Peoples Daily Newspaper, Friday March 3, 2012

2012 Budg et: Alle ged ca pital v ote Budget: Alleg capital vote imbalance thr ea tens passa ge threa eatens passag

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Vol. 7 No. 86

Friday, March 2, 2012

Rabiul Thani 9, 1433 AH

N150

Budget implementation

House mulls impeachment

By Lawrence Olaoye

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larmed by the flagrant flouting of the nation’s appropriation laws by the Executive, the House of Representatives yesterday warned that it would not hesitate to invoke its impeachment powers in order to protect the sanctity of the nation’s Constitution.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep Zakari Mohammed, while briefing newsmen yesterday over the alleged non-compliance of government ministries, Contd on Page 2

FG liquidates NITEL, M-tel

By Aminu Imam & Abdulwahab Isa

T

he National Council on Privatisation (NCP) yesterday turned down the proposal by the management of the Nigerian Telecommunications Ltd (NITEL) and its mobile arm, M-tel on its resuscitation as a viable financial Contd on Page 2

Representative of the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Edward Magida (left), going round the premises of COCIN headquarters, yesterday in Jos, which was rocked by bomb blast on Sunday.

Photo: NAN

INSIDE

At last, EFCC arraigns Lagos Speaker

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NDLEA nabs Pakistani Gunmen kill drug baron with 4 policemen N120m heroin PAGE 4 in Bayelsa WWW.PEOPLESDAILY-ONLINE.COM

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

CONTENTS News

2-11

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-17

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

23

S/Report

24

Religion

26

Feature

27

Interview

28

Senate takes power minister, NIPP MD to cleaners

By Ali Alkali

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he Senate Committee on Power yesterday described the Managing Director of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), Mr. James Oluto, as “an arm-chair MD” for his inability to deliver tangible results despite the over $5.3 billion allocated to his agency.

Oluto, who was summoned before the Senate committee with his team to explain the slow progress on Ikot-Ekpene power project, admitted before the committee that in his entire six years as managing director of NIPP he had never visited the site of the project.

Throughout the hearing, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda, (PDPFCT) and the entire members were visibly angry over Oluto’s unsatisfactory explanations on almost all questions thrown at him concerning the 25 million Euro Ikot-Ekpene power project.

Recently, the committee visited many of the mega power stations under-construction across the country, at the end of which it decided to summon the NIPP to defend only one of the projects Ikot-Ekpene project.

Throughout the country, NIPP is handling 560 power projects.

Senator Nurudeen AbatemiUsman (PDP-Kogi) lamented that

“out of these over 500 projects, everywhere we go, we cannot explain to our country men and women what is going on about providing electricity because you, the MD, are doing nothing.

Supervision is totally absent; you have never been to the site; your consultants and engineers were there; but your executive directors have not been to the site. But knowing there was going to be visitation, you mobilized the contractors to site by issuing them a termination notice. They did what we saw because they knew they were going to lose their job.

“We will not sit here and support anybody, Nigerian or otherwise. Our aspiration is to move forward. We went to Nigerians and other committees and said that on our honour, by the middle of this year energy situation in this country will be deferent. It cannot be deferent with attitude like this. You were just seating there as arm-chair MD and your directors were just taking reports,” the senator said.

The committee chose that particular project because before its visit it received a petition that nothing was going on at the site.

But it found out that the project had reached about 30 percent completion, which the NIPP MD revealed at the hearing was hurriedly and haphazardly put together by the contractors “without supervision” within three

months – November 2011 to January 2012, even though the contract was awarded since February 2006.

Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje (PDP-Gombe), who is also a board member of the NIPP was very angry that the MD would even see it as an achievement that the job on ground was haphazardly put together in three months “without supervision”, not minding the fact that “electrification project requires precision because a small error can cause havoc in the lives of many people.”

Another revelation that angered the lawmakers was the admittance of the Executive Director, Engineering, NIPP, Mr. Luis Ejozo, that he was not a registered member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and other relevant professional bodies, though he has been a practicing engineer for over 15 years.

Reacting to that, Senator Ibrahim Gobir (PDP-Sokoto) reminded him that there are laws in Nigeria that require registration with NSE and other professional bodies before anyone could be promoted above the position of Principal Engineer.

Gobir wondered how Ejozo became executive director, engineering; saying, “We must take this seriously and do something about these quacks.”

The Minister of Power, Profes-

sor Bart Nnaji, who was also summoned, was not at the hearing because he was among the delegation that represented the Federal Government at Chukwuemeka Odumegewu Ojukwu’s funeral.

He was represented by Minister of State, Power, Dr. Daniel Dickson.

When questioned, the minister seemed to know next to nothing about the Ikot-Ekpene project.

Senator Goje lambasted Dickson for coming to the hearing unprepared, saying “As minister of state in the power ministry, we will not accept ‘I don’t know’ answer from you. If you were not fully briefed, you should have declined to represent your senior minister and asked a permanent secretary or a director who is well informed on the issue to lead the delegate.”

There was disagreement between the committee members and the contractor, CATLUCK Engineering, over the level of completion of the project. While the construction team said that the level of completion was 60 percent, the lawmakers who visited the site insisted that it cannot be more than 30 percent.

The committee ordered Professor Nnaji, to bring to it next Friday a progress report on all the projects under the supervision of NIPP when the hearing will continue.

As the committee was about to round off, power went off.

House mulls impeachment Gov Nyako denies owing workers’ salaries, Page 37

International 31-34 Strange World 35 Digest

36

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

48

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU The Peoples Daily wants to hear from you with any news and pictures you think we should publish.

You can send your news and pictures to: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com pictures@peoplesdaily-online.com contact@peoplesdaily-online.com

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Contd from Page 1 departments and agencies (MDAs) to the Appropriation Act said, “not obeying the Appropriation Act is an impeachable offence.

“The truth of the matter is that, as leaders in our own rights, we will not want to do that which will heat up the polity. When the time calls for us to invoke those powers, we will definitely not shy away.

But this situation is still within constructive engagements between the House and the Executive.

“We believe that way from today’s resolution; the authority under the leadership of Mr. President will look at the issues

and ensure actions are taken. We are all driving towards developing our dear nation. So we are not afraid of using our powers but we believe it is necessary we ensure that then necessary thing is done”, he stressed.

On the 2012 Appropriation Act, Mohammed assured that the House would ensure equitable distribution of various developmental projects across the country, saying “we are not happy that projects are not equitably distributed. I want to make it very clear that budget issues will definitely be like this.

We would have points of disagreement and part of

agreement.

“The budget when tabled in the House will be debated extensively, issues that should concern authorities we will take on today. I read a lot of headlines by leaders we think are national leaders but are making statements that are not comfortable with those issues”, he said.

The House also resolved to investigate the nonimplementation of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (Establishment) Act 2010.

In line with its resolution, the House has mandated its Committee on Power headed by

Patrick Ikhariale to investigate the non-implementation of the sum of N352.57 billion appropriated in the 2011 Appropriation Act by the Federal Ministry of Power and report back in four weeks.

Sponsor of the motion, Ibrahim Ebbo, lamented the nonimplementation of the Act even as he noted that the situation was capable of causing disaffection between the Executive and the Legislative arms of government and exposing the people of the affected states to untold hardship, poverty, loss of properties, farmlands, diseases and at times death.

FG liquidates NITEL, M-tel Contd from Page 1 alternative, opting instead for its ‘guided’ liquidation.

The NCP decision was taken at its second meeting this year, which took place at the Presidential Villa, Wednesday in Abuja.

It directed that two standing committees of the Council, the Technical Committee (TC) and Legal Committee (LC), work closely to determine the modalities for handling the NITEL/M-tel’s guided liquidation.

It also directed that all liquidators that have unresolved disputes with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) be excluded from the process for the appointment of a liquidator for the NITEL/M-tel transaction.

In another vein, a detailed financial report on the comatose NITEL/M-tel revealed an alleged financial mis-management of the two firms in respect of revenues accrued from SAT-3, the South Atlantic submarine cable communications project which, in conjunction with NITEL, was envisaged to link Europe to South Africa, with connections to several West African countries including Nigeria along the route with a view to enhancing Internet and telecoms services in the country.

At the report presentation, it was revealed that revenue from SAT-3 were not fully accounted for just as there had been no audit on it for several years, a statement by the BPE confirmed yesterday, adding that the NCP approved the

‘guided’ liquidation as the strategy for the privatisation of NITEL/M-tel.

“In spite of the revenues, the management of NITEL/Mtel had been obtaining their salaries from the Federal Government of Nigeria. Consequently, the NCP directed the Sub-Committee of the Technical Committee on Information, Communication, National Facilities and Agric Resources to immediately carry out investigations and ensure that all revenues received were accounted for and they should find out from NITEL/Mtel what they were spent on”, the BPE statement issued by its spokesperson, Chukwuma Nwokoh said.

At its last meeting which held on December 15, 2011, the NCP

had considered the presentations made by the management of NITEL and M-tel on the way forward for both companies.

The NCP had thereafter directed the management of NITEL and M-tel to submit detailed financial reports and other relevant information on the proposals for the resuscitation of both companies to the TC of the Council, and also tasked the Committee to consider the submissions by the two managements and submit its recommendations to the NCP. Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo had decried the failure of NITEL from being a viable company despite securing a bank facility amounting to about N11.7 billion.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 3

Again, gunmen bomb 3 primary schools From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

zAs JTF kills 4 Boko Haram suspects in Borno

unmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect yesterday morning detonated explosives at three primary schools in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The latest incident brought to eight the number of such schools destroyed since the group renewed its onslaught on the education sector in the last 10 days.

The attacks, which were carried out at about 6.00am, affected a private school, Success Nursery and Primary School as well as Gwange I and II primary schools.

Some teachers of the affected schools told newsmen that s group of persons, mainly teenagers,

drove away the security guard before bombing the school.

One of the teachers, who live near the school premises said: “We heard a loud noise in the school early in the morning and we thought it was a minor thing but when we reported for duty in the morning we discovered that fire had burnt the school. When we asked the security guard on duty he told us what happened.”

Spokesman of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) Lt-Col. Hassan Mohammed in a statement, acknowledged the ongoing destruction of schools, saying adequate security measures are being put in place to avert future recurrence.

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“The task force is aware that some groups of hoodlums claiming to be members of the Boko Haram sect have engaged in destruction of public property, as several schools were burnt in the metropolis in recent times”.

However, residents said they are dissatisfied with the measures being adopted to halt the situation and resolved to suspend taking their children to schools.

Meanwhile, operatives of the JTF on Wednesday evening killed four suspected Boko Haram gunmen at various locations of Maiduguri.

Spokesman of the JTF, Lt- Col. Hassan Mohammed, who made the disclosure after leading

newsmen to one of the scenes of the incident yesterday, also displayed a corpse of a young man, which he said was among members of the group gunned down by the task force.

According to LtCol. Mohammed the first incident took place at Bayan-Quarters ward, when three men drove in a Volkswagen car at about 6:30pm and attempted to evade a roadblock mounted by soldiers for a routine stop-and-search operations.

He explained that on reaching the check point, the gunmen failed to stop and zoomed off, but the soldiers pursued them and fired shots at the vehicle, which led to the death of one suspect while

others escaped with gunshot wounds.

The sect members, the spokesman added may have been out for a deadly operation giving the heavy arms in their possession as two AK47 rifles and four extra magazines loaded with live ammunition were recovered from them.

The task force spokesman also explained that, three hours later, another team of soldiers raided a hide-out of the sect members in Gwange ward resulting to a gun duel, saying “after the confrontation our men succeeded in gunning down three suspects”.

He described the operations as a “bad day for the sect, saying the development served as a reminder the trouble-makers that there would be no hiding place for them.

Another deadlock over Salami

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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L-R: Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication and Minister of State for Health, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, Yobe state Deputy Governor, Engineer Danlami Abubakar and other members of the task force, after their inauguration, at the State House, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Jonathan increases polio funding to $30m

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday announced an increase in the funding for polio eradication in the country from $17 million to $30 million.

The President announced this while inaugurating the Presidential Taskforce on Polio Eradication at the State House, Abuja, adding that Nigeria's population was not an excuse in the failure to completely and successfully eradicate polio as From Blessing Tunoh, Yola

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esidents of the city of Yola and adjoining communities in the state capital blocked several roads in the area yesterday in protest against the police killing of secondary school student in Damare Government Day Secondary School.

countries with larger populations had successfully eradicated the disease.

President Jonathan assured that he will not back down on the pledge he made in Australia during the last CHOGM, to eradicate polio before leaving office in 2015. He commended the governors for their commitment noting that out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the disease was now limited to about eight states of Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi,

Borno and Yobe.

"Let me thank our development partners that have been working with us to eradicate polio in Nigeria especially the governments of Japan, United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Rotary International and especially the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the President said.

Part of the terms of reference of the committee is to report directly to the President every month on progress, challenges and corrective actions being taken to stop polio in

Nigeria.

The committee which is led by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Alli Pate is also to focus on the most vulnerable wards, local governments and states and monitor their progress monthly through the LG and States Accountability Framework, leading monthly reviews on polio eradication and mobilise specific states, LG, partners, traditional and religious leaders, civil societies, the media and the general public to ensure high quality funded polio eradication activities.

Disquiet in Yola over death of student Their demonstration over the death of the student who has been identified as 18-year-old Ismail Tukur, forced the suspension of classes at the school, while police had to use teargas and threats to open fire to disperse the demonstrators.

The police in the area claim

that the late student was arrest in connection with drugs dealing, but parents and other classmates of the deceased, gave a conflicting account of the incident.

According to students, “Ismail Tukur was seriously beaten up and tortured in the cell before he was later taken to hospital where he

gave-up”.

A large contingent of police who were deployed to the community were kept busy for most of the day trying to disperse the irate residents along several sections of Yola town. “As soon as the police dispersed them, they regrouped again and even threatened to set

here appeared to be deadlock in the attempt by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to reinstate the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami to his position, Peoples Daily checks revealed yesterday.

Salami’s suspension, it was gathered topped the agenda of the council’s meeting which held on Wednesday, but the council could not take definite decision on whether or not to recall him.

While some members of the council are sympathetic to Salami and believed that he should be recalled, others who were loyalists of the former CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu were against such a recall.

Salami was suspended on August 18, last year over an alleged official misconduct after an emergency session of the NJC. Giving reasons for Salami’s suspension, NJC said Salami violated Rule 1(1) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers which states that: “A judicial officer should avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all his activities and that a judicial officer should respect and comply with the laws of the land and should conduct himself at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.”

Salami, according to the Director of Administration of the council, Mr. E.I. Odukwu was suspended, principally because he refused to apologise to the council and the CJN having been found guilty of lying on oath against the CJN.

Damare police station ablaze”, a resident said.

Meanwhile, District Head of Yola and Durbin Adamawa, Alhaji Sa’adu Bawuro, who arrived on the scene during the protest, appealed for a speedy investigation into the incident.

When contacted the state police public relation officer ASP Altine Daniel confirmed the incident.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 4

I am a car thief, not armed robber, suspect tells judge in Kogi From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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n awaiting-trial inmate at Okene Medium Security Prisons, Lucky Samuel, standing trial for criminal conspiracy and armed robbery, has told Kogi Chief Judge that he is not an armed robber.

Samuel told Justice Nasir Ajanah, who was reviewing warrants of awaiting trial inmates at the prison on Wednesday, that he only stole parked cars in the absence of their owners, but was never involved in armed robbery.

The inmate, who is standing trial before a Lokoja Senior Magistrate Court on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and armed robbery, said the police had wrongly framed the charges against him.

Samuel further told the Chief Judge that he neatly

disconnected the ignition of the jeep he stole in Abuja, which led to his arrest and trial, adding that his friend, one Hadi Ibrahim who knew nothing about the car theft was thrown into prison and was being tried with him.

Ajanah wondered why the inmate was not summarily tried but kept in prison since 24th June, last year when he was arraigned.

Officer in-charge of Legal Matters at the Kogi police command, Mr. Theophilus Oteme, told the Chief Judge that the accused did not confess the crime while in police custody.

Another peculiar warrant reviewed at the Okene Prisons was that of a lady, one Ohunene Abdullahi standing trial for culpable homicide.

Ohunene was said to have fought a neighbour of hers (also

a woman) whose mother was sick and few days after the fight, the neighbours’ sick mother died and she (Ohunene) was arrested and charged with culpable homicide.

Narrating her ordeal to the Chief Judge, Ohunene said she was being unjustly incarcerated since November 24th, 2011 as she did not fight the deceased and was neither

responsible for the ailment that killed her.

Ajanah granted her bail and ordered that investigation into her case be completed and tried speedily.

Robbers raid shopping mall in Katsina From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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are devil robbers on Wednesday night, raided a shopping mall in Mani town headquarters of Mani local government area of Katsina state.

According to eyewitnesses in the area, the robbers seven in number stormed the town shooting indiscriminately to scare away people and passersby before raiding the

shop owned by a businessman in the town, Alhaji Jamilu Mani.

At the shopping mall, our correspondent gathered that the robbers carted away three days sales of the shop owner and recharge cards valued at N250, 000.

The robbers who operated for about one hour before disappearing with their loot, according to a source from the area did not meet any resistance throughout the

period of their operation.

Katsina Police Command spokesman, ASP Shehu Koko Muhammad, confirmed the incident and said the robbers were seven in number, while insisting that the police engaged them in a shootout but no one was killed.

Muhammad therefore advised shop owners in the state to be extra-vigilant while conducting their businesses and to always take their sales to banks for safe keeping.

At last, EFCC arraigns Lagos Speaker, aide

By Lambert Tyem, Abuja and Francis Iwuchukwu,Lagos

S

peaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his personal assistant, Oyebode Alade Atoyebi were yesterday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

According to Wilson Uwujaren Ag. Head, Media & Publicity of the commission, the duo were arraigned before Justice Okechukwu Okeke on a 20-count charge of allegedly conspiring to commit an illegal act of accepting cash payments amounting to N273, 303, 780 from the Lagos State House of Assembly without going through a financial institution, thereby committing an offence contrary to sections 18(a) of the

Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and punishable under sections 16(2) (b) of the same Act. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them.

Tayo Oyetibo, counsel to the 1st accused, told the court that he had filed a motion for bail and that the motion had been served on the prosecution counsel.

The same argument was canvassed by counsel to the 2nd accused person.

Counsel to the EFCC, Godwin Obla did not object to the bail, saying he was more interested in the expeditious hearing of the substantive matter.

Justice Okeke then granted Ikuforiji bail on self recognition while his personal assistant was also granted bail with the Clerk of the House standing as his surety.

Adamawa: Demsa division police receive award for bravery From Blessing Tunoh, Yola

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damawa state command of the Nigeria Police Thursday rewarded the Demsa Divisional Police Headquarters in the state for the gallant fight they put up when they came under the attack of bandits Tuesday night.

The bandits who arrived the station in a Toyota Starlet and Sienna space bus had opened fire on police officers that were on duty and in the ensuing cross fire left a police corporal dead as well as one of the assailants who fled the scene.

Presenting a certificate of commendation accompanied with a cash reward of N200, 000 to the Divisional Police Officer Habila Adamu, the state Police

Commissioner Aderenle Shinaba said the gesture is meant to serve as a motivation to all policemen in the state.

“The policemen in Demsa stood their ground, fortified the station and even though unfortunately we lost a corporal (Lukman Abdullahi), the gunmen also recorded a casualty on their part and had to retreat when they could not stand the heat.” Shinaba noted.

He further said the act of bravery is a proof to members of the public that the police are up and doing and therefore urged members of the public to always approach the police with meaningful information that would help curb activities of criminals.

Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, pays his last respect to late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during the national inter-denominational funeral rites, yesterday at the Michael Okpara square, in Enugu.

Pakistani drug baron nabbed with N120m heroin in Lagos

By Julius Ogar, with agency reports

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peratives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday, said a member of a Pakistani drug cartel was caught at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos with about 13 kilogrammes of high grade heroin, with street value of about N120million.

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade, said the 35 year-old Syed Waseem Ahmed Buhari, with Pakistani international passport number BT3347071, had just arrived Nigeria aboard a Qatar Airways flight when he was arrested.

Premium Times gathered that the Pakistani was initially apprehended by operatives of the anti-drug agency when parcels of brownish powdery substances

weighing about 13 kilogrammes were found hidden inside his hand luggage.

He was promptly arrested when the suspicious substance was subjected to a test, which produced a positive NDLEA Airport commander, Hamza Umar, said a 42 year-old Nigerian clearing and forwarding agent working at the airport, Okereke Chukwudi, from Ekulobia, Anambra state, who is suspected to be an accomplice in the crime, has also been arrested.

He is said to be cooperating with narcotic investigators. Both suspects will be charged to court soon.

Mr. Syed, an electrical engineer by profession, from Karachi, is believed to be working as a courier for a Pakistani drug cartel with network that covers most big cities of the world.

An inspection of his travel

document revealed that the suspect had travelled from Karachi to Abu Dhabi aboard Pakistan Airline flight before connecting Lagos with the Qatar Airways flight through Doha in the United Arab Emirate (UAE).

The NDLEA boss said the arrest of the Pakistani few days after three Bolivians were caught in a suspected case of methamphetamine production is a demonstration of the agency’s commitment to bring drug traffickers to justice.

“The anti-drug crusade is total and must be pursued with determination,” he said. “We are working hard to prevent the involvement of Nigerian citizens in drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is attractive to criminal cartels because of the huge profits associated with it.

But, we are determined to make it unprofitable through regular drug seizures, arrest and prosecution of culprits”.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 5

Al-makura uncovers 6,761 ghost workers, vows to sanitise LG system I From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

rked by the flagrant abuse of public funds within the local government system in Nasarawa state, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, has vowed to sanitize the entire local government set up.

This is coming just as the report of a consultant detailaed to screen and verify the payroll and

personnel records of local governments and development areas, as well as local education authorities across the state, revealed that 6, 761 out of the total 22,151 number of LG staff are ghost workers.

Al-makura, who was visibly angry with the revelations of the screening report, warned those who consider the LGs as a dumping ground where any form of atrocity

can be condoned, to watch out, decrying the level of corruption at the third tier of governance.

He said ethical re-orientation remains the focus of his administration, stressing that his government will inculcate the virtue of honesty, accountability, hard work and dedication to duty, adding that his administration will do everything to block all the loopholes where public funds are

diverted.

The governor promised to study the report of the consulting firm, as well as implement its recommendations.

Earlier, Ahmed Shuaibu, Senior Partner, Ahmed Zakari and co, disclosed that the exercise succeeded in cutting down an estimatedN.2 b as salary for LG staff, following the implementation of the N18, 900

approved minimum wage, to N704, 055, 880. 09, thereby saving the government N482 057, 782.88.

On the local education authorities, the consulting firm disclosed that 60% of teachers in primary schools in the state are not qualified, with scores of teachers having the First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) as basic qualification.

Igbos in Gombe, Kaduna honour Ojukwu From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna & Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

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he Igbo community in Kaduna yesterday embarked on a symbolic search for the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, directing all members in the area to close their shops and other places of business, for the final burial rites for the departed Igbo leader.

The Ezeigbo for Kaduna, Igwe Sylvester Aneke, who addressed a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, expressed gratitude to President Goodluck Jonathan for honouring Ojukwu with a national burial and full military compliments.

According to him, “Dim Ojukwu will be buried, our normal businesses and schedules will be put on hold as we give him the last respect as we could not travel to Nnewi for the burial.

“It is our tradition and custom to honour our departed hero as Ojukwu was a prominent Igbo son in all ramifications and deserve to be honoured to the letter. The Igbo are expected to observe two minutes silence around the hour of 5 pm, during the burial hour.

“Dim believed in equity and justice and he fought for what he believed regardless of the consequences to himself and he merits the applause of all Nigerians. He was a visionary and dynamic leader who foresaw the problems the nation is facing now in the sixties.

In the same vein, the leadership of Ndi-Igbo, Gombe state branch, has called on all its members in the state to come out in their large numbers to pay the former war lord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, his last respect before he is committed to mother earth in his home town, Nnewi, Anambra state on Friday.

In a release signed and made available to press men by the President-General of the Igbo Community Welfare Association in Gombe State, Chief Evaristus Chukwuaku and SecretaryGeneral Chief Ben Ngwakwe, the Association urged all Ndi-Igbos, both at home and in the Diaspora to observe all the burial rites associated with the tradition and culture of Ndi-Igbo that is approved by the entire Igbo race.

L-R: Director General, Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET), Dr. Anthony C. Anuforum, with Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Ms. Anne Ene-Ita, during the public presentation and unveiling of the 2012 Seasonal Rainfall Predictions (SRP) and 2011 Nigeria Climate Review Bulletin, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Strike: Appeal Court ex-president cautions Kwara judiciary workers From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

he former President of Court of Appeal and pioneer Chairman of ICPC, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, has counselled the Kwara state Judiciary workers over the indefinite strike embarked upon as result of reinstatement of Chief Judge of the state, Justice Raliat Habeeb-Elelu, noting that they need to honour Supreme Court judgment.

The retired jurist who spoke on state radio station noted that it was

wronged for any judiciary worker to disobey the ruling of the apex court, stressing that their disobedience has amounted to contempt of court.

Narrating how some of the state retired jurists met over the issues, Justice Akanbi said “the Honourable Justice Saidu Kawu, retired Justice of the Supreme Court, who is the most senior judge who is retired in the state and the first indigenous judge of Kwara state summoned us; myself, the Hon. Grand Khadi, Justice

12-12 Polo Club to rehabilitate Gwarimpa cemetery

By Mohammed Kandi

I

n line with its corporate social responsibility, the 12-12 Polo and Turf Club located at Gwarimpa, has offered to carry out a comprehensive rehabilitation and subsequent maintenance services of the Gwarimpa cemetery.

Spokesperson of the Club, Salihijo Ahmad, who stated this when members of the Club visited the Abuja Environment

Protection Board (AEPB), yesterday in Abuja, noted that the rehabilitation would include construction and painting of collapsed walls, beautification and landscaping and creation of pathways within the premises of the graveyard.

Other facilities to be provided, Ahmad revealed, are a borehole, maintenance of the cemetery after initial work as well as provision of other essential materials for burial services.

AbdulKadir Orire, Justice Saka Yusuf (former Chief Judge), to see what we can do.

“Of course we cannot keep quiet when things are going wrong. We had about two meetings with leaders of the striking group and we have tried to persuade them to appreciate that nobody can kick against the decision of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court is the apex court in the land; its decision is final and there is no right of appeal for anybody and therefore to lock

up the place (High Court premises) will be going against the normal ethics of the profession.

“We tried to persuade them to appreciate the fact that in the long run, the judiciary in Kwara will be the loser because the appointing authority which is also responsible for discipline of judges is the National Judicial Council (NJC).

“The chairman of the council is the Chief Judge of Nigeria (CJN).

He is also the head of the Supreme Court. So when a decision like that is taken, we must all obey no matter what you feel about the judgement. If you don’t obey it you are in contempt of the court.”

Sokoto Assembly passes N100.8bn 2012 Appropriation Bill From Muhammad Abdullah, Sokoto

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he Sokoto state House of Assembly has passed into law, the 2012 budget proposal of N100.8 billion following a prayer by the Deputy House Leader, Alhaji Bello Mohammed Goronyo.

Goroyo said the passage of the bill would enable the state government commence the execution of projects that would impact on the lives of the people.

He stated that the 2011 budget

ended yesterday and as such has become imperative for the House to allow speedy implementation of the 2012 budget.

He urged the House to approve all the recommendations brought before it by the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

In a remark at the session, Acting Speaker of the Sokoto State Assembly, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar Tureta, said the House resolved to approve all the recommendations of the committee on appropriation as requested.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Ex-soldier dies awaiting pension in Lokoja From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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he unending screening exercise embarked upon by the military in its quest to ascertain the real beneficiaries in the pension scheme has claimed the life of an ex-service man in Kogi state.

A retired army corporal, Yunisa Ademu, from Ankpa local government of the state, yesterday in collapsed and died while on a queue for the pension screening exercise at Chari Maigumairi Barracks along Okene-Kabba road, Lokoja.

Investigations reveal that the deceased had complained of exhaustion before he left home but because of the exercise which our reporter gathered was the second this year, he had to present himself.

One of his colleagues who spoke with pressmen on the condition of anonymity stated that the exercise was a determined effort by the military authority to punish people who served the nation.

He said before retirement, all documents about individuals were compiled and sent to the state of origin with a view to bring the

money meant for the beneficiaries closer; noting that the frequent screening shows that the authority wanted people to die on time.

According to the retiree, the delay in payment of the pension of retired officers had led to monumental fraud bedeviling the pension board. He stressed that the Federal Government should do everything within its ambit to cushion the suffering of retired officers to enjoy their benefits before they die.

The retiree also urged the Federal Government to computerise the pension exercise

to reduce the agony on retired soldiers; he explained that such method would enhance easy identification of beneficiary and incidents of impersonation.

Reports gatherd at the Chari Maigumeri Barracks, Lokoja indicate that nine people have so far died including the wife of a retired soldier.

All attempts by our correspondent to speak with the army spokesperson at the barracks when the corpse of Yunisa Ademu was taken away proved abortive.

According to the first son of the deceased, Friday Yunisa, he was optimistic that the death of those retirees would encourage the reform of the pension system.

Zamfara promotes 300 workers, trains others From Salisu Zakari Maradun, Gusau

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he Zamfara state Local Government Service Commission has announced the promotion of over 300 staff, aimed at boosting their morale.

It also concluded all the necessary arrangements for the payment of the allowances and registration fees of some of its staff who are at various institutions of learning for further studies.

The chairman of the commission, Alhaji Sani Tukur Kaura, made the disclosure while speaking to our reporter in his office in Gusau, the state capital.

According to him, no civil servant would want to exceed his or her period of promotion, which sometimes is the reason why some policies and programmes of the government are sabotaged.

The commission, continued the chairman, has also concluded arrangements to organise workshops and seminars for its workers.

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igerians living in Cote d’Ivoire have lamented the hostility of Ivorian security agencies at Ajara popular market in Abidjan. A Nigerian trader, Mrs. Tawa Olashinde from Ejigbo, Osun state, who spoke to Peoples Daily correspondent who recently visited the country, said she had spent about 20 years in the West African country.

“Nigerians are not treated with respect here, when they know you are not from their country they will want to take advantage of you.

Most times we are often harassed by their police, we are not given fair hearing because we don’t speak their local dialect but in our country we are very accommodating, we treat foreigners with respect”.

Cote d’Ivoire with its population

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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ogi state government has pledged to establish farm settlements in all the 21 local government areas while restating its commitment to meet counterpart fund obligations.

This was disclosed yesterday by the deputy governor, Architect Yomi Awoniyi, when he received the country director of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Dave Osmane in his office in Lokoja, the state capital.

The deputy governor stated that the government will not relent in paying her counterpart funds to agencies that have direct bearing on the well-being of the citizenry.

Arch. Awoniyi noted that with the natural and human resources which abound in the state, the establishment of farm parks is a clarion call to create jobs for nemployed youths adding that when operational, it will reduce youth restiveness.

In his remarks, the ADB boss commended the government for meeting its counterpart fund obligation in all the bank’s assisted projects.

Dr. Osmane added that the bank will ensure the growth of commercial and mechanised farming with the establishment of agro allied industries saying that Nigeria is the highest shareholder of the bank and that cannot be ignored.

Benue NUJ chair warns nonprofessional journalists From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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National Mathematics Competition awardees display their medals during the inauguration of National Mathematical Year, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoire decry hostility From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Kogi to establish farm settlements in LGAs

of 21,504,162, more than 5 million are non-Ivoirian Africans onethird are from Burkina Faso; the rest are from Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Liberia, and Mauritania.

Ivorian Minister for Family, Women and Children, Dumbia Yakuba told our correspondent in Abidjan that according to 2011 data, an estimated one million Nigerians reside in the country doing various businesses.

Yakuba said: “When we read some data and some enquiries, we noticed that some Nigerians are prostitutes but not all Nigerians. The reason is that, somebody went to Nigeria and brought them to Cote d’Ivoire promising them paradise; you’d notice that even Cote d’Ivoire is more difficult than Nigeria; when they block your passport

and you have no money to go back to your country, you are obliged to do anything to survive”.

Mrs. Olashinde who spoke fluent Yoruba, told our correspondent that the consul in the country does not protect the interest of Nigerians. “When we go there or when arrested, they do not come to our aid and we are Nigerians doing legitimate business here.”

Mrs Olashinde however

described the Nigeria community as peace loving “because many of the ladies do not meet their expectations, they have no choice than to go into prostitution. Our government should come to their aid; these hawkers can be rehabilitated and become better people in the society.”

Efforts to get Nigerian Embassy in Cocody Abidjan proved abortive as Nigerian official were unavailable to pick calls for an appointment.

…Hundreds stranded in Ghana

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any stranded Nigerians in Ghana are calling on the Federal Government to airlift them back home. The Nigerians who claim to have left Nigeria for greener pastures lamented: “We could not work in Ghana because our passports were

stamped “employment prohibited”.

At Chisco Transport to Ghana terminal, a Nigerian trader said many Nigerians doing business in the country are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

he Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue state chapter has frowned at the activities of non-professionals who drag the name of the profession in the mud.

The condemnation was made in a press statement yesterday signed by the chairman of the council, Mr. Chris Atsaka, a copy which was also made available to our correspondent.

Atsaka who warned that the NUJ would not be held responsible for any individual or group that violates its code of conduct and reiterated the resolve to reposition the practice of journalism in the state to conform to ethics of the profession.

He therefore advised state and local government as well as organisations to be wary of those who are masquerading themselves about as journalists and to always deal with journalists through the state NUJ council for their interest and that of the public.

Similarly, the chairman urged owners of newspaper houses and magazines operating in the state to register with the union even as he reminded all members to be responsive in their reportage bearing in mind that they are operating in an environment that is guided by constitution.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 7

Gombe moves to curb high mortality rate From Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

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L-R: Bauchi state Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, and FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, during the governor's recent private visit to President Goodluck Jonathan, at the State House, Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Gunmen kill 4 marine policemen in Bayelsa

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unmen yesterday opened fire and killed four marine policemen on patrol on waterways in President Goodluck Jonathan’s home state.

The policemen were on patrol on the waterways when they

were shot and killed,” Emokpae Eguavoen, a police spokesman said.

The policemen were killed at the marine police checkpoint on Nembe River in the southern state, he said.

No arrests were made, he said.

In another development, three members of the Joint Task Force (JTF), were also attacked by unknown gunmen in an ambush, an army spokesman said.

Colonel Timothy Antigha, spokesman for the JTF, who confirmed the attack, denied knowledge that three military men were killed.

There had been unconfimed

reports that the three — two soldiers and a naval rating — were killed in the attack.

“I am not aware that the three were killed. I know the attack took place when the team was going from Brass to Ogbia (in Bayelsa state). They were apparently ambushed. We are still gathering information on the incident”, he said.

Kaduna to complete N576m road project this month From Lawal Sadiq Sanusi, Kaduna

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he N576 million 4.5 kilometres RigasaTsangaya-Hayin Danmani road project in the suburb of Kaduna will be completed by the end of this month.

The resident engineer, Musa Abubakar disclosed this to the Correspondent Chapel’s independent team led by its Chairman Luka Binniyat, on tour of projects embarked by the

state government yesterday, which visited the project site.

He said the project, which was categorised as emergency due to the horror experienced by the community during raining season, was awarded to Embryo Nigeria Ltd at the cost of N576 million in September last year.

Eng. Musa who was at the site during the journalists’ visit, said that government was doing everything possible to complete the work before the start of this

year’s rain, adding that the project consists of sixty culverts, two long span bridges and side drainages.

According to him, the project had the serious concern of the governor and therefore categorised it as emergency because it is just some kilometers away from the Government House, Kaduna.

A resident, Suleiman Yakubu told journalists about the terrible experience members of the densely

populated Rigasa/Hayin Danmani community are subject to during raining season recalling that at one time people of the area had blocked the popular Nnamdi Azikwe western bypass road to attract the attention of the public for the government to undertake the construction of the road.

During the visit members of the team observed that a temporary road had been provided for both vehicular and human movement.

Kwara commends army engineers over bridge From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Kwara state government has commended the 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi Cantonment of the Nigerian Army, Ilorin for the prompt completion of the Ohan Bailey bridge which collapsed in 2009.

The state government through the Commissioner for Works and Transports, Dr. Abubakar Amuda Kannike who showed government’s

appreciation to the Command at the official commissioning of the bridge said its opening would enhance economic activities in the State.

Kannike recalled that the bridge was constructed 40 years ago by Nigerian Army engineers and collapsed in 2009 causing untold hardship to thousands of people who ply the road daily.

He noted that if not for the prompt completion of the work by the Army which cost about N42.5 million, the people of

the area including Northern part of Oyo state linking Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, many travellers would find it difficult to get their goods and services across.

Kannike said the state government was also working on some federal roads including Chikanda-KosubosuOkuta-Ilesha- Baruba to Oyo State border road, Patigi-Kpada road and some damaged portions between EiyenkorinOko Olowo which cut off the federal road leading to Ilorin.

The Commander, 22nd Armoured Brigade, Ilorin, Brig.

Gen. S.B Bello said the reconstruction of the bridge was completed within the eleven weeks timeline, describing the exercise as the new trend in civil/military relationship initiated by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika. Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the area Alhaji Akinpelu Akanmu, advised motorists to make good use of the bridge.

n effort to curb the rising wave of mortality and morbidity among women and children in Gombe state, the state government has promised to establish an ultra modern women and children’s hospital in the metropolis.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kennedy Ishaya announced this when he called on the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar to his palace.

Dr. Ishaya said the hospital when established, would be provided with specialists and facilities.

He expressed happiness that no case of polio disease had been recorded in the state within the last twenty four months and appealed to the emir to assist in ensuring compliance in places where there is resistance.

Responding to this, the Emir of Gombe Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar called for the upgrading of structures and provision of sophisticated equipment and personnel in all government hospitals.

Bill for LGs autonomy passes second reading at House of Reps

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bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution to ensure efficient operations of Local Government Councils in Nigeria scaled the second reading at the House of Representatives on Thursday.

The bill seeks to give financial autonomy to local governments to safeguard the effective operations of the local government councils in Nigeria for social, economic and political development.

Leading debate on the merits of the proposed legislation, Rep. Mohammed Shamsudeen (CPC– Kaduna) said it would ‘’solve problems of local governments in Nigeria.’’

He said that certain provisions of the constitution needed to be altered to enable the local governments to operate effectively.

Shamsudeen stressed that the passage of the bill would also provide local governments political autonomy.

The legislator urged his colleagues to support the bill, saying it would promote democratic governance at the grassroots.

Rep. Samson Osagie (ACN Edo) said ‘’ this bill without sentiments seeks effective governance at the local government level.

“It is our responsibility to remove all impediments that are constitutionally against good government.’’ (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

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Katsina farmers have highest loan repayment, says CBN From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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he branch controller of Central Bank of Nigeria, Katsina, Alhaji Adamu Muhammad Hassan has disclosed that Katsina state farmers have the highest loan repayment in the country.

The branch controller made the disclosure at the 2011 Bankers and Customer’s Forum annual dinner held at the state secretariat complex.

He noted that the Central Bank through its development finance office of Katsina branch, had guaranteed 8,420 agricultural loans worth N1.087 billion in the year 2011.

Hassan who stated that the loan had surpassed that of 2010, and congratulated the people of Katsina state for producing the 2011 best national farmer of the

year.

Similarly, the bank noted that under the trust fund model, the state government has so far released N500 million as collateral where Unity Bank, UBA, Keystone Bank and FBN disbursed the sum of N529,665,112 million in 2010.

He also appealed to the state government to release the remaining N500 million and assist banks in the loan recovery and discharged its financial obligation by settling the 25 per cent claims filed by the participating banks to ensure sustainability of the programme.

In his remark at the dinner, Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema disclosed that the state government had disbursed N860 milion as interest free loans to farmers in the state.

Flood: NSE offers to partner with Lagos on drainage, environmental projects From Bimbo Ogunnaike, Lagos

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he Lagos state chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has indicated interest to assist the state government on its ongoing infrastructural renewal projects on drainages and other environmental projects.

The Lagos chairman of NSE, Olatunde Jaiyesimi, stated this yesterday when he led a delegation of the state branch to the office of the Commissioner for

Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, to harmonise a good working relationship with the state government.

However, the state government has stressed the need for professional bodies, corporate organisations, groups and individual to support government’s efforts in the ongoing rehabilitation of environment, particularly on the de-flooding projects across the state.

Bello, while expressing the

state government’s readiness to partner with the professional body, reiterated the need for all professional bodies to be supportive of state government programmes in the interest of the public.

He commended the group for their worthy initiative, saying “government cannot claim to know it all, though, our government, has structure in place. The advantage Lagos has over other states is the availability of high quality staff in the environment ministry.”

Solicitor petitions CJN over incredible ex-parte order From Bimbo Ogunnaike, Lagos

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legal practitioner, Mr. Martin Iwuegbu, has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher over an “incredible” ex-parte order allegedly granted by Hon. Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court in Suit No FHC/l/CP/1405/2011; Chief Anthony Obinwa v Alhaji Olapade Olagunju Mohammed & Ors. Lamenting the unfortunate case of one of his clients, AKS Steel Nigeria Limited, and the company’s Board chairman, Alhaji Olapade Olagunju Mohammed, Iwuegbu asked the CJN who doubles as the chairman, National Judicial Council, to intervene in the case and ensure that justice is done.

In his petition, Iwuegbu said, “there was an ex-parte order granted by Hon. Justice Okeke based on a case filed by one Chief Anthony Obinwa against Alhaji Olapade Olagunju Mohammed & Ors. The lawyer in the petition said his client disclosed that

Obinwa “has no relationship with our company except being an agent of one Satish Kashyap, a proxy to other investors in the company,” adding that the judge had illegally appointed one Olusegun Bamidele Ajayi as the Receiver/Manager of the company.

The petitioner, Alhaji Mohammed, a retired Zonal Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria and former chairman of Wema Bank Plc, said in his petition dated December 23, 2011, that he decided to bring to the attention of the CJN “the horrifying, suspicious, abusive and very unusual judicial threat and siege under which the Respondents in Petition No. FHC/CP/1405/2011 at the Federal High Court, Lagos have been put and subjected to through an ex-parte order.

Mohammed, therefore, prayed the CJN to “take a most urgent and considerate steps” by setting up an enquiry into the circumstances leading to the very strange decision, of the court on December 15, 2011.

R-L: Adamawa state governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, and Malam Tijjani Yusuf of the Protocol Division of the State House, during Governor Nyako's thank-you visit to President Goodluck Jonathan on his reelection, yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye.

Rawlings, others pay tributes to Odumegwu-Ojukwu

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he Enugu Sports Club on Wednesday held a night of tributes for the ex-Biafra warlord, the late Dim Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu, who died in London on

Agric minister, commissioners move to boost food production

By Mohammed Kandi

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he Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, yesterday convened a one-day meeting involving all state commissioners and stakeholders in the agriculture sector to brainstorm on ways of improving agriculture and ensuring food security in the country.

Dr. Adesina, who spoke at the event held in Abuja, noted that the Federal Government was striving towards achieving zero tolerance in food importation by the year 2015 and declared that

"the government is ready to assist every state in developing its agriculture."

Admitting some ills associated with the sector, the minister however, reiterated the government's desire to achieving a hunger-free Nigeria through agriculature.

"Our vision is to achieve a hunger-free Nigeria through an agricultural sector that drives income growth, accelerates achievement of food and nutritional security, generates employment and transform Nigeria into a leading player in global food markets to grow

wealth for millions of farmers," the minister stated.

The minister assured that under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Programmes (ATAP) of the current government, there will be an efficient market system for Nigeria farmers to sell their products and get the best of the market factors.

He said for Nigerian agriculture to receive a rapid growth, it must be treated as a business rather than developing project where wealth and jobs are created to ensure food security not only in Nigeria but Africa at large.

Nov. 26, 2011.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the wellattended ceremony featured exGhanaian president, Jerry Rawlings, as a special guest, with hordes of the late Ojukwu’s associates in the military pouring encomiums on him.

In his tribute, Rawlings said he successfully landed at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu in darkness on Wednesday and deduced that “the ghost of Ojukwu is at work”.

Rawlings said that he became conscious of the enormity of the Nigerian civil war when the late Dick Tiger Ihetu of Imo, a boxing hero of the time, was conscripted into the Biafran army.

He said the Nigerian civil war saw two great Nigerians fighting for the same thing from the opposite sides, “one for the dignity of Nigeria and the other for the unity of Nigeria”.

“Ojukwu stood for principles, equity, peace and justice but he did not hesitate to protect his people. He had to lead a

sacrificial war,’’ the former Ghanaian air force flight lieutenant said.

Also speaking, ex-Biafran army, Colonel Joseph Achuzia, popularly called “Air Raid”, described the proscribed republic as “a spiritual ideology” which he still believed in.

“Before the advent of Europeans, where we stand today was Biafra and that is why we have the Bight of Biafra”.

Achuzia said he did not believe Ojukwu was really dead because of his larger-than-life image, saying he believed so much in the Ezeigbo Gburugburu.

“Ojukwu gave us stability. It is not Ojukwu who should be called a rebel. The same people who called him a rebel are now calling him all sorts of good names because he is no more”, Achuzia said.

In his remark, Biafran Air Force, Colonel Anowai, who flew the warlord into exile, described Ojukwu as a man who “made many things out of nothing”.

(NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Benin chief priest tasks NEPC on food security From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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R-L: Yobe state Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, with his Special Adviser on Health and Human Services, Dr. Sani Chiromari, when the governor paid a condolence visit to Dr. Chiromari over the death of his mother, on Wednesday in Kukuri village near Potiskum.

Corps members want govt to sensitise Nigerians on clean environment

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ome corps members in the FCT have urged the three tiers of government to sensitise Nigerians, especially those at the grassroots, on the benefits of a clean environment.

Speaking on behalf of the corps members, Mr. Francis Akunesi, the president, Friday Sanitation Community Development Service (CDS) group in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), made the

call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja.

Akunesi observed that many Nigerians were ignorant of the dangers of polluting the environment.

“That is why they indulge in indiscriminate dumping of refuse and open defecation, especially in the satellite towns in the FCT”.

He explained that since an

unhealthy environment is a repository of diseases, there was the need for adequate sensitisation, to educate the people on the need to keep their environment clean and healthy.

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to utilise the services of members of the Sanitation Community Development Service to enlighten the grassroots on the need for a clean environment. (NAN)

EFCC vows to go after Ibori’s accomplices

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it will still go ahead to prosecute the ex-governor of Delta state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, despite facing money laundry charges in London under British law.

A statement by the EFCC’s acting Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, states that

Ibori’s trial in London has vindicated the commission when it insisted that the former governor of the oil-rich Delta state was guilty of money laundry and diversion of state funds.

The EFCC which maintained that criminal proceedings against James Ibori were still in progress in a federal court of law, stressed that all parties who

connived with the ex-governor in looting state funds would be prosecuted.

The commission took a swipe at the Justice Marcel Awokulehin of the Federal High Court, Asaba, which acquitted Ibori in December 2009, and maintained that an appeal on the controversial ruling was still pending before the Court of Appeal, Benin City, Edo state.

he Chief Priest of Benin Kingdom, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, has challenged the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), to meet local needs of Nigerians in terms of food and material production before considering export as a priority.

Isekhure made this submission yesterday in Benin City at the 2012 public lecture organised by the Centre for Advocacy against Corrupt Practices where eight Nigerians who distinguished themselves in their chosen field were honored.

The Benin high chief however urged policy makers to translate government programmes in clear terms to reality instead of mere theories.

He also harped on the need for re-orientation of the youths, provision of improved technology to remove unemployed/idle minds from crime through provision of basic amenities by making agriculture more attractive as it is in developed societies.

“While export is desirable, we

must be able to meet local needs before we now talk about export…Youths are looking for jobs that are not readily there…Watch carefully if you go to a party, you see young boys and girls, they are hanging around to look for food that are left over…they‘ll package them…some would say they want to give it to their dog at home…they are going to eat them”, he said.

The guest lecturer and chief executive officer, NEPC, David Adulagba whose message was delivered by the zonal director, Mrs. Veronica Oriere, highlighted the objectives of the council in a paper titled: ‘Maximising Nigeria Economy, Tapping into the Endless Potentials Today and the Future’.

The executive director, Centre for Advocacy against Corrupt Practices, Simeon Charles in an address, described inefficiency, lack of focus and political will to execute, ill planned strategies, application of out-dated economic models and inequitable distribution of the nation’s commonwealth have kept millions of Nigerians in poverty.

Zebrudaya describes late Gringory as ingenious actor, producer

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ce comedian and actor, Mr. Chika Okpala, popularly known as “Zebrudaya” in the “New Masquerade'' soap opera, has described the death of Mr. James Iroha, “Gringori” as a big loss to the entertainment industry.

Okpala told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Nsukka, Enugu state, that Iroha's death had robbed Nollywood of an ingenious actor and producer who contributed a great deal to the growth of the industry.

“I was shocked when I heard of his death. Nollywood has lost an ingenious actor and producer.

“Iroha was like a father to me; he created the New Masquerade and invited me.

“I had a good relationship with him and learnt much from him in the New Masquerade”.

Okpala said it would be very

difficult to fill the vacuum Iroha's death had created since nobody would act exactly like him.

“It will be hard to get somebody who will act exactly like him.

“I advise upcoming actors to emulate the late Iroha, especially his dedication to the entertainment industry and good relationship with others”.

Okpala urged actors and actresses to be upright as well and maintain a good relationship with one another.

“We should be upright in everything we do, as no one knows tomorrow.

“I urge Nollywood members to have a good relationship with one another so that good things will be said of them when death comes”.

NAN reports that Iroha died on Tuesday in a hospital in Onitsha, where he was being treated for glaucoma. (NAN)

Igbo market in India to close today From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi with agency reports

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he Igbo market on Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai, India, will remain closed today in honour of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu. Ojukwu who died on November 26, 2011, would be interred on Friday.

President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, India chapter, Mr. Kingsley Chukwuma, who made this known in a statement, also called on all Igbo sons and daughters in India to continue mourning Ojukwu in black shirts

zAs Yuguda eulogizes Odumegwu-Ojukwu till March 2.

According to him, Igbo indigenes in their black attires on February 19, 2012 had a procession with olive branches and candlelight through some streets before gathering at the Igbo Hall, Cosmos Building at Khar Road, Mumbai, India, to mourn the Biafran leader who meant so much to them.

He said the occasion which was attended by over 500 Igbo indigenes, was to pay their last respects to the late Igbo leader, whom he insisted, would be

difficult to replace.

The President of Nigeria community in Mumbai, India, Mr. Bless Agwuocha, described Ojukwu as the mirror of justice and requested every Igbo person to claim the greatness of Ojukwu in the course to achieve ethnic rights in Nigeria by Ndigbo.

Meanwhile, Bauchi state governor, Isa Yuguda has described late Ikemba of Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka OdumeguOjukwu as a great nationalist who made a lot of sacrifices when it mattered most in ensuring that

Nigeria remained one indivisible entity.

A press statement issued and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Ishola Michael Adeyemi, stated that "it will be difficult to fill the vacuum created by the death of this foremost and educated soldier who remains one of the fine gentlemen officers ever produced by the Nigerian Army".

He also used the medium to condole the immediate and extended families of the fallen hero because according to him, "every soul living must one day die and

return to the Creator to give account of what was done while alive". He also advised them to keep the good works he did alive so that people will always remember that he was once around here.

Yuguda also condoled President Goodluck Jonathan as well as the governors of the defunct Eastern state which is now South-East geopolitical zone over the death, declaring that Nigerians will forever remember the role the late officer played in the sustenance of democracy in the country as the leader of APGA.

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PAGE 11

Robbers invade Babcock University bank From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

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rmed robbers on Wednesday ‘visited’ Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, located in Ikenne local government area of Ogun state, where they raided two banks and subjected students and staffers within the university community to fright.

Our correspondent reliably

gathered that, the bandits numbering seven, having gained access using guns, went to both the Oceanic and WEMA banks situated within the campus and were shooting sporadically to scare people away.

Said to be armed with sophisticated weapons including dynamites, and sub-machine guns, the robbers divided themselves into groups and broke into the banking halls to carry out

their operations simultaneously.

The bandits who were said to have made away with some substantial sums of money escaped through the express road and headed towards Ijebu OdeOdogbolu shooting sporadically as they fled.

A staff of one of the banks, while expressing shock after the attack said “it is an unbelievable experience, I don't know how the boys came in, they were equipped

with big rockets and dynamites.

Before anyone could say anything, they have swooped on us”.

Mr. Dotun Oduroye who heads the technical department in one of the banks confirmed the attack and stated that no student was hit by a bullet, contrary to rumour that some students were hit by the stray bullet.

Meanwhile, all banks in Ijebu Ode, Ijebu Igbo, Ago Iwoye and some neighboring towns including Sagamu have remained shut since Monday because of the attack by armed robbers last week on two banks in Ijebu Imushin and Ijebu Igbo.

Africa improves in World Bank poverty rating

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he World Bank in its recent progress report states that developing countries including African region, have recorded achievement in the area of poverty reduction as percentage of people living on less than $1.25 a day and the number of poor declined between 2005-2008.

This however, contrasts with the recent report by Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics which said over 100 million of the estimated 160 million Nigerians live on less than a dollar a day.

The global bank says the acrossthe-board reduction in poverty level over a three-year monitoring cycle marks a first since the Bank began monitoring extreme poverty.

The bank in a statement quoted Director Research Group, Martin Ravallion, saying that “the developing world as a whole has made considerable progress in fighting extreme poverty, but the 663 million people who moved above the poverty lines typical of the poorest countries are still poor by the standards of middle and high-income countries. This bunching up just above the extreme poverty line is indicative of the vulnerability facing a great many poor people in the world.

And at the current rate of progress, around 1 billion people would still live in extreme poverty in 2015.”

According to the report, an estimated 1.29 billion people in 2008 lived below $1.25 a day, equivalent to 22 percent of the population of the developing world.

By contrast, in 1981, 1.94 billion people were living in extreme poverty. The update draws on over 850 household surveys in nearly 130 countries. 2008 is the latest date for which a global figure can be calculated. This is because, while more recent statistics for middle income countries are available, for low-income countries newer data are either scarce or not comparable with previous estimates.

More recent post-2008 analysis reveals that, while the food, fuel and financial crises over the past four years had at times sharp negative impacts on vulnerable populations and slowed the rate of poverty reduction in some countries, global poverty overall kept falling.

Bauchi church attack suspects taken to Abuja From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

T

he eight persons arrested by the police in connection with an alleged attempt to bomb COCIN LCC Church in Miya Barkatai village in Toro local government area of Bauchi state have been flown to the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, for more investigation.

The Police Public Relations Officer of Bauchi state command, ASP Hassan Musa, confirmed this to our correspondent in Bauchi yesterday.

A relative to one of the suspects told journalists that when he came to visit his brother who was arrested in connection to the attempted attack on the COCIN church Miya Barkatai, he discovered that he had been taken to Abuja.

Kwara Igbo community calls Ojukwu courageous From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T R-L: Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, with the President, Boys’ Brigade Nigeria, Lagos state Council, Sir Sunny Nnamdi Nwosu, during the recent investiture of the governor as the state Grand Patron of Boys’ Brigade Nigeria, at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

Appoint and inaugurate NCPP, Senate tells Jonathan From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

T

he Senate on Wednesday in Abuja asked President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint and inaugurate the National Council on Public Procurement (NCPP) as provided for in section 1(4) of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

The Senate also asked the President to constitute the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) as provided for in sections 7(1) and 8(1) in order to establish a legal, formidable and effective institution.

The Senate gave these directives following the debate on a motion sponsored by Sen. Ahmed Lawan (ANPP Yobe) on the need for the appointment and inauguration of the NCPP. Leading the debate, Lawan noted that the Public Procurement

Act 2007 took effect from June, 2007 and it established the NCPP and BPP as the regulatory agencies responsible for the monitoring and oversight of public procurement.

He said under the Act, the NCPP was responsible for considering and approving policies on public procurement, approving the appointment of the directors of the BPP and approving changes in the procurement process.

According to him, although the BPP was established in 2007, five years down the line, the Federal Government had yet to constitute the NCPP as provided for in sections 1(1) and 1(4) of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

Senator Lawan expressed worry that the non-appointment and noninauguration of the NCPP had rendered the execution of the Public Procurement Act 2007 ineffective since the BPP was not legislated and

designed to function alone.

“It is disturbing that the operations of the BPP have not resolved the challenges that characterised the procurement process in the Federal Government contract award due to partial execution of the Act. “The Federal Government could be professional, efficient, effective and able to tackle the challenges of corruption in contract management only by total execution of the Public Procurement Act 2007”.

Contributing to the debate, Senate leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP-Akwa Ibom) said the non constitution of the NCPP was perhaps an innocent oversight by the executive that must be corrected immediately.

“If the law provides for a council and the bureau has been operating for this long without a council, it means the actions taken by the bureau are questionable and this must be corrected”.

he president general, Igbo Community Association, Kwara state, Sir Truelove Njoku, has described the late Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu as the courageous leader who was patriotic in whatever he did when on earth.

Njoku who stated this at a ceremony held to pay the last tribute to the late Biafran leader in Ilorin, said he would be remembered as a leader born with silver spoon but who died for the cause of his people.

“Ikemba was one of the most courageous leaders that passed through this universe. He was a fine soldier, a great statesman, orator, philosopher, thinker and a great patriot. He will be remembered as a leader who though born of aristocratic background, was humble, loved his people and was ready to die for the cause of his people.

“Eze Gburu Gburu believed in democracy, fair play and in the protection and restoration of the rights of the downtrodden. He was the Governor of the former East Central state comprising about present 11 states.

Njoku disclosed that the association would observe today Friday, March 2, the day of his interment, as a day of prayers and sober reflection stressing that all members would remain indoors on that day from 6am to 6pm to pray for the repose of the soul of Ikemba as well as for the peace, progress and unity of Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

Senegal and the burden of Abdoulaye Wade

S

enegal is best remembered for its distinguished philosopherking, former president and exponent of negritude, Leopold Sedar Senghor who helped wean Senegal from harsh French colonialism into a more accommodating association with the erstwhile metropolitan overlord. Senegal under Senghor was stable and never caved in to the postcolonial cankerworm of military coups that ravaged most of Africa.

However, the stability that Senghor brought did not automatically translate to the very huge expectations that most Senegalese and Africans envisaged, following the collapse of formal colonialism.

The wind of change that blew across the continent in the early 1990s also left its remarkable impact on Dakar. The Senghor presidency succumbed but he anointed his successor, Abdou Diouf. Meanwhile, Abdoulaye Wade, a history and law professor, has carved a niche for himself as the foremost agitator of multiparty democracy. He was instantly recognized as embodying the sentiments of all Senegalese for a more open and competitive political process. Having serially thrown his hat in the ring for the presidential contest, his hour finally came in 2000 when he was elected to the exalted job. Not only the Senegalese, but the entire pro-democracy community hailed his ascension to power and hoped that the elderly former opposition presidential candidate

would bequeath his country the democratic temperament of critical opposition that he had earlier articulated and even embodied.

But recent events in the country have shown that the scholarly and even erudite history professor is hardly a good student of history.

Wade is set to plunge his country into anarchy. Having served out two tenures that Senegal’s constitution

“

Because of President Wade, Africa has found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reason again. Last year, another history professor and former veteran opposition leader, Laurent Gbagbo, in Cote d’Ivoire, succumbed to the allure of power and paid a personal high price for it allowed him, he has manipulated the Constitutional Council to change the constitution to give him a third term.

Before Wade’s affront on his country’s constitution, it was rumoured that he had anointed his son, a minister in his government, to succeed him. At 85, no one expected that Wade would become this power-drunk.

Having fought for a competitive

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and open political process, we had hoped that he would leave behind such process that he benefited from.

Sadly, he has employed all kinds of subterfuge to shut out prospective competitors. The renowned musician, Yousuf Ndour, even better known than Wade, was disqualified from last Sunday’s presidential contest on account of not being Senegalese enough. However, Wade, even in a race calibrated to produce a certain and definite result, did not coast home to victory. On Wednesday, the country’s election body announced that there would be a runoff because President Wade fell short of the 50 percent requirement for outright victory. He will slug it out in the second round with his former Prime Minister, Macky Sall.

If Wade wins, his victory obviously would be tainted by his brazen manipulation of the constitution. If he loses, he would likely be remembered as one who for personal ambition undermined his country’s democratic institutions.

Because of President Wade, Africa has found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reason again. Last year, another history professor and former veteran opposition leader, Laurent Gbagbo, in Cote d’Ivoire, succumbed to the allure of power and paid a personal high price for it. He is currently at the International Criminal Court at The Hague to answer to charges of crime against humanity.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

By Farouk Martins Aresa

W

hen any of the militia starts setting empty schools ablaze, kidnapping children and old people, they have lost the essence of their cause. It is revolting to any sense of justice and fair play that is emphasised by every religion. Children are the most precious gifts in life and they are gentle, innocent and free of any gripe we adults may have. Every book of religion wants us to be like little children since the Kingdom of Allah, God, Yahweh belongs to those that have their conscience.

What is next? Are we going to see body parts of children split all over the place on television, pointing out how crude and primitively we practice our religions? This has gone beyond any reasonable cause, induced madness or religious spells and charms.

Those perpetrating mayhem on children will not go unpunished by their own gods and devils. They have revealed themselves to the rest of Nigeria and the world that they are charlatans without genuine causes. It is one thing to target adults that you see as oppressors but quite another to try and hurt those that have no inkling of why they deserve to be targeted in such ungodly acts.

Those that try to justify any

PAGE 13

Wanted: Riba haram to save Nigerian children cowardly act on children as collateral damage are the scum of the earth that will never enjoy or see a single virgin in heaven. MEND lost sympathy when they overreached and started bloody mayhem on the weak, old, women and children.

The competition for the Government of Nigeria by terrorist groups trained outside the Country has grown to unpredictable disaster. You can only rule Nigeria if you are either backed by a terrorist group functioning within the Armed Forces or outside of it.

When police looked the other way so that terrorists could go free and our court of law granted bail to terrorist, even God cannot come down and save us since we know what we are doing.

Many Nigerians claim that the politicians know what to do but will not do it because it may not be in their personal interest.

Africa also has its share of brilliant men and women that are problem solvers but they will not be engaged locally because these are highly principle people that do not

succumb to the wishes and caprices of Any Party In Power.

It is only cowards that pick on the innocent and the unarmed people like children, hardworking “bloody” civilians or drivers and conductors on our roads. They call us easy target because they have to work harder to penetrate the formidable security of the rich and the powerful. But when deals go wrong between militia and the police or the military that rent arms to and encourage hooligans, they start fighting one another turning our communities into war zones.

It is very humiliating that Nigeria that has one of the best peace keeping force in the world has to seek international assistance to fight our own local devils. Even when these devils have outside influence to destabilize Nigeria, no foreign soldier will die on our soil willingly by claiming they are protecting democracy. Instead, our leaders will compromise our national security. What our leaders will not disclose locally is fed to foreign governments

freely.

We are begging OPC, MASSOB, Boko Haram and MEND amongst us to redirect their grievances where they can make the greatest impact on their lives and those of fellow Nigerians by coming together as RIBA HARAM so that we can fight the corrupt powers that aassil our nation. It is unfortunate that there is no coordination between the militia to face the common enemies of our country.

Dedicated Nigerian youth that want to rescue their country from politicians must find a common ground for the next mission after Take Nigeria Back demonstrations failed to ignite the conscience of looters.

If you are sure you have the bravery, determination and can be very passionate about Nigeria like our ethnic militia brothers, come on. Those in the Northern part of the Country already enrolled as Boko Haram members can redeploy into RIBA HARAM. Jobless Nigerian youth have been sitting idle looking for a cause to explode for a long time.

Out of frustration, they have formed various militia along ethnic lines. It is well known that some of their efforts have been exploited against the Country they love and want to inherit. Since a house divided within itself cannot stand, politicians have been encouraging divisions of the youths to the detriment of the Country.

These divisions are exhibited in the acts of political thugs, union of transport workers and of course, ethnic militia. There is no common goal amongst them but where the money is coming from and the goal of the founders to loot the Central Bank of Nigeria legally or illegally. There is no shortage of fund to accomplish personal and selfish goals but when it comes to mobilization of the same funds to better the lives of the common folks and improve infrastructure, we get all kinds of excuses.

When these youth are not recruited by militia, youths that some years ago would Continued on page 15

Adamawa: After the elections what next?

By Zayyad I. Muhammad

P

olitics, some people say, is a dirty and tricky business. But it is a field full of excitement - some of it is comical; some of it is scary; while some of it is beyond one’s imagination. The governorship election in Adamwa State has come and gone, but the intense political manoeuvring and heat that preceded the election would continue to determine the direction of the state’s politics in many ways. The February 4th, governorship elections results proved bookmakers rightAdmiral Murtala Nyako won.

Nyako won the election because of many reasons- the absence of a united and formidable opposition; the polarisation of the state along geographical, ethnic and faith lines; the influence of his political appointees, support from some key political bigwigs in the state and sheer luck.

The opposition entered the election highly disunited, and made some costly political miscalculations. In terms of number of votes, the main opposition parties ACN and CPC have clearly defeated Nyako.

They garnered 355,300 votes which is 54% of the total votes cast, while Nyako got the remaining 302,953, i.e. 46%.

One thing clear is, most of the votes got by each candidate were due to some reasons. Nyako won in mainly Hausa/Fulani dominated communities. His political appointees and handlers

were instrumental in his getting votes from some minority communities who happen not to be in full support of Nyako. Some people voted for Nyako just because they are PDP supporters, but they don’t admire Nyako as a person, while some people voted for PDP just because they belong to same ethnic group or faith with Nyako, but they are strong PDP antagonists. Incumbency and support from the centre also helped Nyako.

Tahe ACN did very well in the election. The PDP took away victory from the ACN with just a margin of 61,930 votes. The ACN committed serious mistakes, missteps and plain misses that caused it the election: its leaders were carried away by the signs of massive support the party enjoys from the minority dominated areas of Adamawa state, but they failed to extend the ‘hand of friendship’ to the Hausa/Fulani areas. The ACN became a victim of ‘You won’t get what you don’t ask for’, thus the PDP took advantage and defeated the ACN with wide margin in Fofure, Girei, Madagali, Maiha, Mayo Belwa, Yola-North and Yola-South local government areas.

The Adamawa Unity Forum (AUF) a sort of minority ethnic group socio-political organisation; became an albatross to the party- AUF’s actions and inactions coloured ACN’s struggle to wrest power from Nyako as a struggle against the Hausa/Fulani.

The ACN

leadership is to be blamed for forgetting one essential political strategy which is: look forward, reason backward-.

Had the ACN massively campaigned in the Hausa/ Fulani dominated areas, it could have been game-over for Nyako. The ACN also forgot that election day is a turnout game; they didn’t make last minute effort to get their supporters to the polls. ‘Get-Out-the-Voters’ was a major tactic the PDP used to scoop vote in ACN strongholds. Another of ACN’s misstep was its failure to gather and utilize the type of political war chest needed to face a party like the PDP. What actually saved the ACN from what could have been political humiliation was former Governor Boni Haruna’s influence and that of his supporters and that of a section Adamawa people who feel the Nyako government has suppressed it.

Gen. Buba Marwa, the CPC candidate, on the other hand, played ‘kick the can games.’ On the outside he appeared to be the good guy, while on the inside he tried to capitalise on the polarisation of the state between Hausa/Fulani and the minorities lines. It was believed that, Marwa contested with the brainwave that the heat generated by the polarisation of the state along geographic, ethnic and faith lines would work in his favour. ACN also employed this tactic, it however failed for both paties because they forgot that politics require

consensus, engagement and give and take.

The big problem facing opposition parties in Nigeria is, they do not present themselves as alternatives to the government. People simply see them as another group of people similar to those in power, waiting to grab power by all means. The opposition in Adamawa state need to present themselves as alternatives that are relevant to the people’s dayto-day lives. To win, they need to have the confidence of the people; regardless of geography, ethnicity or faith.

The CPC in Adamawa state may become weaker and toothless- Marwa and his cotravellers may eventually leave the party to their old nest- the PDP. In addition, the party was built around the personality of one man- General Muhammadu Buhari- no Buhari, no vote for the party, so to speak.

The ACN has a bright future. Since the 2007 elections in Adamawa state, the party has been getting stronger by the day. However, it has mainly been benefiting from former Gov. Boni Haruna’s leadership of the party. This is because during his administration, he spread resources, development and appointments equally throughout the state. His government was truly a representative one.

It is pretty too early to predict what shapes the politicking for 2015/2017 election will take, but one thing

certain is, the dangerously heated political scenario generated by the politics of the February 4th 2012 governorship elections in Adamawa state; Nyako’s incumbency advantage; the Atiku Abubakar factor and the numerous political organisations springing-up will shape the paths for the road.

Nyako may wish to have his anointed candidate as his successor as any governor would. But many of the bigwigs in his camp are believed to be nursing an ambition to be governor.

For instance, Abubakar Madawaki, the commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs who happens to be Nyako’s classmate and childhood friend is positioning himself for the office. Senator Bello Tukur, with a big political war chest would be a candidate to beat; the seasoned lawyer and investment banker, Adamu Modibbo, would have political experience and a strong network as his weapon. Bala Ngillari, the current Deputy Governor is naturally expected to seek to succeed his boss, but he is keeping his cards close to his chest. So the road to 2015/ 2017 would be bumpy and complicated. It would witness blind ambitions, betrayals, unexpected cross-carpeting, disillusionment and huge political casualties.

Zayyad I. Muhammad blogs at www.zayyaddp.blogspot.com

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

In defence of Babangida Aliyu

By Paul Uwadima

T

he menace of Boko Haram in the North with its inherent dislocation of socio-political cohesion and distortion of economic development in the North especially and the country at large, has made many analysts, commentators and columnists to go in search of the real motives of those who have taken up arms against the state.

In their quest for answers to the questions raised by Boko Haram, many have heaped the blame for the growth of this antsocial behaviour on the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

This assumption is wrong. In their search for whom to blame for the collective failure of leadership in the North like in other parts of the country, some have decided to pick on the Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Niger State, Chief Servant, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu for their vitriolic attacks.

One of such recent attacks on

the governor came in an article imagined collective failure of WITH NIGERIA, in which he in Peoples Daily by its columnist leadership in the North. And the posited that Nigeria’s stagnated Abdulazeez Abdullahi. In the way this failure is being development rest squarely on article “The Failure Of Northern presented lately gave the leadership failure. Achebe did Governors”, Abdullahi instead of erroneous impression that the not write that the development of the country presenting was stalled by constructive the failure of criticism that N o r t h e r n could provide leadership. It an insight into Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text therefore means the problem messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written that the bedeviling the contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 leadership North and words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and challenges we remedies for a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed face are national them, spent a to: and should be significant addressed as part of the such. That said, piece hurling The Editor, I was taken personal Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, aback by attacks on the 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Abdullahi who governor.

Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com tried to paint a Agreed that SMS: 07037756364 picture of the Aliyu who Chief Servant as was chosen by fellow governors in 2007 to South has provided better a leader that is not doing enough become the chairman of the leadership than the North. for the development of Niger Northern Governors Forum, by Nothing could be further from state in the past five years. In a virtue of that position represents the truth. If the South has better very sarcastic way, Abdullahi the face of Northern Governors leaders than the North, then castigated Aliyu for being busy for good or for ill, but it is very celebrated author Prof. Chinua jumping from one public lecture unkind for commentators to Achebe would not have written circuit to another delivering attack him personally over the his seminal book, THE TROUBLE lectures and collecting awards

WRITE TO US

and concluded rather harshly that despite the awards that the chief servant had garnered, Niger State was still among the least developed in the North. But if the truth is allowed to be told, Niger State under Aliyu has done better than most parts of the North. For instance the recent data released by Bureau of Statistics showed that the North Central where Niger State is located has the least poverty level in the North. The NorthWest has the highest poverty rate with 70 per cent of its people living below $1 per day. The North-East follows with 69 per cent and the North-Central with 59.5 per cent.

Recently the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Representative, Mr Jacques Boyer, in Kano, at a high level advocacy meeting with religious and traditional leaders from 10 Northern states, a programme which was supported by UNICEF D-Field office, Bauchi, stressed the need for traditional and religious Continued on page 15

Ekiti: The audacity of the rigger

By Peter Claver Oparah

I

don’t know how many people see through the present effort by the PDP to finish off what is left of the judiciary after the scandalous manipulation that saw to the suspension of Justice Ayo Salami, in a desperate effort to stave off an impending inquest into the more-you-look-the-less you see electoral heist of April 2011. I believe many Nigerians are aware of the crystallizing conspiracy by the PDP to ensure that rogue electoral conduct is not remedied by any court. That was the crime Salami committed for which PDP is orchestrating his persecution, employing the crudest and foulest tactics ever and it is in that scandalous mission that we locate the efforts of Segun Oni and those that are prodding him on to now bury the judiciary in the shallow grave PDP has dug for it en route their perpetual rule dream.

I don’t know how many people see the bizarre plot where Segun Oni, the disgraced election rigger and usurper of the Ekiti governorship mandate, is being used as a hatchet dog to ensure the judiciary is finally buried under PDP’s expansive plot to annex that vital arm of government to its vote looting expedition which is getting more audacious, more entrenched and more sophisticated by the day.

Those who have taken interests in the activities of the diminutive hatchet man since he was rusticated from power in October 2010 would see a quintessential soulless marionette, a robot and a mechanical odd man at play.

The voice is that of Segun Oni, a man who should be serving time

in jail for electoral fraud were we to have a sane country and the voice is that of the ruthless and increasingly daring PDP, a rouge cabal that has vowed to remain in power till eternity, whether Nigerians like it or not.

For those who have not known, the latest plot to ridicule the judiciary is being built around Oni. He was said to have raised a petition to the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, seeking for a panel to retry the election case in Ekiti which saw to his ouster after the unearthing of monumental electoral fraud that brought him to power. The acting PCA obliged him by raising a panel to try a case that was so comprehensively trashed out for three years during which the usurper sat on a throne he was never elected to sit on. It was not as if the latest action is predicated upon the discovery of newer compelling evidence that will warrant such but on the fancy trivialities and farcical forgeries Oni and his handmaidens have manufactured to back up their watery case. By acquiescing to this fancy judicial window shopping, the PCA has opened a floodgate that will soon overflow with torrents of requests for review of settled cases and no one is sure where this will leave the bruised, battered and badly messed image of Nigeria’s judiciary. And herein lies the PDP orchestrated self immolation of the judiciary that reached the bestial peaks with the tardy collusion of the ex Chief Judge and his National Judicial Council in the illegal removal of Justice Salami.

As someone who has watched Ekiti politics for a long time, for

someone who watched the midday swing that swerved a certain Fayemi victory in April 2007 to Oni and his PDP, for someone who watched the long, enervating and sapping legal battle where nothing was saved to prove PDP’s electoral banditry, for someone who watched the way and manner the Appeal Court ruled that a bye election be held in some councils in Osun and not declare the clear winner, for someone who witnessed the daylight and internationally acclaimed electoral gerrymandering that now goes with the name Ido Osi, for someone who followed the ensuing legal battle that culminated in the eventual restoration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s purloined victory, one would dare ask, what actually is Oni seeking in his present desperate effort to be used for another round of disgrace for the country’s soiled judiciary? One would be constrained to ask which judge lends his name to this brazen folly by a party that has almost completely overturned our nation’s code book of honor and etiquette to serve the bestial and ultra selfish interests of the party. I wonder what the Acting President of the Court of Appeal wants to achieve by playing this PDP vile roulette that is aimed at subduing whatever is left of the judiciary after the crass subjugation that has forced us to live with the results of forged and sham elections and even hailing them as the best instances of electoral probity humanity has had.

Let no one be fooled. Oni, PDP and the Acting Chief Judge of the Appeal Court know the truths and the facts about the Ekiti election. They know the

exhaustive legal brickbats that brought us to where we are today.

They know that somehow, there is an end to litigation. But they may not quit attempting to resurrect a settled and rested case because of the country we are in. We are in a country where everything is deployed to protect a criminal and punish the victim. We are in a country where electoral crimes are not punished and even where pretensions are made to punishing them, only fringe culprits are given a mere slap in the wrist while the beneficiaries and the main culprits are screened from any harm’s way. We are in a country where someone that committed such a hefty crime as electoral fraud, which is a passport to unearned mandate and possible financial crimes, is given every protection the system could muster while his victims are subjected to state organized persecution. We are in a country where election riggers walk with such great swagger and grow with unseemly audacity by each day.

So what we are witnessing in Ekiti today is the audacity of the rigger who has become a societal fixer when he should have been a societal outlaw. His fancies are given full ventilation by the macabre system that has been sustained by sheer audacity of co riggers and their fellow ramparts and they will not stop until the entire system is made malleable to their awful imprimatur and control.

The characters that are scripting the legal charade in Ekiti State presently know what they are doing. They are leveraging on a system that has been permanently

subservient to electoral fraudsters and which, by the day, criminalizes any questioning of the scruples of an election rigger. They are merely doing all they can to ensure that no judge ever questions the audacity of the electoral rouge who transmogrifies to the law giver and enforcer with each stolen mandate. The slothful way and manner electoral cases that attended the 2011 general election are being handled by the courts, where every rigger is allowed to keep his heist, is a result of the deft effort by the PDP and its hirelings to ensure that electoral rouges go home with their loot and the people continue wallowing in the piths of irredeemable leaders that wangled their ways to power through foul means and who display audacious contempt for the welfare and interests of the people.

So the judiciary has enough room to arrest the self-driven drift it is engaging in with the Oni case. The Chief Justice of Nigeria should save what is left of the judiciary by disallowing such fanciful judicial charades that are developing with the absurd Ekiti case. There should be an end to litigation and if the judiciary allows room for such tricks, political chicanery, game and wild permutations that are driving the present Ekiti judicial charade, then it should be ready for the final nail on the coffin of the nation’s judiciary, which purrs lifelessly on the permutation table of PDP mandarins and their audacious riggers.

Peter Claver Oparah can be reached at peterclaver2007@yahoo.com

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

By Kennedy Emetulu

T

he Nigerian people and real and emergency anticorruption crusaders are celebrating James Ibori’s guilty plea at the Southwark Crown Court, London while awaiting his sentencing on April 16, 2012 and rightly so. Of course, once he was hauled into court in the UK, his goose was truly cooked.

The case against him was as solid as a rock. But once this celebratory fog clears, Nigerians need to sober up and look clearly at what has happened. For those who think this is a victory in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, this may not exactly be the case. The vermins are crawling all over the corridors of power and no one is looking for them. Ibori was tossed out of the gravy train because he was too ambitious – an ambition that made him think himself impregnable, stepping on powerful toes, some far more

PAGE 15

Ibori and the three fingers corrupt than him and who saw him as a threat to their own reign of terror.

Ibori found himself in Dubai and later in the UK because he was chased by these forces, not because they were bent on stamping out corruption, but because they wanted their pound of flesh. To aid President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election chances, he was flown into the UK just on the eve of the last elections to subliminally make the statement that Jonathan is keen on dealing corruption a deadly blow. But we know the truth.

We can say anything we like about the British and their interest in this matter, but when all is said and done, this is a shameful indictment of our judiciary and political system, which should have firmly

handled the Ibori case and several other cases like his. We have left it to a foreign court to say what we should be saying.

Rather than celebrating, we should be crying – not for Ibori, but for ourselves.

Now, this is where the game begins and where those interested in truth should keep their eyes peeled. Ibori pleaded guilty in what is evidently a plea bargain and it is no rocket science understanding why. A full trial in court would have forced Ibori to expose a lot of people hugging political office in Nigeria today and no one wants that. He will be given credit for an early guilty plea complete with a sentence that will be no more than a slap on the wrist. We shouldn’t be surprised to see a Bode George type of welcome for him on

return and a quick rehabilitation amongst his peers. Yeah, he will be rewarded for keeping his mouth shut and for taking his medicine like a man and those who today are celebrating will be left to scratch their heads and moan once again about the Nigerian system. For those of us who refuse to see the fight against corruption as beyond Ibori, that will be our punishment. It’s coming….

We must follow the money closely. As the confiscation proceedings against Ibori and the mop up of the known stolen wealth progress, we must follow the money. The British authorities are pledging to get it all returned to our coffers, but what are the guarantees that if they do so (and that is a BIG IF) that the money will not

be misappropriated exactly the same way by some new termites who have the right political connections as sacred cows?

So, let’s celebrate and point that finger at Ibori as the other three fingers point firmly at us and our system! Oh yes, we deserve the celebratory jig and a tipple or two, but we should brace ourselves to look in the eye of the horned chickens that have come home to roost. We’ve found our scapegoat and tethered him to the communal pole, yet corruption remains an instrument of state policy in Nigeria!

Beyond the euphoria of the temporary fall of the Ogidigborigbo, what are we Nigerians going to do about it? That is the question!

Kennedy Emetulu wrote in from London.

Wanted: Riba haram to save Nigerian children Continued from page 13 never dream of being armed robbers or prostitute are now easily recruited because they are desperate to for money to buy what politicians created at the window shopping malls.

They also, like everyone else need to raise families, take care Continued from page 14 leaders in the 10 Northern states of Nigeria, to mobilise and educate their subjects on the need to tackle polio, girl-child education and child protection in their respective areas. He identified states where girl child education is in limbo in the North and Niger State was not on that list. According to him, the 10 states are Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Kaduna, Plateau, Yobe, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Borno and Taraba states. Why was Niger State not on that list? It is as a result of the investment that Governor Aliyu has made in girl child education and education in general in Niger State since he assumed office. Niger has one of the most educated populations in Northern Nigeria today. The governor has done more than any other governor before him in the development of education.

On assumption of office in 2007 he was confronted by unpaid WAEC and NECO fees by the previous administration which he quickly settled and from then had been paying the WAEC and NECO fees of all final year students in public schools in Niger State irrespective of tribe or creed in his typical detribalised manner. To motive non indigenous teachers in the state he abolished contract appointment in the teaching service, converting it to permanent and pensionable which has impacted positively on the morale of such teachers.

He also built and renovated many schools and equipped them with the necessary teaching aids and laboratory

of body and soul. When people are poor and desperate, you can never predict their next action.

Many have observed that the frequency of collecting money at the road blocks is much higher in the South than in the North because there is more tolerance of in the South.

We cannot imagine police officers demanding money at road blocks from militias. The same police cannot tame Boko Haram or MEND, yet they pick on unarmed civilians, shooting them to death over 20 or 50 naira. Life is so cheap that it can be taken away for so little.

I am calling on the youth of

Nigeria to join hands to empower RIBA HARAM. We can start from policemen taking bribes on the roads.

Corruption is so endemic in Nigeria that chiefs of police cannot stop junior officers from taking bribes at road blocks. At least, about three police chiefs have had their orders

disobeyed by their subordinates but everyone went back to business as usual.

They claimed they need the bribes as family support, maintenance of vehicles and kickbacks to the higher up.

Farouk Martins Aresa can be reached at nigeriavillagesquare.com

In defence of Babangida Aliyu facilities. The result was an improvement in the performance of students of Niger State in national examination than was the case previously.

The state owned IBB University was also revitalised with more courses injected into the university and all its courses previous unaccredited were accredited by the national universities commission. These actions were done in a bid to make the university a centre of excellence for producing the needed manpower in the state.

At a time when many states have neglected agriculture because of easy money from oil, Niger State under Aliyu has done well in agricultural production.

It was under him that the state emerged as the country’s largest producer of rice which the state has a comparative advantage.

And to facilitate the free movement of agricultural produce from farms to the urban centres the administration provided all the local governments with caterpillars for rural roads development. The government has also met its counterpart funding for fadama programmes. In the area of health, the government of Niger State provides free medical care for pregnant women and children. Several hospitals and health centres have been built and equipped with all the necessary facilities including adequate supply of drugs.

In the area of housing and

infrastructural development, the Chief Servant has delivered over 3000 housing units using the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model which has made it possible for civil servants and others in the state to own their own homes thereby helping to reduce housing deficits in the country. There has also been massive roads construction and rehabilitation in Minna, the state capital and in other roads across the state. There has been massive development of township roads, schools and clinics and provision of water through the Wards Development Programme, which is a development strategy used to ensure that development projects reached every ward in the state.

With the

aforementioned achievements and others too numerous to mention, it is therefore preposterous to say that Aliyu has not done anything for the state or that he was undeserving of the numerous awards he had won in recognition of his contribution to the development of Niger State and Nigeria.

As for the criticism of the Chief Servant being on hot demand as guest lecturer across the country, I was quite astonished by this because the governor is a cerebral intellectual whose opinion on the state of the nation is highly on demand at home and abroad.

It is because the governor is an intellectual par excellence that accounted for the high level of intellectuals in his

“

At a time when many states have neglected agriculture because of easy money from oil, Niger State under Aliyu has done well in agricultural production. It was under him that the state emerged as the country’s largest producer of rice which the state has a comparative advantage

administration than any other before him.

Under his administration, intellectuals like Prof.

Yahaya Kuta Mohammed, the Chief of Staff, were brought into government to bring their intellectual prowess to move the state forward in several fronts. Don’t forget that Aliyu’s PHD was not honorary but well earned in an ivy league university in United States. Such men are always on demand at home and abroad.

Don’t forget that before he answered the clarion call to come home and salvage Niger State in 2007 he has already reached the pinnacle of his federal civil service career as permanent secretary in various strategic ministries. With his wealth of experience, those who are desirous of charting a new course for Nigeria has little choice but to reach out to people like Aliyu to talk to them on the way forward for our country. Besides, as the country matches on with our democracy, it is leaders like Aliyu that would chart the course of our political development in 2015. Some of us that admire his leadership quality and his effective application of servant leadership model in Niger State are praying that he should come out in 2015 to contest the Presidency in order to halt the drift of the giant of Africa.

Paul Uwadima can be reached at pauluwadima@yahoo.com

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Middle aged woman loses salary to “one chance� syndicate

By Josephine Ella

A

one chance syndicate, Wednesday evening carted away the salary of a middle aged woman, Mrs. Illesanmi Olasunkanmi at Area 11, in Garki, Abuja.

The mother of four, lost N37,000 being part of her salary to a four-man-gang when she boarded the taxi to return back to her office after making withdrawal from a bank along the Ahmadu Bello way in Garki.

Narrating her ordeal, Olasunkanmi, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Education told journalists that she entered an unpainted taxi, which unknown to her, had trailed her from the bank, with three passengers who were already seated.

But suddenly, one of the supposed passengers began to complain about the tight condition of the vehicle.

The driver of the taxi, with

Niger state registration number plate AG 414 SRP was said to have invited the woman to join a male passenger already seated on the front seat which she did, oblivious of the ulterior motive of the gang.

In a ploy to realise their hidden goal, the driver quickly alerted the victim that she did not close the door of the car properly, asking her to open it and lock it properly.

"As I tried to open the door, the driver told me to give him my bag for him to help me hold it so that I can lock the door properly," the victim said but conscious of her N59,000 salary which she just withdrew, she refused to hand over the bag as she pondered over his request.

Surprisingly, the driver was insistent which Olasunkanmi said prompted her to attempt to drop-off, but the driver snatched her bag and pushed her out of the car.

Dear reader, Metro welcomes human interest stories in your neighbourhood. Please call or send SMS to 08065327178 or e-mail jomarch4@yahoo.com to inform us about happenings in your area. Share your experiences or those of your friends and neighbours with fellow readers.

Hotelier seeks govt support for tourism

By Adeola Tukuru

I A member of a one chance syndicate who was caught in the act along Area 11, Garki and mobbed While the victim landed on the road, the gang was said to have ransacked the bag, picked the cash before

A policeman standing by an unpainted taxi used for a one chance operation in Abuja, on Wednesday

throwing it at her as he zoomed off.

However, upon realising that the N59,000 salary was no longer intact, Olasunkanmi told journalists who later arrived at the scene that she shouted for help attracting passersby who gave the vehicle a hot chase.

With the support of a taxi driver, who crashed into the Volkswagen Gulf used by the syndicate as it made a detour to escape, the member of the syndicate on the front seat was apprehended but the other three escaped.

But for the intervention of some policemen who came to his rescue, the man who was beaten blue-black would have been lynched by angry passersby and sympathizers.

Olasunkanmi confirmed to journalists that out of the total sum, N22,000 was recovered from the man in addition to a sum of N5, 000 which fell from one of the fleeing suspect.

n its bid to promote tourism development which could create competitive massive employment opportunity for the teaming graduates roaming the country in search of job, La'Don Hotels has solicited for assistance from the government in areas of power and other basic infrastructures.

In an interview with the managing Director of the Hotel, Mrs Gift Peter Ojemen, she stressed the importance of government support saying that epileptic power supply as well as occasional shortfall in water supply had been major challenges they had to fight especially at the take off stage of the hotel.

Speaking further, Mrs Ojemen noted that tourism and hospitality business could generate employment as well as revenue under proper management in the country asserting that over-dependence on oil may spell doom for the country in the not so distant future.

She therefore urged the government to invest more in the hospitality business as a way of show-casing Nigeria's rich culture to foreigners especially those on visits for bi-lateral relationship.

Kwali boss advocates review of revenue sharing formula

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Chairman of Kwali area council, Joseph K. Shazin, has appealed to the members of the National Assemble to provide a legislation that will review the revenue sharing formula in the country.

Shazin, stated this when he

received members of the house of representative committee on FCT, noting that reviewing the revenue sharing formal will further spur his adminisatration to do more especially in the area of infrastructural development.

The chairman further complained of abandoned FCDA projects at area councils

especially the abandoned Kwaita-Yebu road, which he said has been abandoned for the past 8 years ago by the contractor.

He however disclosed that his administration has intensified effort in embarking on meaningful projects that has direct bearing on the lives of people

of the council.

Earlier, the chairman of the house committee on FCT area councils, Honourable Hamisu Ahmad Mailantarki, expressed satisfaction with some of the projects executed by the council chairman and urged him to improve more especially on the area of roads rehabilitation.

"This committee have seen some of the projects you executed but there is need for you to do more in the area of road rehabilitation'' he said.

The committee chairman pledged the continuous support of the committee to ensure efficiency in local council administration in the FCT.

FCT HOTELS GUIDE POLICE HOTLINES IN FCT Abuja Sheraton Hotel & Towers Ladi Kwali Way, Transcorp Hilton Hotel P.M.N 143, Abuja Maitama District, Tel: 09-5230225-224 P.O. Box 51, Abuja, Fax: 09-5231570-1 Tel: 09-5231811-40 Chelsea Hotels Plt 389, Cadastral Zone A Central Area, P.M.B 487, Garki, Abuja.

Tel: 09-2349080-98 Fax: 09-2349074

Maitama - 08038485123 Central Police Station - 08033568389 Lugbe - 08077657371; 08037882321 Wuse - 08053088102 National Assembly - 08065777706; 08045317637 Asokoro - 07028134449 Nyanya - 08046115181 Utako - 07055888119; 07038621264 Karshi - 08023565354

Wuye Karu Gwarimpa Karmo Garki Life Camp Kubwa Gwagwa Zuba Dutse Alhaji Bwari Kuje

- 08023314440 - 08036249825 - 08059113555 - 08033773129 - 08033560903 - 08058036613 - 08036134478 - 08035537989 - 08075804475 - 08053089999 - 08075804475 - 07030800531

Kwali Ruboci Gwagwalada Abaji

- 080 33062496 - 08060568342 - 08057467369 - 08037209328

FCT HOTLINE AEPB 09 - 4603600-9

08065560315

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

ABUJA DIARY with Josephine Ellaa Jomarch4@yahoo.com 08065327178

Scrapping monthly sanitation: What next for the FCT?

W

hen the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) last week made public, its resolve to scrap the monthly environmental sanitation exercise which previously held every last Saturday of the month, the news was received with mixed feelings.

To me it was a wise decision by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), given that the overall aim of the exercise has been defeated, however, it is too early in the wake of the announcement to start putting garlands on the neck of the present administration.

This is because twenty years after the seat of government was moved to the territory; the war against filth has remained largely insurmountable.

Even with dirt littering the whole place, many residents of the FCT also share a similar view on the need to scrap the exercise for such reasons that since it was reintroduced in the territory on May 30, 2009 by erstwhile Minister of the FCT, Senator Adamu Aliero, majority of residents have shown so much apathy towards it.

The desperate quest to make the nation’s capital, one of the cleanest cities in the world, was given by the then minister to resuscitate the monthly sanitation exercise in the federal capital territory.

Consequently, the exercise was made mandatory, unfortunately, it failed to yield the intended objective this last 27 months it has lasted.

One of the reasons for this was because the sanitation day was misconstrued by many, giving rise to a situation where rather than mobilising themselves on the set day to tidy their surroundings, people stayed put in their houses, using the occasion to rest, watch TV and carry out other activities other than clean their environments.

It was common sight to see youths especially in the satellite towns playing foot

FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed ball, traders going about their business of selling their wares and worse still, others idling away as they await eagerly for the restriction hours to come to an end, so they can resume their routine activities and unmindful of their filthy surroundings.

One school of thought is of the opinion that sanitation exercises should not be restricted to a particular time; rather it should be an everyday exercise so by this resolution to scrap the monthly sanitation exercise, the FCT administration struck the right chord.

They believe that most importantly, the orientation or psyche of people must first be worked on if the administration must achieve its dream of riding the city of filth.

Making public the decision, which was endorsed by the FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, the Head of Information and Outreach Programme of AEPB, Mr. Joe Ukairo confirmed to journalists that the monthly environmental exercise was discontinued because it did not yield the expected result.

He disclosed that the administration had decided to make sanitation a daily affair whereby sanitary inspectors would go round the city and inspect residents without prior notice.

Only last week, the AEPB kicked-off the new sanitation programme, tagged, intensive city wide house-tohouse inspection” to replace the monthly sanitation exercise.

PAGE 17

This was preceded by notices earlier aired on both the print and electronic media forewarning residents on the exercise and advised them to cooperate with inspectors to avoid being penalised.

By this new policy, residents are mandated to ensure that both the exterior and interior of their houses are kept clean because if found wanting, defaulters would be fined on the spot.

Other areas the inspectors would be focusing on are blocked drains and stagnant water within and around their premises.

The statement also warned residents to “stop some habits which include among others; hanging of clothes at the front of their balconies, hedges and sidewalks, the use of firewood to cook openly within premises, parking of disused cars and household properties within premises or under stairways, rearing of Animals/Birds/Fish within residential premises and other acts constituting environmental nuisance”.

With the long list of expectations from residents there is the possibility that if they comply with these new rules, their environment and the entire city will become clean.

But there are many fears on the possibility of the FCT administration, through the AEPB achieving this task of house-house inspection.

Several factors come to play here, first; is the issue of logistics, secondly, staff capacity/strength and funds to run the programme. There are doubts on the possibility of the sanitary inspectors covering the entire nooks and crannies of the FCT and the issue of cooperation from residents which is very paramount.

Also, there are fears that officials of the board will abuse the good intention of the newly introduced excersie.

As we all keep our fingers crossed, while awaiting the implementation, there is the need to ensure that only trained health officials, people that are well cultured or mannered go for such inspections to avoid squabbles with house owners.

Some residents have faulted the idea of officials going into peoples’ rooms and kitchens in the name of inspection, arguing that such attempts will infringe on residents’ right to privacy.

For this reason, the AEPB should consider leaving out kitchens and rooms out of its long lists of areas to be inspected.

While expectations are high on how best to tackle the miasma prevalent in many parts of the territory, it is left for the FCT administration to adopt the action mode which will yield the intended result rather than mare talks.

Normal business activities around wuse market, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

AEPB charges AMAC on environmental health safety

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has called on the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to ensure effective enforcement of all environmental health Safety laws in some of its remote areas and villages such as Karimo,Gwagwa among others.

The Deputy Director, AEPB Mrs.Aishat Adebajo explained that her Board has representatives in every department in all the

area councils in the territory. She called on AMAC to execute, implement and enforce all the environmental laws within her jurisdiction.

"We have departments in all area councils including AMAC, it is their responsibility to ensure that all villages within its jurisdiction are kept clean always for the safety of the people, they have departments with similar aims and objectives with what the Board is doing, like the Department of E n v i r o n m e n t a l Sanitation, let me tell you that despite this we still

collaborate with them in ensuring that FCT is kept clean."

She informed of her boards' readiness to deploy more public conveniences to the city centre to cater for the growing number of people in the city while also emphasizing the need for more awareness and sensitization through the media.

On challenges currently faced by her department, Mrs Adebayo advocated for cooperation among residents and members of staff of the Board in order for them to carry out their job effectively in the territory.

House c’ttee lauds Gwagwalada council over projects

By Adeola Tukuru

M

embers of the house committee on the FCT have commanded the chairman of Gwagalada area council, Alhaji Zakari Dobi, for executing projects that has direct bearing on the lives of people of the council.

Acting chairman of the committee, Honourable Ibrahim Ebbo, gave the commendation while speaking with newsmen shortly after inspecting some of the completed/ongoing projects executed by the chairman of the council.

He said the committee was satisfied and impressed with most of the projects they inspected, noting that 85 percent of them were done in consonance with the 2011 budget proved by the national assembly.

" From what I have seen so far from some of the projects executed I think Gwagwalada area council is the best in my own opinion and I am proud to say it anywhere and I want to encourage him to do more'' he said.

The committee acting chairman however drew the attention of the council chairman on the need for him to improve on health sector, youth empowerment and hands/ skill acquisition programme.

Responding, chairman of the council, Alhaji Zakari Dobi, expressed happiness with members of the committee for devoting their time to inspect some of the projects executed by his administration.

He said he was not surprised that the committee members scored his administration

high in the area of projects execution, noting that the council was aware of its capability based on the projects executed. '' I was not surprised to hear that the members of the FCT house committee scored me as the best in the area of projects execution as it is the confirmation of what the people of Gwagwalada area council indicated interest in'' he said.

The council boss, therefore, assured the committee that the issue of youth empowerment and Hands/skill acquisition would soon commence as it has already been captured in the 2012 budget of the council.

Meanwhile, some of the projects inspected by the FCT house committee members included, FRCNOld Kutunku road, Secretariat-Sharia court road, Gwagwalada town hall among others

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 19

INSIDE

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

FAAC allocation for the month of January 2012 shared in February, 2012 S/N

BENEFICIARIES

SUB-TOTAL (N bn)

1 2 3 4

173,447 87.974 67.825

5 6 7

FG (52.68%) States (26.72%) L/govt Councils (20.72%) Derivation (13% of Mineral revenue-oil/gas) Value Added Tax (VAT) Augmentation for the month Refund by NNPC

8

Grand Total

614.604

A

total sum of N111 billion naira ($703.73 million) was raised at a bond auction on Wednesday, its second this year, with yields on the 2019 bonds marginally higher than at its previous auction, while yields fell on its 2012 bonds, the Debt Management Office (DMO) said yesterday.

The DMO said it auctioned N35 billion each in the 10-year bonds due to mature in 2019 and 2022, while it issued an additional

NAIC, CBN partner on NIRSAL implementation

R

Debt Management Office sells N111bn in 2019, 2022 bonds N41 billion in 2022 maturity paper in a non-competitive sale.

The 2019 bonds were sold at a marginal rate of 16.16 percent, higher than the 16 percent they yielded at the previous auction, while the 2022 instruments were issued at 15.89 percent compared with 16.39 percent at the January auction, the debt office said.

Two of the instruments are reopenings of previous issues.

(Reuters)

Setraco wins ITF human...

Mob: 08033644990

By Abdulwahab Isa

38.940 51.111 187.090 7,617

isk underwriter for the agricultural sector, the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) is partnering with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the implementation of the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

NAIC Managing Director, Mr. Kwatri Kwagga Yusuf confirmed the synergy between the two organisations, adding it was part of initiatives being undertaken by

the corporation to enhance its operations for the purposes of improving insurance cover for agricultural and agro-allied credits in line with its statutory responsibility.

Besides, he said NAIC has redesigned its website to improve its communication with existing and potential clients, partners and other stakeholders just as he disclosed that the organisation has concluded plans to organise stakeholders’ workshop with bank desk officer and farmers to enable them reap the various benefits of agricultural risk

T

he Federal Government is targeting two major staples – maize and sorghum – for increased production within the year by distributing improved seeds and fertilisers to farmers.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, disclosed the plan in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday.

Adesina said that the government would assist 200,000 maize farmers with improved seeds and fertilisers and expand sorghum cultivation on additional one million hectares.

He said that these were part of the initiatives contained in the Agricultural Transformation Action Plan (ATAP) aimed at developing Nigeria’s agriculture

Flight schedule LOS-A BJ: 07.15, 11.40, 14.00, 16.30, 17.00, 17.20, 18.30.

ABJ-LOS: 07.00, 09.30, 10.30, 11.15, 16.15, 19.15, 19.35 ABJ-KANO: 18.40 KANO-ABJ: 08.35 ABJ -SOK (MON): 09.35 ABJ-SOK (FRI): 10.10 ABJ-SOK (WED/SUN): 11.20 SOK-ABJ (MON): 11.35 SOK-ABJ (FRI): 12.00 SOK-ABJ (WED/SUN): 13.20

AEROCONTRACTORS (MON - SUN) LOS-ABJ: 06.50, 13.30, 19.45 LOS-ABJ (SUN): 12.30 LOS-ABJ (SAT): 16.45 ABU-L OS: 07.30, 13.00, 14.00, 19.00 ABU-LOS (SUN): 10.30, 14.30, 19.30

DANA AIRLINES (MON - SUN) LOS-ABJ: 07.02, 08.10, 12.06, 15.30, 17.10 ABJ-LOS: 07.20, 09.36, 13.05, 14.40 ABJ-LOS (SAT/SUN): 13.05, 18.00 LOS-KANO : 08.10 KANO-LOS: 11.25 KANO -ABUJA: 11.25 ABUJA-KANO : 10.08

IRS AIRLINES

L-R: Managing Director, Shell Petroleum, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu, incoming Chairman, Shell, Mr. Andrew Brown, and outgoing Chairman, Mr Malcolm Brinded, briefing journalists after their meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan to introduce the incoming chairman, yesterday at the State House, Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye.

CFA • £ RIYAL $

LOS -ABJ: 9.45, 11.45, 2.45

PARALLEL RATES

ABJ-LOS: 11.30, 3.45, 4.45 LOS-KANO: 6.15 LOS-KANO (SAT/SUN): 16.30 KANO-LOS: 07.30 KANO-LOS (SUN/SUN): 10.30

1st Mar, 2012 BUYING SELLING 0.2985 0.3185 206.4817 207.8147 247.112 248.7073 41.3001 41.5667 154.9 155.9

• £ RIYAL $

BUYING 210 250 40 156

SELLING 212 252 42 158

as a business venture.

He said that the government’s efforts were geared toward ensuring increased production, to make the crops readily available and affordable.

In the case of sorghum, he said that the goal was to turn it from a subsistence crop into a cash crop.

“Let me tell you some of the things we are doing with respect to some of the food crops. Take the case of maize for this year.

“This year, we are focusing on 200,000 farmers for maize production and those farmers would be able to get seed and fertilisers to wrap up production.

“With regards to Sorghum, if you look in the North-East and in the North-West of this country, those regions have three things in common.

“They have a high level of poverty, they have high level of youth unemployment and at the same time they have high level of malnutrition.

“So, our plan on sorghum this year is to increase production on about one million hectares of additional land with new hybrid breed of sorghum that we are distributing in the north of Nigeria.

According to him, the initiative is aimed at turning sorghum from a subsistence crop to cash crop.

He said that the effort was also geared toward boosting production very quickly with improved seed and fertiliser.

(NAN)

Management Tip of the Day

EXCHANGE RATES

CBN

management inherent in each NAIC policy taken.

“NAIC is currently collaborating with NIRSAL to realise the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of government.

We are also organising stakeholders’ workshops with bank desk officers and farmers, to enable them reap the various benefits of agricultural risk management inherent in each NAIC policy taken. All these initiatives are aimed at repositioning the corporation to meet with the challenges of widened agricultural insurance market.

FG plans increased maize, sorghum production

AIR NIGERIA (MONDAY - SUNDAY)

ABU-LOS (SAT): 18.30

- Pg 20

Maintain your mentoring relationship

S

ecuring the right mentor is a major hurdle, but maintaining the relationship can be just as challenging. To keep the mentoring relationship going, try these three things: Provide structure. Set up regular meetings with agendas so your conversations

don’t degenerate into aimless chitchat. Make sure each meeting moves you toward your goals.

Expect rigor. If your mentor doesn’t provide regular assignments, ask for them, and work them into your agendas.

Know when to move on.

Once you’ve achieved your goals, move on before the law of diminishing returns kicks in. But stay in touch. Your mentor may become a sponsor who advocates for you even once your formal relationship ends.

Source: Harvard Business Review

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS Airtel launches 3.75G services

A

irtel Nigeria has rolled-out of 3.75 Generation (3G) services across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to further deepen the operators’ network capacity in the country.

Kogi seeks FG assistance in water project scheme

K

ogi State Governor, Idris Wada, has solicited the assistance of the Federal Government in the expansion and reticulation of Greater Lokoja water scheme.

NSE seeks SEC approval for primary market makers •Woos foreign firms s part of strategies to shore up liquidity and depth in the equities sector, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has unveiled the Primary Market Makers initiatives.

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Presidency orders arrest, prosecution of unauthorised officials at ports

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he Presidency may have ordered the Nigeria Police Force to arrest and prosecute any official of agencies already exited from the ports but found within the gateways without formal invitation from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

P&G re-affirms commitment to CSR

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or leading healthcare giant,Procter and Gamble (P&G), corporate social responsibility is a key ingredient in its marketing and also a way of giving back to the community in which it operates.

Caverton Helicopters commences first international operations From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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averton Helicopters, a leading provider of aviation services to the oil and gas sector in Nigeria, has expanded its operational reach beyond the country and have commenced a fiveyear contract with the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO).

The five-year contract started yesterday, with possibility of extension for another four years.

The contract was won through a competitive

bidding process and is the first international contract to be applied for and won by the company.

Caverton Helicopters is a Nigerian company that started an intra-city helicopter service in Lagos in 2004 but has grown steadily into a dominant player in the oil-and-gas aviation niche market.

“This is a major leap for our company and for Nigeria,” said the chairman of Caverton Group, Mr. Remi Makanjuola.

“As a company, it furthers our

Australian coy, Energio, acquires Agbaja Iron Ore project

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he Australian company, Energio has completed the acquisition of KCM Nigeria, giving the company ownership of the Agbaja Iron Ore Project as part of a wider package of iron ore licences in Nigeria.

Energio has multiple wholly owned large scale exploration projects in Nigeria and the company said it is focused on the exploration and development of its priority project, the Agbaja Plateau iron ore project in Kogi state..

Kogi State is home to the largest iron and steel factory in Nigeria. Close proximity of the licences to existing rail, road and power infrastructure provides potential advantages in reduced capital expenditure and allows fast track project development.

Energio has returned a number of high grade assays from exploration at Agbaja and earlier last

month it released the fourth batch of results from a 20,000 metre drilling program, with a peak result of almost 54% iron.

Shares in Energio have been in halt as the company shifts its activities into Nigerian iron ore.

In 2011, the former toy and gaming business exercised a call option with TGP Australia to acquire 100% of KCMH Australia, the holding company for KCM Nigeria.

Energio also acquired the remaining 25% of shares in KCM Nigeria from Bedford CP Nominees.

Consideration for the acquisitions comprised 85.7 million Energio shares issued to TGP, and 15.6 million shares issued to Bedford.

The company has also closed its recent prospectus which was oversubscribed, raising $2.9 million.

(Source: proactiveinvestors.com)

Setraco wins ITF human resource development award

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem ne of the leading construction companies in Nigeria, Setraco Nigeria Ltd has emerged winner of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) annual best contributing employer award for the 2011 training year.

The award, which recognises the organisation with the best and most effective staff training and human resource development for a particular year, was presented to the Managing Director of the company, Engr Michael Hachenberg

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yesterday in Abuja.

ITF Area Manager in Abuja, Adamu Kaha, who represented the DG, Professor Longmas Sambo Wapmuk, at the award ceremony, commended the management of Setraco for its huge investment in the training of its staff.

“In view of the mandate of ITF, which has to do with training of Nigerians for industrial development, we want to commend the efforts of this organisation for the huge resources it commits into the training- both locally and internationally- of its staff, which is contributing in no small measure to the human capital base of the country,” Kaha said.

goal of becoming the premier offshore logistics service provider in subSaharan Africa. But it also shows increasing confidence in the competence of Nigerian companies and it aligns with the economic diplomacy advocacy of the Federal Government.”

Under this contract, Caverton Helicopters will provide onshore pipeline surveillance and passenger transfer services to COTCO, a special venture for extracting and transporting crude oil from the Doba oil fields in Chad,

a landlocked country, to neighbouring Cameroon via a 1070 kilometers underground pipeline that runs through three pump stations, a pressure reduction station, and an offshore export terminal.

COTCO, owned by ExxonMobil, Chevron, Petronas of Malaysia, and the governments of Chad and Cameroon, is operated

by ExxonMobil.

The company will provide aviation logistics services that will be dedicated mainly to secure the Cameroonian

end of the multi-billion dollar project but will also be available for passenger services for the project, revealed Mr. Sola Falola, the Managing Director of Caverton Helicopters.

Caverton Helicopters, a member of the Caverton Group, has steadily built its capability and reputation in the last decade through continuous investment in quality staff and state-ofthe-art infrastructure, processes and systems. It currently operates out of a 10,000 square metre flight facility at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, a 9,000 square metre facility in Port Harcourt, and also from the Shell bases in Warri and Port Harcourt.

Austin Laz lists shares on Exchange From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

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ustin Laz Nigeria Plc. on Wednesday joined the league of publicly quoted companies in Nigeria as it got listed by introduction on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange its 1.238million ordinary shares of 50kobo at N2 per share, amounting to a total N2.27 billion.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director and Chief

Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Austin Asimonye stated that the firm, which is basically engaged in the manufacturing of varying goods like UPVC smart roofing, ceiling tiles, ice making refrigerators, and thermoplastic products, is listing its shares on the NSE to achieve its expansion plans, as well as strengthen its diversification strategies.

According to him, the future of the company is driven by the very ambitious

expansion plan it has drawn to consolidate on its existing market as well as strengthen its diversification.

Specifically, he noted that company is expanding its production factory for the ice making machine and refrigeration equipment, stating that it is also focusing on increasing capacity in the area of UPVC smart roofing and PVC ceiling tiles production with the construction of a new plant at Asaba, Delta state.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 21

Budget: Alleged capital vote imbalance threatens passage The alleged lopsided allocation of capital votes in this year’s budget has created a regional division among National Assembly members, which Aminu Imam posits, poses a threat to eventual passage of the 2012 appropriation Bill.

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he Northern Caucus of the House of Representatives is protesting against the capital allocation to the South-South as against the share of the three zones in the North.

The caucus had submitted a 312-page report titled “Regional Analysis of Capital Allocation in 2012 Draft Budget” to the Speaker of the House with the aim of highlighting the implications of some of the key issues contained in the 2012 proposed budget.

The budget was presented before the joint session of the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan on 13 th December, 2011.

A copy of the report, which was obtained by Peoples Daily reads in part: “The budget, with a theme: “Fiscal consolidation, inclusive growth and job creation” is provided at N4.75 trillion. Of this amount, N1.3trillion is proposed as capital expenditure. The focus of this analysis is on the capital allocation component of the budget”.

“The report is aimed at bringing to limelight some salient gaps that need to be closed in the final budget in order to mitigate the devastating effect that such observed imbalances might have on the socioeconomic development of the affected region(s).

“The entire capital allocation in the budget is painstakingly

analysed herein to the six geopolitical zones of the Federation in order to depict what falls to each of the regions. In the process of doing so, it was realised that substantial parts of the allocation were either proposed to be executed centrally at the mother ministries or jointly combined for two or more zones.

The report also highlighted some of the noticeable discrepancies between the capital allocation figures provided for in the budget booklets and its analysed figure, stating, “The difference could be attributed to some glaring errors noticed in the course of our analysis. Significant instances could be seen in the case of Fiscal Responsibility Commission on page 1873 Vol.III of the budget books where the summary of Capital Expenditure is showing N100,000,000 while the details on page 1874 and 1875 is

showing N147,838,789”.

“FAAN on page 1747 of the budget book also shows an Aba, Enugu runway construction of N8.5billion while the total capital allocation is just N4.2billion and double allocation in the name of Lisbon showing N55million and N80million on pages 981 and 984 respectively just to mention a few.

“From the foregoing analysis, it could be pictured that a large chunk of the allocation is handled centrally at the headquarters of the various ministries.

“The provisions traceable to the zones as a percentage of the gross allocation indicate that South-South takes the highest with 8.83% while South-East, comprising five states only, takes the lowest with 3.73% (see table and figure).

“Upon the exclusion of the

REGIONAL ANALYSIS SUMMARY North-Central North-East North-West South-East South-South South-West

63,921,737,482 40,869,910,990 56,964,082,820 49,203,497,064 116,501,037,384 65,502,067,694

centrally allocated amounts, the South-South takes 29.65% while the South-East takes 12.52%. Others are NorthCentral (16.27%); Northeast (10.40%); Northwest (14.50%) and Southwest (16.67%),” the report further said.

“If the President’s proposals were enacted in its present state based on our analysis, the fiscal consolidation, inclusive growth and job creation as clearly spelt out in the theme of the budget might not be equitably distributed across the regions of the Federation.

“It is our prayer that the imbalance in the proposed capital allocation in the various zones should be objectively reviewed and harmonised in the interest of federal character, equity and fairness among the geo-political zones instead of a particular zone taking the largest percentage.”

Soon after the report was made public, it was reported in some national dailies and broadcast media that the Northern lawmakers are threatening to frustrate the budget’s passage, if the “imbalance” is not addressed.

The reports said some members of the caucus are insisting on summoning the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to explain why the South-South has 29.65 per cent of capital votes for the six zones.

It was also reported that House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal may meet with President Goodluck Jonathan on how to redress the “lapses” in the capital budget.

A principal officer of the House from the North, who pleaded not to be named because of the “sensitivity” of the

matter, was quoted to have said: “Members of the Northern Caucus are not happy over the huge gap between the capital allocation of the Southsouth and other zones in the country.

“We commissioned the analysis so that Nigerians will not think that we are wielding ethnic cards. Budget is about development; it should not be lopsided. While N116.5billion capital vote is given to the South-South, other regions have between N40.8b and N65.5b.

“Yet the capital vote is outside derivation principle, the N69b virement for some special projects in the SouthSouth, the NDDC budget and other contingencies.

“We are definitely asking questions on why none of the three zones in the North gets as much as 50 per cent of what is allocated to the South-South.”

Another source added: “We are poised for budget battle with the President and OkonjoIweala, unless they rework the 2012 Appropriation Bill to reflect equity and justice.

“We have made our position known to our leaders and the Speaker, who has prevailed on us to allow him time to discuss issues with the President.”

As it stands now, the Northern lawmakers have maintained that they would block the passage of the Appropriation Bill, unless the perceived inequity is addressed while the Southern lawmakers contended that the Northerners were merely crying wolf.

Second Republic lawmaker and radical politician Dr. Junaid Mohammed has said the Goodluck Jonathan administration only cares for three states—Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta. “The action of the lawmakers from the North for rejecting the lopsided budget allocation for capital projects to the South-South is absolutely justifiable,” he said adding:”The lopsidedness in the country’s budgetary provision is one of the dangerous trends afflicting this country since the Olusegun Obasanjo era.

Junaid argued strongly against the design of the 2012 budgetary allocation, pointing out that “what they (the core Niger-Delta) are getting is in addition to the 13 per cent derivation”. “Apart from that, another 13 per cent out of the total budget goes to just one ministry known as Niger Delta Ministry, which is 100 per cent funded by the Federal Government.

“Again, another agency known as NNDC is funded by the Federal Government,” he said.

In Kano yesterday, a former Political Adviser to former President Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, said: “If it is true that such allocation is given to the Southsouth in the 2012 budget, then the only advice is for the government to readjust the budget, to make it fair for all.”

But Yakasai advised that the issue should not been blown out of proportion, “in such a way that it can heat the polity”.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Non-interest banking will enhance healthy competition - Experts S

ome financial experts have said that the introduction of noneinterest banking would bring about healthy competition in the banking sector.

The experts, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos recently, said that non-interest banking would impact positively on the real sector of the economy.

According to them, it will add more value to business and boost productivity in the country.

They all agreed that there was nothing was wrong with introduction of Islamic banking if it would bring economic development.

A former President of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Dr. Samuel Nzekwe said that the concept of non-interest banking was good because it does not charge interest on loans.

“The policy portends good because the profits and the loss made in the course of doing business by the customers will be shared under the Islamic

banking,’’ he said.

Nzekwe said that it would give opportunities to manufacturers to access cheap loans that would stimulate the sector.

He, however, advised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to strengthen the regulatory frame work so that what happened to conventional banks would not happen to noninterest banks.

Dr. Olumide Owoade, a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics, Lagos State University, advised the apex bank to put necessary facilities in place to ensure proper monitoring of noninterest banks.

He advised Nigerians to take advantage of the gains that would be created by the banking system.

The lecturer said that the non-interest banking would also enhance entrepreneurship “since the banks will be fully involved in both decision taking and profit sharing’’.

He said that the ability of

CBN to provide appropriate infrastructure and capacity building would determine the success of non-interest banking.

General Manager, True Bond Microfinance Bank, Mr Wole Olowu advised the CBN to be

careful in handling issues on non-interest banking to prevent religious crisis.

Olowu said that the Islamic banking had capacity to galvanise small and medium enterprises as well as enhance

generation of employment.

He told NAN that it would make conventional banks to be cautious on their high interest rates as Islamic banking would not charge interests on loans.

“It is a good development for the economy because it will create competition among the banks and aid economic development,’’ he said. (NAN)

An international meeting on Islamic finance which recently held in Malta

‘Islamic finance most dynamic area of financial services’

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slamic finance is one of the most dynamic areas of financial services today.

Financial and economic devastation caused by the recent financial crisis has provided further impetus to this healthy growth momentum as the Islamic financial system is increasingly being looked at as a prudent, stable and viable alternative to the conventional

system.

This was stated by State Bank of Pakistan Governor, Yaseen Anwar, who was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of two-day 2nd International Conference on Islamic Business here on Tuesday at National Institute of Banking and Finance.

The conference titled ‘Management Shariah

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“Rock star” scholars a risk for Islamic finance

slamic finance, based on principles such as bans on interest and pure monetary speculation, has grown rapidly over the last several years because it draws on pools of investment money in the oil-rich Gulf and Asia that have been relatively untouched by the global financial crisis.

The industry’s global assets are expected to rise 33 percent from 2010 levels to $1.1 trillion by the end of 2012, according to consultants Ernst & Young.

Islamic finance will remain far smaller than conventional finance, with its tens of trillions of dollars, but the gap may continue narrowing.

Ernst & Young expects Islamic banking in the Middle East and North Africa to expand over the next five years at a compound annual rate of 20 percent, versus less than 9 percent for conventional banks.

Sharia scholars, with expertise in both religious and conventional law, are key to this growth.

Investors will not buy instruments without believing they are religiously acceptable, so most wholly Islamic financial firms have their own board of sharia scholars which certifies

products and monitors the firm’s business. “Independent” sharia boards also exist, offering their services to financial firms for a price.

There are over 400 sharia scholars worldwide but only around 15 to 20 prominent and experienced ones, which creates demand for scholars to sit on multiple boards. The top 20 scholars hold 14 to 85 positions each, occupying a total of around 620 board positions or 55 percent of the industry, data compiled by investment research firm Funds@Work show.

The shortage of scholars is a capacity constraint for the industry, said Sheikh Muddassir Siddiqui, a sharia scholar and Harvard-trained attorney at law firm SNR Denton. He is a member of the sharia standards committee of the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), a Bahrain-based body setting standards for the industry.

“If you engage a lawyer or a doctor you would naturally want

Conforming Business: Prospects, Practices and personnel’ is being organised by Riphah Center of Islamic Business (RCIB), a constituent institute of Riphah International University (RIU) Islamabad.

Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister Dato’ SeriAnwar Ibrahim, and Institute of Policy Studies Islamabad Chairman Prof. Khurshid Ahmad were the

someone with a big name and reputable,” said Siddiqui.

“But unlike a rock star who can entertain thousands of people at once, a sharia scholar’s role should be viewed more like a doctor’s — it is natural to ask how many surgeries a doctor can perform in one day. It is a question of capacity.”

The capacity problem is worsened by the fact there is no single, universally accepted interpretation of religious principles. So firms seek out the scholars who they think will carry the most weight with investors; in effect, a scholar’s reputation becomes a currency used in completing a deal.

The reason the Islamic finance industry is still emerging is that governance standards are not as well established as in other industries,” said Murat Ünal, CEO of Funds@Work.

“It’s like a social network.

People and their relationships play a very important role. If you have a prominent scholar on board, this increases trust and makes up for the lack of

keynote speakers on the occasion.

A number of Islamic business and finance scholars and economists from all over the world will present papers and presentation on business and management systems and institutions, finance (institutions), banking, ‘Takaful’, HR, marketing , regulatory bodies and

governance standards.

Institutions sell their products via the reputation of the scholars, so you better make sure you have accepted scholars on board.”

And this leads to sky-high fees paid to the top scholars. A senior banker at an Islamic lender said some scholars could be paid $1,000 to $1,500 per hour of consultation — in addition to an annual bonus of between $10,000 and $20,000 per board seat.

Sheikh Hussein and other scholars strongly reject the idea that there is anything improper in the fee system.

“What’s wrong with getting paid for issuing a fatwa or reviewing the sharia compliancy of a financial instrument?” Sheikh Hussein said. “We’re just like auditors, lawyers. Each one of us has years and years of experience in sharia law. We do our job and get paid for it. “ Nevertheless, the system is open to accusations of conflict of interest because scholars head or sit on the boards of the industry’s standard-setting bodies, such as

associations for Shari’ah conforming business and entrepreneurship during the working sessions.

The SBP governor said despite all these positive developments during the last decades there exist many critical issues to be addressed to sustain the growth momentum on a long-term basis. (Source: the news.com)

AAOIFI, at the same time as they are being paid handsomely by the firms which are being regulated.

In some ways the situation is similar to that of credit rating agencies in conventional financial markets. The agencies are paid by the companies they rate, which may have made them slow to downgrade debt before the global financial crisis, allowing imbalances to build up that triggered the crisis.

“Certainly there is a need for improvement in the way sharia supervisory boards play their role,” said Sheikh Siddiqui.

“There needs to be some sort of enforcement body that stipulates who is qualified, how to protect against the conflict of interest, and other reasonable conditions for the conduct of a sharia board.”

Sheikh Siddiqui also advocates separating some of the duties of sharia boards so that scholars, who may now effectively act simultaneously as lawyers, product developers and auditors for instruments, do not end up “judging their own work”.(Reuters)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

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PAGE 25

Afghan labourer recalls rage as he tried to save charred Qur’ans I

n a small room near NATO’s sprawling Bagram Airbase, Sayed Jamil fumes as he remembers how three U.S. soldiers ignored the pleas of fellow laborers not to burn dozens of copies of the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book.

Jamil, 22, was with other workers at a disposal centre inside the base when a woman and two men, wearing U.S. military uniforms, arrived on Monday in a truck piled with religious material and books.

While the vehicle was stopped at the centre gate, another laborer named Wali glanced in the back and saw the Qur’an, which the Americans dumped into an oven.

The burning of the holy books lasted just five minutes, but that short action could complicate U.S.-led efforts to pacify Afghanistan before NATO combat troops leave at the end of 2014.

“I was ready to shed my blood and kill them or be killed,” Jamil told Reuters, sitting in a heavy winter jacket, a checked scarf tied tight around his neck.

The laborers, after learning from Wali what was in the truck, rushed to the oven to stop what NATO has called a tragic blunder. Their account could not be independently verified, but was backed by local Afghan

Jamil said he and the other laborers were afraid of retaliation by NATO or Afghan security forces.

“We have done a heroic job of saving and serving our religion. But we are also afraid of being taken and disappearing,” he said. Others nearby offered support, including Afghan local officials and police, and a mullah who said they were heroes “whose faces should be famous.”

“No one can touch you guys. All the people of Afghanistan stand by you.

Don’t be afraid,” one government official said.

Their material was handed to Afghan government officials for evidence, while their actions were praised by Karzai.

Cultural, religious sensitivities

German Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson, the spokesman for coalition forces, said on Wednesday that after 10 years of NATO experience in Afghanistan, soldiers should have known to check with cultural advisers attached to their units on how to properly dispose of religious material.

All members of 50-nation coalition provided cultural and religious sensitivity training to troops before and after they deployed to the country, Jacobson said.

He declined to confirm comments to Reuters by a senior U.S. official that the material had been removed from a library at Parwan detention center at the base because of concerns that some was extremist in nature and being used to pass messages among prisoners.

“

Afghan worker recalls how US soldiers burned Qur’ans

police and officials.

“We told the driver they were all religious materials and asked why they were burning them.

The Americans said they were materials from prisons and they had orders to dispose of

Afghan labourer recalls rage as he tried to save charred Qur’ans

them,” Jamil said.

The men plunged their hands into the oven to try to save the texts, some burning their fingers and hands as they pulled eight Koran copies from the fire, he said.

“The boys gathered and

started shouting ‘Allah u Akbar’ (God is Greatest), clutching fragments of burning text to their chests,” he said. “The truck fled the site with almost half the books still inside.”

Violent protests Thousands of Afghans have staged violent protests for three days over an incident that highlights the deep cultural divide that still exists ten years after U.S. troops invaded to oust the Taliban.

Muslims consider the Koran the literal word of God and treat each book with deep reverence. Desecration is considered one of the worst forms of blasphemy.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has launched an investigation into the incident, for which President Barack Obama and NATO commanders have offered apologies, blaming a lack of religious and cultural understanding.

NATO’s top commander in the country, U.S. Marine General John Allen, ordered his troops to complete additional training by March 3 on the identification,

significance and proper handling of religious materials.

Jamil said U.S. soldiers were at first willing to allow them to take away the charred remains of the Korans, explaining how some parts made their way outside the base, but said arriving Afghan interpreters immediately realized the material could incite rage on the streets.

“The Americans first told us through the translators ‘we don’t want your Qur’ans, take them away’. The Afghan “dog washers” intervened and told the Americans, ‘If you let them take these books out, there will be a disaster’,” he said.

Eventually freed with the material, the men ran out into the streets, waking people up and shouting about the transgression, which added fresh fuel to widespread anger that already exists over civilian deaths and intrusive NATO night raids.

Now sitting under a picture of one of Afghanistan’s most famous heroes, the antiSoviet and anti-Taliban fighter Ahmad Shah Masood,

The Americans first told us through the translators ‘we don’t want your Qur’ans, take them away’. The Afghan “dog washers” intervened and told the Americans, ‘If you let them take these books out, there will be a disaster

Afghan labourers who worked at US base in Begram

Afghan anti-raid police stand guard at US base in Belgram amid three days of violent protests

Jamil said he believed the actions of the soldiers had been “intentional and stupid,” while the Taliban urged Afghans to kill and beat Western soldiers.

Bagram Police Chief Abdul Hafiz Mutawakkil said the Americans in the country had

little awareness of Afghanistan’s complex tribal and religious currents.

“Otherwise no one would do such stupidity,” he said, watching over elite Afghan police securing deserted shops and streets where thousands rioted on Tuesday, as NATO helicopters fired flares in a bid to halt the quickly-spreading

violence.

“Those who are aware and committed to religious values never commit such actions, but those not aware of other religions ... do such things out of ignorance,” Mutawakkil said.

Jawad, one of the laborers, said he no longer wanted to work at the base, despite

relatively good wages of $650 a month in a country where more than a third live under the poverty line.

“The Americans always do such blasphemy to test how strong our Muslim faith is. It is best for us that the government provide us with another job,” Jawad said.

(Reuters)

Afghan anti-riot policemen watch as smoke billows from a fuel tank supplying NATO troops, after it was set on fire by protesters during a demonstration in Jalalabad province February 22, 2012.

REUTERS/Parwiz

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Mass marriages: Not without problems (II) Allah says: “And marry those among you who are single (i.e. a man who has no wife and the woman who has no husband) and (also marry) the Sâlihûn (pious, fit and capable ones) of your (male) slaves and maidservants (female slaves). If they be poor, Allâh will enrich them out of His Bounty. And Allâh is AllSufficent for His creatures' needs, All-Knowing (about the state of the people).” [an-Nur: 32]

I

n the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds.

Anyone who is guided by Allah, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, is His servant, and messenger. May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon His last and final Apostle, his Household, his companions and all his followers until the end of time.

Last week we discussed mass marriage in perspective around the Muslim world along with both assertive social forces and the methods of the bridal formalities. Though we were not specific in the styles, we are contended with the objectives and the outcome. However, we were able to realize the differences in the composition of the marital lots; all of them were newly wedded inexperienced couples. Unlike the Kano mass marriage project, which is our main focus of the week.

One very vital fact, which should not be allowed to escape during our process of arrangement, is that the early Muslim Ummah has not, to my knowledge, recorded any precedence of mass marriage during the glorious years of Islam. The reason could not be unconnected with their strict observance of the Shari'ah in the aspect of marriages contracts. In Islam there is what can rightly be called Golden Law of Retribution; a kind of tit-for-tat!

Allah says: “And whosoever turns away from My reminder, his shall be straitened life, and We shall raise him on the day of resurrection, blind” [T. H.: 124] It is the law of Allah to pay His servants, those who deviate, with the same coin! Thus, if deviators are punished, it is because they deserve it. The numerous social catastrophe that are abound us today, are all because of they violated the Shari'ah governing the marriage institution. Therefore, unless and until we return to the divine rules governing all our lives, we will continue to suffer more as retribution from the Master of all.

The Kano project by the Hisbah command, and supported by the state

government of Alhaji Rabi'u nisa'i: 35] Musa Kwankwaso is indeed a However, if this fail, then the laudable initiative. But the snag next level is the administration of it all can be another tragedy if of the divorce to be conducted in the causes of the initiative are line with Sunnah. The Qur'an not curtailed to the barest minimum.

Wedding out group of widows and divorcees is not as easy and

By Husain Zakariyya stress-free as Yawale espousing out young men +234-8052952900 (sms only) and women of islamexplained35@yahoo.com marriageable ages.

The causes of the divorces of each says: divorce case must be “And if ye divorce them before documented as told by the consummation, but after the parties involved, and from their fixation of a dower for them, then parents or guardians for future the half of the dower (Is due to perusal. This is because in Islam, them), unless They remit it or (the no marriage should end without man's half) is remitted by Him In due diligence in every marriage whose hands is the marriage tie; dissolution. The Qur'an has and the remission (of the man's forewarned us right from the half) is the nearest to onset. Allah says: righteousness. And do not forget “And if you fear a breach Liberality betweenyourselves, for between the two, then appoint Allah sees well all that ye do.” [aljudge from his people and a judge Baqarah: 237] from her people; if they both desire And: “Those of you who die agreement, Allah will effect and leave widows should harmony between them, surely bequeath for their widows a Allah is knowing, Aware.” [an- year's maintenance and

ISLAM EXPLAINED

residence; but if they leave (the residence), there is no blame on you for what they do with themselves, provided it is reasonable, and Allah is Exalted In power, wise.

For Divorced w o m e n maintenance (Should be provided) on a reasonable (scale). This is a duty on the Righteous. Thus doth Allah make clear His Signs to you: In order that ye may understand.” [al-Baqarah: 240242] Similarly: “A divorce is only permissible twice: after that, the parties should either hold together on equitable terms, or separate with kindness. it is not lawful for you, (Men), to take back any of your gifts (from your wives), except when both parties fear that They would be unable to keep the limits ordained by Allah. if ye (judges) do indeed fear that They would be unable to keep the limits ordained by Allah, there is no blame on either of them if she give something for Her freedom, these are the limits ordained by Allah.

so do not transgress them if any do transgress the limits ordained

by Allah, such persons wrong (Themselves As well As others).

“So if a husband divorces His wife (irrevocably), He cannot, after that, re-marry her until after she has married another husband and He has divorced her. In that case there is no blame on either of them if they re-unite; provided they feel that they can keep the limits ordained by Allah. Such are the limits ordained by Allah, which He makes plain to those who understand.

“When ye divorce women, and They fulfill the term of their ('Iddat), either take them back on equitable terms or set them free on equitable terms; but do not take them back to injure them, (or) to take undue advantage; if any one does that; He wrongs His own soul. do not treat Allah's Signs As a jest, but solemnly rehearse Allah's favours on you, and the fact that He sent down to you the Book and Wisdom, for your instruction, and fear Allah, and know that Allah is well acquainted with all things.

“When ye divorce women, and they fulfill the term of their ('Iddat), do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands, if They mutually agree on equitable terms. This instruction is for all amongst you, who believe In Allah and the Last Day that is (the course Making for) Most virtue and purity amongst you and Allah knows, and ye know not.” [al-Baqarah: 229-232] All these due diligent processes must be observed religiously in order to curtail the undifferentiating and indiscriminate divorce menace that submerged the Muslim Ummah. Allah in His infinite mercy has revealed a complete surah or chapter all legislating on divorce and sundries. Chapter 56 of the Holy Qur'an; Surah atTalaq comprises 12 selfexplanatory verses on divorce and the rights of women along with their toddlers, before, during and after divorce. Thus, if we want to go ahead with the project of mass marriage, the entire members of our societies must be sensitized and educated on the provisions of Shari'ah on both marriage and divorce.

Otherwise the project will become a mere perennial recycling wasted venture.

Similarly, in order to reduce duplicate and replica of recycled marriage seekers, an up-to-date data bank of individual bio-data including HIV/ AIDS, blood group genotype and any live threatening ailments.

My sincere advice to Sheikh Aminu Ibrahin Daurawa is that he should not allow this lofty project to be hijacked or remote-controlled by unscrupulous individuals who are resolved on crashing it, or deceitful immoral people to find succor by disabusing it. I ask Allah to him wisdom and wherewithal to captain the project to a level worthy of credence before Allah first of all, and then before men of conscience.

Concluded

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 27

Repositioning UniAbuja Teaching Hospital for quality healthcare delivery

By Monday Ijeh

T

he University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) is one of the first projects that were approved for Abuja when the city was designated as Nigeria’s new capital in 1976 by the Federal Military Government headed by Gen. Murtala Mohammed.

The government approved the hospital project, among other projects, following its acceptance of the recommendation of an eight-member committee, chaired by Justice Akinola Aguda, that the country’s capital be relocated from Lagos to Abuja.

Although the UATH project was approved in 1976, actual construction works on the 350bed hospital only started in 1981.

The project, which was eventually inaugurated in 1992 by former military President Ibrahim Babangida, initially functioned as a General Hospital, under the aegis of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

For many years, the hospital’s accident and emergency unit could only take in 14 patients at a time, while its mortuary could just accommodate 24 corpses.

At first, the hospital’s water supply was 100-per-cent dependent on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Water Board, while electricity supply was almost nonexistent, as prospective in-patients, who were able to acquire small generators, were exclusively given admission.

Besides, patients, who were required to carry out laboratory tests, had to patronise private laboratories outside the hospital.

UATH later metamorphosed into a Federal Medical Centre in 1993, following its takeover by the Federal Ministry of Health, while it finally became a teaching hospital in 2006.

However, observers note that the hospital’s upgrade was not accompanied by a corresponding upgrade in the hospital’s manpower and facilities.

They add that the hospital’s facilities sooner became overstretched due to the influx of patients because of its strategic location along Lokoja-AbujaKaduna highway, making it a first-choice hospital for accident victims.

Apart from the accident victims who were often brought to the hospital, there have also been appreciable pressures on the hospital for primary, secondary and tertiary health care services for patients from the FCT and neighbouring states.

Observers note that such pressures often overstretched the capacity of the accident and emergency unit, as well as the radiology section of the hospital.

It is, therefore, little wonder that the primary concern of successive Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of UATH has

Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu been on how to reposition the hospital for effective healthcare service delivery, while tackling its infrastructural challenges.

The incumbent CMD of UATH, Dr Peter Alabi, has always been expressing a similar concern.

Immediately after his appointment in February 2008, Alabi succinctly stressed the need to enhance the quality of the hospital’s service delivery.

He, nonetheless, emphasised that such efforts would remain counter-productive unless tangible efforts were simultaneously directed at promoting the staff welfare.

The CMD’s argument then was that no matter the quality of the materials, the hospital’s workforce remained the intervening variable in efforts to attain optimum productivity in the hospital.

He pledged to decisively address all the issues relating to staff promotions and workers’ entitlements.

Alabi promptly cleared the backlog of workers’ allowances and he reiterated his determination to mobilise the staff for effective service delivery.

Besides, he moved to tackle the problems of residency training at UATH, as resident doctors hitherto had to be engaged by other hospitals as supernumerary residents with its attendant high costs.

From all indications, the CMD’s efforts have been yielding positive fruits, as the hospital

now has four major clinical departments which have been fully accredited.

This is in addition to the full accreditation of departments of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics for postgraduate training.

The accreditation has made it possible for the UATH to retain its resident doctors and attract supernumerary residents from other health institutions.

Currently, the success rate of resident doctors from UATH at various post-graduate medical colleges has been commended by medical experts as “encouraging and comparable to other established training centres’’.

As part of efforts to upgrade the workers’ skills in various disciplines and patient care, a continuing medical education unit was set up with a mandate to organise seminars on various aspects of health care delivery.

Besides, medical experts have been commending the efforts of the hospital management to create a dental section and ensure its accreditation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

The experts particularly commend the management’s efforts to promote the hospital’s cleanliness. UATH’s current sanitary condition is considered very laudable, as it was once assessed as the dirtiest hospital in the country by a former Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange, after her visit to the hospital.

That negative public perception of UATH has subsisted for a long time, probably due to paucity of funds. However, UATH has since received a facelift and the dramatic overhaul of the hospital has elicited commendations from many Nigerians, including President Goodluck Jonathan.

Expectedly, the improvement in the UATH’s facilities and service delivery has engendered increased patronage for its services, while underscoring the necessity for expansion.

Not long ago, the hospital constructed and inaugurated a 22-room consultant block and a paediatrics out-patient department. It also expanded its special treatment clinic.

To solve the hospital’s power problems, the Alabi-led management acquired a 500 KVA generator for general use and four 150 KVA generators for dedicated use at the hospital’s theatre, radiology section and laboratories.

As part of efforts to reduce the cost of running the generating sets that were particularly used on daily basis to pump water for the hospital’s use, the management went into partnership with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

The partnership, which resulted in the connection of the hospital’s electricity mains to the line serving the Abuja International Airport,

drastically reduced the hospital’s expenditure on buying diesel to run the generating sets To further boost water supply to the hospital, the management has built more overhead and underground water tanks, while drilling eight industrial bore holes.

The hospital authorities had also executed a water-pipe reconstruction project for the entire hospital, making it possible for water to flow directly to the wards and other sections.

To address the increasing pressure on the hospital’s accident and emergency unit, the management has embarked on the construction of a trauma centre.

Speaking on the project recently, Alabi stressed that the trauma centre became imperative so as to address emerging challenges facing the hospital’s accident and emergency unit.

“We have to devise a means to ensure that more accident and emergency patients are admitted, notwithstanding the fact that our facilities can take only 12 patients.

“In fact, there are instances where we have 30 emergency cases at the same time; what we are doing is to ensure that these patients are not sent back because most of the cases are usually very critical,’’ he said.

Indeed, observers have been testifying to the capacity of the UATH to tackle critical situations, citing the number of casualties of the Christmas Day bomb blast at Madalla, which the hospital handled, as an illustration.

Analysts, who witnessed the number of victims who were ferried to UATH after the Madalla bombing, have indeed testified to the hospital’s ability to tackle very critical situations.

For instance, the Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, who visited UATH to ascertain how the hospital was coping with the unusually high influx of patients, rated its performance as “very high and simply incredible’’.

The minister particularly assessed the quality of the hospital’s manpower and equipment as “very high’’.

“With the facilities I have seen in the hospital, I am fully convinced that we have all that is required to take care of the victims without sending them abroad,’’ Chukwu declared after the visit.

Many observers, including the health minister, have been commending the management of the UATH for repositioning the hospital for effective health care delivery.

But the main question now is: Can these laudable achievements be sustained?

Time will tell, some of the observers say.

Source: NAN

PAGE 28

Hajiya Hauwa Abiodun Yuguda, the wife of the Bauchi state Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, is the founder of “Challenge Your Disability Initiative” (CYDI). In this interview with some journalists in Bauchi, she speaks on the activities of her pet project, across the state and how to integrate people with disabilities into the mainstream of the society. Ahmed Kaigama was there.

Excerpts: What is CYDI all about? he Challenge Your Disability Initiative (CYDI) is out to make people challenge problems in their lives and also make such people self reliant. Disability comes in different ways but we concentrate more on drug abuse because the youth who are on drugs are disabled and then the physically challenged (the blind, crippled, deaf and lepers) We’ve decided to concentrate on them because of their neglect over time and I feel my NGO should be able to fight for their rights and make them self sufficient so that they can stop begging and live a normal life.

How has the journey been so far?

It has been a tough journey but with the assistance of God, much has been achieved. We have been able to get a law for people with disabilities which has made them to become an integral part of society. They now have their office and an agency that takes care of all their needs. I think that is a big achievement and I am sure other states will emulate what we are doing. I am going to see the wives of the governors of other states so that they will be able to fight for the rights of people with disabilities in their respective states.

However, you must know that what I am doing here is not only for Bauchi state we have worked in about four other states; it is something that will be done all over the federation.

If God provides us with the necessary funds, we will be able to replicate it everywhere. For now, we have been able to touch four states.

Which are these states They are Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe and Taraba states.

What has been your experience working with people with disabilities?

I have been with them since I was a young woman. I always have passion for them and always share everything I have with them way back in my secondary school days. I grew up loving them and appreciating them.

CYDI has been in

T

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

CYDI will outlive my tenure, says Yuguda’s wife existence since 2007; what are some of its remarkable achievements?

We have been able to achieve a lot. Right now, people with disability can take care of themselves; a lot of them told me that they now pay Zakat, some of them have built houses because we have been able to train more than 1,000 of them and empowered them. So, a lot of them are doing very well. In the area of drug abuse, we have been to all the schools and we have organised drug-free clubs in these schools. We interact with different people in the society. We have been able to bring people together to fight drug abuse in the society and this has really assisted us in Bauchi State. We have built a place for the mentally disabled.

We were able to build a 22-room house for them to use as their clinic.

Ordinarily, dealing with people is a very difficult task; dealing with the physically challenged has its own peculiarity as well. How have you been able to cope with these challenges?

You see, people with disabilities are very difficult to handle, when they trust you, they now believe in you and God has assisted me to reach out to them. When I say stop, they stop. They really believe in me.

Nobody can work with them (laughs). A lot of people find it difficult to work with them, but they see me as their mother.

They listen to me. This is because when I came in, I was the first person to do what nobody has ever done for them.

So, that made them to believe in me. For now, I don’t have any problem with them. Even when I started, I never had any problem with them in the first place. I treat them very special.

In Bauchi State, I can boldly say that people with disabilities are more special than the normal people (laughs).

What are the programmes CYDI has this year?

Like I told you, now we have an agency in the state. What we will do is to collaborate with the government now. We will draw out the programme for them and then we will work with the government. We want to have skills acquisition centers for them. This time around, we are trying to make sure we give them something that they will be able to sell easily, we are giving them money for farming.

This is because farming is something that will be there all the time; they will be able to feed themselves and will be able to take care of themselves. The farming programme is what we have on ground for them now.

We concentrate more on farming and my organization is

Hajiya Hauwa Abiodun Yuguda, answering questions from journalists during the interview. working with another organization in the U.S, which is coming to give us money. We have been able to talk to the government, and they are willing on their own part to give us money not only for our people with disability but others from other areas too. Areas that would benefit include those with HIV/AIDS just like the lessprivileged in general.

What we are doing is going to the communities because we learnt that most people who came here live around here and then some people come from other states. But those who are in the villages, who represent the poorest in the society, find it difficult to come here. So, what we are doing now is to go to the communities and take the empowerment programme to them. We are working with The Netherlands and we will be going to each community, we have started already with The Netherlands Leprosy Relief Organization who are working with us. They will be working with us for the next five years by the grace of God. Do you receive any assistance from other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international bodies?

Like I told you, we are working with The Netherlands agency and then MTN and Zain have assisted us. A lot of organizations have been coming to tell us that they want to be part of what we are doing.

Awalah Hotel too came to meet us that they want to be part of what we have been doing and they have been assisting us and

a lot of organizations, NAPEP have assisted us, SUBEB, NDE, Rotary International and so many others. They have been coming on their own to tell us they want to work with us and they have contributed in one way or the other.

What has been the main challenge so far?

Finance! If there is money, we would have been able to do a lot but just because there is no money, we have been restricted more than what we would have loved to do.

Now that you have been able to get an agency for the disabled in the state, what are your plans in working with the agency?

Now that I am here, that is part of my programme. I am here today to open the office for them because they have staff already. We have a person with disability who is the chairman of the agency and we have other members. So, part of my programme is to arrange with them on how we are going to open the office officially and then, they will start work.

Although, we have started work. Everything we are doing in this office (CYDI’s office), we are always meeting with them. There is already a budget. Like I told you earlier, we want to start another phase of skills acquisition programme for them, some who are in school are on scholarship. The government plans more emphasis on people with disabilities now than before.

The tendency has always been that every

administration comes with their own programme and immediately after their tenure, the programme dies a natural death. What are you doing to ensure that CYDI goes beyond 2015?

CYDI has been my passion since I was a young girl, so this is why you see me spending so much money. All the money here is not from government, so if I want to leave it after the tenure of my husband I wouldn’t waste this money. We have investments. I have a farm that I have been investing on.

It is used to be known as Challenge Your Disability Initiative Farm but when people told me that you don’t make money with NGO, I changed it to Gimbiya Farms, which is an investment for the organization and we are concentrating on farming. We also have Gimbiya Paints where we train people with disabilities to make paints.

It is an avenue of sustainability for them. It is also a source of empowerment for them. These are two things I have on ground for them for their sustainability. It will be a source of investment for us because we are going to sell the things produced there and then use the money to sustain the organization because I feel without investment, it will be very difficult to run the organization and it is not every time that you have people that will assist you: You need something on ground. So, those two investments are specifically for the sustainability of the organization.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 29

Mugabe celebrates 88th birthday with reptile shaped cake I

t was a birthday cake fit for Mugabe – a 5ft confectionary crocodile complete with icing and candles.

As many of his povertystricken countrymen struggle to eke a living, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, blew out the candles on one of five massive cakes at a £650,000 party for 20,000 supporters.

In addition to the crocodile – representing the 88-year-old president’s tribe, the Gushungo, there was a matching silver version, an 88kg (195lb) cake in the shape of local mountains, another representing Victoria Falls, and a giant ice cream cake.

Crowds from his Zanu-PF political party were treated to concerts, a football competition and beauty parade.

But the lavish bash in the eastern city of Mutare infuriated many Zimbabweans, with the independent Standard newspaper carrying the headline ‘Eating cake while the nation starves’.

The newspaper reported: ‘Impoverished North Koreans two weeks ago celebrated the birthday of their late leader Kim Jong-il in style. Nearer home in Mutare we had something similar yesterday when thousands gathered to celebrate President Robert

Mugabe’s 88th birthday.

NOT A HAPPY DAY FOR ALL - AS MAN ARRESTED FOR MOCKING MUGABE A Zimbabwean man has appeared in court for joking in a bar about whether President Robert Mugabe was strong enough to blow up the balloons for his birthday party.

Richmore Chazi was arrested while drinking with friends in a bar in Mutare while watching the live coverage of Mugabe’s birthday rally held in the eastern city on Saturday.

Mugabe loyalists allegedly overheard the carpenter’s comments and reported him to poilce.

His lawyer Blessing Nyamaropa confirmed: ‘Chazi is being charged for insulting and undermining the authority of the president and will come back to court on March 12 for routine remand.

Zimbabwe police regularly arrest people who joke about Mugabe, who has ruled the country since independence from Britain in 1980.

The Standard added: ‘Mugabe cut cake and his proteges wined and dined as if tomorrow would never come.’

The government-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcast Corporation Cake fit for a tyrant: Mugabe, 88, takes a look at the huge edible crocodile which was created for his birthday celebrations

'Party': As his people starve, the dictator stuffs cake into his mouth at a lavish bash to mark his 88th birthday attended by20,000 supporters

Party: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe views his birthday cake during the rally at the weekend

reported: ‘The celebrations held in Mutare over the weekend saw some of the country’s top confectioners giving it their best to express their appreciation to the national icon, President Robert Mugabe, through wonderfully made cakes.

‘While the focus of attention was the man who had turned 88, there was no way one could have missed the five huge cakes that towered over the top table. Two of the cakes depicted Comrade Mugabe’s Gushungo totem, the crocodile. President Mugabe is seen in the picture blowing out candles on one of the “crocodiles”.’

‘The third cake was a magnificent creation of the eastern highlands with its abundant mineral resources, the

Crocodile cake: The dictator admires the cake at his £650,000 party - and marked his birthday with an attack on homosexual rights

Birthday rest: Robert Mugabe sits in an arm chair wipes his eye on his birthday. In a rambling speech he attacked Western values

Pungwe River, human settlements as well as flora and fauna.’

ZBC reported that the highlands cake was designed to weigh exactly 88kg, giving Mugabe a full 1kg of pudding for every year of his life.

In a country where many have faced hunger, ZBC reported that the large dessert included scaleddown edible recreations of the Zambezi river, the world-famous Victoria Falls railway bridge and a nearby rainforest.

Around 20,000 members of the tyrant’s ruling Zanu-PF party are believed to have attended the celebrations on Saturday.

The crowds were treated to live music, lavish food, a football competition and beauty pageant during the bash.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Secret £14million Bible in which ‘Jesus predicts coming of Prophet Muhammad’ unearthed in Turkey A

secret Bible in which Jesus is believed to predict the coming of the Prophet Muhammad to Earth has sparked serious interest from the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI is claimed to want to see the 1,500-year-old book, which many say is the Gospel of Barnabas, that has been hidden by the Turkish state for the last 12 years.

The £14million handwritten gold lettered tome, penned in Jesus’ native Aramaic language, is said to contain his early teachings and a prediction of the Prophet’s coming.

The leather-bound text, written on animal hide, was discovered by Turkish police during an anti-smuggling operation in 2000.

It was closely guarded until 2010, when it was finally handed over to the Ankara Ethnography Museum, and will soon be put back on public display following a minor restoration.

A photocopy of a single page from the handwritten ancient manuscript is thought to be worth £1.5million.

Turkish culture and tourism minister Ertugrul Gunay said the book could be an authentic version of the Gospel, which was suppressed by the Christian Church for its strong parallels

with the Islamic view of Jesus.

He also said the Vatican had made an official request to see the scripture - a controversial text which Muslims claim is an addition to the original gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John.

In line with Islamic belief, the Gospel treats Jesus as a human being and not a God. It rejects the ideas of the Holy Trinity and the Crucifixion and reveals that Jesus predicted the coming of the Prophet Muhammad.

In one version of the gospel, he is said to have told a priest: ‘How shall the Messiah be called?

Muhammad is his blessed name’.

WHO WAS ST BARNABAS? Born in Cyprus as Joseph, Barnabas was an Early Christian later named an apostle.

His story appears in the Acts of the Apostles, and Paul mentions him in some of his epistles.

The date, place, and circumstances of his death are historically unverifiable.

But Christian tradition states that he was martyred at Salamis, Cyprus.

He is traditionally identified as the founder of the Cypriot Church, with his feast day on June 11.

And in another Jesus denied being the Messiah, claiming that

he or she would be Ishmaelite, the term used for an Arab.

Despite the interest in the newly re-discovered book, some believe it is a fake and only dates back to the 16th century.

The oldest copies of the book date back to that time, and are written in Spanish and Italian.

Protestant pastor Ýhsan Özbek said it was unlikely to be authentic.

This is because St Barnabas lived in the first century and was one of the Apostles of Jesus, in contrast to this version which is said to come from the fifth or sixth century.

He told the Today Zaman newspaper: ‘The copy in Ankara might have been written by one of the followers of St Barnabas.

‘Since there is around 500 years in between St Barnabas and

the writing of the Bible copy, Muslims may be disappointed to see that this copy does not include things they would like to see.

‘It might have no relation with the content of the Gospel of Barnabas.’

Theology professor Ömer Faruk Harman said a scientific scan of the bible may be the only way to reveal how old it really is.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Secret Bible: The 1,500-year-old tome was is said to contain Jesus' early teachings and his prediction of the Prophet's coming

Serious interest: The Vatican, under Pope Benedict XVI, is said to want to see the recently re-discovered Bible

Historic: The £14million handwritten gold lettered tome is penned in Jesus' native Aramaic language

Ancient: The leather-bound text, written on animal hide, was discovered by Turkish police during an anti-smuggling operation in 2000

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

ANALYSIS

N

or does it lack the moral authority to take a more active role. Indeed, it has featured prominently in the international war of words over the crisis in Syria. Exasperated by Tehran's unwillingness to reign in its regional ally, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc went so far as to call into question the Iranian government's religious credentials: "I am addressing the Islamic Republic of Iran: I do not know if you are worthy of being called Islamic. Have you said a single thing about what is happening in Syria?"

However, given Foreign Minister Davutoglu's policy of avoiding problems with neighbours, Turkey's reticence to intervene militarily is, perhaps, not surprising. This is not because it does not sympathise with its Sunni co-religionists in Syria, although it must pay attention to its own Alawi community and to its much more important Alevi community as well. It reflects, perhaps, the recent threats of renewed Syrian support for the PKK, should Turkey become involved, as well as a preference in Ankara for a negotiated outcome. After all, Turkey will have to live with the consequences in Syria, whatever they may be and it is by no means clear that, in the short term, the Assad regime will collapse.

West and East And that is a lesson that Western policymakers should, perhaps, take on board. The comforting assumption in European capitals and Washington that moral disapproval and economic sanctions can take care of the Syrian problem is seriously misplaced.

Despite the fact that it has lost its credibility, the Assad regime still appears to retain the support of minority communities in Syria and even, although increasingly reluctantly, of the country's economic elite. Its military capacity is, for purposes of domestic suppression, formidable and it is not hindered by issues of moral constraint from using it.

As civilian casualties mount, we can expect growing numbers of defections from the armed forces - but these will not have a decisive impact on the balance of power.

Most of the key command positions are staffed by Alawis who are personally loyal to Assad. In addition, Assad can depend on a network of internal security agencies, whose interests are entwined with his own. In that respect, the dynamic between the regime and the security forces resembles more Gaddafi's Libya than Mubarak's Egypt.

Assad is also insulated by active external support from Iran, together with diplomatic support from Russia and China, both of whom are determined to avoid a replay of the Libyan scenario last year. Assad has been prepared to cement that support by professing his willingness to engage in dialogue and has even offered a referendum on a new constitution allowing for a multiparty political system, albeit under Alawi control.

The dilemma for Syria’s neighbours (III)

Despite the fact that it has lost its credibility, the Assad regime still appears to retain the support of minority communities in Syria [GALLO/GETTY] It is extremely difficult to see how a referendum could be undertaken during an incipient civil war - amidst "the smell of corpses and the dust of the rubble of Homs", as Walid Jumblatt put it. However, a part of the opposition inside Syria, despite its intense distaste for the Assad regime which it considers has lost all legitimacy, has indicated that, in principle, it might consider such an outcome.

Russia and China, of course, have material concerns too Russia, in particular, is about to start operations at its new naval base in Tartous and has ongoing arms contracts with the Syrian regime. It also regards Syria as part of its new "near abroad", and the future Putin presidency in Moscow would not like to see a Western ascendency emerge in the Eastern Mediterranean, alongside the existing proAmerican outpost of Israel.

China has, perhaps, less focused concerns, but it too has economic interests at stake, not so much in Syria but in Iran - and embargoed Syrian oil, 30 per cent of which used to go to European consumers, could always provide a useful addition to the oil flows from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. Yet both Russia and China predicate their opposition to United Nations intervention on their belief in the inadmissibility of external intervention and point to the aftermath of victory in Libya to justify their claims. They both, too, propose a negotiated outcome - although who the partners to such a negotiation might be, in the face of the brutality of the Assad regime, they have not as yet made clear!

It is worth noting, in this context and both states have quietly been making their own contacts with the Syrian opposition.

In reality, of course, both Russia and China, like Iran, also formulate their stance on Syria with one eye on their own populations. By propping up Assad, Putin frees his own hand to crackdown on the Russian protest movement after the presidential elections in March.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators are calling for an end to rigged elections, the release of political prisoners and for Putin to step aside. China is similarly vulnerable to unrest, with the biggest worry coming from Tibet and from restive Tibetan communities in its western provinces, followed by the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Violent protests are anticipated around the five-year anniversary of the 2008 Tibetan uprising in March and potential unrest in Xinjiang has led to violent repression of the Muslim Uyghurs' culture and religious belief.

Regrettably, Western powers face a much greater constraint on their freedom of action than their public rhetoric suggests. Even a short and limited intervention, as occurred in Libya, has highly unpredictable implications in a crucial strategic environment - far more complex, indeed, than that around Libya. Few statesmen will want to take responsibility for a military operation with such uncertain outcomes.

Their situation is made worse by the fact that some of the most active proponents of muscular intervention - Britain and France - lack the means by which to do this, owing to slashed defence budgets. It was notable that the best the two leaders could offer at their recent summit in Paris was food aid for Homs, although the means of delivery remain unclear.

Despite intense Congressional and popular distaste for the Assad regime, American disinclination

for further foreign adventures is even greater. Even in Tunis at the end of February, proposals for humanitarian aid were the sole real initiative that the "Friends of Syria" could agree on, although, privately, some Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, hinted that they would supply arms to the Syrian resistance - a counsel of despair, given the chaos it would probably cause.

Pyrrhic victory Compounding the moral calamity threatened by the unfolding situation in Syria, is a major political one. The disorderly collapse of Assad's regime would be a disaster for the Middle East. A civil war in Syria would almost certainly spread to Lebanon and Iraq, projecting directly onto the polarising power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, drawing in a slew of other state and non-state actors indirectly, and destabilising the entire region for at least a generation.

However, keeping the Assad regime unfettered and in place arguably makes civil war more likely, not less so. Since Hafez alAssad's rule, the sectarian nature of the regime was cloaked by its ambitions for a Greater Syria and

the state of war with Israel, which allowed for massive military buildup. But making war on Syrians themselves has only accentuated Alawi dominance and forced political fragmentation along confessional lines.

The irony, of course, is that a negotiated solution is the only viable way out of the current deadlock that avoids the regional consequences of violence, yet it is increasingly difficult to see either side, particularly the oppositionon-the-ground - for quite understandable reasons - being prepared to seriously consider such an option. Even worse, it may soon be only Russia or China that could preside over such a process, were it ever to come about, because they do have contacts with both sides.

Still, it does not seem likely that the Assad regime will crumble under the weight of its brutal excesses, in the short term at least.

The referendum offers one way out of this impasse, but it will be impossible to conduct without a halt in the violence - both logistically, and because parts of the opposition will likely boycott it. Moreover, the promise of the referendum is premised entirely upon the current government acting as an honest broker, overseeing a process of political transition. This seems a tall order from a regime which, days before the planned referendum, is escalating, not ending, its siege of Homs.

In the face of a failed referendum, and if the Syrian regime is left unbridled by its more muscular global and regional friends or Russia and China abandon the negotiating option, Saudi Arabia seems likely to lead an Arab bloc (supported at least tacitly by Washington) in arming its opponents. While new arms will surely enable a besieged population to better defend itself, they may well also instigate the "earthquake" threatened by Assad in October 2011. The Assad regime is determined to triumph, even if only through a Pyrrhic victory which could, in turn, explode throughout the region.

Concluded Source: Aljazeera

“

In reality, of course, both Russia and China, like Iran, also formulate their stance on Syria with one eye on their own populations. By propping up Assad, Putin frees his own hand to crackdown on the Russian protest movement after the presidential elections in March.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 32

Runoff vote confirmed in Senegal

S Africa’s ruling party expels youth leader

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outh Africa's ruling African National Congress has expelled Julius Malema, its youth leader, finding he had shown no remorse after being convicted of fomenting divisions in the party.

He has 14 days to appeal his expulsion, although the ANC's appeals committee has already upheld his guilt.

"In respect of the present disciplinary hearing, Comrade Julius Malema is expelled from the ANC," the party's disciplinary committee said in a statement on Wednesday.

Malema, 30, had initially been suspended from the party for five years, but returned before the committee in a bid to lessen his sentence.

Malema could decide to keep pressing his case through the rest of the year, up to an ANC leadership conference in December where he could ask the party's senior officials to hear him out.

But the committee's findings were a damning indictment of Malema, who has stirred a national debate on class and poverty with his call to nationalise mines and seize whiteowned farms to help the nearly 40 per cent of the population living on less than $2 a day.

The ANC's youth league claims to draw widespread support in a country where the median age is 25 and more than half of young South Africans are unemployed, and has criticised South African President Jacob Zuma, the party's leader, for failing to do more to tackle poverty.

In September last year, a South African court ruled that Malema was guilty of uttering hate speech for singing an apartheid-era song that called for the killing of white farmers.

Malema was ordered to pay some of the court costs in the civil case, which did not carry a criminal penalty.

Despite the breadth of the debate and the passions aroused

by Malema, his conviction was based largely on charges that he had tarnished the party's reputation, created divisions within it and failed to follow its rules.

The committee said one of his statements, that the party had not won over the nation's youth, was "a threat and is tantamount to holding the ANC to ransom".

Opposition candidate Macky Sall promised to hold himself to a proposed change to presidential term limits [Reuters]

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enegal's judicial authorities have confirmed that incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade will take on opposition frontrunner Macky Sall in a second round runoff vote.

According to judicial authorities on Wednesday, Wade

scooped 942,546 votes, or 34.8 per cent of the votes in Sunday's poll. Sall, Wade's former prime minister, won 26.5 per cent with 719,369 votes in his favour.

A runoff vote is expected to be held on March 18 or 25.

Turnout in the February 26

election hovered around the 51 per cent mark, authorities said.

In third and fourth place were two other one-time members of Wade's inner circle - former prime ministers Moustapha Niasse, with 357,347 votes, or 13.2 per cent, and Idrissa Seck with 212,848, or 7.86 per cent.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Sall invited the 12 opposition candidates who stood in Sunday's presidential vote to back him, as well as banned presidential hopeful and world music star Youssou N'Dour.

Sall has been campaigning on a platform of change.

He also promised to reduce term limits to five years, and said that he would fix Senegal's constitution to ensure that no leader, including himself, could have more than two terms in power.

For most of Senegal's postindependence history, the presidential term was seven years long.

After his election in 2000 Wade reduced it to five.

In a controversial decision, Wade changed the constitution in 2008 to allow for a seven year term once again.

Wade has been in power for 12 years. He spent 25 years in the opposition fighting to loosen the grip of the former socialist party, which ruled the former French colony for 40 years since independence in 1960.

Wade's reputation suffered a downturn when he announced last year that he planned to run for a third term.

For weeks leading up to Sunday's election, police clashed with protesters calling for Wade to step aside.

UN peacekeeper killed in Darfur ambush

A

U.N.-African Union peacekeeper was killed and three others were wounded in Sudan's conflict-torn western Darfur region on Wednesday when their patrol was ambushed, the United Nations said.

"A patrol moving from Nyala to Shearia in south Darfur was ambushed at Baraka village. The initial reports indicate that three peacekeepers were wounded and one was killed," said U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky. No further details were available.

Violence in Darfur, where the United Nations and the African Union maintain a huge joint peacekeeping operation, has

subsided since its peak in 2003 and 2004, but rebel and tribal fighting and banditry still plagues the territory.

Mostly African insurgents in Darfur took up arms against the Arab-dominated government in 2003, accusing authorities of neglecting the remote territory.

Khartoum mobilized troops and allied Arab tribes to quell the rebellion, and the United Nations estimates some 300,000 people have died in the conflict.

The International Criminal Court has indicted Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and other officials for war crimes in the region. Khartoum has put

the death toll at 10,000 and dismissed the charges as politically motivated and baseless.

Separately, the U.N. peacekeeping department will brief the Security Council later on Wednesday about reports that rebels killed some 130 members of the Sudanese army near the border with South Sudan.

Rebel groups in Sudan claimed credit on Monday for the previous day's attack, saying they had captured a Sudanese army garrison near the border with the south in an operation that Khartoum blamed on the south's army.

The South Sudan government said none of its forces were involved,

Egypt lifts travel ban on NGO workers

T

he lifting of the travel ban comes one day after the judges on the case resigned

[AFP] Egypt has lifted a travel ban on the defendants in a trial of 43 NGO workers charged with using illegal foreign funds to foment unrest in the country in a case that has tested relations with Washington, prosecution sources say.

A lawyer for some of the defendants said on Wednesday he had been informed that the ban had been lifted but that the defendants would have to post bail of two million Egyptian pounds (roughly $330,000).

"The assistant to the attorney general, following a request from the investigating judges, has issued an order to lift the ban," a judicial source

close to the proceedings told the Reuters news agency.

The source said the charges had

not been dropped against any of those involved, who include 16 US citizens, 16 Egyptians and German,

The lifting of the travel ban comes one day after the judges on the case resigned [AFP]

but the assault has fueled tensions between the neighbors already at odds over oil exports and border disputes. Any involvement of southern forces would have violated a non-aggression pact signed by the two sides this month.

The clashes on Sunday took place in the South Kordofan province on Sudan's side of the illdefined border with South Sudan, a flashpoint between the two countries.

South Sudan seceded from the north last July in line with a referendum held in accordance with a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war.

Palestinian, Serbian and Jordanian citizens.

Judge Abdel Moez Ibrahim, head of the Cairo appeals court who appoints judges to the case, also confirmed to Reuters that a decision had been taken to lift the travel ban on all the foreign defendants.

All three of the judges in the trial resigned from the case on Tuesday, with Mohammed Shoukry, the lead judge in the case, saying the court felt "uneasiness" in handling the case, according to a court official.

Only seven of the US citizens accused in the case are still in Egypt as the rest had left the country before charges were filed.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said on Wednesday she expected the row over the activities of on-governmental organisations (NGOs) to be resolved "in the very near future".

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 33

Chaotic scenes at Maldives parliament S

upporters of fomer Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed have clashed with police and stopped the country's new leader from opening parliament, three weeks after he says he was forced to resign in a coup.

Opposition legislators prevented Mohamed Waheed from addressing the assembly in the capital Male yesterday by removing seats reserved for the president and the speaker.

Outside the building, supporters of Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party blocked roads leading to parliament, prompting clashes with police who attempted to push them aside with shields.

Police said 14 officers were wounded, four of them seriously, in clashes with opposition demonstrators around the parliament.

At least 34 people were arrested, according to the AFP news agency.

According to the constitution, the president of the country must address parliament and officially open a new session after a change in leadership.

A spokesman for Waheed said he was "determined to speak but the situation is still not conducive".

Nasheed resigned last month after weeks of public protests and loss of support from the military and police.

Haiti sees large antigovernment protest Backers of Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party blocked roads leading to Parliament and clashed with police [AFP]

Aristide supporters say Michel Martelly, the current president, has not done enough to improve their lives [Reuters]

Passengers and crew spent two nights without lights or air conditioning [AFP]

S

everal thousand supporters of former Haitian president JeanBertrand Aristide have filled the streets of Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, on the eighth anniversary of his toppling.

In the largest demonstration against the country's current leader, Michel Martelly, since he took office in May, demonstrators on Wednesday accused Martelly of not doing enough to improve their lives.

The crowd made a number of demands, including that Martelly prove that he does not hold dual citizenship, which could bar him from office, and that the UN peacekeeping mission leave the country.

The large protest points to mounting political strife between the president and his critics as the country struggles to rebuild from the 2010 earthquake.

It also illustrates the kind of support that still exists for the former president.

Aristide, a former Catholic priest turned populist president, still wields influence since returning to Haiti last year, after seven years of exile in South Africa.

Starting in front of the central parish where Aristide once preached, protesters then marched through the shantytown strongholds that supported Aristide and sang about how they would not betray the ex-president.

Some people sustained minor injuries when rocks and bottles were thrown at the demonstrators and they retaliated by doing the same.

Protesters also challenged Martelly, a globe-trotting musician before he entered politics, to present his passport to several senators who believe that he holds dual citizenship, which would render him ineligible to hold office.

The government has denied that Martelly holds a double nationality, but the president has angered his opponents by saying he is under no obligation to show any proof of this.

Protesters chanted: "We know you're not Haitian. You need to bring your passport. If you're not Haitian, turn in your passport."

Stricken cruise ship arrives in Seychelles

A

cruise ship that was stranded at sea without power has docked under tow in the Seychelles.

The Costa Allegra arrived at the islands' main port of Victoria yesterday, three days after a fire in the engine room blacked out the ship, shut down many systems and left it floating adrift overnight in the Indian Ocean.

The 1,000 passengers and crew have spent two nights without lights or air conditioning.

Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from Mahe in the Seychelles, said people disembarking the ship looked "fed up but in reasonably good spirits".

Doctors were flown onto the ship a few days ago for those people who needed medical treatment and more medical help received others on shore when the ship arrived.

"From what we understand there are some people that are sick. They came off first and are being treated by the Red Cross," said Turton.

The Seychelles Red Cross had set up several tents to assist any passengers needing help, and the British, French and Italian embassies were at the port to assist their citizens.

Earlier Turton reported that some people on board the ship had suffered from dehydration and sunstroke.

"The captain was telling the home affairs minister that the conditions on board the ship were dreadful. He talked about how they didn't have running water, so people haven't been able to have a shower for the last few days," Turton reported.

Tour operators also lined up dozens of buses ready to take passengers to either the airport or a Seychelles resort. Immigration procedures have already been carried out on the boat.

"The focus of the operation is to get them a warm meal and a shower," said Guillaume Albert, head of Creole Travel Service. "I think the happy ending is the people coming off the boat."

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

US soldiers shot dead in Afghan attack

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wo NATO soldiers have been shot dead in southern Afghanistan in an attack apparently carried out by an Afghan soldier and another Afghan man, who have also been killed, officials said.

A US official speaking on condition of anonymity said the soldiers were Americans.

Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reporting from Kabul, the capital, said that the incident actually took place in the early hours of yesterday morning at a forward operating base in Kandahar.

The bases, which usually house about 100 soldiers, are often shared with Afghan national army soldiers, Smith said.

The civilian involved in the incident was believed to have been a local teacher, our correspondent

reported.

"The local sources are telling us that just this teacher, snatched somehow, a weapon from an Afghan soldier, killing two soldiers," Smith said.

In a statement, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said that one Afghan soldier and another man in civilian clothing had opened fired indiscriminately, killing two ISAF soldiers.

"ISAF are telling us that both the teacher and the Afghan national army soldier both opened fire. Both of those individuals were killed in the return fire," said Smith.

The killings on Thursday came after two senior US officers were shot dead inside the country's interior ministry on Saturday by a man who Afghan security officials said was a police intelligence officer.

North Korea halts nuclear programme

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orth Korea has agreed to stop nuclear tests, uranium enrichment and long-range missile launches and to allow international inspectors to visit its Yongbyon nuclear complex in return for food aid from the United States.

The announcement, made simultaneously by the US state department and North Korea's official news agency on Wednesday, paves the way for the possible resumption of six-party disarmament negotiations with the Communist state.

It also marks a significant policy shift by North Korea's reclusive leadership after the death of longtime ruler Kim Jong-il in December.

"The DPRK, upon request by the US and with a view to maintaining

positive atmosphere for the DPRK-US high-level talks, agreed to a moratorium on nuclear tests, longrange missile launches, and uranium enrichment activity at Yongbyon and allow the IAEA to monitor the moratorium on uranium enrichment while productive dialogues continue," the official KCNA news agency said.

North Korea is known formally as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). China, North Korea's only powerful ally, approved the announcement.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement posted yesterday that China welcomed efforts by the two sides to improve relations and preserve peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. He reiterated China's willingness to participate in efforts to restart the sixparty talks.

Blast targets police bus in Istanbul An explosion in the Turkish city of Istanbul near the country's ruling party's headquarters has injured at least 16 people, most of them policemen, the Turkish state news agency reports.

Istanbul police chief Huseyin Capkin said an explosive device was placed on a motorcycle and set off by remote control as a police vehicle drove past, near the Justice and Development Party (AKP) building and the offices of a conservative business association.

"As a police vehicle carrying 21 officers was passing by, a remote control bomb on a motorcycle exploded. Our teams are carrying out the investigation,"

S

it continues to resist," Homsbased activist Hadi Abdullah told the AFP news agency.

He said that troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar alAssad had not entered the district, which has become a symbol of the Syrian uprising after nearly a month of bombardment.

"The fighting between deserters and the army continues on the edges of Bab Amr, not inside," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian

Police had immediately sealed off the area, as a precautionary measure were a second explosion to occur. There was no initial claim of responsibility.

Istanbul has been a target of periodic bombings in recent years, including a 2008 bombing blamed on Kurdish separatist fighters that killed 17 people and injured scores more.

Three people were killed in Ankara, the Turkish capital, in September last year in a bombing claimed by a group called the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), which Turkish officials say is a front used by the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

Forensic investigators sealed off the area around the blast immediately after the explosion [AFP]

Ground assault looms in Homs district yrian government forces are massing around a besieged district in the city of Homs amid clashes with armed fighters and an increased artillery bombardment, raising fears of an impending ground assault, activists reported.

Accounts from the Bab Amr district differed over whether an attack had already begun, but yesterday's sources told Al Jazeera that there had yet to be a major assault.

Activists and fighters said there had been some clashes with government forces, whose numbers were in the thousands and increasing.

Reports from Bab Amr suggested that the shelling and fighting were limited to that district, which was described as being surrounded, and were not taking place throughout Homs.

But communication with residents in the district was difficult. Electricity and phone lines have been cut off, and an activist from the Syrian Network for Human Rights told Al Jazeera that the government was using a new technology to jam satellite phone signals.

"The Free Syrian Army has succeeded in stopping the attempt to attack Bab Amr, and

Capkin told reporters, adding that none of the injured was in critical condition. Fifteen of the injured were police officers, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Huseyin Avni Mutlu, the governor of Istanbul, said the device was composed of plastic explosives.

State media reported that a vehicle and a police bus were damaged in the explosion early on Thursday morning in the Sutluce district.

The bus came to a halt about 50 metres away, said an eyewitness.

Forensic teams quickly covered it in blue nylon sheets as experts searched the cordoned-off area for fragments of the bomb.

Observatory for Human Rights.

In response to the worsening crackdown, the Syrian National Council - the largest opposition body - said it had formed a "military bureau" to organise the armed resistance against Assad.

The SNC said it wanted to funnel arms to rebel fighters in the country through the bureau.

"We know that some countries have expressed a desire to arm the revolutionaries. The SNC, via

The Bab Amr district has been under Syrian government shelling for 27 straight days [AFP]

Guantanamo detainee makes plea deal

A

Pakistani national has pleaded guilty to five charges related to terrorism, murder, conspiracy and spying, reaching a plea deal with the US government that limits his prison sentence.

A lawyer made the plea on Wednesday on behalf of Majid Khan, accused of helping alQaeda plot attacks against the US and aiding other "terrorist" groups, at a court in the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The plea deal, the first reached by one of the military's "high-value" detainees at Guantanamo, means Khan, 32, could serve less than 19 years in prison as long as he provides "full and truthful co-operation" in US cases against other prisoners, according to James Pohl, the military judge.

Khan had faced up to life in prison if convicted on all charges. Documents released before Wednesday's hearing had said the pre-trial agreement capped his sentence at 25 years.

The judge said his sentencing would be delayed for four years, giving him time to provide

testimony against other detainees, and that the Convening Authority, the Pentagon legal official who oversees the tribunals, would not approve a total sentence that exceeded 19 years.

Khan would get credit for time served until his sentencing but not for the nine years he has already been in custody.

Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Guantanamo Bay, said: "Khan made the guilty deal, the terms of which are being hammered out in a court session here in Guantanamo.

"The thought is that, according to prosecutors, Khan allegedly has a lot of intelligence information that could be useful in other potential prosecutions."

But Pohl told Khan in the court that there was nothing in the agreement that specifically prevented the US from continuing to detain him after he completed his sentence, though there are no indications that would happen.

"I am making a leap of faith here sir,'' Khan told the judge in response. "That is all I can do."

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 35

Chinese villagers carry giant balloons of stolen natural gas to fuel their homes I f you thought heating your home during winter was tough, spare a moment for these villagers in China's Shandong Province.

They have been risking life and limb in the pursuit of warmth by carrying giant balloons full of natural gas from a nearby oil field back to their homes.

Too poor to afford the resource on the grid, they siphon their gas from an oil facility in Binzhou, where they connect their balloons to a canister near the extraction machinery.

They then tentatively edge back with a potential bomb in their hands, being careful not to get too near any naked flames, of course. Some balloons can grow to six metres long and a metre wide.

It is not clear whether they are stealing the gas, although it is highly unlikely they are being allowed to do it.

Workers at the oil field have been trying to warn them of the obvious dangers, but to no avail.

One member of staff said: 'We warned them that it is like a hidden bomb at home, but they wouldn't listen'.

According to people in the area, the gas lasts for around five days, it was reported on Gizmodo.

One said: 'It's very convenient and quite safe. All villagers in this region are doing the same.'

There have not yet been any reports of the balloons exploding, but one elderly was lifted in the air when the wind got hold of it.

Risking death: A woman carries a five-metre long balloon full of natural gas which she siphoned from an oil plant in China's Shandong Province in order to heat her home

Budget 2012 (7) - Reforming the Police Contd. from Back Page The Police Reform Fund was the initiative of Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame when he was Minister of Police Affairs. A bill was drafted in 2010 to establish the fund to finance a medium-term (six-year) programme of reforming the Nigeria Police to be contributed by the three tiers of government. Even though the bill was not enacted into law, budgetary provisions have been made since then - a total of N40bn in 2011-12, with a similar contribution by the state and local governments. Where are these monies? Who controls the fund in the absence of the enabling law and the Trust fund? These issues need further scrutiny in light of a recent media report credited to Parry Osayande that the PSC requires an allocation of N420bn per annum for 5 years to "implement its reform of the Police Force". As civil society watchdog NOPRIN has rightly observed, the current state of the Police is largely attributable to the failures of the PSC in the last 12 years. It is, therefore, the body least qualified to reform the police or manage fund for its improvement. This is the same PSC that kicked out some of its finest officers (like Nuhu Ribadu) and demoted a dead police officer! The PSC should reform

itself first before anyone takes it seriously!

For our police to regain its effectiveness, its officers and men need to be better paid, with adequate housing allowances to enable them afford accommodation wherever they may be posted. In 2006, as part of our work in the Public Service Reform Team, an eight-year N200bn barracks development programme was approved for the Nigeria Police nationwide, which included the rehabilitation of their run-down facilities. Sadly, like most things left behind for successors, the programme floundered. This needs to be addressed in lieu of special, preferential mortgage facilities for police officers to own their homes.

The Boko Haram insurgency claimed the lives of more police officers than any other uniformed service. The total welfare of police officers must include the review of the insurance, injury and death benefits payable to their dependants.

The Police needs adequate transportation, communications, armament and logistic technologies to be able to respond to criminal activities in a timely manner. In the 2012 Budget, N52 million has been provided for motorcycles, N203 million for vehicles, N310 million for vans,

and N596 million for armored personnel carriers. The Police Command also proposes to spend N431 million on arms and ammunition, N84 million for video security surveillance systems in Borno, Kano, Oyo, Edo and Anambra states, N52 million for automatic fingerprint identification system, N84 million for forensic and DNA test laboratory, and N241 million for explosive ordinance disposal equipment for the Anti-Bomb Squad.

Other significant items of expenditure in the 2012 Budget include N295 million for anti-riot equipment, N450 million for bullet-proof vests gear, N243 million for anti-terrorism equipment (whatever that means), N165 million for security intelligence equipment, and N271 million for UHF walkie-talkies and rehabilitation of its outdated analog UHF communications system. The budget for barracks rehabilitation and construction is N585 million. These are mostly grossly inadequate. And by far the most disgraceful is the state of police communications network - expensive, outdated and insecure for the challenges of the 21st century, but preserved due to entrenchment of vested interests. This is one area

urgently needing focused implementation.

Another lingering issue related to the reform of the Police is whether the pre-1966 arrangement is not better - that is one in which State Police will operate side by side the federal police. Those in favour recall with nostalgia when our police forces worked and cooperated, apprehending criminals and being widely respected. Those against admit this but point out that a lot has changed since then in terms of demography, technology and propensity to criminal behaviour.

The antagonists of State Police also add that the various regional governments used their police to intimidate, harass and victimize political opponents. Enabling our imperial state governors to have their personal police would bring back those dark days of oppression, it is argued.

My position and that of our party the CPC are clear. We support the amendment of the Constitution to allow establishment of state and community police. This is because I believe that policing is largely a local, community-level matter. It makes no sense to hire a person from Calabar, send him to Maiduguri in search of criminals or insurgents without

understanding the language, culture and dominant religion of the area. This amendment will also entail the redefinition of our criminal law to distinguish between federal crimes (which the federal police will have jurisdiction) and state crimes which the state police will handle.

Jurisdiction over interstate crimes will necessarily be vested in the federal police, and our courts will be restructured jurisdictionally accordingly. This also means for instance, that the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria and the Criminal Code applicable to the Southern States need to be amended.

Is there a likelihood of gross abuse by the state governors in such a scenario? Certainly. The governors will try to employ all their erstwhile thugs as the new State Police. And they will attempt unleashing them on the opposition and political opponents. It is our duty as citizens to stand up to them. Not doing the right thing because we fear the abuse by some of 36 individuals is not an option. The governors must be checked by the power of citizens. And unless the police is made to work we will not have a functioning state. And that will be a very sad thing indeed.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Sleeping pill users ‘up to five times more likely to die early’ S

leeping pills used by millions of Britons may increase the risk of early death more than five-fold, warn researchers.

The higher the dose, the greater the risk. Those on higher doses also have an increased risk of cancer.

But a study suggests even patients taking fewer than 18 pills a year are more likely to die prematurely than those not on medication.

The findings come from U.S. research, but most of the drugs involved are commonly prescribed in Britain.

They include benzodiazepines such as temazepam and diazepam, newer sedative hypnotics zolpidem, zopiclone and zaleplon, and barbiturates and sedative antihistamines.

British experts said worried patients should not stop taking the pills but talk to their GPs first.

The study found those prescribed sleeping pills were 4.6 times more likely to die during a two-and-a-half-year period compared with those not on the

drugs.

Those taking the lowest doses – four to 18 pills a year – had a 3.6 times higher risk of dying compared with non-users.

But the study, conducted by researchers at the Jackson Hole Centre for Preventive Medicine in Wyoming and the Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Centre in California, found the risk was greater at higher doses.

Those taking 18 to 132 pills a year had a 4.4 times higher risk of dying, while those on more than 132 pills a year were 5.3 times more likely to die.

Those taking the highest doses each year accounted for 93 per cent of prescriptions in the study.

This group was also 35 per cent more likely to develop a major cancer. For the drug zolpidem, the risk of death was 5.7 times higher, and for temazepam 6.6 times higher.

The effects were greatest among 18 to 55-year-olds, although the reasons are not clear.

Just over 10,500 patients

The study found non-drug treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy may be more successful than sleeping pills (file picture)

Researchers in the U.S. have found taking sleeping pills increases the risk of death by five times

taking sleeping pills were compared with 23,500 not on the drugs, and the study took into account pre-existing illnesses.

The researchers concluded non-drug treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy may be more successful and NHS guidance backing ‘even shortterm use of hypnotics’ should be reconsidered.

Writing in BMJ Open, they said: ‘The meagre benefits of hypnotics, as critically reviewed by groups without financial interest, would not justify substantial risks.’

The journal’s editor-in-chief Dr Trish Groves added: ‘Although the authors have not been able to prove that sleeping pills cause premature death... these findings raise important concerns.’

Insomnia prescription figures show that in 2010 in England, 2.8million were given for temazepam and almost 5.3million for zopiclone. There were also more than 725,000 prescriptions for zolpidem and more than 9,400 for zaleplon.

Malcolm Lader, professor of clinical psychopharmacology at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, said patients should discuss any concerns they had with their GPs but ‘should not under any circumstances stop taking their medication’ suddenly.

He added: ‘I agree these drugs do have problems, but I find some of these results difficult to accept.

‘The main one is that with 18 doses a year you have three times the mortality – that’s quite incredible, because you would have people dropping like flies.

‘We need to hold judgment until we have further studies.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

New proof: Daily dose of fish oil does help keep your brain young

E

ating fish helps keep your brain young, claim scientists.

They found diets lacking an essential nutrient in oily fish may hasten brain shrinkage and mental decline.

People eating the least amount of omega-3 fatty acids had less brain mass - equivalent to about two years of chronological ageing.

Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids were also associated with poor test scores for visual memory, problem solving, multitasking and abstract thinking.

It is thought that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils may reduce inflammation of the brain and play a part in brain development and nerve cell regeneration.

Britons are currently advised to eat fish at least twice a week, including one portion of oily fish.

In a new study, brain scans carried out on 1,575 people with an average age of 67 showed a greater rate of brain shrinkage in those who lacked docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid

that is thought to help nerve cells communicate with each other.

The richest source of the nutrient is oily fish, such as herring, mackerel and sardines.

Dr Zaldy Tan, an Alzheimer’s researcher from the University of California at Los Angeles, who led the US research reported in the journal Neurology, said: ‘People with lower blood levels of omega3 fatty acids had lower brain volumes that were equivalent to about two years of structural brain ageing.’

The study involved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans and tests for mental function and omega-3 fatty acids in red blood cells.

Participants whose DHA levels were among the bottom 25 per cent had smaller brains than those with higher DHA levels.

Low levels of all omega-3 fatty acids were also associated with poor test scores for visual memory, problem solving, multitasking and abstract thinking.

The best dietary source of omega 3 fatty acids is oily fish

because the human body cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids.

There has been an explosion in the number of foods fortified with omega-3 oils, such as chickens, margarine, eggs, milk and bread,

Brain boost: Eating oily fish has been linked to a slower decline in brain mass among pensioners

but they contain only small amounts.

Types of fish that contain high levels include tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies.

White fish is also a healthy food including cod, haddock and plaice although it contains lower levels of essential fatty acids.

Fish oil supplements are recommended as protection against heart attacks and sudden death, with regular fish eaters a third more likely to survive a heart attack.

Omega 3 fats work in several ways to reduce heart attack risk by cutting blood fats, reducing the chances of a blood clot and blocking dangerous heart rhythms that might otherwise prove fatal.

Dr Marie Janson, Director of Development at Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity, said: ‘There has been a lot of research into the effects of omega 3, and this study will add to that debate.

‘One strength of this study is

that it used blood samples to measure people’s dietary intake of omega 3, rather than relying on answers to questionnaires to assess the link between omega 3 and cognition.

‘However this research does not tell us whether the people studied got worse or better over time.

‘We would need to see largescale, long-term studies before we can know whether a diet high in omega 3 can protect against dementia, and people shouldn’t fill their freezers with oily fish just yet.

‘The best evidence for reducing your risk of dementia is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, take regular exercise and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check.

‘With 820,000 people affected by dementia in the UK, and a rapidly ageing population, we urgently need to find ways to prevent and treat the condition that means we must invest in research.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 37

There is no crisis in Nasarawa PDP INTERVIEW Adamu Oyaki is the Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa state. In this interview with Umar Mohammed, Oyaki reviews the crisis rocking the party in the state and submits that that those creating confusion have no reason to antagonize the party leadership.

T

he story going round is that your party is in serious crises, can you give us a clear picture of the situation?

Well I don’t think there is any serious crisis as being perceived but there are some people that want to create a crisis situation to suit their selfish interest. All we know is that there is only one PDP in the state under the leadership of Chief Yunana Iliya which we all belong. As far as we are concerned, that is the only genuine PDP recognized in the state.

But recently, a group emerged calling itself concerned Nassarawa State (PDP) members; they claimed they have some grievances with the present leadership and as such they are embarking on a reform mission, are you aware of this development?

We are aware of the development but like I mentioned earlier we have only one genuine party leadership in the state and by our party constitution, it is the only body vested with the responsibility of conducting or organizing any party activities in the state. As such we don’t recognize such a body. However it is unfortunate that we are facing such a situation at a time that we are preparing for our congress.

We are also disappointed that the person creating the confusion is somebody we look up

to as a leader who by virtue of his position should be a problem solver but the situation is the opposite. Well we are not bothered because we see them as a group of people desperately looking for recognition and power at all cost. Any genuine point that they have raised against the present leadership that warranted them to hold such meetings, if at all, they have any grievances let them table the issues and let us discuss them and see how best to solve them; not to create confusion.

The true situation is that these so called leaders want to turn the party to their personal property to determine things at any time and we say no because the PDP belong to the people and not anybody’s property, but like I said we are not bothered.

Don’t you think the present face-off with the group has to do with party leadership being loyal to the

Adamu Oyaki

immediate past Governor, Aliyu Akwe Doma?

Well it may be true but as far as I am concerned, they have no reason to fight Doma. I have personal respect for Doma as a man that always preaches peace, he avoids any situation that will result to violence and nobody can deny the fact that he is very much active politically.

That is why some people are scared. You see the mistake people are making is that they see politics as noise making or as gathering thugs to create problems. Politics is all about mobilizing people to

“

The true situation is that these so called leaders want to turn the party to their personal property to determine things at any time and we say no because the PDP belong to the people and not anybody’s property, but like I said we are not bothered

pursue a particular ideology at any time and at any moment.

Although I am not holding brief for Doma the fact is that Doma have a strong political structure in the state to achieve any political agenda at any time and at any moment. That is why they are scared; having sleepless nights and organizing all sort of meetings on how to destroy him politically. Tell me, what do you think will happen if he also comes out to use the same pattern, for sure there will be chaos which will be to the detriment of the party and the state; we respect his posture. At this level, people should be seen as problem solvers and not problem creators.

One of the issues raised against you is that of embezzlement. I learnt that the issue is before a court in Lafia.

What is your take on that?

Well, I have never commented on that because the matter was in court but for the sake of this interview, let me say something very briefly. It is all part of the desperate strategy to destroy us politically and it is unfortunate that some people don’t have the

fear of God. The little boys that he wants to plant as party officiasl are the ones championing all these with his support and we are aware it is the forum that raise N200,000 for the woman to hire a lawyer to go to court and claim that we are threatening her life.

I have no deal with the woman.

Yunana has no deal with her but they went round propagating the issue just to give us a bad name. I learnt that Aliyu Bello is going about with a cheque, we shall address that at the appropriate time with the bank and Aliyu Bello. The woman has withdrawn the case in court because she had no ground. Like I said, we have no deal with her. It was an issue between her and her brother who happened to be the Treasurer of the party and, as I am talking to you, she is yet to pay him his money and the issue is in court.

What do you think are some of the reasons that led to your party’s failure in the April gubernatorial election and how do you intend to address the problems?

It was simply the act of betrayal. We were betrayed by the people we trusted. We sat with them and took decisions and they acted contrarily; and these are the same group now making noise about reforms. In one of (Aliyu) Wadada’s interviews, he said he lost election and the PDP never bothered to say anything to him. That is why he decided to pitch tent with the other camp.

He also claimed it was as a result of our association with Doma. It is interesting to know that it was Wadada that brought ADOSA to Nasarawa state. A political association that worked for Doma’s aspiration and the same wadada is now claiming that we lost elections because of the associations. It is unfortunate. I will advise them to focus on better issues that will help build our party than creating unnecessary confusion to gain cheap recognition.

Gov Nyako denies owing workers’ salaries

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

A

Gov. Murtala Nyako

damawa state governor, Murtala Nyako, has challenged those who accused him of owing the state workers backlog of salaries to take him to Industrial Court if they were sure of their claims.

The Governor, who was on a visit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa yesterday told State House correspondents that the workers went on strike on September 5th, 2011 and did not resume until October 24th and therefore did not deserve to be paid under international labour laws.

"The first line in international law is that no

work no pay; so if you have any grudge against me take me to the industrial court. I said we will not pay when you have not worked. It's not that we don't have money to pay but that you didn't work for it, even the governor was not paid because it was assumed that the governor was on strike too because the state was on strike.

"So we used the money to pay for our road projects. I was one of the advocates of N18,000 minimum wage and was the first to announce that we will pay N18,000. In fact there is nobody receiving less than N20,000 in Adamawa state right now," Nyako said.

On his focus in the new administration, the governor

said "We are a state of 3.6 million people and we assume we have eight persons per family, meaning we have 450,000 families and out of this figure 80 per cent (367,000) are very poor.

"We have a programme to eradicate poverty for 10 years.

Each year, we are trying to empower, 36,000 families and I am delighted to tell you that in 2011 we were able to empower about 40,000 families.

"In 2010 it was 34,000 families that were empowered.

So we will continue to empower families to earn at least N1 million annually from the activities they are involved in," Nyako assured.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Police minister’s guber ambition breaks Ekiti PDP From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

G

overnorship ambition of the Police Affairs Minister, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd) is currently causing ripples in the Ekiti State chapter of the People Democratic Party (PDP).

PDP Chieftains in the state warned that if nothing is done to checkmate the Minister fast, the party may be heading for the rocks ahead of gubernatorial election.

According to a two-page report

signed by the Ekiti Southwest Local Government (ESWLG) Chairman of the party and ward Chairmen of the party in IlaweEkiti, a copy of which was made available to our reporter in Lagos , they said Captain Olubolade was at Ilawe-Ekiti where he declared his ambition to contest the state governorship election in 2014.

The report, which the source told our reporter, has been sent to the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party, was signed by

Mr. Jegede Sola, EKSWLG PDP Chairman, Alabi Akomolafe, Chief Obabi Afolayan, Mr. S.O. Ogundele, Mr. Oke Philips Ojo, Chairmen for Wards 2, 3, 5, and 1 respectively.

Other leaders of the party, who signed the report, were Kolawole Ajofoyinbo, Olu Aduloju and James Remi-Familoni.

They alleged that the Police Minister declared his intention to contest the state governorship at a meeting held in the house of one

Alhaji Gani Bankole in Ilawe-Ekiti.

"At about 11.00am, the Hon. Minister rose up to address the crowd by saying as an Ekiti indigene who has the interest of his people in mind, I want to tell you that I am interested in the Governorship position of the party, PDP come 2014. The work must begin now and we must do everything humanly possible to clear the next coming congress of the party at all levels to pave way for the reality of the

L-R: President G o o d l u c k Jonathan, Ag. PDP National Chairman Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje and Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, at PDP NEC meeting, on Wednesday, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

PDP National Secretary: Babatope will be an asset, associates declare

By Lawrence Olaoye

A

ssociates of Chief Ebenezer Babatope in the Second Republic have declared that he would be an asset to the party if elected the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its forthcoming National Convention.

In a joint statement issued in Enugu by the duo of Dr. Ejike Nwankwo and Mazi Chris Okoro in support of Babatope's aspiration,

they described him as the right choice for the job.

According to the statement, "Chief Babatope's intention for the exalted office of the PDP National Secretary is a political Earthquake and a great asset to the Democratic Party, if he is elected as the National Secretary".

They believed that Chief Babatope "is in the likes of the erstwhile party strategists and organizers such as the late Maxi S. G. Ikoku, the first Secretary

General of the defunct Action Group, AG, of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, the first Protem National Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN, who later became the President of the Senate.

They described Chief Babatope as "a well known politician, Awoist to the core and former National Director of organization of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, founded by Chief Awolowo

within 24 hours when the ban on politics was lifted by the then military administration.

The statement read further, "the recent impressive television press discussions by Chief Ebenezer Babatope during the fuel subsidy strike, projected President Goodluck Jonathan's good intentions in the fuel subsidy matters. A good job considered by many viewers as a job that can only done by an excellent party spokesperson"

Nasarawa Assembly shields member charged for certificate forgery From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

I

n a bid to shield a colleague from prosecution in a case of certificate forgery, members of the PDP dominated Nasarawa state House of Assembly have resorted to blackmail by setting pre-conditions for cooperating with the Congress for Progressive Change {CPC}'s administration of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura.

Peoples Daily, reliably gathered that one of the pre-conditions may have been for the state government to drop the charges of certificate forgery against the immediate past Majority Leader, Peter Mbucho (PDP, Akwanga) It could be recalled that AlMakura had a running battle with the lawmakers, particularly the 20

members of the PDP extraction last year over some issues that made governance near-impossible for him.

There was a petition against Mbucho by One Halilu Haruna alleging that he forged his National Certificate of Education (NCE) certificate as well as some of his primary and secondary school documents, which he used to contest elections to the House of Assembly in 2007 and again in 2011.

But in a reaction the Nasarawa state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mohammed Abdullahi has insisted that the Ministry would prosecute anyone no matter how highly placed.

However, investigations by our reporter revealed that during the "peace talks" that were held to resolve

the impasse between the executive and legislature, the members had given some conditions to the executive among them was that the governor should ensure that the Ministry of Justice does not prosecute Mbucho.

Impeccable sources also disclosed that as part of the plan to kill the petition, the bucks then fell on the table of the State Deputy Governor, Damishi Luka, who prevailed on the petitioner, who happened to come from the same constituency as the deputy governor, to withdraw the petition.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner, further maintained that "The MOJ is poised and will continue to execute its Constitutional duties of prosecution of suspects accused of one crime or the other. We

are on course to diligently prosecute offenders; no matter how highly placed" According to him, "We don't discriminate at all, we are professionals guided by our very own rules of engagement".

"No one can dictate to us, certainly not the MOJ that I head.

We are independent, our conducts are guided by the provision of the law and public interest," he declared.

Other conditions given by the lawmakers were that the governor should ensure the release of their allowances and other benefits as well as dissolve and protect their interests by giving them slots on the Local Governments (LG) and Development Areas (DAs) Transition Monitoring Committees, which the governor has adhered to.

ambition," they said.

It was further stated in the report that it was agreed at the meeting that "efforts should be made to sabotage Engr. Olusegun Oni's case."

Olubolade was said to have also donated a sum of N500, 000 to his group to purchase nomination forms and mobilisation towards the party congress, and promised to make available a sum of N50 million to prosecute the Congress.

Ibori's guilty plea castigates Nigeria judiciary, says CPC

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

C

ongress for Progressive Change (CPC) has stated that the latest twist and turn in the on- going trial of James Ibori at London's South-walk Crown Court in which the former PDP Governor of Delta State pleaded guilty to the allegation of stealing $250million (about N38.75Billion) from the state and laundering same through offshore Companies, was a huge indictment of Nigeria's judicial system.

In a statement issued in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Rotimi Fashakin, CPC regretted that in 2009, Justice Marcel Awokulehin of the Federal High Court, Asaba absolved James Ibori of all the 170- count charge of corruption and money laundering brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

It further condemned the decision of Justice Hussein Mukhtar to dismiss in 2004, a charge brought by two PDP members alleging that Ibori had once been convicted by an Abuja Upper Area Court.

Meanwhile, according to the prosecuting counsel, Sasha Wass, QC, "Ibori had 'tricked' his way into becoming a governor between 1999 and 2007, by giving a false date of birth and claiming he had no criminal record. He was never the legitimate governor and there was effectively a thief in Government House. As the pretender of that public office, he was able to plunder Delta State's wealth and hand out patronage."

In another development, CPC expressed shock over the subsisting perpetual injunction by the former PDP Rivers state governor, Dr Peter Odili, restraining the EFCC from prosecuting him.

According to the party, "we are miffed by this bizarre order, with no judicial precedent or any supportable Nigerian law, which was issued by Justice Ibrahim Nyaure Buba of the Federal High Court."

"A formal petition sent to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi on 20th November, 2009 by a UKbased Nigerian Lawyer, was dismissed as 'unmeritorious".

It therefore reminded the Judiciary that all power is of an encroaching nature, saying that judicial power is not immuned to this human weakness and should therefore guard itself from encroaching beyond its bounds.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

APGA leadership tussle: Court dismisses Okorie’s suit

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize the Chekwas Okorie led national officers of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

APGA’s National Vice Chairman (South), Benjamin Duru, had filed a suit seeking an order prohibiting INEC from relating with the party in any manner which is inconsistent with the decisions reached at the September 2, 2009 National Convention where the party officials were elected.

The party was last year granted leave to apply for judicial review by way of an order of mandamus compelling the electoral body to implement resolutions passed by the party at its national convention.

The Victor Umeh led faction of the party had argued that the suit was not properly instituted and that Okorie had violated an order of court which said status quo be maintained when he convened the September 2009 convention.

But Duru said Okorie had nothing to do with the Convention as he was the one that convened it. The trial Judge, Justice Bilkisu Aliyu in her ruling said the suit was not properly filed as it was filed outside the three months period provided in Order 34 Rule 4 of the Federal High Court Rules.

The court also said since Okorie did not convene the September 2009 National Convention, he cannot demand to be recognized by INEC for the election which held in that convention.

The court held that the convention took place during the pendency of Okorie’s appeal against the judgment of an Abuja High Court which upheld his suspension from APGA and recognized Umeh as Chairman; as such, it amounted to an abuse of court process.

Moreover, the court said the convention was an utter disregard of the judiciary which had earlier ordered that status quo be maintained.

Justice Aliyu dismissed the suit for lacking in merit and competence. It would be recalled that the Umeh led faction of the party had in September 2009 gone to an Abuja Federal High Court asking it to set aside the convention and any resolution reached at the convention held

by Chekwas Okorie in the name of the party on September 2, 2009.

PAGE 39

Ekweremadu calls for stiffer sub-regional security laws D

By Ali Alkali

eputy President of the Senate and Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has called for stiffer anti-terrorism laws and concerted efforts by ECOWAS member states to stem the tide of insecurity and terrorism in the sub-region.

Ekweremadu said “We must all rise up to snatch our subregion, economies and collective innocence from the gnawing jaws of terrorism and insecurity, while our national parliaments must urgently strengthen all security and anti-terrorism legal frameworks of their

individual states.”

The Deputy Senate President made the call at the opening of the Seminar “The Role of the ECOWAS Parliament in the West African Integration Process” for members of ECOWAS Parliament in Accra.

According to him, integration should not be seen as an end in itself, but a means to achieving speedy development and prosperity in the sub-region.

He therefore, called for greater enforcement of ECOWAS Protocols as well as collaborative efforts among all governments of ECOWAS member nations; their relevant agencies and stakeholders to checkmate

terrorism and insecurity, as no individual nation could independently address the challenges successfully.

The ECOWAS Speaker further revealed that a Consultative meeting of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments of ECOWAS was underway to ensure that ECOWAS Parliament works closely with all our National Parliaments to promote integration, democracy, good governance, and security of life and property in the sub-region.

Also at the seminar, President John Atta Mills of Ghana decried the low intra-regional trade and proliferation of illegal

Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (2nd right), signing the Public Procurement Bill into law, on Wednesday in Benin. With him are Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Uyi Igbe (right), Majority Leader, Hon Philip Shaibu, (2nd left), and Commissioner for Finance, Mr. John Inegbedion (left).

checkpoints on West African highways.

The Ghanaian President who was represented by Vice President John Mahama, urged Nigeria to rise up to the “challenges of economic leadership of the sub-region,” saying since Nigeria controls 60 percent of the West African economy, it must “fix her energy deficit and overhaul her customs machinery to make it transparent, fair, and devoid of arbitrariness.”

President Atta Mills regretted that illegal checkpoints have continued to persist on the West Africa highways irrespective of the establishment of free trade zone and political integration in the sub-region.

Citing examples of two unnamed countries from the latest West African trade hub quarterly survey, he said such unofficial barriers remain pains in the neck of meaningful trade and free movement of ECOWAS citizens, goods and services.

“In one, for every hundred kilometres you have 17 control points, and you pay an average of $54 in bribes and spend about 55 minutes per control point,” he lamented.

President Atta Mills who deplored the low intra-regional trade volume which he put at 10 percent deplored the weak enforcement of ECOWAS Protocols on free movement saying that it runs contrary to the vision of the founding fathers of the sub-regional body.

“Even though the Protocol allows you 90 day visa free entry, a border official can restrict that to say a week’s stay at his discretion”, he pointed out.

Adulterated diesel: ACN commends SON, calls for remedial action

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

F

ollowing an alarm raised by the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) about the flood of adulterated diesel in the country, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), commended the organization for being alive to its responsibility.

SON, had early this week alerted the Nigerian public to be careful with their purchase of diesel as the market is flood with fake products.

ACN which gave the

commendation in a statement issued yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, urged SON to follow up on its discovery by taking remedial action to save the public from the effects of adulterated diesel.

It also said those responsible for importing adulterated diesel to the country must be fished out and brought to justice to serve as a deterrent.

The party said it should not be difficult to identify those responsible

for the heinous act, since there is a cabal that has cornered diesel importation into the country.

“According to SON, most of the diesel in circulation in the Nigerian petroleum product market is mixed, to varied proportion with kerosene, and the diesel being sold by all the 21 front line filling stations sampled by the organization was highly adulterated, mostly with kerosene at alarming rates of contamination ranging from 15 percent to 65 percent.

“This revelation is disturbing, to say the least, considering the effect such adulteration will have on dieselpowered generators and vehicles, and the resultant implication for the economy, especially because most businesses depend on generators to power their operations", the party said.

It further called on all Nigerians, especially the National Assembly, to join SON in checking the activities of the unscrupulous people behind the importation of such adulterated diesel.

FCT Minister tasks PDP members on democratic ideals at congresses From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

T

he Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, yesterday tasked members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to embrace peace and democratic ethics which, she said, are the hallmarks of the party.

The minister stated this in a statement made available to

newsmen in Ibadan signed by her media aide, Alhaji Kehinde Isiaka ahead of the congresses of the PDP scheduled to begin nation-wide on Saturday.

The minister pointed out that the only way to demonstrate the sincerity of the concerted efforts at papering all cracks within the party through genuine reconciliation of hitherto aggrieved members was to conduct the congresses that would be

benchmarked in best and standard practices for other states.

Akinjide hinted that the plea for peace was necessary to continue to allow the peaceful atmosphere that saw the party mauling the “garrulous but ineffectual” ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) during the rerun poll at Irepo/ Olorunsogo/Oorelope Federal Constituency.

In her word: “The reinvigorated PDP in Oyo is unstoppable and

roaring to crush all opposition. The people of the state have regretted what they did during the last April election and have now shown voters’ remorse. The PDP has heard their cry and lamentation and we shall rescue them from the quagmire into which they have been trapped since the last election.”

She further called on PDP members throughout the state to sustain the peace that has returned to the party.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

INEC tasks parties on internal democracy Umar aMohammed with Agency reports

T

he INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kaduna State, Alhaji Haliru Tambuwal, has urged political parties in the country to imbibe internal democracy and strengthen the polity.

Tambuwal gave the charge during a stakeholders' forum ahead of the Saturday March 3 fresh elections into three state constituencies.

The affected constituencies are Giwa West, Kubau and Igabi East.

He said that imposition of candidates and lack of internal

democracy in the various political parties was a major source of acrimony and crisis during elections.

He advised them to always field credible and popular candidates for polls to enable the parties win elections and serve the people.

The commissioner noted that much abuses and crises had been recorded since political parties were given the chance to screen and replace their candidates.

He then advocated for a return of the powers to screen candidates nominated by the parties to INEC to minimize the rancor occasioned by the manipulations of politicians for selfish reasons.

He suggested a review of Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2011, which stipulated the screening and replacement of candidates to be fielded by the parties asking that INEC be given powers to reject unpopular or questionable

contestants.

He also advised the parties to hold regular consultative meetings to resolve their differences and deepen the democratic process.

On the upcoming state constituency elections, the Commissioner urged the stakeholders, including the political parties, electorates, security agencies and the media, to undertake the exercise patriotically and lawfully.

Kebi guber re-run: CPC not ready for governorship election, says lawmaker From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

T

he only Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] member in Kebbi state House of Assembly that won the Appeal court case, Hon. Kabiru Abdullahi representing Koko-Besse constituency, has said that the party is not going to accept 17th March 2012 proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] for the governorship election in the state.

He stated this yesterday in House of Assembly complex Brinin Kebbi in an interaction with our reporter jkuist as he added that the People Democratic Party [PDP] in the state was tryinng to lobby the INEC to ensure that election is been conducted 17th of this month. He said the CPC is appealing to the INEC to reconsider the date in order for the other political parties to campaign across the state.

Abdullai further explained that the leadership of the PDP in the state was afraid with the present leadership. ''They don't have confidence in the acting governor because he is weak in the leadership so anything can happen if the election was taking too long'' he claimed.

The lawmaker also pointed out the CPC would win the election in the state if only the INEC could ensure a free and fair contest. He added that the party would welcome its governorship candidate on Sunday.

Abdullai however called on the people of the state to rally round and support CPC for change especially on the issue of implementation of workers salary even as he appealed to them to support the party in the state House of Assembly bye election in Zuru local government coming up this weekend.

Contacted, the state Residential INEC Commissioner, Alhaji Mikaila Abdulahi, said date has not been fixed for the gubernatorial election in the state maintain that only Zuru state House of Assembly election that has been fixed for Saturday, March 3rd. He however clarified that the date for the Kebbi governorship election would be fixed soon.

L-R: Members, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Nosakhara Isaac Osahom and Hon. Mustapha Khabeeb, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Abike Dabiri, and Chief of Mission, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Nigeria, Mr. Martin Ocaga, during the IOM visit to the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

“The responsibility of conducting a perfect election is for all of us stakeholders; every one of us must do his bid diligently to achieve desired results,'' he said.

He explained that the poll was in compliance with court orders and assured the stakeholders of INEC's readiness to conduct an improved free, fair, credible and acceptable election.

Tambuwal said 669 electoral personnel would be deployed to conduct the polls in the affected 123 polling units.

The commissioner said that the ANPP, ACN, CPC, PDP and PRP would be participating in the election.

Similarly, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ballah Nassarawa, assured that security agencies would operate with ``high degree of professionalism'' and without fear or favour.

Represented by his Deputy, Mr Nwodibo Ekechukwu, the Police chief disclosed that restriction of movement by unauthorised persons and non-registered voters would be enforced in the affected areas on the polling day to prevent breach of public peace.

According to him, over 2,676 police personnel will be engaged for the election in addition to the deployment of other security agencies to ensure the success of the poll.

Nassarawa appealed to residents to volunteer useful information that could assist in nipping in the bud any security breach.

Rep calls for endorsement of migration policy in Nigeria A

By Lawrence Olaoye

member of the House of Representatives and the Chairman of House committee on Diaspora, Rep Abuke Dabiri-Erewa, has called on the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to endorse the migration policy of the country in the overall interest migrants.

Dabiri-Erewa made the call on Thursday in Abuja when her committee received the delegation of International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

She said the nation needs to have a migration policy to understand the pattern of migration and rationale for such movements.

The lawmaker said it was disheartening to learn that 70 per cent of those migrants reside in ECOWAS countries. ``I think what we need now is the endorsement of the migration policy by the FEC. It will protect migrants and will enable us to know the pattern of movement and why people migrate'', she said.

Dabiri-Erewa (ACN-Lagos) commended the IOM for its humanitarian gesture and for rehabilitating the returnees in the country.

Earlier, the IOM chief of

Mission, Mr Martin Ocaga said that the body has facilitated over 3,662 migrants back to Nigeria with 3,495 of them from Libya and the Middle East.

Ocaga said migrants are still returning and figures to Nigeria, as the group had booked two flights, which would be due in the country in few days.

He said the organisation came to sensitize the parliament and the executive arm on its activities and lobby for speedy endorsement of migration and internally displace policy.

Ocaga said the endorsement would facilitate its work with other international bodies having similar aims and objectives.

He applauded some Nigeria agencies assisting the group in the rehabilitation of migrants and returnees from war torn countries like Libya in the country.

He solicited for more support from both government and private bodies in bring back home and settle the migrants in Nigeria. ``We are here to also partner with you and other agencies to build data base for Nigerians in the

Diaspora, issue and management of remittances and mapping of Diaspora and to support government technically'', he said.

He said most of the migrants do not have necessary documents and technical know-how, hence the need for training for them at various camps to get them rehabilitated.

Ocaga said that once all the data are captured, remittances from the Diaspora could be in cash, kind and knowledge geared towards contributing to the development of the country.

NCP’s scribe calls for ‘people’s conference’ to discuss Nigeria,

T

he National Secretary of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr Yunusa Tanko, has called for the convocation of a National Conference to forge a better way forward for Nigeria.

Tanko made the call in Abuja on yesterday. Accoprding to him, because of the many challenges facing the country at the moment, it was important to convene a "People's Conference", rather than stifle the call out rightly.

He maintained that such agitations should be tackled properly so that the people would be given better living conditions.

''The government needs to concentrate on governance, providing jobs for the youth and taking care of the infrastructure decay that has happened in those areas of agitation.''

Tanko noted that it was reasonable to understand the argument by the National Assembly that their duties will be undermined if such a conference is held.

The NCP scribe, however, argued that it was possible for the National Assembly to find a common ground where all Nigerians could meet to discuss the national issues that were of concern to them.

"Representatives can emerge from all the constituencies and sit with the National Assembly members to discuss the matters affecting us; that way, you do not dissolve the duties of the National Assembly.''

Tanko advised that the division of the country should not be an issue at the conference, saying that such agitation would only diminish our strength as a country.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to stay a united and indivisible saying, "Our strength is coming together as one and facing our common challenge which is the progress of this country''.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 41

Court dismisses Owumi’s suit against Ibidapo-Obe, Baribote

Eagles will qualify for 2013 Nations Cup, Maigari assures

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he Super Eagles will qualify for the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has assured Nigerians.

Maigari was reacting to the goalless draw the Eagles posted in Kigali, Rwanda on Wednesday and declared that with proper preparation and focus the decisive leg in June will be won with relative ease.

“I am assuring ball fans and indeed other Nigerians that the NFF will put in place all machinery to ensure the Super Eagles not only beat Rwanda here, but also win the final qualifying fixture in Saptember/ October. We must be at the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa”, he said.

Maigari spoke in Abuja as the Nigeria delegation to Wednesday’s qualifying match against Rwanda returned to Nigeria in the early hours of Thursday, and against the backdrop of the 0-0 result against the Amavubi Stars in Kigali.

“We planned for a win in Rwanda but got a scoreless draw. While we would have preferred to win, there is no need crying over spilt milk. The onus is now on us to prepare hard to win the return leg in Nigeria, and reach the final qualifying round.

“The NFF will ensure that the camping programme of the home boys is sustained and more friendly matches will be organised for them, such as the international friendly on 23rd May against Peru in Lima, so that they can always take responsibility even

Stories by Patrick Andrew

Joseph Yobo, Skipper Super Eagles against the top teams of the world when the need arises.

Nigeria will host Rwanda in the return leg match in Nigeria on June17. But before then, the Eagles take on Namibia and Malawi in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches on June 3 and June 10 respectively.

The Eagles host Namibia’s Brave Warriors in Nigeria on June 3 before flying to Blantyre to play the Flames of Malawi on June 10.

FG won’t allow age cheats in cadet teams, Minister declares

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he supervising Minister of Sports, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, said yesterday that the Federal Government would not allow use of over-aged players in any of the national teams.

The minister said this when he paid a visit to the Golden Eagles training session at the National Stadium,

Bolaji Abdullahi

Abuja.

“I am happy to be here today because I was worried about what happened in the past. I came to see things for myself; we have to shift our mentality from competition to developmental football.

“This administration will not allow use of over age players in the national teams. We have to get it right from the lower levels before moving to the top. Iam happy with the processes going on in this camp,” he said.

Consequently, he urged the coaches to devote time to search out for the talents needed to form the new Golden Eaglets and instil both mental and physical discipline in them.

“Take your time to do what is right for the development of these boys, we will always be there for you at any time,” he stressed.

On the goalless draw of the Super Eagles with Amavubi boys of Rwanda in the first leg of the 2013 Nations Cup qualifiers played in Kigali, the minister said that such a result was better than losing the game.

He also praised the building process of the senior National team by Stephen Keshi, saying that the process would ensure the development of the country’s football.

The minister commended the coach for instilling discipline in the team and expressed delight that exinternationals were the ones handling some of the national teams.

J

ustice Abubakar Umar of the Federal High Court Abuja yesterday dismissed a suit filed by Davidson Owumi against the Nigeria Premier League on the grounds that it was “a gross abuse of court process” as well as an attempt to use a legal process to accomplish an unlawful purpose.

Owumi, who was deposed by the court as Chairman of the NPL board, had challenged the verdict of an administrative panel constituted by the NFF and headed by Professor Akin Ibidapo-Obe. The Arbitration Tribunal had recommended among others the annulment of Owumi’s claimed election as chairman of the NPL on May 2008 and directed that refresh elections be conducted for the post as well as that of the Chairman of Chairmen.

The recommendations were ratified by the Congress of the NFF head in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State later in December, some seven months after the elections.

However, the decision was resisted even as Owumi through his legal counsel called to question the jurisdiction of the administrative panel over football matters.

Consequently, he had sued the professor and Chief Victor Baribote, who is the Chairman of the board of Nigeria Premier League (NPL), in an attempt to regain his mandate.

In the suit filed on his behalf, Owumi filed motion for an interlocutory injunction to nullify the decision of the administrative panel and equally asked the court to void the tribunal’s declaration of Baribote as NPL Chairman.

But yesterday, while ruling on the suit, Justice Umar held that the suit filed by Owumi was “a gross abuse of court process” and an attempt to use a legal process to accomplish an unlawful purpose.

Justice Umar held that Owumi had earlier instituted a similar case at the Federal High Court which had the same jurisdiction as the FCT High Court.

The Judge said the doctrine of “res judicata” which means “finally decided” prevented a litigant from getting yet another day in court after the first lawsuit had been concluded by another court.

He said the judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court on the suit filed by Owumi was binding.

It would be recalled that the Federal High Court had upheld the award of the Arbitration Tribunal headed by Ibidapo-Obe which nullified the 2010 poll.

“The rule provides that when a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment on the merits of a case, another court with the same jurisdiction, cannot adjudicate on the same matter.

“The final judgment on the matter

by my brother Justice Kolawole bars further claims by the same parties based on the same cause of action.

“Owumi failed in his attempts to convince the court that the suit he filed at the FCT High Court is not the same as the one which judgment had earlier been delivered at the Federal High Court,” he said.

Umar, therefore, struck out the suit for lack of merit.

Earlier, Justice Kolawole in a judgment he delivered on August 3, 2011, ordered the conduct of fresh elections into two positions on the NPL board within 30 days and not more than 45 days.

Kolawole had dismissed the suit filed

by Owumi asking the court to order the NFF to declare him winner of the 2010 NPL elections saying it lacked merit.

The former Rangers Team Manager and Sharks player had also wanted the court to declare that his removal as NPL Chairman in December 2010 by the NFA annual general assembly in Uyo was null and void.

Kolawole had held that Owumi failed in his attempts to convince the court that he did not take part in the arbitration tribunal’s sittings.

He pointed out that Owumi participated by nominating Paul Chibuzor as an arbitrator after the NFA Appeals Committee had resolved that the matter be taken to the Arbitration Tribunal.

Davidson Owumi

Aminu Maigari

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Ikpeba commends coaching crew

Nigeria Nation-Wide League begins with 18 matches

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E

ighteen amateur league division one matches will be played this weekend in many Nigerian cities, as the 2011/2012 Nigeria Nation-Wide League (NNWL) gets underway with 38 clubs participating.

The competition, known as the National Amateur League until last December when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) approved its name change, is, however, kicking off on a low note.

The organiser of the league had earlier planned a pre-season seminar and draws to herald the competition, but the league secretariat has said this was not possible as a result of “certain logistics problems”.

“We did not hold the two activities as planned because some things were not in place, and we didn’t want to put off the competition’s kick-off date,” Emmanuel Adesanya, the league’s secretary said.

However, according to the fixtures made available, the matches will hold in the competition’s four groups, with two clubs standing by due to the number of clubs in their groups.

Division One A and Divisin One D have nine clubs each, while Division One B and Divisin One C have 10 clubs each.

In Division One A, Afijio FC will face Union Bank FC of Lagos on Friday, while Injectors FC will host FC Ebedei same day.

Bolowotan FC will host Fountain FC on Saturday, while Dynamite Force FC will host Olorunda FC on Sunday, with Ilesha West FC standing by.

In Division One B, Relaxers FC are at home to Ambassadors FC, while FC Inter of Enugu will host Akpabio Stars of Uyo on Friday, and Sagwe FC will host UNTH FC of Enugu on Saturday.

On Sunday, Bekwara FC will be hosting Gabros International FC, while Okpe United will also host Enyimba Feeder FC. Division One C will on Saturday see Yobe Desert Stars of Damaturu hosting Kuje United, Mighty Jets of Jos hosting Doma United and Makwada FC will be at home to Flash Flamingoes FC. On Sunday, Lobi Junior FC will host Dabo Babes, while Jimeta United will visit Supreme Court FC on Monday.

In Division One D, where VON FC of Abuja are standing by, Apa United will host Bida Lions and Boro United will host DSS FC on Saturday.

FC Lokoja will visit Court of Appeal FC of Abuja on Sunday, while the Nigeria Prisons FC will host Jarma FC of Kano on Monday.

Manu Garba

Emmanuel Amuneke

Manu, Ugbade accept Minister’s challenge, vow to breed real Eaglets

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oaches of the Golden Eaglets have accepted the challenge of the Supervising Minister of Sport, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi to raise new talented players capable of taking Nigerian football to greater heights in the future.

The Minister said this during his surprise visit during one of the team’s screening session where he directed the coaches not just to select a talented bunch but players within the age bracket.

“The coaches have long said that they would not abuse the privileges given to them to raise the next Golden Eaglets that Nigerians would be proud of in the future,” explained the team’s media officer Abodunrin in a release.

“The visit of the Minister has further reassured them on the noble part they have chosen to screen as many players as possible in order to pick the ‘special ones’ amongst the lot.

“To say the coaches were happy about the Minister’s endorsement of their method is perhaps stating the obvious and this has conferred on them a sense of responsibility,” he added.

Close to 100 players underwent the First Phase of the screening exercise which was rounded off on Wednesday which incidentally coincided with the visit of an August visitor in no less a person than the Honourable Minister on the symbolic last day of the month of February 2012.

“I’m quite impressed that the coaches are drawing players from a very large pool,” the Minister further said, “and I believe this would help them in picking good players with the right credentials to play for the National under 17.”

The Second Phase of the screening exercise has begun in earnest with new set of players already at the FIFA Goal Project Site Camp of the Golden Eaglets.

N C

...As first phase of screening ends

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Bolaji Abdullahi, supervising Sports Minister

London Olympics: Nigeria, 15 others sign training agreements igeria and 15 other countries have signed training agreements with the management of the oaches of the Golden Eaglets have accepted the challenge of the Supervising Minister of Sport, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi to raise new talented players capable of taking Nigerian football to greater heights in the future.

The Minister said this during his surprise visit during one of the team’s

member of the NFF technical sub-committee, Victor Ikpeba, has lauded the coaches of the prospective Golden Eaglets for the method they have adopted to screen would-be-members of the Eaglets.

The Prince of Monaco as Ikpeba was fondly called during his playing days, said the method which focused on skill, docility and age were just what the country needs to grow talent that would graduate from one cadet level to the next thereby positioning the country for success.

“Things are taking shape and I’m okay with what I have seen so far,” stated Ikpeba who star for the Golden Eaglets at Scotland’89.

“The screening exercise is an ongoing thing and I want to reassure Nigerians that the NFF is ready to do the right thing and I have told the coaches that they should have zero tolerance for age cheats.

“I’m happy that the some of the coaches in-charge of the team passed through the Golden Eaglets before playing for the senior national team and I think that is the honourable path to take again” It was Ikpeba’s second visit to the camp since it was opened on January 20 and he expressed delight that the right basics were being imparted to the fledgling players with a view to developing their talents.

screening session where he directed the coaches not just to select a talented bunch but players within the age bracket.

“The coaches have long said that they would not abuse the privileges given to them to raise the next Golden Eaglets that Nigerians would be proud of in the future,” explained the team’s media officer Abodunrin in a release.

“The visit of the Minister has further reassured them on the noble part they have chosen to screen as many players

as possible in order to pick the ‘special ones’ amongst the lot.

“To say the coaches were happy about the Minister’s endorsement of their method is perhaps stating the obvious and this has conferred on them a sense of responsibility,” he added.

Close to 100 players underwent the First Phase of the screening exercise which was rounded off on Wednesday which incidentally coincided with the visit of an August visitor in no less a person than the Honourable Minister on the symbolic last day of the month of February 2012.

“I’m quite impressed that the coaches are drawing players from a very large

he first phase of the screening of players for the Golden Eaglets was rounded off Wednesday with officials expressing satisfaction about the quality and talents of some of the players seen so far.

The screening exercise took off on January 20 with more than 50 players in attendance. Head coach Garba Manu, his assistance Emmanuel Amuneke, Nduka Ugbade and and the gooalkeepr trainer worked to identify those they believe could be chiselled to shape “This kind of exercise should naturally throw up different type of players and our sole objective was to identify players that should fit into our plans. There is no doubt that we have achieved much of this.

“This is an on going exercise and we are not foreclosing the chances of seeing better players in the subsequent exercise just because we already have a list of players from this first phase.”

The second phase of the screening exercise is starting today with as many as 50 players expected at the NFF/FIFA Project Site Package B of the Abuja National Stadium.

“We had to be magnanimous to even allow some of the players who came without our invitation to show what the are capable of doing and this is to buttress the fact that we are open minded in picking just the best players for the team,” he added.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Just last week, UEFA president Michel Platini openly tips Germany for EURO 2012 glory based on his assessment of their technical depth, flair and team cohesion.

But Manchester United lifewire Wayne Rooney dismissed Platini’s judgement and declared that England have better prospects than Germany.

He speaks on several other matters including his exploits at United since joining from Everton eight years ago, noting that 2011 was nonetheless a standout year for Wayne Rooney.

His goals, and partnership with team-mate Javier Hernandez, guided the Red Devils to a record 19th league title and runners-up spot in the UEFA Champions League following a final defeat by Barcelona. The forward also narrowly missed out on scooping the 2011 FIFA Puskas Award, after his overhead kick against rivals Manchester City was pipped

by Neymar at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala in January this year.

While the Premier League is nearing its climax and the championship race with City looks like going all the way until the end of the season, Rooney must also turn his thoughts to this summer’s UEFA EURO 2012.

Once again, the hopes of a nation are pinned firmly on the 26-year-old, who is suspended for the first two group matches against France and Sweden but can return for the final Group D fixture and the knockout stages, should the Three Lions progress to the latter stages. In an exclusive interview with FIFA.com, Rooney reveals his aims for both club and country in 2012.

PAGE 43

Sir Alex Ferguson

Ryan Giggs

Paul Scholes

EURO 2012 glory: Rooney disagrees with Platini, says it’s England’s for taking

T

he season has been a bit up and down for Manchester United.

How do you see it so far?

Going out of the (UEFA) Champions League was obviously a big disappointment for us, but we are still in a great position in the league, we’re only a couple of points behind and a lot of games to go.

We’re confident that we can push on now, and start being a bit more consistent towards the end of the season. Personally, it’s been one of my best goalscoring seasons. I’ve scored 19 so far, and hopefully I can kick on and score a lot more towards the end of the season.

How would you sum up 2011 for yourself?

It was a good year. Winning the Premier League title was

the highest point of the year. It was a great moment for everyone connected to Manchester United. Obviously losing the Champions League final was a big disappointment so we have had highs and lows but, overall, it was a successful year for the club.

What targets have you set yourself for 2012?

We want to retain the Premier League and do well in the (UEFA) Europa League.

These are the two competitions we are left in and we want to do well, go far and hopefully win them.

In what ways does Sir Alex (Ferguson) help when the going gets tough?

He’s very experienced and a great manager. He knows

which players he can speak to and which players he can shout at, if he needs to. He knows how the players react and how to get the best out of them. I think that’s important especially in this day and age.

His mentality for the game, his commitment and desire are obviously things that the players try and take on themselves. For me personally, he’s been brilliant. He’s a great leader for our team.

With regards to the national team and the upcoming UEFA EURO 2012, what lessons have you learned from the FIFA World Cup 2010™ in South Africa that will help the team in Poland and Ukraine?

As a team, as a group of players, we go there better off.

I feel we’ll be a lot better than we were against Germany. The goal is to try and win the competition - it’s been a long time since England won one.

For us, we want to try to create a bit of a history, that’s our main aim.

UEFA reduced your ban to two matches. Do you think your freshness will help England in the final group game and possibly the knockout stages?

Hopefully we can do well in the first two matches that I’ll miss. And then hopefully the manager brings me back in and I’ve got a chance to help us try and win games and help us do well at the tournament. That’s obviously my aim. I think as a team, we aim to try and do that. It will be down to the new manager who he takes to the finals.

“

“

I feel we’ll be a lot better than we were against Germany. The goal is to try and win the competition - it’s been a long time since England won one. For us, we want to try to create a bit of a history, that’s our main aim.

Wayne Rooney

2011 England national team

Winning the Premier League title was the highest point of the year. It was a great moment for everyone connected to Manchester United.

Obviously losing the Champions League final was a big disappointment so we have had highs and lows but, overall, it was a successful year for the club.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 45

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

PAGE 47

Stephen Keshi’s eye opener and the new roadmap I t was never going to be easy. That’s stating the obvious. In fact, Stephen Keshi and his technical crew admitted that much days before the game last Wednesday.

However, the 5-0 mauling of Rwanda by the Elephants of Ivory Coast may have given a false hope to the fledgling Eagles, especially Keshi himself who saw no hindrance on his path to recording a similar result. How wrong he was!

Indeed, expectation was high and perhaps buoyed by this Keshi opted to trust the foreign-based players and handed them the lion’s share of starting shirts despite the fact that they never really had time to train together and blend with their domestic league counterparts who seems to have gelled after months of camping.

Again, that was his undoing. By ditching the domestic league Eagles who had shown resolve,

“

The domestic league players definitely represented the new spirit of the team: Their passion, proven evidence of gut, quality and resolve to blend with the projected technical roadmap, in no uncertain terms points to the direction Keshi must look for the tools to embark of the rebuilding process.

won matches against the tide and clearly exhibited hunger for glory, Keshi perhaps kowtowed to insipid fear or rather undue respect for the foreign-based players.

And they failed him.

Eight of them: Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo, Osaze Odemwingie, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Dickson Etuhu, Joel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Taye Taiwo. All but the first two gave good account of themselves while the rest gave indisputable reasons for reservation about their fitness and Yakubu and Taye why they do not deserve further call up to the Eagles.

The Kigali encounter no doubt opened Keshi’s eyes to the weaknesses in the team as well as what needs be done especially in terms of the crop of players the team should reckon with, and therefore merit subsequent invitation.

The domestic league players definitely

WATCH DOG

represented the new spirit of the team.

Their passion, p r o v e n evidence of gut, quality owoidoho_ng35@yahoo.com and resolve to blend with the projected technical Victor was victorious. He baptism of fire and must roadmap, in no uncertain terms points to the dazzles as well and justified trust merit, form, passion direction Keshi must look Nigeria’s insistence on to perform rather than him change tawing pedigree. for the tools to embark of having nationality from England Aside from a few the rebuilding process. foreign-based players Azubuike Egwueke, to the land of his birth.

Keshi must by now have with real vim, flair and Ejike Uzoenyi and Godfrey Oboabana were not only regretted not fielding a better liveliness, a majority are outstanding their flair and fitter Juwon Oshinawa mere appendages of went impetuous in place of Taye who seems to European leagues who performance and even the enjoy being rehabilitated in leech like fleeces on the substitute Reuben Gabriel the Eagles. Juwon’s crosses exploits of these albeit clearly gave impetus to are more intelligent and devoid maturity and the midfield that had been daring than the predictable dexterity thereof.

The domestic league a washout under the and one directional ones from the QPR man. What a pair players definitely tutelage of Etuhu.

The game revealed that he would have made with represented the new spirit the days of the dearth of Ejike and Victor playing a of the team: Their passion, proven evidence swift left-out players are free roll.

Again, had Keshi given of gut, quality and resolve over following the deft blend with the display of Ejike. He shone Bartholomew Ibenegbu to Sunday Mba projected technical like a million stars so much and so that Keshi was preference to Yakubu and roadmap, in no uncertain compelled to eject Osaze the team perhaps terms points to the speedster Ahmed Musa for would have returned with direction Keshi must look another left wing player- a better result. In any for the tools to embark of case, Keshi has had his the rebuilding process.

Victor Moses.

By Patrick Andrew

NPL applauses technical standard of league, rues court cases

T Victor Baribote

he Nigeria Premier League (NPL) yesterday declared that its technical study group has confirmed that the technical standard of the league has improved tremendously compared with the previous years.

However, the league body has lamented the spate of court cases which have rocked the league and stressed that legal tussles have had adverse effect on

sponsorships and other relevant elements necessary for successful running of the game.

Though there was no statistics to back up the claim, the NPL’s acting Executive Secretary, Tunji Babalola, said that the 2011/2012 league so far has, in spite of some challenges, recorded some improvement in quality, standard of play and results.

“The league’s level of play has improved and the technical

standard grown to an appreciable level. I have to confess to you that things have not been rosy. The case is dragging for too long at the expense of the NPL and I hope it will be sorted out soon,” he said.

Further, he lamented the inability of the body to resolve the issue of title sponsors for the league following a suit at the Federal High Court between Globacom Nigeria and MTN

Nigeria.

Babalola said the league had entered the 12th week without any hitches, adding that eight matches would be played this weekend except the game between Dolphins and Niger Tornadoes.

He said that the match had been postponed because of the return leg encounter between Dolphins and Sony de Ela Nguema of Equatorial Guinea.

WBC flyweight champion defends 15-years unbeaten reign tonight

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ongsaklek Wonjongkam has lost only once in the past 15 years. He is, therefore, expected to win his 26th world title fight this weekend.

The Thai veteran, widely regarded as one of the best boxers, pound for pound, in the world, will defend his WBC flyweight title against Sonny Boy Jaro from the Philippines in Chonburi, Thailand, on Friday

night.

The 34-year-old Pongsaklek has a professional record of 833-2, which includes 44 knockouts.

In world title fights, the southpaw has a record of 22 wins, one defeat and two draws.

His remarkable career began in December 1994 but it took him about seven years to reach the top. He won the WBC flyweight title in March 2001

when he stopped Malcolm Tunacao in the first round.

After 13 successful defences he lost the belt to Daisuke Naito in June 2007. He regained it in March 2010 when he outpointed another Japanese fighter, Koki Kameda, who is now the WBC bantamweight champion. He has made four successful defences since then.

The 29-year-old Jaro comes into the fight with a record of 32-

10-5, with 22 knockouts. He is ranked No 8 by the WBC and has been fighting at between 48.99 and 52.16 kg during his 11 years as a professional.

In fights against good opponents, he lost to Florante Condes, Monelisi Myekini, Pornsawan Porpramook, Danilo Pena, Giovani Segura and Oscar Ibarra.

He was also beaten by wide margins by Edgar Sosa in 2008

in a challenge for the WBC lightflyweight belt.

Jaro has won has won his last four fights, beating Henry Acha (5-14-4), Rey Migreno (16-2), Allan Ranada (17-25-1) and Samuel Apuya 7-8-1) – all of them were well below worldclass opponents.

Pongsaklek is likely to beat him comfortably, probably inside the distance.

MOC to MOC to inspect stadium facilities ahead of festival inspect stadium facilities ahead of festival Chief Patrick Ekeji

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE Li ving is a ffor or m of not being Living orm sure, not knowing what next or how…We guess. We may be wr ong ut w e tak e lea p after wrong ong,, b but we take leap lea p in the dar k dark leap — Agnes de Mille

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

SPORTS Budget 2012 (7) - Reforming the Police LA TEST LATEST

FIFA to investigate Bahrain’s 10-0 World Cup win

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ahrain’s 10-0 victory over a weakened Indonesia team in a World Cup qualifying match will be studied in a "routine" investigation, FIFA said yesterday.

Bahrain’s win raised suspicions because it needed to make up a nine-goal deficit on rival Qatar in the group standings to have a chance of advancing to the next round.

It also needed Qatar to lose its last match Wednesday, but the Qataris scored an 83rdminute equalizer to get a 2-2 draw in Iran and advanced to the next stage of the Asian qualifying tournament ahead of Bahrain.

"FIFA security will conduct a routine examination of this game and its result," football’s world governing body said in a statement.

FIFA said an initial probe was justified "given the unusual outcome against results expectation and head-to-head history, and in the interests of maintaining unequivocal confidence in our game."

Indonesia goalkeeper Samsidar was sent off after just two minutes, and Bahrain took the lead from the resulting penalty. The hosts also scored a second penalty in the first half as they took a 4-0 lead by halftime, and continued to pour in goals after the break.

Indonesia had lost all five previous group matches, conceding 16 goals while scoring just three.

It also fielded several inexperienced international players in Bahrain after suspending others who play for clubs in the breakaway Indonesian Super League.

FIFA removed Indonesia from the contest midway through the bid process when football officials failed to persuade the government to provide hosting guarantees.

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter

ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

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W

e conclude our review of the state of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) today, starting with correcting some errors in last week's column.

I am grateful to two of my twitter followers that drew my attention to them. Lord Lugard lived between 1858 and 1945, so could not have formed the Hausa Constabulary in 1861! I have rechecked my source, and crosschecked with other sources. I can confirm that the first police-like force in what became Nigeria was the Consular Guard of 30 men set up in Lagos in 1861.

The Hausa Guard was formed in 1863, and became Hausa Constabulary in 1879 by an Ordinance. Lugard first came to Nigeria in 1894 to negotiate a treaty with the Emir of Borgu, and then returned in 1897 as commander of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF). He became Commissioner of the Northern Protectorate in 1900, had conquered the emirates by 1903.

I thank my friends for the observation.

It is obvious by now that we will never have a functioning Nigerian state without an effective police force. It is also clear that the practice of splitting and outsourcing police functions to new, equally ill-trained paramilitary organizations has not served our nation well, nor resolved the challenges of policing and law enforcement. In a nation that seeks to get things done, all efforts ought to have been directed at making the police work, with organizations like ICPC, EFCC, Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Commission as departments of a reformed, well-funded, better trained and effective Federal Police.

An analysis of the national budgets for the Nigeria Police since 1980 reveals a pattern of continuous under-funding. Apart from 1983, under the Shagari administration when the Police got allocated 10.7% of the national budget, in all other years, including 2011 and 2012, the Police with its nearly 400,000 staff got allocated an average lower than 5%. Furthermore, when the funds are released, the headquarters, zonal and area commands with-hold substantial amounts leaving pretty little for intelligence gathering, street patrols and policing at the divisional and station levels where most of the law enforcement is done. This must change.

As chair of the Public Service Reform Team (PSRT), I was

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NASIR EL-R UF AI EL-RUF UFAI ON FRID AY FRIDA elrufai@aol.com

IGP, Mohammed Abubakar shocked to learn that the takehome pay of a police constable in 2006 was a mere N7,000 monthly. The private in the Nigerian Army then earned N11,000 which got me wondering what kind of nation would give a gun with bullets to a man, put him on the beat and pay such a low wage and expect proper policing. The PSRT doubled the police base pay with a proviso for it to be increased by 10% annually for the ensuing five years to bring it near to the salaries of the armed forces. I wonder if that policy decision has been implemented.

The total budget of the Police sub-sector in 2012 is N331.2bn (N328.5bn in 2011) made up of Ministry of Police Affairs (N5.8bn, in 2011, N13.3bn), Police Formations and Command (N307.9bn, 2011 - N295.6bn),

Police Service Commission (N2.5bn, 2011 - N2.6bn) and Federal Government's Contribution to the Police Reform Fund (N15bn, 2011 - N25bn). The Ministry of Police is a wasteful bureaucracy that controls police pensions and awards contracts for some police facilities. It can be scrapped and savings there-from transferred to Police functions proper.

The Police Formations and Commands' budget for 2012 consists of N290.7bn for the personnel cost of between 380,000 and 400,000 police officers. The overhead cost of running 1,115 police divisions, 5,515 police stations and 5,000 police posts nationwide is a mere N8.1bn. If we hypothetically adopt the police division, station and post as bases for equal overheads distribution, this works out to about N696,000 annually per division, station and post - even with zero going to headquarters, zonal and area commands. This is still less than N2,000 per day to run a police station - which explains why the stations have no stationery, crime diary and even biros to take down statements!

One way to achieve this is to restructure and redesign the Police budget such that each post, station, division, area, state and zonal commands as well as headquarters have their budgets and bank accounts. Budgeted funds should then be transferred direct to each unit and the heads

“

The police ought to be deployed protecting the general public not a select few, and certainly not given demeaning jobs of opening doors and holding bags and briefcases of the rich and famous. The IGP should put an end to this

held accountable for the judicious use of funds. This is difficult to do but not impossible. The Ministry of Finance implemented that with respect to our foreign missions when we found that the headquarters in Abuja with-held mission funds without reasons.

The system has worked better since 2005 when it was introduced. The same system may be considered for Police Formations.

The breakdown of the overheads reveals some interesting spending priorities.

The entire training budget of the Nigeria Police is a miserly N851 million, with an additional N55 million for travel associated with the training. Compare this with the N14bn budgeted for the Armed Forces training and its institutions! The security vote (including operations) for the entire Nigeria Police is N259 million - less than N1 million daily to spend on informants, intelligence gathering and patrols, out of the N3.1 billion budgeted daily on security - and yet, the Police is the first line of defence against criminal conduct.

In sharp contrast, the NSA with his less than 100 advisory staff has N950 million as security and operations vote for 2012. This is part of the reason we opined that the nation has failed the Police, and yet blames it for failing us!

On return to democracy in 1999, the Nigeria Police was some 140,000 strong. This critical shortfall was addressed through the massive recruitment of some 40,000 police officers per annum between 2000 and 2005. Sadly, this well-intentioned decision enabled the recruitment of several shoddy characters into the Police, thereby compounding its institutional challenges. This "Millennium Police" as they are referred to, need to be re-screened, retrained in better-equipped and upgraded institutions, and the dodgy characters weeded out for Nigeria to have the police it deserves. Related to this is the need to recall, retrain and post to proper police duties, the estimated 120,000 police officers currently posted to undertake "VIP protection" that is serving as orderlies, hand-bag carriers and other irrelevant duties for the political and economic elite. The police ought to be deployed protecting the general public not a select few, and certainly not given demeaning jobs of opening doors and holding bags and briefcases of the rich and famous.

The IGP should put an end to this.

Contd. on Page 35

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