Peoples Daily Newspaper, Saturday, June 02, 2012

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

VOL. 1 NO. 94 SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

. . . putting the people first

Another fuel shortage looms

Thirty slaughtered in Nasarawa state

>> Page 2

>> Page 3

MURDERED

How JTF men killed Kano boy They ordered him to lie down, then they shot him >> Pages 9, 10 & 11

Weavons from Indian temples flood Nigeria

>> Pages 8, & 14

>> Pages 9, 10 & 11

RAJAB 12 - 13, 1433 AH

Plot to oust Buhari from CPC exposed >> Page 2

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

News

Armed robbers waylay Plot to oust Buhari from CPC exposed police patrol team From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

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gang of armed robbers yesterday attempted to waylay a team of policemen on patrol along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; but the foolishness of the bandits claimed the lives of four of them, following the superior firepower of the police.

The Ogun state police command, said the crime and subsequent killing of some of

the robbers occurred somewhere opposite Total petrol station near Ogere town along the expressway, when the hoodlums appeared from the bush to launch an attack.

Public Relations Officer of the command, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, explained that the police team were on routine patrol with an unmarked vehicle, when suddenly the 7man gang appeared from the bush with dangerous weapons.

He said the bandits not

knowing that the men were policemen on duty, attempted to rob them at gunpoint after blocking the passage before the patrol team opened fire on them, killing one on the spot.

Adejobi said others fled into the bush with gunshot wounds, and in course of a search, three of the robbers were found dead. He said items recovered from them included a dummy gun wrapped with cello tape and 2 live cartridges.

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h e Secretary of Congress for Progress Change (CPC), Engr.

Buba Galadima yesterday in Abuja alleged that the party has unraveled plans by those challenging the present leadership of the party to sack General Muhammadu Buhari.

This is coming on the heels of declaration on Friday by Buhari that he is under pressure to contest the 2015 election despite his earlier decision not to contest in the polls.

Galadima however said that a major plan in that direction

was being advanced by the opposing group, which is led by Alhaji Abubakar Hayatu.

According to Galadima “They are technically planning to sack Buhari from the party, and we will not allow that to happen. We know where they are coming from, they have been sent and paid to destabilise the party.”

CPC has been experiencing some internal turbulence in recent times, with the National Executive Committee “sacked” by a faction and a factional leader installed.

Another fuel Police storm court, arrest shortage looms Certificate forgery:

Suswam’s accuser

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h e legal tussle between Benue state Governor Gabriel Suswam yesterday took a dramatic twist as policemen stormed the Magistrate Court 2 in Wuse, Abuja and arrested the governor’s accuser, Chigozie Ukpabi The governor and his party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been battling with the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and its governorship candidate, Senator Daniel Sarror on issues sossrunding the 2011 general elections The petitioners claim that at the time of the election, Suswam was not qualified to contest the governorship position as they accused him of presenting a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contrary to section 182 [1] [i] of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

They claim that Suswam possesses three different General Certificate in Education (GCE) O’ level 1982 certificates from the same sitting with the same candidate

number, with two of them actually bearing the same certificate number, but with different subjects or even different grades.

At the Supreme Court late last year, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher and four other Justices dismissed the appeal after disagreeing with the appellant that “the tribunal has no jurisdiction to entertain the issue of forgery but a regular court.”

Ukpabi, is a former member of staff of the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC), who averred that in 2005, Suswan engaged him to forge a WAEC certificate for him.

The forgery was successful but while it led to his losing his job at the Exams Council, Suswam has allegedly used it as the basis of his academic and political ascension.

Ukpabi’s arrest today came immediately the case was adjourned and was driven away by the police to an unknown destination.

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igeria faces fuel shortages as a crackdown on fraud and the government’s lack of funds to pay for subsidies has prompted private firms to halt imports.

Half the money set aside for fuel subsidies this year has been spent on back payments and will soon run out but efforts to remove the subsidy at the start of the year failed after protests and strikes forced the government to backtrack.

As a result, Nigerian and foreign firms are no longer willing to supply and distribute gasoline for cash, making Nigeria wholly dependent on swaps for crude to meet its fuel needs.

Nigeria’s Finance Ministry cut its economic growth forecast this month to 6-7 percent in 2012, from 7-8 percent earlier, and fuel shortages could bring it down further.

A probe into the subsidy scheme found billions of dollars had been paid for fuel that never arrived or was resold abroad.

“Under the system it is impossible to make any profit if you are a small company paying interest on the subsidy money owed,” said Emmanuel

Ogwiji, a director at Eco-Regen, a small firm that imported gasoline last year.

Despite presenting the authorities with documentation proving its activities were regular, his company had to wait half a year to be paid for the delivery.

Gasoline import permits have been issued to 42 marketers this quarter, but barely any have made use of their licences, shipping records show.

Instead, Nigeria has become dependent on a small pool of firms that are being paid for gasoline in oil.

“The government has stopped paying for the subsidy because the money they budgeted for has run out already,” said a trader based in Nigeria with an oil major.

“This will definitely lead to shortages. I am hearing people have stopped loading,” he added.

Crude is also being used to cover huge demurrage fees incurred by delays arising from ships being forced to wait offshore for weeks at a time before unloading.

At present, there are half a dozen or more tankers waiting

offshore to deliver gasoline to Nigeria. Some have been there since April.

With demurrage costs at $16,000-$23,000 per day, significant volumes of oil are being lifted just to pay for delays.

“Only the big companies can survive. Even if you do meet requirements to import, like owning tank storage, you are still going to make losses. Some companies are still waiting for payments from last year,” Ogwiji continued.

A spokesman for the state oil company, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Levi Ajuonuma, on Friday denied that any firms could be using crude to buy refined fuel.

“Nothing can be further from the truth than this insinuation that we or any companies are paying for product with crude oil,” he said.

“Before any ships arrive they should have been paid.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the Finance Ministry denied that the crackdown on subsidy fraud was causing fuel shortages.

(Reuters)

Female student slumps as Police fire teargas at UNILAG students

By Augustine Aminu with agency reports

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female English Language student of the troubles University of Lagos lost consciousness yesterday after inhaling toxic teargas fumes discharged into the air by policemen at the campus gate as the students attempted to commence a ‘Day Three’ protest against the rechristening of their 50 year-old

institution.

There has been unrest since President Goodluck Jonathan announced the renaming of the university after late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola.

The students had converged at the campus gate, defying security warnings, to march on the streets. The policemen deployed to the area dispersed them by discharging a canister of teargas. Eye witnesses say thick fumes from the teargas

engulfed the protesters, bringing down one of them.

A source at the university’s health center confirmed that the lady, partly identified as Funmi, has recovered from her respiratory distress and is back on her feet.

As of the time of filing this report, many of the students had started moving out of the campus to their various homes.

The main gate has also been closed against entry while

electricity supply has also been disconnected from the various hostels.

On Thursday, during the funeral service for the university’s former Vice Chancellor, Late Babatunde Shofoluwe, the students took their protest to the premises of the All Saints Church at Yaba. It took the persuasion of the school’s authorities and the security chiefs present at the funeral service to calm the students who

occupied the Herbert Macaulay way with the train conveying the body of the Late Vice Chancellor.

Leaders of splinter groups formed to protest the rechristening of the University have threatened to continue the fight in court. Already, a graduate student of the university has sued President Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation in a Lagos court, challenging the name change.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

News 30 slaughtered in Nasarawa From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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ore than 30 persons were reportedly killed yesterday, in fresh skirmishes over farmland involving the Alago and Eggon ethnic groups, in Assakio, headquarters of Lafia East development area of Nasarawa state, with over 100 houses burnt.

Scores of residents also sustained various degree of injury, mostly gunshots, with our reporter counting 8 wounded persons receiving treatment at the casualty ward of the Dalhatu Araf Specialists Hospital (DASH).

Eggon Kigbu, 23, a student and victim of the attack, told Peoples Daily Weekendthat the conflict resulted when Eggon farmers resident in the area being asked to pay a customary tithe for the use of a rice field located in Dadin Kowa, by the traditional ruler of the area, the Osakyo of Assakio, Francis Inarigu.

Kigbu narrated that an emissary sent by the Osakyo to convey the message to the farmers was stabbed severally, resulting in verbal hostilities which later snowballed into a gun fight.

Armed Alago youths were said to have invaded Angwan Mission dominated by the Eggon people at around 9 pm the previous night, shooting sporadically into the air, after which they left, only for both parties to engage in another gun fight in Angwan Akika area, as early as 6 am yesterday, shooting and burning down houses.

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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Doctors attending to one of the wounded victim It was gathered that the arrival of a police patrol team on the scene, failed to stop the rampaging youths, who succeeded in also burning down the palace of the Osakyo, not until the arrival of a military patrol team was some calm restored.

Confirming the incident, police spokesman for the command, ASP Cornelius Ocholi, said that the

commissioner of police, early morning, undertook an on the spot assessment of the area, after which a team of mobile policemen were dispatched to patrol the area.

Speaking on the number of deaths, he said at the time they visited the area, only two dead bodies were seen, adding, “I don’t know if after we left more have been killed.”

Engineers cripple Air Nigeria domestic operations over unpaid salaries From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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ess than a month after Air Nigeria, one of the country’s flagship carriers commenced flight operations into Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom, its domestic operations appear to be in recession as the airline’s engineers yesterday grounded its flights across the country.

The technical staff under the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), told journalists in Lagos that it took the decision to stop the domestic and regional operations of Air Nigeria over backlog of salaries among seemingly irreconcilable circumstances.

The action however left passengers of the airline in Lagos angered at the MMA2 terminal yesterday, as some of them flared up to vent their anger and disappointments as they furiously accosted staff at the airline counters to ascertain the cause of their flight cancellation at the ticketing counter and check-in counters at the Ikeja facility.

An eyewitness told our reporter that indication of an industrial unrest emerged as early as 6.am when both technical staff of Air Nigeria and the flying crew stated their intention to down tools following the inability of the company to meet their financial demands. Our correspondent observed that the airline flights VK201, VK231 and VK243 to Abuja, Port Harcourt and Owerri were still on ground around 10am when they were supposed to have departed the Lagos terminal between 7am and 8.40am.

However it was observed that the airline was able to ferry some passengers on a Chanchangi flight NCH192 to some destinations.

“I am very unhappy and disappointed with the situation. I am flying to Port Harcourt and the flight was 7.35am, they just announced boarding now, this is after 10am, and I get a text from line that the flight is cancelled.” Was how one passenger who agreed to talk to journalists expressed his feelings.

He said: “All these delays and

cancellations will cause a ripple effect that would affect the entire airline’s schedule for the whole day and even the next if eventually it flies that day.”

In a letter addressed to the airline management and made available to the press, NAAPE said it would continue to shut the airline on the first day of every month until salaries of the preceding months are paid , pension deduction not remitted for over seven (7) months, tax refunds and tax clearance issues are paid and co-operative deductions not yet remitted are remitted.

“In the light of all mentioned above, NAAPE has resolved to down tools starting 1st June, 2012 indefinitely. We appeal to all parties involved to adequately intervene and mandate Air Nigeria Management to properly address all outstanding grievances as soon as practicable.”

“NAAPE members would work with management in order to return to normal operations as soon as all the issues are addressed. These issues have all been discussed and debated on since November 2011 with no headway”.

Engineers say poor policy implementation affects professionalism From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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he Nigerian Institution of Me chanical Engineers (NIMECHE) has lamented that poor policy implementation by government and weak regulatory control is affecting professionalism in engineering.

The national chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers (NIMECHE), Ayo Fanimokun, made the assertion at the NIMECHE 2012

A/Ibom guber: S/Court declares Akpabio winner

public lecture and fellowship conferment ceremony with the theme Energy Mix for sustainable development in the North-east held in Bauchi, yesterday.

He said advances in technology, globalisation and increasing competitiveness, economic downturn and poor remuneration of engineers have led to factory closures in the country.

Also speaking at the occasion,

deputy national chairman, Adisa A. Bello, described corruption as a catalyst that has ruined many professional bodies in Nigeria including his own union.

According to him, if both the private and public sector would engage the services of professionals and the professionals are ready to do the right thing, Nigeria would develop to an industrial state like China, India Brazil and other developing nations.

ictory finally came the way of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state yesterday when the Supreme Court declared him as the lawful winner of the 2011 governorship election in the state.

In a unanimous decision, the sevenmember panel of justices of the apex court held that the 180 days stipulated by the constitution for the determination of the appeal of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and its candidate, Chief John Akpanudoedehe had elapsed.

Akpanudoedehe had approached the apex court seeking for the court to depart from its earlier position on the calculation of 180 days as provided for in section 285(6) which he claimed dealt a devastating blow on the constitutionally guaranteed right to a fair hearing.

However, in the decision of the court read by Justice Mary Peter Odili, the court declined the invitation and upheld its earlier decision in similar appeals where the court held that the computation of time for an appeal commences from the time of filing of an election petition and refused to enlarge the time for the appeal to be entertained.

The court maintained that Akpanudoedehe’s postulation as canvassed by his lawyer, Mr. Kola Awodein (SAN) is a beautiful academic rendition which is an abuse of the court’s process.

The positions of Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) and former Attorney General and Minister of Justice who represented Governor Akpabio, and that of Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), who represented the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, in their preliminary objections were upheld by the court.

Both senior lawyers had contended that there is no longer a live issue in the petition filed by Akpanudoedehe as the petition expired the moment the 180 days elapsed.

Fire razes Ogun governor’s office

From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

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mild fire incident yesterday, torched the office of Ogun state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, following electric spark from the top floor of the office which is situated at Oke-Mosan area of Abeokuta, the state capital.

The incident which was said to have happened in the morning affected one of the offices located on the same the floor as the governor, but the situation was saved by the quick intervention of staffers within the vicinity.

At the time of the incident, the governor was said to be on official assignment in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, but some of his aides back home were said to have rushed to the scene on hearing the news of the fire.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Photo News

Labourer's at work, at Garki II, in Abuja, on Friday.

A man talking a nap on a tree, at the Federal Secretariat Car Park, in Abuja, on Friday

An orange hawker out for business, at Area 1 in Abuja, yesterday.

Carpenter on duty at Garki Village, in Abuja, yesterday.

Can't cheat nature, as the old man talking a nap, at Area 1, in Abuja.

Photos: Mahmud Isa and Justin Imo-owo

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 26 — SUNDAY 27, MAY, 2012

PAGE 5

News

KRPC spends N240million on youth empowerment programme From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

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h e Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), launched the fourth batch of 105 participants under its Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme (YESAP).

The KRPC explained that the programme is part of its social responsibilities to host communities.

According to the KRPC Manager, Public Affairs, Abdullahi Idris, the company has so far spent a total of N240 million for the programme, an amount which

includes take off grant of N100, 000 for each of the participants, at the end of the six months training exercise.

Idris said: “This edition is also unique in the sense that for the first time, the minimum entry qualification of SSCE or equivalent has been strictly enforced.

“For the first time, nominees had to go through a rigorous process of writing tests and only those who passed went on to the next stage of taking an oral interview.

“At each of these stages, candidates who were deemed not to have met the standards were dropped and new candidates were nominated to replace them. “These

also had to go through the same process of selection until we got the required quality of participants needed.

“I must commend our community leaders for their cooperation. When in the course of the selection process we had cause to notify them that some of the persons they nominated could not scale the hurdles, they understood with us and patiently substituted them.

“The number of participants has also been increased from the traditional one hundred to one hundred and five.

“Another way that this edition is different from the others is that

also for the first time, the NNPC medical department has carried out a comprehensive medical examination of all the nominees and has already formed a medical profile of each of them before the commencement of the programme.

“This, we hope, shall prevent the medical scares we experienced in the past and give us an opportunity to render assistance to those found to be in need of such.”

In his remark on behalf of the host community, the District Head of Kamazou, Auta Makama, urged the KRPC to increase the number of participants.

Zadok, others jostle for Hama Bachama throne From Blessing Tunoh, Yola

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ather of the late paramount ruler of the Bachama Kingdom, Mr. Zadok Kori Adiga of the Kowo family is among those bidding for the exulted throne from the six royal clans of the kingdom.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that members of the six royal clans of the Bachama Kingdom have since begun to bid for the position in line with the tradition.

Eligible bidders whose intent is

still not known include Mr. Lyn Nathan (one time deputy governor of the state), Chief Lawrence Ngbale, Mr. John Ngamsa, Col. Honest Steven and Chief Timawus Mathias among others.

Hama Bachama Asaph Zadok Gorongakye Kuzovude would be buried today at Voti palace of Lamurde council area of Adamawa state.

The remains of the late monarch which was flown into the country Friday following his death same day in a Cairo hospital was first received at Imburu by kingmakers led by Mr. P.P Power and Justice Sanda Jonathan

Lamurde in keeping with the rights of passage.

The late Zadok’s spokesperson, (Nzobyalata Hama Bachama), Chief Timawus Mathias who confirmed the incident in a statement, said in keeping with traditional rights and customs, burial rights was at the behest of the kingmakers’ clan.

There will be no stopping till Imburu (Nogulah) where Nzomwato will receive the remains for onward delivery to Nzopwato who heads the rites.” Mathias explained.

Zadok 53, was one time former

commissioner under the Boni Haruna administration and was until his death, secretary of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council’s Sub-Committee on Conflict Resolution.

It may be recalled that the late monarch ascended the exulted throne in 2004 following deposition of Hama Freddie Soditi Bongo by former governor Boni Haruna.

Witty, erudite and highly principled, Zadok would be remembered for restoring peace in the now troubled Numan federation; he is survived by three wives and five children.

country to sheath their swords and preach peace to the younger ones and to learn to live in peace with one another.

The DG stated this at the peace advocacy visit to Dadin Kowa, State Low Cost, and Rantya/Federal Low Cost communities organised by the centre in collaboration with Royal Netherlands Embassy in Abuja in Jos, the Plateau state capital yesterday.

The DG pointed out that

these communities have not recorded any outbreak of violence and called on the state and Federal Government to shift heavy presence to such peaceful communities to challenge other communities to embrace peace.

He said there is a need for other communities in Plateau state and beyond to learn from those communities how they were able to maintain peace and to manage peace during

the outbreak of violent crisis and apply the same lesson to those conflict prone communities.

The DG further disclosed that the centre is going to carry out advocacy visit to Angwan Rogo, Angwan Rukuba, Rikkos, Barkin Ladi and Bauchi Road, stressing that the lesson in Dadin Kowa and Rantya Low Cost communities would be useful in peace and confidence building in other communities.

Jang advised to focus development on peaceful communities From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

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h e Director General of Centre for Conflict Management and Peace Studies, University of Jos, Prof.

Nanven Audu Gambo, yesterday, advised the Plateau state government to shift its heavy presence to peaceful communities to challenge other communities to embrace peace.

He appealed to Christians and Muslims in the

300 policemen get certificates for job training in Edo From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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00 Inspectors and rank and file policemen have been given certificates by the Edo State Police Command.

They were shortlisted through random selection for six weeks job/training programme for effective policing to reshape policemen, especially in patrol.

The officers who were in six batches were drawn from across the various police divisions in the state.

In his message of admonition to mark the brief ceremony at the state command headquarters, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Balogun Olayinka charged them to be dedicated to duty and shun corruption, which he admitted has derailed the image of the force in the past.

The Police boss said the directive was from the acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar for all police commands across the federation and is aimed at updating police reforms in tackling crime in line with 21st Century strategies.

Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee, Rev. Matins Evbuomwan sued for reduction of work hours from 12 to eight hours per day to reduce the drudgery.

Course Coordinator, ASP Digha Kuromi described the training as a necessary tool for effective policing, particularly for policemen who are not conversant with patrol.

One of the trainees, Inspector (Mrs.) Cole Diseyi who joined the force over three decades ago, commended the leadership for the exercise.

There was however a change of baton from the outgoing Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Etim Bassey to his successor, DSP. Anthony Airhuoyo.

Residents blame fire outbreaks MCDF promotes peace through literature, ICT on Fashola’s negligence country, the virtue of tolerance activities since it was founded

By Augustine Aminu From Ojebola Matthew, Lagos

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e s i d e n t s of Oworosoki area of Lagos have blamed frequent fire outbreak in the area on the negligence of the Lagos state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola for his delay in the construction of Kosofe local government fire service station.

Speaking with our reporter after a fire incident that occurred in the early hours of yesterday which claimed the life of a landlord of, Mr. Moses Ajani and injured four

tenants, the secretary of Oworosoki community, Mr. Segun Babatunde, said that the community has appealed to Lagos state government to construct a fire service station in the local government to aid quick rescue in case of emergency.

According to Babatunde, within this year the community has lost both lives and properties to fire outbreaks and whenever the nearest fire service station is alerted things would have damaged beyond repair before their arrival.

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h e need to promote peace and security for the Nigerian child through literary activities and information and communication technology, has been emphasized by a nongovernmental organisation, Millennium Child Development Foundation, MCDF. Speaking at an event organised by the foundation for children in Minna, Niger state, to mark this year’s Children’s Day, the chairperson of the foundation, Hajiya Sa’adatu Kolo, stressed that given the security challenge in the

and security consciousness need to be inculcated in the child.

To this end, Hajiya Kolo, who is also a member of the Niger State House of Assembly, called on both the government and individuals to engage in efforts that would protect and secure the child in an environment of peace so as to guarantee his survival and the future of Nigeria.

“The issue of peace and security in our nation rests squarely on the shoulders of government but each individual and group has a role to play to complement government’s efforts,” she said.

Recounting the foundation’s

about eight years ago, she said apart from promoting children’s literature, the foundation has also focused on other educational programmes aimed at the development of tourism and information and communication technology among children between ages seven and 17 years.

She said the foundation intends to expand its services by establishing a befitting computer centre and children’s amusement park in Minna, and called on the government, organisations and well-meaning individuals to assist the foundation to realise the dream.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Kada News

Kaduna LGs interim management committees are lawful, says Attorney-General

Gov. of Kaduna state, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa

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he controversy surrounding the decision of Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa to appoint interim management committees for the 23 local governments in Kaduna state may have come

to an end as the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Jonathan Kish Adamu, says Yakowa derived his powers from the Local Government administration Law.

Adamu who briefed the press last Thursday, said: “Deriving its powers from the constitution, the Kaduna state House of Assembly has enacted the Local Government Administration Law and this law has made provisions for a period of temporary vacancy where elections are not held for whatever reasons.

“Where the State Independent Electoral Commission is unable to conduct elections, it can by its motion request the state House of Assembly to establish transitional management committees for the local government councils.

“On the other hand, the governor can also go to the House of Assembly for transitional management committees to be set up.

“That is what we have done in Kaduna state. I am not aware

of any court judgment or ruling that is contrary to this position.

So, we are acting within the law.

“But if any court rules that the Kaduna state Local Government Administration Law is unconstitutional, we will be bound to obey it. Until then, the position of the law is that the transitional management committees are lawful.

In other states some governors dissolved elected local government councils but the governor did not dissolve anyone in Kaduna. Their tenure expired but unfortunately, for several reasons, we have not been able to hold elections and in obedience to the due process and the law, the Governor constituted the transitional management committees. But right now, we are preparing to conduct the local government

elections.”

Adamu said that over 380 suspects were arrested for various criminal acts during the April 2011post-presidential election violence in the state and that 45 of them are currently being prosecuted.

According to him, “the report of the tribunal of inquiry into the crisis has been received and a whitepaper issued.

“One of the key recommendations is for people accused of various offences to be further investigated where offences are established against such persons.

“We have sent the whitepaper to the police who are presently carrying out further investigations and we expect that as soon as they complete this exercise, they will forward their report to us for advice and prosecution where necessary.”

You don’t have any trumpet to blow, Sa’eed tells Yakowa

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o n g r e s s for Progressive Change (CPC) gubernatorial candidate in Kaduna state during the 2011 general elections, Alhaji Haruna Sa’eed, has dismissed Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa’sclaim of achievement as false and deceitful.

Yakowa had at a breakfast meeting with reporters on Democracy Day asserted he has achieved a lot within the last one year but that he does not blow his own trumpet.

“Governor Yakowa does not have any trumpet to blow,” Sa’eed said in an interview as he described the one year administration of the People’s Democratic Party governance in the state as a complete failure. He vowed that

the CPC is set to flush out the PDP in 2015.

Sa’eed noted that he had actually won the 2011 governorship election but that what he described as the fraudulent electoral process denied him the opportunity to be governor.

According to him, “one phrase that describes the Yakowa administration in the last one year is that it is a failure of governance.

“Our preparation for 2015 election is not different from what we did in 2011 but we are now even more solid on the ground for 2015 because the people have now realised that Yakowa’s emergence as governor was a mistake.

“The mistakes of this

administration give us more reasons to be in government in 2015. The people said they never wanted this government and they decided to vote for us but the electoral process and electoral failure denied us the chance.

“The people did a fantastic job by coming out to vote us in 2011 but the electoral commission failed to do the right thing.

“We went to the judiciary thinking that we will get justice and reverse the wrong but we did not get the right judgment.

“So, our preparation towards election has not changed and 2015 is going to be a good opportunity for any opposition party to come to power in Kaduna state.

Yakowa had told reporters

that in spite of the various crises in the state, his government has been able to record a number of achievements within the period.

According to the governor, “my low point is my inability to relate with the press and this is because I have been too shy to talk about my achievements and I have just realised that I cannot be too shy in the business of governance.

“However, my high point is my passion for unity and development of the state. I am committed to it and I appeal to the people to join hands with me to make it a success. “There is need to carry the media along in order to enlighten the people on

Alhaji Haruna Sa’eed developmental projects. I agree that I have not been doing enough in the area of media coverage of my activities.

Kaduna has mediocre State Executive Council —ACN

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aduna state chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Barrister Mohammed Soba, has accused Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of failing to use his wealth of experience in administrative matters to appoint credible and competent person in his cabinet.

Before ascending to the enviable position of governor, Yakowa had held several appointments at both state and federal levels. He was at various times secretary to the state government, federal permanent secretary, minister and deputy governor, among other positions.

Soba told our correspondent that in an interview that, “when you look at the entire Yakowa

team, it is a combination of election losers and people who do not have anything to offer.

“Even if Yakowa has a genuine intention to perform, the kind of team he has will not allow for any progress in the state. We know that he is a technocrat but whatever he does has to go through the his executive council and the Kaduna state House of Assembly is as incompetent as the executive council because there, you find people who do not even know what it means to be in the legislature or why they are there.

They have become part of the cheque-sharing group and we have a comatose judiciary. Yes, I am a lawyer but the way things are going, we know we are not getting things right.

“When you have a system that malfunctions, the result is that we are heading for the rocks. But things must change because there is no way that we can continue this away in this country.

“Nigeria is a funny country that practices only a unique brand of governance that you can neither call it democracy nor military dictatorship.

“It is a combination only known to our Nigerian politicians.

You cannot run a democracy without giving the people the right to make their choice.

“As the Constitution says, sovereignty belongs to the people through which those elected derive their powers. Without the sovereignty belonging to the people, it means that the kind of

what we are practicing can be called everything but not democracy.

“So, I do not believe that there is democracy in Nigeria, not to talk of celebrating it. All the noise about Democracy Day is a kind of diversion of the attention of Nigerians to hoodwink the people that there is democracy.

“That is why I support what Gen. Buhari said that if the PDP rigs the 2015 elections, both the baboon and the dog will be soaked in blood.

“I add that it will not only be the dog and the baboon but the elephant, the lion and the chickens will be soaked in blood because there is no how a country can move forward under this dubious arrangement.

“A corruption-driven system, a system that does not punish identified criminals and you punish somebody who has stolen tubers of yam and you leave the most dangerous criminals in this country.

“Corruption is a serious crime … and corruption kills the soul of the country because it destroys the economy. “When a country is corruption-driven, then it can never be a crime-free society.

“All these crimes we have today are as a result of bad governance, kidnapping, Boko Haram, everything you can think of.

“Nigeria is not yet a democracy and we should stop deceiving ourselves that we are running a democratic government…”

PAGE 8

Insight

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Weavons from Indian temples flood Nigeria

Selling of hair is big business in India

By Richard Ihediwa and Joy Baba

E

v e r y month, over 60 million weaves also called weavons derived from hairs dedicated to deities in Indian temples found their ways into the Nigerian market for unsuspecting ladies who use them as hair attachments.

They come in various colours, texture and style and have continued to tighten grip on the society, selling over 40 million packets a month. The industry has become one of the biggest fashion industries, raking in over NI.2 billion every month.

Approximately, one out of every two grown up ladies in the country wears weavon on regular basis. Weavons became very popular during the 70s with the increasing craze to identify with Hollywood actresses but they have successfully held contemporary ladies in iron grip as the craze for enhanced beauty continue to be on the rise.

Irrespective of age and status, many women wear weavons basically to enhance facial beauty. For others they are status symbols while to others yet, it is a cover for deficiency of hair. Today even toddlers are babies wear weavons at the instance of their parents for enhanced beauty.

On the whole, wearing of weavons has fallen under serious controversy as many faith-based and cultural groups in the country condemn it and bar their members from patronizing it based on religious and cultural reasons. On the other hand,

supporters of free range modernism embrace it alongside other artificial and perceived extremist fashions.

Those who condemn the practice do so, on the ground that whatever is not natural to a person is not appropriate. Many religious groups associate weavons to the occult and abhor them as elements of defilement which they believe can attract demonic or diabolic powers on them.

However, the questions are; how are weavons made? Do they actually come from the occult? Do they actually come from Hindu temples in India? Do they come from the dead? Do they attract evil powers and influences on the wearers?

Basically, weavons are in three broad categories, namely; real human hair, animal and synthetic weavons. While synthetic weavons are made basically of plastic, human hair weavons are actually made of hair cut from real humans. Animal hair weavons are made from horse tail and yak.

Synthetic weavons are inexpensive and does not have natural looks. Many ladies under the low income group as well as the religious use this type.

Animal weavons come from yak, boar or horsetail hairs. They are sometimes mixed in with human or synthetic hair to create a cheaper extension. These sell at about N1,500 to N10,000. People can have allergic reactions to animal hair, though, especially yak.

On the other hand, humans weavons come from hair cut from real human hair

and they are costly selling up to N25,000 to N70,000 and up to over N100,000.

The big question is, do the human hair weavons actually come from Indian temples? The truth is that many Indian women offer their hair to deities in Hindu temples in a show of respect and gratitude and the hairs find themselves in the markets.

According reports by Indian media, Hindu temples are the largest hair suppliers. The top grosser is the famous temple in Tirupati.

Children and toddlers also sell hair

Every year, over 9 million devotees stand in serpentine queues to pay obeisance to its deity and have their heads shorn to fulfill a vow or pledge. After the hair is collected, the temple stores it in 14 steel containers, with male and female hair kept separate. Once the warehouse is stocked, auction notices are advertised in four languages, all south Indian, in three popular newspapers and on the temple's official Web site.

Reports by Women’s eNews an Indian online media front have it that temple administrators say that the volume of hair has been increasing every year since the 1980s as the number of devotees has risen in tandem with the overall population of the country.

“The temple, which employed only a few barbers in the 1960s and 1970s now employs 600 barbers who work around the clock. Demand for their services is so intense that the temple has begun allowing women into the formerly all-male ranks.

“In May 2005, 100 female barbers joined the "kalyanakatta," the temple enclosure where tonsuring is performed.

The female barbers cater to female devotees, who number about 4,500 out of the 20,000 who tonsure their hair every day.

“While the female barbers earn about $68 a month, their female clients are paid nothing. Male and female devotees offer their hair as part of religious practice”, the report said.

Also exporters buy hair from salons and rag-pickers. In some Indian villages about 2,000 families depend on the hair they collect from garbage dumps.

In some instances hair traders go to villages and distribute plastic bags to women to keep outside their huts. Every time they comb their hair, those that fall are collected in the bag. After a week, a broker will collect these bags and pay the women a small sum.

Every year hair worth about $136 Contd on Page 14

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 9

Cover

Horrible!

Helpless Kano people groan under JTF reign of terror Horrific story of how security men murdered Kano boy

By Lawal Sadiq Sanusi, Nasir Mohammed and Edwin Olofu, Kano

I

n n o c e n t , friendly and confident that he was being protected by the state, twenty years old Ghaddafi Soda set out to run some errand for his mother around his neigbourhood in Kano, Kano state capital.

That was on the evening of Wednesday, May, 16, 2011. Ghaddafi’s mother had sent him to her tailor to collect some clothing for her.

Ghaddafi knew the neigbouhood very well and almost everybody knew him as a good lad from a well respected

family. He also knew members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the area as he used to run errands for them including taking food and water from her mother’s house to them.

As Ghaddafi made his way to the tailor’s place some JTF members in a van accosted him and ordered him to stop. He did. Afterall they were his friends. They asked him where he was going and he told them. Those who witnessed the encounter said the uniformed men ordered him to lie down.

Ghadaffi, terrified, told them that he was the one; the Ghaddafi that use to run errand for them.

They shouted him down and asked him to lie down which he did, still trying to identify himself and to prove that he was innocent. His plea made no sense.

One of the security men, eye witnesses said, just pulled out his rifle and shot him at close range. He writhed in pains, stretched out and died.

Ghaddafi’s story is one out of hundreds of killings of innocent Nigerians blamed on the men of the JTF who have been deployed to keep the peace in troubled parts of the country since the current insurgency started in some parts of the north.

Worst hit are Borno, Plateau and

Kano states where residents claim people are killed on daily basis by security men posted to keep the peace.

Currently, residents of these states, especially Kano and Borno are living in fear, caught up with the terror from insurgents as well as brutalization from those sent to deliver them from the insurgents.

Though the extra-judicial killings of innocent youths is said not to be a new thing in these states, the murder of Ghaddafi has become a watershed as it has sparked off reactions from groups and individuals who are now defiant in

Contd on pages 10 & 11

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Cover

H o r r i b l e!

How security men murdered Kano boy Contd from page 9

seeking for the head of those who pulled the trigger.

Currently, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in the state has come up boldly to take legal action against the JTF for the extrajudicial killings.

Currently, a case has been filed last week while others are underway to seek legal redress for the victims.

A member of the CSOs who pleaded anonymity said the groups are now out to battle the forces lamenting that their record has shown that extrajudicial killings have become a daily occurrence which must be brought to a halt.

“There is no day people are not killed in an extra-judicial manner in these states and we cannot bear it anymore. People are just shot like that. We are not holding brief or supporting anybody but people should not be killed extra-judiciously.

“There have been cases of people who are unarmed and who pose no threat whatsoever being killed by security men and we believe it is time somebody stand up and stop this.

"When I said more people have been killed by JTF than

by Boko Haram, I meant every word of it. There's not a single day in Kano without at least three cases like this. The challenge has been to identify the victims and their families and to convince them to join in the effort to bring the perpetrators to book.

Former Adviser on Legal Matters to late General Sani Abacha, Professor Auwalu Yadudu, told Peoples Daily Weekend that about 24 civil society organizations in Kano have concluded arrangement to take the JTF to court to seek redress for the victims of unwarranted killing and destruction of property in the state.

The CSOs involved in seeking justice for the victims of JTF extrajudicial killings include the Network for Justice, African Research and Development Agency (ARADA), Kwandala Foundation, Widows and Orphans and Democracy and Good Governance.

Others are Muslim Sisters Organisation, Civil Society Legislation Advocacy Group (CISLAG), Coalition of Budget Transferency Advocates, Right Based Advancement Coalition (RIBAC) and Sustainable Development Network (SUDNET).

The groups were said to have been fired to action by the killing of young Ghaddafi, who was reputed for his good nature

Late Ghaddafi Salisu

in the area.

Those who spoke to Peoples Daily Weekend said people were still moving about when the incident happened that that the JTF men could clearly see that Ghaddafi posed no threat.

According to a source, "Ghaddafi left for the errand with N8, 000 to pay for the items. On stepping out of the house he heard a shout. Someone ordered him to stop and come over. Noticing they were law enforcement officers, he complied.

"They asked him what his name was and he told them and showed them the student ID card he was holding and told them about the errand he was running for his mother and showed them the money he was carrying for the errand. They told him to lie down on the ground and he compiled. It was at this point that he was instantly shot to death by the security men", he said.

Ghaddafi’s father, Alhaji Salisu Soda has been full of grief describing the killing as wicked and unjust. "I don’t even want to talk about it anymore. It is tragic and I’m still feeling the pains as I speak with you," he said in anguish.

Narrating further, he said,

"I was at home around 9.30pm when I heard the news that Ghaddfi has been shot by some policemen. I asked what happened and nobody could offer to me any convincing explanation. I was later told that he was sent by his mother to go and collect her cloth from a tailor within the neighborhood and on his way, he met some policemen who were said to be on patrol and they stopped him and they asked where he was going to.

"He told them that his mother sent him on errand they shouted at him and asked him to go down, because there were people around the area that saw what happened. He obliged and

went down but at the same time he was telling them his mother sent and they should even use his phone to speak to her. But they ignore all his pleas and shot him", he said.

Ironically, it was later to be discovered that Ghaddafi used to run errands for the policemen and even used to take food from his mother’s house to them every evening.

According to the father, "Look, the most annoying aspect of the whole issue as we were told was that when the police patrol was approaching him he was telling them that he was the one, he tried to identify himself because there is a police check point close to the area where he used to take food from his mother’s house to them every evening. He thought they were the same policemen he used to run errands for but unknown to him they were not and they killed him”.

When People Daily Weekend spoke to Ghaddafi’s mother, Hjiya Halima Soda, the grief stricken woman could not control her tears as she bemoaned the kicking of her son.

She told our reporters that she send Ghaddafi to repair one of his shirts because the size was too big for her. She said Ghaddafi never returned from that errand. Later, the family was hit by the terrible news that their son has been shot by JTF men.

According to her, “I sent him in the evening to repair one of my shirt because it was too big for me. That very night, he did not return; all we could hear was that Ghaddafi has been killed. That very day, I was listening to a programme on radio called ‘Iya Ruwa’, they were about to finish the programme about nine o’clock when we started hearing gunshots. We did not know what was happening. The shooting continued for about one hour and there were shots of teargas in our house which prevented us from going out.

“Everyone was scared.

However, even before the gunshots, we tried to locate him through phone calls, but to no

“

There is no day people are not killed in an extra-judicial manner in these states and we cannot bear it anymore. People are just shot like that. We are not holding brief or supporting anybody but people should not be killed extra-judiciously.

avail. The next morning, Ghaddafi did not return. We heard thet two people were killed the previous night. I went outside the house around 7:00am and asked some of the policemen in front of our house to confirm to me if two people were killed yesterday. The policemen did not give me any response, but said if we are looking for anybody, we should go to the mortuary. That was what actually happens.

“It was then that we started looking for relatives to accompany us to the mortuary but the DPO of the station near our house now sent that we should go and take the corps of Ghaddafi in the mortuary”, she said in tears.

A neighbour to the deceased, who pledged anonymity, told People Daily Weekend that he knows Ghaddafi personally and that there was nothing about him that should raise any suspicion of his innocence.

"I know this boy personally.

He's lived for 30 months in a friend's house where I'm a regular visitor. I know his mum who was a member of Kano state cabinet. He was innocent", he said.

He however, lamented that the parents could not make any effort due the fact they were devastated by the incident, but promise to make use of available means to ensure that they got justice.

"The mum has refused to take the matter further because she couldn't bear the burden of thinking about it. I'm using my friend to convince the father to come forward so that we can raise hell until something is done", the neighbour said.

However, his father Soda said they had appealed to both Kano state government and the traditional monarch to intervene.

"The entirely family is crying out for help as we can’t just let this go like that; we are helpless for now we need the support of everybody that can assist us. We want justice so that those who are behind this evil act would be brought to book and it will serve as a lesson to others.

"We have already appealed to the government of Kano state and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero to intervene and assist us in this matter", he said.

Also his mother is demanding for justice saying he was unjustly murdered. “He actually identified himself but they went ahead to kill him.

Even if they don’t know him, they should have asked the policemen that were working Contd on page 11

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 11

Cover

Nothing can console me Alhaji Salisu Soda is the father of late Ghaddaffi Salisu, who was allegedly killed by policemen on Patrol in Kano metropolis recently. In this interview with Edwin Olofu, Soda said he is still at a loss over the death of his son.

W

hat actually happened?

When I received the news of the killing of my son, it was one of the lowest moments of my life I must confess to you.

I don’t even want to talk about it anymore. It is tragic and I’m still feeling the pains as I speak with you. I was at home around 9.30pm when I heard the news that Ghaddfi has been shot by some policemen.

I asked what happened and nobody could offer to me any convincing explanation. I was later told that he was sent by his mother to go and collect her cloth from a tailor within the neighborhood and on his way he met some policemen who were said to be on patrol and they stopped him and asked where he was going to. He told them that his mother sent him on an errand. They shouted at him and asked him to go down; there were people around the area that saw what happened; he obliged and went down but at the same time he was telling them his mother sent him and that they should even use his phone to speak to her. They ignore all his pleas and killed him.

Look, the most annoying aspect of the whole issue as we were told was that when the police patrol was approaching him he was telling them that he was the one; he was trying to identify himself, because there is a police check point close to the area where he used to take food from his mother’s house to them every evening.

Because of that, they the policemen became familiar with him and he thought they were the same policemen, but unknown to

must be done about this. This boy was so innocent; he was defenseless and the point is that even if somebody is armed, you don’t just shoot him just like that not to talk of an innocent boy like my son.

Are you considering taking legal action?

Certainly yes. If we exhausted all these avenues and we are not satisfy, we would be left with no option but to go to court which is the last hope of the common man. We are preparing to write a petition to the Inspector General of Police and the Kano state Police Commissioner on the issue.

We will take it to a logical conclusion. It is a terrible thing and everybody must raise a voice against it.

With this development, would you want government to withdraw the troops?

The issue is not that government should withdraw the troops, but all we are saying is for them to operate with human face, not the way they are operating now, brutalizing and killing innocent people. Despite what has happened to me, I cannot

say they should be withdrawn because they are out to maintain law and order. But they must operate within the ambit of the law not the way they are doing now. You are a journalist; you are aware of the fact that cases of extra judicial killings are on the increase in the state which is very unfortunate and this must be investigated. If not, the problem that will follow this one could be more than what we have at hand.

What is the feeling of the family about this loss?

Honestly, I cannot explain how I feel at the moment, if I said I’m sad, that is an understatement on how I feel inside. I cannot describe my feelings in particular. You can see it on me. I don’t think I need to describe how I feel to you. I’m really down like I said. I don’t even like talking about it. I only find solace in God Almighty. Nothing or nobody can console me. It was great loss and the manner with which it happened makes it worst. Despite the passage of time, it is something I can never forget in my life.

Alhaji Salisu Soda

him they were not the same policemen. We were told that they asked him to go down and when he did, one of the policemen brought his gun and shot him to death.

What do you intend to do now?

Yes, the entirely family is crying out for help. As it is, we cannot just let this go like that; we are helpless for now; we need the support of everybody that can assist us.

We want justice so that those

who are behind this evil act would be brought to book and it will serve as a lesson to others. We have already appealed to the government of Kano state and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero to intervene and assist us in this matter.

It is very tragic. We want everybody to support us.

People should not watch while some people just waste the life of this young man without any justification. Something

“

Nothing or nobody can console me. It was great loss and the manner with which it happened makes it worst.

Despite the passage of time, it is something I can never forget in my life.

Helpless Kano people groan under JTF reign of terror Contd from page 10

in front of our house. He would have been identified and nothing would have happened.

The killing of Ghaddafi has continued to elicit reactions with Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) now raising the stake the fish out the killer and bring them to justice.

One of the workers with the

CSOs said the groups are working hard to use the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to ensure justice for the victims.

"I was able to speak to Ghaddafi's father. I informed him of the possibility of the NHRC coming in to investigate the murder of his son and he assured me of his cooperation but wanted me to speak with

Ghaddafi's mum so that she, too, would agree to cooperate.

He is also willing to appear before the House investigation committee when it commences sitting next week.

The CSO confirmed that Ghaddafi was killed by policemen on patrol in his neighbourhood who searched him and, after finding nothing incriminating on him, decided

to kill him nonetheless.

According to him, "The irony of this incident is that those who committed the offence could be easily identified and their victim was confirmed to be their "friend"."The policemen are attached to the local division and are known by the DPO who identified Ghaddafi's body when it was brought by the culprits to him. Ghaddafi was a friend of the

police and was fond of providing them with drinking water from his family house".

From all indications Kano people are not going to give up the matter as according to sources legal luminaries and rights group are teaming up to coordinate effort to put a stop to the orgy of killing by those suppose to protect lives and property of the citizens.

Special Report

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Is Nigeria reaping the benefits of women?

Pronounced gender disparity has been the bane of women in Nigeria for long, despite the fact that gender equality is a core development objective in its own right. Many issues relating to this have shown that the trend is not smart economics in any perspective. For example, many women can be seen in our markets selling tomatoes, pepper and onions in small trays, but the men own big baskets even though both of them worked on the farm for the produce. Some women have been turned to punching bags and sex objects, while others have taken to the streets in search of their livelihoods, with their children eating from garbage cans, and becoming available tools for crime despite deliberate policies to target their welfare, the development, a stark reality that their contribution is yet to make meaningful impact on the nation.

By Jamila Nuhu Musa

T

here is no doubt, that Nigeria’s 80.2 million women and girls have significantly worse life chances than men. Many reports provide comprehensive view of plethora of problems facing the female gender in the country. They access key areas such as employment and livelihoods, education, especially the girl child, health, political representation, and violence, with many Nigerian women showcasing scars of battering, acid bath and torture in their tales.

Other worrisome traits are limited access to loan facilities, less pay at work for career women, sexual harassment, lack of provision of safe environment for girls to study with many becoming victims of rape and molestation in some cases by their own teachers, while the issue of property rights of women leaves much to be desired. The plight of widows as recorded, are enormous ranging from oath taking to show their innocence in their husband’s death, drinking of the water used to wash his corpse, sleeping with the corpse and having their hair shaved with broken bottle, as well as sleeping on sackcloth or bare floor. After all these, a widow may be thrown out into the cold to fend for her children by herself.

Reports indicate that up to one third of women have been subjected to violence in Nigeria, and one in five has experienced physical violence and death. Last month, April, the Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele paraded two suspects for allegedly beheading a 42-year old woman, and cutting off her two hands after making love to her. Some have been bathed with acid or hot water for some minor offences like getting the food burnt.

Maternal mortality is another problem of women. The trend has improved in Nigeria, from a mortality ratio of 545 deaths per 100, 000 live births (NDHS, 2008) according to the Minister of Health for state, Dr Muhammed Ali Pate, in a paper he presented in Abuja. The ratio was estimated to be 487 per 100,000 live births as at September 2011. But despite these improving trends women still die from pregnancy complications. Even the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo –Iweala and the FCT Minister for State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, were not spared of the exigency of birth complications if not for the standard obstetrics in the United Kingdom where they had the babies, the type not easily available to our rural

Hajia Zainab Maina, Minister of Women Affairs women.

Ngozi was expecting her first child and she did not expect to suffer any complications but just four weeks to her expected delivery date, (EDD, she was on her way to get a haircut in Manchester UK, (the low- cut hair style must have been her distinctive hair style for long) when her obstetrician called her to say she had to undergo a caesarean session immediately. The baby had its umbilical cord wrapped round its neck. The FCT Minister of state, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide also had the same experience while in the UK too. So, who says maternal mortality and the problems bedeviling Nigerian women are all about academics?

A Gender in Nigeria Report for 2012, finds that women and girls suffer systematic disadvantage that is magnified for those in poorest states and sectors of the society.

Put together by a panel instituted by the British Council, and chaired by the Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi OkonjoIweala and co –chaired by Governor of the CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, with notable Nigerian women including Minister for Women Affairs, Zainab Maina, former Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Amina AL- Zubair, foremost female journalist, Bilkisu Yusuf, Lawyer, Maryam Uwais and Mo Abudu, a talk show expert as members, the report recommended policies to improve the lives of girls and women and identifies priorities for action, some of which have been considered in some areas before now.

For example, the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is reported to have fast tracked the process of increasing women’s access to facilities and plans to increase their representation in management, and on the board of banks to enhance their status in the banking sector.

However, giving impetus to the essence of women in economic transformation, Mrs. Okonjo Iweala at a forum viewed women in Nigeria as multitasking with ability to impact the economy positively. While stating at a National Gender Policy Dialogue in Abuja, that ‘If educating a woman is smart economics, educating a girl is smarter economics”, she noted that “while other women in other places planned how to multi task, Nigerian women seemed to play the role effortlessly”, According to the Finance Minister, who was guest at the occasion, “Nigerian women can work on the farm, trade, earn income, rear their children and look after their husbands”. A trend she is very proud about “because it is not a case of Zainab Maina, Ngozi OkonjoIweala or Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, but the case of many rural women”.

However, the situation of women continues to nosedive in the rural areas where women struggle to take care of malnourished children and contend with poor health, environmental condition, inadequate facilities and poor education despite excellent policies of governments at all levels which have not translated to positive actions for the changes required by women in a democratic dispensation.

Similarly, lip service has trailed laws supposedly friendly to women. Iweala said though there is a gamut of laws friendly to women, not many women have been able to call up such laws to fight for their rights. “What is Nigeria’s record in keeping the laws, how many times have the laws worked for women, or how many times have they been applied for their benefit”.

Her thinking is in tandem with that of the Governor of Niger state, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, who, while speaking at a similar National Gender Policy Dialogue in Minna, Niger state, gave an order for the Special Adviser on Gender Affiars to take the issue of a 49 year old man who raped an 8 year old girl 3 times as a personal project, saying “I have visited the prison and I saw many of them, (rapists) their files were said to be missing.

The case of this man must be handled to the letter” he further said. Though sentence for rape is life imprisonment in Niger state, the governor said he would gladly endorse castration.

In a similar development, the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Nigeria, has canvassed for chemical castration of rapists in Nigeria, Speaking Contd on page 13

Strange World

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 13

Moroccan man rape grand Malawi man develops female private parts daughter for years

A

68-year-old Moroccan man raped his little granddaughter for many years before he and a worker at his farm were arrested after she was found pregnant, a newspaper in the north African Arab country said on Thursday.

Fatima was only about five years old when her father decided to take her to live with his rich father who owned a large farm in the central town of Khouribga, apparently not aware of his father’s evil intentions.

Shortly after her father went back home, Fatima’s grandfather began his advances and a few months later he started to molest her.

After a couple of years, the old man began to sleep with his own granddaughter, threatening to kill her if she tells her father.

Fatima was later raped by a

worker at her grandfather’s farm, prompting the old man to sack that worker.

“He then started to live with her as a wife…he was giving her contraceptives and threatening to slaughter her like an animal if she tries to tell her father or escape,” the Moroccan Arabic language daily Al Sabah said.

“Fatima said she tried many times to flee but did not know where to go as she did not know how to reach her father…her ordeal came to an end when a dispute over a car erupted between her father and her grandfather.”

The paper said her father demanded the return of Fatima, who broke the news of her ordeal to him. He reported his father and the worker to the police, who arrested both despite their denial of raping her.

A

distressed man in Malawi claims he has developed female genitals and his testicles keep disappearing. 25-year-old Jali Mateyu says his wife confirmed that female genitalia had grown out of his anus.

“Two years ago I developed strange human flesh on my anus and my wife confirmed to me that they were female genitals but they disappeared.” Mateyu explained.

“But in June this year they reappeared just between the anus and the genitals. My member shrunk and later disappeared. There were only female genitals,” he continued.

Mateyu immediately sought the assistance of a traditional healer who cut the alleged female genitals with a knife and sprinkled herbs on them. “They were cut and herbs were applied.

Now male genitals have

resurfaced but they are too weak; I can’t perform in bed,” Mateyu told the Malawi National newspaper.

Mateyu blames his suffering on black magic, and has accused both his mother-in-law and his second wife’s ex-husband for bewitching him and turning him into a woman. Mateyu’s first wife ran away after he stole his

second wife from another man, he believes that this is the motive for his first wife’s mother and his second wife’s ex-partner for using black magic against him.

The young man, who now has three wives explained how his second wife had been with her husband for many years but had not been able to produce children. Believing it was the husband who was seedless the couple looked for a suitable donor to sire a child. At first the husband brought home an old man to impregnate his wife, but she wasn’t happy with this choice and subsequently began paying Mateyu regular visits for hanky-panky.

After a short while the woman decided not to return to her barren husband and stayed with Mateyu instead, that is when his first wife left and the alleged female genitals arrived.

inside.’

While Crecelius appeared to have male genitalia, the ultrasound indicated he also had internal female sex organs - just one of the conditions under the umbrella term ‘intersex’.

When they arrived home,

his wife Debbie forced him to talk about it - a conversation that Crecelius had avoided in fear that he would lose his family.

Debbie admitted it has not been easy and feared that she would never get her husband back - but stood by Stevie, saying: ‘You will be who you are’.

‘I didn’t sign on for this, but who signs on for anything?’

Debbie told Fox31. ‘She’s the same person she was as a he on the inside.’

They battled through by being open about their concerns as they adjusted through the changes.

‘We asked each other questions,’ Debbie told the Post.

‘He asked me, “What if you meet someone along the way?”

I said, “What if you meet someone?” The road goes both ways.’

The couple, who have now been together more than 25 years, still share a room and a bed together. ‘She still relates to my heart and soul, and I still relate to hers, and I think that that’s the essence of true love,’ Crecelius said. Although Stevie was concerned about telling the couple’s six children, they were supportive. She chose to tell them individually, and was most worried about telling one of her sons, a Marine.

But ‘within a few minutes, all of them said, “I don’t care dad; I love you for who you are”,’ Stevie said.

She called herself the ‘luckiest woman in the world’.

‘It’s so liberating to be able to be and express how I feel inside,’ she said.

Crecelius has decided not to undergo gender reassignment surgery but continues to take hormones.

Mateyu

Man goes to hospital with a kidney stone... and discovers he's a woman

A

man who went to hospital with a kidney stone was stunned when a nurse gave him his results - and revealed that he was actually a woman.

Steve Crecelius, a photographer from Denver, Colorado, was born with both male and female traits and had long repressed his feminine side.

But after an ultrasound made the discovery, he no longer lives as a man and goes by ‘Stevie’ - a move that his wife and their six children support.

‘I remember wearing my mom’s clothes and makeup, very secretly, not telling anybody,’ Crecelius, who chose to hide behind a male persona, told Fox31.

But 40 years later, the nurse gave the explanation for his feelings, revealing that he

was intersex.

‘I had a kidney stone and we’re in the emergency room,’ Crecelius said. ‘The nurse is reading the ultrasound and says, “Huh, this says you’re a female”.

It validated everything I had always felt

Is Nigeria reaping the benefits of women?

Contd from page 12 during a courtesy visit to the deputy Senate president, Ike Ikweremmadu, National coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, appealed to the Federal Government to declare rape as a national emergency as the resurgence of sexual violation and crimes against younger female citizens in Nigeria has become worrisome.

In her opinion, the World Bank Country Director, Marie Francoise Marie said the girl-child is an asset anywhere in the world and should be regarded as such.

Girls and women must be respected because they are special.

Governor Aliyu, attests to the value added to the family and a nation by women. Pointing out that it is the girlchild turned woman, who is always there for her family and country. Adding that now, women are not only equal to men but superior to them. He said the fact that they have the natural ability to carry a

child in their wombs for 9 months and nurture them makes them outstanding.

He explained that even the Holy books extols the virtues of women, and urged Nigerians to discard age long traditions such as having too many wives or concubines, marrying underage girls, female circumcision, marrying additional wife without proper consultation with the existing wife, amongst others as such traditions negate modern trends.

The Ministry of women affairs said however, that it is overwhelmed with contributions of women to nation building.

The minister, Hajiya Zainab Maina , said as the mother ministry, it is taking necessary measures to improve the welfare of women in line with the transformation agenda of the present administration, and that plans are in the offing to establish Gender units in other ministries and agencies with a view to tackling issues of women across the board.

Non Governmental Organisations, (NGOs) in the country in their bid to enhance welfare of Nigerian women in all spheres, have contributed greatly in building capacity of women and men through advocacy programmes with a view to enhancing their socio-political and economic conditions specially at grass roots.

One such NGO, is the Development Research Centre Project (drpc) based in Kano, which has severally sponsored participants made up of traditional and religious leaders on study tours to Egypt, Ghana and other countries for them to learn what works, for maternal and child health, girl-child education and empowerment.

Hajiya Asmau Muhammed, mallam Imam Bashir Ahmed Yankuzo and Mallam Idris Sulaiman Abu shuwaira, were participants at Ghana and Egypt study tours. They told Peoples Daily, that Nigerian women could benefit enormously from their findings. For

instance, in Ghana, health workers monitored the progress of pregnant women and called them periodically on their mobile lines; visited them in their homes and also got pregnant women to attend ante natal, as health centres were open throughout the day and night.

In the case of an emergency, a pregnant woman could be taken to the nearest clinic by commercial drivers who got paid by the clinic or facility. “This way, women can be rest assured that they would get help at any time and that their health was guaranteed unlike in Nigeria where pregnant women still battle to access health care due to terrible roads, inadequate drugs, health personnel and poverty”. The onus is on governments at all levels to review situation of women by increasing funding for their empowerment, good health, education and enhanced participation in all spheres for them to contribute positively to national development.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Weekend

PAGE 17

Cocktail

Simply outstanding Looking gorgeous in locally made fabric, a man is simply outstanding. With such fabrics like the brocade and the extremely elegant men’s Abaya designed in Saudi Arabia and made from 100% high quality Abaya fabric (Polyester based) he is simply cute. >>> Page 32

Hollywood: Will and Jada Smith going strong, puts family first >>> Page 26

Week e h t f so Model 2 ge 2 >>>Pa

Cuisine: Snacks nuts, cookies and soup >>> Page 28

Glit Glitzz, glamour at 2012 Tozali Award Night

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Insight Weavons from Indian temples flood Nigeria Contd from Page 8

million is shipped from India, one of the largest exporters of human hair, to factories in China.

There, Chinese hair is mixed with Indian hair to make wigs and hair extensions for Western markets.

Immediately they get to exporters they re-sort them into straight, wavy, silky and curly hair. The hair is then shampooed, dried in the sun and combed.

Hair from India mostly go to the United States where there are processed and later shipped to Africa.

According the Women’s eNews, exporters say buyers from countries such as the United States pay $1.50 for a strand of hair that expensive beauty salons may then weave into extensions or wigs that can sell for between $1,500 and $3,000. Hollywood is one of the biggest consumers of human hair.

When it gets to wholesalers, they sort hair into five categories.

The kind that is black and longer than six inches is the most sought after. This "remy" or "black gold" category sells for as much as $160 per kilogram.

The second category of black hair, between 8 and 16 inches long, sells for around $44 a kilogram. The third category of black hair, shorter than 8 inches, sells for under a dollar a kilogram.

The fourth and fifth categories are gray hair shorter than 8 inches, which sell for about 10 cents a kilogram, the report said.

It is basically because of the affiliation to Hindu worship as well as unknown issues surrounding the lives of the original owners of the hair that faith-based organisations and cultural groups reject the use of weavons.

There is a belief that powers or spiritual deposits from the original owner may be transferred to the wearer and cause grave spiritual problems. A check by Peoples Daily Weekend shows that many Nigerian ladies are aware that the human hair weavons come from real people,

Indian ladies have very long hair good for weavon

though there is also a minority myth that some of them come from dead people. However, many people do not have first hand information that the hair pass through some Hindu rituals before they get to the market.

However, even among faithbased organisations, there is a level of disagreements on the use of human hair weavon as some denominations and sects do not see anything wrong with, though a lot of denominations attach evil tendencies to it.

Reacting to the issue, an Abuja based Pentecostal pastor; Rev. Moses Ibe said wearing of weavons can come with very serious religious consequences. According to him, there have been instances where those who wear weavons have been known to be eventually possessed or oppressed by spirits that had to do with the original owners or the temple where they were dedicated to.

He said some of the original owners of the hair could be involved in spiritual practices which could affect the new wearers. Also, he said spiritual deposits could attach to the hair during the temple rituals.

“You see, wearing weavons can come with serious problems.

These things come from sources that could have serious attachment to spiritual or occultic

Hair is first dedicated to shrines like this

backgrounds. If you wear them there could be transference of spiritual forces which might harm the new wearer or cause certain but very silent and subtle problems. That is why we caution about the use”, he said.

Ibe said there have been situations where people wearing weavons have experience spiritual and even physical attacks from spiritual forces. He narrated a case which he said involved a young lady who was attacked by the river side by some forces that made her nearly go mad.

Attacks range from nightmares, physical attack, falling ill or even being initiated to occult groups unknowingly.

“We went for baptism. This lady with weavon started shouting under the influence of some spiritual powers. They were speaking through her and demanding that she gives them back their property; that is the hair. She was pulling her hair and scratching herself. It took very strong prayers to deliver her from that attack.

“There was also a lady that told me that she went and fixed human hair just for her to immediately started hearing voices which demanded that she had over their hair to them.

Initially, she took it as her imagination speaking to her but when she went to bed she saw some beings in her dream and she was under very severe attack until she removed the weavon.

“I have a lot of cases I can tell you. These things are real. That you fix weavon and you did not have any attack does not mean all is well. It could be that you are not very sensitive”, he said.

His position is collaborated by many women, but there are others including stylists who dismiss such as mere superstition and myth.

Speaking on the issue, an Abuja based stylist, Nnesochi Egwu said she has heard stories of spiritual attacks on account of weavons but noted that it has not reduced the demand for them.

Instead, the demand, according to her, has been on the increase.

Women have their hair shaved in temples

I have heard stories of people having problems when they wear weavons, but that has not stopped them from fixing them. Some people pray before they fix them.

Most people don’t care”, she said.

However, reacting to the issue, an Abuja resident who simply identified herself as Tinuade said she doesn’t believe in the myth maintaining that the stories are not true. Tinuade said she has always used the human hair ranging from Brazilian to Caribbean and has never had any form of attack. She said she has friends whose means of livelihood is selling weavon and she has never heard that they had any problems.

She sees no reason they should haunt anybody when they sold the said hair on their own volition. The original owners of the hairs according to her willingly go to the saloon to sell their hair to make money.

She also argued that the hair in turn have been processed adding that if there were spiritual attachments, to the hair as claimed, then they would have

Hair are sorted out and exported

lost its potency in the course of processing.

“I do not believe in the stories.

They are not true. I have been wearing weavon since I was a girl and nothing has happened to me.

I know people who wear them always as attachment and wigs and they have not complained. I know wives of big pastors and spiritual people who wear them. I know female pastors who wear them. They have not died. Even if there were spirits, they would have left during the processing of the hair”, she said.

Asked what type she uses and why, Tinu said she prefers the Brazilian and Caribbean types because she can use them for a longer period. She can roll them, thong them and restyle them to any shape she wants. “They might be expensive but the use is worth the amount”, she said.

Whether they lead to attack or not weavons have come to stay.

However, manufactures caution that people who are allergic to certain things should beware of weavons especially those derived from animals.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 15

Peoples Page

Nothing can separate us, says Kano mass wedding blind couple From Bala Nasir, Kano

M

alam Adamu Mai Fada and his wife Fatila Umar were the blind couple that participated in the mass wedding sponsored by the Kano state government last month which took place at the Kano Central Mosque in the state capital.

Their participation in the mass wedding was exceptional as many people who attended the ceremony were fascinated by them and their resolve to live together.

This was as a result of their social status and disability that they have to live with, yet they chose to be part of the history in the mass wedding.

The couple, after having gone through all the official processes that government laid down to all the participants in the mass wedding, moved into their matrimonial home as husband and wife last Wednesday as they had earlier planned.

50 years old Malam Adamu Mai Fada explained how marriage to 25 year old Fatila did not come to him as a surprise, he said.

“The marriage did not come to me as a surprise because I was already in love with her since I first met her. I was so compassionate about her.”

This therefore, made people to read between the lines in his relationship with her.

The happy groom said people teased him whenever they see the two of them conversing together as friends.

He said it was true he was in love with Fatila but he didn’t have the courage to tell her about his feelings towards her until the mass wedding provided the opportunity. He said friends and well wishers helped broker the union.

“I could not tell her my feelings but then friends and well wishers, helped talked to her on my behalf,” he said.

He said he started one day when they were together and he told her rather teasingly that God could make them husband and wife if he so wishes. But to his utmost surprise Fatila’s answer to his statement was the kill.

Fatila told him point blank that he was all along wasting his time for not expressing his feelings towards her all the time they were moving along.

According to him, she told him, “after all we have so much in common which makes us compatible to each other.”

Listening to Fatila’s words, according to Mai Fada was just like a dream. He initially thought that someone could

Malam Adamu Mai Fada

have mimicked her voice just to make fun of him, but he was certain that it was her because they were together for the last two hours chatting so there was no way somebody could intervene at that point..

The happy many said he only managed to tell her that, “you are right but you know I don’t have the means to marry a lady of your age because, already, I am 50 years old and you very much younger than me, I am too old for you.”

But the situation did not deter Fatila, who agreed to the marriage even when she is half the age of Mai Fada.

From that day, their relationship took another dimension and Mai Fada started preparing his mind to

officially propose to his heartthrob.

It was at this point that the state government came up with the idea of a mass wedding in which it planned to marry off 1000 women. Mai Fada decided to take advantage of the situation to get himself to marry his heartthrob in the government sponsored wedding.

The next day he went to Garko office of HISBA and told them that he wanted to participate in the 1000 women sponsored wedding. They were surprised that he was the first person to come for that matter since it was announced.

That was how it all started and after going through all the necessary processes as laid down by the state government

“

I could not tell her my feelings but then friends and well wishers, helped talked to her on my behalf

Fatila Umar

he and Fatila are now happily married as husband and wife.

Meanwhile, Malam Adamu Mai Fada lives in Garko town which is the headquarters of Garko local government area while Fatila lived in a village called Audika some fourteen kilometres away from Garko.

Fatila told Peoples Daily Weekend that she was happy with her marriage to Malam Adamu Mai Fada, which she said she had been longing to see happen.

Fatila stated that she had been meeting Mai Fada in Garko town for a very long time where she frequents because her brother lives there.

She said that indeed government has given her all the furniture promised to be given to all the women that participated in the wedding.

Also, the N10, 000 dowry paid to them were equally handed down to her including the N20, 000 poverty alleviation money given to them by the state government.

She prayed God to give them good life and what it takes to live together in harmony as they continue to be one.

Adamu the groom

Fatila the bride

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Tourism

Nature’s last frontier?

Close-up on Yankari Reserves

Yankari has the largest population of elephants in West Africa

By Richard Ihediwa with tourism reports

E

v e r been to Yankari Games Reserves?

Popularly known as Yankari National Park, beautiful in its natural state, this reserve has been dubbed the Lonely Planet as is continues to hold forth as home for very wide range of species of wildlife; the biggest of all in West Africa.

This very large wildlife park is the most popular of the eight national parks in Nigerian. It ist located in the south-central part of Bauchi State. It covers an area of about 2,244 km² (870 mi²). Apart from the games, Yankari is home to several natural warm water springs, as well as a wide variety of flora.

Its location in northeastern Nigeria in the heart of the savanna enables visitors to view wildlife in its natural habitat. Over 50 species of mammal can be spotted here including African Elephant, Olive Baboon, Western Hartebeest, Lion, Buffalo, Waterbuck, Warthog, Bushbuck, Patas and Tantalus Monkey and Hippopotamus.

Yankari is home to the largest populations of elephants in West Africa with estimates of around 500.

Over 350 species of resident and migratory birds, such as the Whiterumped Vulture, Guinea Fowl, Grey Hornbill, Saddle-billed Stork and Cattle Egret, have been recorded.

The dense vegetation of the area makes game viewing best between February and April. Visitors can arrange walking tours or guided tours on specially adapted trucks.

Several springs dotted through the park including the most popular Wikki Warm Springs, are created by underground geothermal activity. Wikki is located near the park lodge and contains magnificent crystal clear spring

water at a comfortable 31 degrees Celsius open 24 hours a day.

Visitors are often treated to an upclose experience with baboons and elephants that come down to drink at the springs.

The park also contains several archeological, cultural and historical preserves including the Dukkey Well System and the Ampara and Shanshau iron smelting works and furnace shafts which date back many centuries.

Accommodations at Yankari are varied, from hostels for youth and budget travelers to "presidential" chalets. Indoor and outdoor sports facilities, a restaurant, bar, museum and a conference center located within the park. "Safari" trips leave from Wikki camp twice daily.

Yankari National Park lies in the southern part of the Sudan Savannah. It is composed of savannah grassland with welldeveloped patches of woodland. It is also a region of rolling hills, mostly between 200m and 400m. Kariyo Hill, is the highest point at 640m.

Annual rainfall in the park is between 900mm and 1,000mm.

The rainy season is from May to September. Temperatures range between 18C and 35C. During the dry season, the harmattan wind blows from the Sahara, often bringing dusty skies and night temperatures fall as low as 12C. The hottest period falls in March and April, when temperatures can rise above 40C in the day.

In the dry season, larger wildlife in the park depend on the Gaji river and its tributaries for survival. This river is the only watershed and cuts the park in two. Marshall estimated the area of the Gaji River Valley used by elephants in the dry season at about 40 km².[6] . This increases the chances of seeing elephants at this time of year.

The Park's main entrance is at Mainamaji village, about 29 km

Antelopes at the reserve from Dindima. It is located within the Duguri, Pali and Gwana districts of Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.

The open country and villages that surround Yankari National Park are populated by farmers and herders, but there has been no human settlement in the park for over a century. There is, however, evidence of earlier human habitation in the park, including old iron smelting sites and caves.

The whole park lies on the Kerri formation, of Tertiary age, which is composed of sandstone, silt stones, kaolinites and grits. Underneath this lies the Gombe formation, of Cretaceous age, composed of sandstones, silt stones, and ironstones. The valleys of the Gaji, Yashi and Yuli Rivers are filled with Alluvium of more recent age. Sandy loans and clayey soils of riverine alluvium occur in the valley of the Gaji Yashi and Yuli Rivers. East of the Gaji valley is a 5-7 km wide band of very poor sandy soils that support a shrub savanna formation.

In 1934, the Northern Regional Committee made a recommendation to the Executive Council to establish a pilot game reserve in the Bauchi Emirate. This was supported by Alhaji Muhammadu Ngeleruma, a minister in the former northern Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Around this time, he had been impressed by a visit to a Sudanese game reserve while on a trip to East Africa.

On returning, he encouraged the moves to establish something similar in Nigeria.

In 1956, the Northern Nigeria Government approved the plans for the creation of a Game Preservation area. Yankari was identified as a region in the south of what was then Bauchi Province where large numbers of wild animals existed naturally and could be protected. In

Other animals at the reserve

Wikki warm spring 1957 a Game Preservation area was carved out and the area was constituted as a Bauchi Native Authority Forest Reserve.

Yankari was first opened to the public as a premier game reserve on 1 December 1962. Since then, the Northern Eastern State Government and then the Bauchi State Government both managed the Yankari Game Reserve. The park is now managed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Parks Service. In 1991 it officially became a National Park

by decree 36 of the National Government.

In 2000, Yankari National Park hosted over 20,000 tourists from over 100 countries. This makes it the most popular tourist destination in Nigeria and, if properly managed, it could become a significant part in the development and promotion of tourism throughout Nigeria. It is one of a few remaining areas left in West Africa where wild animals are protected in their natural habitat.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 18

Relationship Would you open a joint account?

I

t 's true that money can't buy love, but it's also one of the biggest causes of arguments between couples. As if spending decisions aren't complicated enough ("should we buy that stereo set", "how much loan should we take out on the SUV?"), try adding savings arrangements to the equation. One of the trickiest questions newlywed couples face is, should we have a joint account or keep our money separate?

There's no "right" or "wrong" way, say experts, but taking your money personalities and needs into consideration can help you decide which will work best for you as a couple.

The we-share-everything couple Couples who pool their money in a joint account see this as a reflection of their marriage, and a sign of unity and trust.

Sharing your assets sounds romantic, but it only works when you agree, for the most part, on how money should be spent and saved.

"Such a plan demands that newlyweds take care to communicate and cooperate about their finances, since they are depositing and withdrawing money from the same account," says Miriam Arond, co-author of The First Year Of Marriage. It also means that you have to respect each other enough not to grill your partner about every purchase that is made.

There's a biggie, though: If you and your partner have very different ways of spending money (for example, you're prudent and he's a spendthrift), your personality differences can create friction when one of you resent seeing purchases you don't approve.

And then there's the issue of income differences: If there is a big difference in income between you and your partner, this could lead to inequality in decisionmaking power, says an expert.

The independent couple Keeping your cash in separate accounts doesn't mean that your marriage lacks commitment; it simply means you like the autonomy of managing your money as you see fit. You pay from your individual account for your common expenses, such as mortgage, electricity, food, vacations -- either 50-50 or in proportion to how much you earn -- and what's left is used for

your individual purposes.

The upside: "Having your own account, you may feel more independent, and won't have to worry about what your mate will say about your each and every purchase," says the expert.

This separatist arrangement, however, can make paying for your shared expenses a hassle.

Plus, because there's less communication involved, it may delay your developing a joint financial plan. It also means you're less likely to have a clear picture of your partner's current financial status.

But do you treat your partner like a housemate when it comes to money, or does one of you carry the financial burden?

Twanji Kalula, a Cape Town TV Producer and Writer, is another expert, he ponders on relationships and finances.

We've heard it all before, divorce rates are high and one of the major reasons why so many serious relationships fail is money. Though money is tight in most households these days, the problems often don't arise because there's not enough money but rather because partners have unequal incomes, and different spending styles.

I have been pondering this concept quite a bit recently as I was challenged to consider changing the way I handle finances in my relationship. The importance of financial independence was impressed upon me at an early age, and by independence I mean that my money was my business alone.

The idea of sharing a budget or factoring someone else into the equation is foreign to say the least.

With so many of my friends deciding to cohabit or get married in the last couple of years, I have become very aware of how difficult it can be to incorporate someone else into your financial plan. I am warming to the idea of a joint

bank account, though the idea of someone wasting my money on useless trinkets terrifies me.

We all have different spending styles, some of us are spenders, others are savers, and most of us hover somewhere inbetween. Based on the spending style and income of each member, couples generally adopt one unique spending style as a couple. I loosely classify couples into three groups: The Independent couples are usually in the same income bracket and believe in financial independence. Like roommates they effectively pay their own way. They are responsible for all of their own expenses and savings, and split communal expenses (like rent, groceries, entertainment) 50/50. Though they treat each other from time to time, it's not uncommon for them to lend each other money and ask for it back.

The Co-Dependents: These couples have intertwined their finances causing many sceptics to scream. They share their income, investments, debt, savings and expenses. Gone are the terms yours, and mine, when talking about cash they strictly mean ours. They may factor in how much each earns with the underlying belief that things balance out. They aren't too rigid about rules and negotiate. One partner may be responsible for the rent, the other takes on the domestic expenses and they take turns paying for entertainment. They rely on each other to sustain their shared lifestyle.

The Dependents: In these relationships one person earns significantly more than the other, and has chosen to carry the financial burden of the relationship (think Pretty Woman). Theoretically living way beyond their solo means, one partner relies on the other to assume responsibility for most of the mutual expenses, and even some individual ones too.

“

Having a money style that doesn't suit each partner's financial habits can get tricky. One acquaintance got married only to end up co-paying her husband's vast debts, and another opened a joint account with his wife, only to lose his life savings when she developed a gambling problem.

At-home moms usually fall into this category too.

Having a money style that doesn't suit each partner's financial habits can get tricky.

One acquaintance got married only to end up co-paying her husband's vast debts, and another opened a joint account with his wife, only to lose his life savings when she developed a gambling problem.

In contrast, others make it look seamless and easy. There's no his money, or my money. We pool all of our resources and share our expenses and savings.

Sometimes I earn more and sometimes he earns more, says a friend who has been married for four years.

In chatting to a number of couples before writing this article, I was intrigued by how differently each couple does things. I spoke to some people who were paying their partner's way, some who split everything and others who really didn't care about who earned the money.

One newlywed who earns less than her husband has embraced a 50/50 approach, but

finds that she runs out of money much faster than he does. I pay half of our shared expenses, which consumes 80% of my income vs only 40% of his. I'm scared of not having savings, not being able to go on holiday or treat myself – unless he pays for it, because unlike him, I am unable to save.

Another colleague suggested that they implement a sliding scale of sorts; ie. if she brings in 30% of their combined income she should only be responsible for 30% of their joint expenses, leaving her with slightly more room to save, spend, invest and service her debts. A rather controversial thought!

The couples who seemed happiest were those who had discussed some kind of arrangement whatever it is, instead of just going with the flow. I guess money-proofing your relationship boils down to having that frank, honest and potentially awkward conversation about money with your partner, and agreeing on one style that suits both of you. www.twanjikalula.com

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips Makeup tips for people who wear glasses B a s e d in Chicago, Christina Berry has been writing since 2000. Her work has been published in "The Lighter," Valparaiso University's art and literary magazine. Berry holds a bachelor's degree in English/creative writing from Valparaiso University.

Women can apply makeup to complement their glasses Many women are unsure when it comes to mastering the art of eye makeup application for eyeglasses. Should you have a less-is-more attitude, or apply more makeup so that your eyes stand out behind those frames? Following these simple guidelines will help you create a look in which your eyeglasses and makeup complement each other beautifully. Does this Spark an idea?

Coordinate Makeup With Your Frames -If your frames are colored, dark or thick, you will want to stick with neutral eyeshadow. Apply cream, taupe or even a subtle gold-hued shimmer to your lids and lightly define eyes with brown or black liner. Thin or neutral frames allow more freedom to use colored eyeshadows and liners.

Keep in Mind the Strength of Your Lenses -If you wear strong vision eyeglasses with thick lenses, remember that your eyes will appear slightly larger. A darker, smokier eye shadow with black eyeliner on the inside rim will help to balance your eyes. For glasses with negative lenses that may make your eyes look smaller, apply white eyeliner to the inside rim of lashes

along with a darker eyeshadow on your lids and the outer corner of your bottom lashes. Ivory shimmer on the inner corners can also help to make your eyes appear larger.

Maintain Your Eyebrows and Lashes -Glasses sit right against the brows, so they should be well-groomed and shaped.

For extra definition, fill in brows with a pencil or powder. A common problem for women who wear glasses is that eyelashes can touch the lenses, leaving small black specks from mascara. To fix this, try curling your lashes so they are away from your lenses, and avoid lengthening mascara.

The 7-day anti-ageing detox Natural ageing is unavoidable, but stress and overindulgence can put additional unnecessary strain on your body, especially...

N

a t u r a l ageing is unavoidable, but stress and overindulgence can put additional unnecessary strain on your body, especially your skin's tone and elasticity.

Your skin is the second most important detoxification organ after your liver, and anything your liver can't handle gets shunted there, leading to spots, dull skin, wrinkles and eye bags.

That's where this seven-day skin and body rejuvenating detox plan comes in.

Nutritionist Charlotte Watson, says, 'Anti-ageing detoxification is all about helping your cells remove toxins and absorb the antioxidant nutrients found in foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oily fish, herbs and spices.

'These all protect your skin from the ravages of UV light, pollution, sugar, smoking and fried and processed foods.'

Antioxidants can also help regulate your immune system, leaving you less at risk of infection, and protect against degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

This seven-day anti-ageing detox includes plenty of foods rich in youthgiving nutrients. Try and incorporate them in your diet on a daily basis. They include: -Red pepper: packed with twice the vitamin C and nine times the carotene of green peppers, they also contain folate to keep your skin looking young, and vitamin A to stop the damage from UV light (age spots and wrinkles). Plus antioxidants to keep your heart healthy.

-Iceberg lettuce: swap dark-leaf salad for good old iceberg lettuce once in a

while - just one cup gives about 15% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A to keep your vision sharp.

-Quinoa: a brilliant source of protein, for youthful looking skin and strong bones.

-Eggs: a good source of complete protein, they also contain fatigue-fighting vitamin B12, vitamin A and lutein to keep your eyes strong. Eggs are also one of the few dietary sources of vitamins K and D which help strengthen bones.

-Leafy greens: every cell needs coenzyme Q10 to produce energy for cell growth and maintenance, and it's also an antioxidant. Production of this coenzyme slows down as we age, so make sure you eat lots of leafy green vegetables to counteract it.

-Cashews and walnuts: Good sources of copper, low levels of which can lead to premature grey hairs, as copper aids the production of melanin, the pigment that gives hair its colour.

-lean protein: chicken, turkey and fish all promote cellular repair. Lean protein helps boost collagen to keep your skin

plump and clear, keep your thyroid functioning well and also control your appetite.

-Berries: Help keep cellulite at bay by boosting your circulation. This can prevent dimply areas looking puckered by plumping out the cells, encouraging blood and lymph flow.

-Brown rice: A rich source of vitamin B1 (thiamine), which is essential for healthy circulation and helps prevent wrinkles and loss of elasticity. Brown basmati contains 20% more detoxifying fibre than other types.

-Cinnamon: Reduces cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride levels, inhibits the growth of bacteria and boosts brain function. Plus it's an antioxidant that curbs cell damage, helping you to stay looking young.

-Mediterranean herbs: Oregano has up to 20 times the antioxidant activity of most other herbs. Basil, rosemary and parsley have antiinflammatory properties to ease asthma and bowel inflammation.

Source: http:// uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com.

PAGE 20

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Peoples Tech When your car refuses to start (II)

By Richard Ihediwa

L

a s t week, we started this series by looking at what to do when your car refuses to start with special focus on bad batteries. This week we will look at other reasons your car might refuse to go even when your battery is in top form.

After the battery, the next factors to consider would include your ignition and fuel circulation system.

To perfectly ensure that your battery is not the culprit when you try to start the car and the ignition lights are on but the engine refuse to start, try hitting the car horn or turning on the full lights. If the horn or the lights come with full blast, then the battery is not the culprit. Try checking the ignition system The ignition system controls the movement of charge from the battery to the ignition coil to the spark plugs. Supply of power to the plugs is later shifted from the battery to the alternator when the engine starts running.

Checking the ignition system actually starts with the ignition key system. A faulty key system will hinder full connection between the battery and the kick starter to get the engine on. The key system is usually the culprit when the ignition system remains dead even when the battery and kickstarter are in good form.

Try checking the contact point to see if there is transfer of power from the battery. If there is no power at the contact head, then there could be problem with the key. If the key is in order, the next place to look at will be the ignition fuses. A bad fuse can cause a gap in the flow of charge.

In the case that there is a transfer of charge, then the kickstarter could be the culprit. If the kick runs without turning the engine or makes a stiff tick tock sound, then the kick has a problem. Take it to your electrician. You can push the car to start if it is a manual drive.

In the event that the kick turns the engine well yet it refuses to start, your check should go further to other sectors in the ignition system including the start coil, distributor system and the spark plugs. The coil is responsible for increasing the current from the battery or alternator to the level that will enable the plugs to spark.

When the coil is bad, the plug is denied of adequate current

Faulty ignition key can be a problem

Bad fuel pump can be a headache

Distributors can be a problem when they are worn out and will not work. As the coil starts weakening, it will make your car to stop running when the engine becomes hot. When it is completely bad, the car will not start at all.

Another component that could be the culprit is the distributor, which is responsible for the distribution of electric charges to the plugs. If the rotor, or the brushes are bad, the car will not start.

To check whether the coil or distributor is the culprit, try removing the plug cable from the plug head. Attach a nail and place close to a metal part near the engine. Make sure you are

properly insulated or you might be shocked. Get somebody to try starting the engine. If the ignition system is good, there will be a spark at the end of the nail.

If the system is bad, there will be no spark. You can also use a new plug to carry out this check. If there is a spark then the ignition system is not the culprit, you must look elsewhere.

Another place you might look is the fuel system. Your car will refuse to start if there is a problem with fuel circulation or the injector or carburetor system. When checking the fuel system, the first thing to do is to be sure that fuel is freely coming

Bad Ignition coils can lead to prevent a car from starting to the injector of carburetor.

If you are sure that there is fuel in your tank, then you should check whether the fuel pump is working. To do this, remove the fuel supply hose.

Make sure you point the hose downwards where the fuel will not touch any ignition component. Let somebody open the ignition if the pump is good, there will be a spray of fuel. If it is bad, there will be no spray.

That a pump is running does not mean it is good. It must have a forceful spray.

When there is no supply, don't be hasty to blame the pump.

Check the supply hose to see

whether there is any blockade.

This could be the problem. Also there could be blockade in the tank. Check very well.

There could also be a blockade in the injector or carburetor inlet pipes. Get a mechanic to service your system. Dirty fuel filter can also be the culprit. Try changing your filters regularly.

Note that these checks are not in any particular order. For some cars, the problem could be with the brain box or other major components in the engine. A regular check on the systems and regular servicing of your car can be of great help.

Healthy Living PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 21

Fruits that you need if you are diabetic W a r m weather means lots of luscious fruit. But if you have diabetes, you may be wondering how these seasonal treats can fit into your diet plan. But fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber and should be a part of a diabetic diet just keep track of them as you do all your carbohydrates. The key is to keep an eye on portion sizes and stay away from fruits canned in syrups or other types of added sugar. If you are using the glycemic index (GI) to manage your diabetes, most fruits are a good choice because they are low GI. Satisfy your sweet tooth and keep your blood sugar in check with the following fresh or frozen low-carb choices.

Berries Whether you love blueberries, strawberries, or any other type of berries, you have the go-ahead to indulge.

According to health experts, berries are a diabetes superfood because they're packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber and are low-carb. Three quarters of a cup of fresh blueberries have 62 calories and 16 grams of carbohydrates. If you can resist the urge to just pop them in your mouth, try berries in a parfait, alternating layers of fruit with plain non-fat yogurt - it makes a great dessert or breakfast.

Cherries Cherries are a low-carb, low GI choice and can safely be included in your diabetic diet. Twelve sweet cherries have 59 calories and 14 grams of carbohydrates.

Cherries, especially tart ones, are packed with antioxidants, which may fight heart

disease, cancer, and other diseases.

Cherries can be purchased fresh, canned, frozen, or dried. But since many canned and dried fruits contain added sugar, be sure to check the labels.

Peaches Fragrant, juicy peaches are a warmweather treat and can be included in your low-carb diabetic diet. Peaches contain vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber.

Peaches are delicious on their own or tossed into iced tea for a fruity twist. When you want a snack, whip up a quick smoothie by pureeing peach slices with low-fat buttermilk, crushed ice, and a touch of cinnamon or ginger.

Apricots Sweet, low-carb apricots are a fruit staple and a wonderful addition to your diabetes meal plan. One apricot has just 17 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates.

Four fresh apricots equal one serving and provide more than 70 percent of your daily vitamin A requirement. These fruity jewels are also a good source of fiber.

Try mixing some diced apricots into hot or cold cereal or toss some in a salad.

Apples Give an apple to a friend, especially if she has diabetes. And toss one in your purse if you're on the go - a small apple is a great fruit choice, with just 54 calories and 14 carb grams. Apples are also loaded with fiber and a good source of vitamin C. Don't peel your apples, though - the skins are full of antioxidants.

Oranges Eat one orange and you've gotten all

Kiwi is good for your health

the vitamin C you need in a day. This low-carb, low GI choice comes in at only 15 grams of carbohydrates and 62 calories. Oranges also contain folate and potassium, which can help normalize blood pressure. And while you're enjoying this juicy treat, don't forget that other citrus fruits, like grapefruit, are also great choices.

Pears Pears are a low-carb fruit and a wise addition to your diabetes meal plan. They are a good source of potassium and fiber.

Unlike most fruit, they actually improve in texture and flavour after they're picked. Store pears at room temperature

until they're ripe and perfect for eating (they can then be stored in the refrigerator). Here's a taste treat: Slice up a pear and toss it into your next spinach salad.

Kiwi If you've never tried a low-carb kiwi, you might not know that its brown fuzzy peel hides a zesty bright green fruit.

Delicious kiwi is a good source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. One large kiwi has about 56 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates, so it's a smart addition to your diabetic diet. Kiwis are available year-round and will last in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Why daily vitamin pills, known as supplements can be risky

D

i d you take your vitamins today? Many of us have been so seduced by the idea that supplements help protect us against ill health that we happily pop one, two or even more a day and feel guilty if we forget.

While this might be keeping the manufacturers in a healthy state, are vitamin pills really so good for us?

For decades the message has been clear; supplements deliver vital nutrients often missing from our diets, particularly antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, which help fight the damaging action of free radicals.

These molecules are derived from

oxygen and are produced by factors as varied as pollution and breathing.

Regretably, free radicals have been linked to a host of serious ailments, including cardiovascular disease, degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, autoimmune conditions, diabetes and cancer.

So the thinking has been free radicals bad, antioxidant pills good.

But increasingly scientists are questioning the benefits of antioxidant pills, and even suggesting that some might actually cause us serious harm.

Most recently, a study published last month by the University of California found no good evidence that they reduce the risk of cancer in healthy people.

More alarmingly, the researchers, who looked at numerous studies assessing the impact of antioxidants (as well as folic acid, calcium and vitamin D), suggested that large doses of some could help promote cancer. These were beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) and vitamins C and E. These were not isolated findings.

A worrying body of research now shows the antioxidant pills you're taking to protect your health may, in fact, be increasing your risk of

disease, and even premature death.

Millions of people are misled into ritualistically ingesting these substances with the belief that they are enhancing their general health and well-being.'

In fact, they say, these pills can be positively unhealthy.

They are particularly critical of the manufacturers: 'Maybe it's a genuine lack of comprehension of the science, or a stubbornness to expunge former beliefs, or worse, a blatant attempt to cash in while there's still money to be made.

'Whatever it is, (the supplement manufacturers) are putting your health in jeopardy and it's high time it stopped.

'It is clear that it is no longer science but market forces that are driving the macabre antioxidant industry.'

It's a controversial view, but Goggins and Matten point out that supplements are based on a flawed understanding of how antioxidants work.

They say the original studies which switched the world on to the health-giving properties of antioxidants were based on diets rich in these compounds in their natural state i.e. as found in fruit and vegetables.

The antioxidant theory was first mooted by U.S. scientist Denham Harman in the 1950s.

He suggested that the ageing process and its related diseases were the consequence of free-radical activity, and showed that free-radical inhibitors

(antioxidants) were able to extend the lifespan of mice.

Over subsequent decades, these findings were backed up by mounting evidence from laboratory studies that showed 'diets containing antioxidants' stopped free radicals in their tracks, reducing the incidence of heart disease, strokes and cancers.

"Free radicals quickly became public enemy number one, and antioxidants our saviour," write Goggins and Matten.

By the late 1970s, antioxidant supplements were flying off the shelves, with manufacturers packing larger and larger doses into each pill.

Vitamins swiftly became a global mega-business, worth an estimated ÂŁ43 billion today.

The industry backed studies which supported a growing belief that vitamin pills could be just as effective as vitamins ingested in their natural form.

But as Goggins and Matten point out, the studies extolling the virtues of vitamin pills were largely "observational."

This means they reported what appeared to happen to groups of people taking vitamins.

However, subsequent "intervention studies" (that is, more rigorous clinical trials involving placebo groups) have failed to show such dramatic results.

"Not only did the intervention studies show no positive effects from antioxidant supplementation, but also a worrying trend of increased harmful effects was emerging," they say.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds Why Ze br as Zebr bras are striped

By Ritu Asthana; Illustration by Anup Singh

T

he most obvious question to ask about zebras is why are zebras striped?

Unfortunately nobody really knows the answer.

Looking at zebras in the zoo, the striped pattern seems very clear and could hardly be thought of as protective.

Zoologists believe the stripes on a zebra could be one of several reasons. It could be basically for cover-up very much like the military camouflage. The bold wavy lines of a zebra blend in with the tall wavy grassy plains

picking out individual zebras and it is harder still for the lion to recognize which way each zebra is moving!

Each zebra pattern is unique like a fingerprint.

Also like a fingerprint, the patter varies from zebra to zebra and no two zebras are exactly alike. What is truly amazing is that zebras can recognize other zebras from their body stripe! A mother can instantly spot her colt in a herd!

There are three species classified according to the variations in the arrangement of the stripes, the Imperial or Gravy’s

PAGE 23

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

Bat story Once there was a great war between the beasts and the birds. Bat was on the birds’ side.

In the first battle, the birds were badly beaten. As soon as Bat saw that the battle was going against them, he crept away, hid under a log, and stayed there until the fight was over.

When the animals were going home, bat slipped in among them.

After they had gone some distance, they saw him and asked one another: “How is this? Bat is one of those that fought against us!”

Bat heard them and he said: “Oh, no! I am one of you; I don’t belong to the bird people. Did you ever see one of those people

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

who had teeth and hair? You can say that I belong to the bird people, but I don’t; I am one of your own people.”

They didn’t say anything more; they let Bat stay with them.

Soon after, there was another battle; in that battle birds won. As Bat’s side was getting beaten, he slipped away and hid under a log. When the battle was over and birds were

going home, Bat went in among them.

When they noticed him, they said: “You are our enemy; we saw you fighting against us.”

“Oh, no,” said Bat, “I am one of you; I don’t belong to those beasts. Did you ever see one of those people who had wings?”

They didn’t say anything more; they let him stay with them.

So Bat went back and forth as long as the war lasted. At the end of the war, birds and beasts held a council to see what to do with him. At last they said to Bat, “From now on, you will fly around alone at night, and you will never have any friends, either among those that fly, or those that walk.”

POEM

My Mother

By Ann Taylor Who fed me from her gentle breast, And hushed me in her arms to rest, And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?

My Mother.

of Africa where these animals live. The bold stripe may even serve to break up the shape of the Zebra. If a zebra is standing still in such surroundings, a lion, its chief predator, may overlook it completely.

It doesn’t matter that the zebra’s stripes are black and white and the grass are dusty brown or green, because the lion is colour blind!

However this may benefit an individual zebra in some situations but is it likely a large zebra herd would be able to escape a lion’s notice? This is exactly where it helps the zebra most. Zebra herds are very large but they stay very close to one another.

When all the zebras stick together in a herd, the pattern of stripes blends in with the stripes of the zebras around it. This is confusing to the lion! All it can see is a large, moving, striped mass instead of many individual zebras. The lion has trouble

zebra, the Plains or Common zebra, the Mountain zebra and several sub-species. The mountain zebra is the smallest of these averaging only four feet. It has silverwhite stripes with black markings that extend to every part of the body except the stomach and the inner part of thighs. Plains zebras travel in large herds and are pale yellow with broad black stripes. This specie has several variations: some have stripes down to the hooves while the lower legs of the others are solid white without any stripes.

Do you know that people of Africa think of zebras as black animals with white stripes whereas people outside Africa consider them as white animals with black stripes! Black stripes or white, the fact remains that zebras are extremely unique and are among the fastest and most graceful of runners in the African bush land.

When sleep forsook my open eye, Who was it sung sweet hushaby, And rocked me that I should not cry?

My Mother.

Who sat and watched my infant head, When sleeping on my cradle bed, And tears of sweet affection shed?

My Mother.

When pain and sickness made me cry, Who gazed upon my heavy eye, And wept for fear that I should die?

My Mother.

Who dressed my doll in clothes so gay, And fondly taught me how to play, And minded all I had to say?

My Mother.

Who ran to help me when I fell, And would some pretty story tell, Or kiss the place to make it well?

My Mother.

Who taught my infant lips to pray, And love God’s holy book and day, And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way?

My Mother.

And can I ever cease to be Affectionate and kind to thee, Who was so very kind to me, My Mother?

Ah no! the thought I cannot bear, And if God please my life to spare, I hope I shall reward thy care, My Mother.

When thou art feeble, old, and grey, My healthy arm shall be thy stay, And I will soothe thy pains away, My Mother.

And when I see thee hang thy head, ‘Twill be my turn to watch thy bed, And tears of sweet affection shed, My Mother.

For could our Father in the skies Look down with pleased or loving eyes, If ever I could dare despise My Mother?

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, MAY, 2012

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

AFRICAN TALES

The woman with two skins (I)

E

MODELS OF THE WEEK

yamba I. of Calabar was a very powerful king. He fought and conquered all the surrounding countries, killing all the old men and women, but the able-bodied men and girls he caught and brought back as slaves, and they worked on the farms until they died.

This king had two hundred wives, but none of them had a son for him. His subjects, seeing that he was becoming an old man, begged him to marry one of the spider’s daughters, as they always had plenty of children.

When the king saw the spider’s daughter he did not like her, as she was ugly, and the people said it was because her mother had had so many children at the same time. However, in order to please his people he married the ugly girl, and placed her among his other wives, but they all complained because she was so ugly, and said she could not live with them.

The king, therefore, built her a separate house for herself, where she was given food and drink the same as the other wives. Every one jeered at her on account of her ugliness; but she was not really ugly, but beautiful, as she was born with two skins, and at her birth her mother was made to promise that she should never remove the ugly skin until a certain time and except only during the night, and that she must put it on again before dawn.

Now the king’s head wife knew this, and was very fearful lest the king should find out and fall in love with the spider’s daughter; so she went to a Ju Ju man and offered him two hundred rods to make a potion that would make the king forget altogether that the spider’s daughter was his wife.

This the JuJu man finally consented to do, after much haggling over the price, for three hundred and fifty rods; and he made up some “medicine,” which the head wife mixed with the king’s food.

For some months this had the effect of making the king forget the spider’s daughter, and he used to pass quite close to her without recognising her in any way.

When four months had elapsed and the king had not once sent for Adiaha (for that was the name of the spider’s daughter), she began to get tired, and went back to her parents. Her father, the spider, then took her to another JuJu man, who, by making spells and casting lots, very soon discovered that it was the king’s head wife who had made the JuJu and had enchanted the king so that he would not look at Adiaha.

He therefore told the spider that Adiaha should give the king some medicine which he would prepare, which would make the king remember her.

- www.justmoney.co.za

ACTIVITIES

Beautiful Fulani Girls

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY

Make your own bongo drum Remember to ask a grown-up for help.

This should take about 15 minutes You will need: •Coloured paper •Empty food canister (the kind that has a plastic lid) •Ribbon •Safe glue or sticky tape Step 1 Turn the canister upside down and glue the ribbon onto the sides to make a neck loop.

Step 2 Once the glue has dried, decorate the side of the drum with coloured paper.

Name and paint the above picture with beautiful colour, show your work to your teacher for correction. Cheers!

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Kannywood

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2, — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 25

Nollywood

Glitz, glamour at 2012 Tozali Award Night

By Miriam Humbe

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t was a night of glitz and glamour indeed as Tozali Magazine rolled out the drums in celebration of five years of robust journalism.

The atmosphere was chilled but electrifying. Beautiful music

those in elective positions to take seriously, the issue of girl-child education. ost Performing Pet Project award was received on behalf of the wife of Gombe state governor, Hajiya Umma Dankwambo on her pet project on Women Empowerment and Child Health Care by wife of the deputy governor, Mrs.Tha’anda Rubainu.

Mrs. Rubainu said Hajiya Dankwambo deserved the award for only recently; she got doctors to treat at least 50 of the Vesico vaginal fistula, VVF patients in the state through her pet project and also empowered over 200 girls to get enrolled in school, among other things.

Tozali Fashion Icon of the year award was received by Mrs. Halima Haladu while Tozali Bride of the Year award went to Mrs. Maryam Kabir Paloma while Kannywood sensation, Sadeeq Sani Sadeeq clinched the Tozali Kannywood Best Actor of the Year award.

Top Nollywood star, Ali Nuhu received the Tozali Kannywood Best Actress of the Year award on behalf of Kannywood diva, Nafisat Abdullahi who was said to have been on location shooting for her next film.

Tozali Magazine is a monthly publication with a wide distribution network covering most parts of the country.

Essentially a social magazine, Tozali is the product of refined journalistic inputs and touches on virtually every aspect of life ranging from news, fashion, health and tourism. n its bid to play the role of a responsible corporate citizen, Tozali gave birth to the Henna Ball initiative as platform through which to effectively impact on the lives of the less privileged in society.

Henna is a common name for a small shrub, and for the dye that is obtained from leaves.

The shrub, which is also called alkanna and mignonette tree, grows in moist places in northern Africa and southern Asia.

It bears small, fragrant, white or rose flowers in cluster.

The orange-red dye produced from its leaves is used extensively as a rinse to impart a reddish colour to hair and most women in northern Nigeria use the dye to fashionably stain their nails and tips of their fingers and part of their feet. ozali thoughtfully chose Henna as the title of the event in celebration of our rich cultural heritage and this was responsible for the theme of the event: Celebrating the African Woman. Of course, the women took good advantage of the event as they turned out beautifully dressed, sat in clusters on the round tables and savoured every moment.

M

filled the air of the International Conference Centre Abuja as gorgeously dressed men and women stepped into the Executive Hall of the centre and took their seats at the well arranged tables.

The event themed: Celebrating the African Woman as announced by the chief hostess Hon. Faruk Lawan, in a chats with Hajiya Maimuna Abubakar

I

Kannywood star, Sadeeq Sani Sadeeq [right] receiving the Kannywood Best Actor of the Year award and publisher of Tozali Magazine, Hajiya Maimuna Abubakar, was to also feature the celebration of the fashion style of the Nigerian woman and to raise support for the girl-child education and fashion parade on the run-way.

Top designers took advantage of the event and displayed their handiworks made up of splendidly tailored wears from African fabrics. he array of beauties at the event candidly made a mockery of the assertion by Ghanaian-born writer, Ayi Kwei Armah that ‘the beautiful ones are not yet born’.

The lovely damsels most of whom

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Hon. Faruk Lawan takes his turn on the run-way

were of northern decent stepped into the hall exquisitely dressed in superbly shimmering native outfits depicting the cultural undertone of the night which also had the Kanuri Dancers from Maiduguri thrill the audience with their royal dance steps. ajiya Dr. Hadjo Sani, a teacher with 20 years experience, gave the talk on the need to promote girlchild education in the north. She praised Hajiya Maimuna Abubakar for being a worthy girlchild of the north and congratulated her for her achievements so far. Hajiya Hadjo said, ‘northern women are

Senator Datti Ahmed [left] presenting the Tozali Best Kannywood Actress of the Year Award to awardee; Nafisat Abdullahi’s representative, Ali Nuhu [right] who stood in for her.

Former speaker of House of Reps; Hon. Usman Nafada [left] shares a joke with some of the guests

H

Senator Khairat Gwadabe [left], ushering Hajiya Dr. Hadjo Sani to the run-way after presenting her [Sani] with the Tozali Woman of the Year award

resourceful and if given the opportunity, will excel’.

She enumerated the factors affecting the girl-child education in the north as cultural beliefs, poverty, early marriage, religious inclinations and illiteracy and called on the elite to help the girl-child attain education by paying the school fees of a girl from a poor home in any public school as a way of

scholarship to bring an end to the problem of girl-child education. he event featured fashion displays on the run-way and awards to deserving members of the public from the north. Dr. Hadjo Sani received the award of Tozali Woman of the Year. It was presented to her by Senator Khairat Gwadabe. With her award in her right hand, held above her head, Dr. Hadjo took

T

her turn on the run-way and received rousing cheers from the audience.

The award of Tozali Governor of the Year came next. It was presented to Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina state by Hon. Faruk Lawan and was received by the governor’s representative. Most Outstanding Legislator of the Year went to Hon. Faruk Lawan. He called on all

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PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Hollywood/Bollywood

'Diff'rent Strokes' Star Saif-Kareena wedding Todd Bridges Divorces Dori rumours still on

D

i f f ' r e n t Strokes star Todd Bridges and his wife, Dori, have decided to go their different ways. The couple announced the end of their 14-year marriage.

The two have one son, 13-year-old Spencir Bridges, who is following in the footsteps of his dad by becoming a child actor.

Bridges acknowledged the breakup on Twitter.

Dori is "a great mother im glad to have had the years to know her and have a

great kid with her,'' he said."As we know, people grow apart and we did." He added, "Life is full of changes."

The two married in 1998.

A statement from Bridges reads, "The Bridges have decided that disunion is in the best interest of their collective futures. Although Todd and Dori are going their separate ways, they are mutually committed to the well-being of their son."

When Bridges was 13, he won the part of Willis on the popular sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," which ran from 1978-1986 and also starred Dana Plato and Gary Coleman.

In his 20s, the star battled a cocaine habit and ran into trouble with the law for allegations of drug possession and carrying a concealed weapon. Said Bridges about that time, "I know how terrible life was when I was using drugs."

Bridges wrote a tell-all memoir in 2010 called "Killing Willis," which detailed his drug addiction after the popular TV show ended.

The 47-year-old, who says he is now clean, most recently played Monk on the show "Everybody Hates Chris." He and Dori appeared on MyNetworkTV's new show, "Decision House," in the "Burned Bridges" episode.

The actor next appears in the Adam Sandler comedy, "That's My Boy."

T

i m e and again, we have been hearing about Saif and Kareena's wedding plans.

And then, BAM, the couple denies that anything but a wedding is on. Now, once again, rumours have it that this October, Saif and Kareena are set to tie the knot.

The date is also fixed, according to the latest buzz. Fixed for October 16 this year, Kareena will be done with director Madhur Bhandarkar's movie Heroine. We also hear that the actress will start shooting Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next film Ram Leela before mid October.

F

being supportive no matter what the situation is," the actor says of his better half. "I'm so lucky to have someone like Jada."

"She's really an incredible woman, wife and mother."

What he loves the most

about her is "she is just absolutely hardcore, like she absolutely is unfazed by the weight and the pressures of life. She is so calm and cool and easy in any situation. She can bear anything, and I just love that about her."

Presently, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are in Turkey where Saif is shooting for Race 2

Dhoom 3 to see Katrina turn into man

T

h e shooting of Yash Raj flick Dhoom 3 hasn't yet begun, but the audience is already curious, after getting the juicy tit-bits about the film.

Latest about the film is that the leading lady, Katrina Kaif, for a particular sequence, will cross dress as a man. This is something very similar to Dhoom 2, where Hrithik disguises himself in different looks.

With Kats disguising herself as a man, in one of the scenes, we are guessing that she plays a trickster too.

The film will be directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya.

Will and Jada Smith: Going strong, puts family first o r Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, it's all about putting family first and being by each other's side. Sounds clichĂŠ, but it really does work because they have been together for nearly 15 years now.

"We make the effort to always put the family first," Smith said at last weekend's Men in Black III premiere in New York City. "Being there for each other and being present with our kids ... I take being a parent very seriously."

Will is father to Trey, 19, from a previous relationship, and Jaden, 13, and Willow, 11, with Jada. He considers his marriage and children his top priority, and flew back to L.A. from New York nearly every weekend while filming MIB3.

He and Jada will celebrate their 15th anniversary in December.

About rumours of their divorce lately, Pinkett Smith said they were ridiculous while Will says, as a couple; they're as strong as ever.

"What's helped us is

With all professional commitments getting closed by first week of October, Kareena is a free bird.

First Look: Son of Sardaar

S

on of Sardaar, starring Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt, is out with its first poster.

In the first look, Ajay Devgan is seen as Sikh Sardar, dressed in a flannel shirt and denims, entering a threshold with a bag on his shoulder. In the other poster, we see Sanjay Dutt, dressed in a pathani suit, wearing a turban and holding a rifle in his hand.

It is heard that in the film, the character of Sanjay Dutt had to wait for the return of the character of Ajay Devgn, for about 30 years.

Son of Sardaar (SOS) is a remake of the Telugu film Maryada Ramanna. The story revolves around two warring sardaar families.

The film is directed by Ashwani Dhir and it also stars Juhi Chawla.

Son of Sardaar will hit the theatres on November 13.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes

Keep mosquito at bay and enjoy your sit-out

How You Can Deal with Mosquito There is absolutely nothing that takes the fun out of an evening sit-out in the home like a bunch of bloodthirsty mosquitoes. In addition to inflicting a painful bite, mosquitoes can transmit diseases and put a strain on your family budget. You can keep the mosquito population under control by limiting their habitat on your property, and avoid their annoying bites by using the right barriers and repellents. Adult mosquitoes rest during the day, usually on tall weeds or other vegetation.

Make your yard less hospitable to them by mowing your lawn regularly, and keep weeds away from your home's foundation. There are things you can do to make a sizable dent in your own little corner of the world.

Mosquito Prevention There are two main things that mosquitoes need to survive on: your blood and water. As much as it may look like they are only out to suck your blood, you may be surprised to know they are just as interested in your water supply as well. Mosquitoes need water to breed and therefore any source of standing water around your home is going to potentially cause problems. The first step in controlling the mosquito population is to eliminate these sources of water.

Of course, you cannot possibly remove all the water from your property. Things like swimming pools, ponds, and bird baths are enjoyable constants in many backyards. In order to keep these sources safe, manage the cleanliness of the water. You can stock lily ponds with fish that eat mosquito larvae. If fish are not an option, you can add petroleum oils to the water to create a surface layer which will suffocate the mosquito eggs and prevent them from hatching. A clean and regularly chlorinated pool won't become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and this will control the population in your backyard. If you raise birds or other domestic animals, you should change their water on a weekly basis. You may even want to change the water even more frequently if you notice any increase in mosquito population around the area. If you have an outdoor water feature such as a fountain, change the water if the movement is disrupted for any period of time because the motion should prevent mosquito larvae from forming.

Also try to remember all the inconspicuous places where water may linger. Dispose of old tires and check those tire swings on the backyard tree. Tires are an ideal place for standing water to collect and perfect breeding grounds for thousands of mosquitoes. If the presence of tires is necessary due to auto repair, make sure to empty them out after any precipitation.

Children's toys can often collect water, so check them after rainfall and keep them turned over (flat side up) when not in use.

Wading pools should never be left filled with water overnight. Empty them out and turn them over after each session of play. Covers

can be used to keep debris out of smaller pools and to protect items such as grills, but remember to keep water from collecting on top or in folds. Mosquitoes don't require much water to lay their eggs and even a small portion can be all they need to make a playground of their own.

Also beware of other places where water can make mosquito control difficult. Cover rain barrels and drill holes in the bottom of any recycling bins and garbage cans that you keep outside in the elements. Garbage cans should always have a securely fitting cover, as well. Pet dishes should be rinsed out every day and refilled with clean water. Repair leaky outdoor faucets, check that hose container, and make sure buckets, bottles, and even garbage can lids are picked up out of the rain.

The regular maintenance of roof gutters will also lessen the likelihood of creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Landscaping can be a big factor in controlling the mosquito population, too.

Eliminate impressions in the ground which turn into breeding places regularly. Fill holes in the driveway which do the same. These easy fixes will eliminate the need for you to do so much patch-up after each and every rainfall, and keep mosquito populations down.

Doing More to Control Mosquitoes You can use many products to reduce mosquitoes on your property. Some of these products need to be bought especially to keep mosquitoes away, but others can be found within your own home.

Citronella oil is a product made out of several types of plants and is made into candles or burned directly. This is a very effective mosquito repellent when used in high concentrations. This natural source of relief from mosquito infestation can be used in conjunction with regular maintenance of your property. Use non-incandescent lights on the deck or patio (yellow "Bug Lights" are less of an attractor to mosquitoes, for example) and apply insect repellents when you are outside. An important note regarding repellents; always apply according to the label, particularly in determining if the product should be applied to your skin or only to your clothing.

Safety and reliability are always an issue when choosing to go further to control a mosquito population on your property. Bug zappers and ultrasonic devices are not shown to actually work on preventing mosquitoes from breeding or settling in to your home. As citronella demonstrates, working on a scientific level with the mosquitoes' natural behaviours will yield the best results.

Products such as Mosquito Traps work on controlling mosquito populations by drawing them away from humans and into the receptacle using an attractive scent and U.V. light to attract the bugs. This safe solution is ideal for active backyards and families with children who spend a great deal of time outside.

Keeping Mosquitoes Out of the House

Do not let weeds overgrow in your yard

Use ultra mosquito trap

Do not leave water in open buckets overnight

Citronella Oil

There is nothing worse than getting bitten by mosquitoes whenever you step outside or when you're in the house. Preventing these blood-suckers from entering your home can be tricky during warm weather when windows and doors are open frequently.

They're attracted to heat, water, and shade, just like when they're searching for a place to breed in your yard. Take the garbage out every day in warm weather and place a lid on the garbage cans in your house.

Keep an eye on door and window screens for holes and tears and loose edges - mosquitoes don't need much space to squeeze in. You can

put nets over bathroom and other vents as an extra precaution. You should make sure your home is sealed up properly before the warm weather arrives.

Vigilance Controls Mosquito Populations Preparing for warm weather and mosquito season can make your outdoor time much more enjoyable overall. It can also spare you the annoyance of having these pests inside your home. By making your property inhospitable to mosquitoes and mosquito larvae, you will decrease the risk of bites and potential illnesses mosquitoes can spread.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Cuisine

Pots & Pans

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Snacks nuts, cookies and soup

Cashew nuts cookies

Ingredients A: 210g butter 80g icing sugar 1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp vanilla essence Ingredients B: 250g plain flour 60g corn flour 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder

Groundnut Cookies

Ingredients C : 300g cashew nuts 2 egg yolks (beaten for egg wash) Methods: 1. Bake 100g of cashew nuts in oven at 180C for 10 minutes. Chop up cashew nuts into small pieces. Set aside the remaining 200g of cashew nuts.

2. Cream butter and icing sugar lightly. Add egg yolk and vanilla

essence. Mix well.

3. Stir in ingredients B and chopped cashew nuts. Mix well. Chill dough in fridge for 40 minutes.

4. Remove dough and roll into small balls. Arrange on a lined baking tray. Brush with beaten egg yolk and place a whole (or half) cashew nuts on top of cookies and press slightly to flatten it.

Curried groundnut soup Peanuts are known as groundnuts in West Africa, where this zesty soup originated. It's quick (ready in about a half hour) and easy and makes a great light meal when paired with biscuits or bread.

Ingredients " 1 tablespoon vegetable oil " 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) " 1 carrot, grated (about 1/2 cup)

" 1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated (about 3 cups) " 3 cups water " 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter " 1 teaspoon curry powder " 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper " 1/2 cup sour cream (optional) " 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional) Instructions 1 . Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and the carrot and sautĂŠ until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2 . Add the sweet potato and the water, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft. Stir in the peanut butter, curry, and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (depending on the level of spiciness your family prefers), then bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

3 . Puree the soup in a blender in 2 batches (or use a handheld immersion blender), then return it to the pan and reheat it. Ladle the soup into bowls and, if you like, top it with sour cream and a few chopped peanuts. Serve with biscuits or bread.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 15 minutes or until it is nicely brown. Cool and keep in airtight container. If you like, you can add about 50g of grounded cashew nuts into the dough. To have a nicely yellow coloured eggwash for brushing, you can add a few drops of yellow colouring into the two beaten egg yolks.)

Salted peanuts Ingredients " 1 cup shortening " 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar " 2 eggs " 2 teaspoons vanilla extract " 3 cups all-purpose flour " 1/2 teaspoon baking soda " 1 teaspoon salt " 2 cups salted peanuts Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Mix shortening (part butter or margarine), brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly. Measure flour and sift into a separate bowl. Blend together flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into egg mixture. Mix in peanuts.

3. Drop rounded teaspoons of dough about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten with bottom of greased glass dipped in sugar. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Womanhood PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Coping with anxiety during pregnancy P

r e g n a n t women should keep their stress under control.

Excessive medication can prove to be harmful for both the mother and the baby. These days, pregnant women are exposed to information about pregnancy, childbirth, health of the child, etc. in order to prepare for the new phase, the phase of motherhood. Relatives and friends provide information on 'what to do and what not to do during pregnancy' as soon as they come to know about pregnancy.

Pregnant women are confused and even more worried about their health and the health of their baby. Pregnancy can bring on anxiety attacks even in normal women. To understand how to cope with anxiety, one should be aware of the causes and symptoms of anxiety.

Causes and symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy A woman's body undergoes several changes during pregnancy. Hormonal changes taking place in the body of a pregnant woman exhibit various symptoms. Everyday pressure at the workplace and high levels of chronic stress due to a hectic lifestyle can worsen the situation.

A woman too concerned about her family, which many women, by nature are, makes it almost impossible for her to prioritize her own health over everything else.

She may find it unnatural or even selfish to take extra care of herself, further increasing her anxiety.

Not sharing your worries is one of the main reasons of anxiety attacks. Women usually feel uncomfortable talking to their doctors about their worries and tensions.

Single mothers, divorcees, teen-aged pregnant women and those in their fifties and women with unwanted pregnancy, find it difficult to deal with stress during pregnancy.

Lack of correct information regarding the health of the baby or care to be taken during pregnancy results in excessive worrying and women tend to follow wrong advices. These days, many women find it difficult to change their lifestyle on getting pregnant, due to work pressures and the demanding jobs that they are in. Thinking of the desperate need for a 'helping hand' after the arrival of her baby can make the woman even more anxious.

Anxiety symptoms during pregnancy may vary from one woman to another. Soreness,

muscle ache, tension, unsteadiness, insomnia, nausea, getting tired with even little activity, fatigue, increased irritability, dreadful feelings, difficulty in relaxing, inability to control anxious thoughts, lack of concentration, dizziness, sweating and a fear of miscarriage are some of the common symptoms of anxiety that are seen in pregnant women. Excessive worry about future events and crying spells are also seen in such women. Excessive anxiety can lead to chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, breathing problems, etc.

Taking anti-anxiety medications during pregnancy is not a good idea. These medications can prove to be harmful for both the mother and the baby.

Cognitive-behavioural therapy and relaxation techniques can help reduce the need for medication. They are generally used to treat anxiety in pregnant women. The pregnant woman should first find out what triggers her anxiety. Only then, she might be able to control it.

Nutritious Food: A pregnant woman should eat really well.

She should follow a healthy and balanced diet so that she can arm her body with everything it needs to protect itself from stress. B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, etc.), vitamins C, D, E, help keep the woman mentally and physically fit. Minerals, like zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium and antioxidants help boost the energy levels and lower stress.

Consumption of natural foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish, nuts and seeds and healthy fat is essential to prevent anxiety. Avoiding soda, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, smoking, foods with preservatives, foods fortified with hormones, etc. helps prevent anxiety. Foods rich in amino acids help fight anxiety. You may consult your doctor and may take the nutritional supplements

prescribed by the doctor.

Sufficient Rest and Regular Exercise: A pregnant woman needs to get plenty of sleep. Lack of sufficient sleep and rest can result in increased stress and anxiety.

Along with sufficient rest, regular exercises play an important role in maintaining the hormonal balance. During pregnancy, a woman can take a good walk every day and perform prenatal yoga exercises. Specially designed anxiety exercises can be done after consultation with a doctor and a physical trainer. Increased inactivity is not advisable.

Relaxation Techniques: Meditation, breathing exercises like Pranayama are some of the scientifically proven anxiety reduction techniques. These tools help deal with the anxiety. The simple answer to the question 'how to prevent anxiety' is 'do something that makes you happy'. Think about what is necessary and define your priorities. Minimize the stuff that makes you anxious. Keep away the iPod, laptop and turn off the television.

Avoid watching frightening news, scary stories and movies. Spend your time in the garden, on the river side jogging track or in the company of your friends. Aromatherapy, massage therapy, etc. can help you feel fresh and active.

Herbal Supplements: Consult your physician about the effects and side effects of certain herbal supplements or medications. Various herbs like ginseng, valerian root, kava kava, chamomile, etc. can naturally calm down the sympathetic nervous system.

They promote the function of the parasympathetic nervous system which helps the body to relax.

Remember, once your baby is born, you would be required to deal with a whole new line-up of stressors. Managing feeding and

“

Taking anti-anxiety medications during pregnancy is not a good idea.

These medications can prove to be harmful for both the mother and the baby. Cognitive-behavioural therapy and relaxation techniques can help reduce the need for medication.

sleeping timings of your baby, taking care of the newborn, nursing the baby and maintaining your baby's health along with yours is a whole new challenge you need to take on becoming a mother. Being overly stressed about it won't help.

Rather, you need to get rid of your anxiety and be ready to welcome your bundle of joy. You can always request your family members and friends to help you out.

Pregnancy may bring about

a sudden change in you and your lifestyle. It's natural to feel a little anxious about it. But, you should know how to cope with your anxiety during pregnancy, as excessive stress during this phase can prove harmful for both you and your baby. If excessive anxiety is significantly interfering with your day-to-day functioning and becoming allconsuming, it's time to consult a doctor and find a better way to deal with it.

Source: Buzzle.com

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com

From the archives

Chief Margaret Ekpo as a young woman in the early 50s.

Chief Margaret Ekpo before her death in 2006.

Chief Margaret Ekpo third from left and other Politicians in 1950s.

L ear ning PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Chemistry Lesson Chemistry Problems (II)

T

his week, we will focus on Chemistry Basics I. Since chemistry basics explained the connection between a solution's volume, concentration, and amount of acid, we will use a table to best organize the information found within a problem like this: If 50 liters of 12% hydrochloric acid (HCl) is mixed with 80 liters of 40% hydrochloric acid, how much acid would result and what would be the concentration of the final solution?

Second, we will divide the two mixtures into a strong acid, 80 liters of the 40% acid, and a weak acid, 50 liters of the 12% acid. We will place their volumes into the table in their respective places.

Third, we need to place the percent values into the table. To do so, we must first convert the percents into decimal numbers.

Since percent means "out of 100," we will divide the percent numbers by 100. The strong solution percent of 40% will be 40 divided by 100, which is 0.40. The weak solution will be 12 divided by 100, or 0.12.

As was the case in the chemistry basics section, we have to multiply across the table to gain the amount of acid.

80 times 0.40 is 32. Likewise, 50 times 0.12 is 6. So, we will place these quantities into the table where they belong.

The last row of the table, the "total mixture" row, must now be filled in. We can fill in the "volume" and "amount of acid" portions because mixing the strong and weak acids will result with the total mixture. So, the total volume and the total acid is equal to the sum of its parts. This means we can get the numbers by simply adding down the table for those two columns.

80 plus 50 is 130, for the volume. 32 plus 6 is 38, for the amount of acid. Now, we will place those numbers into the table.

As we saw from the chemistry basics section, we get the amount of acid by multiplying volume times the percent (as a decimal number). Conversely to get the percent number, we will divide the amount of acid from the volume.

When we divide 38 by 130, we get 0.2923, which rounds to 0.29.

Compiled by Joy Baba

T

h e days are gone when you could just crawl your way through social networking, which, in those days, boiled down to showing off those sex-kitten good looks to your ex- and former classmates.

Well, OK, while that's still a function of Facebook. Before you remove all the photos of you with a drink in your hand, keep in mind that the key to a professional but interesting profile is balance.

Photos Even though half your friends have photo albums called "SHAYO MASTER!!!" or "SEXY ME!!!" it doesn't mean you can or should, too.

It's probably best to keep your profile and your photo albums open to friends only, anyway. Some people forget to change the little dropdown indicating who can see their photo albums.

You can adjust your photo settings by doing the following: " Log in to your Facebook account " Hover your mouse over Settings at the topright corner of the page " Select Account Settings

" Click on Profile and scroll down the different options to edit who sees what Even those of you with private profiles might have totally public photo albums, so beware.

Posting only photos of yourself is bad form, as is only posting only pictures of you doing generic things: posing with your girlfriends in a bar, posing with your significant other, etc.

Throw in some shots of your friends doing something funny, but not embarrassing. Add some action shots or candids of you and your pals from your last awesome getaways or just about anything that might give you (and your

PAGE 31

ICT ESSENCE with

Bello Abdul’Azeez +234 805 113 0075 abdulazeez@ictessence.com www.ictessence.com

Be a grown-up on Facebook profile) some dimension.

I n t e r e s t s / Information For the love of all things holy, don't all-caps anything. If you must use them, keep exclamation points few, far between, and to one per sentence. We shouldn't have to explain the demerits of only having "going to the gym, shopping, clubbing, etc…" as your only interests, so try to keep it diverse and interesting.

Don't go off on tangents or use ellipses to trail off like "movies...um…all" "kinds of music!...um…", either.

Status Updates If you update too much, your friends wonder why you don't have a life and

pity-party if you don't snap out of it. The people who are not responding are talking to their friends about your latest unmindful online faux-pas.

Professionalism aside, people will judge you based on your profile, even if it's private. This is especially important if you're looking to land a date with a friend of a friend, for example.

In the Future Don't underestimate the power of this online networking to land you everything from a job, contract, or a beautiful date.

As more people turn to the fast-paced world of instant promotion on the web, the responsibility is on you to

your boss and/or co-workers wonder why you have so much time to screw off.

You lose all social credits by being passive-aggressive: "SOME PEOPLE are just pissing me off today! You know who you are!!" The people who respond with sympathetic messages are just fueling your fire, and you're doomed to be a permanent guest at the

wisely keep up with the trends or risk falling behind at your social and professional peak.

Proper promotion on Facebook and/or Twitter can do wonders when combined with word of mouth. Half the people who show up to your next performance or event might just do so because of a simple one-liner on either site.

“

Throw in some shots of your friends doing something funny, but not embarrassing.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 32

F Simply outstanding

L

ooking gorgeous in locally made fabric, a man is simply outstanding. With such fabrics like the brocade and the extremely elegant men’s Abaya designed in Saudi Arabia and made from 100% high quality Abaya fabric (Polyester based) he is simply

cute.

An exquisitely embroidered Babbanriga, or Kaftan with embroidery along the neckline and front side and the sleeve ends give the same effect. They are apt garments for formal or informal occasions, such that makes the man look special and stand out in a crowd, just like Kannywood actor, Sani Danja.

Compiled by Miriam Humbe

Men’s slippers

Embroidered slippers

Easy slip-on

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 33

Business

Massive infrastructural development is key for achieving Vision 20:20:20

Interbank rates up on Fuel Subsidy Fraud: Senate subpoenas Wale Tinubu, Folawiyo CBN liquidity mop-up

By Augustine Aminu with agency report

T

h e Senate committee on Petroleum (Upstream) probing the alleged fraud in the disbursement of fuel subsidies to importers of petroleum products has subpoenaed the Managing Director of Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu, over his role and Oando’s in the controversial subsidy deals.

Also subpoenaed on Thursday was the Chief Executive Officer of Folawiyo Oil, Mr. Tunde Folawiyo. The duo is to face the committee next Tuesday to explain their roles in the subsidy scam.

Oando was named by the committee as a major beneficiary of subsidy payments, having been the dominant player in the scheme for many years, and is said to be controlling over 80 per cent of petrol import contracts awarded by the Nigeria National Petroleum

Corporation (NNPC).

Folawiyo Oil, on its part, also imported petrol and largely provided storage for imported petrol for the NNPC. Their subpoena by the Senate Committee followed revelations in a report by international audit firm, KPMG, which revealed that the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) made subsidy payments totaling about N25 billion to Oando Plc, Folawiyo Oil and other marketers.

The KPMG further revealed that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) inefficiency in managing demurrage cost the country $65million between 2007 and december2010.

The auditing firm, which appeared before the Senate panel investigating the management of fuel subsidy regime, also said that PPPRA granted unregistered companies, as well as companies that had failed to

deliver in the past, its nod to import fuel into the country on government’s behalf.

Following the revelations before the committee, the Senate committee subsequently directed the Minister of finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and former executive secretaries of the PPPRA to appear before them on Tuesday next week over the subsidies.

A representative of KPMG, Dimeji Salaudeen, stated that the report, which had since been submitted to the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, revealed that PPPRA did not comply with laid down procedures for issuance of import permit.

Salaudeen claimed that the audit was at the instance of the finance minister, saying, “unregistered companies and companies undergoing registration process got allocation; companies with

historical poor performance based on PPPRA recommendation in deliverance also got allocation,” he said.

He also stated that the executive secretaries operated as sole administrations in the allocation of import permits, adding that the governing Council of PPPRA was very weak as “there was no sufficient inclusion of the board in carrying out critical decisions.”

On the NNPC he said, “NNPC is responsible for 60 perbcent market share in terms of products brought into the country. Over $198m was actually paid out as demurrage within the period. We did an analysis of the companies that recorded the bulk of the payment. We determined, on average, how long it took the NNPC to clear the cargo and we discovered that NNPC has room to be more efficient on how it plans and delivers the product it brings into the country.

By Joy Baba with agency report i g e r i a ’s interbank lending rates moved up by average 3.84 percentage points this week to 14.25 percent, compared with 10.41 percent the previous week.

This is coming against the backdrop of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s aggressive mop up of liquidity to curb inflation.

The cost of borrowing among banks in top Africa’s energy producer fell last week after large budget allocations from centrally-held oil revenue accounts were disbursed to the three tiers of government, increasing liquidity in the market.

“Market liquidity has dropped significantly (since then) because the central bank has been aggressively mopping up funds from the system with the conduct of open market operations (OMO),” one dealer said.

Traders said the central

N

bank mopped-up around 200 billion naira ($1.25 billion) using treasury bills for OMO, creating cash shortage and rate spike.

The market opened with a cash balance of about 92 billion naira on Friday, compared with 387 billion naira balance last Friday.

The secured Open Buy Back (OBB)jumpedto14percent,from 10.25percentlastweek,200basis pointsabovethecentralbank’s12 percent benchmark rate, and 4 percentage points above the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate.

Overnight placement also climbed to 14.25 percent, from 10.5 percent, while call money rose to 14.50 percent, compared with 10.5 percent last week.

“We see the overnight rate climbing as high as 15 percent next week as the central bank continues with its aggressive mopping up exercise, coupled with funding for foreign exchange and treasury bills sales at the primary auction,” another trader said.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Business News Forex reserves hit Group applauds 21-month FG on non-oil high revenue collection I F

IFC and African Development Bank Sign ISDA Master Agreement

o r e i g n exchange reserves rose to a 21-month high of $37.64bn by May 28 and were up by three per cent from a month earlier, the latest figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed on Thursday.

The forex reserves stood at $36.52bn at the end of April and $32.08bn a year ago.

The reserves have not been this high since August 19, 2010, when they stood at $37.67bn.

The CBN attributed the increase to the rise in capital flows from offshore investors and favourable oil prices in the international market.

Forex reserves had earlier risen to their highest in 21 months to $37.02bn by May 14, from $36.66bn at the end of last month.

The naira fell against the United States dollar on the inter-bank market on Wednesday, as expected month-end dollar flows from oil companies failed to materialise, creating a dollar shortage in the market.

The naira closed at N159.95 to the dollar, weaker than the N158.95 it closed at on Monday.

Traders said there was sustained strong demand for the dollar from importers. With only $2m sold by a unit of Addax Petroleum, the local currency came under pressure.

Currency dealers said the Central Bank of Nigeria had sold about $100m to some lenders on Monday, outside its bi-weekly forex auction, in a move to support the naira and help calm the market.

Traders said the direct intervention by the CBN was meant to sustain the naira within +/- three per cent around N155 to the dollar band.

The CBN sold $250m at N155.75 to the dollar on the biweekly forex auction on Wednesday, the same volume and price it sold at Monday’s auction.

By Augustine Aminu

A

non-governmental organization has applauded the federal government in its efforts to accelerate development of non oil areas by rising revenue by way of taxation.

The Executive Secretary of Conscience Advocacy, Dr. Nabu’Lele Ojogun said the efforts

of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) must be supported because it invariably means that there would be diversification from the oil industry into other areas thereby not only increasing revenue for the country but will also grow small businesses and generate more employment for our teeming youths, he therefore called on the National Assembly, State government and other

stakeholders to support this effort driven by Federal Government.

It may be recalled that the Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS Alhaji Kabir Mashi recently reechoed the commitment of FIRS to increase the non-oil revenue collection this year to 10 per cent of the non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Asaba, the Delta State capital

L-R: Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri receiving some books and handouts on the activities of CPC from the Director-General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs. Ify Umenyi during the advocacy visit of CPC to NOA in Abuja on Tuesday 15th May, 2012.

Stockbroker seeks establishment of more stock exchanges

A

financial expert and the Managing Director, Maxifund Securities Limited, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, has called for the establishment of more stock exchanges across the nation, saying that the demutualization of the current exchange without providing alternative trading points will portend danger for the entire economy.

Unegbu who spoke at the Bimonthly discourse of Financial Correspondents Association of Nigeria, in Lagos, said that provision of alternative markets will not only break the stranglehold of monopoly, but will promote competition among the various exchanges.

He argued that demutualization of the current

stock exchange without an alternative will ground the activities of the stock market to a halt in case of any eventualities.

‘It is dangerous to have monopoly in business. That monopoly holds all the power. If you now say you want to demutulaise that particular monopoly without other competing organizations, you are going to have problem.

Supposing something happens to that privately owned business, like some banks that have failed in this country; supposing in those banks that failed there is no NDIC to pay people their N100,000, N200,000, and there is no other bank to go to, what will happen?

The system will be grounded to a halt.

‘So why I am personally calling

for establishment of more exchanges is so that if we demutualise the current stock exchange and something goes wrong with it, there will be an alternative that you can go to refinance your stock,’ he said.

‘Assuming you have the shares of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) and they demutualise the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and because of the greed of capitalism, because of the greed of one director or a staffer, or because of so many other things that can affect that business, because it has to compete with other exchanges outside Nigeria and something happens to it, and you have the shares of First Bank to sell, but there is no alternative window, there will problem.

Secondly, if that thing happens, people that want to raise money

cannot. So you are going to have the problem of illiquidity and problem of not being able to raise developmental capital for the market; but if there are alternatives, you don’t need to depend on that.

You can take your shares to other exchange to raise money with your shares,’ he added.

He noted that efforts should be concentrated in encouraging the local investors to patronize the market rather than pursuing the foreign investors, saying that exit of over 80 per cent foreign investors in 2008 worsened the impact of the global crises in the market.

His word, ‘the problem we had was that the moment Nigeria had problem in 2008, those foreign investors dumped their shares, made their money and ran away.’

F C , a member of the World Bank Group, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) yesterday signed an ISDA Master Agreement to enter into cross-currency swap transactions to facilitate local currency lending and bond issuance in Africa. It is the first ISDA Master Agreement either institution has signed with another multilateral financial institution.

The agreement will enable IFC and the AfDB to collaborate and benefit from each other’s local currency bond issues, enhancing their local currency funding capacity to support their clients’ development projects.

Local-currency bond markets provide long-term, local currency finance for projects, protecting them from foreign exchange risks. These markets are a vital potential source of finance, particularly in the wake of the global financial crisis, when foreign capital inflows to Africa have diminished.

Last year, the Group of 20 called for a concerted effort to develop and strengthen local currency bond markets in emerging markets. The agreement is the first step in an initiative for greater collaboration among multilateral institutions to accelerate local capital market development and increase local currency financing options.

“Expanding long-term currency initiatives is a cornerstone of IFC’s strategy to strengthen capital markets in developing countries,” said IFC Vice President and Treasurer, Jingdong Hua. “Helping to establish and strengthen such markets allows us to work with regulators and local institutions to ensure that capital market regulations are effective and entrepreneurs are able to grow and create jobs.”

AfDB Vice President for Finance Charles Boamah said: “Promoting the development of local capital markets in Africa is paramount to successful, sustainable economic development.

This agreement supports our African Financial Markets Initiative, which aims to further the development of domestic African capital markets, enlarge the investor base, and reduce African countries’ dependence on foreign currency denominated debt.”

In Africa, IFC has issued local currencybondsinMorocco,theWestern CFA zone, and the Central CFA zone, and has obtained approvals to issue local currency bonds in Kenya and Nigeria.

Under its Pan-African Domestic Medium-Term Note Program, IFC is working with authorities in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia to obtain consent to issue local currency bonds. IFC is also working with eight members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union to establish local currency bond programs.

Since 2007, IFC has committed more than $650 million in 17 different local African currencies through a combination of swaps, bonds, and structured finance products.currency.

Since 2005, the AfDB has issued more than ZAR 25 billion in the ZAR domestic and Euro markets.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 35

Business Giving teeth to agricultural transformation

T

h e inauguration of the Presidential Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council (PATIC) on May 14, 2012, by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has elicited joy among farmers, while experts and other sector stakeholders are optimistic that a paradigm shift leading to a national sustainable food security in the country could be within sight.

The federal government sees the PATIC as so important and crucial in its overall national transformation agenda that it is chaired by the president. It has several state governors, agricultural experts and largescale farmers as members.

The influential personalities on board have the authority to take quick decisions which could be implemented down the line to achieve the stated goals of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, (ATA).

The major goals of the ATA include elevating farming from a mostly-subsistence stage to a business, money-making and wealth creating exercise that can lift millions of Nigerians out

of poverty.

Recent figures from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisaton (FAO) indicate that 27 per cent of the Nigerian labour force is engaged in agriculture, which generates roughly half of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

However, it ironic that 62 per cent of Nigeria’s 168 million is poor, living in rural Nigeria where the bulk of agricultural activities are concentrated, on less than N200 a day.

The sector’s transformation will also create at least 3.5 million jobs along the value chains of the priority crops of rice, cocoa, sorghum, cassava and cotton for Nigeria’s teeming youths, especially women by 2015.

They would be enlightened and enticed to take to agriculture. They will be given incentives and support in various forms to enable them engage in large-scale production of the commodities listed earlier.

Already, two other key goals of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, the mechanism for the supply of quality inputs, such as

subsidized fertilsers and seeds to farmers, and guaranteed farmgate minimum prices for many crops, have been articulated and put in motion by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

With privately-owned, but state regulated commodity trading boards in place, farmers would be sure of market for their produce at profitable prices.

Minister of State for Agriculture, Dr. Bukar Tijjani said in a recent FRCN Kaduna phone-in programme, Hannu da yawa, that the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES), which is designed to leverage information and communication technology tools to facilitate the delivery of N30 billion worth of fertilsers and seeds to Nigerian farmers in the 2012 cropping season has been successfully deployed in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and 10 other states with an average effectiveness of 60 per cent.

One of the central goals of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda is the attainment of selfsufficiency in rice production to end the importation of the

commodity worth N1, 000, 000, 000 daily.

In a recent speech at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, the Agriculture and Rural Development minister, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina regretted that “In 2010 alone, Nigeria spent N635 billion on imported wheat, N356 billion on imported rice and N217 billion on imported sugar.”

As it implements the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, the presidential council would ensure that cassava production is boosted from the current 44,582,000 metric tons of fresh cassava in 2008 as reported by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), to 50, 000, 000 metric tons by 2015. This is significant because the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. A. Adesina is certain that the cassava industry value chain alone will generate 1, 200, 000 jobs for Nigerians.

Dr. A.A. Adeniji, former Programme Manager, Root and Tuber Expansion Programme in the Federal Ministry of

Agriculture and Rural Development said: “Cassava production has moved from subsistence, food-need production to commercial, industrial and export production.” This is significant for an economy, like Nigeria’s, which needs diversification urgently.

Dr. Adeniji noted that given the growing demand for cassava both at home and abroad, the 44 million metric tons produced by Nigeria annually was not enough. He said that 50 million tons of fresh cassava is required to satisfy both domestic and export demands.

Currently Nigeria is on the verge of exporting 1, 000, 000 tones of cassava chips to China.

The cassava transformation component of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda envisages the exportation of cassava products worth N40 billion annually.

This is important, but unsurprising for a commodity that has over 300 various uses.

—Dambatta is of the Federal Ministry of Information, Abuja

Market CAP sheds N85.62bn in four trading days This week at the Exchange

T

h e bears continued to dominate market activities for the fourth week in a row as unprofitable transactions permeated the bourse in all trading days of the week while NSE key market indicator, ASI, closed below 22,000 psychological lines as envisaged in our previous report .

Furthermore, Equity Market resumed southwards movement by -0.24% to open the first trading day of the week negative after recording a marginal gain in the previous session as selling activities outweighed bargain hunting amid negative while the bears continue to dominate market activities for the second consecutive session amid positive market breadth as ASI slide further by -0.04% after the second session.

In the third session, unprofitable transactions continued to permeate the Nigerian bourse as the bears further exerted their grip on the

market for the third session in a row due to unrelenting sell pressure witnessed across the main board with NSE Index shedding -0.47%.

Conversely, trading activities on Friday closed southwards as sentiments remained negative.

Consequently, the key benchmark indices dips by 0.46% while market closed the week with aggregate loss of -

1.21%.

Further analysis on acquiring banks since transaction date showed that the share price of Access Bank Plc has recorded 39.19% gain with FCMB recording -7.69% loss while Union Bank Plc leads the chart with 79.43% gain. However, Sterling Bank Plc recorded 10.24% losses while ETI also closed negative with -3.60% loss recorded. See the tracking table below However, the All-Share Index in the week under review moved down by -1.21% to close at 21,963.87 as against a decline by -0.66% recorded last week to close at 22,232.36.

In the same vein, the market capitalization in the week depreciated by N85.62 billion (US$570.83 million) to close at N7.00 trillion (US$46.68 billion) as against depreciation by N47.43 billion (US$316.25 million) recorded last week to close at N7.09 trillion (US$ 47.25billion).

The total volume traded in the week closed at 1.30 billion units valued at N9.45 billion (US$63.04 million) compared with 1.73 billion units valued at N15.10 billion (US$100.68 million) exchanged in 19,754 deals last week. The volume transaction in the week when compared with the previous week data moved down by 25.23% as against downwards movement by -5.85% recorded last week. Weekly value also went down by -37.38% as against positive position of +8.98% recorded last week.

The volume traded in the top ten most traded stocks for the week represented 69.45% of the entire market volume transactions and their total value accounted for 61.74% of the market value.

Financial Services sector emerged the most traded sector in the week in terms of volume.

The volume traded in the sector this week alone closed at 737.80 million units, valued

at N5.89billion and exchanged in 8,550 deals compared with 1.29 billion units, valued at N8.88billion and exchanged in 11,342 deals in the preceding week. The volume traded in the sector accounted for 56.72% of the entire market compared with 74.71% of the ratio recorded last week.

Transcorp Plc led the market volume for the week to displace Goldlink Insurance Plc as top traded stock on the transaction volume chart last week.

The sector's volume transaction was mainly boosted by trading in the shares of the companies in the top-ten category.

Conglomerates sector followed with 269.16 million units valued at N314.29 million and exchanged in 692 deals compared with 197.47 million units, valued at N505.04 million and exchanged in 767 recorded in the sector last week.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

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Decoding democracy symposium Re: Sovereign wealth fund

G

o v e r n m e n t at the centre marked Democracy Day with a symposium. It took place a day to May 29. The attendance list was predictable. “Attendance is strictly by invitation,” a TV announcement had said. And Nigerians saw the faces of mostly government officials that attended, and the Master of Ceremony who ran around the hall with the microphone as if organizers did not invite ushers, too. The MC even had to beg attendees to speak, and make contributions. Who would speak up at a symposium where he would be quoted, and tagged “enemy” of the government?

One woman spoke though, no, two women. The first mattered, because hers was not to praise anyone, not the kind of calculated speech that organizers must have expected.

She is the president of Market Women Association - Mrs Felicia Sani. She had worked for a bank for thirty five years before she became a market woman. It must mean market women knew the person that would articulate their views, and be bold enough to present it in high places.

“Is there no woman that could be in that seat over there?” the market women leader had collected the microphone and said when it was time for attendees to make contributions. She had pointed at the exalted seats where Their Excellencies sat as she spoke. All their Excellencies were men, of course. Not even the president’s wife sat beside His Excellency. And the Vice-President’s wife was missing beside His Excellency, too.

“That’s it, the discrimination we are talking about,” market women leader had added. Fellow women clapped though, but they clapped gently, and with caution. What can be expected when most of the women in the hall were government officials in one capacity or the other? And it was the only time they clapped as she spoke. Both men and women would exchange glances when the women leader talked about people who had government’s two billion naira in their house, yet they are walking around, pushing the justice system here, pushing it there. “What lessons are you passing on to the younger generation?” she had asked, as she challenged anyone to dare collect the microphone from her, until she finished what she had to say.

She did, and some other person spoke.

WRITE TO US Peoples Daily Weekend welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: The Editor, Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Email: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com Cultured speeches, all of them, and flavoured with adulation for Nigeria’s Dear President.

The youth spokesperson prayed when it was his turn. Democracy symposium where bald truth ought to be said to the face of those who continue to watch, as the nation falls from one embarrassment to the other was a time for the youth spokesperson to pray. It is good to pray. But the spokesperson didn’t talk like a student union leader that should have been invited. It was one guy who had been wining and dinning with diplomats at the United Nations. So he spoke with a touch of the finest diplomacy, praising and praying. And there was another speaker: His Lordship had represented the highest judge in the highest court in the land. So His Lordship reeled off how much his arm of government had benefitted from democracy, and thanked the government profusely, before he returned to his, and he would not utter another word, not even when the Master of Ceremony prodded him to comment on an observation that an attendee made with regards to His Lordship’s constituency. Nigerians must have sensed then, why the invitation was strictly by invitation. Imagine what questions would have been asked, even rhetorical ones, if a lawyer on the opposing side of the government had been invited, questions that bother on why a judge would not be returned to his seat as quickly as he was removed, even after the statutory body had carried out its duty to that effect.

And there was that ‘welcome address’ that the president said was almost a “keynote address.” So the president, when he got to the podium, and with a smile, complained that the Secretary to his government had done the work that he should have done, and all he needed to do was to return to his seat. Discerning Nigerians saw that before the president said it. A careful observation of the course of

event, of the Master of Ceremony saying every speaker had between five and ten minutes should have ensured the striking out of more than half of what was dished out to Nigeria in the ‘welcome address,’ and on live TV broadcast. Or what of the reminders in that address about recent history that listeners were already familiar with, including occurrences in the administration of the late President Umar Yar’adua era, as well as quotations from philosophers that could make a university professor grow gray hair with envy. Some of those reminders would have been fantastic for pupils in an elementary class. And what was that about asking to be given water to drink that was said into the microphone for all Nigerians to hear?

Would the military commanders, in full ceremonial regalia, that were on the invitation list speak? the Master of Ceremony had asked. No, thank you. The same went for the cabinet ministers. Any Nigerian who watched the symposium, and saw the ministers where they sat sanctimoniously on the other side of the rostrum must have imagined they were worshipers that came to listen to a sermon; what with the way they collectively kept dignified silence? That of elder statesmen present was understandable. It is the territory of elders to give counsel away from public spaces.

And Mr President said, “I was very angry” three times in his short address.

‘Angry’ as a word at such high-profiled gathering? He said he was at the time he arrived office and saw the sharp division that must, of constitutional necessity, exist among the three arms of government. He would love to see them work more closely, he said. It was the core of his comment at the symposium, and so uncomfortable he felt about any polarization between the executive arm of government and the

legislature that he declared Cabinet system of government better than the presidential system which the nation has at the moment. He expressed his chagrin too that any member of the ruling party in the legislature would oppose his bills on the floor of the House.

All of that amounted to a swish of the cane at the principle of Separation of Power that is central to the practice of presidential system. How should Nigerians interpret this?

That the presidency has always held an unfavourable view of the principle of checks and balances that goes with Separation Powers? And because the ruling party provides the platform by which officials arrived power, and the manifesto of the party is like a law, none of its members should express a view contrary to that of the government?

Opinion here is that there is need to worry when a principle is sacrosanct to the practice of a system of government approved by the constitution, yet the number one defender of what the constitution says is impatient with it.

Great leaders navigate their way through the maze that the constitution dictates, rather than express disdain for it as it was done at the Democracy Symposium. The ability of a sitting leader to successfully walk though the spider’s web of entrenched principles of presidential system is what stands certain American presidents out, for example. Such has them recorded in the mind of the people as all time greats.

A closer assessment of what transpired at the Democracy Symposium would give reason to be concerned, for it has effects and such can easily reflected on what the government does, and what the think-tank behind the throne pursue as an agenda. Is there an agenda to silence every opposing view, which was the reason the opposition was missing on the symposium’s invitation list? The effect these nuances on the nation and its democracy cannot be wished away, because it showed that the government had set out not to hear anything but its own voice. And how would that work out in term of building a strong and virile democracy when the government carries itself as if it knows it all?

Tunji Ajibade tunjioa@yahoo.com

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 37

Opinion

Nigeria's economy and CBN: Inflation rate may rise above 15 percent

By Emeka Chiakwelu

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h e slowing down of the economy may be partially attributed to lack of structural reforms as was enunciated by Sanusi. But the crust of the matter was the partial removal of the fuel subsidy that brought about the increase of cost of living and production. The country's economy is run on fossil energy and by removing the subsidy it triggered higher inflation rate which now stood at 12.9 percent.

Sanusi's Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) anticipated inflation rate to rise and hover between 14-15 percent in 2012 but that will not be so. With the economic trends and the way things are going inflation rate will accelerate over 15 even up to 16 percent by the end of the year.

And if the fuel adjustment program continues and the total removal of fuel subsidy becomes imminent the inflation rate may rise above 16 percent. With such an increase in the inflation rate, the country's economy will

definitely slow down even below the projected 6.5 percent for 2012.

Nigeria has not yet appreciated how fickle the economic growth and inflation can become. The targeted mission of the policy makers both at CBN and presidency should be to maintain a healthy balance between monetary and fiscal policy in order to checkmate inflation and safeguard economic growth. There is so much CBN can do with the tinkering of the interest rate and with quantitative easing. These monetary tools are limited in action when faced with an accelerating inflation trends and undiversified economy like that of Nigeria.

The state of the country is becoming un-conducive for a sustainable economic growth apart from oil sector of the economy. The growth in agriculture is expected to "declined to 4.15 per cent compared with 5.54 per cent in Q1 of 2011 and 5.74 in fourth quarter 2011," as CBN governor said at the end of

the two-day meeting. And “crude oil production was estimated to have declined by 2.32 per cent in quarter one 2012 compared with the decline of 2.41 per cent in the corresponding period of 2011. Non oil real GDP growth estimated at 7.93 per cent in Q1 of 2012 was much lower than 8.73 per cent recorded in Q1 of 2011.”

This is not good news for Nigeria. The social unrest and political turbulences are making investors anxious and their comfort level and commitment on Nigeria's economy is diminishing.

This will encourage capital flight and fear for investing in Nigeria, moreover indigenous capitalists may even recoil their commitment for further capital investments in the economy.

The only good news coming from Sanusi's CBN is the Nigeria’s external reserves which increased from $36.66 billion in April to $38.72 billion in May. The buildup of the reserve is a good thing. Reserve can become a war chest against currency speculators and Naira appreciation can be enhanced

with an increasing foreign reserve. But it is important that some of the resources coming from the sale of oil should be diverted to Nigerian sovereign wealth fund and provision of infrastructures.

Nigerian sovereign wealth fund should be investing in a well tested market where risk is at lowest minimum for a good return to the country.

The legislature move to remove the autonomy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is a bad news. The country needs an independent monetary policy institute that does its job without control from the executive and legislature. Look around the world there is no advance and developed economies without independent Central Banks.

When the power of Central Bank is compromise and weakens by outside interference, investors trust on the economy will virtually dissipate and disappear. The decisions and monetary policy coming from Central Banks will not be acceptable as real when Central Bank depends on the whims of the

executive and legislature arms of the government. The quest to remove CBN's autonomy is "no go area".

A bastardized and compromise CBN is good for nothing institute, that is why that it is intrinsic that the autonomy of CBN must remained intact.

The government must rekindle its effort to reassure investors, capitalists and citizens that protection of life and property is its utmost duty by the country's leadership.

The upgrades of electricity infrastructures must be speed up for Nigerians are sick and tired of living in darkness at the dawn of 21st century. The provision of social infrastructures, political stability and quantifiable peace must be in place for sustainability of economic growth. The heavy lifting of structural reforms should come into play but the rudimentary steps to the reforms are to provide and build on the basic tools that are needed for a growing economy.

Emeka Chiakwelu, is a strategist@afripol.org

Public opinion subsidy reversal NCC, NESREA, telecom and operators: Health first not money

By Musa Ibrahim

I

n this matter of where best to erect their base station, NCC should be on the side of Nigerians not multinationals!

NCC should consider the safety and health implication of their actions – not argue.

As for Telecom operators they should obey simple laws and do what is right; perhaps this is the reason why the Lagos State Government in frustration set up the Urban Development Agency to regulate on the rampant irregularities noticed on masts installations. In February this year a teacher in a school near Saint Gregory’s College lost his life when thunder storm brought down a telecom mast erected dangerously close to the Obalende residential area; on the 24th of May in Agege area of Lagos State another telecom mast caught fire and injured three Nigerians.

Who bears responsibility in these instances?

For years this has been the norm.

There shouldn’t be arguments over these cases involving threats to human lives.

NCC and Telecom Operators should boldly address this issue of erecting masts far away from where people live; there is no shame about this. NESREA is only protecting people’s lives and the sanctity of human existence. If there are no human beings to supervise these base stations would

they exist? The answer is definitely NO. NCC and Telecom Operators should accept good criticisms,; this will not take their job away from them, rather it would bring about improvements in every area of their life - revenue, goodwill and prosperity. This is the way we see it. It is impossible for Federal Government to be part of what will harm Nigerians. At the last count both Ministers of Environment and Communications were asked to harmonize the issue of setbacks far away from residential areas. So it is not true any agency has been barred least of all NESREA. And this is why many pundits are aghast that this matter has been allowed to drag.

NCC and Telecom Operators may argue that economic considerations, investment opportunities and security challenges are vital to their operations; this is true, But NESREA’s reasons for sealing are based on environmental hazards.

It is NCC‘s responsibility to ensure quality service –not NESREA who by all standards cannot ignore avoidable environmental violations committed by them.

Infact NCC should join hands with NESREA to carefully protect the health and safety of Nigerians!

Moreover, ALTON and NATCOM officials ought to meet with NESREA and learn more about the harmful effect of these

electromagnetic elements rather than argue. They forgot the Ibo proverb that says a man holding hot charcoal in his palm cannot be told to keep quiet when this hand is burning! Under the circumstances of arguments no meaningful progress can be made.

Another of their argument is that since Nigeria is listed under the developing network category, therefore robust network is not possible for now. This again is a poor assessment of the situation and is not the problem of NESREA. NESREA has only intervened to reduce harmful environmental effects detrimental to the health of Nigerians.

The issue of setback is another dimension: NCC, ALTON and NATCOM are of the view that overriding consideration for economic gains rather than health implications holds higher value. They said investors had taken pains to come to Nigeria and now NESREA is trying to throw spanner in their works.

From our stand this should not be the case. Which is more valuable human life or materials? Is it not true that a life lost cannot be replaced, but a mast destroyed by storm or wind can be repaired?

Since NCC, ALTON and NATCOM officials are adamant that 5 meters setback is the best for Nigerians and there is no danger

to human health, the NCC hierarchy should take the bull by the horns and lead by examples: they should erect base stations right inside their own compound; they should equally invite telecom operators, their friends and associates to make available their compound for the sitting.

This is the only way Nigerians can believe them that there is no negative implication and NESREA is talking rubbish. For now there is arguably no NCC or Telecom operators with masts erected inside their compound!

Perhaps it is against this spectre that NCC’s decision to slap a whopping 1.17 billion service quality fines against their allies was arrived at. But these fines alone cannot bring back human life destroyed.

For example research shows a study carried out by Paediatric Academic Society (PAS) in their annual meeting held in Boston, United States that second hand smokes continue to affect children and their health suffers.

Investigators analyzed data from 2003 - 2010 involving 972 children between ages 6 to 19 years diagnosed with asthma. In another report obtained researchers at the University of Texas found that how we handle today’s environment influences behavior generations later, especially since the state of the chemical revolution and humans’

exposure to various toxins, the report quoted.

Safety and environmental protection are strategic priorities as in other countries where serious business are conducted. In Nigeria considerations must be given to health, safety and environment.

This is supposed to be the core value of any operation not whether the one is emerging or developing; these are mere terminologies or hubris. There is nothing debarring telecom operators from implementing multitudes of environmental measures both preventive and curative!

They ought to implement stricter standards than current regulations to demonstrate their sincere commitment to responsible operations in Nigeria.

Besides engaging NESREA in war of words, is there any record to show that NCC, Telecom operators liaise with vital organizations like Clean Nigeria Associate (CNA), Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), the Abuja Clean and Green Initiative, Nigeria Environmental Conservation Foundation? I think NCC and Telecom operators should be more humane and listen to the voice of reason. This is the only way to key into President Good Luck Jonathan’s Transformation agenda.

Musa Ibrahim Environmental Analysts Ogun State Nigeria.

Analysis PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Kogi Assembly: One year after

The 25 members of the Kogi state House of Assembly have individually and collectively contributed their quotas to the growth of legislation in the state since the House was inaugurated on 3rd June 2011 by the former governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris. Sam Egwu, chronicles the activities of the House in the last one year.

T

aking stock of the perfor mance of the Kogi state House of Assembly in the last one year, a lot of people have argued that the House has not achieved anything while some insist that a lot have been achieved.

Some of those who argued that the House has experienced tremendous improvement from the last session backed their argument with a number parameters. For instance, they argued that there were achievements in virtually all the departments of the House. The usual apathy between the workers and the legislators have disappeared with the workers saying the leadership of the House under the current dispensation has done creditably well .Unlike in the past when there was a gulf of misunderstanding between the House and the workers, now the tide has changed.

However the other camp sees this as a non-issue, which cannot in any ramification be termed as an achievement if juxtaposed with the concrete achievements recorded by other legislatures in the country.

They are quick to point out that other legislatures passed weighty resolutions and legislations that were recognised by the executive and worried that the Kogi house did not achieve such.

For instance, the resolution for the repair of the road leading to the Assembly complex, which has become almost embarrassing to the House of Assembly and other important organs of the state and national bodies have not been attended to by the executive though it was one of the earliest passed in the life of the legislature.

One problem this camp identifies as the cause of the perceived lackluster attitude of the House since inception is that it appears to have no egocentric stance. However, they argued that the people around the leadership have not fully seen the potentials of making any meaningful impact on the grassroots since, no programme had been engendered by representatives of the constituencies to impact positively on the grassroots.

The Kogi state House of Assembly was inaugurated on June 3, 2011 with pomp and pageantry when the then governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris charged them to be guided by the oath and law

that brought them together to be the eyes and ears of their respective constituencies in the legislature.

Ordinarily, the members would have been twenty one, according to the number of the local government areas in the state. But some local government: like Ankpa, Okene, Dekina and Lokoja have two members each in the House of Assembly. With this development, the House of Assembly has twenty five members in all.

The House is dominated by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apart from four members representing Yagba East, Yagba West Ijumu who are of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Bassa who is from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

House commenced the business of the day under the leadership of Speaker, Emmanuel Ogbe (Omebije,Dekina/Okura) and Deputy Speaker, Yakubu Yunisa (Ofu) about 23 bills have so far been passed and 88 motions have been resolved at plenary.

Although there have not been any major shake-up in the House since its inauguration but some principal officers of the House were dropped for what the House described as "working across purpose� with the aims and the objective of other members.

Those affected were former Chief Whip, Suleiman Babadoko, representing Lokoja1 and Deputy Chief Whip, Habibat Mohammed (Ankpa 1) who were replaced with Saidu Akawu, (Kogi/KK) and Damian Adejo (Olamaboro) respectively.

The development was not unconnected with the event which followed the controversial removal of five state governors, including Kogi which created leadership crisis when the Speaker was installed as governor in the stead of Ibrahim Idris even when then incoming governor, Idris Wada had be sworn-in.

On the whole critic maintain that in the last one year the Kogi state House of Assembly cannot be said to be without major shortcoming as they perceive it as almost becoming a rubberstamp of the executive.

Some people argued that the current House may not achieve much unless there is a change is operational style as they

Hon. Abdullahi Bello, Speaker Kogi State House of Assembly point out that many members appear not to be serious with their work in the parliament.

Many of the lawmakers are accused of staying away from sittings and crucial meetings of the legislature where serious issues are being discussed.

Critics are quick to zero on one member from Kogi Central, who they accuse of playing the truant. It was gathered that the said member was not always seen in the assembly but always around town despite the huge resources being spent on him.

Already, there are suggestions that truant lawmakers should have their allowances withheld as a way to compel them to sit up as there are currently grumbling from some quarters that some members should even be recalled for non performance.

Taking a look at the work of the legislature in the last one

year, some critics consider the resolutions passed as mere paper work and a flimsy attempt to justify the votes cast during the election for them and nothing more.

Yet other critics consider series of invitation by the House to erring individuals, government agents and organisations as cosmetics as nothing fruitful have come out of such ventures.

They are quick to remember the issue of the Commissioner of Education, who was perceived to have paralysed the education system in the state, leaving the children in the cold for almost three years without serious work.

They are not happy that the House had failed to publish its finding for the people to see with serous sanctions in the case of culpability to serve as deterrent to others.

They want the House to take

its oversight job more seriously especially in the case of failures by agencies to deliver on their mandate to the people.

They are also not happy with the House for not focusing enough on contractors who had abandoned their jobs and want the legislators to earn their pay by going after such contractors.

Also there is a cal that the House should double up its efforts especially in the areas of legislations and oversight functions that would enhance employment generation and youth empowerment so as to check the rising social vices such as armed robbery, drugs abuse, prostitution, cyber crime among others already ravaging the state.

The House has is expected to get back on track and use the next few year before the expiration of its tenure for dedicated service to the people for greater productivity and development in the state.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 39

International

Thai ‘yellow shirts’ halt parliament debate

T

hai "yellow shirt" protesters have brought parliament to a halt, forcing the speaker to postpone debate on a reconciliation bill that critics say is aimed at allowing a former prime minister to return home.

More than 1,000 protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), known as the yellow shirts, on Friday surrounded parliament and blocked roads leading to the buildings in Bangkok.

They denied entry to most lawmakers scheduled to discuss the controversial bill that could see the return to Thailand of self-exiled former prime

Somalia's future debated at Turkey conference

U

N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said international forces cannot solve Somalia's problems in the long term and that the fragile country needs its own strong security institutions.

Ban spoke on Friday at a conference in Istanbul which aims to support Somalia in a transition process that calls for a new constitution and parliament, and the election of a president, by August 20.

African Union troops have helped Somalia's transitional government in its fight against antigovernment group al-Shabab.

While gains have been made, Ban said the international community must help Somalia build its own security apparatus, establish the rule of law and shed a culture of impunity.

Sharif Ahmed, the Somali president, said his country does not have a national army and needs military training.

Somalia has been without an effective central government since the 1991 removal of president Siad Barre.

Al Jazeera's Peter Greste, reporting from the conference, said meeting the August 20 deadline would be a challenge for Somalia.

"In 80 days ... they have to work out a new constitution, they got to elect a new parliament and they have to find a new president," he said. "It's an incredibly short timetable and a lot of people are very sceptical about whether or not they can meet that.

"But the international groups involved in Somalia, such as the UN, the African Union, even the Somalis themselves, insist that timetable has to be stuck to."

minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"I have ordered the meeting to be postponed indefinitely to preserve the atmosphere and peace in the country," speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont told reporters on Friday.

"We'll have to analyse the situation before determining when the meeting will be held again," he said.

There were minor scuffles between police and protesters outside parliament.

The yellow shirts opposes the reconciliation bill because they say the government will use a blanket amnesty to bring back Shinawatra, without him having to serve jail time for a graft conviction.

The proposed bill grants amnesty to all parties involved in political violence and wrongdoing from the end of 2005 through mid-2010, a period when Thailand was wracked by political turmoil and protests.

There were minor scuffles between policemen and yellow shirt supporters of the PAD outside parliament [Reuters]

UN rights chief warns of full Syria civil war

T

h e UN's top human rights official has warned that Syria could descend into a full civil war unless the international community supports a peace plan and a probe into the killing of more than 100 civilians in Houla last week.

Navi Pillay said on Friday that Syria and the entire region are in danger if a full-fledged conflict erupts in the country.

The UN's Human Rights Committee is meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss last week's massacre in Houla, a cluster of villages in the

centre of the country, that killed 108 people, many of them children.

The incident was one of the deadliest incidents since the uprising against Assad's regime started in March last year, and has drawn global condemnation.

Countries including the United States, Britain, Australia, and France expelled Syrian diplomats in protest.

Pillay urged a probe into the Houla massacre, after the council put initial blame on government bombardment and gunmen loyal to President

Bashar al-Assad.

"Otherwise, the situation in Syria might descend into a fullfledged conflict and the future of the country, as well as the region as a whole could be in grave danger," she said in a statement read to the council.

She urged world leaders to throw their weight behind the six-point peace plan brokered

by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, which calls on both the opposition on government forces to cease hostilities.

A draft resolution, circulated late on Thursday, condemns the "killings

confirmed by UN observers" in attacks that involved "the wanton killings of civilians by shooting at close range and by severe physical abuse by proregime elements and a series of government artillery and tank shellings of a residential neighbourhood".

The rights committee, which has repeatedly condemned Syria for its crackdown on dissent, is likely to adopt the resolution by a wide margin, even if countries including China, Cuba and Russia may vote against it as in the past, diplomats said.

Suu Kyi urges 'scepticism' on Myanmar reforms

M

y a n m a r 's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has urged the international community to invest cautiously in her country and give priority to creating jobs

as much as making profits in order to defuse the "time bomb" of high unemployment.

The former political prisoner on Friday asked global leaders to exercise "healthy scepticism" as

Suu Kyi is on her first trip outside Myanmar in decades, since being released from house arrest two years ago [Reuters]

her country sheds half a century of military rule.

In a speech to the World Economic Forum on East Asia in the Thai capital Bangkok, she said: "These days I am coming across what I call reckless optimism". She drew applause by adding that a bit of "healthy scepticism is in order".

Suu Kyi, who is on her first trip outside Myanmar in 24 years since she was released from house arrest two years ago, noted that the country was still in a very early phase of making democratic reforms.

"Our success, how irreversible the reform process is, will depend on national commitment. There has to be commitment on the part of all of those who wish to improve the state of our country," she said.

She listed the country's most essential needs as secondary

education to foster political reforms and jobs to end high youth unemployment.

Millions of people in Myanmar have been forced abroad, many to Thailand, because of the chronic lack of employment.

Western sanctions have prevented foreign companies from investing in the country of 60 million people, but most of these have been suspended in recent months in response to reforms by the government that took office just over a year ago.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner and new parliamentarian, who spent a total of 15 years under house arrest under the former junta, said the government was pushing through democratic, social and economic reforms but did not seem interested in overhauling a judiciary that lacked independence.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Wellness Zone

Phyllis Ogo Ogah phyllisogoogah@gmail.com +234 80 58425746 (sms) only

Spotlight on cholesterol

H

e l l o friends and welcome back from a wonderful democracy day celebration. While getting used to the surprises from the Mr.Presidents speech, today ,I ll be running a spotlight on a disease condition known as "the silent killer". It's C for Cholesterol.

Why Is Cholesterol Important?

Your blood cholesterol level has a lot to do with your chances of getting heart disease. High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. A risk factor is a condition that increases your chance of getting a disease. In fact, the higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack.

How Does Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease?

When there is too much cholesterol (a fat-like substance) in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, this build up causes "hardening of the arteries" so that arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart is slowed down or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach your heart, you may suffer chest pain. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack. High blood cholesterol itself does not cause symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high. It is important to find out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens the risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of a heart attack or dying of heart disease, even if you already have it.

Cholesterol lowering is important for everyone-younger, middle age, and older adults; women and men; and people with or without heart disease.

High Blood Cholesterol What Do Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean?

Everyone age 20 and older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every 5 years. It is best to have a blood test called a "lipoprotein profile" to find out your cholesterol numbers. This blood test is done

after a 9- to 12-hour fast and gives information about your: -Total cholesterol -LDL (bad) cholesterol - the main source of cholesterol build up and blockage in the arteries -HDL (good) cholesterol - helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries -Triglycerides - another form of fat in your blood If it is not possible to get a lipoprotein profile done, knowing your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol can give you a general idea about your cholesterol levels.

If your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL* or more or if your HDL is less than 40 mg/ dL, you will need to have a lipoprotein profile done.

See how your cholesterol numbers compare to the tables below. *Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood.

HDL (good) cholesterol protects against heart disease, so for HDL, higher numbers are better.

A level less than 40 mg/dL is low and is considered a major risk factor because it increases your risk for developing heart disease. HDL levels of 60 mg/dL or more help to lower your risk for heart disease.Triglycerides can also raise heart disease risk. Levels that are borderline high (150-199 mg/dL) or high (200 mg/dL or more) may need treatment in some people.

What Affects Cholesterol Levels?

A variety of things can affect cholesterol levels. These are things you can do something about: -Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level go up. Saturated fat is the main culprit, but cholesterol in foods also matters.

Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level.

-Weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your HDL and lower your triglyceride levels.

-Physical Activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease.

Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.

Things you cannot do anything about also can affect cholesterol levels. These include: -Age and Gender. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women's LDL levels tend to rise.

-Heredity. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes.

High blood cholesterol can run in families.

Total Cholesterol Level Category Less than 200 mg/dL Desirable 200-239 mg/dL Borderline high 240 mg/dL and above High LDL Cholesterol Level LDL Cholesterol Category Less than 100 mg/dL Optimal 100-129 mg/dL Near optimal/above optimal 130-159 mg/dL Borderline high 160-189 mg/dL High 190 mg/dL and above Very high What Is Your Risk of Developing Heart Disease or Having a Heart Attack?

In general, the higher your LDL level and the more risk factors you have (other than LDL), the greater your chances of developing heart disease or having a heart attack.

Some people are at high risk for a heart attack because they already have heart disease. Other people

are at high risk for developing heart disease because they have diabetes (which is a strong risk factor) or a combination of risk factors for heart disease. Follow these steps to find out your risk for developing heart disease.

Check the table below to see how many of the listed risk factors you have; these are the risk factors that affect your LDL goal.

Major Risk Factors That Affect Your LDL Goal Cigarette smoking -High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher or on blood pressure medication) -Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/ dL)* -Family history of early heart disease (heart disease in father or brother before age 55; heart disease in mother or sister before age 65) -Age (men 45 years or older; women 55 years or older) *If your HDL cholesterol is 60 mg/dL or higher, subtract 1 from your total count.

Even though obesity and physical inactivity are not counted in this list, they are conditions that need to be corrected.

How many major risk factors do you have? You need to take action as soon as possible.

Use your medical history, number of risk factors, and risk score to find your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack in the table below.

If You Have You Are in Category Heart disease, diabetes, or risk score more than 20%* I. High Risk 2 or more risk factors and risk score 1020% II. Next Highest Risk 2 or more risk factors and risk score less than 10% III. Moderate Risk 0 or 1 risk factor IV. Low-to-Moderate Risk.

HEAL TH CO ACH TIP OF THE WEEK HEALTH COA Persistence makes up for lack of skill in anything you choose to master, especially when you are working towards your fitness goals.

Keep moving!

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 41

Weekend

Nigeria's Ikechukwu Uche challenges Hossam Ghaly in aerial battle during a Nations Cup cracker. Both nations return to the field as the 2014 World Cup qualifiers kick off this weekend

World Cup 2014: Africans go to war

By Patrick Andrew

A

fricans are on the road again. And it is one is paved in thorns and thirstles. Of casaulties, there will be plenty for just six countries will berth in Brazil when the curtain is finally dropped few months to the fiesta in 2014.

First though, this weekend offers 20 contests-two in each of the ten groups - and over the next 15 months, 10 teams will earn the right to advance to the next round.

Hope must be high in Egypt where the Pharoahs in spite of being seven-time African Champions have not being to the global stage since 1990. Like Cameroon, Egypt failed to qualify for the 2012 Nations Cup jointly hosted

by Gabon and Equitorial Guinea, a fiesta that produced new dogs on the mantle in Zambia, so did Nigeria, South Africa and Algeria.

Missing the Nations Cup may serves as the extra vim they need to confront challenges from the opening task for the road to Brazil.

The Indomitable Lions, Africa’s most successful team in qualifying, having reached the FIFA World Cup finals six times in the last 30 years, will be looking to bury the ghost of 2012 Nations Cup failure as they plot against Congo DR. They will be without their skipper, Samuel Eto’o who is serving long suspension but under a new coach Denis Lavagne.

Stephen Keshi, the head of Super Eagles’ technical crew tests his tactical suavvy against Namibia in Calabar. He parades a bunch of Eagles that are a blended of domestic league players and foreign-based mostly younger and new pairs of legs.

Keshi, has tasted two defeats against Egypt and Peru, but these has neither demeaned the new zest and hunger

in the squad nor discouraged the rebuilding processes that has given premium to domestic league players.

He recalled John Utaka, Elderson Echiejile, Efe Ambrose dropped Mikel Obi, Kalu Uche, Taye Taiwo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Peter Odemwingie and Dele Ayenugba and concentrated on injection of younger talents in Obiorah Nwankwo, Ahmed Musa, Nnamdi Oduamadi, Sone Aluko, Victor Moses as well as Godfrey Oboabana, Juwon Oshinawa, Gabriel Reuben, Azubuike Egwueke, Uzoenyi Ejike and Chigozie Agbim among others from the domestic league.

In Sunday’s clash, Keshi will likely rely on a blend of local league and foreign-based players with the former dominating in the defence line while the foreign-based may lead the offensive play.

In doing so, Keshi will give attention to the attack where it was observed the domestic league Eagles that lost to Egypt and Peru showed clear weakness.

Similarly, AFCON semi-finalists Mali begin with an awkward challenge in Benin as the two eye Group H favourites Algeria, who host Rwanda today. The Malians and Beninoise are both at the start of new managerial cycles under Amadou Pathe Diallo and Frenchman Manuel Amoros respectively.

Group E might be the most even section with Niger opening in fortress Niamey against up-and-comers Gabon, while Congo will try to steal something at Burkina Faso on Saturday.

Elsewhere, one of the newest coaches on paraded Frenchman Sabri Lamouchi, who just took up the wheel for Côte d’Ivoire this week, leads the Elephants of Ivory Coast against t Tanzania in Group C, while Morocco will open their campaign with a trickier trip to Gambia.

Côte d’Ivoire are trying to become the fourth African nation to reach three FIFA World Cups in a row, a feat that can also be matched by Ghana, that took on Lesotho in Group

D, yesterday.

The section’s other match sees new African champions Zambia away to a strong Sudan team, before hosting the Black Stars next weekend. Also expected to win at home is Tunisia, who are now coached by former international Sami Trabelsi and begin Group B at home against Equatorial Guinea.

Egypt, under coach in Bob Bradley opened their qualifier yesterday against Mozambique. Next week they will face an even tougher test in Conakry against Guinea, who open at Zimbabwe.

Two west African Fixtures giants with similarly CAR vs Botswana high hopes and new Cameroon vs Congo DR coaches are Nigeria and Kenya vs Malawi Senegal. Stephen Keshi’s Super Eagles are looking Sierra Leone vs Cape Verde to top Namibia in Gambia vs Morocco Calabar and dominate Côte d’Ivoire vs Tanzania Group F, which also Tunisia vs E/Guinea includes Malawi and Burkina Faso vs Congo Kenya, from the off. The Senegal vs Liberia Senegalese have Sudan vs Zambia caretaker Josephe Koto Algeria vs Rwanda in charge as they begin Group J in Dakar against Liberia and their debutant coach Kaetu Smith. Angola and Uganda, angling to challenge the Lions of Teranga to the end, meet in a vital Sunday match in Luanda.

Sunday Nigeria vs Namibia South Africa vs Ethiopia Zimbabwe vs Guinea Togo vs Libya Niger Rep. vs Gabon Benin Rep. vs Mali

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 42

Ahmed Musa: Eagles want to win big

C

SKA Moscow winger, Ahmed Musa, is up-beat about the Super Eagles’ chances against visiting Namibia and says nothing short of convincingly victory will appease Nigerians following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2012 Nations Cup that was eventually won by Zambia The Eagles tackle the Brave Warriors of tomorrow at the UJ Esuene Stadium Calabar in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup qualifier. The jet-heeled Musa will also speak on his debut season in Russia in this interview culled from MTNFootball.com Nigeria is playing Namibia this weekend in World cup qualifier this weekend, what should Nigerians expect?

Ahmed Musa: Victory, that is what Nigerians want and we the players too. We know the importance of this game in our quest to qualify for 2014 FIFA World cup.

How is the weather in Calabar?

It is good. Though hot compared to where we are coming from but we are coping well and that won’t stop us from beating Namibia.

You are in camp with some players for the first time, what can you say about that?

It has been fun. We are all here for a common goal which is to play for Nigeria and win. We are getting along very well.

Everybody here is a professional and in everything there is always a first time.

What can you say about coach Stephen Keshi and his predecessor Samson Siasia?

There is no reason to compare them. Both of them are fathers to the players, they have played the game to the highest level and are qualified coach. I enjoyed working with Siasia

and I am now enjoying myself under coach Stephen Keshi.

What then do you expect from Nigerians on Sunday?

I am calling on them to support us, pray for us as we will do our best to make them happy by beating Namibia silly on Sunday.

Okay. Let’s review your first season in Russia with CSKA. How was it for you?

Though I would not want to rate myself but as far as I am concerned, it was a very good season for me. I am happy with my performance for CSKA. How then would you compare the Dutch league and Russia league?

They are two different leagues and both are of good quality but the only difference is that there are fewer fans at stadiums in Russia compared to what we have in Holland.

They watch football a lot in Holland but I believe Russia will get there in that aspect, apart from that not much difference.

What do you miss most about your former club VVV Venlo?

I miss the fans. They love me a lot and always encouraged me to want to do more. I miss my team mates too but not as much as I miss the fans.

You scored many goals in Holland and when you were in Nigeria, but you only scored once in Russia, what do you think is responsible for this?

No problem about that. I am new in Russia so I tried to adapt to the system and weather, but with more time next season, I will score more goals to help my team.

You played against one of your idols Cristiano Ronaldo in a UEFA Champions League tie earlier this year.

Didier Drogba of Cote’d Ivore

Andre Ayew of Ghana

Felix Katongo of Zambia

How was the experience?

I felt very great and honoured to play against Ronaldo. It was a great feeling coming face-to-face with one of the best players in the world.

You played in UEFA Champions League last term and now you are to feature in Europa League next season, what do you have to say to that?

Though we wanted a Champions League ticket but it was not to be, that is football for you, sometimes you play at big stage and at times you slip to a lower competition.

The Europa League too is not a bad

competition, big teams too will feature there, so no bad feelings. We will do our best to win it.

Which game was your best for CSKA? That was the Champions League game against Real Madrid. I played very well in both legs and people commended me afterwards.

And what are your targets next season?

To win the Russian League as well as the Europa League. I also want to score a lot more goals. Any additional honours to this will be appreciated.

Owerri burns as Oriental war rages

A

second Oriental derby comes up today in Owerri barely a week after Rangers delt in Enyimba in Enugu.

Today’s derby involves Heartland, the Naze Millionaires and Coal City team Rangers.

Rangers, who are in the hunt for a first league title in 28 years, will hope to haul its second vital win in the oriental war for points even as the cup holders, the Naze Millionaires will have pride at stake in one of the biggest Nigeria Premier League (NPL) derbies this term.

This is the 18th meeting between both sides since February 2003. It is undoubtedly the biggest game of this week 30. Heartland have

Shorunmu says Enyeama, Ejide, Agbim in top shape

S

uper Eagles’ goalkeeping coach, Ike Shorunmu, has said the goalkeepers are in perfect shape for Sunday’s 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Brave Warriors of Namibia in Calabar.

The Eagles have three goalkeepers in camp to battle the visiting Southern Africans namely captain Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide and home lad, Chigozie Agbim.

“Competition is very impressive and I’m confident whoever is picked to man the post will do a perfect job. I must confess to you there is no problem with the goalkeepers, they’re in perfect shape for Sunday’s match and I’m sure they won’t let Nigerians down,Shorunmu said.

The former Nigerian goalkeeper said Sunday’s match will end positively for Nigeria.

“There is no negativity at the moment, we’re positive of a resounding outing on Sunday. Namibia are good team. Of course, there are no small teams anymore. Besides, any team coming to play Nigeria usually up their game, we intend to do the same and give Nigerians a decent result,” he said.

The Brazil 2014 World Cup race starter against Namibia comes up from 4pm local time at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

Nigeria's Ikechukwu Uche

Nnamdi Oduamadi

remained Rangers’ bogey team winning all previous eight games of this same fixture in Owerri.

Nine years down the line, Rangers are yet to win at Heartland, and it will be tough for Okey Emordi and his men after they dropped points in the first game following a 1-1 draw in Enugu.

Nine other games will be up across the nation with Hadejia, Katsina-Ala and Warri centres sure to enjoy a lot of focus.

Tornadoes, who defeated CAF Champions League group stage campaigners-Sunshine Stars, will be keen to pick their first win in two years against Kaduna United. The last time Tornadoes won was in May 2010 by 3-0. For Kaduna United they have won once in Minna a 2-1 win in 2008. It is difficult to look beyond Tornadoes taking all points in this game, as they continue their climb out of the drop zone.

Kwara United edged Akwa United 2-1 in the reverse game in Ilorin in February. When both teams met in this same game in 2007, it ended 1-1. Kwara United are on a three-game unbeaten streak but Uyo has become a fortress for the Godfrey Esu tutored lads and they are likely to win this.

Three games without a win does not befit the status of Sunshine Stars competing in the 2012 CAF Champions League. Gombe United have not taken a point at Sunshine Stars but won the first meeting 1-0 through Mustapha Babadidi’s goal. Though they will be missing Godfrey Oboabana, Izu Azuka, the Stars under Coach Gbenga Ogunbote will want to put a stop to the string of losses.

The Warri Wolves versus Enyimba duel is another cracker of a game. The visitors have won at Warri Wolves twice in the last eight years - 1-0 in 2009 and 2-1 in 2004., but the Austin Eguavoen’s men have shown resilience by avoiding defeat in their two away games at Ocean Boys and Dolphins.

Wolves under Maurice Cooreman must reel in pains after losing to midweek and a consolating result will not be beyond them.

Kano Pillars won the first meeting 1-0 via a Gambo Mohammed goal. Pillars last won at Lobi in 2004 and have avoided defeat twice after then.

Lobi have dropped points just once at their adopted home ground, Katsina-Ala - a 1-1 draw against 3SC in February. But coming off an away win at Ocean Boys, the hosts will put a dent on Pillars’ bid to close the gap on tabletopping Rangers.

Week 30 matches Akwa Utd v Kwara Utd Tornadoes v Kaduna Utd Sharks v Rising Stars Golden Stars v Dolphins ABS FC v Wikki Tourists Heartland v Rangers Warri Wolves v Enyimba Lobi Stars v Kano Pillars Ocean Boys v 3SC Sunshine v Gombe Utd

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Transfer

The season is over. Clubs are counting their blessing as well as losses and would like to make amends and even beef up their squads where noticeable lapses exist. And the transfer market is agog barely 24 hours after major European leagues dropped the curtain.

And so to keep abreast with latest rumours, we begin daily doses of movements within the market both for players and coaches like.

City aim to pip United for Sneijder

M

anchester City have already pipped neighbours United for the Premier League title – now they are poised to beat them to the signing of Holland international Wesley Sneijder.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was linked with a swoop for the Inter Milan midfielder last summer but he stayed at the San Siro.

Now it appears Sneijder could be heading to Manchester after all, but with the Etihad Stadium as his destination rather than Old Trafford.

Any move, however, is likely to be finalised after the Euro 2012 finals.

Ferguson refused to say last summer whether United had formally made an offer for the 27-year-old but was forced to bring Paul Scholes out of retirement after failing to find a replacement in central midfield.

City manager Roberto Mancini is expected to be busy in the summer as the Premier League champions look to build on their league success in next season’s Champions League.

Barcelona join United for Spain star

M

anchester United will have to move fast if they want to sign Valencia defender Jordi Alba, with reports in Spain claiming Barcelona are the favourites to clinch his signature.

Alba is rated as one of the best left-backs in the world and has been attracting interest from a number of top clubs across Europe.

Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to be a big admirer of the Spanish international and sees him as a long-term replacement for Patrice Evra. But reports in Spanish newspaper Sport claim Valencia Sporting Director Braulio Vazquez is ready for Barcelona to make their approach for their star asset and he expects a bid in the near future. Vazquez said: “I suppose Barcelona want him because he’s Catalan and plays on the left wing.

“We are obviously talking about an excellent player, and it’s only normal that Barcelona is keen to sign him.”

PAGE 43

Hulk lined up as £38m Chelsea signing

C

helsea is closing in on a deal to sign Porto striker Hulk after reportedly agreeing a £38 million transfer fee with the Portuguese club.

Hulk’s personal terms are not expected to be a problem and the Brazil international will become Roman Abramovich’s second signing of the summer.

The Chelsea owner has already agreed a £32 million deal to bring playmaker Eden Hazard from Lille just days ago.

The £70 million combined outlay is a clear indication of Abramovich’s personal desire to rejuvenate an aging squad and capitalise on the club’s status as newly crowned European champions, despite the fact he is yet to appoint a manager on a permanent basis.

Hulk will replace Didier Drogba at Stamford Bridge, although the 25-yearold has been earmarked to play in a wider role with Fernando Torres given assurances he will lead the line for

Chelsea this season.

Porto had been happy to push the line about Hulk’s release clause being •100 million, although the Guardian report that the figure is actually •60 million (£48m). However, the Portuguese club has been forced to accept less with Chelsea

seemingly the only club willing to make a competitive offer.

Hulk has been linked with the Blues all season. His record is outstanding 57 goals in 91 games in the past two seasons - and there is the belief that he can improve at Stamford Bridge.

Leverkusen rule out Berbatov move

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anchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov’s future remains up in the air after his former club Bayer Leverkusen ruled out the possibility of signing him.

Earlier this month, Berbatov, 31, said his time at Old Trafford was “running out” and that he no longer felt valued at the club he left Tottenham for in 2008.

But Leverkusen - where the Bulgarian spent five seasons before switching to London - says they would not be able to meet United’s asking price.

“However, the return of Berbatov is not an option for us. We are still on good terms with him, but he would only be an option if he was available on a free transfer.”

Ramirez on City raider

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anchester City is in a £15million fight with Juventus and Wolfsburg for Bologna ace Gaston Ramirez.

City boss Roberto Mancini wants to make the Uruguay midfielder his first signing of the summer.

Tottenham and Liverpool have also been linked with Ramirez, 21, but City are in pole position.

The South American star’s agent, Pablo Betancourt, said: “I think he could leave this summer.”

United keen for Xhaka

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Ramirez

anchester United are ready to go head-to-head with Hamburg in the race for FC Basel teenager Granit Xhaka, as manager Sir Alex Ferguson contemplates delving into the January transfer window for midfield reinforcements.

Fergie is yet to fully make his intentions clear with regards to any business this month, but it’s thought the 70-year-old will look to sign at least one midfielder, with Wesley Sneijder once again a priority.

Ferguson’s excellent record at developing talent would likely give him the edge, but United must weigh up the advantages of adding another young player to their squad in the race for the title, with more experienced options perhaps proving more useful.

Xhaka is an outstanding talent though, and as Manchester City step up their scouting in Switzerland, their hand may be forced sooner rather than later.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 44

PICTORIAL

Chelsea is closing in on a deal to sign Porto striker Hulk after reportedly agreeing a £38 million transfer fee with the Portuguese club.

France coach Laurent Blanc is hopeful that key midfielder Yann M’Vila will recover from an ankle knock in time for his side’s Euro 2012 opener against England.

Kevin Pietersen announces his retirement from international limited-overs cricket with immediate effect.

Rory McIlroy recovers from a quadruple bogey to card a first-round one-under-par 71 at the Memorial Tournament

Usain Bolt storms to victory in 9.76 seconds in the Rome Diamond League meeting, ahead of Asafa Powell.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 45

Long Jump: Stretching to the limits because jumping off either the heels or the toes negatively affects the jump. Taking off from the board heel-first has a braking effect, which decreases velocity and strains the joints. Jumping off the toes decreases stability, putting the leg at risk of buckling or collapsing from underneath the jumper.

While concentrating on foot placement, the athlete must also work to maintain proper body position, keeping the torso upright and moving the hips forward and up to achieve the maximum distance from board contact to foot release.

There are four main styles of takeoff: the kick style, double-arm style, sprint takeoff, and the power sprint or bounding takeoff.

Action in the air and landing There are three major flight techniques for the long jump: the hang, the sail, and the hitch-kick. Each technique is to combat the forward rotation experienced from take-off but is basically down to preference from the athlete. It is important to note that once the body is airborne, there is nothing that the athlete can do to change the direction they are travelling and

Complied by Richard Ihediwa with additional reports from Wikipedia

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esides running, another track and field event that requires the exertion of energy to the limits is the long jump.

The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point. This event has been an Olympic medal event since the first modern Olympics in 1896 and has a history in the Ancient Olympic Games.

Competitors run down a runway and jump as far as they can from a wooden board 20 cm/8 inches wide that is built flush with the runway into a pit filled with finely ground gravel or sand. If the competitor starts the leap with any part of the foot past the foul line, the jump is declared a foul and no distance is recorded.

A layer of plasticine is placed immediately after the board to detect this occurrence. An official (similar to a referee) will also watch the jump and make the determination. The competitor can initiate the jump from any point behind the foul line; however, the distance measured will always be perpendicular to the foul line to the nearest break in the sand caused by any part of the body or uniform.

Therefore, it is in the best interest of the competitor to get as close to the foul line as possible. Competitors are allowed to place two marks along the side of the runway in order to assist them to jump accurately. At a lesser meet and facilities, the plasticine will likely not exist, the runway might be a different surface or jumpers may initiate their jump from a painted or taped mark on the runway.

Each competitor has a set number of attempts. That would normally be three trials, with three additional jumps being awarded to the best 8 or 9 (depending on the number of lanes on the track at that facility, so the event is equitable to track events) competitors. All legal marks will be recorded but only the longest legal jump counts towards the results. The competitor with the longest legal jump at the end of competition is declared the winner. In the event of an exact tie, then comparing the next best jumps of the tied competitors will be used to determine place.

There are four main components of the long jump: the approach run, the last two strides, takeoff, action in the air, and landing.

Speed in the run-up, or approach, and a high leap off the board are the fundamentals of success. Because speed is such an important factor of the approach, it is not surprising that many long jumpers also compete successfully in sprints. A classic example of this long jump/sprint doubling are performances by Carl Lewis.

The approach The objective of the approach is to gradually accelerate to a maximum controlled speed at takeoff. The most important factor for the distance traveled by an object is its velocity at takeoff - both the speed and angle.

Elite jumpers usually leave the ground at an angle of twenty degrees or less; therefore, it is more beneficial for a jumper to focus on the speed component of the jump. The greater the speed at takeoff, the longer the trajectory of the center of mass will be. The importance of a takeoff speed is a factor in the success of sprinters in this event.

The last two strides The objective of the last two strides is to prepare the body for takeoff while conserving

Stretching to the limits

Long jump requires a lot of energy Nigeria’s Chioma Ajunwa taking the gold medal leap in 1996 Olympics as much speed as possible.

The penultimate (second to last) stride is longer than the last stride. The competitor begins to lower his or her center of gravity to prepare the body for the vertical impulse. The final stride is shorter because the body is beginning to raise the center of gravity in preparation for takeoff.

The last two strides are extremely important because they determine the velocity with which the competitor will enter the jump; the greater the velocity, the better the jump.

Much energy is needed for acceleration.

Takeoff The objective of the takeoff is to create a vertical impulse through the athlete’s center of gravity while maintaining balance and control.

This phase is one of the most technical parts of the long jump. Jumpers must be conscious to place the foot flat on the ground,

consequently where they are going to land in the pit. However, it can be argued that certain techniques influence an athlete’s landing, which can have an impact on distance measured. For example, if an athlete lands feet first but falls back because they are not correctly balanced, a lower distance will be measured.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

Feature Al-Makura

One year after

By Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

O

n May 29, 2011, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura mounted the podium at the Lafia township stadium to “before God and man” took the solemn oath of office as the third elected governor of Nasarawa state.

By that he entered into a new covenant with the people of the state to halt the drift in governance as well as improve on their standard of living of the people through the provision of basic social amenities.

Al-makura’s election under the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change was earth shaking as he pushed out the then incumbent governor, Akwe Doma of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Smarting from victory from a rigorous election that was characterised by uncertainties and the then newly elected governor was however quick to assert that despite the high expectations from the polity, “there are no easy solutions or quick fixes” for the numerous challenges afflicting the 15 year old state thus necessitating “a fresh start and a new deal.”

He was emphatic is saying that this “fresh start and a new deal” encapsulated all that signifies a political promise between the CPC administration and the people of the state spanning its four year first tenure, during which, according to him, his administration will “seek to stimulate the economy for long term growth, impart our young men and women with skills, and create opportunities for self-employment fostering a modern, educated enterprise society so as to help the people cast off the chains of poverty.”

Of course, like every other political promise, tantalizing as it may seem in its claim to better the lives of the people, flowing taps, constant electricity, functional healthcare system, quality education, improved economy and others, only time could tell if this covenant entered into between the leadership and followers bears fruits.

This is especially against the backdrop of the fact that pundits are always quick to remind that from experience the people have always been at the receiving end, with politicians abandoning their cause once they elected.

Though the realization of Al-makura’s new deal is expected to span the four-year tenure, one year is of course sufficient to give an inkling of what the people of the state should expect by the time another election comes knocking.

Fruits of Al-makura’s new deal started when he was barely 100 days in office. The administration took a decisive step toward alleviating the chronic shortage of power particularly in Lafia, the state capital. Before then, residents of the city made do with epileptic, extremely low power supply, hardly sufficient to turn the blades of an electric fan.

In a bid to alleviate the situation, the governor in his “Power in 100 days Initiative” through a collaborative strategy with the PHCN, purchased 100 numbers of 500 KVA transformers to help step up the power supply which has so far yielded remarkable improvement in wattage as one

Gov. of Nasarawa state, Alh. Umaru Tanko Al-makura can presently run an air conditioner, use praise of the strides taken by the CPC electric iron as well as allowing artisans administration so far in its bid to reposition engage in meaningful economic activities, Nasarawa state especially its laudable forays which was practically impossible some into road construction, water supply, months back. health, administration, education, the civil The governor, through negotiations service, as well as other aspects that have with relevant agencies in the power sector positive impact on the lives of the people. has so far been able to influence the increase The number of supporters and admirers of supply to the state from the meager 17 continue to swell by the day as the CPC megawatts to about 20 to 25 megawatts, administration under Al-makura continues though still short of the 45 mega watts with its populist style of leadership, needed. responding to and fulfilling the yearning and At the peak of the 2011 election aspirations of the ordinary folks which is the campaigns, medical doctors, tired of the main thrust of the party. previous administration’s insensitivity to In order to ensure massive education in their demands for the full implementation the state and take the burden off parents, of the CONMESS, embarked on a prolonged the state government decided to offset the strike action, throwing the entire health cost of registration for NECO examinations sector into a state of comatose, with severe for all students in SSSIII for the 2011 consequences on the people who were denied examination, with a further promise to access to much needed healthcare services. make secondary education free in all its On his assumption of office, Governor Al- public schools. Again, in a bid to redress the makura wasted no time in pandering to the failure of the past administration to utilize request of the doctors as he quickly approved UBEC funds since 1998 amounting to the full payment of the CONMESS bringing billions of naira, Al-makura saw the need to to an end the lingering impasse. quickly pay the state’s counterpart fund so Since then, the governor has proceeded that more schools can be built with more to unfold his plans to transform the others renovated. healthcare sector to the benefit of the people Of all the interventions embarked upon of the state through various partnerships by the present administration, the ambitious which saw multitudes benefitting from free road projects across the state and particularly medical treatments provided by teams of within Lafia, the state capital, embodies the medical experts from the USA and Saudi zeal and determination of the Al-makura Arabia. Recently, he approved the administration to elevate the status of the renovation of all the General Hospitals across city to that of a befitting state capital through the state, releasing the sum of N58 million the opening up of access roads, constructing take-off loan for the purchase of safe quality drainages and the installation of traffic lights drugs and other consumables in as well as standard street lights. government hospitals under the hospital People passing through the city can now based drug revolving scheme. appreciate the easy manner through which Even critics are not left behind in their the ever increasing traffic is being

controlled, unlike the chaotic ensemble previously encountered which ultimately results in long avoidable holdups.

Infrastructural development, being capital intensive, therefore, constitute the main thrust of the CPC administration, explaining why the state government recently procured earth moving equipment valued at over N300 million, which have since being distributed to the headquarters of the three senatorial districts so that rural roads too could be opened to allow for easy movement of people and farm produce from the hinter.

In the area of workers’ welfare, the CPC government was among the first to agree to not only implement the new minimum wage but surpassed the nominal N18, 000, by accepting to pay the state civil servants N18, 900 while also accepting to pay the workers outstanding 8 months allowances, a decision which calmed them from embarking on a strike like their colleagues in other states.

One of the most significant achievement of the present administration during the period under review is the gradual entrenchment of ethical re-orientation in the conduct of government activities, with the parlance frequently associated with governance, “business-as-usual” completely overturned as both the civil servants and political office holders imbibe the near alien culture of prudence, accountability and openness, thereby engendering abiding trust in the followership.

As a result of dwindling resources accruing to the state, Governor Al-makura saw it fit to hire a consultant to verify and computerize the entire workforce from the state to the local government areas, with the exercise exposing gross financial misconducts and saving the government several millions of naira as a result of completely eradicating the notorious ghost worker syndrome which had previously been used as an avenue to siphon huge sums of money.

By earnestly focusing on the much needed ethical re-orientation, the Al-makura administration has so far brought a new lease of life to the otherwise drab government activities, re-awakening the zeal of every citizen of the state, especially among political office holders and civil servants, the virtue of honesty, accountability, hardwork and dedication to duty.

As a result of the protracted communal clashes in the southern senatorial district of the state, the Al-makura administration has seized the initiative to spearhead a result oriented community based conflict resolution strategy, guiding the afflicted communities to finding a lasting solution as well as resolving perceived hostilities. Now communities surrounding Kadarko live in peace, devoid of crisis that had previously ravaged the area.

With three more years remaining for the action governor to further make concrete his vision to reposition the state, the “new deal”, gradually taking shape in the last one year, will remain as a vista of hope for the people of the state, especially after the long period the state has “been held hostage by the folly and excesses of its rulers.”

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

PAGE 47

From the Pulpit Working in God’s grace

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r a c e (Charis in Greek) has been rightly defined as unmerited favour. It has also been defined as “Favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves.” (Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers) Grace is one of the attributes of God clearly shown in the Bible.

There is the saving grace – the grace that brought salvation to humanity. Eph 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (KJV) This grace flows from the person of God. Understanding grace But there is another dimension of this unmerited favour which is grace manifesting as God’s help and blessing upon a person – this also proceeds from the person of God – it is also a gift of God. I see this grace as the force of God which causes a man to do more than his natural ability – it’s a divine influence. Paul recognized the role of grace in his ministry – he couldn’t do without it; he spoke about it a lot. In 1 Cor. 15:10, Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (NKJV) Did you see grace mentioned there?

Paul said he worked harder than the other apostles but it wasn’t all about his efforts. See how the New Living Translation renders this verse: “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me — and not without results. For I have

worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” (1 Cor. 15:10 NLT) From the latter part of that Scripture, one can safely deduce that one of the ways God works through a person is by His grace. Paul says, “yet actually I wasn’t doing it, but God worked through me helping and blessing me” (1 Cor 15:10 TLB) So you can see that grace is not just in the matter of salvation but in helping and blessing you to succeed at what you do. Paul enjoyed grace is this dimension. May this grace be released upon your life in Jesus’ name.

Paul says again in Rom 15:15: “Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God.” (NKJV) Grace given to Paul! And it is not exclusively reserved for Paul. It is available to you too.

2 Cor 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.’’ (NKJV) You must not just receive and enjoy the grace that saves you but you must enjoy grace throughout your journey in life and in all departments of your life. There are things God has graced you for.

Recognize them and be strong in that grace (2 Tim 2:1). If you concentrate your work on what God has given you grace to do, you’ll make more impact there than in what God hasn’t given you grace for.

With grace you are sufficient – you are sufficient despite your inadequacies – grace will make God’s strength available to you which compensates for your

LIBERA TION LIBERATION AREN A ARENA

By Rev. Abel Duniya Gospel Power Liberation Ministries, Abuja GSM: 08033155167

E

v e r y human being must understand that we live only by the grace of God. God in his infinite mercy has given us physical and mental ability to excel in our endeavours on earth to His glory.

However, no matter how endowed we may be, it is important to understand that without God, we cannot make a headway in life.

As a rule, God expects us to work hard and He blesses hard work. He has ordained that from the works of our hands, He will bless us and make us to prosper.

Look at Proverbs 14: 23, it says that “in all labor there is profit”.

The scripture here does not talk about labour without God. That would be slavery. Look at

Deuteronomy 28.8. It says; “The Lord shall command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all that you set your hand to; and he shall bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

The scripture here explains that people get profit from the works of their hand when they are blessed by God. Working without God’s blessing will be slavery and hardship that will profit nothing.

However, it is disturbing to see Godly people suffering lack despite their hard works. Examples abound of very prayerful and religious people who work very hard but have nothing to show for their hard work even in the face of their religiosity.

weakness. “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor 12:9 NKJV) The sufficiency you need to make maximum impact, grace makes available to you. So what do you have to do? Make sure that you receive and embrace grace that God makes available in order to be able to make maximum impact.

Maximum impact is a function of grace. Grace made Paul.

Adding work to grace But it wasn’t grace alone that made Paul a star. Paul tells us another thing that made him outstanding in addition to grace.

He says, “…but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Cor. 15:10 NKJV) Paul mentioned two factors in that Scripture – grace and labour. I have already talked about grace.

Paul laboured in grace or with grace.

Grace without labour will lead you nowhere. Don’t receive grace and just sit down – you will become a laughing stock. Prov 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.” (NKJV) You cannot make maximum impact in life if you’re lazy. Rom 12:11 says, “Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically.” (NLT) Take note of that adverb – enthusiastically. The slothful will never make any impact let alone maximum impact. The Bible does not spare the slothful. Prov 18:9 says, “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who

GREEN PASTURES

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 is a great destroyer.” (NKJV) Prov 12:24 says, “The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.” (NKJV) That means that the diligent will have the upper hand. (A New Translation of the Bible) You must add diligent labour to the grace that you have received from the Lord. If Jesus had folded his arms having received grace, if he had not gone about his father’s business (Luke 2:49), he would have ended a failure despite being the Son of God. John 5:17 says, “But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’” (NKJV) No lazy person will make any impact in life whether in ministry or in any other endeavour. “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” (Prov 22:29 KJV) That is a man who excels and is sharp, skillful and expert in his work will serve kings and not ordinary, common, undistinguished or obscure people. So get ready for diligent work if you desire to make maximum impact in life but don’t despise grace. “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” so goes the saying. Don’t just desire to make maximum impact in life, bend down to work to achieve it. “The desire of the lazy man kills him, for

his hands refuse to labor.”

(Prov 21:25 NKJV) You must avoid either of the two extremes, indeed two errors. Don’t brag about grace to the neglect of labour. And don’t be a workaholic who knows nothing about grace.

Neither grace nor labour is to be despised. You must work with the grace that God has given us. You must work in grace.

TAKE ACTION! If you are not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day.

I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God” I believe you have said this prayer from your heart.

Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. May the Lord be with you.

Stop labouring in vain In such circumstances, many people turn to God and begin to question Him over their misfortunes. Some of them blame Him and give themselves to unnecessary hassles and baseless spiritual exercise outside of God’s rule.

The truth is that there are some immutable laws of God which govern issues of life and cannot be circumvented. God works by His law found in His word, which he honours even more than His name.

Indeed, it is not everything in life that requires prayers. God sees our effort but rewards our obedience. Blessings come when you please God. Though God has ordained to bless us through the works of our hands, He does so when we work in obedience to His will.

There are various factors that make us to labour in vain and you must know and guide against them. I will highlight some of them here.

One of these factors are the combine factor of bitterness and hatred. If you are a child of God and you still harbour hatred in your life, of course you will not experience

God’s blessing. Hatred for others puts God off and when He is far from you, you cannot have breakthrough in your endeavours Bitterness comes with a strong feeling of offence and anger against someone. It makes you to think evil thought and this puts God off.

Learn not to habour bitterness in your mind. Deal with hatred and bitterness before they deal with you.

Another factor is that of mismanagement of resources. Poor managerial skills, slothfulness and lack of focus and administrative skills can lead you to lose the resources God has blessed you with.

Poor management can shut the doors of opportunities to you. Pray God to enable you to manage your resources well.

Another factor is lack of faithfulness. Many people are not faithful to God. Faithfulness is a wide subject but in this stance, I want to narrow to the issue of faithfulness in fulfilling God’s demand on our resources. Many Christians are not faithful with their tithes and offerings and God is not happy about this.

Tithe and offerings are God’s way of connecting to our resources and businesses to prosper us. God measures our offering based on our income.

There are several kinds of offerings mentioned in the Bible, which we must endeavour to practice they include normal offering, Sacrificial giving (Giving to the work of God and giving to the poor and the needy), Vows and Pledges; First Fruit offering, Seed Faith, Prophets offering among others. They are all God ordained and practicing them as directed by the Holy Spirit will help unlock your profits and deal with the devourers working against your success.

When you practice these by allowing the love of God fill your spirit to do good works, then the blessing God commanded in Deuteronomy will naturally flow to you.

He said, “The Lord shall command the blessing on you in your storehouses, and in all that you set your hand to; and he shall bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.”

BIG PUNCH “Goodluck is not performing. What he did was an attempt to divert Nigerian’s attention from his failure but my father should not be used in that way. That is all I know” —Raila Abiola on the renaming of UNILAG after her father

SATURDAY 2 — SUNDAY 3, JUNE, 2012

‘Northwards!’

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t has ever been an entrenched culture, a mandatory belief, for every other part of Nigeria to see the North as 'the problem'. Every one fails because of the North, but everyone succeeds by their own merit, and because they manage to escape the grip of the North. Any discourse, whatever its nature, seems incomplete unless the North is demonized, so much so that even the most intelligent would appear remarkably less so when they are seized by the anti North phobia. In a lecture to a South South summit recently Prof Wole Soyinka embarked on a delusional mission 'northwards', as he must, like all the others. 'Northwards from this very spot where we are gathered, a daily decimation of our humanity pronounces its diabolical judgment on the structure that still struggles to deserve the name nation, calling in question, through its fiery monologues, the very legitimacy of our nation being,' he said. 'Let me take this opportunity however to stress to us all within the nation that this ongoing catastrophe is not the burden of any one part of the nation by itself, but a fight of survival for the totality of its humanity.

There is an immeasurable gulf between taking up arms against the state and declaring war against humanity.'

Prof Soyinka then went on to infer to his audience that he knew everything about the matter: it is simply a war of retribution being waged on the principals by aggrieved agents 'demanding evidence of preparations of the theocratic utopia that was dangled before them, a utopia founded on theocratic myopia that nerved them to acts of total disregard for fellow humanity and a passion for self-immolation.' The way to resolve the matter is not dialogue in a way dialogue is done to achieve peace but another form of dialogue of his own contraption.

The idea, however far-fetched, of the North being the most singular challenge to Nigeria's nationhood and even to Nigeria's survival is, in the ultimate sense, not a bad omen at all, but one which presents a far reaching and historic challenge: the North as problem implies the North as solution. The fact that every one looks 'northwards', each according to their perception and knowledge, for good or for bad, rightly or wrongly, with good will or otherwise, means

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the region has something to offer, always and eternally. Nigeria looks northwards for food. If it fails the entire nation suffers. Audu Ogbe, a former Chairman of the ruling party, PDP, states the position of the North as the rather reluctant, incredibly incompetent but nevertheless the ultimate guarantor of food security and prosperity of Nigeria, as follows. 'We

WEEKEND with

Ibraheem Sulaiman sa427420@gmail.com

Arewa House, Kaduna

have 76% of Nigeria's land mass.

In that land mass there are close to 600 dams, small and big, yet we are importing milk worth $1.5 billion a year; we are importing sugar worth $1.7 billion a year; we are importing wheat $4.3 billion a year; we are importing rice worth $2.3 billion a year; we are importing fruit juice concentrates worth $4.7 billion a year.' Apart from that, the population of those whose elite routinely vilify the region that reside there would make a whole nations by itself, finding more space, friendlier environment and far more opportunities for prosperity and fulfillment than are otherwise available in their domains of origin. Over and above all, the Northern population is destined to rise, in relation to the rest of the Nigeria, to irreversibly tectonic proportions, and it would constitute over two thirds of Nigeria's population, as well as over two third of its land mass. That is the power above political, the sheer power of humanity, the sheer

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power of permanent resource.

Northern Nigeria is therefore secure in its stature, secure in its potentials, secure in its future. And herein lies the great challenge. The North can not afford to bear any ill will towards any part of Nigeria, nor allow itself to be precipitated into conflicts. The wisest course is to maintain sincere good will towards all, confident in its God given endowment, and yet cautious, vigilant. The millions of people who make their homes and their livelihoods there can not be regarded as enemies, they are friends and compatriots, brothers and sisters, who are offering their talents and energies for the good of society and for their own good. Yes, short sighted people think that the political process can be manipulated, as they say and as they hope, to 'deal with the North', to hamstring it beyond repairs politically and economically. Well, if injustice and treachery have ever served any purpose, that purpose is never ever in the ultimate interest of the perpetrators. In a world of

interdependence, where interests and benefits intertwine and interlock, you can only hurt one side by hurting the other. In this way does the North present a moral dilemma to even its most mortal adversaries. Who grows the onion, the tomato, the rice, the grain they eat? Who grows the meat they so avidly consume with relish?

Now after the North has been politically vanquished and banished into wilderness, a perfect political climate has emerged. And it looks like this: oil wealth is now so fairly shared that thieves now have at least 20% allotted to them, [the same amount, $7 billion, is what Nigeria is borrowing from India, China, African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank and elsewhere, for development, thus returning the country to the dilapidating and excruciating Debt Trap after having triumphantly and appropriately exited from it]; higher tariffs on goods and services, starting with fuel and electricity, the possibility of total meltdown of the economy

and shut down of vital institutions; the systematic weakening of the safeguards and protection for the Treasury; the continuous rise of poverty, of inequality, of deprivation; the prospect of a collapse of normal life, and gloom and doom lying in ambush for all.

The conquest of the North generated an appetite for more conquests, as a result, integrity, competence, diligence have since been conquered and the ship of state is adrift.

There is no doubt that the North is in a state of anomie. Indeed many of the criticisms of the region arises from the disappointment and dismay felt by those who look up to it in vain for direction and leadership. In other words many people are frustrated by the utter absence of imagination, inspiration and wisdom from the region and are confronted every time they approach with retreat, confusion, myopia. The thrust of the values the region must uphold is to stand firm for justice for all, an all encompassing justice which gives every body and every section - those who love and those who hate, those who oppose and those who cooperate, the small, the big, the friend, the foe - their rightful due.

This is the strength of the North and its saving grace. The tragedy for the North, however, is perhaps that it is fast losing many of its virtues, and for a community which is essentially and intrinsically a value carrier, which quality has all along earned it the position of leadership and trust, this negative development is monumental. The North is being undermined from within. It must pay the price for choosing expediency over principles, for going 'southwards' while everybody else desires to head in its direction. Today many Nigerians in positions of trust are getting more and more united, not, unfortunately, in integrity and honor, but in corruption and decadence. Every deal which undermines the economic well being of Nigeria and entails massive corruption and self enrichment is conducted and achieved through a perfect collaboration between North and South, between Muslim and Christian. This is the kind of unity which must be reversed and defeated.

The possible way out will engage our attention in the next two or three weeks.

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