi, chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Don’t be deceived by plastic gloves Plastic gloves give cooks— and therefore, customers—a false sense of security. “Plastic gloves are more dangerous than bare hands,” says Howard Cannon, CEO of Restaurant Expert Witness, Michael Laiskonis, a New York pastry chef, agrees. “It’s easy to touch raw meat, and then move onto touching another food item.

Those very gloves become the vehicle for contamination when not changed often enough, or worse, when the same gloved hands that prepare food then go into a cash register.”

Take a look at the rest

room in a restaurant For a clear sign of a restaurant’s sanitation standards, just step into the restroom. “Reality is when the bathroom is filthy and every customer can see, just imagine how dirty the kitchen is where the customer can’t see,” says Cannon.

Just because employees at a restaurant must wash their hands before returning to work doesn’t mean you—or your food—are safe.

A reservation isn’t necessarily a guarantee What’s more attractive: the loud and bustling restaurant or the empty joint next door?

Exactly. Because of this, restaurants often overbook in order to fill their tables.

“Overbooking is almost a necessary evil,” says John Fischer, associate professor of table service at the Culinary Institute of America, in Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney.

On any given night, restaurants calculate their average no-show percentage and overbook the restaurant by that much, hoping it will even out not minding the health implication of stuffiness.

here are many types of anxiety disorders that include panic disorder, obsessivecompulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences at times. Many people feel anxious, or nervous, when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or making an important decision.

Anxiety disorders, however, are different. They can cause such distress that it interferes with a person’s ability to lead a normal life.

An anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness. For people with anxiety disorders, worry and fear are constant and overwhelming, and can be crippling.

There are several recognized types of anxiety disorders, including: Panic disorder: People with this condition have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. Other symptoms of a panic attack include sweating, chest pain, palpitations (irregular heartbeats), and a feeling of choking, which may make the person feel like he or she is having a heart attack or “going crazy.”

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): People with OCD are plagued by constant thoughts or fears that cause them to perform certain rituals or routines. The disturbing thoughts are called obsessions, and the rituals are called compulsions. An example is a person with an unreasonable fear of germs who constantly washes his or her hands.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): PTSD is a

condition that can develop following a traumatic and/or terrifying event, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one, or a natural disaster.

People with PTSD often have lasting and frightening thoughts and memories of the event and tend to be emotionally numb.

Social anxiety disorder: Also called social phobia, social anxiety disorder involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. The worry often centers on fear of being judged by others, or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule.

Specific phobias: A specific phobia is an intense fear of a specific object or situation, such as snakes, heights, or flying. The level of fear is usually inappropriate to the situation and may cause the person to avoid common, everyday situations.

Generalized anxiety disorder: This disorder involves excessive, unrealistic worry and tension, even if there is little or nothing to provoke the anxiety.

Symptoms Symptoms vary depending on the type of anxiety disorder, but general symptoms include: Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness, uncontrollable obsessive thoughts, repeated thoughts or flashbacks of traumatic experiences.

Others are nightmares, ritualistic behaviours, such as repeated hand washing, problems sleeping, cold or sweaty hands and/ or feet, shortness of breath, palpitations, inability to be still and calm, dry mouth, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, nausea as well as muscle tension.

3 things that can drain your brain You probably don’t notice, but these mundane experiences can throw your mental muscles for a loop. Here are three things that can drain your brain.

Doors ver walk into a room with some purpose in mind, only to completely forget what that purpose was? Turns out, doors themselves are to blame for these strange memory lapses. Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that passing through a doorway triggers what’s known as an event boundary in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next.

Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale.

Beeps If you can’t concentrate during the irritating sound of a truck backing up, blame the brain baffle on an evolutionary glitch. Natural sounds are created from a transfer of energy (say, a stick hitting a drum) and gradually dissipate, and our perceptual system has evolved to use that decay of

E

sound to figure out what made it and where it came from. But beeps don’t typically change or fade away over time, so our brains have trouble keeping up.

Wide-open spaces We walk in circles when we traverse terrain devoid of landmarks, such as the desert.

Even though we’d swear we’re walking in a straight line, we actually curve around in loops as tight as 66 feet in diameter.

German research from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics reveals why: With every step a walker takes, a small deviation arises in the brain’s balance (vestibular) or body awareness (proprioceptive) systems.

These deviations accumulate to send that individual veering around in ever-tighter circles.

But they don’t occur when we can recalibrate our sense of direction using a nearby building or mountain, for instance.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds Confluence of rivers Niger and Benue

Point where river Niger meets river Benue

River Niger he river Niger is the third longest river in Africa, exceeded only by the Nile and the Congo River (also known as the Zaïre River). Its main feeding point known as tributary is the Benue River.

The Niger is called Jeliba or Joliba “great river” in Manding language; Orimiri or Orimili “great water” in Igbo; Egerew n-Igerewen “river of rivers” in Tuareg; Isa Ber “big river” in Songhai, a language in Kwara state and Oya in Yoruba. The origin of the name Niger, which originally applied only to the middle reaches of the river, is uncertain. The likeliest possibility is the change, by influence of Latin niger “black”, of the Tuareg name egerew n-igerewen, which is used along the middle reaches of the river around Timbuktu.

The Niger River is a relatively “clear” river, carrying only a tenth as much sediment as the Nile because the Niger’s headlands are located in ancient rocks that provides little silt. Like the Nile, the Niger floods yearly; this begins in September, peaks in November, and finishes

by May. River Niger remained a marvel to the Europeans until John and Richard Landers passed through the Confluence on October 25th 1830, completing the journey that Mungo Park had started. Rivers Niger and Benue are two largest rivers in West Africa.

The Benue River (French: la Bénoué) Previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, it is the major tributary of the Niger River. The river is approximately 1,400 km long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months. As a result, it is an important transportation route in the regions through which it flows.

It rises in the Adamawa Plateau of northern Cameroon, from where it flows west, and through the town of Garoua and Lagdo Reservoir, into Nigeria south of the Mandara mountains, and through Jimeta, Ibi and Makurdi before meeting the Niger at Lokoja.

Large tributaries are the Gongola River and the Mayo Kébbi, which connects it with the Logone River (part of the Lake Chad system) during floods. Other tributaries are Taraba River and River Katsina Ala. At the point of confluence the Benue exceeds the Niger by volume (mean discharge before 1960: 3400 m³/s vs.

2500 m³/s). During the following decades the runoff of both rivers decreased markedly due to irrigation.

The confluence The two rivers meet at Lokoja forming a Y-shaped structure and draining southwards into the Ocean. While River Niger is brownish in colour, River Benue is light green in colour. Fishing is carried on extensively on the Rivers. The Inland Water Ways Divisions of the Federal Ministry of Transport also runs ferry and boat services on the River.

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With contribution from Daniel Ojadua

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rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

unny rabbit lived in the forest. He had many friends. He was proud of his friends.

One day Bunny rabbit heard the loud barking of the wild dogs. He was very scared and decided to ask for help. He quickly went to his friend Deer. He said: “Dear friend, some wild dogs are chasing me. Can you chase them away with your sharp antlers?” Deer said, “That is right, I can but now I am busy. Why don’t you ask Bear for help?”

Bunny rabbit ran to the Bear. “My dear friend you are very strong, please help me.

Some wild dogs are after me.

Please chase them away,” he requested the Bear.

Bear replied, “I am sorry.

I am hungry and tired and I need to find some food. Please ask the monkey for help.”

Poor Bunny went to the monkey, elephant, goat and all his friends. Bunny felt sad that nobody was ready to help him.

Friends

He understood that he has to think of a way out. He hid under a bush. He lay still the wild dogs went their way.

Health tip: Eating all-natural oatmeal helps to protect your good cholesterol levels. It protects your good cholesterol. It also

helps to prevent the development of heart disease.

Eating all-natural oatmeal boosts your immune system. Its fiber content enables your body’s system to fight off infections by strengthening your immune cells. Ask mummy for all natural oatmeal today!

CARTOON OF THE WEEK

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

AFRICAN TALES

The cursed curse

MODEL OF THE WEEK

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he old woman returned to her home, her mind was still on the wedding celebration in the neighboring village. She didn't see the broken pot in the pathway until she tripped over it, cutting her leg and spilling all her possessions in the process. "Who is the fool who left their garbage in the path where decent folk walk? A curse be upon that fool! May his first born child be struck dumb this very hour until someone else breaks that spell by doing something even more foolish than leaving a broken pot in the pathway!" Then, having sufficiently vented her anger, the old woman collected her scattered belongings and continued down the path to her home.

A little way over the hillside lived a young girl named Tembe and her parents. At that moment, her mother frantically searched around the house.

"Husband," she cried, "have you seen the water pot? Didn't you take it to the garden?"

"I did take it," replied the husband, "but I know I placed it on the back of the cart before re-

turning home."

"Well, if you don't have it," thought the wife, "perhaps Tembe has seen it. Tembe!

Tembe, have you seen the water jug?"

But, there was no answer from their young daughter.

She had suddenly and mysteriously been struck silent.

All thoughts for the missing water pot were, of course, forgotten. "Someone must have cast a curse upon her!" cried the mother. "But why would anyone do such a cursed thing to our Tembe?"

The parents took their daughter to many traditional healers but none of them were able to help the little girl. And so, years passed by and Tembe remained silent. Yes, she grew in beauty and grace, but that was little comfort to her parents. "Who," they both wondered, "who would ever want to

marry a beautiful young woman with a curse upon her?"

Tembe's parents had good reason for their concern. Word spread quickly throughout the land about the beautiful maiden who had been cursed. And, as her parents watched their daughter grow, they also saw the look in their neighbours' eyes.

Sometimes they also heard their cruel whispers. But fortunately, there was one young man, Nthu, who could see past the curse. He saw Tembe for the beautiful, kind, and thoughtful young woman that she was. And, Nthu determined that he would do everything within his power to help Tembe.

"If I explain the problem to the tree spirit, perhaps he will be able to help Tembe," thought Nthu. "Maybe, just maybe, he could cast off the spell that has tied her tongue for so long."

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY

Sunshine flower pot This bright and pretty flower pot is easy to make and is a perfect holder for finger prints! You can plant a real flower in here too by adding some potting soil and a few seeds.

What you need: •Styrofoam cup •Small chunk of floral foam •Colorful buttons •White craft glue •Yellow acrylic paint •Paintbrush •Scissors What to do: 1. Paint cup yellow, inside and

out and let dry completely.

2. Glue buttons around the rim

of the cup and let dry.

3. Glue small chunks of floral foam inside the cup to insert stick flowers into.

Tips: • Buy large bags of colorful buttons at your local craft store.

• Styrofoam cups and bowls are inexpensive and are great for craft projects.

• If using this project to hold paper flowers, shred or cut up some green construction or tissue paper to cover the flower foam.

By: Amanda Formaro Age: 5 and above.

Eleojo Denise Augustine

ACTIVITIES Have you ever admired a good painting before?

This is your chance to complete a beautiful work of art using your most cherished colour pencils.

You also have the chance to name your work.

Cheers!

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Kannywood

Entertainment

I planned to marry Jamila Nagudu, but it didn’t work out- Adamu

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like any other profession success is measured by what you do and how well you do it.

What is your assessment of the Kannywood industry so far?

Alhamdulillah, things have progressed and are progressing. A few years back we could not do certain things, and for those who watch our movies and listen to our songs they know that there has been a huge improvement in our works. We now have better leadership and our technical expertise is getting better by the day.

How do you see the collaboration of Kannywood and Nollywood industries in Nigeria?

We have been collaborating with them and they have been doing likewise, now we take part in their movies and they take part in our movies. It is one of the progresses that I alluded to earlier on and we hope to see more collaborations and stronger working relationship between the two industries.

Now away from your work, are you married?

Yes! I have been married for the past five years now but Allah has not blessed us with kids yet.

How do you cope with your fans, especially the female fans and how has your wife been reacting to it?

(Laughs) I am grateful to my fans, especially the ladies who make up over sixty per cent of my fans. As for my wife’s reaction I’m happy that she is part of the industry because she also sings and understands how things work in the industry. There are times when you get calls from your female fans, some just to say hi and some just

A

Adamu Hassan Nagudu

to tell you that they like your music.

There are some actually who call because they want you to do a job for them, but there are those who call for something other than admiration. In such instances I stay faithful to my wife while keeping faith with my fans.

You and a Kannywood actress, Jamila Nagudu share the same surname, is there a relationship between the two of you?

(Laughs) we were in a relationship in the past and actually planned to get married, unfortunately it did not work out. Actually it was because of our relationship that she is called Jamila Nagudu, now we are just close friends.

How is piracy affecting your work?

It is a most difficult issue that affects everybody both in the north and in the south, because you create your work and before you make 50 naira,

they have made 100 naira from your work. We have been educating the public through the media as well as through the censorship board to curb the menace and let the public know what to purchase between a pirated copy and an original copy. We recently had a meeting with the Kano state censor board and marketers on how come up with plans to stop piracy in the industry.

How do you get sponsorship for your activities?

As at present we sponsor ourselves with the help of Allah. We gather our money and pay for the studio sessions, the mix and the distribution and also shoot our videos. Hopefully in the future things will get better.

Adamu Nagudu has produced a lot of songs such as “Fifita mana shayi”, “Zarafi”, “Madafa”, “Ragar Kauna”, “Ha maza ha mata” and so many more.

Senegalese film-makers protest moribund industry

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small group of Senegalese film-makers have protested against the decline of the country’s film industry, in a rally outside an old Dakar cinema.

The Collective of Indignant Senegalese Film-makers bemoaned a lack of state support and mismanagement of the industry under former president Abdoulaye Wade’s regime.

The “Senegalese cinema was born before the Asian cinema. Today the Asian cinema is in the front row in Hollywood, at the Oscars, Cannes ... while ours is stuck debating a crisis that has lasted for years,” said Mariama Sylla, one of the founders of the organisation.

Nollywood

Foluke Daramola breaks Pastor’s home

Adamu Nagudu is one of the most popular musicians in northern Nigeria, serenading his fans with beautiful love songs and videos for the past 6 years. In this interview with Nasiru Mu’azu Isa he discloses that he had planned to marry actress Jamila Nagudu but it didn’t work out.

He also spoke on the challenges in the music industry in particular, and Kannywood in general.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Adamu Hassan Nagudu How long you been singing?

I started singing since 2006, making it 6yrs now.

What motivated your interest in music? y interest in music came about because of two reasons, one, music can be used for entertainment which is the popular aspect of music. Second, music can be used to preach, just like the Imams do in the Mosques and schools, we as musicians can also use music to preach to the public, either to get them to do something or stop something bad. These were my major reasons and still are.

What are the challenges you face as a musician?

Well! most of our challenges are in the past. A few years ago we had a serious problem of not being free to practice our profession the way we wanted due to government attitude at the time. Right now, too our major challenge is the lack of support from the government, because even if you have the money it’s not everything that your money can give you access to, but with the support of the government a lot of doors will be opened for you.

Why is it that the Northern musicians don’t have album launches like their counterparts in the south?

The truth is we also launch albums but it’s not as big and elaborate as our southern counterparts have them. It is not as if they are more talented or better musicians than we are but they differ in one aspect and that is access, to funding and also support from individuals who appreciate music and singing unlike us where a career in music is seen as an unserious profession or just play.

The lack of support is the major reason why our counterparts in the south are excelling more than us, but things are looking up and with time we are going to be as good as our southern counterparts.

Is music lucrative?

Yes, very much so. Music is universally loved and accepted by people and musicians have fans from all walks of life. As an individual there are people and places that you’ll never get access to but as a musician you find yourself being invited to places and by people that ordinarily you’ll never meet or have access to. And

PAGE 25

In a manifesto read out at the gathering in front of a large old cinema in the capital, where posters advertising movies peel off the walls, the collective demanded an audit of funds allocated to the film industry under Wade.

“When we look at the state of Senegalese cinema, this is it,” she said pointing to the building housing the Cinema Liberte, which was at its height during the 1970s and closed a few years ago. “We want material to work!” read a poster leaning against the rusted wrought iron gates, chained shut.

Scores of cinemas once dotted the west African capital, but now lie closed, many of them turned into supermarkets or religious meeting points.

Aside from the occasional screening

at a centrally located theatre or documentaries shown at the French Cultural Institute, moviegoers in Dakar are left out in the cold.

“We collectively demand the organisation of the audiovisual industry so that there is a quality national production and that television becomes a partner of cinema like elsewhere in the world,” said Sylla.

The collective also wants proper training for those in the film industry, which it says could create hundreds of jobs for youths. Culture was at the forefront of the west African nation under the father of independence poetpresident Leopold Sedar Senghor, but for decades the film industry has been in decline. - msn African news

ctress and movie producer, Foluke Daramola is alleged to be the reason behind the marriage break up between Kayode Salako and his wife, Olubukola, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The enviable marriage of Lagos big boy, Kayode Salako who runs the popular Fasholamania Independent Support Movement, a non-partisan group and Change Agents of Nigeria Network (CANN) to pastor Olubukola Salako is in trouble and apparently heading for a crash.

Their marriage, which has lasted for 13 years according to reliable sources, became a major issue in Salako’s family when pastor Olubukola on July 13th , 2012 packed all her belongings from their Lagos matrimonial home and took their boys the union had produced to an undisclosed abode.

Information at our disposal also revealed that, the respected female pastor may have also left stern instruction with members off her church, a Redeem Christian Church of God located inside Omole Estate, Ikeja Lagos never to disclose her where about to her husband who has since been doing everything possible to be in touch with her and the kids.

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enowned for his hilarious jokes and in-depth knowledge and use of the Yoruba language, Owo born AyodeleAdebayo Oloye, popularly known as Baba Alayo, a presenter both on radio and television, Ewi exponent and professional master of ceremony has again hit the air wave with another radio programme for Owo culture “ Omo Owo ma gbeile” on Bond FM 92.2 in Lagos. “ Omo Owo ma gbe ile” joining his fleet of Yoruba programme on the air wave is solely dedicated to indigene of Owo and Ose local government in Ondo state.

The veteran broadcaster who is billed to celebrate his fiftieth birthday this October said the

Actress and movie producer, Foluke Daramola

Owo programme debuts in Lagos connect him back to his Owo origin “ I speak many if not all of the local dialect in Yoruba Land, many people don’t know am from Owo in Ondo state, though I have strong relationship with my home town but this programme has reconnected me back to my origin” He however called on prominent indigenes of Owo kingdom in Owo/ Ose area of Ondo state to support the initiative,”am appealing to prominent people and politicians from Owo, Ose local government to support this idea, this programme should not die.”

The programme is aired every Monday 10.15pm on Bond FM.

programme is to inform and educate the listening general public about happenings and development in Owo/ Ose local government of Ondo state.

Baba Alayo whose car was recently burgled at a public function in Lagos said his new programme will serve as platforms not only to promote Owo heritage , but also transfer our age-long culture to the younger generations.

“Many of our children don’t travel home, many can’t speak our local dialect, my Owo programme will bridge the gap” He said the programme has

I get favours here and there, the biggest is a murano jeep from a fan Bimbo Thomas

When Kayode Salako was contacted about his troubled marriage and tales about Foluke Daramola being the cause.

He said, “it is my private life which I’m not supposed to make public but I will speak because of Foluke Daramola who is very close to me, and also the head of National Publicity Office of (CANN). My wife voluntarily moved out of my home about two months ago and the reason she gave was that my family members wanted to kill her, that she was no longer willing to live with me. Four days after she moved out, her lawyers wrote to me notifying me of her intention to file for a divorce. Her reason was that my only brother was threatening to kill her. To my utmost surprise my wife moved out with 85% things in the house.

She did this within eight days.”

Mr. Kayode Salako owns a standard private secondary school known as Bosworth College International at Mafoluku, Oshodi, Rebecca Properties, Beverly Bond Investment Limited, Keroplus, a petroleum product marketing outfit that deals with diesel and kerosene.

He hails from Igbajo in Osun state, and we hear that he is always with Foluke Daramola, the Nollywood actress whose marriage broke up two years ago

F

avour comes in different di mensions. For instance, it has come in different shapes such as car gift, oversea trips and even cash. I see open doors or favours in different dimensions. I could be moved from the end of a queue at the airport to the front because someone recognizes me.

Other times for instance when I pulled over wrongly and I am supposed to get fined but because of my face, I was let off the hook. I have seen things even beyond me and I just wonder and ask why God has

decided to favour me. I won’t say that this one or that one is the biggest. But the one that amazed me till date is a car gift from a fan. I got a call one day and the person asked if I’m Bimbo Omo Getto.

I answered in affirmation then he said, I’m a huge fan and he started saying a lot of things. Next he said that he wouldn’t want to embarrass me but would like to give me a car gift. I was like are you kidding me or is this a scam?

To show how serious he was, he offered to send his driver to deliver

the Murano Jeep to me. I have seen a lot. Some people have told me that if I do the role over and over again, they will still watch it. But I tell them that as an actress, if I can do that very good, that means I can also do the same role extremely better, Bimbo recalls how she got a big one from a big fan of hers. When asked if she saw the car gift coming her way the time it did, hear what she said, “no, I didn’t. I had a car that I was using before that Murano Jeep came in.”

What Bimbo did not comment on is what happened afterward with the fan, if he asked for anything in return of the good gesture. However, we are happy for her that a fan has really appreciated her effort without asking anything in return.

Tuface Idibia gives heartwarming advice

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aija pop singer, Tuface Idibia who claims to have passed through a lot in life in bad and good occurrences ranging from several attempts on his life to armed robbery attacks and still standing strong has come open to share few heartwarming advice with us in this latest interview.

The multi-award winning music star spoke on how he has passed through hell in his lifetime.

In his own words below: “I have been through a lot and I have learnt my lessons. Now, I am wiser than some old men. Honestly, at the peak of my trials, life almost ceased to mean anything to me.

The negative publicity would have killed me and my music career.

But it made me stronger, wiser, and a better person,” “I want to encourage other Nigerians through my songs to learn from me. I am not a saint and I am not the devil either. Whatever experience I had was meant to prepare me for greatness in life,” Tuface Idibia on his children: “My children are the greatest things that happened to me in this life and I appreciate their mothers.”

Tuface

I started the revolution of taking higher fee in Yoruba films-Yomi Fash — Lanso

T

he Business Ad ministration graduate of the University of Lagos, Yomi Fash-Lanso is a popular actor in Nigeria. He is known even beyond the shores of Nigeria. For some time now, he’s become a force to reckon with as a director neglecting totally the acting that actually brought him to limelight. But Yomi said that, it’s not his wish to leave acting for directing but the fee they pay has not been encouraging.

He recently granted an interview where he boasted that he was a rebel leader in asking the marketers or producers to be paying the actors well.

He said that due to the revolution actors in Yoruba industry are now smiling to the banks.

Responding to the question of his asking for too much fee has made some people to contact him for job, “I don’t know if that actor does something else because what I know is that if you are good at what you do people will come for you.

If you are good they will give you whatever you ask for. When I started this revolution of taking higher fee some years back, some actors were like “Fash, they won’t call you again because of the price you are charging” and I said it

Yomi Fash-Lanso

was okay that those who know my worth will come for me. I can tell you that for about six months, they did not request for my services because of the fee but in the long run they started coming back because they know I can deliver. I started the policy that producers should pay fees into my bank account.

Everybody is doing it now. At least in my own industry, now I came up with agreement form so everything I do will be documented. I want to know how much you are offering, for what job, what is the duration and all that.

If you are not good, these are things you can’t do, so I will advise actors to go and get the game right.”

He said.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Hollywood/Bollywood Tony Scot films, testimony to great career Beverly Hills Cop II Showing he could handle comedy as readily as action.

Tony Scott who jumped to his death from a London Bridge recently, helmed the sequel to the hit '80s film that became instantly loved by fans of the series. Eddy Murphy and Judge Reinhold starred in the iconic roles of Axel Foley and Billy Rosewood.

PROFILE

Isha Koppikar, tall beautiful, talented

T

Days of Thunder Scott reunited with Tom Cruise for this racingdriver saga that introduced the star to Nicole Kidman and to this day is responsible for many karaoke versions of Maria McKee's Show Me Heaven.

h e tall, beautiful and talented girl known in the Bollywood industry as the 'Khallas girl', Isha Koppikar shot to limelight with her song number in Ram Gopal Verma's movie Company.

She actually started her glamour career with modeling. More modeling trickled in after she did a photo shoot with 'Gautam Rajyadhyaksha' when she was still in junior college. But that was just the beginning.

She had done modeling for 'Deepam sarees', 'Ponds', 'Camay', 'Rexona', 'Synergy', 'Coke', 'L'Oreal' and 'Tips & Toes'. She also did five or six ramp shows. But in 1995 at the Miss India 1995 contest, she won the "Miss Talent crown".

Coming from a family of

academics, she first finished her degree in Life Sciences in Ruia College, Mumbai. After that her first film was in Tamil, En Swasa Katre. She was cast opposite 'Arvind Swamy', who was at the peak of his fame at that time. The film got rave reviews and she was expected to be a big hit in the south.

Though her work was in the South of India, her heart was set on making a name for herself in Mumbai. She did small roles in Fiza and Pyar, Ishq aur Mohabbat. Some of the other movies that were released were Sanjay Gupta's multistarrer Kaante, planned with Dino Morea.

But she got the much needed break from Ram Gopal Verma. Her item song "Khallas" became a hit. She was nominated villain for

Priyanka-Abhishek in 'Dostana' director's next?

T

arun Mansukhani is very keen on roping in Priyanka Chopra and Abhishek Bachchan in his next directorial for Dharma, but there's one thing that has to be sorted out before the cast is actually finalised. He has to get Priyanka Chopra and the film's producer Karan Johar back on talking terms even though reports state that Priyanka and Johar are now talking to each other.

Prometheus Scott worked closely with his director brother Ridley Scott on many projects and took producing duties on his film Prometheus, one of this year's biggest box office hits. He was recently named as producer on a sequel to the scifi.

film Qayamat. In Pinjar her performance was good but the film did not meet expectations of the people.

Shah Rukh film shoot rekindles Kashmir magic

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True Romance One of Scott's edgier films, this 1993 crime thriller penned by Q u e n t i n Tarantino and s t a r r i n g Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette became an instant cult classic and remains many fans' best-loved Tony Scott film.

e o p l e have started calling it the Shah Rukh Khan factor.

Kashmir perhaps could not have had better brand ambassador than the Yash Chopra film unit shooting in the valley.

While Chopra has returned after a gap of three decades to the locality in Kashmir, this is Shah Rukh's maiden shoot in the valley.

The Bollywood superstar's massive fan following could be seen with scores of youths and tourists heading for

Pahalgam hill station recently, where Shah Rukh and co-actor Anushka Sharma are shooting for Chopra's untitled film.

"The revival of Yash Chopra's relationship with Kashmir and the arrival of Shah Rukh has been the biggest Kashmir promoter in recent years," Nazir Bakshi, owner of Shiraz Travels, told IANS. His agency is handling the film unit's schedule in Kashmir.

A heavy blanket of security has been thrown

around Pahalgam where the actors and nearly 100member crew are staying.

"The unit will shoot in Pahalgam for around a week before it moves to Gulmarg and Srinagar to complete rest of the shooting," Bakshi said.

In Srinagar, Shah Rukh is likely to shoot in the Zabarwan Hills, Dal Lake and Lal Chowk.

While Chopra is busy shooting the film, his wife, Pamela, and son Aditya are enjoying the beauty of the Lidder Valley.

Abhishek signs film with Kunal Kohli!

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b h i s h e k Bachchan has decided to unleash his romantic side finally after playing an angry man in all his action films like Dum Maaro Dum and Players, and also trying his hand in comedy with Bol Bachchan.

Sources claim that Kunal Kohli has signed Abhishek for a romantic film for which the shooting will only begin next

year. Kunal's last film Teri Meri Kahani starring Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra was a disaster at the box office, so it is left to be seen if Kunal-Abhi's jodi will be a success at the box office.

Abhishek is currently in Chicago shooting for the much awaited Dhoom3 in which he'll continue playing a cop with Udai Chopra as his loyal sidekick and Amir Khan will be seen as the villain.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes

How to fix a squeaky bed and get good sleep

S

o m e beds are susceptible to the same shakes and noises as any other bed. Even in the absence of a bed spring, both the mattress and the platform itself can still squeak and make noises. Before you resign yourself to purchasing a new bed, take some steps to investigate the underlying cause and see if you can eliminate the squeaks yourself. A squeaky bed that makes noise with every movement will surely interrupt your sleep and leave you irritable and tired in the morning. Learn how to fix a squeaky platform bed and give yourself some welldeserved rest. You may have noticed that your bed has become noisy because of age and various other reasons. Read on to learn how to make your bed quieter and perhaps even safer!

Things you'll need Screwdriver Bar of soap A tape Cloth show [one or more] Instructions Locate exactly where the squeaks are coming from. Push on the mattress with both hands, using steady but firm pressure.

Continue to push in all areas until you isolate a specific location.

Feel around with your hands on the surface of the mattress in the area where you heard the squeaking. Search for any possible problems with the coils inside of the mattress. Search for a coil that feels unwound, bent, crooked or sticking out of place.

Flip the mattress over and check the same location on the underside of the mattress.

Make a mental note of where on the bed the squeaking is coming from before removing the mattress.

Set the mattress aside.

Inspect both the surface and the underside of the platform bed frame in the area where you noticed the squeaking on the

mattress.

Check to make sure that there are no loose bolts or screws on any area of the platform bed frame and legs.

Remove any screws that connect the wooden platform bed frame to the legs. Scrape the screws across a bar of soap, filling the screw grooves with the soap.

Screw the screws back into the wooden frame and reattach the legs. Check to make sure that the screws are tightening all the way.

Remove loose screws and wrap them with sealant tape, then screw back into the frame.

Place the mattress back on the platform frame and check to see if the squeaking continues. Try to determine the cause of the noise. If the noise occurs mostly at one time of the year, or during certain weather conditions, it may be climate related noise. If the noise occurs year-round, then it may be a result of the bed loosening up over the years. (Although new beds

sometimes squeak as well, this is usually a result of the fasteners holding the bed together not being properly tightened).

If the bed is wood, tightening the fasteners may not be an option.

Many older beds are held together with nails instead of bolts and the board that is causing the issue may be split, making it very difficult to tighten. In any event, an application of lubricant such as WD40 will go a long way to silence the bed. Although some people do not believe that a lube made for metal will work on wood, it will do more than you might suspect.

Remove the mattress and set aside if squeaking continues.

Disassemble the platform bed frame by again removing the legs.

Cut out four pieces of small cloth, slightly larger than the legs where they attach to the platform frame. Place a piece of cloth between the leg and the platform frame and reattach the leg. Repeat for the other three legs.

Place the mattress back on the platform frame and check to see if the squeaking continues.

Slide the mattress around on the platform frame. Test for squeaking when mattress is in different areas, as placing too much pressure on either the top or bottom of the bed can result in friction that causes squeaking.

Remove the mattress and set it on the floor. Sit on the platform bed frame and get on your hands and knees. Crawl around on the platform frame, pushing with your hands to try to locate any squeaking sound. Consider purchasing a new mattress if you do not find any squeaking on the platform itself yet the squeaking resumes when the mattress is returned to the platform frame.

Bed frames sometimes do need to be replaced. Squeaks may be the first sign that time is taking its toll, or they may just be in need of tuning. Generally, if a bolt continues to back out and loosen itself, you may only need to replace the bolt. If the holes that the bolts go through are worn, this would indicate it may be time to rework or replace the frame. Keeping the bolts tight will greatly increase the life of a metal frame because the bolts can't ream out the holes as easily.

Go for the most affordable approach first and you might spend

just a little cash at most. If that fails, go for the more drastic repairs.

If the bed frame is unbalanced, it may squeak as you move in bed. Look for a balance problem, such as an uneven floor or a damaged leg. Some bed frames may also contain hard plastic wheels at the corners and plastic standouts in the centre of the frame. Overtime, this arrangement may distort the balance of the bed frame if the bed is on a soft surface such as a carpet. Removing the centre standout and adding another type of support (i.e. a couple of books and a jar lid) may help.

Most times it's not the frame that makes noise, but the box spring. A simple fix is putting a piece of wood between the mattress and the box spring. Plywood works as well, but it only comes in 4'x8' pieces. If you don't have a truck, a cheaper alternative is to pick up some 1"x6"6' fence boards and place them on the slates of the box spring.

Do a thorough final inspection of the bed frame. This should be done periodically even after the repairs, regardless of whether your bed frame is wood or metal. Sometimes a 'new' squeak may be the only clue that the bed itself is loosening and could possibly fail at some point. If a bed frame looks like it might be becoming weak in one corner, you could either attempt to reinforce it or replace it. ehow.com

Try to locate where the squeak is coming from.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Cuisine

Pots & Pans

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Nuts about nuts?

It's a positive feeling if you are nuts about nuts. Just munch a handful of nuts a day and you will be doing more than good to keep yourself healthy and fit. Rich in energy, protein, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and much discussed omega-3 fatty acids.

Crunchy yet wonderfully delicious nuts are wonderful gifts to humankind by Mother Nature, like the desert.

Nuts are also friendly!

-You can carry them along with you wherever you go!

-There is no need for special containers or carry boxes.

-They have long shelf life.

Unlike fruits and vegetables, nuts are not perishable!

-You can enjoy them wherever you want! Whenever you like!

Nothing to worry about preparation, in fact, nuts never need a kitchen!

Safely enveloped in shells Almost all the varieties of nuts we eat come in safe envelopes (shells). There is nothing to worry about contamination or handling issues. Just grab healthy looking nuts of your choice and enjoy, or make a drink out of desert nuts aya!

Peanuts

Hazelnuts

Walnuts

Cashew nuts

Kunun Aya (desert nuts) Ingredients: 2 tins of desert nuts, also called almonds, or aya in the north, ½ tin of white rice, 1 tin of millet, soak overnight, 1 small size sweet potato, 2 tins of sugar, coconut flavour, fresh ginger Method: 1. Soak aya or desert nuts for 1 hour, also soak white rice for 1hour, pound aya or ground lightly to remove the husk, then wash with plenty of water

to remove sand and dirt.

2. Wash millet and white rice, scrape sweet potatoes and cut into pieces 3. Mix aya together with millet, white rice, sweet potatoes and ginger and blend or grind into smooth paste. Add water and sieve; add sugar, flavour and stir. Refrigerate to cool and serve as drink. Some people would prefer to boil slightly after grinding and sieving. This is optional.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Womanhood

An easy way of settling kids during bedtime T

he focus should be on your child learning how to manage himself through meeting his responsibilities and not on your child learning to manage you through power plays.

First of all, as in any power struggle, there is no need to engage in a fight if it can possibly be avoided. That means that in implementing a new program, you may get a fight at first-and by the way, it might be a very serious or forceful one. It is advised that you try not to personalize it and instead, realize that this is a matter of your child meeting their responsibilities. In other words, the focus should be on your child learning how to manage himself through meeting his responsibilities and not on your child learning to manage you through power plays.

For younger children Realize that the problemsolving skills of younger kids are less evolved; they often have problems with impulsivity and frustration control. If going to bed is frustrating for them, it's likely that their behaviour is going to escalate into an unpleasant situation. So the first rule is, don't make bedtime unpleasant. Make no mistake, this is not to say you should make it pleasant by talking sweet or bribing them. Only don't make it unpleasant by looking for an argument.

Have quiet time before bedtime As the house winds down before bedtime, there should be quiet time. Any TV or DVDs watched by your child should be screened for mellowness and simplicity. No video games or computer a half hour before bedtime. Ideally, bedtime should be a time of quiet in the housedad shouldn't be building a chair in the garage, mom shouldn't be slamming around in the kitchen, and other siblings should not be screaming and yelling or laughing loudly.

Have your child set their own alarm clock When kids begin play-school or nursery, they should get an alarm clock. Teach them how to set themselves at night when they start school. Part of the ritual of getting up is that we set the alarm clock at night when we go to bed. That way, you get your child to take responsibility as soon as they have some place they need to go. This is basic behavioural training, and it's effective in getting kids into the routine of waking up in the morning. It is recommended that you get an alarm clock with a subtle ring that doesn't rattle

As every mother knows, fights over bedtime can be one of the biggest power struggles you'll have with your child, whether they're five or fifteen. The truth is, many kids just don't want to go to bed at night. For most of them, it's probably because they're afraid they're going to miss something. With others, it might be because they're frightened of the dark, or afraid to go to sleep. And for some kids, they simply want to be in control. Bedtime just becomes another issue with kids. If you've ruled out fear of the dark, fear of bedwetting, and fear of not waking up, that leaves us with oppositional behavioural issues-the power struggle. kids' nerves in the morning.

Use bedside lights 30 minutes prior to bedtime Leave on a bedside light in the room for half-an-hour before lights out. For younger kids under age eleven, reading is a good way to fall asleep. It clears their mind and is soothing. It also gives them some power of choice.

"Would you like to read?" and "What would you like to read?" are all built into this idea. Now, if you give that as an option to your kids, the good news is if they don't get up on time in the morning, that's the first thing you can take away: It becomes the consequence for not getting up. A word of advice here: always keep a light at the end of the tunnel for kids. If you make them feel powerless, it will encourage them to engage in power struggles with you.

For older kids As for adolescents at bedtimethat's kids aged 12 and up-the scenario is a little different. The problem with teens is that the issue about going to their bedroom will hardly present any problem at all. Many will already be in their bedroom talking on their cell phones and texting their friends. As many parents know, the issue is what they do in their room after bedtime.

By the way, rules around bedtime with older teens are highly dependent on whether or not they get up on time in the morning. If your child can wake up with the alarm, goes to school and is not rude or unpleasant, and he plays video games until midnight, if that doesn't bother you, it might be okay.

Take the electronics out of the bedroom (Two ways to do it): Here, this is dealing specifically with the kids who stay up late and don't get up in the morning, or who are nasty and mean in the morning because they're tired, who fall asleep in school and can't produce quality work because they're sleepy. The bad news for parents of these kids is: your child should not be allowed to have any electronics in their room at bedtime. You can accomplish this in two ways: you can take the game controls of the video game, their cell phone and the mouse and keyboard out of

their room. Or you can simply remove all of the electronic stuff from the room. It goes without saying that if your child is not complying, the cell phone stays with the parent.

Check in on your kids before lights out Parents should check on kids at least once while the light is on before they go to sleep, as well. Of course, it's important to knock on their door and say, "May I come in?" If your child says yes, then open the door. If they say no, then say, "OK, I'll be back in 5 minutes."

Checking on your kids, even adolescents, lets them know that you're concerned about what they're doing and care about their health and safety.

Free time before they sleep Success with the new bedtime program will depend on your teen's temperament as well as your conviction that learning how to get up is an important responsibility for your child.

Some parents don't mind waking their kids up five times; others see it as a real manipulation on the part of their child to avoid

getting up on time and taking responsibility. Either way, older kids are also welcome to have their lights on for an hour before bedtime, during which time they can read. Again, that's going to help them wind down, calm down and get them ready to sleep. Some parents allow low music and others don't. Ideally, each parent can go through the process of elimination with different variables and see what works best for their family.

Giving consequences to teens: Adolescents are given the same consequences as younger kids: have them lose their hour of reading time if they have problems getting up in the morning. You can also use the same formula that you use with younger kids: "Do it for a few days, and we'll talk about it."

Older kids may act out and be angry about this. But once again, consistency and perseverance on the part of the parent will really pay off.

A Powerful Tool for Parents: Ask the 4 Questions and End Power Struggles

Here's a sample conversation you can have with your younger or older child after you've explained the new rules of bedtime to them: You: "What is the new rule?"

Your child: "Lights out."

You: "How will we know it's working?"

Your child: "I'll get up on time."

You: "What will we do if it doesn't work?"

Your child: "We'll try again."

You: "What will we do if it works?

Your child: "I'll get lights back on."

This type of dialogue, which focuses on four elements, is a good way to train kids to really measure something. The four measurements are really 4 simple questions: 1. How will we know it's working?

2. How will we know it's not working?

3. What will we do if it's working?

4. What will we do if it's not working?

Those are powerful questions, whether you ask them in regard to your child staying up later, using the car, or going to a dance. Imagine that your teen wants to change his or her bedtime to 10 p.m. and it's currently set at 9:30. Let's say as a parent, you're open to the idea and willing to try it. The conversation should go like this: empoweringparents.com

“

The bad news for parents of these kids is: your child should not be allowed to have any electronics in their room at bedtime.

PAGE 30

Archives

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com

Nigeria, Zaria (1959) - Baobob tree in the market place in Zaria.

Bonny Island - Nigeria 1955.

Nigerian musicians playing traditional stringed instruments during the Queen’s visit to Nigeria. 18th February, 1956

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Leisure WORD SEARCH

With Augustine Aminu

PICTURE OF THE WEEK A Real Lagos Child

Find the words of the things dads like from the bottom in the Dad word search grid. The words can be forwards or backwards, vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. Circle each letter separately, but keep in mind that letters in each word may be used in more than one word.

Things Dad Likes Word Search Puzzle C H I E

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BASEBALL BASKETBALL CARS CHILDREN COACHING DAUGHTERS FAMILY FOOTBALL GAMES GOLF HOCKEY HOME HUGS KISSES NEWSPAPER SONS SPORTS STORIES TELEVISION WORK

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Proverbs and wise sayings A child does not laugh at the ugliness of its mother A full stomach does not last overnight A house that is built by God will be completed A lion does not eat its own cubs A man on the ground cannot fall A person cannot dance well on one leg only A stick which is far away cannot kill a snake A sweet taste does not remain forever in the mouth

JOKES, JOKES, JOKES Three men were at a bar. Two of the men were discussing the control they had over their wives, while the third remained uninterested.

After a short while, the two men turned to the third and asked, “What about you? What kind of control do you have over your wife?” The third man turned to the first two and said, “Well, just the other day I had her on her knees!”

The two men were dumbfounded.

“Wow that’s incredible! What happened next?” they asked. The third man took a healthy swig of his beer, sighed and grumbled, “Then she started screaming at me to get out from under the bed and fight like a man!”

CARTOON

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

F Compiled by Nasiru Mu’azu Isa

O

ver 40 designers from across the world have participated in the maiden edition of the Glitz Africa Fashion Week (GAFW).

The event took place recently in the Ghanaian Capital, Accra; it brought together Fashion icons from all over Africa and also some unsigned, yet creative hands from Europe and the Americas.

The maiden edition was met with so much pessimism but turned out to be a glitz and glamour event that was enjoyed beyond the expectation of most fashion enthusiasts. Ten glittering fashion shows, make-up and celebrity parties, great music, and free seminars led by some of Africa’s high profile names in fashion and business, made up what was an excellent production.

Awards for Designer of the Year, Model of the Year (male and female), Emerging Designer of the Year, the Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Male Designer were presented to deserving winners. Nigeria’s Mai Atafo won the overall Best Designer Award.

The designers from all over Africa where represented and a few from Paris and UK. In its first year, the Glitz Africa Fashion Week seeks to be the go-to destination for Africa’s fashion community. The organizers say it will be an annual event.

Claudia Lumor, Publisher of Glitz Africa Magazine, organizers of the GAFW believes: “One of the biggest and the fastest growing industries in the world is the fashion industry. This is because of the emergence of daring and dynamic young talents who are not shy to push the boundaries of creativity in the industry.

Glitz Africa

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 33

Business

300812 NSE ASI Dana Air Crash: Death certificate, letter of inches up by +0.14% Administration delays final claim settlement as rally continues

M

arket sentiments remain positive as rally enters the fifth day due to unrelenting bargain activities witnessed on the bourse amid negative market breadth while Guaranty Trust Bank Plc today released its Q2 ‘12 result with 25k interim dividend declared.

More so, the key benchmark indices maintained northwards movement, taking supports majorly from Large CAP stocks led by GUINNESS and NB while continuous buying activities witnessed in Conglomerates, Healthcare and Financial Services sectors also contributed to the outlook recorded today.

In the same vein, the market capitalization of 187 first-tier equities appreciated by N10.89 billion as market sentiments remained positive. 105 equities were traded today as against previous 106 with more activities recorded in Financial Services, Consumer Goods, Conglomerates, ICT, Oil & Gas, Services, Industrial Goods and Healthcare. Today, three NSE sectoral indices closed positive as NSE 30 which basically measures the performance of

blue chips sustained uptrend by +0.25% gains, NSE Food closed with +0.66% gains while NSE Banking also closed with -0.02% marginal loss, NSE Insurance records -0.53% loss while NSE Oil & Gas closed flat. The New NSE LII closed positive with +0.09% gains.

At the close of trading session, the NSE All-Share Index inches up by +0.14% to close at 23,704.34 as against an upbeat by +0.59% recorded in the previous session to close at 23,670.11. In the same vein, market capitalization appreciated by N10.89 billion (US$72.61 million) to close at N7.54 trillion (US$50.28billion) as against appreciation by N44.08 billion (US$293.77 million) recorded in preceding session to close at N7.53 trillion (US$50.21billion).

The number of gainers at the close of trading session closed flat at 25 as against 25 recorded in the previous session while decliners closed higher at twenty-eight (28) as against sixteen (16) losers recorded in the previous trading day – suggesting a negative market breadth.

By Augustine Aminu with agency report

I

nability of the families of the Dana Air crash victims to summit death certificates and letter of administration from the court have delayed the payment of the 70 per cent final claims settlement.

The Deputy Director, Administration and Policy, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) Leo Akah gave the hint at the 2012 Seminar for Insurance Correspondents taking place in Calabar.

He stated that the final payment valued at $70,000 per victim can only be paid on provision of evidence of death certificate and letter of administration.

According to him, “Only 58 families have been paid the initial 30 per cent amounting to $30,000 which was supposed to be paid 30 days after the airline crash according to NCA law, and that right now the rest payment has been frustrated as a result multiple claimants coming for claims.

He added that, “ As at today no family has submitted these documents, and that’s why no family had been paid the remaining balance.”

The Dana air insurance is placed 30 per cent locally while the remaining 70 per cent were placed abroad.

The lead under writer in Nigeria is Prestige Assurance, while six other insurance companies were co-insuers, adding that details will be made available next week when

both the foreign and local insuerers will come to address world press conference on the state of insurance on the dana aircrash.

His word: “As far as we are concerned 30 per cent of this insurance was taken by Nigerian insurer led by Prestige while the foreign aspect is was handled by Lloyds and Lloyds Associates.

Speaking on the same vein, Commissioner for Insurance,. Fola Daniels

said as a matter of routine Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will find out from NAICOM if certificate issued in respect of insurance risk is genuine or not.

He added that the commission is not playing semantics or politics with the issue, adding that a lot of friends and relatives lost their lives at the crash and for that reason, it must be taken seriously, assuring that every claim on the incident must be paid.

Windows 8 and windows phone 8-powered devices.

With our leadership in design and technology and Microsoft’s leadership in operating systems, together

we are able to provide customers with a full range of ATIV devices for crosscategory convergence,” said Seong Woo Nam, Executive Vice-President of IT Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung ATIV S is a new smartphone for both work and entertainment featuring Windows Phone 8. Apart from tech specs, the company did not suggest any release dates or prices.

Samsung announces first Windows Phone 8-based smartphone

By Muhammad Sada

S

amsung Electronics has announced a range of ATIV devices based on the Windows 8 for Smart PCs, tablets and Windows Phone 8 for smartphones, making it one of the first to offer the OS for smartphones - even sooner than Nokia, who are supposed to be Microsoft’s partner.

“Samsung is delighted to introduce a wide portfolio of

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Discourse Nigerians no longer believe in themselves, Obasanjo, others Stories by Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI) is a platform for credible, accomplished and uniquely patriotic Nigerians to develop express values-based leadership skills with the aim of assuming a transformative role in the continuous development of Nigeria.

The Initiative said through its Leadership seminars, symposia, social responsibility projects, essays and business plan competitions, it is mobilising the energy, talent and resources of Nigerians worldwide to collectively tackle challenges that confront Nigeria.

Hosting former President Olusegun Obasanjo as its guest speaker at the fourth series of its Guest Speakers’ Forum in Lagos, Obasanjo, who spoke on ‘Leadership foundation and underpinning’, said Nigeria has problem of succession generation of leaders “one of the worst problems Nigeria is facing is disbelief”, adding that “Nigerians no longer believe in themselves neither do they believe in their country.”

Obasanjo after examining different theories of leadership and their relevance to Africa said the continent needs a new breed of political leaders who can respond adequately to emerging global challenges and opportunities.

Such leaders, he said, should have the flexibility to respond to different needs and the courage to stick to noble causes.

He noted that the leadership problems in Africa have been attributed to many causes, “the most significant of which is leadership inadequacies.” ”A leader must not only lead, he must be seen, accepted and trusted to be decisively leading” the former President stated.

Obasanjo said we need to train more people, we need to expose them, look at Aganga, Adeshina and Ngozi, I brought them back and they are performing because of their exposure, there is no replacement for training, our young people need exposure and mentoring.”

“Given the pressures of domestic needs and demands, and the global challenges and opportunities, it is imperative that there is an institutional transition of leadership from one generation to another. Leadership succession should be a relay race and not an obstacle race,” he added.

Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) and NLI founding patron, Dr. Christopher Kolade, said it was important to build the kind of country that would give respect to every Nigerian. He called on the younger generation to aspire for more knowledge to boost their leadership capacity “as they cannot afford to get it wrong again.”

Kolade said NLI was motivated to assist in building the kind of leaders the country needs to address contemporary challenges, and that sharing was critical to the building process.

NLI Chief Executive Officer Yinka Oyinlola said it was important to continue to examine leadership issues and challenges to affect the thinking of the younger generation. Oyinlola said the foundation is tasked to create a growing, global network of credible, accomplished community-spirited Nigerian leaders,

committed to taking responsibility for driving positive change in Nigeria and Nigerian communities.

Established in January 2006, with the vision of nation-building, the NLI is blending the lines between citizenry and leadership to enhance engagement, moving Nigerians from “Thought to Action and Success to Significance”.

The foundation in a brief, is said to be a major factor that inspired the founding of NLI was the absence of a credible platform for highly accomplished Nigerians in the Diaspora and Nigeria to play a significant role in helping to transform Nigeria, noting that so many successful Nigerians have a lot to offer as critical stakeholders in the country’s development.

“Another inspiration for the idea was the remarkable progress the country had made in certain areas during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

There was a sustained and effective fight against corruption at the time and the country had some very technically competent, enthusiastic, dedicated reformers in the Government. In spite of all the odds, these individuals were committed to playing a major role in transforming our country. It was felt that they needed the support and help from a group like the NLI. Those were the two main inspirations for the initial idea.

“The concept of NLI was discussed by the founder, Segun Aganga with a few friends and Dr. Christopher Kolade ( NLI Patron). A few months later, Mr. Aganga was nominated to attend the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) South Africa class as a Goldman Sachs-ALI fellow. The experience with the Aspen Institute and the ALI helped shaped his thoughts and was a major catalyst for the NLI class.”

So far, NLI’s contributions have not only been recognised in Nigeria but by international organisations, the World Bank sponsored one of our initiatives to set up a similar leadership program in Rwanda. And in May 2007, the World Bank co-sponsored our Future Leaders program. The UK All Political Parties Group identified NLI as one of the most credible and effective Nigerian organisations in its report on Nigeria.

Y

ouths across the country lambasted Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo over his statement recently that Nigerian youths are not ready to take over position of leadership in the country.

The youths who spoke to Peoples Daily Weekend said the former President and many other past Nigeria political leaders cannot mentor a patriotic leader for Nigeria, stressing that “corruption begets corruption.”

The youths said Obasanjo’s statement of recent was only meant to scare Nigerian youths, cower and relegate them to the background, for them to shy away from aspiring to positions of political leadership.

President, Nigerian Youth United Action Coalition, NYUAC. Abdullahi Abdulmajeed, while speaking with our correspondent, said Obasanjo’s comment is obviously a self acknowledged indictment of himself and all other leaders of his generation who have battered our present and compromised our future due to their insatiable greed and avarice. however, the valiant youths of this country will surely disapprove of their reckless axiom in no distant time.

Barrister Osaretin Dennis Imuetinyan on his part said Obasanjo is partly right in his assertion, many young politicians have erred on the side of history, and the list of such is endless however on the other hand who are these young politicians? Where do they come from and what is their background? He queries. You will find out that most of them are mere cronies and stogies in the hands of old politician like Objasanjo. For example, El Rufa’i when he was FCT Minister, allotted several plots of land to his friends and members of his family, again when the institution are not allowed to act in accordance to the laws that creates them all you can get is anarchy, if merit and popular opinion becomes the basis for determining who gets what then you will be surprised that there are millions of youths out there who, all they want is just an opportunity to set the records straight and do the right thing.”

He added that the youths are tired of seeing “people like IBB, Buhari, OBJ and people of his age suggesting the way forward when they are already at their dead end.”

A cleric, John Awe added that the likes of Obasanjo are fathers and progenitors of the so called corruption he was talking about. “When there is no responsible leadership who is

Guest Speaker, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Nigeria Leadership Initiative, NLI Chief Executive Officer Yinka Oyinlola, at the event.

Youths lambast Obasanjo, say “you’re not fit to mentor us” conscious of its essence in governance, what becomes the fate of the people they are mentoring? Let them train the youths and the essence of responsible leadership and the youths will surprise them.”

Other youths under the umbrella of Frustrated Nigerian Youths said Obasanjo’s statement portraying the nation’s youth as not capable to lead, comes preposterous at a time it’s obvious Nigeria is suffering from failed leadership of past governments.

The group in a statement signed by its Convener ‘Frustrated’ Ayokunle Oloye and National Co-coordinator Paul Mbagwu said Obasanjo should not forget the unarguable fact that “our elders have failed us the youths and the society at large.” “Obasanjo as a Yoruba man should remember the Yoruba saying, “it is the horse in front that the one behind looks and follows suit in its steps.” This indicates that whatever few youth of the nation have amounted to today is as a reason of the elders’ leadership method so far. Nothing more,” the group added. The youth expressed surprise that “our failed political leaders claim to be followers of great Nigerian leaders and patriots, likes Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikwe, Tafawa Balawa among others, while in essence, their selfish leadership style does not worth mentoring, what obtains is corruption and self interest politics, that is the style of their leadership.” the statement reads in part: The notion of spiting the Nigerian youth because of the few likes of Farouk Lawan, Dimeji Bankole among others is unfair. These failed youth whom he uses to label Nigerian Youth a failure, were actually political stooge of these present failed leaders, who mentored the likes of Dimeji Bankole, Farouk Lawan among others.

This we will not accept; we Nigerian Youth have among us good heads with vision to deliver the country from abject poverty, but corrupt party structures is hindering us from being tested and given the opportunity to lead.

When we say the leaders and elders have failed the youth, we are talking in essence of their corrupt life style and how they mismanage our national wealth, that has and is still frustrating the Nigerian Youths, “Out of frustration many Nigerian youth have taken to crime in the society; more hopelessly hundreds of our youths are committing suicide on a daily basis, engaging in detrimental ventures in a quest to fill up the gaps created by a system that has refused to attend to their basic needs.”

As much as we the Nigerian youths give a high regard and respect to OBJ as an elder states man, we would want him to redress the mind- set and apologize to the Nigerian youths for failing them many times and looking down on them, and demoralizing their psychic by such false assertion. Again, we want to hold him to the task of providing to the Nigerian youth a statesman and elder, who is fit to mentor or tutor us to a positional mindset that befits the nation.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 35

Feature Nasarawa’s quest to exploit solid minerals and boost revenue base From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

S

i n c e the inception of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) administration of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa state, the issue of the ever dwindling federal allocation accruing to the state, has been in the front burner, with the governor seeking earnestly to diversify the revenue base of the state in order to meet up with ever pressing developmental challenges.

The situation in Nasarawa is further worsened when the governor recently disclosed that 95 % of the N2.8bn monthly federal allocation, amounting to N2.3bn is spent on paying salaries of the nearly 50, 000 workers in the state, who represents only 1 % of the over 2.4 million population. The state government is left with only N100 m monthly to run its affairs and also deliver much needed dividends of democracy, after servicing debt inherited from the previous administration of former Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma, to the tune of N400 m.

At every available forum, Almakura has been vocal in restating his resolve to diversify the revenue base of the state, to make it less dependent upon the dwindling federal allocation. He was particular in seeking to exploit the abundant mineral resources found in the state, with Nasarawa, according to available records, blessed with 114 various mineral resources, ranging from precious stones to different industrial stones, which when properly harnessed, have the potential to significantly improve the dismal revenue base of the state.

The Nigerian mining sector, according to Stephen Mallo of the department of geology and mining at the University of Jos, has so far been able to contribute a meager 0.3 % to the Gross National Product (GDP). Given the vast mineral resources, it is quite disheartening, with the over dependence on the nonrenewable petroleum resources as reason for the inability to further develop the solid minerals sector.

The history of organized mining in Nigeria began in 1903 when the Mineral Survey of the Northern protectorates was created by the British colonial government.

Following this development, the Mineral Survey of the Southern Protectorates was founded one year after. For the next four decades after, the mining industry witnessed the influx of British and German foreign mining companies such as the amalgamated Tin Mining company of Nigeria, Exlands, Gold and Base Metals, etc. These companies introduced mechanized mining which led to higher productivity of the mines and consequently land devastation as no law was put in place by the colonial government to guide mineral extraction. By the 1940s, Nigeria was a major producer of tin,

columbite, and coal. The increased world demand for petroleum products coupled with the collapse of the international market for mineral commodities and the indigenization decree of the early 70s compounded the ability of Nigeria to sustain the tempo of mineral development.

The historical beginning of development of mining in Nigeria was through Private Sector Investment. Thus, up to the early 1970s, the private sector was virtually the sole operator in the industry. The indigenization Programme (1972/1977) marked the first significant government participation in mining outside the petroleum sub-sector of the national economy. The oil boom subsequently heralded the protracted neglect of mineral investment/development whose potentials for Nigeria lie in the large size and diversity of its natural endowments. Priority minerals stand at four; these are specialty metals (tantalite, columbite & lithium), bitumen/tar sands, kaolin, and lode deposits of gold.

Other minerals with established levels of reserves that can attract investments are coal, lead, zinc, iron ore, bentonite, barites, gypsum, talk, gemstones, and brine salt. These minerals are currently being documented and the exercise is far from completed, requiring superior specialized research expertise and modern technology.

This explains the decision of Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura to seek partnership with reputable foreign investors, who have the requisite financial standing, as well as the technological knowhow, to come and invest in the sector, through which the state stands to gain immensely.

This effort by the governor has since began to bear fruits, especially, with his recent trips to China and the United States, following which investors visited the state to show interest in throwing their money in to help the state in exploiting and harnessing the abundant in-ground resources.

Recently, a team of Chinese businessmen have indicated interest to invest in solid minerals particularly, limestone and coal, found in commercial quantities in the state, with the Asian entrepreneurs expected to arrive the state any moment.

State commissioner for commerce and industry, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed, disclosed this to Peoples Daily, adding that the Chinese investors who were overwhelmed by the abundance in the state of mineral deposits found in the country, have shown interest in setting up a cement factory in Nasarawa, not minding the stiff competition from the Dangote Group of companies.

Mohammed reiterated the determination of the state government to diversify the economic base of the state by

Gov. of Nasarawa state, Alh. Umaru Tanko Al-makura revitalizing the solid minerals sector, thereby improving the living conditions of the people in terms of sustainable development, adding that, it explains the decision of Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura, "to graciously give us consent to recruit a capable hand that can drive the solid mineral sector."

Alhaji Mohammed further revealed that his ministry has already put in place a template that would guide solid minerals activities in the state, in terms of exploration and exploitation, all encapsulated within bounds of the Public Private Partnership (PPA).

He stated that from his recent visit to China, the state has identified a group of Chinese businessmen that are willing to invest in not only solid minerals but also, real estate, agriculture and health, which was made possible through the collaboration of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), stressing that the Chinese entrepreneurs are expected in the country immediately after the fasting period. In a bid to diversify the economic base of the state, the Nasarawa state government has put in place a comprehensive plan for large scale production of iodized salt at the Nasara Salt Industries, located at Awe and Keana, through a PublicPrivate Partnership (PPA).

Equally, another partnership brokered by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), according to Governor Al-makura, in a speech he delivered recently on the occasion of a stakeholders forum on the establishment of salt processing clusters in the state, has already drawn the attention of the Dangote Group.

Represented at the event by the state deputy governor, Hon. Dameshi Barau Luka, Al-makura observed that over-dependence on a single commodity economy continues to pose a threat to the economic prosperity of the state, stressing that, it has become necessary to explore and exploit viable alternatives to not only boost the revenue profile of the state but open up employment opportunities for the people.

On his part, director general of RMRDC, Engr. Peter Onwualu, represented by Mrs. Mary Mbok, appreciated the presence of the Dangote group, saying that the council is convinced the group would be able to exploit the potentials in this project by bringing expertise in the area of salt processing, refining, packaging and marketing.

Alhaji Abdullahi Ahmed of the National Salt Company of Nigeria, who stood in for the Dangote Group, lamented the inability of the country to exploit its large salt deposits for the benefit of the people, saying that his company will make its expertise available to enable the Nasarawa state government to exploit its abundant salt deposits.

Earlier in a welcome address, the state commissioner of science and technology, Samuel Meshi, stated that his ministry embarked on the establishment of salt factories at Awe and Keana to massively produce iodized salt for local consumption and commercial purposes, with other by-products to be also utilized for science laboratories for school on commercial scale.

He disclosed that large salt deposits are found in Awe, Ribi, Akiri, Azara, in Awe LGA and Azara development area, Ayero and Imon

in Adudu district of Obi LGA and Aloshi, Odzi, Akyanapole, Okumaka and Adaka in Keana LGA. In his continuous quest to develop the solid minerals sector, Al-makura recently sought a partnership with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), which will soon establish a national institute for mineral processing in the state.

In a release made available to journalists in Lafia, signed by the director of press affairs to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, Iliyasu Ali Yakubu, the director general of the agency, Prof. Olusegun Adewoye, made the disclosure recently when Al-makura visited him in his office to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the agency.

Prof. Adewoye stated that the institute when established, will conduct research and develop solid mineral resources, as well as process same for export, stressing that Nasarawa is the first state to sign a pact with the agency in the area of industrial development.

Earlier on, Al-makura, worried by the decay and backwardness in infrastructure and technological development as well as science education in the state, said it has become necessary to engage the services of the agency to harness the solid mineral potentials in the state.

The governor said it was against this backdrop that the Nasarawa state government signed the MOU with the agency with a view to building a solid foundation for industrial and technological development, as well as to boost the power situation in the state.

While expressing his confidence in the ability of the agency to harness the solid mineral potentials for the overall development of the state, Al-makura stated that the over dependence on oil necessitated his administration to look in-ward and see how it can generate revenue without depending on the federal allocation, hence the need for the collaboration.

Only last week and as a fall out of the recent visit by the governor to the United States to woo investors, a US investor, Marvin Goosh, chairman/CEO, Goosh Companies LLC, in Texas, has shown interest to partner with the state government in the area of solid minerals.

Goosh, who led a delegation to the Nasarawa Government House, stated they were in the state in line with the quest and willingness of the Nasarawa state government to further develop infrastructure in the state by partnering with reputable firms.

He disclosed that having studied the potentials available in the state, Goosh companies is willing to partner with the government, "to show how government can utilize the abundant in-ground resources and make it work for the benefit of the state."

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 18 — SUNDAY 19, AUGUST, 2012

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Tata's desperate political Re: Sovereign wealth fund propaganda in Katsina F

o r some time now, the political activities of one Umar Abdullahi Tsauri, known in Katsina political circle as Tata, has prominently featured in a section of the media. The climax of his political propaganda was a publication in a national newspaper on Sunday, August 26, 2012 which gave the impression that himself and Governor Ibrahim Shema are engaged in a tough battle ahead of the 2015 governorship election in the state.

This is misleading because political observers are asking on what grounds will Tata and Governor Shema be having a running battle for 2015 governorship election?

It is on record that by 2015, Governor Shema would have completed his constitutionally approved two term limit as a governor of Katsina state. What is now the yardstick for competing for the governorship seat with Tata? It is worthy of note that since Tata started his political propaganda, no official response has emanated from Katsina state government because he does not deserve any.

It would be recalled that in an interview with a national daily, Tata said that that he spent N80 million from his personal income to mobilize voters for President Goodluck Jonathan in DutsinMa Local Government Area during the 2012 presidential election. According to him, ''Jonathan/Sambo campaign committee in my local government was only given N2.5 million to mobilize for the President. I don't know how you could win election in Katsina state, where Buhari was standing against Jonathan, with that amount of money. I am telling you, I spent over N80 million on that day in my local government, nobody gave me a penny.''

The question now is where did he get that kind of amount from? What the public knows about him is that he is a civil servant, a Level 14 officer, an Assistant Director currently serving in the Ministry of Defence. Where he got millions of naira which he claimed to be

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Email: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com spending needs to be explained. Anybody is free to defend him, but what the public needs is the source of his wealth.

The story about the number of mosques Tsauri has built is not a justification for him not to be investigated; nobody will be allowed again to use religion either as a Muslim or Christian to commit atrocities.

Tata is not a thief, yet he is boasting of wealth the source of which he cannot explained, then what do we call him? If an armed robber spends money for the public, should we celebrate him as if he were a hero? God forbid! Never in Katsina state. When a man prepares to dance a naked dance, he should be prepared to endure the shame.

Tsauri, in the publication said, ''I don't know anything that Ibrahim Shema did for Katsina before he became the governor.

What qualifies him to be the governor of the state? If Shema, who contributed nothing to the development of the state can aspire for the seat, I think I also have a legitimate right to contest. I know I am capable of performing better than Shema and that is why I think it is a right for me to aspire for the seat come 2015.''

Definitely Tsauri is better than Shema in several ways. Shema does not buy votes with money, but to Tsauri, N80 million is a meager amount to spend to win an election in a local government. Before becoming Katsina state governor, Shema was a successful international lawyer, an illustrious son of Katsina state without any blemish in his career, which alone qualified him to be a governor of the state. And since he became the governor of the state in 2007, he has lived up to expectation. For

instance, the records of Katsina state development from 1987, when it was created to 2007 [20 years] when Barrister Shema become the governor, indicate that there were 255 secondary schools in the state, 28 roads totaling 543.3 km were constructed by all the administrations during the period. Also, the total numbers of housing units built during the period were 632. Similarly, 58 buses were purchased over a period of 20 years for Katsina State Transport Authority (KTSTA).

However, within four years of Governor Shema's first term in office, 142 additional secondary schools were established; 30 new roads totaling 519.04km were constructed; 1,772 houses were built, 84 new buses were purchased for KSTA with insurance for passengers; free education at all levels, payment of enhanced teachers salary structure; and free medical care for dialysis patients, malaria treatment, pregnant mothers, delivery and caesarean section

among other laudable people oriented projects.

Also, it is interesting to note that Katsina state government, under the leadership of Governor Shema, has being running a transparent and prudent administration. While other states with lesser achievements are weighed down with debts, both internal and external, the reverse is the case with Governor Shema's administration. He has transformed Katsina state beyond imagination with quantum of development projects without any debt overhang.

There is a need for the relevant government agencies to investigate Tsauri and his claims. It is only in Nigeria that a civil servant on the payroll of the Federal Government will engages in frivolous spending without anyone questioning the source of his wealth. It is only in this nation that a government worker will embark on political campaign three years to the electioneering period, yet nothing is being done about it.

However, Tsauri needs to know that Katsina state is a citadel of learning; the citizens are knowledgeable and are not ready to mortgage their future for money.

When the time comes to decide who will succeed Shema as governor in 2015, they would choose another illustrious son who would not offer money to buy their votes.

Aliyu writes from Katsina Local Govt.

“

The story about the number of mosques Tsauri has built is not a justification for him not to be investigated; nobody will be allowed again to use religion either as a Muslim or Christian to commit atrocities. Tata is not a thief, yet he is boasting of wealth the source of which he cannot explained, then what do we call him?

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 37

Opinion

By Bonaventure Melah

T

h e sudden exit of Prof. Barth Nnaji as Minister of Power is quite regrettable. He was determined to give Nigeria stable electricity supply in the life of the present administration. He has the experience, the will and the zeal to deliver on his promises. He demonstrated his capacity on the job through the various strategies he outlined towards achieving the total privatisation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), working strictly and meticulous on them within the timeline he set for himself. In addition to that, it is on record that electricity supply has improved substantially in various parts of the country within the past three months as generation level improved to about 4600megawaths under his leadership. He had promised to take it up to 6000 megawatts by the end of the year.

Did Prof. Barth Nnaji who was seen by many as one of the leading drivers of Jonathan's regime and in whom the hope for the success of the government were hinged upon fail to scale the integrity rope?

The erudite and cerebral Professor was accused of having more than official interest in two of the companies bidding for PHCN in the on-going privatisation of the power sector under his supervision. If the allegation is true, it was a grievous fault.

And grievously has he paid for it.

There have been media reports of high wire political intrigues by members of a well- connected cabal made up of some former Heads of State, oil moguls and several other money and power mongers who were bent on scheming Nnaji out of the office. The former Minister has also said he decided to quit as a way of saving his name and that of President Jonathan from further smear. Only time will reveal what really went under the bridge. Whatever is the true story, anybody celebrating the exit

Why jonathan should appoint Dr. Sam amadi as minister of power of Barth Nnaji from the Ministry of Power this time is a sadist and does not wish Nigeria well. We should rather mourn rather than celebrate Bart Nnaji's exit.

President Goodluck Jonathan should however go ahead and appoint a substantive Minister of Power without delay. The total privatisation of PHCN must be completed on schedule with or without Barth Nnaji. A greater majority of Nigerians has been of the consensus that fixing the power sector is the most important challenge facing the present administration. And that is where Dr. Sam Amadi comes in.

The substantive Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has proved his capacity to provide quality leadership with the highest level of integrity as well as take the on-going reform of the power sector to a logical conclusion.

As the Chairman of NERC, Amadi is an insider in the on-going reforms in the power sector and part of the negotiation between the government and PHCN workers towards full privatisation.

His appointments to head the important Commission was hailed by many Nigerians because of his credentials and transparent service records. The confidence reposed on him has so far being justified in view of his achievements within the short period of his stay in office.

Before his appointment as Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi was coordinating research and public policy briefs for ThinkTank Consult. He was also the Executive Director of the Centre for Public Policy and Research, Lagos. He holds three different

degrees from the prestigious School including Master in Law (L.L.M), Master of Public Policy and Management (MPPM from the Kennedy School Harvard) and Ph.D in Law. He earned an L.L.B from the University of Calabar and a B.L from the Nigeria Law School and was at different times a Special Adviser to former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani as well as the Director of Programmes, Ken Nnamani Centre.

Perhaps his association with the Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi who he worked with as a Senior Counsel in his Chambers and Olisa Agbakoba, two of the most celebrated Nigerian lawyers and firebrand activists must have prepared him for selfless service dedicated to the welfare of the masses. The Fellow of the Carr Centre for Human Rights, Harvard USA has deployed his wealth of experience as a human right activist to protect the interest of consumers, who were hitherto exploited by electricity workers.

NERC under his leadership is been seen by many as a government agency that is committed to the good and wellbeing of the common people through people- oriented reform policies that include, the abolition of 'administrative charges, being billed on consumers by PHCN; abolition of payment for PHCN installed meters by consumers following which meters are now installed to consumers free of charge and the introduction of Consumer Life Line Tariff Initiative aimed at subsidizing power cost for the low income earners who consume minimal quantity of electricity.

Under Dr. Sam Amadi, NERC has invoked the provisions of Section 32(1) (e)

of the Electric Power Sector Act 2005 which empowers the Commission to "Ensure the safety, security, reliability and quality service in the production and delivery of electricity to consumers." The reliance of NERC on the provisions of this Act to come out with a policy guideline that makes it mandatory for importers of electric generating sets and knocked down parts of electric generating sets to obtain clearance certificate from your Commission is therefore timely and a good omen. This is in view of the fact that over the years, Nigerian people have suffered huge economic and human loses arising from the importation and sale of inferior and substandard electric generating sets.

A Committee on Electricity Metering instituted by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) this year organised public hearing on the challenges of Metering and other issues arising from the Power Reform agenda of government.

The event took place at the International Conference Centre Abuja and was attended by hundreds of enthusiastic electricity consumers many of who commended NERC for conducting the public hearing thereby giving them the opportunity to speak out on electricity consumption as well as proffered solutions on the way forward.

In addition to his enviable record of service, Dr. Amadi's appointment would naturally rest the controversy raised by the demand of the people of South East that Bart Nnaji's replacement must be from their zone.

Melah is an Abuja based journalist, author and public analyst

Tribute

Augustine Baba Salifu, gone but not forgotten

By Augustine Aminu

I

t s 13 years since you've been gone.

We never realized how much you meant to us, until that day when we saw you go, with not even the strength to utter a "good-bye". When you lived, we took you for granted; after you left we continued with our studies and our work, but it dawned on us, that for us you made great sacrifice to enable us become whom you wanted us to be, though with gratitude to God for the life you lived, it still hurts that you did not live to reap the fruits of your labour.

We enjoyed ourselves in the blessings of a happy home, in contentment and in comfort, little did we realize the untold hardship you suffered, working in the scorching heat of the midday sun, not even stopping to rest even if caught by sudden thundershowers in the midst of your work, lack of sleep and constant exposure to the merciless elements which slowly but surely undermined your health and brought you closer and closer to your grave. You died that we may live.

Those, whose fathers are now dead, can understand how I feel. And for those whose fathers are still live and are constantly toiling and sacrificing their lives that you children may be here to enjoy the benefits of the expensive education, welfare and general care of a father, may you never feel the pain and agony of those who now

Late Augustine Baba Salifu

long for their dead fathers even though death is evident, so I say may your own fathers live long enough to go life's journey with you.

When our parents are alive, we feel that they sometimes stand between us and the cruel world and even death; but when they are gone, we find ourselves standing in the forefront of the battle line, to stand or fall alone without their aid. And it is not until then that we will realize the true worth

and value of parents. Indeed, we are never able to know how much they mean to us, until it is too late for them to hear what we have to say to them in appreciation.

I recall that my father loves to read.

Three times a week, he would ask us to bring our books for him to see. I remembered that he would often say "our time is better than yours; I don't know what the feature will be". I am sure that as you read this, you would also reason with him, and accept the bitter truth, that indeed, our children's future educationally in Nigeria is bleak.

Father, I remember the stories you told us of how to treat others in life. That we should not plan evil against anyone, life according to your philosophy, is to give what you have. In relation to this, we will never forget the story of the tortoise and the alligator which you always told us; it's now that we understand the lesson it holds and that is that, life is nothing. In respect of what you thought us, we on behalf of your little grand children Eleojo and Unekwuojo have this poem to commemorate you on your 13th, anniversary.

A special dad is hard to find, You dad we're keeping in our minds, We wished you could have stayed forever, But we will never forget you oh not ever.

If dreams weren't dreams and dreams came true, We wouldn't be here we would be with you.

Distance is one thing that keeps us apart, But dad you will always remain in our hearts.

A special smile, a special face, a special someone we can't replace, We love you and we always will, You filled a space that no one will ever replace.

On one hand, we acknowledge your successes and the inspirational role you played in our lives. Simply put, we would not be the persons we are today without you. You helped equip us with some essential reflective tools for challenging systems of oppression.

You embodied a (not entirely) different way of 'being a man.' And you taught me basic things: to confront my own homophobia, to contribute equally in household responsibilities, to never forget how to cry. In this sense, we carry you with me.

You taught us more than just to be simple. You taught us so much about life.

You showed us how to really fight and battle adversity and to never back down. Our dad, you ended up being our hero in life, and we are thankful that you were a good enough person for us to call you that. We are also grateful for every memory we shared. Your death is an irreparable loss to us, children and grand children. We Love you but God loves you best. Rest in perfect peace, until we meet to path no more. Adieu father, rest in peace.

Aminu is a staff of Peoples Daily Media

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Issues Who should be the next Attah Igala?

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

T

he myth surrounding traditional institution of Igala kingdom can only be viewed through the character, action and interpersonal relationship of an Igala person both at home and in diaspora.

This was the contention of some Igala scholars and historians who have worked closely to unravel the mystery of what makes an Igala person. This issue was brought to bare recently when Igala sons and daughters gathered at Idah to find the way forward. Who should be the next Attah?

In so many consideration of who becomes the next Attah Igala, among the four ruling houses, since the onus of who becomes the next Attah lies with Achadu and members in-council, no government or power from outside, of whatever context has the power to give the traditional title of Attah Igala to any other person apart from the choice of the traditional institution of the kingdom. Crises which followed imposition of unpopular chiefs in other communities are enough evidence.

Those within the Igala kingdom who have witnessed how Attah emerges said the modern day dictates, where just being a members of the ruling class gives the quality, but such person must be acceptable to the entire kingdom, either through past antecedents or ability to lead the people to the promise land, even as love for the people and the land, remains sacrosanct.

The Attah throne which dates back to pre-8th and 9th century has never witnessed court cases, over who succeed when an Attah passes on, which analysts held that present circumstance cannot be an exception, it will follow the same direction as Achadu and the king makers had been meticulous in observing the laid down proceedure of choosing a successor.

According to recorded history the four ruling homes includes; Akumabi splitted into two namely Ameacho and Itodo Aduga, Akogu Omaga and Ohiemi Obogo.Attah Igala never compromised his views because of money or political pressure from any quarters, such that could ridicle his subjects and reduce them to apologists. This is where the era of Ameh Oboni, [Ogbakolo] was revered, despite other odds. He was determined to rewrite history where an Igalaman could assume the right position denied them for a long time. Though some historians never believed in the changes he came out to make, according to the precepts of that period, he was a great man, a great Igala leader.

Some analysts believed that the underdevelopment of Igalaland is caused by the same Igalas who after assuming powers, through political or traditional hegemony abandon the cause of Igala kingdom which has reduced the kingdom to a parian kingdom of no clear definition and focus. The Igalas were neither there nor here, they suddenly became a rolling stone which gathers no moment and as they continue to roll, not to hold. Such has been the fate of the Igalas in the 21st century. This report does not in any form tend to indict any of the past Attah Igala, but factors that bring history to a position where the Igalas lost the track and are brought to where they are today without development should be quick on the minds of the ruling class to present to the people of the kingdom who could redeem and reignite the lost glory of the kingdom.

Politically and socially the four branches of the ruling houses combined

Prince Kabba Aliyu Obaje on many occasions in pairs, following the lines of the original genealogical split between Akumabi's descendants and the two lineages. The first pair, comprising the Itodo Aduga and Ame-acho lineages which has the collective name of Aju Akumabi .

The second pair comprising Aju Ocholi and Akogu has no special name but its members often describe the close connection of the two lineages by kinship term of Omaye which denotes children who have parents in common.

A scholar in Igala history and tradition hinted that the split of Akumabi descendants into two was based on the fact that Akumabi first son died before his installation as Attah could be completed.

The succession therefore passed on to his junior brother Itodo Aduga and since then has alternated between the descendants of these two men and members of the older maximal lineages founded by Akogu and Ocholi. He posited that the succession has always between the Ame-acho and Akogu lineages and Itodo-Aduga and Ocholi lineages saying that after Ameh Oboni, who was from Ocholi lineage it went to Aliyu Obaje.

Why all factors favour Idakwo Ameh, as the next to Attah throne, Ameh Oboni who was the progeny of Ocholi lineage became the 20 Attah in1945 but was not allowed to complete his tenure as a result of what some pundit called an imperialist conspiracy against his rising profile .He took over from Obaje the father of the late Aliyu who is from the Itodo Aduga one of the sons of Akumabi lineages. His reigns according to historians brought tremendous prosperity and great influence to Igala kingdom until he paid supreme price in 1946 at unripe age of 48 due to orchestrated plans for his dethrone.This has further lend credence, according to scholars, that since Ameh Oboni was conspired against and made to drop the title , his son was the rightful candidate to ascend the throne. The Igala native Authority law section49 {3] of January, 1961 states "that in respect of the bestowal of the title of Attah Igala the person shall

Prince Idakwo Ameh Oboni be chosen by the Achadu in consultation with the traditional Igala mela from the descendants in the male line of Ayegba OmaIdoko who were members of the four ruling houses of Igala namely Aju Akogu, Ocholi,Ameacho and Aju Akuh and who are the sons of Attah or in the absence of such sons the sons of a brother of an Attah wereall eligible candidates being taken into consideration, but the choice so made shall have no force or effect unless it is confirmed by the Igala native authority".

The law went further to say if there is divergence of views between the Igala native authority and the Achadu in consultation with the Igalamela and it is not resolve within a period of thirty days from the date when the native authority declare such divergent exist the Igala native authority shall nominate a candidate from one of the four ruling houses and the two nominations one by Achadu in consultation with Igalamela and the other by the native authority shall be forwarded to the governor who shall set up committee of inquiry to consider the two nominees and make recommendations thereon. Prince Idakwo Micheal Ameh a retired deputy director monitoring and logistics in the Federal Capital Development Administration. He is the direct son of the 20th Attah Ameh Oboni according to analysts based on the selection procedure from the Ayegba dynasty which has been alternating between the descendant of Ohiemi Obogo and Itodo Aduga lineages the odds seems to favour the prince, above other aspirants.

A professor of political science, Faisal Abdulahi, who has been on the study of Igala culture and tradition said that, the next Attah Igala should be one that will undertake all the rites leading to the throne of Attah since the last Attah did not observe all the rites. He should also be one that will have the spirit to unite and prosper the Igala race at heart .

Similarly, Achadu Attah in council with Etemahi Igalamela were strictly urged to observe the process with the spirit of Igala ancestors to be devoid of partisan

in order to elect a man that will reposition the battered progress of Igala in the last fifty decades as subversion of peoples will through external influence may not augur well for the people and the kingdom.

The qualities of Prince Idakwo Ameh Oboni for consideration as the next Attah Igala are numerous. He posses the requisite educational qualification, he has good interpersonal relationship, Idakwo does not abandon the cause of Igala kingdom from childhood, he is not in the group that will go in to say yes, only to say no outside, he has friends among the military, professors, bankers, and even artisans. His greatest wish when discussing with friends and relatives is how to move Igala kingdom out from its redundant, stagnant position. Prince Idakwo Ameh has the quality to set Igal agenda for the emancipation of this great people, that from Idah-Dekina-Ankpa and all the surrounding would beleive that a leader has emerged.

“

Factors that bring history to a position where the Igalas lost the track and are brought to where they are today without development should be quick on the minds of the ruling class to present to the people of the kingdom who could redeem and reignite the lost glory of the kingdom.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 39

Encounter

We don’t need police commission says former CP, Bello Alhaji Amusa Bello served the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) meritoriously for 35 years and retired as a Police Commissioner. He was in 2010 appointed the Head of Kwara state Traffic Management Agency (KWATMA). In this interview with Olanrewaju Lawal, Bello made case for the creation of state police across Nigeria, and said we do not need police commission among other issues.

C

an you introduce us to the activities of Kwara state Traffic Management Agency?

After training our men, we post them to strategic service points in the state capital. We take care of general post office, Ipata market, Sango area, Geri Alimi and other junctions where we usually have traffic problem in the state capital.

We are supposed to cover all the major towns in the state, but we are having manpower inadequacy. That was the reason we limited our services to llorin metropolis. But with time, we are going to cover other towns in the state.

We have four patrol vans to complement the efforts of our men stationed on the roads. These areas that are not covered by our officers, our patrol vans are deplored to render service to the people.

Men of the Nigeria police are also with us to complement our service. In addition, we are generating revenue to the state government through the fines we collect from traffic offenders.

I want to say that this has increased the revenue base of the state government.

What are the challenges facing KWATMA? We don’t have enough manpower and I want to appeal to state government to recruit more staff for us so that we can extend our services to other parts of Kwara state aside Ilorin. We don’t have enough patrol vans. The ones we had were damaged during the recent protest

by Okada Riders’ Association who besieged our office and destroyed the vehicles. Our traffic posts across the state capital were destroyed during the riot and we don’t have any again. Though, we thank the state government for providing this befitting area as head office, we need more staff to strengthen our operations.

The ongoing construction of major roads in the state capital has created problems for motorists who now find it difficult to move freely. It has narrowed the road for easy passage of vehicles but I hope in the next couple of weeks, this would be over.

To also make our work easier, we do enlighten traffic offenders in our premises here for two or three days. They are educated on what to do on the roads before their vehicles are released. The period of their enlightenment usually depend on the gravity of the offence committed.

How do you combine your present

job with family demands?

Actually, all of us are indigenes of the state and my family members have been with me here in Ilorin for long. We are all committed to the development of our state and no sacrifice is too much to be made for that. So, when I retired from Nigeria Police Force, I took this job to contribute my quota to the development of the state and all my family members are in full support. We do have nice time together and they are seeing their husband and father every day. I am not far from them and they are also not far from me anymore.

Is the creation of KWATMA not a duplication of the functions of similar traffic agencies and what is your relationship with them?

We don’t have any problem with them. We have a good relationship with them and our duties are complementary. Our major aim is to decongest traffic on our roads and that has continued to be our objective. There is no conflict at all.

As a retired Commissioner of Police, what is your view on the creation of state police?

There are advantages and disadvantages in the creation of state police. The benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. If it is working smoothly in other parts of Africa, why can’t we also try it in Nigeria? The security challenges in Nigeria today require state police. Both federal and state police could complement each other to curb these challenges. We all know that the head of the state police and their officers would be indigenes of the areas they cover. So, if there is any crime committed, it would be easier for them to trace the perpetrators.

It is always difficult for non indigenes to do a perfect job on this and that is why we need state police. To even gather

information from the people would be easier with state police in place because they would not exercise any restraint to disclose information to the people they trust.

The fears being expressed that state governors will abuse s t a t e police apparatus will be redressed a s times goes o n since similar things happened i n t h e colonial e r a .

T h e police w a s abused in t h e colonial era but it was later redressed.

What is your relationship with the late John Aruna?

DIG Aruna John, I respect him a lot. He was a fine officer. We were together between 1990 and 1998. Within that period, he was my assistant in command. I was Commissioner of Police when he was my Assistant. He was humane and hardworking officer.

It would be difficult to have another John Aruna in the Nigeria Police Force because this was the officer who had the ability and skills to tackle situations as they come. That was the officer who could face armed robbers himself.

He was a man who could spend his last money or give it out to the people if situation warrants.

The death of late John Aruna raised many questions about the poor status of the police force. What is your view on this sir?

Unfortunately, of all the federal agencies in Nigeria, Nigeria Police is the most ill equipped and it also has poor welfare package. They are wearing poor uniform and while parallel agencies

“

The security challenges in Nigeria today require state police. Both federal and state police could complement each other to curb these challenges. We all know that the head of the state police and their officers would be indigenes of the areas they cover. So, if there is any crime committed, it would be easier for them to trace the perpetrators.

Alhaji Amusa Bello

created out of the police earn better pay.

The child is paid more than the father.

Tell me how could the father render better service?

And despite the ill treatment being meted out to the Nigeria Police, Nigeria is expecting better services from the police.

Every day, one hears that a police officer has been killed. Look at the disparity in the salaries of the bosses of SSS, EFCC and IGP. When police officers are posted outside the country, they are not provided with proper logistics. They have to take care of themselves.

That is why some of them demand bribes from the complainants if they need to buy pen or piece of paper for statement.

When I led the operation to Benin Republic to arrest Ahmad Tijani, nothing was given to us. We left Nigeria to the country without being paid any allowances. Our counterparts from Benin Republic were paid their allowances in our presence.

So they are making the job very difficult for us. They are making the environment very unconducive for policemen. The facilities at the police training school are nothing to write home about. Though the present IGP, Muhammed Abubakar is making efforts to change it and I can see some changes.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Media

Journalists are taking adequate advantage of FOI Law Mohammed Garba is the president of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He is also the president of West African Journalists Association (WAJA). In this interview with Augustine Aminu and Joy Baba, he talks about challenges faced by media practitioners and brutalisation of journalists in Nigeria

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i r, what is the NUJ doing about the recent brutalization and assassination of journalists in the country?

Some people will tell you it is part of the hazards of the profession.

It is really unfortunate that such incidents are happening in the country.

Since 1986 when Dele Giwa was killed, we have record of over 25 journalists that have been killed in the cause of discharging their social and constitutional responsibility.

If you count the cases of assault and brutalization, you will know that quite a number of us have gone through such experience and we are worried especially as the cases increase by the day. The one that happened in Lagos recently, we went beyond condemnation because we realised that in the past, human rights groups will only issue press statements to condemn such things and that is all.

This time around, we were seriously in contact with Lagos council of NUJ and when they wrote us I told them to go beyond condemnations and they went on peaceful mass protest to Government House and almost all the journalists in Lagos presented a letter of protest to Lagos state government.

As I speak to you now, we have briefed our lawyers and they will institute a case against the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital and then the Nigeria Railway Co-operation.

Though the Lagos state Teaching Hospital and the Nigerian Railway have been telling us they have written cheques to the victims to foot the medical bills and equipment that were destroyed, we told them no! that we want proactive measures taken so that such cases will not repeat themselves.

The man who manhandled our colleague in Lagos is there working, he should have been arrested by the police and then prosecuted for what he has done.

For me the two organizations are not serious, we will go to court and I want to tell them that this is a case of human rights abuses.

We understand some arrests have been made by the police in connection with that incident?

I am not aware. Just like you said, I saw it on the television and pages of newspapers where their pictures were displayed. My prayer and hope is that they are

NUJ President, Mohammed Garba the right persons. We have a tradition in Nigeria that when cases like these occur, people will be arrested and paraded and at the end it is a closed case.

Governor Babatunde Fashola is a lawyer and he knows what to do. I have to commend the police if the suspects arrested are the ones that committed this crime.

We want the police to uunravel those behind the killings of our members who have been murdered since the time of Dele Giwa to date. Our prayer is that the new IG of police, Muhammad Dahiru Abubakar will re-visit these cases and reveal the masked persons behind the death of these fellows.

Will you say Nigerian press is independent?

The press in Nigeria to some extent is independent. If you compare what we print in our media, you can’t see such in other African countries. We abuse our leaders and say all kinds of things about them. By virtue of my position as the President of WAJA, I know what I am saying. I have seen some stories in Nigerian media that you can’t see elsewhere. As far as I am concerned, the media in Nigeria is free.

Although, there is an influence from politicians. There

are papers in Nigeria today that once you read their stories you will know the political parties they belong to and this depends on the owner.

One important aspect I want us to be careful about is that the newspapers are moving towards religious identity. It is the most dangerous thing which will not do us any good.

Publications should be based on facts and unless we do that, we will continue to face more problems.

To what extent can you say the Nigerian press has taken advantage of the FOI Act? The issue of FOI bill Act was actually a long fight. The bill itself was initiated by NUJ and then it was a collaboration between the civil society and stakeholders in the media industry. The bill was described as one of the oldest in the National Assembly. We thank God that the bill saw the light of the day during our tenure and due to pressure and collaboration, it was passed into law.

But one thing I will want to point out here is that the FOI Law is not for the media alone, it is for Nigerians. Everyone needs to know what is happening in their area as a citizen of the country.

One should be able to know for

example, how much is expended in a particular project. It is for accountability and transparency in government.

This bill also can enhance journalism especially those who are engaged in investigative journalism, it helps them in getting enough information. It is unfortunate no one has come to utilize this golden opportunity. It is unfortunate that the culture of investigative journalism is eroding. We have a desk here at the National Secretariat where letters to get information during investigative journalism are submitted. You can count the number of letters, they are few.

I don’t think our colleagues are taking adequate advantage of the FOI Law. What do you think is the problem?

Most of us have not even read the contents of this law or have never seen the document. We have it on the NUJ site, www.nujnig.org.

There are lots of issues going on. Petroleum subsidy scandal is there. Faruok Lawan and Otedola cases are still there.

It’s only Daily Trust that came to apply to NNPC and NNPC said they were not covered by FOI Law and after a week, we wrote to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice,

seeking clarification. The NNPC spokesman later came out and said it was a mistake and that the Corporation was covered by FOI Law. And immediately Daily Trust followed up. As we speak however, NNPC people have not co-operated that means they may go to court.

Is there any insurance scheme for Nigerian journalists?

Yes, we have what is called the NUJ Personal Insurance Scheme, which I am sure many journalists are not aware of. We are also persuading various media organizations to capture the issue of insurance in their conditions of service. This is one issue we intend to address in our stakeholders’ meeting.

We have what is called NUJ Personal Insurance Scheme which we are sensitizing our members personally to subscribe to. We have the scheme with the least premium of N6, 700, to collect N1.5 million in events of accident or death. The highest is N19, 000 and the person gets N5 million. I can attest to the fact that our insurance scheme works efficiently. When we had the first incident, based on our agreement with the IICO insurance company, the payment of entitlements was done within seven working days.

We are looking at the possibility of making it compulsory. Now before you register as a journalist, insurance certificate is one of the criteria.

NUJ now wants to compel owners of media organizations to insure all practicing journalists.

I want to assure you that by 2013, every practicing journalist will be captured in the insurance scheme.

“

This bill also can enhance journalism especially those who are engaged in investigative journalism, it helps them in getting enough information.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 41

Weekend CAF Champions League

Sunshine Stars

Sunshine seek revenge in Tunisia

By Patrick Andrew with agency report

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efending champions Esperance of Tunisia and Sunshine Stars of Nigeria have secured semi-finals places from Group A. But they have a grudge game this Sunday as Sunshine Stars are determined to revenge having lost at home to the Tunisians.

Esperance and Sunshine have six points each in revised standings ahead of a Rades showdown with the Tunisian Blood and Gold seeking to extend an 18-match unbeaten run spanning two seasons in the premier African club competition.

However, Sunshine would be out to end that record and boost their credentials in the continental club championship.

The Stars willing be missing dependable ace and skipper Godfrey Oboabana but coach Gbenga Ogunbote has enough weapons in his arsenal to outywit Esperance. Besides, the likes of Ibrahim Ajani, Cletus Itodo, among others.

Also, Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca hope to continue a pattern of lifting a Pan-African football trophy every 10 seasons

by emerging victorious from the 2012 Orange CAF Confederation Cup. Winners of the 1992 African Champions Cup and 2002 African Cup Winners Cup, they are among the favourites to go all the way in the second-tier competition this year and become the third consecutive winners from Morocco.

But despite appearing to be among the most powerful of eight challengers for a $660,000 (525,000 euro) first prize, Wydad go into matchday 3 this weekend seeking their first win of the minileague phase.

After drawing away to AC Leopards of Congo Brazzaville and at home against Stade Malien of Mali, Wydad travel south to Bamako for this Sunday showdown with group leaders Djoliba from Mali.

Djoliba have four points, Wydad and Leopards two each and 2009 Confederation Cup winners Stade one with all four sides chasing a top-two finish and a place in the semi-finals. Both Malian teams have home advantage this weekend with Stade entertaining

Keshi to name final 12 home-based Eagles this weekend

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uper Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, i s likely to name his final 12 players from the domestic league to team up with their 11 foregn-based counterparts to confront the Lone Stars of Liberia in the 2013 AFCON qualifier in Monrovia, next weekend.

“I expect my foreign-based players to begin to arrive from Sunday, so by Saturday I should have decided on the players to remain in camp,” Keshi said.

“It’s just a few players like Efe Ambrose who is playing on Sunday that I expect to be here on Monday.”

Fresh call-ups like Philip Asuquo from Shooting Stars and Sanusi Sani of Gombe United are expected to stake string claims to

Rueben Gabriel

be on the squad to Monrovia.

These players will add to the 11 overseasbased stars he has called up for the game fixed for September 8.

There are currently 24 players from the NPL at the Abuja training camp of the Super Eagles.

Keshi has also confirmed that he would love his team to arrive Liberia 24 hours to the game in Monrovia.

“I would love us to leave late on the sixth, work out on the seventh and play the game the next day. That is what I would prefer, but the federation are in charge of the arrangements.”

The NFF have chartered an aircraft for the trip to Liberia to ensure nothing is left to chance in this final qualification battle.

Leopards 24 hours before the Djoliba fixture, and will occupy first and second positions on the table if they win.

Elsewhere, African midfield superstars Tresor Mputu and Mohamed Aboutrika come face to face this weekend when TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo host Al Ahly of Egypt in the CAF Champions League.

The match day 5 clash in southern mining hub Lubumbashi pits Group B leaders Ahly against second-place Mazembe and both clubs could qualify for the semi-finals before the midSeptember final pool fixtures.

A draw will ensure Ahly top the final standings while Mazembe can secure a last-four place if they win and third-place Berekum Chelsea of Ghana fail to collect maximum points at Zamalek of Egypt.

Dreadlocked Mputu may be a hip 26-year-old and clean-cut Aboutrika a more sedate 33-year-old, but the duo who chose to play at home rather than move to Europe have much in common.

Each has struck six goals in the 2012 Champions League, although neither is likely to finish leading scorer with Emmanuel Clottey from Chelsea having amassed 12 goals, including two hattricks.

Both are inspirational figures for club and country, both have helped Ahly and Mazembe lift the Champions League and compete at the FIFA Club World Cup, and both been candidates for annual CAF individual awards.

Paralympics: Nwokorie wins Nigeria’s second gold medal in power lifting

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arely 24 hours after Nigerian Paralympian Yakubu Adesokan struck the goldmine in Power lifting, another Nigerian, Ivory Nwokorie, won the gold medal in the women’s 44kg power lifting at the on-going Paralympic games in London Adesokan had snatched and set the world record with his 178 kg lift in the men’s 48 category which was over three times his body weight.

Nwokorie beat Cigdem Dede from Turkey, who won the silver medal, while Lidiia Soloviova of Ukraine claimed the bronze medal.

Nwokorie, last year won bronze in the 44kg category at the third Fazaa International Para-power lifting Championship in Dubai, to qualify for the Paralympic Games in London.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 42

Organisers admit discus medal mix-up

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aralympics organisers on Friday admitted that the wrong medals were presented in a women’s discus event due to “inaccurate results data”.

“In today’s women’s combined class discus event (F35/36) incorrect medals were awarded following the use of inaccurate results data. We sincerely apologise to the athletes affected,” LOCOG said in an emailed statement.

Friday morning’s final at the Olympic Stadium in east London saw Ukraine’s Mariia Pomazan win gold, with two Chinese athletes – Wu Qing and Bao Jiongyu – take silver and bronze.

But LOCOG said an error in the Raza system – a statistical model used in combined class field events to determine final positions on points rather than distance – had given the wrong result.

The amended result means Pomazan and Wu swap places, with Bao relegated to fourth and replaced by Australia’s Katherine Proudfoot in the bronze position.

“The inaccurate data also affected the Men’s Shot Put F42/44, although the final medal placing was not impacted,” the statement added.

“Omega is currently uploading the correct data and the final results for the Women’s discus F35/36 event will be amended and restated.”

A new medal ceremony for the discus will be held during Friday’s track and field session, it added.

Pomazan had earlier described the win as “extremely emotional” and “an unforgettable experience”.

Felix faces his 'toughest fight' tonight F

elix Sturm says his fight against Daniel Geale tonight is the biggest of his career. The German veteran regards Geale as a “great fighter” but

he has no doubts about the result of the middleweight unification bout in Oberhausen.

Geale puts his IBF title on the line

Felix Sturm will defend his WBA title tonight

against 33-year-old Sturm, the WBA super-middleweight champion.

The winner will walk away with both belts and Sturm, who has held the WBA title since 2007, says he has been dreaming of the opportunity.

“This fight has been a dream, a wish, for me since a long, long time,” says the German, who has lost only to Oscar de la Hoya in 2004 and Spain’s Javier Castillejo in 2006.

“Now I’m here and my dream is coming true. I will do my best to impose my tactics on him and make him pay for his mistakes,” Sturm said on Thursday.

“He is a great fighter but I’m sure I’ll win on Saturday night. I’m really happy that we found someone who did not hesitate to take this fight. It is the biggest of my career.”

The 31-year-old Geale returns to Germany after defeating Sebastian Sylvester in May last year to win the belt he has defended twice.

Sturm has not impressed recently.

His won on a split decision against Matthew Macklin in June last year and drew with another Briton, Martin Murray, last December. His latest opponent, Sebastian Zbik, retired hurt after the ninth round in April.

But Sturm insists Geale posses the biggest threat to his reign. “Daniel can move, he can box and he can put pressure on you,” said Sturm, whose undefeated run stretches to 14 fights.

Geale, a 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 2000 Olympian, knows how big the challenge is that he faces.

Robson offsets Na as Stosur New financial rules slow transfers comes through first real test T

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ritain’s Laura Robson defeats Li Na 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 in the third round of the US Open yesterday just as Australia’s Samantha Stosur came through the first real test of her title defence as she

beat American Varvara Lepchenko 7-6 6-2 to reach the fourth round.

The first set was a dogfight but the seventh seed took the tiebreak and then lifted her game to romp through the second set.

Stosur was broken in the opening game of the match, setting the tone for a gruelling first set, which lasted 59 minutes.

But the Australian snatched it 7-5 to move ahead and with the pressure off, she ran through the second to reach the last 16.

Having overcome former world number one Kim Clijsters in the previous round, the 18year-old becomes the first British woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for 14 years after overcoming Li Na. Robson now faces defending US Open champion Sam Stosur.

Meanwhile Na’s defeat followed tha pattern of two-time women’s champion Venus Williams was knocked out in the second round of the US Open penultimate, losing 6-2, 5-7, 75 to German sixth seed, and 2011 semifinalist, Angelique Kerber, who also knocked the American out of the Olympics.

ransfers between European clubs are slowing down as UEFA’s new rules aimed at preventing them spending beyond their means begin to have an impact, UEFA’s general secretary Gianni Infantino said on Friday.

However, he warned that while the situation was improving, the accumulated losses in Europe were still too high.

With just hours remaining before the latest transfer window closed on Friday night, UEFA president Michel Platini insisted that European soccer’s governing body would “never back down” on its decision to enforce sanctions against clubs who fail to break even and live within their means.

Speaking ahead of the Super Cup final between European champions Chelsea and Europa League winners Atletico Madrid in Monaco, Infantino said revenues may have gone up but for the first time in five years the percentage between revenues and losses was decreasing.

“The trend is starting to turn... there is a significant slowdown in transfer activity,” he said.

“The new Club Financial Control Body monitoring this activity reports that the new Financial Fair Play Rules are having a clear and positive affect already.

“The financial losses are stabilised but still at dangerous levels.”

Infantino revealed that last January’s transfer window was quieter than in 2011 with a 36 percent decrease in spending and the comparison between January 2012 and the January average for the previous four seasons showed that activity was 20 percent

lower.

Russia, Germany, France and Turkey were the only notable exceptions among the major countries, while spending this summer - excluding the final day on Friday when many deals are often done - was 22 per cent less than the seasonal average.

Infantino said that as at August 30, •1.753 billion had been spent on players, lower than the summer transfer annual average of •2.249 billion.

He added that taken together, the winter and summer transfer spend is •2.146 billion, 78 percent of the 2008-2011 average.

“This is encouraging even though there are still some “red” figures where the transfer spend has been higher, but we are at last beginning to move in the right direction.”

UEFA has backed the rules with leading political and financial experts now sitting on the control body board, which was established to monitor the situation.

Former Belgian Prime Minister JeanLuc Dehaene chairs the investigatory chamber, while Jose Narciso da Cunha Rodrigues of Portugal, a senior judge at the European Court of Justice, chairs the adjudicatory chamber from October.

Infantino also said UEFA was investigating 27 unnamed European clubs for non-payment of either transfer fees or salaries and stressed that their prize money had been suspended.

But he added that in recent months •36 million of overdue fees had been paid by clubs - but only after UEFA exerted some pressure.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

31 AUGUST TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY

Charlie Adam [Liverpool - Stoke] £5m Patrick Agyemang [QPR - Stevenage] Free Nicklas Bendtner [Arsenal - Juventus] Loan Dale Bennett [Watford - AFC Wimbledon] Loan Dimitar Berbatov [Manchester United Fulham] Undisclosed Federico Bessone [Swansea - Swindon] Free Romuald Boco [Sligo - Accrington] Undisclosed Cian Bolger [Leicester City - Bristol Rovers] Loan Jay Bothroyd [QPR - Sheffield Wednesday] Loan Jordan Bowery [Chesterfield - Aston Villa] £500,000 Paul Caddis [Swindon - Birmingham] Loan Nathaniel Chalobah [Chelsea - Watford] Loan Scott Christie [Bo’ness - Hamilton] Undisclosed Giles Coke [Sheffield Wednesday Swindon] Loan Lorenzo Davids [Augsburg Bournemouth] Free Damien Delaney [Ipswich - Crystal Palace] Free Giovani Dos Santos [Tottenham - Real Mallorca] Undisclosed Paul Dummett [Newcastle - St Mirren] Loan Nigel de Jong [Manchester City - AC Milan] Undisclosed Johnny Ertl [Sheffield United Portsmouth] Free Kane Ferdinand [Southend - Peterborough] £200,000 George Francomb [Norwich - AFC Wimbledon] Loan Roman Golobart [Wigan - Tranmere] Loan Bobby Grant [Scunthorpe - Rochdale] Undisclosed Pablo Hernandez [Valencia - Swansea] £5.55m Iain Hume [Preston - Doncaster] Loan Mike Jones [Sheffield Wednesday Crawley] Undisclosed Dani Lopez [Unattached - Stevenage] Alex MacDonald [Burnley - Plymouth] Loan Sam Magri [Portsmouth - QPR] Free Maicon [Inter Milan - Manchester City] Undisclosed David McGoldrick [Nottingham Forest Coventry] Loan Daryl Murphy [Celtic - Ipswich] Loan Michael O’Halloran [Bolton - Carlisle] Loan Andrea Orlandi [Swansea - Brighton] Undisclosed Park Chu-Young [Arsenal - Celta Vigo] Loan Matt Parsons [Crystal Palace - Wycombe] Loan Stephen Quinn [Sheffield United - Hull] Undisclosed Gaston Ramirez [Bologna - Southampton] Undisclosed Kieran Richardson [Sunderland - Fulham] £2m Oliver Risser [Swindon - Stevenage] Loan Adam Rooney [Birmingham - Swindon] Loan Danny Rose [Tottenham - Sunderland] Loan Darel Russell [Preston - Portsmouth] Free Scott Sinclair [Swansea - Manchester City] £6.2m Jay Spearing [Liverpool - Bolton] Loan Ryan Stevenson [Ipswich - Hearts] Free Cameron Stewart [Hull - Burnley] Loan Paul Taylor [Peterborough - Ipswich] Undisclosed Josh Thompson [Celtic - Portsmouth] Free Rafael van der Vaart [Tottenham Hamburg] £10m

PAGE 43

Transfer

Cameroon star in QPR net

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tephane Mbia has revealed he is heading for QPR — after snubbing an 11th-hour bid from Fenerbahce.

The Cameroon star, 26, is set for Loftus Road after deciding to quit Marseille.

Midfielder Mbia said: “I have chosen Queens Park Rangers despite a lastminute bid from Fenerbahce.

“It’s a new challenge to enjoy. I always aim as high as possible.

“I am excited but calm over this

move. I will discover another world.”

Mark Hughes landed Real Madrid star Esteban Granero tonight.

Granero, 25, jetted into London after QPR boss Sparky agreed a £9million fee with the Bernabeu giants.

It's was the busiest day for clubs and players in Europe being the last day of the transfer window. Well, there may not have earth-breaking movements as was the case last season when for example Liverpool reaped a windfall from Chelsea who paid out £50m for Fernando Torres, while the Reds doled out £35m to Newcastle for Andy Carroll. Both turned out to be flops.

In this transfer window, apart from Javi Martinez's •40m move from Athletic Bilbao to Bayern Munich, there was nothing profoundly significant as at the time of going to the press. However, £100m was invested a few chunk went from QPR which invested significantly on 10 new signings before deadline deals closed.

Southampton land Ramirez as Babel joins Ajax Yesil joins Liverpool

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t’s been on the cards for a while - we are talking days rather than hours - but Southampton have finally reached an agreement with Italian club Bologna to sign 21-year-old Uruguay midfielder Gaston Ramirez.

Ryan Babel will apparently sign a oneyear deal with Ajax in the next few days once he has passed a medical with the Amsterdam club. I don’t think he will be using the Babel-copter tonight, more’s the pity.

Meanwhile, Spain international Pablo Hernandez has joined Swansea from La Liga

side Valencia for a club-record fee of £5.55 million, the Premier League club said on Friday.

The 27-year-old winger, who played under current Swans manager Michael Laudrup at Getafe, signed a three-year contract.

“He has played a lot of games in the Champions League games in the last three seasons and made his debut in the national team,” Laudrup told the club’s official website. “I am looking forward to working with him again; he is a good player with the right mentality.”

De Jong joins AC Milan

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he Manchester City midfielder flew to Italy yesterday for a medical while the clubs continue to thrash out a deal in the region of £3.5million.

The popular Dutch midfielder, 27, was going into the last year of his deal at the Etihad and no fresh talks had been planned.

City boss Roberto Mancini signed Jack Rodwell two weeks ago and is keen on Benfica’s Javi Garcia, although a deal for the £25m-rated Spaniard now looks unlikely.

Mancini hopes to be reunited with Brazil star Maicon yesterday.

The Inter Milan defender is close to a move which will initially cost the champs £3m.

More good news is that deals for Swansea’s Scott Sinclair and Fiorentina defender Matija Nastasic should go through.

Carroll completes loan move to West Ham

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est Ham United have signed England striker Andy Carroll on a season-long loan from Liverpool, the London Premier League club said on Thursday.

West Ham will then have the option of a permanent deal to sign Carroll for an undisclosed fee at the end of the season. Carroll joined Liverpool from Newcastle United in January 2011 for a club record fee of £35 million, replacing the Chelsea-bound Fernando Torres. But he struggled to make the

same impact he enjoyed in his native north east, scoring just 11 goals in 58 appearances for the Anfield club.

Carroll, who scored a fine headed goal for England against Sweden at this year’s European Championship, said the chance of working again with coach Sam

Efe Ambrose joins Glasgow Celtic

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igeria defender Efe Ambrose has reached an agreement to join Scottish giants Celtic on a threeyear contract.

According to Scottish Television, the former Kaduna United player arrived Glasgow on the last day of transfer from Israel, where he plays for FC Ashdod.

He is the second signing for the Scottish champions in this summer transfer window.

Efe has a season left on his contract with the Israeli side and they decided to

cash in on his departure.

The 23-year-old player has won 14 international caps for Nigeria and has also featured for the country at the 2008 Olympics as well as the 2007 FIFA U20 World cup in Canada.

He now joins fellow Nigerian Rabiu Ibrahim at Celtic, who have qualified for the group stage of the UEFA champions League where they are drawn against Spartak Moscow of Russia, Barcelona and Benfica.

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iverpool have signed 18-year-old German striker Samed Yesil from Bayer Leverkusen, the club have announced.

The highly-rated youngster, who had previously been linked with Arsenal, boasts an impressive strike rate, having scored 22 goals in 26 appearances for his country at U-16, U-17 and U-18 level.

Yesil took advice from former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia, now the Leverkusen manager, before making the switch.

City sign Maicon, Sinclair on final day

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anchester City completed a double swoop for Inter Milan defender Maicon and Swansea winger Scott Sinclair as the Premier League champions set the pace in the frantic final hours before the transfer window closes on Friday.

City boss Roberto Mancini has endured a frustrating time in the transfer market since the end of last season, but there has been a late flurry of activity at Eastlands and his £6 million move for Sinclair was followed by the surprise capture of right-back Maicon for £3 million, as well as the arrival of former Arsenal goalkeeper Richard Wright on a free transfer.

To make room for his fresh recruits, Mancini sold Nigel de Jong to AC Milan, while Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz could be on the move to Malaga.

City also confirmed the signing of Fiorentina’s teenage defender Matija Nastasic in a deal worth £13m plus City defender Stefan Savic. City signings deadline were actually it’s 5.

Sinclair, Maicon, Javi Garcia, Richard Wright and Matija Nastasic Fulham boss Martin Jol sealed a significant coup for his club as he signed Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov from Manchester United for £5 million.

Berbatov rejected interest from Juventus, Fiorentina and Tottenham to be reunited with Jol, who worked with the forward at Spurs.

Jol also brought in former England left-back Kieran Richardson from Sunderland, who then landed Tottenham defender Danny Rose on loan as a replacement.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers continued his Anfield clear-out as Scotland international Charlie Adam was sold to Stoke for £4 million, while fellow midfielder Jay Spearing joined Bolton on a season-long loan.

Across Merseyside, Everton are close to signing Bryan Oviedo from FC Copenhagen after agreeing a fee for the Costa Rica defender.

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

P.I.C.T.O.R.I.A.L

Para-cyclist Sarah Storey wins Britain’s first gold medal of the 2012 Paralympics and her eighth Paralympic title.

Manchester City sporting director Brian Marwood has said that the club are hoping to push through deals for Javi Garcia, Maicon, Scott Sinclair and Matija Nastasic.

The biggest clubs in Europe have had their fate decided in the Champions League draw with Manchester City drawn against Real Madrid, Ajax and Dortmund while Chelsea must get past Juventus. Celtic have landed a trip to Barcelona

An extra-time header from Desire Oparanozie edged Nigeria victory over Mexico and a place in the last four, while Japan produced a fine first-half performance to beat Korea Republic 3-1 and progress.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is reportedly set to make a deadline-day swoop for Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, who he hopes to sign on loan

Nigel De Jong has spoken of his happiness to be joining AC Milan ahead of a transfer which is expected to be officially completed.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 45

SHOT PUT:

By Augustine Aminu with reports from Wikipedia

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omer makes mention of competitions of rock throwing by soldiers during the Siege of Troy but there is no record of any dead weights being thrown in Greek competitions. The first evidence for stone- or weight-throwing events date back more than 2000 years in the Scottish Highlands. In the 16th century King Henry VIII was noted for his prowess in court competitions of weight and hammer throwing.

The first known events resembling the modern shot put likely occurred in the Middle Ages when soldiers held competitions in which they hurled cannonballs.

Shot put competitions were first recorded in early 19th century Scotland, and were a part of the British Amateur Championships beginning in 1866 Rules Competitors take their throw from inside a marked circle 2.135 metres (7.00 ft) in diameter, with a stopboard approximately 10 centimetres (3.9 in) high at the front of the circle. The distance thrown is measured from the inside of the circumference of the circle to the nearest mark made in the ground by the falling shot, with distances rounded down to the nearest centimetre under IAAF and WMA rules.

Legal throws The following rules are adhered to for a legal throw: ·Upon calling the athlete’s name, they have sixty seconds to commence the throwing motion. ·The athlete may not wear gloves; IAAF rules permit the taping of individual fingers. ·The athlete must rest the shot close to the neck, and keep it tight to the neck throughout the motion. ·The shot must be released above the height of the shoulder, using only one hand. ·The athlete may touch the inside surface of the circle or stopboard, but must not touch the top or outside of the circle or stopboard, or the ground beyond the circle. Limbs may however extend over the lines of the circle in the air. ·The shot must land in the legal sector (34.92°) of the throwing area. ·The athlete must exit the throwing circle from the back.

Foul throws occur when an athlete: ·Does not pause within the circle before beginning the throwing motion. ·Does not begin the throwing

A game for the strong

movement within sixty seconds of having his or her name called. ·Allows the shot to drop below his shoulder or outside the vertical plane of his shoulder during the put. ·During the throwing motion, touches with any part of the body (including shoes): othe top or ends of the stopboard othe top of the iron ring oanywhere outside the circle. ·Throws a shot which either falls outside the throwing sector or touches a sector line on the initial impact. ·Leaves the circle before the shot has landed. ·Does not exit from the rear

half of the circle.

Misconceptions The following are either obsolete or non-existent but commonly believed rules: ·The athlete must enter the circle from the back (none of the rule books contain such a clause). ·The athlete entering the circle, then exiting and re-entering it prior to starting the throw results in a foul (all the rule books allow an athlete to leave a circle prior to starting a throw, but this still counts within the one minute time limit; the allowable method of exiting the circle varies by rule book). ·Loose clothing, shoelaces, or

long hair touching outside the circle during a throw, or an athlete bringing a towel into the circle and then throwing it out prior to the

put results in a foul (these are no longer rules or never were rules— none of these actions provide unfair advantage to the thrower).

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

City Life

With Stanley Onyekwere 08138559513

Barber bags 5 months imprisonment for initiating teenager into cultism

A

Aftermath of demolition in Mpape, as residents count their loses

Childlessness: Court dissolves 5-year marriage

A

Customary Court in Abuja has dissolved a five-year marriage between one Mrs Matilda Okon and Mr Ufot Okon for abandonment.

Matilda, who hails from Otukpo in Benue, told the court that she got married to Okon traditionally on May 3, 2007 and had a church wedding on May 5, 2007.

She said that the marriage did not produce any child.

Matilda told the Court that

Okon abandoned her for two years and there was no communication between them throughout the period.

She said that all efforts to get Okon to return her to her parent as demanded by their tradition failed.

“My family tried to mediate in the dispute but failed because he refused to grant them audience, adding that she was no longer interested in the marriage.

“I want a formal dissolution of

this union and I also want the court to stop Okon from threatening my life, members of my family and friends,'' she said.

Okon, who was said to have dropped a letter at the court on July 24, 2012 failed to appear in court. The content of the letter was, however, not disclosed.

In his judgment, the presiding judge, Mr Suleiman Ismail, dissolved the marriage and directed that a certificate of divorce be issued to Matilda. (NAN)

4 coy employees docked over alleged N2m, forklift theft

F

our company employees, including two security guards, were on Friday brought before a Surulere Magistrates' Court, Lagos for alleged stealing of a forklift and other goods worth two million naira.

The defendants - Arunna Momoh (28), a forklift operator,

Murtala Mohammed (29), a trailer driver, and two security guards, Canice Eke (58) and Adeleye Oyewole (35) - are facing a two-count charge ofconspiracy and stealing.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Danladi Tella, told the court that the accused persons were caught with stolen a Nissan fork mask

Social activities pick-up ahead of ember months

W

i t h the arrival of the ember months, marking the gradual ushering of the dry season with the rains beginning to subside, social activities in and around the metropolis are expected to pick up as incidences of interruptions by heavy down pour on social life of city dwellers especially outdoor activities.

There is no gain saying that during the rains, fun seekers and providers alike are most often than not affected by the attendant discomfort of heavy down pour

during outdoor activities, resulting in time wasting, events cancellation, contraction of cold related diseases and other forms of disturbances, thereby disrupting enjoyment of such activities and economic fortunes of persons concerned.

But with the ember months around, which are characterized by a lot dry atmosphere and less of incidences of natural interruption suitable for outdoor events, hopefully activities would pick up in days ahead, as usual to reflect the festive mood of this period of the year.

worth N1.5 million and one big paper roll worth N500, 000, belonging to their employer, Falcon Container Terminal Company, situated at 32 Jimoh Odutola St., Surulere, where the crime was committed, on August 20, 2012.

Tella said the offence contravened Sections 285 (7) and 409 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, which the defendants pleaded notguilty before Magistrate A.O. Soladoye granted the defendants a bail in the sum of N250, 000 with two sureties each, and adjourned the case to September 21, 2012, for hearing. ((NAN).

CITY QUOTE OF THE WEEK: In the small town each citizen had done something in his own way to build the community. The town booster had a vision of the future which he tried to fulfill.

The suburb dweller by contrast started with the future.

-Daniel J. Boorstin(1973)

22-year-old barber, Isaac Abam, was on Thursday sentenced to five months imprisonment by a Kubwa Magistrates' Court, Abuja, for joint act, administering unlawful oath, assault, unlawful possession of criminal charms and extortion.

Police prosecutor Echendu Kelechi told the court that Victoria Sunday, a resident of Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, reported the case at the Kubwa Police Station on Aug. 25.

He said Sunday complained that on Aug. 24, she discovered cuts on her 15-year-old son, Jacob Sunday's forehead and chest. ``She discovered that on August. 23, 2012, the accused lured Jacob Sunday and five other boys and initiated them into the ``Born-Beggars Secret Cult", he said.

Kelechi said the convict committed the offences with two other persons now large, but whose names were given simply as Jonathan and Christopher, who served ``as recruitment agents''.

The names of the other boys were given as Jacob Emmanuel, Abdulmalik Bello, Dikko Goodluck, Ibrahim Yusuf and Courage Ogar, all residents of Dutse.

The prosecutor said that during investigation, four cutlasses, three packets of candles, two bottles of squad 5 hot drink

2 friends docked for alleged theft of N765, 000

T

wo friends, Uche Ezeakolam, 46, and Kanu Odimegwu, 43, residents of Parker Close, Sunrise in OlodiApapa, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, contrary to Sections 278 and 409 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, before an Apapa Chief Magistrates' Court, in Lagos.

The duos, who were arraigned by the police before Chief Magistrate Oluyemisi Adelaja, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor, Clara Olagbayi, told the court that the accused conspired and stole the money from a suit case belonging to a businessman, Mr Charles Princewill, at about 1.00 p.m. at No. 3, Parker Close, Sunrise, OlodiApapa on March 6, 2012.

However, Adelaja granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety each in like sum before adjourning he case adjourned to September 10, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

and charms were found in the convict's house.

The convict pleaded guilty to all the charges and the prosecutor prayed the court to summarily try him in accordance with the provisions of Section 157 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The convict apologised for his action, and presiding magistrate Ahmed Ubangari ruled that the court would tamper justice with mercy ``due to the fact that he is a first-time offender''.

He sentenced the convict to one month imprisonment each on the first three counts and two months imprisonment on the fourth count of extortion and said that the sentences would run concurrently. (NAN)

QUICK FACTS Port Harcourt:

-The Garden City -Port Harcourt is the largest city in the south after Lagos.

-It is the capital of oil rich Rivers State.

-Port Harcourt Nigeria was founded by Governor General Lord Lugard in 1912 but was named after the then British Secretary of state for the colonies, Sir Lewis Viscount Harcourt in August 1913 -Port Harcourt is the heart of Nigeria's Oil industry with virtually all major multinational oil companies being represented.

-Buildings are constructed haphazardly with little thought given to town planning laws.

Sewage and drainage systems are poorly constructed or nonexistent in some townships, just as transportation is mainly by road which in some cases need rehabilitation.

-Crime rate in Port Harcourt Nigeria is one of the highest. The worst cases so far have been crimes committed by criminal gangs disguising their illegality as freedom struggles for the marginalized locals of the oil rich Niger Delta region.

Other than these and congestion, Port Harcourt Nigeria is largely a peaceful and sociable city. With many recreational and fun spots, Port Harcourt can boast of a number of 5 star hotels such as the Meridien Hotel, Presidential Hotel among others. Also newly opened entertainment centres with cinemas, night clubs, bars and restaurants can be found in the Garden city.

Got interesting story(s) about life or happenings in your neighbourhood? Contact CityLife, and let others read about them. Send suggestions/comments with your names and phone numbers via mycitybeat2pml@gmail.com.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 47

From the Pulpit Don't look down on anyone (II)

P

r a i s e God! I'll glad to wel come you to your favourite column. I brought you the first part of this message last week using 2 Kings 5:1-6 as my main text.

This passage has to do with Naaman, the commander of the army of Syria, who was leprous.

I said that one lesson you can learn from that scripture is not to look down on anyone. If Naaman and his wife had looked down on that young Israelite girl, their maid, who told them about the prophet in Israel who eventually healed Naaman of his leprosy, Naaman would have died leprous. If that maid been badly treated as if she wasn't a human being, if they had intimidated her that she had no right to say a word except to do what they told her to do, she wouldn't have been free to talk to Naaman's wife about such a sensitive case as Naaman's leprosy; she wouldn't have been able to offer solution.

God doesn't look down on anyone There's no reason for you to look down on or despise anyone no matter how highly placed you think you are or how lowly placed that person is. Even God, the Bible tells us, as big as He is, doesn't despise anyone.

"God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding" (Job 36:5 NLT). The only reason God will despise anyone is when that person has no regard for Him. If someone despises God, He will despise that person. He told Eli through a man of God: "‌But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me" (2 Sam 2:30 NLT). So if the Almighty God doesn't look down on the works of His hand, who are you to?

Don't look at anyone with disdain because his opinions, perspectives or choices are different from

yours. Rom 14:3-4 says, "Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. And those who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or wrong. And with the Lord's help, they will do what is right and will receive his approval" (NLT).

It is possible you know some people's past especially their growing up years - growing up physically and spiritually or in school, business, career, ministry etc. Don't look down on people because of the information you have about them. Familiarity breeds contempt but the people you know yesterday have grown; they've changed.

There is also the tendency for rich people to look down on the poor. Most rich people are proud because they don't consider God as the source of their wealth; they think it is their smartness, diligence and intelligence alone that gave them their wealth. There are wealthy or rich people who are not only proud to fellow human beings but have foolishly extended their pride to God! But no human being has a right to look down on another human being just because he has what the other person doesn't have. No condition is permanent. Even wealth is temporary. If you're rich, never despise the poor.

Never look down on ordinary people enjoy their company. Such an attitude will help you to be humble. Hear what Rom 12:16 says: "Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!" (NLT) Knowledgeable people can also look down on those not as knowledgeable as they are. Don't puff off because of your knowledge. Don't look down on others you consider

ignorant. Don't injure them with your criticism or judgmental attitude. Let your knowledge heal; let your knowledge build up not pull down. Be a blessing not a curse.

Even some Christians can look down on other Christians. Don't look down on any Christian for whatever reason. Some look down on those who don't belong to their prominent denominations. That is wrong. Your denomination is not the way to heaven - Jesus is. Jesus is the Saviour; it is not your pastor, reverend or bishop. Your denomination doesn't make you superior to other Christians. Hear how Jesus dealt with a matter similar to this: "John said to Jesus, 'Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons. We tried to stop him because he isn't in our group.' But Jesus said, 'Don't stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you'" (Luke 9:4950 NLT). Did you see that?

Rom 14:10 says, "So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God" (NLT). Don't look down on anyone whether a Christian or not. You didn't create anyone; God did. Who're you to look down on God's work?

Prov 11:12 says, "It is foolish to belittle one's neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet." Prov 14:21 says a similar thing. "It is a sin to belittle one's neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor" (NLT). Don't belittle anyone. I like what Robert Schuller said. He said, "Those who belittle people will be little people."

C.S Lewis says, "A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of course as long as you're looking down, you can't see something above you" Cultivate a healthy relationship with people

GREEN PASTURES

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 You need to cultivate the ability to relate well with others - it is vital to success in life. Love people; respect people without compromising the Word of God. God may decide to use anyone to bless you but if you're snobbish, you become the enemy of yourself. Because you don't know who God will use for you, make it a principle that you'll treat everybody well.

Don't look down on anybody you don't know tomorrow. Only God knows the future of everybody. The stone that the builders rejected may become the chief corner stone (Matt 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11). The Joseph you lie against today or unjustly imprison today may become the prime minister tomorrow. What will you do then?

1 Peter 2:1 says, "Honor all men" (KJV). If you honor others, divine honor will come upon you. If you dishonor others, you shall reap dishonor. Respect everyone not only because of their status or possession but because they are God's creation.

"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other" (Rom 12:10 NLT).

Don't look down on anyone poor or rich, high or low, literate or illiterate, young or old, male or female, disabled or able bodied etc. As I've said, only God has the right to look down on anyone because He is above all, but He doesn't. Why should you?

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, I urge you to take the following steps:*Admit you're a sinner and you can't save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life - your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start to attend a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church. There you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God. Kindly say this prayer now: "0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God" I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations!

You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I'll be glad to hear from you.

Final salvation through sanctification of the spirit

I

n the first 12 verses, the Apostle had revealed the doom and damnation of the Antichrist and all his deceived prophets and deluded followers.

Now, he turns to believers and followers of Christ, praising God for their calling and destiny by way of contrast. As he turns the thoughts of the Thessalonian Christians from the Antichrist and his perdition to Christ and His provision, he gives thanks to God for them as "brethren beloved of the Lord." By their decision to respond to the call of God, they became saved, converted and included in God's family, who will live with Him forever. By their repentance and faith in Christ, they were now separated from the world and the god of this world. Once they became converted, they continued following the Lord and obeying His word (1 Thessalonians 1:5-7; John 8:30-32). Their Christian life became Christlike; they sought more grace to face the challenges of the Christian life and continued living righteously. Having received His free salvation, they prayed for and pursued full salvation, expecting to see the final salvation at the end. God

Pastor ........ Kumuyi called, they responded and were converted and saved. God commanded, they responded and were cleansed and sanctified. God commissioned, they responded and continued in spiritual, sacrificial service until the final consummation in glory. Separated from sin, separated unto the Lord, sanctified and serving the Lord faithfully until the end, true believers in Christ expect to partake of Christ's glory throughout eternity.

GOD'S CHOICE TO SALVATION BY THE GOSPEL

"God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation." "The beginning", in relation to God, means from eternity (John1:1; Ephesians1:4). In relation to the believers in Thessalonica, "the beginning" refers to the time they heard and responded to the gospel (1 John 2:24; 1 Thessalonian1:5; 2:13). God, in His sovereignty, made the choice of the believers; the believers, on their part, accepted the choice. God calls us to salvation and those who repent and believe are chosen to salvation. The word of God is very clear on God's part and man's part in present salvation. "The LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be special people unto Himself" (Deuteronomy 7:6). "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19). "The LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself" (Deuteronomy 14:2). "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." "If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that He hath done you good" (Joshua 24:15,20). Those who

reject or turn away from the Lord make His choice of none effect in their lives (1 Samuel 2:28-30; Matthew 13:15). "Their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Acts 28:27). Those who reject God's love and His saving grace are doomed to eternal suffering; all who respond to His gracious choice and live for Him will live with Him eternally.

GRACIOUS CONFORMITY THROUGH SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT "Because God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit." There is a present salvation and there is a final salvation. "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). That is final salvation at the end. "Call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (Acts 11:13b, 14). That refers to the believer's present experience of salvation. "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus

Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts 15:11). The Apostles and the house of Cornelius already had present salvation. So, the words of Peter here look forward to the future, final salvation.

"God hath from the beginning chosen you to (final) salvation through sanctification (holiness of heart and life) of the Spirit" (through the agency of the Holy Spirit). This sanctification refers to the gracious experience of inward holiness with all outward conformity to godliness without which no man (Jew or Gentile) shall see the Lord. This sanctification, provided by Christ, performed by the Spirit and possessed by the believer through consecration to God, absolute surrender to Christ "and belief of the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13), is necessary for the final salvation - to be fitted for the inheritance among the saints in light. To be saved at the end, safe in His heavenly Home beyond the reach of danger, forever safe in an eternal state of joy and glory, we must abide in salvation and holiness through the grace of God, love of Christ and power of the Spirit.

BIG PUNCH "Nnaji who was until last night a major problem to renewed effort aimed at reactivating the power sector, has compromised the office of the Minister of Power with his personal business interests."

-Nigeria Labour Congress celebrating the forced exit of Prof Barth Nnaji as Power Minister

SATURDAY 1 — SUNDAY 2, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Democracy and the rise of the Great Apes

'You are well aware of those from among you who profaned the Sabbath, whereupon We said unto them, "Be as apes despicable!" - and set them up as a warning example for their time and for all times to come, as well as an admonition to all who are conscious of God.' [Quran 2:64-65] 'We are poor, we are illiterate, we are sick.'.

-Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso

T

h e Quran, in the verse quoted above, reminds us of a phenomenal transformation which took place once upon a time, a transformation in which human beings metamorphosed into apes, by the will of God. 'Be like apes! Be outcasts!', God decreed, as Abdelhaleem renders the Quranic words, and the decree came into effect, as it must. The great metamorphosis was the direct consequence of a fundamental breach of the law which binds the people concerned together, which defines their identity, which sets them apart, in a positive way, from other people. A human being is a creature who is able to control his desires, appetites and passions, able to restrain himself even in the face of a most overwhelming temptation, in his own interest and in the interest of his society, his nation, his faith, and, above all, as a mark of respect for Almighty God. An ape, according to Muslim scholars, is a creature who has no control whatsoever over his gross appetites, passions and desires, and to which he is a slave. In other words, a human being is a master of his own self, an ape is a slave of his own desires.

Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, tells us, in a terse language [quoted above], what could happen when a clan which has suffered a descent from human to ape takes charge of their society. Northern Nigeria is in truth the nucleus of Nigeria.

Its strategic credentials are unassailable and never in dispute.

Survey its potentials [in human, physical and material terms]; check its tapestry of diverse peoples and cultures; contemplate the spiritual force on which it is anchored; look back into its history, especially to those periods when it

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was the brain and the engine of development and growth in the larger part of Africa, when it was the brave, enterprising and energetic prime mover; look back to those latter periods when it was the leader holding Nigeria together as a capable, conscientious trustee.

The dynamics have not changed.

What has changed is the inner character of Northern Nigeria, that is, the moral and spiritual metamorphosis which has been taking place for quite some time. It produces the Apes, small and great, who wear the shapes and apparels of a human being and speak the human language. These are, in the present democratic dispensation, at the helm. The result is well stated by Governor Kwankwaso, and it is worth restating: 'We are poor, we are illiterate, we are sick.' Yet all those factors which made Northern Nigeria the leader and not the servant before - the land, the people, the resources, the values, the Supreme Idea - are still there, and even much more besides.

The reason for the present discourse is the ongoing debate on the the mechanism of the sharing of the oil revenues, triggered by Governor of Kano State. The status at the moment is that the oil states are exclusively paid 13% of revenues derived from the oil produced within their territory, in addition to what they earn from the revenues along with all the other states of Nigeria. At the same time they are also exclusively paid 13% of the revenues derived from oil extracted from the sea, outside their territory. It means that they claim what they are entitled to as well as what they are not entitled to at the expense of all the other states in the Nigerian federation.

As Kwankwaso puts it: 'You see, if you have gold in your land and you are claiming certain percentage to be paid to you, one can understand that. But if you have oil wells 200 nautical miles away from your land and you are claiming that that well is your own, I don't think that is correct.'

But this unfair regime was not established by force but through a legislative process involving elected representatives of Nigeria, North and South. So, one side stood firm, one side not only caved in, but actually collaborated in the

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Kano state Gov. Dr. Rabiu Musa economic rape of its own people.

The culprit, obviously, is the side complaining now, which has the most to lose.

Northern representatives 'sold out', the Governor said without mincing words. 'How the mighty are fallen,' Adamu Adamu sums up the shameful collapse of Northern Conscience, 'at the alter of cash nexus.' An ape will follow you, if you dangle a banana before him, to wherever you lead him, neither turning back to where he is coming from nor looking consciously to where he is going. Gross appetite has blinded him to the fact the banana he craves for is in no way comparable to the infinite resources of the home he is leaving behind and to the fact that he is being led away from where he is master to where he is destined to be a slave.

The issue is this. The legislators were to make a law spelling out the mechanism of sharing oil revenue between the federating states. They had before them two sources for guidance,

Kwankwaso first, the Nigerian Constitution, the supreme law of the land beyond which no organ of state may go; and second, the judgement of the Supreme Court, the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution whose words are final and binding on all the organs of state. The Supreme Court was unequivocal on what the Constitution stipulates with regards to the allocation of revenues accruing from the oil resources from the sea, against the backdrop of the claims of oil states to 13% of the revenues, on the ground that their territories extends as far as the exclusive economic zone or the continental shelf of Nigeria, that is 200 nautical miles in the sea as opposed to 24 which is the position of national and international laws.

Delivering the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court on April 5, 2002, Mr Justice Michael Ogundare JSC, after rejecting, as he put it, 'the contentions of the eight littoral States that their boundaries extend to the exclusive

economic zone or the continental shelf of Nigeria,' a claim he said was 'spurious', stated as follows: 'I hereby determine and declare that the seaward boundary of a littoral State within the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the purpose of calculating the amount of revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resources derived from that State pursuant to Section 162(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, is the low-water mark of the land surface thereof or (if the case so requires as in the Cross River State with an archipelago of islands) the seaward limits of inland waters within the State.' The issue was therefore definitively settled and concluded.

Yet the National Assembly went ahead to make a law that violated the relevant provisions of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court, in what must be regarded as a fundamental and flagrant breach of the Constitution which binds Nigeria together, and a collective crime of putting money above the corporate existence of Nigeria. The most pathetic aspect of this political brigandage is the behavior of Northern Nigeria. Its representatives were enticed by the banana dangled before them, and they voted for a law whose overall effects constitute an existential threat to the entire people they claim to represent. Their legitimate share is usurped from them, with their own connivance. They lost all resistance to the temptations of dirty money and dirty life. At yet another critical time, when the North's political survival was at stake, its political and traditional leaders caved in. Again the mighty fell at the alter the cash nexus.

Tomorrow, if similar situation presents itself they would behave in the same manner, only worse.

So in the ongoing constitutional review, which may also involve land reform, we may perhaps witness the final demise of the North.

A day's revenue from the oil states will buy the Presidency, a month's revenue is enough to buy off the vast lands of Northern Nigeria. Apes do show compassion to their kind, but occasionally, when their passion and appetite surge higher, they do venture into cannibalism, when they consume the flesh of their own kind.

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos, Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 803 606 3308. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com ISSN: 2141– 6141